for my sister's achy-breaky heart:-(

here's the pic that goes hand in hand with the music video!love u yaku:-)

will it be a merry christmas?

For the first time ever,I am CLUELESS about how Christmas will unfold this year.If my travel plan pushes through,God willing,(I've been waiting for quite long already)I'll celebrate it in the lion city.

Usually,my family would spend Christmas in our hometown.We attend masses,hold parties,and resort to our delightful "funny gifts".Firecrackers are everywhere,and I mean everywhere,that most people  who are fearful of losing a finger or two resort to cursing after the midnight mass.

Maybe this year,I'm bound to spend it alone.

Perhaps in a subway as a passenger gazing as the entire place is filled with firefly-looking Christmas lights.Or in a charming church flocked by multi-racial parishioners.Or maybe I'd be rubbing elbows with strangers as I wander around the Merlion statue singing a Filipino Christmas Carol,hoping it will catch the attention of a fellow Filipino who like me wishes a handy reminder of how this joyous event is celebrated at home:-)

How about you,what will Christmas be like?

magical

I chanced upon this information that meteor shower will dominate Philippine skies this Tuesday morning.But since it has been raining in the afternoon,will the weather come in the way of this beautiful sighting?

There will be 40 meteors an hour tonight and if myth be real,we have forty chances of having our wishes come true!Happy star gazing!

FB-ing has its detriments.

I recently "nagged" with its "tag" feature because my sister uploaded an album that showed ghastly,kalusmos-musmos looking pics of ourselves(me and my other sisters,excluding herself...hmmmmmm)to facebook...

Tag should simply be limited to the photos that you chose and not the entire album!I'm laughing about this now but nuts as it seems,it did cause worry on me yesterday!

of food and friendship

This is my favorite scene in the movie.365 days after,Julie,a culinary novice, whipped out this delicious array of recipe that yells:MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
Together with best buds Visa and Carie, we trooped into the cinema to watch Julie and Julia.
The movie was supposed to start at 5:10 but no thanks to my erring punctuality, I arrived late….grrrrr..
While watching, we were binging on Chippy crackers and noticed that the theatre looked like we had a private screening because we can do a headcount on those who were inside. We even joked that for every person coming in, we were gaining movieHOUSEMATES.

The movie evolved on two women who found bliss in homecooking.It was a searing statement in the power of curiosity. Julia was ignored in her all male cooking class and ridiculed when she can’t mince onions. She practiced religiously at home and even when the onion bulbs were tear-jerkers, she came up with a mountain pile.
Next day, like a true blue Cordon Bleu Chef,she made her classmates look like wimps when she emerged as the fastest chopper to finish the chore.
It was also a call to DARE.
In 1943,there were no French cook books printed in English. Julia sought to write one and she got published.
In 1992,Julie thought her blog only had a lone reader in the person of her Mom.When she looked up,she discovered the throngs of comments from her followers.She even received ingredients as gifts from her readers.She went on writing in cyber space, authored a book, and signed up for a movie.

It was BOOST on partnership.
We hear men credit their wives for the persons they’ve become. The movie turned the tables around and depicted how strong-willed and selfless men can mold their spouses into being driven and dedicated to their crafts.
Behind a great man is a great woman,vis-à-vis, behind a great woman is a great loving man.


But if I’ll pluck out the core message, it’s GETTING STARTED. It’s bad enough to be slacker, it’s worse to be a quitter but the worst kind is definitely the non-starter.
So whether it’s a new hobby, a new travel destination, or a new article to a forgotten but not forsaken blog-BRING IT ON.

10 Ways to Be Liked in Your Job Interview
by Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon

No matter your resume and talents, if you mess up a job interview you won't get that position. In today's tough economy you need every possible edge. As authors of the new book, "I Hate People! Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What you Want Out of Your Job," we see it as a simple equation: You want to be liked -- not hated.
Here are 10 simple things to do that will dramatically increase your chances: from wearing the right expression, to knowing what not to say, to never ever breaking a sweat.

1. Don't be a "smiley face."
Excessive smiling in a job interview is seen for what it is -- nervousness and a lack of confidence. A smiley-face person exudes phoniness, which will quickly be picked up by the interviewer. Instead be thoughtful and pleasant. Smile when there's something to smile about. Do a practice run in front of a mirror or friend.

2. Don't be a small-talker.
Your job is to be knowledgeable about the company for which you're interviewing. Random facts about last night's episode of "Dancing with the Stars" or your favorite blog will not get you the job. Never feel you have to fill an interview with small talk. Find ways to talk about serious subjects related to the industry or company. Pockets of silence are better than padding an interview with random babble.

