harvard street cubao

Our New Home: baratillo books cinema @ cubao

2006-03-01T12:16:00.000+08:00

Visit us at our new home baratillo books cinema @ cubao

New Domicile

2006-02-25T13:36:00.000+08:00

Hi! Thank you for visiting this blog. I have moved a couple houses down Harvard Street and have occupied a new domicile. Quite near the commercial district of Cubao. An on-line ukay-ukay/baratillo blog of my own. Drop by and you will the find me there writing, reflecting and selling some stuff. Three of my blogs - Harvard Street Cubao, Library 7 and cine67 - have now merged. Here is my new blog: baratillo books cinema & pinoy blog @ cubao Drop by anytime. Again, thanks for visiting. Juned

GMA Declares State of Emergency

2006-02-24T13:42:00.000+08:00

From Radio Free Harvard Cubao podcast -

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declares the whole country to be in a State of Emergency after an attempt by certain elements in the Armed Forces of the Philippines was stopped. Audio file was taken from the PCIJ blog. Also known as Proclamation No. 1017

MALACAÑANG PALACE MANILA PROCLAMATION NO. 1017 PROCLAMATION DECLARING A STATE OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY WHEREAS, over these past months, elements in the political opposition have conspired with authoritarians of the extreme Left represented by the NDF-CPP-NPA and the extreme Right, represented by military adventurists--the historical enemies of the democratic Philippine State—who are now in tactical alliance and engaged in a concerted and systematic conspiracy, over a broad front, to bring down the duly constituted Government elected in May 2004. WHEREAS, these conspirators have repeatedly tried to bring down the President; WHEREAS, the claims of these elements have been recklessly magnified by certain segments of the national media; WHEREAS, this series of actions is hurting the Philippine State--by obstructing governance including hindering the growth of the economy and sabotaging the people’s confidence in government and their faith in the future of this country; WHEREAS, these actions are adversely affecting the economy; WHEREAS, these activities give totalitarian forces of both the extreme Left and extreme Right the opening to intensity their avowed aims to bring down the democratic Philippine State; WHEREAS, Article 2, Section 4 of our Constitution makes the defense and preservation of the democratic institutions and the State the primary duty of Government; WHEREAS, the activities above-described, their consequences, ramifications and collateral effects constitute a clear and present danger to the safety and the integrity of the Philippine State and of the Filipino people; NOW, THEREFORE, I Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Republic of the Philippines and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested upon me by Section 18, Article 7 of the Philippine Constitution which states that: “ The President…whenever it becomes necessary,…may call out (the) armed forces to prevent or suppress…rebellion…, “ and in my capacity as their Commander-in-Chief, do hereby command the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to maintain law and order throughout the Philippines, prevent or suppress all forms of lawless violence as well any act of insurrection or rebellion and to enforce obedience to all the laws and to all decrees, orders and regulations promulgated by me personally or upon my direction; and as provided in Section 17, Article 12 of the Constitution do hereby declare a State of National Emergency. IN WITNESS HEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed. Done in the City of Manila, this 24th day of February, in the year of Our Lord, two thousand and six. GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO President

DOWNLOAD/LISTEN/PAKINGGAN from OurMedia Show Notes: Just audio of Arroyo's speech. The speech was in Tagalog. For questions, comments, suggestions or rants you can send an email at radiocubao@gmail.com or just post your thoughts on the comment section of the blog. You can also send your mp3 to radiocubao@podomatic.com

Putsch, Coups and Gen Lim

2006-02-24T08:13:00.000+08:00

ANOTHER ONE?/EUPHEMISMS I was taking a respite from posting this week; I am preparing for some changes in the blog and blogs I work on. When it struck. This morning watching the news on GMA 7 it was announced that the AFP had stopped an attempted withdrawal of support from the Aroyyo government. According to news reports from the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the PCIJ, the plan was to join those involved in the attempted withdrawal of support to join the rally, the one in Makati or the one near Mendiola?, while carrying their side arms. Attempted withdrawal of support? Golly, Is that not a grand euphemism for a coup, a putsch and a golpe. BRIG GEN DANNY LIM and RAM The highest ranking officer involved is Brig Gen Danny Lim of the 1st Scout Ranger Battallion stationed at Bulacan. The Scout Rangers is one of the elite units of the AFP and known for wearing black fatigues. Gen Ileto, one of the few Generals who did not join Marcos during the declaration of Martial Law, was one of the founders of the unit. The rangers are battle hardened unit that goes toe to toe with its enemies. The Scout Rangers also figured prominently in history because during one of the attempted coups against Cory Aquino they took hold of the Makati Central Business District for several days. The Magdalo group took control of Oakwood but the Scout Rangers took control of the whole district. Forcing the Cory Aquino government to negotiate. By the way this coup was the bloodiest coup in history and Aquino survived it because of US intervention. In the end the Scout Rangers agreed to return to barracks. They marched along Ayala Avenue straight to Bonifacio carrying their arms and bringing with them their Armored Personnel Carriers. The Rangers in Makati were commanded by Col Raffy Galvez and among his junior officers were Captain Danny Lim and Major (?) Puruganan. Cap Danny Lim is the same Gen Lim who is now the central figure in what is called an attempted withdrawal of support. Lim is a highly intelligent officer, studied at West Point and topped several military courses. Puruganan is now attached to the Department of National Defense. How the paths of fate twist and turn. Col Galvez has retired from military service. What prompted Lim to allegedly do this? I do not know. Would it bear fruit, only time will tell, the day has not yet finished. Lets see. The radio stations, tv shows, blogs are all reporting the same thing. If there is anything else that might be worth a look at would be the rallies today and the government response. The government will of course go into bunker mode. Those in the rally will probably take advantage of whatever opportunity is left, seeing that Lim has been exposed and their plot laid bare. PUTSCHS AND PUTCHISTS An attempted withdrawal of support or a putsch to succeed has to have the element of surprise. And it usually comes from the person you least expect.In Chile President Allende was worried about the other generals when the death blow came fom his appointee Gen Pinochet. In Edsa One, Honasan et al were not really discreet their plan discovered they elected to make a last stand at Edsa. This was then taken advantage of individually by Ramos, Enrile and Cardinal Sin to whip up support that led to Edsa. Cardinal Sin was the most significant player in this episode and heralded the return of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy into the affairs of state.One can argue they, the temporal representatives and leaders of the different faith, have always been there inside the circle of power, but Edsa I strengthened their hold. So Cardinal Sin, probably the most saviest political leader in the Philippines alongside Marcos and Quezon, saved Enrile, Ramos, Cory, Honasan and the Ram's backside. The present Princes of the Church seemed to be a mixed bunch of political neophytes, useful fools and genuine Christians so despite how much respected their opinion is it is just opinion. Another aside, it is for this reason that I think Enrile and Honasan's claim that they should not have given Cory is tripe. If it were not for Sin and the people he rallied they would been mince meat to General Ver. Other succesful coups was that of Suharto, actually a countercoup, in Indonesia and the Russian Communist Party. Oh, Of course several other coups in Latin America. Again, in most cases the death blow was delivered by someone close and trusted. The problem with Philippine Putsch is that nearly all of it are discovered and in the end they opt to make a last stand - from Camp Crame, Manila Hotel, the Makati Financial District and even GMA 7, the TV station. Its become predictable. Still the allure might be as great, from the novel Shogun by James Clavell it is said "it is only treason if it fails." A LESSON FROM THE MOST FAMOUS FAILED PUTSCH Adolf Hitler also conducted a Putsch in a Beer Hall in Munich. By supreme stupidity and lack of support from the Army the putsch turned sour. Hitler and company were jailed. While he was incarcerated he wrote Mein Kampf and he opted to get power legally. Several years later the National Socialist steadily win Reichstag seats and fought a dynamic campaign for president against Hindenburg. He does eventually become Chancellor and ultimately Fuerher. While coups and uprisings maybe the more seductive way of doing change it is risky and unstable. Being in the political opposition means you only have to wait for your opponent to fail and provide a better alternative, key word here is a better alternative. So how will things fare today. Most probably it will end with the detention of Gen Lim and the present political opposition - the disenfranchised politicians, coryistas not in power, disgruntled businessmen, leftist still longing for power and other self-appointed messiahs - calling for change. Lets see or in Tagalog ABANGAN ANG SUSUNOD NA KABANATA One lesson from EDSA - remember that your leader/"liberator" is but human.

Working in Makati

2006-02-22T05:34:00.000+08:00

Same shots a bit bigger at pinoy snapshots

Landslide: Guinsaugon in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte

2006-02-18T17:19:00.000+08:00

I learned of the disaster early in the morning. A landslide swallowed a whole community in the island of Samar. Several news agencies and blogs have written about it:

I guess there will be a lot of retrospective analysis and discussion about it in the days to come. One thing will not change though, it happened and a community disappeared. One of the document mentioned by the Filipino Librarian is a document called “The Philippine Disaster Management Story: Issues and Challenges, which was published by the Thailand-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Center. Said document, which is available in PDF, HTML, and Word , details the Philippines experience with disaster, from Pre-Spanish to our time. It is an interesting read and quite detailed; aside from listing down the different natural disasters, the document tells us of the practices and safe-measures adopted through the years – this included, but not limited to, the use of the baranggay, rationale behind the design of houses, importance of identifying potential danger points.

Buildings and other Safety Measures

The document actually gives me pause about the soundness of our present building practices and introduces the practicality of the old designs, houses on stilts, the bahay kubo, and the bahay na bata. Types of houses designed to endure the tropical climate (counter humidity) and protect its inhabitants. Bahay Kubo (Nipa Hut) were designed to be easily built when Earthquakes strike and be high enough to avoid the flood. The Bahay na Bato (Stone Houses was designed to withstand the ravages of nature by having a bottom heavy foundation and a wooded second floor to lessen the injury that would result if it collapsed. In it you can see two basic approaches to house design and natural disaster. One to adapt and survive, while the later to resist and survive.

Googling the land slide also brings you the web pages of the City of Oceanside, where in you will find these informative links:

All this points to disaster preparedness. As Kelvin Rodolfo once said that since the Philippines is located in a geologically dynamic area, earthquake, tsunami and volcanic eruptions we are in area populated by volcanoes called the ring of fire all of us should be prepared for the worse.

CAUSES OF THE TRAGEDY

Over lunch today, I asked my father, a retired geophysicist, as to what cause the landslide. Did logging cause it? Where there enough trees in the area ? He told me that based on the initial reports that he picked from the news it would seem that this does not seem so. Several factors led to this tragedy –

The steepness of the mountain
The saturation or soaking up level of the ground
The fracturing of the stone bed in the area, the fracturing caused by seismic activity
The amount of rainfall that hit the area

WHAT NOW?

As I finish this post the chance of finding survivors, seem to be fading. Although a government official said that the several people had fled the community a few days ago. However, they had been coming back just before the landslide happened. In another report nearby villages were showing signs of agitation and fear, who could blame them? Manuel Viloria mentions of some uncanny incidences and a woman who warned and predicted of this tragedy.

Hope, pray, help, learn, prepare and act.

An additional post for today

Brokeback Mountain

Wiki and Peanut Butter

2006-02-15T07:59:00.000+08:00

Anyone interested in setting up a wiki? For me its a fun way to keep notes and keep a database on-line. One of the e-groups I belong use it to compile a file of everyone in the group and some random notes. Its fun. And a handy thing to have, I set-up one and use it to keep notes and arrange stuff. I have been meaning to write about it for sometime then they came up with a promo to promote them in exchange you get to double space. There are nice things about marketing campaigns. Anyway you might the able to use their services, I did ... no kidding. By the way their tagline is:

“PBwiki makes creating a wiki as easy as making a peanut butter sandwich”

And it takes only ten seconds to set-up the wiki. Here are the links to PBwiki Check out the PBwiki tour! Get a free wiki at PBwiki.com. This post also appears on Library 7

Taxes and Food

2006-02-11T16:22:00.000+08:00

Less eating out due to taxes? TAXES Taxes in any form or name is never never welcomed. What is the purpose of taxes? The quick answer would be to get funds for maintaining public service - service the roads, finance the police and the military, fund the civil service and in general provide public service. This is where your taxes go would be the maxim. Another purpose may be to distribute the wealth. There has and there will always be an imbalance of wealth in society; And there will always be the poor. You can never alleviate poverty, but what you can do is to redistribute the wealth. The inability to do so would be catastrophic. Unless you can redistribute the wealth then there will be problems, to put it slightly. In one of the Ancient Greek States the problem became so terrible that debtors slashed the throat of creditors in a single day. And in the Roman Empire the most hated figures were not the Roman Legions but the tax collectors. These were the people who were immediately killed whenever Rome lost a city to an enemy. Revolutions all revolutions result in the redistribution of wealth. But unfortunately in time one sees the re-accumulation of wealth within within a few people. In Ancient Rome things were solved with conscription of enemies of th state - losers in the political battle. Of course not all of it were given to the public, a number were killed for their silver and gold. As long as part of the wealth was used to provide bread and salt to Roman Citizens everything was fine. Thus, a portion of it went to the people, the rest went to the coffers of the victors. There were two conscription in Ancient Rome's history the first by Sulla and the second by Mark Anthony, Octavian and Lepidus. This redistribution also served another chilly purpose it provided a means for those who won to further weaken the position of enemies and potential rivals. This method was used often by a Chinese Emperor to control the ambition of his generals, often asking his generals to build magnificent palaces, buildings, and bridges; limiting his generals' financial capacity to mount a grab for power. So here it is the other uses of taxation:

Redistribution of wealth
Conscription of enemies
Stabilization of the the State

Ideally, taxes should then be limited to the monied class or the plutocracy. Those who have excessive amounts of money, really excessive amounts of money. FOOD Where does food come in the picture of taxation? Well it seems that there are fewer punters to restaurants today. Could it be due to the increased taxes or is it just a pre-Valentine hiatus? And is the mini-sizing of food items also an affect of the tax. Only time will tell, probably. In the meantime the old Tagalog proverb

Kung maikli ang kumot dapat matutong yumuko

In English

If the only blanket one receives is short one must learn to fit into it

Perhaps until better times. It seems more prudent today to eat-out less and just cook at home. Additional Posts Fiesta Carnival to Shopwise Blank Books

Frenzy and feeding frenzies

2006-02-09T23:46:00.000+08:00

Frenzy is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as -

mental derangement; wild excitement or agitation
delirious fury - drive to frenzy ; infuriate

While THE NEW STANDARD English- Filipino Dictionary defines and translates Frenzy as -

pagkahibang
pagkadiliryo
pagka-ulol

Maybe this is a better term than panic to describe what happened at the Wowowee tragedy. Of course, panic would have followed immediately the frenzy. The word frenzy stuck in my head. The word did not go away. Then like a bolt of lightning it came a feeding frenzy. Check what Encarta has to say about a feeding frenzy - There are two definitions to feeding frenzy. The first one relates to an intense violent period of eating when a large number of animals/species zero in on a food source. Seems to be this is what happened given large number of people, waiting for several days, and a limited amount of prizes available. More interesting is the informal of definition, frantic activity focused on an indiviudal, group, organisation or an institution when an opportunity to exloit can be seen. The aftermath of this tragedy has seen ABS-CBN and it allies being beseiged by criticims by its competitors, enemies and people with genuine grievances/concern. One cannot argue against the last set of individuals they deserve to do it and they have to do it get justice done. There are, however, a large number of individuals who have old scores to settle and surgical strikes to do against ABS-CBN. This the another type of frenzy. If the Ultra stampede is similar, unfortunately, to a feeding frenzy of piranhas. The feeding frenzy between ABS-CBN and its competitors ( and some enemies) seemed to be feeding frenzy among sharks. Still the second comparison seems to be a little bit hard on the sharks. And brings to mind this quotation.

Men are not against you; they are merely for themselves. Gene Fowler

Additional Posts Watching Musicals About Practical Cats Still more ruckus about who is t he smallest fish

Cartoon that launched more than a thousand fires

2006-02-08T09:27:00.000+08:00

No, It is not this cartoon. Editorial Cartoon of Philippine Daily Inquirer Feb 8, 2006 The following link will take you to INQ7.net While reading, I came across this Editorial Cartoon at the Philippine Daily Inquirer. There is a quote that goes a picture is worth a thousand words; in this case a this caricature is worth a thousand words. Ha Ha Ha! Editorial cartoons have been part of any newspaper. In fact, an editorial cartoon is a good chronicler of political events. Just check the US editorial cartoons during the time when the United States was just beginning to colonize the Philippine Islands. It is an interesting record of the opinions on US Imperialism. A book entitled “Cartoon History of Republic by E.J. Izon is a good way of summarizing the issues that have been the core of contention during the time of early Philippine Republic after World War II. Of course, editorial cartoons are expressions of point of views on a given issue. Rarely has it caused adverse and extreme reaction. However, lately another set of editorial cartoons - depicting the prophet Mohammed in an unflattering light - has caused massive and widespread condemnation and violent reprisals across the Muslim world. The cartoons, which in one cartoon depicted the Prophet’s turban as a bomb, seemed to have been used by extremists to incite mobs across the world: Massive demonstrations were held against the editorial cartoons and the European nations where the cartoons were published. In Palestine, mobs shot at the office of the European Union and European nationals fled as threats were made against their persons. In Lebanon, an Embassy was torched by a mob. In addition, in several Arab countries, Muslims decided not to buy goods and products from a number of European countries. So it is the burning of flags, diplomatic offices, economic boycott of a number of European products, and the threat against of a number of European nationals. At least no one has issued a Fatwah against the artist who drew the editorial cartoon. When Salman Rushdie came out with the Satanic Verses. The Ayatollah of Iran issued the death sentence and Rushdie went into hiding and stay incognito for several years. At least he did not end like the Japanese translator of Satanic Verses who was stabbed to death. Confronted with this reaction the Western newspapers continued and even increased the publishing of the said cartoons. The political leaders of course were busy saying sorry to the Muslim communities around the world. One can understand the anger felt by all Muslims. The caricatures depicted the Prophet in an unflattering light and it violated a Muslim practice that forbade the depiction of the Prophet, it is considered idolatry. I remember looking at a series of painting about the life of the Prophet Mohammed as a child and there he was the Prophet Mohammed depicted a full figure without a face. However, the violent reactions that followed seemed to have been orchestrated by Islamic extremists. The only time in recorded human history when this happened, the frenzied unifying of the followers of Islam, was when the Crusaders captured and sacked Jerusalem, in the process massacring several people in the Mosque. It was said the blood filled up the floor of the Mosque. Slaughtered people in a pool blood. Not difficult to see why the Crusaders were eventually wiped out of the Holy Land and Kingdom of Jerusalem destroyed. France, In the court of Capets, there once was an artist who did a series of drawings of the King. The drawings showed the transformation of the King's face into a peach. Nearly everyone in the court had a laugh. Unfortunately, for the artist the King did not find his art work amusing. More unfortunate for the artist the King was one of those who well shall we say not pleased with his work. Drawings can sometimes be things of extreme danger. Where will the violent reactions to the editorial cartoons lead humanity? An Additional Post Araneta Colisuem and Gateway Mall

Stampedes and chocolates

2006-02-07T15:22:00.000+08:00

STAMPEDE ARTICLES Two interesting posts about the Wowowee Tragedy, which led to the death of more than seventy persons and the injuries of hundreds. Alecks Pabico at the PCIJ blog posted an informative article about the stampede entitled: Panic-induced stampede aggravated by narrow exits, lack of exit and crowd control plans Â scientists. And Sky at the white papers: stories live from cubicle L23 also wrote an intersting post: The Physics of Stampedes Both articles looks into the physical factors and phenomenon that plays into a stampede. The PJIC articles hasPDFf files that explain the phenomenon in detail. According to the UP-based scientists from AGHAM (Samahan ng Nagtataguyod ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Sambayanan) at the Tragedy at Ultra had all the factors leading to a panic induced stampede. AGHAM chairperson, UP-based physicist Dr Giovanni Tapang said: "Narrow exits, lack of coordination, absence of exits plans, movement in multiple directons combined with a strong desire to reach an objective due to poverty is a recipe for panic-induced stampede,". Tapang along with Dr. Caesar Paloma, Gay Perez, Dr. May Lim, and Dr. Cynthia Palmes-Saloma demonstrated in their research with mice that panic-induced clogging at exits or passageways can be triggered by the following factors:

Width and design of passageways

Exit plan

Amount of panic or drive to reach the exit

Again an interesting set of information and sheds new light into what happened at Ultra. The information found on these posts are bolstered by studies done in relation to stampedes at football events, studies of traffic flows, and historical battles, where the outcome of the battle was decided by the nature of the plain. As in Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt. Henry's enemies the French, who overnumberedhisss forces, were massacred. The victory, which was traditionally attributed to the long bow, was brought about by several factors, one of which was a muddy terrain that narrowed down greatly. The French forces in attacking Henry committed their forces to attack passed through a narrowingMudd terrain. What followed next was a stampede that injured a number of the French knights and foot soldiers - killed by the booths of their own allies and mud of Agincourt. A physical explanation of how things happens often helps us understand the situation more, help ferret out those guilty and hopefully prevent similar catastrophes in the future. CHOCOLATES Everyday I go home from work I see a group of people converging on this spot. Curious, I took a look and found out they were selling chocolates at a cheap price. Well, it does seem to be a good buy. Here take a look: An additional post for today Ali Mall: 2006

Promise of Wealth, Ratings, and Tragedy

2006-02-05T22:53:00.000+08:00

I do not really watch shows at ABS-CBN. I have always been a watcher of Eat Bulaga, it is my preferred poison. So I got the news of the Ultra stampeded just after lunch when I checked my email. I finally managed to get my Internet connection last Saturday and despite the delay, I am happy with the service. Across the world and through the Internet the news of the stampede had circled the globe. 70, 78, 88 people had died from a stampede just before the anniversary celebration of the popular game show Wowowee. The game show became popular because of the amount and number of prizes it gives away. A strategy similarly practiced by its competitors. Although, Wowowee seem to do this on the level of excessiveness. And the reason for this act? The desire to do good? Maybe only secondary. Most likely, it is the R word, the ratings game. Despite this it would the seem the bond between contestants and game shows was mutually beneficial … at least if you are the winner or a wannabee winner. Nobody knows how the stampede started, was it because someone shouted there was a bomb? Alternatively, because the crowd went wild when it was told the stadium was filled and no one could enter anymore? Only time will tell. Then who is the one most responsible for this disaster? Who is to blame? Over lunch today someone said that the tragedy happened because we Filipinos were undisciplined. This remarked sort of elicited a rebuke from me. Disasters or fatalities from stampede occur all over the world and through out the centuries. One of the factors that led to the victory of the English at Agincourt was the French forces were forced to attack from a wide field into a narrow muddy plain. A large amount of those dead were because they were trampled upon; crushed by the feet of their allies wishing to achieve victory. Several stampedes in football and rock concerts have resulted in fatalities. I do not think the crowd was undisciplined, rather the event was ill-planned and ill-implemented. You do not just build the momentum of a mass of people in three days and expect the surplus crowd to dispense orderly. To ABS-CBN’s credit, they seem to be handling things well. The victims of the tragedy seem to be well-taken cared of. Only a few critical flaws in their efforts are worth noting: 1) There seems to be overkill in diverting the blame from their station. Despite their efforts to help the victims, it does not excuse them from their culpability in the situation. 2) Also the use of its stars to project an aura of concern and the playing of music seems to be a bit trite. And in the long run fake. 3) The re-branding of the show as a sort of self-less act of charity. It is a game show. No matter how much some of their people insist, that it has done charity works it is and will remain a charity pandering on hope and the quick buck to improve the ratings. I wonder though if this focus on ratings was a significant in the mismanagement of the event. Additional Post Rome and the movies

DSL and Job

2006-02-02T15:36:00.000+08:00

Is it because of the demand or is faulty customer service that ISP are nearly always not on time when setting-up a DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER LINE (DSL) connections. It has been several weeks since I have been contemplating on getting a DSL connection. Last Thursday, I finally made the payment and I was advised the DSL would be connected on Saturday. Unfortunately, up to today the company has not yet set-up the connection. Today, they have exceeded their five-day installation period. The excuse, if you can call it an excuse was that there were many connections to be installed. Hmmmm. "Anyway, the order was already dispatched" reassured the voice on the other end of the phone. And they have been repeating that statement everyday we called their office. Maybe DSL has another meaning: Delayed Set-Up Lagi HA HA HA HA And customer service does not belong together. :) Maybe one of the "friends" of Job was the one who conceptualised the not-so-bright side of customer support. Anyway, I feel like singing "Always Look at the Bright Side of Life". I am singing it right now. Additional Posts Books and Films The Vampire, The Crooks and the Boardgame Smallest Fish: Round II

The Terraform Challenge

2006-01-26T17:39:00.000+08:00

According to Reuters and CNN, Scientists have developed a new method of finding Earth-like planets. Unfortunately, the first planet, OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb, is uninhabitable. The new method is called gravitational microlensing. Here’s a link to the article: Science & Space: New technique finds Earth-like planet From CCN.COM and Reuters I wonder when and where we can find a new inhabitable planet. Will we Filipinos be one of the first people to volunteer to become the new pioneers? We will be like the pioneers of the old and probably more fatal. Communications will be slow given the distance between Earth and the new planets. Maybe it’s a chance for a new beginning. Or if humanity develops ways to live underwater just like the cartoon Sea Lab 2020. Would you be willing to re-establish life there? Who would take the challenge? Would you? An Additional Post Smallest Fish Found And Lost?

Reading Glasses?

2006-01-25T16:26:00.000+08:00

A Snapshot of my nephew as he was reading a book he got last Christmas. Come to think of it this shot was taken last Christmas. Note the reading glasses come with the book. I think its a 3d book. An Additional Post A Makati Sunset?

Quiet Night and Salvage

2006-01-24T15:21:00.000+08:00

It was eleven in the evening, I found myself along with my nephews asleep in bed. It had been a long day, for me there was work, and for them it was exam week. I had dozed off, while I was tucking them to bed and I woke up just in time to open the door for my parents who had just come in from a wake of one of our relatives. Cubao is quiet. It is hard to think of Cubao as being quiet but it is and this silence is only seldom broken by the sounds the alley cats make preliminary to coitus or a fight and by the drone of passing by car, truck and tricycle. And this veil of silence encompasses the neighborhood till early in the morning when you hear the fighting cocks crow and when you hear the noise the train makes as they cross the tracks. Of course, there are from time to time sounds one hears. The noise a pistol makes when it fires or the staccato sounds of semi-automatic shots fired. Even the howls of the askal (asong kalye or street dogs) as they make their rounds in the neighborhood. Anyway, it turns out my relative was salvaged, mistaken identity. This was a term popularized during the Ferdinand Marcos, the Apo, when people were picked up summarily executed. Enough people were killed to create a headline. The bodies were quartered or left , often only newspaper left to covered their face. The most famous anecdotal story of salvage though was the discovery of several bodies floating on the Manila Bay, a number of pushers were supposed to have been liquidated. So in the Philippines do not be surprised if the word salvage has taken a more sinister meaning, a deviant departure from its original definition, which was to repair, recover and save. An Additional Post The Prestige: A Story Told in Many Forms

Pacquiao Sunday

2006-01-23T19:09:00.000+08:00

Last Jan 22, 2006. The Philippines experienced the lowest crime rate ever. Everybody it seems was busy watching the fight between Pacquiao and Morales. Our parish mentioned that (according to a survey) there were fewer people attending Mass. He even bemused that perhaps that Sunday people decided to stay at home and watch the match. Well it will come as no surprise. Filipinos have always been pundits and fans of boxing events. Even Filipinos in far-flung places found ways to watch. Some fishermen I knew, use AC/DC television sets and solar panels jsut to watch a match A big boxing match can make political foes seat side by side. Politicians from both side of the political fence were one in supporting Pacquiao. One politician placed a 150,000 dollar bet that Pacquiao would win. Even whole families, for once, agreed upon what to watch - good bye noon time variety shows and hello Solar Channel's coverage of the match. Maybe even the melancholic priest from the mass was watching the match. People who could not afford to go to Las Vegas, opted to watch the fight on the silver screen. The tickets were selling at three hundred pesos. Businessmen made money selling the event. The coverage of the fight on tv was interrupted several times with commercials, often with Pacquiao as endorser - he even endorsed No Fear brief. And people were treated to guitar a strumming troubador, Pacquiao himself, on screen. Even Pacquiao's short became a billboard ad. Decals were sewm on his shorts . The most expensive add was one covering the back of his shorts. Business was not busy. Pacquiao stopped and won over Morales during the tenth round by a Knock Out. People were happy. At least on Monday the news would not be bad it will be about the win of Pacquiao over Morales. Congratulations and thank you for the good news Manny Pacquiao! Additional Posts: King Kong & Aslan Tombstone the MMFF The Sunday of Pacquiao

Fires and the Post Office

2006-01-19T13:15:00.000+08:00

Twin fires hit Cubao early this morning (?). The first fire hit the Araneta Post Office. Amazing thing though the letters were not burned; they survived. The second fire hit a house along Annapolis Street corner New York Street. LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) tanks compounded the problem and hastened the spread of the flames. On the way to work I passed by the Araneta Post Office and the situation seemed to have been contained. A few people were outside the burned post office and two stores. The rest of Marikina Shoe Expo or Cubao X does not seem to have been affected. Additional Posts Burned Post Office

Ramos, Cory and Morality

2006-01-17T15:54:00.000+08:00

After Ramos now comes Cory. MLQ3 has posted two thorough posts about Cory's non-participation to the Council of state meeting Here are the links to Manolo's post: Cory Aquino’s statement on the Council of State Cory's Nyet Predecessors have always been an anea in the gluteus maximus of the present leaders. There are of course several options to pacify, remedy or fix one's dear predecessors. In the last years of the Roman Republic things got bloody. Consuls were only allowed a one-year term. So by the end of x number of years the Roman Senate was packed with several ex-consuls. Some eventually went mad others mad with the quest for power, with terminal results - Pompey the Great, Crassus and Caesar. Then of course Cory's call uses the rallying point called Morality while Ramos uses National Survival. But then don’t all politicians, clergymen, and power hungry laymen, and true idealists use the same rallying cries. Although in the case of the idealists they end up being used and conveniently dumped when of no use anymore. So does morality and nationalism just a cause to justify the means and the end? Probably, although there may be some semblance of desire to do good, which is a personal take on what is good. Politics and noble goals, the sword and coat to thrust the unknowing populace. For me it is kind of useless to take these persons' declarations as gospel truths or oaths. Rather, they are the sweetener to coat their plans and actions. They are not saints or great leaders or conscience of the nations, they are but human like the rest of us. Whenever a victorious general is honoured by a march in Rome, there is always someone behind him carrying a laurel leaf and uttering these words: Respice post te! Hominem te esse memento In English Look behind you! Remember that you are but a man! And this Cory news actually reminds me of a Tagalog Idiom from Rosendo Igancio's book. Ayaw-Ayawang takaw ... Pagkukunwari (hypocrisy - hipocresia) Ignacio, Rosendo. Mga Kinamihasnang Salitang Tagalog (Tagalog Idioms -Modismos Tagalos).1963.

Cold and Congee

2006-01-13T19:31:00.000+08:00

The days are getting cold, not as cold as in Scotland or any other country way above the equator. But it is getting cold. Maybe that is why congee seem so delectable at the moment. Maybe even champorado or goto. Although the congee they serve at the restaurant seem to be getting smaller and smaller. Time to bring out the blankets/kumot from Ilocos. Additional Posts for Today: The Sign of A Well Loved Book? Cold Weather Statler and Waldorf

A Sepia Morning in Cubao

2006-01-09T16:24:00.000+08:00

Taken just after sunrise. A road near Harvard street. Not quite crowded yet. To be honest this particular road never gets crowded, especially during the day time. A jeepney approaching. On his way to eat breakfast at local turo-turo store. A tricycle doing the early rounds. An Additional Post For Today Bile and Vinegar

An Encounter With A Nasty Telemarketer

2006-01-04T17:41:00.000+08:00

I had a nasty encounter with an uber-telemarketer this afternoon. First, all she had a voice an opera singer would be proud. Second, she spoke like a machine gun at top speed; one could not get a word in. Third, she was more tenacious than a pit ball attached to a nice piece of bone. Just simply had to say no, no, and no! Still some people really cannot take no for an answer. They always have to ask why. Probably use why in order for you to give. Is this a tactic they use? No wonder some of them end up being cursed by their prey/clients. Although, I know of some people, not telemarketers, whom will also not take no for an answer and will always insist on having the last word. Just say No! But I do have encounters with telemarketers who were more affable. I guess sometimes you get a rotten apple. Additional Posts Book Tastes Blue Moon? A Public Aquarium Crashes Bigotilyo

Dec 31, 2005 - Jan 1, 2006

2006-01-02T16:24:00.000+08:00

Two Thousand and Six started with no so much of a bang. There were less fireworks this year it seems. People were probably content in seeing the international firework competition along Pasay. Along our street there were times when people did light firecrackers and fireworks. One of our neighbors even used an improvised canon, it was quite loud. During those periods of auditory fury I actually found it fun to play select opera choruses, Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture and Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries. Somehow it seemed appropriate to play them at the time and did I mention fun? The revelry ended early. My uncle commented people were not really that interested in fireworks this year. Too expensive. No kwiton or Super Lolo was heard nearby. Unfortunately, though around a hundred houses were burned in one of the poorer areas of Quezon City. One of the inhabitants accidentally threw a firecracker at the flammable houses, made up usually of old or non-fire retardant wood, and this soon engulfed the houses and nearby apartments. In the morning of the first day of Two Thousand and Six it was raining. Water came pouring out of the sky. Cleaning the road of the remains of last night's revelry. Most were still asleep or half-asleep. Even in the malls, some opened after lunch, there were just a few people about. It was the end of the Christmas Holiday. Back to work on Monday. Postscript - Monday, 2nd January 2006 Despite being a Monday, a work day. People still seemed to be dazed. Some were just starting to come to grips to the new year. A few left early while others seem to just wait for the clock to strike the end of the shift and go home. Monday.... Additional Posts for Today: Metro Manila Film Festival 2005 Natural Aquarium Update

Happy New Year

2005-12-31T17:39:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In the Philippines it is still Christmas till the Feast of Three Kings, although they have been removed officially from the roster of saints along with Saint Christopher, the guy who carried the baby Jesus across the river of Jordan (?). Above you will see a picture of Sisig Pizza from Greenwich. Similar to my feelings with the Sisig bread aka the Pig Bread to my nephews I still feel that there is only one and proper way to serve sisig - on a hot plate. Its nearly six in the evening in Cubao, Quezon City and in a few hours most of the shops will be closed. People around the Philippines will be starting to celebrate for the New Year, with Media Noche, 12 round shape fruits at the center table for luck, drinking, spreading cheer and some will celebrate with assorted pyrotechnics (including and unfortunately guns). There does not seem to be much noise this year but we shall see. Today in Tondo they will be celebrating with a costume parties around the neighborhood. Small and short children will jump at the stroke of twelve in order to gain the proverbial increasre in their height. Some people will make sure they have money in all their wallets. And I am quite sure the mobile network will be bombarded by greetings via sms, mms and other assorted ssss. Happy New Year to All! Here is toast I discovered years ago and might be of use. An Old Scottish Toast - Here's to you as good as you are Here's to me as bad as I am But as good as you are As bad as I am I am as good as you are As bad as I am Happy New Year to All! Additional podcasts Tanungan: Fare is fare The Christmas and the New Year Report

Merry Christmas

2005-12-29T16:48:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All! Sorry for the belated greetings. I have just finished setting up the newest member of the Harvard Street Cubao family a podcast called Radio Free Harvard Cubao. And its all about -

Podcasting about Harvard Street, Cubao, Filipinos, Quezon City, the Republic of the Philippines, the Known Universe. Includes everything and nothing - Kasama na ang iba-ibang bagay at ang wala.

Podcasting is said to be the word of the year, check this link. Well, I might as well try it. So how was your Christmas? Did the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future visit you? Joyous Noel! or Joyoux Noel! Additional Posts Library Thing and book finds Star Trek and A little bit of Mulawin Happy Christmas Fish and of Tours Podcast: A Christmas Interview

Enchanted Kingdom (EK)

2005-12-22T16:09:00.000+08:00

Members of the family who went to EK Instead of the traditional Children's Christmas Party the company I worked for opted to treat our families to a day at Enchanted Kingdom in Santa Rosa, Laguna. My Dad & nephew Unfortunately, the weekend we went was also the week that a cold front had developed. Besieging the whole of Luzon with rainfall. Fortunately, through out the day there were reprieves from the rain. Although since it was a weekend there was no reprieve from the rest of the punters, the amusement park was packed. One had to wait for thirty minutes before getting on a ride. So we had to be selective. Considering the age and the height of my nephews the options were limited to the different types of Ferris wheel, the carousel, the human powered swan shaped boats and the ride at the Rialto. Did I mention it rained from time to time? Despite the rain everyone seemed to enjoy the trip. There were of course instances when trouble arose - like when my sister and nephew fighting over who controlled the stirring of the Swan Ship, which resulted into the lack of propulsion of said ship. My other nephew End of the day everybody was tired. And then it began to really rain - a heavy downpour. Luckily, we were on our way home and only got wet as we climbed on the family automobile. I cannot help thinking what happened to those left lining up on the rides or those on the rides themselves. Enchanted Kingdom must have made a killing for umbrellas, caps and shirts that day. View from the Wheel of Fate Things to remember when going to Enchanted Kingdom: Go during the weekday, Go when it is sunny, Just to make sure donate an egg at the Monastery of Santa Clara in Quezon City (To make sure the sky will be blue, cloudless and bright), and bring hats and extra clothes. PS If you want to save money on food ... bring packed lunches and eat it at the parking lot. An Additional Post for Today Sta Rosa, Laguna

Of Pink Shirts and the Digital Players Race

2005-12-21T17:12:00.000+08:00

Christmas Day is just a few days away and each day it seems getting up early for work is getting difficult. The trains seem a little bit more crowded than usual and traffic seem to get congested within and just outside the malls. Even the lines and queues leading up to the cashier counter keep getting longer and longer. Two things I did notice, Metro Manila seems to be flooded these past few weeks by pink shirts and digital players. In the mall, in the train, in food court, along the road it would be impossible not to encounter a man or a woman wearing the colour sons and daughters of red and white. They even have pink Christmas Caps called Pink Panthers. Red and Green seem to have been displaced as the colour of this Holiday Season. Another ubiquitous object today seems to be the digital audio player - whether it is the ipod or any player that is used to listen to mp3, wma and even ogg. The Digital Player seems to be gift of the season. And there seems to be a race to get the players with the most advance features. I too have a digital music player. It is a small item from Samsung. The player fits my needs - be able to record, listen to a number of music (or audio files) and FM radio stations - and is easy to carry, it is around the size of my thumb. Quite practical when riding the shuttle service to Makati, especially when you do not want to hear the daily tirade of AM Radio commentators. It is also handy when one is waiting for someone inside a coffee shop. Or to pacify a child who is getting impatient. I had already justified my purchase of the digital player and was quite happy. Until, only briefly though, I saw a more advance model - the techno lust had set in. The new ones even had viewers for video, pictures and e-books. Although in the end, I reasoned I still bought what fit my needs and I did not see the wisdom in getting a player with a screen smaller than the standard Peso bill. No need really. I think its practical to be a monogamist when it comes to gadgets. Only a few days to go before Christmas... hopefully less pink shirts. An Additional Post Jackson's King Kong

Pig Bread

2005-12-14T16:33:00.000+08:00

The family celebrated my nephew's birthday a couple of weeks ago. And on the way home we stopped by the bakery, BreadTalk, at the Mall. There were a few interesting food items. But what caught my eye was this bread called the Pig Bread. Its a bun filled with sisig. Sisig is a popular dish here. It is a favourite dish when people eat and drink out. It is made of assorted pig parts, predominantly crispy cheeks of the Pig. Greenwich ,local pizza restaurant, even came out with sisig pizza a couple of weeks ago. Additional Posts for today: The Old Coming Down ... The Silly Season

Christmas Carols and Politics

2005-12-08T16:46:00.000+08:00

Despite the approach of the Christmas Season our politicians seem to see it fit to provide us entertainment in aid of legislation. Sit back and enjoy as our politicians parade before witnesses and counter-witnesses to prove or disapprove a case before the public eye. An exercise in futility, whose only value is that of entertainment. I found this parody of Deck the Halls while surfing the web. Enjoy. :) Deck the malls this Christmas season, fa la la la la, la la la la Blow your cash for no good reason, fa la la la la, la la la la Push your credit card to it's limit fa la la, la la la, la la la Your check book now has nothing in it. fa la la la la, la la la la. Additional Posts for Today: Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros Animal Farms and Other Writings by Eric Blair

Of Garci, Hats and Mattanza

2005-12-06T15:53:00.000+08:00

Garcillano is finally appearing at Congress. Before this much "awaited" appearance we were treated to a display of the former comelec commissioner's hat fashion. Each time he appeared on TV he wore a distinct hat. The first time it was a muslim scarf, then it was, a tubao-cap, then it was some sort of fishing hat, and come Wednesday what will it be a ten-gallon hat? A buri hat? Maybe its a signalling system of sorts. Who knows. What to expect from tomorrow's hearing? I figure nothing really. Maybe its going to be a Mattanza. This is Robert Gangi's definition of a Mattanza here is a link to the article.

