I hate watching the news and you know why...

The biggest question is : Who will replace Gloria?

All you can see on TV right now is everyone trying to get their hands on her. What for? She was an economics teacher in Ateneo and still has a hard time solving the problems of the country. After the impeachment, who will replace her? An actress who has no political or academic background? a newscaster who has high ambitions? A police-turned-politician who exposes dirt on someone and thinks that makes him a hero to the people? Some senator or congressman who just wants to replenish what he lost in the last elections? a politician who is inclined to the left? an actor-turned-politician who can't resign from his old job because his present job isn't enough to feed his family?

You know crab mentality is still prevalent in our culture. You can see people scrambling to get to the top position. Isn't that what crabs do? Why don't they just concentrate on the nation's relevant issues like poverty, employment, energy crisis, crime, tourism et al? We didn't elect these politicians just to shout at each other? and speaking about tourism, did you know that we just increased our tourism by a measly 3% while Thailand who has just been struck by tsunami increased their tourism by 13%? Isn't it ironic? And mind you, Manila is a far better city than Bangkok. Wouldn't it be nice to see one day that all politicians work things out by working together and finding solutions to our nations current problems?

I don't like watching news lately because the politicians are very childish. Mud slinging, bad-mouthing each other. And if what they say about the Gloria tapes are true, aren't they all the same? Even with their hard evidence doesn't mean they can wipe all their dirt on her. But what can we do? A Filipino saying is true that we can't clean our own backyard. And what an international news network said was true when they said Filipinos burn the house down just to kill a rat. Aren't we ashamed? No wonder people migrate. I hope we can learn a lesson from this and one day work together for a better Philippines.

So what are you doing to make our country better?

Love Story in Harvard!

lsih

Grabe! This is the first time I got so engrossed and so attached to a tv series. And most specially to a Koreanovela?!? From a guy like me?!?!?!? Shame on you!!!! But…but…there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Q: How can you guys ever get that “Switch-Will Smith” thing out of you when you don’t get in touch with your feminine side? I mean, how can you win the heart of a girl if you’re always so macho and so conventionally and traditionally male? All I’m saying is, how can your right brain work when you’re always using your left brain? (Tama ba?) I remembered one caption from our college yearbook about this guy. He said “The feminine in man is the sugar in the whiskey”. Wakarimasu ka? Sarang hamnida… As a story writer myself, I always loved to watch great love stories. Remember Casablanca? Even I didn’t guess the ending.
About the stars in the series, Kim Rae Won is known for his hit series “Attic Cat” which is currently showing on GMA 7. That made him popular. He’s also the crush of my wife…hehe gotcha! And my crush (‘kala mo siya lang meron ha?) is Kim Tae Hee. As in the tv series, she’s got the angelic smile. The kinis like apple, snow white skin and typical Japanese anime manga eyes. And to think she’s my wallpaper on my cellphone…hyarhyarhyar… And the theme song “So in love”. Grabe the melody! Over to the max! Letch! I mean if you watched the series, it really fits the story. I bow to the director. He injects the musical score at the right time, at the right moment and the actors cry at the exact right time. Even Korean actors cry. Bihira lang dito sa Pilipinas na umiiyak yung actor. It’s more realistic that way when guys also cry. It makes them human and sensitive. And the downside (for me) in this story is that it makes my heart ache every time I finish each episode. Is the director making us suffer?

And the best part or probably the greatest part of any Korean tv series is that they have few, limited actors. They concentrate mostly on two to four characters. That’s it. Not like in our tv industry, it’s like the whole actors and actresses are cramped up in one tv series and what’s worse, they keep putting new characters so to fit in the actors who have no show. Sa dami ng characters, di mo na alam kung bakit nagkaganon o bakit nagkaganyan. Ang gulong gulo! One great example of a minimal character movie is “Dead Calm” starring Nicole Kidman. This Australian film is set in the middle of the ocean with three characters, the husband and wife (forgot the actor) and parang Billy Zhane, the contrabida. That’s it. For the whole 2 hours, sila lang ang makikita mo. And mind you…it will put you at the edge of your seat! That’s why we have to do something about our movie and tv industry if we want to make it successful.

And one thing about Korean tv, they have very high budget! I think this series cost them around 30M Won. That’s a lot of money. And they had many awards. They even had the perfect kiss award which toppled the kissing scene of Lovers in Paris. Like Park Shin Yang (Carlo) said “Iba talaga humalik ang mga kabataan”. Like LIP is in their late 20s early 30s and LSIH is in their early 20s. And what’s good about these actors are they can really act. Not like in some countries like Hong Kong where it’s all right if you’re beautiful or handsome but can’t act. But in Korea, you have to look good and act better. And this is the first time I know that a tv series is only 8 to 12 DVDs only. So short the series, you can buy them and watch them over and over again. We’ve watched Lovers in Paris, Sweet 18 and this for the nth time. Like gusto ko ng matulog, pwedeng disc 8?

And you know why we like to watch love stories. It’s not to relieve us from stress from work or entertain us but also we love to BE inside the world of the tv series. It’s like we want to live the life of the actors. Like if it were us in their shoes? The feeling of nonchalant-out-of-this-world thingy. To make us feel younger, hassle-free life, no-worries, laid back, let’s-forget-our-problems kinda thing. Like the kids have their superheroes, we have our love stories. And with that, I’ll leave you with a song that melted the hearts of many. The theme song of Love Story in Harvard…with it’s english-entirety…Okay?

Spring, summer, fall & winter dreams..

Those are shining like a star

They keep whispering,

"I'm so in love with you"

Spring, summer, fall & winter love..

It is breezing to my heart

and it keeps telling,

"I'll make you rainbow smile"

I remember when we were angels,

when we dreamed about us

All my days were happy

just like a snowy Christmas

I wish I'd have them always..

Every step i make writes a story

It is full of the heart

feeling love of my life

and missing friends of my time

I Wish I'd have them all..

In spring, summer, fall & winter days…

We've been sharing all the hearts

love shines in my eyes

love just won't fade away

I remember when we were angels,

when we dreamed about us

All my days were happy

just like a snowy Christmas

I wish I'd have them always..

