2Rivers

May 25-31

2013-05-24T14:51:00.000+08:00

Temple of Gold

Bienvenido Santos

Robert Redford

One of my all time favorite novels is Temple of Gold by William Goldman. I identified with the adolescent angst of the narrator, Raymond, a.k.a. Euripides, and his best friend Zack. I read it when I was 17 and living in Santa Rosa, Laguna. I remember reading Goldman's other books Brothers and Magic when I was 16 and living in Morong, Rizal. I'm now in Cebu, starting to learn screenwriting. Goldman also wrote the screenplay of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid with Robert Redford and Paul Newman. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head," the Oscar-winning theme, is Huggybear's Favorite Song From BJ Thomas

Bienvenido Santos, one of my favorite Filipino writers, wrote two of my favorite short stories. I was still a kid when I first read his story "A Scent of Apples" from the Philippine Prose and Poetry series. It belonged to my dad who died when I was too young too remember. "When I was in Kalamazoo..." I included the hero of another of his story, "Courage," about a stoic teacher suffering from a deadly disease, in "My Most Unforgettable Literary Characters." That was one of my earliest articles, published in 2005 in Philippine Panorama. The title is inspired by the Reader's Digest section My Most Unforgettable Character. The other stars in my article include Atticus in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and the little traveling boy from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I'm a great fan of Robert Redford. I have a poem, "The Vampire Who (Thought He) Looked Like Robert Redford." It appeared in Philippine Graphic in 2005, chosen for publication by the late great literary editor Adrian Cristobal. It's a nod to Robert and a tribute to Bienvenido Santos, the title inspired by one of his novels, The Man Who (Thought He) Looked Like Robert Taylor

Robert Redford is the star of two of my favorite movies of all time. The first is Havana. Directed by Sydney Pollack, it shows the best performances of Lena Olin, Alan Arkin, Tomas Milan and the late Raul Julia. I feel a deep empathy with his character Jack Weil, a traveler and a risk-taking non-conformist who has mastered the art of letting go. I streamed the full movie here on 2Rivers in 2010 but the original uploader had some copyright issues

My favorite scene in Havana is when Jack explains the scar on his arm, which he rubs for good luck. There's a diamond sewn inside. "The idea is, no matter what happens, no what matter what they do to you, you still have that one chance. You still have that diamond."

The other is Sneakers, directed by Phil Alden Robinsons who also did Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner. I'm out of my head in admiration for the screenplay and the perfect chemistry of the cast: Sidney Poitier, Mary McDonell, Dan Akroyd, David Strathairn, Ben Kingsley, James Earl Jones and the late River Phoenix. I can watch it over and over again

Jonathan Aquino's Journal

May 23, 2013
10:14 p.m., Thursday
Lahug City, Cebu

My story on David Ogilvy is part of the latest (May) issue of the Cebu-based City Career Guide magazine. On the cover is model Navigail Bleinagel, and my photo and profile are also featured. This is the first time I'm going to frame an article of mine because I love the layout. My Ogilvy story also appeared last month in Philippine Panorama. It was originally published in 2009 in The Philippine Star. I just finished writing stories on Bienvenido Santos and Robert Redford though I'm supposed to be finishing my latest screenplay

I'm facing some personal issues at the moment. As a way of marking a life event without going inelegantly too public, I tweeted on Facebook the other day: "I won't complain. But I pray for the strength to overcome it. This too shall pass. I will survive."

Earlier, I posted some lines from "Never Surrender" as a reflection of how I feel about what I'm going through. Naturally, there's a link to Huggybear's Favorite Song From Corey Hart

An hour or so ago, I finished writing my revised profile for 2Rivers which I'll post this coming Saturday. Here it is:

I'm Jonathan Aquino, a.k.a. Huggybear. I'm a freelance writer from the Philippines. My poetry, fiction and wide-ranging articles have appeared in major publications. My Saturday night blog 2Rivers is a celebration of music, movies, literature and self-expression. I learned writing from Winston Churchill and Charles Lindbergh, and editing from DeWitt Wallace, founder of Reader's Digest. My favorite novel is Shibumi by Trevanian. The books that changed my life are Carlos Castañeda's Journey To Ixtlan, Wayne Dyer's Your Erroneous Zones, Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Tony Robbins' Unlimited Power, Rhonda Byrne's The Secret, Shirley MacLaine's Out On A Limb and Dancing In The Light, Jose Silva's Silva Mind Control Method For Getting Help From Your Other Side and Jane Roberts' The Further Education of Oversoul Seven. I'm a traveler and a seeker on a quest for deeper spiritual knowledge. I love tuna and watermelon. I also love dogs and horses but I don't eat them. I believe in freedom and simplicity. My life philosophy is summed up in Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance: "To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius..."

Huggybear's Favorite Song From BJ Thomas

2013-05-24T13:28:00.002+08:00

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

[Theme From "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid"]

(Photo freemusic07.ucoz.com)

The Journey with Shirley MacLaine

2013-05-18T11:21:00.000+08:00

May 18-24 Edition

This story originally appeared in Philippine Panorama, January 2013

I have a friend whose mom is in her 70s but loves reading and her favorite actress is Shirley MacLaine; I have given her a lot of books and some (original) DVD. So it's inevitable that I would come across Out On A Limb. I believe this is not a coincidence.

The best thing about Out On A Limb is Shirley MacLaine's honesty. Anybody can write an memoir, but to open your heart about opening up your mind, that takes a lot of courage -- and a great leap of faith. I'm exhilarated at the many things in this book that resonates in my life.

I have always felt there was more to me than what I knew, that my existence is part of a plan I cannot possibly understand yet I know to be good. Somehow, deep in my heart, I feel that, when bad things happen to good people, it's not a punishment from a vengeful deity; and my most painful experiences did, after all is said and done, made me a better man.

My favorite character is David, a fellow poet, artist and traveler; everything he ever said I instinctively know to be true. I feel he's a kindred spirit, a soul brother like Johnny Depp, in touch with the fundamental truths of why we are here. David is "a sweet, gentle person, with chiseled cheekbones and a kind of soft, sad smile," describes Shirley. They met in art gallery in the Village in New York, the home of bohemians and wandering artists, like the unforgettable characters of my favorite Hollywood movie, Rent.

David is a gypsy soul, "very much at home anywhere because he was an observer of life." His roads have taken him everywhere, from India to Peru to the Himalayas. "He painted and wrote along the way," says Shirley. "It didn't cost him much because he worked his way around the world doing all sorts of odd jobs." I can relate to that, having lived in lots of different places; I often thought about why people leave: perhaps they found a compelling reason to -- or maybe they simply ran out of reasons to stay.

I believe that everything happens for a reason, and every reason has a purpose. There are no accidents in life, he tells her as they take a walk in the beach. Shirley is enlightened enough to realize that "It's hard to know something really deep is missing inside yourself when you feel successful and busy and responsible and creative."

One day after yoga class, David takes Shirley to Bodhi Tree, on Melrose Place near La Cienega, where they have a lot of books about spiritual and metaphysical stuff. "As we walked in," Shirley remembers, "I smelled sandalwood incense filtering through the rooms of the cluttered bookstore." Here is where she learned about Edgar Cayce, Jane Roberts, the great mystics like Emerson, Thoreau, and a lot more. David ignited the most important quest of a woman who has traveled around the world -- the journey within.

At this point comes one of my favorite lines of all time: "For me, real intelligence is open-mindedness," says David. "If you're looking for something, why not give it a shot?"

Fate moves in mysterious ways. Things happen, and someday, if you're lucky, you'll be able to connect the dots, and find something that wasn't there before -- even if it's been there all along. "Looking back," recalls Shirley, "I can say that making that simple, lazy-afternoon decision to visit an unusual bookstore was one of the most important decisions of my life."

