Monday, August 25, 2008

ending with a bang

The Chinese did it again! They made it sure na kung gaano ka-impressive ang opening ceremonies nila, ganon din ang ginawa nila sa kanilang closing ceremonies. Once again, Beijing wowed the world with exhilarating performances showing how good they can be when it comes to mammoth events like this.

Eh ikaw ba naman ang maging bansa ng more than a billion people, you really won’t go short of all too-willing volunteers. In fact more than a million daw ang nag-volunteer para doon sa olympics and I would assume kasama na doon yong libo-libong dancers, acrobats, singers and others including those who form human chain providing a very effective crowd controllers. Buti naman they were given a moment on stage so the Chinese government can show their appreciation to these unpaid volunteers who worked so hard to make their olympics a success.

Dyan lang ako bilib sa kanila, mereseng walang bayad ang pagpapagod nila, they will still do their part of making an impression to the outside world. Masasakit na nga siguro ang mga panga nila sa kaka-smile all day and yet cameras won’t catch a single volunteer frowning. All for the love of their country. Something we, Pinoys, should really be mulling over. Kaya ba natin ang ganong level of patriotism? I hope so.

Back to the closing ceremonies, again, I was awed with the program. The first production number was again superb using thousands of performers in their yellow gowns with bell trinkets all over them. Huge drums were suspended in the air. Then the stadium was dimmed at pumasok yong mga malalaking luminous unicycle.

The usual Olympic formalities followed. And normally, tapos na talaga yong event after the torch was extinguished. Party time na dapat yon where the athletes have the entire field to themselves to dance away the night.

But in Beijing, they do it differently. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang show. They unveiled a Memory Tower where hundreds of performers climb effortlessly na parang wala talagang pull of gravity sa mga katawan nila. Thanks of course to the harness. And the 16 huge strips of cloth that covered the tower then eventually lifted making the Bird’s Nest grounds one huge ball room! Galing ng concept!

The show was flavoured with futuristic numbers via their floating spacemen na nag-a-acrobatics some 100 feet above the ground. As well as the men descending from the top of the tower na akala moy mga lumilipad na space warriors. Pero hindi pa rin nila totally inalis ang culture nila. They took the opportunity to showcase their musical talents.

There was a group of six divas who sang a song about the moon na kahit parang pinupunit na lata ang mga boses at hindi ko maintindihan ang lyrics, alam kong maganda yong song. Nandoon din yong kanilang pop stars na kumanta with singers from 50 different countries – our very own Eric Santos reportedly being one of them. Unfortunately, ni hindi ko nakita si Eric sa screen. Obviously, ginawa lang silang pampa-dami ng tao sa stage and were used as backdrop to the two Chinese lead singers, Jackie Chan and a few other Chinese entertainment figures. (Kaya siguro hindi masyadong played-up sa local entertainment programs yong stint ni Eric).

What’s cool is that Placido Domingo had a duet with this Chinese soprano who sang her part in Chinese while Placido does his thing in Italian. Pero ang ganda ng naging blending. Over lang sa OA ang attire ni diva, nahilo yata ako sa pagkislap ng kanyang gown.

And of course, nandoon ulit yong awesome fireworks including two bursts of lights forming the Olympic Rings followed by some 100 tonnes of pyrotechnics. Siguradong nadagdagan na naman ang pollution sa Beijing skyline kagabi.

Kahit pa siguro nagkaroon ng kaunting ‘daya’ yong opening ceremonies nila (where the organizers admitted feeding international media pre-taped fireworks plus lip-synch lang yong cute na little girl), we can’t take away the fact that the Chinese did one helluva job for this event. The creativity, the concepts, the grandeur and the sheer size of it simply says they want to be the best in the world. They’ve made this statement four years back in Athens when they gave us a sneak peek of what to expect in Beijing.

Unfortunately, if the performance last night by the London contingency is going to be the gauge for what we will expect for 2012, I’d say it’s gonna be boring. Leona Lewis, a pathetic ‘transformer’ bus and an ageing pop rocker doesn’t impress me. Even David Beckham doesn’t spell AWESOME for me the way Beijing did. They’ve gotta do better than that.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

pride or prejudice?

