Tuesday, December 14, 2010

i was LMAO reading and remembering this:



A Jewish lady named Mrs. Rosenberg many years ago was stranded late one night at a fashionable resort - one that did not admit Jews. The desk clerk looked down at his book and said, "Sorry, no room. The hotel is full."
      
      The Jewish lady said, "But your sign says that you have vacancies."
      The desk clerk stammered and then said curtly, "You know that we do not admit Jews. Now if you will try the other side of town..."
      Mrs. Rosenberg stiffened noticeable and said, "I'll have you know I converted to your religion."
      The desk clerk said, "Oh, yeah, let me give you a little test. How was Jesus born?"
      
      Mrs. Rosenberg replied, "He was born to a virgin named Mary in a little town called Bethlehem."
      
      "Very good," replied the hotel clerk. "Tell me more."
      Mrs. Rosenberg replied, "He was born in a manger."
       "That's right," said the hotel clerk. "And why was he born in a manger?"
      
      Mrs. Rosenberg said loudly, "Because a jerk like you in the hotel wouldn't give a Jewish lady a room for the night!"


[thank you http://jokes.christiansunite.com for this]

Sunday, December 5, 2010

i was right- UGAT rocked!

in celebration of the glorious decades in pinoy music history, great pinoy folk rock artists performed together for the first time in a one-night concert dubbed ugat: ang himig natin

the concert, (december 3rd at the araneta coliseum) featured the juan dela cruz band (mike hanopol, pepe smith, wally gonzales), lolita carbon of asin, sampaguita, heber bartolome (and banyuhay), and florante (certified pasimpleng comic-walang kupas). 

manong gary granada and noel cabangon (to my delight) were also there. as mike hanopol puts it : "one of the great things that we have to do is to make sure that when we fade out, we will be able to pass the great music that we had then to the next generation". here's their opening medley [thanks to iamwalrus] . 

these pinoy icons performed their signature hits - himig natin, bonggahan, laguna, masdan mo ang kapaligiran, pagbabalik, itanong mo sa mga bata, tayo'y mga pinoy, nena, handog, mabuti pa sila, kahit konti, kanlungan, and titser's enemi#1 among others. they really rocked the big dome with audience (us included!) dancing and singing with them all throughout. 

surely, that was a night i'd forever cherish! 
[thanks shellz for the pixs...thanks claire for the you know...backpass, ahay---weeehhhh]

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

for the rainy days...

HE WANTED TO HAVE HIS OWN BANKBOOK
SO HE WOULD FORCE-SAVE FOR HIS BUSINESS PLAN
(JUNK SHOP and TOY STORE)
and FOR 'RAINY DAYS'...



SO HE ASKED THE TELLER HOW TO HAVE IT
AS I OBSERVE FROM AFAR
I COULD STILL REMEMBER HIS GRIN AS
HIS NAME WAS CALLED :)
AMAZING RACE STYLE, WE COMPLETED ALL REQUIREMENTS...
HE WAITED FOR A WHILE (OBVIOUSLY ADORING THE BANK'S XMAS TREE)

THEN HIS NAME WAS CALLED AGAIN...
HE FILLED UP SOME FORMS AND SIGNED HIS FIRST OFFICIAL SIGNATURE
(VERY VERY SERIOUS EH?)
VOILA! HAPPY WOWA!

Monday, November 22, 2010

is this hoping against hope?

Sunday, November 21, 2010

why im looking forward to december 3



[thanks to www.noypitayo.com
for the pic and the wonderful info]

Ugat, The Concert is a once-in-a-blue-moon-celebration of original Filipino music and stars on December 3, 2010 at the Araneta Coliseum! Thanks to Viva Concerts and Events.Time to see Pinoy Folk Rock legends together --- Mike Hanopol, Pepe Smith and Wally Gonzalez of the Juan de la Cruz Band, Sampaguita, Lolita Carbon (ASIN), Florante, Heber Bartolome, Gary Granada and Noel Cabangon .
Tickets are available at all SM Ticketnet outlets and at the Araneta Coliseum. (Patron A P2,500; Patron B P2,000; Lower Box P1,500; Upper Box A P1,000; Upper Box B P600; and GenAd P300)...but you can have a GA ticket for free when you buy a copy of Ugat 2, The Album (from Vicor). Songs in the album include Titser’s Enemi Number 1,No Touch, Tao, Easy Pare,Pulubi, Alaala, Laki Sa Layaw,Mr. Kenkoy,Pinay,Sierra Madre, Lolo Jose, Himig ng Pag-ibig, Itanong Mo Sa Mga Bata ; 22 Anos,  Pagbabalik Ng Kwago, Sirang Plaka, Nena, and Sigarilyo...all from greatest pinoy folk rock legends.

