My housemate's bro apparently used this to train his missionaries:
If I start talking weird (or normal?!), it's just me attempting at getting back to my roots.
- JD
Showing posts with label Filipino. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Filipino. Show all posts
Monday, December 29, 2014
Filipino Accent Tutorial
One of the parts that stinks about growing up as a Filipino-American is that I don't have a natural tendency to speak with the iconic Filipino accent. It's very distinct. I often use the accent to validate my Filipino Radar™.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Only in the Philippines...
Only in the Philippines would you get a Catholic church featured in a McDonald's commercial.
A translation of the Tagalog words at the end:
"This Christmas, start here each morning. Afterwards, see you later."
A brief explanation:
"This Christmas, start here each morning. Afterwards, see you later."
A brief explanation:
"Simbang Gabi" means "Night Mass", and it is a long-standing tradition for Filipino Catholics. It's a series of nine days leading up to Christmas where the faithful attend Mass before the sun comes up in anticipation and preparation for Christmas as well as to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. I guess it's similar to the Hispanics' tradition of Las Posadas, but with a different focus.
Simbang Gabi is actually becoming more and more popular stateside, even among non-Filipino Catholics. My former bishop was tweeting about it the other day:
Gathering for Simbang Gabi Mass on the Christ Cathedral campus this evening. pic.twitter.com/5PnzCh8HGf
— OC Bishop (@OCBishop) December 21, 2014
My inner Filipino yearns for such a thing to be a thing here where I live.
- JD
- JD
Sunday, January 5, 2014
First Filipino Astronaut!!!
The other day I saw an article on the Interwebs stating that there will be a FIRST FILIPINO ASTRONAUT!!!
Psychology major, CrossFit trainer, age 22, and from a well-known university in the Philippines? Awesome.
As a bonus, I dig that he's taking a Philippine flag AND Rosary with him.
So as a Catholic, Filipino-American, Aerospace Engineering major...I triply think this is a really cool thing! As an added Catholic bonus, he should take a St. Joseph of Cupertino prayer card with him because gravity couldn't hold St. Joseph down! (speaking of gravity...looks like St. Christopher has had his icon up in space too ;-) )
- JD
Pictures from Interaksyon
Originally read about this on Deacon's Bench, referencing Splendor of the Church, referencing Interaksyon
CHYESSS!!!
REPRESENT!!!
I'm brown for that kind of news!!!
From the news article (Interaksyon):
Filipinos will have that proud leap into history as a 22-year-old De La Salle graduate has been named as the first Pinoy astronaut to be sent to space in 2015.Ok, so maybe he's a finalist for a competition sponsored by AXE. Yes, that AXE. Oh, and also by XCOR, who makes the space vehicles that they'll be using. So he's not part of some Philippine space agency. But either way...that's still pretty cool!Daniel Angelo “Chino” Roque, who has a degree in psychology and a crossfit trainer, will join 22 others who were given the once-in-a-lifetime chance by the Florida-based Axe Apollo Space Academy to travel to space for 30 minutes onboard a Space Expedition Corporation shuttle.
In October this year, Roque was among two other Filipinos—Evan Ray Datuin and Ramil Santos—who were selected as finalists in a rigorous and competitive eight-month local AXE National Challenge. The three flew to Orlando, Florida this month to take a five-day course at the Kennedy Center along with 104 other astronaut aspirants from 60 countries.
This training has been designed to simulate space flight and real astronaut training. In true Hunger Games fashion, the aim of the delegates was to honor the countries they represented, and as they competed for the 23 tickets to space, of which one is reserved for one of the three Filipino candidates.
Roque was selected by the AASA Space Camp judging committee led by its chairman Buzz Aldrin, who is also known as the second person to walk on the moon, following Apollo 11 mission commander Neil Armstrong.
Roque has also always dreamt of being an astronaut, just like his fellow candidates. And even if he entered as a replacement to one of the two original finalists from the AXE Apollo National Challenges, his dream will soon be a reality.
In an interview last October, InterAksyon Lifestyle asked what he would bring to space. Roque said he would bring a Filipino flag and rosary.
Roque said that even if people think of them as heroes, everyone could be one. “I don’t think anything will change, as long as I keep my feet on the ground.”
Even then, he added it’s a privilege and responsibility to represent the Philippines. “I have a story to tell, to inspire others.”
Psychology major, CrossFit trainer, age 22, and from a well-known university in the Philippines? Awesome.
As a bonus, I dig that he's taking a Philippine flag AND Rosary with him.
So as a Catholic, Filipino-American, Aerospace Engineering major...I triply think this is a really cool thing! As an added Catholic bonus, he should take a St. Joseph of Cupertino prayer card with him because gravity couldn't hold St. Joseph down! (speaking of gravity...looks like St. Christopher has had his icon up in space too ;-) )
- JD
Pictures from Interaksyon
Originally read about this on Deacon's Bench, referencing Splendor of the Church, referencing Interaksyon
Monday, October 21, 2013
I Shouldn't Assume Things About Pope Francis...
...like assuming that he doesn't speak English. See, when he was chosen in the conclave earlier this year, I heard that he spoke a small handful of languages that didn't include English. I mean, whatever! It doesn't matter to me because I know that there are many, many competent translators out there.
And when I was in Rio De Janeiro over the summer for World Youth Day, he spoke not a single word of English. Every time I heard him speak, it was either Spanish or Italian. Maybe even Portuguese.
But...just the other day...Pope Francis sends a video message in English (supposedly, for the first time during his pontificate) to the Philippines on their first Conference on the New Evangelization! Sure, he's reading from paper, but ...cool!
What a great, simple, heartfelt, and encouraging message he has for the Philippine Church. :-)
To make this short video even cooler...that's my dad's classmate being all cardinal-y at the beginning...and even more impressive is Pope Francis speaking in Tagalog at the end.
Amen, Papa Francesco. Amen.
- JD
And when I was in Rio De Janeiro over the summer for World Youth Day, he spoke not a single word of English. Every time I heard him speak, it was either Spanish or Italian. Maybe even Portuguese.
But...just the other day...Pope Francis sends a video message in English (supposedly, for the first time during his pontificate) to the Philippines on their first Conference on the New Evangelization! Sure, he's reading from paper, but ...cool!
What a great, simple, heartfelt, and encouraging message he has for the Philippine Church. :-)
To make this short video even cooler...that's my dad's classmate being all cardinal-y at the beginning...and even more impressive is Pope Francis speaking in Tagalog at the end.
"Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang Asia! Pagpalain kayo ng Diyos!"And like any Filipino, I'm always impressed when non-Filipinos speak Tagalog. :-D
"Long live the Philippines! Long live Asia! May God bless you!"
Post by News.va English.
Amen, Papa Francesco. Amen.
- JD
Saturday, September 7, 2013
7 Quick Takes (Vol. 12)
--- Preface ---
I must first begin these 7 Quick Takes with a preface. First of all, I have been away from doing 7 Quick Takes for two months now. I got really busy in July and then World Youth Day happened...
...August was spent focusing on other things and random blog posts that felt right to do at the moment. But alas, two months later, I realized that "wow! I haven't done 7 Quick Takes in two months!" So now here we are!
As a fun way to get back into it and to share the awesome moments of my having gone to World Youth Day, I'd like to share my top 7 moments of World Youth Day 2013 in Rio De Janeiro.
It was a challenge to stake out a spot on the beach, but luckily my group go there early enough to enjoy some sandy space. We were, what I would estimate to be, like 5 or 6 football fields away from the stage or the 2nd to last big screen out of the 25 lined up for the prayer vigil.
I actually didn't catch the start of Adoration because I was caught up in other distractions (and I don't think the big TV screens even showed it starting). But I figured it out once I started seeing people kneeling.
