[Mobile Snapshot] Seeking Serenity After the Storm

   O Seth, son of Nut, god of storms, 

We offer these beads of silver dew,
To appease thy wrath.

Ilocos Tour - Guerilla Style » 5 Interesting Places to Visit On Your Way Out of Ilocos

If there is one lesson I have discovered over my travel experiences is that you need to be very creative when coordinating your gigs in order to cover and experience what a place can offer. For instance, a place like Ilocos offers lots of interesting spots to visit so if you are there for a quick weekend getaway you need to apply guerilla tactics to truly enjoy Ilocandia’s chopsuey of travel destinations.

So we’ve already successfully visited Ilocos Norte’s major tourist destinations starting from Laoag to Pagudpud going to Batac. Based on our Ilocos Tour Itinerary, our final destination before heading back to Manila is the famous Calle Crisologo in Vigan City – yep, we saved the best for last.

Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur (Laoag - Vigan) Tourist Map - CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW LARGER MAP

However, we found out that there are other interesting places in Ilocos that we can quickly visit on our way to the famous Vigan Heritage Village.

Here are the five interesting places in Ilocos that you can quickly visit on your way out going to Manila:      

1. ILOCOS NORTE SAND DUNES – The Desert of the North 

The Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes, also called the La Paz sand dunes, is unique on this part of the Philippines. It stretches from the municipality of Currimao in the north and winds it’s way to La Paz, Laoag City, then to Suba, Paoay and finally in Pasuquin in the south with a total of 52 square miles.

Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes

This is also the favorite shooting location for local as well as international films such as the Nora Aunor’s “Walang Himala” flick, Fernado Poe’s “Panday” and Tom Cruise’s “Born on the Fourth of July.” The area is now famous for sandboarding and other eco-adventure activities.

We got lost looking for this place and when we saw some sandy hills, we just took pictures and immediately leave because we can’t stand the heat.

2. MALACAÑANG PALACE OF THE NORTH

Along the lazy shores of Paoay Lake stands an imposing structure that remains true to the old-rich Spanish architecture of the province — the Malacañang of the North, also known in the local dialect as Malacañang ti Amianan.

Back Entrance of the Malacañang of the North

It romantically overlooks serene Paoay Lake and was the residence of former President Marcos and his family while they were in the North. It reflects the grandeur of the Marcos family - the power they once held, the wealth that they possess, and the love and reverence of the Ilocanos for the Marcoses. The Malacanang of the North is actually a "birthday gift" of then First Lady Imelda Marcos to her husband on his 60th birthday.When it was built in 1977, Malacanang of the North became the venue of the trendiest high society settings.

3. PAGBURNAYAN POTTERY

Potter showing his skills

For a quaint Ilocandia travel experience and interaction with the craftsmen, a visit to the Pagburnayan (pottery making) in Vigan City is a nice option. We quickly visited this place and was treated with a show of Ilocano craftsmanship in pottery making using old school manual potter’s wheel method. 

Finished clay pots ready for shipment

The root word “burnay” is an earthenware jar crafted by a potter’s hands with the aid of a potter’s wheel. It uses fine sand (anay) as a tempering material and fired at a high temperature in a huge brick-and-clay ground kiln that makes it is harder and more durable than other terra cotta.

Curio items outside the pottery

This is also the place where you can buy clay pots, statues, home accents and other curio items at give-away prices. 

4. BALUARTE – Chavit Singson’s Zoo

Baluarte ni Chavit - Main Ground

I am always against zoos and caged animals, but since we are at the area, we took a peek at Chavit’s expensive hobby – his famous Baluarte located in Salindeg, Vigan.

Showy Rare White Peacock is the favorite among the animals

It is a large chunk of Vigan set in rolling terrains, hills and mountain sides with structures and facilities that tries to imitate, without success, the natural habitat of wild and exotic animals  - really entertaining for children.

5. The HIDDEN GARDEN in Vigan

Beautiful ornamental plants at the Hidden Garden

Hidden Garden is Located in Bulala (a barrio known for its making of bricks, pots, and other objects made of clay). It is a wonderland of greenery, with a mini-snack bar nestled somewhere in the middle. The whole garden is full of decorative flowering plants, bonsai, and other shrubs set in garden pots, appropriately accented by garden statues and decorations.