Gonna get me the concert ticket (or the album...or both)!!!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

gensan in tecynch's eyes

the prettiest

the seat of local government

what's a hot beautiful afternoon in a cool rush rush gensan gala without the yummy hot spag and halohalo from ellamarie...the waitress told me they make garlic chicken yummier than chickenhauz...hmmmm

gaisano in its latest archi

KCC from the other side of the street

happy tuna all the way

ooops, ate cynch got the chance to be with Pekto one snacktime

and here we are...happy to see each other after many years...
soon, she'd visit gensan again. yey!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

housewarming during storm



 in this uber - stressful life, nothing beats seeing good old friends (as those your high school schoolmates) for a good chit-chat over good food (as in fried chicken, spaghetti and pomelo juice), despite the storm...

coz the storm megi (local name juan) really came...but fritzie's housewarming is still a go...braving the rain and flood, we came since there's no better time to warm a new house but during a storm when it is uber-cold...

Thursday, October 14, 2010

back @ la nana - alone again

so im back at la nana...alone again, naturally...i always go there when i needed a taste of home cooking...i go there too for the fun of overhearing familiar conversations...now i have another reason to go there--- the TV hahaha. when i wanted to have series of moments with the idiot box (which is sadly very seldom), i go there. save from the TV and the new goto cart near the entrance, the resto hasnt change much. still the homey-freewifi-spot no-nonsense resto along espana, few walks away from my cell.
that evening, i had a variety of viands to choose from--- pork adobo, beef and mushrooms, caldereta, and some i-dont-know-how-they-are-called dishes. but since, im not a fan of pork and beef- i got me plain rice and chicken soup and  fried fish dipped in soysauce-vinegar mix...had my free glass of iced tea too. i was alone...but...i didnt feel that way...coz...somehow...i felt at home.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

kaeskwela hurray!!!

i have decided to join KaEskwela after my dissertation proposal defense in august. i needed some fresh air after the event so i went to visit my dear friend kate in makati. we had brunch then. she didn't know i just came from a big academic event of my life that time and i'm glad because what we talked about is a better breather :)

KaEskwela is katie's lovegroup and i immediately realized why it is so. kaeskwela (in filipino) means "schoolmate". and you know how schoolmates and classmates are- no matter where they go or what happened to them years after, they always feel they belong (to the school, to each other) and that's the spirit we're banking on... Kaeskwela (http://www.kaeskwela.org/) is a group of volunteers who help public schools in the Philippines. being a volunteer (and a teacher too), i share the belief that education is a foundation for building better lives and nations.

school kids must at least have or enjoy their journey towards that...this is the call of the group (might as well be a challenge to all): Think of the many ways you can help beyond just giving money: understand what a school needs, coordinate donations to respond to these needs, hold training sessions for teachers, assist in fund-raising events, help feed undernourished children -- you may have ideas, too, that could help your local school. soon, one school at a time, we can make dreams come true!

one dream shared by members since last year was to build a library for Lara Integrated School in San Fernando, Pampanga. the parents of the students have volunteered their labor to help build the library. the teachers have committed to help organize and run it. KaEskwela, have found book donors for the library---all's that missing is this ceratin sum of money to buy the building materials. one of the few plans to earn such is the rummage sale...we had it in katipunan (unit 313 near teriyaki boy) on september 24th and 25th. preparations and pricing is not easy but when you think of the possibility of earning for a cause, nothing's difficult :) we got us more that 11000 php in 2 days...that's a woot! (far from what we need though but still enough to keep our spirits high)... part2 of the rummage sale will be november 12th and 13th, anything you can do to help (donate goods for the sale, buy goods during the sale, volunteer your time, share to others what our activity is about), please do. together let's help make dreams come true.

Monday, October 11, 2010

3 economists bagged 2010 nobel

in 2009, the prize for economic sciences was awarded to two american economists: Professor Elinor Ostrom (Indiana University), the first woman to receive the prize; and Oliver Williamson, (retired professor from the University of California). this year, three economists will share the 2010 Nobel Prize for their work on how government policy affects unemployment

the nobel goes to Peter Diamond of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge; Dale Mortensen of Northwestern University in Evanston.; and Christopher Pissarides of the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. this is for their research on how economic policy affects the job market. their theories offered help in understanding the ways in which unemployment, job vacancies, and wages are affected by regulation and economic policy as the research focused on so-called "frictions," or impediments to trade, such as misinformation, cost of transportation or the disparity between companies' and employees' needs.

see full story here ---money.cnn.com/2010/10/11/news/economy/nobel_prize_economics/index.htm?hpt=T2

Sunday, October 10, 2010

10.10.10 run for pasig - success!

