For today's post, i decided on "re-publishing" one of Conrado de Quiros's articles from http://www.inquirer.net/.
Come to think of it, after almost 23 long years since EDSA People Power 1, nothing has changed.
Theres The Rub
One Ponce Enrile
By Conrado de Quiros
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:49:00 11/20/2008
There’s someone who’s more “malakas” [strongly favored] with all the presidents than Ronaldo Puno and Miriam Defensor-Santiago. That’s Juan Ponce Enrile.
Puno was “malakas” with Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and in part with Ferdinand Marcos. Miriam was “malakas” with Cory Aquino, Joseph Estrada and Arroyo. That’s chicken. Enrile was malakas with Cory, Ramos, Estrada, Arroyo, and above all Marcos. Hell, he was Marcos’ right-hand man.
Of course, only three of those people he was “malakas” with were real presidents. The first and last were/are not. Marcos was not when he became his right-hand man, which was during martial law. But Marcos was so before that, for two terms. That is something Marcos does not share with Arroyo. Pretty much everything else he does.
When Santiago demanded to know why Puno was so “malakas” with all the presidents (she was furious, remembering what Puno did to her in the 1992 elections, which in her view was to rob her of the presidency), her implication was that only someone so unscrupulous, so unprincipled, so opportunistic could possibly manage the feat. That was so because it required either reconciling a slew of conflicting beliefs or having none at all. Her implication further was that his opportunism had been a successful one. He had so gotten into the good graces of his patrons he could commit any crime and get away with it.
Of course, Santiago’s fury blinded her to the possibility the same question might be asked of her and the same inferences drawn from it. But surely what applies to both of them applies tenfold to the one person who was far more “malakas” with all the presidents most Filipinos have known in their lifetime?
And so let us ask: Who is Juan Ponce Enrile and how did he manage that feat? Well, the highlights of his long and seemingly unending career include:
He is the one person who triggered martial law by claiming an attempt on his life in the Wack-Wack subdivision in San Juan. Luckily for him (and not so for the rest of his countrymen), he escaped completely unscathed. Later, during Cory’s time, while depicting himself in his campaign ads as someone who had been stricken by light on the way to Damascus, he admitted lying about it. But still later, he would deny ever having made that confession despite the fact that the world had heard it, compounding one lie with another lie. That alone would have qualified him to be a dependable ally of Arroyo, as he was of Marcos.
Citing that assassination attempt as a last straw, Marcos plunged the country into deepest darkness. With Enrile as chief executor.
He is the one person who claimed to have mounted EDSA People Power I in 1986 and to have rescued this country from Marcos. It didn’t sit well with a people who could not believe he would be so confused about who rescued whom. Or indeed who would be so confused about the difference between rescuer and oppressor. They made Cory their ruler despite his efforts to lay claim upon the crown. For good reason: She embodied EDSA People Power I, she was EDSA People Power I. Enrile was just the tuta who lost out to the mongrel Fabian Ver, and who rebelled against his “amo” [boss] as a result of it. And whom the people rescued from certain death, which gave him a fate worse than death, which was to continue living.
Figuring however, like Santiago afterward, that he had been robbed of the presidency, his boys at RAM mounted one coup after another against Cory, and failed. His boys ended up in jail, spending no small amount of time ruing their sins. He remained free, confined only to ruing lost time.
He is the one person who, along with Santiago and Estrada’s boys at the Senate, defended their master with every trick in the book. The same book that reigned supreme during Marcos’ time, the book of law without justice. To no avail: The people, and not the senators, ultimately sat as judge and found Estrada guilty, sending him gliding in a lonely boat all the way to San Juan by way of the Pasig River.
Later, Enrile (and Santiago) would take turns goading Estrada’s legions to “sugod, sugod” [attack, attack] Malacañang, which those legions did. Several people died in the riots there, at Mendiola. Unfortunately, they did not include Enrile or Santiago. Again, Enrile (and Santiago) would remain free, confined only to ruing lost time.
Not for long. For before you could blink an eye or say “one Ponce Enrile,” he (and Santiago) was lovey-dovey with the person he wanted “sugod-sugoded” at Palace by the Pasig.
He is the one person, who still along with Santiago but also now with Joker Arroyo, sought to discredit Jun Lozada, finding nothing wrong with a project that wasn’t just full of “bukol” [bulges—a street lingo for overpricing] but of malignant tumors. Indeed finding nothing wrong with the way Lozada was met and “escorted” by armed men and driven around, his fate hanging in the balance, before being delivered into the hands of the La Salle brothers. Well, he had seen worse as executor of martial law.
He is the one person who can be counted upon to thwart the “Joc-Joc” Bolante hearing, endorse Charter change, and keep Arroyo in power after 2010. Since he can no longer be king himself at 84 (though I hope age hasn’t dimmed his ambitions in that respect, if only so that he would collide with his current patron), he will be a queen-maker, or a queen-retainer. Along with Prospero Nograles, he will have Arroyo controlling both houses of Congress.
The senators who ousted Manuel Villar say Villar is not fit to lead them, his hands being tainted by corruption. They would rather have someone infinitely cleaner. They would rather have someone infinitely more progressive and democratic and libertarian. They would rather have someone this country can respect and trust and look up to.
