samu't-sari

Oktubre na bukas. Nakabinbin pa ang CMV. Sira na ang tsinelas ko. Buwanang ulatan ngayon. Isang linggo na lang ang kasamahan ko sa trabaho. Bawal magkasakit. Kailangan ko ng pera. Magpadala ng electronic mail kay Mike. Maglinis ng kwarto, baka meron nang nakatirang sawa. Bawasan ang paglamon. Mag-ehersisyo. Paborito kong araw (dapat) ang Sabado, pero kamakailan malungkot ang mga araw na ito. Abala si ayah :( . Malapit nang magbukas ang SM sa Taytay, tara na! Wala nang may galit sa akin (sa abot ng aking kaalaman). Pinatay ko na ang twitter account ko. Nagtanggal ng ilang friendster comments. Nakatitig sa mga nakabinbing Friendster friend requests. Marami akong guapples sa ref. May utang pa akong kofi session sa magkapatid na Chie at Faith. Hindi ko pa napupuno ang Figaro stamp card ko. Wala pang Kopibun EB. May magbabayad ng utang sa akin. Gusto ko na ng baby. Tara, kape tayo!

kids delight!

i was chatting with my brother-in-law a few days back almost everyday and he insists that i log in at home so i can view his web cam. so yesterday, i logged in before going to work and behold! i was delighted to see my three pamangkins on web cam. and was amusingly surprised with the youngest, RJ, who has become more fun to be with at his age. i tell you, i would have jumped in the web cam to be with the three.









ang pilyo na ng batang ito! hehehe... mana raw sa uncle. :P

life's lessons

a good physician?

A seriously ill child was brought by her mom to different doctors to be treated with his sickness but no one seems to be able to cure him. Finally, she brought her son to a famous doctor in town. After the successful treatment, the mother showed the doctor a hand-made wallet and said: "there are some things we can't pay. i hope you will accept this wallet that i made just for you." The doctor replied, "woman, i don't practice medicine for sentimental reasons! pay me $2,000."

The mother opened the wallet and took out $5,000. Then, she gave the doctor $2,000.

"Very well, doctor," said the mother, "you are a very good physician but i wish you were a better man."

i won't let this story pass...

The following entry has been posted
in my PexPlus Private Thread entitled
Jons' ^ HoLY SaNCTuaRY ^
date: May 21, 2002

----------------------------------

This morning, after i was "convinced" (more appropriate term--- forced) by my parents to get a US VISA, I found myself waiting for my number to be called for interview at the US Embassy. While waiting, I eavesdropped on the on-going interviews on the near windows, to find out what basic questions these US Officers ask the applicants. One poor girl (a Filipina with crutches on her sides) was denied a visitors VISA after telling the officer that she would be having a vacation in the US. The officer told her "well you can have your vacation here. I'm sorry lady but..."

Two families on the same window were also denied their VISA, and the face of the father whose family was with him reflected real sad.

The other one, a Filipino applicant in his early 30's (my close estimate) just made a boo-boo with his interview with the same "denial king" US officer. He was in a state of panic in front of the window and he caught all our attention. Well, at least we, the ones eavesdropping on the interviews. howell.. the officer asked "What do you do for a living?" "Well, ahmm... I-I'm a s-s-supplier, sir!" "Supplier of what? (the officers eyes grew big and round as a marble)" "supplier of p-pregnancy test, s-sir!" "Supplier of PREGNANCY TEST?!??!! (this time the officers eyebrows met in the middle of his forehead)" "W-well, actually, the th-things used for h-having pregnancy tests... like...." bottomline is, the denial officer wasn't convinced that much or he just didn't like the poor guy's looks. DENIED!

My number was called... on the same window where I eavesdropped on the interviews... where mr. denial officer conducts the questioning. While on line waiting for my turn, I met my UST college seatmate Erwin Lim (woah, what a place to get to see each other again). Then as I looked at my fellow countrymen who were patiently waiting for their turn to be interviewed, my mind asked: "ganito na ba kasabik makapunta ng abroad ang mga Pinoy? Ilan kaya dito ang naghahangad na mag-TNT at tumira doon? Ganito ba kapangit at kawalang-pag-asa na sa Pilipinas at gusto nang mag-alisan ng mga tao? Ganito ba kapera ang mga Pilipino at pa-tour-tour na lang sa abroad? Akala ko ba mahirap ang mga PIlipino? Ano ba layunin talaga ng pagpunta sa abroad? Natural, dahil non-immigrant VISA ang nilalakad dito, mag tour lang, di ba?"

