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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Fairy Tail Stories

Dear insansapinas,
May narinig akong celebrity na nagsabing kailangang gisingin ang mga bata (alas kuwatro dito ang live coverage ng kasal ni Prince William at HRH Catherine Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge dahil ito ang wedding na fairy tail ehek fairy tale. BAKEEET. Ang fairy tale, nag-eending ng happily ever after. Itong mga prince at princesses na nag-aasawa, nagdidivorce.


Ayon sa statistics ang kasal daw ng royalty ay 66 per cent fail. Ibig sabihin, divorce sila. Tingnan natin ang mga anak ni Queen Elizabeth:

Princess Anne
Princess Anne and the ex of Duchess Camilla, Andrew Park Bowles
 photocredit: daily mail

 She married Lt. Mark Philipps in 1973  in a wedding of the decade watched by 100 million people worldwide. When she was still single, she was often escorted  by Andrew Parker-Bowles  who was rumored to be the love of her life (Yes Virginia, Andrew Parker Bowles was  the ex of Duchess of Cornwall CAMILLA) but she could not marry him because he is a Roman Catholic. At that time, Camilla was also running after Parker Bowles who was popular among ladies. Ugh.  (Mga love triangle talaga anoh. Hmmm,)

Princess Anne and Mark Philipps  divorced in 1992 with two children with no royal titles since Philipps did not accept the earldom offered by the Queen upon their marriage.

In the same year, she married Commander Timothy Lawrence. They have no children.

In 2007, she was seen with Andrew Parker Bowles again. Gossips heard were the marriage to the commander was shaky and  that the Queen intervened for any attempt of divorce.The Queen was determined to stop  her only daughter divorcing again to remarry.

Ano kaya nagkabalikan si Princess Anne at si Parker-Bowles at nagkikita-kita sila sa royal occasion ni Camilla at ni Prince Charles. Masaya. One big happy family.

Itutuloy


Pinaysaamerika






While the World Watched the Wedding

Dear insansapinas,
While theworld watched the wedding:


credit: CNN

1. Obama was visiting the victims of tornado in Alabama.

2. Donald Trump was questioning Obama's Harvard school records? .
Pagkatapos ng nakakahiyang kaso ng halos isampal kay Donald Trump ang birth certificate ni Obama galing sa Hawaii, ang kaniyang academic backgeound naman ang kaniyang pinakikialaman. You're Fired, Trump.


3. OMG Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez Resigns


She wrote in her resignation letter that she wants to spare the nation from lengthy, expensive and divisive impeachment trial.


Sayang ang mga robes na pinagawa ng mga Senators. Sayang ang mga pagpaderma nila para good-looking sila sa camera.


Hampas sa kabayo, latay sa kalabaw? Nasaan ang kalabaw? When you are at the end of the rope and the person you trusted to save you let you hang to your death, there is no other recourse but to let go,


3,, Pope John Paul II


Rome is set to beatify the first global pope, six years after his death. Usually, it takes decades or even centuries to declare a person a candidate for sainthood.


4.Heidi Mendoza, the feisty auditor who is now the COA Comissioner was the guest speaker in Washington DC 
 in the World Bank's talk on“Effective Auditing as the Bane of Grand Corruption”.
She  divulged how the cost of Mongol pencils were overpriced and the government funds amounting to 25 million  was diverted to the wedding of a government official and how the bond paper costs Php 800 millions for AFP.


Tapos ininuwi ng mga empleyado sa bahay nila.

By warning that the pork barrel may be audited, the auditor might have just invited lots of enemies.


Pinaysaamerika

Friday, April 29, 2011

The Wedding of the Year- Prince William and Kate Middleton

Dear insansapinas,
Live Blog na may kasamang hilik.
Prince William and Kate Middleton Royal Wedding


photocredit: CNN


Wala akong interes sa wedding, insan. Sa totoo lang, nagising ako para uminom ng gamot. Naalala ko na kailangan palang ma-i-mail yong copy ng ibinayad ko sa Association of Radiologists. Sila yong kumukuha ng aking catscan at MRI. Hindi raw nila natanggap. Talking about efficiency and competence. Haaay.  Tapos, uminom ako ng tea. (very British). ulp. Hindi na ako nakatulog. Kaya panood na lang ako ng live coverage ng royal wedding. (Daming palusot), manonood din pala.


Hats Galore!!!
Iba-ibang sumbrero, iba-ibang kulay, may mga malalaking bulaklak, may mga ibong nakadapo, may mga balahibo (DON'T DO THIS AT HOME if you are not British). Tradition na nila yon. Parang noon ay hindi tayo makapunta sa simbahan ng walang belo. Parang hosiery rin na parang pakiramdam mo ay hubad ka pag hindi ka nakasuot noon dahil kasama yon sa outfit para masabing you're properly dressed sa occasion na taboo ang pantalon para sa mga babae kaya kailangan makai-skirt.


