SLAP HAPPY

Mazzikati: A Night of Fun and Music with Casio Middle East at the Music ...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Nov 2018 14:34:00 +0800

Definitely late thirties.....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 8 Feb 2014 18:52:00 +0800

Today is my 39th birthday--hola, yes, I have turned one year shy away of the big four-o. I don't feel a year older though; in fact, I feel like I'm a teenager, still being able to run around and doing my thing. I think the only exception though is now I get paid for doing these things hahahaha.

Manny for.....WHAT??!!??

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 23:01:00 +0800

Manny Pacquiao announced recently that he was mulling the presidency of the Philippines.

So, with that in mind, are we seeing Freddie Roach becoming his most trusted adviser.....syet, patay tayo dyan.

Quick Quips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:05:00 +0800

World boxing icon Manny Pacquiao may have won a second term as Congressman but latest congress records show that he had the worst attendance—attending only 108 of the 168 sessions.

Binoto niyo yan eh.

**********

During Ruffa Guiterez’s birthday shindig last week, the covering press were suddenly jolted to a fight among siblings for all to see. The fight was later pacified, much to the embarrassment of the family.

Poor Ruffa had to go explain to the press what just happened—thinking reporters as fools by saying it was just a workshop and acting exercise to check their thespian skills.

Ano daw?

**********

How bloody (yes, that’s the proper term to use) rich are the Ampatuan’s?

Recent news articles say that the family is reaching out to the family of their victims to drop their charges against them to the tune of PHP 50 million each.

Wow.

**********

Yahoo Philippines should do more proper research when they do their throwback articles. An article they recently ran featured stars of the defunct TGIS teen series that ran from the early to mid-nineties. One picture featured in the article included the second generation cast of the show—but not being able to identify one cast member. You probably don’t remember him, because he played a very minor bit in the show, but hey, I think he’s quite popular.

Check your research.

The kid on the extreme left, with the ball cap and the winning smile is……..Jason Ivler, who played the character 'Bullet' on the show.

Lagot kayo kay Marlene Aguilar.

**********

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Youth (CBCP-ECY) is raising the moral meter on the gay-themed GMA teleserye, 'My Husband's Lover.'

A gay-themed soap opera may be fairly new. Not. For years, homosexuality has made a key presence across all kinds of shows in the Philippines--from talkshows, drama series to sitcoms and talent shows.

We're ok with gay TV hosts but not ok with a gay-central soap opera? Ganun.

What safe haven?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 13:59:00 +0800

An embassy, or any consular office for that matter, is viewed as a safe haven of sorts for workers employed in a foreign land. As some would say, stepping on embassy soil is equivalent to stepping forth on the land of your origin.

If you are working abroad and find yourself in distress, the best place to seek safety is in your own embassy, or in any consulate representing your country.

But that is not the case in some Philippine embassies in the Middle East, where a Filipino Labor Officer in Saudi Arabia has been accused of giving away place tickets in exchange for sexual favors. The same has been alleged on other Filipino Labor Officers in Philippine embassies in Jordan, Syria and Kuwait.

I am appalled and shocked at this scandal. This is definitely not the kind of safe haven that I thought our embassies to be.

These officers should be cut of official titles, cut off their government services and cut off their wieners in the process. This is truly detestable and I hope President Aquino will do something about this—daang matuwid it surely is not.

Let me make one point clear, as some OFW’s are not aware of this, but the cost of repatriating displaced and distressed migrant workers are shouldered by the government. In this regard, no embassy officer, can push around his weight in promising to provide for air fare in exchange for special favors.

We should not take this issue lightly. Embassy officials and their staff serve as our official representatives to the rest of the world. They are, as far as their host countries are concerned, the embodiment of what a Filipino is. A scandal of this proportion gives the false impression that we are mediocre, idiotic and perverted.

We definitely are not.

The Red Briefs Dilemma

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 14:10:00 +0800

I am a child of the 80’s and bearing this in mind, it was unavoidable that I would compare the Superman of my time (The Christopher Reeve Superman) with the new Superman movie, ‘Man of Steel.’ Before I set on to watch this new adaptation of the well-loved superhero, I had mentally prepared myself into keeping an open mind—no, this film will definitely be darker than the campy Superman films I saw (but loved) when I was a kid.

I saw it. I liked it, BUT I had a few questions that rocked my fanboy comic book perspective of Superman.

Wait, I am not going to do a full blown review of the film. Check out other reviews on the web, like this one from Filipino comic book writer, artist and publisher, Gerry Alanguilan. Gerry rocked his review, if you ask me.

For one, I sorely missed the red briefs. What’s a superman costume if not for the dominant use of the red, yellow and blue. I mean, let’s not forget that the whole purpose of why the costume was designed with red underwear worn OVER the tights is to cover up the bulge created by the crown jewels of the son of Krypton. Either the designer of this movie’s costume was just trying to be politically correct or just forgot the concept of the original blue tights red underwear schematic.

Another minor point to raise was the absence of a known character of the franchise. Jimmy Olsen was now JENNY Olsen. WTF did they do that for…Jimmy Olsen’s legacy in the Superman storyline should not have been tampered—he should have been in this movie. I mean, it’s freaking Jimmy Olsen. Anyways, to make me feel better afterwards, I listened to Spin Doctor’s ‘Jimmy Olsen’s Blues’ and that mellowed me a bit.

The movie just showed too much damage and yes, death. I was watching building after building go down and like Gerry said in his review, would make you surmise that people were dying as the buildings blew up. I have seen the three Superman films of the 80’s and the flopped ‘Superman Returns,’ and they didn’t show death and destruction at such a high magnitude. Superman, as we all know, is the hero of all heroes. We loved him because we know that he would save the day for us. He would take the fight somewhere else to avoid destruction and hurting people.

