goodbye 2007

before this year ends it's just right to look back and remember all the lesson the year of the fire boar has showed me. for all the blessings. the hurts. the scars. the laughters. lahat yan baon ko sa pagsalubong sa bagong mga hamon sa susunod na taon..

to my family, thanks for sticking together despite and in spite of. i love you all :)

to my friends, thanks for all the times shared. though for some 'times shared' meant chatting only thru ym since physical distance forbids us to see each other to catch up or even during gimik nights. to the newly found, looking forward to a lifetime friendship. and to those who abandoned me, uhm well, you'll realize your action later. malalaki na kayo at alam niyo na ginawa niyo hehe.

looking forward to a new and better year. live a life that matters.. that cares.. that loves. happy new year everyone!

tara at mag-wakeboarding na lang tayo buong 2008! :D

happy holidays!

a short stop to greet everyone a merry christmas and a happy new year! never forget that Jesus Christ is the reason for this season.. may this coming year bring us all love, peace, happiness and more blessings.

keep on bloggin'! ;)

Davao City

after basking the thrill of being in Zamboanga city for nearly four days, i bid goodbye to my adoptive family and headed for Davao city. the supposedly one day stop turned into just a couple of hours since airline flights were fully booked so i had to take the next day flight tapos chance passenger pa ako.. during the flight, i can't help but be amazed at how remarkably vast the mountain ranges in Mindanao are. kaya hindi na ako magtataka kung bakit madaming rebelde ang kumukuta doon. it's sad but reds, tulisans, some runaway groups and terrorists alike have taken advantage of these natural wonders for their selfish causes.. at one point the passengers curiously peeked at the windows when the flight captain thru the PA system informed us that we're passing by the country's highest peak, Mt. Apo. yan ang isa ko pang gustong magawa, makaakyat sa tuktok ng Apo.. 'twas a short flight, around 45 minutes lang ata, with a nice sunny morning weather.

i can't remember the last time i was in Davao but i tell you, this is one huge developing city in our country. aba eh yung bagong international airport pa lang nila parang mas maganda pa sa NAIA terminal ng Manila. mas malamig natitiyak ko yun. mas maganda yung baggage claim area. they even give you this small sheet to write any complaint you may have against taxi drivers at diretso yun sa Mayor's office. sabi pa nga madukutan or manakawan ka i-report mo lang and malaki ang chance maibabalik sayo ang nawala mong kagamitan. kaya marami ang takot gumawa ng kabulastugan. what Mayor Duterte might have done and has been doing to organize the city and discipline its people, i think that is what our country needs collectively.. a fellow flight passenger told me as well that it is strictly prohibited to smoke cigarettes at any public place in the city na sarado or kulob (i.e. offices, public vehicles). at least that's a problem i don't have to worry about.. from the airport i went straight to the city's bus terminal to look for a bus going to Cagayan de Oro. mala-amazing race nga. i went here clueless of where i was headed to. kumbaga walang rekado, binudburan ko lang ng konting lakas ng loob :) basta tanong tanong lang ako ng mga directions from people i chanced upon with sa airport, sa eroplano at sa daan. and then comes the agony. never did i realize that Davao to Cagayan is almost seven hours of leg-numbing and butt-numbing bus ride. 297 kilometers lang (mas malayo pa actually ang Baguio-Manila trip) but they probably have to observe a sort of "trip timetable" so hindi kailangang madaliin ang biyahe. mas okay na yun kasi almost half of the entire trip eh puro bangin ang nakikita ko.. we had four stops pero sobrang nakakainip. hindi pa ako nakatulog buong biyahe kasi paranoid ako that a fellow passenger might grab my bag while i was asleep. eh dala ko pa naman yung laptop at digital SLR ko. pag nagkataon yari haha. kaya mapapansin niyo i don't have any picture to post kasi nawalan ako ng lakas ng loob maglabas ng kamera sa mismong biyahe hehe.

but i hope to be back in Davao someday. i know my two-hour experience of this wonderful city doesn't give any justice to what it has to offer to tourists, foreign and locals alike. and i know for sure just like in all the other places i've been to it'll be a blast exploring Davao.

next stop: Cagayan de Oro..

Zamboanga City

**update[10/29]: i still have to collate the pics and post them here..
**update[11/03]: a clear indication of how busy work has been lately: i had to wait for the weekend before i can even edit this entry to post pics. whew! layout inspired by superbianca's blog.
**update[11/04]: done.

finally i am able to blog.....

ever had that emotional swing between the nervous anticipation of the unfamiliar and giddy excitement of what lies ahead? i guess that best depicts what i felt when a few months back i was invited by a very good friend to attend and witness his wedding, nowhere else than in this place dubbed as Asia's Latin City. as a matter of fact i bought my plane ticket roughly 40 hours before the flight itself considering the invitation came about 7 months ago. there were more than a couple of times i admit i planned on pretending to be very sick or may lakad akong iba na mas importante on the wedding week itself to merit myself an excuse of staying here in Manila. eh kasi ba naman pag sinabi mong Mindanao, particularly in Zamboanga and Cotabato (which happens to be my birth place), ang unang pumapasok sa isip ko eh magulo. i developed the habit of looking out for news about that city and more than twice may nabasa akong bombings hehe. at the end i guess i was overcome by just the thought of getting through the thrill and excitement of going to Zambo. or wait. maybe i have moles in my feet which according to Filipino pamahiin meant layas, a gypsy. never settling, spurred on by a yearning for far away places with strange sounding names. sandale tignan ko.. wahaha meron nga! i never paid attention to it before but yes i do have moles, one on each feet. now i know why insisted on going :D

anyway, my stay wasn't bad after all. i was apprehensive at first but not really scared. the people's hospitality will actually lessen your fears. Zamboanga is like an open city that brought together the tribal groups (the most famous of which are the Badjaos), the Muslims and the Christians living together in its community. most of the people have their motorcycles or scooter kaya bumalik yung kaba ko. eh kasi uso yung drive-by shooters and bombers hehe. pero buti na lang walang masamang nangyari... Fort Pilar, a Spanish military fort built in 1635 which has meter-thick walls, houses 500 years of colonial history in its museum - from the Spanish settlement, to chapters of British, Dutch, American, Japanese and finally Filipino control. the best recuerdo of la presencia de España in Zamboanga. first time i had to take off my sandals when entering a museum :) taking photographs is not allowed but as stubborn as i am, i insisted on using my camera outside the watch of the prowling eyes of the security guards hehe.


inside our 4x4 vehicle; mayor's office; Christian altar beside Fort Pilar. people come here for various reasons, some grateful, some needing, some to find solace and still others like me to witness.

the city is probably best known for the vinta, a traditional boat which has a sail with assorted vertical colors that represents the colorful history and culture of the Muslim community.

though i was a week late for their Fiesta Pilar where they showcase vinta races, i got a personal glimpse of these wonderful sails. they're actually all over the place. by the beach, inside a museum (where picture taking is prohibited tsk tigas talaga ng ulo), at the museum entrance and even at street lamp posts.


food, food, food! :P @ the mano a mano restaurant; @ the butterfly farm; Zambo dusk somewhere a mountaintop overlooking the city

devotees @ Fort Pilar; with the Quintinios; me :)


