chico river in the spot

where chico river flows

LONGEST SUSPENSION BRDIGE

The Akashi-Kaikyō Bridge (明石海峡大橋, Akashi Kaikyō Ō-hashi?), also known as Pearl Bridge, is a suspension bridge in Japan that crosses the Akashi Strait; it links Maiko in Kobe and Iwaya on Awaji Island as part of the Honshū-Shikoku Highway. It is the longest suspension bridge in the world to date, as measured by the length of its center span 1,991 metres (6,532 ft), substantially longer than the second longest suspension bridge, the Danish Great Belt Bridge. Its total length is 3,911 metres (12,831 ft). It was planned to be one of three Honshū-Shikoku connecting bridges, annexing two borders of the Inland Sea.

Architecture
The bridge has three spans. The central span is 1,991 metres (6,532 ft), with the two other sections each 960 metres (3,150 ft). The bridge is 3,911 metres (12,831 ft) long overall. The central span was originally only 1,990 metres (6,529 ft) but was stretched by a further metre in the Kobe earthquake on January 17, 1995.
The bridge was designed with a two-hinged stiffening girder system, allowing the structure to withstand winds of 286 kilometres per hour (178 mph), earthquakes measuring to 8.5 on the Richter scale, and harsh sea currents. The bridge also contains pendulums that operate at the resonant frequency of the bridge to dampen forces. The two main supporting towers are 298 metres (978 ft) above sea level, and the bridge can expand up to two meters in one day.(wikipedia)

THE WORLD'S TALLEST

When completed, the Burj Dubai (Dubai Tower) will be the tallest structure in the world, according to the four criteria outlined by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, at the Illinois Institute of Technology. According to developers Emaar Properties, the Burj Dubai has surpassed the height of the CN Tower (Toronto), which at 553.33 metres has held the record of the world's tallest free-standing structure since 1976. (THE GLOBE AND MAIL)

'People who have experienced some doubt...Everybody.'
-THE REV. JAMES MARTIN ON POTENTIAL BENEFICIARES OF TERESA'S LETTERS

tickled pink

Laughter is the best kind of energy there is - it's cheap, environmentally (and people) friendly and totally renewable. The fact that a hearty guffaw is a good thing may seem obvious, but do you know exactly how good? Here are few reasons why it will do you good to give a giggle.

. The perks precede the laugh. Just the anticipation of laughter is enough to flood your body with endorphins - feel-good hormones that reduce stress while boosting your mood - according to research from Loma University in California.

. It can help you lighten up. There's a reason your face and stomach muscles begin to ache - they're working hard. In fact, a 10- to 15-minute giggle session can burn up to 40 calories (about one square of chocolate). Some even say that laughter engages most of your body's 400 muscles.

.You can fake it and still enjoy it. While your brain knows it's forcing a chuckle, your body won't care, which means that you'll still enjoy all the stress relieving, joy-boosting benefits of a laugh, according to a study from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J. Once your brain signals your body to laugh, fake or not, the body will release those bliss-making endorphins. (Lauren Ferranti-Ballem))

"Near yet far"

First day of classes for the second semester, school year 2001-2002. In my junior advance subject class under Mrs. Avila, I was sitting in front with curiosity who would be my classmates that time. Turning my head to the right was a man in white collar shirt tucked in a Levi Strauss jeans sitting at the center aisle aligned to where i sit.

The figure of this man i guess, has been an inspiration to the girls in the university.(And if I'd to put myself into a dream, this man would be the best choice..nyahnyah) This man who walks like a military cadet, a hunky standing guy, a walking dictionary as the university addressed it, a genius looking man, a serious one and so on..makes me feel curious during freshman year.(Hu dat guy is? Interesting!!uu) He wasn't seen much in our Institute, as i have known, he was a very busy student. An officer of different organization in the whole university. And one thing he's a BSGE stude while I'm BSCE. Few chances of seeing him around brings a bit "kilig to the bones". (geehz)

Now the sight of this guy is at hand, he is a classmate, so near. Yes near and yet far. Here comes December and that man wasn't already attending the class. New year came, a friend told me, he entered PMA. No chances of talking to him or being acquainted.

March of last year, in a dinner after an elementary graduation ceremony where I was the invited guest speaker, Mr. Foronda (a former instructor, attended the said occasion where a sibling of him was a graduate) informed me that they attended the blow out of Lt. Ariel Toledo being the Valedictorian of PMA class '06. I asked Lt. Ariel's phone number and sent a congratulatory msge that i received no reply at all.

Few weeks before i left the country on June 23rd of this year, I was at the DPWH consultant's office of the ongoing construction of SUYO-CERVANTES ROAD. It was one of a fortunate day because the daily broadsheet was already out from the Japanese Consultant's office and has been at the secretary's desk.(It has been my habit to read the daily news and won't leave the office w/o doing it.) Front lining the news was, Lt. Toledo is suffering from an illness and his colleagues were raising funds for his major hospitalization. A prayer and hope for him to overcome the illness was the least thing i could do.

September 18, i ended up browsing the blog site of Atty. E. Cardinez and read her entry for Sept. 15. Opening @ reading her blog was a shock for me. -2nd Lt. Ariel Toledo interred in his native hometown....-As HE is in the military i gave high hope for him that he'll be given more than enough support from the gov't. Well, expect the none expected. Our life is not ours.

The man who caught my attention and who keeps my curiosity unanswered was eventually gone. He is now totally far.

A salute to you Lt. Ariel Toledo. Your deeds of perseverance/hardworking will be an inspiration to everyone. May your soul now rest in peace.