Invictus

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

- by William Earnest Henley

__________________

Ah, exquisite! I think this poem is now on the top of my list of favorites.

I just watched the film with the same title and I was struck once again by the unifying effects of sports, especially team sports. I this case, the sport is Rugby and South Africa's victory at the 1995 rugby world cup helped the country in their much needed recovery after abolishment of Apartheid.

In the film, Mandela asked Pienaar, " How do you lead your team?" and Pienaar answered, " By example, sir." Very simple, yet the best answer I think. It wasn't the first thing that came to my mind, I was thinking more in the lines of motivation and inspiration, yet it is true; before we can inspire and motivate as leaders it is best to lead by example and in severe cases, it is also useful to draw upon the example of others.

I saw a great parallel in teaching. As teachers, we are leaders. In these troubled times all the more we should be leading by example as well as employing the examples of others in order to guide our students in becoming good citizens. We are building our nation, one class at a time and what we are doing is similar to what nation builders such as Nelson Mandela did.

Abscond

Abscond - to depart secretly and hide oneself.

Pinakamagandang lalake

I seem to be in an OPM (Original Pinoy Music) mood today because I keep remembering the songs I like from my favorite Filipino Artists! This one I just heard today at SOP. I searched it on youtube and I liked the video as well. The title means "most good looking man (in the world)". It's about how he felt like the most good looking man in the world when he is with a certain girl. It was funny how he invited the most sought after (and most handsome) actors in the country to appear in the video, including his own father.




Yeah....yeah

Wag isipin
Ako'y nagbibiro lamang
At wag sabihin
Ako'y nagyayabang lamang

*
Ngunit di ko na, inakala na
Ang isang tulad mo
Ay iibig sa, isang tulad ko
Akala ko, hanggang panagip na lang

**
Ako na yata ang pinakamagandang lalaki
Sa mundo sa piling mo
Pagkasama kita ang nadarama

Ako na yata ang pinakamagandang lalaki
Sa mundo...

Yeah....yeah

Di malaman, anong nakita mo sa'kin
Di katangkaran at gwapo lamang sa dilim

(Repeat *)

Ako na yata ang pinakamagandang lalaki
Sa mundo sa piling mo
Pagkasama kita iba ang asta

Ako na yata ang pimakamagandang lalaki
Sa mundo...

Yeah......

(Repeat **)

Yeah...yeah...yeah

Urong-Sulong

Ah, another fun little ditty that reminded me of puberty:-) Regine Velasquez is one of those singers who shaped my generation. This song "Urong-Sulong", directly translated means, "backward-forward", is my favorite song of her. It's also one of her early songs. If you will notice the upbeat tone, it's a signature of the late 80's and 90's filipino pop songs that I like so much. Here she talks about someone who is hesitating (hence the backward-forward thing). She also reassures this person/guy that he must not be shy or hesitant because she likes him too.
I'll post the lyrics later!

Maybe!

A little-known fact about me is that I always like Randy Santiago's songs. He is an actor, singer, composer, and got really famous in the 80's when he used to have a show called "Lunch Date" which is like an early prototype of popular noon time shows.
This song "Siguro" (Maybe/Probably) is my favorite because they lyrics are funny. The song is about this guy/person who is asking a girl if she had a fight with her sweetheart/boyfriend. He keeps saying it's probably better if he is her boyfriend. He proposed some suggestions while promoting himself as better than her boyfriend. He does this in his typical funny way.
If you can understand Tagalog, I hope you enjoy the humor of this song. If not, come back in the next few weeks because I might have the translations then:-)

Creating possibilities

Ever since I started listening to Radiolab I feel that I became more geeky, in a good way of course. I already over examine but lately I am more able to see the awesomeness of stuff that to most people are mundane. Call it a return to one's youthful curiosity or a descent to insanity, it's all good to me.
I got this picture from 6 Seconds, a non-profit company who specializes in developing people's emotional intelligence.

And what did I wish for? Love of course!

Hello and Happy New Year!
I thought it would be fun write something on the first day of the new year. This is a time of hope and new beginnings. Time to be cheerful and optimistic about what the future may hold. Last night I was in San Francisco with my family (parents, brother, grandma, aunts, uncle and cousins) and this is by far the best New Year celebration we had in the past 10 years. Less food, less gifts and I didn't have to break open a young coconut!
It just goes to show that a celebration doesn't always depend on the abundance of food and gifts; what matters most is spending it with loved ones whom you know will put up with you no matter how crazy you are sometimes.
Here's wishing everyone a good year. I'm not going write about my resolutions and reflections on the past year. I think this time, I will just keep in my heart this song:-)



This will be my year - Semisonic

Thursday's crush is a Friday night rush
And a Monday morning cry
It's the tail that you keep chasing
And it gets away every time

New Years Eve and it's hard to believe
Another Zodiac's gone around
While you drank yourself high on hoping
And watched the ceiling spin from the ground

Counting down from ten it's time
To make your annual prayer
Secret Santa in the sky
When will I get my share

Then you tell yourself
What you want to hear
Cause you have to believe
This will be my year

Pound your fist and cross it off your list
But you know you're not that strong
When the man at the stop light catches you
Singing along to a brand new song

Well maybe it's
Trash or the overnight smash that brings a
Ship crashing through your wall
So you can make your grand departure
From a world getting way too small

One wheel in the ditch another
Spinning in the air
Put your pedal down to the floorboards but you're not
Getting anywhere

Then you tell yourself
What you want to hear
Cause you have to believe
This will be my year

Crying

As to why we needed an engagement party, is beyond me. I only agreed to organize it so I don't have to be in entourage.
Come on, it would really mean a lot to us, Danica said.
This was right after she showed me what the "entourage" will wear knowing well that I'd take a serious death threat to make me wear something "formal".
If you don't want to, you don't have to, Danica pouted when she saw the grimace on my face. My brother gave me a threatening look that as she tried to appease his fiancee.
Well what if I just organize the engagement party and the reception, I offered.
Oh that is so wonderful! she exclaimed.
Are you sure it's not so much trouble?
My usual sensible brother seem to have lost it by choosing this woman.
And so I was stuck.
I looked outside on the San Francisco skyline and congratulated myself on booking this venue. The Bay Bridge is still spectacular no matter how many times I see it, it also never fails to soothe me specially in this time of stress.
I looked around the room again and there she is. It's amazing how people can be together for a long time and then one day wake up one day and have to say it's over. I spent my whole adult life with her, and now I don't know who I am.
I clenched my fist and tried to fight back the lump in my throat. I know I am quite red now even though I've only had one glass of wine. I walked over to my parents' table.
Ma, I have to go, I'm not feeling well, I said.
Well what am I supposed to do? she said with an alarmed look on her face.
Nothing, just tell James.
I walked out of the hall and found the elevator.
I hope she doesn't see me like this. I thought frantically wiping my tears with the handkerchief I fished from my pocket. It was one she gave me 2 years ago.
The rest of my travel was a blur. I didn't know how I could have driven that night. Luckily I took tha BART and my apartment wasn't that far away from the South City Station.
I loved her. Maybe there really is such a thing as too much love.