May TAKOT pa ba sa ML?

If people cower in fear, then it is the end.
This line of thought made ML last for 20 long years,

becoz everyone thought,mas maganda ang effect.

Noong UNA, oo...

pero habang tumatagal,

lumalabas ang bali-balitang pang-aabuso ng ML.

Inalagaan ni marcos ang militar noong panahon nya.

Lahat ng pang-aabuso, detention,

at pagpatay ng walang kapararakan eh ginawa nila.

Dumami ang mga DISPARECIDOS[The DISAPPEARED],

mga na-DETAINED

gaya nina Diokno, Ninoy, atbp. nang walang kaso.

Kung meron man, mga concocted cases

that was borne out of the disillusioned mind & paranoia of a dictator.

ML and SOE: pareho yan.

Sa pananalita pa lang, COPY-CAT si ate glue....

o sinumang abogago nya...

este, abogado niya.

IKAW?..........

TAKOT KA BA?

*

DICTATOR IN OUR MIDST

OURs was a sysytem that respected the rule of Law

until ML was declared by marcos.

When people cowered in fear, and made no reklamo.....ML went on for 20 long years,

until EDSA1 made the conjugal dictator scamperingto Hawaii.

There can be no freedom

if people cower in fear and worry

about what they will say

*

1017 and 1081: they're all the same!

ML or SOE: what's the difference?

**

Goodness, ang kapal!

***

To quote Randy David in his column Sunday,26 Feb.

"The Day After"

[he, who was detained by ate glue's men

for marching towards EDSA to attend its celebration...]

>>>"At 9 a.m., on Feb. 24, 1986, 20 years ago, Marcos went live on Channel 4, surrounded by his generals, to announce a nationwide state of emergency. How uncanny that Ms Arroyo should choose the same date to announce the same draconian measure to suppress the same perceived conspiracy supposedly between the extreme Left and the extreme Right. Marx was indeed right: "Events and personages occur at least twice in history-the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce."<<<

Ate Glue is doing a marcosian tactic.....

And she says for the country?.....

or for 'other' interests?

You tell me!

****

After all, ate glue proves she's truly"small but horrible"!!

*****

She reminds me of a 'wicked witch'

I once had the opportunity to exchange lines with......

******

*

EDSA IN MY MIND

TODAY is the 20th Anniversary of EDSA 1,

that Peaceful People Power 'Revolution' that sent Marcos and his cohorts,

including Imelda of the three thousand shoes fame,

packing and huffing aboard a US helicopter away from it all.

*

I remember an old classmate-friend of my Father

who sent us a Telegram congratulating us for a wonderful bloodless revolution

that ousted a dictator.

Other friends and Companies where Tatay once

had business connections called us, too.

**

I remember that clearly now.....

my Father was in MManila at that time.

Crowds gathered at UP: old Professors and young students gathered.

Together they marched towards EDSA

and stayed there for the rest of

the day.

Helicopters hovered on the air,

and fear filled the air.

Some shouted that the crowds may be hit

from atop.

Some brought radios and

people listened.

Runners kept the crowd abreast of what's happening

at the other end.

Vans with sandwiches and drinks

were free and people became strangers no more.

The feeling of oneness was there.

It was atime when the BAYANIHAN Spirit

was working.

ALL for one purpose:

To OUST a dictator.

***

WHAT NOW, MY LOVE?

..... what do we have lately ?

Arrests justified as part of a 'coup-d-etat' plan

supposedly to oust Ate Glue from her entrenchment by the Pasig!

Even Randy David, an activist-lawyer and the

top brass of the Army and the PNP were nabbed.....

****

While I do not condone the part that some TraPos are 'using' the masses

for their own political end,

I abhor the use of force to intimidate the people from saying

what they feel is their right.

I detest the use of 'Law' to cover up their own lawlessness.

I have always supported the RIGHT, not the wrong;

I praise the GOOD, and shun the evil.

HUWAG N'YO NAMANG GAGUHIN ANG MGA PINOY!

*****

*

.

A LA CARTE

Take your pick: anything is free!

That is what one gets if you run for office and "win"

....provided you have the "machinery."

That, I believe is the fundamental tenet of every politician"elected"

or appointed by the hands of gods,

the colors of whom are as black as the pit from where they came.

They are::::::::::

>FREE to grant illegal logging permit, mining permit or even sanction illegal Jueteng, or anything illegal under their very noses!

>FREE to appropriate public funds to cover even the salaryof their 'Hardinero', Cook, or 'Labandera'....

>FREE to manipulate digits and numbers to accomodate their whims...

>FREE to do as they will, after all, "what are they in power for?"

I could go on and on and the list will stretch to eternity...

