Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Turning Japanese - Day 01: NAIA To Narita

NAIA waiting area. A few minutes before boarding. Excited, obviously. It was just my second time to go abroad.

NAIA. Before takeoff. I was sitting right beside the emergency exit. And all I could see was the wing of the plane.

Last image of the Philippines before we left its aerial domain. Or something.

Japan. First non-blue-sky-slash-water image of Japan.

Closer.

Narita International Airport.

日本 : 日本へようこそ.
私 : ありがとう。

Huh?!

-

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Starstruck: Dream. Believe. Conspire.

On Friday night, Libay, Beng, Avie and I had a meeting with Cynthia Alexander. Syempre, starstruck ako.

Sobra akong excited to meet Cynthia (yep, first name basis) in person kaya bago kami umalis ng UPFI, nag-rehearse na kami ng blocking para magka-picture kami together.

It worked. Although I'm pretty sure na wala siyang kamalay-malay na 'yung ibang shots, sa aming dalawa lang nakatutok.

*stalker*stalker*stalker*

Hindi, ah. Hindi ako epal na stalker so wala siyang dapat ipag-alala sa kaligtasan niya at ng mga mahal niya sa buhay.

The Libay and the Tarp.

Siyempre, hindi pa nakakapasok ng Conspiracy pero piktyuran na nang piktyuran. Libay, Avie and Beng.

Conspirators: Libay, Beng and Avie.

The Messenger: Me carrying a brown envelop.

Ang Sari-Sari Store ni GMA na bukas sa lahat ng gustong lumamon.

More conspirators: Libay, Beng, Jaja (sp), Bryan (Quebry?!), Cynthia and Avie.

Moment of truth: Libay, Beng, Jaja, Bryan, Cynthia and, ehrm, I.

Same peeps, same place, same pose.

Ayun, nakakahalata na si Cynthia.

And... may pic kaming dalawa.

Me: Okay 'to, p're.
Cynthia: May utak kaya ito?

Ahwrrr! Nakahalata na nga. Napikon. Naging lobo tsaka tumakbo palayo.

Pero hindi du'n nagtatapos ang piktyuran. Si Avie 'to, sumi-silhouette.

Avie's silhouette ulit.

Avie's silhouette... pero may flash. (Anlabo.)

Libay and Beng. Quiet lang si Beng. Si Libay naman bume-blend sa plants.

Dalagang Pilipina.

The Libay and the Pako.

Ewan kung anong ibig sabihin nito.

Ito rin hindi malinaw kung ano ang message na padala ng universe.

TAYAAN


Libay tagged me. Damay-damay na lang :P

* Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.
* Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their ten things and post these rules.

* At the end of your blog, you need to choose ten people to get tagged and list their names.
* Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I am a hundred percent probinsyano. I live and work in QC now, pero sana maka-raise ako soon ng money para makabili ng lupa sa Pulilan. Doon na ako magre-retire. Hopefully there'll be enough space para makapag-alaga ako ng mga hayup at halaman. Tipong magsasaka ang dating.

2. Every so often naiisip ko na maging isang mangingisda. Gusto ko ring tumira at mag-work in Baguio/Boracay/Vigan/Cotabato/Negros for a year. Sana magawa ko ang mga ito before ako tuluyang matali sa siyudad.

3. Katoliko na ulit ako. Although hindi naman talaga nawawala ang pagiging Katoliko ng isang tao oras na mabinyagan, unless ma-excommunicate. Pero itinanggi ko 'tong relihiyon na 'to sa loob ng halos isa't kalahating dekada. At kababalik-balik ko lang two years ago.

4. Hindi ako naniniwala na random ang pangyayari sa mundo. Sa experience ko, lahat ay may dahilan at may patutunguhan. Totoo rin ang karma. Simpleng action-reaction. What goes around comes around.

5. 100% Tagalog, pero Ilongo-phile. I can speak a little Ilongo pero napapaghalo ko with Bisaya. Napapagkamalan akong Ilongo minsan. At ikinatutuwa ko 'yun.

6. Passive-aggressive ako. Ayoko ng confrontation. Ayoko ng diskusyon. Ayoko ng away. Kapag galit ako (which happens very seldom) pinuputol ko na lang ang komunikasyon. At sabi ng ilang kaibigan, sumasabog kapag napupuno.

