........................JOURNEY WITH MY HEART.........................
............................THESIS WRITING IS A CHALLENGE............................
.................................REMEMBER ME IN YOUR PRAYERS...........................
John Erwin Prado Pedroso
Candidate, M.Ed. Administration and Supervision
College of Education, Graduate School
West Visayas State University
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Welcome to Cambodia!
Bayon Temple and the famous face of Jayavarman IV
Tah Prohm Temple
Angkor Wat
...when history comes to life.........
Siem Reap, Cambodia
December 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
“May Tatlong Bahaghari”
Di kapani-paniwala ang pagkakaroon ng tatlong bahaghari sa isang araw. Napakamatalinghaga.ngunit, makatotohanan para sa taong may kakayahang gumamit ng kanyang pananampalataya upang diktahan ang makulay na bahag-hari na siya ay gabayan .Ang linya ng kantang,..”Sundan ang bahaghari sa kanyang hangganan, Baka doo’y sakali luha mo’y magpaalam”. ay naging makatotohanan sa aking naging mga karanasan.
‘Gaya niyo, ako rin ay nangangangarap ng gising. Sana ako ay maging “Swan”, “Kandila” at “Kabiyak ni Yilmaz”.ngunit, ang makapunta ng Europa ay di-kabilang sa aking mga “Pangarap” .dahil ito ay isang “PANAGINIP”na kung ipagpapatuloy ko, maari pa itong maging “BANGUNGOT”. Samakatuwid, sinamantala ko ang pagkakataon na “Sundan ang bahag-hari sa kanyang hangganan” kaya’t ang dating “PANAGINIP” ay naging “TOTOONG KUWENTO NG AKING PAGKATAO”.
Ang Europa na dating isang anino ay nagmistulang naging buhay na tao. Mawala man ang aking paningin at pandinig, Siya ay patuloy kong titingnan at pakikinggan gamit ang aking puso at kaluluwa.
Mahiwaga ang Europa. Ako ay naging “buo” dahil sa dulot nitong “tatlong bahaghari”.Tatlong makukulay na aral: (1) “There’s no place like Rome, There’s no place like Home; (2)” I am proud being a Filipino “ at (3) “I am a Believer, Thy will be done”, na aking natagpuan sa Europa at patuloy na pumapawi sa aking mga luha.
There’s no place like Rome, There’s no place like Home. Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, Pantheon, Fountain of Trevi at Colosseum na dati ay aking nabasa lamang.pero ngayon,mas matapang ko nang maituturo dahil ang mga ito ay nakita ko na!-Talagang “There’s no Place like Rome”!. Habang ang aking mga mata ay napupuno,kabaliktaran naman ang nangyayari sa aking puso. Ang apoy ng pagkalinga ng mga magulang sa kanilang nag-iisang anak ay unti-unting lumalamlam. Sa unang pagkakataon,gusto kong isigaw sa mundo: “Miss ko si Mama at Papa ko!-There’s no place like home!”.
I am proud being a Filipino. Di-mahulugan ng karayom ang Vatican. Lalung-lalo na ang pasiklaban sa Youth Night ng Canonization ni St. Marie Eugenie. Malikhaing mga Pilipino ang nanguna sa pagtatanghal ng kanilang Dance-drama. Hindi na kailangang ikumpara pa sa mga itinanghal ng mga taga-ibang bansa. Talagang World-class performers ang mga mga kababayan natin. Kaya’t bago pa matapos ang kanilang pagtatanghal, Ako ang pinaka-unang tumayo habang pumapalakpak. Ipinahihiwatig ko sa buong mundo: “I am proud being a Filipino!”.
Gusto ko mang magpaka-Europeo sa pagngatngat ng “Olives, Croissant, White Cheese, at Sandwich”. Ang aking panlasa ay di-talaga kayang “magbalat-kayo”. Kaya’t dinayo namin ang pagkalayu-layong Asian market sa Rome para bumili ng hipon at munggo! “Kahit sa ulam, I am proud being a Filipino”.