These will go unnoticed until a disaster comes a-visiting their areas,

and lo!....the public takes notice.

I am not complaining because of personalities or whachamaccalit....

I have been espousing this lines some ten or so years ago.

***

PINOY ako, and my Father whose death twenty-years ago proved

he loved PILIPINAS more than he loved his own,

because he chose to stay in Inang Bayan,

rather than seek treatment in his native Land.....

makes me think twice.

He always said ours is better than any other country

he had been to. I cannot understand that when I was young.

Now I do.

Like my Father before me, I LOVE this country more

than I do any other Land I have migrated to.

I sincerely hope and pray that all necessary Programs or Plans be implemented ASAP

to save our natural resources.

EVERYONE must GET INVOLVED and NOT ALLOW anyone

to desecrate our LAND.

STOP ILLEGALS: logging, mining, and anything that may ruin nature.

STOP even the so-called "authorities" who cut trees.....

or who allow them....

Let us all work together to PLANT MORE TREES

and PARTICIPATE in any COMMUNITY PROJECT

that may help the Country in any good endeavour.

IWAS-KALAT,

LINIS-BAKURAN/PALIGID,...

kahit ano!

MAKIALAM...

..NGAYON!

******

PIECE OF MY MIND

I've been reeling and seething with something I can't place....

It started when the Trainees assigned to me did not follow the instructions.

*

IN JAPAN, one has to keep his words,

lest he be branded as unworthy, someone who cannot be trusted.

As in any other place, SHINYOU [TRUST/REPUTATION] is something we earn.

Here, it is EVERYTHING!

And one way is to keep our promise.

The leader and two others didn't.

They were supposed to meet me after lunch,

but they got back to their 'House' a few minutes before 6PM!

And they didn't even bother to call me via the Company mobile.....

When asked why, one of them, R, was defensive, and rattled:

...that she knows what to do,

and that they needed to go around....

et cetera....et cetera....blah-blah-blah!

She couldn't even look at me straight...

Here, that is tantamount to someone you can't trust!

**

So today, I called the Plant Manager

and asked that I be included in the next meeting with the Trainees.

He told me to report at 5.

I did!

***

They were all gathered at the Conference Table.

As I entered the Hall, I saw the Company Owner at his desk

at the far end of the Hall.

He looked my way and I nodded in greeting.

He nodded back.

****

As we were talking: the Manager,

the 6 trainees and myself,

the Owner came around and started to listen.

He began to sit down as he listened

and became interested in the discussion.

I reported on the happenings since the onset of February

and they were all ears.

No one countered my report

because I was just telling the truth....

*****

The Owner reminded them that once they break the rules,

they will be sent home PRONTO!

The words were strong,

so much so that I feel the warning must be heeded...or else...

The Manager told me to "teach them the proper way of living,

going around daily life in Japan".

..and that "whatever problem they have,

to please contact C-san...."

...daw!

******

I translated them all for everyone's ears...

When all of them went back to work,

we [the Company Owner, the Plant Managerand I discussed rules of operations and discussed each Trainee's personality.

SHACHO [Owner] knows each one of them:

it was he who interviewed them back in Cebu.

We compared notes on how we find the

SEIKAKU [CHARACTER/PERSONALITY]

of the Pinay Trainees......

He laid ways and means to follow:

expenditure notebook, shopping,

and the like.

He instructed the Manager to be strict next time,

and refrain from smiling as that can be misconstrued as being lenient and soft.

*******

Having said a piece of my mind

was a load off my back.

I just hope the Trainees

got the message loud and clear.

Kaya?

*

:

:

:

:

<<<< BEAUTIFUL ONE-LINERS >>>>

A friend who doesn't tire of sending me beautiful thoughts

remembered again, and sent me some lines.

They're loads of wisdom so I am posting 'em here for posterity.

----"Many eyes, many learns."

Enjoy!

....1. Give God what's right -- not what's left.

2. Man's way leads to a hopeless end -- God's way leads to an endless hope.

3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

4. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.

5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma--but never let him be the period.

*****

6. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period.

7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a faith-lift.

8. When praying, don't give God instructions - just report for duty.

9. Read the Bible -- It will scare the hell out of you.

10. We don't change God's message -- His message changes us.

**

11. The church is prayer-conditioned.

12. When God ordains, He sustains.

13. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning.

14. Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

15. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position.

***

16. Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible.

17. Exercise daily -- walk with the Lord.

18. Never give the devil a ride -- he will always want to drive.

19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it.

20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.

****

21. He who angers you controls you.

22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop.

23. Give Satan an inch & he'll be a ruler.

24. Be ye fishers of men -- you catch them & He'll clean them.

25. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

*****

*

.

MINI-mini

That seems to be the trend...here, at least!

