beating the giants

i've said it many times before - i love josh groban as well as the gregorians who popularized chamber music doing covers of familiar pop tunes. but they’re all unreachable stars in a far, far away galaxy and the only proximity i can afford is by listening to them on the radio or watch them in youtube.

pne however, is a lot more real. with one member a good friend and the group within reach, they are mortals instead of demi-gods. i can see their live performances and email them my unwanted comments (and never get reproached for doing so, hehehe). and best of all, they are world-class celebrities! well, maybe not in the league of josh or the gregorians yet but definitely on the way to being there.

xiamen, china? nancy, france? graz, austria? they’ve done it all with medals to prove their talent. winning the hearts and respect of discriminating music afficionados. earning standing ovations from international audience. hitting headlines on broadsheets and even the internet. proof that they have now gained international celebrity status - anybody who says otherwise must be turning green with envy!.

i’ve written a few posts about pne already. and by now you must’ve figured out i’m a supporter and a believer. but this one’s simply to congratulate them and welcome them back from their austrian trip. a very successful one where they won gold in the elimination round and final silver on male choir chamber category of the 5th choir games in graz.

beating delegations from mostly european countries where chamber music was born, you just can’t help but feel proud of this group whose brown skins, 5-ft frames are but humble disguise of huge, sparkling musical talent.

what’s more to be proud of is the fact that delegations from our very own philippines (3 groups including las pinas boys choir, kilyawan boys choir and the himig singers) were also successful in their respective campaigns bringing home a total of 6 medals (2 golds, 4 silvers). pinoy music power. it rocks and it rules.

but pne holds a special place in my heart coz even if they are flying the saudi colors, they represent the talent of ofws in ksa and the mid-east as a whole. an unquestionable proof and reminder that wherever you put pinoys, no matter how hard and harsh the condition, their talents simply won’t fade. on the contrary, it fluorishes.

to pne – a huge hug to all. and one proud congratulations for a job superbly done.

for full story of the graz competition, visit www.musica-mundi.com

hell... almost

yesterday (wednesday, july 23) was one uncomfortable day for most of the people living in jubail. power failure devoured a huge part of the city bringing down most of the manufacturing plants in the industrial area. thick, dark smokes billowing from flares of numerous industrial plants turned the clouds dark despite the sweltering afternoon sun.

engineers in the plant where i work said it was just a power dip caused by tripping of one or two substations of the government-owned electric company. according to them, this is most likely caused by a very high usage of electricity that breached the maximum capacity of the substations. i remember seeing the same chaos back in the late 90’s when the entire metro manila went dark. it was also summer and i heard the same reasoning.

over here, it is not surprising considering that mid-day temperatures are now reaching 50 deg or more. i can only assume that in one typical household, all air conditioning units will be working full blast to combat the heat. thus causing overloads on the power grids.

luckily, our company wasn’t affected by the power outage. i had to work over time in the comforts of my air conditioned office while my colleagues who went home early had to sit out the searing heat worsened by some unforgiving humidity. there’s nowhere to go coz even the shops and the tiny shopping mall we have had no power.

i had the same harrowing experience last sunday when my 5-year old a/c unit gave up on me. and the two hours i waited for the delivery of my new unit was simply unbearable. it’s the kind of heat that almost strangles you, purges your body with all the fluids it can secrete and can snap the life out of you if you have some heart condition.

that is why i am short of being awed by people working in the open areas directly exposed to the fierce heat of the sun. they must have super-efficient body systems to be able to work 8 or 10 hours in that condition. i don’t think i can last even one full hour if i had to. i am now one of those whose definition of work doesn’t necessarily include perspiration.

so for the families of our kababayans working in the middle east as laborers, pipe fitters, masons and every other menial jobs, one plea from me. be appreciative of the money your husbands, fathers, brothers and uncles are sending. coz that money is literally from their blood, sweat and tears. appreciate it, value it. coz that is money earned just a few steps away from hell.

madam bola

i’m sure marami sa atin ang nakatanggap nong email na umikot na yata sa buong sulok ng cyber world cc pa yata ang mga martians at bcc ang mga taga-pluto. yong tungkol sa hula ng isang brazilian na magkakaroon daw ng malakas na lindol sa pinas nitong july 18. porke marami raw mamamatay and the picture it painted was truly gruesome.

nong matanggap ko yon, i deleted it straight away. unang-una, wala akong panahon sa mga chain mails. in fact i hate it. nakakairita. specially those messages na dadaanin ka sa prayers or bible verses saka ka babanatan ng ‘pass it to 100 people or else blah blah blah’. grrrr! anybody who believes it would have to dig deeper into their faith. o sa katinuan nila.

