bes goy!

Nakakatuwa ang baby ko…

Marunong na siyang tumawa at ngumiti,
Kahit anong sabihin mo, tatawa siya. As in kahit ano.

Bulaga!… Tatawa siya.
Belat!… Tatawa siya.
Ang palot mo!… Tatawa siya
Panget si Mommy!… Tatawa siya.
Nasusunog bahay naten! … Tatawa siya.
Pogi si Daddy… ayun, iiyak na siya.

Hehe. Ang galing ng mga baby ano?
Parang may magic sila.
Lahat kaya nilang baguhin…

Ang gabi, kaya nilang gawing umaga…
Ang mommy niya na ang interest at hobby ay sleeping—Gising sa madaling araw.

Ang kuripot na daddy na ang sinusuot na sapatos sa trabaho ngayon, ay siya ring sapatos nung nagaaral pa (favorite daw niya)— Suki na ngayon ng ATM sa lahat ng sulok ng Lipa at kilala na ng mga cashier sa SM at Mercury Drugs.

Ang magkaaway, nagbabati.
Ang ulong mainit, lumalamig.
Ang nakasimangot, ngumingiti
Ang malungkot, sumasaya
Ang mataba, pumapayat
Ang pilay, nakakalakad…
Ang nakakapagtaka… Tatawa at ngingiti lang sila. Solve na.

Ganito rin kaya ako noong baby ako?

Kailan kaya ako nagbago?
Kailan kaya ako bumitaw?
Nalunod na nga ba ako sa mundo ng mga “adults”?
Magaral, magtrabaho, magretiro, mamatay.
Lahat pinagduduhan ko… Galit ako sa maraming bagay…
Hindi na ako nanonood ng Cartoons, TV Patrol na ngayon… Puro nakawan, patayan, aksidente, tsismis, anomalya sa gobyerno… ang good news lang na narinig ko ay gumawa tayo pinakamalaking Espasol at Ensaymada.. Woohooo!!! I’m so proud of you!
Ang saya maging adult. Kailan kaya ako yayaman at makakabili ng bagong sapatos?

Kagabi tinitigan ko ang anak ko.
Mahimbing na natutulog, nakangiti, nanaginip daw siya ng maraming gatas.
Napangiti na rin ako…

Bigla kong naisip, ganito siguro ako titigan ni Lord.
Siguro hanggang ngayon, aliw na aliw pa rin siya sa akin.
Punong puno ng pagmamahal, pangarap at pagasa.
Siguro sa tingin Niya, ako pa rin ang sanggol na kaligayahan Niya.
Ang Kanyang pambato, ang kanyang Champion, ang Kanyang anak.

At naisip ko na ang Magic ng mga baby…

Pinapaalala nila na minsan naging baby din tayo,
Na minsan naging kaligayahan tayo ng mga taong nakakakita sa atin.
Na minsan naging maligaya ka sa lahat ng taong nakikita mo.
Na minsan punong puno tayo ng pangarap.
Na minsan lahat ng bagay maganda, masaya, lahat parang masarap isubo.
Na minsan lahat ng bagay posible.
Na minsan mahilig kang manood ng cartoons.
Na minsan lahat ng espasol at ensaymada ay malaki.
Na minsan masarap matulog nang nakangiti.
Na walang nagbago… sanggol ka pa rin, nakalimutan mo lang.

Tumawa, ngumiti, mangarap, baguhin ang mundo… BEYBEH!

Current Mood: Bashful

Quite lengthy, but for those who haven’t I am hoping you will read this from start to finish.

To all Filipinos Everywhere:

I used to think that corruption and criminality in the Philippines were caused by poverty. But recent events tell me this isn’t true. It is one thing to see people turn into drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves and murderers because of hunger and poverty, but what excuse do these rich, educated people have that could possibly explain their bizarre behavior? And to think I was always so relieved when petty snatchers got caught and locked away in jail because I never fully realized that the big time thieves were out there, making the laws and running our country. Can it get any worse than this?

Every night, I come home and am compelled to turn on my tv to watch the latest turn of events. I am mesmerized by these characters. They are not men. They are caricatures of men – too unreal to be believable and too bad to be real. To see these “honorable” crooks lambaste each other, call each one names, look each other in the eye and accuse the other of committing the very same crimes that they themselves are guilty of, is so comical and appalling that I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It is entertainment at its worst!

