Dante Speaks

a couch potato's dilemma

2012-01-08T16:46:00.000+08:00

For a couch potato like me, it’sfrustrating 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, JessicaSoho. These are my superstars. Kasolang, there are times na rerun ang mga pinapalabas nila so I have to switchchannels.

I don’t know much about themorning shows kasi tulog pa ako non. Butnoontime of course is dedicated to Eat Bulaga. I just can’t miss Pinoy Henyo. Di ko rin pwedeng ma-miss yong PNV segment atyong SBG simply because Jose is so funny. It’samazing how he (with Wally and Paulo) can sustain that kind of humor everydayand in the process keeps it varied para hindi nakakasawa. I admire how they can make fun of theirsegment na hindi nakaka-offend at hindi lumalagpas sa boundaries. Dati kasi pinapanood ko ang Showtime but Igot 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 betweenTV5’s Face to Face ni Amy Perez at GMA News Tv’s Personalan ni Ali Sotto. Only to snoop on the conflicts beingdiscussed. Pero hindi ko tinututukanlalo na’t nagsasapakan na or ngalngalan portion na. Uzi lang ako pero pag batuhan na ng silyanilalayasan ko na. Sana lang whateverroyalty they’re given is worth the shame they have to face in doing it.

Early evening it’s 24 Oras fornews. But after that, channel surfing naako. I don’t go for soap kaya babaliklang ako sa 7 pag Survivor na. Afterthat, I’ll check on National Geographic or Discovery and see if there’sanything interesting. Kung wala, puntanaman 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. Kungpwede lang akong batukan nito baka nabukulan na ako. Eh kasi naman... Eli Soriano in one Channel. Paglipat mo, maynagbabasa na naman ng bible. Anotherclick and there’s this American evangelist preaching. Lipat pa, may gospel singing naman. Another click and there’s this lady preacherna hysterical na sa pagsesermon. Hayysss... Sori po pero di ako masyadong religious.

After 10 seasons of AmericanIdol, sawang-sawa na ako sa mga singing competition. Kaya nagsimula at natapos ang X Factor nawala akong pakialam. Eto at may Sing Offpa. Di ko na rin pinapanood ang So You ThinkYou Can Dance na 6 seasons ko ring tinutukan when I was in Saudi. Eversince di ko rin pinanood ang Dancing WithThe Stars. Pati yong America’s BestDance Crew. Or Britain’s Got to Dance.

Sukang-suka na rin ako sa mgacooking shows. May Junior Master ChefAustralia, meron ding version si Judy Ann sa Ch2. GMA has Kusina Master, Sarap At home atQuickfire. Meron ding Gellicious saTV5. Si Rachael Ray buhay pa rin pati siMartha Stewart. May Bernard Legassepa. At Two Greedy Italians. Iron Chef, Chef Versus City, The Delicious MsDahl, at kung ano-ano paaaa! Kahit saan ka pumunta puro pagluluto! Pati ba naman pag-gawa ng cupcake ginawa naring show? Deym!

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

Pati nga Velvet channelpinapatulan ko minsan. I got curious fora while kung ano yong Jersey Shore. Basura pala. What’s interestingabout douche bags and bimbos yelling and punching each other? Buti pa sa Lifestyle Network may mga homedesign programs akong nae-enjoy like Deserving Design by Vern Yip and CarterCan by Carter Oosterhouse.

Before I go to bed, it’s myfavorite The Simpsons sa Jack Tv. Earlymorning 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 theday 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 dahilkay Bossing Vic and his Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

I’m looking forward to TV5’s announcements. Favorite ko kasi yong Amazing Race sakaExtreme Make Over Home Edition. Sana magandalumabas. At least madagdagan ang choicesko.

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

a public service para sa mga inuutong OFW

2012-01-05T16:51:00.001+08:00

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

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

Nevertheless, dumating kami ng Calamba around 11:45am and by2pm, 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 alamna aside from Philhealth, pati pala Pag-Ibig ay mandatory na rin. SinceJuly pa raw sabi nong taga POEA.

Napa-HUH??? talaga ako. Bakit ginawa nang mandatory ito? It’sa contribution that should only be done if – and only if – a person chooses todo so. It should have stayed optional asit was before. Personal choice dapatito. Hindi utos ng kung sinong herodesna dapat mong sundin.

Hindi kasi ako naniniwala dyan. Kakaltasan ka ng kita mo, ilalagay daw kunosa pondo na pwede mong kunin later on pero pag minalas ka, kukurakutin ng kungsino. At pag nag-loan ka, pahihirapan kang husto bago mo makuha – kung ano-anong dokumento ang hihingin sa yo, kungsino-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 mostimportantly – hindi bilib sa Pag-Ibig na yan, bakit kailangang idamaykami? If I choose to manage my financeson my own, why impose something like this?

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

Kailangan daw protektahan ang universal health care ng lahatng Pilipino. Eh mga impakto pala kayo. Paanomaa-afford ng masang Pinoy yan kung ganyang itataas pa ninyo angmembership? Kami ngang kumikita ngdolyares pahirap na yan. Besides, kapiranggotna discount din lang naman ang binibigay ninyo. Nakakainit kayo ng uloooo!

Idagdag ko pa yang OWWA na yan. Nago-offer naman daw ng assistance sare-integration ng returning OFWs. Balakko nga sanang pumunta para naman mapakinabangan and halos 2 decades kong contribution sa kanila. But as soon as I found out kung magkano yongfinancial 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 mgana-apektuhan noong magkaron ng revolution doon. At sa kwento nya, walang ginawa ang OWWA. They were repatriated through the sole effortof their company. Ang OWWAofficials? Dinaanan lang sila while theywere 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 mejust do some public service through this post. Kung kayo po ay isang OFW na nasa CALABARZON area, I suggest na dito nalang kayo sa Calamba satellite office mag-process ng OEC ninyo. Kung hindi nyo rin lang priority na mag-liwaliwsa Robinsons o kaya gumala at bumili ng mga imitation sa Greenhills, Calamba isthe 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 kayoipa-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 theirwebsites, 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 nglocation ngayong January. Hindi konakuha ang exact location pero malapit daw sa Calamba Doctors Hospital. Ang naka-indicate sa map ay ang lumanglocation nila.

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

the year that was

2011-12-29T21:12:00.001+08:00

Year end na naman. Asthe new year approaches, kanya-kanya na naman tayo ng new year’sresolution. Ako hindi na muna gagawanyan. Never ko rin naman nasunod ang mgaginawa kong resolutions dati. Guess ilack the firmness and just plain lazy to keep self-promises. What i did instead is look back and ponder onthe year that was and take note of the milestones that happened in my life in2011. At dahil ang blogger eh gumawa nang timeslide na ginawa namang timeline ng facebook, i’ll just do the same.Makiuso lang. Hehehe...

January. I’m stillin KSA and since it’s the first year that i’m officially an ‘ulilang lubos’,all i did was to offer a prayer and remember my Tatay and Nanay who are nowboth in heaven. January epiphany: That i've no reason to be lonely just because i'm missing my parents on occasions like this. This is the circle of life taking it's full path. Their story is up. And it is my turn to write my own story. So with their guidance from above, i'd better make sure my epitaph won't be nasty at all.

February. Third weekand i’m off to Pinas for vacation. At para na rin umuwi sa Mindoro parabisitahin si Nanay on her first year anniversary. Bisita na rin kay Tatay dahil magkasama silasa iisang munting palasyo guarded by the angels. February epiphany: The love you feel for a father that's long gone and a mother who recently left can never ever dissipate from your heart. It never will. Unless isa kang suwail.

March. Start ng finalphase ng aking project sa aking bahay. Never knew it would be so complicated. Afew weeks more then i’m off to KSA again. Ayon, ganon na naman ang eksena ko sa airport. Waiting for everyone to board the plane bago pa ako pumasok. Masama na ang titig ng ground staff dahil hindi ako kumikilos eh puro boarding call na sila. Deym... how I wish Idon’t have to go back again. March epiphany: I should be thankful na sa dami na ng beses na paroo't parito ko sa Saudi, para na lang akong sumasakay ng jeep sa pagsakay ko ng eroplano. While thousands of our kababayans line up on various recruitment agencies everyday, wala akong karapatang mag-inarte at all. So move your ass and don't wait for the ground staff to drag you from your seat.

April and May. Nothing special. Just the usual work and bits of lakwatsa andstuff. These are the days when iindulged myself, doing things that i enjoyed doing in preparation for a majordecision i’ll soon have to make. Naalalako pa one time, we’re on our way to my favourite resto in khobar for the nth time and the two friends with measked why i’m blowing some serious cash (the resto was quite pricey). My philosophical and highly intelligent(haha) reasoning was “gusto ko nang magsawa sa ganito para pag-uwi ko ng Pinas,ok na akong mang-gantsilyo lang sa balkonahe ng bahay ko”. Ang lalim di ba. Hahaha... Epiphany for these months: I'm one sucker for the finer things in life. Had i been born rich, hindi lang siguro weekly trip to the steak house ang gagawin ko.

June... ahhh... theseare the times na namroblema ako sa aking project. But as the saying goes, all’s well that endswell. June epiphany: I can put some checks on my ever fiery temper. And I can be totally rational whenever the situation requires. Buti na lang.

July. Finally! After so many years of bombarding my friends with my complaining andwhining and tales of being sick and tired, mga ka-dramahan na ayaw ko na, pagodna ako, sawa na ako and all the other theatrics that go with it, ginawa kona. I filed my notice of non-renewal ofmy contract which the company would rather call resignation. 8 years and finallyi’m off to Pinas for good on the lastweek of the month. As i stepped into the plane, i muttered a littleprayer. Thanking the good Lord of coursefor the 2 fruitful ventures in Jubail. Kasama na ang wish na sana, there will be no more third time. And i say wish coz who am i to close doors onwhat the future will bring. July epiphany: Another major decision. Despite the reactions i get from colleagues who think quitting on a well-paying job is a crime, i couldn't be happier with what i did. Afterall, it's a decision borne out of careful planning, thorough analysis and several versions of my financial spreadsheet. Ganon ako when it comes to major decisions in life. That way, i've got no room for regrets no matter what happen.
.

August. The first andsecond week were spent on fine tuning my new crib. Things that i did for the first time butenjoyed them thoroughly coz, oh well, it’s my very own. Kabit ng ganito ganyang decors. Bili ng kung ano-anong gamit. At ang hirap palang magpalit ng buong set ngdoor lock. Magdunong-dunungan ba naman!Haha... finally... celebrated mybirthday on the third week with allthings in place. August epiphany: Kaya ko palang gumawa ng mga bagay na akala ko ay mahirap gawin. It's quite fulfilling to know that I can be self-reliant whenever I choose to be.

September and October. Laaaazzzyyyy months. Natupad na yong sinabi ko sa 2 kaibigan. And although i’m not actually crocheting, i’mpractically living a non-descript life. Watching tv for hours on end. Playing games on my pc. Sleepinglate and waking up in the middle of the day, just in time para mahabol ko yongPinoy Henyo ng EB. Oh yeah... this is life! Haha... Just enjoying the solitudeof my existence in my comfortable, wide space. Aside from my weekly trips to the grocery and going to the bank once in a while, i'm soooo tamad to leave the house. Ang pinakamalayo kong naratingso far? Malibay, Pasay to visit myrelatives and Molino, Cavite to attend Mau’s housewarming. That’s it. Epiphany for these months: Talagang-talaga na. I'm a 100% night person. Going to bed just when the roosters are heralding the breaking of dawn? Deym. I should really consider working on a call center office. O kaya mag-sekyu.

November. I mustadmit na super excited na ako sa aking first Christmas in Pinas after manyyears. Kaya 2^nd week pa lang, i alreadystarted decorating the house. Put up myfirst-ever Christmas tree and bought quite a few colourful lights nainumpisahan kong pailawin on the 15^th. I bet nobody within the neighbourhood canclaim na nauna silang mag-welcome ng Christmas. Ako lang at wala nang iba. Hahaha.. November epiphany: Totoo palang ang mahal na ng pasko. My pathetic tree and the bunch of lights i bought already cost a few thousand pesos. Tama si Pope Benedict. We should really be celebrating Christmas with its true spirit. Not the commercialism it has become.

December. Ok. I was excited for my first Christmas but itjust came and went like... uh... just another day. Except for a few friends who dropped by, ifelt like the excitement i felt before was so overrated. I still have the whole house to myself andthe only noise i hear are the sintunadongpagkanta ng mga batang nangangaroling. Orsa bigla-biglang tawanan ng mga nag-iinuman sa aking kapitbahay. At sa mga malalakas na tawanan at sigawan ngisa ko pang kapitbahay na obviously ay may family reunion at nagpi-Pinoy Henyo. Makisali kaya ako! Oh heck, mag-ingay dinako. So i went upstairs, opened thestereo and let it play kahit hangin lang ang nakikinig. And i guess i’ll do thesame on new year’s eve. December epiphany: Red wine is good for people with ailments. Alam mo na yon fwend! hehehe...

There you go. 12months of my life. Can’t wait to seewhat milestones my life will have in 2012. Baka next year wala akong maisulat kungdi puro katamaran pa rin atkawalan ng events sa aking buhay. Andbased on what and where i am right now, that is more likely to happen. Hahaha!

a priest and an ironman

2011-12-06T23:48:00.001+08:00

i was poring through the news in gma site and came across this article which i read again kahit nakita ko yong actual interview sa televised radio program ni mike enriquez. nakakairita kasi ang mga komento nitong father bernas na ito who's obviously pro gloria sa mga banat nya. sabi ko nga bakit kasi pinapatulan ng gma news. porke constitutional expert daw kuno.
.

as a man of robe, i was baffled why he's meddling on political issues like this. sabagay dami nang gumagawa non. even cbcp laging nakikisawsaw sa mga isyung politikal. naalala ko tuloy yong nabasa ko sa bible once (oo naman, i read the bible kahit minsan). dapat ang mga pari hands off sa mga ganitong kaso. coz the bible said na ang simbahang nakikialam sa pulitika ay daig pa raw ang babaeng patotot (learn your tagalog dude!).
.

pero ito palang si bernas, kaya pala ganyan maka-komento, may konek pala kay gloria. immediate relative pala (tiyo?) ng asawa ng isang anak ni gloria. kaya hindi na ginalang ang abito nya at nakikisawsaw sa gloria isyu.

pero hindi si father bernas ang subject ko dito. i'll just pray that he sees the light in his next novena.
.

what i'm blogging about is one comment i saw in that article, a comment made by ironman8888 enumerating the various scandals, scams and irregularities linked to the arroyo government. talo pa nong listahan ni ironman8888 ang weekly grocery list ko. ganon 'daw' kadami ang katiwalian ng arroyo government.

i went through the list and found most of them correct. ito yong mga isyu na alam na natin dahil pinag-piyestahan na ng media dati pero wala namang nangyari. some points on the list however, hindi ko alam at hindi ko rin alam kung gaano katotoo. in fact ngayon ko lang nakita at nalaman ang mga ito. at kahit ganyan kahaba yan, may kulang pa rin dahil missing from the list is the 180 million peso loan given to Ongpin through DBP na ngayon ay iniimbistagahan pa rin ng senate. something that smells like rotten fish na sa sobrang baho ay nag-suicide pa ang isang lawyer ng DBP.
.

in the end, alam naman natin na maraming dapat sagutin si gloria. at ke tama o hindi ang listahang ito, what's important is that gloria faces justice if she is indeed guilty in any of the counts in this 'charge sheet'. at kung hindi naman at talagang wala syang kasalanan, she should clear her name. otherwise she'll go down the philippine history not just as the second woman president of the philippines but also a disgraced one at that.

here's ironman8888 list:
:

Former Pres. Arroyo govt scandals, corruption and many more..

1. NBN ZTE Scandal

2. Millions of bribe money to Congressmen and Governors (October 2007)

3. Cheating in 2004 Elections (HELLO GARCI)

4. Joc Joc Bolante Case (Fertilizer Scam, P728 Million)

5. JOSE PIDAL Bank Account (Unexplained Wealth, P200 Million)

6. NANI PEREZ Power Plant Deal ($2 Million)

7. Use of Road User's Tax for Campaigning

8. Billion Peso Macapagal Boulevard (Overprice of P532 Million)

9. Juetengate? (Illegal Numbers game kickbacks)

10. Extra Judicial Killings

11. Arroyo Moneys in Germany (Exposed by Senator Cayetano)

12. General GARCIA and Other Military Men

13. Billion Peso Poll Automation contract to(Mega Pacific) (P1.3 Billion)

14. Northrail Project($503 Million)

15. Maguindanao Results of 2007 Elections (ZUBIRI, BEDOL)

16. NAIA-3

17. Venable Contract (Norberto Gonzales)

18. Swine Scam (Exposed by? Atty. Harry Roque

19. GLORIA Arroyo son hidden assets in united states

20. EURO GENERAL'S

21. CALAMITY FUND SCANDAL.

22. C-5 road controversy — Senator Manuel Villar

23.P550-million worth of funds from the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA).

24. P780-million LWUA funds-PROSPERO PICHAY

25. BISHOPS's SUV-Gloria Birthday gift

26. Arroyo linked in P325M lotto intelligence fund

27. Arroyo got P200M in kickbacks from govt projects-Zaldy Ampatuan

28. P200.41 billion or $4.6 billion in Malampaya royalties from 2002 to May this year.

29.LACSON ACCUSED FG MIKE ARROYO OF SELLING 3 REFURBISHED HELICOPTERS TO PNP AT P105 MILLION EACH

30. 600,000 metric tons of Rotten rice imported from India.Kishore Hemlani, an Indian trader allegedly close to Arroyo, reportedly bagged the P9.5 billion contract for the rice importation.

31. DATO ARROYO wife bought the condo unit for $570,000, 70-square-meter one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit (Unit No. 533) at the luxury high-rise, full-service Gramercy Towers located at 1177 California St. in upscale downtown San
Francisco.

32.- P50-million bribe to FG for the president's veto of two franchise bills

33. The additional funding led to a 41-percent spike in advertising expenses, from P76.129 million in 2008 to P107.420 million in 2009, which went mostly to ads for Arroyo's achievements.

34. The report said the PIA received from the Department of Budget and Management a notice of cash allocations amounting to P344.789 million, even though only P222.488
million was appropriated for it under the national budget.

35.- Denial of pork barrel funds to Malacanang's political enemies

36.- Praises for Jovito Palparan, alleged mastermind of extra judicial killings of militants

37.- Removal of govt bodyguards for former pres and Arroyo critic, Cory Aquino

38.- Appointment of manicurist as a member of the board of Pag-Ibig

39. Appointment of gardener as deputy of the Luneta Park Administration.

40. MIDNIGHT APPOINTMENT of an Arroyo,RENATO CORONA, as SC Chief Justice

200+ other illegal midnight appointments

41.- MIKEY ARROYO's undeclared properties in California

42.- Pardon of controversial convicted criminals like Ninoy's murderers

43.- EO 464; requiring Cabinet members to seek presidential clearance before testifying in Congress hearings

44.- Promise (on Rizal Day) to not run for the presidency in 2004

45.- "Vote Buying" by giving away Philhealth cards

46.- Taxpayers' money for her giant billboards and and PCSO tv campaign ads[/b]

47- Appointment of Ben Abalos, a staunch GMA ally, as COMELEC chair

48.- Mikey Arroyo's importation of 32 thoroughbred horses from Australia worth P384 million.

49.Former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo used 2 choppers 16 times, son Mikey 69

50.PNoy: PAGCOR spent P1 BILLION on coffee

51.Jose Miguel Arroyo owned helicopters’ all Robinson R44 Raven Is with Series Nos. 1370 to 1374
A total of $1,423,025 was paid to Lionair for the five helicopters.

52.Pagcor ‘pabaon’ to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo: P345M

53.The godmother’s ties to the Pinedas(Jueteng lord)

54. Glorietta 2 and Batasan bombings The Glorietta 2 bombing happened during the height of the bribery case which took place in Malacañang.

55. Misuse of Balikatan funds Navy Lt. Nancy Gadian revealed an alleged malversation of funds in 2007

56. Solon: Charge Gloria Arroyo for taking P98-M from PNoy's social fund

57. 50 MILLION PABAON GENERALS Former Armed Forces chiefs of staff Narciso Abaya, Dionisio Santiago, Generoso Senga, Hermogenes Esperon, and Alexander Yano,chiefs of staff – Angelo Reyes, Diomedio Villanueva, and Roy Cimatu and MANY MORE..

58.Colmenares: GMA had P488 billion in 'pork.

59. P1 BILLION down the drain in Arroyo-era jatropha project—DOST chief

60. President Arroyo and her group had an outlandish dinner in Le Cirque, a French restaurant in Manhattan, New York for the cost of $20,000 or P1,000,000 as reported in the New York Post.

61. GMA lying to SC saying we have extradiction treaty with Spain.

here's the link to the article where you'll find ironman8888's comment from the many posts at the bottom

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/240694/news/nation/bernas-likens-pnoy-to-fidel-castro-for-criticizing-corona

erratum

2011-11-21T20:52:00.001+08:00

even back in ksa, i've always watched BBC's Fast Track coz it shows places around the world that i, for financial reasons of course, can only dream of visiting. yesterday, i chanced upon the latest episode while snacking on some tasty peanut and coke.

the episode mentioned the new 7 wonders of the world but i heard something that made me go 'huh???'. who wouldn't if you hear this line 'and indonesia's puerto princesa underground river'!

i immediately went online and searched their facebook page. i was thinking of palawan's mr. hagedorn campaigning so hard for ppur to win and tagging it incorrectly is one great injustice to him, our kababayans in palawan and the filipino as a whole (i ain't over reacting here, am i? hehe).

seriously, i sent several text votes for ppur to win and i can't let one wrong report put that to waste.

BBC promised to issue an erratum.

one patriotic duty accomplished!

ikaw, anong ipapaputol mo?

