Diplo-travel tales: Adventure in Morocco

The first day of the trip seemed to be going off without a hitch. I was late to the airport but knew that I’ll make my flight on the nick of time. Security was not too bad and they passed me through without hassle. I’m now just hanging out in the lounge, playing with my laptop, passing the time until my flight leaves. I love to people-watch whenever I’m in a public area. Maybe it is part of our training or simply out of habit borne of a curious mind; my husband and I are always aware of our environment wherever we are. There are three shady looking men who seem to be staring at me as I type. I’m a woman and I travel alone, maybe they find that strange. I would love to send you pictures of those people, but that would probably have been weird and would have drawn more attention to myself if I just popped out my blackberry phone camera to take snapshots of strangers.

Rooftop of Palais Namaskar

It might be a bit difficult to capture all of life’s realities while on a trip, but I know I can at least capture my own experience. A small comfort for me is that in my quest to contribute to society, I am not betraying anybody by trying to use them as a case study without their knowledge. Hopefully, somebody will read this and if one person’s mood can be brightened by my musings, then this is all worth it.

I don’t really have a poignant reason for penning this memoir; I just want to do something therapeutic for myself while leaving a trail of words that somebody might find entertaining.

One thing I’m sure of is that it is exciting for a woman to travel alone. It is a wonderful feeling having the sense of independence that travelling alone gives us, even if it is just going to a spa for the weekend. It doesn’t matter how far the destination or how mundane, when you travel by yourself as a woman it gives you an amazing sense of independence and everything tastes sweeter and the air feels nicer. I do have to say though, that the more unfamiliar the place, the more of a thrill it is. When you travel to a far land alone there are so many adventures to have, so much to add to your life’s notebook of experiences. The more confidence you show, the better the time. It truly matters what kind of attitude you take with the experience. The more courage you exhibit with each new experience, the more badges you allow yourself to wear. Every single trip that I take alone continues to feed my motto of ‘living on the edge,’ and I revel in it.

Being assigned at Washington, DC was an amazing experience.I have travelled with no problem through large parts of Europe and those little nooks included in travel warning advisories such as Cuba.

At the moment, I’m now at Reagan National Airport waiting for my flight to Morocco via Royal Air Maroc. Yes, I’m on my way to Morocco as I decided to take things up a notch. The spontaneity of not knowing exactly what the next destination holds can be sublime. I know I’m going to Morocco and I have an idea of the places I want to visit but there is no definite schedule and I am always open to experiencing everything the country has to offer.

Whenever I think about the passing of time that I can’t control, taking a leave for a trip alone can be very therapeutic. It can be just the thing to help me find myself and who I am becoming with each passing day. Women can get so caught up in being the caregiver; the mom, the doting wife, the career woman who keeps the office together, etc. There is another identity underneath all that, our own identity; our identity as independent women who have much to contribute to the world besides being all of those mentioned above.

Marrakech Downtown. I'm not good in taking pictures.

More women have found how healing travelling alone can be. It lets you relax and take everything in. It takes you away from making sure everybody else has everything to just making sure that your own needs are met. It lets you be more open with people and allows you to express yourself - it reacquaints you with you; who you are underneath all of the labels. To any woman who reads this, please remember that though reconnecting with yourself and finding your independence is a wonderful experience, it is not one to flaunt in every part of the world. If you familiarize yourself with the rules and traditions of your destination, then you can enjoy your independence with safety. Before embarking on an adventure, do check the travel.state.gov’s site for the latest advisories and that includes necessary health information, required vaccinations, customs and traditions; and do’s and don’ts.

to be continued…

DipNote : U.S. Department of State Official Blog

DipNote : U.S. Department of State Official Blog:

Promoting Understanding and Empowering Women Through Soccer in Malaysia

Sports is a great way of building bridges and connections between nations and peoples. This is why sports have also been an integral part of cultural exchanges between governments, it is a commonality where divergence of interests only occurs in the field of friendly competition. It is therefore not surprising to see governments use sports as a medium and tool for diplomacy and foreign policy. With its mass appeal and universal reach, football is the most obvious and effective candidate.  




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Do you Believe in a World Without Wars?

Unfortunately, war is and has been a constant companion of humanity. In my opinion, the absence of war will only mean one thing, humanity as a whole has become one mindless and single-minded entity. War is a consequence of conflict and conflict results from a clash of ideas, thoughts, necessity, etc... As long as humans are capable of independent thought then conflict is inevitable. This means to have a world without war is to have mankind thinking alike and in synch with each other, like a hive of some sort. I think I'd prefer to have the privilege and freedom to think and decide for myself, even if this makes the world a dangerous place to some extent. Besides, if we have the capacity to wage war, then we also have a capacity to wage peace. It's simply a matter of finding a balance between the two.




