This e-mail was sent to us by our colleagues in AIRLIFT ASIA CEBU, so these are first hand info, since they were the one
involved/victimized. You would never want to experience the same. Pls forward to your friends and family so that they'll be warned.
Thanks and God bless,
Herbie
After having dinner on Feb 9, 2004, Mabel & I went up to our room (902) of Bayview Park Hotel along Roxas Blvd. At around 8:00PM, i rcvd a text message from a friend (Divina) whom we're expecting to meet that night, that she's at the main entrance of Bayview Tower 1.
I immediately went to the lobby & ask where's Tower 1. I was then adv that Bayview Tower is in Baclaran. I adv Divina to just take a taxi from there to Bayview Park Hotel & went back to our room.
When Divina arrived ten minutes later, I went down to the lobby to meet her. We invited her to go up to our room so she can meet Mabel who was watching TV at that time.
At around 9:30PM, somebody called us up (w/c i presumed coming from the front desk) thru the house phone reminding us about the house rule of not letting visitors stay in our room after 10:00PM. I told her then that we'll be going out in a few minutes. She told me that a certain Jenny called up earlier leaving her new cell phone number. I jotted down the number. She also told me that a group of men were looking for the occupants of room 902 aboard a police van earlier that afternoon. Since we do not know of any group who were expecting to see us, I ask the lady if we can request for a room transfer (considering that we noticed earlier that night that there was something wrong w/ our door lock but we just did not complain about it). I even asked the lady why we were not told earlier about the group of men who were looking for us. She then replied that our phone was quite busy. I've told her that nobody's using our phone during the entire day. She said that there are times "na nagloloko yong mga phones".
The lady on the other line then gave the receiver over to another girl whom I presumed would take care of our request for a room transfer. I asked her where's the lady whom I talked to a just while ago. I was adv that the said lady went off already. When I asked her re our room transfer, the phone was then turned over to a third person (this time a guy) who told me that even if we will transfer to another room, we won't be safe. You're not safe anywhere. (Ano kamo? Gusto nyong mag transfer? Kahit saan kayo, di kayo ligtas, Konting tulong lang). So i asked him what kind of help. He then replied money. I asked him again, how much, he said P50,000.00. So i told him, we didn't have that amount. He then started to threaten us. That we should cooperate if we
still value our lives. He said that any minute they can come to us in our room & that they're monitoring us. His exact words "hija mag cooperate ka na. Hawak na namin ang buong hotel. Abusayaf ito. He also told me that if ibaba ko ang phone papasukin nila kami sa room namin. He coerced me to dial the cell phone no. dictated to me. When I refused at first, he got mad & again threatened us that he will put down the phone & come up to our room. So i dialled the no. The person answered "Bayview" & hanged up the phone. When they already had my no., they started sending us threats thru text aside from the threats thru the house phone.
He then asked to talk of Ms. Mabel who was sleeping already. Again, Ms. Mabel was also asked to give P50,000.00. The threats over the phone continued for almost an hour aside from the text messages. Ms. Mabel was also adv that we're being monitored. She was even adv that if we do have the P50,000.00, we'll put it in an envelope & give it to the front desk.
"Maraming maghahati-hatian dyan". But if we don't have, it will have to be the P2,000.00 plus our cell phones & have it delivered at 7-11 store at Vito Cruz to a certain Liza. At first, we were instructed that only one of us will have to go out
of our room but later they agreed that we can both go together but only one should approach Liza to give the money & the cell phones. Mabel was told
that they will be following us from Bayview Park Hotel to Vito Cruz. They're inside the red van outside the hotel. We were even told na after we've checked out of the hotel the next day, we should go directly to the airport & not to report/tell anybody about it. "Hwag nyong ipagkalat kahit kanino and nagyayari sa hotel". While we're on our way to 7-11, they keep on calling us thru my cell phone & that they're just behind us aside from the others who were at the hotel since our friend still in our room.
When we arrived at 7-11, Mabel stayed at the gas station infront of 7-11 while I was waiting for that certain Liza. I was then adv thru cell phone that me & Mabel should stand side by side & that Liza will just signal us.
Barely 2 minutes I saw a chinese looking woman in her late forties & a typical mother figure signalling us. So i approached her & give the envelope containing the cell phones & the P2,000.00 & told her that "Tita Lourdes" will just call her up tomorrow. This is as per instruction of "Tita Lourdes" over the phone. That certain Liza ask me if "Di ka ba sasama sa akin?" I told her "No!" & she replied,"Oo nga pala, dapat balik kayo kaagad sa hotel".
To be honest, we feel we were more safe when we're at 7-11 than we're inside our room. We don't want to go back to the hotel anymore but we have to since Divina ws still there waiting for us. When were at the hotel, I told Mabel that we're not gonna take the elevator in going up to our room. We noticed that one their elevators was not functioning coz it has a sign :"SERVICE CUT-OFF".
We then decided not to go up to our room anymore. Instead, we went to the front desk & asked one of the girls to dial our room but i was told that they're holding room 902. Then one of them ask if we have already given the money & the cell phones. When Mabel started to cry, they asked us what happen & how come we did not report the incident to them. I told them, that "i don't want to talk to anybody in this hotel. I don't know whom to trust. Kasabwat yata kayo lahat dito" & then one them said "kasabwat daw ako o. Jun, kasabwat daw ako", sabay tawa nya.
And then one of the girls at the fron desk asked who is Ms. Mabel coz her sister called up & was looking for her. When I noticed that there were police authorities outside the hotel, I asked them how come they were just outside. We were told that they're currently investigating the incident w/ their manager. So i said, why are we not included in that investigation,"Bakit sila lang at bakit sa labas? Nandito lang kami, kami na nga ang naagrabyado".
A few minutes later, a chinese looking guy in shirt & shorts introduced himself that he is the manager & apologize for his outfit. According to him, he was home already & was just called up re the incident. He said that he'll transfer us to another room but we refused the offer coz we're really planning to check out that night. He then said, that in that case, they could not guarantee our safety anymore.
Later, authorities from WPD were there to investigate the case. But later on only oneremained by the name of Major Cedanto.
We were not brought to their headquarters so we can file a complaint/issue a statement. He jotted down our names & cell phone numbers that we give to the extortionists.
He asked the manager if they have house rule/s re transferring of calls to a guest & the manager said that as a house rule, they will not transfer any call/s w/o referring to the guest first. I told them that in our case, the said house rule was not applied. I've rcvd 2 phone calls from a friend in the morning of Feb 9 but it was directly transferred to our room. He then he replied, that i might have expected those call/s. I asked him, how would they know if i don't have prior adv to the front desk to connect all calls directly to our room. So the manager said that he'll have to investigate on the matter. Major Cedanto adv Mr.Lim (manager) to provide them a copy of the investigation. So when Mabel's sister arrived, we
immediately checked out of Bayview Park Hotel. WPD authorities even mention that they have received 5 reports already of the same nature/modus but since nobody pushed w/ the investigation of the case, walang nangyayari.
Since we have doubts on the integrity/sincerity of WPD authorities, we proceeded to NBI office & filed our complaint against the Management & Staff of Bayview Park Hotel.
To date, Major Cedanto still has not provided us a copy of the result of Bayview internal investigation. He ketp on saying that he's at the Supreme Court & as soon as he'll get back to the office (station V) he will fax it to us.
We have already faxed to him & to the NBI the cartographic sketch of "Liza", the one who rcvd the cell phones & the money.
Since they (Bayview) insisted that the call was done outside the hotel, I would then like to raise these questions:
1. How come that the said caller knew our names and our room number?
2. How did they know that we're from Cebu
3. How come when Mabel's sister called up during that night, she was told that there's no Mabelchecking in Bayview
We have noticed that day (09 Feb 2004),the fire alarm alarmed 3 times. I just don't know if sa room lang namin nagyari yon, coz everytime I went
out of our room to check, ako lang yata lumalabas.
Sunday, April 18, 2004
For the females, article is self-explanatory. For the males among you, please pass on to wives, daughters, friends, etc. Something that happened in Katipunan, QC
Dear friends,
Many of you may not have heard of the incident that happened to a friend of my son last week at about 6:30 pm right in-front of the thickly-populated area of BPI-Katipunan, near shoppersville. She parked her car right in front of BPI to make a withdrawal and to do some grocery. As she was getting into her car after doing her chores, a man suddenly appeared beside her and tried to bully her into moving to the passenger seat. when she pressed her car horn to call attention, he pushed her in the car ad pinned her down with his elbow on her neck. It was a good thing that she had the presence of mind to continue to struggle and press on her car horn to catch attention (even if she had to use her foot to do this). Her assailant even tried to make people believe that it was a domestic matter by telling the crowd not to get involved as it was a "private matter". But with the onlookers multiplying by the second, her assailant finally gave up and ran. that was when she stood up and shouted for help. Thank God the guy got caught and is now under police custody. Last Saturday, during the inquest, she told me that what gave her the guts to fight her assailant was the article "THROUGH A RAPIST'S EYES" forwarded to our e-groups about a week prior to her attack. I am re-forwarding the article you can find it at the bottom of this (e-mail) for everyone's benefit. Please tell your friends, family, and loved-ones about this. It works. May I just add that to a certain extent, we have to get ourselves involved if we see violence being committed on anyone like calling on a security guard or a police officer even if it appears to be a domestic matter. It seems that a lot of attackers use that tactic to get away with violence. Not many people know how to take care of themselves whenfaced with such a situation. Everyone, please be very, very careful. THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD INFO TO PASS ALONG...
FYI - Through a rapist's eyes!
A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:
1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.
2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women whose clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.
3] They also look for women on their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.
4] The number one place women are abducted from/attacked at is grocery store parking lots.
5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.
6] Number three is public restrooms.
7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don't have to worry about getting caught.
8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming.
9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas, or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.
10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it.
POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:
1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: I can't believe it is so cold out here, we're in for a bad winter. Now that you've seen their faces and could identify them in a line-up, you lose appeal as a target.
2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.
3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.
4] If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh - HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try inching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.
5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy's parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he's out of there.
6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.
7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don't dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.
FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL .... I know you are smart enough to know these pointers but there will be some, where you will go "hmm I must remember that" After reading, forward it to someone you care about, never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans: if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you.... chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
a. Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.
b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
c. Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as well. Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in as a lot of crazies in it and it's better safe than sorry.
Maan Pamaran
Features Editor, Smart Parenting
Summit Media
Level 1, Robinsons Galleria
EDSA cor. Ortigas Avenue, 1100 Quezon City
Tel. nos. (632)636-6148; (632)631-8971 loc. 157
www.summitmedia.com.ph
Isa-isa kong binuklat ang mga albums sa lumang bahay. Nakakaaliw rin palang balikan ang nakaraan. Bakit nga ba hindi ko ito isinama sa bagahe ko noon?
Yan tuloy, di ako nakapag-"reminisce" ng nakaraan ko sa loob ng halos sampung taon. Naku, madami-dami ka rin palang litrato dito. Simula ba naman pagkapanganak sa akin e, nandun ka na sa tabi ko. Dalawang taon ang tanda mo sa akin kaya itinuring kitang isang kababata, kaibigan at kapatid noon. Pero nagbago ang lahat nang mangimbang bansa kami noong anim na taon pa lang ako.
Ang sayang isipin na kahit mga bata pa lang tao noon ay nagsusulatan na tayo. Naaalala ko pa noon, "bunso" ang tawag mo sa akin at "kuya" ang tawag ko sa yo. Sabi ng Mommy, ulila lang daw tayo pareho sa kapatid. Pareho kasi tayong nag-iisang anak. Siyempre, dumating yung araw na pakonti na ng pakonti ang sagutan natin sa mga sulat. Hanggang sa hindi na tayo nagsusulatan. Tinamad na rin ako noon dahil madami naman akong nagging kaibigan sa Tate. Nagulat na lang ako isang araw ng tumawag ka sa bahay. Ibang-iba na ang boses mo kaya malamang marami na ring nagbago sa yo. Labing-apat na taon ka noon at tumawag ka para ibalitang may girlfriend ka na. Sabi mo, gusto mo ako yung unang makaalam kasi ako ang nag-iisang bunso mo. Tuwang-tuwa ako noon para sa yo pero mas natuwa ako dahil naaalala pa rin pala ako. Lumipas ang ilan pang taon hanggang sa pagdiriwang ko ka-labingwalo kong kaarawan. Nagpasya si Mommy na dito na lang ako sa Pilipinas mag-celebrate at dito na rin daw ako mag-aral ng kolehiyo. Ang saya-saya ko noon dahil makikita na ulit kita. Pakiramdam ko pa'y nagtatalon ka nung ibinalita ko yon sa yo. Sinabi mo pa na ikaw ang escort ko sa gabing yon. Pumayag naman ako.
Nagkita muli tayo sa gabi na ng kaarawan ko. Kahit dalawang linggo na ko noon sa bansa, sabi mo susurpresahin mo ako sa kaarawan ko kaya hindi ka nagpapakita sa akin. Ibang-iba ka na talaga. Halos hindi nga kita nakilala e. binatang-binata ka na at lalo kang gumuwapo sa kislap ng mga mata mo. Nagulat ka rin noong makita mo ako. Hindi ko pa nga nakakalimutan yung sinabi mo sa akin noon, "Dapat pala bantayan na kita. Masyado kang nagpaganda doon sa Tate ha! Baka mamaya lokohin ka dito ng kung sino diyan." Napangiti lang ako. At simula noon, naging "close" uli tayo.
Pinilit kong makapasok sa unibersidad kung saan ka nag-aaral. Gusto ko kasing lagi kitang makasama dahil natatakot pa akong makiharap sa mga tao dito. Para akong paranoid na ayaw malalapitan ng kahit sino kundi ikaw lang. Iniwan ako ng aking mga magulang dahil marami silang kailangang asikasuhing negosyo doon. Pero ayokong manirahan sa bahay namin na maid lang ang kasama. Kaya napagkasunduan ng Mommy ko at Mommy mo na sa inyo na muna ako tumira hanggang sa pagpasyahan kong tumira sa bahay namin. Sabi mo pa, mas magiging masaya yun dahil parang magiging ganap mo na akong kapatid. Natuwa rin ako dahil mas komportable akong nandiyan ka lang lagi sa tabi ko.
Lalo lang tayong nagkalapitan ng loob. Ayokong bigyang malisya pero minsan, gusto kong isipin na ang paghahawak natin ng kamay, pag-akbay mo sa akin at pagyakap mo sa akin ay hindi lang turing kaibigan o turing kapatid lamang.
Madalas pa nga noon idadahilan kong nagtitipid ako ng allowance kaya hindi ako makapagpa-gas. Kaya ayun, ihahatid mo ako at hihintayin sa hapon. Kahit na may girlfriend ka pa noon, ako pa rin ang priority mo. Nakakatuwa di ba? Sabi mo kasi, "bunso" mo ako.
Hindi ko na namalayan noon pero unti-unti ng nahulog ang loob ko sa yo. Tinatanong pa ba yun? E ganun naman lagi ang ending. Siyempre, hindi ko naman alam ang nararamdaman mo para sa akin. Babae ako. At kahit may pagkaliberal na ang pag-iisip ng mga tao noon, wala pa rin akong guts to make the first move. Naging kuntento na lang ako sa piling mo habang tinuturing mo akong isang kapatid. Minsan nagseselos ako kapag may girlfriend ka pero wala naman akong magagawa, di ba?
Noong graduating ka na, junior naman ako. Lumipat ka kasi ng school kaya nahuli ka ng isang taon. Madalas e sa bahay na ako natutulog noon. Siyempre, matagal na rin akong nakapag-"adjust" dito kaya nahihiya na rin ako sa Mommy mo. Pero hindi ko noon makakalimutan nung kumatok ka sa bahay namin ng madaling araw na. Nag-aaral pa ako noon kaya gising na gising pa ako. Hindi ka naman lasing o kahit amoy alak ay hindi rin. Ang bango mo pa nga at nakapantulog ka na. Sabi mo, tutulungan mo akong mag-aral dahil alam mong nahihirapan ako sa subject na yon.Na-"touch" ako sa yo nung gabing yon. Nag-aalala ka pa nga dahil malapit ng mag-alas kuwatro ng umaga pero sabi ko naman ay hapon pa ang pasok ko kaya ayos lang na magdamag akong gising. Nung mapansin mo na inaantok na ako, binuhat mo ako papunta sa kuwarto ko. Nagulat ako pagkagising ko dahil doon ka na pala natulog sa sofa sa loob ng kuwarto ko. Pagkabangon ko sa kama, kinumutan kita at ginawan pa kita ng almusal sa baba. Nagpasalamat ka at hinalikan mo ako sa noo sabay yakap sa kin. Pakiramdam ko noon matutunaw na ako sa pagkakatayo ko. Ang sarap kasi ng pakiramdam.
Simula noon, paminsan-minsan ay sa bahay ka na natutulog. Lalo na kapag madaling araw ka na nakakauwi. Ayos lang naman sa akin yun na kahit may dalawa pang bakanteng kuwarto e doon ka pa nakikitulog sa sofa sa kuwarto ko. Siyempre, mas masayang matulog habang pinagmamasdan kita. Para na akong nasa langit noon. Ang babaw ko pero totoo.
Pagka-graduate mo, hindi ka pa rin nagbabago. Di mo pa rin nakakalimutang dumalaw sa akin at lagi ka pang may dala-dalang pasalubong. Lagi akong inaasar noon ng mga kabarkada ko. Nagtampo pa nga sila minsan dahil akala nila may boyfriend na ko at ikaw ang tinutukoy nila. Ang "sweet" daw kasi natin kapag magkasama tayo. "PDA" pa nga daw kung minsan e. Sa totoo lang, I've been keeping myself constantly available for you. Lahat na ng suitors ko e binasted ko dahil gusto ko, kapag nanligaw ka sa kin e libreng-libre ako. Pero sa tinagal-tagal, hindi mo naman ako nililigawan. Kaya nagtatampo ako sa yo pero wala naman akong magagawa e.
Nagulat ako isang araw ng makita ko sina Mommy at Daddy sa bahay. Oo nga, bumibisita sila tuwing Christmas, tuwing summer vacation at tuwing birthday ko pero wala namang okasyon non kundi ang papalapit kong graduation. Ang sabi kasi nila, hindi sila makakauwi para sa graduation ko pero nakakatuwang isiping naroon sila tatlong araw bago ang pagtatapos ko. Parehong maaliwalas ang mga mukha nila dahil may dala daw silang magandang balita para sa akin. Pero naiyak ako pagkasabi nila sa balita. Nagdahilan na lang akong "tears of joy" ang mga luhang tumulo mula sa mga mata ko. Sabi kasi nila, may sigurado na akong mapapasukang kumpanya sa tate. Malaki kaagad ang starting salary ko pero hindi ko gusto ang ideyang yon. Malalayo kasi ulit ako sa yo.
Kinabukasan, halos buong araw akong naghihintay sa bahay niyo. Hindi ka daw kasi umuwi nung gabing yon. Nag-aalala na nga ang Mommy mo pati na rin ako,pinag-alala mo. Nakatulog ako noon sa sa salas niyo at nang nagising ako ng madaling araw ay may kumot na ako at nakita kitang natutulog sa lapag, may hawak-hawak pang bote ng beer. Dali-dali kitang ginising noon at kumuha pa nga ako ng palanggana na may maligamgam na tubig at pamunas para punasan ka.
Tinabig mo ang palanggana at niyakap mo ako. Sinabi mong galit ka sa akin kaya naglasing ka lang buong araw. Sinabi mong hindi mo alam ang gagawin mo kapag nawala pa ako sa piling mo. Sinabi mo rin na nawala ka sa wisyo nung oras na pagkasabi ng Mommy na aalis ako pagka-graduate ko. Sinabi mo rin na mahal mo na kasi ako. Umiiyak ka pa nga habang sinasabi mo ang mga iyon.
Hindi ko noon alam kung ano ang gagawin ko. Naramdaman ko nang nakatulog ka na sa balikat ko pero nanatili akong gising.
