Wisdom has opened a piece of sky and shone some light into my otherwise mundane day-to-day life.  And what I’m about to share are realizations I have had and minute lessons of life I’ve learned lately.  They may not sound “big deal” to some but I feel I have to write them so they don’t crowd my small head (lol).

First in line is one real monster of a lesson:  People sacrifice health and family to pursue a perceived good – one might call it a dream or ambition.  And then what?

Of course, I know we all have to pay the price for whatever it is that we want to have but I’ve learned that to sacrifice my health and my family for it is pure and simple stupidity.   At the moment, I am pursuing my doctorate and at times the demands of my studies  coupled with work-related stress cost  me my health.  Now I understand that I am truly different from others in every sense of the word.  For one I’m a turtle and I actually feel it that when I rush things or when I push myself beyond the limits of my physical and emotional strength I get sick.   As in real sick  and I have to stuff my body with antibiotics, painkillers and other nauseating pills.  So I’ve learned to slow down and work in tune with the pace of my own energy.   Always “going placidly amidst the noise and the haste.”  No rushing and hashing whatsoever!

Next in line is this:  We have to live with the little ironies of life. 

Life dishes out little ironies now and then.  And most of the time we are caught unawares.  Whoa and what a ride I had learning this lesson!  I can say that after my futile attempts at righting the wrongs  in the name of idealism and religion, I’ve learned to accept their persistent presence in our lives with straight A’s.   Now I can just smile when one shows up on my plate.

]]> http://ischoolsbelinda.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/random-thoughts/feed/ 1 ischoolsbelinda http://ischoolsbelinda.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/haaay-an-maniriday-adi-na-liwat/ http://ischoolsbelinda.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/haaay-an-maniriday-adi-na-liwat/#comments Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:07:16 +0000 ischoolsbelinda http://ischoolsbelinda.wordpress.com/?p=438 ]]> Ha mga bloggers ngan mga hinigugma ko nga Waraynon o Waray:   (Hi bloggers and dear fellow Waraynons!)

Baga hin damo na liwat an nahuna-hunaan han maniriday ha akon kasing-kasing, sanglit amo ini an pipira han iya mga karuyag mahisurat.  (It seems that the Waray poet in my heart has  so much to write again , so here are some of the Waray poems he has inspired me to write.)

An akon bag-o nga mga siday... (My new poems…)

Latayan

(Sinurat ni Waray Sama)

Han mahiuli ako bungto nga gindak’an,

Dayon ko nakit’an an adto nga dalan

Nga urog ko sulsugon ha may kabanwa-an

Nga natikadto ha am’ saop ngan kaum’han.

Ha kada Sabado ako nahingadto

Kay ako an nakuha han hiwat nga bag-o,

Naka long slib nakabotas ngan buri an kalo

Pas-an an ‘ waterkan’  siring pa ni Man Nardo.

 Utro nga ginsulsog an ini nga dalan

Kay ginkinano ko kun adto pa an latayan

Nga tinukod la hin duduha  nga kawayan

May gu-od ha butnga ngan usa an karap’tan

Ha kada pag-agi han hito nga latayan

Duro an lagutob hinin akon dughan

Halarom an tubig,  ha ligid kakug’nan

Kun ako mahulog kalumos an hikaplagan.

Ha dayuday nga lakat hinin kinabuhi

Ha ak’ paghuruhirayo ngada han paghi-uli

Mga gin-agi-an nga kalipay ug pagkuri

Damo an latayan nga sugad-sugad hini.

An Burubaluto

(Sinurat ni Waray Sama)

Panas ngan bitas na an akon tsinelas,

Bisan pa pasu-on pagdug-tong han tangkas,

Diri na gud madara, waray na  mahihimo

Angay na iglabog ngadto ha am’ luyo.

Buot ko igburong kay waray na gamit

Pero ha kan Tatay kinahanglan pa magsarit

Siring han ak’ amay, “Uday, igkada la,

Kay bangin pa gad maremedyuhan unina.”

