KnowRead/KnoWrite

Bring him home, Lord…

2011-09-23T02:09:00.000+08:00


Tolits (December 31, 1961-April 25, 2011)

Tolits, you know it's been hard for me to mourn for you. But it's time for me to let you go home to the Lord. Rest in Him and enjoy the company of our parents, Lolo and Lola and all His angels. Do pray for us, the living. I love you, bro!

God on high , hear my prayer
In my need You have always been there
He is young ; He’s afraid
Let him rest
Heaven blessed.
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home.

He’s like the son I might have known if God had granted me a son.
The summers die one by one
How soon they fly on and on
And I am old and will be gone.

Bring him peace, bring him joy
He is young, he is only a boy
You can take, You can give
Let him be, let him live.

If I die let me die
Let him live
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home.

(From the musical Les Miserables)

Fulfilling my Bucket List (2011)

2011-09-21T21:20:00.000+08:00

2011 seems to be a year of firsts for me. I have compiled my very own Bucket List and I am posting here the ones I have already fulfilled.
1. My pose with Superman (June 3) – Thank goodness TGIF in Abreeza, Davao City has this life-size statue of my comicbook fave! The same statue has a starting bid of P30,000 in Ebay.ph.

I and my alter-ego, Superman

2. My first zipline adventure! (June 2) – Ever since ziplining was introduced in Mindanao 2 or 3 years, I’ve been wanting to try it to conquer my fear of heights. Well, at the Bluejaz Beach Resort and Waterpark in the Island Garden City of Samal, I had my first zipline adventure. The zipline, at 400 meters length, was a good starting point to conquer my phobia. Looking forward to longer ziplines!

The rush of the wind against my face (photo by Ric Dumalay)

Our prodigal brother has come home

2011-09-21T21:14:00.000+08:00

Our newly-departed brother, Napolito, on his clinic bed

Napolito was the fourth among us six siblings. He was the anniversary baby, born as he was on December 31, the wedding anniversary of our parents, that’s why he was named “Napolito” (Napo from our father’s name Napoleon and Lito from our mother’s name Emelita). I remember the three of us siblings and our parents gathered around the matrimonial bed where Mama delivered him, giggling as we watched the tiny bundle being startled by the New Year’s Eve firecrackers that ushered 1962 in.

He was the the family’s problem child who grew up to be the prodigal son and brother. As a toddler, when he discovered a matchbox, he promptly set fire to our pillows. As a teen, he was the first and only one who joined a gang with whom he associated until he got incarcerated (another first in our family). This same gang would later help him escape while on his way to a court hearing. The gang members, as you may have guessed, are the black sheep of their respective families.

Unlike the prodigal son in the parable of Jesus Christ, he did not want the property we inherited from our parents divided among us, he wanted it all to himself. When the buyer found out that she paid him good money under fraudulent means (he forged our signatures in a fake deed of sale), she hailed him to court for estafa.

But before going to court, he lived a nouveau riche life. He separated from his wife with whom he had seven children and acquired not one, but two common-law wives! He was careful to set up each of them in separate subdivisions, provided them with all the appliances and furniture money could buy (brass beds, large screen TVs, etc.). He bought two caliber .45 pistols and commandeered a taxi and its driver for his commuting needs. He bought his kids new clothes and shoes. He paid for the funeral and burial expenses of an acquaintance whose parent died. He hosted several boys’ night out for his gang.

When he got jailed for the third time (the first for impersonating a police officer & possession of an illegal firearm and the second for violating the Anti-fencing Law) in 1996, his two common-law wives, both pregnant five months apart, came to visit him for the first and last time. After that, they packed up their bags, furniture and appliances and left Gensan.

In the provincial jail, he volunteered to serve as altar boy during the Sunday mass which impressed the jail warden and guards. What they didn’t know was that he was already planning an escape with his gang. And escape he did. A manhunt was organized.

The police team assigned to look for him thought I was hiding him in my residence. Early one morning, while I was going out of the gate, I saw a man in undershirt and pants holding an ArmaLite and running towards me. He thought I was my brother because we could be mistaken for one another except that he was darker while I was the bespectacled one. With an amused look on my face, I watched another man ran after him and stopped him from pointing the gun at me. When I realized what was happening, the blood drained from my face.

So imagine how angry I felt when later during a trade fair, I met one of his gang mates who boasted in a rather loud voice that they helped my brother escape. I told him off in no uncertain terms that that stunt of theirs almost cost my life. I wonder if they ever felt guilty then or now about how my brother’s life or their lives turned out.

So back to jail he went, no bail recommended this time, and stayed put there for the next 14 years. During that time, we helped send his kids to school and visited him in jail. We told his kids, no matter what he did he was still their father and as such, deserved their respect.

But there was no “I’m sorry” or even a “Thank you” forthcoming from our prodigal brother every time we visited him in jail. He was glad to take whatever clothes, food, medicines we brought him, but not one bit of gratitude. He made us feel like we owe it to him to visit him and bring him the things he needed.

When he was finally convicted and transferred to the Davao Penal Colony last year, his health began failing. Early this year, he started having difficulty breathing. He would ask a fellow convict to send us text messages, most of them false alarms and just ruses to make us visit him. When he started vomiting blood, we had to make sure it was true before another brother, sisters and his kids visited him. I asked a former student to help facilitate his hospitalization and treatment and the visits of my siblings and his kids. He spent most of the last two months in the jail infirmary with a nasal oxygen tube to ease his breathing.

Two weeks ago, we received text messages at 3 in the morning telling us to visit him because it might be the last time we would see him alive. By then, we were in contact with the jail officials and we were assured he was ok. It was again another ruse for us to visit him.

Then at 5 pm today (April 25), I just ordered my merienda cena at a restaurant in a mall when I got a call from someone informing me that our brother Napolito just died at 4:30. I promptly informed another brother who was skeptical about the news because of previous ruses and false alarms. He called his jail contacts and was told it was true that our brother has just died from complications arising from his lung ailment.

I would like to believe that unlike the prodigal son, our prodigal brother died remorseless and unrepentant, until I remembered the story a priest shared during a spiritual retreat:

There was once a town drunkard, gambler and womanizer who would physically and verbally abuse his wife and children. One night, while going home after a drinking spree, he crossed a rickety bridge. He threw up violently from the bridge into the murky polluted water below. The wooden rail broke and he fell head first.

The priest asked us: Where do you think this man went after his death – heaven or hell? In unison we shouted: TO HELL!

The priest then posed this notion to us: Don’t forget – in the distance from the top of the bridge to the surface of the muddy water, he would have enough time to be remorseful and ask God for forgiveness. That made all of us rethink our initial answer.

This story brought hope back in my heart. I hope that in our prodigal brother’s final moments in the infirmary before he breathed his last, he had enough time for remorse and humility to ask for forgiveness from God and redeem himself in our eyes and God’s.

May our merciful God welcome you in His embrace as you join Papa and Mama, Lolo and Lola in His kingdom.

Goodbye brother . . .
For all the thanks yous unspoken, you’re welcome!
For all the I’m sorrys unexpressed, all is forgiven!

My Life according to Barry Manilow

2011-03-15T17:07:00.003+08:00

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST or GROUP, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on to people you like and include me (presuming I’m someone you like). You can’t use the band or artist I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It’s a lot harder than you think! Re-post as “My life according to (band or artist name)”…

Pick your Artist:
Barry Manilow

(Click on the song title to watch video or read the lyrics)

Are you a male or female:
Shadow Man

Describe yourself:
One Voice

How do you feel:
Ready to Take a Chance Again

Describe where you currently live:
Somewhere Down the Road

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
New York City Rhythm

Your favorite form of transportation?
A Little Travelling Music Please

Your best friend?
Can't Smile Without You

Favorite time of the day:
Weekend in New England

You and your best friend are…

Old Friends

What’s the weather like?
When October Goes

If your life were a TV show what would it be called?
The Best of Me

What is life to you?
If I Should Love Again

Your Relationship:
Could It Be Magic?

Your fear:
Some Good Things Never Last

What is the best advice you have to give?
I Made It Through the Rain

Thought for the Day:
Look to the Rainbow

My motto:
If We Only Have Love

Thanks to Orman Manansala for the tag!

From the Theme of Love Affair to Love Affair, the Theme

2011-03-13T23:33:00.001+08:00

(Note: This blogpost is a belated Valentine post as it has been languishing in my drafts for months now. Thanks to interest in Love Affair by Facebook friends, I decided to polish it and publish it a month after Valentines Day.)

