mga kwento at haka-haka ni kakang pepe

Saturday, July 31, 2004

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER

"there he is again, running infront of me. sometimes just beside me or behind me, depending on the position of the street light."

i was jogging with my wife Sallie just a few hours back, and i can't help but noticed my shadow. it was not the first time that i realized, my shadow seemed to be the image of my father, my tatay Andres. every strides was incredibly him.

for the nth time, i remember when i was young, when me and my father jog. we jogged through pedro gil, turning left on quirino avenue, and finally reaching the roads of roxas boulevard. sometimes we eat lugaw before riding the jeepney home.

i know that he is with me not only when i jog. he lives through me...i'm my father's son.

Friday, July 30, 2004

SA ISANG LIBO MONG HALIK AKO AY PUPUTI

nakakatuwa naman yung bunso naming si abby, may sound effect na yung kiss nya. we intend her to be our bunso kaya halos lahat ng first, eh milestone sa amin. talagang malapit ang puso ko kay abby (as with all my kids syempre). ika nga eh, sya yung kumumpleto sa pagiging ama ko. Yung unang dalawa kasi namin barako. iba talaga pag baby girl (tip..tip), iyakin at maldita makarinyo at malambing.

nabuo si abby nung namatay ng tatay ko. ewan ko ba sa sobrang lungkot yata, si Sallie ang napagdiskitahan ko. nakabalik na kami dito sa singapore ng malaman naming napuruhan pala si s'ya. medyo mixed emotions nga eh. syempre pa, another baby means stretching the budget and matagal akong outside the kulambo physically stressfull naman talaga. pero, i always believe that a baby is retribution for making your parents' life miserable a gift from ABOVE, so okay lang. medyo naunsyami ako ng lumabas sa ultrasound na babae pala yung next baby namin. chauvanistic ako ng konti mga pards, ang tingin ko eh argabyado ang babae sa mundong ibabaw plano ko kasing bumuo ng pang "first 5" sa basketball team. pero it turns out, na sya pala ang magiging "icing on the cake" sa buhay namin.

s'yangapala, in case ur wondering what's with the title. portion sya nung kanta sa lumang pelikula ng kupal na muntik na nating maging presidente"idolo" nating si FPJ at ni elizabeth ramsey.

Thursday, July 29, 2004

DIE DIE MUST TRY

we had  our lunch today sa may kainan which is about 3 blocks away from our company.  worth the walk, kumain ba naman kami ng roasted duck, tofu and egg in "special" gravy, java rice at ang pamatay na curry fish head.  Syempre pa, ang panulak namin ay ang house drink nilang lemonade na ubod ng sarap!

isa sa mga famous foods dito sa Singapore yang curry fish head.  i read that a chinese immigrant introduced the dish few decades back.  patok sya!  Just imagine boiling a fish head on curry with coconut oil, lady finger (okra), tomatoes, lemongrass and lots of other asian herbs and spices.  Medyo spicy sya, with a slight sweet taste…ah basta, masarap sya!  almost everywhere may mabibilhan ka ng dish na 'to.  but as usual, yung iba,  so and so lang ang lasa.  pero itong sa eating place na kinainan namin, talagang makakalimutan ang biyenan mo sa sarap.

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

HEALTH IS WEALTH

kagagaling lang namin ni kumander sa pagdya-jogging.  as much as possible, we try to jog every wednesday and saturday night.  doon kami nagdya-jogging may tabi ng creek which starts from potong pasir and ends in bishan park.  of course, not the full length.  we only cover the stretch of about 3 km, or roughly 2o minutes of continuous jog for true aerobic exercise.  well light lighted and well paved yung jogging path.  ibang klase talaga kapag affluent ang bansa.

