The love of Hector and Andromache is exemplary.It is a love that is both tested by time and space (the proximity of lovers who are very near each other yet thousand miles separated due to their duties in their country, Troy).It would have been so difficult to see a loved one fight for dear life and it might be so painful to fight for dear life while knowing your loved one is seeing your defeat. A haiku will be a good salutation to a love that is so true.
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Face who Lauched a Thousand Ships (Iliad)
Helen, the most beautiful of all women, has enjoyed the lavish attention of all powerful men of her time. She puts even the men of today caught in her enigmatic beauty. Even the women admire her stature and beauty--some have even wished they were Helen.
Once married, she is dearly loved by her husband Menelaus. But as the story goes, she left him for Paris, younger brother of Hector and the most beautiful of all the Trojan Princes. Now, aside from the promptings of the goddess, what else could have been Helen's reasons fro leaving Menelaus and deciding to be known as Helen of Troy?
Once married, she is dearly loved by her husband Menelaus. But as the story goes, she left him for Paris, younger brother of Hector and the most beautiful of all the Trojan Princes. Now, aside from the promptings of the goddess, what else could have been Helen's reasons fro leaving Menelaus and deciding to be known as Helen of Troy?
Friday, November 6, 2009
On Women's Strength (Odyssey)
It is always a wonder, the strength of women, as exemplified by the different women characters of Iliad and Odyssey.
Andromache bravely watched her husband Hector fight for dear life from the battle wall. She even console Helen who was already blaming herself for the pain the Trojans are going through.
Penelope untiringly waited for 20 years for the return of her husband.
Helen stood her ground when she eloped with Paris, and in the end she accepted her fault and went back to Menelaus.
Circe fought her own self when she helped Odysseus.
Kalypso, though was told by Hermes, fought for her love even if she knows Odysseus would still live her.
Hecuba watched Hector die and helped Priam through her prayers to fight the horror of times.
Cassandra stood her ground on her allegations on Helen bringing curse to Troy even if no one believes her.
Polyxena fought for her star-crossed lover, Achilleus.
All women who were mentioned fought their battles in their own way, and maybe it is indeed a sign of strength knowing the task on hand requires a lot of self-control and wit. What they did is an example of how a woman staunchly handles life's challenges, it is a picture of how they cope up with their stressors. It is a a decision they heroically stand for, now it makes me think--- Can we consider what Antikleia did as display of bravery?
Andromache bravely watched her husband Hector fight for dear life from the battle wall. She even console Helen who was already blaming herself for the pain the Trojans are going through.
Penelope untiringly waited for 20 years for the return of her husband.
Helen stood her ground when she eloped with Paris, and in the end she accepted her fault and went back to Menelaus.
Circe fought her own self when she helped Odysseus.
Kalypso, though was told by Hermes, fought for her love even if she knows Odysseus would still live her.
Hecuba watched Hector die and helped Priam through her prayers to fight the horror of times.
Cassandra stood her ground on her allegations on Helen bringing curse to Troy even if no one believes her.
Polyxena fought for her star-crossed lover, Achilleus.
All women who were mentioned fought their battles in their own way, and maybe it is indeed a sign of strength knowing the task on hand requires a lot of self-control and wit. What they did is an example of how a woman staunchly handles life's challenges, it is a picture of how they cope up with their stressors. It is a a decision they heroically stand for, now it makes me think--- Can we consider what Antikleia did as display of bravery?
Faithfulness Defined (Iliad)
People who are in love and who are planning to be in love have different expectations regarding relationships. They imagine or come up with different sets of standard, but one thing certain all of them include FAITHFUL as one of the adjectives describing the man/woman they would love. Here are some quotations of faithfulness.
Confidentiality is a virtue of the loyal, as loyalty is the virtue of faithfulness.
Edwin Louis Cole
Marriage has a unique place because it speaks of an absolute faithfulness, a covenant between radically different persons, male and female; and so it echoes the absolute covenant of God with his chosen, a covenant between radically different partners.
Rowan D. Williams
Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable than fidelity. Faithfulness and truth are the most sacred excellences and endowments of the human mind.
Marcus Tullius Cicero
*** all three quotations were retrieved from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/faithfulness.html
If the above quoted statements are the idea of the quoted geniuses, i wonder what your personal definition of faithfulness is.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Food
As first time parents-to-be, my hubby and I have a lot of conversations regarding our baby. But the one I am going to share today is a conversation which always makes me smile everytime i am reminded of it.