They would rather have—one Ponce Enrile.
He is the president of the Senate today. He is master of the house today.
And he is back home, the right-hand man once again of another Marcos.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Here doggie!
By the way, boys and girls, i got myself a new dog. Well, actually, a friend-vet of mine was kind enough to let me "adopt" a cute little puppy who needs a home. He's a Jack Russel Terrier (JRT)mix (his mother is a pure-breed JRT and his father is a Japanese something, hehehe). If you remember an old dog show over at Nick called Wishbone, that's basically a JRT. I call mine Milo, after Jim Carrey's dog in The Mask.
He was born April 20, 2008 and i got him early this month, about 5 months old pa lang, and ang kulit-kulit nya!
Well, so far, so good. He has learned to make poopoo and weewee outside the house but there are times (very seldom) when i have to leave him alone in the house that he just had to go.
Of course, i was warned (when i looked up his breed in the internet) that a JRT is "NOT a non-shedding dog." Cough, cough, cough.
Anyway, here's my Milo:
Isn't he adorable?!
Ok, looking at my list of must-haves in the house:
TV/DVD player.... check
Audio speakers.... check
Dog.... check
New upholstery.... uncheck
Wallpaper.... uncheck
Refrigerator.... uncheck
Room renovation.... uncheck
Gosh, have a loooong way to go, but for now, i'm happy with Milo! 8)
Thanks Doc!
He was born April 20, 2008 and i got him early this month, about 5 months old pa lang, and ang kulit-kulit nya!
Well, so far, so good. He has learned to make poopoo and weewee outside the house but there are times (very seldom) when i have to leave him alone in the house that he just had to go.
Of course, i was warned (when i looked up his breed in the internet) that a JRT is "NOT a non-shedding dog." Cough, cough, cough.
Anyway, here's my Milo:
Isn't he adorable?!
Ok, looking at my list of must-haves in the house:
TV/DVD player.... check
Audio speakers.... check
Dog.... check
New upholstery.... uncheck
Wallpaper.... uncheck
Refrigerator.... uncheck
Room renovation.... uncheck
Gosh, have a loooong way to go, but for now, i'm happy with Milo! 8)
Thanks Doc!
Growing up in the 70s-80s
Received this as a forwarded message in one of my yahoo groups (my HS group) and i thought i just had to blog it....
Yeah, i miss the good old days! Life was so much simpler and so much fun then! As children (during the 70s) and as bagets (a term coined for teen-agers during the early-mid 80s), we were content. Yes, that's the operative word.... CONTENT.
And yes, makes me wanna climb a tree.
Sigh....
To all those born in the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's and even 70's:
First, some of us survived being born to mothers who did not have an OB-Gyne and drank San Miguel Beer while they carried us.
While pregnant, they took cold or cough medicine,
ate isaw, and didn't worry about diabetes.
Then after all that trauma, our baby cribs were made of hard wood covered with lead-based paints, pati na yung walker natin, matigas na kahoy din at wala pang gulong.
We had no soft cushy cribs that play music, no disposable diapers (lampin lang), and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, no kneepads, sometimes wala pang preno yung bisikleta.
As children, we would ride in hot non- airconditioned buses with wooden seats (yung JD bus na pula),or cars with no airconditioning & no seat belts (ngayon lahat may aircon na)
Riding on the back of a carabao on a breezy summer day was considered a treat. (ngayon hindi na nakakakita ng kalabaw ang mga bata)
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle purchased from 711 ( minsan straight from the faucet or poso)
We shared one soft drink bottle with four of our friends, and NO ONE actually died from this. Or contacted hepatitis.
We ate rice with star margarine, drank raw eggs straight from the shell, and drank softdrinks with real sugar in it (hindi diet coke), but we weren't sick or overweight kasi nga......
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, and get back when the streetlights came on. Sarap mag patintero, tumbang preso, habulan at taguan.
No one was able to reach us all day (di uso ang cellphone, walang beepers). And yes, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our wooden trolleys (yung bearing ang gulong) or plywood slides out of scraps and then ride down the street, only to find out we forgot the brakes! After hitting the sidewalk or falling into a canal (sewage channel) a few times, we learned to solve the problem ourselves with our bare & dirty hands.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 100 channels on cable, no DVD movies, no surround stereo, no IPOD's, no cellphones, no computers, no Internet, no chat rooms, and no friendsters. ...... ...WE HAD REAL FRIENDS and we went outside to actually talk and play with them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no stupid lawsuits from these accidents. The only rubbing we get is from our friends with the words. Masakit ba? pero pag galit yung kalaro mo, ang sasabihin sa iyo..beh buti nga !
We played marbles (jolens) in the dirt, washed our hands just a little and ate dirty ice cream & fish balls. We were not afraid of getting germs in our stomachs.
We had to live with homemade guns " gawa sa kahoy, tinali ng rubber band, sumpit, tirador at kung ano ano pa na puedeng makasakitan, pero masaya pa rin ang lahat.
