All I Want to Say of Myself

I was blessed with loving and caring parents who inculcated into my consciousness an appreciation of the notion of the good, the beautiful and the true, along with the value of hard work and the mental habit to examine the merits of any proposition that needs to be acted upon or taken as gospel.

Cf, http://parallaxadhoc.blogtownhall.com/2009/12/02/no_longer_a_church-going_christian.thtml

Born in the evacuation camp of World War II Philippines, it took the Japanese Imperial Navy almost a full year to learn of my being born, due to communications lag at that time. The important thing is that it decided to surrender shortly thereafter on the premise of quitting, to limit the damages before the full implications of my being around was brought to bear on the situation and determine the trajectory of events.

It was a roller-coaster ride ever since: Never a dull moment. This narrative clearly proves that modesty is among my most tightly guarded virtues. So help me God.

Blissfully enjoying the 3rd decade of his third marriage, this member has most recently assumed the responsibilities of Chairman-of-the-Board for ACE LILACS, a budding startup venture in the marketplace of ideas. He is a wannabe male chauvinist and a self-appointed charter member of the vast right wing conspiracy famously discovered and popularized with its unveiling on national TV by Mrs. Bill Clinton.

The list of previous vocations he had engaged in his youth, includes being a farmer, fisherman, stevedore, national scholar, college professor, journeyman laborer, freelance scribe, typesetter, proofreader, systems analyst, software developer, cab driver, etc.

He holds a masters degree in Mineral Science and Technology (1973, Kyoto University) major in Exploration Geophysics.

In his youth he believed he was always a little bit pregnant with brilliant ideas. He hopes that membership to this community would facilitate their births or abortions thereof. This hope stems from a deep-seated conviction that his taste is cultured; his acumen has class, and with a little bit of luck, he has the inklings to be articulate.

So, with a song in my heart, I enjoin you to wish him luck!

Carpe DiemJ

A Note to Sally Asumen Agnes

A Note to Sally Asumen Agnes

Sally, I really enjoy reading the "writings on your wall." You have the gift of introspection and the talent to express and share them with friends and strangers alike. It is an attribute that reminds me of me when I was younger, say, high school and college. Except that I did not have the talent or the vehicle to share them with others.

Based on your association with a Gigaquit background, I'm certain, beyond the shadow of any doubt that we are blood relatives. You even have some facial resemblance to some of my many nieces; and I have more than a few of them. I want to let you know that I'm so pleased and proud to share a surname with you.

Keep those brain cells stimulated. And if there ever is any time that you feel the need for a sounding board for any of your ideas, doubts and questionings, I'd consider it an honor and privilege if you send them my way every once in a while.

I wish that one very nice day, I'll have the chance to meet you in person. Meanwhile, may the winds of fortune be always at your back. Live long and prosper in whatever endeavors you choose to undertake.

My All Time Favorite Tunes

My All Time Favorite Tunes

Music, William Shakespeare said, is the language of the soul. Or, in his own words,

The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night
And his affections dark as Erebus:
Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.

So here it is: it's not exactly due to Shakespeare, but music is such an important part of my life. Firstly, because growing up as a boy, I was always told by my parents that I could not carry a tune. It was not until I was in high school and indulged in that ultimate teenage passion, we called the Harana, that I was somewhat convinced that I could sing, if my well being depended on it.

But my ego identity as a singing person did not flourish until I was in Japan and became either the only or one of at most three Filipino students in any gathering of foreign students. It was under such constraints that I develop the hubris to belt a tune, no matter what. Or at any rate, I was called upon to come up with something as a matter of pride.

So it came to pass that the first in the selection below, is the one piece that I had performed the most in public, including singing it in front of a crowd of 35,000 at a Kyoto University Foundation Day, impromptu, on the behest of the president of the university. It has become one of my favorites since.

The reason really that I came up with the list was this: I was looking in vain for a Tagalog version of Consuelo Velasquez' "Besame Mucho." It's a very beautiful song and I can sing it in English, Spanish, Japanese, and Bisaya. Just because I could not find the Tagalog version in the Internet does not mean it does not exist. I knew the words by heart in Bisaya even long before I heard of the tune as "Besame Mucho." For the curious, here it is:

Besame Mucho in Bisaya

 
 

Ngano ba, nga guibiya-an?

Kining nahigugmang tinu-od ug wa'ay paglubad.

Ngano ba, nga guitalikdan?

Balik kanako kay panga-on ko ikaw.