Chavacano is the dominant dialect which resounds, and adapted, much like the Spanish language. Bisaya and Muslim vernaculars are also spoken in certain communities. and did you know that this city was once regarded as the world's largest area-wise? interesting huh :)

some Chavacano words i learned:
sabroso - (tagalog) masarap - (english) delicious - hehe anything about food comes first :)
gracias - (tag) salamat - (eng) thank you - you gotta learn how to be polite or else hehe :P
kwidaw - (tag) walang anuman - (eng) you're welcome
ta ama iyo contigo - (tag) mahal kita - (eng) - i love you
ta ama tamen iyo - (tag) mahal din kita - (eng) - i love you too
adelante - (tag) sulong - (eng.) forward - adelante Zamboanga! :)
mareng - (tag) bakla, bading - (eng.) gay - haha and mind you there are lots of them there :P

Zamboanga City is situated at the southern tip of the Zamboanga peninsula so it's geographically near Basilan island, which became infamous for being the Abu Sayaff terrorists' base camp. i promised the newly weds as a gift that i'll do them a free photo shoot in the Great Santa Cruz island, known to locals as the "pink island", a 20-minute motor boat ride from the city. pag nasa malayo ka eh medyo pink talaga ang kulay ng buhangin. but that's not the thrill yet. since it's probably just an hour boat ride to Basilan the proximity is considered risky particularly for foreign and local tourists like myself. yung Dos Palmas nga sa Palawan nangidnap yung mga terorista eh malayo na yun, eto pa kayang malapit hehe. i love my dear life so off we still went :P lalo nga lang akong kinabahan nung kailangang magpa-register sa Department of Tourism and a soldier from the Philippine Marines has to accompany us during our trip, stay with us on the island, up until we get back to Zambo. first time kong ma-experience na in-escort-an ng sundalo habang nagre-relax sa isang isla. they also have a small (PM) detachment and some CAFGUs (Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit) who patrol the island. every now and then we heard military planes hovering. na-tense ako lalo haha. even so we still had a great time despite the jittery feelings. the pictures bear witness.


aahhh. a guerdon for a month-long stress from work.

other pics...

8 tourists, 1 Marine soldier and a boat; pristine waters of Sta. Cruz island; ritual for first timers :)


jump shots with the group. the sun was perfect for a photo shoot!


op kors op kors. ehem hehe :P

to the Quintinios, thank you very much for the warm hospitality. i never felt even once during my stay that i wasn't welcomed. you treated me like i was your own family. muchos gracias.. isang comment lang, ang gagaling kumanta ng angkan niyo. malamang nung nagsabog ang diyos ng talento sa pagkanta gising kayo lahat kaya nabiyayaan kayo. natitiyak ko, tulog ako nun! :)




to Jon and Seng, congratulations. may your union be until your last breaths. continually love each other and may God be the center of your relationship. hold on to each other's hand in all circumstances so that your bond will tighten as you go on with life together. at salamat sa pag-imbita.

as for me, i continue to be a gypsy. next destination: Davao and Cagayan de Oro..

pops!

wanna give a shout out to my tatay who's turning 70 years old tomorrow. you're the best! happy birthday. mahal kita itay!

... o cge, balik biyahe ulit.

short stop

my 2nd day in zambo. deprived of sleep but still enjoying. safely enjoying that is :) my good friend's wedding is today so expecting another hectic day. will be in Davao the day after tomorrow then CDO the next.. just stole some time. ok, have to go.

hiatus

i'll be somewhere in Cebu, Zamboanga City, Davao and Cagayan de Oro starting tomorrow. i have to do a prenup photoshoot for a good friend, be at his wedding the following day, visit some friends, kindle anew my love for my birth land, bank on some adventures, relax, go off-line for some time and deviate from my usual routine. i hope to be traveling safe and sound. and to be back alive (the last time i went to Mindanao i figured in an NDE, i hope not this time though). follow me thru my location tracker at the right side of this page. be back in Manila next week..

will to win

red

i believe every Filipino (who cares to be one, that is) is swelling with national pride as Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao pounded out a convincing 12-round unanimous decision win over "The Baby Face Assassin" Marco Antonio Barrera just hours ago. in the usual manner, our kababayans preferred to stay home and watch the highly anticipated bout. for those who had extra moolah, P600 for pay-per-view coverage on SM cinemas or watching over some bottles of beer, food and laughter at sports bar was sulit. others congregated on basketball gyms or halls wherein a wide silver screen is setup by their local governments. ako, i preferred watching it with some of my officemates. kahit sa TV lang basta sama sama at may pagkain pwede na hehe.. as fiery red as the Team Pacquiao's new jacket (mainly sponsored by Nike) was was both boxers' goals of proving their point on top of the ring. Manny rides with the pride of the Filipinos all throughout the world while Barrera was on for personal vendetta and vow of putting up an entirely different stand from their first encounter years ago. considering this was his last fight of a glorious 17-year ring career, i think his game plan all along was primarily to not win but to not be KO'd, thus keeping his pride intact..

after being pummeled by Pacman's flurry combination and was almost knocked down on the 11th round, Barrera threw a cheat shop that caught Manny right on the jaw which sent our hero reeling on the ropes. referee Tony Weeks called a brief timeout and deducts a point from the Mexican. i think he did that (gamble a point) to take a breather himself. otherwise he could have suffered the same fate as that of Erik Morales in the hands of our pambansang kamao: devastation.

and when the war between heroes of their respective countries was over, two of the judges scored it an identical 118-109 while the third judge had it at 115-112, all unanimously for Pacquiao.

side notes: another pinoy pug, Michael Farinas, staged a KO win over his Mexican opponent in the 2nd round. i hope he'll be given the same attention as Manny when he comes back.. zero crime rate in Metro Manila and even on some provinces. true. that is during the Pacquiao-Barrera fight time.. as gentleman as he is, Manny, during the post-fight press conference acknowledged his opponent as "still a good fighter." he even went on to raising Barrera's hands in the air and bonded with his family, acts of a true sportsman.. i think Kyla sang our national anthem very well. natawa pa ako dun sa isang na-interview kung anong masasabi niya sa pagkakakanta ni Kyla, he said "magaling. kumpleto." haha :D .. yung interview kay Manny magaling din. walang interpreter. diretsong ingles. when asked if he was hurt he said, "not really hurt." ayus!! iba ka talaga Manny, iba ka! hehehe :D


green

from suspension to being champions: De La Salle Green Archers won over University of the East Red Warriors to bag the 70th UAAP men's basketball championship. 73-64. what a comeback. that's will to win. sweet! congratulations.

crying

it's exactly 3:13 Monday morning, Manila time. but no, i am not crying as the title suggests. just writing. i'm trying to sleep but i guess the sugar boost from that Red Ribbon cake forbids me to. anyway..

i heard speeches and read articles in the past pointing out that Filipinos are characteristically emotional. more profoundly, that is, mababaw daw ang kaligayahan natin at sa kabilang banda mababaw din ang luha. and this i believed. for the former i admit i am included in its statistics. i delight in very simple things. i find joy in elementary matters. i exhibit childlike credulity even. but i'd like to tackle on about the latter. crying.

about 12 hours ago was the tip-off for the deciding game between the country's college hoops bitter rivals Ateneo and La Salle to decide which team moves to the finals of the 70th UAAP basketball tournament. if this were a boxing match, it will be the 12th and final round (siyempre wala naman kasing overtime sa boksing eh) that is why i wasn't surprised that a sellout crown of over 23,000 flocked the Araneta Coliseum (that is a gate-attendance record i believe). and as expected it was a slugfest from the opening buzzer until the final minutes. La Salle lead most of the way, thanks to their ever reliable guards JV Casio, TY Tang and Cholo Villanueva plus forward Rico Maierhofer. Ateneo on the other hand launched rallies in between behind their big men Nonoy Baclao and Ford Arao, and shooting guard Chris Tiu. the Taft-based Archers detonated timely bombs and doused cold water on their rivals everytime the Katipunan-based Eagles are on fire rallying for a comeback. after the war smoke settled in, the last men standing were those with green banners which drew cheers, standing ovation and applause from those in the arena. the Green Archers are pronounced victors and is advancing to the Finals this coming week against University of the East Warriors. they deserved it. congratulations!

