In the spirit of Halloween, I'm listing here my top five scariest movies -- those that I actually only watched once, with all the house lights on, with my eyes half-open, and the sound muted in some scenes (or my hands cupped in my ears) to defer ala'Jaws tada-tada-tada scary music.

The Ring

All I remember about this movie is a girl who fell in a deep well (or she was pushed, I don't want to know) and begun haunting people. I lovingly hated The Ring movie because it scared the wits out of me especially the background music, the unexpected unfolding of the story, and the disturbing black and white grainy images between the scenes. Directed by Gore Verbinski in 2002, the movie was a remake of a 1998 Japanese horror film

The Blairwitch Project

This 1999 movie scared me big time and I really connected with all the characters maybe because of the way the movie was made (a homemade, amateurish, true-to-life video of real-life people who ended up lost in the woods). Up to now, I still think Blairwitch was true (although it really wasn't). After this movie, I never ventured the woods of our subdivision alone.

Feng Shui

This is the first movie where I regarded Kris Aquino as 'nakakaarte pala'. I was impressed by her acting and more impressed by the storyline about a young working mother who found a bagua which brought her luck and curses. I especially liked the twisted ending of the movie. I thought the family died in the accident but I was happy to find out they weren't. And then surprised to find out that what Kris saw were ghosts. Grrrr... Directed by Chito Roño in 2004.

Paruparong Itim

I was too young to remember the storyline of this movie but what I do remember is that it scared me big time. The 1973 movie, based on my google research, was a dark adaptation of "The Miracle Worker", directed by George Rowe and starred Boots Anson-Roa, Vic Silayan and Nora Aunor. Paruparong Itim was regarded a groundbreaking film in the early 70's. I must have seen the movie when I was around eight or nine and one scene I keep recalling is a dinner on a long table where all the characters are seated and in comes a black butterfly. From then on, I've regarded all of Vic Silayan's movies as dark and scary ("Kisapmata" for example).

Itim

1976 movie by Philippine National Artist Mike De Leon starring Tommy Abuel and Charo Santos. It tells of a young Teresa who begun to have visions about her dead sister. Francis Cruz offered a good review of the movie. What I remembered the most about Itim are the haunting locations (old house, old clinic, old church), the Lenten atmosphere as the movie's backdrop and Charo Santos' naiveté character. After watching this movie, I begun associating all of Mona Lisa's movies as mysteriously twisted and dark ("Insiang" for example).

I had nightmares out of these and their effects on me lasted for days. In Feng Shui, for example, because I am an Aquarian and don't know how to swim (isn't this embarrasing?!), I shunned from swimming pools and beaches for one year.

What do I keep watching scary movies then?

Says Erin Richards in her article Goosebumps: The Physiology and Psychology of Fear:

Happy Halloween everyone!

Ever wonder how a certain blog came to be? Mine, for example, was initially a two-column Minima stretch until I played around with it and turned it into a three column blog. Of course, I needed help from experts in doing that.

This November, I'm sharing with you some great tips I have found on the web which I applied to my blog. I've personally tried-and-tested them so I can personally vouch that they work. I don't have a clue about web programming hence my being able to do it shows that the following procedures are do-able by anyone.

So dig in. Test it. Use it, if you want. But please don't forget to credit the experts behind them.

Converting a two-column blog into three

Compender offers the easier to understand and easiest to follow guide in converting a two column to three column blog.

Applying navigation tabs

I was at first intimidated by Beta Blogger for Dummies site because of huge texts and multi-color columns. But don't be deceived. I can boldly say that Beta Blogger's site is one of those few which is filled with helpful information and tips for bloggers.

His tips on how to install a navigation menu works fine with me although what I really wanted is to put the code inside my template and not as a widget.

Incorporating a highlight box within the post

Mintblogger is a wondeful find for me because it taught me how to put a colored screen on some of the paragraphs in my post. The colored screen serves as a highlight and a break to lengthy posts.

Redesigning the comment area

Beta Blogger (again!) helped me re-design my post footer. Instead of the usual clickable 'Comments' at the end of each post, the site taught me how to put an inviting one liner to visitors, i.e. 'Be the first to leave a comment!'

This is what's up this November for isladenebz. A changing header every week (inspired by Google doodles). I'm sure it will be an enjoyable experience for me. Hope my readers enjoy it too.

My flair in graphic design is almost zero. Too, my boss keeps on saying I'm color blind (I don't know what he meant by that but I tend to believe him because I can't sometimes see the difference between black and deep blue). BUT I am easily inspired by beautiful artwork. And whenever I see one that wows me, I try to copy it (in comes Cherie Gil saying: you're nothing but a second rate! trying hard! copy cat!).

Since I started this blog last year, my header has undergone numerous alterations. If I'm a surgeon and my blog is my patient, just imagine what a mummy looks like...you know, with all those surgical wraps. That's how my blog would look like.

I'm sharing with you the (many) header graphics of isladenebz. As I've said before: I am my blog -- and my blog header!: ever-changing, ever-insatiable.

Circa-December 2007




Circa February 2008




Circa August 2008 (only for one day!)



Circa August 2008




Circa September 2008

My mind is not as progressive as those of the street rallyists frequenting Mendiola, nor as politically sharp and in-depth as the Philipine Daily Enquirer.

But I have a stand, unpopular it may be. I am for Bayani Fernando.

Ikaw, Bayani k b?

I wanted Bayani for Philippine President because...

I hate politicians who play with the emotions of the poor; those who appear 'concerned' and 'in-tune' and 'pro-poor' but truthfully are just show-off's in front of television. Bayani is not that.