Love Affair (1994) is the remake of Love Affair (1939) with Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne and An Affair to Remember (1957) with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. This version starred Annette Bening and Warren Beatty.

This film joins my very limited list of favorite romantic movies: Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, Romeo and Juliet, Ghost, Sleepless in Seattle and Somewhere in Time.

Love Affair's plot was greatly enhanced by the musical score of Ennio Morricone, one of my favorite contemporary composers. Throughout the film, a musical motif would softly play in the background during the scenes of the leading stars like in the final one shown above. I was so entranced by the music that after watching it in the cinema, I bought a copy of the original soundtrack where I was gratified to hear the entire score by Morricone. The musical motif was plainly titled Piano Solo in the CD.

Fast forward two years later, while watching Twister, a disaster/thriller film starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton based on a screenplay by novelist Michael Crichton, I heard a familiar melody. It turned out to be Love Affair sang by KD Lang. It was the same theme of Love Affair with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

The words so complimented the melody that I felt it belonged to Love Affair, the movie, instead of being inserted in a soundtrack for Twister that was filled with rock music by Van Halen.

Skies without stars, all the nights without you
I watch the world from a room without a view
For you left me with so few memories
I could close my eyes and cling to
Just a fading photograph I'd sometimes sing to

All those smiles unexplored, all the words left unsaid
We strung our dreams on and all to slender thread
For you left me with so few memories
I could close my eyes and cling to
Just a half-remembered tune I'd sometimes sing to

Now I found what we lost
Time was all, all it cost
Love's always there
Knowing someday I would share in a life-long love affair with you

Love was always there
Knowing someday I would share
In a life-long love affair with you, in a life-long love affair with you

This version of KD Lang became known as the theme song of Twister.

In a twisted sense that could happen only in Hollywood, Love Affair bombed at the box-office while Twister became a $55-M blockbuster. Love Affair, because it was compared to its earlier two versions and Twister, because of the popularity of Helen Hunt's TV series, Mad About You.

However, Love Affair later went on to become a cult classic movie enjoying high DVD sales and a favorite Valentine and wedding anniversary date movie. It also was the last movie starred in by the great Katharine Hepburn.

And that's how a simple, memorable melody known as the Theme of Love Affair morphed into Love Affair, known as the love theme of Twister.

People Power in Gensan

2011-02-26T00:29:00.001+08:00

(Blogger's Note: I believe that the term EDSA Revolution is misleading and reeks of Manila-centrism. People Power is more apt because while it started at EDSA, it reverberated and was felt throughout the entire nation. This blogpost is just one account of how People Power was felt in General Santos City.)

The years after Ninoy Aquino's assassination leading up to 1986 were turbulent years for me. Being a teenaged high school senior when Martial Law was declared and ten years of being bombarded with New Society slogans and jingles (Sa ikauunlad ng bayan disiplina ang kailangan, PLEDGES, Bagong Lipunan march, etc.) and relying on the government-controlled media for information, I didn't know how to react to changes wrought by Ninoy's death.

One favorite magazine, Mr. & Ms. spawned special edition issues which I followed avidly because they were reporting the news that didn't make it to the radios, newspapers and TV stations. Songs took on a different flavor as patriotic songs like Bayan Ko and Tie a yellow ribbon were played on the air by DXCP, a Catholic diocesan radio station here. The local religious community was slow and timid in criticizing the government. The local government officials were mostly Kilusan Bagong Lipunan (KBL) party members. Groups like JAJA (Justice for Aquino, Justice for All) shouted anti-government slogans as they marched on the city streets.

In the eye of this storm was a curly-haired widow - Cory Aquino. She was the opposite of then President Ferdinand Marcos. Soft-spoken where Marcos was stentorian. Tentative to his decisiveness. But she was an alternative, antidote to the strongman. She was not what one would expect of a traditional politician (trapo). What she had was the dignity, integrity and courage to stand up to the dictator.I first saw Cory in person when she and Doy Laurel campaigned in General Santos City. Onstage, while she was delivering her speech, the whole city was plunged into darkness. To us, whenever blackouts occurred, something was bound to happen. It was common to have electrical supply interruptions during election day and when the Laban group had events. The international media covering Cory's campaign immediately focused their lights on her, their TV and SLR cameras ready to shoot if anything happened. For a few minutes, there she was - the lady in yellow enveloped by the lights. And then she was whisked away from the stage and brought to a nearby car.

In the Catholic college where I taught at that time, the pro-Cory teachers were a majority. The few remaining Marcos loyalists were ribbed about their staunch support. Unlike their Manila counterparts, the priests, nuns and brothers here were cautious in showing support to Cory and the opposition. Even the Catholic schools had no clear guidelines on how fora and protest rallies were to be held. But the ordinary people started wearing yellow dresses and shirts. The L-finger sign (for Laban "fight") was being flashed everywhere. And the yellow creepers blanketed vacant lands everywhere. The yellow fever turned a pitch higher as the election day neared. Many Marcos loyalists like rats abandoning a sinking ship were seen joining protest marches. On the other hand, at the diocesan radio station, instead of the usual sign-off after the Rosary, I was surprised to hear two radio announcers recording KBL campaign ads! Someone conveniently forgot to turn off the transmitter.

The usual blackouts occurred on election day despite the vigilance of several groups to guard the ballots. The Jaycees, of which I was a member, were among the volunteer groups that helped the Namfrel (National Citizens Movement for Free Elections). I witnessed the incumbent mayor's people distributing campaign leaflets right outside the voting precincts. This was promptly reported to Namfrel. I reported the same on the diocesan radio station DXCP where I was also a volunteer announcer on Sundays. Later, the lady broadcaster on board and I were alerted about the presence of armed men riding a Ford Fiera. The staff helped us exit the station using the back gate. Hitching a ride, I saw the Ford Fiera and the nozzles of firearms protruding through the side windows as we passed by it. Reporting to school following the elections, I was warned by a well-meaning friend that a death threat had been issued for me. The Marist brothers allowed me to go on leave as I told them I didn't want to involve the school or my students in case the threat was carried out. Some friends acting as intermediaries asked relatives of the mayor to verify if he indeed issued a death threat for me. This he dismissed by saying that he didn't even know me at all!

The protest movement here gained momentum as cheating by the KBL was reported here and abroad. More turncoats joined the protests. When the People Power revolution started at EDSA, classes here were not cancelled as it was being played out in Metro Manila. But the fervor of People Power was also strongly felt here. The religious community was finally emboldened and openly said prayers and masses for the revolt. The technicians of DXCP were able to record the broadcasts of June Keithley over Radyo Bandido and these were replayed regularly. The two pro-Marcos announcers took a sudden leave of absence from DXCP and I volunteered to be onboard after my evening classes because the radio station started its 24-hour broadcast and it was understaffed.

After dismissing my class at 8:30, I walked to the radio station and started my duty until 5:00 the following day. We did not want for anything because listeners would drop off food items, coffee, bread and sandwiches for the 24-hour broadcasts. When we learned about the order of the military to shut down the station, a local volunteer group surrounded the transmitter and provided us protection because we also received a bomb threat.

On the fourth day, while we were broadcasting live a Holy Mass, we received confirmation that the Marcoses had left Malacanang (this after an earlier false alarm) and the priest announced this. Jubilant shouts punctuated the air from those hearing the mass and those living in the vicinity of the station. Many were jumping and almost all, including myself, were in tears. Again, food and beverages flooded the station. It was a euphoria-filled day.

Our college conducted a victory march around the city. When we approached a local station known for being critical of Cory and Laban, we heard Tie a yellow ribbon being played for us. This was met by loud boos from the students, teachers and the religious community.When President Cory came to Gensan after being named Time Magazine's Woman of the Year, I begged the local news stand owner for a copy of the large poster of the Time cover, mounted it on an illustration board, and held it high and proud for her to see during the large gathering at the plaza.

The remaining local pro-Marcos trapos, who were ousted from their positions and replaced with transition officials appointed by Cory, switched allegiance and even had the audacity to show themselves onstage to welcome Cory to our city. They were booed as expected. The few Pro-Marcos teachers in school had joined the majority. One teacher, Cory's namesake, who used to tell us she hated to be called Ma'am Cory now wanted us to call her just that and started wearing yellow lacy dresses.

After she finished her term as President, Cory remained in my mind and heart as the lady in yellow enveloped by lights. After witnessing three presidents take the helm after her, I was in turn dismayed and appalled by what they had done to our country. I may be terribly disappointed by the way the promise and potentials that Cory stood for had turned out, but Cory remains to be a shining beacon of hope to me. Following her exemplar of integrity, dignity and courage, I'm not giving up on our country - not then, not now that Cory is gone, not ever. I fervently pray that People Power and all it stands for will always prevail.

