Christmas is a time for giving, as Clint Holton P. Potestas learns from this young philanthropist.

weekend@sunstar.com.phSaturday, December 18, 2010

feature

3Star of the night

movies

4

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

A million Christmases

Sun.Star Weekend | December 18, 20102C

cover story

RALPH RHODDEN C. CAVERO Graphic Designer

CHERRY ANN LIM Managing Editor, Special Pages and FeaturesJIGS ARQUIZA Editor CLINT HOLTON P. POTESTAS Writer

ChristmasesA million

Sun.Star Weekend | December 18, 2010 3C

“Erase, erase, not this. I don’t want to cry,” she forced a smile and looked up to prevent her tears from rolling down on her cheeks. She was a former corps commander, so a show of emotion might not be appropriate. But she’s only human – Jennifer Wee-Tan was in the middle of talking about bumping into a Tangubanon in I.T. Park.

Her former scholar, who is now a professional in Cebu, greeted her and asked if she could send his regards to his parents in Tangub City, Misamis Occidental where Jennifer is the Tourism officer. She occasionally visits Cebu because her parents are residing in Mandaue. And here, she found her life’s essentials – education, love, and a surprising twist that she could never imagine.

“I hugged him just to let him know that she has a family here. I know how it feels to be homesick,” she went on. Of course, she does. In 1992, when she celebrated her first Christmas with husband Philip in Tangub City, she was hysterical. She missed the big city. She missed Cebu where she finished Political Science at the University of San Carlos.

To local beauty pageant enthusiasts, Jennifer is more known as Miss Cebu who reigned in 1986. Because of the political turmoil in between those years, the organizers decided to skip the search and allow her to continue her reign in 1987. Prior to that, she was also crowned Miss Mandaue in 1985.

“I was crying. I was depressed, so I asked my husband (who was in his first term as mayor) if we could put up one Christmas tree in the plaza,” she recalled. “I wasn’t used to a quiet and dark December.” When she married Philip whom she met in her Bachelor of Law course in the same university, she decided to move to Tangub City.

Doubtful – in an agricultural city, what good would a well-lit Christmas tree do?

Perhaps, at first, nothing, but when it became a

yearly event, it literally put the city on the map as the Christmas Symbols Capital of the Philippines, which has attracted tourists and international media to cover Tangub’s Christmas village that sprawled around the City Hall.

It has inspired the citizens to create their own decors, like the nativity, lanterns, Santa Claus, and

Christmas stars out of indigenous materials. In this way, it has taught them to recycle plastic cups, soft drink containers, and paper.

This Holiday Season, at least 15 entries were mounted for display, participated in by government officials, university students, and private sectors. Opened for public viewing last Dec. 1, the exhibit will run until Jan. 8, 2011, coinciding with the announcement of the best décor.

“You’d feel rich when you look at these decorations,” Jennifer beamed. “Your love for Christmas would instantly come back.”

feature

Star of the night

If giving love on Christmas day is

represented by a centavo, he needs a million

of it. Really, by all means: knocking on doors,

campaigning on Facebook, begging for time,

and even pulling down the stars from their

own skies.

“Angel Locsin has already pledged to

help,” his Facebook message popped on the

computer screen. Then, there’s celebrity

fashion designer Kate Torralba, models Gwen

Trott and Bridget Parada; there’s lawyer and

Weekend cover girl Christina Garcia-Frasco,

and finally, Marian Rivera.

Thanks to his multifaceted phonebook,

Andre Emmanuel Dedamo has gathered

these personalities for a noble cause. The

stylist has volunteered to make the branding

of the cause-oriented foundation called

999,999 that aims to raise funds for James

Ian Cabellon, his neighbor’s brother (Josh)

in Minglanilla Cebu, who has end stage renal

disease.

To begin, it is a task he is most adept at. He

has booked some personalities during the “I

Love Cebu” campaign of the Island Souvenirs

brand. For this project, he has expanded to

famous personalities in Paris, Canada, Middle

East, Singapore among other international

countries.

Or, it is his innate nature to multitask. He

finished with a Bachelor’s degree in Science

in Psychology at Cebu Doctors’ University

before he completed his Nursing studies at

Medina College in Ozamis City.

