DESTINY HAS LED US TO THIS MOMENT

para sa asawa kong mahal...

1994

anim na taon na pala tayo. bumpy ride indeed, but I guess we're getting the hang of it. we are not perfect individuals, but it seems we're perfect for each other. we naturally complemented each other, kaya siguro tayo tumagal. i'm temperamental--pasensyosa ka, you're mature before your age--para namang akong kulokoy, maganda ka--di bale na lang.

we simply stick to each other.

siguro dahil tinutulungang kitang gumagawa ng homework mo, parati kitang binibilihan ng banana-Q with matching coke 500, isinasama kitang kumain ng palabok kila aleng beth sa palengke, binibilihan kita ng biko at ube ni aleng saleng, atmpb.

then we took the plunge.

ang hirap mamanhikan! you just graduated from college and I was a nobody working student. almost literally, iginapang ka ng mama mo para makatapos. tapos, ginapang naman kita. arthur forced the issue. ang game plan natin -- pakasal sa huwes. enter ang mga oldies -- simbahan daw! ngek! feel nila may pera tayo.

if love can move mountains, raising the money for the wedding is peanuts (palakas loob?!). we scrimped every cents, disposed of some of my items, borrowed money from the bank. sanamagan! i won't let money get in the way, God knows how much I LOVE YOU.

Sta. Ana Church; 3rd of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety four...

"to have and to hold, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, 'til death do us part"

AMEN!!!

ISANG LINGGONG BLOG-IBIG

ten years wedding anniversary namin ng mylabidabs ko sa friday, so i decided to dedicate this whole week blogging about our lab istori. in tribute ika nga.

may 12, 1988 sa may paanan ng lambingan bridge...

i shit you not! lambingan bridge talaga ang tawag sa tulay na nag-uugnay sa sta. ana at kalentong sa may mandaluyong. kita nyo naman, setting pa lang lalanggamin na PC nyo.

piyesta ng sta. ana, bakasyon ng eskwela. syempre pa, nasa maynila si sallie. sa mindoro kasi sya nag-aaral ng high school. tagal ko na talagang s'yang tipo, kaya naman puro ang pa-cute ko ng makita ko s'ya.

syempre pa piyesta, lively ang atmosphere. the best daw mang-uto mangligaw ng babae pag ganitong may okasyon. emotionally vulnerable raw ang chickababes...hehehe!

tuloy ko kwento...

gulat sya ng kinamayan ko (with matching pa-cute to the max) pagkatapos ng sinalihan kong marathon. finisher ako, pero kulelat. hanggang ngayon, di ko pa rin maiisip ang motivation ko sa pagsali roon. siguro i need visibility (corporate lingo: look busy, nevermind your ability).

nang dumilim, at matapos ang ilang tagay ng beergin, nagkita ulit kami. syempre pa, nakahiram ng lakas ng loob kay san miguel, sinabi ko sa kanya ang nilalaman ng aking puson. alam ko namang may tinatagong pagsintang pururot din sa akin ang magandang dilag na ito, kaya konting bluff lang nakamit ko na ang pagkatamis-tamis nyang...

"PAG-IISIPAN KO MUNA!"

i was facing a wall, so i said something to this effect...

"ilang araw na lang babalik ka na sa lalawigan ng mga mangyan, pwede mo naman akong sagutin ngayon. pag-isipan mo na lang ng husto 'pag nasa mindoro ka na. kung di mo talaga feel, bawiin mo pagbalik mo sa pasko. okay lang sa akin yon. "

caught off guard s'ya sa drama ko, nalito. time for some diversionary tactic...

"punta ka ba ng perya, sasamahan kita?!"

naglakad kami papunta sa plaza. pa-gentleman effect, hinawakan ko ang kamay n'ya nang tumawid kami. nalibang yata, hindi na bumitiw.

i knew then, that we will be holding hands for the rest of our lives...

itutuloy!

KNOWLEDGE IS LIBERATING, JUST AS THE APPLE IN EDEN

I finished reading the bestselling book The Da Vinci Code few days back. I myself was awestruck on the speed I breezed through the book--merely 3 weekdays!

it is indeed a provocative book, something that will set you thinking. the factfile at the beginning was truly a great aid.

descriptions of ldv artworks are remarkable. it made me scrutinized the cross-stiched (by my sister-in-law) last supper on our dining room. the discussion on divine proportion is also fascinating!

this story has so many twists -- all satisfying, most unexpected -- that it would be a sin to reveal too much of the plot in advance in case you haven't read the book yet.

honestly, i had goosebumps just recalling the read.

the bone of contention on this book is actually the esoteric priory of sion. was it a hoax or what?! maybe just like the holy grail, the truth will never be known. as always, FAITH will endure!

