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Internet Newsletter of the Alumni of Lanao Chung Hua School
Iligan, Philippines, Year 5, Issue No.16, Nov. 5, 2001
FESTIVITY GALORE
LCHS marks 63rd Foundation Day
By Roger Suminguit (Batch '73)

The LCHS campus brightens up anew with pomp and festivities as the school marks its 63rd Foundation Day on Nov. 9 to 12.  Jing Uy, assistant to the principal, announced that many activities are lined up for the celebration. Among them are, for Nov. 9:   Art contests, which include picture coloring for preparatory level; finger painting (Grade I & 2); Christmas card making (Grade 3 & 4); soap sculpturing (Grade 5 & 6); and poster making (high school); Chinese calligraphy & painting exhibit, courtesy of Mr. Wang, visiting teacher from China; and parlor games.  Nov. 10:  Thanksgiving service; Larong Pinoy: sipa, palo-sibu; sungka, and hulihan ng bi-ik; Fun Booths, a fund-raising project of the LCHS Student Government; basketball exhibition game between the LCHS Varsity Team and the Lanao Filipino Chinese Fire Brigade headed by Kelly Dy (Batch '74); table tennis - doubles (with father and son/daughter teeams as players); women's volleyball (high school students vs. teachers); and badminton.  Nov. 11: Tsinoy Cultural Program, showcasing Chinese dances, martial arts, drama and songs combined with Filipino ethnic dances and Mindanao folk dances.  Nov. 12:  Cheering contests (primary & intermediate levels); and cheer-dance competition (high school level).

EDITORIAL STAFF
Henry L. Yu, Editor 
Correspondents: Roger Suminguit, Teresita Racines, Vinson Ngo & Johnny Chen (Iligan); Igdono Caracho (Cebu);  Marie Janiefer Lee (Manila); Peter Dy (Canada); Leonardo Tan (Australia); Ernesto Yu & Aurora Tansiokhian (U.S.A.); and Charles O. Sy, Editorial Consultant
Founded Aug. 1, 1968. Published fortnightly since its revival on April 15, 1997. Distributed free on the Internet to LCHS alumni & supporters worldwide. Postal address: LCHS Alumni Association, Lanao Chung Hua School, Pala-o, Iligan City, Philippines. Web site:
www.geocities.com/lchsspectrum
Spectrum welcomes articles, news reports & comments from LCHS alumni, students and readers. For contribution or subscription, contact: Roger Suminguit, tel. 221-2422; Teresita Racines, tel. 221-3253, or Henry Yu, Suite 101, Visayas Community Medical Center, Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City 6000, Philippines; E-mail: hvty@skyinet.net
Fame & Fortune
Siote Chu stars in quiz show

ww2tamJose "Siote" Chu (Batch '82) starred in the country's top-rated TV quiz show on IBC network, "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire" hosted by film star Christopher de Leon in Manila last Oct. 20.  The show, watched by millions nationwide, allows contestants to take a crack at the top prize of P2 million in cold cash by answering a series of multiple-choice questions concerning a variety of subjects.  Siote tackled the initial stages of the quiz with apparent ease until he stalled when the questionnaire involved identifying a biblical character who had a coat of many colors, the correct answer to which was "Joseph, favorite son of Jacob."  Nevertheless, Siote went home richer with a cash prize of P30,000 on top of  free transportation and hotel accommodation.  Siote is the president and general manager of MicroTouch Computer System, Inc., Iligan City.

Roger Suminguit teaches bookkeeping

Roger Suminguit (Batch '73), the indefatigable LCHS-AA secretary, is now a teacher at the Torralba Business College, Iligan City.  He teaches bookkeeping as a 5-month special vocational course from 5 to 6 p.m., M-W-F.  Roger is a graduate in B.S. Commerce, with major in Accounting.  He is also pursuing his M.M.E.M. (Master of Management in Environmental Management) at the Liceo de Cagayan University, Cagayan de Oro City.  Aside from his academic pursuits, Roger is also president of Purok 12, barangay Pala-o.  He is acting secretary of the Pollution Control Association of the Phils. (PICAPI), Iligan Bay chapter.  Very soon Roger might yet toss his hat into the political ring.  He has been invited by Pala-o barangay captain Dan Salatandre to run for a seat as barangay kagawad of Pala-o in the May 2002 local elections.

