The Melting Pen

Ika Mo, Wika?

2011-09-17T22:06:00.000+08:00

Ano ang gagawin mo kung biglang sinabi sa harapan mo na sa kasalukuyan, mayroon kang katangiang 'di kanais-nais? Malaki ang posibilidad na ikaw ay magtataka, magtatanong, o 'di kaya'y magagalit. Masakit malamang mayroon kang katangiang 'di kanais-nais. (Isipin mo kung sinabi sa harapan mong wala kang nagawang matino sa buong buhay mo.) Sa aking palagay, ang una mong gagawin ay itanggi ang pagkakaroon nito. Kasunod nito, maaaring tirahin mo rin ang pagkatao ng taong nagsabi nito, sapagkat may isinawalat nga naman siyang 'di sana nalaman nang ibang tao. Magtatanong ka rin kung bakit nga naman sinabi pa iyon sa iyo, gayong 'di nga namang kailangan.

Eh paano kung may katotohanan dito? Paano kung karapatan ng taong ito na isiwalat ito? Paano kung, masama man ang paraan nang pagkakagawa, ay kailangan din naman pala talaga itong sabihin, dahil kapag nalaman mo na ito'y may magagawa ka pa upang ayusin ito?

Sa usaping mga naganap sa wika noong nakaraang buwan, nasabihan nga ba lamang tayo nang ayaw nating marinig, nang isang personang ninais na rin nating gantihan?

Nagbunga rin ang pangyayari ng napakaraming sulating bumatikos sa taong ninais nga lang naman ay umpisahan muli ang diskurso ukol sa wikang Pilipino; nakapagpapabagabag sapagkat ginamit ang pagkakataon ng ilan upang iangat lamang ang estadong sosyal at ipagmukhang maalam ang sarili hinggil sa usapin. Maihahambing ito sa isang pulitikong sasakyan ang isang isyu, at sisigaw nang "Karapatan: adbokasiya ko ang karapatang pantao, pambabae, at panghayop."

Sa usaping ito, ang pagganti sa akusasyong "Ang pangit mo," nang "Ang panget mo rin, at ng nanay mo, at wala kang pinag-aralan," ay mukhang maraming sinasabi 'di lamang sa pagkatao nang nagsabi, kundi roon sa nasabihan din. Nababagabag ako sa ating komunidad.

BLAG

2009-09-25T00:49:00.002+08:00

Hi! I have been really busy for the past few months. This semester is my Accounting semester, and it has been taking time away from blogging. I've been a really inconsistent blogger, mostly because I only insist to write about things I feel strongly about. I know our country has a lot to offer in terms of controversial and disturbing stories, but sometimes trying to process these things can feel tiring, especially when you get them all the time.

Pero! Here's some good news! I'm gonna take this chance to thank Candy Magazine for making me one of the judges for their Candy Blog Awards this year. This is my second time judging, and I have been losing sleep over trying to choose the best blog for each category. They are all so good! In all honesty, all the time and effort these bloggers put into their own blogs makes me want to write regularly again. But as it is, I'm still a semi-regular blogger, and I hope that the quality of my posts can make up for their meager number.

One great thing I realized about blogging is that it cannot only be a simple diary. I was talking to my good friend yesterday, and she told me how keeping a blog with all your feelings and sentiments about the day that was, no matter how useless it was, can be looked upon by some as online trash that nobody really cares about. That is one extreme opinion, but it also has a point. Bloggers can sometimes be too self-centered, and the quality of their posts can be ruined. They might as well write their thoughts in their own private journals, to protect the public identity of their blog (if there ever existed such a protection).

Blogs are for everyone, and the most celebrated blogs are reader-centered. Just like commercial websites, magazines, and other forms of media, blogs are also sought for because they offer good entertainment, new knowledge, and brilliant ideas which readers find useful in their own lives. Looking through these finalists' blogs lets me see the varying degrees of this 'reader-centered-ness.' Some blogs try to convey their messages through pictures, while some do through their witty writing. Funny blogs seem to have many visitors too, and have earned their own following. If you're an Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles fan, you might want to take a look at nonoyforpresident.blogspot.com.(That's Nonoy Baclao. Don't mistake him for the Noynoy who's really running for president.) It's funny, especially if you're into the UAAP! tunaynalalake.blogspot.com has earned its own share of readers too. These blogs know what message they want to deliver. Magaling eh.

So I challenge you to blog in your own time too. Your other-centered brilliance is in demand. You can be a man for others through blogging too.

Happy Independence Day Boxing Country

2009-06-13T00:19:00.004+08:00

Today, I was able to watch a Manny Pacquiao documentary on ANC. It was fairly short, and in the short time it was aired, Manny Pacquiao's beginnings as a boxer was given attention, along with his latter wins, and intention to enter politics. The docu was supplemented by boxing analysis and an interview from Pacquiao himself. The video was simply made, and the facts were laid out with no other purpose but to inform viewers about our most successful sports champion to date, perhaps as part of the Independence Day Celebrations of the news channel.

Documentaries like these are normal to the Filipino eye, but what may be real eye candy for some is watching the HBO 24/7 pre-fight documentaries about Pacquiao and his upcoming opponents. This well-produced series covers Pacquiao's training process (along with his opponent), with the purpose of hyping up the upcoming competition. With this purpose, it is ordinary to see thousands of boxing and training clips, backed up by string music from an orchestra, and brave statements from each of the boxing camps. For anyone enthusiastic about boxing (or for anyone into making film), these documentaries are truly well-made, and have beautifully combined information with excitement.

My attention was caught by the beginning of each 24/7 documentary, wherein the each of the boxers' lands of origin are given attention. For Manny Pacquiao's homeland, our beloved Philippines, beautiful shots of General Santos City and Manila were made, pretty much composed of farmland, kids, and slums beneath the urban jungle. I felt pity (mostly because that was how the viewers were supposed to respond to the treatment of that segment) as it was implied by the voice-over narration that Pacquiao came from a really poor family, and that he had to struggle his way to success, and that there little chance of even entertaining the thought of international success as an ordinary Filipino, but Pacquiao was able to reach his present status; today, Pacquiao is worshipped like a god.

Lennox Lewis said the same thing in Pacquiao's Time 100 feature this year (http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1894410_1894289_1894356,00.html). "Manny has connected with the people of his home... where he's almost like a god." Truly, Manny Pacquiao's victories have brought national pride and happiness, but as a Filipino, I don't think I ever came to think about imagining him the way Lewis thinks Pacquiao has connected with us.

I understand that these may be statements made to glorify Manny Pacquiao's success through the years. However, when we read write-ups about him and watch different videos concerning his notable career, the 3rd world state of the Philippines, and how it is hard to succeed here, always seems to be the literary and artistic choice for emphasizing this success. It feels like comparing white against a dark shade, just to see how bright white can be. When reading these things from outside the Philippines, I just feel that somehow, these want to make me think that Manny Pacquiao is bigger than his own country.

There's nothing wrong with what's happening. It is perfectly alright for Manny Pacquiao to be where he is. I just feel we have to be aware that for this ebony-ivory device to work in the write-ups abroad, Manny Pacquiao's status has to remain larger than his country. It is important for us to be aware of this in order to note that Manny Pacquiao's success needs to be acknowledged not as the point of real salvation for our country, but only as a big step towards it. The reason most probably that Muhammad Ali's success before as a boxer was never glorified in a Pacquiao sort of way was that America already had so many other famous successes to speak of, and that Ali's was not entirely new, despite his numerous attempts at calling himself "The Greatest."

We have to thank Manny Pacquiao for giving us so much recognition abroad. But we have to be real and true and accept that while his success is also our success, he has every right to claim it, and people outside the Philippines are still free to think that the country is Pacquiao's ebony. Pacquiao's success is an open call to Filipinos to do what we never knew before was possible. With a good outlook for the Filipino future, these literary devices of contrasting great Filipinos against a pitiful Philippines may eventually be ineffective.

Nagkakaroon na ng Bagong Identidad ang Pilipinas

2009-05-24T13:29:00.004+08:00

Alec Baldwin. Tama ba ang ispeling? Alam niyo ba, sa ngayon, hanggang picture na lang ang makikita natin sa kaniya, kasi, blacklisted siya dito sa ating mahal na Pilipinas? Nagbiro kasi siya nang masama ukol sa mga Filipina mail-order wives, na bawal daw. Nabawasan siya ng mapupuntahan sa mundo, ang Pilipinas. Kawawa naman siya, hindi niya mapupuntahan ang napakagandang bayan natin.

Sa sobrang kagandahan ng ating bansa, at ng mga nilalang dito, nang magkaroon dati ng isang linya sa palabas na Desperate Housewives na “Can I just check those diplomas because I just want to make sure that they are not from some med school in the Philippines,” hiningi na naman ng maraming Pilipino (at siyempre, hindi nawala ang political grandstanding) na humingi ng paumanhin ang produksyon ng palabas na ito. Nakasasakit kasi eh.

Sa totoo lang, ang pinakanakagawa ng ingay na may kinalaman sa pagkakakilala sa mga Pilipino sa mundo ay ang ginawa ni Chip Tsao, isang Tsino, na pagsusulat ukol sa pagiging land of servants ng Pilipinas. Natural, maraming diskusyon muli ang naganap, sa napakarilag na Pilipinas.

Hindi lang iyan, sa Baguio mismo, persona non grata na raw si Candy Pangilinan, isang Pilipina rin, sa kaniyang pagsabi na tao siya at hindi Igorot (at mukhang nagkamali lang naman siya sa pagsasabi ng gusto niya talagang sabihing 'di naman gaano kasakit).

Nakikita ko na mula sa libel ng mga rehiyon hanggang sa pakikitungo sa ibang bansa (basta may kinalaman sa media), parang napaka-kritikal ng mga mamamayan sa ating bansa, lalo na ang mga may boses sa lipunan. Kaunting 'di umano'y pagyurak sa pagkatao ng Pilipino, umaaray na, nag-iingay, at humihingi ng paumanhin.

Pagkatapos mapanood ng mundo ang Slumdog Millionaire, siguradong mas maraming nasabing kababuyan na ikagagalit ng India ang nakararaming mamamayan ng mundo. Marami rin namang mail-order wives na hindi Pilipiino. Marami rin namang doktor na hindi magaling na hindi Pilipino. Sa mga servant o katulong, marami ring Espanyol, Amerikano, o hindi kaya'y mga Aprikano. Totoo rin namang may istatwang Igorot.

Ang pipikon ng mga Pilipino. Iyan marahil ang sunod na maipipintas sa atin, at siguradong susulat na naman tayo para humingi sila ng paumanhin.

Relaks lang kasi. National identity is nourished INSIDE the nation.

Ang Panitikan, Jologs at Sosyal

2009-04-20T21:11:00.003+08:00

Kagabi, nagbasa ako ng isang bahagi ng librong Katha ni Soledad Reyes ukol sa panitikang Filipino. May binanggit doon na may ilang uri ng kulturang popular na hindi agad tinanggap bilang bahagi ng sinasabing "panitikan." Kabilang sa mga nabanggit ang pelikula, ang komiks, mga dulang pangtelebisyon, at mga programa sa radyo. Isa sa mga unang nabanggit na dahilan ng hindi agarang pagtanggap sa mga ito bilang panitikan ay "walang puwang sa kurikulum ang pag-aaral ng kulturang popular." Kulang ang mga batayan para sa masusing pag-aaral noong mga panahong ito, kaya hindi natanggap ang mga ito bilang bahagi ng panitikang Filipino. Nabanggit din na sa elitistang pananaw ng marami, mababa ang tingin sa mga komiks at pelikula. Subalit hindi raw malinaw ang mga batayang "high-brow" at "low-brow" na ito, at napaka-subhetibo. May mga binanggit na ilang akda at likhang dati'y itinuring na pang-masa (sa negatibong konotasyon), na ngayon ay bahagi na ng "mas matalinong" kamalayang Pilipino.