Hidden Garden Cafe and Restaurant serving Ilocos cuisine

Hidden Garden definitely has a relaxing ambiance. Hence, dining experience at their restaurant would be awesome but we are in a hurry so we just took some pictures. 

FINAL NOTE

There are other interesting places you can visit in Vigan City, such as the Father Jose Burgos Museum, Mirra Hills and St. Paul Cathedral if you have time. But if you are on a two-day guerilla tour like us, you might want to trim the list down. Of course you wouldn’t want to miss Calle Crisologo which is the most famous (and overrated) tourist spot in Vigan.

On my next post, I will be sharing my memory lane walk at Calle Crisologo, which will be the last post on this Ilocos Tour series. Stay tuned! 


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Planning an Ilocos Tour? 

You might want to check out my detailed account of our Ilocandia Time Travel Series

• Ilocos Tour » Laoag-Pagudpod-Vigan Impromptu Weekend Getaway
• Ilocos Tour – Laoag, City of Sunshine » Waking up in the Sparkling Gem of Ilocandia
• Ilocos Tour » Sinking Bell Tower and McDonalds’ Rising Golden Arch 
• Cape Bojeador Lighthouse » Death of Elegance, Creepy Tales and A Spark of Wisdom 
• Bangui Windmills » Catching Scattered Memories Beyond the Wind  
• Pagudpud Beach in Saud, Ilocos Norte » Detecting Your Average Summer Happiness Level 
• Kabigan Falls, Pagudpud Ilocos Norte » The Best Lazy Trekking to Waterfalls in Ilocandia
• Jun and Carol Beach Resort Review » Affordable Pagudpud Beach Front Accommodation
• Patapat Viaduct and Kalbario Patapat Natural Park » Pagudpud Tricycle Tour Pit Stop 
• Magical Blue Lagoon and the Cascading Agua Grande » Pagudpud Tricycle Tour Pit Stop
• Allegory of the Bantay-Abot Cave and Timmangtang Rock » Is there such a thing as end-of-the-road?
• Batac City, Ilocos Norte » Understanding the Final Argument of a Dictator's Town 
• Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte » Architectural Heresy and Our Obsession with Heritage 
• Calle Crisologo Vigan Ilocos Sur » Sojourn to the Past 

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 Citations:
» Laoag Vigan Tourist map courtesy of EZMaps

[Mobile Snapshot] » Rambubetlog

Rambubetlog: Rambutan for the green minded.

[Snapshots] Color Your World » Pahiyas Festival Photo Set

Today I'm adding post series to my blog by accepting snapshots and photo sets from visitors and friends. I'm still experimenting on accepting guest posting on this blog so I got no rules yet. Here are some photos submitted by my friend Aldan Reposo. 

Somebody

Waiting

Sizzling Faith

House Blooms

Human Scarecrow

Sun Temple

Corny Day

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Our Guest Shutterbug:  ALDAN B. REPOSO

Aldan is corporate drone based in Manila intrigued by the magic of photography, aiming to capture outdoor images when he is outside his cubicle doing travel gigs with his friends.

Links:  Multiply | Facebook: Aldan Reposo

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I Am Not A Rapist

“No one would confess to so heinous a crime had they not committed it.”
Larry A. Hammond

I came back at Robinsons Galleria to pick up my clearance, two weeks after enduring the exhausting NBI clearance new application process. However, I was advised that I needed to undergo a personal interview at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) head office before they release my clearance. I am totally bored that day, so I thought maybe this unusual glitch on my daily routine could put some color on my uninteresting day.

I was entertaining weird thoughts on my way to NBI head office. Imagining myself sitting in an abandoned and dark interrogation room with swinging light bulb. Bully NBI officers would come in, with torture written all over their faces, holding electrodes for my sorry testicles, and other officers coming with rubber hoses to beat me up.

Of course not, I was actually smiling while imagining this torture-interrogation thing just like in the movies – me and my boring days and hyper mind. But yeah, all I need was an NBI clearance and what I got was an irritating {yet exciting} day.

The interview

We sat in silence for a minute. I just breathed easy.

“Do you know why we want to see you?” asked the lady officer sitting on her shabby standard government issued desk.

“Hmm, No I don’t Ma’m,” I replied calmly.

