musings atbp.

4 years!

2012-01-25T22:59:00.002+08:00

exactly 4 years ago, i started blogging. well, i've been doodling some of my thoughts prior to this blog but those were not for public consumption. as written here, i got the idea of this blog's name from my fascination of how other cultures create names, such as in georgians' case.

what finally made me start blogging was not at all something to celebrate 'though. it was a smack talk about something (or make that someone) that annoyed me that day in 2008. i don't easily get riled but for some reasons, i was irked by some pangit who's acting as if balingkinitan (according to mark's words). to this day, that APO song still captures it (my sentiments at that time) all!

from there, i've written about travel, food, tennis, movies - all tops on my list, as well as some on politics and religion, some dose of trivia and of course about family. my musings on life and some bad trip moments (mostly blind items) are here as well. there were bouts of dry spells (just 1 post in over a month), either due to busy times or just coz i got distracted by another site, e.g. twitter and tumblr. there were reposts of some articles and some entries with just an amusing youtube video on it. long tagalog articles are also here.

unlike others, i'm not blogging to get paid… and i think no one will be willing to pay me for writing (or copying in some instances) these things anyway. so when i see a whole lot actually reading some of my posted musings, it's always a nice surprise, moreso if they leave comments! for the longest time, my entry about hope was the most read one, but now… mark's words of wisdom about cinderella is actually lording over the charts (if there's such a thing!). jejemon entry was also a hit, as well as one about testi and beaches in the philippines.

traditional UK gifts for a 4 year anniversary are fruits and flowers… so i'll get me some streetfood fresh fruits later. more years of musings!

lumphini

2012-01-25T12:30:00.004+08:00

salamat kay chin, kaibigan ni liz, at nakabili na ako ng sapatos para sa pagtakbo. 50% ang diskuwentong nakuha ko sa pagbili nito mula sa nike sa boni high street. pero halos isang buwan muna ang lumipas bago ko ito nagamit. bakit? dahil sa kung anu-anong dahilan tulad ng "marami kasi akong ginagawa" o kaya naman, "wala akong dalang pampalit eh". sa wakas, nakasama ako kina emma, joseph at mabel sa pagtakbo sa paligid ng high street bago kami magbakasyon nitong nakaraang disyembre. at siyempre… dalawang araw masakit ang mga kalamnan ko! sa loob ba naman ng mahigit sa tatlong taon, 'yung gabi lang na 'yun ulit ako nagkaroon ng matindi-tinding ehersisyo.

umisa ako ng takbo bago kami bumalik sa opisina 'tapos ng bagong taon. isa ulit n'ung bago ako pumunta sa KL, kasama sina emma at joseph. ok naman. wala na ang pagsakit ng tadyang ko pagkatapos ng takbuhan, kahit na bahagya kaming naambunan. siguro dahil di nga tama ang aking paghinga habang tumatakbo n'ung mga unang beses.

nalimot ko naman ang aking sapatos n'ung pumunta ko sa KL kaya di ako nakatakbo sa paligid ng petronas towers. kaya ngayong may dalawang linggo ako ng paglilibot sa bangkok at singapore, siniguro kong dala ko ang lahat ng aking kailangan - rubber shoes, singlet, shorts, towels.

nagdadalawang-isip pa nga akong tumakbo sa bangkok nitong lunes lang. ang sabi ng receptionist sa sivatel, mas maigi raw tumakbo sa chatuchak park kaysa sa lumphini. mas konti raw ang tao sa chatuchak at mas ok ang tugaygayan kaysa lumphini. pero ang layo naman nito! kailangan pang mag-BTS, mga 35 baht din ang pamasahe. at 'pag pumunta ako sa chatuchak, pawisan din akong sasakay ng BTS pabalik ng ploenchit at ng sivatel. ang labo di ba? ayon din sa ilang sites sa internet, nilalagay mo raw sa panganib o pinsala ang iyong sarili 'pag tumakbo ka sa mga bangketa ng bangkok dahil sa dami ng mga tao rito at iregular o baku-bakong tisaan.

kaya naman mas pinili ko ang parke ng lumphini. dire-diretso lang ng thanon wittayu mula sa sivatel at voila, lumphini na. mga 15-20 minutong paglakad din siguro ito kaya ok na itong warm up. di ako pamilyar sa hitsura ng parke kaya naman sinunod ko lang ang aking mga paa kung saan ako nito dalhin. sa sobrang ok na sorpresa, may libreng aerobics class sa gitna mismo ng parke! di ko naiintindihan ang sinasabi ng pampaindayog na musika kaya sinundan ko lang kung ano ginagawa ng lider at ng ibang nag-e-aero. ang saya! huling beses ko nag-aero ay n'ung miyembro pa ako ng slimmers world sa pasay road… mga 5 taon na ang nakakaraan! halos 20 minuto rin akong pasayaw-sayaw kasama ang mga thai. ang pinakahaylayt na n'un ay ang pag-uunat na maigi para sa aking pagtakbo. 6:30 raw ang umpisa ng libreng aerobics sa lumphini.

tapos ng aero, takbo-takbo na kahit kumakalansing ang mga barya ko sa bulsa. dami ring tumatakbo. may mga puti, may mga turistang asyanong tulad ko, pero mas marami ang mga thai. pami-pamilya, may nag-iisa lang. may matatanda at mayroon din namang mga tinedyer na naghahanap ng salidahan ng impok na enerhiya. mayroon din namang naglalakad-lakad lang di nakasuot ng pang-jogging. sinundan ko ang paligid ng artipisyal na lawa, kulang-kulang 2.5 kilometro raw ito. pero siyempre, may mga shortcuts din akong ginawa. di ko kasi makita ang pinasukan ko mula sa wittayu! nakadalawang beses rin akong ikot, kaya ok na ako.

bandang 9:20 ng gabi, naglalakad na ako pabalik ng sivatel. gutom na, kaya humanap muna ako ng makakainan. sarado na ang streetfood corner malapit opisina ng aydisi sa wittayu, kaya tumuloy na ako hanggang sukhumvit. wala rin akong makita sa paligid ng ploenchit, kaya nag-BTS din ako papuntang siam square. 35 baht para sa maanghang na giniling na baboy at masarap na omelet, dagdagan pa ng kung anu-anong matatamis, ayos ang buto-buto!

nalabhan ko na ang aking singlet kaya tatakbo ulit ako sa lumphini 'pag walang anumang lakad kasama ang mababait na mga thais.

job-quitting

2012-01-24T23:44:00.007+08:00

thinking of quitting your job? this ifc list has some of the bestest job-quitting scenes from hollywood. wesley's (james mcavoy) breakdown from wanted is one of my faves!

makarova

2012-01-23T16:33:00.007+08:00

"The days when she could win majors with very little of it are fading. Illness or not, injury or not, Serena's coming up on two years without a Slam title. Rankings and smaller titles don't concern her, but that must." that's how steve tignor puts it on account of serena williams' exit in this year's australian open. ekaterina makarova, 56th-ranked from russia, stunned the 13-time grand slam champion in the fourth round, 6-2, 6-3.

i was already looking forward to a serena williams - maria sharapova showdown in the quarterfinals and already imagined how serena would trash maria, as if the latter is just a number 80+ player. even more, i wondered how would petra kvitova play against serena, now that petra is ranked number 2 and has a slam to her name. but no. i looked beyond 4th round immediately. when i was transferring from reno to sivatel, the game played on and when i got to this hotel in witthayu, makarova already completed the scalp.

i always liked serena's determination and how she finds her game when it mattered most. although it was heartbreaking to see elena dementieva lose to serena in the semis of 2009 wimbledon when elena was up or how serena stole the title from lindsay davenport in the 2005 australian open final, it was awesome to see a player giving it all, complete with steely stares and intimidation, to win a match.

none of that story this time against makarova, as they said, sheer number of errors cost her a spot in the QF. i believe that being a part-timer (she plays the least number of tournaments than anyone in the top 100) in today's game just won't cut it anymore. sure she has immense talent and intimidating power. but age and lack of preparation would just drive her shanking easy shots. for once, she should devote much time to the sport that has given her so much of what she has now. by doing a little bit more, pretenders like caroline wozniacki will be put to their proper places.

rapids

2012-01-22T02:14:00.002+08:00

Rapids. It's More Fun in the Philippines.
#ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines @TourismPinas @DOTPhilippines @MoreFunInThePHL

central do brasil

2012-01-11T11:16:00.007+08:00

mabalasik, masungit at mukhang laging biyernes santo ang retiradong guro na si dora, ang bida ng central do brasil. bagamat inuupahan ng mga di marunong bumasa't sumulat si dora upang lumiham sa kani-kanilang kamag-anakan, may kung anong pighati't aglahi si dora sa kanyang mga kostumer sa central station ng rio de janeiro. madalas kaysa hindi, walang anumang intensyon si dora na ihulog ang mga liham na ipinasulat ng kanyang mga kostumer. bukod dito, mukhang kinalahig talaga ng manok ang mga letrang kanyang isinusulat sa mga pilas ng papel.

katatapos lamang magpasulat ng ina ni josue, isang 9 na taong batang lalaki, nang masagasaan ito paglabas ng mag-ina sa istasyon ng tren. di pa nakikita ni josue ang kanyang ama at mula sa malagim na pagkamatay ng kanyang ina, isang ekstraordinaryong relasyon ang nabuo kina dora at josue… bagamat di ito agad-agad. nang mamatay ang ina nito, pinatuloy nga ni dora si josue sa kanyang bahay, ngunit di upang tulungan ang bata. ang tanging tangka ni dora ay ibenta ang bata sa mga sindikatong namimili ng bata, kapalit ng malaki-laking halaga ng dolyares. nagdalawang-isip lamang si dora nang kanyang malaman ang tiyak na mangyayari kay josue kapag ibinenta niya ito sa mga sindikato. pagkakakitaan ng sindikato ang pagbebenta sa iba't ibang bahagi ng katawan ng bata sa pailalim at pandaigdigang bilihan ng mga organ ng tao. sapagkat wala ring anumang plano si dora na ibalik ang bayad sa kanya ng mga sindikato, di siya maaaring manatili sa kanyang bahay. kung kaya't kinaray niya si josue palayo sa rio de janeiro at bumiyahe sila pa-hilagang silangan ng brazil upang hanapin ang ama ni josue.

sa simula ng pelikula, maaaring akalain na ito'y simpleng istorya lamang ng isang babaing aampon sa isang bata dahil sa kalunus-lunos na buhay ng huli na pinalala pa ng pagpanaw ng ina nito. ngunit unti-unting magiging klaro na si dora ay walang puso at oportunista. sa kalaunan ng kanilang paglalakbay, ang kontrabidang ito'y naging tao at natutong magpakatao. ang di karaniwang parehang ito ay nagsimula bilang estranghero't natatalibaan sa isa't isa. ngunit ang rowdtrip nila sa paghahanap sa ama ni josue ay naging daan upang maging isang mabuting nilalang si dora sa pamamagitan ng matapang na desisyong gawin ang tama. kahit sa maikling panahon, nagkaroon din ng bagong ina si josue.

sa katapusan, natagpuan din nina dora at josue ang tirahan ng ama. dito nila nakita ang nakatatandang kapatid ni josue ngunit wala sa bahay nila ang ama. may kabog sa dibdib na nanaisin ng bawat manonood na maging maayos ang kahinatnan ni josue. bagamat malayo ito sa hapili-eber-apter na katapusan, senyal ito ng bagong direksyon sa magkahiwalay na mga buhay nina dora at josue. agos ang luha sa katapusan ng pelikula nang piliin ni dorang iwan si josue, dali-daling sumakay ng bus at tuluyang lisanin ang batang naging integral na bahagi ng kanyang buhay sa napakaikling panahon.

kahanga-hanga si fernanda montenegro (nanomina sa oscar bilang pinakamahusay na pangunahing aktres) bilang doña dora. bukod sa mahusay na istorya't direksyon ni walter salles, si montenegro ang isa sa pinakamalaking rason kung bakit dapat panoorin ang central station. halatang nauunawaan ni montenegro ang karakter ni dora dahil sakto't angkop ang bawat reaksyon nito sa lahat ng sitwasyong inilahad ng pelikula. propyedad na maituturing ang musika nina jacques morelembaum at antonio pinto sa paglalakbay nina dora at josue. ang interyor ng brazil ay mahusay ding nailarawan ng sinematograpiya ni walter carvalho. ang paggamit ng iba't ibang imahen ng relihiyon at ang magkakatunggaling modernong ebanghelismo at tradisyunal na katolisismo na ihinalo sa katutubong pananampalataya ay nagdagdag ng ibang dimensyon sa rowdtrip nina dora at josue.

maaaring maging sobrang sentimental sa iba ngunit ang central station ay isang tunay na yaman ng sinemang brazilian. unibersal at tiyak na titimo sa puso ng manonood ang salaysay ng isang sinikong babae na naging ina sa isang batang naulila sa tunay nitong ina. natutuhan ni dora ang tunay na kahulugan ng pag-ibig habang natuto rin si josue kung paano muling mabuhay. walang bahid ng pang-iinsulto o panghuhukot ng ibang tao, tagumpay ang pelikula na tinagin, pag-usutin at laruin ang damdamin at ekspektasyon ng mga manonood. umiigting sa suson-suson nitong sinematikong palaman, ang pelikulang ito ay ganap na kaluguran mula umpisa hanggang katapusan.

jumpshot

2012-01-10T16:52:00.003+08:00

Jumpshot. It's More Fun in the Philippines.

#ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines @TourismPinas @DOTPhilippines @MoreFunInThePHL

Doha

2012-01-09T10:33:00.000+08:00

Philippines!

2012-01-06T16:35:00.003+08:00

Getting upstairs. More fun in the Philippines.

Status updates. More fun in the Philippines.

Commuting. More fun in the Philippines.

It's more fun in the Philippines!

joe nobody

2012-01-06T16:03:00.004+08:00

just had to re-post this, which is one nice account about doing what you love... even without the hard returns (money and all).

‘Joe Nobody’ plays tennis for love, not money

One is a multi-millionairess who doesn't even like the sport that has given her everything. The other is a "Joe Nobody" who's happy to scrape a living playing the game he loves.

Welcome to the disparate world of professional tennis, where a handful of superstars enjoy extraordinary rewards—but the vast majority work hard for relatively little, wondering what it's like to be one of the chosen few.

For Serena Williams, one of the world's richest athletes, fame, luxury travel and plush hotels are the norm. Yet she told journalists in Brisbane that not only did she not "love" tennis, she didn't even like sports.

"It's not that I've fallen out of love with it. I've actually never liked sports and I never understood how I became an athlete," Williams said.

"I don't like working out, I don't like anything physical. If it involves sitting down or shopping, I'm excellent at it."

Elsewhere in Australia, but a world away professionally, 236th-ranked Frederik Nielsen considered the Hopman Cup, where he is representing Denmark alongside women's number one Caroline Wozniacki, the peak of his career.

For the 28-year-old journeyman, without a title to his name, courtesy cars and free meals at the Perth tournament were a rare treat—and the $45,000 appearance fee is a major pay-day.

"This is the biggest stage I have ever played on, I've thoroughly enjoyed it," he said.

"They take such good care of us players and to be able to play on a stage like that, in front of a great crowd, it's big for me. It's a big pleasure, it really is."

But Nielsen also knows next week he'll be back to outside courts and satellite tournaments as he tries to keep his bank account ticking over, typically picking up $1,000 per event—barely enough to cover his costs.

"I know that next week it's back to reality and I'm 'Joe Nobody' again," he said. "So I really appreciate every second here."

Any money he makes will be put straight back into trying to improve his own game, rather than spent on the trappings of success.

The money that I make I try to invest in my own game by hiring coaches in different areas of the game," he said.

"So I don't really come out with a profit at the end of the year. It's enough to keep going."

On the other hand, Williams has won 13 Grand Slam singles titles, two Olympic gold medals and earned over $34 million in prize money, not to mention her lucrative endorsements.

"I don't love tennis today but I'm here," she confessed. "I can't live without it—there's a difference between not loving something and not being able to live without it."

It's a striking admission, but Williams is not alone. Fellow American great Andre Agassi even said he hated the sport in his controversial autobiography, "Open".

"I play tennis for a living even though I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion and always have," Agassi wrote.

Nielsen, who has won just $295,000 during his playing career, can't live without tennis either, but his reasons are vdifferent.

"If I was in it for the money and everything I would have quit five years ago," he said. "This is my life and I really love it, this is a dream come true for me.

"As long as I'm fit and I keep improving and I find it to be the best thing to do with my life, I'll keep going."

no visa

2012-01-04T16:14:00.002+08:00

According to this site, no visa required for Filipinos in the following countries… so biyahe na tayo!

