Sitting Amuck

UN to Burma: Open up now!

2008-05-11T08:45:00.005+08:00

I miss blogging here. Anyway, let me repost this report from channelnewsasia.com.

UN says, million cyclone survivors still without aid

BANGKOK : At least one million survivors remain without aid more than a week after a deadly cyclone ripped through Myanmar, the UN said Saturday, with emergency supply shipments still held up by the country.

Aid officials say time is running out for thousands of people in the southwest delta who are desperately waiting for food, drinking water and medicine, and that the government is not acting quickly enough.

Fast Facts

High-energy biscuits that could feed 95,000 people are stuck in Yangon airport, while few visas have been given to increasingly frustrated aid workers, said Richard Horsey, spokesman for the UN's emergency relief arm.

"Approaching half a million beneficiaries have been reached (by UN agencies), but that's of between 1.5 to 2.0 million we've now estimated as severely affected," he said.

"At this stage we've only reached a quarter of people with any form of relief goods," he said, calling that "clearly way too slow".

State media said 60,000 people were killed or left missing when Cyclone Nargis ripped through the country's southwest last weekend, while foreign officials estimate the death toll at closer to 100,000.

UN officials have said they fear that toll could climb if the people in need of help are not reached soon, especially with more bad weather approaching.

"With major rainfall predicted, starting over the weekend, this is a very grave concern," said Horsey. "It's a race against time."

The World Food Programme (WFP) said Saturday that two planeloads of emergency food remained impounded by customs at Yangon airport, nearly 36 hours after the biscuits arrived in Yangon.

"My understanding is that it has not yet been released into our hands, but we are working around the clock to get access," said Marcus Prior, a Bangkok-based spokesman for WFP.

The junta has said they will accept money and aid, but want to distribute all the aid themselves, despite the country's woeful infrastructure.

Prior said that two more relief flights coordinated by WFP were due to land in Yangon on Saturday, and they were still negotiating with the government to ensure they could monitor the distribution of food, shelter and medicine.

"It is frustrating but that doesn't mean we're going to throw up our hands and give up. To the contrary, we're going to work harder," Prior said.

The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR sent a convoy of aid trucks over the Thai-Myanmar border Saturday, which is expected to reach Yangon in two days, where it will be handed over to the government.

"We're hoping that the authorities will keep their word and give us access to monitor the distribution of these materials," Vivian Tan, a UNHCR spokeswoman, told AFP in the border town of Mae Sot.

UN children's agency UNICEF had three million water purification tablets arrive on a Thai Airways flight on Friday, but it was unclear if this much-needed supply had yet left Yangon airport.

Shantha Bloemen, UNICEF spokeswoman in Bangkok, said only that the supplies were going through "normal channels".

"I think it usually takes a day or two ... The government has not changed their procedures," she said.

"We need to get this working like a normal relief operation."

A charter plane carrying food, shelter and medicine for medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) was also due to land Saturday.

"We have permission from them (the government) to land. Then we need to see what will happen," said MSF spokeswoman Veronique Terrasse.

MSF also has about 25 staff on stand-by around the world to help the relief effort in Myanmar, with no indication yet on whether visas would be granted -- a common situation for most aid agencies, Horsey said.

"We're dealing with lots of bureaucracy, we're dealing with a lot of red tape, and possibly we're dealing with an environment where the authorities aren't fully open to a relief effort of this kind," Horsey told AFP.

"That's very frustrating -- it's hampering the relief effort."

see my latest baby

2008-04-09T09:33:00.005+08:00

since world domination is still one of my end goals, i've put up another blog site.

as i am still trying to figure out how to use wordpress (anyone who can give me the book wordpress for dummies gets a kiss), don't expect the blogsite to be as fab as BB's. but i will get there, just give me time.

for now, i'm taking baby steps.

check out:

www.ambatorama.com

tales of an incurable mall rat lost in the cutthroat world of the urban jungle

and let me know what you think.

babangon ako't... mag ba blog uli...

2008-04-02T17:57:00.002+08:00

i haven't been blogging.

art imitating life

2008-03-27T18:22:00.006+08:00

i just finished the second draft of that blasted paper on public procurement. yes, yes, my nose bled trying to explain why despite the GPRA, procurement philippine style, remains dysfunctional aside from being supply driven.

i've got one more paper to check, then i'm off to computing the grades, accomplishing the gazillion blank forms (i never thought i'd do admin work as faculty in charge) and finally-- updating my public policy knowledge.

shocks, my life is boring me out of wits.

i went through my desk drawer at lunch time and found my latest murakami purchase. not louis vuitton murakami-- please! i'm talking of haruki murakami.

i've only gotten as far as the 1st chapter after i bought it at the national bookstore sale last month. i've got five more books from that sale. all remain unread. geez...

the book is south of the border, west of the sun.

i bought this book right away when i read the back cover:

growing up in the suburbs in post war japan, it seemed to hajime that everyone but him had brothers and sisters. his sole companion was shimamoto, also an only child. together they spent long afternoons listening to her father's record collection. but when his family moved away, the two lost touch. now hajime is in his 30s. after a decade of drifting he has found happiness with his loving wife and two daughters, and success running a jazz bar. then shimamoto reappears. she is beautiful, intense and enveloped in mytery. hajime is catapulted into the past, putting at risk all he has in the present.

it sounded good. now that i read the back over again, i am reminded of love in a time of cholera also by my one of my favorite authors, gabriel garcia marquez.

a synopsis i found summarized the book as follows:

In the late 1800s, in a Caribbean port city, a young telegraph operator named Florentino Ariza falls deliriously in love with Fermina Daza, a beautiful student. She is so sheltered that they carry on their romance secretly, through letters and telegrams. When Fermina Daza's father finds out about her suitor, he sends her on a trip intended to make her forget the affair. Lorenza Daza has much higher ambitions for his daughter than the humble Florentino. Her grief at being torn away from her lover is profound, but when she returns she breaks off the relationship, calling everything that has happened between them an illusion.
Instead, she marries the elegant, cultured, and successful Dr. Juvenal Urbino. As his wife, she will think of herself as "the happiest woman in the world." Though devastated by her rejection, Florentino Ariza is not one to be deterred. He has declared his eternal love for Fermina, and determines to gain the fame and fortune he needs to win her back. When Fermina's husband at last dies, 51 years, 9 months, and 4 days later, Florentino Ariza approaches Fermina again at her husband's funeral. There have been hundreds of other affairs, but none of these women have captured his heart as Fermina did. "He is ugly and sad," says one of his lovers, "but he is all love."
In this magnificent story of a romance, Garcia Marquez beautifully and unflinchingly explores the nature of love in all its guises, small and large, passionate and serene. Love can emerge like a disease in these characters, but it can also outlast bleak
decades of war and cholera, and the effects of time itself.

ah, the fiction, the story plots that i choose. just what do they say about me?

now if only i'll finish reading them.

off the top of my head

2008-03-25T13:46:00.006+08:00

considering that i was on the verge of running amuck since the start of the month, err year, i should've blogged my guts out over the easter holiday. you see, writing, like shopping is very therapeutic.

instead, i went on penitensya and got down and dirty checking my students' final papers. some papers were very good-- but sadly, there were some which seemed like the kind of paper janina san miguel would submit.

i've got seven more papers of my students to check, and then i'm off to vacation holiday.

err... not quite. i have to update what i know about public policy. read, read, read. revise my course guide. my reading list. think of new ways to make teaching and learning public policy via distance mode "fun."

now if only being an academic would come easy for me. the way spinning is. or shopping is. or being a pain in the a** is.

i can't believe i'm coming up with a whine post after easter.

the news in the past few days are disturbing me big time. number one on the list of what's bothering me is the rice shortage. (it worries me because i love eating rice and i get groucy if i don't eat rice in a day.)

as usual, GMA and her men are quick to deny that there is actually a rice shortage, saying that the price will increase slightly, but there will be enough supply.

long story short, the shortage is confined only to those who won't be able to afford the high cost. sad naman. i was reading police reports the other day and was a bit bothered (again) by an incident wherein a 47 year old man was mauled to death by his fellow scavenger after the latter got irked when the victim tried to get his leftover rice.

next to losing, i think hunger is the worst human experience.

second thing, former president cory aquino's colon cancer. my lolo died of colon cancer. it's sad, it's scary and it leaves me wondering why the brightest minds have not discovered something-- like a vaccine that can be administered to kids so they'll be cancer proof when they grow up.

here's the inquirer today.

let's pray for some good news.

client 9--- OUT!

2008-03-13T10:12:00.008+08:00

scandals seem to be in vogue these days. gaad-- life has become so boring-- we resort to politics and scandals for enterntainment.

"Over the course of my public life I have insisted people take responsibility for their conduct. I can and will ask no less of myself. For this reason I am resigning as governor," said nueva york governor Eliot Spitzer who will step down on Monday to "atone for his private failings."

client 9-- eliot spitzer

the 1st term democrat governor who gained national prominence relentlessly pursuing Wall Street anomalies resigned amid allegations that he used an exclusive prostitution ring at least eight times in eight months.

now i wonder-- how come it's easier for politicians in other countries to resign--even before they were proven guilty? no need for rallies, no picketing in front of their houses, no all out media war that leaves spectators sick.

i also wonder how wives of shamed politicians can actually stand behind them amidst all the scandal. i hate to be in mrs. spitzer's shoes (yes, even if it's a pair of prada).

gov. and mrs. spitzer

ooops! she did it again! malu fernandez redux

2008-03-12T12:50:00.009+08:00

uh-oh. who let the (fill in the blank) _______________ out again?

so after her major faux pas last year, the pierce and phavulous (as janina san miguel would say it) malu fernandez is sooo back on the blogging radar. (well actually, with her size and "acerbic wit," [harhar] she's hard to miss.)

this time, she disses the blogging business.

malu, malu, malu.

just when we (the blogging and OFW community) thought we've put you out of business-- you managed to crawl back from the muddy pen and into the papers with your-- what should we call that-- pathetic excuse for a column(?) writing(?) preaching (?) acerbic wit (?).

do yourself a favor.

write na lang about the night life in afghanistan. the fashion week in darfur. wining and dining in somalia. weekend shopping in mogadishu.

we just MIGHT start to like you if you do.

(ps: i blog because writing is therapeutic. and no, i am not hiding under anonimity.)

speechless-- wasabi har.har.

2008-03-11T16:07:00.003+08:00

my life is boring myself to tears.

my ADHD is in full throttle.

and i've been stuffing myself silly with

coffee...

coke zero...

and wasabi flavored potato chips.

i'm addicted to wasabi. argh.

need to focus.

go pinay american idol!

2008-03-08T22:36:00.002+08:00

after what happened to marc and rovilson at the 2nd season of the amazing race asia, i'm not sure if i should still do this.

baka ma jinx.

but then, whatever.

so please, tune in to american idol and vote for ramielle malubay.

she's pinay and she's fab.

really.

landslide

2008-03-08T22:19:00.003+08:00

how do you spell vindicated?

easy.

c-l-e-a-n. s-w-e-e-p

good job convenors, members and slate.

swerte ng NCPAG, may PALS.

go NCPAG SC 2008-2009! make us proud.

summer

2008-03-04T08:19:00.004+08:00

it's getting hot in here.....

so i went shopping over the weekend.

after seven weeks of shopping moratorium, i finally, finally went to the mall and spent hard earned moolah.

i got a coupla books from national bookstore, some undies, sandals and a coupla blouses.

the books-- to entertain me while waiting for my flight to my chosen summer destination. (bali, bali, bali, baby)

the undies-- hello? do i have to rationalize this?

the sandals-- i have yet to have a light colored pair

the blouses-- because i'm not wearing my dark shirts and blouses in the next coupla weeks.

gaaad... it is summer. my favorite season, next to christmas.

and i'm gonna get a lot of sunshine...

sunshine can you bright and shiny.

happy summer everyone.

sawasdee

2008-02-28T16:15:00.009+08:00

"Pa picture tayo kasama sina sam milby at anne curtis," my mom said while we were having our greasy, carbo loaded dinner at a resto in alabang town center a few days before new year.

"Mom, kung kay thaksin nga hindi ako nakipag picture-an nung nasa hongkong, kina sam milby at anne curtis pa kaya?" i answered, a bit annoyed.

now that i think of it, i should've approached him at the peninsula in hongkong and had my picture taken.

oh well, i guess i would have to go to peninsula in bangkok or at vanilla brasserie to get my photo taken with the thai billionaire businessman and owner of the manchester city.

yes folks, 17 months after being deposed in a military coup, thaksin sinawatra is back in bangkok.

kissing the thai soil.

with his family and supporters at suvarnabhumi

According to reports, Thai authorities rapidly detained the 58-year-old billionaire politician and took him to a court appearance. There he was ordered him to post $267,000 in bail pending a hearing on March 12.

Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman, face corruption and conflict of interest charges in connection with her purchase of prime Bangkok real estate from a state agency in 2003, while he was prime minister. Pojaman returned to Thailand in January and was released on bail pending trial.

Would the thai court convict him? Would the newly elected PM, who is from Thaksin's party grant him pardon (like you know who)?

When asked if he would be pulling the political strings in Thailand, Mr Thaksin told the BBC that he had retired from politics.

"I think in my life I have devoted a lot to my country and I think I have done a lot politically. No more politics," he said.

Sounds like somebody back here, right?

***

Here at my backyard circus, aside from walking and stumbling and fumbling, a lot of people have been.. ummm.. praying...

what could she be praying for?

back-up divine intervention

There will be an interfaith rally at ayala tomorrow.

Erap will be at the rally.

Am i going? My answer: NO.

