A Man of My Town

Baker Bids Adieu......

2008-12-22T11:57:00.001-05:00

....but not to you, folks. The Baker is simply bidding Adieu to the Blogger platform.

The Baker has finally found a new template for his blog. However, the move to a new template also meant that the Baker will also be moving to a new blogging platform. Moving forward, please update my blog address on your links so that they now point to this new bakeshop address.

There are still some kinks I need to iron out while I make the transition to my new bakery courtesy of Wordpress. One of which is that I still have to find a way to migrate your comments on my two most recent posts "Someday" and "Pictures and Thoughts From a Break" to the new blog. Any inputs on how to sort this problem from the Wordpress veterans among you will be deeply appreciated.

Although this will be my last entry on this platform, I will keep it open for the foreseeable future. I will also be downloading all my posts and your comments so as not to lose them just in case Google decides to zap this little site out of the blogosphere someday.

I hope that this switch to Wordpress will work for the long-term. Thanks and I hope to see you all again in my new neighborhood.

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

Pictures and Thoughts from a Break

2008-12-21T11:47:00.004-05:00

During my last stay in Manila, a break I desperately needed, I took some photos of the area around the hotel I stayed in. Ever since childhood, I've always looked out the window whenever I needed to do some serious thinking. Somehow, the sight of all the life that goes on around me helps stimulate my mind. Although I'm going to present the photos I took, I'm not really going to talk much about the places shown on them. Instead, I'll write some of the thoughts and memories that came to mind as I cast my eyes on them.

The photo above shows the northern portion of Makati Avenue. This was the view from my hotel window. On the left is the Millenium Plaza Hotel. It looks spanking new but when the SO and I did some research about it on the internet, the hotel got some pretty bad reviews for customer service, safety, and in-house dining.

On the right side of the street, one will see a small white building with a maroonish-colored roofing and where the top three floors are all glass. That building houses the Great Eastern Hotel and the only reason I mention it here is that its first two floors also house the Aberdeen Court restaurant. This restaurant was a popular place for wedding receptions back in the 1970s. An aunt and a couple of cousins had their wedding receptions there at the time.

Back to the left side of Makati Avenue above, you probably won't see it but there's also a branch of the Barrio Fiesta restaurant where the SO and I had lunch one day. The kare-kare was still very good, exactly how I remembered it to be. We also enjoyed tall glasses of sago't gulaman.

Above photo shows the southern part of Makati Avenue. The SO used to work in one of the buildings shown, one where she got her start in the industry she's currently in. Yours truly used to work on Dela Rosa Street, right off of Makati Avenue. The building I used to work in is no longer around for it was demolished several years ago to make way for a high-rise condominium.

I absolutely love the area I stayed in. There was an abundance of 24-hour restaurants and fastfood places to pick from for a jet-lagged guy like me. So many changes have taken place in this town ever since I left years ago. No doubt that there will be more changes in the coming years for such is the way of Life.

I took the photo above to document, in my own small way, the passing of an old Makati landmark, the GilArmi Apartments. GilArmi was said to be one of the first serviced apartments and/or condotels (condominium-hotels) in Makati and in Asia. It was built in 1962 and was owned by the late Filipino millionaire businessman Virgilio Hilario and his wife, Armi Kuusela, who gained worldwide fame back in 1952 when as Miss Finland, she was crowned as the first Miss Universe.

Please accept my apologies but due to rather severe technical limitations, my camera wasn't able to zoom in enough to provide you with a much closer view of the building. It is the smallest building you will see in the middle of the picture, specifically the one immediately to the right of Rustan's, the one with a construction crane on it. You won't miss it while driving on Ayala Avenue because its demolition is in full swing. I believe that a high-rise hotel and condominium will soon rise on its site.

The photo above shows the stretch of Kalayaan ("Freedom") Avenue that lies west of Makati Avenue. Immediately to the left of Kalayaan Avenue, one will see the roofs of houses in an area that's part of the Bel-Air Subdivision. The vacant lots one sees to the right of the avenue mark the spots where the old International School of Manila used to stand. Kalayaan Avenue in Makati City ultimately leads one to the old Pasig Line in the neighboring Santa Ana district of Manila.

"Pasig Line" referred to a tram (tranvia) line that used to run on the entire stretch of what is now Kalayaan Avenue during the early part of the 20th century. The "Pasig Line" tranvia route began its operations in 1908 and commenced from Paco Station in Manila and ran all the way to Pasig. The destruction wrought by World War 2 permanently ended the line's operations. But as recently as the early 1990s, sections of that old tranvia line were still present on that stretch of Kalayaan Avenue that lies east of Makati Avenue and leading to what is now the Rockwell Center.

Going back to the picture above, a lot of the land around Kalayaan Avenue, specifically the sites of Bel-Air and the old International School of Manila (which opened its Makati campus in 1960) were developed in the latter part of the 1950s. Our family has had a presence in Makati since the 1930s back in the day when Makati was still part of Rizal Province. I was told by my uncles that prior to their development, a lot of the land surrounding Kalayaan Avenue consisted of wet fields of kangkong (water spinach) and rice fields.

It was a story related to me tinged with quite a bit of regret because some time during the late 1940s, way before the above land was to be developed into what is to become the Makati we all know today, some parties had approached my grandmother offering to sell some of the land for 10 centavos per square meter. My grandmother turned them down by remarking, "Ano ang gagawin ko sa kangkungan?" ("What am I going to do with a kangkong field?") Looking at the photo above, apparently a lot.

It was a lesson learned. For us, my grandmother's words have come to symbolize an opportunity lost and the need for foresight in planning out our lives. Thus, growing up, my father taught me to not only look at things the way they are, but to also consider the possibilities and opportunities that could arise out of them.

Above is one of the sights that greet me whenever I looked out my hotel window. Upon seeing it, I immediately thought to myself that here's another man's dream rudely interrupted. Except that I didn't realize until later how grand the dream was.

The property is now surrounded by GI sheets used as temporary fencing and on one of those sheets, hangs a sign that said "Eaton". Once I got back to the States, I did some research and found out that this was planned to be a 64-storey building and envisioned to be the tallest structure in Makati. 28 floors would have been allocated for a Holiday Inn Hotel and the rest would have been for office spaces, amenties, serviced apartments and residential suites.

I feel a certain sadness when I see projects such as this come to a standstill. Not only do I feel bad for the people who dreamt about it and planned for it but I also feel bad for the people who are desperately in need of jobs who could have found gainful employment in such a place. I hope for everyone's sake that the dream that fired this project up has not flamed out permanently.

Above is a shot of the northeastern view from my hotel. In the foreground it shows Makati City with the high-rise condos of Rockwell Center surrounded by homes. On the other side of the Pasig River is Mandaluyong City with its now impressive skyline. Took this photo mainly because my sister works in one of the buildings shown. The hills in the distance are the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains. It is in one of those foothills where the school I spent my elementary and high school years is located.

This photo of the Touch of Hands Clinic & Spa was also another sight that greeted me whenever I looked out the window. Given its proximity to Makati and Kalayaan Avenues and to lively Burgos Street, this place must be doing very good business. A Korean restaurant on its ground floor called Gela caters to the Korean community in the area. Although smaller when compared to other Korean restaurants in its immediate vicinity, it also attracts a fair amount of customers judging from the number of cars I always saw parked in front of it whether day or night.

Tucked in one corner of this property is a Money Changer. There seems to be a lot more of them all over the metropolis these days. It's a good sign really because of the convenience such businesses provide. It allows one to exchange one's dollars to pesos in a legal, arms length transaction and a lot of them stay open 24 hours a day. This money changer was my favorite because I noticed that its rates were often better than the others in the area. Plus, it always advertised its conversion rate for the day through a sign it hangs prominently on its front window.

Finally, a shot of someone who left his bakeshop for a few days for some much needed R&R.

Someday

2008-12-11T00:54:00.010-05:00

I was still in college when the following song from the Canadian band Glass Tiger hit the airwaves:

It was 1986 when this song came out. Funny but it always reminds me of a particular college classmate. I first heard this song from him. He was softly singing it in the classroom one afternoon while we sat waiting for our professor to come in. I asked him what song it was and he said that it was called "Someday" by a group called the Glass Tiger.

He was an amusing and very interesting character to say the least. He was a year older than I am but I always had interesting conversations with him. He was the type of person one can have endless conversations with about any topic under the sun. Like a number of people I know, he was outwardly geeky and a bit obese. In class, he would often just look around, silently observing the goings on around him. Thus, the average person might ignore him or assume that he's just like any other nerdy guy. But he certainly wasn't.

Highly intelligent and possessing a bit of a wild streak, he was also an amateur palm reader. He had a wacky and irreverent sense of humor. He came up with a list one day of sexual positions that obese couples can engage in. Some of them, he himself came up with. When he was in the mood, he could let loose with four-letter words and indulge in dirty jokes just for the heck of it. No subject was taboo.

My day's coming to an end. I'm feeling quite drained, both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately for me, this day was not unlike many that came before it. I hope this song will make me feel better because of memories of a happy friendship that it brings to me everytime I listen to it. I haven't had much contact with him ever since we graduated from college. But knowing him and his family, I'm sure he's doing quite well.

When I come home you telephone
To say you're waiting for me
I ask you why - I hear you cry,
But you're still waiting for me

Someday you'll be shedding your tears
To cry over me
Someday I'll be losing this fear

Now I'm alone, you telephone
To tell me you don't need me
I ask you why, you tell me lies
And say the truth would hurt me

Someday you'll be shedding your tears
To cry over me
Someday I'll be losing this fear

Oh, Oh . . . someday

Down in the street where lovers meet
That's where I'm waiting for you
In the streets where lovers meet
I'm still waiting for you

Someday you'll be shedding your tears
And then you'll cry over me [cry over me]
Someday I'll be losing this fear

Someday you'll be shedding your tears
And then you'll cry over me [cry over me]
Someday I'll be losing this fear

In Search Of A New Template

2008-12-10T12:35:00.001-05:00

I've had this template for a few months now and although I love it and have managed to keep it looking neat and tidy, I'm now seriously thinking about replacing it.

It's now beset with technical problems. Although my blog posts and pictures show up fine, I can't say the same thing for the various stuff that I want displayed on the right column. I noticed over the last few months that this template only works well when viewed using Internet Explorer. When I try to access it using Firefox, I run into some technical problems.

For example, except for my profile on the right, everything else gets pushed way, way down on the screen. My blogroll and all the other links are only displayed after my last blog entry on the page.

In addition, its code is written in Spanish. I've found it hard to make some tweaks and adjustments to its overall appearance due to the simple fact that any tweaks I do will have to be done on a "trial and error" basis and thus could be quite time consuming.

My search for a new blog template has gone through fits and starts, mostly a result of a rather busy yearend work schedule. I haven't really had the time to sit down and focus on searching for a new template yet. I need to focus on it more one of these days.

Sick As a Baker's Dog

2008-12-06T19:09:00.009-05:00

After struggling with headaches and an upset stomach all week, I was hoping that I'd be spending this weekend recovering. Well, I guess I had hoped for too much. Although both my headaches and stomach irritation are now gone, they were both promptly replaced with a head cold and chest congestion. And this duo was converted into a horrible trifecta by an irritating sore throat. Just my luck. It truly sucks to have to spend the weekend this way.

I had planned to do quite a lot of things around the house this weekend. I even brought some work home because there were some annual staff appraisals I needed to work on. But instead, I'm feeling so lethargic that the only things I was able to achieve all day today were my "Must Do's" namely, stop by the supermarket for some food shopping; make a quick run to the bank to get some cash for the week ahead; and drop by McDonald's to get myself some lunch. On top of all of that, I had to battle the cold for it was -2 degrees Celsius (about 29 degrees Fahrenheit) this morning when I went out for my errands.

Once I got home, I immediately put the grocery stuff I away, had my lunch and quickly went back to bed. I hope I'll feel much better when I wake up later today or tomorrow. I hate being sick and I hope that this bout with the colds doesn't worsen to a flu. I hate having to use up vacation days for an illness. It's just a total waste of a day off from work.

And to make matters worse, I am missing you terribly.

That Familiar Lonely Feeling

2008-12-03T20:37:00.004-05:00

This is something I've always felt whenever I leave Manila. Call it strange or weird but whenever I fly out of Manila, the worst stopover for me emotionally speaking is always the first one.

A lot of my countrymen board the plane with me in Manila. As one checks in for one's flight or while one waits in the transit lounge, one hears all the friendly chatter and jokes. I would even strike up a conversation or two with some fellow travelers to while away the wait time. These talks tend to continue onto and throughout the flight.

But once we get to our stopover, (be it Hongkong, Tokyo, or Beijing or wherever else it may be) where we all start going our separate ways to different connecting flights that would take us to our respective destinations around the globe, that's when a feeling of sadness and loneliness comes over me.

Most of them stay together bound for destinations either in the Middle East or in some other Asian country. Very few, if at all, remain to continue their flights towards the United States. Thus, as the sound and presence of my kababayans (countrymen) both fade, I find myself feeling increasingly alone.

It is at such stopovers where I get to see right in front of me how we, as a people, physically part with each other to fulfill our own dreams in our own little corners of the world. It is sad and yet it is a reality that a lot of us deal with. I know a lot of us wish that things were a lot different but since fate dealt us all a different hand, we have no other choice but to make the best of what's available to us.

Having lived away from the country for many years, I thought that such lonely feeling would go away because America is now a place I call home. Or if the feeling hadn't gone away, I had at least expected that its intensity would have been reduced by the passage of time. But my last few trips showed me that I still feel the same way after all these years. The feeling is still there, still intense after all these years. I no longer think that it'll ever change. America is what I call my legal home now because of what I need to do with my life. But that familiar lonely feeling I get at that first stopover is proof positive that a part of me still longs for my old home.

A Stopover at Beijing Airport

2008-12-02T10:25:00.001-05:00

After close to a week and a half of being away from this blog, I'm back. After a 23 hour-long trip, my plane landed in New York at around 5:30 p.m. last night (Sunday night, 6:30 a.m. in Manila). It was a long and exhausting trip. It would have been a much shorter trip were it not for my five-hour stopover in Beijing.

I took a Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight out of Manila for Beijing early Sunday morning. It wasn't a full flight. At the most, the flight was only 40% full which made me wonder if the Manila-to-Beijing route was a profitable one for PAL. The stop at Beijing involved a transfer to an American airline. Once my plane landed at Beijing Airport, I was surprised to find that even though I was only there for a stopover, I was still required by Chinese immigration law to fill out immigration admission and departure forms. I asked the lady at the immigration desk why this was so but she barely spoke English. It was mainly through hand gestures that she was able to partly answer my questions.

As they say, one can't fight city hall so I decided to comply, albeit reluctantly. I also had to watch my behavior for being in a strict communist state, I knew that the authorities there have a very low tolerance for dissent. The last thing I needed was to spend months in a dirty, cold and crowded Beijing jail simply because I questioned the wisdom behind some of their immigration laws.

Beijing's airport was quite huge and it was made so in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. However, in my humble opinion, the place didn't really offer much in terms of entertainment or shopping. I didn't see a lot of souvenir shops. Most of the ones I saw sold cigarettes, liquor and perfume. Pretty much just the basic stuff. The signages on the shops were not pleasing to look at either. Most of the shops' names were simply painted over an awning above a shop's entrance. Televisions all over the airport lounge I was in only showed programs in Chinese without the benefit of English subtitles. In short, the place was big but boring. I'm just glad that I brought a good book with me to help while away the hours.

Except for the immigration officers and people who manned the airline desks, communication in English was definitely a problem. At one point, I needed to go to a restroom and had to approach one of the airport workers to see where I could find the nearest restroom. Our brief conversation went this way:

Baker: Excuse me, could you point me to the nearest restroom?
Airport worker: No. (Shakes his head while responding.)

Thinking that I might have been misunderstood, I immediately rephrased the question to see if I could get a different answer out of him.
Baker: Is there a comfort room around here?
Airport worker: No. (Shakes his head again.)

I searched my mental dictionary for another word he might be able to understand.
Baker: Is there a toilet around here?
Airport worker: No. (Shakes his head again and smiles this time. The "smile" was probably his way of confessing that after all this time, he didn't really understand a word I was saying.)

The only option left to me at this pont was to use some hand or bodily gestures to show what I needed to do but again, this was Beijing. I have to admit that since it was my first time in a Communist country, I was a bit paranoid and didn't want to do anything that would offend the "authorities". Thus, by resorting to gestures, I ran the risk of being misinterpreted in a big way and it will probably land me again in a dirty, cold and crowded Beijing jail. So, I just kept walking until I eventually came across a picture symbol for a restroom. Good.

Walking into the men's room, I was greeted by a male attendant who, in contrast to the airport worker I dealt with a few minutes earlier, proved to be a shining example of extreme helpfulness. With a smile, this attendant courteously directed me to one of the available urinals. (As if I needed to be shown where they were. Hehehe) Once I was done, he immediately walked over to one of the sinks and proceeded to turn the faucet on for me. I appreciated the service and put my hands under the faucet. As I began to wash my hands, he immediately proceeded to turn the liquid soap dispenser (which was immediately to the right of the faucet) on for my use. With that, I completed washing my hands.

However, the gentleman wasn't done with his service. As soon as he saw that I was done washing my hands, he immediately swiped two paper towels out of the paper towel holder on the wall and handed them to me so I could dry my hands with them. I wasn't sure if he was expecting a tip from all of that great service he provided but I sure appreciated his help. He smiled and respectfully nodded his head at me as I thanked him while walking out of the restroom.

Finally, no Baker activity would be complete without a visit to a cafe or restaurant. Midway through the five-hour wait, I got hungry and decided to have an afternoon snack at an airport coffee shop called "The Lei Cafe". I ordered a couple of hotdog sandwiches (Did I say that I was VERY hungry at this point? Hehe) and a can of Coke.

As I was waiting for my order, I came across the following sign that was posted by the coffee shop's main entrance. It attempts to explain the rationale as to why The Lei Cafe was named the way it was. Word for word and down to the exact spelling of each word, here is what the sign said:

"Lei are used to signify Peace, Friendship and Love. It also should be a welcomed, parting, thankful or congratulant celebration of one person, is affection to another."

I couldn't have said it better myself. :D

I'm slowly easing my way back into work mode after having been away for 10 days. It doesn't help that I'm dealing with a severe case of jet lag and to a lesser degree, an upset stomach. But I should be ok within a few days. I hope.

Baker's Going On A Break

2008-11-19T20:52:00.004-05:00

Folks, I will be away for a few days to take a much needed break.

To those of you who reside in the US, I wish you all in advance a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday!

To everyone else, take very good care of yourselves.

Although I won't miss my work, I'll certainly miss blogging and bloghopping through your sites. But I'll see you all again in a couple of weeks. Until then, take care everyone!

A Couple of Sentimental Favorites

2008-11-15T22:05:00.021-05:00

It's a quiet Saturday evening where I am so I decided to enjoy the moment by listening to some favorite songs. My CD player has been quiet these past couple of months because thanks to a rather busy work schedule, I wasn't able to spend some time listening to any of my CDs. Anyway, with some free time on my hands finally, I decided to end the quiet streak to once again listen to some old favorites.

I've loved this Free Movement song from the very moment I first heard it played on DWRK 96.3.

It was the mid-eighties. I was in college and at the time, RK 96 (which was how DWRK 96.3 was known then) was the station I listened to whenever I needed my "oldies fix".

The radio station was still rather new at the time and during my first couple of years in college, the station broadcasted out of a building at the corner of Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue (Buendia Avenue) and Bautista Street in Makati City. If my memory serves me right, the building's ground floor was occupied by a branch of the United Coconut Planters Bank. ("UCPB") The radio station set aside Wednesday of every week to play nothing but oldies songs all day. The folks at DWRK called this program "Oldies Wednesday". Or maybe it was "Sixties Wednesday"? Hahaha! I can't exactly remember now but anyway....

It was through RK 96's oldies Wednesday program that I was introduced to the song above. It's called "The Harder I Try (The Bluer I Get)" and was a tune that The Free Movement released back in December 1971. I love the song for the simplicity of its lyrics and the beauty of its music. Talk about true "easy listening". Too bad though that as a group, The Free Movement didn't last long for the group had ceased to exist by 1973.

Anyway, let me just share with you the lyrics of this little musical gem a great vocal group gave us from the distant past:

At night I find that I can't sleep
All day long I walk the streets
My heart is filled with misery and pain
Tears fill my eyes when I speak your name

The harder I try,
The bluer I get;
Lord knows that I
I haven't gotten over losing you.

I can't get over losing you...
I can't get over losing you...

I'm so lonely I've lost my pride
And I've got tears that I can't hide;
Every day I'm so sad and blue
Without your love, what would I do?

The harder I try
(The harder I try)
The bluer I get
(The bluer I get)
Lord knows that I
I haven't gotten over losing you.

Last night I held someone new
But when I kissed her lips I was seeing you
A kiss like this has no meaning you see
And life without you has no future for me

Oh, the harder I try
(The harder I try)
The bluer I get
(The bluer I get)
Lord knows that I
I haven't gotten over losing you.

I can't get over losing you...
(Losing you...)
I can't get over losing you...
(Losing you...)
I can't get over losing you...
(Losing you...)

As for the radio station DWRK 96.3, I was a junior in college when it moved from its humble digs in Buendia to its new and current location at the FEMS Tower 1 Building on Zobel-Roxas Street. I still make it a point to listen to the station whenever I'm in Manila. The building that used to house the station at the corner of Buendia Avenue and Bautista Street is still there. A UCPB branch still occupies its ground floor. Like the song above, this station has remained a sentimental favorite of mine because I remain grateful for the countless songs it introduced to me many years ago, songs I still love listening to to this day.

Lost Them..... For Now

2008-11-12T16:52:00.009-05:00

I don't know how many people find themselves in a similar predicament but what has long been a source of personal frustration for me is the fact that I do not know enough of my family's history and heritage. And by this, I'm not just referring to one side of the family. I'm referring to BOTH my father and mother's respective sides of the family. I find it quite pathetic not because I didn't care enough to find out but it is mainly due to the very limited information available from close relatives.

Let me start with my mother's side of the family. My mother does not know where both my grandfather's parents are buried. My maternal grandfather, an only child, was born in 1897 and died in 1983. Both his parents had passed away by the time he was in his early 20s in 1920.

Being the seventh of eight children and having been born in the latter part of the 1930s, I can understand and even forgive my mother for this lapse. However, the situation becomes quite absurd when one learns that none of her older siblings also know where their grandparents are exactly buried. All I was told years ago was that the poor, almost forgotten couple were buried in a cemetery somewhere in Malolos, Bulacan.

However, when I asked my mom the very same question just this past week, she said that there isn't even a degree of certainty that my maternal greatgrandparents' remains even lie in a Malolos cemetery. All she now knows is that they were buried somewhere in Bulacan. Oh great. Just effing great. Now, all of Bulacan's cemeteries just became search candidates. If I had to start my search at this very moment, I would have to first come up with a master list of all Bulacan cemeteries that have been around for at least a hundred years and are still used today. God knows how many such cemeteries are out there. And worse, there's also the possibility that the cemetery those poor folks were buried in nine decades ago may no longer be a cemetery today. For all I know, on the cemetery's old site could now stand any of the following: a children's playground, a subdivision, a tiangge (flea market) or worse, perhaps a row of uber-trendy restaurants. I certainly hope that that's not the case.

At least I know my greatgrandfather's full name if in case I have to search through some birth and death records. Researching about my greatgrandmother would be more of a challenge. Although I know her first name, neither my mom nor any of her siblings know what her maiden name was. I guess I could attempt to find a marriage license somewhere that has both my greatgrandfather's full name and my greatgrandmother's first name on it.

On my father's side of the family, things are only slightly better. In contrast to my mother's side, both my greatgrandparents' names, their birth and death dates are well documented since they're both buried in the family plot at Manila's North Cemetery. However, even though I was told that my greatgrandfather was part of a rather large brood, I do not have any information as to the names of any of his siblings. Neither does my father nor any his surviving siblings.

I also know next to nothing about my dear greatgrandmother. I do not have any information as to who her parents and her siblings (if any) were, and where exactly in Manila she grew up. At least I know her maiden name and that would be a start. She was quite entrepreneurial according to my father. She was the brains behind a successful family business that operated in both Manila and Makati City back in the 1930s. She passed away from old age when I was four years old.

As for my greatgrandfather's heritage, I have mixed information. Looking at old family photographs from the early 1930s, my greatgrandfather had very strong Chinese features. From the photographs I saw, he possessed a rather fair complexion and Chinese eyes. I was also told that my greatgrandfather's father had worked as a cook somewhere in Binondo during the 19th Century. My father and relatives say that we are of mixed Chinese and Filipino heritage. That's probably right because it's quite common in the Philippines.

But again, nobody knows where my great greatgrandfather lies buried. I don't even know the name of his wife, my great greatgrandmother. No one in the family knows what her name was. I have no real information on any of my greatgrandfather's siblings either. My father has second cousins but I didn't find out who and how many they were until I visited Manila last year. What makes matters worse was that in all the many years I lived and grew in my hometown, I never knew (and my father never bothered to tell his children) that those folks had been living in a neighboring district all that time!