Asia

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

• Brunei Darussalam - 14 days
• Cambodia - 21 days
• Indonesia - 30 days
• Laos - 30 days
• Malaysia - 30 days (sufficient fund must be at least 500USD)
• Singapore - 30 days
• Thailand - 30 days
• Vietnam - 21 days

Non- ASEAN

• Azerbaijan - 30 days visa issued upon arrival
• Taiwan - 30 days if holding a valid visa for Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Schengen countries, United Kingdom or United States. Check at https://nas.immigration.gov.tw/nase/ to meet the requirements.
• Georgia – 90 days visa issued upon arrival, 360 days visa free to those who have temporary residence of Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait
• Hong Kong - 14 days
• India - 30 days visa issued upon arrival
• Iran - 15 days visa issued upon arrival if holding an e-visa pre-approval code obtained via email from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at www.mfa.gov.ir
• Israel - 90 days (3 months)
• South Korea (if arriving at Jeju Island only) - 30 days
• Macau - 30 days
• Maldives - 30 days visa issued upon arrival, extension of maximum 90 days is possible by paying MVR 750
• Mongolia - 21 days
• Nepal - 15/30/90 days visa issued upon arrival for around US$25/40/100
• Sri Lanka - 30 days visa obtain upon arrival if holding Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). You can get this prior to arrival at www.eta.gov.lk
• Timor-Leste - 30 days single entry visa issued upon arrival for around US$30, extension is possible up to 90 days

Europe

•Kosovo - 90 days

Oceania

• Cook Islands - 31 days
• Fiji - 120 days Visitor's Permit issued upon arrival and can be extended
• Marshall Islands - 30 days visa issued upon arrival and can be extended
• Micronesia - 30 days
• Niue - 30 days
• Palau - 30 days visa issued upon arrival, additional USD 50 for extension
• Samoa - 60 days Visitor's Permit issued upon arrival
• Tuvalu - 30 days visa issued upon arrival
• Vanuatu - 30 days

North America

• Bermuda - 31 days before but since May, they now require visas for Philippine passport holders
• Costa Rica - 30 days Visitor's Permit issued upon arrival
• Dominica - 21 days
• Haiti - 90 days
• Nicaragua - 90 days visa issued upon arrival
• Saint Lucia – 6 weeks Visitor's Permit issued upon arrival
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - 30 days visa issued upon arrival
• Turks and Caicos Islands - 30 days

South America

• Bolivia - 90 days
• Brazil - 90 days
• Colombia - 90 days
• Ecuador - 90 days
• Peru - 183 days
• Suriname - 90 days

Africa

• Burundi – 1 month visa issued upon arrival
• Cape Verde Islands – visa issued upon arrival around £ 25
• Comoros – visa issued upon arrival
• Djibouti – 1 month visa issued upon arrival
• Gambia – visa issued upon arrival
• Kenya - 90 days visa issued upon arrival for US$50
• Madagascar - 90 days visa issued upon arrival for MGA140,000
• Morocco - 90 days
• Mozambique - 30 days visa issued upon arrival. Extension of 30 days is possible around USD 66
• Saint Helena - visa issued upon arrival
• Seychelles – 1 month Visitor’s Permit issued upon arrival if holding return ticket, sufficient funds (minimum USD150 per day of stay, and proof of accommodation)
• Tanzania - visa issued upon arrival for around USD50 to USD200
• Togo - 7 days visa issued upon arrival if with return ticket, 3 passport photos, and yellow fever vaccination certificate
• Uganda - visa issued upon arrival for US$50
• Zambia - 90 days visa issued upon arrival for USD 50/80/160 single/double/multiple entry

**UPDATED and CHECKED: January 3, 2012
**Information is intended for tourist visit purpose only
**Details may change anytime after the update due to new laws so double-check the immigration rules of the country you’re planning to visit
**Transit visa may be required when you're not on a direct flight
**Sources: International Air Transport Association (IATA), Qantas, Wiki, Visalink, VisaHq.ph

Some important notes:

The list of countries above won’t let you need a visa BEFORE your arrival. Doesn’t mean you won’t need one forever. I just listed the allowed days just like when you’re going to SG for example, you may visit the place until the allotted days without a visa. You can also extend your stay but you have to comply with their visa requirement – that’s the time you have to secure a visa or permit depending on your purpose (work, business, study, etc).

The other countries require a visa upon arrival. It’s usually done at the port of entry or at the immigration bureau of that country. They usually ask you about your purpose of visit/travel and check your documents like your passport (which must be at least 6 months valid from the date of expiry), valid IDs (when I say valid it means it’s not expired and is accepted by all government offices), return tickets, and money. They usually require you to hold proof of sufficient funds to cover your stay. Some strict countries checkpoint authorities require documents such as employment letter, hotel reservations, personal invitation, permit to travel and the like. They have the authority to refuse your entry if you fail to comply with them.

Feel free to leave comments below and use it to share your visa concerns and experiences with others. You can exchange related stuff in the comments section just like a forum. But please you guys, I made this effort to share this for everyone and it’s free. I have updated the details, too one by one. Please respect this page and don’t throw nasty comments to anyone. Filipinos are polite, courteous and hospitable. I want to see that in here. Help each other instead of turning each other down…THANK YOU.

katamad

2012-01-04T15:01:00.001+08:00

may kung anong nakabibinging katahimikan. tanging takatak lamang ng tipahan ng laptap at mahinang sireno ng erkon ang madidinig, bukod sa ugong ng naglalakihang makina sa itinatayong gusali ng globe. salit-salit ang pag-ariba ng sinag ng araw at ibayong kulimlim na nagbabadya ng ulan. panay ang pag-ubo ng iba, habang ang iba nama'y abala sa pag-antabay sa napipintong pagbahing dala ng sipon.

lahat ay sumusubok magsimula ng trabaho. paano nga naman, santambak ang naiwan pagkatapos ng mahaba-habang bakasyong dala ng kapaskuhan. ngunit sadyang mabigat pa ang mga katawan… kaya halos lahat ay huli sa pagpasok kaninang umaga. may tila bato ring nakadagan sa mga likod ng mga palad, kaya naman imbis na buksan ang anumang dokumento, mas magaan ang pagbabasa na lamang ng istatus ng mga kaibigan sa facebook at twitter. mayroon din namang nagbabasa lang ng kung anu-ano sa internet upang lumakad ang oras at dumatal ang uwian. tila binagsakan nga ng katam ang bawat isa sa tuwing magbabalik sa trabaho pagkatapos ng mahabang patlang.

alihan nawa ng kasipagan sa nalalabing dalawang araw ng linggong ito!

Calatagan pot

2012-01-04T14:13:00.003+08:00

Ina bisa kata
Guna kita payaba
Dulang saya kau kain
Dada yang ‘ni manogi
Kita sana mabasah
Bagai ke bunga.

Sinikap sabihin ni ina
Para sa iyo mahal kong anak
Kumain ka sa aking dulang
Dibdib ko ‘tong mabango
Doon ika’y mabasa
Tulad ng bulaklak.

Ina, ikaw ang aking bisa
Dumalaga nating alaga
Banga’y kanyang nasipa
Si M/manugi ang may dala
Magbabasa tayo sana
Di nga ba, ng bunga.

Gana Bisa Kata
Duna kita’y halabas
Yawa, sala, kakaga
Yamyam la ni Manugdait
Kita sana magbasa
Barang king banga.

- Calatagan pot. Calatagan pot.

paputok

2011-12-31T23:28:00.002+08:00

mga dapat sundin para hindi madisgrasya sa paputok:

1. 'wag kumuha ng naputukan na... baka mapikot ka.

2. alisin agad kung malapit nang pumutok.

3. kung naputukan na, dali-daling hugasan... baka madala pa sa hugas.

4. 'wag magpaputok sa mataong lugar... nakakahiya.

5. magtanong kung "safe" bago magpaputok. kung safe saka iputok.

maligayang pasok at maligo bago ibaon!

manigong bagong taon!

zooey - joseph

2011-12-31T16:40:00.001+08:00

happy new year!

bugnot

2011-12-31T16:13:00.004+08:00

kanya-kanya raw ang bawat tao sa paghanap ng salidahan ng halu-halong bagot, kabiguan at suliranin ng buhay at lahat na kaakibat nitong isyu. may mga indibidwal na sadyang may positibong pananaw sa buhay kaya madalas kaysa hindi, kinakaharap nila ang mga problema nang may ngiti pa rin sa labi. anu't anuman, bahagi ang pagkakaroon ng problema ng pagiging buhay sa lupang ibabaw. kung wala kang problema o di ka naiinip, di ka na naiba sa mga taong may sakit sa pag-iisip. isang indikasyon na gumagana pa ang iyong sistemang pisikal at mental kapag nararamdaman mo pa rin ang bigat ng pang-araw-araw na pamumuhay. siyempre, paano mo nga naman matatanto ang ligaya kung di mo alam ang salitang lungkot. sabi nga ni lola ko, ang mahalaga ay humihinga ka pa rin. lahat ay lumilipas, maging ang bawat pagsubok.

sa kabilang dako, may mga tao ring negatibo ang pagtanggap sa problema. paangil ang tugon sa kapwa dahil may pinagdaraanan o di kaya'y lungkut-lungkutan ang drama. mas malala pa rito, susumpungin ng bugnot at palalakihin ang tila wala namang kabagay-bagay na usapin. sa gayon, maibulalas ang naiipong pagkasiphayo sa kasalukuyang kalagayan. mauuwi ito sa pag-ungkat ng kung anu-anong malaon nang isyu at pagkatapos ng mala-teleseryeng balitaktakan, sigawan at litanya, di mo na mawawari kung bakit nangyari ang eksena. maaaring bunga ito ng prustrasyon sa kinahihinatnan ng kanyang buhay, problemang pinansyal o dala ng simpleng pagkapagal ng katawan sa tambak na gawaing pambahay. ngunit sabi ng marami, ang pagod na puso't isipan ang higit na nagbubulid ng salansang na gawi ng isang tao. magiging malubha ang negatibong gawi kung ang tao ay likas na may rebeldeng pag-iisip, sumpungin o nakagawian na niyang magalit sa mga taong nakapaligid sa kanya. maaaring nalimot lamang niya sumandali ang kanyang personalidad dahil sa kasalakuyang ginagalawan ngunit kapag nabugnot nang tuluyan ay magbabalik sa likas na salansang na pagkatao.

kung salidahan lamang ng prustrasyon ang hanap, maraming maaaring pagkaabalahan. kung walang pera, magtimpla ng kape't maupo ka sa harap ng iyong bahay at manood ng mga tao. tiyak na maaaliw ka sa paroo't parito ng mga taong may kanya-kanya ring problema at mga kakatwang nilalang ng zombieland. kung may naitabi at walang binabayarang araw-araw ang singilan, maaari kang mag-mall… malamig at maraming puwedeng gawin o mamasyal sa mga pampublikong liwasan. kundi naman kayang mamasyal, maano ba naman 'yung maglakad-lakad nang makapagbanat ng butu-buto. o baka naman kulang ka lang sa ligo? bagamat malamig ang panahon, para kasi sa maraming pinoy (kasama ako), ang simpleng ligo lamang ay sapat na upang umaliwalas ang pag-iisip.

higit sa lahat, pagtanggap at kasiyahan sa kung anong mayroon ka sa buhay mo ang pinakamaiging panlaban sa bugnot. di lahat ng taong isinadlak ang sarili sa putik ay nakababangon at nakasusumpong ng pamilyang patutuluyin ka sa kanilang tahanan at isa itong malaking biyayang dapat na ipagpasalamat. maaaring di na tulad ng dati ang iyong katayuan sa buhay. ngunit di ba dapat ay magpasalamat ka pa rin na kahit minsan sa iyong buhay ay naranasan mo ang maalwan na buhay? di naman kailangan ang limpak-limpak na salapi. hangga't may bubong kang titingalain at panlaban sa elemento ng panahon at kumakain ka pa rin ng tatlong beses isang araw, masuwerte ka pa rin sa higit na nakararaming tao sa mundo. kailangan lamang na baguhin ang pananaw sa buhay. di dapat maging mapaghanap.

alalahanin lagi… lahat ay napag-uusapan at ang bawat problema ay may karampatang solusyon. di na kailangan pang magpakabugnot at gumawa ng eksena upang makapaghatid ng statement.

paskuhan

2011-12-29T16:50:00.003+08:00

noche buena 2011!

meryl streep

2011-12-28T18:45:00.001+08:00

The Kennedy Center tribute to multiple Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Meryl Streep featured Tracey Ullman, Robert De Niro, Mike Nichols, Kevin Kline, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci and Anne Hathaway.

MoMo

2011-12-28T13:54:00.000+08:00

happy food. that's MoMo food!

you get to have the free delightful toasted bread with cheese pimiento for appetizer. we opted for an onslaught of some of the nicest 'comfort' foods we can think of. momo offers good value for your money and coupled with efficient service and nice ambience... momo is definitely one of my fave eatspots.

[thanks to mabel for the pics!]

le bistro vert

2011-12-27T19:17:00.001+08:00

out on a date? pa-cutesy, getting-to-know dates? this place is your best bet. since the food prep takes a reaaally long time, le bistro vert is a good place for those conversations, whether intelligent or pretending to be one. just have some light snacks before heading to its flagship store in valero street, salcedo village, makati.

but if you're hungry and wanting to have something heavy and full-filling, avoid this place. food is good, but will definitely not give you the value one might be looking for.

[thanks to mabel for the pics!]

karoling

2011-12-26T23:50:00.003+08:00

sabi nila, iba talaga ang pasko sa pilipinas. walang katulad, 'ika nga. bahagi nito ang pagbabahay-bahay na pangangaroling ng kung sinu-sinong grupo at mga batang paslit. ngunit sa pagdaan ng panahon, ang dati rating katuwaan ng magkakababata at karoling upang makapag-ambag halimbawa sa parokya ay unti-unti nang nagiging kasangkapan ng mga tamad magbanat ng buto at ang nais lamang ay magkapera sa madaliang paraan.

sa maraming pagkakataon, kasisimula pa lang ng disyembre, umpisa na ang sangkatutak na mga bata sa paglibot sa mga kabahayan. madalas kaysa hindi, patawad at kung anu-anong mga palusot ang sinasabi sa mga batang paslit sa tuwing titirada ng kanilang treydmark na kanta, "sa maybahay ang aming bati… meri krismas na 'mawalhati'…" pabalik-balik lang kasi ang mga ito at tila nagiging hanapbuhay na ng iba. maski pa sabihing barya-barya lang naman ang ibibigay sa mga ito, di magandang ang nagiging kahulugan ng kapaskuhan sa kanila ay "pagkakataon na upang magkapera" at dapat gawin ang lahat upang madapuan ng barya ang kanilang mga palad. nangaroling din ako n'ung bata ako. pero ito'y bahagi lamang ng laro at katuwaan namin ng aking mga kalaro noon. imbis na katuwaan lamang, nauuwi ang karoling sa maagang paghuhutok ng maling nosyon ng mga pinoy na "magkapera nang madalian sa anumang paraan". kapag inabutan ng piso, titigil na agad ang pasigaw nilang kanta… kakanta na ng "tenk yu, tenk yu… ambabait ninyo, tenk yu." sa gayon makarami pa at kapag wala nang nagbibigay, babalik sa bahay na nag-abot ng barya at titirada na naman dahil alam naman nila na di na sila sisinuhin. uulitin ang proseso hanggang lumalim na ang gabi.

ang mga grupo naman ng matatanda, a bente sais na, tuloy pa rin ang pangangaroling. di ba tapos na ang pasko 'pag ika-26 na? di mo tuloy mawari kung may pupuntahan ba talaga ang malilikom na salapi sa punyaging ito o ibubulsa lamang ng bawat miyembro ng grupo. ok ang ibang mga grupo na nangangaroling bilang bahagi ng isang mainam na layunin tulad ng pagpapakain sa mga batang kapuspalad o pagdaraos ng krismas parti sa bahay ampunan o bahay tuluyan ng mga matatanda. ngunit ang gawing hanapbuhay o pantawid-gutom ang pangangaroling ay sadyang balikong pag-iisip at di tamang halimbawa sa mga bata. katulad ng sa mga batang kalye, kapag inabutan mo ang mga ito ng bente pesos, katakut-takot na pintas pa ang aabutin ng may-ari ng bahay. di ba nila nawawari na may kanya-kanya ring suliranin ang bawat pamilya?

nang pumunta ako sa cebu nitong unang linggo ng disyembre, sa mga pampublikong bus naman ang modus operandi ng iba. rap ang himig ng pasko… dalawa lamang ang nangangaroling, tila kinopya ang tambalang boy pik-ap at boy bak-ap ng bubble gang. may sobre ring inililibot. pagkatapos ng di ko naintindihang pa-rap na karoling, titigil pa talaga sa tabi mo ang boy bak-ap para kunsensyahin ang bawat mananakay na "pangkain lang" ang kanilang pakay sa pangangaroling. bagamat walang panlilinlang sa ganitong paraan, di rin nila isinasaalang-alang na ang mga sakay ng bus na 'yun ay di rin naman nalalayo sa kanila sa katayuan sa buhay. higit na marami rito ay nangangamuhan din sa "ciudad" at uuwi sa malalayong bayan sa cebu upang magpalipas ng sabado't linggo.

oo nga't pagbibigayan ang tunay na diwa ng pasko. kaya naman mag-aabot ka pa rin kahit paano. subalit sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, di rin birong halaga ng barya sa mga bata at tig-20 pesos ang mag-abot sa mga may-edad nang nangangaroling. sa kabuuan ng mga nangaroling, marahil aabot sa 90 porsiyento rito, perwisyong tunay ang hatid sa mga may bahay. dilihensya at di paghahatid ng maluwalhating pamaskong himig sa bawat tahanan ang tanging layunin ng mga kakatwang pangangaroling. may mga tunggak pa na pangangatwiran ang ilan na kaysa naman daw magnakaw sila o mangholdap, mangangaroling na lang upang may maiuwi sa pamilya. sa muli't muli, mabilisang pagkakakwartahan pa rin ang iniisip. sa mga dupang na mga pulitiko dapat mangaroling ang mga ito… tutal naman kumakamada ang mga ito ng limpak-limpak na salapi mula sa kaban ng bayan. at dahil dito, dapat exempted mula sa mga perwisyong nangangaroling ang mga nagbabayad ng tamang buwis na tulad ko!

imbis na magsumikap at maging kontento sa anumang kinikita at unti-unting magpunyagi kapag may karanasan na, marami sa mga pinoy ang pinipiling samantalahin ang pagkakataon… maging ang pasko, upang magkapera. ang dapat sana'y pagdiriwang at pagsasama-sama ng pamilya at pasasalamat sa nagdaang 12 buwan ay tinutuos sa pamamagitan ng kung magkano ang laman ng iyong bulsa at mga bagong damit. tuwa at musika ang dapat na hatid ng mga himig pamasko… di dilihensya o instant kita. pinoy nga naman.

singapore

2011-12-23T23:32:00.002+08:00

singapore just for business trip, but still had a chance to meet with good friends, momi ruth, kay and omar!

sitio de amor

2011-12-23T22:11:00.000+08:00

sitio de amor, san pablo city, laguna.