2011-11-19T13:31:00.001+08:00

ayan na nag-umpisa na ang giyera. with the arrest warrant served, ito na yong start ng labanan na matagal na nating inaantay. and if the airport fiasco last tuesday is any indication, the filipino people is in for a ride more dizzying than the roller coaster in my neighboring enchanted kingdom. forget geneva's histrionics in survivor. this is prime time drama at its best.

cool na cool daw at pa-smile-smile lang si GMA when she was served the warrant yesterday. siguro talagang expected na nya. or, sa kundisyon nga naman nya na bedridden, may contraption na nakakabit sa katawan and most of all, nanghihina from a health problem na hindi pwedeng remedyuhan itapal man ang milyones nya sa kanyang katawan, ano pa nga ba naman ang magagawa ni tita glo. just smile and let her hordes of brilliant lawyers handle the situation.
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kaso hindi pwedeng si attorney topacio ang magpa-finger print. hindi rin pwede si elena baustista-horn ang magpa-mug shot kahit angelic beauty pa si former ltfrb boss. at lalong hindi pwedeng ilagay ang pangalan ni mr mike in place of her name sa docket ng pasay court. it really is her battle now.

and all the people around her can do is bark like hound dogs to protect their master. and do some maneuvers na kung mahina-hina si sec de lima, tibag agad ang gobyerno ni PNoy sa pangako nitong panagutin si former president GMA sa mga 'atraso' nito kay juan dela cruz. with 6 counts of plunder (na ewan naman at hanggang ngayon eh hindi pa rin maisampa sa korte) plus the monster of 'em all, electoral sabotage, talagang mababali ang gulugod ng kahit sinong haharap dito.

umpisa pa lang ng laban pero ang saya-saya na ng labo-labong nangyayari. ang daming damay, nakikiramay at damay-damay sa gulong ito. even the brightest script writers of tv networks will find it hard to concoct such a huge plot like this. look nyo na lang.

plot 1: itlog o hotdog? sabi ni atty topacio nong hinarang sila sa airport, ipapaputol nya raw ang isang betlog nya pag hindi bumalik sa bansa ang former first family. buti na lang hindi naka-alis si ate glo. or else, mababawasan ang pagkalalki ni attorney. ang tanong lang, may bading naman kayang mag-abang sa tapat ng hospital window where attorney will get castrated? hmmm... eh papatalo ba naman ang administrasyon? si majority floor leader neptali gonzales II, ipapaputol daw naman ang ulo nya pag na-impeach si PNoy. walang masyadong nag-reak sa statement nya. pero kung naging mas naging specific sya kung anong ulo ang ipapaputol, baka may pumatol pa sa sinabi nya.

plot 2: isumbong mo kay tulfo! nong nag-issue si sec de lima ng wlo against the arroyos, tumakbo sila sa supreme court. porke uncostituional daw. ang sc naman, without even asking doj why oh why delilah, este de lima pala, issued the tro. oh di nakuha ng mga arroyo ang gusto nila. sabay belat kay sec de lima. sabi naman ni sec de lima, aba bakit, kayo lang ba ang marunong nyan? ako naman ang magsusumbong kay judge jesus mupas. and presto, after just a few hours, hindi lang hdo ang in-issue ni judge. arrest warrant pa! mas malakas ang belat ni sec de lima! but wait! eto at susumbong daw ulit ang kampo ni gma sa supreme court. at ipapa-bura ang kasong sinampa ng joint comelec-doj. syet, kala ko di na uso ang rigodon!

plot 3 : lucky me supreme. this is more on the supreme court. kahit naman sa mga beauty contest or amateur singing contest, pag kabig mo ang majority ng judges, aba syempre panalo ka. and we know for a fact that 8 out of 15 in that body ay appointees ni gma. 7 justices at pang-8 ang chief justice na inihabol ni gma in the nick of time bago umupo si PNoy. kaya talagang mahihirapan silang ipaliwanag sa madlang pipol ang ginawa nilang pag-kampi kay gma (or would they even care? dont think so). also, they cannot claim integrity and moral high ground. lalo yong credibility. dahil may ilang mga palpak na rin silang ginawa before. mga bigay-bawing decision. most recent of which is the palea case. anyo yon, nag-decide sila last year with finality tapos biglang binawi at mali daw yong decision na ginawa last year? so how can you expect juan dela cruz to give you the utmost trust and respect? ang masakit nito, despite everything i've said, they still have the supreme authority on anything. kaya ayan at kahit anong kaso ang isampa kay gma, isang takbo lang nila sa supreme court, isang sigaw ng 'unconstitutional', wag na tayong magtaka kung ano man ang kanilang maging desisyon. do i hear gma camp singing i've got the supreme court on my side... lukcy me!?

plot 4: the biggest bullhorn. i'm sure napansin nyo rin to. kung si gma may elena bautista-horn na sweet na sweet magsalita pero sour na sour ang mga sinasabi, meron ding cool but biting edwin lacierda ang malacanang. nandyan din si attorney topacio na very passionate sa mga sinasabi (thus the betlog putulan statement) pero mas passionate si sec de lima pag nagsalita with matching twang and diction minus the putulan betlog statement. at akala nyo ba yang dalawang panig lang na yan ang palakasan ng microphone, pabonggahan ng press releases at paramihan ng press con? na-ah! dont leave sc's atty midas marquez out of the picture. i'm sure we'll see more of him in the future. it's a battle of the loudest speaker. and biggest, most irritating bullhorn.

plot 5: the left, the right and the middle. ano pa nga ba eh di kampi-kampihan na. mga pulitiko, experts, kongresista, mga senador, at kahit sinong mahagip ng tv camera, kanya-kanyang manok na. kanya-kanyang statement. kanya-kanyang expert opinion kuno. dyan hindi nagkukulang ang pilipinas. sa dami ng mga marurunong. ng mga geniuses. ng mga expert. ng mga 'authorities'. each one claiming to have the final say pagdating sa isang issue. pero wag ka, halata namang puro biased ang mga pinagsasabi. epal na epal sila compared sa mga hirit ni sen miriam. hagalpak na naman ako ng tawa sa kanyang 'i wanna commit suicide'! bwahahaa... pero yon nga, kampihan na sa kaliwa at kanan. pero ang nasa gitna? ang kawawang si juan dela cruz. coz afterall the grandstanding, the chaos and when the dust had settled, naiwan si juan dela cruz na nakatanga sa langit, wondering what in the world had happened, at wala namang kinapuntahan ang pinag-awayan. in short, talo pa rin si juan dela cruz. at babalik na lang sya sa kanyang barong-barong, kakain ng kaning lamig na walang ulam. at aasang bukas ay maging mas maganda ang takbo ng pilipinas.

lima pa lang yan pero ang dami-daming notable plots sa nangyayaring gulong ito. pero sabi ko nga sa fb wall ko, whatever happens, kahit anong maniobra ang gawin ng magkabilang panig, ang importante at gusto kong makita after all is said and done, ay hustisya para kay juan dela cruz. parusahan ang may kasalanan. kung ninakawan tayo ng bilyon-bilyong piso, ibalik ang perang yan. maawa naman kayo sa mga kababayan nating namamatay araw-araw ng dilat ang mata. manood kayo ng mga documentaries ng gma-7 para makita nyo kung gaano kalunos-lunos ang hirap ng buhay ng karamihan ng ating mga kababayan.
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at tulad nga ng sinabi ni sec de lima, tama na ang mga compa-compassion. this is the time that we have to bring the culprit to justice. sobrang kawawa na ang inaabot ng mga pilipino. tama na ang pang-aabuso ng ilang mga ganid sa bayan. if they really have done the country injustice, let them face the consequences. let them be reminded that usurpers of power can never scape the claws of justice. at ang mga swapang at diktador na tulad ni ghadafi, their stories end in gruesome fashion. hindi papayag ang mga pinoy na lagi na lang dinadaya at tinatapakan. only marquez do that to pacman.

11.11.11

2011-11-11T11:22:00.001+08:00

11th hour this 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th year of the second millenium... nothing extraordinary happening to my life so far and most likely it's gonna be this way the whole day coz i'm just holed up in my crib....

01.11.11

2011-11-01T20:02:00.000+08:00

let this light be the love that breaks the darkness of missing your presence in my life...


for Tatay and Nanay


for Jepoy

ds turns 4!!!

2011-10-27T00:53:00.000+08:00

despite the many days of laziness and a few uninspired posts, DS is still much around and yes, we're on our 4th year!!!

let me grab this chance to say i wasn't too happy when i shifted to this new blogger format. it may look hip and cool and very much updated but i lost quite a few features from the old theme like the site counter. blog links and most specially the followers widget.

so to you my friends who are following this site, my apologies if i lost you on the sidebar. blame it on the blogger team. and oh yeah, to me of course coz i didn't save my old theme before switching to this one. darn!

anyhooo... many thanks to those who still visit this page even just to snoop around. or to those passers by who might be looking for something else but was drawn by something they saw and fancied. huge thanks of course to the followers despite the posts that are sometimes as scarce as the rain in the mojave desert.

thanks guys. hope you'll stick around as long as DS is around.

si juan tanga... nganga

2011-10-17T17:00:00.002+08:00

mike enriquez's imbestigador had a special episode last night in gma news channel (na ngayon para sa akin ay kaagaw na ng gma 7 pagdating sa aking viewing hours). ang nakakatawa at nakaka-intrigang title ng episode ni mike : juan tanga. tinalakay kasi nya doon ang intellectual capacity ng mga pinoy. tayong mga magagaling mag-ingles at dati ay isang intellectual powerhouse within Asia pero ngayon ay nagiging mga juan tanga na raw according to mike's report.

paanong hindi ay bumababa na nga raw ang kalidad ng edukasyon sa atin. in recent surveys ng mga colleges and universities sa buong mundo, not one single Philippine university made it to the top 100. not even UP na dati ay isa sa mga pinaka-prestigious among the universities in Asia.

sa program ni mike, na-shock ako ng makita ang mga text book na tadtad ng mali at kung ano-anong ka-tangahan. ang mga libro na dapat ay accurate at mataas ang quality dahil daig pa nito ang bible kung paniwalaan at i-memorize ng mga mag-aaral. pero wag ka, nakaka-ngiwi at nakaka-himagsik ang mga nakasulat. sinong hudas ang nag-isip na gamiting example ang salitang 'bra' para turuang bumasa o bumaybay ang isang elementary student?

ah, bago ko nga pala malimutan, may scam din nga pala ang text book dati noong panahon ni Gloria. ito na siguro yon. nakakangitngit na dahil sa kasakiman at pagiging gahaman ng ilan, pati mga batang dapat matuto ng tama ay inagawan ng chance sa isang matino at disenteng edukasyon. mabulok sana ang mga kaluluwa nyo kung meron man kayo non!

naku naha-high blood ako pero buti na lang pinatawa ako ng mga in-interview sa program ni manong mike. ang mga kabayan nating buong ningning na sumagot ng ganire....

tanong: ano ang pambansang ibon?

sagot ni manong: tarat! (naka-smile pa yon huh!)

tanong: ano ang pambansang prutas?

sagot ni manang: saging... lakatan... (oh di ba very specific pa!)

pati nga mga commercial signs, kung dati ay pinagtatawanan ko yong mga kumakalat sa internet na mga signages from india at ibang lugar na katawa-tawa ang mga spelling, dito pala sa atin marami na rin. mga grammar na nagta-tumbling, spelling na nakaka-hilo at simpleng full the string na nakaka-windang.

sa araw-araw na panonood ko ng tv, may napansin na rin akong mali sa mga commercials. to think na ito ay gawa ng mga tapos sa college, supposedly mga intelihenteng nilalang. pero hindi siguro nag-ingat kaya may sablay.

tvc#1: knorr pang-gisa mix.... mahal na raw ang mga pang-sahog sabay pakita ng kamera sa mga tinda sa isang palengke. 120/kl ang nakalagay na presyo ng manok. napa-huh ako. kelan pa naging KL ang abbreviation ng kilo? di ba't ang kilo ay pina-ikling kilogram. at ang abbreviation noon ay KG? ewan ko sa inyo pero kung KL ang gamit ng mga magtitinda sa palengke na obviously ay mali, bakit hindi man lang ninyo tinama sa inyong tvc? now that you've condoned it, eh di lalong iisipin ng marami na tama nga yon.

eto pa...

tvc#2 : ang siksik-sulit nido commercial ni kris with her son bimby. maganda at cute pero mali ang mga linya. sulit, according to kris is getting more than what you paid for. pero kung iisipin mo maige, sulit means getting your money's worth. and getting more than what you paid for is a steal or a bargain. that's whammy number 1. and now whammy number 2: ang siksik ay hindi 'full of nutrients'. kelan pa naging full ang siksik? full is puno. ang siksik, packed. kaya dapat 'packed' with nutrients. kris should have talked it out with the production people, lalo na sa scriptwriter dahil nagmukhang nagtuturo sya ng mali-mali sa anak nya.

sige last na lang...

tvc#3: ang pldt internet commercial where a guy proposed to the girl via webcam. sabi ng guy 'can we go to the next level'... ahahaha... literal talaga ha. you don't "go" with your girl to the next level. you 'take' your relationship to the next level. ay sus!

i linked these tvc's to mike's episode dahil ang punto ko, hindi lang ang masang pinoy ang lumalaylay ang kaalaman. mukhang pati ang mga supposedly ay mga learned and educated, lumalaylay na rin at hindi nababantayan ang kanilang ginagawa. to think na ang television, lalo ang mga tv commercial na ganito ay malaki ang impluwensya sa masang pinoy. at kung dadami pa ang mga ganitong tvc na walang ingat at basta na lang makagawa ng kung ano, baka next year, ang imestigador ni mike, ang title na ay 'juan, mas lalo pang tumanga'.

i really hope the government sees the need to prioritize education in it's agenda. at huwag sanang tipirin ang budget nito. nakita na natin dati ang galing ng pinoy. hinangaan sa buong mundo. kahit saang sulok, welcome ang pinoy workers dahil alam nilang magagaling tayo. pero kung ganito ng ganito ang mangyayari sa ating edukasyon, siguradong darating ang panahon na mawawala ang pag-galang na yon. at pati ang mga job opportunities na dati ay laging tayo ang priority, sabay mawawala na rin.

at siguro hindi ko na kailangang i-elaborate kung ano ang magiging epekto noon sa isang ekonomiya tulad ng sa atin na lumulutang lang dahil sa dollar remittances ng overseas workers na tulad ko. wag na nating antayin na ang magin ending natin, sabi nga ng paborito kong EB, pare-pareho tayong nganga!

saan ka - puti o itim?

2011-10-16T00:17:00.000+08:00

Kakatapos ko lang panoorin ang Locked Up Abroad ng NationalGeographic Channel and this particular episode was entitled Saudi Whisky Run. Kwentoito ng isang British expat named Gordon Malloch who worked in a military hospital inRiyadh back in the late-90’s. Dahil sapera, sinuway nya ang isa sa mga pinaka-bawal sa Saudi – ang pagbebenta ngalak. In the end, na napaka-obviousnaman sa title nong program, nahuli at nakulong sya.

He started out small-time. Tulad nong very common na naririnig ko sa Saudi na parang may homeworklang sa high school chemistry. Nagmi-mixng juice, sugar and yeast na i-iimbak sa isang container for a few weeks tapospresto, may alak na. Ang masakit, hindi lang for personal consumption angproject nya. Ginawa nya itongnegosyo. He sells as much as 50 litersof red or white wine sa isang delivery lang.

Dahil may military pass sya dahil nga sa trabaho nya, hindi nagingproblema ang pagde-deliver kahit may mga check points. Though there wereseveral instances na muntik-muntikan na syang masilat sa check point, bastanakita ang ID nya sa military hospital, nakakalusot sya. And these instancesmade him believe that he’s invincible. Andthat he’s unstoppable.

Kaya hindi sya nakontento sa small time. Ilang panahon lang,he went big time. In one of his weekendtrips to Bahrain, may nakilala syang supplier na nakakapag-puslit ng whisky –the real thing – at sya ang ginawang distributor in and around Riyadh area. Kwento nya, there was a time that he waskeeping at least 200 bottles of Black Label in his backyard warehouse in hisvilla.

His troubles started nong may nakilala syang isang prince nasya mismong um-order sa kanya ng 10 cases nong alak. For the first time, kinabahan na sya. But the greed for money at dahil nga akalanya his luck wouldn’t run out, tinuloy pa rin nya ang deal. Immediately after that, ni-raid ang bahaynya. Syempre nakuha ang kahon-kahongebidensya.

Mula sa pagbibilang ng limpak-limpak na riyales,biglang-biglang mga suntok na ng mga pulis ang binibilang nya. He was thrown into Al-Malaz Prison, walangtrial-trial at na-sentensyahang makulong ng 3 taon, may bonus pang 800 lashes.

Kahit dramatization lang yong mga eksena buhat sapagka-aresto nya hanggang sa buhay nya sa loob ng kulungan, sobrang realisticpa rin ang dating. It made me cringe.(Though let me point out na ang mga ginamit na muttawa, to me, looks likeordinary Saudis at hindi yong talagang heavily bearded white-clad religiouspolice na itsura pa lang ay nakakatakot na).

Medyo maswerte pa rin sya dahil hindi pa nya naranasan yonglashes at kalahati lang nong 3 year sentence ang na-serve nya pero nabigyan syang pardon. He didn’t mention anythingabout his embassy working on his case but I suppose his government has hadsomething to do with the unexpected amnesty. And now he can tell his story, teary-eyed at some point, from the comfortsof his home in Scotland.

Halos dalawang dekada din akong nabuhay at nagtrabaho sa Saudi. At dahil alam ko ang kalakaran ng buhay doon,naintindihan ko ang istorya ni Gordon. Though I wouldn’t justify his greed at talaga namang mali yong paraan ngpagkita na ginawa nya, nauunawaan ko yong punto nya na kumita ng mas malaki kesasa sweldo nya. Afterall, he’s there forthe money (aren’t we all?).

At dahil nga matagal akong nagtrabaho sa bansang yon (andheaven knows kung madadagdagan pa yong 18 years – i’m in a lull but not puttinga full stop to my ofw career as of yet), I can say with conviction na sa mgaexpat workers, mas malaki ang porsyento ng mga pasaway kesa mga sumusunod samga batas ng bansang yon. To state it alittle bolder, madalang – kung meron man – na makakapagsabing wala silangnilabag na kahit anong batas ng bansang yon (sige kayo, ang kidlat baka hindimag-agree!).

Hindi lang dahil sa simpleng pasaway. Pero ang pinaka-ugat kasi non, angkatotohanang napakraming bawal . Kaya kung ikaw ay galing sa isang malayangbansa tulad ng UK at syempre Pinas, mahirap talagang sundin ang batas nila atiwasan lahat yong mga sinasabi nilang bawal.

Alisin na natin yong addiction sa mga bawal na bisyo. Like alak, sabong at ibang form ofgambling. Wag na nating ibilang yong mga taong talagang may addiction sa mgaganyang bagay. Lalo yong mga adik sarecreational drugs. Kasi in the first place, hindi na lang sana Saudi angpinuntahan nila kung ganon.

Ang focus na lang natin, yong karamihan ng mga kababayannating manggagawa na walang ibang nasa utak nong mag-abrod kungdi ang kumita ngmas malaki para sa ikagaganda ng buhay ng kanilang pamilya. Yong mga medyo mabait, medyo matino at medyotakot na taong tulad ko (and that’s not open for argument! Hahaha).

Gusto kong isipin na naging isang matino at maayosakong Pinoy OFW sa bansang yon. Pero kung hahatiin sa dalawang grupo ang mgaexpats doon – itim para sa mga may ginawang paglabag at puti para sa mgamababait at malilinis na walang kahit anong bahid, sumunod 100% sa batas,siguradong hindi sa puti ako mapupunta.

Hindi dahil sa pasaway ako. Hindi dahil sa may bisyo ako. Pero mahirap lang talagang gawin na huwag lumagpas sa guhit kung napakaliit ng demarcation line na pinapayagan kang galawan mo. Isang simpleng pagkikilala ng isang babae at lalaki - something na normal at non-issue sa Pinas - ay isang paglabag sa batas kung nasa Saudi ka.

Sa akin, dalawang halimbawa na lang ang gagamitin ko para hindi ito masyadong humaba (as in maraming justification? hahaha).

Hindi ako manginginom pero may ilang beses din akongnapaharap sa inuman. Just for the companyof friends na mas masarap kasama lalo kung nagkakantahan pa sa videoke. Pampalipas oras. Pang-alis homesick. Pero di ba, it’s one big irony kung nagkataondahil kahit hindi ako umiinom (or in rare occasions na napipilit ako ng sinasabinilang social drinking), nandon pa rin ako at sabit pa rin ako sa hulihan kung minalas-malas.

During my early years, nag-attend na rin ako ng bible studysa imbitasyon ng isang kaibigan. Itohindi na bisyo. Bible na ang usapan dito. Religious. With higher purpose. Pero bawal pa rin. At paglabag pa rin yon sa isa sa pinag-babawal ng bansang yon.

Counting the many same people like me na takot sa pulis atsiguro’y mamamatay sa takot kung maisasakay sa police car kaya hindiintentionally gumagawa ng pag-labag sa batas. And yet lumalabag pa rin sa batas in one way or another, sa maliit atkahit walang kakwenta-kwentang paraan. Yonyong sinasabi kong malaking percentage na may violation pa rin ng law. Kaya sa itim pa rin ang bagsak kahitrelatively ay mababait na expat sa bansang yon.

Ang kagandahan nito, madalang sa mga taong ito ang napapahamak dahil marunong silang gumamit ng katakot-takot na pag-iingat. Dahil sa totoo lang, may kaunting tolerance din naman ang mga tao doon. Oo at gumagawa ka ng paglabag. Pero gawin mo na lang sa loob ng kwarto o bahay mo. Kung hindi nila nakikita, walang issue. Kung hindi nila alam, wala silang pakialam.

Pero kung talagang pasaway ka, lumalabag dahil akala mo ay hindi ka tatamaan ng malas, sa mga tulad ni Gordon na pasawayna ay matigas pa ang kukote, ang problema ay nandyan lang satabi-tabi. And the reality of gettingcaught is almost as sure as the sandstorm that brings the change of seasons. Andneedless to say, this is the last place on earth you’d want to have a run-inwith the law. It is the place you wouldn't want to be locked up.

a gloomy afternoon

2011-10-07T15:11:00.000+08:00

its just another lazy, gloomy friday afternoon. i was slouched on the couch ready to doze off when this song came up on tv. it's been ages since the last time i've heard it. and with the rain threatening to pour and further dampen my already bored spirit, i immediately drowned with a warm feeling of nostalgia.

then sleep abandoned me altogether.

one plus one can never be one

2011-08-24T12:28:00.000+08:00

I still have to watch In A Better World from Denmark to find out why it beat Incendies in the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film this year. But until then, I’d give Incendies the golden statuette coz it gave me 2 hours of captivating story, terrific acting, vivid cinematography, haunting music, and as a whole, a wonderful piece of work. Even the notoriously merciless Rotten Tomatoes site gives it a 92% fresh rating.