o kaya yong mga mail na porke test daw ng isang program and if you forward it to 1,000 people eh bibigyan ka ni bill gates ng parte sa milyones nya! teka lang, wag nyong ipamigay yong mamanahin ko pwede????

and of course yong mga kuwentong mushy and heart warming tapos ganon din ang bagsak. tatakutin ka if you break the chain. eh ayaw na ayaw ko pa naman yong tinatakot ako. i don’t take threats very well. retaliatory kasi ako. kaya ang ganti ko is doing exactly the opposite of what is asked of me. kaya diretso sa deleted box yong mail. where it really belongs.

nagpo-forward lang ako ng message, lalo kung maganda, kung walang obligations attached. pero pag may kasamang ‘or else’, hindi na ako nangdadamay sa kalokohan.

sa kaso naman nong mail about the lindol sa pinas, walang or else. hindi ka na binigyan ng chance na bumawi kung ipo-forward mo. dahil the mail itself is telling you that pinas is doomed. diretsahang pananakot. wala nang kundi-kundisyon. marami ang walang bait sa sarili kasi naniwala. pinasa-pasa pa. and because it was talked about by so many, akala mo totoong-totoo nang mangyayari.

kahit ang mga dyaryo at tv programs sa atin, wala na rin yatang katinuan. pinatulan din yong prediction. kaya ang mother dear ko, nag-worry. and i had to spend the next half hour nong conversation namin just trying to reassure her na kalokohan lang yon. sabi ko nga yong nanghula, baka kapatid ni madam auring. kinuwento ko pa at pinatawa ang matanda don sa prediction ni madam auring na 'valenzuela' ang mananalo sa miss univerese some years ago.

nag-worry rin ako para sa mother ko and prayed na hindi mangyari – even by coincidence na lumindol. otherwise talagang maninigas sa takot ang mother ko. even the slightest tremor, sabi ko, wag naman sana. coz it would have lent credibility to what is obviously a bogus prediction. eh kung gumalaw kahit konti yong tectonic plates anywhere in the philippines, di sasabihin totoo na yong prediction. sasambahin na yong pekeng manghuhula.

thank God at wala talagang nangyari.

ewan ko ngayon kung anong masasabi nong mga irresponsableng tabloids and news programs na pumatol don sa balita. wala sigurong masyadong mai-headline, bait-baitan kasi si gretchen at hindi umeeksena sa mga party. nahihilo na siguro ang taong bayan sa pagyo-yoyo ng presyo ng langis. si gloria naman, ayaw na rin sigurong gawing topic ng mga reporters. napagod na siguro sa kakatira eh wala namang nangyayari. kaya lindol na lang ang i-report sa primetime news.

pero sana, kung sino man ang nag-umpisa nong e-mail na yon, ma-konsensya sya. sabi nga ng friend kong si raoul, what you sow is what you reap. you’ve sown fear and terror and that’s what you’re exactly gonna get. maybe not today. but it sure will come your way. coz what goes around comes around.

simply divine

i should have done this a long time ago... naalala ko lang when i found a new posting in youtube of the song my immortal, one of my fave love songs of the recent past. what's cool about it is that it's a cover by my ultimate fave - the gregorian masters of chant!

for two days now it's been playin on and on and on sa pc ko - either at home or at work. sabi ko nga when my pne friends get back from their austrian competition, i'll ask them to include this one in their repertoire. gandang-ganda talaga ako sa song.

then i went back to youtube so i can share the music vid here with you guys. kaso madamot yong nag-upload nong vid, embedding was disabled. hmmmppfftt!

eh marami namang songs na magaganda ang gregorians so i simply wasn't fazed. una kong hinanap yong kyrie eleison and found it. kaya lang mahina yong audio. so i opted for this one na favorite ko rin - losing my religion, a hit by the group r.e.m. na humabol sa tail end ng new wave era noong 1991. new wave music done chamber-style? really cool guys.

So eto ang matagal ko nang dapat ginawa - share the subliminal music of the gregorians with you. enjoy!

i also linked two songs via the esnips widget at the right pane of this blog from another brilliant voice na product ng american idol - david archuleta and his very own version of two favorite (again) songs of mine - angels by robbie williams and the timeless imagine by john lennon.

advise ko lang, before you play these songs, let go of whatever you're busy with, sit down, relax and savor the moments these wonderful music bring!!!!

what's in a stinking name...

a friend (pampi) sent me this and i thought this is cool so i wanna share it with you. though some things kinda made me go 'huh?', most of the stuff said are actually spot on. here goes....

What Rodante Means

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel.

You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you.

You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble.

But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life.

You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you.

At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself.

You are balanced, orderly, and organized.

You like your ducks in a row.

You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.

