tale of the 3 candles

a few days before undas, bumili na ako nitong mga kandila.  dahil hindi ako personally makaka-dalaw sa kanilang mga kinalalagyan, i said i'll just light these candles for them.  kasi, kahit hindi ako masyadong relihiyoso, i'd still follow a few practices specially when it involves the people i love.  more than what other people would say, mas concerned ako na baka isipin ng mga taong mahal ko na kinalimutan ko na sila sa ganitong araw pa mandin.

so while picking out the candles sa grocery, i chose blue para sa mahal kong tatay dahil yon ang favorite color nya. pati nga nitso nya ganyan ang pina-pintura ko noon kaya nagalit yong may-ari ng memorial garden sa akin.  sinisira ko raw yong solemnity nong lugar with the blue sticking out like a sore thumb among the all-white tombs.  (she must be thinking of me now dahil nakita ko sa news na uso na sa mga sementeryo ang multi-colored tombs).  

for my nanay, i chose yellow - the color of gold dahil gustong-gusto nya ang mga kagintuan na pinapasalubong ko sa kanya noong nasa saudi pa ako. 

and for jepoy who left this world pure barely a month before his 13th birthday, i chose white.

at around 8 pm kagabi, sabay-sabay ko silang sinindihan while telling them how much i miss them.  tapos iniwan ko na sila at nag-shower ako, nanood ng tv, nag-internet at kung ano-ano pa.  every now and then sinisilip ko lang kahit alam ko namang safe dahil walang masusunog na bagay sa terrace na kinalalagyan nila.

same material, same size, iba-iba lang ang kulay.  pero ang bilis naubos ng blue.  unang-una syang namatay.  a couple of hours more saka lang namatay yong white.  and maybe an hour more saka naubos yong yellow.

what's the fuss about it?

tatay died 17 years ago.  jepoy 5 years ago and nanay 2 years ago.  bakit pati ang pagkaubos ng kandila, ganon din ang order pati ang spacing?

nagkataon?  umo-OA lang ako?

di ko alam.  ang alam ko lang, they must be looking down on me from the heavens.  naramdaman ko na hindi nila ako nakalimutan.  and they are always with me, their love always protecting me and guiding me.

i love you po and miss you so much tay and nay.
and jepoy, 5 years can never ever take away the pain of losing you.

have peace wherever you are.

exciting opening...... not!

Deym! past 9 am na wala pa akong tulog.  Yeyyyssss, binantayan ko ng buo ang opening ceremonies ng London Olympics na mabuti naman at kahit wala sa ESPN at Star Sports (I wonder why) ay pinalabas ng TV5 ng halos walang interruption compared to Solar Sports na sinisingitan ng santambak na TVCs (mas mayaman talaga si Manny Pangilinan kesa kay Wilson Tieng!)

And was it worth the puyat? A big NOOO!!!  Para sa akin, after being wowed by the Beijing edition and even the Athens and Sydney versions before that, London’s offering pales in comparison.

Overall, Boring with a capital B ang program na directed pa naman daw ng Slumdog Millionaire director na si Danny Boyle.  The program started with a production called Isle of Man where the stadium turned from a rural to industrial setting complete with ponies to sweat-breaking blacksmiths.  Yes may kwento.  Yes, gusto nilang ipakita ang culture nila.  But the visuals, aside from being crowded and cluttered, is so damn dowdy I felt depressed and at times, confused. There's just too much goin' on on stage!

At parang nanadya, ang sunod na eksena ay mga kama na may mga batang nagtatalunan hanggang matulog! Sus gusto ko na ring tulugan ang kahunghangan ng palabas na ito!  And what’s those kids in bed for?  Para pala ma-introduce si JK Rowling na nagbabasa ng bedtime story kuno.  Enter frame ang mga mala-Harry Potter na creatures.  Tapos eto na nagliliparan na, bumaba galing sa langit ang dose-dosenang Mary Poppins para protektahan ang mga bata.  

Dark JK Rowling critters, Nannies in all-black...  even Kenneth Branagh is in black suit with matching top hat! Why do I get the feeling that I'm watching Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Van Helsing altogether in one screen? Isn’t this supposed to be festive?  Why do I feel damn dreary instead?

There was an attempt for comedy pero para sa akin, bokya. Bad taste pa nga sa akin yong drama na sinundo kunwari ni Daniel Craig (as James Bond of course) si Queen Elizabeth, nag-chopper papunta sa Olympic stadium at nag-parachute instead na i-land ang chopper.  Seriously, what’s funny about that? Ok, Rowan Atkinson has made me laugh many times before pero luma na at sobrang gasgas na yong eksenang sumakay sya ng cab to get ahead of the other runners in the Chariots of Fire number.  Jeezz... are fresh ideas really hard to come by these days?

