Preface: Eversince I dumbly deleted my blog (see 'Home'), a lot of things have changed in my blog (in a span of four days). This is a reposting of my previous blog with minor revisions. The thought is still the same. When I blog, I covet.

I may as well rename this blog as Inggitero. Or A Blog Made of Envy. Why? Because everything you see in here is a product of my personal envy of other people's blog: from the tone, to the layout up to the widgets.

I admit I am a die-hard of Jessica Zafra's sharp and witty writings (and also of Isabel Allende's and Anne Tyler's). I also love Conrado De Quiros when he discusses non-political issues.

And then I read Nicanor (aka Batjay) David's Kwentong Tambay written in conversational Taglish. Suddenly I wanted to write in Taglish. I also saw a lot of incredible Saudi-based blogs written in Taglish: blog ng mangyan, http://magicsaucer.blogspot.com/, to name a few. And then I saw the kikay-style of Reyna Elena and I thought I'd adapt her style.

Finally, I thought I should continue writing in English primarily because I wanted an international appeal, or whatever. The truth is I envied the blog of Otep de Guzman's Willing Exile and how well he wrote his posts. Suddenly I wanted to be Jessica-Conrado-Isabel-Anne-Otep rolled in one. How I wish!


This blog used to be a two-column blog but then I saw how three column would make it wonderful. And so I googled it and followed Hackhosphere on how to convert my blog to a three column. I was happy for a while.

And then I saw how a two-column blog look appealing because of The Sandbox blog.

Hmmm....with the time I spent tweaking my blog, I decided I'd be better off with a three-column.


I initially had the simple pre-designed Label list of Blogger but then I saw Blogumus tag cloud widget! I thought it would be a wonderful addition to my blog. It didn't work and I do not have the patience (er, knowledge) to find out why.

I instead used the simple Blogger label and tweaked the format so it won't show the number of posts.

In closing...

Imitation, Charles Colton said, is the sincerest flattery. I hope those guys whose works I copied feel flattered and not sue me for stealing their thoughts. I mean no harm. Blame it maybe on my passion for blogging. It makes me do evil things.

Near my office desk is a whiteboard where the following words are written: he who guards his lips, guards his soul. Proverbs 23.

It's my personal reminder to keep my mouth shut when I feel like spewing fire-y words. I'm basically a calm person, however, there are times when I can't control my tongue especially when being told of my mistakes. I'm too defensive; too proud to admit that I am not as good as I think I am.

Too, it is not just once that I feel remorse saying things that I shouldn't have said. Like personal stories that , in spur of the moment, I uncontrollably narrate to friends (those seemingly funny stories that are, in fact, things too personal to discuss even among friends).

Our elders always says that if there's nothing good about what you're going to say, don't say it. Sometimes, though, I can't help it. I say words that I didn't mean, didn't think about. Worse, I am more engrossed (and do secretly enjoy) conversations that discuss other people's lives or subjects that are private, personal and confidential.

Harshly spoken words (and words that are unthought of) are hurting, spiritually crushing, unworthy and only invites more trouble. There is indeed peace in taming the tongue. The bad news is that I'm a slow learner in that aspect. The good news is that however slow, I am still willing to learn.

I quote the following biblical words from James (Chapter 3): Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body. Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires. So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest! And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature....For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing.

To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward - [Margaret Fairless Barber, 1869-1901, Author of The Roadmender].

(Dedicated to Tita Cel, Mama and Auntie Orang-- the three remaining daughters of my Apong.)

Of the strand of moments that I want to go back to again and again, one is the memory of Anao.

Even if I spent only our summers there, it held more memories that the rented houses we had in Antipolo. I guess because Anao is where my roots are or maybe because that's the only place then where we felt we - my sister and I -- belonged.

Or maybe because that's where I developed my full senses. Up to now, there's a certain summer warmth or light breeze or a silent music at the back of my mind that return me to Anao.

Anao is where we discovered the joy of playing (sha-tong, a Chinese baseball where instead of ball, we use bamboo sticks), being responsible (diligan n'yo kaagad ang mga halaman at baka dumating na si Auntie Celia n'yo), the first competition we've been through (a singing contest where we cousins had to sing one by one before we could watch television; the winner gets a chocnut or something), the simple-but-filling sinangag and banana fritter over coffee. Masaya. It's where I first tasted Milo chocolate drink.

I also miss Apong (kinukudkod n'ya 'yong balat ko palagi o kaya 'yong buhok ko habang nakahiga kami), Auntie Orang (her toothless grin), Auntie Reming's puto (still the best for me), the former house of Ate Nor (before they moved to Manila which for me was a bad, bad move; I never saw them better than in Anao).