As for the origins of our family name, the answer I got was that the name was/is quite common in Batangas. In particular, our ancestors were supposed to have migrated to Manila from Batangas, Batangas. How nice and yet how generic. But here again, growing up, none of my cousins and I were ever introduced to any Batangueno relative. None of us were even taken to Batangas on a single sentimental trip to see an ancestral home. The only memories I have of Batangas were of family excursions to beach resorts in the summer. But no memories at all of any single trip that was taken for the sole purpose of meeting up with a Batangas-based relative.

Seriously, I have my doubts about our family's Batangueno roots. And the reason I say this is based on our family's collective command of the Tagalog dialect. Whenever we speak to each other, we hardly use deep or profound Tagalog words. Our vocabulary is pretty much limited to common or everyday Tagalog words. The deeper Tagalog words we learned along the way often came from school and from people who married into the family.

If still possible, I also want to find out what our original Chinese name was. This is due to the fact that our Chinese features are so strong that people often mistake quite a number of my cousins and I for Chinese rather than Filipino. When I was in Hongkong earlier this year, a lot of locals came up to me and spoke to me in Chinese. It may be close to impossible at this point but I still hope to set the record straight someday.

Given all this family history mess, I definitely have my work cut out for me. I plan to spend a good deal of time in Manila someday to work on sorting these things out. I hope I will still be healthy enough if and when that time comes. I want to know more about my family's past. I'm not very happy with the very limited information I have right now. I feel bad for my long deceased relatives whose names are almost lost to history. I feel bad that as a family, we haven't done a very good job of remembering the people who came before us.

I believe we owe it to our ancestors to keep memories of them alive. I also believe that we owe it to future generations of our family that they get a sense of where they came from and who they are. I fervently hope that records still exist in some government or municipal office somewhere that would provide me with leads or clues as to who they were, where they lived, and aside from us, who their other descendants are.

I'm still not certain as to what I'll do when the day comes and I finally have all the information I've long sought for in front of me. All I can say right now is I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

A Very Big Thanks!

2008-11-09T22:46:00.008-05:00

I would just like to pause for a moment and thank a few blogger friends who, over the last couple of months were very kind to award yours truly.

First of all I would like to express my deepest thanks to both Blogusvox and Ever for sharing with me the Oops Award.

Accoding to the folks who came up with the Oops award, the award was created and is to be given to bloggers who inspire others with their humor and their talents, also for contributing to the blogging world in whatever medium. When you receive this award it is considered a “special honor”.

The following Uber Amazing Blog Award was given to me by one of my first blogger-friends, RDL. The Uber Amazing Blog Award is a blog award given to sites who:
~ inspire you
~ make you smile and laugh
~ or maybe gives amazing information
~ a great read
~ has an amazing design
~ and any other reasons you can think of that makes them uber amazing!

Her blog was one of the first I enjoyed reading and visiting when I was still new to blogging. As such, a very big THANKS goes out to her.

Last but not least, the following Friendship Award was given to me by Madbong23 all the way from New Zealand. I enjoy reading about his life stories and experiences in that special part of the world.

Friends, thank you very much again for these awards. I apologize that it took me quite a while before posting them on here but please know that I appreciate the thoughts behind them very much.

Oh Those Republicans

2008-11-07T20:49:00.017-05:00

This is a piece that I will write straight from the heart. It will also be my last write-up on last Tuesday's election

After suffering a devastating loss last Tuesday, the Republican Party is said to be doing some soul-searching as to the causes of their defeat. They are trying to figure out how to rebuild the party after two consecutive election losses that led first to the Republicans' losing their majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in 2006 and second, the loss of the White House to the Democrats with the victory of President-elect Barack Obama.

Although Mr. Obama scored a landslide victory over Senator John McCain, the Republicans are consoling themselves with the thought that even though Mr. Obama garnered 53% of the popular vote as compared to Senator McCain's 46%, Senator McCain's percentage of the total vote was still higher than the 43% former President Bill Clinton got when Mr. Clinton won the Presidency in the 1992 elections.

The Republicans still think that they can win the electorate back in future election by emphasizing conservative principles such as their beliefs in smaller and more efficient government, lower taxes, a strong military, meritocracy, strong religious and family values, and the capitalist economic system.

On the surface, those conservative principles the Republicans espouse ought to be attractive to a lot of people, especially immigrants who want to start a new life in a new country. But the problem with the Republicans is that there are sectors within the Republican Party who are racist and stridently anti-immigrant. Although these bigots (let's call a spade a spade here) do not make up a majority of the Republican membership, their voices were loud enough and their numbers were big enough to prevent President George W. Bush and Senator McCain from enacting a comprehensive immigration reform law back in 2006.

President Bush, in the early part of this decade, realized the need for the Republican Party to be a more racially inclusive political party. For all his imperfections, Mr. Bush was a politically moderate man who wanted more minority groups to be welcomed and represented within the Republican Party. He knew and understood that a lot of minority groups share the same socially conservative and pro-family values that the Republican Party stands for. Thus, Mr. Bush worked hard to win the support of minority groups and promised them that he will work to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill into law.

The bill was basically aimed at attracting illegal aliens to come out and register with the government authorities. Mr. Bush wanted the illegal aliens to pay taxes on income earned in the US but in exchange, they could gain a path towards permanent residency. His proposal enjoyed widespread support among Democrats and moderate Republicans such as Senator McCain. However, Mr. Bush ran into stiff resistance from members of his own party, specifically Republican congressmen who hid their racism under the guise of respect for the rule of law.

To make a long story short, the bill was defeated in Congress because of the hardline stance these anti-immigrant Republicans took. As a result, minority groups, especially the Hispanics, who helped Mr. Bush win reelection in 2004, switched their support to the Democrats and thus contributed significantly to Mr. McCain's defeat against Mr. Obama.

The irony from last Tuesday was that the Hispanics and other minority groups punished the Republican Party by voting against Mr. McCain, the man who helped Mr. Bush champion the ill-fated comprehensive immigration reform law. In addition, the Republicans are rapidly losing their hold in the most racially diverse areas of the nation. In the Northeastern region of the US where I live, with the lone exception of Maine, all Northeastern states (New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticutt, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia) are now represented by Democrats in the US Senate. The same is true of the West Coast. As of last Tuesday's election, the entire West Coast region (made up of the states of Washington, Oregon, and California) are now likewise represented by Democrats in the US Senate.

If the Republicans seriously want to win back both the White House and Congress in the coming years, they need to reassess their attitudes and policies towards ethnic minorities. The demographics in the US are changing dramatically. According to the latest figures from the US Census Bureau, 44% of American children today are ethnic minorities, almost a 1-to-1 parity. The bureau projects that by 2050, non-Hispanic whites will make up 46% of the US population, down from 68% today.

But in spite of such statistics and projections, a number of Republicans still continue to ignore the immigrant community. They still pursue policies seemingly under the assumption that what worked well for them in the past in a predominantly white America will continue to work for them in the future.

What a lot of Republican politicians and their followers fail to realize is that by continuing to ignore immigrants and minorities, the Republicans run the risk of being reduced to a regional political party and worse, probably an irrelevant one in the years to come. Over the last few days, I read several reports on the web and on newspapers as to how the Republicans plan to revive their party. However, most of the Republicans' plans still fail to mention the urgent need to reach out to minorities. Some voices of reason and moderation within the party see the need to do so but for now, it seems that the Republican Party leadership is still clinging to their old ways.

I said at the beginning of this piece that I was writing it straight from the heart. I did so because of feelings of anger and sadness for the very sorry state the party now finds itself in. This Republican Party was a party that was once led by the great Abraham Lincoln. This Republican Party was the party that had once fought so hard to free the slaves and effectively ended slavery. It is highly ironic then that a hundred fifty years later, due to the narrow-mindedness and bigotry of some groups within it, this Republican Party is a party that now finds itself shunned by the very people it once fought so hard to free.

Congratulations, President Obama

2008-11-06T19:27:00.004-05:00

This blog takes a few moments to congratulate former Senator and now President-elect Barack Obama on his historic victory. After a campaign that was remarkable for its discipline and consistency of message, his victory was indeed sweet and definitely one for the ages.

African-Americans have gone through a lot of pain, suffering and injustice since they were imported from Africa as slaves in 1619. It's been close to 400 years since they first set foot on American soil and yet, millions of them remain impoverished, unemployed, trapped in broken homes and live in tough, crime-ridden neighborhoods. The income of the average African-American family lags that of the average white American family. A disproportionately large number of inmates in American prisons are African-Americans.

I just hope that all African-Americans, especially the kids, will find inner strength and inspiration from Mr. Obama's achievement. I hope that a lot more African-American kids stay in school and do good for themselves so that someday, more of them will get to achieve what Mr. Obama did last Tuesday night.

Discovering Me

2008-11-02T12:32:00.002-05:00

I want to live, I want to give;
I've been a miner for a heart of gold.
It's these expressions I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old.

I guess everyone goes through a phase where a person starts to depart a bit from the person his parents want him to become to that of the type of individual he thinks he ultimately wants to be.

I wasn't introspective at all during my childhood and early teen years. My needs were simple and shallow: I wanted to have fun but at the same time, I wanted to stay out of trouble, especially with my parents. Having fun was easy because I was an easy-going and gregarious kid. I stayed out of trouble with my folks by observing the appropriate conduct when in the presence of other people (except in the classroom), by doing my fair share of the housework (we stopped having maids when I was eight), and by trying my best to earn good grades at school.

Although I passed all my subjects in school, I must admit I passed a few of them without really internalizing or understanding them. I thoroughly studied the subjects I loved but for those that I didn't, I used fear of my father's wrath to motivate myself to study and pass them.

I made a lot of "friends" in school without really giving much thought as to why I even considered many of them as such. I ended friendships either through heated arguments or through fights and didn't think much afterwards as to why those friendships ended. I disliked and viewed some of my teachers with utmost contempt and yet at the same time, I wasn't certain as to why. At home, I did and accepted as truth a lot of things my folks told me.

But my education and all the experiences I had up to that point were all catching up to me. After all the studying and living, I was starting to learn. I started to develop my own views and I started to question long-held beliefs especially in matters of faith, culture and tradition. I started to develop my own interests and views but yet lacked the confidence to voice them to my parents out of fear. In countless talks over the dinner table, I realized that although my parents worked hard to send their children to schools they believed would provide quality education, they were not exactly prepared to hear statements or assertions that went against their own beliefs and biases. Thus, ever the diplomat, I largely kept my views to myself. For the sake of maintaining harmony at home, I felt I had to maintain a semblance of conformity.

But outside the home, things were different. I became a lot more selective with my friendships. Although I continued to outwardly maintain a friendly demeanor, I became more guarded within. I distanced myself from people I deemed were mere users. I shunned people who felt the world revolved around them. Whereas before, I used to hang out with almost anyone in my class, I now started limiting myself to just four or five really close friends. Whereas before, I had accepted the majority's view as truth, I now started thinking on my own. I became more vocal with my friends about the hypocrisy I saw around me.

The process of self-discovery undeniably brought with it a fair amount of loneliness. Everything comes at a price I learned. My struggle and effort to become my own person brought with it a lot of arguments and misunderstanding both within the home and outside of it. I love my parents a lot but there are things in this world where they and I will never agree on. With other people, the process was a bit easier in a way because all it took was to cut off all contact with people I no longer trust or agree with. With the friends I have left at this point, they will probably remain my friends to my dying day. The relationship I have with them is such that they're never afraid to tell me things I may not want to hear and vice versa.

But outside of books and friends, music became a refuge for me. It was through music where I found strength and validation. One of the songs I listened to a lot during this time was Heart of Gold, a 1972 hit by Neil Young. This song had been around for many years when I first heard it as a sophomore in high school. The opening guitar and harmonica riffs conveyed the sense of loneliness one felt while in search of a true friend or a true love. I listened to this song a lot during those days when I needed gentle, caring souls to understand me. This song remains one of my favorites to this day.

Heart of Gold was a single cut from Mr. Young's 1972 album, Harvest. Let me just share with you below Mr. Young's beautiful live performance of this song from the early 1970s. Enjoy.

McCain and "Palin" on SNL

2008-11-02T07:22:00.006-05:00

In what could be their last joint appearance on Saturday Night Live, Senator McCain and Governor "Palin" were on the show last night to "raise" additional campaign funds to help counter the Obama campaign's tremendous advantage in campaign finances.

Earlier in the week, the Obama Campaign purchased a half hour of air time on three major networks. Presented as "infomercials" on Senator Obama, these were supposed to package the Senator's "closing statements" in the dying days of this historic campaign. It is known that the state of the McCain campaign's finances compare poorly to Senator Obama's. Thus, the following comedy skit from SNL shows Senator McCain's two-fold "response" by not only getting some air time but also raising some much-needed campaign cash:

I must say that Mrs. McCain did some pretty good acting in that cameo appearance, didn't she? :-)

One very positive thing about these American politicians is that, unlike their counterparts in many Third World countries, most of them don't take themselves too seriously. A lot of screaming, debating, arguing, and insulting may occur between them during the heat of the campaign. But once the campaign is over and the election results are out, the will of the voters is respected and the losing candidate promptly concedes and congratulates the victor.

Sometimes Work Does Get In The Way...

2008-10-30T20:07:00.005-04:00

..... of blogging and bloghopping. :D

My apologies dear online buddies because save for a few, I really haven't had the chance to stop by your blogs lately. I've been swamped with quite a bit of work these past few weeks that except for the occasional blog entry, I haven't really been able to visit your respective sites.

I had tight deadlines to meet that in fact, my recent blog entries were drafted and developed while I was on train rides home. Thus, an entry that would normally take a few hours to develop and complete took quite a number of days to conclude. In addition, a case of writer's block didn't make writing any easier.

Since my mind was tied up with work-related stuff, I decided to skip on the bloghopping for some time just to get a number of things off my desk. In addition, I didn't want to post half-ass comments (please pardon the expression) on your blogs knowing that I simply breezed through something that you took the time and effort to write and post.

Take care of yourselves, dear folks. My load at work is starting to lighten at this point. Thus, I should be able to visit your sites soon. I look forward to again reading the stories you wish to tell. I wish everyone well.

Playing Things Safe at San Miguel

2008-10-29T20:39:00.018-04:00

I was reading the Business Section of yesterday's issue (October 29) of the Inquirer when I was struck by an event that was reported in this article. The article reported on the UK-based investment firm Ashmore Group's move to increase its control over Petron. I have no problem with foreigners increasing their level of investment in Filipino companies as long as the investment would lead to the creation of more jobs and better incomes for our countrymen.

However, I was not too happy to find in the same article that San Miguel Corporation, that long-time food and beverage conglomerate, has plans to buy into Petron too. In fact, reading further, I found that San Miguel was seeking more than 50% control of Petron, this planned move was announced right after acquiring a 27% stake in Meralco last Monday.

I am no strategic genius or business whiz but San Miguel's foray into power distribution and its planned entry into the oil refining business should not impress any serious student of Philippine business. This company has been able to lord it over the Philippines for many decades due to its sheer size and lack of true competition. Given its reputation and the resources at its disposal, I expect a lot more from a multi-billion dollar corporation who has been around since 1890. But aside from the Philippines, its premier product, San Miguel Beer, still does not have a significant presence in any foreign market save for Hongkong.

I love San Miguel's beer and I strongly believe that the product has the potential to compete with the world's best. But San Miguel's management hasn't done a very good job of introducing and marketing its premier product into different foreign markets. It seems content playing a conservative game of marketing San Miguel Beer only in places marked by a large Filipino presence. Instead of trying to compete in the global market against foreign brands, San Miguel's management seems content to just play it safe within its home grounds.

In my humble opinion, this is the problem when a company the size of San Miguel has never operated in an environment where it had to seriously compete to either maintain or expand its share of the market. Although the security afforded by a protected business environment may seem reassuring to a company's investors, the lack or absence of challenges or fights from a serious competitor never truly forced San Miguel to seek greater efficiency in resource allocation to lower its costs and boost its market share. It never had to mount a serious counterthrust to any competitor's moves. In short, it has a management that by international standards has never been truly battle-tested.

Instead of growing the company's revenues organically by expanding the market share of its products locally or by expanding into foreign markets either through strategic acquisitions or strategic alliances, San Miguel's management decided to pursue the path of least resistance by growing the company through investments into other industries WITHIN the Philippines even if these companies are in businesses outside of San Miguel's core competency. Even its selection of industries to invest in (power distribution and oil refining) are "safe" industries in the Philippine context. Both are practically cash cows and both are environments with limited or no competition.

In a previous job many years ago, I had the chance to be part of teams that analyzed parts of San Miguel's operations in a couple of its divisions. Typical of problems in a virtual monopoly, we found bloated bureaucracies, operational inefficiencies, waste, and even corruption. Due to the absence of competitive market pressures, we sensed no urgency on the part of both management and employees to fix their problems. I don't mean to paint a broad brush but a culture of complacency certainly prevailed. The place ran like a government office. I have no reason to believe that such mediocrities and problems have gone away because the environment San Miguel operates in remains virtually unchanged.

San Miguel is a company that can do more and achieve more. A lot of foreigners I know who have tasted its beer love it. Aside from beer, it has a wide array of products that are of high quality that competing in foreign markets and gaining the acceptance of foreign customers should not be deemed an insurmountable challenge. Instead of pouring its resources into businesses it knows next to nothing about, the company ought to focus its energies on its core competency. Instead of focusing on protecting its local market share and stifling local competition, San Miguel's management owes it to the country, the Filipino people, and themselves to prove that the people behind San Miguel are made of sterner stuff. The only way to do so is to unleash the competitive spirit within them and do competitive battles on foreign shores.

Oh Well....

2008-10-28T08:34:00.006-04:00

A week from today, people in this part of the world will be exercising their right to vote for the man who will occupy the most powerful office in the world for the next four years.

National polls and trends point to an Obama victory. They may very well be proven right.

But as a lot of these electoral exercises go, different motivations and situations will drive people to prefer one candidate over another. The motivations could be any of the following: economic, political, social, or emotional.

Some people will base their decision on which candidate's campaign proposals would better address the nation's economic problems. Some people will vote upon due consideration of each candidate's resume and professional track record. Some people will vote because they share the same social experience and history with one candidate. Some people will exercise their right of suffrage and vote for the candidate simply on the strength of the endorsement of celebrities and other pop culture figures. Some people will vote for one candidate simply because his election will make history.

Regardless of who wins, the next President and Presidency will be consequential for the world if it isn't so already. The next President will either be one who was a celebrated war hero who served with distinction in the US Senate or one who has become a favorite among glitzy Hollywood celebrities and the media elite because his campaign style has been nothing short of "cool". But for many people in this world, things boil down to how a President's decision would impact their economic well-being.

For all the people's talk of how much they care for their lives; of how much they love the things that they get to enjoy in life that became possible as a result of either their job or business; of how much it means to them that future generations grow up in a morally upright environment; and of how much it means to people to have a goverment that would continue creating economic opportunities for those who seek them, it bothers me that from all indications, they will vote into office the one candidate who stands for social and economic policies that go against the very things they care about.

Oh well, as the say, "Be careful of what you wish for."

W Endorses Mac and Palin

2008-10-24T08:01:00.004-04:00

McCain finally got a much needed campaign "boost" from the President last night.

Enjoy. :)

Satirists often provide a good gauge of the public mood. Senator McCain has indeed tried his very best to distance himself from the President Bush since the beginning of the year. However, except for a few good weeks for him in late August through early September largely brought about by "Palin Mania", his awful handling of his campaign, the Palin candidacy, and his continued failure to sell his tax proposals are all helping to pave the road for an Obama landslide victory in less than a couple of weeks.

Sorry, Mr. McCain.

A Presidential Inauguration in 1935

2008-10-19T20:00:00.003-04:00

This event was a first in Asia. This event marked a crucial milestone for a region that was lorded by Western powers at the time. Some of the colonial powers even expressed their concern over the event's impact on the peoples of the region. Time Magazine reported that the British voiced displeasure over this development because it could signal the demise of the white man's rule over that part of the world. The event I'm referring to is the subject of the following newsreel from 1935 that reported on the inauguration of Manuel Luis Quezon as President of the new Philippine Commonwealth.

President Quezon's inauguration was held at the steps of the neoclassic Legislative Building on November 15, 1935. As can be seen from the video, the occasion was graced by then US Vice President John Nance Garner (1868-1967) who served under Franklin Delano Roosevelt from 1933 to 1941. According to Time, Mr. Garner led a party of 17 senators, 26 representatives, and 34 American newspapermen. Secretary of War George Henry Dern (1872-1936) also attended the event as President Roosevelt's personal representative. It was estimated that about 15,000 official guests were on hand to witness history being made.

Mr. Quezon was sworn in to a six-year term by Justice Ramon Avancena (1872-1957) who was then Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court. The 1935 Constitution, which the Filipino people had approved in a plebiscite held in May that same year, called for the election of a President to a single six-year term with no reelection. It also called for a unicameral National Assembly. These provisions were however changed later that same decade (1939-40) when the Constitution was amended to allow for a bicameral Congress and to allow a President to govern for a maximum of two four-year terms.

One can see from the video that it was a very well attended affair. It was estimated that about a quarter of a million people attended the ceremonies marking the inauguration of the President and the birth of the Commonwealth. It is to be noted too that President Quezon's inaugural ceremonies were held on the steps of the Legislative Building and not at the Luneta Grandstand as succeeding Presidents have done since 1946. I am assuming that the decision to hold the inaugural ceremonies at the steps of the Legislative Building was patterned after the American tradition of holding Presidential inaugurations at the steps of the US Capitol Building.

The Legislative Building stands at the corner of Taft Avenue and P. Burgos Street. Thus, I'm assuming that the impressive military parades shown on the newsreel were held on P. Burgos Street. It can also be seen from the joyous and excited attitude of the crowd that the move towards independence enjoyed broad popular support.

The newsreel also briefly showed President Quezon's son, Manuel L. Quezon, Jr. (1926-1998), standing attentively and smartly dressed in an aide-de-camp's uniform. Unfortunately, due to the age of the film, it was quite difficult for me to identify the elegantly dressed couple MLQ Jr. stood next to.

I don't mean to deviate from the historical significance of this newsreel but there is one last observation regarding its content. It can be observed from the video that as President Quezon took his oath of office, one of the microphones that stood before him prominently showed the call letters KZRM. Quite a bit of historic information can be derived from the call letters on that microphone stand.

Note that this was the 1930s, a period before the birth of television broadcasting. Thus, all events of historic or national importance were broadcast over radio. Unlike today where call letters of radio stations in the Philippines begin with the letter "D", it is to be noted that during the pre-war years, specifically from 1924 through 1947, the call letters of radio stations in the Philippines began with the letters "KZ". This designation was in accordance with the radio broadcast laws of the US which applied to our country being an American colony.

KZRM was one of six major radio stations that operated in Manila during the pre-war years. The others were KZEG, KZIB, KZRC, KZRF, and KZRH. KZRM was owned and operated by the Radio Corporation of the Philippines (which later became known as RCPI) and began broadcasting in 1928. The Radio Corporation of the Philippines was then a fully-owned subsidiary of the Radio Corporation of America, or more popularly known to radio and music enthusiasts as RCA.

Of the six stations mentioned, KZRH, owned and operated by the Manila Broadcasting Company is the only one that is still around to this day. This radio station began operations in 1939 atop the Heacock Building in Escolta and is now known to Filipino listeners by its call letters DZRH.

It was at a 1947 International Telecommunications Union conference held in Atlantic City, New Jersey where the radio call letters for the Philippines were changed to begin with the letter "D". Radio stations that broadcast from Manila were assigned call letters that begin with "DZ"; radio stations in Luzon were assigned the letters "DW"; Visayan stations got "DY"; and Mindanao stations were assigned "DX".

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this newsreel. Though it runs for less than a minute, it still manages to provide us with a wealth of historical information about our beloved country.

Live From New York.... It's Sarah Palin!

2008-10-19T10:56:00.004-04:00

Well, it was just a matter of time before the real Sarah Palin made an appearance on Saturday Night Live and last night, she did just that. This was the opening skit:

Though both Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey have both expressed support for Senator Obama, everyone deserves a lot of credit for being such a good sport. It's obvious that everyone still had a good time. Third World politicos can learn a lot from these people in terms of civility.

Anyway, it wasn't the only skit for Ms. Palin. About 45 minutes into the show, she again appeared on the Weekend Update skit and danced to a hilarious rap tune the folks at SNL wrote up for her:

Enjoy. :)

True Freedom Denied

2008-10-16T09:19:00.006-04:00

The only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it. Each is the proper guardian of his own health, whether bodily, or mental and spiritual. Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.
- John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) "On Liberty"

I will keep this post brief but in the Philippine context, it is pretty obvious that my country has failed to live up to Mr. Mill's definition of what true Freedom means.

As a people, we have been denied for so long the right to pursue a life of happiness and good on our own terms. We have always been denied the right to decide what would be positive or negative for us individually. Certain sectors within our society such as the Catholic Church and its lackeys in government, along with the oligarchs, have taken it upon themselves to decide what would be good or bad for all of us.

The examples are all around us and come in various forms: press and movie censorship; the absence of a divorce law; the absence of a comprehensive reproductive health bill; a "cheap labor" economy; systemic graft and corruption; the absence of strong anti-discrimination and anti-sexual harassment laws in the workplace; dirty and violent elections; and the unfair and unequal administration of justice. These are but to name a few.

