THE HARD DREAMER

 

By Klaus Döring

Series of images or thoughts in the mind of a person asleep – the idle fancy, the vision, the aspiration, the yearnings.

Series of images or thoughts in the mind of a person asleep - the idle fancy, the vision, the aspiration, the yearnings... they are dreams that have interested, puzzled and frightened people for thousands of years. All kinds of strange explanations have been written about dreams.

Interpreters of dreams have published innumerable books. I bought some of those books. I caught myself reading them and trying to analyse my dreams, resulting in my becoming unsure and sometimes really undecided about the many different explanations regarding the same dream's meaning.

At one time, people thought that the figures appearing in dreams were messengers from the Gods. It was generally believed that dreams came from something outside a person's special skills. Do you believe this?

Today it is believed that the dreamer himself creates dreams; and, because dreams are something a person creates, they may have special meaning for the dreamer. Just why should one have a dream when one may depend on many things. Your health may have an effect on your dreams. A person who is ill or feeling uncomfortable will have different kinds of dreams than that of a person, who is doing good and who is happy.

If a person is hungry, or feels cold, or very tired - his dreams may include those feelings. Also the events of the day before may have a lot to do with what people dream about. Often, the persons or situations in a dream are those in our life. Or your emotions may make you have the kind of dream you have. Needing or wanting something may be expressing a dream, and being frightened may become part of a dream.

I dream a lot. I am always wondering about myself. I am still dreaming of a better world, yes, it's blue eyed, but these are my dreams. No ignorance and no arrogance, a world with real friends, who don't turn back if we need them; a world with people who will stop killing each other because of stupid and incomprehensible reasons; a world with people who will stop hurting and insulting each other because of envy.

I also dream, Filipinos will not always talk about an unfinished revolution and an inchoate nation still in the process of becoming.

Dreams are foams? Maybe. Maybe not. Confucius said a long time ago: "The one who steals our dreams brings us to death!" PWEDE! Let's dream hard, and let's work harder!

What are Filipinos a mix of?

 

Despite 333 years of Spanish rule and a nation full of Hispanic surnames, European DNA in the Philippines rarely exceeds 3%. The true genetic mix is far older—and deeply tied to the sea.

While the idea of an equally blended, heavily hybridized population is national lore, modern genetic studies reveal that the foundation of the Filipino genome is remarkably uniform.

The vast majority of Filipino genetic heritage is Austronesian. Around 4,000 years ago, seafaring Austronesian peoples migrated out of Taiwan, sweeping south into the Philippine archipelago before eventually expanding as far as Madagascar and Hawaii. This migration replaced or absorbed earlier populations, and today, Austronesian DNA forms the genetic baseline for almost all ethnic groups in the country, from the Tagalogs in Luzon to the Visayans in the central islands.

Before the Austronesians arrived, the islands were inhabited by Australo-Melanesian hunter-gatherers, often referred to as Negritos. Groups like the Aeta, Ati, and Batak are their direct descendants. While they represent a small fraction of the modern population, traces of this ancient DNA remain woven into the broader Filipino gene pool.

Of all the recent foreign admixtures, Chinese ancestry is the most prominent. Trade between the Philippines and Chinese merchants, mostly from the Fujian province, flourished long before European colonization. Many Filipinos carry Chinese DNA, though it is often deeply assimilated rather than existing as a distinct demographic group.

The biggest discrepancy between popular belief and genetic reality lies in this overestimated Spanish influence. The Spanish physical presence in the islands was always small, mostly confined to military personnel, clergy, and government officials concentrated in major centers like Manila. While the Spanish shaped the culture, religion, and language of the Philippines, their impact on its DNA was minimal.

During the colonial period, the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade introduced a faint trickle of Latin American (Mexican and Amerindian) ancestry as soldiers and sailors settled in the islands. Additionally, depending on the region, minor traces of Indian, Arab, and Japanese DNA can be found, remnants of ancient trade networks and localized migrations. Ultimately, the Filipino genome is not a balanced split of East and West, but a strong Austronesian core layered with centuries of Asian trade.