I hate politicians who, shamelessly, unabashedly, without remorse, change colors that easy. They are those who cling to their power for as long as I can remember, were oppositionists before and now with the government and will likely belong to opposition group next term. Bayani is not that.

Ditto the sour-grapers. Oh we have full of them! Those finger-pointing, mud-slinging, holier-than-thou politicians, whose sole intent is to overthrow everyone else from their seats. Move on, guys! While we bicker and we finger point and divide ourselves, the rest of the world are progressing towards somewhere. They've left us behind now, can anyone not see?!

I polled five of my friends about their Presidential preferences and they're choices are as follows: Bayani (2), Noli (2), Mar. I've started working now to sway the three to switch to Bayani. If they don't, fine. That's democracy.

Updated on 15 October 2009.

Ever since I reached the legal voting age, I already voted four times and none of those I voted as Philippine President ever won: Raul Roco in the last two elections and Miriam Santiago in 1992.

You see, I am not politically-minded and I seldom watch the local news (as I prefer telenovelas). I read the Philippine Daily Enquirer (online) but I seldom visit their Editorial Page and I don't read their local political columns. I find more peace reading the showbiz, entertainment and lifestyle pages. I may be wrong in saying this but I think I represent most Filipinos.

Philippine line up 2010

A lot of politicians have signified their intentions of running but I think only the following will be in the voter's list come 2010: Noli, Loren, Villar and Mar Roxas. Bayani Fernando will run but will later on pull out because of lack of support. If he does run, I will vote for him. I will even campaign for him. Ping Lacson will run but will later on withdraw and will throw his support to Loren Legarda of the opposition.

Bold predictions

Noli De Castro will (sadly for me) win the elections. Why? Because let's face, Gloria did it well and Filipinos know it. She survived her presidency by being in focus of what she's there for. She's so unlike our most politicians who are always politicking. One positive thing about Noli is that he is not media pacman who always grabs the next microphone on the podium just to be seen on television. His downside is that he has never taken a stand on anything and will likely spend his presidential term bickering with the media for the way he is being negatively portrayed.

Opposition will once again dispute with one another but in the end will choose Loren Legarda-Leviste as their lone representative. Loren will give Noli a run for his money, however, she will lose the vote count and (as usual) will waste her next six years claiming that she was cheated. The opposition, as usual, will be back in the streets.

Manuel Villar will sourgrape because he will not obtain the opposition's support but he will run anyway and will lose. He will concede after months of legal battle.

Manuel Roxas III will give Noli a hard time in the elections. He will come second because of the support from young voters, the businessmen in Makati and the elite. However, in the provinces, especially in Visayas and Mindanao, he will only come third after Noli and Loren.

Who I hope would run

I admit, I secretly wanted Obama to win the US elections. Why? Because he's a breath of fresh air in this time of war and hunger and economic collapse around the world. There's so much negative things happening around us that all I wanted is a fresh change. Obama is that.

Sadly in the Philippines, I cannot say a similar thing. Our line up of politicians eyeing the 2010 Philippine Presidential elections represent trite and old politics. I'm sure of this: there's no one in my predicted line up who will not face an impeachment during his/her term. Why? Because we're so divided, we are bad losers, we are perfectionist people and we love rumor mongering (we easily believe what is said on television and printed on the newspapers).

Nonetheless, I will look forward with Obama excitement if the following two individuals decide to run in 2010 for the presidency of the Philippines the next year's election primarily because of Noynoy Aquino's presence. I strongly believe he's the only one who can bring back the morale of and our trust in our government.

Bayani Fernando: He is the only politician I know who really means business and whose mind is at work for projects that really work (remember the Gwapotel?). He may not be immaculate and my have some lapses but he would be a good president for the Philippines. I like the way he handled Marikina, MMDA and DPWH. I like the kind of discipline he has when it comes to work. He reminds me of Miriam Santiago during the 1992 elections. Bayani is a breath of much-needed change in Philippine elections.



Francis Escudero: Although only has a short stint in politics and very oppositionist in his stand, I am secretly hoping that he would run. If ever the opposition selects him as their lone bearer, he may have a chance of winning the elections. Francis (Escudero, not Pangilinan, please...) emanates new politics. The only downside is that the people sorrounding him (the old politicians of the opposition) will most likely use him in their own agenda.

Deep inside, I believe I'm a distant relative of Madame Auring. She's always wrong and, with or without her crystal ball, she never predicted right.

Yesterday, my troubles didn't seem to be so far away. Yesterday, I found a good read which I want to share with you.

Passive-titled webs are better read

Jakob Nielsen said that passive web titles attract more readers than active title.

Active: I was dumped yesterday.
Passive: Dumped I was yesterday.

That is contrary from what I learned in my short stint as a school newspaper writer (ah...some 25 years ago) where my journalism teacher said that headlines must always be in active form.

Example: Gunman kills all 2010 Philippine presidentiables

This present-tense form is more evident in newspaper headlines (and in photo captions).

I'm not into SEO's because I basically don't know how they work, So I'll go passive for post title (until I see another article that contradicts this newfound belief).

Web pages are eyed in F-pattern

Two horizontal stripes followed by a vertical stripe. That, according to Jakob Nielsen, is how a reader scans a web page.

Where exactly? The upper part of the content area, then down a bit for another horizontal movement and finally the content's left side in vertical movement.


Source: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/

The study indicates that because users do not read the full text of a blog posts, the first two paragraphs must, therefore, contain the most important information.

All the while I thought that if I put my thoughts on paper (er my blog), that's it. So there is really a scientific way of designing a blog and writing a post.

Such things are nice knowing.

Shall I follow it? Will try. But, knowing how un-retentive my memory is, I'm pretty sure I would soon forget it.

