Fool's Reach: A Tragedy from the Beginning

Staring at the ceiling, cold dark night, I lay on my back. Feeling my heart squeezing tighter each passing minute. I can’t recall how long I’ve been lying motionless. The deafening silence doesn’t help, as I grasp for any kind comfort that I can find. No tears are falling and yet I feel like my eyes are heavy with the burden of sadness. I wish they would just fall, the tears.

My world have once again been shattered into pieces. Relentless pain pierce through my aching heart as my world crumbles like mountain turning to stones. The beauty of creation is now turning into a domino of destruction. How did I end up in this tragedy? How could I be so careless and let these things happen?

I raise my hand and stare at my palm. A sculptor uses he’s hand to create his masterpiece. Is this hand responsible for getting me into this mess? Perhaps I’m just looking for someone, or something to blame. The truth is, I only have myself to blame.

We are but fools, trying to justify our foolishness. From the start, I knew nothing good can come from this affection I have found. I have my limits and I have my restrictions, but I also have my weakness. Despite all signs pointing east, I still, like chasing a fool’s gold, faced west and took a step towards my own self destruction.

And now I’m at the last step I took west. Roads stopped, trails end in a deep ravine. And worst, roads going back have vanished into the darkness. Standing with nowhere to go, I watch as the world around me crumbles. Perhaps this is what is meant to be foolish. Perhaps I can only stay here and watch as people around me go their way, into the path they happily walk. And I am here, alone, breaking into pieces. Vanishing into oblivion.

The funny thing is, this is not the first time I’ve been on this road. Stranded in an island of darkness. How did I escape that time? How did I manage to come out as a whole, or have I ever been whole? I could not remember, I could not know how to live from here…

Yeah I remember, I have always been stuck in this piece of land I’m standing on. Perhaps it is not me that walked here, but it is the world that moves while I just stand here. People pass me by as I just stand here. I can no longer recall how long I’ve been here, or how many people have passed me by. I can only recall the pain that people have left behind. And every moment, it hurts like hell, as it hurts now.

If I survived this before, perhaps I can now. But how can I move away from this darkness? How can I move along with the world? I close my eyes, lower my hands into my face. And tears started to fall.

Mt. Pinatubo: Trek for All Ages

Friday night as I was heading back home, I felt droplets of rain on my head. 'Twas a sign that summer is soon on its way out of the door and welcome a rainy month of June. It would have been a good sign if we were at the last stretch of may, but it was only the 2nd week. I looked up at the sky and whispered to the heavenly bodies, "Let no rain fall tomorrow, for we shall climb Mt. Pinatubo"...

The clock greeted me with hands pointing to past 1am when I arrived home. I quickly changed clothes and took a quick nap. How I wish to visit Dreamland today but the time wouldn't let me. More than an hour after my nap, I was already packing my things as I head out to start this adventurous day.

We assembled ourselves, all 10 of us, around 3:30am on McDonalds at Quezon Ave. This was an adventure that we planned for nearly a month. We were itching for an outdoor activity to deviate from our busy life from our office, and this trip is the perfect fit. Aside from Ma'am Almirah's Husband and friend, all 7 of us are from the same office. Spending 8 hours or more of our life inside a corporate world where our only axis to the outside world is a single monitor. You can see how we look forward to this trip.

Contrary to the Filipino custom, I am quite surprised that most of us arrived before time. We only needed to wait for one girl before we could start our trip. It wasn't a long wait, and around 3:45am, we were off to Pinatubo.

As I was deprived of my sleep, what happened between McDonalds and Capas, Tarlac was unknown to me. I spent 3hours of our road trip sleeping. Apparently, most of us were. You can't blame us, we needed our full strength for this long trek.

To the top we go! Assembly at Spa Town.

The sun was already shining when we arrive at the Spa Town in Capas, Tarlac. We thought we were too early but when we got to the assembly point, it seems like we were late. There were already some who are starting their 4x4 ride towards Mt. Pinatubo. Not to be outdone by others, we stretched our arms, get out
of our rented F150 Ford Van, and feel the great ambiance of the country side. Our driver took care of our registration for the trek in the local tourism office and waited for our own 4x4 ride.


One 4x4 old jeep can only accomodate 5 person, plus the driver and our tourist guide. So we had to split up into two groups. I joined the first jeep along with Francis, Maam Almirah, Mr. Arman and Mr. Sulit. I wanted to ride at the hood of the jeep, but they won't allow me for my own safety. We were told to expect a bumpy ride along rocky roads and crossing streams.

The Lahar Plain

The first 10 minutes of the 4x4 ride was quite smooth and not that exciting. We enjoyed the scenery instead as we were greeted by mountains and hills and lahar formations illuminated by the rising sun. It was a relaxing ride as we take into ourselves the beauty of being away from the corners of the office. As we go deep into the terrain, we started passing thru rocks and small streams and the ride starts to get bumpy. We were enjoying the ride so much that we didn't notice that our other group was no longer behind us. Jay, our driver seems to be enjoying the ride as well as he try to maneuver along the rocky roads with maximum possible speed.

As the ride continues to get bumpy, we arrive at our first pitstop. We disembarked in our jeep to take pictures on what the local call the Toblerone Hills.

It's catchy name is inspired by the Chocolate Hills in Bohol. As I look at the hills, I can see why they name it as such, It's a line of hills shaped as triangles side by side, like toblerones. We took turns on taking pictures and waited for the others so we can have our first decent group pictures in our trip.

After the clicks and the snaps, we finally decided to continue the ride. I, again, attempted to ride on the hood but was turned down as the ride will only get worse. And Jay was right. The road were even more rocky than before. You can no longer see clear paths and had to cross streams and climb thru steep paths.  I would have fallen if I was on the hood. We were filled with awe as we are amazed by how this old 4x4 jeep can endure the treacherous road.

It was no ordinary path we took, but the experience is one to add in my memory. We were told that before, you can take the skyway, up in the hills, and avoid this path to went directly at the foot of the crater of Pinatubo, but now, those path is gone. But I guess that was for the better (or worse), I wouldn't have experience this kind of ride if we took the easy way.

I could no longer tell how long we rode the jeep, but the end site of the ride as near as we can see in the horizon the flock of other jeeps park in the other side of the field. It was the mark of the starting point. This is where we say goodbye to our ride and rely on our feet to bring us to the top of the mountain, the land of promise. :p



I quickly jumped of the jeep when we arrived to have a feel of the lahar. It wasn't my first time to step on but it was still an exciting feeling. I was wearing a new Tribu Sandal, one with straps all over my feet. It took a long time before I decided to sport this sandal instead of my rubber shoes, and I think I made the right choice. It was very important that we dressed to the occassion as the wrong dress could make this trek a lot more stressful than it needs to be. I wore a Dri-Fit Umbro Shirt and a short Cargo pants along with my sandal to give a comfort feel. And of course, I sheilded my skin with a SPF 30 Sunblock, courtesy of JP, along with a Hat, shades and a piece of cloth to protect me from the sun. You can call me overprotective, but in this kind of terrain, the heat of the sun can be your worst enemy, and I know how to fight my enemies. :)


All preparation done, we waited for the other five before we started our 2hour trek. Their jeep has to be the slowest, it took them another 10 minutes before they arrive. Cobi, JP, Jaja, wally and Chelle was nevertheless excited, and a slow jeep didn't stop them from joining us in our trek.

Time to leave the jeep behind... 

Filled with anticipation and excitement, we started our ascent towards the crater of Pinatubo. It was not that difficult as there were no steep path. It was almost straight path with occasional streams and rivers. There were rocks everywhere, big or small. We were enjoying the long walk as the views were majestic. We took pictures of every mountains that display wide range of shapes, rivers that cross our paths, and colorful stones. We never failed to get photos taken along with this great landscape. That's thanks to Jaja and Wally for their SLR Cameras.

30 minutes into the trek and the heat of the sun starts to get hot. It was a good thing we have Cobi with us, we could use a good laugh from time to time. We needed his stories to occupy our mind as not to think how tired we already are. We weren't yet halfway but we could already feel our sweat starting to drop from our head. It was a first testament of how hot the weather was that time.





But no sun can make as back down. We continued our trek, finding shades of shadows along the path if there is one. But we were told not to get too close because landslides are common in this area. It have come to our attention that mountains sorrounding the area are made of lahar and are not very strong. We can only imagine how this place came to be. A part of explosion that was known to be one of the worst volcanic erruption of the 19th century.


Cobi's stories soon faded away. We were starting to get weary as the long path never seems to end. We can only take comfort on the thought of the great view we will soon see. The occassional pictures also takes away the tiredness and gave us jolt of energy. The trek seems to go on and on and on... until we started seeing some greenery. Our guide says it's a sign that we are near the crater of Pinatubo.

After nearly two hours of walking under the sun, we finally saw a waiting shed. A group of tourist was resting in the shed. We were told this is were we start our ascend to the crater. When the skyway was still passable, this is where our ride was suppose to drop us off. Some would have chose that, but I would still like that 2 hour trek that we had. It was not a pleasant one, but something worth remembering.

We rested for 5 minutes on the shed and tried to assess our selves. We were almost depleted of our energy but we can still go on. Some of us had few cuts, especially on the area where sandal straps are in contact with the skin. Due to the river, sands and stones can pass thru the openings and can go between the straps and the skin. This can be irritating and can cause cuts as I soon discovered I have too when I got home.

