Living a Healthy Life vs. Living an Abundant Life

I would exchange anything most valuable in my life for a Healthy and an Abundant life. However, the reality is that the two lives seemed to be poles apart at the same time can be synonymous with each other that some might deduce that the two lives can live as one in harmony. In my point of view, I am still confused since living abundantly would mean living indulgently with all your vices and desires to the fullest extent that may later on be your downfall.

But let us define first the two lives. Being healthy means free or away from illnesses, allergies and injuries while abundance means enjoying all the things, privileges, benefits that life can offer. Being healthy also would include mental as well as physical thing. Living healthy can be maintained by eating the right food (take note, ‘Right Food’). Eating RIGHT food may not be the food that you want to eat at your preferred time and day. Living healthy would also mean not doing things unhealthy but you sometimes crave to do something before you die like lighting a cigarette after a grueling meeting with hard headed colleagues, or eating roasted pork with gusto after starving in a vegetarian swamp for 12 months or indulge in mixed drinks with no umbrellas at some cocktail bars after having debate with your parents on whether or not you have chosen the right girl/boy to be with for the rest of your life.

Abundance may mean material as well as psychological thing. However, one cannot satisfy material and psychological wants at the same time. Having material things in an abundant manner may be quite contradicting to having psychological satisfaction at the same moment. Having material things, I believe, would just induce more longing to have more material things, thus creating psychological need for more satisfaction or higher level of satisfaction that can sometimes be straining to the person and other significant people, if not indulge in immediate future. Some obstacles along the way of having the need satisfaction may also create violent or mental discomfort that can be perilous to the significant others or hazardous to one’s own self.

Therefore, I conclude it is dangerous to your health to live abundantly. Hope I did set the record straight or have I confused you further?

Again, I therefore conclude that living a healthy life does not mean living life of abundance. You cannot have all you want if you want to live healthy until you die.
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Solar Eclipse in Kolkata Today

Amazing scenes of solar eclipse

Taken at the Rooftop of my office early this afternoon.

My Indian Holiday

Nothing could have prepared me for my Indian Holiday.

All of us, generally want to celebrate this very special occasion with our loved ones and friends. Eversince the beginning of my waking life, this season has been about me and my loved ones and my friends back home in the Philippines.

During my childhood days, Christmas was a very happy and exciting holiday to look forward to. It is beautifully adorned Belen, Christmas trees and lights (some with Santa and his reindeers) everywhere on the streets, stores, houses, gardens, buildings, shop. Gifts from Santa, who secretly put my babydoll (would sooner that expected became a 'rag' doll) wrapped in fancy ribbon and paper underneath the Christmas tree. It is a sock full of candies hanging by the wall near the Christmas tree. A feast of my favorite food (Aroz Caldo, Roasted Pig, Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, Cakes, Apples and Grapes that only come in special occasions during those times, etc.) set on the table upon waking up at midnight of the 24th December. It is waking up at 4am to attend early morning masses consecutively for 15 days before Christmas. It would mean party invitations from neighbors and classmates. Christmas school programs which I get to dance with my school crush. It is the singing of Christmas Carols during the dead of night with my neighboring and special *wink* friends. All these memories I could fondly remember now that I am far away from home.

When I grew a little bit older, Christmas became a headache to me. It is buying gifts for my godchildren, nieces and nephew and for their parents (who can’t bear having no gifts from me). Organizing Christmas Programs in the office and arranging Christmas bonuses and gifts for insatiable employees. Being a perennial skeletal working force and slaving until near Christmas eve or, if not, having endless and intermittent calls from my boss (the vice president of hypertension) when I am on holiday leave making it a working holiday (might as well did not file for leave!). Having small parties and exchanging gifts with friends who almost all the time cannot remember my constantly changing size and favorite colors. Getting belly problems for days from Christmas until New Year from drinking mixed drinks with no umbrellas. In spite of these, I could fondly remember them now, the happy faces of all the children and adults I celebrated with during this special season.

