Quiet Musings Over Cups of Tea

Honor and Excellence (Prof. Monsod's last lecture to her class)

2010-10-08T16:02:00.001+08:00

I have always greatly respected Prof. Solita Monsod. This lecture of hers is a wake-up call to every Filipino, not just UP-Diliman students.

On Being Filipino in the Aftermath of the Quirino Grandstand Hostage Taking and the "Major Major" Miss Universe 2010 Blooper

2010-08-30T10:13:00.004+08:00

Daniel Wagner's The Philippine Bus and Miss Universe must be one of the most linked and most forwarded articles in the Filipino online community today. The article talks about last week's tragic Quirino Grandstand hostage taking that ended in a bloodbath and beauty queen Maria Venus Raj blowing her chance at becoming Miss Universe 2010.

At first I was reluctant to read the article. The last thing I want right now is another Filipino bashing online. It is already difficult to deal with the horror, anger and dismay that the two events mentioned above elicit. The Philippines rarely hits the international headlines, but when it does, it is usually about some screw-up. And wow, what a screw-up we have this time. It is definitely nothing to be proud of for us Filipinos.

But that is just the case, isn't it? We Filipinos don't have a lot to be proud of. Or at least we as a race have probably forgotten how it is to live with pride. That is why we lap up every single victory that comes our way, no matter how indirectly – from Lea Salonga bagging a Tony and an Olivier Award for her Miss Saigon performance; to Manny Pacquiao's winning punches in the boxing ring; to the likes of Gloria Diaz, Margarita Moran, Miriam Quiambao, Precious Lara Quigaman – and yes, even Venus Raj – winning or coming close to winning the beauty queen crowns they vied for.

When something bad happens instead, we become defensive or passive-aggressive. Or we turn to fatalism and make numerous excuses. Ganoon talaga, eh; walang magagawa. Mr. Wagner's article hit the matter right in the head.

One passage in Mr. Wagner's article struck me the most:

"When I lived in the Philippines from 2003 to 2007, I was asked, what is the difference between the Philippines and Indonesia? My answer was, 'In Indonesia, they have hope.' I came to the conclusion that in spite of all the things the Philippines has going for, its people didn't demand enough of themselves, or of their government. Political apathy and a willingness to accept a low common denominator of performance have taken their toll on the psyche of the Philippine people."

He could not have said it any better. In this country, it is hard to hope when nothing seems to change. What we have is a heritage of mental poverty, oppression and apathy, among other things.

Nevertheless, there is no reason for us to wallow in self-pity or self-effacement. It only proves to the world that we have no pride in ourselves. There is also no reason for us to hate our being Filipino. That would be preposterous; we might as well peel off our own skin and burn it. How can anyone hate their own skin?

If there is any lesson to be learned in the Quirino Grandstand hostage taking, it is that we have to change as a people. We have to stop taking things for granted. As for Venus Raj, she is actually setting an example for all of us despite her "major, major" blooper. She is not letting that mistake bring her down; instead, she is moving forward. And so should we.

RIP, Mrs. Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino

2009-08-01T20:11:00.003+08:00

I was too young to remember exactly what happened during the 1986 EDSA Revolution, but I do know that what happened was indeed something profound. And now that the symbol of that profound moment has passed away this morning, I do sense that a chapter of our history as a people has come to a close.

Thank you, Mrs. Aquino, for the sacrifice you have given for our country. I may not have agreed with everything you said and did in the last few years, but I do respect and admire you for who and what you are. You made me proud to be a woman and a Filipino, and even apathetic fools like me do feel a sense of loss with your passing. The Philippines just lost one of its last moral leaders and there is no one out there yet who is as worthy of our belief as you were.

May you rest in peace.

RIP Francis Magalona

2009-03-07T16:41:00.002+08:00

I'm not really a fan of rap music or hiphop but, like most Filipinos of my generation, I am a fan of Francis Magalona. He was such a big thing when I was in high school; performing his breakthrough song "Mga Kababayan" was even one of our music assignments back then.

People die all the time, but when an icon of your youth passes away, you just can't help but be affected. You will mourn in your own way.

Found these in YouTube. A video of him singing Kaleidoscope with Parokya ni Edgar and, of course, Mga Kababayan.

