The Philippines Before Magellan

What was life like in the Philippines before its discovery on March 16, 1521, or is it March 17? Who discovered Pigafetta’s failure to register their fleet’s passage across the International Dateline before reaching Cebu? Was he the chronicler that committed this error of omission? Does it really matter?

When Ferdinand Magellan and his crew reached the shores of the place they named Islas de San Lazaro, did they even know there were 7,107 islands considered as one country? I’m sure the natives didn’t even realize they had an archipelago for a nation–they probably were just group of islands to them. They even spoke different dialects that did not help in unifying the different tribal groups. Should you wonder then that Magellan encountered warring tribes?  Remember then that the ancient time was so far way from the modern technology we have now.  Think hard and envision how travel and communication worked in a place as fragmented as what we now know as one nation of Filipinos…if this notion even existed then.

People that came to trade with them thought the one or two islands they have seen were already what comprised the entire country. Magellan’s ‘Las Islas Filipinas’ (or is it Felipinas or Felipenas?) may had only been the surrounding islands of Samar-Leyte-Cebu areas. The Panay Island may had been discovered by another group who had named Ilo-ilo from Ilong-Ilong as the island resembled a nose to them. How much of this is a legend or reality depends on the documentation you encountered and you perceived as reliable.

We have no solid written history before the Spaniards came. Despite some semblance of literacy present at in that era, it was enough for them to have the necessary communication as probably just means of day-to-day survival…akin to the jungle survival we have to let others know I’d-been-here kind of thing, or I have extra ‘kamote’ (sweet yam) from my garden and help yourself if you are a hungry traveler. They  had only bamboos and leaves for materials used…how long could they last?

Strategically speaking, Chinese may had landed in Mindoro and called it Ma’i, which simply means ’south of China’ and at some point discovered the bigger island they called ‘Lui Sung’ and what is now known as Luzon. By the same token, some Europeans may have landed in some smaller islands that were not even documented.

In the course of your research you will come across information that would somehow satisfy the gaps in our history classes. Have fun with whatever could peak your curiosity, but let the fire of love keep burning in your heart…thus, read the easy: A Korean and the Philippines

http://myspamblog.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/a-korean-and-the-philippines/

If you walk down the streets of anywhere you are in the Philippines, remember what many scholars and historians wrote about our country, but be proud that among the ordinary Filipinos eking their own living–we still have the time to help each other for the love of our country…Philippines or otherwise: We are one!

Note: See my other post here: Different Names of the Philippines.

Originally posted @ http://zylla3.wordpress.com

Where Dreams Come True

Disneyland is synonymous to Fairylandia in every Filipino vocabulary–from the time of growing up days to learning the use of computer when the internet brings the magic of Disney to the home. So commercialized…yet still a dream destination to some who finally have the chance to come close to its entrance. There’s Hong Kong Disney that’s a little closer to the Philippines and therefore a favorite dream destination for those who can afford, but when there’s a chance to make it to the U.S.–Florida or California–Disneyland is in the list of must-see places.

Florida might be the ultimate Disney, but if you are in Anaheim, California, and just 10 min away, then Disney destination it is. My niece was lucky enough to have more time this summer than when she just got here a year ago from the Philippines. Here’s her day at Disneyland with her younger cousin. To me Disney has already lost her magic, and I don’t do more than being just the drop-off and pick-up chauffer.

I should say there’s a free area that you can walk around…even with free parking if you don’t exceed 3 hours. It’s a good deal for those who really wouldn’t care for the rides and would just need a peek to the wonders of Disney. That’s as far I would suggest one should go, but that’s just me. The real experience begins when you pay for it.

There she is…with her smile, ready to blend in with the crowd–dream no more!

Not a bad place to take the kids for a couple of hours and walk off their energy.

Ever tried going in here?…uh, too bad there are still lots of things to see around.

Teen-agers could have fun, too…tons of rides to choose from after the fun walk.

Not just teen-agers and kids…maybe business associates might like it, too.