Prince Willian and Prince Harry


Tama ang sinabi ni Barbara W. Ang legacy ni Princess Di sa dalawang prinsipe ay ang kaguwapuhan nila. Imaginin mo kung si Prince Charles at si Camilla ang naging parents ng mga ito. mwehehehe.


Social din silang dalawa. Panay ang kaway sa crowd na kalayo naman pala. Baka ni anino ng dalawang prinsipe hindi pa nila nakita. Buti na lang dito sa bahay manood.


Ang Famililes lang ng bride and groom ang naka Rolls Royce. Ang ibang kamag-anak at bisita ay nakasakay sa mini-bus. Sana nag-apply akong barker. 


Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall Camilla


Dumating na ang mag-asawa. Sabi ni Barbara Walter, mahal naman daw ni Prince William ang kaniyang stepmother dahil pinaliligaya nito ang kaniyang father. Unselfish love, noh?  In fwerness, simple lang si Camilla. Isang strand of pearl lang ang suot. Simple rin ang kaniyang sumbrero, hindi kagaya noon na outrageous. Mukha na rin siyang babae. 


Queen Mother


Wow, nakayellow si Queen Elizabeth. Wala siyang suot na alahas maliban sa strand of pearls at Love broach. Magiging insensitive ba sila sa mga naghihirap na bansa kung susuotin niya ang mga alahases  sa okasyong ito?


Nag pause sila sa loob ng simbahan, nag-usap.  


Kate Middleton and her commoner father


Sabi ni Barbara, ang good investment na ginawa ng parents ni Kate ay ang pag-aralin siya sa isang exclusive school. Doon niya nakilala ang prinsipe.


Huli pala siya sa balita. Marami akong istudyanteng babae noon sa Graduate School na biruan namin kaya sila nageMBA ay para makakilala ng mga executives. Problema, taken na naman ang mga yon. 


Pinakasimple si Kate. Wala siyang kuwintas na diamonds, pero meron siyang hikaw na palagay ko hindi naman cubic zirconia ano.


Pero ang tiara niya yata ang mahal. Simple rin ang trahe de boda. Ang kaniyang veil ay isang layer lang ng tulle material at ang maiksi lang ang kaniyang "train". 


Sa harap ng altar, parehong nakatalikod ang magkapatid na William at Harry. Malapit nang maging Arabo si Prince William (arabuhok) Si Prince Harry naman ay parang nagshower lang at hindi sinuklay ang buhok sa likod.


Ang Kasal


Mabilis lang ang ceremony. Hindi kagaya sa atin na sa kahabaan, ang mga ring bearers at flower girls ay ginagawang playground ang simbahan. 


Masikip ang singsing kay Kate. 


Pagkatapos ng wedding ceremony, tsinupi na sila sa gilid ng altar, inalis yong kanilang pinagkaluhuran at nagsimula na ang mass. 


Pinakita ang mga guests.
1. hindi ko nakita si Mr. Bean
2. may isang bisita, nakasuot siya ng damit na ang design ay kapareho ng aking comforter. Arghh
3. may isang babae, ang dekorasyon sa kaniyang hat ay nakatusok sa katabi,


4. Nakita ko yong isang miyembro ng royal family na mahilig magsuot ng ridiculous hat. Ngayon ang suot niya ay parang malaking emblem o logo. 
4. haynaku hindi ko paborito si elton john
Naku mahaba rin ang homily. Patama sa MABUHAY Ang BAGONG KASAL.


Matibay pa rin si Prince Philip, asawa ni Queen Elizabeth sa edad na 90 years old. Gising siya sa homily. Pero wala siya sa lolo ko, more than 90 noon, nagkakarga pa ng Shellane gas tank. Hindi yong maliliit na gas tank ngayon ha. Yong malalaki.


Tapos na ang homily. Nagsasalubong na ang kilay ni Prince William kaseh.


Balik na naman sina Prince William at Kate sa gitna ng altar.
Tapos na ang misa. May blessing na.


Ah? Wala silang religious icon sa Cathedral pero meron silang retrato ng Mother of Perpetual Help?


Fairy Tale Moment


Feel pa rin siguro ng mga royals ang sentiment ng mga tao kay Princess Di kaya panay ang banggit nila na her memory lives.


Sa tingin ko rin palaban si Kate hindi kagaya ni Princess Di na umiiyak sa bathroom mag-isa at binibigyan pa ni Prince William noon ng kleenex.  Wala pa naman kasing 20 si Princess Di nang mag-asawa. Si Kate ay 30 years old na. Six years lang ang tanda nang mamatay ang ina ni Prince William. Damdam ni Prince William ang lungkot ng kaniyang ina.


Lumalabas na ang entourage.
Magkahawak kamay ang prinsipe at prinsesa (na). Changing partners naman si Prince Charles sa nanay ni Kate at si Duchess Camilla naman ay sa ama ni Kate. Ang kapatid naman niya ay escorted ni Prince Harry. One big happy family?


