Double Whammy

Last December 20, 2009 our family celebrated a milestone for my father, his 60th birthday. Senior Citizen discount here we come!

Along with that, my godson celebrated his 2nd birthday. It was a very long and tiring day. However it was very fun and exhilarating while it lasted. The party started at around 4PM and ended with a missing child. My cousin pulled a prank that made us turn the house upside down and an almost phone call to the missing child hot line.

To the one who Gave me Life and Love

I might not show it much, but I do love and appreciate you. I respect you for your decision and dedication to hold onto what you believe in. I admire your dedication to our family...so to you, the bravest and most forgiving woman I know, I love you and happy birthday!

Of Gods and Guns

I always ride the bus when I go home from the office so I am always stuck in traffic; watching "action films" from yesteryear. Today, everything started like any other day. I sit, look hesitantly at the television, while trying not to laugh out loud, and wait until I get freed from my misery. However midway through the trip, a preacher dude suddenly took out his holy book(not Catholic so i don't know if I should call it the Bible. and no, this is not a euphemism for something dirty.) and started to preach at us. What made it memorable was a) it was my first time experiencing this and b) because as he was reading verses from the book(it was in tagalog BTW so I was a bit lost) the background was gunshots fired, babies crying, and people dying.

For me it was like poetry in our modern times. I forgot who said this but I must agree with him/her (read this from the Atheist Bible) MORE PEOPLE HAVE KILLED IN THE NAME OF GOD THAN FOR ANY OTHER NAME.

To clarify, I am not an all out atheist...I'm more like a deist.

Hell Week?

They always said that we should start the week right...but what if you were doing everything for it to be OK then shit happens?

I woke up early last Monday so that I won't be late for work. However the dude from LTFRB won't let that happen. He stopped my shuttle for a good 30minutes. The old lady in the shuttle was bragging like hell that she worked for the government too blah blah blah. She also said that the driver should just "talk" to the dude and went so far as to say that "bayaran naman lahat yan e." (They can be bought) From her trail of thought, since she works for government and everybody can be bought does that mean that she can also be bought?

The following day was no different, crap happened at home and at work. I was in no mood to work and almost didn't meet my quota.

Wednesday was even more terrible because my workspace was infiltrated; my comfy chair was replaced with a crappy and uncomfortable one and my headset and other wirings for the PC were tampered with.

Thursday, I was losing hope. I was only looking forward to Friday because we can work from home. At least before the day ended, I was given a sort of good news. Thanks everyone!

Friday, a close friend and I bickered on facebook (on a public photo no less) because of some false statements she made about me and my other friends.

I just hope that this Saturday and Sunday would be different and that Monday would allow me to start over. Off to Gateway to plan our trip to HK!

Homosexual Partyl List in the Philippines?

No, I am not gay...but I Refuse to hate

A couple of days ago, I heard of news that the gay and lesbian community is trying to get their voices heard in the congress. Unfortunately they were stopped by the COMELEC because of their supposed "immorality." This context of immorality was based on two BOOKS; the Koran and the Bible. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there are little clause in the Philippine constitution called "THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE? So how can two religious books be the basis of a government body to refuse their filing for candidacy? And if those are the bases of your judgment, then most of our politicians are not allowed to take part in the elections. Junk Bong Revilla's COC and of course, Erap's petition too. It is no secret that those two politicians have mistresses and have children by them too. I believe that the BIBLE is against that, right?

Another reason they posed was that the gay and lesbian community are not part of the minority. Meaning what? I really do not understand that reasoning. In a debate that I watched, the opposition said that if they were allowed to file for candidacy, then why not allow prostitutes create a party list of their own? DUH! PROSTITUTION IS ILLEGAL therefore practitioners of this illegal act are not allowed to be represented in Congress

This is one of the reasons why I would like for us to have some changes in the constitution. It is so full of loopholes that when we studied it back in college, it made me reconsider my career path.

Love of Siam

It's already 1AM and I still have work tomorrow, but I just have to blog about this film! I was planning to watch it tomorrow, after work, but I just couldn't help myself. The review that Kring gave made me want to watch it ASAP.



BEWARE this is a gay film. Well, it's not porn...it's far from it. However the story is about two young men who find love in a very unconventional form. If you watch this film, you will find out why so many women watch shounen ai---not because if the hot guys making out with each other, but because somewhere in our hearts, we are yearning for the same level of love and passion from our partners.