3. Don't sweat.
You can lose a job by wearing an undershirt or simply a little too much clothing. Sweaty palms or beads on your forehead will not impress. You are not applying to be a personal trainer. Sweat will be seen as a sign of weakness and nervousness. Do a practice run with your job interview outfit in front of friends. The job interview is one place you definitely don't want to be hot.

4. Don't be a road block.
Interviewers are seeking candidates eager to take on challenging projects and jobs. Hesitance and a nay-saying mentality will be as visible as a red tie -- and seen as a negative. Practice saying "yes" to questions about your interest in tasks and work that might normally give you pause.

5. Don't be petty.
Asking the location of the lunchroom or meeting room will clue the interviewer into your lack of preparation and initiative. Prepare. Don't ask questions about routine elements or functions of a company: where stuff is, the size of your cube, and company policy on coffee breaks.

6. Don't be a liar.
Studies show that employees lie frequently in the workplace. Lying won't get you a job. In a job interview even a slight exaggeration is lying. Don't. Never stretch your resume or embellish accomplishments. There's a difference between speaking with a measured confidence and engaging in BS. One lie can ruin your entire interview, and the skilled interviewer will spot the lie and show you the door.

7. Don't be a bad comedian.
Humor tends to be very subjective, and while it may be tempting to lead your interview with a joke you've got to be careful about your material. You probably will know nothing about the sensibilities of your interviewer, let alone what makes them laugh. On the other hand, nothing disarms the tension of a job interview like a little laughter, so you can probably score at least a courtesy chuckle mentioning that it's "perfect weather for a job interview!"

8. Don't be high-maintenance.
If you start talking about the ideal office temperature, the perfect chair for your tricky back, and how the water cooler needs to be filled with imported mineral water, chances are you'll be shown a polite smile and the door, regardless of your qualifications. Nobody hiring today is going to be looking for someone who's going to be finicky about their workspace.

9. Don't be a time-waster.
At every job interview, the prospective hire is given the chance to ask questions. Make yours intelligent, to the point, and watch the person across the desk for visual cues whether you've asked enough. Ask too many questions about off-target matters and you'll be thought of as someone destined to waste the company's resources with insignificant and time-wasting matters.

10. Don't be a switchblade.
Normally the switchblade is thought of a backstabber, often taking credit for someone else's work. In an interview setting, the switchblade can't help but "trash talk" his former employer. If you make it seem like your former workplace was hell on Earth, the person interviewing you might be tempted to call them to find out who was the real devil.

Ninoy's Letter to Ballsy

My dearest Ballsy,

“I write you this letter with tears in my eyes and as if steel fingers are crushing my heart because I wanted so much to be with you as you celebrate your legal emancipation. Now that you have come of age, my love, a voice tells me that I am no longer young and suddenly, I feel old.
“An old poet gave this advice very long ago: ‘when you are sad, remember the roses will bloom in December.’ I want to send you bouquet of roses, big red roses from my dreamland garden. Unfortunately for the present, my roses are not in bloom, in fact they have dropped all their petals and only the thorns are left to keep me company. I do think it is fitting to send you a thicket of thorns on this memorable day!
“I am very proud of you because you have inherited all the best traits of your mother. You are sensible, responsible, even-tempered and sincere with the least pretenses and affection which I vehemently detest in a woman. I am sure, like your mother, you will possess that rare brand of silent courage and that combination of fidelity and fortitude that will be the life vest of your man in the tragic moments of his life.
“During my lonely hours of solitary confinement in Fort Magsaysay, Laur, Nueva Ecija last March and April with nothing else to do but pray and daydream, with only my fond memories to keep me company, I planned a weekend barrio fiesta for you in Tarlac for your 18th birthday. I fooled myself into believing that my ordeal would end with the fiscal year. I planned to invite all your classmates and friends and their families for the weekend.
“The schedule called for an early departure by bus from Manila and the first stop will be Concepcion, where lunch will be served by the pool. And after lunch, you were to visit the Santa Rita Elementary School to distribute cookies and ice cream to the children of that public school where you were first enrolled. I guess sheer nostalgia prompted me to include Santa Rita. We were only three then: Mommie, you and I. Those were the days of happy memories, little responsibilities, tremendous freedom, a great future ahead and capped by a fulfillment of love. You are the first fruit of our union, the first proof of our love and the first seal of our affections.
“From Concepcion we were to proceed to Luisita for the barrio fiesta. I intended to invite a friend who could roast an entire cow succulently. Swimming, pelota, dancing and eating would have been the order of the day. Sunday morning was reserved for a trip around the Hacienda and the mill and maybe golf for some of the parents and later a picnic-lunch on Uncle Tony’s Island. Return to Manila after lunch. I am afraid this will have to remain one of the many dreams I had in Laur.
“Our future has suddenly become uncertain and our fate unknown. I am even now beginning to doubt whether I’ll ever be able to return to you and the family. Hence, I would like to ask you these special favors.
“Love your mother, whose love for you, you will never be able to match. She is not the greatest mother in the world, she is your sincerest friend. Take care of your younger sisters and brother and lavish them with the love and care I would like to continue giving them but am unable to do so. Help Noynoy along and pray hard that he will grow to be a real, responsible man who in later years will protect you all. You are the model for your three younger sisters. Your responsibility is therefore great. Please endeavor to live up to our highest expectations. Be more tolerant to Pinky, more accessible to Viel, our little genius-princess, and more charitable to Krissy, our baby doll, and make up for my neglect.
“Finally, forgive me, my love, for not having been an ideal, good and thoughtful father to you all as I pursued public office. I had hopes and high resolve of making up, but I am afraid my destiny will not oblige. I seal this letter with a drop of tear and a prayer in my heart, that somehow, somewhere we shall meet again and I will finally be able to make up for all my lapses, in the kingdom where justice reigns supreme and love is eternal.
“I love you, Dad”