hundreds of thousands of runners, celebrities,  contingents from schools, religious groups, the police and military, government agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), business sector, and private institutions and fun-run-loving families joined hands (feet?) in “10.10.10 A Run for the Pasig River.” the event (organized by the Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig ) is touted as the largest footrace in the country (the run’s 3 starting points in SM Mall of Asia (MOA)--for 3k, CCP Complex--for 5k, and Ayala Avenue in Makati--for 10k). chief executive officer of ABS CBN Eugenio Lopez III showed his usual deep commitment to the Pasig River cause by joining the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the ceremonial 21k run (which kicked off from Marikina City). the fun run aimed to create awareness and raise funds for the massive Pasig River clean-up campaign. it eyed (too) the Guinness World Record for most participants in a footrace. the record of most runners has been held by San Francisco’s 1988 “Bay to Breakers” race til now...yes yes yes!!! it did (break the record)!!! with a more than 150,000 registered participants (more or less the same number for 'starters')--- 116, 086 made it to the 'finish'!

sharing the same hope and knowing that we can contribute in our own little ways, I and some old and new friends have decided to volunteer (answering friend benjo sandoval's call) to help steer the event as it starts. armed with enthusiasm, willingness to sacrifice hours of sleep et.cet, we were assigned to the information booth (we were so excited we arrived so early- at half-past midnight) and did the best we could given the eleventh hour orientation. concerns and worries from participants cropped up but we were able to somehow pull it through. my warmest thank you to paul (of abs cbn foundation) and my workmates marlyn and ian (from padilla cogeo), teng (from tandang sora), fritzie (from caloocan), connie (from balicbalic), irene (from paco), ernan (from bulacan) and emgy (from fairview) for the tiring yet worthwhile series of moments then.

here's the official story --> http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/10/11/10/pinoys-set-world-record-pasig-run

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

the battle continues

i have yet to find the bestest way to ward of mosquitoes. my 9-year old son has had a bad case of dengue fever about a year ago and there's no stopping me from wanting to get rid of them (those mosquitoes) for good, not only for me but for my family and friends as well.

here's what i did (and have been doing) so far:

1. i learned that mosquitoes are attracted to certain body smells. i learned  that eating more veggies than meat makes one less smelly hence, i am at an advantage since i don't eat meat that much. i drink lotsa water too. i have reason to believe this game plan works.

2. i have tried lotions too. i send my boys (the father and the son) sachets of off lotion or nosquito or whatever is available to protect their skin from becoming targets. i heard that the DEET in those does not repel mosquito, it sorts of  block the receptors of the mosquitoes, whatever will do. for me, i use Skin So Soft of Avon (i am not an avon lady, i just speak from experience) the scent (the odor) is so replusive (teeheehee), it drives those bugs away!

3. and lastly (oh, i think this would not be the last and least), i bring along a bottle sprayer with listerine on it [just because it's my other (stingy) brand aside from betadine]. it started out as an experiment (coz i dont like chemical anti-bug spray) and i was surprised it works. i just sprayed 'it' in my working area and mosquitoes bug me no more. hmmmm

which of the 3 really worked? beats me! maybe all!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

LIBRARY: a possible dream

A LIBRARY FOR THOSE CUTE LITTLE KIDS
WHY NOT???
WITH YOUR HELP, THIS WOULDN'T BE
AN IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
please visit http://www.kaeskwela.org/ for more details on how you can help :)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

from me to me: congratulations!


CONGRATULATIONS SAKURA!
you made it! see?
 i was right, you can do it without loosing your grip.
i know you'd do well but... you just don't believe in yourself
the way that i do (belive in you)
why is that?
when you know that you have prepared for that
and did your best (as you always do).
has the world been so unkind that you just can't trust it fully anymore?
keep on believing sakura.
keep on doing your best and keep on wanting to
make a difference in this world
the way you knew how.


Monday, September 6, 2010

despicable me @ RWM newport 3D cinema : semi-emo fun fun movie night

THE MOVIE : gru (voiced by steve carell) wanted to prove the world that he can perform the biggest burglary known to man : STEALING THE MOON! the plot revolved around gru's competing with a younger villain vector and adopting three girls- margo, edith and agnes. the minions (i have reason to believe their dialect resembles that of 'mahal': hardly understandable, high-pitched, fast paced tagalog- lol) are wonderful to watch too especially the part when they asked gru to kiss them goodnight the way he did to the kids at one point. and that minion who had the anti-gravity serum and keeps on popping at odd moments surely made me laugh (reminded me of the ice age movie too).
THE CINEMA: posh! yeah yeah, if that word isn't enough, try- wow! it's a state-of-the-art theater with the latest dolby digital audio technology (meaning, sound is at its best!). the seat viewing is like a stadium (read: unobstructed- like like like). legroom was oh so spacious, i feel like i'm just at my living room (oh well, minus my uber-old footrest). thank you resortsworld through ever-dynamic manila blogger azrael coladilla (http://www.azraelsmerryland.blogspot.com/)    for this major major nice 3D experience! the cinema lounge is a nice place to meet other bloggers too- glad to see my online friends offline!

