Thursday, November 29, 2007

make a difference

lintek na trillanes yan! hindi na s'ya nahiya sa mga tao, pagkatapos ipagkatiwala sa kanya ang pag-asa ng bayan na makakagawa s'ya ng pagbabago sa matalinong pamamaraan ganito lang pala ang gagawin. sana hindi na lang s'ya naghangad na maging senador, nanatili na lang sana s'yang rebelde dahil sa ganung paraan lang yata n'ya kayang makipaglaban. kung tutuusin nga, nasa estado na s'ya na dapat isa s'ya sa nagtatanggol ng kapakanan ng bayan. kung sa tingin n'ya ay mali ang pagpapalakad ng pangulo, labanan n'ya ito sa nararapat na pamamaraan - isang bagay na hinihintay kong gagawin n'ya pero mali pala ako.. barumbadong pamamaraan pala ang alam n'ya.

we might think that the Katipunan was responsible for setting our fatherland free but it was Rizal's ideals that united the Filipinos to seek for the long lost freedom. his pen and paper served as a poison-dipped bullet that penetrated the cranium of an empire.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

money or nothing?

tagal ako nawala, tagal kasing busy e..

kwento ko lang na kahapon nasa simbahan ako. after many years, kahapon lang ulit ako um-attend ng misa. well, there is nothing different or nothing amazing that i felt. parang nung highschool pa rin na hikab ako ng hikab sa loob ng simbahan at naghihintay na matapos ang misa para makapagpapirma ng masscard. nagpupunta naman ako sa simbahan nung nasa pinas pa ako pero ayoko ng may misa, mas gusto kong magdasal ng tahimik at walang paring ngumangawa sa harapan. i don't know but i really have this big disbelief in priests and the corporation that they are in. i just can't explain here but i am sure of the stand that i made. maybe the simplest explanation that i can give is that they are selling salvation. money for salvation kumbaga, that's all - wala kang pera makasalanan ka. pero matindi ang paniniwala ko sa Diyos na Dakilang Lumikha. ang sa akin lang kasi, hindi ko kailangang magbayad para malapitan Siya.

lahat libre sa relasyon ko sa Kanya....

Monday, September 24, 2007

should i stay or should i go

i have been with a band for maybe a year now. i am playing as a rhythm guitarist but being a flexible player allowed me to play as a bass guitarist and a lead guitarist, as well, when the corresponding bandmates were not able to be in the gig. it was really enjoying to be in a band and i can't deny that i am proud to be with this band that i'm in. i find my bandmates very fun to be with and i enjoy the company.

there is something that makes me want to stop playing but i'm really not sure if i want to leave because i really am a music lover. but sometimes i feel so tired and sometimes i am seeing everything as non-sense. when i think of the Fridays that i should be spending with my wife instead of rehearsing with the band.. when i think of moving the instruments to the venue and moving it back after each gig... it's really exhausting! and to think that we are not getting anything from this but a handshake and thank-you phrases.

but when i think of the sense of achievement that i get when the band was able to cover something.. of the applauses and screaming from the crowd... the thankful audience. i can't tell how happy i am after each successful gig; it just erases the tired feeling. and that's what makes it difficult for me to decide whether i'm staying or i'm leaving!

Sunday, September 9, 2007

sasali ka ba?

sino sa inyo ang member ng fraternity? alam ko sa college marami n'yan, astig kasi pag fratman ka... siga ang dating at marami kang friends so IN ka, pare! nung nasa kolehiyo pa ako, wala sa hinuha ko ang sumali sa ganyan kasi marami naman akong friends at dugyot ang tingin ko sa mga fratman - mga incompetent ba. isa pang dahilan ay ang bilin sa akin ng magulang ko bago ako pumunta ng maynila para mag-aral na wag na wag daw ako sasali dito.

pero nabingwit ako ng isang paslit na sumali sa frat nila dahil nagtatayo raw sila ng chapter sa unibersidad namin at kailangan daw nila ang suporta ko. nakita kasi nila na marami akong kabarkada at medyo sikat din ako sa kolehiyo namin. ako naman, nabola at nabigla na isang fraternity ang humihingi ng suporta sa akin, mas astig ako sa kanila kung ganun, hehe!! so para umigsi na ang lahat, pumayag akong sumali. nung initiation na, bigla silang dumami. kasama rin pala yung mga taga ibang unibersidad at dun ako dinala sa isang boarding house sa may quiapo. piniringan nila kami (2 kasi kami nun) at bininyagan sa pamamagitan ng sampal kung ilang letra ang 'code name' mo, mabuti tatlong letra lang saken pero unang sampal pa lang parang nakakita ako ng kidlat kahit nakablindfold ako, hahaha! pakatapos nun, inumpisahan na nila ang pamamalo. unang palo pa lang sa akin parang nakaramdam na ako ng dumi na unti-unting bumabahid sa pagkatao ko. 24 na palo sa hita, pasa-pasa sila at parang tuwang-tuwa sa pananakit nila sa taong nakapiring na, nakatalikod pa sa kanila. may isang member pa sila na pinalo rin nila kasi 'foul' daw ang palo sa akin, sa loob-loob ko lang lahat sila foul ang ginagawa bakit 'di nila paluin ang sarili nila? nung matapos na, pinadapa kami at paikot sila sa paligid namin at sabay-sabay na may binibigkas na kung anu-anong kacornihan. at pagkatapos nun, nung patayuin kami panay na ang kamay at pagwelcome sa amin na parang ang sasaya pero kani-kanina lang ay gumugulpi sa amin at ngayon ay 'brod' na ang tawag. malaking kahibangan!

ang sama pa nito, ilang araw pagkatapos nun, nabisto ako sa bahay namin. hiyang-hiya ako sa pamilya ko nun, lalo na sa tatay ko. kahit ang mga kabarkada ko galit na galit sa akin. kung kelan daw ako tumanda tsaka pa nagpauto sa ganun. sa sarili ko naman, me konting pagsisisi pero ang kunswelo ko na lang ay 'at least naranasan ko'. yung fraternity ko, hindi ko na ulit nilapitan pagkatapos nun. kahit anong tawag nila sa akin at pagsumamo na maki-join ako sa kanila, hindi na nila ako napilit. hindi naman nila ako kayang kantiin dahil alam nila na marami akong kabarkada at maraming mas malalaking samahan ang babanggain nila.

dun ko natutunan na kalokohan ang ituring mong kaibigan ang mga taong gumulpi sa'yo. insecure ang mga taong member ng fraternity. marami ang totoong kaibigan na hindi hihingi ng kapalit para ituring kang kaibigan. hindi masusukat ang tibay ng pagkatao mo sa pamamalo sa hita at kung anu-ano pang uri ng hazing. maaaring makitil ang buhay mo pero hindi ang tibay ng pagkatao ang nasukat nila dun. may iba't ibang dahilan ang tao na sumasali sa fraternity. kung anuman yun, siguraduhin nila na kaya nilang panindigan at harapin ang mga consequenses na idudulot nito. kayo naman na mga fratman na naaaliw sa pananakit sa mga walang kalaban-labang neophytes, magpakalalaki naman kayo. pagkatao n'yo ang dapat sukatin.

