Back from the long holidays

So what happened during the 4 consecutive holidays (The Holy weekend that is)?

 

As planned, I did my Aloe transplanting. I did all 39 pots. I did the transplanting in 2 days. Too much for a 1 day job. It was indeed back breaking. My legs were numb and my back was sore from sitting for a long period. It was worth all the sweat and pain though. The plants are all looking great now. Not visually appealing as of the moment, as I have trimmed their leaves to a bare minimum. I did so to encourage healthier new growths.

They all look like babies now with leaves and roots trimmed. But in 2 to 3 months they will start to show their beautiful form. And in the 6th and 7th month, they will be as wild as they used to be. Hopefully this time, transferred outdoor, they grow back into their lushly selves. Its summer. With the hot temperature and high humidity, the aloes will surely grow back those thick juicy leaves. The constant sun exposure (not fully direct though) they love will  provide them enough energy to create food they need.

 The soil is a mix of soil less potting mix, vermiculites and a little of compost and vermicast. (For those who are not in the know) Vermiculites are soil enhancers. They make the soil lighter and also provide the much needed drainage of potted plants. Vermicast, on the other hand, are worms manure used as natural fertilizers. This mix is much better than soil or dirt. They keep the plants free from diseases and unwanted pests. If you don't have them, its not a problem. Aloes are easy to grow. Ordinary garden soil mix with sand will be good enough. Just make sure to provide good drainage. Aloes do not like wet soil. The roots will rot if soaked for too long. They will also not grow roots if the soil is constantly wet. Moist soil is good but not wet soil.

Anyway, I have 22 in L size pots (about 12" diameter) and the rest are in S size pots (6" diameter). After 7 months, I hope to be able to transplant some of them into bigger pots. That is if they will grow large and fat as they used to be. Given the right conditioning they love, an abundant yield is expected.

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Aside from planting, I also had the chance to organize my computer files. The files are now organized and labeled properly. Ready to be transferred to an external hard disk. The computer I have is an old one purchased in 2009. It is running on Windows Vista. I already received a message that it will no longer be supported by Windows as the support for Vista has already expired. The hardware is Intel Centrino, so there is no way it can handle Windows 10 if a software upgrade is carried out. I guess, its time to buy a new PC. I am contemplating on having a tablet, but can it do what a laptop can do?

Still doing my research and canvassing. With so many choices out there, it gets really confusing. Not an urgent matter though, hope to pick a right choice soon.

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Below are my Hibiscus plants. Not yet flowering. Will have to wait 2-3 months for their first bloom.

And here is my ZZs. They are also known as welcome plant so I have them at our entrance. I have their soil refurbished. I added tea leaves to the mix. I hope they like it.

Lovely aren't they. I will make an update 2-3 months later to show you their progress.                   

Lenten reflection

We have once again entered the Lenten season, one of the most sacred season for every Catholic believers. In this Holy week, we commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is a time for us to do inner reflections. Finding and rediscovering our path to a renewed and stronger faith.

Talking about faith is not easy. In this day and age, we are distracted by so many things. Our minds clouded with varying information. With too many goals to achieve, our faith weakens. We tend to prioritize our daily needs over our relationship with God. In an overly demanding society, with bills to pay, jobs to accomplish, people to satisfy, our time with God is also compromised.

We sometimes say we wish we could have more time, so that we can have time with God. But do we really need that extra time? How about giving up on some of our daily chores? or perhaps quitting some of our extra curricular activities? Time management may somehow help. We only have 24 hours. How we use them sets us apart from each other.

Some people use this holiday to go out of town and relax. They deserve that break after all. The corporate life with all its struggles and challenges is not easy. An escape to the beach or to another country refreshes the mind and soul. An extra time with our family and love ones is surely guaranteed. But that is not the essence of the Holy week.

This year, in this Lenten season, may we find time to dedicate ourselves to renewing and strengthening our faith. It doesn't have to be boring as a lot of people think. We can do it with friends and family. It can be done while we are on our summer escapades. A moment to reflect and recollect is all that we need. Reminding ourselves about the path to righteousness. Finding God in our heart and let His love fill our mind and soul. Its like having a battery recharged to 100%. We feed our body as we do our mind. It feels great to feed our soul too. A well fed soul knows how to deal with everyday struggles. Let God show us the way. Let Him be the light. Let His love warms our hearts and feeds our hungry soul.