Every step i make writes a story

It is full of the heart feeling love of my life

and missing friends of my time

I Wish I'd have them all..

If you'd all the way show me the world

where I will stay in love

All my days will be white

just like a snowy Christmas

You're just all I need

Badminton, French fries, the WorldWide Web and what Superboy recommends…

1 – LTO
I went to the LTO to have my license renewed. And boy did I get myself into a fracas! Little did I know that it went offline the day before. And I spent the whole day waiting for my license with a whole bunch of other waiting people! Good Lord! For the whole 5 hrs. all you have to smell are the sweats, the breaths, the wet floors, and you know what? Watching TV was really condemning instead of relaxing. And you know why? Because of the perspiration, people! You know the feeling of being enclosed in a box with a humid smell? Imagine? And the bureaucratic red-tape pestilence! And you say that the Philippines is going somewhere huh? The system is too bulok I had to shout to the top of my lungs (in my mind) to tell the people to work faster! My golly miss molly you people you! And the bright side of it all…I met my college classmate (because he was the one who was on window 5 taking the picture) and my grade school scoutmaster (whom I need say less…due to kukurap praktises). Amen.

2 - Thewi Thai Massage #3 Seno Bldg. Llorente St., Cebu City

This massage haven is really it. IT. That is, great foot massage, first-rate back massage, undeniably exasperating body massage. I have tried most of the sprouting spas and massage dens here in Cebu but Thewi Thai is the best. The foot massage gives you soothing sensation and reflexology. The masseuse goes right to the point and really hits those aching joints. And after that, you feel so good you really want to doze off afterwards (or fart your heart out! hahaha). That’s why my wife and I go there after dinner. And what’s more…it’s affordable. I mean, far, far more cheaper than in Metro Manila. P150 for an hour. Wanna go?

3 - Jr. Kilat - PARTY PIPOL UR ON DUB TV

Their new album is really outrageous! Cebuanonically superb! And what’s good about this band is…I know one of them! (babaw no?) But then, Christian Evangelista (bass) also known as Tiano was once our director for our unknown hit commercial ad of a sprouting massage parlor and the bro of our officemate Gail. It gave us one whole month of media glory. Thanks to Tiano! And surf their web at www.juniorkilat.com. It’s really outrageous! Just like their album.

4 – Badminton

This sprouting sport is really something. And it really gave me the sweat I can’t get from the gym (I’m a lifetime member of a you know what gym you know…what?). I fight it out with my fellow bankers. And I have a new Yonex Pentium Ti50000 racquet (courtesy of my wife…well you know the deal – you Bangkok me racquet kinda thingy). You should really see my right hand shin yong dong dynasty smoking dragon kamehame wave smash (you better wear goggles or you’ll get a bulk on your forehead…hehe). And my backhand flying dagger birdie…hehe just kidney! We just sweat it out and find ourselves sucking large amounts of oxygen after a 2 hour burning supersweat tournament (you know high flying kick-ass wallop with nowhere to go not-hitting-the-ball smash! Or the ballet dancing backhand never seen the ball or was it there? turnaround jumper!) Well, just play will ya?

mY sUMmer vacATion

Hahaha … just remembered this title when I was in grade school. All right class, get one whole sheet of paper and write down your summer vacation… hahaha…

1 – peaceful Cagayan

Well, I went there but it wasn’t a vacation! My wife called up and told me she was admitted to the hospital because the doctor said she might have amoebiasis. What? In a matter of only 1 day? Well, I told her what she ate…kinilaw sa lunch, ice cream sa hapon, then Bailey’s sa gabi. End of story. Ha! Now I know. I told her it might just be diarrhea. But anyways, I went there on a Friday night and because it was an emergency, I was in economy class. ????? well, I just dozed off that evening. I was in Madonna and Child hospital that morning but we didn’t get on the plane coz there’s only one flight every day at 10am and there was no time.
So we were accommodated by this very nice couple (I won’t mention their names to protect their privacy). And Wow! Are they rich! As in super-rich! And I told myself if there are more rich people in the world like them, soft-spoken, kind, hospitable, humble!!!! But sad to say, only a handful exists! So, there we were enjoying their hospitality. Cable TV, split-type aircon, bathtub… and by the way, if you plan to buy a 1,000 sq. m. lot in their village, you better be ashamed! The houses there have a minimum of 1,500 sq. m. lot area! The neighbor has all their cars parked several meters away from their house. Para bang mag-jeep ka pa to get to your house? Imagine? And this couple we were staying were super-hospitable that nakakahiyang magstay but they told us they were used to many people in their house specially the wife was born in a political family. And their specialty…we bought pastel for pasalubong. You know the bread with special yema at the bottom? Sarap! That was sort of an emergency vacation for me. Glad my wife got well without taking any medicine. It was just plain stomach wiggies! Thanks to Gatorade!