...at lagi nyo sanang tatandaan na ang taong may pinakamaraming fraternity ay walang iba kundi si John Pratts!

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

these are my songs

naisip mo na ba kung ano ang gusto mo pag namatay ka? OO, pag namatay ka. kadalasan kasi pag bata ka tatanungin ka "ano ang gusto mo paglaki mo?". gustuhin man natin o hindi, dun din naman tayo lahat pupunta kaya ako inilista ko na kung ano ang mga gusto kong tugtog para sa funeral march ko. yun lang ang gusto ko. kung mabibigyan ako ng funeral march sa libing ko, gusto ko lang na patugtugin yung mga inilista kong kanta. hindi na ako hihingi ng magarbong burol, ginintuang ataul at maraming bulaklak na hindi naman maganda ang amoy. ayoko rin sana ng may sugal, baka kasi matalo sa tong-its ang kuya ko at mawalan pa ng pambaon ang mga pamangkin ko! tama na yung may nagkakantahan ng magagandang kanta. kung pwede sana wag mawawala si philip elamparo (ang bestfriend ko), si marlon atienza (bestfriend ko rin.. sana hanggang ngayon) at si edward abratique (pamangkin ko). etong tatlong tao na 'to ang pinakamadalas kong kasama pagdating sa musika at alam nila kung ano ang hilig ko pagdating sa tugtugan. nakalista naman sa baba ang mga gusto kong kanta pag namatay ako. yung iba dito paborito ko pero hindi naman lahat...

Kanlungan - Noel Cabangon
lagi ko kasi 'to kinakanta para sa tatay ko na natutunan na rin ng mga kapatid ko
As I Lay Me Down - Sophie B. Hawkins
Flowers - Rivermaya (gusto ko kantahin ni reynante leonardo)
Eversince the World Begun - Survivors
Angels - Robbie Williams
20 Million - Rivermaya
Heaven Knows (This Angel has Flown) - Orange and Lemons
I Don't Want to Wait - Paula Cole
Minsan - Eraserheads
Same Ground - Kitchie Nadal
Old Photographs - Jim Capaldi
Through the Barricades - Spandau Ballet
Tabing Ilog - Barbie's Cradle
Trouble - Coldplay
I Won't Hold You Back - Toto
When She Cries - Restless Hearts
You'll Be Safe Here - Rivermaya
Umaaraw Umuulan - Rivermaya
Fill Her - Eraserheads
If You're Gone - Matchbox Twenty
Leader of the Band - Dan Foggelberg
Something New in My Life - Stephen Bishop
Himala - Rivermaya (gusto ko kantahin naman ni marlon atienza ito)
gusto ko rin sana kantahin ng kuya cris ko yung 'skyline pigeon' at ng kuya ding ko yung 'tao' ni sampaguita..

so far, ito lang ang naiisip ko pero alam ko marami ito e. yun bang tipong pag nakahiga ka at walang maisip. next time pag-iisipan ko naman kung ano ang ilalagay sa lapida ko, hehehe!!!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

foul

napakasakit sa mata ng napanood kong balita kanina. siguro naman, napanood nyo rin yung ginawa ni bong alvarez kay gretchen malalad ano? pambihira talaga itong si alvarez, ang laking tao, ang laki ng muscles tapos makikita mong sinabunutan ang isang magandang babaeng katulad ni gretchen malalad? WALASTIK na WALANJO pa!!!

hari siguro ang tingin ni bong sa sarili nya na dapat lahat ng gustuhin nya ay susundin ng nasa harapan nya. bugbugin n'ya ba naman ang walang kalaban-labang taxi driver mula sa likod? at hindi pa nakuntento, ang akala siguro nasa basketball court, siniko pa ang reporter na gustong makakuha ng scoop. bakit n'ya babawalan yun? yung mga ordinaryong tao nga nilalagay nila sa balita s'ya pa kaya e celebrity s'ya! ang sama ng pakiramdan nung makita kong sugurin nya si gretchen at hinila-hila nya sa buhok. pagkatapos hihingi sya ng pasensya na nabigla lang sya sa harap ni gretchen, lakas mo teng!!!

makikita mo sa kilos ng tao ang kapasidad nya. 'yung mga taong hindi kayang mag-isip, lakas na lang ang ginagamit. alam ko minsan nabibilang ako sa mga ganito pero nagawa ko namang magbago. ang mga taong may utak, nakapagpagalaw ng mga bagay na hindi gumagamit ng pisikal na lakas; ang mga taong walang utak, gumagamit ng pisikal na lakas para mapatigil ang kakayanan ng taong may utak. bong alvarez, ok lang sana kung kapwa mo lalaki ang ginaganyan mo, at sana lumaban ka ng patas. hindi nasusukat ang pagkalalaki sa dami ng taong nagulpi mo, lalo lang nahahalata ng mga tao na wala kang bayag!

ano'ng pipiliin mo?

bakit ang sabi nila high-school life daw ang pinaka-memorable sa buhay ng tao. naniniwala ba kayo dun? bakit parang hindi yata nag-aapply sa akin yun? abnormal ba ako?

sa akin kasi, highschool sucks! i was only a mediocre student living a mediocre life when i was in highschool. yun bang tipong hindi ako nagSHINE, hehe!!! marami naman akong kaibigan at lagi rin naman ako sa section one pero wala talaga akong maisip na masarap i-cherish nung highschool. ang natatandaan ko lang madalas ako pag-initan ng pari (sa catholic school kasi ako) at ilang beses din akong ipinahiya. pinapunta ba naman ako sa harapan pagkatapos ng misa at sinabi sa mga tao na hindi raw ako nakikinig ng kakatapos lang na misa nya; at ilang beses pa na tinira nya ako. dun nag-umpisa ang galit ko sa mga pari at sa simbahan na dala-dala ko pa hanggang ngayon. ni hindi ako nagka-syota nung highschool (pangit kasi!), haha!!! ang alam ko lang na magandang nangyari sa akin ay nung magkahilig akong maggitara at nag-umpisang mag-aral sa pagtugtog. pero nung sumali naman kami sa contest para sa mga combo sapaw na naman ako. ako ang nagcompose (actually, nag-rip ng mga kanta)nung mga tinugtog namin pero hindi naman ako napansin, yung gitarang ginamit ko ni hindi nilagyan ng mic. tanda ko pa nga nun pagkatapos naming tumugtog tinanong nung isa kong classmate kung sino ang gumawa nung mga lyrics ng kanta, ang sabi ko ako sagot ba naman sa akin imposible daw yun! gago yun a!!!