Oh well, I guess you will never understand what I'm rambling about if you don't watch the film. For your sake, I implore you to watch this. AND MAKE SURE TO WATCH THE ENDING! Damn that made me cry...T-T

Road Distraction?

Bring back papa Piolo's Abs ads!


As my family and I were passing by Libis, my sister suddenly sighed and said, "Bakit kasi kailangan tanggaling ung Abs ni Papa Piolo? ang lungkot tuloy ng Libis." (Why did they have to remove Piolo's abs? Libis is lonely.)
Apparently, this was removed due to vehicular accidents. They claim that motorists were distracted because of his stunning physique. I hope that this is not true,but if it were true it will be hilarious! Imagine, multiple car damages caused because a fe(male) driver was drooling over Piolo Pascual's chiseled abs...brilliant!

Back to Basics: What We Should've Never Forgotten

A friend of mine sent this e-mail to me and I just wanted to share it. The excerpt was from "ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN" by Robert Fulghum.

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.
These are the things I learned:

* Share everything.
* Play fair.
* Don't hit people.
* Put things back where you found them.
* Clean up your own mess.
* Don't take things that aren't yours.
* Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
* Wash your hands before you eat.
* Flush.
* Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
* Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
* Take a nap every afternoon.
* When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
* Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
* Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
* And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.
-------------
It reminded me of the basic rules we should live by. Let's face it, everything we know now about morality and whatnot was taught to us by our kindergarten teacher--it just got more complicated as we got older. This just goes to show that age doesn't necessarily make everything better, sometimes it just makes everything confusing.

YouTube Find: Crazy Candy

So while surfing around the internet, I found myself stuck in the wormhole that is youtube...again. I don't know why, but I suddenly saw this very creepy commercial of gummy bears. It is no ordinary gummy bear however...it is a 5lbs giant with a week's work of calorie intake (12,600cal).

Don't believe me? Watch this...

Taking a Break from Bed Rest

Who knew that taking some mandatory rest can be so tiring?

Last Wednesday, I was already feeling off but I had some work to do so I ignored it. By the time I went home, I was already burning up with a high fever. I still intended to go to work the following day but my father scolded me. So I opted to work from home instead. I still didn't feel any better so after my shift, I went to the doctor's office. He told me that I should take some rest. So here I am...tired of resting. Honestly, even if I'm a lazy ass bum I still want some activities. My mother won't even let me open a book for crying out loud.

Lesson learned: Listen to your body before it forces you to take some rest. ktnxbye! baka mahuli ng guardia sibil.

Rock Star Phail: Jonas Brothers

doesn't he look gay here? or is he?

About a week ago I heared in the news that a certain Jonas Brother experienced a wardrobe malfunction. First thing that entered my mind was: "This is their rock star moment!" but then again they never cease to let me down. It would've been a wonderful moment for them to turn into actual rock stars! blah.

It is not beyond rock fans to go gaga over some flesh shown by their rock icons. However because they are pseudo rockers (like posers, only popular) they do not know the concept of fan service. I found a short clip of the "incident" tell me what you think.


On the other hand, this is what real rock stars do. (well not really, but this is what I call FANSERVICE!) View only if you are brave.

Food Trip #2

A month ago a new Korean restaurant opened in Antipolo, just along Sumulong Highway. The area used to be my home for roughly a decade of my life until we moved to Marikina. this is actually the second Korean joint established in our former home. Anyway, after work my parents decided to accept the invitation of our new tenants to eat there at the opening ceremony. We ate samgyupsal, the very long and tough noodles (I actually already forgot what they were called) but they were delicious! Here are some pictures. I forgot to take pictures of the other dishes because it was like a battlefield in our table, our family's You snooze, you lose policy still stands even in public places.

A crappy picture from my phone, but this is part of the free side dishes that they serve for you. I swear, these side dishes could double as a main meal. just order rice...haha. Joke. But the weird looking squidball-tasting strips were really delicious. My family loved the gigantic bean sprouts. And the Kimchi is really good (SPICY!!).



The rice cake the they served was also a pleasant surprise. I was half expecting it to be too sweet that I won't be able to eat it. But it turns out to be a great after-meal food. My parents had to ask for forks though because it was a bit tough to eat with chopsticks. Even my brother who didn't like sweets that much enjoyed this dish. Oh yeah, it also came free with the side dishes.



