What goes around comes around

One day a man saw an old lady,
stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light> of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in
front of her Mercedes and got out. His old Pontiac was still
sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face,
she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last
hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look
safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was
frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she
felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.

He said, 'I'm here to help
you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where
it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.'

Well, all she had was a flat tire,
but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled
under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning
his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the
tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.

As he was tightening up the lug
nuts , she rolled down the window and began to talk to him.
She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just
passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for
coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her
trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount
would have been all right with her. She already imagined all
the awful things that could have happened had he not
stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This
was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and
God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the
past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never
occurred to him to act any other way.

He told her that if she really
wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who
needed help, she could give that person the assistance they
needed, and Bryan added, 'And think of me.'

He waited until she started her car
and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he
felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the
twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady
saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and
take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip
home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two
old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The
waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet
hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet
for the whole day couldn't erase The lady noticed the
waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let
the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady
wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to
a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan

After the lady finished her meal,
she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly
went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old
lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the
time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the
lady could be Then she noticed something written on the
napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when
she read what the lady wrote: 'You don't owe me
anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me
out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay
me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love
end with you.'

Under the napkin were four more
$100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear,
sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress
made it through another day. That night when she got home
from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the
money and what the lady had
written. How could the lady have known how much she and her
husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was
going to be hard....

She knew how worried her husband
was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft
kiss and whispered soft and low, 'Everything's going
to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson ..'


There is an old saying 'What
goes around comes around.'
Live Simply, Love Generously, Care
Deeply, Speak Kindly

The Pink Dress

There was this little girl sitting by herself in the park. Everyone passed by her and never stopped to see why she looked so sad.

Dressed in a worn pink dress, barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by.

She never tried to speak. She never said a word. Many people passed by her, but no one would stop.

The next day I decided to go back to the park in curiosity to see if the little girl would still be there.

Yes, she was there, right in the very spot where she was
yesterday, and still with the same sad look in her eyes.

Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the little girl.

For as we all know, a park full of strange people is not a place for young children to play alone.

As I got closer I could see the back of the little girl's dress.

It was grotesquely shaped.

I figured that was the reason people just passed by and made no effort to speak to her.

Deformities are a low blow to our society and, heaven forbid if you make a step toward assisting someone who is different.

As I got closer, the little girl lowered her eyes slightly to avoid my intent stare.

As I approached her, I could see the shape of her back more clearly.

She was grotesquely shaped in a humped over form.

I smiled to let her know it was OK; I was there to help, to talk.

I sat down beside her and opened with a simple, "Hello."

The little girl acted shocked, and stammered a "hi"; after a long stare into my eyes.

I smiled and she shyly smiled back.

We talked until darkness fell and the park was completely empty.

I asked the girl why she was so sad.

The little girl looked at me with a sad face said, "Because, I'm different."

I immediately said, "That you are!"; and smiled.

The little girl acted even sadder and said, "I know."

"Little girl," I said, "you remind me of an angel, sweet and innocent."

She looked at me and smiled, then slowly she got to her feet and said, "Really?"
"Yes, you're like a little Guardian Angel sent to watch
over all people walking by."

She nodded her head yes, and smiled.

With that she opened the back of her pink dress and allowed her wings to spread, then she said "I am."

"I'm your Guardian Angel," with a twinkle in her eye.

I was speechless -- sure I was seeing things.

She said, "For once you thought of someone other than yourself. My job here is done".

I got to my feet and said, "Wait, why did no one stop to help an angel?"

She looked at me, smiled, and said, "You're the only one that could see me," and then she was gone.

And with that, my life was changed dramatically.

So, when you think you're all you have, remember, your angel is always watching over you.

Like the story says, we all need someone...

And, every one of your friends is an Angel in their own way.

The value of a friend is measured in the heart.

I hope your Guardian Angel watches over you always.

