At 7400 feet

At 7400 feet
Originally uploaded by Ding's Inkblots

It was my second time to pass through the Halsema Highway in Benguet where we can find the highest point of the Philippine Highway System.

The first one was 16 years ago, when Halsema Highway was still a dirt and rocky road and only the marker and cogon grass were visible in the area. I had no camera with me then that is why I promised myself that I should have a picture when I have the chance to travel through Halsema Highway again.

Now, there is a view deck, which is at the left of the photo, and a few stores left and right.

Sad to say, I liked it better then when the place was more rustic and reaching the point would seem a conquest for every Fillipino traveller. The road then was really bad. Nonethless, progress has taken its steps in this part of the Philippines and is a breeze passing through it. Although development has a drawback. See what have they done to the great view with the sari-sari stores and souvenir shops along the road.

With me were Joyce and Sharon from the Peace and Equity Foundation (Joyce and Sharon) and Vince from the Advocates for Philippine Fair Trade, Inc.

After two hours we were in Mt. Data to attend the launch of the First National Weaving Congress.

(Photo courtesy of Vince's camera because I was running out of batteries then.)

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I see a lurking devil!

"Tell me what you see in this figure," I once asked when I administred this projective technique test to one of my subjects when I was in college. Yes, we call our participants, subjects, in Experimental Psychology and Psychological testing [and we feel like we are the "Royalty". Smile!].

After the test, I had to put some meanings to what he said, by tagging his responses with some codes that have corresponding meanings. If they see a furry animal, "fur" corresponds to a "tag" and a meaning. If my memory serves me right, a "fur" is either a fear or an affection, depending on the nature of the response--it has something to do with relationships. It is either you have strong affection for your loved ones, or you fear about your parents or someone in authority.

If the Rorschach inkblot test was meant to dig deeper into your personality, they now experiment to make use of this to help us "adjust" in the more mundane tasks, like remembering passwords.

Here is an interesting article about the use of inkblots in remembering passwords.

And you might, as well try the test below the article and come up with your new password.

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Human Tetris--anyone?

I still remember when Tetris was the "IN" thing and you just feel completely "obsolete" and left out if you don't have this handheld game.

I was browsing in Yahoo and found this video. Looks like silly game but fun!

Watch this video.

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On dead wife and "Antipolo States"

I came across one blog that really tickled my funny bone. It is the blog of Francesca who lives in France. One of her blog entries talks about two letters, which I find really outrageously hilarious!

The letters say:

Dear Francesca,
My American boyfriend's wife died two days ago. My bf said, he would file a divorce so that we can marry. Can I marry him even he is not yet divorced? How long can we get married if his wife died two days ago ?

Mayang
Pamplona, Iloilo


Dear Francesca,
I am filing my papers to pass to US Embassy this week. My American bf kept on reminding me that I must put the "State" where I am presently living. I live in Antipolo, Philippines like you, and would like to ask if I can put Antipolo States as my address? My bf insist that I should do. He live in California.

Denden

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Trying out on scrapbooking

Scapbooking has become so popular these days, that almost all bookstores seem to be filled with cutesy thing-a-ma-jigs about scrapbooking. There are even TV shows featuring this form of arts and crafts.

I wanted to make one, basically to store the prints of my photos. Disappointingly, however, I have no plenty of time to spare specially that I am busy working on some reports.

Finally, I tried to have a hands-on on scrap booking when I was forced to help my son make his "prayer book" which was given as an assignment in their religion class. His teacher told them they should make their prayer book really neat and beautiful. So, I thought, making a scrapbook-like prayer book would be a nice idea.

There are still plenty of photos to be organized into a family album. Just had no time to put them all together. Plus, I still have to edit photos stored in some CDs before I could print them. My wife and I planned to put these photos into something like a scrapbook. Again, if time permits.

But then, I was forced to make one for my son. The 6-page prayer book, a la scrapbook, took me 3 hours to do. Not bad considering it was my my first time to make one. And my two sons were just too eager to help, especially when I started burning the sides of paper where I printed one of the prayers or when I made a frame out of a special hand-made paper I bought from NBS.

Perhaps, I could make this into a profitable venture like what my friend, Jewels does. After all, I still have my artistic juices, I think.

Not a bad idea at all!

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That "faith-full" July 16 Earthquake

I WAS ABOUT to close my browser but I shocked to learn that Japan has been hit by an earthquake. Read more about this news.

On July 16, 1990, I was in La Trinidad, Benguet serving as one of the Guidance Counselors in San Jose High School. The second year high school history teacher was not able to have his class that day and it was a common practice in the school to make the students busy. With no other teacher to pitch in his class, I did a homeroom activity instead.

One of the topics of the homeroom activity was "faith". In giving my synthesis during the processing, I shared what my theology professor taught us back in college:

"That faith like riding a jeepney going to school, without the fear or paranoia that you will be mugged or meet an accident."

Then I gave my example:

"It is also like sitting here in this classroom that you will not even think that that concrete beam right above you would not fall right this moment."

The sophomore class understood what I said and they shared the same, and so we ended up our emergency homeroom class at 3:00 PM. Immediately after, I went to the Guidance Office in the third floor. There, I met several seniors who seem to have a penchant for the Guidance Office and made it their tambayan.

Before I could even sit , I heard a loud and disturbing rumbling noise from a distance. We were 100 meters from the highway, and the thought of a roaring Peterbilt truck would not be a possibility. (Benguet Corporation have huge Peterbilt trucks for their mining operations). The roaring and rumbling sound became louder like a huge Peterbilt coming closer. We all asked: “Ano yun?!” Before we could figure it out, however, a strong jolt already shook us, making us unbalanced and some to fall on the floor. Then another jolt! Then, we realized it was an earthquake. It was 3:26PM (DST), July 16, 1990.

I immediately ordered everyone to go down and out of the building! But in the second floor, the strongest jolt happened. Everything was swaying, cracking, falling, that even some debris fell on us, and the students and teachers were already screaming. We thought we would be buried alive in that building. We had no choice but to take refuge in one corner infront of the library, not realizing that it had glass panels. We were stuck! And we even saw the librarian trying to keep the book shelves from falling. It was the time when one of the male teachers summoned the librarian to get out of the room. What was more horrible was the fact that there were four pre-school pupils playing infront of the library and were already screaming and crying in fear. But the quake never stopped. So we decided for a moment to cover the kids with out bodies hoping it would protect them and the jolts would stop. It never stopped. Out of instinct, the male teacher and I decided to carry the kids out of the building. With two kids tucked in my arms, constant shaking, and falling debris, made it more difficult to negotiate the stairs. Outside the building, we met the crying, praying and screaming students and teachers on the open ground.

For a while, we thought everyone was fine. Then one girl came to us crying, and told us one of the her friends was left in their room. The strong quakes have subsided a bit. But the aftershocks were still strong to make you fall. We did not waste any time. Together with the male teacher and two senior male students, we went back to the building for a rescue. Apparently, the door was jammed and stuck that made it difficult for the girl to come out. We kicked the door until it opened. Rescuing the girl was more difficult because she was already in a state of shock and kept on screaming. She would not want to come out, so we practically dragged her out of the building. On the open grounds, she lost her consciousness.

The powerful temblor measured 7.7 in the Richter scale and lasted for 45 seconds.

When the aftershocks subsided, the school principal let us go home.

A week later, I returned to the school, and I had goose bumps all over my body with what I saw. The concrete beam which I pointed during my homeroom class, was the only one which fell. Was it foreboding? I fear not. I just thought that I had a more concrete lesson about faith.

I could only look back now, and say this famous line in Baguio once again: "I survived July 16!"


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