Last Thursday, October 15, 2009, my partner and i went out on a date. We picked some grocery items and then off we went to have dinner as it was after-work grocery errand. We decided to eat at Greenwich. We reviewed the events of the day and shared our plans for the next day.
Here comes our order, a layer of pizza and value meals. We were having fun eating and all of a sudden i asked " Pag naa na si baby, i-jollibee gihapon nato siya?" (When baby is born, will we bring her/him to jollibee as well?) Glester tenderly looked at me and asked "Asa man diay nimo siya plano dad-on?" (Where are you planning to take the baby?) Without butting an eyelash i answered "Sa library!"(to the library) with all the excitement of an expectant mother visualizing to read to and with her child. Glester's eyes danced in merriment to my confusion then it broke to laughter! still! I did not get it! What's wrong with my answer?!
Amidst his laughter he asked me to review my question, and still adamant i asked "why?is my answer wrong? " And he said "Pagkaon atong istoryahan, library pud naa sa imong hunahuna" (we are talking about food and there your mind goes to the library!) Ouch! crazy me! I broke into laughter and up till now i am not certain whether or not i should be embarrassed. But in the end, i chose to smile over it and be thankful, my husband can laugh on the idiosyncratic turns of my thoughts! :-)
Last Thursday, October 15, 2009, my partner and i went out on a date. We picked some grocery items and then off we went to have dinner as it was after-work grocery errand. We decided to eat at Greenwich. We reviewed the events of the day and shared our plans for the next day.
Here comes our order, a layer of pizza and value meals. We were having fun eating and all of a sudden i asked " Pag naa na si baby, i-jollibee gihapon nato siya?" (When baby is born, will we bring her/him to jollibee as well?) Glester tenderly looked at me and asked "Asa man diay nimo siya plano dad-on?" (Where are you planning to take the baby?) Without butting an eyelash i answered "Sa library!"(to the library) with all the excitement of an expectant mother visualizing to read to and with her child. Glester's eyes danced in merriment to my confusion then it broke to laughter! still! I did not get it! What's wrong with my answer?!
Amidst his laughter he asked me to review my question, and still adamant i asked "why?is my answer wrong? " And he said "Pagkaon atong istoryahan, library pud naa sa imong hunahuna" (we are talking about food and there your mind goes to the library!) Ouch! crazy me! I broke into laughter and up till now i am not certain whether or not i should be embarrassed. But in the end, i chose to smile over it and be thankful, my husband can laugh on the idiosyncratic turns of my thoughts! :-)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
On Palawan/Mindoro Folksongs
A friend, Leo Marconi, texted me this morning re: Mindoro and Palawan Folk Literature, folk songs in particular. i am not so certain if he means the lyrics or the background of the song. Anyhow, as both of us were busy the early part of the day, i just told him i will try to help look for what he needs. I am not so certain neither with the documents i have seen, as i did Bukidnon Indigenous Poetry and i went to the site myself to collect.
Anyhow, it will always be a pleasure and an honor to be a help to those who are interested in indigenous poetry.
for Mandaya background, one can visit this link
this article will give you an ample background about the tribe. The tribe though can be seen in the MIndanao area but then as different studies had shown, this article can give you idea on the similarities and differences of this tribe to other indigenous poetry.
for Mangyan background, you can visit this link
this article will give you insights about the tribe's origin, their religious beliefs, their system of government and their culture and tradition.
Mangyan, here is another site that can enrich one's understanding about the Southern Luzon's tribe: link
this is an article pertaining the different Mangyan groups showing their similarities and diversities. This article is another proof that indeed the Philippine Indigenous Groups have a lot of common but then still they have their own uniqueness which the "majority" have to see and appreciate yet.
This link is a for the Mangyan group which helps preserve the culture. feel free to visit their site and i am certain they would be glad to be of help when it concerns the preservation of the culture and literature of the tribe.
This net article link will give you a recent discussion and description of the tribe.
here is a sample of Mindoro Folk Song taken from http://www.pbase.com/zstudio3/mangyans_of_mindoro&page=1
ANG HARDINERO
(Oriental Mindoro song)
Di bagamaraming bulaklak saan man!
Makakapili ka Sarisaring kulay
Kung ang mapili mo'y ang bulaklak ng rosal
Di ibig pitasin sa sanga at tangkay Di bagama
Di mo ba gatanto na ako'y asusena
Ang hardinero ko'y si Ama't si ina?