As if hindi pa nakuntento sa pagka-boring ang mga hunghang, nilagyan pa ng isang interpretative dance starring a boy and (supposedly?) his father with a celtic song in the background.  Come on! I love Enya's music but it's best to soothe the soul, not to excite spectators!

The only saving grace in this segment is the drama of the five Olympic rings na kunwari ay pinanday nong mga blacksmiths, lifted separately at medyo sumabog-sabog ang fireworks na kunwari ay talsik ng apoy ng nagbabagang bakal.  Because of that, hindi ko na tinuloy ang tulog ko. Baka naman kako may maganda pang kasunod.

But after that, walang kwenta ang sumunod na sayawan na may concept pa ng web connectivity to honor the inventor of the internet (Timothy Berners Lee).  Doon na dapat mag-upbeat ang tempo ng program but still napa-"walang kwenta" ako.  They should watch ASAP or Party Pilipinas para malaman nila how to create a party atmosphere.

Then came the parade of athletes.  Buti naman at yong anchors ng TV5 (Chiqui Roa –  if i remember it correctly - and Dennis Principe- not sure with the spelling) ay medyo informative, obvious na pinaghandaan ang coverage because of their trivia for each country kaya na-enjoy ko rin yong pagkahaba-habang parade.  Kaso towards the end medyo napagod na yata kaya yong ibang countries sa bandang dulo hinayaan na lang dumaan sa screen, wala ng kwento kung saang lupalop yon, kailan sumali sa Olympics at naka-ilang medals na like what they did earlier on.

Although I share their observation na hindi lang parade of athletes ang nangyayari dahil sa dami ng nag-gagandahan (at nag-guguwapuhan na rin) na mga athletes na flag-bearer, para din daw beauty pageant ang pinapanood mo.  Good thing our contingent looked good (Rajo Laurel pa raw ang nag-design ng national costumes nila?) at gandang Pinay naman ang ating flag-bearer na si Hidilyn Diaz (mind you she’s a weightlifter!).

Now back to the program itself...

After makumpleto ang mga athletes, may kaunting intermission ang isang banda saka lumabas ang mga naka-bike na may luminescent wings.  At hindi ako nagkamali dahil isa sa kanila, pinalipad na naman sa ere.  Stunning?  Naaahhh! Tanggalin mo yong pakpak at walang pinag-iba sa eksena sa ET ni Steven Spielberg! Haaayyysss!

Buti naman at very short lang ang opening speech ni Sebastian Coe at Jack Rogue (Philippine politicians should learn from them).  Pero kung maigsi ang speech nila, mas laconic si Queen Elizabeth dahil isang linya lang ang sinabi – I now declare the London 2012 Olympics officially open!  Hahaha...  pagod na siguro ang matanda (but seriously ganon lang talaga ang role ng head of state ng host country, walang epal --- and again, our politicians should learn from this)

Now the highlight I was waiting for – yong lighting ng Olympic flame.  

Para sa akin tops pa rin yong ginawa sa Barcelona (the precision arrow, remember?) so I was curious if London can come up with something spectacular.  And no, David Beckham on a speedboat carrying the torch isn’t my concept of spectacular.

Did it beat Barcelona?  Hmmm... yes and no. Iba eh. Yong sa Barcelona kasi, is the manner of lighting that is  impressive.  The cauldron is just that – a cauldron.  Dito sa London, walang drama or magic yong lighting but instead, they came up with a bright idea that finally made me go “oh wow”!  Buti na lang ganon ang nakita ko or else it could have easily been a 4-hour waste of napakamahal pa namang kuryente! 

If you haven’t seen it, panoorin nyo na lang sa mga reruns ng TV5 (o ayan Mr Pangilinan ha, dapat may royalty ako from you!)

After the lighting, there was a brief display of fireworks which, again, fails miserably kung ikukumpara sa mga fireworks na nakita na natin sa previous Olympic events.  Nagmukha lang itong kiskis ng posporo kung nakita mo yong fireworks na ginawa nong opening ng Burj Khalifa sa Dubai.  Oh well, budget constraints siguro, nagtipid.  Mahirap nga naman ang buhay. (Trivia galing sa TV5 anchors: US$ 42 million lang daw ang budget dito compared to Beijing's US$ 100 million kaya tama ako, nagtipid!)

Kumanta saglit si Paul McCartney – na traditionally ay umpisa ng party mode ng mga athletes where they will mingle and exchange pleasantries bago sumabak sa competition.  Pero hindi na yon pinakita at kung ano pa man ang sumunod dahil doon na pinutol ng TV5 ang broadcast.  

And yes, pasado alas-nwebe na pero hindi pa ako natutulog.  Nalipasan na ng antok kaya naisipang mag-blog.  At mailabas ang mga comments na hindi pwedeng hindi ko i-share sa inyo.  Para que pa at naging Dante speaks ang blog na to! 

marvelous mongol

You know me.  Whenever I find something awesome, I just don’t share it. I rave about it! Haha...

