The Bird’s Nest on the Tree

April 24, 2008  --  Got something to say?
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By Becky PagsibinganBy Becky Pagsibingan
There’s a bird’s nest on the tree in front of our house. I was not aware the birds built their abode there. It became visible only when the leaves of the tree started to fall last fall. I did not notice it. Wintertime had passed and the nest was just sitting between the branches. I just did not have the time to look up and stretch my neck to see the bare and seemingly lifeless oak tree as I get out of our drive way everyday.

Springtime has sprung and I started to notice the petite and colorful crocuses, the daffodils in front of our house and the forsythia at my neighbor’s front yard. The sight of the bright yellow forsythia bush was a delight. The stems were gracefully cascading on all sides of the plant like ballet dancers bending their torso and swinging their arms. I’ve been telling myself to plant one in front of our house, but I’ve been procrastinating. Thanks to our neighbor, I see them every springtime, any way. Going back to this bird’s nest. Since the temperature has gone up a little bit lately, I now hear the chirping of the birds as I get out of bed to start the day. One glorious morning, I saw a couple of Red Robins flew up to our oak tree unto their nest. It was only this time that I noticed the brown bowl-like entwined twigs sitting between branches. It was the cozy home that the Red Robins built.
This tells me to go outside our house as often as possible and enjoy the natural beauty of the surroundings. My days are structured that I only go out of doors in order to get to the car and to go from the car to a building (my office). I realized that being outside just for the pleasure of being in the natural world is very nourishing and inspiring. We tend to think of time as something that must be used productively., but allowing ourselves to “veg out” will actually give us the most pleasure, - restorative and consequently productive. ‘The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.” - Carl Jung (1875-1961.

Because most of my days are packed I sometimes lose sight of the fact that “the best things in life are free.” I forget to look up and notice a spectacular, inspiring night sky and I almost missed noticing the bird‘s nest that the Red Robins built. It’s time to slow down a little bit and appreciate the simple and beautiful things in life that surround us.

*** FIND, Inc.
The Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue, Incorporated, recently conducted a nationwide dialoque held at University of Maryland College Park, the host. It was attended by about 700 university students from all over the United States. Founded in 1992, the FIND, Inc. stands as a symbol to the ethnic consciousness presently seen on university campuses. It is an organization that opens the door to communication and collaboration among its members. With the growing number of Filipino organizations at the different institutions, there exists and inherent “desire to know” about one’s culture.

I was invited to be one of the speakers by Alan Depario, the National Director for District 6, composed of 8 member schools: The Catholic Univeristy of America, Georgetown Univetsity, George Mason University, The George Washington University, Montgomery College, Towson University, University of Maryland at Baltimore County and the University of Maryland at College Park.

I gladly accepted the invitation because this will by my first time face a big group of students coming from all over the United States - from the East Coast, the Mid-West and the West Coast. I had conducted workshops of related topics in the past, but the participants were smaller in number an they were all from the local universities in the Metropolitan Washington area.

One of the main objectives of the workshop was unmasking the responsibility to educate others of Filipino and Filipino American identity, culture and issues. My specific task was to talk on the Filipino Traditional Dance which will link to one of the modes of expression that will help unmask the students’ identity.

The excerpts of my workshop: One of the oldest customs and traditions in Philippine history is the folk dance. Although folk dance is entertaining and aesthetically appealing, these are not the only reasons for its creation and continued existence. Folk dance has been used to depict the soul and identity of the Filipino character while expressing joys and sorrows as well as traditional ideals and future ambitions. This workshop will identify the origins of various folk dances from different regions of the Philippines, reveal the significance of the distinct costumes, and clarify the true meaning behind each dance.

Instead of the lecture type of presentation, I used the interactive method with this group of students, calling some of them to join me on stage when I stressed some points. I made them a part of my workshop, using examples and demonstrations. I demonstrated some of the things in my presentation with them. They were very receptive and some of them were around me at the end of my session. I also received some emails asking for my help and advise. I think they enjoyed it and this thought gave me an inspiration to be involved again in their activities in the near future.

I congratulated this group with their passion to make a difference. There were things I learned from these young university volunteers. They are the near future leaders in our community, in fact they are already exercising effective leadership roles in their respective universities.

***Cheery Notes
* To Norma Azarcon who is recuperating from a back problem. She finds herself enjoying the peace and quiet in the confines of her home in Herndon accomplishing the non-physical projects that she’s been wanting to finish. To Dr. Rene Alvir who is also home to get well. Wife Inday Alvir balances her activities with looking after Rene’s recuperating needs and her other projects. Rene and Inday look forward to going back to their ballroom dancing soon -an excellent incentive. Get well soon Norma and Rene.

***April Celebrations
Fred Embuscado and his “apo,“ Madison, by son Mark and daughter-in-law Leslie, will jointly celebrate their birthdays on April 19 with a Luau motif. Another “apo” of Fred and Viqui by daughter Michelle and son-in-law Norman Cruz, will be christened the following weekend, April 27. The Embuscado couple said that they are just doing their “Apostolic duty” as lolo and lola. The more grandchildren, the merrier , the more they have to baby sit (3 now). I was told that Fred has a “freestyle” way of babysitting - free to do anything, even to touch the water dispenser. Oh, how they enjoy the water flowing on the kitchen floor. The toddlers are happy when it is Fred’s turn to bay sit. They are quiet when it is lola Viqiu who is babysitting them.

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