Violin and Cello Rendition of Beatle's "Let it Be"

I was stumbling upon the web when I luckily found this video of two talented teens playing their rendition of Beetle's "Let it Be". Without second thought,  I became a fan of the 15-year old Violinist Michael Province and 16-year old Cellist Nathan Chan. This video reminded me of the high school class I handled for the longest time in Thailand as majority of them were into music.  Enjoy watching!

Creeping Captivating Camotes

 

Consuelo Wharf, San Francisco, Camotes, Cebu

 What else could you think after a long week at work?

A walk in the forest? A day of relaxation in the beach? A long drive or a road trip? A view of fascinating landscapes and seascapes? Well, simply let your imagination fly with the wind and think of any ideal vacation you could think of then bring your mind to Camotes Islands in Cebu , Philippines and you'll realize that what's in your psyche is more than just mere imagination.


A two-hour ferry trip from Danao City, Cebu brought us to the captivating group of islands named Camotes which is composed of four municipalities namely San Francisco, Poro, Pilar and Tudela. San Francisco is the biggest among the four municipalities and home of most of the tourist attractions. According to the owner of the homestay where we lodged for a night, only Pilar town is separated from the municipalities. All the rest are connected by bridges.



The trip itself going to the island was fascinating because we were accompanied by friendly dolphins showing their hospitality to tourists visiting the island. We arrived in Consuelo Wharf in San Francisco town around two o'clock in the afternoon and did a hike around the nearby village.  The hike was so disturbing as there were two motorbike drivers who followed us all the way forcing us to take a ride but thanks to the rain which saved us from those stalkers (hahaha!). Later on, we decided to rent a motorbike and driving around the town was really a good experience. We rented the motorbike for only 500 pesos and it already allowed us to visit different spots in the place.

 

A serene view at Lake Lanao Park - an
enchanting work of nature.

 Our first destination was Mangudlong Rock Resort. Too bad, the sea wasn't that good that time so bumming on the beach wasn't a good idea. We then headed to a private owned beach house to see what the place could offer. The longest stop was in the enchanting Lake Danao Park. One would really wonder how a huge body of freshwater could exist in the middle of seawater. The park is vegetated with lust green trees of different species. Visitors could go for boat ride around the lake or enjoy a simple meal in a small floating cottage. We saw locals in the area weaving leaves of local plant called silo-silo and just a trivia, they celebrate Silo-Silo Festival once a year.




White sand beach at Santiago Bay.

 The next destination was San Francisco town proper which boasts its baywalk and clean surroundings. Almost every house in San Francisco is tag with the name of the owner and a local said that it's part of their cleaning and greening program. The town is a recepient of Cebu governor's environment program award. It has also earned mentions in international environment programs such as the Geneva convention.

It was already late in the evening when we headed to Santiago Bay to get some place to stay. Some of the hotels were already fully booked and they're quiet expensive so we ended up staying in a homestay which is just walking distance to the renowned Santiago White Beach. The following morning was a wonderful breakfast along the shore followed by refreshing rest under the heat of the shining sun.

We went back to San Francisco town via coastal road where the views are more fascinating. We then headed to the enchanting Timobo Cave where the crystal clear and cool water is just so tempting for a refreshing bath. However, the time was so limited as we needed to go back to the pier for our trip going back to Cebu where another week-long work awaits. We left Camotes on a gloomy afternoon when the sun was about to set telling us that another adventure awaits us when we come back.  

   

BPI Opens Biggest Yet Search for Kids of OFWs on its 160th Year

After the successful search for outstanding Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the Bank of Philippine Islands opens biggest yet search for kids of OFWs. Here's the press release from Brand Speak Asia's Media Relations Department as forwarded by Marist Nagera.

The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) calls on children of Overseas Filipinos (OF) to join the country’s biggest yet search for Expat Pinoy Children, the 2011 Search for the Ten Outstanding Expat Pinoy Children. This year, BPI brings a bigger and wider search for exemplary OF children as it celebrates its 160th anniversary celebration.

Now on its 5th year, the Search for Ten Outstanding Expat Pinoy children will award students with exceptional achievements in academic and non-academic fields for the Ibang Klaseng Talino, Ibang Klaseng Community Leader, Ibang Klaseng Entrepreneur, and Ibang Klaseng Artist/Athlete categories.

“BPI’s annual search for outstanding Expat Pinoy children reflects our continued thrust to support and help the country build a stronger nation through the empowerment of our country’s modern day heroes, our overseas Filipino workers, ,” says Teresita B. Tan, Executive Vice President and Group Head of Overseas Banking and Channel Services Group of BPI.

First introduced in 2007, BPI’s Search for the Ten Outstanding Expat Pinoy Children empowers the youth and their OFW parents by recognizing their significant contributions in the country as model families and modern day heroes of today’s generation.

This nationwide Search is open to college students not more than 21 years old, with no failing grade and with a parent holding a current work contract abroad. To join, applicants must submit an essay titled “What is the strongest characteristic that you have which you think is unique to an OF Son/Daughter that you believe is beneficial to change the community around you?” or alternatively “Ano sa palagay mo ang natatangi mong katangian bilang anak ng isang Overseas Filipino Worker na makatutulong sa pagpapaunlad ng iyong pamayanan?” in either English or Filipino with at least 1,500 to maximum of 2,000 words. The applicants are judged by a screening committee based on their academic excellence, community contribution, and other non-academic talents or skills such as sports, music, or arts. Seven (7) students will be awarded with the Ibang Klaseng Talino award and three (3) students will be given the Ibang Klaseng Community Leader, Ibang Klaseng Entrepreneur, and Ibang Klaseng Artist/Athlete awards. Application period is until August 15, 2011.

Promo details and application forms are available at http://www.bpiexpressonline.com/.

Found the X Factors

My decision of going back home in the middle of my immersion to foreign culture was one of the most difficult decisions I made. Difficult it might have been, I easily gave up a huge portion of my investment including my passion and my ambition of getting an international master's degree in education.

The thought of pursuing my teaching career here in the Philippines and being close with my loved ones erased all the second thoughts. However, things did not happen the way I planned. Instead of finding myself in the learning hub, I grabbed the enticing offer of the growing call center industry in the country where I eventually worked in a field I never imagined. The pay was good and the benefits were promising but I never found myself there so I decided to leave and planned to settle for less pay yet gratifying job. I eyed for public service but the public didn't seem to like my service so I decided not to pursue. No matter how ridiculous my thought was, I couldn't put myself into the level of following a questionable system like I never had my own shot of education.

Leaving the vaccine of frustration, I went for an offshore publishing industry where I am currently being trained as Publishing Consultant. The nature of the job is so promising and the management seems to be very supportive not only to my growth in the company but to my personal and professional growth as well. I never thought of the possibility of  learning the nature of the publishing industry together with the principles of mathematics but it's happening before my very eyes right now. Such reason alone motivates me to put things into the next level. 

If there is one thing that I need to learn from this, that is building confidence from the trust that people give you. Do not abuse the considerations that people are giving. Instead, leverage your performance from such trust. I am only starting and it should be a good start! 

NOTE: Special mention to my trainer (who must not be named) for the support and understanding when I mentioned that I would be enrolling for MS Math and to my professors who consider sending problem sets with me every time I would miss my classes because I need to go to work.         

Soliloquy in the Sand

As my feet slowly touched those fine grains scourging with the giant waves, my mind started to wander like the ocean breeze. The sun kissed my soul with a note in its glare – whispering a word I never heard before. Persistent I was, the journey went on – in search for reasons lying on the horizon.