People can see you as stubborn and headstrong.

You definitely have a dominant personality.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are very intuitive and wise.

You understand the world better than most people.

You also have a very active imagination.

You often get carried away with your thoughts.

You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy.

You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

You are a seeker.

You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life.

You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations.

You're most comfortable when you're far away from home.

You are quite passionate and easily tempted.

Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

You are friendly, charming, and warm.

You get along with almost everyone.

You work hard not to rock the boat.

Your easy going attitude brings people together.

At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible.

But for the important things, you pull it together.

xxx

missing the winners

so tapos na naman ang miss universe pageant. as usual, we missed again at ‘thank you girl’ ang pilipinas withouth having won any award kahit pa pinuri-puri sya ni jerry springer. may mga press release pang lumabas a few days before the pageant na one of the favourites daw si jennifer barrientos na bet natin. ewan pero siguro paid scribe ng bb pilipinas charities para lang bigyan ng konting credibility yong kanilang organization that has been failing miserably to produce a winner.

so hindi tayo maka-produce ng isang beauty queen in this generation. centuries ago pa ng manalo si margie moran at gloria diaz. of late, si miriam quiambao ang medyo sinuwerte but still fell one step short of the real thing. all the others will leave manila with high hopes (jennifer even had the arrogance of announcing she’ll surely win the crown) pero pagdating sa competition, ginamit lang na pang-background at pangpuno ng malawak na stage. saka uuwi sa pinas na luhaan. and our beloved philippines become ‘just one of those’.

if we can’t compete internationally sa pagandahan, how about sa sports? well, we have manny pacquiao to be proud of. dyan, panalong-panalo tayo. kaso puro mexicano ang pinatumba ni pacman. it would be better if his crown had more international flavour to it. sana may kano, hapon, german or french na pinatumba sya. at least, talagang international ang lawak ng powers nya.

pero okey na rin kasi international recognition naman ang binigay sa kanya. yon nga lang, isa lang sya out of the 84++ million filipinos. ganon ba kadalang ang sporting talents sa ating bansa?

siguro. dahil hindi tayo maka-alagwa sa olympics. eto nga at parating na naman ang olympics sa beijing and we’re sending hundreds of athletes again pero hindi sa nagiging pessimistic ako, ilan ba dyan ang makakasungkit ng brone medals which is more realistic. silver? medyo pangarap ang dating pero achievable. gold? ay yan talaga, malapit na sa hallucination!

ayan nga at from 1 million pesos, ginawa nang 2 m ang premyo sa makakapag-uwi ng gold medal. why? eh kasi nga ganon na ka-tuyot ang pinas sa olympics.

kahit sa ibang field – like arts and sciences, walang pilipinong bumabalandra sa international scene lately. sana man lang may isang scientist, economist or academician na ma-nominate sa nobel. or a literary person na manalo ng pulitzer. sa music, may mga gumuguhit na pangalan like charice pempengco and arnel pineda pero sana may isang leah salonga ulit na magtatagal sa international music scene and win awards like she did.

sa fashion industry, nandyan sana si monique lhuiller but she is no longer a filipina. tru-blue new yorker na sya. buti na lang ang tv industry natin, nakaka-ungos sa mga international tv awards. at least pag nananalo ang kapuso, proud na rin ako. or kahit kapamilya, feel proud na rin ako as pinoy.

siguro hindi dahil sa kulang tayo sa talents. be it in sports or magagandang babae na makakalaban ng sabayan sa miss universe. ang kulang sa atin, ang pondo para mag-develop ng mga talagang winners. kasi ‘ginagawa’ ang mga winners. they don’t just grow from trees.

at para ka makagawa ng isang winner, you have to hone him/her from a very early age and develop him/her to maturity. all along, dapat suportado sya ng lahat ng bagay – material, financial and even psychological – para doon lang sya naka-focus sa dapat nyang gawin. eh paano mo mai-expect na maging isang magaling na athlete ang isang may potential kung ni pambili ng track shoes eh wala sya? paano mo madevelop ang isang potential andy warhol kung pambili man ng lang paintbrush ay wala? or isang magaling na computer kid na hindi ma-afford ang mahal na computers and gadgets? you wouldn’t expect these people to be able to finance their dreams. doon dapat papasok ang gobyerno. para tulungan ang mga talents na ito.

kaso, saan ba nanggaling ang ginamit ni leah para ma-pursue yong talent nya sa theatre? sa sariling pera nila (at least may kaya sila) plus the tulong ng peta ni zenaida amador. si manny, tinulungan ni chavit (?) at lito atienza. pero walang legitimate government program na tumulong sa kanila.

