janine... not janina

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

takalelabong - walang kawawaang blog post

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!

in the name of my father

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?.

what's new... pati na luma

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!

i'm likoooddddd!!!

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!!!!

stirring up a pond

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!

future champs

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!

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!

will power... not!

I really should be practicing what I preach. Coz after just a few days and a couple of posts away, I lost control and slammed myself into another bump on my road to recovery. Di ba’t kakasabi ko lang at buong ningning kong pinagyabang that my visa balance finally hit single digit after a long, arduous battle. Pero eto at nilukuban na naman ako ni Andres Bonifacio. Tinaas na naman ang Visa card at sumigaw ng Charge!

Walang ka-plano-plano, sumabit lang ako sa lakad ni Matt sa Khobar kahapon. Sinamahan ko para may kasama pabalik sa malayo-layo ding byahe. Meron kasing kailangang lakarin sa insurance company about his car. It so happened that MacCoy was also on his way home kaya sumabay na rin. At pag ganong mga pagkakataon, saan pa ba naman kami dadalhin ng aming mga kinakating paa. Eh di mag-ikot sa Khobar. Buti nga hindi na natuloy sa Dammam as planned earlier.

Buti sana kung nag-ikot lang at nahilo pagkatapos. Eh pagpasok ko pa lang ng isang shop, naglulundag na naman ang Visa ko. Something caught my fancy - a couple of bracelets that match the Versace design of one of my rings. I tried a couple of them on and I must have spent eternity just looking at them, resting so gently on my left wrist, begging me to choose either one of them. Or both of them. Lakas talaga nilang manukso!

Eh namahalan ako don sa turing nong Arabong magaling mag-tagalog. O talaga lang hindi buong 100% ang gusto ko don sa dalawang item. Yon nga, just nice to have one of them matching my ring. Besides, parang hindi ko ma-imagine na isusuot ko yon sa Pinas even on special occasions. It’s nothing short of ostentatious. Mainit sa mata. Sabi nga ni Matt baka maputulan ako ng braso dahil don.

So lumabas ako ng shop na hindi naka-talon ang Visa sa pagkaka-kulong ko. Yeyyy! My self-control ruled again! And I was having a silent celebration, giving myself a pat on the back for so firmly keeping my spending (or charging) disease on check.

But not for long. One wrong turn in one ordinary corner washed away all the internal basking I was enjoying. Dahil pagtingin ko pa lang sa window nong isang shop, I found one piece that literally hypnotized me. Biglang nawala ako sa wisyo, went inside, asked the shop keeper to let me touch and feel that shiny piece of temptation. And just like that, my will power was thrown into oblivion.

Hindi ko na sasabihin, hindi ko na ide-detalye kung ano yon. Ang punto ko lang, ang hirap talagang alisin ng sakit na ito. Kaya nga sabi ko don sa last posting ko, I had my fingers crossed. Buti na lang, meron akong rebound factor don sa pinagka-gastusan ko. As in pwedeng i-justify at sabihing investment naman yan, naga-appreciate ang value as time goes by. At ang importante, madaling ibenta just in case you need to liquidate it.

I hope it doesn’t come to that point. Or else, binili ko nga sya pero hindi naman pala sya magiging akin forever.

the net: friend or foe?

Actually this is a very much delayed reaction about the Twitter fiasco of PNoy’s speechwriter Miss Mislang (parang pangit pakinggan, puro mis). Laman sya ng mga headlines for a few days at marami ang nakisawsaw sa issue. Ako na siguro ang pinaka-huli. Masabi ko lang ang gusto kong sabihin kasi di ba, huli man daw at magaling, huli pa rin! Hehehe… Hindi lang ako masyadong agree sa mga nabasa ko dati.

Sabi kasi, elitista raw ang atake ni Mislang sa mga twit nya. Porke daw UP grad, cum laude (magna pa yata) at cabinet member ni PNoy. But I didn’t agree.

Sa akin kasi hindi elitista yon. Coz the real elite don’t even have to utter senseless words. Ang talagang elitist, nakangiti lang, tahimik lang pero talo pa ang nagbitaw ng mga panglalait na binitawan ni Miss Mislang. It’s in their silent, smug looks that you will feel their being condescending. Or, they can heap you praises pero alam na alam mong pina-plastik ka. Yon ang elitist. Ang ginawa ni Miss Mislang, arrogance. And lack of basic courtesy.