when ur pet becomes a part of ur family

By Jessica Zafra:

To us she was the symbol of the world we wanted: a world where people could speak their minds without disappearing, where public servants actually served, where leaders were honest, just, selfless, intelligent and dignified.
You don’t have to be 35 and up to know that that was not the world we got. These days when we speak of politics at all it is with indifference, anger, or “Please, could we talk about something that doesn’t make us nauseous?” But there was a time when we could discuss government with hope, pride and trust in our leaders, and that was when Corazon Aquino was president.

It did not last. We were cruelly disillusioned: “Pare-pareho lang naman pala kayong lahat.” The revolution had failed us, if it was a revolution at all. Later, whenever Tita Cory urged us to join mass protests against official corruption we still went, but many of us wondered what for. Massing on the streets would cause traffic jams, disrupt business, generate bad press for the country. We should be mature, let the democratic process take its course.
In other words we had resolved to suck it up. Grownups do it all the time.
So we did what was deemed pragmatic. We made compromises and dug in.
We didn’t want any trouble. We got by; some would argue that we did pretty well under the circumstances. But something rankled. If we were doing the right thing, why were we beginning to loathe ourselves?
We heard ourselves speaking with fond nostalgia about how orderly the city was during the Marcos years, how at least there was support for the arts. More and more we found ourselves throwing our hands up and saying, “Whatever.” Is that what being an adult is like, saying “There’s nothing I can do”? No more applying your imagination, just sheep-like acceptance? Because if that’s maturity, it is not a good thing.
When I heard the news of President Cory Aquino’s death I was surprised at how upset I was. I found myself getting teary-eyed when talking about her. Most times I will gouge your eyes out before I let you see me cry, but in this instance it’s all right — my friends are getting soppy, too. On TV, hardcore former coup plotters are weeping because Tita Cory is dead.

Thousands of people with nothing to gain lined up for hours at La Salle and at Manila Cathedral to pay their last respects to our president. They had nothing to gain but their self-respect and the feeling that they had a country. Politicians promise us everything, but sometimes all we really want is to feel that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.
On Monday morning on EDSA I thought it was 1986 all over again. Why this massive outpouring of grief and affection for a symbol we thought we had outgrown?

I think Tita Cory reminds us of our other, better selves — the ones who were prepared to make sacrifices for a noble cause. Politicians and governments have sorely disappointed us, but we never lost faith in Tita Cory the human being. She never mocked our aspirations or knowingly insulted our intelligence. She defended the Constitution from those who would bend it to their own ends; she rejected the idea of perpetuating herself in power. Say what you will about the missed opportunities and lost chances, Cory Aquino was decent to us.
She was a good person.
And after all our “growing up,” “learning to face harsh reality” and losing our illusions, it turns out that character does matter. Being good does make a difference. You will not receive praise or payment for it, and other people will mistake your goodness for weakness, but it resonates among people you won’t even meet.

