More Haikus (Haiku No. 3, 4 and 5)

Yes, I'm still in the mood for writing haikus (See "Haiku No. 1" and "Haiku No. 2"), so here are three more haikus:

Haiku No. 3:

roofs, roofs, everywhere
not a single person roams
-- my computer blinks


Haiku No. 4

gray skies and dark clouds
cold afternoon and damp air
-- i miss the sunset

Haiku No. 5

lights flicker, birds fly
shadows disappear from sight
-- i am alone now

Raffy
(7/14/07, Manila time)

Haiku No. 2

I am still in the mood for writing haikus. (See my blog post "Haiku No. 1"). Here is my second attempt:

Haiku No. 2

very still green leaves
scatter all over the place
-- a white cross appears

Raffy
(7/14/07, Manila time)

Haiku No. 1

Haiku is a mode of Japanese poetry. Gerard England (see http://home.clara.net/nhi/gepm002.htm ) has this to say about haiku:

"The haiku is a very simple form of writing. So think many poets exposed to this verse for the first time. The more perceptive of them soon realise that it can in reality be rather difficult. A casual glance at magazines or web pages will often show a wealth of examples, good, bad and indifferent. On asking further the poet usually gets told that haiku are traditionally written in three lines of 5-7-5 syllables. They may also be told that all haiku include a "season word" (kigo) to indicate the time of year to which the haiku relates. For a beginning this might do."


I have written haikus in the past, but I have already forgotten about them. Since I will be going to Japan soon (see my blog post "Preparing For My Trip To Japan"), I though of writing a haiku.

I am writing this blog post inside my condominium unit with a view of Eastwood (in Libis, Quezon City), Ortigas (in Pasig City), and Makati City (See my blog post "A Room With A View".) The sky is overcast and it is raining in some parts of Metro Manila.

Below is my attempt at writing a haiku:

Haiku No. 1:

buildings tall and small
cover the horizon view
-- raindrops are falling

Raffy
(7/14/07, Manila time)

Planning For My Trip To Japan

(Photo Source: www.japan-guide.com)




In a few days I will be in Japan for several meetings. Today, I am doing some last minute preparations for my trip.

This will not be my first trip to Japan. My first time in Japan was in January 1991 when I did a "Circle Pacific Tour". I stayed for a few days in Tokyo, coming from Hong Kong and proceeding to Canada (after Tokyo).

In November 2001 I gave a research presentation on cellular automata in Yokohama University. In July 2003 I visited Tokyo again as part of the official Philippine delegation to the International Mathematics Olympiad.

Last June 2006, I had a brief stay in Tokyo after my trip to the U.S.A.

This July I will be attending the 2nd meeting of the ONCO-MEDIA project partners. I will also be giving two research paper presentations in JAMIT 2007 (Japan Association for Medical Imaging Technology). The meetings will be held from July 18-21, 2007 in Tsukuba, Japan.

The other day, Dr. Toshi Nakai, our ONCO-MEDIA partner in Japan sent me a URL link to all information that I need during my travel to Tsukuba, the venue of our research meeting and conference. Below is the link:

http://www.medgrid.org/index.php?module=article&view=11

My trip itinerary via Japan Airlines is found at

http://www.virtuallythere.com/new/emNsRes.html?pnr=VWJB5D81F9JK&name=saldana&host=1B&language=0&email=1&style=0

After my research meeting and conference in Tsukuba, I plan to meet some of my former classmates:

1. Irene Mendoza-Abe, based in Tsukuba

2. Tess Gagui-Ichinose, based in a suburb of Tokyo

I also plan to visit the following places:

1. Mt. Tsukuba
2. Lake Kawaguchiko
3. Mt. Fuji
4. Nikko National Park

In July 2003 I visited Mt. Fuji but I only reached the 5th station (accessible by bus). This time I plan to reach the peak of Mt. Fuji :)

Below are some links to Tokyo, Lake Kawaguchiko, Mt. Fuji, and Nikko:

Tokyo ( http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html )
Mt. Tsukuba (http://www.answers.com/topic/mount-tsukuba)
Lake Kawaguchiko and Mt. Fuji ( http://www.webshots.com/search?query=Mt.Fuji&start=1080 )
Mt. Fuji (http://climbfujiyama.blogspot.com/)
Climbing Mt. Fuji (http://www17.plala.or.jp/climb_fujiyama/index.html)
Climbing Mt. Fuji (Japan Guide) (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6901.html)
Nikko ( http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3800.html )



Cheers,

Raffy
(7/14/2007, Manila time)

A Life That Matters

After writing my blog post "An Inspirational Text Message", I got curious about the original source of the quotation sent to me by my friend. Consulting the Google Search engine led me to the following beautiful poem: "A Life That Matters".