Mabug-on an dughan ginsugot ko hiya,

Bisan nagpapaprumba an ak’ mga luha,

Hin bag-o nga tsinelas diri maglalaum

Kay an kan Tatay bursa duro kahilarum

Han akon pagmata ha kinabuwasan

Lumukso hin kalipay inin akon dughan

Didto han ak duyan may tsinelas nga bag-o

Mayda pa kaupod nga burubaluto.

Tinuhog hin gihay an dahon nga layag

Naduso ha lasaw ligid han am’ payag

Bitas nak’ nga tsinelas nahimo nga mulayan

Nga di mo mapapalit bis’ diin nga tindahan

Bisan nag-agi na an pipira ka dekada

Ha akon kasing-kasing di gud mapapara

Naglulutaw-lutaw pirmi an burubaluto

Nga hinimo han kamot nga hin gugma puno.

An Waray…

(Sinurat ni Waray Sama)

An Waray…

mag-isug  daw,

   dagko an tingog,

mag-ilob hin agway,

waray gin-aatrasan

                         bisan tinigbasay,

bis’ diin kumadto

                                     ha kabisug bantugan ,

…ginkakahadlukan.

Pero an tinuod,

an Waray…

magnanong,

mabuliganon,

makisasayawon

                                                bisan kinudal la may aminudo,

makisasangkayon,

maghinatagon,

                                                                    bisan budo ngan par-ok la nagsasasaro,

maglipayon,

dagko an tingog kay karuyag hin marisyo,

mag-isug la kun ginraraug-daog,

                                                      maatubang ha bis’ hin-o nga paug,

diri ngahaw mapalupig

                               basta may katadungan,

…sangkay nga malalauman.

Hi Mana Bidang

  (Sinurat ni Waray Sama)

Bis’ kun libat-libat ngan waray na ngipon,

Hi Mana Bidang chichirika la gihapon;

Halipot an saya, mapula an bayhon

Bisan tikadto la ha may baybayon.

Kun mahapasyada  ka hadton ira  libong,

Malilipay an im’ mata pati an im’ irong

Natikig hin armidol an kan Cirilo maong

Ngan malimpyo gud bisan an ira sirong.

Pag-abot han adlaw nga Domingo,

Aga-aga pa human na hiya kumarigo

Kay matikang pagpitad, mabaktas tikadto

Masingba, maghalad ha hirayo nga bungto.

Ha dayuday nga lakat han mga adlaw,

Ha butnga han bagyo ngan han mga huraw

Harigi nak ‘  ha kagutom ngan kauhaw

Hi Mana Bidang an lola nga ak’ ikinahidlaw

Lately, the Waray poet in me has been working over time.    This poet is pushing me to my limits at times…to the limits of my patience, that is.  You see, even when I’m so tired and sleepy, this poet inside me keeps on scribbling strings of words…lines and stanzas are spilling fast from his heart to mine.  He leaves me no time for myself, it seems.  I wake up running to my computer or my notebook of ideas to write things down.  And this morning, the poet finished this humble tribute to my beloved hometown – Dulag.

So here it goes…  for Dulag!

Hill 120 (in San Rafael, Dulag, Leyte) - my playground as a child

An Dulag

by

Ma. Belinda C. Lora

Daw sugad hin bukad an imo katahum

Pagsidlit han adlaw ha imo nahiyom

Bungto han Dulag nga hinigugma namon

Ha sinirangan han Leyte ikaw an paglaum

Nag-uuru-inggat an’im’ kadagatan

Nga hadto testigos han giyera ngan kakurian

Mga bukid ngan kaumhan daw nagburubulawan

Nga nakakalipay han damo nga dughan

Bungto nga natwhan nga ak’ minayuyo

Ikaw an duyan, tinikangan han ak’ pagkatawo

Ikaw an naghatag hin bili han akon pagtubo

Bisan san-o igpaparayaw ngan uunungan ko

Ha imo kasing-kasing gugma an nangalimyon

Ikaw iginkahidlaw hadton ha langyaw naglalak’ton

Bis’ maghuruhirayo ini nga lawas nakon

Ako ngahaw mabalik ha imo mga butkon

(Photo Courtesy:  tourisminthephilippines.com)

Just check this out.

Uday!