The absence of true freedom has set our country back. In my humble opinion, denying the people the chance to decide what makes them happy and what is good for their own well-being tends to demoralize them and kill individual initiative.

The country has so many structural problems that require immediate attention and meaningful solutions. I've often wondered if we will ever see the day when these problems will finally get resolved. Millions of our countrymen have already lost all hope that they're now leaving the country in droves to fulfill their dreams elsewhere. People will always go where they feel their skills are needed and where they know they will be fairly compensated for their contributions.

We will never be able to fix our nation's problems for as long as we fail to conduct intelligent and open-minded discussions in an environment that's free from fear and intolerance. It is only through open, honest and thoughtful discussion of issues will many brilliant ideas see the light of day. But until then, our nation's problems will remain simply because certain powerful sectors of our society have decided that what's good for them ought to be good for the rest of us.

The Latest McCain-Obama and Hall & Oates Debates

2008-10-10T10:17:00.005-04:00

As they've done in previous Presidential campaigns, the people behind Saturday Night Live (SNL) launched the first of their Update Thursday Specials this week to tap on the wealth of comedic material both campaigns have been providing.

Last night, they showed their parody of Tuesday night's debate between Senators McCain and Obama. The parody focuses on the rather awful way Mr. Tom Brokaw (former NBC News anchor) selected the questions and moderated the debate. The parody was based on the fact that right after the debate, a lot of news and political analysts complained that the questions Mr. Brokaw picked were predictable and that the candidates' answers to the questions revealed no new information about their personalities and their campaign proposals. In addition, Mr. Brokaw was rather strict with the time he allowed for each candidate to speak. Anyway, here's the SNL skit:

It seems that the pop duo of Daryl Hall and John Oates also got into a little musical debate about their respective choices for President:

Two more Update Thursday Specials are planned for the next two weeks. (Oct. 16 and 23)

Enjoy. :)

Mr. McCain Failed To Connect

2008-10-09T08:39:00.015-04:00

In the debate Tuesday night in Nashville, Tennessee, one that he desperately needed to win in order to turn back the Barack Obama tide, Senator John McCain utterly failed.

In a debate that was set in a townhall type of meeting where the presidential candidates fielded questions from an audience of undecided voters, Mr. McCain failed to deliver. The knockout blow he needed to assure Americans that he would be the right President to deal with the nation's economic problems eluded him. It was ironic because the debate's townhall format was supposed to play to Mr. McCain's strength.

But unlike Senator Obama who was able to articulate the economic issues down to the level of how such issues affect family's budgets, their access to credit, their retirement funds and everyday lives of millions of Americans, Mr. McCain pretty much stayed within his comfort zone. He stuck to his favorite talking point that freezing government spending would lead to lower deficits and therefore, lower taxes.

However, McCain's line did not and still does not resonate well with the average American. In a time when people are gravely concerned about the impact of the financial crisis on their family budgets, their access to credit, their purchasing power, and their ability to save for retirement, education, and health care, Mr. McCain failed to directly address such concerns. The impact of reduced government spending on the lives of taxpayers are not immediately felt when compared to reduced witholding (or payroll) taxes that people will immediately see on their paychecks.

There's a lot of anxiety and worry over the financial crisis. People are cutting back on spending. I take the train to work and I noticed recently that there are a lot more cars on my train station's parking lot these days, a sign that more people now commute than drive themselves to work. Last week, a report came out that car sales in the US which normally average about 1.3 million units a month registered September sales of 965,000, roughly a 26% drop. All carmakers, even the Japanese, reported double-digit drops in sales figures. ABC News recently reported that more than 500 car dealerships have closed since the start of the year. The lower sales was attributed to customers cutting back on spending and tighter access to car loans. Restaurants, department stores, airlines, jewelry stores have all reported drops in revenues.

Mr. McCain was correct when he stated that there was too much anger out there at Wall Street and at Washington because by failing to prevent the financial crisis, both institutions failed the country. However, as in the first debate, Mr. McCain failed to strongly explain to the people how his proposals to reduce taxes and government spending would benefit them. He failed to raise people's doubts on how Mr. Obama's proposals, specifically on how his (Obama's) plans to increase government spending on social programs while simultaneously reducing taxes would not further increase a trillion-dollar budget deficit.

Mr. Obama's plan to reduce taxes on 95% of the population, specifically the ones who make less than $250,000 a year, hopes to stimulate spending among the middle and lower classes. The plan is also aimed at helping small businesses expand and create jobs. It's true but only up to a certain point.

The problem with the Obama tax proposal, as Mr. McCain has correctly and repeatedly pointed out, is that to make up for the tax cuts on the middle class, Mr. obama will increase taxes on the 5% of the population, that segment of society we used to call "rich" but are now known as the "investor class".

It is correct that small businesses generate many jobs. However, it is outdated and folly to think that a nation's economy will significantly progress if one sector is awarded at the expense of another. That, for me, is divisive politics. One also needs to see the big picture here. It is the large corporations that create the better-paying jobs and consequently, higher quality and quantity-type of demand that help make a lot of small businesses thrive and grow. It is the large corporations, with their big-ticket capital expenditures in facilities, people and equipment, that contribute to a significant portion of a nation's wealth. In addition, that 5% of the population Mr. Obama plans to raise taxes on are already shouldering, according to some estimates, roughly 80% of the nation's tax burden. The plan to further increase their share of the country's tax burden could prove to be a disincentive to infusing more capital into the economy at a time when such investments are badly needed.

I do agree with Mr. Obama that in order for a capitalist economy like the United States to continue to thrive and maintain its standing as the world's most trusted financial system, that a certain degree of industry regulation should be put in place. I strongly agree that the trend towards deregulation that began roughly in the early 1980s under the Reagan administration has led to spectacular abuses of power among corporate executives and to a decline in certain industries such as the US airline industry. The current financial crisis ought to change a lot of people's views about deregulation. Every game needs a referee.

But going back to the debate, I was quite disappointed in Mr. McCain's performance because his proposal to cut taxes for all Americans to create more jobs and generate investment and his plan to curb government spending to address the growing budget deficit stand on solid ground. In addition, Mr. McCain has long been an advocate of regulation, much to the chagrin of his colleagues in the Republican Party who believe otherwise. He has also gone against his party numerous times on critical issues such as the waste of government money on pork-barrel spending. The campaign finance reform law that carry his name and that of Democratic Senator Russ Feingold aims to reduce the corrupting influence of lobbyists in Washington DC. He successfully fought for the passage of this law in spite of opposition from the Republicans, including President George W. Bush.

In contrast, Mr. Obama's track record in the US Senate in his four years there does not show a man who has gone against his party to address issues of corruption and excess. He has not authored or even co-authored a single law of national significance. In addition, in his four years as Senator, he spent the last two years running for President. As a result, among all the men who have run for US President, he has the thinnest resume. But thanks to Mr. McCain's failure on Tuesday night to strongly argue the merits of his (McCain's) economic proposals, it seems a certainty now that Mr. Obama will become the 44th President of the United States.

That's not to say that Mr. Obama does not have the intelligence to hold the most powerful office in the country and in the world. His Harvard law degree and his cool and poised demeanor during the debates showed unassailable evidence of it. Like all the Presidents that have come before him, he will certainly tap the best minds within the Democratic Party to advice him on domestic and foreign policy. He will certainly make history once he gets elected as the first African-American President. However, due to the absence of a defining professional track record that reveals his thought and decisionmaking processes, he is leaving millions of voters no choice but to simply rely on his promise of change not only in the US but also in the world. That would truly be the Audacity of Hope.

The Biden-Palin Debate

2008-10-05T11:30:00.006-04:00

Just to share last night's Saturday Night Live (SNL) parody of the Biden-Palin debates that were held this past Thursday, October 2.

In addition, the show also presented a parody of last Friday's announcement that the US Congress has finally passed the bailout (or rescue) package which President Bush signed into law immediately thereafter.

Enjoy. :-)

Fire and Rain

2008-10-01T21:45:00.004-04:00

"I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
But I always thought that I'd see you again."

A sad one but this is my favorite James Taylor song.

It's an introspective song that speaks of heartache, personal loss, and broken dreams. This is one of the songs I love to listen to whenever I find myself in a reflective mood. I was already a student in college when I got to know and love this song. I was working on recovering from a relationship that had ended much too soon. I found comfort and, eventually, strength in the song's words.

To this day, I still listen to this beautiful song whenever life's troubles decide to spend time with me. The song's words help me face down the challenges that come my way. A lot of times, I look to its words like a prayer that will help get me through the rough times.

Won't you look down upon me, Jesus.
You've got to help me make a stand.
You've just got to see me through another day.
My body's aching and my time is at hand
And I won't make it any other way.

However, it is not only during such moments that I listen to this tune. There are also times when I turn to it to simply enjoy a quiet moment.

Fire and Rain was James Taylor's first hit. Released in February 1970, the song was released as a single from his second album, Sweet Baby James. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard charts that same year. The clip above was from a live performance of the song that Mr. Taylor did back in 1970 on British TV.

I like live performances done in intimate settings such as the one in this clip. I chose it because Mr. Taylor's fine live performance was complemented by an appreciative and yet very respectful audience. The words, music, and the emotion expressed resonated with the audience.

Just yesterday morning, they let me know you were gone.
Susanne, the plans they made put an end to you.
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song;
I just can't remember who to send it to.

I've seen fire and I've seen rain,
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end;
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
But I always thought that I'd see you again.

Won't you look down upon me, Jesus.
You've got to help me make a stand.
You've just got to see me through another day.
My body's aching and my time is at hand
And I won't make it any other way.

Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain,
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end;
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
But I always thought that I'd see you again.

Been walking my mind to an easy time my back turned towards the sun,
Lord knows when the cold wind blows it'll turn your head around;
Well, there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things
to come,
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground.

Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain,
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end;
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
But I always thought that I'd see you, baby, one more time again, now.

Thought I'd see you one more time again....
There's just a few things coming my way this time around, now....
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you fire and rain, now....

Katie Couric's Inteview with Sarah Palin

2008-09-28T10:42:00.006-04:00

This is the latest SNL spoof on Sarah Palin. This time it focused on Katie Couric's interview with Mrs. Palin earlier this week. Enjoy.

Paul Newman (1925-2008)

2008-09-28T05:00:00.012-04:00

This blog takes pause to honor a great actor, humanitarian, and philantrophist.

I first saw Paul Newman in the movie The Towering Inferno (1974) at the old Quezon Theater in Cubao, Quezon City. At that young age, I wasn't aware of the fact that he was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. I only found out that he was through my parents, especially my mom who was a big fan.

In the many years that followed, I got to know a lot more about this fine actor. Thanks to cable television stations like Turner Classic Movies and American Movie Classics, I was able to see a number of his early movies, especially the ones that made him a star. Films like Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Paris Blues (1961), The Hustler (1961), Hud (1963), and Cool Hand Luke (1967) showed the range of his acting capabilities.

The last movie of his that I saw in a movie theater in Manila was The Color of Money (1986) where he co-starred with a young Tom Cruise. This movie was a sequel to The Hustler. In the States, the last two movies I saw in theaters were The Road to Perdition (2002) which he co-starred with Tom Hanks and Cars (2006) where his was the voice behind the character of Doc Hudson.

Aside from being a fine actor, Mr. Newman was also a noted humanitarian and a philantrophist. A strong and lifelong supporter of Democratic Party causes, in the 1960s, he, along with other Hollywood celebrities such as Marlon Brando and Charlton Heston helped champion and support the Civil Rights movement. He was also a staunch opponent of the US involvement in the Vietnam War. He supported gun control and advocated nuclear disarmament. In his later years, he also came out in support of gay marriage.

In the 1980s, he co-founded a business that released a line of food products that carried his name. It was called Newman's Own. Its most popular products were salad dressings and microwaveable popcorn. Aside from its products, this company gained fame and respect for its support of a variety of charitable causes. As a matter of corporate policy, it donates all profits after taxes to charity. When he was asked in an interview back in the early 1990s as to why he was donating every penny of his company's profits to charity, Paul Newman was said to have answered simply, "I don't need it."

Aside from acting, Mr. Newman was also an accomplished professional race car driver.

He passed away last Friday, September 26, after a long bout with cancer. With his death, the world not only lost one of its greatest actors but also a man who used his craft and his fame to spread a message of love and respect for his fellowmen. He will certainly be missed.

Photo credit: Getty Images

A Morning in Boston - Part 2

2008-09-27T11:51:00.006-04:00

Faneuil Hall is actually part of a four-building shopping complex called the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Once one steps out at the rear of the hall, one will immediately see the other three buildings that make up the complex: the Quincy Market, the North Market, and the South Market. The photo below shows the Quincy and South Market buildings. I took this photo a few moments after I stepped out of Faneuil Hall.

The complex has more or less 100 stores within its four buildings. Aside from the small souvenir shops and food stalls that cater to tourists, the complex also houses big name stores such as Crate & Barrel, the Sunglass Hut, Victoria's Secret, Nine West, and Urban Outfitters, to name a few.

The complex also has a few restaurants in it. The following photo is of a bar called Cheers that was named after a hugely popular television sitcom that ran on American television from 1982 to 1993. Too bad that I did this trip in the morning for if I had done it either in the late afternoon or evening, I would have gone in to enjoy a few rounds of drinks.

The following shows the patio between Quincy Market and the South Market building. It has a few park benches where people can sit and hang out. The patio also has a few stands selling snacks, souvenirs and various other knickknacks.

Another shot of the patio and the South Market building.

This semi-circular part of the shopping complex marks its Eastern end. About two or three blocks beyond its exit lies historic Boston Harbor. However, noon was approaching at this point and yours truly was getting rather famished. Plus, my flight back to New York was only a few hours away. Thus, I decided to skip the trip to Boston Harbor and just hang out in this area for a few more minutes to take a few more pictures.

The following is a shot of the North Market building, the fourth building within the Faneuil Hall Marketplace complex.

Another shot of the North Market building with Quincy Market on the left. I ended up buying a little souvenir at one of the shops within this building.

From Faneuil Hall, a colleague and I decided to have lunch at a Boston landmark called The Union Oyster House. Located on Union Street, this restaurant was only a block away from Faneuil Hall. The place specializes in seafood dishes and was highly recommended by another colleague of ours who lived in Boston for two years. The following is a shot of the front of the restaurant.

The photo below shows a plaque that was posted by one of the restaurant's windows. It shows that this place has been designated as a historical landmark as one of the oldest continually operated restaurants in the United States.

The following photo shows the corner of Union Street (the street where cars were parked) and Marsh Lane. The red brick building at the center of this photo houses another Boston landmark called the Bell In The Hand Tavern.

The following photo shows the Bell In The Hand Tavern's proximity to the Union Oyster House (foreground).

Below is a plaque that's posted by the tavern's main doors. It commemorates the Bell In The Hand tavern's significance to local Boston history.

The following photo was taken from the other end of Marsh Lane. This small, cobble-stoned street was preserved to show the way it looked back in the late 18th century. From this vantage point, one sees Union Oyster House at the far end of the street on the left side while the Bell In The Hand Tavern is on the right.

After taking the photo above, my colleague and I walked into the Union Oyster House to finally have our lunch. I had shrimp scampi served over a bed of linguine. I also had their New England clam chowder which I enjoyed very much. I was quite hungry by that time that I was no longer in the mood to take more photographs. My apologies for that. But you can find more information about this restaurant here.

The following was the last shot I took before leaving for the airport. It shows the rooftop of the North Market building and was taken from the 6th floor of a parking garage.

Boston is a city that has a lot to offer in terms of history and culture. Too bad that I only had a few hours to spend that Friday morning. If I wasn't pressed for time, I would have visited other historic sites as well such as Paul Revere's House and historic Boston Harbor. Maybe next time.

Fall of the High and Mighty

2008-09-21T11:04:00.043-04:00

The New York Times (NYT), in its Sunday issue (September 21), came up with a piece that showed the effects the recent bloodbath in Wall Street has had on the shareholdings of a number of Wall Street CEOs, both former and current. To illustrate such effect, the NYT article showed the values of the CEOs' shareholdings at the beginning of January 2007 and compared it to the value of their shareholdings after the financial markets closed last Friday, September 19.

In the interest of full disclosure, the figures represent the stocks owned by the individuals listed and does not include the value of their stock options. Anyway, here are some of the names that were listed: (Each line shows the CEO Name, the Firm he either heads or used to head, the Value of his Shareholdings as of 1/1/2007, and the Value of his Shareholdings after the markets closed on 9/19/08.)

Maurice R. Greenberg, Former CEO (AIG), $1.25 billion, $49.6 million
James E. Cayne, Former CEO (Bear Stearns), $1.06 billion, $61.2 million
Sanford I. Weill, Former CEO (Citigroup), $914.9 million, $342 million
Richard S. Fuld Jr., CEO (Lehman Brothers), $827.1 million, $2.3 million
E. Stanley O' Neal, Former CEO (Merrill Lynch), $127.7 million, $40.2 million
John Mack, CEO (Morgan Stanley), $224.6 million, $80.4 million
Martin J. Sullivan, Former CEO (AIG), $3.2 million, $173,000
Daniel H. Mudd, Former CEO (Fannie Mae), $26.5 million, $476,000
Richard F. Syron, Former CEO (Freddie Mac), $10.6 million, $130,000

The above individuals I chose to list here are the ones whose shareholdings took the biggest hits as the crisis in Wall Street worsened. For a complete list of the CEOs, you can find the New York Times chart here.

According to some government estimates, US taxpayers will be on the hook for $1.5 trillion to bail these financial institutions out. The bill that US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke submitted to the Congress seeks $700 billion to be made available to help financial institutions rid themselves of failed or illiquid securities. Those illiquid securities were based on subprime mortgages whose debtors failed to pay.

Thus, millions of American taxpayers will now end up footing the bill for these guys' avarice and greed. I don't mean to sound insensitive or mean but I do not feel sorry for any of the guys above. A majority of them still have millions of dollars of wealth available. Except for a black mark on their reputations and maybe some social ostracism that they will suffer, these guys won't have any problems finding money for their next meal.

I don't even feel sorry for their direct reports and the senior managers of their firms. Those groups of officers earned millions of dollars in bonuses ANNUALLY. Living in the New York metro area, I always read about how the bonuses these guys make every year average about two to three times their annual salary.

But what's more worrisome for me are the ripple effects from the crisis in Wall Street.

First, a lot of establishments and businesses, small and medium-sized, depend on Wall Street firms and employees for a good portion of their business. Revenues of tailors, barbershops, hair salons, spas, restaurants, laundromats, and theaters, to name a few, will certainly suffer as a result of the job losses. In fact, some of these smaller businesses may even end up letting go of some of their employees too.

Second, the crisis will definitely lead to tighter credit. A humbled and tightly regulated Wall Street means a more conservative Wall Street. Tighter credit will definitely lead to higher quality loans extended to higher quality debtors. However, tighter credit could lead to reduced economic activity. People and businesses could buy and invest less. And once the American consumer tightens his/her belt, the whole world will certainly feel it. As of this writing, a number of US banks have started reducing the credit limits of thousands of those credit cardholders with less than stellar credit histories.

Some economic experts say that the worst isn't over yet. To a person, all of the economists are worried about the ripple effects through the rest of the economy. So far, we've only read about the big players in the banking industry. Apart from those, there are also big regional banks that have not yet revealed the extent of their losses on subprime mortgages.

To be honest though, people also share part of the blame here. And by "people", I'm referring to those who bought homes at prices that were clearly way beyond their means. Banks can be blamed for tempting these people with "exotic" types of mortgages such as "interest only" mortgages and "adjustable rate" mortgages. However, at the end of the day, the transaction would not have pushed through if upon due assessment of his/her financial position, the buyer had wisely decided not to proceed with the purchase.

Both banks and the buyers can delude themselves all they want through such creative schemes but the bottomline remains the same: there is still a debt that needs to be paid and that a buyer still doesn't acquire full title to a property until such time he/she has paid both principal and interest on a debt. Financing has always operated on this principle for centuries and will always do.

As I end this post, word just came out that the last two large investment banks. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, in an effort to gain Federal protection from the crisis, have obtained the approval of the Federal Reserve to change their status from investment banks to bank holding companies. As such, both institutions can now operate commercial banks and take deposits. The change in status subjects both institutions to tighter government regulation. However, tighter regulation is a rather small price to pay when in exchange, they can avail themselves of the government's bailout program.

A Morning in Boston - Part 1

2008-09-20T20:26:00.002-04:00

I was in Boston a month ago for a two-week assignment. I haven't been to Boston in a long while. Prior to this trip, the last time I was in this historic city was back in the early 90s when I spent Thanksgiving weekend there with some friends. It was a bit cold and rainy that time. It was mid-autumn and winter was just around the corner. Thus, due to the cold and wet weather, I didn't get to enjoy the place that much.

Thus, I was quite elated when I learned a couple of months ago that Boston was where my next assignment was going to be. It was August and it was summer. I felt that it would be great to finally tour this historic city since I expected to have quite a bit of time in my hands after work. Thus, I drew up a list of places to visit and I made sure that I brought my camera with me.

But to paraphrase what Robert Burns wrote in his classic poem To A Mouse, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Well, go awry my plans certainly did. Cold rain and wind greeted me as soon as my plane landed in Boston and both unfortunately stayed with me through the rest of my two-week stay. It wasn't until our last day in the area when the rains finally stopped and I finally got to enjoy a fairly decent amount of sunshine. It was a good thing that I had completed my work on Thursday of that second week. Since my return flight wasn't scheduled until early Friday afternoon, I had the entire morning to myself and that's when I finally got to make my long-awaited trip to downtown Boston.

Faneuil Hall was at the top of my places to visit. I first read about this place back in 1983, in the days after former Senator Benigno Aquino's assassination. I saw that famous picture of him, smiling and dressed in a pin-striped suit with Faneuil Hall in the background. The picture was taken earlier that year when he and his family still lived in the city of Newton in the Boston suburbs. That particular photograph was used as a cover on one of those Mr. and Ms. Special Edition magazine issues that came out right after his death.

Faneuil Hall was originally built in 1742 and housed a market and an assembly room. This Hall was where the doctrine of "no taxation without representation" was established when colonists protested the Sugar Act of 1764. The law, passed by the British Parliament, aimed to increase taxes on molasses produced by the New England colonies, as the Northeastern part of the United States was then called. Revenues from the tax were supposed to fund the British defense of the colonies. However, the imposition of the tax came at a time when the colonies were in the middle of an economic depression. Thus, the tax became unpopular and was one of those events that gradually led the colonists to revolt against the British a decade later.

The following photo shows the front of Faneuil Hall. In the square in front of it stands a monument to Samuel Adams,fourth governor of Massachusetts and one of the country's Founding Fathers.

The following is a shot of Faneuil Hall from the rear.

I walked through one of those doors and up the stairs to the second floor where the assembly room/meeting hall was located. The following is a shot of the assembly room taken from its main entry doors.

The picture below will show that front and center on the stage is a painting called Webster's Reply to Hayne done by the American painter, George P.A. Healy (1813-1894). The Mr. Webster who was the subject of the painting was the great American orator and senator Daniel Webster (1782-1852) who represented the state of Massachusetts in the U.S Senate from 1827 to 1841. One of the stands at the foot of the stage shows a diagram that identifies each person whose face is shown on the painting.

The following two photographs shows the left and right sides of this meeting hall. They show balconies on the upper sections to allow for more seating and better viewing.

The photo above and the one below show that the place has abundant natural lighting judging from the number of large windows we see on both sides of this hall.

The following is a shot of the rear section and it also shows a balcony section on the upper floor. The lady sitting by the door is a security person who works for the National Parks Office, a federal agency tasked with managing national parks and monuments.

This last shot shows Faneuil Hall's staircase. I took this photo on my way out of the building.

More recently, Faneuil Hall was the site where Senator John Kerry made his concession speech in 2004 after losing the presidential election to George W. Bush.

This meeting hall was my first stop that Friday morning. My next piece will show the marketplace and shops around this building.

Political Humor Break

2008-09-14T21:56:00.006-04:00

With the entry of Sarah Palin into the political ring, she has become the subject of many newspaper reports both for and against her. She has also become the subject of late night comedy shows.

The following is a video clip of a comedy sketch from Saturday Night Live that was shown last night (September 13). The sketch features Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton in what is supposed to be a joint appearance to impart a non-partisan message. Enjoy. :-)

Castaway in Burbank

2008-09-13T19:10:00.029-04:00

Thanks to a hectic work schedule this past week, I was not able to take presentable pictures of the mountains and hills around Sylmar, California. The end of each workday saw me exhausted and drained of energy that I was not able to drive around the area to do some "tourist" stuff. :-)

Our red eye flight was scheduled for 9 p.m. Thursday night but we didn't get to leave the office until close to 6 in the evening of that day. Since we had to be at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank at least an hour and a half before departure time, we were all in a rush for we still had to stop somewhere for dinner.

Thus, we decided to eat at a place a few miles from the airport. The restaurant we picked was called The Castaway and is located right in the city of Burbank. The restaurant is nestled in the Burbank Hills and Harvard Road, the road Castaway is on, winds up the hills past some nice homes and a golf course.

The following view of the Burbank Hills greeted us as we pulled into the restaurant's parking lot.

One can enjoy some spectacular views of the Los Angeles city skyline from this restaurant's windows and patio. While waiting for our food to arrive, a colleague and I decided to step outside to enjoy the views and take a few pictures.

