the moment of stupidity

I once wrote that one of my favorite tv programs is the game show genre. However, there’s one game show being aired lately that, instead of entertaining me, leaves a bad taste in my mouth and makes me cringe.

It’s called The Moment of Truth, originally from Fox (US) and aired on MBC4 during weekend primetime. I watched short segments of two episodes, first was out of curiosity (hoping that I found a new game show to love, got totally disappointed) and the second just to confirm what I saw before. And yes, it was true. It’s one useless, pointless, ruthless and mindless game show I’d rather pass up on.

Whoever invented this game must be sick. I really don’t know why this should be aired and watched by the public.

What’s exciting from asking personal, sexually oriented and sometimes too graphic questions to a contestant who’s comfortably sitting in a chair just answering yes or no, true or false? Is it the voice over, supposedly a speaking lie detector, who pass judgement on the contestant’s answer? “that answer is true” or “that answer is false” Duh!

Or is it the added drama from a panel of hangers-on planted as moral support to the contestant but always ends up shocked and crying from the secrets being revealed? Though I can’t empathize with them – everything is so obviously orchestrated!

Oh yes! It must be the secrets being revealed to thousands (God forbid, millions) of viewers by the contestants. Secrets that your typical neighborhood rumor mongers love. Which only shows how low this program goes.

And the contestants? They’re just plain and simple stupid. For them to allow themselves to be subjected to this utter humiliation - answering very personal questions on worldwide television - and in the process revealing secrets that others, including me, would take to the graves. For what, some amount of money?

So you’d get $10,000 if you admit you’ve been admiring yourself in front of a mirror? $15,000 if you reveal you’ve been sleeping with your bestfriend’s wife? $25,000 if you plead guilty for making a wax replica of your private parts? And what question will make you win the $500,000 top prize? Admit that you have been communicating with the devil? Or announce to the world that you’re the devil incarnate yourself?

Or maybe it’s not stupidity. Just downright greed. That is why they can swallow whatever is left of their self-respect. For a certain price.

Do I get entertained? No. My mind's not that twisted yet. Do I learn anything from it? No. Except that people will do anything these days to get some cash. And that they are willing to air dirty laundry on worldwide television that could ruin not only the contestant’s dignity but destroy relationships and even wreck an entire family as well.

Though it comes with a big IF - if even one single part of the program is authentic. Which is highly doubtful. Coz how would the host (Mark Walberg, not the actor/singer) know what intimate questions to ask if everything hasn't been scripted and rehearsed? And they even try to pass it up as a reality show??? Duh and duh again!

As my own, small protest, I wouldn’t allow myself to be counted as part of the viewing statistics of this game show. And I hope it doesn’t last long. Without a doubt, it’s reality television gone bad.

no. 8: ghost busting

One of the topics na madalas mapag-usapan ng mga adik lately ay ang tungkol sa multo and other things na katatakutan. Like Matt na kinakatok daw sa kwarto nya samantalang wala naman syang kasama sa flat kasi naka-bakasyon lahat. Or JunC who swears na nakakita na raw sya ng duwende. And even Tito Bong na meron daw third eye, nararamdaman talaga ang presence ng kung ano sa building nila ngayon.

Ang madalas na tuwang-tuwang pag-usapan ito eh si Raoul na sya rin ang magpapahinto ng kwentuhan kasi madaling matakot lalo na’t wala si Ricky na kasama nya sa bahay. Ako naman, enjoy lang makinig kahit wala akong mai-share na hair-raising experience tulad nila. Ako na lang yong taga- ‘ow talaga?’ o kaya ‘naayy kupooo’. In my entire life kasi, I can never recall one incident na nakakita ako or even nakaramdam man lang ng presence ng mga ganito.

