Ms. Esther Hufana at the CN Tower...

Esther with her cousin Ludy..

 

Four cousins..on the Hufana side...Fe, Esther, Miggie, and Ludy

 

Straight out of the bison's mouth....

 

"We're singing on top of the world, just rolling along, just rolling.."

 

 

 

 

Welcome to GILAS-USA Asingan Network!

This is the social network of GILAS-USA and the Friends of Asingan NY NJ PA. We are dedicated to wiring the public high schools of Asingan to the  Internet and easing the burden of information poverty in our home country and hometown.

You can sign in using your email address here:
http://gilasusasingan.ning.com/?xgsi=1

Thank you !!

GILAS-USA Asingan Network

###############################################

more spring photos...

'the flowers that bloom in spring, tra-la..'

There is this small house on  Emma's Tree House...

 

Two friends are waiting for her visit so they can play...

 

Miggie beside the newly sprung tulips...

 

A close up of one purple tulip bulb..

 

Another bulb of a different colour..

 

Yes, she is a Passionate Gardener..

 

More flowers! It is about time for their arrival!

 

More on Dr. Esther Hufana, related by her sister Miguelita:

1) She is a Doctor on Linguistics

2) She was a graduate of UP Diliman.

3) She taught in almost all Colleges in Baguio City. Later on she concentrated only on MSAC, St. Louis University  and Baguio Colleges Foundation.

4) She was a Vice President on Student Affairs at the MSAC.

5) She has practically visited all major cities of the Philippines due to her work in accreditizing Public High Schools and Colleges.

6) Most of the Asian foreign students who attended her class came from wealthy families. When they return to their homes, they put up schools of their own.

 

One unforgettable incident in her Asian trips:  On one occasion, she was scheduled to visit Thailand to attend the opening of a school.  The opening date was Dec. 28. Then word came that the ceremony was postphoned to a later date. She cancelled her trip and all preparations.  On Dec. 26, the Tsunami wiped out many shoreline villages and towns of Thailand and one such place was the city where she was to cut the ribbon for the opening ceremony.---#

A bit on Dr. Esther Hufana

Among her many nicknames ( from her numerous nephews and nieces ) is Auntie Ting. She is shown here with her sis Miguelita Hufana Costes during her first trip to Toronto almost a decade ago.

You mentioned about Dr. Esther Hufana, your wife's sister. She's from Santa Maria de Pila. I know her since childhood. In fact, she was my English teacher in grade five in East Central School where I finished my elementary. She's a very good teacher and a strict disciplinarian. She deserved to pursue a higher status and more challenging level in her teaching profession. What I've gathered from a reliable source is that, she was a full time professor at Mountain State University (formerly Mountain State Agricultural College) in La Trinidad, Benguet until her retirement. But I'm not sure if she had an offer as a part time professor in Saint Louis University, Baguio City. By the way, did she obtain her PhD credentials in SLU? Few years ago, I had the chance to meet one of her colleagues in MSU, Tang Demy Somera. He fondly called her "Panang" during their tenure at the university. Your late brother-in-law, Dr. Teodomero Hufana (a physician) was married to my father's second cousin, Auntie Erling (formerly Erlinda Gascon). I've also learned that Auntie Erling was once an acting mayor in Isabela. You have another brother-in-law that I've met. He lives with his family in Northern California (bay area). He's Manong Mel. Am I right, sir? Regards to Ma'am Esther. Salamat po.

--an anonymous contributor to the Asingan Board

****

Your thumbnail sketch is a very accurate description of her. She started as a classroom teacher in Sta. Maria de Pila then she moved on to Baguio City where she obtained her PhD credentials and she became very much in demand by students, both local and foreign because of her mastery in teaching her subjects of expertise. She retired sometime ago from MSAC but it seems that St. Louis U do not want to let her go. She is still handling Doctorate subjects as a part time professor. .

She travels around the Philippines a lot for the accreditation of various schools. She is a disciplinarian but at the same time she is very kind to her family members. She helped in the college education of many of her brothers and sisters ( my wife included ) and went on further to aid some of her nephews and nieces.