The photo below shows the restaurant's patio.

From this patio, one can enjoy the breeze and views of both the skyline and the surrounding hills. However, this area is reserved only for customers who are out to enjoy a few drinks. Here's another shot of the patio this time taken facing the west. The sun was setting at this point.

I took the following picture from one end of the patio. It shows more of the surrounding hills and in the foreground, it provides one with a view of part of the neighboring De Bell Golf Course.

Another shot of the golf course but this time, with part of the Los Angeles skyline in the background. It was quite a hazy day and as a result of that, I was not able to take a much clearer picture of the skyline.

Here's one more shot of the golf course and the skyline taken from a different spot on the restaurant's patio.

And of course, no photo of the Los Angeles area would be complete without a shot of these palm trees on the patio.

I had to get back in for my dinner moments after the above shot was taken. There was a cool and pleasant breeze coming in from the west and a few people had started hanging around the patio.

I have an aunt who lives near Burbank and from the airport, I called her to say goodbye and also to let her know where I had stopped for dinner. She said Castaway is quite popular in the area. It is a popular place for wedding receptions, baptismal parties, and Mother's Day lunches. In fact, one of her husband's nieces had her wedding reception there. There was indeed a decent size crowd while we were there and we even saw a group of people who were engaged in discussions with the restaurant's manager regarding plans and arrangements for a coming wedding reception.

I also enjoyed my dinner which was shrimp scampi served on a bed of steamed rice and steamed vegetables. I like this place and will definitely come back to it the next time I find myself in the area.

Thoughts On A Job

2008-09-11T02:32:00.015-04:00

My work week ends a day early today. After a closing meeting with the division's management, we will be rushing back to Bob Hope Airport later this evening for our flight back East.

It was a busy week at work. Meetings, interviews, and hours spent observing the division's operations made it quite a hectic one. But all throughout, our contacts managed to remain very friendly and cooperative in spite of weaknesses and areas for improvement we found and identified with their processes.

A lot of times, one has to destroy in order to build. My job facilitates the process of destroying procedural and operational weaknesses in order to help our divisions run better.

In some ways, I'm glad that I do what I do where I'm at. This country has a strong culture of professionalism at work. People remain very civil and professional even when they disagree with another individual's opinion. In my situation, they understand that I'm simply doing my job when I inform them of areas they need to improve on, things that I know they sometimes don't like to hear. People take a lot of pride in their work and it could be quite a delicate matter when I'm dealing with someone who was the brains behind a particular process or procedure. It is critical for me to manage to retain their support and cooperation because I will certainly need such when I ask them to implement my recommendations.

I make sure to give the people credit where credit is due. I give people credit for what they've accomplished before discussing the areas for improvement. In a lot of situations, people work with whatever resources are available to them. They certainly deserve credit for making the best out of difficult situations. One aspect of my job that I really like is that my findings help shed light on areas that need improvement. And once that light shines on a problem, it often forces a division's management to pour the resources needed to fix it.

On the human side of things, I appreciate the fact that in this country, people can disagree with each other without becoming disagreeable. In the years that I've done this job over here, I haven't come across someone who has taken my findings as a personal attack. They all know and understand that we all have a job to do and that we all aim for what's good for the company and for everyone.

Thinking about the whole thing reminds me of some sad experiences I had when I was still back in the Philippines. For doing the exact same job I'm doing now, I received a death threat from a client whose selfish interests drove his opposition to my recommendations; I had seen our team's findings and recommendations distorted by another client's management to pursue an agenda against their laborers; and I had also witnessed how one client's management twisted and bent our recommendations to continue their corrupt practices. Although I had also seen several instances where our recommendations were implemented to the letter, it is sad to note that such instances did not make up the majority of what I saw. Is it any wonder then that our country is in the state that it is in?

At the end of the day, I am the type of person who just wants to do his job in the way it was meant to be done. The professional idealism I had from my youth has managed to remain with me in a lot of ways. Sometimes office politics do come into play but such things are unavoidable in human organizations. However, as long as the areas that need improvement are addressed to everyone's satisfaction, that's all I care about.

Busy Week Ahead

2008-09-08T06:42:00.001-04:00

It's southern California for me this week and I'm spending it in the working-class Los Angeles suburb of Sylmar. We flew into Bob Hope Airport (formerly Burbank Airport) yesterday (Sunday) afternoon on board a JetBlue plane. The following is a picture of the plane I was on after we had landed at Bob Hope Airport.

It was a five and a half-hour flight from New York. No meals were served on this flight as has become quite standard fare for US domestic flights. However, what one got in exchange were free drinks (except for beer and liquor), sufficient legroom and satellite TV entertainment courtesy of DirecTV. On-board satellite tv is all fine and dandy but I still want my food. I'm the type who gets into a foul mood if I get hungry. Thus, to prevent starvation, I packed a "few" egg sandwiches to consume on the flight.

Three people are accompanying me on this trip. I anticipate our team's work schedule to be quite hectic for we don't have the benefit of a full five-day work week. We will only be here for four days. We are scheduled to take a "red eye" flight back to the East Coast on Thursday night that will get us home very early Friday morning. In exchange for such an arrangement, we get to take the entire Friday off.

I'll be reporting for work in a couple of hours but at this point, my mind's already looking forward to Friday. Can't wait to get an extra day of rest.

A Little Housekeeping

2008-09-04T16:26:00.003-04:00

I did a little housekeeping on my blog today. It was getting too cluttered for my taste and for its own good that I decided to trash some of the widgets that I had installed previously.

The casualties from this round of blog cleanup are the following:

1. Google's Adsense - It didn't really make much sense to keep it since the revenues from it are a joke. A beggar would probably make more money in a bad day than a blogger would make from Adsense in a year. Thus it's gone.

2. Technorati - I didn't find much meaning with the statistic or number this tag provided. I link to other bloggers' sites because I like what they write and not for the purpose of displaying a higher Technorati number. Thus, I showed this one the door.

3. Recent Comments - This particular software was so unreliable. It sometimes displayed the readers' comments and sometimes it didn't. I hate inconsistency and thus, this widget is history.

4. Million Blog List - I'm already on their list as #968 and so there's no further need to display it on my blog. There's not much significance to the number #968 anyway since my blog is not the one millionth on the list. :D

There. That's it for now. Less clutter to see and deal with on a daily basis.

"Take 5" Tag

2008-09-03T10:25:00.011-04:00

This is a nice little tag from Dr. Clairebear that involved quite a bit of digging through one's blog archives. I had to do so because of the following rules:

Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given. Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know each of them a little bit better.

Thus, as per the tag's rules, I linked some select posts to the key words given.

Family. - Story of the beginnings of a courtship many years ago.

Friends. - Memories about my hometown and some of the family friends and personalities there.

Myself. - Memories about a favorite eatery in Metro Manila

Love. - A song and thoughts about a special someone.

Anything. - A funny story that actually took place in a province in Mindanao (southern Philippines) 20 years ago.

Although the tag rules require that I tag 5 people to do this tag, I'm not tagging anyone in particular. I'm giving you guys a break. Hehehe However, please feel free to do the tag if you so wish.

Okay, now it's back to work for me before I get fired. :D

Ain't No Sunshine

2008-09-01T09:30:00.017-04:00

It's Monday and it's a holiday here in the States as the country marks Labor Day. I'm nearing the end of a long weekend and frankly, I'm not very happy about it. Instead of making the most out of this day, especially with the gorgeous weather outside, I'm feeling a bit stressed with the thought that I'll be back at work in less than 24 hours.

I'm feeling a bit exhausted physically and mentally. I need a real long break but except for quitting the job (which is definitely not an option), I am limited by company policy to the number of personal and vacation days per year I'm allowed to take. I wish I could take and lump all those days into one long extended vacation. But it's certainly not possible given the demands at work. Thus, I have to content myself with taking a day off every once in a while not unlike a swimmer who needs to come up for air every few seconds as he swims towards the finish line.

And to add to my blues, I miss being with her. A short two-minute song the words to which I find simple yet personally meaningful are helping me through the moment.

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.
It's not warm when she's away.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long
Anytime she goes away.

Wonder this time where she's gone,
Wonder if she's gone to stay;
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away.

And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know

Hey, I ought to leave the young thing alone,
But ain't no sunshine when she's gone.
Only darkness everyday.

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away.

Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.

And now I write.

This song's called "Ain't No Sunshine" and was written and performed by the great Bill Withers. The song, cut from his debut album "Just As I Am", became the first hit for Mr. Withers when it was released back in 1971. The song peaked at number 3 on the Billboard charts. The above live performance was from 1972 on a music program called "Old Grey Whistle Test", a music show that ran on British television, specifically the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), from 1971 to 1987.

Bill Withers was a gifted musician and lyricist. From the above video, you could see that he was also a great singer gifted with a rather powerful set of lungs. What caught my attention the first time I heard this song was when he came to the part where he repeatedly sang "I know, I know..." continuously and without pause for a total of 26 times. I've tried singing this part several times but it's always left me gasping for breath. Hehehe

Some of you may have never heard of this guy but I'm pretty sure that a lot of you know of at least one other particular song of his. Back in March 1987, an R&B group called Club Nouveau scored a number one hit on the Billboard Charts with the song "Lean On Me". The song struck a chord with listeners because of its very positive message of extending love and care for one's neighbor. It longed for a strong sense of brotherhood in a time when an individual's needs seems to be valued more than the community's.

Club Nouveau eventually won a Grammy for Best R&B Song. Lean On Me also became the group's first and only number 1 hit. Mr. Withers was the man who wrote the song and was the first artist to take the song to the top of the charts back in July 1972. The following video is a live performance of the song by Bill Withers:

This song remains very popular because its positive message of love and friendship continues to resonate. Aside from Club Nouveau, the song has been covered by a number of other artists such as Al Jarreau, Michael Bolton, and Limp Bizkit, to name a few.

Bill Withers scored other hits aside from the two I just mentioned. His other hits that I count as personal favorites are "Lovely Day" and "Just The Two Of Us". Just The Two Of Us was a collaboration with the late saxophonist Grover Washington (1943-1999) and topped the charts worldwide in 1981. But at the time and for some reason, a lot of radio stations in Manila mentioned Grover Washington as the artist behind the song. But just to help set the record straight, Mr. Withers co-wrote the song and performed the vocals as evidenced by the following video:

Mr. Withers retired from recording in 1985.

Schweaty Balls

2008-08-31T10:40:00.004-04:00

Warning: Adult Humor

I would like to share with you a comedy sketch from Saturday Night Live (SNL) from back in December 1998. It features two of SNL's regular cast members at the time Ana Gasteyer (lady on the left) and Molly Shannon (center) along with the show's guest Alec Baldwin.

The skit is a parody of a public radio program in the United States. Ms. Gasteyer and Ms. Shannon portray two rather geeky and boring radio personalities whose show features the latest pastries and eats. In this particular skit, Alec Baldwin plays the role of a pastry shop owner named Pete Schweaty who was invited on the radio show to talk about his shop's latest Christmas goodies. So put yourself in the position of a radio listener who only gets to hear the words being said but not what is actually being done. Enjoy. :-)

Dear Friends Long Gone

2008-08-29T10:15:00.005-04:00

I'm publishing the following photo with the permission of my friend CL. It's a photo of his dog, Hobie. Hobie is a dachshund and is about a year old.

My friend e-mailed me this photo yesterday and upon seeing it, it immediately reminded me of the first dog my sister and I had. He was of the same breed and was of the same color. We named him Douglas after a dog my mother had when she was still in her teens.

My maternal grandfather was an avid dog lover. My mom said that as far back as she could remember, they always had dogs at home. After Douglas, my sister and I ended up having two other dogs. A German Shepherd came next whom we named Jackie, again named after one of the dogs my mom had back in the 1950s. The last one was Snoopy and not because he was a beagle like that popular comics character but because of his black and white color.

We loved the dogs we had very much. They were well fed and were always kept clean. We never tied or chained them. We always let them roam the yard freely for my sister and I couldn't stand hearing them cry during those rare moments when they had to be chained.

But as dog owners, we were not the sophisticated type. Except for the required anti-rabies shots that were administered by the municipality we lived in, they were not taken to any veterinarian for regular checkups. We fed them well and cared for them well but such loving care was given in the best way we knew how, which looking back now, probably would not have met the standards of a sophisticated pet lover.

To a dog, all three didn't live long. We lost Douglas after a year and two months. He ran out of the yard and onto the street one day while my sister and I were both in school. He was accidentally run over by a passenger bus that plied the streets of our subdivision. A neighbor saw his body on the street and was kind enough to bring him back to our mother. My sister and I were devastated once we got home to find that our dear pet was gone. It was the first time I realized that losing a dear pet was pretty much like a death in the family. My little sister ended up crying for days.

We had Jackie the longest at two years. She pretty much met the same fate as Douglas for she was run over by a school bus this time. Unfortunately, it was the school bus I was on. It ran over her moments after the bus had picked me up to take me to school. I didn't see it happen but I heard her cry as the bus drove away. I knew then that sad news would await me once I got home that afternoon. I wasn't wrong because she was indeed dead by the time I got home. Again, it was another heartbreak we had to endure for another pet we lost too damn soon.

As for Snoopy, we found him dead in our yard one afternoon. To this day, we don't know what caused his death. We suspect that he must have choked on something he tried to eat. Whatever that thing was, we do not know because we took great care of putting away things or liquids that our pets might try chewing on. His death was the last straw.

It's been many years since my sister and I last had a dog. I look back at those years with fondness but also with sadness. I envy people who enjoy many years of fun and love with their dogs. There are still days when I wish I had a dog, a buddy to accompany me whenever I go on my long walks. But memories of the pain of losing such a dear friend prevent me from taking on another one. Plus, at this point in my life, I don't think I have the time and energy to give the dog the proper amount of caring and loving it deserves. I haven't lost my fondness for them but then, I guess I will just have to be content admiring them from a distance.

Photo: CL (Dallas, Texas)

An Afternoon By The Waterfront

2008-08-24T11:30:00.011-04:00

Frank Sinatra Drive. Situated on the eastern side of the small city of Hoboken in New Jersey, this road is only less than half a mile long but provides one with impressive views of the Manhattan skyline.

The following is a map of Hoboken and it shows Frank Sinatra Drive running along the city's eastern coast line by the Hudson River. (Source: Wikipedia)

The following is a shot of the walkway by the Hudson. This walkway is one of the features and attractions of the Frank Sinatra Park complex. This small park, built and opened in 1998, was dedicated to the memory of the late crooner who the citizens of Hoboken consider as one of their city's "greatest gifts to the world".

I was facing south when I took the following shot and from this vantage point, one can see parts of both the skylines of downtown Manhattan (buildings to the left of the Hudson River) and of Jersey City (buildings to the right). In the distance you will also see a suspension bridge quite similar in style to San Francisco's famed Golden Gate Bridge. That bridge is called the Verrazano Narrows Bridge that connects the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island.

The photo below shows one of the best attractions of the park. This gazebo sits right on the water and is quite a popular spot because it gives one a closer view of the Manhattan skyline. In addition, it is also a popular spot for recreational fishers such as the gentlemen shown on the photo. On one end of the pier, one can clearly see their fishing rods extending out into the waters.

I walked up the walkway and past the above gazebo to take the following shot of Manhattan:

The following two photos show more shots of Manhattan this time taken from the gazebo I showed two pictures up.

Oh look! There's a little buoy in the water! (Pardon this lame attempt at humor.)

Unfortunately, this photo shoot ended on quite a sad note. I got so caught up taking pictures of the scenery that I didn't realize I had bumped into some of the park's railings and as a result, I inadvertently caused quite a bit of damage. As you can see from the following photo, my carelessness caused some sections of the railings to collapse with one of them hanging precariously by the water.

Luckily, there were no witnesses and thus I was able to hop back into my car and make a quick escape from the scene. Hehehe

Seriously, the above photo shows a section of the park that remains closed to the public. A portion of the park was used as a parking lot by the faculty and staff of the Stevens Institute of Technology whose campus is located across the street. An accident occurred in October 2007 when a portion of the parking lot collapsed causing one car to fall into the water.

Hoboken, like its neighboring city to the south, Jersey City, was a rough-and-tumble town for most of the 20th Century. While New York City was predominantly white collar, New Jersey's cities by the Hudson were blue collar towns and home to longshoremen and factory workers, mostly European immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe. For many years, Hoboken, like the other cities on the New Jersey side, was not a safe city to be in. That period included Mr. Sinatra's years there. Bar brawls, crime, mob activity and prostitution were rampant. The 1954 movie "On The Waterfront" that starred Marlon Brando was filmed on location in Hoboken and showed the rough life of dock workers.

Redevelopment and gentrification started some time in the 1980s and picked up steam during the early 1990s. Its proximity to Manhattan and convenient access to subway stations and buses made it attractive to young, urban professionals who worked for Wall Street firms. Thus, in contrast to its previous reputation as an unsavory town, Hoboken is now what one would call a "hip" place to be. Jersey City now boasts of a modern skyline and Hoboken is following suit.

A close friend first took me to this city back in early 1995. The city's main drag, Washington Street, is home to a number of fine restaurants and shops. What I love about this place is that since it is quite a small city, one can pretty much walk to any spot or place within it. One can live in the town without ever having the need for a car. Although a few blocks within the city are not that desirable to live in, Hoboken, for the most part, is a pretty safe place.

Many five-story brownstones that used to be home to the longshoremen and factory workers are still there. However, a great number of them have been renovated and are now home to the urban professionals who have helped revive the town. Though these brownstones may look old from the outside, their interiors boast of the latest technological conveniences.

But Frank Sinatra Park and the stretch of road named after him have clearly become my favorite spots in this city. There are park benches where one can just sit and relax, read a good book, enjoy the view, and be alone with one's thoughts. It is a quiet stretch of road popular to walkers, joggers, and skateboarders. There's always a nice breeze coming in from the Atlantic that makes the experience quite enjoyable.

So if you ever find yourself by this neck of the woods someday, consider stopping by Hoboken to enjoy not just the park above but also the other attractions (restaurants and shops) this little city has to offer. (I feel like a realtor doing a sales pitch with this closing sentence. Sigh.)

A Pause For A Hero

2008-08-21T09:24:00.008-04:00

Youngest elected Mayor at 22.
Youngest Vice-governor at 27.
Youngest elected Senator at 34.

This blog takes pause to honor the memory of former Senator Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. (November 27, 1932 - August 21, 1983) whose life was tragically cut short on this day 25 years ago.

A Day in Las Vegas

2008-08-19T21:10:00.003-04:00

I was in Las Vegas, Nevada recently to attend to some matters that required my personal attention. There were quite a number of matters to attend to that I had to stay in town for a few days.

Anyway, I ended up staying in a hotel/casino that was right next to Steve Wynn's Wynn Las Vegas Casino.

The following is a photograph I took from my hotel room windown. It shows the Wynn and its sister casino, the Encore. The latter is nearing completion and is scheduled to open its doors to the public later this year.

While I was in town, the management at Encore announced that it was looking at filling up 5,300 positions in preparation for the casino's opening. Quite a hefty number of employment opportunities for one casino building. But everything has always been grand and ambitious in Las Vegas and the Encore is no exception.

Below is a photo of the same two buildings that I took from street level.

The following photo shows the swimming pools behind the Wynn Casino.

The following photo shows the 18-hole golf course run by the Wynn Casinos. Quite a piece of property. One can just imagine the amount of money that went and continues to go into the development of the entire Wynn casino and resort complex.

The last photo shows a shot of the mountains east of the city. This vantage point offered a beautiful view of the sunrise. Luckily, I'm an early riser and was able to admire the beauty of the sunrise every morning.

But being an early riser doesn't mean that my mental faculties rise with me for as you can see, I have no pictures of such sunrise to show you. :D

I love going to places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City in New Jersey. Although I do not consider myself a gambler, I enjoy watching people gamble and I also enjoy the various forms of entertainment that both places provide. I hate noise and crowds but a casino is one place where I don't mind hearing a lot of noise and seeing a lot of people having fun.

I used to frequent Atlantic City with my late uncle. He was an excellent three-card poker player and I remember the hours I used to spend just watching him play, hours that often extended into the wee hours of the morning. Plus, we always drank and ate well whenever we were at a casino. But now that he's gone, I don't think I'll be going back to such places anytime soon. It just won't be the same without him.

As for Mr. Wynn, you can read more about this casino developer here.

Thanks For The Awards

2008-08-18T08:10:00.003-04:00

I would just like to express my sincerest thanks to some blogger-friends who handed awards to me over the past few weeks. But let me apologize too to both Fingertalks and Gizelle for my tardiness in posting the awards. There are times when life and job simply get in the way of blogging. Hehehe Anyway, here are those awards:

First off, a big thanks to Fingertalks for the following "Arte Y Pico" Award. Her blog has been for me a constant source of inspirational quotes and lessons.

Lots of thanks also go out to Gizelle for this "Photography Buddy" award. Through the photographs she regularly features on her site, I've come to admire the beauty of both the people and city of Vienna, Austria where she and her family (especially her cute kids) are currently based.

And last but certainly not least, thanks go out to PrinsesaMusang for the following "Brillante Award". Although still new to the blogosphere, Her Royal Highness has impressed her readers not only with the quality of her posts but also with the thought she puts into them. I won't be surprised if this young lady becomes the recipient of the Carlos Palanca Award for Literature someday.

Thanks again, ladies, for the kind thoughts and words. I appreciate them a lot.

A "6 x 4" Meme

2008-08-16T06:53:00.032-04:00

RJ tagged me for this meme. I am calling it a "6 x 4" meme because for each of its six questions, the blogger is asked to provide four answers. Anyway, here are the meme's rules:

Click copy/paste, type in your answers and tag four people in your lists! Don’t forget to change my answers to the questions with that of yours.

1. Four places I go to, over and over:

Outside of work, these are the places I go to to unwind:

* Hoboken, NJ - Frank Sinatra's birthplace, the city sits right across the Hudson River from Manhattan. One can go for a morning or evening stroll along Frank Sinatra Drive by the Hudson River where one is given a great view of the Manhattan skyline.
* My basement - It's the only place in my house that stays cool throughout the summer. This is where I get to relax to either watch my DVDs or play my CDs.
* Atlantic City, NJ - Although I don't really gamble, I love going to this place for the entertainment it provides. Plus, the city is by the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and has a long boardwalk one can take a leasurely stroll on. This was an activity I used to enjoy doing with my late uncle. However, now that he's gone, my visits to this place will certainly become quite rare.
* Philippines - As RJ said on his blog, I'll keep going to the above mentioned places until I come home.

2. Four people who e-mail me regularly:

* Former co-workers from my first job
* Former high school and college classmates
* Con men who claim to be from either Nigeria or Russia who want to gain access to my bank account
* Headhunters - There are basically two kinds: Those legitimate ones who provide me with job leads either within or outside of my current industry and ones who offer to perform a certain "job" for me. :D

3. Four of my favorite places to eat:

* Crown Palace (Marlboro, NJ) - This restaurant is in my opinion has the best Chinese dimsum and provides the most professional service of any Chinese restaurant within the Central NJ area.
* Amber's for their Pancit Malabon - Pure pancit Malabon heaven. :D
* Burger King - I love the Whopper.
* GoodAh - for their longsilog and for sentimental reasons. (However, Tapa King might soon nudge GoodAh from my list of four favorite places. We shall see. Hehehe)

4. Four places i’d rather be:

* Anywhere with my love
* Manila
* Makati
* California

5. Four TV shows I could watch over and over:

* Two And a Half Men
* Twilight Zone (reruns on the Sci-Fi Channel)
* Saturday Night Live
* Three's Company (whenever reruns of this show that starred the late John Ritter are shown on American cable tv channels)

As you can see from the shows I listed above, except for the Twilight Zone whose episodes focus on the bizarre and mysterious, I am very partial towards comedy shows whenever I sit in front of the tv. They provide me with a break from the stresses of daily life.

6. Four people I think will respond:

* Mari
* Nyl
* Aline
* Neuroticsister

Ladies, please don't let me down. Naks! Hahaha Thanks in advance.

A Baker's Erotic Tale

2008-08-14T20:41:00.024-04:00

Snglguy tagged me for this meme that requires one to come up with a short erotica of not more than 200 words, and with the additional condition that the following words be used only once in the story:

1. sleepover
2. whip
3. handcuffs
4. leather
5. sexy
6. threesome
7. hairy
8. shotgun
9. squeeze
10. explosion

Thus, here is the Baker's first ever attempt at writing a lousy, I mean, salacious story. :D

It wasn't going to be the usual sleepover, at least not the platonic type. She walked into my humble bakery early one Monday morning clad in a sexy leather outfit and brandishing a whip.

Through the haze of the heat from my bakeshop's ovens, she had appeared. I immediately felt shy and insecure being clad in my usual hanging Speedo tank top, loose basketball shorts, and green Crocs.

She didn't care one bit about my appearance. She came up to me, squeezed my manhood through my shorts and said, "I've been watching you for days now from the sari-sari store across the street. Seeing you in that sando drenched with sweat turns me on real bad. In my dreams, I've put you in handcuffs and kissed your very hairy ass."

The sight of luscious red lips on a woman in such a seductive outfit led to a premature explosion within my poor shorts. She pulled my shorts down and licked the cum off my penis that remained stiff as a shotgun within her hot mouth.

