Audio, Video, Disco

Bad Omen

2010-02-03T00:33:00.003+08:00

Shorty after 12 midnight of February 1, I got an SMS from my cousin happily informing me that she passed the November 2009 Nursing Board Exam. Just like any big brother I shared the enthusiasm. Only 37, 527 of the 94,462 who took the exam passed it, making for a 39.72-percent passing rate. So you cannot just ignore the SMS as if it is just an ordinary news. Two of my cousins actually took the exam. Sadly, only one passed. But that's another blog entry.

I congratulated my cousin but not without any marching orders. The first thing I told her "inform lola that you passed." Our grandmother will surely relish the good news. She has been in some delicate situation now that she is 82 years old. But she hears everything and I want her to know. Whether my cousin told our grandmother I still have to ask her.

The other marching order is that the first thing she should do after sunrise is to call our Tita in the US to inform her that she passed the board exam. It was not simply obligatory, it is a matter of respect. After all, it was my Tita who sent her to school, paid for her tuition, her boarding house, the allowance and the review expenses. Since the death of my cousin's mother, my Tita assumed, albeit reluctantly, the burden of sending her to school. My Tita sent me to University of San Carlos too.

Those were my two marching orders. The day after I called up Tita and inquired whether my cousin called her up. No, she answered. I was pissed off. When it comes to good news Tita will be left out. But if it concerns payment for just about anything Tita comes first.

My cousin needs a reality check. And I will do it personally by March when I visit my grandmother. Such blatant display of arrogance has no place in my vocabulary. Learn to be grateful if you want to go far, acknowledge the people who helped you and pay it forward.

Or I will bring you back to where you should belong.

THE LAWS OF ULTIMATE REALITY

2009-10-17T06:05:00.000+08:00

& Law of Mechanical Repair
After your hands become coated with grease , your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to pee.

& Law of Gravity
Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

& Law of Probability
The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.

& Law of Random Numbers
If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.

& Law of the Alibi
If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.

&Variation Law
If you change lines in a queue (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).

& Law of the Bath/Shower
When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

& Law of Close Encounters
The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

& Law of the Result
When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

& Law of Biomechanics
The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.

& Law of the Theatre
At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

& The Starbucks Law
As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.

& Murphy's Law of Lockers
If there are only two people in a gym locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.

& Law of Physical Surfaces
The chances of an open-faced sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

& Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

& Brown's Law of Physical Appearance
If the shoe fits, it's ugly.

& Oliver's Law of Public Speaking
A closed mouth gathers no feet.

& Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy
As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.

& Doctors' Law
If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better. Don't make an appointment and you'll stay sick

I survived five months of teaching

2009-10-07T22:05:00.002+08:00

It was part of the long term plan but I didn't expect it to happen this soon. Serendipity might be the term or it was really meant to be.

I happened to join the Management Educators Seminar sponsored by the Asian Institute of Management & the Management Association of the Philippines held at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation last May. Also attending were my former professors from the University of San Carlos. After a brief updates on what's happening with me, I segued into asking whether I can apply to teach. The answer was in the affirmative and as they say the rest is history.

I started teaching immediately, less than a month after the MES. I was given the initial load of 15 units or 5 subjects: 3 basic Management subjects usually enrolled by first years, and two HR subjects - the Recruitment & Selection and Personnel Management.

Despite an obviously new environment and having to deal with restless youngsters half my age, I was able to survive the noise, the out of this world behaviour of the new generation and the surprising arrogance of the students.

Did I enjoy it? Actually I am looking forward to the second sem. :-)

12 Things Really Educated People Know

2009-09-03T20:42:00.004+08:00

12 Things Really Educated People Know

You won’t find “takes honours classes,” “gets good grades,” or “attends only Ivy League schools” on John Taylor Gatto’s list of qualities of an educated person. Gatto taught in New York City schools for 30 years and was named New York State’s Teacher of the Year, but his experiences convinced him that what students need is less time in classrooms and more time out in the world. Building character and community, Gatto argues, is more valuable than learning from tired textbooks and rigid lesson plans.

Really educated people...

1. Establish an individual set of values but recognize those of the surrounding community and of the various cultures of the world.

2. Explore their own ancestry, culture, and place.

3. Are comfortable being alone, yet understand dynamics between people and form healthy relationships.

4. Accept mortality, knowing that every choice affects the generations to come.

5. Create new things and find new experiences.

6. Think for themselves; observe, analyze, and discover truth without relying on the opinions of others.

7. Favor love, curiosity, reverence, and empathy rather than material wealth.

8. Choose a vocation that contributes to the common good.

9. Enjoy a variety of new places and experiences but identify and cherish a place to call home.

10. Express their own voice with confidence.

11. Add value to every encounter and every group of which they are a part.

12. Always ask: “Who am I? Where are my limits? What are my possibilities?”

This list was adapted from John Taylor Gatto latest book, Weapons of Mass Instruction Learn as You Go, the Fall 2009 issue of YES! Magazine. Gatto was a New York State Teacher of the Year. An advocate for school reform, his books also include Dumbing Us Down: the Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling. (New Society Publishers, 2009).

Simple ignorance or plain stupidity...

2009-07-27T20:12:00.000+08:00

One of my students reacted to my "yellow ribbon" by saying "na coma nman na imong aquino sir..tyming pag sona..haha" what a stupid way to react. she didn't realize the contribution of Cory Aquino in order for her to enjoy her freedom now. Ingrato nga henerasyon. No wonder the Philippines remains dirt poor because of this ignorant, ingrate generation!

Anecdote - Enrollment Adjustments

2009-06-19T22:01:00.004+08:00

While waiting for my class (HR 24 - Personnel Management) I decided to wait near the table of the department secretary. One student suddenly came out from the office of the department assistant chairman. He asked the secretary, "Miss, may I know who is Dr. Astillero." Since I am pretty sure I am the only one bearing that surname I turned around towards him and asked, "why?" He said, "Sir I was told you are the one handling HR 24. Can I enroll in your class?" Of course my answer is at the affirmative because I only have 20 students.

He was right that I handled HR 24 subjects. But he was misinformed when he addressed me as Dr. I am still pursuing my doctorate. But I didn't bother to correct him. Hehehehe

Trapik

2009-04-11T13:58:00.010+08:00

I often wonder how come despite the presence of hundred of traffic "enforcers" in Cebu City and Mandaue City, the roads still remained chaotic.

Is it the system of laws?

The implementation?
Lack of knowledge and information?
Simple ignorance?
Blatant disregard of the laws?
Or plain stupidity and lack of discipline?

God knows HUDAS not pay anyway.

Uncommon sense - from Tony Blair

2009-04-11T00:01:00.000+08:00

When asked about what should one’s motive be for entering politics?
"Public service."
“It’s a noble profession, not always nobly pursued.”

The difference between party in power and party in opposition.
"The good thing about [being in] the opposition is it’s what you say that matters, not what you do.”

NOTE: The Rt Hon Anthony Charles Lynton Blair or simply Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 2, 1997 to June 27, 2007.

Photo lifted from BBC.

Signs and Symbols II - Malaysian signages

2009-04-10T13:25:00.001+08:00

Signs and Symbols I

2009-04-10T13:23:00.000+08:00

The face of the evil is someone you know

2009-01-29T22:31:00.000+08:00

Evidence links pal to murder
By Flor Z.Perolina Updated January 29, 2009 12:00 AM

Photo shows the suspect, Jonnelle Enfectana, her head covered in blue cloth, being taken into custody by plainclothes police. Joy Torrejos

Cebu - The Mandaue City Police yesterday formally arrested the ‘close friend’ of a call center employee who was found murdered last week inside a hotel room.

Intelligence and Detective Management Branch agents arrested Jonnelle Enfectana at the Mandaue City Hospital where she and her mother had been confined after they collapsed during investigation the other day.

Enfectana, 26, who hails from Tacloban City, was a close friend and co-worker of Lynn Vi Ebarita at the Teletech Call Center.

Enfectana’s arrest came after the police were able to recover the victim’s wallet, which was found hidden under a pile of wood inside the premises of the house of Ricardo Go at Floremer St., barangay Banilad, Mandaue City yesterday noon were the suspect rents a room.

The wallet recovered contained several identification cards of Ebarita and a receipt that she was able to buy a cellular phone last January 17.

After all the evidence were gathered and documented, the police then proceeded to the hospital at around to 2 pm to arrest Enfectana, but it was stalled after the blood pressure of the suspect’s mother shot up.

When the mother’s blood pressure stabilized, the police were again stalled when Supt. Bernard Tamboaon stopped them from doing so and he went inside another room of the hospital and talked to the suspect’s lawyer, Michael Enriquez.

The police waited for another two hours before the suspect was brought to the headquarters.

Enriquez said that that there was no negotiation between him and the police official and the reason for the delay was that he objected to a search of his client’s personal belongings.

Enriquez explained his objection saying that there was no warrant for such.

The police official was later allowed to check the belongings in the presence of the lawyer.

An aunt of the suspect also blocked the police during their first attempt to haul Enfectana to the station.

She was eventually brought to the MCPO headquarters at 5:40 p.m.

IDMB chief Eddie Recamara said with the discovery of the personal belongings of the victim, they believe they have enough evidence to pin the suspect.

Recamara said that they have also gathered other evidence, which would be presented in court during the trial.

He also said that there was no need for a warrant of arrest against the suspect and has considered the arrest as a “perfect hot pursuit” at it started from the discovery of the crime until they were able to pin down the suspect through the vital evidence that they got.

However, Enfectana’s lawyer said that it was a “warrantless arrest” and he plans to contest it in court.

Recamara stressed that there was also no need for them to secure a search warrant as there was an approval coming from the owner of the house where the suspect rented a room.

Although the suspect earlier confessed of her participation during a free and voluntary statement to police investigators, but the lawyer retracted his client’s earlier admission and told reporters that Enfectana had no participation in the death of Ebarita.

However, Recamara said that the suspect’s participation in the crime is considered as principal by inducement as it was pre-meditated and well planned.

A murder case will be filed against the suspect today.

Supt. Tamboaon yesterday said that they have been coordinating with the Criminal Intelligence and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 8 to verify the identity of the two other suspects, who have been named as cohorts.

Tamboaon said that although Enfectana only mentioned two male suspects but witnesses said that there could have been three.

Police said, Enfectana during her confession, claimed that Ebarita and the suspects were having a “good time” inside the hotel room.

Police also said that the two suspects, who are still at large, are from Samar, but it was Enfectana who arranged that they meet the victim at the hotel.

The police are also still trying to trace the identity of the woman, who registered at the front desk of the Nikkei Garden Hotel where Ebarita’s body was found last Thursday night.

The victim’s naked body was stuffed inside two trash bags and bore 24 stab wounds. —/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)

Bushisms: They will be missed

2009-01-05T17:29:00.001+08:00

US President George W. Bush will leave behind a legacy of Bushisms, the label stamped on the commander-in-chief’s original speaking style. Some of the president’s more notable malaprops and mangled statements:

• “I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully.” - September 2000, explaining his energy policies at an event in Michigan.

• “Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?” - January 2000, during a campaign event in South Carolina.

• “They misunderestimated the compassion of our country. I think they misunderestimated the will and determination of the commander in chief, too.” - Sept. 26, 2001, in Langley, Virginia. Bush was referring to the terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks.

• “There’s no doubt in my mind, not one doubt in my mind, that we will fail.” - Oct. 4, 2001, in Washington. Bush was remarking on a back-to-work plan after the terrorist attacks.

• “It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber.” - April 10, 2002, at the White House, as Bush urged Senate passage of a broad ban on cloning.

• “I want to thank the dozens of welfare-to-work stories, the actual examples of people who made the firm and solemn commitment to work hard to embetter themselves.” - April 18, 2002, at the White House.

• “There’s an old saying in Tennessee - I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can’t get fooled again.” - Sept. 17, 2002, in Nashville, Tennessee.

• “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” - Aug. 5, 2004, at the signing ceremony for a defense spending bill.

• “Too many good docs are getting out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren’t able to practice their love with women all across this country.” - Sept. 6, 2004, at a rally in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

• “Our most abundant energy source is coal. We have enough coal to last for 250 years, yet coal also prevents an environmental challenge.” - April 20, 2005, in Washington.

• “We look forward to hearing your vision, so we can more better do our job.” - Sept. 20, 2005, in Gulfport, Mississippi.

• “I can’t wait to join you in the joy of welcoming neighbors back into neighborhoods, and small businesses up and running, and cutting those ribbons that somebody is creating new jobs.” - Sept. 5, 2005, when Bush met with residents of Poplarville, Mississippi, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

• “It was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship. After all, 60 years we were at war 60 years ago we were at war.” - June 29, 2006, at the White House, where Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

• “Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk to families who die.” - Dec. 7, 2006, in a joint appearance with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

• “These are big achievements for this country, and the people of Bulgaria ought to be proud of the achievements that they have achieved.” - June 11, 2007, in Sofia, Bulgaria.

• “Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit.” - September 2007, in Sydney, Australia, where Bush was attending an APEC summit.

• “Thank you, Your Holiness. Awesome speech.” April 16, 2008, at a ceremony welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the White House.

• “The fact that they purchased the machine meant somebody had to make the machine. And when somebody makes a machine, it means there’s jobs at the machine-making place.” - May 27, 2008, in Mesa, Arizona.

• “And they have no disregard for human life.” - July 15, 2008, at the White House. Bush was referring to enemy fighters in Afghanistan.

• “I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office.” - June 26, 2008, during a Rose Garden news briefing.

• “Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have helped transform 13 small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 people.” - July 4, 2008 in Virginia.

• “The people in Louisiana must know that all across our country there’s a lot of prayer - prayer for those whose lives have been turned upside down. And I’m one of them. It’s good to come down here.” - Sept. 3, 2008, at an emergency operations center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast.

• “This thaw - took a while to thaw, it’s going to take a while to unthaw.” Oct. 20, 2008, in Alexandria, Louisiana, as he discussed the economy and frozen credit markets. -AP

Article lifted from The Philippine Star, January 05, 2009 online edition

Words of Wisdom from Bob Ong

2009-01-04T10:47:00.003+08:00

Si Bob Ong nga pala ay pinoy writer. meron siyang website dati (bobongpinoy..com) pero sinara niya dahil yata di na niya kaya i-finance. Then he ventured into writing books (e.g. ABNKKBSNPLAko, Bakit Baliktad Magbasa ang mga Pilipno, etc.)

enjoy! batu-bato sa langit...hehehe!

====================================

1. "Kung hindi mo mahal ang isang tao, wag ka nang magpakita ng motibo para mahalin ka nya.."

2. "Huwag mong bitawan ang bagay na hindi mo kayang makitang hawak ng iba."

3. "Huwag mong hawakan kung alam mong bibitawan mo lang."

4. "Huwag na huwag ka hahawak kapag alam mong may hawak ka na."

5. "Parang elevator lang yan eh, bakit mo pagsisiksikan ung sarili mo kung walang pwesto para sayo. Eh meron naman hagdan, ayaw mo lang pansinin."

6. "Kung maghihintay ka nang lalandi sayo, walang mangyayari sa buhay mo. Dapat lumandi ka din."

7. "Pag may mahal ka at ayaw sayo, hayaan mo. Malay mo sa mga susunod na araw ayaw mo na din sa kanya, naunahan ka lang."

8. "Hiwalayan na kung di ka na masaya. Walang gamot sa tanga kundi pagkukusa."