Sunday, July 25, 2004

TO HELL WITH THEM

last friday while having my teabreak, this indonesian engineer asked me (sort of teasing) kung bakit daw tayo nagpull-out from Iraq.  sabi nya, we are now perceived as cowards, untrustworthy ally na hindi pwedeng pagkatiwalaan.

at first, talagang disappointed din ako sa desisyon ni ate glo.  pero napagisip-isip ko na tama rin si ate glo.  katatapos lang ng very divisive election sa bansa natin and we cannot afford to decide against the general sentiment ni juan dela cruz.  myopic and emotional yung decision, but i guess it's practical and realistic.  we should be a country first before we can truly be a global player.

yung kupal na giyera naman na yan sa iraq ay base sa mga fabricated info.  all the while, talagang questionable ang motive ni dubya and the rest.  baka nakalimutan na nila yung iran-contra arms for hostage incident nung early 80's.   reagan gave in to arms demand ng mga terorista in exchange for their hostaged soldier.  kung napanood mo rin ang "black hawk down", eto yung nag-precipitate ng pull out ng mga kano sa somalia which ended with the massacre of millions of hutus (or tutsis?).  it is a necessary evil being on the side of uncle sam. pero kung tutuusin mo, marami ring kasalanan ang kano sa atin.  the carpet bombing of manila near the end of world war 2, not owning up to the chemical waste that they left behind sa mga base, atbp.  it's  a country declaring itself as na epitome of democracy by dictating other countries what to do.

Saturday, July 24, 2004

EB@PSE...july 23, 2004

 
one of the pics sa eb ng puplhs batch 87 (which i can proudly say i'm a part of).  naka-feed live thru IM ang event.  seeing the smiles on those familiar faces brings back good old memories of my high school days.

Thursday, July 22, 2004

IKASKAS MO...BABY!

 
galing lang namin ni misis sa libreng chow ng DBS.  isa sa mga perks of owning the credit card.  okay lang sya, not that gastronomic.

sarap din talaga ang may credit cards, just as long as u use them for convenience and not for credit...;)

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

PISTENG YAWAH!

nadale ako ng trangkaso! 2 days na akong on MC (sick leave).  bad trip nga, pati yung panganay ko at bunso nahawa pa yata.  medyo erratic kasi ang weather dito sa singapore.  minsan, talagang tagaktak sa pawis pati singit mo.  minsan naman para kang nasa pinas, buhos ng buhos ang ulan. 
 
medyo naalis lang ng konti yung asar ko nung sumakay ako ng lift kaninang umaga.  nauna na kasing pumunta sa doktor si sallie, kasama si arthur (my eldest) at si abby (my youngest unica hija).  magwi-withdraw pa kasi sa atm bago pumasok sa office si sallie, and to save some very precious minutes, eh nauna na sila.  umaebs pa kasi ako.
 
so much for the palabok or the ebs...balik tayo sa lift.  nakasabay ko yung chika babes na taga 10th floor, mukhang nadale rin sya, sinisipon si tita.  narinig or nakita ko na naman yung isang bagay na talagang fascinated ako.   can u sneeze while pinching your nostrils?   most singaporeans can do that, lalo na yung mga babae.  for the record book ba?! 

Sunday, July 18, 2004

GISING NA INDAY!


heto ang view from the living room of  our flat. taken 7am Sunday morning...
 
although toa payoh kami, what ur seeing is the town of bishan.  just moved to this place, end of february this year after getting our permanent residency.
 
linggo na naman...araw ng mga inday.  don't get me wrong! wala akong hang ups sa mga dh (domestic helper).  marami rin namang kaming kaibigan ni misis na inday, fyi.  we just lovingly called them inday. 
 
as u can see, it's a perfect day.  di umuulan at makulimlim.  very conducive gumala-gala.  siguradong puno na naman ang lucky plaza, at syempre pa, ang gulong park.  gulong park eh yung bakanteng lote  across tang's department store which is just beside lucky.  hulaan mo kung bakit gulong park?  actually, wala naman talagang pangalan yung park na yon.  mga noypi na lang ang nagbigay nga pangalan na gulong park. unknown lang kung kailan bininyagan.  dumating ako dito nung March 1996 eh gulong park na yon, most probably, yung mga naunang ofw's.
 
ang gulong park eh isa sa mga tambayan ng mga inday tuwing sunday day off...ayun ay kung hindi smegs ang amo nila at papayagan sila.  may mga dala lang silang chicha at kwentuhan maghapon doon.  yung iba kahuntahan yung mga kapwa nila inday, yung iba prayer meeting, at yung iba naman kasama ang kanilang mga papa. 


