Tag Archives: wish

My Delusions for LRT 1 Extension

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In the news last week, it was announced that 4 final bidders for the Php 60-billion Light Rail Transit (LRT 1) Cavite extension project are among the biggest business groups in Asia.  While I was reading the news it was funny for I was wondering what the extended LRT 1 line would be like in the future being based and predicated upon by who among the bidders would be chosen.

One of the final bidders is the tandem of Metro Pacific investments and Ayala Group, owners of Smart and Globe telecommunications respectively.  Would this mean that in case this rare tandem wins the bid there would be free wi-fi inside the train? And since these business empires own ABC 5 tv station and chic malls respectively, would there be days when showbiz personalities be assigned as kaheros and kaheras (cashiers) while the riding public can shop for trendy garments and dine elegantly inside the train?

What about the other builder, that is, SMC Infra Resources, the owner of San Miguel?  Would this mean there would be free bottle of San Mig Light beer or a complimentary grilled Purefoods hotdog on stick for the riding public if they buy stored-value tickets?

Another bidder is the tandem between Malaysia’s MTDC and South Korea’s Samsung.  Would this mean, there will be a promo in which the biggest LRT spender/rider will have the chance to win a free trip to Malaysia and Korea?  And what about not allowing IPhone users to ride the LRT 1 extension since it will be constructed by Samsung?  Would a Samsung cellphone’s Contactless Payment feature through its NFC (near field communication) chip be utilized in paying for your train ride? Imagine, having your Samsung phone simply touching an NFC payment reader and you are allowed access and entry inside the train?

Lastly, there’s the DMCI Holdings, one of the most reliable residential construction company of this country.  Would there be a promo for the train-riding public of having a chance to win elegant fully-furnished houses in one of the lush residences of Metro Manila whom they developed?

I know that these are too farfetched.  And I know that I am nuts.

By the way, my first train ride was the old LRT 1 line that stretched from Baclaran to Monumento during the early 80’s.  Nengkoy (my mother) tagged me along one weekend to ride this electric-operated train, the first in Metro Manila.  During its first few months of operation the Marcos regime decided that the fare would be free and complimentary for the citizens of the metro to get the feel on how safe it was.  During those naïve and inexperienced era, the Manila citizenry had the notion and misconception that you could get electrocuted when you ride the new train since it is run by electricity.

Still by the way, when Nengkoy and I reached Monumento we entered Jackman store in Caloocan to buy a piece of payong (umbrella) then went back again to Baclaran still via the LRT.  That was one of my most exciting train rides.

Choo-choo-choo!

I’m Now A Samsung Fan

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I am bitten by a bug called Samsung.  Last week I posted on my Facebook that I want a Samsung Galaxy Note II for my upcoming birthday.  Actually, I have yet to own a Samsung gadget but nevertheless the first and only Samsung unit I purchased is actually not a gadget but a huge refrigerator as a gift for Nengkoy.  Today, after having chanced upon an adorable Thai short-film entitled “Love at First Flight“, I can officially say that I am a Samsung fan.

Love at First Flight is a 30-minute Samsung commercial-ad-cum-romantic-comedy movie.  The story, the Thai actors and the plot are sooo cute. The movie is such a bastion of pure charm.  It would be pretty hard not to purchase yourself a Samsung gadget after watching this…

No wonder Samsung is the best selling electronic gadget of our time.  And it looks like Samsung’s virtual ship has sailed and is watching how Apple gets smaller and smaller who’s standing on the shore punching its fists up in the air…

Ang kyut noh…

My Country In 2 Minutes And 42 Seconds

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This post is not intended for my fellow Filipinos.  This is for those living a life outside the Philippines.  My country’s target this year is to hit the 4.5 million foreign tourists this year.

Have you been part of these fortunate inhabitants of this planet this year?  If not, watch this and decide if you wish to be part of that 4.5 million souls living outside of my fun country.  Watch this so that you can simply decide why you being a foreign tourist must come to the Philippines…

Also, if you’ve not been here this year, you still have roughly 90 days to be here and enjoy the smell, the tastes and the sights and sounds of my country.  See you here…

Eksayting!

Page 120

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Find me.  I’m on page 120.

clue: the delicious looking dude

A book usually contains photos of famous landmarks, historical events and noteworthy human beings.  That is why I’m so proud to announce that for the first time ever, a photo of my face has been included in a very good and remarkable book.