with that reality, talagang hindi tayo makaka-produce ng winners. kung walang backing ang gobyerno and the people/organizations behind, ano man ang potential na meron ang isang talent, matatabunan ng mga araw-araw na problema which is mostly rooted from the lack of funds.

at sa pinas na puro economic struggle ang inaabot, uunahin pa ba namang pondohan ang pagsali sa isang beauty contest o kaya ang training and development ng isang tennis player? syempre uunahing pondohan yong nfa rice program. o kaya yong calamity fund para sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo. at syempre, wag kalimutan ang mga bulsa ng mga opisyales na humahawak ng pera.

so you see, hindi tayo kinukulang sa talents. hindi tayo ‘lesser race’ when it comes to international competitions. ang kulang sa atin, ang pag-unlad ng economy that can support other projects that are usually relegated to the background. projects like developing talents that bring pride and joy to the country. para hindi naman puro top spot sa graft and corruption ang inaani natin.

the attack of tornadoes

half of my body is still aching from last night's adiks bowling tournament. masakit ang right hip bone ko down to my leg and my right shoulder is still passing most of the work to my left hand. buti nga hindi tumuloy yong blisters sa right thumb ko.

yan ba namang walang exercise at biglang sumabak sa two-game, twenty frames na labanan. minsan ko nga lang sinubukan yong heavier (was it 9-kg?) ball pero na-realize ko hanggang don lang ako sa lighter. and it allowed me to do a whole variety of stunts from a strike to spare, ma-kanal ang bola ko at humagis sa likod and almost hit one of the guys!

but it was one tremendously enjoyable afternoon with the adiks. thanks to orlee for sponsoring it "in honor" of his brother samuel roy (na ka-team mate ko together with raoul) and in the process blowing some serious cash from the intercon bill (for the bowling alley plus some refreshments na hindi makatarungan ang presyo) hanggang sa applebees where the awarding took place.

team tornado of ren, jun and irwin won. tinawag na tornado ni raoul dahil a week before the tourney eh panay na ang press release na super gagaling daw nila even quoting bowling greats paeng nepomuceno and bong coo as their supporters. eh sa totoo lang eh hindi pa naman nakakahawak ng bowling ball!!! true-blue adik talaga! hehehe...

but the psyching up paid off. nanalo nga sila, even beating ega's team who was leading after the first game. at kinopo pa lahat ng awards with jun winning the highest individual scorer. irwin who was getting frustrated from his many misses suddenly bounced back and even scored more than a hundred points on the second game after rolling a few strikes. ren also did a few tricks na nakaka-surprise para sa isang ngayon lang nakahawak ng bola. si ariel din was rolling a whole lot of strikes as well as ricky, matt, tito bong and rommel.

yong team namin ni raoul at roy? ah well, wala lang, basta nag-enjoy kami lahat sana maulit. but i doubt it if intercon will be happy if we'll be back for another tourney. eh halos mayanig ang buong hotel sa ingay ng mga adik!

here's a few pix from my cam and more of matt's shots on addicquotes na palagay ko eh ako pa rin ang mag-a-update!

mommy's little helper

nakuha ko lang sa files ni matt.... very funny!

pers taym mo?

April 22 19-- (ayaw pang pa-bisto huh) when I boarded a plane to Saudi Arabia. 23 years old lang ako non. Bata pa pero nag-isip agad rumaket ng mas malaki. Dahil naisip ko na walang mangyayari sa buhay ko kung sa Maynila lang ako magta-trabaho.

Destined naman talaga sigurong dito ako mapunta. Kasi ang application ko noon, ni hindi ko plinano. Gumigimik kami ng mga barkada ko noon sa Luneata (puro wala pa kaming pera kaya yon ang gimikan namin hehehe) at may nakita kaming mahabang pila sa may TM Kalaw. Recruitment agency pala papuntang Saudi. Sabi ko sa mga barkada ko, i-try namin. Naki-usyoso kami and out of curiosity, nakipila na rin.

Pagdating sa loob ng agency, yong iba sa mga barkada ko, nag-back out. Natakot yata. Dalawa lang kaming tumuloy sa interview. Pareho kaming pumasa pero nag-back out na rin yong isa, mukhang natakot din. Pero ako, sige lang. Sabi kasi sa akin nong interviewer, aalis daw ako within a week kung ready ang passport ko. Hmmm… parang lokohan yata ito!.

At any rate, naki-sakay lang ako sa sinasabi nila. Process ng ganito, ganong papel. NBI clearance, pa-medical, etcetera. Ang main purpose ko lang noon is to experience the whole process. Para pag ready na talaga ako to go abroad, alam ko na ang gagawin ko. Hindi ko kasi naisip that it will come too quickly and comfortably for me. First application tapos aalis agad ako? Parang hindi totoo. Kasi ang mga naririnig kong kwento, mahirap mag-apply sa abroad. So ini-expect ko na mahihirapan din ako. Unlike this one na parang naglalaro lang ako eh aalis na daw ako agad.