Mongol.  Hindi ito yong lapis na kinakagat-kagat natin while we were listening to our teachers back in grade school.  It’s one epic movie which is Kazakhstan’s entry to the 2008 Oscar Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.  I haven’t seen the other nominees, much more the winner (The Counterfeiters from Austria) but based on how I reacted to this film, Mongol is gonna be one of my newest faves.  Ito yong pelikulang pwede ko namang i-pause ang player para kumuha ng inumin o mag-cr and yet I didn’t.  I was so wrapped up in the story I just can’t leave the screen for one second.

I’ll put it up right within the league of monumental epics of recent years like Gladiator and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon – both in my top ten best films (see my previous posts in 2 parts under label: my top tens).  And now that I found this film, kailangan ko nang i-revamp yong list na yon.  Coz I just can’t let this film fall on the wayside.  It just has to be in my top ten faves. 

Paano naman hindi ako bibilib dito eh sa cinematography pa lang panalong-panalo na.  Think of the Mongolian landscape – golden sand dunes, lush green hills, pristine white snow-capped mountains, gorgeous winding streams and everything you could ever imagine in a land so blessed by nature. All these mesmerizing beauty serving as a picturesque backdrop while a highly compelling story is being told. 

And what a beautiful story it was.  It’s about Temujin, how at 9 he lost his father, found his bride, found a blood brother who later on became his enemy, how he rose from being a slave, fought so many battles  and in the end became the revered Genghis Khan to the Mongols. Yes, the Genghis Khan we read about in our textbooks. It might not be a factual biopic.  But it sure is one hell of a story only brilliant minds can present to us in such a sweeping, dramatic and epic manner.

.

Sergei Bodrov, a Russian-American director is the guy I’d thank for such a wonderful piece of work. He was ably supported by Dashi Namdakov whose production design gave us an authentic insight to the nomadic life of the 1100’s Mongolians. And, as I mentioned before, the poignant cinematography by Sergey Trofimov and Rogier Stoffers completing the visual feast this movie so bountifully offers.

And of course, the actors did their part.  Tadanobu Asano, a Japanese actor (you’ve probably seen him in Thor), played the adult Temujin with conviction.  He was gentle in the company of loved ones yet brutal in the battlefield.  He was wise and crafty at times but follows what his heart dictates.  He exudes power, strength, wisdom, compassion and all the characteristics Genghis Khan is supposed to have.

Not to be overshadowed, Sun Honglei, a Chinese actor, played Jamukha to perfection.  Good thing Tadanobu played Temujin so strongly.  Otherwise Sun’s character, villain as it maybe, could have stolen your sympathy so easily.

This film may have not been a box office hit (maybe because of very limited release) but it won wide critical acclaim.  Nominated in so many international films, won major awards in some and even the notorious and merciless Rotten Tomatoes site gave this film an 86% approval rating.  This, once again, proves my point that Hollywood doesn’t have the monopoly of great films. Kaya alam nyo na ang kasunod, it’s my prodding for you to watch it coz it’s worth the 120 minutes of your life.

happy 76th

since july started naiisip ko na sya... 

it's his birth month kasi

kanina, i went to bed at 4 am (nagbabad sa HBO haha)

and there he was in my dreams, 

with his pilyo at pa-playboy na smile

alam mo naman hindi ko nakakalimutan ang araw na to

it should've been your 76th

at kahit 17 years ka nang wala

thanks for always making me feel 

that you're always by my side

miss po kita tay

janine... not janina

Last night, i watched the first few contestants of Binibining Pilipinas parading in their swimsuit in Channel 2 but when I saw GMA7 running Jose and Wally’s Araneta concert, ay sori na lang kayo ladies.  Certified EB dabarkads ako kaya bahala na kayong mag-rambol sa mga crowns na pinapamigay ni Madam Stella.

Good thing Velvet did a rerun of the pageant tonight.  At dahil walang ibang magandang palabas, i get to see the whole program and find out why i’ve seen a couple of violent reactions from people who seem to be in discord with the results. 

Dahil nga alam ko na ang winners at narinig ko na rin ang mga comments, I didn’t bother to make my choices.  Kaya nakapag-concentrate ako sa mga ibang aspects nong program. As usual, let me dissect this thing na paborito kong gawin being the frustrated all-around critic that I am.

Production Values:  I like the stage.  Classy and glossy.  Hindi man fresh yong idea but the huge LED showing the number and name of the contestants was a big plus.  Overall, the look and feel of the program was contemporary at hindi tulad nong dati na parang masyadong stiff and boring.

Hindi ko lang ma-gets kung bakit may DJ sa gitna nong stage habang pumaparada ang mga contestants in their bikinis.  Kung sana naka-tank top man lang yong DJ, I’d get the feeling of a beach front setting to justify the bikinis.  Tipong Bora lang.  But the formally-clad DJ? Hmm...