For hundreds of years, fishermen in Sicily and Sardinia have used dense nets to capture the Mediterranean bluefin tuna (thunnus thinnus) in a quasi-spiritual procedure known as the mattanza. This takes place in May and June, when the giant fish swim past the coasts. In Sicily, the few remaining mattanzas take place off the island's western point among the Egadi Islands. The term "mattanza" comes to us from an old Spanish word, matar, meaning "to kill." Many terms, such as rais (head fisherman of the mattanza), are actually Arabic in origin, introduced in the ninth century when, during the Arab domination of Sicily, the technique became popular. There are indications, however, that it is much older, possibly originating, in some form, in the Phoenician or Carthaginian era...The keys to a successful mattanza, apart from the obvious questions of supply (overfishing has reduced the number of larger tuna in recent years) and weather, are organisation and technique. A series of vast nets are lowered into the water. The tuna are captured in successive nets which are gradually restricted in size and raised toward the surface, where the fish are attacked with what might be described as large spears in a sophisticated trap system.

Gangi discusses further...

The network of net chambers is called an isola (island). One of the interesting things about the mattanza is the team effort of the numerous fishermen involved in each catch. From his boat, the rais directs the work of the men in the other small boats. Because a mattanza is the catch of an entire school of fish, dozens of tuna may be captured. The ambience of bloody water and particularly large fish, which may be compared to cattle or large game, leaves one with a singular impression. There's nothing like watching the fish struggle as they are herded into ever smaller, shallower net chambers (the final one is called the "chamber of death") and finally lifted onto the boats. Indeed, the term mattanza has found its way into the Italian vernacular as a synonym for "massacre."

So who is going to be part of the mattanza? Who will be the hunter and who will be the prey? Will it be the political leaders or political followers? At this point this excercise seem futile and will probably result in a political mattanza that will greatly affect people who have based their stand on OPO (Other People's Opinion) and who have placed their salvation in political leaders. I would not rally behind political strawmen nor political straw causes. It would be as useful as cupping a corpse. An Additional Post For Today Cubao: The Sun Setting

Cubao Sunset

2005-12-01T15:55:00.000+08:00

While seating at a restaurant the Sun began to set. I liked this shot. Here is the link to a bigger version of this picture.

A Return to Greenhills

2005-11-29T16:31:00.000+08:00

It was my nephew's birthday a few days ago and I decided to accompany him to his tutor class. The idea was to buy him something after his session. So I filed the leave forms and was free for the day. While waiting for him to finish his class, I went to the nearest mall, this was Greenhills. It had been a long time since I had a real proper walk around Greenhills. This was the place where I grew up. So much had change and still so much had remained the same. For one thing Virra Mall was gone. In its heyday, Virra Mall had two cinemas and several shops to cater to one's pastime. I remember the stalls that used to sell PX (Imported) goods, the video shop where you can buy the latest pirated movies on VHS and betamax. You can actually buy porn video and exchange it for a new one each week, if you bought the machine from their shop. There were also several computer shops and nestled among them was a shop called Shop & Lift, where you can buy magazines and rent video of classic movies - I remember renting Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo from this store. There were even a couple of pet shops Tetra, Bio-research and Fins & Furs. Virra Mall is gone now. And the Greenhills theatre has been cut and diced into a mall and two cinemas. Greenhills Arcade has undergone a transformation no more Fun House and the place where you can buy comics and chewing gums with Star Wars card. Shoppesville and Unimart are still there. And it would seem the large UFO-shaped lights that illuminated the parking lot are gone. During idle moments, I used to imagine them as space ships over Greenhills. The big canal that demarcated the commercial center from the houses are now gone. Greenhills changed with the times. At first it was mostly PX goods and computers. Then came the shops selling video, pets, toys, comics, and books. Then came the cellphones, the pearl market and the ever-changing baratillos. Soon Greenhills, not surprisingly, really Greenhills became the bazaar of pirated software, vcds and DVDs. And a few years later, Greenhills transformed itself. A major rebranding was in progress. New structures were being built and old structures were being refurbished. Now it looks like a different place. But ... a walk around the place revealed that it still had the old stores around, one way or the other. Over at Shoppesville they were still selling comics, action figures, animes and other collectibles. And in the new parking lot several cellphone and computer resellers were there. Now that the canals were covered, stores like National and the Chinese Deli Decs were just outside. New cinemas were built and new restaurants as well. And in due time they would opening the new Virra Mall. Some of the old and reliable establishments were still around. Unimart Grocery stood virtually unchanged. And there still is the Old Orange Julius stand, although I do not think it is named differently now. The two Le Chings are still around and so is the old Aristocrat Restaurant, which had the distinction of being the only restaurant open during the EDSA I revolt. As I walked along the cellphone stores I heard a familiar set of voices chanting, "DVD, DVD, Boss?” Yup, it would seem the more things change the more they stay the same. Additional Posts Buying Second Hand Books Christmas?!

Snapshots and a project

2005-11-24T15:47:00.000+08:00

I have been busy for a couple of days with a small pet project. Hopefully, it will be up and running by next week. Interesting stuff. It is nearing the end of November. And Christmas is just around the corner. Took these snapshots after watching the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Additional Posts: The Trouble With Harry Sunog

Trains: MRT Again

2005-11-17T17:06:00.000+08:00

Last week, MRT stored value tickets resurfaced. I still think the idea of just topping up the card is a good idea. Things have returned to normal. The queues have come back to their normal length. And now there seems to be an effort to manage the crowd of people coming into the MRT. Despite all the problems and hassles one encounters riding the MRT it is still my choice of poison when it comes to mss transportation along Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue. It is relatively fast and clean. And it is efficient when it has sufficient electrical power. And in a way it is heartening to see more people using the train. Even though this forces one to take the round trip. More people using the train mean its more viable means of transportation and perhaps more trains will be established and used in the future. More trains also less pollution. I once read a quote somewhere that said, …”whenever I see a person riding bicycle I think there is still hope for human civilization.” Perhaps the same quotation also applies for trains. I still think that there is ample room for the improvement of the MRT. One day at a time…one day at a time. Additional Posts for Today A Tide of Narnia and CS Lewis Books CCTAZZZZZZZZZZ Last Morning or Umaga Shot

A Pasalubong Story

2005-11-15T16:11:00.000+08:00

I do not know about other people but we Filipinos are fond of bringing gifts whenever we go to another place. We call it Pasalubong if the bearer personally bought and brought the said gift. We call it Padala if the bearer was just requested to pass a gift bought by someone else. Often such gifts are mainly food items, native delicacies, food that can only be obtained from homes. One can imagine the array of stories a Filipino traveller can come up with because of the pasalubong or padala. This joke or story made the rounds a few years ago. This was about a Filipino who goes by the name of Jose and his encounter with a customs official in a foreign land, and an incident involving a pasalubong. Jose is at an airport in a foreign land. He is lining up at line for customs. Its now his turn. The customs officer seems to feel something is amiss and proceeds to open the luggage of Jose. And there it was the unmistakable odour of dried fish or daing criss-crossing the air. The customs man (a big man even by that country standards) towered over the dimunitive Jose (who was small even for my country standards) and looked glaringly at him. Then pointing his hand at the fish asked Jose, "What’s this?" The apologetic Jose smiled - a smile one does in such situations, a silly smile - looked at the Customs man (who was a giant man and whose deportment slowly seem to take on the nature of magma found in the mouth of Mayon Volcano) and said, "That's Daing". The answer seemed to infuriate the customs man more and he said, "Are you crazy?!" "No, that is Daing,” replied Jose His fingers now holding the dried fish in front the customs man said, "This is DEAD not DYING!" Additional Posts for Today Creature from the Black Lagoon Coral Reefs Tricks of the Trade

Country Road

2005-11-14T16:34:00.000+08:00

I just cannot seem to get this song out of my head. A few weeks ago I was able to get a compilation popular folk rock songs and it happened to be number two songs in the list. After that I was able to watch a Ghibli Anime Whisper of the Heart that had as one of its elements this song. What is it with this song? How come a song of John Denver has found itself imprinted in my brain? I have not been the United States and more so my travels have not yet taken me to West Virginia nor have I met a mountain momma. Why did this particular song of John Denver ( and reinterpreted in Japan by Olivia Newton-John) become my favourite tune. Its not because of John Denver's movie Oh God! Although it was a nice movie. Nor have I been a fan of country music. Although, some Kenny Roger's song have entered my collection - I like the Gambler but that is another story. Somehow, I seem to remember the refrain from this song. Every time it was played on the radio I could always sing the refrain:

Country road, take me home To the place I belong, West Virginia, mountain momma, Take me home, country road.

Perhaps, the song touches a part in me that reminds me of home -The places one grows up in and more importantly the people one grows up with.

I hear her voice, in the morning hours she calls me, The radio reminds me of my home far away. And driving down the road I get the feeling That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday.

I guess for people who have experienced leaving one's family and friends it would not be difficult to be touched by this song. Working and living miles away our family makes life difficult to bear and only the promise of a better life for our loved ones is perhaps the only thing that sustains us. Additional Posts for Today: Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru (1960) Time for the Opposition to Change Tactics Morning or Umaga My Bettas

Helehele Bago Kiyere

2005-11-10T17:30:00.000+08:00

Sometime in order to kill time I browse a small book by Rosendo Igancio titled Mga Kinamhihasnang Saltitang Tagalog: Tagalog Idioms – Modismos Tagalos. The particular edition I have was published in 1963. I have written about this book before in the book blog and it is an entertaining read. This particular afternoon while I was a waiting for a call I read some of the entries and came across the phrase Helehele bago kiyere. The phrase translates is defined in Tagalog as Nagpatumpik-tumpik, in English it is translated as Saying one thing when he means another, and in Spanish it is said as No dice lo que siente realmente. All of these definitions in one book. As I came across this word a smile broke across my face, followed by a soft chuckle. And I remember a bad case of helehele bago kiyere a few years ago. A friend of mine from college went to the house and seemed distraught. I asked him what was the matter? and my flustered friend just sighed, turned his head to and fro. Clearly he was plunging in the depths of despair and anguish. Was it a problem at home? Or was it something worse? Did fate deal him a card so horrible that he lost his spirit? After a period of silence and melancholy he looked up and said he was hooked. Hooked on what? Had he become an addict? Was he in the spell of a mind-altering substance that gnawed at his pride and self-discipline? I was in the state of bewilderment? What could I do? I was not trained for this. I mean during high school we were sort of trained for counseling but not for this. Even then the only accomplishment we did as councilors was to paint the guidance office with psychedelic paint. This was an improvement from the Audio-Visual Office that had liniment green color. He finally gave in and told me that it looked he was going to get married. What?! Why? Then he told me that his girlfriend was dropping him hints. HINTS! I looked at him deciding whether to drop kick him out of the room or to administer Sergeant Slaughter’s Cobra Clutch. I just turned around and had a good laugh. I knew my friend and I knew the girl. They were both in love and seemed responsible individuals. And it seemed clear at that time they were meant for each other. Ay naku! It was just a case of Helehele bago kiyere. They did marry a few years later and now live happily... well most of the time.

The Disappearance of MRT Tickets

2005-11-09T16:59:00.000+08:00

I like to ride the Mass Rail Transit System (MRT) and the Light Rail Transit System (LRT) of Metropolitan Manila. It is for me a convenient way to get around the different cities of Metro Manila. One the whole it is fast and efficient, although there are days when the system stops dead in its tracks – probably caused by Gremlins prowling the tracks. It is also relatively clean, free of graffiti and not so pleasing stench, unlike the buses that seem to be culturing an odd assortment of bugs. Also it does not pollute the environment. For regular commuters of the MRT it was an essential mode of transport to and from work. Despite the occasional problems it was on the whole not a bad form of transport along Edsa. Until a few weeks ago. A few weeks ago the MRT’s stored value card began to disappear. The sign stored value cards unavailable seem to become a permanent fixture pasted on the ticket windows of the MRT stations. The disappearance of the card did not diminish the number of patrons. It did, however, increase the length of the queue leading to the ticket window and it also increase the number of lines occupying the station, especially during rush hours. True, it would take you only fifteen minutes to go from Ayala to Cubao but it was also true that it will take you some time to get a ticket. So what happened to the stored value ticket? Some said the shortage was due to the pullout of MRT tickets with the face of former President Joseph Estrada. And there were some who said it was also due to the pullout of tickets with the face of President Arroyo. Then there were also some people of the opinion that a lot of people were not using the last free ride option in the card, depleting the amount of cards re-entering the system. I am not quite sure if the last hypothesis is valid, perhaps not. One is not even sure if any of the other theories are valid as well. Or could there be other reasons for this shortage? One thing is clear though the sudden scarcity of stored value or season tickets is proving to be a major pain in the gluteus maximus, Forest Gump would say “In the buttocks” or Puwit in Tagalog and Buli in Ilongo. One just wonder why they have not yet implemented a season ticket or a stored value ticket that you can just top-up at will. In the United Kingdom and in Singapore the London Underground and the MRT system of Singapore have season tickets you can just add money to so that the available balance is increased. And in Singapore you can use the same card for buses. This seems more practical than the present system. I know the present problem with the MRT seems to be so miniscule compared with taxes, national politics and other global events. The thing seems to be getting to beyond the point of annoying. In Italy before World War II it took Benito Mussolini and the Blackshirts to make the trains run on time, I wonder what it will take to solve this irritating developments with the MRT. An additional post for today Laguna:Rice Fields

A Photo from the Long Weekend

2005-11-08T16:53:00.000+08:00

One of the shots I took during the long weekend. _________________________________________________________ Additional posts for today: The Magnificent Giant Gourami Sierra Madre: Shooting the Tree Top

A Meal

2005-11-07T15:47:00.000+08:00

This weekend, my Mother came home. She went to attend a seminar in Beijing, China. Aside from the usual pasalubong, souvenirs/gifts purchased from China, and other things she brought, My Mother carried with her stories of her travel. Tales of how modernised China was, how they were preparing for the Olympics, and the brief encounter with two burned buses outside of Beijing. Just goes to show that despite progress each country has its owns burdens that it must resolve. Although, two burned buses would like two pebbles compared to damage France is suffering right now from the riots that seemed to be coming economic marginalisation and alleged discrimination. The two burned buses though did not catch my eye as much as what my Mother described as one of eight-course meal she ate in Beijing. At first I thought she would be talking of the eight-course meal from a donkey or a sheep, which according to National Geographic is the specialty in one of the cities in China. Nor was it the Mann Hann feast served in one of the restaurants in Beijing, the menu and recipes culled from an ancient document from the Emperor's kitchen. She described a meal devoid of meat and fish. It was composed mostly of vegetables and rice. The dishes were stir-fried and crisp. An eight-course meal full of vegetables finished off with a dessert of apples and tomato apples. It was a simple and sumptuous meal, the tautology notwithstanding. Catalysed by this event, last night she prepared for us a vegetable feast. It was a delight. Each dish was delicious and filling. One could not imagine such ingredients prepared that way. It was a refreshing change of pace. This reminded me that cooking vegetables and giving advice are nearly similar in that there is an appetizing and a non-appetizing way to prepare, cook and serve it. And the success or failure of the dish will depend on the cook. A condescending and un-emphatic cook, like a condescending and un-emphatic person, will most of the time serve an un-appetizing dish. ________________________________________________________ Additional Posts for Today Encouraging Children to Read Mimi Wo Sumaseba Sierra Madre & Laguna Lake

Worthwhile to see this Christmas

2005-11-04T15:55:00.000+08:00

According to the morning news today its only X number of days before Christmas. You would not have notice it especially with the way the department stores where blaring Christmas songs even before Halloween, Feast of All Saints and Feast of All Soul’s day. Retail sales must be on a slump. So it is X number of days before Christmas what do you hope to see on Chritmas Day? Aside from the usual Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All Men message and taking aside all the gifts to family, friends, officemates, business partners and customers what would be worthwhile to see, at least in the Philippines. One, It would be worthwhile, for me, to see less artificial Christmas trees and more Nativity Scenes. At least the Nativity Scene depicts the reason for celebrating Christmas. Two, Zero letters of greeting from politicians and political family you do not really know. Chances are they might be using tax money to send that stuff. Three, Zero accidents caused by the use of fireworks. Fourth, No political messages will be aired during the season. A simple Merry Christmas would do. Unless of course the government decided to increase the tax exemption and the political opposition starts to do collaborative work. Five, Quality Filipino films during the film festival. If you are going bump off the scheduled films for the last two weeks of December please make sure that you put really quality films. Six, No mad rush to the supermarket on the 24th of December. Please make a list and keep to it. What else ?

Mazin Go!

2005-11-04T15:54:00.000+08:00

Last Wednesday I spent the day with my nephews. My sister had to work and their yaya had the day off. So I volunteered my services, I had around eight days of vacation leaves left and decided to use one for that day. The morning activity was easily done a quick trip to the grocery to buy the day’s repast. A couple of pizza bread, tomato sauce and quick melt cheese and we were in business. After lunch, the three of us settled down to watch a few of the episodes of Mazinger Z. This was the first time I was able to watch Mazinger Z after Marcos banned it along with the other Japanese robot shows, like Voltes V and Daimos. The animation was a little bit outdated (It is an old cartoon) and the dubbing seemed less than perfect. Yet, the cartoon was still entertaining. The opening theme song is still nice to the ear. It is the type of song that enters your head and despite understanding only five percent of the words it gets imprinted in your memory. I think its one of those mecha stories that had a good opening and ending theme. What surprised me is that nephews loved it. Why do the kids like it? Is it because the story line is more linear than your usual robo anime? No twists and no family entanglements present in Voltes V. Is it because of the fight between Manzinger Z and the robots of Dr Hell? (I pity the Japanese city where the fight occurs, after the 3rd episode it should be reduced to rubbles) Is it because they can identify with the brashness of the hero Koji Kabuto? Is there anything as cool as being Koji Kabuto, a Mazinger pilot. Or can they sense similarities of the characters with those surrounding them – I hope I am not identified as Baron Ashler or Baron Ashura. Maybe it’s the peppering of quirky characters around the series. Whatever it is they like the show. Maybe for the same reasons I always liked the show. Voltes V was great but there were times when it was a little bit overdramatic and let us no go Daimos, which suffered from an overdose of sentimentality. Mazinger Z had its moments but everything was fluid on more than one occasion there were really funny moments. The series was not above ridiculing its heroes, heroines and villains. A quick check on the web showed the popularity of Mazinger Z and a quick browse through Wikepedia showed the influence of Mazinger Z in the present day set of mecha heroes. It would seem that Mazinger Z provided the template for most of the mecha stories we are seeing today – Mecha created to protect mankind: an orphaned hero; a superpowerful robot empowered with advance technology or enhanced with a secret element created by a father or a father figure who disappears at the beginningof the series; the evil mad scientist aiming to rule the world with his army of mechas; his equally evil yet bumbling assistant; and a cast of comical and noble characters supporting the hero. This is one of Go Nagai’s greatest works. Mazin Go!