The two things that really stick out to me regarding Adoration with Pope Francis on that beach with 3 million others was the profound silence after Pope Francis asked for some moments of sacred silence. Like, seriously. Mountains bowed down and the seas roared, a helicopter buzzed around, but the beach full of pilgrims was silent. And that really was something. I talk about it here in my blog post, The Silence of Millions. The other thing that stood out to me was Matt Maher leading praise and worship during Adoration when he sang, "Lord I Need You." It was incredibly fitting for the moment since he was singing that song on his knees, and the lyrics expressed everyone's sentiment before the Blessed Sacrament. How often do Christian singers get to sing to Jesus, literally?
Close papal encounters of the extra-ordinary kind. Our first day in Rio was the Monday before all the events for World Youth Day happened. Apparently Pope Francis decided to arrive early to speak with political dignitaries and stuff like that. I don't think most people knew he was in town. We didn't know he was in town.
But then...as we were walking back to our hostel that first night...we saw the beginnings of a motorcade pass by. And then lo and behold! IT WAS POPE FRANCIS IN A NON-POPEMOBILE VEHICLE WAVING AT US AS HE PASSED BY!
...and I totally missed it because I didn't make it to the street on time to record it with my camera. But I caught some reaction as well as the World Youth Day Cross and Image of Our Lady pass by.
The next time we encountered Pope Francis was later in the week when he led an Angelus at the cardinal palace. My group caught wind that he would be there and basically camped out all morning in order to get some pretty awesome front row standing room.
And the last extra-ordinary encounter with Pope Francis was when he was on his way to the prayer vigil. A trip to the porta-potty involved lots of waiting in line. But the fruits of our waiting was not only met with relief but Pope Francis passing by in a motorcade! And YES! I did record it this time!
I would say all these moments were extra-ordinary because they really weren't like...the ordinary ways for everyone to see him. It was all about being in the right place at the right time. ;-)
I'm a fan of his music and his hits are a crowd favorite at my parish!
What was really cool was pretty much being the only English speakers present when he gave that concert that night along with our hostel-mates and neighboring diocese friends.
Yes, I recorded that too.
Party in the streets! I can't even begin to tell you how awesome Brazilian people are and much less...how awesome Brazilian Catholics are! They are just so full of joy and fervor! And they were so welcoming to us all!
Our first night (before seeing Pope Francis but after going up to Christ the Redeemer), we found ourselves in a dance party in the streets with a bunch of Brazilians. It involved pretty much any groups of pilgrims that passed by!
Yes, that was recorded as well...
This really helped set the tone of the joy that we would experience throughout the rest of the week in encountering our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ for World Youth Day!
Praying and singing with England. There were three groups staying the hostel that we stayed in for World Youth Day: us, our friends from a neighboring diocese from back home, and a group from England. Our paths would cross every now and then, but I think one of the best highlight moments with them was being able to pray with them, go to Mass with them, and we totally had one night where we just did nothing but praise and worship.
Why yes, I recorded some of that, too!
Seeing my people! I don't mean to be stereotypical, but I think it's not too far fetched to think that most Filipinos are Catholic. And so, during my whole time in Rio, I expected to run into a lot of Filipinos. But, that didn't really happen.
And that's why I got really, really, really irrationally excited when I found groups of Filipinos randomly throughout Rio. There was that one time I saw a small group of Filipinos, but they were from Libya...which that still counted.
But the coolest encounter I had in seeing my fellow Filipinos was that one time we tried to go to Mass, but ended up going to Adoration with a basilica full of Filipinos! YES!!!
I had to take a picture.
On top of the mountains! Our first day in Rio (gosh, that was a really epic day...), we went up to see Cristo Redentor, or the Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the city of Rio De Janeiro on Corcovado mountain.
It was kind of cloudy up there so you couldn't really fully appreciate the fullness of the statue because of the clouds. A cool experience we had up there was having the random opportunity to go to Mass in the tiny chapel beneath Jesus' feet. Our friends from the neighboring diocese conveniently had a priest with them who was willing to celebrate Mass. :-)
And on our last full day of being in Rio, our group had the option to go up the Sugar Loaf Mountains or back to Copacabana Beach for some ocean time. I decided to go to Sugar Loaf to get some good pictures. Or something.
Such great views! And we had gotten in line in the middle of the afternoon, but it worked out that we were heading up the mountain right at sunset and dusk so we were able to see some breathtaking views of Rio De Janeiro at night.
You can check out my #Rio2013 posts by clicking on the label: Rio 2013. And I kept a blog for my group, and you can find that here: SEAS & St. Thomas Aquinas at WYD '13.
For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
Did any of you go to World Youth Day 2013 and blog about it? I'd love to read/hear about it!
Ad Jesum per Mariam,
- JD
Adoration // Youcat.org
Saturday, July 27, 2013
I FOUND MY PEOPLE!!!
As I'm going through these days in Rio, I see so many different people from all over the world. It's so cool to see Brazilians, Germans, Italians, Argentinians, USA-icans, Canadians, Mexicans, Japanese, Koreans, South Africans, Jamaicans, Vietnamese, British, Spaniards, French, Chileans, and many, many more. But one country I've been expecting to find is the Philippines! But I haven't been able to see them until today (Friday)!
Ok, so there was that time the other day where we saw a group of Filipinos, but it was a small group, and they were from Libya (Libya-pinos). Did that count? Meh. Got a picture but it didn't seem satisfactory to me to meet a group not originally from the Philippines.
Today, we were on our way from the hostel to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (our church where we have been having catechesis and Adoration) when I saw Filipino flags waving in a group ahead of us.
I FOUND MY PEOPLE!!!
I awkwardly stalked the caboose of their group and started talking to him in Tagalog. Small talk and the obvious questions. Turns out they were headed to the Basilica as well in order to go to Mass, which is the same reason why we were headed there. When we arrived, my group took our pews.
Turns out that the Philippines was hosting a Holy Hour of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which is Jesus truly present: body, blood, soul. and divinity! We caught the tail end of that hour so we made it in time for Benediction. I was just absolutely thrilled to hear songs and prayers in Tagalog and was even able to follow along with the usual responses thanks to memory and humble knowledge of Tagalog. And the church was filled with groups of Filipinos! Made me want to go, "psst! hoy!" and point with my lips or something.
In this moment, I realized how this experience further emphasized the global, universal reach of the Catholic Church. No, no, no...not as a means for controlling the world...but...as a way to really living out her mission to make disciples of all nations by teaching what Jesus taught. To hear and pray in different languages helps drive that point home, and to see this with the Filipino groups there in Adoration resonates with me.
After Benediction, marking the end of Adoration, we stuck around for Mass. We knew going in that the Mass would be in Vietnamese, but language doesn't matter because the Mass is fundamentally the same no matter what language it is in. But when Vietnamese groups from all over the world started gathering in the church and started doing praise and worship songs, and their bishops didn't put on their vestments, we realized that this was actually not Mass. We realized that this was their catechetical session which followed the same format for our catechetical sessions, which include songs and a lesson from a bishop followed by Mass. Yeah, we didn't stay for Mass because it wouldn't be for another hour or two.
After leaving the church, we saw the Filipinos in the front courtyard/parking lot. I awkwardly stalked a different group to kindly ask them for a combined group photo. Which ended up being awkward because as soon as I got near them, they initiated their own group photo.
But...after some exchanging of Tagalog and English... I managed to get this to happen:
:-D !!!
- JD
Friday, June 14, 2013
7 Quick Takes (Vol. 8)
The temptation, as a Filipino, is something like this:
Challenge accepted. Thank goodness I'm a guy.