I Am A Big Fan of Rafael Nadal...

2009-02-01T22:35:00.005+08:00

...but I could not bring myself to celebrate fully his victory over Roger Federer in the Australian Open Men's Finals this year. It is indeed a victory, as Nadal is reportedly the first Spaniard ever to win the Aussie Open title. Moreover, all the odds were against him. His body is still physically aching from that five-hour semi-finals match with Fernando Verdasco, from which he only had a day to recover compared to Federer's two days.

However, I have never seen Federer break down like that. He was so tearful he could barely deliver his speech at the awarding ceremony. He was openly crying. Federer wanted this title, and he would want every Grand Slam title that would come his way from now, because he only needs one more to be able to match Pete Sampras' 14 Grand Slam record. But as long as Rafael Nadal is there to stand in his way, Federer will have a very hard time to grab that 14th. Rafael Nadal, who has defeated Federer in the French Open and Wimbledon last year, is deeply implanted in Federer's head. it will take a lot of work for Federer to get that psychological advantage that Nadal has over him out of his system.

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And still, Nadal deserved to win this year's Australian Open. He is indeed a champion, and I see him dominating the world of men's tennis for quite a while. Or at least men's tennis wouldn't be so boring, just as it had become for me when Andre Agassi retired.

And I Begin Again

2009-02-01T22:21:00.005+08:00

It has been more than a year since I had last posted on this blog. I even forgot that it still exists. Between my freelance work, my current addiction to World of Warcraft, and whatever personal and family issues that I have to deal with on a daily basis, I didn't really have time to update or maintain this blog.

But this blog exists. And it waits for me to pour my musings on it. After all, even though I write for a living, I write using other people's voices and never my own. So few opportunities ever come my way to be able to write in my own voice, and I am not exactly one to create my own opportunities.

Nonetheless, I have to start somewhere. For now, this blog is the only place where I can start. And so, I begin again.

Erap Verdict: Guilty

2007-09-14T00:32:00.000+08:00

History just got made in the Philippines. Former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada is convicted for plunder by the Sandiganbayan a little over six years after he was booted out of the Malacañang Palace.

I'm not really surprised about this verdict. Those who actually hoped or thought that Erap will be acquitted were just fooling themselves. To acquit Erap of this crime, so to speak, is to pull the rug under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's government, removing the legitimacy of said government and her right to stay in Malacañang.

I don't really care whether Erap really did help himself to the government's coffers. For a leader to do such is not something new in the Philippines. I cannot help but feel a small tinge of pity for the man, however. His trial and the verdict is not a triumph in justice but rather the result of political machinations. At least in my thinking.

New Look

2007-09-14T00:27:00.001+08:00

I got tired of how this blog used to look like, and I certainly want something pretty. The thing is, my knowledge of how to code really nice templates is nil. So, thanks to Google, I found a pretty website called FinalSense.com and helped myself to their lovely templates.

I still have to make a few tweaks, but I am certainly liking my blog's new look.

Five Things I Don't Want To Hear About Anymore

2007-08-31T00:09:00.000+08:00

There are a number of reason why I don't want to watch the news anymore, and the primary reason is that I find most of them too negative and too senseless. But goodness knows there is no avoiding it. I would have to literally live in the mountains or under a rock to be able to completely avoid the news.

If I could wish that some news programs would stop airing news about certain topics, this would probably be my short list:

Kris Aquino. It's great that there are hardly any news stories about her now, but this woman's life is too much of an open book.

Ruffa Guttierez and Ylmaz Bektas. It's a private marital quarrel that should have been kept private. Couples fight and reconcile and fight all the time; what's so special about their fights?

Starlets baring for fame. There was a time when artistas were popular because of the movies they made and their talents as actors, and not because they exposed their skin for the cover of some men's magazine. There's nothing new with naked skin anymore; actual talent is actually wanting these days.

The GMA remake of MariMar. So Dingdong Dantes and that new MariMar girl had steamy love scenes and cavorted in a bathtub. Who gives a rip?

The "Hello, Garci!" controversy. The taxpayers' money have other, better uses than to fund the continued investigation of a long-winded scandal that has totally lost meaning already.