Then I was barraged by questions about my work, hometown, present address, college degree and other personal info, which of course didn’t intimidate me a bit. She flipped into my dossier, stopped on a page then said,

“So you got a government scholarship during college?” she asked, then flatly added, “You cannot leave the Philippines because you have a contractual obligation with the Dept. of Science and Tech”

Well I am well aware of that, and I already served my obligations to our Republic years ago. So I just gave a lazy nod – thinking about my recent trip to Hong Kong without any hassle.

She then asked me to sign some documents and instructed to proceed to the adjacent desk to swear, with my right hand raised, that I am not a criminal, in front of an administering officer, holding a Special Prosecutor III stamp, ready to seal my dossier.

What’s in my name

It was so trite, so routine. She seemed happy with my answers. With a smile, she reached out her hand to shake mine. Would I accept and shake the hand of an officer representing the Philippine criminal justice system who disturbed my day as a suspect in a crime – as a rapist?

This was not normal; I am a law-abiding citizen. The only crime I can think of is vandalizing LRT stations during my college years as an activist. So I asked her what was this all about.  

“We are tracking a guy with a rape case in Mindoro with the same name as yours. That is why we want to talk to you.” She quickly quipped then pretend to be busy stamping and signing some documents.

Well I just said, “Whew, blame my Mom for giving me a generic first name.”

But I thought my middle name and surname is unique in the Philippines – because people always pronounced it wrong! (And I grew tired of correcting it, so I just let people read it the way they want)   But still I am unlucky enough to have the same name as a rapist suspect with pending case in Mindoro.

Afterthought

It's bad enough if you share the same name as terror suspect or in my case a rapist. What would you do when the NBI interrogate you? Sue?

There are many interesting mistaken identity stories which reflects the flaws in our criminal justice system. I am sure you heard sad news about these cases of mistaken identity where innocent people experienced torture and imprisonment. It's one of the tragedies that can occur in the criminal justice system.

Does this type of  “HIT” or probably “lack of common sense” happen more often? Why would a criminal voluntarily come to the NBI willing to be interrogated by the investigating officer?

Of course, sometimes the police arrest the wrong person, especially when people share the same name or look alike. The interrogation process itself was a punishment.

After that, what will they say? Ooooops, sorry

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INTERESTING CASES OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY IN THE NEWS

» "Mistaken identity destroys OFW’s dreams"  The case of Jason Aguilar detained by the Doha police after he was mistakenly identified as American citizen Jason Ivler, the road rage suspect wanted in the Philippines.
» "Mistaken identity eyed in woman's killing"
»  Brutal torture of a 25-year-old man over mistaken identity in General Santos City, Mindanao 
The case of Haron Abubakar Buisan who was allegedly illegally arrested, detained and brutally tortured by the policemen attached to the General Santos City Police Office (GSCPO) following his arrest on 12 December 2005. {Asian Human Rights Commission:}
». Ex-judge in mistaken identity case cleared by SC, gets retirement perks
{GMA-News}

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Related Post:
» NBI Clearance New Biometric System » How to get it without losing your patience

Contagion Movie » Bloggers During A Pandemic: Voice of Sanity Or Scaremongers?

I watched the “Contagion” movie premiere at Greenbelt last night. Although it is a star-studded humanity-in-peril movie about a lethal virus, it didn’t strike me as entertaining. It just felt rather bland, and it failed to really bite me. For me, it lacks the necessary tension-action twist. But don’t blame me because I’m a Star Wars kind of movie buff.

What caught my attention was Jude Law who played as a kind of mad blogger railing against the pharmaceutical industry and government. His raging posts against big pharmacies and the government turn provocative when people start dropping like zombies.


His character (the blogger named Alan Krumwiede) allows the movie to take digs both at traditional media (described as slow, bias and politically controlled nowadays) and blogging. As the world goes into chaos and the Government tries to control information, Law’s blog posts preaches homeopathic cures and Government cover-up, which provokes riots outside drug stores and health food shops.

 

And yet, what I found interesting was that the movie didn't judge or conclude whether Alan Krumwiede is corect or not. The movie didn’t show whether Alan is necessarily a bad guy. Maybe he was correct all along, who knows?

I love that it's left open for the viewers to decide. Is Alan Krumwiede a voice of sanity in the chaos and dread, or a nutter?