Her Asian students love her so much that two of them invited her one time during the opening of a University which they opened in their country. She was a guest speaker during the ceremony and all her expenses were paid for.

Dr. Teodomiro Hufana is the eldest brother in their family and he served as a physician in Quirino province until he died a few years back. He had also a very colorful career because he lived in the hinterlands where there was a constant activity between the Armed Forces and the NPA. So he treated the casualties on both sides and he never got in trouble from the military because his services were always in demand. Sometimes he would be picked up in the middle of the night when there is someone ( either from the military or from the New Peoples Army ) who needed medical attention.

Two younger brothers ( Melodio and Milfredo ) are now residing in Sunnyvale, California.------#

spring has sprung in Toronto..at long last!

one sign of spring

is when Emma starts visiting our house more frequently. This is where she lived from the day she was born until she moved with her family after they have bought their first house...

 

She loves baseball, good clothes and oatmeal chucked with raisins and laced with evaporated milk...

 

She also loves posing for the camera...especially if Lolo is holding it...

 

This is her hat which was signed by some members of Toronto's baseball team...

 

She loves to climb the tree house sans walls and a roof...

 

Darned wind is creating havoc with her hair do...

a big "party"

so we attended  this big party, so big that it has to be  held at the Air Canada Center ( ACC) here in downtown Toronto.

It was the last NBA game of the 2007-2008 Season. Competing teams were the Miami Heat vs Toronto Raptors.

Honestly speaking, it was the first NBA Game I witnessed.  Although the main attraction was the basketball tournament there were other events in between: dances by Raptor cheering teams, a musical chair for kids, a 50/50 draw with tickets sold before the draw, giveaways to certain seats which  were selected at random during the game..The winning rows would be flashed on 4 monitors on the ceiling of the Center. The ACC is features the biggest events ( sports, rock concerts, figure skating events, etc ) that takes place in Toronto.

Then there was this  "game" that took place just before the last quarter of the tournament. The prizes of this "game" were several airline tickets for 2 to Italy, 15,000 $ in cash, and several 40" LCD TVs courtesy of one major sponsor Sony Corporation.

Then there was this mascot: a raptor that looked like Barney the dinosaur. The guy showed some antics of his own ( e.g. doing  some acrobatic stunts  on top of a garbage can ). He would ogle with some ladies on the ringside  or play around with the kids during their parlor game.

It was really fun, a really big time fun with no expenses spared. Someone with a lucky number walked away with 4,000$ prize from the 50/50 draw! No, I wished it was me!

The Raptors won. But their game only improved during the 3rd quarter.  I asked Miguelita who came with me  "How come if the Miami team scores, nobody cheers?..Isn't that rude?"

This is in contrast to the pandemonium that broke out each time a  Raptor places a ball in the basket..

"That is how it is, " she said. "One have to root for the home team.."

By the way, we thank Dr. Forbes, Michelle, my daughter's father in law for the tickets. The seats were very good. 12 rows away from the ringside. These were quite expensive too...

Here are a few photos from the game...

the players made an entrance before the tournament..

 

the events ( plus some TV ads ) were flashed on the huge monitors above the stadium..

 

Half an hour before the game. We were on one of the gray seats...

 

One of the managers was telling something..

 

The cheering squad made up of  young and pretty dancers were showing their stuff..Before the game at the lobby of the ACC, they posed with several patrons..

 

Go, Raptors Go!..If I am not mistaken, they are the 6th in the overall rating...

 

This is the game where they awarded LCDs, plane tickets, etc..Invited participants went in front of each lady. A round mat is at the feet of each one. The lady then would pick up the mat and show the prize won. It is written at the back of each round mat...Each one received a handsome rpize..How they selected the contestants?..That I do not know..

 

A huge Raptor mascot came down right after the end of the game...He is not asmobile and agile as the smaller one...

 

"YES, WE WON!!!"

 

It was a hard won one..The Raptors were losing by 2 or 3 shots right from the beginning..Then their luck changed during the third quarter..

 

Torontonians left the Center very happy that night!!

--vdc

 

 

 

 

 

Once Upon a time in....