Saturday, July 17, 2004

CHIN CHAI FO NGAI HOKKIEN MEE

hinihintay ko si esmi kanina sa may labas ng somerset mrt station ng
may lumapit na matandang chinese sa akin. i'm actually tempted to
use matandang tsekwa, kaya lang offensive daw iyon sabi ng iba
nating kababayan na chinese...eniweys, may tinatanong sya sa akin in chinese. gaya ng karamihang matatanda rito, hindi sila marunong
ng english. usually chinese, malay, hokkien or other
dialects. syempre pa sabi ko, "sori auntie i don't speak
chinese". ngumiti sya at umalis, obviously nagetz nya.

di lang naman ito ang pers taym na napagkamalan akong chinese. daang beses na, sa train, sa kalsada, pati nga nung minsan sa toilet.
nung unang dating nga si esmi dito, napagkamalan pa akong employer nya...hahaha! sabi  ko nga sa kanya, either mukha lang talaga
akong mayaman na chinese or talagang mukha ka lang talaga s'yang
longkatuts. matanong nga kita kabayan, nasa karakas ko ba na chinese ako?!

sa tinatagal tagal ko rito sa singapore, na pangalawa sa mainstream
language ang chinese, eh dehins ko naisipang mag-aral ng lengwaheng chinese. kahit na alam kong makakatulong ng malaki ito sa akin
both personally and professionally. majority sa hawak kong tao,
chinese. of course may alam akong paisa-isa. gaya ng "wo ai ni"
(i lab u), wo pu tse tao (i dont know), haw (good), xie xie ni (tenk
yu) at marami pang iba.

english kasi ang primary language rito, added value lang ang marunong ka ng ibang language. da best kung marunong ka ng chinese at malay. okay rin naman kung marunong ka ng ilocano, bisaya or iba pang lenggwahe ng pinas...ayon ay kung mahilig kang mangbingwit sa ilog ng lucky plaza tuwing linggo.

ewan ko ba!? either that i don't really see the need or just a matter of pride. alam kong mado-dominate ng china ang asian economy. pero alam ko rin, na to make it really epektib, it is imperative that they use the english language. they know it, sinisimulan na nila. dehins naman ako chauvanist, pero alam kong mas magaling pa rin tayo sa kanila. i'm saying it thru experience, dahil na rin sa mga "smegmatic" na mga tao rito sa office. dangan nga lang at "smegmatic" ang bansa natin. labo ba?!


Friday, July 16, 2004

WITH GREAT POWERS.....


i have an eerie feeling about this. my (girl) spidy senses tell me something is not just right....waaahhh!...give me my kit kat!

taken few minutes back. it's friday night, and the kids are busy goofying around. here's abby wearing her kuya alex' spidy costume.


AKO BAROK , IKAW GUNDINA

"walaweh!"...(crude translation for this "singlish" word: "ano ba yan!") dehins din naman kabangis ang English ko, pero my-oh-my, yung English ng iba rito really sucks. kanina nire-review ko yung existing process specs na ginawa ng local na engineer, talagang di ako mapakaling di i-rephrase ang karamihan.

in this aspect, mas magaling pa rin tayo sa mga singaporean. at least sa generation ko ( pabugok ng pabugok na kasi ang kalidad ng edukasyon sa atin). isama mo na rin yung lamang tayo sa paligo...literally, wala rin tayong BO...ooops! i'm digressing...pero kung ayaw n'yong maniwala, itanong n'yo kay batyay.



Thursday, July 15, 2004

"Ako ay Pilipino....