I've got better things to do than go to the circus.

Gaaad... I'm starting to get annoyed by all philippine politics.

Lengthier explanation on my next post.

celebutant

2008-02-21T17:44:00.008+08:00

“Hi. Do you already have a wedding coordinator?” asked the nice lady in blue.

“Umm… I don’t have a wedding coordinator yet.” I answered, trying to pull an Abalos-Atienza-Defensor-Razon stunt at the bridal fair.

“Oh. So when is your wedding?”

“Err… what services fall in your package? I mean, I don’t have the time and energy and patience to compare menus, look for photographers—all that hoopla. I would just want to walk down that aisle, exchange I do’s, get that kiss from my groom and live happily ever after.”

“I see. You may want to avail of our full coordination package. It starts from a year or six months before your wedding. We will be the one to search for suppliers, provide you concepts for your wedding—color motif, theme—and coordinate everything—schedules for shoots, pre wedding parties.”

“How much would that cost?”

“It ranges from 60,000 to 100,000.”

“Okay, I will avail of that package. Actually, my parents and siblings are willing to shell out 500 grand for wedding coordination services.”

“500 grand? Really?” asked the surprised nice lady in blue.

“I’m not kidding. But aside from the caterer, florist, photographer, stylist, couturier and musicians, you would also have to find my groom. He’s still somewhere out there. ”

Maniacal laughter.

“Why are you laughing?” asked Sarah.

Mitch, the wedding coordinator and Sarah were done discussing. I snapped out of my Murakami-Pahlaniuk universe and got back to my role as bride’s maid on duty.

“Wala lang. I just thought of something really funny,” I explained, half embarrassed, half apologetic for spacing out in the middle of the discussions with the wedding coordinator.

"I'll be passing on this wedding folio to you," Sarah said. A bit excitedly. Oh, she is in love all right-- and people who are in love are optimistic. And happy.

I smiled sheepishly and thought of my dating relationship. Err... my lack of a meaningful, promising dating relationship.

Three rounds of the venue and several fliers, brochures and business cards after, I’m no longer surprised at why getting married in this country has become a multi-million peso industry.

By the time we got out of the bridal fair venue, Megamall had a gazillion people. I found it hard to

breathe.

Tintin joined us and we transferred to Shang rila for coffee and to think through some options.

As we walked from Mega to Shang, my thoughts, like the buses in Edsa, were racing with abandon in my head. When will I get married? Where will I get married? Who will I marry and why is he taking sooooo looooong to find me?

I remembered the story of Lynette Lewis. You see, she wanted to get married at 22, but didn't end up getting married until she was 42. So while all her friends were getting married and having kids-- she remained single for 20 more years-- confined to being a bridesmaid/ maid of honor and to just having godchildren.

God taught Lynette so many things in that long-- very long period of waiting. One-- that life has its seasons. Two-- that each of life's season has its gifts. Three-- that we should celebrate whatever season we are in. Four-- that God knows the desires of our hearts and that He is faithful.

When I was 22, I planned to get married by the time I was 26. If I got married in 2006, would I have remained married by 2008?

I am not too sure. Things happen for a reason. God is also teaching me a coupla things.

I will be on bride's maid duty for eight more months. Sarah and Sundy's big day is on October.

As we settled in our booth at the Dome cafe, I looked at the bride-to-be, my good friend and thought, well, God is faithful-- I will celebrate my season and Sarah's season.

team bride: bride's maids: me and tintin. bride to be: sarah (in green)

pow-lee-teehks

2008-02-21T14:43:00.015+08:00

forty nine years after overthrowing fulgencio batista in 1959, Fidel Castro finally turned over the control of Cuba to his brother and defense minister, Raul early this week. (feb 19 i think).

he survived several attempts of the US to get him out of power-- and thus, outlasted nine american presidents.

my friends who had seen Fidel Castro said he is a sight to behold, even at his old age.

when fidel was younger

i wouldn't mind having a dictator-- as long as he is tall and good looking. castro stands 6'3".

(our homeland dictator only measures 4'10." worse, sans the power, she can be fugly. i'll give oreo cookies to whoever could guess who she is.)

***

at the land of the free and the home of the brave, billary clinton's commanding lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination has vaporized since the Super Tuesday contests two weeks ago, and now, not only is Obama out in front, he's also chipping away at her base.

obama rama in full throttle

***

back at the home front.

people have been walking.....

solidarity... err...

unity walk

first they called it solidarity walk. then they changed solitary to unity. porjosporsanto. (thanks to quezon.ph for the photos.)

atienza looked groovy in his pair of aviators. (he could be hiding his lack of sleep? shame? guilt? behind the tinted lenses).

and la presidente-- looked very cruela deville in her red outfit.

so while some were walking, other were stumbling. the cruela deville label is passe. according to joey salceda-- it's should be bitch.

i love all these name calling. probinsiyanong intsik, big boy, president evil and now-- luckiest bitch.

in the vernacular, i say, may sademonyo si GMA.

i just hope she runs out of luck really soon.

coke whore

2008-02-20T11:49:00.007+08:00

finally, finally.

coke zero has landed on Philippine shores. first time i drank this was in hongkong last year.

got a liter bottle from the grocery last sunday and drowned myself in it.

i still prefer coke light with lemon though. the alumni of alcoholics anonymous would understand why.

i love coca cola. i refer to it as my sanity drink. when i'm on the brink of something, i get my coke fix. never fails to keep me from going amuck.

i wish they'll have coke cherry zero here next.

try it!

not going gently into the night

2008-02-16T11:43:00.004+08:00

okay, okay. so i gobbled up my cynicism and guess where i found myself yesterday afternoon?

somewhere here:

feb 15 rally: sobra na, tama na, kumilos na!

i really didn't have any plans of going.

i mean, i stayed out really late on valentine's night (yihee!) and i got a gazillion things to do-- like check my students' papers, finish my lecture notes, come up with a critique for a project, start reading g.g. marquez's "love in a time of cholera" which i got last christmas, and perhaps, get some sleep.

but hearing adel tamano got me out of bed and into the streets.

well, there weren't too much people. most of my acquaintances from civil society organizations were there though.

jazzy and i stationed ourselves somewhere near the enterprise tower.

as i stood there listening to the speeches and the chants, i can't help but get a sense of dejavu.

anyway, it was the first time i heard the song which goes: "don't go gently into the night, rage into the dying light." chikoy pura of the jerks performed it so well, i want an Mp3 of it.

there would be more mass actions they say, till mrs. arroyo falls off her high chair in the palace.

God save this country.

rage against the (arroyo) machine

2008-02-14T14:47:00.007+08:00

"if broken hearts were commercials, we'll all be on TV."-- one obscure comedian

it's valentine's day and i am talking of broken hearts.

when you swim with sharks everyday for a living, it can be surprising how you are still able to feel something aside from cold and numbness.

over cups of coffee and tea, some friends and i had been doing a lot of analyzing lately. making sense of the mess that has been rocking this republic. trying to convince ourselves that we made the right decision to stay in the country.

this morning, a friend texted me: "happy valentine's. are you going to the rally tomorow?"

i replied: "not going. i'm swamped. got a gazillion things to do."

friend: "be careful. you might already be on the dark side."

me: "haha. the admin is flawed, the opposition is as flawed. all sides are gray. always, there is more than meets the eye."

i wonder how many people will go tomorrow.

yes, i am upset, disgusted, angry at how things turned out in this administration.

but just like in love, after your first few failed relationships, you become cautious. you become skeptical. sometimes, a bit too cautious, you stop taking risks. at its worse, you become numb. cold. deadened.

when i look at the opposition-- which includes those we kicked out seven years ago in edsa dos, and think that these guys will be replacing the current administration-- i can't help but hold back a bit.

they look nice now as oppostion--you know, raging against the excesses of the arroyos, calling for transparency yaddi yaddi. how they will handle power is anyone's guess.

in relationships, i've been told that you would only know what a person is truly like when you get into a relationship with him/her. but other than that, it's difficult to know the real deal.

question would be: are you willing to take risk? is there still room for error?

arrgh... tacky melodrama. let's just play pictionary shall we?

some of the posters/ stickers that you'll see tomorrow

God have mercy on this country.

it never ends...

2008-02-14T11:09:00.011+08:00

"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever."
- Thomas Jefferson

i wanted to stay away from this. i wanted to just sleep it out-- in the hope of waking up to a better day.

but sleep had been elusive the past week. in the times i get to sleep, i dream of being taken by unidentified men from the airplane's tube, being escorted to an altis and driven around the south of manila without explanations, without getting any logical answers from my escorts.

each time i'm jolted out of slumber, i go through my files and review my service contracts to make sure i was never tasked to moderate greed. i wring my three braincells dry to remember details of projects that i've been involved in the past two years and pray that the projects are clean and won't merit a senate investigation.

ah, senate investigations-- pinoy style. i understand why jun lozada wanted to run as fast as his made-in-china leather shoes can carry him when he received the subpeona from the senate. (the made in china shoes is an assumption. i mean, he is chinese after all and he just flew in from hongkong.)

being caught in a mess such as the NBN deal is, i think, the worst thing that could happen to any professional who just wants to make a living using his brain. there are more chances of surviving in a nuclear cross fire between north korea and pakistan than in this.

there are so many things that i want to post here. but i'm being very cautious lately. someone powerful could be reading this and is arranging for my pick up at the tube. more importantly, i know that there is more than meets the eye in this scenario.

so let's just play pictionary shall we?

nbn-zte deal: mischief, mayhem, greed.

jun lozada in the company of nuns and la salle brothers, the closest thing to divine protection.

in the presence of his enemies. jun lozada with GMA's men

ever heard of fashion police? call them quick!

tol is back. (was he ever gone?)

remind me to never to get into donor funded government projects.

and to pack my bags soon.

on my sleeve

2008-02-13T13:58:00.004+08:00

i hold tj responsible for my restlessness the past few nights. he wrote:

Living in that solitude which is so painful in youth but so wonderful in maturity has fueled my thoughts of the profound much to my emotional chagrin. I wonder if I have reached that age when I desire constant companionship from someone who can bear my unbearable existence with me. But I may never find someone like that. Not in this country at least.

what i thought can't be put to words, he did.

what i feel can't be anymore real than this.

what is it with models and heads of states these days?

2008-02-13T12:49:00.005+08:00

meet france's new first lady: carla bruni.

i didn't know they already got married. when pres. sarkozy was sworn in as president early last year, he was still married to cecile. and then the divorce. and then carla happened. and three months after, they got hitched. ah, love. surprising.

and looks like some other model is getting friendly with another head of state, and might become another model-turned-nation's-first-lady.

naomi campbell with venezuelan president hugo chavez

the latinas better watch out for flying gadgets thrown at them if sparks indeed fly between rage-a-holic and chavez.

hmm... i should've been a supermawdel.

of this government and other demons

2008-02-07T11:04:00.000+08:00

my thoughts are still a tornado in my head. can't think. can't write.

malacanang and congress have turned into modern day sodom and gomorrah.

for those who do not know the Bible, let's put it this way: Philippine politics has gone really very bad. as in Britney bad.

i read the papers and chanced upon manuel quezon III's column on PDI this morning. it's not necessarily the good news that i wanted (like-- the first family being wiped out from the face of the planet)-- but a very good read nevertheless.

here's the piece:

Live from the Bastusang Pambansa
By Manuel L. Quezon III

Speaker: “We will now proceed with nominal voting. Call the roll.”

Clerk: “Aquin, Lahat.”

Aquin: “Mr. Presiding Officer Creature, may I explain my bribe?”

S: “The undistinguished gentleman has three congressional minutes.”

A: “Mr. Speaker, I come here with a heavy heart but a heavier wallet, and for that reason, much as it pains me, in the name of my district, may I manifest my gratitude to the President for this opportunity to prove my loyalty. I vote yes, for change! Not loose change, Mr. Speaker, but the kind of change that stood us in good stead, when we were last in Macao at government expense. Truly, it is a privilege to serve the President’s sons, who are, after all, people, too, and so by serving them, we all serve… the people. I vote YES.”

C: “Garapal, Medio.”

Garapal: “Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Presiding Officer Creature.”

S: “What is the parliamentary inquiry by the undistinguished gentleman?”

G: “May I know if our proceedings are being monitored by Madam?”

S: “The Majority Floor Leader Creature will answer.”

MFL: “Yes, well, ah, the independence of this noble chamber is unquestionable, but yes, I understand that we are being monitored on TV, radio, and of course you, uh, all know the Baranggay Bansot Legislative Liaison Office… they are there, behind the uh, peephole…”

G: “In that case, may I explain my bribe?”

S: “The undistinguished gentleman has three congressional minutes.”

G: “Thank you, Madam, for these thy blessings, which we are about to receive, through Your Excellency’s husband, Our Lord, and the Department of Budget and Management, Amen.”

C: “Rucut, Mando.”

Rucut: “Mr. Presiding Officer Creature, may I explain my bribe?”

S: “Yes. Go ahead.”

R: “My name is Congressman Mando Rucut. R-U-C-U-T. Got it? That is my name, and here is my vote. I vote YES. Let me repeat: YES. YES, YES, YES. That’s me, Mando Rucut. R-U-C-U-T, who voted YES. Thank you. Do I get more since I voted five times?”

S: “Unfortunately, this is the House, not the Comelec, you only get one vote here.”

C: “Saamin, Siempre.”

Saamin: “Point of information, Mr. Speaker, before I explain my bribe.”

S: “What is the point of information?”

Sa: “I would like to know, on behalf of the ten thousand patriotic, able-bodied, spiritually-advanced members of my district, where our uh, err, shall we say, development assistance…”

S: “The undistinguished gentleman is directed to the South Lounge to collect his Success Fee.”