Of course, Apong's house is the only house I know which has the plentiest of fruits: santol, cherry, pineapple, guyabano, sampaloc, sineguelas, ratiles, kaimito, bayabas (no one dared eat the guava because it's rooted near the poso negro).

I also saw the changes Apong's house had been through. Still the best is the oldest model: may silong, kawayan na sahig, toilet that's connected by a small bridge. And there's my ever-favorite dulang. (I still prefer to eat there than in a formal dining table. I don't know. I felt people are more talkative, more open, funnier and informal when seated in a dulang).

I had my first nightmare in Anao. Someone was killed in Sta Inez: a man charred beyond recognition, gunned down in the head, his decapitated penis forcibly stucked in his mouth. Of course I didn't see it. But I heard people talk about it. I still remember how the dusk looked that very day: reddish, ghostly. That's the first time I realized how cruel people can become.

As all things, it too came to pass.

Of course, you are! I told myself as I was brushing my teeth.

I don't know how to meet new friends (and to those few I meet, I have better know-how in antagonizing them than in keeping them). In the real world, I always smile at the people I meet in the streets. Their faces are familiar but I really don't know much about them. You see, Alkhobar (in Saudi Arabia) is a small place and most Filipinos know each other (by face, not by name). Most of the time I get to meet a friend of a friend of a friend whose friends end up to be a common friend. Ala'six degrees of separation theory. Much as I want to ask their names and promote to them my blog, I think most of them are pre-occupied with the rising cost of denorado, broasted chicken and maya-maya (and will therefore not be interested knowing that I blog).


True. I invited my two friends to add my blog to their favorites but I don't think they've ever re-visited it. Ingrates! It hurts to know that I'm not a part of their thoughts (drama, drama, drama!).


Well, I am fortunate enough to have wisecracks as friends but unfortunately they are not connected (electronically). They'd rather play tennis or bowling or mahjong that browse my blog. And when connected, they'd rather spend clicking Yahoo Messenger and chat than visit my site. Ingrates!


I am 24 million-th in Alexia, slipping to 46th in Blogorama's 'group and community' category, five thousand-th in Technocrati, etc. If the numbers can just be encashed at one peso per point, I'd be a millionaire by now.


My blog is my personality. Simple. No frills, no fuss. Trying to be in-depth but in reality is very shallow. Appearing to be unperturbed by life's crisis but in reality is very emotional (and dramatic).

I am my blog, indeed. I'm secretly hoping to be popular but not wanting much attention. I'm hoping to be read but am embarrassed promoting my blog. My writings are mostly rhetorics about the sorry state of my blogging life (a sign of personality weakness, I guess, but hey look, if I don't know what my weaknesses are, then I wouldn't know how to strengthen myself, right?)

I am my blog: a work in progress; ever-evolving, ever-changing.

Last weekend, I bought a Div-X player. I was weighing between purchasing a Panasonic brand or a Pioneer. I've been telling myself that if it's audio electronics, it must be Pioneer. If it's video, it must be Sony or JVC. (Note: These choices are mine alone and not based on series of battery tests and marketing studies. Nothing like that. It's mainly based on hearsays).

After visiting eight electronic shops last Tuesday, returning to two of them twice within 10 minutes, asking the features of each of them, I finally made a decision. But wait...

I decided that I should sleep on this and not be impulsive about buying the player. Hmmmm. I'll purchase it tomorrow, Wednesday, I told myself.

The next day, I went to the market to buy my veges and on my way home, I saw this shop along Khalid which I failed to visit the previous day. On their shelves are rows and rows of branded and unbranded Div-x players: Panasonic, Sony, JVC, Hitachi, Soney, Bonus, Monster, and a partridge in a pear tree.

How much is it?
It's two hundred forty-seven (Saudi Riyals).
Last price?
Two forty.
How about the Panasonic?
It's two hundred.
Last price?
That's the last price.
How about this? (I pointed to an unbranded silver colored player.)
That's one forty.
Last price?
One thirty five.
Said I: One thirty.
Okay.
(Long silence)
If I buy this and then later I changed my mind and opt for the Pioneer, will you allow me to swap it and pay the price difference?
Make up your mind now.
(Another long silence)

My feet were, all of a sudden, heavy and I am silently cursing myself. The compulsive, impractical, wasteful me have taken over my physical body once again! Clutched in my arms is a newly-purchased Div-x player.

When I reached home, I didn't open the box yet. Sort of suspending the inevitable woe-to-me-I-bought-a-cheap-gadget feeling. I then whispered to myself: I should have bought the Pioneer...

As I was fumbling at the remote of my new Div-x, I noticed something: There is no stop button...where is the stop button? Oh, there. It says: 'step' instead of 'stop'.

The rewind button is also not working. If I click the << button, the CD automatically restarts from 00:00:00. Grrrr...

All the slots (for MPEG, USB, memory card, etc) are at the back of the player.

