NorthStar Flags

One time I came home to a quite house, my 9-year old daughter was nowhere for she always hugged me as I enter the living room. I could not also find my wife, but dinner has been cooked, so the two must be around and busy with something else.

I proceeded upstairs and changed to casual clothes after which I entered my daughter’s bedroom. My wife was doing work on the computer and my daughter was sprawled on the floor beside a large globe of the world and a book on the flags of the different countries. They were so preoccupied with their work that they failed to notice me entering the room, not until I said something that they finally acknowledged my presence.

My daughter asked me to help, on the work at hand and we can only have dinner after we’re through with the assignment. I found out later that they were matching country flags and locating the said country on the globe. Why is this so important, I asked my daughter? Well, she said we are going to have an oral examination and my teacher is giving us a corresponding grade for the most country and matching world flag we can identify.

Tomorrow is United Nations Day dad, this oral examination is part of the celebration of the special day. It left me wondering if how many countries she could match, considering that as of last count, 189 member countries are already part of the United Nations.

The very next day, I came home to see my family relaxed in the dining area, talking and munching something as if in celebration. I passed dad, my daughter beamed, but five other students beat me in the contest.

One time I came home to a quite house, my 9-year old daughter was nowhere for she always hugged me as I enter the living room. I could not also find my wife, but dinner has been cooked, so the two must be around and busy with something else.

I proceeded upstairs and changed to casual clothes after which I entered my daughter’s bedroom. My wife was doing work on the computer and my daughter was sprawled on the floor beside a large globe of the world and a book on the flags of the different countries. They were so preoccupied with their work that they failed to notice me entering the room, not until I said something that they finally acknowledged my presence.

My daughter asked me to help, on the work at hand and we can only have dinner after we’re through with the assignment. I found out later that they were matching country flags and locating the said country on the globe. Why is this so important, I asked my daughter? Well, she said we are going to have an oral examination and my teacher is giving us a corresponding grade for the most country and matching world flag we can identify.

Tomorrow is United Nations Day dad, this oral examination is part of the celebration of the special day. It left me wondering if how many countries she could match, considering that as of last count, 189 member countries are already part of the United Nations.

The very next day, I came home to see my family relaxed in the dining area, talking and munching something as if in celebration. I passed dad, my daughter beamed, but five other students beat me in the contest.

Once my work brought us (family) to Kingston that is in Jamaica. When we arrived it was the season before lent and a lot of activities were now lined up, considering that the Carnival in Jamaica is about to start. I’m just glad that my secretary booked our accommodations in advance otherwise we would be left on the streets because hotel rooms were already taken.

We decided to experience the festivities and extended our stay for another week. The most intriguing part of the carnival was the 8-mile walk attended by dancers in a state of almost total undress wriggling to the accompaniment of Jamaican music, particularly the popular reggae. Then not to be outdone are the colorful floats complete with large festival flags and various pennant streamers that continue to be a favorite fare to tourists since it joined the festivities in the 90’s.

Aside from the colorful display, what caught our attention were the hundreds of food carts that lined the streets. Come to think of it as street foods, but with a difference because these are courtesy of the luxury hotels and food chain serving the tantalizing chicken and pork jerk native only to Jamaica, taken with chilled fruit juice that is in season.

We truly enjoyed not just the carnival but also the food, but after 2 weeks on this particular diet, we started to crave for food from home. We roamed around and when I saw an American flag jutting out of the KFC food chain, I know we’re home. But, what surprised us are the patrons that eat at the joint, no tourists but all were local inhabitants.

I found out from the resident manager that Jamaican’s dig KFC even over local delicacies.

My work almost always include a two to three weeks visit to our field office in Philadelphia, doing things like an ocular inspection, review sales report, interview new applicants, lecture on new company policies and approve annual budget. But, literally the trip is a junket because work is just slight, accommodations is paid for by the company giving me enough leeway to roam around as a local tourist.

On my first trip to the City, I’ve decided to just walk around jog a little to stretch my legs, the day being a Saturday. Without intending to, I saw a residential flagpole in front of a building. Naturally, I came nearer to investigate and what greeted me was the name Betsy Ross.

