People Listen

Coming from my lunch break today, I forcely listened with two guys having a sort of “personal” conversation in the elevator. The other guy was telling to his colleague in a soft voice (intented for me not to clearly hear it), “She married a rich dude. Do you think she would…” then the elevator doors open on my floor.

Digicam

Year-end is just around the corner and you know what that means to some of us. It’s that time again to create a list of New Year resolutions, either you follow through or ignore and make another list for next year. But there’s one thing that I’ve been meaning to do for years since it came out in the mainstream – to buy a digital camera. Yes, I’m still using my old camera that requires 300 ASA film. It’s a load and click but certainly captures good memories and high quality pictures well enough to keep them years to come. That camera was a Christmas gift to me by my sister in 1995.

I’m still wearing my old Seiko quartz wrist watch that my mum gave to me on October 1982.

I keep all my vinyl records – music from different genre.

I prefer to buy CDs and play them on my walkman instead of downloading music and listen to i-pod.

And yes, I still have the VHS player but because lately it’s been difficult to find VHS tape, I had to acquire a DVD player that has region 0.

I tend to hold on things for sentiment reason.

Northwest and Delta Airlines

Northwest Airlines has always been good to me whenever I travel domestic in a coach flight, they upgrade me to first class. And I am loyal to the airline since 1991. I fly world business class to Asia all the time. However, since NW filed and came out from bankruptcy, flight delays have soared and become a nightmare to travelers especially those with (international) connecting flights. Coming back from Manila via Tokyo, we arrived on time in Minneapolis St Paul only to find that our flights to LGA-NY had been delayed (again) for weather-related and air traffic in LaGuardia Airport. OK for air traffic I can understand, but weather-related, I wasn’t sure about that. CNN weather posted New York City’s weather was in the 60’s. Now that Delta Airlines merged and acquired Northwest Airlines, which I am both a frequent flyer, I’m crossing my fingers that delays would minimize. But I’m afraid both airlines might soon monopolize and skyrocket plane tickets.

My First Christmas Tree

I was in Manila from Nov 25th through Dec 15th.

It was my first time ever to put up a Christmas tree and first time since I bought my townhouse five years ago.

Lorna and I scoured Metropolitan area to find a supposed to be perfect tree and bought some trimmings and lightings in Tiendesitas to start dressing up the tree.

Deeday helped us to put up the tree. It was tilted a little so I called it the “Leaning Christmas Tree”.

I invited my cousins and their kids, my aunts and uncles, high school classmates and family close friends to bring Christmas trimming for the tree.

For friends that I didn’t get a chance to see them while I was in Manila, I have no valid reason why but I promise to make it up to you all on my next visit.

Crave

Have you craved for something? Sometimes there’s something you want to nibble but you don’t know what it is. You can’t pin down what type of food you wish to munch. Last night I was out with my “foreign” friends and went to this special place in Lower Manhattan called Petite Abeille, a Belgian restaurant in the Meatpacking district. I knew I was hungry but I sat there browsing the menu for about 15 minutes, which is long enough if someone was waiting for you to take your order while all your friends had already ordered.

Side comment: Notice that I used the word “foreign” loosely. I learned that from Bettina whom I’ve met two months ago through Honey. There’s a story behind that word which I think it’s sort of funny.

Back to my craving, I got beef stew Belgian-style with a glass of red wine.

I was on my way home around 11 P.M. I was on the subway train when suddenly my craving came back to me. I realized what I wanted. I want to eat “sinigang na baboy”.

So this morning I went to Lou Cheng Market and bought pork belly. Then I asked the butcher to cut it in cubes. I also picked tamarind-based soup and some vegetables to mix with it.

I might have cooked too much. I would probably be eating the leftovers for three days.

So this is craving. Now I feel nauseous just looking at it :))

Tomadachi

Pictures were taken in NYC on Sunday, October 19, 2008. Friends from Japan came to visit me on my birthday; with Yuri, Dizza, Yugi, and Christopher

Mesa Grill

My birthday is not until this Sunday, but my brother (along with my sister-in-law and my 10-year-old niece), and my two sisters took me out for dinner at one of my favorite restaurants – Mesa Grill (owner Food Network star chef Bobby Flay). The last time I’d eaten in Mesa Grill was two years ago and I’ve always wanted to go back. But it’s been holding me and my friends back because of its high price (and yet it is worth every bite). And tonight it was awesome! Not only that I was with the company of my loving and dear family, the food was simply mouth-watering and the service was charming and pleasant. I can’t wait to go back for another scrumptious experience.

A Different Kind of Experience

It was dreary Saturday in Manhattan. The skyline was like Gotham, bleak and gloomy. It was cloudy, on and off drizzle and some heavy rain. It was muggy and foggy the whole weekend. The lousy weather didn’t keep us from going out though.

Saturday we met in Grand Central Station by the big clock at 2 PM then we walked down to 2nd Avenue and 42nd Street to catch the M15 bus to downtown for late lunch at Grill 21. It was crowded when we got to the restaurant so we waited for 5 minutes to be seated.

After our delectable lunch (of sinigang na baboy, daing na bangus, and mixed pancit), we headed back to M15 bus stop to lower Manhattan for the circus-cabaret show that camp out in north side of Pier 17 South Street Seaport.

It was a night of clever seduction, passion and deceit not to mention breathtaking displays of acrobatic wonder; a theatrical circus experience that will take you backstage at the greatest nightclub. Boy meets girls meets girls meets boy meets boy. At least that’s the plot of “Désir”, the jewel of Paris, in the early 20th century.

“Désir” is a different show that I have had seen in New York City. It is a cavalcade of beauties and hard bodies that I found myself voyeuristic that suggests some couplings (and tripling) acrobats and high-flying exercise in between ground and air. It was also like watching Victoria’s Secret runway show where performers were so attractive that you might develop such crushes. Then there was the charming floppy-haired Persian walked on a tightrope. That was a show stopper.

“Désir” was a whole different kind of experience and yet interesting and entertaining.

Proud and Gay

Clay Aiken is gay? Wow, that’s a shock. It’s like being told that Chris Daughtry is bald. Or that David Cook uses hair gel. Or that Ruben Studdard is fat. On a recent issue of People Magazine, Clay comes out – just like Neil Patrick Harris did. Nevertheless, kudos to him for being candid about his sexuality and he should be proud for coming out courageously. He did the right thing. Good for him.

The Forum

Landmark Education was initially introduced to me by Shanna six years ago. Until this Saturday I did actually sit in and participate through the invitation of a very good friend Honey (scroll down for Wednesday Blogger). She also happened to be our speaker. I’ve known her for quite a while and yet I didn’t know how passionate she was as a “lecturer” and surprisingly humorous. Though I was outnumbered by six females, everyone was responsive and the mood in the room was unexpectedly friendly and respectful. It was the moment when we shared opinions, past experiences and plans for the future. Learning from each of them how they cope with distress, frustrations and disappointments impelled me to rethink about living and relating with others in a more positive way.