Read on ...

Raffy
(7/13/07, Quezon City, Philippines)



**A Life That Matters**

Ready or not,
someday it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises,
no minutes, hours or days.

All the things you collected,
whether treasured or forgotten,
will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power
will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned
or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations,
and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans,
and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses
that once seemed so important
will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from,
or on what side of the tracks you lived,
at the end.
It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought,
but what you built;
not what you got,
but what you gave?

What will matter is not your success,
but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned,
but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity,
compassion,
courage or sacrifice that enriched,
empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence,
but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew,
but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.
What will matter is not your memories,
but the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered,
by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.
It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

--Author Unknown
_________________

An Inspirational Text Message

Friends and colleagues sometimes send me inspirational messages via e-mail or text (SMS) message. A few days ago, one batchmate sent me an inspirational message through e-mail (See "Peace, Faith, Love, Hope and Sister Theresina"). Today, I got another inspirational message from a friend, this time via SMS. This is what he wrote:

"In the end, what matters is not what you bought but what you built;
not what you got but what you shared;
not your success but your significance;
not what you learned but what you taught;
not your competence but your character;
not how long you will be remembered
but by whom and what you did for others."

To my friend, thank you for the inspirational message.

Raffy
(7/12/07, Manila time)

Johari Window

Someone (very close to me) sent a message today in the Guest Book portion of my website ( http://www.freewebs.com/rpsaldana ). This is what she wrote:

"...... ........: thanks for this rare chance of understanding you better. Strange that in more than 20 years I have known you there is still that portion of the johari's window that remains elusive and I guess will continue to be. and again i hear myself saying as i have always done..may you finally be happy and eventually find yourself...."

There is one phrase that strikes me in her message: Johari's window. I can't seem to recall what a Johari's window is, so I made a quick consultation with Google search and this is what I found:

(Source: Wikepedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johari_window )

"A Johari window is a metaphorical tool created by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in 1955 in the United States, used to help people better understand their interpersonal communication and relationships. It is used primarily in SELF-help groups and corporate settings as a heuristic exercise.

When performing the exercise, the subject is given a list of 55 adjectives and picks five or six that they feel describe their own personality. Peers of the subject are then given the same list, and each pick five or six adjectives that describe the subject. These adjectives are then mapped onto a grid.

A Johari Window consists of 55 adjectives used to describe the participant, in alphabetical order:

able accepting adaptable bold brave calm caring cheerful clever complex confident

dependable dignified energetic extroverted friendly giving happy helpful idealistic independent ingenious

intelligent introverted kind knowledgeable logical loving mature modest nervous observant organized

patient powerful proud quiet reflective relaxed religious responsive searching self-assertive self-conscious

sensible sentimental shy silly spontaneous sympathetic tense trustworthy warm wise witty

The opposite of a Johari window is a Nohari window. A Nohari window is the inversion of the Johari window, and is a collection of negative personality traits instead of positive. "


Raffy
(7/12/07, Manila time)

1st Virtual Forum of Global Research Communities

Tomorrow (July 12, 2007, 4:00 p.m. Manila time) I will make a short presentation during the 1st Virtual Forum of Global Research Communities an event coordinated from Brussels, Belgium using the collaborative tool ISABEL. The Philippine site is being coordinated by ASTI (Advanced Science and Technology Institute) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

My presentation will be on our internationally funded project called ONCO-MEDIA (See the website at http://www.onco-media.com for details.)

Below are details about virtual forum:

1^st Virtual Forum of Global Research Communities
12 July 2007, an event coordinated from Brussels ( Belgium) using collaborative tool ISABEL

( Website: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/events-20070712_en.html )

OBJECTIVES

• To promote the participation of international partners in European activities in the area of e-Infrastructures, especially in the 7^th Framework Programme for Research and Development.

• To increase the visibility of regional projects in order to create synergies in the area of e-Infrastructures.
• To create opportunities for new collaborations between European and international partners, thus contributing to building up transnational scientific communities.

TARGET AUDIENCE

All interested stakeholders willing to collaborate in global research communities. The event is particularly targeting both European and international stakeholders in order to promote cooperation between scientific communities.