Bloggers: Voice of Sanity Or Scaremongers?   

Although bloggers generally are a selfless lot, many bloggers can be a paranoiac and scaremongers during a pandemic. They can also be a voice of sanity in the chaos and dread. Bloggers, especially those influential bloggers around the blogosphere, have a responsibility to themselves but they also have a responsibility to everyone around them especially to their readers.

Newspapers continue to perform an incredibly important function as informational gatekeepers. But traditional media, as they say is slowly dying. Their articles are sometimes full of their editor’s bias and are always subjected to political maneuverings.

Nowadays blogs could also be journalism – sometimes. There is always this question now whether blogs can be journalism.

I don’t have any answers to these questions. This issue will have to be addressed personally by all professional bloggers and the public.

When a pandemic comes, we will all be faced with hard decisions. Information will be presented to us via newspapers, television, Facebook, Twitter and Blogs.

Which one will you believe?

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Notes and Citations

» "Contagion" (2011) film is released today September 9, 2011.

»  Contagion Movie - Official Website
» Official Contagion Movie Poster

Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte » Architectural Heresy and Our Obsession with Heritage

I had already poked my head into enough elegant churches in Bohol and other old towns in the Philippines but I should not miss Paoay Church, although I used to think all Spanish-era churches in the Philippines are alike. San Agustin Church in Ilocos Norte, popularly known as Paoay Church is definitely unique.  

The uniqueness of this church lies in the unceasing nature of its struggles against time and the history it depicts, in its dramatic architecture and the mysterious heresy hidden within its elaborate brick design.
 
I approached the church from a nearby dry and impotent brick fountain, excited like a virgin bride walking at the long patio decorated by white bougainvilleas at each side. Waiting for me at the other end is the pyramidal and deliberately flat church façade like an unlit altar, gray yet graceful against Ilocandia’s arid air. Above me are dark clouds stripped of its silver lining, painted like the church’s high frescoes, tragic like the life of Judas.

View of Paoay Church from the fountain

But halfway through the patio, I heard it. This church is whispering heresies of the past. Its fourteen buttresses are like old papyrus, documenting the fusion of the conquistadores and the pagans.

“Sic transit gloria mundi,” thus passes the glory of the world, wrote the monk Thomas à Kempis. The survival of churches through time, architecturally and historically, is a subject matter for the architects and historians. My reaction or theory about this specific church, about it being architecturally heretic is mine alone. But let me expound.

Paoay Church history

The Official Marker: WORLD HERITAGE SITE, Church of San Agustin Paoay Ilocos Norte. One of the four Baroque Churches of the Philippines inscribed in 1993 on the World Heritage List pursuant to the 1972 UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The Church of San Agustin possesses exceptional universal value the deserves protection for the benefit of humanity. 

Paoay Church is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, under the Philippines four Barqoue Churches collection composed of San Agustin Church in Manila, Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur and Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church in Miag-ao, Iloilo. It is currently a property of the Diocese of Laoag, Ilocos Norte.

Church main altar and roof under renovation

According to the official historical marker at the entrance of the church, the parish was founded by Augustinian missionaries in 1593, cornerstone of church laid 1704; of convent, 1707; of tower, 1793. It was used before completion and kept in repair by the people under joint auspices of the Church and the town officials. An inauguration ceremony was held 28 February 1896.

The bell tower

It was damaged by earthquake in 1706 and 1927. Katipuneros used its tower as observation post during the Revolution and by Guerilleros during the Japanese occupation in World War II.    

The massive coral stone bell tower, which was added half a century after the church was completed, stands at some distance from the church, again as a protection against damage during earthquakes.
According to historians, the bell tower also served as a status symbol for the locals. The bell would ring more loudly and more times during the wedding of a prominent clan that it would during the wedding of the poor.

Earthquake Baroque

As reported by Jorge Gazaneo of ICOMOS, “Philippine church is a completed example of one are peiod, but a living document of how time and context have left traces on the early founding intentions of the original designer-builder… on the cross roads of different cultures – Malay, Chinese, European, American, Mexico-Peru – the architecture and art of the Philippines should be valued on standards different from those developed by European Scholars…Unity and authenticity are difficult to be expected in theis part of the world, a violent frontier knowing the ravages of war, heavy typhoons and repeated violent earthquake destruction.”