Blogfest Soccsksargen 2010

2010-12-02T15:08:00.004+08:00

The Soccsksargen Bloggers will hold the Blogfest Soccsaksargen 2010 on December 11 at the Royal Grand Ballroom of the East Asia Royale Hotel, General Santos City.

More popularly known as the Sox Bloggers, the group is composed of 200 writers who have bonded together for the common advocacy of projecting South Central Mindanao in a more positive light through their blogs. For the past three years, their blogs have increasingly influenced other people’s perceptions about the region and have won in the Philippine Blog Awards and Digital Filipino’s Emerging Influential Blogs Search.

Blogfest Soccsaksargen 2010, aimed at enhancing the blogging capabilities of its members and increasing their passion for its advocacy, will feature several web luminaries who will give talks on different topics.

Invited speakers are: UP Prof. Danilo Arao (Journalism Ethics for Bloggers), Google Inc. Philippine consultant Aileen Apolo (Making the most of the internet and Google), Zamboanga blogger and IT consultant Ryan Elumba (Spicing up blogs with animation and video), Head for New Media for the Office of the President Jay Jaboneta (New Media in nation-building), Avatar Media and Davao blogger Maria Jose (State of the Philippine blogosphere), Web Developer and E Noa Corp. Online Marketing strategist Dale Palileo (SEO and traffic generation and Monetizing your blog), Tactical Technology Collective member Bobby Soriano (Internet security for bloggers), REACH Networks Country Account Manager and Travel agency operator Michelle Solon (Exposing local gems on new media), and E-commerce consultant/trainor and author Janette Toral (New Media and its role in businesses).

Event sponsors are:

Sox bloggers’ lead convenor, Avel Manansala, is expecting bloggers from Mindanao to attend the Blogfest, although some bloggers from the Visayas and Luzon have also registered for said event.

Limited slots left! Register now! Click here to register!

In-my-face reality check for this year

2010-11-11T00:50:00.000+08:00

Thus far, these are the events in my life this year that I will cherish and learn from -

1. made several new blogger-friends and numerous bonding activities with Soccsksargen bloggers,
2. 2 friends unfriended,
3. reconnected with former colleagues and students and a cherished college friend,
4. estrangement with my sisters on its 3rd year,
5. enjoying fun moments with my apos (4 and counting),
6. completed my Neil Gaiman's Absolute Sandman collection (thanks to National Book Store's price-cut sale),
7. traveled by air to Zamboanga City (thanks to my brother Napoleon Jr.),
8. running out of space for books trawled from Booksale, National Book Store and Bibliarch,
9. loving my LG Cookie cellphone with wifi,
10. trying to get my groove back with my MBA thesis proposal,
11. continuing harassment from UBoFroH (Ugly Boss From Hell),
12. hair fall leading to further receding hairline (sorry Pacman, your hidden soldiers shampoo didn't work for me),
13. looking forward to NDD Batch '73's 37th reunion in December,
14. finding out that my dentures make my diet more effective,
15. had my TV repaired and replaced the irreparable electric fan (unscheduled blackouts, grrrrr!),
16. replaced my Compaq laptop with Acer Aspire,
17. discovered Robinsons Place-Gensan as my tambayan during the summer 12-hour blackouts,
18. winning blog contests (thanks to Orman Manansala and Aunt Ludi Bakeshop!),
19. pressing palms with then-candidates Noynoy Aquino, Adel Tamano, Darlene Antonio-Custodio,
20. getting Aiza Seguerra's autograph on her CD,
21. helping out in developing Little Dubai's ambiance,
22. enjoying Razon's Halo-halo despite my lactose intolerance (it's a miracle!),
23. scrimping on my budget to give friends books as gifts,
24. trekking to the coffee plantation in Purok 8 Kinilis, but not quite reaching it (but resolving to do it again in December),
25. getting books on my wishlist from high school batchmates,
26. enjoying numerous unforgettable meals/snacks with friends (satti, kebabs, sashimi, etc.),
27. infuriating experience with an internet troll;
28. told off two acquaintances who use the fact that we know each other to scam some money from me and others,
29. learning that my brother is very sick in prison and getting help from friends to facilitate his treatment,
30. getting kisses from my apos,
31. enjoying the Tunafest up close,
32. getting news about newborn babies of friends,
33. praying for friends and their families,
34. watching the live performances of Richard Poon, Sitti, Juris, Aiza, Duncan, Nina, Wendel Ramos, Rocksteddy, and Christian Bautista,
35. meeting Archt. Jaime Daez of Fully Booked/Bibliarch,
36. watching Shrek Forever After in 3D,
37. experiencing the Sagittarius Mining Inc.'s discovery tour,
38. cooking tofu/tokwa for my midnight snacks,
39. watched the entire season of Haven, TV series based on Stephen King's Colorado Kid,
40. read Rafe Bartholomew's Pacific Rims,
41. went to Davao City to buy Stephen King's Under the Dome,
42. relishing strawberry and kiwi iced tea at Coffee Club 101,
43. enjoyed the TV movie version of Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth,
44. getting my first taste of Krispy Kreme (thanks Priscy!),
45. rediscovering NY Fries and Dips at Robinsons Place-Gensan,
46. nourished by fruit slush drinks,
47. finding long-sought books by sheer serendipity,
48. earning $2 from Adsense for my two blogs,
49. glad to have put on hold my plan to buy a motorcycle because a lot of scooters are being introduced now,
50. getting a pair of progressive bifocals that allows me to read and watch TV at the same time and that becomes sunglasses in sunlight,
51. still saving for first trip outside the Philippines,
52. reading the new translation of Jose Rizal's novel, Noli Me Tangere Penguin Book edition,
53. having friends who are blessings to my life, and
54. zero lovelife

Being on the Same Page with Bibliarch/Fully Booked's Jaime Daez (Exclusive)

2010-10-19T15:17:00.002+08:00

Fully Booked Training Manager Lisa Lopez with Bibliarch staff

During Bibliarch's soft opening at the KCC Gensan Mall on October 16, I was informed by Lisa Lopez, Fully Booked Training Manager, that their Managing Director, Jaime Daez would be doing the honors of cutting the ribbon signaling the formal opening of the store on October 19.

When I arrived at Bibliarch-KCC Mall Gensan Branch, I saw Lisa in a huddle with Gensan Kagawad Beth Bagonoc and Jaime Daez. Lisa introduced me to Jaime as the first one to blog about Bibliarch's soft opening. I told him I belong to the SoCCSKSarGen Bloggers who drummed up interest in the opening in Gensan of the first Bibliarch branch outside of Metro Manila. He thanked the bloggers for the help.


Jaime Daez, Kagawad Beth Bagonoc and KCC Mall Gensan owner enter Bibliarch-KCC Mall Gensan after the ribbon-cutting ceremony

I told Jaime about my spending time at Bibliarch-Rockwell Center. He seemed pleasantly surprised to meet someone from Mindanao who actually visited his very first Bibliarch bookshop. I asked him if he designed the store layout of Bibliarch and Fully Booked. And beaming with pride, he said indeed he did. Jaime is an architect by profession, hence, Bibliarch is pronounced Bibli-ark, and not Bibli-arch.

He asked me what books I have bought so far. I told him I bought 3 graphic novels. "Ooh," he said, "I personally choose the titles because I am a graphic novel reader myself." Jaime is friends with the great Neil Gaiman.

I congratulated him for the special elevated kiddie reading section in Bibliarch as this will surely encourage many children in Gensan to be readers. This section caught the eyes of school principals and teachers during the soft opening.

I also ribbed him (much to his delight that his face broke into a big smile!) about Margaux Salcedo's calling him "Food for Thought and Eye Candy" in her blog and food column in Sunday Inquirer Magazine. For sure, some ladies go for tall, mestizo, intelligent, bespectacled men like Jaime who love to read.

He asked me if I have been to Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street in Bonifacio Global City. I told him I'm still saving up for the trip. With four storeys and a basement filled to the brim with books, it will be a dream trip for any bookworm like myself!

Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street. Photo courtesy of Southbound.ph

With an architect's eye for design, Jaime Daez's concept of a book shop. Photo courtesy of Southbound.ph

4 storeys and a basement filled with books. Photo courtesy of Southbound.ph

I thanked Jaime for the time and for opening Bibliarch in Gensan. And off he went to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. After that, he was busy meeting with well-wishers and taking pictures. The next time we meet, I hope it will at Fully Booked in Bonifacio Global City. :)

Bibliarch - Gensan Branch's Soft Opening

2010-10-17T02:30:00.000+08:00

Almost eleven years apart, I visited two branches of Bibliarch. One is at the Rockwell Center in November 1999 and the other today at the KCC Mall in General Santos City (Gensan).

