jun.anteola

Mahal ang bigas. Mahal ang gasolina. I still can’t get over the shock, the horror and the anger about the previous week’s tragedy at sea. Some issues at work remain unresolved…

Still, I can’t complain much.  The orthodontics training is halfway through. The old folks are enjoying their dream vacation. The “wayward” bro decided to go back to school, and has enrolled in his choice of study. The favorite nephew is a bundle of pleasant surprises and pride, day in and out. The sis-in-law’s niece/adopted little sister is unwell, but has a sure chance of recovering sooner…

Today I decided to reconcile with someone, and it’s overwhelming how this singular act seems to have opened for a flood of forgiveness over transgressions done by others too. I am at peace.

I won’t be this grateful hadn’t there been upsets and adversities earlier. And with the way things are right now, I am blessed, more than I have asked for.

Best Days  (Juice)

Am I happy - maybe not
But I never wanna lose what I got
I wouldn’t trade it for anything dear to my heart, oh no
You take the good times with the bad
How else would you know happy from sad
Sooner or later
Youre gonna have to finally look back
And you’ll look back and see
What happened in between
And you’ll appreciate
Each and every single day
*The pop of the cork
And the cling of the glasses
We toast to the future
And we drink to the past
It might not be easy
But nevertheless
These are the best days (of our lives)
Sometimes the weather can be rain
But one day it will be sunny again
Without the clouds of life
It’s just another sunny day
Repeat*
These are the times
That I will never forget
These are the best days (of our lives)
And you’ll look back and see
What happened in between
And you’ll appreciate
Each and every single day
Repeat*
It might not be easy
But nevertheless
These are the best days (of our lives)

…took a test from mypersonality.info, and the result shows that I’m the INFP type - Introverted, iNtuition, Feeling, Perceiving.

“INFPs are introspective, private, creative and highly idealistic individuals that have a constant desire to be on a meaningful path. They are driven by their values and seek peace. Empathetic and compassionate, they want to help others and humanity as a whole. INFPs are imaginitive, artistic and often have a talent for language and writing. They can also be described as easygoing, selfless, guarded, adaptable, patient and loyal. “

Should I be happy about it? Maybe, as I’m in good, laudable company. Other INFPs are the late JFK, Jr. and Diana, princess of Wales, Shakespeare, A. A. Milne, JRR Tolkien, Virgil, Audrey Hepburn, John (disciple of Jesus), Luke (who wrote one of the gospels), and even the Virgin Mother.

Do I agree with what it says? Let’s just say La Gioconda took the test before she sat for Da Vinci.

This June 2008 cover of Rogue Magazine has been met with flak, mostly by historians and the nationalistic lot. Ironic, as this particular issue is an Independence Day edit, celebrating Philippine Independence on June 12th. I can’t blame them really. Supposedly, there is a prohibition to use the flag as clothing, as stipulated in Section 34.e and 34.g of R.A. 8491, the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines.

But the magazine, to my knowledge, maintains that it’s not THE FLAG as clothing per se, it’s body paint. An ill-advised statement, in my opinion. Because the code includes “print, paint or attach representation of the flag on… articles of merchandise.” In this instance, Joey Mead the model, being the merchandise. And the magazine, of course.

But if this is the case, how much have we missed reprimanding athletes, politicians, artists, businesses…what have you?… all of whom have used the flag in either clothing, infomercials/campaign ads, stage props, logos, etc., such as on this advertisement noticed by fellow blogger Gerry. I believe this only got the attention and the ire of many because of the shock value of the presentation: A naked Joey Mead, not so effectively covered by the tri-color and sun and stars. She appears similarly clad in a few pages of the magazine, too. Quite unfortunate really, because the rest of us don’t give a damn.

Other questions come to mind: with art, where do we draw the line between the acceptable and the disrespectful? Do artists even have to care?

This video gave me goose bumps.

Yes, they aren’t just back on track. With Arnel Pineda, they are a new act altogether. From viewing and listening to this interview, it is pretty obvious that the group is very optimistic and excited, have gotten their energy anew, and is making magic once more. If I may point one difference Pineda brings to it, it’s youth. Or his youthful vibe and candid demeanor. Die hard Steve Perry fans who refuse to accept may keep insinuating that it’s not the same. Of course, it ISN’T the same. Journey has been REBORN.

My five-year-old nephew threw a fit tonight and all because he made one mistake over his spelling. We were waiting for someone to have dinner with and while at it, his papa played a spelling game with him and his cousins. One of them got two, the other got none right, while our Hughie got four out of five. It took him the whole time fussing about it, up until we got to the dimsum house. From the surprise at seeing him get teary-eyed because he didn’t get 100% correct, to the amusement at hearing him blame his papa for giving them a difficult word and his declaration that it was his father who couldn’t spell right, to the annoyance at all the hysteric he was making… our attempts at telling him that it is alright to make a mistake just wouldn’t calm him down - he sure got us all thinking.

After dinner, we asked him to spell the offending word again. If only to drive to him that he can learn from making mistakes. This time he got it right, and a huge smile it was that we got, and banter away he did like he didn’t get us so stressed earlier.