Bago ka pumitas bulaklak sa sanga
Sa hardinero'y magsabi ka muna
The next three links will connect you to Filipino folksongs site:
link1
link2
link3
Lastly, here are link1 and link2 that would connect you to the songs i have found in relation to Mindoro folksongs, but having read about the language and the people these seem to be Ilonggo songs, anyhow for anyone interested, i hope this helps still.
I hope these entries will help awaken all Filipinos that there is yet a great need to salvage our indigenous poetry. That we are very rich culturally, all we need to do is to acknowledge and appreciate it and finally WORK on it.
On my next entry, i will try to enrich my site through the article reviews pertaining the different tribes of the Philippines. I hope these links will enrich your appreciation and understanding of the need to preserve and cultivate the pride and respect each indigenous tribe deserves.
Anyhow, it will always be a pleasure and an honor to be a help to those who are interested in indigenous poetry.
for Mandaya background, one can visit this link
this article will give you an ample background about the tribe. The tribe though can be seen in the MIndanao area but then as different studies had shown, this article can give you idea on the similarities and differences of this tribe to other indigenous poetry.
for Mangyan background, you can visit this link
this article will give you insights about the tribe's origin, their religious beliefs, their system of government and their culture and tradition.
Mangyan, here is another site that can enrich one's understanding about the Southern Luzon's tribe: link
this is an article pertaining the different Mangyan groups showing their similarities and diversities. This article is another proof that indeed the Philippine Indigenous Groups have a lot of common but then still they have their own uniqueness which the "majority" have to see and appreciate yet.
This link is a for the Mangyan group which helps preserve the culture. feel free to visit their site and i am certain they would be glad to be of help when it concerns the preservation of the culture and literature of the tribe.
This net article link will give you a recent discussion and description of the tribe.
here is a sample of Mindoro Folk Song taken from http://www.pbase.com/zstudio3/mangyans_of_mindoro&page=1
ANG HARDINERO
(Oriental Mindoro song)
Di bagamaraming bulaklak saan man!
Makakapili ka Sarisaring kulay
Kung ang mapili mo'y ang bulaklak ng rosal
Di ibig pitasin sa sanga at tangkay Di bagama
Di mo ba gatanto na ako'y asusena
Ang hardinero ko'y si Ama't si ina?
Bago ka pumitas bulaklak sa sanga
Sa hardinero'y magsabi ka muna
The next three links will connect you to Filipino folksongs site:
link1
link2
link3
Lastly, here are link1 and link2 that would connect you to the songs i have found in relation to Mindoro folksongs, but having read about the language and the people these seem to be Ilonggo songs, anyhow for anyone interested, i hope this helps still.
I hope these entries will help awaken all Filipinos that there is yet a great need to salvage our indigenous poetry. That we are very rich culturally, all we need to do is to acknowledge and appreciate it and finally WORK on it.
On my next entry, i will try to enrich my site through the article reviews pertaining the different tribes of the Philippines. I hope these links will enrich your appreciation and understanding of the need to preserve and cultivate the pride and respect each indigenous tribe deserves.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Will you listen?
Texting or sending messages through SMS had been in the Philippines since time immemorial. At times it is irritating especially when people insensitively put you on these "Send to many" list, then send you messages which are far-fetched. But the, there are a lot of benefits taken from this "send to many" lists... Here is one text message my sister, Marvi had sent me:
Loving someone must really be not as easy as most teeners imagine it. As it consists of very simple principles yet these principles require so much humbleness and love.
Ten Ways to Love People
(True and Biblical)
1. Listen without interrupting (Prov1:13)
This means putting your heart and mind and your whole being in the process of conversation. It also means cutting the thoughts that would like to slip out of your mouth or the solution that might be the answer to a problem shared for example. It simply means keeping quiet and observant no matter how much you wanted to voice out your comments.
2. Speak without accusing ( James 1:19)
This means swallowing the pride and making your point straight while making certain the other person knows it is the act that you do not approve and not the person itself. It means asking open-ended questions and making the person know you would believe whatever he or she say, only that you just wanted to hear it straight from him or her.
3. Give without sparing (Prov21:26)
To give is not to keep anything. It means putting your heart on the item itself. As Mother Teresa puts it, it hurts the giver when she/he gives but then it is giving when amidst the pain happiness is felt more.