Wall Street

These days it is inadvertent not to talk about the slowing down of the U.S. economy. Even around the water cooler the Wall Street meltdown has been our topic since Bears Stearns’ demise then recent fallout of two big financial institutions. These failures have significantly impacted us psychologically; about our well-being and the integrity of the financial system. The economy is likely our top priority in the upcoming national election in November that will spur a much greater focus by presidential candidates.

September 11

Today marks the 7th anniversary of 9/11. This morning I overhead on the subway train two women shared opinions about the 9/11. It got me when one woman said that "Why can’t New Yorker just move on?" I felt I needed to get involved with their thought-provoking conversation but I hesitated not to stir up the flame. These two women were already heated the argument of should or shouldn’t continue to honor and remember the 9/11 and move on just like everyone else. Some passengers rolled their eyes and their faces painted with dismay and shock of what they were hearing from a callous heart. Though I respectfully agreed with her that we should move on and yet it would be shameful not to remember and honor the innocent victims of the 9/11 attack. I know I am not like everyone else. I will never forget that one of my college friends died and his remain has not been identified. My friend’s family clings to hope that someday or soon that Michael’s remain will be identified. Michael's family needs closure.

Wushu

I’ve mentioned from my previous blog that the Philippines has yet to win gold medal in the Olympics. Although “wushu” was not an official Olympic sport, our very own Willy Wang had taken the championship in the men’s Nanquan and Nangun at the recent Beijing Olympics. Still the gold medal he brought back has a special meaning.

A significant component of China’s cultural heritage, wushu said to be training for life. Wushu literally translated as “wu” means military and “shu” is art. Not only wushu is practiced all over China but also in the streets and parks of New York City. In Woodside where I live, I’ve seen people from different cultural background perform solo, paired or group in the park and sometimes they use traditional Chinese weapons. I find the movements are actually beautiful which is similar to Tai Chi. I once told that wushu is a sport that can practiced whole life. It is training for body and soul.

When Japan hosted the Summer Olympics in 1964, they introduced Judo and Korea kicked off Taekwondo in 1988 Seoul Olympics. For now wushu was an exhibition event, but China is pushing hard to make it an Olympic sport.

My Olympics Recap

The number 8 that said to be auspicious in Chinese culture ended with a bang in Bird’s Nest Stadium on Sunday night. Beijing delivered spectacular and mind-boggling choreographs with incredible precision in the opening ceremony then dazzled the audiences from across the globe in the closing ceremony with displays of lavish fireworks and impressive scripted merriment. The 16-day of glory, the agony of defeat, the moments that make memories and the judging and scoring controversies in Beijing are now part of the Olympics history.

Some life stories crashed with intriguing tales of glory and tragedy. Samia Yusuf Omar is a girl from Somalia, a country of a decades-long civil war, who competed in the 200-meter dash and finished last but with great joy and pride. Bringing the Somali flag and standing with best athletes was her proudest memory and lifetime experience. American Hugh McCutcheon’s heartache and Chinese Liu Xian’s disappointment left our hearts heavy. And the electrifying runs of Usain Bolt from Jamaica and the strokes of determination of Michael Phelps of the USA inspired everyone.

Romanian Nadia Comaneci was just 14 when she scored a perfect 10 to win gold in 1976 Montreal Olympics. Being a young gymnast then wasn’t a bad thing. That is to remind sour-grape Romanian-American Martha Karolyi when she kept smearing the Chinese gymnasts every time they stuck their landings with comments like “Those little babies.” The age confusion, according to China’s deputy sports minister, has attributed to a paperwork mistake during a team transfer. Whatever it was, after all, the philosophy of the time was old enough to vault, old enough to compete.

But that didn’t stop the Karolyis bad mouthed when American Nastia Luikin and Chinese He Kexin earned identical scores of 16.725 on the uneven bars. Bela Karolyi, Martha's husband, had reason to believe that the new scoring system should have been flawless but he seemed to have a lack of knowledge on mathematical scorings. If there’s a tie in A-score (difficulty) and B-score (execution), each judge sums up his/her deductions. Nastia Luikin found to have greater deductions than He Kexin.

Wrestler Ara Abrahamian of Sweden dropped his bronze medal in disgust was justified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The judges said that Abrahamian was right to protest against the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles for refusing to review the video after a disputed call. This kind of loophole needs to be fixed because this happens all the time.

Most shocking without a doubt when Cuba’s Taekwondo Angel Matos deliberately kicked a referee square in the face and pushed one of the judges after he was disqualified in a bronze-medal match for taking too much injury time. The rule fighters get one minute time only. Matos’ time ran out.

Flashy swimsuits can also be put on a spotlight. The Spanish synchronize swimmers, Andrea Fuentes and Gemma Mengual, wanted to wear swimsuits with embedded waterproof lights, but the suits banned by swimming’s world governing body. It would have been fun to watch if they were allowed to wear those lights. “It looks a bit like Christmas lights,” Fuentes said.

Six athletes represented the Philippines in the Beijing Olympics. It’s long enough that the Philippines hasn’t won any medals. What we need is a government support and public and private sectors sponsorships. We should step up to improve sports facilities and train our athletes up to their potentials.

Pressures

For the past weeks I have been overwhelmed and inundated with projects and reports to generate and their deadlines were so tight. There were times that I would not even get up and leave my cubicle just to go to the men's room. For over 20 years that I’ve been working, it was the first time I’ve experienced coming in to work early and leaving late. Yet after the pandemonium (sometimes confusions) to meet my deadline for each, I felt great after our big boss gave me a pat on my back. He said I did excellent jobs with those financial reports that were presented to the board of directors and officers. Today it will be a relaxing day – which I have time to update my blog, evidently. Then I thought about it so hard, I have nothing to write except this one.

Spain's Fallout

Spain’s Olympic basketball team shows all its players slanting their eyes posing for an advertisement prior to the Games; they claimed to be funny or at least try to be one. But it turned out to be not. Living in a politically-incorrect-world, this type of image is offensive to Asians across the globe. However this team and the organizer defend themselves, this picture was taken in poor taste and judgment. The idea was ridiculous and racist.

Happy Birthday Mom

Today my mom’s celebrating her 70th. Four years ago she came out from retirement and started to go back to work. At her age, she has not stopped moving around nor she would ever slow down. Every time she always amazes me for her high spirit and energy. I spoke with her this morning and seemed to be having a great time in San Francisco with her cousins. She still manages to travel from coast to coast and across the pacific, three or four times a year. I wish her to be in great shape for two more decades.

