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ALBERT B. CASUGA, a Philippine-born writer, lives in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, where he continues to write poetry, fiction, and criticism after his retirement from teaching and serving as an elected member of his region's school board. He was nominated to the Mississauga Arts Council Literary Awards in 2007. A graduate of the Royal and Pontifical University of St. Thomas (now University of Santo Tomas, Manila. Literature and English, magna cum laude), he taught English and Literature (Criticism, Theory, and Creative Writing) at the Philippines' De La Salle University and San Beda College. He has authored books of poetry, short stories, literary theory and criticism. He has won awards for his works in Canada, the U.S.A., and the Philippines. His latest work, A Theory of Echoes and Other Poems was published February 2009 by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House. His fiction and poetry were published by online literary journals Asia Writes and Coastal Poems recently. He was a Fellow at the 1972 Silliman University Writers Workshop, Philippines. As a journalist, he worked with the United Press International and wrote an art column for the defunct Philippines Herald.

Friday, December 11, 2009

OFF ON A BRIEF BREAK


Avoiding the frenzied buying for Christmas Gifts. Off to where the sun still shines.






Christmas Gifts
“And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon and the stars, and the earth with its forests and mountains and oceans--and all that lives and move upon them.
“He has given us all green things and everything that blossoms and bears fruit and all that we quarrel about and all that we have misused.
“And to save us from our foolishness, from all our sins, He came down to earth and gave us Himself."
— Sigrid Undset, Nobel Laureate (1928)



Philippine veteran journalist Juan L. Mercado sent me an early wish for a Happy Christmas and clipped this Undset quote together with his much appreciated greetings for the Christian holiday.
I could not have expressed my best wishes for this Christmas to all friends and loved ones better. If this does not crystallize for us the meaning of love, hope, and charity, I regret that I do not know how else I would say it.

Have a blessed Christmas one and all!


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