Costa Rica Travel Surf Expat blog for Norm Schriever

Your January 2018 Postcard From Norm - the year in review.

12/30/2017

2017 was a wild ride, with memorable experiences, adventures, and new friendships. And although the challenges were just as profound, I'm left extremely humbled and grateful, as well as looking forward to 2018 with new optimism and joy.

To recap my past 365 days, I decided to share my past postcards from January 1 2017 through November 2017. Thank you so much for being a part of my year - and my life - and I'd love to hear from you, too.

Best always,

Your friend Norm

January: A year dedicated to service,
including my resolutions for our world in 2017.

February: The smile and laugh edition!

March: It's all about island hopping in the Philippines!

April: Where I'm from - family roots and growing up.

May: Why I chose to move to Dumaguete, and what I love about living there!

June: Returning to the Kingdom of Cambodia,
including an exploration of the remarkable culture, remembering a fallen friend,
and a Wicced surprise.

July: Should we start our own country? A look at the nation of Normtopia.

August: Where I'm from, Junior High.

September: Exploring the awesome island of Siargao,
surfing capital of the Philippines.

October: As I head back to the U.S. to visit,
I rewind through some of the best memories of the year.

November: A tribute to our courageous little friend, Liza Mae.

***
Have a great 2018, everyone!

Love ya and see ya next year!

-Norm :-)

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Where does the name "The Philippines" come from?

12/16/2017

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Where does the name “The Philippines” come from? Why the “The” before the name? And how many people who live here, expats and locals, know these answers?

I set out to discover just that for this weekly column.

First, I asked a few of my Filipino friends around town, “Where did the name ‘Philippines’ come from?”

The responses were entertaining, if not entirely accurate.

“It was named after the conquerer who loved pineapple.”

"I think you told me the other day, and it was someone's name, but I forgot."

“From Spanish time I think. Filipino are slaves of Spaniards. And Filipinos are not tall people. ”

“Is this for your newspaper?”

“OMG why not just Google it?”

And the quips from foreigners were even more nonsensical, as expected, like: “It’s something the Spaniards said after first drinking tuba.”

In fact, in my extremely unscientific survey, only about 10% of all Filipinos knew the origins of their own country’s name. (And even fewer foreigners.) But a couple of my friends did nail it, spot-on.

So what’s the right answer?

The etymology of “Philippines” comes from the name that honored King Philip II of Spain, who was actually still just the Prince of Asturias when he commissioned the exploration of the archipelago. It was Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos, who sailed here in 1542, landing in Leyte and Samar and calling them “Felipinas” after his Prince/patron.

The then-Prince Philip did become King of Spain from 1554 to 1598, and by all accounts, he was a tyrant and a bumbling ruler who's decision to invade the British Islands with his Spanish Armada led to the gradual decline of Spanish world dominance.

(Side note: “Philip” comes from a Greek word meaning “Lover of Horses,” although maybe it should mean “Lover of Lechon.”)

That name soon evolved to Las Islas Filipinas, or “the Islands of Philip” in Spanish.

Interestingly, this name had nothing to do with Magellan (which was my guess), who first visited the islands in 1521 and called them “San Lázaro.”

Las Islas Filipinas stuck throughout Spanish rule until the Spanish-American War of 1898. During the Treaty of Paris that ended that war and formalized Spanish defeat, the territory is listed as The Philippine Islands, an English version of the Spanish name.

But during the brief Philippine Revolution, the Malolos Congress wanted to call their to-be-sovereign state República Filipina. And in the native Tagalog language, it was referred to as Republika ng Pilipinas.

However, the name “Philippines Islands” stuck through American commonwealth rule and World War II, and then officially became The Republic of the Philippines.

So why the “The?” I learned that many conquered lands were labeled with “The” as property while they were under European colonial rule. But while many of these nations adopted new names when they became independent, The Philippines did not. To this day, it stands with The Gambia and The Netherlands as the only three similarly labeled countries on earth.

Former President Ferdinand Marcos wanted to call the nation “Maharlika” and its people “Maharlikans” after “respected and courteous calling to a noble man or women by our ancestors” – a term that may have formed from “mahal kita or mahal na nilikha.” (Mahal meaning “love,” of course.)

