Peace

AFTER all the news and blogs about the more recent inefficiencies in government service, here's some good news for a change. Let's celebrate our fine soldiers who have just taken over peacekeeping duties in the Golan Heights! Last Oct. 22, the Polish forces lowered their national flag and gave way to the Philippine flag which now flies over the still-disputed territory.

All photos here are courtesy of our ex-Today colleague, and now First Secretary Elmer Cato, Peacekeeping Officer of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York (whew!).

(The Polish peacekeepers. Don't you just love those blue berets?)

(Our very brave Filipino soldiers.)

(Maj. Gen. Wolfgang Jilke, commander of the UN Disengagement Observer Force, welcomes Lt. Col. Milfredo Melegrito, commanding officer of the Philippine contingent and his troops.)

(Lt. Col. Melegrito receives the key to Camp Ziouani, headquarters of the UN peacekeeping forces w/c also includes troops from Austria, Canada, Croatia, India, and Japan.)

(Keeping watch over the disputed territory.)

Mabuhay ang magigiting na kawal ng Pilipinas!

Guess who's going to the States after all?

SO the Presidentita has decided to go to New York after all to speak before the United Nations General Assembly. Sure you can argue your eyeballs out why it's an important forum and all, but that's why we have Ambassadors, a Foreign Secretary, and other Cabinet Secretaries or diplomats to make the Philippines' case be heard. That's their job. Now that the global financial system is being shaken to its knees, I think it's more important that the Presidentita stay here to give an image of calm and stability to us Filipinos, dontcha think?

My bet is she's having a heart-to-heart with former AIG chair Hank Greenberg to consult him what to do w/ her own personal investments after the financial bloodbath in New York. Greenberg, as you all know, is an "adviser" to the Presidentita, supposedly to guide her administration on its economic policies. Kuno.

And of course, there is that sale at Barneys. (Well, hell yeah, the Christian Loubotins are down to $300!)

Peace through the Global Mala Project

I am a serious yoga....backslider (hehe). I try to practice at least twice a week, but you know how it is, the work just keeps piling up. And I miss my teachers like Liz Dyogi, Mo-ching Yip, Prakash Bisht...who either have classes that are too early for my consciousness (like Liz), or far away (as in the case of Mo), or who have moved, like Prakash.

These days, the yoga class I usually attend because it's schedule-friendly for me is a 1 PM Friday gentle flow yoga class at a gym nearby. The teacher is okay; it's just that the class can be annoying because some members just can't remember to switch off their cellphones...hay. So if you can imagine relaxing in your savasana (corpse pose, lying on your back) and winding down after an hour's challenging poses, then a cellphone rings, breaking your peace and meditative state! Waaah! But I think I'm better now at doing a chaturanga (it's like a men's push-up) than a year ago...so I suppose the once-a-week class works kahit paano.


Anyway, I got this interesting announcement from the mail. Sounds cool. I think I may join it.

According to the project web site, "the purpose of the Global Mala is to unite the global yoga community from every continent, school or approach to form a 'mala around the earth' through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of 108 on Sept. 21st and 22nd, Fall Equinox as the yoga world's offering to further the UN International Peace Day." A "mala" is sacred prayer beads used in India and Tibet as "meditative guides."

One of the featured yoga instructors on Saturday is Linda Naulty (see schedule below) whom I met in Boracay before. We were classmates at Mandala Spa's three-day yoga retreat w/c Mo-ching taught. Of course Linda was so many lifetimes ahead of the rest of us losers in that class hehe. But what is interesting also about Linda is she does reiki healing, and I had a very short test session w/ her then. But I swear it got rid of a lot of negative vibes I had about certain people.

Anyhoo, to know more about the Global Mala Project, click here

GLOBAL MALA PROJECT
SATURDAY/ SEPT 20, 2008
9AM-9PM
@ PULSE YOGA MAKATI
2289 UPRC III Building, Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati (next to chrysler showroom, follow the driveway to the back of the building) tel: 0917-84-PULSE (78573) ---please RSVP to reserve space.

SUGGESTED DONATION FEE: PHP 1,000 ( whole day admission)

Day Flow:

9:00am Opening Ceremony/ Welcome greetings

9:30am-10:30am 108 Rounds of Gayatri Mantra

10:00am-12:00nn 108 Rounds of Namaskars

12-1 pm L U N C H

*there will be simultaneous sessions going on all afternoon

1:15pm-2:00pm Lecture: Beyond the Seven Chakras with Jeannie Javelosa (Yoga Manila)

2:00pm-3:30pm Drumming Workshop with Inky de Dios (Bateria Brigada)

2:30pm-3:30pm Gentle Yoga with Linda Naulty (Yoga Manila)

3:30pm-4:30pm Inner dance workshop with Lisette (Inner Dance Manila)

4:00pm-5:00pm Intro to Ashtanga with Tessa Celdran (Pulse Yoga)

4:30pm- 5:30pm Bikram Yoga with Pye Trinidad

5:00pm-6:00pm Kirtan with Punnu & Sing India ( Punnu, CJ Vasu & Babaji)

6pm-7pm D I N N E R

7:30PM-8:30pm Yoga Trance Dance with Teresa Herrera

8:30pm-9:00pm CLOSING CEREMONY

Namaste.

The Pope's red shoes

A few days ago, the crackly hosts of The View (Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and Barbara Walters) all wore red shoes in tribute to Pope Benedict XVI who was visiting New York. Apparently they thought the Pope was being fashion forward by daring to wear red shoes which just really stand out against his white cassock.


Far from being fashion savvy (although he wore red Prada loafers a few times before), the Pope is actually just carrying on the tradition from his predecessors who all wore red shoes (except for Pope John Paul II who started wearing a red pair then later switched to brown shoes to symbolize his coming from humble beginnings).

Pope Benedict XVI just wants to show continuity in religious symbols, most especially in the manner of dress and speech for his papacy. (As Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, he often defended traditional Christian doctrine and values. Under his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI has allowed the return of the Tridentine Mass where the priest's back faces worshippers and the entire ceremony is cconducted in Latin. And just two days ago, he spoke French at the beginning of his address at the United Nations assembly. French used to be the "official" language spoken at the UN.)

There are many opinions on how the tradition of wearing red shoes started, with some saying it may be traced to Roman emperors having worn red leather sandals. Or that Pope Benedict XVI wears the color because he was a Cardinal before, and the color stands for a Cardinal's red cassocks.

In a children's book entitled, "Why does the Pope wear red shoes?", the Pope's private secretary said red is the color of martyrdom and "the color of burning love, the color of the fire of the spirit." Of course, that still doesn't thoroughly explain when the tradition started and why it was adopted in the first place.

Whatever the source of this tradition, I think the Pope does look awfully cute in those red leather shoes. And if the girls from The View thought that was being edgy, just wait 'til he pulls out his uber-cool Serengeti shades again.