For parents, it's always a great pleasure to see your children displaying one more talent unknown to you.
Last summer, upon my prodding for Ashia to open up a blog, I happily discovered her showing a talent for writing. It's still a work in progress, but shows lots of promise.
Her writing is unique. It has depth and character. It is certainly different from that of elder sister Arizz, by far the best writer in our family. One thing is clear, they both clearly write better than me. It is all that matters.
And as Ashia turns 14 today, I say a prayer to God for all the talents given to my children.
Although not as studious as Arizz, Ashia has been no less smart. At her young age, she's already showing fondness for reading the Philippine and American Constitutions, systems of government all over the world, finance and economics; literary classics; and even the history of Russia, of all places. She aspires to become a lawyer.
For a world-class athlete, Ashia is showing that not all athletes are limited to having physical gifts or mechanical skills alone.
At 14, Ashia already has titles and accomplishments to include being among the best junior golfers in the world in her age category; six holes in one made in tournaments here and in the US; and recently the Philippine Senate led by Senate President Franklin Drilon bestowed honor on her and the Philippine junior golf team for their victory in the recent international golf tournament in the US (Pls read the news about it here).
These are certainly big titles and honors for a teenage girl!
And now a budding writer too! Definitely Daddy's girl.
Happy Birthday Ash! Life is certainly looking up for our now grown-up girl. We all love you!
Here's excerpts of Ashia's writing from her blog: "Ashia Nocum, Junior Golfer."
It's not always we find the proper response to questions. Some come at us unexpectedly, we can't answer quickly. If we do find an answer, most are not the honest, blunt truth. We're worried, consciously thinking of the right words to say. Compare to a job interview. We let out nervous chuckles at some inquiries, because soon enough, every judging look we receive at not well weighted enough answers is going to tear us apart and rip us in half. We can't be anxious 24/7/. It isn't right to our system. Or our emotions.
Enventually, that question is thrown at us, the one we fear and strive to find a befitting response to. For a second there, it's silent. The voices around us are numb, quietened. The noise of industry outside has disappeared. It's just our heart and brain. You want to run. Someone must have noticed our fidgets-it's so obvious, we don't want it to be obvious. We're too busy building the expected perfect answer to even consider our thoughts.
I should be concentrating. I tried to dismiss random thoughts with a sip of water, rattling the cup as I begin to swallow and shudder. "The water really is cold in here." I mutter with shock, staring angrily at the drink.
Shockingly, other than experience and refining skills on the course, there is a reason I came to the golf establishment today. Though the trip was long and wet, due to the angry climate and weather, the city has been on a drenched lock down. And I feel like I'm staring in an apocalyptic movie. Me and a golf club......sole (or soul?) survivors, searching endlessly for a safe haven and then discover that we-my golf club and I-are what we've been desperately searching for. The movie ends with me, club in hand, walking into the sunset. Credits roll. Hah.
My relationship with my golf clubs is like no other. "If you want one of us then you're going to get the other" I mutter into nothing with a firm nod.
Like a two for one sort of thing.
Picked off of the same grape vine.
How Will His Spin Doctors Defend VP Binay Re Makati Building Overprice Issue?
What will VP Binay Say Today?
As Typhoon Luis pummels the country today, political watchers and even public relations executives like us are closely watching another political storm and today’s question is: What Vice President Binay will say in defense against accusations of allegedly overpricing in the construction of the P2.7-billion Makati Parking Building Project.
The country’s second highest official has promised to finally come out today to face the controversial issue squarely. This, after weeks of either evading or dismissing the issue as a political demolition job, something that placed him and his family at the losing end of the perception war.
VP Binay’s defense is every public relations executive’s nightmare, given the seemingly convincing issues raised at the series of hearings in the Philippine Senate the past three weeks. It is a big challenge too for VP Binay's spin doctors -- if they can pull it off.
1) Admit wrongdoing (an unlikely scenario for an astute lawyer like VP Binay – it’s also a political and criminal hara-kiri).
2) Admit that there could have been overpricing but that he did not know anything about it and that he too is a victim of a cartel of corrupt officials working in collusion with alleged favored contractor Hilmarks Construction.
3) As he already did in the past, blame everything on his former Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, former bidding officer Mario Hachenova and former City Engineer Nestor Morales, anyway the guy is dead and can’t speak in his defense.