Talk about cheesy lines but when Superman said, ‘Krypton had its chance,’ that just did it for me. This was just too blasphemous to the memories of the people who created Superman as the champion of both worlds. Kal-el loved both worlds. He protected earth from all its oppressors and villains and professed the same concern and love for Krypton, his world of origin that he was not able to see. Scriptwriters should have hired ‘Superman’ experts as consultants and should have been more careful in the presentation of dialogue.

One last thought—defeating General Zod. This climactic end was so unspectacular and befuddled. Snapping his head???!!!??? Couldn’t they have come up with a better and more gigantic way of showing the end of Zod. Geez, where was the drama? the theatrics? the great ending?

Believe me, when I say this, but that just ain’t the Superman I know.

What not to do at your workplace

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:49:00 +0800

As the international job markets continue to show signs of recovering from the hard times, employees need to be as careful as they were during the distress years of recession.

There are plenty of good candidates available in the market and an employer won’t hesitate in finding a replacement in case he thinks you deserve to be fired, they claim.

Doing your day’s work honestly is, of course, the golden mantra, but not doing certain things can also help you avoid unnecessary problems at the workplace.

If you want to be seen as a serious employee, you just have to be more careful about not making some annoying mistakes, unless you really don’t care about losing your job. That’s why you need to avoid doing these five things at work.

DON’T SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA--One of the biggest mistake people make at work is abusing the time they have with spending it recklessly on the Internet and social media. While the Internet and social media are great work tools, they can be – and are often – misused.

Employees often chat online with family and friends, spend time on Twitter and Facebook during the time they should be slogging hard for the company they are employed with.

DON’T SHOP ONLINE WHILE AT WORK--An extension of the excessive use of the Internet, some employees also shop online while at work.

Time that could have been used productively is often wasted on online shopping sites like eBay, Amazon and a whole lot of other sites, whether window shopping designer labels or actually swiping the credit card for the goods purchased.

AVOID GOSSIPING AND OFFICE POLITICKING--Gossiping should be avoided under all circumstances. Recruitment experts believe it can only have adverse effects and reactions.

Passing on information to another employee, who then passes it on to the next one, should also be avoided.

For example, talking about a particular ‘undeserving’ employee getting the biggest hike when this may not be the case will only lead to feelings of discontent among other team members, and you may have to face the wrath of the boss if the gossip is tracked back to you.

AVOID SLACKING OFF--Taking too many leave often leaves a bad impression and no boss or office will give you a clean chit to stay away from work. Silly excuses to just avoid work can only land you in deeper soup. In this case, you will be given a few warnings, which then may lead to termination.

STOP WHINING--Negativity nurtures negativity. Employees should be smart enough to behave professionally in today’s job market.

Avoid acting unprofessional by constantly complaining about your job, salary or working conditions. Be proud of your work, your workplace or at least pretend to be until you have the next offer letter in hand.

Paraprosdokians---Say what?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:33:00 +0800

It has been really awfully hot these past few days…so hot, that if you probably drop a stick of butter on the sidewalk and then crack an egg, you’re bound to get scrambled eggs or sunny side up in a few minutes. Also, the holy month of Ramadan will start on August 1 and will last for a full month, which means we will be working half-days. Well, that’s something to look forward to.

Now, where was I?

I found this funny email about some phrases that people often misuse in the abject target of aiming to sound cool or act as if he or she was a fancy speaker. I guess, really, sometimes the grammar police should be on patrol to ensure that these phrases never get used, lest you guffaw your heart out.

These phrases are called ‘paraprosdokians,’ ,which is defined as figures of speech wherein the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation. Well, here are the most commonly heard;

1.) "I'm only human nature."

2.) "First and for all. "

3.) "All of a suddenly..."

4.) "That's what I'm talking about it!"

5.) "Thanks and advanced!"

6.) "Forget it about it! What are friends are for?"

7.) "It's as brand as new!"

8.) "Keep that bear in mind."

9.) "When it rains, it's four."

10.) "Every cloud has a silver lightning."

11.) "Grab the bull by the balls!"

12.) "Don’t just do something! stand there!"

13.) "My answers have been prayered!"

14.) "You're barking at the wrong dog."

15.) "That's the way the cookie jars."

16.) "Lets give them a big hand of applause!"

17.) "Well well well, look do we have here."

18.) "Hi I'm Bhoy. what's yours?"

19.) "The sky is the langit."

20.) "Hello? for a while...please hang yourself...My boss is out of town. Would you like to wait?"

21.) "And where do you think you are off to running to?"

22.) "Why won't you cut me some slacks?"

23.) "How dare you are!"

24.) " What’s your next class before this?"

25.) "The idea crossed at the back of my mind."

26.) "Are you joking my leg?"

27.) "It's a blessing in the sky."

28.) " I always go there sometimes."

Suckerpunched defiance

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 3 Jul 2011 14:57:00 +0800

Methinks the Sheriff who was itching to serve a demolition order to a squatter’s community in Davao didn’t know what was coming when he felt the wrath of Davao Mayor, Inday Sara Duterte. Watching the video on Youtube shows that In a matter of seconds, Duterte’s fist had gone aflying into Sheriff Abe Andres.

If you haven’t seen this video; you can watch it below;

The lady has got balls and it definitely matches those of her father, former Davao Mayor Rudy Duterte.

What does Inday’s actions mean to the people of Davao. It’s actually a strong message—Don’t mess with me.

As expected, local groups including the IBP, the CHR and almost every other department wanting to be in the spotlight are condemning the action and is even encouraging the Sheriff to file charges against Duterte. Yeah, yeah, it was a show of conduct unbecoming, but why not look at the whole incident as a whole before passing judgment.

Let me try to summarize the event in a nutshell—local judge releases demolition order; Duterte asks for a two hour allowance so that the serving of the order would be peaceful; Sheriff Andres still proceeds to serve the order despite the request; chaos, as expected ensues; Inday Sara arrives, fresh from a rescue and monitor mission of the recent flood victims; She calls for the sheriff and Wham, Bang, Ala-kazam.

The Mayor asked for a two hour deferment. She did not ask for a week, or a month or a year..she asked for two measly hours. She had a point in saying that you can not just serve a demolition order and walk away unscathed or without hostile reception from the incident. When you look at it, it just really boils down to common sense.