SHATTERED INVINCIBILITY

i watched how argentina thrashed the US this morning, and my-oh-my, it was really a humbling experience for the nba players.

masyadong tentative ang mga moves ng mga player ng US, and they can't seem to ram through the 3/2 zonal defense of the argentinians. talagang sablay 'tong dream team IV.

being a basketball aficionado (kaya kahit na anong asar ko kay dubya), i still cheered for the US team. i know they are passionate about the game that is dear to me. but somehow, the fire in the hearts of the argentinians were lava hot. it devoured the US contingent.

losing to few countries should be a wake up call for the US pros--they don't rule the world of basketball anymore.

THE GIFTED CHILD

tomorrow, my eldest son arthur, will seat on the "gifted child" examination.

although i can say that he's quite doing well in his studies (given the circumstances), it is not exclusive to their "kind". the examination is actually open (and free) to all primary 3 students. it's a national exercise which happens every year here in singapore to tag those with "potentials".

out of the few thousands students, about 500 will be short listed. they will bundled together and will be on a different syllabus. a form of "accelerated" class, leaders of the pack.

i'm not really sure if want him to be labelled as one. no doubt that the program can really maximize the child's potential. but considering it's rigidity, it might rob him of his childhood. i would really detest that!

galingan mo na lang anak and make us proud!

EVERYONE LOVES A CONSPIRACY

natuloy yung jogging namin ni mylab kanina...

may deadnok pala sa kabilang block namin. for the nth time nabanggit ko na naman yung paborito kong oxymoron kapag may burol dito...

"wala talagang kabuhay-buhay ang patay dito."

pssst....hindi uso yung nakikiramay ang di kamag-anak or di kakilala dito. bury your own dead ika nga!

di gaya sa atin sa pinas, buhay na buhay ang communal concern. talagang abot-tenga ang mga mahilig sa tong its at mahjong, at ang ever alert na mga tambay....may pwesto na sila, may libre pang pakape at biskwet!

"LIFE IS FILLED WITH SECRETS, YOU CAN'T LEARN THEM ALL AT ONCE."

"divine proportion intervention"...

heavy rain and gutsy wind kanina. hanep! feel ko nasa pinas ako. lalo tuloy akong na-excite sa nalalapit naming uwi.

naudlot din ang jog namin ni esmi, sakit daw ulo nya. di bale, there are other ways "to skin a cat"...bwahahaha! (tawang romy diaz)

diyeta sa itlog at manok ngayon dito 'coz of the bird flu in malaysia. most of the 3 million eggs consumed here everyday ay galing sa bansang ito.

A STEP BACKWARD, A LEVEL HIGHER

"we've got to teach less, so our children can learn more."

this one statement pm lee hsien long conveyed during his first national rally speech (SONA sa pinas) made most of us here grin in satisfaction.

the intent is to trim down the syllabus (with substance intact) by doing away with redundancies and finding more effective ways of teaching. they will also beef up the teaching force to hit a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:19 at the primary level, and 1:16 at secondary. this would free up students to absorb other "life lessons", enjoy their childhood without compromising their future and boost creative thinking.

ang bangis di ba?!

LICENCE OR LICENSE

licence or license ?....parehas lang yon!

putcha! akala ko nakaiwas na ako sa hinayupak na TV licence na yan. aside from a rattlesnake, this is one of those things that I dreaded seeing in my mailbox...bagong bayarin!

trivia time...

here in singapore, once you have a TV set installed, you have to pay a license that will set you back by about 4k pesos per year.

amazed ka ba?!

actually, it is just one of those licenses and permits that everyone here abhor. just to cite a few more, you need license for your car radio, for owning a dog, to engage in kinky sex to sell your wares, etc.

alam mo bang pati yung bulag, bingi or what-have-you, na nagpe-perform sa mga underpass, overpass, sidepass (tabing kalye?) ay may permit?!

QUOTABLE QUOTES

"Everyone should have a blog. It is the most democratic thing ever."