The first one at Rockwell Center was located just beside Starbucks. It was a then small specialty bookshop with lots of art, photography and architecture books. Since I was not a coffee drinker, I would spend time browsing through the books at Bibliarch before proceeding to my 3-week training sessions at the Ateneo Graduate of Business.

Bibliarch - Gensan branch located at KCC Mall, just across McDonald's

Today, I eagerly went to the soft opening of the Gensan branch of Bibliarch. It is the third branch, but the first branch outside of Metro Manila (the first two being in Glorietta 3 and Walter Mart). I was told by a reliable source that KCC Mall made Bibliarch an offer it could not refuse. This Bibliarch is a far cry from the first one I visited almost eleven years ago. For one, it now has a w-i-d-e selection of books.

Excited bookworms on October 16

Aside from the usual art and photography books, it now offers cookbooks, fashion books, biographies, inspirational books, Filipiniana, bestselling novels and non-fiction books.

The shelf filled with biographies.

Bibliarch and Fully Booked are known for its graphic novel selections.

Bibliarch also has shelves of magazines, journals, cards, bookmarks, gift bags and vanity pens.

Magazines galore!

Abubots, journals, gift bags

A section for kids who love to read is also an exciting addition. In this section, kids can browse through lots and lots of kiddie books or identify their favorite fairy tale characters on the wall papers.

The kiddies' section filled with wonderful books and wallpaper of their favorite fairy tale characters.

All over Bibliarch are wall papers with reading themes.

Reading-themed wallpapers are featured all around the Bibliarch.

Book shelves and wallpaper as seen from the Catolico Avenue.

And my book choices: A Warrior's Life - Biography of Paulo Coelho, American Vampire, a graphic novel by Stephen King, Batman Reborn, another graphic novel, Shadow of Doubt by Marites Vitug, How to Live - A search for wisdom from old people by Henry Alford.

I will definitely be back for more graphic novels and other books of interest to me and make full use of my Fully Booked discount card.

Dissertation upon a Messy Burger and Barbecue Ranch Pork Belly (Inspired by Charles Lamb's Dissertation upon a Roast Pig)

2010-10-13T18:30:00.001+08:00

Who can resist the delectable aroma of freshly-baked breads and pastries?

It was a laid-back Wednesday lunchtime that brought me to Aunt Ludi Bakeshoppe right next to Robinsons Grocery. The aroma of freshly-baked breads and pastries reached my nostrils before they were clogged by sinusitis usually brought on by the powerful air-conditioning of the mall. A quick glance at the tarpaulin menu board at the entrance made me decide to try the Messy Burger and Barbecue Ranch Pork Belly.

#2 on a binder clip stand

After placing my order with the cashier, I was given a laminated number using a binder clip as a stand. Simple practicality. Aside from myself, there were two other female diners. The dining area's pleasantly lit - not too bright, not too dim. The sofa seats were comfortable and the smiling cashier and cook eager to please. The food being cooked in the kitchen smelled good, made me feel hungrier and reminded of an aunt's home-cooking.

A friendly fly to keep me company while waiting for my order

Aunt Ludi lends itself well to people who want cozy and intimate space conducive to friendly banter and sweet-nothings, or alone-time for reading and contemplation. Because of Aunt Ludi's open layout, a friendly fly dropped by to keep me company while waiting for my order. I immediately bombarded the amiable fly with questions like: Why are you here? What is the purpose of your life? What are you living for? But before the fly can answer me, my order was brought to my table. It flew outside while shaking its head as if trying in vain to find the answers to my questions.

Messy burger with homemade coleslaw and potato chips

The first course was Messy Burger which was a sloppy joe with homemade coleslaw and potato chips. The homemade crispy potato chips and coleslaw were the perfect foil for the sloppy joe made of ground beef cooked in a spicy tomato sauce. The soft buns were generously sprinkled with sesame seeds and were as tender to the bite as the spicy-sour ground beef. By the time I finished, the diamond-shaped plate was indeed messy with the orangey drippings from the burger!


Barbecue Ranch Pork Belly with cucumber salad

With the spicy aftertaste on my palate, I dived into the second course of Barbecue Ranch Pork Belly (pork liempo slices in barbecue sauce) and side dish of cucumber salad. The belly strips tasted wonderful with the smokey barbecue sauce. The diced cucumbers gave it a zing so pleasing to the taste buds.

I was so engrossed with my lunch that I hardly noticed the customers streaming in between the shelves of fresh baked goodies and the cooler for scrumptious cakes.

Aunt Ludi's cake creations (photo courtesy of Orman Manansala)

When I asked for a glass of water with lots of ice from the cashier, I gave in to my curiosity and asked her: Who is Aunt Ludi?

Her answer was for me to know and for you to find out for yourself.

I will definitely be going back to Aunt Ludi and her mouth-watering meals that remind me of home-cooked ones I used to enjoy. The breads also deserve a second look from me. Right now, I have visions of sandwiches I can assemble for late night or early morning snacks.

For Aunt Ludi Bakeshoppe, I give a well-deserved two burps. Burp! Burp!

(Photo courtesy of Orman Manansala)

Shawn, Lolo Nap, Lola Josie & Lolo Bibot at Tobinton

2010-10-02T23:31:00.000+08:00

Our one-and-a-half year old grandson Shawn was in for a treat today from his grandparents Lolo Nap, Lola Josie and Lolo Bibot.

Before leaving the house, we asked him: Do you like to go to KCC? His answer: vigorous shaking of his little head.

How about Gaisano? Slow nodding of his little head.

Where do want to go? TOBINTON! he shouted as a big smile spread all over his mouth.

So off to Tobinton, errr, I mean, Robinsons Place-Gensan we went.

(From Tito Bibot, I am now Lolo Bibot. "Bibot" is the nickname used by my nieces for me because as babies/kids, they could hardly pronounce "Gilbert" and the nearest pronunciation of it they could muster was "Bibot" and so, Tito/Lolo Bibot I became and remain so.)

As soon as he set foot at Robinsons Department Store, Shawn scooted to and fro, running as fast as his little feet could carry him. Of course, with the Lolos and Lola in hot pursuit. Lolo Nap brought him to the activity center where five walking animals were for rent for little kids to ride on. Shawn selected as giraffe-leopard hybrid to ride. I gave him five 5-peso coins to drop in the slot and cued him to count each coin and surely he did! One! Two! Three! Four! Five! And with a quick jerk the gira-pard started walking as navigated by Lolo Nap.

Shawn with his Lolo Nap as navigator of the walking animal they rode.

Lola Josie and I would pretend to get run over by gira-pard which would elicit a gale of laughter from Shawn.

Punta tayo doon, Lolo Nap!

Then we proceeded to the Food Court where at the left side there are lots of kiddie rides. Lola Josie gave lots of token for the rides he took.

Shawn rides a car

pink elephant ride

another car ride

Since some of the rides he wanted were occupied by other kids, Shawn ran to the Ferris wheel and I accompanied him for the ride.

Si Lolo Nap at Lola Josie ba yun? Ang liiiiiit nila!

He would oooh and aaaah as the cab rose towards the mall ceiling and down again. He would turn around as the cab went down to wave at Lolo Nap and Lola Josie.

Ooooh! Aaaaah!

Shawn and Lolo Bibot enjoying the sights from the Ferris wheel cab

After the Ferris wheel ride, we had a quick dinner at the Food Court where Shawn quickly found a girl-friend to play with. Soon they were jumping up and down all over the Food Court.

Shawn and his girl-friend on a jumping spree

After dinner, Lolo Nap bought batteries for the space gun ( a steal at P100 only!) he bought at Toys R Us for Shawn. He had the batteries by the store clerk. When Shawn got his little hands on the space gun, he was awed by the spinning lights and chirping sounds.

Whoa! many lights!

He would draw the space gun close to his ears to listen to the sounds it emitted.

Grabe the sounds naman nito!

Soon enough he aimed the space gun at him and I pretended to writhe in pain from the sound, much to his delight. We played baril-barilan at the activity center. He loved playing tag with me running after him. We ended falling on the tiled floor as I caught him.

Zaaap! May tama ka Lolo Bibot.

After 3 hours of delightful fun among us Lolos, Lola and apo, it was time to go home.

