The Philippine archipelago is a country in South East Asia. It consists of 7,100 Islands with a population of 84,525,639 (as of 2002). There are three major islands in the country; The Luzon, Visaya and Mindanao. These three are the mojor islands for trade & commerce and industry.
The Philippines has two seasons; the dry also known as the sunny season and the wet also called as the rainy season. The dry season is from September to May and the wet or rainy season is from June to September. The hottest month is May and the cooler months are December and January.
The Philippine dishes are a mixture of Malay, Spanish and Chinese cooking. The taste varies from sweet to salty; spicy to plain. The National food is called Lechon. This is a grilled, skewered whole pig with a liver sauce of sweet, sour and spicy flavor.
The Philippines has a Republican type of Government. It is headed by the President and the Vice-President who are directly elected by the people of the Philippines with a term that runs for a period of six years.
There are over a hundred languages or dialects spoken all over the country. The two official languages are Filipino and English.
Three languages are used for counting the numbers; the Filipino, English and Spanish. We tell the time using the English or Spanish only. Since, we have no Filipino or tagalog version for telling time we have adopted the Spanish way as the Filipino way of telling time.
We count by using the Filipino or English.
We use the Filipino, English and Spanish in telling prices. The Spanish is commonly used for telling prices in the local markets and kiosks.
90% of Pilipinos are Christians, 80% of which are Roman Catholics. Philippines account for 60% of Asia's Christians. Muslims, the followers of Islam, account for 5 to 15% of the country's population. Other religious groups are Buddhism and Hinduism.
The Education System was introduced to us by the Americans.
From the early 19th century until before 1946 classes were taught in English. And it was only in 1974 that a bilingual Tagalog-English system was applied.
The colonial language Spanish was a part of the college curriculum until the 1980's. At present, Spanish is still being offered by some schools as an elective course of study.
Our transportation system is by land, air and water.
Cars, vans and public vehicles such as bus, taxi and rail transit, are used as a means of transporting people or goods from one place to another by land. We also have;
Jeepneys. These are the local public transportation which can also be used for long journeys.
Kalesa. This is a horse drawn carriage. This is still being used in China town and the rural areas.
Tricycles and Pedicabs. These are bicycles and motorbikes with a sidecar which are usually used for short journeys.
For water transportation, we have ships and ferryboats. The ship transport people and goods from one major island to another. And the ferryboats sail within smaller islands. And by air we have airplanes and helicopters...
Written by:-lynne-
Hundred Islands, Pangasinan, Philippines.
February 4, 2009 at 3:00PM
Instinctively, we do! This is so to protect ourselves and the people around us. Developing the system of knowing the right person to trust is learned gradually. Diversed steps are done and could be done in many different ways.
One good way that I know, is to observe the person by how they treat other people. Not sure though if this is effective but this works for me. But, still one has to be careful though because our own personal assessment could be wrong but eventually we will know.
Could you please share with me your opinion on this matter.
-Lynne-
You were alone and quiet.
No one noticed you, nor recognized you.
You asked, no one answered.
You talked but, no one listened.
My face concealed the sadness in my heart.
In my heart, I kept my true feeling.
The tears I hide behind the smiles.
Is my true feeling that struggles to survive.
My whispers were shouts that resonated with clear meaning.
But, was ignored while you rejoiced.
That day came when I knocked on each one's door but, had only seen much pain and rejection.
The day came... that day came.
The day you saw me was the day I said goodbye!
by: -Lynne-
*****
Keys to a Happy Journey.
Travel lightly. You are not travelling for people to see you!
Travel slowly.
Travel expectantly. Every place is like a surprise package.
Travel hopefully.
Travel humbly. Respect traditions and way of life.
Travel courteously.
Travel gratefully.
Travel with an open mind.
Travel with curiosity.
Travel with imagination.
Travel fearlessly.
Travel relaxed.
Travel patiently. It takes time to understand others.
Travel with the spirit of a world citizen. You'll discover that people are basically much the same the world around. Be an ambassador of goodwill to all people.
by: Wilfred Peterson.
*****
Dear friends,
We are all travellers in this life's journey.
Enjoy your life.
-Lynne-
The words in bold letters are the names given to identify a particular group of person/people, things, and places.