Jessica "Washingtonienne" Cutler

THE FILIPINO IS WORTH DYING FOR

although i'm aware that today is ninoy aquino's death anniversary, it somehow slipped my mind... until i got this text from pinas.

"ngayong Aug. 21, kay gandang alalahanin na si Ninoy ay piniling mag-alay ng buhay para sa bayan sa halip na mamatay sa kunsimisyon kay Kris"...

ninoy's contribution to our country's history is truly significant. the same si true with our sense of humor. it keeps us resilient!

ENHANCED COMMENTING AND TRACKBACK

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

i would like to apologize sa mga nag-gagandahang dilag (toni, shaz, mommyBa) na nag-comment sa mga blogs ko. your comments were ripped off due to this enhancement. I have read them all...salamat sa pansin...;)

i feel buoyant that this new feature will make your visit more worthwhile.

FRIDAY SMORGASBORD

still grounded...

nag-improved na ng konti yung mata kong kikay. medyo swollen na lang ng konti at hindi na ganoon kapula.

"yayo" ako ni abby today. ibinaba ko sya para maglaro sa playground. try to enjoy them while they are young ika nga. time will come na hindi na sa inyo iikot ang mundo nila.

olympic watch...

hurray! li jia wei of singapore reach the semis!

so far, s'ya ang one and only medal hope ng singapore sa athen's olympic. the last olympic medal that singapore won was way back 60's. kaya naman gahaman na gahaman silang maka "isa" man lang.

she is originally from china, adopted by singapore to play table tennis. bilib ako sa composure nya. an epitome of an olympian!

ewan ko ba, napamahal na rin yata sa amin 'tong surrogate country na 'to. we find ourselves rooting for their players.

my idol...

don't be mistaken! dehins 'to si elena juatco , a canadian with filipino roots who is on the top 6 of of the on-going search for Canadian Idol. mas magandang 'di hamak naman ang asawa kong mahal sa kanya!

hehehe! mabangis talaga and dugong pinoy pagdating sa kantahan.

kita n'yo namang kumanta ang sweetheart ko, feel na feel. full of passion ika nga, parang yung pagmamahalan namin...hehehe!

wait 'till u hear her sing. kaya lang, likas na mahiyain talaga 'tong sweetheart ko. if not, eh di sumali sana s'ya sa singapore idol.

nanood nga pala kami ng singapore idol yesterday night. wala ka talagang itulak sipain. amusing yung mga contestant. yung mga judges naman ay talagang nakakaasar! singaporean na singaporean and dating, rude and celf-centered to the max. feel nila, the contest is all about them. hmmmp!

EVERYBODY NEEDS A SOMEONE

my "sweetheart", habang kinukulit ako keeping me company today.

kakatuwa 'tong "mini me" ko, napakalambing! papa's girl ika nga. laging nakabuntot 'pag nasa bahay ako. super galing pang magsumbong, wag lang makanti ng mga kuya...

MURPHY'S LAW

pusang gala talaga! talaga yatang ianaatsok ako ng malas...

grounded ako ngayon sa bahay 'coz of my swollen right eye. nagbabasa ako ng dyaryo kahapon pagkatapos kumain ng lunch. syempre pa, kasabay ko ang karamihan sa mga pinoy na katrabaho. as usual din, kwentuhan ng walang kwenta. quite congested kami sa company cafeteria, kaya ng may dumating na isa pa, umusog ako.

bwakangina talaga! nahagip ng edge ng hawak kong dyaryo yung right eyeball ko.

aguuyy! talaga pong napakasakit...mga 30 minutos din yata bago ako naka-recover. sira ang kalahati ng araw ko, wala na akong nagawa. dami pa namang items sa "to do list" ko. nakita rin ng amo ko ang condition ko, and suggested that i should see the company doctor...which i did.

wala namang daw tama yung mata, nabugbog lang. binigyan lang ako ng eyedrops for infection control. malayo sa bituka, tatlong dangkal to be exact.

it's getting worse as the hours go by. mistulang bulag na akong nakauwi.

kaninang umaga paggising ko, masakit at swollen pa rin. eye test...nakakakita pa, although medyo "cloudy". my sight is not deteriorating.

punta ulit ako sa doctor, ganoon din ang sinabi. binigyan lang ako ng pontalon for pain relief. obserbahan ko raw. binigyan n'ya rin ako ng MC (medical cert) to rest for 2 more days.

look at the bright side ika nga (kahit na isang mata lang), 4 days ang weekend ko! hopefully, bukas okay na, para naman ma-enjoy ko...