One thing I like about it is, it's working. And oh yes, it plays my CD's. And yes, it's cheap.

In this life, we really get what we pay for -- literally, idiomatically, eletronics and all.

I constantly click on award winning blogs, getting tips and drawing inspiration from them. It's like reading Anne Tyler's and Isabel Allende's novels and suddenly wanting to write like them. The feeling is magical and uplifting.

What makes it the more exciting is when I chance upon a Filipino blog (especially those written by Saudi-based Pinoy bloggers) that gives me a WOW feel. Otep's Willing Exile, to name a few. Today, another blog wowed me (not written by Saudi-based Filipinos): The Blog Awards Challenge.

What gives TBAC a wow effect on me is because I get to discover other blogs which are not only well-designed and outstandingly created but are also (very) well-written. In case you didn't notice, I just wrote what my WOW stands for: well-designed, outstandingly created, well-written. (Do I hear a canned oowww-cum-theaterhouse applause?).

Seriously, I like TBAC because it enjoins bloggers to think. It challenges bloggers to write well. (Pre-TBAC, I define blogging as either an online personal diary or a get rich-quick scheme. I used to think of blogging as a way to earn money and be known and be popular. Now, I think of blogging as a way to earn money, be known and be popular -- intelligently).

TBAC is open to all bloggers and entries can be written in Tagalog or English. Sort of a 700-word minimum essay writing contest online. Topic is on a common subject. Current challenge is on the relevance of traditional media in the era of blogging (see full topic description in their homepage). Deadline for entry submittal is 19 September.

I hope someone from Saudi joins and ultimately wins. No, not me. My head throbbed violently after I wrote this 300-word post, let alone a 700 word-essay. I'll pass.

To Saudi-based bloggers, good luck and hope to read your winning entry soon.

Inside a PAL Dammam/Manila flight: I asked the stewardess (err, flight attendant) for a glass of orange juice. I stammered when I said that trying to speak my best English. She just looked at me and gave me water. I said: orange juice, miss. She looked at me and grudgingly gave me an OJ.


Inside the Ninoy Aquino Intl Airport: I was on queue when I heard this Filipino airport attendant berating one lady OFW -- in English -- because her baggage are beyond the normal weight. The guy even silently muttered: How stupid can you get?, within my hearing. My blood literally boiled and I said: Yabang mo naman...The attendant left hurriedly.


Inside the Singapore Airport: I was seated in the waiting area (for the Economy ticket holders) and I tried to strike up a conversation with a fellow OFW.

Where are you from?
London.
And you?
Saudi.
Aaah.
(Silence).

I noticed that he didn't like to converse and so I just stayed silent. (Hey, look. I was bored. I would even talk to the chairs if they would only talk back, you know?). Had I told him I came from Amman instead of Dammam, would he talk to me?


In Saudi, current time: I have a friend whose friends are named: Chaka (gay lingo for ugly), Negra (foreign word for black), Bulag (tagalog for blind), Brenda (short for brain damage), Kapmuk (shortened word for makapal ang mukha or thick-faced), etc.

I hope not to call the above four situations as discrimination, but I think -- blatantly and indirectly -- they are.

Was it because we, Filipinos, are inherently prejudicial especially to our own kabayans? I tend to believe that that a tiny pigment of Malou Fernandez is inside all of us. Because we view others as different from us (based on look, race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, etc), we regard them as lowly and if given a chance, berate them (mostly subtle-ly and indirect).

Is being prejudiced normal? Psychologically-speaking (whatever it means), because the world is a confusing place, the only way we put things into order is to categorize them. We tend to generalize our views based on what we think is right rather than on facts. Additionally, studies indicate that the higher a person's self-esteem is, the more prejudicial he is while those people with low self-esteem tend to use discrimination as a way to separate themselves from groups they don't want and grow closer to groups they do.

Simply put, we discriminate because we lack knowledge and information. (Hurrah! I just found the bottom line of why we discriminate others: ignorance. Er, sorry. I just found out that William Hazlitt, an English writer, said that).

Hence, as espoused by http://www.areyouhivprejudiced.org/, we should always ask ourselves these five questions before we form a negative opinion about others:

‘Is this true?’
‘Do I have all the facts?’
‘Am I over generalizing?’
‘Am I focusing on one or two negative aspects instead of considering the whole picture?’
‘Am I labeling this group or person unfairly?’

Maybe, just maybe, we will be a bit tolerant of others and not be as discriminating as we are now.
Maybe, just maybe, those Filipina flight attendants would serve us orange juice with a genuine smile (look, I paid my ticket fare and I deserve a good service).

Maybe, just maybe, we will converse with the next kabayan we get to sit with on the plane (I said converse, not chat).

As Voltaire said: We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature.

God commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Hard to do but I believe it's do-able.