I have never seen so many criminals roaming around unfettered and looking smug until now. These criminals wear suits and barongs, strut around with the confidence of the rich and famous, inspire fear and awe from the very citizens who voted them to power, bear titles like “Honorable”, “Senator”, “Justice”, “General” and worse, “President”. Ironically, these lawless individuals practice law, make our laws, enforce the law. And we wonder why our policemen act the way they do! These are their leaders, and the leaders of this nation – Robin Hoodlum and his band of Moneymen. Their motto? “Rob the poor, moderate the greed of the rich.”

It makes me wonder where on earth these people came from, and what kind of upbringing they had to make them act the way they do for all the world to see. It makes me wonder what kind of schools they went to, what kind of teachers they had, what kind of environment would produce such creatures who can lie, cheat and steal from an already indebted country and from the impoverished people they had vowed to serve. It makes me wonder what their children and grandchildren think of them, and if they are breeding a whole new generation of improved Filipino crooks and liars with maybe a tad more style but equally negligible conscience. Heaven forbid!

I am an ordinary citizen and taxpayer. I am blessed to have a job that pays for my needs and those of my family’s, even though 30% of my earnings go to the nation’s coffers. Just like others in my lot, I have complained time and again because our government could not provide enough of the basic services that I expect and deserve. Rutty roads, poor educational system, poor social services, poor health services, poor everything. But I have always thought that was what all third world countries were all about, and my complaints never amounted to anything more.

And then this. Scandalous government deals. Plundering presidents pointing fingers. Senators associated with crooks. Congressmen who accept bribes. Big time lawyers on the side of injustice. De Venecia ratting on his boss only after his interminable term has ended, Enrile inquiring about someone’s morality! The already filthy rich Abalos and Arroyo wanting more money than they or their great grandchildren could ever spend in a lifetime. Joker making a joke of his own “pag bad ka, lagot ka!” slogan… Defensor rendered defenseless. Gen. Razon involved in kidnapping. Security men providing anything but a sense of security. And it’s all about money, money, money that the average Juan de la Cruz could not even imagine in his dreams. Is it any wonder why our few remaining decent and hardworking citizens are leaving to go work in other countries?

And worst of all, we are once again saddled with a power-hungry president whose addiction has her clinging on to it like barnacle on a rusty ship. “Love (of power) is blind” takes a whole new meaning when PGMA time and again turns a blind eye on her husband’s financial deals. And still blinded with all that is happening, she opts to traipse around the world with her cohorts in tow while her country is in shambles.

They say the few stupid ones like me who remain in the Philippines are no longer capable of showing disgust. I don’t agree. Many like me feel anger at the brazenness of men we call our leaders, embarrassment to share the same nationality with them, frustration for our nation and helplessness at my own ineffectuality. It is not that I won’t make a stand. It is just that I am afraid my actions would only be futile. After all, these monsters are capable of anything. They can hurt me and my family. They already have, though I may not yet feel it..

But I am writing this because I need to do something concrete. I need to let others know that ordinary citizens like me do not remain lukewarm to issues that would later affect me and my children. I want to make it known that there are also Filipinos who dream of something better for the Philippines. I want them to know that my country is not filled with scalawags and crooks in every corner, and that there are citizens left who believe in decency, fairness, a right to speak, a right to voice out ideas, a right to tell the people we have trusted to lead us that they have abused their power and that it is time for them to step down. I refuse to let this country go to hell because it is the only country I call mine and it is my responsibility to make sure I have done what I could for it.

Those of us who do not have the wealth, power or position it needs to battle the evil crime lords in the government can summon the power of good. We can pray. We can do this with our families every night. We can offer petitions every time we celebrate mass. We can ask others to pray, too, including relatives and friends here and overseas. And we can offer sacrifices along with our petitions, just so we get the message to Him of our desperation in ridding our nation of these vermin. After all, they cannot be more powerful than God!

I implore mothers out there to raise your children the best way you can.. Do not smother, pamper, or lavish them with too much of the material comforts of life even if you can well afford them. Teach them that there are more important things in this world. I beg all fathers to spend time with their children, to teach them the virtues of hard work, honesty, fair play, sharing, dignity and compassion – right from the sandbox till they are old enough to go on their own. Not just in your homes, but at work, in school, everywhere you go. Be good role models. Be shining examples for your children so they will learn to be responsible adults who will carry and pass on your family name with pride and honor.