I am a Believer., Thy will be done. Nakaya ko ang na unos na dumating kagaya ng “Personal Appearance sa Schengen Embassy”,”magpabakuna ng Anti-Flu”,”mapurga ng sangkatutak na Sandwiches at Sausages”, “maligaw sa mga eskinita ng Paris, Lourdes, Barcelona, Nice, Venice at Rome”, at “ maglaba ng sariling damit”.-I am a believer, Thy will be done!.
Ang tatlong mga bahag-haring ito ay hinamon pa ng canonization na inulan ng husto. Hindi ko maitatago ang pangangatog ng aking tuhod dahil sa lamig. Hindi sapat ang aking payong para ako ay di-mabasa, Ngunit, sapat naman ang aking pasensya sa paghihintay para ang damit ko ay matuyo.hanggang matapos ang seremonya.
Hindi ko mababalewala ang pagkalam ng aking sikmura dahil sa di-pag-almusal, Hindi sapat ang 3 pirasong kendi upang punan ang tiyan, Ngunit, sapat ang aking atensyon sa pakikinig sa Santo Papa na bumusog sa aking ispiritu kahit di ko maintindihan ang German, French at Italiano.
Hindi ko maikakaila ang aking pagka-inggit sa inyo na nanood lamang sa TV at naka-upo ng napakarangya sa MDFT at balita ko ay may libreng hapunan pa. Ngunit, sapat naman ang aking karanasan na makapaligo ng HOLY WATER ng HOLY RAIN sa HOLY CITY ng VATICAN.
Ang pakikilahok ko sa pagbagtas ng naging buhay ni St.Marie Eugenie ay napakalaking hiwaga. Ang bawat hakbang ko ay nagmistulang mga pahina ng aking “Aklat ng buhay” na dati kong sinulatan ng mga mahahalagang kahulugan. Natanto kong may iba ng mga pahina na natupi,nagusot at napunit. Napaksuwerte ko dahil sa araw ng kanyang canonization, iniabot niya ang kanyang kamay upang ako’y hawakan at hinayaan niya akong bumulong sa kanya ng aking mga “ninanais”. Isang ngiti lamang ang kanyang naging tugon…..Ngunit, May anino ng tatlong bahaghari.
Monday, May 18, 2009
For Dance, I will never say “I have done enough!”.
It was May 21, 2007 in Paris, France when I remembered “crossing the Rubicon” - an idiomatic expression which means “making a big decision”. It became more meaningful when I pondered on the life of Napoleon Bonaparte while I was eating baguette in the gardens of Les Invalides where he was buried. I asked myself a very basic question: “What important decision did Napoleon make which guaranteed him a place in history?” I thought that would be the last time that idiomatic expression would challenge me, until I received an invitation to the Dance Xchange: The 1st International Dance Workshop and Festival. Once more, I was asked to cross the Rubicon: whether to stay in Iloilo and finish my Thesis for Graduate School or go to Dumaguete City and attend the workshop. I was so happy when I determinedly finished my concept paper before I left for Dumaguete City.
It was indeed efficient to travel light. My colleagues were so surprised to see me with my small backpack filled with folded t-shirts and short–shorts. The backpack grew big and heavy upon my return to Iloilo though. It was filled with beautiful memories and new ideas to share with my community. After 6 hours on sea and then on land, I was so surprised upon entering the Dumaguete City Convention Center. I saw different groups of people coming from all over the Philippines and abroad. The participants were a colorful kaleidoscope of ages, gender and races. The mood inside the convention center was so festive as it was punctuated with the flashes of so many cameras capturing not only the costumes of different local and international performing groups, their handsome and beautiful crushes, and the great minds behind the celebration but to capture the memories that will continue to warm our heart when we open our photo albums during our private and silent moments. We, the participants, were lucky because we are the pioneers in this kind of international dance exchange. We made history! There was a lot of cultural borrowing going on as there was a free sharing of culture - whether European or Asian - through the unifying thread of Dance.