As these thoughts came circling my mind its my turn to be interviewed. nambabara pa 'tong sungit officer na 'to! buti na lang, bolero ako at convincing. i told him i really don't have plans in going to the US but since it's my parents birthday gift for me, he should not disappoint them. well, he said happy birthday! MULTIPLE ENTRY VISITORS VISA APPROVED.

to err is human, but...

a local singer (CB) who is supposedly a professional artist made a boo-boo in singing the Philippine national anthem, Lupang Hinirang. first time i heard the news was last night in a group gathering. a colleague saw his CD album in a house where we held the meeting and then opened up the singer's messing up, as he (singer) led the singing of the Philippine national anthem in a national boxing match. i was inquiring about how it went but no one has told the exact mistake that the singer made until i watched it in prime time news. WOW. i couldn't have known how i'd react if i was among the audience in the arena and upon putting my right hand on my chest as i sing the national anthem, i'd be struck to find out i'm missing a few lines in singing my country's very own anthem! "...Lupa ng araw ng luwalhati't pagsinta, ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo," in a powerful a cappella voice. it's human to commit mistake and yes, it can always be an excuse. thing is, being a singer, and a professional at that, is your source of living. while mastery of your very own songs is a must, maybe mastering your very own national anthem isn't too much to ask for you to memorize it by heart. being looked up to by some people, these professional singers should NOT commit such kind of mistakes, much more on a national scenario or event. it's an insult to our nationality and patriotism.

kaarawan

maligayang kaarawan kina mama Estela (Sept 13), Kuya Lenner (Sept 12), Roma (Sept 11), at syempre sa batang nagpapaligaya sa aming lahat, ang pinakabata (sa ngayon) na miyembro ng aming pamilya, si Ryan James (Sept 11)



[ang mga pagkaing kuha sa pinaka-itaas ay handa sa kaarawan ni mama estela at dinagsa ito ng maraming bisita]

mediamen's bread and butter

sa ganitong mga "pagkakataon" buhay na buhay ang mga mamamahayag at masasabing ito rin ang pagkakataong handang-handa ang lahat kung kailan may tensyon at karamihan ng mamamayan ay nakatutok sa mga pag-uulat. ngayon ibababa ng Sandiganbayan ang hatol nito sa kasong kinakaharap ni dating Pangulo ng Pilipinas, Joseph Ejercito Estrada. Anim na taon mula nang maungkat ang usaping ito, sa wakas ay magkakaroon na ng "linaw" (kahit papaano) ang nasabing isyu. Paano ba ang pakiramdam ng mga mamamahayag sa ganitong mga okasyon? ang pagkakaroon ng "assignment" ay unang kinasasabikan--- kung saan matotoka o kung ano ang magiging gampanin ng isang mamamahayag: reporter o anchor. kasama ng mga TV reporter ay, natural, ang mga cameramen, sakay ng isang "mobile unit" na kung saan tila paparazzi kung magmaneho (dapat) ang tsuper nito. kung bakit ay alam na alam ito ng mga mamamahayag. kung nasaan ang MISMONG subject, mas maganda. meron kasing mga assignments na pangalawa o pangatlong baitang na ng may kinalaman sa usapin ang iyong kakapanayamin. halimbawa ay sa kaganapang ito na pagbaba ng hatol sa Sandiganbayan, bagama't nakasasabik interview-hin ang mga Erap supporters na nagkalat sa palibot ng lugar na pagdarausan, iba pa rin ang pakiramdam ng isang mamamahayag kung siya ay na-assign mismo sa loob ng Sandiganbayan lalo na kung pinalad makasama sa loob mismo ng courtroom. Ang ilan naman na natokang "sundan" ang kaganapan mula sa paglipat ng subject sa kaniyang unang kinaroroonan hanggang sa patutunguhan, obligado ang mga mamamahayag na ito na maging listo upang hindi makawala o makalayo sa kanila ang pinakatampok na iuulat.

