Monthly Archives: August 2020

Feels So Good To Blog Again

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While I am still blown away by the surprise and generosity of master drawer Sam of .Am I Doing This Right?, let me take this amazing opportunity to also thank other bloggers who praised and commended my blogging.

 

write-up by Karthigeyan at WitfulMadrasi blog when he nominated Nengkoy Blog for the Vincent Ehindero Blogger Award

These simple praise and comments of approval melts my heart.  These peeps seem to fortify that I made the right decision of getting back to blogging and write again.  These co-bloggers don’t realize how glad I am when I read their positive messages and comments. 

I know blogging is difficult and needs some massive knack for writing (which a lot of high-paying vloggers don’t seem to possess) let me express my deep gratitude to my co-bloggers!  Keep the world wide web interesting to see and read!

Thank you very much and a heartwarming applause to all of you!

OMG! Sam Drew Me!

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God is so smart and so clever that he decided not to bestow me the gift of being a drawing artist. Because of my being so egocentric, self-centered, narcissistic and self-obsessed, he knows that if He is to equipped me with such a talent, I would draw nothing but my self-portrait. 

But since God is truly unpredictably generous, He let me encounter an awesome Drawing Master. He gave me the amazing chance to know Sam of .AM I DOING THIS RIGHT? blog

I have been fortunate to bump into the wordpress blog of Sam.  His drawings posted on his blog gave me the impression that he indeed is a master drawer.  I may not be the arbiter who determines a good art work from the bad, but with my pretty rich exposures to various drawings and artworks that I have personally seen from various museums in various parts of the world, I guess I know a good artwork when I see one.

A fine art creation for me is something that prompts me to feel or do something: unconsciously grow goosebumps, write about it, stare on it for minutes, take photos of it, find out more regarding its origin or simply be breathless about it.

I was so impressed with Sam’s drawings that I did not hesitate clicking likes and commenting on his blog posts.  I was so impressed that I commented that “in case he run out of photos to draw, I can always volunteer and send mine” for him to work on.

Sam took it as a challenge and responded on my comment.  I did not, of course, hesitated sending him my photo.  And as expected, the one photo I choose includes me.  Without telling Sam the location where the photo was taken, he surprisingly recognized that it was taken in Glenorchy a beautiful southern town in New Zealand.

100% pure

After a short convo thru comment section of Sam’s blog, I no longer expected anything.  But surprisingly, when I tried checking out his latest blog post (I follow him by the way), this is what I saw.

OMG! Awesome!!!! (hahaha! i posted this photo without seeking Sam’s authorization, sorry Sam)

OMG! I uttered the biggest O.M.G. when I saw it!  I was so happy, I wanted to fly to Sam’s hometown and give him a kiss!

This is one big awesome surprise!  You just don’t know how glad I am when I saw it.    God may not grant me the talent Sam has but I know He was laughing out loud when He saw my jaw dropped, the moment I saw Sam’s super awesome drawing.  Thank you Sam from the bottom of my heart!

Orange Race

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One way to identify a human race is in terms of skin color.  There is white, black, brown, red and yellow.  I for one is classified under the Brown Race.  But yesterday during sunset here in Manila, I turned so orange.  Actually, everything became and looked so orange for a few minutes I started to wondered if I have turned into an Orange Race.

Reason for my turning to a different skin color and be of a rare human race was because of this stunning phenomenon!

no filter! my sunset balcony view of manila bay…

Sunset here in Manila is truly captivating!

The Church of Multiplication

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Raise your hands if you badly miss going out for a travel and be excited on an adventure!  I for one badly miss travelling.  No thanks to covid19 and this insane pandemic! A lot of us are stuck in the confines of our home and are left to settle not for a vacation or staycation but a “safe-cation”.

To ease and satisfy my cravings for an escapade, I was left with no choice but to checkout and revisit my previous exploits thru my stocked photos.  And while ogling onto some photos, I realized that (aside from my bad taste in fashion) there are lots of places that I have been to yet I failed to chronicle and write about. 

Since I am stuck in my house, let me take the opportunity to revisit these places and recall the adventure.  Here’s one awesome site in Israel…

expecting some fish sandwich!

The Church of Multiplication

No it is not a place of worship where you would have to master the multiplication table before you can enter.  It is actually a holy biblical place where Jesus performed an awesome miracle by feeding a crowd of 5,000 by sharing the meager two fish and five loaves between all these people. 

This charmed place where the miraculous treat for fish and bread occurred is also known as the Tabgha Church of the Loaves and Fish.

with my dear sister…

highlight is on the floor! those mosaic!

happy travel

Though it is a rather humble and simple looking place of prayer, I can clearly recall during me and my sister’s tour that the place was too quiet and that not all places are accessible.  According to the guide, it was because the place was just bomb a year before our visit.  The guide relayed that young Israeli Jewish extremists burned a portion of the site making it sadly inaccessible and were under repair.

While gawking at my photos, how I wish that in the present situation, it is fish and bread that is spreading throughout the planet instead of the sickening pandemic.  One can truly say that at present, we badly need Jesus for some meaty fish and delicious piece of bread.