The Washers

For the past few weeks my old washing machine had been acting up. It stopped spinning in the middle of a rinse and water leaked coming from its tank. And for the past few weeks I tried to be a handyman finding possible causes of spin cycle to sudden stop and water leaks. With no avail, I’m not really a guy who can fix any appliances, so I called my brother and asked him to take a look on my old washer. Because he lives in New Jersey and wants to avoid driving to New York for an hour and half (also possibly gets stuck in the city traffic), the first thing he asked me on the phone was "How old is your washing machine?" I told him it was about 10 years old. I started working at 34th Street and 5th Avenue in 1997 and I had that washer already so that would be more than 10 years old. He laughed and said that I should buy a new one.

On Monday I searched online and printed some information about washers to find what would be the best for me; its performance, price, spin cycles etc. On that day I got off from work an hour early and headed to the appliance store in Rego Park, Queens. On the same day I bought a new one and requested to deliver it on a weekend, preferably Saturday, and haul away the disconnected old washer. I also informed the salesperson that I didn’t have proper tools to disconnect the old and install the new so I needed someone to do it for me. The salesperson added instructions noting my requests on my receipt.

The delivery was on time. They arrived around 9 a.m. But there was a problem because I was told that they only deliver the new one and take away the old. They were not allowed to disconnect and install washers. I was told that they were cautious about plumbing and ducked out the blame for if anything happened. To me that was a big BS. I didn't offer to pay them because it said on the reciept "free installation". I refused to sign the delivery form but they would take back the new one. And the next time I will be charged for the delivery. Anyway I compromised but disappointed. They left me with the new one uninstalled and the old washer. When the old washer will be disconnected, they said to call the store to reschedule for pick up. Frustrated and upset, I called my brother to help me disconnect and install the washers.

I learned my lesson and not to go back to P.C. Richard and Son. I should have initially listened to my brother to order from Home Depot or Sears; these two companies are more reliable and with a high customer satisfaction rate. Now my old washer is lying around in my living room and is waiting for next week pick up.

My Own Dilemma

To work or not to work from home.

I sit in my cubicle and hammer my computer keyboard all day, why can’t I do this in the comfort of my home? If I work remotely, I can be spared a hefty overpriced cafeteria lunches. I’ll be able to stay away from co-workers who are constantly stopping by to interrupt my workflow or otherwise just to chit-chat that slows my progress. I can avoid the shoving and pushing in the subway trains during the rush hours. I can even give my nose a break for that strong smell of a perfume and body odors.

But then again, it is convenient to have a cubicle neighbor pop over for help to solve a quick problem than try to call in for help. I also think that a necessary and productive meeting is usually best served in the office.

There's no reason why I cannot work from home once or twice a week.

Ex-roommate or maybe not...

I have to admit when Frank came over this afternoon to pick up his stuff and moved out officially, I felt the whole apartment was empty. He was my first roommate ever, except for my two younger brothers when they were both attending college in Manhattan, I didn’t realize that he and I would get along well.

Here are a few things that I will miss about Frank, on a positive note:

1) leaving his toothbrush or mouthguard in the shower
2) leaving the bathroom floor wet after taking a shower
3) coming home at 2 a.m. from his externship and trying his best to be super quiet
4) struggling with the toilet’s flapper; though he replaced and fixed it before he left
5) having Sunday brunch in La Flor and being seated in the same spot
6) hearing his alarm clock from his cell phone on Saturday and Sunday mornings
7) waiting for him to come home in the wee hours of Saturdays or Sundays to make snacks

Nonetheless, Frank is always welcome to crash in.

Passion for Food

One of the reasons why I love living in New York is because of my passion for food. I always enjoy dining out with my family and friends. The Restaurant Week starts off this month and many restaurants participate in this mouth-watering event, but sometimes it may be difficult to know which choices are best. Because the value of a Restaurant Week meal varies significantly from place to place, perhaps these links will provide you where you can enjoy a great meal, deal as well as service.
Restaurant Week
Open Table

Friends and Roommate

I’ve no regrets in choosing to stay home and spend a quality time with my niece, Khristina, and her boyfriend, Frank on the 4th of July weekend instead of going to Fire Island with my friends and watch another meaningless gay pageant. I had a wonderful weekend with Khristina and Frank but the best time was when we watched a movie “Vantage Point” on DVD together. It was our first movie night since Frank moved in. I hope it won’t be the last.

When Frank moved into my apartment this March so he can be closer to his externship in Café Boulud, I had mixed feelings about it because I never had a roommate. I know there are things that I could not probably do when he’s around such as walking around my underwear (sometimes naked) or leaving the bathroom door while taking a shower (or pooping). Then I thought it was only for four months maybe I could handle it so I said yes. Besides I’ve also wanted to get know more about Khristina. She and I have little chance to talk or see each other; only when there’s a family-get-together in NJ. If Frank would stay with me, Khristina would be coming more often to NY on weekends to be with him. It is a perfect arrangement.

This month, Frank, as initially planned, is moving out. But I told him if he needs a place to crash in I could always use a roommate. It is a great feeling that I have a roommate whom I can be comfortable with and most importantly bond with my niece.

Khristina and Frank will be away for a long three weeks vacation and adventures in Mexico. I will absolutely miss them around; my new friends.

Waterfalls in NYC

I want to share to you a site about a Danish artist who brought his vision to reality by creating waterfalls in NYC – Lower Manhattan. Who would have thought waterfalls in Manhattan? It sounds inconceivable but with hard work anything is possible. The 4 waterfalls creations are just amazing and we are lucky enough to have these views from our office building in the Wall Street area. NYC Waterfalls

Blame Game

The blame game is designed to find excuses and displacements for own social capital and political interest. The mistakes made by both parties – Sulpicio Lines and the Philippine Coast Guard – plunges our maritime into a deepest trouble. The effort to blame one group over the other seems to confuse the real issue. Nobody seems to take full responsibility and accountability of the actions or inactions of the recent sea tragic causing hundreds of deaths. Sulpicio Lines is the epitome of negligence and mismanagement for years and is still in business. It is shameful that fellow Filipinos have to suffer serious consequences by flawed management and our system seems to disregard of human lives to their own capital interest.

No Excuses

Officials of Sulpicio Lines told a marine inquiry Wednesday that “an act of God” – not engine failure that capsized the MV Princess of the Stars during last week’s raging typhoon in the Philippines causing the death of at least hundreds of passengers and crews.

While the families of the victims mourn of their deaths and seek for answers, officials of Sulpicio Lines have been docking away for days. Today I am in total shock when I read the headline on the Philippine Inquirer (inquirer.net) – “An Act of God”.

Let me put this in perspective.

Maybe it was a force of nature that sank the vessel but it was not an act of God as claimed by those morons and imbeciles of Sulpicio Lines. This was not the first time that the shipping lines – that wonders me why they are still in business – had struck tragedy. If Sulpicio management and the Philippine coast guard have reason to believe that the shipping lines have a high threshold risk, why in the first place the vessel was out in the sea? Despite of the obvious rough seas, they chose to set sail instead of to wait until the weather would get better. Have they ever learned from their three previous disasters? These irrational behaviors from the management are inexcusable and appalling. They should be held liable and accountable of the death of hundreds innocent people. And the shipping lines should be grounded indefinitely.