I call on educators and teachers – we always underestimate the power of your influence on the minds of our youth. Encourage them to be aware of what is happening in their surroundings. Instill in them a love of their country, inculcate in them the value of perseverance in order to gain real, worthwhile knowledge, help us mold our children into honorable men and women. Encourage our graduates, our best and brightest, to do what they can to lift this country from the mire our traditional politicians have sunk us into. The youth is our future – and it would be largely because of you, our educators, that we will be able to repopulate the seats of power with good leaders, presidents, senators, congressmen, justices, lawmakers, law enforcers and lawful citizens.

I ask all students, young people and young professionals everywhere to look around and get involved in what is happening. Do not let your youth be an excuse for failure to concern yourselves with the harsh realities you see. But neither let this make you cynical, because we need your idealism and fresh perspective just as you need the wisdom of your elders. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Let your voices be heard. Do what you can for this land that gave you your ancestors and your heritage. Use technology and all available resources at hand to spread good. Text meaningful messages to awaken social conscience. Try your best to fight moral decay because I promise you will not regret it when you become parents yourselves. You will look back at your past misdeeds and pray that your children will do better than you did.

Remember that there are a few handful who are capable of running this country.. You can join their ranks and make their numbers greater. We are tired of the old tra-pos. We need brave idealistic leaders who will think of the greater good before anything else. Do your utmost to excel in your chosen field.. Be good lawyers, civil servants, accountants, computer techs, engineers, doctors, military men so that when you are called to serve in government, you will have credibility and a record that can speak for itself.

For love of this country, for the future of our children, for the many who have sacrificed and died to uphold our rights and ideals, I urge you to do what you can. As ordinary citizens, we can do much more for the Philippines than sit around and let crooks lead us to perdition. We owe ourselves this. And we owe our country even more.

Remedios C. Paningbatan
Administrative Officer
Office of the General Counsel
Asian Development Bank
Tel (632) 632-4248
www.adb.org

——-

from sleepcarefully

Note: This article is published from the Philippine Daily Inquirer from the Youngblood section on Sept 25, 2007.

twisted soul: to love or be loved by Cherie Ann Lo

OUR TEACHER in philosophy once asked our class whether it is harder to love or to be loved. I did not have a clue on how to answer the question, but I took it to heart. After a few bottles of cheap wine and nights spent until dawn, the question gained contour. But instead of finding an answer, the first thing that came to my mind was another question: What is to love?

I am not entirely sure if what I have arrived at is true, given the limited experiences I have. The only thing I am sure of is that love entails some letting go. It is allowing the other to grow, to pursue his happiness even if that pursuit does not include my own. Love keeps one happy with the thought that the one you let go will be happy, even if it means being without him. As Marcel would put it, “To love anybody is to expect something from him, something which can neither be defined nor foreseen; it is at the same time in some way to make it possible for him to fulfill this expectation.” In setting him free, the only expectation I can hold now is that he will be happy. But it is by letting go that I can give him the possibility of being happy.

Even without this other person, loving transforms life into living. Love puts action into life. Life is not life when lived in passivity. Life becomes dynamic when one loves. Love colors the boredom that the routine of life brings. Breathing is no longer just for the purpose of keeping the self alive, it becomes living for the loved one.

Is loving the same as having? It is not. If I claim ownership of someone, he will not be the same person I loved when he was not my possession. Owning something is the same as personalizing it. If an object is personalized, it loses its character. It becomes a reflection of the self. When this happens, then what I love is myself, not the other.

Having someone makes it so much harder to let him go. But if one just loves with respect for the other person, then letting go becomes less difficult. It will never be easy, because there will always be a desire to have that person. Maybe it’s human nature to be greedy and to want what one loves. But in the course of having, love disappears.

So loving someone is hard. It seems to be having but it is not. It is a conscious action so that it is not allowed to turn into ownership. It is a giving in to one’s very nature, to one’s desire to want the best for the loved one. But at the same time, it also entails some control over one’s natural impulse to own.

