LA SOMNAMBULA

Everytime I listen to Bellini’s grand opera, La Somnambula, I am reminded of my friend’s unforgettable nightmare, an experience, which had brought the best and worst out of his guts.

When we first arrived in Saudi, we were assigned apartments in different areas. A flat with three rooms would house six employees, each room shared by two expats. Of course, we were all briefly introduced to each other at the pre-departure orientation. Francis became my buddy-buddy ‘coz he’s so fun to be with, very jolly, always had story to tell. He was in complete contrast with his roommate, who was so silent, not smiling, never uttered a word unless spoken to. He was always in the confine of his small world, his bed.

All went well in the flat during the first three days, but everything dramatically changed on the fourth night. Francis was awakened by loud repeated squeaking sound. His first reaction was to look at the clock on his side table. It was two o’clock in the morning. When he turned his face to the direction of the sound, he was surprised to see his roommate trying to force open the door leading to the terrace. An eerie feeling came rushing down his spine. What on earth would his roommate be doing at this hour of night? Gathering his composure, he asked him what was wrong, but didn’t get a reply, instead continued turning the doorknob, his eyes were opened but seemed not conscious of what he was doing. Francis stood up and shook him, suddenly he stopped moving, just stood there, his eyes were fixed on the door. Francis guided him back to his bed. He looked around first and got back to sleep. It seemed nothing happened.

Francis did not bother to talk to his roommate about the incident of the previous night. I encouraged him to request transfer of room assignment immediately, which would mean an agonizing three to four days wait.

The ensuing night was even more frighteninggggg!!!

What happened to Francis? Aaahhhhhh!!!

To be continued!!!

GEM UNDER THE SANDS!

We very well know most of the starchy tubers, such as sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), yam (discorea), potato (sulanum tuberosum), to name a few, but not so many are familiar with truffles, especially the desert truffles. What are truffles? They are species of the mushroom family, and are distantly related to the more pungent and costly European truffles. Numerous varieties grow from Morocco to Saudi Arabia, but the desert of Syria and Iraq produces two main types, known by the Arabic name, “kamah” or "fagah".

Truffles are the valuable and sought-after, edible fruting bodies of a group subterranean ascomycete species from the fungal genus tuber. They are highly prized as a food, their smell has been described as similar to deep-fried sunflower seeds or walnuts. They spring from microscopic spores distributed just underneath the surface of the sand. The Arabs are saying that lightning triggers a chemical reaction that makes the accompanying rain rich in nitrogen compounds, which prompt the truffles to grow. Without thunderstorms, they do not appear. The Bedouins call them “the potatoes of thunder”.

As they reach the size of golf balls, they begin to crack the surface of sand, appearing as a field of bumps across the desert. The cracks indicate that truffles lie just beneath the surface. If the truffles are not dug up during the few weeks of winter rains, they pop up onto the surface and burst once the sand dries out.

Desert truffles …. are they the Biblical manna from heaven?

LAUGH OUT LOUD

Let's share a little laughter, bloggermates!!!

An 85-year-old man was requested by his doctor for
a sperm count as part of his physical exam.

The doctor gave the man a jar and said, "Take this jar home and bring back a semen sample tomorrow."The next day the 85-year-old man reappeared at the doctor's office and gave him the jar, which was as clean and empty as on the previous day.

The doctor asked what happened and the man explained, "Well, doc, it's like this - first I tried with my right hand, but nothing. Then tried with my left hand, but still nothing.

Then I asked my wife for help. She tried with her right hand, then with her left, still nothing. She tried with her mouth, first with the teeth in, then with her teeth out, still nothing.

We even called up Arleen, the lady next door and she tried too, first with both hands, then an armpit, and she even tried squeezin' it between her knees, but still nothing.

The doctor was shocked! "You asked your neighbor?" The old man replied, "Yep, none of us could get the jar open!!!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - ATTITUDE

"Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill."

