Pinoy Jessica Sanchez, American Idol now. Soon, who knows?

My favorite part of American Idol is the audition stage because I get to listen to raw talents giddily share their gifts, or witness clueless but attention-craving loonies make caricatures of themselves on global TV, and feel for borderline talents who fall just short of a judge's nod.

It's an emotional rollercoaster by itself.  Good TV.

But what I like best about watching the auditions is spotting, even before he or she sings, who is Filipino by blood.  I know our families and kababayans who have been living in the States for a time are lumped together as Asians-Americans.  But I've been a Filipino all my life that I know what a Filipino looks like even before he or she opens her mouth.

It must be the shy smile.  Or the humble demeanor.  Jasmine Trias oozed Filipino, so did Thia Megia. And Camile Velasco.  And Ramiele Malubay. And AJ Tabaldo.  And the latest and most promising of them all: Jessica Sanchez -- who looks just like every bit a Filipina as my neighbor's daughter. Or a random girl I meet at the mall.

Though Jessica is clearly competing for American Idol, not Pinoy or even Barangay Idol, I feel pride and a deep longing that she win the ultimate prize.  If the judges are to be believed, she may well be on the way to that goal.

Should Jessica win, she would be the prime example to the world what we Filipinos knew all along -- we are a beautiful and extremely talented people.

But it's not only Jessica that I root for.  I root for every Filipino in every foreign shore -- that they show the world that we are good in what ever we do, perhaps even better than most nationalities would care to admit publicly.

Our nation's wealth is not measured in money in the bank, most of which are in the private accounts of government officials anyway, but in the spirit of its people to see through the haze of poverty and neglect, with a smile on the lips and a wink of an eye.

With Filipinos in every corner of the world showing everyone we are a class better than the rest, I envision someday that the word Filipino will be synonymous to talent, to intelligence, to love for family, to power.

Someday I see a Filipino being the president of the United States.

Far fetch?  I don't think so.

African-Americans were once slaves in that country.  Now one is the most powerful man in the world.  Our kababayans are following the footsteps of the forebearers of Barack Obama -- the the Martin Luther Kings, the Louis Armstrongs, the Joe Louis's of America's yesteryears who proved to one and all that, at the end of the day, it is talent, intelligence and love for humanity that matter the most.

We are all those.  So go ahead America, vote for Jessica.  Soon you'll be voting a Filipino as your President.


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A trip to The Marian Hermitage (Marian Orchard)

Come to me all of you who are laden

This photo series of The Marian Hermitage (also known as The Marian Orchard) is my contribution to your Holy Week retreat to the provinces.  In case, you still have no plans this is worth checking out.  However, be warned that the place will be full to the brim during the Holy Week so an exercise in patience is recommended.

The Chapel

The Chapel is quaint and intimate, sitting less than a hundred.  Masses are heard every Sunday or on other Holy occasions.

Chapel Interior

The simple interior is ideal for intimate celebrations.  It is airy but can be a bit suffocating if people will cram inside.  The ceiling is painted with a cloud and sky fresco, adding to the heavenly ambiance.

Mama Mary

St Joseph

God's All Stars

A walk in the garden of Saints

God is my Shepherd

Blessed are the children

Mary's agony

"Son, I forgive you but this ant on my head is bothering me. "
"Thank you father, but something's bugging me as well."

An alternative to a wishing well

Our Potter

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

I wish I never said those hurtful words.

An Impromptu Poem on Renewal

I am a shady character.

Broken by Temptation

Mired in Darkness

Each step, littered as before

Blinding light whispers

"Son, you need not stay in the shade"

BOW

The Marian Hermitage is located in Barangay Malabanan, Balete, Batangas.  There is an entrance fee of P20 and a parking fee of 10.  Overnight stays or personal or group retreats may be arranged.

You can reach it two ways: First and the easiest is via Levitown, around 2 kilometers from the Lipa City Hall.  The route is winding and descending.  Along the way and after you pass by Barangay Bulacnin you will pass by a stretch of road where small backyard businesses sell pure honey.  I suggest you drop by a store named Queen's Honey tended by a nice old lady.  If you're lucky his son Joseph may be around to show you the bee colonies and give you an impromptu lesson on beekeeping.  

The Marian Orchard is about 4 kilometers away from there.

The second access is via Mataas na Kahoy which is longer, much steeper but more scenic, with breathtaking views of Taal Lake and islands.  To get there, you have to turn right after Fernando Air Base, then find your way to Mataas na Kahoy.  Once you reach the town proper, turn left before you reach the Municipal Hall.  Or better yet, ask locals for directions.  You'll never get lost that way.

Once you made the right turn going down Balete town, you will be going down several barangays -- one of which is called Kinalaglagan.  I'll leave it to you to figure that out.  Clue: steep.  But with picture perfect view of Taal Lake.

Once you reach Balete, which is level to Taal Lake and only some 20 meters away from the road.  I suggest you drop by Eva's Eatery,  a roadside store which is a popular pitstop for bikers.  Aling Eva offers suman with latik, pair it with Kapeng Barako -- heavenly!

Turn right after Eva's Eatery then climb a winding road going to Barangay Quilo-quilo.  Again, I leave the name to your imagination.