Whitney Dy bags more medals in swimfest

Whitney Dy, daughter of William Dy (Batch '71), gobbled up more medals in the Maynila Mayor's Cup Swimming Championships 2001 held at the Rizal Sports Complex, Manila, last Oct. 27 and 28.  Whitney, who has won many medals in previous swimming competitions in Manila and elsewhere, went on to harvest 1 more silver and 4 bronze medals in the recent swimfest.

Johndorf housing in full swing

The San Agustin Valley Homes, a housing project of Johndorf Ventures of Richard “Hong Tok” Lim (Batch ’69), is in full swing.  The project (subject of Spectrum news item, June 18, 2001 issue), is located at the back of SM site, which is part of the Pueblo de Oro Township, Cagayan de Oro City.

JondorfToday there are already more than 200 housing units constructed. Most of the roads are concreted; water system, drainage and electricity are partially in place; open space with children’s playground, basketball court and multi-purpose hall are all completed. Almost daily, the subdivision is teeming with buyers, visitors and even homeowners who want to decorate their units already.

“Demand is big,” says Hong Tok. “We have to fast-track our development in order to accommodate the buyers.” Accordingly, many of the buyers are investors from out of town seeking to establish a foothold in the city. With Shoe Mart (SM) slated to open before December 2002, many see CdeO as the next booming city of Northern Mindanao. Even local residents aspire to have a place near the shopping center.

Hong Tok has this to say to fellow LCHS alumni: “Think about the idea of a second home in Cagayan de Oro City, consider it as an investment for security. Iligan is always our home, but when peace and order become a serious consideration in the future, you could at least have a ready place to move in temporarily or permanently. Besides, cost of investment is very affordable, at P1,700 monthly amortization, it is even lower that an average apartment rental. The pricing is economic but the development is really for first class subdivision. You get your investment’s worth. Come and see for yourself and we shall be very happy to assist you anytime.”  Spoken, indeed, like a true salesman.

RogerTracers
By Roger Suminguit, Batch '73

One more feather on his cap

Our hats off to a dynamic alumnus who has just added an extra feather on his cap.  Calix Tan (Batch '57), in photo, has just earned one more Calixaccomplishment to his already impressive professional career.  He recently passed the exams for professional mechanical engineers given last Oct. 17 by the Professional Regulations Commission.  Calix has already several licenses to his name.  He has long been a professional electrical engineer and a registered mechanical engineer.  As if these were not enough, he recently went on to undergo the exams for professional mechanical engineers which included submitting a technical project study as one of its requisites.  Needless to say, he hurdled the exams with flying colors.  Calix is the owner of Iligan Electrical Supply, a deep-well drilling specialist and distributor of branded water pumps.  He is also very much involved in civic activities.  He is a past president of the Iligan Amity Lions Club, a 4th degree & faithful navigator of the Knights of Columbus, a top honcho of the Lanao Filipino Chinese Fire Brigade, the Iligan Badminton Club, and the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME), Iligan Bay Chapter.  He is also a former kagawad of barangay Saray-Tibanga.  He was adjudged one of the 9 Outstanding Alumni Achievers during the First LCHS Grand Alumni Homecoming in August 2000.

On another note, we are saddened by the passing away of a friend and a well-known member of the Iligan Tsinoy business community.  Jose "Joe" C. Dy, owner of Snowland Restaurant (beside Berds Cinema), died recently.  He was 51 years old and a native of Samar, Leyte.  He is survived by his wife Elisa Go Dy and 7 children who are all LCHS alumni, namely Annaliza (Batch '90), Jeanne (Batch '93), Romeo (Batch '94), Maricar (Batch 96), Ferdinand (Batch '96), John (Batch '98), and Jonalyn (Batch 2000).
 
Henry Life's Journey
By Henry L. Yu, M.D.
Batch '69

Superstitious Beliefs
(First of Two Parts)

As Filipinos living in the Philippines, we are known to be religious.  Ironically, we are also a people of one nation with so many superstitious beliefs, which have been handed down to us from generation to generation. Let me therefore share with you a hundred of these out of a thousand, which we used to believe when we were kids. Let’s compare notes and see if you and I still believe in them now that we have come of age.