Warning: Poison Plant

If you think poison ivy is just a plant-obsessed woman who loves to pick a fight with Batman, you cannot be more wrong. There’s another trouble-causing poison ivy around—and this one is for real. Lucky for us Filipinos, this poison plant is found only in the United States and Canada. Poison ivy can grow anywhere—from open woods to roadsides, from stonewalls to edges of fields. Sometimes it grows as weeds; other times it’s a hairy, tree-climbing vine. The plant has no thorns. What set it apart are the clusters of tree almond-shaped leaflets that grow on its stems. The leaves are dull or glossy, light- to dark-green color that turn yellow or red in fall. In winter, the plant loses its leaves; in spring, yellow-green flowers bloom.

The trouble with Urushiol

Yoo-roo-shee-ol. That’s the right way to pronounce urushiol, the sticky, colorless, odorless oil found in poison ivy leaves. When the plant is bumped, torn, rubbed against, this oil is released. And that’s when the trouble begins…

Urushiol bonds to human skin in minutes, causing an allergic reaction that can appear as quickly as within hours from touching the plant or as late as five days after. The skin becomes red and swollen, small blisters begin to form, and the rash becomes very itchy. It takes about a week—sometimes longer—before the blisters start to dry up and the rash to go away.

Not all people are allergic to urushiol, however, and sensitivity to it changes over time. A person who was allergic to it as a child may not be so as an adult, while one who is not sensitive to it at first can become allergic to it later on.

Good for ivy, bad for us

You have probably heard that rising carbon dioxide in the air causes global warming. But did you know that increased carbon dioxide also causes poison ivy vines to grow faster and develop the most toxic forms of urushiol?

An outdoor experiment that simulated the amount of carbon dioxide expected to be in the air by 2050 showed this result. Scientists are hoping the unusually rapid poison ivy growth would be offset by factors like limited sunlight and more animals eating the plant.

Don’t touch!

Urushiol remains active for a long time, even in dead or dried plants. If the plant is burned and its smoke inhaled, a rash may develop in the lungs, causing extreme pain and difficulty in breathing. If poison ivy is eaten, the digestive tract and important organs may be damaged.

Cool showers and medicines like an antihistamine or steroid help decrease the itching and redness caused by urushiol. But the best way to deal with poison ivy is to avoid it in the first place by not touching the plant.

A Korean Student in the Philippines

The message goes:

As you know, we have plenty of Koreans currently studying in the Philippines to take advantage of our cheaper tuition fees and learn English at the same time.

This is an essay written by a Korean student I want to share with you. (Never mind the grammar; it's the content that counts) Maybe it's timely to think about this in the midst of all the confusion at present.

MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES Jaeyoun Kim

Filipinos always complain about the corruption of the Philippines. Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do not think so...I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines.

Let me first talk about my country, Korea. It might help you understand my point. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country was destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no natural resources.

Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for Filipinos we're very rich in Asia. We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father and brother also died because of famine. Korean government was very corrupt and is still very corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heart burning with patriotism.

Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighborhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.

40 years ago, President Park took over the government to reform Korea. He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get a loan and attract a foreign investment because the economic situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so that they could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to og through horrible experience.

In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw President park. They asked to him, "President, when can we be well off?" That was the only question everyone asked to him. President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea would be well off if everyone works hard for Korea, and the President of Germany got the strong impression on them and lent money to Korea. So, President park was able to build many factories in Korea. He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart. Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA came back to Korea to help developing country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salary, they did their best for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.

My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them...I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned form Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood. Have you cried for the Philippines? I have cried for my country several times. i also cried for my country several times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many poor people. I have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me sad in the prison we're the prisoners who do not have any love for their country. They got to mass and work for Church. They pray everyday.

However, they do not love the Philippines. I talked to two prisoners at the maximum security compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they are released from the prison. They said they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines.

Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we we're able to share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory and company we're distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees could buy what they needed and saved the money for the future and their children.

When I was in Korea, I had a very strong faith and wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines, I completely lost my faith. I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in the Philippines. Street kids always make me sad, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has been changed.

My parents came to the Philippines loast week and saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when they were young. They are so sorry that there are so many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pagsanjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would be fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat again because they were sympathized the boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had a small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it. But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them.

My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received agreat love from God. I want Filipinos to love their neighborhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off.

