Death of A King

I, together with the rest of the nation, mourned the death of our comedy king, Dolphy. I may not have known or met him personally but I feel like I have lost a family member as he was very much a part of my childhood. A TV comedienne said it well, "Hindi ka Pilipino kung hindi ka lumaki kay Dolphy!" (You are not Filipino if you did not grow up watching Dolphy.)

In his films and TV shows, he personified the Filipino spirit: finding humor in life, despite poverty and hardships. He was also the epitome of a good father- from John Puruntong to Kevin Cosme. A father who may not have been able to shower his kids with money and material things, but have always given them his love and support. He taught us that no matter how tough life can get, everything will be alright as you have your family. I know that through his long-running shows, John en Marsha and Home Along Da Riles, he became a second father to most of us.



He made us laugh but he also made us cry. The masa loved him because they all see themselves in him. Through his movies, he was telling their story. Even when he played gay roles, his performance was always sincere, his humor never becoming offensive. For this, he won several acting awards both locally and internationally.

But more than Dolphy the good actor, people will miss Dolphy the good human being. Despite his superstar status, he has always remained humble never thinking of himself as king. He treated everyone fairly and equally- from the famous stars down to the staff and crew. Countless of people attest to his generosity and genuine concern for people. We've heard people thanking him for helping them out without hesitation in their hour of need.

That is why all of us are saddened by the passing of our king. We will miss you, Dolphy! I am sure that you will continue to bring happiness and laughter up there in heaven.

How To Stop A Nightmare

Saw this video on a friend's Facebook page and I couldn't help but gush because it's sooooo cute!!! =)



This is so awwww-worthy!

Google Oogle

I'm not sure if you guys do this but, sometimes when I'm really really bored and can't think of anything better to do with my time, I go to the Internet and Google my name. (Sheepish grin)

I know it's very vain of me, but I get a kick out of knowing where in cyberspace my name is mentioned. Teehee! Well, there's not a lot of websites that do but this one kinda caught my attention:

Yebah! Hahaha =D

Name Game. It's More Fun In The Philippines.

It is a known fact that Filipinos have a penchant for creating unique and witty names.

We are especially imaginative when it comes to giving nicknames. There’s Junjun, Dingdong, Tenten, and Popoy. Apparently, one syllable is not enough. Nicknames can also be a description of the person. My uncle has a driver we call Big Boy, not because he’s big, but just the opposite (he's just about my height, standing less than 5 feet).He also had a driver called Jackson, because he looks like Michael Jackson. We also have an abundant supply of Hs, Vs and Zs. Jhing, Bhoy, Vhong, Renz and Vinz all got one or two.

A friend's dad was especially creative in naming his children. They were named:

1. Akone - or Ako ni, meaning This is mine
2. Elane - or Ila ni, meaning This is theirs; and
3. Emone- or Imo ni, meaning This is yours

Of course we also subscribe to the 'normal' naming conventions, like naming kids after patron saints, popular celebrities, and using names found in baby dictionaries. But you may say that our 2 most common ways of naming children are:  

Number 1. Combining the names of parents/grandparents- my sister’s and brother’s names are good examples of this. My sister is named Riobelle- Rio from my dad, Rogerio and Belle from my mom's Velma. My brother Manuel Jose is named after my grandfathers. Can you guess their names? Their names are already normal, compared to Vandolph, a by-product of Vanessa and Rodolfo.

Number 2. We also name children after popular celebrities, but with a comical twist. Edgar Allan Po and Edgar Allan Pe are obviously Chinoys named after the poet. I’ve heard of someone naming their baby Kobe Bryant Cruz. And I have a colleague named Earvin Magic Chongson. Parents are sometimes just plain cruel.

Now, not only do we pour our creative juices to coming up with creative names of people, we also do the same thing in naming our businesses. Here are just some of them:

Tindahan sa Kanto - meaning corner store, for a sari-sari store that’s literally on the corner

Barak-Ooh-Mama for a brand of kapeng barako

Esteban Labada- Labada means laundry. So this is a laundry shop found in Esteban Abada Street.

Alabank- for a thrift bank found in Alabang

Johnny’s The 'Fried' of Marikina - food store whose specialty is fried chicken

Pakopya ni Edgar - a photocopier shop probably owned by Edgar

Automobili Co. - a buy and sell car shop. When read, this means literally 'Your car, I'll buy'

Goto Me Goto Ü - a goto shop

So you see, we find humor in even the most mundane task of naming a person or a business. It's definitely more fun in the Philippines.

P.S. If you don't get the connection of the picture to this post, she's Laura Branigan, who sang the 80s hit The Name Game. Sorry, I can't find a better photo haha!

