shame campaign
i was reading the newspaper last week and something caught my attention: a certain article where a man had posted slogans of names of people who owe him money and how much each person owes him. as far as i know, the total amount is around P2,000 but in just two days, it has gone down to around P900. so, shame campaign really does work, huh? i guess it’s normal for people, all the more filipinos, to be concerned about shame. no one ever wants to be caught in shame. so with this shame campaign, everyone did their best in paying to get their names scrapped off from the list. now, this is a good suggestion. for people who have debtors . . . try this formula: shame campaign and see if eventually you’ll get paid back. hehe . . . mervs, try mo kaya ito? hehe but i’ll give you a better option. try giving without expecting anything in return. i’ve always believed in that. i’ll just let god be the one to pay it back. i have always been the kind who dreams of being able to give unconditional love. giving without expecting anything in return. it’s just material things . . . you won’t be needing them in the after life. it’s a better feeling, you know. to be able to give and see the delight on the person . . . you, yourself, will also be able to experience this certain kind of happiness that money cannot buy. but you know what i long for right now? i’d rather be rich with friends . . . true friends, that is. the kind who’d be there for you at times you needed people to be by your side . . . someone who’d offer their shoulders to cry on . . . their ears to listen to every hurt, pain, thought you wanted to air out . . . their arms to give you the most conforting hug ever . . . i guess i’m just hurt right now. i’ve been at people’s beck and call often. i’ve been there whenever they need me. i’d go out of my way to be able to lend a helping hand. it’s just disappointing that now that things have changed, and i’m the one needing their comfort . . . i can’t seem to find any . . . lately, i haven’t been feeling my worth as a true friend. can i do this shame campaign? is it possible for me to try posting the names of people i’ve helped or given a lending hand and ask them to be there for me now? would it work? but no, i’m not that kind of person . . . i’ve done my best to feel their needs . . . i would have hoped that they do the same . . . to feel the pain . . . the hurt . . . the longingness for true friends . . . who’d be there by your side the time you most needed them . . . –GI 30682
escapade
it’s been a long time since i last went to cubao. i must admit, i was still a kid when i was frequenting the area and ever since malls have sprouted in the ortigas and makati areas, i no longer went to cubao.
back when we were kids, at christmas time . . . my mom sees to it that we visit COD and the christmas presentation they have on top of the building. all the more, cubao used to have that posh mall for signature items, rustans . . .
i still remember how cubao looked like when we were still kids. the place was still bare . . . it was still accessible . . . no traffic yet. when makati and ortigas was being developed already, we started going there instead . . .
ever since i started driving, i haven’t really tried going to cubao. i’m not used to traffic and road signs at cubao, actually. oh well, given a map, i know i’ll survive.
so anyway, i went there last week to my surprise actually. it’s not as "jojologin" as i thought it still was. hehe . . . forgive me for that term :p i guess ayala did a great job in developing cubao.
well, honestly speaking . . . it’s still not a place where i would consider as my first option for gimiks but yeah, i wouldn’t mind going there. safe na pala doon . . . haha
so paano, blessie? iyakan moment tayo sa cubao? exchange of thoughts like we did back then sa discussion room ng econ lib? 
–GI 30682
Uncategorized | Comment (0)gift or no gift
yes, i know lots of people are hooked watching kris’ new game show, "deal or no deal," but i must admit it took a long time before i understood the mechanics of the game . . . thanks to gemi . . . hehe 
so anyway, one of those really hooked with the said show is my nephew. at a young age, i see that he truly understands the game . . . may sense naman kapag sumisigaw siya ng "deal" or "no deal". once the show is already on air, expect the loud voice of my nephew. i can hear him shout from my parents’ room to my room . . . sometimes to my exasperation, hehe.
you know how to deal with kids? the wonders of incentives, i mean? well, lately that’s what we’re doing to our nephew . . . give him incentives so he’ll obey the rules we’re telling him. being the only "pamangkin" of my brother and i, we kinda spoiled him with gifts and other things much to the disgust of my sister since she’s having a hard time raising up my nephew for eventually getting spoiled. but hey, that’s the job of titas and titos, right? to spoil their neices and nephews.
