Worthy Cause - Part 3

     Good day guys! And whooah! akalain mo yon magkakaroon pa pala ng Part 3 ang WORTHY CAUSE post ko...hehehe...

     Kidding aside, this continuation is all about the photos I took while we're sorting and packing the relief goods generously donated by our loving and kind community people. Kudos to them!

     In volunteerism and charity works, there is a priceless joy and satisfaction. A joy that radiates from your inner core and makes you feel good about yourself. Have you had this feeling? I bet you do....

     By the way, let your eyes ride through the candid shots, bro. Carl, bro. Edmund, and I took while sorting is in progress that night of Tuesday, October 10 at the center (venue's name withheld for security reason).

Satt on my left, ME, Jojo peeking in front & somehow a terrifed Owen..hehehe

busy Carl, laughing Owen, Jojo in striking yellow shirt and Satt on the far right

ME arranging clothes inside the box, Owen handing me over, Leo sorting out and Jojo

ME and Carl sorting out clothes from the plastic bags

     Below are some of the piled-up clothes we need to sort-out and put in a "balikbayan box". There's a funny short story about the boxes we used. While on our way to the center, Satt and I look forward to do the task,  but when we reached there we found out na wala pa palang balikbayan boxes na paglalagyan. "Anak ng pating na puti ang karne! hahahaha...So, our dear bro. Leo and Chad had to rushed to the nearby SKY FREIGHT office to buy some boxes. Good thing, Tita Ging was able to offer one box for us to start the packing.

Some donations from loving and kind community people

ME sorting out

     And what made us boisterously laughed that night was when bro. Sattie and bro. Jojo tried out few of the ladies wear and starting goofing around. We're laughing our hearts out when we realized that when they fit it in, the clothes almost tear apart since malalaki sila...hahaha. It was such an awkward moments but so funny as they goof around. I can't show you their photos here baka "pagalitan" ako...hahaha...Baka sabihin sa akin "the unbecoming of an SFC Leader"..hahaha...

     By the way, sorry guys, if some of the people involved in the sorting and packing were not seen in these photos. I just took some random photos kaya di ko na na-include ang iba....

     Beneficiaries of this effort will be the victims of typhoon PEDRING which recently devastated our country. It's a noble act for us OFW's to do this kind of thing as a gesture of reaching out to our fellow countrymen who have lost their homes and livelihood. People who needs immediate assistance.

So this is it. Back to work mode now. :))))

People Who Inspires Me - The Concept

     

     While doing a multi-tasking office work today, suddenly an idea pops-out of my mind. Well, it isn't that new. I have been having this thought way way back. But now, I guess I need to start it out. Sayang ang mga oras eh, dapat ng mabasa na rin ng mga taong involve dito ang gagawin kong series of articles.

     This post will be like the concept, the introduction, the prequel, the beginning, the alpha, the start. I will be featuring articles for people who inspires me. It is not limited to people I know, but it also will features people I meet along the way, in the street, in the concert arena, in the sports stadium, people I chat with, people I look up to but haven't met yet, my co-bloggers, people in my community, people whom I read in the book (like authors), people in the government (public figures), people in the faith aspect, and also people that are stranger to me but made an impact to me the first time I meet them. 

     Basically, it will focus on ordinary people, humble people yet living an extra-ordinary lives because of their works in the community and their advocates in life. People who spreads the value of unity, camaraderie, people who selfless devote their time and energy in improving the quality of life of others. People who does not necessarily seek the limelight for recognition.


     In short I'll be writing about people who inspires me. Inspired me yesterday, still inspires me today, and will inspire me tomorrow.


     My motivation will be "how do I know them and how well do I know them?"


     While I was writing this, lots of people suddenly floods my neurons and I'm so excited to feature them here. This will be like a series. A post you will be excited to wait for. I hope so..hehehe.


     Just watch out for it as I am more inspired to write good things in life. Things that can inspire readers as well. 


     See you in the next entry. Hopefully, the entry No. 1 for the first ever person who inspires me.

Worthy Cause - Part 2

     As promised eto yong Part 2 ng WORTHY CAUSE na post ko kanina. Di na ako nakatiis at sinimulan ko agad ang pagsusulat ng part two. Inisip ko lang na baka mawala pa ang mga ideas na maaari kung masabi dito. Ang hirap nun! Mag-iisip uli...di naman kasi ganun kadali ang magsulat.

