Wednesday, July 27, 2005

I love...

These are the things / smells / sensations that make me smile...

1. The smell of freshly made bread
2. Sleeping on fresh sheets (100 percent cotton with 250 and above thread count is a bonus).
3. The feel of "coolness" under my pillow.
4. The smell of a new book.
5. Getting lost in a bookstore and/or a shoe store.
6. The smell of my parents, they remain to be my anchor and my security.
7. The taste, sensations of preparing a meal.
8. The smell and taste of dark chocolate. Yum yum
9. The smell of durian (hehehe).
10. Being near the beach... I love the smells and the picnics (takes me back to my childhood where picnics by the beach are done almost every weekend).
11. Hugging ... I just love the feeling of hugging and being hugged. Makes me feel loved, safe and secure.
12.Taking long baths with body wash / scents that linger.
13. Receiving emails and letters from siblings and friends.
14. The smell of cheese and garlic pizza.

What makes you smile?

csi

It's the season finale of CSI! Can't wait to just veg-out in bed with pop-corn and soda. hehehe.

Friday, July 22, 2005

Life and coffee

Got this in my inbox today... just want to share it:

Mayonnaise Jar and 2 cups of coffee...

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar...and the 2 cups of coffee..

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He asked the students if the jar was full They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly, and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full; they agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things: your God, your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions--things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter--like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else: the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal."

"Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised his hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

*********
Take time out and share this over a cup of coffee with a friend...

Thursday, July 21, 2005

reality check

If you are 30 and living in manila, are you doing any of these?

§ Having massages at least once a month
§ Meeting up with friends / gimmicks would mean any of the following: dinner, coffee or movies. If there are any drinking involved, one might consider doing it at home with friends since you find bars a bit too noisy.
§ Thinking of changing careers or have changed careers at least once or twice
§ Thinking of getting an MA or MBA
§ Thinking of getting a job abroad
§ Making down payments for a house, condo unit or a car
§ If and when you have disposable income would most likely to spend it on: a new mobile phone, shoes, clothes, cds and / or books.
§ Having most (or all) of your friends married or engaged.
§ Being a ninong or ninang to at least 3 kids
§ Have tried the following diets – south beach, atkins – at least once
§ Engaged in one of the following sports: Badminton, swimming or billards
§ Taking up a new hobby – cooking, baking, crafts
§ Planning to have more vacation but finds no time to take it
§ Most likely to have gone to Boracay or Palawan for fun under the sun
§ Read the latest Harry Potter book (hehehe)
Any more I have missed? Do tell… Tama ba ang assumption ko? If you are 30 (or in your 30s or late 20s) and living in the UK, US, Middle East or any part of the Philippines / world, what would you and your friends be (typically) doing?

Monday, July 18, 2005

tick tock

Like sitting on a time bomb i wait on the outcome of my future... I don't know where I will be tomorrow, nor do I know where I will be next week. I just hope that I will still continue to do the things I love and be paid for it.

Thursday, July 14, 2005

independent mindanao?

Doc. Emer sent me an email this morning and suggested that I post a reaction to an idea of an independent Mindanao.

I am posting the email sent to Mr. Ducky Paredes with my own reactions on the matter:

"Dear friends and fellow Mindanaoans:

"For a long time now we have wanted a free and progressive Mindanao to our chagrin. The Republic of Manila is the real obstacle to our dreams of an independent Mindanao. Despite taking a backseat in national affairs, we are and always have been a milking cow for the people of Manila.

"The bulk of tax revenues of Mindanao are always brought to Manila, but we only receive a miniscule amount in return for our budget, and a big share of that revenue remains in Manila for their flyovers, roads and over-paid and corrupt politicians. And what do we get in return? Nothing really.

"We are a hardworking people, resilient, tenacious, and our love for Mindanao has always brought us together. Mindanao is a very beautiful place (country for most). It is very rich in natural resources and peopled with visionaries. But, our actions and lives are restricted by people living hundreds of kilometers away. Despite the restrictions, lack of government support and lack of funds, we have survived, we always have.

