"Novendiales"

Karl's Blog. Stardate Blah Blah Blah,

Today marks the thid day in which my family, being of the Catholic tradition, will pray in mourning a departed soul. The third day nine such days that is custom when one dies in the Catholic faith. Last night happenned to be my turn to lead the prayer. A difficult task for me. It had been a while since I had gone into the habit of vocal praying. The horrible sinner that I am.

Now you may ask yourself, "Karl, this is awfully hardcore for your family to mourn the Pope's passing in this manner." However, this is merely a coincidence. For you see, my grandfather fell ill and died hours prior to John Paul II. If my old highschool religion teacher were here, he would remind me that there is no such thing as a coincidence and the fact that these two events occurred in such a fashion is in itself inherantly purposeful. Of course, anyone reading that last sentence would deduct marks off for redudndancy.

My family is currently trying to settle the affairs of my grandfather. Organizing such things as the viewing, internment, and what not. My minor role is shuttling people around and keeping my grandmother company.

This was the furthest thing from my mind a while back. My worries consisted of my film locations work, my moonlighting as a lamp op. trainee to further my knowledge in the art of making film, and eventually helping out at the institute that is ACF during my long deserved break from film. Now, all that fades into the background. My apologies to the ACF crew for my absence. Hopefully, I'll see everyone out on the day of.

Tentatively, it appears that the viewing may be held Wednesday evening with the internment on the subsequent Thursday.* All being held at Ocean View, along 49th Avenue, the Burnaby Central Park(?). The same resting place of my mother. At least, they reunited once more.

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*Adendum:

Viewing Schedule of Teodoro Flores Doculan Sr.

Wednesday, April 6th, 2005

- Ocean View Cemetary, Burnaby B.C. @ 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
~ 4000 Imperial Street
~ between Willingdon Ave. & Boundary Rd.

Thursday, April 7th, 2005

- St. Joseph’s Parish, Vancouver B.C. @ 6:00pm – 9:30 pm
~ 3261 Fleming Street
~ near Knight St. & 18th Ave.


Funeral Schedule of Teodoro Flores Doculan Sr.

Friday, April 8th, 2005

- St. Joseph’s Parish, Vancouver B.C. @ 12:00 noon
~ 3261 Fleming Street
~ near Knight St. & 18th Ave.


For more information call the following:

Home #: 604-278-9384

Cell #: 604-773-0384


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All I can say of my grandfather is the following:

I knew relatively little of his history. A shock for me, being the History Major that I am. But, what little I did know was the man and how he treated those around him. In doing so he garnered respect form almost everyone in his presence. I believe this stems from his background as an educator in the Philippines. He did not move here to Canada until after he retired as a teacher. So he held that certain "old school" regality about him which one can sense. Hence, each and everyone around him was like a student under his tutelage. Students did not require judgement, they required guidance to live up to their full potential. He was always concerned. Even to the end. All his mental faculties in check.

If I were to make a comparison between him and the departed pontiff, it would be that while their mortal shell seemed to break down, their spirits forced that same body to continue, kicking and screaming as it were.

So while I may mourn for the man. He is not truly gone. He is merely in another state according to physics.
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Wow, April is a cruel month for me. That month in the middle of spring. Which in itself is the transitional period between winter and summer. I've lost mother to April. Now I've lost her father, my grandfather, to that same month.

Later Days.

End Transmission.