THE ME-PART: yes, i was directed to my semi-emo mode during the screening. it's a movie about someone despicable turning to be a good dad. (i keep saying to myself that having no dad is better than having despicable dad, but the truth is: i guess i'd really never know). it's heartwarming seeing a man trying to fight off his caring nature to keep up his supposed- (believed to be) natural 'badness'. i also think some may have found themselves in gru as he grew up just trying to please his 'deadma-mom' (who in the end told him she was proud of him, aaaw). oh what funny ways to put the human side of a supposed funny cartoon!
 
"One big unicorn, strong and free,  thought he was happy as he could be.
Then three little kittens came around and turned his whole life upside down.
They made him laugh, they made him cry.
He never should have said goodbye.
And now he knows he can never part from those three little kittens
that changed his heart."
(a bedtime story, as told by gru)

[many thanks to wanderlustful ria of http://www.sugarsmile.blogspot.com/
for the pretty pretty pretty pictures- yes, that's pretty written 3 times]

Sunday, September 5, 2010

braving the rain for the bestest-ever pancit and fresh lumpia

i can't even remember when was it. but i have clear memory of the heavy rain pouring that sunday afternoon. after my usual sacred time (at my cell), sorting things both physically and spiritually, friend irene called- asking if i still am up to our plan of having authentic chinese 'merienda' at binondo (manila), the rain then is showing no signs of stopping. without further thinking, i said 'yes of course, give me 10 to 20 minutes and i'd be at the meeting place'. she was quite worried 'coz the place was somewhat unfamiliar to me, hence she decided to meet me at the church where i have less probability of getting lost, it's an old famous church in manila (name that church) anyways.

paying 50 php (a little more than a dollar), i asked the driver of a tricycle to bring me to that church. he didn't hesitate to bring me there passing by flooded streets (only on rainy days do they get to ask for higher fares. on normal weather, a ride from dapitan-where my cell is-would just cost 10 to 15 php). and so i arrived. irene was waiting and somewhat amused by my go-go attitude. we walked the streets of binondo and found her favorite restaurant (name that restaurant) after several blocks. we have umbrella (each) but well, streets are semi-flooded so we're practically wet. we were greeted by the restaurant staff and were served with bestest-ever pancit and fresh lumpia in town. beat that!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

thank you...

It must have been cold there in my shadow to never have sunlight on your face. You were content to let me shine, that's your way,you always walked a step behind. So I was the one with all the glory, while you were the one with all the strength. A beautiful face without a name -- for so long, a beautiful smile to hide the pain. Did you ever know that you're my hero, and ev'rything I would like to be? I can fly higher than an eagle,'cause you are the wind beneath my wings. 

It might have appeared to go unnoticed, but I've got it all here in my heart. I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it,I would be nothing with out you. Did you ever know that you're my hero, and ev'rything I would like to be? I can fly higher than an eagle, 'cause you are the wind beneath my wings. Fly, fly, fly away, you let me fly so high. Oh, fly, fly, so high against the sky, so high I almost touch the sky.
Thank you, thank you, thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings. 


[yes, those are words from a song, and i know you know why they are for you]

Friday, September 3, 2010

give justice to the victims, not direct anger at the weak

These are lines of a longer article from this page... http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20100829_1.htm ... One friend said the identity of the writer isn't confirmed yet (was this supposed impostor this good of a storyteller??? ). Another said, no victim of such name exists. Fake or not, these lines comes really close to what most of us feel recently.

I kept thinking about what turned a former excellent policeman into a cold-blooded killer? Didn't he have any reservations? Didn't he worry about his own family? What drove him to such desperate straits? Why did he have to choose to take hostages in order to force the government to review his case? Is there no way of making an appeal in that country?

I realized finally that even though I had some colleagues from the Philippines, I and most Hong Kong people know almost nothing about that country. There are more than one hundred thousand Filipina domestic helpers in Hong Kong and they live with our families. But we have never cared about this country and its people who provide us with a large number of cheap laborers. We know that the Philippines is poor and that is why they export domestic workers all over the world. But how poor? I checked and I found out that one-third of its people live below the poverty line. Killings and kidnapping occur on a daily basis. Under such circumstances, why kind of life do the people have? I remembered that two days before the hijacking, our schedule included a visit to a flower car factory. There we smelled a foul odor. The tour guide pointed to the outside of the factory wall. There was a mountain of garbage out there. Many young children were picking through the garbage to make their living. This made us sad and speechless.


After returning to Hong Kong, I learned that there had been quite a bit of anti-Philippines talk in Hong Kong over the past several days. On the Internet, someone proposed revenge by sending all Filipina domestic helpers home so that their country would plunge into economic hardship. I learned that Filipina domestic helpers were insulted in the streets, with the Philippines being referred to as the "nation of slaves" and the "nation of servants." I can understand that the citizens are incredibly angry with the Philippines government and police. I feel the same way myself. But what has this got to do with the people of the Philippines?


