FOOD!

Because it's the holidays, and people usually love this season because of the scrumptious food that are served on the table (and our neighbor's, relative's, and friend's table), I thought about posting the menu from my sister's wedding last August in the Philippines. It's kinda late, and I really was planning to post this, but I guess I never thought about doing it. 

Their caterer was K by Cunanan, and you can visit their website here, although its currently under construction, so you can still visit their blog here if you're interested.

These pictures were taken during our food-tasting at their place. And because I enjoyed the main course so much that when the desserts were served, I completely forgot to take a picture of it. 

the table setting (brown and teal)

tiffany chair

farther right: Hoisin Chicken wrap; bottom: Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Blinis with smoked salmon

Chicken barbeque on martini glasses

clockwise from top right: Grilled red snapper with mango salsa, carrot rice, Barbequed baby back ribs and corn with parsley butter, and Honey nut prawns

Brocolli and cheese soup

Nom, nom, nom. That was fun. Too bad that I wasn't able to take a picture of the Flourless chocolate cake and Lemon creme brulee because I was too excited to gormandize them. But, if you're ever getting married in Manila, Philippines, you can contact this caterer (links above) and they'll be glad to fill your guests' stomachs and not worry about the kids wailing and screaming for food (they have a kids' menu too, in case you were wondering.). Nom, nom, nom. 

What the holidays mean for everyone

For a student, the holidays mean a good two-week break from school, away from the books, keeping tabs of any party that they are glad to go to. After all, they have been working hard for a semester and has spent days to study for their exams. 

For a parent (or parents) who have a child (or children), this season is another reason to be like Santa Claus and fill their kids' socks with gifts and delights by the fireplace. 

For a child who believes in the man of the season, they become good boys and girls and wait for Santa to come up to their roof, jump down the chimney and check the list whether they have been good or bad this year. Not only that, the holidays meant that they would receive many gifts from people, jolly carols they hear on the radio or everywhere they go, and costume parties. The food, not that much. They're not really picky on those anyway. Gifts are much more important.

For most people, it is time for reunions and family gatherings. To celebrate the holidays with cheer and laughter as they munch on the hearty dinner. 

However, not everyone celebrates this way.

We must remember that not everyone celebrates Christmas in a religious, cultural or sociological way. 

Being young, I used to think that everyone around the world celebrates Christmas, the best time of the year where I get to visit my godparents, waiting for their monetary gift. And yes, I only visit them once a year for this reason. Call it tradition, culture, or a nonsensical norm, but this was how I was taught. This was how the society was taught. But one should realize though that once you get older, you can't ask money from them anymore. And also, don't expect that when you visit your godparents, they have money to give to you, for they may or may not be at home. And it is not only from your godparents that you can ask money; a child can ask from the parents, aunts and uncles, or even neighbours whom one has known since childhood. Or a family friend that you rarely see in your lifetime. 

To not be digressed, this was how I celebrated Christmas day. Waking up at dawn to visit my relatives for their gifts, and counting them up at noon and having a contest to see which one received the highest. Tch. It is kind of stupid, if you think about it, because not everyone can give you what you expect. But of course, children don't realize this, for they are too young to understand how hard it is to earn money. Unless your family is rich. 

Some children though celebrate this season by working until the wee hours of the morning, only to save enough money to buy food for their little siblings as their Christmas dinner. They sing carols on the street, and some people give them money if the audience are nice enough or if they have the money to give. These children think of different ways to earn money quickly, just something to fill their empty tummies by the end of the day and worry about tomorrow's food the next day. 

Some people celebrate Christmas in a camp, hearing noises of the bombs around them or writing a letter to their loved one. Or they may also be in a camp, but in a different atmosphere where everyone of you in the room are homeless and have nowhere to go but to stay in that place because your handmade home was destroyed by a natural disaster. 

And this is why this season will always be different from each and everyone of us.

It's not how many varieties of food your household serves to the guests, but to be grateful for having food on your table to serve to the guests and your stomach. It's not how much money you earned from asking everyone you know, but by asking them blessings and giving them one in return. It's not how many material gifts you received and will be expecting, but the persons who sincerely put their time and effort in giving you something that you would be thankful for. It's not how many good deeds you have done this year to be acknowledged by Santa, but just the act of helping someone who is in need willingly. It's not the places that your family will go on a vacation, but the fact that you are given the chance to spend time with your family even for one day. 

Celebrating Christmas has always been different with each and everyone of us, but hopefully we will always be thankful and happy not just this season, but for the rest of our lives. If only it could be this easy. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. 

My choice

This is the third time I have read a Nicholas Sparks' novel, and I must say, the third time is not a charm. "The Choice", first published in 2007, is his 12th work. According to the novel, this fiction "ultimately confronts us with the most heart-wrenching question of all: How far should you go to keep the hope of love alive?".

I read "A Walk to Remember" back in high school, and it has been a while for "The Notebook". For these two novels, I saw the movie adaptations first before reading them, and honestly, they were nice. It's just me, but I guess there's something nostalgic about "A Walk to Remember" everytime I see it aired on the local television as their Saturday night movie feature.

Okay, I'll be even more honest. Before reading "The Notebook", I first read "True Believer", which I just scanned most of the pages and didn't really care about the characters much. All I thought about was the ending, even though I know how it already ends. So I wouldn't really call it reading, because I didn't read every page of it, for I even skimmed some of the pages just to get on with the story. 

The movie adaptations of the two former books were pretty good, I must say, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching them. Like what I said for "A Walk to Remember", even though I sometimes cringe at Mandy Moore (more on her later), this movie gives me a nostalgic feeling that I can never put my finger on. The fashion and year it was produced didn't affect me much, because I know that period in time, back when a baggy dress and knee-high socks go well together (hey, it was Jamie's character. not her fault, really) and people don't really care what you look like for some of them look a bit less better than her. Landon (played by Shane West) didn't hurt as an eye candy either, but it was his character's progression that I liked the most. Now on to Mandy Moore. I don't really like her, but I don't hate her either. Like I keep saying, I grew up in the 90's, and if you ask me to choose between her, Britney Spears (during her "Baby, hit me one more time" days) and Jessica Simpson (during her, wait, what was her song back then?), I'd choose her. And her playing Jamie didn't hurt either, because I find her believable enough to play the character.

As for "The Notebook" movie adaptation, I haven't found any flaws in it (or maybe I haven't thought about it yet), but if I have, I'll be venting it out here.