............... A tapang a tao!
a putol a kamay, indi atakbo!
a putol a ulo, indi pa rin atakbo!…"

We are the weakest link, dishonored, weak-kneed, knee-jerked, weaklings! Ahhhhhhh! Times like this makes we want to bury my head in the sand in shame. We take pride na Pinoy tayo, cannot be cowed even with death. Countless times na pinatunayan natin ito, from Lapu-lapu to Ninoy. Yet, heto tayo, nagpa-blackmail sa terrorista. Ang isang pang nakakaasar, umatras tayo ni hindi pa nga natin nakukuha si Angelo…TALAGANG EWAN!!!

Saan na nga kaya tayo patungo bilang isang bansa…=(

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

"nakaw na sandali..."


...this is me, taken kanina sa trabaho (that explains the title..=p)

labs op my layf...


muaaaah!...these two girls never fail spicing up my life...my ever lovely wife Sallie at ang aking unica hija...Abby Posted by Hello

Pinoy Hostage in Iraq...take 2

The article below shares my sentiment...talagang inaalat ang bansa natin...=(

RP to pay hefty price for running up white flag in Iraq: analysts
7/14 2:34:33 PM MANILA (AFP)

The Philippines may have saved the life of a hostage by agreeing to pull its small security contingent from Iraq but could well end up paying a heavier price as a result, analysts warned Wednesday.

Not only has President Gloria Arroyo hurt the country's international standing by caving in to threats, she also puts a million Filipinos working in the volatile Middle East at risk from terrorists who now know they can pressure the government by victimizing Filipinos, the analysts said.

The Arroyo government announced Wednesday it has started pulling its 51-man contingent out of Iraq after insurgents threatened to kill Angelo de la Cruz, a Filipino truck driver they had taken hostage.

"The decision to pull out the Filipino humanitarian mission in Iraq, we are sure, was a very difficult one. But it was a fatal mistake," a daily broadsheet said in a front-page editorial.

"The withdrawal... impoverishes the leadership of President Arroyo and the credibility of the Philippines in the world," it said.

"It does not make Iraq safer from terrorists. It does not make the lives of our workers safer in Baghdad and other Middle East capitals. The decision will even embolden terrorists and make the practice of abducting Filipino workers part of their violent program."

This is the way we brush our teeth..

Ngingisi-ngisi na naman ang mga kumag, nakita na naman nilang dala ko ang toothbrush at toothpaste ko. Meaning, I'll be doing my after lunch ritual….magsipilyo. No big deal sa ating mga YONIP ito, embedded na sa culture natin ika nga. Pero dito, manghang-mangha sila! In case hindi nyo alam, official "brush your teeth 2 times a day" lang dito Singapore. Isa sa umaga, tapos sa gabi (minsan hindi pa nga raw, sabi ng colleague ko).

Pero yung iba nakikigaya na rin, sarap daw ng feeling. Once may nagtanong tungkol sa pagsisipilyo ko, here it goes:

Singaporean: Alamak!...forgot to brush your teeth this morning mah?

Me: I did, it's just that we are used to brushing our teeth three times a day.

Singaporean: Sure or not?...That's soooo shiok!

Me: "pabulong"(habang nakangiti)…@#?$*& ina…talagang shiok!...umalis ka sa harap ko't baka ibuga ko sayo itong minumumog ko….

Sobrang tapang ng amoy ng mga pagkain dito, lalo na kapag Indian food. Dapat nga, sampung beses silang magsipilyo. Kaya naman hate na hate ko kapag may scheduled meeting after lunch. Nakow…sight ang smell, talagang pamatay! Makikita mo yung mga tinga-tinga nila habang langhap sarap mo yung hininga nila. Isa ito sa mga pagkakataon na talagang mamumura mo ang gobyerno (at mga naging gobyerno) ng lupang tinubuan. Kung maayos sana ang naging pamamalakad nila, sana hindi ko tyinatyaga ang mga kulugong ito….grrrrrrr!

Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Pusang Gala Talaga...

Ewan ko ba, ang tagal-tagal ko na dito sa Singapore (walong taong mahigit na tropa!) but until now di ko pa rin maiwasang maiinis sa mga Tangaporean. Okay pa naman ang gising ko kanina, kahit na alam kong late nako eh super upbeat pa rin... until nung makasakay ako ng bus. Wala talagang pakialam sa kapwa ang mga tao rito, maano ba namang umusug-usog ng konti (parang yung kanta ni Florante?) nang makapwesto naman yung iba. Buti na lang at medyo "juicing" yung katabi ko…

Saturday, July 10, 2004

Pinoy Hostage in Iraq

We see it coming…

Pull out ba tayo o ano?! What's another Pinoy life anyway? Sa Pinas nga, everyday serving na yung mga namamatay dahil sa senseless violence, calamities that can be prevented or at least effect can be diluted. Of course, 'di mo pwedeng sabihin sa pamilya ng OFW yan, or bluntly make a press release using this as a rationale for making our troop stay. Kahit na gaano kapalpak ang premise ni Dubya nung sinugod nya ang Iraq, we are duty bound to support the peacekeeping. Not for the "crumbs" that Uncle Sam throws to us once in a while, but in our pride as a country.

Napakadesperado namin kasi ng buhay sa Pinas, kahit na mataas ang probability na matitigbak, eh willing pa rin ang iba nating kababayan na pumunta sa God forsaken country na yan. Yun ngang inawat na 120 sa airport eh talagang nanggagalaiti na umalis. Worthwhile nga namang matigbak ka sa paghahanap ng trabaho kesa tumirik ang mata mo sa gutom kasama ng mga mahal mo sa buhay...=(

Wednesday, July 07, 2004

Dinky Winky

Urrgh! There goes one of the best cabinet member of our time. Dinky Soliman is leaving DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), just because GMA has to honor her political promise to Noli Boy the VP.

For the record, I rooted for Gloria on the last election. Rooted and not voted... dahil sa mga komikerong mambabatas natin. Just imagine, as a permanent resident of another country, kailangan kong pumirma attesting na babalik ako ng Pinas within the next three years. Ano sila hilo?! Para bang may naghihintay sa akin sa Pinas. At one point in time, inamin ni Nene Pimentel (the filibusterer) na flawed yung condition na yon . It was too little too late. Anyway, that's another story. Nasaan na ba tayo? Ahhh…kay Ate Glo nga pala. I'd been into countless debates sa mga kapwa ko OFW's dito sa Singapore defending her. It's a pity that our country had to choose between the lesser of evil.

Everyone within the government circle, and even the opposition are in unison na effective talaga si Mommy Dinky. For Juan's sake, bakit kailangang palitan?! GMA is back on her old ways. Maano bang tigilin na yang pamumulitika. Our country really needs to bite the bullet. Everything will get worse before it gets better. Fine, at this juncture no choice na tayo. But por dios por santo, Misis Presy should do away with politics!

Payback time! Dinky hits the bullseye. It's not a secret that even scalawags, druglords, jueteng lords, and people with vested interest helped propel GMA to presidency. I hope and pray that Gloria won't pay them back as generously…=(

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

Sleepy Tuesday

Until now I haven't decided whether to post my blogs in English or Tagalog. I guess I'm not just really a writer by heart…hahaha! But I can fully qualify as a "ranter". Anyway, if this is really about ranting, dapat siguro mixture of both languages. Sa totoong ako naman, I don't really rant in straight English or Tagalog, unless na lang work related. There's a lot of issues that I really wanted to take head on…at least by ranting.