2 – not so Enchanted Kingdom

We went to Manila last May 27 with my kids. My wife has a convention and so pinagsamantalahan na namin. We went to our relatives and enjoyed our small reunion. I met Auntie’s Lata and Laya, Uncle Nemesio and Auntie Sita, Ahia Steven and Ache Sandra, and Philip. Ache Angeline my cousin was sooooo accommodating, nakakahiya talaga! Almost 8 years since I went there and my how Manila changed. We lived in a hotel in Makati near Greenbelt. Wow talk about Seattles Best, Café Havana, Global, Starbucks. That was coffee galore!
In the four days we stayed, we went to Divisoria, Greenhills, Market Market, and man did I bought basketball jerseys, gameboy game cards, shirts and boy it was cheap! Magnegosyo kaya ako? I also went to my fathers grave but sa laki ng Chinese Cemetery, my cousin Angeline and us only located the mausoleum of our grandparents. We didn’t know where my father’s mausoleum was. Paikot-ikot kami. Well, good intentions.
And the way bit too far…not so Enchanted Kingdom. When you watch it on TV, it was like fireworks and everything. But man was I disappointed. Ang layo niya sa Ocean Park! When my wife went there it was like P300 lang converted to peso. Sa Enchanted, it was just like plain old carnival ride. And how unprofessional the guards and entry people were. My wife and I bought our tickets at the bus station and were told to get the kids tickets at the gate. The guards told us to get our kids tickets at the left side of the entrance so we went there and bought them. Then when we went at the entrance, the people told us to convert our tickets bought at the bus station at the left side booth. What? Ba’t di nila sinabi kanina? Pabalik-balik kami sa entrance? Di nila sinabi ng buo! Puro putol-putol. After telling us to buy tickets, they didn’t even tell us to convert our tickets bought at the bus station and convert it to another ticket para di na kami pabalik-balik? Grabe! And the worst thing, every time we went to the entrance, inspection na naman! So 3 times ini-inspect ang bag kong dala and the guards didn’t tell me right away where to deposit the chichiriyas we bought along the way. So sa galit ko, hinampas ko yung chichiriyas sa box nila. Para charity daw? How will I know they’ll not bring it home with them? The staff there were very unprofessional. When they saw our tickets and chichiriyas, they should’ve told us everything, convert our tickets from the bus station and buy tickets for the kids at the left side of the booth, then deposit the food wherever they want us to put it. Not that isa-isahin nila tapos pagpunta mo sa entrance, balik ka na naman sa booth para I-convert yung tickets mo. Nakakainis!
Then when we went inside, there was no magic! I was very disappointed. It was just another carnival. I thought there would be fireworks, dolphins, fast and long rides, balloons, popcorns you know the usual. But to my dismay, ang mahal ng pagkain dun. Ang init pa, and to top it all, umulan ng pakonti-konti. The only one I liked was Rialto. At least the kids enjoyed it since it was their first time in a big carnival. Pinagpawisan kami the whole time and not only physically, also walletally. Toink! Even our wallets sweat like pigs. Mahal talaga. Oh well, half of it was fun. Half of it, well, not as expected. And the bad part was on weekdays, the bus was only available at 10pm. So we waited, sweated, took pictures, went in the souvenir shop for aircon, sweat again…and again…I felt dehydrated. Hay, at least I’m back in Cebu. Thanks to my cousin Angeline, Manila was fun and if you know where to buy, marami kang mabibili. To my relatives…kudos! To Manila…thanks for the fun time. To Enchanted Kingdom…hohum.

Sumilon Island

Sumilon Island

Where else can you find a haven for swimming, diving and trekking? Only in Cebu! Sumilon Island Bluewater Resort just opened last March 24 and we got to see it first. You just park your car at the docking bay at Oslob, Cebu and ride the katig to the Island. You can go diving at the dive sight, trekking at the mountains and swim at the sandbar or at the picnic nook. You can watch the little sharks at sunrise, and feel romantic at sunset. You can relax and feel the afternoon breeze at the lantay (hammock) and sleep well at night just listening to the sea waves.
Go trekking and see the Baluarte (that little hole at the lower middle), a watch tower where the Cebuanos warn the fellow islanders when the Japanese are at sight during World War II. They ring the great bell as a signal. The whole island can be trekked for an hour and 15 mins. You can swim all day long with the white sandy beach and mind you, the sea is not salty! It's as clear as your swimming pool! The fisherfolks get to catch all the fish they want because of the abundant fishes living in the corals. Yup, plenty of corals and snorkeling would be great so you can see the school of fishes, the sharks on the other side. Hehe. If you climb the watch tower beside the Baluarte (there's another one which will be licensed by the Marina to be a lighthouse), you can see the whole island and it's really got a great view! By the way, the food is also delicious! Yum yum and burp burp. And to all those who want to relax and drink beer, this is the place! It's got great seats overlooking the ocean but be careful. If you drink too much, you might fall down the cliff. Yes! tables are overlooking the ocean. There are even chairs at the mountains overlooking the island. It's just great.
So if you want to have a funfilled, adventurous, and relaxing vacation, come visit the island. It’s guaranteed, nowhere in the Philippines, only in Cebu!

Graduation Day!

Rian

As my little girl, Marianne Faye, climbed on stage to receive her diploma, there was a sudden radiance of light that blinded me. Flashback. When my son Nikolai graduated Kindergarten 3 years ago, it melted my heart. Then again, that feeling came back. I wondered why it’s so nostalgic. The answer was in this same song they sang 3 years ago…

Thank you Jesus for loving me so
Thank you Jesus for helping me grow
Thank you Jesus that I can see
Thank you for all you’ve done to me

Thank you Jesus for parents so dear
Thank you Jesus for sisters so near
Thank you Jesus for brothers that love
Thank you God in heaven above

Thank you Jesus for classmates at play
Thank you teachers you help us all day
Thank you Jesus for natures that say
Let’s make a better world as we love each day

Thank you for rainbows up in the sky
Thank you for thoughts that soar way up high
Thank you for dreams of what I shall be
Thank you Jesus for loving me.

Thank you Jesus for loving me.

Those angelic voices melted my heart. I had to control my tears. This is how it feels to be a father. It’s really fun when you grow with your children. And I really wonder how other parents could raise their children without being physically or emotionally there? Just try being there. Answer repeated questions. Answer your child’s why with what am I going to tell them. And then question repeated answers. Am I making sense? And then, always hug them before you go to sleep. Just a tip, action speaks louder than words. It’s like a pat on the back from your boss makes you work hard even more. A kiss from your loved ones makes your day complete.

And as the sun sets, you can sit back, relax and smile. As you look at your wallet, you stop to think “Tuition na naman!”

