Denouncing Suffrage

The first time I voted was in 1998. It was also the last.

The voting precint is right next to where we live so I don't think it's an inconvenience.

Sloth is a sin I don't think I've ever been guilty of. Just take a look at the number of posts I did in the last 2 months and I assure you, you cannot accuse me of being lazy.

So why, oh why, denounce a right that so many suffragettes fought for???

Philippine politics, in my humble opinion, is in a state of decadence. Sheer and utter decay. Public service turned into self service. What should be a noble profession is merely a business transaction.

Let me start with the candidates. Take your pick - celebrities, ex-matinee idols, ex-burlesque queens, boxers, retired basketball players, and my favorite category - the next of kin - the husband, the son, the daughter, the son-in-law, the daughter-in-law, heck even the grandchild of the incumbent want their share of power. Kamag-anak Inc. There is only a handful of sincere candidates out there (less than 10, IMO).

Don't get me started on Pork Barrel. I've already written something on it on my The Philippines Through the Eyes of A Filipina post. In case you didn't read it, I'll say it again. The Pork Barrel A.K.A. Countrywide Development Fund (CDF) A.K.A. Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) are funds given to members of the Senate and Congress. These are discretionary in nature so it is up to the senator or congressman to identify the projects that will be funded from these funds. Correct me if I'm wrong, senators get a whopping P 200 million (about $4.65 million USD) each, while the congressmen are allotted about P 70 million (about $1.62 million USD) each. Sheesh, I'm starting to sound like a broken record. So where, oh where does all the money go??? oink oink oink. Let me just give you an example, or better yet, I'll show you.................

Congressmen (esp. women) love building waiting sheds and plant boxes........Pardon my ignorance, but THAT, to me, looks more like a rubbish bin............. Again, I'm really, really ignorant, but..............

Hair & Makeup + Diamond earrings + Color Separation + Tarpaulin printing > GI pipes + scraps of plywoodIs it because it's way cheaper than building schools or spending on infrastructure??? Even if I add the cost of these monstrosities, I mean waiting sheds, I do not think this is worth millions in taxpayer's money............

Potholes galore.........Why not at least spend on that???
Just asking...........

What about the squatters in Metro Manila??? This happens to be right behind a huge goverment facility, and I'm not telling where.............. Did you notice the huge service drop??? Did you also notice that there is NOT A SINGLE ELECTRIC METER???!!!! No wonder our electirc bills continue to sky rocket............

Principles, my dears. Something I think every person should have, only a handful have, and (almost, I'm not saying all) no politician thinks he needs...............

The Shungak Awards at Ang Mahiwagang WangWang

After a serious backlog, here they are..........

The 'CHILD ENDANGERMENT Award' goes to

This tricycle driver along Katipunan. First off, tricycles are not allowed along that stretch. Second, ano nga ba ulit yung award mo???
The 'CHILD & PARTNER ENDANGERMENT Award' goes to

This motorcycle driver along EDSA, Santolan. I have a clearer shot but I opted to use this one just for you to see how fast he was going. Notice his passenger isn't wearing a helmet, not to mention the poor kid with no protection whatsoever (in case of a smash) sanwiched between them...............
The 'WHATEVERPLANETDIDYOUCOMEFROM Award' goes to

This couple along Alabang. Not only is there a kid in between BUT................Pssst, Mr. Pogi, your helmet can in no way protect you in case you crash since you're not even wearing the damn thing, your baseball cap is!!!
And Honey, THAT AIN'T A HELMET. That's a hard hat.
The 'MATIKAS Award' goes to

This soldier along EDSA Ortigas.How the heck can you protect the country when you can't even protect your wife, girfriend, whoever she is........

The 'WHATEVERITISYOURPROFESSIONANDWHYTHEHECKAREYOUINIT Award' goes to

Not one..................But two policemen along Quezon Avenue.....................How the heck are you going to enforce a very simple law that you cannot even follow.....................

Need I say more????


The 'SHUNGAK AWARD' goes to

ALL THE SUV's WITH MATCHING CONVOYS + PNP ENTOURAGE + WANG WANG

If you traverse the streets of Manila on a regular basis, I'm sure you've encountered them. It usually starts with a motorcycle. They intimidate everyone by bullying every single vehicle in sight to move aside so that his/ her majesty can get through traffic!!! Anak ng tinapay, wala namang hari at reyna sa Pilipinas!!!! Akala ko ba demokarasya tayo????!!!! As if that's not enough, this privilege (???) is sometimes even extended to the spouse, children, grandchildren, syota ng anak, pati ata kabit.................. Heck no, simple SUV's do not appeal to them. It's usually Lincoln Navigators, Cadillac Escalades, Lexus LX (s), GMC Yukons & Suburbans, and the like that strike their fancy. Akala ko ba third world country tayo???

Ano nga ba yung sabi sa kanta ni Christina Aguilera??? la la la 'you must talk so big to make up for smaller things' la la And what the heck is a 'wang wang'??? Well as if the intimidating convoy isn't enough to aggravate you, they need, I repeat, they need this loud siren that goes 'wang wang wang' to announce their prescence.
I'd understand this kind of treatment for the President but..................

One question though, who the heck is footing the bill for all this nonsense, I mean luho???!!! Ahem pork ahem barrel ahem ahem ahem

Nagtatanong lang po.............. Something to chew on, pero apparently manhid na ang panga ko sa kakanguya mwahahaha

An Ode to Snow White

(Melai, in lieu of the article I promised, I hope this will do for the meantime. Para sa ating mga kababaihan ang post na ito............)

As far back as I can remember, I've always considered myself an eccentric. As a kid (until now), my favorite tales were Foolish Frances, and The Snow Queen. I never (and I mean NEVER) enjoyed reading fairy tales like Snow White, Cinderella, or Sleeping Beauty.

Why in the world were they considered heroines in the first place? What was it they had that made them stand out? Which quality was it that made them superior to their next door neighbor or even their stepsisters?

Maybe I envied them. Maybe not.

Yes, they were kind, no doubt about that. But not 'saintly'.

Maybe they were smart. But not 'ingenious'.

What made them such 'trophies' worthy enough for Prince Charming to risk his neck for? (I don't even know why he's such a catch himself when all I know about him is that he's filthy stinkin' rich and always on a white horse, but that's another topic................)

I'm sure you know why. They were all stunningly gorgeous.