But what is it to be loved? I believe that being loved entails utmost patience. Being loved is an act based on the other person. It is hard in the sense that one cannot control how the other loves. It is like having a stranger hold one’s hand. There is fear that this person will lead one to an unknown place. There is apprehension that it will into a grasp. What if he does not let go? The only thing that can loosen this grasp is time.

Patiently waiting for time to knock some sense into the other or the self is probably one of life’s hardest tasks. Time stretches into infinity when one is holding on to someone even if it is not reciprocated. There is again this notion that one can have this person but the truth is, one can never have him or anyone else for that matter.

Is it not hard to know that a person does not love you the way you want him to? It is one of life’s greatest tensions: the incongruence between how one is being loved and how one loves. To be loved is also hard because it involves acknowledging the possibility that one can never control how the other person loves. It involves an uncertainty which can condense into fear.

So which is harder between loving and being loved? I still haven’t come to a conclusion. The intensity by which love impacts a person can make everything both easy and hard. To love someone makes it easier to live, but at the same time, life can be harder because that someone can never be owned. To be loved entails patience which forms character. But it also involves a fear, an uncertainty.

The more important question is, will love ever be easy? I want to believe it is, but life proves otherwise.

Cherie Ann Lo, 20, is a BS Psychology senior at the Ateneo de Manila University

Some old, some new.
Heto na naman ang mga makabagong tianggeng pinoy…

1. Parlor in San Juan is named “Cut & Face”.
2. Wholesaler of balut in Sto.Tomas, Batangas: “Starduck’s”.
3. Fast food eatery in Nueva Ecija: “Violybee”
4. Internet cafe opened among squatters named “Cafe Pindot”.
5. In Manila , there’s a laundry named, “Summa Cum Laundry”.
6. Petshop in Ortigas: “Pussies and Bitches”.
7. A pet shop in Kamuning: “Pakita Mo Pet Mo”.
8. Bakery: “Bread Pit”.
9. Bank in Alabang: “Alabank”.
10. Restaurant in Pampanga named, “Mekeni Rogers”.
11. Restaurant in Pasig : “Johnny’s Fried Chicken: The ‘Fried’ of Marikina “.
12. A boxing gym: “Blow Jab”.
13. A tombstone maker in Antipolo: “Lito Lapida”.
14. A copy center in Sikatuna Village called “Pakopya ni Edgar”.
15. A beerhouse in Cavite called, “Chickpoint” .
16. Laundromat in Sikatuna: ” Star Wash : Attack of the Clothes”.
17. Internet cafe in Taguig named, “n@kopi@”.
18. Name of a kambingan, “Sa Goat Kita”.
19. A salon somewhere, “Curl Up And Dye”.
20. A lugawan in Sta. Maria, Bulacan: “Gee Congee”.
21. A water refilling station in Dapitan named “Wa-Thirst”.
22. A store selling feeds for chickens: “Robocock”.
23. Shoe repair in Marikina : “Dr. Shoe-Bago”.
24. Shoe repair store along Commonwealth, “SHOEPERMAN: we will HEEL you,
save your SOLE, and even DYE for you”.
25. Petshop: “Petness First”
26. Flower shop: “Susan’s Roses”.
27. Taxicab: “Income Taxi”.
28. A 2nd hand watch store: “2nd Time Around”.
29. A squid stall in a wet market: “Pusit to the Limit”.
30. A shrimp store: “Hipon Coming Back”.
31. A gay lawyer’s extension office: ” Nota Republic “.
32. A ceiling installer: ” Kisame Street “.
33. A car repair shop: “Bangga ka ‘day?”
34. An aquatic pet store in Malolos: “Fish Be With You”.
35. A fishball cart named, “Poke Poke”.
36. A beauty salon: “Saudia Hairlines”.
37. A bakery: “Anak Ng Tinapay”.
38. A resto along Mayon road in Manila : “May Lisa Eatery”.
39. Laundry shop: “Wash Your Problem”.
40. This mobile massage business name isn’t funny, but
their slogan is: “Asian Mobile Massage Service: Massage only, God is
watching”.
41. Ice cream parlor: “Dila Lang Ang Katapat”.
42. Chicharon store: “Chicha Hut”.
43. Neighborhood pizza store: “Pizza Hot”.
44. A fishball cart near UST: “Eat My Balls”.
45. A barbershop in Cagayan de Oro: “Pinoy Big Barber”.
46. A Resto: “The Last Supper”.
47. A goto resto: “Goto Ko Pa!”
48. A peanut vendor’s cart with a funny name: “Mani ni Papa”.
49. A gym in Malolos: ” Gaymann Fitness Center “.
50. My brother’s party needs business: “Balloon-Balloonan” ..
51. A Chinese restaurant in Pasig : “Lah-Fang”.
52. A store selling fresh chicken, owned by woman named Dina: “Dina Fresh
Chicken”.
53. An actual bait and tackle shop in U.S. : “The Master Baiter”.
54. Panaderia: “Trimonay Bakeshop”.
55. Salon: “Hair Dot Comb”.