Before climbing, we were greeted by reminder that it should only took 15minutes to climb the crater if we consider ourselves young, 20 minutes if we were already senior citizen. This burnt our spirit and tried to beat the clock. But it wasn't that easy as there were other people in front of us and the path is not wide enough to accomodate overpassing. We soon gave up on the 15 minute mark and decided we were older than the senior citizens. :p

We walked thru a terrain sorrounded by greenery. Most of the paths are rocky and there were some nearly dry river that we need to cross. It wwas not that difficult to climb thru the path, but it never pays to be careful. After sometime, we finally see some man made steps, signs that we are finally near the end of our journey. Sign that we can finally get the reward of our tiring journey.

At the top of the steps, we were mesmerized by the beauty of the Lake Crater of Mt. Pinatubo. I could say there's no word to explain the beauty, but that would be like closing your eyes to the promise that we sought. The lake was green in color, blue green, sorrounded by mountains or what is left of it. The
lake seems placid and still, and you can sense the serenity of the place. This is the place that we gladly spent our energy to see. If you spent so much time in the busy street of the Metro, something as magnificent as this can be your gold in the treasure box.

We took all the shots we can get to keep a memory of this beautiful scenery. And when the hype finally escapes us, we found the need to rest and refuel ourselves before we go down to the crater and have a swim at the beautiful lake.

It was not easy looking for a nice shade as there is only few waiting shed in the area. Today was a usual weekend, so the place is field with tourist like us. It's a good thing we find a place under a tree to lay our tired body. We finally gave in to our body took a break from the long journey. We packed our own food so we eat what we brought. It was rejuvenating to finally have some food. I could eat a thousand chicken legs at my state (exaggerated of course).

Refueled and Rejuvenated, rested and tired, we were tempted to just lay there and take a nap, some tourist did so. But we were so eager to see the lake closely that we decided to move on. The descend thru the lake was steep, guided by more man made steps. It wasn't that difficult but I can only imagine how hard would it be when we need to get back up. I didn't bother to count how many steps I took, but the long way down soon ends and the tiredness is equally paid by the beauty of the lake.

We were greeted by the locals at the crater and offered us a ride to the other side of the crater where they said a very nice hot springs can be found. We would have loved to go, but that would cost us another 350 pesos. The offer was tempting but the price, we thought, was unreasonable. So we settled not to go to the other side and enjoy the part of the lake where we were.

We laid our bags, took our shirt off and plunge right into the lake. What we didn't know is that the water was freaking cold. We needed time for our body to adjust to the coldness before we could enjoy the majestic lake. Too bad we can only swim near the shore as the lake suddenly gets very deep just meters away from the shore. You can no longer feel the bottom of the lake once you got far from the shore, a warning from non-swimmer out there. Not to mention, we saw one woman nearly drowned due to ignorance to the depth of the lake, good thing she was with somebody.

We spent a lot of time playing on the lake til we finally got tired and decided to finally leave the place. It was not an easy task going all the way here but what we got was worth it. It wasn't just the beauty and serenity of the crater of the lake that made it worthwhile. It was the joy of bonding along with your friends, to share the sacrifice in order to trek all the way to the top, and the stories, sensible and not, shared along the way. All this made this trip a trip worth remembering.

But oops, I almost forgot, we still have to go back to where we started. All the pain and tiredness, multiplied by 2! Hope we can survive the trek down. :)

Mt. Pinatubo! We Survive...

She, Who Owns My World

"Wait for me, I'll be there in a 10 min."

That was the last words I heard from her. It had been almost an hour and I'm still hoping her 10 min is just around the corner. I never bothered asking where she is again, from past experience, this would just irritate her and make me wait more.

But patience is taking its toll. I kept my mind busy as I sit outside a fine dine restaurant, looking at every passer-by and admiring every beauty that this glorious night has to offer.

It was Friday night, and I was at the mercy of a cold night, as Christmas was fast approaching. I could have been with my friends, hanging out somewhere and enjoying music and possibly the warmth of beer. But I chose to be here, comforted only by the warmth light above me, taking refuge to the idea that soon, after 10 min of a slow moving clock, she will be here and sit in front of me. Yes, only time will tell how foolish I could be for something I wanted so badly.

Another 10 min had passed, more sexy ladies in their fine dress had greeted me with their smiles, and the coldness continues to drop that my hands begin to shiver from time to time. I look at the street and still I see no sign of her. I can't help but be bother by the possible reason that she could have been late. It was after all a Friday night, Friday traffic could be the culprit. But still, 10 min has quite passed its due.

As the clock continues to tick, I can help but see people near my table taking a peek at me. Perhaps their wondering how long I’ve been waiting here, alone and with just a glass of cold water, alone. Perhaps their right for wondering, I myself have been puzzled by why I'm here, still waiting, and didn't bother checking on her.

Frustration and anger has started to boil inside my head. For the past 20 min, I had been constantly fighting with the urge of just leaving the place and just call her after a few hours. But just the thought of leaving her alone is enough to make me wait for another hour or so.
10 more minutes and it would have been an hour and 30 minutes of waiting. But my world started to shine as I see a glimpse of her from the end of the street. There she was, walking slowly, with a smile that has been her most beautiful asset. As she slowly comes toward me, all the time that had been wasted to wait for her had been forgotten. It's like my world had once again been filled with warmth and joy as I look at her moving towards me. All the beautiful ladies that comforted my eyes during my wait had faded into her background. The world seems to have turned into black and white and only she had remained colourful, and shining in this black night.

It had felt like eternity, eternity filled with happiness, as I watch her walk towards me. I was in so deep that I didn't notice that we are now a foot apart. She smiled, while I still remain amazed and mesmerized. Then she leans toward me, and hugs me tight. She whispered in my ears, "Nice to see you again, Son."

Tears in her eyes started to fall, as I keep mine in my eyes. It had been more than 3 years since I last saw her. And the past 3 years hadn't been well for the both of us. I hugged her back and felt how aged had caught up to her.

She was once the most beautiful girl in my eyes, and she still is. I had been a big fan of her and she had been my closest friend. That's why it was so hard being away from her for a long time for the both of us. That's why this moment had been one of the best moments of my life.
As I escorted Mom inside the promised restaurant, not the fine-dine restaurant you would have thought, just a semi-fast food chain on a side of the mall, I felt stupid and angry with myself.
That one hour and thirty minutes of waiting, I had been the cruelest son. How could I complain about waiting, when she had waited everyday at home to see me grow into a fine man I am now? How could I complain about enduring the cold, when she had endured night months of pain and more than 3 hours of labour just to give me my life? How could I complain about not being out there and have fun, when she made my happiness hers. How could I complain about waiting alone, when I know those three years of being away, she had felt it more than I do.

Looking at her again, and seeing her smile back again, I told myself, "I could even wait a lifetime if it means, having this moment with my Mom".

Going Against the Wind II...

Arriving at Batangas Peir was no walk in the park, our fate was continuously tested before we finally got there (read here...). But we never thought our persistence would be stopped by big waves and shaky ships. And so the desire to reach puerto had finally been stopped. But we can't put the effort to a waste, so we embarked on a more adventurous journey, travel across Batangas and find the perfect resort. We didn't know what's ahead, but this what made this journey worthy of writing.:)

And so with the sun setting, we had to retreat and put puerto on another day. But we are forgetting something, it was a long journey before we arrive here, shall we go home without savoring the victory we just had? The answer was simple, we can't go home empty handed. We held ourselves against a raging storm until it finally went away, we couldn't just go home just yet, we need a place to celebrate!

The problem is, Batangas isn't our neighborhood. Not to mention most of us had never been, we were complete alien in a part of our own country. So we did ask and solicit ideas from strangers. Motorcycle drivers, stranded passengers, guards, even by-standers, we asked them all. They always have same answer, it's best to stay for the night at closed room then have fun tomorrow. But no way, that's not part of the plan. Waste the night on a unknown bed? We were adventurers, we didn't travel all the way here to have a thorough examination on somebody's bed. We need to find a place to celebrate.

So we put our hope to the wonders of the modern world. A few text and a google would get us somewhere. A friend told us about Nasugbu, were resorts were common, not quite like puerto but better than nothing.

So at about almost 4pm, the sun already waving goodbye, we took two tricycles and instructed them to bring us to where we could ride a bus going to nasugbu, wherever that is. Clueless, we put our safety to the two tricycle drivers who are unrelentlessly convincing us to go to a better place near the vicinity. We would have given in, until they told us it would cost at least 1200 pesos per tricycle and with more than one hour travel on the tricycle depending on the traffic. Oh My! quite suspicious we thought. So we give them a loud NO and finally arrived at a Bus Stop near a National Road.

At the bus stop, we asked the driver, and we were very specific with our question, "Can this bus take us to Nasugbu?", not to mention the signboard says so. And the driver gave a convincing nod and a smile. So our hearts were at peace when we took the bus.

The ride was long, most of us fell asleep but not me. I had to savor every moment of this accidental adventure. Then it dawned to me that where we are going is same place as where Santi actual passed through. We passed landslides along the way, there were flood on some part of the road, we had to stop on some roads where only one lane is open, and we also passed roads covered with soil, its a good thing the local government started clearing the road so we were able to pass. I realized that Santi was no joke, we where just lucky we didn't got directly hit.