BGC

2011-12-23T19:43:00.000+08:00

the office moved to BGC in early november. while the daily commute is adding some unwanted years to all of the members of the team (hahaha!), the unobstructed view of bonifacio global city, as well as the laguna de bay in the far west, are some of the key perks of traveling all the way to this new business district. but that's just about it.

manaoag

2011-12-22T07:22:00.000+08:00

it was stormy weekend in pangasinan, so dad and i decided to go to manaoag, pangasinan for a quick sidetrip. above photos were taken in the basilica of our lady of the rosary of manaoag.

tambobong

2011-12-22T00:10:00.002+08:00

stormy weekend in tambobong beach, dasol, pangasinan.

vietnam

2011-12-21T23:03:00.000+08:00

ho chi minh city, vietnam.

punta bunga

2011-12-20T23:17:00.001+08:00

boracay's punta bunga beach... top of the pops! (",)

boracay

2011-12-20T23:10:00.000+08:00

my third time in boracay. 'though i still enjoyed our 4 days there, i'd have to say this spot will be the last on my to-go list in the next 24 months as it's too crowded and commercialized (sign of aging!). (",)

buko

2011-12-20T17:28:00.000+08:00

kapag HIPON ka, patapon ang mukha mo pero panalo ang katawan.

kung LOLLIPOP ka, patapon ang katawan mo pero panalo ang mukha.

kung patapon ang katawan mo at mukha, dapat BULALO ka... panalo ang utak.

pero kung patapon ang katawan, utak at mukha mo...

maging BUKO ka na lang...

malinis ang kalooban.

reefwalking

2011-12-19T22:36:00.006+08:00

another year is about to end. all in all, it was eventful... lots of travels, both for pleasure and business. and because of that, a series of posts about these locations and travel experiences should be on the way! and it starts right now!

it's been one of those in water activities in boracay, so naturally, i also had to try reefwalking. and so i did. it was uncomfortable at first but once the fishes congregated around us, i completely forgot about the uneasy need of constant 'equalizing'. next to-do, please!

jose manalo

2011-12-18T16:13:00.002+08:00

pagkatapos ng delay sa flight dahil sa laging palpak na pal at di kaaya-ayang mga pinoy na receptionist sa m hotel anson road, singapore... isang libo't isang tawa ito dahil sa sugod-bahay gang nina jose manalo, wally bayola, paolo ballesteros at ang dabarkads ng eat bulaga sa studio (vic, joey, jimmy atbp)! panalo si jose bilang willie revillame!

glorietta

2011-12-15T16:58:00.004+08:00

dinner + coffee night with papa, tita, ate she, utoy, liz, waldy and izh!

nyeteks

2011-12-12T15:37:00.004+08:00

wer na u

2011-12-11T02:06:00.001+08:00

negative

2011-12-06T11:59:00.006+08:00

"Negative feedback is better than none.

I would rather have a man hate me than overlook me.

As long as he hates me I make a difference.”

- Hugh Prather

les choristes

2011-11-28T22:20:00.004+08:00

mangilan-ngilan na rin ang pelikulang uminog sa isang gurong naging katalista ng pagbabago sa isang pangkat ng mga balikukong kabataan ang napanood ko. ngunit sadyang iba sa mga ito ang les choristes. bagamat mahuhulaan ang tema, ang payak at may kurot sa pusong les choristes ay nag-iiwan ng sigla't pagkabuhay ng loob sa manonood nang walang bahid ng eksaherasyon. di ito pinalabukan ng labis-labis na kadakilaan o masisidhing tunggalian ng mga damdamin. ni wala ritong mga eksena ng mahahaba't mariringal na talumpati.

sa simula nito, bumalik sa france ang tanyag na kompositor at konduktor na si pierre morhange nang mamatay ang kanyang ina. sa burol, dumating ang kanyang kababata't kaklase na si pépinot, tangan ang talaarawan ng kanilang yumaong guro na si clément mathieu (gérard jugnot), at sa pagbasa rito, sinariwa nila ang kanilang karanasan sa fond de l' etang (bottom of the well). enero ng 1949 nang magsimulang magtrabaho si mathieu sa paaralang pangaserahang ito para sa mga ulila't lisyang mga batang lalaki. batas-militar ang istilo ng pamamalakad ng mabagsik na si rachin (françois berléand), ang direktor ng eskwelahan at marahas ang parusang ipinapataw sa sinumang estudyanteng nahuling nagkamali. nagpasyang turuan ni mathieu ang mga bata kung paano kumanta sa isang koro at mula rito, natuklasan niya ang potensyal sa pagkanta ni pierre (jean-baptiste maunier). naging malapit din sa puso ni mathieu ang batang si pépinot (maxence perrin), na kada sabado ay naghihintay sa pagbisita ng kanyang ama ngunit sa kalauna'y nalaman din na namatay sa digmaan ang parehong magulang. mula sa di mabagsik at di palalong paraan ni mathieu, nabago ang buhay ng mga batang lalaki at ilan sa kanyang mga katrabaho.

tagumpay ang pelikulang ito dahil di nito sinubukang maging higit na engrande. walang bahid ng pang-uukilkil sa konsensya o mang-impluwensya ng manonood. sa loob ng maikling panahon, nagawa ni mathieu na matupad ang kanyang taimtim na balakin - makabuo ng isang koro na aawit ng kanyang mga komposisyon. sa prosesong ito, hinaplos ng musika't pakikipagkapwa ang mga kabataang ito at muling bumalik si mathieu sa buhay ng pagtuturo at musika. naging matagumpay din si morhange. ngunit ito'y inilarawang walang bahid ng pilit na mga eksena ng gahiganteng punyagi or mala-hollywood na kadramahan. sa kabila ng payak na talakay, may malagihay na haplos-puso ang les choristes, dala na rin ng selestiyal na musikang inilapat dito. nakaeengganyo ang mga tauhan ng pelikula. panot, medyo mataba ngunit larawan ng butihing ama ang mathieu ni gérard jugnot. ang mga batang nagsiganap naman ay pawang mahuhusay lalo na si jean-baptiste maunier at maxence perrin. mahusay ang direksyon at kapani-paniwala ang halos lahat ng eksena.

hatid ng les choristes ang mensaheng ang kabutihan, pagiging bukas-palad at ang regalo ng musika ay may mahiwagang kapangyarihang bumago ng buhay ng sinumang tao.

hcmc

2011-11-27T22:53:00.005+08:00

it was a quick trip once again. in fact, it was even quicker this time. i flew in sunday late afternoon and flew back to manila wednesday afternoon as well. my second time in ho chi minh city (hcmc) allowed me to stay in sheraton saigon. when i checked agoda, this hotel's got one of the most expensive rates... and that goes without breakfast. anyway, since this hotel is just walking distance to our new office in vietnam, the booking was made. i just needed to find good banh mi for my breakfast and i'll be ok.

when i checked in, got the biggest horror - there was no free internet connection in my room! when you're traveling on a business trip, you can't really work compared to when you're in your home office. since my time will be spent talking with the members of my team, chances are emails will only be answered when i get back in the hotel. to make it even more complicated, colleagues in that office usually leave earlier to avoid hcmc's monster traffic jams. that meant rushing to get all things done before leaving the office. oh well.

anyway… the good food in hcmc more than made up for the hotel horrors. got good sampling of authentic pho, spring and summer rolls, com tam (grilled pork and thinly shredded pork on top of vietnamese broken rice), banh xeo (crepe), among many others.

i wasn't able to buy those class A north park bags in saigon square but i did get to buy some nice things in ben thanh market. till the next trip!

pier

2011-11-27T21:35:00.003+08:00

kapuluan ang pilipinas. at dahil dito, isang hantad na pangangailangan ang pagkakaroon ng isang mahusay na pantalan para sa ligtas at mainam na paglalakbay paroo't parito sa mga isla ng mga mamamayan at kani-kanilang produkto. ngunit likas na nga ba sa mga pinoy na ipagsawalang-bahala ang mga litaw na pangangailangang gaya ng pantalan?

pumunta kami ni dad sa guimaras nitong mahal na araw. para makapunta sa jordan, kabisera ng guimaras, sa pantalan ng ortiz daw ang sakayan ng mga lantsang pantawid. isang sakay ng dyip mula sa sm iloilo hanggang sa ortiz, ang pinakaabalang daungan sa iloilo. kagaya ng karamihan ng istasyon sa pilipinas, nagkalat ang mga manininda sa bukana ng daungan. ngunit kaiba sa ibang mga daungan, daraan muna ang mga pasahero sa liku-likong mga iskinita, susundan ang mga karatulang "jordan passengers this way", bago pa man makarating sa bilihan ng tiket. sa mismong daungan, literal na magkakasalubong ang mga galing ng guimaras at ang mga indibidwal na gaya ko na paalis pa lang ng iloilo. isang makitid na hamba lamang ang nagsisilbing daanan ng lahat ng mga pasahero. kapag nagkamali ng tapak, titimbwang ka agad sa mala-esterong tubig-alat ng pantalan. di malayong kapag masama ang panahon, hahampasin ng malalakas na alon ang mga taong titiyad dito. walang maayos na sistema ng pagpapaluwas ng mga pasahero at mano-mano ang lahat ng gawi, maging ang diumanong pagsisiyasat ng mga miyembro ng coast guard. dahil wala ngang sistema, magtatanong ka lang kung aling lantsa ang patungong jordan at maaari ka nang tumambling pasakay sa lantsang 'yon. saka ka pa lang magbabayad at ni walang anumang manipestong kailangang sulatan ng iyong pangalan. siguro dahil labinlimang minuto lang ang biyahe pa-guimaras at maganda ang panahon, kaya maskipaps ang nakagawian sa pantalan. kung sa panahong dagsa ang mga mananakay ay walang anumang sistema, malamang sa pangkaraniwang araw ay lalong wala.

nakalulungkot isipin na maging sa isang lubhang urbanisadong lungsod na gaya ng iloilo ay walang organisasyon sa pamamahala ng daungan at ni wala gasinong imprastrakturang matatawag. maigi pa nga sa guimaras at ang pier ay may bubungang permanente at tila may kaayusang madarama. ang pantalan ng ortiz ay magpapaalala sa sinumang turistang sila ay nasa di maunlad na bansa.

paano natin hihikayatin ang mga dayuhan at lokal na turistang maglakbay sa naggagandahang lokasyong gaya ng guimaras kung sa pantalan pa lang ay panganib na ang nakaamba? sa pagtahak ni p-noy sa matuwid na landas, sana'y kasama rin ang pagsasaayos ng mga pangunahing imprastrakturang gaya ng pantalan. di kailangang magarbo ngunit dapat ay may maayos na pasilidad, lalo na sa pagpasok at paglabas ng mga mananakay.

berri

2011-11-27T19:07:00.003+08:00

hilig ko ang uminom ng juice… sariwang dyus ng halos lahat ng prutas. mas madalas kaysa hindi, nauuwi ako sa minute maid pulpy orange o di kaya naman ay kahit anong dyus ng mansanas kapag napapadaan ako sa sm makati o shopwise. pasok sa badyet ang minute maid at kahit anong apple juice na di lalagpas ng otsenta pesos. luho ko nang matatawag ang dalawang beses na kada buwan na pagbili ng pink guava berri juice. lagpas sa 180 pesos ang isang 2.4 litro nito at wala itong iba pang sukat sa kahit anong merkado rito sa pinas.

nitong unang linggo namin sa tft, bumuwelta kami ni emma sa s&r upang mananghalian at maglakad-lakad na rin. perstaym ko sa s&r kaya lakad-lakad hanggang masumpungan ko ang breakfast juice ng berri. bagamat inaalihan pa rin ako ng matandang paniniwala na di puwedeng magdyus sa umaga dahil malalamigan ang sikmura, akma raw ang berri juice na ito sa umaga kaya ko binili upang masubukan. masarap naman ang breakfast juice na ito. sangkap-sangkap ng iba't ibang uri ng prutas at walang maantang lasa.

biyernes ng pangalawang linggo ng nobyembre, lagpas kalahati pa ang juice ko. ngunit sa aking pagbabalik kinalunisan, taob na ang lalagyan nito. said ang laman at wala na ngang itinira ang sinumang lumagok nito! tila ginawang mineral water ito at ipinangtighaw sa kanya (o kanilang) lalamunan na di pa yata nasasayaran ng higit na mahal na dyus kaysa sa karaniwan. iniwan pa talaga sa lababo ang basyo ng dyus… hinihintay na matuklasan ko ang kahindik-hindik na kapatay-gutuman!

di naman ako maramot sa bagay-bagay na tulad nito. ngunit, sa panglahatang lugar tulad ng opisina, urbanidad ang dapat na mamayani. kung walang kakayahang bumili ng ganitong dyus, manghingi o magsabi man lang na… "hoy, nilagok ko nga pala 'yung juice mo!" di naman ako magagalit. matatawa pa ako! di ako "ootsenta" kundi mahahabag ako sa indibidwal na umubos ng isang bagay at walang gulugod na aminin ang kawalan niya ng tumpak na kaasalan.

kahigtan

2011-11-27T17:57:00.003+08:00

sa tennis, advantage ang tawag sa puntos pagkatapos ng deuce. kailangan pang manalo ng isa sa magkatunggaling manlalaro sa susunod na puntos upang mapasakanya ang game na pinaglalabanan. sa pang-araw-araw na buhay, ipinagsasanggalang ng bawat isa ang kanyang sariling ikabubuti o kabutihan (advantage), malayo sa anumang kapahamakan o panganib. madalas kaysa hindi, ipipilit ng bawat indibidwal na makuha ang bawat naisin, kapritso man ito o buhay ang nakataya, upang sa gayon, mahita ang pinakamalaking benepisyo para sa kanyang sarili. para sa akin, walang masama rito hangga't wala kang tinatapakang ibang tao o di mo niyuyurakan ang sarili mong dangal.

ngunit para sa isang hiwa ng minatamis na masa ng arina't itlog, di makatarungang mapasaringang nanamantala ang sinuman. malulugod sinuman kung bilihan ng matamis na panghimagas. ngunit kung di na ito pasok sa laang-gugulin, maano ba naman 'yung sabihin ng maayos. lahat ay nasa tamang gulang na para maintindihang may limit ang paggastos. hindi mga timawa ang mga taong ito upang paratangang mananamantala. di dapat magbitiw ng mga salitang tiyak na magpapapanting lang ng tainga ng makaririnig. sa susunod, 'wag na lang siguro magpakain. sa gayon, walang anumang suliranin, walang gastos at walang mahabang usapan.

sa anu't anuman, may kakayahan po akong bumili ng mga bagay-bagay na magbibigay kahigtan sa aking sarili!

manipis

2011-11-22T14:45:00.011+08:00

manipis. pino. ladys choice. parang font lang ng ladys choice.

manipis. made in baguio.