pero nung magcollege na ako, dun ako naging tao. dun ako nahubog sa kung ano ako ngayon. liberal ang kapaligiran nun, hindi ko naramdaman ang diskriminasyon. hindi tulad nung highschool na nakatatak sa isip ko na taga-bukid kasi ako. dito ko nakita ang mga tunay na kaibigan, nung highschool wala ako maisip na best-friend pero sa college marami. dito ko nailabas ang totoong ako, nagkaroon ako ng kumpiyansa sa sarili at marami akong natutunan na wala sa curriculum ng unibersidad. sa madaling-salita, ang taong sumulat nito ay produkto ng mga karanasan nya nung college pa sya at hindi nung highschool.

totoo yun, kung pababalikin ako sa pag-aaral, college ang pipiliin ko. wala naman akong galit sa mga naging kaibigan ko sa highschool pero mas natuto at mas naramdaman ko ang pagpapahalaga sa akin mula sa mga kaibigan ko nung college na hanggang ngayon ay nakakasama ko pa ilang taon pagkatapos ng graduation.

wahooohoooo!!!

wahooohooo!!! may bago akong effects! sa wakas nakabili na rin ako ng matagal ko nang pinapangarap na guitar effects! matagal na kasi akong humahanga kung pano ba gamitin yung multi-effects na nakikita ko sa mga professional na gitarista at sabi ko sa sarili ko, hindi ko malalaman yun kung hindi ako magkakaroon nun. hindi naman ako magaling na gitarista, bobo nga ako sa lead e pero mahilig ako mag-eksperimento sa tunog. hindi ako kuntento sa iisang tunog lang sa isang kanta. eto nga pala ang effects na nabili ko.


ganda 'no?! inggit kayo? wag kayong mainggit kasi hindi ko pa naman alam kung pano gamitin yan e, hahaha!! pag-aaralan ko pa lang kaso wala nga pala sa akin ang gitara ko, pano ba 'to?! badtrip naman o!!!

Saturday, August 18, 2007

GraPESTE

uso na rin pala sa atin ang grafitti writings on the wall, hehe! kakatuwa 'no? ang galing talaga natin sa panggagaya. nauso sa states yun nung 80's pa yata kung hindi ako nagkakamali tapos ngayon nasa Pinas na at proud na proud ang mga 'grapista' sa mga nagagawa nila.

eto ang tanong: ano ba ang naitutulong nung grafitti writing sa komunidad? ang sagot: WALA! sakit sa mata ng nakararami, problema ng mga me-ari ng pader (papapinturahan pa nila ulit yun sigurado) at kaligayahan para sa nagsulat nun na wala namang nakalagay kundi alyas nya. achievement daw yun. e buti sana kung ang nakasulat dun ay words of wisdom na magpapatatag ng determinasyon ng makakabasang pinoy kaso hindi. wala kang makikita kundi makasariling pagpapahayag ng pangalan nila, astig 'di ba?! pakshet!

magkano ang ginagastos nila sa vandalism na ito? ang isang aerosol paint siguro ay nasa P200 ang pinakamura, e hindi naman sila gumagamit ng iisang kulay lang at hindi naman habam-buhay ang laman ng isang lata nun. napakamahal na kalokohan na saglit lang at kayang sirain ng kung sino mang mapadaan sa pader na yun. bakit hindi sila magpinta sa canvass, dun nila ipakita ang tunay na art at kung ga'no talaga sila kagaling. dagdagan nila ang history at wag nilang sirain sa paraang bandalismo. gumagastos sila ng napakalaking halaga na wala namang naitutulong sa iba. sinisira lang nila ang kapaligiran para lang sa pansariling kaligayan (ewan ko kung ano ang nakakapagpaligaya sa kanila dun), selfish 'di ba? ok lang sana magpakaligaya kung walang ibang naiinis sa ikinaliligaya mo.

nagtataka nga ako kung bakit pinag-aksayahan ni bernadette sembrano ng panahon sa correspondents yun e. parang tinotolerate at sinusuportahan pa nila ang mga balahurang ito na ipagpatuloy ang kalokohan nila, pathetic. mga GRAPESTE, este, grapista (kuno) pala, tigilan nyo na yan. yung ginagastos nyo d'yan ipunin nyo pambili ng load tapos humanap kayo ng textmate. i'm sure pag me syota na kayo at me katabi sa gabi hindi nyo na pag-aaksayahan ng panahon yan.. sasabihin nyo na me nakita na kayong bagong kaligayahan. hindi pa kayo magkakasakit sa baga!

yabang nyo!!!

kung mahilig kayo manood ng news, malamang napanood nyo yung smuggled luxury cars sa subic na sinira ng gobyerno. sa totoo lang, hindi ko mapigilang magmura habang pinapanood ko yun. hindi ako makapaniwala sa nakikita ko at hindi ko alam kung ano ang gusto nilang patunayan sa kabulastugang ginawa nila. oo, kabulastugan.

pano'ng hindi magiging kabulastugan yun? isipin mo kung magkano ang halaga ng mga tsikot na yun, ang sabi sa balita nasa P10M daw, approximately. isipin mo yun? sinira nila yung ganun kalaking halaga bago nila ibinenta per kilo na ewan ko kung aabot ng beinte mil.

kahit na isipin mo na ginawa nila yun para ipakita sa mga tao na hindi nila tinotolerate ang smuggling, hindi pa rin tama! sa estado ng Pilipinas ngayon, napakalaking tulong na sana nun sa mga sinalanta ng bagyo na nagsisiksikan sa evacuation center o kung ayaw man nilang ibigay sa taong bayan, sana ginamit na lang nila para hindi na sila mangurakot sa kaban ng bayan ng mga ipambibili ng luho nila. bakit sinira nila tapos ibebenta rin pala as scrap metal? yun na lang ang silipin mo napakalaking kalokohan na! ewan ko kung mali ako pero sana naman pag-isipan nilang mabuti ang mga ginagawa nilang hakbang. gamitan sana nila ng critical analysis yata ang tawag dun sabi ng prof ko sa philosophy. walang ibang tawag dun sa ginawa nila kundi vandalism.

our government or maybe our president is the root of all the stupidity in the philippines. progress is not in their vocabulary, they can only show off... that's all

Sunday, August 12, 2007

chained letters

musta? tagal natin hindi nagkita a! well, ako eto, bagong kawala sa abalang mundo ng TFC. kakatapos lang kasi ng Pay-Per-View ng mga basagulero nating boksingero, kawawa naman si Boom Boom, sya lang yata ang hindi nanalo knock-out pa sa unang round lang. hindi bale, me susunod pa naman sigurado. palagi namang may 'next time', bawi ka na lang dre!