Gusto ko ang camera works making a sweeping, circular motion as the contestants parade in their gowns.  It gives a 360-degree view of the stage, the contestant and the crowd in the gallery.  Nice work direk!

And since nasa evening gown na rin lang tayo, let me say that i found a few gowns unflattering to some contestants.  Particularly the first 3 contestants na nagmukhang losyang/nanay sa mga gown na sinuot nila.  And a few more scattered within the 30 gowns na ngayon ay hindi na binabanggit kung sino ang designers.  Sayang ang kaseksihan nila.  

Baka naman hindi lang talaga ako marunong sa mga gown-gown na yan.  But I’d stand by what I saw.  May ilang nagmukhang malapad. Yong iba nagmukhang nanay. At yong iba, plain and simple, losyang. End of argument.

Performers:  Still in the evening gown segment, I found Arnel’s mellow rock pieces incongruous to the elegance of the moment.  Sana hindi na lang sya ang pinag-perform doon.  Bamboo was spot on with his jazzy/rnb songs at bagay na bagay sa pagrampa nong mga contestant.  But Arnel?  Really? 

Nakaka-awa din sya dahil ilang songs din yon na dire-diretsong sya lang ang kumakanta.  Puro mahihirap pa kaya by the time contestant no. 9 was about to exit the frame, halos sumabit na sya sa bridge nong kanta.  By the time the last two contestants were on stage, it was obvious he was already chasing his breath. 

Hosts:  Kung si Arnel ay naghahabol ng hininga, si  Xian naman ay punong-puno ng oxygen ang lungs kaya nag-boses kwan.  He sounded so excited and high strung.  Parang naka-singhot ng helium.  Tatlong babae pa naman ang co-hosts nya kaya importante sanang mag-provide sya ng cool, soothing baritone voice being the only male host.  Kaso nakipag-compete sya sa nasal at boses kwan na si Georgina na bukod sa mukhang overly painted mannequin ay halatang-halata rin ang pagiging kabado.

Venus was good although there are times na nadala nya yong mga tono nya sa kanyang morning show.  But with the quality of her voice, ilang polishing lang at mapapanindigan na nya ang kanyang college degree.

Izza proved she was trained well in GMA dahil sya ang pinaka-cool, composed at flavourful sa mga hosts.  Her performance was not flawless pero itabi mo ba naman si Georgina or si Xian sa kanya, she shines like a diamond standing beside two lifeless puka shells.  

Judges :  My biggest HUHHHH? Moment of the night was Phil Younghusband being the chairman of the board of judges.  Talaga lang ha?  I thought Azkals was overrated.  But this guy heading the panel of prestigious judges?  That is WAYYYYY OVERRATED! Hayaan nyo munang manalo man lang kahit sa Asian Cup yang mga yan bago nyo sambahin, pwede? Pag foreign blood ba, idol na agad? Hindi ba pwedeng reality check muna?  Aysowsss!!! 

Precious Lara Quigaman, sitting as one of the judges on the merit of her being a previous winner, should have presented herself just that - a beauty queen.  Not the ‘matronic’ beauty I saw tonight.  Mas mukha pang beauty queen si Rep Risa Hontiveros sa kanya eh.  

And I like what Ms. Hontiveros did - encourage the contestant to answer in the language she is more comfortable with.  Wag nang mag-ingles kung hindi kaya.  Besides, makapag-ingles ka man, pipintasan pa rin ang grammar mo.  Lalo ang diction mo dahil hahanapan ka ng accent na hinding-hindi mo makukuha unless you stayed for sometime in a foreign country like the US.

And speaking of US, Ambassador Thomas sitting in the panel leaves some bad taste in my mouth.  After what he said about the sex tourism in the Phils, I wonder what he's thinking as half-naked Pinays parade right in front of him.  Still pondering on that controversial statement, Ambassador?   

Beauty: Let me start by saying that collectively, this year’s contestants are far better than previous years.  Mas marami ang magaganda at talagang pang-beauty pageant.  Unlike before na parang pinulot lang kung saan-saan ang mga kasali.  

Brains.  Marami rin ang matatalino.  The Q&A portion revealed most of the 12 semi-finalists having something between their ears.  Hindi tulad nong dati na may mango tree, banana tree, coconut tree pang nalalaman ang contestant! Natatawa talaga ako up until now pag naaalala ko yon. 

And yes, Janine man yong nanalo pero walang Janina San Miguel moment.  Although I found No 26 a bit obnoxious dahil ang haba na ng sinabi at halos nag-speech na eh hindi pa nabibigay ang question nya. Over excited?  Maybe.  But if that was a job interview, i'd tell her to shut the hell up, give back her cv and kick  her out of the door.  Intrimitida.

