Like my great grandfather, grandfather, uncle and father, I find myself in a foreign land away from home on this special occasion thinking about life, family and friends in a familiar place. These men have made tremendous sacrifices in order for me to have the opportunities and experiences I am so privileged to have. They inspire me to stride further and reach higher. One day a … [Read more...]
I Heart My Mother
We often forget to revisit the past or really appreciate the histories of the most meaningful people in our lives. Sometimes the day we are born might mark a period where our reference points and our perspectives begin. Sometimes we forget to dig deeper and reexamine the beautiful lives leading up to our own. Sometimes we need to hear, experience and gain insight on past to … [Read more...]
Silence Meeting: A Decade of Noise
I went to Friends Seminary High School in Manhattan, New York City. Growing up in the Big Apple, silence was often a commodity that was hard to come by. Even to some native New Yorker's not only is absolutely silence impossible to find, it can be quite discomforting and foreign to a person who's life revolved around noise. When I was introduced to Quakerism and silent meeting … [Read more...]
Four Generations of Men
I have been lucky enough to have a grown up in a household with both my parents and my grandparent from my father's side. In a humble five story walk up across the street from Columbus Park, my family has held a strong presence in Chinatown for four generations. When my great grandfather migrated to the United States about a century ago, he brought with him the traditions of … [Read more...]
A Mother’s Beauty
They always say a picture is worth a thousand words... On this very special Mother's Day, I found two timeless representations of beauty. If these images could speak they would tell two very different stories of a lifetime of struggle and triumph, devotion and dedication, self sacrifice and benevolence, persistence and perseverance, and unconditional love and undying care, but … [Read more...]
Silent Adventure
Recently, I have been publishing less of my experiences in the Philippines. With many thoughts, feelings and emotions that have come and gone, those that hurt and those that cheer, ones that linger and ones that bury deep, I still carefully record and document them. My feelings are mixed, but nonetheless bold. My stories and experiences flow strong and continuous, yet my voice … [Read more...]
TOMS Shoes putting thing into per’SPEC’tive
After the TOMS "One Day Without Shoes" Event I felt the strong urge to check out what really goes on behind the company's motto of "One For One." A couple weeks ago I had the wonderful opportunity to visit a very special organization. Along side the dedicated LBC Foundation, we headed to Maricaban in Pasay City, home to the SPECS Foundation. The company's name spells out their … [Read more...]
Tom’s Shoes: One Day Without Shoes
"On April 10th, I'm going barefoot so kids don't have to..." What is One Day Without Shoes? One Day Without Shoes is an annual event TOMS holds throughout the world. For one day, an hour, or even just ten minutes, they encourage everyone to take off their shoes to understand the importance of shoes and raise awareness on the impact of a pair of shoes can make on an … [Read more...]
Back From Another Country to Reunite with Club
After a long trip to Dubai and Qatar with the National Team, we returned to the Philippines to rejoin our clubs efforts in taking on the UFL League. Jason Sabio, Joshua Beloya and myself landed late Friday night with a couple things on our minds. With a 8 hour flight behind us, the main focus was rest and recuperation, but more importantly we had a very crucial Kaya FC match to … [Read more...]
Birthday Celebrations: Sharing Life and Love with those Around You
This January 24th, 2012, I turn 27 years old. Since I was a young boy, I never really put too much emphasis on my own birthday. It was never something I really looked forward to, nor did I truly ever buy into the day being all that special for myself. Perhaps it was the way I was raised or maybe I just didn't like the attention of being the birthday boy. Either way, I always … [Read more...]
