Nature Soujorn: Tres Marias Falls

Author with Tres Marias falls at background (2009)

Mother nature is such a great wonder that never ceases from unleashing its awesome assets to every human being alive. It never fails to draw one's feeling of dullness and boredom transform to a thrilling excitement and awe as it ventures down to the imagination of every thrill seeker. Nature is always welcoming and enticing, it's as if I'm interconnected with its roots that it bonds to my existence. One such asset is the mysterious Tres Marias falls hidden in a barrio in the municipio of Cateel, Davao Oriental, that holds a very intriguing name because of its three major falls intricately intertwined with minor falls and forms a web-like shape if viewed atop from the huge rocks guiding it.

This nature wonder is enveloped with mystery and reverence as the Mandayas (native settlers in the area) believe it to be the citadel of the gods as well as to the encantos for thousands of years. It serves as a warning to every visitors and natives alike that it should be respected and not to be disturbed.

Tres Marias falls is a never ending experience of refreshment and nostalgia. It made me relinquish momentarily the civilization and forget all the pleasures in the world as I immerse my self deep into it's pure nature water and cascading water falls that's subtly gushing forth towards eternal sojourn. The thick verdant forest engulfing the falls is a living testimony of it's untouched and undisturbed haven, which is a place I passionately call my home.

It's Raining License!!

Wohoho, at last, the long wait is over. The anxiety was replaced with exhilaration.

Yesterday, the PRC released the results of the 2008 November Nursing Licensure Examination and seeing my name in the list made me jump and shout, I was 11,333rd of the 39,455 new Registered Nurses. God is just so good for giving me this opportunity and blessing.

At this very moment, I'm still savoring the feeling of passing the board exam because at last I already harvested what I sowed for four gruelling years in Nursing education.

Ambivalence

I was gone for quiet sometime. I came back with an experience.

Everyday, I have my own story to tell and I can't wait to share, a story wrap with daily experiences filled with hopes and vicissitudes . Everyday is a challenge and everyday is a struggle. I live with it. I was wandering beyond reality. I was finding solace from the Potter's hands asking and crying and blaming.

The first day of this year saw me in my deepest, poignant experience of pain against jubilant celebration of new year. I want to share what transpired as soon as I recovered myself from that desolate feeling of captivity and loneliness, feeling of hatred and revenge, and feeling of sadness and sorrow that it is just a dream, a terrible nightmare that soon I'll wake up.


ALL THE BEST THIS YEAR.

Ska and Reggae Show

Just in time for the post-Halloween party, come and enjoy the night guys. txt me para sabay-sabay ta adto..hehe.. tnx to Kettien fro the info.

Where The Wild Roses Grow

She:
They call me The Wild Rose
But my name was Elisa Day
Why they call me it I do not know
For my name was Elisa Day

He:
From the first day I saw her I knew she was the one
She stared in my eyes and smiled
For her lips were the colour of the roses
That grew down the river, all bloody and wild

She:
When he knocked on my door and entered the room
My trembling subsided in his sure embrace
He would be my first man, and with a careful hand
He wiped at the tears that ran down my face

He:
On the second day I brought her a flower
She was more beautiful than any woman I'd seen
I said, "Do you know where the wild roses grow
So sweet and scarlet and free?"

She:
On the second day he came with a single red rose
Said: "Will you give me your loss and your sorrow"
I nodded my head, as I lay on the bed
He said, "If I show you the roses, will you follow?"

On the third day he took me to the river
He showed me the roses and we kissed
And the last thing I heard was a muttered word
As he knelt (stood smiling) above me with a rock in his fist

He:
On the last day I took her where the wild roses grow
And she lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief
And I kissed her goodbye, said, "All beauty must die"
And lent down and planted a rose between her teeth

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

Copper Inscription: Laguna Copperplate Artifact

Here's an interesting artifact that is in no way related to other ancient Filipino artifacts we know today. Hector Santos, a Filipino History enthusiast, mentioned that this black copper piece of metal later known as the "The Laguna Copperplate Inscription" was accidentally unearthed in 1989 by a man who is dredging sands alongside the shore of Lumbang River where it emptied into Laguna de Ba'y.

