Nostalgia

I was thirteen years old when my father passed away.

I can still remember the last time I saw him alive. I was going back to my school where I was boarding and I was looking at his receding image as my ride carried me away. He was standing at the side of the road waving goodbye, smiling, but his eyes could not betray his pain inside. It was one of the most touching moments of my life that left a deep scar of loneliness in my heart.

That was 35 years ago but I still miss him, especially this Father's Day. I miss his colorful stories, his warm laughter and his reassuring embrace.

I just want to be quiet today. Somehow, I am hoping that Papa will speak to me today though the wind or the rain or through my heartbeat.

Pandemic

The World Health Organization proclaimed it yesterday. The AH1N1 Flu is already a Pandemic. As a constant traveler, I worry about catching the new flu strain. Although we know that it is not the as deadly as SARS, it is still scary. But worrying will not help. The best way is to keep ourselves healthy and fit. We should all be thankful that this is not the same as the plagues that hit the world in the past centuries where millions died helpless.

Speaking of plagues, I found it fit to post these pictures I took in one of my trips, which is an interesting depiction of the triumph of the people in Munich during the great plague and cholera epidemic that hit them in the 16th Century.

This is the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) at Marienplatz (St. Mary's Square). This one of the most famous attractions in Munich. The square was originally known as Schrannen but it was renamed Marienplatz as a way to ask Virgin Mary to protect the town from epidemic.

This second picture is the Mariensaule or Column of St. Mary which is found at the center of Marienplatz. This was erected in 1638 to symbolize their triumph over war, pestilence, hunger and heresy.

This picture was a stark depiction of the plague as a Dragon slaying the people. In the 16th century everyone went into hiding for fear of being infected by the plague.

This particular picture is from Wikipedia.com because my picture is not as clear as this. This is the Carillon or Glockenspiel where visitors can watch the famous Schäfflerstanz or the Fish Fountain Cooper's Dance, (the lower portion) which was originally performed in 1517 at the Marienplatz first done by barrel makers at the end of the Black Death plague. The first people to dare go back onto the streets were barrel makers who performed a big dance to show that it was okay to come out again.

History tells us that no matter how great these adversities that hit the world, humankind can always survive, bounce back and triumph over it.

I received this message from a friend today and I want to share it here:

Things in this world are temporary.

If events are turning well, enjoy!

If they go wrong, don't worry, it won't last long.

Larger faith means lesser fear;

Greater trust means smaller doubts;

Stronger beliefs means weaker worries.

Keep the faith burning.

Enjoy life at its best.

Cheer Up!

I'm back after almost two months of absence from this blog. I missed reading my favorite bloggers' posts and leaving comments on their blogs. Aside from that, I realized, I missed myself too. I had been away from me for quite sometime.

Work has been more demanding due to the challenging business environment. Travel has been more tiring, especially on early flights where I have to drag myself out of bed even before my mind was ready to face the world. I had my quiet moments and light weekends but I just felt I need a break from my laptop.

After the long absence, I feel rusty. I don't know what to write. So much has happened around me yet I'm struggling on what to post. I can easily pick an engaging conversation even with strangers. I never run out of topics to discuss with friends. But today, I stared for quite sometime at the blank screen with a blinking cursor before I finally decided what write.

I chose to post this picture I took from one of my morning flights. My point-and-shoot camera didn't do justice to the awesome scene but this is more than enough to remind me of my feeling when I saw it. Rainbows bring different meanings to different people. For me, it was God's answer to my prayer that morning. He was telling me: "Cheer up!"

It's really good to be back!