7. Ayokong matali sa technology--pc, internet, phone. At ayokong ine-equate ang friendship sa reachability. Ayokong pinagagalitan ako dahil lang hindi ako matawagan, o hindi nagre-reply sa text. Dahil ako, nagagalit lang kapag sobrang laki na ng kasalanan. Like murder, rape, arson and malversation of public funds. Text/calls? Wala 'yan.

8. Near-sighted at astigmatic. Hindi ko ma-distinguish ang dark colors sa isa't isa. Black-darkblue-darkgreen-darkwhatever, pare-pareho lang na black para sa 'kin. Nalilito rin ako sa red and green pag pinagtabi. I can't effing carry a tune.

9. Middle child ako kaya matampuhin at KSP.

10. Mababaw ang kaligayahan ko at mababaw din ang luha ko.

I'm tagging: Laya, Cynthia, Mariel, Michiko, Jo, Ma-an, Monj, Pol, Squid, and Dang.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Jabba The Futt Slutt Strikes Again

Humirit na naman 'yung majobese na journalist kuno aka Malu Fernandez aka The Blob aka Jabba The Futt Slutt.

S'ya 'yung bumalaj sa ating mga abang OFW. Ngayong naman ang tinitira n'ya ay 'yung mga blogger.

HAHRRR! Nakakainit ng dugo itong walking cholesterol na ito. Nagkakalat ng sebo.

Eh kinangina/tinangama naman 'yung Manila Standard, ipinrint pa.

Heniwey, baka alam n'yo na rin naman dahil panis na 'tong article na 'to. Just the same, here it is.

Wait! Lilinawin ko lang: Opo, sandamakmak po talaga ang ellipses, 'yung ellipsis sa title ay APAT na tuldok, at non sequitur ang mga argumento. Sus! Saan ba nag-grade one ito? At wala bang editor na tumingin man lang sa "article" n'ya?

* * *

The problem with blogging....
By Malu Fernandez

Just this morning I got a text telling me to check out some blog with juicy gossip about the so called “Gucci Gang” curiously enough I logged on and read all the gossip and juicy details. Whether or not the stories were true I didn’t really care to find out nor do I care to be involved. It makes no difference in my life who did what to whom it was just a leisure gossip read and I was just one of the many people who read the blog but halfway through I became quite disturbed as it made me reminiscent of the numerous blogs I was once the hot topic of.

Before I go any further I must stress the point that this is not about my previous issue, but simply the point of view of someone who has been a victim of vicious blogging and blogging as a new communication medium. To those of you who are mass/volume or dense (that’s the physics formula for density to those who are clueless) again, I repeat this is not a reaction toward my past actions.

So let me continue, first of all I believe in the freedom of speech. By all means say what you need to say. Unfortunately for most of the bloggers without advertising you get paid nothing. If in fact you do get paid then hooray for you. But blogging, aside from Perez Hilton and the other big time bloggers (you know who you are) is for me a slacker job or a medium and pastime for lonely people to connect. Unless you’re in bloody Siberia or in a Gulag prison, try stepping outside your comfort zone and turn off the laptop or pc, you just might find some real live people to talk to instead of typing away in cyber space.

On the flipside blogging can be a good source of information and a great way to exchange ideas. This I strongly encourage whether it is about politics, fashion, food or whatever topic you may choose. Friendly and healthy discussions are always great.

The difference between a journalist and a blogger is that journalists have to adhere to certain guidelines that govern the freedom of speech. And whatever a journalist chooses to write about—be it popular or unpopular—we do not hide behind an anonymous name and are resigned to the fact that we have to take as much as we dish out. However, I simply detest people who place vicious comments and slanderous statements in blogs yet sign their messages as ‘anonymous.’ If you have something to say, don’t hide behind a false name. It’s just plain cowardice of you to do so. I have more of a deep sense of respect for those—however unpopular or vicious their statements are—who post their views with their real names and make no bones about it. At least they stand for something; I would rather take it from them than the cowards that hide behind false names.

Perhaps it is the Filipino culture to foster backstabbing because they never mean what they say face to face. Just how many times have you dealt with co-workers who will smile in your face when you ask them to perform a task or engage in just plain conversation, when in fact they are quite uncomfortable with the situation and are forced to do what they absolutely detest with a smiling face. I guess it’s the kind of culture brought about by 300 years of Spanish colonization. To one particular blogger of Spanish descent but with an Indio face, don’t act like a peninsulares and quote Spanish words from the generation of your abuelita... jeez and they call me elitist. The Spanish rule is over, get over yourself and your Español relatives who used to have power... but I digress (oops, my bad...) Let’s move forward.