malutong. manipis ang peg.

pero ang buhok... crunchy. splitting. nipiiiiiiisssss!

parang amputi. johnson and johnson.

naniniwala naman ako na ang lahat ay nakukuha sa pagpipilit.

kapag ayaw... pilitin madaliin, tawagin agad na beyb! ganun!
kembutan! simsimin agad ang katas... alat ampotah!
salcedo life! hello! coffeeing here in anu...

~~~ some of mark estrella's words of wisdom today, 22 november, 2011

komyut

2011-11-22T13:48:00.002+08:00

di biro ang pagkokomyut sa pilipinas. siksikan, tulakan at literal na limandipang tao ang kailangang bakahin upang makarating sa trabaho araw-araw. bukod sa tila lalo pang bumibigat na daloy ng trapiko dahil sa lalo pang sumisikip na mga kalsada, wala ring kawing-kawing na ugnayan maging sa MRT at LRT. ito ang isa sa malalaking dahilan kung bakit wala sa taluktok-isip ng maraming dayuhan ang pinas. sabi nga ng maraming nagbabayad ng buwis at ng ilang milyong nangangamuhan sa metro manila, pang-araw-araw na penitensya't pagpapakasakit ang magkomyut sa pilipinas.

lumipat ako sa makati upang lumapit sa trabaho. n'ung nasa bangkal pa ako, tatlong sakay ng dyip ang kailangan upang makarating sa ayala - una, papunta sa pasay road, sakay ng evangelista-libertad; pangalawa, papunta sa buendia, sakay ng washington-libertad; pangatlo, papuntang ayala, sakay ng washington-ayala mrt. maraming beses, nauuwi ito sa pagpara na lang ng taxi o kaya'y paghabol sa nag-iisang fx sa kanto ng evangelista at pasay road (kinse pesos hanggang sa babaan paglagpas ng herrera). nang makalipat ako sa san antonio, isang sakay na lang ng traysikel ang ginagawa ko. ang bayad ay bente pesos, bababa sa istasyon ng bumbero sa yakal at lalakad mula doon hanggang valero, sa salcedo village.

mula n'ung lumipat kami rito sa fort bonifacio, kada araw ay taxi ang sakay ko papasok sa opisina. bukod sa pasakit ang pagkokomyut patungong BGC, nasusuwertehan ko na laging halos mag-agawan na ang mga taxi sa harap ko. kaya naman, kaunting kumpas ng kamay, patungo na agad ang taxi sa 32nd street. ngunit di kakayaning sa araw-araw ay laging mag-taxi… kundi sa transportasyon na lang lahat mapupunta ang kakarampot kong sahod. kailangan ko nang maranasan ang tipikal na komyut papuntang BGC. at nito ngang umaga, dahil na rin sa maaga ako (wahahaha!), napilitan akong magkomyut kahit umuulan. ang ending… balik ulit ako sa tatlong sakay. traysikel muna mula kamagong o santol papunta sa mayapis-buendia, tapos ay dyip na ayala-mrt papunta sa edsa-mckinley. mula rito, may tatlong pagpipilian papasok ng BGC - bus na may sobrang haba ng pila; taxi na pupunuin ng apat na pasahero at mala-iskul bus ang dating; o di kaya'y motorsiklong pampasahero na habal-habal ang dating. pinili ko ang huli dahil tila pila sa enrolment ng UP ang pila sa bus at may pila rin naman sa taxi. walang pila at mabilis ang habal-habal. nagpa-ese-ese kami ni manong sa matrapik na edsa hanggang makarating sa loob ng BGC, kuwarenta pesos ang bayad. matindi nga lamang ang amoy ng helmet, sana'y pagsumikapan naman nilang hugasan ito.

bahagi ng tipikal na pakikibaka ng isang tipikal na mamamayan sa pilipinas ang pamamasahero. katulad ng maraming aspeto ng pamumuhay sa pilipinas, sanayan nga lang din marahil ang komyut sa pilipinas. kapag nasanay ka na, di na malaking isyu kung magpasalin-salin ng sakay at maglakad ng malayo upang makarating sa paroroonan. sanayan din siguro ang mas mainam na termino sa pagtanggap natin sa katotohanang ibayong hirap sa bulsa, kalusuga't kabuuang pagkatao ang dala ng dinukhang plano ng transportasyon sa bansa. kailan kaya darating ang araw na may maiging sistema na ng transportasyon sa pilipinas? sana sa lalong medaling panahon. sana nga.

nitpik

2011-11-21T18:05:00.003+08:00

krisis ngang matatawag, ayon kay ma'am kr, ang paglipat na naganap. biruin mo namang ilang araw na lang ang nalalabi bago mapaso ang kontrata sa luma ngunit ni wala pa sa kalahati ang nagagawa sa bagong tanggapan. bukod sa walang kasiguruhan sa plano ng pag-aalsa balutan sa lumang gusali, wala ring mainam na alternatibo sakaling pumalpak ang maraming aspeto sa taguig.

literal at sadyang santambak ang mga aytem na kailangang aksyunan. sinuman ang makakita sa kalagayan ng espasyong ito noong huling linggo ng oktubre, titiwarik ang kalamnan at lilipulin ng ligalig at kabang di nga makapagtatrabaho ang mga indibidwal sa panahong itinakda sana. pagkasiphayo ang unang madarama sa sandaling masilayan ang dumi, alikabok, kawalan ng kaayusan sa isinasagawang konstruksyon. atrasado ang maraming bagay at tiyak na maaapektuhan ang trabaho ng lahat sa pulutong. malaking balumbon ang lahat ng mga katumbalikang ito sa mga magagandang bahagi tulad ng malaking silid kainan, nakatutuwang silid pagsasang-usapan at kabuuang modernong istilo.

kung kaya naman kailangang mangalampag at mag-ala hoy gising sa pamumuna at pag-asinta sa mga palpak, minadali, patse-patse at mababang kalidad na gawa. sa paghahanap ng kapintasa't depekto at sa matiyagang pagtatanod na dapat ay bigyang-pansin ang mga ito, unti-unting nako-krosawt sa listahan ang mga isyu, maliit man o ibayo ang saklaw. kung di ito ginawa ng makukulit na indibidwal, higit na malasado ang kalalabasan ng opisina at lalong mababalam ang normal na operasyon. sa laki ng gastusin sa punyaging ito, nararapat lamang na makuha ng kumpanya ang nararapat na serbisyo't kaukulang awtput na wala nang anupamang antala sa pagtakbo ng aktibidades.

ang pagsipat sa mga lisya at ngiwi ay di rin dapat tingnan bilang batikos sa mga taong may tuwirang tungkulin sa punyaging ito. nauunawaan ng bawat indibidwal na may mga isyung di talaga maiiwasan at mahahadlangan tulad ng kaartehan ng mga may-ari ng yunit. ang panunuri sa kinahihinatnan ng proyekto ay upang masawata ang iba pang kapalpakan at matugunan ang mga pagkukulang at sangkatutak na mali. mas maigi ang maraming matang nagmamasid at marami rin ang makapagbibigay ng mungkahi't fidbak. sa gayon, makapagkukrukis ng alternatibong paraan sa panandaliang panahon na di pa tiyak ang kabuuan at mapabatid ito sa buong pulutong.

di kaaya-aya ang maghinguto at sumuyod ng mga kamalian, kakulangan at kapalpakan ngunit kinailangan itong gawin. di ito ginawa sa layong mamuna lamang o manlait. di hantad sa akin ang walang kapararakang paghahanap ng mga kamalian at hangal o walang rason na pamimintas. ang kabuuan nito ay tinaguriang pamumunang mapagbuo. sa huli, iisa ang naisin nating lahat - maging maayos ang konstruksyon at pagyari sa bagong tanggapan. nang sa gayon, ang lahat ay makapagtrabaho na nang matiwasay.

self-righteous

2011-11-21T14:41:00.003+08:00

everyone makes mistakes. it's a known fact. the holier-than-thou individuals have committed slip-ups one after another, maybe even more. so in terms of moral fiber, no one is above others… unless of course one has that self-righteous spirit. as they say, the greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit. it's that feeling of smug moral superiority derived from a sense that one's beliefs, actions, or affiliations are of greater virtue than those of the average person, according to wikipedia. dictionary.com says that self-righteous is someone who is confident of one's own righteousness, especially when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others.

it's perfectly fine to blurt out an honest opinion. but it's another thing when you try to influence others by arrogantly and smugly exclaiming that you are always right. unsolicited advices are usually unwelcome and often taken out of context. so if one thing or whatever works for you, one should avoid superiorly articulating any self-righteous ideas. as colonel potter of MASH puts it, "there's a right way and a wrong way to do everything and the wrong way is to keep trying to make everybody else do it the right way." one does not have the monopoly of good deeds or ideas. remember, what works on one isn’t always going to work on the other.

self-righteous individuals easily condemn other people, reviling others who may have taken other routes and committed (double) faults along the way. to make things worse, these individuals often forget their own missteps and would habitually proclaim their own snootiness while also putting a high degree of premium on themselves and lay an immeasurable level of self-importance on themselves. while some may have been lucky in life and lead a good life, this doesn't make anyone a citadel of principled standards.

as moliere says, "one should examine oneself for a very long time before thinking of condemning others." dale turner aptly sums it up, "in all the work we do, our most valuable asset can be the attitude of self-examination. It is forgivable to make mistakes, but to stand fast behind a wall of self-righteousness is not forgivable."

wta

2011-11-21T14:07:00.005+08:00

strong is beautiful is wta's new global marketing campaign, inspired by athleticism and grace. desktop wallpapers are here.

indifferent

2011-11-21T11:55:00.003+08:00

You're beginning to dislike me, aren't you?

Well, dislike me.

It doesn't make any difference to me now.”

― W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge

september-rific

2011-10-19T15:35:00.006+08:00

my last post was in early september. i've been busy the whole 2 months and expecting much more in the coming months. but in between all these hullaballoos called work, many exciting things have happened.

first, we've had our regular bi-monthly malling. it's a family affair, although not all members of berting's brood can join. simple dinner, some walks, some coffee but a whole lot of kuwentuhan and some dose of asaran. no fancy restaurants... just the regular joints where tita jo can still enjoy the food via her acquired taste. more than anything, these mallings are more for papa, who's not getting any form of exercise. so we thought that modern exercise called malling should be apt for him. they commute and stay beyond 11 pm, but it's all worth it.

next, i've had a mini SEA tour. i went to singapore early september for some planning session cum training. towards the end of the month, i was in bangkok and vientiane for some solo and me time. laos is not laos after all. i'll definitely come back. then, just a day after landing in manila from bangkok, i flew to singapore again for client meetings. my singapore trips allowed me to catch up with very good friends momi ruth, omar and kay.

october came and more work. but i'm not complaining.

chorvs, emmski and i had a blast in this year's spanish filmfest! i saw 7 movies throughout the festival. i'm now in changi airport for a 2 hour stopover, came from a quick trip to jakarta.

some vacation should be in the offing. i'm hoping to land a good deal again! it's the cheapo in me, you know. cheers!

pridyider

2011-09-01T23:01:00.000+08:00

hope

2011-08-23T13:45:00.005+08:00

Hope means to keep living amid desperation and to keep humming in the darkness.
Hoping is knowing that there is love, it is trust in tomorrow it is falling asleep
and waking again when the sun rises.
In the midst of a gale at sea, it is to discover land.
In the eyes of another, it is to see that he understands you.
- Henri Nouwen, With Open Hands

tv patrol acting

2011-08-20T19:11:00.002+08:00

la loma

2011-08-18T17:26:00.003+08:00

la loma skies.

skyline

2011-08-18T08:14:00.000+08:00

pasig/mandaluyong area, makati skyline background.

dragonboat

2011-08-17T17:53:00.003+08:00

PH Azkals: 0 Golds, 0 trophies, 5 TV ads, 20% Pinoy
PH Dragonboat team (2011) : 5 Golds, 0 commercials, 90% Pinoy

PH Azkals: with sponsors
Ph Dragonboat team: inutang at KKB pamasahe

Ph Azkals: complete outfit
Ph Dragonboat team,; nanghiram pa ng sagwan sa kalaban

Sasagwan ka ba sa KARANGALAN o sisipa sa PAPOGIAN?

[galing 'yan sa post ng blakmayet kong si zoe.]

pero kailangan ba talagang lagyan pa ng kumpetisyon sa pagitan ng azkals at dragonboat team? kung ang nais lang naman ay mangilak ng pondo para sa dragonboat, di na kailangan pang pagsabungin ang dalawang pambansang koponan. parehong nagbibigay at magbibigay pa ng glorya at karangalan sa bansa, parehong dapat na pagtuunan ng pansin at bigyan ng suporta sa anumapamang porma nito. sangkatutak nga naman kasi ang mga patalastas ng azkals ngunit wala pa naman silang napapanalunan. pero ito'y dahil kasisimula pa lang naman nila. pasasaan ba't makakaagapay na rin tayo sa malalakas na koponan sa asya. ang dragonboat team naman ay makailang beses nang nanalo sa mga pandaigdigang kumpetisyon, kaya dapat din silang makatanggap ng pinansyal na suporta mula sa ating gobyerno at kaukulang pagkilala.

di kailangan ang paglalagay ng bahid ng pataasan ng ihi o hilahin pababa ang isa upang umalagwa ang kabila. pareho nilang dala ang watawat ng pilipinas, itaguyod at suportahan natin ang azkals at dragonboat team.

belligerent

2011-08-15T10:14:00.003+08:00

If someone’s indignant, rude or loud, reasonable people get turned off. It’s almost like they click a switch off in my brain when they get belligerent, and I almost don’t hear some positives they may have. - Bill Long

kap

2011-08-14T19:39:00.008+08:00

62 na si kap.
nagkaroon ng misa.
nagsimulang umambon kalagitnaan nito.
pero bumuhos lang pagkatapos ng komunyon.
'ikaw' ang kanta sa pag-aalay.

special request daw ni tita.
dumating sina tsong tino at kanyang pamilya.

nandun din ang mga ka-couples nila papa at tita.

daming pagkain.
apaw ang pancit.
may lechon pa mula kay mayor bistek.
palabok, puto't kutsinta nila tsang charing.
dinuguan ni kuya ato.
pancit ulit galing kay waldy.
wala pa dun ang menudo ni kuya omeng!

buo ang pamilya.
masaya kami't kapiling namin si papa.
kahit di siya nagsasalita.
at si tita lang ang kinakausap.
malakas pa rin kumain si kap.
at mukha naman siyang masaya.

mas mahusay na kalusugan para sa iyo.

alagaan mo ang sarili mo.
sa marami pang taon, pa.
sa akin ka na lang walang apo.
mahal ka naming lahat.

savory

2011-08-14T18:15:00.005+08:00

bibili raw ng laptop si ate ne para kay jel. kaya kahit maulan, larga kami papunta sa sm north edsa cyberzone nitong ika-7 ng agosto. sabi ni ate ne, mas maigi raw siguro kung aagahan naming dalawa ang punta sa sm para nakakuha na kami ng laptop bago pa dumating sina ate she, kuya bob at liezl. pero naglinis muna ako at nakaalis sa makati ng alas-2 ng hapon. awa ng diyos, pasado alas-4 na dumating si ate ne! nakabili na kami ng kung anu-ano at nakalakad na sa buong kahabaan ng sm annex bago pa siya dumating.

pagkatapos ng mahaba-haba ring proseso ng pagpili ng model, nakakuha na rin kami. dell ang napili ni ate ne para kay jel. mas mataas ng kaunti ang presyo pero kumpleto na ito ng lahat ng kailangan.

tapos nito... siyempre kainan na! dahil gustong-gusto ko ang manok sa savory, sa savory kami kumain! prayd tsiken at yang chow sinangag lang, solb na solb na ako. bukod sa max's, itong sa savory ang isa sa mga paborito kong fried chicken, may kakaiba itong linamnam at swak na swak sa aking panlasa. walang anumang piktyur ng mga pagkain dahil inubos namin ang lahat! sa susunod ulit!

HBD

2011-08-14T16:35:00.007+08:00

rainy day august as usual, but that didn't prevent me from celebrating my birthday. last year's celebration was a big one, so this year, it came back to the usual office kainan. i wasn't keen on throwing a blowout this year coz a lot of previous celebrators did not "make pakain". but the wise ms. karen asked me, "do you want to be identified with them (the ones who did not make pakain)?!" hahahaha! so it was a merienda of pancit habhab (lucban) and prosperity dimsum. aydisi usually buys a cake for the month's celebrator(s), but i was told that i have to pay for the cake first... oh well, just like almost everything! madam elke gave me an early birthday treat of hand sanitizer and that green tea kitkat!

it was almost just-an-ordinary-day, except that i spent the day replying to happy birthdays, maligayang kaarawan, HBDs... mainly on facebook and thru text. salamat ulit! late at night, we had a sur-fries party at mcdonald's madrigal. it was a happy birthday!

captain

2011-08-13T13:53:00.009+08:00

i was expecting to be "superheroed out" when we saw captain america: the first avenger last month. since the release of dark knight and the x-men series, all superhero movies went the seriously dark path, while recent months saw a whole gamut of superhero films that one might get tired of these films. but to my pleasant suprise, captain america did not give me the superhero fatigue syndrome. the movie was entertaining and fun. it was an all-out good old-fashioned superhero movie that celebrated heroism of the little guy.

many critics pointed out that this film's strength was its unskunked up premise behind captain america and remained true to its comics original concept. the movie did not offer any so-called intelligent messages but presented another take on one of the world's darkest hour, world war 2. of course, everyone knows that captain america was intentionally created to be an american patriotic figure who would defeat one of the greatest villains of all time, the nazis. but there was no "complicated" superhero lead, just a simple and noble character, which turned out to be a refreshing surprise. the movie had a fun feel, as one critic said, "happily stupid". the 40s setting was fantastically presented, down to the air of america's pre- and antiwar sentiments.

the effects were superb, especially for chris evans' pre-captain america little guy and had enough action scenes. it had a worthy cast, especially tommy lee jones, stanley tucci and hugo weaving. most of all, it leads nicely to next year's the avengers.

wrong turn

2011-08-11T23:48:00.006+08:00

wrong turn is a slasher film series, which started in 2003's wrong turn starring eliza dushku. it then had a second and third installment and will have its fourth outing in october. according to wikipedia, "the films are about a group of people fighting for their survival against a family of hideously deformed inbred cannibals who plan to ruthlessly butcher them all." i haven't seen the second part but rotten tomatoes said that it's the best so far in this franchise. like most slasher flicks, wrong turn was a laughable extravaganza of gore.