Sofia's Birthday at Dampa Ortigas

Photo courtesy of Nelson

From B-movie To Softball

This weekend was very busy; on Saturday I went to see the M. Night Shyamalan’s new film The Happening with my brother and on Sunday we had a family-close-friends barbeque party at my brother’s house in East Brunswick, NJ to celebrate Father’s Day.

The Sixth Sense is the only movie that I think Shyamalan nailed it and is still hanging to the all time top 100 movies in the U.S. and Canada. The rest of his films are disappointing – The Village and Lady in the Water were so and so. The Signs was just okay. Now this time, The Happening is worst than a B-movie. The directions and acting are terrible. Mark Wahlberg is a fine actor but in this film he delivers B-movie acting. I strongly suggest saving your money from seeing this non-sense-fuzzy film. Not worth a dime.

Father’s Day was also a big event for the whole family and with some friends. My brother prepared lobsters, grilled steaks, skewered shrimps, pork barbeque, and lots of grilled veggies. In his backyard we played softball – kids vs. adults. Can you guess who won? It was a fun game but adults could not seem to catch up with the kids’ energy. I supposed their arthritis slowed them down to slide in to the base.

A Thrilling Combination

Mario Lopez plays Zach

I was a college student when my first Broadway experience happened in the late spring of 1982. I remember my first time watching A Chorus Line; I was seated in the rear mezzanine looking down on an empty stage. When the curtain rose up and the lights came up, the only visible were mirrors and dancers in rehearsal clothes trying new steps.

A Chorus Line, the longest running show, ran on Broadway from 1975 to 1990, has returned to Broadway in the fall of 2006 for another musical kicks. I saw it again last night and this time I seated in the center of front mezzanine. The choreography and the music, yet it feels nothing revival, are timeless state-of-the-art. It is like a vintage wine that it gets better as it aged. After 26 years, it’s still the best Broadway musical. This Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical continues to be a singular sensation.

What makes A Chorus Line the best Broadway musical ever? For it is plain and simple. No gimmick. No special technical effects. It’s just an empty theatre. On a bare stage 17 dancers audition for a chance of a lifetime to dance. The sweats, the hours of training and the lives of every dancer, they put it all on the line to fulfill their dreams.

What I did for love? is the anthem of the show, led by Morales. In the movie version it was sung by Cassie in connection to her love with Zach which diminishes the meaning of this powerful song. Yet it always works on the stage where it belongs.

Vinyl is Back

Yesterday after work, my friend from college and I scoured the east and west village looking for vinyl record of Edith Piaff. We started from 4:30 PM and we finished around 10 PM which I blamed him for missing my favorite show on TV. We found some of Piaff’s classic records but didn’t find what my friend was looking for. Then I suggested to him that go to Amazon.com. They created a special vinyl-only section last fall that got me hooked for loving back my vinyl records. In fact I still have those LPs that I bought from Amsterdam, Lisbon, Athens, and Madrid. When my turntable broke I was so dismayed that I won’t be able to play those LPs. Fortunately, I found a company on the internet that manufactures and replicates 1950's turntable. I ordered one and shipped it to my townhouse in the Philippines as well as those LPs. So when I’m in Manila, I always enjoy playing and listening those LPs. I'm not being nostalgic but I feel it has a better sound. Those i-pods where you can download thousands of music may spin you in mainstream, but there’s nothing like the sound of a vinyl record. Vinyl is back and I'm loving every groove.
Audio Critique

Not Again

As the price of gasoline per barrel soaring, we have another issue to deal with that keeps on rising. The scorching heat in the Northeast blames some outages in five boroughs of New York City. Yesterday’s high temperature in the city was not a record, but last night I feared there was another blackout when my air conditioner suddenly went out. Then it went back on after a minute. The last time we had blackout in our neighborhood was two years ago. That experience having no power for almost a week was unbearable. The food in the fridge and raw meats were spoiled. I had candle light to get around my apartment during the night. I spent every day eating out. And coming home from work was brutal.

The electric company has allocated billions of dollars to upgrade its cable. Yet the company could not explain what caused the outages where number of homes without electricity last night.

Evergreen

A dear and long time friend of mine had passed away unexpectedly on May 17th and as I promised to him I would be coming home for his funeral.

Thinking about the happy moments when he was alive and knowing that I would never see his smiles and those laugh lines on his face, it was difficult for me to get a glimpse of him lying in a coffin. The last time I saw him was in January and I want to remember him that way.

He was loved by his family, peers, friends, and even who knew him only for a short time were all there to pay their respects and show their love for him. Ronnie Cruz was an amazing and incredible person I had ever known. He was notoriously generous and his selflessness was unparalleled.

I will certainly miss him every time I come home to Manila.

Ron

When I got up at 9 a.m. on Saturday I noticed that my answering machine was blinking that indicates someone left a message or messages. First thing I'd thought was who would call me and left me a message in the morning. And I said, “That must be very important.”

When I played the message, it says “Carlo, wala na si Ronnie.” It was an overseas call from the Philippines. My initial reaction was disbelieved and upset because I just spoke with Ronnie on the phone on Monday, though he was in the hospital, he sounded perky and energetic. He was laughing and making jokes. So if that message was a prank that was a bad one. You don’t joke about someone’s death.

To confirm I called a friend (who’s also very close to Ronnie) but he was surprised and like me he refused to believe. I called my brother to check on Ronnie at Delos Santos Memorial Hospital. He sent me text message on my cell phone and said that Ronnie was already discharged from the hospital and sent home.

Still I was not convinced so I called Ronnie’s cell phone. His nephew answered the phone. Ronnie, my best friend and confidant for almost 30 years, left us. He died on Saturday night, Manila time, at Quezon City Medical Center. He was 51.

To My Mom

This day is the 100th anniversary of Mother’s Day, a reminder of every mother’s accomplishments trying to do the balancing act of being everything to everyone. Instead of giving her flowers and a greeting card, today I want to dedicate this page to my loving and caring mother for nurturing her five children and providing us a cozy safe home.

I was barely six years old when my father died, our eldest sister was ten, and my youngest brother was months old. My mom was an elementary school teacher then. With five young children to take care of, she struggled to financially support us with her teaching salary so she decided to go to the U.S. and left us with our grandmother in Project 4. My mom sold our house in La Loma.

She landed a teaching job in Philadelphia but she said it wasn’t enough to send money for us. So she went back to college and matriculated in nursing. Until we all migrated to the U.S. in 1980, she maintained her day job as a teacher and a night job in hospital as a Registered Nurse to save funds for our college education.