SANA'Y PAG-IBIG NA LANG...

hopefull by now, nakita mo na kaibigan yung bagong addendum sa sidebar ko. kung hindi pa…ma'no bang silipin mo naman tsong!

it's the "running cost", in terms of US (billion) dollar, of the ugly war in Iraq. very elementary ang banat nila, laymen's approach ika nga. it illustrates the impact, if those dollars and cents were used to fund various world ills... hunger, AIDS epedemic, public education, etc.

abominate war!

specially this dubya's war, a war based on "fabricated" false pretenses. i hope and pray na matalo sana ang smegs na 'to sa coming election!

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."

President Dwight D. Eisenhower
April 16, 1953

OLYMPIC FEVER

hagalpak si kumander alibasbas the other night habang nanood kami ng TV. ginagaya ko kasi si ronald susilo while inflaming the support of his "countrymen" for the olympics.

kung sa japanese language ay very prominent ang sound ng letter "R", dito ay halos silent sya. take for example the word "baKero". kapag singaporean ang nagsabi nyan, "bakeo" lang yan.

now I need your participation here. try to exaggerate the silent "R" concept, and say this phrase out loud...

SUPPORT SINGAPORE!!!

ang babaw ba?!...hehehe!

WINDOWS CRASHED

may bumagsak na bintana sa flat namin kagabi. by the looks of it, medyo may kataasan ang pinanggalingan, gula-gulanit pati yung metal casement. fortunately, walang nabagsakan. medyo hair raising, doon kasi s'ya bumagsak sa dinadaan namin.

may dumating nga raw na mga pulis and checked every houses, including ours. btw, hindi uso ang search warrant dito. kaya pwede nilang pasukin ang abode mo without funfare. pero magagalang naman sila kumpara sa mga "paunchy arrogant crocodiles" dyan sa pinas. they will show their badge (di isinasampal), then remove their shoes before entering the house.

straight forward ang datingan ng investigation. pag wala kang bintana, sayo yung nalaglag! most likely, multa yung may-ari. ibang usapan syempre kung may nadisgrasya.

high rise living ang style dito sa singapore. kaya naman, problema talaga yang mga nalalaglag. strict ang law nila pagdating sa ganyan. you are even obliged to get a licensed company to check your windows.

minsan may napraning na lalake. after magtalo silang mag-asawa, inawanan s'ya for good ni babae. ayun! lahat ng pwedeng itapon sa bintana, itanapon nya. kung pwede nga lang daw itapon yung inidoro. buti na lang walang minalas na nabagsakan. okay na yung lalake, kalmante na sya and spending his time in prison.

did you know that singapore has the highest rate of suicide per capita in asia? uso ang tumatalon dito tropa. marami rin nalaglag na katulong habang nagsasampay o naglilinis ng bintana. don't worry, mga indonesians yung nalalaglag. mas mataas ang IQ level natin sa kanila...sense of common ika nga.

kahit affluent na bansa ang singapore ay marami-rami ang depressed na tao rito. it goes to show that it's not all about money. sa pinas, medyo hikahos tayo, but we are resilient, hopeful at alam nating hiram lang ang buhay. gusto kong makitang mag-suicide ay 'yung mga congressman at senador na ang kakapal ng mukha! ayaw pa ring bitawan ang pork barrel sa kabila ng makapanindig balahibong deficit ng pinas.

pero, i don't think na depressed ang mga ibang tao dito sa singapore dahil sa amoy putok minsan ang simoy ng hangin. too much focus lang siguro on material things!

of course, all these are just theories, wala pa kasing nai-interview pagkatapos mag-suicide.

magulo ba yung kwento ko?!