 

However, the real fun begins when you get to the rides where you can have choices from the kiddie stuff to the scary ones. It might take you the entire day until you drop….You want to get the most of what you pay for. Anaheim residents can still get a lower prices of $46.00 or $56 for two days which you can use within 30 days. Otherwise, you’ll pay the full prize of $86 I believe.

Since we are only 10 minutes away from it, we tried to schedule the activity in such a way that my niece and company could go out of the park and have lunch at our place for a tiny fraction or resort charges…then go back in the afternoon. That break allowed them not only to save  a bundle but also recharge to last until the closing time that usually culminates with the magic of firework dislay. 

Who doesn’t want to see Cinderella’s pink castle? Appealing to all young and old.

And, just to prove the appeal to all kinds of people from all walks of life–smile!

Little tea cups for the kids…nope! Of course, for the adults and teen-agers, too.

This was even my favorite, going around the theme park and looking down on it!

Another of my favorite…Tom Sawyer’s cruise line. If only it would last–aahhh!

Not anymore for me but the fun at Disneyland could continue for the rest of ‘em.

Mary Poppins and escort are not busy…it’s time for a souvenir picture–quick!!!

Had this fire truck ever served its purpose before? Hmm…may need to research.

 

When one gets tired from wandering around, it’s a chance to get in line and find some place to sit down for a little while. This time the Safari Jungle seems to be a restful stop-over; what could be better than a boat ride?

A boat ride is a fabulous way to rest your feet while the eyes continue to feast!!!

This must be a trophy for one hunter who proved to be mightier than the beast.

Who wants to enter the lions’ den? Is it bonding time…the Lion King family of 4?

Where giraffes and zebras roam…a perfect picture of tranquility & co-existence.

Must be fun ride with dumbo in the jungle…looking so alive, posing like a king. 

In the green green river…gently swim with Hippo, the snorting hippopotamus.

Sneaky snake as he blends in with the tree roots…lost in its silvery color. Eeehh!

 

Then we go down yonder…where the pirates hide. The hidden life of booze, women, and wealth. Was this the ultimate life of fun and joy? Where could we find some left-over treasures? Would it be in this secret passage

Discover the pirates’ secret passage as we start from this house at the entrance.

As we follow the course of the river,… only little lights punctuate the darkness!

This must be the ship that takes them to places outside their world of wonders.

Are they ever home when they’re not out in the sea?  Is there a need for sleep???

What’s their market like? Can you tell how their day in the ‘mercado’ goes at all?

La Cantina? What a life! What could have been their contributions to this world?

What now? Is this some ceremonial gathering of some sort, or just death march?

Where could these treasures be? Is it sunken somewhere for you and me to find?

I don’t want to be like her… before I could find the pirates’ legacy to civilization.

 

Time for late lunch and a much needed rest…keep that hand stamped as a pass to come back later for the parade. Yes…there’s a parade of Disney characters later. We woudn’t want to miss all the wonderful stuff. Then 4pm came and time to be back at Disneyland grounds. (Videos will be posted when I have the time to learn the wonderful ins and outs of it.)

Here comes the parade…with everyone lined up on the streets waiting patiently!

Can you find Alice in her Wonderland…see the other side of blue wonder worm?

How can Ariel not have fun? Up, up in the air after being hidden down the ocean.

Ursula with her monstrous charm…what would Ariel’s life without her? Heaven!

Beautiful seaweeds…colorfully floating on the ocean and playing with the waves.

Time to say thank you for the magical day…California Adventure in another day!

 

Originally posted @ http://zylla3.wordpress.com.

One Saturday Afternoon at the Beach

It’s getting close to summer again…with the heat and my niece being here in California, what better free entertainment for kids on Saturday afternoon than the beach. In her heart she’d rather be in the Philippines, but this is the closest she can get to home. And she’s still enjoying it anyhow. A beach is a beach is a beach.

Since we had some kids to help grow up 11 years ago, we had a few free tricks to keep them entertained. Somehow we never ran out of kids. We revisited our favorite beach hang out–still with the same 3 boogie boards we have kept in our garage. My husband and I were lazy then, and we’re still lazy now. We have our chairs, ensuring that we could see them not going too far out in the water. My niece was really comfortable playing with the younger ones.