W. C. Fields

WORRY BEADS

One distinct skill I learned from my Saudi Arab friends is the making of worry beads. I will never forget how enthusiastic I was making strands of beads (mishaba) of 11, 22, 33, and 99 for my Saudi boss. He said, that my worry beads were better than those sold in the market. He was and probably still collecting different worry beads made of amber, coral, wood, glass, marble, aloe, and other bead materials. I was curious enough to ask him the purpose of the worry beads. He said, they use the string beads in time of stress, to overcome boredom, to meditate, when they are nervous, when impatient, to pacify anger. He said, each bead represents praises to Allah.

A few theories suggest that worry beads were first used on Mt. Athos in northern Greece, where strands of beads made of woolen knots were tied on a string. These knotted prayer strings are called komboskini or komboloi. They are still used to count prayers by the monks in the monasteries of Mount Athos. The monks make worry beads from handy, inexpensive materials, such as wood, shells, hazelnuts and olive pits.

Today throughout Greece these beads are used as a way of taking ones mind away from particularly bad feelings and or habits such as excessive eating, and smoking.

The tradition of carrying beads has gone from history to cultural tradition, and is now being introduced for the first time as simply the best form of helping people all over the world cope with, and change some particularly bad or annoying habits that could ultimately result in high blood pressure and possibly even death.

AVOCADO TREAT!

My colleague was so happy to recount the delicious avocado treat he had the previous night.

This nutty fruit, though not everybody’s favorite, can go a long way in helping us avoid health hazards with its high nutrient value. We may not be aware, but avocados are high in fiber and top the fruit chart in containing potassium, vitamin E, and magnesium, not to mention the maximum folate they contain. The mono-unsaturated fat in the fruit is one of its biggest health benefits.

Over ripened avocados are not good to eat. Buy semi ripe avocados and consume them about two days to get the best out of the fruit’s flavor.

Avocados have been cultivated for thousands of years. They were native in Central America. The avocado trees are grown only in sub-tropical and tropical climates.

A HAPPY DOG!

This is for my young friend, Dong Balatong, who loves pets so much that he plans to pursue veterinary medicine in college. To you Dong, here are some helpful tips to make your pet dogs very happy.

Create a dog-friendly garden –

If possible, create a sandpit in a shaded area in your garden. Where your dog can dig to its heart’s content. Having paths will also allow your pet dog to run in designated area.

Erect temporary fencing around newly planted flowerbeds to prevent your dog from digging the beds. The use of large urns, raised beds and hanging baskets will also keep the plants out of reach.

Avoid growing cacti or plants with sharp thorns, which can cause serious eye injury to your pet.

Most pups love chewing objects so avoid planting poisonous plants, such as oleanders, castor oil plant, datura or calotropis, to name a few.

Avoid using chemicals unless absolutely necessary. Keep your pet out of the garden after the place has been fertilized or sprayed with chemicals.

Keep compost piles out of your pet’s reach. Store fertilizers, fish emulsion and blood-and-meals in containers with secure lids.

GREAT MEN!

Here are some facts
for you to weigh in the mind!!!

Albert Einstein was offered the presidency of Israel.
He refused the opportunity, having no head,
he said, for human problems.

Sigmund Freud never learned to read a railway timetable.
He almost always had to be accompanied on a journey.

Louis Pasteur, whose work on wine, vinegar, and beer led to
pasteurization, had an obsessive fear of dirt and infection. He refused
to shake hands, and he carefully wiped plate and glass before dining.

Alexander Graham Bell was working to
improve the telegraph when he invented the telephone.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - ANGER

The thought manifests as the word. The word manifests as the deed. The deed develops into habit. And the habit hardens into character. So watch the thought and its ways with care. And let it spring from love, born out of concern for all beings.

Sidhartha Gautama Buddha

COMPUTER LITERACY

I learned a lot through this blogging business. Each day as I pound my keyboard for new words and phrases, I get to learn computer-related knowledge and skills. URL, RSS, link, blogrolling, tags, widgets, feedjits, archive, are some new terms I learned since I started writing articles. It is worth realizing that learning at least three to five computer-related words and phrases a day helps a lot. The WWW did not exist four or five years ago, and what would be the next big change?