"Cities like Davao, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Tagum, Zamboanga, to name just a few, have managed to outperform most cities in Luzon and Visayas despite the terrible lack of funds and support from Manila. An independent Mindanao would give us strategic trading and business ties with parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, even countries such as Japan, China and Taiwan. Because the people of these countries respect us more than those in Manila. And the opportunities for business and growth in Mindanao are vast. Just imagine if we are an independent nation!

"Mindanao would be far more progressive economically and far better socially than the banana republic which is the Philippines (Republic of Manila).

"There is no point in being a part of the Philippine Republic. There is no future in that country. It is mired in debt, which it can barely pay even the annual interest. Investors avoid that country, preferring other Southeast Asian countries, which are outperforming the Philippines in every aspect. To the people in Manila, politics is their first and most important priority. It has even become a national pastime. Just ask yourself this question: "Would you like Mindanao to be an independent country and be given the best but rare chance of starting out clean and fresh, armed with a highly educated and hard-working population with strong leaders, with a land vastly rich in natural resources? Or would you prefer to remain with the Philippines, which is being sucked into the abyss?

"Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City has called on all Mindanaoans to unite and we must now start work on establishing an independent Mindanao. A call to all Mindanaoan professionals, business people, politicians (real politicians), industrialists, educators, students, Mindanaoan soldiers, all Mindanaoans from all parts of the globe, let us now start work.

"Contact all your relatives, all your local politicians and business leaders, friends and co workers. Let us establish and re-establish strong communication lines among all the different cities, towns and municipalities throughout Mindanao. Let us start with the basics and then progress to more complicated issues in nation building. Let us do this one step at a time but with the same objective of creating a united and
independent Mindanao.

"If you have received this message, please forward this to all your relatives and friends and other fellow Mindanaoans. Do whatever it takes for us to achieve our shared goal and vision. Let us all join hands for a
United and Independent Republic of Mindanao!" — A Friend, A Mindanaoan

*********
My family has long been involved with the Moro struggle and the hopes of having a truly independent Mindanao. Those were the days where idealism seem to fuel their souls and where fighting for your right / idea spells heroism.

I remember my parents telling me stories of how sulu was before the great fire. How beautiful it once was -- it was safe to stroll late at night, how their friends from Manila would visit and gush about the place and about endless parties, picnics and island hopping. Those were peaceful times ... times that seemed forever trapped in the past and never to happen again?

Why do I say this? I have never lived in Sulu, but from accounts to me by my relatives it has changed completely... Gone are peaceful walks, clean streets and neighborhood parties, instead it is said to have been replaced by guns, goons and golds. What happened?

I don't want to think that the struggle (and lives and property lost) were all for naught. I used to think that when the people who fought be given a chance to govern, things will be better, but I was proven wrong.

Times and indeed people change. Those who fought against the system and who said that when they will be given a chance to govern, they will install genuine reform. Alas, it was not meant to be, they were eaten by the system. They embraced the very idea they fought against and it saddens me.

It saddens me to think that the sacrifice of many be for nothing. It saddens me that people who said they will help rebuild the place rocked by war will only rebuilt their homes and it saddens me that they who said are for the people are in the end only for them selves. They amass wealth and power while poverty grows around them.

I truly believe that a city/town/province is as great as its leaders and its people. No matter how much we say we wanted change, we do nothing to change it. We let circumstance and situation dictate what we do instead of having the ‘balls’ to truly change our “world”.

An independent Mindanao? The proposition that Mindanao should secede if GMA resigns is outrageous. I liken this call to a Brat giving an ultimatum. How can our country progress if we continue to live and be in a “tribal” mentality? How can we really move forward if we are torn in divisiveness? I believe that until we change our attitude towards politics and life, we are destined to repeat the past.

Great nations became what they are today because their people willed themselves to work together in achieving a common goal. United is the key word here. Love for country and pride in themselves are other factors. There is no You or me, rather a collective thought of Us and We are the driving force.

I love Mindanao and feel that it is more beautiful and bountiful than Luzon or Visayas, but alas until we resolve the fighting (peace and order) and the prejudice then I doubt if we could really move forward.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

negatives

Why would some people focus their attention and/or enerfy in seeing only the negative in other people and situations? Why do they have to impose their own belief on others? And why do people who say that they are "religious" (can) be the most hypocrites? I ask why and haven't found any answers.