Kahit ano naman ang mangyari, sapagkat ang panitikan ay maituturing na salamin ng buhay, gaano man ito ka-panget o ka-ganda sa ating paningin, ito ay may tunay na halagang magaggamit. Nakaiirita man o nakaaaliw na pakinggan para sa iba ang pagbirit ni Manny Pacquiao sa radyo ng "Filipino ang lahi ko!" sumasalamin ito sa kaniyang kasalukuyang kasikatan, at kung anu-ano pang maituturing na mapa ng panitikan at kulturang Pinoy sa kasalukuyan. Iba-iba ang pagtrato sa panitikan sa bawat panahon, at sa aking palagay, nagbibigay ang mga pagtratong ito ng magandang kulay sa ating lipunan.

Subalit, makulay man ang iba-ibang pananaw ukol sa kulturang popular, ang subhetibong elitistang pananaw ay nakakukulong. Karaniwan, iniisip ng elitista na kapag may taong mahilig sa Pinoy shobis, jologs siya, at hindi marunong tumingin ng tunay na art. May ilang taong matatawag na music snobs, sapagkat pinipilit nilang tanggalin sa kanilang mga buhay ang anumang musikang popular, at pinipiling makinig sa musikang tingin nila ay hindi kilala, mas trip ng kritiko, at mas aral. Sa kahit anong panahon, ang ganitong klaseng pag-iisip ay naging batayan ng katayuan sa lipunan. Kung jologs ka, Wowowee at mga mall show ng paboritong artista ang hilig mo. Kung sosyal ka, Gossip Girl ang hilig mo, Art Gallery ang lakaran mo, at Makati ang first or second home mo. Bawal maging sosyal ang taong walang alam sa tunay na 'culture.' Nakakukulong 'di ba? Upang makilala mo kung ano ka sa lipunan, parang may mga nakalathala nang mga dapat mong kahiligan at ayawan? Mahirap.

Pero siguro, puwede rin namang mamili mula sa dalawang mundo. Best of both worlds, ika nga. Hindi naman yata mahalaga ang iniisip ng iba, basta wala kang sinasaktan, at nananatili kang masaya. Minsan lang siguro talaga, sa ating pakikipagkapwa-tao, sunod lang tayo nang sunod sa daloy. Gaya ng isang likhang pampanitikan, kung trip mo ang 'jologs' ngayon at kamumuhian ka ng mga mayayaman na iyan, huwag mag-alala. Uunlad din ang pag-iisip ng marami balang araw, at magiging katanggap-tanggap ka rin. Iyon ay kung mahalaga pa iyon.

Pulis Patola

2009-04-16T22:33:00.002+08:00

Yes, the incident involving Ted Failon's family has reached epic proportions. But the policemen are as lamentable.

Recently, police representatives have been defending themselves against their bad, "pulis patola" image. They requested media practitioners to give more exposure to "good" policemen, with the hopes of improving their image, and hopefully, public trust. They requested writers of teleseryes to avoid including pulis patolas (or even funny, or bad policemen) in their shows. I personally hated this, for I believe that these policemen have NEVER (or very rarely) done their part to improve their own images, aside from the fact that artistic expression is prevented from flourishing. Most are still bundat (or big-bellied, despite the existence of a "slimming down" project a few years back). Most are still kotong cops. Makati police wait at night for motorists to terrorize (they run in front of your car to block your path, then try to accuse you of a traffic violation. It happened to us. Good thing we evaded them. Balony.). I never felt they respected the good portrayal by media.

Today, as I watch the news, I see policemen arresting Ted Failon's housemates and his wife's family members. I see a lawyer shrieking for justice, as the househelpers' rights to a lawyer before anything happens should have happened. I see police officers in their desks more eloquent than usual, explaining crime progress. I see a policeman in glasses screaming at Ted Failon's brother in law, ordering arrest, for apparently "obstructing justice' by exerting force to stop the police from arresting his siblings. No warrants. "Obstruction of Justice" has never sounded more like an excuse to go on an arresting spree. I heard a speculation that Ted Failon was a critic of that certain police branch (or maybe the police in general).

The pulis patolas are on live TV. The teleseryes did not have to do their part.

Only in The Philippines?

2008-11-04T19:44:00.003+08:00

On the way home from Ateneo, I was listening to the evening news through the car radio. The news that caught my attention involved that of a certain former government official who is now being called to testify in front of the senate regarding his alleged anomalous release of funds to government officials not necessarily involved with the goals of that fund. What really got me wondering was not the fact that there was news about possible committed corruption (What's new?), but the statement of a well-known senator (known to be corrupt, but bluntly proven) for the former government official;on TV, he advised the former government official to stop "prolonging the agony," and to start testifying already, as if he, the well-known senator, himself was a righteous man (He may actually be.).

That piece of news just got my attention, but I am not condemning that certain senator for saying that. It is his job to say that, since he is also tasked to do investigations. However, what keeps me bothered is the fact that politicians we usually carelessly brand as corrupt seem to investigate each other on a regular basis already. I wonder what comes to the minds of political investigators when they interview anomalous people. I mean, if they were corrupt too, then they would probably be laughing at the anomalous person they were interviewing for being stupid enough to be caught. We rarely end up proving that a lot of governement officials in the Philippines are corrupt, or have stolen a tremendous amount of money, but we always seem to know, based on rumors, and news of this and that person "allegedly" stealing this and that amount for this or that invalid project. Sometimes, we do not have to prove that someone is bad to know if a system is bad, or dangerous.

But how the heck did our country end up to be like this? The government functions very much like a company, and we can think of it as the central company that takes care of all major transactions that will benefit the Filipino citizen, its customer and major shareholder. If this company alone is known to be corrupt in itself, then all other companies, or systems attached to it (like the different sectors), are bound to be corrupt in a degree equal to, or less than that of the central government. Therefore, we can say that in our own different work places, like show business or the simple common corporate set-up, different forms of corruption are already present, and they are not limited to stealing money by way of bent transactions. If you noticed, in the Philippines, only the powerful elite help their own kind, and most of the developing kind (those striving to improve their lives immensely) have to struggle against crab mentality, and having to meet the right people at the right time to help them out. Don't we all just wish that our own workplaces felt like school, wherein working hard almost usually meant getting the better grade, and hopefully the better future? PR was not the make or break skill then, but now, the motto seems to be "Who you know will best help you and your company."

As a student nearing the end of my student life, I keep praying not to be eaten up by the damaged culture in my own future workplace, if ever that damaged culture shows up. When we all end up having to decide against our own integrity for what may seem to look better for our own careers, do we succumb to temptation? Seeing that the damaged Filipino culture is an open secret, is being part and king of that system the only way to succeed? When the good people we see are limited to the "heroes" and those who are killed for fighting for what they believe in, can we still be courageous enough to do what's right, and what we love?

We may be afraid to pay the price of doing good, but if we do not do good now, whatever bad we do will eventually contribute to a system that will kill us in the end. I hope more people take the risk.

A Life on Display

2008-10-21T19:04:00.002+08:00

Note: The following article is the 2nd draft of my feature article in my English class. This is my first ever attempt to write something that simply just features somebody. In class, we ended up not having to write the final article because of lack of time. The 2nd draft was checked as if it was the final feature article.

Museums are a fad because of the variety of items that reveal shadowed parts of the past and glimpses of the future. These items are the stars of the show, and most people would rather observe only them all throughout their visit, instead of the numerous other seemingly boring fixtures in the museum.

One such fixture is George Antolino, a security guard in the famous gold exhibit of the museum. He was tall, dark, but ignored by a lot of visitors. To those who noticed him, he looked like a normal Filipino corporate security guard. He wore a gray barong and black pants, sported a 3x4 military haircut, and almost-always held a walkie-talkie to his ear. With his pensive expression, you’d think he had a problem with being where he is. But by being a guard for Ayala Museum for four years, he is able to share peculiar insight on his job, on the people going there, and on the stars of the show, the artifacts.

His pensive expression revealed nothing about how he initially desired to work for the Ayala Museum. He found its ambiance refreshing to the senses, after his stint as an SM security guard. According to him, he trusted Ayala’s reputation too. After four years, he has not left, which leads us to ask if he loves his job. “Oo naman,” was his response. His family depends on what he earns from the place, and that is enough to make him happy there.

With around two-hundred visitors a day, it seems like George is not the only one drawn to the museum. From his observation, schools would normally schedule field trips, and foreigners mostly consisted of Koreans and Japanese. When asked if he had problems with any of the foreigners, he responded with, “Sa totoo lang, mas madali pa ngang kasundo ang mga foreigner na iyan eh. Kaunting sabi mo lang sa kanila na huwag gawin ang ganito o ganiyan, susunod na.” Foreigners were used to being disciplined, while Filipinos who visited the Ayala Museum would only pretend to follow the rules. He could not understand Balikbayans insisting to pay the more expensive foreigner fee, and only shrugged his shoulders at the thought that they might have just been bragging.

George’s daily task is to protect golden artifacts he speculates as simple pieces of metal the revealed history. He thinks they simply look like junk aluminum foil painted gold. Despite this, he eagerly pointed to one particular piece of junk encased in a glass box. Inside the container was a human torso wearing George’s favorite piece, a 24-karat halter with an intricately knitted design, resembling a rope with fine threads.

“Sinuot ‘yan ni Cheche Lazaro sa T.V. Sa Probe. Ako nagbabantay noon eh,” he shared, with pride evident from his eyes, as they intently looked at the halter. He then went back to his duty.

Museums showcase items like the halter that certainly reveal a lot about history by just being on display, and not making any sound. However, certain unnoticed members of the Ayala Museum, like George, when asked to share, can also teach us about our own selves. Sometimes, we may even learn things that no priceless gold artifact can spell out. We just have to get to know them, to maybe get to know ourselves a little better.

I'm Back!

2008-10-21T18:59:00.002+08:00

Hi! I'm finally back to writing again! Sorry for the really long break. I was just so busy with my first semester in college, and everytime I'd have a little free time to write for the blog, I'd end up not having the inspiration nor a good topic i felt I should write about.

So here I am now, welcoming you back to my blog. I hope that you can appreciate my next posts like you have my previous ones. God bless you.

Strangebrew at ang Halaga ng Saya

2008-07-20T15:13:00.002+08:00

Pasensiya na medyo matagal na rin akong hindi sumusulat dito ah. Nakakain kasi ang oras ko nga mga kung anu-ano sa eskuwela. Ang maganda naman doon, marami akong nakakalap na bagong pagkatuto na puwedeng pag-isipan. Kaya ito, mag-Filipino muna tayo.

Napanood niyo na ba iyong Strangebrew nina Tado at Erning, iyong pinalabas dati sa UNTV, tapos sa Studio 23? Sa nakaraan linggo kasi, nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataon na balikan iyong mga lumang episode nito. Natutuwa naman ako, kasi ang sasaya ng mga episode noon, at kakaiba rin talaga ang lapit nila sa pagkalap ng impormasyon sa pamamagitan ng mga panayam, at pag-arte nang nakakatawa. Kung ako sa inyo, papanoorin ko ngayon iyong mga lumang episode noon sa Youtube. May naglagay.

Kaya bigla naman akong nahumaling muli sa Strangebrew ay sa klaseng Filipino kasi namin, naisip namin ng kaklase kong si Jico na iyon ay gawing presentasyon sa isang sagala sa loob ng paaralan. Subalit, bago namin ito magawa, kailangan namin makumbinsi ang kagawaran na may kahalagahan ang napili naming tema para sa manoonood na Pilipino. Naisip namin na baka naman may matututunan ang manonood sa kung anu-anong pinag-uusapan sa Strangebrew. Totoo naman, na sa dinami-raming nironda nina Tado, marami nga namang matututunan ang mga manonood hinggil sa Maynila at iba pang lugar, sa nakakatawang paraan pa. Matutuwa na nga sila, matututo pa ng bago. O 'di ba? Puwedeng puwede?