Did we say it’s free? So…the kids had to go ahead while we were wasting our precious gas going around–waiting for a break to find a parking space. What better way to find them than being close to guardpost #27?

Then they were gone as we got there…off to the water. Nevermind the big waves.

Still hot at 5 pm…really windy, and we could see that the waves were bigger than they would have wanted it to be to swim comfortably enough.

Hhmmm! Should we really dare? Now touching it–the water seems colder too.

Maybe it’s not so bad if we start getting wet…isn’t that right? Aren’t we brave???

Why don’t we build sandcastles first? That could probably keep the chills away.

Yeah! Sure, isn’t it fun? Just wait a minute…the sand is starting to hurt my palms.

Whoaaa! How can we keep the waves from destroying our castle? More…more!

Okay…okay…stop! Our little hands can’t stop the waves from crashing into it.

Going…going…Gone! It’s time to really enjoy the waves…not that cold anymore!

Ha…ha…ha…didn’t I tell you the water is fun and not that cold once we’re in it?

The two kids didn’t really seem convinced they could ride their boogie boards.

Stare at the waves!!! If we wait a little while, these waves might take pity on us.

Wheeeew! I don’t think so…it’s eating me alive! Where am I??? Can you see me?

Yay! I’m still alive. Actually it’s really fun being swallowed and spit up by a wave.

As the kids continued to find joy in the cold water, which they swore wasn’t cold anymore, I found some other entertaining diversions with a little help from my ‘lil camera. My niece thought my shots were pretty creative and my husband wondered if it was the same camera he was using to take his drum pictures for his website and eBay auctions. Of course, it is! It gave me simple pleasures today.

I love this picture! Can you guess what you see up in the sky? A crescent moon?

I guess, this is what they call wind surfing…and this guy is having a blast! Yes!

I just can’t catch him doing the flips too. It’s fun watching him. No, no…not me!

Here’s another one…*flip*…truly mesmerizing! He has the ocean all to himself.

Footprints in the sand…little footprints…wonderful sand…happy children…sigh!

And that’s my foot…against the sandy shore, inching to test the water. Bbrrrrr!

…my husband lost into oblivion…starting to wonder if they kids aren’t cold at all.

Sure, it’s getting windier…and colder…and darker. If we’ll leave it to the kids, they’ll keep saying it’s not cold even if the little one had said to her older cousin: “Why do we enjoy the sand hurting our hands?” “Why are we having fun in this cold water?” And, I’m sure there are many more questions similar to what I’m asking…but it was a fun afternoon for them, and a welcome break for us–even for just the change of venue.

Originally Posted @ http://zylla3.wordpress.com

Maria Clara in Action

April 8, 2008, marked the EIU Asian Heritage celebration where students wore their native dresses. While the ‘baro’t saya’ I sewed for my niece fitted her, it was also small enough to be worn by a young girl. At some point, the organizers thought the color would be more suitable for a child, and the Maria Clara dress would be more appropriate for someone a little older. So, here’s Maria Clara in action; it would not be complete without the ‘Barong Tagalog’ for the male counterpart.

         

      Maria Clara dress for women                         Barong Tagalog for men

 

Students were encouraged to wear their native costumes, but it was also possible for just anyone to participate in however way necessary. Looking at the little girl, I couldn’t agree more that the exchange with my niece wearing the Maria Clara was a good call.

The Eastern Illinois University participants in their Asian Heritage celebration.

 

Here’s a closer look at the intricate designs and the very fine weaving of either  ‘jusi’ (jute) or ‘pinya’ (pineapple) cloth, both from plant material.

My niece (R) — presenting Maria Clara in action at EIU – and her friends.

Originally Posted @ http://zylla3.wordpress.com

“Little Manila: Filipinos in CA’s Heartland”

I must have missed this in my email yeterday…which means I’ve missed watching it last night as scheduled in LA Channel 58. Maybe I’ll find it another time. Thanks M– anyway!