but with a little dose of mark estrella's comedy bar meanness, "wrong turn" now means a specific group (e.g. family members) who are so TIM YAP (tang inang mukha yan ang pangit) and has this fugliness to the highest level and they all look the same. mark of course is being his ordinary "cruel but funny" self and is clearly pointing to someone he knows. while it's totally mean, i really can't help but to laugh whenever he uses the term wrong turn. even when malling and seeing a group of family who wouldn't belong to those groups you could consider ok-looking, there will always be a bit of chuckle. enough. (",)

mt. pinatubo

2011-08-01T17:35:00.005+08:00

i learned of this trip from mark, who subscribed to ensogo. we booked, but he didn't. my pretty nieces, jel and nice were both doing some late summer jobs, so i figured that this trip could be their rewards for a very good survey turnout and their pre-senior year vacay.

access8 was the trip organizer. we left for ortigas before 11 pm and stayed in mcdonald's st. francis till 2:30 am. we then transferred to mcdonald's f. ortigas branch were the access8 team was waiting. after about an hour, we left for capas, tarlac. the 4x4 ride took about an hour and we started the 2.5 to 3 hour trek to the crater. they said that there was a skyway, a shorter way atop the mountains, to go to the crater, but this wasn't passable due to the previous typhoons. if it was ok, the trek would have been only 30 minutes.

the view was amazing! as i've said in the previous post, it's hard to imagine that a violent earth activity some two decades ago would give birth to this immense beauty called mt. pinatubo crater lake. we ate our lunches (chicken adobo, rice and banana) and lake-dipped ourselves. that was the highlight i think. after some quick shower, we trekked back to where our 4x4 was waiting. around 9 pm, we were back in quezon city.

access8's itinerary:

03:00am - Assembly Ortigas
03:30am - Departure to Capas, Tarlac
05:00am - ETA Tourism Office; registration;
05:30am - 4x4 ride
06:30am - Jump off point; Start of Trek
09:30am - ETA crater; free-time, swim
12:00nn - Lunch
01:00pm - Descent
04:00pm - ETA jump off point; 4 x 4 ride back to Tourism Office
05:00pm - ETA Tourism Office; wash-up
05:30pm - ETD to Manila
08:30pm -

*** arrival time in manila may vary, but the latest would be 08:00pm

Recommended Things to bring:

1. Enough supply of drinking water or trail water.
2. Comfortable shoes for hiking or hiking shoes (Please no clogs or high heeled footwear).
3. Slippers or Sandals and extra socks
4. Extra clothes
5. Snacks (something sweet)
6. Head gear (bush hat), shades or sunglasses or an umbrella
7. Camera
8. Identification
9. Personal Medication and sunblock
10. Towel
11. Backpack

friend

2011-07-31T13:36:00.000+08:00

"A friend is more than a therapist or confessor, even though a friend can sometimes heal us and offer us God's forgiveness. A friend is that other person with whom we can share our solitude, our silence, and our prayer. A friend is that other person with whom we can look at a tree and say, "Isn't that beautiful," or sit on the beach and silently watch the sun disappear under the horizon. With a friend we don't have to say or do something special. With a friend we can be still and know that God is there with both of us." — Henri J.M. Nouwen

pinatubo

2011-07-30T17:25:00.004+08:00

it's hard to believe that this immaculate scenery was once a stage that showcased earth's violent nature. i'm so glad that nice, jel and i did this trip! till next trekking trip, my pretty nieces!

horcruxes

2011-07-29T21:45:00.009+08:00

the second part of harry's quest to destroy voldemort's horcruxes is one fantastic film! thanks to pops, who gave us the free premier night tickets. kumpletos rekados!

azkals

2011-07-28T17:30:00.002+08:00

bigong makausad sa third round, pero isang malaking tagumpay pa rin ang ibinigay ng azkals sa bansa. anu't anuman, ito'y hudyat ng lalo pang iigting na bagong pag-ibig ng mga pinoy - futbol! mabigat na kalaban ang mga kuwaiti lalo na nga't pambansang isport sa kanila ang futbol. pero ang nag-iisang goal ni schrock ay sapat na upang umalab ang ating pagka-pinoy... alam nating mas lalo pang gagaling ang ating koponan sa mga darating na panahon! azkals! azkals! azkals!

breivik

2011-07-27T14:38:00.000+08:00

"buktot ngunit kinakailangan". ganito inilarawan ni anders breivik ang kahindik-hindik na masaker sa norway nitong nagdaang araw. walo ang namatay dahil sa mga pagpapasabog sa oslo, 69 naman ang nasawi sa utoya at mahigit sa 100 ang nasugatan.

isa sa pinakamaunlad na bansa ang norway sa buong daigdig. palagiang nangunguna sa mga listahang ukol sa kaginhawaan ng buhay, uri ng pamumuhay at kung anu-ano pang mga datos ukol sa ekonomiya't pambansang pananalapi. kaya di gaanong maiisip na mangyayari ang ganitong insidente sa isang progresibong bansa. mabilis naman ang galamay ng batas sa kanila, kaya't nasakote agad ang sinasabi nilang maysala.

kapayapaan para sa mga nasawi't kani-kanilang mga naiwan.

sona

2011-07-25T21:00:00.004+08:00

unang taon ni p-noy sa puwesto, pangalawang ulat sa bayan. marami nang eksperto ang pumuna at pumalakpak sa laman ng kanyang talumpati, ngunit para sa akin, isang buwisadong simpleng empleyado, ilang mga bagay ang haylayt at lowlayts nito. eto:

1. di ako fan ng kanyang alegorya sa wang-wang bilang simbulo ng mga nang-aabuso sa bayan. pero sapat itong mensahe upang alisin sa utak ng mga nanunungkulan na di sila sakop ng batas at mawaksi sa mga kukote nila na ligtas sila sa parusa. ngunit sa susunod na taon, dapat wala na ang wang-wang sa kanyang talumpati... nakakatorete na rin.

2. banggit ng mga buwisit na pandarambong sa pera ng bayan, lalo na 'yung pagbili ng mga helikopter sa presyong brand new, katakut-takot na mga bonuses sa mga bosses sa GOCCs at gastos sa kape na umabot ng isang bilyon! pati na rin ang mga nandaraya sa kanilang mga buwis ay dapat ngang habulin ng BIR. upang masawata ang walang habas na paggasta ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno, naghigpit ng sinturon ang pangasiwaan ni aquino magmula pa 2010. pinigilan ang mga maanomalyang proyekto at binusisi ng husto ang bawat pagkakagastusan, lalo na 'yung may kinalaman sa bigas. pagtutok sa mga lugar na gaya ng ARMM, ang pinakamahirap na lugar sa buong bansa ay ok din.

3. mas gusto ko sanang buong pagkalalaki niyang idiniin ang soberanya ng pilipinas sa spratlys, ngunit ayaw din naman nating lumikha ito ng higit na problemang diplomatiko.

4. pero dapat na rin niyang itigil ang mga panakip-butas na proyektong tulad ng pantawid pamilyang pilipino. di nito naaayunan ang pangmatagalang proyekto laban sa kahirapan.

5. tagal nang suliranin ang transportasyon sa bansa, sana nga'y maisakatuparan ang monorail project sa loob ng kanyang administrasyon.

6. ang mapanagot sa katiwalian ang lahat, maging ang nakaraang pangulo, ay una at moral na tungkulin ni p-noy sa mamamayan. sang-ayon ako sa pagtatalaga kay justice conchita carpio-morales bilang bagong tanod-bayan. mukhang di siya magiging tauhan ng malacanang, di tulad ng inutil na si merceditas gutierrez at tiyak na maipapanalo ang mga kasong isasampa sa mga tiwaling opisyal. tama rin siya na kapag hinayaan nating malaya ang mga buktot na indibidwal, hinahayaan din nating lumawak ang galamay ng kasamaan sa lipunan.

7. walang anumang banggit sa freedom of information bill, reproductive health bill at divorce bill. sadya niya yatang iniwasan ang mga isyung ito na naghahati sa bansa. ngunit kailangan pa rin itong dinggin at pagpasyahan. nakasalalay sa mga panukalang ito di lamang ang katiwalian kundi ang kinabukasan ng bayan.

8. walang konkretong binanggit ang pangulo hinggil sa mga OFWs. di rin ganoon kalinaw ang programa ni p-noy hinggil sa kalikasan at pagpapaunlad ng IT sa bansa at kung paanong maitatawid ng mga mahihirap na pamilya ang kanyang programang K-12 sa pampublikong edukasyon.

9. bagamat pumunta siya sa paksa ng negatibismo, parang kulang sa "pagbibigay-inspirasyon" ang talumpati. dahil na rin siguro sa mga hirit sa nakaraang administrasyon, ang talumpati niya ay mas marami sa kung ano ang kanyang inatupag - maglinis at mag-impis ng mga kalat ni gloria. sa gayon, mailagay niya ang lahat ng kailangan upang magsimula ng kanyang mga proyekto.

10. sa kanyang 2012 sona, di na maaaring puro banat ulit kay gloria. kailangan ng konktretong mga proyekto at programa sa maraming sektor ng pamumuhay sa pilipinas. ang unibersal na healthcare at pagpapabuti ng edukasyon sa bansa ang dapat unahin. isang taon pa nga lang ang lumipas kaya't walang rason ang mga kritikong punahin ang sabi nila'y "kawalan ng mga nagawa ni p-noy" ito ang hamon sa kanya sa mga susunod niyang ulat sa bayan.

coling

2011-07-24T23:47:00.011+08:00

kahit na may banta pa sa buhay mo o may pinangangalagaan kang pamilya, natural na gawi ng isang babaing biktima ng karahasang sekswal na humingi ng tulong sa kinauukulan. maaaring maantala ang pagpunta sa husgado dahil sa ibang mga sirkumstansya ngunit di kasama rito ang paglantad at pagpapa-interbyu sa isang palabas na balitaktakang showbiz. at malungkot mang isipin, ito ang ginawa ni amanda coling.

bulung-bulungan daw sa showbiz na may ginang-rape umano ang ilang mga miyembro ng azkals. sangkot dito sina simon greatwich, anton del rosario, neil etheridge at jason sabio. di pa agad pinangalan ang babaing biktima umano at nadamay pa nga si michelle madrigal. hanggang sa nagpa-interbyu na nga itong si amanda coling. bagamat wala siyang tuwirang inamin kay pia guanio, inilahad naman ng kanyang abugado kay tito boy na may "nangyari" nga noong a-dos ng hunyo. kung ano ang nangyaring ito, di raw maaaring sabihin ni amanda at ng kanyang abugado.

dahil sa inaasal ni amanda, di maaalis sa isipan ng mga tao ang mga kuro-kuro tungkol sa kung nga ba talaga ang nangyari? may panggagahasa nga bang nangyari? o ito'y isang kaso lamang ng maikling relasyong sekswal na ang dalawang partido ay wala sa magkaparehong dimensyon? ayon kay coling, lumantad lamang siya dahil pinangalanan na siya at nawalan siya ng trabaho dahil sa eskandalong ito. sinusuportahan pa rin daw niya ang mga azkals at wala siyang anumang balak laban sa mga ito. ni magsampa ng kaso ay wala pa raw sa kanyang isipan kahit na kumuha na siya ng abugado. bagamat wala pang pag-amin kung may panggagahasa nga bang naganap, may patikim ng mga bagay na kabunyag-bunyag sa parte ni amanda. ginagawa nga kaya niya ito upang magkapangalan lamang? lalo na nga't sa panahong ito, ang pagiging kontrobersyal ang pinakamabilis na paraan upang sumikat kahit sumandali at magkaroon ng instant na trabaho habang mainit pa ang pangalan at ang isyung kinasasangkutan. sa kanyang pagpapa-interbyu, di kaya nito malagay sa peligro ang anumang kasong maaari niyang isampa sa mga susunod na araw?

kung may di makatarungang bagay na ginawa sa iyo, dapat mong ipagtanggol ang sarili mo sa tamang lunan sa lalong madaling panahon. kung wala namang krimeng naganap, sabihin agad sa publiko ang katotohanan... hindi 'yung magdadrama pa upang mapag-usapan lamang.

transformers

2011-07-20T22:58:00.003+08:00

libre ang tiket namin ni arms sa primyir ng transformers: dark of the moon. salamat kay ate pops at libre ang tiket. kung hindi, di ko pag-aaksayahan ng pera't panahong panoorin ito.

bagamat hitik ang pelikula sa aksyon, butata ng maiigting na mga eksena at pasable ang mga special effects, ubod ito ng kahangalan. napakanipis ng banghay ng istorya nito at umuulan ng mga tunggak na mga linyang gaya ng palitang ito:

sam witwicky: i love you. you're the only thing i need in this world and i'll do anything to make it up to you. i promise.
carly spencer: i'm going to hold you to that. just never let me go.

parang batang pinagkaitan lang ng laruan o di isinali sa larong-kalye ang karakter ni shia labeouf. di ko mawari kung may sakit ba siya sa pag-iisip (attention deficit disorder) o sadyang ito na ang pinakamahusay niyang karakterisasyon sa isang lalaking di makasumpong ng mahusay na trabaho. inalis na rin siya dapat tulad ni megan fox at pinalitan ng ibang aktor na higit na may lalim sa pag-arte. sa kabilang banda, mas maigi pa yatang pinanatili na lang si megan fox sa pangatlong pagkakataon, kaysa sa ipinalit sa kanyang si rosie huntington-whiteley. ang carly ni huntington ay parang nasa patalastas lang ng sapatos sa telebisyon - walang anumang damdamin ang kanyang mukha kahit na nagkandawasak na ang buong chicago sa paligid niya. gusto ko sa babae ang bahagyang makapal na labi. pero sa pelikulang ito, nayamot ako sa nguso ni rosie dahil parang ito lang ang may buhay sa buong katawan niya. sa klaymax, may mga eksenang naka-high heels siya, tapos sa magkasunod na frame, naka-flat shoes naman... di yata nila tiningnan ang tamang pagkakasunud-sunod ng mga eksena. walang kalatuy-latoy ang mga karakter sa pelikulang ito, maging si patrick dempsey na bigo sa pagiging kontrabida at frances mcdormand na naging katatawanan lamang. halatang nanood ng lord of the rings at harry potter si michael bay dahil tila naging sina gollum at mga death eaters lang ni voldemort ang mga kasapakat ni megatron. habang si megatron naman ay parang naging si sauron at voldemort sa pagkilos at boses nito.

kulang sa tamang dosis ng konflik at drama ang transformers. puro ingay at walang patumanggang destruksyon lamang ang inihain nito. 'wag na sana silang umulit pa at ilagay nang muli sa kahon ang mga robot.

lintang

2011-07-19T18:32:00.007+08:00

tulad ng mga kabuteng bigla na lang sumusulpot tuwing may ulan, lumitaw si lintang bedol pagkatapos ng higit sa 2 taon na pagtatago. si bedol ang tumayong bisor ng eleksyon sa lungsod ng cotabato, kung saan tinambakan ng kampo ni gloria ang oposisyon noong 2007. maanomalya ang resulta ng halalan dito, lalo na ang bilangan ng mga boto. may mga patunay ng katiwalian, pinakamatindi na rito ang 12-0 pagpapataob ng senador na tumakbo sa hanay ni gloria sa mga taga-oposisyon. bukod pa ito sa di mabilang na mga balota at election returns na iisa lamang ang nagsipagsulat at walang kawawaang bilihan ng boto.

di lahat ng umuusbong na kabute ay maaaring pakinabangan, ibayong ingat ang kailangan upang masino ang may saysay mula sa lason lamang ang dala. ganito rin si bedol. di pa matiyak kung bakit bigla itong lumitaw. pakawala ba siya ng mga ampatuan upang malihis ang atensyon sa mabagal na ngang usad ng kaso ng masaker sa mga ito? o di kaya'y may di napagkasunduang kita sa pagitan nila ni virgilio garcillano kaya't isisiwalat na ang anumang nalalaman sa dayaan sa eleksyon? wala pang makapagsasabi kung nagsasabi at magsasabi ng totoo si bedol. ito'y kahit na nga may ilan pang mga opisyal na nagpapatunay sa mga binitiwang pahayag na bedol na may nangyari ngang dayaan noong mayo 2007. at dahil sa mga isisiwalat ni bedol, maaari rin nitong muling buksan ang usapan hinggil sa dayaan noong 2004 sa pagitan ni gloria mismo at ng yumaong fpj.

iimbestigahan na nga raw ito sa kongreso. sana'y di ito ito maging isang sirkus lamang tulad ng mga nagdaang pagdinig sa senado at sa mababang kapulungan. bagamat di na maibabalik pa ang panahon, sa pamamagitan ng masusing paghawak at pagdinig sa usaping ito, maaaring masampahan ng kaso ang mga maysala sa likod ng karumal-dumal at malawakang dayaan sa mga nagdaang eleksyon. ang mapanagot sa batas ang mga indibwal o pamilyang ubod ng kapal ang mukha't walang anumang bahid ng kaba sa panlalamang sa kapwa ang isa sa magiging pamana ng pangasiwaan ni noynoy. sa pamamagitan nito, mababawasan ang kultura ng katiwalian at hari-harian ng iilan at titimo sa isipan ng bagong henerasyon na may pag-asa pa ngang matatawag sa pilipinas.

cemetery

2011-07-16T18:09:00.000+08:00

while it's too american compared to trainspotting, the humor and how the coming of age tale of three friends (bruce, snork and freddie) was meshed out made cemetery junction (written and directed by ricky gervais and stephen merchant) an enjoyable trip to 1970s smalltown britain. the 70s are completely foreign to me, with snippets of its glory days only learned from my family, movies and history books. while the philippines was busy trying to eject marcos out of malacanang, rural folks' aim of making it big in the big city was altogether a common theme across countries.

in cemetery junction, three young working class friends fritter time through joking, boozing, fighting and chasing girls. but freddie (christian cooke), with his aim of leaving his working class roots, soon found a job as an insurance agent. bruce (tom hughes) is content working in a factory, having a dysfunctional relationship with his alcoholic father and spending a lot of time in the local police station after several fistfights. snork (jack doolan) is happy waiting to take over as the train station's main announcer, while also holding back on any relationship with a girl in the local pub. freddie works for mr. kendrick (ralph fiennes), who's married to mrs. kendrick (emily watson). their daughter, julie (felicity jones) is engaged to mike ramsay (matthew goode), one of the topshots in the kendrick insurance empire. freddie and julie developed an interesting connection, while both struggle with own issues - freddie could not close an insurance deal, while julie could not pursue her aim of becoming a photographer and enjoy the swingin 70s due to the traditional role of women.

what works for this movie is the understated tone of the harshness of everyday life in a dreary rural town… of course, this would depend on your social class. the movie dealt with serious subjects as social class, collapse of family, ambition, regret, women's role in society and even economics. but all of these were discussed in restrained tempo, eschewed from melodrama of your typical pinoy movies. tom and his father clearly had issues to resolve but tom projected coolness and subtlety when finally learning of why his dad drinks. the choice of tom to stay behind reading and continue to live with his dad was moving but not dramatic, as one might expect from a typical hollywood film. after completely being dismissed as "just a wife and not a partner", one could immediately sense that mrs. kendrick would have her "standing up against her husband" scene. and she did. but she did so without theatrics, with the fine emily watson shunning over-the-top acting. of course, it was already suggested that julie would have "followed her heart" and leave reading with freddie. but this was tackled in an unassuming manner that anyone would root for freddie to win over mike.