David and Shirley would talk about the purpose of being alive. "It was fascinating to me that I had even felt comfortable asking him such a question," marvels Shirley, as David wipes peace juice from his chin and brushes the sand from his sticky fingers. "It was a question I wouldn't even ask Einstein had I known him well enough to sit on the beach slurping peaches." In my own little ways, I'm trying to correct my karmic balance by doing good things, and the sense of fulfillment from the act of something right is a reward in itself. "If we understood our own individual purpose and meaning in relation to God," continues David, then we’ll know “there was no need to be greedy or competitive or afraid and violent."

It all comes down to us -- to you, and to me. "It's easier," says David, "if you first learn who YOU are” because “We are the products of all the lives we have led."

When Shirley seeks refuge from the world, she goes to the Ashram, a spiritually-oriented health camp in the Calabasas mountains, with a breaktaking view of the Pacific Ocean. "Fickle lady of fame," Anne Marie Bennstrom, the founder, calls her, going straight to the core: "You're not really sure you want it, are you?" Still, "Cat," as Shirley calls her, is overjoyed about the fickle lady's new path: "It's so satisfying to be drawn to the spirit, isn't it?"

She tells about a highly evolved entity named Ambres, whose instrument is Sturé Johanssen, a simple carpenter in Stockholm. Within that week, Shirley is on the phone with her boyfriend Gerry, a British politician, trying to work out their relationship. We need to talk, she says, ready to hop to the next plane to London, and was stunned when he tells her that he's going to an economic meeting -- in Stockholm.

Shirley is in profound contemplation after meeting Ambres. "I was aware that I was beginning to feel some preordained plan, unfolding according to my own awareness and willingness to accept what I was ready for."

The insights blew my mind. Shirley's stories gave me strength that, as far as my spiritual journey goes, I'm on the right track -- and that I'm not, never was and never will be, alone in this infinite universe.

(Photo iOffer.com)

Jonathan Aquino's Journal

I'm on a bench in Fuente Osmeña Circle as I write this, nuzzling a gray-black stray cat who had climbed into my lap then on to my shoulders. He seemed hungry for what even food cannot give: affection. I just came out of the public library, been there since lunch time. I spent the morning working out in the gym then following up on my status for a job I'm applying for. I read a lot of books on a great variety of subjects, but almost all of them touching on the same fundamental principles that resonate with my life.

The books about communicating with angels and channeling spirit guides gave me deeper insights about the nature of my Higher Self. I have decided last night, while reading Shirley MacLaine's Dancing In The Light in my rented room in Lahug City, that connecting with my Higher Self is now my over-riding priority in my quest to achieve ultimate spiritual enlightenment and karmic freedom in my present lifetime.

I am also in the midst of studying another aspect of reality that matters a lot to me: astral projection. I read the volume about it from an encyclopedia of paranormal phenomena. It also contains chapters on reincarnation, the ideas fitting perfectly with what I believe in and also the last two books I read before the library closed: about near-death experiences and past life regression.

I've always had an interest in the occult even when I was a kid, and as the twilight now slowly descends upon everything I physically see, I'm glad and grateful that I still retain that open-mindedness and sense of wonder. I'm still the boy that I was, a traveler and a seeker of deeper truth, and in that sense, I will remain forever young

~May 6, 2013
5:11 p.m., Monday
Cebu City

Huggybear's Favorite Song From Corey Hart

2013-05-17T16:15:00.000+08:00

Never Surrender

Sunglasses At Night

(Photo boldjack.com)

A Celebration of Filipino Movies

2013-05-11T18:11:00.002+08:00

May 11-17 Edition

This story originally appeared April 14, 2013 in Philippine Panorama

It is film scholar Isagani Cruz who virtually taught me to appreciate Filipino movies on deeper levels. I came across one of his works in the 90s: an out-of-print compilation of his film reviews in the '70s. I became more sensitive about the implications of a single scene, the nuances of a particular camera shot.

The kaleidoscope of movie imagery is still with me. Even when I first learned to read and eventually wrote fiction as a teenager, I would see movies on my mind. I'm the director and "all the world's a stage."

One of my short novels, Jukebox, has a scene in a dimly-lit third-floor motel room in Avenida, Manila; then the LRT train rumbles across the grilled windows. That "shot" is inspired by Gumapang Ka Sa Lusak by Lino Brocka; I wrote it so visually that my "cast" includes Coco Martin, Julia Montes and Anita Linda

My story for the 2012 Palanca Awards is the scene-obsessive coming-of-age tale of a young boy set in Ragay, Camarines Sur. I wrote Fisherboy: Imaginarily Directed By Ishmael Bernal when Dolphy was still alive. He "played" one of the central characters together with Jake Vargas, Robert Arevalo and Eddie Garcia

I write visually even when I did radio scripts for DzRH when I was still in Manila last year (I'm now based in Cebu), when Salvador Royales became my mentor and I found that legendary screen villain Luz Fernandez is really nice in person. One of my scripts, about a female healer deified by the people of a small village, is a tribute to Bernal's Himala, but with a twist: the healer, Leonora, came alive again. Another script, about a hostage-taker, is inspired by Brocka's Bayan Ko: Kapit Sa Patalim. The twist: the hostage's commitment-phobic boyfriend broke through the police barriers to say that he had finally decided to marry her, proposing here and there amidst the snipers.

I love Filipino movies; all the films of Cinemalaya and Cinema One Originals are on my blog 2Rivers. So I find it sad when I heard the loss of three of the greatest filmmakers in Philippine cinema in less than a year.

But their achievements will remain forever.

"Most Deserving."

Marilou Diaz-Abaya was born on March 30, 1955 in Quezon City. She directed her first movie, Tanikala (Chains) in 1980. Her last film was Ikaw Ang Pag-Ibig in 2011, a tribute to Our Lady of Peñafrancia. The masterpiece was Jose Rizal in 1998, the life of the country's national hero and the one of the greatest figures in history. Her movies are marked with social issues like political tyranny and violence against women

Watch "Rizal" THE FULL MOVIE

The movies she made "has won acclaim both in the Philippines and abroad for its high level of artistic achievement," goes the citation from the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prizes in 2001. "It is an ideal manifestation of the artistic culture of Asia, and so is most deserving of the Arts and Culture Prize."

Cesar Montano, the star of Rizal and their other landmark team-ups Muro Ami (Reef Hunters) in 1999

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and Bagong Buwan (New Moon) in 2001,

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was with her when she died of breast cancer on October 8, 2012 at Saint Luke's Global. She was 57. He sang to her Don McLean's Vincent, a tribute to Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh

"I cried so hard, I had a hard time finishing," he recalls in an interview. "It was painful to see her go."

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"Just, Compassionate, Humble."

Mario O'Hara was born on April 20, 1946 in Zamboanga City with Spanish-Irish-American lineage. His first movie as a director, the 1976 war epic Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (Three Years Without God), is one of the greatest Filipino films ever made.

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Watch "Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos" THE FULL MOVIE

A story about O'Hara won't be complete without his other solid triumph: the 1984 Bulaklak Sa City Jail, based on the novel by Lualhati Bautista and starring Nora Aunor

Watch "Bulaklak Ng City Jail" THE FULL MOVIE

Coming full circle, the last movie he directed is another historical drama: the Cinemalaya 2010 indie Ang Paglilitis Ni Andres Bonifacio (The Trial of Andres Bonifacio), set in the revolution that gave birth to the country

A writer, filmmaker and actor, he had an outstanding record in three film careers, each one able to stand on its own. In his 1971 debut in Lino Brocka's Tubog Sa Ginto (Goldplated), his character Diego has the "easy arrogance," says film critic Noel Vera, and the "physical charisma of a young Brando."

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Most unforgettable is his screen-dominating leper character, Berto, in Brocka's 1974 classic Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang (You Were Weighed and Found Wanting).

Mario O'Hara wrote two of the greatest Filipino films of all time: Tinimbang and another Brocka classic, the 1976 Insiang

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Watch "Insiang" THE FULL MOVIE

With his play Stageshow set to open that October, he died June 26, 2012 of leukemia at the San Juan De Dios in Pasay. He was 66, an icon of film, TV and theater.