Have we forgotten what it feels like to be discriminated against? Hong Kong was a colonized society for a long time, with the Chinese being discriminated against by the so-called "masters" within the system and their daily lives. But now some Hong Kong people turn around to speak like slave-owners that "We hired so many Filipinas so we are their bosses" and "it was an act of benevolence to hire you so how dare you offend your superiors" against the Filipina domestic helpers who had nothing whatsoever to do with the Manila hostage incident itself. This is just appalling.


The Filipina domestic helpers are the victims of their incompetent government, which was unable to provide a decent living for its people. That is why so many Filipinas have to leave their families. They work to take care of other's children while leaving their own children behind. So why should the Filipina domestic helpers in Hong Kong serve as the scapegoats of their incompetent government? Why are some Hong Kong people angry but also being racist?


Even more incomprehensibly, the Hong Kong government has just announced at this time that the wages of all domestic helpers (including Filipinas) will continue to be frozen. This means that the foreign domestic helpers cannot share the fruits of the economic recovery. Is our government exploiting the situation? Would the government care to tell us about their standards and system for determining wage levels for foreign domestic helpers? Their actions right now carry the impression that the government wants to punish the foreign domestic helpers. This is no help towards relieving anti-Philippines sentiments. A friend quoted the words of Lu Xun: When the brave become angry, they draw their knives at those even stronger; when the meek become angry, they draw their knives at those even weaker. Do the people of Hong Kong only know to draw their knives against the weak?


Over the past several days, Hong Kong has been both angry and sad over this Manila hostage incident. Although I have not discussed with other team members, I am sure that we are grateful for the concern and support of the citizens. But the way to comfort the souls of the dead is not to blame the innocent Filipina domestic helpers and the people of the Philippines. Our focus should be clearly on the Philippines government and its police. We want a fair and proper investigation. We want to an account of the responsibility in the incident. We want to provide for the future of the injured persons as well as the families of the deceased. This is how we show our concern for the casualties in this incident.


In the long run, we should support the people of the Philippines to build a more trustworthy government and a more just society. This is how Hong Kong truly becomes a member of the international community and a cosmopolitan city with humanitarian concerns.

Friday, August 27, 2010

you are not the only ones hurt

yesterday
i have posted a semi-angry sentiment
of a foreigner about the recent you-know-what...
i tried drafting a response or even just something that would air what i feel right now, but i failed.
not that i feel that it matters to you, but it matters to me...
here's someone who have managed to...

Thursday, August 26, 2010

here's why his comments made me shiver - (doh) (tears)

friend lainie (working in singapore) sent me this message few minutes ago with an intro: I had 2nd thoughts forwarding this, but i guess we could still learn something from this. oh well, i must give the same intro to you too. but as i read on, i can feel myself nodding to some of his sentiments (crossed sentences are mine, those are lines which i think are somewhat foul, at least for now)...here:

kir106 on August 25, 2010 at 1:47 pm As a white person married to a filipina and father to two half dutch / filipino children, I feel for Philippines. I have sadness but I also have frustration and anger towards filipino culture (in some cases, filipino behaviour is idiotic)...because I see it in my wife, in my in-laws and her relations.

To most foreigners, we see and understand the bad things in filipino culture (and yet filipinos do not understand nor see the bad in themselves, why because you filipinos think that you are good people because you are catholics or born-agains....let me tell you, there are bad catholics and there are bad born-agains).

This sad story just highlights the idiotic nature of filipino culture and how it impacts on the filipino society. This bad side of the filipino culture was displayed over the world (via cable tv and internet, however we have ABS-CBN so we watched it live). I will try and explain in english and broken tagalog:

Idiot 1: Stupid Filipino Negotiator The filipino negotiator only talked for about 30 minutes then gave up. That is not how you do or practice negotiation skills in hostage situations. In other parts of the world, most negotiators do it for 48 hours. They give the hostagetaker lots of food and water to drink and talk to him all the time. The logic behind this is after 12 hours (of eating and drinking), they need to pee or poo (kailangan wee-wee at tae), so he have to get out of the bus, that's when you need to attack him. Have you tried to talk on the phone when ebs is starting to come out? Its very hard. This is a technique filipino negotiators need to learn. Yes, the hostagetaker was given food...but it should have been more over a 48 hour period. After 48 hours, susuko din ito.

Idiot 2: Stupid Swat Team with a Hammer He was a stupid swat team who was hammering the window with a long and heavy pile driver hammer. After 3 attempts he got tired, he needed to let go of the hammer and give his gun to his partner so he can rest. Well, next time try to work out in the gym, do some weights and jog to get fit. Sobra taba pagod agad.