Moira G Gallaga©

SMILE: Life is Not a Drill

Smiling is an act of courage

As brave as any skydiver

In the face of fear.

To find a smile in nothing

Is a sign of endurance

And speaks of greatness.

Look for your smile everywhere

At the bottom of a pocket

At the bottom of your soul.

Find a smile in a brief flash of color

A whisper of scarlet or red

A whisper of hope and success.

Open yourself up to happiness

Give a little smile against

The monsters of the night.

Fear no spiders or bumps in darkness

Let the smile stream outwards

Let it be your guiding light.

Lift yourself up on a smile now

Be carried upwards on Mercury's wings

Dazzle shadows with your confidence;

Lift yourself up and let yourself go.

Put your head up and be brave

Remember: life is not a drill. ©

2011 Moira G. Gallaga©

We All Bleed RED: Time to Get Rid of the Fil-What Nonsense

We All Bleed RED: Time to Get Rid of the Fil-What Nonsense:

2012 Moira G Gallaga©

(*Title – “We All Bleed Red” is the title of a Ronnie Dunn song)

During a conversation between my husband and I about the latest developments regarding the Azkals, he brought up an issue that went on for a bit a few months back regarding local based and foreign based Azkals. Apparently, there are some people who take issue with the foreign based Azkals. Terms such as pure blood or half-Filipino were being used. From what I understand, some people don’t consider or view our foreign based Azkals as 100% Filipino. I was pretty surprised and disturbed to hear that as I’ve always had the impression that someone’s ethnic background is no longer an issue these days.

After Sendong, 10 things we must do - Rappler

After Sendong, 10 things we must do - Rappler

This is a very excellent list of things that need to be done. What is unfortunate though is that a lot of your recommendations are things we all know about for some time now and should have been implemented a while back by concerned agencies and officials. The lack of political will is a crucial element lacking in this matter. With all the natural disasters that have befallen the Philippines in recent years, it appears we continually fail to learn our lessons and keep repeating mistakes or ignoring things that need to be done, such as your recommendations. Climate change is indeed a game changer and is going to make this issue a lot more challenging in the years to come, yet climate change is nothing new. It has been a global issue for more than 5 years now. It is good that you bring this all up again, there is no harm in constantly reminding ourselves of what needs to get done.

The Same Moments, The Same Days

The Same Moments, The Same Days:

01 January 2012, Moira G Gallaga©

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Filipinos in Harm's Way in Syria

Filipinos in Harm's Way in Syria:

29 December 2011 Moira G Gallaga©

The Philippine government has put a great deal of time, effort and resources towards the rescue effort and those that refuse to leave should realize that at a certain point there is not much the government can do for them.

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To Do Great Work Is To Love What You Do

Your work accounts for a significant part of your life. In the light of the importance of work in your life, you must deliver your best work to be able to lead a life of self-satisfaction. In turn, the only way to deliver your best at work, you must truly love what you do. If you have not found a thing that you love yet, keep looking and do not settle for anything else.

 

Steve Jobs once said that our heart shall know when you come across the thing you love doing.  Satisfaction and happiness from work is a sensitive topic for many people across the globe because it invokes grief in them. This message is for everyone including those who have found the work they love and those who are still looking. Your work should satisfy and correctly represent you along with inspiring others.  Never bow down to a job, instead search your “life’s work”. Look for a source of happiness for yourself and inspiration for others.

1998: The European language

1998: The European language:

In 1998, World Bank made an attempt to engage in cultural niceties rather than financial. This was good and light reading although dipicult at pirst. Imagin ip we sfel Inglis the Kafangfangan wey.

Let me knov if you enkounter difikulties.


Moira G

***********

1998: The European language

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the EU rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan that would be known as "EuroEnglish." In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favor of the "k:" This should klear up konfusion and keyboards kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replased with the "f." This will make words like "fotograf" 20% shorter. In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will encourage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of the silent "e"s in the language is disgraseful and they should go away. By the 4th year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz year, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords containing "ou" and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters. After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer.

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Happiness is Like a Butterfly ...

Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.

If you have heard the lines, "Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder." you may have wondered what exactly they mean.

It can be just as difficult to find happiness and contentment as it is to catch a butterfly, and the point is that if we do not make a conscious effort to find it, we will end up being happy anyway. Life should be about spending time with those people we love, and doing the things that we like to do, and if you follow that advice, you will be happy.

In order to know what type of life will be best for us, we need to know our own hearts; we must also be prepared to take the time needed to really know ourselves. Often, sacrifice, hard work and following your dreams can all lead to a state of happiness, and if you do not adopt these approaches, you may find that happiness simply passes you by. We all want to be happy throughout our lives, and the above words can help each of us to achieve that important goal.

Fish Kill

We are given plenty,

there is enough to eat

each soul living on this planet

thanks to Gaia Earth.