Now, he is giving back the blessings after

his success in Singapore as an advertising

stylist. Together with his friends, he has come up

with different solutions and another advocacy.

He says, “As we are all aware that weekly

dialysis can be quite taxing on anyone’s finances,

the project aims to raise funds for his lifetime

weekly treatment by selling raffle tickets at 99

centavos.”

“Our ultimate dream is to reach 999,999.99

pesos for the project. Also, we aim to raise

awareness about the disease and reach out to

people, and educate the public about it since

most of the core group members involved in this

project are in the medical field.”

By selling raffle tickets at 99 centavos, he

believes garnering that amount is possible.

In fact, with genuine friendship, nothing is

impossible. He has joined the group tour to

increase awareness in schools, call center

offices, business establishments, and private

homes.

“Christmas only happens once a year, but our

group believes that Christmas should happen

all year round by helping out others, no matter

how small or trivial it may be – you’ll never

know how much you’ve touched someone

else’s life,” he explained.

“Any kind of charity is always good,”

Andre continued. “As long as it is aimed at

helping out others.

“To quote Buddah: ‘The greatest gain is

to help others’.”

Sun.Star Weekend | December 18, 20104C

movies

IMAGES FROM THE INTERNET

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

C.S. Lewis began the third book in his Narnia series, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”: “There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.”

Nothing in the three inspiration-less films adapted from Lewis’ series ever rises to the wit of that simple line, though the latest, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” comes closest to the spirit of the original – arguably the most fun of Lewis’ seven Narnia tales.

But spirit is something that has been consistently lacking throughout this film franchise, which has now gone through two studios (previously Disney, now Fox) and two directors (previously Andrew Adamson, now Michael Apted, with Adamson a producer).

The first, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” was sapped of life by mediocre digital creations, and the second, “Prince Caspian,” was bloated by endless battle scenes.

Some of the movies’ failure might be laid at Lewis’ feet, too. While his Narnia books are filled with wonder and a lush, mapped world (not to mention brilliant titles), they were also less artful in their religious allegory.

If Hollywood adaptations can reflect the enduring strength of beloved tales read in childhood, then Lewis is being decidedly thumped by J.R.R. Tolkien, his contemporary and friend.

To right the ship, “Dawn Treader” has returned to the faithful. After “Prince Caspian” failed to find a wider audience by lessening the Christian themes, “Dawn Treader” has restored them.

In “Dawn Treader,” the two eldest of the four Pevensie siblings aren’t around: Susan (Anna Popplewell) is in America and Peter (William Moseley) is away at school. Lucy (Georgie Henley) and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) are staying with relatives in

Cambridge, where they’re harassed by their annoying cousin, the unfortunately named Eustace (Will Poulter).

They are sucked back into Narnia (with Eustace in tow) by a painting hanging on the wall of the ship the Dawn Treader. It’s the film’s most magical scene: The painting first spits water in Lucy’s face, then begins to gush, flooding the room. Before they know it, Caspian (Ben Barnes) is fishing them out of the sea and onto the Dawn Treader.

Here, the 3-D of “The Dawn Treader” is good, almost soaking the audience in the rush of water. But after a strong start, the effect seems to recede, as if the filmmakers (who added 3-D in post- production) sought to get by with merely a handful of scenes.

Three years have passed in Narnia time since the last visit from the children, when they helped Caspian overthrow his evil uncle Miraz from the throne. Peace has followed, and now Caspian is sailing to the Lone Islands in search of the missing seven Lords of Telmar.

With Australia adequately subbing for the ends of the earth, they embark on a trip of island hopping en route to some kind of evil epicenter, where a mysterious green mist (looking very much like the black smoke of “Harry Potter”) lurks near Dark Island.

Fearing an episodic feel, their journey has been slimmed down by screenwriters Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely and Michael Petroni.

Along the way, the characters are variously tempted: Edmund by power, Lucy by beauty. Visions of their fears bring a cameo of Tilda Swinton’s icy White Witch. On the Dawn Treader, they’re again joined by the swashbuckling mouse Reepicheep (voiced by Simon Pegg).