Different Ways to Go

2005-11-01T15:09:00.000+08:00

Death comes to all. When your time comes how would you want your body be desposed. For those convicted branded as traitors, usurpers, enemies of the state, witches or just being caught in league with the devil the choices are not that much. At the end of World War II the remaining Nazis were tried and a number of them executed -save for Herman Goering and Heinrich Himmler who opted to ingest cyanide. War criminals were buried in undisclosed graves or their remains were cremated and scattered to the four winds. This was still lenient considering in the not so distant past in England male persons found guilty of high treason were hang, drawn and quartered.

“That you be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution where you shall be hanged by the neck and being alive cut down, your privy members shall be cut off and your bowels taken out and burned before you, your head severed from your body and your body divided into four quarters to be disposed of at the King’s pleasure.”

The bodies were then parboiled and displayed on the city gate as a warning against all enemies of the state. Yes, it is better not to die a vanquished or captured enemy of the state. But of what of normal and noble folks upon death what was the preferred way to go. How would you like to go? For one thing I will not want what was did to Columbus, he was deboned and his skeleton was sent back to Spain. According to the scholars, a lot of the nobility had this done. What are the alternatives? Mummification, follow the way of the Pharoahs - preserve your body for the afterlife or the museum. When Egypt became the property of the Emperor Augustine a lot of Greek and Roman opted to be mumified, I guess during that time it was a status symbol. Others do it for political reasons. Mao, Lenin, Stalin and even Marcos have been fixed so that they do not decompose. An art said to be perfected by a group of doctors in Moscow. The most perfectly preserve mummy for me must be that of Evita Peron. Somehow the doctor was able to inject wax into her body and stop the decomposition. All this seems expensive but one can always opt for self-mummification, which involves fasting and taking in excessive amount of poisoned water. Howeve, this does not seem attractive at all because of the damage inflicted on the body and the preservation itself means that one might end up a piece of a museum in the future or a side-show attraction in a carnival no thank you. Plus there are other things more sinister and macabre that have been done to mummies. Being consumed by vultures or solar radiation, Viridians or Parsees of India, followers of Zoroastrianism leave their dead in the Towers of Silence where they will be consumed by vultures. The Parsees believe that this is the only way to bury their dead without defiling nature. Unfortunately, there has been a decrease in the population of Vultures and the Viridians have opted to us solar reflectors. However, to go necro-Viridian you have to go where the Parsees are, in India. Buried in the ground. Simply having one's corpse buried under the ground seems to be the most convential way. There are alternatives and variations: being buried in a jar and placed in a cave or being beneath or above a tree in the forest. Some of my ancestors preferred to be buried with their chinaware, plates and saucers. This assorted ceramics utentsils must have been very valuable. Ok, that is an option. Cremation - the burning of the body; being consumed by fire. This seems charming. Go the way Burt Lancaster did in the film Rocket Gibraltar, a viking funeral - the body placed in a boat with wood and your loved ones lighting the boat by shooting it with flaming arrows. Or go the way Darth Vader did in film the Return of the Jedi. Of course the actual cremation will not be as theatrical it seems to be the most simple. There is of course being buried at sea, but you can only do that if you actually die at sea and then you become fish food. _________________________________ Additional post for today Santacruzan

A Ghost Town

2005-10-31T16:17:00.000+08:00

Makati, the Central Business District or CBD of the Philippines, has become a ghost town. Not in the Halloween sense but it is nearly without its normal multitude of people. Everyone is gone and went on vacation. Except for us, people in call centres and people in other outsourcing companies. I am not complaining though work is work and we are compensated. Its just an eerie feeling seeing almost zero cars around Ayala and Paseo de Roxas. Happy Halloween! Additional posts for today A highway of many uses The Bride of Frankenstein

Feast of All Saints and Feast of All Souls

2005-10-28T15:55:00.000+08:00

We have now reached that time of the year when families begin an exodus to the city of the dead. This yearly pilgrimage is done to remember family members and friends who crossed on to the other side. Some believe that it is Catholic's version of Halloween, A Celtic belief that on the last day of the Celtic Year (October 31) evil spirits roamed the world with intent to create mischief and in order to be safe one had to dress as ghosts, goblins and other demonic denizens. Growing up Filipino and Catholic there was no Halloween Day, it was always November 1 and November 2 - All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day. Growing up I assumed (incorrectly) that Halloween and All Saints and All Souls' Day were the same. As kids we were kind of proud that we celebrated Halloween for two days. Ha ha. It was probably for the best we never went trick or treating. The trick or treating part was done in the gated communities of in Makati and Greenhills at the time. For us November 1 and 2 was going to the graves of our ancestors cleaning the place, probably eating, making wax balls from the melted part of the candle, and saying the novena for the departed members of the family. Some of the other people would actually sleep overnight, played mah-jong, drink; the whole cemetery became alive during November 1 and 2. It was min-city complete with food stalls and on the outskirt a carnival was set-up. Unfortunately, the city of the dead became quite congested with the living and the living leaves trash and others whereever they step. As the years passed and as the cemetery became more crowded we found it more practical and less stressful to visit our dead a few days or a week before All Saints and All Souls' day. And a few years ago, my nephew started going trick or treating. The local malls sponsor such events as part of their marketing schemes. So, I guess Halloween is coming to the Philippines. But, we still celebrate All Saints and All Souls' day; a little bit different perhaps but the intent of remembering the dead and the saints is still there. ___________________________________ Additional posts for today Books to read on Halloween, Feast of All Saints and All Souls Day What is your choice of horror movie? Balete

Waking up early

2005-10-27T16:25:00.000+08:00

Ok, it is not a good shot. The shot was taken in a clandestine manner inside an Tamaraw FX AUV just about to leave for Makati. Everyday, I wake up to the sound of two alarm clocks, a regular alarm clock and the alarm clock of my phone. As my eyes open to the sound I see nothing but darkness outside. It takes sometime before the state of awakeness and lucidity sets in. Outside it is as quite as a grave yard, you do not even hear the sound of the MRT as it passes by. And generally it is cool. A peaceful site. I have fond memories of early mornings. My old Grandfather sitting inside the kitchen gingerly sipping his coffee just before he leaves for his job at a arrastre firm on the docks of Manila Bay. The smell of chocolate from the cacao fruit made by my grandmother in Laguna and the same smell years later at house in Iloilo. The taste of freshly cooked tapa and fried rice we were about to eat after spending the whole cramming for an exam of our biostat teacher Prof Daria. The sight of the mists that can be seen from our tent at UP Baguio. Even the arrival at the Airport on Christmas Day arriving just in time to greet everyone a Merry Christmas just as the rays of sun started wrapping itself about the landscape and stirring the slumbering beings of Cubao. I like daybreak. ___________________________________________________ Additional posts for today Goldfish bowl crimes Darna and the Darnies versus the Anti-Darnies It was once a coconut tree

Quotes and posts

2005-10-25T11:04:00.000+08:00

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. - George Santayana, The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905

Here is a more fuller version of this quotatioin:

Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. In the first stage of life the mind is frivolous and easily distracted, it misses progress by failing in consecutiveness and persistence. This is the condition of children and barbarians, in which instinct has learned nothing from experience. - George Santayana, The Life of Reason, Volume 1, 1905

I just feel like sharing that quote for today. Hope you had a nice day! ______________________________________________________ Additional posts for today: Wallace and Gromit Masahista Another rainy day in Makati Laguna Lake or Laguna de Bai

Google and the copyright

2005-10-20T17:23:00.000+08:00

Try googling this "Google +lawsuit+publishers". And you will get a bevy of news about the class lawsuits taken by authors and publishers against Google for their Digital Library Project. Here are a some of articles I found: Writers sue Google Print over copyright by James Strucke, the Guardian Authors Guild sues Google over library By Elinor Mills, CNET News.com Even the publishers are getting involved. Google sure has stirred several hornet's nets and a multitude of bee hives. This case is going to be a landmark case that will test the copyright law and its outcome might have lasting implications for the book and publishing indutsries. Interesting... ________________________________________ Additional posts for today: Time Magazine's All-Time 100 best English Language Novels: 1923 - Present Aquariums & a Fish Show

A fatal religious procession

2005-10-19T16:51:00.000+08:00

A religious procession turned political rally is what I saw this month. I see no end in the debate of this for now. Religion and politics is a volatile mix and more so in the Philippines and among Filipinos - we who lived three hundred years under the church bells or bajo delas campanas. The turn of events last Friday, reminded me of one story from our colonial history. The first version of this story was an account written by Ninothcka Rosca. And since the first time I read it has never left me. And coincidentally it would seem that this event also occurred in October. This is the tale of Marshal Fernando de Bustamante y Bustilo. Governor General Busatmante was assigned by Philip V of Spain to the Philippines to straighten-out the financial deficit in colonial coffers of Manila, its silver and coin were described as a pittance - upon arriving and assuming his post in the month of August 1717. Bustamante discovered a paltry amount of silver and gold in the government coffers and several promissory notes. Corruption was rampant among the officials. He promptly collected taxes and imprisoned officials suspected of corruption. He was effectively doing his task, during the first six months he was able to build up the treasury to 230,671 - this increased to 293,444. Residents of Manila unused to what seemed to be the "due diligence" and tax-collecting efforts of Bustamante sought patronage or protection from the other Ecclesial power in the colony - the Archbishop of Manila and the head of the Religious Orders. Several prominent persons sought sanctuary and it was granted. One of them was a person by the name of Don Antoniode Osejo y Vasquez, a notary public, who took along with him the records of his office - including the protocols of 1717, 1718 and 1719. These records must have been very important because the Royal Audiencia issued to decrees ordering the Church to give back the records. What were in these records I wonder? Archbishop Francisco dela Cuesta initially promised to return the said documents but later changed his mind. He believed that the decrees violated the law of Sanctuary and the Royal Audience that issued the decree was illegal since Bustamante had sacked the old one and appointed (in some cases reappointed) the new one. Things were at a standstill. To complicate things more, the Governor General receive word that the Clergy and a number of citizens were conspiring to depose of him. Bustamante issued a call to arms to all Spanish citizens and placed in jail the Archbishop and all the heads of the Religious Orders. Then October 17 came. The streets of Manila were still. The church bells of the Walled city were still tolling but they were playing dirges. In the households enormous candles were lighted and prayers were uttered. This was the unsettling silence before the storm. The 19th of October just before dawn the gates of the convents of Saint Francis, Saint Dominic and Saint Dominic were flung open and a stream of religious persons and people who had sought sanctuary went out and started a procession towards the Palace of Governor General. They were chanting, "Long Live the Church" along the way. Some were carrying torches other religious symbols like cross and some carried instruments of death. Along the way other people joined them. Soon they reached the Palace; the Palace Guards were unable to stop them. The Governor General met them sabre bared near the grand staircase. Then the mob became deadly. Someone struck Bustamante with a machete - it broke his right arm. The Governor General's son attempting to help his father was immediately dispatched - he was dead on the floor. Then someone gashed the head of Bustamante with a sabre. The mob roped and dragged him down the stairs. One can just imagine what other indignities Bustamante suffered at the hands of that mob. A member of the mob saw that Bustamante was still breathing and stabbed him twice. Meanwhile, a part of the mob went to the dungeons and released the Archbishop and the Heads of the Religious Orders. All were freed; no one was left behind the jail. Surprisingly Bustamante was still alive. Those who took pity on him laid him down one of the sofas in the Palace. A doctor was called for. The Governor General died before the doctor came. The Te Deum was heard all over Manila. Archbishop became the acting Governor General. He ordered the preparation and sending back of the late Governor General and his families' remains to Mexico, expenses paid for from the disposition of Bustamante's property. There was of course an investigation but because of the distance between Mexico and Madrid from the Philippines nothing came of it. Everyone was exonerated and Bustamante was left as an odd footnote in the colonial history of the Philippines. A tragic figure in colonial politics and religion. Except for two things a novel written by one of the country's national hero and a painting by a national artist. Padre Burgos was a mestizo who became involved in the struggle between native secular priests and religious orders for the control of parishes around the country. Father Burgos was the philosophical father of Paciano, Jose Rizal and the other Filipino nationalists. Along with two other priests he was implicated in the Cavite Mutiny. Their life was put at an end by the execution device called the Garrotte, a seat equipped with a metal band that is used to strangle or break the neck of the victim. Burgos wrote a novel called La Loba Negra; the tale was about a mother and daughter who scoured the Philippines killing friars; according to the story they were the wife and daughter of Governor General Bustamante out for revenge. Records though point out that Bustamante's wife died before he became Governor General; but what of his daughter? Although the tale seems to be similar to another story I read about a witch in Mexico who had a passion for literally picking up priests while flying on her broomstick and dropping them. Then there is Felix Hidalgo, a contemporary of Juan Luna and Jose Rizal who was as critically acclaimed as Luna and recognised as one of the Philippines National Artists. His most controversial painting is a mural depicting the Assassination of Governor Bustamante by friars. The painting is said to be in the National Gallery of Art in Manila. However, the only place I have seen the painting is in the pages of a glossy history book. Juan Luna's Spolarium is a classic but for me this mural by Hidalgo is the most chilling scene of murder in art. ----------------------------------------------- Rosca, Ninothcka. "Gothic Death of a Governor". Filipino Heritage: The Making of a Nation. v5 1240-1242

Politics?!

2005-10-18T16:08:00.000+08:00

I am not sure about other people who are blogging, but when I started blogging I made a mental memo to myself to refrain from writing about politics. Sadly, I found myself writing about because of frustration with the system and my distrust of the different players. This skepticism found its expression in the political ramblings I wrote. Like most people we have had the experience of being bombarded by rhetoric from both sides of the political fence. From the taxi or fx driver and their ubiquitous sidekicks, radio commentators; news channels and newspapers that depart from reporting and proceed to sensationalizing and editorializing the news; to the commentators who seem to believe they have the answers to all questions; from relatives who mouth the rhetoric they read and hear; and from the politicians and religious leaders who day to day seem to be no different from the other - both spinning stories, taking advantage of events for their unaltruistic agendas or worse believe in their own messianic hype. But then are we not political animals? Is not relationships in the most basest and vulgar form politics? Is politics bad? Should we refrain from engaging? I think we cannot escape it. It is inevitable. Politics define us. Perhaps human relationship in its simplest form is politics. Overall, Politics is a double edge sword that can be used for good or bad. And we cannot refrain from engaging in it we are in the thick of it, whatever we do. This morning as I left the house I was able to catch a glimpse of an old Spencer Tracy movie. Tracy played an old Mayor, conceptualised straight from Tammany Hall, who is up against a coalition of political opponents no better than himself. In one scene a bishop told his assistant after watching the tv ad of Tracy's rival, "Is that the best they can offer? Where are all the good men?" "Not in politics, there are other ways of getting out of the gutter nowadays" In another scene Tracy's opponents led by Basil Rathbone was trying to woo another Archbishop to their cause. The Archibishop told them frankly what he thought of their candidate,which was not much. Rathbone countered with the lesser of two evil argument; to which the Archbishop replied."I know your game and I have decided not to play." Even though we are in the thick of it, we can choose how, when and the manner by which to engage it. And if politics is the simplest base of relationship; as such it is not the only the base of life and relationsips; there is love and its different forms - philia, eros and agape; politics is important true but it is not eveything. So I think I will continue to write about politics whenever there is a need. For politics is something one cannot avoid. I am a political animal. But I also recognised I am much more. Politics is interesting but its not the only thing of interest in the world. If one evolves from politics one will discover other things more illuminating and satisfying. I must apologize in advance if my views will be different and counter to what the reader may be used to. In the end its just an opinion for the moment and given the set of prevailing circumstances. ---------------------------------------------- Additional Posts for today Filipino Heritage Books Shows on local television

Makati to attract investors

2005-10-14T16:40:00.000+08:00

I came across this article while reading the Philippine Daily Inquirer today. The article was written by Tarra V. Quismundo. It would seem that the government of Makati City is drafting local legislation, which would exempt certain businesses from paying business and realty taxes, designed to maintain and attract investors. Seems fair enough, until you read the rest of the article. The following link will take you to INQ7.net : Makati offers tax breaks to lure businesses After reading the article, two things came to mind: One, This seems to be the city's deodorant to the planned changing of business tax from the present municipal to city level. Two, Makati would probably keep its businesses and attract new investors if it refrains from using the Central Business District for political theatre; stop using Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas for Binay's rallies.

I am not resigned

2005-10-13T15:41:00.000+08:00

I rarely read and watch the news today. I stay long enough to get the essential gist of the story, the facts. When it comes to statements of politicians I just mute the volume. Commentators on the other hand are better read than heard. Somehow their arguments seem to lose their essence when they speak. They have a tendency to drown in their own arguments. I have become desentisived against the media and its cohorts. Have I become distant to the problems then that has been happening? I do not think so. I knew they exsist and I know they have to be dealt with one way or the other. However, It has been also apparent to me that it is critical to do what is right and have one's wits about and not to be used by other people with agendas or delusional individuals - idealists who think theirs is the only road to salvation. I am wary of journalists who have a tendency to sensationalize the news. Why do they do this? To up the ratings of their network or to increase the sales of their newspaper or to influence events with the notion that they have the right idea to save the nation. Mistrusting politicians is a given and it should be a matter of habit. This is more crucial when dealing with the religious and self-styled political revolutionaries. They have their motives and before they attain the practice is to wrap it in altruistic ideals. One does not have to look beyond one's vision to have an altruistic quest. How many of the self-appointed saviours of society even treat humanely or with equity people close to them. Not just the masses but people close to them. I am sorry, I just do not buy the hype and cause they are peddling. I refuse to be firewood that will propel their political movement or cause. Question everything and never take anything for granted. Ambrose Bierce was being true and sarcastic when he wrote:

"REVOLUTION, n. In politics, an abrupt change in the form of misgovernment. . . . the substitution of the rule of an Administration for that of a Ministry, whereby the welfare and happiness of the people were advanced a full half-inch."

I view causes and intent with extreme caution. But what is left to do? Does one just submit to the futility of it all? No.

