Category Archives: day of observance

Into The Blue: A Feb 14 Song

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Today is Valentine’s Day and this “awe-mazing” song just smacked right between my ears.  It obviously is not a cupid love song, yet this fantabulous pop track simply represent how still positive I am amidst this dreadful day.

The lines of this applause-worthy song that truly hit me denotes strength and independence.

“When I got my back up against the wall,

don’t need no one to rescue me. 

‘Cause I ain’t waiting up for no miracle,

yeah tonight I’m running free!”

I like this song simply because I have never been a believer of self-pity.  Self-pity is for people who have too much time on their hands yet they wait for miraculous change to befall them.  As for me.  Instead of dreaming miracles, I have long learned to make my own.

This may not be this year’s song for those who chose or no choice but to remain solo and unattached, let me nevertheless announce that Into The Blue by pop goddess Kylie Minogue as my Feb 14 theme song…

hapi balentong…

Change For The Better

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It’s January 1, the day considered to be the first page of this year’s first chapter.  A fresh new year could mean a fresh new start to a lot of us.  May it be a healthier new you, a more mature disposition, saving lots of money or a total make over for an amiable personality, changing for the better has always been a good preliminary and starting point for a day like this.

Change for the BetterAn effective change for the better will not take just a day, it would I guess be more effective if it be done one day at a time.  Little by little.  Can you just imagine what we would be at the end of the year if in each day of it there are some positive changes in us?  That would be 365 little changes and improvements that we could have.

I have to have these changes because I feel that I owe my own life the very best that I could personally offer.  Also, I believe that these changes can eventually lead to positive prospects and possibilities.  I don’t intend to be a perfect person since that would literally be impossible.  But looking at each day as a new chance at being the best that I could possibly can would be my ultimate agenda.

May it be about the changes in my body, improvements in my pocket, enhancement in my personality, progress of my brain or the upgrading and rebooting of my soul, “Change for the Better” would be my 2014 aspiration, target and intention.

Magbago ka na uy!

From Selfless To Selfish Birthday Wishes 2014

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World peace, good health for Nengkoy and the return of genuine happy smiles from all people severely affected by super typhoon Haiyan are my unselfish wishes for my upcoming birthday.

In terms of worldly materialistic birthday wishes, aside from ten million bucks, the following easy on the pocket tangibles would definitely make my birthday settle in high spirits:

a Book…

morrissey autobiography

i’m pretty sure this autobiography would be an interesting read

a CD…

with or without autograph, i would love to have this

with or without autograph, i would looove to have this

and an MP3 Player …

i prefer the yellow color... this would be nice to carry in my pocket while killing myself on a threadmill

i prefer the yellow color… its as small as a five peso coin. this would be nice to carry in my pocket while on a thread mill

 Wans a yir lang ang bertday! Kaya damihan na ang wishes…

 

7th Year Blogging Anniversary

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sevenTruth be told.  This blog started in June 20, 2006 under a blogging service of Friendster.com, a defunct social networking site, which became most popular in the Philippines.  Then I eventually fully migrated directly to WordPress.com in June 18, 2009.

It’s been seven years and I’m glad to say that I am happy to have maintained this blog up to now.  It’s been a great way of sharing my thoughts so let me take this opportunity to thank you for your visits and taking time to read my posts.

To celebrate the 7th year of this blog, here’s the classic Sesame Street pinball animation featuring the number 7.

Dyaske! Pitong taon na ang blog na ire!

A Massive Thanks To A 70’s to 80’s OFW: A Father’s Day Special

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Thanks to an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), at a very tender age I know the taste of Baby Ruth and Hershey’s chocolate bars.  Thanks to an OFW, I am one of those young lads who owned a Japanese electronic game set called Atari.  Thanks to an OFW, my pubertal apparel includes United Colors of Benetton shirts, Swatch watches and Adidas shoes.

Thanks to an OFW, my taste buds are no stranger to the savoriness of Spam and imported corned beef.  Thanks to an OFW, at an early age I was exposed to a wide range of cassette-tape music from sweet soothing tunes of Carpenters to pop-beats of Boney M.  Thanks to an OFW, even before the existence and coining of the words “balikbayan box” I know the epidermal comforts brought about by Ivory bath soap and Jergens body lotion.

An enormous thanks to my father for all these.

tatay joe in saudi arabia

tatay joe in saudi arabia

I know these are all mundane worldly materials and I should instead thank my father for giving me an urbane civilized life.  He may have passed away a long time ago but I know my father knows that I’m thankful for that already.  So I’m giving myself a chance to express my deep gratitude regarding these specifics.

Hapi Paders Dey Tatay! Misyumats!

Happy Election Day

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done voting. used my power today.

done voting.
used my power today.

If you would notice only a handful of people would greet Happy Election Day.  Election-day cliché does not include an expression of happy greeting.  It’s usually a reminder to “exercise your right” “vote wisely” or broadcast to “let the fire of democracy burning” because “together, we build our future”.

I love elections especially national/general elections.  This is because it is the day when there is a total shift of power.  All of a sudden, ordinary people at this important day become more powerful than those who hold an electoral position.  The power is in their hands/votes.  Also, during election day all people’s individual power are in equal standing.  The 1 vote power of a poor bloke is as equal as that of the 1 vote power of a rich dude.

