In keeping with the ghoulish atmosphere that end of October brings, I'm posting here my five scares -- imaginative and real, in existence then and now -- which continuously give me the creeps; whom I wouldn't dare cross paths with; who'd surely give me a coronary if ever I chance upon them.

In villanous character

Etang Discher: For me, she is the ultimate of all the villanous characters on Philippine tv. Her Hispanic, gaunt look bescared my youth and up until now, I remember how I would squint my eye everytime she appeared on tv. The funny thing is, my maternal grandmother (Apong as I called her) looked very much like Etang, and I do love my Apong. I think Etang scared me because I know that everytime she's on a film, she'll do nothing but bad things; and she always did! I'm really afraid of her character even if, just this morning while researching about her, I realized Etang was Panchito's mother!

Photo courtesy: Eman of flickr.com

Runner-up: Buwaya.

Real person

Norberto Manero: When I saw Orapronobis of Lino Brocka, I came to know of Manero, a vigilante, who in 1985 killed Fr. Tullio Favali, an Italian priest, in Tulunan, North Cotabatoan. Manero reportedly ate Fr Favali's brains although the historical data I gathered from GMANews didn't mention any of this. Some say it was a hearsay but that gory scene in Ora Pronobis film scared me big time.

Photo courtesy of asiancorrespondent.com

Runners up: Kris Aquino and Willie Revillame. I fear their tongues.

Ghoulish character

Gollum: He looked like an evil version of my Smurf doll -- emaciated, wide eyed with only six teeths, and hisses when he speaks. I dread staring at him in Lord of the Rings and I also hated his look-alike Dobby in Harry Potter.

Photo courtesy: Music Banter

Runner up: Madame Auring

Aswang/ghost

Lady in white or Babae sa Balete Drive: Not that I've seen one nor do I dream of ever seeing one. Up to now, when I'm on vacation in the Philippines and whenever I go home at night, I dread looking sideways at the vacant lots near our house for fear of seeing a lady in white. I know they aren't true but fears have their own ways of seeing the unseen. By the way, my imagined lady in white used to have a long hair at the back of her head but after seeing The Ring, I now imagine her long hair covering her face. This make-over made me scarier of her.

Photo courtesy: Linsay Silveira at flickr.com

Runner up: Manananggal (again, I haven't seen one and don't wish ever seeing one).

In uniform

Police or the military: I once saw a policeman slap and hit a suspected thief -- a suspected thief! Without proof of the crime, the policeman just wielded his power over the poor guy. From then on, I dread the presence of a policeman or someone in a military uniform. In fact, I dread someone with a gun! I always remember Joey Ayala's song with lyrics that says: Ang balang tingga ay walang alam; kung saan siya nakaturo, duon sya pupunta.

Photo courtesy: chinapost.com

Runner up: Dentist

There is a real Cyrano de Bergerac (1619 - 1655), a French dramatist and soldier. Full name: Hector Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac.

And there is the play Cyrano de Bergerac (1897) by Edmond Rostand.

Cyrano, the play, bears no semblance to the life of Cyrano, the person.

Cyrano de Bergerac is a wonderfully funny, exhilirating and romantic play translated into different languages including Filipino (translated by Francisco Rodrigo). When I was working in the Philippines, we did a production of Cyrano, directed by Tony Mabesa, via the Cultural Center's Tanghalang Pilipino. I played a bit role. I did nothing but cross from stage left to stage right. That's all. My role? Don't laugh: I played one of the nuns; a cornette-wearing nun.

(Grins sheepishly) Seriously.

Plot summary of Cyrano, The Play

Cyrano de Bergerac is a soldier in the French Army who is also a gifted poet. Despite his heroism and wit, Cyrano thinks himself unworthy to be loved by the beauteous Roxanne -- all because of his huge nose. To woo Roxanne, he asked his friend Christian to pose for him as Cyrano. With love lines that melt any lady's heart, Roxanne fell for Cyrano. When Cyrano was wounded in a battle, he went to Roxanne and, in his deathbed, admitted the truth.

You can find a better-written synopsis and note in Stratford Shakespeare Festival website. The photo I used for this Ovi tweet was also from their site.

Eight days without blogging. I almost got used to it actually. Thirteen days more and I would have kicked it. (They say it takes 21 days to develop a new or kick an old habit).

I've not excuse to offer except this.


For days, I oogled, studied and plagiarized this site without success. Was enamored by it's beauty, you see, and it's treasure-trove contents too. (Take time to read it and I hope you enjoy it too as I did).

Oh, and these too which I also found via webdesigner wall.




The sinister veil of covetousness, once again, shrouds me. I'm weakest at abiding Exodus 20's 10th rule.

