My Friend's Place

A good friend of mine recently transferred to his new boardinghouse and since it's a single room furnished with only a double deck bed, he's so excited to decorate and furnish his new place. Its just funny how he always boast about how beautiful his toilet and bath is, (we'll a lot more beautiful than most of the “not so expensive” boardinghouses) on what new things he bought for that day and is always preoccupied thinking on what more to add. He's just so excited that I can almost feel his excitement while were talking on the phone. We'll he can't do much with it, specially with the pink colored interior of the room (the color I most hate LOLs) since he's just renting the place on a monthly basis but I'm sure he will do a lot more to improve the place. As I also once experienced, living away from my family is sometimes lonely but a wonderful learning experience, it's like going out of your comfort zone and rediscovering your own personality in a whole lot different way. You get to practically decide on anything and everything and that makes it more exciting and it's just satisfying to have a rest in your own cozy place after a long day's work.

Here's some of the pictures he sent me through multi media message and I'm posting it without asking permission. Hahahha.

Dinagyang Festival 2009 Schedule

Its December once again and only a month more to go before the Dinagyang Festival. For those of you who's not yet familiar with the Dinagyang Festival, It is a two day celebration in the streets of downtown Iloilo every fourth weekend of January to commemorate the birth of Christianity among the Natives and to Honor Santo Niño the Holy Child Jesus.

On the first day of the celebration which is a Saturday, the Kasadyahan Competition is held, it features a colorful parade of costumes where tribes compete with their own interpretation of dramatized offerings and prayers for their patron saint. It usually portrays a battle between the good and the evil in which the good prevails with the help of their patron or Sto. Niño.

The following day is the Dinagyang Ati Competition, it features different tribes in colorful costumes made from indigenous materials. The tribe members called the warriors cover their bodies with dark brown paint to imitate the color of the Aetas which is the first settlers of the Panay Island. These warriors dance to the thundering beat of drums while shouting “Viva Senior Santo Niño.

In the previous years, during this time of the year, you can already hear the lively beat of the drums every night when different tribes practice for their performance the next year, but the plaza's in every municipality seems to be quiet? There are so many speculations about the matter and the question now is, where are the tribes and will the Dinagyang still be celebrated?

Luckily, the answer is YES. The Executive Committee of the Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2009 has expressed optimism that it can achieve its objective of giving festival followers and tourists a fun-filled celebration despite a little delay in the implementation of lined up activities in its table of operation. Hailed as the country’s best tourism event for three straight years by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines, Dinagyang festival is scheduled from January 14 to 25, 2009.

Here's the Complete Schedule for the Dinagyang Festival Celebration

November 6, 2009 (12nn) - Local Launch of Dinagyang Festival

December 7, 2009 (3pm) - National Launch of Dinagyang Festival

December 13, 2009 (2pm) - Pamukaw 2009

December 20, 2009 (2pm) - Presentation of Miss Dinagyang 2009 candidates

January 16, 2009 (3pm) - Opening Salvo

January 18, 2009 (7pm) - Coronation Night of Miss Dinagyang 2009

January 22 to 23, 2009 - First Iloilo International Dragon Boat Race Competition

January 23, 2009 (8am) - Dinagyang Drum and Bugle Competition

January 23, 2009 (3pm) - Fluvial Procession

January 24, 2009 (8am) - Kasadyahan Competition

January 24, 2009 (7pm) - International Night

January 25, 2009 (8am) - Dinagyang Ati Competition

January 25, 2009 (7pm) - Iloilo Dinagyang 2009 Awarding Ceremonies

Pictures from ILOILO -the heart of the Philippines the Official website of the Province of Iloilo

History of Santa Claus

Santa Claus originated from Saint Nicholas, a bishop of Myra in the province of Lycia (which is now a part of Turkey) in the 4^th century. Born in a wealthy family during the 3rd century in the village of Patara, he was raised to be a devout Christian who dedicated his life serving God, assisting the needy, the sick and the suffering that he was later became known throughout the land for his generosity for those in need, his love for children and his concern for sailors and ship.

During the reign of Emperor Diocletian, Christians are persecuted and imprisoned. After his release, Nicholas attended the council of Nicea in AD 352. He died December 6, AD 343 and was buried in his cathedral church in Myra, where “manna” a unique relic that formed in his grave is said to have healing powers that fostered the growth of devotion to Nicholas particularly in Russia where along with Saith Andrew, he became the patron of the nation. But the reaction against the saints during the reformation led to Saith Nicholas' eclipse in all the predominantly protestant countries of Europe except Holland, where he was known there as Sinter-Klaas, an alteration of Saint Nikolas, and his traditions were taken to New Amsterdam (now New York) by dutch colonist in the 17^th century.

In 1809, under the pseudonym of Diedrich Knickerbocker, it was Washington Irving's fanciful description in his book Knickerbocker's History of New York who gave Americans their first detailed information about the Dutch version of Saint Nicholas and with some adaptations, Sinter-Klass was appropriated by the English settlers under the name of Santa Claus.