Back to the book. I won't even talk about "True Believer" because like I said, I may have 'read' the book, but I don't consider it 'reading' because it was mainly 'scanning' that I did. "The Choice" has about 22 chapters with a prologue and an epilogue which makes it 24, and divided into two parts, for the past and the present. I'm now on Chapter 19, but I have no plans in finishing this novel anymore. I'm normally the type of person who finishes something that I either watch or read. In this case, I have started on this novel, and I want to finish it, but I've been dragging myself since two or three chapters back, for I find the plot too typical and boring. Let's be honest here, shall we? There is nothing wrong with a romance-melodrama genre but I can't handle it if I read too much of it in novels. If I wanted to find my own male lead who is Darcy-esque from his tone of voice to his arrogance, I can find those characteristics in Joo won, played by Hyun Bin in Secret Garden, a Korean drama that's currently airing. Or Domyouji Tsukasa in the Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese version of Hana Yori Dango. I know that with reading, I can imagine what the male looks like, but with an Asian drama, I can actually see the characters played by the actors (whom I will later have an obssession with after watching consecutive episodes) and don't have to imagine the same plot over and over again. I feel like this novel is trying to be too "Notebook"-ish, which isn't, but is bordering there soon, if I would read page by page. 

Since I have already scanned the last part and got their happy ending (as always), I could just return it to the library on Monday and start on Garcia Marquez' "Chronicle of a Death Foretold". Now that makes more sense for me as a reader, because this would be a different type of read.

You may or may not be a Nicholas Sparks fan, but here's his website where you can check out all his works and order them too, if you want.

(I guess another reason why I haven't read the "Twilight" series is because of the romance part, which I'm not really too keen about. A sparkly vampire? Thank you very much, but I prefer my vampire who acts more like Lestat.)

A Million Stars Falling from the Sky

Or also known as Sora Kara Furu Ichioku no Hoshi. 

This is not your typical, average Japanese dorama. And I wouldn't be recommending this to everyone, either. But if you're seriously bored with your life right now, and you want to watch something new, something that would make you think, gasp, and probably cry (which I highly doubt, because it never happened to me), then this drama is just right for you.

First off, this is a dark drama. There is no mushiness, no over the top acting, no sweetness. Just plain and raw human emotions.

I assure you, the eleven hours of your life won't be wasted with this drama (that is, IF you really are interested in dark dramas) if you watch this.

Released in 2002 starring Kimura Takuya (as Katase Ryo), Akashiya Sanma (as Dojima Kanzo), Fukatsu Eri (as Dojima Yuko) and other stars that made a big impact to the drama as well.

Like I keep saying again and again, I'm not good at telling stories, but I'll give it a try. It's about this detective (Kanzo) who's investigating this man (Ryo) who has been seen in a lot of crimes. Kanzo wanted to know how Ryo is related to the victims, and at the same time warn his little sister (Yuko) to stay away from this man. But we all know she'll get attached to this man, even if she doesn't want to. I mean, just look at the first episode and women will know what I'm talking about.

Before watching this drama though, you shouldn't read any (and I mean ANY) spoilers at all so that it won't ruin the ending for you. Although you'll be able to guess the revelations, you still wouldn't believe that they would happen. Let's say for example, you're watching one episode, and as it unfolds, you'll think that that's what's going to happen. This is what this character will do. And even if you did predict that it would happen, it would still shock you. And there are also some scenes that would really shock the hell out of you, that you'd want to see it again and know what happened so that way you would better understand it.

And I have to say this again, this drama isn't for everyone. Even if they're a big Kimura Takuya fan. Because some might not like his character here. Although I loved him here (he's hot, as always, and I actually envy the women. lol), I think Akashiya Sanma (Dojima Kanzo) did a great job as well. He stole some parts of the show. It was my first time seeing all the actors (except for Kimura), and they did a really good job. Fukatsu Eri (Yuko) and Shibasaki Kou (the 19-yr-old Yuki-chan) were amazing as well.

This drama also killed me. I had to watch a light-hearted movie after seeing the last episode to get it out of my system. I actually watched a Korean movie (Doremifasolasido) after it, and I found it sooo boring. No offense, really. Lots say its good, but its not. Okay, maybe it was touching. But its still a typical movie for me. And while I was watching it, my reaction was like, ''Wtf? This happened to Eun Gyu?''. So, pardon me for this kind of reaction. It's just that, my mind was still on the drama while I was watching it. That's how it affected me so much that I literally had to watch a romantic, light hearted, comedy movie.

And after watching this drama, my standards for a good drama got higher. A Million Stars Falling from the Sky. Now this is a top-notch quality Jdorama. It maybe a bit slow and boring, but you'll love the characters and how each of them unfold through each episode.

Song of Lunch

How do you act in front of an old friend whom you have not seen for 15 years? In the BBC 2010 adaptation of the Song of Lunch, Alan Rickman plays the narrator while Emma Thompson plays the woman who is a friend of the narrator. Together, they meet at an Italian restaurant where they used to date. This 50-minute drama is based on Christopher Reid's poem with the same title where he narrates each and every scene. I haven't had the chance to read the poem yet, so I don't have anything to say about it; rather, the drama I have to talk about. 

My interest was piqued when I saw that Rickman and Thompson were in this show together. Not because they were both in the Harry Potter films and played the best characters (particularly Rickman, who embodies Professor Snape wholly), but they are both talented actors who know exactly what they're doing in delivering their roles to the audience. So points for that, and for having these two powerful actors together onscreen again.

Looking at the drama as a whole, from an Asian drama fan or anime fan point of view, this is what we call a slice-of-life drama which means that the scenes and dialogues are relatable to real life; and because the stories feel real, the viewer feels for the characters as well. Plot-wise, a slice-of-life drama moves very slow, so this show is not for everyone who expect more action going on between the two leads, for all they do is talk, talk, and more talk. Oh, past and present emotions come up as well. 

Because this is a narrative poem, Alan Rickman's character (who we can call 'he') tells the story as he goes out to lunch with an old friend and from then on, conversations, old feelings, and memories came rushing back. We can hear his thoughts and see flashbacks every now and then, but the drama mostly revolve in his insights, opinions, feelings, and regrets. As a character, he doesn't give us a chance to see what Emma's character is thinking (who we can again call 'she'), but we can still see it in the actor herself, with her subtle glances and smiles. I'm glad Alan and Emma played these roles so the audience can see what the characters are like only from their faces (especially the eyes), tone of voice, and movements.

