It’s quite sad that I have to leave this home… that I have to move to a new house… goodbyes were never easy for me, even for something as inanimate as this blog.

I remember when we have to move out of our house… I had to sell it because of financial difficulties. I know that it’s the best decision that I have done so far, but the thought of leaving something so precious to me was very painful. But I have to keep it to myself then.

Now I’m leaving yet another house… to move actually to a better home. While I believe that it is a better option, leaving something wasn’t really easy for me. I’m going to miss this home, wherein at a time it serves as my confidant, a friend who would always listen.

But just like all good things… it must come to an end.

Goodbye… no sugar-coating this time… just plain goodbye

     I am not really a person who is so much concern with what is happening around me… as long is it does not directly affect me. But the news that I heard today has a great impact on me, being an Angelenos. Lucita Cunanan, more popularly known as Aling Lucing, was killed inside her house early this Wednesday morning. Reports said that she died due massive head injuries caused by hammer. Yes! Brutally, she was hammered to death.

     Aling Lucing became famous because of concocting a dish which became the ‘pambansang pulutan’  in the Philippines - the Sisig! And I, naturally, take pride that this ‘phenomenon’ originated in my hometown, Angeles City. This became so famous that people from Manila would travel all the way to Angeles City and go to the place called ‘Crossing‘, where chains of barbecue stands are lined up just beside the old train rail tracks (hence the name Crossing) which includes Aling Lucing’s. Not minding the long drive, and I’m pretty sure the NLEX doesn’t exist yet then or at least it is not at it is now, just to be able to taste the original ’sisig’ of Aling Lucing. A part of of Angeles City’s history.

     But this morning… a very sad news shocked the entire city. The murder of Aling Lucing - inside her own house!  I don’t really know the exact details of her death, as you know how details changes or get mixed-up when it passes from one source to another, but one thing is for sure - she was killed!

     The news on TV revealed more details. She lived with her husband and a household help, their children who already has families of their own does not live with them anymore. And as the story goes, Mr. Cunanan left her early in the morning (4:30AM) to buy some food, and when he came back he found her already dead… apparently hammered to death.

     Although there are no reports yet as to who is or are the suspects, the police somewhat gave a hint on what is on their mind: there were no signs of forced entry upon initial inspection of the area and an interview with the maid revealed that she didn’t hear any sign of struggle or a fight or a shout. But the authority said that they just have some ‘reservations’ on the husband’s story… hmmm… sounds like a CSI material. If only SOCO would do good on their job, hopefully this case would be solved soon. We Angelenos want it to be solved soon.

     Personally, I really don’t know her, but from someone who just recently lost a love one, I feel for her family. And like the rest of the city, I am sad that this has to happen to one the city’s icon. And the least that we could do now is to pray that justice would prevail soon.

     Aling Lucing may be gone… but her legacy will last forever. For her name is already synonymous with sisig and vice-versa. A legacy that Angeles City will always be proud of.

     God Bless her soul.

By: Francis J. Kong (Reprinted here with permission from the author)
From BUSINESS MATTERS (Beyond the bottom line)
Philippine STAR BUSINESS Section
Sunday, March 09, 2008

Do you ever talk to yourself?
 
I do and I bet you do too.

Almost all of the famous and successful motivational speakers agree that talking to one’s self is a very healthy exercise.

I believe that. However… if you talk to yourself and find yourself saying “HUH?” I think you’ve got a problem. Learn to talk to yourself in a positive way, but keep your voice volume down.

But if you are shaking your head in self-denial telling me that you have not talked to yourself, ask yourself this question. What do you do or better still, what do you say when you are driving and that ugly bulky bus muscles his way into your lane? Get the point?

Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar has this to say about self-talk.

It’s okay – to talk to yourself. Dr. Joyce Brothers says that people who talk to themselves are above average in intelligence so, for those of you who indulge in that little mind-building exercise, be happy as you do it! Factually, the most important conversations you will have with anyone on any given day are the conversations you have with yourself. Despite this fact, there are many people who deny that they talk to themselves. However, these same people have been seen heatedly talking to someone in a car three blocks away. They even talk to golf balls, telling them to “stay in bounds” or “get in the hole!”

Scientifically speaking, according to the March 1990, issue of US Air magazine, what you say to yourself has a direct bearing on your performance. That’s why you should be upbeat, optimistic and positive when you talk to yourself and others. Use positive statements instead of negative ones.