Read the Bible and reflect on it. Find God in every beauty that we see and perhaps also in our despair. In our every struggle, He is with us, as in our every triumph. Let our minds be filled with His words that our words may speak about Him and our actions do His will. Let us rediscover that path to greatness, the path to the truth and everlasting grace.

May you enjoy your holidays and make your Holy week virtuous. 
    
      

Having a bedroom plant

I'm not sure if it is a good idea to have a plant in the bedroom. I got the idea from several Youtube videos that I've seen. As I've mentioned in my previous posts, I do grow a lot of aloe vera plants. Propagation of this succulent plant is quite easy. They produce offshoots every so often which can be cut to produce another full grown plant. The offshoots may come from the roots or in between their thick succulent leaves.

From 1 single medium size plant, I was able to reproduce my now 35 pots of aloe vera collections. 12 of them are full grown while the rest are still in their growing up stage. In their growing up stage, they can be vulnerable. A miscalculated step may result into their demise. Common mistakes that affects them are : over or underwatering, under or over exposure to sunlight, and wrong type of soil. It takes time with keen observation to identify their needs. With the right know how, growing aloe vera is quite easy. They are in fact low maintenance.

Of all the offshoots that I have propagated, I fancy one that has an odd appearance since the beginning. It sprang from the side of one of the full growns. It is multi-headed. At first, it was not too obvious. What I noticed is that it has more leaves than the other offshoots. It sprang in between the leaves, so it did not have roots when I plucked it out. It being multi-headed is also not evident. It appeared like it has only 1 body.

The moment I saw it, I grew a liking into it. I took extra care when transplanting it. This one has to grow, I told my self. Months has passed, It now shows its true form. It has turned into a multi-headed plant. It did not grow big like its siblings though. It has 9 heads.

Last weekend, I have it transplanted as I want to place it in my bedroom. I have it cleaned and dried up before transferring it to its new pot. Unfortunately, 1 head fell off, so it now only have 8 heads. Still a good number though. I put some pebbles on top of it and two used perfume bottles as decors. They now sit near my bedroom window. They have their 1st watering yesterday morning. I love the way they look. I hope they like their new home. Plants can be choosy with regards to their environment. It is still too early to tell if they will adapt. I certainly hope they do.

Since it will be my bedroom companion, I have given it a name. Let her be known as Ameerah, the 8 headed aloe vera. Go, grow and glow Ameerah. Gambatte ne.

 Some BTS photos:

  









After being uprooted, washed and let dried.

     










Pebbles for toppings in 2 colors. They came from an old aquarium.

Pot with floral shaped base

ready for transplanting

Initial look after transplanting

The final look with additional decors. 

Weekend anticipation : April 8 and 9

Oy weekend na uli. Pahinga pagkatapos ng mahabang linggo.

Papasok na ang Holy week. Palm Sunday na sa Linggo. Next week, 3 araw lang ang pasok.

This weekend, busy-busy-han tayo. Bukod sa regular weekend chores, maglilinis ako ng terrace. katatapos lang kasi ng renovation. Ibabalik ko doon ang aking mga alagang halaman. Sa Holy week break ko pa sila ililipat. Sa Linggo ang pre-work. Kailangan pa kasing linisin ang terrace. Ihahanda ko rin ang mga kailangang gamit at kasangkapan para sa replanting ng aking mga halaman. Matagal-tagal din silang nailipat indoors. Tiyak na matutuwa sila at muli na naman silang masisilayan ng araw.

Mostly, mga aloes ang tanim ko. May mangila-ngilang gumamela. Sila ang mag-ooccupy sa terrace namin. Kailangan pagplanuhan ang bagong landscaping. Gusto ko rin sanang magsimula ng vegetable gardening. Good luck to me. Sana maging successful.

Sa landscaping, gusto ko lang naman lagyan ng arte yung arrangements ng mga halaman. Hindi ko kasi pinag-iisipan noon yun. Basta salpak lang ng mga paso ang ginagawa ko. Some here, some there. Tabi tabi sa iba't ibang sulok. This time, I want to make the arrangement look visually appealing, since bagong pintura yung terrace. Yan ang project ko sa Holy week break.