As in previous films, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” can’t help but feel like an assemblage of characters and scenes, not a flowing film. To be sure, Apted (“The World Is Not Enough,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter”) has improved things.

It’s the best-looking of the Narnia films, but real emotion – and even simple motivation – is still lacking, particularly with Edmund and Caspian. Poulter’s Eustace is a bit better, as he undergoes a transformation from brat to hero while literally transformed into a fire-breathing dragon.

The religiosity of these movies, produced by family-driven Walden Media, has been

their most discussed quality. “Dawn Treader” wears it most openly in a suggestion of heaven and a line from the Christlike Aslan (voiced by Liam

Neeson) that, in the human world, “I have another name.”

But the Christian themes (which will go over the head of most young viewers just as they did young readers) aren’t what sinks the Narnia movies. It’s a lack of imagination – a sin, indeed. (AP)

Sun.Star Weekend | December 18, 2010 5C

Mariah Carey insists that Christmas is her favorite time of year, and it shows on “Merry Christmas II You,” Carey’s second holiday album.

The record is a mix of classics such as “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “O Holy Night.” It also includes new recordings, including the first single, “Oh Santa!”

The stakes were high for Carey with this release. Despite the multitude of hits she has racked up over the years, one of her most enduring songs is “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The track has become a modern holiday classic, setting the bar for any new seasonal music Carey wanted to release.

This time around, the up-tempo “Oh Santa!” with its catchy hook, gives “All I Want for Christmas” a run for its money. On the single, Carey sings about a lost love, and how she longs for Santa to bring him back. “Santa is going to come and make you mine this Christmas,” Carey playfully croons. The fun-filled track, which Carey wrote with her longtime collaborator, producer Jermaine Dupri (and Bryan-Michael Cox) showcases Carey at her best.

She seamlessly transitions from this pop tune to more heavy material which features the wide rang of her voice. In one of the more touching moments on the album, Carey teams up with her mother, Patricia Carey, who sings the chorus on “O Come All Ye Faithful,” in operatic tones. Carey then switches to the R&B track, “When Christmas Comes.

Most of the songs on the album will fill your ears with holiday cheer, but Carey does hit a sour note, specifically on “One Child,” a sappy song that comes toward the end of the album.

Luckily, Carey redeems herself with a new recording of “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” The song was first released in 1994, but 17 years later, it is still a welcome addition to any holiday album.

With the release of “Merry Christmas II You,” Carey proves that there is such a thing as building upon perfection.

audiosyncracyshort reviews

IMAGES FROM THE INTERNET

IMAGE FROM THE INTERNET

Mariah Carey “Merry Christmas II You” (Island Def Jam)

FasterWhile “Faster,” the new action film

by Dwayne Johnson (aka “The Rock”), is both fast and furious, it should not be confused with one of the “Fast and the Furious” movies. It keeps a good “Speed,” accelerates with “Torque,” as if propelled by “Crank,” all without the benefit of being “Armored.” Let’s just hope there isn’t a “Crash.” Films of revved-up adrenaline have become commonplace. They’re like movies on steroids, and with some of the same side-effects: nausea, stunted growth and probably some liver damage. “Faster” begins with Johnson’s character being released in a seething rage from a 10-year prison sentence, and immediately sprinting from the remote facility. He’s racing for vengeance, and that means he won’t wait for the bus. (AP)

TangledSince the 1940s, Disney has toyed with

the story of Rapunzel. “Tangled,” directed by “Bolt” helmer Byron Howard and Nathan Greno (head of story on “Bolt”), finally arrives as the much ballyhooed 50th animated feature from Disney, and the last animated fairy tale currently planned by the studio. The Brothers Grimm have been very good to Disney over the years and returning to one of their tales has very much the feel of “go with what you know.” While “Tangled” is not in the league of Disney’s best, it’s still a sturdy, pleasant execution by the animation machine, retooled slightly for digital times. (AP)