Or was it someone else who said to a contestant in one singing contest: You, sweetheart, practically bore me...?

I'm pretty sure it was Fritz Ynfante in a 2005 singing contest. I remembered too that I was rolling in laughter after hearing his comments.

Yesterday, a friend visited my blog and this is what he said: I would rather sleep than read you...or something as truthfully cruel as that.

At the back of my mind, I was hearing Fritz Ynfante saying his line to my face: Your blog practically bores me!!!!



(Note: That's not Fritz Ynfante on the picture).

As we tell each other the truth (no matter how painful or cruel or damaging it is), my critic friend advised me to do the following:

1. Loosen up your sentences...unless you're writing a newspaper editorial.
2. Inject some humour in your story. Even a bland subject (such as mine? I silently muttered to myself) can be an enjoyable read if it's written in a lighter, conversational mode.
3. Put some relevant pictures in your post. (I told myself I should really buy that Nikon digital camera. But first I should set up a paypal account, apply for a credit card and put a please-donate box in this blog).
4. Be daring. Write about kinky subjects, lambast someone, be opinionated about something, be cruel and bitchy and authoritative! (I can't imagine a meekly me would do such things, but I said: I am meek, but I'm no saint. So, yes! I'll write about my secret passion, my dark secrets, my lust, my innermost evil, my...). My friend stared at me with his left eyebrow arched two inches higher than his right, and said: And you think they'd be interested in your lust?).

And so I did some serious thinking. What will I write about for my blog to un-bore it?

I say, choose a topic and stick to it. Ha, what topic?

According to Google Trends, these are some of the most popular, frequently-searched topics in the Philippines during 2008: song lyrics, Friendster, games, quotes, MP3.

Hubpages has its own list of popular topics:

• About home, children and family
• Tutorials
• About life
• Love and dating
• Politics
• Money and finance
• Entertainment
• Movies and television
• Health
• Friends
• Technology

Problogger retorted that I should find my niche and ask the following questions:

• Are you interested in the topic?
• Is the topic popular?
• Is the topic's popularity growing or shrinking?
• What competition is there?
• What is the competition neglecting?
• Will you have enough content?
• Are there income streams on the topic?/li>

Evidently, there is so much that I need to do in order not to practically bore Fritz Ynfante. Hell, I thought it's an easy task!

I love songs and the Eraserheads, I'm not into song lyrics nor basketball, and electronic gadgets never interest me.

Hence (for now) I'll just take my friend's advice: I will lighten up a bit and put some related graphics on my post. And pray that Fritz Ynfante never get a chance to read me.

Let's see if it works. If it doesn't, I'll replace my friend.

I read about the CNN's Asia Pacific Screen Awards from Gibbs Cadiz's blog.

Films from Japan, Iran, Australia, China, Hongkong, India, South Korea and the Philippines are vying for the CNN Viewers Choice Award for the most favorite Asia Pacific film of all time.

Philippines is being represented by Ishmael Bernal's Himala.



Online voting closes on 31 Oct 2008. Awarding will be on 11 November 2008.

I've only seen three of the shortlisted films: Himala, Seven Samurai and Crouching Tiger. This award will now want me to watch them all.

Below are the shortlisted films (in alphabetical order):

Chungking Express (China)
Written and filmed in 1994 by Wong Kar-wai, the movie comprises two different stories, told one after the other, each about a Hong Kong cop and his relationship with a woman. The first story stars Takeshi Kaneshiro and Brigitte Lin and the second stars Tony Leung, Faye Wong and Valerie Chow.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (China)
Released in 2000 and directed by Ang Lee, the film tells about a legendary martial artist who has decided to pass on his sword, the Green Destiny, to a friend. The sword was stolen which tested the bonds of family, love, duty, and sisterhood among the film's characters. The film enjoyed a huge international success and was regarded as the highest-grossing foreign-language film in American history. It starred Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen and won the 2001 Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film.

Gabbeh (Iran)
Released in 1996 and directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the fantasy/reality film tells of a beautiful young woman, named Gabbeh (literally means a carpet), who is desperately in love with a mysterious horseman who follows her in the after life. The story is delicately interlaced with stories of people whose lives are shaped by the rhythms of nature, and who instinctively express the joys and sorrows of life through song, poetry, and the tales they tell in their brilliantly-hued weavings. Won Singapore International Film Festival's Silven Screen Award in 1997.

Gallipoli (Australia)
The movie is a 1981 Australian film, directed by Peter Weir and starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee, about several young men from rural Western Australia who enlist in the Australian Army during the First World War. They are sent to Turkey, where they take part in the Battle of Gallipoli. During the course of the movie, the young men slowly lose their innocence about the purpose of war. Nominated for Golben Globe's Best Foreign Film in 1982.

Himala (Philippines)
The 1982 film was directed by Ishmael Bernal, written by Ricky and top-billed by Nora Aunor. Himala was based on the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary on Cabra Island in 1967. The story revolves around Elsa who claimed to saw the Virgin Mary and starts healing people. People flocked to her among them a skeptic filmmaker who was able to capture on film some of Elsa's dark secrets which lead to Elsa's sister's suicide. Won the Chicago International Film Fest's Bronze Hugo Award in 1983.

Infernal Affairs (Hong Kong/China)
Released in 2003 and directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, the film is about a cop who goes undercover into the Triad and about a Triad member who infiltrates the police department. Each mole was planted to gain an advantage in intelligence over the other side. The more the moles become involved in their undercover lives, the more issues they have to cope with. In 2006, Martin Scorsese remade the film (The Departed) which won him his first Oscars for Best Director.

