An Hour Stay in East Nanjing Road, Shanghai, China

East Nanjing Road or Nanjing Dong Lu (Chinese) is usually teeming, especially during afternoons, evenings and even weekends. I’ve been in this road before with my friends. The unusual thing about this time was I am not feeling good as I had a headache and was irritated since I’d been waiting almost an hour for Joel to arrive. To forget my bad mood, I roamed around to explore the shops, malls, restaurants and cafés on the street.

Haaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy…This Street is one of the hot spots where locals and visitors are attracted to it.The road was traffic-free and kept everyone entertained because there was a little train-like coming and going with visitors on board. Well, while walking, I did forget my headache because the place was so nice. After one hour, Joel arrived. What more can I say? Hahahaha I am so happy because he’s friend Kuya Leo is a skilled photographer, he is a Master at capturing true raw beauty and beyond that a master of lighting. The portraits even with a difficult lighting situaton were brilliant not only in the light but in the shadows as well. His ability to relax you in a pose was incredible because I know how difficult you are to relax. All in all a work of art and specially the one with just hint of light--absolutely shining…

Well, I love taking pictures though I’ve never been professionally photographed and most especially I love posing like a model... Hahahaha…

More About Me

Righteous to a fault,

Only immaturity remains her other fault,

Voted Queen for her physical beauty she is

Even more beautiful in her heart and soul;

Looks is what most see but her greatest beauty is her heart and soul,

Your eyes see purity rare in this world and your heart feels an even rarer kindness,

Noting all that she is, there is not a soul on this earth that can resist loving her!

More about me at iloho.com

My Speech as Guest Speaker

"EDUCATION -- Changing Lives" or "Edukasyon ang Solusyon"

Feeling of greatness and dignity reign in my heart for you have chosen me as your guest speaker of today’s significant occasion, the Commencement Exercises of School Year 2009-2010.

Before I go further with my speech, may I first congratulate the graduates for today marks the attainment of your dreams. Today is a proof that you have surmounted the challenges of elementary education. You are victors at this moment because you have attained your victory. You have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary for you in stepping the next ladder of learning.

Secondly, I want to congratulate you parents for you are now harvesting the fruit of your sacrifices. You have done a big part in molding these children from their birth until this very moment. You are the forerunners in the education of your children, molding their behavior and characters, abilities and knowledge.

The next persons whom I would like to congratulate are of course the teachers. You have successfully done great responsibilities in bringing these children to what they are now. Your undying love, guidance and commitment to teach these children have made great changes in their lives. We can say that they are now better persons because of you.

The theme for today’s commencement exercises, “Education: Changing Lives or Edukasyon ang Solusyon” has the principle that gives hope in us in struggling the numerous obstacles in our life. Education could change our lives into its best.

I would like to ask you the question my dear graduates, “Binago ba ng Edukasyon ang Buhay niyo?” Your answers would be undeniable YES. Once you were just young children, who knew little but as you have entered elementary you are now changed intellectually. There was a time that you can neither read nor write, but as you proceed onward on your studies, you have learned a lot. You have gained knowledge skills and talents which you can use as you go forward on your study. You are now intelligent and talented individuals brought by education. You now possessed values, virtues and winning attitudes which make you consider as a good citizen of our community and be considered today as a great pride of our dear alma mater.

Indeed, Education changes our lives. Many persons came from poor family became successful in life because of Education. Ako at marami pang nagsipagtuloy ng kanilang pag-aaral look their chances to alter their lives by studying hard and making their best. I can say that we became progressive and successful because of Education. Take for instance your teachers. My dear graduates look at your teachers. Once they were just like you but because of embracing Education they are now one of the noblest of all people, having the ability to impart you knowledge and enhance your skills and talents. Truly, Education is a big help in attaining goals in life.

Sa kahirapan na nararanasan natin ngayon, malaking tulong ang edukasyon. Mga minamahal naming mag-aaral na magsisipagtapos ngayon, ito ang ang inyong pag-asa upang sa susunod na panahon hindi na tayo makakaranas pa ng kahirapan. Dahil sa karunungan at abilidad na hatid ng Edukasyon kayo ay magkakaroon ng mabuting kinabukasan. Always remember that Education is dignity, your assurance to have a progressive life. This is your investment to achieve prosperity.

On the other hand, my dear graduates, you should not forget that today is not merely an end yet a beginning. As you end up your elementary education, you have been proved with knowledge and wisdom; however it doesn’t end up with that. More changes towards the betterment of your lives are offered by it. If you will continue striving, more knowledge and skills will be acquired by you. Marami pang pagbabago ang darating sa buhay ninyo kung inyong ipagpapatuloy ang pagpupursigi sa pag-aaral. Ngayon ang umpisa ng mas marami pang pagbabago sa buhay ninyo. Kaya nga’t marapat lamang na huwag kayong tumigil sa pagtanggap ng karunungan dahil maraming kaginhawaan at mabuting dulot nito sainyo. After a couple of months, you’ll be entering the secondary education. During these times you will be acquiring more wisdom and you will also encounter new challenges that is why you should make it well. This will be your preparation to your tertiary education.