Gusto kong sabihin sa yo na mahal din kita pero naduwag ako. Buong buhay ko kasi, lagi lang nakasunod sa kagustuhan ng aking mga magulang. Nasanay siguro ako ng hindi nagdedesisyon para sa sarili ko. Nasanay ako na iasa sa iba ang karapatan kong magdesisyon para sa kagustuhan ko. Siguro nga, kahit malapit na akong mag-22 years old noon, hindi pa rin ako gaanong ka-mature para panindigan ang mga desisyon ko. Habang nakatulala ako sa kawalan at habang natutulog ka sa balikat ko, iniisip ko kung paano ko sasabihin sa mga magulang ko na hindi ako tutuloy. Na kaya kong magtagumpay dito sa Pilipinas. Na hindi ko gugustuhin pang umalis dahil alam kong magiging masaya na ako sa piling mo. Ang hindi ko maintindihan e kung bakit bigla akong tumayo at tumakbo pauwi sa amin. At sa kuwarto ko, nag-iiyak, nagbasag ng ilang mga bagay, nagtatapon ng mga libro at sinira ang mga tinago kong sulat mo. Siguro natakot lang ako. Siguro duwag lang talaga ako.
Mula nung hapong iyon ay hindi na ulit kita nakita. Pinilit kong iwasan ang pagdaan sa harap ng bahay ninyo para hindi rin kita maalala. Kailangan ko kasing ngumiti sa araw ng pagtatapos ko. Sa totoo lang, para akong windang na nakatunganga sa mga speakers at honor students habang inaalala ko pa rin ang mga sinabi mo. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin ko kinabukasan. Nakaimpake na lahat ng gamit ko. Ayos na lahat ng papeles ko. Pagkatapos ng maikling salu-salo mamayang gabi, matutulog na lang ako at gigising kinabukasan at maghahanda para sa flight ko. O, di ba, planado na lahat. Pero masaya ba ako?
Napakalaking pagkakamali ng nagawa kong pag-alis noon. Kahit na pinupuri nila akong lahat dahil sa tagumpay ko, umiiyak naman ako dahil hindi lubos ang kaligayahan na nadarama ko. Sampung taon kong tiniis na huwag umuwi ng Pilipinas. Lagi ko na lang sinasabi kina Mommy na marami akong ginagawa o di kaya'y wala akong panahon para sa bakasyon. Sampung taon din akong gumigising araw-araw ng luhaan o di kaya'y nakasimangot pagharap sa salamin. Sampung taon akong nagdusa dahil sa pagmamahal ko sa yo. Sampung taon akong umasang isang araw ay masasabi ko sa yo na mahal din kita. Pero sampung taon mo pala akong pinilit kalimutan. Sampung taon kang naghinanakit dahil akala mo iniwan kita. Akala mo...hindi kita
mahal.
Kaya lang ako ngayon napauwi ng bansa dahil sa sulat mo. Unang sulat mo ito sa sampung taong pagtira ko sa ibang bansa. Pero hindi lang basta sulat ito, imbitasyon sa kasal mo.
Ngayon, basang-basa na ang mga litrato sa lumang photo album dito sa lumang bahay. Napaiyak kasi ako sa mga ala-alang ibinalik ng mga litratong ito
Ngayon ko lang naiiyak yung sakit na nadama ko nung natanggap ko ang imbitasyon mo. Hindi ko nga alam kung dapat ba akong magpakita sa kasal mo.Hindi ko alam kung bakit pa ako umuwi ng bansa. Sana pala nanatili na lang ako doon. At least, kung nandoon ako, hindi mo makikita ang mga luhang ito.Hindi mo malalamang minsan, at magpahanggang ngayon e minamahal kita. Hindi mo na nga siguro dapat malaman pa. Mananatili na lang akong nakababatang kapatid mo. Tutal, yun naman ang nakalagay sa sulat mo di ba? "To my Bunso"... habang buhay na lang akong "Bunso" mo.
###############
"Bunso" attended the wedding to congratulate her "Kuya". He drove her to the airport the next day and before she went out of the car, she told him she still loves him. A tear fell from his eye as he told her "The only reason why I married my bride is because she was your closest resemblance."
--a true story of my Aunt (an old maid) and her "Kuya" (who passed away last month)
BY JOSEPH N. PANGILINAN MARCH 2, 2004 ADVERTISEMENT
…"And God asked Isaiah.. `Whom shall I send? There is noone!'.... Isaiah replied, `Send me, Lord." (Isaiah 6:8)
I was one of those "close to two (2) million" who trooped to Luneta last Feb.22, in support of Bro.Eddie Villanueva's Presidential Bid, within a of couple week's notice. Most cannot seem to believe the 2.8Million reported in the Inquirer, over the radio, and allegedly by the Western Police District... Some news reporters pathetically tried to downplay the truth, reporting only "15,000 went". I am not an expert in crowd estimates, so I will just go with the description "twas the biggest proclamation rally in the history of Philippine politics", because that, indeed, it was. But attendance isn't the main point. Who is the real "patriot," the one who expects to "receive" something or the one who sacrifices now, in order to pass on something good to his children's children? Bro.Eddie's "warriors" all bought their own T-shirts (iba-iba nga yung design), produced own posters, printed own campaign materials. Some security volunteers and ushers put ORDER, speakers testified, directors directed, artists performed onstage for no talent fee. Someone even donated the 15-minute fire-works from Bocaue! Owners of Printing presses donated campaign materials, comics, tabloids, magazines. Some charged a fee to offset expenses. And there were 2 Million of us, not to mention those who could not make it. And those who have been LIT UP IN THE AUDIENCE by it. REMEMBER, WE WILL GET 7 VOTES EACH and GUARD THOSE 7 VOTES UNTIL ELECTION DAY. Name me any other candidate with that kind of "followership". We demonstrate Bro.Eddie's leadership by our involvement, by our ATTENDANCE and INVOLVEMENT, by our DISCIPLINE and ORDER – even cleaning up after - and THEN, we will show the nation what we can achieve in terms of VOTES. We will get a minimum of 7 votes each and we will win. Bro Eddie demonstrates the kind of leadership our nation needs. Not just "bravery" but "courage. Not just "popularity" but credibility. Not just "personality" but character. Not just "principle" but righteousness. He showed leadership – not in words, but IN FLESH AND BLOOD, LAST SUNDAY. Amidst the rain and the blockades, the discomfort of huge crowds, we were there at LUNETA, DECLARING WAR AGAINST HOPELESSNESS, CYNICISM, CORRUPTION AND ALL FORCES OF EVIL. "NEVER AGAIN" will evil spit at us in the face, without us striking back. We help Bro.Eddie Villanueva in his campaign for the presidency, because: 1. we believe this man has what it takes to LEAD our government bureaucracy towards a true moral renewal starting from TOP to the BOTTOM. 2. We believe this man has what it takes to LEAD his 2,000,000 determined, passionate volunteers within the next 76 days of the campaign, to spearhead VICTORY on May 10, 2004 and be the next President of the Philippines' 3. We believe this man has what it takes to LEAD with courage, competence, credibility and CHARACTER which seems to be the limiting factor of all our other so called leaders. 4. We believe this man has what it takes to LEAD our nation towards socio-political and economic prosperity. 5. We are truly appalled, tired, disillusioned and angry with how our so called leaders have been fooling, deceiving, and swindling the Filipino People. This ex-rebel, ex-economic professor, pastor of the 3Million strong JIL, and Chairman of the 8Million strong God's People (Ecumenical) Coalition for Righteousness, and once-reluctant candidate, is not to be counted out, and is worth considering, at the very least. But it does not matter. The LEADERSHIP we look for INSPIRES, EMPATHIZES, BRINGS HOPE, ENCOURAGES, EMPOWERS, and allows our individual skills to EXPLODE for good purposes. Such kind of leadership leads to true (not forced) INFLUENCE, the ability to convince others to follow towards breakthrough directions. We encourage everyone to get to know this man, Bro.Eddie Villanueva, whom we believe God is using to redirect this nation towards His preferred path of righteous governance and progress. After all, we claim to be the "only predominantly Christian Nation in Asia", and our God is probably sick and tired of his name being blasphemed this way. Bro.Eddie never had any ambition to lead this country. He was asked by other patriotic religious leaders (protestant, muslim, catholic leaders) to sacrifice himself for this chance, get out of his comfort zone, and TAKE this one chance to FIGHT for freedom from the foolishness of today's so called leaders. We call on all the best and the brightest patriotic Filipinos to unite offer their time, their resources, and their lives to help and to follow such a leader, because we know it is God's will to bless our nation, and that in the long run, helping Bro.Eddie will be good for our country, for our children's children. Brother Eddie's campaign is a message, a warning, that when the good, the best and the brightest get fed up.. have the courage and the will to fight back. KUNG MAKADIYOS ang NAMUMUNO, BABANGON ANG PILIPINAS.MANIWALA KA!
…"And God asked Isaiah.. `Whom shall I send? There is noone!'.... Isaiah replied, `Send me, Lord." (Isaiah 6:8)Joseph N. Pangilinan
Sunday, March 14, 2004
I just want to share that two years ago I went to
see St Therese's remains
when it was put on display in the Carmelite Church
in QC. I went there because I was curious what was this euphoria about
the world's youngest saint whose job is to grant people's wishes?
So I went with friend Lyn and I must admit the life of the little child,
Therese intrigued me. It turned out she was a child
who wanted to serve her God more than anything else was in the w! world.
Thus, in every chore that she did -- watering the plants, even -- she
performed it like it was for her master. Since all her siblings were
Carmelite nuns, she became a nun herself. I think (12)? To be
allowed inside the convent. So we're like talking here of a purely
"uncorrupted soul." And then she died.
But she left a journal (suggested reading)! which contained all her
thoughts about God, love and life (as written below). Since then she
became the saint who grants all wishes. I couldn't recall where I stored
the souvenir petal that I took out of the many roses that adorned her glass
urn. But believe it or not, my wish was granted! Not because I said a
novena but knowing about her life and reading her works inspired me and
made me more patient and persevering.
