Gotta lighten up

A couple of weeks later ...

There isn't really much to write about. I've been really busy with work in school, and hardly have the time to do much of anything else.

Last Friday, we did have a small, quiet party on the first floor. My wife joined us for a bit but she had to leave because she promised to take her mother to see Slumdog Millionaire. Martin and his wife, Jane came. Art was also there. Well, we had some food and wine and beer and we had some space cake.

It was OK and I got to be so talkative that night.

Two days later, I found a few note sequences on the guitar and it sounds nice. I hope to make something out of it.

Will I be going to Martin and Jane's tonight with Michael and Mignon? Frankly, I just don't feel well enough. My cold seem to just hang about ... I just wish if I was to get sick, I should just get sick. Right now, I am and I'm not. Do you know what I mean?

I also almost messed my OS again. I should remaster.

Shower? I really wanted to but I just know that if I do, I'm gonna end up with the bad end of the stick. Perhaps I should wait a while ... perhaps I should take some medicine.

A night at Sol Latino

Well, it's done. Vincent Poisson and I as the Ten Thousand Beers had our night at the Sol Latino last night. I felt that I didn't do all that well. I felt that a lot of my friends weren't able to come and see us play.

However, one high point of the night was my seriously deep conversation with a pretty Chinese girl, Amanda. It seemed that we talked for the whole night about a whole lot of different topics from love to cheating.

I hope there will be a repeat of that.

Vincent performed really well singing a variety of songs. I think my highlight was singing one of my compositions, Waiting For You, and a number with Vinz, With Or Without You.

Changing of seasons

Last night, as I went to the canteen to buy some "bao zhu", I stared hypnotized at how beautiful the moon was. It was a clear, cloudless, chilly night and I sensed a difference in how the evening felt from other nights. There were still several ice patches on the pathways but most have cleared as if preparation for the coming of youth draped in all its innocence and beauty.

The cold isn't as harsh as it had been for the last several months. Soon, we can expect the changes in colors ... reds, yellows, whites, blues, and greens. Spring will once again be a mixing palette of life's hues.

But like the caterpillar which would soon be a butterfly, we will all be shedding our heavy winter garments, and loosen our body movements in light apparels. There'll be more outdoor activities ... and most importantly, cold beers to quench the thirst on a hot summer day.

I am really looking forward to one of the plans Michael and I have been talking about. A barbecue party outside out building, where we'd have the drums and guitars tempting passing students to dance to the rhythm and melodies, lounges, chairs and sofas where we could sit and enjoy the campus outdoor in style, and of course friends will be there to catch up on events that went on during our hibernation.

I like these ideas.

News Flash! Mark Leavitt impressed me

I was just at Sol Latino in Mudan Rd., and heard a not-often-heard Celtic, folk-rock music at The Great Talents of Changchun. It was fabulous.

Mark Leavitt, who I'm hoping is gonna call me up for a cup of espresso, played a swears-not-permitted-here evening to the delight of fans and new friends alike. But what I like most about him is he's a teacher like myself. Changchun Teacher's College but what he's teaching, ahhh ... perhaps he can answer you that himself. SoulIISoul, I asked Mark about a song (whose title is still a mystery right now) which he said was inspired by his sister. I added to this question, "I hope your sister isn't dead." That was the silliest "who said that?" of the night.

Mark is a friendly chap and I hope he has forgiven me for not wanting to continue the story about his sister's experience. Perhaps, when we're more of what we can call friends. We have similarities in style and playing the guitar, and there's (no) religion too. Sermon on the Mount, Mark. If I know more of your heart, I'd hug you openly, like I do with Alex, whose first friend we had in common is Pino Monorchi.

And just this very night ... it's two o'clock by my clock so I'll leave it to you at what time it is you want it to be ... Vincent invited me to be a Ten Thousand Beers (I wonder if he's already trademarked the name?), and I also found out that Ten Thousand Beers is Vincent and Vincent's friend (notice how it is with me and first names?). Still feeling privileged. Vincent is a fantastic entertainer. Well, maybe a musician ... and I must openly admit that he knows more songs to play than I do. Oh, yeah ... where was I invited?

We were doing a sound check at Sol Latino late this afternoon ... met Marjorie Jacobs (and Sergio) for the first time. Nice place Sol Latino; Marjorie gave us students' discount on the beers tonight. After the soundcheck (is that suppose to be two words or one?), Vincent said "let's drop over at Ah Fei's so we trod along Mudan Rd. (I decided to leave the car by Sol Latino). I can scratch at Ah Fei's but nope, the gates to his studio were closed. So what's next? ATM (another story, perhaps), Corner Cafe, wait for the wife then back to Sol Latino. Before I forget, Michael and Mignon were good company, and Alter is his usual self. Talisha is becoming quite a budding beauty, gotta take good care of yourself, girl. Gosh, I am so boring! Why don't I just go to bed and maybe I could get some good dreams from it.