We made up games with sticks ( syatong ), and cans ( tumbang preso )and although we were told they were dangerous, wala naman tayong binulag o napatay. Paminsan minsan may nabubukulan lang.
We walked, rode bikes, or took tricycles to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them to jump out the window!
Mini basketball teams had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't pass had to learn to deal with the disappointment. Wala yang mga childhood depression at damaged self esteem ek-ek na yan. Ang pikon, talo.
Ang magulang ay nandoon lang para tignan kung ayos lang ang mga bata, hindi para makialam at makipag-away sa ibang parents.
That generation of ours has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, creative thinkers and successful professionals ever! They are the CEO's, Engineers, Doctors and Military Generals of today.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had failure, success, and responsibility. We learned from our mistakes the hard way.
You might want to share this with others who've had the luck to grow up as real kids. We were lucky indeed.
And if you like, forward it to your kids too, so they will know how brave their parents were.
It kind of makes you wanna go out and climb a tree, doesn't it?!
PS - The big letters are because your eyes may not be able to read this if they were typed any smaller (at your age).
Yeah, i miss the good old days! Life was so much simpler and so much fun then! As children (during the 70s) and as bagets (a term coined for teen-agers during the early-mid 80s), we were content. Yes, that's the operative word.... CONTENT.
And yes, makes me wanna climb a tree.
Sigh....
To all those born in the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's and even 70's:
First, some of us survived being born to mothers who did not have an OB-Gyne and drank San Miguel Beer while they carried us.
While pregnant, they took cold or cough medicine,
ate isaw, and didn't worry about diabetes.
Then after all that trauma, our baby cribs were made of hard wood covered with lead-based paints, pati na yung walker natin, matigas na kahoy din at wala pang gulong.
We had no soft cushy cribs that play music, no disposable diapers (lampin lang), and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, no kneepads, sometimes wala pang preno yung bisikleta.
As children, we would ride in hot non- airconditioned buses with wooden seats (yung JD bus na pula),or cars with no airconditioning & no seat belts (ngayon lahat may aircon na)
Riding on the back of a carabao on a breezy summer day was considered a treat. (ngayon hindi na nakakakita ng kalabaw ang mga bata)
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle purchased from 711 ( minsan straight from the faucet or poso)
We shared one soft drink bottle with four of our friends, and NO ONE actually died from this. Or contacted hepatitis.
We ate rice with star margarine, drank raw eggs straight from the shell, and drank softdrinks with real sugar in it (hindi diet coke), but we weren't sick or overweight kasi nga......
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, and get back when the streetlights came on. Sarap mag patintero, tumbang preso, habulan at taguan.
No one was able to reach us all day (di uso ang cellphone, walang beepers). And yes, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our wooden trolleys (yung bearing ang gulong) or plywood slides out of scraps and then ride down the street, only to find out we forgot the brakes! After hitting the sidewalk or falling into a canal (sewage channel) a few times, we learned to solve the problem ourselves with our bare & dirty hands.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 100 channels on cable, no DVD movies, no surround stereo, no IPOD's, no cellphones, no computers, no Internet, no chat rooms, and no friendsters. ...... ...WE HAD REAL FRIENDS and we went outside to actually talk and play with them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no stupid lawsuits from these accidents. The only rubbing we get is from our friends with the words. Masakit ba? pero pag galit yung kalaro mo, ang sasabihin sa iyo..beh buti nga !
We played marbles (jolens) in the dirt, washed our hands just a little and ate dirty ice cream & fish balls. We were not afraid of getting germs in our stomachs.
We had to live with homemade guns " gawa sa kahoy, tinali ng rubber band, sumpit, tirador at kung ano ano pa na puedeng makasakitan, pero masaya pa rin ang lahat.
We made up games with sticks ( syatong ), and cans ( tumbang preso )and although we were told they were dangerous, wala naman tayong binulag o napatay. Paminsan minsan may nabubukulan lang.
We walked, rode bikes, or took tricycles to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them to jump out the window!
Mini basketball teams had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't pass had to learn to deal with the disappointment. Wala yang mga childhood depression at damaged self esteem ek-ek na yan. Ang pikon, talo.
Ang magulang ay nandoon lang para tignan kung ayos lang ang mga bata, hindi para makialam at makipag-away sa ibang parents.
That generation of ours has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, creative thinkers and successful professionals ever! They are the CEO's, Engineers, Doctors and Military Generals of today.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had failure, success, and responsibility. We learned from our mistakes the hard way.
You might want to share this with others who've had the luck to grow up as real kids. We were lucky indeed.
And if you like, forward it to your kids too, so they will know how brave their parents were.
It kind of makes you wanna go out and climb a tree, doesn't it?!
PS - The big letters are because your eyes may not be able to read this if they were typed any smaller (at your age).
Friday, September 5, 2008
Licensed!
Renewed my license(s) today. Had to take the day off (happily) from work, yet again. Yes, it's my birthday, tomorrow not today. Yi-pee (**sarcastically**).
I spent around P650 for my driver's license....