Among the final 12, pinaka-ridiculous ang sagot ng contestants 15 and 29. Ang nakakatawa, nag-place pa sila as 1^st and 2^nd runner up!  Hmm... ito siguro yong pino-protesta ng mga nabasa ko.

Yes, I’d agree with a few comments i read in FB na sayang si No. 9 dahil hindi pumwesto.  But the top 3 winners, if only based on their answers, deserve their titles.  

No 13 gave a sensible answer flavoured with an American twang she brandished so confidently.  Maganda rin ang sagot ni No 18 although hindi maganda ang ginawa nyang pagtalikod sa judge/audience immediately after she finished her answer.  Naitawid man nya ang sagot sa tanong but what she did is still screaming NERVES to the highest level. No. 8 gave the most impressive answer although I would credit that to her being a veteran dahil dati na syang sumasali dyan.

At mukha ngang night of the veterans yong contest dahil si 18 pala ay nag-first runner up kay Shamcey last year.  And maybe that’s where the uproar was coming from.  Oo nga naman, bakit pa kayo nagpa-contest kung ang kokoronahan nyo rin lang ay yong next in line last year.  Eh di gawin na lang succession!

The Challenge.  Ok.  So the pomp and pageantry is over.  Now the real work starts for these winners.  And by the way our representatives performed last year, napakalaking challenge ang haharapin ng mga contestant na ito.  No. 18 specifically dahil Shamcey’s tsunami walk and 3^rd runner up finish in Miss Universe is gonna be hard to top.  

Ano kayang kailangang gawin ni Miss Tugonon?  If I were to ask my friend Jay, siguradong ang sasabihin nya, “unahin nya munang pagsabayin ang mga mata nya, naghihiwalay kasi!” hahahaha... that's a bit harsh from someone who's always nice and sweet!!!

reducing our carbon footprint

Buhat pa nong March 1, naki-join ang Sta Rosa sa iba pang cities and municipalities na nag-ban na ng plastic bags at iba pang non-biodegradable materials.  Last thing I heard, a bigger part of Metro Manila has been doing this for some time now.  At target yata na buong Metro Manila at iba pang lugar ay totally i-ban ang plastics in the near future. Kaya yong unang weekly grocery ko for March sa aking suking Waltermart, sa brown paper bags na nilalagay nong bag boy ang mga pinamili ko.

Of course mahirap bitbitin ang supot na papel lalo na may binili akong fish and meat.  Lalo na yong coke litro na mamasa-masa dahil galing sa malamig na freezer.  So kung ilalagay mo sa paper bag yon, kailangan yakapin mo sya or else lulusot dahil siguradong mabubutas si supot! May eco-friendly bag naman daw sabi ng cashier.  Ok. Di bale nang magbayad ng 10 pesos per bag kesa naman mabutas ang supot at sumabog ang pinamili ko sa sahig!

I really have no problem doing away with plastic bags.  Kahit ibig sabihin non eh wala na akong libreng lagayan ng basura sa bahay.  No choice kungdi bumili na rin ng itim na waste bags na plastic pa rin at hindi pa naman totally pulled out of the stores.  Walang problema kahit bumili pa ako ng apat na eco-friendly bags na 10 pesos each kung nasa Waltermart grocery ka at 35 pesos kung nasa SM ka. If this is the way I can contribute to the betterment of our ecological situation, by all means, go!

But amidst this frenzy of being eco-friendly plastic-free society, nagtanong ba tayo kung bakit kailangang gawin?

I heard from one report na ang biggest reason daw why plastics have to be banned ay dahil ang plastics ang bumabara sa mga kanal kaya nagkakaroon ng malaking pagbaha sa Metro Manila at iba pang lugar. Hindi rin daw biodegradable kaya napupuno ang mga landfill.  Masama din daw kung susunugin dahil nagko-cause ng pollution.

Fine.  Don sa last two statements, isang word lang ang sasabihin ko: RECYCLE.  At don sa unang statement, dyan tayo hahaba ang usapan!  

Bakit babara sa kanal at magba-baha dahil sa plastic?  Hindi dahil sa plastic mga kabayan.  Dahil sa UGALI nating mga Pinoy.  Dahil sa KAWALAN ng DISIPLINA! Hindi dahil sa plastic.

Paano ba mapupunta sa kanal ang plastic kung hindi natin itinapon?  Hindi naman kusang lilipad yong plastic para humanap ng kanal or imburnal or manhole at sisiksik sya doon saka magtatatalon na ‘yehey naka-bara ako sa kanal’!

Bakit sa Singapore wala tayong nababalitaan na bumaha dahil nagbara ang mga kanal?  Dahil sa kanila bawal magtapon kahit balat ng kendi sa kalsada.  Eh sa Pinas, di ba parang isang malaking basurahan ang kalsada, kanal at mga ilog?  