He "was, above all, just, compassionate, humble and accepting of others," says theater titan Floy Quintos. "Of all the actor-directors I have worked with, he was the one with the least ego."

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"The Messiah."

Celso Advento Castillo was born in 1943. His 1977 masterpiece Burlesk Queen launched Vilma Santos as a serious actress but the groundbreaking film was so controversial it rocked the nation. People were forcing him to return his Metro Filmfest awards for Best Director and Best Picture. Students rallied for him: "Hindi na po bale, direk, kayo naman po ang Messiah eh (It's okay, you're the Messiah anyway)!"

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Watch "Burlesk Queen" THE FULL MOVIE

Castillo's creative genius galvanized the industry with the 1971 black-and-white Nympha with Rizza; the 1974 Ang Pinamagandang Hayop Sa Balat Ng Lupa (The Most Beautiful Animal In The Face of The Earth) with 1969 Miss Universe Gloria Diaz;

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and the "Softdrinks Beauties" movies Virgin People and Snake Sisters.

He defied genres: doing horror with the 1974 Patayin Sa Sindak Si Barbara (Kill Barbara With Fear) with Susan Roces;

and action with the 1976 Asedillo, one of the best films of the late great Fernando Poe Jr.

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He was also an actor, playing the formidable town mayor in Pepe Diokno's 2009 indie Engkwentro, loosely based on the Davao Death Squad.

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"The Kid" died of cardiac arrest Nov. 26, 2012, in his home in Siniloan, Laguna. He was working on his book Celso Ad. Castillo: An Autobiography and His Craft, his wife Ophelia said in a radio interview.

"He wanted it to have a happy ending."

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Lino Brocka

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Ishmael Bernal Golden

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Jonathan Aquino's Journal

May 5, 2013

7:29 p.m., Sunday

Lahug City, Cebu

Someone asked me for advice on how to be a writer. "Learning to love yourself," I said, "is the greatest love of all." We laughed. "Because," I continued, just when he thought it was facetious and irrelevant, "you have to dive deep inside yourself to be in touch with who you really are. An artist speaks only of truth; that's where his power lies, that's where his strength comes from. Only after finding your true self can you triumphantly express your true voice."

Burlesk Queen (Full Movie)

2013-05-11T17:24:00.000+08:00

Vilma Santos

A Film By Celso Ad Castillo

(Photo mynxdmeanor.com)

Bulaklak Sa City Jail (Full Movie)

2013-05-11T16:51:00.000+08:00

Nora Aunor

A Film By Mario O'Hara

(Photo:iPhotoScrap.com)

Huggybear's Favorite Song From Christina Perri

2013-05-08T11:13:00.000+08:00

A Thousand Years

(Photo: whotalking.com)

The Huggybear Inexplicably Eclectic Video Marathon

2013-05-04T10:40:00.000+08:00

2Rivers May 4-10

Craig David, Gary Valenciano, Billy Crawford, Francis Magalona, Jay-R, Gab Valenciano, Sam Concepcion, The Manoeuvres, Streetboys, Universal Motion Dancers, Boys Will Be Boys, Philippine All Stars, Jabbawockeez, The Crew, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Jeremy Jordan, Take 5, Gene Kelly, Ricky Martin, Robi Rosa, Justin Timberlake, New Kids On The Block, Backstreet Boys, Callie Swagg, Maria Vidal, Dirty Dancing, Fame, Flashdance, Footloose, Sing, Step Up 1, 2 and 3; Jet Li, Bruce Lee, Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme, Philip Rhee, Karate Kid, No Retreat No Surrender, American Anthem, Aquaman, Duran Duran, Intoy Syokoy Ng Kalye Marino, Daniel Day-Lewis, Huggybear Short Films Episode 10 and more

Craig David "Insomnia"

Gary V and Billy Crawford

Billy Crawford "Tracking"

Gary V "Sa Yahweh Ang Sayaw" In Gary Move! Concert

Gary V "Hataw Na" UAAP

Gary V "Betty's In Bed"
On "Big Ike's Happening"

Gab Valenciano with the Maneuvers

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Gary V and Francis Magalona In Gary V: Major Impact Concert

Gary V and Jay-R "Look In Her Eyes"

Sam Concepcion

The Manoeuvres

Streetboys

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Universal Motion Dancers

Streetboys and Universal Motion Dancers

Boys Will Be Boys "Mahalaga Ka Sa Akin"

Philippine All Stars

Jabbawockeez

The Crew

Michael Jackson "Billy Jean" Motown 25th

Michael Jackson "Thriller"

Michael Jackson "Beat It"

Michael Jackson "Man In The Mirror"
From "Moonwalker"

Janet Jackson "Rhythm Nation"

Hi-Five "She's Playing Hard To Get"

Jeremy Jordan "The Right Kind Of Love"

Ricky Martin "María"

Robi Rosa in "Salsa"

Justin Timberlake "Rock Your Body"

New Kids On The Block "Cover Girl"

Backstreet Boys "Everybody"

Maria Vidal "Body Rock"

Cali Swag District "Teach Me How To Dougie"

Step Up

Step Up 2

Step Up 3

Fame

Flashdance

Mickey Thomas "Sing"

Patrick Swayze in "Dirty Dancing"
"Time of My Life"

Footloose

Gene Kelly in "Singin' In The Rain'"

The Karate Kid

No Retreat No Surrender

Once Upon A Time In China

Lethal Weapon 4

Hard to Kill

Kickboxer

Best Bruce Lee

Jackie Chan

Best of the Best

Best of the Best 2

Best of the Best 3

Martial Arts

American Anthem

Olivia Newton-John "Let's Get Physical"

Aquaman

The Amazing Spiderman

Catwoman

I Am Number Four

Duran Duran "The Reflex"

Intoy Syokoy Ng Kalye Marino

Daniel Day-Lewis "Arsenio Hall Show"

Huggybear's Short Films Episode 10: Lahug City EcoTech Mountain Park

Educator’s Digest

2013-04-27T16:30:00.000+08:00

2Rivers April 27 to May 3 Edition

This story originally appeared in Philippine Panorama, January 27, 2013

The ideal university is more than an academic institution. "I find it helpful to think of a university as a living thing, an organism, rather than an organization," says Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, S.J., in his paper, Institutional Leadership. Just like any animated being, a university should have "a principle of unity and direction, a principle of life, a spirit if you wish." The president of a university, to use the human brain as an analogy, is the prefrontal cortex, which "plays the central role in forming goals and objectives and then in devising plans of action," says Nebres, quoting The Executive Brain: Frontal Lobes and the Civilized Mind by Elkhonon Goldberg.

Crucial to effective leadership is "an image of the self," according to Fr. Nebres. "The first requirement for an educational leader then is a good feel, a sense of his university," he says. "I have often called this as having a feel for the principle of life of our institution." It is important, Fr. Nebres says, to know its phase of growth, citing Adize's book Corporate Lifecycles. A university could be in its infancy, and "my goal must then be to plan for the next stage," says Fr. Nebres. If it’s already on its venerable stage, like the Ateneo, "Then my planning demands looking for ways to bring back the vision and energy of youth” yet “remain faithful to what has made it successful."

A university, just like humans, needs to be healthy. "A major goal, therefore, which a leader must always attend to is the over-all health of the university." This means focusing on the critical area of financing: moving from "wish lists to prioritized and do-able plans," says Fr. Nebres. The wise handling of a university's main resource, tuition fees, can spell the difference between academic excellence and mediocrity. "Grants and donations are icing on the cake and they are wonderful," says Fr. Nebres, "if you have the cake in the first place"

Making Pathways

Our world is radically transforming. "The implication of this new world of work where firms are compelled to be learning organizations in order to survive is that workers must be lifelong learners," says Prof. Cristina Damasco Padolina in her paper Making Pathways For and Creating The Future of Education. The world has become "knowledge-intensive," she says, quoting the economist Peter Drucker from his one of his more more recent bestsellers, Managing The Future. We are now living in the (no longer proverbial) knowledge-based society. "Knowlege and the people skilled in its use are the coins of the realm," says Padolina, quoting Charles M. Vest, president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The winners who will emerge are those that feed on knowlege and create it, "using the principles of cybernetics, designed for fast change, which can learn, evolve and transform itself rapidly," says Prof. Padolina, quoting James Martin in Cybercorp.