Oldboy (South Korea)
Released in 2003 and directed by Chan-wook Park, the film follow the story of Dae-Su who is locked in a hotel room for 15 years without knowing his captor's motives. When he is finally released, Dae Su finds himself still trapped in a web of conspiracy and strangeness. His own quest for vengeance becomes tied in with romance when he falls for an attractive sushi chef. The film won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Pather Panchali (India)
Titled in English as Song of the Little Road, the film released in 1955 and directed by Satyajit Ray was based on Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's novel. It tells of a boy, Apu, born to a poor Brahmin family in a village in Bengal. The father, a poet and priest, cannot earn enough to keep his family going. Apu's sister, Durga, is forever stealing guavas from the neighbour's orchards. All these add to the daily struggles of the mother's life, notwithstanding her constant bickering with old aunt who lives with the family. It won the Cannes' Best Human Document Award in 1956.

Seven Samurai (Japan)
Edited and directed by Akira Kurosawa, the 1954 film takes place around 1587/1588 and follows the story of a village of farmers that hire seven masterless samurai (ronin) to combat bandits who will return after the harvest to steal their crops. The film is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made, and is one of a select few Japanese films to become widely known in the West. Nominated for Oscars Best Art Direction in 1957.

Spirited Away (Japan)
A 2001 anime film, written and directed by famed animator Hayao Miyazaki, tells of Chihiro and her parents who take a wrong turn in a strange place filled with the gods of Japan's mythology. The parents mysteriously turned into pigs after eating a mysterious food and Chihiro had to find a way to save her parents from a dinner platter. The film was the first anime to win an Academy Award for Best Animation.

Sources for the above summaries are http://www.imdb.com/ and wikipedia.
Photo of Himala was from UCLA International Institute's Center for Southeast Asian Studies .

The clannish me still roots for Himala. Regardless.

In Saudi, we, overseas Filipino workers, enjoy a lesser freedom. That's a fact.

I am thankful of my job and I’m one of those many who were more than lucky to have found a very good company to work for.

But let’s face it, there are a number of Filipinos who were not as fortunate as others. Whose lives were screwed as soon as they sign their contract in the Philippines or as soon as their feet land in Saudi. For these Filipinos, such an unfortunate fate means a long suffering and whose options are but a few, all entailing physical, emotional and psychological sufferings.

Some of the known woes our compatriots suffer in Saudi include delay in salary, inhumane living conditions, unwarranted deductions on salary (because some wicked agencies in the Philippines didn't advise the candidate that he will shoulder his airfare, mobilization charges, visa, etc), unfair labor practices (long hours of work or different tasks than what a worker signed for or contract substitution), etc. The hardest struggle for our fellow kababayans is when they fall prey to immoral superiors who know no shame.

If a Filipino is faced with the above difficulties, what are the options available to him?

Option one: ride it out.
This is a defeating alternative. It’s surrendering without putting up a fight, and sadly, most of the time, this is the only option available to most of us Filipinos because the other alternatives spell longer suffering.

It’s only for two years; I’ll just survive this, is a famous line among Filipinos who have surrendered their fate to Saudi.

Option two: fight legally.
In Saudi, mainly due to language barrier, you cannot just go to any police station and file a claim against your company or against someone in your company. More often than not, a Filipino claimant ends up in jail. Hence, Filipinos normally seek help first from known Filipino organizations in their locality or directly from a POLO representative (Philippine Overseas Labor Office). POLO then communicate with the worker's sponsor to sort out the problem, or bring the case to the Saudi Labor Office, if the first option is not feasible.

Solving a labor case in Saudi takes months and, in all likelihood, the poor Filipino claimant ends up unsalaried, unfed, untaken cared of.

Option three: run away.
Some Filipinos who are able to flee their wicked superiors sometimes end up being screwed by others (sadly sometimes, by our very own compatriots). Most of those Filipinos who choose to flee (normally travel to Jeddah) end up living under a bridge in the Kandara district of Jeddah. If chanced upon by the Saudi police authorities, the individual cases are reported to Philippine Embassy in Jeddah who then do the administrative work of contacting the Filipino’s sponsor to mediate the problem, placing the runaway Filipinos to deportation center in Jeddah. Again, this process takes time which leaves the needy Filipino more displaced.

Option four: back door exit.
This is an (illegal) option I’ve been hearing a lot about. I don’t know how it really works but some Filipinos claim that, with enough money, a fixer at the Philippine Consulate can process the travel documents without the regular immigration channels. How this is exactly done is beyond me although I’ve already met two Filipinos who went through this channel, were back in Saudi after a few months and have now ran away again reportedly using the ‘back door’ option (again!). The Philippine Embassy, however, is totally rejecting the 'back door' as an option.

It is sad that some Filipinos who go to Saudi to earn a living sometimes end up unfortunately losing their dreams (and, a few, their lives).

What are we to do?

Help. We do not need to be valiant or rich to help. Some simple options include:

• Providing clothes or food or a small amount of donation to those organizations that are known to be assisting fellow Filipinos in need. The website of Philippine Embassy in Riyadh lists a number of Filipino organizations in Saudi Arabia (I just don’t know if these organizations are social, sports or charitable).
• Let’s constantly post in our blog an updated contact details of POLO offices in our locality. A major problem of a Filipino in need is not knowing whom to approach or to call during difficult times.
• Let’s report to Philippine authorities those crooked employment agencies in the Philippines who continually send Filipinos to Saudi without first checking the employer’s character or its capacity to take care its employees.

The Sunscreen Advise of Baz Luhrmann

Friday evening. In a dimly-lit room, buddha-sat in front of my old laptop, I chanced upon Jane's Exploits of a City Dweller.