Over the decades, there has still been a call to change the name again from the current Colonial version to something in honor of national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal. But that’s fallen on deaf ears of late, as “Rizal-Land” or some variation just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

In the immortal words of rapper Biggie Smalls, “And if you don’t know, now ya know!”

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The 10 greatest motivational books of all time.

12/13/2017

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How to Win Friends & Influence People

Author: Dale Carnegie
Published in the post-Great Depression days of 1936, Dale Carnegie’s classic about connecting with other human beings on a deeper and more substantial level is still as relevant today. Not wonder why one of the first self-help books ever published has sold 30 million copies around the world, making it to the top twenty of Time Magazine's 100 most influential books.

Think and Grow Rich

Author: Napoleon Hill
Another instant self-help classic from the Depression era, Napolean Hill spent decades studying and interviewing the richest and most successful people in America like Andrew Carnegie. The result is this book, where he shares his 13 guiding principles they all have in common. Think And Grow Rich has sold more than 100 million copies to date, with BusinessWeek magazine naming it the sixth best-selling business book of all time

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Author: Stephen Covey
This business empowerment book was first published in 1988 by Stephen Covey and went on to historic success. In total, it sold more than 25 million copies worldwide, and the audiobook version was the first of its kind to sell over one million copies. Covey talks about the seven principles of character, ethics, morality, alignment with your true purpose and more.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Author: Richard Carlson
This little tome that helps people make big changes in their lives was published in 1997, the first of its kind to speak about the mind clutter, anxiety, and high stress inherent with our modern, digital, and connected society. It’s still a fun and ever-helpful read for those who want to refocus and feel balanced again

Awaken the Giant Within

Author: Anthony Robbins
In the 1990s and early 2000s, the name Tony Robbins was synonymous with motivational gurus, as he took the world by storm with his energetic and powerful speeches, seminars, books, and appearances. Awaken the Giant Within is his most successful to date, launching him onto the Worth Magazine Power 100 list of wealthiest people in America.

The Power of Positive Thinking

Author: Norman Vincent Peale
When Dr. Peale wrote this book in 1952, the idea of positive thinking being able to influence our environment and circumstances was seen as heresy. But it turns out that he was right, and his critics were all wrong, and this book helped set off the modern self-help movement.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Author: Malcolm Gladwell
Gladwell goes in depth about the power and relevance of following our intuition in this 2005 book, mixing scientific data and behavioral psychology with the unconscious, inherent in human beings since the beginning of time

The Four Agreements

Author: Don Miguel Ruiz
While this book by little-known author Don Ruiz “only” sold 5.2 million copies, it’s a cult classic among his readers and followers, even sparking a trend where people actually got these four agreements tattooed on their bodies! It’s also been translated into 38 languages and featured on the Oprah show.

Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Author: Dan Milman
This part fiction/part self-help book/part autobiography is truly one of a kind, and the one on the list that was made into a movie. First released in 1980, it actually was met with abysmal sales, but was rereleased years later and exploded in popularity.

The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success

Author: Deepak Chopra
The iconic Deepak Chopra astounds with his unveiling of universal truths in The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams. Published in 1994, it's not a big book but has a monumental impact on anyone lucky enough to pick it up and read it - including me,

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Your January 2018 Postcard From Norm - the year in review.

January: A year dedicated to service,
including my resolutions for our world in 2017.

February: The smile and laugh edition!

Where does the name "The Philippines" come from?

The 10 greatest motivational books of all time.

Receive a digital postcard from Norm every month:

Norm Schriever

Categories

Archives

Norm Schriever

Your January 2018 Postcard From Norm - the year in review.

January: A year dedicated to service,​including my resolutions for our world in 2017.

February: The smile and laugh edition!

Where does the name "The Philippines" come from?

The 10 greatest motivational books of all time.

Receive a digital postcard from Norm every month:

Norm Schriever

Categories

Archives

Norm Schriever

January: A year dedicated to service,
including my resolutions for our world in 2017.