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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