Airports

     When I see airports, be it on TV or magazines, I am reminded of my previous life before succumbing to stroke. In my immediate job prior to my stroke, I was the Asia marketing manager for a US chemical company. I had to travel, especially around Asia to carry out my duties. Thus I travelled to many Asian cities then I had to travel to Europe or the US for global meetings or trainings.

I have been to 3 of the best 10 for 2023

     Based in Singapore, I had the opportunity to always depart from Singapore's Changi Airport. I am absolutely agree it is the world's best airport in many aspects. It's like a park or a mall if you go there even if you are not travelling. The country has planned it so well and covers all the basic needs of the travellers in an airport.

Courtesy and Respect

     The current generation has no courtesy and it's so sad to think such value has disappeared completely. I grew up in a generation where respect and courtesy were of prime importance at home, in school and in the community. Parents used to discipline properly to be courteous especially in public.

     Children nowadays are unmindful to the basics of good manners especially towards the elders. Kids today cannot be spanked by parents and teachers unlike during my time. They are not trained with the basics like cleaning the schoolyard. Today they don't do such menial job. The schools hire outside help while children are focused on their cellphones. I personally think this has negative effect on them and their future.

This sounds like a joke but this is today 

Ramadan

     I grew up in the Philippines where it is predominantly Christian. I never had any close encounter with Muslims if my memory serves right. All I knew that time was the chaos in southern Mindanao where majority of the Muslims are. I worked in Malaysia and was exposed to the Muslim culture, predominantly a Muslim country and I saw their peaceful coexistence with Buddhists, Hindis and some Christians. Thus I enjoyed holidays there of all the relevant religions. I came to know of Ramadan of almost two decades of living there. I saw the similarities of our religious culture instead of the differences thus I did not understand the havoc in southern Philippines preventing them to a peaceful coexistence. I now understand it's a long story.

     I learned when Ramadan comes, the Muslims fast during daytime, from sunrise to sunset, not even allowed to drink water. There is fasting and abstinence among Christians which I grew up with but it was voluntary. There is good and bad for both, it's too political that I won't want to go there.

Blessed Ramadan 1444

     When Ramadan comes, Muslims, my friends, in Malaysia fast the whole day, there will be no canteen open at work. When I go back to the hometown of Muslim friend, I learn to fast the whole day without a drop of water. They will encourage me to eat but in solidarity, I refuse. I eat with them to break the fast at sunset and wake up early morning before sunrise to eat.

     I saw the spiritual effect of fasting on a person. It is not all physical. It strengthens once resolve and perseverance. It reminds the people to be detached from the material world and it's glitters of the material wealth. This helps them to distance from all the temptations and distance themselves from mortal sins. I personally feel they are managing this.l so well but not among Christians because the church is all theory but it's not put into practice.

Alanis Morissette

     A friend posted in our chat group that tickled me as I remember a funny incident I experienced when I was employed by Jotun then, a Norwegian paint company.

She will have a concert in Manila 

     One time, we had a department trip to Langkawi Island, Malaysia. While sitting on the beach with fellow Filipino colleague Mario, we talked about Alanis Morissette. A Malaysian colleague kind of overheard our conversation, she butted in "what's Alanis Morissette"?

     Playful Mario replied to her, "oh, it's a perfume!". From then on anything we didn't understand in our conversations, back in the office, we said, "it's a perfume" driving us all to laugh. Although, we told her what's the real Alanis Morissette few hours after our funny beach conversation.

My Heart in Singapore

     I am back to home town in rural Philippines but I feel I left my heart in Singapore. It had been my home for almost ten years before a stroke sent me back here. From 2015, I had serious medical issues with my heart.

     It was February 2015 when I was first brought to the National University Hospital of Singapore and underwent a heart surgery to correct my acute aorta aneurism. They couldn't perform the whole correction because their priority was only to save my life.

Friends visiting me after my first heart surgery 

     Again in February 2017, I had a scheduled heart surgery to fully correct the defect in my aorta. After two full open heart surgery, I thought everything was back to normal and I have completely eliminated all health issues.

     To my surprise, in February 2019, I had a stroke and was rushed to the hospital for brain surgery. The stroke rendered me somehow with slow mobility and imbalance. This led me losing my job in Singapore and sent me back home for good.

My Snow Experiemce

     I was lucky to have worked with a Norwegian global paint company, Jotun, 2001-2010. It gave me the opportunity to go to the headquarters in Sandefjord, Norway. In one of the global technical meetings, I experienced snow fall at the venue of our meeting which was in some resort near the mountains.

My first snow experience in my entire life

With the global technical team

With Peter Langeid, chemist from Norway 

     It was on the day before our last day when snow started falling. When I woke up in the morning and I look out through the window, then I saw the white feathery droplets falling down. At first, I didn't know what it was. Only when I talked to my other Asian colleagues, we realized it was snowing. We walked out letting the snow fall on us to get the experience of it.

Must Learn Maturity

     I feel I have many things to learn to be mature in many ways especially in my thinking and behavior towards others.

These should be a helpful guide

    All these are hard to be part of our lives. It takes effort and patience to  to become part of our lives