I have set my mind to have grand Christmas and New Year Holidays in India despite of the absence of beautifully adorned Belen, Christmas trees and lights. In the Philippines, Christmas can be felt as early as the last week of September when people start to feel the “-ber” fever. People are now clamoring to buy gifts from malls and shops on Christmas sale. Christmas trees and lights starts to appear on streets and stores, sometimes confused with Halloween decorations of November. The excitement and anticipation of Christmas bonuses and gifts are strongly contagious than the so-called “pig/swine flu” virus. Never felt this kind of anticipation and excitement in my placement in Kolkata. Never seen Christmas trees and lights in the neighboring houses nearby, not even in neighboring rooms of my campus, the office itself is totally barren of even just a small tinge of Christmas thrills. Not even for my sake! Can you imagine that?!

So, to rekindle this excitement in my mind, I went to south city mall, bought small gifts for the malnourished children confined in my campus’ infirmary center. Amazing, without knowing the exact number of kids confined in the campus, I bought exactly the same number of gifts for the children out of my greed to actualize my simple act of charity. It was a heavy stuff for me to bring home to the campus, I would have been very happy if ‘Rudolf’ (Santa’s reindeer) was around waiting outside the mall with his band of rickshaws. My gift-giving was a solemn ritual but I didn’t miss the looks of amazement of the children and their mothers upon receiving the gifts. It is a rare moment for them to receive gifts at this season since they have no idea what Christmas is all about. Anyhow, Christmas spirit and joy of the season will be in their hearts forever.

As promised to my dear friend, Mabel, I went to Jharkhand and spent my holidays with the Holy Cross nuns and other volunteers assigned in Hazaribag. The Holy Cross Hospital is situated in the outskirts of the town of Hazaribag. I was picked up by the hospital’s ambulance from Koderma train station. It was icy cold temperature inside the isolated building in the middle of the forest. I cooked Italian “with Indian chili flavor” pasta for the sisters and we ate it for dinner. It was a huge serving, some sisters did not or can’t manage anymore to eat their usual dinner of dhal, veggie and rice after eating my gigantic size pasta. It was very nice Christmas treat for me. There was an evening mass, followed by dancing and music and finally eating Indian fruitcake with lemon tea. I could have worn my new salwar kameez which I brought from Kolkata, but one of the staff forced me to wear her new saree. So there I went on with the midnight party on my borrowed beautiful saree, swaying and singing with other sisters in their tribal Christmas songs and music instruments.

In between Christmas and New Year holidays, I extended my work with my organization’s Jharkhand office. There, I met and talked with the extended family of my placement organization. It was a joy meeting them, they are such gentle souls. I was picked up by a car from Hazaribag town to Ranchi office and ferried back again to Hazaribagh after my official business. I was accompanied by Mabel who all the day long went shopping to Big Bazaar while I was slaving myself at work. Meeting wonderful people in the holiday continued on until my New Year celebration.

The were many “New” things on my New Year experience. This is the first ‘new year’, that I spent in India (though this is my second ‘new year’ to spend outside the Philippines, my first one was in Hong Kong in 2008). My first to spend new year in a deep tribal forest with an Indian family. My first to have a “bonfire” new year with a lot of lovely guys and lovely girls! My first to be swarmed with kisses on the cheeks and bear hugs from the lovely guys! (oh-lala, it’s raining men!) My first to drink whiskey! My first to dance with “Bollywood’ music until wee hours in the morning with gang of Bollywood Indian dancers! My first to eat homemade and delicious ‘cold’ beef meat in the heart of India! My first to sit by a ‘bonfire’ with thick fog and dark trees surrounding me! My first to sleep fully clothed in my day dress (without changing to my pajamas) with 2 lovely volunteers at the early hours in the morning until full sunrise! And finally, my first to receive a ‘tribal painting’ from a renowned tribal artist of Hazaribag (a friend of Andy) as a new year’s gift.