In one of her posts, she mentioned Baz Luhrmann's Sunscreen which was one of the hit songs (or rather a spoken-word tracks) of the 90's. It was, in fact, one of the songs (er, spoken track) that I think of once in a while.

I, as usual, googled it and found it in YouTube.



The lyrics of the spoken-word track is funny, witty, insightful, at times irrevent but always true.

In essence, what Baz Luhrmann is saying is that we should take it easy.

Read on and enjoy as I tremendously did.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99. Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be...it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis or reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall, in a way you can’t grasp now, how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….you are not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindsides you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts; don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

I have two nieces: one, seven and the other nine years old.

One day, Janine Elysse, the youngest, asked me: what do you call a baby monkey? I was silent for a few seconds and then I blurted out: Who's asking?

(I was about to say: Of course, you call it a baby monkey a 'baby monkey', what else? but then I held my tongue back because I'm maybe wrong).

Perplexed with a question, I, as usual, googled it.

I was surprised at some of the answers I found:

One respondent in answerbag.com said that because monkeys are mammals and primates, their babies are called 'infants'. (Sounds credible).

Another suggested suckling or yearling. (Hmmm...I'd go for infant).

Funny responses include: 'call it Junior if he looks like his daddy', 'call it whatever you want, he won't understand!'. (Haha!)

So I decided to give Janine my response: you call a baby monkey, infant.

She came back! What do you call a baby insect?

(I was about to say, what kind of question is that?!, but then realized that I have to entertain a question of an inquisitive mind. I don't remember having been asked that question by my primary teachers? What is Janine's school into?! Well, at least, she's learning, I told myself.)

Courtesy of North Carolina College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, I found the following answers:

The names of baby insects depend on its type of metamorphosis: ametabola, hemimetabola, or holometabola.

In ametabolous insects, the immatures are called young. Ametabolous insects undergo little or no structural change as they grow older. Immatures are called young; they are physically similar to adults in every way except size and sexual
maturity. Other than size, there is no external manifestation of their age or reproductive state.

In hemimetabolous insects, the immatures are called nymphs. Hemimetabolous insects exhibit gradual changes in body form during morphogenesis. Immatures are called nymphs or, if aquatic, naiads. Maturation of wings, external genitalia, and other adult structures occurs in small steps from molt to molt. Wings may be completely absent during the first instar (instar means the end of one growth stage), appear in the second or third instar as short wing buds, and grow with each molt until they are fully developed and functional in the adult stage. Developmental changes that occur during gradual metamorphosis are usually visible externally as the insect grows, but adults retain the same organs and appendages as nymphs (eyes, legs, mouthparts, etc.).

In holometabolous insects, the immatures are called larvae and pupae. Holometabolous insects have immature forms (larvae) that are very different from adults. Larvae are "feeding machines", adapted mostly for consuming food and growing in size. They become larger at each molt but do not acquire any adult-like characteristics. When fully grown, larvae molt to an immobile pupal stage and undergo a complete transformation. Larval organs and appendages are broken down (digested internally) and replaced with new adult structures that grow from imaginal discs, clusters of undifferentiated (embryonic) tissue that form during embryogenesis but remain dormant throughout the larval instars. The adult stage, which usually bears wings, is mainly adapted for dispersal and reproduction.

It's nice to answer elementary questions. It brings back old-found knowledge. We don't really need to know these things but I think it gives a nice feeling of knowing it somehow.

• A baby kangaroo is a joey.
• A baby swan? A cygnet.
• A baby eel? An elver (I'm surprised to find out about this!)
• A baby hare? A leveret.
• And a baby turkey is called a poult.

I saw one article from Time Magazine that says: "As far as our brains are concerned, learning something new or even retrieving something from memory is a plasticity response," says Molly Wagster of the National Institute on Aging. It may get harder as you age, but if you can teach an old brain new tricks, you might, just might, also be able to keep it functioning well into the 90s."

I'm learning from my nieces and I'm also relearning things that I thought I knew but apparently didn't (or I may have forgotten about them because of old age). It's nice that, once in a while, my mind is jogged a little.

I need that to thwart the pangs of 'forgetting things' which is, sadly, slowly creeping in me as I'm growing old. Answering elementary questions such as the name of a baby monkey helps.

Through J Villanueva Cabrera's X-spot, I learned about the Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty on 15th October 2008. Although it's only four days more before the date, I am hoping to be able to get the message across even to just a few of my fellow bloggers.

Blog Action Day is an annual nonprofit event that aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day. The aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion on poverty, a subject that Filipinos are very much aware of.

Quoted straight from the site: First and last, the purpose of Blog Action Day is to create a discussion. We ask bloggers to take a single day out of their schedule and focus it on an important issue. By doing so on the same day, the blogging community effectively changes the conversation on the web and focuses audiences around the globe on that issue. Out of this discussion naturally flow actions, advice, ideas, plans, and empowerment.

Last year, the group's theme was Environment. In 2008, the focus is on "the mammoth issue" of global poverty.

Personal thoughts

I am hurt by the mystery of poverty. It has always been my question why there are people who are very, very poor when there are people who are very, very rich. I can't seem to swallow that trite explanations of injustice, indifference and political corruption.

A simple explanation is this: because we let it. Because of greed. Because we greed.

The bible says this on Luke, Chapter 12:

15 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
16 And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.
17 He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
18 "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19 And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

What then can one person do? Start with kindness. Some do-able suggestions:

• Donate to a Philippine charity at least once a year. 88db Service Portal and Philippine's DSWD listed quite a number of institutions in the Philippine which need help);
• Sponsor an education of one Filipino child (perhaps through Volunteer for the Visayans or Worldvision or Friends of Overseas Filipinos Incorporated);
• At least twice a year, sponsor a feeding program for hungry children (perhaps through Jesusis4 Foundation);
• Help find one Filipino a job.