Mom, I have never written you a letter before to tell you how much I am blessed to have you as our mother. All the things that you’d done for us, we owe our success to you. You’d sacrificed your life for us to single handedly provide us the best care and education. You’d thought us to be independent, to be generous and most of all to be a better person.

We thank you and we will always love you. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.

Jonah

For five years, Jonah has been my housekeeper and has taken good care of my 3-storey townhouse in the Philippines while I’m based in New York. I go home once or twice a year to check out the place and I’m always amazed how she has managed the townhouse spotless; the furniture always looks brushed up.

I let her handle my Philippine bank account and pay all the bills. I authorized her to directly communicate with the personnel of Montgomery Place for any issues that might come up concerning to the unit. And over the years, she has exhibited a knack of dealing with people. Her interaction with the personnel in the administration office (and especially neighbors) has earned her great admiration and respect from them, considering her social status in a gated community.

Jonah once told me that some of her fellows were envious of her free will to go out and in into the guarded community. Because for most (or perhaps all) of them are not allowed to go out beyond the gate without homeowner's permission to show to the guards.

With her around, I have less worry to think about and with full confidence that my properties are in good hands. Today I’m saddened that Jonah is leaving me for a job opportunity in Hong Kong. It is hard for me to let her go, but I don’t want to hold her up and steal her chance and dream to go abroad. Nevertheless, I wish her the very best of luck and success!

Lucky Day

I routinely checked my mailbox before stepping into my apartment and surprised to discover three gift cards loosely sitting in my mailbox. They were not packaged in an envelope - no return address and no recipient. Whether someone set up a prank on me or mere luck to find three Macy’s gift cards with $100, $50 and $25 value in my mailbox, my first instinct was to find out if they were outstanding cards.

I dialed the 800 number that was indicated on the back of the cards and checked the remaining balance, surprisingly enough the cards haven’t been exhausted. Unconvinced and disbelieved, I redialed the number and this time cautiously reentered the bar codes.

Two months ago I found a Metrocard with $20 in it.

An Evening To Remember

It was truly “An Evening to Remember with Kuh” on April 19th at the Bible Church International Main Hall in New Jersey; it was an incredibly unusual concert. I wish I could talk about her music, haplessly, it was overshadowed by the endorsement of her high end club share business and her preachy tone. But yes, I’m still a fan of her music.

Over two decades ago in Carnegie Hall in New York City when I first witnessed Kuh Ledesma’s concert, by then she was feisty with great energy accompanied by Music and Magic Band and of course she was twenty-something younger. She was undeniably one of the Philippine’s treasures and sought-after singer when she rendered her own powerful and emotional version of “Don’t Cry for me Argentina”. Popularized by Patti Lupone on Broadway’s Evita, that song became Kuh's signature. And with her fashionably two-sided-braided-hair that made every young Filipino girl wanted to be look like her.

Kuh is a prolific singer. She can still deliver great performances on the stage even minus the band and she is certainly aged beautifully, but that Saturday night was weird to me. In between songs, she openly talked about her failed marriage life. She thankfully acknowledged her strong personal relationship with Jesus Christ that made her a better person leaving behind the “mataray” life she had; reading the bible has given her the strength to embrace challenges and hardships in her life. Though those were incessantly (sometimes whiny) not music to my ears, she sounded profound and inspiring to everyone in the hall.

Adding insult to the injury, the second hour was a turn-off when she pitched in to endorse the “Hacienda Isabella” in the Philippines where she is the President and CEO. I thought this concert was peculiar enough because I paid to listen to her music. The fact that she was singing on a karaoke-type-stage and turning-into-a-preachy concert already, the last thing I would expect from her was to feature her club share business.

Because Nessie and I were VIP ticket holders, we got invitations to have a “Tea Time” in the Blue Room with Kuh after her so called “concert”. Needless to say, it was a bait to watch a power point presentation of “Hacienda Isabella.” Of course we had option to leave the room, nonetheless we elected to stay and listen of what they could offer for potential club share members.

It was unforgiving using her celebrity status to lure concertgoers (if that was the case) in buying a club share. Concert should all be full of music and entertainment.

Dumb and Dumber

When my friend/colleague introduced me two of his favorite reality-shows on CBS, I wasn’t enthusiastic about it at first. But I gave him a chance and did find myself hooked with these shows – Amazing Race and Survivors – since then I’ve never missed a single season. Even I’m away on vacation, I will ensure that I have time to watch those shows on the internet.

Last night’s “Survivor” was, to me at least, the best ever. I almost felt the show was scripted because the dialogue was perfect. When James talked about Jason and said, “I thought I was the dumbest Survivor ever.” Of course he was referring from last season when he got blindsided and got voted out because he didn’t play his immunity idol. The same mistake Ozzy made. Officially, James' no longer the dumbest!

Ozzy was dumbfounded that someone from his formed-alliance betrayed him. He evidently showed bitterness and dissapointment leaving the tribe while Eliza, who was sitting in the jury box, was totally shocked and could not believe it.

And Erik, he’s fun to watch. He’s so real. When he got all drunk at the reward feast, he threw up and joked about it. “I partied a little too hard, Micronesian-style.’ He realized that never mix betel (medicinal plant that found in South Asia for chewing) and beers.

I would love Jason to win though. I feel for him for being an outsider and being not part of any alliance. He tries to make friends and knows that his only way to survive and finish on top is to win every immunity challenge. Peih-Gee from last season had similar fate. She fought hard to stay but fell short of being on final three. Unfortunately, the women are playing the girl-power.

Weigh In

A cell phone will soon be allowed in European flights (only for leading airlines). I cannot imagine myself sitting next to a passenger who will be talking on his/her cell phone through the duration of the flight. There’s always a chance that I may encounter an annoying arrogant inconsiderate passenger who will not stop talking to his/her spouse, friends or business partner on his/her cell phone. I hope this will not be implemented in the U.S. However, I think text messaging is acceptable as long as they silent their cell phone.

As the Olympic torch arrived yesterday in San Francisco, security was heightened because several protesters aimed to extinguish the flame to protest China’s human rights record. Torch bearers got in the midst of bloodshed and violent protest in Athens, London and Paris already. But I’m hoping Tibetans and supporters should also think twice if this kind of violent protest can resolve their purpose. I strongly support Tibetans independence and truly sympathize their perseverance and suffering under Chinese rule. Nevertheless, the Olympic spirit had nothing to do with the Chinese government treatment to Tibetans so let the Olympic torch burns.

Traveling

Spring is in the year and so traveling season is already upon us. Lately I have been feeling uneasy to travel because of the airport delays, flight cancellations, overbooked flights and crowded skies not to mention soaring air fare. All these reasons can make me feel anxious to refrain from flying and it's not getting any better. For the last past few months, it’s been a miserable experience for most air travelers. During those times when you travel by air, the convenience and efficiency of flying was the highest priority in the airline industry. They assured everyone to get to their destinations on time with their luggage. Customer satisfaction was their number one concern. This time you are lucky if you don’t experience flight delays or your luggage won’t get lost. So this time I have planned to take the bus or the train to the north.