Kaso, naisip ko rin na sa kahit anong bagay naman may matututunan ka 'di ba? Kahit na yata sa simpleng pagkain ng tsokolateng Magic Flakes, may matututunan kang bago 'di ba, kahit gaano kaliit? 'Di ba? TAMA! Kaya ito, kailangan pa naming isipin kung ano ang iba pang kahalagahan ng Strangebrew.

Bakit nga ba pinapanood ang Strangebrew? Dahil kay Tado 'di ba? Dahil kay Erning 'di ba? Dahil kay Jun Sabayton at Ramon Bautista 'di ba? TAMA! Natutuwa talaga tayo sa kakaibang lapit ng Strangebrew sa mga pinakakaraniwang bagay. Nakakatuwa siya. Papanoorin ba natin ang palabas na iyon kung gusto lang natin matuto ng tungkol sa Tubero, Barko, at MRT? Malayo yatang magkaganoon. Sobrang astig ng pagkakagawa ng Strangebrew kaya tayo na-hook. Iilan lang ang kagaya ng Strangebrew kaya natin siya pinanood. Bago ang konseptong iyon noong panahong iyon, at natuwa tayo. Masaya lang tayong panoorin iyon.

Ba't nga ba ako naghahanap pa ng ibang kahalagahan? Napakahalaga nga pala ng kasiyahan, lalo na kung kakaiba ito. 'Di ba nga ang karamihan ng tao, naghahanap lang ng kasiyahan sa buhay? Iyong iba nga, kapag masaya na, wala nang ibang hinahanap eh.

Minsan, natatandaan ko, parang natanong ni Tado sa Strangebrew sa isang taong mahilig makipag-gagambahan (o larong pinaglalaban ang mga gagamba) kung ano ang maitutulong ng ginagawa niya sa bayan. Siguro, naisip ng taong iyon, kahit hindi niya marahil nasabi, na "Masaya ito eh." Iyon na iyon.

Kaya kapag oras mo nang matanong ukol sa ginagawa mo, huwag kang mag-alinlanngang sabihing, "Masaya eh," lalo na kung ito ang totoo.

I'm Sure You Can Relate

2008-07-05T01:34:00.004+08:00

This Thursday was a special day for my high school classmate and very good friend, James Soriano. He was a champion debater back in high school, an honor student, and now a real writer for no less than Manila Bulletin. Thursday was when his very first article on his very first column, iThink, became available for the public to reflect on. Congrats pare!

Speaking of writing, I have recently been struggling with academic writing myself. I just really find it ironic that after two years of writing in a blog full of reflections, I find myself stumped about what to write for a simple, personal essay in English class. I even find it 'lame' (as my teacher called it earlier) that I missed my one and only chance of consulting with the teacher about what to write, and how to write it well (in her own, supposedly expert view; I have an almost completely different idea of what's good, so good luck to me).

For the past few days, attending English class has not personally felt very fruitful. We've been going through a lot of things about the essay that we already repeatedly learned in high school (like the thesis statement and topic and sentence outlines), from the best English teachers. The worst part was, we've been 'learning' at a much slower pace, since the class is supposed to focus on the writing process. I'm sorry if I sound like a kid, but I feel bored with what we are taking up in English. To add to that, I even seem to resent a lot of the new writing styles and tips our new teacher imparts to us. Bluntly, I cannot stand all of it.

I am pretty sure that if my teacher reads this post, she will end up thinking about how full of pride I am, despite me being a real beginner in writing compared to her. To clarify, I have nothing against my teacher and her style of teaching. I just do not find it useful enough for me, after learning so much for the past 4 years with a different style. I always feel that I have to protect whatever I learned from high school about writing, which makes me resent learning new things about the old things.

I feel stumped not only because I cannot find something to write about in a simple, personal essay, but also because I feel like I cannot learn anything new because of whatever pride I have.

We've all felt the same way. We've all felt like we were wasting time doing something in the place of whatever we feel we should be doing. The problem is, how can we learn if we keep resenting and resenting whatever comes our way? Even if it's really hard to see at this point, I guess there's always something new to learn from everything. There may presently be no clear manifestations of what we learn, but I guess they are bound to show themselves someday.

In all this uncertainty about learning, I just really hope I am not wasting my time.

By the way, whatever I wrote today is not a simple, personal essay, by choice. It only shows how I have to listen and re-learn things in class.

What Ba Talaga Language Mo? Going Back to Basics

2008-06-21T23:18:00.003+08:00

Today is the day I can say debate taught me more than what 'Matter, Manner, and Method' could.

When I was a high school debater debating for Ateneo, I knew damn well that I was not the best. I was your average Ateneo debater (Ateneo debaters were supposedly some of the best in the country, but I would not count myself in.), and while there were notable moments (like a very memorable competition in Los Banos) of debate glory towards the end of my adolescent debating career, I was not completely sure if it was what I really wanted to do for the rest of my schooling. Early in my debating life, I resented reading up on world political and economic views, news, and anything else debaters would call 'Matter,' since I thought that the best way to enjoy teenage life was to stay away from grown-up stuff as much as possible.

When I would have a bad debating day, I would blame it on British Parliamentary Debating in the Philippines being in English, and not Filipino, my primary speaking language. I thought that given the chance to have Filipino debates, more Filipinos would be able express the important thoughts easily. Language would not be a barrier for good thoughts.

Earlier today, I was able to see my dream of experiencing Filipino debates, on a national scale. Two credible schools, not necessarily for teaching English, were competing in a debate broadcast on the radio, with Filipino as the primary language. They were arguing about the policies behind Ces Drilon's release, if I heard them right. However, my happiness for the Filipino debates was short-lived since listening to these debaters was a struggle, since they themselves struggled in finding the right Filipino words to support their points, switching to English more frequently than than the conyos a good number of 'real' Filipinos hate.

I ended up rethinking my previous thoughts (which have been lingering in my head for years) concerning debate. What if I was given the chance to debate formally in Filipino? Would I be able to deliver my points better than before, or would I stutter just like the students I listened to earlier? Was I even good enough a debater, to even demand a Language shift early in my career, or to even want to skip researching and rely on my own intelligence in debates?

In any field, I think that we have to master the basics first, before we can move on to the more challenging, and more glorifying things. In sports, basketball players cannot let go of basic dribbling, passing, or the like, if they want to achieve greater things in their career. For God's sake they'd injure themselves if they tried to dunk without the basics. The same goes for debate, and any other kind of thing that needs practice, determination, concentration, and most of all, commitment. I do not think that without reading about what's happening around us, I can give good views in a debate or even in a blog. I do not think that I will have the guts to talk about mentally intimidating things without mastering the medium, or language, that my audience can find useful.

I am sure that even you have got your own activites that need a little refresher. Let us all strengthen the foundations of our work, so we can reach farther things. Who was that scientist who commented that he would not have seen very far without standing on the shoulders of giants?

I need a refresher myself.

2 Days After Independence Day

2008-06-14T19:27:00.003+08:00

I am writing today as a week-old college freshman. I was able to experience college firsthand, and I was really struck by all the freedom I have recently acquired. The haircut rule is already a thing of the past. 6am mornings are lessened. I was also really surprised by all the free time I had.

Yes, these privileges and a lot more existed, but I have also observed that most of my classmates now are the brightest in the country. Some have even come from the farthest places to study in the Ateneo, eager to show the best they have got. After my first week in college, after all the talks from upperclassmen and school officials regarding how hard it is to stay in the Ateneo, more so stay in my course of study, I have come to realize that all the freedom of college in the Ateneo (or in any school, for that matter), comes with a price, just like anything in this world.

And so I found myself studying during the lightest week of the year, like it was mid-year.

Once again, I felt like a high school freshman being drilled with words of wisdom by Mr. Pagsanghan, the most memorable (and appropriate) being "Everything has a price tag."

Yes, there may be lots of fun times in college, like parties, victories, and chances to meet people, but these fun moments may have to be earned by hard work. Because when you are partying with your 'free' time, someone else may be studying like hell for the next big test, and that night only may already spell the difference between your pasang-awa mark, and that person's summa cum laude QPI or GPA.

So, as college freshmen, do we abuse free time the wrong way, or the right way?

Happy Independence Day should have been the title of my post two days ago, had I decided to write one. Two days ago, we should have celebrated our freedom as a nation. We should have celebrated our freedom from abusive foreign rule.

However, after more than one hundred years, still one abuse, we can observe, is prevalent:

Negative abuse of so much freedom.

And I thought college was supposed to teach you how to manage freedom.

Congrats Pare

2008-06-08T16:44:00.002+08:00

Robi, dahil M-boy ka, tatagalugin ko ito nang maayos.
Napanood ko kahapon ang Big Night, at sigurado akong maraming tao ang nasiyahan at hindi nasiyahan sa desisyon ng kapanalunan, pero alam kong hindi na iyon mahalaga para sa iyo.

Bilang kapwa mong housemate, batchmate at Atenista, gusto kong malaman mo na lubos akong nasiyahan sa mga nagawa mo sa loob ng bahay. Mapagkumbaba ka, may talino, at naghahangad ka ng mabuti para sa iba. Kahit huhusgahan ng maraming tao ang mga nagawa mo sa negatibong paraan, tandaan mo na hindi ka pumasok diyan para magpaka-alipin sa prinsipyo ng iba.

Mapagmamalaki ka. Maraming Atenista, at hindi naman lahat mabubuting tao, pero patunay ka na kaya ng Ateneo magpalaki ng tulad mo, na natatanyag ang kalooban. Hindi pa tapos ang lahat, pareho pareho pang hilaw ang ating mga pagkatao, at marami pa tayong pagdadaanan dahil bata pa tayo, subalit pinakita mo na hindi siguro kailangan alalahanin kung ika'y mapapariwara. Ang hamon sa iyo ngayon ay kung paano pa natin magagamit ang mga mararanasan natin para lalong malayo ang marating. Hindi dahil may marami tayong pribilehiyo, gugustuhin na lang natin tumulong nang tumulong. Dapat, lalo rin nating pinalalago ang ating mga pangarap.

Maraming salamat sa iyo. Dahil sa iyo, naranasan ko kung paano ang pakiramdam bilang manonood, at dahil dito, marami rin akong natutunan sa sarili ko. Kahit hindi mo alam noong nasa loob ka, marami kang buhay na naapektuhan sa mabuting paraan.

Ngayong nasa labas ka na, masayang ingay ang mararanasan mo, pero ang payo ko sa iyo, alamin mo kung saan nanggagaling ang mga sinasabi sa iyo, para malaman mo kung ano talaga ang mahalaga. Sobrang saya ng buhay sa labas ng bahay, pero kailangan buo ngayon ang loob mo, dahil kakaibang laban ngayon ang iyong mararanasan.

Congrats pare. Tandaan mo na nandito lang ako para sa iyo. One Big Fight.

2008-06-06T00:17:00.002+08:00

Hey guys our orientation seminar in school just started, and I've been busy after school doing different things, so I haven't really had time to make a real entry. By the end of this weekend though, expect a new post, and expect your links to be put up already. If I forget to link your blog, please remind me. Please look into the comments section for replies on your relevant comments. Thanks so much! I'm so happy school's starting! College na! Any tips from those who have gone through it?

Malungkot at Masakit na Kasiyahan

2008-05-29T21:57:00.004+08:00

image source: http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/n_jenkem.htm

Before we proceed, let me invite you to visit this Wikipedia page, and to read at least the first sentence, since I am very surprised that such a thing exists:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenkem

Well, the article pretty much discusses a 'recreational drug' similar to cocaine, among other harmful drugs, that people can get addicted to. It's called Jenkem, and from the name itself, you just feel that it does not sound pleasant. It induces hallucinations and the feeling of being 'high,' just like any other drug, but it's made from whatever your system never wants to have back: fermented feces and urine. Kadiri pare.