To make matters worse, Malacanang condoned the culprit at nagpalusot. Kaso ang palusot, sablay dahil ang ginawang rason eh ‘bata pa sya’. Dito ako napabunghalit ng tawa! Pordyos! Bata? WTF! Anybody who has finished college na tatawaging bata under any other circumstances should feel insulted. And Miss Mislang should realize na sa ginawa ng Malacanang, hindi sya na-save. In fact nainsulto lang sya ng walang kalaban-laban. Well, she’s not really in a position to object kaya siguro tumahimik na nga lang.

Wala nang balita kung nasan na si Miss MIslang pero sabi ng Malacanang dati, hindi raw sya aalisin sa puwesto. Well, that’s arrogance on the part of Malacanang too. Somebody has given the country unwanted and totally unnecessary embarrassment tapos ipipilit pa rin nila ang gusto nila. Bakit hindi nila tanggaping their choice of people to support PNoy is palpak? Na ang mga taong ganito, dapat palitan nila ng taong makakatulong, instead na makasira sa Pangulo na nagkukumahog magsilbi sa bayan? You’re not a government in training, sabi nga ni Joker.

Pero bago ako lumayo at mapunta sa pulitika, let me just say that Miss Mislang’s Twitter nightmare should have opened a lot of minds among the netizens, lalo yong mga talagang ‘bata’ pa. Sana marami ang naka-kita ng lesson na dala-dala nong nangyari. Isang-isa lang at simpleng-simple: Be responsible.

Dapat ma-realize natin na kahit nakaupo tayo sa isang chair inside the comforts of our home, once we get into the net, we’re exposing ourselves to the world. That whatever we say or do, literally ay nakikita ng buong mundo. Kaya dapat maging maingat tayo.

And realize that if the net, especially social networking facilities, can make us happy by gathering our friends in a click of a mouse, it can also make them disappear and win us thousands of haters in no time. Kaya depende sa atin kung paano natin gagamitin ito. If you use it wisely, it can be your best friend. If you use it carelessly, then it can make your life miserable.

Sa kaso ni Miss Mislang, I’m sure she was only doing the tweets for her close friends. Gusto lang nyang i-tsismis ang mga nakita nya sa Vietnam as a private person. Parang nag-get together lang sila ng mga amiga nya sa kanyang living room at bumangka sya ng husto. Ang malaking pagkakamali nya, pagpasok nya ng Twitter, nakalimutan nyang hindi yon literal na sala ng bahay nya. At marami sa ating mga nag-iinternet ang nakakalimot just like she did. Cum Laude or not. Malacanang staff or not.

rehash: peba 2010 blog awards vid

here's  an improved rehash of the 2010 peba blog awards vid posted in youtube.  mas mahaba at heartfelt ang intro...  at mas gusto ko yong pic na ginamit for my slide (hehehe)...

talagang totohanan na to. peba is really making an effort to make this year's event a success .  nag-shoot pa nga sila sa outer space! sino kaya yong mga astronauts? hehehe.  sarap panoorin pag naka-surround ka, parang michael bay movie!

chaaaarrrge!!!!

Isa sa mga balitang abroad ng abante ngayon ay tungkol sa mga kabayan nating nasa Dubai na baon daw sa utang sa dahil sa kanilang mga credit card  (http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/nov0510/abroad01.htm).

Actually that’s not a surprise. Having seen life in Dubai when I was there for a 1-week training, medyo nagulat din ako sa taas ng bilihin. Alam naman natin na nagra-rank na ang Dubai among the most expensive cities in the world. At kung isa kang OFW sa lugar na yon, you gotta have a salary comparatively higher than in Saudi dahil nga sa cost of living. At kahit super laki ng sweldo mo doon, you have to watch your spending closely kung ayaw mong kapusin at mabaon sa utang.

Hindi lang kasi basic cost of living ang mataas doon. To make matters worse, Dubai is an open society as far as foreigners are concerned. Most of the restrictions imposed against expats in Saudi don’t apply there. Kung kaming mga nasa Saudi ay nagtitiis sa kung ano-anong ‘safe’ activities during weekends, our kabayans in Dubai enjoy a wide variety of option for entertaining themselves. They have movie houses showing the latest blockbusters. They have bars where you can hang-out after work, kahit pa araw-araw. At halos linggo-linggo ay may mga concert ng mga well-known musical artists na kung doon ako naka-base ay siguradong linggo-linggo din akong gumagastos sa concert tickets.