"The only real revolution is in the enlightenment of the mind and the improvement of character, the only real emancipation is individual, and the only real revolutionaries are philosophers and saints." -Will Durant, American Historian

I know but I do not approve. And I am not resigned. -Edna St Vincent Millay

-------------------------------- Additional posts A semi-spotless comedy A mostly harmless book A simple aquarium project Fish Show at Glorietta on the 18th of October

A Weekend Thunderstorm

2005-10-10T15:59:00.000+08:00

I was planning on watching a movie at the Spanish Film Festival. They were going to be showing an interesting cartoon film. For some unknown reason I decided to stay in the house with my nephews. Maybe I was just too tired. The sky was getting black, an ominous cloud had blocked out the rays of the sun. And then it started. Thunder heralded the coming of the storm and lightning illuminated its path. There were still children outside when the storm started. As the storm raised its brew to a crescendo the voices of the children started to disappear. Undoubtedly, they proceeded home to seek shelter from the storm. Then it happened. The power went out. Brown-out. It effectively curtailed the plans of my nephews and I to watch the a DVD that afternoon. I was beginning to think, maybe I should have gone to Greenbelt anyway. With nothing to do my nephews went to our sala to sleep, except for the youngest one who was afraid of the dark. He opted to stay in the well-lighted part of the house. Thankfully, my room had enough windows to allow me to read. And that I did. The rain got stronger. It was the only thing you could hear outside. The wind was also blowing and it delivered much needed cool breeze into the house. After a few minutes the thunder and lightning show subsided. All that was left was the cool pitter-patter of the rain. The breezed sort of lulled me in the middle of my reading. After an hour or two, I was awakened by the illumination from the flourescent lamp above me. The power was back. The thunder storm gave me quite a relaxing sleep. Additional posts for today A semi-spotless comedy A mostly harmless book

Greenbelt Carabaos

2005-10-07T11:00:00.000+08:00

Its a good thing that Greenbelt made use of the Carabao's that were displayed before in Quad. For those who do not remember Quad or even Goldcrest these were the malls or commercial establishments in Makati before Glorietta. Most of Quad and Goldcrest are gone now, demolished or fused together with Glorietta. Still, it is nice to see the Ayalas, the owners of the Central Business District in Makati, still make use of these statues. In a sense they seem to be more functional now. Additional posts for today Carabaos at Greenbelt The Three Dimension Luck and Power Test

Google blog search

2005-10-06T16:08:00.000+08:00

The Internet is an amazing piece of work. It seems to be in a constant state of change. During my free time on the net I was fiddling with some of the new features of google. I found something that might of interest to my fellow-bloggers: Google Blog Search Free time at work or just killing time and tired of all the assorted things hitting the fan. Google or google stalk. An additional post for today Is as useful as cupping a corpse

Of death, last wills & testaments

2005-10-04T15:01:00.000+08:00

Last night, I found myself at a chapel witnessing a necrological service for one my mentors. The mass was solemn, as I supposes masses should go and the speeches were many and long ... really long. I am unacustomed to long necrological services. The necrological services of our family are usually concise. Maybe, its the speakers way of showing respect. Although it was not hard to miss that a number of mourners were beginning to talk after the third or fourth speaker. One person beside was complaining that he was getting hungry. I just smiled and we also began to chat in whispered voices. Unfortunately, when a number of people began to talk in wisphered voices you begin to hear a form of buzzing. Perhaps that is why you have to keep speeches concise and at least interesting. My mentor was a good woman. A patient and informal teacher who knew the value of teaching and the use of subtlety. She was my professor in more than one subject at the institute. She will be missed and I am quite sure she is in a better place now. The service not only tested my patience in listening to a long queue of speeches but it also brought about an epiphany, all of us have a need to put things in order, just in case. Death like all things in life comes like a thief in the night and when that happens we need a set of instructions to put things in order after we have left the waking world and cross over to the undiscovered country. The Last Will and Testament is a fascinating set of documents. In the event of our deaths this set of documents gives instruction as to how we are to be interred and how are remaining possessions are to be given away. A few people in history have used the last will and testament to control events after their death. The Iron Chancellor Otto von Bismark specified that during his funeral there would be no speeches at all. A prudent move since a few years before he was unceremoniouslt dismissed by his ruler Kaiser Willhelm II, who so like most politicians had a penchant to make speeches during funerals in aid of their cause. Then there was the scientist who requested that he be buried naked, as nature had intended. It was unfortunate though that his wife though thought otherwise and had him dressed and embalmed. I thought at first that the scientist was Mendel, until my friend reminded me that Mendel was a monk and had no wife. It may be Linnaeus. It is interesting though that last wills and testaments are the last thing on people's mind. Perhaps, its something we approach with caution, since it deals with our own mortality. Similar to the dreaded trip to the dentist's office or surgery. Apologies to dentists of course. After reading Pope John Paul II 's last will it dawned on me that last wills and testaments can also be an instrument of reflection. Before writing out a will a person takes stock of his life and his riches, both material and spiritual. In a sense, it is a kind of confessions - what have I done right or wrong? Did I achieve anything?, Was my life worth it. You could see this in the last will and testament of Pope John Paul II. In his will he was not only preoccupied with his last wishes but also about his life - the effects of the assasination, the fate of world and other spiritual matters. This week, I will start to write a will. But how can you write a will for a person of with no significant material possessions? Maybe it will be full of thank yous, I am sorries, and well-wishes. Somewhere it between a giving out of gifts. At least with a will there will be no intramurals over the mundane. Rizal's family fought with Josephine over Rizal's books. You never know what will happen five minutes from where you are at present. A renegade truck might be going your way or an extremist decides to go to heaven and bringing you along with him. Or after years of eating isaw and lechon you succumb to a myocardial infarction. Its better to be prepared. Anyway most wills have a way of becoming introspective and reflective. First set of things that come to mind when I make out my will:no formalin only cremation for me before the wake, no long speeches, no playing of Don't Cry for Me Argentina instead A Funeral March for a Marionette would be preferred, and a sumptuous repast for the guests after the ceremony. An additional post The front and different bits of...

Heaven and Hell

2005-09-30T16:03:00.000+08:00

Something you do not see often in Catholic Churches today. At least the news and if ever you one its not as detailed or probably as creepy as this one. Its not that clear but on the upper part of the painting is heaven in all its majesty and its victory of the angels over the devils. At the center is the Holy Trinity personified by God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. At the bottom part encircled by events from the Bible (Old and New Testament) is a vision of Hell and the torments that await sinners. When I saw this one it sort of reminded Haw Par Villas' Ten Courts of Hell. The Villa was in Singapore. I was told the Villa is gone now along with the ten courts of Hell. Oh well... Back, to the Pakil's paiting vision of Hell. Each scene circles until it reaches the center with Satan seemingly enjoying the warmth of Hell. Seems to be a far departure from Dante Alighieri's take on Inferno or Hell in his epic poem La Divina Commedia or the Divine Comedy. In Dante's poem Satan was in the harshest spot in Hell the central zone called Judecca. Satan is condemened to perpetually consuming the bodies of Brutus and Cassius the betrayers of Julius Ceasar; and Satan is also condemned to perpetually eat the head of Judas Iscariot. Judecca is the central zone in the ninth circle of Hell and its reserved for traitors to their Lords and Benefactors. An additional post for today Pakil Church, the passage, heaven & hell

A blessing for our Filipino Politicians

2005-09-29T15:41:00.000+08:00

The Filipino Politicians are at it again. Times like this several things come to mind. But, the most poignant line I can remember is a dialogue from the movie Fiddler on the Roof. This is for all the politicians in the Philippines. The scene is a short one, a break in one of the songs of the movie. It is a nice movie, borrow and watch it if you can. Tevye the main character in the Broadway/Hollywood musical asks his Rabbi what was the proper blessing for the Czar, which is the Russian name for their Emperor similar to the German term Kaiser and based on the Roman name Ceasar. Again this is for all politicians in the Philippines.

A proper blessing for the Czar? May God Bless the Czar and keep him far away from us!

To paraphrase it -

May God Bless the Filipino Politicians and keep them far away from us!

On a different note, My friend Allan started to write reviews of fantasy and science fiction books. If you are into SF & Fantasy books check his reviews. Book reviews might save you from buying a bum book. Additional posts for today UK Bound Pakil Church - the interior

Panciteria, movie & Pakil

2005-09-28T16:09:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I discovered I failed to mention another old Chinese restaurant in Cubao. Chopstick House a panciteria its not as old as Ma Mon Luk and Hong Ning but it seems to have been there for a long time. Panciteria seems to be the old name for a Chinese restaurant, I know Rizal used the term often in his books and when he cooked bihon in Europe with Alejandrino. Panciteria translated to English means noodle house; pancit is a noodle dish - more specifically a noodle dish without soup. And Chopstick House still cooks terrific pancit. I wonder if its new competitor, a jazzed up Chinese restaurant will beat it. Judging by the prices of Chopstick House I guess...not. Additional posts BlOG: Cine67 Title:Ganito Kami Noon...Paano Kayo Ngayon? I first saw this movie when I was in grade school. Our school scheduled a fieldtrip to Magallanes theatre. This was way before the shoot-out at the same place or demolition of the theatre. It even had love seats. You could raise the armrest and convert chair into a sofa. Read BlOG: Pinoy Snapshots Title: Pakil Parochial Office view

Churches and crosses

2005-09-27T15:45:00.000+08:00

Continuing today with photos taken from Pakil Church. I know Pakil Church is known for its image of the Virgin Mary, otherwise known as the Lady of Turumba but I purposely refrained from taking pictures of it. I decided to concentrate on the other bits and pieces around the church. We went to the church after lunch. There were a few people inside the church. Although, there were a group of children playing at church garden. Its different experience when you enter an almost empty church. It really seems to be a place one can contemplate. I remember having the same feeling when I went to the UP Chapel, the UFO-shaped church in Diliman. The silence was reassuring. An additional post BlOG: Pinoy Snapshots Title: Pakil Cross View

Pakil Church

2005-09-27T07:45:00.000+08:00

A few weekends ago I found myself between the mountains ranges of the Sierra Madre and the shores of Laguna Lake or Laguna de Bai. There was a family celebration in the hometown of my mother Pangil, Laguna. To reach the town of Pangil it was easier to travel by the province of Rizal and pass through the mountain pass of the Sierra Madre. The pass was a meandering stretch of road up and down the mountain. It was a zigzag asphalt road was completed during Marcos time and it provided an alternative route into Laguna. A few years ago they completed another road and this time it went around the base of Sierra Madre along the lake. Suffice to say the route, devoid of the hustle and bustle of an expressway, was panoramic. Towns around the lake, fields of rice, hills of grass and at certain point valleys of jungle trees, complete with a giant balete tree – which seem to guard the entrance to the forest. The air was of course invigorating. Unless, you passed by a duck farm and get smell of avian odor. Moreover, the trip itself was unhampered, save on the occasion if one of the passengers wanted to buy something, duhat, lanzones and even fried chicken, on the road. Then there were the occasional stops caused by a carabao oblivious to the traffic, the road being used to dry the harvest or the occasional checkpoints. Yes, it was relatively carefree. However, Pangil despite its inherent attraction, a clean and attractive river called Piit, was not the only town we visited. After lunch we sneaked of to visit the Church of Pakil. This was the home of the miraculous statue of the Lady of Turamba. According to legend, a fisherman found the statue floating along the river and the fisherman, sensing perhaps he could sell the statue, go it and stashed it inside his banca. Later, the fisherman left his banca and proceeded to sell his catch. A woman passing by, allegedly the fisherman’s wife saw the statue and started dancing. Soon a group of people gathered around the statue and they were dancing. Who knows why they danced? Perhaps something supernatural happened and this prompted the people to dance or perhaps this was an old anito long-lost but found again and the people started to worship by dancing. Did a miracle happen after the people started dancing? Whatever the reason for the dancing this would not be the last time people danced around the statue. Up to the present devotees of the Lady Turumba would join the dancing procession escorting the figurine and inside the church, while chanting the word “Turumba”, again and again. I first witnessed the event as a child. We had accompanied a friend to the event. She was quite keen on participating in the event. Even back then there were many people about. They came from all over the place, the local town folks, people from other towns, people from Manila and even people from other lands. It was not as voluminous as the crowd of the Black Nazarene at Quiapo, but it was lively. The statue of the Lady was carried and then chanting and the dancing around it began. One need not move the mass of people behind you would make sure you moved forward. And at the same time chattering and shouting Turumba. End of the day we rested. It was tiring but worth it. A few years, I found myself with my cousin and nephew in front of the church. And it was not even the time for the Turumba, The church seemed to have been refurbished, a sure sign of progress or maybe the financial rewards brought about by the devotees. Whatever it was the church had indeed change. Although it had not been modernized. Unfortunately a lot of old churches today are being renovated, I am still taken aback whenever I see a new façade on the altar of the church I frequent, can you imagine a tacky baroque façade covering a minimalist-inspired altar. Anyway, the church still looks nice. I was able to take a couple of snapshots before we left. I will be posting those pictures on my photoblog at Pinoy Snapshots. An additional post BlOG: Pinoy Snapshots Title: Pakil Church View

Photos and a film retrospective

2005-09-23T16:06:00.000+08:00

Mostly posted photos today. And learned about the Filipino Classic Film Retrospective at Gateway. BLOG: Cine67 Title: A Filipino Film Restrospective If you are interested in the classic Filipino films the Directors Guild of the Philippines, Inc (DGPI) is holding a film retrospective at the Gateway Cinemas this week. I saw the announcement on my way home the other day. The films to be shown includes the work Gerry De Leon, Ishmael Bernal, Lino Brocka, and Eddie Romero. Read BlOG: Pinoy Snapshots Title: Rainshower at Ayala Avenue The result of taking the shot from an unstable position. Coke & Iced Tea Probably the most ordered drinks in any restaurant in the Philippines. At the new Max Restaurant This is the new Max restaurant. A rainy day along Paseo Another unstable shot.

Mambo Magsaysay

2005-09-22T17:42:00.000+08:00

Here is another political song from the past. The campaign song of Ramon Magsaysay. It was written by Raul Manglapus and originally sung by Ms. Rosita De La Vega-Da Roza. It was used against Marcos prior to his exile to Hawaii. This is probably one of the best Filipino political campaign songs. Everywhere that you would look was a bandit or a crook Peace and order was a joke 'til Magsaysay pumasok That is why, that is why you will hear the people cry Our democracy will die kung wala si Magsaysay. Mambo, mambo Magsaysay Mabu-mabu mabuhay Our democracy will die Kung wala si Magsaysay Birds they voted in Lanao At pati Aswang pa daw Ang election lutong macaw Till Magsaysay showed them how Mambo, mambo Magsaysay Mabu-mabu mabuhay Our democracy will die Kung wala si Magsaysay Despite the distance between the years the issues seem to be same. An additional post (This is actually my main post for today.) BlOG: Library7 Title: Reading Chinese detective stories This weekend I finally finished reading the last Judge Dee detective story I was able to get my hands on. Several weeks ago I was at the Cubao branch of a Different Bookstore; As usual I was checking their collection before proceeding home. If you want to save money do not enter any kind of store just go home. I was fairly confident that I would just be killing time looking at their titles. However, just as I was about to leave I came across a table full of books that had a big red sale beside it. Curious, I looked at the books confident that I would not find anything that would rouse my interest. A couple of Umberto Eco's book , hmm...I said to myself I have read the Name of the Rose and his other works - no rush. Then my eyes scanned down to four books that were designed with several Chinese motifs and flourishes. All were written by one author, the Dutch Diplomat Robert Van Gulik. All were mystery stories. Read

Bagong Lipunan and Bayan Ko

2005-09-21T15:22:00.000+08:00

I had to do a double-take this morning while watching the morning show on TV. One of the show's presenter was talking to one of the field reporters and they were talking about the rallies for today, the 21st of September - The anniversary of Ferdinand Marcos' declaration and imposition of Martial Law. According to the reporter the people would be converging on the corner of Ayala and Paseo de Roxas starting at two in the afternoon to celebrate the anniversary of Martial Law. Say again? Celebrate the imposition of Martial Law? OK, it must have been an error on the reporter's part. Such things happen in live broadcasts. But he may not be so far off the mark. Not all Filipinos were unhappy during Martial Law. I was witness to an argument between a Manilena visitor and my grandfather over Marcos. This was some time after Martial Law. They were heatedly discussing the achievements and crimes of the New Republic of Marcos. My grandfather cited the stabilizing effect of Martial Law and the improvements done by the Marcoses; the Manilena visitor pointed out the political oppression and the corruption. It was the case of the irresistable object meeting an unstopable force. It was a deadlock, neitheir side budge from their position. In the end they had to agree to disagree. During the Presidential Snap Elections between Marcos and Aquino, my grand uncle while heatedly discussing the elections with this nephews stood up and raise his fist and said, "You will never split the Solid North". Marcos was of course the favourite son of Ilocos, Anak ti Batac. My grand uncle like my father was FBI, Full Blooded Ilocano. It is not surprising Marcos did many things for the country and he did many things to the country as well. I guess with Marcos you hate him or love him. Marcos though was a cunning politician and brilliant propagandist. During the early days of Martial Law he used a lot of devices to whip up support for his causes. Stereotyping, waxing dreams and made full use of the devices. One of the things I do remember from the Marcos Era was the song composed by Felipe Padilla De Leon - Bagong Lipunan. A National Artist for music he is best known for his translation of Philippine National Anthem from the original Spanish to Tagalog, during 1900s.

Bagong Lipunan May bagong silang, May bago nang buhay, Bagong bansa, Bagong galaw, Sa Bagong Lipunan. Magbabago ang lahat, Tungo sa pag-unlad, at ating itanghal, Bagong lipunan!
- Felipe Padilla de Leon (1912-1992)

A rough English translation:

New Society A new path, A new life, A new country A new movement In the New Society !
All of us need to change Towards progress And let us proclaim, Our New Society!

It sounds better in Filipino . Most of us Martial Law babies know this song by heart or at least familiar to the tune. We were required to sing this every morning just after singing the National Anthem and saying the pledge of alliegance. Skills and talent though diminish in the end. Marcos reign became increasingly fragile as he aged. The Opposition also became more vocal. Ninoy's assasination became the catalyst the unleashed a series of protest actions that lead to a snap election. And the opposition too had a song. They adapted the song Bayan Ko - the lyrics in Tagalog was written by Jose Corazon de Jesus while the melody was composed by Constancio de Guzman. Bayan Ko was a the favourite songs of Filipino Nationalists struggling against the Colonial powers. I remember some Japanese tourists admiring the song during one of the rallies and their surprise in finding out it was the song of the guerilla and Japanese resistance movement. I have read some sources that state it was even sung during the American colonial period. While the Bagong Lipunan march had an almost Fascistic and Animal Farmesque quality to it while Bayan Ko seems a sad lament of a struggling people.

Bayan Ko Ang bayan kong Pilipinas Lupain ng ginto't bulaklak Pag-ibig ang sa kanyang palad Nag-alay ng ganda't dilag. At sa kanyang yumi at ganda Dayuhan ay nahalina Bayan ko, binihag ka Nasadlak sa dusa. Ibon mang may layang lumipad Kulungin mo at umiiyak Bayan pa kayang sakdal dilag Ang di magnasang makaalpas! Pilipinas kong minumutya Pugad ng luha ko't dalita Aking adhika, Makita kang sakdal laya!

And from the Corrigidor website:

MY COUNTRY My country the Philippines Land of gold and flowers With love in her palms She offers beauty and virtue. And of her modesty and beauty The foreigner was attracted O, my country, you were enslaved Mired in hardship. Even birds that are free to fly Cage them and they cry, Much more a beautiful country Shall long to be free. Philippines my beloved, Cradle of my tears and poverty I'll aspire,To see you truly free

Again, I think the Tagalog version is much better. Bayan Ko eventually won and Bagong Lipunan descended and disappeared into the quick sand of time. Only Martial Law Babies will probably remember the song. Bagong Lipunan was probably pure propaganda but it was catchy march. Today the crowd at the rally will probably sing Bayan Ko again. But the reasons for singing it such events seem to diminish with time. The lines dividing black and whites seem less distinct now... maybe they never were. I see only grey.