     Actually, I'm utilizing my three (3) hours break from work since split timing ako sa office. So, aside from updating things for my wedding, I do the usual multi-tasking which I've been practicing for more than a decade. Likas naman sa ating mga pinoy na kung ano ang pwedeng magagawang bagay higit pa sa isa ay gagawin natin. Benefits of it are: saving our time & finishing multiple jobs at the same time. Basta focus lang ang kailangan while doing it.

     Last night, while Satt & I were traveling going the center where the "sorting and packing" will be done, I was thinking about several things. I started contemplating about life. And these are my random thoughts:

1. I AM LUCKY! - I felt blessed to have things ordinary people don't have in life. Well, I don't own expensive gadgets or the likes, but things that are just my needs and a lil bit of a "want" na rin. I am lucky to have a job that pays more than I need.

2. I MUST SHARE! - As someone who's really inclined to charity works, volunteerism, and the likes. I always feel I have to give back. I have to share the blessings regardless how small or big it is.

3. I WON'T COMPLAIN!- Sometimes, complaining is normal, but it becomes an annoying thing if every now and then we complain. I realized that I am really blessed despite little misfortunes which happens from time to time. Blessed because there are countless people somewhere who suffer problems bigger as mountains than I am or have.

4. I WILL ALWAYS HAVE A TIME FOR SOMEONE WHO NEEDS ME - There are certain moments in our lives where we feel so lazy to respond. We tend to ignore things to be done, people to talk to and situation to act upon. I am guilty of it admittedly. So, I realized that I should be more sensitive to the needs of others from me--especially "time". We never know what impact we can create by sharing our time to others. More so, to our love ones. So from now on I will have more time for them.

     You might be wond'rin why there were no photos yet for the relief goods sorting and packing, it's because I don't know how the bluetooth in Satt's laptop works. I've tried but being a not-so-tech-savvy  kind of guy, I find it hard to figure out. So, I'll be posting photos later when I got home from work using my own laptop.

     So watch out for it. I'll update this post later. Meanwhile I have to prepare to go back to work. I only have 30 minutes remaining and lots of office stuffs await me there.

     CIAO Amigos Y Amigas!

Evolution

If you're a reader here, you may have noticed (maybe) about how many times I did changed my blog name. I don't know but there's this certain feeling of dissatisfaction in me which drives me to modify again and again my blog name.


I started with a name "JEST OF JAY". It runs for few months.


It was followed by "Scribbles Of My Mind". I guess it has its share of weeks or so.


Then after, it became "Scribbles Of A Free Mind"


But my innovative mind once again modified it to "Word Is To Be Written As Life Is To Be Lived."


If I may remember it only run for like a week or so.


Then there's a new name "Scribbler's Block". This one has the shortest stay. It only run for like 2 days.


NOW, I am settled with this name, "Rafol's Draw of Thoughts". It will be my last modification. I feel like it's cool if it carries my last name though it sounded a bit weird and awkward since once you read it, it's like you're into "raffle draw" thing...lol...but that's the uniqueness I saw. Only reason that I'll be sticking to it for life....I guess..:)))


So officially, my permanent blog name will be "Rafol's Draw of Thoughts"

Worthy Cause - Part 1

     "Maayong aga sa indo tanan" (hiligaynon dialect for "magandang umaga sa inyong lahat).

     Gusto ko sanang isulat ang naging partisipasyon ko sa "relief goods sorting and packaging" kagabi ngunit ang aking "antuking mata" ay di na kinaya pang makisama sa ninanais ng aking katawan. Ugali na ng aking katawan na kapag dumating or bago pa dumating ang midnight siguradong aantukin na ako. Masuwerte na lang kung malagpasan ko ang midnight na di ako aantukin. Well, it only happens when I'm surrounded with people. 

     Kagabi habang kami ay masayang nagso-sort out ng aming ipapadala sa mga biktima ng typhoon PEDRING ay bumalik sa alaala ko ang naging kaparehong sitwasyon nang ang mapanirang ONDOY ay nanalasa sa ating bansa noong Setyembre taong 2009. 

     It is such a horrifying scene seeing the capital of the Philippines - Manila - being swayed out by heavy and deep floods which stirs the world wide community. Imagine, being featured in the CNN as a "Breaking News" is something more than alarming. It means that the incident was really disturbing and highly dangerous.