Fairy tales like Snow White made me even more insecure than I already was. I used to curse the cute girls in grade school. Just because they were so darn white, they caught all they boys' attention. Even in high school where only the va-va-voom sexy ones got dates to the prom. I would imprecate them because they had what I did not.

We are at an age where physical beauty is such a commodity. It's so commercialized. I, for one, used to think that the only people who claimed to have 'inner beauty' were the ones who lacked it's physical component. I used to think that the only way to get a man to notice you was if you had flawless white skin, a 36-24-36 frame, and a face to rival any beauty queen.

I look at modern day philanthropists like (the late) Princess Diana, Queen Rania, or even Angelina Jolie. If they weren't as stunning as they are, would they still be as hounded as they are by the media? Would they still be exemplified as modern day heroines?

What about women like Marie Curie and Mother Teresa. Or Filipinas like Gabriela Silang and Teodora Alonzo. Or Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, and Corazon Aquino. To me, they are the epitome of beauty.

Maybe it's called midlife or probably a certain level of maturity to be able to see past the external. There's some beauty we see, some we even hear, but the most resplendent, we feel inside.

Physical beauty is so f***in' overrated.

So here's to us plain janes . Sheer, unadulterated, non-airbrushed (or photoshoped) beauties. Myself, Melai, Ate Sienna, Mommy, Tita Loi, Ate Mel, Tany, Telly, Celina, and all Pinays out there.............. Let us bask in splendiferous glory and our beautiful Kayumanggi skin. Mabuhay!!!


P.S. Melai, I've only been blogging for a little over 6 weeks pa lang. Pinasakit mo ang ulo ko. I honestly don't know any other bloggers except for you and Ate Sienna. I still owe you an article though :-) saka isaw at yema...... haha

1 + 1 = 2,106 ???

Yesterday, the peso soared as it hit a 7-year high of 44.35 to a dollar.

Gas prices, however, are still on an all-time high. These are the current prices of petrol in the Philippines, I took these just about an hour ago. I remember (was it only last year?) when the peso was 55+ to a dollar, gasoline prices cost this much already. Correct me if I'm wrong, a barrel of crude oil right now costs about $80.00 plus or minus, that's still not a a lot compared last year as it fluctuated to about $70.00 last year. A gallon is 3.7854 liters, if the peso right now is 44.35, a gallon of premium gasoline would cost about $3.65.

Yes, gasoline companies do sometimes rollback prices. Say about 10 to 25 Philippine cents per liter. But everytime there is a slight rise in crude oil prices, they jack up their prices to about 1 to 2 pesos per liter.

The goverment insists our economy is booming. Who or what were they referring to??? The economy of their pockets or their Swiss bank accounts???

I just don't get it.

What do you think???

The Shungak Awards - Traffic Violators of the Week

And the winners are:


The 'OVERLOADING' Award goes to..........

This bus somewhere along East Avenue................
The 'COUNTERFLOWING' Award goes to.................

These 2 pedicabs and the bicycle traling behind them along Elliptical Road, Quezon Memorial Circle. Circle nga di ba, clockwise ang flow diyan, mga shungak...........
The 'DUMB AS ON OX' Award goes to.........

All the tricycles along Katipunan................Why????Care to know what this sign says???????I don't know if it's ignorance or pigheadedness, maybe both. What do you think??????

The 'HELMET' Award goes to..............

The passenger of this motorcycle along West Avenue.
The helmet is for your head, not to be used as a purse. Isuot mo nga yan at wag mo isukbit sa kamay mo.............

The 'SUICIDAL/ HOMICIDAL' Award goes to....................

The 3 morons aboard this motorcycle along Del Monte Avenue. For Chrissakes, tatlo na nga kayo, pare pareho pa kayong walang mga helmet.............
The 'SIGA' Award goes to.............

The driver of this truck along Katipunan Avenue. What the heck is wrong with you????!!!
And the 'SHUNGAK AWARD' goes to...................

These 2 Quezon City Traffic Enforcers along Elliptical Road, Quezon Memorial Circle.........

No helmets.......... Wrong body positioning................ And your job again is to do what????

Say cheese..............
I therefore conclude that................

The Law applies to all, or only to some????

Watch out next week for more 'Shungak Awards'.................

Only in the Philippines, Filipino 'SIGNS' of Wit

I received an email a couple of weeks ago from dear Ate Mel, and again from Joseph R., on Filipino wit. Why settle for mere words when you can capture it on film. Some of them are blurry as they were taken (by me) while on a moving vehicle.

Here they are...........


Asan na si Bob Barker???
Jailhouse Rock??? Di ba kanta yun, tapos naging movie pa ni Elvis Presley??Ano ba to motel o restaurant???Ever heard of CUISINART??? Here's the Filipino version..........I'm sure you can...........O taya na................Shoes, I'm confused............Ooooohhhh, so this is where all those funds went.................Ay sus ko po........... Mr. Bean, Filipino style.......... Whatever happened to Victoria's Secret???

Why end at signages when you can even print it on shirts?

Sorry for the cloudy shots. I took these from afar as I don't think they'll let me do this inside the store. I edited the originals so you can see them much better..............

More than meets the ????

Care for some coffee? I mean, ice drop................The Fat & The Furious..............

I'd really rather not say anything..........
Starring Tom Hunks and Tim Alien...............

There's more to come, promise.................

Abangan.............

Pinoy Text Messaging, For Special Ocassions & More Erap Jokes

More more more..........

FOR MOTHER'S DAY:
Pakisabi nga sa
PINAKASIGA,
PINAKAMATON,
PINAKAMATAPANG
@ SA LAGING
NASUSUNOD DYAN
sa pamamahay niyo na............
Happy Mother's day!

FOR ALL SOUL'S DAY:
Save yourself the trouble
with traffic at cemeteries.
DO NOT VISIT your departed loved ones anymore.
Instead, ask them to VISIT you.
It's more personal and meaningful.

FOR CHRISTMAS:
Magandang
ibigay
na regalo
sa darating na Pasko.

Sa kaibigan:
KATAPATAN
Sa kaaway:
PAGPAPATAWAD
Sa magulang:
PASASALAMAT
Sa Diyos:
BUHAY MO

Sa akin:
1. Nokia E90
2. Ipod Video
3. PS3
4. Fujitsu Laptop
5. Mini theater
6. 10-megapixel digital camera
7. Swiss bank account
8. Hummer H2
............yun lang, hapi na 'ko!
ang babaw noh?
Merry Christmas!