9. "Pag hindi ka mahal ng mahal mo wag ka magreklamo. Kasi may mga tao rin na di mo mahal pero mahal ka. Kaya quits lang."

10. "Kung dalawa ang mahal mo, piliin mo yung pangalawa. Kasi hindi ka naman magmamahal ng iba kung mahal mo talaga yung una."

11. "Hindi porke't madalas mong ka-chat, kausap sa telepono, kasama sa mga lakad o ka-text ng wantusawa eh may gusto sayo at magkakatuluyan kayo. Meron lang talagang mga taong sadyang friendly, sweet, flirt, malandi, pa-fall o paasa."

12. "Huwag magmadali sa lalaki o babae. Tatlo, lima, sampung taon, mag-iiba ang pamantayan mo at maiisip mong hindi pala tamang pumili ng kapareha dahil lang maganda o nakakalibog ito. Totoong mas mahalaga ang kalooban ng tao higit sa anuman. Sa paglipas ng panahon, maging ang mga crush ng bayan nagmumukha ding pandesal, maniwala ka.

13. "Minsan kahit ikaw ang nakaschedule, kailangan mo pa rin maghintay, kasi hindi ikaw ang priority."

14. "Mahirap pumapel sa buhay ng tao. Lalo na kung hindi ikaw yung bida sa script na pinili nya."

15. "Alam mo ba kung gaano kalayo ang pagitan ng dalawang tao pag nagtalikuran na sila? Kailangan mong libutin ang
buong mundo para lang makaharap ulit ang taong tinalikuran mo."

16. "Mas mabuting mabigo sa paggawa ng isang bagay kesa magtagumpay sa paggawa ng wala.?

17. "Hindi lahat ng kaya mong intindihin ay katotohan, at hindi lahat ng hindi mo kayang intindihin ay kasinungalingan?

18. "Kung nagmahal ka ng taong di dapat at nasaktan ka, wag mong sisihin ang puso mo. Tumitibok lang yan para mag-supply ng dugo sa katawan mo. Ngayon, kung magaling ka sa anatomy at ang sisisihin mo naman ay ang hypothalamus mo na kumokontrol ng emotions mo, mali ka pa rin! Bakit? Utang na loob! Wag mong isisi sa body organs mo ang mga sama ng loob mo sa buhay! Tandaan mo: magiging masaya ka lang kung matututo kang tanggapin na hindi ang puso, utak, atay o bituka mo ang may kasalanan sa lahat ng nangyari sayo, kundi IKAW mismo!"

19. "Pakawalan mo yung mga bagay na nakakasakit sa iyo kahit na pinasasaya ka nito. Wag mong hintayin ang araw na sakit na lang ang nararamdaman mo at iniwan ka na ng kasiyahan mo."

20. "Gamitin ang puso para alagaan ang mga taong malalapit sa iyo. Gamitin ang utak para alagaan ang sarili mo."

21. "Ang pag-ibig parang imburnal...nakakatakot mahulog...at kapag nahulog ka, it's either by accident or talagang tanga ka."

Words of Wisdom from Bob Ong

2009-01-04T10:47:00.000+08:00

Happy birthday...to me

2008-12-31T18:13:00.005+08:00

My birthday is the only time of the year where I felt the excitement whenever my mobile phone beeps or rings. I must be really getting older to become so emotional about it but who cares. It is always refreshing and reassuring to get some good old wishes from family and friends.

Messages came in different styles but all conveyed wishes for the best of the coming year. I got greetings thru SMS, through email, my Frienster account and of course in person. An "office-made" birthday card was given to me by my staff. That was so touching. Then I got an unexpected call from a dear friend from Singapore. Some may have overlooked it or simply forgotten my birthday though.

Thirty-five may have sounded so ancient and Jurassic but when you got the best people as friends plus a loving family, I feel as if I haven't aged.

Thanks God for the gift of good health, long life and for family & friends.

Note: The "office-made" card was so colourful that I have to make some modifications. I changed the colour to a shade of blue - my favorite colour. =)

Belo-skinned at 35

2008-12-31T17:05:00.006+08:00

They must be joking.
Nobody believes I am 35.
Well, I joked around.
Maybe because while I don't look exactly young only Belo touches my skin.
Who touches yours?
Thanks God for the wonderful 35 years.

The year that was.....2008 in retrospect

2008-12-31T16:55:00.004+08:00

2008 was a great year. Let me count the ways:

I spent my first Christmas, Holy Week, Easter Sunday abroad - my first.
I've been to Malaysia and saw the Queen (of Malaysia).
I made a side-trip to Indonesia and experience what it was to be a millionaire!
I worked (then resigned) in Singapore.
I met wonderful people, really wonderful people in Singapore that I never experienced being homesick.
My beloved grandmother celebrated her 81st birthday. Isn't that wonderful?
I was not around when my beautiful Tita visited the Philippines but despite my absence I realized my family loved me so very much. Drama no? Wahehehe
I went back to school to finish my MBA and looking forward to graduating by March 2009.
Banjo (my little adopted brother) worked in Singapore and we had fun together with my other friends.
Finally, I visited Balamban. Yeah, it was fun!

To be continued...

Things I will do in 2009

2008-12-31T16:47:00.004+08:00

Under normal circumstances I don't do new year's resolution. In fact never did I have one. My point is why wait for new year to change, to do things or to whatever. Instead of new years resolution what I have is some kind of a to-do list. And here it is:

Read again - it's been a long time since I read books. Let's say maybe two years. Now I resolve to go back to reading.
Write again - if there is reading there has to be writing. And I intend to do that more actively this 2009. That means I will regularly update my blog.
Travel - nah, the travails of traveling but I tremendously enjoy going to different places. In 2009 I will visit at least two places I have never been to.
Teach - this is really my passion. But in 2009 this would be with a twist as I will teach graduate school. Isn't it exciting and ambitious? Hehehe
Hit the gym or at least indulge in some badminton sessions to get rid of my bulging tummy! Argh!

More to follow...

Personalized greetings

2008-12-31T16:36:00.004+08:00

I sent these two cards to my friends (and not so friends) through email. Kinda simple but at least personalized (daw!). Hehehehe

Dolphins save Palawan fisherman

2008-12-17T10:41:00.000+08:00

Dolphins save Palawan fisherman

By Redempto Anda
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:08:00 12/17/2008
Filed Under: Good news, Animals, Human Interest

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines — He needed a miracle to survive the cold and choppy waters, and he got it in the form of dolphins and whales.

Tuna fisherman Ronnie Dabal was fishing in Puerto Princesa Bay early on Dec. 8 when a squall turned his small motorized boat upside down. It was about 8 a.m.

He clambered atop a small Styrofoam board and battled the punishing waves for hours, growing desperate as the day wore on. How could he imagine then that he would survive in the most astonishing manner?

Dabal, 35, spoke with the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Dec. 9 in the company of his wife and representatives of nongovernmental organizations who authenticated his story.

“I began to pray when I felt my strength draining away. I couldn’t continue paddling with my hands because I was getting so tired, and I was about to pass out,” he said.

The fisherman recalled floating at sea throughout that Monday, paddling against the tide in a vain effort to get to shore, and feeling his arms and legs growing soggy.

Soon, a swarm of tiny crustaceans locally called “bugto” began nibbling on his softened flesh.

“There were so many of them and I couldn’t cope because I was very weak,” he said, showing the bite marks on his limbs.

“I started to bleed. I became afraid that sharks would smell my blood and appear at any time.”

To the rescue

Dabal’s hopes of reaching dry land slowly vanished as darkness fell and blanketed him.

And then, from out of nowhere, a pod of around 30 dolphins appeared: “Dumating ‘yung mga dolphins. Ang dami nila!” [Dolphins came. There were so many of them!]

A pair of whales about 10 meters long also appeared and flanked him: “Tapos, may lumapit na dalawang balyena. Dun sila sa tigkabilang tabi ko lumalangoy.” [Then, two whales approached. They swam with me, one on each side.]

Dabal, a father of two, swore it was not his mind playing tricks on him as he lay weak and still atop his tiny life raft, which the dolphins alternately nudged with their fins to shore.

As this was happening, the rest of the pod stayed close, around a meter away, apparently trying to make sure no harm would come to him, Dabal said.

He said the whales kept to his side, swimming along with the dolphins.

“Based on his description of the animals, the dolphins were probably spinners and the whales were most likely pilot whales,” Dr. Terry Aquino, a local cetacean specialist, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Saved by his wards

Dabal said he passed out while the dolphins were performing their slow chore of nudging him toward land.

At dawn on Dec. 9, he came to on the beach of Luzviminda village, where the local folk came to his assistance.

Dabal’s unique experience is made more special by the fact that he is a deputized part-time dolphin warden.

He was trained by the Palawan NGO Network and ABS-CBN Bantay Kalikasan Foundation, which are helping the city government in promoting dolphin- and whale shark-watching as a tourist attraction in Puerto Princesa City.

The foundation’s Dr. Gerry Ortega described Dabal as “a warden and a spotter whom we tap to locate the presence of dolphins whenever there are guests on dolphin-watching tours.”

“He is also involved mainly in collecting garbage in the areas frequented by dolphins, to prevent the animals from eating these and being poisoned by the plastics floating around,” Ortega said.

Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn was so elated by Dabal’s experience that he promised to strengthen his administration’s support for the fishing folk who are helping promote dolphin and whale tourism through volunteer work as wardens and spotters.

“Ronnie’s experience is the greatest proof that what we are doing to protect our marine environment is worth all the effort that we are putting into it. I’d like to think this is the animals’ way of also thanking us for helping protect their habitat,” the mayor said.

Social creatures

Aquino said Dabal’s experience occurred in the very area where dolphin-watching tours were being held, and that it was possible that the fisherman’s “saviors” were the same dolphins seen there.

“There are at least three similar incidents that happened here in Palawan. But overall, these phenomena have not been studied, and the accounts are mostly narratives of the survivors,” she said, adding:

“Dolphins are very social creatures and they are known to be intelligent beings. Some scientists even believe they are capable of emotion.”

Aquino said Dabal could have been rescued by spinner dolphins, the type that like to show off their speed and grace in swimming.

* * *

In The Know: Dolphins to the rescue

On Oct. 30, 2004, a pod of dolphins saved a group of lifeguards from being mauled by a shark in New Zealand.

According to reports by the New Zealand Herald and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., Rob Howes and three women lifeguards (who included his 15-year-old daughter) were on a training swim off Ocean Beach when seven bottlenose dolphins swam toward them and circled them.

When an opening in the circle occurred, Howes and one of the women drifted away from the group.

One large dolphin detached itself from the circle and dove a few meters away from them. Howes turned, waiting to see where the dolphin would surface.

That’s when he saw the three-meter-long great white shark.

Per Howes’ account, the shark started moving toward the two other women and the dolphins “went into hyperdrive.”

They herded the swimmers together, circling four to eight centimeters from them, and slapping the water with their tails for about 40 minutes.

The shark left when a rescue boat neared.

California

A pod of bottlenose dolphins also saved the life of a surfer in California, according to TODAYShow.com.

On Aug. 28, 2007, Todd Endris was sitting on his surfboard at Marina State Park off Monterey when a great white, estimated at four to five meters long, hit him but failed to bite.

On its second try, the shark clamped down on Endris’ torso, peeling the skin off his back. It then tried to swallow his right leg, biting the limb to the bone.

Endris used his left leg to kick at the shark until it let go.

That’s when a pod of bottlenose dolphins showed up and circled him, protecting him from further attacks from the shark.

Endris got back on his board and caught a wave that brought him back to shore. He was able to surf again after nearly four months.

Marine mammals

Dolphins are marine mammals related to whales and can be found worldwide. They feed on fish, squid, crab, shrimp and lobster.

They are social creatures and tend to form long-lasting groups, which they depend on for hunting, defense and raising their young. Eliza Victoria, Inquirer Research; wit editing by INQUIRER.net

My Christmas wish

2008-12-13T22:07:00.003+08:00

Topping my wish list for this Christmas is a book of ice breakers and games I can use in my trainings and seminars.

Mmmm...I hope I can get one from Santa even if I have not been so nice this 2008.

Photo credits from Inmagine

How sweet

2008-12-13T21:51:00.006+08:00

My face, my bearing, my actions don't exactly ignite some kind of inspiration to others. And I have accepted that long time ago. So obviously the compliment was surprising as it was heartwarming.

I just finished facilitating an annual planning session. One last activity was for all the participants to write all their shortcomings and bad habits in 2008 and burn errrr tear the paper as a symbolic gesture of leaving all these things behind and start fresh so as to realize their individual goals. We also gave them paper dolls wherein they will give one to a person whom s/he thought made a difference in her/his life. As expected it was a dramatic culminating activity. Tears fell, emotions were displayed openly.

Unexpectedly one of the participants came forward and gave me a paper doll and said "thank you kaayo sir. Malipay gyud ko kung ikaw moestorya sa atubangan kay ma-inspire ko." You should have seen my grin! It was a draining day for me, planning being an intellectual activity but after hearing the compliment I felt recharged!

I never thought I have made a difference. Thanks God for the gift to inspire. I didn't know I have it.

Photo credits: Lifted from the world wide web

Lord grant me the gift of patience and perseverance

2008-11-23T21:14:00.003+08:00

Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
the courage to change the things I can
and the wisdom to know the difference...

Bless me father...

2008-11-16T00:01:00.002+08:00

If I have the time I usually attend the 7PM anticipated mass. For two consecutive Saturdays I went to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral for the mass. The first Saturday I was right on time. But yesterday I was a bit late - just one song away from the Liturgy of the Word.

I sat down just six pews from the front. When communion came I joined the rest of the congregation in taking the Holy Communion. When it was my turn to take the Host I was pleasantly surprise to realize that the priest was my former college classmate! Who would have thought! I mean, I got seminarian classmates but I cannot recall him being one of them. And now here I am taking my communion from him.

He gained weight so I was at first not quite sure if it was him so after mass I asked the organist to for the name of the celebrant and there I was able to confirm that indeed he was my classmate.

I am happy to see him despite the fact that we were not able to talk. I know some of my friends and classmates are doing well in their job but I didn't realize I have a classmate who became a priest.

Indeed, many are called but few are chosen. One day I hope to have a little chat with Father Boyet and hear the Good News.

God moves indeed in mysterious ways.

Occupational hazzard

2008-11-13T21:38:00.004+08:00

If I were an actor, I would most probably end up and stereotyped as the main antagonist who will make the lead actor's life totally miserable. Problem is I am not an actor.

My demeanor, my bearing, my actions and reactions can sometimes be misconstrued as a blunt display of arrogance. Okay, okay I have to admit I have difficulty hiding my displeasure but I am not exactly what you guys thought. Promise. Cross my heart.

You must believe me when I say I am a people person. See beyond my facade. Don't judge me I am not a book. Hehehe

At work I was suprised when I was informed that some of my colleague will stage a mass resignation because I am too strict, too arrogant, too this, too that. I am as always the odd man, the thorn among the roses.

Being an HR guy, I should be in the better position to understand. But sometimes, despite perfecting my shield of indifference, it is sad to hear comments that are baseless.

Honestly? Hurt ako...ouch!

Photo lifted from Aroopsays Blogspot

The price of comfort

2008-10-13T19:12:00.001+08:00

How much are you willing to pay to make yourself comfortable?
Fifteen pesos. At the Ayala Mall.
You can wee wee.
You can poo poo.
Wash your hands with alcohol.
Apply lotion to soften your hands.
Then maybe stay a while and read magazine.
Yes, there are some things money can't buy.
For an urgent call of nature you don't need a Mastercard.
Just 15 pesos.

