This photo blog is now closed

Dear friends, readers, visitors,

It is not very easy to maintain different blog sites. Since I am busy at this point, I find it more practical to just maintain my mother blog, INKBLOTS: LIfe Unraveled. Nevertheless, I am still keeping it viewable because it still contains some of my photo blogs.

Please do visit INKBLOTS:Life Unraveled for my photo blogs.

Thank you for your continued patronage and support.

Paninda

It was early morning and Manang was already arranging her souvenir items for sale, mostly key chains. She begged that I buy from her (buena mano) while buying strawberry flavored taho from a vendor beside her. I told her I do not need one. Then I picked some coins from my pocket to pay my taho (bean curd), then a P0.25 cents fell on her makeshift table. She asked if she can keep it for good luck. I agreed. I wished her luck too!

She reminds me of the people I worked with when I was still working in Baguio for enterprise development projects. We had hundreds of them whom we gave financial and technical assistance for them to rise from the rubbles of the July 16, 1990 earthquake. As I observe nowadays, there are more of these ambulant vendors/ informal sectors competing for scarce buyers. But life has to go on for them. They would rather eke out a living, staying under the sun, than be hungry.

Innocence

We must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory. For children have no past, and that is the whole secret of the magical innocence of their smiles. (Milan Kundera)

On Humility

Humility is the embarrassment you feel when you tell people how wonderful you are. (Laurence J. Peter)

On Loneliness

Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for. (Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish diplomat ,1905 - 1961)

Openness

I keep the subject of my inquiry constantly before me, and wait till the first dawning opens gradually, by little and little, into a full and clear light.
(Isaac Newton)

Baguio Icon

Baguio is known for pliant and durable brooms, which, over the past decades, has become an icon of the city along with strawberries. Thus, every new Baguio tourist would bring home a "Baguio" broom as a souvenir and as a proof that they have really gone to Baguio--which later on becomes a symbol of pride of stepping on Baguio.

My mom used to ask me to bring home one every semestral break. When I got married, my wife would expect me to bring home a broom. Ironically, I never did. Until now, I find it cumbersome. It is not just my cup of tea bringing home one.

Fishing for Life

If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles. (Doug Larson)

The Rights of a Child

To be born.
To have a name and a nationality.
To have a family who will love and care for me.
To live in a peaceful community and a wholesome environment.
To have enough food and a healthy and active body.
To have good education and develop my potential.
To be given opportunities for play and leisure.
To be protected against abuse, exploitation, neglect, violence and danger.
To be assisted and defended by the government.
To be able to express my own views.

Grand Nanny

MOTHER AND CHILD? Yes, the question mark (?) is intended. Surrogate mothers, like this grandmother from Guinzadan, Mt. Province takes care of her grandson. The baby's mother works in Baguio City. Many young couples are lucky to have strong mothers who could take care of their children while they look or work for a living. With the escalating cost of living, hiring a nanny in the Philippines is a luxury among the working class.