*NA-BAN* NGA BA TAYO SA SOCIAL MEDIA? ANO ANG DAHILAN? | Fr. Joseph Fid...

Slip of the Pen

 If you are a grammar police who usually gets irritated and cannot stand your penchant for the use of the fractured King's language ... incoherent sentence structure and semantics ... mind-boggling syntax and word coordination ... this nook is not for you. 

But traveling from Aparri to Jolo ... we encountered signage in the streets that managed to put a smile on our faces ... even though Robin Padilla's grandiose display of bad opinions ... or China's flexing his superpower muscle ... has riled up and angered our tender sensibilities.

We are here to celebrate (not mock) the little cracks and flaws in the manner we communicate ourselves. All of us make mistakes ... and at a time when a kilo of rice at 20 pesos is next to impossibility ... we need a little outlet to have a hearty laugh.

And no matter how over-use the cliche goes ... Laughter is indeed ... the best medicine.

(Scene at the music pub)

The singer almost choked to death when she received a song request (written on a piece of a table napkin) from the audience declaring his fondness for his favorite love song performed by an all-female pop band ... the Bangles.

Obviously, he meant Eternal Flame ... but goodness gracious ... he wrote Eternal Phlegm.  It is almost like he is saying Plemang Walang Kalunaslunas ... o baka may TB na yan?

See the negative outrage from the local band caused by your homonym deficiency ... and who can blame them for reacting that way? It is repulsive ... let alone ... disgusting!

Self Doubt and Competetion

Self Doubt is defined as a lack of confidence in oneself and what he does. It is a feeling of distrust of one's abilities and capabilities.

Instances of self-doubt make themselves known when one lacks trust and is unsure of what he feels or does is right or wrong. He is in the quicksand of never-ending suspicion, indecision, and hesitations that what he will accomplish will be below par with the expectations of his family and friends. He is afraid to voice out his opinions lest people know his weaknesses and he is in the proverbial handcuff where he thinks he is not good enough.

When I was in college I was in a room full of valedictorians and salutatorians and who's who in any graduation honor rolls.  Our class was the creme de la creme of what a teacher expects her class to be.  Every day is a constant duel in class discussion and you have to be prepared for it ... otherwise you are relegated to the sidelines. You have to come to be the best and if you settle for less you become a wallflower.

It has come to the point where this atmosphere has become stifling and suffocating for me and my everyday classroom struggles become a living nightmare ... and there I realize that my being there was counter-productive ... so I gave up ... and transferred school. 

When I transferred to university ... I was on top of the class again ... because I was free to show what I was made of without having to fear that somebody would criticize and pooh-poohed what I was sharing in any class discussion. 

The rude awakening made me discover this unpleasant but surprising reality that I was mistaken and I was wrong with my first decision ... that being in a class where there is no competition ... is as boring as hell. Yes, I was in tip-top shape but what is the use of debating on issues when nobody challenges my points of view? 

The realization made me a better person ... so I started resetting my attitude and approach to welcome competition ... or any challenges that come my way. In the first place ... having another person in the class on the same level as you doesn't make you drown in the sea of mediocrity. The fact of the matter is ... it makes you on the lookout and be attentive and observant as you try to reevaluate your progress and your strategies.

I was in a tennis competition when I started in Texas. Think of Lendl or Ivanosivic or Sampras ... do you think they would be as good or richer if there had been no other better players in their time? Think about other legendary matches ... it is always one athlete competing with another good athlete. Believe me ... you will not be as polished and awesome if you are always choosy about who to play with. Great competition always makes better victories.

Practicing my profession abroad ... I always bring this attitude with me - to welcome any opposition ... resistance ... antipathy ... or dissent. Success comes when you crush all impediments or stumbling block that thwart your way.

That is why when a friend asked me how I survived working with other nationalities, getting the promotion, and beating them at their own game ... I told him ... it was just a matter of the right attitude and mindset.

Try it ... it works.

Photo Story

One good thing about competition is that we discover who we are and what we can accomplish.

Competition is the best form of motivation.  It makes us strive to do our best. It makes us focus on our life's SETBACKS  ... and motivates us to make grand COMEBACKS.

VER5US 'Alon' Official Music Video

Burj Al Babas: A Forsaken Hamlet?

If Dingdong Dantes has Amazing Earth on TV ,,, this blog has an Amazing Earth series that will leave you breathless as your jaw drops either of disbelief or a state of shock.  Let me remind our readers that the photos are not ours ... so kudos to the person who owns the images.  We are just too happy to share them with you ... that man since time immemorial has created a lot of stupefying ideas only a genius can think.  They made these ideas happen and we are here to marvel at their beauty ... the time and money spent on it ... and the sleepless nights they spent perfecting their craft.

Structure: Burj Al Babas

Location: Musalla, 14802 Mudurnu/Bolu, Türkiye

Established: Construction started in 2014

Description: If Disneyland in Anaheim CA, Paris, Hongkong, Epcot In Florida, and Shanghai are the happiest places on earth ... Burj Al Babas can leave you chuckle in disbelief. Sitting right near the Black Sea, you will be disappointed to see a residential development area jampacked with the awe-inspiring 700 miniature castles reminiscent of Disneyland.

Sad to say... the castles were half-finished  nearing the probability that it will become a ghost town sooner if not later. I can almost hear Moira song at the background: "Pinagtagpo pero hindi tinadhana."  Priced at more or less $350,000 to $500,000 ... it is a luxurious urban development full of promise but went pffhhht in the end. Wrong timing for a very expensive endeavor?

It was actually a project made in heaven ... it was an ambitious idea alright, but the castles were irrefutable self-indulgent, and lavish to say the least ... imagine living in Gothic style roof-top terraces ... it is European luxury to its finest.

So what's the hold-up? The construction was halted because of Turkey's fast-receding economy that's what ... which forced the company to file for bankruptcy. The pandemic and lawsuits also added more salt to the wound and complicated matters. The question now is: will Burj Al Babas be ever finished? 

Being one who knows a good project when I see one ... the endeavor is promising ... and I am still hopeful that the company still has aces tucked in its sleeves ... and come out the WINNER!

Inside a GHOST TOWN of Abandoned Disney Castles