A third access exists.  If you are in the middle of Lipa City, take the road sandwiched by Shakey's and Starbucks.  The road though is not as wide as the former routes, and you would encounter patches of dirt and rough road.  Simply follow it as it snakes downward, again exiting in the town of Balete, drop by Aling Eva's then climb up to Quilo-quilo.

Choose your mode of transportation.  But preferably one with reliable climbing power and steady breaking strength.  Mine of course is my reliable Fuji bike.

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Love and caring on SLEX

Traffic authorities predict that the volume of vehicles this summer, specially this Holy Week break, will surge by up to 20%, most of which will find their way to either the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) or the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

Hopefully, accidents will be inversely proportional to the number of vehicles on the road, specifically along the stretch of road underneath the Skyway.

I know my hope runs counter to common logic, or at least to the law of averages:  The more vehicles on the same road, the bigger the probability for accidents. Right?

I say, No, not right.  I hope.

I believe in the power of reminders.  Of caring.  Of wishing others well.

As they say, love conquers all.

Anyone who has passed by that stretch of SLEX under the Skyway knows that a driver never runs out of people wanting him and his passengers to be safe.

You have A-List celebrities like Vic Sotto, Derek Ramsay and Anne Curtis, among others, leading the charge of well-wishers, reminding you to "Don't Drink & Drive" or "Buckle Up for Safety."  These while Bosing Vic lures you to drink cough syrup, Derek tells you to feast on tuna so you also get his six pack, and Anne invites you to live in with her.

If this love fest is not enough, you still have real estate companies, banks and financial institutions, food and beverage manufacturers, and mall and condominium developers making sure that you remember to "Do Not Text and Drive," or "Check Your Brakes," or "Keep Your Distance."

If that is not exercising Corporate Social Responsibility to the hilt, I don't know what will.

But I wonder why no one reminds the motorist to Keep Your Eyes on the Road?  Which is perhaps the most basic among all safety reminders on a fast moving highway.

Oh well, it's really not that bad.  It's mighty considerate of Boots Anson Roa to assure you that St. Therese Columbarium is waiting for your ashes if you fail to keep your eyes on the road and end up being crumpled beyond recognition.

If that's the last thing that a motorist sees before he meets his maker then at least he goes knowing that love and caring is alive and well on the road.

That brings the saying going out with a bang to another level.



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So how's the weirder today?

Today is March 25.  In olden times, this date would mean summer is already ablaze.

But when I woke up this morning, the smell of still damp earth, from a night and a day of rainfall, is melted by the warm rays of the sun peering from the still greyish clouds.  It felt like it was already late May, with summer already on the wane.  This following a week of cold weather usually reserved for December and January.

Welcome to the start of weirder, I mean weird weather.

And it's not only me that is confused.  Even nature itself is bewildered.

My bees are showing signs of swarming, a phenomenon that happens from November to January.  Which means half of a colony will leave its home to start a new one.  Which in this stage of the year is bad because I should already be harvesting honey, not starting new hives.

Years ago, once the perennial (plants that flower only once a year) Sanggumay orchid bloomed it was a sure sign that it was already May. It has been that way for as long as I can remember.  But no longer so in the last couple of years.

Today, some of our Sanggumay's flowers are already close to falling off, its fragrance almost gone, merging with the smell of summer and rainy days that have been carried away by the wind to cling to some distant memory.

Some however are not fooled by the changing times, sprouting pods of flowers just now and right in time for its once regular May pageantry.

I need summer now.

I setup a zipline in El Grande here in Lipa City, atop its wave pool and crossing over to another pool with octopus tentacle slides.  It should be exciting.  But not if it rains frequently, as is happening now. Or God forbid, December weather envelopes Lipa in summer.

Who would think about going to resorts for a refreshing splash.  Or come to think of it, who would care for a halo-halo?  Or an out-of-town trip with the family?

I hope that this climate change thing does not alter the Filipino way of life totally and drastically.  Can you imagine telling your kids, "You know what, when we were young, we used to go to the beach during summer?"  And your young one responds, "What's summer?"

Times really are a-changing.

Last night I caught a glimpse of scantily clad, buxomy girls playing billiards.  And this is an actual competition, a made for TV special with pool legends Efren Reyes and Ronnie Alcano playing hands on coach for each opposing side.

Years ago, these things -- sexy girls playing billiards with their butt (only covered by a bikini) protruding, and oversized mammary glands (barely cupped by beach bras) jingling and jangling here and there -- happen only in the imagination of DOMs and hormonally charged teenagers, or just about any true-blooded male who happens to see a shapely woman playing billiards.  But even then, girls had decent clothes on them.

Everything is now possible.

Have San Miguel as your sponsor, get jingly-jangly girls willing to whip their sticks before an ogling crowd, shove cameras down their asses, and you have a made-for-TV spectacular.

Times are indeed a-changing.

So how's your weirder today?


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Impeachment Chronicles Part 1: The Lull before the Storm

So the Impeachment Court takes more than a month long break before it resumes hearing evidences.  After more than two months of often interesting  and colorful proceedings, here's what I think have been proven so far:

1. The Impeachment Complaint transmitted by the House to the Senate was vaguely worded, poorly constructed, inadequately prepared for.