MGA EKSENA SA PELIKULANG PILIPINO:
napapansin nyo ba...................
- bad guys - laging naka black leather jacket
- kapag nabagok and bida - nagkaka amnesia st kailangan uli mabagok para bumalik ang ala-ala
- laging sinasabi ng bida ang title ng movie
- huli ang dating ng pulis sa eksena
- agaw-buhay na ang isang tauhan pero wala pa ring tumatawag ng tulong o saklolo
- pansit ang laging pasalubong
- napakahabang usapan ng bida at kontrabida bago magbarilan
- pagka haba habang habilin bago mamatay
- noong 80's at 90's, yung mahirap na babae kapag yumaman nagiging kulot ang buhok
- ngayon, yung mahirap na babae kapag yumaman nagiging straight na ang buhok, may pampa rebond na siya


Miscellaneous:

Wanna know how
Hindu (Indians) people communicate
without talking?

see the red dot
on their forehead?

Infrared pare,
Infrared...........


Chinese man on his death bed...........
aki asawa ajan ba?
00.
aki panganay ajan ba?
opo.
aki bunso ajan ba?
opo.

walanya! dito kayo lahat.... wala tao tindahan!


More Erap Jokes:

Breaking his silence on the jueteng issue, Erap was reportedly heard saying:
"Do not believe all these lies!
I did not receive gambling money!
I don't gamble!
Damn it!
Wag niyo kong subukan!
Wanna bet?
Double my terms or nothing!

Reporter: Mr. President, how was your visit to Australia?
Erap: Well, it was nice. I saw many dangaroos.
Reporter: Sir, you mean kangaroos?
Erap: No! Dangaroos! It was written: "Beware, these animals are dangaroos(dangerous)!"

Pa-landing na ang presidential plane.
Napansin ng stewardess na parangsumasakit ang tenga ni President Erap dahil sa air pressure kaya lumapit ito.
"Sir, chewing gum para hindi sumakit ang tenga ninyo sa flight," sabing stewardess.
Tinanggap ni Erap ang chewing gum. Ilang sandali pa, lumapag na ang eroplano. Kinausap ni Erap ang stewardess."Miss, paano ko tatanggalin ang chewing gum sa tenga ko?" tanong nito.

"Ang gatas ko noong baby ako, Lactum," kuwento ni Marcos sa ibang presidente.
"Ah ako, Enfalac, 'yun ang mahal, eh," sagot ni Cory.
"Ako, Lactogen, kaya ganito ako katalino," sabi ni Ramos.
"Ikaw, Erap, ano ang iniinom mo noon?" tanong ng tatlo.
"Ano yata Lactacyd."

Q: How are a San Miguel Beer bottle and Erap alike?
A: They are both empty from the neck up.

Q: Why does Erap keep empty beer bottles in his fridge?
A: They are for those who don't drink!

Q: How do you confuse Erap?
A: Stick him in a round room and tell him to sit in the corner.

Q: Why did the Erap stare at a can of frozen orange juice?
A: Because it said concentrate.

Q: What do you do if Erap throws a pin at you?
A: Run like hell, he's got a grenade in his mouth!

Q: Why did Erap get fired from his job at the M & M's factory?
A: He kept throwing out the Ws.

Only in the Philippines, Mga Pamahiing Filipino

Filipinos, by nature, are very superstitious. Pagkarami rami nating mga pamahiin. Most of our pamahiins envelop a broad spectrum of daily activities influencing even the way we behave, think and react. I find a lot of them are baseless. Well, at least some of them. Some are totally hilarious and insane. Here are some of them and my take on them...................


If you face a mirror at midnight you will see the reflection of your future husband.
No matter what time of day, you will always see one reflection........YOURS. If you happen to see any other reflection other than yours, scream and run. That's probably a ghost.

Never sweep the floor at night or you'll sweep all the good luck out.
I think my luck would be perfectly fine as I rarely sweep the floor.

Wearing a diamond protects the bearer from bad people.
Quick!!!! I need to alert my husband. Pwede bang 5 carats???

If you drop a spoon, you'll have a lady visitor; a man if you drop a fork; a child if you drop a teaspoon.
What if I drop a knife? Eh papaano kung may party? Papaano na yan?

Do not mend your clothes while wearing them, or harm will befall you.
I agree. Baka hita mo na pala ang nasusulsi mo.

Bees found inside the house will bring you good luck.
Bees belong in a garden. If you see them inside your house, run. Putakti yun, hindi suwerte.

If a person gets sick, it means evil spirits are playing with him.
Aren't they called bacteria and viruses?

Do not place your handbag or purse on the floor or you won't prosper.
Never have, never will.

If your right palm itches, you will receive money. If your left palm itches, you will spend money.
Did you not consider washing them?

During New Year's eve, jumping 12 times as the clock strikes 12 will make one grow taller.
Yeah right. I have been doing this every every year since I was 12. I'm still petite.

During New Year's eve, swallowing 12 grapes at midnight will make one's wish come true.
Not at the same time though unless you want spend the New Year choking.

Trimming or cutting a newborn's eyalashes will make it grow long and thick.
Make sure that you a have a 20/20 vision. If you do not, pray that you do not trim past the lashes. Baka mamaya eyelids na pala ang nagugupit mo.

Twisting the head of a match on the cheeks of a newborn baby will create dimples.
I think my parents made a serious mistake by twisting the head of the match on the wrong set of cheeks. My dimples are nowhere near my face.

Eating papayas everyday will help diminish sexual urges.
I love papayas. I eat them everyday. Seriously, my husband does not think this works haha...........................

P.S. Due to insistent public demand (feeling) [read: 3 people namely Mon, Ruth, and my Dad (yes indeed, my Daddy religiously reads my posts)] I'm using larger fonts. Apparently they have to squint to be able to read my posts, especially my Dad. Daddy, you are the reason why I cannot go any 'greener' haha Luv ya mwah mwah...............