Please check out the documentary, “Little Manila : Filipinos in California
’s Heartland,” which is going to be aired nationally on select PBS Stations.
We’d love it if you could watch the program on your local station and spread
the news, too.

About the Program:
Narrated by Dean Devlin, famed Filipino-American movie producer
(Independence Day, The Patriot), the program is about the infamous
neighborhood in Stockton, CA, once called, “The City of Gold” by Filipinos.
Filled with chop-suey houses, gambling dens, and dance halls, Little Manila
was once home to the largest number of Filipino immigrants outside of the
Philippines .

The show is part of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month on PBS. Below
are a few broadcast dates and times, but if your station isn’t listed here,
please download the PDF schedule for broadcast times all over the US .

San Francisco Bay Area:
on KQED Channel 9 and KTEH 54 on Sunday May 4, at 1:30 PM

New York :
on WNET Channel 13 on Sunday May 4, at 7:00 PM
Monday May 5, at 4:00 AM
Friday May 9, at 11:00 PM

Los Angeles :
on KLCS Channel 58 on May 1st, at 11 PM

Boston :
on WGBH Channel 2 on Friday May 30, at 7:00 PM
Saturday May 31 at 12:00 AM
Saturday May 31 at 8:00 AM, 2:00 PM

We’re also working on another documentary about the Filipino farm workers in
Delano , CA called “The Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the UFW.”
For more information on it and our other programs please go to:
www.mediafactory. tv.

And feel free to email us with any questions!

Sincerely,

Sheila Flores

MediaFactory
www.mediafactory. tv
Saul Zaentz Media Center
2600 Tenth St. Ste. 600
Berkeley CA 94710
office: 510-295-4305
screening@mediafact ory.tv

Thanks to the above original source of this email, too.

*Originally posted @ http://zylla3.wordpress.com

What’s on My Dashboard?

I’d been shoving a number of Philippine stuff ideas to the back burner due to my mounting fascination about my dashboard [b]links waiting for me to check out (of course that includes my wandering spree when I get stuck). The newest was the ‘meevee.com’ which took me to the Julie Andrews blog items. Outside my dashboard, I can only go through their homepage and have to sift through the Miley Cirus hullabaloo stunts that lead me to China Disney billboard, yada…yada…yada! So many sidetrips again so early in the morning.

Thanks for my morning caffeine I remembered to do the in-site search ‘Julie Andrews the sound of aging gracefully’ and voila! There it is @ News & Gossips…just my post! That’s all I wanted to see…thanks!

http://www.meevee.com/channels/smartChannel.aspx?q=julie%20andrews%20the%20sound%20of%20aging%20gracefully

 

This 2nd gem is from American Lola on the medical emergencies in the Philippines. She’s one of the very insightful foreigners living in the country. The Live in the Philippines website by Bob Martin is one of my favorite places to visit.

 

http://liveinthephilippines.com/americanlola/2008/04/08/please-help-the-medical-emergency/#comment-411 

 

This is COX–your friend in the digital world–[their by-line] as this is really [like] an electronic white page. Maybe, I’ll use it one day.

 

http://hamptonroads.cox.net/cci/google

 

There are a couple of social networking sites that found me (I think I’ll check out Squiddo at some point). And, a few I found along the way. Right now, I’m at the crossroad of joining HubPages. I got stuck somewhere on step 3 where I have to type my actual post. I didn’t know where to go after typing my supposed title. I went round and round the site, found some nuggets of thoughts along the way, and went back for more until I decided I’m losing focus again…so, I thought I’ll share some today.

 

* This is from a guy who brought his Russian fiancee to the U.S. and chronicled the saga here:

http://hubpages.com/hub/Bringing_Your_Foreign_Fiancee_to_the_U_S

 

* This one is from Lissie, a familiar face @ Kirsty’s blog (one of the very first I was following when I just got started), and I’ve heard HubPages then but I was still barely understanding WordPress (crawling stage)–now at least I can make a couple of baby steps and I’ve fallen at the pit. When I finally make heads or tails as to where to start writing @ HP, I hope I’d be able to follow her wonderful design steps here:

http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Create-an-Attractive-Design   

 

*Next time…more on uplifting posts about making money on line that maybe I’ll keep trying how to make HubPages work as it could be one of those sites you can make a few pennies/dollars depending on how hard you work. These pennies could still go a longer way in the Philippines.