Bulungan na baka si Prince William ang gawing king? Hahawakan ng Queen ang position hanggang siya ay buhay. 

Sponsor ng Queen ang wedding breakfast. Hindi nman pala maraming bisita. 650 lang. Sa dinner naman ay 300. Hindi mga waltz ang sasayawin doon kung hindi disco.


Marami naman palang mga ordinaryong tao ang inimbita sa kasal. Isang pub-owner, postman, butcher, boutique owner. At binigyan sila ng mas importanteng lugar sa loob ng cathedral.


Pinaysaamerika

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Weddings, Relationships and Tornadoes

Dear insansapinas,

First, the tornadoes. 


Since late evening last night, there were warning alerts for DC, Maryland and Virginia for tornadoes, flashfloods and thunderstorms. In Virginia, eight people died while in  Alabama, 149 people perished which increased the death tolls in the states of Georgia and Arkansas.


Pagtanaw ko sa lakas din ng hangin sa amin. Dito ang  toilets, bathrooms and elevators for high rise residential apartments lang ang may solid foundation. 


Weddings
Bata pa ang mother ko nang ikasal si Queen Elizabeth noong 1947. Kagaya nang karaniwang mortal na lumaki sa mga istorya ng mga prinsipe at prinsesa (Dala ng mga Merkano, bago tayo binigyan ng independence), fascinated siya sa pinakasikat na royal family sa mundo. Siyempre wala pa noong TV, internet  
para makita ang coverage kaya nagkasya na lang siya sa panis ng balita at retrato ng kasal. 


Kaya noong nagkaroon siya ng kaibigan na makakasama niya pagpunta ng Europe, unang pinuntahan ang United Kingdom. Sabi pa niya sa akin...TO VISIT THE QUEEN. hahaha. Tapos wala siyang makitang restroom nang siya inabot ng tawag ng nature. Takbo siya pauwi sa hotel nila. Hindi niya nakita ang Queen pero nakipagsipatan naman siya ng tingin sa mga guardiyang parang istatwa.  Saka lang siya pumunta sa Lourdes, France.


Nang ikasal naman si Princess Diana, meron na ngang TV pero wala pang internet. Kaya ang coverage (ewan ko hindi ko matandaan) ay delayed telecast. Kahit naman marami akong nabasang Nancy Drew at Sherlock Holmes, meron ding akong mga binasang "and they lived happily ever after" na kwento.  Ikalawang generation. 



Nang mamatay si Princess Di, nawalan ako ng gana sa mga royal families. Ayon sa kapitbahay  namin na napunta at nagtrabaho sa London bilang  DH, kapag libre raw silang mga magkakababayan ay nagpapalitan sila ng mga istorya tungkol sa amo nila. Isang Filipina raw ang nagsisilbi sa kitchen ng palasyo ang nagkuwento na sila ay nagpapanic pag pumpupunta sa kitchen si Princess Di para kumuha ng juice. Hindi raw ugali nito ang tuimawag ng katulong kung magagawa niya. Ito raw ang madalas ireklamo ng royal family na kahit mabait naman sa kanilang ng household staff ay may sinusunod pa ring protocol. 


Nang makita ko ang picture niya na hinahalikan si Prince Charles, pakiwari ko mamatay-matay sa selos si Camilla. Pero siya ang pumili kay Princess Di para maitago ang kanilang relasyon. KAINIS.


Ngayon ikakasal si Prince William. Ano kaya ang nararamdaman ni Camilla. Buti naman at di siya pumapapel kahit siya ang future queen. Ikalawa lang sa linya si Kate dahil si Prince William ang sunod kay Prince Charles sa trono. Hindi ko alam kong excited ang aking tsikiting gubat sa kasal na ito. Ikatlong generation.


Relationships


Masuwerte pa rin ang ating mga kababaihan sa Pilipinas Kay Ganda Koh. Sa Pakistan at India, ang babae ang naghahanap nang mapapangasawa at sila rin ang nagbibigay ng dowry. Ang pamilya ng babae ang namimili ng babaeng pakakasalan ng kanilang anak.


Sa US, ang father o ang bride mismo ang gumagastos sa kasal except yong suot ng groom. Matuk mo?


Kung napanood ninyo ang MULAN (Mulan ba kagabi), ang babae ay pinipresent ang sarili nila sa mga lalaking naghahanap ng mapapangasawa. Ang mail-order bride noon ay sa mga Hapones na nagmigrate sa US para magtrabaho sa sugar plantation at umuorder ng mapapangasawa sa Japan. Binibigyan nila ang pera ang mga magulang ng babae na ipadadala sa US para maging asawa at katu-katulong sa pataniman.