This drama is basically about regrets and moving on from the past. A feeling which I'm sure that most people can relate to. Almost everyone has made a lot of mistakes in their life, and looking back at them, we regret to think that we wish they would have not happened. But what we can do? The action has already been done, and we either learn from it or not, do it again or change it to a better one. That way, when we look back again at the same mistake we did, we won't regret it anymore and say to ourselves that we have learned our lesson. And wallowing on our past would lead to nowhere; for in order to move into the future, we must let go of the past.

But again, remorse is inevitable, just like what the male character said, he "found a treasure and threw it away".

blog update

Just a small change that I made on my blog; since July 2009 my username has been luraaa, and I just changed it a while ago, into my real name, Lora. I'm not sure why, but I was thinking that I should use my real name when on this blog because there's nothing wrong in using my birth name. I may have the same name as others (I have met two people who have the same spelling as mine), and I don't mind using it on this blog. I'm pretty sure someone won't be able to steal my identity just by posting my real name here anyway. This blog is also linked from my Facebook profile, so people who know me have an idea of who I am. 

So like I said, just a blog update, nothing too big. I always make changes on the layout every now and then, if I decide that I'm too tired of using this or that feature. By the way, I know a lot of people who have a Tumblr, and if you ask me, I have no interest in signing up for that and have another blog to keep track of. Their tagline says that it's "The easiest way to blog", but for me, I'm happy with this site, and I know that they'll keep improving to make their bloggers happy. And I am, really, and I wasn't paid by blogger to say this just to suck up to them. 

With that said, it's almost November, and you know what that means: Harry Potter.

don't forget to cite!

This has been an interesting day for me for no reason at all, and because of that, I'll be posting two news articles that has no relation to each other whatsoever. The first one might be sad to hear about this news especially those people who have made this technology a part of their memories. Here is the article, and I suggest you to check the link of the original article as well for citation purposes:

Sony Walkman bows out to the iPod after 31 years 

JAKE COYLE AP Entertainment Writer

10/26/2010 | 02:40 PM

NEW YORK (AP) — The Walkman, the Sony cassette

device that forever changed music listening before becoming outdated by digital MP3 players and iPods, has died. It was 31 years old.

Sony announced Monday that it has ceased production of the classic, cassette tape

Walkman in Japan, effectively sounding the death knell of the once iconic, now obsolete device.

The Walkman is survived by the Discman (still clinging to life) and ironic music listeners who think using a Walkman in this day-and-age is charmingly out-of-touch.

It will continue to be produced in China and distributed in the U.S., Europe and some Asian countries. Digital Walkmans are also being made with models that display lyrics and have improved digital noise-canceling technology.

Still, if you're looking to chisel a date in the Walkman's tombstone, then Oct. 25, 2010, is as good as any. For many, that it's taken this long is surprising: "They were still making those?" Perhaps Oct. 23, 2001, the day the iPod was launched, is the better date of expiration.

But none of the success of Apple's portable music players would have ever happened without the cassette Walkman. Some 220 million have been sold since the first model, the TPS-L2, debuted in July 1979. (It retailed for $200.) At the time, transistor radios were portable, but there was nothing widely available like the Walkman.

It was developed under the stewardship of Sony founders Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka. Morita insisted the device not be focused on recording but playback, a relatively odd notion at the time.

Originally called the "Soundabout" in the U.S., the Walkman was an immediate sensation and a revolution in music listening.

Foremost, it was portable. Music no longer needed to be something that one experienced sitting in a room, but could be blasted on the bus, pumped while jogging on a beach or played softly while studying.

By turning the volume up, anyone could be tuned out.

The detached teenager with foam earphones slouched in the back seat or bobbing his head in the elevator became an indelible image of the '80s. (The first Walkman did have an orange "hot line" button to lower the music and increase the microphone so you could hear someone talking to you.)

Music, previously listened to in a room with shag carpeting and a stereo, was cast into the world, made a part of daily life. Pink Floyd could join a walk in the park, Public Enemy could soundtrack a commute.

More than portability, it fostered a personalization to music, a theme the iPod would also highlight in those early dancing silhouette ads. A big reason there's so much nostalgia for the Walkman today is because it eliminated any separation from music. It felt like an appendage, which is perhaps why some (with questionable fashion instincts) clipped theirs to their belt.

The Walkman was also the father of the mixtape, an offspring that nearly trumps the progenitor. For the first time, music was something you could make yours by arranging it and swapping it.

For those young and unfamiliar with this process, making a mixtape typically entailed gathering songs by the Cure and Depeche Mode, labeling the tape with care and awkwardly giving it to a love interest.

The Walkman didn't disappear so much as it was improved upon. Sony continues to use it as a brand, but the company long ago ceded hipness and style to Apple. The iPod will likely one day befall a similar fate, and another generation will gasp in joined wistfulness.

When it comes to music and how we hear it, we're all romantics. -AP

It's sad, really, if you think about it; that the once famous and innovative technology has now become obsolete. The scary fact is, it only took 31 years. It may seem like a long time for an average human being, but if you think about it, it's not really that long, for it's not even less than half a century, which means that a lot can happen in 30 years, and there is still more to happen in the next 30. It didn't take 30 years for another World War to take place. It took Korea about 50 years to recover from the war to be the most technologically-advanced countries in the world today. It took more than 30 years for Copernicus to prove that the Earth is the centre of the universe after Aristarchus discovered it a few years after Aristotle's time. So really, I wouldn't be surprised when a new technology rises after Apple's takeover for we never know what will happen, say, after 3 years, knowing what the modern world can do.

Now here's the second article I wanted to share with everyone too, and I find it embarrassing and funny to be real. I feel like this post is still pulling my leg everytime I read it. Please visit the original site of where I got this from too. 

License to plagiarize

By Rodel Rodis
INQUIRER.net First Posted 10:35:00 10/21/2010

CALIFORNIA, United States—Thanks to the Philippine Supreme Court of Midnight Chief Justice Renato Corona, Filipinos now enjoy a "right" unlike any bestowed anywhere else in the world.

Filipinos are now free to copy the words and thoughts of other authors without attribution and without fear of being charged with plagiarism unless the accuser can prove “malicious intent.”

This new “right” was promulgated by the Supreme Court on October 15, 2010 in the Matter of the Charges of Plagiarism against Associate Justice Mariano C. Del Castillo where the court majority voted to absolve their colleague of plagiarism charges for including in his ruling entire paragraphs lifted directly from foreign sources without attribution.

The charges of plagiarism arose when Del Castillo wrote the majority decision in the case of Vinuya et al vs. Executive Secretary, issued on April 28, 2010, where he denied the petition of the Philippine comfort women for a writ of mandate to compel the Philippine government to ask Tokyo to provide compensation to those who were victims of sexual slavery by Japanese occupation forces during World War II.