exceptional excerpts

Theres The Rub

One good person
By Conrado de QuirosPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 00:13:00 08/05/2009Filed Under: (For those who didn’t watch the elegiac rites for Corazon Aquino last night, and even for those who did but want to read these things as much as hear them, this was what I said there, in its expanded form.)
I’VE written a good many things about Cory this past couple of weeks. I guess it’s time I got a little more personal.
I wasn’t an ardent fan of Cory at the beginning, I was an ardent critic. I came from the ranks of the red rather than the yellow, and looked at the world from the prism of that color. It got so that in one program Kris Aquino invited me to (I don’t know if she remembers this), she took me to task for it. It was an Independence Day show, and during one break, Kris turned to me and said: “Why are you so mean to my mom?”
I was, to put it mildly, taken aback. It’s not easy finding a clever answer to an accusation like that put with breathtaking candor. I just flashed what I thought would be a disarming smile. I don’t know if it disarmed.
What can I say? Maybe I’m just naturally mean. Or maybe I just say what I mean and mean what I say.
Years later, when the world had turned, and not for the better, I got an unexpected phone call. Cory was at the other end, which awed me. She said she was calling just to express her appreciation for something I had written about her. I do not now recall what it was. What I recall was mumbling something about not being the best person to say those things in light of what I had been saying before. She said that wasn’t true: I was the best person to say those things because of what I had been saying before.
I appreciated the appreciation.
Still years later, I would have cause to appreciate yet one more thing. That was February this year when, from out of the blue, Cory visited at the wake of my mother. I did not bother to ask, “Why are you so kind to my mom?” I knew by then it was her nature to be so.
She stayed for about an hour, and did much of the talking. Boy, could she talk! I didn’t know that before. But I’ve always been a good listener. She talked, I listened. What we talked about is best left for another time. But afterward, I thought: What strange directions life takes. What strange forks, detours, and crossings life takes.
I’ve seen activists who began by serving the people, or exhorting the world to, end up serving only themselves. And I’ve seen students who thought only of saving their families end up saving the world, or trying to. I’ve seen the best and the brightest turn only into the worst and greediest. And I’ve seen someone who was walang alam, or who was made out to be so, teach the world a thing or two about honor and courage and grace.
Maybe it’s not so strange that people who start out being enemies on grounds of principle end up being friends on those same grounds. And people who start out being friends without principle end up being enemies on that same ground.
I wondered, like someone who had come back to where he started and saw the place for the first time: Maybe colors are there to unite us more than separate us. Maybe red is just the blood that pulses in the veins in love and war. Maybe yellow is just the pages of a letter from a loved one that magically bring him back to life. Maybe blue is just the sky, however cloudy, when looked at through the bars of a prison cell. Maybe green is just fields promising plenitude. Maybe black is just the tangle of our fate, the twists and turns of our life, as we grope our way forward. Maybe white is just the grace to push on, amid the darkness.
I wondered with the wisdom of innocence and the naivete of age: Maybe we’re divided only into good people and bad people. How people are so, or become so, I’ll leave others to divine. Maybe they are just born that way, maybe like scorpions they sting because it is in their nature to sting. Or maybe they are made that way, as much by the circumstances that mold their character as their character that molds their circumstances. But bad people are there; we know that only too well. Just as well, good people are there too; we know that even more so.
We know the latter because we had someone walk with us who was so. Someone who was so disinterested in power she accepted it gravely as a matter of duty and gave it up gracefully as a matter of trust, for which she remains an awesome force even in death. Someone who, while she lived, showered not very small kindnesses on others in their hour of need or bereavement, having known bereavement herself and the comfort of empathy as much as the empathy of comfort, for which she continues to live with us even in death. Someone who proved once before as Joan of Arc and who will prove once again like El Cid the terrifying and wondrously prophetic vision of her faith: The exalted shall be humbled and the humble exalted.
In life and in death, Cory has been—pardon my French—one damn good person.
Good persons of the world, unite. You have nothing to lose but your bane.
* * *
Malacañang’s decision to declare today a holiday has nothing to do with commiserating with those who have lost a loved one, which is the whole nation. It has everything to do with preventing the explosion of love for Cory from becoming an explosion of fury at the opposite of Cory, who isn’t just Ferdie. Be there at the funeral procession today. Be there to keep Cory alive. Be there to bury tyranny in a deep dark grave.

man in the mirror

Michael Jackson really rocked the world with this beautiful and meaningful song...

Lyrics Michael Jackson lyrics

fresh from NEW ZEALAND

Perched on a small hill in New Zealand,surrounded with houses that normally have gardens,JANE strikes her Korean pose:-)

Clean and calm waters......

These two girls who look like characters in Harry Potter became Jane's closest friends..

So her name is Zzzzzzari,the cutest and funniest baby who partied while she FARTED to the tune of Korean music....

I forgot to ask Jane about the first thing that they did after IT.I am clueless on whether they laughed or they covered their noses first...........

johny's eviction....

there is such a thing as GOOD RIDDANCE....

BYE JOHNY!!!!!!!!

for our sanity's sake,may you have the good sense

of never coming back........

sing your heart OUT

Finally,I found the right lyrics.Strange,but it seems tailor-made to vent out pent-up emotions..
Lindasy Lohan THIS I have to say..Aside from Parent Trap and Mean Girls,I have another reason to thank YOU!