Shawn: Babay Tobinton! :)

Gensan Tuna Experience 2010

2010-09-17T11:57:00.001+08:00

The Gensan Tunafest is a must-see, must-go series of events for generals and privates alike. The newly-elected officials of the local government asked for more time to prepare for it, that's why the schedule was moved from the first week of September to the third week instead. And it was the right decision because the events were spread all throughout the month making this year's Tunafest the longest-running series of events. Next year, it will be back to the original schedule.

Below is the press release from the General Santos City Government through Avel Manansala:

GenSan TunaFestival eXperience 2010 is on! Festival Month of September jampacked with events!

The 2010 Tuna Festival Month of September handled by the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (GSCCCII) as Festival Organizer with City Mayor Darlene Magnolia Antonino-Custodio as Chairperson started on a high note last week.

Guided by the theme "Go Global GenSan: We Are Ready for the World", the jam packed month-long GTx (GenSan Tunafest experience) kicked off on September 2-4, 2010 with the conduct of the 12th National Tuna Congress which broke records in terms of the number of attendees and exhibitors at its Tuna Congress Exhibit held at Family Country Convention Center.

On September 3, 2010, former Senator Mar Roxas came in behalf of Keynote Speaker President Noynoy Aquino to inspire the participants consisting of local and international tuna and fishing industry leaders and stakeholders.

The annual Karagatan Awards that honored the year’s outstanding handline fishmermen were given to the awardees at the Appreciation Dinner that same night at the Isla Parilla Resort in Alabel, Sarangani.

Then on Sunday, the whole city commemorated the 42nd Charter Day Anniversary with a mass at the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish Church and an Ecumenical Prayer Service and short program at the Gen. Paulino Santos Shrine inside the Plaza Heneral Santos.

This was attended by the city’s business and socio-civic leaders, government workers and officials led by Congressman Jun Acharon, Mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio, Sarangani Vice-Governor Steve Chiongbian-Solon, the city councilors, among other personages.

Vice-Governor Solon's attendance made the affair more meaningful as it was his grandfather, the former Congressman James Chiongbian who authored the Bill that created General Santos City.

An "Almusal Alay sa Kapwa" spearheaded by the CSWDO followed afterwards which offered free breakfast to the city's less fortunate families.

For the 2nd weekend of the month, on September 10, 2010, the much-awaited concert of the ASAP Sessionistas will happen at Mindanao's largest indoor air-conditioned gymnasium, the GenSan Gym in Barangay Lagao. This is one of the city's biggest gathering of famous performers from Manila and tickets are selling briskly especially now that the concert date is getting near.

The major highlights of the GTx will occur during the week of September 18-26, 2010.

Expect these crowd-drawing beauty and talent search events to dazzle the generals and visitors alike:

Search for Ginang Bariles on Sept 22
Search for Ms. GenSan 2010 on Sept 25
Search for Mr. GenSan 2010 (new event!) on Sept 25
Gaisano Mall's Search for Munting Mutya ng GenSan 2010 on Sept 26

Then there are these youth-powered dance and singing competitions:

Pasiklaban Cheer Dance Competition on Sept 18
Campus Radio's Sayaw Sa Baybay-Kids Edition on Sept 21
Search for GenSan Pop Idol Year 6 on Sept 22
GenSan Pop Star Kids Competiion on Sept 23
Fishdance Hip-Hop Dance Competition on Sept 24
Search for GenSan Band Idol on Sept 24

The GTx Month is also filled with exciting sports competitions:

Tuna Motorbike Competition
Beach Volleyball Competition
Robinsons' 1st TunaBodis Body-Building Competition
National Skim Boarding Competition
HRM Mini-Skills Competition
Robinsons' Inter-Tribe Tuna Cookfest
Bombo Radyo's Bancarera

On its own, the FishFest sa Fishport will also have its own set of events for the fishermen on September 22nd:

Langoy-Bugsay Marathon Challenge
1st Lawihan Street Dancing Competition

To enliven the GTx more, there are the parties and concerts!

Kapamilya Caravan featuring ABS-CBN stars @ KCC on Sept 18 (new!)
Kapuso Night featuring GMA stars @ KCC on Sept 24 (new!)
Robinsons' Praize Xtreme Concert on Sept 19
Foam Parties @ East Asia Royale Hotel with Eli Buendia & PUPIL on Sept 24-25
Robinsons' Al Fresco Sashimi Night featuring the Best of GenSan Bands on Sept 25
SMART Communications Concert @ Oval Plaza Stage on Sept 25
GLOBE Telecoms Concert @ Oval Plaza Stage on Sept 26
San Miguel Beer Concert @ the Junction on Sept 26

And not to forget the must-see Major Highlights on Culmination Day (Sept 26, 2010):

Tuna Float Parade Competition @ 9am
GTX Mardi-Gras Competition (Street Dancing) @ 9m
Splash in the Sky Fireworks Display @ 7pm

And for three weeks, these attractions will be featured at the City Oval Plaza, the main activity center:

Tinda-Tinda sa GTx (Flea Market)
Tuna Food Plaza
Tuna Fiesta Carnival
Plantuna Garden Show
Coca-Cola's Everyday Kainan Happiness Zone
San Miguel Beer Barkada Zone

For this year's Tuna Festival Month celebration, a new Tuna Festival Theme song will be launched. Entitled "WHOA GENSAN!", this catchy and lively festival theme song commissioned by TunaFest Director and GSCCCII VP Orman O. Manansala, is composed by GenSan's very own "Centerpoint Band" who will first perform it LIVE to the public during the "ASAP Sessionistas Live in Concert" on September 10, 2001 where they will serve as the front act.

With all these events, activities and new attractions in store for GTX festival revelers, expect the Tuna Festival Celebration to upgrade its reputation as the 2nd Best Festival in the Philippines, an award given to the Tuna Capital by the the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) in 2009.

Because for sure, this will be the best GenSan's Tuna Festival Experience for the generals and their visitors ever making the city truly MAGANDANG GENSAN!

Six Reasons to Watch ASAP Sessionistas Live in GenSan

2010-09-08T20:51:00.000+08:00

The ASAP SESSIONISTAS LIVE IN GENSAN is one never-to-be-missed concert because six performers will be be featured in this 3-hour live event! It will be a memorable night of performances from Nina, Aiza Seguerra, Duncan Ramos, Sitti, Richard Poon and Juris.

My six reasons to watch ASAP Sessionistas Live in Gensan are:

1. Barry Manilow medley to be performed by Nina. I'm an avid Barry Manilow fan and I love Nina's album of Manilow's hits.

2. Sukob Na to be performed by Aiza Seguerra. This song of Aiza is perfect for the rainy season.

3. Duncan Ramos's debut single Fly with Me. I want to witness his pride in singing this song.

4. Sitti's version of Bridges. Bridges is one of my fave tunes ever and Sitti's made this song her own.

5. You and I to be performed by Richard Poon. A favorite song since high school to be sung by a new favorite singer - Perfect Combination!

6. I Don't Want to Fall for You to be performed by Juris. Appropriate song for a loveless me.

Gensan's own Centerpoint Band will be the front act.

I'm proud to say that Geraldine Oville of Denville Music & Production (Sessionistas Live concert producer) was a student of mine and that I'm very happy about her accomplishments. Congrats Din!

This blogpost is an entry to ASAP Sessionistas Live in Gensan Blog & Facebook contest.

Vignette 4: Social Telegrams, Flowers and Molly

2010-09-02T23:05:00.002+08:00

Molly sat with us during our group business case analysis sessions. She had long wavy hair and a shy smile. She had a vulnerable aura that made you want to protect her.

The first time I saw her shivered, I thought it was because she was reed thin. The next time, I noticed it was when Frederick passed by our group. And after the third time, I concluded it was him who was causing her shivers.

It was on the third month of the semester when she started getting deliveries of social telegrams, at first, then flowers. Her face would be flushed with a deep blush as she read each telegram and card that went with the flowers. She absolutely refused though to let us read them, dismissing our requests by saying, "It's personal."

Then one day, she gave in to one group mate who was always pestering her about the telegrams and flowers. She whispered to her that they were from Frederick, her boyfriend. The group mate shrieked long and loud when she heard the name. Frederick, after all, was a big man on campus - athlete, born to an elite family, and a prize catch. Soon, the name of Molly's secret admirer was passed from mouth to ear until it reached Frederick.

We were discussing the last business case assigned to us when Frederick interrupted our session and asked Molly to talk with him in private. They went to an isolated corner of the college building and soon after, we heard their loud argument.

"How dare you, Molly spread the rumor about us when you know fully well I'm in love with Agnes!"

