So you won......now what?

So you won....what now?

So what can you say about the just concluded Local elections in the Philippines? 

There are a lot of surprises, a lot of issues, people were disenfranchised, some  were not able to get to the voting precincts on time. others had to wait for hours just to cast their votes while others were fortunate enough to do it in record breaking time.

But what is the real issue in the just concluded elections was it the process or was it the winners or none winners so to speak.  There is nothing normal in Philippine elections, although there are a few who are gracious enough to  accept defeat, most of the losing candidates in yesterdays elections claim that they were cheated. While the winners all claim they won it fair and square and that it was the voice of the people that has spoken.

So how do we know that the people really did vote for the "winning" candidates? Well, this would be an easier task to prove than finding out the reason why they voted for who they voted. I am not one to judge, I just look at the practical side of things and the logic behind it. Take for example the following;

1. why would people vote for a known mutineer,

a traitor to the constitution since the person went up in arms against the government, the president, the people, his comrade in arms and the constitution they swore to protect.  You know what is funnier, there are two of them in the senatorial race and they are both in the top 15. Now tell me the logic in that, who will support them or why will people support them? But they did, is it the fault of the candidate if they get elected, of course not, first of all they were allowed to run, in fact they are both incumbent senators. I cannot for the life of me explain how this happened.

2. Why vote for the relative of the former and current President? Is that his only claim to fame? Is that the definitive reason to vote for him? what is his capability, did the people question that? What has he done, what is his experience in making laws or his knowledge of the law for that matter? Is it reason enough to say that he has relatives who have served the country before so what will he do if he wins?

Will he run to his uncle who is the current President for advice? I know that the government needs new blood in the administration but get someone who is experienced not just young.

3. Why vote for a housewife who's claim of political experience is being an OJT to her parents for the last 20 yrs, why not a full-time job, why just on-the job-training? So she was a trainee for 20 yrs?

Wasn't she capable of being promoted full time or was she just listed as an employee, what kind of work did she do for the last 20 yrs that she couldn't do it full time? why is she afraid to discuss her political platform, her plans, why get a court order that prevents other candidates from asking her to go on a public debate? A lot of questions, a whole lot of questions.

4. and what about the daughter of a former movie actor and actress, what kind of experience does she have to bring into the senate. Did the people vote for her because she is qualified or did the people vote for her in memory of her father? Was it a compensation vote or a vote of confidence.

Now the big question is, "What are they going to do in the senate once they are proclaimed winners?"

There is actually a reason for all of these, we may not like what is happening but we do not have control over it. Do we need to worry, i don't think so but we will feel the consequences of these latest elections in the coming months. Normally the economy goes down after each election since investors are always getting the feel of the "new kids" on the block. Just like having new neighbours or officemates, you tend to thread lightly as you do not know who they are or what they are capable of. I always look at things from the perspective of what God wants to happen, it is either the Lord is teaching us something or the Lord is teaching them something. But rest assured we will always be delivered to a better situation as long as we know that we should rely on God andnot our own power.

Just like in the bible during the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, they were delivered out of Egypt but the people complained and grumbled and always wanted to have their way so God  taught them a lesson and it took 40 yrs before they realised that they have to depend on God for everything. I just hope it doesn't take another 40 yrs before our countrymen realise that they should follow God and choose the right leaders.

There are no coincidences, everything is planned according to God's will and everyone can be used to make it happen. At this point all we can do is obey the rule of the land and pray for wisdom and rely on God's love for us. So do not blame the players, blame the game, what we should prepare for is the upcoming national elections in 2016. We should prevent  dynasties from forming if they haven't already.

God Bless this country!

Elections in the Philippines 2013...here we go again.

It is that time of the year again in this country of mine wherein we vote for local and national officials. It is not much as the election exercise that gets to me but the actual process, rituals and what have you that changes the atmosphere of the entire country.

Roads get built, streets become lighted, a sprouting of basketball courts and water wells and in some areas, school buildings get painted and a lot of celebrities get extra work endorsing candidates.

But the most concerning part of this whole process, well for me, are the candidates themselves. Time and again we have candidates who get approved by the Commission on Elections who have questionable character, capabilities and experience. The sad part is, these candidates are the ones leading in the surveys.

Is it enough that you are a relative of an incumbent politician for you to submit your certificate of candidacy and decide to run for an elected post, and a Senator at that. Is it enough that you are a celebrity  idolized by many to hold a public office, is it enough that you are the wife, husband, brother, sister or whatever relative of an incumbent for you to run for a national or regional post? There are so many questions about the ability, capability, competence and sanity of these candidates, like where will they get the money for such a nationwide campaign? Or what is their platform of government? How will a movie star work in the Senate or Congress?