Something I Never Had

» Lindsay Lohan

Do you see me
Do you feel me like I feel you
Call your number
I can not get through
You don't hear me and I dont understand
When I reach out I dont find your hand
Was it wasted words and did they mean a thing
And all our precious time but I still feel so in between
[Chorus:]Some day I just keep pretending
That youll say dreaming of a diffrent ending
I wanna hold on but it hurts so bad
And I can't keep something that I never had
I keep tell myself things can turn around with time
And if I wait it out you could always change your mind
Like a fairy tale where it works out in the end
Can I close my eyes have you lying here again
Then I come back down
They I fade back in
Then I realize its just what Its just what might have been.
[chorus]
Am I a shadow on your wall
Am I anything at all
Anything to you
Am I a secret that you keep
Do you dream me while your sleeping after all
Some day I just keep pretending
That youll say dreaming of a diffrent ending
I wanna hold on but it hurts so bad
And I can't keep something that I never had
That I never had
I wanna hold on but it hurts so bad
And I can't keep something that I never had
You dont see me, you dont feel me like I feel you

call him der-fa:-)

Hot Myspace Comments / Adultfriender

“Did you have a good night of sleep?” my father would ask. “I had, thanks to you and your shorts” and we will both laugh.
Those nights of never ending nightmares meant discomfort for my father too. He had to put up sleeping beside me and wearing those shorts I prepared for him because in my queer imagination,”it"was doing “wonders” to combat my bedtime nemesis. My parting phrase wasn't the conventional "See you in my dreams!" but “See you in my nightmares, Papa!”
Even after my nightmare scares, I watched him closely as possible. He frequented an enigmatic enclave in our backyard. I counted his trips daily and when it reached twelve, I brushed all hesitations of going there myself. I thought he built me a playhouse because the structure looked the part. I went inside; giddy to find out what’s there. Unknown to me, fighting cocks were kept flying in every direction. I run away sobbing. I felt cheated that my father cared to build something for the cocks and none for me.
To appease my jealousy, he and my mother commissioned carpenters to build Ate and I a playhouse.A sudden urge of elation filled me as it appeared imposing compared to my previous object of envy. But on the second day, I noticed how the cocks conspicuously grew more in number. Papa said the cocks were gifts not commodities he bought. He added he was not as attached to them as I thought he was. Unwilling to start a tantrum, I gave him the cold shoulder shrug. I run to the playhouse and spotted manures on its balcony. I went ballistic. I launched my vendetta by throwing two stones per cock. The smaller ones were for making a toilet bowl out of my playhouse. The larger ones were for those times Papa spent in kneading their feathers, feeding them with what looked to me as oatmeal, and nursing them back to health. I was the cock’s Cruella de Vil. My sight was enough reason for them to go amuck.
My hatred extended to all age groups of their specie. Even the tiny chicks fresh from eggshells weren’t spared. I drowned them in the tub. Papa caught me redhanded.During his interrogation, I said in exaggerated insincerity “Papa, I just wanted to give them a bath”. He gave me a look that was more amused than annoyed.
He was the quintessential provincial man-one who loved the laid back and carefree compass of rustic lifestyle. There was nothing he loved to do more than commune with nature. Blessed with a green thumb, he would let me sit beside him as he planted varied fruit trees. He would tell me that planting pays off for every seedling you bury may reward you with multiple harvests.
So in my perverted logic, I tweaked the principle of multiplicity. I gathered all my pencils in loam soil. I made sure there was enough distance because Papa told me distance is essential to avoid overlapping. My pencils never multiplied in number. They met their untimely demise on my hands. I should have known that my father wanted me to appreciate nature, not rupture.
A semblance of sameness from the rest disinterests him. He wanted whatever he gave me to be different. When he noticed that everybody’s baskets were filled with bougainvilleas, he took me to a floral estate fronting the beach so I could fill my Flores de Mayo baskets with fragrant calachuchis. All eyes and noses were on me as I traversed the narrow alley of the chapel and showered a fistful of petals in wanton freedom.
When I whimpered I couldn’t catch a butterfly on my palm, he brought home a huge brown one inside the container. The captivity may have signified more harm than good in the ecosystem but for all it’s worth, it was a sure manifestation of a splendid truth-he was willing to look beyond all my naughty streaks and do everything humanly possible to show me he cared.
In the haywire days of schooling, when tuition shaving and allowance padding was the popular scheme, I’d troop into money transfer booths and register the same old password he sends me “miss you”.
During my bonafide bum stint at home, he would call me from his office just to tell me that he spotted our dog making love with another dog and that I need not worry because the other dog was of a good breed. He listened to my stories about Barack Obama and why I adore him like crazy. The next day, he flipped through the pages of time magazine and read about the US President whose keynote speech made me cry. He kept bringing newspapers, waving it like a prized bone to a sniffing dog, asking me if I was done reading it. I’d say no, take a dive at the newspaper, and peruse it from top to bottom, irrespective of the fact that I already finished reading it as early as one am in the internet. Having a good father is genetic lottery .As they say; it’s easier for a father to have a child than for a child to have a real father. He wasn’t the kind of father who overdoses on sermons or was dependent on leather belts to instill discipline. My sisters and I grew up thinking that ours was a democratic household wherein we are free to talk without the horror of a maimed tongue or a bruised limb.
As proof, when my younger sister chided his bet Oscar de la Hoya as too slow and too old against Floyd Mayweather; he didn’t display the outrage of a fan. Instead, he was game to strike a deal that if de la Hoya losses, my sister’s wishes will be his commands. For one week, my sister enjoyed posting what to buy and what to do in the front door. He played the good sport, faithfully delivering the caprices of a seventeen year old.
He would always tell us that his greatest achievement was raising four independent girls whom at twelve can already make it on their own. I would have second the motion except for the fact that he didn’t just raise four; he raised five including my dewy-eyed Mom. But raising us would be too light a word to put it. He did more than that. He gave all of us a decent shot at life.
Like the gustiness of the wind, the years quickly passed. My nightmares have become anecdotal cobwebs. But he continued to be every inch of a savior that he was. He was there, tending to me when I was frail and febrile after incurring eight bee bites.He was with me, commiserating, when my heart was shrunken in despair and copious tear were welling out of my eyes. He was beside me, an hour and forty minutes before my twenty second birthday. In a narrow chair, he skimped with the space we shared as he listened to one of my favorite tracks. He reaffirmed it was a gem and as he placed back the headset on my ears, told me in a toothless smile that he loves me more.
Last New Year's eve, I made an oath to myself that everyday, I will wake up believing that if I try harder maybe my weaker faculties can still have its chance. I completely gave up on music though. But in a squeaky voice and spooky tune, I will still be crooning Tim McGraw’s "My little girl" song because I know that back home, a fifty-nine year old man who means the world to me, likes it as much as I do.

