Go, Tell!

John George “Jack” Phillips sat in the “wireless” room of the Titanic, busily sending telegraphic messages from the ship’s passengers. Trying to claw back what might have seemed a mountain of backlog after the “wireless” equipment broke down the day before. Then at 9.30pm came an iceberg warning from the steamship Mesaba. He quickly scribbled […]

When My Knees Hit The Ground

“What fortune lies beyond the stars Those dazzling heights too vast to climb I got so high to fall so far But I found heaven as love swept low” * I watched the throng of conference participants pour out of the main hall to the lobby. Like water going in different directions, creating eddies as […]

Time to Breathe (Being Quiet and Still)

A few weeks ago, I temporarily parked my blogger’s ‘pen’ to take the time to breathe, to renew and refresh my spirit. Now I’m back! I would like to share with you what happened, why I chose to be quiet and be still. “The procedure went really well.” I heard the doctor say those few […]

All Things New (We Get Sharper With Age)

“How do you stay so positive in the middle of all these #*^&* Joyce?” said Joseph* who sat across from me. It baffles my colleagues when I turn up each morning and greet them with a cheerful “Good morning”, a brilliant smile, and an upbeat attitude. We worked in a very tough environment, with challenging goals, in […]

Beautiful, Beautiful Philippines (May Peace Be Yours in Abundance)

The slaughter of the Philippines National Police – Special Action Force personnel #fallen44 in #Mamasapano have troubled me deeply. Where is peace? What is the price of freedom from the clutches of terror, greed and corruption, ineptitude and disunity? Where is justice and righteousness? Where is the dream that my country of birth will soar again? Though […]

Making New Memories

“All these pieces Broken and scattered In mercy gathered Mended and whole … Amazing grace!” It was the end of winter, but the house and yard still looked bleak from the street.It was empty, of course. Which made it look more lonely, dejected.The shrubs were overgrown. The garden looked tired. I turned off the key in […]

What Is Your ‘Bowl Of Lentils’?

When her time to give birth came, sure enough, there were twins in her womb. The first came out reddish, as if snugly wrapped in a hairy blanket; they named him Esau (Hairy). His brother followed, his fist clutched tight to Esau’s heel; they named him Jacob (Heel). Isaac was sixty years old when they […]

Her Father’s Eyes

“Look at those big eyes!” I exclaimed as I gazed into the beautiful orbs of my new-born daughter. No, she does not have my eyes. Mine are like my father’s eyes, with hallmarks of his Filipino Malay-Chinese heritage. My daughter’s eyes are huge for her face. They are like her father’s big, blue ones. […]

Soar Like The Eagle … It’s A Brand New Year!

“Our dream was to demonstrate that you could run a business in India without corruption and create wealth, legally and ethically.” ~ Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys Technologies, as quoted by Bill George in ‘True North’ “One of our major customers conducted a comprehensive review of their purchasing activities, on the heels of allegations of fraud. After more […]

It’s a Beautiful Day?!!

Whatever you are struggling with today, large or small, widely shared or yours alone, may you have hope. Early on Tuesday morning, lives were lost at the #sydneysiege. While I slept, others slipped to life beyond. Leaving many to mourn. Lives were changed, now always marked. How changed, no one can grasp. As I slowly went through […]

The Cactus Blooms!

“The cactus has flowers!” With delight, I rushed inside the house and declared my news to the children. I had just arrived from work, parked the car, then absent-mindedly made my way to the front door. Then my eye saw it. The cactus plant that I had in a pot, left behind (abandoned!) by our home’s […]

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I Looked for the Meaning and Purpose of Life and This is What I Found

Is life just a cycle of eating, sleeping, studying, working, playing, fun interspersed with sorrows, some wins, a few losses, gathering trophies and accolades, medals, fame, fortune, then passing them on to others. Is that it? Is that all there is to life? When I was in university studying for a degree in Chemical Engineering, […]