"Frederick, please listen -"

"Stop the lies, Molly, stop sending those telegrams and flowers to yourself claiming they came from me and stop loitering outside my dorm! You're freaking me out!"

"But Frederick, I love you!"

"Well, I don't and I won't! So leave me alone!"

Frederick left in a huff and when Molly saw that all eyes were on them, she blushed and turned to her heels.

Molly never attended our succeeding sessions after that. She was absent during the finals. Her dorm mates told us she never left her room for meals or anything. At night, they would hear her sobs.

After a week, the campus police picked her up outside Frederick's dorm. She was dressed in her soiled pajamas, face tear-stained, wavy hair askew, eyes bulging from their sockets. Her parents got her from the campus police station and brought her home.

We never heard from her again.

My Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2010

2010-08-22T23:20:00.004+08:00

For my choices for 2010's Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs, I am nominating blogs from the SoCCSKSarGen area:

1. Gandaeversomuch.com
Because Orman is Your Royal Gandaness, that's all, thank you!
2. http://alexiscee.blogspot.com/
A young college grad whose blog is worth emulating.
3. http://kikaymuch.me/
Donna Mae Congson's beauty tips are practical and doable for women as well as for men.
4. http://marcopolo.i.ph/
This travel blog lives up to its name, Boy Palaboy!
5. http://gensangems.blogspot.com
The scientist in the kitchen chronicles her life in Gensan
6. http://nanardxz.blogspot.com/
An interesting blog by a young South Cotabateno
7. http://one-south-cotabato.blogspot.com/
A blog that promotes South Cotabato as a tourist spot and as a business destination
8. http://nicethoughtsnthrills.blogspot.com
An OFW's blog on her life with her family in exotic Thailand
9. http://pinoymomtalks.blogspot.com/
Cathy Madueno-Bolodo shares her joys, frustrations and advice on honing this skill called motherhood.
10. http://akosirabsky.blogspot.com/
A young man's blog of his life as a teener and as a college student in Gensan.

This contest has the following sponsors: Events and Corporate Video, Budget hotel in Makati, Pinoy Party Food, Copyediting Services, PR Agency Philippines, Budget Travel Philippines, Send Gifts to the Philippines, Black Friday Deals, Roomrent - units for rent, Search Profile Index, and Corporate Events Organizer.

I Remember

2010-08-22T00:30:00.001+08:00

I remember it was NOT the main headline on the evening news of RPN9, a TV station sequestered by the government during Martial Law broadcasting then in General Santos City via domestic satellite (DOMSAT). We just finished an early dinner and had gathered in front of the TV set. I was standing when it came on. The news anchor, grim-faced as he read the news, plainly said, Ninoy Aquino has been shot dead. Then, a blur of images made me sit down on our worn sofa. The minor disturbance outside the Manila International Airport, the sad faces, the military men in their johnny-come-lately stance, the media frenzy, Doy Laurel being interviewed. . . Suddenly, the gathering twilight seemed darker. I felt claustrophobic as I twiddled with the collar of my t-shirt. What I saw on TV chilled me to the bones and ignited a spark of anger within me. I was 27 then and on my second year of teaching at a local Catholic college. The date was August 21, 1983.

Ninoy, the man in white, dead on the tarmac of the Manila International Airport

The days and weeks that followed were minimally reported on TV so I had to rely on the mosquito press, a term for the alternative press which reported widely on the Aquino Assassination in spite of the dangers posed by Martial Law. Leading the pack were Mr & Ms, a lifestyle magazine that came out with its tabloid special issues and Malaya newspaper.


Ninoy as thousands saw him during the wake at Santo Domingo church

The wake at Santo Domingo church in Quezon City was filled with people who lined up to pay their respects to Ninoy Aquino. Cory was a picture of a grief-stricken widow. The burial was awe-inspiring as the cortege wound through the streets of Metro Manila while people showered yellow petals and confetti on the truck flatbed carrying Ninoy's casket.

The massive turnout for the burial of Ninoy Aquino

In General Santos, the general atmosphere was nonchalance, at least on the surface. But there was a sense of purpose and urgency as people awaited the arrival of the mosquito press publications which sold like proverbial hot cakes. Articles and photos from these were photocopied, reproduced by way of mimeograph machines and distributed to friends and others in churches and meetings of civic organizations. After more than a decade of government propaganda, media control and censorship under Martial Law, the people's need here for the truth was that palpable. These publications stoked a fervor that would eventually find expression in the People Power Revolution in 1986.

I wrote a Letter to the Editor that was published in Mr & Ms Special Issue dated December 9, 1983:

I've been following closely your "specials" since you came out with the follow-up No. 1 issue to the Funeral Coverage. In General Santos City, there's always a mad scramble for copies of your "specials." Encouraged by the special attention you give to letter writers to this series, I decided to write you about a very strange coincidence which happened to me. Just a few minutes ago, I was going through my file of posters/chord guides from Jingle Chordbook Magazines when I was struck by a particular one. (Please see the attached copy of said poster.) One page illustrates the quotation of David Russell: "Martyrs Set Bad Examples" with a comic strip-like drawing of someone named Andres (Bonifacio as in Marcial Bonifacio, the alias used by Ninoy Aquino for securing a passport?) who was apparently shot from the back as the bullet was shown piercing his chin (looks familiar?). I don't remember which issue of Jingle Chordbook Magazine it came with, but I am DEFINITE it was before August 21, 1983, probably two months earlier! The coincidence is nothing short of uncanny. This must be what it feels like to have a deja-vu. And it gives me the chills now as when I saw the DOMSAT coverage of the assassination three months ago.

The following year, a reader, R. Canlas, confirmed what I wrote and said that the issue where it came from was the one with Adam Ant on the cover.

What I read in these publications continued to stoke the spark of anger in me. It was a time of re-educating myself. A time to undo what Martial Law did to my young life. I remember and still continue to remember.

Book Find: Paul Simon Lyrics 1964-2008

2010-08-12T04:46:00.003+08:00

Paul Simon: Lyrics 1964-2008

Whenever I go trawling for books at National Book Store and Book Sale, I'm amazed at the serendipitous moments when I come across books I've been looking for (most of which are not of the bestseller variety) or books I never expected to exist. So it is a pleasant surprise to find Paul Simon's book, Lyrics 1964-2008.

I immediately browsed for my favorite Simon and Garfunkel songs and saw this page: April Come She Will. Sheer poetry!

April Come She Will, the lyrics are sheer poetry!

And Mrs. Robinson, composed for the film, The Graduate, starring Dustin Hoffman. I always sang along this song when it was played on the radio. I saw the film in my 30s because I was still too young to see when it was first shown in a local cinema. The book is replete with photos too!

And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson

The Sound of Silence, a lifesaver of a song

The Sound of Silence is a deep song. I remember getting distracted by these lyrics during my teenage rebellion years in college:

"And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence"

Reading these again after all these years made me realize how timeless the lyrics are.

It's interesting to know the genesis and metamorphosis of some songs composed by Simon

Still Crazy After All These Years. Now this is one song, I'm going to be singing in my twilight (not THAT Twilight, silly!) years.

Graceland in draft and final forms

Graceland is one song I'm belatedly appreciating. I admit I lost interested in the Simon & Garfunkel duo when they split up. In recent years, I've rediscovered Art Garfunkel's vocal artistry and the genius of Paul Simon's lyrical songs.

At P99 for this hardbound book at National Book Store, it is indeed worth all the memories made and yet to be made in the span of my life.

Robinsons Place Gensan - Newfound Oasis

2010-08-11T05:39:00.001+08:00

On September 30, Robinsons Place Gensan will celebrate its first year in General Santos City. Its full-service mall sits on a floor area of 32,700 square meters that boasts more than a hundred national and local shops on top of its anchor stores: Robinsons Department Store, Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Appliances, Robinsons Movieworld and Handyman-Do-It-Best Home Center.

For almost a year now, Robinsons Place Gensan has given the people of SoCCSKSarGen its signature Robinsons Mall Experience by emphasizing the tagline: MAS MAGANDA DITO in congruence with the city's brand Magandang Gensan.

As for me, the Robinsons Mall Experience was put to the test from the months of February to May this year when power interruptions in these parts lasted up to 12 hours a day. Being a self-confessed computer geek, my online productivity was severely curtailed by the power outages, at first. Then I found out that Robinsons Place Gensan offers absolutely FREE Wifi access mallwide. Yes, you read it right, ABSOLUTELY FREE WIFI ACCESS MALLWIDE! And it's the FIRST to offer such here in Gensan!