Take the CAMERA: it used to be heavy and big,

but lately, camera icons has come up with

smaller,

smaller,

still smaller versions.

*

Likewise, the VIDEO-CAM, COMPONENTS,

and lately the MP3s, ad infinitum....

And so the BETA became the VHS,

then came the VCD, and the CD.

Although the TV set has become bigger through the years

with the introduction of PLASMA and all its derivative,

it has evolved and became HOME-TV/THEATER,

but we also have MINI-TV sets good for the bathroom.

**

Now comes the CAR-NAVI [car-navigation system]

with all its attachments,

and then the PORTABLE TV/VCD/CD Player combi.

The latter is so small, you can bring it anywhere you go.

It is similar to the ordinary school notebook,

or is it smaller?

***

There's the iPod, and those mini-games PS,...

the PCs with smaller notebooks available on the shelf.

New products come out one after the other.

Your PC may be new today,

but tomorrow a new one comes out and it is outdated!

****

MINI-CAR Sales have marked up,and has become popular,

even among men.

Hence, SUZUKI WAGON-R

has been the best-seller these past years.

I drive a LimitedEdition Model.

The list is endless!

*****

Even the famous Japanese noodles have become mini

with the smallest version translated to minicups and minibowls.

RICE are available in small packs,

instant and at every one's reach, anytime!

Same goes with basic viands, dishes, pickles, and many more.....

******

Minis and Instant are the trend....

It is OK by me for the instant thing,

but what I cannot fathom is the MINI in Winter!

I mean the MINI SKIRT in Winter!

Good if these girls wear something over their legs!

They don't! While they wear some boots or high black socks,

one can glimpse

TORIHADA [GOOSE-PIMPLES/NAGTATAYUANG-BALAHIBO].

Brrrr......

A Chinoy friend once commented

when I accompanied him and his wife on a tour of Kyoto:

"Kung kelan malamig,saka pa nag-mini!"

Indeed!

Mini, anyone?

*

WHERE'S THAT ANGEL?

An angel came by and whispered some little things,

He swoon and danced; he pranced and sang,

Enjoying each little turn, then suddenly

He went away and was seen no more.

I wondered what happened to that little angel, ....really, I do!

Did he stray away, or just hopped and played too long?

I guess he has completely forgotten one small heart that awaits

Or was it never good at the very start,

and just play all along ?

[sigh*]

DREAMS

The clouds came in and the rain,

though dripping in small trickles have been non-stop

since late last night.

Drip, drip, drip, it falls

And the ground is wet.

The sky looks bleak and lonely

,Just like my chest that has grown cold,

Cold from the loneliness here

In a Land faraway from

Home Sweet Home.

Is there anyone listening out there?

....or simply reading a lonely note?

Hey! wait, and say something,

Let me hear some caring words;

Someone lost needs a great big heart:

a true knight who's loyal and true

To care and to hold,

to love at my side.

Shall I

walk alone?

******

.

COPING MECHANISM

Seventy-two hours have passed since that Leyte landslide,

and the rescue operations have produced only muddied bodies

retrieved from the area.

It buried an entire village, 3 Barangays,

and an ElementarySchool

which boasts of landing on the top three in the region

in Math and other Contests.

*

It has been reported that the area is prone to disasters

and that it lies on the Philippine faultline which runs from Japan,

down to Luzon area, all the way South.

In the past years, Leytenos know that THAT particular area

had been involved in TYPHOONS and similar disasters,

THUS emitting foul odor from decaying bodies.

The residents can attest to that.

**

I sincerely hope that our WARAY Kababayans

COPE BEAUTIFULLY IN THESE TRYING TIMES.

MAY THE LORD BLESS THEM AND

GIVE THEM STRENGTH OF HEART AND SPIRIT

TO GET THEM OUT OF THAT DESOLATION.

*************************

ANOTHER incident

which caught my attentionwas this case about

a Chinese wife of a Japanese National

who stabbed to death two young kids.

She says during investigationthat her daughter

have been bullied in Nursery School,

hence the stabbing spree.

She also stated that she cannot cope withNippongo

and that she can't converse with her neighbors

etcetera, blah-blah-blah!

She added she cannot even make heads and tails of

KEITAI DENWA [MOBILES]

so she can't send emails via the celfone.

YUN LANG?!

Some people can't cope with situations on hand and go pffft!

::::::>>>>>ka-boooh!

***

COPING MECHANISMS vary among people

and oftentimes, we blame others for something we cannot do!

In Japan, there is BULLYING and most who are subjected to these are kids of mixed marriages.So says the survey.

I do not know, but my PAMANGKINs have lived here contentedly in the past decades

and have assimilated beautifully with the community and school

where they go to.