     Philippines, along with other countries surrounding and nearby Pacific Ocean has been regarded as one of the frequent "typhoon stricken" countries. It's a sad truth. Pero wala naman tayong magawa or magagawa kasi natural calamity ang typhoon. We can't even do some magic to stop them from hitting us and our livelihood. All we can do is to always be prepared. And pray of course. Prayers have been proven to help in difficult times.

     Siguro mamaya or bukas ko na isusulat ang Part 2 ng entry kong ito. As you may notice the photo for the relief goods isn't authentic since the real photos which I took last night while doing the sorting and packing are still in my mobile phone. I need to use it's bluetooth to transfer it to my laptop.

     Well guys, this is it for now. PART 2 coming up in 5 hours? See yah! Cheers to helping and sharing. -:)))

Song I'm Goin' Like "Crazy Nuts"

     Lately, I've been so hooked listenin' to this song:  Adele's "Rolling Into Deep"

BOYCE AVENUE covers ADELE's "Rolling Into Deep"

     What makes me stir up is the fact that it was covered by one of the coolest band I have ever known today -- presenting BOYCE AVENUE-- their version keeps me repeating over and over again this song and all other songs they've done. It's mellow, ear-friendly, and can turn you up to day-dream.


     Here's brief wiki-info about B.A.


     "BOYCE AVENUE - is a Puerto-Rican American acoustic rock band. It was form in Sarasota, Florida by brothers Alejandro, Daniel, & Fabian Manzano. This band is named after the combination of two streets the brothers lived as children. As of August 9, 2011, they are no longer signed to Universal Republic and have started their own independent record label called 3 Peace Records."

Alejandro, Daniel, & Fabian

     Well, I'd give credit to the original record of Adele since if it wasn't for her Boyce Avenue won't have the chance to re-arrange it with their own version.

Adele

     Nowadays, there are lots of artists (whether on a main stream or those who needs to break out to the mainstream) which cover awesome songs. Nakakatuwa kasi ang gagaling nilang mag-cover ng mga hit songs which even make those songs more popular & maybe can hit their platinum or quadruple platinum mark after it has been covered by these artists.


     Parang baliw lang ako..hahaha! paulit-ulit na papakinggan ang isang kanta. Ito na yata ang tinatawag na "hooked" or to put it in a superlative form "extremely hooked". Pero okey lang kasi my being hooked to it produces good energies and shy-away bad energies and negative vibes.


     While I'm in our office today, I tightly positioned the headset in my ears. My Saudi office mate (colleague in the Procurement Dept.) has been so intrigued with the song. I asked him,"Do you listen to English songs? He replied "Well, sometimes, but I'm not really a music person". Well, I guess their religious orientation would explain the reason. 


     But, he was dancing a bit when he heard the beat and tempo of the song which makes it cooler. Na-appreciate pala ni "tukmol" ang pinapakinggan kong kanta. Well, siguro dahil he was educated in the Western world, somehow he has this grasp of modernity.


     TODAY, I guess I'm ROLLING INTO DEEP. "LOL" :))))


P.S.     


     By the way, wait 'til I post their version of Rihanna's "Only Girl In The World" & Katie Perry's "Fireworks"

P.I.S.S.E.D. O.F.F

      I am a morning person.....


     As much as possible, when I don't have late errands at night, I'll sleep early and wake up early too. Masayang makita si Haring Araw na sumisikat pa lang. Para sa akin, it symbolizes a new hope and a continuation of a dream started.


     Pero, sadyang may mga umagang di ngiti ang dala. Siguro naman, karamihan sa atin nakakaranas ng ganitong pakiramdam. And what makes it worse is that I am faced with a recurring task in "inventory of stock". Now, I guess I am starting to lose patience over it. It's not that I don't appreciate the work, but it's just that some people you're working with seems not even caring how critical your work is. That, in all cases, they are entirely related in my mission to accomplish it. They keep on delaying jobs which results to my own delay too.

     Why, because it's like a "domino effect". Once you stand still and not work on your task, other won't get their job done too. Konektado kasi ang aming mga trabaho. And if one renders himself to be too lax or lousy in execution, others will be in dilemma as well.


