After
a snowy winter, the Seatllelites await spring time
with enthusiasm. Ito ang panahon na ating makikita
ang ating mga lolo at lola at mga nakakaraming
senior citizen ay nagkakaroon ng bagong sigla.
Mula sa pamamaluktot sa isang sulok ng tahanan,
nagkakaroon ng bagong buhay ang mga senior citizens.
Ang census ng hospital ay bubulusok ng pababa sapagka’t
ang mga matatanda ay magkakaroon ng bagong sigla
sa pangangatawan. Biglang mapapawi ang mga arthritis
at iba pang sakit sa kasukasuan dahil sa nakaraang
taglamig. It’s spring time. Spring time is
seen as a time of growth, renewal, of new life
(both plant and animal) being born, and of the
cycle of life once again starting.
In
my study of the weather, during spring season,
as in summer, the axial tilt of the Earth is toward
the Sun. Daylight hours are greater than or equal
to 12 hours and rapidly increasing especially in
higher latitudes. The hemisphere begins to warm
significantly, causing new plant growth to spring
forth, giving the season its name. Snow begins
to melt, and rivers and streams swell with runoff
and spring rains. Most flowering plants bloom this
time of year, in a long succession beginning even
when snow is still on the ground, and continuing
into early summer.
In some parts of the country, severe weather most often occurs during the spring
when warm air begins to invade from lower latitudes while cold air is still
pushing from the polar regions. Flooding is also most common in and near mountainous
areas during this time of year due to snow melt, many times accelerated by
warm rains. In the United States, Tornado Alley is most active by far this
time of year, especially since the Rocky Mountains prevent the surging hot
and cold air masses from spreading westward and instead force them directly
at each other. Besides tornados, supercell thunderstorms can also produce dangerously
large hail and very high winds. We should be thankful we do not have tornados
in Seattle.
Daylight
Saving Time
Sa ilang saglit lamang, marami na namang mahuhuli sa kanilang mga trabaho dahil
sa pagbabago ng oras. Beginning in 2007, most of the United States begins Daylight
Saving Time (DST) at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and reverts to
standard time on the first Sunday in November. During DST, clocks are turned
forward an hour, effectively moving an hour of daylight from the morning to
the evening.
In the past years, DST starts on the first Sunday in April. On August 8, 2005,
President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This Act changed
the time change dates for Daylight Saving Time in the United States. Beginning
in 2007, DST will begin on the second Sunday in March and end the first Sunday
in November.
Ayan, kabayan, ito ay isang paalala na baguhin ang inyong mga oras simula March
11 para hindi kayo mahuli sa inyong mga pinapasukan.
Crab
Feast of NaFFAA
What better way to welcome spring time but with an evening of “all you
can eat” succulent Dungeness? Last Saturday, the National Federation
of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) hosted a Crab Feast at the Filipino
Community Center on Martin Luther King Way in Seattle. The event is a fund
raiser by NaFFAA Region 7 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington). Alma Kern
of Seattle is the current NaFFAA national chair. In 2008, Seattle will be the
venue of the 8th National Empowerment Conference. The proceeds of the fund
raiser will be used for the various projects of NaFFAA.
In her opening remarks, Kern hailed the filing of H.R. 760, or the Filipino
Veterans Equity Bill. “It’s now our responsibility to mobilize
the Filipino American community to lobby their representatives and senators,” said
Kern. She encouraged all national veterans and community advocacy groups to
pursue a unified legislative campaign.
Guy & Pip
in Seattle
Another big event that would surely add color to Seattle’s spring time
is the concert of Nora Aunor on April 13, 2007 at the Beneroya Hall, S. Mark
Taper Foundation Auditorium, at 7:30 p.m. Nagbabalik sa aking alaala ang panahon
ng mga Noranians and Vilmanians. Nuong nabubuhay ang aking ina, huwag mong
babangitin ang pangalan ni Vilma Santos kung ayaw mong huwag ka niyang kausapin
at pakainin. Noranians yata kami, hehehe. Tandang-tanda ko pa ang tambalang
Guy at Pip ay laging tumatabo sa takilya. Even now, I witness the popularity
of Nora Aunor to many Filipinos in the United States. Wala siyang kakupas-kupas.
Nora continues to carve the biggest name in the entertainment industry. Read
my column in the next issue of One Philippine for more about Nora and Pip.
Superstar … The Concert is produced by Julie-Mae Productions with Dax
Exchange, Dax Express, and Tracy Mae Tabanda. Other specials guests of Nora
are her son, Ian de Leon and Kiko de Leon. Tickets are sold at $68 (VIP), $58,
$48, and $38 (general admission). For additional information, call Tracy (206)
359.2633, Siony (425) 204.0521 or Julie (206) 755.7089.
A
rejoinder from the F.B.I.
F.B.I. does not mean Federal Bureau of Investigation. It means “full
blooded Ilocano.” That’s how my reader Denmark Gabriel from Seattle,
Washington describes himself when he sent his response to my article, “The
Truth Hurts.” My article elicited a deluge of comments from our readers
as it did when it first came out in another newspaper. Though some agreed with
Nasty’s curt observation, a lot were enraged at the repulsive way he
acted and whined.
Here are some of Denmark’s unedited remarks in his email to me:
• I
am proud to be a Filipino after reading the article...
no offense to me… I still am proud … it
didn’t make me less Filipino. Sabi nga sa
kanta, “Tayo’y mga Pinoy, tayo’y
hindi Kano, huwag kang mahihiya, kung ilong mo
ay pango.”
• Malapit na naman po ang election sa atin and parties are forming their
line-ups (thanks to TFC at least updated ako sa mga balita sa atin). Some of
the artistas are vying for a position including Manny Pacquiao (I adore him a
lot but dude, don’t even think about it twice or thrice). To those artistas,
please just be happy and enjoy being an artista. I would rather see them in their
pelikulas (mas papalakpakan ko kayo) rather than to see them getting involved
sa politica (Guys! Magulo na nga, jo-join pa kayo).
• I always shout loud “I love the Philippines” in public places
in downtown Seattle... and everybody would look at me (they probably think I’m
crazy). Whatever, I just love saying that. Will I still do that 10 years from
now?
• To Madame Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, I respect her a lot being the leader
of my country. I’m just wondering, she seems to be like Sleeping Beauty.
She has slept for a very long time and she’s having a (worse) nightmare
which she herself created it. Is she still waiting for the prince charming to
give her a kiss so she would wake up? What if the prince doesn’t show up?
Is she gonna sleep forever? In Tagalog, matutulog din ba ang Pilipinas habang
buhay? At hindi na muling makabangon? tsk... tsk…tsk…
P.S.
(pahabol ni Denmark) Sorry po kung mali-mali ang
aking tagalog pati English, dahil ako po ay proud
F.B.I. as in proud Full Blood Ilocano. |