According to religious beliefs, St. Theresa was known as "The Little Flower" - whenever you pray to her for a miracle, she will send you! a rose in one form or another when the miracle has been
granted. Yo u may smell roses, receive a rose by visual means, etc.
REMEMBER to make a wish before you read the poem.
That's all you have to do. There is nothing attached. This is a powerful
novena. Just send this to at least seven people and let me know what
happens on the fourth day....
Do not break this, please. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.
There is no cost but a lot of reward. Let's continue
praying for one another.
Make a wish before you read this poem....(Did you make a wish?)
If you don't make a wish, it won't come true.
May today there be peace within
May you trust your highest power that you are
Exactly where you are meant to be...
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that
are born of faith
May you use those gifts that you have received
And pass on the love that has been given to you....
May you be content knowing you are a child of God
Let this presence settle into our bones, and
Allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, and to
bask in the sun...
It is there for each and every one of you....
Send this to 7 People within the next 5 min. and
your wish will come true.
When the door of happiness closes, another opens.
But oftentimes we look
so long at the closed door that we don't see the
one, which has been opened
for us.
Passion
I want to live.
No more halfhearted efforts
No more half-baked ideas
No more half-full glasses
Just wholehearted, fresh-baked,
overflowing life.
I want to live on purpose.
No more aimless wandering
No more squandered existence
No more squelched ambition
Just on-target, death-defying,
carpe diem courage.
I want to live in connection.
No more superficial engagement
No more destructive pleasures
No more cold rationality
Just bone-deep, life-affirming,
stream-fed intuition.
I want to live with joy.
No more sour grapes
No more jaded cynicism
No more inflated self-importance
Just awe-filled, enthusiastic,
openhearted passion.
I want to live on purpose,
in connection, with joy.
I want to live filled with courage,
guided by intuition, centered in passion.
I want to live!
These are excuse notes from parents (including original spelling) collected by schools from all over the country.
My son is under a doctor's care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him.
- hala! Sige. Silya elektrika at bitay. Sabay pa! O kaya niyo yun?
Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick and I had her shot.
-pag nag-absent pala papatayin ka! Baka may rabies...
Dear School: Please ekscuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33.
- A grabe to. Nasa kalendaryo pa ang birthday ko kung ganon. Hahaha!
Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating.
- ano daw????
Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.
- hanapin natin!
John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.
- bwehehehe... la ako masabi... Bwahahaha! Ganito kasi yan. Kinagat siya ni Lola sa noo sa gigil. Tapos nabali yung ngipin ng pustiso niya. Hahaha!!!
Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.
-Buti pa veins niya. Close sila. Hahahaha!!!
Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side. Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.
- ah.....eh....i.....ow....u....
Please excuse Pedro from being absent yesterday. He had (diahre) (dyrea) (direathe) the shits. [words in ()'s were crossed out.]
- Sinabi na kasi "LBM" na lang e. Pasosyal pakasi.
Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.
- So transexual pala si Irving?
I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because I don't know what size she wear.
Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.
- Ala e! "Mabuhay ang Patay!!" "Mayroong Himala!!!"
Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.
- stud service ba yung school nya? baka gremlins siya.
Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover.
- Ay grabe! Iba na talaga ang mga kabataan ngayon. Hahaha!
Maryann was absent December 11-16, because she had a fever, sore throat, headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever and sore throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night.
- hahaha, telenovela... bow. Makuwento siya ha... Kulang lang sa pansin...
and the winner is....
Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to > get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we > thought it was Sunday.
- hehehehe!winner!!!!!!!!!! Ang galing!!!! Puwede rin kaya sa office ito?
> > > Pag dating ni Munir sa bahay, sabi ni Ei, ang
asawa nya,
"Sweetheart,
> > > delayed ako ng isang buwan. Kagagaling ko lang
sa doktor. Pero
huwag
> > > mong
> > > sabihin kahit kanino, baka mapahiya lang ako
kapag di
nagkatotoo."
> > >
> > > Kinaumagahan, merong dumating na taga-Meralco.
Pagbukas ng pinto,
sabi
> > > niya, "Ale, delayed ho kayo ng isang buwan."
> > > "Kanino mo nalaman ito?" tanong ni Ei.
> > > "Nandito ho nakasulat sa records namin," sagot
ng
taga-Meralco.
> > > "Talaga? Nakasulat sa records ninyo?"
> > >
> > > Sa sumunod na araw, si Munir ay dumating galit
na galit sa
counter ng
> > > Meralco.
> > > "Paano niyo nalaman na delayed ng isang buwan
ang misis ko?
> > > "Konting pasensya lang. Kung gusto niyong mawala
sa records
namin ito,
> > > magbayad na lang kayo," sagot ng isang
empleyado.
> > > "Eh, kung ayaw kong magbayad?" tanong ni Munir.
> > > "Puputulan ho kayo," sagot ng empleyado.
> > > "Kung puputulan ako, anong gagamitin ng misis
ko?"
> > > "Pwede naman siyang gumamit ng kandila, di ba?"
> > >
Beware of this medication (yellowish in colour round pills) normally prescribed by doctors for flu. Already confirmed by friend's sister who works in the ministry to be true. I've called up a friend working in Unity Healthcare (or commonly known as NTUC Pharmacy) and confirmed the following.
Decolgen (a common flu tablet) and the long list of drugs used to be easily available on the shelves of pharmacies. Though they've been removed from the local pharmacies months ago, in case you still have them in your first aid box at home, please discard them immediately.
I heard from my co's doctor that Decolgen, flu tablets is banned. You couldn't find them in all pharmacies. It's due to the same problem, ie. bleeding in the brain for women. Confirmed that this is true and Singapore government is taking action.
Please read and copy this notice to the people you love. This is not a matter to be taken lightly. Stop taking anything containing the ingredient Phenylpropanolamine.
It has been linked to increased hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in brain)among women ages 18-49 in the three days after starting use of medication. Problems were not found in men, but the FDA has recommended that everyone (even children) seek alternative medicines.
This message is for the designated recipient only and may contain privileged, proprietary, or otherwise private information. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original. Any other use of the email by you is prohibited.
People are often unreasonable and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway
What you spend building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough,
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway
You see in the final analysis, it is between you and God,
It was never between you and them anyway
Only those who dare to fail greatly,
Can ever achieve greatly.
We all want to fall in love. Why? Because that experience makes us feel completely alive. Where every sense is heightened, every emotion is magnified, our everyday reality is shattered and we are flying into the heavens. It may only last a moment, an hour, an afternoon. But that doesn't diminish its value. Because we are left with memories that we treasure for the rest of our lives.
1) Don't turn your back on love when it's already in front of you, Don't drive it away from you, because if you do, someday, you'll think again, why you let love flew when it was there next to you.
2) In Love, think things first over if you're sure about how you
feel, Don't fall too hard not knowing where you will stand, 'coz it will hurt real bad if things don't go the way you want them to be.
3) It's an irony to know that it takes hours for someone to have
guts to say "hi" to the one he likes, days to admire, weeks to miss the person, months to love, but just a blink of an eye to say goodbye...
4) Go for the person who loves you. It is not wrong to love someone who belongs to someone else, but it is much better to love someone who could also love you in return.
5) Love isn't something we hold, it is something we set free, It's not something we just do, but it's something we don't imagine to be. Lastly, it's not something we choose, it chooses us...
6) The scariest thing about falling in love is getting hurt. The scariest thing about getting hurt is not being able to love again. The scariest thing about not loving again is being alone forever.
7) When you follow your heart, worry not where it will lead you, for your heart knows the way. And if you do get lost or reach a dead end, use your head to lead you back home.
8) When you truly care for someone, you don't look for faults, you don't look for answers, you don't look for mistakes. Instead, you fight for the mistakes, you accept the faults, and you overlook excuses.
9) It's better to lose your pride to the one you love, than lose your loved one to your useless pride.
10) Love is not "it's your fault", but "i'm sorry", not
"where are you?", but "i'm here", not "how could you?", but "i understand", not "i wish you were here", but "i'm thankful you are ".
11) The beginning of love is to let those we love be just themselves, and not twist with our own image. Otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.
12) If a relationship is truly meant for you, your love will find a way to make it happen, and God will be there to make sure it will stay.
time can never destroy what affection has built
This is a very disturbing open E-mail letter to all Filipinos around the world; specially here in North America!, from a man who has the power to reach million of people. (he's a radio talk host) Please read on..............
This is an open letter email by Art Bell, a radio talk show host in Nevada more info in the email itself). Here is yet another person who has taken advantage of his power and privilege to use hateful words and racial stereotypes that breed further ignorance and intolerance in our society.
Art Bell is a talk radio host who has two shows that he broadcasts from his home in Nevada, that is rebroadcast by 400 stations across the country. He's written 2 books. He lived in Okinawa, Japan for some years and had a radio program on the English station here. And, though it's hard to believe after reading the following letter from him, he actually has been to the Philippines (he's traveled fairly extensively around the world).
Check out his website to listed at the end to get a glimpse at this fool who's spreading this hateful ignorance. And check his wife as well.
This letter is so degrading, I think it's really important that everybody read this and not attack him, but respond to him in a civilized manner because otherwise his thoughts will be reaffirmed. Understand that not everyone has a viewpoint like we do, and that this is an opinion of someone who hopefully can be changed only by civil actions.
THE E-MAIL...
Subject: Filipinos.....*make me puke* (Art Bell)
As we've all come to notice, in the past few decades, Filipinos have begun to infest the United States like some sort of disease. Their extensive involvement in the U.S. Armed Forces is proof of the trashy kind of qualities all Filipinos tend to exhibit on a regular basis.
You can see this clearly by studying the attitudes and cultural Icons of most Filipino Americans. Origins of Pinoys/Pinays: Are they really Asian? Well we've come to accept the fact the Filipinos come from a part of the world known as South East Asia. But the term "Asia" is used in the wrong way. You may notice that contemporary Filipino Americans try very hard to associate themselves with groups that we know as Asian.
I cannot count the number of times I have seen a 'Third World' Filipino try to connect themselves to the Chinese or Japanese people. There is no connection and here's why. The Philippines is a Third World country.