The Philippines Through the Eyes of A Filipina

The Philippines Through the Eyes of a Filipina
By Ivy Agustin
http://blackbaies.blogspot.com/, October 2, 2007


I received a copy of 'The Philippines Through the Eyes of a Foreigner' through an email last June 2007. Why did I not react then? First, I did not have my own blog yet. Second, and more importantly, I did not see the need to do so as it was one man's sentiment and there was some truth to it. So why am I reacting now? Well, yesterday as I was sorting out my email I chance upon the letter again and then later on as I was doing some research on Filipino culture I chance upon the same essay. This time though, I was surprised to see a lot of reactions from my kababayans, ranging from defensive to violent rections. Why be so harsh on the guy when he is merely voicing out his sentiments as he is entitled to in the first place.

Although there are some truths in his essay, there are also some overstatements.

Let me start with the sad truths:

1. Yes, it is true that we do have streets lined with street people, beggars and squatters.

But, let me remind you that those people did not dominate our sidestreets overnight.

Once upon a time, those people used to live happily in the rural areas. Then one day, a politician named Mr. Trapo arrives in a shiny limo and promises them the sun, the moon and the stars. But there is a catch, they have to go to his town to help him win elections by becoming 'flying voters'. They were pledged mammoth promises, given a few measly bucks and picked up by huge Sarao jeepneys bound for Zion. After Mr. Trapo wins his election, he leaves all the necessitous folk behind. With their families still with them, hungry, broke and exhausted, where do they go now? With very little money left from Mr. Trapo, they begin building shanties along the sidestreets. And the rest as they say is history........

2. Yes, it is true that our roads are cursed with pollution and our public utility vehicles are in disreputable states of repair. Yes, we have streets full of potholes and unrepaired streets.

Then one day, after Mr. Trapo is sworn into office, he becomes Congressman Trapo. He decrees that the roads be repaired and lined with asphalt. Since he has the power to pick the contractor, he selects the one who offers him the most proceeds. And because the contractor has to give a huge chunk of his earnings to Congressman Trapo, he figures that to earn more he could probably gain more by using substandard materials. That explains the potholes.

Congressman Trapo runs for the Senate and wins. Senator Trapo is now even more jaded by all his power. He does not care (or he has been bribed enough) to overlook that the other government subsidiaries are allowing bus comapnies to import buses that are really old and dilapidated. So that explains the disintegrating vehicles and the pollution that comes with it.

3. Yes, it is true that our educational system allows children to attend schools without desks or books to accommodate them. Yes, it also true that teachers, even college professors, are paid salaries so disgracefully low that it's a wonder that anyone would want to go into the teaching profession in the first place.

Senator Trapo has his share of the The Pork Barrel, A.K.A. Pork, Countrywide Development Fund (CDF) or Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). These are funds given to both members of the Senate and Congress, these are discretionary in nature so it is up to Senator Trapo to identify the projects that will be funded from these funds. Senators get P 200 million each while the congressmen are allotted about P 70 million each. To have something to show for, Senator Trapo builds small waiting sheds with a huge picture of his face and his name in large fonts to advertise what he has done. He forgets about the public schools that cannot accommodate half the school's population. Senator Trapo also needs more funds to help him in his re-election bid. He forgets about the teachers who, aside from a meager salary, work long, grueling hours.

There are a lot of Mr. Trapos all around us. He could very well be holding office at your Barangay Hall, the City Hall, the House of Representatives, the Senate, maybe even in Malacañang. Who knows?

There is no ending to my fairy (goblin) tale. The rest is up to you.


As for the overstatements, here's my take on that:

1. Filipinos do not worship, almost slavishly, everything foreign. Foreigners are not looked up to and idolized.

Filipinos are essentially warm, nurturing, and tolerant to a fault.

Do not mistake Filipino hospitality for worship. Having said that, it is but natural for Filipinos, even Asians in particular to be generous givers. Luxury goods, more often than not, imported brands flatter not just the giver but the receiver as well. Isn't that what it's about, status quo?

Case in point, last week my husband & I were in Greenhills for an errand. In case you don't know, it is a shopping mecca for everything faked or copied. We traverse the tiangges as I wanted to do some research on the demographics of people who patronize fakes. Surprise, surprise. In one corner, we saw 2 Americans (males) searching for an 'authentic looking fake' briefcase. We walk some more and more and we see 3 foriegners (they sounded British but I wasn't sure) looking for 'authentic looking fake' Mont Blanc pen. We walk a bit more and we see 2 foreigners (males) looking for 'authentic looking fake' Louis Vuitton bags for their girlfriends. Is that what character is to you? I'm not even making this up.

Allow me to spill another anecdote. A few months ago I was at Louis Vuitton in Greenbelt waiting for my purchase to be wrapped when I was approached by a man in his 60's (about my Dad's age) asking my impression on 4 LV bags laid out in front of him. He said he was having a hard time deciding which one to pick as an anniversary present for his wife and the SA(sales associate) wasn't much help. I gladly oblige. Mind you, he was Filipino, very simply and unostentastiously dressed. He didn't look like a fashion victim nor did he look uber rich. Maybe just like the rest of us, he appreciates a little luxury. Don't you think?

Even in HongKong, walk around and you'll see about 60% of the locals are carrying LV bags. Real ones, I'm sure. We went to all 3 stores and all of them were packed. In one store, we had to wait in a long queue just to get in. You wouldn't call them slaves to foreigners, would you?

2. Filipinos are not itching to leave the country.

It's just that sometimes, for some people, there seems to be no other choice.

Do you think our OFWs would still leave the country if they were given the same rate here as they are given abroad? Domestic helpers abroad are paid more than thrice over than what our teachers are paid here.

In the United States for instance, the minimum wage (average) is about $6.00 an hour. Did you know that that same amount is the minimum wage here BUT for a full day's labor? I hate it when I hear foreigners say, 'Oh, the gasoline prices here are the same as in the US' or whatever country. No matter how the numbers match, it's still not the same. No matter how our government rubs all sorts of figures on our faces, they mean nothing. Absolutely nothing. Why? Because we, the Filipinos, feel nothing. The government has nothing to offer. The jobs they claim to have are mediocre compared to what we as parents have to pay for in tuition fees. What jobs await U.P., Ateneo and La Salle graduates? Jobs at call centers?

To strive for something better is no shortcoming on our part. We will always strive for the best, not just for ourselves, but for our families and our nation.

The government claims that it is helping boost tourism in our country. How exactly?