Another point that has to be checked and believe me there has been a lot of attempts to change this, is the dynasty system. Why is there not a limitation or prohibition that limits if not totally eliminates multiple relatives in government. Take for example the family of the current Vice President, he has children running for mayor, a seat in congress and a seat in the senate in this year’s election. So why can’t this be stopped, his family is not the only one with multiple relatives running in this elections.

But for the worst part, the saddest actually, is in the part of the voters who will actually vote for these candidates. There are those who choose their candidates solely or in part due to their popularity, their beauty, their wealth or the amount of donations they have given during their sorties to their towns.

The victims are those candidates who are capable to lead but lost due to these kind of voters and the country itself. I just pray that the voters are guided by God to make the right decisions and that they think of the future of their children and their families when they make that all important decision. Also, may those candidates who will will put GOD ahead of their desires, the people and the country second and not think of recuperating their expenses during their campaign.

Let us all pray for our country.

Luck, Superstition, Fate and Faith in the New Year

As the year comes to a close people prepare to welcome the coming new year with new hopes, enthusiasm and tradition. There are those who take this opportunity to have their family reunions or see some long lost friends or make new ones.

In my case, we make it a point that our old college group gets to spend the night and the wee hours of the morning in celebration of dining, drink and merry making after all we have been doing this tradition for the past 33 yrs. Things have changed in those years, I sued to host it every year but after the 30th, we all agreed that we will take turns hosting the event and just make sure that every 5 years i will host it. The appearances may have changed, the topics may be different as it was more current events rather than history. It used to be reminiscing the college days but now it is about our kids, who are graduating, what businesses are we into and what type of sickness and medication we are on after all we are mostly in the 48 - 50+ age range. Nevertheless it was still lots of fun.

But what is it that we really do when we welcome the new year? Most of us go into traditions or rituals that supposedly prepares the new year for better promises. We use fire crackers to drive away the evil spirits of the old year and welcome the new year with a bang. But as we continue this tradition, check yourself as you brag about the amount you spent on them with your friends while lighting them and then regret spending that huge amount the day after when your hang-over is gone. That tradition is not even local, but was given to us by Chinese settlers in the old days. You start your year with regret and hopefully not in the hospital for injuries you might have sustained while playing with these pyrotechnics while intoxicated.

Another tradition is the gathering of 12 different round fruits which is supposed to symbolize money for each month of the year, we put them as the centrepiece of our dinner table and do not touch them until they are all dried up and become rotten. We dare not eat them as it is not part of tradition. Then when you are starting to throw them out a week after, you complain of the fruit flies and the money you spent buying them and not even able to eat them. Again you start of the year with bitterness having wasted money.

So what other traditions do we do to ward of bad luck and welcome the year with hopes of good luck:

1. There is the opening of all lights, all doors, windows, cabinets and drawers which signifies a "welcome" to the luck of the new year. Look at this rationally, you open all your doors and windows a midst the pyrotechnics and fire crackers so you just allowed all that gun powder smoke and dirt into your home and drawers. 

2. The scattering of coins on the steps of your stairs, window sills, door ways and the floor - you just made your house very unsafe as people can slip on those coins and break something.

3. The wearing of polka dot clothes - now why would you spend on something that you will not wear on a regular basis since you would look like a clown in those polka dot clothes.

4. Putting of coins and new paper bills in your pockets - it is suppose to give you luck so that you will have money in your pockets always. Now how can you do that it you do not have a job or are a plain housewife who has no income. Practical reason dictates that money is not earned on luck.


And so many other traditions and rituals that people do just so that they canhave an edge or that so called luck for the new year.

So why is it that even educated people do this? Some say there is no harm in following tradition, well i say there is since it harmed your pockets and budget. So if you cannot do any of these stuff, logic dictates that you will have a very unlucky and miserable year. 

Isn't it just sad that we based our fate not on faith but on luck. So what happened to prayer and believing in the Lord's promise that He will provide for all of our needs. So what happened to our faith in the Lord, are we saying that the power of luck and superstition is more powerful than what the Lord Almighty can do for us.

Think about it, how can 12 round fruits, pyrotechnics  coins on my window sill,  bills in my pocket and a polka dot shirt predict my future for the coming year? I would rather put my trust on the Lord and see how He surprises me with the numerous blessing He has planned for me.

