The Small Plan

I really hoped the coming year would be good to me and my work. I was actually planning to take down few more projects and train one extended family member to be an apprentice. It truly always feels good to help others especially during these times of difficulties.

What do you think? I was planning to train him for two months the skills necessary for this trade and I’ll see if he can take off with little tasks from there on. Hmmm… The attitude, I can handle that. The aptitude, above average. The drive, I highly admire. The spirit, I have yet to test.

The roadblocks. Yes, these things - I always don’t ran out of. I’m going to need one more equipment; a faster internet and a room to soaked ourselves with work on. I always wish these things would always come in handy for me next year.

Just this one wish list – on building fortune for the whole family. Who knows. These could become an enterprise.

Christmas is on the Horizon

Well, it’s Christmas once again approaching and it’s been few weeks after my declaration of coming back from Hiatus that I realized being trapped into a limbo of lost appetite. I had written nothing still. Once again I longed for a mentor on my quest to coming out into the open of personal journalism. What a poor writer I am.

Coveting a language that is not mine and yet, I’m loving it like I was born to speak it. Or, bound to occupational obligations. And suddenly, there I was standing in the crowd in a world that is completely alien to me. So poor, I have no idea how this paragraph should now cohere with the title I choose in the first place. :^) I’m a little bit amused anyway. Never seemed to care if someone would even bother reading this blog.

I find comfort that I seemed to enslave my fingers to dance along with my mouth as I utter words inside my mind. And my breath, yes my breath is in rhythm with every sentence chained out into my mouth - a crescendo of random constructs.

Back from Hiatus

I guess I’ll be back blogging soon. I’m way too behind with lots of controversial issues already. But, I will not be tempted again and co-feast on those kind of things. I will keep my personal thoughts and minds only inside this blog and be merry about it.

Somebody had politely asked me why I need to polish my English language. I’m convinced he would have said direct to my face, ‘Bisaya kang dako’ but he didn’t or couldn’t. He should have known I would not get angry, I just get even. Lookout for that big punch! Hehehe! Well, my direct answer would be, sometime in my life, I need it for my line of work.

I had been a document analyst, a website content editor, a blogger, a documentor and it would be embarrassing for me to fall on certain grammar issues. Well, on certain occasions I stumble on few ditches but I managed to correct them myself or with the aid of few friends at work.

In my digital life , there are three things that kept me pre-occupied. One is my line of work which is Software Development, my bread and butter; Two, would be my blogging, I kept few professional blogs as well. Fourth, digital photography had kept me awake overnight a few times. But, that was it! I succumb to the hubby on occasions I am away of town - travelling. And, last but not the least, this mischievous habit of impersonal social networking.

The latter I need to probe my sanity is sane over community issues and get in touch with both friends and a few almost unknown individuals. I’ll be certain I will know immediately one is to shift residence to the North pole for that matter.

 

Technorati Tags: Blogging,Personal Blogging,Hiatus,Social Networking

Regarding Robert

  I apologize. I made somewhat despicable report regarding my grandfather. I grew up to have had some un-confirming facts regarding my family history. And realized I needed to go out more often and meet few family members I learned to avoid all these years. I used to a believe he and his family were directly advocates of the Moncadistas in Samal Island. Until somebody in my family corrected this notion of mine.

I was surprised that it was him alone was associated with the group. And, saddened to know that his relationship with them had to do with his loneliness in life. The youngest amongst siblings, his parents passed away too soon for him to recognize. He made his way into adulthood with the thirst of belongingness for his parents. And, without the mentorship of his father, probably explained his later dispositions in life.

The community were somewhat his shelter during those early times and at his young age, he did not falter into corrupt habits as we’ve known today. It seemed like, as if somebody’s hand tapped unto his shoulders and brought him into the fellowship of the Moncadistas. Fortunately, they were his ideal Christian community. He pursuit nautical education though from the continued support of his siblings who back then went on and out of the US. Lolo grew up scarce from a parental support. He was a mentor to himself.

That continued until he got married to my grandmother, Ellenita Pastoral. But then, that is another story. I was told, Lola did not fully supported his belief and despised him eating raw foods for meals. That belief system of his did changed eventually; Even became a butcher during his latter age in which career later shaped his physique and stamina. He aged in the company of vendors in Davao’s major market place – Bankerohan and Agdao. It became his life.

He never grew with his chosen vocation and poverty was married to his household. He was however a supportive father of three and a passionate husband; but difficulties in the home were always inevitable especially when you only have a handful to make ends met for the day.

During his final years, Lolo talked about his times in the island and how fond he was for fish salad we call ‘kinilaw’ sprinkled with known local ingredients. Not being able to utter regrets in his life, I know how he wanted to say how he missed his family a lot. His wife, after all those years he’s not in good terms with her. His children - William, Grace and Jeffrey. Pretty much – his old eyes had spoken it for every glass of palm wine poured into his mouth and for every cigarette smoked.

Technorati Tags: Roberto Fontanoza Ceniza,Davao City,Moncadista,Samal Island

An Old Photo, A Treasure From My Grandfather

My grandparents passed away few years back. I quite missed them a lot that I found myself scrubbing some of their old stuff and found it indeed worthwhile.

Several old photos were discovered revealing somewhat passive early lives of my family. Strange but I somehow is melancholic about all I had seen in those pictures. My family’s lives were a constant bombardment of family issues and struggles. Sad, that not all of us had seen how far we have reached to these days. Not in my life have I known a family reunion was held for this family. I wish in my generation there will be.

I was once told my grandfather and his family lived in Samal Island in Mindanao. He was the youngest of the family back then. They were members of this religious group founded by Moncado way back in the 1940s.

Hilario Camino Moncado (1898-1956) was the founder and supreme commander-in chief of the Filipino Crusaders World Army (FCWA). At the age of nine, he graduated with honors from the College of Mystery and Psychics in Calcutta, India.

During those days, especially after World War II, Samal was a well known  island of the Moncadistas. In the late 1930's, Moncado and his leaders, after a long search, decided to build a Moncado colony in the Island of Samal. The island was peaceful and beautiful. It was going to be a new paradise. The followers of Moncado were known to have eaten only raw or uncooked foods. Not even fish or meat. At that time, many of the adult male members sported long hairs and flowing beards. I think that did stop nowadays.

In 1956, Hilario Camino Moncado died young. However, during his lifetime he had touched the lives of many Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. He was a teacher, a leader, and a healer to his followers. He was the source of their spiritual strength including that of my grandfather and his family.

His passing however did not stop his followers to strive further the founded community. Nowadays, the Moncadistas are still in Samal. They are a small community of peace, culture and unique religious principles. Some had relocated to the US and other country carrying with them the life of a Moncadista.

Photo from Ms. Luna Miranda’s blog. Those people above including that of my grandfather’s family would have seen the same view shown in this picture.

 

Technorati Tags: Moncadista,Samal Island,Davao City,Philippines,Roberto Ceniza