A co-worker got hospitalized last week for what seem to be a mild stroke. Maybe because of the scorching heat of summer which, by the way, seem to be inching a few degrees each year. In my years of stay in this place, parang nagiging worse each year ang temperature. Mas mainit ang summer at mas lumalamig ang winter. Epekto siguro ng atmospheric imbalance dala ng global warming. O talaga lang tumatanda na ako.

Sa kaso ng co-worker ko na na-ospital, primary suspect ang age nya kaya sya na-stroke. Though he kept on denying na past 60 na sya, he does look it. Hindi lang sa itsura. Pati sa ugali. Yong ugali ng matatanda na makulit na and extra-sensitive. Kaya nga madalas syang mapa-away sa trabaho.

Without a doubt, nandoon na sya sa edad na dapat nag-retire na sya and was just enjoying his twilight years in comfort. Kasi matagal na rin naman syang nagsa-Saudi. Kaso, nandito pa rin sya at kumakayod. I’ve heard stories na porke may pinag-aaral pa, may ganito-ganiyang pang obligasyon sa pamilya.

Which is sad kung totoo dahil kung ako siguro ang nasa kalagayan nya, tatanungin ko ang sarili ko – for how long do I have to be burdened with these responsibilities? Hanggang kailan ako kailangang kumayod para magampanan ang mga obligasyon na ito? Hanggang kailan ako kailangang mag-banat ng buto, dito pa sa Saudi?

I’ve always looked at people and reflect on them kaya pumasok ito sa utak ko. Dahil ako mismo, matagal na rin sa pagiging OFW. At katulad nya, marami rin akong responsbilities sa buhay. Mga responsibilities na noong una ay tinanggap ko, kaliwa’t-kanan, kahit saan nanggagaling. Until na-realize ko na habang dumadami ang responsibilidad na pinapatong ko sa sarili ko, humahaba ang sentensya ko sa pagiging isang OFW.

I always hear things like “ang tagal mo na pala sa Saudi, di mayaman ka na!?”. Dahil kung tutuusin nga naman, matagal ka nang dollar earner which means milyon na ang kinita mo. Pero ang tanong…”alam ba ninyo kung gaano kalaki rin ang nagastos ko just to keep up with those responsibilities na pinatong ko sa balikat ko, voluntarily or otherwise?” I’m sure hindi kaya nasabi ninyong mayaman na ako.

I’m sure hindi lang ako ang ganon. Common kasi ito sa ating mga Pinoy. Kung sino ang may kayod, kung sino ang may kita, sya ang papasan ng burden sa pamilya. Masuwerte yong mga pamilyang lahat halos ay productive. Eh pano kung tulad kong mas marami ang nagsikap kunong mag-aral pero in the end eh wala ring pinuntahan like what I’ve already wrote a few postings back. Pero bago ako mapunta na naman sa pagwawala, balik na lang tayo sa co-worker kong naospital.

Unang kita ko pa lang sa kanya dito sa company namin some 5 years back, sabi ko, sana hindi ako abutin ng ganong edad dito sa Saudi. Dahil yan nga, inatake na sya. Umaalma na ang katawan nya. But whatever reason he has for sticking it out in this place, hindi natin alam. Wala tayong karapatang kwestiyonin yon.

Ang sa akin lang, lalong na-reinforce yong nasabi ko dati na hindi ako dapat abutin ng ganong edad dito. And to do that, I had to do some streamlining of my responsibilities.

Tapos na yong mga araw na nagi-sponsor ako ng birthday, kasal, debut, binyag at kung ano-ano pa. Tinapos ko na rin ang mga scholarships kong walang pinupuntahan. Sa ngayon, wala na akong pinag-aaral. Yong isang nagki-criminology, pinabayaan ko na just recently. Kung gusto nya talagang makatapos, he should find ways other than relying on what I dole out. May isa pa akong apo sa pamangkin (oo na, matanda na nga sabi ko sa umpisa pa lang di ba!?) na naghihintay ng desisyon ko. And I’m still mulling it over kung pag-aaralin ko o hindi.

Ang sa akin, kung ano na lang yong basic responsbility ko sa Nanay ko. And aside from the regular expenses na talagang budgeted na, wala na akong tinatanggap na responsibility ngayon. That’s it. Ang main responsibility ko ngayon is to build a retirement fund for myself. As much as possible, makaipon at the earliest. Para makalayas na at matapos ang sentensya ko dito sa Saudi.