I Don't Want You To Go

2007-08-27T21:13:00.000+08:00

I have no wish for this blog to end up as a dumping ground for all my trashy nonsense, but I cannot help it. This song fits my mood today.

I Don't Want You To Go
by Lani Hall

I Don't Want You To Go
Here I am
Alone and I don't understand
Exactly how it all began
The dream just walked away
I'm holding on
When all but the passion's gone

And from the start
Maybe I was tryin' too hard
It's crazy 'cause it's breakin' my heart
Things can fall apart but I know
That I don't want you to go

And heroes die
When they ignore the cause inside
But they learned from what's left behind
And fight for something else
And so it goes
That we have both learned how to grow

And from the start
Maybe we were tryin' too hard
It's crazy 'cause it's breakin' our hearts
Things can fall apart, but I know
That I don't want you to go

(Oh) it's just too much
Takin' on the whole world all by myself
There's not enough
Unless I start trustin' somebody else
Somebody else and love again

And from the start
Maybe we were tryin' too hard
It's crazy 'cause it's breakin' our hearts
Things can fall apart, but I know
That I don't want you to go, no

Maybe we were tryin' too hard
It's crazy 'cause it's breakin' our hearts
Things can fall apart, but I know
That I don't want you to go

Oooh no, I don't want you to go
Say that you won't go

Strange how one song can capture exactly what you are into at the very moment it plays on the radio.

Hello. Yes, It's Me.

2007-08-26T19:59:00.000+08:00

Yes, I am still alive, for those who really cared enough to wonder. It's been nearly a year since I have even touched this blog, and so much has happened in that time to make me almost forget that I still have this blog.

The long and short of it is that I fell in love, I got busy with work, I got overwhelmed with work and then the person I fell in love with broke my heart. A sob story, I know, but hey, people live and move on with their lives.

So, because I have nothing else besides work to fill my hands and my mind, I will try to attain a place in the blogosphere, an endeavor I have attempted when I started this blog. I will try to be as witty and entertaining as possible without having to pull a Malu Fernandez.

Until then, ciao.

A Little Girl and Chaka Khan

2006-12-03T23:52:00.000+08:00

So, my brother, my mother and I were watching TV a few hours ago. The program we were watching was All Star K! The One Million Peso Videoke Challenge, a celebrity game show where the contestants fill in the blanks in the lyrics of the song they are singing, though the rules were like that in The Weakest Link.

Tonight's participants were all kids from the various TV shows on the GMA-7 and QTV network. Cute little kids, the oldest of which was only 11, I think. I don't know them since I don't really watch TV that much.

Anyway, so the kid who managed to qualify in the jackpot round is Sandy Talag, the lead girl in Ang Mahiwagang Baul (The Mysterious Chest). Guess what the jackpot song was? It's Through the Fire by Chaka Khan.

How the heck is a young girl like Sandy Talag supposed to even be familiar with a song that reached its heyday in the 80s? Lo and behold, the little girl sang it clearly and beautifully, without missing a syllable or a beat. In short, she won the million pesos, the third person who ever won it in the history of the game show.

As it turns out, Sandy knows the song by heart because it was a song that her dad taught her, and her dad passed away a month ago. The kid was really crying, and as she was going through the jackpot round, the camera kept focusing on her mom, who was sitting with the audience and was crying in anxiety.

I don't care whether or not the show was scripted, but popular opinion has it that it is not. Nonetheless, the game show's episode tonight really warmed my heart.

Light a Million Candles

2006-11-21T21:23:00.000+08:00

I have not been posting regularly on this blog for some time now, but that is because I am pretty busy of late. I shall make a proper update later, but for now, I feel compelled to post this. Please visit the website. Thank you.

The innocent victims of Internet child abuse cannot speak for themselves.

But you can.

With your help, we can eradicate this evil trade.

We do not need your money.

We need you to light a candle of support http://www.lightamillioncandles.com.

The more candles we light, the more powerful our voice becomes.

This petition will be used to encourage governments, politicians, financial institutions, payment organisations, Internet service providers, technology companies and law enforcement agencies to eradicate the commercial viability of online child abuse.

They have the power to work together. You have the power to get them to take action.

Please light your candle at lightamillioncandles.com http://www.lightamillioncandles.com or send an email of support to light@lightamillioncandles.com.