The Gala night where different countries and local performing groups showcased their dances was like a celebration of life. The woes of the financial crisis were seemingly forgotten as the dances highlighted hope, solidarity and most of all, love. I felt like a playful grade-schooler during the dance workshop. I was also stunned by the dances taught to us by the teachers and got even more excited to experiment on my own. I did the stretching exercises which I don’t usually do – but which ironically, I push my students to do before the rehearsals. Every moment during the dance workshop was fun. Everyone was very attentive and very eager to learn dances of different countries taught by the native-dancers and teachers. I thought I knew everything already but was amazed at myself when I learned the Masking Dance of Sri Lanka. I realized that no matter how economically poor Sri Lanka is, they take steps to preserve their identity through dance.Participating in the workshops allowed me to touch nature and life. The dance from Sarawak, which was about hunting the hornbill revealed to me how dance can bring the message of nature conservation and preservation, especially of endangered species. How I wish that we could do the same thing for our precious plants and animals in the Philippines, too. Being in this workshop made me see what the term “shattering boundaries” is all about. One should never fear sharing one’s culture, especially through dance. Though one day we may be gone from this world, we rest assured that the future generations will know about us because we have touched others with this exchange. Another dimension to this boundary shattering was the glorious and harmonious mix of tongues, races and nations. We understood each other, no matter the broken English nor the colors of our skin. We communicated on a level – dance. It also taught me “inclusion”, everybody is welcome to express oneself, nobody is looked down upon. Dance, dance, dance!
Of all the people I met in the workshop, I give my salute to Mr. Joseph Gonzales of Malaysia. He is truly a “Dance Icon”. His achievements in dance (and degree in Mathematics!) amazed me so much. I thought, “Dance is for everybody because it knows no color, gender and status in life”. He is living testimony of a person who dreamt big and achieved a lot for dance. People think that those who have the right to dance can only be P.E. majors, but Sir Joseph showed everyone that even Math majors can make it in dance.
Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen said that the “essence of a woman is to show what loving , sharing and caring are all about.” This is exemplified in the person behind the Dance Xchange, Madam Shirley Halili-Cruz, a woman whose unwavering passion for dance is immeasurable. Her leadership exemplifies the act of loving, sharing and caring for dance. She may have a busy schedule but she nevertheless takes time to help others achieve their dreams in dance. I am sure many also feel grateful like me, because they were able to have experiences like this dance workshop organized with love and care by the one and only Madame Shirley. It has been just two years that we sat together on the Board of Judges for the Dinagyang, but I can tell she has the passion and the true heart for dance.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to the following: Miss Beck Lu ( Dance Mode Studio, Hong Kong)- I appreciate her for talking to me in Mandarin which allowed me to practice my “Chinese-tongue”, Mr. Senju Boyudan (Senju Dance Company, Japan)- for making me further appreciate the simplicity of oriental dances, Miss January Chan ( The Dance Academy Kuching, Malaysia)- who kept us motivated and focused and not to forget her little gifts which made everyone attentive, Professor Dr. Mohd Anis Md.Nor ( President, World Dance Alliance- Asia Pacific)- his lecture made me realize the value of culture-preservation and field research, Dr. Larry Gabao-my personal idol whose lectures continue to challenge my intellect and whose creativity is beyond compare, Mr. Franco Velas who reminds me of what friendship beyond time and space is, Dr. Pepito Mosquito who was very consistent in facilitating the needs of the participants. And to the participants, NCCA Committee Members and to other performing groups, it was indeed a wonderful experience to be with you all.
Dance serves as a fabric of lives embellished with our traditions and more importantly, our identity as a nation. The threads that make up this fabric are our songs and dances. This rich yet delicate fabric, we shall protect and preserve for us and for our children’s children lest we end up naked and stripped of our identity as Filipinos. For Dance, I will never say “I have done enough!”.
It was indeed efficient to travel light. My colleagues were so surprised to see me with my small backpack filled with folded t-shirts and short–shorts. The backpack grew big and heavy upon my return to Iloilo though. It was filled with beautiful memories and new ideas to share with my community. After 6 hours on sea and then on land, I was so surprised upon entering the Dumaguete City Convention Center. I saw different groups of people coming from all over the Philippines and abroad. The participants were a colorful kaleidoscope of ages, gender and races. The mood inside the convention center was so festive as it was punctuated with the flashes of so many cameras capturing not only the costumes of different local and international performing groups, their handsome and beautiful crushes, and the great minds behind the celebration but to capture the memories that will continue to warm our heart when we open our photo albums during our private and silent moments. We, the participants, were lucky because we are the pioneers in this kind of international dance exchange. We made history! There was a lot of cultural borrowing going on as there was a free sharing of culture - whether European or Asian - through the unifying thread of Dance.