The Black Parade

May 1,2009-We had a collective decision,or so I thought,to have a silent protest for coming to work on Labor Day without just compensation. Over the long weekend,I had enough time to think on these twinges of emotion.

*To Maam April:

I will stand my ground that WHAT you DID was WRONG.You could have told us your hesitation rather than make us believe.First and foremost,you are our HEAD.Everything you say and everything you do directly affect us. Avoid playing with words. Don’t initiate an action if you mean to desert us. Don’t abuse confidence by name dropping.Don’t be a spineless fence-sitter.Granting,but not conceding,you are in a delicate position.But will a peaceful and well-meditated course of action be a valid threat to it?Certainly not. You said it was a case of being forgetful.I couldn’t think of a better rebuff than my friend’s question “Aren’t you paid to remember?” When I saw your eyes well out with tears,I felt your sincerity.And when I hugged you near my cubicle,it was a moving moment. Without sounding intrusive,I want to remind you that there are times when being sorry is more preferable than being safe.Don’t let your loyalty to your job distort your sense of right.With all sincerity,I’m letting bygones be bygones. Lastly,don’t think it’s doomsday.You can get over this.Learn from the rift. Being better sometimes comes with pain.

*To the Jeju team:
I remember Carla asking me is she could have the Korean message for her substitution class and me giving a “Can you ask my “bestfriend” to send it for you?. When the lesson plans were passed,I talked to Kota and requested him to deliver it to Maam April’s table. After “it” happened, Jely texted me telling she doesn’t know what to say. Drew has been there deliberately cracking jokes.,which,admittedly,helped,a little….hahaha… Irene has chosen to be mum and has been happy sporting her Korean hairstyle. Shortly saying, the bickering must have put them in an uncomfortable situation too. But what I’m proudest of my team mates is their professional sensitivity. Never had they badgered me to talk about it.Instead,we feasted on bukayo and made me feel that business was usual.

*To Taipan Diners:

Rose,Darryl,Cherryl,Nice,Sheng,Pao,Jane and Drew You asked if I wanted ice cream to cool down in jest but seeing you dine with me after that heated moment meant so MUCH.Nothing beats good food and a rowdy company to tame blazing emotions.

*To the one who signed but when asked was surprised of its contents:

Everytime you affix your signature,it’s a manifestation that you have completely understood what you are signing.It was explained that everybody can choose to sign or not to sign the document.It wasn’t an autograph or a send-off card that you can sign in haste.It was something important.If there was something you did not understand,you could have OPTED not to sign it.It’s a wiser decision rather than you sounding clueless and looking poker-faced.