I am thankful for the past 4 years that the Lord has provided for me and my family. I have lifted up in prayer everything that I need and I mean everything to the Lord. We eat 3 square meals a day, I have a job, my children all are in exclusive college schools, I have a car, a roof over my head and enough to buy the little luxuries in life. I never did any of these traditions and superstitions and I am good. Happy New Year!

To GOD be all the GLORY.

the impeachment of a supreme court chief justice

Is justice being served? How and why is the current Chief Justice being administratively removed from office? Is it a political move by his opponents who are in fear he might win a another position if he ran for the next elections. Is it an act of vengeance as he himself is claiming being perpetuated by the President himself. What ever the reason is his credibility is now the one in question and will be forever tarnished.

I am not siding with the government but if you look at the facts being presented, how can a career political person working for the government have so much money and assets. let us forego the assets, how can you have more millions in local currency in several bank accounts and another huge foreign currency account in another. it is mathematically impossible to compute based on his salary alone which he has declared, his wife is not working either.

Worse case scenario, if he is cleared of the current charges he will be charged with tax evasion and making false declarations on his statement of assets and liabilities.

Bottom line, you may get away with it now or for several years but you will never get away with it forever. The eyes of God is always looking down on you and He gives you time to mend your ways but if you do not realize your mistakes then the Good Lord will be the one to make you realize it Himself. So what will you do now with with your millions if you land in jail and the government sequesters you assets.

Proverbs 3:5-6 - 5 Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, 6 and in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Christmas season 2011

It is the last month of the year, the most anticipated I think, well aside from February where you have Valentine's Day, the Christmas season is THE holiday most awaited by everyone not only here in Manila but around the world.

So what makes Christmas in the Philippines different from the rest of the world? Well for one it starts on the 1st day of the "ber" months which is September and ends when the Chinese New Year is celebrated sometime in February. That makes for a very long Christmas season. So what is in store for us this Holiday Season?

The malls are a buzz, every manufacturer who has a product has their marketing strategy all planned out after all there is extra money to be spent and people are happy in this joyous season of all.

For a lot of people it brings joy as they will meet with family members who they have not seen for quite sometime since they work overseas, or the chance to go back home to their provinces and relieve the time they were kids and enjoy those comfort food cook up by their grandparents. This I think is what makes people happy during these holidays. But that is not all that happens during this time of the year.

Christmas to others is the time of love or the showing of love, a lot of proposals have been done during this time (well maybe because people are in a festive mood and they can't say no) of the year. Some have bigger surprises like getting pregnant or giving birth, while for others it is the time to give that special gift to their special someones.

Christmas for children is very special as well as they can get away with most anything during this time, and oh those gifts that they have been expecting have been keeping them awake most nights. It is also that break from school work they have been longing for.

But alas, not everyone is happy during Christmas, there are those who are sad because they miss their loved ones who are working overseas and can't come home, while others lose their jobs or get broken hearted, and then there are those who find it such a hassle to be moving around the city due to the traffic jams and the crowded malls "everywhere you go."

I have had my share of sad Christmases, being away from my family, losing my parents, being out of work, such is life, but you have to snap out of it and think of the real reason why we celebrate Christmas.

For the past 3 years, the real meaning of Christmas has been felt by family as we have become Christians, it has never impacted me more than ever before. I know the reason we are celebrating is because the one True God sent His only Son to redeem us from sin and make us worthy to stand before God. Christmas has been commercialized for so many years that I myself have forgotten what it really means.

Today, my family and I prepare for Christmas, or should I say, Christ's birth, with our hearts and not our wallets. We ready our hearts and minds to receive our Saviour with love among us to share with others. It is our prayer that everyone have love in their hearts as they share their blessings this holiday season.

Let us all remember the real reason for the season, that we celebrate the coming of the Child in swaddling clothes and not the fat gentleman in red.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

To God be all the Glory!

my being 50

I haven't written anything in a long while, well not in these blog anyway. I rant and rave on my twitter page and an my facebook account, but not here which is quite ironic since this is my official blog page. Anyway.....

So i will be turning 50 in a couple of weeks and you get to think about the things you have done and have not done as a retrospect. So I will give ti a go here and enumerate what I have done in my life that may seem noteworthy or exceptional for someone who will be 50 years of age before the month ends.

I have;

1. flown or ridden private planes - was often brought to and from the mine site I was consulting at by a private plane, a KingAir Beechcraft plane, it has propellers and not a jet but its still private.

2. flown with gold bars literally at my feet on the same flights to the mine site.