Kaya nasabi kong na-appreciate ko ang sitwasyon ko dito sa Saudi. Dahil kung ako rin ay sa Dubai nagta-trabaho (or anywhere else na maraming options for gimik), baka nabaon na rin ako sa credit card tulad ng mga kabayan natin na nandon sa news. In fact, nandito na nga ako sa Saudi pero grabe pa rin ang inabot kong utang, how much more kung nasa ibang lugar ako na maraming pwedeng pagka-gastusan.

Just last week, naisipan kong gumawa ng excel sheet where I tabulated all of my on-line payments. And it was a shock to find out na ang nai-bayad ko na sa aking Visa card, for the last three years up to this month’s payment, ay umabot sa SR 65,000++. Well, get a forex table and do your math. Aba eh pambili na ng isang 2010 Honda Civic ni Maccoy yon ah! Jeezzzz! Saan napunta yon? I cannot recall charging a major major (pahiram, Venus!) purchase sa aking Visa Card.

Isang beses lang akong nag-CA sa aking Visa nong na-ospital ang mother dear ko for two weeks na sumira sa budget ko. I had to cough up the rest of the bill na hindi kinaya ng PhilHealth. But that was a meager SR 3k.

Then epiphany hit me like a 2000 kw thunderbolt. Na-realize kong ano bang inaangal ko eh inabuso ko naman talaga ang Visa card ko. I was inflicted with the spending fever which sent me to a buying frenzy of several electronic items. Charged ang 8GB I-pod ko na binigay ko lang naman sa isang pamangkin ko dahil hindi ko ma-appreciate. Pati ang PSP Madden limited edition na binenta ko rin naman dahil hindi ko rin ma-appreciate. And for two years, nagpapalit ako ng laptop almost every quarter of the year. Bumili, este umutang, din ako ng ilang jewelries, including my long-time dream na Tag. At ang mga dinner ko of T-Bone steaks and yummy Makis, karamihan charge din. So ano’ng inaangal ko!?

Kaya hindi nagtagal yong shock na naramdaman ko. Napalitan agad ng dismay. At syempre, ng pagsisisi dahil hindi ko na naman na-kontrol ang sarili ko sa pag-gastos. Looking back, I must have looked like Andres Bonifacio’s monument every time na papasok ako ng isang commercial establishment. But if Andres is holding a ‘tabak’, ako, yong Visa ko ang hawak ko. At kung ‘sugod mga kapatid’ ang sinisigaw ni Gat Andres, ako, ‘CHARGE’!

Buti na lang medyo naging firm ako sa aking sarili nitong mga nakaraang buwan. Medyo madalang ko nang istorbohin ang Visa card ko. In fact, nong Wednesday night na sumugod kami ng ilang ka-adik sa mega sale ng Extra (one of the more popular electronics store here) , I learned na kaya ko naman palang mag-pigil. Muntik na akong bumili nong 10 inch digital photo frame. But when I found out na hindi yon kasama sa sale and the SR 599 tag price isn’t reduced, binitiwan ko. Na-tempt din ako don sa 42” Samsung LCD Tv na gusto kong bilhin matagal na pero napigil ko rin ang sarili ko. Kaya lumabas ako ng store na walang damage at buong ningning kong tinawanan ang aking mga kasama na may 2 or 3 bags na bitbit. Yeahh! Will power!

Kinaya kong mag-kuripot mainly because ini-enjoy ko yong feeling na kakaunti na ang binubuno ko sa aking Visa. For the longest time, double digit lagi ang nasa statement of account ko buwan-buwan. But starting last month, nag-single digit na sya. And my last payment brought it down to SR 5k. Isa o dalawang sweldo pa, matatapos na ang long-standing battle ko against my Visa. And when that time comes, I think hindi na mauulit na maging alipin ako ng credit card ko. I’ve learned my lesson.

Ok.  I'll admit naka-tago yong crossed fingers ko sa likod when I said that.  Kasi sinabi ko na rin yan noong nabaon ako sa utang sa Visa at Master Cards ko when I was working in Makati almost a decade ago.  Ang lapit kasi namin sa Glorietta kaya para din akong Andres Bonifacio nong mga panahon na yon.

Good thing nga, nandito ako sa Saudi. So shaking off the spending fever can be easy. Eh pano na lang kung marami ngang gimikan sa paligid? Siguro hindi na ako nakaahon sa utang ko. That is why super-relate ako sa kwento ng mga kabayan natin sa Dubai. Tutulungan naman daw sila ng gobyerno. Pero ang tulong, bibigyan lang sila ng training about literacy on spending. At yong literacy na yon, nakuha ko na dahil ngayon I can say I’ve learned my lesson.