After almost two hours of travel, our bus suddenly announced that we won't be going up to Nasugbu since one of the bridges leading to Nasugbu is heavily damaged. The bus stops at Sinsian Lemery, wherever that is. My mind instantly boiled, I can still picture that drivers smile and nod when we asked him, and yet he never told us about the tragedy. We tried to talk to the driver after we had the stop but he quickly stepped out of the bus after we arrive at Sinsian. We asked the conductor instead and instructed us to walk over the damaged bridge and ride a bus on the opposite side of the bridge. At least another bus is waiting, "Not to worry". And what's more irritating is that he told us they knew about the unpassable bridge and they never bothered to tell us when we asked them before. I guess that's what business is all about, find ways to get money and explain later when complaints are raised.

So we walked across the bridge, with lots of foods on our hands. We hadn't eaten anything yet but hunger started to put music in our stomach. At the end of the bridge, we expected bus, comforting bus where we could lie on our backs and relax. But no bus were in sight, only tricycles and jeepney. Another shocking lie I guess. We asked around and found out another bridge ahead is also damaged so the bus we were suppose to take is on that side of that bridge.

So we had to take a jeepney and walk again to that damaged bridge. As we took the ride on that jeepney, we realized night had started to fall. It's getting dark and we are still on the road in a very unknown place. This must be what adventure is like, never know where you're gonna end but you know it'll be fun. Somehow, we felt nervous and eager to end that feeling of being lost.

After about 15 min, we arrived at the 2nd bridge, we had to cross that dark unpassable bridge just to get to the other side. This had been a first timer for a lot of things for me, so I felt rather excited to see how the day ends. At the other side, we finally saw a bus, and this time, they assure us, we are stopping at Nasugbu. So we took our sit, and gave ourselves a deserved reward, food. We took out what we were carrying all along and ate our food we were suppose to offer to puerto. It never crossed our minds that we would be eating all of this at the bus, talk about luck.:)

With the night starting to get darker, we were eager to finally end our journey. And about 8pm, we finally arrive at Nasugbu terminal. People there knew exactly where we want to go so we didn't have any difficulty finding a nice resort. Two tricycle took us to a Beach Resort called Johndel...

And so we took a room, we didn't care if it was that expensive, lay our bags, put in our swimming clothes and enjoyed the culmination of the hardships that we had to go through. We had fun, but what makes it more memorable is the things we had to go through just to enjoy this moment. And how we enjoyed the weekend? Our picture tells it all. :)

Going Against the Wind...

The past month had been the most devastating time I had personally witness in our country. I've come from the south and storms and typhoon doesn't usually affect us much, so it was a shocker to have witness the chaotic effects of two nearly simoultaneous storms. It didn't just destroyed homes and roads, but worst, it took the lives of almost a thousand of my countrymen. Most were affected, if not structurally, also emotionally, and brought the whole nation into darkness. It had engraved a new meaning of fear for most who have seen its capacity. And so paranoia for storm had been common this days.

After more than a month, another storm was bound to hit the country once again. It was no Ramil who just grazed northern Luzon and spared our wounded country, nor was it like Quedan who never bothered to look at an injured prey. It was Santi, who unmercifully tested the nation once again as it cross right into the heart of luzon. A stormy night in an All Saint's Day was feared to happen. A To Dos los Santi as many would joke around.

But if others felt fear, I saw a completely different perspective for the upcoming weekend. It was a time to redeem ourselves, prove that no matter what comes our way, we will always rise up to the challenge and overcome any mountains that block our way. Grief was a thing in the past, now is the time to tell those who listen that we can't remain scared forever, we have to face our fears someday, and now is the perfect day.

Friday night, same night when Santi finally landed on South Luzon, we meet at our place, cooked some foods, equipped ourselves with short shorts, summer shirts, beach slippers, and lots of candles and flashlights in case Santi did get wild. But Santi was in for a fight, it was already midnight and the rain just keeps getting heavier. Reminded us of the night Ondoy hit Luzon, unstopped raining all night then followed by flashflood the following morning. Yet we waited and let our spirit stay burning and wait for it to stop. About 3am, the whole vicinity turned black, power interruption almost disrupted our spirits. But still, we were still wide awake when the next hour approach. It was a relief when the rain begun to stop. But it is then that we saw what was the real danger hiding in the heavy rains, gust of winds were strong enough to let the roof from small houses to fly, branches of trees cracked at the angry wind. With no electricity and the wind continuously testing our spirit, we were at our darkest moment. We slept about 5am with little thought continuing on our meaningful journey.

About 10am, a familiar sunlight woke me up. It was still dark and hot with no fan to cool us off, but a relief was there when a ray of sunlight was forcing me to open my eyes. And as if I was completely repossessed by my own spirit, I jumped up and with burst of excitement, declared that no storm could stop us,it was the sign that our journey continues.

Despite the wind still staying strong, we went to cubao at about 11am to begin our journey. We embarked from the terminal about noon. 3-4 hrs more and we'll be at Batanga Pier.

On our way, after almost halfway, we experienced heavy rain along the way. This got us thinking if we were stupid or just plainly not thinking at all. But to our relief, we look at east and we could see a glare of sunlight. At least part of Batangas has sunlight. And we were lucky we were going to where that sun is. And after about 3 hrs, we arrive at Batangas Pier, and this is where reality struck us.

We arrive at the pier, with shorts, foods on our hands, and large backpacks you only see when people are mountain climbing. It's like we were screaming, "Puerto here we come". But what greeted us wasn't happy boatman, but countless passengers waiting for a ship to bring them home. I can almost subconsciously hear them saying, "what the hell with these people, don't they know we are in the middle of the storm?". I can almost feel their eyes at our backs staring with mixed feeling, partly angry and partly laughing at us.

But we were persistent, we asked around, look for possible way cross the sea despite the big waves. And we weren't lucky enough to find one. But it was nice to know we weren't the only one stranded there and bound to puerto, only that they weren't as vulgar with their intention as we were. With the sun starting to set, hope seems to fade along with it. We realize there was no way to cross the sea.

And so Puerto did became an unreachable goal that day.... But it didn't end there, our spirits can never be broken, and we did execute a Plan B...

(...to be continued)

Why Pretty Girls Don't Get Married to Rich Men

"just wanna something interesting...

CEO of J.P Morgan's Fantastic
reply to a Pretty
Girl

A young and pretty lady posted
this on a popular forum:
Title: What should I do to
marry a rich guy?

I'm going to be honest of
what I'm going to say here:
I'm 25 this
year.
I'm very pretty, have
style and good taste.
I wish to marry a guy with
$500k annual salary or above.
You might say that I'm
greedy, but an annual salary of $1M is
considered
only as middle class in New
York .
My requirement is not
high:
Is there anyone in this forum
who has an income of $500k annual salary?
Are you all
married?
I wanted to ask: what should I
do to marry rich persons like you?
Among those I've dated,
the richest is $250k annual income, and it
seems
that this is my upper limit.
If someone is going to move into high cost
residential area on the west
of New York City Garden , $250k annual income
is not enough.
I'm here humbly to ask a
few questions:

1) Where do most rich
bachelors hang out?
(Please list down the names
and addresses
of bars, restaurant, gym)
2) Which age group should I
target?
3) Why most wives of the
riches is only average-looking?
I've met a few girls who
doesn't have looks and are not interesting,
but
they are able to marry rich
guys.
4) How do you decide who can
be your wife, and who can only be your
girlfriend? (my target now is
to get married)

Ms. Pretty

Awesome reply:
;-)

Dear Ms. Pretty,

I have read your post with
great interest.
Guess there are lots of girls
out there who have similar questions like
yours.
Please allow me to analyse
your situation as a professional investor.
My annual income is more than
$500k, which meets your requirement, so I
hope everyone believes that
I'm not wasting time here.
From the standpoint of a
business person, it is a bad decision to marry
you.
The answer is very simple, so
let me explain.

Put the details aside, what
you're trying to do is an exchange of
"beauty"
and
"money":
Person A provides beauty, and
Person B pays for it, fair and
square.
However, there's a deadly
problem here, your beauty will fade, but my
money
will not be gone without any
good reason.
The fact is, my income might
increase from year to year, but you can't
be
prettier year after
year.
Hence from the viewpoint of
economics, I am an appreciation asset, and you
are a depreciation
asset.
It's not just normal
depreciation, but exponential depreciation.
If that is your only asset,
your value will be much worried 10 years later.


By the terms we use in Wall
Street, every trading has a position,
dating
with you is also a
"trading position".
If the trade value dropped we
will sell it and it is not a good idea to
keep it for long term - same
goes with the marriage that you wanted.
It might be cruel to say this,
but in order to make a wiser decision any
assets with great depreciation
value will be sold or "leased".
Anyone with over $500k annual
income is not a fool; we would only date you,
but will not marry
you.
I would advice that you forget
looking for any clues to marry a rich guy.
And by the way, you could make
yourself to become a rich person with
$500k
annual income. This has better
chance than finding a rich fool.
Hope this reply helps. If you
are interested in "leasing" services,
do
contact me... :-)
:-D

J.P. Morgan CEO







.

The Ecstacy of the Bar Exam

And if I could be in that same place, I would walk on that road with head high. Good or bad, I'll be sure I did it with my all, and I know no result can take away the feeling that I am a victor at my own end.


Most decent people in the city must be asleep by now. It's past 1am and yet here I am, awake and burning my eyes in front of a radiation-emitting screen. Probably because I can't keep my eyes closed on a saturday night, or another insomnia attack, or perhaps the excitement I feel at tomorrow's event.

Tomorrow, I meant today, the 2nd Sunday of the month of September, the 2nd chapter of the stressful bar exam is about to take place, about 6 hrs from now. Don't get me wrong, I won't be taking part of the exam, neither am I a law student. I'm just here to provide support for my brother who'll be battling with the exam.