It was in December 31, 1993 when I first landed in Saudi. I've been here for almost 15 years now and still no clue as to when I will finally depart. Some may view my 15 years in Saudi as being wasted. It's not. Honestly. People who hold this the-pasture-is-always-greener-on-the-other-side-of-the-equator view may say that I should have gone elsewhere. But I don't know where elsewhere is.

I've said before that I have a lot of things to thank Saudi for. My current job, most importantly. But were there things that I'm sorry about while in Saudi? Yah. I'm sorry that I didn't get an adventurous spirit to travel and see Saudi.

Saudi sites: Wishlist

Did you know that there are a lot of scenic spots in Saudi other than Judas Cave (which Filipinos frequent during holidays)? Along the Abu Hadriyah Road going to Khafji and Kuwait is a long stretch of agricultural land, which during the rainy months of January and February, is verdant green. I passed that way once (going to Kuwait), on a summer month of July, and all I saw were patches of brown earth. Can't wait to travel there when rainy season come (if indeed rain comes).

Did you know that there is a place in Riyadh called 'the edge of the world' and there is ravine so deep you can only see pitch darkness at the bottom?

I discovered (online, where else?) this beautiful site offering a virtual tour of Saudi Arabia. Your tour guide: Jane, a US citizen. Within the site are the beautiful places in and photos about Saudi.

Did you know that Abha is a good place to visit because it's like Baguio in the Philippines and there are cable cars to take you from one mountain to another? That's one place I'm planning to visit next year.

An officemate once told me that standing in a sand dune with nothing else on sight except sand, sand and more sand, is both scary and exciting. It's like being able to stand in the middle of wide sea. (Or something).

Saudi sites: Been there

The only places where I'm proud to say that I've been in Saudi were the following:

Fish market in Qatif where you'll see rows and rows of various kinds of freshly-caught fish (with varying sizes of small, large, very large) and you buy them by lot.

Half-Moon Beach which has been our annual refuge during holidays.

Yanbu Highway where I saw these mountains of brown, white and black.

Hofuf's pump station where Filipinos catch the fattest of tilapia.

The Haradh Highway which offers one of most dramatic views of night sky (myriad starts amidst pitch darkness). Just be careful of road crossing camels. (In Saudi, if your car hit a camel during day time, the shepherd pays you. If you hit the camel at night, you pay the shepherd).

We, Filipinos OFWs in Saudi (thank you anonymous for your comments below; I really meant to pertain to OFW's), are inherently unadventurous except for things that are...er, prohibited (okay, I'll keep my mouth shut). If only we would venture Saudi to see and discover (and please make sure to travel in groups) places other than where we are, we would be amazed at how beautiful this country is. It is geographically regarded as a sandy desert but it is not an all-rugged, all-dessert terrain. I hope to actually (not internet-ly) discover Saudi while I'm here.

I can't imagine how many 27 millions are until I read that...

It's the population of Venezuela, Uzbekistan, Malaysia and Afghanistan;
It's almost a quarter of the Philippine population;
It's how many times Nelly Furtado's Promiscuous was viewed online;
It's how much US Presidentiable John McCain has in his campaign coffers (as of July 2008).And so I had a major rethinking.

The first question I asked myself was: ...must I be sore?

:-(

Truthfully...

Should it really bother me?
Was my primary intention for blogging to be ranked 100th in Alexa? (Incidentally, Ebay UK is ranked 100th in Alexa, globally).
What was my main point in setting up this blog?

After a five-second soul searching, I came up with this mantra: Someday...one day...I will have a blog on top.

And in the meantime that my blog is in oblivion (temporary oblivion, that is), I will keep on writing and blogging and inundating the web with my pointless views about nothing.

Honestly, since I began blogging last year, I felt a sense of direction. Writing is what I want. And blogging is my closest to becoming Anne Tyler (and Isabel Allende), which was (and remains to be) my dream.

I'm also beginning to learn how to manipulate my pages. I've also made online contacts with some of the great Pinoy bloggers in Saudi. I've been invited to a dinner by an American couple in Alkhobar and been praised a fellow blogger.

In total, I feel satisfied with what I've done (so far) and I honestly believe that I could do more. Slowly. A step at a time.

For now, I'll get inspirations and learn from those great, award-winning blogs that I chance upon.

Indeed, life -- my blogging life -- begun at 40. I believe it will be uphill from here.

My mother is from Anao, Tarlac. She is an Ilocana. Most Filipinos say that Ilocanos are inherently misers. In Saudi, I am.

I cook my own food and I pack my office lunches. One, because it’s thriftier for me. Two, because I have a high triglycerides and therefore need to watch my diet. Three, I just don’t trust restaurants. Sorry.