Finally, an invitation to three days of round-the-clock threesomes with her sister left me no choice but to close my bakeshop that week.

I'm not tagging anyone for this meme. Please feel free to write one if you so wish.

First Video Ever Played on MTV

2008-08-11T22:47:00.000-04:00

The Beijing Olympics has been all over the news lately. In fact, it has practically dominated the global news spotlight that not even a shooting war that has erupted between the former Soviet republic of Georgia and its bully-of-a-neighbor Russia could nudge it from the headlines. Anyway, as a result of these two major events, August 1 went by quietly last week with hardly anybody noticing a little milestone. On that date, the music channel MTV quietly marked its 27th anniversary.

It was on August 1, 1981 when MTV made its debut to a new generation of music lovers. It was an immediate success. It revolutionized the music industry and spawned successful sister music channels such as VH1 and CMT (Country Music Television).

The following is the music video that holds the distinction as the first ever to be played on MTV:

The song is called "Video Killed the Radio Star" and was performed by a British New Wave band called the Buggles. The song was written by Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes and Bruce Woolley before the band was formed. However by the time the Buggles as a band came into existence, only Messr. Horn and Downes remained. Mr. Woolley was no longer with his two songwriting partners by then, having decided to pursue his own music interests.

Mr. Horn did the vocals and played bass guitar on the song while Mr. Downes played the keyboards. Two ladies, Debbie Doss and Linda Jardim, provided the backup vocals.

The song was no longer new by the time MTV made its debut in 1981. The song was originally released in October 1979 and became an immediate number one hit in the United Kingdom. Although the song got a lot of airplay and gained quite a bit of following in the United States, its sales were not strong enough to crack the Billboard Top 40.

Given the song's title, one could say that the folks at MTV were quite cocky but prescient when they decided to use it as their debut music video. At the dawn of MTV, no one could have predicted save for the visionaries at MTV that the music channel would revolutionize the music industry. It provided a new channel (no pun intended) for music artists, old and new, to be introduced to music fans.

I was already a freshman in college when I got introduced to the music videos shown on MTV. At the time, cable television was pretty much non-existent in the Philippines. People's television sets were powered by antennas then and thus, tv programming was obtained from the five Filipino TV networks that were in operation (or were allowed to operate by the Marcos Dictatorship) at the time namely, BBC 2 and RPN-9 (both stations operated by the Benedicto family), PTV-4 (operated by the government), GMA-7 (owned by Menardo Gimenez), and IBC-13 (also government-operated).

There were hour-long television shows then that featured the latest MTV videos. It was through those music video shows where I first saw new and rising recording stars such as Madonna, Duran Duran, Boy George and the Culture Club, Tears For Fears, and Wham among many others. Unfortunately, my memory is failing me at the moment for I can't recall what those shows were. Sigh. Can anybody recall what they were?

As a group, the Buggles were a one hit wonder. However, members of the band, specifically Mr. Horn, found success afterwards as a record producer for acts such as Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Lisa Stansfield, Yes, China Crisis, LeAnn Rimes, and Seal. Mr. Horn was also a co-writer of Seal's hit "Kiss By A Rose".

Let me leave you then with the lyrics of the song that helped usher in a music channel that forever changed the music industry.

I heard you on the wireless back in Fifty Two
Lying awake intent at tuning in on you.
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through.
Oh-a oh

They took the credit for your second symphony.
Rewritten by machine and new technology,
and now I understand the problems you can see.

Oh-a oh
I met your children
Oh-a oh
What did you tell them?

Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
Pictures came and broke your heart.

Oh-a-a-a oh

And now we meet in an abandoned studio.
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago.
And you remember the jingles used to go.

Oh-a oh
You were the first one.
Oh-a oh
You were the last one.

Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
In my mind and in my car, we can't rewind we've gone to far
Oh-a-aho oh,
Oh-a-aho oh

Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.

In my mind and in my car, we can't rewind we've gone to far.
Pictures came and broke your heart, put the blame on VTR.

You are a radio star.
You are a radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.

Sweet Revenge

2008-08-09T10:30:00.015-04:00

First a WARNING: Adult language is present in the videos. If you're below 13 years of age, this post is not for you.

The following is a series of clips from the Jimmy Kimmel Show. Some of you may have already seen these clips but they detailed the animosity that brewed between the tv host and the actor Matt Damon back in 2006.

Matt Damon was supposed to guest on Mr. Kimmel's show a number of times but his invitations to appear on the show had always been either canceled or postponed almost always due to "lack of time". So when he finally got to appear on Jimmy's show, this was the reception he got:

Mr. Damon left the show in a rage in spite of Mr. Kimmel's profuse apologies and efforts to put the matter to rest. Mr. Damon must have felt so humiliated by the experience that he decided to strike back.

Mr. Kimmel, obviously hurt by Sarah Silverman's (his girlfriend at the time) betrayal, also decided to strike back at Mr. Damon where it could hurt the latter the most.

This star-studded effort at revenge ought to put the matter to rest.

Anyway, if you had a difficult time figuring out some of the words to the "I'm F##king Ben Affleck" song in the previous clip, the following clip shows the lyrics as sub-titles.

I hope you enjoyed this little humor break. :)

An Afternoon By The Potomac

2008-08-06T14:35:00.029-04:00

The hotel I stayed in at Alexandria, Virginia a few weeks ago happened to be very close to the Potomac River. I was lucky in that the city had a small park by the river called Tide Lock Park and my hotel was just a block away from it. So one weekday afternoon after work, I decided to take a walk in the park to enjoy the sites and to take in some fresh air. The park had some park benches near the water where one could sit and relax to enjoy a nice, lazy afternoon.

The photo below shows the banks of the river and a walkway next to it. The walkway is quite long and stretches for at least eight miles along the banks of the Potomac River.

A shot of one section of the walkway. The area at the other side of the river is Washington, D.C.

A shot of another part of the same walkway. This time, in the background, one can see the faint outline of the Washington Monument at the left. One could also see towards the right the dome of the US Capitol.

Another shot of the river's banks.

On the way back to the hotel, I walked by these nice colonial-style townhomes. They were in a great spot for they had a clear, unobstructed view of the river.

The townhomes were on a rise or hill and I walked a bit towards them to take a closer shot.

I took another shot of the townhomes as soon as I got back to my hotel room. The following picture is a shot of those homes from my hotel window. The picture shows how close those homes are to the river.

The bridge you see in the background is the Woodrow Wilson Bridge which links Alexandria, Virginia to Washington, D.C.

I enjoyed my brief walk in Tide Lock Park that afternoon. The views and the fresh air helped me destress that afternoon.

The Dance Of The Rolls

2008-08-05T00:24:00.018-04:00

I was supposed to follow up my Alexandria, Virginia series with some more photos of the place but I will digress for just a bit. Although I haven't written much about movies on this blog, I do enjoy watching good movies regardless of whether a film is a new release or a classic. I developed an interest in movies from my mother's side of the family.
My maternal grandfather loved going to the movies as a hobby and it was through him that I first heard of the great comedian Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977). My grandfather loved to talk about the Chaplin movies he enjoyed, especially those he saw during the pre-war "peace time" period. The Chaplin movies he loved were The Gold Rush (1925), City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936), and Mr. Chaplin's semi-autobiographical movie, Limelight (1952). Mr. Chaplin became famous for playing the role of "The Tramp", a gentleman vagrant who always managed to do the honorable and decent thing in spite of the very rough and tough circumstances he was in.

Mr. Chaplin was heralded as the complete artist for not only did he star in his films, he also produced and directed them, wrote their script, scored their music, and whenever the story called for it, he even choreographed the dances.

I'm wondering then if anyone can copy and perfect the following performance as a way to entertain friends either over lunch or dinner:

The scene above featured Charlie Chaplin in the classic movie "The Gold Rush" released by United Artists back in 1925. Mr. Chaplin called this particular scene "The Dance of the Rolls" and it showed him perform it before a group of lady friends. The clip captures how Mr. Chaplin brought two seemingly ordinary dinner rolls to life by mimicking a ballerina's dance to the obvious delight of his little audience.

The genius of Mr. Chaplin shines in this scene for one can just imagine the amount of creativity, timing, and physical coordination required to present such gem of a performance. He made the movements seem so easy when in fact they were far from being so. Johnny Depp copied the same movements 68 years later in a movie called "Benny and Joon" (1993) where he played the role of an eccentric who cared for and won the heart of a mentally ill woman. In a later interview, Mr. Depp stated that the performance was quite difficult for it took him three weeks to copy, rehearse and perfect Mr. Chaplin's moves.

The following video clip compares the two performances:

With no offense meant towards Mr. Depp, one can clearly see that Mr. Chaplin appeared more relaxed in his performance and thus his moves appeared a lot more fluid. I do not know how many hours Mr. Chaplin devoted to prepare for such a fine performance but one thing is clear, this performance is but one of the many reasons as to why to this day, Mr. Chaplin continues to be both an idol and an influence to many career film and television comedians.

Alexandria - A Sentimental Trip

2008-08-01T14:14:00.035-04:00

I was in Alexandria, Virginia on a one-week assignment a few weeks ago. I love this town because aside from its rich history, I lived here for a few months many years ago as I was starting life out here in America. My late uncle was very kind enough to let me stay at his place rent-free while I looked for a job.

According to Wikipedia, Alexandria lies 6 miles south of Washington, D.C., or roughly a ten-minute drive. The buildings in the "Old Town" district of this city are at least 250 years old and are about three storeys tall on the average.

The following photo shows one of the markers in the Old Town district that talk about Alexandria's origins:

The following photo shows an exact replica of the house George Washington owned and stayed in whenever he was in town. It is on Cameron Street and stands on the exact spot where his house originally stood. This replica, a faithful reconstruction of the original home, was built in the early 1960s.

The 2006 Honda Civic parked in front of Washington's house is also a replica of the one he used to own. This fuel-efficient and fully-loaded car was a gift to him from a grateful nation. (Please ignore those two sentences. In addition, per Rudy's observation, the car was actually a Toyota Vios and not a Honda Civic as I had earlier thought it to be. Sorry about that. Hehehe)

The following photo shows the same house but taken from a slightly different angle. On this photo a bust of George Washington can be seen behind the left window.

The following sign was right in front of a restaurant called Gadsby's Tavern. It is on Royal Street and is one of the most famous and historic restaurants in town, having been continuously in business since 1770. As the sign says, George Washington used to be a regular patron and according to its website so were other US presidents such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and James Monroe.

The following shows the tavern's front door. Note the low position of the door knob. I was told that that's how doors were built back in those days. It also probably had something to do with the average height of the people back then. Although George Washington stood more than six feet tall, the average American was quite short.

I ended up dining at this place with a co-worker. I apologize that I wasn't able to take pictures of the building's exterior because by the time we were done with dinner, it had grown quite dark outside. So please refer to its website for pictures of the building.

Since it's a centuries' old town, walking "Ghost Tours" are also offered in the evenings led by tour guides dressed in period costumes. One of those Tour Guides is shown below:

For a Tour Guide, I found this one particularly weird and camera-shy. I observed that whenever people tried to include him in their shots, he almost always turned his back to them. Should I call the police? Hehehe Oh well....

Anyway, Alexandria is a very nice place to visit. Although it's classified as a city, huge sections of the city are quite peaceful and relaxing. The pace is a bit slower than other East Coast cities such as New York. Thus, whenever you're in the Washington, DC area, please find some time to stop by this city and enjoy some bit of living American history.

Let's "Take Five"

2008-07-30T23:13:00.004-04:00

I apologize that I've been busy with personal matters the last several days. However, as I took a break from work earlier this evening, a term common to musicians, "take five", came to mind. The expression originally referred to a short five-minute break musicians took. Whenever such a short break was called, one often said "Let's take five".

However, this expression also reminded me of a classic jazz tune from 1959 also called "Take Five". The tune was composed by the late Paul Desmond who as saxophonist was a member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Dave Brubeck was the pianist and completing the quartet were the other two members: drummer Joe Morello and bassist Eugene Wright. The tune gained fame for its distinctive saxophone melody, as you will later hear, and for Mr. Corello's outstanding drum solo.

The following video shows the quartet performing the tune on a tv show called "Jazz Casual", a show that was hosted by jazz columnist Ralph Gleason who would eventually co-found Rolling Stone Magazine. This particular segment was aired on American public television back in October 1961:

The band performed the tune live on the show and it explains the less than excellent quality of the audio. The stage is practically bare and one finds the camera shots quite basic. However, in lieu of the rather low production values, what the viewer gets is pure entertainment thus making it possible for the tune's beauty to shine through.

Overall, I personally find the tune's melody rather relaxing, lending credence to the song's title. I love listening to this tune often at night when I'm either out for a quiet drive or enjoying a quiet evening at home.

However, since the tune was performed live in the studio, the quality of the audio leaves quite a bit to be desired. In order to better appreciate the tune, I am adding the following clip that features the aong's recorded version:

The Dave Brubeck Quartet disbanded in 1967. Sadly, unlike the band's other members, the tune's writer, Mr. Desmond, is no longer around. A heavy smoker, Mr. Desmond succumbed to lung cancer in 1977. But even though he's gone, he left us a gem of a tune that's become part of jazz music history.

A Final Goodbye

2008-07-27T13:39:00.008-04:00

I found a stack of papers lying on the desk one afternoon. I picked up a pencil and proceeded to draw cars and human stick figures on them. I drew and drew and had a lot of fun. But then, those papers turned out to be your students' examination papers that you took home to grade. Instead of getting angry, you laughed the whole thing off and simply explained to your students the next day what had happened and that your nephew did it. I was three years old then.

Dad and Mom took me to Manila's South Harbor one clear August night to say goodbye and to wish you well. They told me that you were going to attend some school in Hawaii on something called a "scholarship" from your old university. You boarded a huge boat called the SS President Wilson. It was the biggest boat I had ever seen then. I was five years old.

It wasn't until years later in December 1976 when I saw you again. It was your first trip home after years of study and it was the happiest Christmas reunion the clan had in years. Although, I didn't get to talk to you much, I remembered that you expressed surprise upon seeing me because I was no longer the chubby boy you last saw when you left the country years earlier. We were all happy to see you and we were all fascinated with the stories you shared about life in America.

Not long after you flew back to the States, I learned from Dad that you had become a professor at a certain school in Philadelphia called Wharton. It was the first time I heard of the school and all I knew about it then was based on what Dad told me. He told me that it was one of those schools that bright students attended. He was very proud of your achievement. So proud that Dad again reminded me that my cousins and I should try our best to do well in school so that someday we would have our own achievements to be proud of. I was 11.

A couple of years later, word reached the family that you garnered the Outstanding Professor award at Wharton. What made the award so special was that aside from making us all proud, not only were you the first Filipino to win it, but it was also the first time that the award was given to an Asian. You made us prouder still when you won the same award again two years later.

With your smarts, you could have easily made a lot of money working in private industry or in government. But you refused. You considered yourself a teacher, nothing less and nothing more. Teaching was your passion. Even if the other jobs would have meant a lot more money and personal fame, you steadfastly refused to consider them. You stuck to what you loved doing. In doing so, you showed us that although money was important, it wasn't everything. You taught us to place a higher premium on doing what we loved doing. I was 13.

It was also around this time when I noticed your generous and caring side. Your eldest sister, Tita M, was raising four kids on her own. Although you didn't make a lot of money as a professor, you shared part of your earnings to support her and her kids' education. Dad and his other siblings also did their part to support her with whatever resources they had to make sure that she and her children were properly cared for. It was a model of true family solidarity, one that my cousins and I still remember and respect to this day.

You came home for a brief visit when I was 15. I was in my teens and you had apparently heard of some mischief Cousin G and I engaged in at the time for upon seeing me, you slapped me in the arm and said "Walanghiya ka! Panay ang panood mo ng bomba!" ("Shame on you. You've been watching too much porn!") You laughed afterwards and knew that I was just being a teenager.

However, I still remember the day you informed Dad that you were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Your voice over the phone sounded apprehensive. We were all worried too because diabetes was the scourge of the family. At that particular point, no male member of the family who suffered from diabetes had lived past 65 years. Although we were all worried, we were optimistic that with the proper medical treatment, you would still end up fine. I was 17.

In college, I majored in the same field as you and Dad. Upon graduation, I was hired by the professional firm that you yourself almost joined two decades earlier. From the US you called to congratulate me. You even addressed me by the nickname you gave me when I was still a toddler. Through the use of that nickname, you expressed pride not only in your little nephew's achievement but also with the realization that he was now a young man. I was 21.

Your love for your nephews and nieces knew no bounds. The following year, you expressed joy and pride upon learning that I was coming to the US for an 18-month long assignment. Within a few weeks after my arrival, you invited me to see you and our relatives in New York. You proved to be a very good tour guide for you showed me the sights around Manhattan. The tour was also memorable for the "long walk" you and I took where we started from Battery Park in downtown Manhattan, made our way through the Wall Street financial district and New York's Chinatown, and trekked all the way up to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan, a distance of at least 60 city blocks.

You visited me a couple of times afterwards and helped me shop for things I needed. You even helped me clean and fix my apartment up. You even stayed up way past midnight one time to make sure that the whole place was neat and tidy. I was 22.

This was a time when I began to really know you a lot more. You loved to talk and joke around. You were the life of every party. As a sign of affection, you loved giving everyone a funny nickname and these nicknames were often bastardized versions of people's real names. Matthew became "Matias", Nicholas became "Kulas", and Toby became "Tobias".

Sometimes the nicknames were based on how people looked or worse, the opposite of it. You called a friend who sported a mustache "Max Alvarado" after a Filipino actor who always played the role of a villain in Filipino movies back in the 1960s. You called a friend with a number of deep pimple scars on his face "Mr. Pogi" (Mr. Handsome). A lady friend named Bel became "Bella Flores" after a Filipino actress/villainess also from the 1960s.

But you were indeed intellectually sharp. I enjoyed our talks about academic stuff and I learned a lot from you then and in the years that followed.

You also were a great friend to many of your former students. Even when many of them became successful in business, not once did you approach them to ask for personal favors. You never used those friendships for personal gain even when a nephew or niece badly needed work. You wanted us to believe in ourselves and in our capabilities. You wanted us to make it on our own steam. It was a valuable lesson in character development for it helped us develop both self-confidence and independence.

However, although you still had a lot of energy, I sadly noticed signs that the effects of diabetes mellitus were starting to take their toll on your body. By then, you had quit teaching and had to settle for a desk job with the government. Your kidneys were starting to fail to the extent that you no longer had the energy required to conduct lectures on your feet for long periods of time. I also noticed that the skin on your feet were quite dry. There were deep scratches that would have made a healthy person wince in pain but you obviously were numb to them. I realized then that you weren't getting the appropriate medical treatment.

In the years that followed and through the 1990s, although you still tried to put up a brave front, there were more signs of physical weakening. You got tired easily and you began showing signs of congestive heart failure. You always felt cold and needed a sweater on you even in the heat of summer. Problems with blood circulation limited movement on your arms and legs.

You showed some renewed energy and signs of improvement after the doctors performed a quadruple bypass surgery along with a removal of your kidneys back in 2000. You were forced to quit your job not long afterwards. In spite of the fact that you now had to go through regular dialysis treatments, your spirits improved and you regained some of the weight and appetite you had lost. However, we all knew you were living on borrowed time.

Problems with blood circulation reappeared within a year after your surgery. It manifested itself through the dark spots we started seeing on your feet and lower legs. A few years later, you had a series of mild heart attacks. It seemed that some of the problems were coming back.

You asked me one day to see you in Philadelphia. It was a rather sad day because when we met, you started leaving instructions on what to do in the event of your passing. You spoke to me of your desire to be cremated and for your ashes to be brought back to our hometown in the Philippines for internment.

You left the East Coast a couple of years later to move to the Western part of the country, closer to the Pacific and closer to home. Although we talked on the phone for several more times since then, I didn't realize that that would be the last time I'll see you alive.

Two Sundays ago, July 13, I drove down to Alexandria, Virginia for a one-week assignment. Aside from Philadelphia, Alexandria was the other city you lived in and loved in the East Coast. As my car drove into town, a feeling of sadness suddenly came over me. I couldn't explain it. As soon as I got into my hotel room, I immediately called loved ones to check if they were alright. They were. I tried to rationalize the cause of such sadness by thinking that maybe I was in Alexandria for the first time without any close relative nearby. The sad part about the whole thing was that it never occurred to me to give you a call to ask how you where.

It was in the evening of the following day, July 14, when I finally found out. While having dinner with a co-worker, I got a call from your youngest sister, Auntie E. She had just gotten a call from the police who informed her that you had died. People at the dialysis center you went to had called the police when you failed to show up for your scheduled treatment earlier that day. The coroner said you suffered a fatal heart attack and died peacefully in your sleep. After all the years of suffering and pain, your heart finally gave up. You were 64.

You probably felt and knew the end was coming for close to the spot on the bed where they found your body, they also found a news clipping that dated back to 1961. The brief news item was about how your high school had awarded our dearest "Nanay" (my late grandmother) the "Mother of the Year" award because you graduated as the high school valedictorian.

Last Tuesday, July 22, we had your funeral and performed it according to your wishes. Auntie E will be flying you home for one last time this Wednesday, July 31. As you wished, you will be buried in the town we all love.

Thank you very much for everything that you've done for us, Dear Uncle. Although there may have been times when you and I had disagreed over the approach to take, never for a moment was there any doubt that we both meant well. You were an inspiration to your many nephews and nieces and I hope you will be proud of the fact that to a person, all of us obtained college degrees. Thanks to your help, Cousin G, one of Tita M's four kids whose education you supported, became the closest to you in terms of academic brilliance. Like you, he was a product of the public school system and graduated cum laude.

There were a lot of other things you did for all of us, too many to mention. Aside from the achievements, we will always remember you for your selflessness. Goodbye, Dearest Uncle. Rest well and in peace. We love you.

A Long and Winding Road

2008-07-19T20:23:00.008-04:00

The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away,
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day;
Why leave me standing here,
Let me know the way.

Many times I've been alone,
And many times I've cried;
Any way you'll never know
The many ways I've tried.

I will be away for a while, folks. Some items on the personal side of life came up in the last few days. There are some matters I need to attend to and some pieces I need to pick up. You all take care for now.

The Baker Answers Some Random Questions

2008-07-17T20:19:00.012-04:00

My buddy, Photo Cache, tagged me to answer a few random questions. Thus, I present below my supposedly random responses. Hehehe :D

1. WHAT WAS I DOING 10 YEARS AGO?

I was working for a telecommunications company that was based in New Jersey. My job then was very different from what I'm doing today. The job I had at the time was in the Information Technology (IT) field. I was managing a software quality assurance team that supported an automated credit and collections management system that the company used to facilitate account collection from its delinquent customers. My team's responsibility was to make sure that any enhancement or modification to the system's features or functionality was adequately tested prior to full implementation.

Although the job paid well, I was already feeling quite unhappy with my IT career at the time. I had been in it for several years at that point and I no longer felt any passion for the job. I had wanted to go back to my true passion: the work I'm currently doing. Plus, the great guy who was my boss left the department that year to move to another and in his place came this ugly, inconsiderate, micromanaging woman with no social life to speak of.

It is awful enough that one has lost his/her passion for one's job. It becomes a lot worse if one works in a job he/she no longer loves and for a boss that he/she absolutely abhors.

This lady was an awful boss due to the following:

a. She loved to call meetings at noon and at 5 in the afternoon, at a time when people are ready to call it a day. (None of her meetings lasted less than an hour.)
b. She loved to gossip about people in the office, even about people we didn't personally know.
c. She loved to waste time during meetings by talking about a lot of non-work related stuff.
d. If you did 98% right and 2% wrong on your job, she is the type who will focus on the 2% you did wrong and make it sound that you screwed the whole thing up.
e. She engaged in favoritism and would coerce her managers to give her favorites high performance appraisals and therefore high bonuses.
f. She always thought she was right.
g. She was a micromanager who often overruled her managers just to get things done in the way she wanted them done.
h. She was a disgusting sight. Physically ugly with thinning hair, dark rings around her eyes, and rotting teeth.

I ended up working for her for three more years and as a result, I went through a period of depression. I often hated Sunday afternoons and evenings because of the thought that once Monday morning came, I would have to deal with her and her crap again for another week. Needless to say, I felt so much joy the day I finally left her team in 2002. She was one of a kind.

2. WHAT ARE THE FIVE THINGS ON MY TO-DO LIST TODAY?

a. Pack up my things and get ready to check out of the hotel first thing in the morning. (I'm currently at the end of a one-week assignment in Alexandria, Virginia.)
b. Take some pictures of a nearby park by the banks of the Potomac River.
c. Finish this tag.
d. Prepare for my project's closing meeting tomorrow morning.
e. End the evening with a nice, long talk on the phone with my SO.

3. SNACKS I ENJOY:

a. Chippy
b. Adobong Mani (Filipino garlic-roasted peanuts)
c. Pringle's Potato Chips (Sour Cream n' Onion flavor)
d. Cornick

4. PLACES WHERE I LIVED:

a. City of Manila
b. SSS Village - Marikina City
c. Marcelo Green Village - Paranaque City
d. Alexandria, Virginia
e. Somerset County, New York Metro area

5. THINGS I’D DO IF I WERE A BILLIONAIRE:

If I were a billionaire (in US dollars), I'll do the following:

a. Set up a foundation to run a well-funded and well-maintained orphanage.
b. Set up a foundation to set up and maintain public libraries in the poorest areas in my country.
c. Fund and support efforts to preserve performances of Filipino artists on film, tv, and radio.
d. Buy a nice home for myself and immediate family members.
e. Buy my own island in the Philippines.
f. Travel.
g. Invest a significant portion of the money so that its earnings could fund Items a, b, and c on this particular list.