Mamimili ako ng kakailanganing gamit mamayang uwian. Sana may stock. Hindi ko kasi naalalang mamili. Lupa, soil enhancers, planters, pots, composts, etc. Wish me luck. Sana may available stocks. May next week pa naman if walang mabili mamaya.

Excited ako kasi, Last year pa yung huli kong pagrereplant nung aking mga halaman. This time hindi maganda ang tubo nila since nilipat ko sila indoor. Hindi maganda ang tubo. They will need some trimming. With the right amount of sun exposure, sana manumbalik ang sigla nila. Every year kasi kapag nagrereplant ako, tinatapyasan ko ng dahon yung mga aloe vera ko. meron akong 12 na malalaking paso ng aloe vera, then about 20-25 nung mga maliliit. So every trimmings, maramirami rin yung harvest ko. Personally hindi ko sila nagagamit. Hindi ko naman alam paano gamitin ang aloe vera. Sabi nila pwedeng ipahid sa balat at pwede rin daw kainin. Kahit sariling tanim ko at alam ko namang malinis, ni minsan hindi sumagi sa isip ko na kumain ng aloe vera.

Yung mga harvest ko iniiwan ko lang sa garahe namin, nakatali yun, 4-5 tali siguro naiipon ko. Bawat tali is approximately 10 kilos or more. Di ko naman tinitimbang. Approximate weight lang siya compared sa isang bag ng bigas. Kinukuha yun ng either tita ko or hipag ko. Pinamimigay nila sa ofc nila. Ginagawa raw oil. At least di nasasayang. But this harvest, mukhang kakaunti lang ang mapapakinabangan. halos 10 months kasi indoor yun mga halaman. Payat at kakaunti ang tubo.

Meron din akong isang ZZ plant. Mananatili siyang indoor. Binilhan ko na sya ng decorative pot. Soil refurbishing na lang ang kailangan. Nag-ipon ako ng mga dahon ng tsaa. Yun ang gagawin kong pataba. Hahaluan ko rin ng kaunting vermicast. Hangga't maaari nais kong natural ang mga sangkap sa aking mga paso. Mas malusog ang mga halaman at safe gamitin. Mas mainam din kasi nirerecycle ko yung mga lupa. Kaunting refurbishing lang naman, tataba na uli ang lupa.

Di ko na maalala kung kailan ko simulang nakahiligan ang pagtatanim. Nagsimula ito sa isang tumpok ng aloe vera na kinuha ko sa mga pananim ng lola ko. Doon nagsimula ang aking aloe vera collections. Di ko naman binalak na paramihin sila. 1-2 paso lang sana ang nais ko. Subali't sadyang mabilis silang lumago at kumalat. Di ko namalayan, magsisingkwentang paso na pala ang alaga kong aloe vera. Bukod sa mga aloe vera, nakawilihan ko rin ang mga halamang gumamela. yun nga lang nagkamali ako ng tabas nung huli akong nagtrimming. So mula 7 pots, 2 na lamang ang natira. Pero ayos lang, sa tamang pag-aalaga dadami uli sila. Alam ko naman kung anong pagkakamali yun nagawa ko kaya may precautionary measures na.

Happy weekend sa inyo. Sa mga uuwi na ng probinsya at dun na rin sa maagang magbabakasyon, ingat kayo and enjoy your vacation. And of course, take some time to pray and make some reflections. Make the Holy week holy and meaningful. 

    
      

Throwback: The Lion King

I was in college then. One day, I was asked by my grandmother to run an errand for her. I was to bring a medicine to her friend who lives in Araneta Ave. I gladly obliged with a plan in mind. I will go see The Lion King which was showing that time. And I'm going to tag along my then 5 or six year old brother, who has yet to see a movie in a movie house. The plan went as planned.

It was early afternoon when we left. We arrived at grandma's friend place around 2:00 pm. it was not her house which I previously thought. Instead, it was her son's lumber shop. We did not get to meet her either. Instead, it was her son who entertained us. After an exchange of pleasantries, my brother and I bid goodbye. We cross the street where a long line of jeepneys were parked. We took the one going to SM Centerpoint. Hooraaaay!!! my heart shouted with excitement as the jeepney's engine started.