Idiot 3: Emergency lock out on Hydraulic Doors All tour buses have an emergency lock out for the hydraulic doors. It's located under the bus near the underside of the door. I saw on TV that they were trying to find out where the lock out is...instead the tababoy swat hammered the door, what did it do...nothing, it's still remained close and he got tired some more. In other parts of the world, the tactical response group practice everyday on how to attack or seige a hostage situation, they study all type of vehicles (airplanes, buses, trains, boats etc) and practice how to attack these positions. They study were the entry and exit are, where emergency doors are and how to stop these vehicles (just ask the Israel Tactical response group, they do this every day). Next time, study the layout of the bus first. Filipinos tend not to worry about what may happen, they only act when it is happening.

Idiot 4: Roping the Door Another swat team [member] (the tababoy swat team have to be substituted he got tired) tried to rope the door and pull it using the Isuzu police truck...what happened? The rope ... hellllloooo .....hydraulic doors are designed to stand against a lot of force and pressure. A rope made of abaca won't open it.

Idiot 5: The bystander boy who got shot in the leg A bystander got shot in the leg. Well, what do you expect? The swat team should have quarantined and sanctioned the area. Example: put a ribbon or barracade saying "Crime Scene" just like you see in the movies....or is the PNP too poor to buy one of those. Al bystanders should realise that they are not part of the event and if something happens to them it is their own fault. Buti nga sayo, buhay ka pa !!

Idiot 6: Throwing tear gas into the bus It is idiotic to throw tear gas into a bus when nobody knew how many people were still alive. Of those dead people, I wonder how many died of tear gas suffocation. Of course, PNP will not admit it, they will say that the hostagetaker killed them. I do not trust filipino autopsy. Filipinos tend to fake documents or stories to make them look good (it's called 'saving face'). As far as the PNP is concerned, the hostagetaker killed them and no other investigation is required.

Idiot 7:Firing into the bus This is one of the most serious idiotic actions they did. Firing into the bus also creates ricochet (banda-banda). I wonder how many got killed because of this? Like number 6, PNP will not admit it.

Idiot 8: Swat team entering after the tear gas This idiotic act is the one that made me laugh (and I am sure all tactical response group in the world will be using this as a "don't do" training video because of its 'kenkoy' effect). Two swat teams enter the bus after they put the tear gas...what happened...they have to asked for help from the people outide to get them out because they cant breath...why...because they forgot the gas mask. Next time do an inventory of equipment you need in case of emergency.

Idiot 9: The treatment of the brother and family of the hostagetaker It was seen on TV that the wife, daughter and brother of the hostagetaker were treated poorly. Nobody helped them, not even the media. No person tried to help the family. In most society, a group of people will form a circle around the family to help them...nobody did that for them. Where is the people power...Philippines have done it before, why didn't they do it then? No one offered help to the wife and the pregnant daughter, they saw their father killed in front of them. That is no way to treat people....for a country who claims to be 'mapagmahal', catholic and christian that was an utter embarrassment.

Idiot 10: Corrupt police The hostagetaker wanted to clear his name because he was charged with corruption. Corruption...in the Phillippines....that's news to me (sarcastic)!!! One policeman charged with corruption is not going to make a difference. Catching small corruption is not going to make a difference....the real corruption happens at the top of filipino government (ie Marcos, Erap, Arroyo).Us foreigners laugh at filipino stupidity because you do not learn, you get rid of Marcos because he was bad and corrupt, but still vote for Imelda and her children to become congressman and governor, give them a second chance to be corrupt again......so, nothing changed. That's Corruption....and 'katangahan ng pilipino'. In other countries, police treat one another like brothers and help them when they need it. It did not happen here.

Idiot 11: Media and dead people This is the most idiotic and unacceptable behaviour that was displayed to the world. Filipino media is to be blamed for this. Respect and sensitivity should have been excersised by the media. They showed (in close up), the dead body of the hostagetaker hanging from the door with blood and brains dripping from the head, the dead body of a child and other dead bodies with blood being taken out of the bus. This should not have been televised. The relatives of the dead will not want it televised but the filipino media did. This is not good. Respect for the dead should have been observed.

Idiot 12: Laughing Sniper The sniper was interviewed by the media and he seemed to be happy and laughing when he told the reporter how he shot the hostagetaker in the head and that he was proud he killed him. The wife, daughter and father of the hostagetaker (watching from their province) will obviously will not want another person to hear how proud they were when he shot their husband / father. I hope that the sniper have a son, father, brother and I hope one day someone will shoot them infront of him and I want to know how he feels then.