Bisan ka pa hin-o uday,

Upayon mo pa an pangi-ay-ki-ay,

Putson mo pa an im’ lawas

hin damo nga  bulawan

Maraksot ka la gihap uday

            kay an im’ batasan makalilisang!

I woke up this morning having this queer feeling of urgently writing something down.   My hands were itching to get to the keyboard of my computer and type the words that were spilling down from my head to the tips of my fingers.   It is as if somewhere in the night a part of me summoned these words to line up and stay as they were till they’re written down.

And I was so surprised to find that the  Waray poet  in me surfaced again.

So here it is, a poem about a character I’ve known as a child.  It’s a little funny how come his person inspired me to write today.   I hope you enjoy reading this.

Hi Mano Tamen

by

Ma. Belinda C. Lora

(written/composed:  August 8, 2011)

Mayda ko kilala tawo nga istoryahon

Benjamin an ngaran pero Tamen kun taw’gon

Hiya makaluluoy kun huhuna-huna-on

Pero ha tinuod usa  han pinakamalipayon

Kasagaran  hukas kun imo igkatapo

An iya sul-ot nga “short “ danay pa gud buho

Pirmi niya may hiyom bisan ka pa hin-o

Magtuturutaghoy la, malipay hin duro

Buot mo tagan bado nga im’ tinakasan

Kay intawon waray gud bis’ ano nga rayan-dayan

Waray pa gud asawa ni  mga anak man

Ha bug-os nga kinabuhi hiya nag-uusaan

Dayuday kaupod an sarad ngan kawit

Ha ligid han hawak an sansibar nakasab-it

Kun baga nahuhubog duro ka madawit

Danay pa gud hin “Agway!” baga nasinggit

Ha pag-guli-at  niya baga hin tigbasay an biling

Ngan ha im pagkita baga di gud mapawaring

Pero kun im’ igduso mapulingkang ugaring

An mga kaharani nakakatawa ug napiling-piling

Kun mga panahon hin kuri ug pagsakit

Ha mga takna nga dumuon ka hin panit

Hiya aada bisan san-o ka sumangpit

Tinuod nga sangkay, an pagbulig hingpit

An iya pamostura bisan kun pataraw-an

Guti-ayay nga payag  amo la an puy-anan

An  kabus  nga abaga duro an pinas-an

Pero an kasing-kasing  uray nga bulawan

And I learned a lot during our lecture on Video Production and Photography.  It was simply awesome!

One big realization dawned on me when we had our photo session in Baybay City Public Market last Friday.

An old newspaper from examiner.com

It has been an amazing journey to see how journalism has evolved over the years or more appropriately, over the centuries. From crude scrolls and papyrus to typewritten newsletters to broadsheets and tabloids produced in printing presses… And now to a whole new level – electronic.  How’s that?

Let us take some time to look back and see how it all began…

I found this article, “A Brief History of Newspapers” while browsing the net and I’d like to share a part of it with you.  (Source:   http://www.historicpages.com/nprhist.htm)

The Origins of Newspapers

The history of newspapers is an often-dramatic chapter of the human  experience going back some five centuries. In Renaissance Europe handwritten newsletters circulated privately among merchants, passing along information about everything from wars and economic conditions to social customs and “human interest” features. The first printed forerunners of the newspaper appeared in Germany in the late 1400′s in the form of news pamphlets or broadsides, often highly sensationalized in content.  Some of the most famous

of these report the atrocities against Germans in Transylvania perpetrated by a sadistic veovod named Vlad Tsepes Drakul, who became the Count Dracula of later folklore.

In the English-speaking world, the earliest predecessors of the newspaper were corantos, small news pamphlets produced only when some event worthy of notice occurred.

The first successively published title was The Weekly Newes of 1622. It was followed in the 1640′s and 1650′s by a plethora of different titles in the similar newsbook format. The first true newspaper in English was the London Gazette of 1666. For a generation it was the only officially sanctioned newspaper, though many periodical titles were in print by the century’s end.

So you see, the modern writers and publishers have come a long way from the news pamphlets or broadsides of the 13^th century and the handwritten newsletters of the 16^th century.