Devil Boy

2005-09-20T16:06:00.000+08:00

Not much to post today. It has been a busy day. Anyway, here is a picture I took a long time ago. This is my nephew Thirdee. I was doing some tinkering with the camera and I asked him to pose for a portrait shot. He took the horns of a devil, a trinket from Halloween;the red nose of a clown, a trinket from our group's presentation of Rudolf the Red-Nose Reindeer and then smiled. I was checking the proverbial jpg directory in search of pictures and I saw this one. This is one of my favourite shots. I think its a nice blend of the different elements and the subject was very cooperative. Two words come to mind when ever I see this shot - mischief and comedy. Additional posts for today BLOG: Cine 67 Title: Incredible dvd sale Read BlOG: Pinoy Snapshot Title: Devil boy with a red nose Bigger shot of the same picture View

The Balete Tree

2005-09-19T15:40:00.000+08:00

When I was a child nearly every summer was spent with my maternal Grandparents. Their place was in a barrio called Balian, which prided itself as one of the few towns that the Japanese did not enter.How could this be possible. The old people attributed it to the protection of San Isidro the patron saint of the barrio. Well, it might be because the barrio was insignificant militarily and the trops were stationed at the town proper, Pangil. Unfortunately, this did not stop a few my maternal relatives to be picked up and executed by the Japanese. Jumping forward several decades later sans the Japanese, except for tourists looking for rare orchids and the American film crew of Francis Ford Coppola shooting scenes for Apocalypse Now, Laguna had become an idyllic retreat for us and probably a respite from our parents who were still busy at the city. It was our version of summer camp. Anyway, our Grandparents were accomating and seemed to be doting us. Those were the summers of cheerful plays, clean air from Laguna de Bai, afternoons sleeping on a hammock while reading a book, playing freesbee or playing baseball in the nearest dried rice field. These activities were interrupted by meals prepared by our grandparents. The specially made puto with keso, suman, the tsokolate. If that was not enough there were days that we would trek to the river of Piit. Spring water from Sierra Madre descended to the slope and formed a river. The water was cool and clear. And you could just relax under the cascade of the small waterfall. Going to our Grandparent's place though scared the hell out of us. We did not take the usual Laguna route of passing through South Superhighway and passing the different towns. We followed the route through Sierra Madre from Rizal. The trip was shorter following this route. It was an interesting route the road was rarely used then and several times we actually saw an eagle almost fly at car level. The road through the mountain was meandering, zig-zag. And at times the road seem to cut into a forest. At two points along the road you can actually encounter two big balete trees. The driver would always press the car's horn when we passed the tree. He and a lot of other drivers believe that this was his way of saying "Patabi Po" (excuse me) to the inhabitant of the Balete tree. In Filipino culture, trees like the Balete (Ficus indicus) are believed to be the house of dwarves, fairys, and other supernatural creatures. It would not be surprising that a carpenter or handyman would refuse to cut down or remove a balete tree, unless he conducts a ceremony where he asks permission from the true owner of the tree. Sometimes this would involve cooked but unsalted chicken or a bottle of gin. An official of a campus outside of Luzon was said to be victim of vengeful supernatural being. During the construction of the campus they removed several trees, among them those believed to be the house of engkantos. Thereafter, the official allegedly suffered high fever and was said to be hallucinating, he saw several black figures surrounding his bed. They had to hire arbularyos (local medicine man) to appease the vengeful spirits. I was told the ceremony involved incense and chicken sacrifice. The official recovered but he never did stay a night at campus. One look at the balete tree, especially, if it is quite old will give a child the heebeejeebies. Its expanding trunk and prop roots, above ground, give it a domicile feel. It would not be hard to imagine somebody or something living in there. It was especially scary when you pass by it at night the sheer mass of it seems to block out the light. And I would guess bioluminiscense from the animals or a shady figure brought about by imagination would be enough to startle anyone. In those days, nothing from Peter Jackson's movie can compare with a Balete tree. Baletes would have been perfect Ents. Well, now that I am older I looked differently at the Balete tree. One can just admire the strength and age of this tree. And yet seeing it brings back memories of Kafres, Tikbalangs, Dwuendes, Lamang Lupas, Pugots, Diwatas and other denizens of other Philippines, the world of Engkantos. The tales of fear and astonishment that were told and re-told for generations. I recall those summer when we met the old ermitano of Sierra Madre or our Grandparent's right hand man Jose, who told tales of the supernatural, the denizens of the fantastic and terror inhabiting Sierra Madre, some of who lived in the Balete trees. And I guess, in a way these tales and the phenomena of the Balete is a form of teaching us amazement, awe, respect and care of things around us. The value of "Patabi Po" (Excuse me) when one is about to do something, you might not be sure of the consequences of one's action. As the we drove past the Balete tree on the road, the driver slowed down and honked three times. I looked at tree and said a mental "Patabi Po". An additional post BlOG: Pinoy Snapshots Title: More sea-side pictures View

Blackout

2005-09-16T16:12:00.000+08:00

The power was cut last night. Probably due to the continuous descent of water from the heavens. Some people call them the tears of the gods. Two things though made the blackout bearable or at least comfortable for me: first, it happened late at night most of us were asleep or halfway to it and second; the gentle rain provided a somnolent atmosphere. I just had to open the window to let the rain breeze. Across the street not a sound was a heard, save for rhythmic pittar-patter of the raindrops. There were times when the sound of the rain was interrupted by voices, passer-by's in the quite night, probably on their way home. It probably was the most relaxing brownout I have ever encountered. Unfortunately not all my brushes with blackouts and brownouts were as sublime as last night. By the way according to Wikepedia If the power outage (loss of the supply of electricity supply to an area) is a blackout if power is lost completely. It is a brownout if there is still some power, but it is below the minimum required. During Cory Aquino's run as president blackouts came on a daily basis. At least eight hours long every day. People were no longer surprised, there even was a fixed schedule. It was part of life. Still, it was no walk in the park. I remember in the old building where I work we would hear screams near lunchtime, the elevator was stuck between floors and people were to crawl or climb to the next available floor in order to get out of lift. Suffice to say the said people were not that happy and often times expletives were uttered with the wish that the mothballed nuclear power plant be opened, damn the safety concerns. And then there was the heat, or more accurately the humidity. Blackouts meant no power to run the electric fans and air conditioners. And this situation lasted for a long time. Those who could afford it bought generators, unfortunately these gensets were noisy and spewed black smoke that resemebled black cotton candy,. Blackouts and humming sound of generators were part of everyday life. A lot of us bought those light-radio-blinker rechargeable units. I remember people also started buying battery operated personal fans and TV sets that ran on car batteries; the more inventive ones used car batteries with inverters for electricity. Then there was of course the solar-powered flashlight; I am not even getting into that. People also went to motels a lot, for once to enjoy the air-con.

Question: What did Filipinos used before gas lamps and candles? Answer: The light bulb.

During the Ramos administration, the President was given emergency powers to solve the power crisis. Deals were signed and power plants were built. I think the government even bought power barges from Russia. Eventually, the problem subsided. There were still black outs from time to time. The power grid going of line because a tree or something hit a vital electric post or a renegade tractor hitting a crucial power line, causing the system to trip, or what they beautifully term a cascade failure. The oddest cause of a blackout happened just before the beginning of the millennium year. It was a few days before Christmas when the whole of Luzon was plunged suddenly into darkness. I was at Mega Mall at the time and people panicked, not because they were not used to it, but because they thought the millennium bug brought it about. A few days before Christmas? It was still several days before the dreaded thing was supposed to happen. And most companies prepared, and spent a lot of money in the process, for any problems that would be caused by Millenium Bug. The next morning it was reported that jellyfish caused the power grid to breakdown. According to newspaper reports millions of jellyfish swam inside the cooling system of a power plant. Why they decided to go into the cooling no one can tell? Maybe they were just sucked in or the water in the cooling system enticed them to come in. Whatever the explanation is they were there and they did their damage. The jellyfishes clogged the system and caused the power plant to shut down, causing a cascading failure. Hazy pictures of power plant employees shovelling out the now-cooked jellyfishes accompanied the report. There are times when the truth becomes stranger than fiction. We Filipinos eat blackouts for breakfast. ADDITIONAL POSTS BlOG: LIBRARY7 Title: Book Curses and Anathemas When I was starting blogging one of the topics that caught my interest were book curses. The use of book curses, threat of excommunication and anathema were used extensively during the Middle Ages as a way of controlling book theft, the other method was to chain the book to the table or to the shelf. Read BlOG: PINOY SNAPSHOTS Title: Catch of the Day. View

A song meme

2005-09-15T17:14:00.000+08:00

I picked this up the other day from Dean Alfar's article entitled ,"Tarzan boy and other musical closet skeletons". A musical meme. Dean got this from Snurri's post. In order to get the music list, just follow the instructions below: 1. Go to the music outfitters site 2. On left side of page you will go to the top search box that has the label SEARCH. 3. Inside the search box type in the year you graduated from highschool and then click on the GO button. 4. This will produce a list of the top 100 songs from that year 5. Copy and paste the list to your post, or next post or next next post, it all depends on you. 6. Commence commenting. The manner or style is at your discretion. You may opt to put in bold songs that you like and put in italics songs you do not like. 7. If you cannot recall the song, there is no point in commenting, is there? So there I was starting to select and comment on the top 100 music from 1984 and then it hit like a new wave hit song. I only really liked a few. I ended up listing eleven of the top one hundred songs. Its not that I hate them, although I have never taken a shine to any of Lionel Ritchie's song, I like the other songs better. I ended up with the following songs: 1. When Doves Cry, Prince Nice song, but I liked Bahz Luhrman's take on it in the film "Romeo & Juliet". 2. What's Love Got To Do With It, Tina Turner Perfect song for Ms Turner. Also perfect song when in an argument with the ex or present significant other when discussing money, taste in clothes or the great debate on what movie to watch. 4. Footloose, Kenny Loggins Movie about the dancing and social control. Everytime I hear this tune I am reminded of several parties where there was the eventual show down. 10. Karma Chameleon, Culture Club The first manifestation of Boy George. Memories of the Boy George look-alike contest at Eat Bulaga crystalizes in my mind. At least its not the Lolo Jackson or the Lola Madonna contest, oops too late. 14. Dancing In The Dark, Bruce Springsteen The Boss singing his most famous tune with a young Coutrney Cox as the dancing fan. What is not to like? 15. Girls Just Want To Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper The song is likeable and the video quirky. And it has Lou Albano as Lauper's dad. She even puts him in place with an arm-lock. Sorry, I have been a pro-wrestling fan since the time Hulk Hogan was managed by Freddie Blassie. Bob Buckland was the good guy and Vince McMahon played the straight commentator in WWF, his partner then Bruno Samartino. 28. 99 Luftballons, Nena The first version was in German, it had social commentary and it had Captain Kirk, What is not to like. A perfect example of a Cold War angst pop song. 38. Here Comes The Rain Again, Eurythmics One of my favourite songs during the rainy season. Although, I like Sweet Dreams better. 57. Love Is A Battlefield, Pat Benatar Used to be signature song of Pops Fernandez. She even copied Pat Benatar's look. Nice video and the whistle at end is almost impossible to purge from the mind. 76. I'm So Excited, Pointer Sisters This was probably the anthem of our Prom Night. People were jumping and dancing on the second floor of the Celebrity Plaza. The dancing got to strong that the floor started to oscillate. Luckily, the floor was strong enough to withstand the force of dancing teens. 88. Head Over Heels, Go-Go's What is not to like about the Go-Go's. This one of the songs I do not tire of hearing over and over again. Another song I like but is not on the top 100 for 1984. Puff the Magic Dragon, Peter, Paul & Mary One of the first songs I listened to as a baby. I can still sing this song and during a bout magicsing with friends last Christmas got a perfect score. There is an on-goin debate on what Puff is by the way, although the song's writer Leonard Lipton and Peter Yarrow claim that the song was not about marijuana but about innocence lost.

["Puff" is about] loss of innocence, and having to face an adult world. It's surely not about drugs. I can tell you that at Cornell in 1959, no one smoked grass. I find the fact that people interpret it as a drug song annoying. It would be insidious to propagandize about drugs in a song for little kids. - Leonard Lipton

As the principal writer of the song, I can assure you it's a song about innocence lost. It's easier to interpret "The Star-Spangled Banner" as a drug song than "Puff, the Magic Dragon." This is just a funny rumor that was promulgated by Newsweek magazine [who ran a cover story about covert drug messages in pop music]. There is no basis for it. It's inane at this point and really unfortunate, because even in Hong Kong it's not played because of the allegation it's about drugs. But I assure you it's not. When 'Puff' was written, I was too innocent to know about drugs. What kind of a meanspirited SOB would write a children's song with a covert drug message? - Peter Yarrow

The Beatle's song, "Let It Be", maybe another story altogether. Other post/posts for today: Scribble: Espionage and politics Here is the url of the charge sheet against FBI intelligence analyst Leandro Aragoncillo and police Senior Superintendent Michael Ray Aquino. Read Pinoy Snapshots: Selling seaweed

Fish market

2005-09-14T17:29:00.000+08:00

I dug up this shot of a fish market from the olde photo bin. This picture was shot in the Visayas: ADDITIONAL POST/POSTS: BlOG - PINOY SNAPSHOTS Title - Alimasag View Post

Haydee Yorac would have been a good magistrate

2005-09-13T15:36:00.000+08:00

Haydee Yorac has left the cares of this world. I saw her once or twice at the house. She was a friend of my Mom. I did not personally know her. But what I know of her is that she is one of the few honest and effective government official I have seen in years. She was quite effective as the Comelec Commissioner in charge of Mindanao, she impressed Ali Dimaporo that he wooed her. And for me she seems to be the only effective Chairman of the PCGG. She would have made a good magistrate. Why do I say this? As of late I have been reading a series of novels by Robert Van Gulik. His novels are mystery novels based on Chinese records and details the adventures of Judg Dee or Magistrate Dee. In Imperial China, a Judge or a Magistrate was an all important post. Entrusted to the judge was a city. And he was in charge of over-all administration of the city and its countryside for around fifty miles. His duties included: Collection of taxes; registration of births, deaths and marriage; updating the land registration; keeping the peace; and act as presiding judge over the tribunal. Anyone could be a judge in Imperial China the only thing needed was to pass the literary exam. Yes, Haydee Yorac would have been a fine magistrate. She was an effective government official. I will light a candle and offer a prayer for her tonight. Additional posts for today: A spot of BBC in your telly? One alternative station I have been watching is the BBC channel. Their news coverage is as extensive as CNN and offers a fresh perspective from the other side of the Atlantic pond. However, what I find interesting with several of BBC programmes are more interesting than those produced by National Geographic and Discovery Channel. Read Ways to get a book When one is a bibliophile. And is eternally in search of books to read one will learn eventually that there five ways to get a book. Read

Isaw & Binagis

2005-09-12T15:07:00.000+08:00

Isaw: Intestine & the Omentum In our barkada's egroup the exchanges happen fast and furious. The egroup could be called the egroup of flying daggers. To an outsider it would seem like a tempest in a teacup but that is the nature of our friendship, it thrives on the free exchange of ideas. And even if things get somewhat lively, at the end of the day or days ( depending on the fall-out) things get settled. As you might guess talk sometimes center on politics, gossip, entertainment, personal affairs (or lack of it) and of course food. The latest productive thread was about the favourite merienda of future athritis sufferers and people with high cholesterol levels, the one and only ISAW. A normal food thread about a chinese restaurant in Greenhills led to the discussion of food dearly missed. It turned out that the isaw or barbecue intestine or isaw was sorely missed. Isaw a common street food in the Philippines comes in three forms depending on source chicken, pig and cow. Chicken intestine is commonly called IUD, due to its shape. Pig and cow intestine when barbecued is just called isaw. The dish is quite tasty and unhealthy, its a rich source of cholesterol and uric acid. And improperly cleaned and cooked will probably send the eater to the hospital. Over the years, I have been warned of the health risks of eating isaw. Isaw is eaten as merienda or snacks by students and teetolers and for those inclined to drink of Bacchus it is eaten as pulutan, or food that acompanies alcoholic beverages. Isaw is tasty - I guess its the fat, it is said to be a flavour enhancer much like msg. Isaw or intestine is also the main ingredient in chihcaron or cracklings. The whole intestine can be turned into chicharon. As my friend Jay explained "Ang omentum or mesentery is the fatty membrane that anchors the intestines to the body wall dorsally and ventrally. This is separated from the intestines so both can be turned into chicharon bulaklak and chicharon bituka." Imagine eating cripsy omentum. Actually if you roast the omentum its actually quite tasty. Binagis or Binagkis One of the other food that was brought up was a dish called Binagis or Binagkis. I first tasted the dish when my uncle cooked it for us after coming back from Zambales, it was specialty in those parts. The dish was made up of the diced heart, liver and kidney of a pig. The ingredients are parboiled and sauted in broth, garlic, capsicum and onion. And then seasoned with salt and black pepper. I mentioned Binagis in the exchange we were diverting from isaw to betamax (another type of street food) to other dishes. Punay asked me what binagis was. I had an idea about it but I needed more data. So I checked the internet and it yielded two variants of the recipe: Binagis Del Monte version Binagis (Sautéed Variety Meats) Wow Sarap version Not quite sure if this the same recipe my uncle used. I must ask him when he drops by the house. We Filipinos & Eating Filipinos like to eat and that is no exageration. Our focus on masarap na ulam would make Apicius grin from ear to ear. And we in general like rich foods. But this does not seem to have been the case before. At least according to Rizal. In Noli Me Tangere, I remember passages referring to meal that were to be eaten only sundays, meat and special meals. The ill-fated Sisa was preparing a special meal of fish(?) and pako salad for her sons Crispin and Basilio. For those who have read the book, you know that this was not meant to be and a greater tragedy awaited Sisa, Basilio and Crispin. One can also remember the special meal prepared by Kapitan Tiago for Crisostomo Ibarra, tinola. And of course during the dinner the contravida Padre Damaso, much to his irritation, was served the neck part of the chicken. So much memories stirred from the our virtual talk of isaw. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Additional post for today: Books from the book fair I waited till the last day to go to the book fair. Despite the change in venue a lot of people went to the event. And I probably know now why they switched venue from a mall to the World Trade Center along Roxas. After several years, NBS and Powerbooks participated in the event. Read

What is Philippine democracy?

2005-09-10T17:12:00.000+08:00

It is an oligarchy window dressed as a democracy that suffers from brief periods of anarchy brought about by the struggle between oligarchs, theocrats, plutocrats and demagogues, who are supported by satraps, romantics, useful fools, idealists, opportunists and occasionally geopolitically sensitive sovereign powers. And the truth is variable depending on the side. Justice is always the cause. Revenge sometimes the motive and power the ultimate goal.

Maling Akala

2005-09-10T16:24:00.000+08:00

The last few days at the office I found myself listening to a couple of old OPM (Original Pilipino Music). What prompted this? Well , the past Monday I chanced upon a video of a new group of musicians reinterpreting an old favourite. The group was Brownman Revival and they were singing the old Eraserhead song "Maling Akala", not a bad rendition. I liked the new version. Their MTV was a little bit different, but I do not really recall the Eraserhead's mtv of "Maling Akala". What I do remember is listening to the music while waiting for my Dad when I fetched him. I was taking up my graduate studies at that time and my Dad was on his last leg as a professor at UP. My old car, 1965 VW beetle, did not have tape player and its radio was kaput. So I had to rely on my trusty Aiwa walkman and a the tape "Ultramagnetic Pop" and other songs. Today, the walkman is gone and its replacement a panasonic VCD/CD player was sold. I do not even have the Beetle anymore, it was sold to partly finance my petshop business. I now work for a data company in Makati. And my work involves me using the computer for nearly the whole day. I once thought of buying a new DVD/VCD/CD/MP3 player, but it is far from my thought. I have my music dumped into my computer. Nearly whole gamut from Mozart's "ine Kleine Nacht Musik", Bizet's "Habanera", Duran Duran's "Dont Say A Prayer for Me Now", "Imperial March" by John Williams, Kenny Roger's "The Gambler", Dean Martin's "Volare", Frank Sinatra's "High Hopes", and the "Curly Shuffle". I use the different songs to keep me awake. And I did buy a set of earphones so that mys colleagues are not punished by music. It is quite plain that taste in music is not the same. I even have a OPM section. I have a few of Francis Magallona's song. I had his CD of greatest hits but a friend of mine borrowed and never returned it. So I am left with his latest compilation, which does not include "Mga Kababyan Ko". I also have Apo Hiking Society's best hits and a group of Filipino songs. What I do like and cherish is the Eraserheads' "Ultramagnetic Pop" songs. Its quite interesting how different and the same the new and the old version of "Maling Akala" are. Although somewhat same in style from the old version, the new one has a more definite reggae twist, the a refreshing twist in the old song. Although upon listening to the old song you see one main difference , the new one is more reggae like but the old seems to be imparting more practical advise. Especially in the last lines of the song. May mga kumakalat na balita Na ang kaligtasa'y madaling makuha Bago maniwala mag-isip-isip ka muna Marami ang namatay sa maling akala I remember a gag in Mad magazine once that started "You know your old when..." and in one caption it read " Your favorite music becomes elevator music". Now I think one of the heralds of advancing age is when your favourite song is reinterpreted. Well, at least its not on Stars on 45 and the reinterpretation is good. Then again there were times when Stars on 45 looks...let me rephrase that sounds good.

