Isang Araw..

Umuwi si Biyay sa probinsya dahil bakasyon sa kolehiyo.  Pag dating nya sa bahay, nakita nya ang tatay nya.

Tatay: Anak, may maganda kaming balita.  

Biyay: Talaga po? Ano po yun?

Tatay: Nahirang kami ng nanay mo na maging hermano at hermana dito sa ating parokya ngayong taon na ito.

Napatigil si Biyay ng sandali. Nag-isip. Tuwang tuwang bumulong sa sarili: “Tama! Ito na nga ang pagkakataon ko”.

Biyay: Mwahahahaha! Sa wakas, magiging reyna elena na rin ako! Walang makakapigil sa akin! What are we in power for? Mwahahahaha!

Natigilan din si tatay. Napatingin kay Biyay ng matagal. Umiling at sabay pabulong na nagsabi:

Tatay: Anak, walang ganyanan. Baka sabihin, inaabuso namin ng nanay mo ang pagiging hermano at hermana namin. 

Biyay: WTF?!        

Rompeolas

Sometimes, when I feel like it, I wake up early and go brisk walking. From our house, I walk about two kilometers to the town pier. On my way to the pier, I noticed this protruding from the sidewalk.

free flowing water

The pier or Rompeolas as it is called, is the place where many residents do their morning exercises. In the evening, this is a dating place for those who are on a budget. My former school is near here. My classmates and I used to look out of the window and check out the young people who are dating there. Usyoseras. hehe. Anyway, there is a taebo class here so loud music is already blaring at 5 a.m.

 A lot of people join this free class. One of them is this guy.

He is a former elected government official.hehe 

Friendly Warning

A pint-sized comedian of a children’s gag show had better watch himself closely. Da King is already dead, followed by Daboy. Baka sumunod na si Dagul.

Snippets

- I’m not into basketball but I am so glad that the Celtics won over the Lakers in Game 6. Woohoo! Tinambakan ang Lakers, 131-92. Manoy C was so pissed, he was so grumpy at the office. Come to think of it, all the guys in the office were so grumpy yesterday.

- Ces Drilon and company were already released, safe and unharmed. They did not pay any ransom daw. yeahokfinewhatever

- After seeing what I saw at the office today, I have more respect for bodyguards. Hirap pala talaga ng trabaho nila.  

- When the cause one is fighting for is hopeless in the sense that there is no way one will win, what drives a person to continue with what he is fighting for? What satisfaction does he get from going on although he knows that it is a lost cause?

Kidnapping: Who Wins This Time

The good news is: the deadline for the payment of the ransom for Ces Drilon and her cameraman, due 12 noon today, has been extended. Ces was supposed to conduct and interview with the Abu Sayyaf last week but they suddenly disappeared. After a news blackout, the news came out that she, together with her two cameramen and a guide are under the “hospitality” of the said group. I say “hospitality” because they are supposed to pay board and lodging in the amount higher than what is charged by a 5 star hotel yet in lackluster surroundings. The bad news, the government discourages the payment of the “board and lodging fee” or what they call the ransom.

Personally, I do not believe that the ABS-CBN will refuse to pay the ransom. To be callous about the situation, it is a win-win situation for both parties. The Abu Sayyaf get their money and gets to display thier power, ABS-CBN gets a super-exclusive in-depth report on the Abu Sayyaf. It is the stuff that is an investigative journalist’s wet dream. Think about it. What would any new bureau do in their place? When Ces and the cameraman are released, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, will be tuned in to ABS CBN. Hello ratings!

If they refuse to pay the ransom, and something happens to the hostages, it would be a PR nightmare for ABS. And with the recent ongoings about the MERALCO overcharging, ABS cannot really afford more negative publicity.

The government can also make some noises about the ABS-CBN paying the ransom despite being advised not to. At least they do not lose face.  

The real losers here are, as always, the hostages and their families.

The Giving Tree

We used to have two langka trees just outside my old bedroom. I remember my father planting them a few meters apart so that when they grow, we can tie a hammock around the trunks and spend lazy summer afternoons under their shade. I don’t remember managing to do that as I was then already studying and then working in Manila when the trees grew big enough to support a hammock. I remember though that the fruits were so sweet.

About a month or so after my father was diagnosed with cancer (stage 3 or 4 though we did not know it yet then), I was standing in the backyard wondering about the future. It was looking bleak. My dad has lost a LOT of weight and I was fearing for the worst.To me, he looked like he was dying and I was scared.
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An Open Letter To the Makers of Clear Shampoo

Dear Unilever,

Let me start off by saying that I have been a loyal user of your shampoo since it first became available in my part of the world. That would be approximately 8 months. Yes, I made the big switch and I did not regret it. Yours was better than what I used to use. Although the shampoo in sachets were less than the others, it made up for it by being effective in removing my unsightly and much hated dandruff. So, in that aspect, thank you very much.

But all these changed this morning. (more…)

Not A Hangover But It Sure Feels Like One

Headache.

Sore throat.

Late night with friends. 

About 4 hours sleep.

A long day ahead at work. 

Age is creeping in on me.