#DontForgetYourPAHNTEE
One of the beautiful things about being Catholic is the ability to really dive deep into Christian spirituality. I need to further talk about this in a separate blog post since I'm grossly undertalking about it, but I'll be doing the Total Consecration as prescribed by St. Louis Du Montfort for my trip to Rio. Along with some friends at my parish, I started this past week!
This past week we finally set up a pet gate for my dog to be contained in the kitchen. We actually had a ghetto lattice-fence looking thing from my previous dog but...my current Chihuahua seems to have kangaroo powers and easily climbed/jumped over the old pet gate. This one seems to work a little better, but ...she's tiny enough to pass through 4" spacings...
So there was this one time where I got super bored. Maybe I had a lot of downtime while traveling across the country. Maybe I had just started my (older) blog.
Maybe I was being a really nerdy Catholic.
Maybe Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night" was the popular song of the day.
Maybe I put the two together.
And the result was this: "Last Sunday Night".
Maybe some people I know are actually filming a music video with my Catholicized lyrics. o_O
I'm running a retreat this weekend. It's focused on reflecting on the life of Christ...particularly His Baptism, the Wedding at Cana, Proclaiming the Kingdom, the Transfiguration, and the Institution of the Eucharist. AKA, the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. We're going through these scenes from the Gospels and prayerfully meditating through those passages to come to a deeper understanding of the Word and to see if there's something that God wants us to know through these particular pieces of Scripture.
Cool stuff yo.
Visas. Obtained!
-samba dancing-
--- 7 ---
For what it's worth...the mandatory 10-hour overtime per week is still a mental block to get over. But! As consolation, my Catholic nerdiness is able to grow because that's more Catholic podcasting time! I usually catch up on Catholic Answers podcasts (see sidebar)...and this priest, Fr. John Riccardo. I highly recommend 'em if you're interested!
For what it's worth...the mandatory 10-hour overtime per week is still a mental block to get over. But! As consolation, my Catholic nerdiness is able to grow because that's more Catholic podcasting time! I usually catch up on Catholic Answers podcasts (see sidebar)...and this priest, Fr. John Riccardo. I highly recommend 'em if you're interested!
Friday, May 24, 2013
7 Quick Takes (Vol. 5)
St. Francis (like, of Assisi)...that clever ol' chap...
Luckily, we do have flotation devices scattered throughout the plant.
Let's do take some time in prayer for the victims and families of those affected by the tornado in Moore. It'll take time to recover, and it will not be easy.
Pope Francis invites us to join him in his prayers (via Twitter), as well:
I am close to the families of all who died in the Oklahoma tornado, especially those who lost young children. Join me in praying for them.I know many organizations on the ground helping with the recovery efforts. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is one of the many organizations receiving donations (all kinds) to help victims in the long haul. And it turns out my work is going to match employee donations up to $10,000 so that's pretty cool.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) May 21, 2013
On a happier note, I went to my high school's jazz concert on Tuesday night. I was in the jazz band my senior year of high school and ever since, I've grown to really love and appreciate jazz music. My brother was in jazz band in high school as well, and he's pursuing jazz performance on saxophone at the University of North Texas, which is basically known to have a really awesome jazz/music program...and he also went to this jazz concert because he helped with a rehearsal or two in addition to helping some of the jazz band members prepare through private lessons.
--- 4 ---
Speaking to my brother's friends and former bandmates, I started remembering my college years again. They asked me questions, and much like Radio Shack, I had answers. Strangely, I ended up in a group of new Fightin' Texas Aggies who are starting this fall! WHOOP!
But I realized in my thinking of my college years that...wow, I went through a lot. And my Catholic faith definitely played a role in my college experience and so I ought to share that via my blog at some point. Stay tuned!
I'm sooooo stoked for my trip to Brazil this July! Maybe I did start obtaining items that should help with the trip like...last July...but...now that we're getting closer, I'm starting to take the packing list a little more seriously. This has opened up a world of camping supplies (or the convenience of camping-caliber supplies) previously unknown to me.I also started shopping around for small Texas giveaways to exchange with people around the world because apparently that's like, a thing to do. Unfortunately, I don't really know of any Texas-centric stores other than at the mall. I actually kind of dreaded going to the mall because traffic around the nearest one is terrible due to highway construction and ... malls are crowded...
Doing all the paperwork or obtaining of paperwork for my visa application was a bit of a hassle because I've never gotten something notarized at the bank before. And yes, I did make newb mistakes like not actually bringing the necessary documents to be notarized. Haha oh well, but...in the end, I succeeded! The trials are worth it!
Future blog posts on this, for sure!
Grandma is gone and now my family has to get used to doing the simple things. These things include but are not limited to cooking every meal, folding laundry, yelling at my dog in Tagalog, opening and closing blinds daily, and keeping up with Filipino soap operas (which my mom pretty much has that covered since she also queen of the DVR).
It was funny last weekend because my mom escorted my grandmother to Canada and so that left my dad, my bro, and myself to fend for ourselves in terms of meals. Yeah, we ended up dining out for breakfast and lunch last Saturday...and I ended up cooking Hamburger Helper for the first time in my life for dinner. Milestone moments in life, I know.It was good! And browning ground beef is pretty exciting!
--- 7 ---
The familiar awkward question was asked of me at the jazz concert that I mentioned in --3--. A band parent I have befriended asked me how I was doing since it had been a while. My tired answer to the question is that I'm doing well and ...busy. So, naturally that led her to ask what do I do besides work. And I told her that I volunteer up at my church a lot. I would expect the next question to dig deeper as to exactly what I do in terms of volunteering up at my church...but no.
Her next question was..."have you met a nice girl at your church?" Ah yes, the question regarding my relationship status. I told her that no, I haven't yet... with the assumption that she really meant "are you currently in a dating relationship with a nice girl at your church?" There are a lot of nice girls who go to my church, but I'm not currently dating.
If only she was Catholic...then I think it would make more sense for her to know that...
 |
| ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY BE A SINGLE CATHOLIC AND NOT CONSIDER ALL THE OPTIONS |
Dem takes are quick!
- JD
Thursday, May 9, 2013
34 Filipino Signs
A friend of mine posted on my Facebook wall yesterday with this article, "34 Signs You Grew Up Filipino" ...
First, click that link to open a new window. Then read it. Then read my responses to each, below:
1. Yes! That is totally a normal breakfast. Although usually the rice is garlic fried rice. Fried Spam is delicious! My mom makes this like...at least once a month.
2. Tapsilog! I don't know that I would call it my actual favorite breakfast, but I've only ever had it at Filipino fast food restaurants and it's pretty good. I'm diggin' the garlic fried rice.
3. Ah, this sweet bread is called ensaymada. It's crazy because it is sweet bread made sweeter with sugar and topped with cheese. What's crazier is that this picture is taken from Gemmae Bake Shop, which I always pass by when I visit my family in Long Beach because they live down the street from it.
4. Who makes rice on the stove?! The only way to make rice is to use a rice cooker! But mine aren't flowery--they are metal.
5. Banana ketchup is a must whenever I eat Filipino-style torta (basically, it's type of omelette) and lumpia. It's sweet! And yes, the spicy kind does have a nice kick to it.
6. Maybe I don't have a hundred...but I do have a collection of tsinelas.
7. "Anak" means child, and yes...my mom still calls me that. Though, I'm lucky and have retained my actual name. I think it helps having another sibling because "anak" can be ambiguous when mom is yelling from downstairs that dinner is ready.
8. Actually...perhaps this is just my family...but I refer to lolo and lola as "tatay" and "nanay"... Lolo = grandfather, lola = grandmother...but tatay = father and nanay = mother. YOLO. (that's not a Tagalog word)
9. "Mano po!"... touching the back of an elder's hand to your forehead is a sign of respect. Anytime I would go visit family or godparents, it would be proper of me to ask for their hand, or "mano."