After reviewing Del Castillo's ruling, the lawyers of the comfort women discovered that "Ponente" (decision author) Del Castillo had lifted entire paragraphs of his decision from three sources: “A Fiduciary of Theory of Jus Cogens" by Evan Criddle and Evan Fox-Descent, "Breaking the Silence on Rape as an International Crime" by Mark Ellis, and "Enforcing Erga Omnes Obligations in International Law" by Christian Tams.

While using those foreign sources, Del Castillo drew the opposite conclusion and ruled that sexual slavery during WW II was not a “Jus Cogens,” a "higher law," like prohibiting genocide or the slave trade, which may not be violated by any country.

Perhaps it was precisely this contraposition that explains why Del Castillo chose not to cite the foreign sources.

In its October 15, 2010 decision, the Court dismissed “for lack of merit… the charges of plagiarism, twisting of cited materials and gross neglect against [Del Castillo]" because the Court found that their colleague did not have “malicious intent” when he copied the passages from foreign sources

The Court accepted Del Castillo’s feeble excuse that his legal researcher had inadvertently dropped off two citations in the footnotes. Two may be a little understandable but Del Castillo blatantly lifted 22 distinct passages from the foreign sources without attribution.

The Justices also accepted Del Castillo’s lame argument that his computer was not equipped with a software program that would warn him that he was plagiarizing. (Students, take note of this creative “it’s Microsoft’s fault” excuse).

In her separate dissenting opinion, joined by Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, Associate Justice Lourdes Sereno (the lone Aquino appointee on the Court) declared that Del Castillo had indeed committed plagiarism in drafting and passing the decision in the Vinuya case. “The majority decision will thus stand against the overwhelming conventions on what constitutes plagiarism. In doing so, the decision has created unimaginable problems for Philippine academia, which will from now on have to find a disciplinary response to plagiarism committed by students and researchers on the justification of the majority decision.”

Justice Sereno further added: “It has also undermined the protection of copyrighted work by making available to plagiarists ‘lack of malicious intent’ as a defense to a charge of violation of copy or economic rights of the copyright owner committed through lack of attribution.”

Justice Sereno expressed her regret that the effect of the majority decision was to render Philippine intellectual property laws virtually “meaningless."

The faculty of the University of the Philippines College of Law immediately expressed its outrage at the majority decision of the Court. “In common parlance, ‘plagiarism’ is the appropriation and misrepresentation of another person’s work as one’s own," the faculty statement read. "In the field of writing, it is cheating at best, and stealing at worst. It constitutes a taking of someone else’s ideas and expressions, including all the effort and creativity that went into committing such ideas and expressions into writing, and then making it appear that such ideas and expressions were originally created by the taker. It is dishonesty, pure and simple."

"A judicial system that allows plagiarism in any form is one that allows dishonesty. Since all judicial decisions form part of the law of the land, to allow plagiarism in the Supreme Court is to allow the production of laws by dishonest means. Evidently, this is a complete perversion and falsification of the ends of justice.”

In response to this denunciation, the Supreme Court threatened to cite the UP Faculty for contempt for making a “sub judice” comment as Philippine lawyers are prohibited from commenting on active cases before the court.

As I am not a Philippine-licensed attorney, the Philippine Supreme Court cannot cite me for contempt so I can freely declare what my “companeros” in the Philippines may not dare say. The majority members of this Court, all GMA appointees, are contemptible for making “a complete perversion and falsification of the ends of justice.”

There you go. Can't say I'm proud of it, because I think that this is a failure in the Philippine judicial system. Pardon me for not giving my reasons on why I posted these two articles, for sleep deprivation has been getting to me for the past couple of days. For now, this is the best that I can do.

However, this is just a reminder particularly for post-secondary students to not forget their citations and references when they do an academic paper either in MLA or APA style format. This is what I've been learning in one of my courses, and it's useful information especially for aspiring book or magazine editors. And I admit that this post does not show how I should have used the two articles for references, and I apologize for that as well. But at least you got these two articles to chew on.

Yeah, ours is better than yours

Talk about being ethnocentric. I was debating with myself whether to post this or not because this would cause a bit of an outrage to my fellowmen; but hey, the man started it, and because he said it, I'll post him in here. He should be glad that he was mentioned in this post, although I never got to ask for his name (and why would I?). This is actually a personal post, which I said before that I would never do here on this blog, but due to the man's arrogance, I decided to write about him and why he epitomizes the Filipino culture and society.

This happened more than 2 months ago, back when I was in the Philippines for a short vacation. I bought a phone when I was there, and it happened that I needed to do a transaction that involves me going to a branch of my network provider (which I'm not going to mention, due to privacy). I was at a mall somewhere in Makati (or Glorietta, to some people who can recognize this place) when I went to their office. I was with my friend too, and I hope that she doesn't recognize herself as the person who I'm with that time (I doubt it though. She accompanied me to go there, making time for me despite her busy schedule. Pfft. Really? Okay, just pretend this wasn't you because I only realized this when I went back here.). So there we were at the office, patiently waiting for my turn to speak with a representative. I was told to photocopy a photo-id, and I was glad that I had my old driver's licence with me. They didn't know it was an older version, but it hasn't expired yet. A new one was recently released before I left for the Philippines, and I thought of bringing the old one for safety purposes, and in case my photo identification was needed. Anyway, when the security guard or a representative did the task for me, he reproduced it that fit the whole 8"x 11" sheet of paper. At first I was shocked, that my face was plastered on that huge paper, and anyone can see it. It's not like the people who'll be reading it are hyperopic, because eyeglasses are made available at this time and age. Alright, enough ranting. It already happened, and people wouldn't remember me anyway because I'm not there. But because of the design and the colors, the licence seemed unfamiliar to the man, so he was looking at it intently, half-smiling and then he said, "Mas maganda pa rin yung lisensya namin dito." (Our licence is better than yours.). He said it proudly, as though the basis of the best country is determined by the driver's licence cards. Then he said it again and turned to my friend and asked her, "Diba? Mas maganda pa rin yun mga lisensya dito kaysa sa kanya." (Right? Our licence here is still better than hers.). I can't for the life of me remember what my friend said, and if she does remember, let me know. Well it doesn't matter to me what you said, because I was surprised at what the man told us. I was speechless, and my mind wasn't able to process quickly what to reply back. I think I forced a smile to answer him, but I can't remember what I said. No, I didn't say anything. I've been racking my brains for a while and I think my friend didn't say anything, or she just nodded in response to the man who was forcing her or looking at her to hear her answer. Wow, he's not just being ethnocentric, he's being dictatorial as well.