For all you geeks (and pseudo-geeks) out there, WHAT IF ganito Finals niyo? =D

***

WORLD HISTORY
Describe the history of the papacy from its origins to the present day, concentrating especially, but not exclusively, on its social, political, economic, religious, and philosophical impact on Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. Be brief and concise, yet specific.

ASTRONOMY
Define the universe; give three examples.

MEDICINE
You will be provided with a razor blade, a piece of gauze, and a bottle of Scotch. Remove your appendix. Do not suture until your work has been inspected. You have 15 minutes.

COMPUTER SCIENCE
Write a fifth-generation computer language. Using this language, create a computer program to finish the rest of this exam for you.

PUBLIC SPEAKING
Twenty-five hundred riot-crazed aborigines are storming the classroom. Calm them. You may use any ancient language except Latin, Hebrew, or Greek.

CIVIL ENGINEERING
This is a practical test of your design and building skills. With the boxes of toothpicks and glue present, build a platform that will support your weight when you and your platform are suspended over a vat of nitric acid.

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
The disassembled parts of a howitzer have been placed in a box on your desk. You will also find an instruction manual, printed in Swahili. In 10 minutes a hungry Bengal tiger will be admitted to the room. Take whatever action you feel is appropriate. Be prepared to justify your decision.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
You will be placed in a nuclear reactor and given a partial copy of the electrical layout. The electrical system has been tampered with. You have seventeen minutes to find the problem and correct it before the reactor melts down.

BIOLOGY
Create life. Estimate the differences in subsequent human culture if this form of life had developed 500,000 years earlier, with special attention to the probable effect, if any, on the Philippine social spectrum circa 1640. Prove your thesis.

RELIGION
Perform a miracle. Creativity will be judged. (My favorite! The “judging of creativity” part just cracked me up!)

MUSIC
Write a full piano concerto. Orchestrate and perform it with a flute and drum. You will find a piano under your seat.

LOGIC
Take a position for or against truth. Prove the validity of your position.

CHEMISTRY
You must identify a poison sample which you will find at your lab table. All necessary equipment has been provided. There are two beakers at your desk, one of which holds the antidote. If the wrong substance is used, it causes instant death. You may begin as soon as the professor injects you with a sample of the poison.

PSYCHOLOGY
Based on your knowledge of their early works, evaluate the emotional stability, degree of adjustment, and repressed frustrations (hahaha!) of each of the following: Alexander of Aphrodisias, Ramses II, Gregory of Nicea, and Hammurabi. Support your evaluations with quotations from each man’s work, making appropriate references. Translate all quotations in Tagalog.

SOCIOLOGY
Identify the sociological problems which might be associated with the end of the world. Construct an experiment to test your theory.

ECONOMICS
Describe in four hundred words or less what you would have done to prevent the Great Depression.

MATHEMATICS
You have 60 seconds to mentally solve the mathematical problem below. Begin.

8,256.091 + _________ – ________ x ________ ¸ ________ = -38.07623

(Bonus question: Why is 11 not pronounced onety one? Provide a full numerical analysis in justifying your answer.)

POLITICAL SCIENCE
There is a red telephone on the desk beside you. Start World War III. Report at length on its socio-political effects, if any.

ART
Given one eight-count box of crayons and three sheets of notebook paper, recreate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Skin tones should be true to life.

PHYSICS
Explain the nature of matter. Include in your answer an in-depth evaluation of the impact of the development of mathematics on science.

METAPHYSICS
Describe in detail the nature of life after death. Test your hypothesis. (TEST YOUR HYPOTHESIS!!! LOL!)

