bursting beer belly

Friday, August 28, 2009 The Tagbanua rhythms By Bryan Lazaro To ensure that their traditional songs, dances, and rituals will continue to live on in their children, the Cabigaan Tribal Council of Cabigaan, Aborlan, Palawan, spearheaded a School of Living Traditions (SLT) project in their village in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The Cabigaan SLT focused on the teaching of traditional Tagbanua musical instruments, songs and dances to the young children in the village through cultural masters Rosalinda Nangnang, Gloria Imag, and Dalupe Masudlot and Tribal Chieftain Virgilio Nangnang. Through the SLT, the students learned to play various traditional melodies like the sagayon, suriano, sarungkay (welcome music), taming, mangalay and tugatak (pagdidiwata) using their indigenous musical instruments: the gimbal (drum), babandil (small gongs), and agung (wide-rimmed gong). The students also learned dance rituals performed by a babaylan: tarek, a dance ritu...

Friday, August 14, 2009 ‘Pandan’ weaving among young Jama Mapuns By Bryan Lazaro The Jama Mapuns, one of the ethnolinguistic groups in Palawan, are known for their pandan mats. A tradition that can be traced back to Tawi-tawi, pandan weaving is among their most valued cultural heritage. In order to promote the tradition of pandan weaving, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has funded the creation of a school of living traditions (SLT) specifically on Jama Mapun mat weaving in Isumbo, Sofronio Española, Palawan. Fifteen female students, ages 9 to 22 years old, participated in the three-month training workshop conducted by cultural masters Janeth Hanapi and Tulsina Sabtal (59 years old). The students learned the different steps of pandan weaving, from preparation of leaves, to dying to creating designs and patterns. The students learned six basic designs: tupak sato (random/ordinary style), maligoy (miniature house design), katam (crab design), orang-orang (shrimp ...

Friday, July 31, 2009 Aeta songs and dances By Bryan Lazaro In 1991, Mount Pinatubo, an active volcano at the intersection of the provinces of Pampanga and Zambales, awakened. The world witnessed what geologists considered to be the second largest volcanic eruption in the modern world, next to that of Mount Novarupta in Alaska in 1912. In total, 364 communities and 2.1 million people were affected by the eruption, with livelihoods and houses severely destroyed and over 800 people killed. Among the hardest hit were the Aetas who lived near the volcano. Hundreds of Aeta people were killed; their once-fertile soil covered with layers of ash, and their houses destroyed by the ash storm. With no more homes to return to, the Aeta evacuees had no other option than to be resettled to an area provided by the government, relatively safe from future eruptions of Mount Pinatubo. Situated few kilometers away from Mount Pinatubo in the town of Botolan, Zambales, are Barangays Malomboy, Cabatuan an...

Am I missing a bigger picture of us?

Drained.

NBA All Star Weekend is fast approaching. It only means one thing. NBA has reached midseason. It's the time to acknowledge teams which showed class act performance and give lessons to the cellar-dwellers. TEAMS Record as of Jan. 25, 2009 Frontcourt Backcourt Defense Bench Coaching GWA Cleveland Cavaliers 34-8 A A A A A A Boston Celtics 37-9 A A A B A A Los Angeles Lakers 35-8 A A B+ B+ A A Orlando Magic 33-10 A B A C A A San Antonio Spurs 29-14 B B+ B- B A A Denver Nuggets 29-15 B B+ B B B+ A- Portland Trail Blazers 26-17 B B+ C+ A- A B+ Atlanta Hawks 26-17 B B+ B- C B+ B+ Miami Heat 23-19 B- A B C+ A- B Houston Rockets 28-17 B C B A B+ B New Orleans Hornets 26-14 B B+ B+ C+ B B Phoenix Suns 24-18 B+ B C B- B- B- Dallas Mavericks 25-19 B C B- B+ C B- Utah Jazz 25-20 B B- C- C B B- Detroit Pistons 24-19 B- C+ B- C+ B C+ Charlotte Bobcats 18-26 B- C+ B D B C+ Philadelphia 76ers 21-21 C B A C B C Milwaukee Bucks 22-25 C B- B C- B C Indiana Pacers 17-27 B+ C C- C B- C New Jersey Net...

*whistles*

A week after the inauguration, I find writing this entry somewhat irrelevant. Enough has been said and done. However, I choose to share my thoughts on Obama's reign to this day. For billions of people, President Barack Obama is seen as the savior from the current recession. Americans trust him with the responsibility of salvaging the global meltdown, alleviating discrimination based on social class, color, and sexual preference, and promoting democracy. He is believed to hold the key to change, facilitating ideas that there is hope for peace, progress, and equality. From an etic perspective, however, I fear that disappointment may arise. So much hope has been spread that even a slight deviation from what was promised might lead to disbelief and disgust. All I’m saying is that I hope President Obama is not giving false hopes and that, with the support of his constituents, he can address the challenges facing his country and the world.

This is interesting... got this from PerthNow. >>> Look at the dancer... Observe whether you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise. According to experts, if clockwise, it means you have a dominant right side of the brain and vice versa. "Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction, see if you can do it." LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS uses logic detail oriented facts rule words and language present and past math and science can comprehend knowing acknowledges order/pattern perception knows object name reality based forms strategies practical safe RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS uses feeling "big picture" oriented imagination rules symbols and images present and future philosophy & religion can "get it" (i.e. meaning) believes appreciates spatial perception knows object function fantasy based presents possibilities impetuous risk taking

Happy New Year to all! I celebrated the arrival of 2009 in as simple a way as this greeting.