As to how it is being passed down until it was brought to the National Museum of the Philippines is intriguing. Let's just put it as a history. Almost all of our artifacts containing incantations, poems, chants or what have you where burned down to ashes by this Spanish friars thinking that they are evil inspired. Unfortunately, we only have a handful of these artifacts that's preserve now.We've lost a significant contact with our brothers in SE Asia primarily because of the impact of Spanish colonization where nothing was left for us to be really identified with our roots.

Original transcription by Hector Santos and translation by Antoon Postma:

Line 1:
swasti shaka warshatita 822 waisakha masa ding jyotisha. chaturthi krishnapaksha so-

Hail! In the Saka-year 822; the month of March-April; according to the astronomer: the 4th day of the dark half of the moon; on

Line 2:
mawara sana tatkala dayang angkatan lawan dengannya sanak barngaran si bukah

Monday. At that time, Lady Angkatan together with her relative, Bukah by name,

Line 3:
anakda dang hwan namwaran di bari waradana wi shuddhapat(t)ra ulih sang pamegat senapati di tundu-

the child of His Honor Namwran, was given, as a special favor, a document of full acquittal, by the Chief and Commander of Tundun,

Line 4:
n barja(di) dang hwan nayaka tuhan pailah jayadewa. di krama dang hwan namwaran dengan dang kaya-
the former Leader of Pailah, Jayadewah. To the effect that His Honor Namwran, through the Honorable Scribe
Line 5:
stha shuddha nu di parlappas hutangda wale(da)nda kati 1 suwarna 8 di hadapan dang hwan nayaka tuhan pu-

was totally cleared of a debt to the amount of 1 kati and 8 suwarna (weight of gold), in the presence of His Honor the Leader of Puliran,

Line 6:
liran ka sumuran. dang hwan nayaka tuhan pailah barjadi ganashakti. dang hwan nayaka tu-

Kasumuran; His Honor the Leader of Pailah, namely: Ganasakti; (and) His Honor the Leader

Line 7:
han binwangan barjadi bishruta tathapi sadanda sanak kaparawis ulih sang pamegat de-

of Binwangan, namely: Bisruta. And (His Honor Namwran) with his whole family, on orders by the Chief of Dewata,

Line 8:
wata [ba]rjadi sang pamegat medang dari bhaktinda di parhulun sang pamegat. ya makanya sadanya anak

representing the Chief of Mdang, because of his loyalty as a subject (slave?) of the Chief, therefore all the descendants

Line 9:
chuchu dang hwan namwaran shuddha ya kaparawis di hutangda dang hwan namwaran di sang pamegat dewata. ini gerang

of His Honor Namwran have been cleared of the whole debt that His Honor owed the Chief of Dewata. This (document) is (issued) in case

Line 10:
syat syapanta ha pashchat ding ari kamudyan ada gerang urang barujara welung lappas hutangda dang hwa ...

there is someone, whosoever, some time in the future, who will state that the debt is not yet acquitted of His Honor...

Oyog-oyog: a Mandaya Lullaby

Mandayas are known to be be music lovers. The folk songs reflects their intimate relationship with Mother earth and the attitude they have towards the environment and the world. Oyog-oyog is a folk song that deals with Pagka-iso (Childhood) and Gugma nang Ginikanan (Parental Love). Here's an Oyog-oyog (Mandaya by Joel Velasquez):

Oyog-oyog, mag oyog-oyog . . .
Masinga nang Bullawan
Diyanay yagadadallawon
Baan sumngaw makawong
Dumallaw makagwa
Walla kaw sa pangubsa
Walla kaw sa pangkawasa,
Nang mallugon diabongan mo
Magaon na siollambodan mo;
Malaygon sa gigiba
Pugtok sa llollumpasi.

Walla sa pangungubsa
Wa sa pangawasa;

Awson pagpaka-indo
Ubson magpakagawa.

La - la - la- la - larin - larin . . .