     And now, that explains why I am a bit "PISSED OFF" today. I hope this feeling subsides gradually later. I hate the negativity, the "lousy vibes", being so mundane because one does not deliver as he should is so awful.


     Well, I should get up and compose myself. I can't stay with this situation. I need to get some solution or else I'll be soaked deeper into it.


     STILL, have a great day ahead guys! Hope you're having a grand time to whatever you get yourself busy with. KEEP YOUR COOL. Mine, I'm starting to pick the broken pieces of "COOL". :))))



     

Pilipino Ako

     Kadalasan, lagi ng namumutawi sa bibig ng aking mga kaibigan, maging kaswal man or kadikit, na "englisero daw ako". Englisero man sa panulat, masasabi kong ang panulat ko ay di katumbas ng kung paano ako magbitaw ng litanya or salita. Kaya kapag may magtatanong sa akin, lagi ng ang aking tugon ay "I write better than I talk". 

     Kahit gaano man tayo kagaling magsalita or bumigkas ng mga salita sa wikang Ingles, di pa rin natin maitatatwang Pilipino tayo at kailanman man di tayo magiging isang dayuhan. Babalik at babalik tayo sa ating kulturang kinagisnan. Kulturang nagturo at nagmulat sa atin ng ating pagiging Pilipino. 

     Siguro nga dumating na ang panahon, dumating na nga.... Panahon na upang ipamalas ko naman ang aking natatago kundi man kinakalawang na kaalaman sa pagsusulat sa wikang atin. Sayang naman ang ilang taon ng pagsasanay sa pagsulat sa wikang kinagisnan kung di ko ito madalas gamitin.

     Ayoko naman na dumating ang araw na ako'y lipulin ng kutya at pagpupuna dahil sa di ko paggamit ng wikang aking kinamulatan. Oo nga, di naman masama kung magsalita ng wikang Ingles, pero mas maipapamalas natin ang ating loyalismo at pagkamakabayan kung hindi natin itinatago or isinasantabi lang ang ating wika. 

     Kung ang wika lang ay nakakapagsalita, marahil ay napagsabihan na akong isang lapastangan. Lapastangan sa pagtalikod sa kulturang kinamulatan. Kung ang wika lang ay isang matang di nakapinid, marahil ay lantaran na nitong nakita ang aking pagmamalabis sa Inang bayan. Pagmamalabis na dulot ng di madalas na paggamit ng wikang Pilipino.

     Ngunit, gusto ko lang ding linawin sa madla na di nasusukat sa panulat o pagsasalita man ang pagmamahal ko sa aking wika pati na sa bayan. Sa kaibuturan ng aking budhi ay makikita doon ang labis na pangarap na makatulong upang ang Inang Bayan ay tuluyan nang makaahon sa lugmok na sistema na kanyang kinasadlakan.

     Isa lamang ako sa isang yuta na pareho ang pangarap sa Inang Bayan. Isa lamang ako sa isang angiw na patuloy na iniuusad ang pangandoy na sana sa pagbabalik ko sa aking Inang Bayan ay abot-tenga ko nang ngingitian ang progresibo kong bayan.

     Pero ang pangarap na iyon ay di dapat sa panulat lang. Kaya nagdesisyon ako na lakarin at tawirin ang mahaba mang paglalakbay tungo sa pagbabago. Isang pagbabago sa sinisimulan ko sa aking sarili. Isang pag-aasam ng pagbabago na sinasabayan ng pagkilos at pagtulong sa kapwa ng di naghahangad ng anumang pagkilala.

     Dahil akoy' PILIPINO at ikinararangal ko ang mapabilang sa lahi ko.

  

Goodbye Is Easy But Hard To Say

      While I was eating my dinner (mind you my dinner is a big round "kubus with cheese") I suddenly remember my account in http://postpoem.org.  If you'd ask why I maintain an account there, well, I'm a guy who's a lover of prose and poetry. It's my biggest dream to write down a great song's lyrics and submit it to a song writing search or competition and be interpreted by a famous artist of my choice. I have lots of poems in store in that site. So going back, without a second thought I quickly open my account there (good thing I am organized when it comes to different emails from different websites that's why I don't have a bad experience in the net having trouble signing in/logging in due to forgotten account or password). 