*To the Management:

Let me make it clear,I did not shout.We were not at a close distance that’s why the volume of my voice was heightened.The only thing I will apologize for would be disturbing your investor who came to visit you at eleven pm. It’s high time for you to be more factual and to stop relying on hearsays. You had argued it was too urgent and that during your painful experience,we did not even have the sympathy to say condolence. We also felt sad when your family suffered those series of deaths.We even had a silent prayer during one of our meetings.Rose even cried when she heard the terrible news.In our simple ways,we tried to be sympathetic.Maybe not in the way you expected it,which is through uttering the word “condolence”,but WE WERE,believe it or not WITH YOU during those times. And with all due respect,abandon the PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE. Professionalism calls that you don’t put the burden of understanding you on your employees.The concerns written on that letter have long been overdue.Some have been waiting foe their lump sums not just for a month but for months.Hypothetically,what if that money was supposed to be used for this semester’s enrolment.Will the management’s personal tragedy justify the employees’ inability to enroll because of inadequate funds? It’s about time for the management to learn the art of constructive criticism.Of course,the letter will be firm-worded and it wouldn’t be written in the same fashion as the letters of requests that you often receive.But you should be less cynical and instead of over reacting,review if the the points have merits.

What saddens me the most is the fact that there’s got to be “something to happen” before you would sit down and conduct a meeting. The office has an intelligent workforce and it is but fair to constantly hear them out.
Would you rather that employees keep it to themselves,be dissatisfied,and in effect have poor performance at work?
Feedback is healthy.It’s a way to implement checks and balances.The management should learn that its sole duty is not only in giving wages every 15th or 30th of the month.That would be very myopic.You have a lofty vision and the only way to do it is for the company to institutionalize timely changes.Surely,business acumen isn’t just concentrated in amassing profits.There’s got to be room for taking good care of your employees for if you’ll do,you’ll make it harder for them to not take care of their jobs.

*To Louise:

I don’t know if it would have been different had you been around last Tuesday night.But when we had the sit down meeting and I was unexplainably hurt,you got my reasons come across.Aside from being articulate,you had shown how level-headed and objective you are. You had spelled out the word LOYALTY in bold letters to me. In your presence,I become more insightful,more vocal,more prescient,less hungry and okay I’ll try to be less toddler-like in saying hello.hahaha

*To all those who witnessed it :

Many of you were confused.Many of you were anxious.Some of you were entertained.But beyond the dynamic exchanges,I hope it made you THINK.It has never been about Maam April and me.It’s about what we believe and how we decided to act on those beliefs.What happened last Tuesday should not sidetrack the real issues for its what count the most.

*To Myself :

Last week was unusual.I have known you to be feisty but this feistiness is often limited to debate matches.You always have that everything-is-peachy attitude and you value your peace above all else.

But I saw you provoked and the next thing I knew you were fuming.
I. Part of the fury was the issue on trust.You spent sleepless nights drafting the letters,taking instructions on what to include and what not to include,furnishing both soft copies and hard copies for editing and before you know it the very person you trusted put you on the line.
II. Another would be loyalty to a cause.You can’t believe how somebody you had respected could abandon a valid cause.Worst,what piqued you was you learned about it at the last moment.
III. It’s also about a distorted view on leadership.
You were schooled thinking that leaders (with the exception of nasty politics) put themselves last not first.
IV. You were angered by continuous story switching.
It’s heart wrenching to be lied and when you hear it over and over again,you just explode.But looking back,I like the fact that you were assertive.It shows that you have a clear distinction of what’s right and what’s wrong.At the risk of you looking miffed,you were
relentless.

Now that emotions have been dusted off, you can’t wait to see the progress.

Endure this.Cherish tried and tested friends.Continue to be decisive.Be better on your craft. Don’t be complacent. Be vigilant especially on the next steps that will take effect.

I know sometimes you get weary and you start asking questions like “Do I deserve what’s happening?” Stop the urge to ask this and find inspiration on the truckload of lessons you learned.

Most of all FORGIVE.Bear in mind that grateful people achieve closure by making sense of negative events so that they mesh with a generally positive outlook.

Two months from now,it will be your birthday.
If you had done these must-do’s, then you’re more than ready to be 24.

tinderbox

Did you know that the Philippines was the third country to help South Korea during the war in the 1950's?As an English teacher to Koreans,I try to take time off time discovering things that bind these two countries.Now that North Korea is threatening the South again,this video clip will remind how it all happened.Doraemon,I know one day you will become a great soldier so try to learn a thing or two from this.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/features/people/view/20090609-209547/The-Filipinos-in-the-forgotten-Korean-war

a quote to perk me up:-)

To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty; To find the best in others; To give of one's self; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - This is to have succeeded.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

envious

If going back to school again would mean having the chance to possibly fist bump with President Obama,I would gladly go through it again.SWEAR!I won't mind running pell mell to catch up dreaded math classes...arghhhhhhhhhhhh....for this this skin-to-skin,once in a lifetime encounter:-)

new:-)

So the flatscreens have been up and all that is left to do is to try IT.....Voila!Our silly selves got these pics as souvenirs:-)

caught on cam

Boy Abunda was wise enough to explain the craze.The sex was forbidden,the persons frolicking on the videos are famous,and how it landed in the flea market is a fiercely hot debate. To ditto what he said, all the elements that tickle curiosity are present. But if you’d dig deeper, there is more to this smut than what meets the eye. The real issues are these:friendship,fidelity,responsibility and women’s rights.