A Big Heart

Friend

After a month long solitude, watching the endless skies sift the spirit of nothingness, I have found solace. With life's colors and tribulations, you can always take comfort with your family. A cuddle, a hug and a warm embrace all of these to give you peace of mind. I found mine with my family.
But then there’s this insy winsy thingy that always makes you smile every time it bites you. Friends. Little did we know that that small grain of happiness we delight ourselves comes from friends who in one way or the other gives sunshine in our lives. We have our barkadas, our officemates, our high school buddies, and our favorite cousins. But sometimes new friendships give new light to our small world of happiness. Happiness like a butterfly, when you try to catch it, it’s a grasp away, but when you sit down, it alights upon you.
Last year, I had the chance of befriending one of the most beautiful person (inside & out) I had ever met. Even through chatting, you can always feel the sincerity and warmth of the person you’re talking to. Through blogs, you can see that witty remark or that spontaneous blabber or that genuine concern you see in a person. And the great thing about this girl is that “what you see is what you get”. No hullabaloos. Genuine…like the painting of the Mona Lisa. Even how busy this girl gets, she still finds time to answer her friends through emails. What’s with this gal anyway? Well, you’ve got to be friends to find out. And one thing good about all of this, it’s the circle of trust. And that circle of trust comes from the heart. A big heart that is Bianca.

Remember : “Friendships starts with hello and hello is just a smile away”.

KoReAn FiLmS

My Sassy Girl, The Classic, Lovers in Paris

Ever since I watched My Sassy Girl last year, I have this craving for Korean films. I don’t know why but I really find it intriguing especially when I can’t guess the ending. You’re so soaked up with the whole plot that you forget to try to guess the end of the story. Thanks to these writers who make stories with a little twist. This may sound icky but I love these films. Like My Sassy Girl, the love story is immersed with comedy and angst. You feel like shouting every time you are in the lead actors’ shoes. It’s so funny, weird, nakakaasar, and over-all exquisite. It has a unique style in romance that you just can’t stop till the movie is over. At the end, you can say “Wow”. Where did they ever find such a story? You’re so engrossed with the plot that you just can’t blink! I’ve got to give these Koreans an A+ for a good story.
Then there’s The Classic. The same director as My Sassy Girl, Jae-Young Kwak, it also tells the love story of the mother and daughter. Two different timelines, but one feel-good movie. Wow again! I haven’t seen a movie with two different love stories in a setting of one. It’s kinda weird huh? But the stories are intertwined with the right ingredient. The stories are blended in perfectly and I take my hat off to the director.

Unfortunately I haven’t bought the movie “Il Mare” which stars Jeon Ji-Hyun of My Sassy Girl. Wala pang stock. The story tells of a girl who bought a house by the wharf and gets love letters from her mailbox. These letters have been sent by the previous owner who magically ends up in her mailbox. Duh? You didn’t get it huh? It’s like this. She’s in the present, he’s in the past. He sends letters from the 90’s and she receives it like in 2000. Different timelines again! Previous owner, present owner scenario. Reading its synopsis, there’s one scene where she sits on the wharf’s bench beside him but in reality they both are sitting alone. Meaning the guy was sitting during the past, and the girl in the future. And what is its plot? They end up loving each other through the love letters in the mailbox. Hanep! I didn’t think of that kind of story! Weird but cool.

Then lastly, Lovers in Paris which we are watching for the nth time now via VCD & TV. And the ending is so…mean. But then you can interpret it in so many ways. Park Shin-Yang (Carlo/Han Ki Joo) is so good an actor. He studied film in Russia. Kim Jung-Eun (Vivian/Kang Tae-Yung) also is a good actress. She was a model before acting. They both won the SBS Awards, which is the highest award in Korea.

Epilogue: Meteor Garden. This was why it started in the first place! (Also watched it for the nth time before Lovers in Paris)

Pit Senyor!

Sinulog 2005 Jan. 16 Sunday. Every year we celebrate it bonggang bongga under our current Mayor Tomas Osmeña. It all started way back in 1984 under Mayor Solon. The festivities lasted till night fall and you can see the colorful and beautiful floats of Kodak and the colored hard hats of Atlas Mining Corp. That was then, this is now. Sinulog is meant to celebrate the feast of the Sto. Niño. Sto Niño was given by Magellan as gift to Rajah Humabon of Cebu. The symbol of Sinulog is Sto. Niño and Sinulog means sinug, the act of lighting a candle and dancing in front of the church while praying.
But boy! Look at it now. That’s why I don’t usually go out and watch the festivities because its meaning has been misunderstood all these years. If you look at the commercialized t-shirts, advertisements, and all the hullabaloos, you can see that Sto. Niño is not there anymore! We are not Ati-atihan? Most of the shirts and newspaper advertisements carry pictures of black Indians or Ati-atihan persons with spears, Indian shields. My Gulay! That’s not Sinulog. I’ve been disappointed all these years and thank God I have this blog to pour out my *****. All these advertisements should carry the symbol of the Sto. Niño! Then there’s painting on the faces, and people drank beer all throughout the day. And you can see drunks in the early afternoon. So what’s there to go out? You can see it on TV. It’s not like in the early years where you can see the symbol of the Sto. Niño everywhere. Now, most of the advertisements show pictures of Ati-atihan. Eh di mag-ati-atihan nalang tayo. Are we celebrating Sinulog or Ati-atihan? And it’s just too commercialized. The essence is not there anymore.

Well, thanks to some who still know the meaning of Sinulog. Just remember: Sinulog is the feast of the Sto. Niño and nothing else. Thanks to the baby child Jesus for protecting Cebu all these years. And to everyone…Pit Senyor!

Thank you 2004!