2.  The House rushed the approval of the Impeachment complaint, perhaps foregoing due process and proper deliberations -- resulting in number 1.

3.  The President, PNoy undoubtedly is an engaged bystander, ready to push any body that gets in the way and twist any uncooperative arm if only to ensure CJ Corona's conviction.

4.  Because the Prosecution Team led by Representative Niel Tupas appears lightweight and, like their impeachment complaint, poorly constituted and ill-prepared, it often incurs the ire -- rightly or wrongly, deserved or not -- of just about everyone in the court and even outside of it.

5. The Prosecution Team works, on the side, as Senator Santiago's favorite outlet for venting out her pent up personal and professional rage (she will be a much calmer personality after this), and preferred stooges to humiliate in order for the whole world to see how brilliant she is (she will emerge more full of herself after this).

6. Age does matter, and it really brews the best kind of wisdom.  Just look at Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and lead defense counsel Justice Serafin Cuevas.

7. Experience in government does not necessarily equate to qualification for the job as Senator Judge.  Just look (don't ask) at Senators Lito Lapid and Bong Revilla, both in "public service" for a long time.

8.  When the Prosecution presented its evidences, it was clear that they did not have much.  The defense and many senator judges complained that they were simply out on a fishing expedition -- anchoring their hopes on discoveries that they will encounter as they plod along.

9.  But despite of Numbers 1 and 7, there are evidences (many of which are products of the random fishing tactics of the prosecution), circumstances and arising issues that put the Chief Justice on a corner, surrounded by senator judges, and watched by millions of Filipinos, all waiting for a valid and believable explanation.

10.  There is a battle being waged outside of the impeachment court in the bar of public opinion.  If the results of the Pulse Asia  surveys are to be believed, CJ Corona and his defense team are on the losing end with almost half of the respondents believing that Corona is guilty and only a few thinking otherwise; while 6 in 10 Filipinos have no trust or confidence in the accused.  Ouch.

11.  The prosecution and defense will use the break to be both on the offensive and the defensive.  More issues will be raised, some of them related to the trial itself, others irrelevant but would still put a personality in either a good or bad light, depending on who is beaming the spotlight to whom.

12.  Expect black propaganda to circulate.  So much for the spirit of Lent.


Impeachment Chronicles: Part II

James Sieckza and his phony apology

I am no detective or an authority in reading body language but I think I am a fairly good judge of character, or in this case, of telling a fake when I see one.

I have the sinking feeling that James Sieckza, the jerk who uploaded the 20 Reasons Why I Dislike the Philippines video, was laughing his heart out right after uploading the video of his apology to the Filipino people, specifically to the people of Cebu who shared their beautiful city with him over the past few years.

Everything in his blank facial expressions and staid gestures shouts phony.

It is eerily similar to a phony apology issued by one Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who made a pained effort to look downright downcast in a vain attempt to look sincere after she was caught pants down chatting with Hello Garci, on her way to cheating her way to an election victory.

Sincerity cannot be faked Mr Jerk.  Just ask GMA.

What was real though was his disdain for the Philippines which he portrayed in his video rant as a dirty, filthy and stinking country with bad food, and depressing people.  While I am not about to argue how he perceives our country as there really is some basis to his claims (but not absolute), I believe that he knew -- from the moment he conceived his concept to the time he listed his rants, and shot and edited his video -- that he was going to hurt many people and incur the ire of a nation.  Not because he was telling a lie, but he was so brazen enough to broadcast what he thought was true about a city and a nation that has hosted his stay, despite its warts, filth and all.

Some, many Filipinos included, would say that he was simply telling the truth.  Perhaps he was.  If that's how he truly felt about our country.  But by God, I hope that those who so easily agree with him would at least feel even a tinge of rage in their guts for a guy, a visitor at that, who openly wanted to embarrass the nation to anyone who cares to watch his video.

If someone you don't know grabs a megaphone and announces in the middle of a crowd that the person that you are with, say your parent, is obese, has bad teeth and equally bad fashion sense, would you say, "Yeah, you're right.  Thanks for pointing it out"?

I won't.

And I don't know what I'm going to do with that person if that happens.  Thanking him is farthest from my options. Respect begets respect.


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Rico "Dahon" De Guzman: The Leaf Whisperer

If trees and plants can communicate with humans, they would sing.  That is if you have Rico "Dahon" De Guzman, the Leaf Musician, around to orchestrate the music.

The late great Levi Celerio attracted the spotlight to the art of playing tunes using leaves as musical instruments, Rico De Guzman, a native of La Union, brought it to the masses.

This morning, he was spotted playing his unique music, which he claims is God-given, to students of UP Diliman who are eating their lunch under the towering mahogany trees outside barbecue haven Beach House.

Ever the showman, he punctuates his tunes with a timely gyration of the hips here and a little stomp of the foot there.  Like a jukebox, he also plays music on request.  His library of tunes is remarkably wide and varied, from the novelty Boom Tarat Tarat to the romantic Beautiful Girl, Sinatra's all time favorite My Way to Bruno Mars' anthemic Just the way you are.

His weapon of choice is the fortune plant leaf because its length is ideal to hold with both hands, and its fiber strength can withstand the rigors of the finger pressure he exerts and the calibrated breaths that he slides on the leaf. But he claims that he can coax music in just about any leaf.

