today's 'eye-openers'

from somewhat trivial events that happened in the office today, i drew these "conclusions:"

* if being accepted by a group means having to conform to the group's wishes (e.g. dressing up in the same colour clothes, following what they want even if it's heavy on your conscience, etc.), then count me out because it's total BULLSHIT! i have a brain of my own so i'm not gonna rely on yours!

* i'd rather be in the company of friends who allow me to shine despite my eccentricities than be with people who are narrow-minded and do not respect individuality.

was hibernating but now looking forward to a new season

it's been a while since i last put down my thoughts into words. i don't know what happened. it was either there was too much to think about that i didn't know what to focus on first or there was none at all. it's been a blur lately...

anyway, i'm traveling. to a distant land. to a country bordering europe and asia. i'm excited at the myriad of possibilities, at where to go first, what to do there, what to wear. from the Net i've learned that it would be chilly & rainy there. these past few days (or rather nights), hours have been spent alternating between sleep and picturing out winter ensembles in my head. ahhhh...can hardly wait.

below is a travel article (the only travel piece so far) i wrote years ago before my "leap of faith" brought me to this land. preferring to be anonymous, i wrote it using a pen name. my apologies if what were once pictures are now represented by squares. here's the link: http://216.55.163.209/e-magazine/travel/travel_corregidor.html

History lessons in the Tadpole Island Text and photos by Zhia de Gracia

ARTILLERY found on the island. It was the middle of summer, yet the sweltering heat never dampened our spirits, or kept us from exploring Corregidor island. So, just as the sun rose one fine Saturday, my friends and I left Bacoor, Cavite and trooped to the CCP Complex on Roxas blvd. to catch the ferry that would take us to a guided tour of the place (that's more than a thousand bucks).

Corregidor comes from the Spanish word corregir, which means "to correct", as it served as checkpoint for ships going to Manila Bay during the Spanish and American occupations. It is situated between Bataan and Cavite provinces. Stretching three miles and facing the China Sea, it can be reached for an hour. Named "The Rock," the isle stands as a monument for the heroism and courage of Filipino and American soldiers who fought the Japanese forces. Apart from trees dotting its landscape, the tadpole-shaped rocky island, located 48 kilometers west of Manila, looked deserted from afar. Its stillness belies the fact that it was once a scene of fierce battle.

NATURE'S BEAUTY. City dwellers may hie off to Corregidor for a dose of the island's history or to take in its natural beauty. Touring the spot is like uncovering a hidden treasure in every corner. Scattered around are several cannons, wrecked barracks and damaged structures, which provide locals and tourists alike a peek of what occurred during World War II. Upon arrival, our group, a mix of students, yuppies and Japanese tourists, was whisked away in separate brightly painted buses, that were stark contrasts to the rustic environment. Perhaps to dispel any gloom the island's history brings.

First stop was the General Douglas McArthur Park where a statue of the legendary general stands. According to our guide, this was the spot where McArthur took a boat for Mindanao and later on to the land Down Under where he uttered his famous line, "I shall return." Here, we got off the bus for souvenir shots, among a series of camera-clicking sessions in the island. Corregidor is home to a number of artillery in different sizes, which you can touch and scrutinize. At the Japanese Memorial Garden, the Japanese tourists who were with us paid homage to their dead soldier-relatives/countrymen lying among the 4,215 Japanese troops killed in the fighting. The park has a Buddha and a Shinto shrine.

Next stop was the 6,000-square meter Filipino Heroes Memorial. It shows murals of battles fought by Filipinos from the 15th century until the present. The highlight of the tour was the Malinta Tunnel, which was first utilized as an explosives store and was later converted into a hospital. We entered it on foot and found ourselves in a moving lights and sound experience written and directed by National Artist Lamberto Avellana. War scenes are depicted at different points of the tunnel. We stopped at each station and listened to the stirring dramatizations of the war's major events. I admit I was jolted by the sound effects reproducing blasts and gunfire, and was misty-eyed when the Lupang Hinirang was played at the end of the show. We exited at the north entrance where the President Manuel L. Quezon Park can be found. This is where he was inaugurated as the President of the Commonwealth for a second term. They say spirits of Filipino, Japanese and American soldiers killed during the war roam the tunnel and the entire island. The tour proceeded to the ruins of army barracks, some partly curtained by trees yet still imposing. And, if you look hard enough, you can see a couple of monkeys darting from one tree to another. HUGE BARRACKS that once housed Filipino and American soldiers.

We also drove to the Pacific War Memorial constructed by the US Government in memory of American and Filipino soldiers, and the museum, which keeps relics and mementos of the war. Last stop was the lighthouse, rising 628 feet above sea level, before our lunch at the hotel. One of Corregidor's oldest landmarks, it offers visitors a magnificent vista of Manila Bay. Nearby is the souvenir shop where you can purchase a pasalubong or two for pals and family. My friends and I headed back to Manila with heads held high, mighty proud of being Filipinos. Of course, we vowed to return and stay a little longer - to swim in the sparkling waters, discover other scenic spots we missed during our maiden visit, and perhaps wander around in the dead of night to prove if indeed spirits of dead soldiers inhabit this historical treasure.