During that time, it was already an adventure for me to be able to get out of the house and watch a movie. Life then was pretty simple, bordering boring (if you compare it with today's topsy-turvy way of life). A trip to the theater or even a fast food is such a relief. It gives me a sense of freedom, so liberating.

As we reach the mall (SM Centerpoint), we immediately headed to the cinema, bought our ticket, get some food then head right in to the room where The Lion King is being shown. In those days, No schedule is being followed. You can enter the cinema at anytime you want. Unlike today where moviegoers are only admitted during the start of the scheduled showing.

When we took our seat, the movie was already halfway. That's how things were before. We'll just watch, wait for it to finish, then watch again as it restarts. It was a weekday, so the room wasn't full. I was with a child so that was comfortable and convenient. I looked at my brother and he seems happy and not to mention excited. It was his first time to see a movie inside a theater.

I couldn't remember the first scene we saw. But I remembered enjoying the movie. It was a Disney movie. Who does not enjoy a Disney movie. I love the animation, the good narration, the music. I appreciated that it can be comprehended by my 6 year old brother. I don't have much to explain. He follows the story and understands what he sees. The glow in his eyes shows how mesmerized he was. At that age, in a movie house, experiencing the big screen, the Dolby surround sound system must be overwhelmingly surprising for him.

It was a few minutes before 5:00, when we left the cinema. As the movie returned to the first scene we saw, I told my brother it was time to go. He asked for us to stay a little more. He said he wants to finish the movie, but it will still run for about 45 minutes. We'll get home late if we stay, so I declined his request. To appease him, I brought him to the bookstore and bought him some stickers. We reached home a little before 6:00 pm. Just in time to prepare for dinner.

I enjoyed not just the movie, not just the brief liberty, but most of all to have let my younger brother enjoyed his first experience inside a movie house. I wonder if he still remembers that day. The first movie he saw. And It was The Lion King.   
   
     
       
             

Wednesday musings : Apr 5, 2017

Lumidol kagabi bandang 9:00p.m.
Nagsusulat ako sa FB nang maramdaman ko ang pagyanig. It was just a slight tremor though. Yung parang may tumabig lang sa aking kinauupuan, then I saw the swinging chandelier. Confirmed. The earth did moved.

Senti-sentihan ako kagabi. Inaalala ang nakaraang 13 lumipas na taon. Anniv ko sa aking pinapasukang kumpanya today (Apr 5). It was not an easy decision. Maraming pag-aalinlangan. Yet after some careful thinking, I decided to join the company to which I have served the longest time and may continue to serve for the years still to come.

Ito ang company na unang nagbigay sa akin ng posisyon. I was offered to start a group. Nagtrain sa Japan for 1 year then pagbalik dito sinimulan ang paglead ng isang bagong team. Isang malaking hamon. For a then neophyte like me, nagsugal ang kumpanya. Yung tiwalang yun, yan ang lagi kong baon baon. Baon sa bawa't pagkakataon na kinakailangan ko ng lakas ng loob. Lakas ng loob para ituloy ang laban para sa kumpanya.

This leadership position gave me a chance to show and prove what I can do. Not just to show off my technical capabilities but to prove (even to myself) that I can do even the impossible. It has help shape not only my career but my character as well. Dito ko nailabas at naipamalas ang tinatago kong tapang at lakas ng loob. It certainly build my confidence to withstand all challenges. It has also help me develop my interpersonal skills. Hindi lang sa pakikipagkapwa kundi pati sa mga confrontations. Hindi sa lahat ng pagkakataon ay maayos ang sitwasyon. May mga pagkakataon na masusubukan ang iyong pasensya. Hindi lahat ng tao ay aayon sa kagustuhan mo, kung kaya't dapat marunong kang lumaban at ipaglaban ang paniniwala mo. But, of course, do so professionally and (as much as possible) in a diplomatic way. Trabaho lang. Hindi makakatulong if maghahanap ng kaaway.