Kaya sakay lang ako ng sakay sa mga sinasabi nila. Pero nong sinisingil na ako ng placement fee, sabi ko di na to biro. Totohanan na. That’s when I started analyzing and thinking about the whole thing.

Nakalagay ang pangalan ko sa malaking bulletin board ng recruitment agency. Yong bulletin board na laging tinitingala ng mga nangangarap na aplikante. Parang laging nagwi-wish sa mga lucky stars nila at naghihintay na mag-magic para lumabas ang kanilang mga pangalan sa board. Ako, hindi ko na kailangang mag-wish. Nandoon na ang pangalan ko. At nakalagay, April ang ETD. Hmmm… Ibig sabihin kaya noon, totoong aalis ako?

Pinakita na rin sa akin ang passport ko na sila na ang gumawa. Ay ganon pala ang hitsura ng passport! Sosyal na ako ha, may passport na. Hindi na sa isang kapirasong cedula nakasulat ang pangalan ko. Passport na. At may picture ko pa! (Na-discover ko pa later na pineke lang nila ang birth certificate ko para madali ang pagkuha ng passport. Kinuha sa Manila City Hall ang certificate at siguradong naglagay para mapabilis. Matatagalan pa kasi kung uuwi pa ako ng Mindoro para kunin ang certificate ko.).

Hmmm… mukhang totoo naman. Sige nga, subukan ko pa kung hanggang saan ang proseso. Nagbayad ako ng kalahati ng placement fee. Sabi ko before my departure saka ko ibibigay ang kalahati. First timer ako at wala naman akong adviser na sanay sa pag-aabroad pero medyo maingat naman ako pagdating sa pera. Eh kung lokohan, at least hindi ganon kalaki ang maloloko nila sa akin no!

After a few days, pinakita na sa akin ang ticket. Ganon pala ang hitsura ng airline ticket. Inamoy-amoy ko pa! Hmmm… amoy abroad nga! Hahahaha!!

While going through all the process, basa ako ng basa tungkol sa pag-aabroad. Lalo na sa mga newspaper. At doon ko nakita na pwedeng i-verify sa POEA ang job opportunities abroad. Kaya sumugod ako ng POEA. Nandon nga yong pangalan ng sponsor sa Saudi pati yong pangalan nong agency na pinag-aplayan ko. Ay, mukhang totoo nga!

In short, doon ako nag-decide na This is it. Totohanan na to. Yon yong point na nag-focus na ang utak ko that I will be working overseas. Doon na ako nag-umpisang ma-excite. Abroad ba naman eh.

April 21 ang unang schedule ko sabi ng recruitment agent. Punta naman ako ng airport with matching hatid ng parents ko na parehong umiiyak, hindi kasi nila alam na mag-aabroad ako, basta pinasundo ko lang sila from the province a couple of days before ng flight ko.

Isang regular sized traveling bag ang bitbit ko. Hindi ako nagbitbit ng marami dahil sabi ko doon na lang ako mamimili ng damit or personal things, imported pa (which, later on eh na-realize kong mali. Nandon ka na sa lugar eh di local na yon, di na imported, di ba!).

Naka-maong ako at black na blazer dahil tinakpan ko yong T-shirt ng agency na pilit pinasuot sa akin. For identification purposes daw para madali kaming makita ng sundo sa destination namin. Pero syempre may bayad na 100 pesos yong t-shirt. At may baseball cap pa na may name din at logo nong agency na pinapasuot din sa akin. 150 pesos naman yon. Hindi na ako pumayag. First timer ako sa pag-aabroad but I know I am being branded sa ginagawa nilang yon. And I won’t go on an international flight na akala mo eh endorser ng kanilang agency! (First timer pa lang may sungay na! hehehehe)

So yon nga, porma pa rin ako dahil uso naman ang blazer noon. Naka-low-cut boots pa kaya Spandau Balet ang dating (oooppps… clue yon ah). Yakap sa mga naghatid, maiyak-iyak na rin ako. Pero hindi dahil nalulungkot ako coz I’ll be away from my parents. Hindi ako ganon ka-emotional na tao. Naiiyak ako sa excitement dahil feeling ko adventure yong pupuntahan ko. Mag-aabroad ako! Yehey!!!

Then dumating yong liaison officer nong agency. Ang sabi hindi daw ako makaka-flight that day. Bumalik na lang ako kinabukasan.