And the punch? Be it as you may, but I think he had it coming. His actions to serve the order despite the request for a two hour deferment demonstrates an air of arrogance that says, I am not under your office, so fuck off while I serve this order.

In fact, close circles have even cited that Duterte was made more furious when she was told that the Sheriff actually said, ”She’s not my boss. I am following the RTC. If she comes here, I will punch her.”

Yes, the Sheriff had balls, I just don’t know where they are right now.

And the rest is now forever going to be etched as a tall tale in Davao’s political history.

But come to think of it, I wonder if this Sheriff would have backed down if it was Manny Pacquiao reacting to his defiance….He probably would be reeling, “Now I know…”

Chutzpah.

Being scared is not an excuse....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 8 May 2011 19:16:00 +0800

There’s talk going around that the newly appointed SBMA Administrator has already backed out of the job way before he even took his oath of office.

Wuzzat? Kind of confusing, isn’t it. I know, I was struck dumbfounded myself.

Turns out the guy got scared of the problems he would be taking on the minute he steps in as Chief Administrator.

You can read about it here.

Tsk.Tsk. I can see Dick Gordon nodding his head in disbelief and running his palms over his face like he used to when he got antsy about something.

And why, because of all people that would show fear of assuming the SBMA leadership, it came from a former SBMA volunteer, and Gordon wonderboy to boot.

Afraid? Come on. What could have been more scarier than assuming leadership of a newly turned over Subic to the Philippine government just as the Americans had left. There was virtually nothing to speak of, yet Gordon, who was appointed Chair of the Authority, rallied on along with thousands of volunteers. People, of all ages, backgrounds and denominations, worked closely to make Subic a perfect investment venue for Foreign Direct Investment opportunities to come in. Then, you had the likes of FedEx, APL and other big brands looking into Subic. APEC even had their leader’s meeting in the area in 1996. All coming from scratch.

Scary? What could have been more fearful than to be in the midst of a turn over? When Gordon was kicked out by then President Estrada and former Congressman Tong Payumo came in as the new Chair and Administrator, everyone who decided to stay behind was left in the middle of a brewing political dance. Your loyalties were in question and you had to prove that all you wanted to do was work. Some stayed on, some left. It was scary because during the first few moths, during the so-called honeymoon period, it felt like people were always watching your back. Your former allies had thought you moved on to the Payumo camp while the Payumo camp thought you were still there because you were asked to key in sabotage moves to ensure failure of the new administration. Where will you stand at that?

So don’t tell me about being scared because two administrations have already laid out the ground work for you not to be scared. One started with nothing while the following term tried to promote harmony and focused on attracting in more FDI. These new appointees are lucky because they’re being served the authority on a silver platter. Not much to do but just maintain the spirit and objective of attracting business, maintaining business and running the business. It can’t get all business wise than that.

If you say you’re scared then I think we should reconsider looking at someone else. Someone who is more technocrat in nature and can see the trends of the future rolling in—for one, Subic is still waiting to be developed to its full potential. We’re not there quite yet; just a little more steps to go.

Scared is not something you tell the manangs and the other former volunteers who are still with the SBMA and fondly recall their early volunteer days like they were old war stories that could be told over and over again. Because they have more courage combined than anyone who says I can’t hack it…way before he even takes the oath.

I don’t think I will even call you wonderboy anymore.

The obvious one....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 21:00:00 +0800

I was taling with my mom the other day via skype when all of a sudden she asks me why i have not been blogging lately.

Oh, a thousand or so reasons. For one, since i have gotten back to work in mid-february things have just been so crazy--schedule wise and workload wise.

and that is basically it. Although, hit with the embarassment of being questioned by my mom for not turning in homework hehehehe, i felt it obligatory to return to blogging as it seems to be a connection between me and the other people i love who are on the other side of the globe.

It isn't like I don't have much to say nowadays, in fact i did want to put in a thing or two about that latest Willie Revillame caper, un nga lang, i still find myself too loaded with work htat by the time i get home, im smack down on the bed after dinner.

But for now, let me all wish you a happy easter. Here's to seeing more of me in the next few months.

A Slap Here and There....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:39:00 +0800

My son, the little firecracker, managed to get me and the missus dumbfounded last Sunday night when he suddenly blurted, “Mom, Dad, can little boys get married?”

Snapshot—our first dumbfounded moment for 2011.

We had both looked at each other, wanting to laugh at the question yet at the same time concerned of why our four year old son was suddenly asking about nuptial ceremonies. The missus gave my little son a hug and said, don’t ask these questions yet, maybe later.

Chino looked at his mom, kind of like asking when would that be….

Oh, probably thirty years from now.

**********

One of my resolutions for this year was to actually start a hobby or a collection of something. The only thing that comes to mind right now are matchbox cars—small versions of latest or old model vehicles.

I would really want to start this off but don’t know where to actually get them smallies. I am in one of the world’s most modern cities and have yet to find a toy store where they actually sell the ‘Matchbox’ brand or the ‘Hot wheels’ brand.

**********

Overheard this morning in the bus;

“Ang pinakamagandang gamut sa alipunga ay ang pagbabad nito sa tsaang mainit. AYos yun, tanggal ang amoy at kati”

I could just nod my head, ‘eh kung nagpalit na lang kaya siya ng medyas. Hehehehe

**********
I want Fried Chicken!!!

**********

People in the Philippines recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Edsa Revolution—honestly, it is now all just a memory.

Marcos left, Cory came and almost two decades later, her son is now the President.

I don’t see much in all of it.

The perils of being 36

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 8 Feb 2011 02:53:00 +0800

Today I am turning a year older. ‘Tis the day where I have turned 36—over three and a half decades plus one added year.

I don’t know if you have noticed but the age 36, should you choose to not openly share it, doesn’t leave you with an exact excuse phrase to hide it.

