Tag Archives: wish

A Letter to Akihito

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To His Royal Highness who sits on the Chrysanthemum Throne,

Good morning.

Let me take the pleasure of sending you a word and your imperial army that the most delicious earthling is due to arrive in your splendid land and noble empire anytime soon.  In so doing, your gracious directive and decree is hereby in order which your dwellers have to ensure:

First requirement: Ensure that the delicate flowers that signify the welcome of spring season in your dynasty will be in its full bloom.  The delicious earthling would like to witness this incredible phenomenon.

Second requirement: Your land being at the zone of the planet’s ring of fire must ensure that no tectonic-shaking circumstance must take place at any time during the length of stay of the delicious earthling.  The delicious visitor hates the feeling of disequilibrium and whirling sensation.

Last and final requirement: Your kingdom is known to have preposterous fees and sky-rocketing prices.  The delicious earthling plans to trade his wealth and richness with your abundant commercialized treasures.  In other words, he plans to go on shopping!  Therefore, ensure to assess and lower down the financial value of your land’s commodities during the delicious earthling’s stay.  Otherwise, the delicious earthling will carry with him tons of Ma-Ling (canned luncheon meat) and large boxes of ensaymada (sugar-sprinkled buttered pastry bread).

Your Comrade in Wealth,

The Delicious Earthling

Dahil malamig dun, magbabaon din ako ng Kopiko tri-in-wan copi. 

Joy is an Apple

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me & bautina in kuala lumpur

Here is a cool quote I borrowed from Pete Wentz. Let this be my birthday message to my dear sister Jocelyn who is celebrating her birthday today…

“Girls are like apples…

the best ones are at the top of the trees.

The boys don’t want to reach for the good ones

because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt.

Instead, they just get the rotten apples

that are on the ground that aren’t as good, but easy.

So the apples at the top think 
there is something wrong with them,

when, in reality, they are amazing.

They just have to wait for the right boy to come along,

the one who’s brave enough to climb all the way

to the top of the tree…”

Hapi bertdey Bautina!

Visa-Free Quests for Ref Magnets

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gmanetwork.com recently issued a news and clarification that Filipinos can visit 25 countries around the world without the need for a tourist visa.  This is in clarification to the starting-to-get viral Facebook post that Filipinos can go to 60 countries visa-free.  Press Link here for the clarification and list of visa-free countries which if you will actually count is 26.

I have been a believer of my country’s awesomeness but I love being a tourist and I fancy travelling out of the country.  Nengkoy (my mom) in her exasperated demeanor would often tell me that I don’t have kayamanan (investments, wealth and assets) because according to her my kayamanan are the experiences I gained out from my travels out of the country. So when I checked on the list, there have been six countries that I have already personally visited out of the 26 countries listed.

In each of the destinations I go to, may it be out of the country or within, I always make it a point to bring home with me a memento.  A “delicious” budget traveler like me cannot afford to buy exorbitant souvenirs like paintings, crystals or even silver spoons so I would settle for the cheapest.  That would be a ref magnet!  So, without further pomp and circumstance, here’s a look at the treasures of my adventures:

malaysia "truly asia"

morocco "land of the setting sun"

"amazing" thailand

vietnam "timeless charm"

"your" singapore

hongkong "best place, best taste"

Availability of ref magnets in tourist destinations bearing the name of the city or country as a simple memento is an indication that such place or destination is a tourist hub.

Anyway, referring back to the list, I still have a long way to go in covering all these countries.  I still have 20 more countries to go to visa-free.  However, I noticed that Macau is not included in the list.  It’s also visa-free…

macau "a world of difference"

I do not have investments and Nengkoy is correct. I may have zero assets, humongous liabilities and mediocre net worth but the experiences and wisdoms I gained out from these travels are priceless.

Sa Mars at Jupiter kaya may rep-magnet? 

Good Amber Afternoon

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I am not a professional photographer and I may not shoot the best photo in the world but today’s beautiful weather in the Philippines just egged me on to take a shot of today’s magnificent sunset.

manila bay sunset (jan 21, 2012)

manila sunset (a shot from my unit)

The afternoon today is so orange and the rays of light that touched my skin made me look so radiant.  The sun today is superbly amber it made me feel light and happy.  How I wish this beautiful weather is the same weather we have at all times.  I also wish that a magnificent sunset – may it be 50% or 98% amber – can at all times invoke a person’s light and positive feeling.  Too bad a good feeling is just like the colors of the sunset.  It fades in the night.  It is not like a photograph that you can keep in a box.