I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinos should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody, in a small scale and have to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to love. Let's put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.

I discover that every person is to be loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and relationships. It changes the world. Please love your neighborhood and country.

Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to Him. In the Philippines, there is God for people who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love. If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines. Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country. You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.

That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.

David Cook and David Archuleta Live in Manila!

It was May 16, 2009 when I went to the concert, and I saw a lot of people! I also saw the producer of the concert, which is Jomari Yllana. The concert was supposed to start at 8:00 pm, but we waited for almost 30 minutes. I didn’t get tired of waiting, even though we came in there at 7:00 pm.

After waiting for 30 minutes, the concert started. I have no idea who’s going to sing first, but it was David Archuleta. He first sang “Touch my hand”. And when he was done with the song, he grabs a bottle of water and drinks on it. I noticed that the crowd laughs every time he does that. After drinking a bottle of water, he shouted “Mabuhay Manila!” The crowd became loud and everyone was shouting! He also sang “Stand by me” and “Angels” which he sang when he was still on American Idol. Besides the other 3 songs, he also sang “Don’t let go”, “My hands”, “Barriers”, “A little too not over you”, “Zero gravity”, “Your eyes don’t lie” and “Waiting for yesterday”. He also sang “To be with you” which is one of my favorite songs. He said that one of the writers of that song was the new judge of American Idol, Kara DioGuardi. As he was introducing another song, he said one of his favorites was “You can”. I already heard that song before, and it was really beautiful. I remember as he was singing “Your eyes don’t lie”, he does some “whistling” but it really is a part of the song. I also remember he said something after the chorus. He said “I hate this song” which made me laugh! As he was talking about his next song, we were all wondering what the song was. I don’t exactly know what he said. But I think what he said was “This is the first song I learned to play on the piano.” As the music started, the crowd couldn’t stop shouting! He sang “A Thousand Miles”.

But unfortunately, he sang “Crush” as his last song. The crowd became sad but he cheered us up when he said “Maraming salamat po” before he sang. He also said “Mahal ko kayo” as he was leaving the stage. I was so happy and I really had a great time.

Again, we waited for a lot of minutes for David Cook! But meanwhile, we saw a lot of fireworks which entertained us. Finally, David Cook came on stage! Everyone became loud too. While he was singing “Mr. Sensitive”, he took a short pause and said “Mabuhay!” After singing the first song, he greeted us “Magandang Gabi” and everyone just shouted! He told us he talked to David Archuleta backstage and he said the crowd was incredible! “He said I will have no idea what I was here for” he added. Some of the songs he sang were “Declaration”, “Kiss on the neck”, “Little Lies”, “Bar-ba-sol”, “Avalanche”, “Light on”, “Straight Ahead”, “Life on the moon”, and “The World I know”. He introduced a very popular song, which all of the Filipinos loved. We were all wondering what the song was. He said “We never played the whole song with the band before today”. As he started singing, the crowd started to sing along with him! He sang “Always be my baby “which he sang when he was still on American Idol. After a few songs, the lights were dimmed. We were all confused if the concert is already done. Everyone was shouting “We want more!” Then we heard someone saying “Oh were not done yet!” It was David Cook. Everyone was shouting! I remember his guitarist named “Neal”. He called him because he saw a girl holding a poster. The poster says “Marry me Neal”. So he decided to sing “Come back to me” and dedicate the song to the two people.

As his last song, he sang “A Daily Anthem”. The crowd became disappointed but he promised something. I don’t know the exact words but what I think he meant is “I’ll come back.” The crowd became loud again, especially when he called David Archuleta backstage. At the end of the song, all of the people were singing along with the two singers.

It was a lot of fun! I wish they can come back again here on the Philippines.

Awesome Banana

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.

But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit.

It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS (Pre-menstrual Syndrome): Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach..

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Smoking & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium! And magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in “The New England Journal of Medicine, ‘eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! Besides those illnesses, the inside of the banana skin can be a quick shine on our shoes. Just rub it directly on the shoe…polish with dry cloth.

When you compare a banana to an apple, it has

four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. I guess its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”