A map of the hypothetical greatest expansion of Austronesian-speaking peoples originating from Taiwan. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

WHEN I THINK BACK SOMETIMES

 

by Klaus Döring

Not long ago, I passed a milestone marking 55 years since I began writing my first published article in a newspaper. I began keeping all the clippings since then. Time changed. Yes. I have my only online-archive. Believe me, it's like a book. As I reread my first articles, I was amazed, I ever kept them  up. 

Back to my clippings. Can you imagine that there are some benefits from keeping them? From life experiences, I see that progress and failure are both parts of my journey. My columns are mostly a view into a mirror. I am reminded of God's grace when I read (and wrote before) how He helped me to find solutions to problems. I also gained insight from past struggles that help with issues I am currently facing. I remember one of my previous columns entitled "If failures get results".

God has indeed been faithfully working in my life.

I read a story by Dennis Fisher, who didn't keep publishing clippings but a spiritual journal. He advised: "Journaling may be useful to you too. It can help you see more clearly what God is teaching you on life's journey. To begin a journal, record your struggles, reflect on a verse that is especially comforting or challenging, or write a prayer of thankfulness for God's faithfulness."

Our brains prioritize rewarding memories over others, and reinforce them by replaying them when we are at rest.

It may help strengthen bonds with friends and family. It makes me optimistic. Optimism is having the ability to think positively of the future, and recalling moments that made you feel courageous, happy, successful, or any other positive emotion gives you an optimistic lens to see the future through.This can help us live each day to the fullest or even help us see the beauty that is in everyday life.

Yes, I am 73 now. I will complete my biography during these days in the middle of my wonderful Philippine family.

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Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn or X -Twitter or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.

Quis ut Deus, Ora pro nobis

Shared post from EWTN Asia Pacific

May be an image of text that says 'When the battle feels bigger than yли, remember who fights with you. ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL Defend us in battle ewtnasiapacific.com'

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A new month begins. Before September fills with plans, responsibilities, and uncertainties, let us begin it under God’s protection.

May St. Michael guard our homes, protect our families, strengthen us against temptation, and help us remain faithful to Christ through every battle this month may bring.

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Watch over us throughout September and lead us always closer to Jesus.

Follow EWTN Asia Pacific for more Catholic prayers, reflections, and stories of faith.

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Pinoy Catholics: HELLO, SEPTEMBER

Another month has been given to us by God. Another 30 days to pray, to hope, to grow in faith, and to trust more deeply in His perfect plan.

As we welcome the month of September, may we place everything in the hands of the Lord: our families, our dreams, our worries, our struggles, and the hopes and prayers we continue to surrender to His loving care.

May God bless us more this month. May His grace sustain us when we are tired, His peace calm our hearts when we are worried, and His light guide us whenever we feel lost.

May the Lord protect our loved ones, provide for our needs, heal what is hurting within us, and give us the strength to face whatever this new month may bring.

And when things do not happen according to our plans, may we remember that God’s timing is always perfect. Sometimes His answer is yes, sometimes not yet, and sometimes I have something better for you.

Let us also entrust this new month to the loving intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. May our Mother accompany us in our journey of faith, bring our prayers before her Son, Jesus, and teach us to say yes to God with the same humility and trust she showed throughout her life.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us and lead us always closer to Jesus. May we never forget that through Mary, we are continually reminded to do whatever her Son tells us.

Let us begin September with a grateful heart and a prayerful soul, trusting that whatever comes, God will never abandon us.

May the Lord bless you and your family throughout this month of September. May this month be filled with faith, hope, peace, protection, and abundant grace, through the loving intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Welcome, September! May everything we do this month be for the greater glory of God, and may Mary lead us ever closer to her Son, Jesus Christ.

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May be an image of text that says '安 HELLO SEPTEMBER! May God bless us more this month As we welcome the month of September, may we place everything in the hands the Lord: our families, our dreams, worries, our struggles, and the hopes and prayers we continue to surrender His loving care. "Mαy the Lord bless you and keep you." - Numbers 6:24 PINOYCATHOLICS'