Dekada ang nakaraan, hindi pa rin nagbago ang kulturang yaon. Kung may match.com sa US kung saan parehong babae at lalaki ang nagpaparegister para makakuha ng karelasyon, sa Japan ay ang mga babae ang nagpapasimula ng paghanap. Kung inaakala nang marami na ang 9. magnitude na lindol ay nakapagpigil nang paghanap ng relasyon, nagkakamali sila. Ang mga kumpaniya na naghahanap ng mapapangasawa ng mga babae ay patuloy pa rin ang lakas ng pagtanggap ng miyembro kahit na ang unang bayad ay 1,200 dollars at monthly fee na 120. Talagang mamahalin mo nga ang iyong asawa. MAHAL Ang IBINAYAD MO EH.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Movie Celebrities na papanaw pa ngayong taon 2011

Dear insansapinas,
Special request lang sa isang reader. 
Ito ang hula ni Madame Suzette noong Bagong Taon at Semana Santa: 


Siyempre hindi papangalanan pero pag namatay saka sasabihing sila na nga.
Beteranong aktor at aktres, papanaw ayon sa hula ni Madam Suzette
REGULAR guest si Madam Suzette Arandela sa New Year presentation ng Mel & Joey ng GMA-7 kaya naman, nitong nakaraang New Year episode ay hinulaan nitong may isang young actor na masasawi sa pamamagitan ng vehicular accident.
Si AJ Perez ang tinutukoy sa kanyang hula dahil declared dead on arrival ang aktor noong madaling araw ng April 17 nang nasalpok ng Partas bus ang van na kanilang sinasakyan.
Pati ang pagbubuntis ni Regine Velasquez sa taong ito ay kanyang nahulaan. Heto na, nagkatotoo ang nasabing pagbubuntis dahil lampas isang buwan na ito. Hindi dahil may migraine ang mang-aawit kaya ito laging nadadala sa hospital at lalong hindi ito tumataba dahil sa mga gamot na iniinom kundi ang totoong dahilan ay buntis siya.
Malakas ang power ng mga gifted na katulad ni Madam Suzette tuwing Semana Santa kaya may bago siyang hula. Isang beteranong aktor ang kanyang nakikitang may karamdaman ngayon na tuluyang mamamaalam sa taong ito. Isang aktres ang mamamaalam din pero hindi mamamatay sa aksidente at lalong hindi sa sakit kundi sa isang drug related death


source: pinoyexchange  

Pinaysaamerika

Users

Dear insansapinas,


Buti naman at nalibing na ang batang artistang namatay sa aksidente kung hindi, papayat ako kasusuka sa mga balitang nababasa ko. Mga artista, pulitiko at mga entertainment writers na gumamit sa malagim na tadhana para sa kanilang mga libreng publisidad. Awrrkkkkk.


Ganiyan talaga sa showbiz at politics, gamitan. Kita mo ang mga sumasakay sa isyu ni Jan-jan ang child abuse na mga bata--mga bloggers na marahil hindi pa nakalakad sa Quaipo, sa Taft, sa Intramuros at sa Luneta para makita ang TALAGANG PAGPAPABAYA, PAGGAMIT AT PAG-ABUSO SA MGA BATA.


Ang agenda ay lumalabas. Sa hardin na maraming mga tanim na maysakit, isa lang ang talaga ang gusto nilang bunutin--ang punong hitik sa bunga, si WR. Kesehodang mamatay ang buong garden dahil hindi magalaw ang ibang tanim na maysakit.Sana ginamit ang kontrobersiyang ito sa pagbabago ng lahat ng programang naapektuhan ang mga bata at ang pagpataas ng kalidad ng programang napapanood ng mga Filipino.


Nakita na kaya ng mga bloggers na ito at ang mga miyembro ng mga asosasyon nabiglang nagsusulputang parang kabute para magsampa ng kaso. (sa atin atin lang ito, saan kinuha ang perang ginagamit sa paggastos sa mga legal fees? ) Pag nagsampa ng kaso, may bayad yon. Ibig mong sabihin gagastusin nila ang kinikita nila sa mga Paypal Donations nila sa kanilang website o kaya ang mga ibinabato sa kanilang bayad sa pagpopromote ng mga produkto ng mga kumpaniya (oweno kung hindi naman talaga quality ang serbisyo, oweno kung hindi talaga masarap ang pagkain sa restaurant na binabanggit nila). USERS.


 Ano ang kanilang motibo?


Nagbakasyon ang aking kapatid from Boston at ang kaniyang family para mapuntahan ang mga museum sa DC. Daming tao at matraffic. 


Sa pag-uusap, nabanggit niya ang pagbakasyon niya sa Pilipinas Kay Gandah Ko noong isang taon. Magkasunuran lang kami. Gulat siya naglipanang mga bata sa Manila. Kung noon marami na, mas marami ngayon sabi niya. At sa Taft daw ay di ka makalakad ng hindi pasigsag ang lakad mo sa sidewalk sa dami ng mga tao. 