Photo lifted from Cabin Delights for presentation only

10 things I like about Singapore

2008-09-21T08:03:00.001+08:00

1. Clean and green - Singapore is a garden city. Trees and greeneries are just about anywhere, whether you are in the heartlands or in Orchard. Its cleanliness is renown.

2. WiFi - Singapore is wired but mostly wireless. You can surf even when you ride the Singapore Bus Services (SBS) Transit. From McDonalds to KFC to apartments you can get a Wi-Fi signal. Isn't that cool? I feel primitive thinking about my dial-up back home.

3 . MRT & LRT - Singapore Msss Rapid Transit & the Light Rail Transit is a gift to the working professionals that toiled everyday in high-rise office buildings in the city-state. It is impeccably run and clean and effecient and on-time and the adjectives can just go on and on and on. In less than two hours you can be at the four corners of Singapore by just taking the MRT. And now the Circle Line is about to be commissioned.

4. Sim Lim Square - Singapore is an electronics and tech-enthusiasts haven. And for buyers like me Sim Lim Square is the best place to buy everything from iPOD to laptop. And everything is surprisingly so affordable.

5. High-rise flat - Singapore's Housing Development Board did what we Filipinos just keep on dreaming - building mass housing for its citizens. Perched at the 19th floor, I can practically see half of Singapore.

6. Hooken Mei & Chicken Rice - I like to eat it. Period. No further explaination.

7. EZ-Link Card - one card pays it all: MRT, LRT, bus and even McDonald's accepts it. Isn't it nice?

8. Peace and order - you can walk around and jog around even at the wee hours in the morning. I haven't heard of any pickpockets, no hold-ups, you can leave your things without the usual fear of losing it.

9. The night rider - you don't need to take a taxi just to reach home after gimmicks. Bus plying special routes at night will take you home - well almost home. Taxis cost more at night. They add 50% of your fare, so thanks God for night rider.

10. Sentosa - it is not the happiest place on earth but Sentosa Island struggles to provide you the things you need: nature trek, the Underwater World, beach, adventure rides and other things.

Small but appropriately unique. As in Uniquely Singapore.

Jowk of the day

2008-08-20T11:44:00.003+08:00

I was at my table when suddenly one property consultant asked me:
PC: Sir, unsa man ning septuplet? (Sir what is septuplet)
She was apparently reading a news item about that Egyptian woman who gave birth to seven babies.
ME: Ah, pito ka bata ang gipanganak. (Ah, seven babies in one birth.)
PC: Mao ba? Unsa na siya inheritance? (Really? Is that inheritance?)

Regaining her composure, she corrected herself saying, "ay hereditary diay."

Tip for travelers

2008-08-11T02:07:00.001+08:00

"When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable." - Clifton Fadiman

What's in a (sur)name?

2008-08-11T01:58:00.003+08:00

The best of Pinoy humor

2008-08-07T22:39:00.000+08:00

1. Parlor in San Juan is named "Cut & Face".
2. Wholesaler of balut in Sto.Tomas, Batangas: "Starduck".
3. Fast food eatery in Nueva Ecija: "Violybee"
4. Internet cafe opened among squatters named "Cafe Pindot".
5. In Manila , there's a laundry place named, "Summa Cum Laundry".
6. Petshop in Ortigas: "Pussies and Bitches".
7. A pet shop in Kamuning: "Pakita Mo Pet Mo".
8. Bakery: "Bread Pit".
9. Bank in Alabang: "Alabank".
10. Restaurant in Pampanga named, "Mekeni Rogers".
11. Restaurant in Pasig : "Johnnny's Fried Chicken: The 'Fried' of Marikina ".
12. A boxing gym: "Blow Jab".
13. A tombstone maker in Antipolo: "Lito Lapida".
14. A copy center in Sikatuna Village called "Pakopya ni Edgar".
15. A beerhouse in Cavite called, "Chickpoint".
16. Laundromat in Sikatuna: " Star Wash : Attack of the Clothes".
17. Internet cafe in Taguig named, "n@kopi@".
18. Name of a kambingan, "Sa Goat Kita".
19. A salon somewhere, "Curl Up And Dye".
20. A lugawan in Sta. Maria, Bulacan: "Gee Congee".
21. A water refilling station in Dapitan named "Wa-Thirst".
22. A store selling feeds for chickens: "Robocock".
23. Shoe repair in Marikina : "Dr. Shoe-Bago".
24. Shoe repair store along Commonwealth, "SHOEPERMAN: we will HEEL you,save your SOLE, and even DYE for you".
25. Petshop: "Petness First"
26. Flower shop: "Susan's Roses".
27. Taxicab: "Income Taxi".
28. A 2nd hand watch store: "2nd Time Around".
29. A squid stall in a wet market: "Pusit to the Limit".
30. A shrimp store: "Hipon Coming Back".
31. A gay lawyer's extension office: " Nota Republic ".
32. A ceiling installer: " Kisame Street ".
33. A car repair shop: "Bangga ka 'day?"
34. An aquatic pet store in Malolos: "Fish Be With You".
35. A fishball cart named, "Poke Poke".
36. A beauty salon: "Saudia Hairlines".
37. A bakery: "Anak Ng Tinapay".
38. A resto along Mayon road in Manila : "May Lisa Eatery".
39. Laundry shop: "Wash Your Problem".
40. This mobile massage business name isn't funny, but their slogan is: "Asian Mobile Massage S ervice: Massage only, God is watching".
41. Ice cream parlor: "Dila Lang Ang Katapat".
42. Chicharon store: "Chicha Hut".
43. Neighborhood pizza store: "Pizza Hot".
44. A fishball cart near UST: "Eat My Balls".
45. A barbershop in Cagayan de Oro: "Pinoy Big Barber".
46. A Resto: "The Last Supper".
47. A goto resto: "Goto Ko Pa!"
48. A peanut vendor's cart with a funny name: "Mani ni Papa".
49. A gym in Malolos: " Gaymann Fitness Center ".
50. My brother's party needs business: "Balloon-Balloonan".
51. A Chinese restaurant in Pasig : "Lah-Fang".
52. A store selling fresh chicken, owned by woman named Dina: "Dina Fresh Chicken".
53. Panaderia: "Trimonay Bakeshop".
54. Salon: "Hair Dot Comb".

27,765

2008-07-25T15:20:00.006+08:00

Sir yes sir! Twenty seven thousand seven hundred and sixty five new and eager to go abroad nurses. If you think the number of new nurses is obscene, then think again. Because the figure represents 43.07% ONLY of the 64,459 nursing students who took the Nursing Board Exams.

Nurses everywhere! Betcha by golly wow! I don't know where we will put all these new nurses. The overseas demand has somehow subsided and only God knows what happens next.

Over the years we have became some kind of a factory for almost every available profession in the whole wide universe. Nurses, doctors, engineers, teachers, name it we have it ready for export.

The irony is we mass-produced health professionals but our health care system sucks! No nurses in provincial hospitals, no nurses in rural health centers, no health workers in remote and mountain barangays.

Everybody, well almost everybody wants to get a green card and migrate pronto, insegueda, now na!

Oh my God! Bless the Philippines!

Photo courtesy of Fotoseach

To love and to hold....till debt do us part?

2008-07-25T15:14:00.005+08:00

Qualities of a good partner

1. A HAPPY DISPOSITION - Look for a happy, optimistic person. Find someone who has a sense of humor and can laugh at himself/herself. True happiness springs from a content heart. Beware of the person who is only happy when you are around. You're going to get tired of being responsible for another person's happiness. You could end up feeling guilty when the person slips into bouts of depression. True happiness is a part of a person's character, regardless of the circumstances.

2. THOUGHTFULNESS - How does your date treat his parents and yours? Chances are you'll get treated very much the same way. Does he see things that need to be done and offer to help? Or does he put his own needs first? Does he open the car door and wait to seat you at the table? Manners are important-and they seldom get better after marriage.

3. NOT EASILY ANGERED- Temper outbursts can be the symptom of internal hostility. This hostility is often repressed during courtship as a person is trying hard to be on his best behavior... Take seriously any outburst you observe, and check with others who have known this person in different situations to see if they have noticed this trait. The way a woman treats her younger brother may be an indication of how she will treat her husband. Be leery of the person who has not learned to express his anger in words and instead merely harbors angry feelings in his heart. Going silent and withdrawing from a loved one because of anger is unhealthy and damaging to a relationship. Be sure you date a person long enough to observe how easily he or she becomes angry and how these feelings are expressed. Ask yourself, "Is this what I want to live with for a lifetime?"

4. WILLING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS - It's almost impossible to solve relationship problems by yourself. Marry someone who will be honest enough to admit being wrong, who doesn't have a habit of blaming others.

5. PURITY - Purity is not just an old-fashioned virtue. It's just safer to date someone who hasn't played around. At the same time you should not hold it against a person for past sexual involvement. You cannot always judge a person's true purity by virginity alone. Mind purity is equally important. Is your date pure in his thoughts and speech, as well as behavior? What jokes does he tell? What music does she listen to? What movies does he watch? What books or magazines does she read? Are they pure or suggestive? Mind pollution can lead to disrespect of the opposite sex.

6. TRUTHFUL - Too often couples play games when they are becoming acquainted. Playing games in a relationship is a form of dishonesty. Marriage isn't a game. It's a serious lifetime commitment. Search your own feelings and share honestly during your courtship. Be You.

7. GOOD HEALTH HABITS - No one wants to marry a slob - and few do. Bad health habits are difficult to break. That is why it's best to look for a person who has already established positive health practices.

8. ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY - Here are some questions that might detect irresponsibility: Does she see things that need to be done and do them? Does he volunteer to help? Does she get to places on time? Does he make lame excuses to get out of responsibilities? Does she take her talents seriously and work to improve her skills? Does he take care of his car and other personal possessions? Think about it. Just how responsible is the person you are dating?

9. GOOD SENSE OF SELF-WORTH - Often in a dating relationship, individuals with a poor self-esteem glean a sense of value from the person they're with. They become dependent on them to make them feel good... If you don't want to live a lifetime having to tiptoe around a person's fragile ego or having to hold yourself back for fear of how your spouse will react, then be careful not to get emotionally involved with someone who has a low sense of self-worth.

10. LIKES CHILDREN - Before marriage you may discuss children, but unless you're around a lot of children and can observe your date interacting with them in a wide variety of situations, you really don't have any idea about how he or she may discipline your children in the future. Seldom do both parents totally agree on how a child should be raised. Finding someone who at least likes children is an advantage.

11. A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD - It's very important for a marriage partner to have a personal relationship with God. Look for someone who is spiritually sensitive and willing to follow God's law. A Spirit-filled life is one filled with love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance (Galatians 5:22,23). A person who exhibits these traits is certainly easier to live with than someone who doesn't. What about your date? If you're interested in a real Christian, make sure his faith is part of his life twenty-four hours a day.

12. ACCEPTS YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE - True love is unconditional love. The important question to ask is, "Do I love her faults?" Only when you can truly love the total person, including all the points and bad habits, can you accept your mate for who he is and not secretly wish you could change him.

13. WILLING TO GROW - Good marriage partners grow together. They encourage each other to maximize their knowledge, skills and potential... Make sure the person you date seriously is the kind of person who is open to learning and will make changes when changes need to be made.

14. AFFECTIONATE - The ability to express love through words and actions is vital for an intimate love relationship. Look for tender words, acts and touches that are given naturally and "appropriately" throughout the day, and not just in private.

Photo courtesy of Study Matrix Art

The Garbage Truck Rule

2008-07-21T08:56:00.002+08:00

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!'

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.' He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile , wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home , or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so... 'Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.'

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

- Author Unknown. Story just forwarded to my email.

Granny Goose and I in pictures

2008-07-13T20:31:00.007+08:00

When I was a little boy sitting on my Granny Goose's lap. Photo taken with my mother (standing right) and my aunt.

Granny Goose

2008-07-13T20:14:00.001+08:00

Her beauty is stately. Thanks to the mixture of her lineage—which sadly I didn’t inherit. We fondly call her our family’s Queen Mother. With her impeccable grace and regal bearing, she is the quintessential family matriarch.

She still is as beautiful as I can remember. She is not only admired for her longevity but she respected for who she is—simple, diplomatic, kind, understanding and selfless.

Muy graciosa tambien.

She is not only a survivor; she is an icon. At 32 her husband died leaving five children, the youngest was barely 3 months old. At 32, she could have opted to re-marry and share the burden of raising her kids. Yet, she single-handedly raised these 5 kids until all of them have families of their own. She came from a Catolico cerrado family of sizeable fortune in the later part of the 1920s, she grew up tending to the vast tracts of land and herds of cattle her family once owned. Up in the lofty terrain, overlooking hectares of rice paddies with the serene-looking sea in the horizon, she grew up to be what we can consider now as “street smart.”

Not fully equipped with the kind of education we the younger generation enjoyed, she can do her mathematical calculations without batting an eyelash. In her prime, she was the fairest of them all. Her beauty and bearing shined through. Her icon-like qualities of a woman of courage and substance, character and graceful aging have been our source of pride. She is indeed a class of her own. Even in the most trying times, when every one of us wanted to follow the easier way, she always finds the way to lead us to where we should be.

Forty eight years after, at eighty she lost the youthful glow that I vividly remember. Wrinkled by years, slowed down by age she is undeniably an old lady. Yet she still exudes the confidence she is noted for. Yes, physically frail but keeping the same intensity and vigor that is patently hers. Her smile remains captivating. She lost her sight ravaged by glaucoma, still her eyes remains the window to her soul. She is still the tough woman of substance I came to know 33 years ago. Torture-tested by her painful experience, she doesn’t crack under extreme pressure. She is a woman of dignity, of strength. A woman oozing with love. Her mother instinct is as keen as when I was a little boy.

Just like a mother hen she won’t hesitate to flap her wings to scare intruders. Truly amazing. She sent me to school. Provided more than my basic needs. Scolded me for my temper. Laugh with me even with the corniest jokes. She reminded me to get married soon---maybe soon enough so she could see, nah feel my first born. We traveled together.

She is my number one fan.

She was beaming with pride when she attended my college graduation. For her it was more than a reward to her sacrifices. She is always proud of me, very proud of me. She told my Tita, “whatever may happen, take good care of Joseph.” I was reduced to tears. An old woman still worried for her 33 year old eldest grandson. My Christian name by the way is Joseph Marlon. And my family calls me Joseph.

This is the moment. When I was a little boy, she will hold my hand so I won’t fall. Forty eight years later, I am the one holding her hand so she won’t fall. Ah life. When she cries, I cry. When I cry, she cries without asking why. She is my source of wisdom, and pocket money.

She doesn’t want to go to the doctor but she has this undeniable faith in me so she goes only to the doctor when I am around. At her advanced age she could no longer go to public toilets by herself. Oftentimes, I have to be with her in the ladies' toilet standing right outside the door to the surprise of the other users.

She loves me more than anyone else. That is a fact nobody in our family refutes. Yet, she always scolds me for my temper. She told me point blank, “You might as well stay up in the mountain with that kind of temperament you have. You better live alone!” At 33, she still imposes her usual curfew on me. Sometimes I laugh at it, until I realize she meant what she said. Or she will stay awake the whole night patiently observing if somebody opened the door.

She was agonizing over my decision to work in Manila. Why so far away when I can be nearer. I prevailed but not without her usual litany of reminders. Foremost of which are, again, my temper and being home before 10PM.