CONCLUSION: This will only give filipinos a bad name overseas. It will also affect filipinos who are born overseas, eventhough they have nothing to do with this, they will be judged of what filipinos in Philippines did. For filipinos trying to get a visa to Canada, USA, UK, Europe etc...forget it...you will be judged by their immigration office for this kind of event. They already know that most filipinos are likely to be TNT and this backlash will make it even harder for filipinos to get visa.

Ganti [revenge] on DH - I am sure, that Hong Kong / China will go on a massive revenge on filipina DH in hong kong. I am sure of it. HK and Chinese only see filipinas as lowly people who's only role is to clean houses. PS: chinese people don't know that Europeans look at them as lowly immigrants who clean toilets in europe....ganti din.

Ganti on japayuki -Also, Japanese people will take revenge on japayukis in Japan. Japanese people already treat filipinas like dirt and they will even treat them even worse because of this. Japanese people to not take filipinos in high regard...japanese only see filipinos as dirt people who will do anything just to get money (ie be japayuki in japan).

Ganti on OFW in Saudi -I'm sure too, that OFW in Saudi will also feel the revenge of people there because of this. I am sure that my children will be teased and bullied at school because of this. My children, regardless of being half-white are still brown in colour, with black hair (but with blue eyes) and people know they are half-filipinos. So filipinos in Philippines, your stupidity in your country is also 'hawa-hawa' to other filipinos overseas...they get judged by what you filipinos in Philippines do to yourselves or to others. Internet order filipina brides will always get foreign husbands, unfortunately for filipino lalaki, there is no such thing as internet order filipino husbands (I never seen white woman with filipino husband), as more filipina marry foreigner more filipino lalaki are left behind in philippines (my wife said she does not like filipino lalaki because they are 'tanga'.....I know she married me for money and greencard so she can send dollars to her batugan parents and batugan brothers, batugan cousins and batugan kapitbahay)....so, the only hope for Philippines is for half-foreigner and half-filipino children, half is better than stupid full-blood filipino.

-end of email (enough said muna)-

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

in no specific order

here are my favorite blog pages lately.
some may call this a list of top 10 emerging influential blogs.
i call them my prio-read, among many others. 

http://imomonline.net/
i smile when i read entries from this page. and what more,
i like her. a true-blue momma.

http://fengguillermobrum.com/
i just have gotten to know this page from reading imom-
worth knowing, worth noting.

http://sugarsmile.blogspot.com/
this page reminds me of the young in me.
may it be there forever.

http://hoysakura.blogspot.com/
will you allow me to include this? hala!
'question answers' to questions needing answers.

http://kikaymuch.me/
i'm not a fashionista, but ugh
i'm a closet fan of kikaymuch

http://meowbykate.blogspot.com
coz i'm afraid of kitties and almost anything that moves
(that's not human)- here i get my share
of loving them without having to touch or be near them

http://burymeinthisdress.com/blog/
just open this page and you'd know why.

http://smoke.ph/blog/
'coz most of the time (not all of the time) what's in my draft
is in her page already. she writes my thoughts better, never afraid.
so i don't write them anymore, i share hers.

http://gandaeversomuch.com/
the closest i can have to having updates about my adopted city...and
understanding others (just others, not the 'not like ours'-thing). fascinating.

http://clarencebatan.com/
i learn much when we talk... and when we can't (talk),
i learn from his website. (no ads! lavet!)

truth is, after geocities and friendster, i have semi-retired
from the online world and just had myself reinstated lately.
hence, i don't know much about most of these pages, as to
when did it start making noise (if it ever did) or if they ever
have been on any top10 list on the blogosphere. they're just
on my list 'coz they are my favorites lately. one or two of
them may become your favorites too.

POST SCRIPT.
i'm sending this to ms. toral's page
http://www.influentialblogger.net/2010/05/join-top-10-emerging-influential-blogs.html
now na! send yours too!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

missing the toxic sked

0530: wake up to a smell of morning coffee with lotsa milk
0630: bathed and ready for work while helping the boys get ready
0700: off to school- teach, read, research, chat, learn et.cet.
1200: lunchtime with the boys
1330: back to school - consult, teach, sort/pay bills and/or do other errands
1730: early dinner with the boys
1830: TV time, chat-time with hubby, assist wowa in his 'homework'
2100: sleep time (of the boys), house clean-up time
2200: prepare for tomorrow- clothes, shoes, food et.cet.
2230: check papers, prepare lessons while watching(listening to) movies
0200: sleeptime et.cet. :))

Monday, August 16, 2010

breaking the fast

breakfast is called breakfast because it's a meal that breaks our night fast. hence, saying that it's the most important meal of the day is so correct. mine today is breakfast A: okra, egg and rice. okra, aside from being low in calories, has plenty of vitamin A, Thiamin, B6, C, folic acid, riboflavin, calcium, zinc and dietary fiber. eggs are a good source of low-cost high-quality protein. rice (which is staple here) provides fast and instant energy and pretty good bowel movement, stabilizes blood sugar levels and provides essential source of vitamin B1. rice (eaten in moderation, say half a cup?) is good for the skin too and helps build resistance to high blood pressure, dysentery and heart diseases. most of all, i cooked all of it in one sitting - fast, cheap, healthy! breakfast anyone?