6. PEOPLE I WANT TO KNOW MORE ARE:

The last time I did a tag, I passed it on to the ladies. Now, I'm passing this tag on to the following gentlemen:

a. Monaco
b. Rudy
c. Blogusvox
d. RJ

Thanks in advance for doing this tag, guys!

Some Classic Pinoy TV Commercials

2008-07-15T22:14:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to share with you a few of the popular Filipino TV commercials from the 1970s. I chanced upon them earlier today while video surfing on YouTube.

The first is a Coca-Cola commercial from 1979 that featured a much younger Tito, Vic, and Joey.

The video showed them singing revised cuts from the biggest hits from that year as they promoted a Coca Cola contest. Joey De Leon started off with his version of Sampaguita's "Bonggahan" followed by Tito Sotto doing a revised version of Mike Hanopol's "Jeprox". Lastly, Vic Sotto was shown singing his praises to the number of prizes available to the tune of Freddie Aguilar's hit song "Anak".

How about this Ford Fiera commercial that featured the late movie/tv/radio personality Rod Navarro?

As a utility vehicle, the Ford Fiera was quite popular during the 1970s. Vehicles like the Ford Fiera were then classified as an AUV or "Asian Utility Vehicle". The Fiera's popularity prompted Toyota to respond and introduce the Toyota Tamaraw in 1978. Although the clip on YouTube failed to mention the year this particular commercial came out, my guess is that it could have been from either 1976 or 1977. The above commercial was also one of many that featured Mr. Navarro as product endorser at the height of his popularity as a radio personality in the 1970s.

Has any Filipino gone through life without having tasted MY San's FITA Biscuits? Here's a classic FITA ad from 1976.

I enjoyed FITA as a snack when I was a kid. I found it delicious and enjoyed it more whenever it was accompanied by a cold, tall glass or bottle of Coca-Cola. (That in itself sounded like a commercial, didn't it?) This clip also showed a blue Metro Manila Transit bus. Metro Manila Transit was a government-operated bus line that used to have a large number of buses plying the streets of Metro Manila. This bus line also introduced the air-conditioned and popular "Love Bus" during the mid-1970s.

Another popular tv commercial was this classic Superwheel laundry detergent commercial from 1976 that featured a younger and sexier Marissa Delgado.

This humorous commercial was a spoof on Camelot and it shows "King Arthur" and "Sir Lancelot" vying for the affections of Marissa Delgado's "Guinevere". Unfortunately, the name of the older actress who was also shown on this commercial escapes my memory at the moment. Do any of you remember her? She used to be a regular on TV sitcoms and comedy movies.

Lastly, the following cigarette commercial that featured the Champion brand came out in 1974. Its slogan "Champion sa Lasa. Champion Talaga." was one of the most popular at the time. Given the recent enactment of Republic Act 9211 ("Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003"), advertisements like this on both tv and print media are now history.

It is funny for its silliness and at the same time it is also lamentable that given what we all know now about the health risks posed by smoking, the message this particular tv commercial imparted was quite misguided. How could one be considered a great athlete at the top of his game if he was a heavy smoker at the same time? Do fighting cocks have to smoke Champion cigarettes too to help them triumph over their opponents?

Looking back, these commercials, taken as a whole, provide us with a snapshot on how our people lived at the time through the products they consumed, the music they listened to, and the recreational activities they indulged in. Some may seem funny, ridiculous, or even unbelievable now but to many of us, they reflect a simpler, happier and more innocent time.

"Damdamin"

2008-07-13T00:04:00.035-04:00

If I'm going to write about my first Original Pilipino Music (OPM) blog entry, then let it be about a song performed by the great Rico J. Puno, the "Total Entertainer" himself.

Rico J. Puno's songs dominated the airwaves during the 1970s and this particular song was no exception. This song, "Damdamin" ("Feelings"), penned by Joseph Abando and Baby A. Gil, was a single from the "Tatak Rico J" album and became a hit for Rico Puno in 1978.

The song was typical of many of Rico's songs for its words struck a chord with many of the song's listeners. This particular song spoke of unrequited love, a love that never came to be because both parties denied what they truly felt for each other. I'm writing about it because I count it as one of my personal favorites.

This is how the song went and below it, I'm also including its lyrics for your reference:

Kahit ako'y 'di mo ngayon pinapansin,
Nakatanaw man sa iba ang paningin;
Kailan ma'y huwag akalain na aking daramdamin
Ang pag-ibig ko ay nililihim ko rin.

Kahit tuwina'y aking napapangarap ka,
At alam kong gayon ka rin sa 'kin sinta;
Kailan ma'y 'di sasabihin na minamahal din kita
'Pagkat lihim din ang damdamin ko.

At kung tayo'y 'di na muli pang magkita,
Kapwa tayo malulungkot na dalawa;
At duo'y sisihin damdaming sinungaling
Na 'di nagsabing mahal din kita.

At duo'y sisihin damdaming sinungaling
Na 'di nagsabing mahal din kita.

On a personal level, although I liked the song when it first came out, I was way too young to appreciate its message. The words didn't really leave an impression until years later when I myself had to deal with the pain of a lost love. However, unlike the song, it wasn't an unrequited love for this girl M and I were an item for a little over a year.

We both knew from the very beginning that it was a love that was bound to end sooner or later because by going out with me, she had defied her family's wishes. M came from a traditional Chinese family and in many of those families, falling for a non-Chinese person was not looked upon with approval. As for me, although my family wasn't as conservative as hers, my mom was also a product of her time and had some anti-Chinese attitudes as well. I had no such problem with my father. None of our parents knew about us. But even then, when the end eventually came, it still hurt.

M's married now and to a gentleman her parents obviously approved of. When I flew home to Manila last year to attend to some family matters, my college classmates hosted a mini-reunion in my honor. I saw her at the event and was surprised to learn that she was the one who organized it. I also found out later from my parents that she had tried to reach me at home while I was out. Of course, my parents were clueless about who she really was.

Although the feelings for her have long gone, the memories remain. And whenever I hear this song played, memories undiminished by the years bring her back. I have moved on with my life and I'm pretty happy where I am at. All I can do is to wish her well with hers and hope that she's happy too. Farewell, M.

A Cute Little Tag

2008-07-10T04:41:00.029-04:00

I was tagged by Mec to do this nice little tag. :)

The following shows the tag questions and my responses to each:

Have you ever gone on a blind date? Yes, with a girl who went to college with a former officemate. Date was set up by that former officemate.

Skipped school? Yes, one time in high school and a "few" times in college. Hehe

Been on a plane? YES!! Too many times for my own good.

Been lost? Twice, and both happened at night and in very bad neighborhoods here in the US. One was in Detroit and the other was in Brooklyn.

Swam in the ocean? No, one of my big regrets in life is that I can't swim.

Cried yourself to sleep? Yes, I have. Several times.

Played cops and robbers? Yes, lots of times. :D

Played dolls? I'll be lying if I said I didn't. As a kid, I did it a few times to entertain my younger sister. (Yeah, sure.)

Recently colored with crayons? No.

Sang Karaoke? Yes, I have but I only do songs that are within my vocal range. (Naks!)

Paid for a meal with coins only? Yes, I have. I'm definitely dating myself with this answer but when I was a kid, a school meal can be purchased with just peso coins. :D

Done something you said you wouldn't? A lot of times. No further comment. :D

Cheated on a test? On a few quizzes, yes. On examinations, no.

Made prank phone calls? Yes, back in high school. Whenever I knew that my classmate (who was my "barkada" at the time) was not at home, I would call his place just to speak to his pretty sister who was a year older.

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes.

Danced in the rain? No, I simply played in the rain. I would not be caught dead dancing in the rain for fear that it might lead people to question either my sexual orientation or the state of my mental health.

Written a letter to Santa Claus? No, I was too lazy to write one.

Watched the sun rise with someone you care about? I have watched the sun BEGIN to rise with someone I cared about. Hehehe

Been kissed under the mistletoe? No.

Gone ice skating? Yes.

Been skinny dipping outdoors? I used to as a toddler when grown-ups still thought that it was a cute thing for me to do. :D I don't think they'll show much appreciation if they see me do it now. :D

Favorite drink I'm allowed on a regular basis - Orange juice

Tattoos? None.

Body piercings? None.

Vacation spot? There's no place like HOME.

Eaten cookies for dinner? No, I'm not too fond of cookies. Overall, I find them too sweet and too rich for my taste.

Ever been on TV? Yes, given where my cousin and I sat, I was seen on camera quite a number of times while at a PBA game.

Ever been in a car accident? Yes, a few times.

Favorite number and why? 5 because of my birth date.

Favorite movie? Unfortunately, there's too many to mention. In my profile, I attempted to list some of them.

Favorite holiday? Spending time with people I love is my idea of a favorite holiday. None of the official ones really matter to me.

Favorite smells? I have to pass on this one. :D

What do you do to relax? Read the papers, listen to CDs, and watch old movies.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Living happily with my loved ones.

Now, in return, I'm tagging my blog buddies: Mari, Miranda, Photo Cache, and Nyl. Thanks in advance, ladies. :)

I'm Your Venus

2008-07-09T00:10:00.002-04:00

After all the geeky stuff, it's time once again for a music break.

The following became a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts back in 1986 for the all-girl trio Bananarama.

The song's called "Venus" and as a dance tune, it got played a lot in dance clubs and parties I went to at the time. Now I don't really dance a lot (wink wink) but at the time, if you wanted to see me on the dance floor, this was one of the dance tunes that you had to play. (Naks!)

It was quite difficult for me to control myself whenever I heard this song played while on a jeepney or bus. For some reason, I couldn't prevent tapping to the beat of this tune. I just had to tap on something regardless of whether it was my shoes on the jeepney/bus floor or my fingers tapping on one knee or both. Hehehe

Although I liked this song when it became a hit in 1986, it was not the first time I heard it and it also wasn't the first time the song hit #1 on Billboard's charts. In fact, this song was not a dance tune at all. Bananarama's version wasn't the original.

In its original version, "Venus" was a rocker piece from a Dutch band called "Shocking Blue". The song was written by the band's founder Robbie van Leeuwen, released in late 1969 and became a #1 hit in early 1970. The following video shows the band performing the song in its original version.

The band's lead singer was the late Mariska Veres (1947-2006). Mr. van Leeuwen, the song's composer, was the guitarist who stood next to her. What stood out on the video were examples of fashion trends from the late 1960s/early 1970s through the long black wig and false eyelashes Ms. Veres wore.

But as to the music, the song's sound was of the basic electric guitars-and-drum combination. It had none of the synthesized sounds that became quite prevalent in the 1980s. Although the group managed to stay popular within their native Holland until they disbanded in 1974, they were not able to score another hit as big as "Venus" internationally. As a result, outside of their home country, the group remains classified as a "One Hit Wonder".

A Gem of Filipiniana on Padre Faura

2008-07-05T23:10:00.012-04:00

When I was still living in the Philippines, it was my practice that whenever I walked into a bookstore in Manila, the first section I would visit was the store's Filipiniana section. It was there where I would go through the latest titles by both local and foreign authors to see if there were new book releases on topics of interest to me, specifically Philippine political and economic history and architecture.

My love affair with the "Filipiniana Section" dates back to my college days in Manila. The section was situated in one of the quietest areas within my college's library. It was in an area I often went to between classes to either take a much needed afternoon nap or to intensely study or prepare for an examination. It took me a while to realize that a few steps away from my favorite nap/study spot were shelves that had copies of respected and historic Philippine publications such as the Philippines Free Press, Weekly Graphic, and the Manila Times. The Philippines Free Press was an influential weekly news magazine that ran from 1907 until the declaration of Martial Law closed it down in September 1972.

From the moment I browsed through an old issue of the Philippines Free Press, I was hooked, to say the least, and I remember spending countless hours going through its past issues and those of other newspapers and magazines. I was quite fascinated by the fact that the school's collection of magazines and newspaper issues went as far back as the 1910s. Reading old news articles could be described as reading Philippine History in "current events" form.

Thus, my old geeky self was so glad when my dear SO finally took me to the Solidaridad Book Shop in Manila's Ermita district. This bookstore is owned by the renowned Filipino author and National Artist Francisco Sionil Jose. ("My Brother, My Executioner", "The Pretenders", "Ermita") Although I've heard of this place, I never had the chance to visit it until I was in Manila last May.

The first two pictures below show the front of the bookstore taken from across the street. (Store's exact address is 531 Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila.)

Solidaridad Book Shop opened its doors to the public back in 1965. As can be seen from above, the book shop occupies the ground floor of a two-storey building with a mezzanine. The building is a concrete and wooden structure and was of an architectural style that was common in Manila from the 1950s through the late 1960s.

The following two shots were taken by the bookstore's front door.

Due to Robinson Place's rather imposing presence across the street, one could easily walk past this bookstore without noticing it. But once found, stepping into the bookstore is like going back in time. This little shop possesses an old-fashioned charm with its simplicity and it reminded me of places in the Ermita and Malate districts I used to visit as a kid. An old family friend, now long gone, used to run a small barbershop a couple of blocks away near the Plaza Nuestra Senora de Guia while another family friend ran his family's construction firm from one of the old buildings that line T.M. Kalaw Street.

The bookstore's interior was basically divided into two sections. As one walks in, one will find the Filipiniana section to one's left while books by foreign authors and foreign periodicals can be found to one's right.

I found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. I heard that customers can even request Mr. Jose to sign a book if he was around. Unfortunately, we were not able to have any book signed because the author was in Japan on business at the time my SO and I went. Well, better luck next time.

Now if there was something that I did not like about this place, it was the fact that the store does not accept credit cards. All book purchases have to be paid for in cash. But given everything that this place has to offer, its refusal to accept credit cards is one inconvenience I can certainly live with.

We ended up buying two books that day. But I liked both the place and the selection of books so much that the SO and I came back the following day to buy two more. I must say then that of all the places I visited in Manila that week, this was clearly my favorite.

So to the Filipiniana buffs among you, whenever you find yourselves in the area, please take some time to stop by this little gem on Padre Faura. I don't think you'll come away disappointed.

Photo credits: The Quint

Something Worth Pondering

2008-07-02T10:02:00.003-04:00

A hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove.

But the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.

Meeting of Champions

2008-07-01T20:22:00.006-04:00

This was truly a meeting of champions.

Just wanted to share this happy video showing the 2008 NBA Champions Boston Celtics congratulating and cheering our countryman and new WBC Lightweight Champion Manny Pacquiao after his victory last Saturday over David Diaz.

Manny Pacquiao's victory over David Diaz marked the first time that an Asian has become a boxing champ in four weight classes. Such achievement makes it a certainty that Manny Pacquiao would enter Boxing's Hall of Fame someday.

The video shows Celtics stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Sam Cassell cheering and congratulating Manny, himself a huge Celtics fan, in his locker room after the fight. It was a happy and rowdy bunch of champions who earned well-deserved victories and the respect of their peers.

Clips from this video were also shown over ABC 7 Eyewitness News in New York last Sunday night and that was where I first saw it.

Congratulations again, Manny.

Aviation History Made in Manila

2008-06-30T00:01:00.003-04:00

While walking around the grounds of the Quirino Grandstand in Manila one afternoon back in 1994, I chanced upon a small commemorative marker that was located near the water, specifically in that part of Manila Bay where there's a small pier situated between the said grandstand and the Manila Hotel.

The marker commemorated the landing of the China Clipper seaplane on the waters of Manila Bay on November 29, 1935. The landing marked the conclusion of the first trans-Pacific flight that began in the City of Alameda near San Francisco, California on November 22, 1935. This flight marked the beginning of regular airmail service between the United States and the Philippines. It was not a non-stop flight for along the way to Manila, the plane made stops at Honolulu, Midway, Wake Island and Guam. (Source: www.flyingclippers.com)

Prior to my "discovery" of that marker, I absolutely had no idea that the Philippines had figured in the making of aviation history. That moment was the first time I heard of such a thing and the marker certainly piqued my interest in the event. I later went to a library and did some research just to satisfy my curiosity about it.

That was pretty much it for years until early this afternoon when, to my very pleasant surprise, I chanced upon a newsreel that reported on this particular event back in 1935 while going through YouTube's video archives. The following newsreel produced by Fox Movietone News reported on the successful landing of the China Clipper at Manila Bay.

Although video and sound clarity on the newsreel leaves much to be desired, we could see that a large crowd and quite a number of government dignitaries led by Philippine Commonwealth President Manual Luis Quezon (1878-1944) were on hand to welcome and congratulate the plane's crew.

We could also see an aerial view of what is the current site of the Quirino Grandstand (then known as the Luneta Grandstand) and the Luneta Park itself prior to the plane's water landing.

What could be historically significant about this newsreel is that the viewer gets to hear President Manuel L. Quezon's voice maybe for the first time through a brief congratulatory speech he gave to the crew of the China Clipper led by Captain Edwin Musick, Pan American Airways' ("Pan Am") Chief Pilot at the time. For his part, we could see that Capt. Musick handed to President Quezon a letter from US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

We can also see standing right next to President Quezon a little boy smartly dressed in what appears to be a Naval Officer's uniform. It is probably safe to assume that the boy was President Quezon's son, Manuel L. Quezon, Jr. (1926-1998) who was nine years old at the time.

But trans-Pacific flights in those days were still in their infancy and often carried a lot of risks. Thus, it is to be sadly noted that a little over two years after this achievement, the China Clipper's pilot, Captain Edwin Musick, perished in an onboard plane explosion in January 1938 off the Pago-Pago (American Samoa) islands in the Pacific. His body was never found.

Another member of Capt. Musick's crew on this flight was Frederick J. ("Fred") Noonan, who served as the flight's Navigation Officer. He was one of the crew members who stood around President Quezon in the newsreel and based on this photo of him, I think he was the tall crew member (Mr. Noonan was said to be six feet tall) who stood second from the right of that particular footage.

At the time, Mr. Noonan was recognized as one of American aviation's best flight navigators and was a regular crew member on trans-Pacific flights. As a result, he had also spent a good deal of time in Manila from 1935 to 1937. Sadly, he will forever be remembered in aviation history as the flight navigator who was with the celebrated aviator Amelia Earhart when her plane, a Lockheed Electra, was lost in the waters of the South Pacific in 1937. To this day, no trace of them or their place has ever been found.

It's been 14 years since I last saw the marker that commemorated this flight. Given the passage of time and the changes that have taken place in its vicinity, I am no longer sure if that marker is still there. I certainly hope that that humble marker still sits on that spot so that it could continue to serve as a reminder that decades ago, our country was part of record-setting aviation history.

Humor Break

2008-06-29T17:41:00.003-04:00

Now a word from late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel:

Hey, there was an interesting study released today which says people who live here in the State of California are less convinced that there is a God than the people of any other state in the country. On an unrelated note, more than 800 wildfires here in California are currently burning out of control.

A Beautiful City Gone Forever - Manila of the 1930s (Part 2)

2008-06-26T23:25:00.005-04:00

This is the second of the two rare videos I wanted to share with you. This second video or "newsreel" as clips like this were called at the time was called "Manila, Queen City of the Pacific". It was made back in 1938 by a travel film producer named Andre de la Varre (1902-1989) as part of his "The Screen Traveler" series.

Back in the days before television, newsreels were shown in movie theaters as part of the "intermission", a term which refers to that short interval of time or break between showings of a particular movie.

For me personally, what stood out in this video clip was the grandeur and beauty of the old Jones Bridge and those of the Legislative and Post Office Buildings. All these beautiful buildings were designed by the great Filipino architect Juan Marcos de Guzman Arellano (or simply "Juan Arellano") along the neo-classic style. Mr. Arellano's involvement in these public projects was due to the fact that he worked for the then Bureau of Public Works from 1916 to 1935. Aside from the projects mentioned, he was also the architect behind other great Manila landmarks such as the Metropolitan Theater and the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The original Jones bridge was completed in 1921. As can be seen from the video, the bridge had quite a bit of ornamentation, sculpted figures, and arches. The bridge was of such elegance that one could have easily mistaken it for a bridge somewhere in Old Europe.

Unfortunately, this Arellano masterpiece did not survive the Second World War. A cash-strapped and newly independent Philippine government replaced this elegant bridge with a rather plain-looking steel and concrete structure that remains in use to this day.

The Legislative Building (now known as the National Museum of the People) was completed in 1926 and the Philippine Post Office was completed in 1931. Both the Legislative Building and the Post Office Building suffered significant damage during the war. Unfortunately, although both these buildings were rebuilt after the war, limited government resources prevented the faithful reconstruction of these structures back to their former elegance and beauty.

One of the facts of daily travel that can also be observed was that people drove on the left side of the road (European style) back in those days. My guess is that this practice must have been a carryover from the Spanish era. It was only after the end of the Second World War did the Philippines switch to driving on the right side of the road American style.

Aside from the ubiquitous presence of calesas and caretelas (two-wheeled horse-drawn carriages), there were horse-drawn "buses" that may have been the precursor of today's jeepney. The number of passengers were quite limited and thus, as a mode of public transportation like the present day jeepney, it was quite inefficient.

If there were traffic lights in Manila at the time, this clip certainly did not show them. Instead, we see traffic directed by traffic policemen in "pith" style helmets. This helmet was also known as a "sun helmet" because it provided the wearer's head with ample protection from the sun's rays. As a result, this type of helmet was widely used in the tropics.

The Franciscan Church in Intramuros, sadly, was destroyed during the Liberation of Manila. On its former site now stands the Mapua Institute of Technology. There used to be seven major churches within the walls of Intramuros. However, out of those seven churches, only the San Agustin Church and the Manila Cathedral survived the war. The Manila Aquarium, also in Intramuros, opened in 1913 and was a popular tourist attraction at the time. It closed during the Second World War.

McKinley Square was the plaza in front of the Manila Cathedral. It is now called Plaza Roma and if you are standing at the plaza facing the Cathedral, on your left would be the ruins of the old and once beautiful Ayuntamiento Building. On your right would be the multi-storey Palacio del Gobernador.

Although it wasn't shown on the clip, the Ayuntamiento was once an administrative building used by the Spanish and American colonial governnments. It was also called the Marble Palace because it was said to be lavishly decorated and was the site of several balls or parties back in the day. Sadly, like the other structures mentioned above, the Ayuntamiento was also a victim of the Liberation of Manila. What remains are its ruins which the Central Bank of the Philippines uses as a parking garage and storage area.

Lastly, one can't help but be awed by the elegantly beautiful homes that lined Dewey Boulevard (now called Roxas Boulevard) in Manila's upscale Ermita district. Unfortunately, a lot of these homes would also suffer mightily from the war. Today, although a rather small number of them still exist, they are now mostly hidden behind high walls.

A lot more can be written about the people and places shown but that would require a rather lengthy blog entry. For now, let's simply enjoy this gem that takes us back to a time when our beloved city was one of Asia's most beautiful.

A Beautiful City Gone Forever - Manila of the 1930s (Part 1)

2008-06-25T23:07:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to share one of a couple of rare videos that showcase our beloved City of Manila the way the city used to look back in the 1930s. Both videos are making the rounds of several blogs since they were "discovered" in YouTube's archives recently. What I'm going to do is present each video separately and add some bit of information I know on some of the topics discussed and/or presented.

This first video was part of the "Port O' Call" series produced by a William M. Pizor. Unfortunately, the introduction to the short film failed to show the year it was produced. But judging from the styling of the cars shown on the streets and the way the people dressed, the film must have been taken in the early 1930s at the latest. In addition, at the beginning of the video clip, it showed that the "Cinephone" sound system was used. This system was one of the early sound systems used at the dawn of the talking movies.

The clip showed Manila's then famous Pier 7 (part of Manila's South Harbor) and showed life in nearby Intramuros back in the day when businesses, government offices, and residents commingled within its thick walls. It showed how the Old Bilibid Prison looked and how it was run during those days and gave us a feel for the rather rustic character of the district of Tondo back in those days.

Pier 7 was part of Manila's South Harbor. Manila had, and still has two harbors namely, the Manila North Harbor and the Manila South Harbor. The North Harbor, with its even-numbered piers, is the domestic port that caters to coastwise cargo and passenger ships. The South Harbor with its odd-numbered piers, serves as the international gateway for shipping and trade. I'm not sure if Pier 7 is still in use or service because a review of South Harbor's current active piers do not include it on the list. Maybe the Pier has since been renamed but I can't vouch for that.

The clip also showed elements of the famous 31st Infantry Regiment performing some marching drills outside the walls of Intramuros. This regiment was part of the USAFFE's (United States Armed Forces in the Far East) Philippine Division. Troops of this regiment fought valiantly in the defense of Bataan and a majority of the men did not survive the Second World War.

The Bilibid Prison shown on the video referred to the Old Bilibid Prison on Oroquieta Street in Manila. This served as the country's national penitentiary until 1940 when the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa opened. After most of the prisoners were moved to the New Bilibid Prison, most of the Old Bilibid Prison complex was turned over to the city of Manila and subsequently became known as the Manila City Jail. The whole structure, now decrepit, badly in need of repair and surrounded by shanties, remains as the Capital's city jail.