3. been a Chief Operating Officer for a dot com company

4. met with CFOs, COOs, CEOs and presidents of multi-million peso companies

5. built several companies from the ground up

6. worked in several states in Australia, the US, Malaysia, Singapore and HongKong

7. been paid tax free salary in US dollars for several years

8. never bought a car of my own

9. traveled overseas on all flight classes on commercial planes

10. never paid for a hotel in all my travels

11. using a Mont Blanc platinum pen for the last 10 years

12. been flown to HongKong for meetings and interviews

13. been part of the computerised maintenance consulting team for the new HongKong airport

14. done indoor mountain climbing

15. drank wine vintage 1986 an 1991 Australian wines

16. been saved by Christ since 2009

17. given up smoking since 2007

18. done training 1700 ft under ground at a mine site in Kalgoorlie , Western Australia

19. driven a right-hand SUV whilst in Australia

20. eaten crocodile, kangaroo and ostrich meet

21. ridden a train from Maryland to New York

22. taken an exam and been interviewed at the United Nations Head office in New York.

23. gambled in Atlantic City, New Jersey

24. seen Cindy Crawford, up close and personal as I stood next to her in LAX

25. watched an actual NBA game and have seen Shaq in person.


So is there anything else I can do for the next 50 years, maybe, but my outlook in life has been different now and the things I want to do have also been different. I have mellowed out in my age and have been more conscious of the thinks I do now. I try to mentor my subordinates more and now also share the Word of God.

I am thankful for all the things I have experienced in the past, I sure not many can say the same specially about the crocodile and kangaroo meat.

But what I am thankful for are all the friends I have met and retained all these years. My closest friends I have been with for the last 33 yrs and they have been with me through the thrills and trials of my life. You can run to them when you have problems but the best thing of all is when they run to me to ask for advice, it shows that they trust me enough to ask for my opinion and help.

Thank you Lord for the new found vigor I have in life now as I seek your approval and prepare my family as we walk with you in seeking God.

changes in me

its been a while since i posted here, been using other sites which has quick links to facebook since i am on there most of the time.

so what has been happening to me since my last post of 2009.

for one, which is the best one of all, i have become a Christian ! some might find that difficult to believe but I have found solace in reading and hearing the word of God. It has helped me in a lot of things which contributed also to lot of things. Sort of a chain reaction.

I have grown not to worry, as i leave that to the Lord. He will take care of me as I have surrendered myself to Him. How and why would you say it has helped me, well as part of the teachings of the Lord, you have to depend on Him for everything, you ask for help on anything you want or need and all that He asks is for you to live by His words. It is not a condition in exchange for anything. What He is saying is follow me and live by My words and you shall have salvation and eternal life. May sound profound but if you study you will understand.

So as I surrender everything to Him, i have found that I worry less and when I do that I don't get stressed and I am in control of my attitude. I am not depressed, I don't easily get angry and I am more calculated in what I say and do these days. And consider how wonderful this is, I am currently out of work since April. Under normal circumstances, I would have been a wreck by now and my wife and I would have been fighting everyday. But, I am happy...happy in a different sense that I feel content and have no worries.

I also have done something I didn't imagine I would do. I have been reading the bible and trying to understand and adsorb what it teaches. Imagine that, I have finished almost 5 books of the bible since June this year.

On the work front, i am still looking for some permanent work, good thing I was able to work the whole of last year. Still going to interviews with the best possible mindset I can. But the thing is, I think I am priced out of the market,as soon as they hear how much I am getting, they drop me like hot potato. But that is their prerogative, I will continue to offer my services and I know the right opportunity will be there.

As I wait I continue to improve myself through reading and continue to be patient and humble as I wait.

my birthday

So here I am again, sitting in a coffee shoppe making useful my idle time. What am I to write about now, well it was my birthday a couple of weeks ago and am trying to figure out what I did special on that day. First and foremost, I am thankful for that day as I again was able to celebrate another birthday with my family and friends. Was it any special, well I did get greetings from all over the world, I was surprised at the amount of greeting I got through a very popular social networking site. Am glad people remembered, I received greetings as far south as Australia and as far north as Canada and somehow everything else in between. I got SMS, emails and tweets, v-cards, ecards and wall posts. How much things have changed, I would normally get a phone call or a birthday card. Once I even got a telegram, but that was such a long time ago. Nowadays, in between the work related emails and the personal SMS you get the greetings as soon as they sent it, the only drawback was that my phone kept on sounding off and later vibrating since I get everything on my smartphone.