NEVER NEVER ON A SUNDAY

akala ko "gameover" nako!

ganito kasi yon....

kaninang umaga, pinuntahan ko yung kumpare kong si jong na nakatira sa sengkang para kunin yung 2 kilong purefoods hotdog na pinabili (although hindi nya pinabayaran). sakay ako ng bus papuntang serangoon then transfer to north east line (NEL) MRT papuntang bahay nila.

it's a lazy sunday morning. 'lang masyadong tao sa train. day off ng mga inday ngayon, kaya may mga pailan-ilan kang makikitang filipina sa loob ng train. you can spot them easily, medyo maingay sila. di mo sila masisi, yung iba sa kanila halos once a month lang palabasin ng mga mokong nilang amo. their topics are as diverse as their domiciles back in pinas. from their simple dreams to their relationships with their fafas. minsan may advantage rin yung mukhang chinese (pero sabi ng kumpareng elmin,joval at cesar, more of japong daw ako) . you can get too close to them and hear the juicy details (para bang nagbabasa ng abante or bulgar), akala nila di mo knowing ang mga pinagsasabi nila...hehehe!

sensya na, medyo digressing ako. close to my heart kasi ang mga inday. not because may naging syota ako (gaya ni...at ni...at ni....), as my wife insists, during my first four months na nandito ako na 'di ko sya kasama. anak pawis din kasi ako.

eniweyz...

my mortality flushed before my eyes. may dumaan sa harap kong train security, escorting an odd looking guy. mukha s'yang middle eastern, about six foot in height, balbas sarado, wearing a sweatshirt in this humid country and with a back pack.

yaiks!...mukha syang terorista na suicide bomber. am i looking at another madrid (train bombing) incident in the making?

although subtle, high alert ang singapore ngayon sa security. pati nga mga thrash bin sa mga train stations binawasan na.

text ko si sallie...

"lab u...kiss r2rlxab 4 me.."

morbid thoughts....

at least kung may mangyari sa akin, may "mi ultimo adios" ako sa mga pinakamamahal ko sa buhay. btw, r2rlxab is the short form of the names of my kids...arthur, alex and abby.

all's well that ends well...i lived to blog about the incident, and as of this writing, there's no news na may sumabog na kung ano.

...today is assumption day!

THE THINGS THAT MATTER MOST

lumipad na pala papuntang pinas yung good friend and colleague ko this morning. ten days pa bago lumabas yung result ng medical examination nya. there's a chronic pain in his lower back that's getting worse by the day. initial diagnosis showed it got something to do with his kidney.

as an OFW, hirap talaga ng malayo sa pamilya. it's worse kung may sakit ka. hay buhay.....parang life!

'pre, just like to let you know that i'm praying everything would be fine....take good care panyero!

Friday the 13th

while riding the bus to work, narinig ko ito (not in verbatim form)...

" tomorrow is Kalibogan Day! in Kidapawan, Cotabato"…

ha?!...sorry?!...come again!

naudlot ang pagmumuni-muni ko sa sinabi ni timothy goh. btw, timothy goh (not in any way related to the outgoing PM), along with jennifer alejandro, ay mga kabayan nating anchor sa morning news ng channel news asia, which is based here in singapore.

i'm proud of these guys! proud sila sa pagiging pinoy nila, and they really show it. si timothy ay yung parang bading (pls confirm nga!) na elitistang pinoy. si jennifer naman, ay yung naka-affair ng indian newscaster na nakabase rin dito sa singapore, na nakulong dahil sa may minolestyang babae. hinalikan raw yung "kuwan" ng babae tapos, 'di "itinuloy". dinemanda tuloy sya!

parang tsismoso ang dating ko ah! okay balik tayo sa kalibogan...

So, what I did, was look at the TV screen (first in the world daw ito…sabi) to confirm what I just heard.

ahhhhh….

August 14 marks the celebration of the Kalibongan Festival. Kalibongan is a manobo term for a Grand Festival which is celebrated yearly in Kidapawan, Cotabato. The Manobos, Bagobos, and other highland tribes from the different parts of the province go down to Kidapawan to show off and proudly display their tradition and cultural heritage. The natives display thier own version of "party" with a traditional horsefight, a "blood compact" peace ceremony, etc.

which reminds me, friday nga pala ngayon. pwedeng mag-puyat!

hmmm…..makapanghuli nga ng palakang may buhok...