The imperative for educators, according to Prof. Padolina, is, first: to be equipped with both the inclination and skill for gaining knowledg. The second implication is that universities must rise to the challenge. "There are three characteristics of lifelong learning provisions: diverse, flexible and accessible," and they "are intertwined," says Prof. Padolina. "We need to look into short-cycle programs," which "provide students with convenient exit points,” which also serve as entry points."

Another global phenomenon to consider is information technology. "Like the facets of a diamond that throws light in many directions," says Prof. Padolina, "the facets of IT as used in education provide various challenges and opportunities." There are practical applications, like flight simulators to train pilots, and "IT has definitely been shown to work for learning some kinetic skills," she says. One challenge is the application of human creativity," says Prof. Padolina. She quotes the broadcast legend Edward R. Murrow, whose words about radio are also appropriate for IT: "This instrument can teach; it can illustrate, yes, it can even inspire, but it can do so only to the extent that learners are determined to use to those ends."

A more fundamental thing to think about IT is the kind of connections we are making, says Prof. Padolina, quoting from The Lexus and The Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman. "They can empower you to touch the lives of many people, but they can't tell you what to say at a PTA meeting, or why to say it."

Changing Vision

The last 50 years have changed life as we know it more than the last 500. In the air hangs a sense of more things to amaze us. "They will come from out of the blue, from out of an inchoate set of premises; they will be, as it were, 'un-anticipatable' changes," says former Education Undersecretary Victor Ordoñez, in his paper The Changing Vision and Mission of Higher Education Research Amidst Globalization.

The speed and volume of information going around the world is irreversible, affecting everything, including higher education. "The challenge is to assure that this momentum leads to mutual respect, understanding and benefits to all," says Usec. Ordoñez, and not to "paradoxically, a retreat to confrontational isolationism, under the perverse disguise of protecting local identities." A new vision for education is needed to adapt to this interdependent world. In this context, Usec. Ordonez has unique perpectives, with his stints at the UNESCO and the Honolulu-based think tank East-West Center. These "triggers of inspiration" gave him fresh insights: There is a great need to do university research collaboratively; the agenda is becoming more driven by policy makers; research should be inter-disciplinary; and "research must focus on effectiveness issues, rather than efficiency issues."

Computers, he reminds us, did not come from typewriter-makers. "As the huge ship of university systems in our countries navigates around the icebergs of cataclysmic changes," he says, admirably concluding his speech with a scene from Titanic, "my plea is that we do not fritter our time away by re-arranging our furniture and concentrate on navigating and saving our ship."

Huggybear's Favorite Dingdong Avanzado (English) Songs

2013-04-26T10:42:00.000+08:00

To Love Again

Wish I Could

See also Dingdong Avanzado Tagalog Songs

Photo courtesy of jiggsv3x.multiply.com

Huggybear's Favorite Ariel Rivera (English) Songs

2013-04-26T10:24:00.000+08:00

A Smile In Your Heart

Without Your Love

Huggybear's Favorite Rockstar 2 Songs

2013-04-26T08:36:00.000+08:00

Sumpa

Wala Pa Ring Iba

Mahal Kita Alam Mo Ba

Ika'y Mahal Pa Rin

I'm Sorry My Love

Bakit Kaya

Nagbabakasakali

Villa Quintana

Bakit

O Bakit Ba

Nang Siya'y Mawalay

Patawarin Mo

Ibibigay Ko

Fisherboy (11 of 11)

2013-04-20T16:51:00.000+08:00

April 20-26

Fisherboy: Imaginarily Directed By Ishmael Bernal

A Story by Jonathan Aquino (11 of 11)

The funeral was on the street in front of the wooden village council hall. The entire town was there, scattered on tables stretching across the dirt road. Most of the menfolk were drinking lambanog, and everybody else seems to be playing cards. There were two sealed coffins. Jay and Bugoy were seated on the borrowed monoblock bench.

"Kuya Jay," cried the young boy, "my father is gone!"

Jay had his arm around Bugoy. There was nothing he can say to take away the pain. "He didn't listen to mother! To Kuya Orlando!"Bugoy cried bitterly. "If only..."

Jay was looking at the crowd. "Where are Kuya Orlando's relatives?"

"He didn't have any," answered Bugoy, sniffing, wiping his nose with his sando. "He came back from Manila, I don't know, maybe two years ago. His father had a stroke, so he took care of him. Then he died. Kuya Orlando didn't want to go back to Manila, didn't even want to talk about it. So he stayed and went to work for my father."

"I still remember what he told us," said Jay, eyes misting."

"I won't forget them!" Bugoy almost shouted. "I'm going to finish school! When I get rich, I'm going to take my mother away from here!"

Prudy arrived then, breathless.

"Tsong!" cried Jay, rushing to embrace him.

"Oh Jay, thank God you're not hurt!" he said, holding the boy tight.

Jay was crying.

"Jay, what's wrong?" the old bachelor asked, alarmed.

"Tsong!" the boy cried, holding on to him like a drowning soul. "I want to go home!"

The years quickly passed. Prudy had put up a mini-grocery and became a softdrinks dealer. Jay was now freshman at FEU. One day, Prudy fetched Jay from school so the young man could accompany him to the bus station. Prudy was going to his hometown in Ilocos to sell his share of the riceland he had inherited.

"You've grown up so handsomely, son!" Prudy beamed, as they strolled around the station, happy in each other's company.

"Tsong, I don't think I ever told you..." Jay said, embracing the man who had become the father he never had. "Thank you..." Jay was crying. "Thank you for...everything...If not for you, I don't what would have happened to me..."

"I should be the one thanking you, son!" Prudy. "You brought so much happiness to my life!"

"I know now why you let me become a fisherman," Jay told him, looking into the old man's eyes. "You want me to experience that life, you want me to learn from it, to realize...Tsong, if I had known then what I knew now, Kuya Orlando would still be alive, and Bugoy would still have a father!"

Prudy lovingly held the young man's face in hands. "Remember, son," he said, "whatever happens, I'll always be proud of you!"

Jay didn't leave the station until the bus did. It was disappearing in the distance when the city lights came to life. The sun had set when Jay turned and began walking home.

THE END

Huggybear's Short Films Episode 9: Fuente Osmeña Cebu City

See More Videos

Huggybear's Favorite Guy Sebastian Song

2013-04-19T14:19:00.000+08:00

Angels Brought Me Here

"It's been a long and winding journey
But I'm finally here tonight
Picking up the pieces
And walking back into the light

Into the sunset of your glory
Where my heart and future lies
There's nothing like that feeling
When I look into your eyes

My dreams came true
When I found you
I found you
My miracle

If you could see what I see
That you're the answer to my prayers
And if you could feel the tenderness I feel
You would know
It would be clear
That angels brought me here

Standing here before you
Feels like I've been born again
Every breath is your love
Every heartbeat speaks your name

My dreams came true
Right here in front of you
My miracle

If you could see what I see
You're the answer to my prayers
And if you could feel the tenderness I feel
You would know
It would be clear
That angels brought me here

Brought me here to be with you
I'll be forever grateful
Forever thankful..."

(Photo courtesy of reecodesource.com )

Huggybear's Favorite Survivor and Jimi Jamison Songs

2013-04-19T14:01:00.000+08:00

The Moment of Truth

(Theme From "The Karate Kid")

Ever Since The World Began

Jimi Jamison

(Theme from "Lock-Up")

Eye of The Tiger

(Theme from "Rocky")

The Search Is Over

(Photo courtesy of LyricPond.com)

Huggybear's Favorite Rachel Alejandro (English) Song

2013-04-19T13:18:00.000+08:00

Somebody Waiting

I've kept you in my heart
And ev'ry hour that we're apart
The tears have shown rolled into years alone
Alone I've come to be somebody waiting

Promise me as you travel each mile
You'll think of me ev'ry once in a while
I feel the sunshine in the warmth of your smile
'Til then remember me, somebody waiting

Without you nights are long
No one to sing my bedtime song
The times I've known counting the stars alone
Alone I've come to be somebody waiting

Promise me as you travel each mile
You'll think of me ev'ry once in a while
I feel the sunshine in the warmth of your smile
'Til then remember me, somebody waiting...

