hello, goodbye

just a quick post.  i’m sitting in the main offices of gawad kalinga, waiting to find out what i’ll be doing.  want to say hi to everyone.  i’m failing at maintaining this blog.  again, one of the few times i’ve had access to the internet. . .

check back in a few.

greetings! from san juan, philippines

hey everyone. right now i am sitting in my uncle’s house in san juan. sorry i haven’t been posting. this is one of the few occasions i’ve had internet access and time. anyway, just a quick note, “charlie prince” is also posted in my music section.

i hope everyone is doing well! i know i am. no pictures to post right now, partly because my camera isn’t with me at the moment. there’s so much to say but i’ll just give a quick gloss over of all the things i’ve been doing.

i arrived around 10pm last tuesday night (nov. 6) and was picked up by my sister, michelle, and brother-in-law, paolo. i’m staying primarily with them and it’s been good times, to say the least. (mom, you and michelle are so alike, it’s crazy). since then, my time has been spent doing the following things; fending off family (most specifically, michelle) from over-stuffing me with delightful morsels of food; attending an orientation for gawad kalinga, an ngo whose goal is nation building through community development (their model is being studied for replication by such organizations as the UN); intense badminton games (i’ve got the bruises to prove it); wall-climbing at my cousins’/sister’s business, gymtastics; a muay thai lesson, again at gymtastics, with a guy named bayani (the coolest name ever because it means “hero”); basketball with strangers in the sweltering heat of some gym; relaxing at my cousin elisa’s house in tagatay, only to have my peace and quiet interrupted by her two of her fantastic kids, struan and drake. . . . these things are just the tip of the iceberg.

the southeast asian trip has been sort of modified to a tour of the philippines, although i’m still hoping that a trip to cambodia, thailand or indonesia pulls through. the first destination is subic this coming weekend. i’ll tell you more about the place once i learn more. anyway, hate to cut this post short. again, so much to tell. tonight’s dinner is in honor of my late grandmother who would have been ninety something today, so i must go.

cheers.

To Sleep With A Prayer For The Beloved In Your Heart

new song up on the old myspace. it’s a lovely piano number composed by thomas. the title of the song is taken from a line in kahlil gibran’s, the prophet. so, give it a listen, you won’t be disappointed. the prophet is also another good read besides ishmael.