As the adviser of the SLS Eye, I am quite happy to know that through the electronic form the humble works of our student writers out here in our small  corner of the earth can be read by people from all walks of life all over the world at any time of the day. 

everything on line...(photo courtesy: obamapacman.com)

And as a writer, I am quite privileged to have an avenue where I can publish my humble writings.  It is such an honor to see another blogger has read an article that I have written and, in a way,  has listened to my heart.

Shakespeare would drool over the wonderful opportunities the modern-day poets and writers  have at their fingertips. 

And in a way I feel nostalgic for it was such a memorable camp blog.  It made such great impact on me as a blogger for many reasons.  First, it was held in luxurious Mimosa Leisure Estate where we stayed in villas for eleven (11) days and enjoyed fine dining day in and day out.  Second, it was the most challenging camp blog ever because it was my very first.  Third, WordPress was an alien I had to conquer, tame and take home with me.  And I waged the biggest war in the history of blogging in my life.  I turned this alien into an ally in the end, in God’s grace.  It even earned my humble blog a small recognition.  What a conquest!

Anyway today, we met once more – WordPress and I.  Were there surprises?  You bet!

There were new things to learn about WordPress. Blogging took on a new dimension for me simply because we met again today…

WordPress gave me fresh ideas how to make my blog more appealing to readers.  It showed me what articles most online readers look for and enjoy reading.  It even presented new techniques to me so that readers will find my blog  a lot easier and more fun to visit.

So you see, meeting my ally again was worth it!

The opening program...

(Written 6/21/2011 6:35 p.m.)

I headed for VSU this morning feeling so excited to learn how to make an online newspaper.  So did I learn something today?

 Let’s see…

If I can remember the most important points given in Sir Joe Torres’ “tele-lecture” (skype lecture as they put it) then maybe I did not live in vain in the past few hours.

But first, let me share with you how it was…the “tele-lecture” that is.

In this age of technology explosion, it’s a little funny to say that this is the first time I got to attend a workshop with the speaker miles away (out there in Manila) and we, the participants, were out here in our dear Baybay City, Leyte.  We listened to Sir Joe with all our being even if it seemed he was a mere silhouette on screen.  But wonder of wonders, sans eye contact and all we were able to really understand the things he was saying and to respond (hopefully) in the way he wanted us to.  We were even able to enjoy and laugh at his usual verbal antics.  Such is the ‘magic’ of technology – bridging not just the digital divide but the geographical divide as well.

So going back to what I learned…

I actually wrote a lot and noted almost everything he said.  And if I put all those here I’m afraid I might quote Sir Jo word for word.  So let me put it as concisely as possible.

First, I learned about the difference between the print and online publication – the linear and the not linear thing, the finite and the infinite, the interactive thing, etc .   I was also enlightened about the history of the internet and the world wide web.  It was quite interesting to note that educators started it all. Hurray to the teachers!

Then, he emphasized that relationship is the core of online writing.  It’s all about sharing and linking.  One more important thing to remember when writing online is to consider the users’ demands.  And also there is this beauty of online writing in which both the old and the new information have their place.

Finally, he pointed out the lessons  writers should learn and take note of when writing online.  Among those that I remember most are the following:  

• online publication must be well-organized and clearly explained (Everything included is useful to the users.)
• writing must be done in an enjoyable and conversational manner but direct to the point
• tell the users directly what you offer and be clear about it
• make it easy for the users
• adapt your writing and presentation to the screen and
• write in a way that helps search engines index your site.

]]> http://ischoolsbelinda.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/entry-1-on-the-dynamics-of-online-newspaper/feed/ 0 ischoolsbelinda Camp Blog 2011 in VSU, Baybay City, Leyte DSC03942 http://ischoolsbelinda.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/321/ http://ischoolsbelinda.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/321/#comments Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:11:21 +0000 ischoolsbelinda http://ischoolsbelinda.wordpress.com/?p=321 ]]> Hi there bloggers!

It’s ‘de ja vu’ all over again…Chad and I are doing our writing tasks again in another camp blog.  We’re in Visayas State University (Baybay City, Leyte) now attending the Camp Blog 2011…no wordpress to pressure us, no LO’s to keep us from having a good night sleep but this time we will be racking our brains to create a ‘sensible’ online newspaper for our school.  How’s that for another camp blog challenge?