Maalab na hapon sa inyong lahat.

Idolizing an 83-Year-Old Dude

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Watching the full recorded YouTube video of Day 2 of the impeachment trial of Supreme Court’s Chief Justice Renato Corona made me fully awake until the video ended. Battle of the brains and the not so brainy practitioners of the law raged on.

One thing is definite after watching the video I was made and transformed to become a fan and admirer of the chief lawyer for the defense, former Associate Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas.  I was in awe on how mentally sharp 83-year-old Cuevas delivered his stand.  He was articulate, extemporaneous and was in full control of his thoughts and reasoning based on logic, provisions of the Constitution and the prevailing laws on due process.

Judging from the video and listening to Cuevas, I saw glimpse of how the Senator-Judges (especially Senator Lito Lapid) has gone amazed and astonished with the way Cuevas delivered his quick-witted manifestations. I myself was nuts about how Cuevas aired out and stressed his keen points and antithesis. Watching Serafin Cuevas perform him duty was an eye-opening experience, that when a person reached old age one should keep the pizzazz and sparkle in everything that he or she does.

I pray to God that I would be blessed with the same acumen when I reach that age.  Two things though, Atty. Cuevas badly needs a good stylist and a more decent haircut.

Aydol kita Manong…

Anticipating Hollywood Stars Sightings in Malate

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"bourne legacy" teaser poster

Every working day, travelling from my 350 divided by 10 square meters condo unit to my office, I would instruct, demand and insist the taxi driver to traverse the streets of Leveriza, San Andres and J. Bocobo so as to reach my office located just across the Remedios Circle in Malate, Manila.  These highly populated streets are the shortest and speediest way for me to reach my office on a regular basis.

However, according to local news these streets and locations are the very sites where Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton and the other stars of Bourne Legacy will shoot the film on January 18 and 19.  Now this posts a problem because for sure these narrow labyrinthine roads will either be closed for or filled with traffic.

repairing the Remedios Circle lamp posts

Just yesterday, I noticed that the rickety and long-overdue-needing-repair lamp posts around Remedios Circle were being restored and refurbished.  Moreover, the rundown parking slots in the corner of Remedios Circle and J. Bocobo street is being constructed with high-rise scaffolding which I suppose where the high-tech cameras will be installed and operated on the days of the shoot.

Despite all these, I will still pass by these roads on January 18 and 19 but will not take a cab anymore.  Instead, I will ride the ever reliable manually-operated padyak (foot-pedaled tricycle) while sporting my posh designer office clothes.  I also plan to bring along with me my prehistoric digital camera to take photos of these celebrities as remembrance.

However, I am still contemplating whether to bring me a pen and paper where the movie stars can sign their autographs since getting their elusive autographs seemed too farfetched.  Instead, in keeping with the circa 70’s and 80’s tradition of a true Filipino fan (ala Germspecial or GMA Super Show – famous but now defunct Filipino Sunday noontime shows hosted by German Moreno), I will bring lots of Sampaguita leis to hang and drape around their respective necks.  The amount of these flower garlands that I will put around their neck would be so plenty, only the foreheads of these Hollywood stars would be visible.  Here in the Philippines during the 70’s and 80’s the higher the leis that hang on a celebrity’s neck the more sikat (popular and admired) he or she is.

No way will I instruct the padyak driver to take a different route since I expect to experience rare Hollywood star sightings, the Malate version.

Yihee, may rason na akong hwag umabsent sa mga araw nayan…

A Unique Creation

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This is my first post for the year 2012 and I want my post to convey positive thought.

We are created in this world with a purpose.  Whether we fulfill such purpose or not, let’s all be useful in our own little way and try to see and understand everyone’s own uniqueness.

I know that challenges will be ahead and just like the video I included in this post, I would try my best this year to turn good whatever I would be blessed or cursed with – may it be an angel’s wings or the horrendous horns of the devil.

Wishing all those people who come to have read this specific post a nice and satisfied life…

Sana’y pare-pareho tayong tubuan ng pakpak.

Happy Fruity New Year!

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Nothing will be missed, nothing will be gone.  So in keeping with the Pinoy tradition of hoping and wishing for good luck and prosperous New Year, I have filled two humungous containers with varieties of sweet round fruits.