AGENDA

• Session 1: Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific (10:00-12:45, Brussels time: GMT +2)
• Session 2: Europe and Latin America (16:00-18:45, Brussels time: GMT +2)

Peace, Faith, Love, Hope and Sister Theresina

Yesterday (7/09/07, Manila time) I received an e-mail from one of my batchmates in high school (PSHS Class of 1977). She is Sr. Theresina, a Carmelite nun, and now based in Cebu City, Philippines. She regularly sends us inspirational messages in our e-group.

One of the inspirational messages she sent us is about four candles representing PEACE, FAITH, LOVE, and HOPE.

Below is the link to the message:

http://i.euniverse. com/funpages/ cms_content/ 2529/4candles. swf

Be inspired!

Raffy (7/10/07, Manila time)

BSPT Batch D: Photos from Tess in Japan

(Photo Captions: (1) Tess and Jun, (2) Tess and Sachi, in Tokyo, Japan)

This morning (7/10/07, Manila time) I received an e-mail from Tess (via our batch e-group) with attached photos. Tess was my classmate in college (Philippine Normal College) and we belong to a group of DOST scholars (NSDB-PNC BSPT Batch D). She sent us three photos: a photo of Sachi (her daughter who celebrated her 13th birthday recently), a photo of Tess and Sachi, and a photo of Tess and Jun (her Japanese husband). Tess and Jun are living in a Tokyo suburb and they are blessed with three kids. I have visited Tess and her family in Tokyo twice already during some of my visits in Japan.

I will visit Tess, Jun and their children again soon. I will go to Japan from July 17 to 30, 2007 to attend the 2nd ONCO-MEDIA research meeting and to present two papers in JAMIT 2008 (Japanese Association for Medical Imaging Technology) to be held in Tsukuba, Japan.

See you soon, Tess and Jun...

Cheers,

Raffy
(7/10/07, Manila time)

Personal Crisis Management

"By the law of averages, it’s simply a matter of time till you are hit by your first crisis. The older you grow, the greater the chances of facing a crisis – and the sooner you learn to cope with them, the better!"

This quote is from an article I saw on the Web today, which I will reproduce in the latter part of this blog post.

Have you had a personal crisis? When did you experience your first crisis? How many major crises have you had so far? How did you respond to these crises? Were you able to overcome them?

In my case, these are the years that I experienced personal crises: 1977, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004.

In 1977 (the year I graduated from high school), I had a brief personal crisis: Due to financial difficulties, I nearly was not able to go to college (even though I passed the entrance exam at University of the Philippines-Diliman for a B.S. Mathematics course). However, this crisis was short lived because I was able to get a college scholarship.

In 1995, my only sister, Ate Lorie, died due to breast cancer.

In 1998, I made a major decision which changed my life.

In 2002, I experienced another major personal crisis which changed my life again.

In 2004, another short lived personal crisis occurred.

Now that I am on sabbatical leave, maybe I can write something about these personal crises for a future autobiography?

Below is the article on personal crisis management that I saw on the Web today. It is a chapter in an online medical guide. Although it pertains to medical doctors, the text in this article may be applicable to other people.


Raffy
(7/09/07, Manila time)

(Source: http://www.thebestmedicalcare.com/book2/27-crisis-management.htm )

Crisis management – how to cope when the chips are down

"One often learns more from ten days of agony than from ten years of contentment."

- Merle Shain.

"Doctors are trained to treat medical emergencies such as a cardiac arrest, intraoperative bleeding, or an asthmatic in acute respiratory distress, which means they are used to handling a crisis . These are life-or-death crises, and doctors are expected to retain their cool and remain unflappable, because their presence of mind can spell the difference between life and death for their patient.

However, these are crises which affect other people – your patients ! Handling a crisis in your personal life is often a completely different cup of tea, and many doctors go to pieces when faced by a personal crisis. The truth is that all of us face crises in our lives – but thankfully, not too often ! A personal crisis is as old as mankind , and divorce, financial loss, being sued for malpractise, illness and bereavement are some of the things in your life that can bring you to crisis point.

By the law of averages, it’s simply a matter of time till you are hit by your first crisis. The older you grow, the greater the chances of facing a crisis – and the sooner you learn to cope with them, the better ! This is why self-made individuals who have come up from scratch often end up doing so much better than others in life. They have faced many crises in their life before, and have successful dealt with them. Each crisis you handle makes you stronger, and more capable of handling the next crisis as well ! It’s also much easier to learn from other’s problems , which is why it’s such a good idea to help others ( juniors and colleagues) to cope with their crises. Your objective advise can help them deal with their problems– and will also teach you what to do when you face similar problems in your own life !