Sa loob ng 13 taon, malaki ang aking ipinagbago. Dulot ng mga karanasan at hamon na dala ng trabahong ito. Nagpapasalamat ako at nabigyan ako ng ganitong pagkakataon. Although, syempre guilty rin minsan dahil may mga pagkakataong alam kong hindi ko nagawa ang best ko. Naging malubak man ang daan tungo sa tagumpay, ang mga taong aking nakasalubong at nakasabay sa paglalakbay na ito ang siyang naging sandalan ko upang mapagtagumpayan ang mga hamong dumaan.

My only hope is that in that 13 years I was able to touch somebody else's life. I knew I did. Not just one but many. I hope that they keep the lessons I have imparted with them. I always make it a point to bring the best out of the people I manage and work with. I want them to be the best that they can be, not only at work but personally as well. Binubusog ko sila sa mga pangaral. Kahit kadalasan napapansin ko ang pagtataka sa kanilang mga mukha tuwing sila'y aking pinangangaralan. I always ask them to listen and bear with my "sermons". Hindi naman masyadong mahaba. Listen, i tell them, even if they don't understand what I'm pointing out at the moment. A time will come when they will understand what I'm telling them. Hopefully, at that right time, they remember my words and put them to good use.

Sa buhay, hindi lang yaman at salapi ang maaring ipamahagi. Ang karunungan at mga aral sa buhay ay libre rin nating maipamamahagi. Shape the world according to your ideals. And sana tama yung ideals na yun. That is the only way you can move ahead of your competitors. Build a legion of followers. Followers who trust and believe in you. It's not easy and it doesn't happen overnight. But trust me, it can be done. Create a vision, preach that vision, then act on it.

Do not be too wary about what other people think nor what the outcome may be. Take action and just do it. Before you even know it, what you have envisioned has already transformed into reality.

  
   

MRT Philippines

Isa sa pinakamaaasahan at pinakamabilis na mode of transport sa Pilipinas ay ang MRT sa Edsa. Ito ay naglalakbay mula sa North Avenue ng lungsod Quezon hanggang sa Taft Ave ng Maynila.

Sa paglipas ng mga taon, ito ang aking naging choice of transportation. Di maikakailang mabilis ang biyahe dahil iwas sa traffic, bukod pa sa mura ang pamasahe. Tipid ka na, on-time pa sa patutunguhan. Subali't sa kabila ng kabutihang ito samu't saring problema ang kinahaharap ng bawa't mananakay sa araw araw.

Nagsimula ang operation ng MRT taong 2000. Taong 2004 naman nang magsimula akong maging pasahero nito. Sa Ortigas ang aking trabaho. Ang biyahe ko ay mula Quezon Ave. hanggang Ortigas. 4 na istasyon ang tatawirin. Nasa higit kumulang 20 minuto ang biyahe. Napakaginhawa hindi ba?  Noong simula ay talaga namang biyaya ang turing ko sa pagkakaroon ng MRT. Maayos pa kasi ang kalagayan nito noon. Malinis ang mga tren pati na rin ang istasyon. Maluwag pa noon kapag sumasakay dahil kakaunti pa ang mga pasahero kahit na tuwing rush hour. Kay sarap balikan ang ganoong mga alaala sa pagsakay ng MRT. Sabi ko nga noon, habang nakasakay sa MRT, hindi magtatagal at magiging tulad na rin tayo ng Japan at Singapore. Maunlad at moderno.

Napag-alaman ko rin na mula pala sa bansang Czech Republic ang mga bagon ng MRT. Napansin ko ito nang minsan akong nakasakay sa dulong bagon. May maliit na plaka sa dingding at nakasulat na mula ito sa The Czech Republic. Di ko lang alam kung brand new itong binili o pinaglumaan na ng nasabing bansa bago ito inangkat papunta dito sa atin.