Umalis siya sa Pilipinas Kay Gandah Ko matapos siyang makapaglingkod sa kaniyang alma mater. Tapos siya sa UP College of Nursing at nag-intern at nagtrabaho siya sa PGH. Tapos siya ng high school sa Manila Science High School kung saan nakatanggap siya ng Presidential Award sa kanilang proyekto. 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Mons Romulo-Tantoco's Storms in Life

Dear insansapinas,






Mons Romulo -Tantoco wrote: 


We all have experienced low moments in our lives. Feeling helpless, not knowing what tomorrow would be. But we all know that after every storm the sun definitely always shines. My celebration of Easter today is much more meaningful. I have survived the most challenging storms in my life. I have accepted and now know why things happened the way they did. I am in a much happier place in my life, so grateful of where I am today. Like the fresh hope that Easter brings, I am inspired and looking forward to what tomorrow will bring.

Read the whole article here for the stories of people from different sectors of society about the storms in their lives and how they survived.


Storms, Tornados and Earthquake

I got a friend who survived storm after storm in her life.  It seemed seasons of typhoon, tornados and earthquake did not leave her since she was starting to understand    what life really is.


Her mother was the one putting food on their table as her father was wasting his life in bottles day-after-day. She helped her sold vegetables and fruits in one of the public markets in Quezon City.
After high school, she worked as "katulong" in Manila. 


Her income was not enough to augment the family's to support her other three siblings. Her older sister was enrolled by her mother in a university hoping that she would be able to get a decent job when she finished a business degree But she didn't. She met a man several older than she  was and lived in with him when she became pregnant.


My friend, losing hope that she could attain her ambition of finishing college herself decided to go to the Middle East. The relentless prodding of her mother for her to become an OFWmade her ignore the sad stories of the domestic helpers who worked in the Arab countries.


In her short stay in that country, she never got a cent of her salary. She had to sleep with a steak knife under her pillow --that was when she had time to sleep. She worked from dawn to midnight When she sensed that her employer was  attempting to sexually assault her, she escaped and with the help of another Filipino, she was able to go home  to the Philippines without passport and money to pay their debts.


Her mother who was really keen on making her go abroad, married her off to a US veteran who was almost her grandfather.  The marriage did not last long although the man was kind enough to help her family financially even after they separated.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Birth Control Pills and IPhone


 Dear insansapinas,

Birth Control Pills 
Several women in the province stopped using birth control pills because of the side effects that they observed in their bodies. It is just like other meds where it is curative to a certain health issue but it would bring tons of side effects that may be the cause for the med taker to croak. 

Because you can buy it without prescription, the pharmacist will give you a look-- like her eyes are cat scan machines  that can penetrate thru your body and  get any brand that she thinks suits you. That is if you have no brand reference yet.  In the province,women go to health centers to get their free supply of the pills, unaware of the side effects it may bring. 

Even though there are already news that a certain birth control pill is found to put women in risk, in the PHL, I am not sure whether there are some actions taken to recall the brands or warnings made to the pill users. 

Are we still the landfill (read: Dumping ground) of the obsolete, close to obsolete, phased out and or rejected products of the West?


Take for instance this news:

Women who are using a newer version of birth control that contains the hormone drospirenone have a higher risk of serious blood clot, according to two studies published in the online version of the British Medical Journal.
Drospirenone is found in birth control pills such as Ocella, Yasmin and Yaz.
The studies found that drospirenone has two to three times more risk of blood clots compared with birth control pills containing an older form of a progestin hormone called levonorgestrel. Dr Susan Jick, lead authors said that these findings “provide further evidence that levonorgestrel pills appear to be a safer choice” pertaining to blood clots.
Ano kayang masasabi ng maiingay na pro-life, pro contraceptives  advocates?

Parang prinotektahan mo ang itlog, inilagay mo naman sa panganib yong manok.

IPhone

My brother forwarded this link after I asked him if the Android is also doing the same to users.

Got an iPhone or 3G iPad? Apple is recording your moves

A hidden file in iOS 4 is regularly recording the position of devices.

Today at Where 2.0 Pete Warden and I will announce the discovery that your iPhone, and your 3G iPad, is regularly recording the position of your device into a hidden file.
What makes this issue worse is that the file is unencrypted and unprotected, and it's on any machine you've synched with your iOS device. It can also be easily accessed on the device itself if it falls into the wrong hands.
 And I thought it only happens in spy/mystery/detective series like NCSI, Castle and Criminal Minds.

In the old episodes of NCSI, the nerd MCGee was able to trace the location of the suspect by tracking the cell phone without a GPS that he was using until the latter ditched it and used the disposable cell phone from Wall Mart and 7-11.

Then the latest in the Law and Order (I am not sure) was the mother who activated an App in the cell phone of her daughter to know where she went after school hours.

Life imitates art far more than art imitates life. 

