Monday, February 25, 2013

let love grow

Yes, let us leave the romanticism to the youth.

angeles city holyweek crowd01 040612

And may they grow to be romantic-realists like us.

angeles city holyweek crowd

And on a side note, you also have yet to give me flowers during Valentine's.

jordan
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*young and old couples amongst the crowd at Angeles City during last year's Holy Week.

Friday, February 22, 2013

More than words

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So what if you didn't give me flowers or a gift on Valentine's Day? It's just a day, like any other, except for the ubiquitous commercialism and social pressure that surrounds it. You and I have learned, as we get older, that the real practice of love is not limited to some holiday or mere display. In any case, you joined me at the One Billion Rising event, part of a worldwide campaign to end violence against women and children. That was more than enough for me.

Indeed, as I walked the nearby streets that night, I could see that much in our culture and society reflects various levels of inequality and violence. The more necessary it is then for events like this to inspire and engage many women, men, and children to stand up against brutality, against subjugation, and struggle for a better future.

Jo
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Saturday, February 16, 2013

for words

buddha and valentines couple

So how did our Valentine's day go, considering our state of communication? Have we arrived at that stage where we look at Valentine's with zen-like wisdom that Buddha would approve?

Did we handle it well, acknowledging its existence, but not being overwhelmed by the commercialism surrounding it?

Or are you gonna come out clean that you wish I had given you flowers?

Jordan
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*Buddha over a couple cutout at Tomas Morato last Valentine's Day/Thursday.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Scrabble

Scrabble tournament in Cubao mall

Scrabble tournament in Cubao mall

Whatever the future brings, surely the love for words, languages, and face-to-face interactions will continue.

Just like the other day, when we stumbled upon a Scrabble competition at an ordinary Cubao mall and watched Filipinos compete in something other than boxing, pageants, music shows, and the like. How gratifying it was to witness the young and old face each other, displaying their knowledge of words, skill at strategy, and ability to think quickly. Here were players sitting across tables, not just engaging the other through a screen. So despite the growth of digital media, there's still hope that games and gatherings like these will not become obsolete.

Jo
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