10. Tita = aunt, tito = uncle. Yes, because my dad is 1 of 8 and my mom is 1 of 5. That's a lot of titas and titos. Also, it is totally legit to call my parents' close friends as titas and titos as well. What an awkward revelation finding out that I'm not, in fact, related to some people I've known for a very long time. But perhaps that's the beautiful aspect of Filipino tight-knittedness.
11. I have so many relatives in the Philippines that one giant cardboard box would not be enough. The only times I ever see giant cardboard boxes is when traveling back to the Philippines. Usually these boxes are filled with things to be given to relatives back in the mother land. Or sometimes my grandparents visit home (PS, they live with me), they go for months at a time and end up with multiple giant boxes to bring back with them. Such as these:
32. Actually, I feel like I'm not FOB enough. And that's probably why no one calls me FOB. :-( ... FOB = fresh off the boat, usually in the derogatory sense
33. Ay nako, it is very late now while I'm trying to sulat this blog post! It's past midnight! Gi-gising ako in a few hours! #Taglish
34. Watching this video is like watching my Filipino life. Truth.
- JD
First, click that link to open a new window. Then read it. Then read my responses to each, below:
1. Yes! That is totally a normal breakfast. Although usually the rice is garlic fried rice. Fried Spam is delicious! My mom makes this like...at least once a month.
2. Tapsilog! I don't know that I would call it my actual favorite breakfast, but I've only ever had it at Filipino fast food restaurants and it's pretty good. I'm diggin' the garlic fried rice.
3. Ah, this sweet bread is called ensaymada. It's crazy because it is sweet bread made sweeter with sugar and topped with cheese. What's crazier is that this picture is taken from Gemmae Bake Shop, which I always pass by when I visit my family in Long Beach because they live down the street from it.
4. Who makes rice on the stove?! The only way to make rice is to use a rice cooker! But mine aren't flowery--they are metal.
 |
| The more adorable one on the left is what I used my senior years of college! |
5. Banana ketchup is a must whenever I eat Filipino-style torta (basically, it's type of omelette) and lumpia. It's sweet! And yes, the spicy kind does have a nice kick to it.
6. Maybe I don't have a hundred...but I do have a collection of tsinelas.
8. Actually...perhaps this is just my family...but I refer to lolo and lola as "tatay" and "nanay"... Lolo = grandfather, lola = grandmother...but tatay = father and nanay = mother. YOLO. (that's not a Tagalog word)
9. "Mano po!"... touching the back of an elder's hand to your forehead is a sign of respect. Anytime I would go visit family or godparents, it would be proper of me to ask for their hand, or "mano."
10. Tita = aunt, tito = uncle. Yes, because my dad is 1 of 8 and my mom is 1 of 5. That's a lot of titas and titos. Also, it is totally legit to call my parents' close friends as titas and titos as well. What an awkward revelation finding out that I'm not, in fact, related to some people I've known for a very long time. But perhaps that's the beautiful aspect of Filipino tight-knittedness.
11. I have so many relatives in the Philippines that one giant cardboard box would not be enough. The only times I ever see giant cardboard boxes is when traveling back to the Philippines. Usually these boxes are filled with things to be given to relatives back in the mother land. Or sometimes my grandparents visit home (PS, they live with me), they go for months at a time and end up with multiple giant boxes to bring back with them. Such as these:
 |
| Nanay (aka lola) is going to Canada and the Philippines this summer! |
12. Yes, I do. Patented Filipino attention-getters.
13. I think my grandmother points with her lips more than my mom...
14. I'm actually sad that my Thanksgiving doesn't look more Filipino. My mom usually sticks to the regular Thanksgiving spread, but! ...she usually does some sort of Filipino dessert. :-) Also, that picture...I wouldn't call that Thanksgiving but rather ... a normal Filipino party. Like, just a normal gathering at someone's house will have that kind of spread. Not even joking.
15. Actually, I just had pan de sal yesterday morning for breakfast...with peanut butter! Pan de sal is the most versatile dinner roll on the planet. It's good for breakfast, lunch, and dinner...and can be filled with anything from cheese to fried Spam! But not all pan de sal is created equal. So that's why we import ours from Long Beach, CA at Betsy's Cake Center.
16. One time, we took a family trip to Las Vegas just to shop at a Seafood City supermarket. But whenever that's inconvenient, usually the Asian grocery stores in the area suffices. Where else can you get banana ketchup?!
17. Ah Goldilocks! It's a combination restaurant and bakery...and it's a chain. Some of them have invaded the U.S. Pretty good, but...I still think Betsy's (see 15) has better pan de sal.
18. Halo-halo is soooo good on a hot summer day. It usually has various fruit jellies, fruits, mung beans, shaved ice, coconut, cream or condensed milk, and sometimes found with ice cream on top. Basically, like its name suggests (translated), it is a mix of various sweet foods in a cold tasty treat. Yes, Goldilocks sells 'em!
19. Well, considering all my relatives don't live in Texas now...we usually have Pacquaio fight watching parties at my non-relative titas' and titos' houses.
20. Hmm, if I had a Filipino flag meant for hanging in a car...I totally would. But nah...Rosaries hang from all of my family's rearview mirrors.
21. Maybe I'm too Texan, but I only call it "air-con" when I'm actually in the Philippines. Or perhaps when referring to my car's A/C.
22. I have never heard of this one. O_o
23. I was such a band nerd clarinetist in high school and somewhat in college. My bro on the other hand is versed in piano, saxophone, flute, and clarinet.
24. Hmm, but I don't want to give away our secrets. Actually, that's probably why we have a large collection of packet condiments so we don't need to spend as much on the actual bottles of whatever? Or maybe that's why my dad is quite the handyman so he doesn't need to hire professional help?
25. You had me at "adobo" -swoon-. Pork or chicken marinated in vinegar and soy sauce...with white steamed rice... sooooo goooooood.
26. Actually, my mom didn't know what to cook for breakfast when I saw that she busted out the cans of corned beef. Unsurprisingly, this is usually accompanied by garlic fried rice or pan de sal.
27. I'm pretty sure my dad has been using the same Taco Bell plastic silverware for when he brings his lunch...since like...10 years ago. We did have a boba straw collection for a little while...
28. I think I am too Americanized to fully embrace my Filipino "kamayan" skills. "Kamayan" refers to eating with your hands. Hmm...I usually see my parents go kamayan style when eating crustacean seafoods.
29. Oh. My. Gosh. It is a very dangerous thing whenever my (actual) titas get together. So much laughter and talking loudly. It's also a dangerous thing whenever my mom gets together with my (non-relative) titas. So much randomly breaking out into line dancing and laughter and talking loudly. Totes cray.
30. Actually...I wouldn't limit to just family gatherings that end up with karaoke. Pretty much any Filipino party/gathering that involves food and drinking...will probably end up in karaoke. I must stress that we created the original Magic Mic. And I'm not talking about a male stripper.
31. Guilty.
32. Actually, I feel like I'm not FOB enough. And that's probably why no one calls me FOB. :-( ... FOB = fresh off the boat, usually in the derogatory sense
33. Ay nako, it is very late now while I'm trying to sulat this blog post! It's past midnight! Gi-gising ako in a few hours! #Taglish
34. Watching this video is like watching my Filipino life. Truth.
- JD
Sunday, April 7, 2013
The Source
This past weekend I helped out with a retreat for young Catholics. It's called Youth 2000, and it's a Eucharist-centered retreat with the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Renewal. I won't provide a detailed recounting of my experience like I usually do when going to various events. Rather, I want to highlight something that stuck out to me.
