Looking Back

It's really nice to look back in time through pictures, but this requires that the pictures themselves must have been properly categorized, captioned, and organized by date or by subject matter.  Well, that's not done here so I'll just go through some pictures completely at random and see if I could make sense of them.

Sometime back, I think that must have been 2004, I participated in a meeting organized by IDRC to look into the possibility of undertaking a project on distance learning in Asia.  I joined that meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia.  We spent a day at Anchor Watt.  In the background are the five towers of the Anchor.  This is the most popular angle for postcards from Anchor Watt.

Jeezz, I really can't recall her name but she's one of of two pretty tour guides assigned to the IDRC Group that visited Anchor Watt.  There's another photo of her at close up, but this should be enough for you.

Distance Learning Technology in Asia, this was the theme of the IDRC meeting.  When the project was completed after five years, the output were two books, titled Distance Education Technologies in Asia, which were both edited by +Jon Baggaley of Athabasca University (Canada), and +Tian Belawati, currently Rector of Universitas Terbuka (Indonesia).

Now, back home ...

This is no longer part of the Anchor Watt destination.  

From the Baywalk wharf at Bgy. Aplaya in Calamba City, Laguna de Bay looks like this at day break.  Take note of those bamboo poles which hold nets under water.  These are the cheaper kinds of fish pens on the lake.

At dawn, Mt. Makiling looks rather imposing and serene ... (This view is also from the Aplaya wharf in Calamba City.)

... and then the lake begins to show life when the sun peeps through the clouds.  Now, the day begins.

Every now and then, when time permits, Jegs and I do go fishing at the Caliraya HillTop Resort, where there's man-made fishing lake.  Never been lucky to catch a big one but even a small fish is also a fish, which one I have caught (once, mind you) although I had to release it back to the lake.

Yes, the experience does get you in some pensive mood when you don't catch a single fish, but it's great experience to be outdoors where you could also commune with nature ... frequently a more meaningful experience.

Here's where I do one of my functions ...

When I was Chancellor of UPOU, I always made it a point to attend the Graduation Exercises of UPLB on behalf of the UPOU.  Here, I'm preparing to go to the Umali Hall for the Graduation Ceremonies.  If I may say so, I had some fans in the audience not because I was Chancellor but because I had been sporting long hair (look at the long hair flowing down my nape).  I was the only Chancellor in UP who sported long hair then.

It was good getting two friends to visit Tagaytay.

When I invited Professor +Santosh Panda (left) of Indira Gandhi National Open University (India) and Professor Emeritus +Fred Lockwood (center) of the Manchester Metropolitan University (England), I also brought them to Taal Vista Lodge to view Taal Lake (above).  These two really liked one of the specialties of Taal Vista Lodge: deep-fried tawilis, the small fresh-waster fish available only from Taal Lake, the site of Taal Volcano (above).





When I got an Award from UPAA:

This picture was one of the pictures that I always brag about.  I was recipient of the UP Alumni Association Professional Award for Education in 2007.  I received the award from then UP President +Emer Roman and UPAA President and Alumni Regent +Chito Pineda (left), and Regent +Garry Tiongco (right). Below, all awardees sat through a photo-ops at the Balay ng Alumni in UP Diliman.

 

Can you believe this?  +Jegs looked like this when I first met her.

In the interim, she has gained a little weight, which she's trying to get rid of at the moment but which seems a bit difficult.

This is now closer to reality.












During the meeting of IDRC's DE Project in Pakistan ...

This beautiful mosque, somewhere in Pakistan (I really can't recall the name of the place) is really cool inside (you have to remove your shoes when you enter this sacred place).  Outside the mosque is an expansive open space where devotees pray.



DiRAP's Meeting in Brisbane ...

When I was involved as Chief Editor of the Digital Review of Asia Pacific and we had one meeting in Brisbane, Australia, I was greeted by this computer monitor in my hotel room.  Indeed, I was impressed.  But I didn't know how to operate it so I just let it be.  After all, I had meeting all day and when I got to my room in the evening I was too tired to bother.

In another meeting of the IDRC project, this time in Indonesia ...

When the Distance Education program held its meeting in Indonesia, we visited this village, clearly one that was well-planned.  It was really a demo village but we were told that it was working very well. 

After walking around the village most of the afternoon, I thought that a quick rest on the steps of one of the village houses would be OK (below).

... and then in Thailand ...

The Project meeting also brought us to Thailand.  Here, we're sharing a sumptuous dinner in Patthaya.  At the background of the picture are souvenir shops, while at the back of the camera were the large theatres, where most of the performers are transexuals.  They looked beautiful, though.





This time, we go to Batanes ...

I had an opportunity to bring Jegs to Batanes, the northern most province of the Philippines.  Here we visited one of the two Lighthouses on Batan Island.  There are two more Lighthouses, one in Sabtang and another in Itbayat.

It might interest you to know that when Batanes is mentioned almost always what is referred to are Basco on Batan Island and Sabtang Island.  The lartgest island, Itbayat, has never been mentioned mainly because visitors have never been able to visit the place.

Here, Jegs is appreciating the cottages built by the Philippine Tourism Authority.  She enjoyed shooting the waves, but took her time and just rested on the sand when she got tired (pictures below).

Below, Jegs and I had a chat with Sinio Malupa, my favorite cousin.

Now, back to Laguna...

Here we took a breather after walking around Villa Escudero with Prof. Fred Lockwood.  Fred used to be professor at the UK Open University, reason we know one another well.   From left: Jegs, Binay, Fred, myself and Nyelle on my lap, Mommy Lita, and Naldo, our driver.

At the Villa Escudero man-made lake, I tried bamboo rafting.  I believe I did a good job of raft rowing.  It was fun

With Nyelle and Jegs.  Well, that was the time when Nyelle was still very young and enjoyed our company.  Now she's a bit grown up, really a young lady and has her own things to attend to.  In a couple more years, she would most likely be as tall as or taller than her Tita Jegs.

Below, this was taken right in front of the water falls at the lunch area at Villa Escudero.

I wish all a very prosperous New Year.  Cheers.