Adapted from a play called Scorched, Incendies is a story of a family borne out of war. The film starts in Canada when twins Jeanne and Simon were being read their mother’s will. The mother, Nawal, asks Jeanne to find their father and Simon their long-lost brother. Only after delivering the letter they can bury her and put a tombstone on her grave. Jeanne readily accepted the will but Simon, on the contrary felt strongly against the whole idea.

The mission takes Jeanne back to post-war mid-east country (one site said it was Lebanon) where their mother’s name evokes disdain from people who knew her. It was a long and arduous process for Jeanne to find the roots of her mother. This is where flashes of Nawal’s story takes us to a war-torn country, a beautiful place turned to ruins because of the conflict between faiths and religion. In the end of Jeanne’s search, she was made to believe that their father, Wahab, is already dead. Or so she thought.

Then came Simon who had no choice but to fulfill his mother’s last wish. Simon’s search for the long-lost brother led him to more complex revelations providing the surprising, disconcerting and controversial ending.

First of the many credits of the films is the acting. Lubna Azabal, born in Brussels to a Moroccan father and Spanish mother, gave a compelling portrayal of Nawal. Her struggles, her ideology and her story is the one that kept my eyes firmly planted on the screen.

Plus the breathtaking cinematography. The barren yet beautiful countryside, the dark corners of a city ravaged by war, the birthing scenes, even the picture of a woman beside a burning bus, the pictures painted on the screen are postcard-worthy.

The music, although definitely contemporary, provided a heartfelt background to many critical scenes. It was surprising to learn that many of the songs were actually performed by a rock band (Radiohead).

Making the story telling more interesting is the editing. Telling the story of Jeanne and Simon in parallel with the story of Nawal requires editing to shuttle in and out of several time frames. It’s tricky but the editing team rendered clean and precise work.

Of course it’s all because of the masterful direction by Dennis Villenueve. He was able to tell a rather dark story but gave it heart and soul for us to be able to go ohh and ahh until the last frame of the film. In the end, it is one film that I will never forget so soon.

Interesting. Captivating. Superb. Incendies once again reiterate what I’ve always been saying here in DS: Holywood does not have the monopoly to excellent films.

And oh by the way, where did the title of this post come from? You’ll find out towards the end of the film. And with that I'm saying go watch it. It's worth your time.

hot soup + gata = cr

2011-08-23T00:10:00.001+08:00

Watched Josh Hartnett’s I Come With The Rain and after almost two hours of trying to figure out the whole sense of the film, I finally understood why it went straight to DVD after being shown in one or two countries (Japan lang yata). Super flop pala ito. According to one film site, its budget was US$ 18 million pero wala pa yatang 4 million ang kinita. Kasi nga, wala palang kwenta yong pelikula.

It’s like you were having some hot Chinese soup dahil sa violent and gory scenes na kung mahina ang sikmura mo, you’d throw up whatever you’ve had for dinner. Then biglang-bigla, susubuan ka ng ginataang kuhol dahil sa faith healing angle doon sa bida. Na di bale sana kung mala-Himala ni Ishmael Bernal ang tinakbo ng istorya. But it was placed in the whole film in a bad juxtaposition of the unbelievable against raw realism of violence, tons and tons of blood, ruthless killing and so on. So imagine the hot soup and the gata mixed with bad acting, editing and directing, siguradong tatakbo ka sa CR to throw up.

Nakaka-irita ang editing dahil ang daming scenes na pinuputol tapos ibabalik din wala namang sense yong cutting through na ginagawa. For me it was a dire effort on the part of the director to make the film interesting pero sa totoo lang it was one heck of a boring stuff.

Josh played Kline, a cop who left the force, became a private investigator hired by a billionaire to trace his missing son. The son, Shitao, went to Mindanao (Philippines, of course) and after a while disappeared. Nagkaron ng ilang eksena sa Mindanao dahil pumunta doon si Kline para hanapin (na ang dali namang nakita) ang isa pang PI na nauna na sa kanyang naghanap sa missing son. Pumasok pa si Kline sa isang cheapy-cheapy bar na naka-all the way ang mga babaeng sumasayaw (Gintong Araw pa ang sinasayaw ng mga hubad na buvae? Anong panahon pa ito?). Walang kwenta, walang dating at walang sense ang pagpasok nya sa bar. Basta lang maisingit ng director para may nudity sa film. At buti na lang hindi ito naipalabas sa mga sinehan sa Pinas dahil siguradong sisigaw ng protesta ang Gabriela, ang mga moralista at lalo ang simbahan.

Wala na si Shitao sa Mindanao, nasa HongKong daw. Takbo si Kline sa HK. At doon na tumakbo ang halos kabuuan ng istorya. Si Shitao pala ay naging isang faith healer living in squalor just outside the skirts of HK’s urban jungle. May kapatid sya, si Lili na hawak ng isang local gangster na si Su Dongpo. Pinagselosan si Shitao ni Su Dongpo, binaril, sapol ng ilang bala sa dibdib, pinako pa sa isang plank (in the position of a cross) pero sa ending buhay pa rin (faith healer nga eh ano ba!). Si Lili naman, instead na ipaliwanag na kapatid nya si Shitao, nag-emote lang ng nag-emote instead of screaming on top of her lungs that ‘he’s my brother, he’s not a pig!’ ayyy Ate Guy pala yon. Kaya ako’y iritang-irita sa eksenang yon.

Pinakita din don sa part na yon kung anong nangyari kay Shitao sa Mindanao. Binaril din sya ng henchmen ng isang mayamang tao sa Mindanao. Sapol din ng apat na bala sa dibdib. Inuod na pero nabuhay. Himalaaaa! Hindi pinaliwanag kung paano sya napunta sa HK. Basta naging faith healer na sya after that. May eksena pang he’s mobbed by the poor and sickly na natawa ako sa inis dahil parang Thriller ni MJ ang dating! Aaarrgghh!

In some parts, nagpaka-Jonathan Demme (i-research nyo kung di nyo kilala hahaha) ang director na si Tran Anh Hung dahil may istorya si Kline that happened 2 years before. He followed Hasford, a serial killer who mutilates the bodies of his victims at ginagawang sculptures. Hasford’s psyche was so powerful at na-contaminate si Kline. After Kline killed Hasford, he practiced the ‘contamination’ dahil pinugutan nya rin ng ulo si Hasford. And so his mental anguish started to haunt him. Kaya lagi syang may nightmares kahit nasa Mindanao sya or nasa HK. Itong plot na ito ay parang kinuha sa mental and psychological warfare na ginawa ni agent Starling (Jodie Foster) with Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). I think Josh accepted the role thinking that it was an acting vehicle that could make Oscars finally notice him.

Kaso nga it was a bad story line with amateurish directing. Para ka lang nanonood ng stylized action film tungkol sa triad. Neo-noir daw yong genre nong film but it was mostly sleek and crisp. What's bad is that masyadong staged ang mga eksena. Acting na acting ang mga gumanap from Josh to the Asian actors. Nakaka-distract pa ang mga corny na wardrobe ni Su Dongpo at ng kanyang cohorts. Kaya ayon, mega-flop sa takilya.

What’s interesting about the film? Hmmm… at least may ilang songs akong narinig na maganda. Hanapin ko na lang yong OST. Yong film? Diretso sa trash bin!

itanong kay malabanan

2011-08-08T17:08:00.003+08:00

Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank, one of the major winners in the recently concluded Cinemalaya film festival in CCP is currently having its commercial run. (Thanks to Cinemalaya for deciding to show it in regular theaters) Isa ako sa mga nanood nong Saturday (SM Sta Rosa) and I was pleased to see na marami ding Pinoy ang nagka-interes panoorin ang ganoong klase ng pelikula. Kaso lang, hindi lahat ng nanood, na-appreciate yong film. I heard a few people on our way out saying ‘ang pangit naman’ or ‘ano ba yon ganon lang’.

Obviously they didn’t like the film. Or should I say hindi nila nasakyan. Siguro hindi pa masyadong sanay sa mga indie. Or, porke nasa SM cinemas, they were expecting to see the usual mainstream movies na napapanood nila na may iyakan, sampalan, suntukan or anything that follows a formulaic pattern of commercial film making.

Pero sa totoo lang, kumpletos rekados yong pelikula. Sabi nga sa mga nabasa ko, it’s a 5-in-one film. Kaya nandon lahat yong element ng isang commercial film. Iba nga lang ang treatment kasi nga indie.

The main story is about a trio of young film makers who wants to make a film called Walang Wala (natawa ako dito) na ang nasa isip agad ay international film festivals. F**k Cannes, Oscars daw ang gusto nila. Rainier (Kean Cipriano) the director, Bingbong (JM De Guzman) the producer and Jocelyn (Cacai Cortez) prod-asst are so passionate with their film na ang istorya ay tumatalakay sa buhay ni Mila, isang nanay na may pitong anak. Sobrang hirap ni Mila kaya she had to sell one of her kids sa isang pedo para magkapera.

While debating on how to execute the film, lumabas yong apat na iba-ibang versions nong pelikula. There was this reality-show attack na kahit artista ang gaganap na Mila (to be played by Eugene Domingo), gagawin nilang makatotohanan which is mostly the approach ng mga indie film. They also thought of making it a musical where Mila will sing and emote at the same time. Meron ding docu-drama na gritty nga at malakas ang impact pero mahirap gawin. And the melo-dramatic version na gusto namang atake ni Eugene being the ‘collaborative’ lead actress of the film.

For the most part, tumakbo yong istorya sa one day of brainstorming ni Rainier at Bingbong. Among the three, silang dalawa lang talaga ang nagdi-discuss. And for a while I thought Jocelyn was deaf and mute pero importante pala ang role nya dahil sya ang nagpapatakbo nong apat na vesions ng film na gagawin nila. Pag nagdi-discuss si Rainier at Bingbong, pagpikit ng mata ni Jocelyn (na antukin) doon na lalabas yong version na pinag-uusapan nong dalawa.

Bilib ako sa pelikula dahil sa simpleng istorya ng brainstorming, very interesting ang mga ideas na binabato nila sa isa’t isa. It doesn’t only concern their film but the ideas thrown were social comments in itself. Bakit hindi si Cherry Pie ang gawing Mila, bakit si Eugene. Eh kasi si Cherry Pie maputi, si Eugene dugyutin (hagalpakan ang mga tao dito). Eh bakit, may maputi din namang mahirap ah. Or yong pedophile, bakit kailangan laging puti, bakit hindi intsik, pakistani, arabo o pinoy. All of which points to the fact that we are already stuck so deep in our stereotypical way of thinking.

And this one (na alam kong maraming makaka-relate)… napamura si Bingbong dahil may nakalimutan. Akala mo super importante. Yon pala, charger lang ng i-pad nya. O di ba, ang karamihan ngayon parang namatayan na pag na-lo bat ang kanilang mga gadget! Hahaha!

As a whole, I find the film quite interesting. Simpleng istorya pero nagawang interesante. Malaking factor yong script (Chris Martinez who also did Here Comes the Bride and Temptation Island, sabi sa isang nabasa ko) dahil yon ang naging glue para maging coherent at interesting yong buong pelikula. Precise din at walang sabit sa editing. Dahil isipin mo, 5 pelikula yon in one and yet malinaw na malinaw ang mga eksena at walang naligaw na unwanted sequence. The musical score (don sa musical version) was both entertaining and dramatic. Kaya as a director, saludo ako kay Marlon Rivera who delivered a product that is so fresh, unique and highly entertaining.

But in any film alam naman nating ang mga actor ang critical. Kung palpak ang acting, sira ang film. In this case, magaling ang buong cast nong pelikula kahit yong mga extra. Lalo naman ang mga lead. Kean Cipriano, for a neophyte in acting, was spot-on. Given more exposure and roles as important as this one, he can beat the crap out of the many ham actors na kilala natin. JM de Guzman was also credible as a yong rich kid who possesses the combination of a vision in film making as well as the commercial eye na kailangan ng isang producer. Even Cacai was convincing she should be doing her daddy Rez so proud. At syempre si Eugene. Well, she deserved her Cinemalaya Best Actress award. Baka nga humakot pa sya ng awards later on dahil talagang ibang level ang performance nya dito. Kaya yong ibang mga actress kuno dapat mag-isip-isip na coz Eugene is really setting the bar so high most of them will soon find it hard to hopscotch their way to awards.

Isa lang ang major concern ko. Ano ang relevance nong eksena sa septic tank? Kahit i-rewind ko sa utak ko yong film, walang nabanggit na linya that would establish the need to shoot in a septic tank. Bakit, maglilinis ba si Mila ng poso negro just to earn a few pesos? At saka kahit ultra-realistic ang treatment ni direk don sa film, pagdating sa septic tank, hindi lumabas na credible. It was made to look filthy with floating garbage and greasy water. Pero alam ko hindi ganon ang septic tank. It should be murky and foul-smelling na kahit sa screen masusuka kang tingnan. Ewan lang kung nagkakamali ako. Itanong natin kay Malabanan.

Yon lang naman. One point but I think it does a lot to the whole film. Afterall yon ang ginawa nilang title. So dapat may relevance. But other than that, bow ako sa director, scriptwriter, production people, technical staff and everyone involved in ABSST. Bravo guys. I hope to see more of your works in the future. Meantime, gusto kong magkape… I need an expresso! Bwahahaaa! (you’ll laugh with me kung napanood nyo yong film! Hihihi)

ang hindi magmahal.... ang isda ang mahal!

2011-08-05T23:38:00.000+08:00

Halos hindi ko namalayan subalit isang linggo na pala ang nakalipas ng ako ay muling tumapak sa pinakamamahal na lupain ng Pilipinas. Matapos ang mga taon ng pangingibang-bansa, ang mga bakasyon na sandalian lamang, narito ako para tumigil at harapin ang buhay na hindi ko alam kung ano ang hatid sa akin.

Bakit ka uuwi? Ano ang gagawin mo? May lilipatan ka bang ibang trabaho? Mga tanong ng mga kaibigan, kakilala at kasamahan. Mga tanong na pinapasubalian ko na lamang ng isang sagot na ang kaanyuan ay sumasalamin sa aking pagnanasang maka-amot ng pahinga para sa aking katawang lupa na nilulukuban ng katamaran. Kasawaan. Kabugnutan.

Sa isang linggong nakalipas, iisang pagkakataon pa lamang na ako ay lumabas. Iyon ay upang bumili ng mga kailangan sa mga bagay-bagay na ginagawa kong pag-aayos ng aking tahanan. Ang tahanang ito na pinangarap ko at pinaghirapan upang mabuo. At ngayon ay nagbibigay sa akin ng kanlungan sa pagbuhos ng malakas na ulan dulot ng sunod-sunod na bagyo. Ang tahanang ito na tuwing titingnan ko at dadamahin ang katotohanan ay nagpapa-alala sa akin ng maraming taon ng pagpupunyagi sa ibayong dagat.

Bawat hakbang sa hagdan ay parang bilang ng mga taon ng aking pagpupunyagi. Bawat dingding ay paalala sa mga pagkakataong kailangan kong maging matibay at matatag. Bawat pinto ay nagpapa-alala ng mga pagkakataong umangat sa bawat pagsubok. Bawat bintana ay sumisimbolo sa mga panahon na ako ay tumitingin sa malayo upang matawiran ang mga suliranin na nasa aking harapan lamang. Bawat sulok ay kumakatawan sa mga madidilim na panahon na ako ay pumapasan ng bigat ng pagiging isang dayuhang manggagawa.

Kung kaya’t ako’y dumadalangin na inyong maunawaan kung ako’y walang maibahaging nakalulugod sa inyong mga pandinig sa ngayon. Sabihin pa’y aking ninanamnam ang pagkakataon na una kong makita ang katuparan ng aking pangarap. Kung kaya’t kahit paglilimayon sa ibang dako ay hindi ko pa magawa. Maaring sa mga susunod na araw ako’y paparoon din sa mga dako na yon. Upang may maibalita naman ako sa aking mga kaibigan na naiwan sa Gitnang Silangan.

Sa ngayon, huwag ninyong iisipin na ako ay nalulungkot. Iyan ay isang malaking kabalintunaan. Datapwa’t napakataas ng halaga ng bawat bilihin, ang isang tumpok ng isda ay maituturing nang kayamanan at ang palitan ng dolyar ay patuloy na bumababa, nais ko lamang ipaabot sa inyo na ako ay labis na natutuwa sa aking kinalalagyan ngayon. At dalangin ko sana ay sapitin din ninyo sa lalong madaling panahon ang nakalulugod na pakiramdam na makita ang mga bunga ng inyong pagpupunyagi.

Alalaun baga, bago lumipas sa aking ala-ala, pinaa-abot ko sa inyo na walang masamang kaganapan na sumapit sa akin. Hindi ako nadulas sa palikuran at nauntog ang ulo sa dingding. Hindi rin ako nilukuban ng masamang espiritu. Mahusay na mahusay ang aking katinuan. Ganito lamang ako dahil tinitimo ko sa aking puso at kaisipan na… haller…buwan kaya ng wika ang August! Kaya magpugay tayo kay lolo Quezon. Duh! (aray, dumugo yata ang utak ko sa pag-iisip nitong post ko! Hahaha)

isang hirit na lang ng babay

2011-07-27T05:05:00.000+08:00

i've always said i'm a believer of the saying quality over quantity kaya very limited ang mga kaibigan ko. and in the second chapter of my love affair with jubail, isang tao lang ang lagi kong kasama kung wala ako sa magulo at masayang company ng mga addikz. it's jonas. my long-time friend (back in the 90's pa).

as i've said in previous posts, i'm a fiery person by nature. having sun as my guiding star, hindi na kayo magtataka kung mainitin ang ulo ko. kaya ang tendency ko is to gravitate towards people who are my opposite. maybe jonas' element is water (hmmm... ma-research nga) dahil very cool and relaxing ang personality nya. very easy to get along with. kaya siguro maganda ang combination namin.

combination sa mga ED (early dinner) na bonding moments namin anytime na nakakauwi sya ng maaga from work.

to you my friend, thank you so much for all the time you've shared with me. sa pakikinig sa aking mga kwento, hinaing, chismis, ka-kornihan, kabaliwan and sometimes kayabangan. i just feel so comfortable sharing everything with you kaya kahit mga kwentong nakakahiya i-share sa iba, sa yo dire-diretso lang ako.

just remember yong mga sinabi ko sa iyo. specially the part where i told you na it's ok to get mad sometimes. hahahaa...

so long my friend. do take care of yourself. and anytime you need me, i'm just a pm away. i'll see you either in laguna, laoag, vigan or baguio! pag-uwi mo super tour tayo!

walang katapusang babay

2011-07-27T03:58:00.002+08:00

In just 24 hours, maiiba ang paligid ko. Maiiba na ang mundo ko. At mawawala na sa paningin ko ang mga addikz (buti naman? hehehe). Not a good prospect but that is one thing I have to bear dahil sa ginawa kong decision. I’m sure mami-miss ko ang grupo. No doubt about that. Ang maganda, I’ll take home with me a thousand and one beautiful memories with you guys. Not to mention the ten thousand pieces na yata ng pictures ng walang-sawa at walang-katapusang gimik at bonding moments natin.

Yesterday, I’ve distributed something where I’ve written a short message to each and every one of you. Dito ko itotodo yong longer version. My farewell message to you, the one and only addikz group. Here goes…

Ren – I’m gonna miss your deep analysis of situations as well as your commentaries that are usually politically correct. Para na ring may lawyer ang mga adik pag ikaw ang nagsalita. Good thing mukhang namana ni bunso ang iyong philosophical thinking. Kaya pag sya ay naging lawyer, it’s just a continuation of the dream you’ve put on hold. Si kuya naman, I just wish na hind matuluyang maging wrestler. Masisira ang kapogian. As for Shiela, I just wish you’d continue to love and cherish her. For she’s truly a wonderful lady. Kaya you’re lucky to have her as your partner sa pagbuo ng isang perfect family. Sila ang precious blessings mo sa buhay so do take good care of them always. At ikaw? Sana hindi magbago ang pagiging good provider mo sa iyong family. At pagiging isang mabuti at ulirang pangulo ng Citrus gang. Wag lang uulitin na mag-drive ng 2am sa khobar at magpi-peace sign ha! But you can do that shower scene again. Anytime! Hahaha!

Ega – I hope you never cease to be the exciting person that you are. Na pinapakinabangan ng mga adiks lalo na pagdating sa mga impromptu na lakwatsa. Yong mga hirit na ‘saan tayo mamaya’ tapos walang kaabog-abog eh gimik na ang kalalabasan. It doesn’t only show your love of fun but it also shows your adventurous nature. It is your free spirit, love of life and how to enjoy it that makes you one truly interesting person. At syempre ang super intelligence that can solve a sudoko puzzle in record time! Matalino. Gimikero. Mabait. Sumpaero (ahahhaha... peace my fwend!). At syempre maaasahan sa lahat ng oras coz you’ve got a big heart and an even bigger bank balance! Ang wish ko sa yo, sana matagal mo pang ma-enjoy ang company ni Mamoo. Coz that’s something na hindi na namin magawa ni Raoul. Nakikita naman namin how you’re loving your Mom to the max right now. So just enjoy those days. Saka mo na isipin kung kelan mo bibigyan ng Ninang si Sofie!

Matt –sharing movies na dini-L mo lang naman sa mga free sites is just an example of how selfless a person you are. Ikaw yong kahit personal comfort mo ay isa-sacrifice mo para lang sa kaibigan. I’m lucky to have spent most of the lakwatsa time with you. Kung tama ang nakita ko lately, I think naintidihan mo na ang personality ko. nakita mo kung anong klase akong kaibigan. Kabarkada. Kachikahan. Katropa. Kasangga. Nasakyan mo na kung ano ako at kung ano ang hindi ako. And I hope you’ve finally realized na magaling akong co-pilot dahil meron akong sense of direction para ka na ring may GPS. And most importantly, hindi ka aantukin sa gitna ng madilim na highway dahil sa kadaldalan ko. I’m gonna miss those long drives, mash-up music and kwentuhan about the family. I’m looking forward to meeting them soon!