(Photo courtesy of maniadb.com)

Huggybear's Favorite Tyler Collins Song

2013-04-19T12:42:00.000+08:00

Thanks To You

Thank you for teaching me how to love
Showing me what the world means
What I've been dreamin' of
And now I know, there is nothing that I could not do
Thanks to You

For teaching me how to feel
Showing me my emotions
Letting me know what's real
From what is not
What I've got is more that I'd ever hoped for
And a lot of what I hope for is
Thanks to you

No mountain, no valley
No time, no space
No heartache, no heartbreak
No fall from grace
Can't stop me from believing
That my love will pull me through
Thanks to You

Oh... There's no mountain, no valley
No time, no space
No heartache, no heartbreak
No fall from grace
Can't stop me from believing
That my love will see me through
Thanks to You
Thanks to You

For teaching me how to live
Putting things in perspective
Showing me how to give
And how to take
No mistake
We were put here together
And if I break down
Forgive me but it's true
That I am aching with the love I feel inside
thanks to you , thanks to you ...

Fisherboy (10 of 11)

2013-04-13T16:46:00.000+08:00

April 13-19

Fisherboy: Imaginarily Directed By Ishmael Bernal

A Story by Jonathan Aquino (10 of 11)

The next day, the fishermen already on the shore applauded as Berto's boat landed. They all rushed to pull the heavy net. It was bursting with fish.

"Oh, Mang Berto!" gushed Sendong giddily. "It feels like hitting the Sweepstakes!"

Orlando had been grimly silent.

Berto strolled towards Temyong who'd just reached shore. "Well, kapitan?" he asked, not without a hint of gloating as he eyed the puny catch on the boat.

"Yeah, I know it looks pathetic compared to yours," Temyong told him, as he and Jay rested from dragging the boat. He looked at the boy at the other side. "But it's enough for us," he said.

Jay smiled.

Temyong smiled back and turned to Berto.

"And I sleep better at night!"

The water was calm and unbelievably blue.

"It's your fourth day as a fisherman, Jay," smiled Temyong. "What can you say so far?"

"It's good," said the boy, "but hard. But I'm getting used to it, Tatay Temyong!" He paused, not knowing how to say it. "Uh, Tatay Temyong? Can I ask you something?"

There was an explosion.

On the far distance, the water was churning beside a boat with three laughing men.

"Our friends are celebrating the New Year," Temyong said wryly. "Go on, Jay, what is it?"

"Well," the boy said hesitantly, "I notice that you can really catch a lot more if..." He trailed off, embarrassed.

Another explosion.

"You know, Jay," explained the fisherman, "when you use dynamite, you also blow away their hatchings. Pretty soon, there be anything left to catch."

Explosion.

"Oh," was all Jay could say.

Another explosion.

Then screams of alarm.

Jay looked behind. Blood drained from face as he saw the burning wreckage of what used to be a boat.

"Hurry, Jay!" shouted Temyong, paddling furiously towards the floating pyre. "Faster!"

"Kapitan!" screamed Sendong who was nearest them. "That was Mang Berto's boat!"

Temyong was stunned, momentarily paralyzed.

"Mother of God," he whispered.

"Tatay Temyong!" said Jay, crying shamelessly, "Kuya Orlando is in that boat!"

To Be Continued Next Saturday Night On The 2Rivers Saturday Evening Posts

(Photos courtesy ofecop.pbworks.com)

Huggybear's Short Films Episode 8: Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

Directed by Huggybear

(March 3, 2013)

See Huggybear's Other Videos

Fisherboy (9 of 11)

2013-04-06T15:03:00.000+08:00

April 6-12

Fisherboy: Imaginarily Directed By Ishmael Bernal

A Story by Jonathan Aquino (9 of 11)

Temyong got down the boat and waded to shore like Douglas McArthur during the Leyte Landing. He looked back.

"Stay in the boat, Jay!" he commanded.

The boy nodded anxiously, gripping the paddle as if his life depended on it.

"Lucio's the son of the owner of the cockpit arena in town," said Sendong.

"Yeah, I remember him," said Temyong as he reached solid ground.

"Good afternoon, kapitan!" greeted Lucio. He was holding a shoebox.

"Good afternoon to you, as well," nodded Temyong. He surveyed the assembled men. "I didn't know there was a rally!" he quipped. "Elections are still far away. I don't see any fighting cocks so I guess there's no tupada!"

"I bring you good news, kapitan!" declared Lucio. "Good news for all of you!" His smile took them all in. "Kapitan," he said, turning to Temyong, "do you know what's inside this box?"

"Shoes?"

Lucio smiled as some of the men chuckled nervously. "This," he said, taking off the lid, "is the answer to your prayers!"

Inside the box were sticks of dynamite.

Temyong's face darkened as the air crackled with tension. "Don't tell me you are serious, Lucio," he said with quiet venom.

"Lucio's right, kapitan!" said Berto, Bugoy's father, coming forward. "If we use dynamite, we'll catch more fish!"

Orlando struggled to the front. "That's dangerous, Mang Berto!" he warned. He turned to Temyong. "Kapitan, I've been trying to tell them that if we use dynamite--"

"Then you will catch more fish!" Lucio cut in. "Mang Berto is right!"

"While our lives are in danger?!" challenged Orlando.

"You're too superstitious, boy!" Lucio said dismissively.

"What's superstitious about being blown away anytime?!" Orlando was relentless.

"Why would you set it off on the boat?!" asked Lucio. "Light the wick and then you throw it overboard!"

"It's still dangerous!" Orlando insisted.

Lucio was shaking his head condescendingly. "You know, that's the kind of mentality that keeping you poor!" he said. "Here is your chance to make your life easier!"

A murmur of approval came from the crowd.

"Not only that!" said Lucio, playing the gallery. "You can double, even triple, your earnings!"

The crowd was becoming excited.

Orlando and Temyong exchange glances.

Lucio was on a roll. "Am I right, my friends?!"

A chorus of acclaim.

"Look, fellows," said Orlando looking around, "let's not put our lives in danger! Think about what could happen!"

"He's right!" said Lucio.

Orlando whirled towards him, stunned.

"Think about what could happen!" Lucio told the crowd, nodding. Pause. "You'll all gonna be rich!"

The crowd exploded with cheers for Lucio.

Bugoy broke through the crowd. "Father, Kuya Orlando is right!" he pleaded, crying, clinging to Berto's arm. "That's dangerous!"

"Shut up, Bugoy!" scolded Berto. "Don't meddle with adults!"

Orlando went to Temyong as the crowd was growing wild. "Kapitan," he said, his eyes pleading. "Talk to them!"

"Kapitan," said Berto.

The crowd parted so Temyong and Berto came face to face.

"I respect you, kapitan," said Berto quietly. "You know how I've always valued your counsel. You're the godfather of my son." He sighed. "But this time, the future of my family comes first!"

Temyong was silent. Finally, he said, "I agree with Orlando, Berto. No dynamite will ever come to my boat." He took a step and placed a hand on Berto's shoulder. "Old friend," he said softly, "will you change your mind?"

"I've decided,kapitan." Berto turned to his young helper. "Orlando, we'll be using dynamite starting tomorrow, do you understand?!"