Gone are the days when the spy and the superhero have to fight it out with other people to use the phone booth not only to change costume but to contact home..like ET? hehehe


The first time, my friend got a cell phone, I thought she was carrying a hammer inside her tote bag. It was big and heavy; so was the battery. The phone alone can be used as weapon--to strike any person attempting to steal it. bwahaha

As to tracking the whereabouts of the users, for some Filipino tweeters, there is no need for it. They post in their twitter where they are every single hour of the day. An assassin  who would like to study their  daily routines does not need an IQ of the Big Bang Theory dudes to come up with the plan of locating him.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Glimpses of Heaven

Dear insansapinas,


I stayed awake late night Saturday trying to finish reading some books which are due this week. I did not like any story plot so I turned the TV on. The gospel channel was showing King of Kings. The acting was flat and it suffers in comparison with  Mel Gibson's version, The Passion of Christ. It ended half past twelve. At 12:00 I paused to say a little prayer. It was Resurrection. I remember my mom who told us kids to jump during this day so we would grow taller. 


Glimpses of Heaven
It was the next feature that intrested me. It was entitled, Where Do we Go after we die? In the Apostles' Creed, it says that Jesus Christ descended into hell...which was explained to be an act of liberating the souls of people who died before the Redemption.

The intro of the special feature was showing clip photos of the celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Jayne Seymour , Sharon Stone, George Foreman and others I can not identify. So I knew that it was not some kind of religious program that asks the viewers to repent to earn heaven and avoid hell.


The first topic was about bed vision. This is about the last moments of the dying people. The narrator was a hospice nurse who had long years of experience with this phenomenon. One of these was an Arab woman who asked her what was the angel doing near her windows. She described the apparition to be 8 feet tall and was wearing white robe. She summoned her relatives, feeling that her time was due and the apparition was an angel who was escorting her.

My mother witnessed the last few days of my father here on earth. Although he died when my mother took a break in taking care of him in the hospital, she said that there were instances when my father who was comatose would call the names of his deceased parents and relatives as if they surrounded him in his bed.


Another patient was a man sick of cancer. He was so weak that any time, the nurse felt that he would die. All of a sudden, the man who was already comatose suddenly sat up with his arms wide open trying to welcome somebody  that was invisible to the eyes of the nurse. Then he died.


Elizabeth Taylor was still alive when that program was originally  shown. Hers was more of the NDE case, near death experience. One writer compiled cases about NDE for 30 years. Taylor was interviewed by Larry King about a surgery which she underwent where she  flatlined before it was over. She saw her spirit rose, saw the doctors and nurses in that room and then she saw a bright light. At the end of the light was her husband Mike Todd who died in a plane crash. She said that it was so peaceful in that place that she almost did not want to go back but her husband told her, it was not yet time.


Sharon Stone, the actress of Basic Instinct had the same description when she  lost consciousness for a few minutes. Jayne Seymour too had a near death experience.


Among the celebrities who did not have a pleasant NDE was George Foreman. He said that he experienced a hellish, frightening place of nothingness and despair He admitted that his depression of losing to Mohammad Ali and another young boxer and his money drove him to a lifestyle of vices, women and trouble. He changed his ways and became an ordained minister.

There was this four year old girl who claimed that she had already gone to heaven. Everything she saw in paradise, she drew and painted. The painting was so lifelike that parents believed her. Besides she did not have any lesson in painting. 



Another young boy with an NDE had a car accident. Their car was totalled with him inside the van and his father was thrown several meters away. He ended up paralyzed from neck down. His parents were Atheists. 

Happy Easter Sunday

Dear insansapinas,


Our egg hunting in the community may br postponed because of the weather. One day, it is cold that we have to use the heater and the following day, it was hot that we have to open the glaa doors and used the electric fan.


Happy Birthday to you wherever you are.


Pinaysaamerika 

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Why Women Cry

Dear insansapinas,

I cry when I watch a sad movie. I cry privately for the issues that concern my heart and my family. I cry when someone steps on my toes. Araay.


But why do women cry?


Let me post a forward mail from a friend, long time ago.


A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?" "Because I'm a woman," she told him.


"I don't understand," he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will."


Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"


"All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say.


The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.


Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the phone, he asked, "God, why do women cry so easily?"


God said:

"When I made the woman she had to be special.


I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world,


yet gentle enough to give comfort.


I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.

Friday, April 22, 2011

My First and Only Visita Iglesia in San Francisco

Dear insansapinas,
I came to the United States, three weeks before Lent. I knew only one church, St. Patrick's Cathedral, a church near the parking garage and several blocks away from our office in Union Square. Dumadaan ba, parang Quiapo.


I do not even know where St. Paul's Catholic Church is located. It was the  church in which Whoopi Goldberg sought refuge in the movie Sister Act. 


When I checked, the parish is located in the city of San Francisco, California, at Church and Valley Street in the city's Noe Valley neighborhood.