Nothing respectable has EVER been created by Filipino people during our entire human history. Young Filipino men in America have become obsessed with "import racing". They have an enormously perverted affection for Japanese cars. It's a common phenomenon. In their minds, these Filipinos somehow believe that they are Asian and that it somehow connects them to Japanese people and Japanese cars. They often take credit for the
ingenuity of Japanese people and say how it's an "Asian thing". This term..."Asian thing" derived directly from African American slang "black thang". "It's a black thang." "It's an Asian thang." You can see the connection. It's even funnier that, in Japan, Filipinos are heavily discriminated against. The only Filipinos that can live successfully in Japan are the Filipino prostitutes. But that's the case for most Filipino people no matter where they live in the world.
Now we've come down to this fact...and it is a fact. Nothing in Filipino Culture can be seen as Asian. They have no architectural, artistic, or cultural influence which is in ANY way, asian. Thinking of the great countries in Asia such as Japan, Korea, and China there is no way you can possibly connect the Philippine Islands.
This assault by Filipino Americans to connect themselves with the great peoples of North East Asia is foul and disgusting.
Try visiting a young Filipino’s web site too. You'll see something called the "Asian IRC Ring". It has to do with the chat rooms. The most horrible thing about this is that these TRASHY people are trying to associate themselves with Asia again!! People in Asia don't act like, this at all.
What we are seeing here is the natural Filipino in it's element with full access to technology and this is how they act! You will consistently see this behavior over and over again. Another interesting thing is that these "third world" people also frequent IRC chat rooms such as #Chinese #Japan and #Asian. They must believe that they are some how related racially or culturally to North Asians.
But it's completely WRONG! There might have been some distant contact With China and even less with Japan during World War II, but these people are actually more closely related to African Americans and Mexican Americans.
Do the parents of these young Filipinos know what's going on? Would they accept this? I believe that they would and do. This is the natural "Trash" element in Filipinos manifesting itself.
Nothing good has ever come from Philippines and I don't believe anything good ever will.
Recognizing your Roots (A Message to Filipinos).
To all Filipino people:
Please recognize your ROOTS!
You come from the Third World! You country is a disgusting and filthy place. Most people there live in poverty! Your culture has MUCH MORE SPANISH influence than Chinese, and absolutely no JAPANESE influence whatsoever. People in Japan and China, do not act like you. They do not constantly talk about sex and they have a MUCH HIGHER level of RESPECT for each other.
There is NO WAY that you can connect yourself to Asia other than location. Your culture and technological advancement does not even come CLOSE to What Chinese, people have done in the past and what Japanese and Korean people are doing now!
Everything you do is distinctly Filipino. You cannot take credit for Japanese cars, video games, or Hentai! It's not an "Asian thing" it's, an "American thing".
You have no concept of culture..no concept of Asian ideas or Asian philosophy!
Can you demonstrate how you use Confucianism or Taoism in you everyday life?? You can't. And you will NEVER be able to. I understand that you are trying to create an identity for yourselves as young people... but it is NOT related to Asia. Your Identity is Filipino. That's all you are.
Just Filipino. Think about what that means....
Sincerely,
Art
10. "They told me at the blood bank this might happen."
9. "This is just a 15 minute power-nap like they raved about in that time management course you sent me to."
8. "Whew! Guess I left the top off the White-Out. You probably got here just in time!"
7. "I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm."
6. "I was testing my keyboard for drool resistance."
5. "I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work-related stress. Are you discriminatory toward people who practice Yoga?"
4. "Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem."
3. "The coffee machine is broken..."
2. "Someone must've put decaf in the wrong pot..."
And the best thing to say if you get caught sleeping at your desk...
1. Raise your head from the desk and say " ... in Jesus' name. Amen."
HERE'S THE SCORE By Teodoro C. Benigno
The Philippine Star 03/10/2004
Lee Kuan Yew wasn't kidding at all when more than a decade ago, he more or less stated the Philippines wasn't going anywhere. Why? Firstly, he said, Filipinos "have no discipline." Secondly, he added, we possessed an "exuberant democracy", meaning a frolic and fiesta democracy. Like James Fallows before him who said Filipinos have a "damaged culture", Lee Kuan Yew set off an angry caterwaul. We Filipinos, both educated and not educated, pounced on him with might and main, lashed him with insult and invective, told him never to set foot on our shores again.
President Fidel Ramos was particularly furious.
To Lee's claim that a nation's leaders had the ultimate duty and responsibility to instill discipline among its citizenry, FVR riposted discipline had to come from below, from the common people. That was folly. Discipline – and I didn't need a Lee Kuan Yew to tell me that – comes from the top. It comes from leaders who have a vision, who often have to crack the whip on a fun-and-frolic citizenry, who have to ruthlessly impose law and order, and punish those who defy and disobey the government.
Without law, without order, without discipline, without the values that lead to that great, pulsing and pounding national throb of a fulfilled nation, the Philippines has nowhere to go. Now we're at it again, electing our 15th president with pomp and regalia, a nation foolishly and stupidly in denial, bestowing on the May 10 elections the wisdom and wonder of the philosopher's stone.
Whenever I write this way, even close friends reproach me. "Teddy, can't you be more hopeful?" is the most frequent comment. "Can't you see anything good in our country? Are we really as bad as you write in your column? Certainly, things can get better if we elect the right leaders." There, in a nutshell, is what is dreadfully wrong with the Filipino ethos. We prefer not to look at the facts, figures and statistics, all depicting the national disaster, which I never invented in the first place.
Well, let me tell you. Hope? Tell that to the 3,500 Filipinos who flee the nation every day for jobs and security abroad. Tell that to Peter Wallace, and heads of multinational corporations who have lost hope and many of whom are transferring their businesses to China, Thailand, Malaysia and elsewhere. Tell that to our doctors, yes doctors of medicine. They prefer life abroad as lowly nurses and caregivers, humiliating as this might be, to staying here where the pay is ridiculously low and they cannot provide decently for their families.
Tell that to the millions of Filipinos abroad known as OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) who disdain the very idea of coming back home. Home to what? To poverty and disease? To the now even more excruciating life of squatters, beggars, wanderers and nomads, living in the slums, two even three families to a room, where the smells of refuse, silt and sex are overpowering, where open incest often occurs, and there is no privacy? Tell that to the kids of even affluent and rich families who want out, who want to spend the rest of their lives abroad.
Know what? I could write differently.
I could write to amuse and entertain, serve up dollops of lilt and laughter, get into the entertainment business, write about celebrities, about theater, art and cinema, hustle back to the footpaths of memory, dwell nostalgically on the past when life was simple, when family morality was still at hand, when we had yet to be crassly invaded by Hollywood, when the use of itay and inay, or tatay and nanay was still common even among many of my friends, when we dearly loved the Philippines, when during the Second World War, we were not afraid to die. In fact, many of us died, fighting that war.
But I saw my own vision on my own road to Damascus.
I sustained the "divine wound" that afflicts some young journalists. And I was never the same after that. Literature had to give way to philosophy and history, the yearning for art in its purest forms to the political and social sciences. And yet, as André Malraux said, "All art is a revolt against man's fate," and as Albert Camus said "To understand life, every now and then you have to recoil from life," I learned those lessons well. I eventually also learned to extricate my mind from the poisoned tentacles of ideology, from Adam Smith's "hidden hand" of capitalism to the "dialectical materialism" of Karl Marx and Ferderick Engels.
Nothing was pure gospel anymore.
I find out that until today, until this very minute, many educated Filipinos, yes confirmed Christians all, cannot accept the fact that the nation has reached the end of the road. That the neo-liberal, free-trade, free enterprise system that has sustained us since the end of the Second World War is now in tatters. That the democracy we continue to extol while sitting on the laps of a capricious Uncle Sam is a huge fraud because its institutions have already withered and died.
What economy? What sound fundamentals? Almost 50 out of 83 million Filipinos are hungry, on the verge of starvation. Our national debt now amounts to P4.5 trillion, every Filipino in yoke by about P50,000. Argentina, here we come? A third of the national budget goes to paying just the interest of our foreign debt. To keep our heads above the water, the government has to borrow about P500 billion a year, and more each succeeding year. Virtually nothing is left to improve our lives. On top of all that, we lose P230 billion each year or more to government graft and corruption. We are the eleventh most corrupt nation in the world, the fourth most corrupt nation in Asia, according to Transparency International and PERC. The Asian Development Bank declares our culture is about the worst in Asia for foreign investments. We are the kidnap capital of Asia.
Hope? You kidding?
For many decades, we Filipinos have blinded ourselves to this mounting heap of irrefutable evidence. And now that almost the worst is upon us, we still look the other way.
We continue to be what we have always been – patient, forbearing, forgiving, submissive, dumb, deaf and blind. We suffer, we bleed, we walk with bare feet on broken glass. We do what we do best. We sing and we pray. We have fun when we can. Toma. Many of our neighbor nations in Asia have long waken up, long taken the road to emancipation, progress and prosperity. The per capita income of these countries has soared from anywhere to $14,000 to $20,000. Our per capital income is at the level of the fast multiplying amoeba – $900 to just a little over $1,000. Hopeful?
But no, we are not angry when we should be. We are not outraged, not insulted at all, not offended, not chastened, not a bit mortified. Oh yes, thee are a few of us who are, the exceptions that make the rule. And so I have write the way I write today. Keep telling the truth, calling the shots as I see them. Always, I remember what the great Indian poet Rabindanath Tagore said, "If you like to make a difference, walk alone. Walk alone." India, yes India, Jawaharlal Nehru, the Pandit, scion of one of the richest families in India, wept unashamedly when for the first time after his studies in England, he roamed all over his country, and discovered how hundreds of millions of Indians were living in utmost poverty and penury, in indescribable squalor, sometimes better, sometimes worse than animals.
Nehru vowed he would spend the rest of his life in service to the poor. That he did. He fought the Raj fiercely and relentlessly, every vestige of British colonial exploitation. He was the political bayonet to Mahatma Gandhi's radiant spiritual spear. Both were imprisoned. Millions of Indians died. But they were willing to pay the price for freedom, for liberty, for emancipation from colonial rule. Now India, with Bangalore and Hyderabad leading the way, is following China's path to modernity, using science and technology to extricate the albatross forever from its neck.
