Joy Miranda took her own share of experience in touching the foot / shoe of John Harvard’s statue situated at Harvard Yard, inside the Harvard University campus, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. It was thought that visitors touch or rub the foot for good luck.
JOHN HARVARD STATUE
   In 1884 Samuel J. Bridge presented the University with a bronze statue of John Harvard as conceived by Daniel Chester French. At the unveiling, President Eliot recalled Harvard’s bequest, saying, “He will teach that one disinterested deed of hope and faith may crown a brief and broken life with deathless fame.” The statue is nicknamed “The Statue of Three Lies.”
   
 

(Tinig Pinoy-Politis Novemver 2008)

By Johanna Bogbog, Column-writer (Sideview)

The title of our topic for this issue is of course the opposite of a line in the lyrics of a song ” absence makes the heart grow fonder”. 
In like manner with everything, I’m very very sure that readers will have different reactions and opinions. Some could be judgmental; others who are open-minded will understand and leave judgment to the Creator.
Broken relationships caused by long separation or absence are a non-debatable fact. Thousands of marriages had been broken due to the absence of one party and topping the list of reasons is working away from one’s beloved partner most especially if the work is out of the country which takes years of absence.
I talked to some people whom I know are married but are having relationships with ‘boyfriends’ here in Cyprus. Some ladies said that their affair is a rebound from the hurt and betrayal that they suffer which is caused by the infidelity of their spouses back home. But as we often hear, problems can not be solved by creating another problem, and revenge is the worst way of getting back to someone who did you wrong. Others whose heart had gone astray said that they met somebody who resembles their beloved either in looks, character, or taste and somehow the affair has lessened their homesickness and longings. Others simply said that they met someone fantastic who made them forget who they are or who made them realized that they do not really love their spouses. And others are having affairs because of financial and other needs.
However, whatever reasons there might be, these affairs are still morally wrong. And everybody knows it. One of the Ten Commandments is “thou shall not commit adultery”. This is a tall order from our God. One lady jokingly said that she is not breaking God’s commandment because the wordings in the old testament goes this way “thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife”, and she is having an affair not with somebody’s wife but with a man, besides Philippines is too far away from Cyprus for the man to be her neighbor. Well, that is literally speaking, but Jesus Christ has clarified the meaning of it many times in the New Testament.
So, we all know that extra-marital relationships are wrong but why do we do it? Because we are weak, we are vulnerable. Sometimes, outside forces are too strong to counteract. Most especially that we are in a country where the foundation of marriage is loose because divorce is allowed. And this has somehow shattered the Filipino value on the permanence of marriage. Church leaders are not also exempted from this moral crisis. Temptations are very strong most especially for preachers. For those whose heart has gone wandering away from their beloved, do not make their situation worse by talking against them or using their situation to destroy them, or making bigger problems by telling their families and friends in the Philippines. Pray for them instead and help them overcome the situation they are in. Some of us consider ourselves as immaculate and condemn others. Let us always bear in mind that judgment is God’s sole right.
To those who honored and kept their marriage vows no matter what, I give you my snappiest salute. For those whose marriage is hopeless, I wish you a second chance at love and an eventual better marriage. And for us whose heart had just wandered away, let’s try to get it back and put it to where it should be.
     

Joy Miranda was amazed at the other kind and shape of lemon which she found in Boston, Massachusett’s vegetable store. As shown in the picture, the lemon is called Buddha’s hand. Read full explanation below.
Buddha’s Hand, Buddha’s Hand citron, or Fingered citron (Citrus medica var. sarcodactylus) is a fragrant citrus fruit. It grows on a shrub or small tree with long, irregular branches covered in thorns. Its large, oblong leaves are pale green and grow about four to six inches. Its flowers are white or purplish and grow in fragrant clusters. The fruit itself is a type of citron and is often described as lemon-like or lemon-esque. The fruit is segmented into finger-like sections. It has a thick peel and a small amount of acidic flesh and is seedless and juiceless. It is very fragrant and is used predominantly by the Chinese and Japanese for perfuming rooms and personal items, such as clothing. The peel of the fruit can be candied into succade. In Western cooking, it is often used for its zest. The inner white pith is not bitter as is usually the case with citrus, so the fingers may be cut off and then longitudinally sliced, peel pith and all, and used in salads or scattered over cooked foods such as fish. The fruit may be given as a religious offering in Buddhist temples. According to tradition, Buddha prefers the “fingers” of the fruit to be in a position where they resemble a closed rather than open hand, as closed hands symbolize to Buddha the act of prayer. The origin of Buddha’s Hand is traced back to Northeastern India and is believed to be the first citrus fruit known in Europe. It is speculated that the Greeks and Romans brought them back from Asia. The tree itself is sensitive to frost, as well as intense heat and drought. It grows best in temperate conditions. Areas such as the coast of Southern California as well as inland valleys are considered ideal for its planting. Trees can be grown from cuttings taken from branches two to four years old. One must bury the cuttings (replete with foliage) deep in the soil. It is thought that in some areas it is given the name goblin fingers due to the frightening aspect of the “open” position. (Source: Wikipedia)
 