Hence, I am always on the look out for the freshest, cheapest buy for my ingredients. And these are my secrets…

I don’t buy my vegetables from supermarkets like most Filipinos in Alkhobar do. There is this place near Subekha frequented by Bangladeshis and Indians. Inside the area is a street-full of vegetable stalls. Their vegetables are not only the freshest and greenest, they’re also the cheapest. Whereas a string of long beans (sitaw) costs SAR 10 in Thai stores, I get it at Subekha for only SAR 4 per half kilo.

I don’t do marketing on Thursdays and Fridays, especially for seafood, because it is rumored that fish vendors jack up their rates a Riyal more during weekends. (Some of my friends say that jewelries and gold are also higher-priced during weekends). I don’t really know if it’s true.

I purchase my ingredients ahead of time because if I’m in a hurry, I tend to ignore the price tags.

I have an officemate who is always on the look out for sales at Tamimi, Farm 9, Carrefour and Panda. If he can, he gets brochures from each of these stores and we compare their prices especially for meat products and seafood.

Consumables that are near to their expiry dates are cheaper and so I go for it. If items are on buy-one-take-one, I look for someone to share the tab with.

I don’t fry. I either boil the fish with ginger, tomatoes, onions, onion leeks and tamarind or I grill it. I stew chicken and I put a lot of vegetables in it (and sometimes fruits, too). I don’t stew beef because it’s costlier. I boil it with potatoes, cabbage and pechay (English call it bok choy).

I may appear funny to some people but frankly, I’m proud of what I am doing.

I budget my money and I calculate my expenses. I haven’t withdrawn money from my ATM since last week. I just checked my wallet now and it contains fifty Saudi Riyals. I think I’ll make it until Friday -- pack lunches and weekend feasts included.

You see, I’m trying to dig the well before I get thirsty. Or maybe I'm just getting older. Or both.

At home, I do cook our Friday lunch which is a choice of only four viands (due to my limited knowledge of cooking): either beef sinigang, boiled beef, beans (black eyed, green, or white) or vegetables in coconut milk.

After lunch, I lulled myself to sleep by playing whatever Yahoo games interest me.

If I don't fall asleep, I'd watch whatever reruns are on Dubai One. Or perhaps watch a classic movie over MBC 2.

In the afternoon, if there's nothing else to do, I go outside the house to walk. My route plan is very, very limited and always the same. Along Khalid Street, left turn towards Dhahran/Khobar Highway, another left towards Al Fakhry Hospital and back to where I began. Normally, it only takes half an hour to forty-five minutes. I should be sweating a bit by then.

When I reach home, I watch whatever is on BBC Prime (either a garden challenge or an antique auction show). There used to be a cooking show by Rick Steins but have not seen it for quite some time. There was a time in my life that my Friday was memorable because of Rick Stein's show.

It has also become a habit to skip dinner during Fridays. So I just take whatever is left on the fridge: a fruit or whatever juice is there.

Later in the evening, I will be watching whatever program is on television. Dubai One is currently showing a delayed version of American Idol where David Cook won (I'm an Archuleta fan!) while MBC4 is showing the selection of James Bond movies (starting from Roger Moore to Sean Connery to Timothy Dalton to Pierce Brosnan).

By 11pm, if no movie fancies me, I should be retiring to bed. Most of the time however I am awake until almost 12 midnight. The next morning I should be cursing silently and blaming myself why I didn't sleep early the previous night.

You may say that I lead a very boring life. I think I do. That's why I'm taking advantage of my spare time to update myself of whatever is latest on tv. Duh. My Friday is not a total waste. Sometimes I get to write a blog on Friday. Duh again.

Recently, I accepted a part time job where I assist a student with his masteral assignments. The money is not much but I get to read lots of books and get to do some research.

I know a friend who constantly play bowling on Fridays. I also know someone who plays tennis on Fridays.

Since I neither fancy both sports, I just stay in my nook.

I also know someone who visits the hospitals or the jail cells within the Khobar Area to visit our kabayans and offer a prayer for them. I wanted to do that. I just don't know how.

This is me on a Friday in Saudi: Unproductive. Bored. Wasted. Wanting. Waiting. For things to happen.

Some things got to change. In me. Asap.

I always get an average of 100 spams in my email. Every morning. Everyday. I did try blocking them but for some reason, it deleted all my bosses' emails as well. I'm not a techy hence for now I'll just be contented with deleting these spams one at a time.

Recently, as I get a two second-glimpse of their contents before I click them to oblivion, I can't help but notice that most of them are not only attention-grabbing, but also humorous, funny ha-ha, witty and a bit subliminal. Their first lines are even more exciting than a tabloid's.

