Sleepless Nights and Coffee... or is there something else?

For  several nights  now, I was having trouble getting a good night's sleep. I normally would sleep at 10 pm like clockwork. But these past night I would toss and turn desperately trying to get that badly needed rest. Or I would doze off only to awaken at around  one in the morning ...

Caffeine after effects? I realized I consume about two to three cups of coffee at the office. But having done my research on the effects of coffee, I realized it wasn't the coffee that was causing my sleepless nights. It was something else. And the realization caused even more sleepless nights.

IS IT OK IF I CALL YOU MINE ? By Paul McCrane

Lyrics | Paul McCrane - Is It Okay If I Call You Mine? lyrics

Would We Know Each Other in Heaven?

"Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven? "

A very beautiful song, Tears In Heaven , by Eric Clapton. I understand he wrote this song for his 4 year old son who died in an accident, I think. It would be comforting indeed knowing that we all would be reunited in  heaven with our loved ones.

Last couple of Sunday, the gospel was about  a woman married seven times and Jesus was asked by the Sadducees whose wife will the woman be at resurrection and Jesus answered "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.  At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven "

This is the priest's sermon. In heaven, we would not recognize our loved ones. So treasure them well while on earth for in heaven, we all would be like angels. Your children? Yes, while on earth. In heaven , they are no longer your children.

I felt let down. I was hoping that in the afterlife, I would be reunited with my wife, children ,parents, even friends...

Zamboanga... just a passing thought

Zamboanga City just celebrated it’s annual Fiesta Pilar in honor of the miraculous Our lady of the Pilar of the legendary Fort Pilar , which was held October 1 to 12.  Legend has it that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a Spanish sentry guarding the Fort during the 17th Century , and alerted the guard of approaching danger. This gave the the Fort time to prepare and save its Christian settlers  against an invading army of Moro pirates.

At the tarmac of the Zamboanga International Airport sometime in 2006.

Anyway, Zamboanga City due to it’s hispanic influence, speaks the Spanish creole language  Chavacano .  That’s the reason why Zamboanga is called Asia’s Latin City.  I have always prided myself of having been born and raised in Zamboanga.  Much of my happy memories of youth was in Zamboanga.

Zamboanga, today, despite the bad publicity it gets from the media ( due to Abu Sayyaf kidnappings), is still a nice place to live and visit. The city itself is safe and I would say, even safer compared to urban Manila or any urban city in the world, for that matter.

The latin city is also home to the US Forces who have undergone some military trainings with the Philippine counterpart against terrorisms.

A foreign tourist would have no difficulty navigating the urban streets of Zamboanga because almost all of its populace understands and speak the English language.   Yes, it is safe. Just don’t go venturing out of the city limits.