1.)  When you see a black butterfly, it means death or bad luck. Yellow or brown would mean a visitor or good luck.
2.)  A group picture taking consisting of 3 or 13 is not good. In a group of three, the one in the middle will die first.
3.)  When you smell the odor of a candle when there is no candle burning, it means a dead relative is visiting your place.  So with the scent of a flower, like azucenas.
4.)  Dreaming that one of your teeth is uprooted or pulled out means death in the family.
5.)  When a candle goes out during a wedding, it means bad luck.
6.)  Cutting one’s fingernails at night will result in sickness or death of someone in the family.
7.)  Pregnant women should not have their picture taken, otherwise their babies will die. Likewise with the wearing of black dress.
8.)  Cleaning the backyard when the sun has already set and it is already dark causes death.
9.)   If two people from the same family get married within a year, one will die.
10.) The bride should not try on her wedding gown before the wedding ceremony; otherwise, the wedding will not push thru.
11.)  Meeting a black cat while crossing the road means a misfortune will occur.
12.)  If an accident happens to the carpenter during the construction period of a house, the owner of that house will have misfortunes in life.
13.)  One should not sit on his book as it will make him dull.
14.)  A pregnant woman should not eat a twin banana as it causes twin births.
15.)  One should not throw a stone at night as he will harm some spirits.
16.)  When one urinates in an isolated place at night, he should say “tabi apo”.
17.)  Women with mole under the eyes, where the tears fall, will be unhappy in her marriage.
18.)  Sweeping the floor at night causes one to lose all his wealth.
19.)  Breaking a glass, a plate or a cup during a banquet is a bad omen.
20.)  Debts should not be paid at night as it brings and causes bad luck.
21.)  It will rain soon when frogs cry, when many butterflies fly, or when ants start climbing up the house.
22.)  One will have bad luck if he breaks a mirror.
23.)  Pointing to a rainbow will cut off one’s finger.
24.)  During Holy Week, people should not go out or travel so as to avoid accidents.
25.)  Drying women’s underwear at night causes pregnancy.
26.)  It means bad luck when one breaks something he is holding in his hand or when a picture falls from a wall.
27.)  If a person leaves the house while others are still eating, they should turn their plates around so that he will not meet an accident.
28.)  One should cover the mirror when there is lightning to avoid misfortune.
29.)  Throwing rice or salt on the floor makes one as poor as a rat.
30.)  Throwing rice at newlyweds will bring prosperity throughout their life and they will have good children.
31.)  One who catches the bride’s bouquet will also get married soon.
32.)  One should open the windows early in the morning so grace will come in.
33.)  One will receive some money when his palm becomes itchy.
34.)  A person with big ears will have a long life span.
35.)  A baby born with an extra finger is lucky.
36.)  Wishing upon the first star that one sees at night will make that wish come true.
37.)  A deaf mute child brings good luck to the parents.
38.)  Sleeping with hair still wet causes blindness.
39.)  A person will get sick if he takes a bath on Friday.
40.)  Warts are caused by the urine of frogs.
41.)  Bathing during menstruation period causes insanity.
42.)  Eating sour food during menstruation causes stomachache.
43.)  If a fork drops to the floor accidentally, a male visitor is coming; if a spoon, a female visitor will come.
44.)  When a house lizard makes a noise, a visitor will come.
45.)  When two dogs bark at night there is a ghost.
46.)  When one passes by an anthill, one should ask to be excused; otherwise, a spirit will play trick on that person.
47.)  Getting married on a full moon brings much happiness and success to one’s marriage.
48.)  Giving a rosary to one’s sweetheart will cause breaking up of the relationship.
49.)  Appearance of a comet foretells war, pestilence and calamity.
50.)  If a person bites his tongue, it means somebody is thinking of him.   (To be continued next issue)
Straight from the Heart
By Marie Janiefer Q. Lee
Batch '87

Chinese Trick or Treat

The first time I spent my All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day here Manila was a very unforgettable experience.  I thought that I knew most of the things I need to know about this two-day holiday.  Having been brought up with all the Chinese traditions and beliefs, I thought that nothing would surprise me anymore.  But I was wrong, and I realized that there are still so many things I need to learn.