Together, we can destroy the commercial viability of Internet child abuse sites that are destroying the lives of innocent children.

Kindly forward this email to your friends, relatives and work colleagues so that they can light a candle too.

The White Countess

2006-09-26T03:08:00.000+08:00

Nobody told me that Ralph Fiennes starred in a movie called The White Countess with Natasha Richardson and the Redgrave sisters and that this movie was shown last year. My dad bought the DVD last week, and I got coerced to watch it last night. It just goes to show that the hole I have burrowed for myself is really deep and that I need to get out.

Anyway... The White Countess was set in Shanghai in the 1930s, just at the eve of World War II. The title refers to the name of the bar set up by Todd Jackson (Ralph Fiennes), an ex-diplomat who lost his family and his sight in a series of tragedies. The title also refers to Sofia Belinskaya (Natasha Richardson), a Russian countess who was displaced by the Russian revolution along with the rest of the aristocracy, and who was forced to work as a taxi dancer (and probably a prostitute) to support her daughter and the rest of her family.

To me, the movie is full of contrasts. A blind man who sees perfection in a woman supposedly tarnished by the work she does. A woman who faces hard reality squarely to keep a family whose members cling stubbornly to memories of wealth and indulgence, which shall never come again into their lives, from starving. A bar that stood by itself, the realization of a dream of all that is balanced and beautiful, amidst chaos.

The White Countess is told simply, understated and yet poignant. The cinematography is marvelous, sometimes whimsical, sometimes sensual, but never harsh even in the portrayal of hardship. It is a beautiful movie, and I yearn to watch it again.

Shut Up, Raul Gonzales

2006-09-03T17:27:00.000+08:00

I have read this article before, but it is only now that it sinked in: Gonzales: UP breeds destabilizers, naked runners.

You know, Secretary Gonzales, our mothers often teach us that if we do not have anything good to say about someone, it is much, much better to just shut up. You've only just made yourself look stupid, IMHO.

Horizontal Growth

2006-09-02T22:04:00.000+08:00

Ten years ago, I had a 24-inch waistline and 35-inch hips. I could wear skinny jeans without any trouble. But since I was such a nerd at 18, I never gave it a single thought.

You only miss the things you take for granted once they are gone. I would give anything to have a 24-inch waistline again.

One Million Love Messages

2006-09-02T21:58:00.000+08:00

I got a comment from 1 Million Love Messages last month, but only got to visit the site today. Almost unforgiveable, but hey, I've been very, very busy these past couple of weeks or so.

The idea is cool, nonetheless, and hey -- we do need a lot of love in the world right now.

Fill the world with love.

Are You Better Off Single?

2006-07-24T01:36:00.000+08:00

I got a copy of Dawn Yanek's essay entitled "Are You Better Off Single?" from one of the mailing lists I subscribe to, and I just thought to share its highlights here.

You have a better body. Single people are more motivated to exercise because they "want to be attractive to potential partners."

You’re more likely to achieve great things. Single people have the time and the lack of familial responsibilities to excel. The essay asserts that the drive to succeed may be biologically programmed as a means to attract a mate.

You do less housework. "Well, if you leave a sock on the floor but there’s no one else there to see it, does it really need to be picked up?"

You can do what you want with your money—including keep it. "You don’t have to justify your purchase to anyone but yourself. Once you mix money with marriage, though, things change—and fast."

You have better sex. “People who are dating have better sex because it’s novel.... Married people have to relearn how to play. It’s natural for singles because that’s the nature of a courting relationship — they tease, they experiment, they explore.”

You’re better rested and smarter. "[S]ingles generally get more rest — seven to eight hours of sleep a night — than marrieds, which enhances memory, mood and concentration, as well as allows your immune system to recharge."

You’re less depressed. Single people do not feel the sense of loss of self that married people often do.

You have better friendships. “Singles don’t rely on just one person to meet their needs. You don’t automatically know who you’re going to spend Friday night with.”

Your travel tales are enviable. "Being single and relatively footloose certainly allows you to expand your geographical — and personal — borders."

You know yourself — and what you want out of a relationship. “[M]aturity brings so much, because if you’re able to communicate who you are and what you want, the better your chances of having a successful marriage.”

