I’ve heard from friends and students from different countries — England, Philippines, Scotland, Thailand, USA, Canada, Russia, Taiwan. Seems like the book is selling in other countries.Three of my students in the Philippines have already ordered their copies of my book “Of Fire and Water: Alchemy and Transformation” (Tambuli Media: 2023).
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JOSE DAVID LAPUZ: April 19, 1938 – March 8, 2023
Hi Rene, I just learned Jose David Lapuz, the grand Upo of the ’60s in Diliman passed on, after 3.5 months in the hospital. He was a bachelor, lived alone, had no visitors and died. A caretaker was the sole companion. A nephew took over his house, books, memorabilia (recto, rizal, etc). I remember he taught at UST. The news reminded me of our Diliman days. Just sharing. Vic R
Continue reading “JOSE DAVID LAPUZ: April 19, 1938 – March 8, 2023”25 Years of Teaching in the Philippines
25TH ANNIVERSARY OF TEACHING IN THE PHILIPPINES
This year 2023 is the 25th anniversary of teaching in the Philippines. I’ve taught healing seminars and and covered different subjects –
Nostalgia
Diary 5/30/23:
Just saw the movie “Paris Can Wait” with Diane Lane in the lead role of a married woman who decides to travel to Paris with her husband’s business partner. I won’t go into the details of the movie. It was written, produced and directed by Eleanor Coppola. I remember Diane from when I got involved in work teaching martial arts fist and staff forms and movement in a 2-week theatre workshop in 1974 or 75 to the Great Jones Repertory Company under director Andre Serban.
Continue reading “Nostalgia”The bonsai at Arnold Arboretum
This is one of the best renditions of the piece on the guzheng/zither. I’ve heard many different versions of it through the years (since the 1970s). The first time I heard it I instinctively asked myself, Is my Tai chi chuan form as good? I’ve also heard it on the pipa/lute. One time on the cruise to the 3 Gorges and the Great Dam on the Yangzi River, it was played by a young Chinese woman on the boat.
Continue reading “The bonsai at Arnold Arboretum”Fiesta
There was a mini-fiesta in my honor in the middle of my seminar at Titus Brandsma Center. There was singing (a couple sang “The Prayer”) and dancing (several women danced with me: it’s on video).
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It was not all work. We had sidetrips and dinners and reunions. Even if the vacation lasted a month and 3 days, it was still too short to cover the important bases in our visit. The Philippines is of course a mecca for foodies and bloggers. The cuisine is diverse and delicious. With the different influences flowing into the country, the food is one of the best — and cheapest — in the world. There’s different Chinese regional dishes, Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, Malaysian, Spanish and of course local provincial cooking. There are also places to see: the ylang-ylang farm in Estipona, Pura, Tarlac*; Las Casas Filipinos in Bataan; Tarlac City, our hometown; and Baguio, the Summer Capital. We were able to see all of them through the generosity of relatives.
Continue reading “Family”Manila’s Chinatown
February 27, 2023: It’s the oldest Chinatown in the world, possibly founded in 1700. There’s no place to walk except the street. The sidewalks are all taken by vendors. You can almost hear them barking the names of their goods. There are feng-shui shops, in keeping with the trend of geomancy, and bakeries to supply the masses with hopia and siopao.
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Photos at the seminar on Buddha Palm Qigong and Chi Nei Tsang internal organs massage at the Titus Brandsma Center in Quezon City on March 19 and 20 sponsored by INAM Philippines. BPQ and CNT are both transmissions from Grandmaster Mantak Chia of the Universal Healing Tao.
Continue reading “Buddha Pal Qigong and CNT seminars”Alay: the Philippine native trees in the Victor O. Ramos Arboretum
I have been reading “Alay: the Philippine native trees in the Victor O. Ramos Arboretum,” the book of Vic Ramos’ farm in Natividad, Pangasinan, 4 hours north of Manila. It is a great source of information about these trees. For those of us who are interested in restoring our aboriginal and indigenous environment, the Arboretum is a magical place from our ancient past.
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