I'm not married. Yet. And if I do (if ever I do), these will be my vows:

To be with you until my last breath;
To love you until I can.
To continually teach my heart when it decides to stop feeling for you.
To place my trembling hand in yours when we sleep.
To feel your heart each morning that we wake.
To make your coffee just like you wanted when we first met -- more coffee, less sugar, more milk.
To try hard to be honest and try harder to be true.
To cook the best soup when you're ill

I promise to bring you flowers everyday, something I pick from our garden.

I promise to not talk back when you're angry and mad. Even if I know that it's your fault.

I promise not to take control of the tv remote when you're watching your favorite soap opera even if I feel like vomiting at their so-called acting. And even if I could easily second-guess what will happen next to that soap opera (because the twists and turns have been used over and over again in previous soaps), I will keep mum and will appear to be enjoying at every scenes. And I will appear interested at your after-the-show analysis while wondering why in the world were you in love with that trashy drama. But because I love you, I will teach myself to love the things that you cherish.

And that includes your mother who bickers at every thing I do and who always finds fault in me. Because she's your mom, I will forever regard her as my mother, too.

We'll watch the sunset together as we sit in the porch.

Together we'll shout out at children who meander us.

To read to you when your eyes grow dim,
To go along with your repititious stories when you go sinile.
To laugh with you even if there's nothing to laugh about.
To hold your spoon when you're too old to eat alone,
To remind you of our past when Alzeihmer's hits you.

And this I promise, my love...

To love you with a love of a dog to his master, of a mother to her newborn son, of a gardener to his orchids, of a scientist to his research papers.

I will look forward to our everyday just like how a six-to-nine worker looks forward to his payday: with excitement, with anticipation, with delight.

And I will forever be here for you even if times get rough or the prices of commodities sore high to heaven above.

I will stand by you through thick and thin, through sickness and in health, until death -- or whatever is there beyond death -- parts us.

Not so often, we hear of Filipino stories which make us proud of saying: kabayan ko yan!

One is Charice Pempengco. I must admit that I initially didn't like her (because I disdain Filipino birit singers). But when I saw her in Oprah the second time and when I heard her sing, I had a lump on my throat and I felt my heart welling up with pride as a Filipino. Alone in my room, I spread my arms and said: You, Charice, make us all proud!

Another kababayan who recently wowed me is Ever of Kuwait, a Filipino artist-cum-blogger, whose artwork will be featured in his soon-to-be-launched book entitled Ever Painting Collection.

Ever's subjects on canvass vary from Mideastern characters, nature's beauty to sketches of Filipina's grace, all colorful and alive with depth and emotions.

Below are two of his beautiful paintings entitled Pond 1 and African Dance, respectively.





Ever belongs to a group Adhika which includes four other talented Kuwait-based Filipino artists. When I say talented, I really mean t-a-l-e-n-t-e-d! I was awed by the beauty of their work which you can visit at the following blogsites:

Dave (David) Constantino
Ser (Ding) Bautista Jr
Jojo (Jocab) Cabrera
Everlito (Ever) Villacruz
Rolly (Ilor) Patilla

Nikki Pechuela-Famador of ABS-CBN Global wrote a very beautiful article about the group. She said: Their bristles magically work their way to depict traditional Filipino practices...(and) have also immortalized the exotic beauty of the Filipina, Pakistani and Egyptian women...giving a sacred light to (the subject of femininity).

Adhika will have their group exhibit in Kuwait sometime in February 2009.

I handwash my clothes. In fact, I just finished handwashing my clothes. It's not that we don't have a washing machine. We do. It's just that I like washing my clothes by hand.

In Saudi, I live in a rented flat with two other Filipinos: one a hairdresser, the other a retiring office secretary. We separately cook our own food on weekdays but we gather for a lunch feast every Thursdays and Fridays (our dayoffs in Saudi).

After a full day's work, there's not much to do in the house except to watch whatever is on television. Or perhaps tweak my blog (which I seldom do now after I've accidentally deleted my blog a week ago).

Hence, washing my clothes by hand is one way of taking myself out from buddha-sitting in front of my tv (which I blame for my belly fats). The exercise also allows me to think of what to write about in my blog. Today, while handwashing my clothes, I thought of writing about...ah..er...washing clothes. Using my hands. It's hidden Zen.

I learned from my mother that handwashing clothes follow a certain pattern.

First, separate the whites from the colored clothes. This keeps the white clothes from being discolored.

Second, pre-wash the clothes in water. Without a soap. It loosens the dirt.

Third, pre-soak the white clothes in soapy water for about an hour. It further loosens the dirt and makes it easier for me to knead it later.

Then, knead the clothes in this order:

• For the shirt: neck and collar, armpit, lower hem, body.
• For the trousers: waist, seat, lap, trouser cuff, leg.
• For jeans: same as with the trousers.
• For short pants: waist, hem, inside lap, leg.

Finally, hand rinse until water is no longer soapy.

My flatmate said that handwashing is healthy, inexpensive and most importantly, it's green because it saves water. I say, I totally agree. I also thought that it prolongs the life span of my clothes.

The more important thing I like about handwashing is that it allows me to revisit my past days with every clothes I wash. Like when I was washing my yellow shirt which I wore on a dinner date with two long lost friends. How we had a grand time in that Thai restaurant and in that long walk to the bookstore!

Or that shorts I wore at the beach early morning last Friday where I witnessed how the sun dramatically, slowly spread its light fading out the semi-darkness in slow motion. Or something.