We Filipinos are not willing to pay this price.
And we are not willing to pay this price because we cannot get angry. Our culture of submission and forbearance gets in the way. Our leadership is utterly and abominably corrupt, and as a people we also are to some extent. Our business potentates in Makati and elsewhere are the Hapsburgs and Hohenzollerns of the Philippines. Our politicians in Congress are their executive committee.
Ex-president Joseph Estrada never had it so good.
He should be in jail with bars, wearing a prisoner's uniform, alongside prison inmates. But no, even as a felon, he is treated extravagantly like a VIP, allowed access to his luxury villa in Tanay, Rizal, some 100 meters from Camp Capinpin where he is in detention. I have absolutely no doubt President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is behind this display of "political compassion" at a time she still believes she can wangle many of the masa votes of Erap. She should be ashamed. She should bolt herself in the cellar and throw away the key. But she won't. She has to win by hook and by crook.
But that is what we are as a nation. Are we doomed?
Saturday, January 24, 2004
Mariah's vocal chords are so unique that her doctor uses pictures of them in classes at which he teaches. It has been claimed that Mariah has anywhere between 6 and 7 octaves. Her voice is so fragile that she constantly has to be aware of any dangers that may cause damage to her vocal chords such as cigarette smoke. During her 1996 Daydream World Tour, Mariah could only perform one concert each week in order to keep her voice well rested and in top form for each show.
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
by Ederic Eder
Noong maliit pa ako, dahil wala kaming sariling TV ay nakikipangapit-bahay ako para lamang mapanood ang pakikipaglaban ni Shaider sa mga tauhan ni Phuma Lear, at para na rin masilip ang panty ni Annie. Para sa akin, ang galing-galing ni Shaider (o Alexis kapag hindi pa nagta-transform) at ang ganda-ganda ni Annie.
Tinuruan din ako ng ilang mahahalagang bagay nina Shaider at Annie, gaya ng mahigpit na pagkapit sa katuwiran at ang pagtataguyod ng kalayaan. Buong giting nilang ipinagtanggol ang daigdig mula sa mga dayuhang (as in aliens from outer space) mananakop. (Siguro partly responsible sina Shaider at Annie kung bakit naging anti-imperialist ako at tuwang tuwa sa nakikita ko ngayong pagtayo ng milyun-milyong taga-daigdig laban sa di-makatarungang plano ni Lear, este, ni G.W. Bush pala!)
Kamakaila'y nalungkot ako sa natanggap kong e-mail na nagbabalitang patay na raw si Shaider. Nang binasa ko ang Google-translated site na binabanggit sa e-mail, nalaman kong noong Hulyo 24, 2001 pa pala pumanaw sa edad na 37 dahil sa kanser sa atay si Hiroshi Tsuburaya, ang artistang Hapon na gumanap na Shaider.
Sabagay, hindi mismong si Shaider o Alexis ang namatay--pagkat ang karakter ay maaaring gampanan ng iba--pero nakalulungkot pa ring isipin na yung "idol" mo dati ay tepok na pala.
Gayunpaman, ang magiting na si Alexis/Shaider ay mananatiling buhay sa alaala ng mga tagahangang kagaya ko.
(Ang mga larawan ay mula sa http://membres.lycos.fr/gyaban/hommage.htm)
Saturday, December 27, 2003
It was October and the Indians on a remote reservation asked their new Chief if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a Chief in a modern society he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like.
Nevertheless, to be on the safe side he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect firewood to be prepared. But being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea.
He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?"
"It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold" the meteorologist at the weather service responded.
So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more firewood in order to be prepared.
A week later he called the National Weather Service again. "Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?"
"Yes," the man at National Weather Service again replied, "it's going to be a very cold winter."
The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.
Two weeks later the Chief called the National Weather Service again.
"Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?"
"Absolutely," the man replied. "It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever."
"How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked.
The weatherman replied, "The Indians are collecting firewood like crazy."
STAGE 1: :"ALIW AKO!"
it goes like this... lalapit ka sa friend mo..tapos you'll say, "ei! kilala mo ba si ______(ALEXI, chris, mark, joseph, john, mike...or whatever his damn name is!)? wala lang...aliw lang talaga ako sa kanya..." sabay smile... "hindi ko sya crush ha!!! talagang nakakatuwa lang sya!" kaya nga eh...tuwang tuwa ka...it shows...naaliw ka nga talaga...grabe!!!di mo ba alam na dyan nagsisimula yan...
STAGE 2: "NAKAKA-MISS SYA"
ayan na po...hinahanap mo na...ung dialouge naman nyan ganito..."uy, nasan kaya si ______? matagal ko na syang di nakikita eh...wala lang naninibago lang ako..." sigurado ka bang yun lang...aba! bago mo naman sya nakilala eh okay lang sayo na he does not exsist..eh bakit ngayon hinahanap-hanap o...cgurado ka bang NANINIBAGO KA LANG????
STAGE 3: "CUTE PALA SYA!" a.k.a "the denial of reality"
hay...ayaw pa kasing aminin eh...paka totoo kana noh!!! "ei, alam mo cute pala si ______! pag tiningnan mong mabuti..." o kaya..."ang cute naman nyang magsmile...tapos ang bouncy ng hair nya..." tpos biglang sasabihin... "hindi ko sya crush ha...ung hair (smile or whatever na bagay na related sa kanya) lng nya ang gusto ko!" SIGURADO KA LANG??? eh bakit sa tinagal-tagal na magkasama kayo ngayon mo lang narealize...hm...something's fishy...
STAGE 4: "ALAM MO CRUSH KO NA YATA SYA..."
Hay naku!!! may pa yata-yata ka pang nalalaman... ilang months or years mo inipon ang courage mo para aminin yan...when infact it's so obvious...alam na ng buo mong barkada bago mo pa man sinabi....at least di ba "HONEST" kana sa sarili mo...
STAGE 5: "TODO NA TO!"
eto na siguro yung part na pinaka maraming complications...kasi alam na ng barkada mo...at ikaw...kilig effect ka sa isang tabi....eto na yung stage na may sub levels...ayon sa iyong mga kabaliwang gagawin just for the sake of your so-called love life...
a. shy effect
okay...nandyan ka lang sa isang tabi...nagmumuni-muni kahit within 1 meter radius lang ang crush mo...kunwari walang reaction...tanong lang ha? HANGGANG KAILAN???
b. kababawan
ung bang tipong nadikitan mo lang sya by a quarter of a second sa hibla ng damit nya eh hanggang langit na yung tuwa mo..ung bang pwede ka nang mamatay...hay grabe ha...o kya naman makasalubong mo lang sya eh papasa kana sa exams....hm...wag sobrahan!!!
c. non stop talk
well...it just means na wala ka nang ibang kinuwento kundi sya..."he's like this...blah blah blah." its all about him...
d. stalker
in short...you're a walking encyclopedia about him...alam mo lahat ng dapat malaman tungkol sa kanya...schedule nya, adress, phone numbers...san sya tumaTambay...lahat ng favorites nya...pangalan ng parents nya...size ng pants, shoes, shirts nya...pati yata brand ng brief nya alam mo na...tsk!tsk!tsk! freaky...
e. obssesesion
hm, kailangan pa bang i-explain yan????
STAGE 6: GETTING TO KNOW YOU...
Sa wakas...kilala ka na rin ng crush mo...eh di happy kana di ba....it's your time to shine at magpakitang gilas...hehehe! kaso take note this is the most dangerous stage...remember that once you get to know him..there might be a possibility na ma-inlove ka...o complicated na yan!!!! pero pwede rin na crush mo lang talaga sya...there also may be a chance na mawala ung pagaka crush mo sa kanya...or you two might be good friends....friends...as in FRIENDS!!! daming possibilities...it's up to you kung what will you choose...basta make sure it's the best for both of you...
By Atty. Jay De Castro
Pilit itinutulak ng oposisyon ang pagkandidato ni Fernando Poe Jr. sa darating na 2004 presidential election. Ayon sa kanila , si FPJ ay dapat iboto dahil sa mga sumusunod:
1. Siya ay may plataporma de gobyerno na hango sa Aklat ng Panday. Ito ay mas matanda pa sa Code of Kalantiaw (ang unang batas sa Pilipinas) kaya't dapat paniwalaan ng ating mga mamamayan.
2. Kaya niyang lutasin ang mga krimen sa bansa sapagkat isang bala lang sa kanya ang mga kriminal.
3. Hindi uubra sa kanya ang mga Abu Sayyaf, MNLF at NPA sapagkat ang kanyang paiiralin ay ang Batas ng 45.
4. Siya ay isang Dalubhasa, kung kaya't kaya niyang buwagin ang lahat ng sindikato sa Pilipinas.
5. Hindi siya maaaring lokohin ng kanyang mga tauhan, sapagkat tulad ng salop ay napupuno siya at tatamaan ang hindi susunod sa kanya.
6. Iboboto siya ng mga Muslim sapagkat siya si Muslim .357 na kalaban ng mga masasamang loob.
7. Sigurado ang kanyang panalo sa Maynila, sapagkat kanya ang Tondo, kung saan kanyang itinayo ang Low Waist Gang.
8. May programa siya sa sports, sapagkat siya ang Pakner ni Efren "Bata" Reyes, ang hari ng billiards sa Pilipinas.
9. Bilang Totoy Bato ang matuturuan niya ng boksing ang ating mga kababayan.
10. Kapag siya ang naging pangulo ang labing limang piso ay makakabili na ng Pitong Gatang ng bigas at hindi isang kilo, tulad ng kasalukuyang kalakalan.
11. Malulutas niya ang kahirapan ng bansa, sapagkat siya ang nakakaalam ng Lihim ng Guadalupe na magdudulot ng yaman sa ating mamamayan.