--P50 for my "medical" which involved checking my eyesight--i.e., reading a bunch of letters off a chart a few feet away, i think it was on line 8 (one of the smallest). I read them all, 20/20 vision kasi ako. The attendants also took my weight and my height, and that was it! The "certificate," however, showed i had normal blood pressure which they never took and no communicable disease. Ghee, how could they tell? I'm impressed!
--P300 for my drug test (one of those rare times i wasn't thinking "positive," hehehe) which involved giving them my urine sample and voila, in a few minutes, i was "negative" for drugs. Have always been curious, do they actually test your urine for drugs?
--P248 for my license fees.... nothing spectacular here, just went up to the cashier and paid after having my photo taken and signing for my license (electronic signature).
--P20 for my that little packet where you insert your license ID card with the LTO logo and stuff. The man from the photo booth hand u your license with this thingy and tells u "P20 lang." Wala kang choice, u had to pay for it even if you don't want it.
It took me all of 1 1/2 hours, give or take. I'd say not bad for a Philippine government agency, though we can actually do without the drug test. Well, at least business is booming on that side of town.
Next up was my professional ID.... yes, folks, i'm a professional despite my certain demeanor to the contrary. Had to get my photo taken again, this time with my "name tag" below the picture. It's a must! Buti na lang, electronic na rin ung name tag. Before, they used a narrow chalk board where your full name is written so your photo will be taken with that tag. It's not unlike your mug shot, hehehe.
Anyway, as i reached the PRC (Professional Regulation Commission) entrance, i was stopped, together with a woman, by the guard. Apparently, shorts wasn't allowed, and so were sleeveless shirts. Wahaaaaaaaat?!!!! "Sir, kuha muna kayo ng gate pass dun sa gwardya sa may exit." And so, i did. Note: I wasn't wearing sleeveless shirt, it was that woman, hehehe. I was wearing shorts knee-low (knee-low???! hahaha!) and tsinelas.
Almost blew my top at that "regulation." I told the guard, how discriminating! A pair of flip-flops and shorts, or sleeveless shirts do not a professional unmake. Uhhmmmm, let me rephrase that. The above apparel doesn't make me any less professional than the next person in trousers or sleeved shirts. Grrrrrrr! And how was i supposed to know this rule? "Sige sir, next time po ha. Pinagbawal po kasi and naka-shorts at sleeveless." Yeah, next time, in 2011!
But the breeze in which i finished processing my PRC ID more than made up for that ealier fiasco. In a matter of minutes, i was out of there. Grabe, and daming tao, at sobrang init! I was just so glad to have it done and over with. Though, unlike my driver's license, i had to go back for my ID in about 1 1/2 months.
Wow, look at the disparity--I had my driver's license in 1 1/2 hours, i get my professional ID in 1 1/2 months. Pareho ng bilang, magkaiba ng unit of measure!
Sigh.... and this is how i spend my special day in the Philippines, at least every three years, renewing my licenses. Bakit kasi hindi na lang ginawang birth month instead of on or before your birthday!
Happy birthday, moi!
8)
I spent around P650 for my driver's license....
--P50 for my "medical" which involved checking my eyesight--i.e., reading a bunch of letters off a chart a few feet away, i think it was on line 8 (one of the smallest). I read them all, 20/20 vision kasi ako. The attendants also took my weight and my height, and that was it! The "certificate," however, showed i had normal blood pressure which they never took and no communicable disease. Ghee, how could they tell? I'm impressed!
--P300 for my drug test (one of those rare times i wasn't thinking "positive," hehehe) which involved giving them my urine sample and voila, in a few minutes, i was "negative" for drugs. Have always been curious, do they actually test your urine for drugs?
--P248 for my license fees.... nothing spectacular here, just went up to the cashier and paid after having my photo taken and signing for my license (electronic signature).
--P20 for my that little packet where you insert your license ID card with the LTO logo and stuff. The man from the photo booth hand u your license with this thingy and tells u "P20 lang." Wala kang choice, u had to pay for it even if you don't want it.
It took me all of 1 1/2 hours, give or take. I'd say not bad for a Philippine government agency, though we can actually do without the drug test. Well, at least business is booming on that side of town.
Next up was my professional ID.... yes, folks, i'm a professional despite my certain demeanor to the contrary. Had to get my photo taken again, this time with my "name tag" below the picture. It's a must! Buti na lang, electronic na rin ung name tag. Before, they used a narrow chalk board where your full name is written so your photo will be taken with that tag. It's not unlike your mug shot, hehehe.
Anyway, as i reached the PRC (Professional Regulation Commission) entrance, i was stopped, together with a woman, by the guard. Apparently, shorts wasn't allowed, and so were sleeveless shirts. Wahaaaaaaaat?!!!! "Sir, kuha muna kayo ng gate pass dun sa gwardya sa may exit." And so, i did. Note: I wasn't wearing sleeveless shirt, it was that woman, hehehe. I was wearing shorts knee-low (knee-low???! hahaha!) and tsinelas.
Almost blew my top at that "regulation." I told the guard, how discriminating! A pair of flip-flops and shorts, or sleeveless shirts do not a professional unmake. Uhhmmmm, let me rephrase that. The above apparel doesn't make me any less professional than the next person in trousers or sleeved shirts. Grrrrrrr! And how was i supposed to know this rule? "Sige sir, next time po ha. Pinagbawal po kasi and naka-shorts at sleeveless." Yeah, next time, in 2011!