APL de AP Club Benefit Tour and Album Release Party at LX, VUDU CEBU tonight

Get ready for the ultimate club tour series and party with no less than The Black Eyed Peas’ well-known member, APL.DE.AP! Just a few weeks after the successful release of The Black Eyed Peas’ new album, The Beginning, speculations of Apl.De.Ap’s visit in the Philippines to promote the album as well as to do a benefit club tour have circulated the web, and to everyone’s anticipation, this has been finally confirmed by Apl.De.Ap’s team last Friday (December 10). JEEPNEY Music in cooperation with Fluid Productions & Productions and MCA Music, Inc. proudly bring you Party Light. Party Right. Club Tour 2010. This event will become a musical explosion of the world’s foremost DJs in a live performance – the first of a series. Be electrified and pumped with the cool beats of most wanted DJs: DJ Joker, DJ Buddha, DJ Ammo and Apl.De.Ap of The Black Eyed Peas with MC Richi Rich in the most happening clubs in Cebu, Manila and Pampanga and celebrate the time of your lives with Apl.De.Ap – a perfect way to end the year 2010.

The tour debuts in CEBU this Saturday, December 18 exclusively at the newly launched and visually-arresting LX (LUXX) at VUDU, Cebu’s definitive night lifestyle

institution at the Crossroads, Banilad. Get the chance to have an exclusive face-to-face opportunity and album signing with Apl.De.Ap at 10 p.m., an hour prior to the start of the show when you purchase a copy of The Black Eyed Peas’ The Beginning mega-deluxe album. This will be for the benefit of The Pearl S. Buck Foundation and other beneficiaries. The tour then heads to the Republiq Club in Manila on December 22 then to the Mansion in Pampanga on December 25. Apl.De.Ap, best known as a member of the world-renowned hip hop group, the Black Eyed Peas, is a singer, record producer, rapper, and DJ (electro-house-hiphop), touring the world for promotions. DJ Ammo, who will also be on tour with Apl.De.Ap, has DJ’d multiple parties, events

and shows for artists and companies such as Sean Paul, Black Eyed Peas including Will.i.am, Apl.de.Ap, Taboo, Fergie, Outkast, Slum Village, Kool & The Gang and many more. He recently worked on the BEP’s new album, The Beginning.

The Black Eyed Peas’ new album, The Beginning pays tribute to all those who have supported them and have celebrated their music throughout the years and have kept alive their passion of recreating and redefining each piece of

music into a spellbinding and influential tune--an element unique to this group, which won them highly-

acclaimed awards and has raised up the charts several of their hit singles. The Beginning mega-deluxe album boasts off 18 explosive songs with 6 bonus tracks, featuring their latest hit single, “The Time (Dirty Bit)” which is built around a sample from the classic 1987 theme from Dirty Dancing, “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life.” The mega-deluxe album also includes 5 hit songs from the best of The E.N.D. album.

Take a minute to heal broken smiles Every year, one in every 500 Filipino babies is born with facial deformities. With cleft lips and palates, these children

cannot smile, and as a result of the mockery they encounter, they often lose the will to do so. All it takes to change their lives is a 45-minute surgical procedure care of Operation Smile Philippines. For you to

personally help their cause, sharing a minute of your time to send a text message – and a few pesos – can go a long, long way. Help Havaianas select the winning entry of Havaianas “Design a Smile” – a flip-flop design competition for the benefit of

Operation Smile Philippines. From among over 2,200 entries from all over the Philippines, the top ten designs were selected with the help of the judges: Bobby Manzano – President and Executive Director of Operation Smile Philippines, Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan – Celebrity Mom & TV Personality, Mia Fausto-Cruz – Mommy-in-Chief of Smart Parenting, Dcal Dacalos – Teacher from My Masterpiece Movement, and Anne Gonzalez – Managing Director of Havaianas Philippines.

One of the finalists of the Design a Smile competition is from Cebu. 12 year old student Isabella Macdonald chose to draw “splashes of paint” because painting makes her smile. She is finalist number 9.

Vote for Isabella’s design by sending havs[space]vote[space]9 to 2256. A portion of each vote will be donated to Operation Smile Philippines, and the winning design will be produced as a special Havaianas pair and sold for the benefit of Operation Smile Philippines.

You can also download an MMS picture of Isabella’s design by sending havs[space]vote[space]MMS[space]9 to 2256. Each MMS download is equal to 10 votes. So what are you waiting for? Support Isabella’s design and vote for a smile.