Adversity is the best teacher , and a crisis can teach you a lot about life and how to live – the key question is - how well can you learn ? Accept that the crisis will change you – hopefully for the better ! Living through a crisis can be hell – but you need to learn to maintain your equanimity . Don’t take out your anger and rage on your employees, patients, colleagues, friends or children. Trust your inner strength – you have been through worse, and you can weather this storm as well ! There are certain personal qualities will help you cope better and these include: self-confidence; optimism; a sense of humor; resilience; and faith in God. ( Interestingly, playing games such as chess or tennis will help you deal better with a real life crisis when it hits. Being 0-5 down in a tennis match or facing a check is a crisis of sorts, and dealing successfully with this mini-crisis will help you deal with the bigger real-life crises , when these arise.)

Unfortunately, when faced with a crisis, many doctors start feeling sorry for themselves; start blaming others for their predicament; or waste energy looking for a scapegoat. You need to move beyond self-blame – don’t react like a victim. When a marriage crumbles, a job is lost, a loved one dies or a child suffers a debilitating illness, people tend to blame themselves-"If only I had worked harder," or "If only I had taken better care of him." None of us gets through life without some mistakes. You may share some of the responsibility for the crisis, or, more likely, it would have happened no matter what you did. Either way, the important thing is what you do with the rest of your life. When recovering from a life crisis, self-blame is a luxury you can't afford. This is pointless and an exercise in futility - it’s better to deal with the crisis and move on !

You may believe it is impossible for you to recover from this hard time; and sometimes a second crisis comes and sets you back before you recover from the first crisis. Everyone has their own level of being able to cope before they reach their breaking point. High adrenaline levels will help you manage the initial crisis; but persistently elevated levels can be counterproductive ! You may find that the stress of coping will start affecting other parts of your life such as your concentration, sleep, appetite and sexual life. You will find your feelings swinging wildly from hope ( that the crisis will blow over) to fear ( that the worst will come to pass) , and this can affect your mental and physical health. The crisis needs to be acknowledged and dealt with - you need a chance to adjust and start the healing. Please reach out for help –you will soon find out who your real friends are in your time of need !

Don’t let what you are going through embitter you. For example, one of the commonest crises a doctor will face is being sued for malpractise. Many doctors become cynical and disillusioned once they have been sued, and start treating all patients as potential adversaries. Don’t let one isolated incident jaundice your view on life – you need to bounce back and move on !

It’s interesting that the Chinese expression for “crisis” consists of two characters - one means “danger” and the other “opportunity.” Every crisis carries its own blessing with it – but often only the passage of time and a lot of maturity will allow you to find the good side in this mess. People seldom tap into their deepest strengths and abilities until forced to do so by a major crisis. Living through a crisis will definitely make you more empathetic towards other people who also find themselves in a crisis – such as your patients. Many doctors find they are much more sympathetic towards their patients when they have faced a critical illness themselves !

One of the best ways of learning how to cope with a crisis is from our patients . Compared to most of our personal crises, our patients go through much worse situations, such as the loss of a child, life threatening illnesses, and imminent death. Many will deal with such a crisis with such grace and wisdom, that they are living lessons for all of us. Their attitude can be a source of inspiration and courage for you.

It’s important to keep your perspective – be objective. You will have to accept that life is not always fair, and that “bad things do happen to good people” because “ we live in an imperfect world." A sense of humour can be invaluable at this time ! No personal crisis ever marks the end of the world, even if it seems to do so at that time. Don’t magnify the problem or start imagining that it is unmanageable. Also you need to learn to be detached - don’t take it personally. Many people have been through worse, and have survived their baptism by fire , and so can you ! Keep your self-esteem intact – this will help you to bounce back. Learn to accept reality, no matter how bitter it may be, because the sooner you do this, the easier it is to deal with it. As Rudyard Kipling advises so wisely and eloquently in his poem, If, “ If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, And treat those two impostors just the same”.

Research has shown that when faced with the same crisis, some people will crumble; other will survive; while others will thrive. These are the hallmarks of the survivors .

Reason : Survivors focus on problem-solving their crisis. They control their emotions; set aside panic and think logically during a crisis, especially about the true nature of the crisis and realistic options for solving it. They always have a Plan B, in case things don’t work out as expected.