The Gala night where different countries and local performing groups showcased their dances was like a celebration of life. The woes of the financial crisis were seemingly forgotten as the dances highlighted hope, solidarity and most of all, love. I felt like a playful grade-schooler during the dance workshop. I was also stunned by the dances taught to us by the teachers and got even more excited to experiment on my own. I did the stretching exercises which I don’t usually do – but which ironically, I push my students to do before the rehearsals. Every moment during the dance workshop was fun. Everyone was very attentive and very eager to learn dances of different countries taught by the native-dancers and teachers. I thought I knew everything already but was amazed at myself when I learned the Masking Dance of Sri Lanka. I realized that no matter how economically poor Sri Lanka is, they take steps to preserve their identity through dance.Participating in the workshops allowed me to touch nature and life. The dance from Sarawak, which was about hunting the hornbill revealed to me how dance can bring the message of nature conservation and preservation, especially of endangered species. How I wish that we could do the same thing for our precious plants and animals in the Philippines, too. Being in this workshop made me see what the term “shattering boundaries” is all about. One should never fear sharing one’s culture, especially through dance. Though one day we may be gone from this world, we rest assured that the future generations will know about us because we have touched others with this exchange. Another dimension to this boundary shattering was the glorious and harmonious mix of tongues, races and nations. We understood each other, no matter the broken English nor the colors of our skin. We communicated on a level – dance. It also taught me “inclusion”, everybody is welcome to express oneself, nobody is looked down upon. Dance, dance, dance!
Of all the people I met in the workshop, I give my salute to Mr. Joseph Gonzales of Malaysia. He is truly a “Dance Icon”. His achievements in dance (and degree in Mathematics!) amazed me so much. I thought, “Dance is for everybody because it knows no color, gender and status in life”. He is living testimony of a person who dreamt big and achieved a lot for dance. People think that those who have the right to dance can only be P.E. majors, but Sir Joseph showed everyone that even Math majors can make it in dance.
Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen said that the “essence of a woman is to show what loving , sharing and caring are all about.” This is exemplified in the person behind the Dance Xchange, Madam Shirley Halili-Cruz, a woman whose unwavering passion for dance is immeasurable. Her leadership exemplifies the act of loving, sharing and caring for dance. She may have a busy schedule but she nevertheless takes time to help others achieve their dreams in dance. I am sure many also feel grateful like me, because they were able to have experiences like this dance workshop organized with love and care by the one and only Madame Shirley. It has been just two years that we sat together on the Board of Judges for the Dinagyang, but I can tell she has the passion and the true heart for dance.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to the following: Miss Beck Lu ( Dance Mode Studio, Hong Kong)- I appreciate her for talking to me in Mandarin which allowed me to practice my “Chinese-tongue”, Mr. Senju Boyudan (Senju Dance Company, Japan)- for making me further appreciate the simplicity of oriental dances, Miss January Chan ( The Dance Academy Kuching, Malaysia)- who kept us motivated and focused and not to forget her little gifts which made everyone attentive, Professor Dr. Mohd Anis Md.Nor ( President, World Dance Alliance- Asia Pacific)- his lecture made me realize the value of culture-preservation and field research, Dr. Larry Gabao-my personal idol whose lectures continue to challenge my intellect and whose creativity is beyond compare, Mr. Franco Velas who reminds me of what friendship beyond time and space is, Dr. Pepito Mosquito who was very consistent in facilitating the needs of the participants. And to the participants, NCCA Committee Members and to other performing groups, it was indeed a wonderful experience to be with you all.
Dance serves as a fabric of lives embellished with our traditions and more importantly, our identity as a nation. The threads that make up this fabric are our songs and dances. This rich yet delicate fabric, we shall protect and preserve for us and for our children’s children lest we end up naked and stripped of our identity as Filipinos. For Dance, I will never say “I have done enough!”.
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