And I was surprised that San Francisco has so many Catholic churches for such a small city and county.


I said first and last. When my kumpadre learned that I landed in SFO, it took him only hours to find me. Working as a journalist in the Bay Area, (he used to be a radio personality in the Philippines before he decided to migrate to the US)he had a network of friends and informers (in short, tsismosos y tsismosas) to track someone's whereabouts.


As a welcome, he brought me to Chinatown and treated me with a big plate of chow mien. Since that was Lenten week, he invited me to make visita Iglesia. Excited, I asked my boss to allow me a few hour break to visit the churches. Talagang kalbaryo mga tita. San Francisco is dotted by hilly and steep streets. Think of roller coaster and a nightmare of a manual transmission car. Besides, you can not use your car to move from one church to another. Hello, parking meters. So the only way really was to sweat it out (although, it is no sweat because of the of the balmy weather) by walking and riding the bus. 


That was the  last visita Iglesia I made because my friend got busy with his jealous girl friend and some projects. 
Besides, the churches here are close when there are no services. There are homeless people who might
make the church their refuge. When I say homeless, I am not talking about one or a few; it could be a big group who might want an environment different from the temporary shelter provided by some churches in their basements during worse weather.


Here are the churches that we visited. 


1. St. Mary's Cathedral




-It is one of the most beautiful churches, I visited. It is located in 1111 Gough Street, San Francisco. I used to work at Geary Street so whenever I had the chance, I went to their Room of Adoration to meditate. A friend told me that every thing that he wished for was granted in that Meditation Room. So was mine.


2.Old Saint Mary's Cathedral




Located at 660 California Street, this is the old  Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception is a proto-cathedral. The cathedral is located on the corner of Grant Avenue and California Street. The church is named for Mary, the Mother of Jesus, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
3.St Patricks Church


Located at 756 Mission Street, I consider this as Quiapo Church of San Francisco because of the so many Filipinos going to this church. It is a walking distance from homes of retired and old Filipinos who often congregate in Powell and Market Street. So far, this is the only church in San Francisco that has a Tagalog mass during Sundays. I do not know if they still serve free breakfast.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Lessons I learned from friends

Dear insansapinas,


These are the lessons I learned from my friends:
1. Money never equals love. Do not buy expensive things for people to show how much you love them. Love can not be bought.  The best way to show love is to spend your time with them. 
For me naman as long as it is cash, okay lang. hohoho.

My lady friend was busy with her so many businesses that she did not have enough time for her family. Her husband was not a good provider so she took it to herself to be the bread winner. After closing a business deal which brought her a lot of money, she bought a multi-million house in Ayala-Alabang. Just weeks before the new house is completed,  she left for Europe to check on her mother and siblings. She left a big amount of money to her husband  for the remaining construction expenses.  When she came back, the house was not even ready for painting. 
She found out that he bought a car for his mistress and all the money is gone. In their confrontation, she  made him choose between her and the mistress with a warning that  he would lose all the luxuries that he was enjoying if he chose to leave. And that was he did exactly--he chose to leave. 

 2.  Grownups don't always make the best decisions. Sometimes they screw up just as bad as the young ones. 

Another lady friend of mine who has two masterals and one PhD almost alienated herself from her children.
She lost her husband and out of loneliness, she had fallen in love with her Phd professor who is married. Yes Virgina, even in the academe, cupid is mightier than Einstein. I do not like the guy myself. I had not attempted to dissuade her from involving herself to the man I know was just using her. I did not want her to distance herself from me like what she did to her other friends who she thought were being self-righteous when they were not saints themselves. My thought was, I could be of better help, if I were around who could listen to her. That's what I did as a friend. No encouragement, no judgement and no words of wisdom to the wise. 

The rebellion came from home. Her teen girls left their home to live with the grandparents on their father side. They refused to talk to her.  The eldest failed most of her subjects. After she realized the effect of the illicit affair on her family, she tried to to make amends with her children. Later, she was convinced that the man would not really leave the wife for her. 

3.  Life isn't fair. It never was, it never will be. There will always be someone better, faster, stronger. You do your best, and no one can say anything about it.

He was the magna cum laude of the graduating class that year. I was the first to " take him under my wings". 
Thru my recommendation, he was given a scholarship for his masteral and was made to teach in College even he was not done yet with his MBA. I put my hope that he would become our first candidate for topnotcher in the CPA Board Exam. He failed me. But that did not stop me from introducing him to some people who can help him boost his career. Then I heard rumors. He was making money from students. First in the Admission test. It is difficult to get admitted in the university since it is funded by the city, so except for some, all students do not pay tuition fees. Out of a total number of applicants, only a small 10 per cent is admitted in the different curricular programme. He was accused of receiving money in exchange for a promise that they will be taken in. That is impossible.