Wing – I’ll forever remember you as one cool guy dahil, most of the time tahimik at pangiti-ngiti lang. Sa pagiging mainitin ng ulo ko, kailangan ko ng mga kaibigang tulad mo! hahaha… What’s exciting is that meron kaming inaabangan sa iyo kahit ganyan ka ka-cool. Ang mga one-liner mong very witty and right on cue. God bless din sa family mo – a lovely and lively wife na tamang-tamang pang-balanse ng coolness mo. And of course to your two boys na lumalaking cool din because of your guidance and discipline. I’m gonna miss them lalo na si bunso – jaaaa!!!. God Bless sa iyo at sa iyong pamilya. Hope to see you all in the future.

Jun – hindi kumpleto ang adiks pag wala ka. Dahil ang ingay mo ang isa sa mga defining characteristics ng grupo. Ang mga joke mo na sinusundan mo ng hagalpak ng tawa. Kaya pag wala ka, madali kang ma-miss. We’re also lucky to have met your family – Linds, Berlin and Bitoy. At saludo ako say o dahil nakita ko mismo kung anong relationship meron ka sa iyong pamilya. Lalo na sa iyong mga anak. As a husband, a father and a provider, sana marami pang daddy ang matulad sa yo. Di ka lang sa chess magaling. Pati sa parenting din!

Maccoy – You’re one of the easiest going persons I’ve ever met. Kaya sa lakwatsa, gathering, bonding moments, walang hirap kausap, go kung go. Palibhasa you’re also one who knows how to enjoy life. And that sunny outlook in life shows hindi lang sa yo kungdi pati kay Kumare. The lovely Pops who’s one of the sweetest and fun-loving persons na na-meet ko. What’s best, nagkataong pareho tayo ng hilig - ang kumain! Kaya swak na swak tayo mula SK hanggang Fusion. I hope si Kuya Alec ay maging isang mabait at proud na Kuya sa isang bubbly, healthy and super cute na bunso. And I’m looking forward na makarga si bunso pag-uwi nyo ng Pinas. Sa closeness na pinakita nyo sa akin, I’m damn proud to say na talagang myembro ako ng pamilyang ito. Kahit invisible yong picture ko sa family iqama!

Ricky – Tandaan mo na sa akin mo unang narinig na ang panganay mo ay magiging isang beauty queen. Hindi na pagdududahan dahil lumalaki syang maganda at very personable. Manang-mana sa dunkin at ninong! Pero kanino ba naman kukuha ng genes kundi sa tatay na Tisoy at sa nanay na ma-PR. Kung meron akong regret sa pag-alis ko, isa na don yong hindi ko makikita ang pagdating ng second baby na ka-birthday ko pa yata. Nevertheless, I wish your whole family more blessings and happiness. With that I pray for smoother, happier and better days ahead for you and your family. May the Lord always guide you and Weng sa pagtahak (laliiiimmm!) ng mas malalim pang relasyon bilang mag-asawa!

John – isa ka sa mga newest addition to the ever-growing addikz. Pero magaan ka kasing kasama kaya madali ka ring maka-gel sa grupo. My wish for you is that may you have more success in your career. At hindi mo man napapansin, you are luckier than most of us who has to contend with one workstation in one place all day, all the time. At least ikaw mukhang maiikot mo ang buong KSA. And that, my friend, is one bonus you should be enjoying. Sarap kaya mag-travel sinu-swelduhan ka pa!

Tito B – hindi kita nabigyan nong award dahil wala akong maisip na sabihin (sa true lang po kinulang ang frame... nagkamali ako ng bilang....hehehe). At kahit dito, simple lang at wala akong longer version. Basta eto na lang: sana maraming tilaok pa ang marinig namin sa yo! Hehehee… seriously, sana maging maganda ang bago mong career. At more tagay pa to come!

Marco – thanks for making DS a part of your thinking. At salamat sa pag-value sa mga bagay-bagay na naririnig mo sa akin. You’re one good example na kahit bata pa (may mago-object hehhee), basta gustong mag-seryoso sa buhay, kayang gawin. And you should be proud of yourself dahil kaya mong gawin yan for the sake of your family. And your jokes? Kahit corny most of the time, ituloy mo lang. Coz that love for laughter can make a lot of difference lalo na sa buhay-Saudi.

Yeng – your singing is something the adikz are proud of. Ikaw yong tipong pag gumimik sa labas at nagka-hamunan ng kantahan, ikaw ang magiging frontliner ng grupo. At siguradong hindi mo kami ipapahiya. Wala pa akong nakitang minasaker ang kantang Reasons ng ganon-ganon lang. Ikaw pa lang. Aside from that, maraming nakinabang sa iyong mga inspirational stories. Most importantly, thank you for being our consultant for anything tungkol sa mga bahay-bahayan namin! I’ve got only one wish for you – makita sana kita sa PGT or Talentadong Pinoy na bumabanat ng Journey. I’m sure sisigaw si Kris ng “I like you na!”.

Tserman – there may be times when your patience is stretched to the limit dahil sa kakulitan ng mga adiks. Pero alam kong na-appreciate mo ang kakulitan ding yan ang nagpapasaya at nagiging bonding factor na daig pa ang super glue. Hope you’ll continue to understand and support the adiks, stay as their moral mtrcb dahil pag wala ka, naku umaapaw ang kalokohan!. On a personal note, thank you for all the support na binibigay mo sa lahat ng oras. Even up to the point of risking your impartial reputation, you’re doing it for friends. The adiks are really lucky to have you on our side. As a person, sana the good Lord will bless you more with happiness, good health and lots more of gadgets na pag napag-sawaan mo na eh ibebenta mo ng palugi sa mga friends. You’re really a blessing to us my dear friend!

Romy - alalaun baga’y hindi pa nagtatagal ang ating pagtatalamitam. Subalit ang kabunyian ng pagkakaibigan ay agad na pinanaday ng tunay na pagsasamahan. Isang busilak na pasasalamat sa iyo ka Romy. Nawa’y biyayaan ka ng Maykapal ng mga bagay na iyong hinihiling sa iyong mga marubdob na panalangin.

Thank you my dear addikz. It’s time to say goodbye. It really is a GOOD bye. Dahil nadagdag kayo sa maikling listahan ko ng mga totoong FRIENDS.

(thanks po sa mga profile pic na hinagilap ko! and to the owners of the other pics)

despedida - adikz style

2011-07-21T22:34:00.001+08:00

last night the adikz gave me one delightful surprise. a going-away party na hindi ko alam, plinano nila ng ilang linggo sa mga pm nila na evicted ako kasi nga gusto nila akong i-surprise. kaya pala lately matumal ang balitaktakan sa tsatrum. yon pala may pinagkaka-abalahan sila.

in all honesty, i was wishing to myself na may gagawin sila anyday now dahil nga aalis na ako towards the end of this month (yon ang pagkaka-alam ko huh!). syempre, as a friend, plastic ako kung sasabihin kong hindi ako nagi-expect ng kahit kaunting seremonyas to give me some chance to say goodbye to the group i consider as my very very good friends. i'd be devastated kung basta na lang nila ako pinalayas at hindi nila ako binigyan ng ganitong gimik. demanding na kung demanding. but it's already a practice. it's part of the whole cauldron of friendship. at masakit kung aalis ka at nakatingin lang sila sa yo sabay sabing 'wala lang'. heheh... ouch yon to the max!

a couple of weeks back, may nakapag-bulong na sa akin na on the 20th daw may mangyayari. aside from the date, wala nang ibang sinabi. akala ko lang, may gimik kung saan.

but after that, nalimutan ko na sa dami ng pre-departure activities. shopping, pagbabagahe ng mga pinamili, the formalities in tasnee and sisco (na nakakaburyong), idagdag pa ang mga hirit sa trabaho na gusto yata akong pigain bago ako pakawalan plus - the biggest issue of em all - yon ngang visa ko.

a few days ago, nagsabi si matt na samahan ko raw syang bumili ng car accessories para sa bago nyang baby na si caRIO. kahit tinatamad ako at pagod, i can't say no to him. i owe him a lot dahil sa mga walang sawa nyang pagda-drive at paghahatid sa akin kahit saan ko i-request. kaya sige go kahit pagod and the hot/humid weather is killing me.

before leaving jubail, naalala ko yong bulong sa akin na 20th. pero hindi ko naman maitanong kay matteo kung may konek yong nagbulong sa akin dati dito sa lakad namin. baka i-eject ako sa kalagitnaan ng highway. besides, sabi ko i'd just play along and see kung anong mangyayari. kung talagang bibili nga lang ng car accessories. at susunduin si marco para mag-dinner kaming apat (with tito b na kasama namin sa car). treat daw nya (matt) na hindi ko naman pinagdudahan (now i realized i've so much trust on you matteo huh!).

nong dumating kami sa khobar at nagsimulang mamili ng kung ano-anong aksesorya ang matt, nawala na yong doubt ko. besides, early that day, most of the adikz said na busy sila sa kung ano-anong activities. maccoy and pops wanted daw to go to manama. ren daw will bring shiela to the dentist. ricky is still in dubai and weng is going to the hospital for some regular checks. at ang dalawang closest fwends ko - raoul and ega seem to be so absorbed with their new ipads.

kaya pumapasok man sa isip ko na baka yon yong sinasabing 20th, i was also thinking na baka walang koneksyon. or, kung may koneksyon man, they must have decided to move it to some other day. dahil na rin nga sa hindi pa naman sigurado ang visa ko and knowing the situation, i could be spending another week, or month (knock on hardwood! heaven forbid!) before i can board a plane. kaya mas naniwala akong hanggang 4th st lang kami and possibly end up in a resto somewhere in khobar.

bandang 8 pm, susunduin na raw namin si marco. ok sige. harurot si caRIO sa daan. o, akala ko sa baher. bakit ibang lugar. ay hindi, ibang lugar yong pinuntahan nila. ok sige ulit. go. hanap kete hanap nong villa. then ayon na. lumabas ang marco. after a few minutes, heto at kasunod na ang mga adik!

at that point, i was genuinely, honestly surprised. lalo na nong makita ko ang preparations. tserman and ega was so busy in the kitchen cooking up a mouthwatering seafood festival. ang dining area may set-up pa na pang-sosyal na catering. may nagsi-setup ng wow, tv at computer na parang pagtuturuin pa ako nong training na ginawa ko for 2 days sa trabaho! all i was wishing for is a simple dinner, basta makasama lang sila. and yet, here they are, tired and super busy with a grand preparation. nahipo ako... este i'm soooo touched!

the place was nice. food was superbly delicious, as always (syempre luto ng chef raoul). konting kantahan. ren in his tito sen element was so clever, binalikan ako with his 'poem' na isi-share ko sa inyo later coz it's so funny. romy showed his being true blue bulakenyo with his longer poem na pwedeng pang-panitikan. then everyone was asked for their messages na pabaon nila sa akin. kahit si alec na natutulog eh ginising pa at ang walang-malay na si vinz ay naka-3 short yet meaningful words na pinakawalan.

despite the technical glitch doon sa video presentation na super pinag-hirapan ni ega, i finally watched the vtrs na buti na lang at naka-off ang light dahil hindi nakitang medyo nage-emo na ako.

- maccoy, alec and pops' message was simply sweet and honest and full of love.

- ren and shiela did something hilarious at saludo ako sa effort - conceptualized and executed like an indie film! hahaha

- marco had his moment na iintindihin ko maige ang mga sinasabi when i got a copy of the vid

- princess sofie sang abc for me

- wing's message was unique dahil may bogus ym chat na nakakatuwa and in the end showing keng, kviel and zstan.. galeng!

- romy also spent time to contribute something kahit busy rin sa trabaho

- junc, linds, berlin and bitoy sent a message from the comfort of their palatial house in pinas (kaya lang wala ako narinig from linds! hahahha)

- and finally tserman appeared in a yellow barong with his i-pad na naka-upo pa sa rocking chair habang nagbibgay ng message. at pagtapos tumayo pinakita ang tuhod kasi naka-shorts lang pala! absolutely funnyy!!!! hehehehe

it's almost 3am nong mabigay sa akin ang spotlight, pagod at inaantok na karamihan. baka hindi na naintindihan o narinig ang message ko kaya ibo-blog ko na lang sya after this one. meantime, let me just show off the gifts i got (sencia na sa low res ng pic, libreng samsung cam lang ng tasnee ang ginamit eh! hehehe).

again sa lahat ng mga adikz na nagpuyat, nagpagod, nag-effort, naki-tawa, naki-saya, naki-drama, naki-kanta - a BIG BIG THANK YOU!!! i've nver had such a wonderful despedida before.

MaccoyPopsAlec-RickyWengSofie-RenShielaVinzAvvy-Matt-Romy-Ariel-Bong-Marco-Junjun-Marvin-John-Ega-WingKarenKvielSztan-JuncLindsBerlinBitoy-Raoul

the three symbolic gifts from John

a diamond-studded gift from cariaga family - grabe baka ma-hodap ako neto! hahaha

the biblical reminder from Raoul which means a lot to me specially in this decision i made (though i still have to ask him kung saan ginagamit yon! hahahaaa)

and the signed photo of the whole adikz group...

from the bottom of my usually rock-hard but unusually overwhelmed heart,
THANK YOU!

takalelabong - walang kawawaang blog post

2011-07-13T01:06:00.000+08:00

Tatlong araw nang dire-diretso ang humidity. Masakit sa balat ang init at konting lakad mo lang sa labas, timba-timba ang ipapawis mo. Kaya hindi ako makapag-ikot sa jubail para sa mga iba ko pang kailangang i-prepare. The heat is almost suffocating. Pero wag ka, nakakatawang isipin na from this extreme heat, in less than 3 weeks, puro ulan naman ang mararanasan ko. Pero don excited na ako. Ang sarap kayang matulog na naririnig mo ang tikatik ng ulan. Kaya lang, sana walang bagyo pag-touch down ng eroplano sa NAIA. Katakot kasi pag ganon. At sana walang tv crew na magi-iinterview kung nasampolan ba ako ng Saudization tulad nong mga naka-headline nitong last two days. Naku eh baka sila ang masampolan ko ng blue flame. Kahiya yon, on national tv pa pag nagkataon. Ito kasing mga news reporter sa atin, pinatulan ng pinatulan ang mga feed ng Migrante. Basta may maibalita lang. Hindi nagbe-verify. Ayan ang dami tuloy mga kabayan na ayaw mag-bakasyon dahil natatakot na matatakan ng exit ang passport nila. Eh pano ka aalis ng Saudi kung hindi ka mage-exit? Ano yon kahit umalis ka entry pa rin ang ilalagay? Ewan ko sa inyo. Sabi nga ng kasabihan, ang mga naniniwala sa sabi-sabi, mahilig magbasa ng pinagbalutan ng tuyo. Tuyo! Ang masarap na tuyo! Hmmm…. Isa yan sa mga uunahin kong lantakan pagdating sa bahay. Pati ang laing. At ginataang puso ng saging. Syempre in between adobong baboy, pritong porkchop at sinigang na baboy na maraming taba! Yummm… naka-taas pa ang paa habang kumakain at nanonood ng balita ni Mike at Mel. Ayaw ko kay Kabayan. Pang-kapre at mga multo lang daw sya sabi ni Raoul. Di na kasi maganda ang news buhat nong nawala si Maria Ressa (wala na pala sya sa 2? – Ren). Sabagay ano nga bang magandang ibabalita mo sa mga Pinoy. Puro mga expose na naman ni Lacson na wala naman nangyayari. At mga plunder cases daw ni Gloria. Sus, kasuhan nyo ng kasuhan at ikulong kung ikukulong. Ang hirap kasi puro katsang tapos after a while nakalimutan na. Walang nangyari. Nag-move on sa mas mainit na topic. Masyadong mabilis mag-move on di tulad namin ng mga kaibigan kong sosyalayts. Pag ako nainis sa inyo manghihingi din ako ng birthday gift kay Madam. Gusto ko, Nissan Armada. Birthday ko lang kasi. Pero di naman ako Obispo o pari huh. Kaya nga pro-RH bill ako noh. Hindi tayo aasenso pag puro paurong ang mga takbo ng kukote natin. Dapat isabay natin sa panahon ang mga batas natin. Para hindi na dumami ang populasyon na wala naman kayong maipakain kungdi mga feeding program na ginagawa nyo lang pag may tv camera na nakatutok. Buti na lang si Andi kahit bata pa may ipapakain sa magiging anak nya. Eh pano kung wala. Di dagdag na naman sa mga batang nanglilimahid sa kalsada, nanghihingi ng limos. Parang palimos ng pag-ibig ni Obama sa mga Senator nya na super ang pambabarang ginagawa sa kanyang deficit reduction proposal. Eh kasi naman itong si Uncle Sam, aid ng aid sa mga countries left and right eh yon pala ang budget deficit nila eh trilyon-trilyon na! Nangelam ng nangelam sa mga kapitbahay, ang sarili pala nyang bahay wala nang bigas na maisaing! Miyon-milyon mamigay ng pera yon pala ang pondo nila kapos na rin. Trillions! Hindi ko na yata alam kung gaano kadaming zero at comma ang magagamit ko pag sinulat ko yon huh. Eh bakit ang Pinas, gaganyan-ganyan pero ang economic growth daw maganda during the first half of 2011! Tama bang narinig ko na 7% daw yong economic growth natin? Galing huh. Oh, wag nyo sabihing walang nagawa si PNoy no! Yayaman na tyao. Lalo pa pag nabuklat ang bilyong bariles daw ng oil deposit na nandon sa pinag-aagawang Spratlys. Yon eh kung hindi mang-eepal ang China at pilit aagawin yon. Porke teritoryo daw nila pero tingnan mo sa mapa super layo na sa kanila. Kung proximity ang pag-uusapan, bakit hindi muna nila angkinin ang Batanes bago nila angkinin ang Spratlys Islands. Buti na lang kumita ang Temptation Island. Kung hindi si Marian ang masisisi. Eh maganda pa naman daw ang Amaya. Panonoorin ko nga rin yan. Para malaman ko kung ano yong babaylan. Sabi kasi ni Ega may pagka-babaylan daw ako. Kasi may napo-foresee ako sa mga adiks… nong kasing isang araw @%8blaifoj2-02urt09u;fjoao…. Ay na-virus yata flaptaf ko! %iojooa8dsh4 $#459kjszlo gldo ^4949 a! Bwahahahaaaa…. – D!

crossroads and ravines

2011-06-28T02:28:00.000+08:00

Funny how some people don’t believe na aalis ako sa trabahong ito without any prospect of new employment. As in kahit anong sabihin ko, kahit anong paliwanag ko na uuwi lang talaga ako para magpahinga, they just brush it off as if I’m pulling their left and right legs. Mas maniniwala pa yata sila if I tell them that Jarir is giving away free ipads.

Hindi ko sila masisi. Marami na rin kasing umalis at nagdahilan ng kung ano-ano tapos hindi pa nawawala ang amoy nila sa mga sulok-sulok ng kumpanya, ayan at lilitaw sa katabing kumpanya. Nag-over the bakod lang pala katakot-takot na drama ang ginawa. Kung ano-anong istorya ang binuo, tinalo pa ang scriptwriter ng Channel 2 na walang mga fresh ideas sabi nga ni Alfie Lorenzo.

Sometimes nagtataka na nga ako. Why is it so incredible to some people? Wala ba akong karapatang mapagod? Wala ba akong karapatang magpahinga? Wala ba akong karapatang magsawa? Am I really that stupid to let go of a job that pays well without any replacement that will keep the continuous stream of salary every payday?

Siguro nga. Sa panahon ngayon, losing a job, much more letting go of one, is a senseless idea. Sa dami ng walang trabaho ngayon, ano’ng karapatan kong magmalaki at iwanan ang trabahong marami ang pumipila para aplayan. A lot of people are queuing up daily, rain or shine, sa mga employment agencies sa Pinas. Lalo yong mga overseas employment agencies. And yet, here I am turning my back on one job that hundreds, probably thousands, are fighting for, teeth and claw, to get their hands on.

But come to think of it. I’m doing someone a huge favor. Dahil sa halip na i-monopolize ko yong spot and cling to it till it wants clinging no more, heto at binibigyan ko ang isang kaluluwa ng chance na sya naman ang magtamasa ng dolyares na binabayad ng trabahong ito.

Who knows, that person might need the spot more than I do. He might have a huge family to support. Baka may mga anak na hindi makapag-enroll dahil walang pampa-aral. Baka may asawa o kapatid na may sakit. Baka may matatandang magulang na kailangang suportahan. O, di ba, I’m being unselfish here and doing the human race one huge favor?

Seriously, the reactions I got sent me to some serious pondering. Buti na lang I was firm and resolute when I reached this decision. Kaya walang nangyaring “OMG, did I do the right thing?”.

And it dawned on me. It’s not the decision of leaving the job that is incomprehensible to some. Hindi yong pag-alis ko ng walang ibang pupuntahang trabaho. It’s my audacity that is incredulous to them. It’s my boldness to jump into what seems to be a deep ravine that they find unbelievable.

Oh yes. To some that is plain stupid. But for me, it’s real courage. And sense of adventure. Dahil gagawa ako ng panibagong chapter ng buhay ko instead of sticking it out with something na hindi ko na ma-enjoy. Na hininila ko na lang ang katawan ko para gawin.

So I came to the crossroads that all of us will have to face sooner or later. Nobody is spared from this. And at this point, we all have to make a decision. Nauna lang ako. Pero susunod din kayo. And if I’ve chosen to take the route on the left, some of you will choose to make a right turn. The point is, it’s a crossroad and you’ll have no choice but to decide. You have to move on. Because idling is not an option.

Wherever life leads me after this is the biggest challenge. And facing that challenge will be one exciting adventure I’ve been dying to experience. I might end up a millionaire and that wouldn’t be bad. Coz I’ve got a clear plan on what to if something like that happens. Or, I might end up selling peanuts by the roadside. Still it wouldn’t be bad. Coz I did what I wanted to do and found out for myself what’s at the end of the rainbow.