To Be Continued Next Saturday Night On The 2Rivers Saturday Evening Posts

(Photos courtesy of SamanaPeninsulaOnline.com)

Excerpts From The Stories of Jonathan Aquino aka Huggybear

From The Inspirational Essay "The Courage of Your Convictions" which originally appeared in Philippine Panorama in 2011

It’s nice to be who I am: a young man with no hang-ups or insecurities. I love positive interactions. I attract the company of independent-minded people, and nobody intimidates me. I’m so bohemian there’s no malice in my life. Maybe that’s why back fighters hate me, hmmm. I don’t feel envy, which some thinks is a sign of being mental, instead I go the other way – I celebrate other people’s achievements through my blog

(Photo of Huggybear Taken March 2013 In Lahug City, Cebu)

Fisherboy (8 of 11)

2013-03-30T14:11:00.000+08:00

March 30 to April 5

Fisherboy: Imaginarily Directed By Ishmael Bernal

A Story by Jonathan Aquino (8 of 11)

The sun was mercilessly hot, like a malignant, ancient fire god. Jay and Temyong were in the middle of the sea, the boats of other fishermen within sight like specks around them. The far-away shore seemed to be a mirage in the shimmering air.

"Time for lunch, Jay!" said Temyong, opening the wrapped banana leaves. "How nice!" he exclaimed, pleased. "You'll love Miling's galunggong paksiw!" He looked up at the sun directly over them. "With this weather," he joked, the soup should still be hot!"

"Oh, look, Tata Temyong!" said the boy, happy because he's secretly ravenous. "Nanay Miling even wrapped us some salted eggs and tomatoes!" Jay was quick to learn to eat without spoon or fork. He washed his hand in the ocean and began peeling the violet-purple salted egg. "Tatay Temyong," he asked, "I heard that the catch is getting fewer lately." He took a bite of tomato like an apple.

"Yeah," nodded Temyong, expertly separating the galunggong flesh from the fishbone. "Not like before. That's why sometimes, we're forced to raise our price by a peso, or even two." He took a handful of rice, egg and fish, shaking his head as he chewed. "I remember when I was your age," he continued as he swallowed. "Our boat would almost sink because of the heavy catch!"

Jay would eat a piece of egg and a bite of tomato, like a tequila ritual. "How did you become a fisherman, Tatay Temyong?" he asked.

"How did I-?" Temyong seemed amused by the question. "My father was a fisherman, so was my grandfather and his father before him." He chuckled. "How did I became a fisherman?" he repeated. "I didn't know any other life!"

Their catch took over half the boat. It was little, Temyong said, regaling Jay with stories of the post-War golden age of fishing as they paddled to shore later.

"Are you tired, Jay?" Temyong asked. "Want to rest?"

"I'm fine, Tatay Temyong," Jay said, exhausted but trying not to show it.

"What's going on?" murmured the fisherman, squinting in the late afternoon sun at the shore. Jay, almost slumped at squiggling mass of netted fish, looked up and saw the other fishermen at the shore forming a circle around something they couldn't see. Their voices, not sounding friendly, drifted in the wind.

"I hope it's not trouble," Jay said nervously.

Temyong looked at him. "You're with me, Jay," he assured the boy. "Nobody here would dare lay a hand on you!" The fishermen saw them and waded to meet their boat and help pull it towards the sand.

"We've all been waiting for you, kapitan!" said Sendong, a fisherman who looks like Ketchup Eusebio in Rakenrol.

"You know Lucio, right?" he added, gesturing towards a prosperous-looking man on the shore who looks like Christopher De Leon in When Love Begins.

To Be Continued Next Saturday Night On The 2Rivers Saturday Evening Posts

(Photos courtesy of thetravelhack.com,crunchyroll.com, celebritypeeps.com)

From The Journal of Jonathan Aquino aka Huggybear

March 18, 2013
12:02 a.m., Monday

I believe in living simply. In simplicity there is truth, beauty and power. Beginning today, there would be only 7 major activies in my life. The only minor thing is my blogging. Everything else would orbit around my ONLY SEVEN

The second is my work as a freelance writer: my latest publication is today, a timeless story on Albert Einstein that appeared in Philippine Panorama

The fifth, sixth and seventh are personal projects that will transform yet again my ever-changing, forward-charging, totally unconventional life. After my expected outcomes, by itself and by extension, I will be "where I belong..."

"...And I won't look back
I can go the distance!
And I'll stay on track!
No I won't accept defeat!
It's an uphill slope,
But I won't lose hope!
Till I go the distance
And my journey is complete!

"But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part
For a hero's strength is measured by his heart..."

~Michael Bolton
Go The Distance
(Theme from Hercules)

(Huggybear's photo taken March 18, 2013 in Lahug City, Cebu)

Fisherboy (7 of 11)

2013-03-23T16:00:00.000+08:00

March 23-29

Fisherboy: Imaginarily Directed By Ishmael Bernal

A Story by Jonathan Aquino (7 of 11)

That night, they found Orlando, the young assistant of Bugoy's father, in front of the boy's nipa house. Orlando, who looks like Sid Lucero in Tambolista, was sewing their net under a gas lamp.

"Kuya Orlando, it's dark already!" said Bugoy, concerned.

"I need to fix this rip before it gets bigger, Bugoy," he replied.

The gas lamp was hanging from the lowest branch of a kamachile tree, where Orlando was leaning, sitting on a driftwood. Jay sat down on a log in front of him. Bugoy carried a rock and set it on Orlando's right and Jay's left. The young boy sat on it, and they can see the black ocean on Orlando's left. Cicadas were singing along to the chorus of the waves.

"By the way," Orlando looked at Jay, "thank you for helping us with the net."

Jay smiled. "I enjoyed it!" Even from the weak light, he can tell that Orlando is a good person but his eyes seemed...haunted.

"Kuya Orlando helps my father, "Kuya Jay," Bugoy said, overjoyed at the meeting of the two people he wishes were his true brothers. "He lives in the next barrio," he added. "But," he continued in jest, "once he buys his own boat..."

"Don't worry, Bugoy," smiled Orlando. "I have no plans!" He turned to Jay. "You're with Mang Prudy, right?"

"Yes," Jay nodded. "But kuya," he asked, "isn't that the dream of all fishermen? To have his own boat?"

"That's for those who are contented with their lives," Orlando said softly, nearly a whisper. "You know, being a fisherman is decent work. But," he sighed. "The truth is, I don't want to be like this forever."

"But why?" asked Jay, confused. "I even asked Tsong to let me stay here so I could be a fisherman!"

"You can say that now because you haven't experienced it yet," Orlando told him kindly.

"But it looks fun," said Jay weakly. "This afternoon, in the aplaya, it seemed like a fiesta..."

"Everything in life is both happy and sad, Jay," said Orlando. "You'll understand that when you get older. Besides, I think it's only human to try to find where we'll be happy. Me..." Orlando shook his head. "This is not what I want. That's why, you two, the best you can do is to finish school! Don't be like me! I'm nearly thirty and I've never even finished elementary! So there, I can't find work! You're both too young to understand, but nothing is more painful than looking back and seeing that you have wasted your life..."

At dawn the next day, Temyong, who looks like Eddie Garcia in Deathrow, was waking Jay.

"What's the matter, Tatay Temyong?" the boy moaned sleepily.

The old fisherman laughed. "I thought you said you'll come fishing!"

"Oh!" Jay exclaimed, sitting up.

"Okay," chuckledTemyong. "Breakfast is ready!"

Jay followed him to the kitchen groggily.

"Here, Jay," said Miling, fussing about the kitchen. "There's tinapa and fried rice!"

"Thank you, Nanay Miling," said Jay, using a dipper to get water from a large clay jar. He gargled over the sink made of criss-crossed bamboo slices. Water sluiced through it to the ground below the house.

All the while, the roosters in the backyard were crowing.

"Here's your coffee, Jay," Miling hovered over him maternally as he sat down.

"Let's eat together, Nanay Miling!" said the boy. "Oh, you go ahead, don't mind me!" said the spinster, packing some food in banana leaves.

"Still sleepy, Jay?" asked Temyong, amused. He was eating with his hand, one leg up the stool. "Want to go back to bed?"