But my un-involvement doesn't stop me from feeling the ecstacy this event has emitted. Compared to my board exam (CE Board Exam), bar exam excites me a lot more! Why?

Bar Operations

The excitement starts before even the exam begins. A night before the exam, concerned peers of the examinee gather to give full support to them. Their job ranges from providing them the comfort, food, emotional support, and even to the complicated exploration of tips and possible leakage that might be available.

The March to La Salle

The beauty of bar exam is its one location and the strict security. Compared to other licensure exam with volume of takers, Bar exam is conducted only in La Salle, Taft Avenue. As a result, come late and you'll find yourself on a long death march to the gate. And last week was a unlucky day, long line and a slightly rainy morning. Don't know how those takers felt marching near their future.

And you have to love the strictness and security in the area. One side of the road blocked. Non-takers can only watch the gate 500m away, and no brave soul would dare cross the line.

The Chants... I love the Chants

First time I've been in a bar exam, and I was shocked to see how many people stay on the nearest possible place they can get to wait for their friends, brod or sis, lovers, fathers, family, and even enemy for some. And when the first examiner walk out the gate, the chants start! From different school, from different frats, giving honors to their brothers by calling their name followed by their own chants. The energy wanna make you shout as well.

The walk of Fame...

And what I love mostly is the walk of fame. Since security is tight, examiners would have to walk out on one exit, with people eagerly waiting to see you. You can see lot of emotion coming from the examiners. Some are happy, some are emotionless, and some smiles like they just made it to the top. No other board exam give you the opportunity to show all the people how you did.

And if I could be in that same place, I would walk on that road with head high. Good or bad, I'll be sure I did it with my all, and I know no result can take away the feeling that I am a victor at my own end.

As for my brother, Abdel Jalil, CPA... You deserve a lot more than just passing, topping the board exam is no mere impossibility, it runs in the blood.:)

MisadVentures of Inday (Time to Laugh)

Nahihirapan na si Dodong

Nov 6th, 2007 by Inday

Nahihirapan na si Dodong sa pagka-high maintenance ni Inday kaya’t naisipan nyang kausapin ito habang nagde-date sila.

Dodong: Babes, you know naman na love kita diba? Pero, nahihirapan na ako eh…

Inday: What do you mean? Are you emotionally distressed? or something neurological? Is it your heart? Palpitations? Or arrythmia perhaps? Tell me…

Dodong: Babes, ba’t naman napasok math dito? What I mean is… hindi na kaya ng budget ko tuwing lumalabas tayo. Mahal ng IMAX tickets, yung pagStaStarbucks natin…pati yung pagpapa-spa or kung tinopak ka naman eat all you can sa ShangriLa Hotel ang gusto mong merienda. 5 months na akong naka-cash advance babes eh. Tinigil ko na nga ang pagmamagic (The Gathering) ko and binenta ko na rin character ko sa Ragnarok pero kulang pa rin eh. Hirap talaga.

Inday: (natahimik si Inday), are you saying that… we’ll hang out at McCafe for coffee instead? Dodong, why can’t you understand my life? I have an image to protect. You can’t expect us to go back to hanging out at the park, consuming dirty ice cream while riding in a sidecar. That has to change…

Dodong: I see… ok, papahinto ko na lang siguro muna yung 2 pamangkin na pinapaaral ko tutal ayaw na raw nila sa Don Bosco eh.

Inday: Great! Tell you what, let me make it up to you. On our next date I’ll prepare a sumptuous meal for you provided that you do the grocery ok?

Dodong: Ok. Ganun na lang siguro. Thanks babes! *mwah*

Flash Report
Sep 27th, 2007 by admin

FLASH REPORT: Inday is alive she’s not yet dead. SOCO found out that, the impostora of Inday was killed. Ederlyn (Inday’s neighbor) was the mastermind.
SOCO: Bakit mo siya pinapatay?
Ederlyn: Kasi inagaw niya sa akin si Dodong!
Inday: Mythomaniac! He was never yours.
Ederlyn: Dong, di ba mahal mo din ako?
Dodong: I never…. said… that I loved you.

Chef Tony’s Popcorn

Dec 15th, 2008 by manager

Isang hapon habang nagkwekwentuhan at nagmemerienda ang barkada sa may sari sari store ay napadaan ang maglalako.

Maglalako: Hooppp…. Hopppp…. Hopppiamanipop… (napatigil ito sa nakitang pinapapak nila Inday)

Dodong: Sarap pala nito Inday, daig pa yung nabibiling popcorn sa tabi tabi.

Maglalako: Wow ang sosyal niyo naman, Chef Tony’s popcorn.

Inday: Of course, would you like some? (alok sa maglalako)

Biglang napadaan din ang pulubi at nakihingi na rin.

Pulubi: Care to offer me some of those too Inday?

Inday: Sure help yourself!

Maglalako: (matapos makakain ng ilang popcorn) … May joke ako. Ano ang last name ni Chef Tony?

Napaisip ang mga tao…

Ederlyn: Ferrer? Chef Tony Ferrer?

Pulubi: DaTiger? Chef Tony DaTiger?

Maglalako: Nope.. nope… sirit na?

Ethan: O sige sirit na kami.

Maglalako: Ede Alarcon! Hahahaha.

Inday: Chef Tony Alarcon? (mukhang di na-gets ni Inday)

Pacquiao vs De La Hoya match

Dec 7th, 2008 by manager

Sama-samang nanonood ng laban nila Pacquiao at De La Hoya ang pamilya Montemayor sa 50″ Plasma TV. Kasama ring nanonood si Inday.

Junior: Wow ate Inday buti magkaibigan kayo ni Pacman. Napakabitan tuloy tayo ng Pay-per-view ng libre!

Tuwang tuwa ang pamilya at nakakanood sila ng laban ng Live. Nagsigawan sila sa tuwing nakaka-connect si Pacman sa kanyang mga suntok. Nainis sila nung inipit ni De La Hoya ang braso ni Pacquiao upang makalibre ng suntok. At nagpalakpakan at naghiyawan nang sumuko na si De La Hoya sa simula ng 9th round.

Pagkatapos ng post-game announcements and interview…

Inday: Ok ok, fight’s over! I would like to rest now so kindly exit my room.

Mr. and Mrs.: Sige na nga, salamat ulit Inday at nakanood kami sa TV mo.

Junior: Thank you ate Inday!

Inday: You’re all welcome.

Kinagabihan, narinig ni sir na may kausap si Inday sa telepono.

Inday: … your interview. We should converse more so that you’d be more comfortable answering those questions in English… Yeah… Ok… You too… Congrats again! Take care! (sabay baba ng phone)

Sir: Si ano ba yun… si..?

Inday: Yeah it’s Manny calling from his hotel asking if I saw his fight.

BLAG! Hinimatay si sir.

Ang Pulubi ulit

Feb 25th, 2008 by Inday

Isang hapon, dumaan na naman ang pulubi sa kanila Inday. Kumakatok ito sa gate at nanghihingi ng makakain.

Amo: Inday, bigay mo nga ang tirang pandesal dun sa pulubi sa gate.

Inday: Yes madam!

Pumunta si Inday sa gate at inabot sa pulubi ang pandesal. Nanonood lang ang amo nya sa may pinto.

Inday: Here! Off you go!

Tinanggap ng pulubi ang tinapay…

Pulubi: Uhh thanks but uhh, maybe you have some bruschetta lying around also that you can give me.

Nagulat ang amo ni Inday sa narinig na request ng pulubi.

Inday: No! Besides, it is not proper for mendicants to be indicatrous of preferences.

Dumugo ilong ng amo sa narinig na sagot ni Inday.

Pulubi: Ok. (malungkot na pagkasabi)

May kinuhang garapon na may lamang likodo ang pulubi sa kanyang lumang Crumpler na bag. Binuksan nya ito at sinawsaw ang pandesal sa likido at kinain.

Nakita ng amo ni Inday ang ginawa ng pulubi at na curious…

Amo: Inday, anong ginagawa nya sa tinapay?

Inday: It seems that he’s dipping it in olive oil.

Pulubi: No, it’s extra virgin olive oil.

Hinimatay ang amo.

Ang Pulubi take 2

Jan 10th, 2008 by manager

AMO: Inday, may pulubi sa gate paalisin mo nga..

INDAY: Right away!

INDAY to BEGGAR: Hey you putrid-smelling beggar with the diverse ambiance of scented junk that assails everybody’s nostrils and poisons everyone’s fresh and carbon free lungs, please go away now!

BEGGAR: What?! Who do you think you are you pathetic trying hard nanny! How could you, a social climber and a very low grade mammal, underestimate a high-class beggar like me?! The hell with you!

INDAY: Nakakasakit ka na ah! Ma’am o ayaw umalis!

- Hmmm, ba’t parang laging talo si Inday sa pulubi? Baka noon pa ito nangyari nung di pa sya ganung kagaling sa mga comebacks. - manager

Fruit Salad

Dec 26th, 2007 by manager

May handaan sa Montemayor household para sa kanilang noche buena. Kasama ang kanilang mga kamag-anak na galing abroad.

Nasa kusina si Junior at si ma’am na tilang may ginagawang putahe.

Junior: Every Christmas si nanay ang laging bida ng noche buena.

Napa-smile ang nanay ni Junior sa sinabi nya…

Junior: Lagi naming hinihintay ang fruit salad nya. It’s really the best kaya…

Napahinto si Junior nang may narinig silang nag-uusap usap sa hapag-kainan.