siguro lahat tayo o kung hindi man lahat karamihan sa atin ay merong email, ano? at sigurado rin ako na lahat nang may email ay nakakatanggap ng chain letter na puno ng pagbabanta at sumpa. hindi ko alam kung ano ang nasa isip ng mga tao sa likod ng mga email na ito. nakakatawa pero madalas nakakainis na lalo na pag ang nagpadala sayo ay mga kakilala mo na hindi mo aakalaing papatol sa ganong klase ng kalokohan. hindi naman masama na magcirculate ng email kung maganda ang cause lalo na kung informative o parang warning ang laman o kaya naman ay spiritual at puno ng words of wisdom, di ba? ang panira lang kasi yung pagdating sa dulo na nagsasabing 'if you do not forward this to at least 7, 8, 9, 10, 100, 1000 people within one hour after reading, something bad will happen to you for the rest of your life forever and ever achuchuchooo'! meron pa nga na picture ng mga kaawa-awang bata na bawat forward mo daw ng email na yun ay may halagang pumapasok sa account nung benificiary na nasa picture. napaka-imposible naman yata nun! yung iba naman na nagpapadala ng biblical quotes, ang ganda ng umpisa as in ma-iinspire ka talaga kaso nakakawalang-gana pagdating sa dulo. remind ko lang kayo, hindi ganun ang Diyos! pero sa mga natanggap kong forwarded message, bilib ako dun sa powerpoint na magic ni David Copperfield. natakot ako dun kasi nakakapagmagic kahit sa computer lang. isipin mo, alam nya kung ano ang nasa isip ko? pano kung bigla nya na lang ako gawing rabbit pag hindi ako sumunod?!! Finorward ko yun, mahirap na! hehehe!!!

Thursday, August 2, 2007

umaaraw, umuulan

yesterday was absolutely not my day. i don't know but i was totally messed up yesterday. i tried to start a bright day by wearing a poloshirt that i have not worn for a long time but everything went upside down when i got to the office. my computer brokedown and the rest of the day fucked up! i am not a computer wiz so what can i do, i was running back and forth to the computer shop and who will cherish that?! i remember a line in a maya song... 'ginapang mong marahan ang hagdanan para lamang makidlatan sa kaitaas-taasan'

my depression only stopped when i saw this picture. my niece sent this after they visited the site where our dreamhouse is being constructed. it felt amazing to see this



and months from now, it will be like this...




it really felt amazing looking at this photo. knowing that this will be your home.
the photo is like a magnet that pulls me. i can't wait to be there and make this house a home together with my wife and hopefully together with our child, if it is God's will...

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

to be or not to be

i was watching tv this morning while having my breakfast. the program was The Correspondent and they featured the gifted children or geniuses. one of the interviewees was Shaira Luna. if you guys remember, she was the youg girl who knows almost everything, she played the piano, violin, flute and the drums at a very young age. she was in college at the age of 13 taking up medicine. she is very popular before because of her intelligence and she is a frequent guest of various TV shows back then.

but when i watched her on tv this morning, she has changed. she said that she is not that girl anymore. she got tired of what she was doing. her mind was opened when she went to college. actually, she is now a photographer. can you imagine that? she dropped everything - big dreams, great opportunity and popularity just to be a photographer. because according to her, that is the only thing that made her happy. she can learn everything easily but never sticked to doing it for a year except for photography. what made me admire her is her statement that if you are a genius who concentrates on your mental capacity, you are missing half of your life. if that genius goes out in the street, he'll be lost so it's better to be street-smart. according to her, hindi raw naman kailangan na deretso ang tinatahak mo, it is not bad to move around and see things. and i really admire her for that. she did a very brave move to choose what she is doing now.

it's wonderful. people tend to own mountains but they will later realise that a simple flower planted in a pot is the only thing that really makes them happy. let us live our lives to the fullest but let us make sure that what we do is what we really want. knowing everything is non-sense, all you need to know is what you need to know.. bahala na kayo umintindi dun!!!

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

rico blanco... the man!!!

i feel extremely sad when i confirmed that Rico Blanco left Rivermaya. actually, i've been hearing the news from friends and even from my wife who watched the news from tv. i just commented 'tsika lang yan, hindi aalis yun' because to me, he is an institution being a part of rivermaya. maybe i reacted like that because i can't accept the fact; until i read about it directly from Rico's page. i have been a rivermaya fan eversince. i adored them more than the eraserheads unlike other friends i have who worshipped the heads. i even refused to watch concerts here in dubai even when bamboo and pne came over to have one because i am saving my time for rivermaya. but now i guess my saved time will be wasted. i know rivermaya will still pursue but i don't think a ricoblancoless maya will be that successful. i know mark is still there but blanco is the one who pens almost everything and he is the genius. i salute all original mayas like bamboo and nathan but it is rico who is the most notable. you can see my previous post, the title is one of rivermaya's songs, proving that i am a certified rivermaya fan. below is rico's statement i got from his multiply account. he is now into painting but still a firestarter for the youth and continuously serves as our LIWANAG SA DILIM

Dear friends, i am no longer with the band and management of rivermaya. I have been with the group from the start, and after 14 great years, I am now quite excited about the chance to finally do other things with my life, pursue endeavors outside of the entertainment spotlight, a desire I have made known to my group as early as 2005 and have already postponed several times. I will surely miss the music and the fans and will always cherish the experience. I hope you will continue supporting the group and the whole of opm. My work is done. Thank you for all your incredible love and support.

i will continue supporting rico as well as the rivermaya and i will also mention bamboo..

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

wag na init ulo baby

hindi ko alam kung bakit ako ganito. bakit wala akong kuntrol sa sarili? pag nagalit ako hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili ko. hindi ko ito gusto, hindi ko alam kung matapang ba ako pero hindi naman ako palaaway. bakit ba ako nagkaganito?

nung isang araw, me nagwawalang customer sa dubai dahil naputulan ng TFC at pinagmumura daw ang mga staff dun. ipinagmamalaki na 25K dirhams daw ang sweldo nya at magresign na raw ang manager pag hindi naibalik ang signal ng TFC nya. nagkataon na customer ko yun kasi taga-rito sya sa al ain, isipin mo ba naman na tinawagan ko at kinumpronta ko pa? ang sabi nga ng customer bakit daw ba ako nakikisali e wala naman daw ako kasalanan, alam daw nya na sa dubai ang problema kaya hindi na ako ang tinawagan nya. bakit ako ganun? barumbado ba ako? tanda ko pa nun nung me nakaaway ang kuya cris ko tapos ako ang napagbuntunan nung tatay ng nakaaway nya at isinumbat ang tulong na ginawa nila nung namatay ang tatay ko, hindi rin ako nakapagpigil at nakipagsigawan din sa kanya. hindi ko makalimutan ang sinabi ng kuya ringo ko nun, hindi sya nagalit sa akin pero sabi nya hindi ko na daw dapat pinatulan. kaya daw kami pinag-aral ng magulang namin ay para matuto ng tama. ibig nyang sabihin, edukado ako at hindi dapat pumapatol sa ganun. lagi kong naiisip yun twing may nagagawa akong hindi maganda pag umiinit ang ulo ko. hindi ko alam kung saan ko nakuha ang ugaling ito kasi walang ganito sa mga kapatid ko. sana iniwan nya na lang sa akin ang ugaling yun nung namatay sya. ayokong maging ganito. pero hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko para magbago. this past week lagi kong iniisip yung sinabi na yun ng kapatid ko sa akin, itinatanim ko sa utak ko pero hindi ko magawa.