This man, who looks at a mere licence card, from a province that he might have never heard of, states that Philippine licences are better than mine for no reason at all. He doesn't state why or how, or point out evidences to why he thinks they're better. The only thing he says is that they're better, no questions asked. Couldn't get more logical than that. How am I supposed to believe him when he doesn't even give me evidences for me to think about? From a scientific point of view, if he doesn't give me facts, his argument would lose. And for sure he did. He might not have realized it, but pondering about this event now, I'm thinking, well, the man needs more time to read and watch objective newspapers and programs and less time in front of the television that features the actors' lives and their daily dramas in life. I'm not judging him though, for his personality, but only on this particular time that happened. And woe is me, for I wasn't able to blurt out what I should've done, which also makes me a coward who doesn't stand up for my rights to question his assumptions. Maybe next time, when I get more courage to do it. Or maybe I wasn't myself that time? Because I remember I was like in a trance, that everything that happened there was just a dream. Okay, enough excuses.

By this simple and random interaction at a local office of a large telecommunications provider, does this show you how the Filipino society thinks? Of course, I'm looking at it in a larger perspective, by generalizing that everyone thinks the same way. I'm sure they don't, but it just irks me when some people think this way. And I know that I may have behaved like this during my lifetime, for I'm only human; but aren't we told that it's better to learn our mistakes so we don't have to do it again? Or if we can't not do it, we can avoid it or find a better way to approach and solve it. Afterall, experience is (and will alway be) the best teacher.

A walk in Manila part II

Just a quick post to show you the poster that Carlos Celdran gives his audience after the tour (and the free food). This just proves how lazy I am to write a post, that I all I can do is attach a photo. 

I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do. I can't do translations for the Japanese and Korean dramas I watch, I don't have the time to watch all the movies that I want to watch and recap because life takes them all away. All these addictions of mine are long overdue, and come winter break I hope I will find the time to do them, while working on a research paper and working so I can pay the internet that I use when I post an entry here or watch my dramas at Dramafever or crunchyroll. 

If this post doesn't make sense, you're right. It's already late, and I need to wake up for school tomorrow. I know I don't give out any of my personal information here because it's my preference, but when I say school, it doesn't mean that I'm a fresh high school graduate. Far older than that, but not that old. I think I mentioned in my other post way back that I grew up in the 90's. Go figure.

Wish I was there

For those who are reading or who came upon this blog, updates will be on hiatus, as much as I don't want to say it. Life can be cruel sometimes, but we have to face facts. Because aside from this blog, I have what most people call life, and unfortunately for me, life took my time and away from this blog (not that I always updated this blog, it was very rare as well, so what was the point of this, right?). 

I'm just sayin', that life is taking too much of my time nowadays, unlike before when I was able to sit around all day and travel to the fourth dimension. But fret not, for once in a while, in my spare time, I would be able to update this blog and maybe add some new stuff here when I decide to be more productive and exercise my writing skill on paper (and have it published. That is, if the editor allows it. Or if I join them first.). 

See, I really have nothing to say anymore. Oh, here's one: for anyone who's anticipating the Detective Conan recaps (if there is one), like I said before, I won't be doing all the episodes, just the ones that I really like. For some movies, I'll try to see what I can do, and if I really like a movie that I've seen, then I'll try to post them here. I was actually thinking of posting Season of Good Rain or A Good Rain Knows When to Come but maybe I might do it when I have more time later. Maybe during the winter break, but I can't promise that. I said I'll just try. For the period dramas that are on my long list-to-watch, they will be watched, and hopefully be posted here. 

Speaking of period dramas, I have a confession to make: I still haven't read North & South. I know! I'm sorry. I should have finished this early this year, but other addictions took my time away, and... there you go. And I did mention that I wanted to write something about the book and the series. I am working on the series, but I'm still in the process of doing it, which would take longer than I expected. 

So that's that, everything is not making sense anymore, so I better hit the books.

A walk in Manila

If you're interested in learning something new (and for your brain to function) and have the money to do so, why not try to take a tour with Carlos Celdran and look at Manila in a whole new light? As long as you're around Metro Manila, then you'll be able to go there fast.

I was blessed to be a part of Carlos' Intramuros walking tour on July 24 that lasted around three hours under the scorching heat of the Manila sun. Wait. What? Three freakin' hours under the sun? But it's hot in Manila! Okay! I get it. I know and understand that most people (balikbayans in particular) who don't (or do) live in Manila know how hot and humid the weather can be, that is why they dislike going there. But this shouldn't be a hindrance, right? I mean, I admit, when I was back there, I was literally sweating like a pig, coming from a cold country up in the North, even though I only spent two and a half years here. But I grew up in Metro Manila, I passed by the streets of Manila, I used to take the LRT in Manila, so I know how it feels like. But the weather wasn't like that before, and I think it's probably due to Global Warming that's affecting tropical countries particularly the Philippines, when this country has contributed like a teaspoon to the world's changing atmosphere (ehem). 

But back to Carlos. You can find his site on the left of this page, where I put the links of some sites that I recommend. Or if you can't find it, here it is. This will lead you directly to his website, particularly the tour dates and rates for each. I was thinking of narrating everything that happened during the tour, but I don't have that good of a memory to think about it all over again. I may remember some, but not everything. I'm only human, you know. But I'm serious though. If you want to learn a new lesson in history, then his tours are for you. It would completely change the way you see Manila, and how this city became a witness (and victim) throughout the centuries. All you have to do is contact them to book a tour depending on your convenience, and they'll reply right away.

I'm not going to narrate everything, because it might lose your interest, and I would really appreciate it (okay, not me, but Carlos) if you would go. So my sister, Aunt and I took the Intramuros Regular Walking Tour from 9am till (almost) noon that started at Manila Cathedral and ended at Plaza San Luis. I'll see if I can describe it briefly. 

The meeting place is at Manila Cathedral, and you get to walk around the cathedral and have a little history lesson. 

After that, a kalesa (or horse carriage, Manila version) will take you around the walls of Intramuros for a short drive, and drop you off at San Agustin church. 