At the height of the power curtailments, we were experiencing an alternating 3-hour outages schedule. And so, during those hours when we had no electricity at home, I would be bringing my laptop to Robinsons Place Gensan to do my online work. Or when there's no pending online work, I'd spend the time watching movies at the plush Cinemaworld, browsing the books at the National Book Store, exploring the various items at the Handy Man or walking around the wide lobby with my grandkids and nieces while having a taste of the various snacks offered by the food stalls scattered strategically inside the mall. The kids just love the rides and games at Quantum. We have discovered an oasis in Robinsons Place Gensan where we take refuge from the heat and inconvenience of the power outages.

Now it is common sight to see young people doing their mobile surfing/Plurking/Facebooking and yuppies with laptops and netbooks in the mall food court, restaurants and al fresco dining strip at Robinsons Place Gensan. It is also an added bonus that the supermarket hours have been extended to 9:00 p.m. (where they also accept debit card payments) as well as the presence of three ATMs that dispense cash all the time. The atrium features activities and shows for free. It is not uncommon to get a glimpse of your favorite TV and movie stars on weekends or special occasions.

Robinsons Gensan indeed delivers "easy, breezy and better shopping" for its clientele. I always tell my friends and colleagues that I feel at home at Robinsons Place Gensan. It is where I feel welcome and can hang around with people I like and love. It is an oasis where I find comfort and solace from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Your Royal Gandaness and Me (Close Encounters of the Gandaeversomuch! Kind)

2010-08-01T13:47:00.006+08:00

Your Royal Gandaness and me. Pansinin ang kanyang "naughty finger." Heheh

There's simply not just ONE best/unique experience with Orman Manansala
who is a multi-hyphenated person:
blogger-banker-dog lover-foodie-brother-uncle-bossing-
bahala na si Batman risk taker-cinemaphile-
friendship-life of the party-kabalen-event organizer-
alumnus par excellence-plurker-benefactor-ninong sa kasal at binyag-
martir sa ngalan ng love-abo eklabo.

I hope ang sumusunod na close encounters ko with Ormz will do justice
to the blogger, the man and the friend.

Ormz and I are still in the getting-to-know-you stage in our friendship.

It has its share of humps, potholes, and smooth lanes

as we both cruise around it.

Nagtatrabaho na ako nang gumradweyt si Orman sa hayskul.

(Sa edad, mas malapit si Kuya Avel niya sa akin.)

Ang unang close encounter ko with Ormz was
noong kailangan kong i-defend

ang aming group business proposal
sa harap niya sa NDDU Graduate School.
Tumatak agad sa akin ang kanyang Taray Factor
at galing sa pagkilatis ng mga proposal.

Magkakilala na kami pero hindi pa close noon.

Ngayon, happy na ako na close na kami dahil sa
constant plurk at blog events na aming pinagsamahan
at hindi ko pinapangarap na maging closer pa sa kanya

kasi ayon kay Ormz reserved yun sa mga kaaway niya

(Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer).

Heheh.

Your Royal Gandaness and mascot

Hi Gandaness! ang greeting ko sa kanya pag tiniteks ko siya,

otherwise, hindi niya ako tiniteksbak.

Hmmmp!

After siya nagbertdey last year,

may nakita akong tinitindang napakalaki at napakabigat

na brown frog cement sculpture na inorder ng iba pero

di na binalikan kaya binarat-barat ko

para may advance krismas gift ako sa kanya.
Agad niya itong bininyagang Official Mascot of Gandaeversomuch!

Nilagay niya ang brown frog sa kanyang munting balkonahe

para may kasama sila ni Chad habang pinapraktis niya
ang monologue ni Juliet:

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

Hindi ko lang alam kung hinahalikan ni Ormz ito

para ma-transform at maging Prince Charming niya.

Heheh.

Sa pagkakakilala ko kay Ormz (so far),

bagayeversomuch

na maging personal anthem niya ang kantang ito:

I am what I am

I am my own special creation.

So, come take a look, give me the hook or the ovation.

It's my world that I want to take a little pride in.

My world and it's not a place I have to hide in.

Life's not worth a damn till you can say, hey world, I am what I am.

I am what I am

I don't want praise, I don't want pity.

I bang my own drum, something gets noise, I think It's pretty.

And so what if I love each feather and each bangle.

Why not try to see things from a different angle

Life's not worth a damn till you can shout out loud, I am what I am.

I am what I am

And what I am needs no excuses.

I deal my own deck, sometimes the ace, sometimes the deuces.

There's one life and there's no return and no deposit.

One life, so it's time to open up your closet.

Life's not worth a damn till you can say, hey world, I am what I am.

Pag dating kay Ormz,

it's not Take It or Leave It kundi

Take It and Love It!

Heheh.

Your Royal Emoness

Ormz can be Funny, Out, Loud, Brash and

(Uh oh! eto yung B-word na ayaw banggitin ni Mandi sa sinulat niyang profile ni Ormz)

Bitchy!

(May isa pang B-word na bahala na si Avel ang magkuwento sa inyo
na may kinalaman sa mga sirena at dagat.)

Sa mga hindi pa close sa kanya,

ang pagiging funny, out, loud, brash o bitchy niya lang ang naaaninag nila.

Pero sa kanyang quiet moments,

lalong-lalo na sa emo ones,

nasusulyapan ko ang isang Ormz

na gusto kong yakapin

at tawaging little brother (little daw o!)

kaya lang leeg niya lang ang masasalikupan ng aking arms.

Heheh.

Lagi niya tayong napapatawa pero

may mga pagkakataon ding napapatawa ko siya,

at bumubukal ang kanyang tawa mula sa sa kaibuturan

ng kanyang umaalog-alog na tummy

at sasabihin niya sa akin:

Funny ka talaga, Bert!

Hindi ko makakalimutan ang kanyang halakhak (buhakhak),

nang minsan pinaalala ko sa kanya:

Ormz, remember ang luha pag natuyo, nagiging muta.

Heheh.

Your Royal Gandaness's peborit komport fud

Syempre, pag si Ormz ang kasama ko,
mawawala ba ang culinary (kain/habhab) moments?
Pero kahit na ano ang gawin ko,
hindi talaga ako makasabay sa kanya.
Nakakadalawang subo pa lang ako, simot na ang nasa plato niya!
Sabi ko nga sa kanya: Ay, In-inhale mo ang fud!?!#
Pero kahit ano pang disheses ang ihain kay Ormz,
peborit comfort food niya for all-time ang Otin (Odong with Tinapa)
na nakapiktyur sa itaas.
Heheh.

And so, Your Gandaness, Ormz

here's my toast to one year of Gandaeversomuch!

I look forward to more years in our blossoming friendship.

And here's my wish for you!

I wish you bluebirds in the spring
To give your heart a song to sing
And then a kiss, but more than this
I wish you love
And in July some lemonade
To cool you in some leafy glade
I wish you health
But more than wealth
I wish you love . . .

Photos courtesy of Avel & Orman Manansala.

Photo Tweaks

2010-07-26T10:46:00.001+08:00

My entry to National Book Store's You & Your Favorite Book contest

2010-07-23T17:24:00.003+08:00

Hey there! I've joined National Book Store's You & Your Favorite Book contest by submitting the above photo as my entry. Winning entry will be based on the most number of "LIKES." The contest runs until July 28, 2010.

Please help me win by doing the following:

1) If you have a Facebook account and have "liked" the National Book Store FB page, click the following link: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/photo.php?pid=4690267&id=72546266913 and "LIKE" my entry.

2) If you have a Facebook account, but have not "liked" the National Book Store FB page, then "LIKE" it first in this link: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/National-Book-Store/72546266913?ref=ts and "LIKE" my entry by clicking this link: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/photo.php?pid=4690267&id=72546266913.

Do share the link(s) in your FB and encourage your friends to "LIKE" my entry.

Tenkyuberimats! :)

My Fave GESM Blog Post - The Four-Year Itch

2010-07-14T01:57:00.003+08:00

(Note: This blog post is my entry to Gandaeversomuch!'s Week #5 Blogversary contest.)

Having read Orman Manansala's 438 blog posts in Gandaeversomuch! over a period of one year, choosing only ONE fave blog post made me feel like Charlie Bucket agonizing over his ONE mind-boggling candy choice in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory! So, I had to narrow down my choices to his Love Love Ever category with 23 posts. Only to find out that nine of them are password-protected (and therefore excluded from said contest) to protect the not-so-innocent (AKA as toot-toot-toot)??? Heheh. And so after rereading the remaining 12 "unprotected" posts, I've chosen The Four-Year Itch as my fave post, so far . . .