but i'm not to talk more of that game. it hurts, besides the fact that it meant P200-less from my wallet hehe.

right after every game of this relevance i have always observed how these teams absorb the aftermath. on one side you see the jubilation and cheers amongst the victors. the high and low "5s", the "triumphant hugs" (there is another type. later..), the jubilant screams, the "no. 1" or "V" (for victory) hand signals, and the pride that overwhelms them while singing their alma mater's anthem. on the other hand is a scene of how an unsuccessful squad absorbs the loss. long faces, despair, disappointment for a failed attempt, the "comforting hugs" from fellow 'losers' (no pun intended), and crying. a lot of crying. and i'm referring to the men who are known to be physical juggernauts on court. yes, they do cry. we do cry.

while the cameras were there to catch these players' (and yes again, they're men) break down, i was sent into flashbacks via my own episodes of this process of crying, which according to WordWeb is (noun, 1. the process of shedding tears usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds). not that there are too many of them in my life. i can only recall a few excluding those inflicted by pain like pinalo ka ng sinturon ng tatay mo hanggang sa mahati ang sinturon sa tatlo OR hinataw ka ng kaserola sa ulo ng nanay mo OR nahiwa ang kamay mo ng kutsilyo dahil na rin sa katangahan mo OR dahil sa black eye mo dahil nag away kayo ng kuya mo at nasapak ka niya OR nabangga ka ng motorsiklo dahil ulit sa katangahan. well i would be surprised if you tell me na hindi ka umiyak nung bata ka sa ganyang mga kadahilanan. and those i mentioned are personal experiences mind you. if you're reading my previous entries you'd argue, "eh 3 posts earlier lang sabi mo umiyak ka." i object your argument. that is just shedding two or three tears, and was not accompanied by inarticulate sounds hehe. so it's not counted :P

my most memorable emotional breakdown (besides nung tinuli ako) was when i was told that i won't graduate of high school because together with my mga napakabait na mga barkada had one of our senior teachers break down into crying herself. i don't recall exactly what we did but as badly behaved juveniles it was, i would bet, something of great magnitude hehe. and its effect on me was also of that nature. it meant being booted out of the scholarship program i'm in, being a laughingstock at school, revelation to my parents of who i really am (how bad i had become) at school, and palo na naman sa magulang. isang sinturon na naman ang mahahati sa tatlo :) it was as if my heart immediately dropped into my colon. i spent almost half an hour in a bathroom stall to regroup and pull myself together. frankly, i had grown accustomed to working hard and achieving what i want so failing like this, compounded by the cheapness of how it came about, is plainly unacceptable. crushing albeit stupid to put it bluntly. and so i cried.. and there are other similar few (emphasis: few) crying experiences i ought to not reveal.

i need not be part of a school's basketball team that competed in UAAP (except inter-college department) to understand these bawls. i had my share. it is human nature so i am not ashamed. and witnessing earlier the Ateneo Blue Eagles' inability to control their inner infant, i wasn't ashamed for them. i wasn't ashamed because the big men cried like a sixth-grade girl who's been told that she will have to wait another year to get her ears pierced. in fact, i am proud of them crying. because it showed that they cared enough to cry.

that exemplifies the school spirit. which i suppose is why people, like me, like college basketball. they are focused only on one thing. they only cared about winning that game. even those who have already graduated twenty, thirty or even fifty plus years ago from their respective schools still exude that spirit. every season. on and on until one team is left. a winner. a conqueror.

ONE BIG FIGHT!

o pa'no, UE versus La Salle sa finals. UE ako, P200 ulit ;P anyone?

mayabang ako

ipagyayabang ko na ako ay Pilipino. kahit kailan. kahit saan..



i got one finally. woven by a kid from Aplaya. product number: 11852

card reads:

Ang abaka ay isa sa pinaka-matibay na katutubong hibla. Ang munting abaka ay isa sa pangunahing industriya ng Pilipinas kasama ng asukal at tabako. Tulad ng katangian ng abaka, ang Pilipino ay malakas at matatag.

Sa paggamit ng abakang ito, tayo ay nagkakaisa sa pagpapahiwatig na tayo ay Pilipino. Tulungan po natin ang ating bayan sa pamamagitan ng pagtangkilik ng mga sariling atin. Sino pa ang tutulong sa Pilipino kung hindi Pilipino rin!

just got home. tired. got a glimpse of Wowowee and i must say, Valerie Concepcion is one hot lady *wink* :D

ok, gotta sleep now..

nothing much to do today so i'm editing some portions of my blog. added some then took some.. i'd still stick with black, which exemplifies my personality. mysterious (unpredictable maybe?). deep. simple. silent. classic.. i plan to add more pictures, esp when i run out of words, and edit the sidebars from time to time..

so please feel free to read and see through me. violent reactions are welcome.

random thoughts

- 97 days na lang pala before Christmas. are you feeling it already? so far i don't. hot weather, toxicity from work, lack of sleep,

- now, time for some kindergarten song. children, altogether now..

"A-B-ZTE-FG..." don't worry i'm not suffering from Alzheimer's disease or memory loss. it's actually the title of Senator Ping Lacson's article in this morning's paper which i found interesting. he talked about Joey DeVencia testimony at the blue ribbon committee hearing yesterday. names have been dropped. meetings have been revealed. special menu for the day: First Gentleman Mike Arroyo being that "mystery man" who threatened Joey to back off from the ZTE national broadband deal. haha sabit na naman si mang Mike! :D ayun at sumibat papuntang Europe nung Tuesday.. tsk tsk i wonder who's next..

"... now-i-know-my-Z-T-E. this-will-bring-down-G-M-A!"

- sports: San Beda Red Lions won NCAA's Finals game 1 against San Juan de Letran Knights. bawi na lang Arriba sa susunod na game :)

sa UAAP, well Ateneo has to beat UST on Sunday then beat LaSalle twice to meet up with UE at the Finals. daunting task ahead huh? ganon eh. nagpatalo kasi ng 1 point arrgggh!

Russia humiliated powerhouse Spain by 1 point at the Euro basketball finals. ayus! Jon Robert Holden, that American guy playing for Russia's national team, stripped Pau Gasol of the ball and buried a jumpshot at the other end of the court. Gasol's attempt with 2 seconds left rimmed off. so ayun. talo ang Spain sa harap ng mga kababayan nila.. Holden versus Jason Kidd sa 2008 Olympics? pwede! :)

- etceteras: Ara Mina will sing our national anthem at Pacquiao's fight against Barrera?? whaatt?!? are you guys kidding me?! round girl pwede pa siguro but to sing, duh? come on let's be honest here. sige na nga may album ka but i don't think that qualifies you to perform at such stage. kung ako sayo, ako na mismo ang mahihiya at mag back out.. hell, who chose you in the first place btw?

okay, back to work..

si shaider, fuuma le-ar, ang time space warp, vavilos at ang panty ni annie

i'm bored so pardon this non-sense article (or is it?) pati na rin yung title. no gimmick on saturday night so i decided to go home and just watch TV or one from my archived downloaded movies. while chunking on some Yellow Cab pizza, i turned on the boob tube to browse local channels when i chanced upon channel 7's trailer for their newly-created (but adapted) series entitled "Zaido Pulis Pangkalawakan" featuring Dennis Trillo and two other guys. it's the modernized adaptation of my once favorite Shaider series by Japanese Toei productions. i fondly remember as a kid that whatever i was doing it suddenly comes to a stop pag oras na ng palabas. channel 2 pa ata nun kung di ako nagkakamali. kumbaga, Shaider muna then everything else comes after. naalala ko may TV set na kami nun bili ng ate ko sa Quiapo hehe, black and white with that matching transparent "blue screen" na pantakip sa TV screen, pangharang daw ng radiation.

hindi maipagkakaila na karamihan ng mga kabataang tulad ko na namulat sa panahon ng 80's ay minsang na-adik sa palabas na ito. kung babae ka, malamang crush mo si Alexis (ang bidang lalaki) na isang archaeologist na naging pulis pangkalawakan. kung lalaki ka naman, aba eh ano pa nga bang inaabangan mo kundi ang pagtalon ni Annie para masilayan mo yung panty niya hahaha :D talagang tutok sa TV eh tsk tsk hehe..