Founded in 1778, the Hospicio de San Jose Orphanage's mission was to help the poor, disabled, and abandoned. This institution has occupied its current location at the Isla de Convalescencia right off of the Ayala Bridge in Quiapo, Manila since 1810.

My apologies but since I'm a non-smoker, I don't know a stitch about tobacco products. It was never a field of interest to me and thus, I could not share any information on the tobacco products presented on the video. To those of you who have any knowledge on the tobacco products shown, please do not hesitate to enlighten all of us.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed viewing this video. Although short, it succeeds in taking us back to a Manila lost forever to all of us.

Street Justice

2008-06-23T21:04:00.012-04:00

The following video shows the scenes that need to be immediately played out at the offices of Don Sulpicio Lines (and in its backyard) against the people responsible for the latest ferry accident that claimed the lives of at least 700 of my countrymen.

Unfortunately, this tragic incident is not a first for this company. This is due to the fact that Don Sulpicio Lines was also the exact same company whose vessels figured in the following sinkings that had claimed the lives of thousands of passengers:

1) Dona Paz - 4,300 plus people dead (December 1987)
2) Dona Marilyn - 300 people dead (October 1988)
3) Princess of the Orient - 200 people dead (1998)

Thanks to an inept and hopelessly corrupt government, this company has managed to remain in operation in spite of its past transgressions. Thus, barring its permanent closure or any significant changes in the way it does its business, we should expect this company to kill more Filipinos in the coming years due to a profit-above-everything-else style of management.

Enough said.

The First Double A-Sided Single

2008-06-22T11:11:00.015-04:00

This post is part recording music history and part tribute to a great band.

For decades before the compact disc (CD) came out in the early 1980s, the world had the vinyl record. The vinyl record was termed as such because it was manufactured out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The records were played on a turntable and for a while, they came out in four speeds or "RPMs" ("Revolutions Per Minute") namely, 78 rpm, 33 1/3 rpm, 45 rpm, and 16 2/3 rpm. However, by the 1950s and up to the eventual demise of the vinyl record in the early 1980s, two speeds remained dominant in the record market: the 33 1/3 rpm for "long-playing" (LP) records and the 45 rpm for the "singles".

The practice prevalent in the recording industry in those days was that a recording artist would go into the recording studio and record several songs that will be compiled onto an LP or "album". The artist and his/her recording producer would then select the song they deem the "best" out of the songs recorded and release it to the public as a single. The "best" song was placed on the top or "A" side of the single while a song of "lesser quality" (for lack of a better term) was placed at the bottom or "B" side. Once the "A" and "B" sides of a single were selected, the singles were then "pressed" (another old recording industry term used to describe the record manufacturing process) and subsequently released and marketed to the record-buying public.

Such was the standard practice for a lot of the recording artists during that period. However, Talent is one thing that's never distributed evenly. As a result, every once in a while, there were artists that came along that were so enormously gifted that the recording industry had to make some adjustments or changes to its practices just to accommodate the volume of high quality songs these individuals produced.

The Beatles was one such group.

Led by the songwriting tandem of the late John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the Beatles dominated the music world during the 1960s. This songwriting duo cranked one hit tune after another in spite of a grueling work pace. Unlike recording artists these days who produce albums at the average rate of one every two years, the Beatles produced two albums every year. One album was released around the May-June period while the second album was released around the Christmas season. And while they were not recording, they had commitments to do concert tours, and movie and television appearances.

But even in the face of everything that was thrown at them, the Beatles still managed to come up with a significant number of high quality songs. The Lennon-McCartney songwriting effort was so prolific that on top of the two albums they produced each year, their recording company, Parlophone in the United Kingdom, had to issue singles for some very good songs that did not make it on any Beatles album. Examples of these songs were "She Loves You", "From Me To You", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", and "I Feel Fine".

But it was in 1965 when they became the first band in music history to record and produce a "Double A-Sided Single", meaning that both songs were good enough to make it on the A side of any single.

Released in early December 1965, "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper" were the two songs that made up the first double A-sided single.

"We Can Work It Out" was essentially a Paul McCartney composition. This was a song he wrote supposedly about a spat he had with his girlfriend at the time, the British actress Jane Asher. John Lennon provided Mr. McCartney with the song's middle shift and refrain.

The following shows a promotional video that was produced for the song. On the video you will see Paul McCartney doing the lead vocals, John Lennon providing backup vocals (and humor) while on keyboards, the late George Harrison playing lead guitar, and Ringo Starr playing drums.

The other song on the single, "Day Tripper", was a John Lennon composition. There is some confusion as to what actually inspired the song. Mr. Lennon stated in an interview that the song was about a prostitute on a "day trip" while Mr. McCartney, on the other hand, admitted years later that the song was about drugs.

The following shows the promotional video that was produced for the song. In a departure from a Beatle rule that a song's composer does the lead vocals, Paul McCartney sings lead while John Lennon does the backup vocals.

This Double A single eventually landed and stayed at the top of the UK Charts for five weeks from December 1965 to January 1966 and was at the top of the US Charts for three weeks in January 1966. (Source: About The Beatles)

In their remaining years as a group and as a testament to their talent, the Beatles would go on to release three more of these Double A-sided singles: "Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby" (released August 1966), "Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane" (February 1967), and "Something / Come Together" (October 1969). The band broke up in April 1970.

It has been almost 40 years since their breakup but not a single musical artist or band has come close to duplicating what the Beatles accomplished. News came out recently that Mariah Carey had just scored her 18th #1 hit on the Billboard Charts with the song "Touch My Body". This feat put her two singles shy of the Beatles' all-time record of 20 #1 hits.

However, one needs to put things into their proper perspective. One needs to consider the fact that it took Ms. Carey close to two decades to accomplish her feat, having been a recording artist since the early 1990s. The Beatles, on the other hand, accomplished their record within the eight years (1962-1970) the band was together. Let's also add the fact that all of the Beatles' #1 hits were Beatle compositions.

The songs, the numbers, the chart records, and the band's enduring popularity even among members of generations that were not yet around during their years of existence provide lasting evidence of the band's greatness.

On another note, to my countrymen in the Philippines who are dealing with the fury of Typhoon Frank, may this note find you and your families safe and secure. You all take care.

Missing From YouTube

2008-06-19T09:16:00.011-04:00

There is a certain sadness I feel whenever I go through YouTube's music video files. Regular readers of this blog will notice that quite often, I feature and write about a certain band or solo artist whose music I am a fan of or whose song was of some personal significance at a certain point in my life. But a review of all my posts classified under the Music category will show that the music artists I have so far written about have either been American or British artists.

This does not mean that I am not a fan of any Filipino band, singer, or songwriter. Far from being so. In fact, Original Pilipino Music, or OPM, blossomed during the 1970s, the decade of my childhood. This was the time when the phrase "We believe in the Filipino Talent" was heard often from the mouths of DJs whenever they introduced or played a song by a Filipino artist on the air.

As a result, I became a big fan of bands like Hotdog led by the brothers Rene and Dennis Garcia, VST & Co. whose best songs were written by Vic Sotto and Joey De Leon, and the folk songs of Heber Bartolome and Banyuhay and ASIN that opened my eyes to social and environmental issues. I was also a fan of rock musicians Mike Hanopol and Maria Cafra. I enjoyed listening to Sampaguita whenever she belted out her signature rock song "Bonggahan".

On the pop and ballad side, I was a fan of Rico J. Puno and Hajji Alejandro. Although I was not a big fan of Rey Valera, I respected him due to the fact that like a number of his peers at the time such as Tito and Vic Sotto, he penned a number of his songs and also wrote hit songs for fellow artists such as Sharon Cuneta ("Mr. DJ") and Rico Puno ("Sorry Na, Puwede Ba?"). To those of us who were present back in late 1978, we all know that it was the song "Mr. DJ" that catapulted Ms. Cuneta to nationwide fame.

But going back to the subject of this blog entry, I find it lamentable that unlike their American, British and other foreign counterparts, I have not been able to find classic television performances of any of the above named Filipino artists on YouTube. What I've seen so far are video clips of some of the artists' performances on recently-held reunion concerts. Aside from such clips, the only other YouTube entries available are Karaoke-type videos that only show their songs' lyrics but not the artists themselves.

Video clips of the artists' recent performances are fine except that they fail to show, especially to younger generations, the artists in their prime. It sure is nice to see Mike Hanopol belt "Jeprox" out in those reunion concerts but for a young Filipino, all he/she may see is a middle-aged guy performing a rock tune that his/her parents loved during their time. At best, although the youngster may appreciate the musicianship, he/she could only imagine how the artist performed back in the day when his popularity was at its height.

Growing up in the 70s, the artists I mentioned were regularly featured on shows like Discorama, which was shown on GMA-7 on Saturday evenings, or on daily noontime shows such as Student Canteen (GMA-7) and Eat Bulaga, which was then shown on RPN-9.

Discorama, hosted by the late Bobby Ledesma, was one of the rather cool shows to watch for this hour-long show was dedicated to the latest dances and songs. The show was fun to watch for they regularly featured and/or introduced Filipino artists along with their latest hits or releases. It was on this show where I first saw Pinoy rock artists Sampaguita ("Bonggahan"), Maria Cafra ("Kumusta Mga Kaibigan"), and Mike Hanopol ("Jeprox") perform the songs that would later become part of Filipino rock music history.

It was on Student Canteen where I first saw the likes of folk musicians such as Heber Bartolome ("Tayo'y Mga Pinoy")and ASIN ("Masdan Mo Ang Kapaligiran"); pop groups such as Hotdog ("Manila", "Panaginip"), Cinderella ("TL Ako sa Iyo") and VST & Company ("Awitin Mo, Isasayaw Ko", "Ipagpatawad Mo"); and balladeers such as Rey Valera ("Ako si Superman"), Hajji Alejandro ("Nakapagtataka"), and Anthony Castelo ("Balatkayo") who was also a cousin to Tito and Vic Sotto.

It was also on these shows where the country first saw a then twelve-year old Sharon Cuneta perform her first hit song "Mr. DJ".

It would be a great learning experience to everyone, especially the youth, if past television performances of these artists and those of their peers whose names I failed to mention were made available and shown to younger generations of Filipinos either through a documentary or a retrospective on Philippine music history. The performances will show clear and moving evidence on how these artists performed during their heyday and what made them great and/or popular to Filipino audiences at the time. Who knows? A budding musician from today's youth may even learn a thing or two from watching these artists.

But their absence from YouTube and from television documentaries is a reflection of of our society's obsession with trends. We tend to be obsessed with the latest and greatest ("uso") in areas like fashion and music. We tend to cast a huge spotlight on an artist while he/she is popular and then simply let him/her fade away from our collective memory once a newer artist comes along. We love to use the phrase "Laos na iyan!" ("That's old!" or "That's outdated!") to contemptuously label anything or even worse, anyone, we no longer consider as representative of the latest trends. We discard the old in favor of the new. We fail to realize that by doing so, we all lose.

Other countries, such as the US, Britain, and Japan, continue to honor the contributions of past artists in various forms such as tv documentaries, film preservation, and by simply showing video clips of artists' past performances on tv. In doing so, not only do they make sure that such artists' contributions are not forgotten but they also make sure that these artists are introduced to younger generations.

I hope that the tapes that contain the television performances of the artists I mentioned on this piece still survive within the video vaults or video tape archives of both GMA-7 and RPN-9. And if the tapes are still around, I certainly hope that both stations are doing a damn good of job of maintaining the tapes in very good and viewable condition so that someday, they can be viewed again by an appreciative audience. It would be an extreme disservice to our people if we find out later that both television stations had failed to preserve an important part of our cultural heritage.

Rocky Mountain High

2008-06-14T23:51:00.008-04:00

The song featured in this post was originally written as a tribute to a place of great natural wonder in Aspen, Colorado. "Rocky Mountain High" was performed by John Denver and it's a song which he co-wrote with Mike Taylor. The song was released and became a Top 10 Hit back in 1973. I remember as a kid, that I had enjoyed listening to this song even though the words didn't really make much sense to me at the time.

It was years later when I "rediscovered" this song. Even though its words spoke of deep affection for mountains, for some reason I found strength and inspiration in them while in the midst of making a life-changing decision.

Aside from economic reasons, I needed a profound change in my life and a defining one at that. From a professional standpoint, I felt there were constraints that prevented me from delving into areas I had technical expertise in but could not practice in my country. On the personal side, I wanted to prove something to myself and I wanted to start anew in a place where nobody knew me, where my academic background, especially the college I came from, didn't matter much. In short, I wanted to see how far everything I've learned would take me.

He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Comin' home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door

When he first came to the mountains his life was far away
On the road and hangin' by a song
But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care
It keeps changin' fast and it don't last for long

It was at that age when I made the difficult decision to pull my stakes up and try my luck in the States. I gave myself six months to see if things would work out for me. I promised my parents that if the six months ended without my finding a job, that I would immediately head for home. I told them that they did not even have to remind me to come home. Should I fail to land a job, I promised them that I will board the first flight home on the exact day the six-month period would end. That was the deal.

I landed in the States in early December and stayed with an uncle while I looked for a job. But it was the Holiday season, not really a good time for jobhunting since a lot of people were in a holiday mood. Plus, most of the companies were busy with their yearend wrap-up activities. So I hunkered down and prepared for myself for the possibility that it may take me at least two or three months to land my first interview. But still, I looked through the classified ads of any newspaper I could get my hands on, even ones I saw that were left on a bus seat, at a supermarket, or on a park bench.

My uncle didn't have a computer at home and thus I ended up using his office computer on weekends. The internet was then at its infancy and thus, all job applications were mailed through the post office. My first job interview came a month later in January.

Although I was a little nervous prior to the interview, I felt that my work experience and skills satisfied all the ad's published requirements for the job. That first interview was followed by two more rounds of interviews with the same company. Within a week, I got offered and accepted a job with the first company I interviewed with. The rest, as they say, is personal history.

I will be one of the first to admit that I'm not the sharpest tack in the box. In fact, I could be quite dense at times. However, if there's anything I can share with people who are planning to try their luck overseas it is this: a very good work ethic will always be appreciated anywhere you go in the world. We may trip or fall from time to time but whenever we do, we should always try our best to pick ourselves up, brush the dust off, and keep going.

And the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply
Rocky mountain high

Just a few notes on the video. It was from the Tonight Show in 1973, back in the day when the late Johnny Carson, Jay Leno's predecessor, hosted the show. John Denver's performance on the show was live and the video also shows Mr. Carson's interview of Mr. Denver afterwards where the latter talked about what inspired him to write the song.

The video shows a young John Denver. He projected innocence and a youthful naivete during the interview, still awed with his success and expressed pride that his parents were able to watch him perform at New York's famed Carnegie Hall. He went on to enjoy many years of success as a recording artist scoring hits such as "Sunshine On My Shoulders", "Take Me Home, Country Roads", and "Annie's Song". He even went to the Philippines for a series of concerts back in the early 1980s. Yours truly even saw him perform on the noontime program "Eat Bulaga".

Unfortunately, Messrs. Carson and Denver are no longer with us. John Denver died in a plane crash in California back in 1997 while Johnny Carson died from natural causes in 2005.

Seven Baker Facts

2008-06-12T22:25:00.001-04:00

I was tagged by my buddy, Luna Miranda, to do this meme. I found it quite fun to do even if it required some deep soul searching on my part. Naks!

Anyways, the Rules of the meme are as follows:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let those 7 people know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Having done with the proper introduction, here are 7 more facts about me:

1. I part my hair at the left. I've combed my hair in the exact same way since I was in my early elementary years.

2. My apologies to fans of the following artists but I absolutely cannot stand Basil Valdez and Side A. I find Basil's songs very depressing and boring. Side A ranks as a close second because I find their songs and their performances lacking in both edge and energy. I feel that those guys (Side A) just stand before a microphone, play their instruments, and sing without much movement. I would much rather that someone push me off the roof of a tall building than have me listen to both artists' CDs for even just a few minutes.

3. I am a big pancit bihon, pancit Malabon, and pancit luglog addict. I can survive for the rest of my life on these three dishes. I love my SO's pancit bihon by the way. (Plugging ba? Hehehe) For dessert, I love taho and Puto Binan.

4. I can play the piano and read music. However, one of my regrets in life was when I decided to stop taking piano lessons when I was in sixth grade. I should have continued with it. Another frustration I have is that I never learned to play the guitar. Although I can't play it, I've dreamt lots of times of becoming a session guitarist.

5. I play a mean game of table tennis. My parents taught me to play the game when I was 11 years old. It remains as one of my passions although I don't get to play much anymore.

6. I love reading articles that relate to Architecture and Civil Engineering, especially when the topics are about historic homes, buildings, and public infrastructure such as tunnels, dams, bridges, etc. I am simply amazed at the amount of thought and effort that made those structures not only aesthetically pleasing but also very functional.

7. Although we have a lot of Math wizards in the Panaderos clan, I am definitely not one of them. I developed an early love for the English language courtesy of my mother who was a wide reader. She taught me reading and reading comprehension. She was very strict with homework and whenever I misbehaved, even sermons I heard from my mother were laced with English quotations whenever she wanted to stress a particular point. The following are actual examples:
7a) "You are like a tree without a shade." - Translation: You're so useless and stupid.
7b) "If you can't take it as food, take it as medicine." - Translation: Eat your fruits and vegetables, damn it!
7c) "You're a man without a star." - Translation: You better develop some ambitions young man or else you're out of this house!

That's it for now. I am not going to tag anyone in particular but please feel free to do this tag if you so desire.

Of Terms of Endearment and Steamed Buns

2008-06-09T22:45:00.010-04:00

As a sign of affection, we often hear couples use words like "Sweetheart", "Love", "Honey", "Baby", and "Darling" when they lovingly call out to each other. Among married couples, I've observed a lot of instances where the wife called the husband "Papa" or "Hubby" and where the husband addressed his wife as "Mama".

The above are some of the examples of the terms of endearment that couples and lovers use. Most of these terms, as you may very well have observed, have favorable associations with sweetness or the nature of the relationship.

But there are instances when some couples veer away from such conventions. They decide to use terms that are unique to them and their relationship. In a lot of ways, the term used is akin to an insiders' joke, something that only the two of them can relate to.

I know of this couple where the woman decided to focus on the man's facial cheeks as basis for coming up with her own term of endearment. You see, the guy's cheeks are of the "pinchably" chubby type. The reasons for it are not only weight-related but also genetic. Quite a number of his family members share the same physical "problem". Hehe

As a result, the woman has resorted to using the term "Siopao" (pronounced Shaw-pow) as her term of endearment for her dear boyfriend. Siopao, for the benefit of non-Filipino readers, is the Filipino version of the Chinese steamed bun. It is a popular food item in the Philippines for it does not require utensils to eat and can be consumed on-the-go. There are several stuffing varieties to the Siopao that use pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, eggs, and possibly chopped scallions and water chestnuts.

Anyway, whenever they're together, the woman pinches the guy's cheeks whenever she gets a chance. For some reason, she absolutely loves to see them turn red or rosy. With her thumb and index finger, she would often grab a rather sizeable portion of his cheek and pinch it. But whenever she pinches it, she doesn't do it for only one or two seconds. No. The pinch is not complete until she has done several rapid left-to-right-and-back movements that sort of create a ripple effect on the rest of the poor man's face. According to the him, the "torture" could last for a pretty good amount of time.

However, in spite of all the pain, he continues to care for her deeply and doesn't really seem to mind the term of endearment she picked for him. After all, substance should always matter over form, right? Plus, it was a term reserved for their private moments and thus should be ok, right?

Well, not quite. There were a couple of instances a couple of weeks ago when the woman kind of "forgot" where the couple were.

First instance was one weekday morning when the man decided to pick the woman up after work. He called her at work and they decided to meet at a Starbucks near her office. A few minutes before their scheduled rendezvous, the man arrived at the Starbucks and, after smiling to greet the security guard that stood nearby, took his place in one of the five or six tables that were set up right outside the coffee shop.

So there he sat whiling away the time and watching the passersby when a few moments later, and in a voice that was clearly heard by everyone around them, the woman came out of her office building and called out to him, "Halika na, Siopao!" ("Let's go, Siopao!")

Upon hearing that, the man quickly lowered his head, picked up his stuff, stood up and quickly walked away with the woman. He never bothered to look back to see how the security guard and the rest of the coffee shop's patrons reacted to his girlfriend's call for he was certain that they must have been all laughing at him upon hearing his bun-inspired nickname.

The second instance took place two days later in close quarters: aboard a jeepney. After having a nice breakfast at Chow King, the couple decided to go to Kopiroti to grab a few of the store's famed roti bread. Since the store wasn't too far from where they were, they decided to take a jeepney.

The woman hailed a jeepney and once one pulled to a stop, she and the man proceeded to board it. As they got in, they noticed that there were only two seats available and each were across from the other.

The woman boarded first and picked the seat on the left. As she was about to sit, she turned to her boyfriend and once again, in a voice loud enough to be heard by everyone onboard, said, "Diyan ka na maupo, Siopao!" ("Take that seat right there, Siopao!") while pointing to the last empty seat across from her.

The man quickly took his seat and, in almost a repeat of what happened a couple of days earlier, spent most of the ride with his head bowed, steadfastly refusing to make eye contact with any of the other passengers. In the moments that he did look up, he made sure not to direct his gaze at any of the other passengers who were probably either smiling or laughing at him now that they had become aware of his nickname. Luckily for him, the jeepney ride was a short one.

The morale of the story is simply this. Coming up with your own terms of endearment is fine. Depending on what they are, be mindful of where and how you use them so as not to put yourselves in an embarrassing situation.

(Definitions and photo source: Wikipedia)

Life's Trials

2008-06-07T21:20:00.023-04:00

We all have our down moments and they happen for a number of reasons. Like everyone else, I also have my own set of issues or problems to deal with. Some, you can say, were of my making. Some, on the other hand, were not. Some arose out of stupid mistakes while others were the unintended consequences of actions done with the best of intentions. And finally, some became my problem simply because they were thrust upon me as a matter of moral and family responsibility.

We try our best to deal with the issues before us and we deal with them in the best way we know how. But sometimes, our personal limitations that result from factors such as our upbringing, education, and life experiences hinder us from arriving at the best possible solution. Such limitations often lead us to frustration and despair.

Thinking of some of the issues I have in front of me, I couldn't help but be in a bit of despair earlier today. Music is one of the things I seek refuge in in such moments. And thank God for the following song for it reminds me that a time will come when the issues we all face will eventually come to a resolution.

All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

I had a little book was given to me,
And every page spelled liberty.
All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

If religion were a thing that money could buy,
The rich would live and the poor would die.
All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

Too late my brothers, too late, but never mind.
All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

There is a tree in paradise
The pilgrims call it the tree of life
All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

Too late my brothers, too late, but never mind.
All my trials, lord, soon be over.
All my trials lord, soon be over.

As I have done in the past on this blog, I will be remiss if I don't at least provide you with some information on the song.

The song is called "All My Trials", an American folk song. A number of music artists such as Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul & Mary helped popularize it during the 1960s . The song became a popular protest song during that time, a period when protests erupted around the world clamoring for badly needed social reform and an end to the disastrous Vietnam war. The fight in the United States was over civil rights and the Vietnam war while in the Philippines and a host of other Third World nations, the fight was over social and economic reforms and non-alignment with the superpowers.

Going back to this song, it was never clear as to who originally wrote it. The Peter, Paul & Mary CD I have simply classifies the song as "Traditional", meaning the song's been around for generations that it was difficult to determine its origin with finality. The lyrics I posted above also came from the said CD. The folk singer Joan Baez added some verses to the original lyrics while Peter, Paul & Mary stuck with what seem to be the song's original words.

Regardless, the song captured the imagination of the protest movement because it helped hold out the hope that in spite of the challenges they faced fighting for what they believed in, they knew that someday, their struggles will be over.

A Lifestyle Change

2008-06-05T15:54:00.020-04:00

One truly learns something new everyday.

I got back to New York City last Saturday night from my one-week visit to Manila. Since I was at an airport that I don't normally use on business trips because it was located more than 60 miles (about 96 kilometers) from my place, I took a car service home. As I often did on such rides, especially long ones, I struck up a conversation with the driver.

I found out that the driver had been a bar owner prior to working for the car service company. He was in his mid-forties, 44 years old to be exact. He was a Portuguese-American whose family migrated to the States when he was about four years old. He told me that he had owned and operated a bar in the town of Harrison in New Jersey for 20 years before closing it down a month or so ago.

I was a bit surprised by what he said. What? Closed a bar down? Why? Bars, especially one that lasted as long as this person's bar did, must have done pretty well. So I asked him, "What happened to your bar? Aren't bars pretty much recession-proof? Don't people drink in both good times and bad times?"

"Yes, they are recession-proof," he replied. "But a lifestyle change occurred in the last 10 years that has adversely affected the bar business."

"And what was that?" I asked.

"The internet and the gaming consoles," he said.

"What?" I asked again for I wasn't so sure if I heard him right the first time.

"The bar business got impacted by the internet and the gaming consoles," he repeated. He then went further to explain that up until the mid to late 1990s, a lot of people, especially college students and young professionals who were in their late teens through their early 30s, used to hang out in bars for hours after work or school to socialize or to watch ball games.