Read this (not suitable for young audiences; parental guidance is advised):

Turn your 4 inch soldier into a 10 inch bazooka.
She will love you more when you are bigger.
Don't settle for anything less than a humongous 9 inches!
Get rid of your anxiety about the small dimensions forever!
Try this remedy, and you'll be able to stimulate even the deepest of her love spots!
Size DOES matter, and unfortunately, many traditional methods to increase size simply DON'T work, and are very inconvenient.
Many surveys have shown that ladies prefer their man to have a huge manhood.
Impress the ladies with the new tool in your pants, and watch them moan in pleasure when you fill them up deeper and more tightly.
You will forget how small you were after taking these.
If you've always been ashamed of the size of your little brother - here's how you can change it.
Women LOVE a man with a confident gleam in his eye and a 9 inch pecker in his pants.

The volume of email spams are said to be over 100 billion per day in 2008, 90b in 2007, 55b in 2006, 30b in 2005! This means I'd be clicking more of it every morning, every day. So be it. If I can't beat them, I'd post about them in my blog.

I googled the ways to get rid of spams and I summarized some of what I found online:

e-how says ask your ISP provider to install you a spam-prevention program

About.com lists the best strategies, tools and tactics to get rid of spams

Spamprimer says ignore it.

Jonathan Hatch warns agains replying to unknown emails. His site is laid-out clearly and is a good read.

Family Resource suggests a use of email client with an intelligent built-in spam filtering (like Mozilla and Apple).

Henry Neeman wrote (in 1995) a letter about spam which it very, very interesting.

I am not a cook but I love to cook. When I grow old (by old, I mean above 60), I wanted to be like Rick Steins (of Food Heroes) who roams the countryside of London (in my case, the Philippines) and cook whatever is in season.

I am also enamored with Jamie 'The Naked Chef' Oliver's Jamie At Home and it was in that program that I first heard Tim Kay's My World. It has become one of my most favorite songs. It was Jamie's program that made me conjur up my future as being busy in my own vegetable garden where I plant all-natural vegetables and cook my food in an iron skillet. Listening to My World leaves me a wonderful feeling that everything will be alright when I grow old.

For anyone who has not heard the song, I've embed the video of the song (from YouTube). Hope you enjoy it as I tremendously did.

I sourced the lyrics from a number of sites (surprisingly, they differ in a word or two, as well as with the spelling!). Below is my best transcription of the song lyrics.

I´ll show you,
What it takes to feed my mind,
While you go through reading all my signs.
It was a lovely day,
When everything was everywhere
And now love came in to season.

I didn´t know you
Nice little dreams you pushed aside
Can we take to until we see those eyes we love to hide
And I´m alone in bed
In someone else's head
...and now love came into season(Refrain)

Take time and make yourself feel good
And you do whatever you want
Cause you can now, in my world

Make it up for losing so much time
Cause you can now, in my world.

We want to take a little walk down this room you know
I´m not scared to
Cause if we get back we can take it real slow
Another lovely day
When everything was everywhere
...and now love came in to season

I'm gonna make you feel alright
I'm gonna make you hold on tight...

August 2008 ■ September 2008 ■ October 2008 ■ November 2008 ■ December 2008 ■ January 2009 ■ February 2009 ■ March 2009 ■ April 2009 ■ May 2009 ■ June 2009 ■ July 2009 ■ August 2009 ■ September 2009 ■ October 2009 ■ November 2009 ■ December 2009 ■ January 2010 ■ February 2010 ■ March 2010 ■ April 2010 ■ May 2010 ■ June 2010 ■ July 2010 ■ August 2010 ■ September 2010 ■ October 2010 ■ November 2010 ■ December 2010 ■ February 2011 ■ March 2011 ■ April 2011 ■ May 2011 ■ June 2011 ■ July 2011 ■ August 2011 ■



About Saudi ■ On and about overseas Pinoy ■ All about Isladenebz ■ Pinoy's pride (stories of every heroism) ■ Pinoys in Saudi ■ Blogging tips, sources and resources ■ Eleksyon 2010 (about the Philippine Presidential Elections)



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1109: My take on the constitutional assembly
2012 The Movie: Survival tips gathered from 2012 game site
500 Days of Summer: Five reasons to watch it

►A
A language for things I couldn't say
Abstinence list: personal
After the Rain: Windham Hill Guitar Sampler
Age does matter
Aimless thoughts about retiring
Ako Mismo: Nebz's personal promise on how to bring Philippines forward
Annually being with my family
Annular eclipse in Saudi on January 15, 2010
Angst of a 40-something male virgin‏
Are we the blogging platform we keep?: Blogger versus Wordpress versus Typepad
Are you a Pinoy travelling to Saudi the first time...