While I was still in Iligan on occasions like this, most of us would be busy preparing beautiful flower arrangements for the graves of our dearly departed. Aside from the candles and the hius of course. While here, my mother-in-law would be busy preparing a banquet-like lunch to be offered at the graves.  She’s even very adamant about the time that we should be there at the cemetery. Like we should all be there by 9:00 a.m. not a minute later than that.  Some of us might attempt to make excuses and just go in the afternoon, but my mother-in-law would say that it’s not good for us to go in the afternoon.  It’s like her other way of telling us that if we don’t follow what she says, something bad will befall us.  That’s just what we all need to stick to her words like fly on a carabao’s back.

One of the other things that caught me off guard was when someone pushes some pads of tiny rectangular colored papers into my hands together with a tube of paste. At first I thought this must be the other version of the paper money we would burn later. But what’s the tube of paste for?  So I tried to spy at the graves next to us, and found out that those tiny papers are supposed to be pasted around the tomb. Hmm, it does make the tomb get that more “festive” look.  But aside from the make-over it gives to the place I really don’t know what’s the real purpose of those papers or those  “tomb banners.” I know I should have asked before but I was too scared I’d be branded as sua-kaw again.  Being called sua-kaw really doesn’t hurt much but once we translate it into English which literally means mountain monkey, that’s when it really bites.

Then after adorning the tomb with those colorful tiny banners, somebody handed me pads of those paper money.  So I sigh with relief knowing that what I’m supposed to do is just fold these papers, prepare them for burning.  But then somebody pushes a pen too. I said to myself  “now what.”  I really don’t need a pen to fold those papers.  So this time I really had to ask.  I was told to write the name of the “dearly departed” for whom the money is for.  Now this is really something.  Which makes sense though, because with the whole country sending “money” at the same time who knows if it really reaches the right addressee.  So with that pen, I wrote about thousands of those paper money to the grandparents of my husband. Well, I hope we sent enough to last until next year.

I’ve never gone on a real trick or treat, or the western way of celebrating Halloween.  But then again as I look back, I think we’ve all done some trick or treat all our lives every November 1 and 2.  Though instead of going from house to house asking for treats and wearing scary costumes, we offer our most delicious food or treats to all the souls who are said to roam the earth during these two days.  We do this because we don’t want them to play tricks on us, just imagine what tricks a hungry and angry soul could do to us.  And also we light huge candles instead of those pumpkin lanterns or jack-o-lanterns just to make sure that the resting places of the souls are well-lighted so that after they roam the earth they could find their way back.

Be it the western way’s Halloween or our Chinese version of trick or treat, the main point of observing this two-day holiday is to remember the souls of those who’ve gone before us.  It’s our way of wishing and praying that may those souls find peace wherever they are.
 
Ernie moody BLUES, 14221
By Ernesto L. Yu, M.D.
Batch '65

Chinese Love Letters:  I can't defy conventional wisdom about flaring adolescent hormones as the engine lubricants that rock your heart to flutter whenever a puppy love swings by. This sentiment is doubly aggravated by the fact that, being assembled from pure Chinese genetic materials, I was inherently shy in high school when it pertained to matters of the heart. I possessed a gutless pumper dangling in tons of unspoken revelations. As a psychological compensatory mechanism, I've refined into a science the art of transmitting love notes via lyrics in songs: "You're just too good to be true/ Can't take my eyes off of you/ You would be like heaven to touch/ I want to hold you so much."  Guess this was how theme songs became my recurring addiction. Holy Toledo! What an easy outlet to murmur softly "You are my crush" without wasting a single battery of emotion energy, without breaking shaking sweats, and without rehearsing with my shadow the how to verbalize I love you in non-stuttering, unintelligible mumble one sleepless night after another, an insomnia that popped pimples to go haywire like the resultant effect of rabbits in heat! You name and hum the tune and Little Missy sucks and sponges out, in undiluted purity and grandeur, the heartwarming drama of "The Wonder of You". Plain and simple. With this personal history, it is a luxurious perk that every now and then when I need to scream out loud my secrets of passion without tensing my vocal cords into a jitter, I dig back to my roots, the tested technique of my youth: Spin Jim Brickman's sticky sentimental "The Love I Found In You" or Jose  Mari Chan's soulful rendition of "I Must Be Dreaming". Every note will then grind into a reverberating passage of heart's dictates. Whatever is the slender merits of such call for ancient habits, I evolve alive and kicking. Really? Even when I'm a toothless dinosaur on the brink of extinction? Yep, afterall, love is love at whatever era in your love life – Stone Age or New Millennium.