My friends and I are scheduled to take the bus to Boston, Massachusetts for a weekend in May. The Mega Bus Company has offered a one way ticket to Boston for only a buck for the month of May. Yes, that is not a typo. Though it is about five hours ride from NY, we thought it would be fun to do sightseeing as well on the way. In July, we also planned to take the train to Montreal, Canada to attend the International Jazz Festival which I haven’t done it since 1998. Ten years after I’m sure there will be new things and should be more fun. Also I get to see some of my old friends from Montreal.

I still love flying. Don’t get me wrong. It’s fast and convenient.

Honey's Lesson

This weekend I was supposed to meet up fellow alumni from high school who were coming from a long drive from Chicago. I volunteered to be their tour guide and perhaps I could help them find a nice clean comfortable hotel room in the city that would fit to their budget. But those things didn’t matter after all because I waited for them to contact me through phone or e-mail. I learned that they ended up staying in the Newark airport area, approximately 15 miles to NYC. It would have been favorable for them if they had at least bothered me. I know people who know people. I network. In fact they were not even imposing since I agreed to assist them in the first place.

Though I was indisposed this weekend and because I promised that I would spare my weekend with them, I would surely meet them up. One thing about me is that when I promise something I always make sure to honor it. I will assure they will get what they ask for when I affirm. I always adhere to my words.

Later that Sunday I found out that they didn’t make any trouble to contact me because they were “nahihiya” and that I am seven years younger than them. I thought the concept of being in the alumni and being collectively part of such constituent, age is absolutely irrelevant. Whether you were on the top 10 or bottom 20 in the class should no longer be the issue. At this age, we should have outgrown that “hiya” trait. It will only mar us from getting success and wanting more in life.

And that reminds me of my good friend’s blog about “hiya”. She writes, “Shame is a huge obstacle to really getting the results we want in life.”

A Reason

There’s always a reason for everything. Two weeks ago when I declined a job offer from another company because they wanted me to start in two weeks and I was not prepared to leave from my current job for another six weeks, there was a reason for saying “no”.

On Monday I was transferred to Actuary Department to tackle a new role as a Project Manager/Analyst. My previous experience as an Applications Manager and my financial background suit me well to this newly created position. It excites me because I will be able to utilize my business and analytical skills.

The Verdict
What if

St Paddy's Memories

NYC celebrates St. Patrick Day on its 247th year marching up on Fifth Avenue and passing the St. Patrick Cathedral at 53rd Street. The parade starts off at 44th Street and ends at 86th Street.

Also, exactly four years ago was my townhouse’s blessing. Friends and relatives came for the blessing and brought food and drinks. I would not say it was potluck because I assigned them what kind of food they should bring - to avoid doubling - instead of bringing gifts that I might not like it or not suited to my taste for my townhouse in the Philippines.

Though it was in July when we begun to move to lower Manhattan, it was three years ago when my current company had announced that we were moving from midtown Manhattan. Our company was preparing to alter its status to for-profit so relocating to the Wall Street area would be an excellent notion to be visible amongst investors - so I just thought.

Dental 101

I just got back from my dentist for the nth time and it will be another week of torture and agony of chewing solid food. I’ve already lost count of my visits when my dentist has begun to work on my teeth since November 2007. This is what happened when you don’t go to your dentist. They recommend to see them at least twice a year even they scare you out with all those things that they put and insert in your mouth. The last time I went for a dental work, it was ten years ago. Now I regret that I didn’t go that often as I could. I’m paying for neglecting my dental hygiene.

My upper gum has suffered 70% bone loss, so my dentist performed periodontal surgery on my upper left gum four weeks ago. Then tonight he did on the upper right gum. Next week I'll come back to remove the stiches and another weeks of healing process before I'll see him again.

He said, “It would take months before he completes the whole thing”. Fine by me. Thank goodness my dental plan covers 99.99% of all procedures.

I will see him again on Thursday.

Making into Top 12

For the second time in a row, I was disappointed with Ramiele Malubay for not taking a risk of her song choice and lacking of confidence on last night’s Lennon-McCartney theme on the “American Idol”. She chose to sing “In My Life” while she pointed out it was dedicated to her close friend who just booted out last week. I would assume that was Danny Norriega. She broke down on camera after Ryan Seacreast announced Danny's departure.

Ramiele hasn’t been taking advantage of her big voice. As petite as she is, she can deliver vocal power but she seems holding it back singing like a bland karaoke-bot. All three judges have been advising her to take some risk and avoid “boring” songs if she wishes to win all the way. If she continues to sing safe songs, she may not fulfill her dream to be the first Asian-American Idol as she underscored on her past interviews.

She needs to learn from her competitors and listens to what the judges have to say. I know she can do better than that. I’m hoping she will pick songs that will rock the judges next time. Tonight she will be moving to the next round, though she was one of my bottom three performers last night.

Restaurant Show

I live in a diverse city where every street or avenue has different flavors and flares that perk up my senses. I love to dine out and I am passionate about food.

When I travel to exotic countries, I make sure I sample every traditional dish they serve and sometimes unconventional. Because locals are the food critics of their own domain, I befriend with them. They like tourists who sincerely show appreciations of their food, language and culture. Once I earn their respect and they know that I am truthful to them they take me to what I called “off-beaten-path” of cheap restaurants or small kiosks where most tourists don’t have the chance to go.

Today is perfect to spend a day in Manhattan. Outside temperature is freezing with a single digit windchill factor, but inside you will warm up with delectable food and huge variety of pastries. Chefs, restaurant owners, and traders from all over the world come to assemble for the annual NY International Restaurant and Foodservice at Jacob Javits Center. This special event lasts until Tuesday, March 11th.

The annual gathering is catered to trade and business visitors only. My niece’s boyfriend’s sister is a manager of one of the five stars hotel in Manhattan so I got invited. I’m so lucky to be part of this exciting food show.

Is it on Sunday already?

We are on the verge of recession but Bush adamantly expresses only about the slowing economic growth. If I have to interpret what Bush has voiced out, we are recession-bound; clobbered by housing slumps, credit crunch and weak dollar. And now we will have to feel the pinch once again with the fare hike. I expected the subway and bus fares would increase some time this year but I didn’t expect it too soon. There were signs and publicity all over the stations, buses and trains when it went up from the previous increase. This time I only found out this morning that the fare will go up on Sunday when I picked up a free publication of amNewYork – its headline “NEXT STOP: HIKE”.

The Verdict

Just to update you of my decision about the job offer (see "What if"). After two days of deliberation with the recruiter and human resources personnel, I decided to decline the offer. There was only one issue that we didn't come to an agreement. They wanted me to start in two weeks, but I requested for at least six weeks. My argument seemed not reasonable for them because they needed a person right away. Though realistically, two weeks is a company standard. In any case, I have no regret for saying "no".