eventually, my sister gave this rule to my nephew. he can only accept gifts when it’s his birthday or it’s christmas time. left with no choice, my nephew had to agree. and now that his birthday is coming up next week, he’s got nothing else to say but to remind all of us of his birthday . . . darn it.
i’ve always been the gift-giver. in every occasion, i do my best to be able to hand in presents to people . . . be it simple or extravagant. but sometimes, if you’re being reminded of it everyday, hour by hour, minute by minute . . . one can’t help but get irritated . . . all the more if you’ve got lots of things in mind as well, right?
and so, i also came up with a deal with my nephew. i’ll give him a gift on his birthday, a gift of his choice as long as he won’t make me shout at him due to his "kakulitans". once i scold him, forget about the gift. thus, i had my own tagline to remind my nephew to be good to me always: "gift or no gift?" of course, my nephew would want to receive a gift . . . the more presents, the better, right? and so, he’s left with no choice but to be good to me and obey my every command.
and of course, i tend to abuse my so-called "power over him". i remember calling him "pangit" one time and he answered back saying he’s not ugly. i retorted back saying, "gift or no gift?" immediately, he shouted "gift!" so i asked him again . . . "so, sinong pangit?" and abruptly he answered "ako po! ako po!" hehe. i’m one bad tita . . .
well, my nephew’s been good at keeping his promise so he can expect a good birthday present from me. ako pa, mabait ako pagdating sa pagreregalo . . . ask my friends, haha.
now, my brother often abuses his height over my nephew. being a 6-footer, he’d always bully my nephew everytime my nephew wouldn’t give in to what my brother is telling him to do. good nephew, he loves me very much . . . it’s because oftentimes, my brother commands my nephew to do silly jokes on me . . . but he does his best not to listen . . . unless my brother resorts to bullying him, then my nephew’s left with no choice but to obey . . . and then i become the victim. *sigh*
two days ago, we were all laughing at home. my brother was telling my nephew to do something to me but since i heard right away, i immediately asked my nephew "gift or no gift?" we were all surprised at the reaction of my nephew. he just walked out of the family room saying . . . "ayoko na nga, matutulog na lang ako. ‘pag ‘di ako sumunod kay tito allan, magagalit siya. ‘pag sumunod naman ako, si tita gi naman ang magagalit . . . mawawalan ako ng gift." hehe . . . kids . . . don’t you just love them? 
i was telling that incident to my officemate and we just laugh at the wit of children. you just can’t help but laugh at their every comment . . . no matter how silly it may seem, you know it comes from the heart. those innocent comments . . . the eagerness to learn . . . the consciousness of hoping to do things right . . . the way they’d cry at their every problem only to find out how solvable the problem is . . .
you know, sometimes i wish i’m a kid again . . .
where having a problem means not getting the kind of dog you wanted for a pet . . .
where having a goal means to act effectively so you can convince your parents that you’re too sick to come to class . . .
where having a true friend means having someone who’d give you the bigger half of the candy cane she got from santa . . .
where falling in love was just about flowers, chocolates and love letters . . .
where being hurt means having a bruised knee and not of a bruised heart or ego . . .
oh yes, with what i’m going through right now . . . i really wish i was a kid again . . . it’s much easier being a kid . . . *sigh*
–GI 30682
Uncategorized | Comment (0)remembering takeshi’s castle . . .
thanks to my brother who’s been glued in front of our computer for the past couple of weeks, i’m left with no other choice but to watch tv these past days . . .
i’ve been channel surfing last week when i came across channel 24 . . . the program: "takeshi’s castle". i’ve been fond of watching that show during my younger years and it’s just fun to watch it all over again . . . the silly obstacle courses . . . the question of "does anybody really win this game at all?"
now, let’s talk about the objective of this game. it’s really simple. it’s basically just a race or should we say, a battle, to get to the castle. with a simple objective, to make it interesting, you’ve got to make it harder . . . thus, the presence of silly obstacles. i guess, what makes this show really funny is that you’d really notice the "pandaraya/panggagantso" of the people behind the show, thus the question: "has anyone won in this show ever?" but take a closer look . . . it can also be a battle where gut feeling is required. to be able to survive each obstacle/round . . . the right intuition is your only weapon to finish it, right?
