DEMOCRACY! Surely, you can generate better ideas. IF YOU CHOOSE TO.
When I was young, my Tatay and I would watch a parade of shirtless men doing penance. And that used to scare me a lot.
My mother would make an altar in our terrace and groups of old and young women would come to our house and pray.
You would hardly find your favorite shows on TV. People would speak in low voices and would refuse to eat meat.
People did not use to travel a lot, worried they would meet an accident because the Lord was ‘weak.’
And on Good Friday, we had to take a bath before the clock struck 3. That was the time Jesus Christ died on the cross, our folks would tell us.
Now things have changed. People go to the beach. Our fave TV shows are on the air till Wednesday. People don’t mind eating meat.
Most of them have become more open-minded and practical that they have already realized that what’s important is we never forget how God gave His Son Jesus and how Jesus gave up His life and faced His fate just to save us.
My 4-month old nephew was baptized last Sunday, 2nd of October. Starlight and I went to the church to take photos and footage of the whole event. It started at around 11 in the morning.
Here are some of the photos taken…
While waiting for the Sunday mass to finish...
Still waiting...
Vaugn Riley aka Cyborg
An old lady, who serves in the church, asked them to change Riley's polo to a more comfy shirt.
Starin' at the candle light..
Father and Son
Jhem-Jhem is now a lady..
Our Chaperone...
Playing with the kids at Cyborg's kingdom
Euan, Milky, Titus, and Tim (oops and Tin-Tin on the right)
Nanay and my Boys
Bonus photo: Starlight and I met two street kids outside the church. He took a picture of them.
This morning, I was really angered by the selfish drivers on strike in Laguna. I had a good start — feeling so pleasant, happy, and fresh. I took a jeepney going to Balibago Complex, like what I usually do, but the jeepney we were on was barred from passing through Brgy. Dita. The strikers were pecking our driver about how tired they were and that our driver was not cooperating. I asked them to please let us pass but they were so mayabang.
Manong Striker #1:: Oy! Baba! Baba! Pababain niyo na yan! Kanina pa kami dito! Pagod na pagod na kami dito mga wala kayong pakisama!
Driver:: Wala po tayong magagawa, pasensya na po. Hinaharang po talaga dito.
Me:: (to the strikers) Kuya, huwag naman ho. Nadadamay naman ho kasi yung ibang tao.
Manong Striker #2:: (holding a long wooden rod) Ah hinde, hinde! Baba!
Grudgingly, I got off the jeepney giving them what my Gerpren May and I call the “sinister look,” talking angrily and loudly about how selfish of them to think only of themselves when a lot of other people take the consequence of their actions. A man was walking with what I seemed like a mocking expression, saying “Pasensiya na! Pasensiya na!”
So I answered him, “Pasensiya na…! Eh andaming nadadamay sa mga kalokohan niyo! Kung gusto niyong magstrike, kayo na lang! Bakit idadamay yung iba eh nagtatrabaho sila! Kaunting kibot, welga!”
He answered back, “Bakit ka sa’kin nagrereklamo? Dun ka magreklamo sa baranggay!”
“Mga tarantado kayo! Mga pu#$&*@#a niyo! Gago!Eh antitigas nga ng mukha niyo walang magawa sa inyo!”
Leaving with no choice, I walked from there to Maja Subdivision where I took a tricycle which cost me P15 for the ride. I was trembling and shaking with anger. If I only had the strength of a mutant or a Greek God, I would collect all those strikers and throw them out into the ocean! Doon sila magwelga! >/
Dear Jeepney Drivers and Operators,
Kung tutuusin po, mas malaki pa ang kinikita ninyo sa amin araw-araw. Mas maganda nga lang po ang tawag sa trabaho namin pero sa totoo lang, mas nagigipit pa kami kesa sa inyo. Kung hindi maganda ang kita niyo, bakit pa kayo nag-invest sa jeep kung wala naman kayong kikitain? Eh di sana wala nang gugustuhing mag-operate ng jeep.
Pare-pareho lang po tayong nagigipit. Pare-pareho tayong nagsu-suffer. Alam kong karapatan ninyo yan, pero huwag naman kayong umabuso. Kaunting kibot, welga. Puro kayo reklamo, eh hindi naman kayo sumusonod sa batas. O, magrereact kayo? Sabihin niyong mali ako?
Napakayayabang niyo pa. Kung makasingil nga kayo sa mga pasahero niyo akala niyo nauutakan kayo. Ni hindi niyo nga inisip ang kapakanan ng mga pasahero niyo. Sige lang nang sige! Sakay lang ng sakay, kahit na magkanda-utot na ang mga puwet sa sobrang sikip!
Ang dapat sa inyo, huwag nang pagbigyan. Ano pa bang gusto niyo? P9.oo na minimum na pamasahe? Sobra naman ho yan! Namamasahe din ho ang mga kapamilya niyo. Hindi ba? Huwag kayo maging makasarili. Ikumpara niyo na lang ang kita ninyo sa araw-araw sa minimum wage ng mga empleyado sa Pilipinas. Alam niyong lamang na lamang kayo.