As previously mentioned, we ate samgyupsal and the beef rib counterpart of the said wrap. (Sampgyupsal is pork) We also ordered spicy squid strips with vegetables and a fish dish. Who do their names have to be so hard to remember? Couldn't they have called them Bae Youngjun, Lee Junki or Won Bin instead?

This is the tough noodle dish that I was telling you about. At first we had great difficulties eating it because it was so long and slippery that it slides directly to our throat. And we can't cut it with our teeth...then we saw how the Koreans eat it...they cut it up with a pair of scissors in the bowl and scoop it out with the chopsticks. *toinks*

Food Trip #1

I was really supposed to blog about the Euro-Japanese resto that we ate in last Monday, but some $hit happened to my phone, and I can't retrieve the pictures. So here come my other food photos...

My coworkers and I enjoy looking at food blogs *cough*at work*cough* so we always get tempted to eat out. Unfortunately, we do not have the highest paying salary that would help us sustain our addiction. So from time to time, we would indulge a bit and satisfy our food cravings. Today I will share our Delifrance experience...

I ordered the French Dip Roast Beef Sandwich and Oriental Shrimp Salad. It was certainly delicious! I was only able to eat half the sandwich so I took it home for my parents. (Hey, I didn't touch it so it's still clean and sanitary) The meat was so tender that I didn't have difficulty in eating it. The bread was freshly baked which made it more appetizing for me. The salad contained something I have never eaten...cucumber! I hate cucumber, but I was trying to change, so I ate it...and it didn't taste as bad as I imagined it to be (when I was a kid, I didn't think that cucumbers were edible because I thought it was only meant to reduce the puff in your eyes). The shrimp was fresh and so was the mandarin orange. The other greens had the right crunch to it, and the smoothness of the orange and the chewy-ness (?) of the shrimp was a delightful combo. The crab sticks were also good, but nothing spectacular (not really a fan of crab sticks in gengeral).

We found out the hard way that we need to pre-order our deliveries a day before so that they could process it. We were told that we had to wait a couple of hours before they can bring it to the office. Good thing though that somebody backed out and a slot was free so they were able to deliver our fix before lunch break was over.

Here come the other pictures...

Everything Changes...

Last Monday I celebrated a very quiet birthday. It was my first birthday in the work force and i didn't feel like celebrating much. I didn't inform my coworkers about it and I also removed the alert from my facebook account. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it wasn't boring either. My family and I just ate in a Euro-Japanese fusion restaurant and bought some cake from Sugar House.

With everything that has happened in the last couple of weeks, I am totally happy with just a simple dinner with my family and the knowledge that my true friends remembered my birthday without a facebook alert to remind them. I know most of them are busy with work and stuff, so I won't bear grudges. I was just a bit sad that those whom I consider to be 'close friends' forgot my birthday...that's all. But no grudges, no friendship ruined. Anyway, it's just a birthday.

Since it was my birthday, I thought of things that I would like to buy for myself. Only one thing came to mind...my own digital camera...perferably a waterproof one. I will save up for this...and hopefully I can buy it for Christmas.

Oh yeah, I forgot my real age quite fast...I thougt I was older than I really am. Werid, right?

The Monkeys are Drowning

I can't help but feel irritated every time I think about this comment. The "rain rain don't go away..." comment made by a stupid and heartless bitch (I will not name the nationality) really struck a nerve in me. I'm sorry if I'm still a bit hung over on the incident, but my family and I have yet to resume normal life since the calamity. I am not complaining, I am just pissed that somebody would make a comment like this. Amongst my group of friends, I am perhaps the most heartless and sharp-tongued. But never in my life did I say something as terrible as this; putting someone down when they have already suffered enough.

One of the biggest reasons why I took offense in this comment was because of where it came from. Not to be arrogant, but most of her countrymen come to MY COUNTRY, the "land of monkeys," to learn English and to study. They came here to LEARN...so tell me, if we are monkeys and you came to learn from us, then what are you supposed to be? Just a thought to ponder...that is if you can think logically. I am not saying that my country is better than yours, but don't dare criticize us if you know NOTHING!