i used to think i’m one of those "few" people who watch the show. but then comes a surprise back in college. that’s when i realized how popular the show was to people my age. i still remember that moment, it was my STS class in UP . . . i was with my best friend, eric plus our other groupmates inside the auditorium. the class was a bit boring so we were just chatting and basically, not listening to the lecture. anyway, we’ve got handouts . . . we can study that for the exams some other time. our topic was our childhood days. it was at that time when emails or even friendster bulletin with the subject: "you know you’re an 80’s kid when . . ." became famous. so basically, we were reminiscing the things we’ve been doing when we were kids. the nintendo games, the chinese garter, cedie, batibot, tropang trumpo and other things. then i blurted out, "do you guys watch takeshi’s castle?" there goes the laughter in our group as we realized we all loved watching that show. and so, we spent the rest of the lecture just talking about the different obstacle courses. and now that the show is back . . . i’m sure most people my age would watch it all over again.
which reminds me of my college friends . . . lately, i’ve been going out of my way trying to get back the connection with them to my frustration since i’m not getting any replies asap. but i guess, there are just moments that you’d call "right timing" . . . one by one i’m getting their replies and yes . . . for the next couple of weeks, i’ve got appointments with them.
and yes, i’m looking forward to see them . . . talk to them . . . share things that have happened which we may not be aware of for the past 2 years. i’m really looking forward to spend some time with them, have intellectual conversations, well . . . even light topics yet relevant. i guess it would be nice to share your achievements with the people to whom you’ve told your dreams with . . . to basically tell them which you’ve already accomplished, which are still in the process, and which ones remain a dream to be fulfilled.
with some exchange of emails or messages, i’ve realized i’m not the only one battling a certain crisis in life . . . i guess all of us battle our own issues and that’s a reality of life. but you know what’s important? it’s finding people to whom you can release all hurt, pain and other thoughts . . . people to whom you can cry on . . . people willing to listen, not basically to give advice, but those who’d make you feel their presence especially now when a true friend is what you actually need.
yes, i now have an idea of who my true friends are . . . the people worth keeping . . . the people worth valuing . . . i leave them with a promise . . . as i cherish the friendship and how you value ours, i will return the favor . . . the time when i needed them most then i found them to be at my side . . .
thanks to these people, the people i can now call "real and true friends" . . . you guys know who you are . . .
–GI 30682
Television | Comment (0)kakaibang pinoy idol
have long wanted to write this one but i haven’t found the time to do so the past few days . . .
so anyway, as i’m waiting for someone . . . might as well make use of the time by writing this blog.
the episode of philippine idol around 3 weeks ago was really interesting. they had this battle for the "unique performances" of those who applied for the philippine idol elimination round.
it was a good show. all the more since during that time, i was in a depressed mood so, it was one way of making myself forget about some sad moments. add the fact of guest judges like ethel booba, arnel ignacio, and tuesday vargas . . . enjoy the laughter every minute with their wacky comments.
unforgettable performances:
1. the one with the maid costume - hilarious performance all the more with mel feliciano’s "comic" participation.
2. the guy who did the mystika impersonation. singing "joyful joyful" while doing gymnastic routines . . . hmm, i wonder if you can call that blasphemous . . . it was a riot to see him doing the somersault while singing . . .
3. yova - the gay singer. i really loved his/her voice and i’m really glad she won. like what arnel ignacio had said, i wish he/she will have a fruitful career. . . he/she has gained my respect . . . desente siyang tao . . .
oh well, since i wasn’t able to watch the first elimination round due to the typhoon . . . i can only give comment on the second elimination night . . .
performances i loved:
1. apple - powerful voice . . . one of my favorites na siya to win the philippine idol
2. jan - i loved the title of the song he sang: "could it be i’m falling in love" . . . ‘yun na ‘yun . . . gets n’yo na kung bakit
3. mau - i’m glad she danced and she risked not singing ballads . . . it was a plus point for her . . . to prove how versatile she is in singing . . . another favorite of mine to win the title
4. arms - i agree with ryan cayabyab. no other contestant in the philippine idol can sing "respect" better than arms. she’s also one of my bets . . .