►B
Bayani k b? (An article on Philippine Elections 2010)
Baz Luhrmann's Sunscreen
Bear in mind, someone else reads you!
A beauty contest in Saudi for the 'morally beautiful'
Becoming a heroic being: Filipinos are heroes!
Being dishonestly dishonest
The Blog Award Challenge wows me
Blog popularity
Blog terms for newbie Pinoy bloggers like me
Bogged down by a series of downers
Bury me in these songs
Business idea for OFWs: Pigout Ready-to-Eat Packed Meals

►C
Can you read my signs? (Interpreting my hand graphics)
Cartooning Erap
Certain rules (about relationships and all)
Changing fates of OFWs in Saudi Arabia
Christmas 2009: Happy birthday, Bro!
Cory Aquino's death: She's gone to a better place
Cowered by fear

►D
Deaths in the family
Disfigured: When Saudi statistics become more comical than believable
Divine Friday: An annular eclipse plus a religious seminar in one Friday. How divine can it not be!
Do we have responsibilities as bloggers?
Dramatic ant-eulogy
Drawing flowers
Dreaming a mountain
Dumbly, I deleted my blog

►E
Eid Al Adha 2009: About sacrifices
Eid greetings: Eid Mubarak!
Eid holidays in Saudi: My to do list
I'm on emotional cartwheel: My angsts this November 2009
Ever changing blog headers
Ever changing blog headers II: Again, I'm changing my blog header (for 2010!)

►F
The fate that awaits Filipinos in Saudi
Favorite lines from my favorite music
Fear is inversely proportional to faith
Fear of aging
Filipino community day in Dammam
Filipino heroism highlighted in two ongoing contests
Five OFW news
Five scares of horror movies
For the love of books (and Mike Stilkey's art sculptures -- using books!)
Forty-three years ago: My parents' 43rd anniversary essay
Fourteen days of these
Fragmented thoughts of what was my Saudi weekend
Funny advert: Go girl! (A female urination device)

►G
God nudges us all
Googling Google
Greatest, greater, great: On Manny Pacquiao's win over Hatton, on Google Analytics and on my PEBA badge entry
Guess my being weird: A very weird graphics!

►H
Half-cooked: Ideas I have for my blog; preview of what's to (hopefully) come
Happy new 2009
Have you played Hangaroo? In Tagalog?
Here's the kid who drew my PEBA entry
Heroes: Ordinary people doing extraordinary things (On Efren Peñaflorida and CNN Heroes 2009)
He's back! A drawing on Jesus' Resurrection
Hidden power of fiesta siesta: why taking a nap is gooood...
Himala competes for CNN's Asian movie of all time
Himala is CNN's Best Asia Pacific Film of All Time
Hopefully jolly weekend in Alkhobar: Announcing the opening of Jollibee store in Alkhobar
How will you decide in 2010?: Eleksyon 2010 in the Philippines

►I
I am my blog
I covet and I make promises: instituting November ember's blog zig (Nebz)
I'm the pitstop of chain emails
I'm ranked 27 million-th in Alexa...must I be sore...?
In crisis over American Idol 2009
In wandering, I saw these wonderful adverts
Infodrive: Let's register for 2010 Elections
Isabella Kirkland's Understory: An oil painting that includes six newfound fauna and flora in the Philippines
It's your sandwich. Whichever way you slice it.
Itching for blog re-invention
I work here: Our office in Alkhobar

►J
Jay, the movie: Review
Julie and Julia: A movie of passion, direction -- and butter
June 12
Just a thought on how honest we comment (other blogs)

►K
Kablogs 2009 Awardees
Kuwait-Based Filipino Artists

►L
Learning IT
Lessons about (falling in and out) of love
Lessons (I learned) from Freecell (the card game)
Let's low carb diet
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet - its meaning

►M
Maid in the Philippines
Magdalena Najjar's five minutes of every day
Mama Filipina
Memories of Anao
Merry Christmas 2008
Mirror conversations: Finding Balut and Garando's site!
Mirror conversations: Part 1 of many (my take on PEBA badge entries, Kiko Pangilinan's column, etc.
Mirror conversations: Hopeful for Pinas (my take on Ako Mismo and Pinoy's evident apathy
Mom, thank you: A mother's day greeting
Movie review: Earth 2009 and Angels and Demons
Much ado about commenting
Mukhang mahirap
My Antipolo
My dream life in Tim Kay's My World
My Fridays in Saudi Arabia
My now-defunct dream of being a newspaper reporter
My unpolite-tical takes on political issues: Jun Lozada and 2010 Elections
My wedding vows
My weekend films: one reward, two forgettables

►N
Name calling and rumours: why we enjoy them?
New Year 2009: May we have the faith of Mary this twenty ten
News headlines: I-twisted
Nokia OVI Tweet: Cyrano de Bergerac (and winning it later!)
Noynoy Aquino: Why I'm evidently rooting for him in 2010

►O
Odiogo: My blog goes podcasting via Odiogo
OFW as entrepinoys
OFWs as Global Filipinos, maybe never
OFW, healthwise: Health conscious Pinoys when abroad
OFW in distress: Helpless kabayans build tent houses in front of Phil Embassy in Jeddah
OFW manifesto against Mike Avenue's Tsokolate
OFW remittance woes
OFW truths or fictions
On being forgetful: What's your name again?
On fidelity: Husbands, stop making excuses!
On fidelity: Wives, think like a mistress!
On the menu: Rita Moreno's gasoline salad!‏ (The Electric Company)
On poverty: What can one do?‏
Origami-esque environmental tip: What you can do with your plastic grocery bags.

