Quick Questions to Ponder

After relentless interrogation from a friend for the past days, one appreciates the value of knowing somebody who is well versed in asking the right questions. It easily sorts out things into a logical manner and helps clear one's head of "confusion."

Aside from the usual five (5) Ws and one (1) H inquiry (what, when, where, who, why, how), which would be the standard querries when gathering facts, the following imperative statements (which is the gist of the questions I have received for the past days) proves to be productive/effective as well;

1. What happened or what's going on?
   
2. How did it happened?
3. What course of action(s) should be taken?
4. What lies ahead in the future? (i.e., the consequences of item 3)
   

If we will pause for a moment and ponder the answers to the above questions, especially when in a "tight" situation, it will be enough to solve most of life's snags.

Sorting Out a Dilemma of Choice

Life is full of choices. That's a fact and if you cannot muster the strenght to make your decision, somebody else will definitely make a choice and gladly decide for yourself.

Lately, I've been into a dilemma of choice...perhaps between facts or feelings....between a logical or a psycological option.

Let me elaborate... if a person wakes up in a cold morning say at 4:00AM.....what would he or she ought to do? Continue sleeping or get-up and go to the shower, dress-up, take the bus and go to work in the early morning shift? Of course, the logical choice which is base on facts is to get up and work... while the psychological option (which is base on feelings) is to continue sleeping and dreaming!

It is much easier to make a choice between good and bad...as it is already obvious that we should decide in favor of the former and shun the latter. However, if the options will be between good, better or best...then it will be a tough decision to make...considering that most people will not leave their current comfort zones (which is the good)...in favor of a potential better or best option.

Most people always want to be sure that they can make the "right" choice, and afraid to commit mistakes. However, that's not always the case since you need to make a decision with incomplete facts/information and we do not have a crystal ball to accurately predict the outcome of the future. Still, making a choice is always better than standing still and be paralyzed by indecision. Action is always better than inaction. Being pro-active is always better than to be reactive.

Personally, I guess that making the logical choice will lead to less "complications"and a saner life...yet it makes us creatures without feelings....an automaton or robot. On the other hand, a psychological choice is always complicated and leads to complex and difficult situations...even problematical! Yet, it is the feelings that makes us human...a complete person.

The bottom line is that each one of us must always make a choice one way or the other. And hey, always keep in mind that there is no such thing as a "wrong choice." Nobody in his right mind will willingly desire to make a wrong decision. It so happen that a decision will be made without the complete facts, or without the complete picture...and if the facts and circumstances changes, as they always will...one can always change his course of action.

"ONLY THE DEAD WILL NOT CHANGE ITS MIND," and as long as one is alive...he or she will continually make choices and change his mind (or decision) from time to time.

Longing for the Taste of Baboy

While working in an Islamic country, one needs to respect the laws and traditions of the land, if you intend to survive. As the saying goes, you've got to act as the Romans do when you're in Rome.

As such, I have to forego and abstain from eating foods that are not "halal" and endure the torment and agony of eating the unending barrage of chicken, beef, lamb and venison dishes. The variety of fruits and vegetables are fine, but for a carnivorous person like myself, a gastronomic treat is not complete without the taste of "baboy" such as nilaga, adobo or lechon in all of its variants (lechon, lechon paksiw, lechon kawali, etc.).

Imagine my surprise, and that's putting it mildly, when the hotel restaurant receptionist informed me that "baboy" is indeed available somewhere in the city, albeit on the other side of town. With a map on hand and some cash in my wallet, I ventured to that part of town where baboy dishes are supposedly available. I even invited the hotel staff to join me in this epecurian celebration.

But Alas!..for some reason or another, that elusive baboy dish was not available to satisfy my palate. Murphy's law again proved to be correct that it is indeed an imperfect world...but life must continue to go on. It is a major blunder alright (to expect baboy in this part of the globe) but it is not the "end of the world" so to speak, and there will always be a tomorrow to savor that baboy dish and satisfy my longing.

The good thing though is that while I have been looking for a baboy dish and was not successful at it.... I found something even better .... I found a friend...the hotel staff.