Toy collection, Philip & me, Niko & Rian

My how time flies! First, you expect Christmas season to come around because you love to meet old friends, reunite with your favorite cousins, have a reunion with your batchmates, or just feel the whole season with warmth and joy. But alas! Every good season comes to an end. But not for me. Everyday is Christmas day. I just love to see the joy in every person’s eyes when they receive gifts unexpectedly. Like me?!?!?! I’ll just randomly tell you what it is because I can’t seem to remember which came first.
James Lim. He was a gift for me. For 22 years after he went to the States to migrate, I haven’t had the chance to converse with him like I did in our 20th High School Reunion at City Sports Club Ayala. Man, all these years. I last saw him in Ayala about 5 years ago and haven’t got the chance to get his email ad. For 2 years, CTMSU and I searched for our classmates around the globe via internet for our reunion this year. Fortunately for us, James also searched the internet because the last time he came here he was disappointed. He never saw any classmates in this little City of Cebu. We talked for hours and one thing I noticed. He still looks like my idol Bruce Lee. Back in our high school days, I, James and Louie made a group. We had our robot group (since we loved to draw), we had a band (the name was Chryz – and why? Louie drawed on his Bible) and of course we love to sing. James was the guitarist, I was on keyboards and Louie was on drums. Lucky for Louie, his dreams came true. He’s now a drummer and goes all over Asia for gigs. I also made my dream come true. I’m the keyboards for our band in Couples for Christ-NuWeds. And after that night, James will not be disappointed in coming back here because he already has our phone nos. and our website.
Ache Luz, Philip and Michelle. Although they came here quite suddenly (because Ache Luz’s husband died, Ahia Pepe) I was glad to see them. Philip, still a fan of Shaq, Michelle, still the darling that she always was and Ache Luz – suwati ninyo si Achia! I really miss them. And am sure glad I have their email addresses! Haven’t talked to them for ages (and to think the internet made our world small!)
My wife Carol. She gave me a MFG wallet. At last I can put away my aged Lacoste to rest. A Flash T-shirt & a Genius Digicam. For the usual spaghetti (which my daughter Rian & I love to eat), hamburger (which my son Niko & I love to eat), and the latest Lover’s in Paris DVD (which Carol watches every night for the nth time! – after Meteor Garden!).
Niko & Rian. Niko, for having had many toys (Hot Wheels & Import Racer – because I had to update my car collection so I have to give him my old ones hehe). Rian, for the lovely I love you’s and I miss you’s everyday (and calling my office daily – ha! at least school starts next week! hehe). For believing in Santa Claus and regularly checking their Christmas stockings everyday (and for eating all the biscuits & chocolates & candies & whatever they can put in their mouths!).
My Mom. For just being my Mom!
My Blog friends Bianca, Jen, Emi, Steve, Jillsabs, Bullish1974. For just blogging and making my internet world sane.

My CCNA classmates Steve, Ferdie, Eman, Earllove, Jay, Randall, Erwin, Rod, AnaMich, & my teacher Sir Mike and Aris. For our weekly techy classes, dine outs, friendsters, chikka, yahoo messenger, blogs, cd burns, cellphone issues, & other digital matters.
My friends abroad Elwin & family (Sydney, Aus), Sheila (Washington), Carmina & Ramon (Chicago), Cindy (Dallas), Joji (New Jersey), Franklord (Florida), Arnel (Colorado), Nethla (Toronto, Cnd), Mau & Meye (Melbourne, Aus), Ian (Darwin, Aus), my cousin Chona (Toestedt, Germany) & Jeff & Inday (Dunedin, NZ), Mathel (Northern Marianas Islands), Reyna (Mongolia, China), Gail Therese (Auckland, NZ), Vima (Hawaii), my twin bro Stevenson (Niigata, Japan), CFC friends (Nelson/Susie, Ken/Myla-Canada, Barbers/Ella, Jun/Jeannette-States), Elmer G. & James (California). For keeping my email busy.
Cebu Holdings Inc. (Ayala Land Group). For the annual Dec. 25 charity where we distribute clothes, toys (which we wrapped) and food (courtesy of Don Henrico’s, Marriot, & who-made-that-delicious-pancit) to the underprivileged.A gift to myself.
My car collection (Hot Wheels, Import Racer, Import Tuner, GT Racer, Matchbox, Tomica), NBA Rookie Card collection and my 24 year old Table Napkin collection (Thanks to Stevenson – my twin who’s based in Japan, James Lim, Sheila Tiu, Philip & Michelle-States).
My officemates. For the delicious Marcs & Spencer coffee, FHM May 2003 issue (duh?).
My clients. Parker ballpoint pen, Fundador, Carlos I, Hok Shiu Ham.
And most of all, to Jesus, for making 2004 a memorable year!

Go Lakers!

My only Kobe signature shirt

FYI. This shirt was given to me by my nephew (Philip, son of my cousin Luz) who's based in L.A. back in '98. They weren't champions then and you get to have Kobe sign autographs without a wink. Originally, I told him to buy me a jersey and have Kobe sign on it with a marker. While Philip was working in the hospital, he by chance spotted Kobe with his sister stepping out of the elevator. (Kobe's sister went to her OB Gyne in that same hospital). Without my jersey and without a marker, Philip thought what was best to keep his Tito (Uncle) really, really happy. He got a ballpen, gave it to Kobe, and have him sign on his one-day-old shirt. Duh? And the rest was history. Up til now, I keep staring at the faded signature of the once simple, child-like, electrifying Kobe Bryant and thanked God I have Philip who's had basketball as his life-long support system. To Kobe and Philip, Kudos! And to all my friends who has no Kobe signature...you have to have one Philip in your life!

Do you hear the laughter of Santa?

To rephrase that, do you still believe in Santa? That's the question I tell myself everytime Christmas comes around. Don't panic. I still do. And why you ask? Simple. Being happy. With the busy, hustle & bustle of our everyday lives, we don't think of Christmas as a season of joy. Everytime the season goes near, we rush to the malls and think:

"Sino ba ang inaanak ko?"

"Pag di ko binigyan ng gift yun eh siguradong sasama ang loob nun."

"Hay naku. Ubos na naman ang bonus ko sa mga Christmas gifts."

"Dapat bigyan ko siya ng mamahalin na gift. Baka bigyan niya ako ng Lacoste?"

"Saan ko kaya mabili tong wish list niya? Hirap pa naman ng parking."

"Ba't ko naman bibigyan siya ng gift. War kami ngayon!"

"Wow ang cute nito. Magkano po? Ha? Mahal naman. Sino kayang bibigyan ko nito?"

"Wow bad trip. Over the limit na yung credit card ko!"

"Grabe. Gusto nya yung mamahalin. Wala naman sa budget ko to."

"Dito tayo sa sale. Wow, ang haba naman ng pila."

And that's what people do. Busying themselves buying and complaining. Is this the essence of Christmas? We as Godparents have to guide and see to it that our Godchildren are growing and living the Christian life. But what do we do? Sad to say, we forget this and simply give gifts at Christmas time. We also get sad when we don't receive a gift. But why? Are the gifts the only things that makes us happy at Christmas time?