I know that this is not a calamity that people from other countries will remember. But for us who suffered, who are still suffering from this, that heartless comment felt like our entire person was being stomped upon by a *insert derogatory remark here* and it hurts. As much as I would like to say that it doesn't matter, it hurts because we are in pain. The smallest hint of ridicule from a *insert derogatory remark here* is unacceptable. What would you do if we threw back your countrymen back there? Don't think that we are making much money from you cheapskates. You are reputed to be the most miserly tourists in every tourist destination here. But I am not saying that you are all like that, some are nice and friendly. I just hope there were more of them and less of people like you.

A little video for those who talk crap but are ignorant.

Gone Because of Ondoy

A little over a week ago, may family along with countless others were left in shock because of the deadly storm. I have never been to attached of material things, and now I truly believe that it is a blessing that I'm not. However this experience made me realize how utterly dependent I am to electricity and the physical comforts of life. We were one of the lucky families who didn't need to evacuate from our house. We had a second floor, that has two rooms. We bunked in our brother's bedroom together with his family for about 1week (until we had electricity) and the help stayed in my bedroom. It would be bratty of me to complain that I lacked sleep and such so I will not expound on that. All i want to remember is that my family and I are lucky because we are still alive and safe, aside from the cuts and bruises we incurred while trying to salvage what's left of our belongings.

The water inside our house almost reached the light switch. Outside was a different matter altogether. Our front gate, which towers over people (approximately the height of two people), sank in the muddy waters. Our cars floated after being submerged in the flood. Good thing we were able to save our rice and some of our canned food. On the first night we survived on biscuits and Pandan Cake because we cannot cook our rice because there was no electricity and the stove was left in the kitchen...outside.

This was just the beginning, our cars floated after this

For me, the first night, Saturday was the most difficult part. Our neighbors were staying on their roofs and asking for help. We were trying to call all the emergency numbers and our friends, but the signals were so out of whack. It was probably the time where we were in a panic because we didn't know if our friends and relatives were OK. But thankfully, the following day we were able to receive news from them; they were alive and well but they were not able to save their stuff. A sigh of relief went over us...it's funny how a simple text message can wipe away your fears and pain.

A week from now I will be celebrating my birthday...I guarantee that this will be a year that I will never forget. This incident changed my life and the way I view things. Hopefully I would be able to say that I am a better person because of this.

On Becoming a Lady?

Yes, that is a question mark. And before you get the wrong impression, no I am not a lesbian. I am really not what you would call a "lady" (no, I am also not a slut) because I rarely say things like "Oh my god! He's so HOT!" or "I will get my nails done after I buy a new pair of shoes." I have always been a tomboy; watching sports, not combing my hair, and just lounging around. I curse like a drunken sailor and do not apply make-up even when I go to bars and parties. However during this long weekend I find myself gushing about guys. I am not in love like my friends say I am. I just found a celebrity crush.

Yesterday, while going on yaya duties for my nephew, I went to the mall for some grocery shopping. While eating at a pizza joint, I heard people scream not out of fear but out of pure excitement. Apparently a local actor has a mall tour, no big deal right? I have never been fond of looking at celebrities and I am not one to bulldoze my way into a crowd just for a glimpse of a "star." However, this one was different...Let me present to you my celebrity crush...

The very talented and extremely hot, Coco Martin. I caught the end of his mall show and let me just say that his smile is intoxicating. Provided that he lip synced to the song of his teleserye, he still lit up the stage with his charisma and dazzling smile. Honestly, he wasn't that tall but what he lacked in height, he made up with his enchanting presence. Fine, I will stop here for now. Enough gushing like a bewildered teenager. One last thing, he is not just another pretty face who shot to fame because he went nude, the boy has real talent. So let us see beyond his lovely face and watch him as he wreaks havoc as his character Ramon terrorizes uber mushy love tandems.

UAAP Cheerdance Heartbreak

I am a proud Thomasian. A proud supporter of the Salinggawi Dance Troupe. After two years of not being able to watch the competition, I was extremely anxious to watch this year's showdown. We were all in high spirits and of course, with high hopes. Unfortunately, we were not able to capture a place in the podium this year. Oh well, there's always a first time for everything. I am proud of their achievements thus far. I felt that they wanted to reinvent themselves by not doing their usual pirouettes and floor exercises. I felt that if they have executed their stunts flawlessly, they would've captured at least the 3rd spot.