The English Santa Claus and the Dutch Sinter-Klaas carry out an identical mission in the same extra ordinary way: they enter the houses from the roof through the chimney and deposit gifts for their children in shoes and stockings. There are however notable differences between them. In Holland the figure is definitely a saintly bishop whose activities takes place on December 6 (the date of his death which also became his feast day) and have no connection with Christmas. The Dutch saint arrives on horseback, not by sleigh, after a sea journey from Spain and as a bishop, he does not have a wife. He is always accompanied by Zwarte Piet (Black Peter, his Moorish servant).

In 1823, Clement Clarke popularized the poem A visit From Saint Nicholas or more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas that made this Dutch-American Saint Nick achieved his fully Americanized form. Moore included such details as the names of the reindeer; Santa Claus' laughs, winks, and nods.; and the method by which Saint Nicholas, referred to as an elf, returns up the chimney.

Christmas issues of Harper,s magazine from 1860s to 1880s further elaborated the American Image of Santa Claus. Illustrator Thomas Nast depicted a rotund Santa and added details such as Santa's workshop at the North Pole and Santa's list of the good and bad children of the world. A human-sized version of Santa Clause, rather than the elf of Moore's poem.

However in 1925, since grazing reindeer would not be possible at the North Pole, newspapers revealed that Santa Claus in fact lived in Finnish Lapland. Markus Rautio revealed the great secret for the first time in a Finnish public radio in 1927 that Santa Claus lives on Lapland's Korvatunturi - "Ear Fell". The fell, which is situated directly on Finland's eastern frontier, somewhat resembles a hare's ears - which are in fact Santa Claus's ears, with which he listens to hear if who among the world's children are being naughty or nice. Santa has the assistance of a busy group of elves, who have quite their own history in Scandinanvian legend.

The very popular Rudolph the red nosed reindeer with a shiny nose, is the ninth reindeer and was invented in 1939 by an advertising writer for the Montgomery Ward Company.

Santa Clause that we now know is the combination of many different legends and mythical creatures. Several centuries and a combination of different customs from different parts of the Northern Hemisphere has created the whole world's Santa Claus - the ageless, timeless, deathless white-bearded man who gives out gifts on Christmas and always returns to Korvatunturi in Finnish Lapland.

Since the 1950s, Santa has happily sojourned at Napapiiri, near Rovaniemi, at times other than Christmas, to meet children and the young at heart. By 1985 his visits to Napapiiri had become so regular that he established his own Santa Claus Office there. He comes there every day of the year to hear what children want for Christmas and to talk with children who have arrived from around the world. Santa Claus Village is also the location of Santa's main Post Office, which receives children's letters from the four corners of the world.

Health Risks Due to Lack of Sleep

Adults takes generally around seven to eight hours of sleep of sleep each day, but individual differences makes some people require more or less sleep than others. Though the real function of sleep is yet uncertain, it serves some restorative functions in all individuals and a basic necessity for living healthy and productively.

For people who works in a graveyard shift, the health risks doubles, working at night has its own negative effects (which I also in my previous blog post) but aside from that, not having adequate sleep is also a problem.

Here's a compilation of of the most evident effects of sleep deprivation or lack of sleep.

Lack of sleep affects brain functions that results to less efficient memory performance. Sleep deprived people are often tired and becomes forgetful, feels less motivated and becomes more anxious; and this affects everything from performance, to physiology, to charisma. Immunity also drops and so you develop illnesses or aches.

In addition, as a result of continuous muscular activity without proper rest time, effects such as cramping are much more frequent in sleep-deprived individuals. . Beyond impaired motor skills, people who get too little sleep may have higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression, and may take unnecessary risks.

Sleep deprivation disrupts hormones responsible for regulating glucose, metabolism and appetite.
The body's inability to metabolize glucose can also lead to diabetes and obesity.

Also a study according to According to a 2000 study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers in Australia and New Zealand, sleep deprivation can have some of the same hazardous effects as being drunk. People who drove after being awake for 17–19 hours performed worse than those with a blood alcohol level of .05 percent, which is the legal limit for drunk driving in most western European countries.

One of the possible side effects of a continued lack of sleep is death. Usually this is the result of the fact that the immune system is weakened without sleep. One study stated that people who sleep less than four hours per night are three times more likely to die within the next six years.

True Essence of Christmas

Time moves so fast that its December once again. Christmas is only few days from now and the end of the year is fast approaching. We can now hear Christmas songs in radio stations, see dancing colored lights everywhere and of course the holiday shopping rush. Christmas season is also as good opportunity for family reunions and meeting up with old friends. Its also a perfect time to think for our New Year's resolution and our goals for the year to come. As a kid, its always the time I'm looking forward to, being excited of what will be Santa's gift, which is my reward for being good for the whole year (LOLs), party at school and attending midnight mass. But as as grown up, the idea of joining the holiday rush, redecorating the house, wrapping of Christmas presents and preparing for a family get together makes me excited. Christmas songs being played never fails to excite me. It just lifts my spirit, no matter what my concerns are.

Though Christmas is mainly for the kids, we as adults should also take this opportunity to ponder on what have we done for the past year and what we could do in the next year to come. Lets take this opportunity to forget all grievances (though its not the only time we can mend things up, but this will be a good chance). Let people know how much they mean to us and lets not just focus on gift giving and parties. Christmas is the time to reflect on what's the real purpose of the celebration; and its giving love.