What about Santa? What's so corny about Santa? Santa touched our lives when we were little. That's what dreams are made of. And our children. Why do we have to make them believe there's a Santa Claus? Because Santa creates Magic. Santa gives them Hope. Santa fulfills their Dreams.

I still tell my children that Santa is watching them. They still wait for Santa to fill their Christmas stockings. And when my children talk about Santa, you can see it in their eyes the glow, the radiance, the magic that Santa creates. Santa is a symbol of happiness. Santa is a symbol of hope. Santa is a symbol of dreams.

Now do you hear the laughter of Santa?

Music is my life!

Wedding Singer

Yeah! The joy of singing. Yup. That's me alright. Maybe my last stint since all of my friends (who have GFs) are already married.

I love singing. This wedding gig all started at the wedding of Marites Calope. Wahoo wasn't able to sing so they got me to do a duet with Gavi. Oh my Lord! I wasn't ready. With all the people looking at me and my trembling knee and my aching voice. But to my astonishment, I love an audience. It's like I love performing in front of people. Hay, and the rest was history. Mas masarap if you have a band or a guitarist who does the background at hinde minus-one! For crying out loud! aaaahhh (To the tune of Tarzan). Dennis, Barby, Lindale (this pic taken at Marriot Hotel reception). But it didn't stop there...

I love singing. FEBTC Christmas party! Wow, para kaming The Corrs. Gaviene & I (vocals), Cindy (keyboards) & Joji (violin). Talk about gigs! Puro nga lang Bank parties. But then we get to jam with Kenosis & 40 the band. I don't know. Maybe I was a reincarnation of a pop idol. Elvis perhaps? bwahaha. At BTB club in A.S. Fortuna, the FEBTC reunion was a blast! And probably the last stint we had as a band. Really euphoric & inter-galactic. We had to go our separate ways. Gaviene who is the worship master-Born Again at Victory went to work with her church, Cindy who was the pianist in her Protestant-Living Christian Gospel church, married & lived in Dallas, Texas. Joji who's a Catholic is now in New Jersey U.S.A. at ang kasamaang palad Ako ay nandito parin sa BPI...but am active in our CFC-Nuweds Music Ministry as keyboards! The Lord gave me a band. And still singing His praises every UPM!

I love singing. Way back in '86, I composed my own lyrics of the song "One more night" by Phil Collins. Rap pa yung uso. It goes something like this..."Matagal ko ng iniisip ito, matagal ko ng nararamdaman ito, kapag nakita kita ako'y biglang sumigla at buong araw naman ako ay masaya...matagal ko ng gustong sabihin sa'yo, ba't ako'y nahihiya at nalilito, kung papano ko sasabihin sa'yo na mahal kita at yan ang totoo...give me one more night..." At that time it was intended to be given to Michael V. Bahala na walang royalties basta me credits lang. Hay, never got to go to Manila, never put it on tape, and it was for the PAL flight attendants who were boarding our house at that time who polished my tagalog.

I love singing. My early influences are EWF, BeeGees & Andy Gibb, Stylistics, Beatles. Blame it on my cousins who were groovin' it on in the 70's with peace, love & woodstock. Maybe that's why I love singing falsetto. I really love singing Fantasy, Reasons, & After the love has gone by EWF. Betcha by golly wow by Stylistics & How deep is your love, Guilty by The BeeGees. Now I love South Border among OPMs. "Ikaw nga ang syang hanap-hanap Kay tagal na ako ay nangarap Lumuluhod, nakikiusap Ako ay mahalin mo sinta". But...the most songs that I memorized are Jose Mari Chan's songs. I don't know why. Maybe because my twin really loves him or we just hear the tape a thousand times.

I love singing. Yeah, my wife & I love to belt it out at K1 Karaoke bar at Crossroads. We sing duets & I even tried Maroon 5 & Hoobastank. My fave is This Love. I remember my single life days when we went to karaoke bars and Bobby & I always open it with Fantasy by EWF. I do the singing and my friend Nats does the ravaging (of GROs) bwahahaha. joke lang bay.

to be continued.....

jOiE dE vIVeR!