You know what, I can't really understand (or accept) the psychology behind wanting to achieve artificial moments of euphoria, when it can practically be achieved naturally through different real-life situations, although not instantly. We can say people use them as escape routes from their own lives, but don't these drugs end up making lives worse eventually? Even more disturbing today is the fact that people may already be using their own excretions to achieve a high. If this Jenkem substance really exists and is being used, I just don't know what other bad thing I should expect from life. I think that the message is clear: those excretions were rejected by your body in the first place, so why force it in again? It's bound to cause you harm, as rumors and stories tell us that inhaling this substance gives the bad taste brought about by feces for about a week.

What do you think? Are some people already that sad, that they already look for happiness in the worst place to find it?

Wow, Robi's ligtas yo.

2008-05-24T22:16:00.005+08:00

I'm sure you've had the chance to meet the kind of Filipino you would call coño. He's the type of person who usually speaks fluent, or almost-fluent English most of the time, but struggles with Filipino. Whenever he would speak Filipino, it would almost always sound like "Can you pass me th...the...lapis! There! lapis right?" Normally, they are associated with the upper class, or upper middle class. They're elitista to most of us, and to some, annoying. "Ba't naman kasi nag-Iingles pa 'yan eh Pinoy naman siya?!"would be normal comments from people who have recently met one of the coño type. That comment is pretty mild, considering the fact that they are even accused as not being in touch with Filipino sensibilities, despite living in the Philippines for most of their lives. A stigma exists that puts the 'richer' ones in a negative light, when there may be even more to these 'richer' people.

It's really easy to accuse the coño person as someone who does not want to embrace his own Filipino culture, but one recent conversation from a really close, supposedly coño friend of mine revealed otherwise:

"You know, [most] Filipinos don't really like elitists or rich people but they want to be rich, they want to go abroad for better jobs, they want to be more Americanized, they want showbiz and when they hit it, they want to fit in that crowd - and yet they look down on rich people and put value on the "real world" values on the street [so much]."

That was the first thought that went through his mind, based on his own observations. It was bothering him that coño people were less listened to by the supposedly purer Filipinos, for the simple reason that they did not know how to commute, nor were they familiar with balut and isaw. It bothers him that accusations about them are made just for being who they are. We may not know it but while there are really coño people to be loathed for their actions, we have to be able to separate hating from action from hating because we cannot relate. In the same way that the 'poor' want some understanding, I think that the rich also deserve some too.

It really is disturbing that there are lots of people who hate the rich so much, but when they end up getting rich themselves by some twist of fate, they end up embracing it. Why cannot we just accept the fact that even within the Philippines, different kinds of people exist? Sure, there are people who cannot even ride the MRT or jeepney to save their own lives, but they are Filipino too. Lots of these kinds of people actually try to embrace the Filipino culture, within their reach. On the other hand, why do some richer people embrace being rich so much that they look down on the poor? Why can't we all just accept that yes, were born in different settings, but we all struggle with life almost equally? God never gave us things we can't handle right? We just have to accept our differences and learn to live unbothered by these little differences in lifestyle. Kahit anong mangyari, Pilipino ka, basta gustuhin mo.

Comic Relief

2008-05-23T20:55:00.002+08:00

Guys, subukan niyo lang ito. Kung matagal ka nang nagbabasa ng blog na ito, sigurado ako medyo pagod ka na rin sa kakabasa ng mga entry na kailangan ng kalaliman ng pag-iisip. Pinapanood ito sa akin ng mga kaklase kong si James and Hansky, at nagustuhan ko talaga. Wala siyang sense masyado, pero nakakaaliw. Nakakatulong din naman ang pahinga 'di ba? Punta ka sa left-hand side ng blog na ito, tapos look under comic relief, and click on one of the videos. Wala talagang sense masyado 'yan pero try mo lang. Game? Game!

Answer no. 1

2008-05-23T20:06:00.002+08:00

Well, I think it's about time I really share my insights on the previous post I really left hanging. Thank you for those who commented. Whatever you shared contributed immensely to this post.

So why do people, though supposedly innately good, find it easier to do bad things?

I think it's really a matter of patience and work ethic. Normally, the really bad choices, even if we do not recognize them as bad immediately, are the ones that can get us what we want quicker. If we're looking for huge amounts of money for whatever use (hopefully good), it's easier to get the money by stealing (minus the trouble, which is not normally foreseen), compared to actually saving up (Just don't take this whole situation literally.). When we want pleasure, some people find it easier to take drugs, instead of looking for a natural high which will make you look for a situation that induces that kind of natural high. If you're considering the pretty woman-politician example, I'm guessing that impatient human nature will make it easier for the eyes to listen to the pretty woman (who is not bad, but the politician has more right to be listened to regarding political issues). I'm not telling you not to listen to the beauty queen speaking about ecological issues; but if there's already an ecological expert speaking out, why do we find it easier to listen to the beauty queen, when the expert may have lots to say too? If it's easier on the eyes, why do we need our eyes to listen?

I'll stop there, with the three examples. That's just my take on it. Trying to answer this question will probably take a long time, but it helps to think about it from time to time.

Support Robi! Big Brother is NOT Primarily a Charity Show

2008-05-20T19:39:00.007+08:00

Before I start ranting about what I feel is the wrong way to see Pinoy Big Brother, let me first appeal to you to vote for my friend and schoolmate Robi Domingo to save him from eviction this week by texting BB ROBI to 2331 for Globe networks and to 231 for Smart networks, or by voting online through http://teensplus.pinoybigbrother.com/Vote/tabid/139/Default.aspx. Robi has been nothing but an exceptional housemate during his stay, and in my opinion, the good rankings in this competition of values and attitudes give us a good picture of what characteristics Filipinos see as important.

Pinoy Big Brother was supposedly tagged as the "teleserye ng totoong buhay." For the past 3 years, it showed different batches of people living inside a house, trying to show whatever good or bad they have, with the hopes of winning a prize that amounts to at least a million pesos, among other reasons (like inspiring others and trying to jump-start a show business career). However, whoever wins or loses in the contest is ultimately left to the discretion of the viewers, who vote for the housemate they want to stay, and in most cases, eventually win. However, whoever is presented to the public as 'nominees' for eviction depends on the housemates themselves, and the way the housemates tackle this obstacle really bothers me.

I have seen countless instances when housemates (and even guardians) were nominated for eviction for the simple reason that they did not need the money involved with winning the contest. Being a housemate myself, I admit that it really is hard to say that you want a friend to leave the house because of whatever reason, but I believe that each housemate (or guardian) also has the mental capacity to discern that being well-off is not enough ground for trying to dismiss a person from a contest that measures character, more than anything. Nominating someone because of financial capability, in my opinion, cannot be used as an escape route to avoid saying negative things about others. It has often been said that Filipinos are maawain, and that they want those least blessed to be victorious, but this certain Filipino trait of seemingly wanting the less-privileged to win should not be the reason for the more-privileged to suffer. We cannot let crab-mentality take over!

Big Brother is not primarily a charity show. While it tries to help the needy in some way, it is first and foremost a contest of character. I would never like to think that the sole reason that Nene, Keanna, Kim, Bea, and Reuben won was because they needed so much money. I would like to think that while yes, it was a factor, they were persons that really reflected what the Filipino stood up for. They were Filipinos with good character. It is alright to want the less-privileged to win, but please, do not bring people down for the same reason.

PBB is primarily a contest of character, and the best way to choose who to nominate (after assessing my own stay inside the house), is by assessing what each housemate has done for the past week. Nominations happen weekly for a reason, and I think each nomination weekend is a time to think about how each housemate has interacted with the others, or how each has done his part as a member of a team. If financial status is considered a good reason to nominate someone, then we can assume that PBB is a charity show. Housemates should know better.

Robi's nominations for the whole season are dumb, if he's nominated for the reason that he does not demonstrate immense financial need. If he's nominated by others as part of a strategy to win (that we'll probably never find out), since Robi has a good chance of ranking high, then things can be more acceptable. In that case, Teen Edition Plus would be full of devious housemates, which is pretty unlikely, considering our age.

Link

2008-05-20T15:34:00.002+08:00

I'm going to start making this blog a little more interactive. In addition to your answers to the previous post ("Question Number 1"), I would also like to ask you to give me your blogs' URL so that I can link it. There were numerous blogs in the past that have asked to be linked, so I will try to link them all, in due time. And please be informed that the comments will be a little more improved, as I will now exert an effort to really reply. Thanks!

Question Number 1

2008-05-18T02:27:00.003+08:00

We're all supposed to be innately good. That's supposedly our nature. Being made in the image and likeness of God, we really are supposed to be good. Why is the good way supposedly the path less traveled then? We're all good, but why is it easier for us to do bad things? Why are the least lasting things most attractive? Why listen to a dumb supermodel when you can listen to an old, smart, but saggy politician? You wanna try telling me before I start expounding? The comments section is open, and you're invited to write.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

2008-05-18T02:02:00.002+08:00

Hi! I'm sorry if I haven't been able to really reply to all the readers' comments, but I want you all to know that I am reading them, and I feel very blessed to know that there really are people like you who also have strong opinions about the different things that happen from day to day. Kahit simpleng alimango lang, nakukunan pa rin natin ng aral 'di ba? Thank you for all your comments. They inspire me to write about more relevant things. I know I haven't been able to post regularly (I have lots of ideas, but sometimes I just can't seem to follow them up with a good essay), so I am asking for your help to suggest, through the comments section, some topics you may want to appear in this blog, that we can discuss and possibly learn from. I've been writing and writing and writing without actually really responding to what others think (in my writing, at least), and I plan to change that. Keep reading, and feel free to comment, and suggest. Thank you so much for the help. By the way, to answer most of the questions in the comments section, I'd like to give a little update on what I've been doing (which isn't really characteristic of this blog, but I'll do it). I just recently graduated from the Ateneo High School, and yes, Robi Domingo is my batchmate (Support him ah.). I did not graduate valedictorian (My classmate Viko Fumar was the vale.), but I was luckily able to graduate with First Honors. I am an incoming college freshman now in the Ateneo, and I will be taking up Management Engineering (think Math in business). I was luckily able to pass some schools in the States (just like what Tito Edu announced), namely Georgetown and Fordham universities, but I chose to stay in the Philippines for very personal reasons. But don't worry, any decision would have been a fun-filled one anyway. So there. Read on.

Give and Take (Praning, Don't Read)

2008-05-10T19:29:00.003+08:00

Minsan ba ay pumasok na sa isip mo na baka ang tao, nilalapitan ka lang dahil may kailangan siya sa'yo, o dahil may nabibigay ka sa tao? Ang dalawang nag-iibigan naman napaglalapit ng pag-ibig 'di ba? Ang pag-ibig ay isang bagay na binibigay ng isa sa isa kaya nagkakaganoon. Kung masama kang tao na social climber, lalapitan mo lang naman siguro ang isang taong mayaman at sikat na hindi mo naman lubos na kilala dahil kailangan mo makilalang katabi noong sikat na iyon. Ang pari, pinapakinggan at dinarayo dahil nabibigay niya ang Diyos (o karanasan ng Diyos, at iba pang mga aral) sa mga tao. Kahit sa negosyo, kaya mayroong mga business organizations ay 'di lang para mapadali ang pagsasagawa ng mga transaksiyon at proyekto, kundi para makapagbuo rin ng mga 'pagkakaibigan' o koneksiyon na magagamit para sa kabutihan ng negosyo. Kung may kailangan mula sa kumpanya mong gumagawa ng semento ang taong gumagawa ng gusali, baka ibigay mo pa sa kaniya ng mas mura ang semento 'di ba, dahil magkasama kayo sa organisasyon? Ganoon 'din sa fraternity. Brad mo ko, brad kita. Kailangan mo ko, kailangan kita. Mahal mo ko, mahal kita. Kung mapahamak ka, sabit ako pero tutulungan kita at tutulungan mo ko 'pag kailangan ko. Kahit sa mga taong mahilig magbigay, puwedeng isipin (kahit baka makasakit ng damdamin), na kaya siya naghahanap ng mga natutulungan kasi kailangan niya ng pakiramdam na mapagbigay siya, at 'di niya yun makukuha kung di siya makabigay.
Sa totoo lang puwedeng tignan sa mabuti o masamang paraan itong ganitong pag-iisip eh. Masama siguro siya dahil nakakalungkot na kaya lang tayo lalapitan ng isang tao ay dahil sa mga kaya nating ibigay, pero mabuti rin siya dahil alam mong may malalapitan kang mga tao sa oras ng kagipitan, o kahit kailan mo trip.
Pero 'di ba? Nakakayanig isipin 'di ba? Isipin mo kaya 'yong mga nakaraang karanasan mo na may lumapit sa'yo, nakangiti, tapos may hiningi sa'yo. Tingin mo lalapitan ka niya kung wala kang ganoon? Tingin mo friends kayo? Hmmm...
Hoy, huwag mapapraning ng sobra ah.. 'Di naman masama ang mundo eh. May mga masama lang, pero 'di lahat. Pero maganda rin siguro na paminsan-minsan may ganitong gumugulo sa ating isipan, para 'di rin tayo maloko. Basta, peksman, walang todohang praningan ah?

happy happy joy

2008-03-27T23:02:00.002+08:00

Hey, have you ever felt sad for no apparent reason at all? You just feel sad and down all of a sudden, and then you try to think of reasons for your sadness, but you just cannot pinpoint which event or person is responsible? This has probably happened to us a lot of times, especially when we're staying home, and doing almost nothing productive. We tend to sometimes be too reflective about things that we end up with so much clutter in our minds.