Which leads me back to my early days na ang slogan ni former President Marcos eh Sa Ikauunlad ng Bayan, Disiplina ang Kailangan.  Totoo naman.  Bakit noon disiplinado tayo kaya ang Pinas ang tinawag na Tiger Economy of Asia.  Eh ngayon, oo nga at nasa demokrasya tayo, we enjoy such freedom a lot of oppressed nations are dying for, and yet we’ve been left behind.  Kulelat na yata tayo sa ASEAN region kung economy ang pag-uusapan.

Kahit ang kawawang Vietnam na nilugmok ng sangkatutak na giyera, naungusan na tayo.  Their economy is now far better than Pinas. In fact, marami na sa mga kababayan natin ang ginagawa itong destination for work.  Hindi ba nakakahiya na dati kulelat sila and yet here we are, sugod na sa kanilang bansa dahil mas maraming opportunity at magandang kumita ng pera?

I’m not saying we have to go back to the martial rule that President Marcos imposed.  Ang sinasabi ko lang, let’s enjoy our freedom and at the same time, be a responsible citizen.  Tulad na lang dito sa basura.  Wag magtapon kung saan-saan. Wag magkalat.  Because in the long run, it is our lives that suffer from the consequences.  

Sige, magtapon ka at magkalat.  Pagdating ng kaunting ulan, binaha ka.  Na-Ondoy ka (ouch, i hate to use it pero naging synonymous na ang pangalan ko sa delubyo!).  Ang bahay at kotseng pinundar mo, pinaghirapan mo, nalubog sa baha.  Oh, di aatungal ka.  Kayod ka na naman para magpundar ulit.

Hindi naman siguro nagkukulang ang gobyerno sa pagpapa-alala sa atin.  Matigas lang talaga ang ulo natin.  Natural tayong pasaway.  Kaya kahit ano pang sangkatutak na legislation ang gawin ng ating mga mambabatas, kung hindi tayo susunod, walang mangyayaring pag-unlad sa ating bansa. In fact, isa na yata tayo sa bansa sa buong mundo na napakaraming batas.  And yet walang nangyayari.  It only encourages corruption.  Dahil nga maraming pasaway. Kailangan pa ba na bumalik sa authoritarian rule para lang tayo sumunod?  

I laud the think tanks who initiated this plastic-free society.  Good thinking.  Pero sana lang, sinamahan din ng mas magandang intention.  At nilinaw na hindi ang plastic ang problema.  Kungdi tayo mismo. If the change comes from within ourselves, mas magiging natural at malinaw ang gagawin ng bawat isa para maka-contribute sa kalinisan at kaligtasan ng kapaligiran.

And you think brown paper bags are better?  Think again.  Kung 200 paper bags ang magamit ko sa aking paggo-grocery sa isang taon, isn’t it that it equates to one tree being cut down somewhere?  Hindi ba’t deforestation is another demon we’re trying to combat because of the flash floods and land slides?  So kung buong Pinas ay paper bag ang gagamitin, ilang libong puno ang kailangan nating itumba?  In the end, ilang bayan ang babahain at makakaranas ng land slides?

Yon ang reason ko kung bakit kahit gumastos ako ng 10 pesos for the eco-friendly bag daw, i’d rather do it.  Dahil alam kong hindi man bumara sa kanal ang paper bags, it still means devastation of our forests.  By not patronizing the brown paper bag, i know I'm going one step further.  I'm reducing my carbon footprint even greater.  So I’m a good citizen.  Yes  I am! 

a couch potato's dilemma

For a couch potato like me, it’s frustrating to watch tv these days.  Minsan, wala ka talagang mapanood na matino. Sa dinami-dami ng channels (i’m on Sky Cable), there are times i can’t find anything worth watching.  

Buti na lang there’s GMA News Tv.  Their documentaries are the best.  Front Row, Investigative Documentaries, Reporter’s Notebook, Brigada, I-Witness and so many others.  Not to forget my favourite, Jay Taruc’s  Motorcycle Diaries.  Kara David. Sandra Aguinaldo.  Malu Mangahas.  Howie Severino.  And of course, the queen of em all, Jessica Soho. These are my superstars.  Kaso lang, there are times na rerun ang mga pinapalabas nila so I have to switch channels.

I don’t know much about the morning shows kasi tulog pa ako non.  But noontime of course is dedicated to Eat Bulaga. I just can’t miss Pinoy Henyo.  Di ko rin pwedeng ma-miss yong PNV segment at yong SBG simply because Jose is so funny.   It’s amazing how he (with Wally and Paulo) can sustain that kind of humor everyday and in the process keeps it varied para hindi nakakasawa.  I admire how they can make fun of their segment na hindi nakaka-offend at hindi lumalagpas sa boundaries.  Dati kasi pinapanood ko ang Showtime but I got tired of Vice Ganda’s arrogance. Hindi mo pwedeng latiguhin ang isang tao, insultuhin mo to the max, saka mo sasabihing biro lang.  What's funny about that?