PHILOSOPHY
Sketch the development of human thought. Estimate its significance. Compare with the development of any other kind of thought.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
Describe in detail. Be objective and specific. (and of course.)

LETTER ‘A’

1. Are you Available?
– no.

2. What is your Age?
– 22.

LETTER ‘B’

4. Do you live in a Big house?
– nope!:) liit pero it’s a home! at nakakamiss nga e.

5. When is your Birthday?
– christmas day! dec25 (G)

THE LETTER ‘C’

6. What’s your favorite Chocolate?
– kahit ano basta walang nuts! ferrero exception sa list (L)

THE LETTER ‘D’

7. Do you Daydream?
– yep — minsan lang!

8. What’s your favorite kind of Dog?
– jack russell terrier – si wiggy!

9. What Day of the week is it?
– Sunday  na! — waaah! separation anxiety here i come!

THE LETTER ‘E’
10. Have you ever been in the Emergency room?
– Yes.

11. Did you have a crush that starts w/letter E?
– oo yata. dati ata. ewan ko. di ko na maalala!

THE LETTER ‘F’

12. Favorite Flower?
– tulips! lilies! gerberas!

THE LETTER ‘G’

13. Do you chew Gum?
– uhhm.. oo? di naman pwede lunukin a!

14. Are you a Giver or a Taker?
– giver:)

THE LETTER ‘H’

15. What’s your Height?
– about 5?2 ata.

16. What color is your Hair?
– black!

THE LETTER ‘I’

17. What’s your favorite flavor of Ice cream?
– again, basta walang nuts — solb na ako…:) exception:pistachio

18. Have you ever Ice skated?
– Yes. but i’m not good at it.

19. Do you play an Instrument?
– yep! piano — nakakamiss na nga e! gusto ko matuto mag gitara or violin.:)

THE LETTER ‘J’

20. Have you ever heard a really hilarious Joke?
– yep! mababaw ang kaligayahan ko e!

21. Do you wear Jewelry, even at the house?
– nope!

THE LETTER ‘K’

22. Do you want Kids?
– yep! i love being a preschool teacher!:) pedia na ito!:)

23. Where did you have Kindergarten?
– Mary Help of Christians School

THE LETTER ‘L’

24. Have you ever been in love?
– oo.

TeHE LETTER ‘M’

25. Last Movie you watched?
– sa cinehan? bolt ata. pero kung sa ipod — monsters, inc ulit for the nth time, sa tv — marami e!

26. Do you still watch disney Movies?
– yep yep! I love disney movies, cartoons at tv series.

27. Do you like Mangoes?
– yep super! green mango shake isa sa favorite ko!

THE LETTER ‘N’

28. Do you have a nickname?
–  yep! madami. – tin, karen, yen, kitin.

29. What’s your favorite number?
– with s – numbers: 7, 9, 25

30. Do you prefer Night over day?
– yep. i am a night person.

THE LETTER ‘O’

31. what is your wish?
– dami e.

THE LETTER ‘P’

32. What is one fear you are most Paranoid about?
– hmmmm…

THE LETTER ‘Q’

33. Are you Quick (to) judge people?
– minsan… minsan lang ha..:) pag tinopak.

THE LETTER ‘R’

34. Do you watch Reality tv?
– depende!

THE LETTER ‘S’

35. Do you prefer sun or rain?
– sun!:)

36. Do you like Snow?
–  pwede na!:)

THE LETTER ‘T’

37. What Time is it?
– 1:47am

38. What time did you wake up?
– weekdays: 6-6:30am, pag masarap ang tulog: 7:15am; weekends: 8-9am

THE LETTER ‘V’

39. Whats the worst veggie?
– ampalaya. hehe.

40. Where do you want to go on Vacation?
– kahit saan! basta bakasyon!:)

THE LETTER ‘W’

41. Will you go back to the past?
– nope.:)

THE LETTER ‘X’

42. Have you ever had an X-ray?
– yep!

43. Do you own a xylophone?
– nopey!

THE LETTER ‘Y’

44. Do you like the color yellow?
– okay lang!:)

45. What Year were you born in?
– Tiger!

THE LETTER ‘Z’

46. Whats your Zodiac sign?
– Capricorn.

47. Do you believe in ZODIACS?
– hindi. pero binabasa ko dati yan sa newspaper, trip lang.

—-

project365 already updated! goodnight everyone! (*)

–Emo pala siya. Haha. Happy reading! =)

1. “Kung hindi mo mahal ang isang tao, wag ka nang magpakita ng motibo para
mahalin ka nya..”

