I have been reading “Alay: the Philippine native trees in the Victor O. Ramos Arboretum,” the book of Vic Ramos’ farm in Natividad, Pangasinan, 4 hours north of Manila. It is a great source of information about these trees. For those of us who are interested in restoring our aboriginal and indigenous environment, the Arboretum is a magical place from our ancient past.
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Speech at the Isabelo de los Reyes Auditorium, UP
Here is a copy of the the speech I prepared on the subject of eastern healing and martial arts on March 15, 2023 sponsored by the Office of the President of the University of the Philippines, in cooperation with the Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity and the Center for People Empowerment in Governance. I decided to extemporise instead when Annie Sollestre showed my work with INAM, the sponsor of my seminars since 1997, in a rather long Powerpoint Presentation. I told her not to do it but she did it anyway. I could not stop her because she had the remote and the mike. There was a Q&A segment that turned out to be a lively discussion. I demonstrated a couple of massage techniques and the INAM staff showed ear acupuncture on volunteers.
Continue reading “Speech at the Isabelo de los Reyes Auditorium, UP”April 2023
Still jet-lagged after almost 2 weeks back from my month-long sojourn in the Philippines. When I was younger, I would go to work the next day after returning from a long trip. But I should not complain because it was really a “fun” visit to my country, a combination of vacation, work and just simple indulgence, I do not know which.
Continue reading “April 2023”Excerpt from “Of Fire and Water”
Excerpt from the Introduction to my book “Of Fire and Water” (forthcoming from Tambuli Media):
In recent years the Philippines, like the US, has been undergoing a transformation of sorts as eastern culture is becoming a part of the mainstream. Martial art of different styles, yoga, massage, acupuncture, meditation, even fengshui and astrology and a few others, are becoming more prominent. There are now healing centers operating under the law regulating them. Likewise there has been a conscious effort by some groups to revive and promote old indigenous traditions and arts and to adopt Asian culture. At some events you’ll see young men and women wearing indigenous clothes and playing indigenous music on indigenous instruments or doing Tai chi chuan and other Asian martial arts.
Continue reading “Excerpt from “Of Fire and Water””Philippines Seminars—March 2023
Below are the flyers for my seminars scheduled for March 2023 in the Philippines. The subjects include: Tao Basics, Zhan Zhuang, Buddha Palm Qigong (which I haven’t taught in the Philippines for possibly 20 years) and Chi Nei Tsang internal organs massage.
Continue reading “Philippines Seminars—March 2023”February 2023
It has been a while since I visited my country because of Covid. Somehow, while we were virtually quarantined, I did a lot of reading, writing and practices. I even went to the gym on a regular basis. I concentrated on internal work: meditation, Qigong, alchemy. I also managed to have my poetry book “Ascension and Return” published and work on a book of essays “Of Fire and Water” is going on. It has been a very productive and creative time. I guess isolation can do that to you, if you do not go crazy.
Continue reading “February 2023”Jimi FlorCruz: Ambassador to China
I heard that the new Philippine ambassador to China is Jaime “Jimi” FlorCruz.
Continue reading “Jimi FlorCruz: Ambassador to China”Birthdays
It was my 70th birthday. Lolit and I were walking around on our last day in Taiwan 12 years ago when we saw a small group of people having tea inside a small house. When they asked us to come in we joined them at the table.
Continue reading “Birthdays”December 2022
I sent to my friends a copy of this poem “Clearing the life,” a meditation on life, possessions and mortality, written in December of 1993 when I lived in the Case Estates in Weston, Ma, a small town just outside of Boston.
Continue reading “December 2022”Amado Hernandez poem translation
On August 13, 1898, the US and Spain staged a mock battle in Intramuros, the walled City of Manila. The US “won.” A few months later Spain sold the Philippines to the United States for $20 million. This was the prelude to the bloody annexation of the Philippines by the US. Amado Hernandez’s poem “Kung Tuyo Na Ang Luha Mo, Aking Bayan” is from the book “Isang Dipang Langit.” It is very difficult, perhaps impossible, to translate the poem. My free translation is a work in progress.
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