Mahirap gawin. But we gotta start somewhere, somehow. Dahil pag hindi ko ito ginawa, dalawa lang ang pupuntahan ko – first, umuwi ng Pinas na uugod-ugod na, without a single cent to my name at umasa na lang sa charity of people na tinulungan ko noong unang panahon. Ito, parang hindi ko kayang gawin. My pride is bigger than you could imagine.

Or, kung hindi ako umuwi ng Pinas, matulad ako kay co-worker na nandito pa rin kahit uugod-ugod na. And that, I really don’t want to do. Dahil sigurado akong pag nangyari yon, may magbubulong din sa sarili nilang “ano ba ito, ang tanda-tanda na, ayaw pang umuwi ng Pilipinas!”.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

no. 10: i've never....

Been hypnotized by the Harry Potter magic. Ok, please, don’t look at me as if I’m weird or something. I just don’t get the Harry Potter story. I’ve never read any of the books. I’ve seen one or two of the six (or seven, I’m not sure) movies which I didn’t really enjoy the same way I enjoyed Stardust, Willow and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I just don’t get Harry. Why? Beats me.
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Rode the Friendster bandwagon. Ok, I found blogging very interesting. it’s a gift to people like me who loves yapping this and yapping that. But Friendster? I don’t know. I tried it. Even Facebook. But I haven’t got the hang of it. I guess I’m not really into social networking. I’m too boring to post cutesy pics and messages.
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Smoked pot or tried recreational drugs. I smoke cigarettes. I drink occassionally. But not drugs. Never tried it and got no plans to. I don’t have any reason, nor the time and the money. But even if I have all these things, I still think I wouldn’t. I’m enjoying life at its purest. No need for drug-induced happiness. I’d rather be boring than stupid.
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Had a confession. Yep. I already told you in one of my postings I’m not your typical Catholic. I’m God-fearing alright. But never a good Catholic whatever you mean by that. I never believed in many of the rituals going on inside a church. One of them is confessing. I communicate directly to God. I need no interpreter. Something might get lost in translation.
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Been to Baguio nor Boracay. Been to several countries already but not to the two very popular local spots. Why? I dunno. Just didn’t have the time. But I made a promise I’d visit them soon. Coz I know I’m a big loser missing out on these beautiful places.
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Ever had a Playstation. Even a PSP. The latest hand-held game I played was Star Force on my jurassic Nokia N70. I may be too old for the very fast paced and all too gory games with bloods a-squirting and heads a-flying. I’m too squeamish for that. Call me neanderthal but I’m still a Tetris fan by heart. Haha!
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Understood Golf. They say it’s the sport of the rich and famous. Well, I’ll never be rich and probably stay a nobody coz I don’t get golf. For me, it was invented to provide reason for the lazy nobilities to use their feet for it’s original purpose. Whacking the ball then squinting your eye trying to find where it landed? I don’t see anything athletic in it. Ho-hum! (Guess I’m not the very boring type afterall!)
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Liked horror movies. I’m not the type who believes in supernaturals. But show me something hideous or frightening and my very active imagination wouldn’t let go of the images. That’s why I don’t watch scary movies. I want to be entertained, not frightened.
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Had a brush with the law. Even for the smallest offence. Not yet so far. And I’d prefer to keep it that way. Coz I can’t imagine myself being arrested, handcuffed and herded to a police station. Being behind bars is something I would never ever dream of in my entire life.
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Hurt anybody physically. I’ve never used any of my extremities to inflict pain on anybody. Even as a child, I don’t recall hitting, slapping or kicking anybody. I'm too gentle you might say? Well, not too fast my dear. Coz when my tongue start lashing, its an entirely different story.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

8-8-8

They showed the world that they're the ones who invented fireworks as far back as the 12th century. And Beijing skyline was flooded with multi-colored lights from sporadic explosions of some awesome pyrotechnics. Not only in the Bird's Nest where the opening ceremonies was taking place. But in almost all corners of the capital city.

But fireworks aren't everything. The Chinese made it clear that the 40 billion dollars (or so it was estimated) they spent will translate to one spectacular Olympic Games. And based on the Opening Ceremonies, it must be.

The opening number of hundreds (or thousands is it?) of drummers moving in unison banging onto their drums that lit up for the countdown was simply amazing. And what followed were grand production numbers one after the other.