When we went to Bangkok just a few weeks ago, I wanted to visit Siam Paragon. We could've walked as the mall was only about 5 kilometers from our hotel, I merely wanted to ride a tuk tuk so we hail one to take us there. Since the cab and tuk tuk drivers there understood very little English I brought a map, a picture of the mall and a copy of the exact address. About 15 minutes and many kilometers later, still no mall in sight. He brings us to a jewelry store, when we asked why, he said that he's bringing us there at no extra charge to us. It's just that everytime they bring in tourists, they get a coupon for free LPG (their petrol) from the government. We aren't under any obligation to buy, just come in for a visit. He then takes us to another shop (and thus my asthma was triggered by the stench of LPG). We ended up buying some goodies as he says he will get a small commission if we do so (yes, we were that gullible, but to us it was being helpful). Even during the temple tour, the tour guide told us that it was compulsory for them to bring tourists to particular spots. That is because their government encourages exactly that. Do you think the tricycle drivers here would get an incentive if they bring you to Luneta? I don't think so.

But what about tourism in the Philippines. My husband & I were surprised to see on a cable channel that some of our museums are still open. Note that it was on a cable channel and not even a local channel. Up until that moment we thought all our museums have closed down. Is that the government's definiton of 'boosting' tourism?

We are a free country. We are free people. We are entitled to our own opinion. In the same way that each of us is free to voice that opinion. If you'd want to block or edit everything negative you hear just to make it favorable to you, won't that be the start of censorship?

The reason behind my poking fun at Filipino drivers (in my blog) isn't to insult, ridicule or degrade them but maybe, just maybe with those little insights I could reach out to someone to do something about it, be it by doing better at it (it is a skill after all) or by at least implementing the laws that are there for a reason.

Hats off to Mr. Barth Suretsky. I do believe that it was in his best intention to put a little perspective into our culture and I take no offense whatsoever. I thank him for taking the time to analyze the things that somehow puzzle me as well.

To all foreigners, always remember this, we Filipinos have managed to unseat 2 presidents in the last 2 decades. It is my belief that we can do so again. It's just that at this point, there is no one person who could penetrate the system and not be spoiled by it. It will take time, discipline, and the will to change in each of us. Like I said, probably not in my lifetime. But soon, I hope.

I am a Filipino and I am proud to be one. I love my country and it is here that I will spend my old age until the rest of my days.


I hope you can say the same for yourselves.

One Man's View

Hello peeps. I'd like to share an email I received last June. Please bear with me as it is quite long. I'll give my views in a few hours as I have tons of errands waiting to be completed. Here it is......................


The Philippines Through the Eyes of a Foreigner
By Barth Suretsky
Atin Ito Philippine NewsFeature April 2007

My decision to move to Manila was not a precipitous one. I used to work in New York as an outside agent of Philippines Air Line, and have been coming to the Philippines since August, 1982. I was so impressed with the country, and with the interesting people I met, some of whom have become very close friends to this day, that I asked for and was granted a year's sabbatical from my teaching job in order to live in the Philippines

I arrived here on August 21, 1983, several hours after Ninoy Aquino was shot, and remained here until June of 1984. During that year I visited many parts of the country, from as far north as Laoag to as far south as Zamboanga, and including Palawan. I became deeply immersed in the history and culture of the archipelago, and an avid collector of tribal antiquities from both northern Luzon and Mindanao.

In subsequent years I visited the Philippines in 1985, 1987, and 1991, before deciding to move here permanently in 1998. I love this country, but not uncritically, and that is the purpose of this article. First, however, I will say that I would not consider living anywhere else in Asia, no matter how attractive certain aspects of other neighboring countries may be.

To begin with, and this is most important, with all its faults, the Philippines is still a democracy, more so than any other nation in Southeast Asia . Despite gross corruption, the legal system generally works, and if ever confronted with having to employ it, I would feel much more safe trusting the courts here than in any other place in the surrounding countries.

The press here is unquestionably the most unfettered and freewheeling in Asia, and I do not believe that is hyperbole in any way ! And if any one thing can be used as a yardstick to measure the extent of the democratic process in any given country in the world, it is the extent to which the press is free.

Nevertheless, the Philippines is a flawed democracy, and the flaws are deeply rooted in the Philippine psyche. I will elaborate. The basic problem seems to me, after many years of observation, to be national inferiority complex, a disturbing lack of pride in being Filipino.

Toward the end of April I spent eight days in Vietnam, visiting Hanoi, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). I am certainly no expert on Vietnam , but what I saw could not be denied: I saw a country ravaged as no other country has been in this century by thirty years of continuous and incredibly barbaric warfare. When the Vietnam War ended in April, 1975, the country was totally devastated. Yet in the past 25 years the nation has healed and rebuilt itself almost miraculously ! The countryside has been replanted and reforested. Hanoi and HCMC have been beautifully restored.

The opera house in Hanoi is a splendid restoration of the original, modeled after the Opera in Paris , and the gorgeous Second Empire Theatre, on the main square of HCMC is as it was when built by the French a century ago.

The streets are tree-lined, clean, and conducive for strolling. Cafes in the French style proliferate on the wide boulevards of HCMC. I am not praising the government of Vietnam, which still has a long way to travel on the road to democracy, but I do praise, and praise unstintingly, the pride of the Vietnamese people.

It is due to this pride in being Vietnamese that has enabled its citizenry to undertake the miracle of restoration that I describe above.

When I returned to Manila, I became so depressed that I was actually physically ill for days thereafter. Why ? Well, let's go back to a period when the Philippines resembled the Vietnam of 1975. It was 1945, the end of World War II, and Manila, as well as many other cities, lay in ruins.

As a matter of fact, it may not be generally known, but Manila was the second most destroyed city in the entire war; only Warsaw was more demolished.

But to compare Manila in 1970, twenty five years after the end of the war, with HCMC, 25 years after the end of its war, is a sad exercise indeed. Far from restoring the city to its former glory, by 1970 Manila was well on its way to being the most tawdry city in Southeast Asia. And since that time the situation has deteriorated alarmingly.

We have a city full of street people, beggars, and squatters. We have a city that floods sections whenever there is a rainstorm, and that loses electricity with every clap of thunder. We have a city full of potholes, and on these unrepaired roads we have traffic situation second to none in the the world for sheer unmanageability.

We have rude drivers, taxis that routinely refuse to take passengers because of "many traffic !" The roads are also cursed with pollution spewing buses in disreputable states of repair, and that ultimate anachronism, the jeepney!