Call me naïve, call me loony. But I believe it’s better to have tried and failed than wonder all your life what it feels like trying.

out into the freeway

2011-06-14T22:33:00.000+08:00

After weeks of speculations, questions and premonitions (o ayan ariel ha hindi kita nakalimutan! hahaha) eto na, I’m letting the cat out of the bag. Sabi ko nga noon, when the right time comes, all will be revealed. And the reveal I’m talkin about is the admission of the fact that I’m hanging up my safety shoes, company ID and pin-striped uniform to rest.

Actually last week nag-preliminary talks na ako with my boss. Sabi ko para no surprises pagbigay ko sa kanya ng papel. Yon yong sinasabi kong first step sa aking one-liner in FB. And the next step is this. Binigay ko na yong aking notice of non-renewal of my contract.

Of course I still have to go through the usual process of interviews and other formalities. But as it stands now, it’s bye-bye time next month. Kaya yong mga usap-usapan at mga tanong na dati’y hindi ko masagot ng diretso, here it is. Yes, I’m calling it quits.

Pasensya na sa mga kaibigan na hindi ko masagot ng matino dati. I just thought I had to do it officially before making any announcement. Sa tagal ko na kasing sinasabing I’m gonna do it, baka hindi na kayo maniwala. In fact, I dread telling you this and and see some eyes rolling at may kasama pang ‘here we go again’ hahahaha.

But this time, ayan na. Totoo na. Black and white na.

Wala akong offer from any company. Ni hindi nga ako nagsi-send ng application anywhere coz job hunting is not one of my priorities right now. Basta gusto ko lang magpahinga. Burned-out. Tamad factor. Sawa factor na rin. Afterall, 8 years is already an achievement para sa isang tulad kong maigsi ang pasensya at kakaunti ang pagtitiis sa dumadaloy sa katawan.

I’ve wanted to do this for the longest time. Hindi lang matuloy dahil marami pa akong considerations. Largely because of financial reasons kaya hindi ko magawa. But even if I stare constantly at that bank balance, naisip ko, I’ll never be satisfied with whatever I’m seeing. It will always never be enough. Kaya sabi ko, why prolong the agony and whine about it all the time?

Doon ko rin na-realize that it’s not the money that’s stopping me to do this. It’s my fear of stepping out of the security brought about by a constant, almost boring, existence. Kahit siguro sino, after 8 years of doing the same thing every day, will find it hard to leave behind the life you’ve been so used to. It’s like suddenly stepping out into LA’s freeway after so many years of taking it slow on a small town feeder road.

That’s why I finally made the call. Being at the same situation for so long has turned me into something that I don’t really like. Complacency is one word I don’t find appealing. Kahit nga tubig na stagnant, pinamamahayan ng lamok na may dengue di ba.

So I’m challenging myself to explore new avenues in life. Marami akong gustong gawin na hindi ko magawa dahil sa pagka-kampante ko sa aking buhay. And if I don’t do it now, I’ll forever be wondering what it’s like to be doing those things.

One friend said I might be running back to Saudi in a couple of years. Posible. Hindi ko naman sinasabing ayaw ko na sa Saudi. Ginawa ko na ito noon. Left the kingdom, did other things back home, then came back 5 years later. I’ll probably do it again. Afterall, wala pa namang rule ang Saudi government na bawal nang bumalik ang mga umaalis, di ba.

But what’s important is that I gave myself the chance to do new things, see other places, meet other people and learn new things. And believe me, I still cherish those 5 years as one of the best chapters of my life.

I’d like to do the same thing all over again. Find something else outside of the four corners of an office. But the most important thing for me right now is to grant my lazy bones the break they’ve been crying out for so long now. Coz that’s probably the one thing that would replenish my already depleted motivation.

Pag na-refresh na ako, then saka ko na iisipin kung ano ang uunahin ko – go bungee jumping at the Millau Viaduct, experience life in the vineyards of Naples or relax at the beaches of Maldives! Weehh… di nga. Seriously. Sa panaginip nga lang! Hahaha.

ever tried talking to a wall?

2011-06-12T16:59:00.000+08:00

I met an old acquaintance (buti na lang hindi friend) the other day. Kamustahan… kamustahan…. pero in less than a minute na usapan namin, I decided that it’s better to leave him alone na lang. Or else baka mapaslang ko lang ng hindi oras.

Akalain mong sa napaka-iksing oras ng usapan na yon, dalawang beses nya akong tinanong kung saan ako nagwo-work. At hindi lang yon, dalawang beses din nyang inulit kung ano ang work ko. Both questions repeated in just a space of few exchanges of lines.

Malaking kalokohan na nag-uusap kayo, malinaw na malinaw ang usapan, Face to Face ni Amy Perez, and yet uulitin mo ng dalawang beses ang dalawang tanong sa akin. Either you’re not listening or not really interested with the conversation. Kaya lalayasan na lang kita kesa makapanakit pa ako ng tao!

Pag-uwi ko ng bahay, sa FB chat, may isang kamag-anak ng kamag-anak ko (buti na lang hindi directly related) ang nagtatanong tungkol sa visa papunta sa isang European country. Porke kukunin daw sya ng kuya nya. Ang unang tanong ko – legal ba o illegal. And with that question I’m sure alam nyo ang ibig kong sabihin.

Kung legal, may working visa na ii-issue sa kanya. So dapat wala syang problema. Kung illegal, tourist ang pasok nya and she has to produce all the ‘cooked and baked’ documents para maka-apply ng visa. Eh bakit daw kailangan nyang mag-fake ng mga papeles eh meron naman daw syang totoong dokumento.

Aba eh di dalhin mo kako yan sa embassy at tingnan mo kung mabibigyan ka ng visa! Ay bibigyan naman po ako ng visa kasi Italian citizen na si kuya! Eh ganon pala eh ano’ng problema mo’t inaaksaya mo ang oras kooo??? Muntik ko nang maibato ang laptop ko sa bintana! (sa citizenship part at sa inis).

Just yesterday I was in a meeting (trabaho na to) at may ini-esplika ako sa isang grupo ng mga inhinyero tungkol sa trabaho. Isang simpleng idea ng hierarchy. Pero inabot ako ng mahigit isang oras sa pagpapaliwanag ng konsepto. Sabi ko nga sa mga kaibigan ko, either magulo akong mag-explain (which I doubt) or talaga lang hindi ako maintindihan ng mga hinayupak at kailangan ko pang i-esplika sa urdu, malayalam o hindi ang pinag-uusapan.

In all the cases above, napaisip tuloy ako. Was it really me? Nag-deteriorate na ba ang aking communication skills? If it did, I’d be damned. Dahil isa yon sa mga kino-consider kong personal strengths. A skill that I honed for so many years. Tapos di na effective?

Magagalit ang isa sa mga ini-idolo kong boss who taught me that good communication includes the ability to talk to a janitor up to a company CEO. Meaning – any level, any strata, any form, any color, size and shape ng kausap mo, if you can come across, be heard and understood, is the sign of an effective communicator.

But in the three instances I mentioned above, bakit parang mga deaf and blind ang kausap ko. Na parang alien language ang ginamit ko at hindi ako maintindihan.

But after all the unwarranted introspection, naisip ko… hindi nga siguro ako ang may problema. Sila. Sila ang either bingi, may sariling mundo at agaw-autism. Kaya unfair na i-blame ko ang sarili ko at kwestyunin ang aking communication skills. Afterall, a tree or a wall can be good barriers but can never be good listeners!

si bruce lee at si juan peklat

2011-06-07T10:49:00.000+08:00

A few days ago may nagbakbakan sa cafeteria namin. Isang Pinoy versus 3 itik (sa mga hindi nakaka-alam, Itik ang tawag ng mga Pinoy sa mga Indiano). Nagkapikunan sa trabaho. Ang ending, nalipat si kabayan ng assignment. Pero dinig ko, napahanga ang ilan dahil nga nag-iisa sya. Naging biruan pa nga raw na may pagka-Bruce Lee pala si kabayan dahil hindi niya inurungan yong tatlo.

Kahapon naman, nagkukuwento ang isang kaibigan na ang isang office mate nyang kabayan din, inaway daw ng among itik. Nadisgrasyang maitulak ng among itik si kabayan, nauntog ang ulo at dumugo.

Two different situations. Two different stories. Pero ang mga karakter, iisa – pinoy vs itik.

Marami na rin akong na-encounter na mga itik na nagpakulo ng dugo ko. Fortunately, wala pa naman akong eksena na nag-ala Bruce Lee ako. Pero yong pinaka-unforgettable, pang-drama anthology pa rin.

It happened back in ’88 (naku dami na naman magre-reak nito!). Kararating ko pa lang ng Saudi. I was a contractor then, na-assign sa isang malaking kumpanya sa industrial city. May kasabay akong 2 pa na kabayan din from the same contracting company, sa iisang office kami napadpad.

Ang dinatnan namin sa office na yon, isang kabayan na direct hire (again, sa mga hindi nakaka-alam, sila yong employees hired directly by the company as opposed to an employee hired through a contractor na tulad namin) at dalawang itik na contractors din pero ibang company ang sponsor.

Si kabayan (san na kaya tong si Tatay Ben), tahimik lang at cool. Bising-bisi sa trabaho. Kaya ang isang itik ang na-assign na mag-orient sa akin. He was a kind fella (Francis where ever you are, I owe you a lot). I have to emphasize that part to put things in perspective – hindi hate blog ito against mga itik. Nagkukwento lang ng mga encounter natin sa kanila. Para malinaw lang.

Pero kung mabait yong isa, yong isa feeling bossing. Mayabang. Arogante. Let’s call him JP for Juan Peklat. John talaga ang first name nya at ang apelyido ay malapit na sa Peklat. But I’ll tell you about the Peklat later.

Hindi pa yata ako nakaka-tapos ng 3 months proby when one day, nag-ligalig si Peklat. May hinahanap na dokumento. Tinanong ang isang kasabay ko. Sinunod yong isa. Saka lumapit sa mesa ko, asking the same question.

“Wala sa akin yan” sabi ko. “At hindi ko nakikita ang dokumentong sinasabi mo.”

So akala ko tapos na ang eksena. I went out (nag-CR yata ako o kumuha ng print-out, whatever) pero pagbalik ko, nandon si Peklat sa workstation ko. Naghahalungkat ng mga papel sa mesa ko. Boiling point agad ang high blood ko!

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m looking for that document” sagot ng impakto sa akin. Kaswal na kaswal. Parang wala syang keber kung maghalungkat sya don. He thinks he owns the place kaya gagawin nya ang gusto nyang gawin.

“Di ba sabi ko sa yo wala dyan” syempre ingles yong dialog ko…

"I don't believe you" ang sagot ng impakto sa akin. At dinagdagan pa ng “I don’t trust you”.

Eh di sumabog ang dapat sumabog.

Hindi ko matandaan kung ano ang mga eksaktong words na binuga ko sa kanya. Basta ang alam ko 5 octaves higher ang boses ko kaya nagsilipan yong mga Bisor na nasa adjacent room namin. Ang hindi ko lang makalimutan ay yong closing remarks ko na pang-teleserye…

“Don’t treat us like a bunch of idiots” (para sa 2 kong kasama) “I’ll show you that Filipinos work better than you do (at para sa lahat ng mga Pinoy).

Binalingan ko pa ang dalawang kasama ko… “huwag nga kayong papayag na tinataran**do nitong ga**ng to”. (oh, Noel and Danny, sa totoong buhay lang to di ba).

Natulala si Peklat. Hindi nya siguro ine-expect na sa liit kong yon, at sa bata kong yon eh papalag ako ng ganon. Well, hindi siguro nya alam that dynamite comes in small package. Hindi rin siguro nya alam na 23 yo pa lang ako pero 130/90 na ang BP ko na hinilot ko lang sa clinic na nag-medical sa akin para ipasa ako. At lalong hindi nya alam na lahing dragon ako kaya nabugahan sya ng fireball ng wala sa oras!

Up until this day, wala akong kahit na katiting na doubt or worry sa ginawa kong yon. Siguro dahil nga bata pa ako, hindi ko inisip na pwedeng lumala yong sitwasyon at mapa-uwi ako. Basta ang alam ko I have to stand my ground. Kahit pa sabihing nagbabayad pa ako ng inutang kong pang-placement fee.

Basta hindi ako papayag na i-violate ng ganon. Wala akong maling ginawa. And I wouldn’t allow anybody to strip me of my dignity ng ganon-ganon lang. Kaya kahit anong mangyari, all I know is that I did the right thing for myself, para sa 2 kasamahan ko at para sa iba pang Pinoy na pwedeng abusuhin nitong Peklat na ito. Well it turned out that I did the right thing.

In fact, validation came early. Dahil as soon as I reached my first year don sa office, inumpisahan na ng boss ko na ilatag yong pagdi-direct hire sa akin. Which is a big deal nong mga panahong yon dahil wala pa raw nangyaring ganon. (I had to highlight the ‘raw’ dahil hindi ko nga alam kung gaano katotoo). In short, precedent daw ang nangyari sa akin (sa amin actually dahil 2 kaming sabay na ginawan ng ganitong proseso – the other one is still very much alive and kicking na ka-FB ko pa – hi there Verns!). In fact one doubting Thomas ang nag-linyang ipapaputol daw nya ang daliri nya pag natuloy yong DH namin. Eh natuloy nga. Pero yong putulan ng daliri wala lang… jowk! Hahahaa. (please Buboy wag mo akong multuhin haaa)

And so my hardwork paid off. Pinanindigan ko yong sinabi kong Filipinos work better. At nasabi kong validation ito dahil si Peklat, nong matapos ang kontrata, hindi na ni-renew. My boss might be an old man but he is wise enough to know that Peklat is a poser. Nagkukunwari lang na busy at nagta-trabaho pag nandyan ang amo. Pag wala, nakataas ang paa habang nagtsa-tsaa at at nakababad sa telepono with his friends.

With his air of superiority and arrogance, alam ko na nag-iwan ng peklat sa pride nya ang nangyari (so malinaw na why I call him Peklat?). Hindi ko lang alam kung natuto sya sa nangyaring bugahan portion na yon. Pero kung hindi man at ginawa nya ulit sa ibang Pinoy ang ginawa nya sa akin, I’m sure madadagdagan pa ang peklat nya. Dahil marami pa syang mae-encounter na Pinoy na bumubuga ng apoy (my friends Raoul and Edgar included! hahaha). At laking malas nya kung si Bruce Lee pa ang masagupa nya!

kites and kabul

2011-06-06T18:39:00.000+08:00

Ewan ko ba naman kung bakit pag magaganda ang pelikula, ilalagay ng mga hunghang na tv station sa super late na time slot on a workday pa! Well actually iba ang oras dito sa Saudi compared to the Tv station na pinapanooran ko. At free to air tv lang yon so who am I to complain! Hahaha!

Tulad kagabi, I crawled to my bed at 11pm, ready to turn my engines off and try to sleep early (early pa yon huh!). Then came along this film The Kite Runner in MBC Max. Sabi ko titingnan ko lang ang first few scenes dahil nabasa ko na ito sa mga movie reviews dati. Nominated sa BAFTA, Golden Globe and Oscars kaya sabi ko baka maganda. Ayun, ang ending, early morning na ako nakatulog. 1:30am to be exact.

Sabi ko naman sa dati kong mga posts, medyo nagsawa na ako sa movies made in Hollywood. I want to see world films – yong galing sa mga kung saan-saang parte ng mundo. And this one, though it was made by an American director (Marc Forster) has an interesting flavor to it because the story was set in Afghanistan and most actors were authentic Afghans.

It’s a story of two boys – one rich (Amir), the other a servant (Hassan) – growing up in Kabul as best of friends. Kahit si Hassan ay alipin lamang sa bahay nina Amir, Hassan’s loyalty to Amir is unconditional. On the contrary, Amir’s friendship to Hassan has boundaries. While Hassan got mauled (at sabi sa original na istorya ay na-rape) because of his loyalty to Amir, Amir can’t even defend Hassan kahit nakikita nya ang pambubugbog dito. Duwag kasi sya.

Hassan’s silence after the incident worried Amir even more. Kaya gumawa sya ng paraan para mapalayas si Hassan at ang tatay nito. He planted his watch under Hassan’s pillow saka nagsumbong sa kanyang Baba (father). He wanted Hassan out of his sight dahil baka mabisto ang kaduwagan nya na nagpahamak kay Hassan. Then he will lose the affection of his Baba na alam na nyang disappointed sa pagiging weakling nya.

When Amir was 14, the Russians came and invaded Afghanistan. Dahil open critic ng mga communist ang tatay ni Amir, they had to flee to Pakistan before proceeding to California where they settled. Kung dati ay mayaman sila sa Kabul, sa Cali ay ordinary citizens lang sila. Amir’s father worked in a gasoline station. They also sold stuff in a flea market. Then Amir finally got a diploma, pursued his writing and got married. Shortly after his marriage, namatay na ang Baba nya.

Nong na-publish na finally ang first book nya and he was about to launch his writing career, saka naman nagkaron ng twist ang story. He had to go back to Pakistan where he finally uncovered a long-kept secret. Because of that revelation, he has to go back to Kabul to rescue the boy na anak ni Hassan. Who turned out to be his very own nephew dahil si Hassan pala ay half-brother nya.

Walang masyadong action ang pelikula until this point. Pero nong pumasok na ulit sya sa Afghanistan, sobrang intense ng mga scenes at takbo ng istorya. And believe me, I was wide awake sa puntong yon even if it’s almost 1am. As if I was actually in war-ravaged Kabul directly facing the Talibans. Pag ganon ang effect ng pelikula sa akin, it must be really good.

Taken from a best-selling book of the same title (author: Khaled Hosseini), the story was quite compelling. Although sa synopsis nong book na nakita ko sa Wiki, marami pang eksena at pangyayari ang hindi ko nakita sa film. On second thought, baka edited na yong film na napanood ko kasi nga it’s shown in MBC. But apparently, the book and the movie itself was highly controversial. The Afghan government banned entry of any copy of this film dahil may mga dialogue at scenes na hindi nila pwedeng ipakita sa viewing public. It may lead to some violent reaction daw from sectors na hindi maiintindihan at mao-offend noong pelikula.

With such a rich plot to work upon, Marc Forster did a great job in directing the film. The storytelling was poignant, engaging and very real. Magaling din ang buong technical team nya from his cameraman down to the production design team. Hindi ko akalaing flying a kite can be that exciting. At kahit sa China pala ginawa ang shooting, nagmukhang Kabul talaga yong bigger part of the film.

I also commend all the actors who did a great job in portraying the characters. Magagaling yong dalawang Afghan boys who played Amir and Hassan. And even Khalid Abdalla who played the grown-up Amir. His portrayal of a weak, good son is very effective. He was able to convey the agony of hiding a dark guilt for a long time. And the struggle to make amends even if it means risking his own life, facing his weakness and coming out a stronger person in the end.

Kaya lang, as always, may minor flaws akong nakita. Like yong picture ni Shorab (the boy to be rescued) together with his father Hassan. Ang tagal nang tinakbo nong film between the first scene na nakita yong picture until nong pinakita ni Amir kay Shorab. But the picture was still as glossy at walang kahit kaunting crease or crumple.

Medyo hindi rin ako convinced that after 15, 20 years, kilala pa rin ni Assef (kontrabida as one of the Taliban leaders) si Amir with all the latter’s disguise. Sana pinakita na lang na even Assef was surprised to find out it was Amir na binu-bully nya dati noong bata pa sila.

Anyhooo… maganda pa rin yong pelikula. And as I always do, I’ll recommend that you find a copy of it and watch it. Para maiba naman. I’m gonna find a copy myself dahil gusto kong mapanood yong unedited version. And probably I’ll look for the book also. Gusto kong mabasa ng buo yong istorya. Coz it’s one damn good story that proves, as I always say, Hollywood doesn’t have the monopoly to good films!

hotnothot 42

2011-05-28T19:16:00.000+08:00

Hotnot: EOTW: Oooppsiieee! So Harold Camping’s prediction that May 21 is the end of the world fizzled like a tiny raindrop landing on a hot tin roof. Pzzzttt! Pffttt! And believers were left in confusion, couldn’t believe they have been duped by the man they believe was the ultimate prophet. Undaunted, Camping still wants to claw back even the tiniest of dignity by doing another prediction. OOppsss… it was just a miscalculation. It’s gonna be in October. Yes, believe me, this time it’s gonna be true. Sssssttooppp!. Enough already. Do you honestly believe they’ll still buy that? On second thought, yes. I think some of his cohorts are still buying it. Come on people. You’ve been had the first time. Are you that stupid to be had the second? Why don’t you just shake off that spell and realize that even the sharpest, most intelligent experts on religion cannot predict judgment day. And why are you waiting and praying for the world to come crushing into pieces anyway? Haven’t you have lives to live? Well I do. And I bet billions of people around the world still want to go on with life no matter what. So don’t pray for Armageddon yet, ok? Party poopers.

Hotnot: Privileged incarceration. Malaking balita sa atin na ang mga big-time convicts like Leviste, Ampatuans and even Rolito Go are being given special treatment inside their cells. At hindi lang sa loob ng selda dahil nakaka-labas pa pala sila, specially in the case of Leviste who was caught in his Makati building conducting his usual business. Biglang nagkaroon ng shake-up sa management ng BuCor at pinalitan ang pinuno. Well it’s about time. Dahil matagal na rin naman nating alam na talagang nangyayari yan. That wealth and power seeps into the deepest and darkest corners of any existence. Ke sa Muntinlupa yan o sa isang masikip na city jail. And these people will not hesitate to use the power of their money para patuloy nilang i-enjoy ang comfort kahit nasa kulungan. Sa kabilang dako ng Pinas, ang pamilya ng biktima ng kanilang krimen ay nagsa-suffer. One living in lavish comfort, the other in misery. Now I’m confused who’s the victim and who’s the culprit!

