music treat

formula one's sibilant, hissing cars are roaring in the telly in the background. jenson button is pushing hard and leading? why? i'll never be a fan of posh toffs. but who is it to foretell whether my opinions and generalizations wouldn't alter in the future?

for those of us who labor under harsh circumstances, life is all the more harder with the stress of working life which is laden with hassles and aggravations. but there is always a bright side in any endeavors. cater to thy vanity to improve the self-esteem is not actually my motto, but it'll do.

i'm taking a deep breath and just tranquilizing with positive ardor. things to do : eat vegetables, absorb the readings. a few fruit nibbles would be nice for my angst and this live act from nearby wembley is a part of my innermost exploration.

comedy note

comedy central uk has been my refuge from all things rubbish in this highly-stressful environment. sometimes it's all a bit shite. but they don't make me scream in disgust as the reality shows on E! and MTV. or i'm just insecure as i don't journey through life in yachts, private jets and five-star hotels? or spend $20 grand in one boutique? right.

in a way, sitcoms are there to make the load lighter. they could be reruns or current series, i've seen ten seasons of friends over and over and i'm still finding the bits funny. in two an half men, i just enjoy looking at the set, who wouldn't want to live in malibu? and the youngest harper is the funny one. everybody loves raymond benefited from the presence of two stand up comics in the cast which is such a laugh with the hilarious writing and deliveries. it's hardly dysfunctional or the grinding presence of in-laws in filipino families make our lives tragic. frasier's lines are very recondite as niles and frasier are worldly-sophisticated shrinks with high-brow ambitions. yet, they don't behave as irredeemable toffs as their real life counterparts.

southpark is as adult as it gets for an animated series. nothing is sacred in southpark, whether it's obama or mccain, or paris hilton or kanye west, tom cruise or britney spears. it's an unheard of entity in my working world and i can't help but wonder whether it's my luck or TFC central is a hard channel to beat.

hometown videos

the videos are a continuation of the piece my bacolod heart. it's a long way from october, the month of masskara. the little morsels of home keep us surreal, keep us grounded. thanks, probe tv.

a country in focus

as a filipino living abroad, there's a level of coarseness in dealing with the locals' perception of the philippines. with all the news of skirmishes and turmoils emanating from the news media and a few international documentaries dissecting the anatomy of slum dwelling in manila, unless that certain local is schooled in the art of multi-cultural appreciation, the chances of being discerned as crude and unrefined is status quo. one documentary that my dart thrower saved for me was the last episode of the explore series by the BBC entitled explore: manila to mindanao. it started off very nicely with an expedition to the banaue rice terraces. this ancient man-made structure is such a thing of beauty and wonder rendering astonishing appeal to world tourism. it's just sad that some newer generations of ifugaos are opting out of farming and would rather work in the cities where the pay is better.

the next stop was manila north cemetery and a closer inspection the people living amongst the tombs and mausoleums. part of my yearly familial childhood event was all souls day every november, it was easy to notice some families living amongst the graves. shelter is one basic need. unlike in the uk, the philippine government does not actually provide free domicile to its people. so if one is unfortunate enough to be born amongst the poorest in the city, the public cemeteries are open spaces for living accomodations. but seeing the pictures from a western perspective, the picture became a bit tawdry. but that's the facts of existence.

the broadcast also touched on the doctrine of the catholic church against contraception. there was an analytical inspection of a family of 11 children living in the tenements. ever since i can discern, the catholic church has been blamed for the philippines' population explosion. education is really the key here. i had an argument with this with my social studies teacher as a high school sophomore, i advocated for abstinence, poor prudish me. but my teacher adhered though that would be too arduous a route for the average man. as far i know, contraceptions are readily available from the health centers. but then the people go to church on sundays and the priests pitch eternal damnation to those who uses contraception. it's a balance of ideas and beliefs, scanning doctrines and burrowing deeper into the sense of right and wrong.

the devotion to the black nazarene is one unfamiliar subject. imperial manila would immediately associate that with my provincial upbringing. but who cares. growing up in the vast open spaces with fewer people had somehow provided the backbone for my opinions. there was a shot of the stampede, a herd of people and their frenzied fanatical devotion. it's dangerous but it's tradition.

the interview with imelda was an instant favorite. for someone who is turning 80 in july, she looks amazing. i will write about this particular interview and my imelda readings in the very near future. but moving on, the program went south to palawan, one of the most beautiful places on earth. i have never been there. but i've seen a part of its beauty in the movie ploning. there was discourse on the sea gypsies and their relocation from the seaside and away from their comfort zone of fishing. it surely reminds me of banago port back in bacolod. all those sights of plastics in water, not very pleasant. the chocolate hills in bohol is very beautiful. the topic on the rapidly disappearing philippine tarsiers is quite sad. denuded forestry equals loss of habitat. sad.

there was of course the subject of mindanao. i get the gist of the conflict. it's a complicated combat ground. each side is driven by its ideologies. i might ask some friends who are from the region about their views. what do manny pacquiao think?

all in all, the documentary wasn't permeated with general negativity. the philippines is bewitching in its allure. most people despite the lack of resources could speak three languages and the charming disposition of its people is more convivial than the depressed outlook of the west.

