Sinug for Sinulog.. For Him..

After 9 days of novena, the day for the Feast of Señor Santo Niño is here, the Sinulog celebration of the Cebuanos. Many have joined the Fluvial Parade and the long walk, which is a dedication of the people for the saint.

Actually, the feast is not celebrated on the month of January; it is originally celebrated on the month of April, particularly on the 28^th. They moved this celebration on January because it is the month nearest to the Christmas celebration.

The feast day that the Cebuanos call Sinulog is a word that came from the word “sulog”, which refers to the water current that is moving forward. As what I heard from our parish priest and as what I read in the newspaper, “sulog” is the movement of the water that after crashing into the big rocks will move back or the forward and backward movement of the water.

This feast became a yearly devotion of the Cebuanos and many other citizens all around the globe, in honor for the Patron saint of Cebu who is Señor Santo Niño. Señor Santo Niño was the image introduced by the Spaniards during the time when they first landed here in our island.

Every year, a lot of people coming from different places and races come here to Cebu to celebrate and dance to the Sinulog beat. Even though the streets are very hot, but this is not a hindrance for the devotees, balikbayans, and tourists. They come here to witness the different contingents that joined in the Sinulog Grand Mardigras, may it be under the Free Interpretation category or for the Sinulog Based category.

As what I have seen on the streets, children and adults alike spend the feast with a great enthusiasm. They buy different masks and wear them on their faces, whistles, ready –to-go tattoos, and other stuffs that will really make them enjoy and feel the beat and heat of the festivity. They do not care about standing for hours and lining up on the busy streets for the reason that they are doing this as devotion or a “panaad” to the child patron, Santo Niño. Aside from waiting for the very colorful Sinulog contingents, they are also fascinated by the different stunning and exquisite floats by the different establishments of the city. This sight is on the streets and so as inside the Cebu City Sports Center where the population is very tight and very hot because the viewers are sitting from elbow to elbow.

Aside from street dancing, many also go to the Basilica del Santo Niño to pray and light candles. Most of them are balikbayans and people from the province of Cebu since they are not always here in Cebu.

As the sun started to set, the energy of the contingents never did cease and vanished. They kept on dancing and enjoying the Sinulog beat.

This is how the Cebuanos celebrate the Sinulog 2007. All of these is an offering and a religious fervor in honor for the patron saint of Cebu. All of these is for him, Señor Santo Niño.

Viva Pit Senyor!

One In A Million Pal

“A friend is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.”
Aristotle

Do you believe in this quote by Aristotle?

Why single soul dwelling in two bodies?

Maybe it is because, that every little thing you do, he/she understands it. You get along well with each other and just a small wink of your eye; he/she then identifies what you want to say to him/her. Have you experienced that?

I do.

For me a friend is…

I describe a friend as someone who is always there for you when you need help and always there to support your good intentions. Making friends to someone is not a difficult task at all. All you need to do is smile. By this gesture, the one you smiled at will respond to you in a smile also. You and your friend share a lot of things and likes common things.

A Friend is someone who:

• helps you in making good deeds is one,
• is always true to you and says the truth about certain things, is a good and true friend,
• will never encourage you to take prohibited,
• will not put you into trouble and not backbite you,
• always listens to your problems and stories without giving advices that are not good for you,
• is very hospitable and caring,
• gives you intermediate paper when you do not have one,
• lends you a stapler when you do not hold one,
• lends you a book and sometimes forget to get it from you,
• who scolds you if you make something awful and ugly,
• likes the clothes you wear and admire you for your awesome personality,
• will make you smile when you are sad,
• shares his or her umbrella to you during rainy days and on hot days,
• protects you from those bad boys on the streets
• accompanies you to everywhere you go,
• shares who is her/his crush and telling you not to reveal it,
• helps you in cleaning the classroom,
• asks you if you are okay, “are you feeling well?”, and all those stuffs,
• helps you in going to the clinic and will never leave you until you feel well,
• teach you things that you never know before,
• helps you in borrowing books from the other room,
• helps you in finding good and durable photo albums,
• helps you in looking for a cloth
• etc..

Every person that you see are all your friends. Your sisters, brothers, mother, father, grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins, neighbors, classmates, enemies, seatmates, teachers, the staffs in your school, the passengers inside the public utility vehicles and all the people and individuals that are surrounding you are all your friends. Jesus is a friend as well as the angels that are guarding you.

No matter what walk in life you are in, every person you meet in your way, are your friends. All you have to do is just smile at him or her and greet them every morning, evening, and everyday.

Like you, I gain a lot of friends along the way, let us not forget to cherish the old ones. I know that even your pet is your friend. Our friends deserve special place in our hearts and they also deserve a SMILE.