As I said, nothing could have prepared me for the adventures gained from my great Indian Holiday! Thanks to Mabel, Andy, Efren, Sangita and all the wonderful people I met along the way.

Life In Pailan

Pailan (pronounced as ‘Poilan’) is 2 hours away from Howrah and Sealdah Train Stations. It is 3 hours away from the Airport and 1.5 hours away by bus and taxis from the City Center of Kolkata.

In other words, Pailan is located in the outskirts of the City of Kolkata!

It is where cows and goats and dogs and other animals travel freely along the narrow village roads. It is where one can find ‘M-I-S’ (Men In Skirts) confidently walking in pairs or in groups, holding hands and fingers intertwined. It is where village women wearing old and torn sarees and small children walk briskly to fetch water from the deep well and carry big water jars over their heads. Finally, it is where my campus called CINI is located. CINI stands for Child In Need Institute. As the name implies, the organization is into Health, Nutrition, Protection, and Education for Children, Adolescents and Women in ‘need’. Been around for 35 years has made the organization an institution in the NGO world. Creating an impact to the organization as HR Consultant, I presume, would take years to notice or would be having minimal visibility due to the huge size of the organization with several branch/projects offices all over some states in India, which requires me to take official trips. But off I work creating some small ‘changes’ to the organization’s HR.

Life in Pailan is very laid back and peaceful, the same as the people around. Morning walk to Dayam Ashram (A Jesuit Meditation Center) of 20 minutes was never boring in Pailan. For many months I have been here, walking the same road going to Dayam Ashram, I still receive unfamiliar stare and gaze from the people I passed by. While some greet me out of nowhere and smiles at me, saying ‘Saw you again’. After many months I have been here, I am still being asked, “Are you from Korea?”, Nope. “Japanese!”… Duh???!

Every morning, this laid back volunteer (me!), tried so hard to wake up at 5:30am and do her 20-minute morning walk to Dayam Ashram. In 10 months she had been here, she managed only one week of complete morning walks from Monday to Friday to the Dayam Ashram chapel to attend morning mass with Jesuit seminarians and priests. In most of the weeks, it was 2-3 times morning walks. Funny, these seminarians and priests wonder where she is when she’s not around for long periods. At first, these guys were skeptical why this lone female specie keeps coming to their exclusive and peaceful morning prayers. Trips to Delhi, Seminars and Tours prompted them to ask her where she had been and why she was gone for too long…hmmmmnnn, missing me already!

Yoga, Music Lesson, and Language Lessons often brought me out of Pailan a few evenings in a week. Bengali music lessons were done only 3-4 days in a month while language lessons are every Mondays and Fridays/Saturdays. Yoga class is more flexible, one should attend 12 times in a month any day of the week, once in a day. Other nights in Pailan were spent dinning in neighbors’ houses and eating out with some friends in some food shops near Pailan. My Indian classical dance lesson (scheduled every Friday) was stopped after my first few lessons due to the successive trips to Delhi and other parts which caused my teacher some headaches and blood pressure why I am always not around…My teacher asked, ”Verona, are you really interested to learn Indian dance or not???”…ah…err…maybe we’ll talk when I get back from my yet another trip to Delhi. My teacher never called me again.

Every weekend is a Market Day for me. I keep my diet on fish and vegetables. I only eat Chicken when I didn’t see how it suffered just to be eaten by hungry humans. Buying chicken in Pailan is a gross experience. It is killed in front of you by wringing its neck or banging its head on the stone wall and slowly peeling off its skin out with its head and feathers (urrrrghhh!). This is how they show that your chicken is fresh and good to eat. Hmmn… I’d be happy eating fish the whole year! Fishes and shrimps are quite tasty and very fresh in the market. Enjoy so much buying prawns and tasty fishes. One can get so much for a 100 rupees weighed in a manual and metallic and rustic and old fashioned weighing scale. I never thought this type of weighing scale existed at this day and age. But I like it a lot seeing it for the first time, the symbol of Justice came to life!