First, allow me to reiterate that the Catholic faith teaches and upholds that Jesus wasn't being symbolic at The Last Supper. And so, lengthy theological discourses aside (for such a thing deserves its own fair treatment and study), the Eucharist is Jesus' Body under the appearance of bread. He is truly present: body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist.
So yes, this retreat was a Jesus-centered retreat. Quite literally, as Jesus, in the Eucharist, was placed in the center of the room the whole weekend as we had our retreat.
There was a point on Saturday when the retreaters were dismissed to go to workshops to dive deeper into discussions following a talk given by one of the friar priests. Since I had unique roles for this retreat, I didn't have to go to a workshop and thus had some time to kill while everyone else was off doin' their thang.
Because of my unique roles, I didn't have time to just focus on Christ because I was always thinking about other stuff or worried about others. Since the gym space used for this retreat was cleared out by most everyone, I decided to seize this opportunity to behold and adore Jesus. I had been sitting afar because the crowd, now no longer there, had left. So, I went up closer to a spot that wasn't all up in Jesus' grill with respect to the faithful who were already up front with Him. I positioned myself so I was decently perpendicular to the Eucharist. As I was there kneeling with my head bowed down for a while, I decided to look up and stare at Jesus directly.
This is what I was looking at:
Cool shot, huh? Let me explain. For the retreat (and unique mostly to this retreat only), we had this structure of candles known as the "Burning Bush" to signify the original of Exodus fame where God talks to Moses. That gold thingy with rays atop the pyramid structure is a monstrance, a vessel used to show (think Spanish, "mostrar"..."to show") Jesus in the Eucharist, especially when adoring Him. It makes sense, right? That in a Eucharist-centered retreat, we're there to listen to what God has to say, much like how Moses was there before the Burning Bush to listen what God had to say to him back then?
Awesome. Before continuing, I must remind you that I'm Filipino. Here's the flag:
Back to what I was blogging about...
I'll admit, it was cool having that direct view of Jesus in prayerful adoration. But when I looked up...my attention was definitely on Jesus, but at the same time, something caught my eye.
Particularly, this:
Notice how Jesus in the monstrance replaces the sun on the Philippine flag. Ok, I confess that I got up to get my camera and returned to my spot to capture a more perfect perspective, but truly I say to you that when I looked up at Jesus for a little bit, I noticed how the monstrance was directly in front of the Philippine flag. And I was at a good enough of an angle to see how the monstrance covers up the rays of the sun on the flag.
I reflected on this because it just seemed so...purposeful. I wasn't really actively praying...but rather...staring and listening. Adoring. And that's probably how I noticed my perspective revealed this monstrance to seem as if it is the sun of the flag.
Reflecting on this, I realized that being Filipino is definitely a part of who I am. Born and raised. I've embraced my culture and greatly appreciate it, and I am not afraid to share and promote Filipino culture, especially since that was a good chunk of my college experience. I mean, it's not like I choreographed, taught, and performed Filipino cultural dances at Texas A&M or anything...
And here Jesus is radiating like the sun at the center of the Philippine flag! Now, I know Catholicism is very central to western Filipino culture. Catholicism is central to Filipino identity (at least in my experience). Looking at this and reflecting on it more...if being Filipino is central to my identity as JD...is Jesus the center of my identity?
Again, is Jesus the very center of who I am?
Then it dawned on me... (#pun #dawn #sun #Son)
As a Christian, Jesus needs to be the center of my identity. So as long as I call myself Catholic and Christian...Jesus must be at the center of my identity. My life. And from there, Jesus should radiate through the other things I identify with. For me, that is being Filipino. Being an Aggie. Being a band nerd. Being an engineer. Being a quasi-professional volunteer in extra-curriculars. Being (insert here). Being who I am in whatever I do.
And the crazy thing is...I didn't kneel before Jesus during this time trying to seek this realization. It just...came to me in such a real, tangible way by apparent coincidence.
You see my current tagline for my blog? St. Catherine of Siena once said:
Is Jesus the very center of who I am? That shall be my litany of prayerful reflection in response to that question this week.
This guy is on fire.
- JD
This post is linked on Catholic Bloggers Link-Up Blitz
First, allow me to reiterate that the Catholic faith teaches and upholds that Jesus wasn't being symbolic at The Last Supper. And so, lengthy theological discourses aside (for such a thing deserves its own fair treatment and study), the Eucharist is Jesus' Body under the appearance of bread. He is truly present: body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist.
So yes, this retreat was a Jesus-centered retreat. Quite literally, as Jesus, in the Eucharist, was placed in the center of the room the whole weekend as we had our retreat.
 |
| He's not actually in the middle yet in this picture, but He will be placed on that pyramid-shaped thing (explained below) |
Because of my unique roles, I didn't have time to just focus on Christ because I was always thinking about other stuff or worried about others. Since the gym space used for this retreat was cleared out by most everyone, I decided to seize this opportunity to behold and adore Jesus. I had been sitting afar because the crowd, now no longer there, had left. So, I went up closer to a spot that wasn't all up in Jesus' grill with respect to the faithful who were already up front with Him. I positioned myself so I was decently perpendicular to the Eucharist. As I was there kneeling with my head bowed down for a while, I decided to look up and stare at Jesus directly.
This is what I was looking at:
Cool shot, huh? Let me explain. For the retreat (and unique mostly to this retreat only), we had this structure of candles known as the "Burning Bush" to signify the original of Exodus fame where God talks to Moses. That gold thingy with rays atop the pyramid structure is a monstrance, a vessel used to show (think Spanish, "mostrar"..."to show") Jesus in the Eucharist, especially when adoring Him. It makes sense, right? That in a Eucharist-centered retreat, we're there to listen to what God has to say, much like how Moses was there before the Burning Bush to listen what God had to say to him back then?
Awesome. Before continuing, I must remind you that I'm Filipino. Here's the flag:
 |
| Yep. The Filipino flag is on the back of my iPhone. In LEGO. (missing a white piece...) |
I'll admit, it was cool having that direct view of Jesus in prayerful adoration. But when I looked up...my attention was definitely on Jesus, but at the same time, something caught my eye.
Particularly, this:
 |
| Apparently it was 2:37 |
I reflected on this because it just seemed so...purposeful. I wasn't really actively praying...but rather...staring and listening. Adoring. And that's probably how I noticed my perspective revealed this monstrance to seem as if it is the sun of the flag.
Reflecting on this, I realized that being Filipino is definitely a part of who I am. Born and raised. I've embraced my culture and greatly appreciate it, and I am not afraid to share and promote Filipino culture, especially since that was a good chunk of my college experience. I mean, it's not like I choreographed, taught, and performed Filipino cultural dances at Texas A&M or anything...
And here Jesus is radiating like the sun at the center of the Philippine flag! Now, I know Catholicism is very central to western Filipino culture. Catholicism is central to Filipino identity (at least in my experience). Looking at this and reflecting on it more...if being Filipino is central to my identity as JD...is Jesus the center of my identity?
Again, is Jesus the very center of who I am?
Then it dawned on me... (#pun #dawn #sun #Son)
As a Christian, Jesus needs to be the center of my identity. So as long as I call myself Catholic and Christian...Jesus must be at the center of my identity. My life. And from there, Jesus should radiate through the other things I identify with. For me, that is being Filipino. Being an Aggie. Being a band nerd. Being an engineer. Being a quasi-professional volunteer in extra-curriculars. Being (insert here). Being who I am in whatever I do.
And the crazy thing is...I didn't kneel before Jesus during this time trying to seek this realization. It just...came to me in such a real, tangible way by apparent coincidence.
