going up, going down

After Jasmine Trias, it looks like the Philippines will, once again, show the world how talented Filipinos are. That’s via Ramiele Malubay, 20 years old from Miami, Florida who, with her black hair, chinky eyes and very cute height is undeniably carrying Pinoy blood all over her.

She made it to the top 20 of American Idol season 7 after the first elimination round where 2 guys and 2 girls were eliminated from the 24 qualifiers.

Judging from the AI site, she’s quite popular. Discussions on various forums are always focused on Ramiele. Or maybe this is Pinoy bayanihan in full force again. Something Simon Cowell poked at during Jasmin’s time when he said ‘the whole of Hawaii must have voted twice to keep you here’. … or something like that. Coz he thought Jasmin didn’t deserve to be in the top 3 spot of AI season 3.

What Simon didn’t know is that talented or not, Jasmin deserves that spot because of the ‘kuyog’ voting system all Pinoy-blooded Americans must have used to keep her in the competition. In fact, if AI will only allow internet voting, Jasmin will win by a thousand miles from Fantasia.

Pinoys support each other fiercely especially if it touches upon Pinoy pride and identity. Especially on international stage. Something that the organizers of Miss Universe beauty pageant has realized after one of their minor awards (was it Miss Photogenic?), which was done via internet voting, was won by the Philippines two years in a row. They immediately scrapped the voting system the following year.

Actually, that shouldn’t be a surprise anymore. We are the inventor of People Power. An original phenomenon no other country has ever done before. Until we showed them how powerful it can be.

This leads me to the current situation in the Philippines where mass protest actions are going on again. Al-Jazeera news channel just showed footages of the rallies that went on today. It estimated the protesters to be at 75,000 strong. Gloria must be having sleepless nights. She’s seen this before. And she knows it’s ominous for someone who’s at the receiving end of the booing.

And so I’ve started from AI and ended up with the Philippine political climate. What’s the connection, you might ask.

Well, Pinoy power can put two ladies in the exact opposite of fortunes. Ramiele to the top spot of AI in the entertainment scene and Gloria to the bottom of the pits in the political arena. Let’s just see what happens. In the meantime, go go go Pinoy People Power!

goin plasma

a friend who's goin on vacation wanted to ship his bravia. kaso, sabi ng freight forwarder, he will be taxed as much as 18,000 pesos daw for the 29 inch tv! ganon din ang sabi nong isang napagtanungan ko nong bago ako magbakasyon. i was planning to buy din sana. na-discourage nga lang ako sa laki pala ng tax.

although yong tax na yon daw applies only pag air freight. pag sea freight daw wala. kaso alam naman natin ang sea freight, it takes a whole month bago mo matanggap. baka nakabalik ka na ng saudi, hindi pa nakakarating sa pinas yong pinabagahe mong tv. aside from that, parang mas malaki ang risk of damages pag ganon.

nevertheless, bakit nga ba tayo dito bumibili ng electronics. marami na rin namang mapag-pipilian sa atin. yon nga lang, medyo mabigat na pag sa atin ka bumili. kasi pesos na ang usapan. pero mura nga ang purchase price dito, hindi ba lumalabas na halos pareho lang kung ida-dagdag natin yong tax plus the freight/insurance charges?

eniweys, for those who are planning to go plasma, let me share some prices na nakuha ko nong nag-canvass ako sa atin. i got this prices from only one shop (abenson) and it was december pa. at least baka makatulong if you wanted to compare.

Brand - Model - Price (in Php)

Samsung 32R81B - 54,900

Samsung 32S81B - 47,900

Samsung 37R81B - 74,900

Sony 32V300A - 84,990

Sony 40S200A - 119,990

LG 42PX4MV - 129,999

LG 42 LC4R - 109,999

sige, pag nakabili kayo, maki-panood na lang ako! hehehe!

the results

well i didn't do badly with my 3 out of 5 correct guesses! and the Oscar goes to...

Best Picture - No Country for Old Men
though i said it was a toss between There will be Blood and No Country for Old Men, i gave the former the edge so i consider that as a miss. darn!

Best Actor - Daniel Day-Lewis.
said so.

Best Actress - Marion Cottillard.
said so two.

Best Supporting Actor - Javier Bardem.
said so three.

Best Supporting Actress - Tilda Swinton.
ah well, i guess Ruby Dee has to wait another lifetime to win.

just a thought. both Daniel and Tilda are british, Marion is french and Javier is spanish. i think this is the first time that the four major acting awards went to non-American born actors. interesting.

there you go folks. it was fun and i sure will do this again next year.

ay, complex kayo dyan!

A friend and I were chit-chatting yesterday. Our conversation turned into leveling. Yon bang tipong discrimination at level-level sa buhay because of social status or whatever. So I thought I’d better write something about it . Coz it’s something I strongly feel about.

If you haven’t noticed, the quote I have right at the bottom of this page is a line from Desiderata. It says ‘If you compare yourself with others you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself’.

Hindi ko yan nilagay dyan just for the sake na meron akong words of wisdom sa blog ko. I put it down there coz I’m a firm believer of Desiderata. Particularly this line.

As much as possible, i do not compare myself with others. Kasi, para sa akin, comparing yourself, insecurities, inferiority/superiority complex and loving yourself all belong to one thread. Here’s how.

Comparing yourself with others kasi is a direct manifestation of your insecurities. Ke tungkol man yan sa pagiging mayaman o mahirap, about your looks o yong intellectual capacity mo. Whatever your insecurity is about, it eats you up whether you’re conscious about it or not.

You always compare yourself with the next guy/gal dahil may insecurities ka. At pag na-enhance ang insecurity mo dahil sa kako-compare mo, don nag-uumpisa yong mga complex-complex. Buti kung housing complex tulad sa Taguig. Pero hindi. Yon yong mga superiority at inferiority complex na commonly umaatake sa mga taong either kulang/sobra ang tiwala sa sarili or talaga lang tagilid ang takbo ng kukote.

Pag nakakita ka ng mas guwapo/maganda and you feel bad about yourself dahil pangit ka (sa tingin mo), then your insecurity is giving you an unwarranted inferiority complex. Iniisip mong ‘sana ganon din ako ka-good looking’ which, unconsciously, is one way of telling yourself that you don’t like your own self. But have you ever thought na guwapo/maganda man siya, it doesn’t necessarily make him/her a better person than you are?

Pag nakita mong bago ang mp3 player ng isang kaibigan mo and you thought to yourself na ‘hmmmp, mas maganda pa rin ang i-pod ko’. Then you are giving yourself some hot air to blow your ego. Things like this make you harbor superiority complex over other individuals na hindi umaabot sa standards mo.

And that is sad.

Dahil yon nga, if you compare yourself with others, you become bitter. Dahil laging merong mas mayaman, mas guwapo/maganda, mas matalino at mas bago ang i-pod kesa sa yo. Everytime you meet somebody who you think possesses more than what you have, you’ll burn in envy, disappointment and feeling inferior. And that, to me is pathetic coz you’re feeling sorry for yourself for not having more when in fact you should be thankful for having what you have.

Inversely, you will become vain. Dahil laging merong mas mababa ang sweldo compared sa sweldo mo, hindi makapag-ingles ng diretso tulad mo or hindi kasing-macho/seksi ang tindig tulad mo. And you look at them as lesser person compared sa yo. Then you put yourself above these people, you look down upon them as if they were lesser forms of human being. Aastahan mo sila ng buong kaangasan.