Personally, I have had encounters with a handful of Japanese

who look down on foreigners.

Oh yes! Whether we like it or not,

my brothers and I are still considered "FOREIGNERS" by virtue of our origin!

Kung baga, hindi PUROng TOYO-JIN, kundi, TONAN-JIN kasi tayo.

>>>>>>>>

SO WHAT!?????

I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!

EH ANO?

May pagkakaiba ba sa kinakain namin?

Pareho lang yun!

****

Ako nga, nakakausap ko ng derechahan ang SHA-CHO [COMPANY OWNER] nila,

yung ordinaryong Hapon, naaasiwang kumausap sa mga TOP BRASS ng Kompanya.

Nahihiya daw, or natatakot!

DITO, kahit saan mang lugar,

kung patatalo ka,TALO KA!

AKO, no way patalo!

Kung hindi ako kausapin ng iba?

Eh ano ngayon?

Pakialam ko!?

I have learned to live here as independently as I can....

Yeah, I go out and try my best to interact,

but there will always be some who wouldn't be as receptive of us

as the rest of the community.

As long as I do what is right, and never harm anyone,

I would live as I will and no one can make me feel

unwanted in this place I now call HOME......

ever!

*****

COPING MECHANISM?

Kanya2ng hirit lang yan.

Some may be imbalanced in their emotional development,

or social upbringing...kaya may problemang makibagay sa pamumuhay

lalo na kapag nasa ibang Bansa.

Not this gal....

uh-uh ....not me!

******

*

"WRONG NUMBER!"

Today, just like yesterday,

my 'other' celfone/mobile rang several times,

only to find out it was a wrong number.

One time I nearly tripped trying to grab the cel from its holder.

...Arrrggghhhh!!

Been trying to stay polite, but sometimes,

I can't help but let out a gasp

as I try my best to sound polite and cheerful.

"Wrong number!"

The ringings have wreaked havoc

on my otherwise peaceful existence....

and I wish it would stop.

Grrr......

******

.

"IMAGINE......

"IMAGINE all those people, living life in Peace

....hoo-hoo0>>hoo-hoo"

.....John Lennon made waves as he sang this song.

The message is the song and

the song is the singer,

...or is it the other way 'round?

Whichever way we look at it,

"Different Folks, Different Strokes"

so they say....

But it all boils into one:that of PEACE and HARMONY.

.

The Japanese WA means a lot of things:

it may mean HARMONY, UNITY,

or the SUM TOTAL.

On the other hand

it can also mean a CIRCLE, a LOOP, or a LINK.

It is close to the word PEACE in the western world,

and an important factor in any

Company, Group or Family.

..

How I wish we have this everyday.

If only people live in UNITY and discard WAR,

then every word in the song can be a reality

rather than a mere DREAM.

...

The 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italia,

has made the assembly of people from all walks of life possible.

There, one of the songs I heard was "Imagine"

after a special message delivered by JL's widow, YokoOno.

NoKor and SoKor boasts of parading side byside during the Opening Ceremony.

I wonder if they can sit together and talk to stop the nuclear armaments

being built by the North,

and send back all the Japanese, SouthKoreans andThai abductees

to their respective nations.

I can just imagine the jubilation of their next of kins

and their countrymen.

....

Imagine: is that all there is to it?

Can we not make this imagination extend to reality ASAP?

What does it take to have PEACE?

Do we have wait for two more decades before we achieve PEACE?

It is possible that by then, the world will be naught.

But then who cares? [sigh*!]

Oh well, just IMAGINE!

.....

.

LOVE IT or HATE IT!

SPRING is just around the corner

but February is still very much around....

Oh well, I'm mumbling again!

.

You see, it's a contradiction of sorts.

Spring means another season,

but then February is considered the coldest month of the year.

It's the time when snow melts down and

the breeze it brings make the wind colder and chillier.

Got the picture?

Roger that!

Yesterday it was so hot,

I had to open the windows of my car as I drove to work.

I was blaming myself for not monitoring

the weather update the night before.

I wore a cashmere over my inner!

Goodness gracious!

Is it LOVE that made the day that hot?

I wonder....

Yeah, that's it!

It was the heat from all those who are madly in Love

that made the world go reeling in hot air around FUJI-san

and its surround....

Late afternoon, it was cool.

Rainshowers greeted me as I stepped out of the building

towards my car.

Being the good girl that I am,

I went home straight

to find it dim and lonely.

Lolo has not come home yet

and I thought,I'd spend dinner

ALONE again,

naturally!

Oh well....

this is my world:

got to LOVE IT

or

HATE IT!

VALENTINE'S DAY, Japanese style2

The rush for CHOCO was up last night as

young girls, as young as 6 or 7, and some LOLAs

gear up for Valentine's Day.