Only time will tell if I made the right decision.

What if?

Today I have to make a decision that may change my career.

Yesterday I got a job offer from another company. I asked them to give me at least 24 hours to think over and sleep on it. I spoke to two of my trusted colleagues about the offer, as well as to a good friend from Manila (who happens to be in NY this week for her Bar exam) and to my sister. And this is the day that I must have a decision to tell other company that whether or not I accept the offer.

I weigh in everything I can – the benefits, the base salary, the work hours, etc. I’ve even come to writing it down all the pros and cons. Still I have no firm decision yet.

The hardest part is to say goodbye from people whom I’ve worked for almost 11 years. Those years that we’ve been working together, they have become my second family. In spite of some petty arguments in the staff meeting (which is understandable), we have managed to stay friends outside the office building. We’ve learned not to mix personal feelings and work. That is something I didn’t encounter from my two previous jobs.

I hope I will make the right thing. I don't want to end up asking myself someday, "What if?"

Simon says

For the past weeks, flu has been ravaging workplaces across the nation and last night even the “Idol” girls were hit with the illness. While some of them were sapped by the sickness, there was no excuse and no sympathy from Simon. It seemed last night Simon was feeling sick himself. He was cranky most of the time.

Though my favorite that night, of course the 20-year-old Filipino/American from Florida. Ramiele Malubay is the little girl with a big voice that impressed the judges. “A voice to be reckoned with” says Paula, “very classy, almost like a pro” says Randy, and “tonight, you out sung every single person” says Simon.

I don’t know about you but I truly feel proud of her. She sang Dusty Springfield’s “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”. I had the first impression that she would sing that song, which popularized by Lani Misalucha in the Philippines, because on the “Idol” site Ramiele proudly says that Lani Misalucha and Regine Velasquez have influenced on her.

The fact that Ramiele Malubay is a better singer than Jasmine Trias (from the 3rd season), I hope you will vote her as much as you had voted Jasmine Trias. Let’s support and vote for Ramiele until the end.

Tuesday Night of Idol

While the former first lady (NY Senator Hillary Clinton) suffered another bruising night Tuesday, losing the Wisconsin primary and the Hawaii caucus to Illinois Senator Barack Obama, I on the other hand watched the “American Idol” and excruciatingly listened to 17-year-old Danny Noriega’s version of “Jailhouse Rock”. He practically destroyed that song. Sadly, it was painful to watch him doing the Elvis’ move. I totally agreed with Simon Cowell as he described Danny’s performance was “verging on grotesque”.

On the positive side, 16-year-old Danny Archuleta (“Shop Around”), who I will be rooting for, has a bigger voice among the young contestants. He sings well and is so likable on the stage. Other guys who I believe stood out are Michael Johns (“Light My Fire”), David Cook (“So Happy Together”) and Jason Castro (“What a Day for a Daydream”). Last night it was the music of the 1960’s but these guys had perfectly carried out like contemporary pop songs.

Tonight it will be girls’ night. Watch out for Ramiele Malubay...

Dancing with the Stars Announced

Since the first season of “Dancing with the Stars”, I’ve been a fan and glued to my TV every Monday night and Tuesday Results night. From an Oscar winner, to an Olympic gold medalist, to a Tennis Grand Slam champion, to the wife of the king, are among the new crop of celebrities who will fox-trot on “Dancing with the Stars” on March 17th. It will be its sixth season and with interesting line up and diversity of the cast, this season will be another blast to watch.

A Philippine radio disk jockey Patti of Jam88.3 once said “Those stars on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ have no career so they have plenty of time to waste.” Anyway, I love the show and who cares what people think and say about it. It’s a family show and entertaining. Unlike those trashy idiotic reality shows that come out during the summer or hiatus.

Things to do

I never went to my high school prom night. If I did I have no recollection. If there was, it might have been a prom “day”? Until now I don’t recall wearing a prom suit (if that’s what they call it then) so I can’t tell if I had really gone to my prom night. There wasn’t even a single picture that I could show to myself that I actually went. They said that “high school prom” was the best memories they ever had. And here I am trying to reminisce nothing. If I were to list the things I’d like to do before I die, going to a prom would be my first on my list (or at least somewhere in the middle).

Traveling is always my passion, therefore, a journey to the elusive land of Vietnam and a visit to the highly restricted Island of Galapagos is must things to do. I wish to wander out the outskirt of Vietnam by taking the train from South to North (Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi). And I will get close with the endangered species on Galapalos Island.

I did a few extreme adventures in Costa Rica in 2001. It won't be so bad if I do something I've always wanted to do. Skydiving will be fun. It is quite thrilling and spine-tingling. I should add that on my list.

Lastly, to do a road trip in the Philippines and visit old churches built during the Spanish colony. That will be educational.

Chinese New Year

Born in the Year of the Rat are claimed to be respected and considered a courageous, enterprising people. They believed to be clever and bright, sociable and family-minded. They have broad interests and strong ability in adapting to the environment and able to react adequately to any changes.

They are gifted in many ways and have an easy going manner. They are active and pleasant, tactful and fantastic, and are able to grasp opportunities. They seem to have interests in everything and hope to participate in doing it and usually do it very well.

Super Giant Tuesday

I can’t get more Super than this and I’m thrilled.

Today my colleagues and I are sneaking out from work to watch the ticker-taped parade for the NY Giants for winning the Super Bowl XLII last Sunday in Glendale, Arizona; beating the almost perfect record New England Patriots 17-14. It will kick off at 11:00 a.m. at the Battery Park en route to the City Hall where they will have the ceremony.

Convenience is what we call it because our office building is only a few blocks from the City Hall and the Battery Park is just around the corner.

After work, I will be heading to the poll site in my neighborhood to vote for the Super Tuesday. Today is also the New York primary election. I will nominate who I think the best candidate for the U.S. President on the national election in November.

Super Sunday or Super Tuesday

Super Tuesday is, almost the national election, the primary election for the U.S. presidential candidate. Republicans and democrats from eighteen states will vote for their respective presidential candidate. The winners of the primary election one will be chosen to be the next U.S. president this coming November. Economy, education and healthcare are my major concern in choosing the next president. And Iraq is only a small factor.

Super Sunday or known as the Super Bowl. For many of us it is a showdown between a playboy and a boy next door; Tom Brady versus Eli Manning. New England Patriots is looking for their fourth Super Bowl title while New York Giants is gearing up to stop the winning streak of the patriots. As Giants fans, this could be the most momentous day since their Super Bowl win in 1991.

New television commercials are also the main attraction of the Super Bowl for they are fun and entertaining. The average cost of a 30-second Super Bowl commercial is $2.7 million.