I was stunned for a moment because my sense of history was misguided, I thought all along that this famous landmark is somewhere else.

Then I knew that no visit to historic Philadelphia is complete without a peep inside the home of the famous flagmaker. The location of the Betsy Ross house is at the heart of Philadelphia’s historic square mile, at 239 Arch Street, just a few blocks away from the Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

So, I entered paid the 5dollar entrance fee and be engulfed with the feeling of history, essentially since the tour includes audio description of the rooms as we moved along.

Then we proceeded to the shady courtyard for drinks and snacks. I’m hooked with Betsy Ross and the American Flag. And every time I’m in the City, it is always a must that I spend some time with Betsy Ross.

For the past week my 9-year old daughter has been pestering me with her request for the Japanese National costume. My instant query was – why would you need a Japanese costume? Well, later I knew that the school is engaged in the celebration of the United Nations Day – October 24th. To add spice to the celebration, the school is staging a parade of nations with our children dressed in costumes of different countries, particularly those members of the United Nations.

Since my daughter was assigned the country Japan, we brought my daughters costume at a Japanese restaurant. A Japanese friend was working at a restaurant and we requested him to look for a costume that would fit my daughter, since all costumes available are for adults, we have to order custom made. Luckily, my friend’s mother was on vacation in the US and she was the one responsible for sewing the costume.

After a few days, the dress was ready but we still have to scout for a matching fan and parasol, which was also hard to find considering that it was for a child. But we got it just the same from an antique Japanese store. The last part of the puzzle was a medium sized Japanese flag which was supplied to us by NorthStar Flags and Poles.

On the appointed day, my friend’s mother accompanied us for she coached my daughter how to act like a Japanese damsel, in fact she did my daughters make-up to make her appear like a true Japanese.

At the end of the presentation, my daughter was awarded a special prize – for having worn the most authentic national costume.

My mom’s caregiver is a feisty lady from the Philippines, who deliberately traveled the globe in search of green pastures. She had been to Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Middle East doing different types of jobs, but mostly as a domestic helper. But the most memorable has been her stint in the Middle East which almost cost her, her life.

When she went to the Middle East, it was through a recruitment agency and there was really no guarantee that one will be treated fairly. And because she landed on a job where she was abused physically and verbally, she thought of a way out. The only problem facing her is that her passport was in the care of his employer and there is no way she can retrieve it.

She was literally caged in the third floor apartment of his employer, and the only way to freedom was jumping through the window and hopes that she survives the fall. That was the idea, and she did it on the 40th day of the Ramadan period, as everybody was busy celebrating the end of the fast. Upon landing at the pavement with bruises and a slight limp, she roamed the streets and entered a religious sanctuary.

Since the police was after her, she was spirited to the Philippine Embassy two weeks later. She recounts that what made her cry the most was seeing the Philippine Flag hoisted on the Embassy ground, for it simply means freedom from her ordeal. It took another two months before she can be repatriated back.

Once back home, she took a short course as a caregiver and luckily she was hired to work for my mom here in New York.

Have you seen a bird’s nest, not the popular soup, but one used by the birds? I’m sure you do and from the physical aspect, it consists of hundreds of trestles delicately woven to form one single nest. And imagine the work it entails to finish one nest.

It is this same principle that the Architects Herzog and de Meuron devised to design the Bird’s Nest National Stadium, the venue for the Olympic games in Beijing, China. Instead of regular dried plants and twigs, the designers used tons of structural steel for the trestles that will support the structure. And because steel is vulnerable to rust caused by the indefinite exposure to the weather, it must therefore be protected.

This is where BayerMaterialScience comes in for they have the technology and material appropriate for the protection of the structure. All exposed steel members, including flagpoles, flagpole accessories and stands that will fly the Chinese National Flag and the Olympic Flag will have to be treated to resist the natural elements.