ALL were eagerly searching for the best buy

at the special counter for the Day.

I know....I was there!

I had to buy some more of those

GIRI-CHOCO[OBLIGATION-CHOCOLATES]

*

Ah, the obligation chocolates!

Dreamed up by some genius marketeer who convinced women

that not only do they have to present chocolates to their beloved (honmei)

in order to express their emotions,

but also to their bosses, co-workers,

the guy down the hall

who once fixed the photocopier at 2 a.m. . . .

if only to demonstrate that one is a kind,

considerate woman.

**

Now a must-buy fixture on the Japanese seasonal consumption map,

this giri-choco comprises a market that sings

to the tune of something like 30 billion yen,

spawning an entire industry of impeccably polite,

elaborately wrapped packets of chocolates.

***

But there you go: obligation is nothing but,

and as any Japanese woman will tell you --

buying a hundred boxes of giri-choco

only heightens the misery when there's no one out there

to whom they can give the real thing.

****

Hu-hu!

****

*

HAPPY HANS DAY!

Happy HANS Day!

Here's some hugs and kisses for Hans....

My LOVE will never change...remember that...

I hope and pray that you find

HAPPINESSand SUCCESS in LIFE.

GodBless DearOne!

The G-Force Loves You!

******

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

STORIES of LOVE and love lost

I have frequently heard from friends,

read in books and romantic novels,

and some seen in movies and melodramas.

Some have been confusing,

and some are worth repeating.

Others are so 'kilig-to-da-bones' type,

and some are just cute!

Still others may be good for a telenovela

as in the case of my parents'

LOVE story.

I hope someday to write about it

and share one of the great Love Story,

ever!

Today as in any other day,

we should not only SPREAD LOVE

but we should

GIVE LOVE

and make the world go round.....

LIVE LIFE

and

LET LOVE LIVE!

*

VALENTINE'S DAY, Japanese Style.....

Chocolates perhaps, is the world's oldest known aphrodisiac,

and the very symbol of Valentine

as one can glimpse on items for sale in Department Stores and

Supermarkets in February.

*

Aside from that, flowers like Roses sell like hotcakes days prior to the Day of Lovers.

**

In the Western world, and also in Inang Bayan,

the girls usually receive something from boys.

Likewise ladies await for something special from the man of their dreams.

>.<

Not so in Japan.

>.<

Here, it is the girls/ladies who scamper to stores to buy something

for their favorite male friend or boy friend[s]/lover/husbands.

Females swarm the stores [like we did...yesterday! ]

and buy some small things for men/boys who matter to us:

>via workplace or those who make our hearts beat faster!.

***

I do not know when this "tradition" started

but old folks insist that this is commercialism to the max.

They opine that Department Stores think of ways and means to commercialize

each single occasion in the Calendar in order to boost sales.

****

I have had encounters with this celebrationfor several years now.

I have to go and buy some chocos [simple they may be] for my male students.

My list includes older men who attend my classes.

I believe I have to, since my social obligation is put to test here....

....and I spent more than I allocated for this occasion!

*****

A month later, on March 15 to be exact,

the Japanese [Oh, well...the young ones...only!]

celebrate WHITE DAY

which is the day when males give something to those who remembered them

on Valentine's Day.

******

But a word of caution to the wise:

better not expect a 100% return of your'investment'

lest you turn out frustrated.....

as what happened to some young girls I know.......

*******

Unusual?

.

Whaddyathink?

.

PASIG! PASIG!

The name PASIG has been unanimous with that RIVER

featured several times in the nation's history.

It was the main passageway used by our forefathers

as they travel from Laguna down to the central City of Manila.

*

Recently, Pasig has been converted into a City,

and an important connector to the province of Rizal to which it once belonged.

**

These past weeks, PASIG has been in the limelightnot only once, but twice!

Not for good reasons, though,

but because it has been involved in STAMPEDES.

Oh yeah, two!

***

One was that Game show stampede in which hundreds were injured

and nearly 75 [79?] dead;

I don't know....one newspaper says 74,

another 75 and still,

I saw one with figures rising as high as 79!

Now which is true?

Hardly do we get true reports from our media nowadays....

****

Another stampede occured when a raid produced some 300 people

caught inside a compound, including 59 minors:

a one-stop shop for shabu and related "services".

*****

The irony is that it is located merelyhalf-a-kilometer away

from the nearest Police HQ and the City Hall!

Good grief!

Unbelievable!

Right under the very noses of the authorities?

I smell somethin fishy here....

And it has been there for several years now!!!!

*****

I bet there are more in the cities that surround the Pasig.....