4. Pray without ceasing ( Collossians1:9)
The answer to every prayer is sent everyday, only we need to recognize. If we do not recognize right away, we should intensify our prayers a,d if we already have recognized we should intensify it even more. It is also a way of saying to PRAY is to BELIEVE you already have received it.
5. Answer without arguing (Prov17:1)
This means to answer questions without being defensive. It is putting in mind that the person is simply asking because he/she is concerned about you. As the Bible puts it, gentle words drive away anger.
6. Share without pretending (Ephesians4:15)
This statement simply means, enjoying the act of sharing or opening your self to different possibilities with your partner.
7. Enjoy without complaint (Philippians2:14)
This means putting your whole self in the activity knowing that "time" really belongs to your partner or friend.
8. Trust without wavering (Corinthians13:7)
This means believing your partner will always be true and loyal to you. That no matter what people say, it is his/her word versus them, and that it is knowing that his/her word weighs heavier than anyone around you.
9. Forgive without punishing (Colossians3:13)
When we say "It's alright" it means, we are not thinking of getting even. Our "it's alright" must be an equivalent to "let us both learn from it" and let us both grow from the experience.
*** if you say you are sorry, mean it. try to avoid doing the same mishap again. it is very important, our partner feels secured by seeing our effort to be a better person for our self and our loved ones.***
10. Promise without forgetting (Prov13:12)
this means keeping your words and making certain you fulfill whatever you say to your partner. It is another way of saying, never forget to REMEMBER.
Loving our self is the best gift we can give both to our self and the people who matter to us. As in loving ourselves, it radiates and it is seen and understood by the way we deal with people. Loving means listening and trusting! It is a beautiful world especially when shared with special someone. So why wait for the morrow when loving could begin NOW. Let us listen and let our ears eyes says aloud I LOVE YOU
Loving someone must really be not as easy as most teeners imagine it. As it consists of very simple principles yet these principles require so much humbleness and love.
Ten Ways to Love People
(True and Biblical)
1. Listen without interrupting (Prov1:13)
This means putting your heart and mind and your whole being in the process of conversation. It also means cutting the thoughts that would like to slip out of your mouth or the solution that might be the answer to a problem shared for example. It simply means keeping quiet and observant no matter how much you wanted to voice out your comments.
2. Speak without accusing ( James 1:19)
This means swallowing the pride and making your point straight while making certain the other person knows it is the act that you do not approve and not the person itself. It means asking open-ended questions and making the person know you would believe whatever he or she say, only that you just wanted to hear it straight from him or her.
3. Give without sparing (Prov21:26)
To give is not to keep anything. It means putting your heart on the item itself. As Mother Teresa puts it, it hurts the giver when she/he gives but then it is giving when amidst the pain happiness is felt more.
4. Pray without ceasing ( Collossians1:9)
The answer to every prayer is sent everyday, only we need to recognize. If we do not recognize right away, we should intensify our prayers a,d if we already have recognized we should intensify it even more. It is also a way of saying to PRAY is to BELIEVE you already have received it.
5. Answer without arguing (Prov17:1)
This means to answer questions without being defensive. It is putting in mind that the person is simply asking because he/she is concerned about you. As the Bible puts it, gentle words drive away anger.
6. Share without pretending (Ephesians4:15)
This statement simply means, enjoying the act of sharing or opening your self to different possibilities with your partner.
7. Enjoy without complaint (Philippians2:14)
This means putting your whole self in the activity knowing that "time" really belongs to your partner or friend.
8. Trust without wavering (Corinthians13:7)
This means believing your partner will always be true and loyal to you. That no matter what people say, it is his/her word versus them, and that it is knowing that his/her word weighs heavier than anyone around you.
9. Forgive without punishing (Colossians3:13)
When we say "It's alright" it means, we are not thinking of getting even. Our "it's alright" must be an equivalent to "let us both learn from it" and let us both grow from the experience.
*** if you say you are sorry, mean it. try to avoid doing the same mishap again. it is very important, our partner feels secured by seeing our effort to be a better person for our self and our loved ones.***
10. Promise without forgetting (Prov13:12)
this means keeping your words and making certain you fulfill whatever you say to your partner. It is another way of saying, never forget to REMEMBER.
Loving our self is the best gift we can give both to our self and the people who matter to us. As in loving ourselves, it radiates and it is seen and understood by the way we deal with people. Loving means listening and trusting! It is a beautiful world especially when shared with special someone. So why wait for the morrow when loving could begin NOW. Let us listen and let our ears eyes says aloud I LOVE YOU
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