Promise: In the coming days before October ends (even if that shameless shroud is not lifted yet), I'll publish my historical tweets for Nokia OVI for PEBA.

Another promise: Tonight when I reach home, I'll start re-visiting your individual blogs.

And yet another promise: I'll have a post everyday for the whole of November. I'll call the exercise 'November ember's blog zig'! -- thank you for noticing the acronym!. Hope the fire doesn't die down that easy.

This post's title was from Friends show I saw last Friday. I was so bored last weekend that I ended up not doing anything except watch whatever was on free-to-air channels: MBC 2, MBC 4, DubaiOne, MBC Action, MBC Series, FoxSeries, FoxMovie, CNN, BBCWorld, Al Jazeera News Channel, KuwaitTV and even Arirang.

That Friends' episode (which I later learned as Season 5, Episode 12) was when Ross linked up with Janis (Owwh-mmmmy-Godddd!) who was Chandler's on-and-off-and-off-and-off girlfriend.

Here's the dialogue (which you can certainly find here):

Ross: Dude, we got to talk.
Chandler: Okay.
Ross: I just wanted to tell you something before you heard it from someone else and I hope this isn't too weird, but uh, I had uh, a thing with Janice.
(Chandler laughs, his real laugh this time.)
Ross: What you're-you're not mad?
Chandler: Why would I be mad?
Ross: Well, because y'know there are certain rules about this kind of stuff. You don't uh, you don't fool around with your uh, friend's ex-girlfriends or possible girlfriends or girls they're related to.
Chandler: (realizes what Ross just said and the implications to him - he was already seeing Monica in this episode!) I am mad! But you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna forgive you! Because that's what friends do! They forgive their friends when they do everything you just said, all on the list there. Well, but I want you to remember that I forgave you.
Ross: Okay.
Chandler: I also want you to remember that I let you live here rent free!
Ross: All right.
Chandler: And, I want you to remember that I gave you twenty (counts his money) seven dollars. No strings attached. Now, if you can't remember that, I think we should write it down — let's write it down!

This episode let me realize what my certain rules are (those that I certainly abide in and would certainly impose on others too):

GP rules

1. If it's necessary for you to take something from the fridge and you're certain that that something is not yours', you should immediately replace it;
2. You always return what you borrow no matter how small the value is i.e. a bulb of onion, a light bulb, a pack of Mamasita Tamarind, a pitcher of water, etc.
3. We always get what we pay for (also reads: you always get what you deserve, you get back whatever is that you give, etc);
4. You are always judged by your skin so you should always moisturize.
5. It pays to be honest. Anywhere. All the time.

R-18 rules

6. Don't fool around with any of your friends unless your friend wants to fool around with you (and even if it's mutual, you should both be unmarried or unattached);
7. Same goes with your officemates. (If you can't help it, re-read your employment contract to make sure that there's not a clause included which relates to inter-office trysts. And again, you should both be unmarried and unattached);
8. Don't commit yourself to a relationship if you're only after sex. Be honest if it's just a one-night stand.

For the past few days...okay I'd be honest...weeks, I've been trying to create my own version of a PEBA advert just like those videos you can find in PEBA site. Today, I gave up. I just can't do a decent Flash animation and am too proud to create a Windows Movie Maker video.

Just like what this post title says: You can continue my dream.

You see, one of the many sites that I love visiting is Podsafeaudio which contains various kinds of music -- not the mainstream type.

One music which I thought is "very PEBA" (for me) is George Wood's Goal. I wish you'd agree.

Listen to this.



George, according to Podsafeaudio site, "has been a music professional for the last 10 years and his portfolio contains everything from Programming manager for the United Kingdom's leading manufacturer Standard MIDI files 'Hands On' MIDI Software Ltd, to overseeing the development of a range of Karaoke tracks for Easy Karaoke's astonishing Groove Station Microphone."

"As well as professional backing tracks George has produced mobile content for Nokia, Disney and Orange as well as composing and arranging original thematic library music for radio and television."

He does allow a use of his music as long as you credit him for his work.

And so guys, if anyone wants to realize my dream of seeing a PEBA advert with George Wood's 'Goal' music, please feel free to leave me a comment with your email so I can send you the mp3 file. It's not huge; around 1.8MB.

Remember: it's George's; not mine. (Eh, the graphics background, don't blame George for it; that's moi!).

Ali Saad Al Mosa of Arab News took a jab (and so did I) on the following 'unreliable' consumer stats which are really funnier than believable.


Last year, Saudis spent about $1 billion on the purchase of shumaghs (the male head dress) — including 16 million sold on Eid night alone.

There are currently around 9.3 million male Saudis as per Saudi Central Department of Statistics and Information. Based on the above statistics, all of the male Saudis in Saudi Arabia bought around 2 shumaghs last Eid. I asked my officemates whether they think it's true and they all disagreed. All of them own at least two shugmahs but none of them bought even a guthra this Eid.