Just like other musicians who consider playing before a crowd as their bread and butter, Rico takes his business on the road, bringing his talents to schools and universities in and around Metro Manila.  He need not be invited, he just shows up when he feels like it.

He, at times, gets booked to perform in birthday parties and corporate get-togethers.  He has appeared on TV several times; once as a contestant in Pilipinas Got Talent and several more as a featured personality in shows like Korina Sanchez's Rated K.

A gaggle of students invited Rico to their table to play the Happy Birthday song to a girl in their group.  This was met by a chorus of claps and a clamor for more, to which the Leaf Musician gladly obliged.  After the performance, several notes of 20 pesos and 50s exchanged hands.  Rico stayed a while with the group to mingle some more.

Rico says that he started making beautiful music with leaves when he was 10.  Now that he is probably in his 60s (he jokingly claims he is just 18), he still has no plans of retiring.

Long leaves, Rico!


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Salamat Belo: The Futile Quest for the Fountain of Youth

Growing old is inevitable.  It starts the moment you come out of your mother's womb and does not stop until you breathe your last.  So what's wrong with getting older?

Nothing.

But what's troubling for some, okay for many, is what advancing age does to the body.  The face bears more wrinkles and shows lines you never knew existed, and gravity seems to have a bigger effect on just about every part of the body that protrudes or bulges.

Oh yes, there are protrusions and bulges where there were once none.  And where there was once proud protrusions and bulges, in place now are sorry excuses -- remnants of the natural wear and tear of time, and of human use, of course.  If you see these signs in your body then you know what I mean.  And if you don't, give yourself more years and then you'll know what I mean.

But all is not lost.  Have no fear -- Belo is here.  And Calayan. And Ellen's.  And other heroes of sagging skin and everything else that sags.  This powerful group includes the expensive ones and the inexpensive wannabes, plus the illegitimate practitioners for the desperate and moneyless.

Woooo-huuuu!  Clap-clap-clap!  Hoot!  Hoot! There is almost a standing ovation if not for most in the audience already suffering from various stages of arthritis.

Belo bows, smiles, and winks.

She never stops smiling and winking for an hour.  Until you realize on the 59th minute that that's how she actually looks.  Her business needs credibility, right?  So what better way to reinforce that than to showcase herself as the product of her own services.

The result?  A woman pushing on 60 looking like a woman pushing on 60 but with a face of a 30-something permanently plastered on top of her real looks like some kind of a cruel mask.  You can just see and almost touch the botox, and the skin tighteners and the laser needles at work.  Full time.

Adore the pouty, luscious lips.  Marvel at the taut cheeks that don't seem to move.  Envy the delicately pert nose.  Admire the glowing eyes, sans the laugh lines.  Notice the wink.  Oh the flirty wink that says, "Hey there, gorgeous."  Perhaps the one that attracted Hayden Kho and other younger, nubile men reported to be hovering around Vicky's periphery.  And we're not even pointing, pardon the pun, at the ample breast that cries, WHAT!? WHAT?!

Just don't look at the neck skin as well as the folds of the hands and fingers.  They are their actual age.  You cannot inject botox in the neck area because she'll end up with a stiff neck, and in the hands because she needs them to be moveable at the joints for her work.

Now stop smiling.  And please suppress the laughter.  How would you feel if you are a woman pushing 60 and then someone giggles because you look like a plastic version of your 30s self?   My wife often reminds me that it is not polite to ask a lady her age especially when it is obvious that she is hiding it.  So stop the snickering, we have reached sensitive territory here.

But I can't help it.

I was inspired to write this because this morning, a lazy Sunday one, I chanced upon a Salamat Dok episode on TV featuring treatments that combat ageing.  And what do you know, Dr. Vicky Belo appears, which was expected, along with another lady doctor also blessed with the eternal wink and the plastered smile.

I have once experienced that numb feeling of having no or little control of my facial muscles when I was stung repeatedly by my bees, and I assure you it's a sensitive matter.  But the big difference is I did not go out in public for two days until the numbness disappeared, while these ladies have confidence to appear on TV, numbness or none.  So please, don't laugh at their face.  Literally.

I bet Dr Vicky Belo has the makings of a good poker player because she already has the poker face down pat.  Now if only she could learn how to stifle her emotions, which is the difficult part as only she, in local show business, can rival Kris Aquino in the taklesa department.

Ohh, ageing.  Why do you have to be so inevitable?

And ohh, youth.  Why can't you be naturally faked?


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My nanay loves to play with fire

From layoutsparks.com

And so does her fellow widow and friend Ka Lina, and their friend and fellow grandmother Ka Ese.

Ohh, these girls!

As I was pulling out of the driveway the other day, I thought I was in some kind of Hollywood set where cloud-like smoke billowed from everywhere, creating an ethereal scene where a hero -- me, probably -- was about to do something epic for the day (not really, I was only scheduled to set up a new zipline at a resort somewhere in Lipa).

I haven't driven far when smoke continued wafting through the road, this time emanating from Ka Ese's and Ka Lina's respective frontyards.