*********
I am just sick and mostly tired of people who are just so full of themselves (that) they think they are always right, have the right to do what ever they want and have the right to everything. Kainis!

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

crazy

crazy weather! one minute it's so hot that you could fry an egg on the pavement, the next moment it rains so hard. Seems that the weather is turning to be like a traditional politician (you won't know / comprehen what they would do or say next or what their political colors are) hehehe... no wonder the Philippines is going to the dogs.

house of cards

Just when I thought nothing else could go wrong, everything did... now the walls are closing in... everything is falling like a house of cards.

Monday, July 11, 2005

an enchanted weekend

With all the “noise” and excitement generated by last Friday’s turn of events, my siblings and I decided to get away from it all… Away from the chaos and panic, that is Metro Manila.

So off we went to Laguna for a day of fun, adventure, excitement and enchantment … off to a park where we could relive our childhood and forget the troubles… off to a park called enchanted kingdom.

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

*********
We left Manila a little after 12nn with the intention of having lunch along the way. (Petron and Shell stations along SLEX offers a variety of food choices ranging from kfc, jollibee, mc donalds, starbucks, etc). After a leisurely lunch at KFC, we arrived at the park around 2pm ready and eager to enjoy the rides.

The first ride we went on was the bump car ride where we made a "target" (aka most bumped car) out of my sister and her boyfriend. After that we went directly to the ride closest to it, which was the roller skater.

The ride to make you "hurl" was anchor's away, and it took a lot of convincing to take the ride. Midway through the ride, my sister and I were screaming for it to stop... For a person who is a bit afraid of heights, it took guts to take this ride...

I rode almost all the rides except log jam (kc walang seat belt -- plus I already rode it a few years ago) and space shuttle (the last time I rode this ride, sumakit ang leeg ko. Tama na, d ko na kaya ang feeling -- I am so chicken!)

Image hosted by Photobucket.com I really enjoyed being a kid for a day… the rides I enjoyed were Rio Grande (I liked the ride so much that I rode it not once nor twice, but four times…hehehe. We were even one of the last groups to take the ride – we closed the ride at 10pm. Expect to get really soaked on this ride so you have to bring an extra change of clothes), 4D Discovery Theater (a real treat and great sensory experience -- the additional admission fee was well worth it) and the flying fiesta (we called it the spin dryer since we rode it after the rio grande experience).

We stayed till closing time (10pm) and enjoyed the fireworks display. All of us went home wet since we only bought a change of shirts (did not expect to get soaking wet sa rio grande, but since basa na kami, might as well take the ride 4x - bwahaha). Good thing that we have plastic covers sa car kung hindi basa din ang car seats.

It was a bonding experience for us and well worth the admission price. The first time we went to EK was just months after it first opened in 1995, now 10 years after; we get to relive the trills once again.

*********
The 500php park entrance (aka EK day pass) lets one have unlimited use of rides such as Space Shuttle, Jungle Log Jam, Roller Skater, Dodgem, Wheel of Fate, Anchors Away, Bump n' Splash, Rialto, Rio Grande Rapids, Flying Fiesta, and much more. However, attractions such as the 4D discovery theater, kart trak and xtreme paintball have separate admission fees.

Aside from the rides, park also offers visitors various treats such as the fireworks show every weekend, dance presentation by the park’s in-house talents, theater shows, seasonal shows, well-manicured gardens, classic American brownstone facades and establishments, and a variety of characters and mascots led by the Wizard.

*********
PS. pics will be posted soon.

calm before the storm?

After the "noise" made by calls for resignation last friday, all is quite at the homefront... what happens next is anybody's guess

Friday, July 08, 2005

waiting game

Should or rather, would PGMA do a Nixon and resign? The next few days are critical

the ball has dropped

The ball has dropped following the resignation of her cabinet and calls for her resignation, the ball is now in PGMA's court. what happens next is up to her and to the Filipino People.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) _ A third of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's Cabinet quit Friday and urged the Philippine leader to step down, saying she has been crippled by an election scandal and has lost the ability to lead.