It sometimes sad to think that in her twilight years I am away from her. I could have paid her a visit every so often, not just to show I remember her but to look after her needs just as she unselfishly looked after and provided me my needs when I was growing up.

I could have walked with her in our small garden while waiting for the sunset. I would have wanted to bring her to the beach nearby and watch her take a dip and enjoying the breeze. But I also have to find my place. The sad realities of life.

But wherever the tide of life casts my fate, Mama will always be someone very special. She is my number one fan. In her eyes I can never go wrong. Love you Ma

In times like these

2008-07-13T20:03:00.004+08:00

COMMON MONEY MISTAKES TO AVOID

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:03:00 07/13/2008

MANILA, Philippines - "Many people aspire to have a comfortable lifestyle now and in the future. But most aspire to build a stable financial future. People don't plan to fail; they just fail to plan," Aw says.

Most people fail to manage their finances smartly due to the following mistakes.

1. They fail to set measurable goals.
2. Make financial decisions without understanding its effect on other financial issues.
3. Confuse financial planning with investing.
4. Forget to re-evaluate financial plans periodically.
5. Think that financial planning is only for the wealthy.
6. Think that financial planning is for when they get older.
7. Think that financial planning is the same as retirement planning.
8. Wait for money crisis to happen before creating a financial plan.
9. Expect unrealistic returns on investments.
10. Think that using a financial planner means losing control.
11. Believe that financial planning is primarily tax planning.

Rowena C. Burgos

Photo courtesy of MLM The Thruth

Ganito kami noon....The way we were

2008-07-13T19:12:00.002+08:00

And now for the good news

2008-07-11T11:16:00.002+08:00

Four All Who Reed and Right

2008-07-10T23:48:00.002+08:00

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes; but the plural of ox became oxen not oxes.

One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, yet the plural of moose should never be meese. You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice; yet the plural of house is houses, not hice. If the plural of man is always called men, why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

If I spoke of my foot and show you my feet, and I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?

If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth, why shouldn't the plural
of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those, yet hat in the plural would never be hose, and the plural of cat is cats, not cose.

We speak of a brother and also of brethren, but though we say mother, we never say methren.

Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him, but imagine the feminine, she, shis and shim.

Let's face it,English is a crazy language.

There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England.

We take English for granted.

But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea, nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends, but not one amend?

If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes, I think all the folks who grew up speaking English should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?

Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?

Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down; in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

Thoughts on relationships

2008-07-10T23:39:00.006+08:00

Relationships are spiritually motivated but humanly expressed. Learning more about your real self will help expand your relationship life.
The success of any relationship is centered on the growth of each individual. Understanding how and why you make the choices you do, will strengthen your ability to have a loving and healthy relationship. You are meant to love. Relationships of every kind allow you to truly express love. Changing what has not worked for you will allow you to love more generously and fully.

It's easy to get stuck in the same relationship patterns. Some of those patterns are obvious, others may not be. Repeating the same relationship mistakes brings the same results. The result can be pain, frustration, confusion, resentment and blame.

Michael Kane

Photo courtesy of Medtogo

Turning 30

2008-07-10T23:30:00.006+08:00

Turning 30 (I am actually 30-something) represent a chance to right wrongs, settle scores, start fresh. It is time to build on past successes while creating new one' s. The following may not be applicable to everyone in making the most of it, but among those who asked who were in the cusp of 30, these are the things they wished they had done sooner.

1. TRAVEL - Most young people should have the opportunity to see that the world is bigger than Megamall. If you are lucky enough to be sponsored in making a big trip to the US or Europe, treat it as a learning experience, not just a great opportunity to buy Bass loafers on discount. It is a cliche but true: travel makes history come alive and opens up the mind to countless new experiences. Make sure you can learn from it while you can.

2. BUY LIFE INSURANCE - it is a fact of life that in your 20s, life insurance is seen as cumbersome, morbid and not worth paying. Insurance agents on the other hand are weasels, vultures and vermin that don't have enough rocks to crawl under. The reality is accidents happen. Buses ram into cars. Planes crash. Boats sink. Anything can happen and it's too late to sort out a potential financial mess when your family and relatives are in mourning. This is not a pitch for insurance companies, but if you'd stop blowing off that agent, you'd find out what you can get out of life insurance, namely peace of mind.

3. GET FIT - at 20 losing pounds is like sneezing.
There's hardly any effort involved. At 30, just budging the ripples of fat on your thighs would involve a crane and forklift. Generally, the younger you are, the easier it is to reach and maintain optimum fitness. Getting into the habit early on primes and conditions your body so that by 30 at a time when couch potatoes start discovering mysterious aches and pains, you're in the pink of health. Start living healthier sooner and the benefit will remain with you longer.

4. SAVE OR INVEST MONEY - saving is rarely a priority in your 20s, shopping is. There are many young bright things out there with Prada bags, Maxmara suits and debts that are shoved into a drawer in the hope they would evaporate. Around 30 or thereabouts, the shopping plateau hits. There are life changes: a shift in careers, a marriage, a baby. Follow your mother's advice and pay yourself first every payday by deducting a percentage that gets debited straight into an account you can't touch. Not doing without it will train you to live on what's left. At 30, you'll be glad you made that early sacrifice. While your peers will be struggling to put something away, you can be secure in the thought that you had a head start. ** try mutual funds

5. LEARN ANOTHER LANGUAGE OR GET ANOTHER DEGREE - the best time to learn another language or get another degree would be when you're encumbered by job and family responsibilities, with the extra time and energy to work and study at the same time. Acquiring relevant skills and knowledge add up to your value as an employee or manager and brightens prospects for the future.

6. LIVE ON YOUR OWN - some people think independence means not borrowing the car on Saturday night. That's admirable, but moving out is much more of a learning experience. Paying household bills you've racked up, learning how to clean up after your own rubbish without a squadron of maids, even cooking your own meals are lesson well learned far from home. So many young people claim they are the masters of their own destiny but fuss when the maid doesn't turn the hot water on. Perhaps, the best lesson one can learn in this life is that mommy and daddy are not always there to pick up after you. Living on your own will teach you that in ways no textbook can and will equip you better for the time when you start a family.

7. EXORCISE YOUR GHOST - during your 20s, it's okay to blame your anger on deprived childhood, betrayals, cruel friends and traitorous boyfriends. During your 30s, the same excuses sound pretty lame. At some point or another, you will have to be responsible for your own actions. So your parents broke up? Sooner of your girlfriends/boyfriends jilted you for your friend? So bloody what? Using these creaky skeletons as scapegoats for a miserable existence hardly counts as looking forward.

I still have an office colleague who can't forget no one spoke to her when she was in a freshman party in Australia. Did it scar her for life?
Probably, since she can't seem to stop talking about it. Get rid of those ghosts that have stubbornly hung over you. They have no place in your tomorrows except as references to periods in your life. Turning 30 means moving on, not pestering with old grievances. Remember Mme. Calmet? According to the Observer, despite the death of her only daughter in 1934, of her husband in 1942 and of her only grandchild in 1963, she has something we should all aspire to have, says her doctor. "She has a remarkable capacity to overcome grief and carry on." And carrying on is only the start. Better things are yet to come – just wait until you're 40.

Author Unknown

Photo courtesy of Cakes You Can Bake

Do not...Bai

2008-07-10T23:28:00.000+08:00

Do not... undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Do not... set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

Do not... take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

Do not... let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.

Do not... give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. It is a fragile thread that binds us to each other.

Do not... be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Do not... shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give love; The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly.

Do not... dismiss your dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope; To be without hope is to be without purpose.

Do not... run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going.

Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

Author Unknown

Doctor of Education

2008-07-04T01:33:00.006+08:00

I always consider myself as academic. Not in the sense that I am intellectual or scholarly. School is like a second home. And with it goes my obsession to get a PhD degree one day soon. Now I am on my last year of my MBA with major in Human Resource & Organizational Management. Getting at least an MBA is part of my lifetime quest of obtaining an advanced degree. But a PhD is part of the greater plan.

I always admire people with impressive academic credentials. Be it just a graduate degree or a post-graduate course. I look at them with concealed awe and envy. They exude a certain degree of superiority and of course brainpower. I mean, passing a 4-year college course can be a daunting task, how much for more a PhD with the dissertation and all?

By the way, graduate studies are those courses that we enrol after finishing our four-year course – no longer prefixed with Bachelor in but rather Master in. Post-graduate is the PhD level. Over time post-graduate courses being offered have evolved from just Doctor of Philosophy. Now there are countless of post-graduate courses like Doctor of Public Administration, Doctor of Business Administration, and other fancy doctorate degrees.

Anyway, can you just imagine my surprise when I met my professor in one of my subjects? As is customary on the first day of classes we have to introduce ourselves. With an air of unmistakable confidence she introduced herself as Dr So and So. I asked her whether she has a PhD. Nicely she said no, I have an E-D-D – which thankfully I immediately understood to mean Doctor of Education (Ed. D.). What stunned me was the way she pronounced her English vocabulary. Oh my goodness! Did I enrol in the right school? If this professor can teach graduate students with this kind of pronunciation, then perhaps I could teach post-graduate students.

I mean, I am not being harsh. I have high regard with people having the same credentials. I didn’t expect them to sound flawlessly like a native English speaker but my God, I expect something better – pronunciation and diction-wise. I was entirely unprepared to hear it. I was even totally horrified by idea that, according to her, she was teaching English before. Maybe I should stop wondering why there seems to be a rapid decline in our English proficiency.

My two other classmates (there are only three of us in this class) cannot hide their surprise and amusement of our professor’s ability or better yet inability to enunciate well the words. With all due respect to her, it was disturbing and amusing to hear her speak.

And by her own admission, which I find totally unacceptable, she is not competent enough to teach the subject. Maybe, I should give her high marks for honesty.

*Sigh*

God bless the Philippines.

Photos courtesy of www.universitycapsandgowns.com

Moving on is a decision to make

2008-07-04T01:22:00.002+08:00

A female friend was sharing her failed love affair to us her friends. She did it individually – I mean to say sharing it to each of us as if we are hearing a confession. She has become like a broken record. In fact, I could almost memorize the dialogue she is using. And the plot of the story. And of course the characters of her love story.

I can sympathize with people who are nursing a broken heart. Been there, done that. Of course it could be really hurtful. But what I cannot understand is their inability to accept that things go wrong and love is not an exception. Moving on after a heart break is a decision to make. It is not something you left it up to the Lord. Come on, while we can do silly things while in love, we cannot possibly gone mentally deranged when heartbroken.

I always teased my friend that she might have been watching too much TV where every telenovela has a happily ever after ending. Or maybe she is reading a lot of forwarded emails on love and devotion to partners.

Part of loving is getting hurt. But you cannot hurt yourself until kingdom come. You’ve got to pick up the pieces and move on and start all over again.

Otherwise, you are watching too much TV.

Photo courtesy of www.photoshopmonster.com

Again, it starts in the mind

2008-06-17T09:55:00.008+08:00

Homosexual brain resembles that of opposite sex – study
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 07:10:00 06/17/2008

WASHINGTON -- The brains of homosexual men resemble those of heterosexual women, while lesbians' brains show similarities with those of straight men, a study published Monday showed.

Researchers at the Stockholm Brain Institute in Sweden investigated "two separate parameters, both unlikely to be directly affected by learned patterns and behavior" in 90 men and women -- 50 heterosexual and 40 homosexual -- using magnetic resonance imagery (MRI).

Fifty people who took part in the study were also given positron emission tomography (PET) scans to study the amygdalae, masses of nuclei located deep within the temporal lobes which control arousal, fear and emotional responses, and hormonal secretions.

The results showed that the right-hand brain hemisphere was larger in heterosexual men and homosexual women, while homosexual men's and heterosexual women's brain hemispheres were symmetrical.

Homosexual men showed another brain similarity with heterosexual women in their amygdala connections, which process certain emotions, as did homosexual women and straight men.

"The amygdala has a key role in emotional reactions to external stimuli, including stress," the authors of the study said, hypothesizing that the amygdala of straight men and gay women could be "wired for a greater fight-or-flight response," reportedly more common in men.

The results of the study were published in the Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences.

Photo courtesy of Body Works Fitness

Island hopping

2008-06-16T21:04:00.011+08:00

I felt like a jetsetter. I mean, why not?

In a span of roughly 48 hours I have gone to three countries by simply spending 60 minutes on the road and 150 minutes by fast craft.

From the Woodlands exit point in Singapore I travelled by land to Peninsular Malaysia through the State of Johor via Causeway Link and the trip took me less an hour (not counting the immigration queue). Gone in 60 minutes and spending less than S$3.00 bus fare, there I was in another country. I stayed overnight in Johor Bahru or JB - the capital city of the State.

Then the following day on to another adventure.

I boarded a fast craft from a jetty terminal located in one of the upscale hotels of JB. This time my destination is Batam, Indonesia. The trip, which costs me RM79.00 (Malaysian Ringgit), was smooth and the 90 minute cruise was predictably boring. The TV show is not in English, the fast craft was not exactly air-conditioned, the people speak different language so I just put myself sleep while listening to my iPOD.

Thankfully the trip was not bumpy so I arrived in Batam in good shape. I would have wanted to stay overnight in Batam but opted not to. Batam is merely 20 kilometers away from Singapore and is known for being a free trade zone. Just like the rest of Indonesia, Batam’s time is an hour late compared to Singapore, Malaysia or the Philippines.

After spending less than three hours in Indonesia, again I boarded another fast craft for another 60-minute sea trip going back to Singapore that cost me SGD30.00.

Well, quoting Mastercard, "There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s Mastercard."

And yes, it’s about experience.

Photo courtesy of Sriwijaya Air and for illustration purposes only to show the location of the three countries mentioned.

Take a look-a-like

2008-05-30T19:43:00.003+08:00

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity

Basic Instinct: Bad breath or no bad breath

2008-05-29T09:53:00.010+08:00

Some are not completely aware that they have it. Or maybe they pretend to be unaware just to get away with it. Whatever it is, there should be no reason for us not to know.

SELF TEST FOR BAD BREATH
Follow the 5 easy steps below and test your breath and find out do you have Bad Breath:
1. Lick the back of your hand. Let it dry for a few seconds and then smell. If you notice and odor, you have a breath disorder.
2. Place dental floss between your back teeth and then smell the floss.
3. While looking at the mirror, grab the tip of your tongue with a Kleenex and pull it out as far you can. If you see that the very back of your tongue is whitish in color, it may be a sign that you have bad breath.
4. Ask the opinion of someone you can trust. Check your breath several times daily because your breath changes throughout the day.
5. Professional use of a Halimeter will measures the concentration of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) in the mouth.

CAUSES OF THE BAD ODOR
The major causes of bad breath are caused by sulfur compounds that are produced by dead or dying bacteria cells. The back of tongue where bacterial plaque and food debris accumulate is an ideal place where this bacteria forms. This is because the tongues' surface is extremely rough with cracks and crevices. The tooth decay and the gaps between our tooth are also and ideal places that attracts this bacteria. If not cleaned regularly and thoroughly, the result of large accumulation of bacteria will result to bad breath. Other reasons for the causes of bad breath other than from the mouth are:
1. Infections caused by the sinuses, lungs, throat or tonsil
2. Diabetes
3. Failure of the kidneys
4. Malfunction of the liver
5. Disorders of you metabolism
6. Fasting

DIY Halitosis treatments for us:
(Please note: These are only suggestions and do not guarantee to work)
1. At all times maintain a high level of oral and dental hygiene. In addition to brushing, it is important to clean between the teeth using dental floss, toothpicks or an inter-dental brush as recommended by your dentist or pharmacist.
2. Use a tongue cleaner and clean right to the back of the tongue.
3. Use a mouthwash is recommended. The best time to use it is just before sleeping.
4. Drink plenty of fluids, avoiding too much coffee and alcohol.
5. Clean your mouth after eating dairy products, fish and meat.
6. Chew sugar-free gum, especially if your mouth feels dry.
7. Eat fresh food and fibrous vegetables.
8. Visit your dentist regularly and have your teeth professionally cleaned as required.