I’ve lived alone almost all my life. Sa iba-ibang bahay pa and in different locations. Kahit sa Pinas o dito sa abroad. Pero wala talaga akong naranasan na ganito. Even dito sa current house ko where my previous housemate says na may nararamdaman sya (meron daw syang naririnig at night na heavy breathing sa kwarto nya). Wala akong narinig or naramdaman kahit matagal akong nag-isa sa bahay na to.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang magiging reaction ko pag nakakita ako or nakaramdam ng ganito. For sure matatakot din ako. Pero yon nga, wala pa talaga akong experience sa mga ganito.

Not that I do not believe in their existence. Naniniwala ako na merong ganyan. Kahit sabihin pang mas practical ako and objective than the next person. I do not deny the fact that I do believe in their existence.

Bakit kamo?

Simple lang. I believe in God. And if there is God who created all the things in the universe, then dapat maniwala din ako kay Satan who is also God’s creation. So if we believe in God and his angels, then we should believe (not in the better sense of the word) in the existence of the prince of darkness and the many forms and faces he assumes. At sya lang naman normally ang nagpapakita sa mga tao not only para manakot but to remind us that they he exists. KSP kasi yan.

Kasi, di ba if you happen to come face to face with the devil, parang tini-test ng dark forces yong faith mo sa Diyos. Ke white lady pa yan or multo, even the face of death itself, normal mo sigurong magiging reaksyon is matakot. But if you believe that God resides deep in your heart and soul, then you’d know na ililigtas ka nya from that situation.

So siguro, yon ang purpose kung bakit may mga ganyan. Siguro to remind us of the ever-continuing struggle between the good and evil. And you’d only know kung nasaan ka when put to extreme tests like these. What will you do, what word will come out of your mouth when confronted by a headless corpse floating in the air? Di ba?

Kaya nandyan ang existence ng mga unknown and unseen forces na hindi pwedeng i-explain ng logic and even the most intelligent minds of the academe. Dahil kung wala yan, wala nang mystery na natitira sa buhay natin. Everything will be written down and charted on books na parang buhay lang ng sequioa tree ang buhay natin. And we all know our life is far more interesting than that of a tree. Or anything else in this world.

Simply put, life is full of the unknown. And the supernatural exists to let us know what is natural. Either we believe it or not, it is there. Somewhere. Depende na sa atin how we will let these forces affect us.

taking a break

well for the next week or two, depende kung gano katagal magagawa, i will be posting not as frequently as i used to. nasira po kasi ang laptop ko and i had to bring it back to where i bought it. eh dadalhin pa raw sa service center and knowing how snail paced things can be, asahan ko nang hindi agad yon magagawa.

hindi naman makatarungan na bumili pa ako ulit ng isang unit just to avoid disruption of my blogging activities kaya pasensya po muna.

i will be visiting on a daily basis pa rin and monitor the comments and the chatbox. so sana po di nyo ako hahanapan ng new posting pag medyo natagalan.

thanks for sticking it out with me no matter what.. huhuhu....

happy father's day Tay!

ang tatay ko yong nasa top left ng picture. si reynaldo morales ondoy. bunso sa kanilang magkakapatid. ang kasama nya dito sa picture, ang tita ko (katabi nya), si tiya pilang na nanay nong tatlong bagets. ang mga nakaupo eh mga tiya yata nila (dunno the other two standing with them).

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sabi nga ng mga tiyo/tiya ko, spitting image daw ako ng tatay ko. i got his features like the eyes, the nose, the ears and even the body structure. nakuha ko rin yata ang pagiging mayamutin nya. high blood kasi kaming pareho kahit mga payatin. even his dry sense of humor, namana ko rin.

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halos lahat yata tungkol sa tatay ko nai-kwenbto ko na in a few other posts i did before. pinaka-marami akong naikwento don sa remembering tatay (posted sometime back in october last year) na noong sinusulat ko was like a bulldozer that banged a levee, letting go of tons of emotions na biglang bumalik sa akin. i sobbed with no shame.

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coz i love my father dearly. and i'm missing him a lot. kahit hanggang ngayon na 13 years na syang wala. i can't forget his goodness and the love he has given me noong buhay pa sya.