2. “Huwag mong bitawan ang bagay na hindi mo kayang makitang hawak ng iba.”

3. “Huwag mong hawakan kung alam mong bibitawan mo lang.”

4. “Huwag na huwag ka hahawak kapag alam mong may hawak ka na.”

5. “Parang elevator lang yan eh, bakit mo pagsisiksikan ung sarili mo kung
walang pwesto para sayo. Eh meron naman hagdan, ayaw mo lang pansinin.”

6. “Kung maghihintay ka nang lalandi sayo, walang mangyayari sa buhay mo..
Dapat lumandi ka din.”

7. “Pag may mahal ka at ayaw sayo, hayaan mo. Malay mo sa mga susunod na
araw ayaw mo na din sa kanya, naunahan ka lang.”

8. “Hiwalayan na kung di ka na masaya. Walang gamot sa tanga kundi
pagkukusa.”

10. “Kung dalawa ang mahal mo, piliin mo yung pangalawa. Kasi hindi ka
naman magmamahal ng iba kung mahal mo talaga yung una.”

11. “Hindi porke’t madalas mong ka-chat, kausap sa telepono, kasama sa mga
lakad o ka-text ng wantusawa eh may gusto sayo at magkakatuluyan kayo.
Meron lang talagang mga taong sadyang friendly, sweet, flirt, malandi,
pa-fall o paasa.”

12. “Huwag magmadali sa babae o lalaki. Tatlo, lima, sampung taon, mag-iiba
ang pamantayan mo at maiisip mong hindi pala tamang pumili ng kapareha
dahil lang maganda o nakakalibog ito. Totong mas mahalaga ang kalooban ng
tao higit sa anuman. Sa paglipas ng panahon, maging ang mga crush ng bayan
nagmumukha ding pandesal, maniwala ka.”

13. “Minsan kahit ikaw ang nakaschedule, kailangan mo pa rin maghintay,
kasi hindi ikaw ang priority.”

14. “Mahirap pumapel sa buhay ng tao. Lalo na kung hindi ikaw yung bida sa
script na pinili nya.”

15. “Alam mo ba kung gaano kalayo ang pagitan ng dalawang tao pag
nagtalikuran na sila? Kailangan mong libutin ang buong mundo para lang
makaharap ulit ang taong tinalikuran mo.”

16. “Mas mabuting mabigo sa paggawa ng isang bagay kesa magtagumpay sa
paggawa ng wala”

17. “Hindi lahat ng kaya mong intindihin ay katotohan, at hindi lahat ng
hindi mo kayang intindihin ay kasinungalingan”

18. “Kung nagmahal ka ng taong di dapat at nasaktan ka, wag mong sisihin
ang puso mo. Tumitibok lng yan para mag-supply ng dugo sa katawan mo.
Ngayon, kung magaling ka sa anatomy at ang sisisihin mo naman ay ang
hypothalamus mo na kumokontrol ng emotions mo, mali ka pa rin! Bakit? Utang
na loob! Wag mong isisi sa body organs mo ang mga sama ng loob mo sa buhay!
Tandaan mo: magiging masaya ka lang kung matututo kang tanggapin na hindi
ang puso, utak, atay o bituka mo ang may kasalanan sa lahat ng nangyari
sayo, kundi IKAW mismo!”

19. “Pakawalan mo yung mga bagay na nakakasakit sa iyo kahit na pinasasaya
ka nito. Wag mong hintayin ang araw na sakit na lang ang nararamdaman mo at
iniwan ka na ng kasiyahan mo.”

20. “Gamitin ang puso para alagaan ang mga taong malalapit sa iyo. Gamitin
ang utak para alagaan ang sarili mo.”

Originally published at tin's snippets of life. You can comment here or there.

The value of the UP Experience

There are no children here

This week, I went to a meeting at the UP School of Economics and I came
away with renewed belief in the value of the UP experience.