I was beginning to be convinced that I was destined to create a truly memorable day, one that would be remembered for generations and inspire countless poems and songs, that the only thing missing from the movie-like scene was a dramatic soundtrack to pump me up some more.  So I turned on the radio and out from the speakers blared the annoying voices of pseudo-DJs of Magik 88.7, carrying half-witted conversations that appeal to who knows whom.

That sent me crashing to earth and I called the smoke for what it is -- grass burning.

Ohh, these girls!

There is something about old girls who grew up in the far reaches of provinces and burning grass, and leaves and trash.  It's part of their training to keep their yard clean and free from these debris.  Thus, it became a habit that they've carried on with them, in 2012.  Despite the fact that it has been established that the smoke from burning all sorts of fuel and plant and any man-made material contributes largely to the destruction of the ozone layer.

But what do I do?  Lecture on my 77 year old mother that what she's doing is destroying earth?

I tried it once, and she gave me a pained, hurt look before turning the table on me, "Eh, sino naman ang maglilinis n'yan?"  She knew it's not me.

Our home sits on a sizeable yard with mahogany, madre cacao and all kinds of fruit-bearing trees -- providing ample shade to a carpet-like cover of bermuda and carabao grass that give way here and there to an assortment of flowering plants and shrubs.  So you can imagine that there would always be an accumulation of plant detritus to burn or dump in a compost pit (we actually have one).

It does not help that my kuya, a weekend warrior, often buys new plants to greenify our yard some more.

Once, when my nanay was burning grass I tried a new approach, "Nay, baka po yung usok eh pumunta sa mga laywan ko, baka mag-alisan."  She knew how I love my bees so she put out her fire and started another, a little farther away.

I'd  love to protect the earth in every manner possible.  But what can I do?  I don't have the heart to take another pained look from my mother, neither do I have the guts to tell her dear friends Ka Lina and Ka Ese the harm that they do whenever they burn grass.  I can't even bear to imagine the pained look that they will add to that of my nanay's.

Ohh, these girls!


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What no tsunami can take away

Miyato is a small village in Japan famous for its nori, a thin paper-like food ingredient made of seaweeds that is a staple in japanese cuisine.  A year ago today, Miyato was literally washed away from the face of the earth by gigantic tsunami waves that came hours after Japan's strongest earthquake struck.

Most of Miyato's infrastructures -- homes, buildings, facilities, and nori-making equipment -- were washed away.  With no means of livelihood and their homes and some family members gone, the people of Miyato have almost given up hope of ever recovering from the disaster.

Help in the form of food and other basic necessities from other japanese slowly poured to Miyato, and along with it the encouragement to resurrect the Miyato nori which is valued all over Japan.  The government subsequently orders the residents of Miyato to pull together and raise from the rubbles the nori industry, its product the entire nation has grown to love for generations.

With no one to turn to but themselves, the people of Miyato, who before the disaster were fierce business rivals, pooled their resources and decided that they would rebuild their industry, together.

This project gave the residents of Miyato a sense of purpose.  And with the little that they have left started restoring their destroyed industry, one seaweed stalk at a time.  By the time they produced their first bundle of nori, the people of Miyato have rediscovered their pride, recovered their dignity, and rekindled their belief in the human spirit -- no tsunami can take that away.



This story is inspired by a similar documentary which came out in the Discovery Channel.


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Defense starts with a whimper and a Batman look-alike

Amidst their avowed claims of point-by-point debunking of the issues raised by the prosecution, the defense team of impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona opened their case with an attack on the validity of the impeachment complaint -- which to me is valid if only the trial is in its early stages, but not now when the nation is practically waiting for it to end.  By doing so, the defense appears to be skirting the issue.

As a first counter-strike, the defense put on the witness stand Congressman Toby Tiangco to talk about how the impeachment came to be in the lower house which, to my mind,  was not a response to any of the complaints raised against Corona.

And apparently, they want to delay the proceedings some more by inviting more congressmen such as Mandanas and Gutierrez who would probably talk some more about the infirmity of the complaint in the first place.  Again, water under the bridge.  And the trial has gone a long way from the bridge.

So please defense, back up your bravado by going back to the trial.  And please no more of Toby Tiangco who looks like Batman even without a mask.  Obviously, he took time to fix his hair like that.  I mean, there's nothing wrong with wanting to look good for the camera, but he looks more like a villain than a star witness.

If you ask me, the defense started on the wrong foot.  They look like they are more interested in muddling the issue than making it clearer for the senator judges, and the people at large.

If Senate President Enrile is famed UFC referee Big John McCarthy, he would say: Let's get it on!

Why Team Pilipinas will win Amazing Race World

IT Factor
If a challenge requires a team using some sort of modern technology, expect Team Pilipinas to navigate the task intuitively.  We may not be a rich country (yet), but we know our way around gadgets and technology.  And in a race where every bit of extra information is an advantage, trust the wily Pinoys to rummage the internet whenever they can.

Third World Immunity
Though still compassionate about the plight of poor people having witnessed it themselves in their own country, Team Pilipinas will no longer be squeamish nor hesitant to immerse themselves in places and people living in extreme poverty.  Not being too bothered by the sight and smell of such place will make the Pinoys finish the task at hand faster.