Focus : Survivors are 100 percent present in the moment. Thinking too much about past experiences or future possibilities distracts from survival.

Integration : Survivors must be emotionally healthy enough to integrate their tragedy and its consequences into being one part of their larger life story.

Positivity: After a crisis, you will never be the same again. Making lemonade from lemons is crucial after a crisis. The key challenge is, how can you make something positive of this? How can you come out of this a better person?

While some crises can blow over quickly, others can be a long drawn out and painful process. Not only does it eat into your time, it also saps your energy and monopolizes your attention. It also extracts a huge emotional toll, and many doctors when faced with a crisis go through a process of five classic phases of grieving, as first described by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross when talking about dying patients. The first response is one of Denial: I am a fine doctor and a good human being ; this can't be happening to me! The next stage is one of Anger: Why should this be happening to me when I am such a good person? Doctors will often vent their anger on family-members, their staff, and even other patients. The next stage is one of Bargaining, where the doctor pleads with God to, 'let him off the hook this time,' and promises never to err again! This is followed by Depression. Many doctors start doubting their competence and professional ability, and wonder if they should just stop practicing medicine altogether. The final stage is one of Acceptance, when the doctor comes to terms with the fact that dealing with a crisis is simply a fact of life everyone has to face up to; that it is not a reflection on his personal worth, and learns to get on with his life! Being prepared for the emotional havoc which going through a crisis can play with your life can help you to cope better: don't try to minimize the impact it has on you and your feelings by pretending it's of no consequence!

It’s usually a good idea to continue working, if you can do so. Your patients can be a source of strength , and if you find satisfaction in taking good care of them, this will help to bolster your self-esteem and confidence ! Hiding and running away from the problem will often compound it.

It’s a good idea to prepare for those crises which you can. Some are predictable, and you need to manage these proactively. For most doctors today, it’s simply a matter of time till a patient sues you for alleged malpractise. Taking out a professional indemnity insurance policy and knowing what to do when you are sued will help you retain control. Be prepared – have a plan, and then follow it.

A key part of handling a crisis is damage control, and there is often a lot you can do to prevent the matter from becoming worse. It is natural to feel like a helpless victim after a devastating crisis, but you can't recover from grief until you overcome these feelings. In the midst of your sorrow, make a plan to take charge of your life. While you may not be able to solve the whole problem or wish it away, remember that no matter how much of our life we think we cannot change, there is always that part that is within our control, and that we can work on – be it 2 percent, 5 percent, or whatever - it is always more than we suppose !

Going through a crisis often serves as a wake-up call, which forces you to look at the “big picture” and where you are heading in life. Treat this crisis as an educational lesson – it may prove to be an expensive lesson, but you need to learn it ! Many of us get so desensitized by the daily monotony of life, that we often lose our ideals and goals. A crisis will help you focus on the purpose and meaning of your life; so that it can actually serve as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. Life is full of ups and downs, but the sad reality is that we all learn much more from the downs !"

BSPT Batch D: Birthday Greetings Via E-mail

Before the existence of e-mails, e-groups and the Internet, we used to send birthday cards via the post office (or what we call snail mail) to greet a friend, a colleague, or a relative. Now, most people send birthday greetings via e-mail (or text messages using cellphones).

Today (7/9/07 Manila time) is the birthday of Ruby, one of my classmates in college (Philippine Normal College, now known as Philippine Normal University). In college, we were members of a group of NSDB-PNC Proj. 7405 Ed. (NSDB is now known as the DOST or Department of Science and Technology) scholars taking up Bachelor of Science in Physics (for Teachers) or BSPT. We belong to the fourth batch, or Batch D. Now, we maintain an e-group, the bsptbatchd in yahoogroups. Through this e-group, our BSPTD classmates send birthday greetings and other messages.

Thanks for the e-mails, the e-groups, and the Internet. Now, it is easier (and more convenient) to send birthday greetings :)

Another News of Death

Less than a week since I heard that my CSP colleague Gerry Trinidad passed away (See my recent blog post "Farewell, Gerry!"), today I learned that another colleague died -- this time not due to sickness but because of a car accident.

The person I am writing about is Fr. Komkrit Anamnat, a Thai Catholic priest and missionary. I was informed that Fr. Komkrit died from a freak car accident in Thailand recently.

Fr. Komkrit supervised a mission in Northern Thailand where his group provided free education to tribal children and poor people.