(photo grabbed from Wikipedia)

buti na lang may youtube. eto i-click mo at balikan ang nakaraan... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LSq15lACVs

siyempre may iba pa namang mga karakter na nagpakulay sa pakikipaglaban ng ating mga bida. sa kabilang banda sinong makakalimot kay Fuuma Le-ar, yung panginoon ng mga kalaban. siya yung malaking ulo sa pader na may parang pula sa noo (ewan ko kung third eye niya yun o bukol lang). si Babaylan Ida, naalala niyo? siya yung babaeng nakaputi na may linyang, "Time Space Warp... ngayon din!" yan na marahil ang pinakasikat na linya sa buong serye na hanggang nayon eh alam na alam mo kung paano eksaktong sabihin :) eh si Drigo? yung lalaking kalaban na nakaitim at may itim din na lipstick hehe. kumbaga, field operative siya ni Fuuma.. yung mga gamit nila sa pakikipaglaban. ang Vavilos na robot ni Shaider. BlueHawk, yung kanyang motorsiklo.

then it came to me, where are they now? not the characters they're portraying but the real people themselves. much to my surprise are these appalling facts i discovered with mr. google's assistance..

Hiroshi Tsuburaya (Alexis) died of liver cancer at the age of 40 on July 24, 2004. how an abrupt sad ending.. Naomi Morinaga (Annie) became a J-porn actress. now she's showing more than her underwear tsk tsk.. did you know that Babaylan Ida in real life is a real transvestite? putik, kaya pala ang lalim ng boses niya pag sinasabi niya yung "Time Space Warp.. ngayon din!" akala ko babaeng malalim lang ang boses haha. at tama ba ang narinig kong si Paolo Ballesteros daw ang gaganap ng papel niya sa bagong series? hehe parang sakto ah ;P
their portrayal somehow convinced me as a kid that they're almost supernatural beings. only to be brought back to reality that they indeed are humans after all. aren't we all? oh well..

ang hindi ko maalala, nagkatuluyan nga ba sina Alexis at Annie? kayo, natatandaan niyo pa ba?

para sa mga inglesero, o eto i-click niyo... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uchuu_Keiji_Shaider

all together now.. UM-ZHIGI-ZHIGI-WAKA-ZHIGI-UUUWAA! :D

guilty

and so the verdict was handed down. i was expecting no less than a guilty charge for both of Erap's cases. well, with some sort of tweak by the hand of fill-in-the-blank (nature/someone/some groups/something(?)), Erap was found guilty only in relation with his plunder case but is not guilty on that other case of perjury. unfortunately Jinggoy and that other guy, Serapio, were acquitted. politically motivated or not the verdict is, "what you reap is what you sow" ika nga.

good thing his supporters did not cause harm today, and i hope they stop from now on. it doesn't do us any good, much less to our economy. okay, sa imahe na rin nating mga pinoy. it's a normal thing to upstage your ideas and thoughts but it's different when you cause harm and chaos in the process of insisting to convey those ideas. tsaka tama na naman, pagod na rin ang taumbayan. didn't you notice most people just went on with their normal daily routines. i'm sure most of us were glued in to our boob tubes to witness the promulgation but after that, tuloy ulit ang buhay. ganon lang naman. you win some then you lose some..

personally, i think the government should give our former president the pardon. come on, he's over 70 years old. let him enjoy his remaining years. BUT, but with the condition that he returns to the government what he allegedly, or now guiltily, took from it during his term. the money he got with the use of his power and authority. i'm pertaining to that commission from Bell Corp, jueteng payola, among others. and then let's all live peacefully. as one nation..

oopps but before that fantasy, sana ma-convict din ang mga Marcoses, si FVR, the Arroyo's, pati si Chavit Singson, Jocjoc Bolante, isama na natin si Abalos, lahat ng mga tax evaders, at lahat ng mga politikong dumambong at patuloy na nandarambong sa kaban ng bayan. usigin sana kayo ng mga kunsensya niyo! yun eh kung may natitira pa..

and to all of Erap's friends (esp those movie personalities na napanood ko sa balita kagabi) please naman. don't rant on TV that your friend is innocent. he was given a trial, everything went thru the due process of the law, the defense' side was heard and so is the prosecution's, which lead to this verdict (which btw i really hope is based on the merits presented by each side). so at the end of the day and you find your friend on the wrong end of the deal, don't try to vindicate him by insisting your views on national telecast which are merely based on your personal knowledge of the accused if not, just friendship. be mature guys! respect the law. in any case, a motion for reconsideration is still to be filed within 15 days. if at all rejected then an appeal would still be filed to the Supreme Court.. the most sensible and mature comment i heard was that of Boots Anson Roa, on which she said that, "that's the law. we have to respect it. but on the level of my family's relationship with the Estradas, nothing has changed.." not her exact words but something to that context. o di ba, mas fair?

a deposed president sentenced to reclusion perpetua due to our politics' cancer: corruption.. now that's a good one. i hope many more will be tried and convicted. abangan ang mga susunod na kabanata..

great escape

[update]
- i'll try to upload other pics later. time for some sleep

[updates]
- uploaded the "behind the scenes". still working on the others.
- panalo Ateneo ng 2 points! wuhoo ;P one big fight!

[updates]
- uploaded the bohol pics
- my skin (shoulder and back) are peeling off from the sunburn ;P

[final update]
done!

it's 3 in the morning. reminds me of Matchbox 20's song..

the past few weeks offered more than a few topics to blog about. sa showbiz pa lang madami na: the alleged Wowowie scandal which resulted to a (yet again) Joey De Leon vs. Willie Revillame word war. sorry Willie but i'm so PRO-Vic-and-Joey eh :D hindi naman dahil sa mas malinis si Joey sayo Willie but he's at least wiser. who's apologizing now? man don't let yourself look good by making other people look bad.. si Camille Prats daw dyontis?! well at least according to a Chikka Minute report.. si Pokwang napagkamalang si Lucy Liu daw nung nasa Hong Kong. huuwaaatt?? in fairness medyo hawig huh haha.. sa ibang paksa, who'd forget about Malu Fernandez' insensitive article in a magazine which fueled so much hatred amongst our OFW kababayans. di na ko mag-comment. she doesn't deserve to have a space here in my blog anyway.. Cris Mendez, that graduating UP student who allegedly died of hazing rites.. hmm ano pa ba? in sports. Team USA's championship. KB24 coming to Manila. 2nd round matchup of Ateneo and LaSalle tomorrow este mamaya na pala hehe.. actually i don't have to look farther to have something to blog about. i can just tinker with my heart and write about so much stuff. but i'd like to pass on to that. to have an escape from the norm is better. something that is great in essence. thus the title.