This blog post is quintessentially Orman: Funny, In-Your-Face, Naughty, Gay, Erudite, Racy.

I respect him for choosing a wife na kasing-taba ko.

The comic in Orman shows in this blog post. He can make any topic his own by injecting his brand of humor that make reading his posts fun. If you've read his blog posts first before meeting him in person, then you're in for a pleasant surprise that makes you wonder: How can such a heavyweight come up with light reading posts that make you light-hearted every time, all the time?

Ako naman itong naive (naiiba ang ugali?). Ako naman itong si feeling maganda, lumandi.

His post is so In-Your-Face and WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). He points out to his readers what he and they have in common, warts and all. Kaya nga, ang daming readers niya ang nakaka-relate sa mga post niya. Because of his self-deprecating style of writing, he tells you his shortcomings first so that you can accept yours when you see yourself in his posts. Enaderwords, inookray ka na niya pero natatawa ka (imbes na mainez) kasi alam mong nauna na siyang umokray sa sarili niya.

Gusto nya akong kuning Ninong ng anak nya – ano ako, bakle? Sakalin ko na lang kaya ang asawa nya.

His post is playful, naughty. If there's one thing Orman learned from his pet toy dog, Chad, it's how Chad pretends to bite him by nipping on his fingers, feet, clothes without really sinking his fangs into them. Orman's posts are naughty, but never nasty. Like Chad, Orman's bark is worse than his bite. He is the bitch that everyone loves to love.

With (toot-toot-toot), sa sobrang haba ng hair ko nasa Japan ang pinakadulo. Siempre wala namang perfect relationship. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, fatalist na ako. Kung anong darating tatanggapin ko but for the time being, i’ll enjoy the moment first. Isa pa, malayo pa ang 4th anniversary namin no! Smile na lang ever!

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that Orman is gee-ey-why. His gee-ey-why-ness reeks in every Gandaness post he writes. He is our online Vice Ganda even before the latter became popular in Showtime!. His readers share his roller coaster of a lovelife in this post. Where before, gee-ey-why love was considered a love that dares not speak its name, Gandaeversomuch! makes its readers realize that straight or not, hetero or homo, love is universal and everyone (Orman included) is on a quest for true love. And so when Orman announced to his readers that he got back with toot-toot-toot, they (including me), strapped themselves in their seats, gripped the handlebars and got ready for this roller coaster ride.

Teka bakit nga ba apat na taon lang ang itinatagal ng love affairs ko??? Sa Chinese ang four o apat ay “si” na sounds like death daw. Haler, parang may koneksyon ano?

Reading this post or any other post in Gandaeversomuch!, his readers come away learning something new, thankyoueversomuch to Orman's erudition and learning from his own experiences. You know that his blog posts are not only emotion-driven, but also splashed liberally (parang cologne!) with intelligent tips and advices. His idol, Kris Aquino can learn a lot from reading his blog. If she subscribes to Orman's blog, then maybe I won't call her Crazy Krissy anymore. Crazy na lang! Heheh.

Nasa States ako nang maisipan nyang subukan kung gagana pa ang titi nya sa girl. Eh pinili nya ang puke anong magagawa ko?

Orman writes the way he talks. He tells-it-like-it-is. He calls a spade a spade. This post is peppered with racy, pungent, ribald, risqué (ayan, na-copy and paste ko na dito ang synonyms from Roget's Thesaurus!) words. Not all his posts are like this, so Orman is not trying hard to be the youngest of the foul-mouthed Tulfo pack. Funny lang, kasi I've still to hear/read him use the P***** I** M* expletive. It's either Potek! or Amfotah! or Potah!, but never P***** I** M* (yet!). And if I know Orman, he will eventually write a post with P***** I** M* as a title.

Kung hindi ninyo ito na-gets the first time, do go back to the second paragraph, put together the first letters (in bold print) of the adjectives I used in choosing The Four-Year Itch as my fave GESM blog post and all together now, let's give it to Orman! LOL

Ganda Ever So Much! - Orman Manansala's Lethal Weapon

2010-06-28T12:54:00.009+08:00

Being the lurker that I am, I make it a point to read up on what's happening to people I made friends with online via their social media accounts so that when we (finally) meet, we can talk about what we Facebooked, Friendstered, Twitted, Plurked, Blogged, etc.

And so several years back, I've read Orman Manansala's previous blogposts in a social media site about his relationship with a young man I will call Two Boyfriends Ago (TBFA). Chronicled there in blogposts, pictures (look! we got matching rings!), and music (theme songs galore!) was Orman's emotional roller-coaster ride. That blog later gathered dust and was obscured by virtual cobwebs as Orman moved on to another relationship with another young man, Immediate Past Boyfriend (IPBF).

His brother, Avel, had been nagging him to resume blogging as we organized events for the SoCCSKSargen Bloggers. And when he finally got the gumption to blog, he surprised us with not one but TWO blogposts in his new Ganda Ever So Much! Blog on August 1 last year. Click here to read his first blogpost.

Since then, Orman tried his best to write a blogpost a day. He skipped a day or two, but made up for it by writing two posts the next. From his very claustrophic blogposts about him and TBFA to Ganda Ever So Much!, his roller-coaster ride became OUR roller-coaster ride as he opened his heart and mind to his readers.

His tumultuous relationship with IPBF was blogged for all to read and when it was finally over, you could almost hear the collective sigh of relief online, but almost immediately we hold our collective breath as we accompany the lovestruck Orman on his quest for True Love. When he licks his lips over his favorite food items, our collective stomach starts to growl and rumble at the sight of those eyepopping pictures of delectable dishes in his blogposts. When he goes emo, a collective commiseration floods the comments section of his emo blog - "Shh, shh, don't cry now. Soon your Prince Charming will come along. Just keep wearing the other crystal shoe, Cindylauperella or Keep on dreaming Sleefing Veauty until true love's kiss awakens you or Tandaan mo Ormz, ang luha pag natuyo, nagiging muta (Remember Ormz, tears, when they dry up, become eye boogers)." BUT when he gives tips, oh my Momay!, nobody does it better because he gives it with mega-doses of wit and humor that readers end up ROFLing (Rolling On The Floor Laughing) while WTFTEing (Wiping Tears From Their Eyes).

Yes, indeed, Orman's Ganda Ever So Much! has become embedded in our collective consciousness as readers who have and haven't met him share the UPS and downs of his life (I tell you, he's the online version of his idol, Kris Aquino). And you must have been hiding under a rock or an alien from another planet not to have partaken from this buffet/smorgasbord of a blog. His blogpost categories has everything for everyone - What Ever, Bugbog Ever, Emo Ever, Contest Ever, Food Ever, Ngarag Ever, Love Love Ever, Movies Ever, Health Ever, Serious Ever, you-name-it's-got it! And his pictures - eye candies galore for heteros and homos, young and old, foodies and anorexics, actual and armchair travelers! He's got the lowdown on what's pop, what's cool, what's worth giving his two-centavos worth of bitchy opinion. I'm predicting that this blog is going to be a book soon and I'll be lining up to buy copies to be given to my bookworm-friends (of course, with matching autographs from the author: Koyah, pautograp puhleazzzzeee)!

It's no wonder then why his faithful blog readers keep coming back for more! He is our online one-man Vice Ganda Showtime! host! He's got us eating out of the palm of his hand! Armed with his Apple laptop and Lumix LX3 digital camera, Orman has made his Ganda Ever So Much! blog a lethal weapon to slay us all online. Everytime, all the time.

Kudos, Ormz, for coming back to blogging! :)

Melody with Lyrics Part 1

2010-06-02T23:13:00.002+08:00

I remember those times when I get caught up in the music especially the orchestral soundtrack for a movie and then hear the same melody years later with matching lyrics that enhance it all the more.

Cavatina was a classical guitar piece composed by Stanley Myers and featured in The Deer Hunter, a film about the Vietnam war. It was a soothing melody in contrast to the stark violence in the said war film. I love listening to this played on guitar, piano, flute. And then Cleo Laine composed the lyrics to the melody and it became He was beautiful.

Gabriel's Oboe is from the film The Mission about Jesuit missionaries in South America. Jeremy Irons played the oboe in the movie while being approached by tribesmen. The soundtrack was composed by the incomparable Ennio Morricone.

Sarah Brightman of Phantom of the Opera fame repeatedly requested Morricone to allow her to turn the melody into a song, but the latter refused. After several requests from Brightman, the composer relented and with Chiara Ferraù providing the lyrics, the song is now called Nella Fantasia (In my Fantasy). Brightman was the first to record it and soon it was a staple piece in many opera crossover artists' repertoire.