alam kong masayahin akong tao, masasabi ko rin naman na matalino ako. magaling din naman ako makisama at maraming kaibigan. marami ang humahanga sa 'tapang' ko at pagiging prangka pero ako ay hindi. may ilang tao na rin ang nagpaalala na iwasan ko ang init ng ulo, alam kong dapat iwasan yun dahil nasa customer service ang trabaho ko. ang duda ko ay dito ko yun nakuha sa trabahong ito. sa araw-araw na nakikiharap ka sa iba't ibang tao, may ayos at marami ang hindi ayos, nagsawa na sigurong makisama ng isip ko sa mga hindi ko naman talaga kaibigan. nakakapagod din yung bumati ka ng bumati, ngumiti kahit gusto mo nang sapukin ang kaharap mo at siguro pinakanakakapagod ang maging pag-aari ka ng mga customer mo. pero marami na rin naman akong nagawang hindi maganda dahil sa init ng ulo kahit nung wala pa ako dito, mula sa pagbabalibag ng batya hanggang sa pagbabalibag ng motor.

ayoko ng ganito... ayokong masira ang pagkatao ko. gusto kong magbago at sana mahanap ko ang daan sa pagbabago. gabayan sana ako ng Diyos...

Saturday, June 16, 2007

balik-bata

somebody sent me this email and i really enjoyed reading it. it's really nice to reminisce and i miss my childhood while reading this:

Ito ang mga huling taon ng dekada '80 at ang mga unang taon ng
dekada '90. Ito ang panahong uso pa ang makiuso. Kung ginagaya mo ang style ng mga artista, hindi ka tatawaging jologs. Ito ang panahong tapos na ang martial law, pero malayo pa ang new millennium. Hindi pa high-tech pero di naman old fashioned. Saktong-sakto lang!

Ito ang panahon natin. Pero pano mo malalaman kung kabilang ka sa henerasyong ito? Narito ang listahan na makapagpapatunay if you're one of us. R U?

1. Paborito mong panoorin ang Shaider, Bio-man, Maskman, Mask Rider Black, Machine Man at kung ano-anong TV sitcom ng Japan na isinalin sa Tagalog. Break muna sa mga laro kapag alas singko na ng hapon tuwing Sabado dahil panahon na para sa superhero marathon.

2. Alam mo ang jingle ng Nano-Nano. (isang kending lasang champoy)

3. Nanood ka ng Takeshi's Castle at naniwala kang si Anjo Yllana talaga si Takeshi at si Smokey Manaloto ang kanyang alalay.
(Pinagiisipan mo - pano sila lumalaban sa final challenge na parang nakasakay sila sa isang bumpcar at nagbabarilan sila gamit ang water gun gayong sa Japan ginagawa yun eh taga Pilipinas sila?)

4. Alam mo ang pa-contest ng Kool 106 na uulit-ulitin mong bigkasin ang "Kool 106, Kool 106" hanggang maubusan ka ng hininga.

5. Naglaro ka ng Shake-Shake Shampoo, Monkey-Monkey-Annabelle,
prikidam 123, Langit-Lupa-Impyerno, Syato, Luksong-Tinik, Luksong-Baka, 10-20 at kung ano-ano pang larong nakakapagod.

6. Pumunta ang mga taga-MILO sa skul niyo at namigay sila ng
samples na nakalagay sa plastic cup na kasing laki nung sa maliit na ice cream. (at nagtaka ka, bakit hindi ganito ang lasa ng MILO kapag tinitimpla ko sa bahay namin?)

7. May malaking away ang mga METAL (mga punks na naka itim) at mga HIPHOP (mga taong naka maluwang na puruntong na kahit Makita na ang dalawang bundok.)Nag-aabangan sa mall na may dalang baseball bat at kung anu-ano pang mga sandata. Sikat ang kasabihang "PUNKS NOT DEAD!" pero kung gusto mong mag play
safe, pwede mong tawagin ang sarili mong HIPTAL.

8. Alam mo ang universal uwian song na "Uwian na!" na kinakanta sa tono na parang doon sa kinakasal.

9. Nagpauto ka sa Batibot pero hindi sa ATBP. [hahahaha!! totoo yan!!]

10. Nakipag-away ka para makapaglaro ng brick game. (hi-tech na yun noon) [meron ata akon niyan--yung 1000 in 1!! ]

11. Ang "text" noon ay mga 1"x1.5" na karton na may mga drawing ng pelikulang pinoy. (at may dialog pa!)

12. Dalawa lang ang todong sumikat na wrestler, si Hulk Hogan at si Ultimate Warrior. Naniwala ka rin na namatay si Ultimate Warrior nang buhatin niya si Andre d' Giant dahil pumutok ang mga ugat niya sa muscle.

13. Nagsayaw ka ng running man at kung anu-anong dance steps na
nakapagpamukha sa'yong tanga sa saliw na kantang Ice Ice Baby,
Wiggle It, Pray at Can't Touch This.

14. Hindi ka gaanong mahilig sa That's Entertainment at pinapanood mo lang ito tuwing Sabado kung saan nagpapagandahan ng production numbers ang Monday hanggang Friday group. (at badtrip ka sa Wednesday group dahil pinakabaduy lagi ang performance nila!)

15. Napaligaya ka ng maraming pinoy bands tulad ng Yano, Rivermaya, Grin Department, Tropical Depression, The Teeth, The Youth, After Image,Orient Pearl, The Dawn, Alamid, Wolfgang, at ang sikat na sikat na Eraserheads. (at aminin mong nakinig ka ng Siakol!)

16. Kilala mo ang Smokey Mountain, (first and second generation)

17. Hindi pa uso noon ang sapatos na may gulong. Noon, astig ka
kapag umiilaw ang swelas ng sapatos mo tuwing ia-apak mo ito.
Tinawag rin itong "Mighty Kid"

18. Kung lalaki ka, sikat na sikat sa'yo ang mga larong text,
jolens, dampa (mga unang anyo ng pustahan), saranggola at ang
dakilang manika niyo ay si GI-JOE with alipores.

19. Kung babae ka naman, ang mga laro mo with you're girlfriends ay luto-lutuan, bahay-bahayan, doktor-doktoran, at kung anu-ano pang pagkukunwari . ang dakilang manika mo ay si Barbie. (Sikat ka kung meron kang bahay, kotse at kabaong ni Barbie.)[meron ako nung mansion ni barbie!!]