Los Banios is that picturesque town beside the body of water called LAGUNA DE BAY. It is a quiet, sleepy hamlet ( at least when I was still living there in the early '70s ) . About 20 mins drive from LB would be the University of the Philippines Los Banios (UPLB) campus where I worked for 4 years before leaving for Canada.

Some scenes of the war movie entitled TOO LATE THE HERO were shot in the interior of the Municipio of LB. This major vehicle starred Michael Caine and Cliff Robertson as the main stars: Henry Fonda in a cameo role appeared as a Navy commandant whose office was inside the Municipal building of Los Banios.

Population profile changes a bit once you are in the corner of the highway going to San Pablo City and the side street going to the UP Compound. More people, more businesses, more vehicles. At that time jeepneys would make money due to the influx of visitors and workers at the UPLB.

The UP Los Banios looks like a city inside a town: school and research buildings, residences, etc. One would also find the IRRI (International RiceResearch Institute ) on a southern part of the area. This is where various Asian students learn more about rice. Then they would go back to their own countries to improve on what they learned here in the Philippines.  And I heard the Philippines is still importing rice from other countries..

If you take a jeepney going up to UP Forestry at the higher slope of the famous Mt. Makiling  then you would find yourself inside a different community. The prevalence of trees ( and just a fewer buildings ) gives it a quiet atmosphere with only the singing of birds and cicadas ( esp. at dusk ) to break the silence. In here  you could  listen to your thoughts...

Part of the UP Forestry is a building called FORPRIDECOM. This is where Mrs. Loreto Blando Mizal worked. During my interviews, medical exams, etc.  prior to my acceptance to the UPCF, I stayed  in her house with her family.

Night life centered at the Bamboo Groove, a community just outside the entrance to the UPLB. There are a few beer gardens there patronized almost nightly by the Asian students and professors. At one time, I worked as an organist in a beer house in this area.

I remember that some Asian students love to have greens with their beer. The manager of the beer housewouldjust pick some ipil- ipil  leaves from the backyard and serve them as salad with the drinks..

I learned how to hone my craft here. Although the writing  was mainly technical, nevertheless I was able to write some news articles re: Los Banios and Asingan when I joined the Philippine News Service as a correspondent. It was a good "side line" until the Martial Law came and all news media in the country were clamped shut by the iron hand of the administration.

My two children, Michelle and Oliver  were born in the UPLB Infirmary. My third child Bernadette was born at the St. Joseph's hospital here in Toronto.

I spent four years of my life here. I left it in 1975.---#

from Mike Bartlett

WHY GOD MADE MOMS   

 Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:     
Why did God make mothers?  
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.  
2. Mostly to clean the house. 
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.      
How did God make mothers?  
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us. 
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring. 
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.      
What ingredients are mothers made of ?  
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.  
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.      
Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?  
1. We're related 
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.      
 What kind of little girl was your mom?  
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff. 
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy. 
3. They say she used to be nice.      
What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?  
1. His last name. 
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?  Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year?
Why did your mom marry your dad? 
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot. 
2. She got too old to do anything else with him. 
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.    
Who's the boss at your house?  
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball. 
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed. 
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.     
What's the difference between moms & dads?  
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work. 
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them. 
3. Dad s are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you   want to sleep over at your friend's.  
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.       
What does your mom do in her spare time?  
1. Mothers don't do spare time. 
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.      
What would it take to make your mom perfect?  
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery. 
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.      
If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be? 
1. She has this weird thing about me keep ing my room clean. I'd get rid of that.  
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me. 
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

and the icing on the cake..:)

As a young minister, I was asked by a funeral director to hold a grave-side service for a homeless man, with no family or friends.

The funeral was to be held at a cemetery way back in the country, and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost; and being a typical man did not stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late.

I saw the backhoe and the crew, who was eating lunch,
but the hearse was nowhere in sight.

I apologized to the workers for my tardiness, and stepped to the side of the open grave, where I saw the vault lid already in place.

I assured the workers I would not hold them up for long, but this was theproper thing to do.

The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch.

I poured out my heart and soul.