Credits: Tips from Bourse Center; illustration from Dr Paul H Keyes

Mirror, mirror on the wall

2008-05-29T00:31:00.005+08:00

Wasted resources

2008-05-28T14:02:00.010+08:00

My tita has been in the United States for almost 25 years. Yes, that long. She sent me to school. And my other cousins too. She was married to an American, childless and at 52 already widowed. Apart from my tuition fees before and my cousins' school fees now, she regularly supports our family. Filipinos' definition of support means food, clothing and shelter. Over the years she has sent, without exaggeration, millions of pesos for our family. But what went wrong? Over time my Tita and I haven't seen any substantial and observable improvement in our family - financial or otherwise. Despite the money spent, our ancestral house remained unfinished. Our lands remained unproductive, uncultivated. Worst part is money sent is not always enough.

Fiscal balance in our household seemed so impossible to attain. No surplus, always deficit. Tita and I agreed that if our fiscal management remains the same even if half of our family members work abroad and send money, our family will remain basically the same. There is simply an absence of foresight. Misplaced priorities. Lack of prudence and self-discipline. Immaturity. A certain degree of dishonesty and selfishness. And worst, there seems to be lack of appreciation on how these monies were earned just to have something to send back home regularly. No wonder despite sending millions of Filipinos abroad, the Philippines remain dirt poor. No need to look around. My family is the microcosm of the Philippine society.

Angels and Demons

2008-05-27T22:41:00.008+08:00

I have seen it on TV.
I read it in the papers.
It occurs every so often.
But I never thought I will become a victim myself.
Exploitation.
From an abusive employer.
But while there are demons
Angels outnumbered them.
Literally and figuratively.
Thanks God for the angels.

Photo credit: Picture of baby dressed as evil courtesy of Tricia Harris

The best of Pinoy ingenuity

2008-03-03T22:24:00.003+08:00

Lessons from "Tuesdays with Morrie"

2008-03-01T12:54:00.003+08:00

"Do the kinds of things that come from the heart. When you do, you won’t be dissatisfied, you won’t be envious, you won’t be longing for somebody else’s things. On the contrary, you’ll be overwhelmed with what comes back."

"You know what that reflects? Unsatisfied lives. Unfulfilled lives. Lives that haven't found meaning. Because if you’ve find meaning in your life, you don’t want to go back. You want to go forward."

"When you learn how to die, you learn how to live."

"Death ends a life, not a relationship."

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in."

"Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too - even when you’re in the dark. Even when you’re falling."

"When you're in bed, you're dead"

"Love wins. Love always wins."

"As you grow, you learn more. If you stayed as ignorant as you were at twenty-two, you'd always be twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth. It's more than the negative that you're going to die, it's the positive that you understand you're going to die, and that you live a better life because of it."

"Love each other or perish."

"Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone."

"Don't hang on too long, but don't let go too soon."

"Without love, we are birds with broken wings."

"Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?"

"If the culture doesn't work, don't buy it."

"If we can remember the feeling of love we once had, we can die without ever going away."

"Hello, Friend!"

Picture of book cover taken from Tuesdays with Morrie

In pursuit

2008-02-05T14:37:00.000+08:00

Decision making is a trying and a tiring process. It is just that, while most of us want to buy time, still at the end of it all decision has to be made.

Like the Rotary Club's Four Way Test, I make decisions based on my own set of criteria:

I should not be stepping on one's toes and it should not be hurting to others if possible. Meron ba akong naapakang tao? Meron ba akong nasaktang tao?
The decision will bring me happiness or at least it will make me happy. Masaya ba ako sa maging desisyon ko?
I am ready to face the consequence of my decision. Handa ba akong tanggapin ang kung ano mang mangyari dahil sa naging desisyon ko?

We cannot please everybody, but it should not deter us from coming up with difficult decisions especially when our own happiness is at stake. After all, our happiness is our own lookout. It is not something we can depend on other people.

Crossroads picture stolen from Pupster Files

As a man thinketh

2008-02-04T01:34:00.001+08:00

ALL that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts.

In a justly ordered universe, where loss of equipoise would mean total destruction, individual responsibility must be absolute.

A man's weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own, and not another man's;

They are brought about by himself, and not by another;

And they can only be altered by himself, never by another.

His condition is also his own, and not another man's.

His suffering and his happiness are evolved from within.

As he thinks, so he is;

As he continues to think, so he remains.

Photo from Museum Replicas

Rain, rain don't go away

2008-02-02T15:23:00.000+08:00

In typhoon-prone Philippines, rain comes in abundance. And back home, rains cannot just be disruptive, it can be also be destructive.

I really cannot remember myself "singing in the rain." I remember though skipping classes because it's raining hard. It can also be a welcome relief it it rains at night. The warm climate of the Philippines can be punishing especially during sleeping time.

Over the years, rain has become synonymous to flood. So much so that the rain season has become an unwanted guest for it surely means flooded street, flooded canals, flooded everything. Thank you to the garbage that clogged practically all the waterways of Mega Manila and other prime cities in the Philippines. A short downpour can make Manila or Cebu the Venice of the East.

In short, when rainy days and mondays come not everybody is happy. The appreciation is simply gone.

But not in Singapore.

Rain is a source of life in Singapore. Devoid of any natural source of spring water, Singapore imports part its supply of fresh drinking water from neighboring Malaysia.

The primary source of freshwater of Singapore is rain. In fact 50% of its water supply comes from the various catchment basins specially built to store rain water. Fabled for its ability to visualize the city-state's needs years before the actual need, Singapore has already a total of 19 water reservoirs, 9 treatment plants, and just about 14 water storage facilities to supply local demands.

And Singapore is perhaps one of the very few countries to have recycled its wastewater for it to become safe to use again. The government likewise put up a desalination plant capable of producing 30 million gallons of water a day - or enough to provide 10% of its water needs.

I cannot help but realize that while some places are wise enough on what to do with potentially disastrous natural phenomenon and turn it into something useful, others simply just watch and keep on giving warnings of potential disasters when in fact they could have done something better.

While my country keeps on cleaning its clogged arteries, Singapore is already taking full advantage of the resource that is literally heaven sent.

Now I don't say rain, rain go away. Instead I say, thanks God for the rain.

Photos taken by Dazed & Confused from his room.

Poster perfect

2008-01-28T12:06:00.000+08:00

Onli in da Pilipins

2008-01-23T23:24:00.000+08:00

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:32:00 01/12/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- The eagle has landed. Airport staff preparing for the arrival of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from her trip to Spain, United Kingdom and Kuwait last month were faced with a big problem: the lack of audience.

The President was scheduled to arrive at around 1 a.m., and very few well-wishers were around. As airport operations were quite light at the time, the Malacañang staff requested officials of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to bring available customs collectors, immigration inspectors and other employees at the airport to the presidential lounge to hear Ms Arroyo speak.

With less than hour to go, more than a hundred seats in the lounge still needed to be filled. “Aren’t there OFWs [overseas Filipino workers] around? Can we invite them here? Is there nobody else?” one jittery Palace staffer asked.

A little later, a grinning airport official arrived, herding about three dozen uniformed maintenance and janitorial crew to the lounge. The Malacañang staff told them to cheer when the President passed them; some were asked to line up the red carpet, and not to hesitate to shake her hand.

The military band was already playing the arrival march when a Malacañang staff approached the uniformed employees and told them to take off their uniforms and be seated randomly, not in clusters. “Hurry, take them off and scatter up, she’s here. Look lively,” a staffer said in Tagalog. J. Aning

Credit: Article lifted from Inquirer Opinion; photo courtesy of Office of the Philippine President

The tall and short of it

2008-01-18T22:12:00.000+08:00

I don't know if I will rejoice with this article. At 5'10", I cannot consider myself tall enough but definitely I am not vertically challenged. I didn't ask my mom whether I was just a normal baby - size-wise - when I was born, although I guess I was because I was born thru natural way, upside down and naked.

Anyway, I leave it to the experts. That is already beyond the realm of my intellect to go futher and prove that height is directly proporational to having suicidal tendencies. Personally though, I can vouch that I don't entertain the thought of doing something to harm myself. I cannot even stand seeing my own blood dripping, how much more taking my own life.

Call me old-fashioned but for me life has always been a gift from God and only Him has the right to take it away from us.

Read on.

SHORTNESS AT BIRTH DOUBLES RISK OF SUICIDE ATTEMP - STUDY
AFP, First Posted 09:02:00 01/17/2008

PARIS -- Male babies born shorter than average were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide as adults, especially by violent means, according to a study released Thursday.

Even among men of normal height who began life as newborns less than 47 centimeters (18.5 inches) long, the link with suicide remained almost as strong, said the study, published in the British Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Weight at birth was also factor in the likelihood that a man would at some point try to take his own life, even more so when combined with below-average length.

Men who weighed under 2500 grams (5.5 pounds) but who reached normal height were more than 2.5 times as likely to make a violent suicide attempt.

And premature babies -- both small and underweight -- were, as adults, more than four times as likely to attempt violent suicide than persons born after 38 to 40 weeks of pregnancy.

Violent suicides attempts were defined as those involving hanging, the use of a firearm or knives, jumping from a height or in front of vehicles, and drowning.

The study, led by Ellenor Mittendorfer Rutz of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, also found that height was a factor in suicide attempts independent of birth weight or size.

Short men, even if normal height when babies, were more than half again as likely to try to do themselves in. More generally, the taller a man was, the less likely he was to attempt suicide.

The study is based on national registration data in Sweden covering nearly 320,000 males born between 1973 and 1980.

The researchers speculated that the brain chemical serotonin may account for their findings.

Serotonin is critical for brain development, and low levels have been linked to aggressive, impulsive and suicidal behavior. Several anti-depressant drugs regulate serotonin levels.

"Children born pre-term show damage in various parts of the brain," including one -- the prefrontal cortex -- that is thought to be the site of changes in the serotonin metabolism of those who commit suicide, the authors conclude.

The study also said serotonin levels may be affected by other factors restricting growth in the womb, such as maternal drug and alcohol abuse, or malnutrition.

Photo courtesy of Klast

Sto. Nino de Cebu - Gozos

2008-01-18T08:45:00.000+08:00

Bato balani sa gugma, Sa daan tawo palangga.

Tubag: KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTANGA KANIMO NANGILABA

Dinhi sa siudad sa Sugbo ang matahum larawan. Sa unang mga misionero, sa usang balay hipalgan. Kanila ikaw nagpakitagikan da sa imong gugma.

KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTANGA KANIMO NANGILABA

Giludhan ikaw gisimba niadtong mga kaparian sa tanan nga katawhan sa mga ponoan nila kay sa pagtan-aw kanimo Kristianos sila nahimo.

KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTANGA KANIMO NANGILABA

Ang simbahan gipatindog niadtong mga tawhana aron ang larawan nimo dunay usang puluyanan. ug didto gihangyo nila nga kaluy-an nimo sila.

KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTANGA KANIMO NANGILABA

Nangayo kami kanimo nga ang matahum mong larawan,sa sulud sa kalag namo makahimong puluyanan, kay sa tanan kinahanglan ikaw ang among dalangpan.

KANAMO MALOOY KA UNTANGA KANIMO NANGILABA

Credits: lyrics courtesy of Santo Nino de Cebu Organization; photo courtesy of Wow Pinoy

Household

2008-01-17T23:12:00.000+08:00

Over the course of years I guess have already perfected the art of making a believable alibi everytime someone asks me to join a church-based organization. Don't get me wrong. While I am not exactly afraid of joining, I am not comfortable with the idea either. For me I am simply not the type of guy you see actively evangelizing or doing similar stuffs. I do my prayers privately and exactly the way I want it done.

Well, that was before.

When I came to Singapore I find myself in the midst of total strangers coming together for the Christian Life Program of CFC-Singles for Christ Singapore. OMG! Di kaha ko mo-silaob aning kalakiha? When my friends and I went to church one time, there was this group of people giving out leaflets about SFC. Without giving much thought to it I also signed up. Nothing wrong with signing up anyway. In fact when they sent me an SMS to follow up I didn't bother to reply. But my friend was so persistent. So there I was an empty piece of a shell.

I couldn't say that was the start of my conversion. I never left Him in the first place. But being there was like finding an oasis in the middle of the desert. It is like finding a vending machine full of Coca Colas after walking for so many miles. In short, it was refreshing as it was heartwarming.

But still I have my reservations. For I know it was not a simple social group. It was a venue to renew my faith and to strengthen it. How far can I possibly go? I am more of a sinner than a saint. And I know that. Would I be singing this is the day that the Lord has made? Will I rival Bo Sanchez or even Mike Velarde?

One of the activities of SFC is what they termed as HH - Household. It is basically a visitation to a member's house by members of your group. Since I am a promdi by heart the idea that people will come to my house to pray is a good sign. See, I always look at it as something of a blessing. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I will be in there midst. (Matthew 15:20)

True enough, it was a night of prayer and sharing. No fancy rituals and singing - just direct to the point prayer and thanksgiving. It was heartwarming to see people praying not only for themselves but for each other and for other people as well. We joined hands to praise Him, we thank Him for both the trials and for the blessings, we prayed for ourselves, we prayed for our respective families and friends and we prayed for each other.

Sometimes we are so comfortable with our daily prayer routines to a point where we thought we are better off being alone murmuring our prayers. There are times we need to pray alone. After all prayer is our personal conversation with God. But we are not alone. Community prayer allows us to be one with our brothers and sisters in faith, one community in prayer, in thanksgiving.

Just as a family that prays together stays together, a community that prays together tends to live harmoniously together.