 

 

*Originally posted @ http://zylla3.wordpress.com

Cheryl Is Still Dancing with the Star!

Cheryl’s lucky STAR is still shining tonight after what happened yesterday, which I missed. I completely forgot it was already Monday night…and I was supposed to watch my favorite dance show. The computer is gaining power over me. Trying to unravel the intricacies of the web, indeed, is very time consuming.

(I’ll post some pictures tomorrrow)

*Originally posted @ http://zylla3.wordpress.com

Stuck Somewhere in Time–Again!

Sometimes it’s so hard to unstuck myself when I read more stuff about the ancient Philippines. In my younger days, history was just a subject I can’t wait to get rid of when the semester or year is over. Now it’s getting to be an obsession and frustration not to get ahead with my Philippine site(s). [rant...rant...& rave]

There are side trips, of course. I found the ‘mad about Martha [Stewart] site’…sure, I stayed for a while too. If I remember to get back there, I might find a few things to write about. Then I came across ‘Yahoo Answers’…why did I join? I  think I saw that question about going to Boracay and getting at Kalibo airport at 8pm and wondering about transportation at this time–I even have to call my sister in the Philippines to ask a few things–as if I don’t have things to do in my 24 ‘lil hours. Still another one, there’s that ‘Hub Pages’ that I thought was interesting–but wait a minute–after I was in and ready to roll, how do I get to the ‘where’ of writing? I see ‘text capsule’, ‘photo capsule’…but I am not sure why I can’t find the cursor to start typing. I knew when I saw capsules, I was in trouble again…I hate capsules, hard to swallow. You wouldn’t believe how stuck stuck stuck I was. In my wandering spree, I found more Question & Answer thing…you should see the length of my ‘favorites’ bookmarked that I don’t think I would ever find something again. However, there’s no way I could have answered them then, lest I would be showing the secret side of my sssupidity. Cinderella was already home by that time.

Now the pile of crap is not just paper all over the house but clutter in my computer including this blog. Oh, that’s not including what I call ‘ideas’ in my about-to-burst brain. How do I justify my new virtual lifestyle? I’m shamelessly blasting the trail to my Fairview apartment, that is so. I could go on and on and on, but my brother’s car is stuck in my driveway too.

This is reality check now…I’ll start with the silver lining. Last night, he came in to pick up the kids, left his ipod in the cigarette lighter plug thing (off though) to come in just to say hello and bye, only to come out to a dead car. Luckily, in our pile of crap, I had no trouble finding the jumper cable. Off they went…but 5 minutes later, I got the call and they’re stuck at the McDonald’s parking lot. Luckily again, they were just 5 blocks away, and the kids were entertaaaaaained by their newfound iced coffee while waiting for us to rescue them again. Another jump-start moment, then he went home in our car. With my wonderful prayer, we were able to get his car back in our driveway.

Today came, already Sunday, his car wouldn’t start again…can’t take it to the dealer tomorrow morning. We must find a way before tomorrow comes when everybody has to go back to work. We can only hope the engine check light would disappear when we change the battery–has to go and buy now. If not…we’ll have to go on from there, praying his luck will stick for a while. Imagine all these…happening from his job in the far side of nowhere in the middle of the darkest night…alone on the road? I shudderrrrr at the thought of it.

My 24 ‘lil hours would soon be gone again…ahhhhhh, time! If only I could put it in an empty bottle of wine…I could market it and be rich in a jiffy.

*Originally posted @ http://zylla3.wordpress.com

Motorbike Ban on Philippine Highways?

Ban? What ban? That would be the day…just for the sake of some wishful thinking: Lawmakers seek motorbike ban on highways (Thursday, January 3, 2008 )

Two lawmakers have filed a bill at the House of Representatives seeking to ban motorcycles on main thoroughfares and national highways.