Sa: “Thank you. Without further ado, I vote YES! This country needs change! Lots of it! And now, Mr. Speaker, I must excuse myself to answer a call of nature.”

S: “The undistinguished gentleman need not enlighten the House on the state of his bladder-”

Sa: “Objection, Mr. Speaker! Not that kind of a call of nature!”

S: “In which case you are not required to manifest your intention to go to the South Lounge.”

C: “Son, Second.”

S2: “Hey, you. I will now explain-explain, ha? I expect as much time as I want. Because I like. Mmmkay?”

S: “The distinguished, charming, handsome gentleman from the district in which he was not born, but who has, by the Grace of God, come down from the clouds to demean himself by serving the people, has, of course, unlimited time, in consideration of his esteemed blood ties to our glorious-”

S2: “Shaddap. All of you. I’m not here, ha, as her son but I’m here, ha, as well… I’m here. Got it? So, let me say… WE WIN! THEY LOSE! WE ALWAYS WIN! HAHA! I vote Yes. Because.”

MFL: “Mr. Speaker, may I make a motion to have the immoral, I mean, immortal, words we just heard, framed and distributed to every barangay in this country?”

S: “Any objections? Does anybody dare? Hearing none, so ordered.”

C: “Mesa, Onder D.”

Mesa: “Mr. Speaker, in voting Yes, let me explain my bribe by saying, the only thing permanent in this world is change. We change underwear. We change clothes. We change in appearance. We are always changing, because change is good, the more we change, the better we become, because, in truth, and I say this in all sincerity, with utter conviction, the only time we do not change is when we die. And, Mr. Speaker, to quote the great President Marcos, I do not intend to die!”

S: “The motion is carried. Yoda is deposed. The new speaker, Jar-Jar Binks, will now give his inaugural address.”

Speaker Jar-Jar: “Monsters out there, leaking in here. Weesa all sinking and no power. Whena yousa thinking we are in trouble? Better dead here than deader in the Core. Ye gods, whatta meesa sayin’? Gungans no giben up witout a fight. Wesa warriors! Wesa got a gwand army. Dats why yousa no liken us, I tink.”

(Applause. Meanwhile, Yoda tells the media, “Around the survivors, a perimeter create.”)

eyeluvit!

and here's a blog post from Butch Dalisay that made me laugh some more:

F&J69: Restoring the Damage
Flotsam & Jetsam

I’M NO great fan of Joe de Venecia, but I could feel for him as I watched the live telecast of the vote to oust him from the Speakership, on the floor of the very same Congress he had ruled for longer than any of his predecessors. “Et tu, Brute?” must have gone through his mind dozens of times as one former ally after another took the mike to cast a vote against him. Earlier, he gave an impassioned one-hour speech denouncing corruption in government and calling himself a “sinner”—but a few years too late.

Not only JDV took a beating tonight. So did the English language, which these congressmen seem so hell-bent on improving (or is that uncharacteristic self-awareness?).

Herewith some choice gems of oratory, verbatim, from their “humble representations.” Check the transcript—you’ll find them there:

“We should vote to restore the damage which has been badly tarnished as far as the image of this house is concerned.”

“The fruits of our sacrifice is bearing fruit.”

“We will bring you back the ongoings at the House of Representatives.” (from a TV commentator)

“This will result to a tectonic eruption!”

“Longetivity in power is no reason to stay in power.”

“It is eminent that he will not be speaker in a few hour.”

“Event has its own time, and time has its own events.”

“I cannot afford to punish a statesman, a political leader this country ever had.”

"As the Speaker so eloquently put it in his frivolous, er, privilege speech..."

And just to remind us that there are worse things than bad grammar, give a listen to:

“Congressman Nograles is my cousin, but the Speaker is the father-in-law of my brother... so I abstain.”

“I must rise to defend my cabalen—the President!”

annoyed

2008-01-29T18:03:00.000+08:00

i haven't written anything since the day after my birthday. forgive me. i am hillary clinton after the Iowa and North Carolina primaries. i am the US economy -- sliding into recession, the global stock market-- in a meltdown. i am a new orleans resident in the midst of hurricane katrina.

aaargh... my train of thought is obviously more derailed than it has ever been.

but for the sake of just posting something-- anything-- here's a survey that i got on my friendster bulletin--which i am answering here.

narcissitic, yes. pathetic, yes.

In three words, explain today:- blah. blah. blah. (hurricane katrina swirls around me)
What made you smile today?- hmm... i'm thinking... stories
What were u doing this morning at 8?- was on the treadmill (yey, treadmill)
What were u doing 15 minutes ago?- eating oatmeal
Something that happened to you in1986?- i turned 6! i was in kinder two
Last thing someone said to you?- "saan ba yung party?"
What was your answer?- "i dunno. some condo at the fort."
Worst thing currently on television:- ruffa gutierrez and the other gutierrezes
What was in your e-mail today?- haven't checked
How many different beverages haveyou drank today?- figaro coffee (addicting, i love it), tea
Your current To-do list?- pray, read, chillax
What color is your toothbrush?- white with green streaks, both on the bristles and handle
What are you wearing right now?- my all time favorite black slacks, green bouse and naturalizer pumps
Any plans for Friday night?- watch american gangster, work, shop!
Least favorite place to shop.- divisoria
Things you bought today?- lunch. oheya chips.
Last gift you received?- free lunch with my bestfriend, love in a time of cholera by GG Marquez
Who is the last person you talkedto on the phone?- a likely ally for 2010
what is your favorite song as of now?- it's this old mariah song-- breakdown
Who was the last person to call youbaby?- anton calls me baby all the time
Has anyone ever sang to you?- oh gaad... and it's horrible.
If you were abandoned in thewilderness, would you survive?- with books, a burning bush and a map
Why did your last relationship end?- it wasn't suppose to have started
Which do you prefer, to eat or sleep?- sleep
Can you speak any other language besides English?- a little french, a little thai
Do you wear your seatbelt in the car?- all the time =)
Are you scared of flying?- i love flying
Is your hair curly or straight?- rebellious :p
Do you like funny people or serious people?- decent, intelligent people yes
What jewelry do you wear all the time?- pearl earrings. they're lovely.
Any message to someone you hate?- karma is so going to kick your eyes. i hope to be get front seats when that happens because u so deserve it.
Any message to someone you love?- umm.... call me.
Have you dated someone thrice?- yep.
How do you feel right now?- have this homicidal passion going on

let's vote for team mark and rovilson!

2008-01-12T22:25:00.000+08:00

i rarely do this.

but because they make watching TV so enjoyable that i am able to curb my chronic incessant- channel-flipping habit even for just an hour, i ask you guys to please vote for mark nelson and rovilson fernandez for favorite and most likely team to win the second season of amazing race asia.

go get 'em Mark and Rovilson!

watch amazing race asia every thursday at 2100. and see what i'm raving about.

then vote for this lovable, witty duo. it's so easy. just sign up here.

welcome to big league

2008-01-12T17:10:00.000+08:00

(the world of pretend again-- for now. thanks to harper's bazaar feb.2008.)

What do you know, it's only the second week of 2008-- barely a year after the mid term elections and more than two years before juan dela cruz's children aged 18 and above troop back to the polling precincts-- and I am already choking on motherhood statements, grandstanding and mudslinging-- courtesy of the several malacanang wannabes-- err... hopefuls.

So who's tired of third world archipelago politics? I am.

So off to Estados Unidos I went for my birthday. Which explains the absence of a year-ender and a birthday post.

What did I do in US of A? Nothing much. I just stalked some people and took pictures.

So let's play pictionary shall we?

with Senator John Mc Cain

This was a coupla minutes after his victory at the GOP caucus at New Hampshire. Notice the look on his face. I boxed out some of his security detail to get his photo taken and he was pleasantly surprised when i told him that if i were a US citizen, I would go for a republican despite Dubya and that republican would be him.

with Sen. Barack Obama

I used to wonder what the obama mania was all about. Till Iowa. Now I'm caught up in obama rama. Love his name, love his color, love what he is able to achieve, love oprah's endorsement of him.

with Sen. Hillary Clinton

I would readily vote for Hillary because 1) she is a woman and 2) because she is uber galing having survived cut throat washington politics and monica lewinsky.

***

post script:
my short exposure to big league politics made me think. perhaps, I should give DC try. =)

UP kong pinakamamahal

2008-01-07T17:24:00.000+08:00

things i love about my school:

the naked man.

brilliant students.

liberal culture.

the annual oblation run.

notorious professors

lifelong pride.

i wear my UP shirt when i travel. this one is taken somewhere in siam square, bangkok.

my smile on graduation says it all. i'm proud to be from UP.

hell weeks.

nose bleed lessons and exams.

never-ending cramming.

die hard friendships.

People call it University of the Philippines.

We call it LIFE.

happy U.P. Centennial!

randomnesssss.....

2008-01-03T18:13:00.000+08:00

there are so many tornadoes swirling in my head, i try chasing after them but i can't catch them because i gained too much weight over the holidays and i'm still trying to shake off all the MSG that i ingested back at the land of the singkits and prototypes.

neehoo.... let's just play pictionary shall we?

let it snow christmas at disneyland!

i was smiling but i was freaking scared during the cable car ride at OP

around the world aboard an air balloon in 60 days.

on the last day of 2007. mood: contemplative.

(also: hungry, sleepy, shop mode)

well thought post soon.

two-ow-ow-eight

2008-01-02T13:27:00.000+08:00

it's the second day of the year.

nine days before my birthday. (shameless plug i know, you can start sending gifts. NOW.)

holidays after math:

gainers:
-my peso being able to buy more dollars
-my mid torso, my thighs and my arms. i am 10 whopping lbs heavier (aw gad-- now i have to lose 30 lbs to get to my ideal weight).

losers:
-my bank account. wrung dry. (so help me God.)
-my skin. which has a gazillion rashes--- no thanks to that olay total (side) effects that i bought in macau.
-the sellers at the night market along tung choi, whom i terrorized with my cold and merciless haggling.
-those good looking chinese men who didn't get to talk to me because they don't speak english. (or is it the other way around?)
-that lacoste accessory outlet that is suppose to exist somewhere near st. paul's ruins, which i didn't find. too bad, i was suppose to raid-- err-- buy all its bags.

excuse my verbal diarrhea.

i wanted to say happy new year. but that won't be enough.

so let me just borrow from my ex-boyfriend, neil, who in his blog wrote:

May your coming year be filled with magic
and dreams and good madness. I hope
you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

find me a mistletoe

2007-12-18T11:16:00.000+08:00

seven days before lovely christmas.

i woke up, after a not-so restful, interrupted sleep.

all the partying, the shopping, the cramming finally took their toll on me,

my nose is stuffy, my throat hurts. i'm staring at the blank screen of my PC, zombified.

***

i got to my office at 10AM and got myself some chocolate drink. wala lang, i thought, chocolate can help.

so there i was, drinking my magnolia chuckie, waiting for the elevator when mr. senator stood beside me, also waiting for the elevator.

i didn't bother saying good morning, because, well, i was not really having a good morning.

his security detail was looking at me. i was wearing my goggles--err... bangaw shades.

my favorite senator's chief-of-staff came in. hello, hello. we all got inside the elevator.

***

i got off at the fifth floor. there were two k9 units waiting.

"what the ef?" i asked inside my head.

i don't like dogs.

turns out, people-- patrons, lobbyists and political-players have been flooding the different offices in our building with gifts. and to avoid a repeat of the HOR bombing, they deployed dogs to sniff at the gifts.

i didn't see k9 units at the lobby though. just at the 5th floor.

are we missing something here?

yes. go figure.

***
and that trip!!!!

*****

this holiday season is just crazy.

tick tock

2007-12-14T16:07:00.000+08:00

'tis the season to be busy, falalalala, lalalala...

unbelievable... 11 days to go before christmas and i am running out of time, money, patience and sanity.

i'm not yet done with my christmas shopping.

i'm not yet done with my three other projects.

i'm not getting enough sleep.

i'm drinking wine and bacardi like i'm a fish.

i've got a gazillion parties, dinners, coffees, cocktails, charity event, get together and wakes to attend.

and of course, i have to deal with the long lines in cashiers (made worse by people who use their credit cards for a 300peso purchase-- argh!), the traffic (just plain crazy), the bargain shoppers who always box me out and get the best items in bazaars, relatives who ask when i'll get married, frenemies that i have to be nice to in the spirit of the season, kids who grow up so fast-- the clothes i bought for them just won't fit now, and yes-- all the strangers that you have to shake hands/ socialize with.

and yeah, that winter trip in seven days.

jeeez.... talk about being like butter spread thinly over steaming bibingka.

now, with all that bruhaha, i think i deserve some good stuff. here's my list:

put them under my christmas tree

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS:

- a job that pays me to be me

- subscription to hollywood tabloids, women's glossies, and the american journal of political science

- more babies in the family (kids are just adorable)

- my own franchise of fix salon, gold's gym, cyma, sugi and coffee bean. all right, my own mall.

- shoes.

- bags by bea valdez and tina ocampo

- monopoly of donor funded projects

- trips abroad

- free salon and derma services

- the whole of ongpin and binondo. yes, including probable monster-in-law.

- lose 20 pounds. (a top priority)

happy christmas everyone.

......

