INTERESTING CONVERSATION
An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.He asks one of his new Christian students to stand and.....
Professor: You are a Christian, aren't you, son?
Student : Yes, sir.
Prof: So you believe in God?
Student : Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student : Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student : Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him.Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't.How is this God good then? Hmm?(Student is silent.)
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?
Student :Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student : No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student : From...God...
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student : Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student : Yes.
Prof: So who created evil?(Student does not answer.)
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness?All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student :Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them?(Student has no answer.)
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe theworld around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student : No , sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student : Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.
Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student : And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student : No sir. There isn't.(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat,white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold.We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word weuse to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something.You can have low light, normal light , bright light, flashing light....But if youhave no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality.You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God.You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure.Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism,but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)
Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?(The class is in uproar.)
Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?(The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it?.....No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student : That is it sir.. The link between man & God is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.
thank you ms. gamboa for forwarding this to me :)
Aug 24, 2006
Aug 23, 2006
on the road again...
well, after six months in our current address, we are set to move, again...
it's so unfortunate that we have to transfer but because of some misunderstanding with our current building admin, we have decided to just set up shop somewhere else.
we might go back to ortigas or we might get lucky and just move a couple of blocks away...don't worry, as soon as ian weaves his magic and hooks us up to the internet, you'll know where i'm at.
so much for this....
and to that belligerent lawyer, you are a disgrace to the ibp...shame on you.
it's so unfortunate that we have to transfer but because of some misunderstanding with our current building admin, we have decided to just set up shop somewhere else.
we might go back to ortigas or we might get lucky and just move a couple of blocks away...don't worry, as soon as ian weaves his magic and hooks us up to the internet, you'll know where i'm at.
so much for this....
and to that belligerent lawyer, you are a disgrace to the ibp...shame on you.
Aug 14, 2006
oh my...
Aug 8, 2006
wow, it has been ages since i've posted and i know you're tired of looking at the same stuff, day in and day out. unfortunately, the event that is incidentally my life as we may all know it, has been very, very hectic, crazed, topsy-turvy and all that sort of crap.
i was hit by the flu and of course, what do you know, my asthma couldn't be far behind. i guess my resistance is very weak since i have been getting sick a lot lately.
well, the workload hasn't abated and if i can actually share some sordid details about the predicament we find ourselves in :)), i will in the very near future. that has been taking up most of my time.
but there is one thing i haven't mentioned...i got something on july 18, 2006 that has definitely got me grinning...now i can concentrate on other stuff :))
i was hit by the flu and of course, what do you know, my asthma couldn't be far behind. i guess my resistance is very weak since i have been getting sick a lot lately.
well, the workload hasn't abated and if i can actually share some sordid details about the predicament we find ourselves in :)), i will in the very near future. that has been taking up most of my time.
but there is one thing i haven't mentioned...i got something on july 18, 2006 that has definitely got me grinning...now i can concentrate on other stuff :))
Jun 26, 2006
simple pleasures
Instructions: Name ten of life's simple pleasures that you like the most, then pick ten people to do the same. Try to be original and creative and not to use things that someone else has already used.
Here are my ten simple pleasures:
1. Sleeping until I can't keep my eyes shut anymore (read: about 10 - 12 hours)
2. Cottage cheese and peaches
3. The malls!
4. Books and Magazines (especially those that were just delivered, you can't beat the scent of those magazines when you tear off the plastic and flip through the pages for the first time...)
5. A text or e-mail from a "long-lost" friend
6. Hugs...since that traumatic episode in my life, hugs from my best friends and family say it all; they're all the comfort i need...
7. My fully-charged 6230i loaded with my mp3's of the moment and a road trip. even if it's just from the taft station to the north avenue MRT station, okay na ako dun.
8. A smile from my adorable goddaughter julia...
9. Coffee, coffee, coffee...
10. My "jeans and t-shirt" days...
hmmm...ten people? oh well, whoever visits my blog, please feel free to answer this and post it on your blog...
May 9, 2006
Northern Exposure - Part 4
remember i promised to tell you more about sm baguio? well, since the "quartet" split up, rose and i went to sm baguio. this time, we decided to take the side entrance because rose wanted to take a pic of the signage. anyway, we noticed that people were going down a stairway off to the side of the building and what do we find? the fiesta strip walkway!
sm certainly did its part in utilizing baguio's scenery and natural landscape to its advantage. the walkway showcases statues (unfortunately i couldn't tell whether they were made of wood or bronze or whatever material...my guess? wood...) representing the different tribes such as the kalingas, the ifugaos, etc.
