Maogmang Pasko! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Canon by Trans-Siberian Orchestra

This is one of my favorite Christmas carols. Somehow, it never fails to give me that warm and fuzzy feeling every Christmas. Amidst the revelry and the noise, I hope we all find a quiet time to say a little prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings and trials, laughter and tears, good times and bad times that came our way this year and pray that He will continue to guide us in the coming year.

May we all have a meaningful and joyous Christmas!

The MBS Tek - Legazpi Christmas Party

Last Friday, the MBS Tek (US Auto Parts) - Legazpi gang momentarily put aside auto parts, web content and search engine optimization, donned their best 'fantasy' costumes and partied like there was no tomorrow. It was indeed a bright time and right time to rock the night away.

Though excitement had been building up over the past few weeks, I didn’t expect it would be such a blast. What a fun way to break the monotony of work and celebrate Christmas. MBS Legazpi peeps definitely know how to party! It was so cool to see everyone come in different costumes and show their talents in the various presentations. (I came as a pharaoh, by the way - a last minute decision, haha).

I didn't know my colleagues would pull out all the stops for this party, but dressed to the hilt, they came. It made me see them from a different perspective, literally and figuratively. LOL.

Even thought it hasn’t really been a smooth path leading to last Friday’s party, with some glitches, conflicts and misunderstanding along the way, I’m happy that the event turned out to be a success. My only regret is that I was too busy preparing for the two presentations we performed, that I had no time to just sit back, relax and take lots of pictures and video footage. Haha. Here are some scenes from the party:

Merry Christmas!!

Update: Check out my Multiply gallery for more pics. Click Here

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

* * *

This poem by Robert Frost, is one of my personal favorites because it hits close to home. I am also a traveler, with an ongoing, almost twenty five year journey. At some point, I can't help but think of all the 'roads' I have taken and not taken. I have learned that most roads go only one way. As soon as one decides to take a road, there is indeed no turning back. Even though one can always change paths farther along the way, the road that has been trod cannot be untrod. There are no u-turn slots, detours and shortcuts.

Choosing one road over another can make all the difference. I wonder where I would be today had I decided to take another road. Sometimes I feel the longing for taking another road, discovering new alleyways, unbeaten tracks, unknown corridors and hallways. And yet sometimes, I can't dare to leave the path I am taking, afraid to lose sight of the familiar and the comfortable.

So I keep marching on into the wilderness of uncertainty, hoping that I have chosen the right path. Where will this road take me? Twenty five years hence, If I'd be telling this with a sigh, - that I have taken the road less traveled by and it has made all the difference - would it be a sigh of contentment and happiness or a sigh of despair and misery?

New Background Image for Christmas

I hope I never outgrow Christmas. It's still my favorite time of the year. So, in observance of the coming Christmas season, I have a new background image, called 'Christmas Night', supposedly a wallpaper, courtesy of Vladstudio. It's basically a snapshot of the Christmas night sky complete with the constellations while the continents of the Earth shines brightly underneath. Christmas greetings in various languages surround the glowing planet. I like it, somehow. :-)

However, the Christmas greetings may not be visible in monitors with 1024 x 768 resolution. The image is at 1280 x 1024 resolution. But, you can view the entire background image/wallpaper here.

In Memoriam

November 30 will perhaps be forever etched in the hearts of all Albayanos as a day of immense tragedy and unprecedented destruction. Hundreds of people lost their lives that day, and even more saw their homes either partially or totally destroyed. Billions of pesos worth of property and agricultural crops were laid to waste as Reming swept through the province with 265 kph winds and torrential rains that induced lethal mudflows from Mayon's flanks.

Although our residence is not prone to floods, we also bore the full brunt of that supertyphoon. Our house was in ruins. Extremely strong winds brutally ripped the roof off of almost 1/2 of our house and flung the heavy timber and G.I. sheets a few hundred meters away. As the typhoon raged outside, all seven of us in the family cowered for almost 6 hours inside the bathroom fearing the worst and praying for the storm to end. The horrible, endless roar of the typhoon's raw power is one sound we probably can never forget.

Our living room, the morning after the typhoon

I still get goosebumps whenever I watch the video clips I took that day. Because I know that at the same time I was filming the typhoon's effects on our vicinity with my digital camera, hundreds were either dying or already dead in neighboring villages and towns, trapped under dark raging waters mixed with volcanic sand, boulders and debris.

But the winds died down, the rain stopped, and the sun shone again from behind the clouds. Now, one year later, my city and my province are back on their feet and still moving forward, displaying the admirable resilience that makes me proud to be an Albayano.

Here at home, a new glistening Christmas tree now stands in our living room, the same area that was destroyed by the typhoon. It is a symbol of hope and gratitude. After experiencing the worst Christmas ever last year, one appreciates more even simple things such as Christmas lights and tinsels.

I am thankful that we survived that huge calamity (although our favorite pet dog didn't) and I am praying that God's providence will protect us from future harm.

This post is in memory of the almost 1,000 victims of Typhoon Reming. May they find peace, warmth and comfort in the company of our Lord in Heaven.