it had the right mix of drama and comedy, had good pacing and was armed with great music. the overall energetic vibe of the 70s was carried through, thanks to the delightful trio of relative unknowns, christian cooke, tom hughes and jack doolan, as well as the support of established actors such as the very effective ralph fiennes and emily watson. it was funny and touching, ultimately saying that looking back to a bygone era should not be loaded with resentment. cemetery junction is clearly an enjoyable feel good movie. be young, be free and be somebody!

Poliakoff

2011-07-13T19:57:00.007+08:00

with no major tennis tourney yet and having no interest on nightly dramas on local TV, hbo once again was the perfect choice… on it was stephen poliakoff's capturing mary, starring maggie smith.

eerie, terrifying and haunting, the film follows mary gilbert's (maggie smith) look back at her lost youth, with memories shared to joe (danny lee wynter), the now-caretaker of elliott graham's grand mansion. as she steps into the house and move from room to room, recollection of storied events that had happened in the house were recounted to joe. mary used to be somewhat of a controversial writer, part of the society's elite, with her explosive (in the fifties and sixties) writings on sex and women empowerment. everything was going well for the young mary (ruth wilson), until she encounters deeply evil man known as greville white (david walliams) in one of the soirees in the 'house'. greville was a social climber whose connections reached into high society. he befriended mary, telling her about shady secrets of the british establishment, which included child abuse, sexual perversion, anti-semitism, and racism, among others. mary soon realized that greville is of shadowy character, with overt suggestions of malevolent might and she rejected him. with greville's connection and influence among the newspaper editors, mary's career was destroyed. what followed was mary's downward spiral to years of depression and alcoholism. towards the end of the film, it was revealed that mary met greville in kensington park before going to the mansion. the evil greville did not age since they saw each other in the 1950s. mary then left the house, with joe asking her to meet again. she obliged and they saw each other in kensington gardens. mary then asked joe to leave, saying that she will be alright.

one might see the film as having supernatural undertone due to the seemingly unexplainable effect of greville over mary. but in essence, it is about a woman's struggle in a period when women's liberation movement was still at its infancy stage. mary wanted to free herself from her working class roots but was hindered by the still ongoing fifties way of treating women. after just a few years, the cultural disdain on women's liberation, as represented by greville, would be obsolete. in the end, what mary badly needed was a closure and making peace with her past and joe, of african-american descent, was the unlikely instrument.

capturing mary is a thought-provoking film that would definitely make you ask, "why did she allow that to happen to herself?". but as poliakoff explains, "her despair is to do with what she wanted to become but never did. as age consumes us, there are moments like that for all of us." all details were enmeshed beautifully and the characters were all well-written.

maggie smith is usually seen as a figure of authority, either as an aged but firm headmistress minerva mcgonagall in harry potter series or a judgmental stoic elder sister to judi dench's ursula in ladies in lavender. she has played snob countess in gosford park and as the bossy and dowager-like lady hester random in tea with mussolini. but in capturing mary, dame maggie was at her brilliant fragility, her eyes showed elderly irresolute stance while trying to make peace with her youth's missteps and moving on while at her twilight years. she maintained a sense of english bearing but at the same time was exceptionally effective in conveying the character's vulnerability and exposed feebleness. she truly is one of britain's treasured thespians.

kinabalu

2011-07-11T18:57:00.007+08:00

what do you do when your flight was diverted to another foreign city and you don't have enough time to actually look around and see the place?! snap some pics and walk around the area where your hotel is! we tried to go to kota kinabalu's city center but the flight was initially scheduled at 11 am, so we didn't have much time. when we came back to the hotel, we were adviced that the flight was moved to 2 pm. oh well... we should've taken the risk of hopping to a local bus to get to KK's city center.

falcon

2011-07-10T17:19:00.005+08:00

after the asean directions 2011 in KL, we were supposed to be back in manila in june 24th. we were booked for the 5 pm flight, and we were supposed to be in manila at around 9 pm. the flight from KL was one of the worst flights i've ever had, not because i had an annoying seatmate (i was actually occupying 3 seats!), but because of clear air turbulence, especially upon entering luzon.

at that time, we were already adviced that tropical storm falcon intensified and was dumping torrential rains across luzon. still, our flight got to naia around 9 pm. karen and i were still having a hearty chat, as we knew that the crew was trying their best to land safely. but to our horror, the plane was jolted by heavy rains and strong winds and we could not land. we then flew again at a higher altitude, towards clark i think. in about 30 minutes, i was just waiting for the announcement that our flight will be diverted to any of the philippine cities in the visayas. at that point, i was already pretty sure that we won't be able to land due to the inclement weather. but to everyone's surprise, we were diverted to kota kinabalu... to think that we have international airports in cebu, iloilo and bacolod. no choice at all, we then landed in kota kinabalu international airport. the captain explained that we could not land in naia even if we already saw the runway. a huge windshield was preventing the plane from landing safely and the crew did not have any choice but to divert. otherwise, catastrophe might have struck. behind us, there were about 25 flights also waiting for their turn to land, but were soon diverted as well. we spent a night in kota kinabalu, then took the 2 pm flight to manila. at about 5 pm, we finally landed in manila. it was still cloudy (as shown in the photos) and some areas still had scattered rains, but thank God, we landed safely.

agassi-graf

2011-07-09T15:32:00.011+08:00

i got hooked on tennis back in late 1996.

i was a UP diliman-orgless freshie, so i naturally hang out in one of the best cribs in the campus - UP main library. not because i am (or was) a studious one, but i was in the lib most of the time because most of my blockmates were almost always there! hehehehe! (go block N1!) seriously, i always go there to read newspapers. i got this thing with dailies from my father, who'd always have inquirer or any tabloid every morning. and in UP main lib's periodicals section, you practically have all available broadsheets plus a host of veritable tabloids, not to mention, local magazines and some other foreign publications in the general reference section.

one of those main lib trips introduced me to tennis, when i saw the news of andre agassi losing to michael chang in the 1996 US open semis and steffi graf dispatching a young martina hingis in the semis. chang went on to lose to pete sampras in the finals, while graf defeated no. 2 monica seles in the women's singles finals. after that, i was instantly captivated by the distinctiveness of the game - one player against another, all by themselves; no on-court coaching; traditions brought on from another century; interesting scoring; different surfaces; meltdowns and high resolve; moonballers and power hitters; slice, lob, volley; baseliners and serve & volleyers; umpires and linespersons; compelling rivalries and on/offcourt dramas and of course, colorful personalities and great champions. at that point, agassi was more of a colorful personality due to his marriage to brooke shields, although he already won 3 grand slam titles. graf was another thing - she dominated the women's game for the greater part of the 90s, winning 13 grand slam titles and silencing even her biggest rival, seles.

religiously, i followed the scores. i began to buy tennis magazines from that magazine store (between a barber shop and t-shirt store) in the shopping center, as well as revisit microfilmed articles back when graf was just starting to dominate the tennis scene. internet was at its measly provision at that time, so this wasn't included in my routine. 1997 was a bad year for both agassi and graf - agassi falling to 141 in the rankings and graf failing to win a grand slam title for the first time in 10 years. in late 1998, we got our cable TV connection (wahahahaha!), which brought me closer to grand slam matches. i saw steffi graf battle her way to the french open title, while also seeing her lose that year's wimbledon final to lindsay davenport. almost all those times, the remote control was on me! sadly, steffi waved goodbye to the tennis world in august 1999. but agassi went on to play, winning 4 more grand slam titles till 2003. i still remember the 1999 wimbledon final, which agassi lost to sampras in straight sets, but he rebounded to win the US open against todd martin.

my love affair with tennis began with agassi and graf. who would have thought that in 1999, they would both win roland garros, lose wimbledon final and started dating! they got married in 2001 and welcomed 2 kids in the following 2 years. in 2004, graf was inducted to the international tennis hall of fame. an exceptional champion, graf won every major tourney at least 4 times and achieved the golden slam in 1988, when she won all 4 grand slam titles and the gold medal at the seoul olympics. and today, agassi was finally inducted in the hall of fame. he won 8 grand slam titles and is one of only 7 (the other 6: perry, budge, emerson, laver, federer, nadal) players to have won a career slam (all 4 majors at least once in their career).

i haven't touched a racket since my UP days and i always believe that tennis is best played, not watched. but with the new breed of exceptional champions such as nadal and federer, as well as the re-emergence of clijsters and sharapova, tennis will always be my beautiful sport... thanks to graf and agassi! as billie jean king said, "tennis is a perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquility."

linkin park

2011-07-02T11:56:00.000+08:00

linkin park's cover of adele's rolling in the deep.

hallows 2.0

2011-07-01T14:42:00.003+08:00

new posters for harry potter and the deathly hallows part 2! can't wait! (",) [pictures from collider's entry.] official synopsis below:

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2,” is the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series. The much-anticipated motion picture event is the second of two full-length parts.

In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort.

It all ends here.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, reprising their roles as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The film’s ensemble cast also includes Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Ciarán Hinds, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Matthew Lewis, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters and Bonnie Wright.

The film was directed by David Yates, who also helmed the blockbusters “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.” David Heyman, the producer of all of the Harry Potter films, produced the film, together with David Barron. Screenwriter Steve Kloves adapted the screenplay, based on the book by J.K. Rowling. Lionel Wigram is the executive producer.

Behind the scenes, the creative team was led by director of photography Eduardo Serra, production designer Stuart Craig, editor Mark Day, composer Alexandre Desplat, visual effects supervisor Tim Burke, and costume designer Jany Temime.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films production, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which marks the last installment in the most successful film franchise of all time.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” will be released worldwide in theatres and IMAX, in 3D and 2D, beginning July 15, 2011.”

poster

2011-06-30T19:40:00.009+08:00

some of the best hand drawn movie posters, according to total film.

leila

2011-06-30T08:08:00.000+08:00

among p-noy's cabinet men and women, leila de lima is one of the best i think. she's a person of integrity, high intellect and competencies to head DOJ. but with this vizconde case re-investigation, she... as mareng winnie puts it, goofed. big time. read on.

You goofed, Leila
Solita Collas Monsod

Leila de Lima has always held my respect and admiration for her competence and integrity. So I was dumbfounded when she announced in her press conference on Tuesday that information (more accurately, the absence of it) in some magnetic reel data tapes of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) listing down departures and arrivals, “rebut, or negate, or destroy or even shatter” Hubert Webb’s defense of alibi. Why was I dumbfounded? Because as the reader knows, I have been following the Vizconde case ever since the massacre occurred. And it is a fact that Leandro Verceles, then head of the Bureau of Immigrations (BI), had already declared, very early on, that the BI had no record of the departure of Hubert Webb on March 9, 199. One does not know how Verceles made that conclusion, but presumably it must have been on the basis of those tapes -- unless the BI at that time had a duplicate record set or data source. In any case, that the BI had no information on Webb’s departure is nothing new. So how can it rebut, negate, destroy, shatter Hubert’s defense of alibi? (By the way, Webb lawyer Zenaida Ongkiko Acorda, a chip off the old block -- her father is Mario Ongkiko -- points out that the BI tapes record that Webb arrived in the Philippines in October 1992, so if he did not leave on March 9, 1991, when do those tapes say he left?)

De Lima apparently failed to take into account what the trial records will show: that Hubert produced his passport, which showed the immigration stamp of his departure on March 9, 1991, with the signature of the immigration officer (which the latter, a hostile witness, attested was his signature and his stamp), the date of his arrival in the US (March 9, 1991), the date of his departure from the US (Oct. 26, 1992) and the date of his arrival in the Philippines (Oct. 27, 1992). Despite the fact that a passport is an official document, and should be taken at its face value, and that the authenticity of Webb’s passport was attested to by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Webb also produced certifications from the US government (the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the State Department).

De Lima’s failure to take into account such overwhelming evidence (not to mention the testimony of 95 witnesses and more than 350 pieces of other documentary evidence to show that Webb was in the US when the Vizconde massacre occurred) echoes the failure of the trial judge, Amelita Tolentino, who also pronounced that Webb’s defense of alibi was “weak,” and found him (and the et als) guilty of murder.

That decision, by the way, earned Tolentino a seat in the Court of Appeals, which then apparently encouraged her later to to apply for the position of associate justice of the Supreme Court (unsuccessful). But finally, after 10 years of appeals, Tolentino got her comeuppance: a reversal of her decision, and a tongue-lashing that would have made anyone less than thick-skinned shrivel in shame. The reader who is truly interested in the case should read in particular the concurring opinion of Associate Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, although the ponencia of AJ Roberto Abad and the concurring opinion of AJ Conchita Morales also make mincemeat of the prosecution witnesses and highlight the NBI’s less-than-satisfactory role in the case. Justice Martin Villarama’s dissent was an echo of Tolentino’s reversed decision.

Is Leila de Lima on her way to getting a similar tongue-lashing from the Supreme Court? The lawyers of Hubert Webb have announced that they are considering options such as asking the SC to cite her for contempt, and even asking for her disbarment. Along the same lines, is De Lima using this issue as a springboard to the Senate in 2013 (as one of Webb’s lawyers avers), in much the same manner as Judge Tolentino used her decision as a springboard to the Court of Appeals?

Only time will tell. However, I have a feeling that the complete transcript of De Lima’s press conference will show that she will not have left herself wide open to contempt and disbarment charges. She is much too good a lawyer for that. Nor do I believe, at this point, that she is even thinking of 2013. She has too much integrity for that.

On the other hand, there is no question that she has goofed. Big time. Which has to be expected, because no one is perfect. What is important is that so far her performance shows a great deal more positives than negatives. And what is important is to determine why she goofed, so that she can make sure that the recurrence is minimized.

So what made her goof? An at least equally admired lady with whom I talked provides possible answers: It could be that De Lima has been under so much political pressure, at the same time that she has been given so many assignments, that she had not the time or the energy to do the proper homework on this one; or relatedly, that she has had no time to stand back, as it were, and see the forest for the trees; or, still relatedly, that she is beginning to accept without question, or automatically defend, the word of the attached agencies under her -- in this case, the NBI, on whom now the focus shifts.