20. Naniwala kang original ang isang cap kapag may walong tahi sa visor nito.

21. Swerte ka kapag panghapon ka dahil masusubaybayan mo ang mga kapanapanabik na kaganapan sa mga paborito mong cartoon shows tuwing umaga tulad ng Cedie, Sarah, at Dog of Landers a.k.a. Nelo. (Hindi ka ba nagtataka na sa lahat ng mga bida sa cartoons na ito, si Nelo lang ang di yumaman at namatay pa ng maaga)

22. Alam mo ang ibig sabihin ng "TIME FIRST!"

Bakit kaya ganon? Kahit sang lupalop ka ng Pilipinas naroon, eh
nakaka-relate ka sa mga pinagsasasabi ko. Siguro'y dahil wala pang cable at kakaunti lang ang pagpipiliang channels kaya parepareho tayo ng pinapanood. Maaaring wala pang playstation kaya kung anu-ano na lang ang naiimbentong laro na pwedeng
gawin sa kalsada o sa isang bakanteng lote. Pero kung ano man ang dahilan sa pagkaparepareho natin ng karanasan, masaya na rin akong naging bata ako sapanahong ito. Masarap alalahanin at balik-balikan. Di ba?

without due respect

last thursday, when our supposed gig was postponed, me and the rest of the band had a night out to treat ourselves over frustration, hehe! thanks to terrence for spending a time with us, i'm sure all of us had a great time and a nice bonding moment.
we moved from trader vics to peach garden in hilton to see the supposed gig venue. they were celebrating the post-independence day and the bar was jampacked and it's very hard to secure a seat. to my surprise, i saw the Philippine national flag hanging on the wall at the stage. i was disappointed to see it hanging there in a room comparable to hell. what made it more annoying is when i saw a group of pinoys in the dancefloor grabbed the flag and held it on top of them while dancing, grabe!!! i know they just wanted to be proud, i know the bar supervisor just wanted to give filipino spirit inside the bar but hey, that is not the proper way and absolutely not the proper place. when i saw that group of people who grabbed the flag i could not stop myself so i texted the bar supervisor and asked him not to let them play with it so he immediately took the flag from those crazy people. yes, the Philippine government is no longer respectable but please let us respect our flag that symbolizes our country. it is our brave ancestors' gift to us so let us give the highest respect to things that we inherit from the people who died for our country.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

kampai!!!

it's very frustrating. we were supposed to play in a bar in hilton tonight but we were not allowed because they need to secure a permit first for security purposes. the rest of the band is upset because we have worked hard for this gig. we reheased every friday, the only day that we can rest. we even rehearsed twice during a weekday until 2am i think. i am really ashamed to the rest of the band because i was the one who arranged it. especially to terrence because he is the one who excerts the biggest effort; above all, he is a very busy person being a managing director (i think) in a big company, yet he always gives time to our band. the instruments are in his place and he owns most of them not to mention the electricity that we consume (aside from the beer, hehe) and the noise that we make. aside from that, he always drives us home after the practice even if it's very late and he still has to work the next day. i really admire his golden heart and humility. inspite of his status in life, he has the time to get along with us though he is the only Indian among us. i also salute his talent when it comes to music, he is #1! to you terrence and the rest of the guys, KAMPAI!!! thank you all, i'm happy to be part of this band...

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

independence what?!

let's celebrate!!! today is our independence day! for more than 100 years we have been free from spanish colonisation.

but lemme ask you something.. do you think we are completely free? yes, we are not under foreign dictatorship anymore. no more spanish, japanese or american government. but what do we have now? do we have the so-called freedom? do you think just because you can do whatever you want to do in a 'democratic' country you are free? it's a big NOOOO!!!! every Filipino is a captive of a corrupt government official. every Filipino is a slave of a nothing-but-pain-in-the-ass politician. Filipinos are victims of their own leader/s. We are prisoners of their own interests.

now tell me, is there anything worth celebrating today? i think the only thing that the Filipino people are happy about during independence day is because it's a non-working holiday... it's a rest day that's all. certainly not because of independence..

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

pass...

hello! musta na? tagal kong nawala, i've been very busy lately. dami trabaho tapos naglipat pa ng bahay, ngarag na ngarag!!! but i enjoy being in a new house doing new things.. arrange this, arrange that, pukpok dito pukpok dun. i feel like i'm a handyman (assuming!), hehe! it feels good to be a carpenter, it's challenging and at least i am enjoying it even for a little while.

i'll be back soon to write about new things.

Monday, May 28, 2007

ingat kuya... (take 2)

today, my brother is leaving to seek for greener pastures in the land of Arabs. his income has been dormant for many years now. he and his family of nine (including his wife) has been living with my mother for maybe seven years now. all the household expenses has been shouldered by my mother though my brother is the one who continued the farming that our father left. i don't know what is it that he lacks that everything he puts their (his wife) hands on ends up in misfortune. they started a grocery store in the public market but suffered bankruptcy; tried their luck in piggery for a long time but no success; i remember them doing meat dealership but no gain either; the farming is not as good as it was when my father used to handle it -- to make it short they tried their best to earn but did not succeed. i know my brother is a hard-worker, he is a good father, i think he is a good husband, a good son, a caring brother and i'm pretty sure he is a very loving person. i don't know, i just feel sad that inspite of all the good qualities that he has, he was never able to provide enough for his family. maybe it has to do something with his gambling, nobody really wins in gambling i'm sure of that. my other siblings and i have always been there to help him but it's not the type of help that we should provide what they need for them. i remember kuya ringo told me weeks before he died that we should help him find the resources and not to be the resources for him. everybody in the family has had a share of the resources that they received especially my mother, who gave the most. the rest of our family got tired of that routine but i'm very proud to say that nobody back stabbed my kuya cris, walang sumbatan and i feel good about that.
today, i am very happy, worried, excited.. actually it's mixed emotions, a fruit salad of emotions, hehe. i am happy that he has made it at last!!! i'm a little worried that he'll be away like me but the difference is that he is a family man, he's got children who are all so close to him back home... but i hope he will not be defeated by homesickness. i'm excited for his success as a family man!!! and a fruit salad for him when he comes back home... goodluck kuya, mag-iingat ka lagi. we believe in you, kaya mo yan!!! god bless you

Saturday, May 26, 2007

good things

yesterday was a busy day for me. we had a band rehearsal and it's really tiresome. we are preparing for a gig on independence day (12th june) in peach garden bar in hilton hotel. me and the rest of the guys are excited about this because we haven't played for a while now and what makes it more exciting is that we are going to play in a bar. we haven't played in a closed space eversince and we were just using our small amps and speakers so i hope we sound good when we play there. well, i wish our band good luck and success on this gig because i'm the one who arranged this commitment, hehe!!!

after the rehearsals, i rested for a while at home with my wife and then i went to the event that i organized in the same bar. me and oliver (peach garden) started this karaoke singing contest last year and this is already our second season. our opening was a success!!! the bar was jam-packed and the program was just fine! thanks to our partner, mr. salim of aladdin restaurant, eventhough i did not get a chance to meet him because of the thick crowd. i hope this brings good product exposure and of course more sales on my part! thanks to people like oliver and manny and of course to mr. salim also.. though i'm alone here in al ain branch, my marketing through events is not dormant. thanks to the judges also, who never expected anything in return. well, it's a long contest, there are still seven weeks to go. i hope everything will run smoothly and i hope i can handle this properly with the help of those guys that i mentioned, without help from our head office, hehehe!!! anyway, thanks to isabelle for texting; honestly speaking, it morally helped.

today is my brother's 40th day of resting in peace. we miss you very much kuya!!! maraming salamat sa magagandang alaalang iniwan mo sa aming lahat...