We have an educational system that allows children to attend schools without desks or books to accommodate them. Teachers, even college professors, are paid salaries so disgracefully low that it's a wonder that anyone would want to go into the teaching profession in the first place.

We have a war in Mindanao that nobody seems to have a clue how to settle. The only policy to deal with the war seems to be to react to what happens daily, with no long range plan whatever. I could go on and on, but it is an endeavor so filled with futility that it hurts me to go on. It hurts me because, in spite of everything, I love the Philippines.

Maybe it will sound simplistic, but to go back to what I said above, it is my unshakable belief that the fundamental thing wrong with this country is a lack of pride in being Filipino.

A friend once remarked to me, laconically : "All Filipinos want to be something else. The poor ones want to be American, and the rich ones all want to be Spaniards. Nobody wants to be Filipino."

That statement would appear to be a rather simplistic one, and perhaps it is. However, I know one Filipino who refuses to enter a theater until the national anthem has stopped being played because he doesn't want to honor his own country, and I know another one who thinks that history stopped dead in 1898 when the Spaniards departed. While it is certainly true that these represent extreme examples of national denial, the truth is not a pretty picture. Filipinos tend to worship, almost slavishly, everything foreign. If it comes from Italy or France it has to be better than anything made here. If the idea is American or German it has to be superior to anything that Filipinos can think up for themselves. Foreigners are looked up to and idolized.

Foreigners can go anywhere without question. In my own personal experience, I remember attending recently an affair at a major museum here. I had forgotten to bring my invitation. But while Filipinos entering the museum were checked for invitations, I was simply waived through. This sort of thing happens so often here that it's just accepted as routine.

All of these things, the illogical respect given to foreigners simply because they are not Filipinos, the distrust and even disrespect shown to any homegrown merchandise, the neglect of anything Philippine, the rudeness of taxi drivers, the ill manners shown by many Filipinos are all symptomatic of a lack of self love, of respect for and love of the country in which they were born, and worst of all, a static mind-set in regard to finding ways to improve the situation.

Most Filipinos, when confronted with evidence of governmental corruption, political chicanery, or gross exploita tion on the part of the business community, simply shrug their shoulders, mutter "bahala na," and let it go at that.

It is an oversimplification to say this, but it is not without a grain of truth to say that Filipinos feel downtrodden because they allow themselves to feel downtrodden. No pride.

One of the most egregious examples of this lack of pride, this uncaring attitude to their own past, is the wretched state of surviving architectural landmarks in Manila and elsewhere. During the American period, many beautiful and imposing buildings were built, in what we now call the "art deco" style (although incidentally, that was not contemporary term; it was coined only in the 1960s). These were beautiful edifices, mostly erected during, or just before, the Commonwealth period.

Three, which are still standing, are the Jai Alai Building, the Metropolitan Theater, and the Rizal Stadium. Fortunately, due to the truly noble efforts of my friend John Silva, the Jai Alai Building will now be saved. But unless something is done to the most beautiful and original of these three masterpieces of pre-war Philippine architecture, the Metropolitan Theater, it will disintegrate. The Rizal Stadium is in equally wretched shape.

When the wreckers' ball destroyed Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, and New York City's most magnificent building, Pennsylvania Station, both in 1963, Ada Louise Huxtable, then the architectural critic of The New York Times, wrote: "A disposable culture loses the right to call itself a civilization at all !" How right she was ! (Fortunately, the destruction of Pennsylvania Station proved to the sacrificial catalyst that resulted in the creation of New York's Landmark Commission. Would there be such a commission created for Manila ... ?)

Are there historical reasons for this lack of national pride ? We can say that until the arrival of the Spaniards there was no sense of a unified archipelago constituted as one country. True. We can also say that the high cultures of the nations in the region seemed, unfortunately, to have bypassed the Philippines ; there are no Angkors, no Ayuttayas, no Borodudurs. True. Centuries of contact with the high cultur es of the Khmers and the Chinese, had, except for the proliferation of Song dynasty pottery found throughout the archipelago, no noticeable effect. True. But all that aside, what was here ? To begin with, the ancient rice terraces, now threatened with disintegration, incidentally, was an incredible feat of engineering for so-called "primitive" people.

As a matter of fact, when I first saw them in 1984, I was almost as awe-stricken was I was when I first laid eyes on the astonishing Inca city of Machu Picchu , high in the Peruvian Andes. The degree of artistry exhibited by the various tribes of the Cordillera of Luzon is testimony to a remarkable culture, second to none in the Southeast Asian region. As for Mindanao, at the other end of the archipelago, an equally high degree of artistry has been manifest for centuries in woodcarving, weaving and metalwork. However, the most shocking aspect of this lack of national pride, even identity, endemic in the average Filipino, is the appalling ignorance of the history of the archipelago since unified by Spain and named Filipinas. The remarkable stories concerning the courageous repulsion of Dutch and British invaders from the 16th through the 18th centuries, even the origins of the Independence of the late 19th century, are hardly known by the average Filipino in any meaningful way. And thanks to fifty years of American brainwashing, it is few and far between the number of Filipinos who really know -- or even care -- about the duplicity employed by the Americans and Spaniards to sell out and make meaningless the very independent state that Aguilnaldo declared on June 12, 1898.

A people without a sense of history is a people doomed to be unaware of their own identity. It is sad to say, but true, that the vast majority of Filipinos fall into this category. Without a sense of who you are how can you possibly take any pride in who you are ? These are not oversimplifications.

On the contrary, these are the root problems of the Philippine inferiority complex referred to above. Until the Filipinos take pride in being Filipino these ills of the soul will never be cured. If what I have written here can help, even in the smallest way, to make the Filipino aware of just w ho he is, who he was, and who he can be, I will be one happy expat indeed!

-- Shared by Nenita Brown

Pinoy Text Messaging, Erap Jokes

Of course text messaging won't be as hilarious without the witticisms and one-liners on the deposed president. Here they are.............