And that’s a no-no for me. Being richer, more beautiful/handsome, more intelligent or more popular doesn’t necessarily mean you are ‘superior’. It doesn’t give you the right to treat people with disrespect dahil lang sa tingin mo ay mas mataas ang level mo kesa sa kanila. (But of course galit din ako sa mga taong maangas pero wala namang karapatang mag-angas!)

In short, if you are so conscious about anything in your life, you will never ever find contentment. Dahil doon mo dini-define ang existence mo sa mundong ito.

Pasalamat ako dahil hindi ako madalas inaatake ng mga complex na ito like most people do. Mahilig man akong mangarap na yumaman, hindi naman ako yong tipong turning green pag may kaibigan or kakilalang mapera. Oo nga at nakaka-inggit ang mga material things na meron sila. Pero wala man ako non, meron naman akong heart of gold. Hehehehe… joke lang… may pagka-idealistic ako pero hindi ako naïve.

Seriously, sa akin kasi, wala man ako ng kayamanan mo, at least nagsisikap ako on my own to achieve it. And instead of turning my insecurity into something that poisons my entire being, ginagamit ko yon to fire up myself. I strive harder and enjoy the fruit of that hard work. And for that, I don’t think you can consider me a lesser peron than you are. Na-ah!

Ganito ang mentality ko because I know who I am. What I can and can not do. What I know and don’t know. In short, I’ve come to terms with my ownself. I know my strengths and i fully harness it. I know my weaknesses and try to work on it. But I never beat myself about it. Kaya in the end, I love myself. That is why, I’ve long stopped comparing myself with others. At kung anoman ang insecurities ko, I can put most of them at bay. Thus leaving me complex-free. Most of the time.

And so, as I said, comparing, insecurities, superiority/inferiority complex and loving yourself - magkaka-dikit yan. But you can wipe out the first three by the last one. So why not give it a shot. It’s something difficult to achieve. But it’s definitely worth trying.

ega's bday

so here's the second february celebrant among the adiks, ega 'sinturongpangkaligtasan' who hosted an intimate dinner party last night, exclusively for the adiks... and some. this time raoul made it but still, the group missed out on neil who is busy practicing with pne for their july trip to austria. some pix here....

and oh before i forget...

news bits

Being a certified couch potato, i've picked up a few interesting reports from tv over the last couple of days. Let me share them with you.

The Digital Fight
(Euronews)

HD DVD will soon be out of the market coz it’s developer, Toshiba, has thrown in the towel in it’s fight with Sony's Blu Ray. Which means, we will no longer have a choice and instead have to contend with just one media storage format available in the future.

It also gives Sony monopoly of the market which, of course, is bad for the consumers. No competition means stranglehold on the buying public.

The report didn’t mention what will be the immediate effect of this on HD DVD units currently attached to our computers and other video machines. I also wonder what happens to our HD-ready plasma Tv?

Toshiba said they will maintain after sales support to units already purchased. But I wonder for how long? Eventually you’ll have to change formats and this means you have to spend, once again, some thousands of dollars just to update your media format.

This is bad news for people who are very much into digital technology. Like most of my friends are. Good thing i'm not!

Stealing Thunder
(Al-Jazeera news)

So the Philippine government is currently embroiled in corruption charges. But some African countries are actually stealing the thunder from us.

Heads of five African countries including Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Gabon and Congo Brazzaville, are reported to have purchased prime real estate properties in Paris worth millions of euros along with numerous luxury cars including Ferraris. These purchases are charged directly to their nation’s coffers according to documents dug up by the NGOs and anti-corruption agents that initiated the investigation.

For countries with economies worse than the Philippines, this is something very, very appalling. I can’t help but think of the famine that has consistently plagued these countries while their leaders obviously live their lives in excess. Something we, Filipinos, can truly empathize with.

I hope UN will come up with some measure to prevent corruption especially in poor countries. It should be considered a crime to humanity and perpetrators of this crime should be hanged. No bail, pardon or clemency recommended.

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A Different Pre-Nup
(News at Dubai One Tv)

UAE recently announced a directive that men and women who are getting married are required to go through a pre-wedding medical examination. Yup, you heard it right. Pre-nuptial medical examination!

The report was delivered immediately after a story about the deformities of children in UAE. I just didn’t catch the transition of the reports so I’m not sure if the requirement for medical examination is directly linked to the deformities.

But come to think of it, what happens if one of the couple fails the exam? What if the guy has signs of heart disease? Or the girl is showing signs of breast cancer? Can this be grounds to call the wedding off?

If it is so, then only healthy and fit people can get a husband/wife. Well, we’d better hit the gym. Right away! Hahaha!

star guessing

It’s just a few days to go before Oscars and I know my friend ‘a movie fan’ is watching out for my posting regarding the event. He/she must be waiting for whatever I’d be babbling about, specially if I will dare make any bets on the nominees.

At first I thought of not saying anything, just wait for the winners to be announced and jump into it with my commentaries. Coz except for Elizabeth the Golden Age which I reviewed in my previous posting, I haven’t had the chance to see any of the films headlining the nominations this year.

But Oprah just featured a few of the nominees in her episode shown by MBC4 tonight. Then I said, ah, what the heck, let me play some guessing game here and see how it turns out. If you want, you can play along with me. Let’s see who better approximates Madam Auring! Hahahaha!

Best Picture Nominees

Atonement – A period movie set in the 1930’s about two sisters and their housekeeper's son. Starring Kiera Knightly and James McAvoy. Directed by Joe Wright

Juno – The season’s surprise hit film, both in the box office and in Oscar nominations. It’s a film about teenage pregnancy starring Ellen Page. Directed by Jason Reitman.

Michael Clayton – Starring George Clooney, directed by Tony Gilroy. A film about the drama behind law firms, lawyers and lawsuits.

No Country for Old Men – Directed by the Coen brothers Ethan and Joel, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem. A story about drugs, money and dead bodies in the barren West Texas range.

There Will be Blood - A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Daniel Day Lewis.

My Bet: It’s a toss between No Country for Old Men and There Will be Blood. Though looking at Oscars history, only three western films have won Best Pic (Cimarron in 1930, Dances With Wolves in 1990 and Unforgiven in 1992, while drama has dominated most of the Best Pic winners. Which gives There Will Be Blood an edge.

Best Actor Nominees

George Clooney for Michael Clayton

Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will be Blood

Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Tommy Lee Jones for In The Valley of Elah

Viggo Mortensen for Eastern Promises

My Bet: Daniel Day-Lewis. He already won the Golden Globe and to most Oscars observers, the Globe has always been a preview to the Oscars. I would be surprised if George Clooney takes home the Oscar. Based on the clips shown for these nominees, George is the least impressive among the five. Maybe his role is not as challenging as that of the others.

Best Actress Nominees

Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth The Golden Age

Julie Christie for Away from Her

Marion Cotillard for La Vie En Rose

Laura Linney for The Savages

Ellen Page for Juno

My Bet : Marion Cotillard. I know I’ve said I’d vote for Cate if I were a voting member of the AMPAS. But for reasons I stated on the same posting, I’d guess she’ll never be given the trophy this year. Besides, Marion’s role seems to be more challenging and her performance more impressive.