(top row, l-r: view from the top of the stairs, more statues below, the kalingas, second row: the ifugao and rose :), numbered trees)
it was such a refreshing sight. that's why i also love hanging out or strolling around greenbelt 3, there's a "park"! another wonderful thing about sm baguio is that all floors have a balcony or balconahe as they call it. the restaurants have tables out on the balconahe so that when baguio weather permits, you can dine outside and enjoy the cool air that's definintely a baguio trademark. that is definitely al fresco!
(top row, l-r: "down below", baguio from the balcony; 2nd row: aileen and rona with baguio as their backdrop, "kasya ba tayo? tignan natin!" - all these pics were taken during our first day in baguio, after lunch)
so, rose and i met her sister (and her friend) & had dinner together at mann hann (of course, out on the balcony!). they had to leave early so, we waited for aileen and rona (who scoured all the stores to finish their ukay-ukay shopping) who also had dinner there. afterwards, it was off to starbucks sm baguio.
sm certainly did its part in utilizing baguio's scenery and natural landscape to its advantage. the walkway showcases statues (unfortunately i couldn't tell whether they were made of wood or bronze or whatever material...my guess? wood...) representing the different tribes such as the kalingas, the ifugaos, etc.
(top row, l-r: view from the top of the stairs, more statues below, the kalingas, second row: the ifugao and rose :), numbered trees)
it was such a refreshing sight. that's why i also love hanging out or strolling around greenbelt 3, there's a "park"! another wonderful thing about sm baguio is that all floors have a balcony or balconahe as they call it. the restaurants have tables out on the balconahe so that when baguio weather permits, you can dine outside and enjoy the cool air that's definintely a baguio trademark. that is definitely al fresco!
(top row, l-r: "down below", baguio from the balcony; 2nd row: aileen and rona with baguio as their backdrop, "kasya ba tayo? tignan natin!" - all these pics were taken during our first day in baguio, after lunch)
so, rose and i met her sister (and her friend) & had dinner together at mann hann (of course, out on the balcony!). they had to leave early so, we waited for aileen and rona (who scoured all the stores to finish their ukay-ukay shopping) who also had dinner there. afterwards, it was off to starbucks sm baguio.
now, rose and i had to check out starbucks. we're coffee junkies and i heard that the pastries in baguio are one-of-a-kind becuase of the assortment of fruits that are available in baguio. but to my dismay, the pastry bin left a lot to be desired. there wasn't any crema de fruita nor strawberry shortcake. actually, there were only a few pieces and slices of the usual dome cake, belgian waffles and other cakes you can find here in manila. so, we just ordered our coffee (i had one of my favorites: the cinnamon struesel latte) and we chose a spot in the corner at nagkuwentuhan na lang kami.
then we went home....
before we left the next day, we had a quick breakfast at the chalet's restaurant, pretty decent if i may add then it was off to the terminal to end our baguio getaway...
hay...i hope to go back to baguio, pick some strawberries and maybe see other places and eat more food that it has to offer. and i hope to do that soon, not in another 18 years...
May 8, 2006
Northern Exposure - Part 3
sunday...it was our last day to go around the city. we started the day with a mass at St. Joseph the Worker in Pacdal. this is the same church where aga muhlach and charlene gonzales got married. of course, i couldn't take pictures inside but from outside...
when we got there, we found out that we were late for the 8 a.m. mass but extremely early for the 9 a.m. mass. so, to make the most out of our time, we crossed the street to get to wright park. this is where you get to see, ride and pose with the ponies and horses. now, rona really wanted to have a picture sitting on a horse. so we got to the part of the park where you can pose with a pony or a horse for a fee. in baguio, whenever you take pictures or pose somewhere or with someone, there's a fee...