You see my current tagline for my blog? St. Catherine of Siena once said:
If you are who God calls you to be, then you will set the world ablaze....and that ties in so wonderfully with seeing Jesus radiate through the Philippine flag. He didn't have to speak to me in any way. He just had to show me.
Is Jesus the very center of who I am? That shall be my litany of prayerful reflection in response to that question this week.
This guy is on fire.
- JD
This post is linked on Catholic Bloggers Link-Up Blitz
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Pilpino Papal Potential
Yeah, a new pope has already been elected...but I just wanted to post this because...
- He's Filipino
- Cardinal Tagle was my dad's high school class' valedictorian
- He's probably still going to in the running for the next Conclave down the road
Pinoy ako, pinoy tayo.
- JD
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Of Mothers, Sickness, and Conversion
In our Catholic walk through life, I'm sure we all experience those moments of conversion that make you go "wow, Catholicism is awesome...Catholicism works!..." I have had a few major conversion moments throughout my life thus far, and this is one of them.
Note: To keep things private, I have changed some names.
Background
When I was an assistant black belt instructor at my Tae Kwon Do dojo in early high school, I met a fellow Filipino family. I taught Shawn, and my family befriended his parents (since my grandfather and parents took me to class since I didn't drive yet). Shawn's parents are really nice, and I remember my parents and grandfather talking to them non-stop for the full hour of class...like...every time.
My parents enrolled me in high school religious education classes my freshman year of high school. Needless to say, it was required so that I could get Confirmed. I barely remember my class from freshman year, but I do recall my fellow classmates from my Confirmation/religious education class. That's where I met J.T. or at least...got to know him better, since I'm not sure if I met him my freshman year. I would say my Filipino radar is pretty good, and I could tell that he, too, is Filipino. While the Filipino connection was an obvious start to a friendship, I didn't find out til later that J.T. is actually the older brother of Shawn. I think it was one of those awkward parent pick-up moments after class where I found this out. It kind of blew my mind, actually, because it IS a small world after all.
Awesome. So now I know this family through Tae Kwon Do and Confirmation class. And my family has befriended J.T. and Shawn's parents. Cool stuff.
As the year progressed, I got to know J.T. better. Turns out he, too, is a clarinet player! We had that ... Filipino Catholic clarinet guy connection, whatever that means. Since it was our sophomore year, we both went through the motions of retreats and classes for Confirmation and the actual sacrament itself.
We get Confirmed...we finish sophomore year... It's summer time...
J.T. and his family took a trip to Rome during that summer after Confirmation. Because my family and his family had developed enough closeness...and because J.T.'s mom is super awesomely Catholic... she got me (and some others in the youth group) some sort of certificate blessed by Blessed Pope John Paul II for Confirmation...which...I just now remembered as I'm typing this...which now I'm inclined to go look for that because I'm highly intrigued...but...I digress--I'll look for it later...
Anyway, after Confirmation...we both got involved with the our youth group. I guess the Holy Spirit truly has that power to set ablaze within souls, because we were definitely "en fuego" to be an awesome example of what it means to be a Confirmed Catholic.
Our involvement continued through the summer and into the fall. We were both juniors in high school still going to religious ed class, youth group on Wednesdays, and helping out with whatever events on the weekends.
But then... winter came. And that's when it happened.
The Sickness
Now, let me just say...the passage of time through the events described is cloudy to me since it's been 9 years. But that's not too important. What matters is what...happened.
It was a few days after Christmas 2003.
I forget through what channels that I heard the news, but I think it was some combination of emails and phone calls.
J.T. had to go to the emergency room. He had been complaining of a headache that progressively got worse throughout the day, and at night it got so bad that he couldn't sleep--he could do nothing but moan and be in pain. And I think his whole body started hurting too So his parents took him to the ER.
It only went downhill from there.
It all happened so fast. Within a day or two, J.T. went from perfectly fine to perfectly not fine.
Apparently he had come down with bacterial meningitis--the bad form of it. If my memory serves me right, he slipped into a coma. And while he was in a coma, he either suffered through a stroke or seizures or both...I can't remember exactly. Either way, because of his bacterial meningitis, it complicated and compromised his health to the point where the doctors said he didn't have much longer to live.
I mean, this all happened in less than a week. Going from totally fine to death knocking at the door. Hard to be merry during the Advent season...
I remember going on a retreat right around that time (like, the weekend after this all went down) and we concluded it with a visit to the hospital. That's where I found out more details about J.T.'s condition and that he wasn't really expected to live. Whoa. I might have to lose a friend in death. I wasn't prepared for this! I can't...lose a friend after just getting to know him...ya know?
Catholic Strength
But I couldn't even fathom how his parents must feel. Still can't. Because...no parent desires to outlive their child. And here are J.T.'s parents having to deal with that very possibility. J.T.'s dad is a pediatrician--a kid doctor! And there was absolutely nothing he could do to help his son. Isn't that crazy? To be trained how to help kids back to full health but not being able to help out his own son?
And oh man...there was also Shawn and their sister too. They had to deal with the possibility of losing their older brother.
And you know how it's usually the mom who freaks out and gets emotional in these types of situations? J.T.'s mom, who I'll call Susan, wasn't like that. I remember us talking to her about about J.T. during our hospital visit. She admitted she's been crying...but the other stuff she said still blows me away.
...In addition to admitting to all her tears, she mentioned that she has complete trust in God and His will. That if He wanted to bring J.T. back home, she would be okay with that. My youth minister and his wife later pointed out that her strength in her faith and in God resembled that of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the Cross.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Susan was a lot like this:
I haven't mentioned it yet, but there were a lot of prayers offered up for J.T. from the youth group. I mean, come on...we're Catholic. Many Rosaries and Divine Mercy Chaplets and other prayers. After our hospital visit after the retreat...I think we got together nearly every night or at least once a week to pray for J.T.
As I mentioned earlier, my family is friends with J.T.'s family. I remember taking my mom with me to visit J.T. in the hospital a week or two later. By this time, J.T. survived the worst part of his ordeal but had suffered through his stroke/seizures. Because of these complications, he lost motor skills on his right side, speech and memory. Maybe other things too, but I can't remember exactly.
But he wasn't in the clear. At that hospital visit, we found out that even if J.T. gets through all of this, he wouldn't be 100%.
I don't recall much of how his health slowly improved in the following months after being hospitalized. I remember the youth group getting together to continue our prayers for J.T. And I don't think I had the opportunity to go visit him in the hospital again after school started up again.
I did dig through some old emails from back then and found an update on J.T. dated March 14, 2004. That's nearly four months after he first went to the ER. Some highlights:
Note: To keep things private, I have changed some names.
Background
When I was an assistant black belt instructor at my Tae Kwon Do dojo in early high school, I met a fellow Filipino family. I taught Shawn, and my family befriended his parents (since my grandfather and parents took me to class since I didn't drive yet). Shawn's parents are really nice, and I remember my parents and grandfather talking to them non-stop for the full hour of class...like...every time.
My parents enrolled me in high school religious education classes my freshman year of high school. Needless to say, it was required so that I could get Confirmed. I barely remember my class from freshman year, but I do recall my fellow classmates from my Confirmation/religious education class. That's where I met J.T. or at least...got to know him better, since I'm not sure if I met him my freshman year. I would say my Filipino radar is pretty good, and I could tell that he, too, is Filipino. While the Filipino connection was an obvious start to a friendship, I didn't find out til later that J.T. is actually the older brother of Shawn. I think it was one of those awkward parent pick-up moments after class where I found this out. It kind of blew my mind, actually, because it IS a small world after all.
Awesome. So now I know this family through Tae Kwon Do and Confirmation class. And my family has befriended J.T. and Shawn's parents. Cool stuff.