12. Kung magkakaroon ng digmaan sa pagitan ng Tsina at Pilipinas dahil sa Spratlys ay magaling niyang mapamumunuan ang ating sandatahan dahil sa dami ng kanyang karanasan sa pakikipaglaban sa mga Hapon sa kanyang mga pelikula.
13. Kung may bulkang sasabog tulad ng Mt. Pinatubo, maiiwasan niya ang malalaking sakuna bunga ng kanyang natutunan sa pelikula niyang Anak ng Bulkan.
14. Siya ay isang Agila na simbolo ng pambansang ibon ng Pilipinas.
15. Bunga ng kanyang pagganap sa iba't ibang katauhan sa kanyang napakaraming pelikula ay magiging Perlas ng Silangan ang Pilipinas.
***
Sa kabila ng walang karanasan ni FPJ sa pagpapatakbo ng pamahalaan ay pilit siyang tinutulak ng oposisyon na tumakbo bilang pangulo ng bansa. Para bang ang pagpapatakbo ng gobyerno at pamumuno sa 82 milyong Pilipino ay isang pelikula na kung ang gumaganap ay magkakamali ay maitutuwid ito sa pangalawa o pangatlong "take".
Nakapanglulumong isipin ang ganitong pasiya ng oposisyon, lalu na't ang ilan sa kanila ay mga senador at kongresista. Halatang-halata na hindi kabutihan ng bansa at mga mamamayan ang kanilang pinahahalagahan, kundi sariling kapakanan, ang muli nilang paghawak sa kapangyarihan ng pamahalaan. Gagamitin lang nila si FPJ.
Anong kinabukasan ang maaasahan ng ating kabataan sa ganitong klaseng lider ng ating pamahalaan?
When things in your life seem almost to much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar......and the beer.
A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "Yes."
The Professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now", said the Professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - your family, your children, your health, your friends, your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff." "If you put the sand into the jar first", he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house, and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
When he had finished, there was a profound silence. Then one of the students raised her hand and with a puzzled _expression, inquired what the beer represented. The Professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers."
Phone rings. I pick it up in the living room, and she picks up the extension in the second floor.
I say, "Inday, pakibaba ang telepono. Dito ko na lang kakausapin si Eric".
Sagot siya, "Yes, kuya!"
Minutes later, while I'm still on the phone, may naririnig akong kalabog from the stairs. then I see the maid na pilit hinihila yung extension phone.
"ati,ang hirap pala ibaba ng ixtenshun!"
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
we had a maid before, she was asked to cook ampalaya. Binalatan ba naman yung ampalaya!?!!
galit yung daddy ko tuloy. so after realizing her mistake, sinama nya yung pinagbalatan ng ampalaya sa niluluto nya.hehehe
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
One day I asked one of our maids to cover my book, I told her...."uy mylene, paki balutan naman tong book ko... here's the wrapper and the plastic cover...."
after an hour....
mylene: "kat eto na o."
*****, tama ba namang gawing regalo na may plastic cover ung book ko?
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
yung tita ko at ang maid nila:
tita: paz, may tumawag ba?
paz: oho ate
tita: o, anong sabi?
paz: krrriiingg, kkkrriingg, hello?, sino po ito....ah ok, babay...
grabe, o diba accurate message, pati ring ng phone kuha...
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
(holding a pack of lucky me pancit canton)
ate: alam mo ba lutuin to?
day: pano ba yan te?
ate: pakuluan mo yung noodles at pag malambot na alisin mo yung tubig.
pagkatapos ihalo mo lahat ng nasa pakete.
(when she returned itim yung pancit)
ate:bakit ganito?
day: sabi niyo halo ko lahat!
(yung pancit pala may free na nescafe sa labas)
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dami eh, one time may tumawag sa bahay tapos tinanong ni mama kung sino, sabi niya walang sumagot. Okey fine. tinanong ni mama kung ano ang number, look siya sa caller ID, sinabi niya "nanay, 1234 po ang number na tumawag"
Natural, high pitch na si mama, "ano?"
"Sandali po Nanay, titignan ko ulit.
Nay, nagbago na ang number 1236 na po ngayon." Tinignan ng mama kung ano ang tinitignan niya, yun pala, yung oras."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
one time, sinama namin ng husband yung maid namin sa isang jap restaurant, we wanted to try kasi yung dinner buffet nila so get naman ng food yung maid namin sa buffet. i saw her getting several pieces ng california maki. Later nakita ko hinihimay nya yung maki and kinain lang niya yung rice tapos sabi sa kin
"bakit may electric tape 'to?" sabay taas nung seaweed
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Maid is cleaning Bro's room. Bro enters wearing only a towel (kakaligo
lang).
Maid starts to walk out of room.
Bro: Neng, isara mo ang pinto...
Maid turns around with tears in her eyes.
Maid: Kuya, h'wag po!!!
Bro: Gagah! Paglabas mo ng kwarto!!!
Friday, December 26, 2003
============
Once upon a time there was an island where all the feelings lived; happiness, sadness, knowledge, and all the others, including love.
One day it was announced to all of the feelings that the island was going to sink to the bottom of the ocean. So all the feelings prepared their boats to leave.
Love was the only one that stayed. She wanted to preserve the island paradise until the last possible moment.
When the island was almost totally under, Love decided it was time to leave. She began looking for someone to ask for help. Just then Richness was passing by in a grand boat. Love asked, "Richness, Can I come with you on our boat?" Richness answered, " I'm sorry, but there is a lot of silver and gold on my boat and there would be no room for you anywhere."
Then Love decided to ask Vanity for help who was passing in a beautiful vessel. Love cried out, "Vanity, help me please." "I can't help you", Vanity said, "You are all wet and will damage my beautiful boat."
Next, Love saw Sadness passing by. Love said, "Sadness, please let me go with you." Sadness answered, "Love, I'm sorry, but, I just need to be alone now."
Then, Love saw Happiness. Love cried out, " Happiness, please take me with you." But Happiness was so overjoyed that he didn't hear Love calling to him.
Love began to cry. Then, she heard a voice say, "Come Love, I will take you with me." It was an elder.
Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that she forgot to ask the elder his name.
When they arrived on land the elder went on his way. Love realized how much she owed the elder.
Love then found Knowledge and asked, "Who was it that helped me?"
"It was Time", Knowledge answered.
"But why did Time help me when no one else would?", Love asked.
Knowledge smiled and with deep wisdom and sincerity, answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."
Author Unknown
Just have to pass this on to you guys,
Merry Christmas, but lets not forget the true meaning of Christmas.
Imagine this.......
You're driving home from work next Monday after a long day. You tune in your radio. You hear a blurb about a little village in India where some villagers have died suddenly, strangely, of a flu-like virus that has never been seen before. It's not influenza, but three or four people are dead, and it's kind of interesting, and they are sending some doctors over there to investigate it.
You don't think much about it, but coming home from church on Sunday you hear another radio spot. Only they say it's not three villagers, it's 30,000 villagers in the back hills of this particular area of India, and it's on TV that night. CNN runs a little blurb: people are heading there from the disease center in Atlanta because this disease strain has never been seen before.
By Monday morning when you get up, it's the lead story. It's not just India; it's Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and before you know it, you're hearing this story everywhere, and they have now coined it as "the mystery flu." The President has made some comment that he and his family are praying and hoping that all will go well over there.
But everyone is wondering, "How are we going to contain it?" That's when the President of France makes an announcement that shocks Europe. He is closing their borders. No flights from India, Pakistan, or any of the countries where this thing has been seen.
That's why you are watch a little bit of CNN before going to bed. Your jaw hits your chest when a weeping woman is translated into English from a French news program: There's a man lying in a hospital in Paris, dying of the mystery flu. It has come to Europe.
Panic strikes. As best they can tell, after contracting the disease, you have it for a week before you even know it. Then you have four days of unbelievable symptoms. And then you die. Britain closes its borders, but it's too late. Southampton, Liverpool, London, and it's Tuesday morning when the President of the United States makes the following announcement: "Due to a national-security risk, all flights to and from Europe and Asia have been canceled. If your loved-ones are overseas, I'm sorry. They will not be admitted into this country until we find a cure for this thing."
Within four days, our nation has been plunged into an unbelievable fear.
People are wondering, "What if it comes to this country?" And preachers onTuesday are saying it's the scourge of God. It's Wednesday night, and you are at a church prayer meeting when somebody runs in from the parking lot and yells, "Turn on a radio, turn on a radio!" And while everyone in church listens to a little transistor radio with a microphone stuck up to it, the announcement is made. Two women are lying in a Long Island hospital, dying from the mystery flu. Within hours it seems, the disease envelops the country.
People are working around the clock, trying to find an antidote. Nothing is working. California, Oregon, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts. It's as though it's just sweeping in from the borders.
And then all of a sudden the news comes out. The code has been broken. A cure can be found. A vaccine can be made. It's going to take the blood of someone with a very rare and blood-type, who hasn't been infected. All through the Midwest, over all channels of emergency broadcasting, everyone is asked to do one simple thing: Go to your downtown hospital and have your blood analyzed. That's all we ask of you. When you hear the sirens go off in your neighborhood, please make your way quickly, quietly, and safely to the hospitals.
Sure enough, when you and your family get down there late on that Friday night, there is a long line, and they've got nurses and doctors coming out and pricking fingers and taking blood and putting labels on it. Your spouse and your kids are out there, and they take your blood and say, "Wait here in the parking lot, and if we call your name, you can be dismissed and go home." You stand around, scared, with your neighbors, wondering what on earth is going on, and if this is the end of the world.
Suddenly, a young man comes running out of the hospital screaming. He's yelling a name and waving a clipboard. What? He yells it again! And your son tugs on your jacket and says, "Daddy, that's me." Before you know it, they have grabbed your boy. "Wait a minute. Hold on!" And they say, "It's okay, his blood is clean. His blood is pure. We think he has the right blood type."
Five tense minutes later, out come the doctors and nurses crying and hugging one another - some are even laughing. It's the first time you have seen anybody laugh in a week, and an old doctor walks up to you and says, "Thank you, sir. Your son's blood is perfect. It's clean, it is pure, and we can make the antidote."