Sun.Star Weekend | December 18, 20106C

books

TEXT AND IMAGES FROM WWW.FULLYBOOKEDONLINE.COM AND THE WEB

bottomsupAileen Quijano

Yann Martel’s imaginative and unforgettable Life of Pi is a magical reading experience, an endless blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith. The precocious son of a zookeeper, 16-year-old Pi Patel is raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various faiths for size, attracting “religions the way a dog attracts fleas.” Planning a move to Canada, his father packs up the family and their menagerie and they hitch a ride on an enormous freighter. After a harrowing shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker (“His head was the size and color of the lifebuoy, with teeth”). It sounds like a colorful setup, but these wild beasts don’t burst into song as if co-starring in an anthropomorphized Disney feature. After much gore and infighting, Pi and Richard Parker remain the boat’s sole passengers, drifting for 227 days through shark-infested waters while fighting hunger, the elements, and an overactive imagination. In rich, hallucinatory passages, Pi recounts the harrowing journey as the days blur together, elegantly cataloging the endless passage of time and his struggles to survive: “It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I’ve made none the champion.” At one point in his journey, Pi recounts, “My greatest wish--other than salvation--was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One that I could read again and again, with new eyes and fresh understanding each time.” It’s safe to say that the fabulous, fablelike Life of Pi is such a book.

First published in 2002, Martel’s breathtaking breakout novel became an international bestseller and went on to win the Man Booker Prize, and was also named Amazon.com’s Best Book of 2002. In 2005, after an international competition, Croatian artist Tomislav Torjanac was selected to illustrate a special edition ofLife of Pi that features 40 stunning illustrations that present a new perspective on this modern classic.

Life of Pi (Deluxe Illustrated Edition)by Yann Martel

Have you ever tried reading the Book of Numbers in the Bible and somehow end up getting lost with all the genealogy – the list of tribes, the many sons and daughters who married into families with names we can even barely pronounce? And yet, just when we’re ready to brush it off, a common word or truth breaks through and jars us to reality. So even with our eyes falling, we continue reading on, hoping for more clues or a common name to at least help us recognize our present.

Family reunions, for me, are just like the Book of Numbers – repetitive, monotonous, full of “remember-whens” and yet, very enlightening when you least expect it. Depending on how we look at it really, one thing’s for sure -- it’s all relative.

Genealogist and writer Carol Braxton once said, “Everybody is a part of a big family. They just don’t know it.” How true. Recently, we were organizing a hotel event when Senyo, the director I’ve met just two days before, came up to me and asked out of the blue, “Hey, are you attending the family reunion?”

“Huh?” I blanked out for a moment. I knew the guy was from Bigfoot, but for the life of me, I couldn’t even recall his last name. Still… “We’re related? How ‘kewl’ is that!” And why doesn’t that surprise me? I’ve lost count of the number of times people have asked if I was related to a certain stranger in Guadalupe, a businessman in Carcar, or a talent manager in Manila – to which I always answer “Why not?” (Never mind that we may not actually be). In the Philippines, after all, it’s all relative.

And where there are relatives, there’s always a reunion. In true Filipino fashion, the VILLALUZ clan, from my mother’s side of the family, isn’t intimidated by the thought of planning a reunion for about a 100 or so of our kinfolk. The reunion, which falls on a Monday, December 27 at the Sacred Heart Center here in Cebu, is expected to draw relatives from all over the Philippines and abroad. The family tree branches into more than 50 families covering four generations. Realizing this, I begin to have mixed emotions about attending this reunion. Wouldn’t you?

Family reunions can be heartwarming and be about retightening family ties, or they can end up being a disastrous event that makes you wish you had stayed home. Some of us might be burdened by the cost of traveling. Or some of us would rather hide than face the ghosts of reunions past – Aunt Negativity; Cousin Nosy, Mr. Know-it-all; Ms. I-won’t-be-there-if-she’s-there; the unruly “children of the corn”; and even the uninvited four-legged tag-alongs that poop. Toxic, toxic. Holiday stress? Truly, it could all be relative.