Kung may mga driver na kumikita ng maliit, kasalanan yan ng gahaman ninyong operator. Malaking kickback nila sa inyo, kahit na kayo ang nagpagod magpaikot-ikot sa byahe.
Alam kong mga sarado utak niyo. Sana kasi mas pinili niyo ang ibang trabaho para hindi kayo nagrereklamo. Choice niyo yan, eh. Harapin niyo mga consequences. Isa pa, para kay Manong Striker #1, wala hong nagpilit sa inyo na magstrike. Choice mo yan. Kaya huwag mong isumbat sa iba na kanina ka pa napapagod kasi ginusto mo yan. Sino bang nagsabi sa’yo na huwag bumiyahe at magpakapagod ka dyan?
From your pasahero, Rix.
I was reading Saab Magalona’s blog this morning and I saw her post about Project Knowledge. Education is one of the most essential things a person must have. But it is also one of those things that are not given to everyone. So with this project, even those who live far away will be given a chance to get better education. I just want to share this awesome project to all of you guys and maybe we can help make this project work!
Click this picture to go to their Facebook page.
Project Knowledge is a group of 10 business students from UP Diliman and for our CWTS project this sem, we decided to raise funds for our chosen beneficiary, the Knowledge Channel (creator of educational shows like Sineswkela, Mathinik, Hiraya Manawari etc.)
One of our fund-raising projects is a Facebook Like page or campaign, in which Aquabest will donate P5.00 for every like our page will be generating. So far we have already accumulated P11, 310 (as of 8:26 PM August 9) and our target number is 10,000 likes or P50,000.
The funds that we will be raising will be used by Knowledge Channel to provide free educational TV (ETV) facilities and programs to public schools, especially those in the remote areas. They are also trying to reach out as far as they can through volunteer mobile teachers and the use of E-pads and I-pads in teaching.
Go and like their page to help get the whole country educated! Click on the picture NOW.
Hey there! How was your weekend? Did you go out with your friends? Did you go to the mall and scan the whole building like a mall rat? Did you have a date at a restaurant or a park? Or did you just stay at home — doing some chores and watching movies — like me? However you may have spent your weekend, I hope you had a fantastic one. Coz no matter how simply I spent it, I feel fantastic.
Last Friday, I already posted Days 5 and 6 because, yeah, I don’t go online on weekends — like what I said. 
So today is the 7th day of this challenge. And today’s gonna be about a song that reminds me of a certain event.
Now I’m still thinking of which event and which song reminds me of it. Hmmh… Let me think…
LIGHTBULB!
I know.. Okay, so this is not a party or a national holiday or something, but it’s just an event in my life that remains undeleted in my heart and mind.
It was the day my father was leaving for Riyadh. Early at dawn, my dad turned up the volume of our radio when he was playing this song. He was getting so emotional about leaving our house, our family, and our country for the first time. He knew that he would miss everybody since it was a totally different land. So he sang every single word of the song so full of love and longing. He was crying while singing. (Yeah, I know it was a bit OA, but you know, it was his first time and he didn’t super duper want to leave.)
Every time this song is played on the radio, I remember that day. I can imagine him standing at the door shirtless, wearing his favorite white shorts, one hand on the waist, the other on the door frame — crying and singing…
Day 7: A Song That Reminds You Of A Certain Event — Green, Green Grass of Home (Tom Jones)
I just saw a video of Wong Fu Productions called Wong Fu Weekend. It’s their 28th WFW episode and this one is really special. They went on tour, which they call the ISA (International Secret Agents), in New York. They, along with the other Asian-American artists, performed onstage in front of a large crowd.
One of them named Ted nervously went on stage alone and called out his girl friend. No one didn’t have a clue what was about to happen. Ted started introducing his girl friend — with a shaky voice — and telling the people how long they’d been together. Suddenly he pulled something out of his pocket, got down on his knees, and said “Cathy, will you marry me?”
The crowd was on hyper mode. I got teary-eyed watching it. I paused it for a while because if I didn’t, my tears would definitely come running down my face. It was really awesome, overwhelming, surprising, and so full of love.
I didn’t use to think that a marriage proposal would be a big deal for a couple, especially for a woman. I used to think it was unnecessary because, anyway, you may really end up marrying each other, according to your plans. (Unless it was because of unexpected and unplanned pregnancy)
But now, I’m imagining what it would be like if Cathy were me. Just like a young 9 year-old girl daydreaming about her 18th birthday party.
My love life (if that’s what you call it) is pretty complicated. So I don’t know if I’ll ever have my own epic experience called ‘marriage proposal.’
How about you? How would you like your boyfriend to propose to you? If you’re already engaged or married, how did your guy propose?
Love is beautiful. Just like life, it’s the people that complicate it. Stay in love. Not only to your partner, but also to your family, your kids, and to God.
Here’s the video of Ted’s proposal (if you want to skip, click on to 07:40)