SINS OF THE FATHER

swearing in ceremony ni Lee Hsien Loong as Singapore's 3rd prime minister kanina sa Istana (Malakanyang sa Pinas). He'll be at the helm for God knows how many years. Sobrang stable kasi ng political atmosphere dito, kaya not once mong narinig yung clamour for a change in leadership. Paminsan-minsan, maririnig mo yung ipit na boses ng opposition, but that's it!

ang mga invited guests consist ng full spectrum ng Singapore society, from taxi driver to the elitist of the elite. Simula pa lang, ayan na ang gustong i-potray na image ng bagong PM…approachable by anyone. May mga anecdotal tales kasing kumalat dati na angas daw ang dating nya.

si Lee Hsien Loong nga pala ay anak ng ledyendaring si Lee Kuan Yew, na kasabayan ni Macoy. Ang bulung-bulungan, ay medyo may kahinaan daw ito kumpara kay tatang at sa outgoing PM na si Goh Chok Tong.

he has big shoes to fill baby! Legendary ang achievement ni tatang, while si Mr. Goh fared relatively well.


very upbeat dito…"Singapore's best is yet to come!"…. ika nga ni LSL.

packing tape talaga!!!

samantalang sa bayan nating mahal, di pa natin makita yung proverbial na "light at the end of the tunnel"!

Batibot

Kahit na melancholic ka, kapag napanood mo yung episode ng Singapore Idol kagabi ay talaga mapapangiti ka! Okay that's too conservative of me….talagang matatawa ka!

Lyamado talaga tayo sa mga Singaporean pagdating sa kantahan. In general ha! Ako naman kasi pwede lang kumanta kapag naka 3 bottles na, at naka 5 bottles na ang audience. Well known dito ang Pinoy na mahilig kumanta. Sa company namin, hawak ng Pinoy ang trono tuwing merong videoke night. Fascinated din sila sa pagkanta nating mga Pinoy habang nagtratrabaho.

Balik tayo sa Singapore Idol…

Marami-rami rin sa mga contestant ang nabubuhay sa pagkukunwari. Kahit na parang pinupunit na yero ang mga boses ay sumali pa rin. Okay, everybody is in unison that they add to the zest. Sumali rin si "banana man", at syempre pa nakamaskara sya ng banana tree…bwahahaha! Yung isa DoReMi ang kinanta…talagang namang halos maiyak yung mga judges! Would you believe na may sumaling bingi, at kumanta using sign language?!

In fairness, may mga okay naman. Especially yung may mga foreign blood. I heard na may nakalusot na Pinoy na nag-tourist lang dito. I'm expecting na may sasaling mga inday. In few thousands sila dito and chances are marami sa kanila ang magaling kumanta. Hindi lang siguro pinayagan ng mga hinayupak nilang amo para mag- day off during the audition day.

That Small Red Pouch

I had a quick lunch today and was trying to get a cat nap on my desk when I saw that pouch beside my computer keyboard. I badly need a nap, sleep was evasive the night before.

This red pouch contains a "santo niño" my father gave me when I came here in singpore. He said it would keep me away from harm. It sure did I suppose! I'm still alive and thriving. Now that he has been dead for two years, it has become even more meaningful. The only physical thing that binds us together.

Somehow, this pouch has a "therapeutic" and calming effect on me. I squeeze it when work pressure becomes unbearable, whenever life is not turning out the way you expect it to be, when I'm really pissed off by the people sorrounding me, when relationships turn sour.

It really feels good holding on to his gift. You know that your problem will still be there when you wake up, but least you know "someone" is there on your moment of despair…just like today. Feeling the hurt that is crippling your whole being.

As with all good things, this too shall pass…

OFW's FOLLY

walang nangyari sa "pinagputahan"!

heto ang tema ng isa sa mga news sa pinas. after so many years of working abroad, considerable statistics daw ang mga kabayan nating wala ring naipon. usual set up daw kasi na pinadadala lahat ang pera sa pinas. tapos yung pamilya naman dyan sa pinas, feel nila umiebak ka lang ng pera sa abroad!

dapat talaga clear cut yung objective mo kung mag-aabroad ko, specially kung hindi mo kasama pamilya. set your goal, work your ass out hanggang sa almuranas mo ay lumabas then go home (unless kaya mong kunin ang mo pamilya mo). wag masyadong magahaman. wealth accumulation is also bounded by the law of diminishing return. there is only one optimum point that it is enjoyable and worth striving for.

as a safety net, you should save for yourself. don't be naïve to think na iipunin ni mister o ni misis ang pinadadala mo (in fairness, yung iba nag-iipon naman). worst case (wag naman…knock on wood!) iwanan ka at sumama sa iba dala ang pinagputahan mo.

napakasakit kuya eddie.

i don't want to ruin the moods ng mga nasa abroad or yung asawa ay nasa abroad, but who are we kidding?! life is full of uncertainties, kaya dapat palagi kang may plan B.