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he spoiled me kahit mahirap lang kami. once lang nya ako napalo dahil na rin sa katigasan ng ulo ko. but all throughout my life, he's been very supportive of what i did and wanted to do. he knew my dreams and he was backing me up all the time para ma-achieve ko yong dream na yon. sayang nga lang at nang nag-uumpisa na ang realization nong dream na yon, saka naman sya nawala.

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how i wish na kasama ko pa rin sya ngayon. how i wish na pag umuuwi ako for vacation, nakikita ko pa rin ang saya nya when i give him my pasalubong. kahit ano ang iabot ko sa kanya, talagang pinapakita nyang fully appreciated yong binigay ko.

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but that's how it goes. it's one cycle that all of us have to go through. live, love and die. nauna lang si tatay. then my turn will come anytime. magkita na lang siguro kami somewhere - in paradise if there is one.

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i've said this a thousand times before and i'll say it over and over again - kahit matagal na syang wala, hindi sya nawawala sa puso at isip ko. ito yong sinasabi ng marami na kahit daw mamatay ang isang taong mahal natin, they will live on forever. sa mga hindi pa nakakaranas, hindi maiintindihan yon. kahit ako noon, di ko maintindihan. sabi ko corny. but when i experienced it myself, totoo pala. in a higher level, in a different dimension, he lives on in my life. and he will never ever be gone. and he'll stay here in my heart. forever.

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e.coli iced tea, anyone?

saw this from good morning america and thought it was interesting coz me and my friends (of course the adiks) have been frequenting local franchises of these restaurants for some time now.

the report showed a study conducted by gma on lemons served with the drinks – specially iced tea – on six outlets of three familiar names : friday’s, applebees and chili’s in the new jersey area. and you know what? they found something really dreadful – swabs from the lemons reveal dangerous bacteria that could easily make us sick.

according to the report, the fecal matter was found at both applebees and friday’s restaurants. and at applebee’s in clifton n.j., they found e coli. chili’s two restaurants showed negative result on harmful bodies though their lemons are still infested with yeast and harmless bacteria normally found on fruits and vegetables.

worse, the report showed workers of the restaurants picking up lemons with their bare hands. an undeniable indication that fast food is really that – food that is being prepared and handled haphazardly and can get us sick, fast!

statements have been issued by these restaurants to counter the report. though i found these statements frivolous. they should’ve prevented something like this in the first place.

whenever i order iced tea in any restaurant, i just squeeze the lemon and discard it. never did i put the lemon slice into the drink itself. that might have reduced my risk. though i really have no control if the lemon comes already swimming in the drink i was served. and that’s what’s really worrying.

lemon or no lemon however, i’ve always been suspicious of what’s goin on in the kitchen of these restaurants. be it cheap or classy and expensive restaurants, we really can not control how our food is being handled. who would know if the chef picked his nose before picking up that piece of steak. or if the guy making our burger just doesn’t wash his hands whenever he goes to the toilet.

this report is really disturbing because if it happens in the states where there is supposedly a very stringent rule on sanitation in food chains, what more in other countries like here or the philippines or anywhere else?

i hope these food chains shape up and be more responsible. afterall, it is their reputation at stake here. they wouldn’t want one lawsuit to expose what’s goin on in their kitchens. besides, i’m paying, expensive it maybe, to get some nourishment. not to catch some e coli.

to see the full report go to

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=5048483&page=1

liar liar

no, i'm not writing about jim carrey's super over eklat na movie some centuries ago. what i'm fuming about are two news articles na nabasa ko ngayon lang sa local (philippine) tabloids. at alam nyo naman ako, pag nakanti, growls and lives up to my sign. kaya heto, makisawsaw ako sa dalawang kareak-reak na balita.

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the devil rides a benz

Lately nasa news na naman si Princess Revilla dahil sa isang 17-year old housemaid na diumano, binubugbog nya. According to the maid, pinapalo sya sa katawan kaya sya black and blue at pinasakan daw sya ng tsinelas sa bibig. Tumakas lang daw yong maid kaya nakapag-sumbong sa authorities.