No Coffee For You!

I swear, I just love these kids! Especially Sophia Grace, she cracks me up! I wouldn't mind having kids around the house if they're as charming and chatty as these two. The first time I saw them on Ellen, I just fell in love with them. Their shopping spree video was oh so hilarious. Sophia Grace kind of reminds me of my younger self. Although definitely with less energy, I would sing or dance in front of people without too much prodding. If we had Youtube back in the day, I would've caused my parents a bigger headache!

Modern Family

They are definitely my current favorite TV family. Everyone's so funny and the situations they find themselves in are hilarious. Phil Dunphy's 'peerenting' style and his endearing ways make him my favorite! He and Claire make such a perfect pair (oy, nag-rhyme). I love Cam too, for his flamboyant gay ways. And to think he's the straight one in real life. Manny's such an adorable kid, acting beyond his years and being the voice of reason among them.

They're such a great cast and they make my Saturday afternoons light and filled with laughter.

All In A Day's Work

I was going through some old pics in my Multiply and I found this video clip, it's from the farewell video we shot for a boss. Back then, we used to create videos for colleagues who were resigning or celebrating a milestone. But when more and more people started leaving, I guess we just couldn't keep up so we stopped doing them altogether, haha!



After watching, I suddenly missed the old team. Sure we were all stressed out, working until late in the evening, but we still managed to keep it fun. It's always a blessing to find people you get along with in the workplace. And an even bigger blessing to call them your friends. =)

The 5 People You Meet in Commuter Hell

One of the things I hate most in the world is taking the public transportation. I mean, what's to love about pollution and absence of personal space? But ever since I got here, I had no choice but join the rest of the commuting public. To make my daily sacrifice bearable, I've resorted to (if not daydreaming) observing the people around me and I've noticed that almost everyone belongs to these 5 types:


1. Noddy

Noddy is that toy with springy neck so he looks like he's always nodding. If you don't know him, think animal toy with a wiggly head propped on a taxicab's dashboard.

Noddy's that passenger who immediately nods off to sleep as soon as he settles in his seat oblivious to everything that's going around him. But the amazing thing is, Noddys exactly know when to wake up. I think they have developed this sensor that alerts them when their stop is near.

There are worse kinds- the Leaning Towers and the Droolers- but thank goodness I've never sat beside them!


2. The Juicer

The jeepney or tricycle's full. The Juicer comes in, inserts between you and another passenger, and squeezes the life out of you. You try to scoot a few more inches lest he/she sits on your lap, and you're forced to sit half-assed in a very awkward position.

I mean c'mon, it's bad enough that you're sharing a cramped space with strangers early in the morning, and someone decides to squeeze in and leave you breathless, hanging onto dear life.


3. Mad Max

Dance or rock music's blaring from the speakers way too early in the morning. It's chest-thumpingly loud that I'm afraid that my heart might get confused with the different rhythm and it literally skips a beat.

And bad news for you if the jeepney doesn't have that string or button to signal the driver to stop and pull over. Then you'd have to resort to wild waving, beating your chest and shouting "Para!" at the top of your lungs just like Tarzan.

Worse yet, if the driver thinks he's in the Indy 500 and feels like racing against any vehicle on the road. It's particularly infuriating when they start driving off (at a maddening pace, mind you) before your ass even touches the seat or before you've properly alighted.


4. Deadma

Originating from the term 'patay (dead) malisya', the word means ignoring someone or something. These are the rude people who pretend they're busy or deaf or whatever, that won't even make an effort to turn around and reach out to pass your fare to the driver. I mean, how hard is it to raise your arm a bit and do something nice for a fellow human being? Those flabby arms need a little exercise every now and then, you know.


5. The Bulldozer

Or you can also call them bump cars. Whether you're walking on the right side of the walkway or just standing aside, they have no qualms in ramming down anyone blocking their crooked path.

Suffice to say, all these people have not made commuting for me any easier. But they definitely make my daily trips more 'interesting'.

2nd To The Last Installment

I hate that I've been really sluggish in completing this list. I've less than a month to go, and I need four more to reach the finish line!

First Thing #24 - (Willingly) sport bangs.

I say willingly because I've had bangs before, back when I was still a toddler and could be bullied into any hairstyle my parents feel like. I'm sure all girls (and some boys?) my age have had the 'apple' haircut at one time or the other. It was all the rage amongst us 80s kids.

Anyway, so last December, I decided to have my long-overdue haircut and instructed the Korean stylist to give me bangs. A new look for the new year, ika nga. I felt really queasy while he was cutting away my precious hair, because I was afraid to look like an ensaymada. Thankfully, I didn't and I thought it kinda looked good.