It leaves me wondering now how frustrating it must be for his mother (who takes care of him full time) and his teachers at prep school whenever this happens, and what they do to deal with it. Perhaps constant reassurance that it’s ok, because it may take long before he gets to understand and appreciate it.

I’ve noticed he takes offense when he doesn’t get something right the first time, too. And my suspicion is, he expects the same from others, be they his friends, or us adults with him. He doesn’t like to get back to old lessons as well. The slightest disappointment gets him wailing… sulking…

Do these sound familiar to you?

I just hope it’s a passing stage, as I can imagine how debilitating it can be to his learning. So far, so good. He’s starting kinder 2 tomorrow.

I finally had the chance to blog tonight, or shall I say, found a reason to blog after a long while. Even if it can only be a snippet of what I’ve been into these days… what I’ve been into since the later half of last year, actually. Even way longer.

Looking back, I can’t believe how we were able to take it all in stride. Our small circle of friends and colleagues have been each other’s trustworthy confidants, and willing accomplices.

Like the rest, I feel disappointed, unappreciated, betrayed.

Some people aren’t listening. Somebody is not telling the truth. People are turning a blind eye on the glaring signs. And the rest of us are left tentative about our loyalties. It shouldn’t take an exodus to know that things have gone awfully wrong.

I know I am being vague, and this post may not make sense. But hey, I need to let off steam. It may give you some light if I cite these lines by Elbert Hubbard,

If you work for a man, in Heaven’s name work for him. If he pays wages
that supply you your bread and butter, work for him, speak well of
him, think well of him, and stand by him, and stand by the institution
he represents. I think if I worked for a man, I would work for him.
I would not work for him a part of his time, but all of his time. I
would give an undivided service or none. If put to the pinch, an
ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness. If you must vilify,
condemn, and eternally disparage, why, resign your position, and when
you are outside, damn to your heart’s content. But, I pray you, so
long as you are a part of an institution, do not condemn it. Not that
you will injure the institution–not that–but when you disparage the
concern of which you are a part, you disparage yourself. And don’t
forget–”I forgot” won’t do in business.

But then again, I’m pretty much independent and am very much my own boss. And this is my blog.

You get my drift…

After Charice Pempengco, she has expressed interest in having the new Journey vocalist, Arnel Pineda on it. I am thrilled, Ellen is recognizing that there is a huge amount of talent waiting to be tapped here in the Philippines. She isn’t the first to say so, of course. But I don’t mean to be overbearing, as I am also aware that it isn’t just Filipino artists being discovered through means never before imagined. Charice was spotted on Korean tv, Pineda on YouTube. And a multitude of non-Filipinos becoming instant sensations, too. The world is indeed getting smaller.

It happens that Pinoys are very enthusiastic denizens of the internet. We love to keep in touch, and it’s a cheap medium most can readily afford. It is creative. And it spreads fast. Hence, Happy Slip, the legendary CPDRC inmates dancing Thriller, the viral Renaldo Lapuz on American Idol 7th Season, the infamous Binibining Pilipinas Q and A, and the Papaya Song dance craze which got to Good Morning America.

Who else did I miss?

Here’s the Ellen deGeneres Show’s feature on Arnel.

…can I tell you a story about a young couple who were celebrating a wedding anniversary?They were poor in terms of material wealth and possessions, but were rich in love. On that special day, they both wanted to give each other gifts.

Desperate for cash, the husband pawned his old cherished wristwatch so he could buy his wife a nice hairbrush. The wife, without telling her husband, had her long silky black hair cut, which she then sold to a wig maker, to buy her man a nice watch strap.

Imagine the surprise when each of them realized how much the other had SELFLESSLY sacrificed something he/she holds dear just to make the other happy.

The first comment came from emperorbananaketchup, though, over an article on scantily dressed women.

The worst consequence yet I know from not attending to this blog for awhile, is to get a ridiculous amount of unwanted comments and spam, and email notifications about some awaiting moderation. A few safe comments from blogger friends have been mistaken as potential threat by Akismet too, and I hope none of these have been summarily dismissed as spam. It takes time to sieve them through, eating up my time for writing decent entries instead. I hope it can’t get any worse.

So much trash online. As much trash as on the news, and on the Philippine political scene. And just as foul and gross as trash can get. I just hope it doesn’t spoil Kenkay’s vacation.

As much as many Filipino expats may want to come back, yearning to bask in the familiar comforts of home, and with eager anticipation of change and hope, there always seem to be reasons to offset, say upset, these and make coming back unpalatable, if not unwise.

But then they may always opt to see the other side of the coin.

Kenkay, here’s your song. Continue reading this entry »

No, this isn’t about somebody hearing wedding bells. Though I had very recently been part of two wedding entourages, in the former as ninong(!) (sponsor) and the latter as abay(groomsman). But far from it.

Until my next proper post, I’d like to leave a HAPPY NEW YEAR greeting for all. Much like everybody else, I am grateful for all the goodness that came with the previous year, and I wish for better things to come in the new. And most of all, I pray that LOVE, unconditional and pure, will reign in our hearts. The way our children love.

Here is something old, from 1980 in fact. From the 3rd Metro Pop Festival (whatever happened to it?) . As kids, we used to sing this song by heart. Listen and enjoy. Continue reading this entry »