I wouldn't be surprised if "honest" citizens come out and cry wolf. ....

******

Just like JUETENG, these diseases must be stopped

lest they eat up the entire nation,

particularly the youth of the Land....

*******

Now who wants to talk?

><

LOTUS ROOTS:an unusual dish

Unusual, I must say, since I don't find them in the Land of my Birth.

LOTUS ROOTs are called RENKON in Japanese.

They thrive underwater and harvested in mid-December and early January.

They are peeled and cut crosswise to produce the circles

that makes me think of a four-leaf clover.

It is colored white inside.

*

The other year's summer, farm production was damaged by unusually cool weather,

but last summer was dry and hot, resulting in a normal harvest.

**

Sinking to their waists in mud,

farmers dig out lotus roots by hand

and clean the muddy roots using water from wells.

***

It is said people can see the future through the holes in the vegetable.

Therefore, lotus roots are popular in New Year's dishes

as it is believed that the vegetable will bring good fortune

to those who eat it.

The lotus root harvest season reached its peak in mid-December

in time for the New Year's holidays.

****

GRATITUDE From the Heart

Some of us never fail to say a line or two for all the good things....and bad....

we receive in LIFE as we go our ways.

****

This reminds me of these lines:

"As we express our gratitude,

we must never forget that the highest appreciation

is not to utter words,but to live by them."

-John F. Kennedy

****

Thank GOD for the Great Things He has given me and I sincerely hope

He'll continue to shower me with all the Good Things

So I can find myself Enjoying ALL These Good Things At ALL Times.

====================================

WHY some people attract bad luck ALL the time

is because they never fail to express gratitude the right way!

What comes out of man's mouth when he is angry is the ugliest thing on earth!

....so said my Nanay in her lifetime.

******

LET THE GAMES BEGIN......

I overslept and failed to watch the Live telecast of the

Opening Ceremonyof the TORINO[TURIN] Winter Olympics.

It was supposed to be beamed Live via Satellite at 4 AM [jp] time here...

I woke up around 7!

Quite unusual, ei?

Late telecasts gave glimpses of fantastic colors and revelry.

It allowed viewers to takea peek at the enthusiasm of the athletes and the people of Torino.

It also took note of some who demostrated

against what they say the commercialism of the said Games.

*

I have always watched Winter Games every year.....

perhaps because of the knowledge that I cannot excel in such sports.

It is amazing to watch athletes like Okazaki who is in her early thirties [is she 34?],

yet proved to be as strong a competitor as athletes ten years her junior.

She expounded her views poetically when asked what she thinks:

"I'd like to see the flowers bloom as I tackle the Game ahead of all others."

Yeah, I'd like to see her win and it wouldn't be bad to root for her, would it?

**

I wanna see ANDO- and ARAKAWA-Senshu

show their skills in the ice rink in the FIGURE-SKATING Competition.

I never miss this competition, even the local ones....

I love to see how gracefully each contestant show their skill as they twirl and spin on their skates.

***

Then there is the CROSS-COUNTRY, the MOGUL Jump,.......

And lots more!

The Medal-race has begun and it would be fun to cheer for athletes I find great.....

Come and be with me,as I watch the Games...........

Now, let the Games begin!

****

Buon Giorno Mia Cara,Bambina,.......

Amore!

*****

Ciao!

*

It's never too late

>>>>>>>>>>> to start something new....
...........so they say. I wonder if this is true.

A friend of mine phoned and told me her intention to start learning a second language.

I know anyone else would offer her a hand of support, but Michiko-san is 60!

She said she wanred to enlist my services!

Sure, I was astounded!

Who wouldn't anyway?

I have known Michiko since a dozen years ago.

She works in the same Company Lolo is connected to.

She has a daughter, Rie-san.

Oftentimes, Rie would call me to inquire on certain English words she didn't know.

I willingly translated some as she pursued her Vocational Studies

in a School in Nagoya.

Lately, Rie have been involved in work and her Boyfriend of many years.

Thus, Michiko, the mother, who is about to retire in a few months,

have enough free time in her hands.

And to fill this up, she decided to study English

once more.

I said "once more" since most High School students here

have had encounters with English.

This begins in Junior HS, going to Senior High

in preparation for College English.

However, not all go to University.

A lot more stop after Junior High and

find work. Some marry and have children.

Only a few percentage find their way to College/

They claim that

the pressure of learning a second Language

made them quit..

Added to that, the cost of Education here

assures the few moneyed elite to achieve

that Diploma.

Michiko, after her golden years have decided to embark on

a lost love: that of being able to talk to a foreigner

with ease and confidence.

Never too late, indeed!

She sounded like a young lass as she explained her

intentions.

Shall we allow a Golden gal to find her dreams?