Nakalulungkot na sa paglipas ng panahon tila napabayaan ang pangangalaga sa MRT. Ang noo'y simbolo ng umaasensong imahe ng bansa ay naging bangungot para sa mga mananakay. Unti unting nasira ang mga magagandang bagon. Mula sa bilang na mahigit 20, 7 hanggang 10 na lamang ang maayos na umaandar sa kasalukuyan. Bukod sa pinaglumaan na ng panahon (at wala nang mabiling piyesa pamalit sa mga nasira), ang kurakot sa sistema ng pamamalakad nito ang pangunahing dahilan upang ito ay lubusang mapabayaan. Luma at may diperensya na ang mga gumagana pang bagon. Dahil sa nabawasan ang bilang, siksikan na ang pagsakay dito. Lumobo na rin ang bilang ng mga pasahero nito sa loob ng 17 taon. Dahilan upang maging malaking kalbaryo para sa mga mananakay. Ang pila sa mga istasyon tuwing rush hour ay umaabot ng kilometro. Kapag nakasakay ka naman, siksik sardinas ang tuwinang sitwasyon. Malas mo pa kung masiraan sa gitna ng biyahe. Tatawid ka ng riles, makababa lamang.

Sa tuwing masisiraan ang MRT, alay lakad ang drama. Maari namang mag-bus kaya lang di kakayanin ang buhol buhol na traffic sa EDSA. Mahuhuli ka talaga sa oras. Malimit na ring masiraan ang tren. Bagay na kinaiinisan ng mga mananakay. May mga insidente pa na nasasaktan ang mga pasahero tulad ng minsang nawala ito sa riles.

Nagtangka naman ang pamahalaan na ito ay palitan, nguni't sa kakulangan ng sapat na pagplaplano, nauwi sa kapalpakan ang mga ito. Sisihan at turuan kaliwa't kanan ang ating narinig mula sa iba't ibang ahensya ng gobyerno. Sumasalamin lamang sa mahinang uri ng pamahalaan na mayroon tayo. Sino ba naman ang bibili ng tren na hiwalay ang kaha sa makina? paano mapapangalagaan ang kabuuang kalagayan ng MRT kung sampu-sampung contractor ang mangangasiwa nito. Pinatalsik ng pamahalaang Aquino ang kompanyang Mitsubishi na siyang matagal ng nangangasiwa sa maintenance ni MRT, upang maipasok ang mga kompanyang kaalyado ng pamahalaan. Sa pangangalaga ng Mitsubishi, isang kompanya na may sapat na kaalaman sa pangangasiwa ng tren, naging maayos ang pagpapatakbo sa MRT, sa kabila ng kakulangan sa pondo. Sa pagpalit at pagpasok ng mga contractor na di magkasundo, nagsimulang mapabayaan ang MRT. Nakalulungkot at nasilaw sa tukso ang mga tagapamahala ng MRT, kasama na ang ating pamahalaan (ng nakaraang administrasyon).

Sa pagkakaluklok ni Pangulong Duterte noong taong 2016, nangako syang aayusin ang problema sa MRT. Sa loob daw ng 6 na buwan ay mapapansin ang unti-unting pagginhawa ng mga mananakay. Sa kasamaang palad, hindi ito natupad. Madaling sabihin, mahirap gawin. Sadyang malalim ang ugat ng problema. Sa kasalukuyan ay makikitang nakatiwangwang sa North Ave. Station ang mga bagon ng bagong tren. Nguni't ito'y mga kaha lamang. Walang makina kung kaya't di mapaandar. Ayon sa huling impormasyon, mayroon ding dumating na makina ngunit hindi ankop para sa riles ng MRT. Nagsayang lamang ng salapi. At syempre nasayang din ang oras.

Ayon sa pag-aaral ng JICA, isang ahensya na nagbibigay tulong sa mga umuunlad na bansa tulad ng Pilipinas, bilyones ang halaga ng nawawalang salapi sa bawa't oras na kinakain ng matinding traffic sa kalakhang Maynila. Subali't sa isang mahinang pamahalaan, tila mahirap itong ipaunawa. Ano nga ba naman ang pakialam nila sa bilyones na nasasayang kung ang kanilang mga bulsa ay laging nabubusog.

Kaya para sa ating mga mananakay, tuloy ang kalbaryo. tuloy ang sagupaan. Gayunpaman, Hindi ko pa rin ipagpapalit ang MRT. Tiis-tiis lang at konting diskarte sa pagsakay. Hindi man sya komportable, walang kapalit ang oras na matitipid sa pagsakay sa MRT. Kaya kapit lang mga kapwa mananakay. Habang umaandar ang MRT, mananatiling may pag-asa na ito ay marehabilitate. Nawa'y dumating ang araw na maibalik nito ang dati nyang nakahahalinang anyo.