Para akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig. Kinabahan ako. Hanggang makauwi ako sa amin sa Malibay ay worried na worried ako. Bayad na ang placement fee ko. Mukhang naloko ako ng agency. Ano bang malay ko sa chance passenger or wait list. Hindi ko alam yon, hindi sinabi nong liaison officer at lalong hindi ipinaliwanag. Basta bumalik daw ako the following day.

Wala rin akong mapagtanungan. Ang kuya ko (half-brother) na seaman ay nasa barko na at yong pinsan kong nasa Jeddah eh parehong hindi ko naman basta matawagan kasi di pa naman uso ang cell phone noon.

Todo dasal ako nong gabi. Sabi ko, kung naloko man ako ng agency, at least sarili kong ipon yong nalustay ko. Wala akong lupang naisangla or baka, kalabaw at manok na naibenta tulad ng iba. Wala akong mapi-perwisyo kungdi sarili ko lang. Pero sana Lord, hindi naman ako naloko. Masakit pa rin yon huh!

With all my optimism, bumalik ako ng airport the following day. Yon pa rin ang bag na bitbit ko at yon pa rin ang porma ko.

Fortunately, totoo naman ang sinabi ng agency. Confirmed na raw ang flight ko. Binigay na sa akin ang passport ko at tiket. At pinakilala sa akin ang mga kasabay ko – 3 ex-saudi na at isang bata pa ring tulad ko na first timer.

After a few more drama with my parents, pumasok na ako sa departure area. Sunod lang ako ng sunod sa mga kasabay kong beterano. Ginagaya ko lang ang ginagawa nila coz I know they know what they are doing. (Buti na lang hindi humiga sa x-ray machine, baka ginaya ko rin noh?! Hehehehe). Until finally ay makapasok na ako ng aircraft.

Overwhelmed ako pag-upo ko sa aking assigned seat. Ganito pala ang loob ng airplane, ang ganda! Masikip pero ibang-iba sa bus. At ang mga stewardess, ang gaganda! Sa wakas naka-sakay din ako ng airplane. At sa wakas makakarating ako sa ibang bansa.

Yon ang nasa utak ko at that moment. Basta abroad. And to any first-timer na tulad ko, abroad is always a magical word that means money and good life. Abroad. Ibang bansa. Yehey pa ulit!!!

Pero nang mag-taxi na ang aircraft and the pilot started speaking through the intercom, I was shaken back to reality na hindi basta ‘ibang bansa’ ang pupuntahan ko. Pupunta ako ng Saudi!!! And the exotic, unintelligible language the captain is mumbling, isama mo pa yong deep, booming voice nya na nakakatayo ng balahibo, doon na ako kinabahan! Saudi ang pupuntahan ko! Ibang culture, ibang lengwahe. Lengwahe na hindi ko napag-aralan! Baka hindi umubra ang pagka-inglesero ko!

Well, everybody knows by now na unfounded yong mga worries ko noon. Coz here I am in my… uhhh… --th year (ayaw pa rin talagang pabisto) in Saudi and still doing fine. Natatawa na lang ako pag naaalala ko yong first time kong yon.

Bakit ko ba naikwento to? Gusto ko lang makita ng iba na kahit first timer ka, may mga measures kang pwedeng gawin para hindi ka naloloko ng agency. Think, analyze and go with your gut feel. Hindi yong parang na-hipnotismo ka at sunod ng sunod sa sinasabi ng agency. Afterall, totoo yong kasabihan na walang manloloko kung walang nagpapaloko. At siguro, thankful na rin ako dahil matino naman ang unang experience ko. Hindi madugo, painful at traumatic tulad ng iba!

a balancing act

I once read somewhere that in the US, emotional quotient (EQ) is used by top corporations as one of the criteria in hiring their employees. It is given the same weight as the intelligence quotient (IQ) along with the usual qualifications like educational and professional background.

Ang sabi sa report, the rationale behind it daw is that EQ plays an important role in one's decision making. Maaring member ka ng MENSA but if you show signs of emotional immaturity, you'll most likely find your name at the bottom of the short listed names of applicants for the same position.

Sa atin sa Pilipinas, pinasikat ang EQ ng isang commercial ng infant formula. As if naman emotional maturity can be fed into a baby via a feeding bottle. Syempre hindi naman totoo yon. Coz any form of maturity is something you work on as you go along the daily rigors of life.

In my own experience, may mga ilang sitwasyon na where my EQ have played a very crucial role whenever I am making decisions. Dati, dahil immature pa nga ako and for sure mababa pa ang aking emotional quotient, may mga bagay akong nagawa that, looking back, I could have done better kung mataas na sana ang EQ ko.