You can no longer say or get away with using ‘I am in my mid-thirties’, because technically 36 is way off the mid-mark in any numerical arrangement—counting forward or backward. The ‘thirty something’ excuse is no longer applicable as the unwritten rule is you can only use it before reaching 35.

So I am now left with using the closest acceptable term to describe my age—I am now officially in my late thirties.

Curses. It is kind of hard to come to terms with that if at this age I still have a skateboard and a roller blade in my closet; I still watch cartoons and still lick the pancake batter when no one is looking. 36 is a milestone for me, considering I felt like I was dying a few months ago.

I don’t know if this is the most strategic time to say this but I have now reached the crossroads of my life—where I see things clearly, understand key concepts in relationships and now know the answer to the long asked question, ‘Does the light in the fridge go off when you close the door and how?’ I have also reached the age of effective communication with your physical body; where it now tells you that sometimes your feet are too weak to run; you can no longer stay up late like you used to in college and think before you put that in your mouth.

I guess this is the age where you fondly look back on the previous younger years and wish you were back in that time and mind set all over again—in my case things like Pearl Jam, beepers, Doc Marten’s Boots, the grunge era and everything else 90’s.

Whoever said that thirty is the new twenty, and later on, forty is the new thirty, probably couldn’t count correctly.

Twenty it is not.

But hey, since it is my special day, and it does come only once a year—allow me the privilege to kick back, relax and enjoy. I am 36 years old—battered from the many battles in life yet still ready to face on more; still dubiously inspired to be the man child he has always chosen to be and still ready to take on whatever comes his way. I am none the wiser, none the better, none the fairer—but have learned a lesson or two along the way.

36 is just a number….yeah, let me comfort myself with that till I come to grips with it, anyways before you know it, we’ll all be forty.

Scary thought indeed.

Dancing with Axl

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 7 Feb 2011 01:27:00 +0800

Guns and Roses.

I was never really a big fan during their heyday in the late 80’s—I was more into New Wave music and electronica. However, as I grew older and made my way into college I developed a deeper understanding and liking to all forms of music, rock in particular, and enjoyed a song or two from this great rock band.

I was able to secure tickets to their concert in Abu Dhabi. I was dying to go; actually, if you put it in a literal sense of the phrase; the recent loss of voice had began to lead into other complications and I was already feeling a deep doubt that what I had was cancer and that I was dying. So saying I was dying to go was kind of like saying it was something I wanted to do before I did go—enjoy a rock concert.

It was mid-December, the last weekend before Christmas and it had already been more than eight months since I lost my voice. I had, by then, lost a considerable amount of weight and it was beginning to show. Despite observations made at that time by some friends and close relatives, I kept to my reason that I was running in the morning and in the early evening. I guess I was only folloing myself.

The truth is, I was already feeling tell tale signs that I was getting weak. I just didn’t want to scare off the missus and the rest of then family—money, which wasn’t really tight, was still needed in settling obligations and other things and I felt that if I was going to be hospitalized it would mean a lrge dip in the savings.

But I really felt like I was dying. My legs were wobbly; my appetite was shot and I guess the only thing that kept me going was the general rah-rah feeling that I couldn’t just die yet.

My wife couldn’t tell how I was feeling, nor could other people around me. I couldn’t just open this up to anyone and I was forced to bottle up this emotion to myself.

I think I’ve strayed a little too far from the Guns and Roses angle—well let’s get back to that.

On the day of their concert, I had three signs come to me that I was due for a rude awakening. Although I didn’t see it coming at first, when it did set in, I got really alarmed.

The first sign was—my wife didn’t want to go. I should have seen that coming. Bel will come with me and try to understand the music, movies, books and other forms of entertainment that I like—but she was begging off this one. Although convinced to go, this was the first time that she actually begged off coming with me to an event.

The second sign came in earlier during the day, while I was still at the office, I had gone out and rang the doorbell planning to run and hide after wards—what happened was when I turned to run, my feet didn’t get the message and I stumbled off to the ground. This showed me that hey, my feet were really getting weak and wobbly.

The third sign came in the form of a last minute assignment from my boss. I was supposed to leave early from work so I could make the two-hour bus ride to Abu Dhabi but my boss but my boss gave me a last minute job that made me leave later than scheduled.

All of these signs came to me but I virtually ignored them. Although joining me at the last minute, the missus noticed that I was almost running on empty that night—I was feverish, cold and weak but I was determined to see the show.

What happened?

The minute we got off at the Abu Dhabi Bus Terminal, I was nauseated and shivering like I was in the North Pole. Despite my continued rationale that I was ok, my wife put her foot down and said we needed to head back home or rush off to a nearby hospital. We decided on going home and seeing the doctor the next day. I had really wanted to go on and see the concert, I had told Bel that this was my last chance to see the group, that I felt like I was already dying and I was slowly ebbing away. I was in tears that evening and so was she—it had dawned on us both what was going on, I was sick and I needed help immediately.

What happened next was a key turning point in my life.

(To be continued)

Isolated But Not Defeated

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 3 Feb 2011 02:47:00 +0800

One of the so called unwritten rules in blogging is that if you neglect to post for a certain amount of time; long time gaps in particular, is thjat you do not have to explain yourself, just get back into the rhythm and post away. Well, for one, I don’t agree with this, sensing that I at least owe people, readers who devote a little amount of their time to read up on whatever it is that you post in the world wide web in your own little corner.

So the big question looming is, where have I been? Long story, one that dates back to eight months—if you have the time then I can write about the crime,,,,(joking, I haven’t turned criminal since me and my best friend, Ronald, flinched that ‘Debbie does something’ video years ago.)

Losing what is precious
There’s an old Filipino catch phrase that says, ‘Laway lang ang puhunan’, something that is particulary true for me. I am a man who has built whatever it is I have achieved around my ability to speak—pure laway. In high school, I earned the medals and trophies plus a quick buck or two (money prizes were big at that time) from public speaking contests; in college, I had a full scholarship for being in the speech forensics team. My career in government and erstwhile media was built on my ability to speak and write. In fact I would often introduce myself as someone who “Talked for a living, talked for a hobby and taught people how to talk the talk….I talk too much.”