This may not be entirely applicable to Filipino singles, but this can be something to ponder about, for those who do not seem to be entirely happy nor satisfied with their single-blessedness.

The Filipino Smile

2006-07-16T00:41:00.000+08:00

Last Wednesday, an article came out on the Philippine Daily Inquirer website saying that the Philippines ranks 17th in a survey of the happiest nations on Earth made by New Economics Foundation.

This bit of news comes in the wake of the ravaging done by typhoons Ester and Florita this past week, which leave behind them loss of life and destruction of property. Let's not forget the other instances that are reasons enough to make the Filipino's life miserable, such as poverty, poor quality of education, lack of proper health care services, and a government that is beset by corruption and completely unable to address these issues adequately.

So, why do Filipinos remain happy despite all these problems that would have torn someone from another nation apart? What makes the Filipino smile in spite of all his adversities? Is it the support that the tight family and kinship system provides him? Is it his spirituality and his deep faith in a Supreme Being, never mind that the Roman Catholic Church here can get so misguided and sometimes leads its blind followers astray?

I am not a psychologist nor a sociologist, so I would not even pretend to have the answers to these questions that I have posed. All I can say is that nothing in the world truly beats the Filipino smile.

On Breaks, Wimbledon, and "Ordinary Lives"

2006-07-08T06:37:00.000+08:00

It has been a helluva couple of weeks. I have managed to score a couple of good projects, and I got so busy working on them that I was almost literally plastered to the seat in front of my computer. There was hardly any time for anything, except for raiding the fridge, four-hour shuteyes, and bathroom breaks -- the latter including showers, of course.

Thus is the reason why I have failed to update this blog on that given period.

Oh, alright. I admit it. I did sneak out to watch Andre Agassi's final Wimbledon matches. He is one of my many loves and my heart breaks at the thought of his impending retirement from the tennis circuit. But hey, he's already 36 years old. He does need to retire.

I also admit to watching Robert Redford's Ordinary People on DVD.

That movie is certainly something. High on emotional content, yet carried out in a subdued, understated manner. After all, do ordinary people really go into hysterics when tragedy strikes them, as soap operas often depict? Well, some do, but most just try to carry on as if nothing happened.

But I digress.

In a nutshell, Ordinary People tells of a family dealing with the death of the older, favorite son in a boating accident. The death leads the younger son to blame himself for the death and try to take his own life. The father tries to pull his family together, but his attempts are often foiled by the mother's bitterness and inability to forgive.

The movie's charm is that it is so heavy in drama, but it is so understated. No breakdowns till somewhere at the tail end of the story. Also, as the characters look for what is truly wrong with their lives, they bring the audience with them in their search. Plus, it is the first time I have seen Donald Sutherland cry.

Great movie. Truly engaging, truly deserving of its Oscars. A definite must watch.

The Filipina Dress

2006-06-25T21:31:00.000+08:00

One afternoon in a moment of idleness, I found myself talking about wedding clothes with Evan, a good friend with whom I talk to over the AOL instant messenger on a daily basis. I told him, while I adore dresses inspired by Liv Tyler's Arwen costumes from Lord of the Rings, it is far more likely that I will wear a Filipina dress to my wedding. The reasons I gave him are: 1) I will only be married once; 2) I have never worn a Filipina dress before; and 3) the Filipina dress, even in its modern forms, is beautiful and elegant. Evan is a foreigner and has no idea that we Filipinos even have a national costume.

The modern kimona, photo courtesy of MyBarong.net

So this got me googling to find some resources on the Filipina costume, and here are some of the things that I found:

Articles:

"In a Manner of Dressing: At the Intersection of Clothing, Colonisation and Christianity," by Ava Vivian Gonzales

"The terno in fighting form," from The Asian Journal Online

"Women, Citizenship and the Politics of Dress in Twentieth-Century Philippines," by Mina Roces, Ph.D.

Images:

The Baro't Saya, Balintawak style

Leonor Rivera, childhood sweetheart of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal, wearing the mestiza dress known as the Maria Clara, named after the heroine of Rizal's novel Noli Me Tangere. It is said that the inspiration for the Maria Clara character was Leonor Rivera herself.