As I preached the workers began to say 'Amen,' 'Praise the Lord,' and 'Glory'! I preached, and I preached, like I'd never preached before: from Genesis and Ecclesiastes all the way to Revelations.

I closed the lengthy service with a prayer and walked to my car.

As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I overheard one of the workers saying to another,

'Lard Jeezuz b'y, I never seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.'

*********************************************************************

 

to Rose

a Rose by any name is still a rose

Her complete name was Rose French. During our sing along sessions at the Senior's home, she would always be sitting on her wheel chair close to me beside the piano bench.

For obvious reasons, I try not to be "emotionally involved" with any of the residents attending the music session but after a while, one can not help but to. Especially with one like Rose who after 2 years had a perfect attendance ( except for one Monday when she celebrated her birthday and her family took her out ).

She always had a sweet smile for me when she leaves after the session " I love the way you do harmony," she frequently said while flashing one of her radiant smiles. I try to do a second voice to Miguelita's melody while I play the piano at the same time. The only response I could make was "Thank you.." then I would continue to pack my gears: a portable karaoke amplifier, cables, couple of mikes and song books..

Her legs were swollen because of the painkillers she was taking. The pills are for the pain in her legs caused by a improper blood circulation which resulted to so much pain.

Yesterday, Monday at 6:25 pm, I noticed she was not on her usual spot..

"You know what?" Miguelita told me as I was about to start warming up..."Rose died last Saturday" No wonder many of the residents looked very sad. One named Sarah was constantly weeping during the hour long singing session. She lived in the same wing as Rose. They were close friends.

She was so friendly and cheerful inspite of her pain and suffering.  When a very friendly individual leaves a group  everyone in there feels a deep sense of loss. Friendliness always beget love.

And a person who is loved is always remembered for a long, long time.

Here's to you Rose.  Here is to your new life without any kind of suffering.--#

highway to progress?

 the new Clark to Subic expressway

(no individual captions for the photos arrived, so let us just look at them and enjoy. )

 

Thought you'd like to see these pictures of the freeway....please scroll
down way below and see the newly-opened Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway...

It looks like a hilltop was blasted and leveled to make way for the
expressway (just like freeways in the U.S.).

The Philippines now have a world-class freeway it can be proud of.

Great engineering work.  The SCTEx runs through several hills that were
sloped to prevent erosion.

Okay, kabalens!  Which river bed is this?

The SCTEx looks like a freeway in California in this photo.

The newly opened expressway is proving to be a busy one already.

SCTEx looks like a freeway in Colorado, USA, in this photo.

That's Mt. Arayat on the horizon.

This is near the former Clark Air Base.  A passenger jetliner is about to
land on Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA). ( to be seen in the next batch )

The highway on the right must be Roxas Hi-Way at Clark Special Economic Zone
(the former Clark Air Base)

The exit ramp leading to the Northern Luzon Expressway (NLEX) junction.

Let's hope Mt. Arayat will keep its slumber for many centuries to come.
This entire area was covered with volcanic ash in early 1990's after the Mt.
Pinatubo's eruption.

more photos next time...

a snake trainer instead of a doctor (!)

---One other down side of medicine, is the sky high income taxes that we have to pay. Interestingly, there  used to be a column in The Medical  Post for Canadian doctors  which survey the practising physicians whether they  would advise their children to take up medicine   and 90 % said no.  One even said that he would rather see his son as a snake trainer in an animal show, another commented that he would not wish it even on his worse enemy. I do believe this is an offshoot of our frustrations on the long hours we have to work as a result of the doctor shortage here.

In Canada, there  are thousands of foregn trained doctors  who are eking  a living doing very demeaning jobs and there is a current petition from our Canadian Medical Association to please ease up the licensing requirements. As I have mentioned, it is very very difficult to get licensed here now. I thank the Lord Almighty for letting me be one of the lucky ones and I also fervently pray that He helps our colleagues in distress.

However, personally I am quite happy with my chosen line of endeavor although I have always wanted to be a school teacher. Happiness and Health are tops in my books and agenda and I like " what does it profits a man if he gains the whole world but suffers from the loss of his soul?  Thanks to the teachings of my religion instructors in Rizal Junior College and the University of Santo Tomas.