Ohh, I had some nice rhythm and melody to go with the Chinese chants "Wo xiang ...", "Nie gei wo", "Wo bu zhi dao" and "Zi mo". I hope I'll be able to remember it tomorrow so I can "capture" it. Or, it's gonna be just another one-of-those-things that fade away in the ticks that tocks.

Here's what I feel. Though I may never play those that I had not put into notes, I'm OK with the idea that it came and it passed. Of course I feel bad about it. How could I share much this way? My wife's calling. Hang up the phone ... hanging up.

Can the law protect us?

It had become so normal that Filipinos coming to China to work are subjected to conditions that are unconstitutional and at times even inhuman. This has nothing to do with the Chinese government's human rights record. That, I believe, is too subjective a topic even for the long-timers. What I am suggesting is the Filipinos' unawareness of the Contract Labor Law.

I received an email with a document attachment from the Honorable Second Secretary and Consul of the Philippine Embassy in Beijing applauding my mention in an earlier post suggesting that we "keep our passports in our persons and any company does not have the right to keep it". Surely, any institutions employing Filipinos play on our ignorance and unawareness, or just plain exhibit their distrusts on our employment. What? Are we really ready to bolt and leave them hanging? In some instances, yes. I've heard of such stories, so it affects every single one of us.

I've sent this email to the Pinoys sa China mailing list in Yahoo!Groups with the hopes that our subscribers would be more aware that the law can protect us.

In another development, Mr. Ronaldo dela Cruz Pertez had indeed violated the law through his company's deceit. It is so sad to hear stories like this but until we can mature to a point that we have responsibilities and obligations to fulfil, and we must fulfil them, there are people around seeking to take advantage of our naivety. Can his company be held responsible? Maybe, maybe not. I am not in the position to hand down a judgment, but I feel strongly that Mr. Pertez should write a testimonial and send it to the Philippine Embassy. Perhaps, nothing much can be done but at least, other Filipinos will hear about this company and maybe, even stir away from any involvement.

I am just glad that another group of Filipinos are working on Mr. Pertez's hasty deportation. That may sound bad but it is the better solution between the rock and the hard place.

Insanely creative on technology

I must really be out of my mind to be maintaining three separate blogs here at Blogspot. Life in the ... chun is not my first. Actually, I've started blogging about four or five years ago on a small application called, DidiWiki on a Puppy Linux installation on a really old laptop that I still keep. Back then were mostly notes, personall thoughts, and an assortment of works ... pretty much what I am doing right now. But with time constraints and the invisibility of the compositions, I kept stalling. I even keep some of the old stuff in my ever-ready-to-use Sony Vaio VGN FZ-25 that I purchase at the beginning of last year.

There were even a few that went on the net but are now defunct as the Dodo. And now, I am grasping for air trying to keep three updated. I enjoy doing it. Life in the ... chun is about the general things in my life here in Changchun. Family, friends, school, and anything that I could write about. PCLinuxOS USer's Memoirs is about my involvement with PCLinuxOS, an excellent operating system that rivals Windows Vista (or 7) and Mac OSX. And the last is Diary of the CHI Preacher and it is about my work as a teacher at the College of Humanities and Information.

Three separate blogs, each for a different purpose. Perhaps I might even start one about my daughter, who is truly and ultimately the center of my universe.

Caring Gus

It's one more day till the new semester commences, and like the other foreign teachers here in my campus, I am deep in last minute preparations. After all, I would like to give a good first impression on my students.

My friend, Vincent Poisson telephoned at around 9:00 AM to ask if I would look after his son, Agustin Vincent Marlo. Well, he'll soon be my godson and I really like the little fellow so I agreed. Vinz and his girlfriend, Leah were out to look at an apartment closer to Gus' soon-to-be nanny and Leah's place of work ... according to Vinz, it's near the Changchun Zoo.

At around 10:30, I got Michael van Duijn, a co-teacher to go with me to Hua Qiao Foreign Language School, where Vinz will be teaching. It was not until an hour later that we got back to our campus.

Gus is a quiet little guy, and gave very little trouble so I was able to complete at least a week's lesson plan.

It's just Kasey and me at home, and Yoyo will be going to Jilin City for a week with Lao Yi. I'll be missing my baby a lot but at least her short absence will give me enough time to put my act together.

Vinz and Leah just informed me that they decided to take the apartment. so they'll be moving much of their stuff. He says it'll take the whole afternoon, and they probably won't get back until after 5:00 PM. That's OK. It's really been quiet around here and I could concentrate on the matters at hand.