Larry Can’t Cook is a collection of essays, vignettes and notable episodes about the colorful life of the late restaurant czar of the Philippines, Mr. Larry J. Cruz.  The book also contains recipes of popular Filipino dishes served in the restaurants of Mr. Cruz.  It is published by Anvil and is now available at National Bookstore and Powerbooks.

Piling sikat!!! Hahaha!

Pararampam! Pararampam!

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According to Simon Cowell a contestant’s choice of song in a singing competition is one humongous factor for the judges and the viewing public to consider the contestant as a good contender.  Have you ever wondered what song are you gonna sing if you are to audition in a talent-reality show?

I do.  Here’s my chosen song…

O ‘di ba… pang standing obeyshon…

Artistas Quest For The Elusive Olympic Gold

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a videograb from youtube featuring the judo powers of baretto and greco-roman wrestling ability of santiago

Philippine telecommunications magnate Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) has been a longtime supporter of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), the duly recognized organization by the International Olympic Committee for the Philippines’ representation in the Olympic Games.

Hours ago, the country’s dream to win an Olympic medal faltered when Pinoy boxer Mark Barriga lost his fight to a Kazahstani fighter.  Thus, another 4 long years again the Philippines will have to wait for a chance to finally pull it off and achieve that elusive Olympic gold.

It has always been a well known fact that the POC lacks the modern equipment, cutting-edge facilities and expert trainers to hone Filipino athletes who would slug it out during the Olympics.  Many people say that the answer to this long running Olympic medal draught is money.

If a lot of people are saying that money is the solution, I just wondered, what if the 4-billion-peso losses of TV5 the TV network owned by MVP was instead spent to buy modern sports equipment, construct cutting-edge sports facilities and train, feed, clothe and shelter the Filipino athletes, would the Filipinos today be united and are already rejoicing for the triumph of the country’s first Olympic gold?

Yeah, if I were MVP I would have spent the 4 billion pesos to these sports related venture.  This would clearly be one great patriotic endeavor.  Too bad I am not MVP.

But if I have the wealth and power of MVP mixed with lunatic neurons and neurotransmitters of Nengkoy’s son (that’s me,) I would spend the 4 billion to Philippine sports but will have to have specific conditions to further ensure the success of obtaining the Olympic gold.  I would dole out 4 billion pesos to Philippine sports only if the following artistas (Filipino entertainment celebrities) will compete for the following Olympics event:

  1.  With the expertise she has shown during her NAIA Terminal 3 airport showdown with Mon Tulfo, actress Claudine Barreto will have to compete in women’s Judo and Taekwondo
  2.  Corollary to item number 1, actor Raymart Santiago will compete in men’s Greco-Roman Wrestling event
  3. Since the Aldeguer Sisters would be too old already by this time, I will demand that the Wea Twins who now for sure are adults must compete in the duet competition of Synchronized Swimming
  4. Corollary to item number 3, the Sex Bomb Dancers will compete also in Synchronized Swimming but in the team competition event
  5.  Since he has done two Panday movies and is planning to film a third one, senator/actor Ramon Bong Revilla must vie for men’s Fencing event
  6. Corollary to item number 5, Anabelle Rama who showed great potential in Fencing during the wake of the late Dolphy by using a cane in trying to whisk her nemesis must compete in that event
  7. Yet corollary to item number 6, Chito Arceo who ran like a scared rat when threatened by Anabelle with a cane must compete in the 100-meter dash
  8. For the country to have more chances of winning the Olympic gold in athletics, Vice Ganda who is a self-confessed horse must also compete in the 100-meter dash
  9. Marian Rivera, Charlene Gonzales, Alice Dixon and Alma Moreno must compete in the various Swimming events since all of them played the role of Dyesebel in the movies and on TV in their respective eras.  They can even vie for the 4×100 meter medley relay.  They will of course will be coached by Vilma Santos who ones played the same role during the ‘70s
  10. Too bad FPJ and Rudy Fernandez are no longer around, they could be our best bet in Shooting events.  These legends never miss a shot in their movies.   Nevertheless, I will give the opportunity to action stars Robin Padilla and Cesar Montano to compete in Air Rifle and Rapid Fire Pistol events
  11. Lastly, Kris Aquino.  She will not compete in any game – she’s to lame – but will instead be the Philippine flag bearer during the big opening ceremony to be escorted of course by Baby “Bimby” James

Talo nanaman kasi tayo kaya kung ano-ano nanaman ang naiisip ko. Go por gold!