But then again, like reading the Book of Numbers, a family reunion is also an opportunity to trace our roots, learn from history, connect many of the missing pieces of our past and perhaps, understand ourselves a little better. Indeed, organizing an event that could include hundreds of people that you aren’t all that close to can be a daunting task. But then, it could also be worth the effort especially when you:

Discover that with family, anything is possible Have you ever tried to fit 20 adults and 15 kids into a

cottage with 10-person capacity? Apparently, families find ways. On the other hand, who would have thought that 10 years later, you’d be imparting the same words of wisdom from your elders (which you yourself did not follow anyway when you were younger) to your teenage nieces who, by the way, have no business being taller than you? And isn’t it just amazing how generations have evolved? Unlike before, kids

nowadays can totally sit still for a couple of hours for as long as there’s a PlayStation on hand.

Feel history come alive through your family Important events like WWII, the Edsa Revolution, the

decades-long bloodbath in Mindanao or the sinking of the Dona Paz ship are all historical events I could not have fully grasped or appreciated if not for the surviving members of my family. Have you ever wondered how your ancestors landed in Philippine shores – by foot, by boat or through trade using a magic carpet perhaps? How did they celebrate milestones? How did they handle pain, hunger or loss of loved ones? Learning how they survived life’s tragedies or the changing times could give us insights into our own lives.

Find that your family’s love stories are juicier than fiction

I got to know most of my mother’s relatives through her bedtime stories. I remember being intrigued by the story of a great-aunt who fell in love with a cousin. I remember being amazed that my stern-looking Lolo Paz once hand-stitched with care my Lolo Ando’s handkerchief as a memento of their romance. I remember cheering on my Tito Odel who used to wait for hours every day outside the family’s ancestral home just for a chance to talk to my Tita Ester for a few minutes once the dragon– my Lola – goes to slumber. And who would have thought that my Bisdak father, afraid of not seeing my mother

again, convinced her to elope from Davao to Cebu? Compared to theirs, boy, my love life is tame. Bummer.

Meet new familySometimes, meeting new people is hard. What do you

talk about? Do you share the same crazy genes or did you just get that from your other side of the family? But then, who knows? A distant cousin might share the same passion and become your new best friend. Reunions are also the perfect opportunity to network. The more cousins, the more babysitters you get. Or the more text votes you have should you decide to enter Pinoy Big Brother’s house. Networking, in essence, is give-and-take. Helping family could earn you help in return.

Indulge in cultural exchange with family.There goes that song in my head, “It’s a small world

after all, it’s a small world after all…” One great thing about belonging to a big family is that you can travel far and wide and know that somehow, your brother, a cousin, an aunt or an uncle will manage to catch you along the way. When cousin Nim decided to backpack across America in his first bid for independence, he managed to go through the states by visiting long-lost relatives using a sketchy family tree as his guide. He wasn’t disappointed. On another part of the globe my Aunt Miriam taught me to appreciate the many dances of the Mindanao tribes. In Davao, every time my many cousins and I get together, cousin Louie never fails to mention we’re like the United Colors of Benetton. We may not have the same accents or share the same skin color, but we understand the language of family, with every syllable beating straight from the heart.

So going back to Senyo’s question: Yes, cousin, I’ll be there. Bring on the cameras and let’s capture memories that would take future generations another 48 years to sort through. To the whole clan, again, that’s Monday, December 27 at the Sacred Heart Center here in Cebu. See you all and Merry Christmas!

(aileen.quijano@gmail.com)

It’s All Relative

Sun.Star Weekend | December 18, 2010 7C

crossline

Got something to share with us? Sun.Star Weekend invites readers to contribute original, unpublished poems and essays or commentaries about funny or memorable moments in your life.

Please email your contributions to: weekend@sunstar.com.ph

scribblings

49 Gen. Sepulveda Street, CebuTel. No (032) 255-0105 & 412-5551

Fax No. (032) 412-5552Email: palazzo_pensionne@hotmail.com

website: www.palazzopensionne.net

BED & BREAKFAST

grinlight

A gentle word like a spark of lightThat makes me glow and illuminates my soul

Everytime I hear this wordIt’s YOU that makes me whole.

Everytime I see your smile

I feel that I have wings to flyLike a bird across the mileThat soars high in the sky.