Hindi ko sila kilala personally. Not Princess nor the maid. But just like anybody else, ang sympathy ko ay nasa katulong agad. To see her black and blue, hindi naman siguro self-inflicted yon para lang gumawa ng istorya against her boss.

Ang isa pang reason kung bakit mas naniniwala ako don sa katulong, nasabit na rin si Princess dati sa ganito ring kaso. Dalawang maids nya ang nag-reklamo ng physical abuse some ten years back. Nag-demanda pa nga yong dalawa pero hindi nag-prosper ang kaso. Bigla daw nawala yong dalawang complainants. Di natin alam kung saan napunta. Pero kung ikaw ay isang mahirap sa Pinas, court cases are not exactly something you can afford. O baka may iba pang nangyari. Hindi naman siguro natin kailangan pang i-explain kung gaano ka-impluwensya ang binangga nila.

Ngayon, eto na naman ang isang nilalang na sa hirap ng buhay ay nagpa-alila, in the most literal sense of the word. Dahil hindi ko mai-magine kung anong klase ng pag-trato ang ginagawa ng Princess na ito sa katulong. Nakakangitngit. Kaganda pa namang babae pero apparently, walang pagpapahalaga sa karapatan ng kapwa. At dahil sa buong buhay nya ay hindi nakaranas maghirap, basahan ang trato sa mga nagsisilbi sa kanya.

To top it all, heto at magdedemanda pa raw ang Princess na ito sa katulong. Scripted lang daw ang mga reklamo nong katulong. Ang kapal. Nakakapag-ngitngit talaga. Kahit pa si Fortun ang lawyer nya, at kahit pa magpa-press conference sya araw-araw sa Anabelle’s, hindi ako maniniwala sa kanya. Lalo lang humahaba ang sungay na nakikita ko sa babaeng ito!

Nagsalita na si Bong who, ironically, was the author of a bill (I’m not sure kung passed into law na ito) that protects the rights of household helps. Sabi nya, hindi raw sya makikialam, hands off daw sya sa investigation or things to that effect. Sana nga. Dahil it’s about time na putulin na ang kalupitan ng babaeng ito.

Dapat ipa-alala sa Princess na ito na tao ang mga katulong. And in general, tao pa rin kaming mga mahihirap kahit nagugutom, sira-sira ang damit at nagpapa-alila sa mga mayayaman na tulad ninyo. Kaya tratuhin ninyo kaming tao. Dahil kung hindi, kayo ang hindi tao. Mga... nakuuu.......ewan pero umuusok talaga ang tuktok ko dito.


Isa pang makapal

Isa pa itong si Baron Geisler. At sya pa ang may ganang idemanda ang anak ni Yayo at William. Binabaliktad ang sitwasyon at ang bata daw ang gumawa ng kalaswaan sa kanya. Parang pinapalabas na kaya nag-react ng ganon yong bata is because hindi nya pinag-bigyan ang sexual advances.

Kapal!!!! Eh di bale sana kung wala rin itong record ng mga kalokohan. Eh lagi nga syang laman ng showbiz columns dahil sa mga pinag-gagawa nya kapag lasing sya. And now he’s crying foul himself? Kung hindi ba naman…. Naku!

Kung pwede lang mga judges sa Pinas, send these liars straight to jail, lock them up with thousand padlocks and throw the keys into the murky waters of Pasig River. Para mabawasan naman ang mga walang respeto sa human rights sa Pilipinas!

si father jorge

kung noon pong mothers' day ay si nanay puring ni raoul ang feature ng dantespeaks, ngayon naman pong father's day ay ang ka-adik ko naman pong si jun castro ang feature natin. tribute po ito na ginawa ni linda, misis ni jun para sa kanyang hubby na si 'jorge' and again, isang honor po ulit na dito sa blog ko idaan ng isang kaibigan ang isang importanteng message para sa kanyang mahal sa buhay.

again, wala po akong binago kahit katiting sa ginawa ni linda (na tawag namin ay si linds and linds my lab for jorge). ayaw pang ipa-publish ni jun eh dapat lang naman talagang bigyan sya ng ganitong greeting for a special day dahil he deserves it naman. eto po ang sabi ni linds:

Any fool can be a Father, but it takes a real man to be a Daddy!!

