© Paolo Dala

Incomplete

I never finish anyth

© Paolo Dala

The Earth's Delight

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

Khalil Gibran

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Working Hands

Hands calm us, feed us, and scratch our backs. They intimidate, bless, encourage, and stop us.  They soothe and caress. They draw our attention to the good and the bad, often suggesting exuberance or fear.

Charles Flowers

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Best Coffee In The Philippines

I the kind of coffee drinker who can't tell the difference between Starbucks' coffee, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's coffee, and other high-end coffee from each other...

But Deuces Coffee is different. Their coffee stands out! For me, their coffee is the best in the Philippines!

© Paolo Dala

Bato Springs

17 September 2014 Entry:

In celebration of Los Baños Day (no classes in UPLB), my UPESG Orgmates and I went to swim at the Bato Springs at foot of Mt. Cristobal...

© Paolo Dala

They Eyes Of Children

In the eyes of a child there is joy, there is laughter. There is hope, there is trust, a chance to shape the future.

Graham Russell

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The Kingdom Of Trees

Between heaven and earth, between mankind and the stars, lies the kingdom of trees; between that which gives us food, housing and work on the one hand and that which is incomprehensible and unaccountable on the other.

Trees in the History of Civilization

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Problems In Panama: Water Crisis And Global Trade

They [ships] come in from the freshwater side. The water that provides these [canal] locks come the three nearby lakes. You need to lift these ships [with freshwater] at an altitude of 85 feet above sea level. The canal has to use freshwater to transit the ships through, and that water goes right out into the ocean. We’re wasting huge amounts of freshwater to make these operations work. It takes about 52 million gallons of [fresh]water for every ship that you transit through the canal. (Dahl, 2024)

Panama is one of the most rainy countries in the world. Freshwater has always been abundant, so they really haven’t considered it as scarce resource before. Panama’s per capita consumption is 2.5 more than world’s average.

Now there’s a global El Niño. Panama’s water problem is affecting global shipping lines and trade.

... something I've learned from a Vox's Today, Explained [podcast] episode entitle The Panama Canal is Drying Up... Toady, Explained is of my favorite podcasts. And I get emotional when their episode's about water. Huhu.

© Paolo Dala

Drop The Camera

Always take photos when you travel, but don’t overdo it. Don’t let “digitally driven narcissism” outshine the pristine setting that you are in…

Once in a while, drop the camera and enjoy the moment!

© Paolo Dala

Preachers And The After-party

Preachers of the Word, you will be wanted someday by Belshazzar. You were not at the beginning of the feast. You will be there before the banqueting hour is closed. The king will not ask you to drink wine, but he will ask you to tell him the secret of his pain and to heal the malady of his heart. Just wait your time, preachers. You are nobody now. Who cares for preachers and teachers and seers, men of insight while the wine goes around and the feast is unfolding its tempting luxuries. But the preacher will have his opportunity. They will send for him when all other friends have failed. May he then come fearlessly, independently, asking only to be a channel through which divine communication can be addressed. Then may he speak to the listening trouble of the world.

Joseph Parker

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Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Legends about pots of gold buried at the ends of rainbows originate from long ago. Vikings invaded Ireland in 795 AD, and were known for looting and burying gold and other treasures in undisclosed locations. The legend of pots of gold began when they eventually departed the shores of Ireland, leaving some of their stolen gold behind.

Folklore depicts leprechauns as mistrustful creatures who detest humans. According to legend, leprechauns found the abandoned gold and buried it again so no human could ever find it. The old folktales tell us that there is a pot of gold hidden where the end of any rainbow touches the earth. Unfortunately, science tells us that rainbows do not have an end since their arch shape is an illusion! Rainbows are actually full circles reflected from raindrops, which we can normally only see when we are up very high, in an airplane or on a mountain. Rainbows also seem to move farther away from us as we move toward them (also due to their illusory nature) making for some frustrated treasure seekers!

chandlerchevcad.com The Legends behind the Pots of Gold and Rainbows

© Paolo Dala

Demon Slayer World: The Togakushi Shrine

The 5 Shrines Trail Hike in Mt. Togakushi (Nagano, Japan) is one of my best hikes ever... Unfortunately, my cousin and I weren’t able to complete the 5-Shrines Trail Hike. We were still far from the end of the hike and it was night time already and we didn’t have headlamps. It was December and it was already very cold. Some parts of the trail were covered with snow and my shoes were not for suited for ice. I was sliding through. And to top it all, there were "Beware of Bears" sign everywhere and we were literally the only people in the whole mountain.