But now I've grown tired of the bangs and couldn't wait for my hair to grow back. I remember now why I didn't want one in the first place: my hair covering my face. A face like this needs to be seen! Harhar.

First Thing #25 - Codename: Pepino.

This one's sorta X-rated, so I won't expound. Let's just say this had something to do with a bridal shower. Eew.


First Thing #26 - Eat tempura.

Well, ebi (shrimp) tempura, that is. Since I'm allergic to seafood- shrimp, squid, crab- I've never tried eating it. People have always commented that I'm missing half of my life because the allergy, especially being born in a country with overflowing bounty of the sea. But I've never really felt that way because I've eaten seafood before (how'd you think I found out I was allergic?) and I don't recall going gaga over its taste.

However, when we tried this new Japanese restaurant last Monday, I decided to finally try the tempura. I was armed and ready with my Claritin and Coke Zero. I didn't expect much from it, but I was pleasantly surprised with the taste. It was very delicious, the shrimp meat was ultra soft that it kind of melted in my mouth.

After that wonderful experience, I will definitely eat tempura now. But probably only in that restaurant. For now. =)

Just My Luck

Q: What's worse than a jejemon?
A: A jejemon working in the government.

It's not a secret that government employees are not my favorite people. Let's just say that all of my experiences dealing with government offices have been downright nasty. They've all been very consistent in giving incredibly bad service, that the one time I sorta had an uneventful-bordering-on-pleasant experience, I nearly died of a heart attack.

Anyway, so today I had another memorable conversation with one of our esteemed civil servants. As a backgrounder, I asked a messenger to send some documents to this 3-lettered office. I addressed the envelope to an officer who previously received documents similar to the ones I was sending, a couple of days ago. The messenger returned in the afternoon, with an unopened envelope and a scribbled mobile number. He said that the guy was asking why I addressed the envelope to him, if I knew him, and that I should call him instead. So at this point, I was already somehow pissed because it was really important that the documents be processed today.

I dial the number, and the honorable officer answered, 'Eyo powz?' WTF!?! If I had someone read my blood pressure that very second, I probably would have made the medical journals.

So I tried my hardest to compose myself and ask him in perfect English if I could speak with Mr. So and So. He immediately reverted to a professional manner and I just continued to speak to him in English. I asked him why he had me call and if there was anything wrong with the documents I sent. He just said that he wondered why I addressed the envelope to him, and how come I knew his name. So I told him and also repeated my question about the documents. This is the killer answer: he doesn't know because he didn't check them. Before I could stop myself, I retorted, 'So you didn't open the envelope??'

I won't write here the rest of the conversation but you can already guess that I was fighting a losing battle. It's bad enough that he works for the government, he had to be a jeje too. So fun.

P.S. For those wondering who or what is a jejemon, here is a Wikipedia definition. I can't believe they made it to Wikipedia. Sheesh.

Mind Your Manners

I'm sure most of us have known these things since we were little kids. But apparently, some people grew up in the jungle together with Tarzan, that they need to be taught these few basic rules:

1. When you cough, sneeze, or burp, please learn to say 'Excuse me' and always cover your mouth! It's bad enough that you're making those disgusting noises. Don't shower us with your germs, too.

2. Always say 'Thank you'. And this should be replied with, 'You're welcome'. Say 'I'm sorry' when you bump into someone or accidentally step on their foot. Don't pretend like nothing happened. 'Thank you', 'You're welcome', and 'I'm sorry' -- Learn these words by heart.

3. Don't talk when your mouth is full. No, that's not multi-tasking when you chew and speak at the same time. We really don't want to see how efficient your incisors and molars are in grinding food.

4. Don't be a litterbug. If you throw something on the street, a housekeeping fairy won't clean up after you and make your trash magically disappear. The world is not your own personal garbage can, so stop acting like it is.

5. Practice some elevator courtesy. Let those getting off the elevator (or lift, if you want to be all British) pass first before you go barging in. There's nothing scarier than being met by a mob in a tiny, enclosed space.

6. If you can help it, never be late for anything. Who wants to be a lady-in-waiting? No one.

That's all for now. But you bet I'll add more to this list in case I bump into those people who have either been raised by wolves or grew up in a bomb shelter.

You Know You're Old When...

1. You look for fish and vegetables for your meals.
I'm sure we all went through childhood being force-fed our greens. I remember I hated eating ampalaya or bitter melon, because it's, well, bitter. I would eat it with lots of rice until I couldn't even taste it. But after years of being shoved down my throat, I got used to it and eventually loved it.