I've said insensitive things dahil galit ako. Even if my brain is very well aware na makakasakit ako ng feelings ng ibang tao, most specially ng mga family members ko, I still said it because I let my emotions rule me at that particular instance. Resulting to relationships broken and family ties severed.

Sa trabaho, madalas din akong magkaroon ng kabangga simply because of my being sensitive and emotional. Pag nainis ako sa isang tao, sa ginawa nya or sa sinabi nya, I make it a point to confront him/her head on. I retaliate with no mercy. Vengeance is always the order of the day. Buti na lang hindi ako napaaway ng matindi. But I know that situation could have been handled better had I not let my emotions rule me.

Now that I've reached a certain level of maturity (at least sa pagkaka-alam ko, hehehe) I think I'm starting to handle things better. I try to base my decisions not purely on what I feel but a combination of what I feel and what I think. It's hard and it's always a struggle pero sinusubukan ko.

The most recent is the last few months where i went through a period of uncertainty sa trabaho. Kung sinunod ko lang ang nararamdaman ko, I might have packed up my bags and walked out. But my brain tells me that doing what I feel will only lead to my own detriment. Lalayas ako sa isang trabahong nagpapakain sa akin at sa pamilya ko, without even a fall back or alternative plan. Tipong bahala na. All because I don’t feel like staying anymore. Mali di ba. Buti na lang I let my head rule.

I think nag-umpisa yong emotional maturity ko from having experienced love. Corny but true. Without going into details, this is one area where I've proven to myself that I can be one tough cookie. I didn't let myself be blinded by whatever my heart feels pagdating sa mga ganitong sitwasyon. Kaya hindi ko maintindihan yong mga taong nagsasabing they are blindly in love.

Aside from love, the challenges that I faced must have played a big part on my maturity. And these challenges taught me a lot on how to put up with very little for a loftier goal. It also gave me the the ability to bear pain. And in the end, it taught me how to balance my emotions, control my longings, lower my overblown pride and be more secure about who and what I am.

In short, it's a matter of learning how to take the reins in your own hand. Afterall, it's your life. It's your existence. And whatever you do, whatever decisions you make, it is you who will benefit or suffer from it.

So better make better decisions. Analyze what your mind is saying. Dig deep into what your heart is feeling. And use EQ and IQ as a tool. Not the other way around.
Afterall, the head and the heart are both created to give you a balanced life. You cannot let your head rule you all the time. You'll end up as another Hitler or Mussolini. At the same time, hindi pwedeng puro puso ang paiiralin natin. Or else, you'll end up a total wreck. Kaya balansehin natin. And I think that's the best weapon we have in this crazy game called life.

more pne

here's a few pix taken during the PNE concert i was raving about...

(front row, l to r) neil, orlee, raoul and sen (back row, l to r) melchor, roy and junc

(front row) orlee, neil, raoul, me (back row) melchor, roy and junc

ooopppsss... sorry neil

a beautiful symphony

This is almost a week old but as the saying goes, better late than never. That PNE hear my thoughts about their last concert in IPSA last Thursday – late, but better than never at all. Afterall, I wouldn’t be living up to the image I may have already established with the group (PNE) as someone who gives out comments no matter how unsolicited! Dante the opinionated! Hahaha!

Ok. So the venue was IPSA, in a covered court which, thanks to some mean airconditioning system, was comfortably freezing despite the searing heat outside. But, the concrete floor and steel roll-up doors aren’t the best backdrop to the great voices on stage. It is more apt for graduation exercises and class programs, even concerts by some forgettable pop or rock artists. But not for a group of this caliber.

Though I understand the decision to hold the concert in a venue as big as this one. Ticket sales is what’s important at this point. With that in mind, who am I to complain.

Afterall, their singing more than compensates for whatever distractions that bugged me during the concert. Ushers going to and fro with their noisy heels, attendees who walked in at the middle of the program and, despite the requested dress code, came in their walking shorts and flip-flops (darn, I always feel over dressed whenever I attend these concerts!) and kids jumping up and down the wooden bleachers where we were sitting.

But no matter what, the performance on stage is so strong, hypnotic and mesmerizing. There were moments that I got totally lost with the music, oblivious of what or who’s around me. Their fortesissimo, crescendo and decrescendos are now brightly polished there are times it was simply jaw-dropping. Without a doubt, PNE has now brought their skills and performance a notch higher since I last saw them perform. And mind you, they were already superb last year. So how would I describe them now? Winners is more like it!

But of course I wouldn’t be singing praises all the way through. PNE knows I blurt out the good news first before the bad ones.

First, it’s the guest performers once again. I hope PNE would find talents that would complement their already world-class performance. Though I know it would be difficult given the location and social conditions. Besides, if giving way to new, untapped talents is what they aim for, then again, I wouldn’t argue with that. In fact, it’s something noble so I’ll just have to salute the group.