Best Supporting Actor Nominees

Casey Affleck for The Assassination of Jesse James

Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men

Philip Seymour Hoffman for Charlie Wilson’s War

Hal Holbrook for Into the Wild

Tom Wilkinson for Michael Clayton

My Bet : Javier Bardem. His character is said to be the most frightening villain in recent years and touted to be as chilling as Sir Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter. He has also bagged the Globe for the same category.

Best Supporting Actress Nominees

Cate Blanchett for I’m Not There

Ruby Dee for American Gangster

Saoirse Ronan for Atonement

Amy Ryan for Gone Baby Gone

Tilda Swinton for Michael Clayton

My Bet: Ruby Dee. Come on guys, the lady’s 83 and still packing a 2-minute exposure with emotions more forceful than a full-length role (that was the trailer shown in Oprah). I’d say give her the little guy so she can have a smile on her way out.

There you go. Just predictions. Though I’m not good in guessing. I’ll just wait till the 24th and see how I fared.

bato-bato sa langit

i got this from a friend in Jeddah, Cesar (who was the first to call this blog 'flowershop'), and i thought this is interesting kasi yong isang office mate ko just had his gallstones removed last month. actually, kailangan pa niyang umuwi sa pinas at doon magpa-opera coz he doesn't trust doctors here.

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so i said, mai-blog nga itong article. but before putting it up here, i googled the author, Dr. Lai Chiu-Nan just to make sure she's not bogus or something. Hindi naman pala. In fact her credentials are impressive. and this article is genuine. although wala akong makita kung meron nang reliable stats regarding the effectivity of the regimen being suggested here.

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nevertheless, if anybody wants to try this, please do not blame me if it didn't work. however, i wish to see someone coming back to this blog a few months later thanking me for this posting. good luck mga bato-bato!!!

.

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REMOVING GALLSTONES NATURALLY
by Dr Lai Chiu-Nan

It has worked for many. If it works for you please pass on the good news. Chiu Nan is not charging for it, so we should make it free for everyone. Your reward is when someone, through your word of mouth, benefits from the regime. Gallstones may not be everyone’s concern. But they should be because we all have them. Moreover, gallstones may lead to cancer.

"Cancer is never the first illness," Chiu Nan points out. "Usually, there are a lot of other problems leading to cancer in my research in China, I came across some material which say that people with cancer usually have stones. We all have gallstones. It's a matter of big or small, many or few.

One of the symptoms of gallstones is a feeling of bloatedness after a heavy meal. You feel like you can’t digest the food. If i! t gets more serious, you feel pain in the liver area." So if you think you have gallstones,Chiu Nan offers the following method to remove them naturally. The treatment is also good for those with a weak liver, because the liver and gallbladder are closely linked.

Regimen:

1. For the first five days, take four glasses of apple juice every day. Or eat four or five apples, whichever you prefer. Apple juice softens the gallstones. During the five days, eat normally.

2. On the sixth day, take no dinner.

3. At 6 pm, take a teaspoon of Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) with a glass of warm water.

4. At 8 pm, repeat the same. Magnesium sulphate opens the gallbladder ducts.

5. At 10 pm, take half cup olive oil (or sesame oil) with half cup fresh lemon juice. Mix it well and drink it. The oil lubricates the stones to ease their passage.

The next morning, you will find green stones in your stools. "Usually they float," Chiu Nan notes. "You might want to count them. I have had people who pass 40, 50 or up to 100 stones. “Even if you don't have any symptoms of gallstones, you still might have some. It's always good to give your gall bladder clean up now and then.

et phone....home!

at around 8 am this morning my long-time hadeed buddy jun 'aga' mendoza called me, pinagalitan pa ako coz hindi raw ako nagtatanong sa kanya eh meron daw sya nong song na hinahanap ko, plus a few other songs by the former american idol rock star. bilis huh! eh hindi ko naman kako na-realize na ganon sya ka-updated sa music! hehehe... sabagay sa kanya galing yong tatlo sa favorite na pinost ko below - bubbly, with you and your guardian angel. thanks a lot puruntong!

double delight yon coz i just didn't find the song i want, i also found out updated pala sya sa dantespeaks huh!

eniweys, here's the song i've been craving for (play it through the widget right under spell ni marie digby) by chris daughtry - by far the best rock star american idol has produced (ka-batch sya ni katherine macphee and the delightfully weird taylor hicks who eventually won season 5). i also included the lyrics in case you wanna sing along - like i sure do! i'm sure makaka-relate yong mga uuwi ng pinas - these places and these faces are getting old, so i'm going home!

Home by Chris Daughtry

I'm staring out into the night,

Trying to hide the pain.

I'm going to the place where love

And feeling good don't ever cost a thing.

And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain.

Well I'm going home,

Back to the place where I belong,

And where your love has always been enough for me.

I'm not running from.

No, I think you got me all wrong.

I don't regret this life I chose for me.

But these places and these faces are getting old,

So I'm going home.

Well I'm going home.

The miles are getting longer, it seems,

The closer I get to you.

I've not always been the best man or friend for you.

But your love, it makes true.

And I don't know why.

You always seem to give me another try.

So I'm going home,

Back to the place where I belong,

And where your love has always been enough for me.

I'm not running from.

No, I think you got me all wrong.

I don't regret this life I chose for me.

But these places and these faces are getting old,

Be careful what you wish for,

'Cause you just might get it all.

You just might get it all,

And then some you don't want.

Be careful what you wish for,

'Cause you just might get it all.

You just might get it all, yeah.

Oh, well I'm going home,

Back to the place where I belong,

And where your love has always been enough for me.

I'm not running from.

No, I think you got me all wrong.

I don't regret this life I chose for me.

But these places and these faces are getting old.

I said these places and these faces are getting old,

So I'm going home.

playin it...

here are a few songs i'm playin again and again and again... you might wanna check 'em out also. new and not so new tunes. but still very cool.

1. Bubbly - Colbie Caillat (just love this one. cool and relaxing)

2. Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5 (the usual funky sound of maroon. i think this was used as main song in Katherine Heigel's movie 27 Dresses)

3. Where Do I Go - Marie Digby (this girl's got some voice!)

4. With You - Chris Brown (some rnb from a talented teener. just saw him in tyra last week)

5. Your Guardian Angel - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (first half is mushy, second half is rock. and i like both!)

6. Spell - Marie Digby (some mean vocals and piano. check out the now playing widget right below this site's counter. give it a go and tell me i'm not lying.... hehehe)

7. Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner (anybody who loves alternative rock would love this one)

8. Umbrella - KC Concepcion (oh yeah, this girl rocks. sorry rihanna fans, but i like this girl's version better. and by the way, did i mention she's filipina?)

9. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol (it's been weeks now that it's in my player but i still can't get over it. darn good i even made it my ringtone!)