Can you imagine how many oppositions they’re going to have? Just among my brother-in-law and his bike-riding friends who have their own organization: Samahan ng mga Amang Walang Pakinabang (Useless Father’s Club). Why?

• If you have children under the age of 18, you should be home helping them with homework.
• On weekends, you should be home with your family and not with your buddies polluting the highways…worse, making your wife believe that you’re working overtime.
• Considering that you can’t even afford a P5M insurance…well, if you have a job that is only enough for the upkeep of your motorcycle–I guess, nothing could be lost.
• I could rant and rave like a raging lunatic, but this is a facet in the selfish man’s life that would never change unless something drastic happen–loss of limb or life.

I just hope they’re not going to be their children’s role model. Though, sad to say, this is a very enticing lifestyle from the teen-agers perspective. However, even families ride together–not just husband and wife, sometimes with 2 children between them.

Citing a World Health Organization report, Santiago said in many Asian countries including the Philippines, road accidents are usually caused by motorcycles….“Nearly 1.2 million persons die of road traffic accidents every year, 40 percent of which are under 25 years old,” he said…..”young motorcyclists make up a significant percentage of injuries and fatalities among road users in many Asian countries”.

I don’t believe on statistics alone. Numbers may not be everything…but my eyes had seen enough. My niece’s driver landed in the hospital, luckily, just a few days and a few thousand pesos to fix the bike–more than any savings he made–if he ever did. How many more like him? We can only guess!

Among the accident reports cited by WHO, speeding, non-use of helmets, risk-taking behavior and drunk driving were contributing factors to the rising trend of traffic accidents, he added….Teodoro said an Asian Development Bank report on road safety in the Philippines showed that motorcyclists were the “second most at risk” of being killed or injured in a road accident.

Many times that we had been on the road there, we have seen quite a few minor accidents. There was even one couple that skidded behind us one rainy night. I could only gasp, and luckily the traffic was awfully slow… almost to a halt; otherwise, the bus following them would have run them over. Still, a few unlucky ones like my brother-in-law’s friend didn’t expect to meet their end. Motorcycles are fun, convenient, but dangerous and are getting to be a continuing hazard on the road as their number continues to grow.

Records from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority showed that motorcycles have the highest fatality accident rate with 122 motorcycles or 23.6 percent of the total fatal accidents. – Delon Porcalla

If you visit the website www.motorcyclephilippines.com , you will find more information from the serious to humorous. One picture I love was that of the dog backriding…and without helmet [or any harness], enjoying the ride in perfect balance. At least the human had one…I mean the helmet!

*Originally posted @ http://zylla3.wordpress.com

 

 

Motorcycles in the Philippines, a Blessing?

Let me count the ways motorcycles could be a blessing [primarily] in the Philippines, but I guess the first 3 would have a universal appeal. I’ll try to give ‘the thing’ some poetic justice first by looking past the tiny monsters that they are on the road.

• With the soaring prices of gas, having one is a great money saver.
• Need I mention the Metro Manila traffic?–an indisputable time saver.
• Sure…it’s a convenient way of moving around in the highways and byways of life.
• Then there are 101 reasons each motorcycle buff could concoct for some lame justification.
• Bottom line, it’s personal gratification.

Exactly…that’s just how I personally feel about this miniature monster. Driving next to it in the wonderful roads of Orange County is no better than driving next to a humongous truck. Imagine that in the congested roads of the Philippines! I’m no mathematician but I can give you the square of hatred [=scorn] for the motorcycle, even the square root [=death]…somebody is going to kill me for this emotional statement. But…hey, I’m entitled to my opinion–as much as anyone is–on having it on the road.

It is personal…when my brother-in-law acquired one [whatever inventive reasons he could give], the repugnance became my battle. I have seen enough accidents on the road while on vacation, just in the vicinity of Fairview, Quezon City. Not to mention his dead motorcycle buddy (bless his soul) hit by the bus while we were still there. If he’s not the father of my nephews and the wife of my sister, I wouldn’t care.

*Originally posted @ http://zylla3.wordpress.com