2007-12-12T13:31:00.001+08:00

at my office:

it's only 1:33pm.

haven't been here the past two days due to menstrual and mental cramps.

mental cramps resulting from that pant-pull-down fiasco.

i wanna go home na.

got tired crying and speaking in another language at the same time.

obama rama and the queen of america

2007-12-10T23:05:00.001+08:00

look-y look-y who's supporting obama rama?

i wonder who will bat for hillary?

because saying "i died!" won't be enough

2007-12-05T12:42:00.000+08:00

change the world. social entrepreneurship.

my three brain cells were over working to digest these concepts while i was having cocktails with a couple of interesting people at the asia society and philippines 21 event.

then this guy, asked me if my name is really just g.h.

normally, i would roll my eyes and say "umm... yeah..." and depending on my temperament, my body language would convey-- now drop it.

but it was different last night. i was willing to give this person a professorial lecture on why i have two letters and two periods for a first name and how the church and government accepted it and how people have been harassing me since kindergarten (that was 13 years ago) because of my name. and oh yeah, about other things, like my parents' phone number in case he decides to ask my hand in marriage.

talk about being swept off my feet. or in last night's case, being swept off my stilletos.

"oh yes, g.h. is my name. just g.h."

"does it mean anything? grace?"

"no. it's my dad's initials actually."

"oh."

in my mind, i was going shet, think fast of what else to say, don't let him go yet.

"by the way, i haven't congratulated you."

"for what?"

"for being the outstanding alumnus of NCPAG this year."

"oh, so you're from NCPAG."

"yeah. actually, i was supposed to be the one to nominate you but i was too shy to interview you. so it was tita liling who finally accomplished and submitted your nomination."

"really, why were you shy?"

at that point, i was like, "why am i shy? can't you see i am stuterring and hyperventillating here. you're too gwapo for me to handle."

but of course i didn't say that. i said something lame-r.

"umm... kasi you were busy." (eek. lame-o right?)

"oh well. so let's toast to that." (raised his goblet (?) of wine)

"cheers." (i clinked my goblet with his.)

smile smile smile smile smile smile smile.....

i told him i work at this government institution. i had to restrain myself from telling him that in case he runs for the senate in 2010, can i be part of his team?

for a few heartbeats, we talked about my favorite subject in the whole wide universe, which i also guess is his favorite subject-- politics.

"who knows, V might be president after all." he said.

"that is, if R lets him be president, or G."

"lets him be president." he laughed.

shoot, i can go on hearing that laughter, seeing those dimples, and i will, not even for a second get tired of it.

then the cliche--some good things never last-- had to happen. time to switch to other people--err talk to other people.

i swear, if i had three most favorite moments in my life and i'll be allowed to go back to them, i would be back at the ayala musuem lobby, at the asia society event, in my stilletos.

who was the guy?

photo from chuvaness

adel tamano.

now you understand why i just can't say "i died" to tell the story.

but yeah, i died.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2007-12-05T10:39:00.000+08:00

this is the era of advanced women's rights, next level women's empowerment.
and men are feeling more emasculated than ever.
those who can't handle it resort to their cavemen ways-- that is, try to overpower women with force or with any way they can.
to anyone, well actually to the male employers/ employees in government, before you go about broadcasting your sexual prowess or conquests in the office / or directing your green jokes at a female co-worker/ below are some pertinent provisions of the ADMINISTRATIVE DISCIPLINARY RULES ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASES, RESOLUTION NO. 01-0940, passed by the Civil Service Commission that you may want to know:

RULE III.
DEFINITION

Section 3. For the purpose of these Rules, the administrative offense of sexual harassment is an act, or a series of acts, involving any unwelcome sexual advance, request or demand for a sexual favor, or other verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, committed by a government employee or official in a work-related, training or education related environment of the person complained of.

(a) Work related sexual harassment is committed under the following circumstances:

(1) submission to or rejection of the act or series of acts is used as a basis for any employment decision (including, but not limited to, matters related to hiring, promotion, raise in salary, job security, benefits and any other personnel action) affecting the applicant/employee; or

(2) the act or series of acts have the purpose or effect of interfering with the complainant’s work performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment; or

(3) the act or series of acts might reasonably be expected to cause discrimination, insecurity, discomfort, offense or humiliation to a complainant who may be a co-employee, applicant, customer, or word of the person complained of.

(b) Education or training-related sexual harassment is committed against one who is under the actual or constructive care, custody or supervision of the offender, or against one whose education, training, apprenticeship, internship or tutorship is directly or constructively entrusted to, or is provided by, the offender, when:

(1) submission to or rejection of the act or series of acts as a basis for any decision affecting the complainant, including, but not limited to, the giving of a grade, the granting of honors or a scholarship, the payment of a stipend or allowance, or the giving of any benefit, privilege or consideration.

(2) the act or series of acts have the purpose or effect of interfering with the performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive academic environment of the complainant; or

(3) the act or series of acts might reasonably expected to cause discrimination, insecurity, discomfort, offense or humiliation to a complainant who may be a trainee, apprentice, intern, tutee or ward of the person complained of.

Section 4. Sexual harassment may take place:

1. in the premises of the workplace or office or of the school or training institution;

2. in any place where the parties were found as a result of work or education or training responsibilities or relations;

3. at work or education or training-related social functions;

4. while on official business outside the office or school or training institution or during work or school or training-related travel;

5. at official conferences, fora, symposia or training sessions; or

6. by telephone, cellular phone, fax machine or electronic mail.

RULE IV.
FORMS OR SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Section 5. The following are illustrative forms of sexual harassment:
(a) Physical
i. Malicious Touching;
ii. Overt sexual advances;
iii. Gestures with lewd insinuation.

(b) Verbal, such as but not limited to, requests or demands for sexual favors, and lurid remarks; (c) Use of objects, pictures or graphics, letters or writing notes with sexual underpinnings;
(d) Other forms analogous to the forgoing.

RULE V.
PERSONS LIABLE FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Section 6. Any government official or employee, regardless of sex, is liable for sexual harassment when he/she:

(a) directly participates in the execution of any act of sexual harassment as defined by these Rules;
(b) induces or directs another or others to commit sexual harassment as defined by these Rules; (c) cooperates in the commission of sexual harassment by another through an act without which the sexual harassment would not have been accomplished;
(d) cooperates in the commission of sexual harassment by another through previous or simultaneous acts.

RULE X.
CLASSIFICATION OF ACTS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Section 53. Sexual harassment is classified as grave, less grave and light offenses.

A. Grave Offenses shall include, but are not limited to:
1. unwanted touching of private parts of the body (genitalia, buttocks and breast);
2. sexual assault;
3. malicious touching;
4. requesting for sexual favor in exchange for employment, promotion, local or foreign travels, favorable working conditions or assignments, a passing grade, the granting of honors or scholarship, or the grant of benefits or payment of a stipend or allowance, and
5. other analogous cases.

B. Less Grave Offenses shall include, but are not limited to:
1. unwanted touching or brushing against a victim’s body;
2. pinching not falling under grave offenses;
3. derogatory or degrading remarks or innuendoes directed toward the members of one sex, or one’s sexual orientation or used to describe a person;
4. verbal abuse with sexual overtones; and
5. other analogous cases.

C. The following shall be considered Light Offenses;
1. surreptitiously looking or staring a look of a person’s private part or worn undergarments;
2. telling sexist/smutty jokes or sending these through text, electronic mail or other similar means, causing embarrassment or offense and carried out after the offender has been advised that they are offensive or embarrassing or, even without such advise, when they are by their nature clearly embarrassing, offensive or vulgar;
3. malicious leering or ogling;
4. the display of sexually offensive pictures, materials or graffiti;
5. unwelcome inquiries or comments about a person’s sex life;
6. unwelcome sexual flirtation, advances, propositions;
7. making offensive hand or body gestures at an employee;
8. persistent unwanted attention with sexual overtones;
9. unwelcome phone calls with sexual overtones causing discomfort, embarrassment, offense or insult to the receiver; and
10. other analogous cases.

RULE XI.
ADMINISTRATIVE LIABILITIES

Section 54. The head of office who fails to act within fifteen (15) days from receipt of any complaint for sexual harassment properly filed against any employee in that office shall be charged with Neglect of Duty.

Section 55. Any person who is found guilty of sexual harassment shall, after the investigation, be meted the penalty corresponding to the gravity and seriousness of the offense.

Section 56. The penalties for light, less grave, and grave offenses are as follows:

A. For light offenses:
1st offense – Reprimand
2nd offense – Fine or suspension not exceeding thirty (30) days
3rd offense – Dismissal

B. For less grave offenses:
1st offense – Fine or suspension of not less than thirty (30) days and not exceeding six (6) months
2nd offense – Dismissal

C. For grave offenses: Dismissal

Section 57. If the respondent is found guilty of two or more charges or counts, the penalty to be imposed should be that corresponding to the most serious charge or count and the rest shall be considered as aggravating circumstances.

***

moral of the entry:

1. be responsible for your action/inaction.

2. DO NOT MESS with a glamazon from UP. (dahil kung halang ang bituka nyo, mas halang ang bituka ko. )

mischief, mayhem... quakes and coup...

2007-11-29T14:07:00.000+08:00

25 days to go before christmas and i am cramming like i would only live till the end of the year.

the price i have to pay for playing the role of a world class procrastinator so well. i should get a freaking award.

neeho, at least i'm done with the preparations for the UN conference on climate change in bali.

***

wow, what a week this last seven days of november is turning out to be. it has been raining non-stop and manila is becoming like seattle. only, we've had an earthquake two days ago and now, a stand off in makati.

rebel soldiers taking over manila penn

ATE GLUE: water proof, coup proof, impeachment proof

COOL. Minutes after being informed of the standoff in Makati, Pres Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo plays it cool at the Colonel Lauro Dizon Memorial High School in San Pablo City, where she graced a local peace summit, as she waits for her helicopter ride to Malacañang minutes after being informed of te Trillanes march., President Arroyo plays it cool as she waits for her chopper ride to Malacañang. INQUIRER.NET/LIRA FERNANDEZ

***

after all the brain activity that i had this week, i'm not sure if i can come up with something intelligent to say about this stand off.

i still don't like GMA but i don't think i'm going to makati after work because it's raining and traffic to makati after office is just intolerable. besides, i still don't have enough money to do my christmas shopping. but god jnows i really, reeeeeaaaaaaallllllllllly want to go shopping.

i hope everything in greenbelt goes on sale after this standoff.

kawawa naman my city, battered na battered-- first, the glorietta explosion, and now, this.

i wonder how trading and the peso will do on monday.

i have a question: why does senator trillanes love taking over posh hotels?

if i were to launch a muntiny, i'd stage it in greenbelt.

why you ask? wala lang, it's my playground eh. at least i'll be in my comfort zone.

***

allright, so i was downloading the photo of greenbelt when i saw this:

i hope the stand off ends tonight so i can go shopping tomorrow.

sitting amuck... like really

2007-11-22T15:56:00.001+08:00

at this very moment, i am my blog.

i am trying to control myself from going berserk.

and i am not even PMS-ing.

gaddamit.

f**k it, f**k them, f**k everything.

hate it.

GRRRR....

me and my procrastinating a**

2007-11-16T21:27:00.000+08:00

2nd semester has started.

i have yet to construct the course site.

and i am not yet done with the 1st sem grades of my students.

GOD, help.

another bouquet in november

2007-11-14T17:22:00.000+08:00

i started november with an entry remembering the dead.

my perennially low emotional quotient makes me hesitant to talk, to write about death. i dunno. i'm already 27 and yet, i still find it-- difficult to come to terms with the reality that we will all die.

the recent news of death that hit the media left me shaken. grieving. asking a lot of questions.

this entry is in memory of mrs. dulce saguisag, mariannet amper and the victims of the blast at congress last night.

i also found this song of rivermaya from their very first album. (click on the title to listen)

Flowers

Someone's gone away Forever
Someone's gone away Too soon
Did they take him Up to Heaven
Or did they take himTo the moon?

Nobody answers
All her questions
So she gazes at the skies
Maybe somedayWhen she's all Grown up
She'll join themIn their lies.

And just before She turns away
She crafts a little smile:

someday i will take this flowers to the sky

someone bring back the sanity

2007-11-14T14:36:00.000+08:00

at nine last night, as i was going out of waltermart along pasong tamo, (incurable mall rat i really am), my phone beeped. and beeped. and beeped.

i didn't get to read the messages right away. i was a bit paranoid of displaying my phone inside the jeepney-- i mean hello, people are hungry in this side of the planet and my candy pink-colored motorola, when resold can afford to feed a family of five for three days.

i thought, my new home is only a few blocks away anyway, so the messages can wait. and had it really been an emergency, people would've called. we spent two minutes, fifty seconds waiting for the green light in the intersection of south super highway and arnaiz avenue and a good 10 seconds to make sure that the coast is clear-- meaning-- there are no speeding dump trucks that would crash into us and kill us instantly.

by the time i got home and checked my phone, five messages from family and friends were waiting. all the texts pretty much said: BATASAN was bombed. congressmen and staff were hurt. where are you?

gmanews.tv

the south wing takes a big bang

gmanews.tv

one minute you're alive and breathing, next minute,

you're inside a body bag, dead.

i had to sit down.

i don't want to be morbid and all but really, it's as if death is coming closer by the day. barely a month after glorietta was bombed--err-- okay not bombed, after the particles of gases in the basement of g2 went amuck, here's another big bang.

(by the way, i wonder why the authorities is taking gazillion years to determine the cause of the glorietta explosion? )

my playgrounds are being annihilated.

they bombed a government agency this time. who knows when and where the next bomb will detonate?

i've run out of theories and possible solutions.

right now, i am just scared.

pinoy big briber

2007-11-08T10:19:00.000+08:00

i'm trying to outgrow 3rd world politics. believe me.

i'm trying to become a full blooded technocrat. no more politics. technocracy is the way for me. technocracy. technocrazy. whatevs.

will probably come up with an entirely diferrent kind of blog next year. shameless plug, i know.

neehoo, the tempest-- which is the drama of the wicked and wonderful world of brown monkey politics is still raging. as ever.

someone is due for eviction from malacanang.

tomorrow, November 9, 2007 is International Day of Protest Kontra sa Panggagago.

