Thursday, January 31, 2008

MY FIRST STARBUCKS EXPERIENCED


(source:www.google.com)
Call me an ignoramus but being a civilized and a well-organized socially person, ignorancy can't be avoided sometimes when you are in a pleasing graceful and stylish place, for the first time.
It was my first time to dine or spent idle time in Starbucks.Sipping of hot chocolate was my first choice since I don't crave for coffee because of its strong content of caffeine. The reason I hate to spend moment at Starbucks aimlessly.
My Korean boss and my students had invited me to go along with them at Starbucks-Paseo Sta.Rosa to pass time.I can feel the cozy ambience and aroma of coffeee that had flourished throughout the place as I was checking the four corners of the room mimicking the movements of the classy people,pretending as if I knew everything, just to elude typically the possible embarrassment, bring about of my ignorancy.
The music that had been played,led my mind to flashback the the famous TV series "Friends".I'm not a frequent viewer of Friends but I got the chance to watch it once,yet, it never tempt my senses to be addicted of the show.
I practically love the chosen music they have had played,it divert my attention to somewhere else delightfully.Starbucks is a costly coffee shop which has the exhilaration of cheering influence.Beyond doubt, only the well-off individuals can bear the lavish costing money of coffee.
Imagine a small cup of worth of 100Php which a 100 could be a bunch of pack of coffee in the supermarket.
My 3 students had left for Korea and Starbucks had been their assignation since they arrived here. Honestly, I never dreamed of going there at all, not just I'm penniless neither a frugal but I can't afford to gamble my money just for the sake of 100Php small cup of coffee....Unless someone would invite me for a sip.

Friday, January 25, 2008

I AM LEGEND :MOVIE


I had prospered (from)my acquaintance with my Korean students.Going out with them was a rare moments of privacy,in spite of the cultural differences,yet,we broke the ice.
My intentions of watching movie on weekends was my personal trait since I hadn't received much to recompense for myself,alone.
So,just a sort of rewarding myself and rejuvenating for awhile physically from such a bit tiring,yet hectic tutorials,I had thought of watching a movie scheduled for I Am Legend starred by Will Smith.
One student of mine voluntarily approached me if he could come with me,unhesitatingly I nodded yes,of course with the permission of his father.Notwithstanding,the rest of the students were tempted to come too.
My korean boss had just asked my approval if I could looked after of the 3 girls to join us watching the movie.
Needless to say,I was mightily happy being with them observing them as we were in the movie house at SM-Dasma.
I chose the English movie "I Am Legend" as way of exposing them to an English movie without any dictionary nor asking me or enterprating it.
The movie was indeed satisfying and technologically done well as it deserves to be praised.
I like the story thinking deeply,what if it really happens and the world might be inflected with virus that may cause man a blood suckers.Though at the ending part Will Smith died sacrificing his self for the sake of the world....it's really a legend to sacrifice something when you think not for yourself but for the humanity.
My students are leaving next week,I am less tight on my sked now, so I can freely go away anywhere.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

THE PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS 2008



I am helping to promote and spreading the upcoming "The Philippine Blog Awards 2008",and calling some kind Filipino bloggers who has the heart to sponsor the awards as well.
Volunteers are also calling to give their time....assisting and helping the Awards.
I am very proud to promote this Awards recognizing Filipino Professional Bloggers to be acknowledged and identified as the finest blogs in the country.
This is truly an exciting to anticipate.....those interested bloggers to volunteer and sponsor,please click this site Kutitots for more details and definite infos.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

FORTIFICATION IN FRIENDSHIP

"No amount of text message can equal one treasured moment of conversation between friends whose voices have been muted with decades,long silence and separation-Jose F. Sarzosa,Jr."
Thanks God,internet was invented so as we can search and trace long lost friends that we haven't met for ages.
It was 19 years had passed,signs of trail and shadow from high school friends,are still vaguely to locate.Many have changed physically,that hardly sometimes to recognize that once you familiarized.
With the help of Friendster site three of them have appeared to be permanently in contact.Two of them were obtaining their luck abroad and one another friend in high school,successfully enjoying his career in Olongapo.Facing back my high school days in the 80's is a good temporary medicine for a strong desire of longingness for friends back the good old high school days.
Whenever chances occured to me of going home in Olongapo, I always on the eavesdrop of sighting the possible class Reunion of my batch.Frustratingly,nobody from the batch officers has the concerned of establishing our own,but posters and streamers from the batch who are ahead of us in years,were the usual that you'll see hanging in the school.
A song of Sharon Cuneta "High School Days" truly reveals that high school days is hard to forget..High School friends assert positively my belief that friends give us inner strength and fortification of inspiration from day to day as we wrestle with life's painful realities.Internet helps a lot tracing the whereabout of missing friends,families and acquiantances.
Below are among the pictures of my classmates in high school,who appeared to be in contact with me.


This is Rodel Martinez,my classmate in 2nd year...who happened to be a close friend when we were high school.


Joel,my 4th year high school classmate..who is finding his economic goal in Dubai.


This is Ariel,a classmate in 4th year...who also finding his luck in Korea.


Rodney Alcantara..who's happily married and conquering Macau.


Jhun Trance,another classmate in 4th year...on his way up to Saudi.


The reason I posted this entry was that,the newly revived song of SpongeCola "San Na Nga Ba Ang Barkada" originally sang by Apo Hiking Society,always banging my ears and occasionally being played by my fave FM station.The message behind the song influenced my interest to write something about my high school friends/classmates who found their way in my Friendster account.
The feelings of missingness to see my high school classmates has ignited me to savor the heydays I had during high school days, though old days were faded by time yet rekindling the past won't be erased by distance.