Paoay Church is the most outstanding example in the Philippines of 'Earthquake Baroque' due to its unique combination of Gothic and Oriental designs. Its façade reveals Gothic designs, its gables show Chinese elements, while the niches topping the walls suggest Javanese influence like the towers of the famous Boroboudur Temple in Central Java, Indonesia. It is interesting to note that the town of Paoay is called "Bombay" in early documents, in keeping with the legend that the earliest inhabitants came from India.

Javanese influence on the Church's buttresses like the towers of the famous Boroboudur Temple in Central Java, Indonesia.

It has fourteen buttresses ranged along the lines of a giant volute supporting a smaller one and surmounted by pyramidal finials. Its details are inspired by the seal of Saint Agustine, the emblem of the king of Spain, the logo of the Pope, the “init-tao” or the sun god, and stylized Chinese clouds.

Fusion of the obvious

Because of its difficult terrain, arid temperature and threat of earthquakes, Ilocos was once described as a “God-forsaken land” and it is said that you have to have the “patience of a spider” in order to survive it. But Ilocanos, hardy people that they are, not only survived in this formidable land but were able to turn this highland country into “God’s own paradise”.

It is but fitting that they dedicate their church to St. Augustine. Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis (St. Augustine), the philosopher, spoke with mechanical fluency when he proved in his book “The City of God [against the Pagans] (Book III)]” that external and bodily disasters including moral and spiritual calamities are happening to the Romans; and that even when the false gods were worshipped without a rival, before the advent of Christ, they afforded no relief from such calamities.

 
Naturally, they build Paoay Church to withstand and defy acts of God. The Augustinians forced the naturally-born pagans to build this church. But these converts have their own memory and obsession with heritage, beliefs and superstitions, thus the Javanese, Chinese and Oriental influences in the design. 

Until now, the picturesque front garden of the San Agustin Church is being used for rituals known as the Guling-guling festival, an annual festivity that signifies the last day of merrymaking before the Catholic community's observance of the Lenten Season. There are those who conjecture that there is probably a pagan underpinning to the practice, similar to Valentine’s Day; the tradition that places the birth of Jesus in late December, the darkest time of the year; and the timing for Easter right after the vernal equinox. 

Paoay Church is truly the fusion of Catholicism and the pagans.

Final Note

New developments are under way for Paoay Church aside from restoration, which aims to make the province of Ilocos Norte the country’s “northern gateway.” To generate more tourist activities, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte announced a plan to put up a commercial arcade, which would feature the town’s unique products along a stretch of the road lining the Paoay Church.

Aesthetically, I don’t know if these commercial establishments will do any good, so you have to visit Paoay before it becomes a commercial-church. 

We, Filipinos are always trying to find what old memories look like… our obsession with heritage is always there, searching within the artificial and re-engineered versions created by our invaders.

Paoay Church does renders Ilocandia as forever enchanting and continues to make its visitors have a taste of past life back in times like in the decade when it was first completed. 

Back in the days, when Filipinos are born pagans.

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HERE ARE THE DETAILED POSTS ABOUT OUR  Ilocandia Time Travel

• Ilocos Tour » Laoag-Pagudpod-Vigan Impromptu Weekend Getaway
• Ilocos Tour – Laoag, City of Sunshine » Waking up in the Sparkling Gem of Ilocandia
• Ilocos Tour » Sinking Bell Tower and McDonalds’ Rising Golden Arch 
• Cape Bojeador Lighthouse » Death of Elegance, Creepy Tales and A Spark of Wisdom 
• Bangui Windmills » Catching Scattered Memories Beyond the Wind  
• Pagudpud Beach in Saud, Ilocos Norte » Detecting Your Average Summer Happiness Level 
• Kabigan Falls, Pagudpud Ilocos Norte » The Best Lazy Trekking to Waterfalls in Ilocandia
• Jun and Carol Beach Resort Review » Affordable Pagudpud Beach Front Accommodation
• Patapat Viaduct and Kalbario Patapat Natural Park » Pagudpud Tricycle Tour Pit Stop 
• Magical Blue Lagoon and the Cascading Agua Grande » Pagudpud Tricycle Tour Pit Stop
• Allegory of the Bantay-Abot Cave and Timmangtang Rock » Is there such a thing as end-of-the-road?
• Batac City, Ilocos Norte » Understanding the Final Argument of a Dictator's Town 
• Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte » Architectural Heresy and Our Obsession with Heritage 
• Ilocos Tour - Guerilla Style » 5 Interesting Places to Visit On Your Way Out of Ilocos 
• Calle Crisologo Vigan Ilocos Sur » Sojourn to the Past