"No, no, Tatay Temyong!" the boy protested, laughing. "I'm wide awake!" he declared, suppressing a yawn.

To Be Continued Next Saturday Night On The 2Rivers Saturday Evening Posts

(Photos courtesy of flickr.com,crunchyroll.com, entertainment.inquirer.net)

From The Journal of Jonathan Aquino aka Huggybear

March 4, 2013
1:01 p.m., Monday

I'm on floating status. The exhilarating sense of freedom makes me giddy. Apparently I can still join the enhancement class when I get my NBI clearance. Today is supposed to be the earliest release date. I went there earlier but they said it now takes 12, instead of 10, business days. The earliest will be Wednesday. Now I have free time. Not much cash but I'll get by. I have a lot of personal projects to do anyway. I now also have the option of applying in another company but the advantage of being in my present company is the daily allowance which they give three times a week. So I'm losing income

But I will definitely maximize my sudden short, though not exactly unexpected, vacation. I'll do stuff that will bring me fulfillment that money can't buy. Everything that happens to me is good. I'm a child of the universe!

"You are a child of the universe!
no less than the trees and the stars!
You have a right to be here..."

Narrated by TV icon Les Crane,

music by Fred Werner.

Best Spoken Word Recording

Grammy Awards 1971.

Desiderata is Latin for

"Something desired as essential"

10:10 p.m.

Just got home after filming the first of the Huggybear's Travels documentary series. I will post it on YouTube as soon as I upload and edit them tomorrow. It's on the Cebu Capitol, the public library and the museum

(See Huggybear's Short Films)

I had dinner in the sidewalk, like, literally. Actually its on the road. There was a vendor of fried chicken innards and pu-soh rice across JY (the locals pronounce it as GY) mall and I was on her only stool. Her son's dogs are friendly too

I did not feel the least bit embarrassed. I was focusing on the experience itself, detached from the audience, which is an exercise in Method acting

Example of Method Acting Exercise

Yup, just like Marlon Brando

Top 10 Marlon Brando Performances

Besides, as they say, when in Rome...

One of the nicest things here in Cebu are those vending-machine-style water dispenser. You drop a 1 peso coin and you catch the water in the little plastic bags in a little compartment. Saves you a lot of money

Here's the thing: I forgot my coin purse at my other pair of pants so I ran out of coins. I tried to change a 5 peso coin in a store but the guy there said he has no change. A habal-habal tricycle driver who was there drinking softdrinks magnanimously gave me a peso coin. I deeply appreciate it but I graciously refused. But I'll remember his face and I will hire him to take me to Tops

From The Journal of Jonathan Aquino aka Huggybear

March 3, 2013
8:09 p.m., Sunday

My article Forever Jung: Study of Jungian Psychology in Pinoy Pop Culture, appears today in Philippine Panorama, the weekend magazine of Manila Bulletin. As I wrote on the cover letter:

Carl Jung, with his revolutionary insights and formidable intellect, had dedicated his life in finding that elusive, primordial link between the individual and the collective consciousness of humanity. His revolutionary insights has become the template in the development of modern psychology

Jung Documentary

"Death Is Not The End"

"We Are The Evil"

From The Journal of Jonathan Aquino aka Huggybear

March 2, 2013
8:11 p.m., Saturday
Cebu City

I'll be making documentaries. Wow, that's a awesome opening! But I'll talk about that in the future. Today, rest day from work, I went downtown. I took some videos in Magellan's Cross. Some of the local women would perform the Sinulog dance for free if you buy their multicolored candles as prayer offerings.

Then I went to Fort San Pedro, built during the Spanish-era, in Plaza Independencia behind the Santo Niño Basilica

In one of the side streets downtown, I found literary treasure: Superbeings by John Randolph Price, a guide to your Higher Self. Then there's W.E. Butler's How To Read The Aura. And then there's The Human Aura by Nicholas Regus.

My most prized acquisition is the rare The Silva Mind Control Method For Getting Help From Your Other Side by the legendary Jose Silva. You can never find these in bookstores or even Amazon anymore.

Silva Method Videos:

Jose and Laura Silva Explaining The Basics of The Silva Method

Jose Silva Method of Mind Control

Silva Method - Mind Mastery Training Session by Laura Silva & Jose Silva

The Silva Centering Exercise Meditation - Silva Method

Learn How To Manifest With The Silva Method

Silva Life System Exercises Overview

The Silva Method's Reality Architects Explained!

Jose Silva's Ultra Mind 9 Lessons Free

John Randolph Price - Message of Hope for 2012 and Beyond

I lost my original copy of the Silva book during the Ondoy flood of 2009 when I was still in Manila. My entire library was destroyed including some 1960s vintage editions of Reader's Digest and a lot of out-of-print books with authors ranging from science fiction god whats-his-name to George Kennan, the architect of the Marshall Plan. Having a copy means a lot to me, one of the many reasons why I know I did the right thing in coming here. I got my 4 Cebu books for only 25 pesos, or less than a dollar, haggling all the way although Cebu is not a bargain haven. I imagine I would be very happy bargaining my way in those famous flea markets in Hong Kong and Thailand when I go there.

And I will, all around the world, "if the fates allow, hang a shining star upon the highest bough, and have yourself a merry little Christmas now..."

2Rivers Celebrates "The Secret"

2013-03-16T17:00:00.000+08:00

(Photos courtesy of CallDrMatt.com and ThinkingPositive.in)

Fisherboy (6 of 11)

2013-03-16T16:24:00.000+08:00

2Rivers March 16-22

Fisherboy: Imaginarily Directed By Ishmael Bernal

A Story by Jonathan Aquino (6 of 11)

The ocean was serenely glistening with the noonday sun. Jay and Prudy were sitting on the papag wooden bed beside the window overlooking the ocean, eating pili nuts. Prudy wanted Jay to continue his studies when they return to Manila. But the boy refused.

"I'd rather work so I can help you, Tsong,” Jay said.“Truth is," he added, gulping fresh buco juice, "I already thought of a way! Well," said Jay, not knowing how to begin, "I hope we can stay longer here. Uh, maybe a week more? By the way, Tsong, Bugoy told me about that municipal councilor, who used to be a fisherman? Then there's this guy who lives in the next barrio? He's also a fisherman, and he was able to build a concrete house!"

"I think I know where you're going," said Prudy, keeping it light and looking out the window.

"Tsong, I want to be a fisherman!" There, he said it! "I want us to live here!"

"You don't want to go school?"

"Tsong, I...no..."

"Let's do it this way," said Prudy. "You can stay here and be a fisherman. If you think this is the life you want, then...well," he shrugged. "But if not," he added with a smile, you go back to school! At least finish high school, Jay! Fair enough?"

"That's fair, Tsong, but," Jay nodded and shook his head at the same time. "I want us to be together!"

"I need to take care of our house in Manila," explained Prudy, "but I'll always come here, of course!"

"That's it?" asked Jay, incredulous and a bit indignant. "We'll be separated and it's nothing to you?"

"Someday you'll understand," said Prudy with a sad smile.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, I'm giving you my blessing," said Prudy. "You can stay here and be a fisherman!"

Prudy left the next day, taking fish to Manila. Somehow, he and Jay said their goodbyes without any suspicious show of emotions. Sensing his sadness, Bugoy took Jay to watch the fishermen return to shore. The aplaya was full of people, mostly waiting to take the catch to market. A couple of make-shift stalls had been built to sell the fresh aquatic harvest.

"It's like a street party!" Jay exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear, as they walked slowly.

"You know, Kuya Jay, you're very lucky!" Bugoy told him. "Tiyong Prudy allowed you to fish. My father doesn't want me to!"

"Why not?" Jay asked. "There's nothing wrong with being a fisherman!"

"Of course there isn't," replied Bugoy, stopping. "My father wants me to finish school and find a steady job in Manila when I grow up."

"What do you want to be, Bugoy?" Jay asked.

The young boy was embarrassed. "I want to be the manager of an office," he admitted shyly. "Wearing rich clothes in an office with air-conditioning. I have a cousin like that in Naga."