10. Collide - Howie Day (i've already posted it a couple of weeks ago. another overstayer in my player. not ready to dump it yet.)

another tune i'm dying to get hold of is chris daughtry's i'm coming home but i've spent hours and hours looking for downloadble file and just can't find any. it's a pity e-snips have already been bugged by the intellectual copy right bulls**t... anyone who's got it and willing to share?

adiks @ chili's

so i was right, it was chili's for orgee's bday celeb. though i was wrong, no *bx to cap the celeb. and raoul, we missed you... here's some pics when the adiks went berserk. ang gugulo! (neil's and orgee's pic with his bday cake was taken in ribbons)...

have a hearty day

ti's thursday and as usual, babad ako sa bed. ginising ako ng smart roaming ko, nagri-ring. darn ringtone, ang pangit magigising ka talaga. palibhasa mumurahin. hayy... nasan ba yon... for a few seconds i have to gather my senses, re-orient myself and pull my thoughts together. ahhh, san na ba yong cp...kapa-kapa sa may headboard. nakita rin. tumigil ka nga... ang pangit ng tone mo...

si insan/bespren pala. happy valentines day daw. hmmmpp! manggigising eh yon lang pala. para namang wala akong calendar dine at hindi ko alam kung anong araw ngayon. sinagot ko nga: "eh pareho naman tayong walang valentine kaya enjoy na lang your day. chat na lang tayo tomorrow".

hindi na sumagot. nainis siguro sa akin for reminding him na wala rin syang karapatang makigulo sa mga nag-papalitan ng cards, nag-bibigayan ng roses at nagchi-check in sa mga motel sa ganitong araw. that's what you get when you're single.

inaagaw pa rin ng antok ang katinuan ko kaya hindi pa ako bumangon. 9:30 pa lang naman. hmmm sarap talagang mag-babad sa kama.

pero talaga yatang hindi ako patatahimikin ng mga cp ko. eto naman ang isa. at least mp3 ang ringtone... yong pinutol kong chasing cars... 'if i lay here... if i just lay here.... would you lie with me and just forget the world'.... pati ringtone ko puro tulog ang sinasabi... sino ba ito

this one brought me back to earth. with a thud. text ng office mate kong nag-bakasyon. telling me na ang wife nya who has been suffering from cancer for some years now, just passed away. ang una kong naisip, valentines day pa naman. hindi ko sya magi-greet ng happy valentine.

minsan ko lang nakita ang wife nya but i thought she was such a lady. mukhang mabait. kahit hindi kami naging close, sa mga kwento ni mar sa akin, she's a wonderful person. and i feel so sorry for someone like her leave this world so soon.

more than that, i feel so bad for my office mate. i can feel the pain, no matter how second-hand it is. 4 years ko na na syang office mate. and i guess hindi lang basta office mate ang bond namin. friend/confidante na siguro dahil sa dami ng mga napagku-kwentuhan naming personal. lalo na ang tungkol sa family. in fact nasundan ko ang development ng cancer ng wife nya from the day it was discovered. hanggang ngayon.

sinagot ko na lang sya to be strong for his kids. and i'm praying for him. tatawagan ko siguro bukas when things have somehow settled. i have to be a good friend for him and support him at this very trying time.

i was staring at the ceiling ng kuwarto ko while all these thoughts were running in my head. gising ako but my soul is deep into this subliminal level. na inagaw na naman ng pangit din at annoying na ring ng landline ko.

hayy...minsan talaga itong mga telepono, necessary evil.

'hello, hoy mamaya ha, alas-kuwatro na lang' ... si orlee, orgee to the adiks. ina-adjust ang invitation sa birthday celebration nya. na-realize sigurong napaka-aga ng 3:15 as he originally announced.

marami pa siyang sinasabi pero iba ang nasa isip ko. bakit kaya orlando ang pangalan nito. valentine nang ipanganak. dapat valentino. o kaya krisanto para in line with kris aquino.

'o sige ha, mamaya na lang. bye.'

'sige bye.' sabi ko.

saka ko lang na-realize na natapos ang usapan namin na hindi ko siya na-greet ng happy birthday. nakalimutan ko. mamaya na lang tutal we'll be spending the whole afternoon up to evening sa napaka-habang celebration nya. starting from a coffee shop in jubail na matatapos a hundred km or so sa isang restaurant in khobar corniche area na ayaw sabihin kung saan. baka tgif or chili's. pero sigurado akong matatapos sa starbucks na matagal na nyang pinag-aaya.

haaaaayyy.... whatta morning. one life gone, another celebrating his first day in this world. teka, makabangon na nga. magji-jeopardy na.

and oh, by the way, happy valentine sa inyong mga may jowa, asawa, boypren/gerpren, papa/mama, labs, papi/mami, pangga, significant other. at kahit don sa mga in love na hindi naman alam ng kina-inlaban na may nagla-love sa kanila! hehehe! just enjoy the day. hope you have a good one.

byaheng langit

During my last vacation, my best friend/pinsan and I got into a serious conversation. Something na hindi naman madalas mangyari dahil laging kalokohan at tawanan ang nangyayari pag magkasama kami. But if conversations turn serious, medyo malalim talaga ang pinupuntahan.

Tulad nong umagang yon. Past 9 na pero nagkakape pa lang kami. Pareho kasing kagigising lang. Nagising lang dahil may dumating na tao. More or less, ganito tumakbo ang usapan nang maka-alis yong tao:

Insan : Sigurado ako, hindi na babalik yong hiniram non (referring to the taong kaa-alis lang).

Ako : Eh ganon talaga. Tulong ko na lang sa kanya yon (dahil talagang gipit yong tao at alam kong wala namang pagkukunan para maibalik sa akin yong inutang na pera).

Insan : Alam mo, pag ganyan, naaalala ko si Bay (si Bay ang dati kong driver)

Ako : Bakit naman?

Insan : Kasi sabi nga ni Bay di ba, sa dami mo nang natulungan, diretso ka daw sa langit pag namatay ka.

Ako : Hahahahaa!!! Oo nga, lokong Bay yon.

Insan : Pero naniniwala ka ba don?

Ako : Saan, sa langit?

Insan : Oo. Yong pag tumulong ka, mapupunta ang kaluluwa mo sa langit?

Ako : Ewan ko… (inom muna ako ng kape, yosi, saka nag-isip bigla)…

Ako pa rin : Hindi siguro.

Insan : Bakit naman?

Ako : Kasi, hindi ko inisip kahit minsan na pag tumutulong ako, nag-i-expect ako ng reward na ganon. Tulad nong pupunta ako sa langit.

Insan : Eh di ba ganon nga ang kasabihan, pag daw mabait ka at lagi kang nakakatulong.

Ako : Sabi nga. Pero para sa akin, kalokohan yon. Tumutulong ako dahil gusto kong tulungan yong tao. Or naa-awa ako. Pero honest, hindi ko inisip na dapat may balik sa akin yon. Tsaka di ba mas malaking kasalanan yon. Kasi tumutulong ka nga pero meron ka namang ini-expect na kapalit.

Insan : Sabagay. (sabay yosi. pero alam ko hindi pa tapos ang usapan.)

Insan uli : Eh kung hindi ka nag-e-expect ng kapalit sa mga tulong mo, bakit nagalit ka sa mga pamangkin mo?

Ako : Huh? (sabi na nga ba may kasunod pa eh)…

Insan : Di ba, hindi sila makalapit sa yo ngayon. Kasi nagalit ka sa kanila nong pinag-aral mo sila tapos nag-asawa lang sila. Hindi nasunod yong gusto mo. In short, may expectation ka sa kanila kapalit nong tulong na binigay mo. Nang hindi mangyari yong expectation mo, nagalit ka.

Ako : Iba naman yon noh!

Insan : Eh ganon din yon, may ini-expect kang kapalit.

Ako : Hindi siguro. Yong ini-expect kong kapalit nong tulong ko, yong gumanda ang buhay nila. Eh hindi naman nila ginawa.

Insan : Nag-expect ka pa rin. (ang kulit talaga)

Ako : Oo. Pero para sa kanila din yon di ba. Hindi naman para sa akin yong expectation ko. Tsaka hindi ako nagalit don sa pagtulong ko sa kanila. Nabigay ko na yon eh.