So much so

that every soul

from birth to death

can fill his cup to the brim.

Look at Nature

she’s our Mother

nurturing every child of hers

with love and care and understanding.

She has her rhythms

her spirals of calm and storm

she is gentle, sweet, a dancing beauty

she is firm, strong and Powerful!

Now at lake Taal

where it all began

nature was in balance

and everyone had enough.

Started as a little seed

of ill and insatiability:

“more money quicker more”

the Fishkill germ was planted.

Here’s the facts to those who care:

BFAR said 6000 fish cages will do

but the lake had 12000

double voracity mathematics.

The above is only one example

there’s many more seedlings

of overstocking fingerlings...

a greedy hand indeed.

Planktons were blamed

but they know balance,

1 300 Illegal fish cage

I bet you there is more.

“Nature is not the culprit...”

But man must still

confront his greed

snaking in the garden

of his soul.

2011 Moira G. Gallaga©

Life's Recipe - Love LIFE

Life is short, live it. Love is rare, grab it. Anger is bad, dump it. Fear is awful, face it. Memories are sweet, cherish them.

There are times when you feel your life has problems like no else’s and that you are not important to anyone. When you start enjoying life in such trying times, you learn to appreciate the beauty of everything around you. Nature has given us only one life and the time passed cannot be regained. Life is short, live it.

Love is rare, grab it. Some people may love you without any reason and regardless of who you are and what you do; they will go on loving you. You must appreciate being loved and love back. It doesn’t hurt to declare your love for someone even if they already know about it. Treating your mom to that fancy restaurant she always dreamt of going to, taking your niece to a park and feeding a meal to the roadside kid gives so much love from so many people.

Life brings some moments of anger when you cannot control yourself. Remember, there is nothing in your nature that you cannot control without strong determination. Anger is bad, dump it. What you may regret later should be mended now. Learn self control and meditation that make your life as well as lives of your fellowmen beautiful.

Drawing courtesy of thinkinginsomniac

Each one of us has a weakness that stops us from achieving our goals. Living a life in fear is not living at all. Also, fear gets you nowhere and you become its slave for a lifetime. Fear is awful, face it. When you learn to face fear, gradually you will get over it. Nothing can come in between your dreams like fear can, so get over it.

Memories are sweet, cherish them. The first time you met your best friend, your first love, the day your child was born…there are innumerable memories stored in your brain. However, not all memories are happy ones. The sad ones can be remembered and thanked for as they have made you strong. Hence, Life is short, live it. Love is rare, grab it. Anger is bad, dump it. Fear is awful, face it. Memories are sweet, cherish them.

2011 Moira G Gallaga©

10 Reasons to Love Your Girlfriends

Just a reminder from one of your friendly neighborhood feminists: Make 2012 a memorable year by celebrating the awesome women in our life. :-D

1. As much as your husband/boyfriend/guy pals love you, they don’t want to hear about your period. They don’t understand it. Just let them be. Girlfriends understand and sympathize, and they probably need someone to vent to as much as you do.

2. We’re not in high school anymore! Or hell, even if you are in high school, it’s well past time we all learn that other women are not our competition. There are more than enough human beings on this planet for everyone to find a match, so quit looking at the fun, cute, smart lady next to you as your enemy and make her your friend!

3. The simplest form of feminism is friendship among women.

4. Women are gorgeous, and whether you swing that way or not, there’s no harm in admiring the beauty of your friends.

5. Surrounding yourself with women you admire can bring out the best in you. After all, if these ladies are so great, and they’re friends with you, maybe you’re not so bad, either!

6. Motivation! When you have common goals with your girlfriends, it can lead to some healthy competition, but you can also spur each other on toward bigger and better things.

7. The more you love other people, the more you can understand and love yourself. How many old scars have been healed while trading stories with a girlfriend? Well, speaking for myself, quite a few!

8. Celebrating other’s successes is fun. You can have a great time being happy for your girlfriends. Your fabulous BFF has earned her success, and it’s encouraging to see her hard work pay off. Then, when your turn comes, she’ll be there to celebrate with you. There’s plenty joy to go around, so share it freely!

9. Creative energy abounds – you never know what kinds of things can happen when you get two or three (or twenty) inspired women together. Maybe you’ll put on an art show, launch a blog or start a business. There’s no limit to what friends can accomplish together.

10. Fun! Do we remember fun? What is life if you’re not having fun? And what better source of fun than your girlfriends? So, call up a girlfriend or two to meet for coffee, go shopping, watch a movie, just hang out, and share little tidbits about anything and everything till your cell phone dies, and remember to have fun!

“To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.”