With this plain thought of having the power (even only for a day), people must feel at least “happy”.  So let me greet everybody a Happy Election Day!

Namnamin ang pawers mo ngayon…

My First Visita Iglesia

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I have been to Bangkok, Thailand three times.  And in all those times I with friends tour their well known Buddhist temples in a day.  I even coined it Visita Buddhista.  This made a tinge of guilt because in my homeland and with my very own religion, I’m too lazy to pull off the Filipino Catholic Lenten tradition known as Visita Iglesia (Seven Churches Visitation).

But I’m guilty no more because in this year’s Holy Thursday, I have completed my very first Visita Iglesia. I did this pious tradition not with friends but with my family.  We did not chose the grandest and tour-worthy churches and cathedrals found in Metro Manila but instead we settled on visiting the houses of prayers that are in a way close and connected to our hearts. Five of which are located in Pasay City, 1 in Makati and 1 in Manila.

Here they are…

The Shrine of Jesus, The Way, The Truth and The Life

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20130328_150248Located near SM Mall of Asia, my family calls this MOA Church.  It’s literally is close to our family because it is the nearest church to Nengkoy’s house.  That is why it is so obvious that it is the first church we visited.

 

Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church

our lady of sorrows

20130328_151812This church is very special to me and my siblings.  We consider this place of worship as the “Binyag Church” (Church of Baptism) because all of our catholic baptism rites when we were still infants were held in this very church.

 

San Rafael Parish Church

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This is my family’s Parish Church.  In 1962, this was the very church where the glorious wedding ceremony of my parents was held.  Nengkoy was all smile when she entered and left this very quaint church, she feels like she’s so part of it.  Also, this was the very church that I was scolded by a priest (mind you, it was during the homily) for wearing shorts when I heard a Holy Mass one early morning a couple of years back.

 

Sta. Clara De Montefalco Parish Church

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This is the house of prayers of Nengkoy when she was a young girl studying in St Mary’s Academy.

 

San Isidro Labrador Parish Church

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This one is the personal favorite of my nephew Luis.  The adjacent catholic school is where he studied in high school.  Anyway, I personally like the drama of this church… the holy cross was placed outdoor and visible indoor through a clear glass wall.

 

St. John Bosco Parish Church

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This is the church where my elder sister and her husband claimed to have first met.  Ewww super cheesy! As for me, I always wonder why every time I pray inside this church my prayers are in straight English.  Is it the location, is it the minimalist modern interiors or is it the stylish well-dressed church goers?  I don’t know why. (I think it’s the “pa-sosyal” in me. hahaha!)

 

Our Lady of Remedies Parish Church

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This very old yet majestic church was the venue of my elder sister’s wedding.  This church is a very popular church for Visita Iglesia aficionados.  It was full packed!  That is why when we entered to say our prayers the first thing I uttered was “Wow blockbuster!”  Anyway, Our Lady of Remedies otherwise known as Malate Church is a special church for me.  It is a stone throw away from my office.  That is why this is the church I go to for me to say my morning prayer every time I came too early for work.

Nanikip ang dibdib ko sa bisitang yan hah! Muntik na ko matunaw!

Dilemma On Quaresma: The Modernized Pabasa

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pabasawithmicrophoneIts Maundy Thursday today and the traditional Pabasa Ng Pasyon (Chanting of Christ’s Passion) literally kept me up all night.  Not because I joined the bandwagon this year of chanting in monotonous tone the narratives of the life, passion, death and resurrection of Lord Jesus but because a community right beside the building where I live chose to chant the Pasyon in loud and proud manner utilizing a microphone with humongous sets of speakers.

I know Pabasa Ng Pasyon is considered to be a unique Filipino communal tradition which would run during the whole span of the Holy Week.  But do devotees today really have to use a microphone to fulfill this religious meditation? What about those who opted to follow the tradition of shutting their mouth and ears to find peace and serenity during the observance of the Holy Week?

I am not saying that Pabasa should be stopped in all corners of the land what I am trying to point out is that this tradition should be kept and observed in the traditional manner, that is, speaker-less, microphone-less with merely raw, genuine and unprocessed chants.

In my personal opinion, using microphones and speakers in Pabasa denotes artless, insincere and contrived expression and profession of the Catholic faith.  It no longer sounds the way I used to hear it – exotic, bizarre and mysterious.  For me, using these modern technological equipments turns the “modernized” Pabasa into nothing but a thoughtless, vain and immodest show.

It’s the Holy Week no one should be playing or making loud music for Pete’s sake!  I just hope the ear fatiguing sound from the nearby colony of human beings would stop while I write this post otherwise this week is turning out to be one unholy week.

Mataimtim na kwaresma para sa lahat…

A Love That’s Not Broken Just Bent

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Today is Valentine’s Day.  It is but appropriate to write something about love, fidelity, infatuation or even lust. Instead, I’m opting to post a song that is not about sweet crazy love neither bitter broken love.  It is a song that is in between.   The composition is so good it can be a song for the hopeful (who wish to revive their feelings and learn to love again) or the hopeless (who wish to move on and learn love again).

For sure, considerable numbers of people today are trying their best to  rekindle their affection towards the person they once was fascinated with or are trying their best to find a way to get out of a ruptured relationship.  As what the song says… it is a love that’s not broken just “bent”.

A happier Valentine’s Day to those who are at this situation…

Gud lak na lang…