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References and Citations:
» Wikipedia Entry “Paoay Church” [Retrieved: 05 September 2011]
» UNESCO Advisory Body Evaluation. Baroque Churches of the Philippines [Retrieved: 05 September 2011]
» Patrimonium-mundi.org : Paoay Church panophotographies - immersive and interactive spherical images
» St. Augustine. Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis.  “De Civitate Dei contra Paganos [Concerning the] The City of God [against the Pagans] (Book III)]” Translated by Marcus Dods. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 2. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.
» Boredpanda.com “50 Most Extraordinary Churches of the World”
» De Jesus, Noel F. Manila Bulletin “Charms of the Old World” Posted: June 5, 2011, 10:58am [Retrieved: 05 September 2011]
» The Philippine Star. “Guling Guling of Paoay: Truly a galing galing festivity!” Updated March 06, 2011 12:00 AM [Retrieved: 05 September 2011]
» Rene Guatlo “Paoay sways to Guling Guling” Inquirer Lifestyle. Philippine Daily Inquirer. 03/15/2009.
» CBCP News “300-year old Paoay Church to get facelift” Posted: March 15, 2011
» ALL PHOTOS on this post are taken by the author YODZ Insigne via Samsung Galaxy S Smartphone 

Yodisphere at One Year » First Year Blog Anniversary

Today just happens to be the first year anniversary of yodisphere.com, a blog detailing my life, my travel hacking gigs, commentaries and anything I find amusing.

Some thank you notes, looking back and a peek to the future are in order.

Yodisphere.com has gone through surprising transformations over a year, and that is something that gives me some sense of fulfillment. Looking back, before I made this a hobby, I had no idea what the next year would bring. I could go on writing intermittent posts about how amazing my day was and a handful of my life’s memorable moments [but mostly frustrations]. However, I realized blogging is not about myself so I move on from being sentimental to informative, although some posts still reflects my static career and personal life.

Thank you notes

As you may have noticed, this blog is leaning on travel niche but I don’t want to get trapped on a niche blog so this is still a general lifestyle blog. With that, I want to thank my usual travel buddies – the Eastgate Backfuckers (Gara, Aldan, Anjho, Bar, Bern, Abby, Rhesa) – for being such an awesome roadtrip cronies.      

Also I want to thank inspiring bloggers who make the blogosphere alive and diverse (listed in my blogroll). You may not know it but you keep me inspired and entertained on every bloghopping. Let me also say thanks to all the visitors who shared their thoughts by leaving comments on my posts.

I blog for fun

Although yodisphere.com is meant as a small virtual corkboard for me to share my thoughts, I do it for three reasons, as I’ve already mentioned in my About page:

1. I always felt I have something important to say.
2. Written words can make me cry.
3. I want to sleep at night.

But of course more than any other reason, I blog for fun – if it’s becoming a chore, there’s no point in doing this.

Blogging is also my way of sharing my experiences and connecting to the virtual world especially to those who are worthy of listening to and hopefully give something back to the blogosphere and its community of bloggers that has given so much time and effort to share their experiences and expertise to others. But I’ve always felt that I get far more benefit from this than you ever will from reading it.

A peek to the future

I’m a mind mapping freak so I made a plantilla for yodisphere.com presented in a mindmap to get a quick view of its current state and future directions. Branches include the current state of my blog, my goals for the coming year and plans for improvement and other perspectives.

These are also the things I learned after a year into the blogosphere which maybe helpful if you are a newbie blogger and want to know basic blogging essentials.

Here it is: (Drag to view nodes)

or Click this link to view larger mind map http://www.mindmeister.com/111861080/yodisphere-com

Hopefully next year I could give freebies for my second year blog anniversary.

I look forward to a better and useful blog and share more with all of you over the coming years as I strive to make yodisphere.com’s mission a reality.

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Related Post: NOTICE: My Blog is in Transition