In some major cities around the world, Filipino communities will wear black and organize protest actions on this day to declare with a strong voice: “Tama na! Sobra na! Ginagago na ang mamamayang Pilipino!”

In Metro Manila, we will wear black and assemble at the Ninoy Aquino Statue along Ayala Ave. and Paseo de Roxas at 11:30 am. We will then march towards the Makati Post Office, buy stamps and each one of us will mail a Pinoy Big Briber postcard with a personalized message to GMA.

for downloads, visit www.pinoybigbriber.com.

God save this country.

mush

2007-11-08T10:10:00.000+08:00

i've finally moved out of QC.

was thinking of one person the whole time i was packing.

this has been playing in my head whenever i think of that dude since-- i dunno when. probably over the summer. i'm not sure.

bottomline, i'm cheesy today.

condolences

2007-11-01T19:25:00.000+08:00

offering these gerberas to family and friends who have departed.

anyway, i was a bit shocked to hear of the death of Lieutenant Colonel Renerio Batalla, the Philippine Army officer who died of malaria while on international peacekeeping assignment in Sudan last week.

the UN secretary general sent his condolences to the family.

what shocked me about this is number one, the reality that there are still some places where malaria happens. second would be, that malaria can still actually be a cause of death. and lastly, how bad is the condition in sudan? i mean, weren't there doctors or why weren't they able to treat him?

hmmm... o yeah, i remember the questionnaire that one has to answer when applying for a post in the UN's peacekeeping missions.

Mission Readiness

It is very difficult to define what being ready for mission service really means. How can one possibly prepare for the unexpected?

There are, however, some basic ways in which you can assess whether or not you are the kind of person willing to meet the challenges of the field, and to benefit from the experience both personally and professionally. The following provides you with some questions to help you determine your own suitability for mission service. We suggest that you consider them very carefully before making the decision to apply:

Would you feel comfortable working in a foreign country, where the culture, language and customs are different from your own? Do you have the curiosity and energy to learn the local language(s), culture, history and political climate of a mission? Could you be sensitive to cultural and gender differences when dealing with both the indigenous population and United Nations colleagues?

Would you feel comfortable leaving your family, friends, and personal obligations for a period of 6 months or more? The majority of the missions are considered special, or ?non-family?, which means that staff members are strongly discouraged from bringing dependents and family members to the mission area. The United Nations does not assist family members with visas, transport, or other services provided to staff. Furthermore, family members are not included in the security arrangements made for United Nations personnel.

Are you prepared to endure the daily hardships and potential hazards of mission life? These hardships and hazards may involve meager accommodations, fluctuating food and water supply, adverse climate and health conditions, restricted communications with areas outside of the mission, and security risks within potentially hostile circumstances.

Are you enthusiastic, self-motivated, and independent? Do you have the capacity to be a true team-player, dedicated to working with others in group decision-making? Are you willing to work 7 days per week, 15 hours per day, if necessary?

Would you characterize yourself as having patience, understanding, and grace under pressure, as well as a sense of humor that can defuse potentially awkward situations? Are you self-confident while recognizing both your own weaknesses and strengths? Do you view change as inevitable and respond to it as a source of renewal and improvement?

Are you well-organized, structuring your time efficiently and setting realistic goals and priorities in the context of a stressful, potentially chaotic environment? Do you exercise good judgment and feel comfortable making decisions that may have profound ramifications?

Are you, to the best of your knowledge, in good overall physical and mental health? In order to be approved for mission assignment, all staff members must undergo a full medical examination and be cleared for service by the United Nations Medical Director.

i answered most of the questions with outright "NO"... some i answered with a hesitant.. "ummm--yeah, i think so..."

what did you expect?

wait, let's just put it this way, if Paris Hilton survives Rwanda, then i think i'll give this a try.

zzz....

2007-11-01T18:39:00.000+08:00

aside from the gazillion things that i've been procrastinating, i should be packing.

packing yes. where am i going? moving out of QC and to a friend's place in makati.

as usual, i'm getting this separation anxiety blah blah. would you believe it, i've fought with five people since monday. i won't give the details-- bottomline, i was wearing my all year round costume-- that of mc nasty.

aargghhh...

rocks was telling me that my petty bourgeois dilemma might be caused by the lack of endorphins. probably. i haven't exercised in the past 14 months, thank you.

separation anxiety and knowing that session is resuming this coming week and that christmas is just around the corner.

christmas. pressure. God bless our wallets.

****

neeho, so i was going thru a coupla researches *wink* this morning when i clicked one link and then the next and voila! i found these:

as you may all know, SJP, kim catrall, cynthia nixon and kristin davis have been seen all over nueva york, shooting for SATC the movie.

so, is carrie bradshaw tying the know with mr. big? let's wait for the movie.

now that i think of it, my post college friends-- sarah, tintin, monie and i have been like samantha, charlotte, miranda and carrie.

we love the city, the shoes, the shopping, the gossip, the men in our lives.

and yes, one of us is getting married soon!

guess who?

gyllenspoon or reesanhaal. whatevs.

2007-10-28T09:41:00.000+08:00

all the current third world drama has taken too much space on my blog. so to balance the negativity (oh wait, was there anything positive about GMA's administration? LoL!), let me rave about this:

feel the amore

su-weet!

jake gyllenhaal and reese witherspoon were spotted together, in various levels of PDA, in rome after the premier of rendition.

so they still are together.

so jake ain't really gay.

i think i'll place them as my current favorite hollywood couple.

(nevermind if jake looks four months pregnant.)

i. don't. want. to. blog. about. this.

2007-10-27T23:49:00.000+08:00

The wild fire at Schwarzenegger's domain left at least three people -- and possibly as many as seven -- dead, and razed about 1,700 homes. Estimated total damage is pegged at a staggering 1 billion uncle sam dollars.

***

here at my wicked third world republic, sparks have been ignited, which i hope will burn down malacanang and its occupants.

i promised i will stick to being a full blooded technocrat. i promised NOT to talk about philippine politics ever again. at least not in this blog.

but this one is a little bit too much...

i stayed away from the computer the past three days to keep me from writing about this. but the proverbial fire in the belly that my journ professors back in college talked about must have been blazing inside of me.

and so i break my promise and rant.

gloria macapagal arroyo granted executive clemency to erap estrada who was convicted of plunder by the sandiganbayan, about six weeks ago.

erap signing his freedom papers at tanay

malacanang spin doctors insist that there is nothing wrong in granting executive clemency to erap.

to begin with, GMA being president has the power to do so.

that erap being 70 plus should be granted pardon.

that with donya mary's condition it is but human to allow the convicted former president to be by his dying mom's bedside.

that pardoning erap would heal the wounds of division, inflicted by dirty politics in society.

so noble right?

however, looking behind enemy lines, this is what i see:

GMA granted erap executive clemency because she knows that anytime soon, the minority block together with JDV's loyalists will finally have the numbers to have her impeached. she knows that if the articles of impeachment go beyond the fences of batasan, she better start packing and sending her CV to prospective employers, because given the executive's relationship with the senate, she is likely to bid malacanang adieu.

gaad... her administration is in deep shit. scandal, after scandal, after scandal. and just when you thought you've seen the worst scandal, comes another one.

palace strategists must be thinking that by granting executive clemency to the titular head of the opposition, allies of the deposed president will be pacified and will think twice about supporting the impeachment project.

both GMA and erap camps deny there's any concession. (yawn.)

if i were JDV, i'd be scared. but it's just the speakership he'll lose anyway, it's not as if they'll kick him out of batasan.

(can JDV do a manny villar in nov2000 and send the impeachment articles to senate in one breath? i'm not sure.)

on healing the wounds of division, may i just drill this into your small heads: the resentment that the masses feel towards this government is not mainly rooted on seeing their icon treated like a criminal (albeit, a very special and powerful one). the resentment stems from the people's despair--they are hungry, they are unhealthy, they can't go to school. they don't feel the gains trumpeted by the government. they don't see hope.

the division is caused by people's resentment towards this government, that continues to trample on their rights as humans, that perverts the justice system to serve its interests and that disregards the rules to save its skin.

(i just wish they all burn in hell.)

wilderness moment

2007-10-24T17:18:00.000+08:00

i got my first pay check from the government today.

after a month of hard work, i got this much... err.. this little...

i squeezed the accounting department dry of their patience this afternoon.

coming from an international donor agency, the deductions were a bit too disconcerting.

fine, when i went back to government, i knew the deal-- and that is, i will not be exempted from paying social security and health premiums --and that wicked item known as income tax.

the final figures, their answers to my queries and my upcoming expenses triggered an anxiety attack.

sheesh, i have to get a grip on my spending.

and start praying for miracles.

prayers. i wonder how many people still pray.

i do pray.

now that i think about it, i wonder what God's reaction was this morning when i started whining about this paycheck fiasco. i was going (in a panicky mode): "God, HEEELLLLLPPPPP!!!!! look at my paycheck. my take home pay is so liit. i might go hungry. i won't be able to buy shoes anymore. i'm poor--- boooohooo...."

yes, i talk to God that way from time to time. i mean, He understands. and i believe He can help me with my dilemma. after all, He is this same God who sent manna and quails from heaven for 40 years when the israelites traveled in the wilderness right?

surely, even with my meager salary, He can keep my body and soul together. i mean, what's a few thousand pesos for my monthly bills, some pairs of shoes, and a dozen krispy kreme doughnuts?

nini said that faith is like a muscle. you have to work it to make it strong, to keep it from atrophizing.

i am exercising right now.

unfair

2007-10-22T08:25:00.000+08:00

monday.

it's 8:28 in the morning and i am not in my office.

i won't be in the office indefinitely because i volunteered my hidden expertise as forensic psychiatrist in the investigation of the explosion at glorietta last friday.

explosion yes, we call it explosion for now. whether there actually was a bomb is not conclusive.

by the way, it's forensic psychiatrist, not scientist. that's different. forensic psychiatrist is edward norton in red dragon. forensic scientists are the guys at CSI.

i will be at the palace in a while and start working. as forensic psych, my job is to study a suspect's profile. what could she have been thinking, intentions blah blah.

oh, did i say palace? did i use the pronoun she? erase, erase.

better yet, disregard the preceding paragraphs as they are fiction. (red dragon is a tom harris fiction. LOL!)

anyway, i called in sick today because of stomach spasms since last night. remember, i've been checking and grading my students' exams and terms papers the past two days. lovely.

while checking, and reading, and grading, i stumbled on this photo on BB's website.

it's the november 2007 issue of vogue paris.

and it has a tranny named andre on the cover, together with carolyn murphy.

no make that, AND IT HAS A TRANNY NAMED ANDRE ON THE COVER!!!!!!!!!!

darn. it's bad enough that his legs are 100x more gorgeous than mine-- but for him to even be on the cover of vogue????!!!! that's just too much.

UNFAAAAAIIIIIIIRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

aaargh! stomach spasms.

still on glorietta

2007-10-20T23:45:00.000+08:00

they've found another lifeless body at glorietta today, bringing the death toll to 10.

damage was estimated at 100M juan dela cruz pesos, and govt is offering three freaking million pesos to whoever can give infos, clues on whoever did this halloween-esque act.

so far, no group has come forward to take responsibility.

tsk, tsk, tsk....

more theories are coming out:

1. that the bombing was a strategy of the arr oyo govt to divert public attention from the scandals rocking her regime. (shocks. how desperate. oh, i'm not referring to the people who came up with this theory-- but to malacanang if such accusation is indeed true. shame on you. )

2. that the public should actually watch out for more bombings since this is the seaso n for local terrorist groups to show off to obtain recognition and funding from the al-Qaeda. err-- scary. really scary.

3. then there's the c4 RDX, was it a bomb or not mystery. if it wasn't a filthy bomb, what could it be? an invisible king kong must be lurking in the basement of the ayala mall. and he farted.

some people are already slugging it out in the media. ("no we didn't do it," " yes you did it," " you don't have proof," blah blah. oh the wicked and wonderful world of philippine politics.)

****
good thing, we have HEROES:

i'd like to give an applause and salute the regular people who r ose to the challenge in the aftermath of the bombing. really-- it's the ordinary men and women on the street who always end up saving the day.

***

i didn't go to the mall today--err yesterday. not that i'm scared of bombs-- ummm...well actually, i got a bit paranoid after reading the travel advisory issued by the australian government to its citizens.

and i REALLY needed to stay home and finish checking my students' exam and papers, unless i want my head to be served on a silver platter to my bosses at the university.

shocks, i have 14 more papers to read. (yey! i love my job. err-- part time job.)

darn. i am super hungry.

will someone send me krispy kreme doughnuts? promise i won't count calories.

die another day

2007-10-19T21:38:00.000+08:00

i was suppose to have late lunch at glorietta today.

but updating my blog took time this morning. by the time i was done with my jake gyllenhaal and jennifer aniston entries, i was having second thoughts on whether i should still go to my all-time favorite sandbox, or just go to megamall and check out the sale.

while i was in the shower though, i remembered the flats at sapato manila and decided to just go to powerplant. by the time i got out of the shower, my phone had four messages telling me that there was an explosion at glorietta.

i hurriedly went online to check the news. first theory was that, an LPG tank exploded at the kitchen of luk yuen. two people died. i thought-- it was just an accident and i had nothing to worry about.

so off to powerplant i went.

my phone was beeping and ringing non-stop. family and friends were asking where i was and if i was okay.

haha. my reputation as someone who has sold her soul to the mall tycoons has indeed been etched on many people's psyche.

i told them "i'm good. i'm not in glorietta. umm... i'm not home either. hehe. i'm buying shoes at power plant."

when i got home, new shoes, new book, and some pastries in tow, eight people had died, 80 were injured and my glorietta was a wreck.

it was no LPG tank. two kilos of C4 were found on the site.

theories are flying left and right. some say it could be a destabilization plot--i mean you know--with the current bruhaha that the GMA administration is facing.

or, terrorists.

i don't like it when people do these things. if they hate GMA, why not bomb malacanang? or the COMELEC?