Sa hapon, i’m switching between TV5’s Face to Face ni Amy Perez at GMA News Tv’s Personalan ni Ali Sotto.  Only to snoop on the conflicts being discussed.  Pero hindi ko tinututukan lalo na’t nagsasapakan na or ngalngalan portion na.  Uzi lang ako pero pag batuhan na ng silya nilalayasan ko na.  Sana lang whatever royalty they’re given is worth the shame they have to face in doing it.  

Early evening it’s 24 Oras for news.  But after that, channel surfing na ako.  I don’t go for soap kaya babalik lang ako sa 7 pag Survivor na.  After that, I’ll check on National Geographic or Discovery and see if there’s anything interesting.  Kung wala, punta naman ako ng Star Movies, HBO and Cinema One.  Kaya lang, most of the time, puro reruns din ang palabas.

Click.  Click.  My remote control is burning.  Kung pwede lang akong batukan nito baka nabukulan na ako.  Eh kasi naman...  Eli Soriano in one Channel. Paglipat mo, may nagbabasa na naman ng bible.  Another click and there’s this American evangelist preaching.  Lipat pa, may gospel singing naman.  Another click and there’s this lady preacher na hysterical na sa pagsesermon.  Hayysss... Sori po pero di ako masyadong religious.

After 10 seasons of American Idol, sawang-sawa na ako sa mga singing competition.  Kaya nagsimula at natapos ang X Factor na wala akong pakialam.  Eto at may Sing Off pa.  Di ko na rin pinapanood ang So You Think You Can Dance na 6 seasons ko ring tinutukan when I was in Saudi.  Eversince di ko rin pinanood ang Dancing With The Stars.  Pati yong America’s Best Dance Crew.  Or Britain’s Got to Dance. 

Sukang-suka na rin ako sa mga cooking shows.  May Junior Master Chef Australia, meron ding version si Judy Ann sa Ch2.  GMA has Kusina Master, Sarap At home at Quickfire.  Meron ding Gellicious sa TV5.  Si Rachael Ray buhay pa rin pati si Martha Stewart.  May Bernard Legasse pa.  At Two Greedy Italians.  Iron Chef, Chef Versus City, The Delicious Ms Dahl, at kung ano-ano paaaa! Kahit saan ka pumunta puro pagluluto!  Pati ba naman pag-gawa ng cupcake ginawa na ring show?  Deym!

Nagsawa na rin ako sa talk shows kaya click lang pag nadaanan si Oprah (which we all know are old episodes dahil retired na ang queen of talk), Ellen, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan at kung sino-sino pa.  

Pati nga Velvet channel pinapatulan ko minsan.  I got curious for a while kung ano yong Jersey Shore.  Basura pala.  What’s interesting about douche bags and bimbos yelling and punching each other?  Buti pa sa Lifestyle Network may mga home design programs akong nae-enjoy like Deserving Design by Vern Yip and Carter Can by Carter Oosterhouse.  

Before I go to bed, it’s my favorite The Simpsons sa Jack Tv.  Early morning na yon kasi 1am sya nage-ere.  Buti na lang the new season will be on an earlier time slot (8pm).  

Pag weekends, pahinga most of the day ang tv ko.  I don’t fancy Sunday shows – Party Pilipinas, ASAP at yong mga showbiz shows.  Sayang lang kuryente ko.  Back to tv lang ako pagdating ng 7:30pm dahil kay Bossing Vic and his Who Wants to be a Millionaire.  

I’m looking forward to TV5’s announcements.  Favorite ko kasi yong Amazing Race saka Extreme Make Over Home Edition.  Sana maganda lumabas.  At least madagdagan ang choices ko.

For now, ah....  i’ll just leave my tv on.  Pandagdag ingay lang. 

a public service para sa mga inuutong OFW

Dec 22, a few days before Christmas, bumisita sa aking lungga ang dalawang good friends  from Jubail - Jonas and Jay.  Jonas who’s on an extended bakasyon will soon be flying back on the 28^th kaya sinamahan ko sya para mag-process ng kanyang OEC. Instead of wasting precious hours and blowing his top sa POEA Ortigas (kung OFW kayo alam nyo ang ibig kong sabihin), sabi ko sasamahan ko na lang sya sa Calamba where I’ve been getting my OEC since I’ve become a Rosenan.  

Considering na peak season, siguradong by the thousands ang nagpa-process ng OEC sa Ortigas.  Eh dito sa Calamba, never ko pang naranasan, ke peak season o hindi, na pumila ng matagal.  At the most, wala pa yatang 40 persons yong inaabot kong pila.  Ang hindi lang maganda dito, POEA at OWWA lang ang magkatabi ang offices.  Philhealth and Pag-Ibig are in separate buildings at kung hindi mo alam ang flow ng proseso, magpaparo’t parito ka.  

