The fire prevention campaign this month must have been somewhat unsuccessful. Many houses were burned rendering thousands homeless. And come to think of it, for the first time a mountain went up in smoke.
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During a high school symposium, one resource speaker said: "You must never lose hope on a dream." One student nudged a seatmate and whispered: "Husto gyud si papa. Wa'y hunong pusta sa lotto ug siging hope modaug."
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Sir Eddiegul's piece on Talisay in TF's Readers Views section last Thursday, March 20, 2014, should be an eye-opener for the present city administration. Everything is there for reference should there be a paradigm shift to consider.
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A reader who requested that she not be named called up from Vancouver, Canada (repeat: Canada) to comment on Ma'am Maria Eleanor Valero's article about us "PNoise" in last Saturday's TF issue. She agreed with the writer's observation but said: You should try riding in a bus here full of Chinese passengers. They're noisier."
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This reader is a resident of Vancouver where many Chinese from Hong Kong have migrated. She said she often rides in a bus in going to work or church and with her in the bus are Chinese traders going to market. "Grabeh sabaa oy," she said. "Ininsek, way ingles."
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It's good to know that TF is being read abroad online through www.philstar.com Cebuano friends in the US have learned to use the PhilSTAR website in getting abreast of what's happening at home.
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I was introduced to Procopio Cortes, a 91-year-old feet (not faith) healer from Opon ("Oponganon ko, Nyor, he said). He worked on my leg problem for 30 minutes, then called a recess.
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We talked about old Cebu. He made some comparisons. Like the roads. "Wa'y libaong ang mga karsada niadto," he said. "Baga ug puro aspalto ang gigamit." He said policemen were mostly seen on the streets. "Nakaoniporme tanan ug wa'y gitakin nga pusil, batuta ra," he said.
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OVERHEARD. The tax on cigarettes has been raised high but a lot people continue to smoke. Said one wife: "Mimahal na ang sigarilyo pero wa na makapaundang panigarilyo sa akong bana." Said another wife: "Mao sab ning akoang bana." Akong giingnan sigi panigarilyo kay kon kanseron ka naa si kumpare gahuwat nako." Reply: "Unya unsay sulti sa imong bana?" Reply: "Gisagpa ko."