Erap's Dictionary:
ASPECT - pantusok ng yelo
CD-ROM - tingnan ang kwarto
EFFORT - landingan ng efflane
PROFIT - patunayan mo
PREDICATE - pakawalan ang pusa
DILEMMA - brown out

A sexy reporter was about to interview Erap
Pinisil ni Erap ang boobs ng reporter
"Sir, bakit nyo pinisil ang boobs ko?"
Erap: "Kasi nakalagay PRESS"

Sabi ni Marcos: "Mabuhay ang Filipino"
Sabi ni Cory: "Laban Filipino"
Sabi ni Ramos: "Sulong Filipino"
Sabi ni Erap: "Casino Filipino"
O taya na kayo

Clinton to Erap: I'm planning to stop poverty and mass starvation.
Erap: Maganda i-stop poverty pero yang masturbation hindi pwede, human rights violation yan.

Scenario: Malacañang on fire
Guard: Dito po ang daan sa fire exit
Erap: Gago, dyan nga dadaan ang apoy eh!

3 women figure prominently in the life of the Erap:
LOI (Lady Often Insulted)
GUIA ( Girl Using Intimacy to Advantage)
LAARNI (LAdy na maraming ARi-arian kaya No Imik)

ARMY: No pain, no gain
AIR FORCE: No guts, no glory
MARINES: No retreat, no surrender
SECURITY GUARD: No ID, no entry
ABU SAYYAF: No ransom, no release
ERAP: No read, no write

Nakapila si Erap sa likod ni FVR sa isang ATM machine
FVR: O, bakit nakangiti ka?
Erap: Alam ko na ang PIN number mo hehe
FVR: Sige nga, ano?
Erap: Eh di apat na asterisk

Erap flew on a foreign airline in one of his trips abroad.
Stewardess: Sir, are you done?
Erap: No, I'm Erap
S: No, I mean are you finished?
E: No, I'm Filipino
S: I mean are you through?
E: What do you think of me false?

Reporter to Erap alighting from a PAL flight:
Reporter: Mr. President, what can you say about the economy?
Erap: I don't know, kasi nasa first class ako

Jinggoy: Dad, help me, uminom ako ng Baygon
Erap: Bakit? Magsusuicide ka?
J: Hindi, nakalunok ako ng ipis
E: Tanga, dapat kumain ka ng tsinelas!

Jinggoy: Dad, di kita madadalaw ngayon may urine test ako.
Erap: Okay lang anak. Mag-aral kang mabuti.

Sa New York, ini-interview ng isang reporter si Erap.
"Mr. President, what do you think is the secret of happy marriage?" tanong ng reporter
"Well, for me?" paumpisang Ingles ni Erap, "Everything I demand for sex, my wife supplies"
Na-turn off ang reporter, "Isn't that hostile [pronounced as hastayl]?"
"Hostile, dog-style, any style is okay for me," sagot ni Erap na may ngiti pa sa labi.


haha.........

Pinoy Text Messaging

Yesterday, as I was checking my cell, I was amazed to find 782 messages in my Inbox alone. I browsed through them and I got to read only about 40 and I'm reminded why I couldn't delete them in the first place.

Since the birth of the modern cellphone, text messaging has been an integral part of Pinoy culture. The Philippines was the first in Asia to use text messaging. We even hold the most number of text messages sent all across the globe. You'd see people here texting while walking, eating, driving, in the theaters/ cinemas, in schools, in church (my pet peeve), practically just about anytime and anywhere.

I'm not an avid texter although I do receive a lot of text messages (on a daily basis) from my siblings, my titas, friends, especially from my dear cousin Louise A.K.A. Duday. Some of them religious, some gross, some really 'green' (if you know what I mean wink wink), some for special occasions, some just plain hilarious. And since I have hundreds to share, I'll start with just a few. I hope you understand basic text lingo. Here they are, well at least some of them.............

(Quotable Quotes)
Famous Quotes:
1. Better late than pregnant
2. Pag may tiyaga, gudluck
3. Aanhin pa ang damo, kung bato na ang uso
4. Pag binato ka ng bato, kawawa ka naman
5. Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika, lumaki sa ibang bansa
6. Ang taong nagigipit, sa Bumbay kumakapit.
7. Cleanliness is nxt to 2 Godliness, Oiliness is nxt to blemishes
8. Kapag may isinuksok, may mabubuntis
9. Ang taong naglalakad ng matulin, pawisan
10. Pagkahaba haba man ng prusisyon, mauubusan din ng kandila

Modern Philosophies:
1. If ur father is poor, it's ur fate. If ur father-in-law is poor, it's ur stupidity
2. An apple a day is not an apple at night
3. When the cat is away, the mouse is alone
4. If others can do it, don't help
5. How come abbreviated is such a long word?
6. Love thy neighbor but don't get caught
7. Love is fotogenic. It needs darkness to develop
8. Ur future depends on ur dreams, so go to sleep
9. Children in backseats cause accidents, accidents in backseats cause children
10. Save water. Shower with partner.


(Para sa mga tomador)
10 UTOS SA PAG-INOM:
1. wag makulit habang umiinom
2. wag matakaw sa pulutan (hindi ito picnic)
3. wag patagalin ang baso (dahil may naghhntay)
4. wag inom lang ng inom (bumili ka rin)
5. uminom ng diretso sa tiyan (wag sa ulo)
6. magparamdam kng uuwi na (di ung bigla ka na lng mawawala)
7. magtabi ng pamasahe (para di ka maglakad pauwi ng bahay)
8. wag matutulog sa harap ng kainuman kung may tama o lasing na
9. cguraduhing sa bahay ang uwi kpag lasing na
10. sa kanal o sa inidoro sumuka (wag sa katabi)


(Para sa mga may LQ)
pag nagalit sa u
ang minamahal m
at ayaw 2migil
s kssumbat s u
wag ka magalit
wag ka sumabay
yakapin mo sya
@ ibulong sa kanya

"kulang ka n naman sa sex no?
Cge hubad na!"


(On Cartoon characters)
Cartoon characters that r bad influences to our kids:
1. Dora the Explorer (lakwachera)
2. Blue's Clues (mahilig magkalat)
3. Winnie the Pooh (lumalabas ng walang panty)
4. Spongebob (bobong tanga)
5. Kids next door (mga gagong bata)
6. Winx (malalanding ilusyonada)
7. Barney (baklang dinosaur)


(Movies)
Tagalog Translation 4 English Movies:
1. Black Hawk Down - ibong maitim s ibba
2. Dead Man's Chest - dodo ng patay
3. There's Something About Mary - May kwan sa ano ni Maria
4. Nightmare Before Christmas - Bangungot sa Noche Buena
5. Lord of the Rings - Ang Alahero
6. Employee of the Month - Ang Sipsip
7. The Fast & The Furious - Ang bitin, galit
8. Too fast, Too Furious - Pag sobrang bitin, sobrang galit
9. Snakes on a Plane - Nag-ahasan sa ere
10. Resident Evil - Ang Biyenan


(For those of you who are broke - this works haha)
problemado ka ba
at walang pera???
eto ang sagot dyan

Juz text:
NANAY_PENGE_PERA_AMOUNT_LAB U!