Insan : O eh bakit ka nagalit?

In-explain ko.

(Mahaba tong part na to kaya isang separate posting ang gagawin ko)

Nang matapos ang litanya ko…

Insan : Ah, okey. Ganito na lang, sabihin nating nagalit ka kasi hindi ka nag-expect ng kapalit sa tulong mo. Pero nagalit ka dahil pakiramdam mo, bale-wala yong tulong mo. Ganon?

Ako : Alam mo minsan, hindi ka lang si Bayani Agbayani… may pagka-doctor Phil ka rin minsan.

Insan : Sino yon?

Ako : Wala. Palibhasa puro ka Kapamilya. Lika na nga. Punta na lang tayong mall.

kaibigan, usap tayo

Naku, baka ma-demanda ako ni Boy Abunda sa title ko. Pero hindi pa naman siguro patented yon kaya hiramin ko muna.

Coz that’s exactly what this posting is all about.

Finally kasi nagkabati na ang dalawang magkaibigan, common friends to me, na nagkaroon ng misunderstanding. For some time, nag-dedmahan after na magpalitan ng medyo maiinit na emails. Pero ngayon, kaninang umaga lang, nag-usap na. Yeeeyyy!!!

Matagal-tagal din na nanimbang ang grupo ng mga adik sa kanilang dalawa. Dahil parehong malapit sa grupo, we don’t want any of the two to feel na mas pinapaboran namin yong isa over the other. Kasi nga, we love them both.

And somehow, mahirap yon huh. It was always a balancing act para sa grupo. Tulad ng mga gimik. You’d invite them both pero mag-iiwasan. Either darating yong isa at yong isa ang wala. Or parehong hindi darating. Palaging kulang ng isa o dalawa ang gulo, ingay at saya. E pareho pa namang masarap kasama.

At sa e-mails, magsi-send ka sa buong barkada pero pag nag-reply sa yo yong isa, biglang mawawala ang pangalan nong isa. Ganon din yong isa, pag-sagot, nawala na rin yong isa. Ang thread, nahahati. Tapos pag busy ka at nagmamadali, hindi mo na alam kung tama yong reply mo, biglang nakita mo, napunta pala don sa isa yong reply mo na dapat para don sa isa.

But all’s well that ends well sabi nga. Nag-usap na rin sila (at least via mails). Nag-umpisa sa isang posting ko (whirling and wishing) kung saan nag-post ng wish si Sinturong Pangkaligtasan – na sana, magkabati na sila, complete with names and all. Then nag-pingkian ulit ng ilang maiinit na emails in response sa isa ko pang posting (si kabayan, japorms). Akala nga namin ay matutuloy nang mag-goodbye forever sa reconciliation talks.

Pero kahit bumuga ulit ng lava ang Pinatubo, there was a sign na malapit na silang magka-usap. Ina-address na kasi ang name ng isa at nagre-reply na rin ng walang tanggalan ng pangalan. Some 90 emails later, the mood was set for reconciliation. A handshake was offered (of course, figuratively kasi nga emails lang nagsasagutan). Tinanggap nong isa. At yon na.

Whoever offered what, hindi na importante yon. Basta para sa akin, both of them showed enough maturity, goodwill and most importantly – love. And both of them proved to have the magnanimity and wisdom, guided by their knowledge of the Bible. O, bigat di ba. Kaya madali para sa kanila ang mag-patawaran. Perfect timing lang ang kailangan.

Kaya blinog ko agad. Aba this is something important no. Mas importante pa kay Lozada! Hehehehe! Raoul and Neil – welcome back mga adik!

quid pro quo

Broadband, fertilizer, textbook, southrail, helicopters… ano pa. Boy, this administration is really packing em in. Kinakarir yata yong list ng UN sa most corrupt countries in the world. At mukhang ngayon pa lang, kung totoo ang mga ito, lalagpasan na nito ang Estrada administration.

Ano ba naman yong kay Erap. Jueteng at tobacco excise tax lang. 78 to 80 million US$ nga lang ang nag-lagay sa kanya sa 10th spot nong list. Small fry compared to the multi-million dollars involved sa mga eskandalong naka-kabit ngayon sa Arroyo administration. Eh dito sa NBN lang, over 100million US$ na agad ang pinag-uusapan. So ano’ng rank kaya ang hinahabol ng mga ito.

Pero biglang umentra sa eksena si Lozada. And now he’s the man of the hour. Siya ngayon ang lason sa administrasyong Arroyo. Dahil bawat buka ng bibig nya, parang may missile na tumatama at sumasabog sa Malacanang.

Sabi sa reports, Miriam the dragon tried to disintegrate him with her signature combative questioning. Kilala naman natin si Miriam, kung mahina-hina kang klase ng witness, mangunguluntoy ka at magmumukhang engot kahit pa nagsasabi ka ng totoo. Although mukhang hindi nag-succeed si Miriam. And now, kung ano-anong demolition tactics daw ang ginagawa para sirain ang credibility ng star witness ng opposition.

Sa ginagawa nilang ito, kung ako ay isang skeptic o kaya ay walang pakialam sa mga nangyayari, magdududa na rin ako na may alam talaga si Lozada. Hindi sila mag-i-effort ng ganon if the guy has got nothing against them. Hindi nila ito pag-aaksayahan ng panahong dukutin sa arrival area ng NAIA. Or pag-aksayahan ng oras ni Apostol at tawaging ‘probinsiyanong intsik’ na ikinagalit ng chinoy communities.

Ang nakakatawa pa, ang ginagamit nilang argumento ngayon, is the fact na sabit daw mismo si Lozada sa mga pinag-sasasabi nito. Sa mga sinasabi daw nya, ini-incriminate daw nya (Lozada) ang sarili nya. As if para namang walang sariling bait si Lozada para hindi nya maisip yon. Gusto ko tuloy sumigaw ng ubod lakas sa mga tenga ng mga hunghang na ito. HINDI YON ANG PUNTO! ANG PUNTO, sinasabi niyang MAY GINAWA KAYONG KAGAGUHAN!

I’m not a supporter of this Lozada. I don’t even know him. But if he is telling the truth, then he deserves to be heard. Wala akong pakialam kung kumotong din siya ng 5million sa dati nyang trabaho. O bumili ng 700,000 worth na kambing. O kung ano pa mang kabulastugang ginawa niya sa dati nyang buhay. Hindi yon ang punto dito. Hindi yon ang pinag-uusapan dito. Ang pinag-uusapan dito, yong 329 million dollars na NBN deal na sabi nya, dobleng patong na ang naging presyo dahil sa kotong ng mga swapang sa pera. And that we have to investigate.

Dapat malaman ng buong Pilipinas kung ano ang totoo dito. Dahil kung nag-iimbento lang si Lozada ng kwento, wala siyang career na aasahan as an actor. Matanda na siya at hindi guwapo kaya walang mag-aalok ng pelikula sa kanya. Ni hindi rin sya pwedeng scriptwriter sa Tv dahil sya mismo ang nagsabing mali-mali ang grammar nya sa text because of pressure.

Ngayon, kung nagsasabi naman sya ng totoo, then heads must roll. Dahil lumalabas na ang taong bayan na namamatay na sa gutom ay inaagawan pa ng kapirasong kaning lamig na isusubo dahil sa kasuwapangan sa pera ng kung sino man ang may pakana nito. Kahit pa sinong herodes yan. Ke first, second, third o last gentleman pa yan. He doesn’t deserve to be called gentle kung totoo ang allegations against him. Monster dapat.