As the year progressed, I got to know J.T. better. Turns out he, too, is a clarinet player! We had that ... Filipino Catholic clarinet guy connection, whatever that means. Since it was our sophomore year, we both went through the motions of retreats and classes for Confirmation and the actual sacrament itself.
We get Confirmed...we finish sophomore year... It's summer time...
J.T. and his family took a trip to Rome during that summer after Confirmation. Because my family and his family had developed enough closeness...and because J.T.'s mom is super awesomely Catholic... she got me (and some others in the youth group) some sort of certificate blessed by Blessed Pope John Paul II for Confirmation...which...I just now remembered as I'm typing this...which now I'm inclined to go look for that because I'm highly intrigued...but...I digress--I'll look for it later...
Anyway, after Confirmation...we both got involved with the our youth group. I guess the Holy Spirit truly has that power to set ablaze within souls, because we were definitely "en fuego" to be an awesome example of what it means to be a Confirmed Catholic.
Our involvement continued through the summer and into the fall. We were both juniors in high school still going to religious ed class, youth group on Wednesdays, and helping out with whatever events on the weekends.
But then... winter came. And that's when it happened.
The Sickness
Now, let me just say...the passage of time through the events described is cloudy to me since it's been 9 years. But that's not too important. What matters is what...happened.
It was a few days after Christmas 2003.
I forget through what channels that I heard the news, but I think it was some combination of emails and phone calls.
J.T. had to go to the emergency room. He had been complaining of a headache that progressively got worse throughout the day, and at night it got so bad that he couldn't sleep--he could do nothing but moan and be in pain. And I think his whole body started hurting too So his parents took him to the ER.
It only went downhill from there.
It all happened so fast. Within a day or two, J.T. went from perfectly fine to perfectly not fine.
Apparently he had come down with bacterial meningitis--the bad form of it. If my memory serves me right, he slipped into a coma. And while he was in a coma, he either suffered through a stroke or seizures or both...I can't remember exactly. Either way, because of his bacterial meningitis, it complicated and compromised his health to the point where the doctors said he didn't have much longer to live.
I mean, this all happened in less than a week. Going from totally fine to death knocking at the door. Hard to be merry during the Advent season...
I remember going on a retreat right around that time (like, the weekend after this all went down) and we concluded it with a visit to the hospital. That's where I found out more details about J.T.'s condition and that he wasn't really expected to live. Whoa. I might have to lose a friend in death. I wasn't prepared for this! I can't...lose a friend after just getting to know him...ya know?
Catholic Strength
But I couldn't even fathom how his parents must feel. Still can't. Because...no parent desires to outlive their child. And here are J.T.'s parents having to deal with that very possibility. J.T.'s dad is a pediatrician--a kid doctor! And there was absolutely nothing he could do to help his son. Isn't that crazy? To be trained how to help kids back to full health but not being able to help out his own son?
And oh man...there was also Shawn and their sister too. They had to deal with the possibility of losing their older brother.
And you know how it's usually the mom who freaks out and gets emotional in these types of situations? J.T.'s mom, who I'll call Susan, wasn't like that. I remember us talking to her about about J.T. during our hospital visit. She admitted she's been crying...but the other stuff she said still blows me away.
...In addition to admitting to all her tears, she mentioned that she has complete trust in God and His will. That if He wanted to bring J.T. back home, she would be okay with that. My youth minister and his wife later pointed out that her strength in her faith and in God resembled that of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the Cross.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Susan was a lot like this:
 |
As a young-in-the-faith Catholic at the time, I never really saw what complete trust in God and His will looked like until that hospital visit. Both J.T.'s parents, as powerless as they were in this situation, could only trust. And I saw what a modern day Mary at the foot of the Cross looked like through Susan's example.
I haven't mentioned it yet, but there were a lot of prayers offered up for J.T. from the youth group. I mean, come on...we're Catholic. Many Rosaries and Divine Mercy Chaplets and other prayers. After our hospital visit after the retreat...I think we got together nearly every night or at least once a week to pray for J.T.
As I mentioned earlier, my family is friends with J.T.'s family. I remember taking my mom with me to visit J.T. in the hospital a week or two later. By this time, J.T. survived the worst part of his ordeal but had suffered through his stroke/seizures. Because of these complications, he lost motor skills on his right side, speech and memory. Maybe other things too, but I can't remember exactly.
But he wasn't in the clear. At that hospital visit, we found out that even if J.T. gets through all of this, he wouldn't be 100%.
I don't recall much of how his health slowly improved in the following months after being hospitalized. I remember the youth group getting together to continue our prayers for J.T. And I don't think I had the opportunity to go visit him in the hospital again after school started up again.
I did dig through some old emails from back then and found an update on J.T. dated March 14, 2004. That's nearly four months after he first went to the ER. Some highlights:
- Still in the hospital
- Working with a physical therapist at least 5 days a week
- Some limitation in his right arm movement, but can move both arms at the same time
- Might still be another 8 weeks before he's able to go home
- Short term memory issues still, but no loss of mental capacity
- When asked he wanted to tell the youth group anything, he said "Tell everyone I'm doing great and that I'm praying for them."
I don't remember when he finally came home. I think it was sometime during the summer. And then...I don't remember seeing him much since that year. His life was no longer normal since he had to go through a lot of rehab and his progress was gradual...so his public appearances were minimal.
J.T. didn't get to finish out his junior year because of getting sick. I went on to graduate from high school and go to college. Throughout college, whenever I was back at home, I'd occasionally run into J.T. before or after Mass. Early on, I remember observing that his walk was very slow and his speech was labored and slow as well. And year after year running into him, I saw gradual improvement.
After I graduated from college, I actually saw him a little more frequently. Consequence of living back at home, I suppose. I worked at a local rec center where apparently his family had a membership. And J.T. and his dad would stop by to exercise for rehab purposes. And then of course, I'd randomly run into him at our parish as well.
How This Affected Me
To be honest, after J.T. and his family went through all that...I can't help but tear up every time I think about it. I nearly cry because he lived through that. I nearly cry because oh my gosh...the strength of Susan's faith is saintly to me--and the fact that his parents were totally willing to let him go should God will it. I nearly cry because every time I encounter J.T. because his good self pierces through his own personal darkness. Even if his body won't let him be visibly joyful, you can still just...tell that he is grateful to be alive and joyful to talk with you.
With J.T., I totally believe in the power of prayer. We really did pray a lot together as a youth group for J.T. and his family. I'm practically convinced that the youth group is miraculous in that sense--not because I'm saying so...but Susan herself tells me that nearly every time I run into her. She is so humbled and grateful for the youth group's prayer and support.
With today being Mother's Day, I can't help but think of my own mom and the other examples of pure motherhood in my life. And with Susan, seeing her son suffer like that, caused her to suffer but even in her suffering...she knew that she wasn't in control. And for her to let go and let God the way she did helped me see a vague reflection of our Blessed Mother. Awesome.
With today being Mother's Day, I can't help but think of my own mom and the other examples of pure motherhood in my life. And with Susan, seeing her son suffer like that, caused her to suffer but even in her suffering...she knew that she wasn't in control. And for her to let go and let God the way she did helped me see a vague reflection of our Blessed Mother. Awesome.
J.T.'s story provided a very real example of being Catholic. His story, to me, demonstrates that Catholicism truly works, and miracles really do happen. He wasn't supposed to live. But he did. By the grace and mercy of God, he lived through it. And we're all so grateful that J.T. is alive today.