This is not to take anything away from the FEU Tamaraws. Their routine was impeccable and catchy. The Ateneo Blue Babble battalion's break through was a welcome change in the roster of winners. Being able to watch live from the coliseum, I was insulted with the reaction of the 3rd placers. It was not shown on TV but I think that they owe it to the non-placers to at least smile and accept their award graciously. I know that I am going to receive some heat from their supporters, and I don't care. Other teams would be more than happy to get their award, what they did was unacceptable. Congratulations to those who were genuinely happy to win!

I will not sour grape and say that any team in the top three shouldn't be there, because I respect the judges' opinions. I will not be like other fans who scream foul just because they didn't get the podium placement they want. I am happy that my school and our Salinggawi Dance Troupe were gracious even in defeat. Indeed, the loss was heartbreaking, I am sad even as I type these words. But, the show of support and camaraderie at the end of the awarding ceremony made me gloat with pride. This affirmed my belief that Thomasians, even in defeat, can still smile and be proud of our school. I AM PROUD TO BE A THOMASIAN! GO USTe!

P.S. I am not saying that ALL Thomasians received this loss with an open heart. Some were not as gracious as the others, and perhaps made comments that they shouldn't have. For that, I am apologetic. I hope that it is only out of shock that they said that, and would have an open mind about the whole event. Let us not be sour losers. Let us not be like the others who cannot accept defeat, even in victory.

YouTube Find: While stalking Osamu Mukai

I have been a fan of Osamu Mukai ever since I watched him in Nodame Cantabile. So when I accidentally found his facebook fan account, it all went tumbling down. Like the domino effect in international relations, one tab turned into two, and then three...next thing I knew I was stuck in a blackhole of fan videos. However this one caught my attention. It was really well edited and it featured other artists that I also like; Horikita Maki and Yamapi.

DISCLAIMER: If you would notice, the translation is a bit off, that is because it is fake. The subs were made to fit the plot of the video maker and not the dialogue in the video. OK?



This is the first of four videos. I also LOVED the songs that s/he chose for the video. If you want to watch it further, you know what to do...follow the trail of "clickies" and be careful of the balckhole that is Youtube.

Ok. That's it. I will continue to stalk him now. Byebye..

While trying to unwind from work, I sometimes go around the net to look for interesting stuff. This time I stumbled upon Chico Garcia's blog post about having a bad day. Which I can totally relate to because today is an exceptionally bad day, and it hasn't even ended.



I found the pup so cute yet sad at the same time. Because no matter what he does, he still can't get what he wants. I really wanted to find out what happened to him after the video...because I felt that his struggle mirrored my own.

I am Woman...cover your crotch?

As I was trying my best to focus on work the other day, a simple article caught my eye. It was about a woman in Pre-WWII Japan named Sada Abe. She came from an upper class family however things took a turn for the worse when she was raped by one of her acquaintances. She was sent to a geisha house by her father and turned into a lower class geisha who performed sexual acts with patrons. She then pursued a career in legal prostitution as it generates more money while still doing the same thing. She had lovers that claimed that she was insatiable and wouldn't be pleased with only one or two sessions. They grew tired and soon left her. She attempted to stop being a prostitute countless of times until the call for money and flesh beckoned her again.

She was taken as a mistress countless of times but what made her infamous was the afair she had with Kichizo Ishida. A self-made businessman who is known for womanizing. They had a very passionate afair, which Sada Abe called "love." She was so taken by the thought that she has to share her lover with other women, particularly his wife. They were fond of S&M (if you do not know what this is, it is either you are too young or too pure, so I won't explain this any further) so during one of their sexcapades, while Kichizo was sleeping, Sada asphyxsiated her lover which claimed his life.

The crime did not get famous for that though. After her lovers death, she dismembered him using a kitchen knife. She kept his penis and testicles in her purse and occasionally took it out and performed fellatio and other necrophiliac acts. There was a nationwide interest in her story that it mothered countless of other tales and movies for generations to come. She was caught and brought to justice only to be given pardon some years after the incident.

She killed her not out of anger or jealousy, but out of love and passion. Totally creepy, yet fascinating. So, would you kill for the same reason?

I am "Nobody"

DISCLAIMER: I did not make this video, nor will I ever be able to make one like this. Another thing, I am not a fan of the music since it gets stuck in my head but I found this flash animation cute so I am posting it here.