But the breeze in which i finished processing my PRC ID more than made up for that ealier fiasco. In a matter of minutes, i was out of there. Grabe, and daming tao, at sobrang init! I was just so glad to have it done and over with. Though, unlike my driver's license, i had to go back for my ID in about 1 1/2 months.
Wow, look at the disparity--I had my driver's license in 1 1/2 hours, i get my professional ID in 1 1/2 months. Pareho ng bilang, magkaiba ng unit of measure!
Sigh.... and this is how i spend my special day in the Philippines, at least every three years, renewing my licenses. Bakit kasi hindi na lang ginawang birth month instead of on or before your birthday!
Happy birthday, moi!
8)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Cool Baguio
This was just my 4th time. "So what, it's my 1st," quips Kechap, a real/fictitious pet (?) name of one of my companions. Take note that this quote has been modified for literary purposes.
Yes, there are people who actually haven't been to this city of pines, and yes, i can blame them.
How can i? It's a mere 6-hour bus ride with 2 stop-overs (so, u can do your thing, among other things, if u know what i mean). But bring your trusty loperamide, just in case.
You may also bring baon along the way if you're not too keen on bus station food. Our ring leader for this trip brought grilled chicken and spaghetti. How appropriate!
Along the way, there was a little zigging and zagging as we traversed, i was told, Marcos highway. I'm afraid of heights so the darkness served as good cover for the steep (?) peaks. I should've have brought Bonamin too. I settled for my melon-flavored candies and pretended to sleep while whispering a prayer. How come everybody was asleep except me?
By 3:00am, Victory at last--i mean, the bus station. Now, I could really feel the cold.... and it felt cool (also figuratively) and exciting (still). Was it the place or the company i keep? Nonetheless, i was in cool Baguio!
Warm breaths on your palms, snapshots, flashes of lights, etc, etc; conspicuously feeling like "tourists among the purists," hehehe.
Our accomodations were practically just a stone's throw away from the station and we gladly, boisterously walked our way there, never mind the time and the cold--in between snapshots, of course.
The apartelle was called Tulip, just beside a famous complex of music bars/joints called Nevada Square. Hmmm, how convenient! Now i know where to grab my Red Horse come midnight.
We tried to catch some sleep immediately after finishing our baon (or what's left of it). A few hours later, we were at Session Road for brunch. We all had Mongolian eat-all-u-can (at a resto called Gobi, i think). It was like getting a full tank of gas for a whole day's drive (i.e., our itinerary). I had two bowls--a bowl of rice and meat and vegetables and tofu, and a bowl of noodles and meat and vegetables and tofu.... in that order. I have never felt so stuffed in my entire life. It's like fatted cattle being led to slaughter. I think i may have to take something later for dyspepsia. Burp.
From there, we walked to (we had to, after that eat-like-there's-no-tomorrow brunch) SM City Baguio.... a mall.... ta-dah! Since i've always thought of the U.S. as Mickey Mouse country, am i correct in declaring that the Philippines is fast becoming SM country? Notice most Philippine key cities now have SM cities. **Shivers** But i digress.... moving along....
Now what would Baguio be without a visit to Mines View Park? I was feeling familiar already and excited (maybe just a little) as i was entering the park--it was exactly the same "balcony" (i.e., the viewing area) i visited years ago. Indeed, the more things change, the more things stay the same. And that goes for the banana ques as well (being sold by street vendors near the park entrance/exit). They were actually the same banana (pun intended) but somehow, it was fried to perfection in caramelized sugar. Yum! It was the best banana que ever, best thing since sliced bread.
From one park to the next--we then went to Burnham Park! Time for corn--king corn, i called them. I thought they were huge, and a little hard on the teeth. How about some strawberry taho on the side? And being at Burnham park, u either get a boat ride, a bike ride, or both. Naturally and quite sensibly, i didn't want anything but my picture taken. **Poses**
It has been very cold all throughout the day, and our itinerary was marred by intermittent rains. Turns out there was a storm brewing and Baguio was under signal no. 1, i think--and so was Metro Manila. That would explain the extreme cold (though i was told i haven't seen nothin' yet) and fog on the streets. "It's not unlike San Francisco," says our well-traveled (?) and uber-cultured (????) ring leader, Jiji (obviously not his real name, hehehe).
So all in all.... the whole day literally had us strolling in the park (2 parks).
But the sad thing is, that was technically our last day in Baguio, as we'd be Manila-bound the following day. Boo-hoo. Yup, it was bitin.... wish we could have stayed longer and seen more (with pics to boot) of Baguio. Despite time catching us flat-footed, it was all worth it. Baguio has always been and will always be about the (bed) weather and the fantastic view from the top. **Plays Kylie Minogue's "I'm So High"**
T'was a cool experience, ring leader. Thanks for the guided tour and footing the cab fare (some of it, anyway). Beautiful resolution on your camera, Kechap. When do we see them goddam pics? The same goes to Lava's camera. Thanks for the prompt pics upload. And to (my) charmed one, Phoebe, thanks for the warm blanket, our little piece of home with its familiar smell of home. Just not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing--the smell, i mean. Hmmm....