If I have suggested to the reader to read the SC decisions on the Webb case -- the ponencia, the concurring opinions, the dissenting opinion -- more so should De Lima read them. Had she done so in the first place, the sins of commission and omission of the NBI would have been brought home to her in stark detail. And it would have been clear to her that the so-called “reinvestigation” that the NBI conducted, supposedly in an attempt to find the real killers of the Vizconde ladies, was actually more of an attempt to show that they were correct in the first place. Or rather in the third place, because before they focused on Webb, they had brought up two sets of suspects, whom they were sure had committed the crime.

You goofed, Leila. Admit it. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and learn from this setback. I still have faith in you.

villains 2.0

2011-06-25T14:32:00.036+08:00

villains once more. heading my top 20 list would still be hannibal lecter, although total film places him just below heath ledger's the joker. with lecter on top, the rest are in no particular order.

dr. hannibal lecter (the great anthony hopkins) in the silence of the lambs.

the joker (heath ledger) in the dark knight; emperor commodus (joaquin phoenix) in gladiator; alex forrest (glenn close) in fatal attraction; roger kint (kevin spacey) in the usual suspects.

pazuzu (the demon) in the exorcist; scar (voiced by jeremy irons) in the lion king; sgt. hartman (r. lee emrey) in full metal jacket; lord voldemort (ralph fiennes) in harry potter series.

magneto (ian mckellen) in x-men series; amon goeth (ralph fiennes) in schindler's list; capitan vidal (sergi lopez) in pan's labyrinth; jigsaw (tobin bell) in saw series.

jafar (voiced by jonathan freeman) in aladdin; chucky (brad dourif) in child's play; bill "the butcher" cutting (daniel day lewis) in gangs of new york; buffalo bill (ted levine) in the silence of the lambs.

anton chigurh (javier bardem) in no country for old men; baby jane hudson (bette davis) in whatever happened to baby jane; col. hans landa (christoph waltz) in inglourious basterds. [all pics courtesy of total film.]

fistfight

2011-06-23T22:44:00.007+08:00

no fpj vs. paquito diaz here... just some of the best fistfights on hollywood cinema, according to total film. hands down winner? fight club. no question.

rizal

2011-06-20T16:32:00.011+08:00

salamat kay rizal, wala kaming pasok ngayon. 'yan lang siguro ang kabuluhan ni rizal sa karamihan ngayon. maging ako, ito ang sentimiyento ko (sa araw na ito)... dahil sa kanya, may mahabang wikend. makapaglalamyerda ang lahat, malayo sa trabaho at eskuwelahan. ngunit may halaga pa nga kaya si rizal sa panahong gaya ng sa atin?

bukod sa bahagi ng kurikulum ng hayskul na pag-aralan ang noli me tangere at el filibusterimo at may kaukulang isang sabjek sa kolehiyo tungkol sa buhay at mga gawa ni rizal, di na gaanong mababanaag ang impluwensiya ni rizal. puwede pa sa sangkatutak na mga kalsada, paaralan, liwasan o produktong ipinangalan sa ating pambansang bayani... ngunit sa labas ng mga ito, wala na. maaaring dahil sa patuloy na pagkuwestyon sa kanyang pagkabayani, na kesyo inisponsoran lamang ng mga kano ang kanyang pagiging bayani. pinili raw ng mga kano si rizal kaysa kay bonifacio dahil si gat andres ay maiinitin ang ulo at digmaan ang layunin. marami rin ang nagsasabing di dapat maging pambansang bayani ang sinumang di humawak ng armas upang palayain ang bansa, di tulad sa liga ng mga lider na gaya ni george washington. tinuligsa rin daw ni rizal ang mga layunin ni bonifacio tungkol sa himagsikan, kung kaya't inabandona rin daw ni rizal ang anumang may kinalaman sa pagpapalaya sa bansa.

anu't anuman ang mga kritisismo ukol kay rizal, di maikakailang pinukaw ni rizal ang pagniningas ng makabansang adhikaing palayain ang bansa sa kontrol ng mga espanyol. mismong si bonifacio ay nabigyang inspirasyon ng mga nobela ni rizal at walang maaaring kumuwestiyon sa pag-ibig ni rizal sa kanyang bayang sinilangan. at dahil sa mga ito, haligi si rizal ng pagbabagong-anyo ng pilipinas tungo sa isang nagsasariling republika. di man siya nakibaka sa pamamagitan ng rebolber, sumigla ang himagsikan dala ng kanyang panulat. sapat na ito upang ituring siyang pambansang bayani sa hanay ng mga magigiting na anak ng ating lahi.

malaking kontradiksyon nga raw ang mga pinoy - sensitibo, mabababaw ang luha't mahilig mang-ukilkil ng nakaraan. ngunit sa pambansang pagkakakilanlan at anumang mga bagay na may kinalaman sa pamana ng lahi, madali tayong lumimot. walang pag-aalinlangang magwaksi ng anumang walang tuwirang epekto sa atin, tulad ni rizal at kanyang mga adbokasiya at pagkukuro.

sa ganang akin, pinakamahalagang ambag ni rizal sa ating mga pinoy ay ang kanyang ehemplong patuloy na payabungin ang kanyang kaalaman, magpunyaging pabutihin ang sarili sa pamamagitan ng edukasyon, 'wag magpatalo sa dahas, banta o anumang balakid at taas-noong ipamalas sa mundo ang kanyang kakayahan. makarating man sa ibang lupalop, itinuro ni rizal na walang katulad ang buhay pinas at ipinagkakapuri ang pagiging pinoy. salamat, ka pepe.

papa

2011-06-19T14:30:00.001+08:00

happy tatay day, papa!!!

harry

2011-06-18T14:54:00.000+08:00

lakes

2011-06-10T18:26:00.007+08:00

our taal lake is one of yahoo's 12 most beautiful lakes in the world!

12 Most Beautiful Lakes in the World
By Beth Collins

These 12 lakes go to all the right extremes—highest, deepest, clearest—and showcase nature at its most spectacular. Soak up the views from a boat, a cable car, a trailhead, or a castle tower.

Malawi
Lake Malawi

Home to 1,000 species of fish—estimated to be more than anyplace on earth—Lake Malawi (also called Lake Nyasa) is Africa's third largest lake at 363 miles long and up to about 50 miles wide in spots. Located in a depression 2,300 feet below sea level, it's positioned at the crossroads of Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, and supports hundreds of local villages with its rich underwater stock (which is, unfortunately, gradually being depleted due to over-fishing). The lake's southern portion—as well as a bordering nub of wildlife-rich land, Cape Maclear—represents the world's first freshwater national park; it was also named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. A star of the waters here is the mbuna, a native freshwater fish known for eating directly from people's hands. Bring your snorkel gear—as beautiful as the scenery is, the best part about Lake Malawi is what's swimming beneath you in the crystal clear water.
Nearby: Cape Maclear, located within Lake Malawi National Park, is a perfect base for exploring the area.

Alberta, Canada
Peyto Lake

Alberta's Lake Louise is the famous one, on all the postcards and posters. But Louise's sister lake 29 miles north along Icefields Parkway, a two-laner that winds 142 miles through the Canadian Rockies, is even more picturesque. Thanks to glacial rock flour that flows in when the ice and snow melt every summer, the waters of Banff National Park's Peyto Lake are a brilliant turquoise more often associated with warm-weather paradises like Antigua and Bora-Bora. For the most dramatic views of the 1.7-mile-long stunner, encircled with dense forest and craggy mountain peaks, pull into the lot at Bow Summit, the parkway's highest point, and follow the steep hike to the overlook.
Nearby: The town of Banff, the heart of the park, is 62 miles south of Peyto Lake.

Oregon
Crater Lake

Thousands of years ago, the top of a 12,000-foot-high volcano in the Cascade Range exploded. The massive pit left behind became known as Crater Lake, the centerpiece of a national park in southern Oregon that displays nature at its rawest and most powerful. Forests of towering evergreens and 2,000-foot-high cliffs surround the lake, where extraordinarily deep waters—at 1,943 feet, it's the deepest lake in the United States—yield an intense sapphire-blue hue. If winter hiking and cross-country skiing aren't your thing, wait until early July to visit, when the roads have been plowed and the trails cleared. Rim Drive, a 33-mile road that encircles the lake, has picture-perfect views from all sides. For a closer look, follow the mile-long Cleetwood Cove Trail to the shore. Brace yourself before diving in: The water temperature rarely rises above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nearby: The laid-back mountain town of Bend, 112 miles away, makes a nice home base for a Crater Lake day trip.

Philippines
Taal Lake

This dangerous beauty, situated just 37.28 miles south of Manila, has two distinct claims to fame: It is the deepest lake in the Philippines, with a depth of 564 feet. It is also home to one of the world's smallest but most active volcanoes, the Taal Volcano, which sits within its waters on the island of Luzon. The lake itself was formed when a larger volcanic crater here collapsed; now seismologists spend a lot of time monitoring this spot for tremors, and sending out frequent eruption warnings through the country's Department of Tourism. Plenty of tour groups offer trips to the natural wonder—in spite of the fact that it has been declared a permanent danger zone. A safer way to see the volcano is by taking a drive along the Tagaytay-Taal ridge in nearby Tagaytay City.
Nearby: Adjacent Tagaytay City offers some well-priced accommodations, in addition to the best views of the lake.

Guatemala
Lake Atitlán

Nearly a mile up in the highlands of Guatemala, Atitlán (Lago de Atitlán) rests at the foot of three massive conical volcanoes. Small Mayan villages line its shores, which are set off by steep hills draped with oak and pine trees and nearly 800 plant species. There's no single, must-see view of the lake, so try several vantage points: from up high on Highway 1; from the town of Panajachel, the buzzing market hub that juts out into the water; or aboard a lancha, one of the many small boats that ferry visitors from village to village. We're saddened to note that the lake has built up high levels of blue-green algae over the years (in October and November 2009, a film of green scum began briefly marring its surface; since then there have been ambitious efforts to solve the problem).
Nearby: Panajachel is about 2.5 hours by car from Guatemala City.

Scotland
Loch Lomond

With a backdrop of windswept rolling hills and medieval castles, Loch Lomond feels like it's straight out of a Victorian romance novel. The 24-mile-long lake is dotted with islands, some so small that they disappear when the water levels are high, and others large enough to be (sparsely) inhabited. Most ferries stop at the largest island, Inchmurrin (population 11), so visitors can get a look at the remains of a 7th-century monastery and the 14th century Lennox Castle, used often as a hunting lodge for kings.
Nearby: The lake is 24 miles north of Glasgow and 66 west of Edinburgh.

Italy
Lake Garda

If the shape of Italy is a couture boot, think of the imprint of Lake Garda as a design from the funky sister line—long and skinny at the top, opening up toward the bottom. Garda is the country's largest lake and one of the most popular vacation spots among Italians. The southern shore is home to hot springs, resort towns with pastel villas and terra-cotta-roofed hotels, and most of Garda's 28 miles of serene, pebbly beaches. To the north are the jagged peaks of the Dolomites, a magnet for hikers and bicyclists who want to test their endurance. In Malcesine, an adorable speck of a town with cobblestoned streets and a medieval castle, you can board a cable car up to Mount Baldo for one of the best aerial views of the lake.
Nearby: Lake Garda is about halfway between Milan (89 miles away) and Venice (109 miles away), but to get the full, relaxing effect, stay in one of the south shore's many small towns.

France
Lake Annecy

This alpine lake in the heart of the French Alps is a looker, but don't expect to spend your visit gazing over the water in quiet reflection. Lake Annecy is all about activity—particularly in August, when Paris shuts down and the French take extended holidays. Sailors, kayakers, and water-skiers crisscross the water; bikers and hikers hit surrounding nature trails; and refugees from the city fill the outdoor tables at the lakeside restaurants and bars. Repeat visitors know to plan their trip for the first Saturday of August, when a staggering, nearly two-hour-long fireworks display illuminates the water.
Nearby: The closest major city is Geneva, 30 miles north, in Switzerland, but most people stay right on the lake.

Croatia
Plitvice Lakes

These 16 blue-green lakes, hidden by thick vegetation and connected by hundreds of waterfalls, could be the set for the next Jurassic Park. For adventure as well as killer views, start at one of the lower lakes and work your way up following the sturdy wooden planks that turn what could be a treacherous trek into a fun hike. Take a detour along the 10-minute loop that leads to the region's tallest fall, 230-foot-high Veliki Slap ("Big Waterfall"), a breadth of streaming white water that collects in turquoise pools. While hiking, keep your eyes peeled for deer, wildcats, boars, wolves, and bears—a more likely sighting than a T. rex.
Nearby: There are four hotels in Plitvice Lakes National Park, but most people drive in for the day from Zagreb, about 2 hours by car.

Kenya
Lake Nakuru

The water is blue enough, and the backdrop—grasslands and rocky hillsides—has the makings of a nice photo, but neither is what sets this lake in central Kenya apart. The real draw here is the mass of pink on Nakuru's edges. Flamingos are one of the few species that can withstand the lake's hostile conditions—the water has so much sodium carbonate that it burns nearly everything that touches it —and they flock to the lake en masse. There can be as many as a million birds feeding on algae in the shallows at one time, wading side by side.
Nearby: The lake is in the heart of Lake Nakuru National Park, a sanctuary for black-and-white rhinos, three hours by car from Nairobi.

New Zealand
Lake Matheson

Alternately known as Mirror Lake, this South Island lake is famous for its reflections of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. Visiting just after dawn is ideal, when the water is at its calmest and mirror images are impossibly perfect. The lake itself is well worth exploring, too. Park near the Clearwater River suspension bridge and follow the 1-mile loop past kahikatea and rimu trees, which have extra-tall trunks and fanciful bushy tops and look like something from a Dr. Seuss book.
Nearby: Fox Glacier township, a village that serves as a base camp for trekkers, is three miles east of the lake.

Slovenia
Lake Bled

Why not get to the good stuff right away? To take in this Slovenian lake's most breathtaking vista, head immediately to Bled Castle, at the edge of a sheer, 460-foot-high cliff. You'll see mountains in every direction—the Julian Alps and the Karavanke range—and below, the Alpine lake and its main attraction, Bled Island, a tiny forested circle that's home to the 17th-century Church of the Assumption and its prominent baroque clock tower. Down on the lake's shore, board a pletna boat (similar to a gondola) to the island. Be sure to ring the church bell and make a wish before returning to the mainland. Mountains shield the water from icy northern winds, so Lake Bled is warm, relatively speaking (79 degrees Fahrenheit). If that's still too chilly, head to the lake's northern section, where three hotels have built pools around natural thermal springs.
Nearby: The Slovenian capital of Ljubljana is an easy 35 miles away.

ruins

2011-06-10T17:34:00.005+08:00

World's Best Ruins
By Christine Sarkis

Ruins reach across centuries to fire the imagination and fuel travel plans. The very best make you feel young, small, and utterly amazed by the architectural chops of the ancients. Among the many amazing ruins that still exist today, a few stand out as the trip of a lifetime.

No matter which ruins you visit, a few rules hold true: Time your trip for the less crowded times of day, often early or late. Give yourself plenty of time, as some ruins require days of exploration. Hire a knowledgeable guide, since the history is rich but the signage is often cursory. And get beyond the most popular parts of the ruin; you'll need a bit of quiet space to appreciate this kind of ancient majesty.

Machu Picchu, Peru

The journey to Machu Picchu is epic even with relatively newfangled transportation like trains. But each year, about 25,000 people forgo the more direct routes and walk for days along the 27-mile Inca Trail to reach the ruin. Since its rediscovery a century ago, this treasure of the Inca set high in a cloud forest of the Peruvian Andes has captured imaginations worldwide. The massive stone blocks tell the story of both a sprawling agricultural zone with terracing and ancient food storehouses and an urban zone replete with temples, squares, tombs, and living quarters. If you're considering a trek to Machu Picchu, plan ahead: You can only make the hike with a licensed company, and spots book up quickly, especially in high season.

Acropolis, Greece

Waiting for the traffic to speed past at a crowded intersection in Athens, you're likely to forget that history keeps constant watch over the city. Glance up, however, and you'll catch the view Athenians and visitors alike have been admiring for the last 2,500 years. Time has battered the once-pristine temples and gates that crown the hill of the Acropolis, leaving stone ruins that retain a familiar splendor even after thousands of years of wear and destruction. The elegant proportions of the fifth-century B.C. Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike—both dedicated to the city's patron deity—are a reminder of how much we still rely on ancient Greece for our concepts of beauty.

Mesa Verde, United States