Ahh! Le joy of vacation leave. I haven't had one since last year. Ole! Mi casa parating tulog por favor! I'm writing this coz it's my last day of compulsory solitude. Ahh! Le sweetness of le cama. And enjoyed it with my kids too (it's their sembreak and they're going to school on Monday). I've heard that le vacasion leave will be stretched from 5 days to 10 days! Mama mia! What will I do for two weeks? Doing nothing? Playing tanga? Running around naked? In your dreams! Hahaha! Hay. We always want to savor our vacation to the last drop. Like moi! It's midnight & I'm still surfing the net. What do you think? Do you enjoy vacation leaves? Not unless you have your own business of course. It's always a great feeling when you start Day 1. What to do? What to get? What to watch? What to eat? What to do? What to do? ... and finding out you sleep the rest of the day! Wow! Talk about Le Art of Laziness! You try to sleep at 10am hoping you could close your eyes, put a pillow on your face and totally sleep! Knock knock? You end up waking up sweating! Aahrggh! Then you try to go out and have a look-see. Then a gentle voice reaches your tender ears saying "Daddy! Ale diri! Watch ta cartoons!" (Dad come here & watch cartoons!). Then you watch your son and daughter's cartoon for the nth time and the worst part is.....they always rewind on their favorite parts! Ahh! Why don't you just leave it there so we can finish the movie in 5 hours! Yeah, the longest running Alladin cartoons since it's being rewinded on their favorite parts so many times!
Hay! Le joy of vacation leave. Ever had days when you have money and you wanna buy something and it's already so two weeks ago? "Oh the dvd you liked has no more copies...you like another version? we have it in tagalog." What? Ragnarok in tagalog form? Man! I liked dubs. Watching Shaolin movies in the past was awesome coz it's dubbed in english. Now your children's favorite cartoon is dubbed in tagalog? But then...it's great! So my son will not have a hard time in his Pilipino class. I remember the movie Passenger 57. Wesley Snipes was cool. When our client gave us free passes to their moviehouse, we had to give ours to our messenger. Kawawa naman. Walang pera para manood ng sine. So off he went. Big smile on his face. Wearing his Sunday clothes. Telling friends he has a movie pass for Passenger 57. He doesn't have to pay for it. Then the following morning came. It came so fast his grin changed to a woman who got a miscarriage. "Unsa man to? Nganong paglayat ni Wesley Snipes tagalog man iyang gi storya!" (What was that? When Wesley Snipes flew out he talked in tagalog!) That was the first 90's movie that was dubbed in tagalog. His heart was crushed! He wanted to watch that movie desperately that when he went in the moviehouse and heard the dub, his jaw dropped to the floor! Bakit tagalog? Bakit? Bakit ako pa Lord? (Sa dinamidami ng aking pinanood na sine, kung sino sino ang hinihingan ko ng passes, iisa pa lamang ang pinanonuod ko, at Pilipino pala si Wesley Snipes!) Hahahahahahahahahaha. No offense but you really love the movie in it's original form.
Hahaha! Le joy of vacation leave. We went to Tambuli West beach resort and the pool was ours! Niko and Rian had the time of their lives. We just frolicked in the pool. It was a kiddie pool and I just laid back and enjoyed watching the clouds. Then slowly I closed my eyes. Listening to the birds....talking tagalog. What? I woke up with people around me. Wooh! I didn't notice there were people around. They came from Manila. Then my little girl casually talked to them and eventually became friends with the entire family. Marunong mag-PR. 5 yrs. old pa. Kapal ng mukha o o! But they were nice. My wife told them where to buy lechon and other pasalubongs. Well, I had to retire on the wooden bed & sleep again!
Yahoo! Le joy of vacation leave. And the finale! Sunday, we watched The Incredibles! Wow talk about supers! Galing! Pixar just made it great! The action, the humor, the close family ties rolled into one! Astig! Looks like the voice of George Clooney on Mr. Incredible. But then it was Craig T. Nelson. It was amazing throughout the movie. It was never boring. All those wit, antics, and what-have-you's! You just laughed at Mr. Incredible. And the way they handled the characters and the story, walang dragging parts. It's a must-see-now movie!
Hmmm. Le joy of....work again tomorrow! Well, back to reality! Can I just have one more day? .... pleasssse?

piNoy tiTans and The woRds of wiSdoM

Teen Titans of the Phils.

Look out! Here's the Pinoy Titans Robin, Raven, Rian, Niko & Me! Talk about real Anime! Yup, the joy of animation. The joy of living the lives of your favorite superheroes. Some of you might think "Why are you still watching cartoons? Grow up!" Well, boys will be boys they say. Taking the fun out of life is just like coffee without sugar or ice cream cone without the ice cream. Just what Y101 party patrol echoes "If it's too loud, you're too old!". And it's more fun if you enjoy this with your children. I bought them Gaogaigar Mecha anime and boy did they finish the whole 4 dvds. I mean really, the whole 40 episodes!?!? And what with the last episode featuring the singers of the theme songs! Two Japanese men with blonde hairs screaming their lungs out! And with a guy who loves drawing, I also collect comic books with great drawings like Whilce Portacio (famous pinoy who draws X-Men), Jim Lee (Korean), Jae Lee, Roger Cruz and many more. You don't see quality drawings in bookstores so you have to buy comic books.

And talking about your superheroes. Some of us dream about being one maybe because of our stressful lives that we want to escape reality. We want to forget our problems:

...the hassle and bustle of everyday life

...the tiresome, redundant, routinary job

...the pressure of studies

...the long awaited sequel and finding out the star is just a look-a-like

...the long lines of the cashier and when it's your turn she says "I'm closed"

...swiping your credit card a hundred times and asking you for another one

...the much awaited payroll and when you finally withdraw, the item you want is already sold

...praying hard for a miracle and when it's there you wanna back out

...seeking desperate attention and when you do-you pee your pants

...reading the business section of the newspaper and finding out you don't understand a thing

...having to eat or drink a wrong order

...staring at your crush for months and finding out she's a homo

...watching at the oil price hike, and watching your empty wallet

...watching Baywatch and looking at your stomach

...looking forward to Hillary Duff but watching Lindsay Lohan

...walking proud with your favorite dress and duh? it's out of style

...trying to be IN and not knowing it's already OUT

...trying to look good even though you didn't take a bath

...eating wasabe to try to impress a girl

...and to try to impress her more, you don't drink water after eating wasabe

...until she sees you turning red

...and still you smile with your lips burning!

Ooops, which side of the bed did I wake up? Sorry. Anyways, there's always something that keeps you busy so you can forget your worries. Some splurge on shopping, some let it out on videogames, some whack it out on tennis, some overswipe their credit cards, some party all night long, some take it out on beers, and some just stare at the night skies and when something hits them, they shout "Himala!" not knowing it's bird poo!

Before I go way out of line, I just wanna say, do anything you want. Don't listen to what other people say. It doesn't get the creativity out of you. If you listen to what people say, it limits you to what they want you to do. You are not free to do what you want. That's what happened to Kill Bill Vol. 2. Do anything so when you grow old you won't regret a thing. And that's the time you can say "been there, done that". And always remember, in every dream there's a familiar quote..."Keep your feet on the skies, and keep reaching for the ground!" Comprende?

Angel of the Night!

Angela Bofill! Yup live at the Ayala Center Cebu. And what a day it was! First, Carol my wife, met her at breakfast at the Intercon but wasn't sure it was her until Angela said thanks to all the staff at the resto. And talk about coincidence! Both of them had the same flight to Cebu.

It was raining puppies & kittens at the lagoon and only the sides were filled up (which only had roofs). The center seats were vacant. Well if you're brave enough, Ayala Center offered umbrellas to those who want to sit in the center. Then at 8:30pm, walang pakyemeng dumating si Ms. Bofill. She walked to the lagoon area with an umbrella and started the free concert with a bang! The night was filled with nostalgia & romance. Her music was timeless. It didn't even had the timeline of the 70's & 80's. It was like the song was new. Not like when other artist are performing, you could tell that it's luma or gasgas na to the max sa radyo! Para bang Inspector Mills! Heaven help me! And our favorite song "You should know by now" sang beautifully by Ms. Bofill. And why our favorite song? Well, that's the answer to the question "Do you love me?". She still had that distinctive voice which we fell in love with. And the crack of the night, the homo who introduced himself as "Hi I'm Angela Bouganvilla...this time I'll be sweeeeeeteeeeeeerrr!" bwahaha.