for like many people, i live in a mass of humanity in a city. that corresponds to higher paying jobs (compared to rural areas of course), more opportunities, bigger and better movie theaters, faster internet connection, 24-hour shops/food stalls, closer to being so-and-so "hi-tech", among others. but city-living somehow requires you to trade off other essential things: better and longer sleep, more quality time with loved ones, quiet living, affinity with mother nature (ahh fresh air!), and allow me to mention, peace of mind. so to escape, i seek the opposite: a place where there are only few people and away from the stressful city life.

last weekend i found myself, together with some folks from work, just in the right place (Bantayan island in Cebu) at the right time (low season). except for a minor freak accident on the road, i guess the back-breaking almost four-hour bus ride from Mandaue city to Hagnaya port and an hour ferry ride to the island just added more crave to our already excited selves. whoever said that Bantayan island is "Boracay 20 years ago" is indeed a keen observer. pristine white sand, clear waters, clean and green, less commercialized, ahh the preserved tranquility. with just the right amount of sunlight and lots of time on our hands we let our sun-starved bodies enjoy every moment. the downside of working on graveyard shift? you're deprived of the sun! :) except for a handful of foreign and local tourists (my count stopped at 11) the beach was all ours, and that's the best part of it! eating was a slow affair, in an empty restaurant overlooking the beach. saan ka pa? it rained during our breakfast but that's fine. it is during this rainy season that locals hunker indoors and foreigners stay away making it ideal for an escape. we could laugh and talk freely while marveling nature's beauty or even stay up late worrying about nothing. or maybe how to get tanned evenly. that previous statement was merely intended for the girls i'd suppose, right boys? yeah right!! :P

and so there was i. been a while that i had this time to just relax and free my mind of so much thinking. i was engrossed in the moods of the sea and the sky i just sat in the terrace of our beach front room, sometimes standing by the shoreline with bare feet in the sand staring aimlessly on the horizon. ahh, de-stressing. and unknowingly someone took my picture during the bliss (see below pic).

vacations like these rouse the amateur photographer kuno in me but since i stupidly did not prepare my camera gears i was left with no other choice but to not bring Iya along. how can it function without batteries? stupid esse!? so i gladly volunteered to be the group's photographer at most times. that explains why there's not much with me on it. mind you, to 'gladly' volunteer is fundamentally difficult since i'm a Canon user and i had to use Nikon digital SLRs. don't get me wrong guys, those gadgets are a beauty but tsk tsk those complicated menus and controls, whew! haha :P *showing the peace sign* but i hate to admit, that experience left me now with just one barrier to finally buy one from the dark side hehe. you guessed it right, moola :D i am now a believer. but that's another blog story..

i'm out for words, i'll just let the pictures speak for themselves. besides choosing a few from a quite a number and creating a mosaic takes much time and an hour has passed since my first sentence..


L-R, by columns (credits go to Sherwin, Manny, Kakai, AJ and temyong for the pics):
1. the group, hereon refered to as "THEM"; 2. @ Mactan airport; 3. ferry to Bantayan; 4. breakfast
5. breakfast @ Tiffany's?; 6. sand writing by Kakai; 7. flags; 8. the girls
9. THEM @ Bantayan ; 10. breakfast table; 11. shoreline; 12. cottage
13. beach walk 14. girls, sandbar (background); 15. the girls again; 16. who else?

on our 3rd day we banked on a side trip to Bohol. again i volunteered to be the group's photographer, tour guide (my 4th time in this wonderful place) and spur. pictures will show you the group had a great time..

L-R, by columns (credits go to Sherwin, Manny, and temyong for the pics):
1. THEM, off to Bohol; 2. THEM @ Tagbilaran port; 3. THEM @ the blood compact site; 4. "itaas mo!"
5. "greenhills"; 6. THEM @ chocolate hills; 7. the girls; 8. setup shot
9. higante sa burol; 10. for the sake of a good photograph :) 11. jump shot; 12. AJ
13. come fly with me; 14. double float; 15. landing; 16. THEM @ the hanging bridge
17. hands off; 18. buffet @ Loboc river cruise; 19. Loboc river; 20. THEM during the cruise
21. tarsiers; 22. Manny with Prony the python; 23. eagle (sayang hindi blue hehe); 24. Panglao island

some behind the scenes and legit stolen shots..

L-R, by columns (credits go to Sherwin, Manny, AJ and temyong for the pics):
1. @ Bantayan; 2. the Spaniards trying out Greenwich's Tropicool; 3. @ Bohol; 4. setup shot; 5. @ Bantayan
6. mini pictorial; 7. jump shot; 8. stolen; 9. @ Loboc river; 10. akala ko lang naman. cge na mali na ko :P

three reasons why i do things like these: one, my stress level has reached its peak; two, just to satisfy that need to get away; OR i am terribly sad. i guess a little of everything had its share as to why i escaped..

at the end of our four-day vacation i think everybody enjoyed and really had a great time. planning this trip months back with goals of us being and doing things together beyond our toxic working schedule and of course to bond with each other. i personally felt those goals were met. it's a great feeling to be a part of other people's joy, di ba? once you see them happy it uplifts your spirit..

as for me, still blue..

needing a break to free my mind..

when it comes down to having the choice of being right or protecting you, i'll be wrong every single time..

sigh. things hasn't been well lately. i rarely go to office to report for work. you know, just stay at home, stay online the entire day, sleep, check out online forums, eat, listen to music, play some hoops, sleep again, then wake up at the thought of trying to get out of confusion for things i'd do next. it's gray. really really gray..

anyway, as of this writing, i'm coming up with a complaint letter addressed to PLDT folks (copying DTI representatives) about my DSL connection. (got a tip from an online forum who to address the email to so it gets noticed!) it's just sooo slow you can sit and watch your nails grow while waiting for sites to completely load. i just want my money's worth you bloodsucking corporate rats! mahirap manood ng FIBA Americas championship online at this very slow rate huh! kaya all you folks out there, be ready!

tsk tsk haay buhay. things that get you mad..

letting out

ever had that feeling when you just wanna get away and scream your lungs out because of frustrations? or grab anything beside you and throw it up onto the wall? or punch someone who gets in your way and break his nose? or better yet lock yourself up in the room and cry like a baby? well i did not do any of them, the last one much less. i'm supposed to be tough.. instead, i got myself a gun, a 9mm pistol that is, loaded it with bullets, poked it into my head and shattered my brains out?? not yet or else this would never have been written. i went into an indoor shooting range and got myself a hundred rounds, just enough (when not using ear plugs) to impair my hearing, pound my chest and hopefully numb my heart and mind of any thought that might dare bother me.. when i walked into the room leading to the range, i heard shots and boy i admit was i scared. i never heard gunshots in years, maybe seven. after about 10 shots my heartbeat was normal again. from then on everything went from being a thriller to uhmm normal..


focus.. my grip evidently shows how frustrated i am.. video is on my celphone..


after a hundred rounds and pesos, i was left with a bullet-riddled target (which btw i posted in my cabinet door), adrenalin still pumped into my system, frustrations flushed out but then in no time i was back to reality..

upon leaving the shooting range, i thought to myself that indeed when holding or possessing a firearm one is not only to possess a good marksmanship skills. firstly you should be on your right mind (i failed), be proficient (i failed) and requires so much discipline (i badly failed). at one point i did fire 6 bullets rapidly because i felt i was "into the groove." and it's bad. dangerous to bluntly describe it. no wonder copious gun-related accidents occur even on a simple traffic altercation sadly because of lack of discipline on the gun owner's part.. and so i left with my sanity back to its place, at least for the moment. i roamed the mall afterwards and ate at greenbelt 3. who knows next time you'll see me shooting with a rifle? not at anybody but at outdoor shooting ranges. greater frustrations on the way??

that walk going home..