I lost all that in April 2010.

I woke up one morning in mid-April with a hoarse voice, went to the bathroom and gargled hot water and then went back to bed—when I woke up at lunch time, I could barely muster a whisper. When I went to see the doctor that afternoon (one of the five doctors I would be seeing over the next eight months), he said I just had a case of laryngitis and prescribed a set of antibiotics.

My usual bout with hoarseness; I can remember coming down with it for at least a few times before, was that it would be gone in a day or two. After almost a week, it was still there and so I went back to see the doctor again—who unfortunately wasn’t there and was sent off to see another doctor; who also gave the same advice—laryngitis.

Two weeks had passed and I was still hoarse—I could speak, but I sounded really awful. Had gone back to see the lady doctor I saw weeks before and she could not find a reason for the hoarseness, saying that if my cough and cold would go then eventually my voice would go back to normal.

Nothing went back to normal. All of a sudden, everything seemed to have caved in on me—the realization that I would never be able to speak clearly like a toastmaster, sing like I used to and communicate normally with the people around me. My voice, the tool that got me through life, was now gone.

Not wanting to alarm my wife or show a sense of being overly disturbed by what was happening, I continued to act as if the whole thing wasn’t a big deal; showing I had other skills that would eventually get us by. We did try to go and see other doctors and find out what was happening but all we got were different answers, different medication but no genuine results—the voice was still hoarse.

I have had a long line of reasons from different doctors—gastric acid, chronic laryngitis, tonsillitis, heck I would even hear some wise crack remark that I was probably hexed or something by someone.

During the long commute home from work or times when I would be alone in my room, I would often ponder on why this was happening. Did I strain my voice too much? Did I contract something contagious? Is this cancer?

It would be really embarrassing when I would meet acIquaintances and old friends and I couldn’t speak up well. I mean, here was Anton Deleon, the great debater, the man who could sell you Luneta at the flick of a finger and a twclist of the tongue—now can’t even barely muster a clear wheeze and a whisper that is enough to say hi and hello.

Life can be very cruel at times, I thought, playing a really bad joke on you. It becomes more painful when it dawns on you that it’s gone and you’re done for the ride.

Before I knew it, five months had already passed, then six, seven, eight…By this time, I had already accepted that my voice would never come back, but a minor laser procedure would at least return a little normalcy to its tone and make me sound less throaty so to speak.

(To be continued…)

Feeling the yuletide chill.....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 6 Dec 2010 13:14:00 +0800

I was having a lovely post dinner conversation with the missus last night about the coming Christmas holidays and what to get for Chino this year. Since the little firecracker is doing well in school and has been all good and nice, we are getting him his first bike. This was followed by animated discussions on where to get the bike and where to hide it from him, as the little dude knows when something is up and is bound to find it even before we could sing the opening strains to Jingle Bells.

No big plans for us this year though; just the usual Christmas lunch that we host for some of our closest friends here in the UAE. It’s been an annual thing for us, borne out of our aim to at least give some of yuletide cheer for friends who are away from their families during this festive day.

I still don’t know what I would want to receive this year. Over the last few months, I have gotten fair amount of gadgets, clothes, books and what-not’s to keep me quite happy at the moment. Although, I don’t think Bel will buy me the mountain bike I have been drooling over at the local Sun and Sand store.

On my way to work this morning, there was a lively discussion on radio that this year is being touted as the Christmas of Austerity – wherein people are now looking to give away the more traditional gifts like board games and non-techie toys to their kids. Chino is still a little young but I am planning to get him maybe a board game or two in this year’s toy list. Kind of reminds me of how simple times were when I was growing up. My parents didn’t have to shower us with fancy toys or expensive gadgets (it wasn’t that big in the 80s to the 90s), the annual ritual was clothes shopping, followed by shoes shopping then my mom and dad would venture off shopping without us to get our own fill of gifts to open on Christmas eve.

Oh well, there I go again waxing nostalgic. I guess we all agree that Christmas, no matter where you spend it, is best felt when in the company of family, friends and loved ones. I am just lucky that my wife and son are here with me – and how we have managed to stay together, receive countless blessings and strive to better individuals – is the meaning of Christmas to me.

Sharjah Water Festival spells F-U-N with a big splash....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 4 Dec 2010 14:26:00 +0800

We spent the whole Friday afternoon at the recently opened ‘Sharjah Water Festival’, which is located along Majjas Park and the Corniche Boardwalk Area. The project is a local undertaking of the government and is now on its fourth year.

The festival park area is filled with different tents and booths offering various shows and attractions that promises you no dull moment while you’re there for a visit. We came at around four in the afternoon, just about opening time, to avoid the long queues and large crowds that would be lining up later in the evening.

Conveniently, upon entering, the ticket checker hands you out a map of the area, which has complete details of the shows and where they are located. The park is quite big so you will really need the map.

We took Chino first to see the juggling show. The performers were, I guess Russian, based on the accents I could hear when they performed. Cool show, I even got to see a real life performance of those white bubble balls that give you the effect that they were floating on the air. Me and bel, with the exception of Chino, felt like we were school kids while we also joined the oohs and ahhs from the rest of the audience.

After the show, we walked around the park, which also offered rides and food stalls. Corn a plenty, as there were stalls that offered pop corn, barbecued corn on the cob or corn in a cup. The Sharjah Water Festival characters, headed by Mouj, the chief mascot, go around the park meeting and greeting the kids. There is also a drum and bugle band and a bunch of stilt walkers also doing the rounds; adding a more festive feeling to the park.

The highlight of the visit was a special diving exhibition performance called ‘Sinbad’s Diving Show’. Stellar acrobatics and some slap stick comedy coupled with high rise trampoline jumping, trapeze acts and yes, high performance diving – with the climax of the show being a 25 metre dive that scared the bajeebas out of everyone.