Fathers, be good to your daughters and sons.

You are the god and the weight of their world.

Father’s Day! It was year 2000 na naging Daddy ang aking hubby na si Jorge at gusto ko lang reminisce yung pagiging father nya sa nine years naming pagsasama.

Don't make a baby if you can't be a father

Syempre father’s day paano natin i-describe si Daddy Jorge as a father syempre bago muna naging father eh good husband muna sya dahil nung pregnant ako ke bhuleg eh nung time na nagspotting me and advise ng doctor na bedrest ako, so super senyorita and spoiled ako sa kanya nandun yung magpatimpla ako ng coffe ng 1:00 am kahit antok na sya eh tinimpla pa rin nya ako at saka matutulog na lang kami eh nagpapatimpla pa me ng juice eh go naman. Sayang nga nung nabuntis ako ke bhitoy namiss ko yung pag-alaga nya sa akin. Pero nung time na buntis me ke bhitoy naglihi ako sa pistachio aba kahit tapos na paglilihi ko pinadala pa rin nya rin ke Ninong Ega yun kahit mabigat at naglalangis pa yung dates nakarating pa rin sa akin thanks ha!

As a father of bhuleg and bhitoy naman syempre champion yan noh! Eto po ang kwento nung naglabor me ke bhuleg nasa office sya so sumunod na lang sya sa hospital syempre ilang hours akong naglabor eh wala naman syang choice kundi umuwi at tumawag kung ano ang status ko nung nadeliver ko na si bhuleg at tinatawagan na sya ng ob-gyne ko eh tinulugan po ako nanood ng boxing at nakatulog ginising lang po sya ng tatay ko dahil nga me tawag sa phone syempre po dumating sya nasa room na ako at si bhuleg nasa nursery na pero ok lang po yun kasi nga masarap naman ang breakfast ko courtesy of daddy Jorge, saka bumawi naman sya sa pagbantay sa amin ni bhuleg sa hospital naalala ko pa nga nung minsan na natutulog na sya sa bakanteng kama eh kurtina ang ginawa nyang kumot sa sobrang ginaw sa kwarto eh nakashort lang sya eh at that time eh groggy pa me na parang tiningnan ko lang sya at natulog na ulit me. Syempre nung paglabas ni bhuleg eh super alaga sya lalo na sa puyatan minsan nauuna pa yan bumangon sa akin pag umiiyak na si bhuleg aba nung minsan sinilip ko silang mag-ama aba nakadungaw sila ni bhuleg sa bintana 2 months pa lang si bhuleg nun tuwing umaga pumapasyal silang mag-ama at one time na me sipon si bhuleg na sya mismo ang sumipsip para lang mabawasan ng sipon ni bhuleg kasi si bhuleg nung maliit iyakin at madalas kabagan kaya nga ang lahat ng atensyon nasa kanya kaswerte.

Pagdating ke bhitoy syempre me wala ang presence ng kanyang daddy Jorge pero mas naging close pa sila ni bhitoy kahit hindi naalagaan nung baby. Hay si Daddy Jorge super galing nyan magbabysit ke bhuleg aba tuwing maggugupit ng kuko ni bhuleg laging me sugat tapos nung minsan sa sobrang kaantukan naibuhos ke bhuleg yung bote ng dede na walang takip nung tanungin ko kung bakit eh wala daw nitong nagdeny pa eh di rin sya nakatiis kwento rin sya natawa na nga lang kami. Well syempre bilib ka ke Jorge galing yan ng office kahit pagod yan maghuhugas pa rin ng bote ni bhuleg at super linis ha biro magsasalin lang ng gatas eh mag-aalcohol pa maselan noh!