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Long Live CDC!!!...

i have something here that i have written for our underground org way back in college. i was already working and has finished college when i wrote this maybe six years ago. it was a sleepless night in Taal, Batangas where i was residing at that time and i am deeply missing my friends so i got up, took a pen and paper from my cousin's things and started writing this:


pano ba tyo nabuo? hindi ko na gaanong maalala, basta ang alam ko lang minsan sa isang bahagi ng mga buhay natin nabuo ang isang samahang kinabibilangan ng mga indibidwal na may kanya-kanyang pagkatao. mga indibidwal na pinagbuklod ng iisang mithiin at ng iisang organisasyon... ang CDC.


Ilang flare lights na ba ang nasindihan natin? Natatandaan mo pa ba kung gaano kasaya ang pakiramdam natin habang pinagmamasdan ang pulang ilaw na nagsisilbing tanglaw sa ating pagkakaisa? Hindi lang isang beses kundi marami na..at umaasa ang marami na may sanlibong flare lights pa tayong sisindihan.Walang makakalimot sa samahan natin; takbuhan ng mga nawawalang tupa na kung saan makikitang muli ang panibagong pakikisama at pagasa. Sandalan ng mga nawala sa sirkulasyon ng mga dati nilang kaibigan na umaasang makakatagpo ng bagong kaligayahan bagamat hindi nila nalalaman na isa sila sa mahahalagang sangkap ng taos-pusong kaligayahan sa piling ng bawat isa.


Hindi na mabilang ang mga salaping natalo sa PUSOY kung saan nag-ugat ang ating samahan. Ngunit sa kabila ng halaga ng salaping natalo ay mas malaki ang sayang idinulot ng magulong paglalaro. Laro na sugal sa isip ng iba ngunit para sa atin ay isang pundasyon na pinagmulan ng isang matibay na pagkakaibigan.May isang timba na ang upos ng yosi na naubos sa bawat pagsindi. Yosing tinitipid at pasa-pasang pinaiikot ng tiga-tigalawang hithit lamang. Yosi, na napakagandang pasalubong mula sa mga bagong dating..ang yosi ng isa ay yosi ng lahat.Isang sako na kung iipunin ang mga basyo ng GIN at EMPARANING na naubos natin. At isang drum na siguro ang naisuka natin sa bawat inumang walang kasing saya. Sa walang patid na tugtog ng gitara at magulong kantahan, naidadaos natin ang mga gabing ilang beses na nating hiniling na wag ng matapos. Mga gabing sana ay wala ng bukas. Mga inumang ginulo ng mga away na agad ding nareresolba at mamamalayan mo na lang na lalo lang nagpatibay ng samahan at pagkakaibigan. Mga inumang nagbubulgar ng saloobin ng bawat isa at mga kuro-kurong walang kwenta na pagmumulan ng mainit na pagtatalong mauuwi lang sa tawanan at kantyawan.


Hindi ko lubos maisip kung panong nagsasama-sama ang mga taong may iba't ibang pananaw at paniniwala na dagling nakakalimutan o kinakalimutan sa sandaling nasa loob na ng samahan. Ang samahang ito ay para sa lahat, walang hanggan at walang limitasyon. Maliban lamang sa iilang kasunduan na nagbabawal sa mga bagay na alam ng lahat na mali at sinang-ayunan ng lahat na ipatupad. Sa kabila ng kalagayang walang namumuno at nanunungkulan sa atin, nandiyan pa rin ang pagkakaisa at respeto. Samahan ito ng mga malalaya, organisasyong binuo ng iba't ibang utak at prinsipyo na pinagsama sama ng iisang puso. Pusong handang ibigay sa kasamahang nangangailangan, handang umintindi sa mga pagkukulang at handang tumanggap ng mga paliwanag. Pusong bumubuhay sa ating masayang samahan. Ngunit hanggang kelan? Patungo saan? At para kanino?


Hangga't may mga taong masaya sa samahan natin. Maaaring mawala ang ikatlong palapag sa silangang bahagi ng ating unibersidad subalit mananatili sa atin ang diwa ng ating pagkakaibigan. Maubos man ang mga alak at yosi sa tindahan, sigurado akong hindi mabubuwag ang samahang itinakda ng tadhana para sa mga taong tulad natin. Hanggang nananalaytay sa ugat natin ang dugong bumubuhay sa atin at sa ating samahan.. dugong CDC

Patungo tayo sa isang magandang bukas na bagamat hindi mo mapapansing minimithi ng bawat isa ay naroon ang kasiguruhang may umagang papawi sa dilim ng ating mga gabi. Na sa bawat hakbang ng panahon ay may mga bagong sibol na magtataguyod ng mga kinagisnang tradisyon at prinsipyo tungo sa walang katapusang pag asa.

Dapat pa bang itanong natin kung para kanino? Maaaring para sa ating sarili ngunit higit sa lahat ay sa mga taong nasa likod natin na umaasa sa ating matagumpay na bukas. Kahit ang karamihan sa kanila ay iniisip na walang magandang maidudulot ang ating samahan ngunit hindi lang iilang beses nilang hinangaan ang tibay at kabuluhan ng ating samahan. PARA SA WALANG HANGGAN PAGKAKAIBIGAN....KAMPAI...


'di ba ang sweet? ang Casino De Coabte ay nabuo taong 1999. parang nagmerge ang dalawang grupo nun sa College of Office Administration and Business Teacher Education (COABTE) hanggang sa lumaki nang lumaki at kahit hindi mga taga-COABTE ay nakisali na rin. hindi ito fraternity katulad ng laging iniisip ng iba, barkada lang ito with or without a cause. surprisingly, hanggang ngayon ay may CDC pa rin sa PUP. makikita n'yo sila sa 3rd floor, East Wing. matagal ko na silang hindi nakikita pero i'm sure CDC pa rin ako at hindi na mawawala yun. kung sakaling makita nyo sila, ikamusta nyo na lang ako. pakisabi sa kanila miss na sila ni welfunk.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Ughhh!!!

nakakarindi na ang mga balita sa tv!!! mahigit isang linggo na hindi pa rin natatapos at lalo pang tumitindi! they'll do everything to get that five-letter-word P O W E R.. pathetic. too many people have been killed and much more have been damaged, this is just too much to bear!