Anyway, it was good to finally get away (far) for the week-end! And for the first time in years, i was blowing smoke even without cigarette in hand.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Postscript to Mama's day
Imagine that.... it was almost 8 long months ago.
Dec. 1, 2007, 7pm, and she turned 77. It was actually her first big party. It was a surprise party. She thought we had forgotten all about her. She thought we don't love her. Well, she thought wrong, and did she ever!
"Hindi ko talaga alam." Those were the only words she could say as soon as she saw her amigas in the ballroom. I couldn't hear those words but i could read them through her lips. She looked happy. She was happy, and a little nervous. Her mouth was shaking all throughout the affair. There was plenty of food, but she couldn't eat. I'm sure she was hungry, but she felt full. One thing is certain, she felt loved!
Everyone was there: our neighbors in the subdivision, he co-teachers in public school, her co-handmaidens (don't ask, it's a group of widows thing).... her friends. I'm sure she wished Papa could have been there too. As did I.
But above all, we were all there, her family (save for 1 of my sisters who works overseas). After that night, she never felt alone again. Well, here's hoping she never does.
We love you, Mama!
And (belated) Happy birthday!
Sa December ulet.
Dec. 1, 2007, 7pm, and she turned 77. It was actually her first big party. It was a surprise party. She thought we had forgotten all about her. She thought we don't love her. Well, she thought wrong, and did she ever!
"Hindi ko talaga alam." Those were the only words she could say as soon as she saw her amigas in the ballroom. I couldn't hear those words but i could read them through her lips. She looked happy. She was happy, and a little nervous. Her mouth was shaking all throughout the affair. There was plenty of food, but she couldn't eat. I'm sure she was hungry, but she felt full. One thing is certain, she felt loved!
Everyone was there: our neighbors in the subdivision, he co-teachers in public school, her co-handmaidens (don't ask, it's a group of widows thing).... her friends. I'm sure she wished Papa could have been there too. As did I.
But above all, we were all there, her family (save for 1 of my sisters who works overseas). After that night, she never felt alone again. Well, here's hoping she never does.
We love you, Mama!
And (belated) Happy birthday!
Sa December ulet.
Monday, June 16, 2008
How I'd love to dance with my father again....
Dance With My Father
Performed by Luther Vandross
Back when I was a child, before life removed all the innocence
My father would lift me high and dance with my mother and me and then
Spin me around 'til I fell asleep
Then up the stairs he would carry me
And I knew for sure I was loved
If I could get another chance, another walk, another dance with him
I'd play a song that would never, ever end
How I'd love, love, love
To dance with my father again
When I and my mother would disagree
To get my way, I would run from her to him
He'd make me laugh just to comfort me
Then finally make me do just what my mama said
Later that night when I was asleep
He left a dollar under my sheet
Never dreamed that he would be gone from me
If I could steal one final glance, one final step, one final dance with him
I'd play a song that would never, ever end
'Cause I'd love, love, love
To dance with my father again
Sometimes I'd listen outside her door
And I'd hear how my mother cried for him
I pray for her even more than me
I pray for her even more than me
I know I'm praying for much too much
But could you send back the only man she loved
I know you don't do it usually
But dear Lord she's dying
To dance with my father again
Every night I fall asleep and this is all I ever dream
****
Performed by Luther Vandross
Back when I was a child, before life removed all the innocence
My father would lift me high and dance with my mother and me and then
Spin me around 'til I fell asleep
Then up the stairs he would carry me
And I knew for sure I was loved
If I could get another chance, another walk, another dance with him
I'd play a song that would never, ever end
How I'd love, love, love
To dance with my father again
When I and my mother would disagree
To get my way, I would run from her to him
He'd make me laugh just to comfort me
Then finally make me do just what my mama said
Later that night when I was asleep
He left a dollar under my sheet
Never dreamed that he would be gone from me
If I could steal one final glance, one final step, one final dance with him
I'd play a song that would never, ever end
'Cause I'd love, love, love
To dance with my father again
Sometimes I'd listen outside her door
And I'd hear how my mother cried for him
I pray for her even more than me
I pray for her even more than me
I know I'm praying for much too much
But could you send back the only man she loved
I know you don't do it usually
But dear Lord she's dying
To dance with my father again
Every night I fall asleep and this is all I ever dream
****
Friday, June 13, 2008
Are you getting Hard Candy?
I know it's about over a month overdue but i got Hard Candy! The 49-year old pop icon did it again! Except for 4 Minutes (which is very Timbaland, production-wise), everything else is Madonna. And contrary to earlier fears of Madonna going all gangsta, the Madonna-Pharell tracks are actually "groovy" (i.e., nice grooves), catchy and refreshingly unpredictable (e.g., "She's Not Me" and "Incredible"). Now, before i get carried away with the "i.e.'s" and the "e.g.'s"....
The CD has 12 tracks (with a 13th bonus track included in the Japanese release). Lucky them Japanese!