Or those socks which need replacing now but I just can't because I need to save money for sending to the Philippines. Or anything more or less dramatic than that.

I must admit that handwashing my clothes is a task that I do not look forward to (the other task I hate doing is ironing my clothes) but I do it because it's part of my life's ritual. The feeling of finishing the task always uplifts me. There is that sigh of relief seeing my freshly-laundered, Downy-smelling clothes lined up neatly under the sun, flapping quietly as the wind passes through them. It brings me peace.

No other task can top that (except perhaps seeing my freshly-ironed clothes neatly folded, color-coded and categorized, inside my wardrobe cabinet).

This is about BBC's Harry & Paul Episode 4 Part 1.

I read this morning from Philippine Daily Inquirer that Akbayan partylist Representative Risa Hontiveros is asking our DFA in Manila to file a complaint against BBC for a skit shown on 'Harry and Paul' Sept 26 show featuring a gyrating Filipina maid. Hontiveros called it a 'sickening joke', 'revolting...disgusting...insensitive and racist attempt to satirize a scene of exploitation'.

Curious, I clicked YouTube for the link, and boy oh boy, were there a lot of reactions coming from Filipinos.

And boy oh boy, the actress really looked like a Filipina. And she is indeed gyrating.

And the emotions of the nationalist Filipinos are strummed once again.

British's brand of comedy

The British have a very different type of comedy. I remember watching (and secretly enjoying) Little Britain. And there was one episode where they spoofed a Thai mail-order bride (or was the character Chinese?). It was played by David Walliams that made it the more funnier (more? funnier?). The show also received flaks from sensitive audiences for mocking the disabled, poor, elderly, gay or fat.

Satirical. I think that's how you call British's brand of comedy. And irreverent, highly irreverent.

Filipino's comedy

We laugh at everything. Even when the prices are soaring high and jobs are scarce, Filipinos still love to laugh. At 12 noon every weekdays, we would either be glued over Kapuso's Eat Bulaga or Kapamilya's Wowowee. In Wowowee, we laugh not at the joke of Willy Revillame but at the various characters who join their games: balut vendors, firemen, OFW, gays, etc. If I remember it right, I think that only issue raised on Wowowee's program is the mendicancy issue. No one has raised an alarm on how they poke fun at gay and old people (and sometimes even children).

Our own brand of comedy shows utmost reverence. Although we spoof popular Filipinos (past and present, dead or alive), the way it is presented is somewhat sanitized. We are inherently sensitive (pikon) and when angered, we are known to do terrible things: send someone to jail, hospital or to the grave. Careful and afraid, that’s what we are.

My opinion: We are a people of contradictions

We have millions of OFWs around the world and the rest of the Philippines wanted to leave the country. Why? Because our politicians are busy bickering, politicking and stealing our hard-earned monies.

We elect a president who we never support. We are so self-righteous that one negative write-up in the newspaper will send us to the streets demanding a snap election.

We send out maids abroad unprotected (and we'd even issue them tampered passports just so they would meet the age limit) and then we cry foul if something happens to them.

We react to the maltreatment of OFW’s but we are indifferent to our poor kababayans in the Philippines. (When was the last time we gave donations to any charitable institution in the Philippines?).

Bottomline

So do I think that Hontiveros’ claim is valid? Rightful, yes. Someone has to say ‘foul’ over Harry and Paul’s episode (although I don’t think BBC will apologize for that) just so to show that we are sensitive to issues that involve our fellow Filipinos.

And then what? Nothing. No matter how popular the furor is, just like the other stories that came before this, we will all soon forget that it ever existed.

In the meantime, I hope that our politicians would (for the nth time) look at the plight of OFW’s abroad especially the Filipino housemaids in the Middle East. I say: if we can have schools for UK caregivers and Japan entertainers, why can’t we have a decent school for Mideast help?. Imagine this: who will mistreat someone who speaks, writes and reads Arabic and knows the laws and her rights as a maid? Nobody!

I believe we should educate our OFW maids to protect them from maltreatment. When I say education, I mean comprehensive study of the Arabic language (reading and writing), Arabic laws, culture, etc. That would be the best protection we can offer our fellow Filipinos.

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Given a chance, I would want to see the whole of the Philippines -- from Appari to Jolo (or maybe not Jolo but up to somewhere in Mindanao).

I visited Neil's Simple Living and I chanced upon Lakbayan, hence, I tabulated how I fared in venturing the Philippines under http://forge.codedgraphic.com/lakbayan/ and I got a C-!

The Lakbayan Coded Graphics was created by Eugene Alvin Villar. Bravo! It's not only informative but it makes you want to visit the whole of the Philippines. Maybe someday, I'll get an A!

One thing that scares OFW's from returning to the Philippines is being jobless for a long time. However huge your savings is, with an ever-increasing cost of commodities (and seemingly endless reasons to spend your money), your dollar deposit is bound to diminish after some time.

Option number one: open up a business.

The sad part about this is that most OFW's I know are scared of facing the difficulties of being an entrepreneur. I am too. I would rather be sitting idly in my desk and wait for my end-of-the-month salary to arrive. Loser!

Option number two: find another job abroad.

The scariest part of finding another job abroad is age regulations. Open up the newspaper advert page today and you will see that most of the job vacancies indicate the age limit as being 40. Some adverts may be silent about the age, but once you personally show up for interview, you will be politely advised that you are 'over-qualified' when in fact, what they meant was you are 'over-aged'.

While I wanted to scream age discrimination, I am also open to the fact that there are indeed some popular assumptions about employing people over 40, i.e.