Credits: upper photo courtesy of LEXUMCSC; middle photo from Jesus Walks; lower photo from My Daily Prayer

Sleeping with the enemy

2008-01-15T12:42:00.000+08:00

Avoid the three enemies of personal peace:

1. Regret over yesterday's mistakes;

2. Anxiety over tomorrow's problems; and

3. Ingratitude for today's blessings.

The (trying) times of my life

2008-01-10T20:42:00.000+08:00

nisimba ko ganina
6PM nga misa
naglakaw ra ko
duol ra man ang simbahan
siguro mga 15 minutos ra
regular nga lakaw
na late pa gyud ko
pero okay lang
bisag human na ang misa
wala pa ko molakaw
nag ampo pa ko
nag rosaryo

human misa
padung ko sa palitanan
ug load sa cellphone
siguro 15 mins nga lakaw
lakaw na pud
sayang ang pamasahe
pede ra man malakaw
that is roughly
half km away
with all the pasikot sikot sa dalan

$50 ra ako kwarta
ang load 26
sa ato pa 24 nalang mabilin
di pa ta ko mag load
pero mag expire ako account
wala ra bay laing way
para ma kontak ko gawas sa
akong cellphone
so dapat dili siya maputol

taym sa 24 nalang mabilin ani
wala na ko food sa balay
tanan nako kwarta $110 nalang
ang 50 ana pambayad ba sa bills
gigutom kog binaktas
pero wa lang sa ko mokaon
giuna nakog palit ang load
nisulod ko sa grocery
kay mopalit kog para makaon
nako sa inadlaw adlaw
nangita kog sliced bread
ganahan ta ko ug wheat bread
pero tag $1.45
nangita kog mas barato
kakita kog $1
nipalet kog duha
nangita kog palaman
naa koy gusto paliton lami
sya na palaman
pero $3.70 siya
nangita na pud ko lain
naay gi-sale na palaman
pineapple flavor
$2 nalang imbis $2.70
unya dako na ang garapon
nga gisudlan
mao nalang ni akoa paliton

mopalit ta kog karne
pero wala nalang
naay isda nga 55 cents ang
100 grams
daghan isda
pero tag $1 kapin na ang 100 grams
ang tag 55 cents ako gipili
nagpatimbang kog 5 kabuok
unya ako gipalimpyohan daan
ang lima ka isda $2.60 tanan
sige ko tan-aw sa karne
hangtud naabot ko sa estante
nga naay fresh pancit
500 grams kay 70 cents
nikuha ko kay maayo nalang
paborito man pud nako
ni ang pancit
dapat naay sagol nga karne
pero di lang sa
pancit dapat naay repolyo
so nangita ko
depende sa gidak-on ang presyo
naay tag 93 cents
naay 80 cents
gabagotbot ko sa akong kaugalingon
ingon ko siguro naay mas ubos pa
ani nga presyo
mura kog nikuykuy ug basura
halos tagsa tagsaon nako ug tan-aw
ang presyo sa repolyo
hangtud nakakita ko ug barato ra
gamay pud pero sakto ra sa akong
pancit nga lutoon
63 cents ra siya
dawbi ang subak sa pancit
ah di nalang
naa man ko nabilin na
usa ka drumstick sa ref
kadto nalang ako isagol
lat-an lang sa nako unya
ako kunis kunison
payts na
ako ra man pud mokaon

mana ko palit
uli na ko pero
alas otso naman
gutom naman gyud ko
nikaon nalang sa ko
wala pa ko miuli
nangita ta kog bisag tag $2.50 lang
naa may duha na ka sud-an pero
$2.50 ra
wala man diha tag $2.50
pinakabarato kay $3.50 man
sige nalang
total kan-on man sab nako
di man nako usikan

nitulo akong luha
ambot sa kaluoy pa nako
sa akong kaugalingon
o sa kakapoy ba sa akong baktas
siguro sagol na siya

sa una makapalit kog fresh milk
makapalit kog yogourt
pero karon milingiw lang sa ko
di bale
makapalit ra kog usab ana

molakaw unta ko pauli
pero gikapoy na gyud ko
nisakay ko sa bus
68 cents ra man pud
pero sa gadaginot
kwarta na ang 68 cents

gasakay ko naminaw
sa akong baratohong MP3 player
lord i offer my life to you
ang kanta
choice to nako nga maoy akong
paminawon kay makapahupay
sa dughan sa maminaw

galiraw akong mata
unsa gyud kahay nag paabot
nako diring lugara
pero sige lang
ampo lang gyud ta ani
ug padayon lang gihapon
ang importante baskog

Home along da riles

2008-01-02T15:43:00.001+08:00

Way back in the Philippines there was one sitcom that tackled the lives of peoples living along the railroad tracks - aptly titled Home Along Da Riles, or Home Along the Railroad Tracks. The show aired for a decade.

The sitcom (situation comedy) injects humor to the dilemma of living along the dangerous train routes in Manila. What it didn't portray is the poverty typical of such conditions. True to its Filipino trait of taking everything lightly, the characters faced everyday challenges by doing what Filipinos are best at - laughing.

Living along the railroad tracks is far from being comfortable. The environment is not at all conducive for human habitation. Imagine the noise. Imagine the danger. But beggars can't be choosy.

Last January 1 I took the train to visit the house of my former landlady. They invited their former boarders for a New Year lunch in their new home. One my way home, I cannot help but think about the depressing home along da riles in my country. For along the route I didn't see anything considered an eye sore. No shirtless kids, no shirtless men gambling along the narrow road. Instead, I saw high rise apartment buildings, well manicured lawns, children's playground and sanitized surroundings.

From where I am now and comparing it to where I came from, I can say that too much freedom is bad for our prosperity as a nation and as people.

Photo credits: Picture of Manila Railroad tracks courtesy of Lonely Planet; photo of the Singapore LRT tracks by Dazed

How to celebrate birthdays....in a land far far away

2007-12-29T00:48:00.000+08:00

Actually, it is not really far far away. It is merely three hours by plane from home. But celebrating your birthday alone is not exactly exciting. Although I have been used to being alone, I never celebrated my birthday alone by singing "All by myself" at the top of my lungs.

Thanks God for the gift of friends, I didn't have to indulge in some existential questions during my birthday. Friends really are God's blessing. They come in different forms, body built and shoe sizes but they are personification of God's angels on earth. They look after you when you thought you have been in your lonesome.

Despite being a Cebuano himself, I met Neps only here in Singapore. The girls call him Papa Nepz - maybe because he is papable. Jaime, a Bicolano, is also a newfound friend here in Singapore. The two of them are my housemates. Nene and Ghe (the sisters I never have), on the other hand, are my friends way back in the Philippines. Without anybody I can call family, these four two-legged creatures are my foster-brothers and sisters. And they were around to cheer me on my birthday. Isn't that touching?
Nene and Ghe brought in the spaghetti. For long life. Neps had this buy-one-take-one mocha ice cream. I bought some marinated chicken and soda. Jaime have some fruits. We talked nonsense, laughed together, shared stories. We ate with gusto as if we were in some fancy restaurant.

Simple as it is, of course just like in any other stories, there is a moral lesson attached to it. Celebrations don't need to be grand. It is the company that matters. And of course the picture taking.

NOTE: Neps in white tee, Jaime in blue long sleeves, Ghe is the girl in white, Nene in yellow.

Holidays and Mondays

2007-12-28T12:36:00.000+08:00

The holidays were marred by the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of the troubled Pakistan. Other than that, Christmas celebrations from across Asia were largely traditional.

In the ASEAN region - famously tagged by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as One Caring, One Sharing Community during the ASEAN Summit in Cebu - only the Philippines and East Timor are predominantly Roman Catholic. So it goes without saying that both countries observed Christmas the way Christians do. For the record though, East Timor is not officially part of the ASEAN Economic Block. It was not even granted an observer status yet. So technically, only our beloved Philippines is the proud Catholic country in ASEAN.

And of course being a Catholic country automatically December 25 is a public holiday. No work. No office. No pay. Kailangan pa bang imemorize yan!?

Quite interestingly, despite religious differences, majority of ASEAN-member countries also made December 25 a public holiday.

Predominantly Muslim nations such as Malaysia, Indonesia & Brunei marked December 25 as a holiday. Multi-cultural Singapore observes it as a holiday as well. Even the socialist Myanmar celebrates a work-free Christmas.

Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos did not include Christmas in their list of public holidays.

But it is refreshing to note that Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, also observes Good Friday and Easter Sunday as public holidays. We all know how important Good Friday to us Catholics and so is Easter Sunday.

Perhaps to a certain degree despite inherent differences, we are indeed one caring, one sharing community.

But only in the Philippines that we have the the so-called holiday economics.

Siempre, MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS!

NOTE: ASEAN consists of the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia & Malaysia

Picture of the ASEAN flag courtesy of Wikipedia Image

When greetings matter

2007-12-27T13:05:00.000+08:00

OMG!

I must be getting really old. There was a time when I really don't keep a damn who greeted me on my birthday. But now I am surprisingly conscious about it. I am like Santa Claus keeping a list - his is who turns out naughty or nice, mine is who greeted me first or who didn't bother to grrrrrreet me at all.

It is not the greeting per se that matters. It is the feeling that your friends and your loved ones remember you on your special day. Somehow, greetings are manifestations that you have been a good friend and perhaps you have become a part of your friends' lives.

From my former officemates, my family, my close friends, my housemates. From acquitances. They send in their greetings thru texts, emails, calls, even said it in person.

How thoughtful, how Goldilocks.

Thank you Lord God for the gift of family and friends.

Thank you for the gift of good health.

Thank you Lord for the wonderful years.

Photo editing courtesy of Miki

I'll (not) be home for Christmas

2007-12-24T23:15:00.000+08:00

Another year. Another Christmas.

When was the last time I spent Christmas with my family.

1999? 2000? 2005?

I cannot even recall.

I am honestly used to it.

Spending it away from home.

But I miss the little things I used to do with my family during holidays.

Just the thought that we are all together makes the whole thing nostalgic.

I miss my family.

I miss them more than they know.

Living away from them has not been such a palatable choice but we have to follow our dreams.

But maybe I have been so used to it that I take it in stride.

Or maybe I pretend that I am used to it.

Whatever it is, just like in the years past, I'll not be home for Christmas, again.

'Tis the season of giving and sharing

2007-12-22T12:49:00.000+08:00

I am no philanthropist but I subscribe to the maxim that it is better to give than to receive. The psychic reward is truly amazing knowing that in your own way you have helped someone. Once a year I make it an effort to have my own community outreach. I cannot do it by myself then I should find ways to join one.

But just like any other things, I didn't know that even givers can be further categorized the same way there is a biological classification in the plant and animal kingdoms.

Wealth consulatnt Russ A. Prince and marketing professor Karen M. File identified at least seven (7) types of Santa Clauses.

Communitarians - these people are individuals who give because of their sense of belonging to a community. They often have strong ties to their local community.

Devout - they do good because it is God's will. They believe that giving is a moral obligation and that one should not expect recognition for giving time or money.

Altruist - they give because they feel it is a moral imperative to help, and they expect no recognition.

Socialites - they focus on doing good because it can be fun. Often, they are members of a social class for which fund-raising includes some form of socialising and entertainment.

Repayers - they do good in return for what they have received in life. For example, they may have been helped before and now, with money, they want to show their gratitude by giving to others.

Investors - these people see philanthropy as good business. They are motivated by the personal tax and estate benefits that giving philanthropic causes offers

Dynasts - they see philanthropy as a family tradition. Either they are inherited their wealth or were taught since young about the importance of helping those in need.

Lifted from an article written by Lynn Lee & Theresa Tan, The Strait Times, December 22, 2007 issue.

Photo courtesy of German Business Etiquette

What's look got to do with it

2007-12-22T11:02:00.000+08:00

Definitely she has the talent. The voice that sizzles. A performance that can bring a whole house down.

The problem, it seems, was the choice of song.

And the bigger problem, of course was the looks.

This is Asia - the continent that puts premium on Western-like beauty hence the proliferation of whitening soaps. A place where body measurements can bring you to the top.

In virtually all competitions that require visual presentation, a contestant's presence should have an appeal to the aesthetic sensibilities of both the judges and the audience. Gone were the days when you don't have to judge a book by its cover alone.

Competitions - Asia-style is still visually dependent. Mau Marcelo is ozzing with confidence and talent. But it is not just about talent. It is about the total package. Which sadly, she doesn't have. Sorry for being blunt.

This is Asia. Wow Philippines. Amazing Thailand. Uniquely Singapore.

The reality is the wrapper has become as expensive as the gift itself.

Photo lifted from Wikipedia Image

It's (not just) about experience

2007-12-21T00:30:00.000+08:00

There was a time that flying aboard an airplane is a wish come true. After taking his first plane ride my uncle said, "bahala'g matay na ko kay nakasakay na ko eroplano."

True. Only those who can afford can take a plane ride. For the ordinary mortals, we have to endure the waves, the discomforts, the smelly toilets and everything during sea travels.

Then came Cebu Pacific and how it revolutionizes air travel in the Philippines and for the every Juan.

Here is the good news. Read on.

Cebu Pacific buys more aircraft
December 19, 2007 Updated 08:02:37 (Mla time)

MANILA, Philippines -- Cebu Pacific Air, whose operator Cebu Air Inc. is preparing an initial public offering of stock, announced it had made fresh orders for four turbo-prop ATR 72-500 aircraft to be used for small airports.

These bring its total firm orders to 10 aircraft worth more than $178 million, airline president Lance Gokongwei said in a statement.

“From our current fleet of 15 Airbus aircraft, we could have a fleet of up to 50 aircraft composed of 32 Airbus and 18 ATRs by the end of 2012 if all (order) options are converted into firm orders,” Gokongwei said.

He said the additional aircraft would allow the airline to serve more cities where runways are too short for its Airbus fleet, particularly Caticlan, the jump-off point to the resort island of Boracay. The Caticlan service will start on Feb. 29, 2008, using Cebu Pacific’s first ATR turbo-prop aircraft.

The Philippines has 75 airports, of which only 25 can accommodate Cebu Pacific’s bigger Airbus fleet, Gokongwei said.

Last May, Cebu Pacific announced a plan to acquire up to 14 ATR aircraft -- six firm orders and eight options -- in addition to 20 Airbuses worth $1.3 billion it had announced last year.

The turboprop aircraft are made Avions de Transport Regional, based in Toulouse, France.

Gokongwei described ATR as the world leader in the 50- to 74-seat turboprop market.

He said Cebu Pacific would take delivery of the first six ATRs in 2008 and four in 2009.

He added it would take delivery of four Airbus A320s in 2008, which would bring its fleet to 25 at the end of 2008. Edited by INQUIRER.net

Photo credits: A32o CebuPac photo courtesy of Google Images; CebuPac airline ticket photo courtesy of Wormulon; photo of an ATR aircraft courtesy of Veling Aero Images

The search is over

2007-12-20T23:47:00.000+08:00

PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Steve Flaig wasn't sure how to approach his co-worker with his big news. It would seem brash to walk up and say, "Hi, I'm Steve, your son." How would she react to that, he wondered.

Flaig's long search for his birth mother ended in early October when he learned that she was the woman he previously knew only as Chris, the head cashier at a Lowe's home-improvement store just outside Grand Rapids, in Kent County's Plainfield Township.

"I would walk by her, look at her from a distance, not knowing how to approach her," Flaig, 22, told The Grand Rapids Press for a story published Wednesday. "You don't come stocked with information on how to deal with this."

When Lowe's Cos. hired Christine Tallady to work at the store last April, she had no idea that the young delivery driver to whom she was introduced was her son.

She gave birth to him on Oct. 5, 1985, while she was single and not ready to be a mother. It was a difficult decision for her to give him up for adoption.

Tallady left the adoption record open, figuring that her son might someday want to contact her. She often thought of him, particularly on his birthday, but life went on. She got married and had two more children.

Flaig, meanwhile, always knew that he was adopted. His parents, Pat and Lois Flaig, supported him when he decided to search for his birth mother. They had done the same with their younger son, Scott, who found his birth mother almost a year ago.

When Steve Flaig turned 18 four years ago, he asked DA Blodgett for Children, the agency that arranged his adoption, for his background information.

It arrived a couple of months later and included his birth mother's name. He searched the Internet for her address but came up empty.

In October, around his 22nd birthday, Flaig took out the paperwork from DA Blodgett and realized he had been spelling his birth mother's surname wrong as "Talladay."

He typed "Tallady" into a search engine and came up with a home address that was less than a mile from the Lowe's store and just around the corner from where his adoptive parents raised him.

When he mentioned it to his boss, she said, "You mean Chris Tallady, who works here?"
Flaig was stunned: "I was like, there's no possible way."

On Dec. 12, on his day off, Flaig happened to be driving past DA Blodgett's offices, so he stopped in and told them of his find. An employee there volunteered to call Tallady for him.