Go Red

Many of us pay a little attention that February is American Heart month. It is an important month for us to keep hard-working muscle in good shape. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women. Today at work we join the awareness to fight against heart disease by wearing RED. Across the country already recognize the color red as representing the ability to all men and women to improve their heart health.

I'm still me

My outlook in life change for the better, but I’m still me. I’ve faced all the failures and mistakes, but I’m still me. I’ve encountered triumphs and successes, but I’m still me.

I know I am responsible for all my actions, good or bad, right or wrong. All the words that come out of my mouth, harsh or sweet, correct or incorrect, I’m still me.

Whatever I say, do, think and feel these are real. They represent who I am. But when I look back and I sounded or did unfitting, I discard the unfitting and keep the fitting.

I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle my friends, but I’m still me. I have dreams, hopes, fears, and fantasies. I feel anger, joy, frustration, love, disappointment, and excitement. I’m still me and I will stay the same. I’m happy to be me.

Salamat Kaibigan

On January 1, 2008 as the year began, we also kicked off our journey of good food and hospitality from the warmth dining room of the Lapus family to the cool breeze veranda of the Bagacina family.

Before we headed to Enrique and Noemi’s, Nelson and Zeny invited us for a quick nibble in their humble abode in Cainta. They served, which I considered, comfort food and great dessert. I tried not to eat that much to save space for the big meal at the Bagacina’s. And so I thought but failed. I sampled every food and dessert on the table. Because they were all very tasty and irresistible, obviously, I lost my table ethics and ate like a pig.
The winding road from Cainta to Antipolo gave me a little indigestion. I felt I was going to throw up in the van. But I kept my composure to avoid any delays. It was already late afternoon when we arrived in Bagacina’s. And I went straight down to the bathroom. It was false alarm.

Enrique and Noemi prepared us, rather Enrique said called in, plenty of traditional food. Too many they even let us took some on our way out.

I was also impressed with their passion for gardening. Their garden has a variety of beautiful flowers and the veranda is surrounded by such lovely tropical plants. It felt even more relaxing in a cool breezy afternoon sitting and sipping coffee with friends. It was a thankful day for the new year.

photos courtesy of Nelson.

28 Days

This is a picture of segregation; a picture of big empty space in the middle; a picture that used to be collectively one group of friends. Because of my recklessness and insensitivity, I’ve created a division among us. Or I must say me against the group.

It would not be this way if I had not been so selfish and thoughtless of my actions and if I had not written and published a blog that would hurt my friends - unintentionally. I admit that I made a major mistake that affected my relationship with them. Although I know in my heart, I had no ill intentions nor directly hurt anyone's feeling in spite of the emphasis on my blog.

In my own defense the things I had written were not all negatives (as most of them say). Because they only focused on the negative aspects, they neglected to see the whole picture. The positive point of views were apparently discarded in their minds. Luckily I have still a few true great friends who understood and believed in me.

Just the same, I've caused everyone a pain in their heart. So I've come to do the right decision to remove the origial write up of the 28 Days page. I want to bury that incident. I wish to forget it had to happen. But I've already lost faith to the group.

To avoid another misunderstandings and conflicts, I made a harsh decision to leave the Yahoo! Group of Class of 1979. It is the only way I can think of to continue my blogging. If I'm not connected to the group I will have the freedom to blog, which is my main purpose of blogging.

photo courtesy of Nelson.

True Friends

The hardest part is to say goodbye to your classmates/friends. These are the heartfelt parting words that they sent me through text messaging listed in order I received.

- - Bye friend. Salamat din. Have a safe trip. See you. u.

- - Same here! Many thanx also! See you around!

- - Till me meet again my friend and bro. Hope u wouldnt change. Thanks for everything.

- - We will mis u frnd ur laughter ur sadness in ur face d smell of ur breath bt most of all ur body language. Tnx 4 d tym n money u spend 4 us. Wag ka mkakalimot ha! Hapi trip! Sa muling pgki2ta. Saranghameda bo! God bless!

- - Thank you din, sa lhat ng tulong and wonderful happenings. May u always stay healthy…n . wealthy…(he he he) as u r. Asta la vista.

- - The joy that you gve to others is the joy that flows back to u. A happy heart makes a cheerful face. May ur stay be as happy as ur heart! c u again, bon voyage.

- - U too my fren..thnk u so much for giving us ur time & hope wil see each other again..khit super big time kna wag ka makaka limot sa amin…..thnk u & my god bles u & ur family always…have a nice trip…will be missing u..

- - Nag enjoy din talaga kmi. Sa na maulit muli. Sori we’re not able to join last night. Ingat ka & happy trip! Keep in touch ha?

- - 4me, no thanks yet, ds s jz d beginning…Our time has not lapse yet…Friendship 4me s lifetime, its jz a matter of communication & understanding 2 1 another…Take care always…Bye 4 now…God’s will, we’l c each other again…Von voyage!

- - Glad you enjoyed ur vacation u deserve the best. God bless your trip home. Have a good rest tonight. We will miss you Bff. Thanks very much!

- - Dont say thanks instead God bless u coz i know that u are truly blessed wd ur kind heart. I knw we seldom talk thru email or text but our friendship stays d same i cant forget d first time we talk remember? At first im hesitant wd d grp til now i come to knw whos really is true to u, haay nagdrama ang lola mo. Friendship tampo ako! Did you likd b my gift? Tama na ang pang drama mo dyan 10mos lang un mbilis u never knw pabalik ka na naman, von voyage im just a text away hehe...

2007 Christmas Party

The class of 1979 Christmas Party was held in Barangay Bagumbuhay Hall in Project 4, Q.C. on December 29, 2007. Dancing the Paper Dance Contest is with Rosario. We won with an exciting prize.

Advise from an expert, you cannot win a contest if you are both shy (Enrique and Jojo).

There's nothing to hide between these two (Lorna and Raul). They also won the egg contest (with obvious advantage).

Harvin is trying to fresh with Noemi?

Husband and wife team, Zeny and Nelson didn't take this opportunity to win. They both lost egg and paper dance contests. Too much public hugging can be bad for the contest?

Get ready, get set, go!

Hey wait a second, I need to adjust my pants. They're falling off.

Is this the right steps for cha-cha? Or are we dancing the Argentinian Tango? What the heck, I'll dance anyway I want.

I been on a diet for awhile so I should not be heavy.




photos courtesy of Joy and Nelson.

Tagaytay City

Tagaytay City tripping on January 12, 2008 (don't mind the date on the photo because that was an error) with high school friends from L-R (seating) Sophia, Brenda, Vangie; L-R (standing) Nelson, Zeny, me, Raul

In Taal View Heights with friends are L-R (seating) me, Vangie, Sophia; L-R (standing) Zeny, Nelson, Raul, Brenda

With friends and family in a model house. (Note: I'm staring at the chocolates lying under the center table.)

photos courtesy of Nelson.