An electronic scroll covering almost the entire length of the huge stadium? And the undulating blocks turning into different forms - the great wall is one - which, at first i thought was done via some hydraulic mechanism controlled by computers? Well it was one delightful surprise when towards the end of the segment i noticed feet under the blocks! It's people inside! Talk about absolute precision!

And the lighting of the torch? Really cool, thanks to some sturdy harness the guy made it safely around the stadium running some 100 feet up in the air! Awesome. (Though I think the torch lighting in the 92 Barcelona Games is still the best so far.)

I thoroughly enjoyed the full hour of pageantry that Beijing brought us. They've made it a huge platform to showcase their very colorful and diverse culture. They made it their very own. And it was one fabulous event the London Games will find very difficult to top.

Though the fireworks must have made the pollution a lot worse.

To those who missed the ceremonies, you missed a whole bunch. And all you can do is just feast on the visuals through these pics.


it was first laid out on the floor then lifted slowly giving the illusion of the five rings soaring upwards, just like the spirits of the games


dancers clad in illuminated suits re-create the Bird's Nest structure

yup, these are people stuck to the earth that rose right in the middle of the stadium. though i can't figure out how'd they defy gravity. weird but amazing!


these are the blocks i was rambling about. doesn't look good in pics but they were awesome on tv!


these huge paddles must be heavy and difficult to manipulate. but the dancer's dexterity and strength made the segment quite a spectacle.

this was just a small part of the gigantic fireworks
that's the huge electronic scroll with thousands of dancers that look like strands of white hair

and that's our Manny proudly parading the Philippine colors

Thursday, August 7, 2008

my top ten fave female artists

I love the divine Bette Midler, the diva of all divas Barbra Streissand and the sexy, sultry and sometimes salacious Cher. Tina Turner always rocks my world just as the soothing Karen Carpenter never fails to bring serenity to my soul.

The 70’s and 80’s produced a whole bunch of my favorites like Irene Cara, Laura Brannigan, Lani Hall, Maureen McGovern, Pat Benatar, Carly Simon and even those one-hit wonders like Katie Irving, Janis Ian, Minnie Ripperton and Jennifer Holliday.

And how can I not mention Whitney Houston whose powerful, brilliant and crystal clear voice remains unparalleled until now. She was undoubtedly the queen before devastating recreational drugs got the best of her.

With all these big names however, there are 10 female artists holding a special place in my heart. Coz they are not just wonderful singers. Most of them are superb songwriters as well. And they made hits after hits out of songs that are their interpretations of life, love and everything in between.

Dido – this beautiful and talented Brit’s voice emits elegant romance just as her songs were expressively sweet and sweeping. Thank You was the very first song I adored her for but Take My Hand, Isobel, White Flag and almost all her other songs are just as wonderful.

Anggun – originally from Indonesia, this sexy French has the rich, powerful voice of black singers like Oletta Adams and Angela Bofill. Her Snow on the Sahara and Still Reminds Me are both hauntingly beautiful I’ve never got tired of listening to them.

Enya – with a cool voice and an enormous talent in song writing, this Irish lady captured me with her Paint the Sky with Stars, Anywhere Is, Carribean Blue and many other wonderful music. But it is her Orinoco Flow that always brings me to a pleasurable journey somewhere near the realm of sheer bliss.

Jewel – this blue-eyed American beauty has a voice range that allows her to sing like a child, a woman and a vamp. From the bouncy Who Will Save Your Soul to the heavenly Angel Standing By and to my all-time favorites Hands and Foolish Games, she was one helluva singer and song writer.

Tracy Chapman – she may not fit your typical idea of beauty but this black American's music is more than what meets the eye. Her songs speak of simple yet intricate subjects in life. And the voice commands you to listen. Baby Can I Hold You and Gimme One Good Reason are just a few of her hits. Fast Car remains as one of my top faves in the folk-rock genre.

Basia – nobody does pop-jazz as well as this Polish wonder. Cruising For Bruising, Time and Tide, A New Day and Until You Come Back to Me are just a few of her hits that I will always listen to.

Tina Arena – believe it or not, her real name is Filippina Lydia Arena although she has no Filipino roots (her parents are of Sicilian origin). This Australian singer/song writer has the firm, clear and multi-ranged voice that gives soul to any song she sings. Burn is one of my all-time faves and her recent cover of So Far Away is just as mesmerizing.