5. pow - i also want her to win. honestly speaking though, i didn’t like the song she sang. i must admit i’m no usher fan, that’s why . . .
oh well . . . i hope the next round has a good theme . . .
and consider it good timing or what . . . but the people i’ve been waiting for have already arrived
till next time . . .
–GI 30682
Uncategorized | Comment (0)hungry for power . . .
6 years ago, we were all preparing for the coming of the new millennium. here in the philippines, we had this famous line: "ang pagdating ng bagong milenyo". being the ever pasaway children, my brother and i would always joke around with our mom and we’d often ask her who "milenyo" is. when asked by our mom about which "milenyo," my brother and i will hit the punch line, "e sino ba ‘yung sinasabi nilang dadating si milenyo?" well, well . . . so much to the dismay of our mom . . .
well, we’ve all come prepared for the new millennium and all our fears back then, somehow, didn’t occur . . . much to our relief. but who would’ve thought that there’s still another "milenyo" that we should all be preparing for . . . with, i guess, much greater devastating effects . . .
here at the office, it took until tuesday for the power to be restored. at least we have a generator, kinda erratic though, but thinking on the good side, it’s better than not having one. and so, with a boring life at the office due to limited "use" of office equipments, we somehow managed to enjoy the moment by sharing jokes . . . before "milenyo" came, we were joking that the typhoon has decided not to enter the philippines. why? well, due to the bad weather . . . errr, kinda corny, huh? now, after the typhoon, the jokes going around the office (which i believe are now even spreading as text messages) are "babalik sa metro manila si milenyo . . . hihingi ng sorry . . ." but . . . my favorite joke would be this one: "si neneng, natakot kay nonong . . ." well, i’d say that it’s a privilege for those who’d be able to get that joke . . . hehe
i know it was really difficult to not have electricity for a couple of days, but it’s inevitable. the typhoon was really strong and we must admit that we can’t do anything if nature decides to do so.
during those days there are a couple of things i’ve learned . . .
first, we’ve been really dependent on technology. with the power failure, we’ve all been complaining. there’s no air con, not even electric fan. no computer. eventually, no mobile phones if you’ve got no car charger . . .
well, we’ve all been complaining about not being able to use those gadgets but come to think of it . . . we were able to survive not having them, right? years ago, mobile phones weren’t a necessity. not everyone had mobile phones back then. people of long ago did not even use electric fans all the more aircons . . . but they never complained.
i’ve realized that as technology improves, our patience gets shorter . . . perhaps, we’re really living in such a fast-paced world that we want everything asap. but i understand the situation somehow. as much as i’d love to complain back then of the slow movement of meralco, i opted to just be patient. the typhoon caused damage to the entire metro manila and i guess it’s hard to put up all the fallen electric posts in just one day.
with no television and computer for a couple of days, we just relied on a portable radio. but you know, i kinda enjoyed it. my family bonded in just one room, talking about anything . . . our childhood days, things at work . . . just basically laughing and having a good time. with the rise of mobile phones, i’ve lost interest in using landlines but due to the blackout and since i wanted to save the battery of my mobile phone, i’ve decided to call a couple of friends using the landline. you know what, i missed that . . . i actually enjoyed it . . . i couldn’t believe i spent hours on the phone one day.
still, the most important realization i had during that whole experience . . . we can never argue with god. once in a while, he still knows a way on how to show that he’s still the most powerful. with all of us busy with a lot of things, he knows how to disconnet us from all of those things that keep us occupied. and most of all . . . i know a lot of us prayed to him for the power to be returned asap, right?
well, i know we’ve all learned something from the recent typhoon. i hope when the next typhoon arrives, we’re all prepared and that it wouldn’t cause great devastation to places here in the country.
–GI 30682
thoughts | Comment (0)