It was a night we won't forget. And as a parting note from her last song "You've got to follow your road."

Short Story

“LAST DANCE”

It was the summer of ’86. Life was simple back then. It was Prom Night. I hadn’t spoken to my crush or even had the guts to go near her. I had one last chance to talk to her before leaving high school. Everybody was busy taking pictures with their high school buddies, some were crying, some laughing. Me? I was standing right there, a couple of feet in front of her. “Damn! When will my damn guts enter this stupid body and give me the nerve to talk to her…?”
“Excuse me…”
“Huh?” I was taken aback.
“You have been staring at me for the last ten minutes. Is there something wrong?”
Stunned by these words, I sheepishly replied, “Sorry, I hope I didn’t offend you.”
“Yes, you did.” The sharpness of her look killed my train of thought. I didn’t know what to say. “Guts! Where are you?”
“If I’ve caused you any trouble, please forgive me…”
“Now you’re talking.”
“What? I don’t understand…”
“You’ve been staring at me like that ever since the first day of school.”
“Sorry but I didn’t know it has been that long.” Holocaust seems inevitable. If there was a God… Help!
“Is there a problem here?” S***. Scott. Her boyfriend. Now I will really get it. I just closed my eyes and waited for my brains to splatter on the floor.
“He just asked me for a dance that’s all.” She said and turned to me. “Didn’t you?”
Wooh. Wait a minute. Hold everything. Am I hearing it right or is it just my wild imagination running overtime? The thickness of my saliva was running down my dry throat.
“Didn’t you?” She asked with a very distinctive tone. And then I got it. She had this big fight with her boyfriend. She just wanted to get back at him. Well, she’s not getting it now. And what if I stared at her since Day One. It’s my turn now.
“Uhm… I just wanted…” It was cut short. She kissed me. Plan B? There was no plan B. Not only will my brains get splattered all over the place but my body will be hanged on the flagpole by tomorrow dawn. Heeelllp!
I woke up the next morning with a tinge of nostalgia. I got the last dance… with the prom queen. My prom queen. I still stared at her till this very day. Every morning, sleeping soundly right next to me like a newborn baby. With a smile on her face, she looked at me with a sigh. Thoughts still kept bugging me for the past ten years we’ve been married. “How did she ever get that fat?”

A short story by Pen
Nov. 9, 2001
For more short stories, just click pen08 and go to AllosoTales....

marlboro red racing @ VuDu

Saturday night.Typical "Asa man ta?". Earllove just lost her celfon a day before & Rod his airplane ticket. But the laag continues... Sorry guys for waiting 45 mins. but I was at a party you know?!?!? guys?....

Anyways, thanks for waiting. We didn't know where to go so we decided to go to Vudu.Great! The traffic was super. But alas! Fate was on our side. We got a parking space. Rod was hungry so we ate at Ice Castle. (And that was the only time we emptied our pockets!) Because....Thank God for the Marlboro Red Racing School that's happening at the Vudu Lounge! We just registered and viola! Free entrance and a drink. A drink. Ya mga pare, mga ka-tsong, isang beer lang.

Ladies & Gentlemen, let's welcome...Nemo!...What? The fish? oops sorry, it was a band. They played electronic music. That's what they called it. Is it something like Techno? Gosh naman! Electronic daw o! It was hot! Pure Techno! And the others who didn't jive with the music? Pakialam ko! Basta ako enjoy ako! Then there was the nights raffle draw for Marlboro. The names of the lucky ones flashed over the 50 plus inch wide plasma. Wow talk about unique names! Mech, Vader, Booch, then came the last entry (which by the way did not make it due to ek ek reasons). The name is Backless Camelotes! Bwahaha! Talo silang lahat! (And why am I speaking tagalog anyways?) Ah ok taga-Manila naman pala ang Nemo band, kaya pala.

Then the night became hotter when Dj who-was-it?-blah-blah-blah hit the cd and the Marlboro girls danced on the stage! Everyone was really into it now (the 10% crowd who actually danced). I really didn't actually danced. Just my head popping, you know like the dog that sits at the back of the car...yung decor? Then Rod and I maanghang na ang aming mga mata, tuhod ay nangungurog na, at ang baho ng sigarilyo'y nataput na sa aming mga damit! we called it quits. Wow talk about tag-uano o cebgalog! (parang tapsilog ah?).

That was the first libre laag of all time! Where next? nanganad pud mo da!

Massage (first time...or last time?)

Foot massage. Aaah, soothing hot perky water. Ooh ok, my right foot first. Uugh aarggh ooh aahh s*** gaaahhh urlgggh haaaaa ughh guh aaarrghh (the relaxing feeling goes on for 20 mins.). Later, aaahhh! Feels good. Um ok my left foot. (Pls. read again starting with Uugh...).

Back massage. Gotta take of my shirt. Aah, the comfy clean bed. Relaxing.....Uugh aarggh ooh aahh s*** gaaahhh urlgggh haaaaa ughh guh aaarrghh (the relaxing feeling goes on for 20 mins.)

"Thank you sir." Aaah, the soothing, relaxing feeling of foot & back massage. Massage, anyone?

aAaaargghH!

On our CCNA exams -
Our exams is fast approaching & I haven't got a clue what to answer!
What am I gonna do? What are we gonna do? What the ?***!%$&** shall we do?

On our CCNA review -
It is not enough! Walang himala!

On what we're gonna do after this -
Work abroad or work here? hmmmm..... New Zealand? They're hiring nurses!!!!!

On the probability/determination/quasi-theoritically/vaguely thinking of passing the CCNA exams -
Raindrops keep fallin' on my head....

On the possiblity of.......
STOP IT! You're driving me crazy! aAaaargghH!