Alanis Morissette – this Canadian-born talent may be in her early twenties when she hit Billboard but her songs were already full of raw emotions. The kind of music that paints the true colors of life – no matter how sordid the truth may be. With Alanis, I will not talk of just songs. Instead, it’s albums like Jagged Little Pill, Under Rug Swept and Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie that made her as one of my ultimate pop singer/song writers.

Vonda Shepard – contributing largely to the success of Ally Mac Beal, this blonde American also dabbles in acting via that sitcom. Her music was smartly woven into the story making Ally MacBeal stand out from it’s competition. Outside that show however, her music holds its own and has given me favorite tunes like Read Your Mind, Someday We’ll be Together and Can’t We Try (a duet with Dan Hill).

Sade – her full name is Helen Folsade Adu, a Nigerian-born chanteuse whose classic beauty is complemented by a velvety voice that brought us a whole bunch of pop jazz gems like Your Love is King, Smooth Operator and Hang On To Your Love. Sexy, scintillating tunes you'd love to play while having intimate moments with your loved ones.

There they are. Ten wonderful female artists, 6 of which are one-named (just a coincidence or a fixation? I don’t know). However, the biggest one-named star of ‘em all, Madonna, is prominently missing. Why? I don’t know. All I know is that she briefly impressed me when she did Evita. And lost it all again when she went back to wiggling her bootie on stage. Ho-hum.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

miss you po

Thirteen years ka na palang umalis. Pero parang kelan lang. Parang kahapon lang yong araw na dinatnan kita na hindi na tayo nakapag-kamustahan. Hindi ko na nakita yong saya mo pag umuuwi ako. Nakapikit na ang mga mata mo. May kahoy at salamin na nakapagitan sa atin.

Dito pa lang sa Saudi noon umatungal na ako ng iyak. Pero pagdating ko at kaharap na kita, hindi na ako maka-iyak. Parang humiwalay yong kaluluwa ko sa katawan ko. Mabigat at masakit ang dibdib ko pero hindi maramdaman ng katawan ko. Kaya walang luhang napiga.

Siguro naibuhos ko lahat nong matanggap ko yong fax. At siguro, dahil sa haba ng biyahe ko pauwi dyan sa atin. Dinagdagan ng puyat at pagod yong masakit kong dibdib at namamagang mata. Kaya para na akong zombie noon. Kumikilos pero manhid.

Hindi ko nga alam kung paano ako nakarating dyan noon eh. Basta ang alam ko kailangan kong makauwi agad. Para bang kung mapapa-aga pa ako ng isang oras ng pagdating dyan, aabutin pa kita at makakausap pa kita. Samantalang sinabi na nga ng fax sa akin dito pa lang sa Saudi.

Ilang araw at gabi rin kitang binantayan. Parang robot pa rin ako nong mga oras na yon. Yong robot na bobo kasi kahit sinong kumausap sa akin parang mga hindi ko kilala. Parang mga walang mukha. May naririnig akong boses pero hindi ko maintindihan ang sinasabi. Ganon pala yong tulala at wala sa sarili. Kumikilos, gumagalaw, humihinga, kumakain at nabubuhay pero wala namang buhay. Para ngang zombie.

Nong ilalabas ka na ng bahay, napaiyak lang ako dahil narinig ko na yong mga OA na iyakan ng mga tiyahin ko at mga pinsan. Mga iyak na akala mo eh sobrang lungkot nila noong mawala ka. Samantalang inaaway-away ka pa dati. Tapos ganon na lang maka-atungal.

Pero saglit lang yon. Naisip ko nga kasi, mga OA lang ang iyak nila at nadala lang ako. Pero hindi ako totoong naiiyak. Sa isip ko kasi, hindi ka naman nawala eh. Ramdam na ramdam kong nandoon ka lang sa tabi ko.

Kahit noong nasa simbahan na tayo, hindi pa rin ako makaiyak. Naka-shades nga ako para kunyari maitago yong pag-iyak ko. Pero sa totoo lang, yong hindi ko pag-iyak ang tinatago ko. Bakit nga ako iiyak eh hindi ka naman nawala.

Tuwing anniversary mo o kaya November, drama ko lang yong pinapadasalan kita, pinapapinturahan yong nitso mo, dinadalhan kita ng bulaklak at pinagtitirik ng kandila. Pagagalitan ako ni Inay pag hindi ko ginawa yon. At sasabihin ng mga kamag-anak natin, wala akong kwentang anak.