(l-r: aileen, rona atop a pony, the quartet posing in front of the horses and ponies lined up. )
after that, we made our way back to church heard mass then had brunch at don henrico's along session road then it was off to strawberry farm! woohoo!
now, one of my favorite fruits (aside from melon/cantaloupe and peaches) is of course, the strawberry. i love it as lip balm, body spray, body wash, bubble gum, freshly picked, with cream, with my cereal, as jam together with butter...oh wow...so, i was really excited to go to the farm. the farm is located in la trinidad, benguet. from session road, it took us about 30 minutes to get there. unfortunately, there weren't enough strawberries anymore because people flocked to the farm as early as friday...we went there on a sunday...
strawberry fields forever...
do you notice how far off the people are in the picture? that meant that from the point closest to where i was, up to where you see the people, the "bushes" were picked clean. i overheard someone say "wala ng strawberry, dati dito pa lang, nakikita mo na yung mga pulang bunga..." oh well, maybe the next time i go to baguio, there'll be red dots in the picture...
but i was happy just to have been "in" the field. i just imagined it all red, with so many strawberries waiting to be picked...*sigh*...
we just crossed the street to buy some things that we wanted to take back to manila. then, we decided to head back to the chalet to "deposit" what we bought then it was off to the Baguio Botanical Gardens.
since it was only about 300 meters from the chalet, we decided to walk to the gardens and breathe in the crisp baguio air.
(l-r: walking down tepeyac's driveway onto leonard wood road towards the botanical garden, at the entrance, aileen & rona inside the garden)
(l-r: a park within a park, goofballs posing, rona got another wish granted - a picture with an igorot)
after the botanical garden, we decided to split up since aileen wanted to go to the ukay-ukay again; rona went with her. rose & i went back to sm to meet her sister who was in baguio as well...
when we got there, we found out that we were late for the 8 a.m. mass but extremely early for the 9 a.m. mass. so, to make the most out of our time, we crossed the street to get to wright park. this is where you get to see, ride and pose with the ponies and horses. now, rona really wanted to have a picture sitting on a horse. so we got to the part of the park where you can pose with a pony or a horse for a fee. in baguio, whenever you take pictures or pose somewhere or with someone, there's a fee...
(l-r: aileen, rona atop a pony, the quartet posing in front of the horses and ponies lined up. )
after that, we made our way back to church heard mass then had brunch at don henrico's along session road then it was off to strawberry farm! woohoo!
now, one of my favorite fruits (aside from melon/cantaloupe and peaches) is of course, the strawberry. i love it as lip balm, body spray, body wash, bubble gum, freshly picked, with cream, with my cereal, as jam together with butter...oh wow...so, i was really excited to go to the farm. the farm is located in la trinidad, benguet. from session road, it took us about 30 minutes to get there. unfortunately, there weren't enough strawberries anymore because people flocked to the farm as early as friday...we went there on a sunday...
strawberry fields forever...
do you notice how far off the people are in the picture? that meant that from the point closest to where i was, up to where you see the people, the "bushes" were picked clean. i overheard someone say "wala ng strawberry, dati dito pa lang, nakikita mo na yung mga pulang bunga..." oh well, maybe the next time i go to baguio, there'll be red dots in the picture...
but i was happy just to have been "in" the field. i just imagined it all red, with so many strawberries waiting to be picked...*sigh*...
we just crossed the street to buy some things that we wanted to take back to manila. then, we decided to head back to the chalet to "deposit" what we bought then it was off to the Baguio Botanical Gardens.
since it was only about 300 meters from the chalet, we decided to walk to the gardens and breathe in the crisp baguio air.
(l-r: walking down tepeyac's driveway onto leonard wood road towards the botanical garden, at the entrance, aileen & rona inside the garden)
(l-r: a park within a park, goofballs posing, rona got another wish granted - a picture with an igorot)
after the botanical garden, we decided to split up since aileen wanted to go to the ukay-ukay again; rona went with her. rose & i went back to sm to meet her sister who was in baguio as well...
May 5, 2006
Northern Exposure - Part 2
the ukay-ukay is very famous here in manila. you see a lot of stalls that have a banner outside proclaiming they're an authentic ukay-ukay outlet. but i believe that the original ukay-ukay concept came from baguio. also known as wagwagan, this is where you'll find clothes, shoes, bags, toys and believe it or not, underwear for sale. the items are either second-hand, slightly used (underwear, slightly-used? uh, i'll pass...), brand new, maybe even from customs. a lot of people have found items that are truly a bargain (imagine an authentic - i suspect class a - ralph lauren handbag goin' for a hundred bucks!!!). that is if you have enough patience, stamina and perseverance to go from stall to stall, floor to floor and literally dig thru heaps or boxes of items to get those fashion finds.