****

the brownies that i got from mary grace are superb. i'm eating them now because i feel bad and i'm worried that something like this will happen again in the next days.

but i am also thankful that i am alive. this is about the third time that i was blessed enough to have dodged a mall explosion. first was at megamall in 2000, then at central plaza in siam square last new year's eve, and now this one.

****

a few moments of silence for those who died....

****

UPDATE: 10/20/07

PNP's big daddy Sonny Razon (i dunno what to call him. director general? chief? head?) denied the blast was caused by c4 explosives.

whatevs.

as of last count, nine people have died, a hundred were injured, and of that hundred, around 15 are still in critical condition.

it's 67 days to go before christmas.

glorietta 1, 3 and 4 are open for business. i wonder how many people will flock there today.

anyway, lightning does not strike an object twice.

petty

2007-10-19T10:32:00.000+08:00

so i was getting my daily required dose of hollywood chismax when i saw this shot of jake gyllenhaal with his bff austin nichols:

what does your gaydar say?

kainez ha. ang konti konti na nga lang lalaki sa mundo, bading pa yung iba.

recently, a sizable portion of bonding time with my girl friends has been spent analyzing whether a guy we're dating/ interested in, is gay or straight.

here's a portion of our recent analysis session:

me: okay, he wears soft pastels and striped shirts most of the time, sports that "yuppy" sleeve roll, has that gigolo belt, goes to the gym, spends time fixing his hair longer than i do mine, worries about his chapped lips and is really mabango.
auds: what does he drive?
me: a not so flasy sedan. and he has more shoes than i have.
auds: hmmm.... baka metrosexual lang.

the whole metrosexual concept makes the analyzing more difficult.

now i wonder why reese and jake broke up.

team aniston

2007-10-19T09:53:00.000+08:00

oh. oh. oh.

first,there was pops fernandez.

guess who is spilling the beans on her split next?

jennifer aniston's stare says it all

can't wait to get my copy.

waiting for non-waitresses

2007-10-14T21:20:00.000+08:00

for a change, i am not going to rant.
everything is shining, shimmering, splendid.

i'm entering my cave: i see:

sunflowers and julie andrews singing my favorite things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
brown paper packages tied up with strings,
these are a few of my favorite things.

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels,
door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles.
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings.
these are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in a white dresses with a blue satin sashes,
snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes,
silver white winters that melt into springs,
these are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings,
when I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
and then I don't feel so bad.

OH SNAP!

darn. i can't. i just can't.
i need to rant. i need to get this out.
i can't afford to snap at my office this week. i'm too busy to even think of going amuck.

(which reminds me: i have two reports on MDG progress, on how we're doing in poverty reduction, policy brief on the cyber ed project, and that freaking situationer on access to safe water. told you, i won't have time to snap and stalk from cubicle to cubicle, firing an M16.)

last friday: (at my new favorite playground)
sarah: what are you buying here?
me: i dunno. perhaps, shoes. or blouses.
sarah: didn't you just buy a pair of flats two weeks ago?
me: yeah, i also bought a pair of naturalizer sandals last friday. and they're not on sale.
sarah: nye. really?
me: grabe, i dunno. i'm going out of my mind. i can't find a place to live near my office, so i might as well buy shoes.

this morning: (thru SMS)
me: hey, wat tym r u gonna be @ powerplant?
sarah: around 10. stil w8ing 4 tin's reply.
me: il go lang 2 church. myt join u. think i'm buying those flats at sapato manila.

aren't they lovely?

sarah: yey. cge. =)
me: i still can't find a house, myt as well buy shoes.

an hour later:
me: yikes, i dont think i can come with you. i'm bleeding to death, bka mag pas out ako. time of d month. sheesh.

****

so i didn't get to buy those sapato manila flats. and i still don't have a place to live near my office.

after almost a month of commuting four times a week from QC to pasay, i thought, i had enough. darn, i waste almost three hours each day in transit. oh no don't even talk to me about getting a car and driving. with the metro manila traffic and the 8AM time to beat, mass transpo is the way to go. now that i think of it, even with the trains--these suppose to be efficient mass transpo , it still takes me an hour and half to get the office and another hour and half to get home.

choo choo train

three precious hours that i could've spent praying (with my kind of job, i need megadose of divine intervention daily), blogging, sleeping, working on my facebook (yey! i love this online community) and building a relationship (fine-- dating. well nowadays, it's also called hanging out).

the past two weekends, i've been checking some studios/ apartments in some areas of makati that i didn't know existed. and oh gaad, they're so faaar from that "ayala-center-makati" picture that most of us know.

long story short, i'm not yet moving out of my blue room in UP village in the next i dunno, few weeks, few months, because i'm claustrophobic, i hate roaches, and walking pass men who work in vulcanizing/car junk shops give me the creeps.

i WAAAANT a condo in bel-air. however, paying the rent will eat up my entire salary from juan dela cruz.

haaay.

we were suppose to start a big ticket project last month (which can pay the rent for a bel-air condo) but thanks to chairman abalos, all foreign loans and contracts are currently on hold. kurakot kasi eh. grrr!!!!

i have been so stressed over this house hunting expedition that i had to go in for counseling. yeah, just counseling. my therapist is out of town.

counselor in church told me to hang in there. that maybe, God has a few more things for me to learn in the three hours that i commute.

of course i look back at the past several months of dramedy that has been my life and i am thankful that i now have a job that i love, i have family and friends and new friends. and i have beautiful shoes. now all i need is a nice place near my work. i am praying for a surprise. i'm thinking, maybe some philanthropist will take pity on me and give me a unit in one salcedo, or i'd win a three-bedroom unit at the residences in a raffle. or maybe, i'll marry someone from ADB or WB who will bring me to his home in urdaneta village.

all right God, my shoes and i are waiting...

anuva?

2007-10-09T21:49:00.000+08:00

so you still hate teri hatcher?

here's something to distract you from the signature gathering and all the belly aching about the desperate housewives.

next to cindy, teri looked desperate

****

barely two weeks after ABC issued an apology to the flips who went up in arms against that remark on philippine medical schools, some flips are at it again-- this time against the Show with John Stewart.

the show apparently labeled cory aquino a slut.

talk about some people having so much spare time to wage war against overseas networks-- or anyone with acerbic wit.

we're so quick to draw blood when a dictionary defines pinay as domestic helpers, or when a food company in spain calls its biscuits filipinos.

we love to sweat the small stuff.

back here, there are things worse than racial slur and yet, we don't seem to mind as much.

when our fellow pinoys cheat in the elections, we merely sigh.

when our taxes which should primarily finance basic social services such as education, housing and health--find their way to the pockets of our public officials, we just grin and bear it.

when journalists and other government dissenters disappear or are killed in broad daylight, we only shrug and thank whoever that we are not them.

when our kababayans demand kickbacks in exchange for project contracts which we have to pay, we back off.

***

i'm starting to wonder if we pinoys have the slightest clue of what pinoy dignity is all about.

please, don't even say it's manny pacquiao-- because if that's what pinoy pride and dignity is all about, then perhaps we have to watch out for more slurs.

feathers galore

2007-10-09T20:13:00.000+08:00

hey, guess who i am seeing at manila hotel tomorrow morning?

joey de venecia's president. eeeek...

anyway, so, i was going through the gossip websites when i saw this:

what the ef is that mrs. beckham?

robo posh reminded me of singer bjork's notorious fashion faux pas some years back:

talk about dressed to kill--err.. dressed with a roadkill

alright, fine i am being harsh... for all i know, LA is not being kind to vicky thus, the poor fashion choices.

err.. actually, her dress (?) wasn't as bad.

it is an upgrade of the pink dress (?) that shawn wyan wore in white chicks.

where'd my swan go, bro?

mun-dy

2007-10-08T23:45:00.000+08:00

i usually am not too happy about mondays as i have to be at the office earlier-- as in 7:45 in the freaking morning to catch the flag ceremony.

flag ceremony. in college, i was rushing to my class in AS when suddenly the national anthem blared from the PA system of the AS lobby. since i was running late, i didn't stop and continued walking until this professor stopped me on my tracks. from the looks of it, i knew i was in trouble. she asked me: "didn't you hear, the national anthem was playing." being me, i answered stuttering: "thai. i am thai." she let me off the hook. haha.

bad i know. i wish i could do that now.

okay so i won't be in the office till tomorrow because i am attending an international conference on poverty reduction. boring/ nerdy i know, but it's my cup of tea. social dev yaddi yaddi.

i got the sched all messed up in my head over the weekend. i thought registration is from 8 till 9. so i left the house at 8:20, thinking i would get to ortigas in 30 minutes. i was so wrong. the program started 8:45.

and i didn't know that 7-9 is rush hour in the MRT.

in the past three weeks that i've been taking this mass transpo, i think i've developed the patience similar to that of job. i mean, considering the hordes of people who ride in it, MRT has very few cars, the cars are too small as compared to that of LRT, it has an unpredictable schedule-- sometimes it takes 3minutes till the next train--or if you're out of luck, around 15 minutes-- and worse, the trains break down often.

it was already 915 when the seriously disheveled, sweaty me got to ADB. as i was walking towards the conference area, i was checking my reflection on the glass panels. i mean, the place made me feel like a hilly-billy. with new shoes. (hehe, i bought another pair over the weekend-- someone send me to a rehab!!!!!)

before i was allowed inside the conference room, the secretariat took my picture for the ID.

over coffee, a colleague from the lower house looked at my ID and asked where my photo was taken. i told him-- right before i got inside the conference.

"eh bakit ka naka pose?"

"err... oo nga no."

"is that your best angle?"

zzz....

2007-10-03T22:47:00.000+08:00

i have a gazillion things to write about since i started work.

i can't find the time and the energy to write them all. aaargh...

if you have a condo in makati, please lease it to me.

i have to move someplace near my new office.

turmoil in myanmar

2007-09-29T14:56:00.000+08:00

Speeches delivered by world learders at the UN Assembly in Nueva York emphasized that countries of the world not only have a legitimate right, but also a responsibility to decry the brutal suppression of demonstrators in Myanmar.

this post is in solidarity with the monks and the people of myanmar who long for freedom from the repressive regime of the ruling military junta.

(photos from channelnewsasia.com)

and the plot thickens

2007-09-26T22:02:00.000+08:00

i have two hundred things to finish in the office today (yes, i am so back to work), but i didn't get to finish as i was once again, distracted by the proceedings of Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the NBN-ZTE deal. romy neri finally summoned all his guts and admitted that yes, COMELEC chairman ben abalos offered him 200.

of course, ben, the jetsetting, golf playing, bible verse quoting, chairman of the commission and elections, i mean, commission on elections (COMELEC) was quick to ask, "what do you mean by 200? 200 golf balls?"

bibo, no?

i am freaking indignant at the brazen corruption, all the lying, all the manipulation.

i mean hello, i have to carry my own laptop everyday to work because the computer issued to me by the government doesn't even work. i was told that it would take a few weeks to have my computer replaced.

and these clowns who "run" this country are thinking of.. wait, after all the spins and the bruhaha that was said in the investigation, i am not too sure now what the NBN kalokohan is all about. i mean, is the 329 million uncle sam dollars for a national telecommunications backbone for the government and its affiliated agencies only? Or are public schools going to be able to use it to gain access to the Internet for its students and teachers?

here is government talking of creating a telco infrastructure when it can't even give a decent computer to its think tanks.

maging travel agent na lang kaya ako ni abalos? or caddy sa wack wack golf and country club?

current obssession: spawn war

2007-09-22T22:28:00.000+08:00

joey de venecia, son of the House Speaker at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing said: "I have previously mentioned [wanting] to reveal the identity of the mystery man under oath and in the proper forum. It is with a heavy heart that I cannot deny that it was First Gentleman Mike Arroyo."

whereas the blue vulture only had this to say to JDV III's accusation: "Hay naku [Oh well], it's me again. Can't they see other people? I'm thin na nga [already], I'm a smaller target pero ako pa rin [but it’s still me]," his daughter, luli came close to outdoing sec. gonzales's retorts.

in defense of her father, she said: “I don’t know if his old drug use affected his thinking. For me, that's [insinuations] again grasping at straws as thin as his hairline."

luli arroyo:
truly a spawn of GMA

that was fierce.

***

and hey, you might want to listen to the latest protest ringtone: AB-ZTE-FG

i love this country. and no, i am not backing off.

ending the dry spell

2007-09-22T21:37:00.000+08:00

as usual, this entry is coming in a bit late.

but i will not let this one pass.

last sunday, the UP pep squad dethroned erstwhile cheerdance competition champion UST.