All in all, it was a fun afternoon that stretched out to the early evening. We were all exhausted from all the walking from show to show, but it was sure well worth it. Actually ended up with a bag of souvenirs and the promise of coming back next week to watch that Sharjah F1 Jet Ski races.

Now that’s something to look forward to also.

(For more information on the Sharjah Water Festival, you can visit their website here.)

just a test....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 23:58:00 +0800

i am out by the patio right now,just relaxing on my blue sun deck chair with a bull frog drink in hand. The cool night breeze adds to the relaxed intoxicating feeling.

Me and Bobby D

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 6 Nov 2010 16:23:00 +0800

My uncle Bobby passed away a few days ago. He was one of my closest uncles; someone who I have affectionately regarded as a second father and a mentor. It really hit me with quite a shock when I heard of the bad news and immediately said a prayer for his eternal repose.

He was second in a brood of eight siblings (my dad was the fifth), and because the eldest son, Uncle Tony, left for the US with his family, leaving Uncle Bobby as the one taking charge of the six other brothers and sisters. I think the role stuck even towards the nephews and nieces that later came, as we all came to him for advice and guidance on different things.

Uncle Bobby was good looking, smart and was a very good speaker. In short, he could walk the walk and talk the talk. He was the man. Having served at the Olongapo Fiscal’s office for a while, he later transferred to the Subic Naval Base, assigned to take charge of strengthening employee-employer relations. His position allowed him to travel quite a bit and was sent to key parts in the US on TAD duty. It was during one of these trips that sparked my love for comic books; he came home one time and handed me a large package of comic books—The Marvel Secret Wars series, early X-men issues and a handful of Spiderman titles.

When the Americans left, he found himself working as a labor arbiter in the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and was able to prevent a large number of strikes by being able to sit down with concerned parties and successfully negotiating key solutions to smoothen issues out.

He was a devoted family man, he had four beautiful daughters that all turned out successful in their own right. However, I would like to believe that aside from his daughters, nephews like me and nieces, were also treated like his own children. He was always there for us, especially for me; I needed a suit and tie for a debating competition, have no fear, he was always there to offer his wide array of coats, polo shirts and ties—even teaching me how to tie a necktie. Such high is our respect and regard for Uncle Bobby that aside from our parent’s approval, we also sought what he had to say about it.

He was also the life of the Deleon parties. He would enamor us with stories of all our uncles and aunties and all their funny mishaps while growing up. All of us kids would listen intently for the punch line of each story, although we must have heard it a thousand of times by then. He even had this quirky funny song that he would sing to the babies, making us giggle in sheer laughter. If you knew the lyrics to “May isang putang inang matanda”, then you would know what I’m saying.

When Chairman Richard Gordon was removed from the SBMA in 1998 and I found myself in limbo with the incoming administration because of my former association as one of Gordon’s executive assistants, Uncle Bobby vouched for me and stated that we Deleon’s are professional career executives who focus on work more than dilly-dallying in politics. I obviously survived that episode and stayed on in the SBMA until I left for the UAE in 2007.

Towards his early sixties, Uncle Bobby got stricken by Parkinson’s disease and was forced to retire from work. It was a sickness that slowly took the best of him. What was once an icon of strength and vigor for me slowly shriveled, paining me to see him when his hands would be shaking and he would be walking with a cane. The last time I saw him was almost two years ago, during my last visit to the Philippines. He looked okay then, but I knew the pain he was going through and that really brought me to tears.

Uncle Bobby is gone now, and I want to believe that wherever he is, he is now at peace. He is probably up there in heaven now with my dad, exchanging hearty laughs with my grandparents. I will surely miss him but as the old saying goes; when I see you in the sun, I shall tell you much.

Thank you for everything, Uncle Bobby.

A Slap Happy Demurring..err..Desperate Call for your Vote and Support...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 21:20:00 +0800

Dear Friends,

This blog has been nominated for this year’s edition of the Pinoy Expat/OFW Blog Awards (PEBA 2010). The PEBA Awards is an annual event that seeks to recognize blogging excellence among Filipino bloggers who are based abroad. I have been nominated for my recent post entitled ‘Guidelines in Strengthening the OFW Family.’

In line with this, I would like to ask your support by visiting the PEBA website and join in on the voting process. On the left side bar of the PEBA website is a list of the current nominees in the Expat/OFW category; my blog, SLAP HAPPY is listed as Nominee No. 26. Please tick on the small whitebox next to it and click the ‘SUBMIT VOTE’ button directly below it. You can go to PEBA website through this link and the link provided below;

The final top ten will be announced in the next few days and the awards will be held in the Philippines in December, 2010.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for your support. More power to the Filipino blogging community.

Sincerely,

Anton Deleon
www.antonisat.blogspot.com

Guidelines in Strengthening the OFW Family

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:51:00 +0800

It is hard to be a Filipino working abroad; in a foreign land where the customs, traditions and common practices do not bear semblance to the common notions of everyday life that we have gotten used to.

It is equally harder to be Filipino working abroad without your family with you. The pressure of going through the rhythm of everyday life; work, home, work—tends to become very heavy with the idea that you are in a different place; far away from your wife, your kids, your friends and just about anyone who you have close to your heart.

Yes, such is the burden that each Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) carries. It is pretty plain and simple; you either learn to cope with it or you don’t. Many families have broken up because of the loneliness that an OFW brings.

Despite the courage to work abroad and be able to send a few dollars back home, the idea of loneliness still fathoms over and there is a longing for human warmth, companionship and just about the privilege to have someone beside you at the end of the day.

Thank God for modern technology though as the longing is assuaged by the presence of email, chat programs and even video messenger types like skype and yahoo messenger. Although significantly reducing the cases of broken families, there are still individuals who may feel the need for more than just a picture or a video on the internet.

The call for stronger OFW families is truly a long and tedious battle ahead. The need to save a failing family relationship beckons over the need to send dollars or send a new PSP, TV or laptop. Maybe, with the help of a strong set of guidelines and guidance, we can avoid the worst, but it will always boil down on the individual OFW—the strength and the conviction that he will not stray should always be there.