Cooking is another wonderful experience. I found out I could cook tasty food by myself or maybe it was just an imagination because nobody’s here to cook for me. Anyhow, cooking and experimenting recipes was such an exciting and novel thing do in this ever peaceful environment. Never knew that my Pasta would taste heavenly with just loads of tomatoes and a few pieces of shrimps. Thanks to Andy and Vincent’s recipes of culinary arts of cooking pasta.

By and large, living in Pailan had showed me how simple a life can be. Simple things always bring joyful thoughts to my ever joyful soul. Will miss Pailan and its laid back daily life dearly.

Siliguri Fishing @Sammy's Fishing Kingdom

Siliguri, India
October 29, 2009

Siliguri is the center point between Sikkim and Darjeeling. One has to ride a train from any point in India to Siliguri and ride a jeep to either Sikkim or Darjeeling. The town is a lowland area, therefore it has general average temperature of 20-25 degrees. Again we rode a 4x4 runner jeep back from Darjeeling to Siliguri. It was another magnificent sight going down with the tea plantations abound. I was tempted to ask the driver if we could stop for awhile and pose for some pictures but unfortunately other vehicles behind would have to stop also because of its narrow road.

It’s time to shed our bonnets and jackets off, we’re in Siliguri!

We were picked up by our dear friend Sammy from the main intersection. Sammy is from Darjeeling but now lives in Siliguri where his various businesses are prospering and growing. Riding in his brand new car makes me so relaxed and comfy opposite from the precarious ride going down from the hills. For introduction purposes, we met Sammy during our ICT in ISI-Delhi. He easily made a good friend out of Noel, the Filipino volunteer. At first, Noel thought Sammy was a Filipino since he looked exactly like one. That’s when their beautiful friendship began when Noel started talking to him in Tagalog (Filipino Language) and Sammy didn’t understand a single word but smiled with his perfect white teeth and almost non-existent eyeballs. We had a couple of dinners with him in Delhi and regularly talked to him in ISI-rooftop since he was there billeted also by the Jesuits. As his usual self, Sammy was so vibrant and cheerful host. Offered us Italian red wine as welcome drink and urged us to drink it while he went to his office, the next door, and create havoc to his employees.

Then we were served with a sumptuous Bhutanese lunch (his wife is a Bhutanese, by the way). I learned that Bhutan also have pig pork in their main dishes like in Philippines. It was a nice chili pig pork meal and some vegetables and dhal to go with our rice. That’s all we need! Dessert was peanuts with caramel crust. We were thoroughly entertained by his pet dog and his good-looking 8 year old son…hmmnn…speaks very good English too. Good job, Sammy & the lovely wife!

After that, Sammy drove us again towards his kingdom of vast fish farm. The fish farm has 4 huge ponds: one for small fishes, one for medium sized fishes, one for big size fishes, and one for … err… just fishing purposes, fishes of all sizes. At the other side of the fence, is the new house. It’s still under construction but it goes up to 3rd floor, basic structure tells me its going to be a fisherman’s palace. Mabel & I attempted to do some fishing. Nice guys patiently allowed us to use their fishing rod for quite sometime (actually we told them, “If you don’t give us your fishing rod now, we will kiss you!” and they backed off instantly). Mabel caught a couple of small fishes and was exorbitantly delighted since it was her first time to do some fishing. Not bad for a starter!

And there stood a solitary dead tree at the center of the ponds. Now, there is an extraordinary story behind this dead Banyan tree. Before it was very much alive and stood at the far end corner of the land when Sammy bought this land kingdom three years ago. He was surprised that even though he had created a fence around the area (to protect his fishing kingdom), several people come inside without permission to worship the Banyan tree every morning. It was believed that the Banyan tree was there a hundred years already. According to him, many people in the place think Banyan tree as sacred and it is the symbol of prosperity and reproductive union between a man and a woman (both married to each other, I suppose, or maybe soon to be married). To ward off the unwanted visitors, he hired an agriculturist and some workers to uproot the tree and place it somewhere near the ponds. Unfortunately, the (15K rupees) job was not so successful and cost the life of the sacred tree. Now, it stands there gray and dead but still firm with its trunk and branches stand majestic above the waters of the ponds.