The Traje de Mestiza, commonly worn during the American occupation of the Philippines

The modern terno

Online shops selling made-to-order filipiniana:

Baro at Saya.com

Barongs R Us

MyBarong.com

The Filipina dress is indeed beautiful, with a colorful history and an elegant form. There is more to learn about it, and I believe that I have even barely begun to scratch the surface. If ever the occasion arises, I would be honored to own and wear a full-length terno with its lovely butterfly sleeves.

A Reward of True Love

2006-06-24T04:33:00.000+08:00

Love takes time, and love takes work. As I was writing my previous post on my love for writing, I got this very encouraging email from Ms. Grace P. Ibay of Filipina Soul:

hey Anna,
thanks for following our site. I went to check out your business trips site too, and boy you do a great job! Are you in the business/travel industry? Coz I have several B5media friends you can hook up with, they're all travel sites and you and them might co-link and exchange posts too.

http://www.europestring.com/
http://www.flyawaycafe.com/
http://www.geekytraveller.com/
http://www.letsvisitasia.com/

I'm also linking your posts about Manila for my site.

My response to her was:

Hello, Grace.

Thanks a lot for the email. I am happy that you have taken the time to sent this, and it encourages me a lot. I do like your site and I love reading the posts there. They are very insightful and informative.

Thank you also for visiting biz-trips.info. Sadly, I am not in the travel industry, but I have worked closely with executives who do travel a lot. I have visited geekytraveller.com and flyawaycafe.com a couple of times before and found the posts there very interesting as well. I would love to co-link with them; it will be my pleasure to do so.

True enough, she did feature biz-trips.info in her blog.

Things like this make me happy. I am now encouraged to pour more energy into my writing.

True Love

2006-06-24T03:48:00.000+08:00

I am in love with writing. It is a lifelong love affair that began when I was nine years old, when my father first taught me how to connect sentences into logical paragraphs for my composition assignments in third grade. From that day on, I was hooked for life.

I wrote a lot during my student days. In high school, I was a senior editor for The Electron, the English-language school paper of Quezon City Science High School. In college, I took up journalism for my undergrad degree. On the side, I must have written a couple of dozen short stories, a novella, a handful of essays and a few poems, not to mention my handwritten journals. None of these will see the light of print, unless I die famous and someone takes it upon him- or herself to show the world how frivolous I am as depicted in my early writings.

But I barely wrote anything noteworthy after graduation from the university.

Well, there was this screenplay that I submitted to the 2001 Film Development Foundation scriptwriting contest, and a few fanfics as well. But after college, my writing was limited to monthly and annual reports, project proposals, minutes of meetings, business letters and other office documents. That went on for about six years of my life.

What happened to make me stop? Basically, it is economics. I just wanted to write, but it was pressed upon me that I need to eat, too. So I took a day job in corporate communications and tried to do more "creative" writing on the side.

That didn't work, obviously. So the last six years or so saw me plodding through the bare bones of existence. My hands were in corporate communication, but my heart isn't there.

Last year, I got so fed up with being half-alive that I quit the day job. To hell with it, I declared. I can write, I am trained to write, and I believe I do a fairly decent job of it. So I turned my back on corporate communications and started blogging.

I thought it was going to be an easy ride. Turns out, it was not. I have not written anything for so long that I have almost forgotten how. I was rusty. And to this day, I feel like I am still trying to get some groove going.

In terms of economics, I am getting by. Not as much as I used to earn from the day job, but we're working on it. It still pays the bills, and I am trying to learn how to market myself.

I love writing. I will remain in love with it for the rest of my life. I promise never to abandon it again, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.

My Little Prince Charming

2006-06-21T00:26:00.000+08:00

I often tell myself that I am too old and jaded to believe in Prince Charming. The idea of Prince Charming, in my mind, is only for the naïve, for those who have yet to experience love and its accompanying pain. As old women are fold of saying, a young woman has a set of standards for her ideal husband, against which she matches the traits of her suitors. But as time passes and as each day that comes which sees her as yet unmarried, she crosses off certain standards from her ideal in an effort to fight her biological clock. In the end, she compromises and settles for the first person who meets the very basic of her ideals.