Eat all you can't
Eating gross food?  No problem for Team Pilipinas - from the land of balut, which is according to international surveys, one of the grossest things that one could ever eat anywhere in the world (ang sarap kaya).  If we can eat a fully formed duck chick, feathers and beak and all, come one - bring on your nasties!

Vehicular and foot traffic savvy
If you've driven along EDSA then you can drive, survive and even remain calm anywhere there is terrible traffic.  And if you've been to Divisoria during buying season then no maze-like, noisy and suffocating market conditions can ever faze our Team Pinoy -- making similar challenges anywhere in the world such a breeze.

Home court advantage
Most past Amazing Race winners won because they were lucky enough to be helped along by locals.  With Pinoys spread all over the world, Team Pilipinas will have the distinct "home court advantage" anywhere they go; with willing kababayans ready to give them directions or tips how to get things done wherever they are.


Also read The Profile of Filipino Racers


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Amazing Race World: The Profile of Team Pilipinas racers

I am a big fan of the Amazing Race.  Though there is already Amazing Race Asia.  I would love to see Amazing Race World where teams from all over will duke it out not only to the finish line, but also in showing the best and worst of each team's culture.  I believe Team Pilipinas will show these traits:



Wet start
Pinoys are notorious for their cleanliness. Whenever a pitstop would allow the teams to have a decent night accomodation, expect the Pinoys to start the race the following morning with wet hair, fresh from a shower, no matter how early the start maybe.

Beso beso at the pit stop
Pinoys love to show appreciation for the other person especially when they meet again after a while. What a better way to greet Phil Keoghan and whoever it is with him at the pitstop than a good old fashioned beso beso.

Facebook check
Facebook has become an essential to living for most Pinoys.  Though the show will no longer show the footage, expect team Pilipinas to open their Facebook accounts to update status, "Is on the way to Nepal," and to count the likes and comments from home.

Modest winners
Pinoys are painfully modest. Tell him, "ang galing mo naman," and he will answer, "Hindi naman masyado," with a sheepish grin to boot.  So when Team Pilipinas wins a leg and Phil Keoghan congratulates them and praises their efforts, expect the Pinoys to say, "We just got lucky, Phil."

Alliance with older teams
Pinoys love their elders till the end. Thus Team Pilipinas will tend to create alliances, if not close ties with older teams.  This may not create an advantage in as far as speed is concerned but it will certainly showcase to the world the loving and caring nature of Pinoys towards older people.

Jack en Poy decisions
If Team Pilipinas cannot make up its mind on who would take on a particular Road Block challenge, expect the issue to be resolved in the old fashioned way of Jack en Poy.  Best of three.

Amazing grace
Deeply religious, Team Pinoy will be often seen making the sign of the cross before the race starts, during challenges and trying times, and when the race finishes as a thanksgiving for the end of another leg.

NEXT: Why I think Team Pilipinas will win.

This list is by no means exhaustive.  You may want to add your thoughts on what makes a Team Pilipinas racer, or you may simply leave a reaction or comment.  Thanks!

Patch: The Dog with Identity Crisis

In human years he's 35.  But since he is a dog, he's only 5 years old. Today.

Meet Patch, our dog with an identity crisis.  Apparently, he doesn't know that he is a dog.  He thinks he is a baby.  Our baby.

We got him from a relative, a tiny gift prone to sleeping and playing.  Five years hence, he is still small, a bit on the heavy side, and still prone to sleeping and playing.  But he has shown some uncanny - or should I say un-canine - behavior that somehow makes us believe that he may not be a dog after all.

It was the first time that my wife and I would have a pet so we really didn't know what to do, especially in the toilet training department.  So he showed us what he should do: Go inside the cage meant to jail him at night, take a pee, or drop a load, then scoot out so he can either sleep or play some more.

With toilet training off our care list he was free to live with us inside the house.  Our next problem was that if he slept with us, in our room, won't he keep us awake all night?  Or maybe take a leak or a poo whenever he felt like it?

His actions allayed this fear.  He slept like a baby and only woke up when we were already up.  And yes, no mess all around.

The next problem was what to do with him when we have to go out of the house.  He told us... hey never worry, just bring me along with you.  And he wags his tail nonstop, and whimpers no end till we give in.

Okay, now that he will come with us, we wonder on whose lap will he settle during the ride?  He says, don't fret my persons, I will come rest on each of your laps until I discover which is the most ideal position for me.

He alternates between my lap and my wife's.  But when he is on mine, it makes it more difficult for me to drive as I have to balance him while moving my legs at the same time.  He looks up at me, and says, you got nice broad shoulders up there, buddy.  And I tell him, hey don't give me that look.  I need to focus on the road.  And he asks, are you having a hard time driving buddy with me on your lap?  No problem.  I'll climb on your chest and rest on your broad shoulders instead, my tail and hind legs on one shoulder, my torso wrapped on your neck, and my front legs and head sticking out on the other, with my tongue wagging like my tail.

And ever since that day that he discovered that sweet spot, he has probably travelled thousands of kilometers that way, sometimes looking at the road for vehicles, sometimes looking out the window for dogs and cats and other four-legged animals and, often, sleeping like a baby.