Daniel Radcliffe's Biggest Fan

I have been a Harry Potter fan from years back, around a decade now. I also HAD a crush on Daniel Radcliffe when the first movie came out (no pedophilia there, I was also young then). So, as I was browsing through Chico Garcia's blog, I stumbled upon this gem. I hope someone would translate it for me though...



I so envy her, not only for meeting Daniel Radcliffe in person but also for touring the set of the movie and also putting on the Sorting Hat!! *pouts* so LUCKY!!!

Local Music Scene

As I was trying to reconnect with my relatives from the father's side, I was pleasantly surprised to see a video of my cousin in one of the MVs of Silent Sanctuary. The title of the song is "Hiling" and it was a bit on the dramatic side. My cousin played the lead female in the video.



I knew that she acted a bit (member of a theater club in Ateneo) but I didn't expect her to show up in a mainstream video. I am quite proud of her. Although her make up didn't do any justice to her beautiful morena face, her acting still made her shine.

Presidentiables?

The 2010 elections are coming up; signaled by the wanton display of campaigns masked as "infomercials." I am just thinking, if they can't even follow simple election codes, can they be trusted to run our country?

I just have a few short messages to some of them.

Mr. Piggy bank,

I know that the city you are handling is really rich, that is why you can boast of such facilities and services. However please bear in mind that the rest of the Philippines is not rich. In fact, we are heavily in debt. So how do you intend to carry that out throughout the nation? Increase taxes? Pay for it yourself like you did your ads?

Mr. Akala,

I used to like you...until you became just another one of those trapos who jumped ships at the first opportunity. By the way, your house is not nearly as small as other people's so do not claim that you are as poor as they are. At least you had a roof above your head, others live in cardboard boxes...literally.

Mr. Palengke-turned-pedicab,

Please do not use children in your quest for more money and power. It just irritates me. Another thing, do not use marriage as a platform to catapult you into the seat of power, it's not like the people are waiting for you to get married. Some things are meant to be private, this just turns your wedding into a circus.

If these are the only people who are running for presidency along with a former president turned convict, I would rather die right now. Besides, is the former president turned ex-con allowed to run for office again? Hello people, CRIMINAL RECORD? Ooops, I forgot. We have a senator who is in prison right now...he is still a senator. Does he still work or is he leaching off of our taxes while in prison?

The Late President Corazon Aquino and the Dying Philippine Democracy

To be quite honest with all of you, I have not been a fan of democracy in the Philippines. I believe that democracy is only suited for disciplined and logical people who have minds of their own. Contrary to popular belief, democracy is not for everyone. I mean, how long have we been a democratic country? Has anything changed for the better? With democracy, people think they have the right to scream at the top of their lungs wailing for the incumbent to step down when they themselves have done nothing to serve our country. In my opinion, marching down the crowded streets of Manila and burning effigies is not a service to our country but a disservice.
Wasting money for materials and food for something that would only cause traffic and negative impressions is not aimed to uplift our nation but it is designed for the opposite reaction. It might have worked in the past, but things are different now. We should be helpful for our country. And my dear ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry to point this out to you, those rallies and pickets do nothing but cause traffic and shame to our country. Not everything can be solved by this method..not anymore.

I wasn't born at the time of the EDSA Revolution. However from the stories of my predecessors, I felt that it was a thing of grandeur...it was like one of my fairy tales. I grew up envying my brother for being able to participate in such a wondrous event. I wasn't even conceived yet at that time but when they were talking about it, I thought that I was part of that revolution. Cory Aquino was like a hero to me...an icon that I looked up to. She, for me, was the epitome of the woman I wanted to be. No, I do not want to be a politician, nor a politician's wife. But I wanted to be a person of influence and a symbol of hope and justice. As time went on, and I was educated on various things from the classrooms and from the news, my view of democracy and what she fought for changed. Although my opinion of her bravery and strength would never change, my belief in the system that she fought for waned.