..i miss that. i'll see you next month.

just lucky to be alive today..

last entry (.?)

i'll be setting out today to meet up with God so i should be gone in a few days. no mails or internet. no connection. i need to talk to Him, wanting to consult some things... i hope to be back. alive if He allows it. else, you guessed it right, this might turn out to be my last entry..

post scriptum:
everything i did and had been doing, all that i said and uttered, they came nowhere else but from my heart.

did you

would you say everything you could
do the things that you thought you would
did it ever occur to you that this could be your final day
did you go where you wanted to go
learn about what you wanted to know
did you ever really give something back instead of always taking it

did you find what you're looking for
did you get your foot in the door
can you look at yourself and feel proud of all the things you've done
did you inspire the ones that you knew
make a difference to those who knew you
did you finally figure out what it is that makes us who we are today

don't waste another day
you never know when you'll get one
don't waste another day
to do anything you haven't done

did you always give it your best
is there anything you regret
if you could have another shot at it all would you do it just the same
was it all that you thought it could be
are you the person you thought you would be
or did it feel like you were spinning your wheels instead of moving forward everyday

don't waste another day
you never know when you'll get one
don't waste another day
to do anything you haven't done

frustrating

nothing is more frustrating to cap April than the Dallas Mavericks faulting out of their first round series with the Golden State Warriors. i mean it's already 3-1 and game 5 is a few hours from now. being a Maverick fan, i am not even sure if i'd watch the game later. give credit to the Warriors man, they're playing inspired basketball. they're playing their hearts out, considering being the severe underdogs. and Dirk's not being a leader. it's just frustrating to hear him talking about how the opponents has taken him out of his game. he's likely to be the league's MVP this year and he's not living up to it. come on, you need to stop sounding like a beaten man and start to be a leader at this crucial moment! now im having second thoughts if i'd don your jersey if i play some hoops..

farewell Julia Campbell. thank you.

i just can't let the day pass by without expressing my disgust over the news that Julia Campbell, the US Peace Corps Volunteer from New York, who was reported missing last week was found dead on a shallow grave in the mountains of Banaue. according to the news, she was last seen hiking alone on April 8 near Batad, which approximately is 1.5 kilometers east of Banaue town. being no stranger to adventurous exploits, though it might not have been the smartest move (exposing herself to imminent danger), you can't blame her for trusting us, the same people whom she learned to appreciate and love and dedicated her last two years of life upon, to not hurt her. the same people, from our own race, whom she started serving almost two years ago in expense of her American life. if it was really our kababayan's who did it, it'd be really sickening in the strongest possible terms. sadly, the evil is so rampant in our world today :(

see, this woman gave up her life for the sake of helping others, who apparently were us, Filipinos. when i heard in the news about her disappearance, i started to research about her volunteering and i was blown away by this woman's heart (you can read her personal blog here: juliainthephilippines). but hearing that tragic incident that ended her life, oh man was i disgusted. should there be people who needs to be grateful, it definitely should have been us. and what, pay her back with this? she's the perfect epitome of "giving and not expecting in return" as she contributed and had nothing to expect in return. a perfect stranger who helped this nation become a better country in her own ways. not unlike these damned and crooked politicians, who can't even lift a finger to help others unless there is media around to show off their fake deeds. sorry, i'm gonna puke..

she was weeks short of finishing her two-year commitment of volunteer work (teaching English at public schools in Sorsogon and Albay) and head back to New York this June. what i loved about her is that she willingly embraced our culture and can even speak Tagalog fluently, as her blog suggests. but her life abruptly came to its end. words are not enough to express what i feel about the incident..

i am very sorry for your loss Julia. you have touched lives of many of my fellow countrymen. though i wasn't one of them, i felt your love towards my people through your deeds. may you rest in peace..

virginia tech campus tragedy

they saw their bloodied classmates gasping for air. whose bodies were ripped through with bullets from the shooter's gun. some died in their own arms. they saw the flash of the shooter's stare. they were lucky a bullet didn't struck them either out of misfire or just because the shooter passed them by. they are the survivors...

for the past couple of days, i've hooked myself on Fox News while at work keeping myself abreast with the campus massacre that happened yesterday, April 16, at Virginia Polytechnic University, which turned out to be the worst school shooting in the history of the US. sadly, one of their own, a 23-yeard old senior English major student (of South Korean decent) rammed in through classrooms and began shooting fellow students and professors. at the end of it all, 33 were dead and scores were wounded.. makes me wonder how was he able to carry out this bloody carnage in his own campus. how troubled was he inside? what lead him to do this? could the murders have been prevented? and perhaps the biggest question which may not be answered for years, is WHY..

i know you guys would agree that these acts of killing innocent people, children and adults alike, are unacceptable and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms..

my heart goes out to the victims, to their families, to their entire community. may they find stength and resilience from the loving God, their loved ones, their families and those who offer their support. i am not in any way related to these people but somehow i felt their pain. i share their sorrow.. not much really i could say but cite a passage from the bible which says "let us repay evil with good." a moment of silence for them...

he says. she says.

she says: all of a sudden he became silent. cold. he hardly speaks to anyone. he seeks attention, which he does always, but fairly enough time seems not enough at all. i don't know how to speak to him much less start a conversation. he goes to bed without that good night kiss. the laughters that echo the room, gone. that captivating stare he throws at you during a romantic dinner, absent. the heat of the night has vanished.. what happened to my dear? where art thou, my beloved?

he says: i lost in a sports tournament...

white rabbit

it just happens. things you never expect. you wake up one day and everything seems different. it's just inevitable. things you never have control over..

family time

i stole some time from work to write this...

just to be able to get out of town is quite an accomplishment for me the past 2 years. that's the disadvantage of having to work during nighttime and follow US holidays rather than ours. so last holy week, you guessed it right, i was working. but last weekend, my kapatids and i were able to go out for a bit and enjoy the company of each other, along with some of our cousins from Mindanao. we went to Laguna and Tagaytay.

**the last time i remember spending holy week on the road was 2004 when my friends and i went northward (from Manila to Nueva Ecija, to La Union, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur to Ilocos Norte, until Pagudpud then head back) with only "Lonely Planet" in hand, a van to ride on during the roadtrip, enthusiasm and excitement to fuel us, and cameras to preserve memories. really good ones. now, it's all but memories *sniff*

my kuya boyong and i had a great time together catching up. he now lives in the US together with my other siblings and si erpats. i'm glad the family shares a special bond now, though the price to pay was (i believe) nanay's life *sniff*

here are some of the pics on the latter part of the day, our trip to Tagaytay:

lunchtime, salo-salo together. (l to r) temyong,
boyong, Vivian, (Jeffrey's wife, i forgot her name), their daughter (being breastfed), Brian, Jeffrey, tetet, Samuel, Johnny






let's pause for a while.. allow me to take you back 23 years before. look at how stiff we were back then haha. that's me and kuya boyong taken @ Cebu (circa 1984)











look at us now, notice how gay we have become?
oh my goodness, hindi dapat makita ni erpats toh haha kundi ipapakain niya kami sa pating (as he had always warned us when we were kids pag naging bakla daw kami wahahaha)






happy faces :D good times!!!
mga contestant ng that's my boy at little miss philippines ;p.






matatandang bumalik sa kanilang pagkabata *bow*









(l to r) temyong, Samuel, boyong, tetet. apat pa lang sa anim yan.