Tallady, now 45, was surprised to get the call at Lowe's and astonished to learn that the son she had given up for adoption 22 years earlier was a co-worker.

"It was a shock," she said. "I started crying. I figured he would call me sometime, but not like this."

Flaig said he is eager to meet her other two children, 12-year-old Alexandria and 10-year-old Brandon, his half-siblings.

"I have a complete family now, all my kids," Tallady said. "It's a perfect time of year. It's the best Christmas present ever."

Credits: photo of Steve Flaig and his recently located birthmom, Christine Tallady courtesy of Associated Press; news report from Yahoo News

Men Styling 101: fashion mistakes to avoid

2007-12-19T15:00:00.000+08:00

Men's fashion mistakes - We all make fashion errors now and again, but some fashion mistakes made by men are just unforgivable. Eight fashion mistakes to avoid at all costs.

1. Socks with Sandals

2. Novelty Ties, Shirts, Boxer Shorts, Etc. - Leave the smiley faces, hearts, reindeer, shamrocks, animal and various other prints on the racks of the store where you found them.

3. Blaring Designer Labels - You don’t want to be a walking advertisement. It’s not a sophisticated look. Just because you are wearing a designer’s name on your chest, sleeve, or wherever, doesn’t make you stylish. Keep it understated and simple.

4. Backpacks at the Office - Unless you are a student or are hiking up a mountain, leave the backpack at home. If you need something for your gym clothes, buy a nice looking gym bag (and there are options that don’t have big logos on them), or if you need something to carry your assorted papers, cell phone, day-planner, etc., get a nice messenger bag.

5. Chunky Shoes - These were okay back in the 90s, but the big chunky shoes, especially those with square toes, should be retired at this point. Choose something classic that stands the test of time.

6. Shiny or Glittery Shirts and Suits - If you are looking for something to go out nightclubbing in, I can think of much better choices than those that are glittery, shiny and ultimately tacky. If you are at a loss, try a form fitting black t-shirt or black dress shirt which can be worn with jeans or trousers and dress shoes or casual shoes.

7. Clothes That Are Too Loose Fitting - In a word, sloppy. Unless you are a hip hop artist, it’s not the right look. Choose clothes that fit your body. This might take some experimentation by mixing and matching certain cuts and styles until you find the right fit for your body that is flattering.

8. Unflattering Colors - That shirt found on sale might be really tempting, but if it makes you look ill it’s no bargain. The colors you wear should compliment your natural features such as your skin tone and body shape. Keep this in mind when putting your look together.

Photo credits: sandals with socks from Great Hiles; novelty ties photo from Google Images

Tuesdays with Morrie

2007-12-19T14:53:00.000+08:00

"You know what that reflects? Unsatisfied lives. Unfulfilled lives. Lives that haven't found meaning. Because if you’ve find meaning in your life, you don’t want to go back. You want to go forward."

"When you learn how to die, you learn how to live."

"Death ends a life, not a relationship."

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in."

"Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too - even when you’re in the dark. Even when you’re falling."

"When you're in bed, you're dead"

"Love wins. Love always wins."

"As you grow, you learn more. If you stayed as ignorant as you were at twenty-two, you'd always be twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth. It's more than the negative that you're going to die, it's the positive that you understand you're going to die, and that you live a better life because of it."

"Love each other or perish."

"Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone."

"Don't hang on too long, but don't let go too soon."

"Without love, we are birds with broken wings."

"Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?"

"If the culture doesn't work, don't buy it."

"If we can remember the feeling of love we once had, we can die without ever going away."

"Hello, Friend!"

What's in a name?

2007-12-18T22:55:00.000+08:00

What to name a child? In Italy, a court can decide
By Philip Pullella

ROME (Reuters) - An Italian court has ruled that a couple could not name their son "Friday" and ordered that he instead be called Gregory after the saint whose feast day he was born on.

"I think it is ridiculous they even opened a case about it," the family's lawyer, Paola Rossi, told Reuters by telephone from the northern city of Genoa on Tuesday.

Friday/Gregory Germano was born in Genoa 15 months ago. The parents registered him as Friday in the city hall and a priest even baptised him as Friday -- unusual in Italy since many priests insist that first names be of Christian origin.

"We named him Friday because we like the sound of the name. Even if it would have been a girl, we would have named her Friday," the boy's mother, Mara Germano, told Reuters.

When the boy was about five months old, a city hall clerk brought the odd name to the attention of a tribunal, which informed the couple of an administrative norm which bars parents from giving "ridiculous or shameful" first names to children.

The tribunal said it was protecting the child from being the butt of jokes and added that it believed the name would hinder him from developing "serene interpersonal relationships".

The Germano family appealed but lost their case this month and the story was carried on the front page of a national newspaper on Tuesday.

When ordered to change the name, the parents refused and the court ruled the boy would be legally registered as Gregory because he was born on that saint's feast day.

"I really doubt this would have happened to the child of parents who are rich and famous," the boy's mother told Reuters, recalling that some famous Italians had given their children unorthodox names such as "Ocean" or "Chanel".

The appeals court ruled against Friday because it recalled the servile savage in Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe and because superstitious Italians consider Friday an unlucky day.

"I am livid about this," the boy's mother said. "A court should not waste its time with things like this when there is so much more to worry about."

"My son was born Friday, baptised Friday, will call himself Friday, we will call him Friday but when he gets older he will have to sign his name Gregory," she said.

Credits: photo from Cache Eb; news lifted from Yahoo News

Eaten here or take away

2007-12-18T14:43:00.000+08:00

I was floored when I was asked whether it is eaten here or take away. Ah, excuse me? Eaten here lah? Or take away.

Oh my gawd! What shall I say? Until I figure out what he meant.

Ah okay, eaten here. I normally don't take away. Hehehe

Come to think of it. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand what the lad behind the counter said, do you?

But forgive me for my ignorance but that is not the term we use back in our obscure country of 7,000++ islands. We either ask, dine in or take out.

Once a upon a time, Singapore was part of the British Empire where the sun never sets. But don't expect a British twang here. Just as we have our own brand of carabao English, they too have their famous Singlish.

The use of Singlish is actually discouraged by the Government. But I suppose just like us, old habits never die. It is primarily the main language of the younger set. And you seldom hear someone saying without the all too familiar LAH.
Example:
Too expensive lah.
I not so old lah.
Eaten here lah.
Drink lah.
Nice lah.
Singapore lah.
Can lah.
And so on
And so forth

Ey, can lah doesn't mean one needs a can of beer, softdrinks or what. Can lah means that "it can be done". Of course the negative is "cannot lah".

Singlish can really be incomprehensible to non-natives like me. Sentence construction can be soooo puzzling that you need a few moments to figure out what the heck does the speaker mean.

Another examples:
How come never show up lah?
Tomorrow dun need bring camera.
Dis country weather very hot one.
Not good one lah.

You may find it easy to read and understand but hey, they pronounce it differently. Take this one:
READ: I can do this lah.
SPOKEN: I ken do this lah.
READ: I can't do this lah.
SPOKEN: I kan do this lah.

Okay lah. That's our lesson for today lah.

Photo credits: Typical Singapore Meal and Kopi-Tiam pictures courtesy of http:// flickr.com

The tradition continues

2007-12-17T10:04:00.000+08:00

It's been years since the last time I attended the Simbang Gabi - or the one-of-a-kind, Filipino-patented nine-day dawn masses - that serves as the prelude to the December 24 midnight mass.

I remember the time when I was younger - so very much younger than today that is, my granny goose will literally drag me out of my bed so that we can attend the early dawn mass. but in fairness to my granny there are also times that I eagerly woke up without any prodding just so I can join.

Those were the times of my youthful life. It must have been 15 years since I went to an early dawn mass. After I left home I have never been to any dawn masses anymore.

There are several reasons why people take the effort of waking up in the wee hours of the morning just to attend mass. Some take it as a yearly tradition. While others do it as a form of sacrifice to attain something. According to some once you completed the nine-day dawn masses your wish will come true. I just cannot figure out if "wish" is the appropriate term to use. Mmmmm....

Now I live outside the comforts of the Philippines. Away from the usual stuffs I used to just take for granted. Suddenly, I remember December 16 as the start of dawn mass and I wonder if there is such a thing here in Singapore.

Would you believe there is the "simbang gabi" here in Singapore? Whaaaaaaaaat!? Dawn mass here? Really? Yes, sir.

Yes Virginia, there is "simbang gabi" here. Simbang Gabi with a difference. No it's not Simbang Ube, it's still Simbang Gabi. Just kidding. It has all the elements of our traditional Simbang Gabi except that the 9-day service is scattered across different parishes in Singapore. And it's done in English. For this year, the first dawn mass was held at the St. Anthony of Padua Parish and it will end at the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul. So there shall be nine parishes that will take turn as venue of the Simbang Gabi. After you have done attending the nine-day mass then you can safely claim that you have visited practically all the parishes here in this tiny city-state.

It is so heartwarming to find Filipino devotees flocking to these churches just to attend. This event is being organized by Filipino church-based communities here like the Couple for Christ and the Singles for Christ. Oh by the way, the mass starts at 8:00PM not with the usual 4:00AM back in the Philippines. In fact, the Simbang Gabi Singapore edition started December 15 at 8PM not December 16. It's something like an anticipated celebration.

I attended the second Simbang Gabi with my housemates. It was a bit far from where I stay but I was so surprised to see the whole church filled with eager Pinoys. And I was even more surpised because the main celebrant was the Archbishop of Singapore, Nicolas Chia. Even the Philippine Ambassador was there.

I have been attending masses here but never heard of any song familiar. I just hum and sometimes sing off-key with the rest of the congregation. But last night, I sung loudly and with feelings. The connection is simply beyond singing. Everybody sung enthusiastically. The congregation was singing to their heart's content. It was like as if I never left my country.

And of course, can you imagine Filipinos converging in one place, celebrating without food? After the mass food stuffs were distributed. Packed in microwaveable containers, it contained fried chicken and rice plus juice drink.

Knowing Filipinos, we don't go home without eating or even bringing especially if there are free food to partake. So just like the rest of the attendees, we queued for the food only to be informed there is nothing left. Not suprising. There must be over a thousand attendees and quite obviously no organizer can really anticipate such a surge.

Nahutdan kay galinya gyud ang tanan. Wa gyud manguli hangtud wa makakuha ug pagkaon. Kataw-anan. Pero lingaw ra gihapon. We ended up eating at a hawker carenderia few blocks away. Imbis makatipid unta nakabayad noon ug $6 for dinner. That is roughly P180 already. But hawkers? I mean who cares?

Photo credits: Picture of the interior of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church courtesy of Flicker; other picture taken from Wacom-Asia

Prospects and Suspects

2007-12-16T16:39:00.000+08:00

While I don't usually rely on horoscopes, still it is refreshing to read "predictions" like the one below. It offers some positive outlook to a rather uncertain new year.

Year of the Ox
The years of the Ox are: 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, (and every 12 years on).

Personality
Ones who are born in the Year of the Ox are patient, don’t speak much, and inspire confidence in their companions. They’re eccentric and bigoted, and they get angry easily. Even thought they speak little, they have fierce tempers. Ones who are born in the Year of the Ox are mentally and physically alert. They can be stubborn or easy-going, and hates to fail or be opposed. Intelligent and self-confident. Patient and methodical, helpful and hardworking. Although they might appear rigid and slow, a kind and active mind is beneath. A Natural born under works systematically, the Ox is responsible for family and believes in authority but is sometimes too stubborn and traditional.

The Ox or the Buffalo sign symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work. A person born during this year will be dependable, calm and methodical. A patient and tireless worker, he sticks to routine and conventions. Although he is generally fair-minded and a good listener, it is difficult to make him change his views as he is stubborn and often has strong prejudices.

Still, because of his steady and trustworthy character, the Ox person will be entrusted with positions of authority and responsibility. He will not fall short where duty calls. As a matter of fact, he should be careful not to get carried away.

The Ox likes: Tradition, Appreciation, Organisation, Sobriety and Routine
The Ox dislike: Gimmicks, Parties, Gossip, Laziness and Being Teased
Compatible Animals: Rat, Snake, Rooster
Incompatible Animals: Dragon, Horse, Goat, Dog, Rabbit
Your Luck In Year 2008

Overall Forecast
The sun is shining high; mentor luck is visible and is an excellent year. If opportunities are make the most of, together with mentor support, your career will be brought to greater heights. Undertakings should not be hasty; rather, you should do thorough planning and execute steadily to succeed. Business luck is good yet love luck is down with undulation.

Lucky star is in your life cycle. It is a good time for business establishment or expansion. Working Rats have to be proactive and diligent, and avoid romance with colleagues, to prevent career impediment. Note the mental fatigue and procrastination. Elderly has to take note of heart problem, consume plain meals, and take extra note of eye problem.

Use this year to get more acquaintance. Mentor luck comes from foreign lands and luck flow from 4 directions, resulting in considerable wealth. Do not pursue windfall aggressively, so leave it to fate. The married will face romance curse, so think of your spouse and be disciplined. The singles will meet their dream love and develop it further.
Career
These are excellent time for business establishment, but prepare a thorough business plan first and do not be hasty to rush into execution. Success is expected with the proper use of opportunities, and aid from mentors. Work environment faces uncertainties; avoid office romance to gain career progress. Female Ox faces lower luck level than male counterpart; beware of falling into love trap, causing loss in wealth and chastity.
Love
Love luck is ever changing; peach blossom romance is coming from everywhere. This is a challenge for married couple to remain faithful, where a moment of folly will cause lasting regrets. The single will be able to meet the dream love and get into romance rapidly. For the lovers, news of marriage is in the air. The Ox must know the dangers of lustful behaviour. Summer is the period of highly blossoming love luck.
Wealth
Lucky star is shining brightly, wealth luck is coming in strong; in particular those born in 1973 will do great in distant areas and receive vast incoming wealth, which is good for establishing business. Be prudent in investments, hastiness begets failure. Business dealings are profiting; manage the income and profits flows in doing greatly; wealth and profits flow in readily. Take precaution against raiding, wealth should not be flaunted.
Health
Frequent business entertainment together with increase smoking and alcohol consumption will hurt your health. You should not sacrifice healthiness of daily meals for unwholesome delicious taste. Do not speed to avoid accidents and summons. Youngsters should avoid water activities. The married should be aware of peril of one-night stands. Elderly with chronic illness should do regular checkup and listen to doctor’s advice.

Photo Credit: courtesy of My Fortunate Cookie

Merci Beau Coup

2007-12-15T01:48:00.000+08:00

The mere mention of the phrase/words "outreach program" evoked wonderful memories of my college days. I should say college was the best years of my life. Three years of my college life were spent in community outreach programs. In between semesters and during summer breaks, I always take part in the different community outreach programs of our department – medical missions, gift-giving, tree planting, children tutorials and others. I have been to far-flung mountain barangays, slum areas, garbage dumping site, home for the aged, and an orphanage run by the City Government of Cebu. It was not simply memorable but fulfilling.

Perhaps to say I am a veteran in outreach programs is an overstatement ,but I could safely claim to the fact that I have been there, done that or at the very least, tried at least once almost practically every conceivable outreach.

I thought I have seen all the phases and faces of deprivation and suffering.

Until I visited the orphanage run by the Missionaries of Charity.