As the word begins to spread all across that parking lot full of folks, people are screaming and praying and laughing and crying. But then the gray-haired doctor pulls you and your wife aside and says, "May we see you for a moment? We didn't realize that the donor would be a minor and we... we need you to sign a consent form. "You begin to sign, and then you see that the box for the number of pints of blood to be taken is empty.
"H-h-h-how many pints?" And that is when the old doctor's smile fades, and he says, "We had no idea it would be a little child. We weren't prepared. We need it all!"
"But... but . . . I don't understand. He's my only son!"
"We are talking about the whole world here. Please sign. We...we... need to hurry!"
"But can't you give him a transfusion?"
"If we had clean blood we would. Please, will you please sign?"
In numb silence you do. Then they say, "Would you like to have a moment with him before we begin?"
Could you walk back? Could you walk back to that room where he sits on a table saying, "Daddy? Mommy? What's going on?"
Could you take his hands and say, "Son, your mommy and I love you, and we would never, ever let anything happen to you that didn't just have to be! Do you understand that?"
And when that old doctor comes back in and says, "I'm sorry. We've got to get started. People all over the world are dying," could you leave? Could you walk out while he is saying, "Dad? Mom? Dad? Why ... why have you abandoned me?"
And then next week, when they have the ceremony to honor your son, and some folks sleep through it, and some folks don't even bother to come because they have better things to do, and some folks come with a pretentious smile and just pretend to care, would you want to jump up and say, "EXCUSE ME! MY SON DIED FOR YOU! DON'T YOU EVEN CARE? DOES IT MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?"
I wonder, is that what God wants to say? "MY SON DIED FOR YOU! DOES IT MEAN NOTHING? DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I CARE?"
Father, seeing it from your eyes should break our hearts. Maybe now we can begin to comprehend the great love you have for us.
Pass this story on to your entire address book or just five close friends; either way, by Christmas it will be all over the Internet.
Someone sent this and I'd like to pass it on to you to make you smile at the end of the day. enjoy.
One beautiful December evening Huan Cho and his girl
friend Jung Lee were sitting by the side of the ocean.
It was a romantic full moon, when Huan Cho said "Hey
baby, let's play Weeweechu."
"Oh no, not now, lets look at the moon" said Jung Lee.
"Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I play Weeweechu. I
love you and it's the perfect time," Huan Cho Begged.
"But I rather just hold your hand and watch the moon."
"Please Jung Lee, just once play Weeweechu with me."
Jung Lee looked at Huan Chi and said, "OK, we'll play
Weeweechu."
Huan Cho grabbed his guitar and they both sang.....
"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry
Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy
New Year."
................What were you thinking????
Thursday, September 18, 2003
By Scores: (%)
00-00324 - 52*
00-00170 - 45
00-00214 - 41
00-00368 - 40
00-00261 - 35
00-00248 - 34
00-00411 - 32
99-00112 - 31
00-00392 - 31
99-00373 - 31
00-00370 - 30
00-00225 - 30
00-00185 - 30
00-00287 - 29
00-00243 - 29
00-00349 - 29
00-00404 - 29
00-00450 - 29
00-00245 - 27
00-00409 - 27
00-00346 - 25
00-00340 - 24
99-00154 - 24
00-00285 - 23
00-00131 - 22
00-00451 - 21
00-00333 - 21
00-00301 - 20
00-00268 - 20
00-00055 - 20
99-00507 - 19
99-00005 - 18
00-00187 - 16
00-00044 - 16
00-00298 - 15
00-00182 - 15
00-00060 - 15
99-00153 - 10
00-00094 - 10
00-00276 - 10
00-00290 - 10
99-00009 - 8
Posted by Engr. Michael L. Zarco
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
zarco is a must
zarco is playing center mid next to pareja and rodrigo is left mid
zarco is a nationally
zarco is in la right now helping his uncle
zarco is truly sorry for the incident
zarco is acknowledged as one the leading artists in the americas
zarco is the leader of a family who has for generations practiced the art of coppersmithing that was brought to the americas by spanish priests
zarco is discovered at
zarco is also a
zarco is one of the most underrated players in all of major league soccer
zarco is sleeping
zarco is all over that
zarco is a miami attorney who practices principally in franchise and complex commercial litigation
zarco is the 28
zarco is a great producer delivering high quality yields of long smooth yellow fruit
zarco is found dead in a secret synagogue with a naked girl by his side
zarco is one of the new christians
zarco is from the philippines
zarco is a mexican landrace and is classified as highly photoperiod sensitive under the ciat evaluation system
zarco is the former general secretary of section 15 of the mexican railroad workers
zarco is wanted for 1 st degree homicide in the death of michael bruce during a memorial day picnic shouting match
zarco is a member of the board of directors of the daily
zarco is located
zarco is located in the county of landa de matamoros
zarco is a young manuscript illustrator who tells the story of the infamous lisbon massacre of 1506
zarco is a major tourist area on the coast
zarco is practicing
zarco is not enough to make a team so utterly unable to win three in a row
zarco is a leader in the base christian communities in mexico city
zarco is the former general secretary of section 15 of the mexican
zarco is the former general
zarco is the new name given to a key tourist area located 24km
zarco is an activist in the mexican railroad workers union
zarco is found dead
zarco is from
zarco is also interesting as it had a russian community of people
zarco is convinced
zarco is ook een dromer
zarco is prodames2
zarco is the new name givene to a key tourist area located 24km
zarco is visiting marshall tuesday
zarco is a 'new christian'
zarco is being held without bond in the leelanau county jail
zarco is considered the epicentre of funchal
zarco is young but vehement in his pursuit
Source: http://www.googlism.com/when_is/z/zarco/
Friday, September 12, 2003
Saturday, July 12, 2003
Friday, June 13, 2003
Ahh - sobra-sobra sa sarap, sarap na sarap na makaisa pa.
Aahhh - hirap na hirap sa sobrang sarap, sarap na sarap sa sobrang hirap.
Abakada - ikli ng Egahailamanangaoparasatauwaya.
Abuloy - bayad sa nahigop na kape at nanguyang biskwit sa nilamayang sakla.
Aginaldo - inaasahan na makukuha sa araw ng Pasko na mas okay sana kung
pera na lang.
Babae - pangunahing dahilan ng pagkalalaki ng lalaki.
Baboy - isang uri ng hayop na nakakain ang kabahuan.
Bakasyon - sandaliang pahinga sa trabahong hingal lang ang pahinga.
Bakit - tanong na laging mahirap masagot.
Bakya - tsinelas na may takong.
Baga - lutuan ng mga hindi makabili ng microwave.
Bangungot - pangungulangot ng isip.
Kababata - dating gelpren na may ibang boypren.
Kabag - utot na naipon sa tiyan.
Kalmot - haplos ng nasasarapan.
Kama - higaan na gawaan din ng bata.
Kamote - prutas na pampalambot ng utot.
Dakma - hawak na sobra sa pagnanasa.
Dahas - pwersahang pakiusap sa maarteng kausap.
Dalaginding - dalagang hindi pa nagsusuot ng bra.
Determinasyon - paninindigan na nakatitigas-ulo lamang.
Dila - hindi lang panlasa, panlaplapan pa.
Dilim - liwanag na maitim.
E - ireng paseksi.
Gaga - kulang-kulang na pagkababae.
Gago - nasobrahan sa pagkalalaki.
Gahasa - romansang walang ligawan.
Ginang - asawa ni ginoo na mukha nang tsimay.
Ginoo - inaasawa ni ginang na may inaasawang iba.
Gutom - utot na lang ang laman ng tiyan.
Halaga - laging may katumbas na pera.
Haliparot - malanding pakipot.
Handog - bigay na laging may kapalit.
Hangin - utot na walang amoy.
Hipo - haplos na may malisya.
Hudas - tapat na manloloko.
I - ire ng hindi makatae.
Ibon - hayop na lumalangoy sa Hangin.
Imposible - pagtaas ng unano.
Insulto - walang hiyang biro.
Isda - hayop na hindi Nalulunod.
Ita - negrong Pinoy.
Itak - ama ng kutsilyo at balisong.
La - ikli ng 'lalalalala' sa kinakantang hindi maalala.
Lalawigan - syudad ng kahirapan.
Landi - hindi maarte sa hipuan.
Langaw - kulisap na bangung- bango sa bango ng basura.
Laos - usung-uso noong uso pa.
Libag - pawis na dumikit sa Balat.
Ma - tawag sa gelpren na mukhang nanay na.
Mahal - damdaming nakabubuntis.
Mama - tawag sa sosyal na ina.
Mantika - katas ng piniritong taba.
Maybahay - asawang utusan sa bahay.
Minindal - pagkain ng bisita.
Nakaw - pagkuha ng walang pasabing 'akin na lang ito.'
Naku - ikli ng 'ina ko, ina na ako.'
Nars - tituladong utusan ng doktor.
Nobya - gelpren na laking probinsya.
Nunal - libag na namukol sa balat.
Ngala-ngala - bahagi ng bunganga na languyan ng dura.
Ngayon - kahapon ng bukas.
O - sarap na pinipigil-pigil.
Ooh - sarap na hindi mapigil- pigil.
Ooohhh - sarap na sarap na hindi papipigil.
Paa - bahagi ng katawan na amoy lupa.
Pabula - mga kuwentong makahayop.
Pakwan - ikli ng 'pakain ng kuwan.'
Pag-ibig - kahalayan ng lumalanding puso.
Pagong - hayop na may mansyon na likod.
Palengke - tambayan ng mga tindera at pasyalan ng mga nanay na.
Raket - negosyong lokohan.
Regla - masungit na panahon ng pagkababae.
Sabaw - ulam na puro tubig ang rekado.
Sakristan - utusan ng pari.
Sampal - haplos na nakatitigas ng mukha.
Ta - ikli ng 'tita' o lalaking may bra.
Taas - agwat ng higante sa pandak.
Tamad - taong hindi napapagod sa pahinga.
Uhog - kulangot na mamasa-masa.
Watawat - tawag sa sinaunang bandera.
Ya - ikli ng 'yaya' o bayarang ina.
Yungib - sementadong lungga ng mga ita.