We made the decision to turn back because [the most important rule of mountaineering is]: Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory... It was just too risky to continue.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed this place so much. It's both creepy and peaceful at the same time. I was both scared and clam at the same time. Mixed emotions. Haha... I have plans on going back and completing this trail, hopefully the on my next Japan vacation...

You're welcome to join me. I'm kidding. I don't hike with people I don't. LOL. I hike with people I'm comfortable with. I mean if I don't like at sea level, I won't like you at a higher altitude. Haha.

...by the way, I just found out from IG Reels that 5 Shrines Trail inspired one of the places in Demon Slayer, the anime. I don't watch that, so I don't really know this is exactly in Demon Slayer. Just a postscript for all you Demon Slayer fans out there.

© Paolo Dala

Marriott: The Surawongse

When we were in Bangkok (2022), we stayed for a night at Marriott: The Surawongse. We, due to financial reasons, don’t usually stay in 5-star hotels, it was free because of my cousin’s company’s perks...

It was one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve been to. Their infinity pool was so beautiful. We didn’t have any plans of swimming, but we just couldn’t resist being in that infinity pool while watching the sun rise over the Bangkok’s concrete jungle.

© Paolo Dala

Good Friday Meditation: You Tore The Veil

Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead.

Mathew 27:50-52

“And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Now you have to understand that the temple is 'naos', the Holy of Holies, and the Holy of Holies had a barrier so that no one could go in there. Only the high priest, once a year on the Day of Atonement, could go into the holy of holies, where the arch of the covenant was, and there sprinkle blood on behalf of the nation for their sins on the mercy seat on the top of the arc. And the high priest going in there had to have bells on his garment, so that if he had gone in there in any sense unclean and God had killed him, they would know he was dead because they wouldn’t hear the bells. As long as they heard the bells, they knew he was still alive and moving around.

This is symbolic of the fact that people were shut out of God’s presence. No one really could go in there. And it wasn’t a gradual change. When Jesus died on the cross, God Himself ripped that curtain from top to bottom. Ripped it, because Jesus had done what no priest could ever do. Only one priest, a high priest, could go in there, and he couldn’t take anybody with him, nor could he make the way for anyone else to come. But at the death of Jesus, God himself ripped the curtain wide open and the Holy of Holies was open to all. And by the way, this was 3:00 in the afternoon on Passover, and the temple would have been jammed with people. In one moment, the Holy of Holies that no one had ever seen was completely exposed to everyone. No more Day of Atonement. No more high priests. No more priests. No more sacrifices. No more barrier. And soon the whole temple would be trampled by the pagan Romans. And to this day, never ever rebuilt. At this moment, the corruption of that robber’s den started to come down. And what was the father saying? Access is open to all. Christ the great high priest did what no priest could ever do. He threw the way to God open. He ripped the barrier. And the Father punctuated His work by Himself ripping the curtain.

John MacArthur The Miraculous Events Surrounding the Cross

© Paolo Dala

The Next Best Thing

Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.

Martin Luther

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floor tiles unknown  (n. d.) Yamashita Park (Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan)

The History Of Yokohama

I like how the City of Yokohama tells you their history on the streets...

© Paolo Dala

Ilocos Empandas

Empanadas have their origins in Galicia (Spain) and Portugal. They first appeared in Medieval Iberia during the time of the Moorish invasions. A cookbook published in Catalan in 1520 mentions empanadas filled with seafood among its recipes of Catalan, Italian, French, and Arabian food. It is believed that empanadas and the very similar calzones are both derived from the Arabic meat-filled pies, samosas... The dish was carried to Latin America and the Philippines by Spanish colonists, where they remain very popular to this day. (Majura Primary School , 2024)

...and in the Philippines, the Empanadas from Ilocos Sur are my favorite!