I could say I was very well prepared for my trip to the Missionaries of Charity Orphanage in Tayuman, Tondo. There were ten of us eager beavers who volunteered to join. Knowing somehow that joining this activity will make our Christmas more meaningful. We packed some party loot bags for the kids. I also joined the practice for our Christmas singing which we will render to the orphanage occupants. Singing is one of the usual stuffs to do during outreach anyway in addition to the customary gift-giving, parlor games, the ever present sing and dance number ala Boom Tarat Tarat, and of course the usual photo op.

All we know is that they are special children. That's all and that's it. So that was it. We were asked to report to barracks at 8 o'clock in the morning for the 10AM activity.

The Missionaries of Charity needs no further introduction. The congregation was founded by the late great Mother Teresa, an Albanian by birth but an Indian by nationality. There had been so many articles written about them. We heard about their lives spent on caring for the destitute, the dying and the orphans. It goes without saying that it was not a glamorous job but we just saw their brand of dedication only on documentaries of their works. I have no personal experience of witnessing how they perform their calling. In fact I have never been to any place closely associated to with the Congregation.

You must have heard about gifted children. You also heard about special children. Both are common sight in different TV programs. Except that gifted children are the stuffs of infant-formula commercials highlighting their impeccable grasp of things at a very young age, while special children are resigned to the GMA Kapusong Totoo or the Bantay Bata segment of primetime newscasts often requesting for donations. My godchild is a gifted child who displays an awesome degree of articulateness and brainpower. She was cuddly and I could not have enough of this little girl.

But how many of us have seen a special child up close and personal? I just did.

When we arrived at the Missionaries of Charity orphanage it was an overwhelming sight to see not just the helplessness but the unspoken agony of these innocent children. The place was like one big nursery room with all the cribs and baby clothes. Yet, there were practically no childish giggles, no boisterous laughter, just timid smiles, blank stares and silent scream of suffering and vulnerability.

This kind of place is something you don't usually include in your itinerary – in fact perhaps a place you don't intend to visit. By designation it cannot be considered heaven. All you see are either bedridden or wheel-chair bound children suffering from hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy. What made the whole thing worse is they are all abandoned malnourished special children. How's that for a description?

There are at least four classifications of Cerebral Palsy or CP. But it is too much for me to even attempt to write, much less to explain even one of the four. However, all types of cerebral palsy are characterized by abnormal muscle tone, posture, reflexes, or motor development and coordination. Symptoms can include speech or communication disorders, seizures, hearing or vision impairment, cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities, and/or behavioral disorders.

Like CP, hydrocephalus is too medically complicated to be understood for lay people like us. But one physical indicator we can easily associate is that a child with hydrocephalus is characterized by the enlargement of the head. Children with this condition may eventually become bedridden as the head becomes so enlarge. Movements become weak and the arms may become unsteady. They also tend to show lack of interest in their surroundings. Another thing we notice with the physical appearance of hydrocephalic children is that the upper eyelids become retracted and the eyes are turned downwards. Feeding would be difficult as they will frequently vomit and exhibits fretfulness.

I am not exactly the epitome of a demonstrative individual who easily displays his love and concern to others. In contrast, I have always been noted for my intolerance and my blatant display of arrogance. It may sound strange and unbelievable but I was silently weeping behind my sunglasses, which I didn't bother to remove while at the orphanage. I was moved by the sight right in front of me. Here, I am surrounded by powerless souls. The future seemed bleak given their condition. It was a moment of realization that we should always give thanks not only for the blessings and all the good things that we receive, but also for the problems and trials that we encounter.

My emotions got the better of me when I went near a bedridden child with hydrocephalus. I sat down on the bed and talked to him without any inkling if he got the message or not. There was nothing extraordinary with the "conversation". I was the only one talking to him asking him if he is okay, etc. etc. It was a usual childlike conversation except that he cannot respond. He cannot also stare at me. Then I ran my fingers in his two little arms, slowly rubbing it as if assuring him he will be better. With his physical appearance he was no angel, but when he felt my hands against his little arms I saw what seemed to be the sweetest smile I have ever seen in decades. Then he opened his mouth, murmuring something only he himself could understand. It was for me the best Christmas gift.

There can be as many life-changing moments not only with the children but with the orphanage volunteers themselves. Theirs was a faultless display of patience and tolerance and I was floored by the dedication of the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity and the volunteers. I cannot even stand baby-sitting for my niece even for an hour yet here is this bunch of exceptional workers who tirelessly offered love, hope and charity to these children – children whom they are not even remotely related to, they don't even know the background of these kids. Yet, despite the complexity and the physical demands of the job, the sisters and the volunteers are smiling. The effortless compassion they showed to their wards is simply amazing, the time spent just to feed one special child may take one hour to finish but you cannot hear a single complain. They are hands-on workers in this special vineyard of the Lord. They are not immaculately dressed. They dress simply, very simple in fact that what used to be a white habit (sari) became already off white. They wear no fancy footwear but slippers and seemed always on duty 24/7. Quite amazingly, they glow with satisfaction. For me they are the personification of angels on earth – wingless yet divine.

It is doubly meaningful that we visited the orphanage at the time Christmas is approaching. Somehow it is a manifestation that it is through charity work that Christmas becomes more than a commemoration of the past and instead becomes a prolongation into the future of the work of Christ.

We don't have to die to see heaven. For heaven is within our reach and it's in places you don't bother to visit.

We don't have to die to see angels. The angels are us. Unleash the angel in you and make a difference.

To the Missionaries of Charity, merci beau coup!

Merry Christmas everyone…

(my personal account of our visit to the Missionaries of Charity Orphanage as part of the yearly SMC Outreach Program last December 2006)

Photos by author

Lugait in my mind

2007-12-15T00:00:00.000+08:00

I was privileged to be invited to visit Lugait - one of the municipalities of Misamis Oriental which sits on the boundary between MisOr and Iligan City.

A distinguished gentleman and his amiable family played host to me and three of my other friends. Lugait is home to almost 15,000 inhabitants. Home to some of the most illustrious citizens of Mindanao, notably the San Miguel family, Lugait is a simple town, peaceful and ecologically balanced. The local government takes pride of its mangrove plantations, a first of its kind in Mindanao.

Composed of just 8 barangays, it is one of the smallest towns in MisOr. Its coastal location offers a magnificent view of Iligan Bay. Lugait is an ideal place to settle with its inviting black-sand beaches, simple living and smiling people. Its proximity to Iligan City makes it easier for Lugaitnons to avail of the usual stuffs you usually just found in cosmopolitan areas. Iligan too is home of the famous Maria Cristina Falls.

Our illustrious host, the San Miguels, made our stay truly memorable. The warm reception, the family atmosphere we experienced made the whole stay truly worth remembering. A close-knit family, they gave us the idea of how a Filipino family should live. Down-to-earth despite being relatively well-off than the others, they mingle with just about anyone without any pretensions. They made sure we were comfortable. They made sure we felt at home. The lavish accommodation comparable to high-end hotels, the eat-you-can array of seafoods, the conversations that no one hear, the jokes that left all of us almost rolling with laughter, the warmth you seldom feel from someone you just met, these and more are truly fantastic.

Over the years I just heard about the place called Lugait. But now when I think of Lugait I can only think of two things. Simplicity of its peoples. And the graciousness of the San Miguels.

Photos of Mangrove Plantation & the Villa San Miguel at night courtesy of Mr. Edik Dolotina

To know more about this wonderful place you may visit Municipality of Lugait Portal

The lure of Bohol

2007-12-14T23:15:00.000+08:00

BOHOL : \bō-ˈhȯl\ - In the midst of the seemingly endless expanse of the Philippine Archipelago lies an island right in its heart that bears no resemblance.

Bohol, one of the 7,107 islands of the Philippines—it beckons as a tropical destination. Just off the coast of Cebu, mesmerizing Bohol seats in the middle of swaying coconut trees with a pure tropical ambiance where gentle winds and the gleaming white sands are eagerly kissed by the sea.

What comes to mind when one mentions Bohol is its famous Chocolate Hills and the cuddly Tarsier - touted as the world's smallest primate. But Bohol is more than just its famous landmarks. Now, when you think of Bohol you think of tranquility. Heaven on earth.

I was an eager beaver when I first visited Bohol a couple of years back. I was with a group of college friends hopping to Bohol to unwind. We got into Bohol through its backdoor! No pun intended! The municipality of Tubigon is a serene coastal town that plays host to motor vessels plying the Cebu-Tubigon route. It was our point of entry. From there we took the bus that brought us to the beautiful town of Loon. Its magnificent church offers a glimpse to the historically rich province. Loon’s centuries old church is just one of Bohol treasures.

Loon, being our home base during that trip, was a peaceful hamlet inhabited with friendly Sanos—or paisanos. Its wonderful shoreline offers a soothing ambiance to weary urbanites. The white sands, the coco trees that lined along the shoreline….ahhhh wonderful!

From rural Loon, the drive to Tagbilaran City, the seat of the provincial government, is by itself an unforgettable experience for one could take a foretaste of the countryside pleasures of this famous island. Just as Bohol is famous for its unspoiled beaches, gentle people and peaceful environs, Tagbilaran City is also vibrant place. I can vividly recall the friendly pigeons flying around the plaza sandwiched by the Capitol Building and the Cathedral.

Few minutes away from the heart of Tagbilaran, there is the Bohol Tropics. One of Bohol’s premier sports and leisure resort is a place where one can have a glimpse and experience the private life of the privileged and the pampered. It is a place where serenity and peace of mind is not an option but a way of life.

Further from the Tropics, we moved on until we reached the Hinagdanan Cave. I have to fight my claustrophobia just to get into the cave. There was this large pool inside the cave where one can even take a dive! Whew! Cool! But not frozen!

That trip also brought me to, where else but the Hills. Trips to Bohol is incomplete without visiting the Chocolate Hills and have a picture-perfect shot while walking up to one of the hills they developed. On top of that hill, you have a vantage point as you savor the wonderful panorama that is the expanse of the Chocolate Hills. The hills are alive with the sound of music! The Chocolate Hills are scattered in five towns. I can only recall Carmen town because that was the place we first reached from Tagbi. En route to the hills, you can pass by a mini forest and you will also see the Loboc River home of the famed Loboc Children’s Choir.

But what is Bohol without Panglao. Sun. Sands. Fun. Panglao is the place to be where pristine beaches await you!

You have visited the famed Choco Hills, be in awe with the grandeur of the Baclayon Church, cruise the Loboc River, get a tan at Panglao, visit the site of the Blood Compact (they have the Sandugo Festival to commemorate the event), cuddle the tarsiers, this time enjoy the vibrant Bohol nightlife and the food! The peanut kisses, shaped like Hershey's but taste like peanut because the main ingredient is peanut! Kailangan pa bang i-memorize yan? The kalamay or is it calamay. Some called it Bao. And a lot of other gastronomic array of food.

Shaped by nature’s artistry, complimented with the excellent hospitality of its people, which deliberately give visitors an incomparable experience, Bohol is really a place to explore. The quiet that comes with the environment of sedate elegance added to the feeling of being in a dreamland.

Visit Bohol. Have a taste of paradise. Explore the wonders of Bohol. The place. The beaches. The Food. The friendly people!

Bohol. Choco Hills. Alona Beach. Panglao. Tarsier. Baclayon Church. Peanut Kisses. Calamay. The Boholanos.

Photo credits: Map of Bohol courtesy of the University of Bohol website; Chocolate Hills photo courtesy of www.nomad4ever.com; Tarsier photo courtesy of www.atfdavao.com; Calamay photo courtesy of www.marketmanila.com

Can you read my mind?

2007-12-14T14:48:00.000+08:00

कैन यू रीड माय मंद?

दो यू क्नो वहत आईटी इस यू दो टू मी?

दोन'टी क्नो व्हो यू अरे,

जुस्त अ फ्रीएंद फ्रॉम अनोठेर स्तर

हियर इ ऍम लिके अ किड अत अ स्चूल

होल्डिंग हंड्स विथ अ गोद,

इ'म अ फूल

विल यू लुक अत मी कुइवेरिंग

लिके अ लिटिल गर्ल शिवेरिंग?

यू कैन सी रिघ्त थ्रौघ मी

कैन यू रीड माय मंद?

कैन यू पिक्टुरे थे थिंग्स इ'म थिंकिंग ऑफ़?

वोंदेरिंग वही यू अरे

अल थे वोंदेर्फुल थिंग्स यू अरे

यू कैन फ्लाई, यू बेलोंग टू थे स्काई

यू एंड इ कोउल्ड बेलोंग टू एकाच ओथेर

इफ यू नीद अ फ्रीएंद,

इ'म थे ओने टू फ्लाई टिफ यू नीद टू बे लोवेद, (टू बे लोवेद)

हियर इ ऍम, रीड माय मंद!

विल यू लुक अत मी कुइवेरिंग

लिके अ लिटिल गर्ल शिवेरिंग?

यू कैन सी रिघ्त थ्रौघ मी

इफ यू नीद अ फ्रीएंद,

इ'म थे ओने टू फ्लाई टू

इफ यू नीद टू बे लोवेद,

हियर इ ऍम, रीड माय मंद!

रीड माय मंद!

Awaken by a rude KISS

2007-12-14T14:38:00.000+08:00

it was a reality check
or perhaps just waiting to happen
some like it as it is
some find it boring
but like the energizer bunny
i keep on going and going
and going and doing

i am talking about my
writing style and my
oral arguments
you are too verbose
i was told
sir yes sir
i am too verbose
ah what?
what's that
okay spell verbose
maybe even conjugate it

verbose is an adjective
derived from Latin's verbosus
and in English it is described as
Abounding in words, containing more words than necessary.
Long winded, or windy.
definition courtesy of Wiktionary

with conscious effort
i am trying to be less verbose
in my writings
in my speech
in almost everything
that uses the alphabet

i don't like to hear
someone yelling at me
Keep It Short Stupid

View from the top

2007-12-14T02:05:00.000+08:00

i really haven't gotten the chance
to live beyond the second storey
whether in our house or somewhere else
perhaps because in the Philippines
the higher you perched yourself up
there the more expensive the rent
without counting the 33,000 feet
assigned altitude given to
A330s and B747s
the highest altitude i have
been to is my former office
somewhere in ortigas
which is 20 storeys
of course i didn't live there

now
i live on the 19th floor
with the world seemingly
down there below my feet
thanks God i am not acrophobic
it is soothing as it is a bit
frightening to be up up and away
with the sights and lights
it is relaxing to a weary soul
with the breath-taking sights
no wonder everyone wants to
be on the top of the world

Ouch....hurt ako

2007-12-13T13:53:00.000+08:00

for someone living in a land far far away
a text message from someone you hold close to your heart
is like finding an oasis in a desert
lately though it seems
the message is not regularly coming
i would have wanted to ask straight
but instead i apologized for not sending texts
call it reverse psychology
sinabihan ba naman ako na
"ako din nagtitipid ng texts"
shucks
i didn't say anything kasi baka nga malaki na bills
pero sa totoo lang
hurt ako
ouch

I'm too sexy for my......

2007-12-13T13:40:00.000+08:00

I really don't have the illusion that I am sexy - physically that is. Although just like any other normal human being I dream of having that abs and all. After all sexiness is often associated with the looks and everything that can be seen.

Being sexy is not always about having a well-sculpted physique. It is not about sporting a to-die-for body. It is not just about bulging muscles. It is not about having that six-packed abs. It is not about bubble-butts or bumper-to-bumper body statistics. Being sexy is a mind thing. Being sexy is about being confident. Being sexy is not something you can see. It is something you have to experience.

In my own way I know I am sexy - inside and out. That's what you can call - SPIRIT.