However, don't you think that it really is in those quiet times that we really get to sort out what we are thinking? We have often been advised by our friends to always find quiet time for ourselves, to sort out things and to really know what is going on both around and within us.

If in those quiet times, we can either sort out our thoughts, or mess them up even more, what does this tell us? I guess it all boils down to what we decide to think. It all boils down to our decisions. With this little conclusion, I'm thinking that maybe we don't even need quiet time to help us out. We can help ourselves out by choosing what to think for ourselves, and letting our emotions follow. But we are mere humans almost perpetually affected by nature. Maybe we still have to choose the right environment for our thoughts.

I'm trying to discover what's the best way to make ourselves happy. Happiness may be thought of as a thought, but it really is what we strive for in life. Knowing that happiness is a thought can make us happier people by choosing to simply be happy, by thinking of the right things, and doing whatever makes us happy.

I guess the challenge now is to find what really makes us happy. Believe me, even if happiness is a simple thought, different things really make us tick, and despite our efforts to try, we cannot force ourselves to be happy with things we do not like. Therefore, we need the proper guidance through prayer. If you cannot pray due to some belief, think of praying as an exercise of thought. I would not choose to though. But if you choose to, beware of probable mind cluttering.

RED CROSS YOUTH NEEDS YOUR HELP!

2008-02-25T13:26:00.003+08:00

The Red Cross Youth is the youth program of the Philippine National Red Cross, and is one of the leading youth organizations in the country. It aims to educate children and the youth with the goal of providing opportunities for the harnessing of skills and talents through worthwhile activities within the organization.

I recently received an e-mail from Lyn Garcia, President of the National Youth Council, and a member of the Board of Governors:

"Good day!

The Philippine National Red Cross - National Headquarters takes a distinctive approach in giving the opportunities to every Red Cross Youth to be pride of the premier organization.

In line with this, we are encouraging RCY volunteers to apply as national field representative for the following services:

2 for disaster management service

2 for fund generation

1 for safety service

For further information, don't hesitate to contact the undersigned or our officer in-charge, Mr. Carlos Benigno S. Gallardo.

Thank you."

It asks us to join their cause, and to make the world a better place (in our own way). We just have to take that one big first step towards helping others. I think that this is one great avenue to help out. Ano, game?

If you're interested, please contact Lyn Garcia through +639276967388 , or go to the Red Cross Youth site (http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/RCY/Home.aspx) and apply to be a member and/or volunteer. Applying is easy!

Tara!

Resbak

2008-02-16T23:13:00.002+08:00

Sa kasalukuyan, pinapanood ko ang Harapan sa ABS-CBN na pinapakitang nagsasagutan sina Jun Lozada at si Benjamin Abalos, na sa sa aking personal na obserbasyon ay hindi kampante sa sasabihin niya. Bukod sa walang-hintong pananabat at sa paghinging huwag siyang sabatin, nagdala pa siya ng abogado para sa naturang debate, na hindi naman kasimbigat ng korte o ng senado, pero napapalabas din sa publiko. Kung sa suntukang hayskul, mano-mano sana ang labanan ng dalawang taong naghamunan, pero naduwag ang isa at tumawag pa ng resbak para tulungan siya. Nakakahiya. Hindi ko naman sinasabi na nagsisinungaling si Abalos (at hindi ko sinasabing naniniwala ako sa lahat ng sinasabi ni Lozada), pero sa pinapakita ni Abalos ngayon, parang mangungulelat siya kung haharap silang dalawa kay San Pedro na nakikita ang lahat ng bagay. Walang dalang dokumento si Lozada, pero basa naman nang basa nang kung anu-anong papeles si Abalos. Sa larangan ng pangungumbinsi (at debate), dapat mapamukha mo sa lahat ng nanonood na totoo at pinaniniwalaan mo ang sinasabi mo. Bagaman nagawa ito ng dalawang natatanyag na ginoo, huling-huli naman natin kung sino ang nagpapanggap na alam niya ang nangyayari. Puwedeng mukhang alam mo ang isang bagay, pero kasabay nito, puwedeng mukhang pinepeke mo pa rin. Yun ang mas nakakahiya. Mas nakita ko kay Lozada ang pagpapakatotoo (pagpapakatotoo, at 'di katotohanan). Kahit hindi ko mapapatunayan sa kasalukuyan na totoong-totoo ang sinasabi ni Lozada, malaking bagay na talaga na kitang-kita mo sa mata niya na may pinanggalingan nga ang sinasabi niya, at mukhang naranasan niya talaga ang mga kinuwento niya. Si Abalos, sa tanda niya, hindi pa rin siya natututong magmukhang kapani-paniwala, kaya kahit totoo man ang sinasabi niya, kailangan pa rin niya ng abogado para tulungan siya, na makasasama naman sa pagtingin sa kanya--duwag.

Ngayon naalala ko ang bandang simula ng kuwento-- Si Joey de Venecia. Bilib din ako sa tapang ng taong yun. Pero bakit kaya marami ang nagsasabi na ginagawa lang niya ang mga ginawa niya dahil talunan siya doon sa ZTE? Tsaka bakit pati ang ama niya, kung anu-ano na ang binunyag noong pababa na siya sa puwesto niya bilang Kinatawan ng Kamara? Puwede namang mas maaga 'di ba, lalo pa't may kapangyarihan siya noon? I will praise the president when she does good, and oppose when she's wrong. Ang huling pangungusap ay maganda pakinggan, pero isa sa pinakaginagamit ng mga plastik para magmukhang obhetibo. Ikaw na ang humusga, pero hindi ka ba naaaliw? Parang may pinagmanahan si Joey? Ang galing nilang mag-ama sa timing. Wow.

Ewan ko ba kung bakit ilang beses ko nang naririnig sa radyo ang "Pagod na ang mga tao. Oras na ng pagbabago." Nostalgia ang naramdaman ko noong narinig ko na naman sa radyo mula sa taong mahal daw ang bayan. Naalala ko noong Gr.4 ako, may nagsabi rin niyan sa radyo. At noong Prep, narinig ko rin 'yan. Napanood ko pa nga sa TV noong Gr.5, First Year, Gr. 3, Gr.1. Narinig ko sa maraming tao, pero bakit parang kaunti ang nagbabago, kahit parang marami ang may gusto? Baka sa limang taong may sabi noon, 1 lang ang naniwala sa sariling sinabi, at binugbog pa siya ng apat.

Kaya dalawang bagay 'yan. Timing at pagiging kapani-paniwala. Ibig mo bang yumaman? Maging public servant ka, at aralin mo nang maayos ang timing at pagiging kapani-paniwala. Iwasan mo lang ang pagkakamali ni Abalos, de Venecia, at de Veneciang mas matanda. Pero siyempre mas kailangan ng bayan ang katulad ni Lozada, na hindi ko alam kung hanggang kailan mabubuhay sa lagay niya ngayon (sana walang masamang mangyari), pero magaling din mangumbinsi. Underdog technique naman siya, pero sana ang pagiging underdog niya, totoo, at makatutulong sa iba.

Kapag naging public servant ka, tandaan mo na ang tinuturo ng public ay lahat ng Pilipino, hindi lamang ang mga apo mo. Mamatay ka sana kung pagdating ng panahon, hindi mo magamit sa buhay ang tunay na ibig sabihin ng public, at constituents.

Hamon kay Lozada at Abalos (batay sa isang pakikiuso): Alam niyo 'yung pinagagawa sa showbiz talk shows? Magandang case study siguro kung magpa-lie-detector test kayo nang ganun. Sana wala nang dalahan ng resbak, okay Mr. Chair?

2008-01-03T01:50:00.000+08:00

By the way, I do not have a Multiply account.

Mahal Kita, Mahal Kita, Hindi 'to Bola

2008-01-02T20:12:00.000+08:00

Jaeyoun Kim, with his open letter that spread long ago, stated that for the Philippines to improve and become well off, love for country not only has to be felt but also practiced. I agree with him, and indeed the improvement should start with our selves.

In my opinion, even if there are a lot of corrupt and vile acts like plunder, cheating especially in elections, terrorist attacks, murder and rape (at high rates), that pull our country down, they are little as compared to the great force that will pull our country up, if and only if each one of us starts loving our country. By doing so, all of us can take action to alleviate the situation.

Indeed it is hard to love a person with qualities that we hate. Even harder is to love a country with undesirable qualities. The Philippines is slowly becoming one of the worst countries in Asia economically and politically, while about half a decade ago, it was one of the best. Our neighboring countries are slowly overtaking us. Poverty, corruption, and immorality is also plaguing us, but since this is also affecting other countries, this is barely an excuse, and I believe that even though it is difficult to love our country for what it is, once we learn to do so as individuals, it will be much easier for others to love the country, which will lead to great change.

The choice to love our country is ultimately ours, but I believe that choosing this can only bring us good.

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost

Astig na Pasko Para Sa'yo, at Mag-isip Ka Sana

2007-12-29T03:21:00.000+08:00

Hi guys! I'm back. I remembered posting that I was going to share my retreat experience, but then I decided that I'd keep it to myself, and ponder on other things with you guys.

It has often been said that to achieve, a person must first be able to believe.

I agree. Recently, I was watching a DVD of The Secret (which was initially a book), which featured a handful of experts from different fields discussing what they would repeatedly call the Law of Attraction. This law supposedly governs the universe, and tells us that we attract, in one way or another, whatever we tell our minds to think. Somebody there even said "Thoughts become things."

There were lots of scientific and philosophical explanations given to explain the Law of Attraction, and to convince us to think positively for our very own futures. However, while watching that very interesting video, I came to the realization that hey, why do I seem to be learning nothing great? It seemed as though I had heard this one big "secret" they'd been talking about before. It seemed that I myself knew The Secret all along, and I'm pretty sure you do to. All the hype about the supposed "secret" may be amazing us, but I think that the good secret towards our lives has long been revealed to us before, through our experiences, and we just have to reflect on them.

From our experiences, whenever we want to achieve something, we tend to think about them a lot. Sometimes, we think about them positively, with thoughts like "I'm going to be a great basketball player! I can work hard enough!" More often than not, though, people tend to react to thoughts of achieving anything negatively. "I'll never be the boss; I'm just an ordinary Filipino." However, those who end up doing great things in life are those who believed that they could be great in the first place. Why? I think it is because they were thinking good thoughts, thoughts that led them to real action. Thoughts dictate our actions, and our actions have the powerful ability to change our lives. I am pretty sure that you have, for at least once in your life, thought of the same thing. Thoughts dictate our actions, and thus our futures. It does not take high-falluting illustrations of signals sent to the universe to really understand that our thoughts are powerful. We really don't need to be amazed by hearing that the universe tends to agree with our thoughts. We just have to observe how the simplest things in our lives happen.