If you speak to anyone from UP – student, professor, alumnus – you will get no Latin slogans or apologies about how the school teaches values in spite of its outward materialism. This is not a student population that thinks about basketball games or memorizes school songs. This is not a school that chooses one statement to drill into the minds of its students.

This is not, of course, to say that UP does not care about values. It is
that UP, in its own inimitable way, believes that values cannot be force-fed. The statue of the naked man that guards the entrance to the campus in Diliman best represents UP’s approach to all education and the respect for students that is the center of its educational philosophy. All who come to this university, regardless of origin, bring themselves naked, carrying nothing but their thirst; like the proverbial empty teacup, making an offering of self, waiting to be filled.

Adults

For many students from private schools, the first lesson that is learned
here is that this is a school for adult education. There are no children
here, and that is why no parents are allowed either at freshman orientation or during enlistment.

The spirit of the oblation lies not in a mother or a father offering up his
child to the world, it is that of the newly adult, freely offering of his
self.

I remember quite vividly that moment that drove home how different the
UP education continues to be. It was my daughter’s first semester in
university and she had invited a group of her high school friends to our
house. One of them asked a classmate whether she had gotten her parents
permission form approved for that weekend’s outreach activity. From the
UP population around the table came the mock horrified responses of:
“Permission? ” and “Outreach?”

I thought about it and realized that all of these students were, in fact,
legally adults. I thought it interesting that only the UP students appeared
to appreciate this fact.

Even more interesting was the “outreach” comment. I think back to my own university years and the last three years that my daughter has been in UP and am certain there is no lack of civic activity. There are medical
missions, house building projects, tree planting, community work and barrio work and so on. I realize now that the reaction was not to the activity as much as it was to the use of the word.

One of the most important differences of the UP campus from all the other
campuses my children considered going to is that this campus has no walls. Many parents fear this. They are afraid their precious children will not be protected from the ills of society in a campus that is so open to the rest of the world.

But UP is open to the world in more ways than just not having the physical
walls.

Community

Being in UP means much more than being a student. This campus is
enmeshed in a community. This community is made up not only of the
transient population of students who go home each night. It includes the
many, many students who lay their heads on dorm pillows each night, enduring time away from families in the firm belief that this campus will bring them closer to their dreams. This community includes the families of faculty and employees who live on campus. It also includes the many people who work not for the University, but nevertheless work on campus. This community includes the lady who remembers the brand of cigarette you smoke and automatically hands it to you in the morning. It includes the gentleman who remembers you like pepper on your egg sandwich or the one who knows you will dip your fish balls into two of his sauces, who patiently waits for you to eat your three sticks before being paid. It includes the woman who saw all her children through college by selling peanuts every day on campus.

To a UP student, the daily heartbeat of the school is never far away from
the realities of the country. The word outreach suggests that civic activity
is something outside of the normal, something you do once in a while. It must be immensely difficult to think of community as a thing apart when your campus experience brings you face to face with all of the world’s realities every day.

Character

All of this probably explains that unmistakable sense of self that you will
find from students who come from this campus.

Here is a campus where all have the same opportunities to learn. But also,
here is a campus that will give all the same opportunities to fail. There
are no guidance counselors who will chase after you because you have been skipping classes. The attitude this university takes is that you must take the initiative – for learning, for seeking help, for realizing you need help.

That is not to say that no help exists. But it is help that is not forced
upon you.

This is a university rich in both introspection and conversation. On this
campus, the student is constantly exposed to people – faculty, administrators, community members, other students – who care deeply and passionately about the world. The conversations are almost never purely cerebral. A single graph can
provoke comments about government policy and its effects on people.

As a result, UP is home to a student population that looks at the world and cares. It is easy to see pictures of protesting students and dismiss it as radicalism. But there are few campuses in this country where students go beyond a passing curiosity about what is happening in the world beyond their own lives. There are even fewer universities where students not only care but also actually believe they have a responsibility to make a difference – not in some hazy future – today.

And that, I believe, is what truly forges character. Character is not molded
by speeches or long classes in ethics or theology. Character grows from within. It begins by being handed the keys to your own self and being told you are in charge; you now have power over yourself and your own actions – and with that power, you take on responsibilities.

Each student in this university goes through his own unique voyage of
discovery. On his voyage, as he decides what he cares about, what he will fight for and what he will sacrifice, he crafts his own personal values. That is what education is truly about.

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