My favorite is Heartbeat. "See my booty get down like... uuhhm." 8)
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Gas price looms at sixty-f******-five per liter
At the P40-P45 range, it was tolerable.
Nearing the P50 mark, i felt helpless.
By P54, i was defeated (and angry!).
I wonder how i'd feel if gas prices actually hit P65. I dare not find out.
Only in the Philippines are consumers so helpless against this brand of capitalism. In this case, motorists are dead in the tracks of oil companies.
I've ventured on a personal boycott of sorts--i don't use my car unless i absolutely have to. This isn't such a tall order as i thought it would be.
For the past 2 weeks now, I've taken the jeepney (2 actually) from Manila to work (P8 + P9 = P17, back and forth would total P34/day). Pros: i get to have my morning walk and my own public stairmaster when i use the overpass. Cons: inconvenient, of course.
Prior to that, i spent an average of about P100 (give or take) per day on gas/parking alone. Yes, of course, no doubt about it, it's convenient, but unreasonably/outrageously expensive for my middle-class taste (?).... read: remuneration.
Now, if there were thousands and thousands like me, that is, taking public transport (unless they absolutely have to drive their cars), this "boycott" of sorts would be a whole new ball game.
Ahh, but that's just me dreaming out loud.
****
Postscript. Raise that flag, citizen! Mabuhay tayong lahat on the occasion of our 110th anniversary as a nation.
Nearing the P50 mark, i felt helpless.
By P54, i was defeated (and angry!).
I wonder how i'd feel if gas prices actually hit P65. I dare not find out.
Only in the Philippines are consumers so helpless against this brand of capitalism. In this case, motorists are dead in the tracks of oil companies.
I've ventured on a personal boycott of sorts--i don't use my car unless i absolutely have to. This isn't such a tall order as i thought it would be.
For the past 2 weeks now, I've taken the jeepney (2 actually) from Manila to work (P8 + P9 = P17, back and forth would total P34/day). Pros: i get to have my morning walk and my own public stairmaster when i use the overpass. Cons: inconvenient, of course.
Prior to that, i spent an average of about P100 (give or take) per day on gas/parking alone. Yes, of course, no doubt about it, it's convenient, but unreasonably/outrageously expensive for my middle-class taste (?).... read: remuneration.
Now, if there were thousands and thousands like me, that is, taking public transport (unless they absolutely have to drive their cars), this "boycott" of sorts would be a whole new ball game.
Ahh, but that's just me dreaming out loud.
****
Postscript. Raise that flag, citizen! Mabuhay tayong lahat on the occasion of our 110th anniversary as a nation.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
What just happened?
Wow, it has been quite a long while!
Almost 3 months have passed and it feels like everything came and went in a blink of an eye.
Well, u know what they say about time.... we don't seem to have enough of it, and it flies!
Hmmm, could it be that i only have 20 hours a day, and others have the full 24? Well, that's fresh.... and convenient! Especially for people who can't make time. Guilty, as charged!
Actually, a lot has happened since my last post. Went to Puerto Galera for its famous Mindoro sling (and the beach, of course), started a new 6-week project back in the office (here i go again) immediately after Galera (gasp!), spent the Holy Week in the coastal coco palm city of the south (kasama ang nanay ko, ilang kapatid at pamangkin), resumed my project notwithstanding my Easter Sunday hangover, attended my High School reunion (Class of 8*) despite my cynical alter ego's defiant protestations, and went to the beach yet again (in La Union) for some quality sun, sand and surf time, and some beer time, too. Not bad huh.... in just a span of 3 months.
So, what just happened? Life.
You live, you love, you work, you play, you pray.... but above all, you enjoy it.... NOW!
For if you wait til tomorrow, you might be dead!
So, here's to experiences (and travel)--so much underrated but they're good for ya.
Next stop, Southeast Asia? 8)
Almost 3 months have passed and it feels like everything came and went in a blink of an eye.
Well, u know what they say about time.... we don't seem to have enough of it, and it flies!
Hmmm, could it be that i only have 20 hours a day, and others have the full 24? Well, that's fresh.... and convenient! Especially for people who can't make time. Guilty, as charged!
Actually, a lot has happened since my last post. Went to Puerto Galera for its famous Mindoro sling (and the beach, of course), started a new 6-week project back in the office (here i go again) immediately after Galera (gasp!), spent the Holy Week in the coastal coco palm city of the south (kasama ang nanay ko, ilang kapatid at pamangkin), resumed my project notwithstanding my Easter Sunday hangover, attended my High School reunion (Class of 8*) despite my cynical alter ego's defiant protestations, and went to the beach yet again (in La Union) for some quality sun, sand and surf time, and some beer time, too. Not bad huh.... in just a span of 3 months.
So, what just happened? Life.
You live, you love, you work, you play, you pray.... but above all, you enjoy it.... NOW!
For if you wait til tomorrow, you might be dead!
So, here's to experiences (and travel)--so much underrated but they're good for ya.
Next stop, Southeast Asia? 8)
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Spring cleaning in summer (almost)
Had to take the day off yesterday... domestic plumbing concerns... which i absolutely know nothing about except for turning on and off the main valve.