From there, you get a dose of real history that aren't written in the Philippine history books. You are also given the time to explore the church for a bit, and it is worth going there, because this is the only remaining cathedral out of the seven that survived World War II. I'll digress for a moment. I remember when I was in grade school and we had our class field trip at this church, and I was so scared to walk around it because it gives off that eerie vibe. And for the second time that I went here, it still gave off that feeling of goosebumps, but in a good way, because this place does have a cemetery, for the people who died and were buried during the second World War, so that reason is fair enough to consider. That, and my classmate was just pulling my leg, because we were kids, and I was gullible. But back to the tour. For break, we were given Chocnuts (which I really miss) to munch on while we continue the exploration. 

You also get to go inside the church to witness the 'illusion' that Carlos always says throughout the tour. 

After the long walk and history lesson in San Agustin, we were taken to Plaza San Luis, just across the church for a free halo-halo (which was really good, by the way), and some parting messages and acknowledgements. In the Plaza is a little souvenir store where I think most Filipinos would like, because the products and merchandise are crafted and designed with logos that would suit their taste and promote nationalism. And a restaurant which is just around Intramuras named La Cocina De Tita Moning (Aunt Moning's kitchen) where you can have a hearty lunch after filling your brains with the information.

All in all, the tour was pretty good, and it was worth my P900 (US$ 19.97 or CD$20.97, based on today's conversion rates on this site) to spend on. Did I learn a lot? Yes, and if I ever go to Manila again, I would take all his tours, or do the Intramuros one all over again as a refresher. Because I'm pretty sure it would take me years for another homecoming. 

Was Carlos effective and enjoyable as a guide? He sure is, and I'm not saying this because he gave us free Chocnuts, halo-halo and free kalesa ride, because this might change in the future, depending on the audience's demands. It's in him to be one, and you can see how patriotic he is to his own country. How he wants his fellowmen's opinions to change on how they see Manila. You can't loudly complain about the heat, because you can't help but smile when you see him tugging up his modern Barong Tagalog or long-sleeved polo at times and feel ashamed to yourself when he's the one doing all the talking, and you, as the viewer, can use a pamaypay or abaniko (fan) or chug down a bottle of cold water. And he's very funny, making sure that you don't get bored or depressed when you hear some of his stories that happened in the past. The most that I like about him is his subtlety on the flaws of the Philippine culture and values that we have adopted even to this day. He must've been reading Anti-Pinoy a lot. Hehe. I kid. Who knows what the man thinks. All I'm sure is that he notices these flaws, and he's not afraid to tell the Filipinos what they are and include them in his talks, because he wants the audience to think differently and out of the box. Which is pretty much the main point of his tour- to change the way you look at Manila, one step at a time. 

So what the heck are you doing reading this blog? Book your tickets to the Philippines (or text the number if you live around Manila), and include this in one of your visits. You have 7,107 islands to choose from, and The City of Manila in Luzon is one of them. And oh, don't forget to bring a camera with you. And a hat. Or a towel. And your money, of course. And an open mind to absorb all the information he'll give you.

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride

Or in this case, I was the maid of honour. I've been a bridesmaid for two times; and this is the third time that I was made maid of honour. And like they always say (who are they, exactly? I've always heard 'they' many times.), "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride". But this isn't about me who hasn't been married yet, when I should've been by now (but not really). Because right now I have no intentions of marrying, for I find myself too young to embark on that journey, and I need to gain more wisdom and experience in order to be a someone for my someone. And besides, it's the bride's day on her wedding day, so why ruin something that normally happens once in her lifetime? 

Being the maid of honour for the first time has made me realize that it's very exciting to be a bride on her wedding day. I think she must feel like a princess, but at the same time, worried on how everything would work out on her day, without shelling out any or her own assistance. Of course, brides know that the preparation is very nerve-wracking, but on her day, she must feel like she owns everyone, like everything she says are done and no one refutes her when they don't agree to her wishes.

This must be the margarita working, but I only had a few sip, because I wanted to savour the food and the night my only sister will never forget and will always remember (I hope so.). This is exactly the main reason for my homecoming, but on this day, I didn't think of any other persons who are not part of the wedding, nor the reunions and plans that we're having next week. It'll be Sunday in less than 2 hours, and it's the second to the last Sunday that I'll be here. But back to the wedding. 

No one can really just steal the bride on her day. The wedding is her own show, so whatever she wants to happen, will happen. Like a producer or director who has assistants to assist her. Ushers or usherettes who are always there not just for the wedding coordinator but for everyone who has a query, comment, suggestion, or violent reactions. Everything is focused on her, she is the star of her show. So hearing the same phrase over and over again, it sort of makes me think that why focus on yourself too much, when it's not even your wedding. 

There is nothing wrong as a woman to make yourself look attractive on someone else's wedding, but what if one guest overtakes the bride or her makeup? That would be embarrassing, right? But to look even better than the bride, now that's saying something.

I'm hopeless. I really do need to sleep. I've been fighting sleep, which I shouldn't be doing if I want to keep healthy. I apologize for the random post.

Didn't really wanna do this, but here goes

It's funny how when I first started this blog, I had no idea that it would last a year with each post for each month. Okay, I was lying, because I have no post for last month, but that was the first time that I did that when I absolutely have nothing to say or share on this blog. That, or I was too lazy to think type, and my brain wasn't in blog mode. But here I am, doing a post that I shouldn't really be doing, because it's quite common for every blogger to do this, especially when they reach their anniversary. But this point in time is very important for me, because in a few days, I would be having my own homecoming, which is also the reason why this blog is named 'Homecoming'.

Now that I think about it, why exactly did I name my site Homecoming, when most of the topics here are from left to right, completely unrelated to each other? I want to make up some excuses now because to be honest, I had coffee a while ago and if I would say something that's not me, that's just the caffeine in me channeling it's message on my blog. And caffeine just told me to not think about the reason why I named this Homecoming, because she would need to rack her brains, thinking for that reason, when I was the one who named it, and not her (I know. I'm crazy. I just considered caffeine to be female. Hey, don't start thinking about some human rights here, I'm not trying to be feminist.). 

I guess I can just do some updates on what's happening on my blog, and why some posts and recaps are taking longer to be posted (and done). Let's see. Detective conan recaps. It's only up to episode three! What the heck Lora! How can you start on something that you won't even finish? My answer: Did I say that I'll finish the recaps? No. And besides, I don't even know what episode it is now, because I've been into Korean dramas lately. I'm even missing out some Japanese dramas because I wanted to finish a lot of Korean dramas. I will only recap what I want to do, because I'm doing this not just for the readers (which is mainly the reason actually), but for some for myself, especially when I have nothing to say or to post. It's a good diversion too, when I run out of thoughts and have a stack of episodes to watch and recap instead. I get to watch it, write some notes, screen cap it, and then edit it again for the final publishing. The same goes for the movies that are on my list to be recapped. 