Surely, no one would dampen a spirit like hers, now,

would we?

*

Enjoying What We Choose

Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.

-Josh Billings

I realize that as I travel LIFE's road....

....alone!

I have never been dependent on my relatives,

more so with my siblings who are now happy [I presume!? ]

with their own families.

I was left to decide on some important issues that haunted my existence

after my parents died.

I have to live alone lest I be considered a parasite by people

who just entered into the picture.

I decided to stay here to help an old man who live alone

and who had trouble keeping house.....

and who have lost his CashCards for the -nth time....

>>Not that he is a fool,

but because he is struggling with his faculties

which have been deteriorating little by little in the past decade.

Sometimes I wonder if I am doing right........

staying here............ away from people I know, that is.

Oftentimes I wish I was in another area,

in another hemisphere, in another land

where I can pursue further studies

or better still, work in some projects close to my heart.

But good or bad, I am here,

and I might as well enjoy my time while I help an old man....

He is still strong in body, although he reminds me of old folks who have lost themselves in spirit as their age bring them to that phase of life where they return to being babied....

I guess I have to be here not only for his sake [he often gets into my nerves! ]

but for the memory of my Father whose Yamato Spirit was so strong.....

May God give me strength of character and Spirit to do as I may...

and ENJOY LIFE, too....

as I embark on this journey until when, I have no idea......

Until then, I have to face the SUN and be GLAD....

for my lot is here.

Gotta accept that lest my mood bring me somewhere else.....

******

ON INTELLIGENCE

The greater our knowledge increases the more our ignorance unfolds. -John F. Kennedy

How true!

I never realized it until someone asked me about Music and Mp3's and all that...

I always like to listen to good, soft music,especially when I wanna read books before bedtime.

BUT I never indulge in knowing all those stuff...

ALL I have is the old-style CD player I bought several years ago....

and that small one which I passed on to " I" when she was infanticipating...

[for her unborn Baby to listen to Mozart...for brain stimulation daw!]

Other than that, I never particularly invested time and money

in anything that pertains to that.

I felt totally ignoramus about all these stuff when asked by a kamag-anak.....

I guess all these stuff and many more proves

that we cannot have domination about everything!

>>>>Not that I am perfect in some other areas,

but that I feel no one amongst us can truly claimthat we know all!

I don't!

More so with Computers and the IT!

I am so BOBO at it

I have to ask others for stuff like avatars ad infinitum!

I never even knew how to resize pictures!

Someone offered to resize them, but I refused....

Tinkering with my PC a few days later,

I found that I have a resizer right here IN my computer!

Haaayyy!!!

Being ignorant of all these things,

I lost all my data: pictures I cherished and some other things

I wanted to keep while away on vacation.

Sayang talaga!

I am still learning....and mind you,

I wanna learn as many things possible.

BUT sometimes, in the process called LIFE,

we cannot accomodate everything we wanna say and doin a jiffy.

So bear with me and allow me to do things

my way....

in my time....

******

Bless Jay...

I was suppose to be ecstatic yesterday,

but some things kept me awake last night....

I had an early night and slept as soon as my head touched the pillows....
BUT I awoke in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep till 3 am or so...

J had been bothering my subconscious, I guess.

I wonder what's happening to him now.....

Is he OK? Is he feeling right?

Did he make contact with Mak already?

Goodness!

So many things on my mind....

I pray to GOD that he finally see the light....

May GOD Bless him, wherever he is right now....

and that he be able to do what is right for his own sakes....

******

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*

It's been a full cycle since then....and I thank God for the good times and bad.

I sincerely hope the bad would be less and the good ones multiplied

as I venture into another cycle...

Praise God for all these wonderful years....

******

*

RESPONSIBILITY

A good friend called to tell me that a news bulletin about an accident in MManila came.

It was a stampede, he says.

I immmediately turned the TV on and lo!

It was the NHK and scenes of ambulance and people milling around greeted my eyes....

Details were not clear that time,so I turned on the net.....

I saw via rival networks' sites' updates and numbers!

OMG!

PANIC seems to be the culprit..... or is it?

I wonder.....

In my personal opinion,

events such as these need a more detailed PLANNING STRATEGY.

This is the organizers' responsibility.

You see, in Management and PLANNING,

there are 5 P'sthat must be followed:

ProperPlanning Presents PerfectPerformance

or put it another way, but with the same essence,

PoorPlanning Presents PoorPerformance.

I am not saying I am perfect,

neither do I claimI know all....

BUT aren't these big networks STAFFed with people whose know-how and expertise brainstorm on ideas on the Whats, Where, When, and the HOW!?

People's lives mustn't be taken for granted

given the number of people who wanted to try and take their chance in this

"instant rags-to-riches" money game....