Patch in Manaoag, Pangasinan

Patch in Baguio

Patch has developed a keen sense of when he will be taken for a ride or to be left at home.  When he knows he is part of the trip he would be jumping and running all over the house, whining, yelping and begging that he be loaded into the car the moment he hears keys being picked up from the table.  But when he knows that he will be left behind, he would slowly walk and hide under the sofa, his eyes hidden underneath his bangs following our every movement until the door closes.

Patch watching Kris cry

And when we return home, he will be a bundle of fur jumping up and down for several minutes until we tell him to calm down.  If I'm taking off my socks, he will pull on it then run around the house with it, inviting me to play catch me if you can.  Unlike most dogs where they run after you, playing catch up with Patch means you go after him.

If I return from a bike ride, he would sniff the wheels of my bike after our welcome ritual is through, as if to say, I'd like to know where you went, buddy.

Having him in the house is joy.  He sneezes at you when he doesn't get what he wants, doesn't drink water unless it's ice-cold, and snuggles between us to have a blanket pulled over him when it is cold.  Often we can hear him snore.  Sometimes he makes funny sounds as he dreams, we know he is having a happy one when his tail is busy wagging as he makes funny sounds.  Often, when I am on the sofa watching TV, he will hop on and drop his head on my legs to take a nap as I stroke his side.

We never taught Patch anything.  We did not teach him to munch on ice cube, or to snack on fresh vegetables - sitaw, cabbage core and pechay stalk his favorites.  We did not even teach him loyalty, or unconditional love.  He just shows us.

We are convinced that he is not a dog  That's why we don't treat him as such.  Our baby is  five years old today.

The mind of Christian Paul Cruz

The first time I met Paul Christian Cruz was some three years ago when I had to serve as a panelist for a presentation they made before their class.  We had a lively exchange as I grilled Paul's group, then the bell rang and that was the end of that.  Or so I thought.

As I went out of the classroom he tailed me to carry on with the conversation that he felt was left unresolved.  So I patiently listened to him so that he can get it out of his system.  Apparently, it was not enough.  He was trying to engage me in a prolonged discussion, which was really no problem with me, except that I had a next class and my bladder was urgently begging for relief.

So I excused myself and told him I need to go to the toilet with a sign outside that says "FOR FACULTY USE ONLY."  I thought that he would leave me alone but he didn't.  He instead followed me inside.  So while I was relieving myself in a cubicle, I was listening to him as he continued with his monologue as he faced the toilet mirror.  I finished my business and had to go to my next classroom.  And I told him maybe we could continue our conversation next time.  I didn't realize then that our conversation would continue only after three years.

I didn't even get his name then but I would always remember him as the student who followed me to the toilet.

In a campus, you recall students for various reasons, there are the brainies and the laggards, the smartalecks and the recidivists, the loudmouths and the brats, the studs and the crush magnets, and then there is Paul.

Paul is a classification by himself.  He is a huge man, about 5'10" and not less than 220 pounds of bouncing mass of human flesh and adiposa.  He talks as he walks - very slow and deliberate.  He is very shy and though he has an impish, if not charming smile he doesn't seem to have a lot of close friends, apart from Poch, his closest.

Paul is, well, like a big child - a man child, with a pair of glasses that dutifully hang on the bridge of his nose, and a healthy  growth of stubbles running from his sideburns all the way to his double chin and all around his mouth.  Needless to say, you can't miss him in a crowd.

I would occasionally bump into him in the next three years, sometimes he greets me, sometimes he seems lost in his thoughts.

There were a number of times that I saw Paul in costumes of flowing robes and made up hair, not unlike the anime characters that inspire him to dress as such.  He once even joined a cosplay contest at SM City Lipa where he met his idol Alodia Gosiengfiao.

A week ago while I was driving by the road fronting the school, I noticed a familiar figure walking by the sidewalk.  I yelled at him, Paul!  He stooped and peered at the open window.  Recognizing me, he flashed a wide smile, and he opened his mouth as if he was to start a conversation.  But I was in the middle of the street and we can't carry on like that so I slowly drove forward and eased the car to the side.

From the side mirror I can see Paul getting something out of his bag as he followed me.  He was all smiles when he showed his framed graduation picture.  He looked very proud and happy.  We can't have a conversation on a busy road so I had to say goodbye, but not after taking a picture of him (see photo above).

This morning I was waiting for a business plan presentation, where I was invited to be a panelist, to start when Paul entered the room, looking for a professor to sign a document for him.  He was already processing his graduation clearances.

I asked him how he was, and that was the start of the continuation of our conversation that was cut short three years ago.

Paul had just finished his internship at McCann Erickson Philippines, a leading global ad agency, handling humongous accounts.

Paul was assigned to make sense of McCann's complex digital marketing data which requires not only above average intelligence but extraordinary concentration and focus as a deluge of data can be overwhelming for an ordinary mortal, with the product of his work used by the agency to formulate its strategic recommendations to its clients.

Though he cannot maintain eye contact, Paul and I were really having a conversation, an intelligent one where he paused to listen as I talk or ask a question, before answering with inside information that only a true industry practitioner can muster.

He shared how he met Christopher Lao (who became infamous as media aired his misadventure in submerging his car in a flooded street), now Attorney Christopher Lao, and his idol Alodia who recognized him as a fellow cosplayer, which thrilled Paul no end as he couldn't stop giggling.