Mosa wrote: As my sense of smell is by far the best sense I have, I will also testify that I have very rarely smelt perfume on men.

I think perhaps the figures meant the sale of perfumes and cosmetics in Saudi Arabia. US-Saudi Business Council reported in 2006 that 5.25 million Riyals were spent on perfumes and cosmetics mostly by women than men. Reportedly in 2006, men spent only SAR 112 million for personal care items that included French, China and US-made perfumes.


Mosa coyingly wrote: "This is happening at a time when men allegedly spend SR1.5 billion on perfumes."

I asked the opinion of my Saudi officemates about this and he said that there is 'some truth' to it. He has married friends who sleep in separate rooms.

I don't actually believe that it's true. I'm more perflexed than convinced. If indeed this behavior among Saudi couples is true, I can only guess that it's founded on religious belief.


I tend to disagree with this one because I see more cigarette butts on the road than used chewing gums. Mosa wrote: Paradoxically, Singapore collects about $25 million annually from fines for chewing gum thrown away on streets.

Pretty soon, I guess, Saudi Arabia will follow Singapore and start flogging chewing gum vandals.


Did you know that coffee was thought to have been first brewed by the Arabs? Nonetheless, I think Saudis are more tea drinkers than coffee drinkers. Based on coffee-statistics.com (yes, there is such a website!), US consume 146 billion cups of coffee annually, putting them on top of the list.


No comment.

I think these statistics are merely for marketing purposes -- lopsided, unverifiable and very untrue. Worthy in the comic page for entertainment!

A throng of people at the foot of Corniche Alkhobar overpass surprised us last Tuesday, 29 September. Such a gathering meant only two things: a vehicular accident or a public show. The next day I read in the newspaper that the Saudi Religious Police flogged the teenagers who caused the Corniche mayhem during the Saudi National Day. (Read Siraj Wahab and Molouk Y Ba-Isa's news report: Dozen teens flogged for role in rampage, Arab News, 30 Sept 2009).

You see, in Saudi, convicted criminals are punished by a combination of jailterm, flogging or stoning -- or, depending on the gravity of the crime, beheading. I've been in Saudi Arabia for too long and I haven't witnessed neither a public beheading nor flogging. (Not that I intend to nor am interested in).

These punishments may appear too harsh to most people outside Saudi and others are claiming that there is no legal or Islamic basis for such sentencing but it's been in Saudi's legal system for a long time.

Today, I read a column by Tariq A Al Maeena at Arab News stating why we should all be flogged. Actually, what Tariq was saying is that it's the parents of the children who should be flogged so that "the rest of us would pay more attention to our own shortcomings that lead our children to activities that do no good to them as individuals or us as a nation." Tariq was referring to those Saudi youths who vandalized and rioted at Corniche Alkhobar.

Court judges mete out the punishment of flogging "in accordance with (the judge's) discretion and the interpretation of the Qur'an and Sunnah", wrote Noura Abdul Al Khereiji in her article 'Government Must Codify Taaziri Punishment Rules' (Arab News, 25 May 2008).

"This is in order to discourage people from committing sins and crimes for which the Shariah ordains no specific punishment".

Flogging sentences in Saudi Arabia "can range from dozens to thousands of lashes, and are usually carried out in instalments, at intervals ranging from two weeks to one month" (Amnesty International). Crimes that mete out flogging include consumption of alcohol, prostitution, acts of lasciviousness, homosexuality, etc.

Noura wrote that the ills of flogging arise when "different punishments are given for the same offense" depending "on the mood and temperament of the judge in charge and his personal views on matters that contradict Shariah teachings".

"Enough is enough for this humiliating punishment of lashes", she concluded.

The most celebrated flogging case I've heard during the past years is that of a 19-year old rape victim who was sentenced to get 200 lashes for "being in the car with an unrelated male at the time of the rape" (sourced from Daily Telegraph, Nov 2007)

Amnesty International claim that the punishment of flogging (as well as stoning and beheading) is "inconsistent with Saudi Arabia’s obligations under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment".

I also don't agree with these harsh punishments but I cannot circumvent from Saudi laws and regulations just because I don't agree with its punishments. I am in Saudi and therefore has to follow its rules.

I also don't suggest that we impose such harsh punishments in the Philippines. It will be difficult to run a government with headless officials (no pun intended).

On the other hand...

I won't mind if we publicly flog one or two guilty government officials just to make a point. As long we do it judiciously. And yes, let's include those kidnap-for-ransom criminals, the heinous crime perpetrators, the Abu Sayyaf, the illegal recruiters and the drug dealers.

For all Pinoys in Saudi, click this to find out how you can help.