Democracy is a thing of beauty, I must admit. However something so beautiful should be taken cared of because like any other beautiful thing, it is fragile. The careless hands of the Filipino people has broken democracy. A presidential system is not working for us, however I do not think that a parliamentary form of government would be any better. Our government is full of turncoats and kiss-asses that we would not be able to achieve anything. Sweet words and colorful promises poison the minds of the people, and unfortunately for us years of this trickery permeated the land we call the Philippines. I love our country, that is why I still blog about it and study it. The news depict our lives like it would be terrible to be a Filipino. With corruption and human rights violation cases thrown at the incumbent left and right, those who do not know any better is more prone to the virus called "political agenda." Before we call ourselves worthy of democracy, study our situation carefully; cross reference everything you hear and keep a discerning mind. Do not easily bite in to the propaganda of those people claiming to know where you are coming from because most of them have not even experienced what you did. Do not just take their word for it, because most of the time it is filled with deceit and hidden agendas. Do not just take my word for it, talk amongst yourselves and most especially those with conflicting opinions. Because that is where you can get information you never thought existed. Converse. Argue. Learn. then perhaps we can call ourselves worthy of the democracy that Cory and our parents fought for.

To the late president Corazon Aquino, I hope that someday we would be worthy of the legacy that you fought for. When the time comes that people can follow simple pedestrian and traffic rules, I think that is the time when we can proudly say: WE FOUGHT FOR DEMOCRACY.

DEMOCRACY=DISCIPLINE.

Bidding Farewell to an Old Friend...

Last Monday I found out that a family friend of ours died because of cancer. He was 60 years old. For most people this would sound normal and not alarming; 60 is old and cancer is really a killer. We were all prepared for his passing because the last time we saw him, he was really weak and looked frail. But no matter what, he would still be able to break a smile and crack a joke. He was one of my titos who took care of me when I was younger. I would go to his house and play with his children and eat there. He would often give me candies and chips on sight. When I grew up, our relationship became distant. We would not meet that often and we would barely talk to each other. This is primarily my fault because I detached myself too much. Now, I am deeply saddened that I was not able to talk with him like before. I was too busy with work that I was not able to give time to even visit him at home. I guess now I understand the sentiments of those people who have regrets when a loved-one passes away. I wasn't even like this when my grandfather passed...primarily because I was not able to actually build a relationship with my lolo and I was able to spend more time with my tito.

So for you, tito, I wish that you are now free from the pain that you have endured these past months. I know that you are now in a better place..rest assured that your family loves you and will never forget you...and neither would I. Thank you for being like a father to me when I was young, and thank you for being a good friend for my father. R.I.P...

Tommorrow, you will be laid down to your grave. This will be the last time that we will see your face. The face that always laughed and was filled with genuine love...we would miss you. We would always remember your vibrant smile and your exuberant laughter and not your frail frame and balding head.

Harry Potter and theHalf Blood Prince

It has been a while since I watched a movie in a theater...I can't even remember the last film that I watched in a movie house. I am really not fond of going to public places to watch movies, especially if I want to understand the plot. I find watching in public to be quite distracting. I hate hearing cellphones while watching the movie, kids crying, people asking "what happened?" or people explaining everything to their companion as if she was incapable of understanding the movie by herself. Yes, I am one of those snobs who get pissed off at the various distractions that do not belong in a movie house.

With that said, I initially wanted to watch the film in one of those high-end cinemas so that there would be few people and also less distractions. I am not being an elitist or anything like that. I just observed that the people who watch in these movies houses are more quiet and actually focus on the dialogues. I have yet to encounter a person who has the urge to be the narrator of the film for his "blind date." I planned to watch the film with college friends and colleagues in Podium or Shang, but alas some problems came knocking and I wasn't able to join them. I made plans with one of my college friends the following day to watch it in Gateway. I know, it is not exactly the high scale theater that I aimed for and I was prepared for the nuances of children babbling to their parents or yayas and also for wannabe narrators. Thank God that there were no would-be narrators in the cinema and only one child was noisy enough to bother me.

THE FILM

I must say that it was worth the wait. It was a mixtue of suspense and comedy with a touch of romance. The kid that bothered me was afraid of some scenes, which was quite understandable because even some of the adults and myself found ourselves jumping out of our seats in one of the scenes. I can understand the sentiments of some of the fans who were not satisfied with the film but I also understand that we cannot include everything from the book...the film would take AGES to finish. So, for a 2hr 33minn film I think that it brought justice to the book. I can't wait for the next film!! God! It would take too long...November 2010, I am waiting for you!

Ok...got to go...my colleagues are waiting for me.

Trying to Revive my Blogger Account...

I have been away from the blogger scene for quite a while now. The last two posts that I did was for a job application. My friends refuse to read my posts fearing the topic that I was assigned to write about would change their opinion of me. I am a non-romantic no non-sense kind of girl and writing about dates and "satisfying" loved ones is really not my thing. With that said, I would most probably not write about relationships and all that mushy stuff here...or I will. It really depends on what I feel like writing about.