     And here's what caught my attention when I finally accessed it. It was a poem I wrote during Pinoy Big Brother -Season 1 Edition. To bring you down the memory lane, this was the time of Nene, Jason, Cass, Uma and others which I've forgotten already. When the controversial Chix Alcala was evicted I wrote this poem. Damn, I was freakin' hooked with that Season 1 and I must assume all of you did the same too. Well, for reason that's it was the first reality show that ever landed in our prime time TV.

The PBB Season 1

     By the way, the title of the poem is the same with the title of this post and here it goes:

GOODBYE IS EASY BUT HARD TO SAY

I came here to start a life
Inside a house ashamed of light
With strangers I learned to mingle
Like a meek sheep roaming the jungle

I came here to share my life
Inside a house with big brother's sight
Strangers now turned to great peers
Or maybe lovers starting an affair

I came here to share my dream
To be real whatever it may seem
Carefree, bubbly a group that is what we
In the big brother's house from dusk 'til wee

Now a twist has come to life
We need to vote-out another's pride
Our mind resist but decision persists
It's not ours but from the big bro's verdict

Tears fell down it can't be denied
It will flow down and should be cried out
Leaving the house doesn't mean ending
But greater friendship is just a beginning

Time now has come to cease
In big bro's house I will be release
Minutes away from my sudden eviction
People has come to a hard decision

Leaving big bro's house I can hardly step
My pace as if loaded with grief
There will always be a kind of misery
Every night in my wildest fancy

If I'm gonna ask I want to stay
But I hold no power but to obey
Decision has come to its finality
My whisper utterance I want to convey

"GOODBYE IS EASY BUT HARD TO SAY"

     This was written way back November 6, 2005, Whew! six years had passed and I can still recall the scenes that night when one evictee should go out of the PBB House.

     And here's my "Author Comments" in the lower portion of the post in that site:

Author's Notes/Comments: 

     "This are my thoughts transcripted to a poem minutes from Chx eviction. Undeniably, I have learned to love Chx for her candidness and being true to herself.  She has this great guts to act what she think and that makes her distinct from other.  She doesn't care of criticism as long as her actions speaks truly for herself."

     So there you go guys, I was just having a memory recall and it just so happened that the first thing that crossed my mind was this incident. Correct me if my eardrums had it wrong, I guess there will be another upcoming season for the PBB later this year or early next year. I need to verify this information.

      Goodnight and God bless everyone!

  

We Always Have A Choice

The Gallant's Heads

     "What has life to offer me when I grow old"? This is the first line of the song Next In Line of After Image (I don't remember which year) that literally hit while I was thinking of the first thing to write about this article. Quite sad isn't it? Well, I won't focus on the tear-jerking thoughts in here, though, maybe along the lines I may hit some emotions. But I'll try to make it as interesting as possible. I wish I could have all the elements in writing to do all these. But heck! I'll try my very best.



      Cliche's would tell us that "life is what we make it". I agree to that. We choose what we want, we choose our decision. Our daily existence is part of how we partake in the banquet of the world. There, we have plenty of choices and WE ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE which one to pick up or out, which one to pursue and which one to make our stand for. In life, we are presented with choices. Choices that sometimes fit or unfit our system. 

       I strongly disagree about the idea that sometimes we are left without a choice. We only say we don't have a choice anymore when what's left with us is a choice that we neither want to be part of. There is this certain negation in us that we keep on denying about the choice laid upon us. At some point, we tend to blame God for giving us a hard one. A choice that literally set us out of our comfort zone.  But we never realized that God gave us that certain choice for our own good, for our growth, for us to be stronger, for us to entertain life that completely deviates to what we expect. In short, God wants us to trek the part that few people wants to stride on. And that is called "risk". And I would say, it's God's risk. Why? It's because God won't allow us with a choice we can't bear, a choice we can't be victorious in the end. A choice maybe so difficult sometimes but it's God's way of refinement of our soul, of our spirit. Initially, we tend to awkwardly react to the choice especially if we aren't expecting them to be like. 

     But, ACCEPTANCE is the key. In a certain crossroad, there is always a choice that will ignite you to move ahead. Our mind might be too clouded with denial which fuels our negation to the choice presented to us, but once you dwell on the bright side of things why a certain choice not our liking was presented, we will be able to appreciate it and will make us accept and propel us to drive along with it.

Satt, Archie, Jay (Me), Ronnie, Marlon & Jansenn