It’s just like all this hullabaloo about ousting GMA. You deposed ERAP in Edsa Dos. Now you’re unhappy with his replacement. Make up your minds. (For the record I’m not pro anybody I’m pro whatever lesser evil is out there). You can’t overthrow one president then decide you made a mistake with your second choice. I’s not like buying a green Hermes bag and suddenly deciding, oops I should have gotten the black one instead. Unfortunately that’s the kind of nation we have become, a bunch of wishy-washy whiners who whine about everything under the sun and found the blog sphere to be the new medium for whining. Yes we do what we have to do as a nation to get things done and stop corruption and evil (I’m all for that) but we never seem to be happy with what we have, hence the complaining and whining. It just never stops.

I suppose I started some kind of trend by eliciting nasty comments and reactions via blog because of my indiscretion. But it seems to be a comfortable medium for people to vent their anger on just about everything they disagree with. I have been called an irresponsible journalist so what does that make you? It is easy to hide under the guise of anonymity you can say just about anything you want because you have no repercussions to deal with. It’s easy to hide behind a false moniker isn’t it?

Just a thought to ponder on... Maybe I should start an anonymous blog and really let go... but then again I don’t want to be responsible for World War Three and I would sleep much better being brutally honest in your face than hide behind an anonymous name. Wouldn’t it be hilarious if I started a blog just to shake things up and got a ton of money in advertising? If I do decide to do that I thank you all in advance for inspiring me… I’m always a glass half full kinda girl anyway...

GMA Q&A

Nakuha ko 'to sa isang mailing list. Eh ayaw iluwa yung bilyones na nakurakot, tapos ayaw pang bumaba sa pwesto. Kaya laitin na lang natin. Duh?!

1) "Eh di wala na!", ito ang sagot ni Gloria sa tanong na:
a) "Nasan na po ang pera ng bayan?"
b) "May pagtatalik pa bang nagaganap sa inyo ni Mike?"
c) "May pag-asa pa po ba kayong tumangkad?"

2) Sa litratong ito, si Gloria ay:
a) Contestant sa Little Miss Philippines
b) Contestant sa Miss Gay Pampanga
c) Contestant sa Little Miss Gay Pampanga

3) Ang sigaw ni Gloria ay:
a) "Darna!"
b) "Kokey!"
c) "Hindi ako pahuhuli ng buhay! Yessss!"

4) Galit si Gloria dahil:
a) sinasabihan pala siya ng mga alipores niya na "luckiest bitch around"
b) kamukha nya si Candy Pangilinan sa litratong ito
c) hindi sya galit, ino-audition lang nya ng "walaaaang himalaaaa!"

5) Sagot ni Gloria ay ganito nang tanungin sya ng:
a) "Ok ka lang ate?"
b) "Paano kayo nanalo sa election?"
c) "Gaano kalaki ang butas ng puwet ni Mike?"

6) Sa litratong ito, si Gloria ay:
a) nasa prayer meeting
b) bigatin sa Wowowee o tumataktak sa Eat Bulaga
c) gustong sumagot sa tanong ng guro

7) Sa larawang ito, si Gloria ay:
a) nangangati ang leeg dahil sa buni
b) may isinesenyas sa mga militar na kailangang patahimikin
c) pinapaalis 'yung angel sa kanang balikat

8) Nakapikit si Gloria dahil:
a) may na-amoy na mabango
b) may na-amoy na mabaho
c) may na-amoy na pera

9) Ang larawan ito ay kinuha noong:
a) debut nya
b) JS Prom nya
c) sumali sya sa Little Miss Gay Pampanga

10) Ang daliring ito ang kanyang:
a) pinang-kukulangot
b) pinang aaliw sa sarili
c) pandutdot sa puwet ng kanyang asawa

11) Bad trip na naman sya dahil:
a) may nagtanong tungkol sa height nya
b) may nagtanong kung kapatid nya si Nora
c) hindi niya kayang ipaligpit ang lahat ng mga nagtatanong

12) Pinapakita ni Gloria na:
a) nakaboto na sya
b) naipit ang daliri nya sa pinto ng doll house
c) violet ang kulangot nya

13) "Apat" ang sagot ni Gloria ng tanungin sya kung:
a) ilang talampakan sya
b) ilang centimeters ang kay Mike
c) ilang utong meron sya