At si Lozada? Ke sabit sya o hindi sa mga revelations na ginawa nya, then he should face the consequences. Kung kailangang makulong sya, so be it. This maybe some form of redemption para sa kanya.

Although alam naman natin na pag ginawa na siyang state witness, he will automatically be given immunity. Hindi natin kailangang maging abogado para malaman yon. Dahil sa dami na ng nakita nating ganito, sa dami na ng pinag-gagawa ng gobyernong ganito, alam na alam na natin ang mga nangyayari sa ganitong sitwasyon.

Pero kahit naha-high blood ako, I must admit na inaatake ako ng despair sa mga pangyayaring ito. Yong feeling of helplessness. Kasi nakikita kong isang cycle lang ito na nauulit lang. History repeating itself.

Di ba ganyan ang nangyari non kay Chavit at Erap. Pumiyok si Chavit. Ang daming drama sa Senate. Kanya-kanyang eksena ang mga pulitiko. Lumabas si Clarissa. Pinag-talunan pa kung iniinom o kinakain ang iced tea. May naging dancing queen na Senadora. At si Erap, dinala sa kulungan – isang mala-paraisong resort sa Tanay! But lo and behold, after a few years, ayan, binigyan ng pardon. Kaya ayan, bale wala na yong pinag-laban ko sa Edsa. Mukhang nakalimutan na rin ng Pinoy ang Boracay mansion.

Ngayon, sabihin na nating maging Chavit din si Lozada and become the waterloo of the present administration, sabihin pang matanggal si Gloria at makulong ang asawa (kung hindi man siya kasama), a new president then takes over, ano naman ang kasiguruhan natin na hindi sya (o sila) bibigyan ng pardon ng susunod na presidente after 4, 5 or 6 years? Afterall, magkaka-away ang mga yan ngayon pero bukas, sila-sila pa rin ang magkaka-ibigan.

O di ba’t aampunin na raw ng opposition si De Venecia. So matapos ang ilang taon at nakalimutan na ni JDV ang galit kay Madam, sya naman ang nasa poder para lakarin, kung hindi man direktang maibigay, ang pardon. Di ba. Para silang isang tribe na walang ibang po-protektahan kungdi sarili nila. Scratch my back I’ll scratch yours. Quid pro quo.

Yon ang sinasabi kong cycle. Somebody turns greedy, gets caught red-handed, sent to a luxury resort as punishment, gets pardoned and then enjoys life again. They did it once. They can do it again. All these time, nasaan ang mga Pinoy? Outside the cycle. Nagtiiis magpa-alila sa mga dayuhan. At ang mga natira sa Pilipinas, scraping centavos on meager jobs to make a living.

Ngayon parang withdrawn ang feeling ko. Nagkakagulo sila pero sa akin, aantayin ko na lang kung ano ang kalalabasan. Kasi alam ko namang moro-moro na naman yan. Parang soap opera sa Kapuso.

Ang masakit, habang ganito ng ganito ang nangyayari, lalong humahaba ang sentensya natin dito sa Saudi. O kung nasaan man tayong lugar ng mundo. Dahil hangga’t hindi tumitino ang takbo ng gobyerno natin, kakayod at kakayod pa rin tayong parang mga kalabaw sa papahirap ng papahirap na buhay. All because of these jerks. Naku, tamaan sana kayo ng 10,000 volts na kidlat lahat kayong mga corrupt!!!

si kabayan, japorms!

May mga kabayan tayo dito na nakaka-aliw. Yong tipong naka-rating na ng ibang bansa, nakasakay na ng eroplano at nakadaan ng Chek Lap Kok airport, pero parang ewan pa rin.

And by ewan I mean… ah basta, kayo na ang bahala. Nakaka-aliw. Nakaka-baliw. Read ‘em and weep sabi nga ni Barry Manilow.

- Si kabayan, tag-lamig naman, in fact 4 to 5 deg C ang temperature at ako’y nangangatog na ang baba pero panay ang rampa sa kalsada ng naka-walking shorts! Kabayan… maghunos-dili kaaaa!!!

- And the same kabayan naman, kahit katirikan ng summer na pati singit ko pinapawisan, aba, naka-jacket naman ng maong! Original kang pasaway huh!!!

- Di ba, ang good morning towel eh sa mga motel lang ginagamit? Eh bakit naman nakatapal sa ulo ni kabayan habang namamasyal sa gitna ng sibilisasyon??? Sa amin sa Mindoro, pandong ang tawag sa kapirasong damit na nilalagay mo sa ulo para hindi ka mainitan o maulanan. Pero ewan ko, hindi naman mainit at lalong hindi umuulan, naka-pandong si kabayan ng good morning!!!! Aaaaggghhhh!!!!

- Sa mga taga-Jubail, alam ko kilala nyo to. Isang kabayan natin na laging umaaliw sa mga umaga ko dahil ang attire papasok sa work: naka-long sleeves at printed necktie pero ang suot sa paa – sandalyas!!! Impluwensya kaya ng mga misyonaryo sa kanilang baryo? Misyonaryong marunong mag-model? Dahil ang lakad ni kabayan habang ganon ang attire – pang-cat walk!!! Bwahahahaa!!!

- Pre-dantespeaks era, may na-email na ako tungkol sa mga kasabay ko sa airport na mga japorms. Mga kabayan na hatinggabi na, proudly naka-sukbit pa rin sa bumbunan ang mga ray-ban. Tanong ko, bakit, may mata ba sila sa bumbunan? O kaya sa batok kasi doon naka-sukbit ang shades? Hayyy… sabagay, can’t afford ako ng Oakley kaya siguro inggit lang ako!

- At don sa same kwento na yon, marami rin akong nakitang kabayan na naka-bonnet. Pordjos por shanto…. eh summer nong time na yon! Ka-asim siguro ng ulo ng mga buktot dahil sa pawis! Eeeewww!!!

- At si Manang, bi-byahe ng international flight, may plastic bag na bitbit. Na-beklat ang isang hawakan kaya ang mga laman, parang bitukang lumuwa!!! Manang kasi, sayang ang jergens lotion at corned beef pag nahulog!

- Habang ito namang si Manong, the ultimate Saudi Boy talaga. Naka-maong na jacket at nagmumura ang mga bling sa katawan! Ang damascus pwedeng ipang-bigti sa laki! At ang singsing, gigantic. Para ngang singsing na tinubuan lang ng kamay! Yo meyn! You’re da meyn!!!

- E yong mga techie…hindi tetchie agbayani. Techie. Yong mga mahihilig at updated sa gadgets. Naka-bitin sa dibdib ang i-pod, naka-sukbit sa belt ang i-mate, may digital cam pang hawak habang nagkakalikot ng laptop nya. E alam mo naman walang hot spot sa Dammam airport! Cool? O cool-ang sa pansin??!!!

- Balik ulit tayo sa Jubail. Eto naman ang isang kabayang naglalakad sa gitna ng bayan na may sariling fashion statement. Okey lang yong t-shirt na ipinatong sa long-sleeves. At least na-uso yon (pero tagal nang laos yon ha). Pero ang short na ipatong mo sa jogging pants??? Lipad Superman, Lippaaaadddd!!!