Great ruins aren't always an ocean away: Some of the best preserved Native American cliff dwellings in North America reside in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. Home to the Ancestral Puebloans—whose descendants became 20 different Southwestern tribes, including the Hopi and Zuni—Mesa Verde traces 700 years of history across 4,000 archeological sites. Visit mesa-top pueblos and the dwellings built beneath massive overhanging cliffs. Ascend steep trails and ladders, or crawl through tunnels to explore ancient architecture such as the 150-room Cliff Palace or the hard-to-reach Balcony House. The park's hours vary by season, and not all sites are open year-round.

Angkor, Cambodia

War or natural disaster might have weakened the Khmer Empire's ancient capital, but ultimately, it was the jungle that conquered this ninth- to fifteenth-century urban center. Today, the densely forested 150-square-mile Angkor Archaeological Park protects part of a vast cluster of ancient capitals, many of which remain buried. The park's most famous temple, Angkor Wat, is the world's largest religious building. But the park's dozens of other ruins, including Bayon temple with its wall of 11,000 carved figures, offer quieter glimpses into the art and architecture of this culturally rich 600-year period.

Great Pyramids And Memphis, Egypt

Political unrest or no, a roundup of the world's best ruins can't exclude Egypt. The last existing ancient wonder of the world, the Great Pyramid of Giza stands as a lone window into the far past. With more than 4,000 years to ponder the question, experts still can't agree on how the builders placed more than 2 million stone blocks so perfectly. The rest of the Giza Necropolis holds more wonders: two more Great Pyramids, built during 80 years by 20,000 to 30,000 workers, plus the Great Sphinx, cemeteries, and the ruins of a village. The pyramids are part of a larger UNESCO World Heritage site that includes Memphis, the capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt. A trip can even include some up-close-and-personal time: Visitors can explore the interiors of some of the pyramids. And the recent drop in tourism offers intrepid travelers the rare chance to experience the pyramids without the usual crowds.

Tikal, Guatemala

Stay overnight in the national park for the ultimate experience at Tikal, an ancient Maya city in northern Guatemala that was home to 90,000 people before being abandoned in the tenth century. Early the next morning, before the park opens to the general public, join a small group making the trek through a jungle awash in the pre-dawn symphony of birds and insects. Climb to the top of Temple IV, the Temple of the Two-Headed Serpent, to witness a sunrise that reveals ancient temples and pyramids rising from the verdant forest blanket. You've still got hours to explore this vast complex of pyramids, temples, and plazas before the big crowds roll in. Along the way, catch glimpses of brown coatis, toucans, howler monkeys, and some of the hundreds of other species to call Tikal home.

Petra, Jordan

Hailed as a "rose-red city half as old as time" in a 19th-century poem, the ancient city of Petra was half built and half carved into red sandstone cliffs. Nabataean Arabs established the city in the sixth century B.C., and for hundreds of years it thrived as a trade center for frankincense, myrrh, and spices. Now, as then, enter the ruins of the city through a narrow, half-mile-long gorge squeezed between cliffs nearly 300 feet high. Inside, explore architecturally elaborate tombs and temples, sacrificial altars, and even a Roman-style amphitheater. Most people explore on foot, but visitors can also ride camels and donkeys. The sun lights up the red cliffs of Petra most dramatically in mid-morning and late afternoon, so be sure to time your visit accordingly.

Colosseum, Italy

Digitally reimagined in Hollywood blockbusters such as Gladiator, the camera really shaves millennia off Rome's Colosseum. But the 2,000-year-old ruins are so evocative up close that special effects seem superfluous. With a bloody history of fights to the death between gladiators, slaves, prisoners, and wild animals, the Colosseum held 50,000 spectators or more in its heyday. Later, Romans used the abandoned arena as a quarry: Stones from the Colosseum are part of the cathedrals of St. Peter and St. John Lateran. Last summer, entirely new sections of the ruin—including the basement— were opened for tours.

Great Wall Of China, China

Like a dragon, the Great Wall of China slithers its way across the landscape for about 4,500 miles, and, like a dragon, the wall protects something treasured. Constructed to shelter China's people and culture from the outside world, the "Long Wall of 10 Thousand Li" was built during 2,000 years by many imperial dynasties. While some parts of the wall are in ruins or have disappeared entirely, other sections have been restored or preserved. The most popular section today is the Badaling Great Wall, close to Beijing. Slightly farther from the capital city and offering a more rugged (and less crowded) experience is the Great Wall at Mutianyu. In Qinhuangdao City, the Laolongtou Great Wall actually stretches into the sea, and is said to resemble a dragon drinking water.

Palmyra, Syria

Twice a day, at sunrise and sunset, the Bride of the Desert blushes, even 18 centuries after her birth. Palmyra, also known as Tadmor, is in the desert northeast of Damascus, Syria, and was once a wealthy caravan oasis along the Silk Road, linking Persia, India, and China with the Roman Empire. At a crossroads of cultures, the ruins of grand colonnaded streets, temples, funerary towers, and aqueducts demonstrate a mingling of influences that made this an awfully cosmopolitan place for the second century. Palmyra was also home to the warrior queen and conqueror Zenobia, and tour guides tell exciting tales that give this seemingly isolated place a starring role in world history.

conspiracy

2011-06-07T12:26:00.006+08:00

how do you go about a meeting about "the final solution"? would that be just "another day in the office"? or you'd take the discussion as just "taking orders" and "fulfilling my duties" as a soldier or a nazi officer?

this HBO movie is a chilling account of the banality of evil... how ordinately people of high intellect succumbed to "call of duty" and ultimately abandoned their humanity to relieve nazi germany of their so-called unwanted war baggages called jews. while branagh's heydrich maneuvered the meeting to put off any forms of objections, naked threats helped dousing untoward abhorrence of the unspeakable but ultimately established mechanisms on mechanical extermination of jews across europe.

to some, the movie might be wrangly and talky. but conspiracy's sharp, shrewd script and excellent cast headed by kenneth branagh, stanley tucci and colin firth, made it a devastatingly outstanding filmfare. as the meeting progresses, any viewer will be transfixed to watch intelligent discussions on logistics, ideology, law, race, history, science, military parameters... all valid reasons swamped by grotesque view of cleansing germany (and europe) and achieve racial superiority. cold and obviously aversed of any goodness, heydrich, eichmann and the rest, traded funny punches about man's history, while stamping approval on what will be known as holocaust.

Adolf Eichmann: Now, last summer Reichsführer Himmler asked me to visit a camp up in Upper Silesia, called Auschwitz, which is very well isolated, and close to significant rail access. And we are turning that camp into a major center, solid structures (and here's where your Jewish labor comes into play, Herr Neumann, the Jews haul the bricks and they build the buildings themselves). And when the structures are complete, we expect to be able to process 2500... an hour. Not a day, an hour... At 24 hours a day, that is 60,000... That's 21,900,000 Jews a year, if ever there were that many... Yes, it'll be industrial in nature: large commercial gas-fed ovens, no residue to speak of.

Heydrich: [to Kritzinger] Well then, this is the moment to be practical, until such time as Germany can afford your philosophy, which is what? Hunt them, impoverish them, exploit them, imprison them, just do not kill them. And you are thought the nobelist of men? I find that, uh, truly remarkable.

conspiracy is the historical recreation of the 1942 Wannsee Conference, in which Nazi and SS leaders gathered in a Berlin suburb to discuss the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question". led by SS-General Reinhard Heydrich, this group of high ranking German officials came to the historic and far reaching decision that the Jews of Europe were to be exterminated in what would come to be known as the Holocaust.

Trappist

2011-06-06T18:07:00.004+08:00

one of the few stops when in guimaras is the Trappist monastery in jordan. after some localized version of cenakulo in jordan, we went to the monastery. unfortunately for us, the gift shop and the monks' pasalubong store was closed. it was, after all, good friday. since we could get a sample of the famed trappist mango bars, we just walked around the monastery, snapped some pics and headed to nueva valencia.

rafa's 10

2011-06-06T12:43:00.003+08:00

rafa won his 10th grand slam title, his 6th in roland garros! i stayed up late, not to watch the live proceedings (destiny cable doesn't have balls), but to wait for breaking news from cnn, bbc or al-jazeera. and around 2 am, i saw the news! vamos rafa!!! some 'he said, he said' below.

“When you talk about these statistics, when you try and make these comparisons, really it’s not very interesting to me,” continued Nadal, who would have ceded the No. 1 ranking to Novak Djokovic with a loss Sunday. “I’m very happy with what I have, with who I am. I’m not the best player in the history of tennis. I think I’m among the best. That’s true. That’s enough for me.”

“He plays better against the better ones, and that’s what he showed today,” said Federer, owner of 16 Grand Slam trophies. “He’s a great champion, on clay, especially.”

The real Rafa is both the Rafa who wins and the Rafa who plays well and the Rafa who suffers and doesn’t play that well,” Rafa Nadal.

It also was the first major championship match contested by any two men who already completed career Grand Slams. And Nadal and Federer put on a worthy show, more than 3 1/2 hours full of lengthy exchanges, brilliant defense, sublime shotmaking, and some dizzying shifts of momentum. - Howard Fendrich.

Stay calm. Winning or losing won’t change your life.”- Toni Nadal.

Nadal now has 10 majors. Federer was 25 years, 173 days when he hit double digits. Nadal got there 171 days faster.

Not a margin to write home about. But proof, nonetheless, that when Federer looks behind him, there’s a looming Spanish shadow.

If Nadal was a boxer, he’d be billed as The Man with the Iron Chin.

Federer chucked the kitchen sink at him on Sunday. Still, he wouldn’t go down.

Forehands that zipped off Federer’s racket with a “pop,” zany-angled backhands that looked to be scudding out of court—Nadal hunted almost everything down like a hound told to “Fetch!”

Often, he not only retrieves seemingly lost balls but somehow managed to whip them back with interest, too. So where one venomous crosscourt winner might suffice against lesser players, Federer needed two, three or more cannon balls to breach the chateau-like defenses of Nadal.

When it comes off, one can only sit back and applaud Federer’s tenacity and ability to make such a succession of fine shots. If at first you don’t succeed …

Because he is forced to make plays, Federer had many more winners—53 to 39. But by hurling his artistry back at him, Nadal also forced Federer into mistakes. Federer had twice as many unforced errors, 56 to 27.

In short, Nadal forced Federer to lose beautifully.

“I like to see him running left and right and left and right and see how long he can sustain it, you know?” Federer said. “Mixing it up. That’s what I always do, and he does his things. … You know, I think he’s happy to be Rafa; I’m happy to be Roger. That’s why we like to play each other, maybe.”

It’s also why we like to watch them. Appreciate it while it lasts. - John Leicester.

roger-serena

2011-06-06T11:38:00.003+08:00

Obviously I'm the one that's playing with smaller margins, so obviously I'm always going to go through a bit more up and downs; whereas Rafa is content doing the one thing for the entire time. So it's always me who's going to dictate play and decide how the outcome is going to be. If I play well, I will most likely win in the score or beat him; if I'm not playing so well, that's when he wins.

- Serena, er, Roger Federer on Rafael Nadal

GAWD. Does this quote really need any explanation?

[Reblogged from Downthelinetennis]

pink

2011-06-03T13:09:00.000+08:00

imdb reports that pink has given birth to her daughter... but why put ellen degeneres' pic with it?! does ellen have anything to do with pink's delivery?! wahahahaha!

happy weekend! (",)

Iloilo

2011-06-01T19:34:00.007+08:00

in and around iloilo city!

since it was good friday, the streets of iloilo city were almost empty, except for a number of street vendors and some locals. the city has 7 districts, famous former towns such as jaro, molo, la paz, mandurriao and iloilo city proper, as well as arevalo and lapuz. except as part of jeepney stops, i wasn't able to go around jaro, molo and la paz, with dad and i staying in iloilo city proper. we had a nice seafood dinner somewhere in arevalo beachside, while also having some few drinks in mandurriao's smallville.

a highly urbanized city, iloilo feels like cebu city and downtown manila, minus the filthy backstreets (at least i haven't seen one during this trip). while dumaguete and bacolod cities top my list of favorite big cities to go to in western visayas, our trip in iloilo was a nice one... massage, cheap thrills, good food and good old charm.

Miag-ao

2011-05-31T21:36:00.006+08:00

Miag-ao church was my latest UNESCO world heritage stop!

miag-ao church is one of only four (the others are san agustin church in intramuros, manila; santa maria church in santa maria, ilocos sur; and paoay church in paoay, ilocos sur) baroque churches in the philippines inscribed in unesco's world heritage site. according to unesco: The Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva stands on the highest point of Miag-ao, its towers serving as lookouts against Muslim raids. It is the finest surviving example of 'Fortress Baroque'. The sumptuous facade epitomizes the Filipino transfiguration of western decorative elements, with the figure of St Christopher on the pediment dressed in native clothes, carrying the Christ Child on his back, and holding on to a coconut palm for support. The entire riotously decorated facade is flanked by massive tapering bell towers of unequal heights.

so even when dad (thanks for some of the pics here, dad!) tried (hehehehe!) to dissuade me from traveling to miag-ao from iloilo city due to the long commute (he said that it'd be 2.5 hours), i included this in our iloilo itinerary. right after checking in the 'oh-so wonderful' ong bun pension house, we headed to iloilo's jeepney terminal a few blocks away from robinsons iloilo. we were in miag-ao about 1.5 hours later. when we got to miag-ao, the imposing and "sumptuous" facade of the church greeted us. inside the church, there was a group of teenagers practicing what seemed to be a repertoire for the salubong (easter celebration) but the church's main door was locked.

after our date with miag-ao church, dad and i went around the town plaza to look for merienda place for some batchoy or halo-halo and we found a nice one at the back of the church.

Yogyakarta

2011-05-30T21:23:00.017+08:00

in and around yogyakarta!

after bali, yogyakarta (same as jogjakarta... to locals, simply, jogja) is the second most important tourist destination in indonesia. before leaving for jogja from jakarta, i was a bit worried that i might have a hard time going to borobodur. aside from securing hotel duta guesthouse accommodation through agoda, i didn't bother looking for info on how to get to borobodur. i was traveling alone so hiring a van was out of the question and because of that, i might have to brave local jogja commuting.

to my pleasant surprise, borobodur tours can be arranged thru local guesthouses and hotels, similar to what they do in bangkok. i booked it and the lovely ladies in hotel duta told me that i needed to be up early, around 5 am, because the tour starts at 5:30! the package tour included breakfast (hard boiled egg, bread, strawberry jam, butter, banana and mineral water), taking you to borobodur and mendut in the morning and prambanan temples in the early afternoon. i shared the van with a french couple but we didn't chat at all.

Georgia

2011-05-26T13:21:00.004+08:00

gamarjoba! today is independence day in georgia. may 26 is celebrated as the country's independence from russian empire.

but why georgia? georgian language gave me the idea for this blog's name. the georgian suffix -shvili literally means "child", mostly coming from eastern georgia. as you may have known, my name was derived from the combination of my parents' name judith and roberto. hence, jubert. then, put some jologs spice on it = dyoob, add shvili... and you have dyoobshvili = child of judith and roberto! wahahaha!

i wonder why pinoys didn't get to have this formula for naming conventions... probably because of matri-patriarchal society we have here and the archipelagic geography.

the blog's title is also georgian. "tsers. stseria." means "he writes. it is written." gamarjoba!

cinderella

2011-05-26T12:48:00.003+08:00

In a venue where all will be judged by face value, I guess the adage "Never judge a book by its cover" doesn't apply... Good Day Ladies and Gentlemen. . . The choices given are all damsels in distress who needed a hero figure to save them, fall in love with them and eventually live happily ever after... But I believe it doesn't end there.

Life is not always fair and and is in fact difficult. Circumstances befall good people but the shoe girl teaches us that we can make good choices when faced with tough circumstances, thinking out of the box, living independently, welcoming risks and best of all... having the courage to break a sweat! That's Cinderella.

Thank you so Much! - mark estrella