To last, as Education changes lives, grab this opportunity; take Education with all your heart, mind and spirit.

To the Graduates, again I say congratulations and mabuhay!!!

**Special thanks to those who helped and inspired me; to Lola Fely who encourged me so much to be the guest speaker, to my friend Emz and my parents who helped and gave me inspiration, also many thanks to the faculty and staff of South Central Elementary School for giving me the oppurtunity to be their guest speaker. Thank you so much...

Shanghai you are Cherished!

Great Shanghai gave me a lot of things to cherish....this poem is counted as one:
And a lot more on my iloho profile

The Shanghai moon splashes down through the trees, dripping from every branch. Each leaf embossed with silvered gold; dense branches stretching out like greedy children, the leaves are hands, groping for the precious metallic light.

The silent sidewalk beneath appears covered with new fallen snow. But, the hoary frost is only light. The night, though generally crisp, is warmed by sultry breezes lifted by the gentle laughter of the nearby sea.

Her black onyx eyes sparkle; partly reaction to the dark, emerald embers of her burning soul. Her eyes lie, seeming distant, insincere, unembracing. The man takes no notice her acute observations of his every move.

Her eyes appear aloof, yet her mind dances like a little girl - in and out of a circle of ideas. She watches, calculates, weighing each word and action, she looks around his shoulder, to stare intensely into his eyes, to find what is really there, only for a split second, lets he notice! She analyzes every phrase upon the scales of her mind, placing each concept into a vault, to be handled later in the silence of the cold night, with doors shut, when she is alone. There, in solitude she will replay the words and watch him perform again on the stage of her memory.

She raises a question, throws it to him, he never knows it is bait, to please the audience that she will later become. But you see, she must! If only to satisfy unanswered questions!

Oh, she is not a deceiver, no! More like a spider, weaving her web with the very fibers of her soul. No deception at all, it is just her way. You see, in her past she was lied to; now her soul pocked with scars of betrayal, a stab and a knife wound that runs deeply into her conscious mind. She had given her heart and was used, beaten and mocked, like an unwanted stepchild. Now, retreating to her chamber, she watches from a distance where she is safe.

From behind the stonewall that surrounds her heart, she peers. Come with me, I will show you the inner sanctuary where she dwells. You see, she is such a lady, even a princess... but, alas! She does not believe! She is so afraid that she really is that unwanted stepchild. Come, let me show you who she is...

Oh, she warns me with her eyes, a painful flash of silence! Black fire slices through the night towards me! How dare I invade her silent safety! Stay back! Oh, she cannot fool me, she is an angel that has fallen to the snow, and has simply forgotten who she is.

He calls to her, with a voice so strong and sincere. But there she is in the shadows of her mind, afraid to answer him. He keeps on calling, but she pretends there is only silence in the weight of the night.

Sad, pity the forgotten beauty of this lovely child! Weep with me at the agony of the stepchild who is really an angel... Sigh...
--CW

Promise Man

She came to the man with many promises. Each promise more fantastical than the one before it. They were promises that most mortals cannot make but he sounded so confident when he made them that they almost sounded so real and they were so appealing that she wanted to believe them as much as he seemed to believe it himself.

He promised wondrous things that no man promised and that no man can guarantee. He did not just promise them, he guaranteed them. How can a man promise you that you will fall madly in love with him? How can he promise that you will know more of yourself in a few months than you knew about yourself in your entire life up that that point? How could he promise that your experience as a woman would be superior to most others when he did not even know if he would have you for sure? How in God’s earth could have promise something even harder than love—contentment? All of these impossible promises sounded so amazing yet so appealed to her. She did not believe one of them but wanted very badly to believe. She knew somehow he looked into her very soul and knew what promises to make. Was he an angel or a demon? How could he know the exact words that would make her want to trust him so completely that she would spend her own money and travel thousands of miles to be with him even though she had only met him for 30 brief minutes many months ago and he was already in love at the time with another. Sure she knew how happy the other was but she could not believe he could do the same for her. She very much wanted all he offered but was doubtful he could deliver such huge promises. Still they called to her and so she went to him.

The first night he took her breath away with three kisses to the inside of her wrists; and she trusted him, the second night he took her body with but with a single kiss that cascaded into more and more and more and to this day takes her completely and makes her do anything he desires. The third night she had promised herself to him and all the promises became one by one real as he took her body, heart, and spirit and gave her the illusive contentment that she always needed in her life.

She would be his for the rest of his life and each day that passed she found more about herself than the previous day and each day her love and contentment grew and it never seemed to end. He was incredibly happy and his happiness fed her heart and she gave him all she had to give, even when he demanded extremely difficult things of her. She gave and the more difficult his requests were the more she grew in ability and contentment. His promises were her life now, and he was the key to those promises and so he was part of her life. She was happy to be his so completely and when she reflected on how terribly unlike it was that he could keep his promises to her she smiled because in front of her, sleeping next to her, holding hands with her as they walked, kissing her as much as she desired was her promise man!