UP Pep Squad: gleng-gleng!

congratulations UP pep squad!

i feel so redeemed.

o ayan ha, hindi lang kami puro bugbugan at patayan sa UP.

traffic advisory for monday, sept 24:

espana avenue, now passable. hindi na baha.
(ubos na ang luha ng mga taga UST! hehe.)

gimme more

2007-09-16T10:30:00.000+08:00

after almost three months of vacation, i will be back to working full time starting tomorrow.

okay, the past three months were not my ideal vacay as i had two other projects to work on plus my teaching stint.

that teaching stint, hmmm..... i didn't, not even for one second expect that teaching would require a lot of work, patience and sanity. my three brain cells have been screaming as i've been wringing them dry the past few months.

and my professors made teaching seem so easy. i mean, they survived me right-- all my questions, my arguments and my endless manipulation to move deadlines. now i think i got karma-ed for being a teacher's pest when i was still in school.

***

i wanted to stay with donor agencies since they pay more. but as the universe would have it, the donors want someone with expertise and more experience in development work.

i only have two years of work experience and darn, i don't even know what my expertise is.

***

well actually, i was really enjoying not doing regular office work-- you know--the nine to six-- desk job. i wanted to just go on doing projects-- consultancy, PR-- since i get almost double my UNDP salary doing them.

but the pressure from family to have an office and a full time job got the better of me and so, i am back to--hold your breath....

GOVERNMENT. thai government. kidding.

i'm back to what juan dela cruz thinks is government.

no, i'm not the new revenue chief. please. i don't think i have enough blood to sell to raise P37.3 billion to be able to hit the P431 billion collection goal the past month.

***

i'm not exactly sure what happened, but after my lack luster performance during the final interview, i really thought it's adieu to the only government institution that i still, until now, hold in high esteem.

in fact last month, i was suppose to start work for-- hold your breath again-- mrs. arroyo (yes, president gloria macapagal arroyo). but some confusion occurred with my arrangements, so my confirmation was put on hold.

the office-- my new office called me up sept 5, and after several phone calls and negotiation, i sealed the deal with them before the day ended. by sept 7, my supposed boss in malacanang texted, telling me to report to the palace on sept 10.

yet another case of the universe unfolding as it should.

that, or God finally thought i should get back to full time work as i have been missing out on serotonin due to my abnormal, nocturnal habits that i began having since i went out of work.

***

so there. wish me luck. i don't want to do a britney.

second chances don't come very often.

things i love in japan besides sashimi

2007-09-16T09:24:00.000+08:00

shinzo abe resigned as japan's PM last wednesday.

shinzo abe: cutie di ba?

he cited health reasons for his resignation, but observers think there's something more sinister behind it.

some speculate that there could be another brewing scandal in his cabinet. of course such speculation is likely, given that abe's cabinet members have been involved in scandals left and right the past twelve months.

buti pa sa japan, hindi masyadong makapal ang mukha ng mga politiko.

***

but of course, my all time favorite japanese PM is still junichiro koizumi.

love the style,

love his being maverick,

love his freaking hair.

UAAP updates

2007-09-16T01:38:00.000+08:00

enough of politics. let's now look at sports.

of the 14 games that the UP men's basketball team played this UAAP season, how many games has the team won?

answer: ZERO

haaaayyyyy.....

buti na lang hindi pa nakakaisip ng jokes ang ibang schools na inaapi namin when it comes to academics.

pwede ba?

2007-09-16T00:42:00.000+08:00

following the conviction of former president estrada, i'm surprised that there wasn't that much hoopla. the pre-promulgation surveys were probably right. filipinos don't care so much whether erap gets convicted or not. they just want to go on with their lives.

i admire the humility of government prosecutor dennis villaignacio and his team. after they won at the sandiganbayan, they only spoke when necessary and didn't go around gloating.

unlike this creature:

i mean, he was on every channel the past few days and he annoys the hell out of me.

he goes around gloating as if erap got convicted solely because of his testimony.

please lang.

i have yet to go through the entire decision as i have more boring things to do, but i bet the justices didn't put much weight on sabit's--este chavit's testimony because 1) he is a shady character as the accused and 2) his reasons for blowing the proverbial whistle was that he got bitter that the bingo two balls franchise was being given to atong ang.

in the words of the sandigan justices:

Singson testimony farfetched
In this Court’s view, certain details of Gov. Singson’s testimony on this point are rather incredible and far-fetched.

so pwede ba chavit? shut up.

my republic

2007-09-12T10:48:00.000+08:00

former Philippine President Joseph Ejercito Estrada was found guilty of plunder.

i didn't get to hear the clerk of court when she read the highlights of the sandiganbayan decision as i was giving my five year old nephew a bath.

***

i was able to catch prosecutor dennis villaignacio say that the decision of the special court is triumph not just for the prosecution, but also for the filipino people as this shows that the philippine justice system is working.

i'm at a loss for words.

erap is found guilty. but there are so many others who are as guilty and they are still in power in this banana republic.

(wait, my phone's ringing. "hello garci?, oh, the ZTE contract? wait, i'm finishing my blog entry.")

philippine politics is sick. it's sickening.

maybe the justice system is working.

for some. sometimes.

but not for all, not all the time.

***

aargh. seryoso na naman. tawa muna tayo:

seriously

2007-09-12T00:28:00.000+08:00

grabe, it has been seven years pala since the jueteng gate scandal erupted.

the verdict on erap's plunder trial will be out in a few hours.

hmmm....

okay, let me get off the fence and write more on this.

i admit, i was among the many who took to the streets for edsa dos in 2001.

the tragedy now is that, i consider it as among the few things that i truly regret.

mrs. arroyo disappointed/ frustrated a lot of us. big time.

this is not to say that erap should've been allowed to stay in malacanang.

instead, GMA should've done better.

source: GMA 7

***

i say, if the sandiganbayan finds him guilty, then convict him.

however, the quest for justice for the filipino people--who have long been deprived of good governance--should not just end with the conviction of erap.

the people should also clamor for the prosecution of other erring/ corrupt officials and the justice system should go after them.

if erap is found to not be guilty, then by all means, give him an acquittal.

no more concessions, no more crap.

the filipinos deserve the truth.

the filipinos deserve better.

***

to ease the tension, isang joke muna:

another barbarian writes about it

2007-09-11T22:24:00.000+08:00

what was i doing when i was 20 years old?

the first branch of starbucks along katipunan opened when i was 20. after school, maui and i would elbow out ateneans and those girls from miriam so we could get a table and study-- while nursing our caffe lattes, gossiping and flirting with our fellow wannabes.

except for my major subjects, i barely paid attention to school when i was 20. i consumed the six allowable absences for all my subjects, i always procrastinated when it came to school work and i only went to the library to return overdue books which, more often than not-- i didn't even read.

( i do have a point, i just don't know how to get there.)

***

so i write this post 14 days after emil texted to ask if it's true that a student from my college died of hazing and was unceremoniously dumped at a morgue a day before.

i said i didn't know. but i'll find out.

what i found out a few minutes later brought a sense of dejavu.

someone had died again in the hands of his would be fraternity brothers.

he was 20 years old.

during my second year in UP, a classmate in econ 11 discussion class had a similar fate. i remember still seeing his name on the class list after his death. a little cross followed his family name.

he was 19 years old.

1999 was even more traumatizing when a fellow journ major, who was not even a fratman was gunned down at AS walk in broad daylight.

he was 21 years old.

***

at the masses for the latest casualty, the priests comforted the tired and severely traumatized community of UP-NCPAG by saying that God must have other plans.

last friday, i sat behind mrs. mendez.

i avoided shaking hands with her for fear that i might feel her grief-- which i imagine to be too overwhelming and intense-- i was sure it would break my heart and kill me.

i didn't know what to do. i wanted to call my therapist at that moment to help me process what i felt.

***

i told myself, i'd wring my brain dry and work my ass off so i could send my sons to ateneo because i definitely would not want them to be going to school with the greeks of UP.

i want my kids to live beyond the age of 20, 30, 40, 50, 60...

***

i have no idea how to end this post.

perhaps, with a few moments of silence....

gorb-y does louis!

2007-09-11T21:34:00.000+08:00

this is coming quite late-- but i'm too fascinated by it to let it just pass.

mikhail gorbachev is the new face of louis vuitton!

that's tito gorb-y with an LV bag. and yeah--that wall-- it's the berlin wall

i have yet to own a bag/ luggage with LVs on it, i would have to sell both my kidneys first to get one, but i'd have to say-- this ad campaign scores!

makes you squirm

2007-08-18T17:46:00.000+08:00

nausea.

was the feeling i woke up to this morning. no, it has nothing to do with the excess caffeine in my system. or the baby. i'm probably just a bit stressed.

i have been going through the papers of graham allison, digging into the cuban missile crisis in the 60's.

and i watched the late night news before going to sleep.

you know what they showed? yet another video of a filipina domestic helper being raped by her employer in the middle east.

i know we have been hearing horror stories of this kind often. i mean, hello, this country's main export are not bananas or abaca-- it's labor.

but it's so disturbing when you see how a fellow pinoy, a pi nay at that, w ho in search of green pastures that the philippines cannot offer, get violated, raped.

her hands were tied and she was screaming "aray" as the hairy, most likely very smelly arab entered her. again. and again. and again.

it is sad that the government seems to not be doing its damn best to create permanent jobs for the people. yes, we have growth, yes, the peso is strong. but why is it that an average of 2500 pinoys still leave their families and choose to face the dangers of working in a foreign country every freaking day than stay here.

of course, i also get pissed at people who look down on OFWs. i mean, come on, these people who fly on economy class so they can save some more money to give to their families, keep this island republic afloat with their billion dollar remittances. while some divas probably evade tax.

i do not speak for all the OFWs, but i pretty much think that if they had a choice, the domestic helper won't risk becoming a sex slave or a human punching bag for a measly P10,000. the driver won't go around delivering supply materials to war ravaged iraq for P12,000. the engineer won't forego the chance of seeing his kids grow before his eyes. the nurse would rather treat pinoy patients than those non-english speaking nationals. the teacher would rather teach her own kids how to read than some other school children who may go amok anytime.

i rage against the illegal recruiters who make money out of the struggling pinoys' unemployment woes and make conditions for OFWs more difficult.

to the cruel and abusive employers, what can i say? you may be shelling out petro dollars, uncle sam dollars, mickey mouse money, queen's pound-- but it's just for the labor of your pinoy employees. no amount of money, of salary will ever enough for you to deprive them of their human rights and dignity.

p.I. ninyong mga arabo--lalo na yung pinakitang gumahasa sa pinay. maubusan sana kayo ng langis. tignan ko lang.

translation: i am all for world peace.

***

moving on, the WORLD Bank has dismissed the claim for compensation over the Naia Terminal 3 project of Germany's Frankfurt Airport Services Worldw ide (Fraport), clearing the way for the eventual operation of the mothballed facility, offi cials s aid Friday.

if you haven't seen our international airports, the ones we have now, then congratulations, you have been spared of the emotional scars that come from being welcomed by an ugly airport at your arrival.

seriously. o sige, let's do pictionary muna:

terminal one: the old NAIA

terminal 2: lucion tans's airport--este centennial airport

terminal 3: porjos-posanto-ang-tagal-magbukas- terminal

terminal 3 was suppose to open the same time that suvarnabhumi did. but all the belly aching by fraport and all the stakeholders in this controversy delayed the opening.

to this day, it is still closed, not operational.

congratulations to the office of the solicitor general and the phil govt for winning this round against fraport.

but who knows what that foreign consortium still have on its sleeves. last i heard, they still have loads of bullets to fire. err--what i mean is, marami pang ibubuga, kayo naman.

i will throw a party once terminal 3 is open and operational. that doesn't mean though that i'll take off right then and there.

what the ---??!!

2007-08-17T11:00:00.000+08:00

there are so many things that i don't understand.

like, the rise of the visitor stats to my blogsite ever since i mentioned that wannabe/tramp thea aquino. gaad, just the mere mention of her name got people stampeding to my uber blah domain. what if i post her other photos that i found on google kaya? umm... NO WAY.

unless you give me a BMW-X5. o sige, kahit audi na lang.

the very cars that were smashed by the bureau of customs at subic yesterday.

i really don't get it. i mean, they smashed the smuggled cars to show that they're serious in curbing smuggling in this archipelago. i don't know what analysis model they are using. their variables just don't add up. someone has to teach this people communication strategy. labeling, packaging of ideas. (oh gad, this statement just pushes my appointment to the cabinet a little bit closer to the edge of oblivion.)

another thing that i don't quite get is why this country, my country (other than thailand) is once again in the midst of an election controversy, this time, involving Uncle Sam's polls.

turned out that some of the defective touch screens used in american polls were traced to have been made in a sweatshop somewhere in this far flung republic.

this discovery has a coupla implications. off the top of my head, the scheming politicians and poll operators must be doing cartwheels right now because such incident can be used as a point against the full automation of polls in the country.

it may also solidify the country's rep as asia's cheating capital to which i vehemently disagree. yes, we may have a couple of garci's, but hell no, we are not a nation of cheats. (there, my appointment is back on the table.)

another thing that i don't get is how fast time flies. it's already the 17th of august. my neck is 23 days away from being sliced with a butter knife in the event that i don't deliver my outputs (which i have yet to start) to my contractors.

yikes. i have to think of an excuse. fast.

yeah, i'll tell them that i chewed on mattel toys when i was growing up.

sobra agua

2007-08-16T11:53:00.000+08:00

i was supposed to see the third installment of the jason bourne drama with M yesterday.

actually, the decision to watch bourne ultimatum is still subject to a toss coin. heads, we watch bourne ultimatum, tails then it's surf's up. if we end up contesting the results of the toss coin, then it's a love story for us.

10Am, M called to say that i should stay home because it's raining like hell in the metro. i told him it's sunny where i am.

of course, we are 88 kilometers away from each other.