Bisita #1: Wow ang sarap nitong fruit salad ah. Kakaiba!

Bisita #2: Oo nga eh, there are too many different tastes but they’re not competing with each other. Who did this?

Mr. Montemayor: Ahh gawa ni Inday yan, yung maid namin na magaling sa kusina. Inday anong klaseng fruit salad ba ito?

Inday: Oh I decided to try something different from the usual fare of madam. It’s still fruit salad but with lemon verbena. There are strawberries, mangoes, blueberries, raspberries, a bit of orange-flavored liquer and chopped lemon verbena. It’s really quite a treat for the tongue that’s used to the old and unoriginal fruit cocktail served with all-purpose cream.

BLAG! May narinig silang nagdabog sa kusina at sinundan ng pagkabasag ng pinggan.

Christmas Carol

Dec 25th, 2007 by Inday

Dumalaw ang iba pang mga kamag-anak ng Montemayor family sa kanila upang mag-celebrate ng Christmas Party. Nag-pasiklaban ang mga batang pinsan ni Junior para makatanggap ng pera. May kumanta, nag-piano, sumayaw ng Papaya, nag pluta…

Syempre di papatalo si Ma’am…

Amo: Ok Junior, sing for us naman. Show mo yung Christmas Carol na tinuturo sa’yo ni Inday. Diba matagal mo nang pinapractice yun? Let’s hear it naman ‘nak.

Mahiyang pumwesto si Junior sa harapan nila…

Amo: We’re so busy with the Christmas shopping kaya wala kaming time na turuan si Junior ng mga Christmas Carols. Buti na lang andito si Inday, our maid, para maturuan sya. (paliwanag ni Ma’am sa mga bisita)

At kumanta na nga si Junior…

“Ecstasy towards the celestial sphere, let the planet receive its sovereign!!
Let every blood pumping organ, organize him accommodation,
Let Nirvana and physical world utter harmonious sounds!!! (2x)
Let nirvana, nirvana and the physical world utter harmonious sounds…”

Napatunganga na lang ang mga bisita pati na rin sina ma’am. May isang nasamid sa Sprite. Meron ding nag-nosebleed. Di ata nila kinaya ang version ni Inday ng “Joy to the World”.

Potluck

Dec 28th, 2008 by manager

Dumalaw ang pamilya Montemayor sa kanilang kumare at kumpare na kapitbahay para mag-celebrate ng post-Christmas lunch. Potluck ang usapan kaya nagbaon ng pagkain ang pamilya.

Pagbukas ng pinto ay sinalubong sila ni kumare.

Kumare: Amiga!! you’re just in time halos kumpleto na ang pagkain natin. May pansit, lechon, hipon… ano ba yang dinala mo?

Mrs.: Kumare eto o Maja Blanca for dessert!

Kumare: Uyyy dessert… sinong gumawa?

Mrs: Ako syempre, kagabi lang yan!

Kumare: Ahh ganun ba? (parang na-dismaya)

Tinawag ang maid nila.

Kumare: Ederlyn!!

Ederlyn: Ano po yun ati?

Kumare: Kunin mo itong Maja Blanca at ilagay mo dun sa mesa sa tabi kasama ng fruit salad.

Ederlyn: Opo ati. (kinuha ang Maja Blanca at umalis)

Kumare: Baka meron ka pang tinatagong iba dyan mare?

Mrs.: Ha… baket? Kulang ba yung handa?

Umentra si Inday na nasa likod nila Mr. and Mrs. Montemayor at may dalang pagkain na nakalagay sa loob ng stainless steel na container.

Kumare: Ohhhh kasama niyo pala si Inday. (mukhang natuwa)

Kumare: Inday ano yang dala mo?

Inday: Oh just something I concocted earlier before we went here just in case the feast today lacks oomph.

Nilapag ni Inday sa mesa ang dala at binuksan.

Inday: Nothing special, just salt-roasted potatoes sprinkled with Gross El, a coarse grey salt that is quite popular in France. It’s tasty yet not overpowering which is what a side dish should be.

Kumare: (nanlake ang mga mata) OOhhh…. perfect!! Pwede!! (tuwang tuwa)

Kumare: Ederlyn!! Pakilagay itong dala ni Inday sa gitna ng mesa katabi ng lechon. Ayusin mo rin yung food lamp ng lechon ha para mailawan din ito.

Mrs. (mukhang nalugi at siniko si Mister) Sabi sayo wag na naten isama si Inday eh! Kahit ako na lang ang magbantay kay Junior.

Hope you guys had a satisfying Christmas meal!

MisadVentures of Inday (Time to Laugh)

Inner Beauty
Mar 17th, 2008 by Inday

Patulog na sana si Inday pagkatapos niyang manood ng Oprah. Pero dahil medyo hindi pa siya inaantok, nagpasya siyang ilipat ang channel at nagkataong Bb. Pilipinas 2008 pala ang palabas sa GMA. At tiyempong Q and A pa ang naabutan niya kaya medyo nagising ang ulirat niya nang nagtanong na ang isang judge tungkol sa kahalagahan ng pamilya sa pagsali ng isang kandidata sa naturang beauty pageant.

Bago pa man sumagot ang kandidata, sinabi ni Inday sa sarili, “Lucky for her, that is a very plain and straightforward question!”.

Ngunit napanganga si Inday nang marinig nya ang kasagutan ng binibini,

“Well, my family’s role for me is so important because there was the, they’re they was the one whose very, ha-ha; oh I’m so sorry. Ah my family, my family, oh my God, I’m, okay. I’m so sorry; I, I told you that I’m so confident; ah wait, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, uhm, sorry guys because this was really my first pageant ever. Because I’m only 17 years old and I did not expect that I came from, I came from the one of the to(f)p 10; uhm, so, but I said that my family is the most important persons in my life. Thank you.”

Pagkarinig ng mga pahayag ng Binibini, nasabi nya na lang sa sarili…

“What a loss! She has the potential of a would-be beauty queen. However, by the way she responded to the query, her height definitely did not compensate with her ability to communicate fluently in English. She should have instead, consistently converged in Filipino throughout her answer. Worst, she still managed to qualify that her age had something to do with her difficulty.”

Sabay lipat ng channel..

Ngunit dahil na rin sa hindi pa siya dinalaw ng antok, at dala na rin ng kuryosidad kung sinu-sino ang mga tatanghaling kandidata na magrerepresenta sa Pilipinas sa mga internasyonal na paligsahan ng ganda, talino at talento, nagawa pa niyang panuorin ang koronasyon.

Laking gulat niya sa announcement ng mga nanalo ay nasama sa tatlong pinakamasayang Filipina sa gabing iyon ang kandidatang pinagsabihan niyang “What a loss!”.

Ngunit may parang bagong realisasyon sa sarili si Inday,

“Well, maybe (took a deep audible breath and a bit affected) they saw in her inner beauty, which is not gauged by mere sugarcoating of words or grammatically-correct construction of sentences, but more of being real and true to oneself and admitting that she has flaws and is ergo, imperfect. That may have made her win the crown, if all things were equal that is. However, to further develop her communication skills especially that she will represent our country in the future international pageant, she must at least continuously correspond to people like me, who’s adept in English fluency and are connoisseurs of beauty pageants e.g. past beauty queens themselves.”



Meet Arajaya
Feb 20th, 2008 by Inday

Arajaya was sipping her cup of brewed coffee served with hot pandesal by Coffeebean – so Filipino – so indigent – when a group of infamous people started to occupy the nearby infamous café a.k.a Starbucks. They were so noisy that Arajaya’s blood boiled – temperature almost reaching 412 kelvin.

But since Arajaya is a woman of sophistication, she decided to just ignore the crowd and let them live the way they wanted.

Suddenly, she felt a strong chill. She felt a very odd sensation from her nape to her head – the FEELING of being watched. But then again, Arajaya never gave a damn.

When she was about to eat her hot pandesal, she started to hear a familiar voice from her back.

“What a very small world” said the woman in a maid’s uniform.

Arajaya turned around and was surprised by what she saw.

“Well if my hippocampus serves me right, you are Arajaya, my former friend who turned her back from me. Aren’t you?”

“Wow! What a very well rehearsed introduction. Inday – my former friend who framed me up to escape a crime she’d done. Who would forget that sweet demonic voice – your pitch and intonation as well as your liaising?

“Basing from the gesture of your not so well-developed bone structure predominantly – your skull – that gave you a very elongated face and the kind of food that you have right now, you are about to nosh your stomach with an impecunious meal they called ‘Kape’t pandesal’, uh – was that right?” said Inday as if ridiculing her.

“Yes. Would you like a bite?” replied Arajaya.

“Thanks but no thanks. But would you mind if you join me at Starbucks instead of taking your breakfast in this approximately forsaken café with a very ghastly ambience?” said Inday. “I also want you to try my favorite Venti Java Chip Frappuccino along with cold sandwich and some Choux pastries. Don’t worry, my treat!”

Inday offered Arajaya to join her at Starbucks instead of Coffeebean…

Arajaya stared at Inday, sneered at her then opened her MacBook Pro.

“Thank you for the offer but I prefer Coffeebean to Starbucks. I just think that Starbucks is a den of social climbers and bourgeoisies like you.”

“Oh, dear! Don’t you think you’re getting rude, I just want you to experience life. Okay, I’ll – ” Inday was interrupted when she saw Arajaya busy working with her MacBook.

“And what are you trying to do Arajaya?” asked Inday impolitely.

“Hmm… nothing so important. You wouldn’t understand it even if I tell you.”