Pero alam mo naman ang totoo. Hanggang ngayon, hindi ko inisip na wala ka na. Denial daw ang tawag nila don. Pero ang habang denial na siguro ng nangyayari sa akin. Dahil hanggang ngayon, alam kong nandyan ka pa rin at lagi akong binabantayan. Minsan nga alam ko nandito ka lang sa tabi ko eh. Lagi mo pa rin akong kinakamusta lalo na sa mga panaginip ko. Lalo kung may mga problema ako. Bilib talaga ako sa yo. Hindi mo ako pinababayaan.

Na-miss lang kita ng sobra noong ginawa ko yong una kong blog tungkol sa iyo. Last year lang yon. At habang nagsusulat ako noon, para akong inuntog sa katotohanan na nami-miss kita. Kaya para akong dam na sumabog noon. Bumalik yong atungal ko. Yong atungal na tulad nong nabasa ko yong fax.

Pero nakakatawa nga kasi ngayong 13 years ka nang wala, mas madalas pa kitang maalala at mapanaginipan. Baliktad di ba. Dapat nakalimutan na kita sa haba ng panahong dumaan. Pero alam mo naman, hindi mangyayari yon. Dahil isa lang ang Tatay ko na da best pa. So ngayon, saan ka man nandon, enjoy ka lang. At sana meron ka pa ring tinotoma dyan para hindi ka naiinip! Ingat ka lang lagi at baka makasagi ng angel, magagalit si San Pedro.

Miss you Tay. Lab yu po.

Monday, August 4, 2008

truly an angel

gusto ko lang pong i-share sa inyo ang bagong addition to the de gala family, ang cute na cute and soooo lovable na si clent julian. born last july 27 to my dearest michael and che, si clent julian po ang bago naming baby. another leo that i will hold dearly close to my heart!!! gusto ko nang magbakasyon para makita ko ang cute naming baby!!!




Friday, August 1, 2008

the roaring lions

a few good friends share my birth sign. and based on the personality analysis below, i share with these remarkable persons a trait or two. with this, let me say happy birthday to you my dear friends. go lions!


LEO
July 23-August 22

Your sign is that of dramatic Leo, the sign of generosity and nobility. It stands for self-expression and the unfolding of the internal power principle. Generous and self-aware, you are truly king of the jungle.

The Sun, defines the dominant traits of your personality and your basic character. This makes you a self-assured, magnanimous, and buoyant person who enjoys being the center of attention, and others often see you as invincible, because your courage and charisma are so impressive.


Neil Ortega - July 27. Fresh from his European trip with PNE, this friend of mine is the embodiment of the phrase 'dynamite comes in small packages'. Active, talented and always on the go, he's on his way to concert touring the world. Proving that Leos were born to the limelight!

Your sign is the second of the fire signs, which makes you a strong-willed and courageous individual, with great leadership qualities. Your aura radiates magnetism and dignity like the rays around the sun.

You rule the fifth house which is the section associated with pleasure, creativity, and play. This includes romance, children, gambling and speculation, hobbies, sports, fun and games. Your desire to live out your emotions is powerful, and you constantly seek new ways of self-expression.


Homer 'Tatz' Ocana - Aug 1. A long-time colleague in the 90's Jubail, Tatz is the kind of friend who doesn't forget to invite me to his yearly bday bash. He personifies the Leo trait of being strong-willed, generous and fiercely loyal to friends and family.

The mode of a Leo is fixed, which means that you are passive in your need for admiration, expecting others to naturally notice and approach you. You enjoy stability and comfort, and are generous in sharing it with others.

Your strengths, dear Leo, lie in your open-minded and extremely faithful nature. You tend to act as the protector of the downtrodden, and when taking sides, most often root for the underdog. In relationships, you are sincere, genuine, and trusting, because you hold high ethical standards.

Cesar Caton - Aug 4. One witty, funny but highly introspective friend who proved to me once that friends can click right at the very minute they met. Coz the first time we met, it was like two long friends hitting it off right away!

However, even you have weaknesses, dear Leo! At times, you have a tendency to become vain and egocentric, and get anxious and hypersensitive when you don't get the attention you want. If you are fishing for compliments and get a dissatisfying result, you compensate by displaying arrogance, and are very capable of delivering a grandiose and exaggerated performance.