 
 

Guila-oman nga ikaw ray tag-iya ning gugmang wa'ay paglubad.

Apan sa hilom guitalikdan mo bisan walay kasal-anan.

 
 

Ngano ba, nga guibiya-an?

Kining nahigugmang tinu-od ug wa'ay paglubad.

Ngano ba, nga guitalikdan?

Balik kanako kay panga-on ko ikaw.

 
 

So I call on all the music-loving Tagalog-speaking universe out there: if you have the lyrics in Tagalog, be nice and try to share it with me the best way you can. God bless and enjoy if you can the selections below.

Begin the Beguine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FSL0I0eOHE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzRbE211qAY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_PGk6okq1A&feature=related

 
 

You're the Song Angels Sing (Brahms Symphony # 3 in F Major Opus 90)

http://www.uulyrics.com/music/mario-lanza/song-song-angels-sing/

 
 

With a Song in my Heart

http://www.uulyrics.com/music/mario-lanza/song-with-a-song-in-my-heart/video-mario-lanza-with-a-song-in-my-heart-sept-161951-coca-cola-show/

 
 

Besame Mucho

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jmdX9CoA_Y&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccln1sPVHAk&feature=related

Besame Mucho in Bisaya

 
 

Ngano ba, nga guibiya-an?

Kining nahigugmang tinu-od ug wa'ay paglubad.

Ngano ba, nga guitalikdan?

Balik kanako kay panga-on ko ikaw.

 
 

Guila-oman nga ikaw ray tag-iya ning gugmang wa'ay paglubad.

Apan sa hilom guitalikdan mo bisan walay kasal-anan.

 
 

Ngano ba, nga guibiya-an?

Kining nahigugmang tinu-od ug wa'ay paglubad.

Ngano ba, nga guitalikdan?

Balik kanako kay panga-on ko ikaw.

 
 

No Other Love (Frederick Chopin Etude 10 #3)

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=aflwqHq16pw&feature=related

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=-AkvjO5QN-g&feature=related

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=SjDqMftHbKI&feature=related

 
 

Florestan Aria in Fidelio: "Gott Welch Dunkel Hier" (God It's So Dark In Here)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnWJhdtUcNU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_qrFUoOFgM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJEUqzFcLkQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3RwByhun48&feature=related

 
 

Ode to Joy (Beethoven Symphony #9 Act 4)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj747Z_E33o&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-WF0PVi2FA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMGKPajKs08&feature=related

 
 

Stranger in Paradise (Borodin, Prince Igor: Dance of the Polovetsian Maidens)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4WtsCjdupI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYoG3SsiwCE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Zc3hf6Po4&feature=related

 
 

Pakiusap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOhdC3FwJvI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cESJXQTDESY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQnHJD7kGsM&feature=related

 
 

Matud Nila

http://www.bollywoodmantra.com/video/matud-nila-visayan-cebuano-folk-song-with-lyrics/

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=8UY7q-mDBek&feature=related

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=zjfotHac7c0&feature=related

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=gR2BUPEuVE4&feature=related

 
 

Patay'ng Buhi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHTRcFOTlBo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-Ly1w3goBw&feature=related

 
 

 
 

 
 

  

Comments on Joy FB Profile Picture

I just really want to make a comment on this Facebook profile picture of Joy's as follows:

I could not make the comment on Facebook because, 1) I'm not her FB friend, and 2) what I have to say is deemed too long by the FB czars to even post on my Wall. So here it goes with all the blatancy I could muster:

Holding your head between your hands maybe well and good. I reckon that's also one of the functions hands were designed for. May I hasten to suggest that it's even better if you can hold your head high up without the aid of your hands. That's also what heads were designed for: to be held high, sans regrets, sans reservations, sans apologies.

Enough Reason for A Filipino Smile

 

Comparative Demographic Indicators for Selected Countries

Note that countries with a negative population growth, viz, Japan, Germany and Poland are countries traditionally hostile to assimilation of foreigners. France's positive growth can be attributed to a sizeable Muslim population who are traditionally prolific procreators.

Kudos to the Filipina for her fertility rate which would make my mother proud, although she managed, for the record close to three times the statistical average. If this does not give a smile to any Filipino male, nothing will.