Zeroth. For example, parents should not say to the child who wants to help with the dishes, “O.K., but be careful – don’t break them, this is our best china.” To do so would give the precise directions for breaking the dishes.

• The person who says to his mate, “Don’t let me forget where I put the keys,” has just given himself clear instructions, “forget where you put them.” You should say, “I’m going to remember that I put my keys in the top drawer.”
• The field goal kicker who says to himself, “If I miss this kick we lose the game,” is far more likely to miss than is one who says, “I will split the uprights and we will win the game!”

The reason is simple. Words “paint pictures” and the mind goes to work to complete the picture. Think about it. Say something nice to yourself and others, something positive and upbeat. It’ll be a big help.

• “Oh no my will be there and I just might mess up my entire presentation.” Well guess what? You probably will. Why not say, “My boss will be there. This is when I get to wow her for what I can do.”
• “They say that this course is the most difficult in our university and that most people fail rather than pass… I hope I pass.” Not too good a thought to entertain. Why not say, “This course is made for me. I will pass this course with flying colors and all I need to do is to put in some hard and smart work.”

Cosmetic tycoon Mary Kay Ashe once said, “If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.”

Be careful with your self-talk.

I talked to myself the first day I entered college. Right by its doorsteps I said, “Francis you messed up your high school life but now you will get a brand new opportunity to do things better.” And I did. Graduated top in my school that year and this is why I believe in self-talk.

And now that I am a lot older and a lot wiser, my best self-talk goes this way: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Now that is the best and the most positive and balanced self-talk ever.

(Send feedbacks @ franciskong@businessmatter.org or listen to the radio program”Business Matters” aired 8:30a.m. and 6:30p.m. daily over 98.7 dzFE-FM “The Master’s Touch”, the classical music station.)

Literally would translate to ‘Where to now?’ or ‘What’s next?’ Written as an entry to the first ever Kapampangan Songwriting contest of Aslag Kapampangan in August of last year. Unfortunately, it didn’t pass the committee’s scrutinizing standards.
Dedicated to the victory of Among Ed as Governor of Pampanga and as a challenge to all those who pushed him and supported him. Because winning the election and having Among Ed at the Governatorial seat isn’t a guarantee of change. Those who supported Among Ed must continue working… doing their share… instead of being contented of the victory and let the Governor do all the work

NOKARIN TA KANYAN?

REFRAIN:
Nokarin ta kanyan?
‘Yan ing kakung kutang
Sinlag ne pin ing abak
Nanu nang tutuki tamung gawan?

Pabusten ta nang makanyan?
Kaybat na ning inumpisan
Kabud ta na munta king lele
At karin ta na manalbe

E wari dapat ta ping makyabe?
Nung talagang buri tamung salese
Dapat tamung gawan kekatang parte
Sukat tamung ‘bye kekatamung dake

Ngeni pin kabang masala
Magobra ta na ngan balang sabla
Pamagbayung kekatang inumpisan
Ituloy taya’t diyan kaganapan

Roy
August 9, 2007
Angeles City

***NOTE**** please respect propriety and intellectual rights. do not copy without the author’s consent. thanks.

They say, “when you have hope, you have everything”, i would like to believe that. Hope is a very positive word, and I believe that it is almost synonymous with faith, for you can only hold on to hope if you have faith.

But hope, it all its positivity still remains to be a very passive word. It is reactive rather than pro-active. For hope awaits for things to turn out better.

Why then am I saying this when HOPE is the exact acronym of my business name? Because, hope was something that I was holding on all these years, and although my faith gets shaken every now and then, I tried to hang on…. hoping things will turn out right… I thought that was all there is to it.

But then, being an entrepreneur, I don’t have to be a passive one. While I have hope, I know that I also need to act. I need to stir the waters to create some ripples, and these ripples would turn into wave. To continue to move… inspite of all the odds… to keep on going… actually - because of all these odds.

Now I still have hope… and I’m still hanging on to it. But now I’m not just waiting, I want to create… I will create. I have seen the trouble with hope… its limitations… and learned how to act on it.

Don’t lose hope… I urge you. You can still hang on it, don’t let anyone take it away from you. But while you have hope… don’t stop to act… don’t rest… create those ripples. Who knows? Someday, they just might turn into waves.