How many DEATHS will it take until we know that too many PEOPLE have DIED?
why can't we just grow up without causing trouble to others?

Sunday, May 20, 2007

be proud!!!

hi, i've been silent for a couple of days. nothing runs into my mind, i had two boring days, hehe. yesterday, i was busy reading about baybayin commonly known as alibata. i was just reading in wikipedia (i usually go here when i have nothing to do) clicking things that catch my attention until i ended up seriously reading that article about our ancient writing. i found it interesting because a Canadian, Paul Morrow, who loves Pinoy culture, is using this kind of writing as his signature. There is no Filipino blood running in his vein, he simply loves the Philippines and he learn Tagalog by himself. In fact he has a website about baybayin and Philippine history and the articles are all in Tagalog convertible to English. my interest grew bigger and bigger while reading it especially when i read about that copperplate inscription found in Laguna De Bay in 1989. the inscription was made way back april 21, 900. can you imagine that? it just means we were not fools when the Spaniards came. the scroll was discussing something about debt settlement and mentioned there were places like Tondo, Pulilan and Paila in Bulakan, etc. although the language used there was not purely Tagalog (mixture of Tagalog, Malay and Java) and the writing was not in alibata --it was more advanced, which only shows that they were the people occupying our country at that time. there were arguments that they were foreigners or the scroll was but for sure they were Filipinos because they were talking about the places that exist until now, which are part of the Philippine archipelago without a doubt! we already had accountancy, rules, formal public documents and we know how to write 500 years before the Spaniards came contrary to what they claim that we were stupids.
unfortunately, that kind of writing disappeared and was replaced by a simpler alibata - the one that we were using when the Spaniards came. it is very enlightening to learn things like this! it makes you proud that you are Filipino, imagine how rich our civilization was? what makes me sad is the whitewashing done by the Spaniards. if they never came, maybe we were able to keep our own culture standing on our own identity. anyways, thanks to people like Paul Morrow. he is amazing, he is a lot prouder of the Philippines than most of the Filipinos are! he knows more about our country than any of us... shame on us!!! my salute and high respect to you, Gat Paul Morrow!!! In case you want to visit his site: http://www.mts.net/~pmorrow/index.htm

Thursday, May 17, 2007

doctor prescribed irritants

ay napaingo!

my brother was supposed to leave for Saudi today. it was his first time to go out of the country and he just applied for work through an agency. he got lucky so the agency booked him to travel today along with the others. inside the airport at the immigration, he was questioned because they have a name same as my brother's in their record with estafa case. so my brother called the agency to send his NBI clearance (just a recent one) through fax, which they did. but still, they held my brother and never allowed him to travel asking him to get a clearance somewhere, i think in Intramuros. it was really irritating!! after all the preparation and the excitement this thing happened to him. i don't know what system do we have in the Philippines now but as far as i know, you will never get a passport if you will not secure a clearance from NBI that you are allowed to travel abroad. if my brother's name has a record then they should have questioned him at that point while he was asking for the clearance and they could have asked him to get a clearance that they needed from whatever office is it that issues a clearance much honored than the one from NBI; in that case, the problem could have been rectified earlier before he prepared himself to travel.
anyway, my brother can still travel and go to Saudi but hey, i know he was so depressed and emotionally frustrated that time. actually it's not only him, the rest of the family was also upset because of that. it stinks! but maybe it was actually for safety or the SOP in the immigration, maybe i'm just reacting like this because it's my brother who is involved. what if it was not my brother? what if it was actually the person that was listed in their record? the person will still remain at large 'coz they gave him a chance when they asked him to get a clearance instead of detaining him. i should still be thankful, they did not detained my brother, hehe!! anyways... i just hope that my brother travels in a couple of days. i'll pray for that kuya!!


name game

after i have learned of the luck that my brother had, i received a circular from our Head Office. attached to the circular that they sent through email was the minutes of the meeting that they had days ago. while reading the minutes, which contained list of committees and its members and objectives, i was really confused because almost all of the members listed were pertained to with their initials just like our big bosses. i know that when you are a company owner or you hold a high position in the company (or in the country like GMA, FVR) you are pertained to with your initials but for heaven's sake they enjoyed doing it with themselves, too!!! some of them are wannabes who thinks that they are an asset to the company and they should be treated with high respect. they didn't know that they are not relaying clear information because of their power tripping with their initials. they just give confusion and irritation to their subordinates. i thought they were still pertaining to a person when i read IT and WWW, hahaha!!! i just hope they realize that they are still far from reality to use that first-letter-of-the-name title. just give it to our big bosses, guys! they deserve distinction from the rest of us...


Yours very truly,

RR
(it could be Rudolph the Reindeer, Ramon Revilla or Ronald Reagan... i told you it's confusing!!!)

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

post election

grabe!!! it's very disappointing to hear news about what's happening after the election. you waited for months for those hypocrites to stop bugging you in the television stating their promises to give you everything, all those banners, posters, leaflets....they make your eyes sore... pangarap kong tuparin ang pangarap nyo, buti na lang me tito ako... they were just few of those famous shit taglines! so you wished the election day is over for these people to shut up pero pagkatapos ng eleksyon eto naman... dayaan, patayan, protesta, suguran.. it's never-ending. why are they doing these things? it's like they (politicians) tried very hard to make the people believe of what they say about themselves and just hours after the judgment they were the first ones to ruin it, step on it to destroy it. just like building a beautiful mansion and burning it when the people were preparing to enter it. anyway the mansion was made of paper so it's better that the people never entered because they might be badly hurt if they did. kelan kaya gaganda ang politics sa pinas? yun bang tipong pag sinabing eleksyon hindi dayaan ang papasok sa isip mo.. yung poprotektahan ka ni tito... ni tito wawel




iboto nyo ako ha!!!

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

numb3rs

yesterday was my birthday. i turned 28 twenty-eight days after my brother died.. he died a day before my father's 6th death anniversary and they both died because of cardiac arrest. i don't know what's the connection in it basta ang alam ko masakit ang mawalan ng mahal sa buhay. both of them lived a life full of success at sila ang masasabi mong mga taong walang kaaway. it is very common that people say 'sayang namatay sya, ambait pa naman nya' after somebody dies but i can say that they were indeed mabait not because they are already dead. ang kuya ringo, namatay sya na malayo sa amin, very sudden. i was at work reading something in wikipedia (i think it was an article about magnets) when i received a text from my kuya edgar: tawag ka samin, urgent. re ringo. so i grabbed my phone and walked out of the office to call thinking what the matter could be but i was not thinking of death because kuya edgar (my brother-in-law) is my joking buddy. but when he was speaking to me in a very serious tone, it changed my mood.. i knew it was something bad and the next words changed the rest of the day until now. what was more painful is the fact that we can't even see him before he was buried nor visit his grave on all soul's day. he died and was buried in the land of kiwis far from home... away from home...