A person who eats too much -- a glutton
A person who looks after our eyes -- an optician
A person who flies an airplane -- a pilot
A person who steers a steamer -- a captain
A person who sells clothes -- a clothier
A man who writes a poem - a poet
A man who write books -- an author
A person who steers a steamer -- a captain
A person who operates sick people -- a surgeon
A person who cures sick people -- a doctor
A person trained to care for the sick -- a nurse
A person who collects postage stamps -- a philatelist
A person who looks after the sheep -- a shepherd
A woman whose husband is dead -- widow
A man whose wife is dead -- a widower
A person who sells flowers -- florist
A person who curves pictures on stones or other metals -- a sculptor
A person who travels about selling goods -- hawker
A person who makes a speech -- an orator
A person who looks after our teeth -- a dentist
A person who performs magic -- a magician
A person who draws pictures -- an artist
A person who plays a musical instrument -- a musician
People gathered to see a match -- spectators
People gathered to see a fight/an accident -- crowd
A person who seeks to promote the welfare of others -- philanthropist
A place where birds are kept -- aviary
A place where wines and spirits are made - a brewery
A place where airplanes are kept -- a hangar
A place where airplanes land and take off -- an airport
A place where grain is stored -- a granary
A place where bees are kept -- an apiary
A place where crude oil are refined -- a refinery
A place where currency, notes and coins are manufactured -- mint
A place where milk is sold -- a dairy
A place where parentless children stay or are kept -- an orphanage
An instrument to measure atmospheric pressure -- barometer
An instrument to measure temperature -- thermometer
An instrument that makes distant objects seem nearer -- a binocular
An instrument which is used to see the distant objects -- telescope
An instrument which is used to see very small objects -- microscope
An instrument which allows people from far apart to talk to each other -- telephone
A vessel for holding flowers -- a vase
Things brought from other countries -- imported
Things sent to other countries -- exported
knive, forks, spoons -- cutlery
cups, saucers, plates, bowls -- crockery
chair, table, bed, cupboard -- furniture
milk, tea, coffee -- drinks/beverage
uncle, aunt, brother, sister -- relatives
hens, ducks, chicken, geese -- poultry
sheep, goats, cows -- cattle
paper, notebook, pens, pencils -- stationery
cars, lorries, taxis, buses -- vehicles
beef, mutton, port, veal -- meat
oil, coal, gas, wood -- fuel
rifles, spears, swords, machete -- weapons
carrots, potatoes, cabbage, peas -- vegetables
meat of a pig -- pork
meat of a cow -- beef
meat of a calf -- veal
meat of a sheep -- mutton
meat of a dear -- venison
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Prepared by: lynne for MyEC
First appeared: March 26, 2009 (9:00 a.m.)
Creative activities such as; painting, music, literature and dance are needed for a person's development. They also help us to release our minds from the pressures created by the demanding world. Art plays a significant role in the lives of the Filipinos. The pursuit of enjoying our lives despite hardship is considered leisure activity. It's been misconstrued as superficial. And because of this our character is misinterpreted as more likely living for the moment. But the truth is we must fully understand that we are not in control of our lives. And must learn how to accept our destiny gracefully.
The Philippine traditional dance started by imitating the skipping of birds through the rice fields or trees. The national folk dance, Tinikling, known as the bird dance, is traditionally represented by a a boy and a girl hopping between bamboo poles. And one variant of Tinikling, known as the Singkil, is danced in a manner, characterized by a Muslim princess and her lady-in-waiting, skipping in and out of four poles which are knocked together at an increasing speed. Another famous dance, interpreted as the hunting dance, is called the Tag-agam and the interpretative dance of victory is known as the Balambang. In the southern part of the Philippines a famous dance called Pangalay is a representation of a courtship dance.
Later, as an effect of social involvement, new ideas in this branch of the art have came from China, Indonesia, Spain and America, yet retaining its original sophistication.
Philippine Traditional Dance: Parangal
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Written, designed and arranged by: lynne
This poem is meaningful to me. I first saw this at the bookstore long time ago... (during my high school days) I had spent some spleepless nights pondering about this poem, but because of some reasons, I couldn't get a copy of it. Though, I was able to give it as a gift to a dear friend, I couldn't have a copy for myself. Then after some years, when it was completely out of my mind, the poem came to me again. This time, it's mine for I received it as a birthday gift from a friend. From there and then, I remembered those days when I longed so much to have a copy but couldn't have one...
When the going gets rough and I am feeling down, I always meditate on this poem. In times of distress, I hold on to this poem and read it without fail until the time my problems leave me. And, bear in my heart and my mind that, "The Lord is carrying me."
I am ever so grateful to the author of this poem. This poem became a constant source of my life's inspiration.
To the author of this poem, please accept my sincerest gratitude.
-lynne-