As old as the Chinese language.

Peeking At Pic:   Call it a fresh scar that intermittently throbs for urgent TLC. Or, a familiar refrain that reflexly sways with the breeze whenever yesterdays' bundled sweet nothings caress the mind. Indeed, you can re-ignite the magical flame of the once-upon-a-time with the magnetic draw of photographs: The Kodak moments of coached smile captured after an orchestrated chorus of "say cheez"; the sidelong glances that moan an all-out love that  the heart has learned to pump; the hug and tight embrace frozen a few minutes after a bout of lip cooing and tongue wrestling (hala!); the background scenes that you have touched with one hand while the other palm was stroking the shoulder of an angel ... Whoa, the enchantment of "peeking at pic" can handily dwarf a plain mental trip to dreamland. This goes without saying, second bests hit high pitch anytime the stage is lighted and enhanced with visual effects that illuminate the dazzle of bygone days. Faded photographs show discoloration signs of wear and tear but the images that breathe in those glossies will never wither away, not even in the next stop to forever. Consequently, click and click on those infectious laughters that consume the soul, those dewdrops from the splendor on the grass, the warmth of the sun, the golden glows of the happenings, be it trivial or grand ... and bag the gold inside a vault of treasured memories.

For every new season, there's an old leaf that aches to romanticize the pristine Past.
 
It Happened to Me
By Doc Bunz,  Batch '82

Actually I got married in the year 1992 following the Kim Men tradition of getting married 100 days after the death of my father, the late Cu Chi Yong, that’s “Ayong” to friends. The lucky guy who won me is Juanito V. Lim, a mestizo (tall, dark and handsome) from Masbate who’s been my partner in a love affair for 7 long years when I was still in Iloilo. We’re blessed with four kids, all boys: Job, 8 years old; John, 6; Jake, 3; and Jude, 2. When my classmates from medical school got our wedding invitation, 99.9% were shocked! Can’t believe!  Di ka to-o!  “Si Bunz maminyo? Maka-uyab ba diay 'tu? Tomboy man tu!”  Ha! They just didn’t know (I can be very secretive … and seductive?).  Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. They don’t have my husband’s eyes!
 

.FeaturesStar

Film Review: The Road Home
Love, Made in China
By Charles O. Sy
Batch 1967

Road HomeOnce in a while, away from the frenzy of kung fu kicks and flying swordsmen, comes along a Chinese film that stirs the heart with its simplicity and purity.  It is a film debut of Zhang Ziyi before she became an international sensation in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Rush Hour 2."

The movie, entitled "The Road Home," is a story of love that is poignant in its simplicity yet dramatic in its depth.  Part of the strength of this film lies in the craftsmanship of director Zhang Yimou, whose other masterpieces include "Raise the Red Lantern" and "Not One Less."  But the film's strongest drawing card is its young star, Zhang Ziyi, whose presence is as endearing as it is captivating.  Her refreshing beauty is  captured in its purest form by noted cinematographer Hou Young whose camera frequently lingers on Zhang Ziyi's innocent yet expressive features in close-ups, aside from his breathtaking portrayals of rural China from one season to another. The superb cinematography can give many Hollywood flicks a run for their money.

This lyrical melodrama begins with the return of businessman Luo Yusheng (played by Sun Honglei) to his mountain village called Sanhetun in northern China where his father has just died.  His elderly mother Zhao Di is adamant that her husband be given a traditional funeral. That means men must be recruited to carry the coffin on foot, in the middle of winter, from a hospital in a distant city to his resting place overlooking the schoolhouse at the village.  As Yusheng tries to accommodate his mother's difficult demand, he watches her weaving the funeral cloth on the village loom, and reflects on the dramatic tales he has heard about his parents' courtship four decades earlier.  His father, Luo Changyu, came to the village as the new teacher and soon crossed paths with Zhao Di (played by Zhang Ziyi), the prettiest among the girls in Sanhetun village.  For the young Zhao Di it's love at first sight when she meets the new schoolteacher. Against her mother's wish, Di boldly sets out to pursue the apple of her eye, in defiance of the age-old custom of arranged marriages in China.