1. Reassure—Families should constantly express their feelings for each other. Husbands should always express their love and wives should reciprocate the gesture, regardless of who is abroad and who is left back home. This act of love aims to give strength and confidence to both individuals and other family members.

2. Reassess—Ask yourself, is going abroad really necessary? If so, do I have what it takes to be away from my family? Can I handle the pressure of being away? Will I break or will I make it?

3. Relax—OFW’s break under pressure on account for the lack of an outlet of relaxation or too much of it. It is okay to have friends and to go out. What is not OK is if you start looking for more. Learn to pick a hobby or a suitable outlet that can help you come to a perfect state of calm and relaxation.

4. Recount—Understand why you have chosen to go abroad; recount each reason and validate it by being the model family member.

5. Reinforce—Strengthen yourself, spiritually, mentally and physically. If you are alone and abroad then most likely no one will be there to care for you. Learn to care for yourself.

Being abroad is truly a challenge in itself but the idea of winning this battle all falls down on you. Love your family—remind yourself that you have made the sacrifice of being away so that you can provide for them. Only when you have the confidence to accept this can you say that what you have (your family) can not be broken.

Never trust your RP Labor Attache, especially if you're in Hong Kong

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:59:00 +0800

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) have long been dubbed as the new breed of Filipino Heroes; for without their constant remittances and contributions to the country, the Philippines would have long been damned into hellfire and oblivion. So, it is just proper, that the government –our government, take strides in trying to watch out for the welfare of these new heroes.

In Hong Kong, this is not the case.

First time OFW Agnes Tenorio found herself in a predicament when she arrived at her employer’s house only to find that she had been terminated from her contract. Desperate and new to Hong Kong, without knowing anyone, she did the most sensible thing to do—seek assistance from the local RP consulate.

Sensible is not the word to what happens next.

Upon her visit to the RP Consulate in HK, she was able to meet Labor Attache Romulo Salud. During their brief meeting, Tenorio, without knowing her rights as a contract worker, expressed her desire to just return home. Salud agreed immediately without even telling her of the options that wrongfully dismissed workers like her had.

Apparently, someone was able to properly advise Tenorio of what to do with her case—file a labor kase with the proper Hong Kong Labor Department. Filing a case will at least entitle her to proper wages and benefits that she rightfully deserves.

Armed with this newfound knowledge, Tenorio returned to the RP Consul office to see Salud again. Instead of showing support, the Labor Attache started a tirade at her, even scolding her for changing her mind about going home and not trusting her..wait, let me do you better, here is the actual conversation and you judge the whole thing from there;

This just made my blood boil over.

Foreign service officials like Salud have been assigned to foreign offices for the purpose of helping out their countrymen who have ended up in distressed situations and predicaments. They are there to serve and provide assistance, not scold and berate us.

How dare you, Mr. Salud, speak about rights when you did not even inform Ms. Tenorio of the choices and options she had (Wasn't this your duty in the first place?).

How dare you call yourself a labor attaché, when you can’t even inform a person of their labor rights.

How dare you sir.

Being an OFW myself, I rely on the privilege (or is it my right) to be able to go to the nearest RP Consul or Embassy to seek help if I need it. However, I also dread the fact that when I go there, I will be dealing with people like you. Arrogant sons of bitches who think we should bow down to your every instruction.

Well, let me tell you this. It’s the other way around you nincompoop. It’s our money that makes sure you’re there; it’s our money that allows you to serve us—SO SERVE US WELL.

Here is a lady, who has just arrived in a foreign land, not knowing anyone and suddenly finds herself in a situation that is all too stressful. She comes to you for help and what do you do? You lecture her on the finer points of Karapatan and how it is earned.

Wala kang karapatan, Gago. Wala ka diyan, kung wala kami.

I am not surprised if after this whole brouhaha, you will barely even get a slap on your wrist. But believe me, people like you do not deserve to represent my country in a foreign land. People like you should be sent back home.

Go home, Mr. Salud.

Hurdling through Chino's first periodical exams.....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:08:00 +0800

The past week was really hectic for the whole Deleon household as Chino went through his first set of periodical exams. Me and Bel, being the ever over bearing parents that we are, wanted to give him a leg up by reviewing him with different sample exams that he would answer for us. We would then check the test, see where he made mistakes and explained everything patiently to him.

Before we started on the review chores, me and the missus discussed a few points to consider since this was Chino’s first exams;

1. We didn’t want to stress him out with a barrage of reviews as it would wear out both the parent and the child.

2. We wanted to be interactive, which is why we based the trial exams on the pointers to review given by Chino’s teachers. We didn’t expect Chino to get all answers correct on the first try—we were looking out for that and see where he would make mistakes so that we could correct it for him by explaining why his answer was wrong.

3. We wanted him to experience the review sessions as something he would look forward to and not something he would avoid like the plague.

With all these three points, we proceeded to map out a schedule that would make review sessions easy and fun for the little boy. Luckily, Chino’s exams stretched out for the whole week, which allowed us to review him on a “one subject per day” basis.

Patience is truly a virtue when trying to review a little child. In the case of my four year old firecracker, he always had something to say or narrate that was completely off topic (like cartoons and previous trips to the mall); always asked for a bathroom break and always asked to rest his wrists. However, by the second night of reviewing, I guess Chino realized that both his mom and dad meant business and no amount of dilly-dallying would get us off his shoulder so he eventually gave in and diligently answered the test exams.

I don’t know if this is correct parental advice but giving him an incentive to look forward to also kept his spirits high. In this case, it was the promise of more Bakugans and a trip to the mall. Although, I never did get similar incentives from my parents in the past, I felt it was important to keep Chino motivated and focused at the same time.

The missus was the most patient of the two of us, as she really sunk her teeth into the review sessions. She made sure that Chino understood all the questions and even explained a few tagalong words and phrases for him to remember (Pilipino is part of Chino’s curriculum).