How to Sense Life, When It Starts Giving You Signals

How to Sense Life, When It Starts Giving You Signals:

by: 2011 Moira G Gallaga©

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Life's a Journey Not a Destination; Veer Off The Path Once in a While

Life's a Journey Not a Destination; Veer Off The Path Once in a While:

by: Moira G Gallaga©

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Life's Little Instructions

The most selfish 1 letter word - I - avoid it.

The most satisfying 2 letter word - WE - use it.

The most poisonous 3 letter word - EGO - kill it.

The most used 4 letter word - LOVE - value it.

The most pleasing 5 letter word - SMILE - keep it.

The fastest spreading 6 letter word - RUMOUR - ignore it.

The hardest working 7 letter word - SUCCESS - achieve it.

The most enviable 8 letter word - JEALOUSY - distance it.

The most powerful 9 letter word - KNOWLEDGE - acquire it.

The most essential 10 letter word - CONFIDENCE - trust it. 

May you all have a great weekend - recharge the body and nourish the spirit. For those who practice Yogin Reiki, as you begin your workday give yourself a few minutes to meditate each day. 

Actively Listening to Your Child

"Too much love never spoils children. Children become spoiled when we substitute "presents" for "presence." Dr. Anthony Witham

One of the most difficult tasks of parenthood is communicating with your child, making them understand what you are trying to say and giving them a feeling that you also understand what they are saying to you.  To be responsible parents, bridging the communication gap between you and your child is of primary importance.  Remember to give importance to your child’s feelings, likes and dislikes, and communicate with them regularly and openly.

Instead of reacting right away to what your child says or feels, you have to be more patient with your child and respond to him after positively listening and trying to understand his point of view.  Make sure that your child has no apprehensions in sharing anything with you.

Never, never be too proud to say "I'm sorry", to your child when you've made a mistake.

Those who react negatively to their child’s viewpoint give an impression to the child that their thoughts are worthless.  However, those who respond positively not only allow the kid to be open with them but it also encourages the kids to share things going on in their mind, their point of view, and their feelings.  It also enables your kids to make a decision that they could not have taken without your assistance.  Kids really feel happy as you develop this bond and understanding with them.

At important times, you have to give proper attention to your kid no matter what you are busy with.  You should set everything aside and be all ears to your child, looking into their eyes.  Make the kid feel that you are interested in what he or she is saying and try giving a solution at the end. In cases where the concern isn’t really that urgent, at least take a brief moment to explain to your child that you cannot be bothered at the moment and that you get back to him or her as soon as you can.

Children desperately need to know - and to hear in ways they understand and remember - that they're loved and valued by mom and dad. - Paul Smally

At times, your kid could be in a bad mood, irritated or annoyed at something.  In such cases, it is recommended to listen to the kid carefully to understand why your kid is feeling this way.  Suggest some solution at the end of the conversation to make your child relax.  It is considered a bad move if you try to change the feelings of your child without discussing them.

It is highly recommended that we should always respond to our kids rather than react to them.  Kids also have a thinking process like we have and they have feelings that can be easily hurt.  By listening to your kid, you make them comfortable and relaxed, thereby creating a condition where it should make it easier for them to open up to you and share their feelings and thoughts.  This also reinforces to them that you really care for them, accord them respect and reassures them that you will always help and love them.

Occupy Wall Street in the Philippines? (Part 1)

Occupy Wall Street in the Philippines? (Part 1):

Right, OWS needs to figure out what its demands are and what are the objectives they need to accomplish if they want something productive to come out of their protest movement.  I doubt if Wall Street and the 1% are going to just let change happen.  Change is needed but how will that change be achieved?  That is what I am most interested to see in the weeks to come. 

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The Beautiful Game

32 Teams - Three years to prepare;

Hone the muscles and sharpen the mind

strengthen the legs, ankles,

and give it your best shot!

Three years to act

bravely within the team,

with lion’s courage in every game,

bringing you closer to the day!

Three years to anchor

sweat and tears for victories,

being loyal to your country, all these

guarantee your place in the...

World Cup of Soccer!!!

32 teams after 3 years of dreams,

travel to their destiny,

the proud host stands - open arms,

receiving those who made it through.

Have you ever been to the event

that ‘happening’ every 4 years

and tasted the euphoria

shared by hundreds of millions?

Have you felt the anticipation

before a game

looked at the faces glowing,

excitement sparkling around you?

The kick-off,

11 lean muscled bodies on each side,

a pour of energy and wit

behind a checkered ball torpedo.

Then ... the kick that scores

the crowd that roars,

smiles and tears a magic wave

players dance a wiggle rave.

Now and then

disgruntled boo’s may fill the field,

a ref’s decision, a bullied player,

anger rises but soon subsides.

When the last whistle blows

united we stand and feel the same,

there is no doubt at all...

Soccer’s the most beautiful game.

2011 Moira G. Gallaga©