We may want to be rock stars, movie stars, or great heroes someday. We may even want to save the whole world from cavities. While it is really good to listen to advice that we have to keep believing and centering our thoughts to these goals, nothing really can replace hard work. It is good to let our thoughts dwell on whatever we want to achieve, but if we really want them so much, our own instincts will tell us that we still have to work. Nothing of worth still comes easy, and I don't think the situation will change in the near future. Think for yourself!

Wait, what am I really trying to prove? All my thoughts seem to be messed up, but I just want you to know that a lot of times, we just have to think based on our past experiences to find answers to the problems we face. There is really much to learn from our very own stories. Most of the time, the answer is just waiting to be found inside us, and things are a lot simpler than they seem.

2007-09-17T21:50:00.000+08:00

Hi! Sorry for not posting too frequently. I promise to do so soon though. Please watch out for my next post. I'll try to describe my retreat experience.

Commitment

2007-08-15T19:21:00.000+08:00

I'm sure all of us have been part of a team. A lot of males may recall joining basketball leagues in school or in their villages. Quite a number of women may have played volleyball in organized tournaments or in with their friends. Even in school or in work, we have often been part of teams for certain big or small projects. There is at least one moment in our lives when we have been called to work together with certain people, whether we like it or not.

Dictionary.com defines team as "a number of persons forming one of the sides in a game or contest," and "a number of persons associated in some joint action." I guess all of us are familiar with these definitions. But what makes up a good team, really? Although many would argue that what makes up a good team is perseverance, passion, and chemistry, all in unity, I think that the best quality that any team can have is commitment.

When one has a task at hand, to finish it well, one needs to persevere, or work hard for whatever goal. We all know that without hard work, no good work can really be made. It is always good to work hard, especially in a team. When each member does so, any kind of task can be accomplished immensely well.

While hard work may make good work, it is passion that leads us to great accomplishments. It is hard to motivate one's self to work hard, but when one is passionate about something, his mind becomes so engrossed in that idea or work, and working hard for that thing seems like no work at all. It may be safe to assume that when we are passionate about something, it motivates us to work hard.

Now, let's discuss team chemistry. Usually, people who are passionate about one thing group together, and because of their passion, they work well together. There are some rare cases however, where teams are formed by necessity, and yet good chemistry is established. It is really important for members of a team to get along well to get the work done. I avoids delays, and helps every member work well.

In a team, all these things have to be in the spirit of unity, or oneness. A team has to be united to work hard together. Teams with one passion that unifies them often work better. People who get along well also need to be united, in the sense that they have to direct all that positive energy towards one thing they want to accomplish.

Having all these traits in a team is excellent. However, anything cannot be done without the choice to do so. This is where commitment comes in. We may have the best team in the world, but if each member does not commit to that one thing, nothing will happen. Essentially, commitment is making the choice every day to work hard, and to do one's best. Everything may already be there, even the passion and chemistry, but without the choice to work for the goal of the team, nothing great can ever be accomplished.

You do know of at least one instance in your life when you joined an organization, or assumed a position of leadership, and then told yourself and the people around you that you have plans, great plans for the future of whatever thing that is your organization or electorate hopes for. There is nothing wrong with that. However, you have to understand that you are going to have to make the decision everyday to do your best for the achievement of that goal. It is the only thing that will keep you going. We have oftentimes declared that we like a certain job, or opportunity, but without commitment to that thing, we will never go far. We will just waste the chances given to us. In a team, EACH member has to commit. EACH member, whether he is in a basketball team, a volleyball team, a team for a business-plan, a brainstorming team, a loveteam, or whatever kind of team, has to make that choice everyday. It is the only way for the team to flourish. Hard work comes from choice; passion is empty without the choice to work; team chemistry and unity are nothing without that choice.

The next time you decide to do something, choose to have commitment.

Do It Right

2007-06-10T21:52:00.000+08:00

What would you do if somebody you don't even know hits you out of nowhere, for reasons unexpected, but unable to justify the act? You can do many things. You can run away. You can fight back, or you can try talking pacifying the person. You can also do nothing, and let the guy beat the hell out of you. If you're pretty familiar with the law, you can even file charges of physical injury.

What if you were the one who hit someone out of nowhere, for reasons unexpected, but reasons unable to justify the act? In the first place, you could have avoided such a situation, but you didn't. Now you are heading for even more trouble than you ever expected. If he fought back, you could've gotten a black eye, and he could've gotten a rotten nose; you both lose. If he ran away, he could get back at you eventually. If he tried pacifying you, most probably because of anger (assuming you hit him out of anger, or jealousy, or whatever reason), you'd keep hitting him. Use your imagination. Anything could've happened. Anything negative could have happened, because you reacted negatively when you saw that person, whatever he was doing, or whoever he was with.

What if the unthinkable (for you) happened? What if the person you hit files charges against you? You spend two nights in jail before you can bail. You become angry. You think about all sorts of things, like what got you into that situation. Your thoughts tell you, "Never in my life did I imagine myself being locked up in jail. I was born for greater things." You even end up reacting in ways unimaginable. More hatred locks up in your heart, and you curse and end up disrespecting even the family of the person you hit, in different ways. Nambabastos ka na. You even think of ways to destroy the life of the person you hit. To you, it isn't enough that you hit him. You live in a spiral of violence.

Again, what if you were the person hit, and you decided that the rightful thing to do was to file charges? How would you go about it? Would you also devise ways to destroy the other man's life. Would you use every possible means to get the justice that you deserve? Would you also live in that spiral of violence?

We were taught, in one way or another, to do everything with integrity. We do not do anything that messes with or compromises our integrity. Because our lives are dependent on our decisions, deciding with integrity is essential.

Just this week I was told by our new teacher Mrs. Chee Kee that much of what compromises our life is not what happens to us, but how we react. We can always react in positive ways, and positive things will happen. If we react negatively, it follows that negative things will happen. Therefore, we should also guard our thoughts because from them stem our actions.

We just have to do the right things, and most of the time, the right things come from positive thoughts. It all really depends on how we look at things.

Bayani

2007-02-12T18:52:00.000+08:00

According to the American Century Dictionary, a hero is a "person noted or admired for
nobility, courage, and outstanding achievements." Although for most of us Filipinos, "hero" may pertain to people like Andres Bonifacio who contributed to the freedom of out nation, there are also other kinds of heroes, serving as inspirations, and models to different people.

Media has often depicted in news reports and documentaries the Overseas Filipino Workers
as the "Bagong Bayani", admired for his hard work outside the country to provide for his
family. The OFW sacrifices life with the family in the Philippines for such a cause. From an
economist's point of view, OFWs bring in a big bulk of the country's money through taxes.

Manny Pacquiao is often idolized and called hero because of the pride and honor he brings to
the country. With all the unneeded publicity Pacquiao is getting, critics may disagree with calling
them heroes; but the fact remains that he inspires and gives joy to many Filipinos, whether he boxes in the ring, or sings his own songs with an Extreme Magic Sing. It is still the dedication to boxing that brought sports glory to our country, and these are what the people ultimately admire him for.

While media can give us the impression that being a hero needs publicity and a wide range
of "fans," the idea of having our very own personal heroes contradicts this view. As an example, my mother sees my grandmother as her hero. According to her, even though she was a simple public school teacher, she was able to raise her children well."Lahat ng ginagamit ko sa buhay ko ngayon na ugali at pagitingin sa buhay, sa kanya ko natutunan." My grandmother was a hero to her very own child, with the love and care that she has
given them.

Different people have different heroes, heroes who have touched and inspired them in a certain way, either by doing well in his career, or giving out of love. Though heroes are called such for different reasons, a person cannot strive to be a hero for heroism's sake. Andres Bonifacio fought not to be called a hero, but to free his country. Manny Pacquiao probably did not dream of becoming an "Aydol;" he boxed to represent and bring pride to the country the best way he could. My grandmother clearly did not become a great parent just because she wanted her daughter to tell her grandson decades after that she was her hero. It takes more than those things. At the least, it takes immense perseverance, generosity, and most certainly love to become a true hero.

Fame? I wanna live forever?

2006-12-01T18:10:00.000+08:00

Do you remember Lindsay Lohan's song Rumors? Do you remember its lyrics? Do you remember any similar song, probably done by another famous musician or TV personality, talking about how they hate fame, how they hate being followed by people, being talked about, and being fantasized about? If you do, and you believe them, you've been fooled. If those songs are not bull crap, they are fruits of marketing. It's a new concept, hearing famous people not wanting to be famous, wanting to be normal. I tell you, if they were true, they would not be vocal about them, or they'd leave showbusiness in a jiffy, given that they have earned enough from the industry to provide for themselves.

Everything comes with a price, even if it is something as desirable as fame.

Who would not want to be the topic of newspaper articles, the talk of the town, the fantasy of men/women? Who would not want to grace magazine covers, meet famous people, or be influential because of fame? A lot of people probably, but for those who want these things, just how much are you willing to pay?

Are you willing to live an almost-public life, where your family and friends are affected? Are you willing to live a life that's moderated by the what's IN and what's not? Are you willing to live a life where people keep reminding you to watch how you talk, or walk, because people may get the wrong message? Oh, and I'm telling you, people can be so judgmental. Every isolated scenario involving you can be used against you and made a generalization of your personality. Take the way you walk for example, try walking with your chin up and there'll surely be someone who'll tell his friend that you've turned mayabang, or too proud to handle. Try voicing out your strong opinion, and be ready to face the consequences. But then again, we can never really please anybody.

I hope that when one is willing, he is doing it for the right reasons, or he has found a greater purpose for what he is doing. It's not just fame that requires so much emotional toil, but anything that one aspires for. Ideally, one should only strive for fame only to use it for worthwhile things. Dreaming to be famous, and only famous, is empty.

But then again, who is to judge whether what you are doing is worthwhile or not? Just listen to your heart, and remember that everything comes with a price. My teacher in 1st year high school, Mr. Onofre Pagsanghan, once taught us 3 steps to achieving a dream. Let me share them with you:
1. Know your dream.
2. Determine the price.
3.If you are brave and willing enough, pay that price.

One last thing.

Never be a people-pleaser. It will only hurt you. God bless.

Tong Tong Tong Pakitong Kitong

2006-08-30T20:00:00.001+08:00

Crabs in pots are contemptible creatures. Every crab trying to get out of the pot from the side (to save his life), gets pulled down by all the others.

Oh, and do you know where this is headed...

We've been hearing about crab mentality since we were kids. It describes the attitude of trying to pull down people for one's own success. It's the mentality we've discussed in our social studies classes, along with the Mañana habit, and other bad attitudes.

Recent events have led me to ponder on crab mentality among us Filipinos. To start off, recently, the number of extra-judicial killings as increased, and we are fast becoming one of Asia's killing spots. Politicians and other active members of groups are murdered relentlessly. Why? Because they cross paths with other people. They don't share the same goals, and what do their "opponents"/challengers do? They kill them. They kill them so that they eliminate the one threat to their vested selfish interests, which they hide with supposed wise words and "good" projects (I've always wondered why there are always new basketball courts donated by politicians before elections.). On a smaller scale, pageants have this culture where, because different beautiful women compete for a crown, they have certain tactics that aim to put their rivals down. It is no surprise anymore to hear about this and that person in this pageant doing this and that thing, like putting deodorant in the wrong places for example, and other silly things. Derogatory rumors simply plague the pageants. Even in showbiz and sports, the famous fields of work, people simply have the nerve to put others down, using the power that they have. Why? Because they pose a threat to their careers. They haven't the spirit to improve themselves and their craft, and what do they do? They pull the best down. In effect, the standard goes down, and they can call themselves great. How many sportsmen, actors, actresses, writers, singers, dancers and the like, have either been victims or suspects of this crime of pulling down? It's just a sad, sad thing.