I envy my buddy from Wisconsin, because he and his family have gone to China in line with this steel insulation program. He was hired to serve as Consultant by the Company to see to it that proper measures are undertaken to insure that insulation procedures are followed, because of the rigid demand for materials warranties. Not only will the warranty cover for the entire duration of the games, but probably thirty or more years.

My pal and his family left ahead of the games and have stayed behind after the last Olympic medal has been awarded to the winner. How lucky can one be?

It has been my dream to be one of the millions to witness an Olympic game, physically present in the venues of the summer spectacle. Thus when opportunity knocks, I never gave it a second thought, accepted the invitation right away.

I will be with my family in this trip to the 2008, Beijing, China, Olympic games. In fact as early as six months prior to the games, all our passports and visa’s had been processed, my secretary had already booked our airline tickets and our hotel accommodations are waiting for us when we deplane at the Beijing International Airport.

I’ve followed the development of the different venues of the games and the preparations are quite impressive. The opening, closing ceremony, football (soccer) finals and most of the track and field events are to be held at the Bird’s Nest National Stadium, literally shaped like one and designed by Architects Herzog and de Meuron.

I understand that most of the game venues have been completed as of March 2008, and early footage of the Bird’s Nest Stadium reveals that the seating capacity shall be over 91,000. Meanwhile, the stadium floor where the various performances will take place has a giant spherical structure at the center and a huge Chinese flag beside it. From the photos it is not clear what it is or what is its function, spectators will just have to wait when the games commence.

We (my family) are all excited in this trip, we intend to be present in all the games and cheer for our delegation and savor the feeling of the Olympic fever as shared by the millions who shed time and finances to be in the games.

As I was looking through the files of my departed father, I chanced upon a magazine and newspaper clippings on the death and funeral of John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States of America. I never thought that my father was one of the millions of Americans who mourned the tragic loss of the President, he being a Republican by heart.

In the succeeding photographs, I could see the millions of mourners that lined the streets, staring blankly at the coffin draped zealously by a custom American Flag, followed by hundreds of dignitaries around the globe who came for the funeral. I can sense that the atmosphere must be deafening, with only the cortege of white horses and its thumping sound breaking the stillness of the occasion.

Also there were hundreds of condolences extended by Presidents and Heads of State of various nations coming from all over. Then as testament to the President’s greatness and stature as a leader, are several articles written about how he handled situations that could have led to worldwide hostilities, if the same has not been ably addressed and a world war could have again erupted?

John Kennedy died by an assassin’s bullet on November 22, 1963 and was laid to rest at the Arlington National Cemetery on November 25, 1963. He was accorded with a State Funeral unmatched in the entire history of the country, a procession that started at the Capitol, stopped briefly at the White House, then on to St. Matthew’s and to the several miles trip to Arlington.

The caisson carrying the Presidents casket was pulled by six horses together with the National Color and the President’s Flag, followed by the limousines and cars of hundreds if not thousands of mourners.

I was part of the history class that was on a trip to San Antonio in Texas to see more profoundly the site of the famous siege of the Alamo. Everybody on the trip was so excited to see the remnants or of what was left of the garrison walls after the Mexicans captured it, but not without enough lives being sacrificed.

While the siege of the Alamo continued to be hazy, the battle has come to symbolize heroic struggle against all odds, a place where gallant men stood ground and hold fort for thirteen crucial days and made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and gave meaning to the idea of dying for one’s country. In fact as history would later confirm, the siege actually stopped the invading Mexican Army on its tracks.

The site of the siege was education at its finest, as each one of us witness the underlying events from a guided tour that gave us more relevant information and very entertaining response than reading the actual event in the history texts.

The death of the defenders of the Alamo, has served as the symbol for courage and sacrifice a price to shed for the cause of liberty, and a testament to the memories of James Bowie, David Crockett and William B. Travis.

Since everybody has been treated to a lesson in history, our trip would not have been complete without a visit to the museum store. It is here that most of us brought Alamo and Texas Flags and had it flown at the Alamo Shrine and dedicated to persons of our own choice.

The flags were then returned to us with a certificate insuring its authenticity.