si filemon, si filimon

My Orchestral band for which I play the piano, the Asian Troubadours have recently released its Timeless Visayan and Russian Classics CD.  The CD contains 7 enduring Cebuano/Visayan folk Classics, and details of its release can be found in their site.

In addition to promoting Cebuano folk songs in music, we will be releasing a series of MTV featuring their music and performances.

Si Filemon, si Filimon is the first of the series. It is a lighthearted song about a fisherman’s travels to catch the bounty of the sea and returned emptyhanded.  It is a folk song popularized in the 60s and 70s by Yoyoy villame, and is mostly sang in parties and celebrations, as well as festivities.   comments are welcome!

Can A Little Extra Weight Protect People From Early Death? Underweight, Extremely Obese Die Earlier Than People Of Normal Weight

Underweight people and those who are extremely obese die earlier than people of normal weight—but those who are overweight actually live longer than people of normal weight.

We have only one life and a short one at that - that pretty much is something we have to realize - we don’t have forever, and someday we will go.

There will be no regrets when we go (regrets or not, it will happen), but it is important I think that we leave a legacy and a feeling that at least the world is a better place because of us.

I am now 43, and for the last 25 or so years, i have been very conscious of this, and have spent a big part of my time trying to better my financial condition ( in short, earn a living), as well as do what I can to contribute back to society - either engaging in community activities, participating in chamber of commerce activities and charitable endeavors, teaching, and also writing.

Because I live in a developing country, what was always impressed upon me is that poverty is the single biggest hindrance to happiness and fulfillment, and therefore its elimination must therefore be the prime importance. 

Indeed, even among those of us who are middle or upper class, who does not harbor the illusion that maybe tomorrow, we will suddenly become obscenely rich, and therefore will spend the rest of our lives indulging in what we want without having to worry again about money, and therefore live happily ever after.

Yet, the pursuit, and attainment of happiness is more than that.

The last one or so years, i have started writing and publishing business comics books, teaching in my alma maters master of management program, and also playing in a band.  This has brought upon me some fulfillment and I justify that I am planting a rose. What does it mean?

It means that attainment of fulfillment is more than just eliminating hindrances, lifting miseries or righting wrongs.  It means we need also to provide people with good mental attitude and reasons to be happy.  A poor person will become miserable if we allow him to focus that he must be become rich first to be happy, and imposes on him the thinking that until he becomes so, he does not have the right to be happy.

In short, we need to build better gardens ( and communities) — and the way to build a great garden is to do two things — you remove the weeds and you plant the flowers. Let us not be only too focused on removing the weeds.  Let us plant some flowers.  I am proud that we just recently released a CD, and we hope that our music will be one of the flowers that will give to listeners some measure of enjoyment.

They say art is something that makes a person feel less lonely, and I would like to think by dabbling into music, I am doing something worthwhile as well.  Is your role that of clearing away the weeds, or planting the flowers?

Technorati Tags: Asian troubadours wilson ng bizdrivenlife ngenius itsngenius engy

I have uploaded my first piano performance. Its a piano solo and the piece is dedicated to the memory of Glenn Westerman, a friend who was the former CEO of Lexmark Philippines.

I feel proud on this because this video was recorded and edited by my 15  year old son, Earl christianson Ng

Looking forward to your comments:

I’d like to thank the hundreds of people who took time to listen to our music in myspace.

Also the people who click on the right sidebar upper link where you can get samples of our music.

If you like it, and is ok to put it in your blog or site, please do so.

The following code should work:

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The last few months, i have been practicing on my piano again, and we formed a band called the Asian Troubadours.

We recorded some music, and I would appreciate your visit and comments either on the website, or on our MySpace Website.

I also have put up a music player on the upper right sidebar of this blog, and you are free to double click any music selection you may want to listen.

my kid graduated salutatorian and plans to be valedictorian for high school graduation. I’m terribly proud of him.

Me, I don’t mind his honors. But it matters that I did not have to push him to do it, and the resolve comes from him.

What matters is he has a plan to excel ( I always believe that we should choose an endeavor that will improve the lives of people around us, and also an endeavor where we could achieve self satisfaction by our being able to do something better than most people) and knows how to execute that plan.

Its great to have ambition but better, to put hard work and passion behind that ambition. Many people are proud they have great Ambition but ambition without work is but just a daydream.

Last Sunday, I brought the kids to swim.

We had a great time.

But what is valuable is what i noticed.

I tried to swim slowly and consistently as I lapped.

My kids say I moved too slow, and consistently overtake me.

But they stopped earlier because they got tired. I continued swimming.

Which is probably how I see competition.

We have lots of competitors who try to outswim us.  but they did not opt to go for distance.

After a while, I am still there, and they already are not.

Business is a marathon, not a 100 meter dash.

what is important is whether you will still be there 15 or 20 years from now.  There is no value to outshine all others, and burn out early.

I have tried to see and understand really what I want to do with my life, and how to achieve that elusive happiness everybody wants.

I found out that I don’t have a lot of things i need to crave or buy. I don’t really fancy driving cool cars, or wearing the latest fad and brand names. One of the things I always thought I was more lucky than others was that the Lord did not see fit to put into my personality the need to impress others.

Thus, while I see that other people achieve frustration because they have so much to buy and yet to little money to buy it, I do see myself frustrated because there are so many things to do ( learn music, learn Japanese, read Chinese literature, analyze business principles, write a book, compose and analyze music, learn painting, spend time teaching my kids, play wii, solve puzzles, teach in school!, talk to my colleagues more, spend a little bit more time savoring the coffee, blog more, do more research on tech trends, visit more places, climb more mountains, ) and yet so little time to do it.

Then I asked myself whether I should continue using my time to earn more money, when at this point, I felt I need the time more than the money….

So maybe I spend less time doing the things i have to do to make a living, and spend more time doing the things I really want to do — even if it does not earn money. How about you? Is there a disconnect on what you are doing, and what you really feel you ought to do to make yourself happier?

He was 93, and hardly poor.  To freeze to death is an unworthy end.

Man who froze had history of late utility payments - CNN.com

Marvin Schur may have been worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the World War II veteran was chronically late in paying his utility bills during the two years before he froze to death last month at age 93 in his home in Bay City, Michigan, after his power was cut off.