Hothot: O’bama’s apostrophe. I just can’t help but notice that President Obama’s trip to Ireland was much more lively and warm compared to the Queen’s visit just a couple of weeks earlier. The Queen of England was received with an air of formality, strict protocols and royal pageantry. But the thousands of crowds cheering and applauding was missing. Only when Barack showed up did they turn out in droves, flags a-wagging and girls not just a-screaming but a-shrieking you’d think it’s a rock star they’re gawking upon and not some President. But oh yes, Obama has that rock star appeal. It may not be the case in the US where he has lost some of his charm. But in Ireland, his stars didn’t show any sign of fading. I’m sure he was wishing that these Irish fans will be the ones trekking to polling places in the next election. He sure will have a convincing win. Afterall, he’s one of them. O’bama?

in the name of my father

2011-05-02T17:59:00.000+08:00

An old friend got curious and PMed (tama kaya ito) me in FB. Tinatanong nya kung bakit daw I was using my first and middle name lang sans my family name sa account ko. Mahaba yong sagot ko sa kanya but I’ll make it even more kilometric here. Para na rin sa iba pang inuukilkil ng same question sa kanilang mind but didn’t bother to ask o kaya’y natatakot lang magtanong… hehehee.

First let me state, with my right hand on my left chest, na hindi ko kinakahiya ang apelyido ng Tatay ko when I dropped Ondoy doon sa aking FB account. I have lived all my life with this name and it’s weird to suddently turn my back against it. Besides, hindi ko pinangarap na multuhin ng Tatay ko at mapalo just because I’ve forsaken his one true legacy.

Oo nga at kakaiba ang apelyido ko, and I know that when you hear it, the first thing that comes to your mind is that it sounds very close to ‘unggoy’. Noong bata pa ako madalas akong tuksuhin ng ganon (even up to now may ilan pa ring engot who enjoys going down that line of triviality). Pero bata pa rin ako nang marealize kong pwede kong tawanan ang panunukso nila kasi in most cases, ang mga nanunukso sa akin, mas matalino pa ang unggoy. And I would hiss loudly with my retort kaya natatahimik ang mga hinayupak!

I’ve also recognized the fact na very Pinoy yong apelyido ko as compared to others na mukhang mga Insulares at Ilustrados ang minanang apelyido sa kanilang mga ninuno. No big deal for me. Hindi ko naman tinatago kahit kailan na kulay Pinoy ako with my deliciously mulato skin that westerners are so envious of. So you see, it’s not just a name but also something that truly represents the proud Pinoy that I am.

Dati nga, feeling ko ako lang ang may apelyidong ganon sa buong mundo. And for a while I enjoyed the feeling of uniqueness it brings. But later on narinig ko na marami din pala na may ganitong apelyido lalo na sa South, Cebu in particular. Siguro mga malayo or super layong kamag-anak ko na at mahirap nang i-trace sa family tree.

With that said, I think the ‘kinakahiya part’ can now be put to rest. But still, why Dante Sosa on the FB account? Ganito nga kasi yon…

Urong-sulong nga ako noon sa pagi-FB. Nagkataong when I was creating my account, kasikatan pa ng bagyong Ondoy. As in anybody who hears/sees my name, yong bagyo agad ang binabanggit. Followed by ‘ang daming namatay don’ or ‘ang lupet mo’. Lalo na pag umuuwi ako for vacation. From the stewardess to the immigration officer to the customs officer sa NAIA pati ba naman hanggang sa teller ng forex sa arrivals area. Bagyong Ondoy pa rin ang sinasabi! And from the looks of it, the notoriety will last longer than I initially thought.

And I just got tired of it all. Nauubusan na ako ng isasagot. Kaya kesa ulanin ako at bagyuhin ng kung ano sa FB, I decided to drop Ondoy na lang. Ayokong makatanggap ng PM galing sa kung sinong herodes na hindi ko kilala na sinisisi ako sa pagkamatay ng kamag-anak nila. O ng pagka-baon ng properties nila sa putik. You know how weird netizens can get. Baka makabugbog ako ng tao kahit sa virtual world lang!

Ang masakit nito, hindi na pala nababago ang name sa FB once you created it. Kahit dini-activate ko sya, when I reactivated it and tried to change the name, hindi pala pwede. Gusto ko na sanang kumpletuhin yong name ko pero yon na pala yon. And the only way to correct it is to create another account. Which needs another email add. Eh ayoko namang mag-maintain ng sanrekwang email account just for that purpose. So I got stuck with it.

Sa isang banda, mas gusto ko na rin na ganito. Coz if I used my full/real name, I could have been easily searched and found on line. Eh hindi nanan ako nag-FB para mangampanya or mangalap ng bagong kaibigan. Kung may makitang worth it, fine. But I went online to establish connection with old friends na matagal nang nawala. At the same time, to maintain connection with current friends na kung magkwentuhan about FB eh napapag-iwanan ako. So the main purpose of my FB account is just to retain that connection with people I value most.

Kung hindi pa ninyo nahalata, ilang buwan na ako sa FB pero 40+ pa lang ang friends ko. May ilan akong pending requests to add pero dedma lang. Some from people I don’t even know. FB lang ito pero dala-dala ko yong mentalidad na quality over quantity among my connections. Meaning, kung friends tayo sa FB, I really consider you as a Friend, not just someone who randomly decides to be friends because of a cute or sexy profile pic.

So yon, Dante Sosa or Dante Ondoy, you’re still connected to the very same person who considers you as a ‘real’ friend. And I guess that’s what’s important. Di ba Verns?.

hotnothot 41

2011-04-02T19:43:00.000+08:00

Hotnot: Mule… muli… mali. Biggest news of the day nong paalis ako last Wednesday ang pagkakabitay sa 3 kabayan natin sa China. Hindi bumigay ang gobyerno ng mga intsik sa mga pakiusap ng ating gobyerno. Mahirap naman talagang maisalba ang mga ganong kaso. We should understand the Chinese government that they have to enforce their law. At kung bibigyan nila ng pardon ang mga kabayan natin, it will be sending a very wrong message to real, hardline drug syndicates. Wag na rin nating sisihin ang gobyerno natin. At least they tried to save them kahit na alam nilang hopeless yong kaso. Tanggapin na lang natin na biktima ng sitwasyon ang mga kabayan natin. They chose to risk their lives para kumita ng pera. And all we can do is pray for their souls. And hope na sana, wala nang sumunod pa sa kanila. (Though may mahigit 60 cases pa raw ng mga kabayan ang nasa death row din sa China, I don’t know how true). At sana, wala nang magpaloko, magpa-gamit o magpa-silaw sa mga sindikatong ito. Humanap na lang tayo ng ibang paraan para kumita. Dahil kahit saang parte ng mundo ka pumunta, money from drugs always means trouble. And in most cases, a gruesome and violent death.

Hotnot: Sensationalism vs journalism. Knowing that the event is an opportunity to see who’s ahead among the tv channels, I watched and compared the news coverage ng Channel 2 at Channel 7 sa pagbitay ng tatlo nating kabayan sa China. And all I can say is that Kapuso lives up to their tagline. May puso sila sa mga ganitong balita. Wala or kakaunti ang nakita kong sensationalism sa paghahatid nila ng balita sa puntong yon (I’m talking about the reports during the mid-day broadcast, I don’t know what happened sa prime time news reports dahil nakaalis na ako ng Pinas that time). Sad to say, Channel 2 seemed to be so desperate. Parang nakatatak sa noo ni Noli de Castro, even the field reporters, ang salitang Ratings. I think Noli even crossed the line nong nag-offer sya ng unsolicited advise kay VP Binay about what needs to be done para mahuli yong mga nasa likod ng drug syndicate. Hindi porke naging VP sya, he can do that. He must remember na balik-reporter sya ng oras na yon. Another thing is that napapangiwi ako nong halos mahimatay na sa pag-iyak ang ina ng isa sa 3 binitay, tinutok pa ang camera sa mukha ng kawawang nanay. Umiiwas na si Nanay, habol pa rin si camera. Kung kamag-anak ako ng umiiyak na Nanay, baka nasapak ko ang cameraman at lahat ng nasa team nila. Journalism is respectable. Sensationalism isn’t.

Hotnot: Hindi ka na nakaka-Willie! Para awayin mo, patutsadahan at tarayan ang isang Leah Salonga na nagbigay ng napakalaking karangalan sa Pinas, you must really be a mental case. Lalo na kung ang pinag-umpisahan ay ang sarili mong kagaguhan. Okey, the tirade against Leah (though her name wasn’t singled out but was done in a more general manner addressed sa lahat ng celebrities na nag-comment sa youtube) wasn’t my main point here. Ang talagang punto ko is that kalian pa mailalagay sa tamang lugar itong si Revillame. Ang dami-dami na nyang offenses sa viewing public dahil sa mga pinag-gagagawa nya sa kanyang show. And yet nobody seem to have to power, the guts or even the balls to contain his madness. Gagawa na lang ba sya lagi ng katarantaduhan sa show nya then magso-sorry the next episode? Talaga bang he can do and say as he pleases na walang magawa ang kahit sino? Sino ba sya talaga? Aba’y ilabas nyo na ang totoo kung isa syang santong padala ng Roma na hindi pwedeng kandiin kahit nino. Para tapos na ang usapan. We’ll just leave him alone. Pero hangga’t isa syang mortal na kumukuha ng fake na lakas sa kanyang bilyones, he should still conform to the norms of the society. Though finally I heard na may mga kongresista na nagpa-file na ng motion to quell Revillame’s insanity. Sana may mangyari. Otherwise, patuloy na malalason ang utak ng masang Pilipino na sa halip na maghanap-buhay ay pinag-aaralan na lang mag-kwento, mag-drama at umiyak sa harap ng tv cameras para maabutan ng barya nitong si Revillame. And he thought he was doing these poor people some favor!

Hotnot: Ligot lagot. A couple of weeks ago I was cursing in front of the tv habang nanonood noong hearing sa Senate where Mrs Ligot played around with the Senators na nagtatanong. Dumating din sa puntong naiinis na ako sa pag-aaksaya ng mga Senator sa kanilang oras dahil wala naman silang mapiga kay Mrs Ligot. She was obviously running in circles at nagmukhang Tom and Jerry lang ang palabas. Even the smart and hard-hitting Jinggoy is no match sa drama ni misis. Kaya walang nagawa ang mga senador kungdi i-contempt ang drama queen. After a week yata, heto at pinalabas na sya sa kulungan kasama ng mister nya. Ang tanong: yon na yon? A few days in jail tapos sige laya ka na? Ok, para lang sa contempt yon. Pero kailan isasampa ang kaso sa sinasabing bilyones ng AFP na kinurakot nila? At anong mangyayari. May mangyayari ba o another Merceditas Gutierrez will face impeachment later. In the end, sino ang kawawa? Ang mga sundalong nagpapakamatay sa kakarampot na sweldo nila. Nagtitiis sa mga misyon sa bundok, walang pagkain, walang gamot at warak-warak ang combat boots. May baril pero iilan ang bala. Dahil wala daw pondo ang military. Yon pala binubulsa lang ng kung sino. Pag hindi ninyo binigyan ng linaw ang kaso ni Ligot, wag kayong magulat kung ang mga sundalo mismo kayo ang lagutin!

lightning bakasyon

2011-03-26T22:08:00.000+08:00

kararating ko lang ng bahay galing sa lightning bakasyon sa baguio. 3 days/2 nights trip which is mostly spent on the bus because of the arduous and butt-burning 7 hour trip each way. pero sulit na sulit dahil for the first time (hehehe kahiya mang aminin!) eh nakarating din ako ng baguio sa wakas. and fell in love with it.

in fact i'm suffering right now from LSS. hindi last song syndrome - last scenery syndrome. habang bumibyahe kasi kami pabalik, pumipikit ako and the first picture that comes to my mind are the mountain tops littered with houses precariously clinging for dear life. or yong mga eksenang titingin ka sa labas ng sasakyan at ang bubulaga sa yo ay ang pagkalalim-lalim na bangin na siguradong hindi ka bubuhayin in case na magwelga ang preno ng sasakyan mo.

but more than the overwhelming beautiful views, the invigorating pine-scented clean air and the refreshing chilling temperature, it's the general warmth, honesty and friendliness of people in baguio that charmed me the most. cab drivers were courteous and honest, even the policemen were nice. isama ko na yong sa hotel na tinuluyan namin although alam naman nating standard na sa hospitality business ang ganon. but people you meet in the streets, magtanong ka kahit kanino and you'll get honest answer and assistance. sana lahat ng cities sa pinas ganito.

here's a pictography of the super fast bakasyon na kung tutuusin eh 1 1/2 day lang ang nagamit namin sa pamamasyal and yet naikot namin halos lahat ng major spots sa baguio! talk about fast-paced sight-seeing!

according to i'ts site, casa vallejo is one of the oldest establishments in baguio. it's a cozy small hotel strategically located at upper session hill. ang maganda, it's right accross sm baguio (bakod ng sm yang nasa kabilang kalsada). what's bad though is that it doesn't have facilities modern hotels offer. wi-fi naman ang kwarto pero walang business center. being an old structure na ni-renovate lang lately, may mga kwento sa internet na may ghosts daw dito. wala naman akong naramdaman although on our second night, i woke up to the sound of a guy screaming na parang tino-torture. nong nakiramdam na ako, wala naman. so sa mga matatakutin, never choose an old house like this. para naman sa akin, the real hassle is the fact that it sits right beside a busy street. dinig na dinig sa room ang usapan ng mga naglalakad sa kalye. lalo ang mga humaharurot na sasakyan. at sabi ng mga nakausap naming taga-baguio talaga, mahal daw dito. medyo nga. wala nang facilities, maliit pa ang room for 48$ per night. buti na lang malinis naman ang rooms at friendly ang staff

but i didn't come to baguio for the hotel. it's burnham park i wanted to see. kaya yon ang first stop namin. kaya lang pagod na ako sa 7-hour trip kaya hindi ko pinangarap mag-boating...

at habang nakaupo at nanonood ng mga tao, naisipang magpa-henna tattoo... trip lang! hahahaa!!!

5pm na pero sumugod pa rin kami ng camp john hay. wala na rin akong masyadong energy na magpo-pose so i just took shots of mauie (who by the way was the reason why this trip finally took place. birthday nya kasi kaya after so many times na plinano at hindi natuloy, eto natuloy na rin ang baguio!)

the following morning, walang masyadong fog kaya i took this shot from the resto where we're having breakfast. at sa mga tulad kong baguhan sa baguio, wag na kayong ma-shock kung walang aircon ang karamihan ng establishments dito. our hotel room only has ceiling fan pero nagtatalukbong pa rin ako ng comforter dahil malamiggggg!!! and this resto even leave the windows open. dahil mas masarap nga naman ang natural lamig ng hangin.

and this is the yummy breakfast i had on our second day - langgonisang baguio, fried egg, pickled cucumber, brewed coffee and the star of the morning meal - mountain rice! ang sarap pala nya. ito kaya yong mga kinakain ng mga diwata at dwende? kasi the color is something magical! hahahaha

taken at the igorot stairs fronting the barrio fiesta restaurant which happens to be next door to our hotel. nakikipag-chikahan lang ako sa aking mga manang. kaya lang yong katabi ko mukhang busy sa pagkukuto! hahahah

okey, i'm just pretending to but i didn't actually touch it! baka magalit sa akin yan eh walang sinabi si machete sa laki nya noh!

first stop after friday breakfast was mine's view park. at ito ang bumungad sa amin - ang pagkalaki-laking st bernard na ito named boomer. who can refuse such charm! talagang naaliw ako dahil sanay na sanay mag-posing ang boomer!

hindi ko rin palalagpasin ito - at least nakapag-costume party ng march! hahahaaa

teka lang sisibatin ko yong makulit na langaw!!! hahaha

un segundo paneros, mi visita mi hacienda... bwahahhaa!

okey here's the real stuff - the breath-taking view of mine's view park. medyo nagtagal kami dito just sitting and soaking up the view. nakaka-relax. at maganda sanang mag-emote ng mga soul-searching ekalavu kaya lang maraming maiingay na tourists. kaya nag-rent na lang ako ng binoculars and had a grand time na mamboso ng mga tuktok ng mga bahay sa tuktok ng bundok. i'm really amazed how they can build such huge houses at that height!

next stop - the mansion house. di naman pwedeng pumasok sa mansion mismo kaya dito muna ang posing

at i-zoom ang digicam to get this shot

at pagbigyan ang request ni mister psg na bumili ng souvenirs tulong na lang daw sa kanilang coop. hindi naman ako mahirap kausapin sa mga ganyan. i have so much respect for our men in uniform kaya buy talaga ako ng items from him. at syempre hoping na maka-lusot at makalapit sa mansion! kaso hindi talaga pwede! hahaha...

kaya tumawid na lang kami and took more pictures sa wright park.

diretso sa botanical garden

and final stop for the morning ang philippine military academy na napasok at naikot namin in less than 10 minutes! super bilisan talaga dahil kailangan nang mag-lunch!

after lunch, umakyat kami sa 3rd level ng sm to have this picture taken. yup, it's sm. kung sanay ka sa mga uniform na itsura ng sm everywhere, baguio is obviously an exception. it took advantage of it's position, possibly one of the highest points in baguio city kaya nilagyan nila ng viewing decks ang 2nd and 3rd level. and from here, you can have a 360 deg view of the whole city and the mountains beyond. kudos to sm for doing this!

konting pahinga lang then we're off to the lourdes grotto. bad move dahil nawala ang kinain ko kalahati pa lang ng aakyatin! sakit ng hita at binti ko but i did it - conquered all 252 steps up (with several stops in between kasama ang sandamukal na hingal) and down (na sumakit na talaga ang mga tuhod ko) hahahhaa!

and you thought we've had enough? hindi pa! dumiretso pa kami dito sa tam-awan village not knowing na katakot-takot na akyatan na naman ang bubunuin namin.

kaya ayan, hindi na maka-pose ng matino lawit pa ang dila sa kakahingal! wahahahha

sabi ng napagtanungan namin, malapit na lang daw from tam-awan village ang strawberry farm. kaya sugod naman kami. on our way back, saka lang namin nalaman na hindi na pala part ng baguio city ang lugar na ito. mantakin mong nasa la trinidad benguet na pala kami hindi namin alam! hahahah

saturday morning na ito, on our way pauwi. i can't help but take pictures from the moving bus. buti na lang mabilis din ang shutter ng aking libreng digicam courtesy of tasnee.

pasensya na kayo but i'm just so amazed with the view

our dear farmers harvesting rice along the highway somewhere in la union

i wish i can do one more trip to this wonderful city. i'll just make sure na pwedeng mag-stay ng mas matagal para mas maka-ikot ng matagal at ma-appreciate ang lugar. coz now i know why baguio is one favorite destination among tourists. it's one awesome city i'd like to explore more.

AI 10's lucky 13... lucky not

2011-03-10T23:16:00.003+08:00

The American Idol top 13 took to stage tonight (at least in Philippine tvs) singing songs from their personal favorites and I was yelling Yes, No, Pwede Na and Win from the kitchen while I was cooking some tortang talong for dinner. But I think I only said Yes and Win a few times. It was mostly Nos all throughout. In fact I didn’t bother pausing my tortang talong for a minute and 40 seconds. I can tell most of them were tearing their voices beyond repair, doing mostly yelling than singing, just to make sure they’re still in contention next week. I’d rather flip the torta than watch their faces grimace in pain trying to hit that octave that is only friendly to those who were born with it.

I’ll let Simon Cowell possess me for a while as I critique this bunch they call the Lucky 13. In order of appearance, here’s my Simon Cowellish painful but BS-free comments:

Lauren Aliana sang Any Man of Mine by Shania Twain: Shania must have broken an expensive vase she threw towards her 52-inch tv. Lucky it didn’t hit Lauren’s face coz really, it wasn’t her face that’ll break. Rating: No!

Casey Abrams sang With A Little Help From My Friend by Joe Cocker. Joe Cocker is a fave of mine, as well as the song. Casey didn’t give me the favorite song I knew but he brought a new twist to it. It’s a bit odd but refreshing. Rating: Pwede Na!

Ashton Jones sang When You Tell Me That You Love Me by Diana Ross. Well if this girl survived last week’s cut by getting a wildcard, she’ll definitely go this time. Her performance this week must have made those eliminated earlier go ‘what a waste of spot’. Rating: No!

Paul McDonald sang Come Pick Me Up by Bryan Adams. I know Bryan Adams but I didn’t know this song. And I’ll never bother looking it up if it sounded as bad as this guy sang it. Rating: No!

Pia Toscano sang All By Myself by Celine Dion. She didn’t have the big voice her idol has. And I guess she’ll have to stop talking for at least a month for stretching that vocals beyond it’s limits. Did she hit the note? Just about. At least she was brave enough to take on such a huge piece. Rating: Pwede Na!

James Durbin sang Maybe I’m Amazed by Paul MacCartney. I don’t really like this guy. He’s pretending to be a rocker but all he does is yell and scream like a cat run over by a truck. This week isn’t any different. Come on dude, there’s only one Adam Lambert. Rating: No.

Haley Reinhart sang Blue by Lee Ann Rimes. Well she’s only in her 20’s and trying to do a song that could easily be her granny’s fave, what would you expect? Randy said it was sleepy. I’d say the yodeling was like a wolf howling to the moon. Not just sleepy but creepy! Rating: No.

Jacob Lusk sang I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly. Well this over-acting blabber mouth of a wanna-be singer should be put to some checks. He doesn’t have the voice nor the technique to distort one of my favorite songs beyond recognition. Rating: A big NO!

Thia Megia sang Smile by Michael Jackson. Thia, Thia, Thia. Only because Randy said last week that you sounded like MJ didn’t mean you’d have to pick that song! It was sooooooo boring. And even you jazzed it up a bit on the second half, the song is still way too old for you. You’re 15 for goodness! Choose your songs wisely otherwise you’ll end up in the bottom and possibly eliminated. And it’ll be a waste coz you clearly have the best voice among all of them! Not only because you’re a kabayan. But your voice is really awesome. Rating: Pwede Na.

Stefano Langone sang Lately by Stevie Wonder. A karaoke-bar singer or a cruise-ship entertainer, your choice. But his performance tonight certainly doesn’t deserve a record deal. No records can be produced if the singer goes here and there with the song. Rating: No.