La lang. Naa-aliw lang ako. At baka kaya mong i-paliwanag kaya, sige, i-esplika mo!

my top ten pop corn movies

let me just continue my series on top ten favorite films. this time, a merry mix of sci-fi, fantasy, action/love stories i would call pop corn movies. not heavy hitters like the color purple or gladiator but nevertheless highly entertaining. films that i still watch at any given opportunity and never grow tired of it.

Star Wars. From the first Star Wars in 1977 (re-titled A New Hope) until the last prequel, Revenge of the Sith in 2005, this series is my ultimate favorite sci-fi. In fact I wish George Lucas will come up with more episodes. Sci-fi movies come and go. But they will never beat the appeal, the following and the cult Star Wars has generated from it’s millions of fans around the world.

Top Gun. This 1986 Tony Scott movie almost made me go to a flying school. The airborne fight scenes, the sweeping camera works, the music of Kenny Loggins (who happens to be one of my faves), the cinematography and the young Tom Cruise (before scientology!) made one heck of an impression on my young mind. And it’s main theme, Take My Breath Away by Berlin remains to be one of my favorite love songs.

ET. I saw this film in 1982 but until today, I haven’t forgotten it’s magic. I’d never forget how this film made me cry. And it showed how talented Steven Spielberg is.

Willow. Long before Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings cast their spell on moviegoers, I already adored Willow, a movie about magic spells and sorcery. Starring a few hobbits and one of my favorite actors – Val Kilmer, this 1988 film directed by Ron Howard is based on a story by the creator of Star Wars - George Lucas himself!

Shakespeare In Love. This movie won Oscar Best Picture in 1998 and gave Gwyneth Paltrow her Best Actress trophy. But most importantly, it gave Best Supporting Actress trophy to another favorite of mine – Dame Judi Dench who was superb in her role as the Queen.

Batteries Not Included. A 1987 film directed by Matthew Robbins with the old but wonderful actress Jessica Tandy as one of the main characters. It is a story of a pair of small UFO’s that changed the life people living in an old apartment building. Many of the international versions of this film used the title Miracle on 8th Street.

Ever After. This 1998 film starring Drew Barrymore and directed by Andy Tenant was sub-titled A Cinderella Story. Because it is the story of Cinderella but presented with a different flavor which I found more interesting and entertaining. I love this Cinderalla who punches and carries a man on his back!. Supporting Drew is another superb actress, Anjelica Houston, who was perfect for the role of the wicked stepmother.

Babe. This Australian film released in 1995, directed by Chris Noonan, captured the hearts of moviegoers worldwide and was nominated for 7 Oscar awards including Best Picture. With a pig as the main character, it was a charming, eccentric but very amusing film about hanging on to your dreams, no matter what.

Ghost. Another unforgettable film that made both careers of Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. I was a sucker for this 1990 film by Jerry Zucker (hehehe!). A touching love story flavored with the unforgettably hilarious character of Whoopi Goldgerg.

Beauty and the Beast. The only full-length animated movie to be nominated as Best Picture in the Oscars. Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise and released in 1991, it revived my interest on animated films, particularly the ones from Disney.

whirling and wishing

I was doing my laundry a while ago at siguro dahil sa kaka-titig ko sa pag-ikot nong mga damit sa washing machine, nahilo yata ako and started wishing for things na absurd. Pero nakaka-aliw sya when I started probing on the idea hanggang sabi ko, mai-blog nga and see what my friends think.

And so, here are 10 things that I wish sana eh nangyayari sa totoong buhay. Mga wish na siguro, masasakyan din ng mga tamad, baliw at weird na tulad ko!

Sana…

1. Clothes are disposable. Sana pagtapos mong isuot, itatapon mo na lang sya, no more laba-laba, at mas lalong wala na ang pinaka-hate ko – yong plantsahan blues.

2. Pwedeng i-xerox ang pera. Yong kahit first copy lang, pwede. Para pag may 100 ka, instant 200 na yon.

3. Body parts are replaceable. Para kung may masakit, para syang sim card ng cp. Papalitan lang, work na ulit!

4. Teleporting is a reality. Di ba. Hindi ka na pupunta ng airport, pipila sa customs, bulatlat ng bagahe, bulatlat ng passport sa immigration tapos hintay to the max sa boarding. Sa 3 to 4 hours na haba ng process na to, parang lagi akong bugbog at tumatanda ng 3 to 4 years everytime na bi-byahe ako!

5. I have x-ray vision. O, aminin, pati ikaw wish mo to no!

6. People’s age freezes at 50. Para yong parents at mga loved ones natin, stay na sila sa 50 at lagi na nating kasama, walang death. Tapos tayo, pagdating ng 50 ganon din. O di pare-pareho na lang 50 ang older generation. At yong wisdom ng lahat ng taong umabot ng ganong edad, iko-collect. Siguro marami tayong problems na maso-solve because of that.

7. Ang buhay ay parang showcase – pwede mong piliin. Showcase no. 1: Rich and Famous. Showcase no. 2: Rich and Powerful. Showcase no. 3: Rich and Beautiful/Handsome…. ahahahahehehe

8. Ang kalendaryo, puro weekends lang. And by weekends I mean Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Para kahit sa Pinas o sa Mid-East ka nagwo-work, walang kawala!

9. Lahat ng trabaho, flexi-time. Para yong mga tulad kong tamad, anytime na lang papasok.

10. At sana, isang turo ko lang, magtitino ang mga pulitiko sa Pilipinas lalo yong mga gutom at abusado sa kapangyarihan, lalo yong mga suwapang sa pera at mga numero-unong kurakot!!!

Oooppss, this is supposed to be a fun posting kaya lang nagbabasa ako ng dyaryo on-line while doing this kaya biglang naiba ang timpla. Bwiset kasi tong mga pulitikong to eh, isama ko kaya sa mga iniikot-ikot ng washing machine ko!

hall of shame

I’m sure narinig na ninyo yong balita last week na sa UN anti-corruption conference na ginawa sa Indonesia, naglabas sila ng listahan ng 10 most corrupt leaders in the world. And this list has just elevated the Pinoys to a higher level. Dahil sa report na yon, 2 out of 10 ang Pinoy sa listahan nila. Lumabas na ang Pilipinas, hindi lang corrupt. Sobrang corrupt.

Marcos is at number 2 spot and said to have amassed between 5 to 10 billion dollars during his time as President. Humabol naman sa number 10 si Estrada na nagkamal daw ng 78 to 80 million dollars in his very short term.

Hindi ko pa alam ang reaction ng Marcos family. Wala pa akong nababasa o naririnig galing sa kanila. Pero si Erap daw, magpa-file ng kaso sa UN. Siguro to save face. Ang laki nga namang kahihiyan nito. Buti si Marcos, hindi na maririnig or mababasa yong list. But to someone who’s still very much enjoying his life, gagawa pa nga raw ng pelikula with Ai Ai delas Alas at mukhang tatakbo pa ulit sa 2010, talagang masakit ito.

Let’s say, for arguments’ sake, na suportahan natin si Erap sa kanyang protest or lawsuit sa UN. Na tipong dahil Pinoy tayo, we have to stand by Erap’s side and support him. Maglinis-linisan tayo and play innocent. Hahawak tayo ng placard at sisigaw ng “UN, that’s unfair. You’re totally wrong. Hindi corrupt si Erap at FM.”