Behind the dark clouds

You’re there to lift me upEven if the rain still pours down

Your love is my ultimate roof.

You are my light,My knight and shining armor

You are my princeAnd I am the jewel in your crown.

Everytime I taste the sweetness of your love

I feel the happiness throughout my veinsEverytime I smell the scent of your presence

It energizes me until the end of the day.

Love, what have you done?I got sleepless nights,

Restless days and stressful hours,Just thinking of the one I love.

I remember those days we were together

Spending the days with each otherSharing thoughts and dreamsAnd hoping to make it for real.

But time came we have to pursue some things

I can hardly accept itI cried a million times

Thinking and hoping for your coming.

Missing you is not that hardBut thinking when will you come back is killing me softly

I feel deserted everytime I think of youbecause of the distance that separates us.

Oh love, you are so oblivious.

I have found arms that will hold me at my weakestI found eyes that will see me at my ugliestAnd a heart that will love me at my worst.

You are my Achille’s heel

You are the fire that warms my heart and soulOf all those things, this is really sure...

I loved you, I love you and I will always love until even after death.

Distant Loveby: Lheila Cambangay

Pride, joy and love… These three words describe what I felt as I was watching my son perform in the Papa Panov play of the University of San Carlos Montessori Academy during the weekend.

It was such a great play, and everyone did enjoy it. The play reminded each one about God, about Christmas, and how we should love those people around us, while showcasing the talented students of Montessori Academy.

My son wasn’t really included in the major cast – I even doubt if he knew what he was really doing up there on the stage. Being the 5-year old boy that he was, I know he was just trying to have some fun.

But the feeling that I had while watching him from the audience was overwhelming. Looking at my little boy as he sang and smiled onstage moved me to tears. It was my first time to feel that way. I never dab a tear at weddings, nor cry at funerals. But at that moment, I wasn’t able to hold back my tears. I was so proud of him, seeing him so adorable in his villager costume.

Yeah, I could be over reacting; I mean, imagine what the lead star’s parents could be feeling at that time, seeing their son do such an amazing performance. But well, I’m a mom too, so I guess I am entitled to some pride and joy in just seeing my son perform. And I suppose I wasn’t the only mom feeling that way that moment. Who couldn’t be moved seeing their kids do something wonderful while doing it on their own, right?

To let them experience their first taste of stage fright and bask in the glory of being in the limelight is an achievement for us parents. It is something that we can remind them in the future of how talented they can be if they just know how to develop it. And being the good ol’ parents, it will be our responsibility to motivate them and support them in whatever good they want to do.

Yes, I may be a ‘young mom’, not really as experienced as those moms out there, but I know all would agree with me if I say that moms just want what’s best for their kids. And even though I still have a lot to learn on how to be a good mom, it didn’t take long for me to figure out that being a mom is scary as hell…

Five years of being a mom and my basket of wishes for my son is almost full. If I could just write down all the good qualities that I would want my son to have, if I could just put into writing the good things that I wish for my son, if I could just compose a letter telling him of all that I would want to do for him, and all that I want to have for him, and then make it come true, I would have done so.

But I guess it is all up to Him. And of course, also up to us parents on how we make our kids grow up to be somebody someday- somebody good, someone God-fearing and kind. Somebody that could make a difference in the lives of those he loves and those who love him. They may grow up to be these and more, but nothing can change the fact that we will love them for what they are, and what they will become in the future. And as parents, we will wish and pray, that they will love us too.

On being a stage mom, a melodramatic mother, and a basket full of wishesby Bless Roble- Misa

The Rudolph SongOnce upon a time there was a king in Lapland called

Rudolph. He had bright ginger hair so his people called him Rudolph the Red.

Now Rudolph the Red was bad-tempered and argued a lot. He gave his poor wife, Gertrude the Green, a terrible time. No matter what she said he had to argue.

One winter’s day Gertrude the Green looked out of the palace window and said, ‘Oh dear, it’s snowing again. You’ll have to clear the footpath before mother comes to tea.’

‘Humph!’ Rudolph the Red grunted. He didn’t fancy shifting snow and he didn’t want Gertrude the Green’s mother coming to tea.