Sammy promised he will build a “Nipa Hut” (a hut made of coconut leaves) on the side of the ponds, near the dead Banyan tress, where Mabel, Cristina and Me shall take our rest or sleep during our next visit. So Cristina, Sammy is expecting your visit pretty soon!

We were served with a big bowl of vegetable chowmein for our afternoon snacks and farewell wishes from Sammy’s family. Nice to know that chowmien tasted so good if eaten with ketchup. It was another food adventure to cap our Sikkim-Darjeeling-Siliguri journey.

Interesting to know that in Sikkim, one can easily go country hopping in less than a few hours. One can ride a bus for 45 minutes going to Nepal or be in Bhutan in less than three (3) hours. I’m seriously considering visiting Bhutan one of these days? Anyone who wants to join me, raise your feet!

POEMS

Kolkata! The Land of Most Cows and Romantic Poetry

Kolkata! A place that launched most cows and romantic poetry

On your streets and beside your lovely lamp posts are cows and human bodies lie to sleep at night

What a sight to behold under the darkened moonlight and the peeping gaze of your sweet sunrise.

Kolkata! A place of endless trails of shops and intricate displays of goods

Colorful and shapely sarees, chai and sugarcane juice carts, with tiny flies abound, is just too tempting to deny

On your pavement, one cannot help but gaze in awe where these trails of shops will ever end in what seem to be an infinite horizon.

Kolkata! you are a place to reckon with

At this age and day, your men are still in skirts roaming around in groups or in pairs, holding hands and fingers intertwined

Seeing them is like being back to the paleolithic stage of civilization, frozen in the bronze age of time.

All these and all, your culture and traditions are well-preserved guarded like precious artifacts

Your people are innately good-natured with contagious enthusiasm of life and creativity to survive your historical landscape and communal culture.

Kolkata! You are a place to behold.

The Sound of the Rain

Love the sound of the rain,

Knocking on my glass window pane.

Sweet rhythm, I imagine,

Humming of the past melancholic tune.

Oh, what glittering sheets falling from above,

Looking like silver droplets of love offerings.

From the warmth of my cozy abode,

Alone but content of the memories it brings.

Love the sound of the rain,

Washing away the cobwebs from my brain.

Sweet memories, still remain,

Singing soulful songs of present refrain.

Icy Cold Darjeeling Hills

October 28-30, 2009


From Sikkim’s breathtaking sights, soon my 2 little feet were itching to go to Darjeeling’s icy cold hills. We were able to leave Sikkim only in the late morning because there happens to be a jeep shortage. Most of the numerous jeeps piled in the terminal are going to Siliguri and somewhere else. So we waited for quite sometime sitting on the cold pavement beside the terminal booth until a man motioned us to come with him. They said it would take 3 hours from Sikkim to reach this icy cold hilly town.

Traveling up the steep, narrow and treacherous zigzag road to Darjeeling, has started in me a country side nostalgic feeling. Seeing the vast glittering green leaves of tea plantations on the sides of the hills in uniform slanting shapes and rows of pine trees gave me such a relaxing and melancholic mood just sitting and watching these spectacular images floated gracefully in front of my gaze. After 2 hours riding and gazing at my window side of the vehicle, I was surprised by the foggy scene appeared into my view. Fog coming out of the pine trees, embracing our vehicle and its icy dew touching my face, made me close the vehicle’s slide window quickly. Am I in a different planet? So this is Darjeeling! I thought. Great, early afternoon in Darjeeling is really a foggy sight! I think everyone is thinking what I was thinking because it was so quite inside the vehicle like everyone is holding each own breath due to the foggy and extraordinary scene outside or maybe because of the dangerous tricky road ahead, our lives were suddenly on the line. Anyhow, I have learned afterwards that the road coming up is different from the road going down. This makes sense because it is really a very narrow and steep road, it’s even not enough for one vehicle, I should say, considering the numerous zigzag bends and turns of the road. Now I know why there is a regular shortage of jeeps going up to Darjeeling, it’s because of this tricky road. As felt by the latitude and steepness of the road, I presume that Darjeeling is a higher plane than Siliguri and very much colder too.