i was so tempted to take pictures of the bayanihan ukay-ukay (THE place for ukay-ukay stalls according to the taxi driver and rose's friend) but my camera might end up in one of the stores so, never mind. we were also advised that 3 - 4 p.m. is the most ideal time to go to the ukay-ukay since that's when the goods turn up (read: bagsakan ng mga tinda).
so, at the bayanihan building (yes, it's a building!) we started our treasure hunt for items that might catch our fancy. what i didn't know was that aileen wanted to update or add some pieces to her wardrobe thus, the ukay-ukay was where she really wanted to go. i on the otherhand, was there for the experience. now i can truly say that i've seen and gone through the ukay-ukay! :)) after stalls and stalls and a couple of floors, it's off to the hilltop area for more ukay-ukay finds. hilltop is like the palengke but along the street, it's not just the vegetables and fruits that take centerstage. look for all the cots lined up laden with shirts, bags, track suits, jackets and all that stuff...
aileen purchased a couple of items, rona and rose got a bag and i, well, i really didn't get anything - i couldn't find anything that i wanted. so, we decided to go somewhere else...we found ourselves in a taxi going to camp john hay...
now, Camp John Hay is a place that i often hear about from our good friend T. they always stayed at the manor in CJH. unfortunately, we couldn't explore CJH as we should've. we were a bit tired and it was almost evening so we settled for the butterfly sanctuary, then the el rancho resto and the filling station.
(l-r: rona and rose beside the entrance, a goddess in the middle of the sanctuary and, before you leave the sanctuary, the caretaker allows you to pose with 2 or 3 butterflies that "cling" to you while you take a picture. here, it's rose's turn...)
(l-r: rose and rona posing beside the wishing well at el rancho, the signage that beckons you to savor the oh-so delicious strawberry and ice cream concoctions they have...)
our stomachs still wanted to have dinner even if we just had so much strawberries, mangoes and ice cream. so, it was off to Cafe By The Ruins.
Cafe by the Ruins is known for their coffee and scrumptuous bread (their hot chocolate is good too!). unfortunately, i had neither since i wanted rice for dinner. but i do vow to have that when i return ...
(l-r: one of their delicious salads, the baguio bounty - alfalfa sprouts, shrimps, chicken, bananas, mangoes and of course strawberries!!!; for my main course i tried their longanisang hubad...there's also mountain rice - like brown rice - and an egg..)
tummies content, body weary from all that walking, we go home and rest for tomorrow is a long day...
i was so tempted to take pictures of the bayanihan ukay-ukay (THE place for ukay-ukay stalls according to the taxi driver and rose's friend) but my camera might end up in one of the stores so, never mind. we were also advised that 3 - 4 p.m. is the most ideal time to go to the ukay-ukay since that's when the goods turn up (read: bagsakan ng mga tinda).
so, at the bayanihan building (yes, it's a building!) we started our treasure hunt for items that might catch our fancy. what i didn't know was that aileen wanted to update or add some pieces to her wardrobe thus, the ukay-ukay was where she really wanted to go. i on the otherhand, was there for the experience. now i can truly say that i've seen and gone through the ukay-ukay! :)) after stalls and stalls and a couple of floors, it's off to the hilltop area for more ukay-ukay finds. hilltop is like the palengke but along the street, it's not just the vegetables and fruits that take centerstage. look for all the cots lined up laden with shirts, bags, track suits, jackets and all that stuff...
aileen purchased a couple of items, rona and rose got a bag and i, well, i really didn't get anything - i couldn't find anything that i wanted. so, we decided to go somewhere else...we found ourselves in a taxi going to camp john hay...
now, Camp John Hay is a place that i often hear about from our good friend T. they always stayed at the manor in CJH. unfortunately, we couldn't explore CJH as we should've. we were a bit tired and it was almost evening so we settled for the butterfly sanctuary, then the el rancho resto and the filling station.
(l-r: rona and rose beside the entrance, a goddess in the middle of the sanctuary and, before you leave the sanctuary, the caretaker allows you to pose with 2 or 3 butterflies that "cling" to you while you take a picture. here, it's rose's turn...)
(l-r: rose and rona posing beside the wishing well at el rancho, the signage that beckons you to savor the oh-so delicious strawberry and ice cream concoctions they have...)
our stomachs still wanted to have dinner even if we just had so much strawberries, mangoes and ice cream. so, it was off to Cafe By The Ruins.