I'll also bring up this example. Above, I mentioned how I worked at a local rec center where he and his family frequent. There was this one time where my supervisor and I were manning the front desk and they checked-in with us. I caught up with them for a little bit, then they went on to the gym floor. My supervisor walks over to me and tells me how amazing of a family they are, and she briefly outlined what happened to J.T. with me. She didn't know I already knew. So I explained to her (in near tears, lol) that yeah...I've known the family for a long while and that I had witnessed the whole ordeal back then. She even mentioned that she gets all teary eyed about J.T.'s story and his family. Annnnd, my supervisor doesn't even go to our church! And she knew all this just from encountering them at the rec center. Whoa.
Where Are They Now?
As I mentioned earlier, I still run into their family randomly at our church and other places.
Because Youth 2000 was a favorite retreat of J.T.'s back in high school, both him and his parents still volunteer each year now that J.T. is strong enough. I got to see and visit with them at the Youth 2000 retreat last month. They really dig how the youth is so active and participatory in things.
I recently got to speak with J.T. after Mass not too long ago. To this day, he's still doing rehab a few times a week. He still does physical therapy and psycho-therapy. But, what's really nice is that his speech is mostly back and he's able to move around decently. His short-term memory has improved as well.
From other recent conversations with him, I know he's currently at TCC getting some basics out of the way. I know few years ago, he had talked about discerning the priesthood. But recently, he seems excited at pursuing becoming a doctor, specializing in some of things he's going through right now. How awesome is that?
Ever since I graduated from college and got involved with my parish again, a part of me has always wanted to get J.T. involved. I don't think he does much with our parish now other than Mass. Praise God our current youth minister is trying to get a Young Adult group going, and I see this as a great opportunity to get J.T. involved at our parish once more. Even Susan agrees that J.T. should get involved again, but it's been hard with all the rehab and schoolwork.
Since I always run into them in passing, I never got the chance to get some contact info and J.T. hardly checks his Facebook >_>. But! Just last weekend, while in line for concessions at the movie theater, I heard someone call out my name. Lo and behold, it was Susan! In the same line! Two people behind me! So then we had an awkward catch-up moment with people between us and that was awesome. I obtained her number and email address so that I can communicate with her all the happenings.
It would just be really cool to have him back and active at our parish again, especially for us old-school people. I feel like he would have sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much to offer.
It's my >>MISSION<< to bring J.T. back. Challenge accepted.
Thanks for taking the time to read this wall of text. This is truly one of my real-est examples of Catholicism and a moment of conversion for sure. I hope my current parish friends (teens, parents, young adults, and others alike) get to meet them sometime. They're an awesome family and they're all really nice and so thankful for God in their lives.
Please continue to pray for J.T. and and his family...because they still pray for us in youth ministry!
Happy Mother's Day!
- JD
**Update: May 12, 2013**
I don't get to see J.T. that often since he still does some rehab and also works. But, I did run into him and his mom at our parish fish fry during Lent. I think the biggest development recently is the return or maturation of his mental capacity to be where it needs to be because apparently he's always struggled with that since falling sick.
And of course, I saw them again at the Youth 2000 retreat helping out. :-)
I'll also bring up this example. Above, I mentioned how I worked at a local rec center where he and his family frequent. There was this one time where my supervisor and I were manning the front desk and they checked-in with us. I caught up with them for a little bit, then they went on to the gym floor. My supervisor walks over to me and tells me how amazing of a family they are, and she briefly outlined what happened to J.T. with me. She didn't know I already knew. So I explained to her (in near tears, lol) that yeah...I've known the family for a long while and that I had witnessed the whole ordeal back then. She even mentioned that she gets all teary eyed about J.T.'s story and his family. Annnnd, my supervisor doesn't even go to our church! And she knew all this just from encountering them at the rec center. Whoa.
Where Are They Now?
As I mentioned earlier, I still run into their family randomly at our church and other places.
Because Youth 2000 was a favorite retreat of J.T.'s back in high school, both him and his parents still volunteer each year now that J.T. is strong enough. I got to see and visit with them at the Youth 2000 retreat last month. They really dig how the youth is so active and participatory in things.
I recently got to speak with J.T. after Mass not too long ago. To this day, he's still doing rehab a few times a week. He still does physical therapy and psycho-therapy. But, what's really nice is that his speech is mostly back and he's able to move around decently. His short-term memory has improved as well.
From other recent conversations with him, I know he's currently at TCC getting some basics out of the way. I know few years ago, he had talked about discerning the priesthood. But recently, he seems excited at pursuing becoming a doctor, specializing in some of things he's going through right now. How awesome is that?
Ever since I graduated from college and got involved with my parish again, a part of me has always wanted to get J.T. involved. I don't think he does much with our parish now other than Mass. Praise God our current youth minister is trying to get a Young Adult group going, and I see this as a great opportunity to get J.T. involved at our parish once more. Even Susan agrees that J.T. should get involved again, but it's been hard with all the rehab and schoolwork.
Since I always run into them in passing, I never got the chance to get some contact info and J.T. hardly checks his Facebook >_>. But! Just last weekend, while in line for concessions at the movie theater, I heard someone call out my name. Lo and behold, it was Susan! In the same line! Two people behind me! So then we had an awkward catch-up moment with people between us and that was awesome. I obtained her number and email address so that I can communicate with her all the happenings.
It would just be really cool to have him back and active at our parish again, especially for us old-school people. I feel like he would have sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much to offer.
It's my >>MISSION<< to bring J.T. back. Challenge accepted.
Thanks for taking the time to read this wall of text. This is truly one of my real-est examples of Catholicism and a moment of conversion for sure. I hope my current parish friends (teens, parents, young adults, and others alike) get to meet them sometime. They're an awesome family and they're all really nice and so thankful for God in their lives.
Please continue to pray for J.T. and and his family...because they still pray for us in youth ministry!
Happy Mother's Day!
- JD
**Update: May 12, 2013**
I don't get to see J.T. that often since he still does some rehab and also works. But, I did run into him and his mom at our parish fish fry during Lent. I think the biggest development recently is the return or maturation of his mental capacity to be where it needs to be because apparently he's always struggled with that since falling sick.
And of course, I saw them again at the Youth 2000 retreat helping out. :-)
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Rosarium Oro
For two years now, I've led a decade of the Rosary at a Youth 2000 retreat in my motherland's native tongue: Tagalog (Filipino).
Both times were nerve racking because I don't speak it fluently, and here I am reciting it for a thousand high school students. But I take comfort knowing that the Filipinos-per-square-foot number was relatively low at both Youth 2000s so I felt a little less embarrassed, haha.
I remember a year ago, I really wanted to learn the Rosary prayers in Tagalog because I thought it would be cool, and that it would help me learn Tagalog a little more. I almost had the Hail Mary memorized!
But there was one distinct time last year where I prayed the entire Rosary in Tagalog. With my cheat sheet of course. I found myself engaged in some heated apologetics discussions on Facebook and felt compelled to pray a Rosary for courage and peace. But I decided to do it in Tagalog...
Praying the Rosary in a completely different language is cool. It really helps you focus on the meaning of what you're praying. I think whenever I pray the Rosary in English, I tend to go through it without much thought and reflection on the Our Fathers and Hail Marys because I'm so used to them in English. While still focusing in the Mysteries, of course.
Though, I think it's only fruitful to pray it after getting used to the prayers in whatever language, otherwise you become too fixated on pronunciation and whatnot and that would make it harder to focus on the Mysteries.
And the other cool thing is... it's a neat thing to know that since our faith is universal, there are Catholics around the world praying the Rosary in their native tongue, but the goal is the same no matter what: to reflect on the life of Jesus through Mary.
Awesome.
Next goal: Rosary in Latin.
And here's a good website for the Rosary in different languages.
http://www.rosary-center.org/rosaryprayers.htm
Faith. Hope. Charity. Pater noster.
- JR
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