“Are you trying to undervalue my comprehension by implying that I will not understand the philosophy that you are doing with your MacBook? C’mon, don’t be so supercilious friend!”

“Okay, I am configuring its IEEE 802.15 to perpetuate the distribution of electromagnetic waves from the medium access control and the physical layer to the transport layer. Later, I will also track the process from the session layers in with the packets are sent and processed for the presentation layer to convert the signals into binary form. Example, if I tried to send “Inday go to hell” message, it will me converted to its hexadecimal value which is 496E49617900676F0068656C6C which will later be converted to its binary value of 010010010111 1110010010010 110000101111001 00000000011001110 110111100000 000011010000110011 10110110001100110. Then, the application layer will check the binary value for error detection using parity bit (even). If there are errors, it will fix the message then sends it to the ALU for processing which will be passed to the CU for data transfer. Satisfied?”

Inday remained silent for awhile then ran back to Starbucks when she heard “1 Venti Java Chip Frappuccino for Inday!” to get her order.

“Starbucks bullshit!” said Arajaya to herself.

After eating, she decided to go back to her work and accidentally passed by in front of Starbucks when she heard Inday…

“I was so careless. I thought that the wit I have in me which I found flamboyant in using any language I know of would simply astound them. I was just mortified that it took me a little pinch of effort not to step beyond the waterline, to just impart to the people I formerly know of that I have grown into a better personage – not just a chambermaid whom others look down to. I was so disgraced by the thing I heard awhile ago and my heart beat faster than normal that I suffered from the incapability of speaking. Good thing that barista called my name. I just wish that someday, I would be able to face my worst nightmare that is yet to come – yet to come that will consume me and bury me to death. I just wish that day isn’t coming yet.”

- Inday nag-emote matapos matabla ni Arajaya sa Coffeebean.

Wowowee Part 1
Feb 10th, 2008 by Inday

Naging contestants sina Inday at Ederlyn sa Wowowee.

Willie: Kapamilya, ang ating mga kalahok ngayon ay mga maid or mga yaya… mga kasambahay minsan kung tawagin. Sila ang dahilan kung baket nananatiling malinis ang bahay natin, may pagkain sa hapagkainan kung pagod tayo para magluto. Sila ang naghuhugas ng pinggan, naglalaba at nag-aalaga sa mga anak natin. Aminin na naten, mahihirapan din tayo pag wala sila.

Willie: Sige tawagin na naten ang mga unang maglalaro.

Umentra sina Inday at Ederlyn at pumwesto sa magkabilang panig ni Willie.

Kinausap muna ni Willie si Ederlyn. Excited sobra si Ederlyn, sigaw ng sigaw ng “Papiii”!!

Willie: Hello kamusta ka? Anong name mo?

Ederlyn: Ederlyn po papi!! I’m fine thanks!!! (excited talaga)

Willie: Ederlyn, taga-saang probinsya ka?

Ederlyn: I’m from here lang in Metro Manila papi!!! You’re hansam pala in personal!

Willie: Wow, thank you ha. Ilang taon ka na Ederlyn?

Ederlyn: 20 po papi!!

Willie: Ahh, kamusta mga magulang mo, nasan sila?

Ederlyn: Di ko po alam papi!! In their house lang yun siguro. I am staying with my amo.

Willie: Ahhh so sino yung nagbabantay ng bahay ngayon? Alam ba ng amo mo na nandito ka sa Wowowee?

Ederlyn: Yung amo ko po nag-stay sa house. Pinayagan nya naman ako at she also gave me bus fare to go here so I could join.

Willie: Wow, ang bait naman. Meron ka bang message para sa amo mo?

Ederlyn: Ma’am thank you po for giving me pamasahe to go here, don’t worry I will pay you. The trash at the back I will throw later, I am not finish sweeping the floor in your room. The fruit salad in the ref is already panis, don’t eat it. Pa-throw na lang po in the trash can.

Willie: Aba! Astig ka rin ah, inutusan mo pa amo mo. Sa magulang mo baka may message ka.

Ederlyn: Ahmm… Nay, Tay! How are you guys? I’m doing fine here at Wowowee. I know you are watching me. Thank you for your patronage. That’s all papi!

Willie: Nyak! O sige anong talent mo?

Ederlyn: I will sing po papi! Nothing’s gonna change my love for you!

Willie: O sige, Ladies and Gentlemen… Miss Ederlyn.

Kinuha ni Ederlyn ang mikropono at pumunta na sa gitna at nagsimulang kumanta.

Ederlyn: If I had to live my life without you near me…. The days would all be empty…

Umabot na sa chorus…

Ederlyn: Nothing’s gonna change my love for you, you know naman my love how much I love you. One thing you can be sure of, I’ll never ask for more than your love…

At natapos na rin si Ederlyn. Naghiyawan at nagtawanan ang mga tao. Pati si Willie di makatigil sa kakatawa.

Willie: Ayos ka rin Ederlyn! Lalabas siguro ito sa youtube. Anyway, eto ang five thousand pesos mo pati ang gift bag from Liveraide!!

Ederlyn: (tuwang tuwa) Thank you po Kuya Willie!!

Willie: O sige dito naman tayo sa next contestant naten.

Humarap si Willie kay Inday na mukhang nabobored.

Willie: Hi miss, anong name mo?

Inday: Hi Mr. Revillame, my name is Inday.

Willie: Aba isa pang inglesera. Ok mga katulong naten ngayon ah, nakakaaliw sila.

Willie: So Inday, how are you today?

Inday: I just answered that question earlier. If you have nothing else left to ask, can we just continue?

Willie: Ahhmm, it’s ok. I still have some questions for you. Ahh, what province are you from?

Inday: I’m from the City of Majestic Waterfalls, Iligan.

Willie: Ahhh, that’s very nice. Is your parents there? Why don’t you greet them?

Inday: Yes, they’re there but my mom does not watch Wowowee. She usually watch The Tyra Banks Show at this time of the day. My dad seldom watches TV.

Willie: Oh I see, why doesn’t she watch Wowowee, am I not handsome or funny for her?

Inday: Let’s just say that it might have something to do with substance, plus Tyra is more pleasing to the eye than you.

Napahiya si Willie.

Willie: Ohh ok. Well greet her anyways, maybe she change the channel during commercial.

Pumayag na rin si Inday na batiin ang kanyang nanay.

Inday: Hi Mom, if you’re really watching this…

Sumingit saglit si Willie.

Willie: Inday, why don’t you greet her in your dialect?

Inday: (Tinignan ng masama si Willie) Why don’t you keep quiet for a sec and let me greet her in my own way?

Napahiya ulit si Willie…

Willie: Ok sorry, please continue.

Inday: Hi mom, please check your Paypal account to see if the money I sent you has arrived. Did you like the Marc Jacobs handbag I sent you last Christmas? Please tell Iying to catch me online so I can walk her through jailbreaking her iPod Touch. Hi to Dad, Itoy and Ikling. Love you all!

Natameme si Willie sa pagkasosyal ni Inday at ng kanyang pamilya.

Willie: Woww… How sweet naman. Can I ask you what year uhh… I mean anong year ang natapos mo sa schooling mo? Because you’re good in English, maybe you reached 4th year high school?

Inday: So what are you implying? That maids are dumb and cannot speak perfect English nor have good education? If I told you my academic achievements you might run outside and fling yourself into a speeding truck. Let’s just say that I was blessed with proper education with the help of a few scholarship grants and was able to finish college and a couple of master’s degree.

Dumugo na ang ilong ni Willie at nagpakuha muna ng tissue at tubig bago nagpatuloy.

Willie: Ahmm ok… uhh.. tama na siguro yung mga tanong. Pero bago ang lahat nais ko lang batiin ang isang special guest na dumalo ngayon dito sa studio… the lovely Kris Aquino.

Na-focus ang camera kay Kris na nakatayo sa gilid.

Kris: Hi Willie, o anoh? Diba winarn na kita tungkol dyan kay Inday kanina bago ka lumabas. Anoh, naniwala ka na?

Willie: Di ko naman kasi alam parang jinojoke mo lang ako kanina eh.

Kris: Well… gusto ko lang makita talent ni Inday kaya ako bumisita. Baka talent nya ay wawalisin itong set in under 1 minute. Ahihihi.

Willie: ‘Kaw talaga Kris iba ka kung manlait.

Talent portion na ni Inday.

Willie: Ok Inday, anong talent ang gagawin mo ngayon?

Inday: I suppose I could sing one of my favorites, Time to Say Goodbye.

Willie: Sige, Ladies and Gentleman… Ms. Inday.

Pumwesto na si Inday sa harap ng entablado. Pinatahimik niya ang audience… nakatingin lang sa kanya si Kris. Sinenyasan nya ang DJ na patugtugin ang kanyang CD dahil di kakayanin ng banda patugtugin ang kakantahin nya.

Nagsimula na si Inday kumanta…

Inday: Quando sono sola Sogno all’orrizonte E mancan le parole… Si lo so che non c’e’ luce In una stanza quando manca il sole Si non ci sei tu con me, con me…

Umabot na sa chorus at bumanat pa lalo si Inday…

Inday: Time to… say goodbye… Paesi che no ho mai Veduto e vissuto con te… Adesso si li vivro’ con te partiro’…

Nagtayuan ang karamihan sa audience, mga matatanda, foreigners, OFWs, balikbayan. Pinalakpakan si Inday… napaluha din ang iba. Pati si Kris at Willie namangha at nanood na lang sa rendition ni Inday ng kanta ni Andrea Bocelli.