I hope I can sustain this site..unlike the others that I have long forgotten about. I barely remember the account name of my first blogger account...which is kinda sad. I will make this a public blog, my private one will remain a mystery for most of you. (Wow, feeling maraming magbabasa ng blog ko?) I am not funny nor smart. I am not in touch with the latest fashion trends nor the hippest technology. I do not hang out in bars and coffee shops, but I am very opinionated. However I do not aim to change people with my opinions...I do not even claim them to be the ablsolute truth. My opnion is my opinion, if you disagree with it then you have a different opinion. If you wish to disagree and post a comment, you are welcom to do so but please be articulate and polite. I am still the owner of this blog and you are just passing by. This is just a precaution, incase flamers decide to grace my blog. (Feeling sikat? wala pa ngang followers e...)

Incase you haven't noticed, i am using two languages...perhaps I might even insert other words from different languages from time to time...but if you haven't noticed yet, I am a Filipino and damn proud to be one (most of the time). Perhaps since the 2010 elections is nearing, I would spend most of my efforts blogging about the elections and hopefully put some sense into it. (Please don't be scared of my blog...I promise to blog about things other than politics...like food and dramas...I do watch dramas...Japanese dramas.) hahaha...I guess this is it for now...feel free to add me up. I don't bite..much.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

Preparing for a special occasion and at a loss for gift ideas? Here are some pointers to get you started.

First, you must know the taste of your girl. If your girl is the sophisticated and feminine type, then a piece of jewelry would be well suited for her. On the other hand, if your girl is the outdoors and sporty type, why not buy an article of clothing to suite her activities. Giving her something she could use and doesn’t already have suggests that you care for her and you notice her. However giving her something haphazard and ill-suited would create a negative impression. If your relationship is just starting, why not snoop around and ask her friends for information? A little sneaky, but at least your girlfriend will most likely be happy with it.

Second, if you are on a budget why not make something for her? Women love things that were especially made for them by a loved one. Does she like music? Then you could create a mix of her favorite songs. If you are artistic, why not make something that would show off your talent? Give her a portrait that you made yourself, or a poem composed just for her. Things coming form the heart and not from the wallet are treasured.

Lastly, spend time with your girl. People are too busy these days that quality time with your loved ones are rare. If you are a young professional and are often busy, allotting a day with your girl would make her happy. Accompany her to the mall and try not to frown too much. You can also watch a movie that she likes and have a romantic dinner afterwards. You can also just snuggle in your sofa and watch T.V. with popcorn in hand. It would also be the perfect time for you to catch up. Even students are sometimes too busy these days that they neglect to bring their girlfriends out for dates. Stay away from your online game for a while and spend time with her. Young relationships these days fail because the boy is too busy playing, so staying away from your precious computer game will give your girl the sense of importance that she deserves.

No matter what you choose to give to your girl, an expensive piece of jewelry or quality time, make sure to have fun and show your appreciation for her. Show her that you are doing this not out of obligation but because you love and appreciate her. Good luck!

Moving Forward with Technology

Civilizations evolve using advancements in technology. Ancient civilizations were established and destroyed depending on their level of development. Technologies as simple as a pulley have turned into a contraption widely used by towering buildings, an elevator because human beings have the continuous need to evolve. With this insatiable thirst for evolution, world leaders such as the Japanese government are prompted to fund researches for technological advancements even outside of their country.

In the past, there was a need to fund expeditions to compete with neighboring countries. However in the present, governments around the world are putting focus on technological advancements. With the growing focus of the world to create new technologies, the Philippines is lagging behind. In the last decade alone, a number of Filipino inventors were forced to sell their rights to foreigners because of the lack of support and funding by the local government. Inventions and innovations such as the water-run engine would have helped our county get noticed by the global community and probably bring investors in the country, but the government chose to let it slip.

It’s about time for our government to notice our need to advance in terms of technology. The Philippine Air Force has helicopters that could belong to museums in the United States. Our trains are hand-me-downs from first world countries such as Japan and South Korea. With the global recession, our engineers and other computer literate population are now returning to the Philippines. Why not take advantage of the situation by employing those people to research and develop new technologies? This could give the Philippines a fighting chance to level with first world countries such as Japan and the United States of America.