According to Cicero, “Friendship makes prosperity more brilliant, and lightens adversity by sharing and dividing it.”

They are a one in a million pal.

Wanna Know More...

A girl was born on 11 March at around 10:58 in the evening and the parents named that cute little baby girl, is I.

Actually, the name was based on the names of my mama and papa. My relatives call me Tats or Tating, and sometimes my elder sister calls me Lalyn, and as you notice, they dub me with names that are quite far from my real name but I get used to it. Born under the year of the horse and under the astrological sign Pisces, I like to sing, dance, read and sometimes I surf the internet and find out interesting facts about our world these days. I love to open my mail and email my uncles, aunties, and my mother, about the things that are important, and some just greetings. Opening websites like Friendster, Ringo and other amusing websites, are also keeping me busy. I love to watch foreign movies and a bit of local movies, (only those that will make me laugh). Watching animated movies as well is one of my past times when I do not have lots of homeworks and projects to be done. Maybe I get fond of it because I have many brothers and sisters, that is why I cannot avoid watching animated films but they amuse me anyways.

In going to sleep, I wanted to turn on the radio and tune it in either 96.3- W. Rock or 93.9- I FM. Why? Because during nighttime, they play good and soothing music and that kind of tunes makes me sleep. Even during the day, when I wake up in the morning, I always listen to the radio, I do not know why, but I like it.

In movies...

I really like the LOTR (Lord of the Rings) movie series and it makes me wander in middle earth. I like to own that book which is entitled, “the Hobbit” but it is very expensive. I like Batman and Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) in his movie, The Last Samurai. I really love the role that he played there. To admit it, though I am ashamed of it, but I really cried when I watched it in our Social Science class during my sophomore years. I cannot understand my feelings at that time because I could not stop the tears from flowing. Neverland is the place I want to live in because there, I will never grow old just like Peter Pan and Tinkerbelle. Then every person needs to grow.

I am a homebody. I love to stay in our house and stay inside. Wandering inside malls is not my type however, it is like a tantrum, sometimes I am like it but sometimes I do not. Inspirational quotes, I like to write them in a handy notebook and ponder about them. Sometimes I play the guitar and enjoy myself. I hate spiders; I think I am arachnid phobic. During our Christmas party, my Manito really gave me a spider stuffed toy. I am not that afraid of small spiders anymore but I really am fearsome on big ones.

I enjoy a lot about myself today but my adventure does not stop here, I have to continue searching on other things and discover the future that awaits me. There are things that might be added into this entry and things that maybe omitted as time goes on.

Thank you for your time in reading this entry and God speed.

Just Wanna Say Something

T’was just last week when I finally went back to school after an almost 1-month Christmas vacation. Again, time is time, and next week will be the third periodical examination. Can you imagine how fast time flows? I really have to make fast also of some projects so that I wont be beating deadlines. However, sometimes I break this rule.

After the examination week, there will be plenty of school activities to attend. When I think about them, I question myself if how will I be able to manage the time for this activity and that. Nevertheless, I think that I do not need to worry about that since it is a “first things first” policy anyways.

Last January 9, as my friends and I were at the photocopy store, I noticed men across the street working on those steel bars. I said to them that there they are again, putting those messages for the ASEAN delegates. But the day after which is the 10^th, as my sister and I was going to enter the school, that the sign that was placed yesterday was now standing and I was really amazed and astonished of what I saw, it was a sign or message but then for me it was quite negative. What was written there were the words, ASEAN Shame-it. I know that it is not a good sign and for me it was really a shame on the group who put it up. I mean that they should consider that they are putting the whole city in a big shame because of that matter. Well this is just my opinion and I do not want to say more about it. Let us just talk other matters.

It is the 11^th day of January and I enjoyed myself this day because I was able to do the things that I planned the night before. Just like removing the Christmas decorations, sweeping, and washing a little of my personal clothes. I was also able to go to Basilica del Santo Niño and attend mass because it was a Friday and the day for UP College to sponsor in the novena mass. I was also thankful because I do not have classes for that day since it was declared by the President as a holiday for the 12^th ASEAN Summit. I am happy because I will not be missing a lot in class because I do not have classes. In connection with that, I am happy because I will have time to read the novel “El Filibusterismo” written by our hero, Jose Rizal and I will have plenty of time to make notes and make assignments in preparation for the periodical exam.

What else will I be talking? As I am writing this blog entry, I am inspired because I was listening at an instrumental music, which is making my soul to be calm and happy. I cannot think of any other topic to be talked about.

I am almost an hour writing in this blog entry and I hope that it will enjoy your reading. Good day and God bless.

P.S. Please watch out for my next blog entry. Bye, bye.