After each day, we would ask him how his exams went and Chino would just say “great” and would proceed to hum and mind his own business. This would really put us on the edge of our seats and drive us to focus more on the review.

Arriving from work last night, Chino gave me a set of papers that I was supposed to sign. It turns out that these were his test papers. With my hands trembling, I carefully opened each set to see his score. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that all his exams turned out pretty OK—all in the 97 percentile ranking. Me and Bel were grinning like idiots, while Chino just shrugged it off as if he was saying, I told you I could do it.

Well, now I have to keep my end of the bargain and buy him his Bakugan balls over the weekend.

Mission accomplished.

Quick Quips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:50:00 +0800

I think Ballsy Aquino took the words straight out from our moths when she pointed out that her brother, President Noynoy Aquino, prefers dating younger women. At the ripe age of fifty, the new President has been romantically linked with women almost half his age.

Err…So what?

What’s the big deal here. He’s single, and despite occupying the country’s top post, he too, is also human and needs a partner to talk to, have dinner with and well, you get my drift.

So, if he indeed made the call to at least let him be in terms of his dating life, well I think we ought to give him that. A happy president is by all means, a productive president.

**********

In true political irony, Senator Joker Arroyo got the wool pulled under his eyes when he was reminded that hey, weren’t you the one who called for CPP founding leader Joma Sison’s amnesty during Cory Aquino’s administration?

Yep, he did. Maybe he just forgot.

**********

Congressman Jules Ledesma’s odd behaviour during a GMA 7 interview has made me see twon things straight; first, the dude is in a different universe and second, wherever that universe may be, his odd grin and evil sneer makes me believe he is the Darth Vader of whatever universe he is in.

Go figure.

**********

DoJ Secretary Leila De Lima was quoted the other day saying that she was embarrassed that she still does not know where Senator turned fugitive Ping Lacson is.

Believe me madam when I say that you shouldn’t be embarrassed because I have no idea either.

*********

Presidential sister and actress Kris Aquino has signed on to do a movie with actor Dingdong Dantes.

Whoopsie daisy. (and they continue asking why Philippine cinema has never managed to move forward)

**********

Seeing an angry Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim lash back at his critics and the members of the IIRC committee was just so entertaining that they have to really air it on TV and radio for everyone to see.

Poor Lim, who despite a colorful police and political career, will now be remembered as the mayor who; left for coffee during the crucial hours of a hostage crisis and got mad because he was recommended for charges for going on a coffee break during the crucial hours of a hostage crisis.

Don’t even get me started with his vice mayor.

Garbage: Tons of it coming our way.......

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:20:00 +0800

A big garbage issue is brewing in my old hometown; so big that it has managed to pick the attention of fellow Olongapeno’s residing abroad and have expressed their disgust over the matter.

Apparently, the city council of Olongapo has passed a bill (Resolution No. 109) that would allow the dumping of garbage coming from Bulacan and Pampanga into the sanitary landfills of Olongapo—all for the measly price of PhP2, 300.00 per truck.

Okay, before we start mouthing off our violent reactions and start speaking those unspeakable cuss words we learned from American television, let’s try to discuss the matter.

First, let’s get to the root and cause of all of this.

Seven of the city’s elected councilors (which includes the local Association of Baranggay Chairmen (ABC) president and local SK Federation president) passed and approved a resolution that authorizes Mayor James Gordon Jr. to enter and sign an agreement with M22 Construction for the temporary (albeit no parameters of a time frame mentioned) use of Olongapo city’s dumpsite.

These seven gallant councilors passed and authorized a bill that, if you ask me, needed more time to be reviewed and analyzed. No, I don’t think they’re gallant in this aspect.

It takes a whole lot of common sense to know that in issues that concern dumping other people’s garbage in your own turf, it would be wise to first get the opinion of the people around you. Yes, my fellow councilors, the people who actually elected you into office.

What should have been done was that at the onset of this proposal being made to the city, the councilors should have made a gallant (there’s that word again) effort to hold public forums and discussions that seek to get the opinion and reaction of the local community.

Ergo, they should have asked us first this question, “DO YOU MIND IF WE ALLOW GARBAGE COMING FROM PAMPANGA AND BULACAN TO BE DUMPED IN OUR SANITARY LANDFILLS?”

Do we mind? Common sense (again, another word that will be constantly used in this post) dictates a “Yes, of course we do” answer.

Secondly, and I know that this is a required move in issues concerning garbage, was there an effort to conduct a feasibility study to find out if Olongapo can, aside from taking in all the garbage from the city itself, accommodate garbage from other areas.

I am guessing NO for an answer (Minadali nga eh). I have however, come across resources defending the bill saying that Olongapo can accommodate all the garbage from Olongapo, Pampanga and the Subic Bay Freeport for the next 60 years. If you say this I say this in response, “How dated is this detail and who conducted the study? Show it and bring it out.”

Now, since we have two resounding NO’s as answers to the two questions I raised, why on earth was this resolution passed immediately? Why were these councilors in such a hurry to get all that crap dumped into the city?

Wake up call fact—Olongapo is a city, Pampanga is a province. Comparison in size, population and number of households immediately put Olongapo at the losing end. Maybe the gallant councilors just didn’t get it right.

Wait, let me explain. Let me tell them from a macro perspective. Imagine all the garbage coming from our houses (which in this situation, represents different areas of Pampanga) being dumped into your front yard (which in this situation, represents Olongapo). Best part is, we’re dumping without even asking permission (which represents the absence of consulting your constituents). Got it? Wait, I bet you wouldn’t even like it if I even offered to pay you for it.

The issue has become so hot that even social networking site Facebook has got discussions and special pages for it. This should not be elevated to an Opposition versus Pro-Gordon thing. It is an issue of wanting what is best for our city. It’s an issue of public health, safety and the after effect it will leave on a city that has been recognized as one of the cleanest and greenest in the country.

Yes, from being the most clean and green we are now moving into being the dumpsite of choice in Central Luzon.

Think about that.