(Chinese names)
Newly Born Chinese names:
born secretly: TINA GO
born swindled: LINO CO
born alternately: SALLY TAN
born accused: MACY SY
born honest: UMA MING
born dark: ANDY LIM
born fat: LUCKY CHAN
born fatter: BOB UY
born evil: DAEMON YU
born flirt: ALAN DY
born smelly: KELLY KAY LEE
born different: EVA YAN
born incomplete: COLE ANG
born sick: HATCH CHENG
born cute: EDDY MI
haha


(Melanie Marquez jokes)
TOP 10 Melanie Marquez jokes:
1. I cudn't care a damn
2. What's ur next class before this?
3. Can u repeat that 4 the 2nd time around once more from the top?
4. Ang tatay ko ang only living legend na buhay
5. Come, let's join us
6. I don't eat meat. I'm not a carnival
7. Don't touch me not
8. Hello? 4 a while. Pls hang yourself
9. Hello, my brother Joey is out of town. Wud u lyk 2 wait?
10. Don't judge my brother. He's not a book

Here's another:

A coñotic girl
spots Melanie Marquez and calls out,
"Hey,
Bitch!"
Melanie gets upset.
Enraged,
she yells back,
"Never,
ever,
EVER,
call me HEY!"


hahaha..............

Pinoy Folk Illnesses

Like I said, two days ago was my day off. I had to catch up on a lot of things, reading, cleaning my boys' room, ours as well. That included catching up on my most dreaded household chore, ironing. Two hours, fourteen polo shirts, three khakis, five denim pants and more than a week's worth of my boys' school uniforms later, I took a long, warm bath. Yes, I took a bath immediately after ironing. I could almost hear my Nanay Cora saying 'Huwag na huwag ka maliligo pagkaplantsa, mapapasma ka' ('Don't bathe after ironing, or you'd get pasma').

I actually used to believe that. That is, until I started scouring through pages of health and medical guides, I wasn't able to find the medical term for it, not even an appropriate English equivalent. I may not be doctor but being a nerd does pay off. Filipinos have so many mythical beliefs, some funny, some absurd, some just plain ridiculous. Allow me to illustrate:


Pasma - They say after doing hard manual labor, i.e. ironing, drawing/ drafting, even long hours in the computer, you are not supposed to get your hands, sometimes even your whole body anywhere near water, otherwise you'd get this. They say pasma is characterized by excessive sweating of the palms and tremor-like shaking of the hands sometimes even pain.

This is a very useful ploy for getting off the hook when it comes to other chores like dishwashing or doing the laundry. Extremely useful to design students, ahem guilty, when I was in College, I'd use drawing as an excuse to not do the dishes. Same goes with my sister Roselle who would always use this as an excuse to exempt herself from every possible household chore there is hahaha. The award for 'Most Guilty' goes to Joel for using this ploy since high school, all throughout college, hanggang ngayon. Kidding aside, it's usually his mother who would tell all his sisters, 'o nag drawing si Joel, hindi yan pwede maghugas ng plato'. Thereby sparing him from washing the dishes, every single time hahaha..........

Pilay - Everytime someone gets fever and flu-like symptoms you'll be sure to hear this. The only pilay I know is a person with a limp. It's either fever or flu, stop calling it pilay.

Tigdas Hangin - Whenever my kids would have small rashes anywhere, with no fever-like symptoms whatsoever, I get to hear this 'tigdas hangin yan'. Tigdas is the local term for measles. E ano yung tigdas hangin??? Air measles haha

Lagnat Laki - Whenever I had sinat (when I was a kid), meaning fever with a temperature reading of less than 37.8 degrees, my lola would sometimes say 'lagnat laki lang yan'. I'd even be glad then to have that fever in hopes of getting taller. Alas, useless din, maliit pa rin ako huhuhu....................


Are there any other Filipino folk illnesses I missed??? Please remind me.........

The Malu Fernandez Affair

We, Joel & I, were watching a news commentary on Malu Fernandez last night. I thought the issue long died when she resigned a couple of weeks ago but I was wrong. In case you've been living under a rock, she was the columnist who wrote derogatory comments on OFWs that came out in a lifestyle magazine a couple of weeks ago. One question struck me, who was victimized, Malu or the OFWs?


I feel for Malu Fernandez, not as a human being but as a writer. Having said that, I'm not coming to her defense either. Nor am I justifying what she has said. She has thrown a lot of deliberate insults and criticism.

I also feel for OFWs. Next to single mothers, I think they are among the greatest living heroes we have. I also feel somewhat disgusted because I have friends and family who are OFWs and they are far from what she describes in the article. They do deserve a lot more respect than what was given them.

I am a writer. Having said that, it is but natural for writers to inject a little sarcasm for humor's sake, heck I do it a lot. Although in her case, I think she went way overboard. But cut her some slack, she's also been ridiculed, mocked and threatened. More so because of her weight.

Voltaire once said that OPINION has caused more troubles on this little earth than plagues or earthquakes. I couldn't agree more.

But I believe that before an opinion can be conceived, one chooses to believe. And to believe is to choose. Choice is everybody's right. It is dignity. It is man's sense of value.

There is an old Latin saying,

Ad libitum.
A plaisir.
A piacere.

At will.
At pleasure.
At discretion.

Maybe it was her opinion. Maybe it was how she felt at the time. Maybe she meant it. Maybe she didn't. Maybe she's under HRT. Maybe she was hormonal (like I am haha) when she said all those things. But then again, we will never know because we aren't Malu Fernandez. It was her choice and she is suffering the consequences. A lot of hurtful things have been said. So please stop with all the bickering and move on...................

In the words of the great Alexander Pope, 'to err is human, to forgive divine'.

Besides, malapit na ng Pasko, charing.................

Pinoy Daredevils

When I wrote my post on Pinoy drivers a few days ago, I did not include motorcycle drivers for one simple reason - they have a league all their own.