Pinatapos ni Willie ang buong kanta, di akalaing kaya ng isang katulong ang kumanta ng opera.

Pagkatapos ni Inday, binigyan siya ng standing ovation ng audience, pati mga promo girls tumigil sa pagkekembot para palakpakan siya. Umalis na si Kris sa studio ng luhaan, apektado sa kanta ni Inday.

Willie: Wow!! That’s unbelievable! Ang galing ha, ang lakas pala ng boses mo. Dahil sa ginawa mong yan, ito ang 50,000 pesos para sayo at lahat ng nakadisplay dito sa likod ko, pwede mo nang iuwi. Meron dyang Magic Sing, My Marvel Taheebo at kung anu-ano pa.

Sumingit si Ederlyn.

Ederlyn: Papi ba’t saken 5,000 pesos lang? Unfair naman yun.

Willie: Gusto mo bawiin ko? Mali mali nga lyrics mo dyan. Galingan mo na lang sa laban niyo ni Inday.

Ederlyn: (natahimik na lang) Sige po papi.

Willie: Ok alam niyo na ang gagawin? Kelangan niyong mahulaan ang title ng kantang papatugtugin at kakantahin niyo pagkatapos ok? Pag di niyo naikanta ng maayos, 1 point lang. Pag-maka 2 points kayo, pasok na kayo sa next round.

Willie: Ok ready? Paunahan ito… pwesto!

Tumugtog na ang Perfect ng True Faith, umabot na sa chorus bago nahulaan ni Ederlyn ang kanta.

Edelryn: Ferfect papi!! Ferfect!!!!

Natawa na lang si Willie.

Willie: O sige pwede na rin… Perfect… Sing it!!

Ederlyn: Baby as I look into your eyes… New York ferfect… Judging from the way you meet my eye… New York Ferfect…. Ferfect….

Sumasakit ang tyan ni Willie sa kakatawa kaya’t pinatigil nya na si Ederlyn.

Willie: Hoi, san niyo ba nakuha ito? (tawa ng tawa habang kausap ang direktor)

Willie: Sorry Ederlyn pero mali na naman ang lyrics mo. Di bale bawi ka na lang sa susunod… Inday, pwede ka pang humabol. Sige pwesto!!

Tumugtog na ang Smack That ni Akon… naunahan na naman ni Ederlyn si Inday na may kausap sa kanyang cellphone.

Ederlyn: Papi Ismak Dat!! (Kinanta pa ng gaga… Ismak Dat Olonggapo… Ismak Dat Fernando Poe)

Natawa na naman si Willie.

Willie: Pambihira ka talaga. Di mo na kelangan kantahin pero tama ang sagot mo kaya’t pasok ka na!!

Tuwang tuwa si Ederlyn at di humihinto sa kakapalakpak at kakatalon.

Willie: I’m sorry Inday pero…

Natameme si Willie paglingon nya kay Inday at may kausap sa phone. Sinenyasan siya ni Inday na saglit lang.

Natapos na rin si Inday sa phone.

Inday: I’m sorry Mr. Revillame but I just got a call from the other station and they’re sending someone over to pick me up. They want to talk about guesting me and letting me sing me on their show this Sunday. I’ll just take the cash and leave the other stuff here for the other contestants. Thanks and Ciao!

Laglag-panga si Willie at pinanood na lang ang pag-alis ni Inday.

DOTA IS DEAD...

This is for the Hyder Gamer's Club... Tuesday is Dota Day!!

We were nothing more than strangers when we met
Knowing nothing more than faces and names.
But one game brought us in group or set ,
on a battlefield that brought same or fame.

Nights of sleepless hours we endure
just to fight the honor we long keep
And soon some end as losers and some a failure
And some jump for joy while others weep.

But lose or win we end up laughing
telling stories of triumph and most mistakes
But in the end everybody end up clapping
It's a fight we 'll remember til our wake.

But now that game has meet its doom,
What bind us no longer sounds nor exist
Silence befall on a once noisy room,
As somebody just brought DOTA its DEATH.

I brought luck, but spilled curse instead...

"No matter how good your intentions are, the outcome might be worst depending on who made the interpretation."

Being an achiever in my own field of examination, I had often see myself as a bringer of luck to my friends who are to take a licensure examination in their respective profession. I often feel excited when it's their time to take the life turning exam and feel pressured when the wait for the results take its toll.

But just recently, that excitement turns to doubts and questions. A friend had just been struck by the worst news, failure from the examination. Though his failure might have been due to many factors, can't help asking how much my presence have been a factor. Might be a little paranoid but, this what happens when you experience it more than once, and not even twice but more.

My work usually gives me a lot of time to wander especially during weekends, so I usually visit friends when I get bored at home. Being far from home, my friends here are usually those that are here to review. Thus, I usually end up in their place and have a little time to chat. Yes some spent on asking their question but most of the time, catch up with the events. As a result, I end up taking of their review time.

And when the time for their exam is coming, I find it a habit to visit them a night before the exam, supposedly, to bring luck. Spend 30 minutes or more to talk to them about the exam. I don't know if it would help, or make things worse, but the intension is always good. I remember someone saying, "No matter how good your intentions are, the outcome might be worst depending on who made the interpretation."

And so I went home, feeling excited for their exam, wait for their result, and for the 4th time, been gifted by bad news.

This makes me wonder, is my desire to bring good luck brings curse instead?

And now that my brother is about to take the exam the in next few months, shall I change my habit and let them be?

Perhaps no one can tell, and perhaps I'll never know, but as long as I have the good intention, I'll continue to wish them luck, may it be in different way I used to do.

MisadVentures of Inday (Time to Laugh)

sorry for the repost, but having it so long seems to bore the reader instead of making them laugh. So Im giving it by parts. So enjoy. Relax. Carpe Deim.

Mag-o-outing ang barkada

Apr 24th, 2008 by Inday

Habang nagwawalis sa harap ng bakuran si Inday, ay napadaan si Ethan sa kanyang tricycle.

Ethan: Hi Inday. Tuloy ba yung outing naten sa Pagudpud?

Inday: Hey Ethan. I’m not sure, who’s planning anyway? Do the others already know?

Habang nag-gugupit ng mga damo si Dodong at narinig nya ang kanilang usapan.

Dodong: Mga pre, game ako dyan. Ilang araw ba tayo doon?

Inday: Well, the most suitable would be at least 2 nights but it depends on how long you guys are allowed for a furlough.

Ethan: Teka sasama ba si Manang? Hehehe, baka matangay ng alon yun.

Narinig ni Manang galing sa loob ng bakuran habang sya’y naglalaba. Huminto ito at lumapit sa kanila.

Manang: Hoi!! If you must know, I was a varsity swimmer when I was in high school so don’t underestimate my aquatic capabilities (banat nya kay Ethan). And of course, you can count me in.

Dodong: Teka si Ederlyn, text ko lang. (Ei sma b u outng pgdpud? Ksma laht)

Ethan: Wag!!! Wag na naten isama si Ederlyn, natandaan mo last time? Nag-inarte. Tapos di pa tumutulong sa paghahanda ng pagkain o kahit paglinis lang ng kinainan.

Inday: Yeah, let’s not bring any dead weight this time.

Manang: I agree!

Dodong: Ngek na text ko na!

Tumunog ang cellphone ni Dodong, galing kay Ederlyn ang message… “K! Sli aku!! May bago rn akung bikni“.

Nag-text kaagad si Dodong… “Sry wrng send“.

Dodong: Whew!

Inday: Well, let’s just discuss this over our Yahoo Groups. I have to go prepare our supper.

Ethan: Okay! Sa Yahoo Groups na lang.

Sa di kalayuan ay naririnig pala ng pulubi ang kanilang diskusyon at lumapit ito sa kanila.

Pulubi: Can I join your outing too guys? Pa-add na lang e-mail ko on your Yahoo Groups. It’s babangonako@duduruginkita.com

Painful experiences
Mar 1st, 2008 by Inday



Isang hapon ay nagkwekwentuhan ang magbarkada sa may isawan sa kanto habang nag-memerienda.

Ederlyn: Eto, I have a question para sa inyo ga. Ano ang pinakamasakit na experience ang naranasan na ninyu?

Napaisip ang iba.

Dodong: Siguro sa akin ay yung pagpili sa isang babae pero parehong mahal mo ang dalawa. Para talagang nahahati ang puso ko. (sabay kagat sa isaw)

Ederlyn: Ay yung sa akin yung binuhos mo ang pagmamahal mo sa isang lalaki pero kulang pa rin at iniwan ka. (sabay lagok sa softdrink)

Ethan: Wala pa ko masyadong experience pagdating sa sa pagmamahal eh. Siguro masakit na sa’ken yung binati mo ng good morning pero di ka pinansin. Hehehe. (sabay kagat sa bananacue)

Inday: I guess mine would be not showing my affection to someone and by the time that I realize that he’s the one I love, he’s slowly pulling away. (sabay subo sa baon nyang blanched green and white asparagus with lemon thyme and Parmesan vinaigrette)

Pulubi: Sa akin naman yung bihis na bihis ka na pero di ka pala kasama sa lakad. Sakit nun. Hirap kaya ako maghanap ng maisusuot tapos di rin pala ako kasama. Tsk. (hihingi pa sa kinakain ni Inday)

Napatingin na lang sila Inday sa pulubing nakiki-merienda.


Pesteng caller
Sep 6th, 2008 by manager

Isang hapon, habang nagpapahinga si Mrs. Montemayor sa sala at nanonood ng TV na tila parang bored ay biglang nag-ring ang phone. Dali-dalian nya itong sinagot…

Mrs. Montemayor: Hello?