It is such a sleepy Tuesday afternoon. Maybe I had to much to eat for lunch. As usual I had a serving of fruit (papaya wedge) before the meal. I read in few forwarded emails that this is good for the system, and for me, it makes good sense. I ordered Malay food. Nagpa "tapao" (or take out) ako ng chicken curry, "tahu goreng" (fried bean curd with string veggie, etc) at fried potato. Here in Singapore, kapag "tapao" eh halu-halo ang pagkain (read: kaning-baboy). If you are not used to it (like my wife on her maiden days here), you'll find it disgusting. The way the meal looked at talagang maanghang sya, pwede mong i-qualify as a meal sa Fear Factor. But my-oh-my, masarap sya. Acquired taste siguro, I've been here in Singapore for over 8 years na.

Teka, I guess I'm straying from my topic. Better hit the cafeteria and get myself a coffee or tea…;)

Rebel Returnees...

...Yan ang tawag namin dito sa mga kasamahan namin sa trabaho na nag-decide na umuwi sa Pinas para makasama ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay…."for good", pero bumalik ulit. Hindi lang isa o dalawa ang "rebel returnees" dito sa company (pa lang) namin, marami-rami na rin sila.

Sabi nila, swerte raw at nakabalik. Pero hindi mo maikakatwa ang bahid ng kalungkutan sa "rebel returnee" at sa amin pa ring nandito. Malungkot para sa mga "rebel returnee" dahil itinalaga na nila ang buhay nila sa abroad. Kumita ng disente pero malayo sa mga mahal sa buhay. Fitting talaga na tawagin kaming "modern day hero". Para naman itong malamig na tubig na ibinuhos sa aming naiwan dito na nangangarap na bumalik sa Pinas. Another "living proof" na wala na kaming babalikan.

Maswerte ako, (at ang iilan) kasama ko ang pamilya ko. Pero tama si Einstein, ang swerte raw ay bounded pa rin ng law of relativity. Sa mga ilan na wala ang pamilya dito, mas maswerte raw sila. Bakit kamo? Pwede kang magloko, buhay binata to the max. Typical na buhay raw yon sa abroad…yung mga illicit affairs. As long na kumpleto raw ang padala mo, eh okay lang. "Mild" nga lang daw rito compare mo sa Hongkong or other countries na maraming OFW. Medyo twisted ang concept ng morality pagdating sa bagay na yan. Kaya si kumander, di mo mapapauwi yon na hindi ako bitbit.

Ooops…parang lumalayo ako sa topic!? Balik tayo sa mga "rebel returnee". Ating himayin ang mga kadahilanan ng kanilang pagbabalik loob….

Karamihan sa kanila ay may malalaki na ring ipon kaya nag-lakas loob na umuwi. Nagtayo ng maliit na negosyo na bumagsak. Yung iba naman, eh nagoyo ng mga pyramid schemes. Yung iba naman, dahil sa itinagal sa abroad, hindi makasundo ang mismong pamilya nila. Na-missed nila yung "bonding stage", both as a husband and a father. Bumalik sila ulit sa abroad para matikman yung "carefree and peaceful" life na tinatamasa nila noon.

Hopefully, nakadaan sila ng duty-free at nakabili ng tequila. May kamahalan ang alak dito sa Singapore...

Hainanese Beef Noodle

Unang tikim pa lang, alam kong babalik-balik ako sa food stall na ito. Mahirap i-describe kung gaano sya kasarap, you just have to personally taste it. Gaya ng karamihan sa mga noodles dito, may option ka kung gusto mo ng dry or soup. Mas trip ko ang dry version, talagang malalasahan mo yung sarap ng pagkain. Anyway, may kasama rin naman syang soup, nakahiwalay lang. At syempre pa, hindi mawawala yung "blachan chili" on the side.

Madami ring masarap at kakaibang pagkain dito sa Singapore. Kaya kung magagawi ka dito, you might as well try local stuffs. It's a great gastronomic experience, ika nga ng tourism drive nila. Isa raw sa mga paboritong past time ng mga Singaporean ay ang "eating out" (pigging out pa nga ang term ng iba). Kaya naman kahit saang sulok ay may "hawker centre" o kainan.

Siguradong mga pagkain dito ang mga mami-missed ko kapag nag "for good" na kaming umuwi….