I'm not afraid to say that it is indeed tempting to pull down others, that even I at one point, have pondered upon doing it, because, seeing the great talent in others we can't seem to have, we think that the solution, or the great equalizer, is to do something that we think will show justice to this very unfair, unequal situation. It's hard not to be jealous, or to feel threatened, but we always have to keep in mind, that we are all unique, and we also have something others don't, and if we just take time to reflect, and to improve on our very own talents and passions, we will never have the time for being envious, for being bitter, for being crabs.

I think "focus" is the right word to use. We just have to focus on the right things, and everything will be alright.

Thanks a lot!

2006-07-11T18:27:00.000+08:00

Hey guys! I'm really sorry for not updating my blog... I haven't done so since before entering the show. Since I got out I've been especially busy with school and a few guestings, so I haven't had the time to think and write. I'll try to update soon though.

Thanks a lot for the comments! It's really nice to know that people actually read this blog. I really hope I'm writing a lot of substantial stuff, because this blog is one way for me to try to contribute to society, even if only a few people can read it. Please do keep commenting!

I read the comments and I feel so blessed that there are a number of people who find my stay in the house to be fruitful. I really hope that a lot of people learned a lot from my stay, from both the good and the bad things. Thank you!

I'm busier than ever, and coincidentally, ABS Interactive gave me KTEXT, Ktext has been kind of my blog for the past few weeks, since I can text almost anywhere and anytime. You can subscribe if you want, just text MIKEE ON to 2366. You'll receive messages on a daily basis; that's a lot more frequent than how I update my blog. I hope you can try it!

Once again, thanks!

Just Ask for Jack

2006-04-11T18:48:00.000+08:00

We all have talents and gifts. They make us unique people. These talents and gifts have the power to change the world in ways they can only do. People, including ourselves, recognize our talents.

Our talents have to be used.

Even with talent, people are inclined to do, or like to do certain things. A lot of happy and supposedly successful individuals like what they are doing. A few have the talent to do what they love doing. Some "successful" people just get lucky in terms of where they end up; but fate I think is a better term for it; and most of them love what they do.

Again, even with talent, people are inclined to do certain things. Quite a few people may have been given all the means to accomplish something with their talents, but still they forego the opportunity and choose to do something else. Some end up with nothing in the end, while some who work hard go far, even without talent.

This is what's bothering me. How can they not match at times? Why can't we end up liking what we are gifted with all the time? In this way we can get farther right? I don't know. Why do we feel so heavy when as members of a particular society that showcases our talents, we are asked to do something, when we do not even like it? It really hurts when people shove your talents up your face when you don't even like what you're doing..

Or are we not just searching enough? Who knows? Maybe there is one thing we love that we are talented in. We just have to find it, and not wait for it to come to us. I don't know. What's happening??

Banal na Aso

2006-04-09T20:51:00.000+08:00

Earlier today, my brother's car was bumped by this old man. The man was driving with his wife.

The funny thing about this man, was that he was threatening my brother. At first he was nice, offering to pay for the damages done. But when my brother instead wanted to take the matter to the authorities, the old man said, "'Pag dinala mo sa pulis 'yan, babaligtarin ko statement ko, sasabihin ko ikaw bumangga sa akin." The man was now gonna lie to the police by saying that it was my brother who was responsible.

My dad came to settle matters. The guy kept insisting that he would pay for the damages, and he gave the same threat. So my dad talked him into this insurance thing, which the guy agreed to do, so things were settled.

Here's the nice part. The man said afterwards: "Ako I'm a man of my word, so babayaran ko talaga 'yan," or something like that. Wow.

You can't teach old dogs new tricks.

Prove pare! Prove!

2006-04-06T00:15:00.000+08:00

You're not a snowman unless you're made of snow.
You're not a fruit unless you have seeds.
You're not a ball unless you're round.

You're not an athlete until you have a sport.
You're not a lawyer until you've done a case.
You're not a politician until you win for a position.

You're not God unless you've done what He's done, and is doing what He's doing.

You're not smart unless you have the grades.
You're not rich unless you have the money.
You're not poor unless you're suffering.
You're not tough unless you've been in a fistfight.
You're not good unless you've done something good, or avoided something bad.

You haven't helped unless you've given something.

The point here is this: you're never something unless you can prove it. Something has to point to what you are. Even a fact has to be proven true.

That's just the way it is. Yes, it would have been easier if we didn't have to prove anything, if we didn't have to show anyone something that will make them nod in approval, if we didn't have to try. But when that long-awaited moment comes, what will we all be? Empty, with nothing to work for. We won't even have to do our best, but we'll be empty.

Thank God that we have to prove, for we work harder for what we want to achieve, end up helping more people along the way, and achieve something greater than what we really deserve.

Have you ever?

2006-04-05T00:56:00.000+08:00

Have you ever felt like you were in heaven, like your head was so light and pain was absent?

It's not drugs, dude. It's way better. It's someone making your day. Someone can just send you a dozen roses by surprise. Someone you've been enemies with accepts your friendship. Your day can also be made in the event that the person you've been courting answers you with that delightful and assuring "Yes." It can also be a simple "Hi" that can make your day.

You feel so happy that you just wanna tell other people about it; but sometimes, you just can't, especially if the person you wanna tell it to is the cause. I'm not saying this always happens, but it does.

I don't know why I suddenly wrote this. Maybe somebody just made my day. Oh well.

Here's Isa's take on it:
"okay, so getting that shallow happy feeling isn't only limited to crushes. i just got that feeling and it wasn't by anyone i liked, in fact, i don't like anyone. haha. but yes, someone made my day. haha. yey!"

Read Isa's blog by the way. It's the best and most natural blog I've seen, unlike this one. Go! Don't waste time.

Who's Weird?

2006-04-04T15:02:00.000+08:00

You know him. The childish little weirdo in class. The one who never talks to you. The one who has his own world he does not want to share with you. The one who's not good in sports, nor in socializing. He's the totally uncool person you wouldn't want to be seen with. He dresses weirdly, speaks weirdly, walks weirdly... you do the imagining, You know him, but you just don't want to be near him.

He's never smoked. He never goes to parties. He can't throw a punch right. He doesn't look pleasant. He makes you giggle when you notice him. He suffers from poor health.

How do you treat him?

You greet him daily with that pleasant smile of yours. You talk to him like he was family. You try to make him tell stories about his life, his past girlfriends, possibly, and his family. You compliment him for being cool. You offer your help whenever he's down.

But when he's not around, you make him the laughing stock of every discussion. You point out his mistakes based on his stories. You give him nicknames that are supposedly appropriate for his personality. You promise everyone that never will you be like him. You tease anyone who comes near him by saying, "Uuy, he found a bestfriend.." You do many other things I may not be able to imagine.

How does he treat you? He treats you well. You just haven't noticed it.

He treats you well, but do not assume that he doesn't know what you've been doing. He knows, and he is bothered by the fact. It forces him to stay alone. It keeps him from being the person he is, because he does not want to be treated badly. It makes him "weirder," by your standard, which causes you to make fun of him even more.

How can you possibly do such a thing? I know for a fact that many times you have "admitted" being weird, especially to the opposite sex. Nobody rejects you for being the weird person you claim to be.Yes, some people may hate you, but they never do what you do to that person you see differently.

All people are different. You have to accept that fact. And because all people are different, you don't have to make a big deal out of your petty little weird friend. Someone might actually be finding you a little too different too, but that's not an excuse for you to keep doing what you're doing.

All people are different, but no one person is more different. That's what you have to learn.

Iniibig Kita

2006-04-04T02:33:00.000+08:00

It's a little too late for valentine's, but what the hell. Nothing compares to the lyrics of this song, and best of all, it's straightforward, unlike those other love songs that keep you imagining to the point that you forget what love is all about. It's by Ryan Cayabyab by the way.

Iniibig Kita

Kulang ang araw at gabi 'pag kita'y kapiling.
Kahit ang bukas ay 'di rin sapat upang mamasdan lamang kita.
Labis kitang minamahal, pag-ibig ko'y walang kapantay.
Kung kaya ko lang abutin ang mga bituin t'yak ito'y gagawin.

Malaman mo lang wala nang ibang mas hihigit pa sa pag-ibig ko sa'yo.
Walang ibang nagmamahal nang tulad ko sana'y paniwalaan mo.
Iniibig kita.

Isipin mo ba namang...

2006-04-02T00:50:00.001+08:00

Huwag mag-alala kung hindi mo nakukuha ang mga bagay na ninanais mo...

Ang kwento ng tatlong puno ay hanapin mo sa Google ("Three Trees"). (Hanapin mo talaga ah, at basahin mo. Hindi ko na nilagay dito para 'di ako mapahamak muli.) Hindi lahat ng bagay ay makukuha mo, pero may makukuha ka na higit pa, pero siyempre sa mata ng Diyos 'yun, pero pagtiwalaan mo Siya, hindi ka naman Diyos eh.

Isang halimbawa: ang kapatid ko, na 'di marunong magbasa ng nota, subalit may galing sa pag-awit ay natanggap sa Ateneo Glee Club na nanalo sa Grand Prix sa Europa. Hindi naman niya inasahan iyon, basta unti-unti na lang daw bumigay at umalis ung mas magagaling sa kanya; hindi na nakayanan. Eh siya, kaya niya, kahit inaamin niyang may mga mas magagaling. Talaga sigurong para sa kanya iyon, tawagin pa nating suwerte.

Isipin mo ba namang tumakbo para sa pagkapangulo si FPJ? Hindi naman inaasahan iyon eh, pero nangyari, at sa aking haka-haka, nais tayo gisingin ng Diyos... Sa paanong paraan, marami, at siguradong nasa utak mo iyong mga bagay na iyon.

Isipin mo ba namang kahit anong hadlang at hirap na mapagdaanan mo ay nalalagpasan mo, tapos magugulat ka pa, sapagkat hindi mo iyon inasahan. Kay sarap ng pakiramdam, ngunit sa bawat pagkakataon, isipin na may mensahe sa iyo at sa mga tao sa paligid mo ang pangyayari. Maaari rin itong maging masama, kaya mag-ingat.

Basta ganito...

May mga bagay na mabibigo kang makamit, subalit huwag mag-suicide, sapagkat may makakamit kang mas mabuti, pero pag-isipang mabuti ang bawat pangyayari. Malay mo, lalo kang suwetehin kapag tama ang iyong sunod na galaw...

Dreams of Tomorrow

2006-03-21T13:13:00.000+08:00

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common that unsuccessful men of talent. Genius will not... the world is full of uneducated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." -- Calvin Coolidge, 30th president of the United States

A dream, or a goal is like one big jigsaw puzzle. In a jigsaw puzzle, pieces have to be put together, in proper order and formation, to form an expected figure or picture. People who are talented will never feel fulfilled solving a puzzle that will not challenge them at all. This also goes for people of genius. A sense of fulfillment is important because, without it, no dream would have been persisted on in the first place. Therefore, people never dream of being what they can be at the press of a button. They dream dreams that seem unreachable at first, dreams where the end can only be imagined, but not attained unless a great amount of will and painful persistence is exerted; dreams much like jigsaw puzzles.

But why do we fail?

People fail because they do not plan well;they end up losing precious time and before they know it, they're dead.
People fail because they give up.
People fail because they are afraid.
People fail because they do not have the right mindset while trying to achieve their dreams.
People fail because they are distracted.
People fail because they cannot distinguish which piece is which.
People fail because they work for something detrimental to everyone, and therefore they do not feel good working for it, because humans are essentially good.
People fail because they look up to the wrong people (we become the people really look up to).
People fail because they they take a road too often trod on that they feel that they are doing nothing new.
People fail because they end up feeling tired.
People fail because they do not know what to do at certain situations.
People fail because despite all the encouragement, the philosophies, the wisdom, the strength, the bravery, they still choose the wrong way to solve one puzzle.

The only way, however, to solve a puzzle, is to solve it step by step, piece by piece, and pattern by pattern. There is no other way. This is the hard part, since we want things to happen instantly many times. This is also where persistence comes in.

We were born for higher things, things even more challenging than jigsaw puzzles.