Saturday, January 05, 2008

NEW YEAR; NEW CHALLENGE

Christmas and New Year was over, and it is a time for closing the books of 2007, but remembering the past year was a good vehicle to drive to the new clear road.Whatever we have had made wrongly in 2007, let it not be repeated for 2008.Let us learn from the past and make it as an awakening call for us.
I'm a fond reader of The Philippine Star newspaper as I gain knowledge from it,maybe it's because of the free newspaper provided by Jollibee every morning as token to those long-standing-customers.
Friday, January 4, 2008- I came across to the column of Bobit S. Avila "Inside Cebu" p.A-22, his deep comments from the movie "Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo", quoted a slipped over which due to mention or emphasis between actresses Gloria Diaz and Juday Ann Santos, who was complaining that her child was learning to speak Bisaya from her yaya; "DAPAT TAGALOG PARA PINOY".
Well,here's what Bobit had written on his column "Inside Cebu".

UGLY SLURS FROM TERI HATCHER TO JUDY ANN!
Last October, the whole Filipino community here and abroad vehemently expressed their indignation to the racist slur or remark by actress Teri Hatcher on an episode of the hit TV drama series Desperate Housewives where she insulted Filipino doctors who graduated in Philippines medical schools.That slur incensed the entire nation;after all,Filipino medical practitioners are highly sought-after in many Western countries, including the USA.The ABC network has since apologized for the offensive remark, making sure that it would never happen again.
Well, if you think that since this incident, movie actresses would have stopped making racist remarks,you're dead wrong! Last Christmas, a movie entry in the MMFF,Sakal,Sakali,Saklolo,from my favorite movie producer Star Cinema featured a conversation betwen actresses Gloria Diaz and Judy Ann Santos,who was complaining that her child was learning to speak Bisaya from her yaya.She said,"Dapat Tagalog para Pinoy!" translated, she was practically saying,"You should speak to the child in Tagalog,otherwise, it's not Filipino!".
I have alwyas been in the forefront in the fight for respect for all spoken languages in this country and since this movie was already shown in many areas, allow me to say that Star Cinema ought to tell its screenplay writers and especially its actors that they should be extra sensitive in making such racist slurs or uncalled-for remarks that hurt the sensitivities of people living in non-Tagalog-speaking areas.
I would have written this article a week ago,but then few people read anything during the holidays,focusing only on their last-minute shopping.But the die has been cast.When actress Teri Hatcher made that racist remark last October,it sent a loud outcry across the Pacific Ocean that Filipinos would never toerate such an offensive remark.This latest incident should also send a clear message not only
to Star Cinema, but also to other Tagalog film production outfits and
film producers as well that we, the Visayan-speaking people in this
country, would never tolerate such snide remarks!
If we're not happy with actress Teri Hatcher making offensive remarks
against Filipinos, I'd like to make it clear here that Cebuanos, too,
won't tolerate a Filipino actress like Judy Ann Santos making
insulting remarks about us Cebuanos. If there are no reactions yet
from the provincial government of Cebu or Cebuano congressmen, it is
only because we were in the middle of the Christmas break or recess.
I'm sure that when our elected officials go back to work, this issue
will be discussed.
Perhaps now is the time to remind our friends in the Tagalog-speaking
areas that when that Portuguese explorer in the employ of King Charles
I (he was later known as Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire)
or the Spanish Crown arrived in the Island of Cebu with the ship
Armada de Molucca, he was met by Cebuanos. The settlements along the
Pasig River were only discovered when 49 years later Spanish
Conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi came back to retrace (and to
conquer Manila) the voyage of Magellan on this still unnamed
archipelago, which was eventually named after King Philip II of Spain,
who authorized the Legazpi expedition.
This brings us to the question, "Are the Bisayans, Kapam*pangans,
Ilocanos, Pangasinenses, Bicolanos, Tausogs, Zam*boangueƱos, Ilonggos
and Warays also not considered Pinoys?" Allow me to rephrase that
question… "Is the Pinoy name reserved only for Tagalogs? Or should
Cebuanos start talking about getting independence from the Philippines
because we are not welcomed here anymore?" Judy Ann Santos ought to
give us her reply to this query.
My friend Prof. Fred Cabuang, who is in the forefront in the struggle
to preserve all the spoken and dying languages in this archipelago,
wrote this: "When will we ever learn that being a Pinoy is not
measured by one's ability to speak the Tagalog language only? Are the
Bisayans, Kapampangans, Pa*nga*sinenses, Ilocanos, Bico*lanos not
worthy of being called 'Pinoys' too? Do our Bisayan athletic heroes
who did well in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand have to learn
Tagalog well before they are considered 'Pinoys?'
"What about world-renowned Manny Pacquiao, does he have to learn
Tagalog well, too, before he can be called a real 'Pinoy' hero? And
surely, nobody will question the pride of Pampanga, our beloved
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her father Diosdado Macapagal;
did they become 'Pinoys' only when they learned to speak Tagalog?"
When will Pinoys learn and realize that the Philippines is a
culturally diverse country speaking different tongues?


Well, am I going to react? yes,Bobit is true.I'm not purely Tagalog but a Cebuano as well since my father is originally from Cebu.If the people from Visayas and Mindanao are keen observant enough to check the dialogue of the movie should send their voices out enough the Star Cinema to hear the loud cry of the Bisaya people.
The insulting words is not fair enough that Bisaya people should be treated as that basing the accent,nor the job as being the trend of the probinsyanang Bisaya as yaya or katulong.I haven't seen the movie because I'm not a dying fan of a childish-tweetums perse' movie,as it is corny and non credible to watch...whatever the outcomes..let us be fair.

My Favorite Instrumental Music