Nevertheless, dumating kami ng Calamba around 11:45am and by 2pm, Jonas got his OEC.  Minus the 45- minute lunch we had, less than two hours lang yong buong proseso.  It could have been shorter kung  hindi kami nagpabalik-balik dahil hindi namin alam na aside from Philhealth, pati pala Pag-Ibig ay mandatory na rin.   Since July pa raw sabi nong taga POEA.

Napa-HUH??? talaga ako.  Bakit ginawa nang mandatory ito?  It’s a contribution that should only be done if – and only if – a person chooses to do so.  It should have stayed optional as it was before.  Personal choice dapat ito.  Hindi utos ng kung sinong herodes na dapat mong sundin.

Hindi kasi ako naniniwala dyan.  Kakaltasan ka ng kita mo, ilalagay daw kuno sa pondo na pwede mong kunin later on pero pag minalas ka, kukurakutin ng kung sino.  At pag nag-loan ka, pahihirapan ka ng husto bago mo makuha – kung ano-anong dokumento ang hihingin sa yo, kung sino-sinong herodes ang pupuntahan, lalapitan at susuhulan mo – para ano?  Para makakuha ka ng kapiranggot na loan?  

Sa mga tulad kong hindi mahilig sa loan – and most importantly – hindi bilib sa Pag-Ibig na yan, bakit kailangang idamay kami?  If I choose to manage my finances on my own, why impose something like this?  

Sa Philhealth hindi ako masyadong nag-react noong gawing mandatory.    That time kasi, nagagamit ni Nanay yong benefits in her frequent trips to the hospital.  Ang kaso, itataas na raw ng Philhealth ang contribution.  From 900 pesos, gagawin nang 1,200 starting this month.  And this is only in preparation for the full implementation of the new rate in July na gagawin na raw 2,400 pesos.  Aysowss!!!  

Kailangan daw protektahan ang universal health care ng lahat ng Pilipino.  Eh mga impakto pala kayo. Paano maa-afford ng masang Pinoy yan kung ganyang itataas pa ninyo ang membership?  Kami ngang kumikita ng dolyares pahirap na yan.  Besides, kapiranggot na discount din lang naman ang binibigay ninyo.  Nakakainit kayo ng uloooo!

Idagdag ko pa yang OWWA na yan.  Nago-offer naman daw ng assistance sa re-integration ng returning OFWs.  Balak ko nga sanang pumunta para naman mapakinabangan  and halos 2 decades kong contribution sa kanila.  But as soon as I found out kung magkano yong financial assistance na sinasabi, I killed the idea with a shotgun.  Ano’ng mangyayari sa 10,000 pesos?  

At huwag mag-magaling yang OWWA na yan huh.  Jay (oh kala mo extra ka lang dito?  Bida ka rin! Hehehe) after his Jubail stint, went on to Libya.  At isa sya sa mga na-apektuhan noong magkaron ng revolution doon.  At sa kwento nya, walang ginawa ang OWWA.  They were repatriated through the sole effort of their company.  Ang OWWA officials?  Dinaanan lang sila while they were at the border papasok ng Tunisia.  Yan ba ang makukuha mo sa mga binabayaran mo sa OWWA na yan?

Kaya wag nyo na kaming utuin.  Bagong Bayani?  Baka bagong gatasan.  

Eniweyssss... bago pa uminit ng husto ang ulo ko, let me just do some public service through this post.  Kung kayo po ay isang OFW na nasa CALABARZON area, I suggest na dito na lang kayo sa Calamba satellite office mag-process ng OEC ninyo.  Kung hindi nyo rin lang priority na mag-liwaliw sa Robinsons o kaya gumala at bumili ng mga imitation sa Greenhills, Calamba is the better option.

To save time, unahin na ninyong pumunta ng Philhealth, isunod ang Pag-Ibig saka tumuloy sa OWWA at POEA.  Pag dumiretso kayo ng POEA, hindi kayo ipa-process kung wala pa kayong receipts ng mga sinabi kong unahin.

You’ll have to go to Barangay Halang.  Eto po ang mga numbers gathered from their websites, in case you need to call them for any queries.

POEA – (049) 545-7361; (049) 545-7358; (049) 545-0294

OWWA - (049) 545-3746 / 502-2866

Nag-attach ako ng map.  Take note lang po mga kabayan na ang Philhealth ay lilipat daw ng location ngayong January.  Hindi ko nakuha ang exact location pero malapit daw sa Calamba Doctors Hospital.  Ang naka-indicate sa map ay ang lumang location nila.  

Sana po makatulong ito.  At maka-bawas sa inis na dadanasin ninyo.  Happy New Year mga ka-OFW!