Karen Rodriguez sang I Could Fall In Love by Selena. The one thing going for this lady is her beauty. She has that glamorous and sexy yet sweet Latina look, perfectly wrapped in black gown she put up herself. But the singing is also amiss. Selena won’t be proud of her half-nervous, half-pitchy singing. Rating: No.

Scotty McCreery sang The River by Garth Brooks. He’s the male version of Thia in this competition. His voice is the one to beat among the guys. It’s clear, honest and crisp. And he doesn’t resort to on-stage antics or props to rev up his performance. All he does is sing. And win your hearts with his voice. Why? He chose the song perfect for his voice. And sang it flawlessly. Rating: Win.

Naima Adedapo sang Umbrella by Rihanna. I liked the reggae and rap touch plus the fierce dance moves. Entertaining. But the singing was again lacking. The kind of singing that nearly cut her off last week had she not been given a wildcard by the judges. Rating: Pwede Na.

So who’s gonna be crying next week for being voted out? And who's gonna be crying also while hugging those who were eliminated, even if they should be jumping for joy coz they survived, just for the sake of crying on global tv?

If I had the power, it’s already top 5 next week. All 8 with my NO can go, no regrets. It's gonna be the first time American Idol will not last the usual number of weeks it airs. There can always be a first time right?

And since I dissed the contestants, let me do the same to the judges. Steven was unbelievably schmuck in his comments. He doesn’t have the guts to be honest, sometimes even bordering on patronizing. Where's the bad-ass rocker i thought you were, Stevie??? JLo is no different from Paula. She wants to be sugar and spice and everything nice even to a horrible performance. And Randy is the only one who wants to keep it real at times but the two just shoots him down. Definitely the lamest set of judges in all AI seasons. Buti na lang my tortang talong turned out to be delishiouss!

bata, bata.... stay ka munang bata ha

2011-03-05T23:04:00.001+08:00

Sa araw-araw na nakababad ako sa harap ng tv even when I’m on-line o kahit kumakain nakatutok pa rin sa tv, eto at may napansin na naman ako. Three adverts – actually four – pero I’ll concentrate on the three and tell you why I’d spare the fourth one. Eto yong mga advertisements using the storyline of young – I mean very young – flirting.

Safeguard Tawas Fresh shows a young boy na mukhang 10 or 11 yo draping his arms around a young girl na kaedad nya. Tapos pinapalabas na may B.O. si young boy. Si mommy ni young boy, pinagamit ng Safeguard si anak. In the end, nong akbayan ulit ni young boy si young girl, okey na. At si mommy, sabi nong ad, mukhang may naaamoy nang iba. Kinilig si mommy ha.

Then there’s this other pair of young boy and girl, mukhang hindi pa teeners, na dumalaw si young boy sa bahay ni young girl. Si young girl super kilig kaya sabi ni mommy sya na ang bahala. Naghanda si mommy ng spaghetti with Del Monte white sauce. Si young boy sarap na sarap. And as the little girl continues her giggling over the cute boy na nilalantakan ang carbonara ni mommy, si mommy naman tuwang-tuwa dahil nagustuhan ng future manugang nya ang spaghetti.

Itong ad ng isang milk ang mas matindi. Sa ad, siguro 7 or 8 years old ang pair of little boy and girl na bida. Super excited si little boy na inaantay ang pagdating ni little girl with her mom. Si mommy ni little boy, naghanda ng milk. Then pagdating ng mommy’s girl, hindi makita ni little boy si little girl. Yon pala, naka-hide sa likod ng mom si little girl. When shea appeared, the boy’s face lit up, sabay abot ng milk don sa little girl.

What’s wrong with these ads? Ha? Wala? Come on, think again. Really. Kasi something doesn’t sit perfectly in my ever-quizzical mind.

Cute nga yong mga ads pero bigla akong napaisip. Beneath the cuteness and linen-white cleanliness of the ads, merong mas matindi at delikadong message na dala itong mga ito. These are the kind of visuals na wala kang nakikitang violence or lewdness onscreen. But the idea it brings is far more lethal than naked bodies copulating. Lalo’t mga bata ang pinag-uusapan.

Why use these youngsters in a storyline tungkol sa love eh napakababata pa nitong mga ito? What message are we sending our youth – specially those in their very tender, highly impressive years? Na okey lang mag-flirt at that age? Na okey lang to think about crushes and puppy love instead of their homeworks, grades and memorizing the multiplication table? That mommy’s ok with it – in fact the ads show that the moms were condoning it with a smile!

Upakan ko muna yong mga ad agencies na tumira nitong mga campaign na to. Kung sino man ang nauna don sa idea, sa yo ang pinakamalaking NO from me. Don sa mga kumopya ng idea, dobleng NO NO ang ibibigay ko sa inyo. Wala na ba kayong maisip para gamitin ang ganitong istorya. Isama ko na rito kung sino man ang regulating body ng mga advertisement. Did you actually watch these ads bago nyo in-approve na i-ere? Coz if you did, I’m sure makikita nyo rin yong POV ko.

Some might say OA ako. Some might say I’m too uptight. But when it comes to protecting the kids, I’m sure parents will understand where I’m coming from.

Sinabi ko na kanina at uulitin ko – what message are we sending our very young tv audience? Sobrang distorted na ba ang social at moral values natin para hayaan natin itong mga commercials na ito na i-tamper at i-pollute ang malilinis at inosenteng pag-iisip ng ating mga kabataan? Why show them about flirting samantalang napakaraming pwede nating ipakita sa kanila na may matutunan sila. Na may mapupulot silang mabuti. Hindi yong makipag-landian ng ke babata pa. O kailangan ko pa kayong i-remind how powerful television can be pagdating sa impluwensya sa mga kabataan?

Bago ko malimutan, yong fourth ad na sinasabi ko hindi ko na isasama dito. It was the Nestea ad where a boy na mukhang 17 or 18 yo was online habang nakaupo sila sa dining table with the whole family. The boy gets a Hi and a smiley from his crush na girl. The family was ecstatic about it. Then the mom pours some Nestea into the boy’s glass sabay linya ng ‘show me some love’. Flirting pa rin.

Pero yon nga palalagpasin ko kasi talagang of age nang makipag-lablaban si bidang lalake. At sabi ko nga, hindi naman ako uptight. Kung pwede na, pwede na. But not on kids na ang dapat maging concern muna ay maglaro, mag-aral at ma-enjoy ang kanilang kabataan. Hindi ang pakikipaglandian. Tapos magtataka kayo kung bakit ang daming nag-aasawa ng bata at mataas ang teenage pregnancy sa mga kabataan ngayon?

what's new... pati na luma

2011-03-04T11:02:00.003+08:00

syempre iniba ko ang template... thanks to the free templates of blogger. and since i've been missing the cool, calm and breezy rice paddies of mindoro na nakita ko ulit ngayong bakasyon ko kaya yong fields background ang pinili ko. nothing beats the smell of a freshly cut grass... so clean, so invigorating.

bago rin ang tagline natin. from the old 'me and my rainbow of thoughts' i thought of making a statement that clearly says what this blog is all about. at yon nga, obvious bang i'm one opinionated person sa mga pinagsusulat ko? hehehehe

binalik ko na rin syempre ang chatbox na super favorite ng mga adikz na tambay dito. though it's from a different provider para maiba naman ang look and feel nong tambayan ng mga DS friends.

syempre balik din ang comments section kaya kung may reaction kayo sa mga post ko, sige gooo!

of golds and diamonds

2011-03-04T00:10:00.001+08:00

While checking in at the airline counter last week pauwi ng Pinas, may nakasabay akong isang Kabayan na sa tingin ko ay nasa past 50 na ang edad. Then napansin ko na may kasama syang little boy na mukhang 5 years old. Naisip ko apo. O baka naman kako anak na bunso.

Since pareho kami ng flight, nakita ko ulit si Manong sa departure lounge. This time, kasama na ang buong pamilya. Mukhang anak nga ang little boy. Kasama ang isang little girl pa na siguro mga 3 years old. At ang babaeng kasama na obviously ay misis, definitely looks a good 20 years younger than him.

What’s the big deal? Sa una wala. Hindi naman bago yong sitwasyon nila. Libo or milyon naman siguro ang kaso na tulad nilang mas matanda ng di hamak si mister kay misis. But Manong reminds me of one colleague na alam na alam ko ang istorya. Lolo na talaga sya dahil bago pa sya mag-abroad ay meron na syang mga apo. Pero pag nakita mo sya ngayon, ang misis nya ay parang anak nya lang. Same situation nitong kasabay ko sa flight.

Kaya tumakbo na naman ang utak kong walang magawa habang naghihintay ng tawag ng boarding for the flight. Kung hindi kayo pareho ng sitwasyon ng kakilala ko, sorry Manong. Hindi na kita idadamay dito sa sinasabi ko. But you provided a springboard para makabuo na naman ako ng isang mahaba-habang blog.

Kung OFW ka sa Saudi (at syempre sa ibang bansa din), you would agree with me na maraming kaso na ng ganyan. In fact, it’s one of the risks families of overseas workers are facing. Yong masira ang pamilya dahil si mister na nag-aabroad, nakakita ng ibang babae. And decided to start another family. Kaya ang original na pamilya sa Pinas, naiwang devastated. Sa pamilya ko mismo, merong mga kasong ganyan. Meron akong isang pinsan na iniwan ng mister dahil may nakilalang babae sa Saudi. Lately, ito namang isang pamangkin ko.

The stories run along a single pattern. Matagal hindi umuuwi si mister. Porke ayaw pauwiin ng employer. Porke hindi pinapasweldo. Porke walang pamasahe. Noong una, regularly nagpapadala ng pera. Then dumalang ng dumalang hanggang tuluyan nang walang tinatanggap na sustento si misis. Then the wife will eventually find out na ganon nga, she lost her husband to someone she’d curse under her breath and call a bitch.

Needless to say, nasisira ang pamilya dahil sa pangagaliwa ni mister. Para sa misis, ang sakit ng ganon. But on top of the pain, mas malala ang nagiging epekto sa mga anak. Nakaka-awa ang mga bata, lalo yong mga wala pang muwang, na makitang nasisira ang pamilya nila. Na bigla na lang mawawalan ng Tatay. Akala nila nasa Saudi lang. Yon pala nandyan lang sa tabi-tabi. At magugulat na lang silang meron silang kapatid pero iba ang Nanay.

Pero syempre hindi lahat ng kasalanan pwede nating ibunton lahat kay lalake. Meron ding ilang kaso na kaya nagloko si mister ay dahil may problema rin kay misis. Baka sumobrang demanding sa pera. Naging gastador. Nagkulang sa pagmamahal kay mister. O sya mismo ay nagloko at naglaro ng apoy na ibang klaseng sunog ang dala habang kayod-kalabaw si mister sa Saudi.

But in majority of the cases, plain and simple pagtataksil ang ginawa ni lalake. Ang unang-unang rason, nakakita ng mas maganda o mas bata sa Saudi. Kung dalaga ang nakuha ni mister, isang pamilya lang ang masisira. At hindi ko sasabihing masisira ang buhay ni dalaga dahil I’m sure alam nyang may asawa ang lalake. Wag syang sisigaw ng ‘niloko mo ako’ dahil para kang natulog sa pancitan kung naniwala pa syang binata ang nanliligaw sa kanya eh sa itsura pa lang tatlong dosena na ang pinapakaing anak. Besides, madaling mag-background check kung kailangan.

Kung may asawa din ang nahagip ni mister, grabe na yon. Dalawang pamilya ang masisira. Ilang mga anak ang magiging pasaway. Madadagdagan ang mga kabataang nagdo-droga. Or nabubuntis na teenagers. At buti sana kung yong mga asa-asawa nila pwedeng magkasundo na sila na rin lang ang magsama. Parang exchange gift.

Sa mga ganitong kaso, ang laging idadahilan yong kalungkutan sa Saudi. Porke sobrang homesick. Kaya ng may makitang nagpa-charming, na-excite. Parang naging 16-year old na noon lang nakaranas ng first love. Hindi na nag-isip. Hindi na naalala ang mga pamilyang iniwan sa Pinas. Basta mairaos ang init ng katawan sige, go.

Buti sana kung iraraos lang ang tawag ng kalamnan. Eh ang masakit, lumalalim pa ang relasyon. Because they assume the role of husband and wife. Bahay-bahayan matured version. Sosyal pa ang venue dahil Saudi. Kakaunti ang makakakilala sa kanila at makakapagsumbong sa ginagawa nilang laro sa baga.

Buti nga lately ang gobyerno ng Saudi ay nag-luwag na sa patakaran tungkol sa family status. We now see a lot of OFWs bringing in their ‘real’ families over. This way, napi-prevent ang mga hindi magagandang pangyayari.

Although mas marami pa rin ang nagre-rely sa tawag sa phone or chatting dahil hindi sila pwedeng magdala ng pamilya dito. Technology has certainly made it a lot easier for OFWs nowadays. Di tulad nong unang panahon na magaantay ka ng snail mail na darating buwan-buwan or linggo-linggo kung masipag sumulat ang misis mo. Ngayon, text or call pwede mong gawin anytime. At syempre ang webcam chat where you can see your wife and kids pati na kapitbahay mo, kasama na si kumpare.

But if that technology can be your best friend, it could be your foe as well. Dahil nga maluwag na ang means of communication ngayon, ayan na naman, may nauuso na namang hiwalayan dahil si mister, may na-meet sa chatroom na mas maganda at mas sexy. Nagpakita ng boobs. Nabaliw si mister. Iniwan si misis at mga anak. Back to square one na naman tayo!

Segue lang ha pero sorry guys but I’ve got no love for web-based romance. I can’t understand the fact that people can create and build a relationship just through webcam. Or chatting. Or even texting. Really guys, kung ang pag-ibig ay ganyan kadali nang makita, I guess you have to stand back and think a thousand times what kind of relationship that is.

Balik tayo sa main story nitong blog ko. Hindi ako moralista. Sakay ko at naiintindihan ko ang hirap ng malayo sa pamilya. Ang magtiis sa malalamig na gabing kahit patong-patong ang comforter mo eh hindi ka makatulog. Alam kong maraming emotionally weak na tao, kahit sa mga lalaking barumbado at basagulero ang dating. You’re looking and longing for the caring and the love ng isang nagmamahal sa inyo. Kaya kung hindi maiwasan, di sige. Kaso lang, play your cards well.

Pag dumating yong time na nararamdaman ninyong in love na kayo sa ka-date nyong nurse sa Kadiwa tuwing shopping day, close your eyes and think back to the day na una kayong umalis ng Pinas. Alalahanin ninyo yong mga hitsura ng mga anak ninyong umaasang gaganda ang future nila sa pag-aabroad mo. Remember the look in your wife's eyes na umaasang gaganda ang buhay ninyo dahil sa pagsasakripisyong ginagawa ninyo.

Whatever you have in your had right now, sobrang ganda, sobrang seksi, sobrang puti, sobrang galing, sobrang sarap… it wasn’t what you’re looking for kaya ka nag-Saudi. Swerte lang na nakita mo sya. Pwede mong damputin dahil nakita mo. But don’t let it derail your focus. Hindi worth sirain ang pamilyang pinag-sikapan mong pagandahin ang buhay dahil lang sa isang maling pag-ibig (naks!). You might think it’s gold you found. But the real diamonds are waiting for you back home.

i'm likoooddddd!!!

2011-03-03T23:59:00.000+08:00

it's been two months since i said i'm gonna quit blogging. buti na lang 'temporarily' ang sabi ko. eh maraming nangyayaring kasulat-sulat kaya eto, balik na naman ako. i don't know how frequently i can do my postings. siguro not as many as before. basta pag may maisipan lang. and for a comeback piece, isang mahaba-habang posting na may social relevance ang handog ko sa inyo. i'm sure maraming makaka-relate! hahaha.

for now, i hope you'll give me the same love you've given DS before. at paki-sigaw na lang sa mga ka-tambay natin dito para alam nila.... i'm baaaacckkkk!!!!

follow me

2011-01-14T21:36:00.000+08:00

i've taken a new path... follow me if you please...

hello 2011!!!....and till then

2011-01-01T00:20:00.000+08:00

it's new year once again. ganon lang talaga, after christmas, new year naman. alangan namang mabaligtad di ba. it was one hectic holiday for most of the christian world. kaliwa't kanang party. shopping, kainan, gift-giving, bakasyon, good time. and you might think i was busy with those things kaya hindi ako nakapag-post. but the truth is...

wala ako masyadong ginawa lately. ano ba namang magiging gimik dito sa saudi. makakapag-celebrate ka ng konti but not like in the phils where kulang talaga ang mga holidays para gawin ang lahat. dito wala. we did have one gathering last week to celebrate christmas but that's it. today, new year must be creeping in my doorsteps habang busy ako pamamalantsa ng mga nilabhan ko kahapon. exciting di ba!

anyways, let me greet you a happy 2011. and wish you everything wonderful, more blessings, health, wealth, yadda yadda, blah-blah.....

at the same time, magpapa-alam muna ako mga DS friends. i'm shifting to a semi-shutdown mode. no more new posts. parang naubusan kasi ako. as in wala na akong masabi. i thought i was a blabber mouth but in more than three years, lahat yata ng matino at minsan kahit hindi matinong subject naisulat ko na. alam ko napapansin nyo rin na lately i'm resorting to embedding videos from youtube para lang masabing may bago. and i don't wanna go down that way forever. blogging is more than videos and pics and nicey-nicey comments.

not that i found anything that could replace DS. oo nga at nag-activate na naman ako ng aking fb account but still i don't get the hang of it. i seem to miss the gatification blogging gave me for the longest time. it's something i don't get from any other social networking medium. never think i would.

unless something happens to my ever boring and usually flat existence that is worth blogging, magpo-post pa rin siguro ako. but not as regularly as before. meantime, i'm taking away the couches and the coffee tables so you really can't do 'tambay' anymore. so don't come runnin to me complaining about the missing chatbox and comments - they're all taken away by the repo guys! hahaha....

thanks a lot for the visits, chats and comments. it's been 3 years of fun. till then people. tada!

leaving 'home' to go home

2010-12-26T00:32:00.001+08:00

i just got home from a quiet dinner with a long time friend. it's christmas and there's nothing better than catching up with very good friends, people we consider 'family' in this place being far from the real family that we have. what's more, this could be the last dinner i'll ever have with this friend dahil in a few days time, aalis na sya at uuwi na for good.

i worked with patrick in hadeed back in the early 90's. and now, after 18 long years, he is saying bye-bye for good. nong dumating sya sa office namin, he was a new father to a baby boy. now that baby boy is a second-year college big guy. ganon na katagal. 18 long years.

first thing you'll probably say is that ang laki na ng esb nya. oo naman. sabi ko nga pwede na syang bumili ng hasyenda sa ilo-ilo. but he has to buy a horse too para maikot nya ang hasyendang yon. lalo na at isa si patrick sa mga taong nakita kong walang bisyo. maximized ang monthly net pay. hindi tulad kong kung ano-ano ang pinagkaka-waldasan ng kinikita. so financially, he'll be able to retire comfortably if he choose to at this point of his life.

but i can see retirement is still far from his mind. bata pa naman sya. in fact, he's already talking to prospective employers kahit hindi pa sya nakaka-uwi ng pinas. a sign that he's still very much on the go, kayang-kaya pang bumuno ng ilang taong contract kahit sa middle-east o sa ibang lugar ng mundo.

i will definitely miss you pat. wala na akong koneksyon at insider pagdating sa mga kung ano-anong kwento tungkol sa dati nating office at mga kasamahan. wala na akong ipagmamalaking 'kaibigan' na talagang matagal nang kaibigan in the truest sense of the word.

saan ka man mapunta, saan ka man dalhin ng trabaho, i know jubail will hold a special place in your memory. 18 years kang resident ng lugar na ito. almost half of your life, you've considered this place as your home. now that you're heading to your real home, i'm happy for you. and wish you better opportunities as you start a new chapter in your life. embrace this opportunity to enjoy more quality time with your family. and give yourself a very much deserved break.

God bless you my dear friend.

makabati lang

2010-12-25T01:58:00.000+08:00

hindi po ako naglakwatsa sa manama, hindi rin gumimik kahit saan. just stayed safe, silent and sober in my room. tinatamad na naman ako kaya kahit posting dito di ko magawa. we had a party the other night pero saka na lang ang kwento. besides, wala pa sa akin ang mga pics.

for now, let me greet you via this vid clip from you tube. masabi lang na nabati ko kayo this day. then i'll head back to my warm, cozy bed. ahhhh... sarap matulog kasi malamig na!

MERRY 2010 CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

stirring up a pond

2010-12-18T17:33:00.001+08:00

Julian Assange and his Wikileaks have been in the news for some time now. Aside from the fact na ako’y utang-uta na sa mga report tungkol sa kanya, wala akong ibang masabi kungdi ano naman ang paki ko. I’ve got nothing to do with whatever he’s leaking. Some say he’s doing the world a favor because he’s exposing tortures, human rights violations and other atrocities committed by governments, mostly by the US. Ok, fine. On that part, I’d give Wikileaks some credit. Pero di ba sa hundreds of thousands na documents na ni-leak nya, a good part of that are private, supposedly highly classified communication between individuals?

Which makes me think… Are we really that hungry for gossip that we no longer discern what’s harmless versus what’s sensitive and can bring a country down? Where’s our decency not to dip our fingers on things that we don’t even have the full picture of? Are we really voyeurs to feel orgasmic in being peeping toms to other people’s business? Big Brother is fun coz it’s just a television show. But Wikileaks is entirely something more serious.

Simple lang naman yan eh. Imagine yourself writing an email to your best friend. You were talking about your neighbor, your officemate, your boss and even your husband/wife. Rumatsada ka ng husto, you were all candid and honest in everything you said dahil ang alam mo, ang kaibigan mo lang ang babasa. And he will understand whatever you were saying. Tapos biglang ipa-publish ng kung sinong herodes sa internet yong mail mo. Wouldn’t you feel pissed?

Granted these are communications between government officials but still, it doesn’t give anyone the right to poke and peek on whatever they are talking about. I still believe in the meaning of words like ‘confidential’, ‘secret’ and ‘highly classified’. I still respect them no matter what. If we don’t , then we’re basically violating the right to private communication between individuals – government official or not.