Ang mga mamamahayag. Bihasa sa pagod. Kung minsan 24 oras ay hindi alintana makaganap lamang sa kanilang tungkulin sa bayan. Sa mahahalagang okasyon na pinagkakainteresan ng publiko, babatahin ang pakikipagtulakan, pakikipagsiksikan, kahihiyan, gutom, at isasakripisyo ang sariling oras para lamang makapag-ulat ng tapat sa taumbayan.

weekend wrap-up

in less than a couple of hours (as of this writing) weekend's gonna be over. i'll be starting a new work week without Ayah and it's not gonna be the same. but as they say, life must go on...

Friday, Sept 7 i took a day leave at work to prepare in attendance to the wedding of my cousin, Adette, who is my kababata way back Kamuning days (related story here). She finally tied the knot to a man who i just met the same day as their wedding--- Romy. he seems like a good man and the guests chuckled during the reception when it was Romy's mom's turn to give her speech for the newlyweds:

"mas masuwerte si Adette sa anak ko!" (with a SERIOUS look at everyone!)

oh well... i thought for a while there was going to be a family feud right then and there but the audience decided to laugh it out, hehehe. since the wedding was scheduled at 3pm, i grabbed the chance to attend to my personal obligations the whole morning. Ayah and i went to the bank to have my passbook updated after a century, right after we claimed her college diploma in her alma mater. after my schedule in the bank, we drove to my moms workplace to fetch her. we waited for dad inside Mocha Blends and even the coffee aroma didn't stop me from lying down the couch as my back felt the need to lay flat on it. then a few minutes after, dad arrived and we treaded Commonwealth Avenue to attend the wedding ceremonies in INC Central Temple. Nice to see my cousins again! The moments are simply priceless:









Saturday, Sept 8 ayah and i fetched Daniel to take him to a friend who owns a talent agency, in EDSA Shang. Since my friend Ian wasn't available to meet up that day, we just took some photos of my nephew and just informed Ian that we'll be submitting them to him. Of course, ayah and i took turns in entertaining our "little guest"... mall-hopping, pigging-out in food, playing at the entertainment world:









- - - - - - - - - - - -

going back to the date... Thursday, Sept. 6 was Ayah's last day with us in the office. i've said my piece in my previous entries so i just want to share some last moments of her with the "gang"...





[i just noticed, the date on our digital camera is delayed two days. sheesh...]

game shows on tv

i am very fond of watching tv game shows ever since i was given the freedom to choose what to watch on boob tube. since i was a kid, i love watching family game shows, kid game shows, group game shows and even school game shows. to name a few of my favorites, the following are in my list of favorites: the price is right (very classic), family feud, battle of the brains, wheel of fortune, 1 million dollar chance of a lifetime, name that tune, to name a few.. then there were many more game/contest shows that sprouted like mushroom especially when cable tv provided a sole station dedicated to sports and "action-themed" shows.

local game shows of today has adapted some foreign original game shows and to name a few of these localized shows that didn't do quite well in terms of ratings are: the price is right (hosted by ogie a.), weakest link (hosted by edu m.) and who wants to be a millionaire (hosted by boyet dl.)

i was watching Kapamilya Deal Or No Deal a few moments ago (surprisingly i was not tuned in to channel 7) and i admire Kris Aquino in carrying herself as a game show master. over the years that she has spent in her career, she found a "home" in these game shows which her mother network has nurtured her to who she is today. i'm not a fan of Ms. Kris Aquino but i'm not a detractor of her too. in fact, i believe in her sincerity despite of her tactlessness in communicating with her contestants. her wit gives life to the show, boastful or arrogant contestants are humbled upon facing her, and even her detractors could learn to love her as she is. Kris is "what you see is what you get" type of person, and she is what she is. (sayang. hindi nanalo nang mas malaki yung contestant kanina na nakakairita sa ingay yung bunganga. napili niya yung briefcase number 7 na naglalaman ng 3M pesos pero nag deal na sya sa offer ni banker na may halagang P333,333. not bad pero sayang)

Wake Me Up When September Ends (Greenday)

summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

like my fathers come to pass
seven years has gone so fast
wake me up when september ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when september ends

summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

ring out the bells again
like we did when spring began
wake me up when september ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when september ends

summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

like my father's come to pass
twenty years has gone so fast
wake me up when september ends
wake me up when september ends
wake me up when september ends