One of the movie's poignant scenes shows the demure yet determined Zhao Di contriving an accidental encounter on the road with the schoolteacher, whom she intends to woo with her cooking skills.  Soon the two found themselves in love with each other.  But their blossoming romance was curtailed when Changyu was sent back to the city at the onset of the Cultural Revolution. Why he was suddenly summoned to the city was not made explicit in the story line.  Anyhow, after two years of separation, the lovers were reunited. Quite predictably so.  But the story does not end there.  The finale reverts to the opening scene in which Yusheng, the son of Lou Changyu and Zhao Di, grapples with the dilemma of how to handcarry his father's coffin from the city through the long road home to their village.  To unravel this story's denouement at length would be spoiling the fun.  Suffice it to say, what one sees in the very moving final scenario defines the poetic essence of "The Road Home."

The movie transpires in two time periods. The framing story, in the narrative segments, is presented in black and white. It eventually shifts to color as the story unfolds in flashback.  The film, released internationally in Mandarin with English subtitle, has won wide acclaim among Western critics.

What strikes one as most notable in "The Road Home" is that, unlike most Western love themes, director Zhang Yimou is able to weave a love story without as much as even a single kissing scene or the slightest physical contact.  His is a story painted with as much artistry as exquisite brush strokes in a Chinese painting.  I have not been to a movie house for the last ten years but "The Road Home" in VCD is worth all my 90 minutes on the couch, plus a beer or two on the side.


Worry
By Cle S. Estrera, Jr., M.D. (CIM '72)
(Last of Two Parts)

In physiology class, we were taught that there is a period, a very short refractory period, between the application of a stimulus and the onset of response.  It is this period that we have to exploit and try to lengthen to be able to think and respond, rather than react, appropriately. Behind every feeling is a thought. When you are confronted with something like a problem that is akin to a stimulus, your thinking process grinds immediately. Depending on how you responded or reacted to the same problem (stimulus) in the past, your reactions would come automatically in the form of feelings or emotions. If you used to react with anger to an insult, then you are likely to get angry again when you're insulted. And as you keep getting angry as your reaction to the same stimulus - insult - the period between the application of a stimulus (insult) and the onset of response (anger) becomes shorter and shorter. Sooner rather than later, your reaction would become automatic like a heartbeat.

Thus what we need to understand is that feeling is the result of a thought, not the other way around. To lengthen the refractory period and control or change our feeling, we have to consciously find the thought behind our feeling and change it. We cannot control our feeling but we can control and change the thought behind it and our feeling will change accordingly. Let's try this example:

Your daughter left for the big city for the first time to go to college. You told her to call you once she gets there. You estimated the time of arrival and thus expect the time she'll call. But she didn't call and as minutes turned to hours, your worry is blowing up like a balloon. You are probably thinking the following thoughts:

a)  The plane may have been hijacked, or she may have an accident. Result of your thought - worry.  b)  She may be with her boyfriend and she did not bother to call. How dare she! Result of your thought  - anger.

Supposed you have these following thoughts instead:

a)   She's probably delayed because of the traffic and you said to yourself, "She'll call in the morning."  b)  She's probably tired, and you said to yourself, "She'll call when she's ready."

Both thoughts would definitely make you sleep well for the night. Obviously, it is also very important that you learn to trust your own children so that you don't have to worry every time they go out by themselves.

So anytime you feel bad, determine what you're thinking and change it. Realize that you can choose what you think and think what you choose, but you cannot choose what to feel. Unpleasant thoughts produce unpleasant feelings.  In the computer language, it's called, GIGO - Garbage In, Garbage Out. In some computers, it's called, SISO - Shit In, Shit Out. Obviously, if you put garbage in your mind as your thought, you cannot expect something to come out bedazzling you like Elizabeth Hurley.

"Don't worry. Be happy ..."
Worry is a feeling of anxiety, of uncertainty, that comes from thinking of an impending trouble or problem. It offers you the opportunity to live through terrible things that never happen.  You may become good at it and even become an expert, but you find no enjoyment. And once you start worrying, worry takes on a life of its own. It goes on and on that worriers often have to take sleeping pills to be able to sleep. It's stressful. It often robs food of its flavor; sex of its savor. When you worry, you are trying to control an outcome. But it's self-defeating because what you are trying to control is something you have no control over. Harold B. Walker said: "When you worry, you go over the same ground endlessly and come out the same place you started."