Gymnastics: My Dream Olympic Event

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alexei nemov

Now that the London Olympics is on, have you ever wondered what your Olympic event be if you were an athlete?

Only now that it dawned in me that the Olympic event I would be in if I were an athlete is men’s gymnastics.  At a very limited chance that I got to catch a men’s gymnastics game on TV, I am always at awe with the combined strength, form and acrobatics of these athletes.

I guess for me this is one complete sport and besides no one in my country has been sent to compete in gymnastics event in the Olympics (my country with a population’s average height of 5 feet 5 inches is so obsessed with basketball).  Also no male gymnast has been chosen as the Athlete of the Year by ESPY.

Yeah, I have always been a fan of tennis but I will leave that sport to my idol Federer besides everybody can whack a ball with a tennis racket. For me it is easier to swim, dribble a ball, punch an opponent, throw a discus, shoot a target or dash to a 100 meter distance.  But not everybody can twirl with flair on a pommel horse, hang like a monkey on a high bar, fly and twist from a vault, do intricate tumbling passes on the floor, swing and spin on still rings and defy gravity on the parallel bars.

Gymnastics is not considered an extreme sport but through the years of its evolution through discoveries and inventions of various intricate moves I do consider it as one.  Modern acrobatic styles are very risky it can actually result to broken bones or torn muscles.  It takes a lifetime to achieve the form, strength, agility and discipline to perfect this sport.

So to those male gymnasts competing may it be in your local school event or in the high and mighty Olympics I have nothing but high regard for the sport you have chosen.  In case the sport become famous or remains mediocre in popularity I will always be at awe every time I will get the chance to watch a game.

Perpek ten ang skor ko sa sport na ‘to!

I Can Still Be A D&G Supermodel

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Right inside the comforts of my bedroom I was able to watch some of the fashion shows of the 2013 summer and spring men’s collection of notable fashion icons recently held in Milan, Italy.  Thanks to FatalefashionII for posting the videos on YouTube.

I was able to catch the reemerging Jil Sander whose collection was hip, young yet seem square in structure.  Donatela Versace was floral, bling-bling-based and seems Pacquiao inspired.  Ermenegildo Zegna’s collection was clean, slick and sharp.  Burberry was interestingly donned with metallic tones and highlights.  Salvatore Ferragamo was excitingly fun and colorful it reminded me of the shades of M&Ms and Skittles.  Calvin Klein’s collection was monotone, flat and minimalist in nature.

All their respective 2013 collections were very cohesive which I suppose would be a disadvantage.  It’s too cohesive that the pieces seem to look repetitive.  You wouldn’t want to own the whole collection.  Having only a single pair of shoes, a shirt, a coat and pants seem enough.  Wearing on two or three ensembles is like foolishly acquiring two identical shirts or pants at the same time.

But the most compelling among the men’s line for next year was that of the collection of Dolce & Gabbana.  It was fun, hip, relaxed and looks ‘presko’ (cool to the body).  It was unpretentious yet seems adventurous.  It was an easy collection yet well thought of.  You would want to own a wide range of their designs.  It is because the cohesiveness is not based the similarity of colors or structures of the design but instead influenced by the people of a specific a place and culture (i.e. Sicily).

Unfortunately, majority of the comments in FatalefashionII’s D&G runway video were negative.  They say that it was a total disaster and disappointment.  But I beg to disagree. One commendable factor about the clothes presented is that one need not possess the beefcake model-like built and bodily structure to wear those designs.  It is actually evidenced when the models commissioned by the designers who strutted on the runway were non-models and instead ordinary citizens of Sicily.

http://youtu.be/J5FkZdWuApo

According to some fashion news, D&G tapped Sicilian men whose age range is from 13 to 43 years old to model their 2013 Summer & Spring Collection.  Hey!  I am still within that age range!

Because of D&G’s fierce move of appointing common citizens of a certain place and culture to strut the runway to model their collection for a specific fashion season, this actually gave me glimmer of hope that one day I would be able to strut the runway modeling for a top notch fashion icon.

On a personal note, I actually have been wearing D&G everyday around three or four years ago.  This is not because I was able to amass massive number of D&G clothes but because my fragrance during that time was D&G.