Let’s keep up with the changing world by looking at technology-oriented websites, weblinks, and webpages. There is a sea of opportunities awaiting us in the computer world.

MY TRAVEL QUESTS

Experience Bahrain

Bahrain is strategically located as a gateway to the Middle East and has the added attraction of a safe and pleasant environment, warm climate, together with history, culture, traditions and international events. The King Fahad Causeway, which is a delightful midpoint connecting Bahrain with Saudi Arabia, has made it a lot easier to visit the archipelago by car.

Miraculous Tree of Life

There are natural attractions to see, such as the miraculous Tree of Life close to Jebel Dukhan, Bahrain’s highest point. The tree appears like a mirage in the desert – a lone tree standing amid a sea of sand.

Magnificent Al Fateh Mosque


The modern face of the country is equally appealing and attractions include the magnificent Al Fateh Grand Mosque set against the backdrop of palm trees and sea.

Bahrain International Airport

Revolving Restaurant Saudi-Bahrain Causeway

Saudi-Bahrain Causeway


Frequently referred to as the “Pearl of the Gulf” due to its wealth of natural attractions and its rich pearl diving heritage. High-rise buildings rubbing shoulders with more traditional dwellings, Bahrain mixes ancient traditions and historical sites with modern developments and cosmopolitan living.

A weekend in Bahrain to unwind is exciting and refreshing.

FIVE HUNDRED MILES

This song is my link to my bestfriends,

Jazmin, Marilou, and Rosemarie. I feel so

nostalgic today, bestfriends, and I want you

all to know that you are always thought about.

Do you remember this song?

You may be miles and miles away, but my

heart and spirit will always be with you!

Five Hundred Miles

CREATIVE MIND, CREATIVE THINKING!

I came across two articles on “creativity”. Both authors are saying not all creative people are alike, which makes defining creativity a challenge and assessing it a monumental undertaking. They added that traditional psychological definition of creativity includes two parts: originality and functionality. We can’t be creative unless we come up with something that has not been done before. The idea also has to work, or be adoptive or be functional and has to meet some criteria of usefulness, and that it should not be an obvious extension of something that already exists.

Traditional Christmas lantern, a true Filipino ingenuity!

Creative minds, creative works, creative people!

What are the traits of a creative person?

At a very young age, the daughter of my niece (that makes her my grand dotter uuuggghhh!!!) is already showing creativity. She has a great deal of energy, smart, yet naïve at the same time. She is playful, but maintains discipline. She is full of fancy things in her young mind.

A very creative and useful invention

Creative ideas in music

These are only some of the interesting characteristics of the creative personality. Creative persons have other distinguishing traits, such as imagination, fantasy, but at one end a sense of reality. Creative individuals demonstrate contrasting traits; being humble and proud at the same time, but not the extent of being conceited or self-centered.

Creative minds mean creative works of art

Draw your creative ideas in the sand

Generally speaking, creative people have the tendency to be rebellious and independent, passionate about their work, yet can be objective, as well. The openness and sensitivity of creative individuals often expose them to suffering pain yet also a great deal of enjoyment.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - SPIRITUALITY

For those who believe, no explanation is necessary.

For those who do not believe, no explanation is possible!

Author Unknown

GREAT PIANISTS - 2

Many composers have written “musical puzzles,” compositions that were amusing to them, if not to their listeners, who probably did not recognize them as such. Haydn’s Piano Sonata in A, for example, contains a minuet

“al rovescio” (in reverse), in which the second part is exactly the same as the first, but played in reverse.

Similarly, in one section of Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, the music goes forward to a midway point and then works its way exactly backward.

Paul Hindemith has gone them one better. In Ludus Tonalis, the Postlude is, with the addition of a final chord, the same as the Prelude, but the score is played upside down and backward.