‘That’s not snow. It’s rain!’ he argued.‘But it’s white and fluffy and drifting,’ Gertrude the Green tried to tell him. Rudolph the Red hid behind his newspaper and snapped, ‘It’s rain!’ Gertrude the Green became quite angry. ‘Gertrude the Green knows snow, darling!’ ‘Yes,’ retorted her husband. ‘And Rudolph the Red knows rain, dear!’ ‘What a great title for a song!’ Gertrude the Green exclaimed.

Sun.Star Weekend | December 18, 20108C

INDUCTEES. Also inducted by Judge Dumdum were the new sets of officers of WILA for 2010-2012: press relations officer Erma Cuizon, auditor Lilia Tio, treasurer Milagros T. Dumdum, secretary Karla Quimsing, vice chair Jeneth Borlasa, and chair Dr. Hope Sabanpan-Yu.

THE WOMEN IN LITERARY ARTS. (standing from left to right) Haidee Palapar, Karla Quimsing, Jeneth Borlasa, Gloria Sommers, Kaira Alburo, Vera Leigh Lasam, Kei Valmoria, and Liza Bacay; (seated) Dr. Hope Sabanpan-Yu, Milagros T. Dumdum, Erma Cuizon, Dr. Erlinda Alburo, Annabelle Tan-Amor, Fe Reyes, and Lilia Tio.

peeps (people, events and places)

Chico Barretto, PJ Ong, Val Villar,Christopher Sybico Chris and Nia Aldeguer, Cybill Gayatin, Kaye LuymFe and Clint Potestas

Angela Rapes and Bobby Valero Arianna and Jay Aldeguer Charles and Barbie CalunodRV Fortez and Shanna Lopez Sam Briones and Jason Lagaac

Despite the threat of rain of that evening in late September, the members of the Women in Literary Arts (WILA) opened their arms to the wind, embracing whatever the future may bring.

As WILA celebrated 19 years, it filled the air with the cadences of the written word chanted by the women writers themselves and the harmony of sweet Cebuano songs offered by the U.P. Cebu Serenata.

It has delved deeper into its role as nurturers of Cebuano literature by working with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. in a partnership to hold story tellings and poetry readings for youth and children, and even train them through creative writing workshops.

“WILA sees these as outreach or community extension activities. Doing these will also give the group visibility,” Dr. Hope Sabanpan-Yu, the newly-elected chair of WILA, said.

WILA inducts new members

Donning their best cowboy and western get-ups, the member-architects of the United Architects of the Philippines Regional District C-1 (UAP RD-C1) took a much-needed respite from design work and site visits as they trooped to the Casino Espanol de Cebu for their annual Christmas party. This was the first time that UAP RD-C1 held a themed shindig spearheaded by young District Director Noel Avila and this year’s host chapter, UAP-Datu Lapu Lapu, headed by president Christopher Dy.

Prizes and surprises served as Yuletide treats to the members of the Cebu-based UAP Chapters that included the hosts, Cebu, Rajah Humabon, Sugbu and Cebu-Leon Kilat Chapters. The party was also an opportune time to award the winners of the United Architects Basketball Club’s (UABC) Boysen Cup and UAP Cebu Chapter’s Get-Up and Go Green Run. It also capped the National Architecture Week celebration as well as a time to launch the hosting of the UAP Area-C Conference in Cebu in February 2011.

Wild Western Christmas

After two years in the making, the Loalde Group’s latest venture, Fish18 finally opened its doors to Cebu via its flagship store at The Northwing at SM City Cebu. The store, which offers fashionable and trend-setting clothing and accessories for both men and women, held its low-key soft opening on December 1, 2010. Its grand store opening came nine days later on December 10, 2010.

UAP District C1 Director Noel Avila (center) with Gemma Perpetua and Stanley Ong.

Western gals. (Seated) Sarah Abadia, Frante Nugas, (standing) Colleen Espinosa and Ann Yap-Cuizon.

UAP Sugbu Chapters dancing cowboys and cowgirls.Sunstar writer-architect Karl Cabilao (center) with Carlos Baltar and Brian Acebedo.

Fish18 opens at the SM Northwing