Pasosyal naman mashado ang powst na ‘to!

Sakura in Osaka

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Late in the afternoon on our way to Super Tamade, a local store in Sennichimae Dori in Osaka to buy food stuffs to be cooked for dinner, I asked my nephew Denden if Japanese people are still amazed with and still looks forward to Sakura (the blooming of cherry blossoms).  Since it is a yearly phenomenon, I supposed people in Japan must have been so used to it.  I supposed that it was just like an ordinary occurrence in Japan similar to the blooming of bonggambilya or kalachuchi flowers in the Philippines.  It’s nothing to celebrate about.  However, he replied, “Definitely Tito, because autumn is such a gloomy cruel season.  It is so depressingly dull it makes people feeling down and heavy.”

After our first night, walking along the streets of Osaka in the morning, I was a little disappointed because I can actually count few trees whose flowers has bloomed.  Majority of the trees were just brittle branches with dark buds and whose leaves have totally fallen off during the autumn season.  Erika, my niece who’s also based in Japan told me that we arrived too early and should have scheduled our stay in Osaka on the latter days of April to witness the amazing flowers.

On our sixth and seventh day of staying in Osaka we went to Kyoto and Nara, I noticed that only few trees has bloomed with cherry blossoms flowers.  I started to feel the depressing dullness of winter.  I already set in my mind that I need to be back in Osaka some other time and make sure that those days will be the time when cherry blossoms are on its best.  I told myself that the trip in Osaka, Japan could have been more perfect if the cherry blossoms are in full glow.  The Osaka trip could have been like tasting the greatest cake in the world but without the cherry on the top.

On the day prior to our flight back to Manila, my family’s itinerary is to go and visit the Osaka Castle.  I was looking forward to seeing one of the most famous castles in Japan that played a great role in the unification of its people during the sixteenth century but has set my mind that only few cherry blossoms in the area has bloomed.

But when we were about 200 to 300 meters away from the yard vicinity of the great castle, I saw that the color of the trees were strangely different.  I started to feel lighter and a little delighted.  And as we moved in closer, swarms of people – young and old – started to walk in the same direction that we were heading.  I was very glad and very happy because everybody were all heading towards the immense occurrence of Sakura!

 

Denden was all along correct!  Sakura elicits a cheerful feeling pointed towards the core of someone’s heart.  Witnessing the Sakura on the last day of our stay was just like putting the freshest cherry on top of a cake, it was like seeing the Reigna Elena and Reigna Emperatriz combined of the Pinoy Santacruzan, it was like hearing the last yet the greatest hit song of a singer during a phenomenal concert, it was like the highlight of the highlight!

 Grabe! Ang ganda!

Hey Japan, I’m A Fan

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It’s official.  I’m a fan of Japan!

The anime-ish hairstyles; the remarkable efficiency; the tranquility of the intricate subway trains; the quietness of train stations despite presence of swarms of people; the matchless technology yet preserved rich culture and heritage; and the unrivaled fashion.

a calm train station in Osaka

covered street in Namba

Kinkakuji, the temple of the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto

The cute Japanese school uniforms; the efficient weather bureau; the smart looking young office workers dodging on thick manga books; the melodic language; the fine art of Kanji;  the people’s civility, honesty and good manners; and the remarkable cleanliness and ecologically aware streets.

one of the colorful stores in dotonbori

an afternoon walk at dotonbori (nengkoy in white pants)

Don Quixote - a famous landmark in Osaka

wet market in osaka

The wet-less wet market; the people’s courteousness in using the escalator; the ladies’ fake eyelashes, wigs and fingernails; the composure of geishas; the blushed cheeks of cute little children; the aesthetic splendor and freshness of dishes; the serene temples; the wide roads with long tunnels penetrating the mountains; the wonderful cherry blossoms; and the Nissin Chicken Ramen TV commercial I posted below which caught my full attention while I was lazing at the hotel in Osaka.

geishas in kyoto

Todaiji (the Great Eastern Temple) in Nara

my nephew Den Den with cherry blossoms and Osaka Castle in the background (i love this shot!)

 No doubt Japan is all very Zen.  I am so impressed with Japan I sometimes wish I were Japanese.  I could die happy even if I died because of a tsunami as long as in my next life I will be a “delicious” Japanese.  But I guess the Japanese themselves wish they were something else.

Hay nako walang duda… Da gras is griner in Japan.