And now living on our own, eating fast food and unhealthy stuff, has made me long for home-cooked fish and veggies. I don't remember feeling this way 10 years ago. I guess the older your body gets, the more it will look for nutritious food that will nourish its old bones and joints.

2. You meet up with friends and all you talk about is politics and current events.
When have weekend get-togethers with friends turned from all-night partying in a club to all-night gab fest in a coffee shop? Worse, topics have turned into old people stuff- news, politics, the economy. But the weird thing is I have begun to really enjoy discussing them. I think some invisible line has been crossed here.

3. You find teenagers very annoying.
They're the group of kids who try to dress and act as if they're older. Wanting to look cool, but end up looking like fools. They come in groups and 'talk' boisterously like they own the place.

I'm so mean, as if I've never been a teenager myself. Sure, I had my baduy moments as a teenager but of course, I was never this rude and annoying.

4. You know what the Dewey Decimal System is.
For those who don't know (young or old) the Dewey Decimal System is what's used in libraries to oganize books accodring to category: General References, Religion, etc. I just miss hanging out in the library, browsing through dusty bookshelves, searching for a good read. If you want to do research, you'd have to browse through all those books before you find what you were looking for. Now there's the Internet and Wikipedia, and it has made things much easier for the plagiarists. Tsk tsk.

5. You start hanging out with your parents
Lazy weekend afternoons are now spent malling with the folks, or just hanging out in the backyard. You now have conversations instead of arguments. You swap stories and talk about anything under the sun.

And that's when you begin to see them as who they are and not as your parents.

6. You turn on the radio and hear noise instead of music.
You don't care for Justin Bieber nor his girlish looks. You start looking for 80s and 90s songs, and say, "Now that's music!"

7. You are home on a Friday night.
'Nuff said.

P.S. This post was more than a month in the making. Gosh, the new job and environment is really affecting my creativity! Haha, yeah right.

Trike

Yesterday, after at least 10 years, I got to ride a tricycle-- not in the side car, but on the bike behind the driver. What an experience! I was scared of falling off during the entire trip, that my knuckles have turned white from gripping the handles very tightly.

It was different when I was younger because I used to enjoy it. It's more fun and dangerous that way-- in short it was kinda cool, for a girl to sit that way. And I've also always found sitting in the side car very suffocating.

But now, it's the opposite. I prefer to sit inside because I feel it's safer and it's more comfortable. (Yes, I know very lola-ish.)

And yet, last night's ride was nothing compared to what happened earlier. I had to ride behind the driver again, AND I was wearing a friggin' shirt dress! AND, the driver's side didn't have a roof over it (see picture) so I had to grip real tight on the side of the side car. If you can't picture me out in this scenario, it's because of the sheer awkwardness of this position. I had to hang on for dear life while making sure that my dress doesn't reveal anything the public doesn't want to see.

Aside from the very bumpy road, what made this a very pleasant ride was the fact that the driver was driving too close to cars who were moving on the opposite direction! I had to keep my legs and feet real close to me (not too close or my I might lose my feet to the motor's wheel. Yikes!). All this time I was praying to the Lord that I don't die yet.

Not this way, at least. It's just too embarrassing.

Raj Raj Raj ah ah

I'm not gonna talk about Venus' major major almost-win, but instead, I'm going to talk about her fans (who I think are more popular than her now).

They rose to fame because of the very funny video they took of themselves while watching the Miss Universe pageant. They're gayer than gay, which is very entertaining to say the least. To those who have never seen it, here it is...



After becoming overnight Youtube sensations, they got invited to a local TV show!



And as if this was not enough, they now have their own commercial!



Goes to show how easy it is now to get your 15 mins of fame. Lucky bastards. Hmph.

White, Not Pink

Last Thursday night, I was in a mall waiting for my brother, when I saw this booth for a skin whitening product. I began reading its poster, which boasts of the wonders it will do to your normal problem areas:

* Underarms
* Inner Thighs
* Knees
* Elbows
* Areola
* Other dark spo...

Whoa! Did I just read Areola?! There is actually a demand for this?! When has this become a problem area?! I mean, why the hell would someone want to whiten their areola? Nobody would be able to know the difference! (Of course, I’m assuming that the user is not in the habit of showing off her bosom in public. But I may be wrong.)

I know Filipinos are very much into these products to get that fairer skin they’ve been dreaming of. But this? Madness!

And to think a very popular local actress is endorsing this product, and her face is all over the promo materials. Has she really used it on her so-called problem areas? I’m guessing she probably doesn’t know what areola means.