But I am digressing. Anyway, though I feel myself too old and jaded to believe in Prince Charming, my body still cheats me sometimes into actually dreaming of him. Last night, I was so tired that I did not bother to climb the stairs to my room and instead sprawled on the living room couch and promptly fell asleep. During my sleep, I dreamt that someone was kissing me; however, my body told my mind that the kiss was too wet to be a dream. I opened my eyes and there he was, his long pink tongue lolling out of his fanged mouth. My Prince Charming, Sniffy, just licked my face.

Sniffy is our family’s little baby. He is a half-breed pit bull, and he is turning six months old today. He was given to us by one of our cousins, who is into dog breeding.

Sniffy’s entry into our household was met with mixed feelings. We didn’t exactly want a dog in our house, primarily because dogs like Sniffy need far too much attention and care. A dog like Sniffy cannot be fed with just any kind of food. He must be fed dog food. His grooming is also a matter of utmost concern.

Another reason why we are reluctant to take Sniffy in is that we are not certain that we are emotionally ready to care for a dog. The last dog that came to us died.

But Sniffy turned out to be a charming and intelligent puppy. Not long after he was brought to us, he captured our hearts completely. His funny antics and his innate inquisitiveness often brought smile to our faces. Soon enough, Sniffy became a member of the family and taking care of him a part of our household routine.

Just how much Sniffy means to us was tested two weeks ago. A few hours after he was fed dinner, my mother noticed how sad and listless Sniffy seemed, a strange thing because all afternoon long, all he did was run and gambol about the yard. We all dismissed this as his being tired after all his playing. On the following day, however, he seemed to look worse; he would not eat, he would not drink. If he was forced to eat, he would just vomit it all out. He just lay there in his corner and would not even lift a paw. Only his eyes moved.

This alarmed my mother. The first thing she did on the next day was to take Sniffy to the vet. The vet told her that she came just in time: Sniffy was infected with the Farbo virus, a virus that is fatal to puppies if left untreated. But even if it was treated, there was still a fifty-fifty chance that the infected puppy would still die. Sniffy was left at the clinic for treatment.

The week that followed must have been the longest week of our lives. My mother rarely cries, but the very mention of Sniffy being in the vet brought her to tears. Every morning of that week, she and my father would visit Sniffy at the vet. My brothers and I would take turns calling the clinic every six hours or so just to check on our pet.

It was painful. Before our eyes, our rolly-polly baby shrank to mere skin and bones. The Farbo virus attacks the dog’s digestive system, so Sniffy could not eat. He puked a lot and passed blood as feces. Dextrose and antibiotics, and mayhap our family’s vigil and prayers, kept him going.

On the fourth day of his stay at the vet’s, Sniffy showed signs that he will survive. His puking lessened and he stopped passing blood. On the following days, there were more signs; the lifting of the head, a slightly faster wagging of the tail, an attempt at a howl that turned instead into a moan.

On the ninth day, he was brought back home.

Sniffy is still recovering from his bout from the Farbo virus. But he definitely seems on the way to recovery. Though stick-thin, he has begun to run around and gambol about as he used to, and seems to go out of his way to annoy my mother and myself with his antics, done with that tricksy doggy smile of his. And he has taken to licking the face of unwary sleepers sprawled on the living room couch.

I don’t really mind being licked awake by Sniffy. Not anymore. After all, he is my baby, my Prince Charming.

Change the World

2006-06-16T17:54:00.000+08:00

If I could reach the stars I'd pull one down for you
Shine it on my heart so you could see the truth
That this love I have inside is everything it seems
But for now I find it's only in my dreams

That I can change the world
I would be the sunlight in your universe
You will think my love was really something good
Baby if I could change the world

--"Change the World" by Eric Clapton

I remember an essay I wrote some years ago for my Creative Writing 101 class in the University of the Philippines. In that essay, I declared my life’s mission, which is, to quote: “to be a writer, to wield a pen as an attempt at manifesting strength and wisdom, to paint a view of the world with colors of my own creation. I want to write seriously, not just for fun, as I had used to. I want to communicate my ideas and be respected for them.” As much as the desire to write burns deep inside of me, it actually took me years to get the courage to actually write.

