DRIVE-THRU by Stephanie Jones Jallorina
"TO THE PLAYGROUND, SHALL WE?"
May and June, a back-to-back blast! BBB for short it is!
We should vote this May 10 because there is hope for and in our country and that the annointed one who takes the wheel in June, shall manuever us to a better Philippines, suffice to say.
Flower festivals, Santa Cruzan, Fiestas and Unang Ulan ng Mayo are Philippine beliefs, traditions and cores of Filipino faith that drumfills the month of May with bountiful harvests and, kindred celebrations and merry-making. On May 30th at Oji, the group of Leytenos and Samarenos here in Japan (LSJ) shall once more bring Filipinos - the faith, the family, the tradition and, the values - closer to our Japanese and other foreign friends.
June which caps the spring season, usually unite couples in matrimony for a lifetime of bliss and, in starting a new generation of beauty and glory.
We might be having all the jitters as our schedules become tight, planning here and there, preparing left and right BUT STOP!!! Will you?... And rather, to the play ground, shall we go? Yes, away from office, away from work, away from school... back to childhood, when during summer, as it is now in the Philippines, all we do is play and have fun. Didn't they say, "all work and no play, makes Juan a not-so-cute (sorry, "dull" is too harsh for me to even refer to) Filipino?"
I asked friends to share their fond memories of childhood games and hola, they even consulted Wikipedia and Nipponia for us to easily imagine fun, amusement and interludes.
Make Rika-chan Walk. KimBum, an only child raised in Japan, recalls that for most years she was entertained by Barbie and Rika-chan (Barbie's Japanese counterpart). She would make up stories, write them and do some storytelling to her very patient and understanding parents and family. I can well relate because I have a niece who, while telling her stories, would oblige me to draw my stories. God knows how I tried to make it simple because even the verbs "run" and "walk" (e.g. the princess runs) were surprisingly hard to illustrate.
There's Ayam in the Hole. Speaking of "run", Ayam who grew in the Philippines, shares some stint when she was only four years old. God, it was so hilarious! Plain and cute, she was this quiet little girl curious of the park's "swing" and luckily, had some help from an aunt. The aunt, however, came absent-minded at some point that she pushed Ayam hard and lo, and not the swing to my utter amusement. BUT wait!!! There's more!! The poor girl for some seconds had a tour of the world and the next, landed on a creamy, black, chocolate chamber we call, "manhole." Laugh out loud I did! But you know, defensive as we naturally are, Ayam was (also) surprisingly on a stand-fall as if she was on an invisible spaceship having her royal descent; very impressive!
Kick Me Or Kicked Out? For one, how we manage to stay afloat against the magnitude of time we owe to the kinds of games we were accustomed to during childhood. KimBum added that though feminine as she was and still is, she enjoyed playing even with the "boys once" the games of Hide-and-Seek (to take some break AND, make do), Cops and Robbers (to be vigilant and, sensitive), Dodgeball (to avoid being conquered by any difficulty), Baseball (that it is how you play the league) and, Japanese games such as Daruma san ga koronda or the daruma doll fell over (to be wise) and Hanaichimonme (to live and have fun). Jemy, the "boy once" in Philippines, was almost kicked out because of Philippines' national sport "Sipa" or "the game of kick" as per Wikipedia. Stray musing to the game was that he has hit and broken his teacher's specs!!! Tsk, Tsk!
There is more to life, in playgrounds, in games. It is not all work and school, sometimes it only takes a reminiscing of childhood plays. Let us have that needed big-bang break, drive through and back! Yes, literally, big-bang break from all pressures and stress; another definition of BBB, how is that? Cheers!
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J-WAY by Joseph de Leon
The ULILA Foundation’s 2010 Nationwide Outreach Missions
Bringing smiles to the faces of the children has been one of my missions and passions in life and I am happy that in my own little ways and with the support of other people, I have brought smiles to the faces of many children (aside from my students since 1994 to date). After putting up my foundation (The ULILA Foundation) last December 1, 2008, I humbly thank all my volunteers, donors and coordinators because you helped me serve more 5,500 indigent children and collected more than 75,000 pieces of clothes and school items as of this writing. My 7-day Nationwide Semana Santa Outreach Mission held last March 25 to April 1, 2010 in Sucat Paranaque, Manila (LUZON), Mambaling Cebu City (VISAYAS), Barangay Mayon St. Davao City and Zamboanga City (MINDANAO) was a great success through the support of Ms. Josie Nistal (Sponsor of my roundtrip ticket: Japan-Cebu and Vice-versa); Ms. Cristina Cortez of Subarashi Cargo (Monthly sponsor of Jumbo Box delivery fee from Japan to the Philippines since January 2009 to date); Rice and Noodles donors Ms. Editha Tanaka, Mr. Bulfa Jeramhiel Doi, Raymunda Ochia, Marita Hirose, Aren Akesada-Lim, Hadji Mohammad Radjaie, Girana Torii, Ms. May Abe, Queen Pub Staff in Moka City, Pinay Store and Paraiso Video Bar -Moka City. Thank you also to my Coordinators: Mr. Rosalino Arcillas and Ms. Margie O. de Leon (Zamboanga City), Ms. Belly Gallardo (Barangay 9A Camus St. Davao City), Mr. Reynan Miranda Guerrero (Sucat, Paranaque, Manila), Bobong and Rene Layar and Family (Mambaling Cebu City), Ms. Cristina Dalusung-Cortez (Metro Manila & Sagip Kapamilya) , Medical and Packing Coordinators Cryzel Revillas , Anna Rose Romano, Mickael Mogol and other nursing students, and Ms. Josie Nistal ( for Filipinos in Tokyo). Outreach Missions (March 25-April 2, 2010) Patalon, San Ramon, Talisayan and Cadalagan , Zamboanga City (March 26-29, 2010).
Our next outreach nationwide outreach mission is on July 23-August 27, 2010. You can share your blessings (cash, food and other items) and be part of this outreach mission by calling me at 080-6744-3859 or email me at my facebook account: josephsdeleon.
In preparation for this outreach mission, I am organizing the Utawit 2010 Tochigi Regional Qualifying Rounds to be held on June 26 (Sat), 1- 4PM at Paraiso Video Bar, Moka City Japan (owned and managed by Rowena Tochigi). The winner will represent Tochigi in the Utawit Grand Finals on Oct. 10, 2010 at Akasaka Kumin Center.
This will be for the benefit of The ULILA Foundation. For sponsorship and for those who wants to join, please contact me at 080-6744-3859 or Ms. Editha Tanaka.
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