yung mga naiwan naman dyan sa pinas, try to live on austerity. yung pwedeng tipirin ay dapat tipirin. aba! ang hirap ng nasa abroad, pwedeng kang magluko to your heart's content talaga namang mamamatay ka sa lungkot. lalung-lalo na yung mga nanay ay DH sa ibang bansa…."sa bawa't sigarilyong hinihithit nyo, sa bawat alak na nilalaklak nyo"!

maraming social ills na kaakibat ang hinayupak na pag-aabroad na yan, and the only compensation for that is money. kaya dapat matutong mag-manage ang both sides.

smegs kasi ang gobyerno natin...hmmmn...parang lumalayo ako?

MAKE LOVE NOT WAR

today is singapore's 39th birthday!

39 years ago, they had their independence from malaysia. racial riots was the catalyst that made it happen, a blessing in disguise for this lilliputan country. malays (muslims) were pitted to the chinese. oh well, it is written in the stars. it is the muslims fate to be at odds with their brothers. but that's another story though.

before the independence, chinese were marginalized on the malaysian peninsula (even until now). a youthful lee kuan yew. brilliant and conniving, this political master adored throughout the world, made singapore what it is now. brawling and slugging it out with outside forces including the burgeoning communism, his political will is legendary. a quality, that i believe we filipinos, at least those fucking politicians and government officials should have before we can get out at the bottom of the mud pit.

i can't help but digress...

everytime i see a good in a place, just can't help pit it side by side with our ailing country.

THE ADVENTURES OF YENG AND LEI...kwentong komiks

tribute ko 'to at pasasalamat sa dalawang nag-gandahang babae na klasmeyt ko noong high school for wasting their precious time just to visit me and celebrate my bertdey here in singapore.

si lei ay scriptwriter at producer ng campaign ng "idolo" nating si fpj nung nakaraang election, na very divisive at talaga namang highly amuzing (read:nakakahiya!). si yeng naman ang current psychiatrist ni erap at paminsan-minsan ay tumutulong kay eddie gil sa kanyang post election depression (ayaw nyang aminin, pero hitch ko na sya rin ang hair stylist). i'm not sure kung tama ang detalye, mararami-rami na rin kasi yung nainom naming tequila nung napag-usapan namin ito. galing nga rin pala sila sa sri lanka para malaman kung mas mabango ang mga tao roon kumpara sa india.

'ngapala, yung bright light na nakikita nyo above my head is actually a halo.

and so the story goes...

dit..didit...dit..diditdit...didididit...dit (morse code ticking)

singapore news room:

yeng and lei already found the hideout of their notorious classmate wayback highschool days after scouring the labyrinth place they called temasek (old name for singapore). the culprit is
not at his haven. while setting up the dragnet...they found his cute "mini me" (abby) literally in her diapers!

Yeng: may inaanak!

Abby: waaaaaah! (umiyak, takot sa tao...hehehe!)

stay tuned!

knowing they'd outwitted the "gangster"...

the 2 gals rested their weary bodies sitting on the edge of the bed. this dragnet has flown them from manila to sri lanka, and now here in singapore. it has taken it's toll on them. unknown to them, a time triggered sleeping gas was slowing mixing with the humid and durian smelling atmosphere of the house. and before they knew it, they are unconscious and very vurnerable to whatever plans the villain has....

(tawang romy diaz....) bwahahahahaha!

meanwhile, at the villain's other hideout (office)...

our villain is concocting his "evil plans" (habang nangungulangot)...time si on his side. but he knows he must come out with something fast, before the potion that knocked down Yeng and Lei wears of.

hihihihi...hihihihi...(to the tune of "Banal na Aso..." of Yano)

11:15 am: the phone rings...

kring....kring...kring...

the villain answers the phone on the first 3 rings (business courtesy)...

villain: ehem (clearing throat and picks up the phone)...hilaw este hello..(medyo pa-cute ng konti in case bebot...hehehe)

villain henchman (equipment supplier): hi pepe, this is edwin...

villain: (sa sarili lang...) tangna! binanggit yung pangalan ko...eh kung under surveillance at naka-tap kami...engot...engot!

villain: hi pengyow (friend in chinese)...(tagalog translation: gago!ba't ngayon ka lang tumawag, 9:30 appointment natin)

henchman: got stuck on one of my customers, i'll try to be there afterlunch. can or not (a fascinating singlish!)?