Aside from the admission scam, many students approached the student affairs to complain about him. He owed them a lot of money put together.
I started making queries. I found out that aside from he's hooked on drugs (which was not obvious) he was also into casino. 
I brought the case to my superior who was a gentle old compassionate lady. She was the one who told me that problems are not solved by simply eliminating the perceived problem. She called him in his office, agreed to pay his debts with the condition that installment payments will be deducted from his salaries. He was made to promise to change his ways.

He did only for a few months. He was back to his old self despite the reminders and warnings. When I brought the problem to the old lady, she gave me the permission to do whatever was appropriate.


4. Save your money. There is always a rainy day.  Have the cash in the bank.

She was an ordinary stay-at-home mom, married to high ranking officer in a shipping company. They were able to buy lots of properties and had the biggest convenience store in that community. Then her husband died while on duty. She received a big sum of money from the shipping and insurance companies. Hardly a year after she was widowed, she met a man who was bound for Saudi to follow his wife. He never made the trip. They lived in together with the two children from her previous marriage.

The man introduced her to mahjong. First, it was a weekend affair. Then it became seven days a week. The man never had a permanent job. The years had gone by, the properties were sold  and they woke up one morning that they had no more money.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Mystery

Dear insansapinas,

I went to see my surgeon this morning to have an update on my bloodworks and an assessment of my condition.


We came up with the same conclusion. Mysterious.Until my MRI, two months from now.


Pinaysaamerika

Betrayal

 Dear insansapinas,
Today is Holy Week. We commemorate the Passion of Jesus Christ and remember His betrayal by a friend, an apostle and a follower. Let me repost this:

She is beautiful and smart. Except for occasional blurts due to clients' unreasonable demand for attention in that small law office, she appeared to be normal. The pay was not that high  but she was given other amenities such as lodging accommodation and flexible hours. She wanted to augment her income so she enrolled and finished her two- month course in caregiving.


Soon, she was working part time as caregiver during the evening and as a secretary during the day.
It was in the facility for old people when her disorder was observed. She would talk to herself  relentlessly .
It worsened when she had a spat with a fellow worker. Her eyes were full of hate as she screamed when the guards tried to pacify her. No one could touch her. She was transformed into an animal fighting her predators.


Her employers, a kind couple committed her to a hospital for proper medication. She recovered and went back to her daily routine as a secretary after a few months.  No more extra work for her. Less stress.


It did not end there. She went home to the Philippines to visit the ailing father. Then she learned the truth. A dying man would not bring the secret to his grave. She was not their daughter. She was their granddaughter. Her mother is her ?sister? who begot her when she was fifteen. All those years, they bonded as sisters but when she got married, the illegitimate daughter was left alone with the uncanny feeling that somehow, something is wrong with her life, with their lives, with her family. She became a rebel and at a tender age, she too was involved with a married man. They planned to make their relationship legal.  He has to get a divorce that was not allowed in the Philippines. So off they went to the United States. He got a divorce but could not marry her if they wished to legitimize their residence. He married a US citizen. She too should get married. Then they are going to divorce their respective spouses once they got the greencards. That was the plan.


Then the unexpected thing happened. The man decided to stick to the Citizen wife. The woman married a good for nothing bum who abused her whenever he got a chance. Aside from physical abuse, she was constantly threatened to be deported. He claimed he could easily tell the authority that the marriage was a fraud.


The toll of years' abuse did not manifest until she had the guts to leave him when she became a permanent resident. She relocated to a state where the husband cannot  reach her. But her boy was left under the care of her in-laws. Her separation  from her boy did a lot more harm to her emotionally.


Upon her return to the Philippines, the tell tale signs that she was back to her old self became more evident.
No amount of medication can save her. Now she lives in a world that she made up for her own. May be it is a lot saner than the insane real world that she came to know since she reached the age of reason.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Anniversary and the Wedding

Dear insansapinas,


April 18 is the 105th anniversary of the Great Earthquake of San Francisco. It was commemorated by a few in Pacifica. As if in response, the earth shook a little. It registered a 3.8 magnitude.


Even I was still in San Francisco, the old buildings and infrastructures were being retrofitted to make them earthquake resistant. 


And they did not live happily ever after
I vaguely recall the fairy tale wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. After Princess Di's death,  I am no longer interested about royal families. tseh


This morning, I watched how the British authorities is preparing for the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton this coming April 29, security-wise. They checked every trash bin for bombs and other incendiary device.Hindi na ba pwedeng gamitin iyon? They put a note that the bins have been inspected. 


Applications for demonstration during the wedding was not approved and officials are granted pre-emptive policing, which means they can arrest someone before they have all the evidence in, for even planning or inciting a terror act. Those pre-charge detentions can be based on a range of spying methods including phone taps, electronic surveillance and old-fashioned snooping.
Frankly, I don't give a damn about the wedding. Saan nga bang channel ipalalabas?


Pinaysaamerika