That we are unable to grasp new ideas or technology
I am blogging at 40. Doesn't that indicate something? New technology excites me, however, I must admit that it excites me up to the limit that I can grasp it. I retire as soon as a newfound query proves difficult to crack (like the Blogomus cloud label that I tried over the weekend which didn't work in my blog).

That we are not good investment
I told my boss once that I am a low investment, high yield person. It doesn't mean that I come cheap. What I wanted to say is that I can perform two jobs at the same time: I can be a good secretary and a good report writer. I can even do his coffee if he wants.

That we are stale or out of date
Hey, look. Two of my former bosses head-hunted me because they liked my office prowess (or something). It must mean something. I am still not outdated. I'm still in tune with the latest fashion and the latest craze. (Yeah, keep convincing yourself...).

That we are coasting to retirement
This may be true but whoever employs me will get my services for the next 10 years. Promise. I also do not get sick easily.

That we are not interested in training
I am, I am. Especially if it's about blogging or css or web design. I would love to learn them. Even animation. Just buy me a pair of reading glasses and a full supply of vitamin A and calcium supplement (for my bones).

That we are difficult to manage
At 40, I am flexible. I can adapt to changes (emotionally, psychologically). I handle tensions well. I am open to suggestions and I give good advise.

That our salary expectations are high
Yes. Quality personnel, like a good wine, has a price.

Is the prospect for a jobless 40-year old grim? Not exactly. Slim, yes. Grim, no. I've had experiences of finding personnel even at 50 as long as there is an immediate need, the experience meets the requirements, and that the price is right.

I think it's a matter of being in control of our future: further education, more savings, etc.

Last night, I had an experience of standing in line for almost two hours to send money to the Philippines. Considering that all the remittance centers in Alkhobar are open (and there are around 10 to 15 centers scattered around the city) and most of them are open until 11:30pm, finding all of them full to the brim is not surprising. Today is the last day of Ramadhan and banks will be closed for five days (or even more). There will be an expected longer line of expatriates tonight.

This is what my post is about: the characters, overheard conversations and (wild, un-imaginative) thoughts that come when you're in queue that long.

Whenever I'm in line for two hours, the least I wanted to hear are obnoxious noises, i.e. very loud phone conversations, a loud-mouthed and irritant expatriate, two or more friends chatting with each other in their shrill voices while in line. It's like being in a wet market where all people talk at the same time. Last night, I fell in line between a loud Filipino and a glib-talking Indian. While the Filipino cussed and hissed and cursed, the Indian mindlessly chatted on the phone for I think the whole two hours (oh, sorry, he stopped for 10 minutes while fumbling for something in his pocket but commenced as soon as he found what he was looking for). The Filipino guy? I learned all about him during the time that I was on queue: his wife is a teacher, he works as an engineer, he has two grown kids, has two houses, goes on vacation twice every year. Uh, I overheard it while he was talking to his friend in front of him (who I haven't heard talk except for yes, oh? and more yes).

It was a grueling two hours for me.



How I wish people could just fall in line in yoga-like silence, just like when you're inside a high-brow theaterhouse that even a cough is muted. Just kidding. Just be quiet when you're in a line. Cough, chuckle, clear your throat, tap your feet, hum, tell a funny joke (once only to break my boredom) but please don't chat on the phone or endlessly talk to another person in line or loudly monologue about your life or endlessly tell funny jokes (that borders into being gross, naughty, un-nice and un-wise).

How I wish people would not cuss when they fall in a long line, no matter how long (or slow) the line is.

How I wish that remittance centers will open up an ATM-like facility that expatriates can use 24/7, with the following mechanics:

Expatriates can apply for an electronic card which will contain up to five beneficiaries (full details, account number, etc).
All we have to do is click the beneficiary number and the amount to be sent and voila!, it automatically goes to the beneficiary account in the Philippines.
Because the remittance card is linked to our Saudi bank account, whatever money we remitted will automatically be deducted from our account.
Service charge is minimal, like SAR 30 perhaps. That's the average amount that we pay for sending money to the Philippines.
No further bank deductions shall be made when our remittances reach the Philippines.

Oh, how I wish!



When we send to a bank that is unaffiliated to our remittance center, there is an additional bank transfer service amount deducted from our remittances. I wonder why banks have high service charges when in fact the money that we deposit to them -- whether it's savings or foreign currency account -- yield a very low interest yet they charge a very high borrowing interest. And then we hear banks closing down because of profit loss! Isn't it sad?

I'm not good at explaining banking economics. I don't even understand how it works. Economics-wise, the only thing I know is how I spent my earnings and what is the percentage of my savings versus my earnings and why I didn't meet my target savings this year and the year before, etc.

A good read I came across while doing this post is about our Philippine world ranking in doing business. It is actually a guide for foreign investors but would interest anyone who cares about how well (or bad) are we doing, business-wise.

Just when I thought I am starting to build a readership of my blog, I, dumbly, clicked my blog to permanent oblivion. I literally wanted to pull out all my (remaining) hair as soon as I realized that my trigger-happy fingers (and my faithful Genius mouse) deleted my blog.

I tried retrieving it using Google cache but but was unsuccessful.

The good thing is that all my posts are copied to my personal email. The sad part is that I have to repost everything again, all of it: graphics, links, formatting and all.

The saddest part however is that all the comments made on my posts were now deleted.

Well, that's life. There are mistakes you can't undo and the only option available is to start all over again.

What makes it exciting is that I get to have a chance to do a total makeover of my blog, (Kind of) initiate aesthetics to my otherwise bland blog: new header, new widgets, new navigation links, new labels, etc.

This is the rebirth of my blog.

And so I welcome you to my new world and I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I did writing (and reposting) them.