It was the latest blow to Arroyo, embroiled in accusations that she talked to an election official about ensuring a million-vote victory in last year's presidential vote.

The backbone of Arroyo's economic team _ her economic, trade and budget secretaries _ were among the eight government ministers and two other members of her Cabinet who abandoned her.
God help us all.

*********
Latest news:
Liberal Party asks for PGMA to resign
Cory to call on PGMA to resign
Makati Business Club ask for PGMA resignation

GLORIAGATE (Winners and Losers)

I got this forwarded email from my friend and thought that I might as well post it in my blog... Is this the reflection of our times and the pulse of the people? You be the judge:

Conventional Wisdom tells us who are winning and who are losing:

Philippine Economy . 50-50. Peso down versus the dollar. Businessmen are jittery. Amazingly however, the full impact initially thought the GloriaGate scandal will bring to the economy hasn't happened (yet!).

Filipino People. 50-50. Call it people-power fatigue. Call it political maturity. Call it apathy. Call it pragmatism (no-better-alternative-syndrome). The Filipinos are more discerning now of issues and are aware who is taking advantage of what.
Either that, or we are pathetically dulled already not to react anymore to series upon series of scandal s inflicted upon us.

PGMA. 50-50. Finally, an admission of what all of us knew already. It is of great irony that the same type of charges hauled by her camp against Erap a few years ago (jueteng and integrity )are now being used against her and her family. Sabi nga ng commercial…Bilog Ang Mundo. Her simple aspiration "not to be a great president but be a good president" has failed so soon. And her betrayal (once proven true) will be more hurting because she once epitomized our ideals and our hopes for our country. She has been lucky though that the confluences of the apathy of the Filipino people, the still-loyal military, the rainy season, the school season, the not-so-photogenic whistle-blower that is Sammy Ong , and the not-so-conducive-for-revolution Guadalupe bridge are working to her advantage. But for how long? As Randy David said "if you will ask me if she will be president next week,…. I will say yes."

Noli de Castro. Winner. Some sectors are already courting him to replace PGMA. To his credit, he has not bitten the bait…..yet. (God help us when this happens - - Canada, here I come!)

Rez Cortez. Loser. I reserved one full paragraph for this opportunist leech. Rez, please don't leave the day-job you are very good at: playing goon, bum, rapist, murderer , arsonist…and yes, Judas Iscariot. You have become to PGMA what Amay Bisaya was to Cory. (No offense to Amay!). Unsolicited advice to the government: first thing in your reform agenda is to uplift the plight of the movie industry so that unemployed actors like Rez and Nino Mulach will have worthwhile things to do other than dip their hands into politics.

Samuel Ong / Sandra Cam. 50-50. While they may be telling the truth, their initials make me suspect their true motives and characters. S.ONG and S.CAM. One sings a not so perfect tune and the other is attempting to stage a scam.

Secretary Bunye: Loser. The most unenviable position in the land. Super ang dapa na una ang mukha. To be caught lying, fumbling and mumbling on national television at that. If I were Sec. Bunye, I would demand for a salary raise for all the humiliation I've experienced.

Garci. Winner. Instant celebrity. Maximum exposure for minimum effort.

Globe / Smart / Sun Telecoms: Winners. Text messages and ring tones galore. Panalo. Whoever made the "Hello Garci ring tone" should be honored with a Magsaysay Award.

Sgt. Doble. 50-50. Doble, meaning double. In his case, double-faced. The dramatic rescue by his wife through the help of texts will remain to be one of the comic highlights of this incident. This again proves how pusong-mamon our soldiers are. Bring in the crying wife, the wailing mother, and the wide-eyed innocent children…and whatever attempt to grab power dissipates. (see Oakwood mutiny)

NTC / DOJ. Losers. For having no balls to make good of their threat to arrest anyone in possession of the tape and ring tone. Suggestion : Arrest Secretary Bunye first. Sige nga….arestuhin ang may tape at ringtone? Hahahaha..baka mapuno ang kulungan.