Philippines
Demographic Indicators	2010	1995	2005	2015	2025
Population
Midyear population (in thousands)	99,900	72,597	90,436	109,616	128,921
Growth rate (percent)	1.9	2.4	2.0	1.8	1.5
Fertility
Total fertility rate (births per woman)	3.2	3.9	3.5	3.0	2.7
Crude birth rate (per 1,000 population)	26	31	27	24	21
Births (in thousands)	2,565	2,215	2,486	2,618	2,684
Mortality
Life expectancy at birth (years)	71	67	70	73	75

 

Japan
Demographic Indicators	2010	1995	2005	2015	2025
Population
Midyear population (in thousands)	126,804	125,341	127,537	124,719	117,816
Growth rate (percent)	-0.2	0.2	0.0	-0.4	-0.7
Fertility
Total fertility rate (births per woman)	1.2	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.4
Crude birth rate (per 1,000 population)	7	10	8	7	7
Births (in thousands)	940	1,207	1,083	864	799
Mortality
Life expectancy at birth (years)	82	80	82	83	83

 

United States
Demographic Indicators	2010	1995	2005	2015	2025
Population
Midyear population (in thousands)	310,233	266,278	295,753	325,540	357,452
Growth rate (percent)	1.0	(NA)	0.9	1.0	0.9
Fertility
Total fertility rate (births per woman)	2.1	(NA)	(NA)	2.1	2.1
Crude birth rate (per 1,000 population)	14	(NA)	14	14	13
Births (in thousands)	4,291	(NA)	4,138	4,470	4,726
Mortality
Life expectancy at birth (years)	78	(NA)	(NA)	79	80

 

Poland
Demographic Indicators	2010	1995	2005	2015	2025
Population
Midyear population (in thousands)	38,464	38,601	38,558	38,302	37,350
Growth rate (percent)	-0.1	0.1	-0.1	-0.1	-0.4
Fertility
Total fertility rate (births per woman)	1.3	1.6	1.2	1.3	1.4
Crude birth rate (per 1,000 population)	10	11	10	10	8
Births (in thousands)	386	433	375	370	300
Mortality
Life expectancy at birth (years)	76	72	75	77	79

 

France
Demographic Indicators	2010	1995	2005	2015	2025
Population
Midyear population (in thousands)	64,768	59,712	62,912	66,301	68,482
Growth rate (percent)	0.5	0.4	0.6	0.4	0.2
Fertility
Total fertility rate (births per woman)	2.0	1.7	1.9	1.9	1.9
Crude birth rate (per 1,000 population)	12	13	13	12	11
Births (in thousands)	805	763	807	783	751
Mortality
Life expectancy at birth (years)	81	78	80	82	82

 

Switzerland
Demographic Indicators	2010	1995	2005	2015	2025
Population
Midyear population (in thousands)	7,623	7,157	7,489	7,698	7,774
Growth rate (percent)	0.2	0.5	0.5	0.2	0.0
Fertility
Total fertility rate (births per woman)	1.5	1.5	1.4	1.5	1.5
Crude birth rate (per 1,000 population)	10	11	10	9	9
Births (in thousands)	73	82	73	73	72
Mortality
Life expectancy at birth (years)	81	78	80	81	82

 

China
Demographic Indicators	2010	1995	2005	2015	2025
Population
Midyear population (in thousands)	1,330,141	1,216,378	1,297,765	1,361,513	1,394,639
Growth rate (percent)	0.5	1.0	0.5	0.4	0.0
Fertility
Total fertility rate (births per woman)	1.5	1.8	1.5	1.6	1.6
Crude birth rate (per 1,000 population)	12	17	12	12	10
Births (in thousands)	16,188	20,849	15,249	16,406	13,444
Mortality
Life expectancy at birth (years)	75	69	74	75	77

 

Sweden
Demographic Indicators	2010	1995	2005	2015	2025
Population
Midyear population (in thousands)	9,074	8,878	9,002	9,153	9,316
Growth rate (percent)	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.1
Fertility
Total fertility rate (births per woman)	1.7	1.7	1.7	1.7	1.7
Crude birth rate (per 1,000 population)	10	12	10	11	10
Births (in thousands)	92	103	93	96	96
Mortality
Life expectancy at birth (years)	81	79	80	81	82

 

Germany
Demographic Indicators	2010	1995	2005	2015	2025
Population
Midyear population (in thousands)	82,283	81,654	82,431	81,946	80,637
Growth rate (percent)	-0.1	0.3	-0.0	-0.1	-0.2
Fertility
Total fertility rate (births per woman)	1.4	1.2	1.4	1.5	1.5
Crude birth rate (per 1,000 population)	8	9	8	8	8
Births (in thousands)	676	765	687	687	664
Mortality
Life expectancy at birth (years)	79	76	79	80	81