Si Bhitoy naman eh hindi nya nga naalagaan eh bumawi naman si bhitoy kasi nung baby pa si bhitoy ay masasakitin eh siguro kung hindi nagsasaudi ang kanyang daddy naku baka sa kangkungan na kami pulutin at salamat naman sa Diyos ngayon sya ay very healthy na. At nung minsan na nagpunta kami ng hospital at nadaan naming yung plaza moriones tinuro ni bhitoy dun daw sila pinapasyal ng daddy nya kasi silang mag-aama pagdating ng hapon eh tumatakas sila para pumunta dun paano kasi me purpose din ang daddy nya kaya dinadala nya sa plaza moriones sa Tondo sina bhuleg & bhitoy para makapanoood na rin sya ng naglalaro ng chess.

Hay naku pagdating naman ng oras ng tulugan ay story teller po sya ng aming dalawang makulit na chikiting ewan ko nga lang kung saan nya pinupulot yung mga name ng character nya sa kwento meron si aburikit yun lang ang natatandaan ko buti na lang at di si abu sayaf. Para ke Daddy Jorge happy father’s day !

Message from us:

Dear Daddy Jorge.
Love you a lot. Thank you for every thing you did for me.
Love,
Bhuleg

Dear Daddy Jorge.
Love my dad with all my heart and that’s all I have to say
Love,
Bhitoy

Dear Daddy Jorge,

Thank you for everything. I cannot survive in this world without your support and love. We appreciate everything you did for us. Thank You! I love and miss you moah!

Love,
Lhinds

eto naman ang message ko to jorge, linds, buleg and bitoy: wish ko lang po that you continue to be one happy family. masaya po ako na nakakarinig ng mga ganitong kwento ng isang pamilyang buong-buo ang pagmamahalan! congrats linds and jorge. and by the way linds, katuwa ang mga kwento mo! natawa ako talaga... thanks again for sending this post.

future adik

palagay ko adik din tong batang to paglaki!!! hehehee.... ang cute!!!!

dilly dally dawdle

i just had a tiring weekend dahil walang kaabog-abog, late wednesday afternoon, i decided to go to riyadh at asikasuhin na ang renewal ng passport ko after dodging it for a long time. umiral na naman kasi ang biggest katamaran ko, never moved an inch kahit alam kong malapit na ang expiration ng passport ko.

then the changes to the process of passport renewal came (babaguhin na kasi ang passport natin to machine readable, to people who doesn’t know). ang inaasahan kong embassy on wheels sa khobar, (which is just an hour away - again, for people who doesn’t know) wala muna kaya aabutan ako ng indulto kung hindi pa ako kikilos. that’s why i have to go to riyadh. haaayyy…. talk about procrastination!

and so right after office, takbo ako ng bahay to pack my bags, then takbo kami ni orlee to dammam (he’s visiting his brother na nandon din sa riyadh) to catch the last train for the day. our 100-meter dash to the ticket counter was useless kasi, pagdating namin, wala na raw seats sa vip. ayaw naman naming mag-ordinary coach kaya we had no choice but to go to saptco to take the bus. sayang excited pa naman ako coz that would be my very first train ride (hindi counted ang lrt and mrt ha!).

not bad na rin kasi first time ko rin sa saptco bus (where have i been all this time, you might ask, puro first time eh tagal na sa saudi!). so we rolled off dammam station at 12 min past 8. yon nga lang, hindi ako makaupo sa front seats, may mga madam kasi kaya sila ang nandoon. okey lang, hindi rin naman ako makapag-sight seeing kasi gabi na.

pero after more than 3 hours on the road, nagutom ako and the stop-over didn’t do any good. wala kaming makain from the unrecognizable food na nandoon sa resto somewhere in the middle of nowhere. hofuf ba yon, ewan. may signs pero arabic kaya mafi mallum. may ilang boofiya (sandwich houses) naman kaya nagtiis ako sa isang hamburger na ewan kung paano ginawa, kagat sabay lunok na lang just to put a stop to the very loud grumbling of my stomach. si orlee hindi talaga kinaya kaya nagtiis sa pringles and water.