Cafe by the Ruins is known for their coffee and scrumptuous bread (their hot chocolate is good too!). unfortunately, i had neither since i wanted rice for dinner. but i do vow to have that when i return ...
(l-r: one of their delicious salads, the baguio bounty - alfalfa sprouts, shrimps, chicken, bananas, mangoes and of course strawberries!!!; for my main course i tried their longanisang hubad...there's also mountain rice - like brown rice - and an egg..)
tummies content, body weary from all that walking, we go home and rest for tomorrow is a long day...
May 4, 2006
Northern Exposure
i knew that a trip to baguio wasn't just 3 or 4 hours. i was prepared for 5 or 6. unfortunately, it turned out to be an 8 hour trip! oh boy! and we only had 2 bus stops with about 15-20 minutes each...whew! my tushy certainly remembered the trip! from 5 a.m. - 11 a.m. though, we didn't really mind since we were fast asleep. i regained consciousness just in time for the last bus stop in sison, pangasinan...well of course, that was lunchtime, my grumbling stomach woke me up...
i don't remember the road going to baguio & i didn't get a glimpse of the lion head that signalled baguio. (for those who know the roads leading to baguio, please forgive my ignorance) but i knew we were approaching baguio because it was hard to miss the "zig zag" road...
we arrived before 1 p.m.. as i got off the bus, i was expecting a cooler climate. alas, it wasn't as cool as i expected it would be. but it was definitely better than the sweltering heat in manila! anyway, first thing to do: secure our tickets back home to manila; we fell in line for another 30 mins to get our return tickets and then it was off to Chalet Tepeyac to check-in.
Tepeyac doesn't exactly offer 5-star hotel service. it's what i expected it would be: quaint. i forgot to take pictures of the room but from the driveway this is what greets you:
(l-r: reception area and dining, rooms (3 floors) and a function hall or should i say, a function "cottage")
after freshening up, it was off to sm baguio.
now, those who know me well, know i'm a certified mall rat. and so is rose. therefore, we weren't going to leave baguio without checking out sm baguio. in terms of structure, it's like sm fairview. but, i'll talk about sm later. our first stopover was a restaurant since we were famished. unfortunately for us, it was the weekend, it was payday weekend and it was the 3-day weekend sale of sm baguio. now weekend in this post translates to a throng, mob or mulititude of people. it seems like half of manila or maybe even luzon was up in baguio! every restaurant was jam-packed but we managed to get a table at carlo's pizza.
after satisfying our stomachs, the planning session began. i forgot to tell you that we bought a map of baguio to help us plan the itinerary.
(l-r: rona, rose and aileen)
and so for the rest of the day it was the ukay-ukay and camp john hay. :))
i don't remember the road going to baguio & i didn't get a glimpse of the lion head that signalled baguio. (for those who know the roads leading to baguio, please forgive my ignorance) but i knew we were approaching baguio because it was hard to miss the "zig zag" road...
we arrived before 1 p.m.. as i got off the bus, i was expecting a cooler climate. alas, it wasn't as cool as i expected it would be. but it was definitely better than the sweltering heat in manila! anyway, first thing to do: secure our tickets back home to manila; we fell in line for another 30 mins to get our return tickets and then it was off to Chalet Tepeyac to check-in.
Tepeyac doesn't exactly offer 5-star hotel service. it's what i expected it would be: quaint. i forgot to take pictures of the room but from the driveway this is what greets you:
(l-r: reception area and dining, rooms (3 floors) and a function hall or should i say, a function "cottage")
after freshening up, it was off to sm baguio.
now, those who know me well, know i'm a certified mall rat. and so is rose. therefore, we weren't going to leave baguio without checking out sm baguio. in terms of structure, it's like sm fairview. but, i'll talk about sm later. our first stopover was a restaurant since we were famished. unfortunately for us, it was the weekend, it was payday weekend and it was the 3-day weekend sale of sm baguio. now weekend in this post translates to a throng, mob or mulititude of people. it seems like half of manila or maybe even luzon was up in baguio! every restaurant was jam-packed but we managed to get a table at carlo's pizza.
after satisfying our stomachs, the planning session began. i forgot to tell you that we bought a map of baguio to help us plan the itinerary.
(l-r: rona, rose and aileen)
and so for the rest of the day it was the ukay-ukay and camp john hay. :))
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