boyong with our nephew, Brian
















it's a sin, a mortal one, to leave Tagaytay/Laguna area without bringing home some sweets for your loved ones (buko pie, pastillas, espasol, pulvoron, sweet tamarind, etc). where else but from Collette's. napakadami nilang stores you don't have to worry because you wouldn't be driving another 5 minutes before you see another one along the highway :)





we capped off our trip by having a sumptous dinner @ LZM restaurant, they serve the best lutong bahay in town. i should know. don't ask why though.

though Tagaytay reminds me of someone dear from the past (esp when i see those Korean kids roaming around), i opted not to be emotional and rather enjoy the time with my family and relatives. these moments and the people i was with are the two main reasons why i still do what i do and keep on doing it.


aba siyempre dapat meh picture ako, at ako lang mag isa. hindi lang dahil sarili kong blog toh kundi wala lang akong pakner dito ;p.

pagnilay nilayan natin (part 2)

eto mga kaibigan, due to insistent public demand, eh inilista ko pa ang iba kong mga katanungan. marapat na simulan ko ulit patungkol sa aking sarili :)

24. bakit lahat ng pangalan ng mga kapatid ko eh Americanized samantalang ang sa akin ay.. uhmm.. kakaiba? at kung alam niyo, bakit kayo natatawa??

25. nung nasa elementarya pa lamang ako, bakit ang pisara ay tinatawag na blackboard samantalang ang tunay na kulay nito ay berde?

26. kailangan bang kape lamang ang dapat inumin kapag nag-coffeebreak? hindi pwedeng softdrinks o juice? (narinig ko lang yan sa dati kong kaklase nung high school).

27. bakit ang mga building hindi naglalagay ng 13th floor? samantalang alam naman nating lahat na ang 14th floor nila eh pang labintatlo talaga yun. pinaglololoko lang ba nila ang mga sarili nila?

28. bakit kaming mga Bisaya (taas noo) ang letrang 'e' ay kapag binigkas nagiging 'i', ang 'i' ay nagiging 'e'? ang 'o' nagiging 'u', ang 'u' nagiging 'o'. halimbawa:

UltraEdit - pag binigkas 'OltraIdet'
Basketball - 'Baskitbul'
Windows Explorer - 'Wenduws Ixplurir'
Keypad - 'Kepad'
Monitor - 'Munetur'

29. hindi ito katanungan, gusto ko lang banggitin. na sa aming mga Bisaya, ang isang salitang ingles ay nagkakaroon ng maraming kahulugan. halimbawa: FACE, pronounced as pis.
- mukha. "you have a beautiful pis."
- kapayapaan. "no to war. yes to pis."
- kung saan ka nakatahan. "anong pis nga kayo sa subdivision nakatira?"
- kamao. "Morales' body was pounded by Pacquaiao's pis the entire round."

kitam. isang salita pa lang yan eh apat na kaagad ang kahulugan sa amin.

30. bakit sa pinoy mas patok ang mga brand names?
- COLGATE (bibili sa tindahan, "pabili po ng colgate, yung pepsodent ha").
- ADIDAS (sa probinsiya ng nanay ko sa Samar, tawag yan sa lahat ng rubber shoes, kahit Nike pa yan, Grosby, Kaypee o Mighty Kid).
- PAL (sa barbecue-han, pakpak ng manok. ala Philippine Airlines).
- WALKMAN (sa barcbecue-han pa rin, tenga ng baboy).

tutal nasa barbecue-han na rin lang tayo, eto pa ang ibang tawag sa mga pagkain dun:
- ADIDAS (paa ng manok)
- KURBATA (leeg ng manok)
- NECKTIE (leeg ng manok at thigh part)
- HELMET (ulo ng manok)
- IUD (ano pa, intestines o mas kilalang isaw)
- BETAMAX (dugo ng manok. yung maliliit na parisukat, parang bala ng betamax!)

31. pinakabastos bang cartoon character si winnie the pooh? eh hindi man lang siya magsuot ng salawal.

32. si Mike Enriquez, bakit ba talaga kasi ganon siya magsalita???? at halos hindi siya humihinto, hindi ba niya nakikita ang kudlit sa binabasa niyang idiot board? mukhang kailangan niya ng breathing exercise. subukan niyo toh:

"mgakapuso,kahitmalamigangpanahonaypatuloynanagiinitangmgatsikanaihahatidsainyongkinapipitagansalaranganngpaghahatidngshowbizbalita,sipiaguanio.pia,pasok!!"
"captainbarbellnapo!!!"

33. bakit ang mga pinoy masyadong malisyoso? nang minsang nagpunta kami ng Zambales, inalok kaming grupo ng mga taga doon upang kumain. sa aming pagtanong kung anong specialty nila nung araw na yun, ang sagot, "binolbol". nagtawanan ang mga kasama ko. eh lugaw po yun! hallleerrr?!?!

34. bakit ang pinoy pag tumuro eh gamit ang nguso? ganon ba tayo katamad iangat ang mga bisig natin?

35. ano ang dahilan ng pagtilaok ng mga tandang? kasi yung mga manok ng kapitbahay namin kahit hapon (natutulog ako) tumitilaok eh. hindi lang sa bukang liwayway nila ginagawa yun, magpasagayon ay hindi dahil nakikita na nila yung araw kaya sila tumitilaok.

36. bakit ang mga batang amerikano ang gagaling mag ingles? bata pa sila nun ha. ako nung bata, onti lang alam ko eh.

37. bakit hindi nagkatuluyan si ate Shena at kuya Bodjie, mga karakter noon sa Batibot?

38. buhay pa ba si manang bola? gusto ko kasing magpahula. itatanong ko lang kung sina papa Sam at si papa Piolo ang magkakatuluyan.

39. bakit ang pinoy masyadong mapamahiin? isang halimbawa: bawal daw magpakuha ng litrato na tatlo lang kayo at matitigok daw yung isa. eh sina Tito, Vic at Joey matagal nang nagpapakuha na tatlo lang sila. ang Apo Hiking Society. ang tatlong gwapings. wala namang nangyari sa kanila. ang tatlong itlog (ay patay na pala lahat yun).

40. bakit sa mga kababayan nating mga Ilonggo, ang toyo tawag nila patis? at inyong pakatandaan, wala silang patis doon. totoo po yan mga kaibigan.

41. bakit ang "soup number five" sa Binondo ganon ang tawag? eh ano yung soup number one hanggang four? meron pa bang pang-anim? nung huli akong um-order, yung panglima lang talaga ang meron sila eh.

42. bakit ang mga kababayan nating Kapampangan, pag ang salita may 'h' nawawala? pag walang 'h' nadadagdagan? subukan niyo ito:

"hang baay hay aapay-apay sa hiip ng anging hamian."

kitam?

43. Kapampangan din ba ang mga magulang ng mga taong kilala ko na ganito ang mga pangalan? Jhimmy. Rhuvie. Rhyan. Ghina. Dhanny. Ehric. Pathrick. Ambeth. Bernadeth. Pinakbeth. parang pagkain yung huli ah.

44. pumunta naman tayo sa pelikulang pilipino. yung mga aksyon movies. bakit pag naghahabulan sa bandang dulo ng pelikula, nagsisimula sa kalsada, tapos mauuwi sa isang malaking bodega? napansin niyo yun? balikan niyo ang mga pelikula nila Lito Lapid, FPJ, Cesar Montano at Tony Ferrer. tapos ang mga pulis saka lang darating pag tapos na yung barilan. bakit ganon?