Horror & the Public Aquarium

2005-09-09T16:20:00.000+08:00

Posts for today.

The New Philippine Aquarium is a Go! Read

Horror My first encounter with horror fiction was a radio play during the 1970s called Gabi Ng Lagim (Night of Terror). The show would start with howl from a dog and a creepy voice over stating the shows title and episode. The show was about the local supernatural monsters and ghosts in the Philippines and their encounter with the people. I used to listen a lot to that show, but the funny thing is for the life of me I cannot remember a single storyline. Read Kolchak Do you remember this series? It starred Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak - wisecracking, abrasive reporter who has the luck and the nose to get the lead in supernatural news stories. Much to the chagrin of his editor Tony Vincenzo and the local authorities. Read

A couple of comic books: Y & Alec

2005-09-08T15:21:00.000+08:00

An additional post for today A few weeks ago, I was able to read a couple of comic book: a contemporary American comic book from Vertigo and a comic book about a graphic novel.

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Memories of Chinese Restaurants Past

2005-09-08T15:19:00.000+08:00

At present I am currently enjoying a book a Chines Murder Mystery book. One of the poignant aspects of the book is that some of the scenes occur in Chinese Restaurants with names like Heavenly Palace or the Eight Happy Gods. The book was detailed even in the description of the food , in one scene the characters discovered an important witness while eating stuffed crabs in one of the local restaurants. Reading the book got me so hungry that I had to order a bowl of congee from Chowking, one of the local Chinese fastfood outlets near the house. It may not be as sumptuous as the cooked crabs in the book it was filling. One of the descriptions of a Filipino is that nearly all of us Spanish surnames, speak in English and prefer to eat Chinese food. Even our national hero Rizal when he celebrated his graduations and victories celebrated at the local Panciteria. And while in Europe hit by nostalgia for home, Rizal conspired with his friend Alejandrino to cook pancit. They had to ration the pancit for a week or so. Unfortunately, Alejandrino was unable to control his appetite and finished his part before the alloted time. Rizal of course was able to discipline himself and eat his portion , rationed part at the alloted time. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a string of Chinese restaurants have opened around Cubao. Not counting Chowking outlets and Gloria Maris there are at least three new restaurants that opened - Fat Choi, DuckDuck and Big Bowl of China (well something similar to that name). The gradual discoveries of these restaurants gradually brought back to mind the old Chinese restaurants or panciterias I encountered growing up in Cubao and in Manila. As far as I remember there were only three main Chinese restaurants in Cubao when I was growing up. The Aurora boulevard-based Ma Mon Luk restaurant served mami (noodle soup), siopao (bun) and siomai . And there were many waiters in that restaurant all wearing big red bow ties. I am not quite sure now if there were other food items sold ala carte but the main staple was always the mami, siopao and siomai. Ma Mon Luk even expanded to a nearby branch along Edsa. I even remember an article in a book featuring the success story of Ma Mon Luk, the founder Ma Mon Luk started out the business hawking his three basic food items. The article even had a picture of him doing some Tai Chi stuff with the sword. Nearby Ma Mon Luk was another Chinese restaurant, Hong Ning. The restaurant was similar in atmosphere to Ma Mon Luk - same type of waiters, wooden chairs, marbled top tables, huge electric fans and the menu - a one or two page piece laminated in plastic, Hong Ning had a special section that was air-conditioned on the second floor for patrons willing to pay extra. Hong Ning's specialty was hototay, pancit canton and hong ning chicken, my grandfather used to get one chicken free every christmas. They even had lechon macua and assorted meat dishes, including a delectable intestine dish and tabaron. Whenever we had surprise guests I remember being given money and going to Hong Ning to buy a number of dishes. Hong Ning's chicken of course had stiff competition from the nearby Robina chicken house. This was of course the boom of lechon manok all over Metro Manila. Then there was the restaurant along Edsa near the compound of the Aranetas (the whole commercial district of Cubao could be called the compound of the Aranetas but this compound refers to their residential land), The Golden Peking a more high class restaurant that served eels. I remember the family going here to celebrate. Unfortunately, these restaurants are all gone now. Hong Ning transferred to another location and slowly died. Ma Mon Luk closed its branches, except for the one along Quezon Boulevard near Banawe. Whenever I visit my friend Jimmy we somehow still find a reason to pass by. And they still serve their mami, siopao and siomai the same way. Golden Peking became a firing range or a gun reseller. You can still see its old build just before you reach P Tuazon, of course the long queue of buses into Farmer's Market will obstruct the your view. And as for Robina chicken, I learned that last remaining outlet is the one near Munoz Market. These are of course the Chinese Restaurants and tea houses in Cubao. There are of course others outside that still exsist. In Greenhills Le Ching, Le Ching Too and Luk Yuen are still there. Mrs Ho is gone, There used to be Chinese canteen at UP at the back of AS and they used a lot of plates from Mrs Ho, the owner or manager was a guy so we eventually called the canteen Mr Ho. Sun Moon Garden,with its lazy susan tables, is still there. Ling Nam along with Joe Kuan, West Villa and a host other establishments seems to have been swallowed by fate. San Jacinto an old Chinese restaurant has a branch at Quezon avenue and along Libis. A friend of mine ate their with the family and he was feeling bit tipsy, he was allergic to monosodium glutamate or MSG - it makes him drunk. He warned his sister and his sister just smiled at him and said not to worry but go on eating (since the food was deliciouse), anyway if it became critical they can take him to the nearest hospital. Fortunately my friend found a cure for his illness in China, according to a doctor (supposedly Deng Xiao Ping's doctor) all he had to do was drink a lot of tea. Near the Quezon avenue - based San Jacinto are a few Chinese restaurants worth a visit, Spring Deer,Shagri-La,Kowloon are a few I can think of. In Binondo, I remember going to Green Lake with my mother and grandfather, a restaurant near the welcome arch just before the Church, and eating with friends along the Estero-based eateries. And somewhere along Rizal ave eating probably one of the most savoury chicken dih in Manila with a friend at Ramon Lee's. And another restaurant in Ermita whose specialty was cua pao, and these were really nice cua paos! Perhaps that is the reason why I never took a liking to a lot of these instant food or quick-cooking food chinese (or not). Nothing is like a dish authentically cooked. New ones of course replaced those that have disappeared but I guess the craving for chinese food will not disappear. Rule of thumb though when selecting a Chinese restaurant choose one that is most frequented by the Chinese and Chinoys. Same rule of thumb I follow when selecting Japanese mini-restaurants, but that is another story.

Storyeller, Bookfair & a view

2005-09-06T16:17:00.000+08:00

Here are some other posts for today: Jim Henson's Storyteller The Book Fair: A picture essay Fort Bonifacio today Picture Essay: the travelling physics demo

Talk, Moral Icon and Rally

2005-09-06T14:07:00.000+08:00

Talk Talk Legislators on TV Talking and talking Each vote a speech in the making The session goes on and on Talking and breaking wind in one Tedium and Ad Nauseum Time to get the TV remote Only chance to smote Some really stupid blokes Moral Icon The Moral icon on tv calling for people power The Moral icon who caused the powerplants to expire And plunged Pilipinas into darkness inspired The Moral icon who did not win a single court case Nor solve the murder mystery of her late mate The Moral icon who failed to free the peasants from their land Is this the Moral icon of our land? Rally! Rally! Rally! Rally! on the Street Against all alleged cheats A call to arms! A call to arms! Is this right or is it wrong? Honestly I cannot say We tried We tried Yes We tried it twice But twice our hopes were sliced Betrayed by leaders who were not contrite So what is the point of doing it again and again Rightist reasons and leftist cause all the same The high purpose may vary but goal is one Power to a few chosen Deals to be made Pawns again and again Cannon fodder again and again To be used again and again To be abused again and again To be fooled again and again

Picture Essay: the travelling physics demo

2005-09-06T12:11:00.000+08:00

Outside the hall housing the book fair was a small exhibit area. In it was a group of people showing the "magic" of physics. The exhibit made physics interactive and interesting. I think my nephew enjoyed this exhibit more than the book fair.

State of things in ....

2005-09-03T14:05:00.000+08:00

I was reading the newspaper, The Philippine Star, after breakfast today and flipping through the pages I came upon two full page ads. Both although differently written said the same message: Congratulations to the Justice Committee for ending the impeachment process and espousing the political opposition to return to the normal running of things. And yesterday On the news the La celluloid Brothers, maybe a more accurate term would be the La sallied educators, had hosted multi-faith gathering called Bukluran para sa Katotohanan, a gathering of Anti-Arroyo people. And the day before that the Supreme Court approved the VAT. Normalcy, Truth and Taxes. Normalcy - The call for a return to normalcy to the Anti-Arroyo forces seems to be falling on deaf ears. Why so? Probably because it is normal for them to stir things up. Being the minority in power and opposition it is their bread and butter to throw the proverbial monkey wrench into the system. The purpose for this? To gain power. It may be immediate gain, an abrupt grab for power, or a punctuated stroke by a political painter adding bits and pieces to his masterpiece, the group or his own assumption to power. Such causes are of course sugar coated with appealing terms as justice, sense of fair play or for the common good. Ambition is not evil if it is for the common good. Once and when in power the liberators often became clones or better versions of the people they have replaced. Except now they use the techniques they use to stay in power, similar to what the present Arroyo administration is doing now. Both forces are two sides of the same pot. So it really is not normal for them to not live normally. For them its normal for life to be in a total flux. Who should then go back to live the normal life? Not the politicians and the political groups , whose faith is ascent and descent depends much on the un-normalcy of things. But it is for the normal people, me and you ... us to return to normal life. Politics is a part of life but it is not the whole of life, no life is much more. And the sooner people realise this the better. Plus putting hopes in a group of people or an individual is a futile investment in faith. Changing people in power is like the game musical chairs, you do not change anything only the person sitting on the chair. Truth - Truth, what is truth? Is truth to be found solely on one side of the debate or on both sides. Thus a group of persons hold monopoly on truth, morality and goodness. The greatest danger of idealists and idealism is that it can often be abused by people hungry for power and people who are so idealistic that they cannot see the truth even if it were in front of their face or they would prepare to destroy the house they live in order to satisfy their sense of decency and in the process codemn the other people living in the house to misery. Taxes - It is said there are two things certain in life death and taxes. The rise in oil prices and the imposition of taxes will make life harder for us. Corporate and company drones like me have been carrying the burden of taxes for years. Each year the amount we pay government increases yet see little or no improvement. Tax collection must be improved, VAT is probably one way but increasing collection effort and curbing expenses is another. How much money is spent for the government executives and legislators. How much pesos do we spend for each hearing in the Philippines Congress and Senate that ends with nothing gained? How much is given as pork barrels that will be used for political gain? In conclusion - I must admit I started out as a political supporter of Arroyo. Right now I am not quite sure. One thing I am quite sure of all the allegations her are full of holes - relying on testimony and not citing enough concrete evidences. I am not also convinced that the opposition and their supporter can even replace her. They cannot even mount a proper case against her. The opposition and anti-Arroyo forces have succeeded only in lowering her approval rating but they have been more effective in destroying the image of the country, although in this they had an unlikely ally - the Arroyo administration. nether do I believe in street protests, aided by a militarists, as the sole vehicle in pushing for change. As part of the middle class, I have seen the three EDSA upheavals and several coups. Two political clans were removed from power and none have been convicted. The first EDSA brought back the pre-martial law politicos and soon you could not distinguish between them and the Marcos politicos. IF Edsa I had RAM, then Edsa II had Civil Society, both groups have also become indistinguishable in purpose and guise. I still believe in change, but I believe true change can only come from the individual and this can only be facilitated by discourse.

The Book Fair and Herr Konrad Lorenz

2005-09-01T16:19:00.000+08:00

Today is the start of the book fair. Bibliophiles all over Metro Manila and parts beyond will be converging to the World Trade Center near Roxas boulevard to be part of this annual event. Me, I am still at the office working. I am still deciding whether to troop to the center or not.At present I have all the books I need or want and my cash flow has dried up temporarily, due to ...dental expenses. Maybe, this weekend. My friend who just came from there texted me that he is now at Greenbelt. He liked to spend some down-time in Makati before heading home. And after coming in from the book fair where does he decide to spend his down time? At Powerbooks, a bookstore. My other posts for today: Book fair and cheap Filipiniana Books Konrad Lorenz a forgotten Aquarist

Sungka, DVD at Iba pa

2005-08-31T15:11:00.000+08:00

Many lunar cycles ago while attending mass at Greenhills. I chanced upon this piece at one of the furniture stall, the ones that sell modern antiques. It had a lot of interesting stuff made from wood. When I saw this piece I immediately bought it.I though my nephews would love this. I recall playing this game with my older cousin but I never really got the hang of it. Sungka also known as Congklak and Dakon in South East Asia, in particular Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. It is a mancala game. The name "Congklak" comes from the Indonesian name for cowrie shells, which are often used as pieces. They say that playing the game develops the mind in terms of math and social skills. I do not know if that is true, but I enjoy playing it with my nephews. Go to Post Other Posts today: The Bad, the Good and the Feathery Book from the Past

Bravado, braggadocio, brats, blase and bobo

2005-08-31T10:25:00.000+08:00

Last night as I got home I started channel surfing and came upon a news program, the main news items were the walkout at Justice Committee hearing the impeachment case against PGMA and the revelation of four of the Hyatt Ten. The pro-impeachment lawmakers and/or Anti GMA Congressmen walked out of the committee determining the if the impeachment complaints against GMA is sufficient in form and substance. Majority of the members of this committee and the whole of Congress is believed to be anti-impeachment and/or Pro-GMA. A lot of meanings and non-meanings in words. The different words used to describe a friend or foe have deeper sub-texts. For example, a Malacananang official reacted to a statement from former colleagues now called the Hyatt Ten and referred to them as the Hyatt Four. This was of course a valid observation given that the Hyatt Ten were not complete but the meaning, from ten to four, meant something else. After viewing and digesting the news a bit further, a few words and a story came to mind. The words: Bravura - a showy display: showy style or behavior Bravado - boldness or courage: a real or pretended display of courage or boldness Brat pack - affluent young people Braggadocio - overblown, empty boasting: empty boasting and swaggering self-aggrandizement Brat(plural brats) - who is regarded as tiresomely demanding and selfish in a childish way Blasé - not impressed Bobo - Filipino word for stupid Romantic - idealistic, characterized by or arising from idealistic or impractical attitudes and expectations. Pragmatism - As defined in Wikepedia as " characterized by the insistence on consequences, utility and practicality as vital components of truth..." And finally ... Hamartia, a Greek word used in literature referrring to a series of action, which is neitheir good nor bad, but leads to the downfall of the protagonist. Hamartia the word is taken from Aristotle's work Poetics and its literal meaning is "missing the mark" altough the modern meaning is a tragic flaw. An alternative translation of Hamartia is a tragic mistake. Interesting though is that tragic mistake or flaw is usually mentioned as hubris or pride. Good Reads on the Blogosphere about this: A more thorough discussion of yesterday's event was done by Sassy Lawyer in her two posts, Rising Actionand Rising Action 2. Other good reads include MLQ's The Gamble, JJ Disini's Walkout to Defeat, and By Joves Bluff. And finally a story I remembered: The Gift of Insults There once lived a great warrior. Despite his age, he was quite old, he still was able to defeat any challenger. His reputation extended far and wide, and many became his students. Then one day an infamous young warrior arrived at the village. The warrior was determined to be the first man to defeat the old warrior. He was confident for along with his strength, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in an opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing a weakness, and then would strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first move. Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old warrior gladly accepted the young warrior's challenge. As the two squared off for battle, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old warrior, for hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known to mankind. He even threw dirt and spitted on the face of the old warrior. But the old warrior merely stood there motionless and calm. Finally, the young warrior got tired. Knowing he was defeated, he left feeling shamed. Somewhat disappointed that he did not fight the insolent youth, the students gathered around the old master and questioned him. "How could you endure such an indignity? How did you drive him away?" "If someone comes to give you a gift and you do not receive it," the master replied, "to whom does the gift belong?"

Wisdom and a funny holiday

2005-08-29T15:38:00.000+08:00

The Surgery Last Friday, I trooped to my Dentist's clinic (surgery) to have my wisdom tooth extracted. Dr Toledo, my dentist, was a petite lady with pleasing manners. She explained to me the details of the operations, how complicated it was and how long it would take. And she also said she would be assisting another dentist who will be doing the procedure. I was a bit worried but this soon disappeared since I reasoned out that the other dentist was probably her seasoned mentor, with deep lore in care and extraction of teeth. Within a few minutes I was seated at the chair and being readied for the operation. My dentist was checking the teeth near the wisdom teeth and discovered something. "The tooth next to the wisdom tooth has abscess", my dentist said Oh-Uh, I said to myself, more expenses. According to her I could have it undergo root canal treatment or have it removed. I ask her which was cheaper? A few minutes later she was removing my tooth. Of course there were other factors that prompted me to have the tooth removed. One was it might ease the extraction of the wisdom tooth. A space in front of the wisdom tooth would give more room for the dentist to extract said wisdom tooth. Of course it was also cheaper. It did help in the extraction of that wisdom tooth. They did not have to make a big incision or cut bone in order to extract the tooth. All of this was done of course in the background of Regine Velasquez music and the chatting of the two dentists, who it turns out were batchmates. At one point the CD jumped and skipped, breaking the mood in the clinic. In between the extraction and the chatting, my gums were injected with local anesthesia. Interesting things about dentists when they operate they love to chat about small things. Problems with the local dental association and the life of their fellow-dentists.The only time they were silent was when something critical was done. This was how I monitored the progress of my operation. Chatting, everything was fine. Silence (except for the mood music) things were critical. At least it did not turn into a scene from the Marathon Man. With the dentist talking in a German accent asking,"Is it safe?". No thankfully nothing like that. For those who have watched this thrilller you will understand what I mean and we are probably of the same age. The operation ended an hour after noon. I did not feel much pain, thanks the liberal injections of local anaesthesia. I wonder does any dentist still use laughing gas. One fourth of my face though felt nothing for hours. I proceeded home stopping by the drugstore to buy medicine and ice cream, my dentist advised me not to eat anything hot. This is the upside of having one's tooth taken out( a plus side quite similar to having one's tonsils taken out also). The rest of the week was devoted to leisurely rest with welcomed interuptions from time to time by my nephews. One friend wanted to visit, but advised him not to. This particular friend has this odd way of appearing at the house and inspite of good intentions ends up aggravating the person he is visiting with his smirk and a bedside manner of a member of the Spanish Inquisition. Fortunately, he did not appear. The beauty of life's little blessings. While resting did a couple of things. I organised some of my stuff. Watched a couple of DVDs and a few programs. Re-read a book on photography. And watched the film Valiant with my nephews. Wisdom tooth or the third molar is called such because it appears between the age of eighteen and twenty, the age when one is supposed to be more wise than as a child, when the first set of teeth appear. And an office mate told me that when one is laid seiged to by one's wisdom teeth one gets a gem of wisdom for each wisdom tooth attack. Epiphanies, epiphany: noun, a sudden realization, during the weekend: Never rely on government announcements During the weekend Malacanang announced, re-announced and made a mess of things with the holiday. Is it? Is it not? Public holiday? Public Holiday except for those working in private companies. I hope Malacanang learns from this tale from Aesop. The Man and His Two Wives Pundits and Columnists like most of us are prone to philosophical myopia. One newspaper columnist, who I respected and still respect, wrote about his optimism with the young political leaders and how different they can be from the old political leaders. I think this is one case where his romantic notions of politics and hate for the present leaders have severly impaired his otherwise astute reasoning skills. Not that the old political leaders are as ideal as the young leaders but rather the young political leaders are as corrupt given time. The Fox and the Lion Money the fleeting asset The most immediate ephipheny I gained was the fleeting nature of money, wisdom tooth extraction costs money. And they still have to extract two more wisdom teeth from me. As Dr Zachary Smith said so often"Oh the agony!".