However, he said that that's no longer the case with young people today. He said that young people these days often stay home or hang out at another friend's house to either go online and chat with their buddies or play games on their PS3s, XBOX 360s, and Nintendos. He cited Shaquille O'Neal and a few other NBA athletes as examples because those guys had said in tv interviews that their favorite past time was to stay home and play on their gaming consoles.

The conversation was an eye-opener for me because I myself used to hang out in bars with co-workers and friends after work to relax and unwind. There was even a point when the stress at work was a bit much that we hung out in bars on a nightly basis just to de-stress. Our favorite bars in Makati City at the time were Larry's Bar (Greenbelt), Jazz Rhythms (Jupiter Street), and Rhythm and Booze on Makati Avenue.

Although I kind of felt bad for the driver because he lost his old business, I don't see the young people's switch from bars to the internet and gaming consoles as necessarily a bad thing. In fact, in my opinion, the internet and the gaming consoles could help drive home the message that one does not need to be drunk to have a lot of fun. I don't even think a lot of parents would mind seeing their child at home having fun with his/her friends rather than he/she be out in some bar somewhere getting drunk. I just think it's also much better from a safety standpoint whenever one thinks of the thousands of people that lose their lives in the United States to drunk drivers and drunk driving every year.

According to the latest statistics compiled by the organization called Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), 17,602 people died in the US on alcohol-related traffic crashes in 2006. This figure translates to one death every 30 minutes. One life lost is too many. Thousands is an outrage.

Some parents and members of the older generation have expressed concern that spending too much time on the internet and on the XBOX or Playstation could negatively impact a child's social and emotional development. Their concerns are valid. However, there are other alternative activities that young people could participate in and enjoy such as team sports, theater, music, civic groups, and other activities that would help kids develop their social skills.

Man is a resilient being and gifted with strong survival instincts. He's been on the planet for millions of years and has survived a host of wars, diseases, pestilence, and disasters both natural and man-made. He has learned to tame his environment and make it work for his benefit. Given all that Man had accomplished in the past, he should still end up fine with this latest lifestyle shift. By moving his social activities away from the neighborhood bar to cyberspace while in the comfort of his (or his parents') home, he is simply replacing one form of socializing with another.

The Boys Named Goo

2008-06-03T09:38:00.012-04:00

And even though the moment passed me by
I still can't turn away
Cause all the dreams you never thought you'd lose
Got tossed along the way
And letters that you never meant to send
Get lost or thrown away

The first time I heard both this band and this song was on my car radio as I was driving home from work one summer evening back in 1995. The song is called "Name" by a band called the Goo Goo Dolls. Up to that point, I had never heard of the band and thus I was quite unfamiliar with any of their songs and their music. As I've stated on a previous post, I tend to love songs that create a new and original sound and once I heard this particular song, I felt that it was no exception.

What impressed me was the lead and bass guitar playing. The song's guitar intro impressed me and piqued my interest. Thus, I listened to the entire song as it played out and became more impressed with the musicianship that I became an instant fan. I felt those guys were pretty damn good. Plus, the band also had a pretty cool name. Although I don't profess to have an eye for talent, I felt at the time that this band was very good and could hit it really big.

I was quite impressed that I did some research on the band. I eventually found out that the Goo Goo Dolls were actually a trio of musicians named John Rzeznik (vocals and guitar), Robby Takac (bass guitar), and Mike Malinin (drums). From the sound I heard, I had expected them to be at least a quartet. Mr. Rzeznik was both the singer and songwriter for both the songs featured on this blog entry.

To this day, I'm not sure if "Name" got a lot of airplay or even became a hit back home in the Philippines. But what I was pretty sure of was that sooner or later, one of their songs will eventually get the band the attention and admiration it deserved.

Well, the band didn't disappoint because two years later in 1997, they finally gained worldwide fame when they released what would prove to be their biggest hit song "Iris". The band was commissioned to write the song as part of the soundtrack for the movie, "City of Angels".

Both the music and lyrics were great on this song. I felt the song perfectly captured the film character's feelings of love and despair. In my humble opinion, the best words were in the first two stanzas and the chorus.

And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
Cause sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight

And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

I Was There

2008-06-02T00:00:00.007-04:00

I'm proud to say that I was one of its regular customers when this place began back in the 1980s. :D The photo below was taken one weekday morning last week at GoodAh's Valero Street branch in Makati City.

I didn't realize until I saw the signage above that hung on one of the restaurant's walls (if not its only wall) that the company was marking its 25th year of existence this year. Boy, time surely does fly.

I remember that it was back in college when I became a regular GoodAh customer. It was born out of the desperate need for a very satisfying meal while on a tight budget. I was a student at the time and whatever money I had were those that I managed to save from the allowances I received from my father.

On a sentimental note, it was a favorite place to take girlfriends out to lunch or for a dinner date. As a student going out on dates, I also operated on a rather tight budget. All of the date money I had then were culled from my savings. Not once did I ever ask my parents for money to spend on dates. Aside from an independent streak, I was also careful not to let my conservative parents know that I was going out on dates. But if there's a will, there's certainly a way. I made sure that my romantic operations were conducted with utmost secrecy. :D Naks! Anyway....

The GoodAh restaurants back in the 1980s were not airconditioned as they are now. Dining was of the "al fresco" Filipino-style type. (Naks! That means dining out complete with the ever present langaw or "fly" hovering over one's plate. Hehehe) My favorite GoodAh locations were the ones on West Avenue and in Greenhills. My favorite dish was the Longsilog (with extra orders of both the fried egg and garlic rice) while my girlfriends often preferred the Tapsilog.

Romantic dinners by candle light at GoodAh became possible courtesy of MERALCO, NAPOCOR (National Power Corporation) and sometimes, even the New People's Army (NPA), whenever these folks decided to tinker with the Luzon Power Grid.

Looking back, I was glad that my girlfriends at the time were very understanding of my situation. Given that they were Chinese girls who came from rather well-to-do families, I appreciated the fact that even if eating at such a place must have been quite an adjustment for them, they remained very supportive and didn't mind that I took them to such a place. To a person, not once did I hear a complaint from them. To this day, I give them a lot of credit for that and I remain proud of them for the understanding they showed me. Plus, I give them a lot of credit for dating a less than average looking, middle class Filipino boy like me period. Hehe

Because of those dates, GoodAh brought back a lot of happy memories for me. And by having breakfast with the SO at its Valero Street branch last week, I simply added another event to my list of happy GoodAh-related memories.

Photo Credit: MQ

A Place My Heart Will Never Leave

2008-06-01T02:41:00.011-04:00

A part of me will always remain in this city.

Makati City, the Philippines. I started working here right after college. In the four jobs I held in the Philippines prior to migrating to the United States, three of the jobs were in this city.

The place has changed a lot since the last time I was here. There are a lot more tall and impressive skyscrapers. I remember back in the day when the 28-storey Pacific Star building (the white building at the left of the photo above) at the corner of Makati Avenue and Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia) opened its doors to the public. The Republic of Nauru was one of the building's owners and representatives of the island republic's government were present at the building's inauguration. The newspapers hailed it as the country's tallest skyscraper.

Now, 20 years later, what used to be its magnificent white paint has turned a rather shoddy gray thus making the building look old and neglected when compared to the shiny new skyscrapers that have reshaped the Makati skyline.

There are a lot more restaurants and high-rise residential condominium buildings. The presence of call centers have turned Makati into a 24-hour city. A city not unlike Manhattan where finding a place to eat at any hour isn't a problem, a feature that's near and dear to yours truly's heart. Hehehe

The old Schwarzwalder restaurant that used to stand at the corner of Makati Avenue and Dela Rosa street is gone. An expanded Ayala Museum now stands on its old spot. My old office building on Dela Rosa street is gone too and on its old spot now stands a tall and impressive residential condominium building. Old carpark buildings now house 24-hour restaurants on their ground floors.

The Greenbelt and Glorietta shopping areas have changed a lot mostly for the better. What I used to know as Greenbelt is now known as Greenbelt 1. The old Makati Supermarket is gone and on its old spot stands Greenbelt 3.

These days, one can pretty much walk from EDSA all the way to Paseo de Roxas without having to expose one's self to the sun's rays. That wasn't the case when I worked in the area years ago. There were no pedestrian underpasses then and the shopping centers were a lot less crowded.

Traffic hasn't improved though. Countless cars still clog its streets. The fact that a lot of Makati CBD's streets are curved and narrow do not help improve the traffic flow situation at all. Parking remains at a premium and a number of taxicab drivers still discriminate when picking up passengers.

But anyway, I was glad to spend some time in this city even for just a short while. I love the city in spite of its imperfections. Anyway, every other city in the world has its own problems. Makati City and its buildings awed me as a child and I still remember the joy I felt the day I found out that I was to work here. For me, and a lot of others who dreamt of building a career in the corporate world, Makati City was the place where one set out to make a name for one's self. And as I looked at the changes around me last week, I still believe that Makati City remains as the place to be for those who want to make a name for themselves in the Philippine corporate scene.

Photo Credit: MQ

Fast Car

2008-05-27T12:00:00.011-04:00

As a music lover, I've always been a sucker for songs with music that bring an original, new sound to the public's ears. But I also go for the entire package. It's a big bonus for me if a song with beautiful and original music is also endowed with a great set of lyrics. It's poetry set to music.

The following song is one of those. I've loved this song from the very moment I first heard it when it came out in late 1988.

The song's called "Fast Car", written and performed by Tracy Chapman, a great American folk singer. The acoustic guitar introduction and sound was, for me, one of the most original I've ever heard then and since. In terms of originality, I would rank it up there with the guitar and sitar combination that served as intro on the Beatles' song "Norwegian Wood".

I loved the lyrics too. They spoke of sadness, heartbreak and disappointment. In her desire to leave a life of despair and hardship behind, a girl fell for the charms of one who seemingly offered her a way out poverty, one who could help her fulfill her lifelong dreams. But as they lived a life together, she finally realized that all the hopes she had in him were misplaced.

Ms. Chapman eventually won a Grammy ("Best Female Pop Vocal Performance") for this song. Let me then share with you the words that went with the music.

You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere

Any place is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
But me myself I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
And I got a plan to get us out of here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
We won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

You see my old man's got a problem
He live with the bottle that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
I say his body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school that's what I did

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so we can fly away
We gotta make a decision
We leave tonight or live and die this way

So remember we were driving driving in your car
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
And we go cruising to entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in a market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a big house and live in the suburbs

So remember we were driving driving in your car
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
And I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me would find it
I got no plans I ain't going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so you can fly away
You gotta make a decision
You leave tonight or live and die this way

The Baker Goes On A Mini-Hiatus

2008-05-25T00:00:00.005-04:00

I'll be on a brief one-week mini-hiatus from blogging. There are some matters I need to attend to and as a result, my blogging has to take the backseat for just a few days. Nothing bad or negative so please don't worry about me. I'll be fine.

I say mini-hiatus for I don't think it will be a complete break from posting any blog entry. I may be able to sneak in one or two during the week.

I'll probably bloghop whenever I get the chance but I seriously doubt that I will have the time to post a blog entry due to a rather tight schedule. Will try my best though. :)

Anyway, please take care of yourselves and I'll see you all in a bit. Who knows? You might even see me in one of your regular haunts. :)

Photo Hunt: Shoes

2008-05-23T12:00:00.001-04:00

This week's Photo Hunt theme is Shoes.

My contribution to this week's theme is a picture of my left shoe. I took the picture at work earlier this week.

The shot was rather hurried because I didn't want my boss to see me taking a picture of my shoe. He would have found it quite weird and he would have busted my chops no end. :)

Have a great weekend, folks!

Cohesion

2008-05-21T10:30:00.001-04:00

Cohesion is said to be the act of uniting or sticking together. In the context of a team, work unit, in relationships or even a family, cohesion refers to a couple or a group that's united in working towards a common goal or purpose.

Cohesion takes time to form because it requires that the development of a certain degree of trust and support among a group's members. It requires that such trust and support be elevated to a certain degree of sophistication that it becomes second nature for all the individuals involved.

Various factors influence the degree of cohesion a team has or would have. Shared experiences, the quality and amount of time a team has been together, and the dynamics within a team are some of those factors.

A team starts losing its cohesiveness once distractions surface. A sports team that finds itself embroiled in controversy or scandal often loses its will and focus to win. Morale among the players eventually break down and before everyone realizes it, the desire to win is no longer there.

Same is true in a work environment. Once a scandal flares up or once an individual pursues an agenda separate and counter to the team's, the spirit of camaraderie within a department or group soon deteriorates and unravels.

In relationships or in a family, cohesion is impacted when a member becomes withdrawn from the normal activities, begins to spend less time with a significant other or from the spouse and kids. Withdrawal leads to indifference and eventually leads to an unraveling of a relationship.

Cohesion is a delicate quality that needs a lot of work to sustain. Teams, couples, families, and even nations that have successfully attained it have reaped many rewards from it. Those who have failed to achieve it or those who simply don't have it are destined to wallow in mediocrity or are doomed to failure.

A Shortage of Engineers (and Nurses too)

2008-05-20T22:01:00.001-04:00

This article ("High-tech Japanese, Running Out of Engineers") was from Saturday's (May 17) issue of the New York Times. It seems that after decades of sustained economic success that has catapulted it to the position of the world's second largest economy, Japan now finds itself facing the same problems that a lot of industrialized nations are facing: a lack of engineering and technology graduates.

At first glance, such shortage may present a much needed opportunity for engineering and technology graduates from poor nations. One of the world's largest economies, one that boasts of the highest standards of living in the world is experiencing a rather severe skill shortage. Thus, graduates from poorer nations ought to be flocking to it in droves, right?

Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Japan, unlike other industrialized nations, will probably have a harder time attracting foreign talent to its shores. This is due to the fact that unlike its first world peers, Japan unfortunately has gained a reputation for being a closed society where language and culture have proven to be strong barriers to any outsider.

English is not widely spoken and there are still a considerable number of companies that are against the idea of bringing in foreign workers into their fold. There are glass ceilings in a lot of companies and discrimination against foreign workers is still quite common. There may be some bright spots here and there but as a whole, the country presents quite a number of barriers that a foreigner could find difficult to deal with.

Such attitudes against foreigners is also reflected on its immigration policies for Japan has one of the lowest, if not the lowest immigration rate among industrialized nations. Aside from engineers, Japan is also experiencing a shortage of nurses. However, unlike the US and a number of European countries, it has steadfastly refused to increase its recruitment of foreign workers.

Japan's population is slowly but surely aging due to a negative population growth rate. Unlike China and India with their huge talent pools, Japan does not have that benefit. As per the article, Japanese companies can either increase their hiring of foreign workers or put up factories outside of Japan just to stay relevant and competitive in the global economy.

If it fails to hire the engineering and technology graduates it desperately needs, Japan's competitiveness could slide into irrelevance within the next 100 years. If it fails to bring in more nurses, the quality of health care in that country would also deteriorate. The country urgently needs to step out of its comfort zone to stay a step or two ahead of its rivals. If it fails to do so, then it might as well consider ceding its title as Asia's richest economy to China soon.

Some Awful Truths

2008-05-19T00:00:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to share with you a couple of articles that were published on this Sunday's (May 18) issue of the New York Times. Both articles are rather long reads and thus, I will keep my commentary brief. In light of the food crisis that's going on all over the world, both articles serve to remind us of the challenges ahead and what steps we as global citizens can do to alleviate the problem.

This first article ("One Country's Table Scraps, Another Country's Meal") discusses the amount of food an average American family throws away each month. It says that Americans, on the average, throw away 27% of the amount of food available for consumption. The report cited figures from way back in 1997 where statistics showed that a staggering 96.4 billion pounds out of 356 billion pounds of edible food was never eaten.

The food numbers mentioned represent figures from just a single year. It is probably safe to assume that given that the US population has increased by millions more since 1997 that the numbers of food wasted today are billions of pounds higher.

The article does not surprise me one bit. Having lived in the United States for more than a decade, I've always been struck by the amount of food that gets tossed away on a daily basis. It's a common sight in restaurants to see busboys pick plates up with significant amounts of food left and see such food tossed. And yet, the insanity in the restaurant business is that in spite of the amount of food that gets wasted, restaurant executives still keep pushing for bigger serving sizes.

There's a lot of blame to go around. Not only are the industrialized nations guilty of this but poor countries are as well. In a lot of third world countries, our beloved Philippines included, food get wasted even before they get distributed to the consumers due to lack of technology and inefficient distribution methods. When will we in the Philippines ever start developing and constructing an efficient railway system to distribute food products and other goods all across our country's biggest islands such as Luzon and Mindanao?

Although, the article talked about food wastage, it also discussed some steps being taken by responsible restaurant owners and some organizations to put the leftover food to better use.

This second article ("World's Poor Pay Price as Crop Research Is Cut") was reported from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines. The article talks about the challenges of battling the global food crisis in the face of reduced funding from the US and other foreign governments.

The IRRI, and other similar food research institutes, became victims of their own success. IRRI successfully introduced varieties of rice that were both high-yielding and pest-resistant that by the late 1980s and early 1990s, the world enjoyed a food surplus. Except in some countries in Africa where drought and corrupt governments conspired to starve millions of people, the rest of the world enjoyed relative stability and security in its food supply.

The problem was that such success bred complacency in a lot of governments. Since the threat of global hunger faded from the front pages of newspapers around the world, the need and urgency to fund the food research institutes faded too.

The good news is that IRRI's researches are still confident that they still have the technical capability to develop rice varieties that could resist future plant diseases and pests. The challenge, however, is to make foreign governments realize about the urgency of the problem and that if no action is taken soon, the threat of world hunger may come back to the front pages of our dailies, if it hasn't done so already.

A Little Lesson 2

2008-05-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

Since the weather has turned warmer in my part of the world, I decided this morning to pull the car out of the garage so I could do some serious cleaning and washing. I must say that it took me a good two hours to clear the clutter off my garage and to bring back some sort of shine on my garage floor.

As I was wrapping up, one of the neighborhood kids stopped by for a quick chat. The kid thanked me for helping him out a few weeks ago. You see, the school year is coming to an end here in the United States and a lot of high schools are either currently having or have recently completed their junior and senior proms. So two weeks before his school prom, this particular kid had stopped by my place to ask me if I can show him a few moves on the dance floor. Since he was a very good kid, I happily obliged.

I showed him a few moves and within an hour or so, he was able to master both the moves and the steps. He happily told me this morning that he was such a hit on the dance floor, that he was able to impress this girl so much with his dance moves that they're now dating, and that as a result, he has become quite a popular kid in school. He was so happy that when I asked him if I could take a video of the dance moves I taught him, he was more than happy to grant my request. The only thing I asked was that he be careful because my garage floor was still a bit slippery after the washing I did.

Good kid, isn't he? The kind that will make any dance mentor proud. :D

Which brings me to this other kid I tried to help out a month or so ago. Although a bit chatty, this kid shows quite a bit of promise as a dancer. I strongly believe that he has the talent. He has the fundamentals. I showed him a different set of moves this time. As you will see in the following video, I think he has the moves too.

Unfortunately, the video also showed the problem I have with his parents. I have not found them to be that cooperative and supportive of their son's talent. His father even interrupted his son's dance to ask the kid to make a quick run to the neighborhood store to get a pack of cigarettes.

Were it not for that one interruption, both the dance and the video could have certainly turned out a lot better, right? I think so too. :D

Anyway, and seriously now, the dance tune you heard in both videos was called "Let It Whip" by the American funk music group called The Dazz Band. The song came out in 1982 and was hugely popular in a lot of dance parties I went to at the time. The song was a very big hit and it won the group a Grammy in 1983. I remember that every time this song was played, teens, myself included, immediately got up to dance to it.

Now if you will excuse me, I'll just get my car back into my garage. Thanks.

Video credits: Lejone Ehran (First video), Theqdective (Second video)

Replying to A (Supposed) Kid's Question

2008-05-17T16:39:00.006-04:00

I was tagged by Monaco for this meme. It is fairly easy because all one needs to do is respond to a kid's question. (I need to be introduced to this rather perceptive kid. Who knows? He might end up becoming a Pope or the Dalai Lama someday. Hehe) Anyway.....

Copy here:
1. Answer the Kid’s Question by Gregory Stock, PH.D. (Remember: Don’t respond as you think others want you to. Respond the way you actually feel!)
2. Add your name (linked to your blog)
3. Tag everybody else!

Kid’s Question #1
If you were the ruler of the world and you could have anything you wanted as well as have people do anything you wanted, do you think you would get greedy and mean or would you be a good and fair ruler?

My Answer:
If I were the ruler of the world, I would work on establishing a fair and free trading system between all nations. I firmly believe that the world has enough resources to sustain and feed everybody. It is just a matter of coming up with a system to make sure that the world's resources are distributed equitably and fairly. No nation will be allowed to have weapons of mass destruction, including the ones that first developed them.

On the personal side of things, the authors of the blogs I link to will be guaranteed Cabinet positions in my administration. :D

However, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I can be a big head and say to everyone that absolute power will never corrupt me. And if I do say that I will most certainly be lying. I just hope and pray that I will remain wise enough to carefully select the people I will surround myself with. I hope that some, if not all, of them would be courageous enough to remind me of the moral responsibility that comes with such power. Should they fail to stop me from my corrupt ways, I hope that some, if not all, of them would have the courage to shoot me dead before I end up bringing the world back to the problems it faced when I first took power.

Participants:

Jhong, Alpha, Women Xplore, Em, Something Purple, Our Journey to Life, My Planet Purple, Princess Bela, Princess Vien, cookie jar of entertainment, allinkorea, kim, idealpinkrose, korean food, Jackie’s Everyday Life, Jackie Simply Pinay, A Whole New World, Tasteful Voyage, A Mom’s note, There’s no place like home, The Girlicious side of a woman, Discoveries, My Online Journal, Thoughts Of Me, Precious Words, In My Kitchen, Em, Something Purple, Bigeyedgal, Chronic Shopper, A Simple Life, Hailey’s Beats and Bits, ,Hailey’s Domain, PinayWAHM, Teacher’s Corner, Zang Caesar, Read my Mind, A Man of My Town, You're NEXT!

I decided not to tag anybody else for this exercise. Feel free to do so in case you want to respond to the question.

Hometown Hero

2008-05-15T23:40:00.024-04:00

My apologies that both my blogging and bloghopping had been quite erratic these past few days due to a rather busy work schedule. I had just completed a one-week assignment in Greenville, Texas and I'm scheduled to fly home first thing Friday morning.

Greenville, Texas is a rather sleepy rural town about 50 miles east of Dallas. Except for a few businesses, the town is made up mostly of homes that sit on huge tracts of land and numerous cow farms. The town has a small airfield, Majors Field, that is owned and run by one of the companies operating in the area.

Aside from being in a major cotton producing area in the United States, Greenville's other claim to fame would be the fact that it was in this town where Audie Murphy (1924-1971) signed up to join the US Army in 1942. To those who are into military history, Audie Murphy is known as America's most decorated soldier in World War II. He was born near Greenville but his actual birthplace is in dispute. Some historians say that he was born in the town of Celeste but a couple of people at the office I visited, both long-time residents of the area, said that he was actually born in the neighboring town of Kingston.

The son of poor sharecroppers, Audie had a very rough childhood. He was the sixth of 12 children. His father abandoned their family when he was 12 while his mother died when he was about 16 years old. Prior to signing up for the Army, he had to send some younger siblings to foster homes to ensure their proper care and survival.

Contrary to some biographical acocunts, he never really lied about his age when he signed up for the Army at 18 in 1942. In the battlefield, he showed exemplary courage in his three years of active service and as a result, ended up garnering 33 awards and decorations, among them the Medal of Honor. He joined the army in 1942 as a private and ended his military career in 1945 as a second lieutenant.

To Filipinos, he became known and popular when he starred in his autobiographical film To Hell and Back which was released in 1955. The movie was based on the book of the same title and my father, like many teenage boys of his generation, saw the movie when it came out in Manila. In fact, I learned of Audie Murphy through my father when as a kid, I had entertained thoughts and ambitions of joining the Philippine Military Academy after high school.

Although he eventually became a Hollywood star and had quite a number of War and Western movies to his credit, Audie Murphy's story was not all bright and happy. Like a lot of young men who got exposed to violent and brutal combat situations then and since, he had also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental problem that was also known at the time as "battle fatigue". For the rest of his life, he suffered from recurring nightmares, insomnia and depression. He even reportedly kept a gun under his pillow to possibly ward off enemies that came to him in his dreams.

His life came to an abrupt and sad end in 1971 when he died in a plane crash in Virginia while on a business trip. Although Hollywood glorified his exploits as a war hero, his lifelong mental problems also showed that he also counted as one of war's many victims.

As for yours truly, although my dream of becoming a soldier faded long before I entered college, my interest in military history and in its related areas remain. I have always maintained the highest respect for the common soldier for his/her willingness to put his/her life on the line to defend our way of life. It needs to be said that a lot of these people often come from poor families. It's quite ironic then that the people who have been willing to pay the highest price to defend our freedoms and democratic ideals come from families who hardly benefit from those materially.

Thus, in spite of the scandals we often hear about in the upper echelons of the Philippine military establishment, let us set aside our cynicism for a while and pay homage to the lowly enlisted man who continues to serve and be loyal to his country in spite of all its problems, broken promises and imperfections.