( from province dear, the clear waters of sipalay)

bed rest corner

leaving much to be desired, my tv viewing habits had hit a snag. i would not be missing clooney's 15th season appearance in er, but i'm still on grissom mode in csi, the original cast of the forensic series still inhabit the fairy tale. i have to work extra hours for the season eight dvd to follow through with the agonizing cast changes. but with the lifting restrictions, the eventualities would be far and few and perhaps nil. i used to watch desperate housewives then stopped after that susan mayer incident denigrating the education of my people. it's not always well-heeled comfort in the first world or broad-minded folks populating the G8 nations. as the crunch has signified, there are cracks in the foundation and the storylines in night time soaps are beyond incredulous anyway. while tuning into the 80's soap falcon crest, i would have to cringe through the odious portions of the drama if not for the invention of digital recording devices. but since the forward button is available, i end up watching only the bits that befuddled my thoughts more than twenty years ago. those bygone era with a nary a computer in sight much less a mobile phone which were part and parcel of my archaic adolescence.

gripped by the tension and stress emanating from the gossipy shadows, solitude is not that dreadful an endeavor. fidgetting with the clicker is always informative. so does the pursuit of literary projects, whether by composition or reading the deft print of an important dissertation. nah, i'm just delirious with fever and semi bed-bound, and has completely lost my taste for yogurt. it's lovely weather outside, time to relish the zest of a fascinating weekend.

snail mail fun

it has been relaxing, however very brief, my respite from all the groaning and the heavy lifting. i still need a dose of two white pills to clear my head. angel cabrera masters triumph remind me of a victory barely two years ago. some guys have all the luck.

i'm no keira knightley fan but i do collect mag covers of john mayer's ex, who like the damsel from posh england, is no web aficionado either. the internet is a useful tool, not altogether "dehumanizing," using the affluent young lady's term. i can't do twitter though. a status update every few hours is simply too revealing for my reclusive outlook of the universe. i don't even text that much anymore. friends and family scatter all over the globe, a mere text accrues a fortune by pressing reply several times. though e-mails are necessary in this day and age, would it be too much to reply with a card or a letter if you're sent a snail mail? i know paper is a fire hazard and a letter is an antiquated form of communication but retrieving a lovely card from the mail compartment remains a splendid treat that an e-card could never replace. it means that despite a hectic, fast paced lifestyle, one person cares enough to visit a post office or depending on one's terrtitory, got access to a stamp and passed by a mail box. it's cheesy but it's true.

grace versus power

miniature fume

blessed are those who are not working during the weekend. while the favored many would be dipping their toes in mood enhancing soirees, i would be with the few unfortunate souls, stuck in the doom and gloom of depressed mind sets. i could be this bitch, mouthing all the profanities known to mankind and in the tv series the wire (which is amazingly brilliant, it's expanding my word base). eunice uttered yesterday that being a bitch is not encrypted in my DNA ( she didn't actually say that exact phrase, but that was the tune). actually, i'm a cantankerous malcontent who gripes and grumbles with the disenfranchised. i literally come out of the woodwork and refuse to acknowledge the ubiquities of the ill-bred little mice who think the world of themselves. one of those little mice is the subject of this article (a common friend's bff). what is it with plumbing and the maledictions of skewerd bicarbs?

but since today is actually a day of prayer, i shouldn't curse the hell out of those little mice and be kind and nurturing. be grateful of thine tiny bounties. manage the hustle and bustle of the enclave with more resurgence and come up trumps with the follow-through. the bank holidays may be setting me back a few days from the mandatory chores but i'm keeping calm.

bright lights, sports city

holy week

in a hurry to accomplish tasks right this instance, i have to think fast on my feet while setting the screen alight. the attainment of my to-do list is always impeded due to my lackadaisical ways. there should be laws against drifting off in the middle of the day. there are distractions all around-- i'm flipping over books and magazines to read and checking up the shows on comedy central uk. i'm poring over the non-existent menu for this week. it's holy week, but all they think over here is easter, part of the multi-cultural milieu. i remember in the old days when thurdays and fridays were bereft of tv signals and it was all about going to church and getting the good view for the processions. i cherished those moments with my lola dels and lola cel. i was probably the only grandchild who sat in the pews at the church in luzuriaga street ( i coudn't believe i have to google the street). butch was sometimes there but it was mostly me. my lolas were graced with benevolent hearts and shimmered with such beautiful souls. i couldn't forget the clothes, the food, all the stories at bedtime and the boundless care and devotion they've showered to me and my brothers. in their ways, i hope my two youngest siblings would also enshrine their memories just as they honor our parents.

summer poetry

A something in a summer’s Day
As slow her flambeaux burn away
Which solemnizes me.

A something in a summer’s noon —
A depth — an Azure — a perfume —
Transcending ecstasy.

And still within a summer’s night
A something so transporting bright
I clap my hands to see —

Then veil my too inspecting face
Lets such a subtle — shimmering grace
Flutter too far for me —

The wizard fingers never rest —
The purple brook within the breast
Still chafes it narrow bed —

Still rears the East her amber Flag —
Guides still the sun along the Crag
His Caravan of Red —

So looking on — the night — the morn
Conclude the wonder gay —
And I meet, coming thro’ the dews
Another summer’s Day!

-emily dickinson-

it's not yet summer, not quite. but the late sunset is something to behold. the sun reinforces and re-activates my sullen spirit. time is still of the essence as i'm filtering activities in my calendar. is it really going to be a rainy saturday? but the sunny intervals for sunday and monday makes up for oh so wet saturday, somehow.