Quite expensive learning experience kaya hindi ko agad-agad malilimutan. With my strong resolve, kakayanin ko nang hindi sumigaw ng CHARGE. Except when I’m dining in my favorite Soul Kitchen! Hahaha!

a new neighbor

after suffering a couple of virus attacks last year (one wiped out most of my files including some treasured photos and irreplaceable files na unfortunately ay wala akong back-up - now i'm using exernal hds, lesson learned!), i've limited my web surfing to familiar and trusted sites.  hindi rin kasi 100% guarantee kahit pa updated ang anti-virus mo, aatakehin ka pa rin pag minalas ka.  in fact i've already did the rounds of the more popular and supposedly reliable anti-virus software pero ayon at dalawang beses pa ring nag-crash ang comp ko last year.  kaya ngayon, di na ako ganon ka-adventurous sa kaka-explore ng mga sites.

in fact, kung na-notice ninyo, very seldom akong mag-share ng website in this blog na hindi galing sa mga news channel, youtube and a few other sites na subok ko nang safe.  but this time i'm sharing one blog na lately ko lang napuntahan (thanks to raoul aka seven na unang nakapunta dito at nag-tip sa akin).  and i thought i'd share it with DS followers coz it's also worth the time.  for two good reasons...

1.  i find the blog quite refreshing.  the sense of humor of the site owner is so obvious, napatawa (or should i say na-LOL) ako sa ilang nabasa ko. in fact, naisip ko nga parang masyadong serious ang tone nitong DS and my friends also deserve to have a dose of something light and funny once in a while.  sure i have a few posts na nakakatawa din, nag-e-effort din ako paminsan-minsan mag-comedy.  but i know my sense of humor is a bit dry and worse, ascerbic.  that's why i think this blog would be a very good alternative for DS friends who's aching for a few smiles on a gloomy day.  

2.  i said the site is refreshing but it sure has some serious stuff as well.  twice ko pa lang nai-scan yong site and yet may nakita na akong ilang seryosong posts.  real-life snippets of what's going on in the very challenging life of a young, working mom.  touching  stories about family.  at kahit hindi ko pa nababasa ang ibang posts, my impression is that the author has already suffered from some huge tsunamis of emotion pagdating sa usapang love.  kaya kahit bata pa sya (26 or 27?)  may lalim na ang kanyang mga sinasabi.

the site owner is a recent friend of DS.  kelan lang sya nagawi dito and yet naging regular na sya since then.  and i think i'd return the complement kasi babalik-balikan ko rin ang blog nya.  and i'd love to see you my friends sa bago nating kapitbahay.... si Yanah and her life's a twitch blogspot. (nasa side bar po ang link!)

DS turns 3!

T’was exactly 3 years ago when I found blogger.com and created my first few blogs - all within the same day – excited eh! Actually, I found it through a friend in one of our kwentuhans na ang focus pa nong mga panahon na yon ay Friendster (remember FS? Hehehe). Sabi ko nga I’m not really into this type of social networking kaya wala akong FS account. Then Matt suggested blogging nga. Thanks to him, DS never looked back since then.

431 posts later, DS is still standing strong despite the onslaught of FB and Twitter that caused FS’ relegation to the museum of the fast-changing cyber world. While most of people I know shifted from blogging to the more enticing FB, I’ve remained contented in my little corner, typing away the hours for my next posting.

Blogging offered me the platform to live out one of my greatest desires – to write. Write about anything and everything that I wanted to say. Dito ko naibubuhos ang lahat ng aking lamang-loob. I mean the thoughts running in my head, the emotions filling up my heart, the cacophony of sounds my ears enjoy, the visual feast that feeds my eyes and sometimes even the food that my stomach is grumbling for.

I’ve written a lot from plain commentaries to intense opinions, dramatic bits of my life to intimate details of my persona, trivial bits of entertainment to morsels of useful tips about work, and life in ksa or life in general.

Luckily, na-appreciate nyo naman lahat yon and that is why I owe everyone who frequents DS a huge thank you. Starting with my followers na kahit hindi ko kilala in person or even by name, their leaving a signature in DS is something I do appreciate. Shubash Datta, Minagi, Erica Beingme, Zheldhane, Ludwig Bon MQ, Bjoy, Mil, Rikki Sonique, Adrianne, Kikokhenn, Billie Joe, Arpi Stankovics, Kim, Maccay (is it you Maccoy?) and Faheem Mustafa. Just looking at these names make me think DS is really international! Thanks guys. I hope I’ll come to know who the person is behind the alias.