Darjeeling hills

Finding Ali’s hotel was an exhausting task. We were dropped off by our driver on the main road near the Clock Tower where Ali said his hotel is just nearby. We never knew the ‘nearness’ meant having to climb long hilly and zigzag slopes towards the hotel. It looked like our climb is an endless trail. Finally at his hotel, out of breath and looking forward to lie down on a soft bed, we were told, “no more available room!” I almost fainted. Fine, after undergoing hardship in walking (almost crawling!) the endless trail up the hills, give me a break! Fortunately, the next door hotel called Broadway (minus the cabaret) was kind enough to invite us in. It was a huge room with a huge bathroom. The floor has velvet red carpet and the wall has a nice full length triangular mirror on the side. The bathroom is impressive with clean and pretty tiles, looks very new and shiny. All these with a price of 300 rupees a night, which Mabel and I shared so around 150 rupees each. Not bad! But it was like in a refrigerator when we went to sleep that night… soon we became nice frozen delights in the morning, two strawberry and chocolate flavored popcicles! Olalah!

Despite being frozen to death, I managed to take a nice long icy cold shower for our strolling in the plaza. Mabel requested for a bucket of hot water but it came an hour later. Lots of shops along the way going up to the plaza center (which I forgot the name, sounds like Chinese word), selling exquisitely designed shawls, makaibari tea, antique goods, paintings, and other stuff. Sitting on the bench with Ali, Noel and Mabel, sipping hot tea, looking up the frozen stars and moon and a little while we became frozen as well. Thus, we decided to go and find somewhere to eat and drink our icy night away. After scourging for a place to eat, we were in to some surprise… nobody will take our orders because dinner will start at 7:30pm and its still 6pm. Great, we are freezing and hungry to death and nobody is willing to give us food! And so be it.

Chowrasta center. sipping hot tea with Noel, Ali and Mabel..feeling icy cold night air

After finally having dinner at Ali’s grand country style hotel, we settled ourselves on the rooftop. Learned another “mixed drinks with no umbrellas” (oh no! this has became my favorite phrase), Ali gave us a raspberry brandy mixed with sprite, heavenly taste, gave us a little warmth in the freezing rooftop. Enjoyed our stay but we need to wake up early to see the famous, “Tiger Hills” and if we stay longer, we might die with hypothermia.

I have no idea why we are going up to tiger hills, and why do we have to go up there when we can see sunrise everywhere? Well, to assuage my curiosity and feed my greed for adventure, I went on with the other three frozen volunteers up to the controversial hills at 4am in the morning riding a mini van. Hundreds of people where there already like a pilgrimage, young and old, grandpa and grandma, sister and brother, toddler and all. This must be an extraordinary sunrise, maybe a smiling face appears on it when it slowly rises. Well, I really can’t express my thoughts upon seeing the amazing sunrise that launched hundreds of people every day to tiger hills but I’ve made a poem about it:

It was the day that yellow become so alive in my sleepy heart...

The day the sun shines yellow beneath the cloudy skies,
reflecting its rays upon your golden eyes.
Unusual as it seems, i was mesmerized by its dazzling hues
of yellow specs from your golden eyes.

Yellow, yellow...it was the day of all the days of my life...

The day an unexpected moment arrived upon the brightness of yellow sun,
My heart eagerly took refuge under the warmth of your golden eyes.
Little did I know such a golden moment would soon to end as the hill sets the sun,
Shall my heart yearn again for the warmth of your golden eyes?...