Sa tingin nyo, may magagawa naman kaya ang protesta natin? May makikinig naman kaya sa atin? Much more, may maniniwala naman kaya?
For goodness’ sake, UN yon eh. The most powerful organization in the world. Hinding-hindi nila sasabihing nagkamali lang sila sa listahan na inilabas nila. Baka nga sampalin pa tayo ng mga dokumento na naging basehan nila sa pag-lalabas ng report na yon. Coz I would suspect they have unquestionable pieces of evidence to back up their list.

So ano, tatahimik na lang tayo at yuyuko ang ulo out of unbearable shame?

Ang sakit sa mga Pinoy di ba? Lalo na tayong mga nasa ibang bansa. Para na rin tayong tinadyakan, hindi lang sa isang side, magkabila pa. Now we walk around like branded livestock. Ano kayang nakikita ng mga kasalubong nating foreigner na naka-tatak sa mga noo natin? Something like ‘imported from the land of graft and corruption’?.

Masakit dahil Pinoy migrant workers are known and respected worldwide as talented, hardworking and dependable individuals. A reputation that we have worked so hard for so long para ma-achieve. But now our friends and employers might look at us differently. Baka yong iba, magkaron ng reservations about our credibility. Especially on jobs where personal integrity is a big must.

At yong mga Pinoy na bumabandera sa international scenes, yong mga nagbibigay ng karangalan sa Pilipinas in whatever field they are in – be it entertainment, arts, sports, medical services or the corporate scene – I wonder how they feel right now. Matapos silang mag-excel not only to reap honors for themselves but also for their country, heto at parang nilunod ang mga achievement nila sa isang basong tubig.

But more than the wounded pride, meron pang mas malaking issue. Hindi lang naman ang reputasyon at dignidad ang pinag-uusapan dyan. Afterall, hindi nakakamatay ang wounded pride.

What’s lethal is the truth na sa pagkakamal ng pera ng iilang tao, ang kapalit ay milyones na populasyon na nagugutom, may sakit na hindi makapag-pagamot, mga nakatira sa estero at tambakan ng basura, nabubuhay sa pagkaing tinapon ng mga fastfood, mga namamatay ng dilat ang mata, mga batang nanglilimahid at namamalimos sa halip na pumasok sa eskuwela, mga lolo at lolang kuba na pero sige pa rin sa mabibigat na trabaho para lang mabuhay, at kung ano-ano pang nakaka-iyak na picture ng kahirapan sa Pilipinas.

Kahirapan na pwede sanang labanan at gawan ng solusyon kung yon lang ang pagtutuunan ng pansin at hindi ang mga sariling bulsa. Ginawa na kasing kultura ang pangu-ngurakot. Hindi lang ng malalaking pulitiko kungdi pati ng mga kung sinong herodes. Basta may kaunting katungkulan, may kapiranggot na ranggo, may malaki-laking pwesto, yon na. Papatulan na lahat. Pati nga textbook, fertilizer at mga counting machines. Talaga naman! Only in da Pilipins!

Ay naku, ayoko na nga. Naha-high blood lang ako kaya tatapusin ko na itong posting ko. #$@!$!$!$!!$Y^#@#!!!!!!

of gods, goddesses and DUI

These days whenever I’m watching tv, especially entertainment programs, one face makes me grab my clicker and change channel as fast as I can - Britney!

I don’t know what’s gotten into the media world but I think they’ve just outdone themselves in redefining the word sensationalism. From tv programs to newspapers and even the internet, the face of this not-so-pretty yet ridiculously popular pop singer who’s on the verge of turning looney monopolizes every printed space, broadcast transmissions and web pages. Even my long-time respected BBC seems to be bitten by this brouhaha, flashing reports every now and then about this wayward singer on their regular news program. Mon Dieu!

I’m just about to puke from this entire Britney overdose. I’m already at the point where I don’t care anymore if she does crazy things to herself. Duh and duh if her hospital trips are as frequent as her courtroom appearances. And, what do I care if she’s gone suicidal! The heck! Honestly I wouldn't give a hoot coz that would mean thousands or millions of teenagers saved from one bad role model.

In fact, it’s not Britney alone. I’d say this to all celebrities who have long abandoned the concept of setting a good example to their fans. Celebrities who have no idea about their responsibility to the youth who idolizes them and mimics everything they do, good or bad. As the marines say, shape up or ship out!

Don’t blame it on bipolar disorder, manic depression and all those psychological blurb the western world has invented to sugarcoat something that is so plain and simple. Ego inflated to the brim by fame and fortune is simply called arrogance. Arrogance that makes you think you can do anything and everything, anytime, any place, anywhere. Arrogance that makes you think you own the world. And gives you the feeling that you are “more famous than Jesus”. And that all the other pitiful mortals should kneel before you and kiss your painted yet stinking feet.

Also, don’t blame it on the media who is only acting as their collective name dictates. They are mediums no different from space satellites that pick-up feeds from one part of the earth and beams it to the other. There may be hazy and distorted transmissions like the sensationalism they are doing now, but still they are just transmitting a signal that is there. No signal, no transmission.

Though I would put the blame partly on the fans. Because they are allowing themselves to be pelted by these craps from the celebrities. Coz if they just refuse to be given trash, then maybe these celebs would think twice before making one.

Fortunately, the Philippine entertainment scene is a lot more sane than Hollywood. Pinoy celebrities value their fans. Coz fans means cash. On the other hand, fans know exactly what they want. And they get it. That’s why celebrities in the mold of Britney, Paris, Lindsay and others should thank heavens they were born in Hollywood, not in the Philippine entertainment scene. Coz if they were, they would see how ruthless Filipino fans can be.

They do not tolerate idols who commit mortal sins. Because to them, idols are demi-gods who live a charmed, privileged and magical existence. They do not hold court to a courtroom judge. They do not get drunk and pee on their pants. They do not party with booze and meths and die of OD. They do not get arrested for DUI. They do not submit themselves to the humiliation of being strapped into a gurney while television crews and paparazzi have their feast.

In short, Filipino celebrities have to fit a certain profile dictated by the Filipino fans themselves. If they dont, then it’s time for them to lose their shine and fade quickly into oblivion. Back to being one of the mortals.

That is why Filipino celebs avoid committing mistakes that would damage their popularity. Even mistakes minor and trivial compared to the crazy things their Hollywood counterparts are doing. If they do, they keep it totally hush-hushed, deny everything and swear to their mothers’ graves if caught in public. The exact opposite of how Hollywood celebs glow with pride when caught doinig something stupid.

Just look at how Piolo Pascual is fighting for his image. And look at Angel Locsin, Dennis Trillo, Kris Aquino, Ethel Booba, Jennylyn Mercado and countless other names who committed crimes against their demi-god status. They are now on their way (if not yet there) to being stripped of their immortal privileges. Soon their flickering stars will lose its shine and will be hurled into the deep, unforgiving black hole otherwise known as ordinary existence.

And that, to me, should be the rule of the game. In this world of commercialism, the fans are the consumers and celebrities the products. Therefore, it is the consumers who dictate what kind of products they would patronize. And if the products do not meet their taste, then they don’t buy it.

Ergo, a celebrity who has no client is a dead inventory on the shelf. He/she will degenerate from a high priced commodity to a discounted price offering, then to a buy-one-take-one promo and finally taken out of the shelf to be thrown into the trash bins. That’s Pinoy consumers, er, fans are to you.

And Hollywood fans should learn from the Pinoys. Dictate what they want from their celebs. And get it. Not the other way around. Unless it’s crap you really want from your idols. Ah well!