Raoul, Ega and the rest of the adiks have been faithful to DS since it started. Seven’s favorite is the chatbox while Ega punctuates my posts evey now and then with his own personal comments. Nandyan din si JunC, Chuck, Matt, Yeng, Ricky, Maccoy at pati na ang kanilang mga dear wife na lagi namang starring sa pics ng aming mga bonding moments.

Friends from everywhere like Jonas and Cesar, as well as those who pass by silently tapos biglang mage-email sa akin telling me that they liked what they read. These kinds of feedback keep me fired up to do more instead of letting DS run aground.

I must admit na may mga pagkakataon na tinatamad akong mag-post. Just because feeling ko nauubusan ako ng iba-blog. Lalo na’t wala namang bago sa boring kong buhay. Sa tatlong taon ba namang pagsusulat, daig ko pa ang nagkaron ng column sa isang daily broadsheet. But whenever this lull happens, I’m always reminded that life is so varied and everyday is different from the last. Then I easily realize that I still have a lot of things to write about.

Kaya siguro matatagalan pa bago ko iwan, isara or even pabayaan ang DS. For the meantime, DS is here to stay. And stay it will as long as you are there not forgetting this cozy cyber corner of mine. At syempre, DS will stay as long as blogger.com is around!

ten-tenen-tennn

In the computing world, 1 and 0 are the binary codes that make up the building blocks of the computer’s intelligence. In today’s calendar however, it is something that a lot of people put significance upon simply because it’s an occurrence that will not be seen again for the next 999 years. Masuwerte daw ang generation nating ito dahil nabubuhay tayo sa mga taon kung saan nae-experience natin itong mga ganitong significant dates.

Nag-umpisa ito noong 01-01-01 where the most dreaded millennium bug was the biggest issue in the world of computers (and businesses of course). Ang daming issue na lumabas years before the turn of the century. Porke magka-crash daw lahat ng computers and chaos will follow. Kaya nagkaron ng Y2K compliance projects ang lahat ng negosyo na dependent sa computers – from government offices to private businesses. Ang daming kinita ng mga IT companies noon.

Sa mga wala namang magawa, meron din silang pinagka-abalahan. They busied themselves spreading rumors of doom dahil 01-01-01 daw ang tinakdang panahon ng pagkagunaw ng mundo. Kung sinoman ang nakaisip ng kalokohang ito, well, he definitely gained some followers dahil marami talagang naniwala sa balitang kutsero na yon. I’ve heard one story na meron daw mayaman na pinamigay na lang ang kayamanan nya hoping that he will go straight to heaven pagdating ng 01-01-01 na judgment day ng langit. Sayang hindi ako nakalapit sa kanya para naambunan ng katangahan, este, kayamanan nya!

Dahil ako naman ay hindi basta naniniwala sa hula, I chose to make my 01-01-01 uneventful. Ang natatandaan ko lang, I was holed up in my rented flat in Cityland Dela Rosa, pinapanood sa TV ang nangyayaring street party sa kahabaan ng Ayala to welcome the turn of the millennium. Hindi ko makalimutan na inii-magine kong mahulog si Regine habang kumakanta at bumibirit sa tuktok nong water falls ng Pen.

After that, hindi ko na matandaan ang mga event sa buhay ko during these supposedly significant dates. Can’t remember where I was or what I was doing when 02-02-02 came. Ang alam ko lang, I’m spending lazy days in Cavite ng mga panahon ng 03-03-03 then 04-04-04 came at nasa Saudi na naman ako.

Can’t even remember what good fortune came my way nong dumating ang 08-08-08. Parang wala. Samantalang sabi ng Chinese calendar, it should have been my luckiest year having Snake for my birth sign na maswerte daw during the year of the Dragon. Eh para namang kinain ng Dragon yong Snake kaya ayan, dumating ang 10-10-10 at nasa Saudi pa rin ako.

So we only have two years to go bago matapos ang mga significant dates na ito. After 11-11-11 and 12-12-12, we’ll have to wait for a thousand years to see them again. For now, let’s just be glad that we’ve made it this far. Amidst all the tragedies happening around us, pasalamat pa rin ako sa Diyos na hindi pa nangyayari ang end of the world na pini-predict pagkatagal-tagal nang panahon. And I hope It’s not gonna happen soon. Para naman ma-experience ng future generation ang 01-01-3001! Cool!

of age, beauty and enormous power

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but the current breed of international political figures seem to get younger and better looking. Every time I watch world news, I’m always fascinated by these men and women who do not only spell power but also exude images of youth and beauty.