Let me also take this great opportunity to thank all the sweet-fruity-like people who provided me joy in the year 2011 may it be like a tiny cherry in shape or the titanic watermelon in structure.  A heartfelt thanks to all people who kept me company in chasing butterflies and harvesting the crops of my existence, you made me further appreciate the rainbows of life.  You have been the fresh grapes, apples and mangoes of my being.

And for those who’ve been like rotten fruits who gave me a sting in the neck this year, let me pronounce that I forgive you and I’m wishing you not to carry out the most evil thing that you would do on the coming fresh year that would result to a karmic debt that you will be repaying and re-harvesting for the rest of your life.

In 2012 we for sure will encounter noble failures – that’s the bitter part of life – but let’s turn and plant these mishaps to bear creative golden orange-like opportunities.  Let’s all keep dreaming and try to achieve it with a smile.  Happy New Year everyone!!!

Hwag kayong mag-alala, tulad ng prut salad, masarap pa rin ako neks yir!

Karen & Denton: Engaged!

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Karen & Denton's "Mini Me"

Joesel Javier, my Pinoy-Aussie friend who exclusively flew from Sydney to Manila to attend our dear friends Karen & Denton’s Engagement Party was a little ill passed up the task to say few words during the program.  Karen then passed on the mission to me which I deemed as an honored privilege.  Here’s the full text of what I said last night…  

Royal Palm Hotel was the site where the beautiful bond between Karen & Denton started.  Karen as the Account Executive and Denton as one of the trainee-participants in one of the functions held in the hotel.  That was is the mid-90’s.

I remember Karen telling me when she finally answered yes to Denton.  A task was given to Denton before she finally said YES.  That is, she asked Denton, the quiet and reserved type, to sing few lines of a song over their phone conversation.  Eh in-love ang mokong, ayun! Kumanta ang Denton!

In the previous decade, their relationship no doubt flourished.  I can proudly say that I have been a good witness in the dynamics of these royalties’ relationship.  I said royalties because I personally tagged them as the crowned prince and princess of Armidale.

I am one of their usual companions when they would spend their holidays out of town or out of the country.  I have been with them in Macau, Hongkong, Singapore, twice in Sydney, in Melbourne, in Bohol, in Boracay and just a week ago in Bellarocca in Marinduque.  I’ve seen them dance, I’ve seen them kissed,  I’ve seen them laugh, I’ve seen them fight and recently in our Marinduque adventure I’ve seen them sang a song together!

When I would brag and present my travel photos to my mom, she once commented that I always travel with Karen & Denton.  She even asked if I was the “dakilang alalay” of these two.  I just answered her, “No Nanay, they are my alalays  na-in love lang sa isa’t isa”.

Anyway, to you Karen & Denton, a successful relationship is tested and requires falling in love many times always with the same person. A successful relationship is like a dance of two people, moving gracefully and intimately.  And I have been your “delicious” witness.

The dance of life with a Facebook status of “In A Relationship”, the boyfriend and girlfriend take turns in leading the dance.  My wish for you Karen & Denton is that you never stop dancing ‘till beyond.  Cheers to the both of them!!!

Mwah! Mwah! Tsup! Tsup!

NAIA should aim to be The Most Honest & Most Caring Airport

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With the advent of NAIA being named as the worst airport in the world and with the long over-due plans of improving it, the government neither the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) should not aim for the-now-hideous NAIA to become the best airport in the world.  With the constant improvements in their respective airports done by richer countries, NAIA will never become the best airport in the world.  But instead, MIAA should aim for NAIA to be the most honest and most caring airport in the world.  This goal I guess is more feasible.

Present people working in NAIA seem to have imbibed the distorted culture of corruption, thievery and extortion.  Sorry if I maybe too harsh but that is the image they project.  And that is how I and a lot of travelers perceive them to be.  Not all workers in NAIA, if I may say, are like these but those crooked individuals seem to have effectively impinged everyone.

Because if all people working in NAIA will simply be caring and be honest, everything else will follow like: (i) the sky rocketing 8.5 billion pesos annual collection from terminal fees will be used on where it is supposed to be used, i.e. facilities upgrade and improvement; (3) it will encourage reputable restaurants and boutiques to operate business in the airport; and (iii) a feeling of a more welcomed and more secured 10.5 million passengers that passed through NAIA every year.

I may want NAIA to be grand, luxurious and elegant but for now all I need NAIA to be is simply be caring and be honest.

Sin verguenza mahabaging langit! Umayos ka.