By the way for those of you who do not know me, I belong to the RJC class of 1958. Have a nice day everyone and God Bless      

ERNESTO RODOLFO LAURENCIO de LEON

 

why????

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting dead?

Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough money?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
 
Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?

When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, "It's all right?" Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, "That really hurt, why don't you watch where you're going?"

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?


The statistics on sanity is that one out of every four persons are suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you. 
  
 

...still want your child to take up Medicine?

Hi, Vic

I envy you for talking retirement now. I hope I can do the same! You know doctors do not have a pension plan because we are self employed. We do not even qualify for old age pension because of our in come bracket. I do not deny that we are paid sizeable amount but our overhead is phenomenal. We spend about half of what we make to maintain our office practice and paying our employees. People forget this!

We work our butts off til wee hours in the morning in this very stressful profession. Often times  I hear colleagues, moaning doctoring is not for humans and there has got to be a better way to earn a living. Canada has a severe problem with doctor shortage. It is very difficult to license here. At least in USA, Filipino doctors can work as nurses.

I am very happy for you. I forgot you already retired, right? So it is your wife's turn . God bless!    

ERNESTO

***

For me, it is still the prestige of being called a Doctor of Medicine..It is the most honorable profession of all...

So it seems we are in the same boat..There is also not much money in retirement...:)

But I do remember a little story about a doctor who called in a plumber to fix a leak in his house pipes..The plumber took a look at the leak, tightened  a few thingies here and there and then the leak dissapeared. It did not take him half an hour..Then he presented his bill to the doctor..

The doctor exclaimed: "Holy Smokes, I did  not make this much per hour as a doctor!!"

"Same here," the plumber said." I did not make that much too when I was a doctor.."

****************

 

Laugh and the whole world laughs with ya...

HOLLYWOOD SQUARES!

If you remember the Original Hollywood Squares and its comics, this may bring a tear to your eyes. These great questions and answers are from the days when Hollywood Squares game show responses were spontaneous and clever, not scripted and (often) dull, as they are now.
 
Peter Marshall was the host asking the questions, of course. Enjoy!
 
> Q. Do female frogs croak?
>
> A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough.
>
> Q. If you're going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be?
>
> A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.
>
> Q. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years.
>
> A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.
>
> Q. You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?
> 
A. Don Knotts: That's what's been keeping me awake.
>
> Q. According to Cosmopolitan, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he's married?
>
> A. Rose Marie: No; wait until morning.
>
> Q. Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?
>
> A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.
>
> Q. In Hawaiian, does it take more than three words to say "I Love You"?
>
> A. Vincent Price: No, you can say it with a pineapple and a twenty.
>
> Q. What are "Do It," "I Can Help," and "I Can't Get Enough"?
>
> A. George Gobel: I don't know, but it's coming from the next apartment.
>
> Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking?
>
> A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I'll give you a gesture you'll never forget.
>
> Q. Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?
>
> A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.
>
> Q. Charley, you've just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during the first year?
>
> A. Charley Weaver: Of course not, I'm too busy growing strawberries.
>
> Q. In bowling, what's a perfect score?
>
> A. Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy.
>
> Q. It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps.
>
> One is politics, what is the other?
>
> A. Paul Lynde: Tape measures.
>
> Q. During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet?
>
> A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Peter, I'm always safe in the bedroom.
>
> Q. Can boys join the Campfire Girls?
>
> A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out.
>
> Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?
>
> A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?
>
> Q If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?
>
> A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.
>
> Q. According to Ann Landers, is their anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people?
>
> A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.
>
> Q. It is the most abused and neglected part of your body, what is it?
>
> A. Paul Lynde: Mine may be abused, but it certainly isn't neglected.
>
> Q. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?
>
> A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.
>
> Q. Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant?
>
> A. Paul Lynde: Who told you about my elephant?
>
> Q When a couple has a baby, who is responsible for its sex?
>
> A. Charley Weaver: I'll lend him the car, the rest is up to him.
>
> Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they?
>
> A. Charley Weaver: His feet.
>
> Q. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed?
>
> A. Paul Lynde: Point and Laugh

****************************************