The Perfect Book

I met a colleague from a nearby university recently who is leading a group of students on an International Habitat For Humanity build in the Philippines.  I will share more about this wonderful undertaking when he and the students return.  In the meantime, I wanted to share his comment about my book, Sundays in Manila, a copy of which he had borrowed from a friend of mine at his university.  Here is what he said, after reading portions of the book:

"It is the perfect book for me, since it incorporates some history, some travel information, and some insights into the culture.  I especially look forward to sharing the chapter with some Filipino language words with the students.  It's always good to know a few words in the local language."

I was particularly pleased with his comment since he underlined precisely what I had hoped to do for readers.  I did, of course, tell him that many Filipinos were quite conversant in English, but not necessarily in the rural area in the Eastern Visayas where he was going.

More to come on this build.

More Frequent Entries/News Up-dates

Greetings.  I have just posted an earlier June 1 entry, prior to this one (please check the Blog Archive for June).  Two and a half months between today's two entries and the previous one (March 16) is way too long a time between entries.  I've decided that on average, one entry every two weeks, with more when events dictate, is about right, and I will aim at that.

Probably the most important event during the entry absence has been President Obama's visit to the Philippines in late April, so my entry earlier today covers a human-interest item about the visit.

If anyone had been wondering about which course--"The Hobbit" or "The Philippines,"-- was selected for me to offer at St. Norbert College next Fall, the answer is "The Hobbit" (see the March 16 entry).  But it was a close thing, and subsequently the University of Wisconsin Green Bay's Institute for Learning in Retirement asked me to do a two-hour session on "Discovering the Philippines."

The last item of note is that a group of students and one administrator from UW Green Bay will be going to the Philippines later in June for an International Habitat For Humanity build.  More on that in the next entry.

Thanks for your patience, and I look forward to hearing from you.

rhb

Raja Obama

The Philippines hosted U.S. President Barak Obama on April 28 and 29.  It was an historic occasion of a sitting American president visiting the Philippines.  I am tempted to say that some might complain that it was a long overdue visit, given the mutual history of the two countries, but I am going to emphasize the positives, and in particular the human-interest positives of Mr. Obama’s visit.  My source, as it often is for news from the Philippines, is The Philippine Star online edition.  Of the many possibilities, I have chosen the following three news stories.

1. Sikatuna.  At a special ceremony on Monday, April 28, President Benigno Aquino conferred the highest diplomatic honor of his country on President Obama, the Order of Sikatuna “with the highest rank of Raja.”  In his speech, Mr. Aquino referred to the assistance from the U.S. in the disastrous Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), to the peace-keeping initiatives of the U.S. in Southeast Asia, and to U.S. aid in “raising the defense capacities of the Philippines.”

President Obama gratefully accepted the award and spoke of “the commitment to continue to deepen the bond between our two great nations.”  Mr. Obama would, of course, have known that President Eisenhower had been the first to receive this award (1960).  The award recognizes the efforts of the recipient to strengthen the relations between the two countries.

The typical Filipino moment of the meeting came when President Aquino made the following wish for President Obama’s visit: “Though your stay here in the country may be short, I hope that it will allow you to see and experience for yourself how indeed it is more fun in the Philippines.”  The “more fun in the Philippines” is the country’s public relations mantra for tourism.  Filipino humor, as with good humor generally, often arises in the midst of solemnity.  Mr. Obama, for his part, recognized another characteristic trait of the host country in thanking it for “the extraordinary hospitality during his first visit.”

To read the other two news stories, please go to the VIA Times link on the blog home page.  Select "columnists," and my picture and the article will come up.