As for the repertoire, I missed Medard’s hair-raising wailing part on the Idemdem Mallida. And so were the bamboo sticks that provided a truly ethnic feel to the song. Having seen it done last year, I felt that a big part of the song was missing. And since this is a competition piece for them, I hope he does it in Austria. Not only does it add drama to the song but it brings the entire performance to a higher dimension. If there’s one song that could win them the gold, this is the one.

Buko Nut Woman? Again, having seen it being done by the genuinely and effortlessly hilarious Nicko, is a bit of a letdown this year. The new version is also funny and I’d have to respect the guy for taking on such a big challenge and rising up to it no matter what. But for someone like me who’ve seen the best, I just can’t help but compare.

One Voice was also a disappointment. Maybe doing it by themselves, without any featured guests, would have made my friend Raoul happier. Coz I know how good they were when they sang it last year. I think PNE should make it their own. Not only does it showcase the range, power and harmony of their voices but it also has a great appeal to the public who doesn’t necessarily appreciate chamber music and other heavier and serious stuff.

One thing that I’m truly pleased this year is that they included songs from one of my favorite musicals – Miss Saigon. With Boi Doi and Why God Why, the long trip from Jubail and back is definitely worth it.

And Only You? Well, it obviously tickled a lot of people in the audience including my friend Jun. Doing that in the encore is a touch of genius. People who, at the start of the concert looked indifferent, piled out of the auditorium with wide grin on their faces.

Overall, I can only hope and pray that the hardwork and dedication being poured by each member of the group translates to winning the Austrian trip. Coz they have already won the hearts of the kababayans who watched them grow all these years. Including me. With that, I’ll say – Go PNE! You now deserve a gold medal. And that’s what you’re bringing back home. No pressure though! Hehehehe….

no. 9: bookworm not

I’ve been ranting about my favorite tv shows, movies and music. Now let me tell you about my reading influences. Though I’m not really a bookworm but if I find something interesting, I stick to it with much loyalty. Until I find something new and different.

If I’m not mistaken, I was still in my 5th grade when I started reading Readers Digest. Nakita ko lang sa pinsan kong may subscription. Although noong una, it was a challenge to read most of the articles because of the words na hindi pa natuturo sa school. Pero kahit ganon, enjoy na enjoy na akong magbasa noon. Ang ginagawa ko na lang, laging nasa tabi ko si Mr. Webster pag meron akong hindi maintindihan na word. And when things got easier, I would be devouring the Digest from cover to cover. Favorite section ko yong It Pays to Increase Your Word Power and the jokes (Humor in Uniform, Life in America, Laughter the Best Medicine, etc..) plus the drama features of real-life adventures, survival stories and other human interest topics.

It went on until my mid-High School days. That time, I was also bitten by the Mills & Boon plague kasi sikat na sikat noon. At siyempre, wag kalimutan ang mga komiks na nire-rent ko pa sa tindahan ni Aling Narda. And of course ang Jingle Extra Hot na puro kachismisan sa showbiz ang laman pero suking-suki din ako ng mga ito nong mga time na yon.

But it didn’t last long coz our English literature teacher introduced me to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales which started my interest in English novels. Soon enough, I was reading Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath and Cannery Row. Yon nga lang, sa tagal na siguro ng panahon, kailangang basahin ko ulit sila ngayon just to remember kung ano ang story nitong mga ito.

Then my interest shifted to espionage thrillers. At dito isa lang ang naging favorite ko – si Frederick Forsyth whose The Day of the Jackal and The Odessa File were even adapted to films na pinanood ko pa rin.

After studies and when I started working, tinamad akong magbasa. Until John Grisham came along. Una kong nabasa yong The Client which is his fourth novel. Then I went back to A Time to Kill, The Firm and The Pelican Brief before continuing on to The Chamber. Pinanood ko rin lahat ng film adaptations nito although I was always disappointed kasi, iba talaga yong picture na tumakbo sa utak ko while I was reading the novel compared doon sa mga interpretation na ginawa sa big screen.

Then tinamad na naman akong magbasa. But years later, I picked-up a copy of his A Painted House which was a total departure from his legal drama genre. And lately, sinubukan ko ulit syang balikan via The Broker which was his first attempt on crime thriller category. It was good but not as brilliant as his earlier works.

Lately, binasa ko rin si Robert Ludlum only because I was amazed by the film The Bourne Identity. And so I read The Holcroft Covenant and The Acquitaine Progression. Pero hanggang don na lang.

Today, most of the time, current events na ang binabasa ko. Signs of ageing? Siguro. But unless there is something that would titillate my interest, saka na lang ako ulit magbasa.