villain: oh I see, i guess we just see each other after lunch then...(tagalog translation: gago...gago...gago!)

villain hangs up the phone and continue humming.....

chikinini....chikinini...chikinini....may chikinini sa kuwan! (to the tune of "Chikinini..." by Parokya ni Egdar)

and the saga continues...

looking at his futuristic state-of-art security camera embedded maliciously on all parts of his enclave , the villain sees that yeng is soaking wet in the shower while lei is busy dressing up....obviously they're awake and ready to take on the world.

the inevitable is about to come....the villain decided to confront his nemesis!

(ala romy diaz na tawa ulit)....bwahahahaha!....bwahahaha!

the aftermath...

i'll be happy to share with you the rest of the photos (especially after our drinking binge) for a fee. you can actually make money from them by using them to blackmail yeng and lei. my intent it to give it to the highest bidder.

tag or email nyo na lang ako...

~~~ano man ang iyong ginagawa sa iyong kapatid, ay siya ring ginagawa mo sa AKIN...

BERTDEY KO...for you info!

wan....tu...tri...ready sing!

HAPI BERTDEY TO ME, HAPI BERTDEY, HAPI BERTDEY...HAPI BERTDEY TO ME!...hehehe!

tamang senti on this day, but happy as well. kasama ko ang ang mga anak kong sila Arthur, Alex at abby na nagpapaligaya sa akin...ang asawa kong si Sallie na ilang taon na akong "pinapaligaya" at patuloy na "paliligayahin" hanggang sa ako'y "binubuhay" na lang ng viagra.

"wen the world gives u salt....ask for lemon and tequila"...by: 'di ko alam ang author.

credits:

nagpapasalamat nga pala ako sa mga magulang ko na kung wala sila ay wala ako...'tay missed u....sa asawa kong si sallie na patuloy nagtyatyaga sa akin...sa mga anak kong sila arthur, alex at abby for speeding up my ageing process ...sa mga kapatid kong di man lang naalala na bday ko pala or nagtitipid lang sa long distance call...kay lee kuan yew for making singapore as it is now...sa kumpanya kong although "smegs" ang karamihan ay patuloy akong pinapasweldo...danny pastrana na palaging late sa lunch time naman...kay yeng and lei tumalon sa eroplano para lang makita ako...sa mga bumati, babati pa at sa mga hindi bumati.

at syempre pa...for our GOOD LORD for never failing to hear my prayers!

wish ko rin...

na sana kunin na ni LORD ang mga kupal na politicians sa pinas...na tigilin na ni GMA ang pagpapakyut niya at ayusin ng ang pinas...na ibaon sana si dubya ng buhay...na sana tubuan na ng buhok ang mga kalbo at unahin ang mabait kong kumpare na si john joseco...na ma-promote na ako sa trabaho...tumama sa toto ng first prize ng tatlong ulit...ma-meet si jeff heffner at pamanahan ng kanyang playboy empire...makapunta ng hooters na hindi mumurahin ni sallie...makakita ang mga bulag at makarinig ang mga bingi...na matuto ng maligo araw-araw, gumamit ng deodorant at magsipilyo pagkatapos kumain ang mga tao dito sa singapore.

WE ARE NO. 1

don't be flattered!

according to United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), number one consumer daw ang pinas ng shabu. di nga lang claro kung in terms of gross consumption or per capita. but that's immaterial.

taking my childhood place in sta. ana, getting worse talaga ang drug menace na yan. sabi nga ng kaibigan kong naiwan, talamak na raw talaga. pati raw yung dating mga "crusaders", gumagamit na rin. worse yung iba naging pusher pa!

according naman sa UNICEF thriving din daw ang child pornography sa pinas….ano ba yan!

how i wished na sana pwedeng reformat na parang disk drive ang bansa natin para fresh start….DREAM ON

WE SPECIALIZED IN INDON/FILIPINO MAID...

depressing...every time na nakikita ko itong signboard na 'to tuwing uuwi galing sa trabaho reminds of me of the sorry state ng bayan kong pinas...

LET'S GET RETARDED

ahhhhhhhhhhhh!....okay, back to reality. di pwedeng baliw sa tunay na buhay.

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS

ang mga barako ko,arthur and alex, immensely enjoying their childhood.