Friday, August 13, 2010

loss for words, as usual

whenever i decide to blog about you, i am always at a loss for words.
why is that?
just several days ago, you celebrated your birth anniversary.
a year older, a year wiser, a year stronger.
i wish i was near you then to show you how much i love you...
but that day, i can only thank god he gave me the chance to meet you...
he created a beautiful wonderful forgiving human being that is you.
our life together was not perfect, but it is so much better than the rest.
thank you for keeping us (our family) together.
thank you for trying your best- in not just being the best husband
but the best father as well.
thank you for understanding my sometimes scary playfulness.
thank you for being 'you'.
whenever i decide to blog about you,
i am always at a loss for words.
why is that? maybe, just maybe,  words aren't enough...

i just didn't do it

it's the title of a japanese film i saw.
the movie is about a young man
falsely accused of molesting a high-school girl
on a train. he was arrested and charged,
and goes through almost-endless court sessions,
all the while insisting that he is innocent.

i don't want to do the same.
i was accused. i was judged.
what more can i do? appeal?
but you stated that an appeal does not guarantee anything.
so why would i?
should i just thank you for not killing me?
okay, thank you.

but you should know, i - just - didn't - do - it!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

la nana @ espana manila

i found a new resto-carenderia (eatery) in espana manila. just few walks away from UST (like 4 stores away from ministop espana-noval), the eatery is so small (compared to others) you won't even notice it unless you pass by it and be lured by the 'wifi' notice posted. yes, it's a wifi-zone, 2-floor eatery with a heart!

the manager told me (in a wonderful visayan dialect) that they wanted to offer a relatively cheap (38 pesos, about $0.85, for a value meal that includes iced tea) but delicious meal to students and employees/workers alike, at the same time give them the service that almost everyone would want to have (aside from an extra-clean dining area is a wireless internet connection whichever is more important to you) for free and without ever having to go to expensive coffeeshops and/or malls.

the place gave me a familiar feeling of home, with viands (veggies, seafood, fish & meat dishes, soup & noodles among others) that doesn't look and taste like commercial foodstuff (partly attributed to the cook's training in a chinese restaurant) and the color scheme of the walls oddly makes me  feel relaxed. and the name la nana sounds like lola (granny) and nanay (mother) so whenever i feel like i don't wanna cook (sometimes i feel sad cooking just for one), i feel like i'd just have to go to la nana 'coz it's like going my nanay's place to satisfy my tummy :)



Wednesday, July 28, 2010

my SALT in resortsworld manila

THE LOCATION: Resorts World Manila (a luxury casino resort) located in newport city, across NAIA3 in pasay city, ph. the resort have hotels, a casino, a shopping mall and cinemas too!

THE EVENT:  launching of cinema 2 (a conventional theater among 3 others, one of which included an 80-seater-almost-exclusive-butler-ready space) and special screening of angelina jolie's intense action film - SALT for media people, bloggers and resortworld's guests and representatives.

THE MOVIE: plot centers on a CIA officer (jolie) who is fingered as a russian sleeper spy. she tried eluding capture by superiors who are convinced she is out to assassinate the president. while trying to reunite with her spider-scientist-husband, she literally fought hard to prove someone else is the traitor. . . full-packed action with beautiful insertions of flashbacks and emotional struggle, this movie (as i have been telling everybody since october of last year) is a must-see!
OVERALL IMPRESSION: like the usual malls, specialty shops abound and cinemas are in the 4th floor but unlike the usual malls, the hotel staff (how do i call them - mall staff? customer service reps?) are well-dressed and so hospitable. what i loved most is the lounge at the 2nd floor that resembles that of a park, complete with fountain and bushes in a box (yeah right, it's a wooden plant box behind each wooden bench)...and oh, that beautiful clear canopy that made me wanna imagine how it is like enjoying my night coffee under the stars, not worrying a bit if it rains.
THE POSTSCRIPT:  i get the chance to meet bloggers wanderlust (http://sugarsmile.blogspot.com/ whom i owe the better pictures shown here), abet ( http://manila-life.blogspot.com/ who made me feel welcome all the time), jeff (http://boy-kuripot.blogspot.com/ whom i owe the unwet journey from venue to ayala) , jonel (http://nomnomclub.com/ who's been very accomodating with my extra-kulit sms) and FPJ (one pleasantly silent and i have yet to bump on again). hence, despite the downpour after the screening, the night was still a blast! thanks mucho too to az (http://azraelsmerryland.blogspot.com/)  for always sharing the invits to events such as this.