45. bakit umabot ng limang taon ang soap opera na Mara Clara? at patuloy din namang pinanood ng taumbayan? eh napakadali namang makita nung diary. nasa ibabaw lang nung TV! tsk tsk. lahat ata tayo nagago nung palabas na yun ah. kailan ko lang napagtanto.

46. bading ba talaga si Sam Milby? hmmm. pakisagot nga ako brofish! eh si Eric Santos?

47. eh si Mike Enriquez, kailan niya babaguhin kung paano siya magsalita?? wag na lang. mukhang malalaos siya pag binago niya :)

48. ano ba talaga ang unang araw, Lunes o Linggo?

49. alin talaga ang nauna, itlog o manok?

50. bakit ang pinoy ang hilig magbaligtad ng mga salita at yun ang gagawing pangalan ng kanilang mga anak? halimbawa na lang:

DRANREB - Bernard (yung dating taga That's Entertainment. Belleza ang apelyido)
ROMA - Amor (salitang Espanyol na nangangahulagang "love" sa Ingles)
ANA - Ana (kahit balibaligtarin mo yan ganon pa rin)
PULA-PULA - Lapu-Lapu (alam niyo bang "Pula-Pula" talaga ang pangalan ng ating unang pambansang bayani? ito ay salitang Tausug na ang ibig sabihin sa tagalog ay "mamula-mulang balat". ang mga mananakop na Kastila lamang ang nagbansag sa kanya ng pangalang "Lapu-Lapu"). iyan po ay isang katotohanan mga kaibigan na lingid sa kaalaman ng karamihan sa atin.

51. bakit pag meh nakita kang humikab, kahit malayo siya sayo eh nahihikab ka na rin? kahit hindi ka inaantok. subukan mong humikab ngayon (kahit kunwari lang) at ipakita mo sa kasama mo. tiyak mapapahikab din yun haha :)

52. maaari bang humatsing nang nakadilat ang mga mata? lahat kasi ng taong nakikita kong humahatsing (kabilang na ako doon) ay nakapikit.

o, happy weekend na mga katoto! salamat sa pagbasa sa mga walang kwentang pag-iisip ko :)

pagnilay nilayan natin

ilan lamang sa mga katanungan sa aking buhay na magpasa-hanggang ngayon ay nananatiling mga katanungan at patuloy na naghahanap ng kanilang kasagutan:

1. bakit ako lamang ang pinalad na hindi naging mapusyaw ang kulay ng balat sa lahat sa aming magkakapatid? ako'y pang apat sa anim. ito ba'y nangangahulugang saka lang natanggap ng nanay ko ang hitsura ng tatay ko nung ako na yung ginagawa nila?

2. bakit ang langaw na lumilipad sa loob ng dyip ay hindi naiiwan gayong ito'y parang nakatigil lamang sa ere?

3. ang elepante pag namatay ay nilalanggam, ngunit totoo bang ang langgam pag namatay ay ini-elepante?

4. totoo bang kailangang matulog sa hapon para lumaki? kung totoo yun, anong nangyari kina mahal, mura, dagul at weng-weng, bakit sila maliliit? dahil ba sila'y ulila (walang nagpalaki) o nung sila'y mga bata pa ay hindi nakinig sa kanilang mga magulang (naalala ko ang mahigpit nilang paalala, "matulog ka ngayong hapon para lumaki ka!")? buti na lang ako'y may mga magulang. at ako'y nakinig, natutulog ako dati sa hapon.

5. eh si presidente gloria? subalit siya nama'y may mga magulang. marahil ay marami siyang bulate sa tiyan nung bata kaya nawalan ng sustansiya. at ayaw magpa-purga.

6. bakit si joker aroyo "joker" ang pangalan gayong napakaseryoso naman niyang tao? nakita niyo na ba siyang nagbiro?

7. tama ba namang ang dati nating arsobispo, ang puno ng simbahang katolika sa pilipinas ay "sin" ang apelyido? hindi ba kasalanan ito sa paningin ng Diyos at sa pandinig ng mga amerikano?

8. bakit ang pinoy mahilig mag-alok ng pagkain ("kain tayo") ngunit pag ika'y umupo para makikain na ay masama na ang tingin sayo? o pag ika'y mas minalas malas ay lalayas pa sa harap mo at dala ang pagkaing inalok niya?

9. bakit pag ginupit mo ang kuko mo sa paa (lalo na yung sa pinakamalaking daliri) bago mo itapon ay inaamoy mo pa kahit wari mong ito'y may hindi kaaya ayang amoy? wag niyong sabihing hindi niyo ito ginawa kahit minsan.

10. eh bakit pag yung kuko sa paa na ng iba ang ginupit at ipaamoy sa'yo eh ayaw mo na? at parang nandidiri ka pa pag nakita mo silang inamoy nila?

11. bakit sa inuman, ang unang nalalasing sa grupo ay yung unang maririnig mo na nagpupumilit, "hindi ako lasing."

12. bakit sa kantang "bohemian rhapsody" ng The Queen ay hindi ko mahanap sa mga letra niya ang kanyang titulo? bakit hindi na lang kasi "mama" ang naging titulo nung kantang yun? "mama, just killed the man..." o diba?

13. bakit ang lalaki, habang tumatanda, mas pabata ng pabata ang gustong babae? yun din kaya ang dahilan ng mga matrona?

14. bakit ang lalaki, bago o habang umiihi ay dumudura muna?

15. bakit ang aso bago humiga ay lumalakad muna ng paikot?

16. ang mga langgam ba ang pinakatsismosong mga insekto? pansinin ninyo pag sila'y nagkakasalubong, pakiwari mo'y nagbubulungan muna ng tsismis bago tumuloy sa patutunguhan.

17. bakit si mike enriquez ganon magsalita? ah basta, panoorin niyo na lang siya sa 24 oras! proud kaya ang mga taga-lasalle sa kanya? yung mga ka-batch niya siguro oo. eh tanungin kaya natin yung mga kabataan ng lasalle ngayon. yung mga pa-sosyal.

18. bakit ang mga pinoy ay sadyang matitigas ang ulo? kung ano ang siyang pinagbabawal ay kating kati nating gawin. tulad na lang ng pagtawid sa edsa o expressway. may nakalagay na ngang karatula na "bawal tumawid. nakamamatay."

19. bakit matigas ang ulo? eto pa. nung minsang may nakasalubong akong tao na sa kanyang damit ay may nakasulat sa harapan na "anong tinitingin tingin mo?", hindi ko pinahalata na binasa ko. pero nung lumampas na siya sakin, pinilit ko pa ring tignan baka may nakasulat sa likod. mayroon nga, "o, titingin pa eh!!"

20. bakit natsi-tsismis si papa Piolo Pascual na bading?

21. bakit nung mga bata tayo (o kami) ang larong sipa, pwedeng gamitan ng tuhod o kamay (sa may bandang siko)? eh bakit pag sinipa ako ng tatay ko, paa lang talaga ang gamit niya?

22. bakit yung isang kaklase kong lalaki nung grade 4, ang bilis niya magsulat pero pag pinabasa mo na sa kanya hindi niya mabasa ang sarili niyang sulat? buong taon ganon siya.

23. si erap, bakit hanggang ngayon eh nagsusuot pa rin siya nung wrist band niyang malapad? totoo bang hanggang ngayon eh hindi niya pa rin matandaan kung saan ang kaliwa o kanan niya kaya kailangan niya ng palatandaan?

at marami pang iba. aking ibabahagi sa ibang pagkakataon.

panghuling tanong. bakit ako nagsusulat dito samantalang marami akong trabahong nag-aantay? kaya nga sa susunod na yung iba eh!