But he was particularly animated as he explained his job.  And I could see that he really knew what he was talking about.  I could just imagine his brain cells exploding in action as he connected seemingly random information into reports that made sense.  This talent did not escape his immediate boss as he invited Paul to join McCann Erickson as soon as he graduated.

Paul is at a loss what to do as he was not expecting that his boss would think so highly of him when he did not really excel in any of his subjects at school and practically knew nothing about the job when he first started on the internship.  He was overwhelmed that he would be appreciated that way, by no less than a professional who has been on that kind of job for a long time.

I encouraged him to take the opportunity because it's a tough job to most but one that is tailored to his mental strengths.

I'm happy for Paul and I was so immersed in our conversation that I didn't realize we were at it for more that two hours. Noon time came and I had to go to my panel duty.  I hope it's not another three years that we get to talk again.


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Ad me, odd man, add new

My blog is into its second ad campaign.  I got the tail end of the Darkest Hour 3D promotional blitz as my first paid gig, appearing on my site for less than a day and earning me such a measly sum that I couldn't even buy myself buko if I decided one day to ride my bike.

Then comes this Nivea ad campaign which I hope will linger longer and pay me more than enough to cover my next buko and a little something for the wife when I get home.

A former student and now a dear friend told me, "Eh sir, 'di ba yan ang goal mo, magkaroon ng ad sa blog mo?  Cool... meron ka na!"

True, that was the original intent - find out if I can find success in blogging.  And in a world where most measures of success go by the amount of money one can generate or afford to throw away, I find myself somewhat crawling around its periphery.

Any blog guru would tell me that if I want a significant income to materialize then I have to be more patient and build my audience till I can no longer count them, an empire after all is not built in a single night, and not even in the two months or so that I have started my blog.

But the euphoria of having an advertiser has worn off as quickly as my first ad campaign was pulled out.

My first ad campaign

Not that I am not happy that my site is now on the radar of those willing to pay to get their commercial message across.  In fact, I am honored by such a distinction knowing how advertisers can be so picky when it comes to choosing which blog has value and influence to reach a particular target audience.

I'd like to pat myself on the back but I can't, so I won't.  I knew it was just a matter of time, and there's really nothing much to be excited about when you very well know what's coming.

To tell you honestly, I don't love writing.  I don't even enjoy doing it.  It is draining. What gives me profound satisfaction though is the thought that I can make my readers smile, think, or look at things and situations in a different light.  Some tell me they learn new things, others say that my stories inspire them, and not a few claim that reading my blog allows them to forget their problems, even for a while -- that's why I continue to write.

So it's not really passion that makes me continue.  Just like when I decided that I wanted to teach, it has become an urge, some kind of obligation that I knowingly inflict on myself because I know I have something that needs to be shared.

So I'll continue to write.

Perhaps more than the bike adventures that I initially thought would comprise most of my blogs.  Life, after all, is more than just a bike ride.  Sometimes it's a walk in the park, or a swim in a lake, or getting lost in a multitude of people, or simply just moments spent in complete silence and isolation.  Often, life happens because people and events mold it so.

I'll write about them all.

And if by doing so advertisements keep coming then its just a welcome icing to the cake.  If you read this or any of my articles and you give me the thumbs up of your approval -- that is the cake.

I write because you read.


I'd love to hear what you think.  Please leave a comment or a reaction. Thanks!

N0w sH0wln9 at Robinsons Place Lipa

Robinsons Lipa ruined a germ of an idea that I have been incubating for months.  I was intending to develop this article as a collection of pictures of misspellings and weird jejemon titles shamelessly posted on Robinsons Lipa movie sign board outside the mall, fronting the main highway.

Until they recently did something about it.

For whatever reason, and I say there shouldn't be even one, Robinsons Lipa has apparently given its employee/s assigned to place and replace movie titles in its giant sign board outside of the mall free rein in as far as placing the letters and characters inside the slots is concerned, resulting into awful misspellings and laughable wordings.

And I only say awful and laughable because we are talking about Robinsons Mall here, not some small sari-sari store or a hole in the wall carinderia where mistakes of such nature would be considered forgivable, if not cute.

A mall sign board with grave misspellings is like seeing a picture of you taken while you are halfway between smiling and sneezing (can you picture yourself looking like that?) - you can live with it, but its darn irritating.

And seeing letters such as "M" resourcefully made into a "Y" by taping both arms is like eating kamote cue made of potato - it would do, but it's just not right.

As you move up the ranks, so do expectations of you.  And when one consistently sees a sign board containing obvious mistakes (that could have been easily avoided in the first place by a simple spot check from supervisors), then one would tend to think that you are not as good as you have been perceived to be. To think Robinsons Malls is considered, for a good number of years, as one of the premier mall chains in the Philippines.

So while I am a bit disappointed seeing Robinsons Lipas' movie sign board suddenly bearing the correct titles of what's currently showing, using the proper letters, I was also relieved that thinking people, such as myself, will no longer be assailed by hapless movie titles that bordered on plain neglect and utter disregard by the management for the standard set upon itself by its brand's stature in the mall industry.

I can always tweak the angles of my story.  I just don't know if Robinsons Lipa can still repair its tarnished image, at least in my curious mind.