My memory might be subjective but as far as I can remember, our very own Ferdinand Marcos is the only suave-looking President I’ve seen on Tv back when I was a kid. Most, if not all, were aging, bald, pot-bellied or simply boring. That’s why I thought the world of politics is no place for the finer looking species.

But times have certainly changed. Today, men and women who were graciously favored by Mother Nature are changing the landscape of the political arena. They are not just faces that could have easily become movie stars. But most importantly, they have broken the invisible barrier that excludes young blood from mainstream politics.

Here’s ten of the most fascinating young achievers in the international political scene:

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Finland’s Prime Minister Mari Johanna Kiviniemi (born 27.09.68), is only 42 and the youngest female leader in this list. While millions of women her age are worrying about their weight or their nth pregnancy, this young lady was busy working her way up the ladder of success. Wiki says she was raised in a rural area of Finland and her parents were chicken farmers. A true picture of success.



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Dimissed Ukrainian Prime Minister (removed from power only last March), Yulia Tymoshenko (born 27.11.60) is 50 but wore her crown-braided hair like a prima ballerina. With dainty looks and demeanor, you’d never believe she’s battling it out with the machos in the Ukrainian political arena.

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Incumbent Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri (born 18.04.70), at 40 is the youngest in this list. Aside from his political power, he is also a regular name in Forbes’ billionaires list. Talk about good looks, power and wealth. He’s got it all!


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Argentina’s current President, 57 yo Cristina Elizabet Kirchner (born 19.02.53) has the glamour of a beauty queen. She is Argetina’s second female president but the first one elected to power. (Isabel Martinez de Peron, Juan Peron’s 3rd wife after Eva was the first but she only ascended to power after Juan Peron died while in office).

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Georgia’s President, 43 yo Mikheil Saakashvili (born 21.12.67), looks like a guy straight from the pages of GQ. Always impeccably garbed in his power suit, this guy speaks English with only the slightest hint of Eastern European accent. He assumed power in 2004 after toppling Shevardnadze via his Rose Revolution.


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44 yo David Cameron (born 09.10.66), UK’s Prime Minister has the looks that could qualify for a boy band. He actually took power when he was 43 giving him the honor of being the youngest PM in the history of modern-day UK.

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Speaking of records, Abhisit Vejjajiva, at 44 (born 03.08.64), became Thailand’s youngest Prime Minister in 2008. This Eton and Oxford educated gentleman stood challenges to his powers earlier this year when opposition staged a Red revolution that disrupted much of businesses in Bangkok. But this gentleman proved he can also be tough beneath that cool exterior.


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Costa Rica’s first female President, Laura Chinchilla Miranda (born 28.03.59) is 51, vibrant and quite a looker. Probably one of the more progressive minds in the political world, she supports same-sex marriage. Quite controversial view from a leader of a country of devout Roman Catholics.


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Australia’s newly elected PM Julia Gillard is only 49 (born 29.09.61), red-haired and looks just like a super model. But this hard line politician became Australia’s first female PM after challenging the leadership of then PM Kevin Rudd who lost support from his party.


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And last but not least, US’ President Barrack Obama (born 04.08.61), at 49, certainly has the boyish charm that most Americans found endearing. That charm enhanced the astute political depth he possesses and gave him the honor of being the first black president of the most powerful country in the world.

So that’s my 10. But wait, let me mention a couple of runners-up if you dont mind:

Sarah Palin will make another beautiful President if ever. With 3 years to go on Barrack’s term, she can be in it at 49 yo. I just don’t know how she can pole vault her way to the White House.

Edward Miliband, the new Labour Party president in UK is also eyeing the PM post a few years from now. He’s only 41 and if the stars are on his side, he can also join the exclusive circle of world leaders in their 40’s.

There you go. Just a few names and faces that I’ve come across whenever I’m watching BBC, Jazeera and EuroNews. But a very good sample base of what I was saying a little earlier on.

Youth, beauty and power. A very strong combination that not many people are blessed with. These are the faces of interesting people who now inhabit the corridors of power. These are the names making the international political scene more interesting than ever. A very good batch of individuals that young people can use as their role models.

(note: infos as researched via Wikipedia)