Cebu prisoners pay tribute to Michael Jackson

Remember their performance of "Thiller"?

Go Ate Vi!

When I was young(er), the Philippine population can be separated into Noranians and Vilmanians. I was neither. Ate Vi's dance numbers in V.I.P (later Vilma) or her critically acclaimed movies didn't manage to convert me to her side of the force. I thought nothing can convert me until I read Howie Severino's interview with Ate Vi about demolishing half of the fish ponds in Taal lake.

I didn't know she made sense until today. Sometimes passing through Lipa, Batangas, I see her name written in big letters on the walls of the schools she built. For me that didn't really mean she was a good mayor, all it meant was she was good in public relations and she can spell her name.

Image from www.asianbite.com

Cleaning up Taal Lake is another matter. That shows strength of character, environmental conciousness, and forward thinking. How can one convince fish pond owners to give their livelihood without violence? How can one even think of advancing a program like that without fear of losing in the next elections?

Image from www.pcij.org

I love Tilapia but the illegal fish ponds cultivating them are killing Taal Lake. The Tilapia farms are also killing endemic species like the tawilis. If we want a living lake that we can all profit from for many years to come then we should start working for its survival now.

Go Ate Vi!

Goodbye Michael....

I cannot imagine the world without Michael Jackson.

I LIKE: Nomad4ever

I've been following the travel adventures of Chris through his blog Nomad4ever for a few years now. I am really excited that he is now in the Philippines and he is exploring it in style!

Picture from www.Nomad4ever.com

Using a second hand tricycle that he bought for 30,000 php and the RO-RO, he is exploring our islands one small town at a time.

Picture from www.Nomad4ever.com

Read more about his Philippine adventure at Nomad4ever.com.

Honestly, I feel so pathetic blogging about Venice when my heart only wants to explore the Philippines in a tricycle using the RO-RO...sorry for me because I won't go home to the Philippines until March 2010.

Venice

Venice is a very expensive place to visit because it is very touristic. Despite this, Venice is still on top of my list of the most beautiful places on earth.

We didn't stay in Venice itself because it is too expensive. We stayed in Hotel Style in Mogliano Veneto which is located very near the train station. According to the brochure, the hotel should be 15 minutes away by train from Venice but with the "traffic", the travel time easily turned into 30-40 minutes. The hotel itself was so so. Actually, until now I am still wondering where the "style" was in Hotel Style.

Venice itself was spectacular! Truly a world heritage site!

The Venetian Republic was a major power during the middle ages and Renaissance. It was a very important center of commerce and art in the 13th century up to the end of the 17th century. Marco Polo, one of the very first Europeans to travel to China, sailed from the Venetian Republic.
The very first thing I noticed when we arrived in Venice is the Byzantine Architecture. Of course then I didn't know that it was called Byzantine Architecture. I found the architecture very curious because the palaces have Arabic windows and the churches have domes like mosques. Now, I know that is called Byzantine Architecture. I travel to learn you know...
Ahhh and the gondolas! As you all know, there are no roads in Venice, people used to move around using gondolas. Of course now, it is just for tourists because locals use motor boats. We didn't take it this time because a 1-hour ride costs 60 euros per person....
The best time to visit Venice is during spring because apparently in summer it is too hot and the smell of the canals is not so pleasant.

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Change

Change or perish! I cannot over emphasize the importance of this phrase. Life, in general, is all about responding to change. After all, change is the only constant thing in the universe.

In nature, species which fail to adapt to a changing environment become extinct. This rule applies to everyday life as well. Problems arise when we encounter a situation wherein we refuse to acknowledge that something has changed and refuse to make the necessary adjustments.

A long long time ago, I read "The road less traveled" by M. Scott Peck. He postulated that as children we draw a personal "map" of of life aided by our environment and personal experiences. This "map" help us navigate through life. As we grow up and gather more experience, ideally, we should also update our "map". Unfortunately, most of us don't and end up lost.

It's time for me to install the updates in my life. Probably, I even need to change my software altogether. Change is always difficult but it's necessary. I just wish that everything will still run after the reboot.

I hope you know that I am not talking about my computer (although it's new too).