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It nice to back even if it today is a public holiday for everyone except those working for private companies.

Wisdom tooth and a few posts

2005-08-25T17:08:00.000+08:00

Hi there will be gone for a few days. My wisdom tooth needs to be extracted. I have stocked up on books, videos, games and medicine so I gues I should be fine. Anyway, I have learned to tune out of politics for some time so no source of stress. From time to time I will probably check in just for some laughs. I have Faith... The Santo Nino Photo at Ed's photoblog My Everyday Manila reminded me of my nephew's penchant for Santo Ninos,Angels and Saints a few years before. His Grandmother, my mother, was only happy to oblige. She was probably thinking he would become a priest someday. He has now taken an interest into books, cartoons and animals. Go to post I hope my nephews will not be so naughty. One can hope. I can keep them distracted with video games.... or with books... See you in a few days. Take care now :)

A Sidewalk & a Cichlid

2005-08-24T09:04:00.000+08:00

More posts for today Sidewalk A sidewalk beside the old COD now Puregold Supermarket. The shot was taken around 6:30 in the morning Go to Post My Mexican Tail Spot We placed this fish in the big pond a few years ago. Two weeks ago we were able to capture it and placed it inside one of the house aquariums. My friend Gary Battung gave it to me a few years ago and somehow (miscommunication between me and my assistant who placed in the big pond - by the time I found out it was too small in size and the pond was too big, catching it would have been bothersome) it ended up in the big pond along with the convict cichlids ( Archocentrus nigrofasciatus or Cichlosoma nigrofasciatum). Go to Post

Cameras

2005-08-24T08:48:00.000+08:00

Here are pictures of cameras. Leica This Leica was the camera I used during high school. My father lent it to me and it is an excellent camera. Taking shots back then was much more cheaper. Just had the film developed and ordered for contact prints. Used this camera extensively during daytime because it did not have a flash. Several years ago my father asked for the camera because someone was interested in purchasing it. I thought that was it...until a year ago when my mother was doing her monthly clean the house exercises. In one of the cabinets she found the camera. The deal did not push through after all. At present using the cameras for portrait shots, well at least trying to. Minolta This camera I won from a bet. It almost fully automatic, compared to the super manual Leica. Quite handy when taking candid shots and events. It was my regular camera before I bought my digital camera. What was the bet? Well...lets just say he or she was just too overconfident of secrets. And secrets do come out. So never be too overconfident of your secret you might lose a camera or something more significant. The Lost Half-Frame Olympus Camera My first camera was a Half-frame Olympus Camera. The camera could take two shots from one frame of film. So if you had 36 shots, using a half-frame camera you could take seventy-two shots. Quite handy for candid shots. And it was easy to carry, the camera was palm-sized. You can put it in your pocket. Unfortunately, my brother lost the camera in school. I do miss that camera. Digital Camera At present my all-around camera is a Canon Ixus. Compact, durable and palm size you can carry it anywhere. Since it is a digital camera you can readily see the results of your shot. No need to go the film developers. Quite practical. Although, I still will not give up taking cameras from film. Waiting for the film to develop and seeing the final product is in it self a magic of its own.

A Book and a school of fishes

2005-08-22T15:27:00.000+08:00

Some other posts for today : Chronicles of Narnia I passed by Powerbooks last Saturday to check the sale. The concentration of people milling around the store was more than the usual. And nearly every book was on sale at 15, 20, 30, 40 and 75 percent off. Go to Post Meeting and buying fish Yesterday, Along with my nephews we went to the meeting of Aquarium Science Association of the Philippines or ASAP. It was hosted by Mr Angel Ampil, one of ASAP's past presidents. Present President Ben Vallejo called the meeting to discuss the possible involvement and setting-up of a public aquarium in the Philippines. Go to Post

Stille Nacht und Schadenfreude

2005-08-22T13:18:00.000+08:00

A couple of days ago. Our barkada's egroup was closed down for five days. The owner and moderator of an e-group or any other forum has every right to impose what he or she thinks is correct. People may question, challenge, or mock the decision, but ultimately it is the right of the moderator-owner. It is his legal right. And ultimately you have to respect his decision. On hind sight it would have probably better if at the start the egroup was established with everyone as moderators. Then again what is hind-sight? The good thing is at present everything was resolved. And the maxim, "whatever does not kill you will make you stronger", at least in this case. I would like to relate and write about what I have observed. What happens when this happens? Silence What happens to the community that uses this group for communication and dialogue? Varied responses, I would guess. It is interesting though to see the reactions to the different members of the community. Some were offended because their discourses were cut in mid-stream. Some were offended in the manner the way the silence was imposed. And some were offended as a matter of principle. For the same reason a number of people were irritated. Majority, especially those not that active were surprised. A number would feel a loss; they have been coming to the e-group to catch the latest discussion, gossip, debate, or news. Some were amused with the situation. Fortunately (or unfortunately), such events often have as its bastard sons and daughters - comical and absurd side stories-within-stories. Humor in a sense can be good in such a situation. It helps sooth the trauma, ease tension, or it can help deliver the message or criticism in a round-about way. Then there was another friend who was quite ecstatic about the turn of events. The Germans have the perfect word for it and they called it Schadenfreude. Definition of Schadenfreude from wikepedia- Schadenfreude is a German expression, Schaden: damage or harm and Freude: joy, meaning pleasure taken from someone else's misfortune or shameful joy. In German society and culture the term is always used in the negative sense. In fact there are two types of Schadenfreude. There is what is called the secret secret schadenfreude ( a feeling one keeps to oneself) and an open schadenfreude, which is outright public derision. In the English language Schadenfreude is commonly identified as "sick pleasure". A clear example schadenfreude can be seen in the joy Homer Simpson feels whenever something bad or unfortunate happens to his neighboor Ned Flanders. In one episode of the Simpsons, "When Flanders Failed", Schadenfreude is also referenced in the Simpsons episode "When Flanders Failed". Lisa accuses her father of feeling schadenfreude when he gloats about Ned's problem , he was on the verge of bankruptcy. Homer replies to Lisa accusations, " Oh, come on, Lisa. I'm just glad to see him fall flat on his butt!". I think gloat over the misfortunes of others would be the appropriate term to descibe schadenfreude. Except it lacks one element. Schadenfreude needs an element of a past slight applied to the the person enjoying Schadenfreude. Maybe in the past or recent the Schadenfreuder received a rebuked, or was condemned or criticized and for some unknown reason was not in a position to counter, perhaps because the criticism was just and only now the fate has dealt this card can afford to gloat. All of us experience this and savour moments when this happens. What I found a bit amusing and at the same time disturbing was the schadenfreude possession of my friend. This particular schadenfreude was so savoury that it seemed that his capacity for enjoying was akin to a bovine digesting its meal. Well... My friend of course is still in a state of ecstacy over this. I think all of us use and experience Schadenfreude. The least we could do is to admit to ourself that it is that and not convince ourselves that it is not. At least be intellectually honest to oneself.

Schadenfreude ist die schönste Freude (denn sie kommt von Herzen). Schadenfreude is the most beautiful kind of joy (since it comes directly from the heart). - A proverb Neid zu fühlen ist menschlich, Schadenfreude zu genießen teuflisch. To feel envy is human, to enjoy Schadenfreude is devilish. - Arthur Schopenhauer

The Laughing Buddha

2005-08-18T15:36:00.000+08:00

I have a notebook where I scribble things down. In this notebook, I write down observations, quotations, odd notations and enumerations. Perhaps with the hope that somehow when I need to plan or write something I can go back and search my notes. Today I came across my notes on the Laughing Buddha. In the Philippines there was a time when you could see a Buddha in almost every house. At least my family had one and my friends houses had one. I was always curious about this Buddha.He was different from the Buddha sitting serenely in the lotus position. He was Buddha with a pot belly and a smile. Sometimes he would have several children clinging or sitting all over him. I was always though how could Buddha have gone from the Keanu Reeves figure in Little Buddha to this Cheerful Buddha that looked liked Samo Hung. A friend once told me that Buddha got fat after reaching China. The food. This was of course rubbish. Years later I saw a comic book from Asiapac entitled "Legend of the Laughing Buddha". The comic book was illustrated by Jeffrey Seow and translated by HK Wang. Laughing Buddha was different from Guatama Buddha.He was born Jishi Ajita into a well-off probably noble family. Predisposed to be generous Ajita soon became a disciple of Buddha and took name Maitreya. He was destined to be reincarnated several times. Buddha's advise to him was:

"Buddhism is not just about meditation neither is it for the sake of oneself. Buddhism has to be applied to the real world or it will amount to nothing. "

According to some, Maitreya was reincarnated as the Fat Monk who always carried a magical sack cloth. He could fly with clock and put anything inside it without filling it up. Due to magical powers of his sack he was able to ask a large amount of food for the poor. The sack cloth was called Pu Tai and incidentally he was also called Monk Pu-Tai, Bu-Dai or Hotei.

Hotei was an optimist and his mantras, if you can call them that, were: Perpetual Smile and An All Embracing Belly Laugh! Laugh! Laugh! Laugh away Sadness Laugh away Worries Laugh away Hatred All things in the world are embraced by the big belly Take things in your stride All of you are fated to live together How can you not be filled with joy? There are too many intolerable things happening in the world, but often we are the ones who cause them Why not have a big belly to embrace them all

There are several stories about Hotei. One of my favourite was why he was often depicted with many children sitting on him. Due to the sunny disposition of the monk he was often followed by children. And somehow people got it into their head that if they touched his belly they would be blessed with children. Sometimes though he was to cheery that he nearly lost all the money in his monastery. Buddha was troubled by this so he sent over a strict and fierce looking deity-guard Wei Tuo. What duo they made in the stories. The Laughing Buddha Hotei, benevolent and good-hearted. How we need more people like that and of course a couple of Wei Tuo.

Perpetual Smile and An All Embracing Belly

A book, bonsai trees & San Ignacio

2005-08-18T15:30:00.000+08:00

Some other posts for today: A Book for your Perusal During your visit to the book shop,where there is a sale, or when you troop over to this year's Book Fair. You might come across this book. For your consideration. The Old San Ignacio Church

Fritz Lang Film Festival

2005-08-18T14:41:00.000+08:00

Today's post. I just learned this today from one of the e-groups. The Goethe-Institut is sponsoring a Fritz Lang silent film festival. Go to post

The perils of work: worm-rbot.cbq attack!

2005-08-17T09:00:00.000+08:00

Ah the perils of Internet-enabled work. Around one hundred percent og my work relies on the Internet. More specifically on servers situated elsewhere. A few hours ago I was informed that technical problems were creating havoc on the servers we worked on. I must explain that although I am based in Manila I work in a virtual office, meaning I operate a server(or at least a dummy computer connected to the server)severl thousand miles away. Saves costs for the company and provides me with a monthly income. Now when the computer at the other end of the world shuts down my work shuts down. Something happened today that made a whole bunch of servers and computers shut down. Could it be the new computer worm, worm-rbot.cbq., that is creating havoc with computers at the US Congress, CNN, New York Times, and other media outfit? The worm affects Windows 2000 systems but is said to affect also Microsoft XP. Symptoms include the repeated shutdown and rebooting of a computer. So please be careful. For more details you can check the CNN story. What does this mean for me? No work today. Unfortunately or fortunately, I will be attending a seminar today. As the old man in a zen story told, to me a by priest several years ago, always said when he received news. "Good luck, bad luck who knows." :)

Book fairs, a church & fish sites

2005-08-16T16:22:00.000+08:00

More posts for today: Book fair & perpetual sales Its the time of year when book lover's wallets go on a slim-fast diet. Some have been saving up for this moment. With the exception of the docking of the Doulos Goodwill ship, which docked at Manila several years ago and were selling a ton of books. The book fair is probably one of the few events that you will see a congregation of readers. Go to Post Greenbelt Church Dug up this photo from my files. I call it Mass at Greenbelt Church: The Other UFO Church. It is not evident here but when you see the church in its entirety it looks like the headquarters of the Legion of Doom, sans swamp and alligators of course. Go to Post Web groups & resources Aquarists and aquarium aficionados need reference sources in order to succesully keep beautiful aquariums. People have been to this road before and their knowledge is invaluable to the success of keeping an aquarium. This knowledge of course can be obtained from books, magazines and people in the know, through friendships and aquarium societies. The Internet though has opened up new forums and sites for aquarists to meet and gather information. Go to Post

Snakes & Pussycats

2005-08-16T15:51:00.000+08:00

Sassy lawyer's post about her cat and a snake reminded me of my own dealings with the felines and serpents. Here's to guerilla writing, I wonder if it could be called low intensity writing? About Snakes My first experience with a snake was this small white baby snake we found at the garden of my schoolmate at Wack Wack. It was a miniscule with snake. And we literally played with it letting it crawl over the matchbox cars and along the makeshift theatre of war, basically the ungrassed area of the garden. As afternoon neared its end we got tired of the snake and let it go. Looking back now two things struck me: one, we were sadistic; and two, we were foolish to play with a snake. The second close encounter with a snake was in a dormitory in Miag-ao, Iloilo. Our college had just transferred from Diliman to Iloilo and we were the first residents of the dormitory paid with World Bank money. The new UP Campus was located a few kilometers outside of Miag-ao, Iloilo. And the dormitories were situated beside a creek, near a bamboo grove, supposedly used by aswangs to meet. The Aswang and other supernatural tales surrounding UP in the Visayas is interesting, but that is another story. One of the neccesities if you are going to live in a dorm is a electric fan, especially during the dry months. It was a Saturday and I was just waking up from my siesta when I noticed one of my shoestrings on top of the grill of the fan. All fine except my shoes do not have shoestring. I thought great one my room-mates decided to dry his shoestring on my fan. All fine...except none of my room-mates had green shoe strings and it had a diamond-shaped head. A snake! I would like to say I guided the snake out and I was gentle and let it go back to the grassy knoll where it came from. But I did not. The truth is i scooped it up with a stick and smashed its head against the wall. On hindsight, the snake was small and probably harmless. Adrenaline plus fear got the better of me. The third encounter with a snake was a trip to the zoo. We went to Malabon Zoo and aside from the Tiger that they paraded around the children. They had two pythons for photo ops, of course we took the plunge and had our pictures taken with the pythons. After the photo op with the pythons I realised two things. First, they were not slimy. Second, they were quite strong. So treat this animals with respect. My fourth encounter with a snake was when I had a petshop, I was selling two types of snakes a green one (Sorry, for the life of me I cannot remember its proper name) and the dog-face snake. Both were piscivores, meaning they only ate fish. At least that is what the seller told me. I was able to sell the Dog-face snake. The green one became my pet. All went well, it did bite me once or twice, until it escaped. I thought it would be gone forever, until a few days later. My relatives often go the house to drink, eat and discuss politics (plus family matters). Usually copious amount of beer and hungarian sausages would be consumed. So there they were, my relatives, enjoying their bachanalia when I heard a shreik. My Aunt felt something cross her legs and proceeded to the leg of the table. So there was the snake! About Cats I like cats. So far we have had four to five house cats. The family calls them house cats because their territory is the house. They are pampered felines often reaching garfield proportions. And they are good rat catchers. The only problem is they stash the rats somewhere in the house and only discover them when the smell of vermin death grows strong. Gringo and Twoee were the house cats I remember. A friend gave us Gringo a male cat and sister pampered him so much that he became a big cat, not fat rotund cat like Garfield but big cat. He sired a lot cats but none of them became house cats. The problem with Gringo was he was fond of pounding on food. At one point he pounded too many food and he was deported to the next neighborhood courtesy of a sack. Several years later, the same friend gave us our present house cat, Twoee. A siamese-mestizo cat. He is my nephew's cat. My nephew's nickname is Thirdee and he thought it was fitting to name the cat Twoee. The cat is pampered eating only cat food. He has his own tray and cat litterbox. He is not as big as Gringo but he is more affectionate. Twoee likes to be near humans, always looking for attention. Cats outside the house of course are a bit different. They do congregate about the property. Living and making love on the roof. Catching rats and often leaving their mangled bodies before the door of the house. Snakes & Cats Snakes and Cats share one common thing they are good predators of vermin. The Egyptians used the cat to guard their graineries and it is said that the present cat descended from the warehouse cats of Egypt. Ambeth Ocampo in an article mentioned Filipinos used pythons to control the rat population of the house. They would put them in their kisame, the space between the roof and the ceiling, to hunt out rats. Another thing about cats and snakes. They should be handled with extra care. Snakes venomous and non-venomous bite. Even if their fangs are cut they grow back. And they have special requirements that should be satisfied. Cats seems to be enfant terrible of pets. Despite all the pampering and doting the cat has all the instincts and ferocity its cousins the Tigers and the Lions. I can tolerate snakes but I still like cats, even they have that lean and hungry look when they are near my aquariums.

Churches, Castles, photos & a convict cichlid

2005-08-15T15:12:00.000+08:00

Posts for today Read any churches lately? If you were born and raised a Catholic you often take things for granted. Every Sunday you go to mass. Baptismal, communion, confirmation, marriage, and last rites are things that eventually happen. The building where this happens is there it seems for perpetuity, well at least that is what it seems. And if you live in the Philippines churches seem to be everywhere.

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Steam Boy & Howl's Moving Castle I was able to watch these two movies a couple of weeks ago. My sister bought these DVDs from her suki at Metrowalk. Maybe this is the legacy of Voltes V. It has left me an aficionado for manga and anime. Maybe Marcos too since he banned the show. As in all things though ultimately everything depended one me, it was my decision. I willed to be an aficionado. Yes aficionado and not otaku, since I have not yet reached that level culture hermitage. You will not see battle aura emanate from when I cannot watch Cooking Master Boy or Voltes V, not that much anyway.

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Trips around Manila

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The Convict Cichlid

The Convict Cichlid or Tiger Cichlid will probably one of my favourite fishes in the world. I encountered this Central American cichlid when it was still known as known as Cichlasoma Nigrofasciatum, now it is called Archocentrus nigrofasciatus.

This is a small feisty cichlid with a blue-gray body with eight to nine bands. A dark blotch is usually present on the gills. It has a red patch near its belly. There is a white variant of this fish and it is devoid of the dark bands, but has the red patch.

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The road to my office...

2005-08-11T15:27:00.000+08:00

Dela Rosa Street

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Video Games

2005-08-11T15:25:00.000+08:00

I can still remember seeing the first video game I encountered, it was pong. It was right after class and we had spent the afternoon at our friends house at Wack Wack. My friend had the latest video player, a betamax, and he had this machine not as bulky as the betamax but not small. On the screen was two vertical bars and a bouncing ball from end to end. It was ping pong, hence the name pong I guess. Video games I guess follow the same trend as all technology today, the road to miniaturization. Several years from my first encounter with pong now I am confronted with a device, which my sister bought a few months ago, drastically smaller than the machine that allowed us to play pong. And now you can play around four or five arcade games. Can you imagine that? Amazing!

An Altar in every room

2005-08-11T15:15:00.000+08:00

Something that can be found in every house of a Roman Catholic in the Philippines. In some homes each room actually has an altar. And even in some houses in the toilet you will at least a picture of Virgin Mary. Why would people place them there I have no idea. Oh well, to each his own. We Catholics have often been criticized of idolatry by having altars and images. I was taught that these images were similar to pictures, something to remind us of our love ones. Though it stills baffles me why would you place a picture of your loved one in the loo!

Betta Club of the Philippines dines with Betta Expert

2005-08-11T15:12:00.000+08:00

Philip Ngo with the members of Betta Club of the Philippines.

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