Put Voltes V Anime Series on Netflix

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I recently read an article which acknowledges the existence of Philippine-English.  It is an English language variety that is different from American, British and Australian English-es.  Philippine English is so prevalent – thanks to the big population of Filipinos on the planet – that it has officially been acknowledged as an acceptable English language variant.  It is so unlike the other English-es that it actually has its own slang and peculiar accent.

grew up watching this!

I have long acknowledged that I learned speaking the English language during my early childhood years by regularly watching Sesame Street (a TV show in American English).  But after I have outgrown my liking for it, my learning the English language has continued thru my childhood fondness for the old Japanese anime TV series Voltes V (pronounced as Voltes Five) dubbed in English.

I can truly say that Voltes V – which was controversially banned by dictator President Marcos in 1979 due to its underlying theme of rebellion and revolution – plays a big chunk in honing my knowledge of English as a language.

Unlike the most recent rerelease of this TV anime series which was dubbed in Tagalog-Filipino language, the original one released in the 70’s in the Philippines was dubbed in English.  What is so atypical with the original series shown in the Philippines is that it was dubbed by native Filipinos speaking the English language. 

I recently re-watched the first 2 episodes of the series (thankfully available on YouTube) dubbed in English and I can truly distinguish that the English language utilized was the classic example of how a Philippine-English is along with its distinctive accent.  My way of saying “comfortable buffalo” is so different from how Americans would say it!  Ask your native-Filipino workmate and an American friend to say these words for you to know the difference.

Sad to note though, that a big number of young Filipinos now can’t speak nor write proper English may it be of whatever English language variant.  One reason maybe is because shows now prevalent in various forms of media in the Philippines are now spoken or dubbed in the local Filipino language.

I am not saying that Filipino language is a bad thing.  What I would just like to say is that knowing a second language is a weapon, a faculty, a gift.

say “comfortable”!

I can’t seem to identify an English-dubbed or English-spoken TV show in the last 10 years shown in the Philippines that became trendy or popular among the youth which can be acknowledged later on in their life as a basis of their learning another language.

If given the power, I would re-release Voltes V in Netflix! The version would no doubt be the old Philippine-English dubbed edition for the present kiddos of today to watch and learn.  And if present kids now would reject watching it and prefers some lame and boring Filipino-dubbed TV series, me and my fine Philippine-English speaking generation would definitely look forward to watching it.

Ja Ja Ding Dong and a Eurovision Movie Parody

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Since I have been watching and looking forward to it for the past 5 years, I pretty have much of an idea about a European subculture known as the Eurovision Song Contest.  I can say that I am one of the very few Far East Asians who is aware about Eurovision.  In fact, I have written a couple of blog posts about it. (Click here post 1, post 2, post 3, post 4 to prove it).

Because of this pretty adequate idea about this spectacular European annual event/contest, I indeed enjoyed and had a good laughter while watching the Netflix movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.

I thought at first that it was some sort of a documentary of how a band and a song was developed that eventually garnered the highest point in the contest sometime in the 1970’s.  But after seeing that it stars Will Ferrell, it made me realize that it would be something funny and comical.

And I was right when I was already laughing at the side-splitting scenes of the film.  It was a riot!  I was so thankful that I have a pretty good idea about Eurovision that is why I appreciate and enjoyed the movie so much.  My enjoyment and amazement were amplified when I saw some of the previous contestants and winners rendering some precious song numbers in the movie.  Even the campy queer vloggers who would discuss about the contest every year in their vlog were in the movie.

And since the movie is about the fortunes of an inept Icelandic band, Fire Saga who got the chance to fulfill a lifelong dream when they were selected to enter the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest, the songs sang in the movie were indeed Eurovision-worthy.  These songs were so like the Eurovision entries in the past: big, provocative, motivational, emotive yet very eccentric.

I particularly loved the song Husavik.  If this song is an entry in the actual contest, it would indeed garner decent number of votes from the judges and the public.  Lion of Love is so funny yet so Eurovision! Volcano Man is one fitting example of an eccentric Eurovision representation.  Since the movie is delightfully funny, I am particularly in love with the song Ja Ja Ding Dong!  In fact, the scene where the way it was requested to be sang in the movie was so hilarious!

The movie was a fantastic funny parody about Eurovision and I indeed was laughing! I love it!

Hilarious Laugh

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Somewhere within the metaphysics of Facebook, it must have analyzed that I badly need a good laugh.  It must have been so long ago that I actually no longer remember the moment when I had a crazy chuckle. 

In my Facebook feeds, this clip was weirdly suggested.

Here is a case when the laughter is funnier than the joke. Super hilarious!  Now I need to get that red shorts for me to give to my friends.

This worth-sharing vid is by Reubekah Vidz.  Visit them on Facebook for more adorable videos. 

Bought Two Robot Toothbrush Hangers

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In a couple of months I will be celebrating my 20th birthday on being 30 years old.  I must be excited because I am already writing about it. Or am I really excited or just anxious about this uncertain point in one’s life?  A lot of people embrace it others are unenthusiastic while some are simply numb.