I just noticed that my rotating banners are kinda getting on my nerves, when I find that most of them were done last year, when I have nothing to do but to play around picnik. I'll do some tonight, when I really have nothing to do, or when the addict in me is longing for an anime to watch, instead of the usual Korean drama that I never get tired of. And updates for them would (hopefully) be posted this weekend, if laziness would leave me alone. But for now, caffeine is going through my veins, and she's killing me, telling me to hit the sack, which I normally shouldn't, because she would usually tell influence me and tell me to watch two episodes first and when the sun is about to shine, that's when I can get to sleep. But anyway, so I can be done with the banner and get a new one, I'll be signing off. Till next post, which I hope would be before my I go back to my original hometown, the place where it all started.

They call it fate

Paulo Coelho once wrote in The Alchemist that "When you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true.". Some people would think that God pulls up one of his tricks and utter some chants to let this happen, while others believe that they don't need Him to make these things happen, because it's their hardship and perserverance that they are where they are now, and that God has nothing to do with it.

I didn't believe on this quote at first, for maybe because I was too naive and I haven't yet experienced what it feels like. But despite not knowing what it's like to understand the meaning, reading it from this book has given me inspiration that I didn't expect would be kicking back into my life. But this is fate we're talking about, so surely, this would come back and haunt me (or is it?). And haunted me again it did. But this time, I had to combine not just my belief but efforts as well. And it's quite fulfilling and satisfying when something you have longed to happen would eventually and unexpectedly occur, even though you have planned it would work from the start. Did that even made sense? Well, it doesn't matter, because as long as you believe in something, it'll happen. 

These can also be called as blessings in disguise, unless you're an atheist or agnostic. But if you're not, then I could say that you might relate to what I'm saying now. It doesn't matter whether you're a Catholic, Christian, Muslim, Protestant, Born again, or any other religious group that you can think of (and I apologize if I haven't mentioned yours.). I think, that as long as you believe that there is a God, and that He is someone greater than everything else, then you're good to go. I mean, you know what I'm talking about.

Sometimes when you feel like you've been given too much of what you ask, you feel honored that you feel like you don't deserve all these blessings showering upon you. That you don't have the right to receive these gifts, or that you're not worthy enough to be given too much of what you have asked Him. But the first reaction you would have once you receive it? Grateful. You're thankful that He has given you what you need and longed for, and you praise him for all the blessings that He has, has always been, and will soon give you.

But most of the time, we take things for granted. Let's say you live you in a first world country where you can buy everything you want. Okay, not exactly everything, because you still need to earn money to buy whatever it is you want. Let me try to think of mundane situations here. For example, a family is able to go camping whenever it's the long weekend during summer. I guess you can say that they're either grateful that they're able to go out and spend time as a family, and also, enjoy the heat that summer has in store for the rest of the season before the leaves start drying up again and turn red or brown. They may or may not appreciate this moment, but if you think about it, every little thing that we are given are meant to be thankful for.

An aspiring scholar who's entering university for the first time has worked so hard to be accepted at a school he eagerly wishes, that when he receives his Official Letter of Acceptance from this school, he jumps for joy and thanks whoever he can thank, gratified that he received this blessing. That's pretty normal if you ask me, but if this would give him the education he longs for and this is the only way he can help his family, then, it's huge for this student. Is this what they also call fate?

So if you want something to happen and it does, it all depends on your belief on whoever or whatever you think has given you this blessing. It can be God, fate, the cosmos and stars, or just yourself. As long as you're grateful and don't take everyday things for granted, then you deserve even more than just what you wish for.

A rollercoaster ride

Just a quick jot to reflect on the thoughts that have harboured my mind today. Today is the Philippine National Elections (technically, it was yesterday as I'm on the other side of the world) and having gone through the news every hour, I felt different feelings that I haven't had for a long time. 

The May 10 elections also made history as this is the first time in the country that the automatic machines are used to tally the votes. This means that there won't be any more manual counting, no need to count for days (or months) to know who won the most coveted position in the land. There will be less violence, as the ballot boxes are now safe and machines (or cards) will used to record the votes. I thank Senator Richard Gordon (and Presidentiable) who made and defended this bill.

I thought the Filipino voters are wiser now. But it turns out, I was wrong. Waking up this morning and reading the news on the internet has got me on my toes. Initial reaction: I was disappointed. Appalled. Angry that my chosen candidate wasn't elected. Furious that the one I have deemed as incompetent and not worthy of the position was leading. Mad that the people I have known my whole life supported this person who hasn't done anything during the entire 12 years of his position as a Congressman and Senator was first in the tallies. 

A bus ride later, I was still in denial that Noynoy Aquino would even be considered as a President, that if it wasn't for his name or his parents or his infamous sister he wouldn't be known more than the man he is now. And add the fact that second on the poll was former President Joseph Estrada, a convicted plunderer and impeached former actor, what more can I ask for? That was the time when I lost hope, the hope that the Philippines doesn't deserve all the great and worthy leaders that they didn't want to get elected. I lost hope, thinking that for whatever s**t that happens on that country, they deserve it. That they're to blame. A while ago I didn't want to say it out loud, but I was thinking that I'm ashamed of my fellow Filipinos, for they clearly are not ready for change. How can they not see Gilberto Teodoro or Gordon as their beacon of hope? That these men are the change that the people has been longing for?

Venting out my frustrations through the only way possible, I posted my thoughts on my usual hangout, Anti-Pinoy. When I was still feeling down with the results, little did I realize that I was beginning to accept the truth that was soon dawning on to me. I was thankful that there are some people who stiill tried to stay positive, despite the turnout of the election. And they were right. There are also some things that I'm thankful for. I'm thankful that Noynoy is leading, as he was able to prevent another Erap Administration (I shudder at the thought should this happen again.). I'm thankful that the automation flowed smoothly, despite the glitches that were seen in some areas, but they were still able to go through the election. I'm grateful that there weren't many deaths involved, unlike before that lives must be sacrificed again and again just to bag a seat.

Hnaging out at another Filipino forum has given me hope and made me more positive towards the end of the day. Reading the Gordon supporters' comments have made me realize that life should still go on, and we should still help each other for a better Philippines.

This tidbit of news that the third placer in the Presidential race conceded and congratulated the leading also made me smile a bit, even though I consider him corrupt and not fit to be a President. 