However, come to think of it, as children, we had a passion for solving every puzzle we get our hands on. Why do most adults now get tired of puzzles, when as children they were passionate about them? It speaks a lot about how most of us deal with our dreams and goals.

2006-03-21T13:02:00.000+08:00

"'I had,' said he, 'come to the entirely erroneous conclusion which shows, my dear Watson, how dangerous it always is to reason from insufficient data.'" --Sherlock Holmes, from The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Arthur Conan Doyle

Paumanhin

2006-03-20T16:22:00.000+08:00

Really really sorry to Ala Paredes for that irresponsible and dumb first entry. I erased that entry already and I figured that posting her comment to it would be best. Thanks Ala!

"Mali ka :-) Hindi ko sinabi na gustong-gusto ko umalis ng bansa (may kopya pa ako ng episode na iyon dito, kaya alam kong hindi ko sinabi iyon)

I think I even expressed more than once that I'm a bit wary over leaving the country because I'd like to stay and strike while the iron is hot.

"Sana ay sa pagbalik niya sa Pilipinas ay makita at maranasan niya ang mabuting pagbabago."

Kung nakinig ka din ng mabuti, ang pagbabagong tinutukoy ko ay ang pagbabago ng aking sarili. Hindi ba't sarili ang dapat unang baguhin bago makaranas ng tunay na pagbabago sa bansa?:-)

Wala run akong sinabi na nawalan ako ng pag-asa sa bansa.

"Subalit kapag isa kang mayaman na elitista na huling maaapektuhan ng pagtaas ng presyo ng gas at bilihin, huwag mong gawing dahilan ang pagod sa bansa upang makaalis dito at manirahan sa ibang bansa. Napakakapal ng mukha mo."

1) What makes you think our reasons for leaving are economic?
2) Di rin ba napapagod ang mga "mayayamang elitista" sa korupsyon, coup de etat, at kung ano man pa? Dahil lang ba'y mayaman at elitista ang isang tao ay bulag siya sa mga realidad na ito?
3) Mayayamang elitista pala kami. (Is it because I'm Atenista as you said? ):-p

Tama ka, hindi mo nga kami kilala, at di mo rin kayang malaman ang tunay na dahilan kung bakit kami umalis ng bansa mula sa isang 15 minutong segment ng "Pipol".

Pero sa susunod, makinig ka ng masmabuti. :-)

Alam kong hindi ka galit sa amin. But let me answer your question anyway.Ano ang tinatakasan ko?

A society and culture that will always put me on a pedestal and will never let me grow up and experience what it is like to strive and work hard for something. I was born a member of the "mayayamang elitista" after all. When I feel like I've grown up, then I can contribute something good to my country.

Many of our national heroes spent time abroad (I am not a national hero, but time abroad must've done them good, and I'm hoping the same will happen to me).

Lovingly yours from Australia,

Ala Paredes"

Ang Kabataan ang Pag-asa ng Pilipinas

2006-03-20T14:56:00.001+08:00

We have heard for at least ten times in our lives that "I believe the children are our future; teach them well and help them realize." We are definitely sick and tired of these kinds of lines. Admit it, these lines have been repeated generation after generation, to every kid in every goddamn home, and yet, after centuries and millenia, good change for the future has not come out in great magnitude. Whenever someone hears lines like that, he is bound to think, "What if they're not children anymore?"

Based on what we are seeing, once the children are not children anymore, they end up saying "I believe the children are our future; teach them well and help them realize." They just pass the burden on to the next generation. Because things just get worse over time, the next batch of children grow old and again end up passing on the heavier burden. This is just sad.

Maybe there's something wrong with the line. It only refers to children; children of no specific time period. I have a feeling that adults think they are exempt from being the future of the world. They do have a point though; dumb assholes.

They fail to understand that children are the future because they have a lot more to learn, and they have not yet been polluted by evil thoughts. They are our hope because they still have a choice to be good, to work for the better. That's what we fail to understand.

So now it's our choice. The ball is ours already. The really heavy ball. It could have been lighter if our dads and moms made it so. Are we gonna let our children blame us too? They're the hope too, along with us, and that's what we have to remember.

Damn. That just makes the song sound so irresponsible, which is good.

Bakit nga ba?

2006-03-20T14:23:00.000+08:00

Why do you call yourself "pogi," or "guwapo," or "maganda" or pretty all the time? Why do you always have to be reminded that you are such? Do you really get something out of praise? I don't know. I'm also guilty of this.

But come to think of it? Why? Why do we have to be reminded? What is the use of self-esteem?
Why be praised? I know for a fact though that praises have the power to keep us going, whether they praise action or appearance. Why do we have to wait for praises from people? In an ideal setting, we can just keep on going without praise, never getting tired. But that would only work when we know what to work for.

What do we work for? Who do we work for?

"Center all you do, dare and dream around what lasts."

Go figure. Good luck.

Mga Duwag

2006-03-15T23:20:00.000+08:00

Dun sa sanaysay sa ibaba, may nakalagay:

"When we went to Pasangjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would be fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat again because they were sympathized the boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had asmall frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it. But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them."

Katarantaduhan ito.

Ang kahit na anong sakit na nararamdaman mo ay hindi mo maaaring iwasan. Ang magagawa mo lang ay ang alisin ito nang tuwiran. Kung hindi man, makakain ka nang buhay ng sakit na ito, maging kasinliteral man ito ng sugat o kasintalinghaga ng damdamin.

Kahit nasasaktan ang damdamin ng mga taong ito dahil sa pagmamahal sa kapwa, ang tanging paraan upang mapawi ito ay ang pagkilos upang matanggal ang sakit. Ang pag-iwas sa mga taong nangangailangan, lalo na kapagka nakahalubilo mo na sila at naramdaman ang nadarama nila, ay walang sakit na mapapawi at magdudulot lamang ng mas malaking sama ng loob na hindi mawawala hanggang sa kumilos muli upang labanan ang sakit.

May dahilan kasi ang sakit na nadarama. Sa agham, ang kirot ay dulot ng pamamaga, na senyales ng paglaban ng katawan sa impeksyon. Nasasabi rin ng sakit na may nangyayari sa iyong katawan, na may impeksyon ka. Ang sakit sa damdamin ay senyales ng impeksyon sa lipunan at paligid. Ikaw ang gagamot nito.

Pagmamahal

2006-03-15T22:38:00.000+08:00

Regine mailed me this essay and i thought it would be a good to post it. It's by a Korean and it's about Korea and the Philippines. Read it. You just have to. Please.

MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
Jaeyoun Kim

Filipinos always complain about the corruption inthe Philippines. Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do notthink so. I strongly believe that the problem isthe lack of love for the Philippines.

Let me first talk about my country, Korea. It might help you understand my point. After the Korean War, South Korea was oneof the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country wasdestroyed after the Korean War, and we had nonatural resources.

Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, forFilipinos were very rich in Asia. We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off likeFilipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father & brother also died because of famine. Korean government was very corrupt and is still verycorrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heartburning with patriotism.

Koreans did not work just for themselves but alsofor their neighborhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism. 40 years ago, President Park took over thegovernment to reform Korea. He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get aloan and attract a foreign investment because theeconomic situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so thatthey could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through horrible experience.

In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they sawthe President Park. They asked to him, "President,when can we be well off?" That was the only question everyone asked to him. President Park cried withthem and promised them that Korea would be welloff if everyone works hard for Korea, and the President of Germany got the strong impression on themand lent money to Korea. So, President Park wasable to build many factories in Korea. He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart.

Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USAcame back to Korea to help developing country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salary, they did theirbest for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.My parents always brought me to the places wherepoor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that wehave to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood. Have you cried for thePhilippines? I have cried for my country severaltimes. I also cried for the Philippines because of so manypoor people. I have been to the New Bilibidprison. What made me sad in the prison were theprisoners who do not have any love for their country. They go to mass and work for Church. They prayeveryday. However, they do not love the Philippines. Italked to two prisoners at the maximum-security compound, and both of them said that they would leave thePhilippines right after they are released from theprison. They said that they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines.

Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so thatwe were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees couldbuy what they needed and saved money for thefuture and their children.When I was in Korea, I had a very strong faith andwanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines,I completely lost my faith. I was very confused when I saw many unbelievablesituations in the Philippines. Street kids always make me sad, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing hasbeen changed.

My parents came to the Philippines last week andsaw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when theywere young. They are so sorry that there are somany beggars and street kids. When we went to Pasangjan, I forced my parents to take a boat becauseit would fun. However, they were not happy aftertaking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat again because they were sympathized theboatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had asmall frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it.

But, my parents did not enjoy it because of lovefor them.My mother who has been working for Catholic Churchsince I was very young told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action.

She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received a great love from God. I want Filipinos to love theirneighborhood and country as much as they love Godso that the Philippines will be well off.

I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinosshould remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody, in a small scale and have to grow. A lot ofthings happen if we open up to love. Let's put awayour prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.I discover that every person is worthy to beloved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people,contexts and relationships. It changes the world. Please love yourneighborhood and country.

Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others wedo to Him. In the Philippines, there is God for people who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love. If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines. Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country. You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.

That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.

Kapirasong Tela

2006-03-12T23:02:00.000+08:00

Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:46:26 PM): or you can write about
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:46:26 PM): this
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:46:38 PM): my class got into bigr trouble because
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:46:51 PM): people started laughing and making faces during the national anthem
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:47:05 PM): the people singing the anthem badly weren't making fun of the anthem
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:47:07 PM): but of each other
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:47:21 PM): and everyone realized a lot of things about how they were
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:47:30 PM): i realized that as much as i love my country
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:47:54 PM): i don't sing my anthem and i just stand there to respect it (which according to james isn't really respecting it)
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:48:12 PM): i just stood there
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:48:28 PM): i didn't tell my classmates to shut up
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:48:48 PM): well, i was taught not to move or talk while the anthem plays as a child
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:48:52 PM): so all i could say was
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:48:54 PM): mga gaga
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:48:56 PM): so there
Regine Miranda (3/11/2006 9:49:01 PM): what is your reaction to that?

We can look at our very own president and see if she sings the anthem or just stands there. I definitely have seen her just stand there respecting the flag. I'd like to believe though that just standing there is still a sign of respect to the flag, not only because I have seen the president do it, but because I know that when I do it, I still respect the flag.

Respect is very subjective. It all depends on how people like it expressed or on how people see it. We consider someone disrespectful when he sits while everyone stands and sings the anthem, while at the same time, we cannot blame a man with no legs for staying seated. Also, we can never blame a mute person for not singing.

If there were real strict rules for respecting, then we'd all be shot dead. There would have been no way we could follow each rule, for we're all different; and do not underestimate how different we all can get. There are no such rules, a testament to the fact that respect depends on how people look at it.

Whoever really said that not paying attention to the national anthem was disrespecting the flag? Older people said that, and they probably got that from much older dead people. Where did the dead people learn what and what not respect is? They learned it from how they felt, and I believe that though respect is very subjective, that no one should really scold you for respecting in whatever way you want, the "rules" we follow now also stemmed from the perception of people, and those "rules" would not have been passed down all the way down to us if they did not speak at least a grain of truth about how people see respect. So the rules are not all that bad, and I believe that most of us, not all, would agree that the rules agree to how we feel about certain matters in general, especially the national anthem.

The Ateneo High School uniform was chosen by the students. Before having uniforms, the students were required to wear their IDs, since there were great security threats brought about by wearing casual daily. About a decade ago, the students were given a choice by the school. The school asked what they wanted for their uniform, and meetings were held. Definitely, at this point of transition from casual clothes to cool blue polos, there were temptations to bend the uniform rule. So Father Caluag, then principal, announced in a general assembly that while the rules are about to be changed, there are still standing rules that have to be followed. As long as there is a rule, follow it, and now that there will be changes, follow the present rule until it is changed. It makes perfect sense to me.

Respect is subjective, but there are still rules. Rules have rich backgrounds. Maybe we should follow them while they are there. Change will come appropriately.