Nene Pimentel. Loser. Give it a rest Nene while we still have
an ounce of respect for you. Please do other worthwhile things for yourself at the twilight of your life (like having your huge eye bags removed, for one). Same goes to Ping Lacson, Kit Tatad and all those who are obviously trying to maximize for their own benefit this gloriagate scandal. Ang babait ninyo....sana, kunin na kayo ni Lord.

Cardinal Jaime Sin. Winner. For supporting and being a main player in two successful People Power movements, and for having the presence of mind to die and not witness what People Power has been reduced to.

The Arroyo Men. Losers. Losers. Losers. Gloria, these men are literally the rust that will destroy the steel that is you. The mere physical appearance of Mike Arroyo (despite the cosmetic surgery) is repulsive enough. And that...that..that...... Mikey Arroyo has the guts to have a movie shown at the height of the jueteng and gloriagate scandal. Pity to the movie producer and more pity to the moviegoers. These Arroyo Men are simply walking human rights violations.

San Carlos Seminary. Loser. This is definitely no Edsa Shrine. There is nothing photogenic with this place and hardly the place to inspire another people power. True, the "Filipino can stop military tanks" in 1986, but this ti me no amount of courage can make us stop smoke belching flying buses driven by a maniacal drivers along Edsa. While the Edsa Shrine has the prominent statue of the Virgin Mary for inspiration, San Carlos Seminary has the view of the Mesolipo advertisement billboard of Dra. Belo.

And so the question remains..... Will there be Edsa 4? As Melanie Marquez would say "you can fool me once, you can fool me twice, you can even fool me thrice…...but you can never fool me four."

This is the story of our lives. Same shit, different politicians. It constantly amazes me how resilient, humorous, masochistic, and patient we are as a people. God Bless the Philippines, indeed!

Pass this on.Conventional Wisdom"
I just wish that for once, the filipino people and the economy be the winners

Thursday, July 07, 2005

small steps

As I was surfing the Net today, I came across this site that advocates taking small steps for a healthier life. The site lists several small steps and I am posting a few of those:

Small Steps -Take Small Steps Today!
1. Walk to work.
2. Use fat free milk over whole milk.
3. Do sit-ups in front of the TV.
4. Walk during lunch hour.
5. Drink water before a meal.
6. Eat leaner red meat & poultry.
7. Eat half your dessert.
8. Walk instead of driving whenever you can.
9. Take family walk after dinner.
10. Skate to work instead of driving.
11. Avoid food portions larger than your fist.
12. Mow lawn with push mower.
13. Increase the fiber in your diet.
14. Walk to your place of worship instead of driving.
15. Walk kids to school.
16. Get a dog and walk it.
17. Join an exercise group.
18. Drink diet soda.
19. Replace Sunday drive with Sunday walk.
20. Do yard work.
21. Eat off smaller plates.
22. Get off a stop early & walk.
23. Don't eat late at night.
24. Skip seconds.
25. Work around the house.
26. Skip buffets.
27. Grill, steam or bake instead of frying.
28. Bicycle to the store instead of driving.
29. Take dog to the park.
30. Ask your doctor about taking a multi-vitamin.
For more small steps, please visit: http://www.smallstep.gov

*********
If we could take small steps for a healtier body, maybe we could also take small steps for a better country?

Any suggestions out there?

Monday, July 04, 2005

the unknown

Don't you feel that sometimes you are walking into the twilight zone? When everything seems the same but altogether different? That is what I am feeling right now... as if I am in the twilight zone.

When Sec. Yap announced Thursday that he is resigning from office (so that he could focus on the tax evasion case filed by the BIR against him, his father and their family corporation among other reasons), I knew that my time is numbered...

you see, I am in a co-terminous position, so I really don't know if will still have a job two weeks from now. Such feeling of the unknown is contributing to the stress on the job. I went through the same agony last year when Sec. Lorenzo resigned... a feeling of uncertainty was in the air.

I don't know if the incoming secretary would be retaining the staff as what sec. yap did or if he would be bringing in quite a number of personal staff.

All I know that things in the DA are still the same, and yet they are not...till then, abangan ang susunod na kabanata...so much can happen in two weeks.
 

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