 Worry is often based on fantasies rather than facts, assumptions instead of realities. It's hard to devise a plan of action to a fantasy, or to an assumption. Therefore, the most important thing to do to eliminate worry is to determine between facts and fantasies, assumptions and realities. Once you have the determination, you'll be able to develop a plan of action.

Supposed you're worried that you hurt your Mom with your outburst and argument with her, and you also lied to her. The outburst, argument and lying are facts.  So you focus on those facts and you ask yourself: "Was it really fair to my Mom? Did she really deserve my emotional outburst?" If not, then instead of thinking of more lies to justify your argument or your childish behavior, you can go to your Mom, tell the truth and apologize, and perhaps promise not to lie again. With your apology, your worry will dissipate and lose its intensity like a fart losing its odor. With your Mom's forgiveness, your worry will be replaced with a sense of relief, love and respect.

Supposed you're worried like many of us that the stock market won't go back up. Is it a fact? History shows that the market always goes back up after a certain period of time. Your paper loss from the market is a fact. The future recovery is also a fact. However, we can never know how long would it take for the market to recover. But based on those facts, we can spend our time devising a plan to reduce our spending or to postpone our plan of retirement, instead of spending our time worrying about when the market is going to go up.  For the past several months, the market is like a patient with Bipolar Disorder whose mood swings makes PMS seem like an evening of tea with a friend.  Just watching it would be enough to make you dizzy. How about worrying about it? It would not be surprising if you end up with chest pains.

When you focus on the facts, you can act. You don't have to keep looking back and peering ahead. You simply stay where you are, carry on your plan of action, live and enjoy the day. So get rid of an unpleasant thought once you realize it. Otherwise you will be imprisoned and tortured by it. Of course, you can run from it but you cannot hide. You can get drunk and take sleeping pills to forget it but as soon as you wake up and get sober, it's there to start haunting you again. You might as well confront it, get real, take corrective actions, and set yourself free.  So don't worry. Be happy.
 

LCHS ALUMNI DIRECTORY (22nd of a Series)
The LCHS-AA, in coordination with the Spectrum, is currently updating its alumni database -- in preparation for distribution in the next GAH. The directory is presented here by batches, based on initial inputs. If you have any correction or additional data, please e-mail the Spectrum at: charlesy@i-cebu.com.ph

BATCH 1976: The Silver Jubilarians
Richard Ang, San Miguel Village, Iligan City, tel. 221-3464; Teodora Chin Chiu, Dumaguete City; Johnny Chu, Cebu City; Petronila Chua, Vinaviente Store, Cabili Ave., Iligan City, tel. 221-3150; Elma Dy, Pala-o, Iligan City, tel. 221-2333; Marion Jaime Dy, Taiwan; Ritky Dy, Clanton, Alabama, U.S.A., e-mail: ritkydy@mindspring.com; Ethel Go, Snowland Fresh Frozen Product, Aguinaldo St., Iligan City, tel. 221-5405; Franzel Lee, #13 Pittsburg St., Celdran Village, Iligan City, tel. 516-663; Lucille Lee, #13 Pittsburg St., Celdran Village, Iligan City, tel. 516-663; Maria Elena Lee, Bacolod City; David Lee, P.O. Box 85183, Las Vegas, Nevada 89185, U.S.A., e-mail: DLCLVREALT@aol.com; Roland Lee, Zamora St., Iligan City, tel. 221-6676; Eloisa Lim; Purificacion Lim, B. Labao St., Iligan City; Gil Lim, GSL Merchandise, J. Luna St., Iligan City, tel. 221-3113; Lililan Riveral, B. Labao St., Iligan City; Benito Rosillo, Cabili Avenue, Iligan City, tel. 221-5536; Edmundo Samson, EDSA Architecture, Inc., Suite 201, Don Sergio Osmeña Bldg., Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City, tels. 254-6268, 253-9117, cell 0917-6210911, e-mail: edsa@i-cebu.com.ph; Jimmy So, c/o Corazon So-Tan, Tan Sam Bin, Capt. Vicente Roa St., Cagayan de Oro City; Ke Sen Choa Tan, Initao, Iligan City; Robert Tan; and Concepcion de Vera[Next issue: Batch 1977] 1