Why do writers write what they write? Basically it is to communicate their thoughts and insights to those who would care enough to read. If there is one person out there who could be swayed to see the world the way the writers view it, then the writer has achieved his or her purpose. It only takes one to influence others, and influence grows exponentially. Influence eventually leads to change.

But one does not have to be a writer to be able to change the world. Sometimes, a simple question is all it takes. On September 9, 2006, 112 thinkers from all over the world will gather in Berlin for dropping knowledge. They are still seeking question donations at their website.

Please take the time to visit dropping knowledge. Sometimes, a question is all it takes.

The Pressure to Excel

2006-06-15T20:24:00.000+08:00

While reading up for my post this week at the Global Business Watch blog, I came across this article on the Washington Post.

What the article basically says is that according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, American kids in high school and in college are resorting to “smart pills” to cope with the pressures of academic life. These pills contain amphetamine as their main ingredient, and they help students maintain their concentration, focus, alertness and short-term memory. The pills themselves are not really harmful, as they are drugs originally prescribed to treat people with attention-deficiency disorder and related ailments. It is reported that approximately 2.25 million kids of that age have taken a smart pill at least once.

The article blames society’s overemphasis towards academic excellence. To quote:

Why should we be surprised? This generation is the one we have pushed to get into the best high schools and colleges, to have the best grades and résumés. Computer nerds are culture heroes, SAT scores are measures of our worth and the Ivy League is Valhalla. Hermione Granger in "Harry Potter" is a heroine despite being such a goody two-shoes that she doubles up her course load with a spell that allows her to be in two places at once. This is the kind of focused overachievement that is addressed by smart pills.

It has been eight years since I last stepped inside the halls of the university I graduated from as a student. I still visit from time to time when I feel like walking around the academic oval. But despite the years that have passed since my college days, I do not truly consider myself that far estranged from the rigors of student life. The late night bouts, sleeping at 4:00 AM after working on some paper or project and waking up at 7:00 AM to get to class, the vigils at the library, the graded recitations – these are memories that are still vivid in my mind. Kids today have it easy, in a way; when I was still a student, computers were not yet widely-used, the Internet was just about to boom and typewriters were still used to write papers.

I tend to agree with what the article says, that there is too much emphasis on getting in the renowned and respected colleges, and once there, on aiming for a cum laude. However, in the case of education in the Philippines, there does not seem to be any choice. If a high school student does not work his or her behind off, to study on his or her own if the school he belongs to professes all the deplorable lack that marks the Philippine education system, then he or she will not be able to get into a good college. Sadly, many companies still look down on applicants who did not graduate from the top universities of the country, more so on those who did not graduate at all.

But as the elders often say, there is no better teacher than life itself. A good education may give one a good start, but in the end, one’s education can only get one so far. Attitude and old-fashioned hard work still counts.

The article mentioned in passing that these smart pills may find their way soon in the work place, where competition is merciless and the corporate-ladder climber is always on the lookout for an added edge. I have been there, so I know how it feels.

In the end, the question we will all be asking when the burnout sets in, the question I find myself asking every now and then, is: is it all worth it?

Introducing: Quiet Musings

2006-06-14T22:57:00.000+08:00

Nevermind the earlier post. This is the official introduction to my new blog, which I have dubbed "Quiet Musings Over Cups of Tea."

Why have I chosen this title for my new blog? Aside from my tendency towards randomness, I kind of fancied that this blog shall contain my observations and reviews on various things while drowning myself in -- yes, you've got it right -- a cup of tea.

What shall I be writing on this blog? As you can see on my sidebar, I have two other blogs: my business travel blog, and my LiveJournal. Biz-trips.info is a work blog; it is dedicated to my writings on the world of business travel. My LiveJournal, on the other hand, is my general tribute to randomness and has recently evolved into a storage for my roleplay logs in the various MUDs that I play.

So what is "Quiet Musings" going to be? Simply put, "Quiet Musings" will be my attempt to blog more seriously outside Biz-trips.info. This will be no pandering to randomness, but rather an exercise in actually putting my thoughts to order and becoming more observant of the world around me.

Thus is my first post for this blog. I do hope you would visit this from time to time. I promise to put up articles of interest and to make every attempt to write lucidly and objectively.

2006-06-14T21:15:00.000+08:00

Testing this new blog.