After all, it is these networks who have inculcated the mentality of going for the easy money

in our Kababayans' malleable minds....

By airing/feeding such "instant money" programs tothe viewers,

the big networks also, in some ways must be blamed for creating such mentality prevalent among the MASA.

Isn't it time for the MTRCB [or whatever Board it is that regulates such programs on TV/radio]to work and work hard to regulate the programs?

Not only do these programs inculcate tardiness and the INDOLENCIA de los Filipinos.....

It also kills and kill they did as the crowd panicked and stampede ensued.

Allow me also to state that I have nothing against ABS-CBN.....

I am grateful to them for giving methe chance to work after graduation.

I did enjoy my stint with them,albeit short.

I resigned because some principles cannot be bent by mere moolah, or by a better slot....

and I have no regrets, whatsoever.

Some people aren't destined to be what others aspire for.I say what I say because I have to.

My instinct tells me to do and say what I believe in.

Saying what one feels about whatever is happening in our midst is a duty all of us have

and we must be aware that whatever we feel we must do.....

let us do it for the betterment of this country

we call our own.

DO IT NOW!...

for we may never pass this way again......

******

:

Camp PAG-IBIG

Got an INVITE to join Camp Pag-ibigat Balara Compound, QC!

Wheew!

It's been ages since I got one!

While in College, I used to be part of a group of people

close to the organizers of the Original Camp Pag-ibig.

We were always tapped to join the multitude of Volunteer Youths

who comprised the Camp Staff.

Some of us lent our 'expertise' on Bases set up for the participants.

Participants here meant the HANDICAPPED or the PHYSICALLY DISABLED.

Most of the Core Volunteer Group have gone their own ways and

some have left the country to work/stay in another.

This is a Day-Camp held every February,more or less

on the second Saturday-Sundayof the Love Month.

It is held for two days.

Not only was it fun to join....but that feeling of being able to make someone happy

makes our adrenalin surge no end.

How I wish I can join them once again....

but distance makes it impossible!

Here's wishing for a successful Camp Pag-ibig 06!

Kudos to the Staff as well......

This year, it will be sponsored by the Quezon City government.

I wonder if the original organizers:the DCS, Manilawill be joining them......

******

It's SETSUBUN!!!!

Woke up to find the weather as chilly as ever!

The thermometer reads -1 C!

OMG! In Shizuoka?.....

whilst in Washington, Cherry Blossoms bloom because of warm January days!

How is that?

Today, all Japan celebrates the SETSUBUN.

Literally, it means the day before the beginning of Spring.

....But Spring is nowhere to be found!

Maybe in far South: in Okinawa...

.It is possible in those warm areas....but here?

I guess that is what the Calendar says:Feb. 3= SETSUBUN......

Expect the ANNUAL BEAN-SCATTERING ceremony everywhere!

Schools, and community centers as well as private residences do this annualy to drive the bad demons away and invite GoodLuck to stay inside the abode.

Ceremonies everywhere will be done and stars and celebs will grace each place to lend a hand in celebrating this tradition from way, way back.

Kids will have a grand time throwing the beans

as well as eating the beans given them for a year of Good Luck.

Eating the beans depend on one's age, thus the kids eat only a handful.

The elderly first eat the last digit of their age...then eat the first.

If, say, Lolo is 72y/o: he eats 2 first,then eats 7 beans.

Eating all of 72 would be next to impossible!

And I get to eat a ...err....

handful...only?

Ha-ha!

On DREAMs

A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams. -JB

He is young who pursues a great dream....

He is full of life and makes every step count as he finds his place in the sun;

But once a person while away time and let it pass sans doing anything productive.....

........................he is nothing!

A person must never wait for regret to seep in

lest he spend his lifetime

mulling on what might have been!

******

Our ACTIONs....

Our ACTIONs,

be they words we say...or things we do....

reflect a lot on who we are and where we came from......

This reminds me of a line:

A gentleman can live through anything.-William Faulkner

I have often encountered men whose mouth precedes themselves....

They yak and yak and never think of the other party;

whether they hurt anyone

o r

whether their views aree appreciated or rejected.

I have seen and heard most whose head are found down under

and whose limbs are atop their bodies that they often display what is considered outrageous in polite society.

Pity the women who entertain such fools!

I may not outrightly despise such actions done to anyone,

but it disgusts me no end to be with such pigs in any given gathering....

I would rather be alone and find comfort in my books

than associate with a wolf.

I look up to one whose looks may show some unpolished trimmings...

but whose heart is pure.

I enjoy a good talk and a man whose very core speaks of genteel breeding.

I'd love to know a man who can show respect to other women and

who treats them the same way he treats his mother and sister...

******