we arrived at riyadh at around 2 am. it is a big city na ang buhay lang ay pailan-ilang tao sa kalye plus the millions of light bulbs faithfully guarding the night. we checked ourselves into a hotel in the batha area and finally got to rest at 3 am.

thursday morning lakad na kami. madali naman naming nakita ang diplomatic quarters where our embassy was located. may isang kabayan na nag-offer mag-drive sa amin (taxi of course) and with his help, natapos naman ang dapat matapos. advice ko lang sa mga magre-renew ng passport:

1. don’t even bother bringing your own pics. pag kasi hindi pumasa sa criteria nila, wala rin. doon ka na lang magpa-pic sa photo shops na nasa loob mismo ng dipolomatic quarters.

2. be smarter than me – don’t forget to bring a pen!

3. and i-copy na agad ang first and last pages (actually pages 1 and 33) nong passport dahil kailangan yon. eh sa galing naman ng advisory na inilabas ng ating embassy, hindi sinabi na kailangan yon. duh!

4. and don’t bother going there on a weekday. bukas naman sila ng half day on a thursday. in fact, mukhang mas maganda kung weekend kasi konti lang ang dinatnan ko doon kaya less ang pila and inis na aabutin mo.

noong hapon, after some afternoon siesta, lumakad kami ni orlee para maglibot. batha area was teeming with kabayans na wala na yatang ginawa kungdi bumili ng cel phones or wala talagang magawa kaya mga nakatambay in every corner of the area. kakaunti ang mga itik at ibang lahi na nandoon sa area, talagang puro pinoy kahit saan ka lumingon. walang iniwan sa quiapo at sta cruz ang ambience complete with the same stench noong mga garbage skips.

then we had the chance to go to a mall (just one of the many gigantic malls) noong gabi na. riyadh gallery ang name nong mall where there was this kika store na competitor daw ng ikea. though i think it doesn’t compare to ikea. branded nga ang mga tinda nila pero mahal.

the mall scene is nothing different from anywhere. maraming tao, screaming kids running back and forth, mga moms and dads na may tulak na stroller, etc. basta maraming tao, mostly wandering aimlessly kesa talagang mag-shopping. kaya road traffic was very bad kahit close to midnight na. in fact, nagkaubusan ng taxi sa batha, marami daw mga pinoy na hindi agad nakauwi kasi walang masakyan.

friday morning, we headed back to dammam na. this time, natuloy na yong first train trip ko. and it was very enjoyable dahil konti lang ang passengers (sa vip section) that’s why i kept on switching seats to get a good view of the countryside. kaya lang, sandstorm through most of the trip kaya wala rin akong masyadong nakita.

it was one trip that i enjoyed very much. kahit nakakapagod. i had my first 5-hour bus trip, my first train trip and oh, before i forget, not counting the airport transits – my first trip to riyadh!

my favorite tv game shows

of the very many programs i've been watching over the boob tube, game shows mainly occupy my top faves. and over the years that i've seen game shows come and go, there were quite a few that i really don't mind watching over and over again. excluding reality shows (in truth, these shows are scripted and edited so where's the reality, really) here are the giants of game shows that have become my all-time faves.

Jeopardy! – My all-time favorite. Started in the early 60’s but it was Alex Trebek who made the show a household name since he started hosting it in 1984. It has the most Emmy Awards for Best Game Show – 11!

Family Feud – another long-time favorite. Though I’m more familiar with the episodes hosted by Richard Dawson who hosted the first run from 1976 to 1985. I haven’t seen the latest versions hosted by Louie Anderson or John O’Hurley.

Greed – Though this one had a very short run (Nov 1999 to Jul 2000), I liked the mechanics of this game show. It’s a game show alright, but it shows how greedy men can be.

The Crystal Maze – originally hosted by the flamboyant Richard O’Brien, it was one of my favorite shows when BBC Prime was still on air. It was shown from 1990 to 1995. Featured different games – trivia, physical, mental – while going through a maze. Very engaging.

Who Wants to be A Millionaire – Originally from the UK, this is the most successful game show franchise ever (according to Wikipedia) – being aired in 100 countries worldwide.

