have scrubs, will write

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.

Specialization is for insects."

The quote above by sci-fi author Robert A. Heinlein was one I bumped into as I reviewed my friend’s facebook profile. Heinlein’s stimulating aphorism evoking human beings possessing some seemingly dichotomous competencies as writing sonnets and balancing accounts or changing diapers and butchering hogs seem to coincide with this contemporary penchant for the multi-skilled and multi – talented individuals. Today, humans acquire more capabilities and pursue a variety of interests than ever as the more hats an individual wears, the more noteworthy he/she becomes. Gerard Butler, for instance - a lawyer and a hunk of an actor has singing abilities which wasn't bad at all; or Khaled Hosseini - that bestselling author, incidentally, is a medical doctor by profession. The rise of the super men and women will certainly persist. Can we then embrace and mystify multi-tasking rather than quell it?

Dr. Hosseini must have remarked “have scrubs, will write” and write he did with his scrubs on.

A rendezvouz with exotic Badian Island

Scouting for a beach venue for a company activity, we hied off to Badian Island Resort over the weekend. After a smooth 2-hour drive from the city, we were eager to experience that patch of paradise reputed for its dive site and spa retreat. The splendid island hideaway made it to the list of 10 Best Diving Resorts worldwide in 2006. Our fleeting encounter was captivating enough; the mystic island took our breaths away that day.

Welcoming us on the pier, the genuine smile of the Badian staff spoke of a promise to provide guests with a delightful escape from the rash city life. And indeed as sun shone madly, the sand gently glistened as we walked barefoot passing through beach huts carefully lined on the shore. While we trekked silently on the way up the breezy suites and cabanas, local flowers abound provided splashes of color complementing the rich green foliage amid the lazy blue sky. The sea seemed to beacon perpetually from the hill making the panorama even more eye-catching. I fell in love with the serene tropical atmosphere. Only the occasional rustle of leaves roused my pensive mood.

Our Badian visit was heightened by the gentility of its hosts Hartwig Scholz and Maria Catral. Maria who I learned is an Ilocana, is an epitome of a remarkable Filipina – her subdued elegance is truly admirable.

Badian, I am looking forward to the day you will claim me again...

A quiet, rustic paradise

A jacuzzi and tub fit for the weary soul

A postcard view of the outdoors from the room

The night I Stubled Upon

I just discovered a new way to explore sites of my interest thru Stumble Upon – it was so great that I enjoyed wandering the World Wide Web and bumping into sites I like. In a way, it will help me uphold this blog’s purpose to log my wanderings in the web, among others... The images for instance awakened my artist wannabe persona, the library resources were oh so exciting ( I hope I will adapt a patience to read e-books this time), and the snippets of tech materials made me felt big (at least from a tech newbie's perspective) . In my web adventures, Stumble Upon will surely make a good company.

These are some great sites I’m glad I stumbled upon:

Bibliomania

Photoshop Tips and Tricks

Artwork of Katerine Dinger

Kenneth Parker Photographs

Miles's Valentine

We were love struck this month as one of my friends tied the knot with her prince who came all the way from Nottingham, England. Theirs is a wonderful love story worth retelling - Miles or Milagros as we fondly call her, then qualified for an MBA program at Nottingham University around five years ago when, despite the grueling two years of graduate studies, somehow managed to meet a fine man, Calvin, at local pub, during one of her after class night outs with grad school classmates. Fast forward 2008 - their wedding took place at a chapel in Mactan Cebu one breezy February afternoon. Everyone was in high spirits as the sun displayed its majestic splendor and despite the presence of a tad annoying wedding coordinator, the church ceremony went well. The reception set on a beach theme in Plantation Bay was splendid; the usual Filipino wedding ritual was punctuated by some unwitting remarks of the wedding coordinator cum host cum singer entertainer, whew! Good thing I was seated beside the priest celebrant, Fr. Donal O’ Hanlon of the Missionary Society of Saint Columban who chatted about his wonderful adventures from Ipil to London – it managed to keep my attention away from the wedding coordinator (stop laughing Kin! :)). But the stars of the night, Calvin and Miles who exchanged adoring looks all throughout, felt exultant to be wed at last!

Meeting Kin

After more than ten long years I finally met Kin – my nerd of a high school classmate who is best remembered as a science adoring, technology manic whiz kid. Seeing him show up at another classmate’s wedding looking almost exactly as he did years back brought an amused smile as memories from high school played like slideshow in my face. A scene depicting me and my other classmates laboring badly in our Physics and Algebra assignments while Kin, bored in his seat, was all set and ready with his computation and seamless solutions to those dreaded subjects, was just among the funny memories remembered. I learned that he indeed made use of his brains by becoming, according to him, a perennial student – earning two undergraduate degrees and currently on his way to obtaining an MS in Computer Science while authoring two tech textbooks on the side. And his interests never waned after all these years – science, astronomy or technology or a sensible mix of all these (see photo of a galacticship orbiting the earth below grabbed from his blog); and as he blogs about them, I cannot help but feel delighted seeing Kin and his old usual self. Now, even as he makes this world his ant farm, it is still Kin all this time.