And since i was going to spend the day lazing around my cozy confinement i call home, i decided to do some spring cleaning, so to speak.
For a Virgo, i'm actually a messy person. I don't know, i think i thrive in mess... but it's an organized mess--i know where to find what. Mama (tawag ko sa Nanay ko) used to tease me she'll find snakes underneath my bed... of course, she's exaggerating. Kamote pa siguro, pwede nang taniman... now, i'm exaggerating.
Now where to start? That was tough. I actually didn't know where to start. It's amazing how time compiles so much dust and clutter and memories in one small room. I was tempted to just turn the room upside down and toss away everything. Sabi nga ng Sex Bomb, "itaktak mo."
But just like most Pinoys and my Mama, i don't throw away things, i keep them... to collect dust and occupy space... just like "matter" (i.e., anything that occupies space and has mass).
Plastic bags from supermarkets, stores, shops... have lots of them. I don't know what's with my long love affair with plastic bags, definitely not for aesthetic reasons. Maybe it has something to do with where i'm going to eventually put all my "trash" in. Well at least subliminally iniisip kong may silbi pala sila!
How about old shoes and slippers that i don't use? How about old clothes i've kept since... college? Which was **** years ago? Gosh, i still have my old SGV (SyCip, Gorres, Velayo for those who care to know) work papers and reference materials. This should give you an idea of what i used to do--"used to do" being the operative phrase. And while we're on the subject of old shoes, throw in the shoe boxes... oh, i love these!
And my laundry, how i wish i could just throw them away too! Unfortunately, my wardrobe is quite limited (maybe even outdated), that that actually made me consider (happily) updating my clothes. And it's about time too.
Sorting and throwing and crumpling pieces of paper and plastic... if i had a shredder, i'd shred them all for the mere pleasure and luxury of it. I finally brought in the only thing i needed in this endeavor. Ang sabi nga nila, what do you do with your house/room with a (very) limited cleaning and decorating budget? Get a broom!
Next time, i'm getting a vacuum cleaner.
And since i was going to spend the day lazing around my cozy confinement i call home, i decided to do some spring cleaning, so to speak.
For a Virgo, i'm actually a messy person. I don't know, i think i thrive in mess... but it's an organized mess--i know where to find what. Mama (tawag ko sa Nanay ko) used to tease me she'll find snakes underneath my bed... of course, she's exaggerating. Kamote pa siguro, pwede nang taniman... now, i'm exaggerating.
Now where to start? That was tough. I actually didn't know where to start. It's amazing how time compiles so much dust and clutter and memories in one small room. I was tempted to just turn the room upside down and toss away everything. Sabi nga ng Sex Bomb, "itaktak mo."
But just like most Pinoys and my Mama, i don't throw away things, i keep them... to collect dust and occupy space... just like "matter" (i.e., anything that occupies space and has mass).
Plastic bags from supermarkets, stores, shops... have lots of them. I don't know what's with my long love affair with plastic bags, definitely not for aesthetic reasons. Maybe it has something to do with where i'm going to eventually put all my "trash" in. Well at least subliminally iniisip kong may silbi pala sila!
How about old shoes and slippers that i don't use? How about old clothes i've kept since... college? Which was **** years ago? Gosh, i still have my old SGV (SyCip, Gorres, Velayo for those who care to know) work papers and reference materials. This should give you an idea of what i used to do--"used to do" being the operative phrase. And while we're on the subject of old shoes, throw in the shoe boxes... oh, i love these!
And my laundry, how i wish i could just throw them away too! Unfortunately, my wardrobe is quite limited (maybe even outdated), that that actually made me consider (happily) updating my clothes. And it's about time too.
Sorting and throwing and crumpling pieces of paper and plastic... if i had a shredder, i'd shred them all for the mere pleasure and luxury of it. I finally brought in the only thing i needed in this endeavor. Ang sabi nga nila, what do you do with your house/room with a (very) limited cleaning and decorating budget? Get a broom!
Next time, i'm getting a vacuum cleaner.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Her peasant feet
Her feet brought her all the way to France, which i think inspired her to blog (http://mypeasantfeet.blogspot.com/). She, in turn, inspired me.
Had this crass (?) feeling of envy, of going to France myself (a peasant dream) and writing my own blog (a peasant frustration--actually, writing in general), which brought me here--my first blog and my first post.
The blog title was a challenge in itself, but i finally settled for something simple and something off the cuff--as in write the first (or second) thing that comes to mind. At least I have an excuse to be silly and pointless, and vent my middle class angst, among others.
Thanks, Patricia, for the inspiration and for letting me use (though after the fact) "peasant" on my first post.
Salut!
8)
Had this crass (?) feeling of envy, of going to France myself (a peasant dream) and writing my own blog (a peasant frustration--actually, writing in general), which brought me here--my first blog and my first post.
The blog title was a challenge in itself, but i finally settled for something simple and something off the cuff--as in write the first (or second) thing that comes to mind. At least I have an excuse to be silly and pointless, and vent my middle class angst, among others.
Thanks, Patricia, for the inspiration and for letting me use (though after the fact) "peasant" on my first post.
Salut!
8)
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