How come Kho’s friends knew about these videos? Was it because he bragged about it?Assuming his friends did the uploading and distribution, what could have prompted them to do so?Money?Maybe.Revenge after his friend discovered that Kho bedded his girlfriend?Most likely.

It only takes two people to be in a relationship. Poaching, consciously aware that he is very much in a relationship with your benefactor is downright foul.Now if you are involved in a relationship, aren’t you supposed to be content to just one partner?
Since when did indiscriminate sex come into the equation of a mature, loving relationship?

This was taken from www.sietecontrados.blogspot.com.

Being a hunk doctor doesn’t exempt you from acting like a gentleman. It’s not an excuse for you to treat girls as pinballs that you should smash in every set so you could video-cord your trysts and walk away feeling you’re a Casanova.

Psychiatrists will have a field day psychoanalyzing Kho. The media will continue to feast on the thickening plot. More women will come out and insist on their stories.

I think it would do Dr. Belo good if she stops nitpicking the girls on the video even in jest regarding what not to do. Her supposed ex boyfriend had been a very willing predator. If you catch your guy redhanded ,no thanks to his hidden camera,and it should be quite clear that the most sensible thing to do is to cut clean. Defy love. Try good judgment.

Katrina should come out and clear the issue on drugs. She had been courageous to confront the shame head on.There should be no stopping her to be candid on this one.

Kho’s Mom should simply keep her silence.The stark contrast of her claims and se son’s sexcapades can’t be reconciled.
Yes, every mother’s heart goes out to her son but when your son did something explicitly wrong, then you should rise above your affection and act on the situation. Counsel him to cut the hanky panky.Let it be known that he doesn’t just get a slap on the wrist but a proper scolding.

I got this from Carlo Ople's blog which he claimed was taken from a facebook account.

Atty.Kapunan has asserted that the showing of his client’s body parts is also a case of exploitation because he didn’t consent to it. The hoary maxim what goes around,comes around hasn’t been truer.Her client should remind himself that those girls on the video didn’t consent on being a part of his sex library either.

A big blow on a showbiz career, the possibility of a more pull out on endorsements, a beauty clinic that will undergo a probe, a case in court and a more sensational public trial. Name it and it would seem that things could go from bad to worse.

The only thing that could go right would be the making of a law that enforces steeper fines and harsher punishments against voyeurism.

Those who are behind the cam should have reasons to be scared before they could toy on the prurient idea of sexuality again and scar more lives.

go figure it out!!!!!!!!

According to www.piffe.com, there are nine people on this picture. So squint your eyes, unlock your inner Sherlock Holmes and go straight to the search:-)Doraemon found 8 out of nine....You might care to offset his score.

star trek

When planets have decided to create a federation, a union to ensure the solidarity in the galaxy has been established.But hostilities surfaced when a deceptive rescue operation to the Vulcans turned out to be an attack.With little time to spare and a raging animosity between Spark and Jim,the story takes you to a solar system at peril,where the meaning of being a citizen is redefined and the beauty of humanity is recaptured. The movie gives you a glimpse of the future and allows you to peek on what could possibly be OUT there.

Jane's brain twisters

JANE had come up with these two mind boggling trivias.Enjoy answering!

Ye rim and Gui rim are playmates.One day, they decided to play hide and seek. Each of them really chose the best place to hide. When they finally settled,Ye rim found a spot on the southern part of the play ground while Gui rim found one towards the north. Yet,they can look at each other.How could this be possible?

There was once a man who told his friend about his latest accident. He said that a week ago, he was climbing an eight meter ladder when accidentally he had fallen. His friend, looking worried, asked if he had any serious wounds after it. To his friend's suprise,he gamely said he was okay. His friend thought of it deeply and asked "Considering it was an eight meter ladder, how come he had NO trace of scar after suffering a bad fall?"

reunited

After sometime,WE finally DECIDED to HAVE a family picture. Presenting my ultra serious father,my chatty mother and my sinister sisters.......Thanks Jaye for lending your photographic prowess!

the complete set:-)

Ate,Yaku,Me:-), and Kelly