At the end of today, I have become more accepting, and realized that I should still support the current administration. I may still be bitter about it, but at least, if anything should still happen in the future (or another People Power *rolls eyes*), I know in my heart that I didn't wish for him to be the President. Yes, that's right. I won't take the blame. I won't feel guilty, because I didn't choose him in the first place. But enough of that. I don't want to resort to this. What's important is that I still have a little hope for my country that this would soon be on the list of the top countries in Asia (and in the world), a nation that I can be proud of not just of its wonders and breathtaking sights, but of the people who can defend their homeland. 

And I can still be proud to call myself a Filipino, even after all of this. But before that, I need to become a better person first. Only then can I be proud of my nationality when I have become a better individual for my nation.

This post was very random, in my opinion, and I thought about it quite fast (and out of the blue too), so pardon some stupidies (if you find some, or if you think there are) and grammatical errors.

Why I became an anti-Pinoy

Nowadays I always visit this blog called Anti-Pinoy where they talk about how the dysfunctional mind of a Filipino works. Or how Filipinos reacted to the Adam Carolla story that made me (and everyone at the site) ashamed of my fellowmen. Oy, if you think I'm being racist, then you better get your act together and read the website. And I'm not saying I'm perfect either, for if everyone was born perfect, then the world wouldn't be like this today. Try to browse through some posts, ponder for a while, do a reflection that would make you aware of your actions. Just do your research and self-discern before making a refutable comment.

So after a few days of stalking, I pulled up my courage and made my first comment on one post that is completely different from the post that I commented on. But everyone (especially the moderators) welcomed me with open arms, because I threatened them and told them that I wanted to make myself feel at home in that place, which they gladly obliged.

Because I've been inspired by their writing and thoughts, I decided to do a personal post on why and what Filipino people have to change, a thought that must have been heard from a million people as well, and taking advantage of their hospitality while in their house.

Why I became an anti-Pinoy

(Or why Agua Bendita is better than The Last Prince)

  Welcome to the world of fantasies and idealism, where most people spend their time watching shows that seem to not run out of cliched plots. I have no intention of inadvertently mentioning the upcoming Philippine elections this May 2010; it just so happened that my views have changed not just because of my exposure to the internet, but mostly because of reality kicking in. The latter applies best I admit, for I was able to recognize my country's flaws and compare it to one of the most livable countries in the world, the place where I am now. As an anti-Anti-Pinoy would say, "You traitors!", that just because I now live in a better country and I'm away from home gives me the right to look down on my fellow Filipinos. But in fact, it's the other way around. I have learned to understand the archipelago's history, culture, and society looking at them from a thousand miles away. And this is why I became an anti-Pinoy.

  When I first stepped on the snow a few years ago, the air had a refreshing feeling to it. At first I thought it was because of the clean and unpolluted surroundings. But then I realized that there was more to it. Not only is this a new and uncharted country for me, but the people, culture, and laws were different as well. A huge step-up from the typical and Filipino lifestyle that I was used to.

  Jetlag was one thing; but homesickness is worse than that. Despite getting used to living here and an Asian market just two blocks from our house, something is still missing. I can't claim this fact on behalf of every Filipinos who live abroad, but this is what most people feel when they grew up and spend many years and would suddenly undergo a change from their home country to a completely diverse place. Because of this, I learned two things: discipline and responsibility. Two traits that all Filipinos must have nowadays. Without these two, a country wouldn't progress to what it is today. South Korea wouldn't be the world's leading manufacturer of major companies if it wasn't for their discipline, perseverance, and nationalism (A typical example, but I'm just stating reality. I mean, can you imagine that they had a war in the 50's and recovered so soon?). Alright, the remaining two are important as well, but here I can say that Filipinos can do this and take action–if necessary and required (ah, I hope no one gets offended.). But sometimes, Filipino pride goes too far–so far that other Filipinos would blame their actions which results into a a more humiliating act.

  There is nothing wrong practicing nationalism and patriotism. I'm all for it. I do it once in a while, if I feel like it (shame on me), and I try not to overdo it. I sort of understand the Filipino society on why they will continue to patronize foreign products because of our history. But I guess, in little (and improving ways), Filipinos are beginning to appreciate what they have. However, to strive harder to achieve a  universal goal is one thing that they lack. And also, we need a major change that will improve ourselves and our society. And this large change involves the impending elections on May 10th (now you know where I'm getting at.). But don't worry, I'm not going to dictate why you should vote for my preferred candidate. Instead, I will tell you to vote for whom you like not because of their popularity, winnability, or lineage, but because of what they have done and what they can do more. A citizen has the right of suffrage so as much as you can. Go  ahead and practice it because this is not for just you, your families, nor your future generations, but for the entire country as well. 

  I learned that a person can change if he initiates the change within himself. However, in order to change oneself and others, there should be conditions and restrictions implemented so that discipline and responsibility will take effect. And who will enforce these "rules"? It can be oneself, a friend, your parents, the company president, or the leader of your county, as long as these laws are for the person's best interests at heart. 

  In a perfect world, there is no perfect leader who tells you what to do because the reality is, they also think about themselves and how they would reap from their position. There is no perfect person who can change overnight and be all saint-like. It takes practice and an effective authority to carry out these rules that would encourage an individual to succeed, which in turn, will make his dwelling place first-class. So, set aside those overactive imaginations (which should be in our dreams, actually) and pointless shows. Time to wake up and smell the garbage. 

A/N: For the record, I have never seen Agua Bendita. I just saw this ad for this show on a Filipino newspaper my mom picked up from the supermarket. The Last Prince I have, when our tv provider offered a 3-month free preview of the network a while ago. When I saw it, I thought it was so bad, that it's hilariously good to watch (just not everyday though, because I might go insane).

There you have it, my friends. One proof that I have changed after living in another country for two years. Two years. It took me two years and a blog to realize these unacceptable truths about myself as a Filipino and the people. It's quite disappointing in a way, that somehow, I've lost my faith to my fellowmen. But I'm not saying that I hate the Philippines, because I still love it, and it will probably never change. I guess the country and its people need a lot of tweaking to run again.


These are my sole opinions only and I did not intend to use AntiPinoy as my basis for this post. It just so happened that we share the same sentiments.

Let us not forget...

I almost forgot that I had these pictures. In December of last year our class had a field trip for our English class at Asper Centre, the Jewish Centre of Western Canada Inc. and met a Holocaust survivor where he talked about his experience in the camps. I regret that I didn't take his picture; it would've been nice for everyone to see.

Here are some of the pictures that I took from the museum; it's not a lot because it's not that huge really. 

Which reminds me, April 12th was the Holocaust Remembrance Day, so posting them made some sense too, for us to commemorate and remember them.