Makaharap ko lang itong si Assange, gusto ko talaga syang tanungin kung anong pumasok sa kukote nya at ginawa nya ito. So what if somebody gave him unlimited access to volumes of classified documents. Why did he decide to go online? For fame? Maybe. Look at how popular he is now. Fortune? Maybe. Moneyed supporters are pouring in cash despite Mastercard, PayPal and other online payment services dissociating themselves from the site. For humanity’s sake? Maybe. But really, what good does it do to the human race?

Aside from the fact that this event has triggered alarms among governments, reminding them that their classified data is no longer invincibly protected by whatever is securing it, what else did Wikileak do? Did it actually start something to stop Climate Change? Will it ever stop world hunger? Will it even make Haiti find its long-lost way to recovery? Will it end the power struggle in Cote D’ Ivoire? Will it end the financial crisis in Europe? Will it stop tension in the Korean peninsula?

Don’t think so. With these revelations, what Wikileaks successfully did is simply permeate the diplomatic stratosphere with pungent and acrid air. With that, animosity, subdued as it maybe, will understandably be harbored by some. Bukod pa doon yong katotohanang nilalagay nya sa alanganin ang mga military operations sa iba’t-ibang hot spots. Kayanin sana ng kunsensya nya when time comes that innocent lives are lost due to ambush or botched operations because of what Wikileaks leaked.

In the end, sino ba ang nakikinabang sa Wikileaks? Sa akin walang iba kungdi media. The voracious appetite of sensational journalists who found a convenient, highly explosive gold mine in Wikileaks. That’s why they are supporting Julian and his ‘cause’, whatever that is. They have to protect him from being reached and wrangled by the tentacles of an already pissed US government who were, in one of the rarest moments, caught off-guard by the audacity of these leaks. And these sure made them look like sitting ducks. What’s infuriating them more is the fact that they can’t silence Wikileaks because they’ve got no law to back them up. They must feel frustrated right now for not seeing something like this coming!

That’s why whether the sexual harassment case in Sweden is true or not, I think it’s just a ploy to get Assange behind bars. Kahit saan. Basta nakakulong sya. Coz letting him out in the open means firing more leaks out into the net. And to lock him up is the only thing that can stop him. At least for a while. And honestly, I think it’s just a critical step on someone’s effort to get his claws on Julian. If he gets extradited, then it will be the real start of his nightmares.

Siguro naman him being a smart man, alam na nyang mangyayari ang ganito. Long before he started uploading the first leak into his site, he already knows things can get ugly. And that he will be going up against some Goliaths that certainly cannot be toppled by some pitiful slingshot.

I salute him for having the courage, if that’s what he wanted to call it. Nobody has ever stirred the tranquil pond of American politics as bad as he did. And in the process causing ripples on other political ponds all throughout the world. Ngayon alam na natin kung sino ang magse-shake hands on cam, ear to ear ang mga ngiti, pero sa kabila noon ay nagmumura at halos pigain ang kamay ng ka-hand shake sa inis.

But after all is said and done, let’s take a step back and look at the whole issue on a wider perspective. Bakit ba my leak? Saan ito nanggaling?. Come on, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that when there’s a leak, there’s a source. And this is what the US government should be working on, if they haven’t yet. They’ve got to find out who has duped and betrayed them on such a massive, devastating scale. Who is behind the boyish, unassuming face of Assange. Who is the real culprit behind Wikileaks. Now that, my friends, is gonna be the really juicy part!

be dazzled

2010-12-17T21:32:00.001+08:00

if you want a glittering, sparkling and truly dazzling christmas, head out to the emirates palace hotel in abu dhabi where they have a 13-m high christmas tree decorated with diamonds! real diamonds worth 11 million US dollars! doubting what i've just said? ok, then watch this...

(ps: it's not just diamonds. the 11million dollars total includes pearls and other precious stones like rubies and sapphires. it's loaned from a gallery who was the one responsible for decorating the tree with the hope of gaining an entry to the guiness book. emirates palace hotel had to get this straightened out after some sectors reacted to the overly lavish decoration.)

hubaaadddd!!!

2010-12-14T20:07:00.000+08:00

I’ve been dodging it for some time. Dapat talaga August pa lang medical exams ko na pero kakaiwas umabot ng December. And this time, hindi na pwedeng mag-inarte, mag-dahilan or mag-drama. Otherwise, mare-report na ako na parang tax evader at masasama sa statistics na ipi-present sa mga amo na ang title eh ‘mga pasaway’!

Ewan ko ba pero ever since ito talaga ang pinaka-mahirap na parte pag mag-aapply ako ng trabaho o kung dito nga sa Saudi, part ng requirement sa iyong pinagta-trabahuhan. I hate a lot of things about medical exams. Samantalang ito lang yong paraan para makita natin kung kailangan na ba ng maintenance ng ating mga ‘tumatanda’ at ‘kinakalawang’ na katawang lupa!

First, perennial problem ko na dati pa ang high blood pressure. I always have to convince the nurse na hindi mataas ang bp ko. Normal sa akin yon. 150/90? Sa iba oo. E sa akin ganon talaga yon eh. 23 years old pa lang ako, first medical exam ko para pumunta ng Saudi, 130/90 na ang bp ko. So what’s the big deal? Eh sa masipag mag-pump ang puso ko ng dugo eh!

Tapos kung pre-employment yong medical, andyan na yong hubaran portion! Susmiyo! Kaya nga hindi ako nag-artista! Why in the world do I have to disrobe for someone na hindi ko naman ka-intimate. Sa kwarto lang at sa banyo ako comfortable na naka-birthday suit! Tapos pagbo-boldin mo ako sa harap mo eh ni hindi kita kilala!

One time nga noon, ka-chipan yata yong clinic na ka-tie-up nong recruitment agent, akalain mong parang hazing sa frat ang nangyari. We were lined up against the wall, sampu yata kami. Tapos sabi ng doctor (an old man) sige, hubad. Hubad naman kami. Sabay-sabay yong sampu huh! Sa isip ko lang ano to, audition para sa isang bold film? Titingnan kung sino ang may malaking ‘qualification?’

Meron namang isa, and old lady doctor. Old na talaga as in ang bagal na nyang magsalita at kumilos. At least this time, one on one naman ang labanan. So walang masyadong hiya factor. Pero comedy si doktora. She’s seated behind a desk almost 3 meters away from me. Pakikinggan mo mabuti ang instructions nya kasi mahina na rin ang boses. Sasabihin nya, Hubad. Tuwad. All the while, iilawan nya ang gusto nyang makita using her flashlight! Bwahahaha!

Lately dahil sa edad ko na qualified na sa ECG (o bakit, I’ve always been proud of my age ah!), kasama na rin yon sa mga requirement. Nakakairita din na kakabitan ka nong ilang suction ends na yon na pag natanggal eh daig mo pa ang sinipsip ng pitong bampira! Ang tagal mawala ng chikinini!

But the hardest parts is, and will always be, the ‘sample’ gathering. Yong specimen ng solid at liquid waste mo. Dito talaga sumusuko ako. Bumabaligtad ang sikmura ko, tumutulo ang luha at uhog ko sa parteng ito. Kaya nga sabi ko ni hindi ko inisip na mag-take ng any course related to medicine eh. I simply don’t have the guts to deal with my own, pano na kung sa iba pa!!!

Ay teka, bago mapunta sa kaduwal-duwal na bagay ang usapan, at least ginawa ko na whatever is required of me, for now. At kung dati-dati eh problema ko ang mga triglycerides at bad cholesterol ko, this year halos nasa normal level sya. And I hope I can maintain it. Yong iba, wala na talagang magagawa. At my age and lifestyle na hindi ko na kailangang i-esplika ang pagiging couch potato ko at ang exercise lang na inaabot ko eh ang pag-click ng mouse at pag-pindot ng keyboard, maswerte na ako dahil nasa tolerable level pa rin yong mga yon. Kaya next medical exam na lang ulit ako mamo-mroblema! Meantime, I miss a huge piece of SK’s yummy T-bone! Hahaha!

coming back with a vengeance

2010-12-08T17:02:00.002+08:00

i'll say it again: when it comes to music, my taste is as varied as the genres offered by musicdom itself. i love josh groban as much as i love bruce springsteen. or nickelback and yanni. the gregorian chants and james blunt. so you shouldn't be surprised when i say i love eminem too.

yup, eminem. the rough, full-of-hatred, foul-mouthed white rapper. in fact in the rap genre, he's the only one i listen to. loved his previous works like lose yourself, cleanin out the closet and stan. maybe i can understand better whatever he's saying compared to the heavily accented black rappers. or, maybe it's because he's the only one who raps about important, sensible subjects of life. a stark contrast to the egomaniacal ones who talk of nothing else but cars, sex and women. ok, eminem's music is sometimes filthy and most of the time full of expletives. but i've no issue about it coz i think that's what make his lyrics more effective. raw, unrefined, thug-like and so much in your face. but it sure paints a real picture of life.

he was off the music scene for a while. good thing he came back after a few years of hiatus. and came back with a vengeance he did! with 10 grammy nominations to his name for the feb awards, he sure has recaptured much of his writing talent. i haven't heard most of his recent releases yet but the first one that hit my ears already got my thumbs up. it's a collaboration with rihanna. and although this song is something i'll never relate to (coz it talks of intense, masochistic kind of love), i still think it's one heck of a song.

just a warning: the song contains strong language. oh well, i guess you must be rolling your eyes. it's eminem. duh!

note: the vid is the only real vid i can find in you tube - all the others under the same title are crap. and even if rihanna's not actually on stage, it's eminem i'm looking for anyway. enjoy!

leyter leyter... aligeyter

2010-12-08T01:01:00.000+08:00

last day ngayon sa work ni Chuck, ang bunso ng mga adiks. and although he'd probably hang around for a few more days (hope not any longer plzzz!) waiting for his exit papers, siguradong mami-miss agad sya ng mga adik.

2 years lang halos namin syang nakasama but he has already proven his worth as a member of the group. masayang kasama. makulit. bungisngis. ma-jowk kahit puro mais and/or vintage. babawi na lang sa kanyang signature na 'wala lang'. at yong mga kwento nyang narinig mo na for the nth time eh uulitin pa rin! hahaha!

Chuck, we just hope you're coming back soon, kahit saang kumpanya. pero sana malapit lang dito para buo ulit ang mga adik. meantime, good luck to you. and remember the few words i told you this afternoon. hindi yong mga kalokohan! hahaha....

and from my favorite desiderata, a few lines for you to ponder while waiting for that sponsor to show up with your papers... enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. keep interested in your own career, however humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

GBU chuckie!

december bdays

2010-12-07T01:47:00.000+08:00

isang official adik at isang anak ng adik ang mga celebrant this month. syempre DS won't be complete without greeting these important persons in their happy day.

Ricky celebrated his bday kahapon (dec 5th) at nagpa-subway sya sa mga adiks though i wasn't able to attend dahil i wasn't feeling well. the very same reason why ngayon ko lang ito na-post. eniweys, belated man pero happy bday pa rin Ricky boy! Na-miss ko ang subway treat pero pwede tayo bumalik anytime! hahaha!
!!!HAPPY BDAY RICKY!!!

Alec, Maccoy and Pops' baby, is celebrating his 13th bday today (Dec 6th). He is now officially a teener and growing up to be a handsome dude... mana sa daddy? hehehe. Ang kaibahan lang, may makapal syang buhok na hapit na hapit sa gel! hahaha! peace po maccoy!

HAPPY 13th ALEC!!!

future champs

2010-12-05T01:58:00.000+08:00

one sporting event i watch whenever i can is gymnastics. be it in the olympics, world or european championships. they're such a delight to watch. i've always been amazed how a 5ft 8in alexei nemov seem to defy gravity and float when doing his piked sommersaults or back flips. i've learned something about grit and determination when kerri strug nailed a vault landing despite her badly injured ankle back in the 96 olympics. gymnastics is the sport of people who can combine finesse with power, grace with strength, pointed toes with clenched fists.

but that was american/european gymnastics. and i'm extremely delighted to find some local youngsters who look like they've got the form, the strength and agility to make it big. i wish they're gonna go beyond this talent show and make it real big in the world gymnastics arena. for now, i hope they'll win the top prize in showtime. and miss jones, you've got the right to be ultra-proud of your kabayans! naimbag ngarud!

kung mangarap ka.... at ma-late!

2010-12-01T20:06:00.000+08:00

Nag-oversleep ako kaninang umaga at muntik na akong ma-late. Managinip ba naman ako na ako ang tumama sa lotto! Ewan kung dream talaga yon o daydream na lang. Baka naman half-awake na ako at tinuloy ko lang ang panaginip dahil ang sarap ng feeling. Pero hindi ko talaga nadinig ang tatlong alarms ko, pramis!

Ang daming nabaliw dyan sa lotto na yan the last few weeks. Palobohin ba naman ng ganon kalaki ang jackpot! Aba, sinong hindi maglalaway don. 741 million? Eh yong 1 million nga ang hirap ng kitain sa atin (o kahit dito sa abroad noh)! Eh may kasama pang 740…. Susginoo! Yon yong literally, pwede kang mahiga sa pera.

Kung nasa Pinas lang ako kakaririn ko talaga yan. Kita mo nga pati mga mayayaman na at mga celebrities na kumikita ng milyones, nagpi-press release din na tumataya din sila. Although para sa akin medyo kasakiman na yong kanila. Mano ba namang hayaan nilang ang mga mahihirap na tulad natin ang makinabang sa lotto na yon. Makikigulo pa sila samantalang sanay na silang magbilang ng milyones. Dapat tayo na lang ang mag-rambol don tutal di pa natin nararamdaman kung gano kabigat ang isang milyong piso na cash di ba?

In case na hindi mo pinag-isipan maige kung ano yong 741 million, let me paint the jaw-dropping, eye-popping, mind-boggling reality for you.

741 million pesos means 741,000 pcs of 1,000 peso bills. Kung ibibigay ito sa iyo ng cash, kahit ilatag mo yong pera na yon sa buong bahay mo, (lalo’t tulad ng bahay ko na bahay-bahayan lang kaliit), aba literally you’re not just sleeping on money, you’re walking all over it too!

O sige, masyadong OA kung aapakan mo lang ang 1,000 peso bills. Gastusin mo na lang. Sabihin na nating OA kang gumastos katulad ko and on the average, you spend as much as 10k a day (pero wala akong ganon kaya di ako maka-spend ng ganon kalaki!), hindi mo mauubos ang yong 741 million buong buhay mo. You’ll need at least 203 years para maubos yon. Kung gagawin mong 20k a day ang expenses mo, 100 years pa rin yon. Kaya gawin mo nang 50k a day para in 40 years, ubos ang 741 million mo. At least walang pag-aagawan, pag-aawayan at pagpapatayan ang mga maiiwan mong buhay! Hahahaha…

Kung simple ka lang tao tulad ko (hehehe), you can buy 2,117 units of jeepney (@350k each, ewan lang kung ganon pa ang cost ng jeep ngayon wala na ako idea) kaya pwede mong pabahain ng pamasadang jeepney ang buong probinsya mo. Mas malala kung tricycle, 7,410 units yon (at 100k each, ewan din kung makatarungan itong estimate ko). Aba pwede mong ikalat yan mula Appari hanggang Jolo na parang Eat Bulaga!

Kung sa Mindoro ko dadalhin ang 741 million, pwede na siguro akong makabili ng islang mas malaki pa sa isla ni Noli (true ba yon?) o kaya ni Wawa-willie (na dinemanda na naman ng ABS! buti nga! Hahahah).

Kung magarbo ka naman at expensive cars ang pagkakagastusan mo, you can have as much as 62 units of 2010 Jaguar. Gawin mo nang taxi sa Metro Manila para walang sinabi ang Saudi na Benz eh taxi lang… (aktwali yong mga luma lang yon!).

At kung kasing-baliw kita, pwede mo nang bilhin ang lahat ng penthouse units ng high-end condominiums sa Makati. Better yet, pagawa ka ng bahay na mas malaki pa sa mansion ni Pacman. Not just one, or two, but 15 mansions all over PI at 50Million each.

Kung electronics buff ka naman katulad ng ibang mga fwends kong adiks, pwede ka nang bumili ng 1,1million units ng ipad non! O kaya Blackberry. Or, 4,308 units ng 52” na Samsung LED Tv kahit hindi sale sa Extra!

At kung ako ang tumama don, siguradong hindi ako magti-tyaga sa mga maliliit na bato… bibili ako ng isang malaking tipak… yon nga lang, hirap isuot non! Hahaha!!! Hay naku, kaya nga siguro hindi ako tumama kung ano-ano kasing kabaliwan ang naiisip ko! Binasa mo naman! Hahaha!

matt's bday

2010-11-26T19:02:00.002+08:00

nong 23rd talaga ang bday nya when he treated the whole adiks to a subway sandwich binge. then last night, nagluto-lutuan kami sa lichauco residence where we had seafood overload with maccoy and pop's shrimps, crabs and sweet n sour fish. after that, wow kantahan na sa cariaga residence na inabot ng 4am. syempre di na kailangan sabihin, enjoy na naman ang mga adik. except that we missed tserman na lagi namang hindi pwede pag thursday, the laxamana family na may prior commitment, john, irwin na parating pa lang from vacation, and ega who had to be at work the whole night. we missed you guys!

maraming salamat po ulit sa pamilya lichauco and cariaga for welcoming the adiks into their cozy homes at nakapag-celebrate na naman ng bday na masaya ang isa sa mga true-blue original adiks.

ang mga chef while preparing the food

hindi ako napaiyak ng sibuyas... tinawanan ko pa sya

pops preparing her yummy sweet n sour fish

at ito ang kinalabasan... a sumptuous seafood feast...

with fried chicken courtesy of romy and junc

syempre main event na

let's eat na!

forget muna ang diet shiela!

sarap ba mga adik? hehehe

pang-ym... ay fb pala ang pose! hehehe

sing galing time na with maccoy

playing it cool huh, ren?

ah... waiting pala for this... the very much anticipated soup of the day!

!!! HAPPY BDAY MATT !!!

sabi me... #4

2010-11-21T17:26:00.000+08:00

here are a few lines i came up with during separate conversations with friends yesterday. may konting embellishment on some parts para lang sakto dito. i thought i'd share them with you.

aftershock ng pacquiao win:

life is like a boxing game. you have to know when to throw a punch, a left hook or an upper cut.

para sa mga may tinatago:

even best actors cannot hide guilt. it's something that pushes itself to the surface no matter how hard you try to push it the other way. it's just like spraying a ton of cologne to hide the fact that you didn't shower in the morning. after a while, the stink will be evident.

para sa mga in-love:

we all look for one - just one - great love. and when you find it, that's the culmination of the search. the end of the journey. then you begin a different journey with that great love and live happily ever after as fairy tales go.

fusion confusion

2010-11-18T05:10:00.002+08:00

while we (matt, maccoy and i) were in the insurance office last week, may nakita kaming isang handbook which is actually a directory of commercial establishments in the eastern province. and one thing that caught my interest is the advert for fusion, a restaurant in the meridien hotel. eh siguro naman by this time you already know that fine dining has become one of my 'bisyo' plus the fact that i'm a self-appointed food critic.

kaya i eagerly dragged matt and the lichauco family to meridien. i was excited from the prospect of finding another dining haven, tulad ng pagkaka-discover ko sa soul kitchen (and not to forget, mughal) na hanggang ngayon ay top favorite ko pa rin whenever dining out. ginamit na lang excuse yong birthday ni pops who didn't have the slightest hint why we entered the heavily guarded gate of a hotel na dati dinadaanan lang namin.

located at the second (dito first yon) floor of the hotel, fusion has a huge foyer where you have to walk a kilometric red carpet na para kang nasa oscars bago mo pa marating ang dining area. what a waste of space sabi ko sa mga kasama ko. kung sa ibang resto na napuntahan ko, they're squeezing as much table into one tiny space, dito pwede kang mag-badminton, literally, before settling onto your table.

ok so the place is impressive. the interiors were cool with it's contemporary chic ambience. and the waiters na wala kahit isang pinoy (we later saw a couple of kabayans tending the bar) ay maayos naman mag-serve. hot towel promptly handed out before we were given the menu. pero pagbukas ko pa lang, well, nabawasan agad ang excitement ko. the menu is limited mahihiya ang menu ng chinese grill na halos parang libro ng harry potter sa dami ng offering. dito, parang nagbuklat ka lang ng to do list mo for the morning.

what caught my eye, and my further disappointment, ay ang presyo nila. ang favorite ko sa soul kitchen na maki is only 45sr dito, 75. and if the most expensive steak in sk is at 115sr, dito, 180sr. sabi na nga ba kasama sa bayad yong nilakaran naming isang kilometro ng red carpet! oh well, it's a hotel resto so sige, ganon talaga. magkakatalo na lang sa pagkain lalo sa steak kasi angus beef din daw ang gamit nila. at least may point of comparison.

kaso, nagkatalo nga. the crunchy maki wasn't even crunchy and is a bit sour i had to dissect the filling in an attempt to find where the taste is coming from. it was an utter disappointment. kung nahagilap ko ulit yong menu, i'd cross out the name crunchy maki and put 'suman' instead.

then the main course arrived to give me further disappointment. maccoy said he has had better prime rib. the tiger prawns, despite it's nice presentation, were bland. the rib eye i ordered proved to be a chewing challenge. major nguya ang gagawin mo or else you're taking the risk of having indigestion.

needless to say, that's going to be the first and last dinner i'll have in fusion. kahit sabihin pang may complementary sushi for starters and fancy sweets for dessert. hindi pa rin ako babalik don.... ok, alam na ninyo ang kasunod - unless may maglilibre sa akin! hahaha.

of course i haven't forgotten the rating (as usual, 5 max, 1 min)

place : 4.5

food : 2.5

service : 3.0

price : 2.0

total : 12.0

(and that total puts it way below the list i posted back in june for the 1st part and 30 aug for the 2nd part)

the complementary sushi for appetizer

crunchy maki aka suman sa lihiya?

rib eye aka goma ng truck?

tiger prawns... or is it tiger ~~woods~~ endorsing nike?

ok, it sure doesn't look attractive... steak na may sabaw?

libreng dessert - built in siguro ang cost sa presyo ng main course kaya mahal

taken nong papasok pa lang kami kaya naka-smile pa...
and by now you know the smiles are gone when we came out of the place!