I remember him as a very good natured person with a unique sense of humor. He was very dedicated to his work. He was also a very respected and well-loved missionary.

Farewell, Fr. Komkrit. Please pray for me.


P.S.

Below is an article I found on the Web about Fr. Komkrit:

( Source: http://www.tgmmt.org/ucanews/0904/092004.htm )

"TH6814.1307 September 20, 2004 61 EM-lines (746 words) THAILAND Poor Rural Students Want To Go Beyond 9th Grade Not Just For University

WIANG PA PAO, Thailand (UCAN) -- Poor students at a Catholic school in northern Thailand would gain a few options if it could extend its high school classes, but 'prolonged' schooling is an end in itself.

Ninth-grade student Sathit Phusenglan says students who cannot continue studies will end up as hired helpers or maybe engage in "wrong business" such as girls becoming prostitutes or boys selling drugs.

Nuchanat Anusorn School in Wiang Pa Pao, 635 kilometers north of Bangkok, has 1,403 students, boys and girls, about 100 of them Catholics. More than one-third of them pay no tuition to attend the Chiang Mai diocese-run school in the hills of Chiang Rai, Thailand's northernmost province.

"We are proud of our accomplishment providing free education to many hilltribe and other poor children up to 9th grade," Idente Missionary Father Komkrit Anamnat, the parish priest and school manager, told UCA News Sept. 15.

Nonetheless, Father Komkrit said the Church wants to do more for these children and is now raising funds to extend existing school buildings toward offering full secondary education by 2006.

"We should try to help children further their education opportunity, if we can, because we want to 'prolong' their schooling from age 14-16 to 18-20," he said, noting that few rural students who finish 9th grade at age 14-16 go on to high school. Many end up farming with their family or working as laborers.

If employed, they make less than 3,000 baht (US$75), "but if they finish high school, they may make 4,000 baht," he said. The school also intends to offer vocational training for students who do not want to go on to 12th grade.

The Thai priest pointed out that in rural areas, especially among hilltribe communities, it is common for young people to marry at 15 or right after 9th grade. "It is not that we are against the tribal custom of marrying young," he said, "but if we can give young people a chance to continue secondary education or vocational training, we can help them with better opportunity, more moral teaching and higher learning."

His Association Id of Christ the Redeemer, known as Idente Missionaries was founded in 1959 in Spain. Members came to Thailand in 1980."

CSP's official statement on Gerry

I received an e-mail this morning from Jay Pefianco, an active member of the Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP), suggesting to me that the CSP should release a statement on Gerry on behalf of the CSP. What I did was to combine the draft statement I made with that of Jimmy's.

Below is the CSP statement of condolence to be sent to Gerry's family in Australia:

 Statement of the Computing Society of the Philippines on Dr. Gerardo Trinidad

On behalf of the Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP), we would like to express our condolences to the family of Dr. Gerardo S. Trinidad.

Gerry (as we fondly call Dr. Trinidad) has made a great contribution not only to the Computing Society of the Philippines but also to the information and communications technology (ICT) community in general.

He was a founding member of the Computing Society of the Philippines and was one of the members of CSP’s Board of Trustees. He produced the first CSP newsletter and became an associate editor of the Philippine Computing Journal (PCJ), the official publication of the CSP.

Gerry was very generous with his time and talents. He readily agreed to referee articles and papers for the PCJ and the Philippine Computing Science Congress (PCSC), the annual convention of the CSP.

Although based in Melbourne, Australia, Gerry shared his research expertise to Filipino computer science students and academics. He was the Ph.D. thesis adviser of Dr. Caslon Chua, dean of the College of Computer Studies of De La Salle University and Vice-President of the CSP.

Gerry certainly contributed substantially to our efforts in developing computer science education and research in the Philippines. His dedication and commitment to CSP and our cause is something we will never forget. Because of his place in CSP and the Philippine computing community, as well as being one of our foremost, or maybe our foremost supporter in the international community, he will be very difficult to replace.

We mourn the loss of our colleague, Dr. Gerardo Trinidad, and we pray for his everlasting peace.

Sincerely,

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

COMPUTING SOCIETY OF THE PHILIPPINES (CSP)

7 July 2007

Lucky Seven

Today is the 7th day of the 7th month of the 7th year (after the year 2000)!

For many Filipinos, seven (7) is a lucky number.

Hurray for the number seven (7)!

Cheers,

Raffy
(7/07/07, Manila time)