►P
Padala and pabilin
Pandesal of my life
A paragraph about savings
Passive titles and blog's hotspots
Pasta de Nebz
Pinoy Expat/OFW Blog Awards 2009
PEBA 2009 Badge Contest: My Entries (I lost! I lost! But that's okay...)
PEBA 2009 Top 1 Blog and Best in Post: Shukran...shukran
PEBA entry: Where my OFW dollars go?
PEBA follow up entry: Who drew those graphics in my PEBA entry?
PEBA gives give-aways
Pentimento: first ever post, rewritten
Personal top five favorite of my posts: How narcissistic can I be?!
Ploning
Philippine Blog Awards (PBA): I'm gloating for being a finalist for Best Blog Abroad
Philippine Presidential Elections 2010: Bold Predictions
Pinoy in Blogger's Blog of Note (Giallo Antico)
Post Semana Santa Blah-Blah
In praise of Slumdog Millionaire
The price of being an OFW
Project Smile by Charlie of Lord Dungeon

►R
Rearranged, renovated, made over: I redid my blog once again!
Reflecting on the blessedness of this week (Holy Week reflections)
Relativity of time: How time flies in Saudi
Remittance made-easy for OFWs in Alkhobar: About Quick Pay, an ATM-based remittance service

►S
Sad plights of migrant workers highlighted in Arabic ads
Saudi and their departed: Burial practices in Saudi Arabia
Saudi's beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Saudi censors: I think moms would love them!
In Saudi, crimes are punished harshly
Saudi judge says it's okay to slap your wife (if she's a spendthrift)
Saving money
Says Fritz Ynfante: You practically bore me!
Scariest five: Five things that scares me the most (ghoulish character, real person, person in uniform, etc.
Scenes (and sins) of discrimination
‏See-sawing emotions about office work
See you
‏Seven Pounds (of kindness or guilt): A look at Will Smith's movie
Shukran jazilan blog friends (about tags and award)
Site-seeing Saudi in a mouse click
Sleepless: Nguynguy of an homesick OFW in Saudi
So filling
So unhealthy
Some tips on living life
The sounds of EDSA (Revolution)
‏Spam's funny sales pitches promising to upsize men...
Stamped with boredom: being homesick in Saudi
State of blogosphere 2008: A study by Technocrati
Strummed by a poignant song
Stung by Sting: Answering questions using Sting's song titles
Suffer the children: Dennis Villegas' photos and CNN's honor on Efren Peñaflorida
Susie's Big Adventure (a Saudi site) is blocked

►T
2010 Philippine Presidential Elections: forecast and suggestions
Talk of recession
Taming the tongue
Ten quirks
These I bookmark: My favorite websites in a click
Thirteeth post this November
This is where I live and rest
This December
This trip called life
Those naughty, hidden spots
Till debt parts us: Saving tips for OFWs
Typhoon Ondoy: Action speaks louder, clearer (Pinoy's kabaniyan during crisis)
Typhoon Ondoy: Sometimes we need to die (a poem on Pinoy's heroism)
Typhoon Ondoy: Saudi OFW groups set up relief efforts for Ondoy victims
Touching photos of Dennis Villegas
Towards things negative: a look at negativity bias
Tried and tested blogging tips

►U
Unfinished ideas, blank thoughts
Unforgetting: An ode to a demise of a teacher in high school
Unjolly about Jollibee: Lessons learned from queuing at a newly-opened Jollibee store in Alkhobar
Up for grabs: My winning Nokia OVI tweet shirt

►V
Val and Tina and two other stories (about love and loving)
Venturing my Philippines

►W
Wasted: Thoughts about my inactivity last Eid Holiday
We are because of our parents' wisdom
We are what we...
We get what we pay for, electronics and all
What do you call a baby monkey?
What's up in Saudi this Friday? (Discussions on institution of English subject in Saudi schools)
And what if I’m a miser who packs his lunches?!
What love is
What will you do with one hundred million pesos?
‏When I blog, I covet
‏When I'm sixty four!
Will OFWs remain voiceless in 2010
Writhing in a dream of writing like Isabel

►Y
You can continue my dream: The music of George Wood's Goal

►Z
The Zen of handwashing clothes