What is alarming about my about-to-celebrate birthday the fiftieth time is that I am still single, lone, solo, free and unattached (do I really have to accentuate this much? Hahaha!).  People can say that in the aspect of finding and attracting a life partner I may be the living proof that The Secret revealed by Rhonda Byrne in her book regarding the law of attraction is nothing but a futile idea and an unsuccessful suggestion.

I have done all Rhonda Byrne has opined.  I slept in only one side of my bed which at times I find myself waking up on the floor because I unconsciously fell while sleeping at some point in the middle of the night.  I prepare food good for two servings which only resulted to my having to purchase larger sized clothing.  I allotted a space in my dresser which caused me to buy and install further dressers so as to have more space for my retail therapy.  I even bought and installed two cute robot toothbrush hangers inside my bathroom!

robot toothbrush hangers on my bathroom wall

hoping to have fun when i’m five zero

Despite this unsuccessful approaches and years may have passed, I would still like to believe in Rhonda Byrne when she say, “There is no such thing as a hopeless situation.  Every single circumstance of your life can change”.

I really hope and wish that Rhonda Byrne would prove me wrong.  According to her, thoughts become things.  But I really wish that in this coming November thoughts would finally become a person.  Keeping my fingers (and toes) crossed!

Grocery Shopping the Silly Traveler Way

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My country has the longest and strictest pandemic lock down in the world.  And because of prolonged quarantining, I realized that there has been somewhat a number of gains from this experience.  People now can enjoy a much cleaner air; folks has established closer relations with other family members; while some has realized how inept and incompetent their elected government officials were. 

On a lighter note, my being on a lock down made me a little nifty, thrifty and dreamy at the same time.  It has actually controlled my illogical retail therapy.  Case in point is my grocery shopping.  I no longer buy unnecessary stuff and I have gone basic, essential and primary.

The nearest grocery store from where I live is too short to have a ride and too distant to be considered a walking distance.  I chose the latter when I have to go there.  And since I have to limit my going out, the quantity of my grocery buying would basically be good for 2 weeks.

Since my buying is of enormous measure and I decided to walk so as to get some sun, a little cardio and pretty good amount of fresh air along the way, I cannot just carry it from the grocery store to my place of stay.  I then decided to be a little smarter.  I resolved this thru the use of my very well-travelled l.u.g.g.a.g.e!

my haul! fresh eggs & frozen meat products were placed in a separate eco-bag of course… never in my wildest dream would i place garlic & onions in my luggage! hahaha!

recently went to s&r membership shopping store (and brought along my luggage)

Yeah, since the pandemic has bunged me up from travelling, I decided my inactive and sedentary luggage to be of good use. My using it actually helped me a little in lessening my silly craving to go for an international travel.  I would just have to pretend that my walking to and from the grocery store were like the moments when I would do a flight transfer from one international airport terminal to another strolling along my heavy check-in luggage. Hahaha!

my empty well-traveled check-in luggage… waiting for the capsicum, green beans, oats, potatoes, cabbage, & a lot lot more! hahaha!

Stay safe everyone!

The Dismantling of a Building is Making Me Sad

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There is one old building here in Manila that is being dismantled and pulled into pieces.  I am quite affected by this demolition simply because this structure has been part of my young college years.  Being just across our campus, I have always tagged this marvel as the extension of our college grounds. 

Me and my collegemates then has considered its spacious airconditioned lobby as our place of solace, our relaxation spot and our undisturbed hideaway.  We truly adore the clean and spotless toilets which were way better, fresher and tidier than the lavatories in our campus.  During cram periods, instead of going to the library, a quiet corner within the building has been our retreat to focus on reviewing prior to an intense exam.

iconic piece of architecture (photo not mine)

hey! that’s our usual spot!

The building’s large cafeteria was our go-to dining hall every time our school’s canteen serves super oily, flavorless and unsavory dishes. The only thing that we seem to have failed to do was to hold the actual class inside that building!

The long airconditioned hallway of the ground floor from the main entrance leading to its side door has been me and my classmates’ short-cut route when we want to go to the nearby mall.  My college mates may not know this but I personally admire the huge old trees outdoor that surrounds the building and I gape and ogle towards the gorgeous art pieces (sculptures & mural paintings) that lies and hanged around the main lobby.

the facade of the main entrance… (photo not mine)

miss those quiet spots

This building has been so part of my college life.  Me and my classmates even celebrated a milestone with this building because its marvelous auditorium was in fact the venue of our baccalaureate mass and graduation rites when we finished our college degree in the old Manila Doctors College. 

And lately have I only known that the stunning auditorium was renowned for its excellent acoustics.  I never knew that this auditorium was done by the same engineers who did the Sydney Opera House.  If I only knew then, I should have instead sung an enchanting song when I was tasked to deliver the graduation speech during our college graduation rites.

with those acoustics, i should have sung a song!

philamlife building u.n. ave.

With all these memories and recollections, the ongoing ripping into pieces of the iconic and magnificent Philam Life building along United Nations Avenue in Manila is truly making me sad.