Are you smarter than a 5th Grader – One of the most recent hit game shows, I love this one because of the cute factor of 5th grader questions giving adults the embarassment of their lives. Hilarious.

Name That Tune – For people who thought they are walking jukeboxes (like me), this game show will put that claim to test. It had several runs during the 70’s and 80’s and I guess the one I’ve seen in my teens are the ones hosted by Jim Lange.

The Weakest Link – Of the very many versions around, I still liked the one hosted by Anne Robinson. It also originated in the UK and had various international versions. The Philippine edition started out with Edu who’s very good and ended with Allan K who struggled to put on a straight face. It must have been torture for him.

Friends Like Us – another game show from the now defunct BBC Prime. It has two opposing teams of five friends each doing challenges from physical to mental to skill. Gives away fabulous vacation trip for the winning team to top vacation spots.

Wheel of Fortune – another iconic tv game show which started in 1975 and has made Pat Sajak and Vanna White household names. Don't know about Kris' version though.

guerdon what???

its june once again and students back in the philippines are gearing up to go back to the classrooms, make noise with their classmates, gobble up their allowances and torture their teachers.

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though i wonder how many among the millions of kids in our secondary schools - not counting the elementary students for that would be asking for the moon - would know the word guerdon, the winning word in this year's spelling bee, held last friday in washington and was won by a 13-year old boy from indiana.

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i saw the report the other day and i, myself, was shrinking from embarassment when i realized i haven't even come across any of the words that these young minds were asked to spell, correctly, to the last letter. for the life of me, guerdon whatttt???

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msn encarta defines it as "a reward or recompense" (14th century. via old french, medieval latin widerdonum "repayment", partial translation of old high german widarlon "giving back")

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hmmm... so would it be right when i say "i''m proud of my house which is a guerdon of my hard work"? beats me!
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ok, so just to torture your spelling-challenged mind like mine, here are a few more words used in this year's spelling contest, along with the corresponding definitions/origins from wiktionary, msn encarta and other web sources:
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prosopopoeia - (encarta) a figure of speech that presents an imaginary or dead person as speaking, a figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to objects or abstract notions (mid-16th century. via latin. greek prosopopoiia "representation in human form", prosopon "face, person" + poiein "make")
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numnah - (encarta) a pad placed under a saddle (mid-19th century. alteration of urdu namdā, persian namad "felt, carpet")
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opificer - (wiktionary) a person who creates or makes something. from latin opifex
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brankursine - (webster) origin: f. branc-ursine, branch-ursine, fr. ll. branca claw + l. ursinus belonging to a bear (fr. ursus bear), i .e, bear's claw, because its leaves resemble the claws of a bear.
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cryptarithm - (google) a type of mathematical puzzle in which most or all of the digits in a mathematical expression, such as a sum, are substituted by letters or other symbols.
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empyrean - (wiktionary) the region of pure light and fire; the highest heaven, where the pure element of fire was supposed by the ancients to exist: the same as the ether, the ninth heaven according to ancient astronomy. from latin empyrius, greek empyrios.

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alcarraza - (wikipedia) an earthenware container, traditionally made in spain. from the arabic word al-karaz, meaning a pitcher
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sheitel - (wikipedia) yiddish word for a wig or half-wig worn by orthodox jewish married women in order to conform with the requirement of jewish law to cover their hair.
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secernent - (wiktionary) to secrete. a transitive verb of italian origin
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etagere - (encarta) a piece of furniture made up of several open shelves, used to hold small objects (mid-19th century. french, later form of old french estagiere "scaffold")
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and do you know what was the word spelled correctly by frank neuhauser back in 1925 to win the very first national spelling bee contest? its gladiolus, meaning a widely grown plant with long sword-shaped leaves. large, funnel-shaped, growing in tall spikes. though that one is a bit more familiar.
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oh well, these words are undoubtedly big chunks of food for the brain. but i think they're just too high-faluting for me. right, ega!? hahahaha!!!