"Why do you have to work in the city when you can live here and fish?" asked Jay, wondering why anyone would leave a place like this.

Bugoy shrugged bashfully. "There's my father!" he said exultantly, pointing to a fisherman who was dragging the wide, half-submerged net to the shore. He looked like Robert Arevalo in Gulong.

"Let's help them drag the net, Bugoy!" Jay said excitedly. The two boys raced down the aplaya.

To Be Continued Next Saturday Night On The 2Rivers Saturday Evening Posts

(Photos courtesy of 1st-art-gallery.com,talentpages.com)

From The Journal of Jonathan Aquino aka Huggybear

March 1, 2013

9:14 a.m., Friday

I woke up this morning realizing that I need to transfer apartment again. Its my third day here in Lahug and I need a bigger space. But I'm still establishing myself so I can't afford a dance studio yet. (What?!)

Besides, I have a neighbor who plays his MP3 too loud. Only idiots do that. Yesterday was one of those days where nothing will be the same again. I'm currently in training in a call center. I was hired last Valentine's Day, my fourth day in Cebu since I arrived Feb 10. Class started Feb 18, Monday. We are 15 in class. Only two of us are profiled for a 3- week training; the other is Reyn, a Filipino-Malaysian who will act as the source of my contacts when I have saved up enough to go to Sabah and Kuala Lumpur. The rest are for 6 and 9 weeks. We are all still on allowance. Once certified, the next step is a job contract with full salary and benefits, a certification bonus, and endorsement to product training.

It's a unique set-up and especially helpful to me because I have no one who I can rely on here. Also, one of the most painful experiences in my life are those times when I've been forced to ask for help. As much as I have shown my appreciation to those who have lent a helping hand, I don't want to be in that position ever again.

There's another strange phenomena in my "career" as call center hopper: when I get close to someone, they disappear. In my present classmates, there's Mac, Polly and Mikkhael. Mac's mother was in a hospital with no one to take care of her so Mac, who looks like Harry Potter, had asked last week to be re-scheduled to a different class. Also last week, Polly had texted our trainer that he'll be late for class because of a family emergency. When he arrived, everybody saw on his shirt the applicant sticker from Stream, another company. It was comedy, but he was terminated for lying. Mikkhael, a dance club studio DJ from Butuan who looks like Gerald Anderson, had double whammy bad news. Yesterday, he lost his phone in class. Hair-raisingly, I got a flash of who took it but there's no way I can prove it. Mikkhael has already been given a final warning for tardiness. He was even planning to move in to the vacant unit next to mine so he could be nearer to work. But he arrived late yesterday so he was terminated. Imagine losing your phone and your job in a day.

Yesterday was the result of the call simulation certification. Only 6 of us, including Reyn. So we'll be in an enhancement class for a week or two while waiting for the job offer. Two other classmates whom I already consider friends didn't certify so they'll continue training: Hanani (who looks like Miriam Quiambao) and Rich (who looks like Chito Miranda of Parokya Ni Edgar) who was, coincidentally, a former local rock band vocalist in high school. Another classmate Ken, Rich and I did a production number yesterday in front of three classes. We performed because we are the loser in a parlor game while we are all waiting for the certification results. We did I'll be by Edwin McCain.

As I posted on Facebook: "I gave one hell of a performance. With emphasis on 'hell.' " Those late in class would perform. Within the last two weeks, I did Beautiful In My Eyes by Jericho Rosales

Ken did Payphone by Maroon 5

Mikkhael did Hanging By A Moment by Lifehouse

Rich did Unwell by Matchbox 20

Hanani did A Very Special Love by Sarah G.

Another classmate, Jazz, did Fame

I remember Polly, Mikkhael and I found a restaurant with a Tagalog owner in the market. Ken and I once had one of those buy-1, take-1 burgers. Hanani and I went to McDonald's for dinner once. Rich is one of my unofficial teachers on the native dialect. I'm now in a situation where I have to bid them all farewell. As I posted on Facebook earlier last month while cruising the Alabang Skyway for what may be my last time:

"I have long ago mastered the art of letting go. But it doesn't get any easier. I hate goodbyes."

9:25 p.m.

I'm in one of the benches in Fuente Osmeña Circle rotunda park as I type this. In front of me is the fountain. I can see on my right the office of Sun Star, the most highly circulated English daily here in Cebu. Behind me is the Rajah Park Hotel and Casino. I just came from work, our class' last day together. We all went to 7-11 for sundaes and had our pictures. I'm planning to buy some clothes and go swimming this weekend. From Lahug, I went down in the Capitol. I was there in the courtyard admiring the magnificent architecture. I took this photo:

Then I walked here. I was arrested yesterday for jaywalking in front of Gaisano mall in historic Colon Street. The cop was really nice, we were laughing like pals. I was impressed (and I rarely use that word) because he even gave me a receipt for the P50 ($1+). That will never happen in Manila.

For me, the most significant aspect of that encounter is that I handled it without even an iota of nervousness. It seems I'm always at odds with authority but that's okay. The predominant emotion is bemusement, and the remaining ten percent is curiousity about how I will react. I was smoking and I told him that if I threw away the butt he might arrest me for littering. He laughed. I would too: I admire people with moxie.

I'm very satisfied with that experience: I still have my touch. I'll be assigned to a different trainer on Monday.

My trainer, Adrienne, who looks like a young Rosa Rosal, is one of the best ever I've been under. She sings in a local band and she let us hear a raw studio version of her catchy, radio-friendly composition, You. She and a Japanese-Filipino trainer, June, conducted the call simulation exam. We have another trainer, Peter, who was our speech coach. The word "beach," apparently, is pronounced with a long "e" sound.

Peter reminds me a lot of a good friend of mine, Victor, who was a teacher of Koreans learning English and would give me students. That was 2002 in the Harrison Plaza area in Pasay. My communication skills achieve a full flowering in that phase in my life. That gave me the skills to work in a Korean school in the Ever Commonwealth area in Quezon City in 2003 when Victor left for Seoul. Ah, memories.

Can't get Metro Manila radio stations but the local stations here have the same format although the deejays speak in the native dialect. They have a lot of drama serials, reminding me of my stint last year as a scriptwriter for the DZRH daily drama Sa Kanyang Panahon. I would go to the MBC station besides Star City then jog around the Cultural Center complex. Maybe I should resume that, sending my scripts via courier coz they want hard copies. Yup, I think I'll do that. Oh, look, a group of teenage boys are practising a dance number on the other side of the fountain!

Gee, almost forgot. Earlier today, Magic Man, a young popular Cebu-based magician, was at the office and did some tricks for our class. His real name is Thomas Pua and he used to have a show at one of the local TV stations.

~He hypnotized Jazz while patting Pepsi on the left shoulder. Then he asked Jazz where he touched her. She said on the left shoulder. But he never touched her at all

~He divided a deck of cards in two and asked to Rich to pick a card and keep the other half. Rich got a 10 Hearts. Magic Man would need the card with the same color and equal value. He showed us 10 Diamonds

~He asked Preach to crumple a hundred peso bill and give it to him. He put his hand behind his back. The bill is im which hand. Preach guessed wrong thrice. Magic Man returned it, telling him the complete serial number on the bill. He was right

~He showed Cat and Reyn a list of things on his phone. Reyn is supposed to choose an item listed on an even number, and Cat, an odd number, or is it the other way around?

Anyway, Magician guessed them. He probably read their minds. And of course he was right Just like I posted on Facebook last night:

"I believe in magic!"

A friend of mine from way back, Sally, posted on my wall, asking me how I am. I said I'm fine and "I still believe in magic. If you don't, you got2believe!"

Got to Believe in Magic
(from the movie Zapped)

(Got2Believe is one of my favorite Filipino movies. Here's a behind-the-scenes video I just found)

Full Movie: Once Upon A Time In China

2013-03-16T08:30:00.000+08:00

Once Upon A Time In China

Trailer

Full Movie

(Photo: MoviePosterShop.com)