***

the evening news said that the streets of metro manila looked like this yesterday:

surf is definitely up.

but what's new? metro manila, much as i love the place, is a decaying metropolis-- over populated, has an uber pathetic urban and transportation plan and almost non-existent proper waste disposal system.

the flood was not surprising.

what amused me about yesterday's flood was quentin tarantino's stor y.

tarantino with tikoy aguiluz took a pedicab to get to malacanang after their limo was stuck in the flood for hours.

when the limo gets stuck,
the tough go on padyak

i was in malacanang a week ago (what i did there, i won't tell you yet). i took the LRT? MRT? i'm not sure what they call that mass transpo along aurora blvd. anyway, when i got off the legarda station, there were all these bikes. actually, these pedicabs are everywhere in that area and i hear a ride costs 30bucks.

let me digress a bit, i have been a manila dweller for 10 years now and in those years, i lived in UP diliman area and makati. in those places where i lived, we have sidewalks, walk ways, pedestrian lanes, traffic lights.

imagine how disoriented i was, being the arte ass that i am, when i got off the legarda station and walked my way towards gate seven of malacanang.

there were thousands of jeepneys, a million pedicabs and a gazillion students (and snatchers, muggers, urban dirt) along the university belt and they don't have a gad freaking sidewalk!!!!!!!

que horror!! i had to fight for walking space.

when i become president, my first order of the day would be to transfer malacanang at the top floor of the RCBC plaza, or to one of the golf courses in wack-wack, or beside bonifacio high street.

manila--- lito atienza's and now alfredo lim's manila-- is just too ugly and too dirty.

yet, quentin tarantino was there yesterday via pedicab.

there he is receiving his lifetime achievement award
from tita gloria
(who also got stuck in the flood hahahaha)

tarantino in manila fashion statement:
barong and jogging pants

and he didn't complain about it. awww... i love him more.

happy bubble

2007-08-15T00:39:00.000+08:00

it's 1:16 AM and i am wringing my brain cells dry as i try to finish another spin due eight hours from now.

all the stats and the lies that i have to disspell is starting to annoy the hell out of me. (there's just so many lies out there nowadays, it's hard to point out what's true.)

my therapist said that whenever i'm at the brink of everything, i should think happy thoughts.

randomly, here are the things that are currently making me happy:

the resignation of white house "boy genius" karl rove.

cnn.com

dubya's top strategists

the guy seated at the middle in white shirt, that's karl rove. and oh, there's also tita condee on the photo.

so why am i happy that "boy genius" is gone from penn ave? because that means, there is a vacant post at the white house. perhaps, the republicans should employ "girl moron" (guess who) for a change?

***

what else, oh yeah, that bill board of jessica simpson's ex-boy toy for GAP on LA.

car stopper

***

and... of course, the three words that make me happy now: bonifacio high street. (all photos from walter villa.com)

my new playground at day time

the high street on night mode

***

am i happy now?

not yet. but i have work to do.

missed

2007-08-13T23:08:00.000+08:00

whereas rain had started pouring last week, and has in fact flooded several towns in central luzon, the dry spell continue to linger on my blogsite.

the words, the stories, the creativity have all been wrung dry by the petty albeit very valid concerns of my daily boring existence such as gracefully handling that memo from my bosses at the openU reminding me to take charge of my class, developing that reading list and course syllabus that i have yet to start and getting my act together to finish those two outputs for my consultancy projects. yeah, yeah the things i get myself into.

since i don't have much to say, well actually i do have a gazillion things in my head but they're not coherent at the mo. so i'll just do a pictionary of the things that I MISSED the past week.

***

josh hartnett was here and i didn't have the time to see him. grrr....

HOTNESS

my all caps, exclamation punctuated GRRRR!!!!! however, goes to that wannabe/ bi-atch named thea aquino, who was so yabang in saying that among all pinays (that includes me), she was the one chosen to "work" (that is dance naked in front of) with josh-- for that film "i come with the rain." (i still turn green when i think about it. [green with envy okay.])

i don't mind if she's stardust, it's just that, her face powder was all wrong for her color (i am being nice, it should've been her face is all wrong) and she had horrible dentures (or cap/jaket or chiklet inside her mouth).

image from bryanboy.com

you think i would give that wannabe/bi-atch the honor of being in my blogsite? NO WAY. (she got to work with josh na nga, she'll be on my blogger pa. pwede ba?)

moving on, the love of my life was also in manila last week and i missed him. AARRGH!!!!!!!!

QUENTIN TARANTINO
film maker. genius. love of my life.

he was given an award at the cinemanila 2007.
told you he's a film genius.

speaking of films. i had been looking forward to seeing the simpsons. but, let' s say this all together: I MISSED them.

i heard the family has yet to be back at their native spring field and are actually in paris.

i called uncle karl (lagerfeld) to ask if it is true, and he answered: "oui. ze simh-sohns are here in pah-ree-- soaking uhp ohn -- cuhlture. they're probably zick of being fugly ahmeree-kahns and decided to geht glam-d." i know, that sounded like yilmaz bektas, but i'm sure that was uncle karl because the following day, i got photos from him showing how the simpsons are taking over the city of pah-ree.

image from chuvaness

exhibit no.1. marc jacobs and uncle karl
showing pics of the simpsons at their fashion shows

image from chuvaness

exhibit no.2 harper bazaar's center spread

image from chuvaness

exhibit no. 3. marge with her hair down. fierce.

and finally, looks like some producers are due to squeeze out some more uncle sam dollars from movie goers by coming up with something like the movie the transformers. sources from tmz.com reported that new regency is working with the mark gordon co. to turn voltron into a live action film.

just in case you've forgotten how voltron looked like:

voltron: defender of the universe

whatevs. just make the film and let's see. (is it starting to be obvious that i am team optimus prime?)

black forest

2007-08-04T17:00:00.000+08:00

i should've posted this a week ago.

but as always... i have my usual, all too familiar excuses.

***

so last saturday, i together with sarah, braved the afternoon manila heat and the weekend traffic at SLEX to pay our last respect to an orgmate in college who succumbed to lupus. or complications of lupus. i'm not sure. i didn't get to google that sickness.

well actually, an hour before going to sucat, i was having a crisis inside the fitting room of mango because none of their bermuda shorts fit me. i was telling the sales lady who assisted me that yes, i know, my waist and hips are totally unproportioned--but they have got to have something for me.

but there was bloody none. they have a term for this-- shopping tragedy. at that time, it was enough reason for me to not go to the final rites. i mean, there i was with a new shopping tragedy and i have yet to recover from my crash moment.

i felt i had too much. i was already drowning in my petty crisis and the last thing that i needed is to deal with another dose of the universe's reality.

oh gad i'm so shallow, i know.

so i walked around my playground to get fresh (mall) air and clear my immature, selfish thoughts.

after a good 10 minutes of looking at the display windows of boutiques, bumping into a hottie named atom araullo and getting some glass-panel-filtered-sunlight, i became okay.

***

we got to sucat at 330PM. len was scheduled to be cremated by 4PM. however, there were many people who wanted to give eulogies, you know, anecdotes, stories, memories with len that the cremation was moved to 5PM.

about half an hour of being seated there, i started feeling restless. i asked for a glass of water. and while drinking, i tried to analyze what was going on inside me. could i be allergic to the flowers or the candles? is all the crying getting to me? will people cry when i die? will they be saying so many good things about me that my cremation will be delayed for an hour or two?

len was a few days short of turning 28 when God called her to a face to face interview.

will God smile at me when i stand (or most likely, be at my knees) before Him and give an account how i lived my life?

i am turning 28 next year.

i was juggling those thoughts when mikki handed me a plate of chocolate mousse. yes, a plate of chocolate mousse which he intended for me, sarah, ryan and louis to eat. however, i was desperate for a diversion so i didn't bother sharing with my other friends and gobbled that sinful stuff all by myself. the sugar kicked in and i just completely dissociated myself from all the sniffing and the crying that went on around me.

***

i spent that night with just my thoughts that were previously dislodged by the endorphins from the chocolate.

i realized that at 27, aside from being pathetic when it comes to sports, public finance and cooking, i am just plain horrible at handling the bad things in life that have been giving me frequent visits lately.

failure. pain. loss. break ups. death.

hmmm... i don't know, at this point, even waiting is painful.

but as everyone had told me, the waiting will have a point.

i am not so sure though if my upcoming stint is the long delayed gratification from all the waiting that i did in the past month.

it could still be part of the waiting. i don't know.

***

what am i up to on monday, august 6?

here's a multiple choice:

1. on august 6, i would be seven weeks pregnant. (yey! baby bump ahead)

2. on august 6, i will start my stint as aerobics instructor at gold's gym

3. august 6 will be my first day at the culinary school in nueva york

4. i will be on mission at an enemy territory on august 6

and the correct is: you'll know soon. let's just say i am on reconciliatory mode and that i am growing up.

***

now that i come to think of it, i am struggling with homonyms. wait and weight.

yes, i do have weight issues.

and yesterday, some psycho, gave my sister this huge black forest cake. my equally psycho sister brought it to my mom's house.

the psycho of all psychos (guess who) was begging to be put in a strait jacket when she saw the humongous cake. but there was no strait jacket at mom's kitchen. only forks.

so here's my shameful gallery of gluttony:

tempt me.

oh. lard.. it is good.

i can't get enough. get me to a rehab!

milk and coffee

2007-08-01T15:02:00.000+08:00

in the past six days, i have had only 24 hours of sleep.

my new pillows have lost their magic and i've become immune to lavender aromatherapy.

on the average, i finally fall sleep at 5AM. crazy i know.

hmmm... perhaps it's time i change my sheets. i mean, buy new sheets. my favorite pinoy designer, rajo laurel has come up with his own linen line at Our Home. M says the sheets have a thread count of 300-400. i told him he should've asked rajo for complimentary samples of the bed sheets.

so there, i am once again severely deficient in melatonin and my circadian rhythm is completely messed up.

one word. coffee.

i've been drinking coffee again. three more cups and i'll be an addict all over again.

M says i should be drinking warm milk on nights out instead of coffee.

speaking of milk, someone texted me this morning saying that august 1-7 is breastfeeding week.

lovely, really lovely.

i was asked to think of something new, an angle to promote boob juice in an entirely mind blowing, sweep-those-who-prefer-infant-formula-for-their-babies-off-their-feet way.

gaad. my brain is not working. well it is working but it has other concerns.

one, with my current disposition, i wonder if my mom actually breast fed me. they say breastfed babies have higher emotional quotients and are a lot secure and stong.

two, would i be able to breast feed my baby? given that i have not even a drop of milk in my system. i imagine my boob juice as a mix of coffee, tea and coke light. aargghh... whatevs.

i can't think of anything clever to promote breastfeeding. but this picture's nice.

breastmilk is still best for babies

yet another case of my life imitating art

2007-07-30T14:51:00.000+08:00

So, you really wanna know how I feel, right now, at this minute?

THIS:

borrowing from Meredith Grey when she drowned on dry land

Somehow, my head is still above the surface most of the time. I'm swallowing more air than water, but it's hardly reassuring because all I can see above the waves is the grungy rising wall of the docks. I seem to be slipping further and further from it, and I can hardly figure out how to hold my head above the water, let alone swim back towards the dark wall and its promise of solid ground.That's all there is to see; a promise of salvation that is becoming increasingly remote. That, and the gray-white nothingness of the sky overhead, mirroring the plunging void beneath me.

(to be continued... )

apolitical

2007-07-23T23:07:00.000+08:00

a lot have been wondering why i haven't been yakking about third world politics lately.

there have been so many things going on. the contested human security act. extra judicial killings that leave a chilling effect among journalists and administration dissenters. on Juan dela Cruz paying more taxes now but getting less of the basic services due him. the 6.7% GDP growth rate that does not even slightly impact poverty. the rising misery index (yes, there is such a thing in economics).

oh. the. mess.

when i started this blog, i wanted it to be a pulpit on which i can speak about politics and governance. but there have been a lot of things that happened in the recent past that left me confused and doubting.

i don't want to think about it. and i will not talk about it. unless, i want to go thru the next level of hell when i face the commission on appointments for my confirmation as undersecretary. or until my advertisers notify me that a 3rd world political blog is finally in vogue. or until becks sends me an email to say that he misses my political commentaries.

GGTM

anyway, does anyone know of a university or institute in the US that would take in interns to observe the 2008 elections? because right now i am very interested in Uncles Sam's presidential polls. you know, how the two party system work, what happens in primaries, how the parties raise funds, how to manage campaign in 50? 51? states-- the works. and yeah, i want to bring home some gossip on what washington's plans are with regards to this far flung archipelago.

okay, okay, aside from all those shallow reasons, the reason i want to get a US visa is: i want to meet wannabe democrat presidentiable john edwards in person.

Josmio! Ang gwapo!

***

all right, let me talk a little about the wicked and wonderful world of my homeland's politics.

at the opening of the 14th congress yesterday: the ___________ ( i don't have a term for it) within the opposition resulted to my former boss getting elected as senate president.

mr. palengke--este--mr. sipag at tiyaga
as Senate President once more

at the lower house, after all the screaming and the drama, the gentleman from i don't know which district of Pangasinan prevailed as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

House Speaker JDV
(err no.. this is yoda, something must be wrong with blogger)

there you go-- Jose de Venecia
(who do you like better? JDV or Yoda?)

of course, the opening of Congress will not be complete without the president's State of the Nation Address.

i don't know what caption to put under the photo. i mean, i didn't watch the SONA. but it doesn't mean i don't know what she talked about.

that was her 7th-- take note--7th SONA.

oh well... i'm shutting up...