Caller: Hello, may I please speak to Ms. Inocencia Binayubay?

Mrs. Montemayor: Sino kamo?

Caller: Ahh Inocencia Binayubay, is she there?

Mrs. Montemayor: Inoce… walang ganun dito… ay teka.. (naisip nyang bigla si Inday).

Mrs. Montemayor: Ahh si Inday… teka lang! (halatang may pagkainis dahil may tumatawag sa kanilang katulong).

Sumigaw sya sa kusina para tawagin si Inday.

Mrs. Montemayor: INDAY!!!!!!!! Telepon! Wag matagal ha!

Tumigil saglit si Inday sa pag-gagawa ng blueberry muffins para sagutin ang phone.

Inday: Hello?

Caller: Inocencia Binayubay?

Inday: Speaking… ahh hold on.

Sumigaw si Inday sa sala…

Inday: You can hang up now madam! I’m on the cordless!

Binaba ni Mrs. Montemayor ang telepono at napaisip sa sarili, “Aba pinagsabihan pa ako. The nerve!” Hinayaan nya na lang at nagpatuloy sa panonood ng TV.

Makalipas ang ilang minuto ay narinig nya si Inday na tinataasan na ng boses ang kausap. Pagkatapos ay lumabas sa kusina si Inday at pumunta sa sala para magpahangin sa tapat electric fan. Tila mainit ang ulo.

Na-curious si Misis.

Mrs. Montemayor: Oh sino ba yun? Inglisera mong nanay na nanghihingi na naman ng pera?

Inday: Not at all. It’s those pesky credit card telemarketers offering me a new credit line that I certainly don’t require anymore. I don’t care about their 0% credit transfers, double reward points, loans and all those things. Why can’t they take no for an answer?

Di makasagot si Mrs. Montemayor at natulala.

Napaisip na lang sya sa sarili, “Buti pa si Inday, inoofferan ng credit card… samantalang ako, ATM card lang ang meron ako… ba’t ganun ang buhay?”.

Inday: Madam, are you okay?

Siomai
Jul 19th, 2008 by manager

Habang nagmemerienda ang magbabarkada sa may sari-sari store, nabanggit ni Ethan na hindi na lang sya bibili ng pedicab.

Ethan: Guys, di na lang ako magpepedicab. Inday, mahal pala yung mga piyesa na ni-recommend mo… yung iba di raw available dito sa pinas.

Inday: Awww, sorry to hear that Ethan. So what do you intend to do with your assets now?

Ethan: Di ko pa alam eh… food business kaya?

Dodong: Pwede yan pards. Food stall lang. Yung di malaki at di gumagamit ng gas. (sabay kagat sa bananacue)

Ethan: Hmm pwede. Anong klase kaya? Donut? Fruit shake?

Manang: Dimsum na lang iho. Pwedeng ulamin ng mga tao, di kailangan ng gas at dalawang tao lang ang kailangang magbantay. Maliit ng pwesto pa ang kailangan. (sabay subo ng pandesal na isinawsaw sa kape)

Ederlyn: Oo nga Ethan. May naisip na akong pangalan para sa siopawan at syomayan mo. Code Name: Asado! Hahahaha. O diba? Napapanahon. (habang patuloy ngumunguya ng Chippy)

Dodong: Corny. (sabay bato ng stick ng bananacue kay Ederlyn)

Inday: Pathetic.

Ethan: Pero ok nga talaga yung dimsum lang para di mahirap. Wag na siguro yung mga siopao pa. siomai at gulaman lang.

Inday: I agree You just have to get a good location and I would suggest a spot where it could easily cater to call-center employees. Why? Their break time is really limited so they need to consume their food quick and this is where your dimsum comes in. And if you operate 24 hours daily, you’ll rack up those sales in no time. All you need now is a catchy name.

Ethan: Hmm… ano kaya magandang pangalan?

Biglang sumingit ang pulubing nakikinig at naghahakot ng mga boteng itinapon

Pulubi: Ipangalan mong Master Siomai - Walang Tulugan! O diba? Open 24 hours a day kamo eh.

Ethan, Dodong, Ederlyn, Manang: PWEDE!!!

Inday: I don’t get it.

The Lost Symbol

Have you watched the Da Vinci Code or The Angels and Demons? Much better if you have read it... Then you know Dan Brown's upcoming novel would surely be a hit!

Watch for it, on Sept. 15, 2009, its first copy will be sold. :)

Is Love just a State of Mind? Make your mind speak or make your heart do the talking...

A friend of mine wrote this article but was forced to keep it to himself after her girlfriend freaked out on the article and almost broke up with him after reading it. As a result, a great idea was burried in ruins and never saw the day of light...until now. After careful exploration (nice term for snooping around), I saw it and took the liberty to solicit your idea about it. Let your voice be heard. :)

Love is just a state of mind. Simply putting it, the mind makes you feel. It was never the other way around. The feeling is there because your mind tells you to feel that way. Now, I know many of you will contest…that feelings are not governed by our mind and that everything we feel is based on what our "hearts feel" and not what we think. Before anyone contest...let me explain why I believe that love is just a state of mind.

How would you know if you love someone? Some would say "I know it because I feel it" or "I love her and there's no explanation why". One would say "I know it because there's magic" or "I don't know. Love is so mysterious".
Does this answer why you love somebody or would it just lead to more questions like "If I feel it, then, is the feeling real?" or "If the magic is gone, did I fall out of love?" So on and so forth...

Now let me answer the question! You know you love someone when your definition of love is realized. Everyone has his own definition of love somewhere in his head. We may not realize it, but we are all somehow influenced with those definitions. We pick up these definitions almost everyday. We see it in movies, hear it from stories, and read it from books. It is everywhere. It is our choice. We choose to love and feel the way we want to.

Our choice of what to believe is the real difference with each and every one of us. Why does love evolve every time our age mature? The explanation is simple. Our definition of love becomes more complex as we absorb more definitions from time to time. How many of you hoped that you’ll be Cinderella or Prince Charming someday? I know everyone did. Who can’t hope for that? Everyone has read it. Everyone has seen it. Our society made us to think that way. Our society made us to “feel” that way.

To prove my point, even at this very moment, after reading my thoughts, you are face with a dilemma. Do you believe it or not. Do you absorb or reject it. This is how we feel. Every feeling that we have is based on what we believe in. If you believe in what I say then you’ll be glad. If not, then you’ll be outraged. This is also true for love.

Now, I ask you again. How would you know if you love someone? The answer is simple. It depends. It depends on who you are right now. It depends on where you live, how old you are, who you are with and what you believe. Love is just a state of mind. I don’t believe that love is just a random thing…that it just happens for some reason we can’t explain why. I believe that love is a choice. I believe that love is hard to explain but never mysterious. I believe that there is no right and wrong when it comes to love. I believe that love is just a state of mind.

Love depends on your perspective. It depends on your capability to accept what your subconscious mind is telling you. Falling in love is not something one can not control. Falling in love is giving in to your subconscious mind. Magic moments are not really as magical as it seems. Actually, magic moments are imitations of what is already in our minds. Our minds are so adjusted to those definitions that we react to it as if it was secondary to us.

Why is it that when we were young, we are more interested in making friends rather than attracted in having a relationship? Innocence! Our mind is not accustomed to needing someone of the opposite sex at that time. We just need someone to play. Whether boy or girl, it’s just the same. But as we grew older, we are exposed to the common thinking of a “normal world”. You now dream of a lovely wife or a good husband just like what this “normal world” suggests. Our whole life is actually controlled by what our society dictates it should be. Yes, even love!

Love is just a state of mind.

Luck and Me (My Working Place)

""...it's not pure luck that I find my way here. A summation of hardwork , perseverance, and couple of determination ...and yes! that's my own recipe of luck..."




Life after school was supposed to be full of adventure and escapades. Trip to beach resorts, famous adventure parks, even visits to your friends province

to have some time to relax. After all, its about time you give yourself a treat for 5 years (Civil Engineering is a 5year course) of dedicating your time to your beloved alma mater. After school, you can have all the vacation of your life before you finally find your right career.

But for me? Had to skip those "never-had" memorable moments for a little thing called W-O-R-K. . . Well some says I'm lucky to have landed my first real job relatively easy, but still, having a a month or two time-off from the world would be better.

And so here I am, on one of the leading globally competitive design consultancy company in the country, Hyder Consulting, more than amazed by how I jump start my engineering career. And might I just say, it's not pure luck that I find my way here. A summation of hardwork (those sleepless nights i had to endure just to finish impossible deadlines, the outings and gimiks I had to miss just to make sure my brain is still working, and those endless tales of school hardships), perseverance, (if I had to redefine the word failure in the thesaurus, I would have placed my name on the section synonyms. Countless time I failed, but I never saw it as a discouragement but rather a benchmark to look at whenever I encounter same situation. I persist and continue to face failure after failure to find success at the end) and couple of determination (winning was never easy, but the main difference between winners and whinners are the ability to look straight to their goal despite anything that blocks their vision. It's that never say you can't attitude that help me place 2nd on that board exam.), and yes! that's my own recipe of luck.

So this is my workstation, also my home, my blogstation. Quite different from the table I grew up with, those scrap papers, dusty books, antique engineering guides, now I'm working on a state-of-the-art workstation. What can I say, if you wanna make your life a better place, make your own luck, and not just hoping somebody to drop luck on you. :)