4) Put forward Commission on Audit officials as well as experts from the engineering, architecture and real estate industries to say that the building is not overpriced and stick to the argument that it was constructed near a river, thus jacking up the construction price.
5) Say there is a Yamashita Treasure buried deep in the ground of the building and that its walls and portals are made of gold.
6) Say there’s nuggets of golf hidden as a surprise treat inside the cakes given to senior citizens on their birthdays, thus it costs P1,000 each and that is where the overprice cost for the building went to.
7) Say private builders in Makati – like the 44-floor, green certified Zuellig building (and which costs lower than the Makati Parking Building) – conspired to construct buildings at ridiculously low prices in order to embarrass and shoot down VP Binay’s presidential ambitions.
Actually, strategies 5, 6 and 7 are fairy tale spins, but who knows anything is possible among spin doctors in our public relations world.
How about you, what reasons can you put forward for VP Binay’s defense?
At a time when our country desperately looks for a leader and a hero -- more so in 2016 -- we look back to the past when our leaders where more dedicated to fighting, sacrificing and dying for Motherland, the Philippines.
Unfortunately in recent years, we'e seen them dying to get their hands into the country's coffers and stealing from us.
It is at these hard times when we remember with fondness President Ramon Magsaysay who died serving us in a plane crash in 1957. The President well loved for his "bias" for the poor, his humility and zero tolerance for corruption is just the kind of leader we need to put our country's affairs in order.
I am one true admirer of "The Guy" even if he died years and years before I was born. Ramon Magsaysay's Legacy certainly transnces time and generations of Filipinos.
It is thus a distinct pride and honor to have my daughter Arizza besting 400 of the best writers in the country to emerge winner in this year's Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation's Youth Essay Writing Competition. The award comes with an Apple MacBook computer and an audio system, but it pales in comparison to the honor of winning the essay contest in the prestigious Magsaysay Awards, Asia's version of the Nobel Peace Prize.
I remember the city of my childhood, Zamboanga, as a city of lights and sounds.
Visits to our lush beaches were punctuated by the percussion sounds of karaoke machines.
shimmering dance of electric lights at the City Hall.
poor by lighting their lives with sustainable technology.
of people among the 57% of India’s population that still have no access to power.
technology. Through his example, that myth can also be disproven here in the Philippines.
gain an alternative power source; but they can also start building a more sustainable world.
promoting his brand of servant leadership.
green power with his attempt to bring this technology to the hands of the world’s poorest.
application and usability of solar technology.
quest for widespread sustainable energy.
solutions to assuage the woes of the power crisis.
I no longer just wish that the children of Zamboanga be able to enjoy the childhood I had.
More importantly, I wish that the will realize that they are not powerless, and through Dr.
and servant leaders of our day.
We thank the Philippine Senate for giving due recognition to the Philippine junior golf team that bagged most of the major awards in the prestigious Veritas World Junior Golf Championships held in various golf courses in Los Angeles, California in July and where our daughter Ashia Marie Nocum emerged 1st runner-up in her 13 years old age division.
We would specifically like to express our gratitude to Senator Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid for filing Philippine Senate Resolution No. 843 congratulating and paying "tribute to the outstanding Filipino athletes for their astonishing feats" that "made our country proud" because they have "shown the world the country's prospects for excellence and international dominance in the sport of golf."
"Whereas, this outstanding performance by our Filipino junior golfers deserve to be commended for the honor and recognition they have brought to our country," read part of the resolution Senator Lapid filed last August 14.
This Senate recognition is the second one for our children with elder sister Arizza also being honored through Senate Resolution No. 590 for winning the prestigious 2011 Zonta International’s Young Women for Public Affairs Award for her works at our Kris Peace Library non-government organization. Arizza also received a US$4,000 grant from Zonta International which she donated to Kris Library.
And so we congratulate our little ones for giving our country the honor that their elder compatriots never seem to be able to do in basketball.
We also congratulate the parents for their extreme secrifices (my wife Ann among them), the sponsors of the players and their coaches and pros; and our relatives and friends abroad who provided all kinds of assistance needed by the players (pls read our words of gratitude to them at this link).
Thank you all and God Bless Dear Motherland the Philippines!!!