(Pinay Sense-Tinig Pinoy-Politis November 2008)

By Joy B. Miranda, Chief Ed

First of all I would like to correct a portion of my previous article (Schengen Visa and the force of favorability, October 2008 issue). I said in that article that I was held at Athens airport and was not allowed to board the Luftansa Airline going to Frankfurt, Germany because I did not have a Schengen visa. After three hours, I was transferred to Swiss Airline and was flown to Zurich, (not Munich, as I mentioned in the article, as it is yet another part of Germany) and arrived in Boston ahead of 20 minutes from my original travel time. Anyway, on my return to Cyprus, I was flown by Luftansa Airline again using my original return ticket and luckily, from Boston to Germany to Athens until I reached Larnaca airport, the trip was uneventful as I was not asked anymore about the Schengen visa. With this experience however, I still would advise those who plan to travel passing the Schengen territories to just secure a Schengen visa first. You may google it to find which countries in Europe are included or not included in the Schengen territories.
My US experience has brought myself another chance of a deeper understanding about what is, and what is not important in life. Coming back to Cyprus, almost everyone said the same phrases: “It is wrong for you to come back here in Cyprus� or “If I were you, I will not come back anymore.� I could understand the reason why everybody keep saying that: To them, America is an opportunity, BIG opportunity and to get there these people think that anyone’s life would be much better staying in America. Well, folks, you are wrong. America is a powerful country so is her laws. I went for holidays, for leisure, to enjoy, and not to find a job whatsoever, and as I said in my previous article, I was carrying a B1 and B2 US visa, plainly for business or tourism. So to say that I should not come back here would mean that I would violate the law stated in my visa category, which to me, is not my cup of tea. I was not desperate to get a living in America, after all, I have a job here.
Besides, too many Americans are currently unemployed, with the country’s economy in worrisome disarray, many American companies are facing retrenchments, more and more workers are worried for lay offs. If this is the case, what an Asian like me  would do in such a situation? Sila nga walang trabaho, makikisali pa ako? Unless I prefer to sleep on benches at the park without any blanket on to beat the winter nights. What I am trying to say here is that, on the contrary, US is not what others thought it is. It is a nice place alright, but to depend the idea of having a good life by going there is simply ridiculous. It is not easy landing a job in the US, much more difficult if you don’t know anyone or if meron man, they don’t care..
I went to Manhattan, New York, it is indeed a very beautiful place and I took pictures exactly at all the places where the Sex and the City flick is being filmed, the City Library, the Central Park, Museums, etcetera. I rode a ferry to see the place’ important landmark: The Statue of Liberty. I missed seeing my cousin who is based in New Jersey because she was busy working in the hospital as a nurse. New Jersey is just about an hour drive from New York. I stayed mostly in Boston, Massachusetts which is four hours and a half drive from New York and from there I visited Newport, State of Rhode Islands, home to the world’s Hall of Fame in Tennis. I went to Rockport as well, and at Cambridge where most of the well-known universities are found like the famous Harvard University. I was able to watch the story of “Cinderella� performed by Boston Ballet which was shown at Wang Theatre in Boston. During the show, cameras were not allowed so my pictures were taken after every break of the ballet performers. Madonna was there in my second week and I wanted to watch her concert but it was too expensive so I ended up re-watching Mama Mia movie instead! Same with watching the Celtics game what a regret not having to watch one! Anyway folks, I end this article by saying that “Good Life� lies in each and everyone’s hands, irregardless of where you are under the universe. One move to make our life good and better is by not making it complicated. We have a job here, be thankful for that, as compared to thousands and millions of jobless Americans and people around the world, our job at present is something better than nothing. As they say, it is recession when our neighbor loses his job, but it is depression when you lose your own.� American dream? Oh yeah, such a lovely dream!

Joy Miranda enjoys the night view at the Battery Wharf situated at the Commercial Street, Boston, Massachusetts