Was I able to do anything good on that day? I did sort out things at work, did not attend any meetings and just had dinner at home. Well I did do my good deed for the day, I gave way to other drivers on the road and did not curse anyone. That is amean feat if you are driving in Manila.

birthdays

There are a lot of different ways people celebrate their birthdays, some depending on what having birthdays mean to them, celebrate birthdays because they want to share their happiness, others celebrate because it gives them a reason to be with friends or to act foolish or to buy something for themselves without feeling guilty. While still others celebrate just for the heck of it or because they were pressured by their peers to throw a party or have a few drinks. Still others do special things on their birthdays like ask their loved ones to marry them or actually get married on their actual birthday. Others that I know of get a physical examination during their birthdays.

When I was a kid, I used to celebrate birthdays just because of ice cream, balloons and cake. The as I got older, I celebrated it because of the gifts. In my teens, it was a reason to have friends and cousins over at your place. But as I grew older, I became quite cynical about having birthdays. i would feel depressed about getting old and not to seem to accomplish anything and this was just right out of college and not some mid-life crisis thing. I would call it my birthday blues, it comes to me on my birth month and would last until after my birthday.

But things started to change when I got married and had kids, I was looking forward to birthdays specially that of my kids, I would take pictures and videos but always of the people attending the birthday celebrations and none of myself.

I had a big celebration when I hit forty. It was an accomplishment for me. I had what I wanted, good friends, a stable job and good health. Then I started evaluating my life after my 40th....using my birthday as a measuring stick. What have I done since my last birthday, have i done something worthwhile to improve my current situation. Sounds profound, but that's just me.

Well, to me now that I am 47, I see my birthday again as a different thing, I look at it as a blessing, a blessing that is given to me, a chance to live and do something about my life and do something for others. I have done and doing my part for my birthday this year, I have stopped smoking and have not smoked for the last 7 months and counting. I have also been brisk walking for the last month.

I thank God for yet another birthday, I thank him for the gift of life.

When it rains...it pours

I am not a slacker when it comes to writing, I am just busy doing a lot of things...and this blog is not about the weather either.

I mentioned in my last blog that the Chinese New Year has given me do much opportunities, well it continues to pour, i am being overwhelmed....it's a good problem though...I would accept this anytime rather than just sitting and doing nothing.....it takes me away from my family, but that is a small matter compared to what I am receiving.

As a friend put it, I am into corporate social responsibility projects, TRUE....social responsibility in the sense that the projects I have right now are for Humanitarian reasons (thank God there are still people willing to help others). Corporate...well in its basic form yes it is still corporate but the difference now is I get to run the show. These things are all happening so fast its making my head spin, its a good thing I still have both feet planted firmly on the ground.

The projects are diversified and in extremes and I wouldn't believe them if I wasn't the one negotiating the deals myself. Lest I spook the deals I will discuss them at a later time. I can talk about them at length then for now let's just say I am being kept busy and on my toes.

Thanks to everyone and anyone who has helped me along the way....you know who you are.

Looking back at where I am now and the things that I can do, well I am just extremely happy I was raised right. You have to have a level-head in dealing with things like this, otherwise you might end up being swallowed by the system.

More updates to come.....

new year new opportunity

Well, it didn't take long for the New Year to shine on me, I am now faced with a new project a whole lot of possibilities. Maybe this is the one, I am just glad that I am not losing hope, it kind gets down right depressing at times when you keep on losing jobs and opportunities that you have hoped for. But then again, I have always believed that if it wasn't for you then it wasn't meant to be for you no matter how much you want it.

Sometimes you pray so hard for things to happen that you do not see that what you have always wanted is already being given to you in a different form. I sometimes think that I have so much problems and worry too much about them but when you look back at it; hey, I'm still getting 3 squares a day and none in my family are sick unlike others who don't even have roofs over their heads. I guess sometimes we just don't see and appreciate what is given to us or what we have.
So now I look at things in a different light, this based on my experiences the last 5 years. I have been and will always be patient and thankful for everyday that I wake up in the mornig...since others don't.

I will keep my trust in the Almighty for he knows what is best for me.

Failure only comes from within andcannot be blamed on others. I am fortunate to have family and friends who are out there always lending a helping hand.

I will keep you posted on the developments as they happen.

the year that was 2007

We bid goodbye to 2007 and welcome the new year with an open mind and a hopeful soul. Last year was not a good one for me as I lost my Mom, it did bring our family closer though. A lot of things did not happen for me but I am still hopeful that things will change. I lost my job again but was compensated for it but still, the way it happened was not very good, you think you are working with professionals....but damn, office politics sure screws things up. I just hope karma doesn't catch up with them.

I learned a lot of things this past year, the most important one is patience, not that I am unfamiliar with it but I did learn to give more leaway to other peoples way of thinking. After all, not every person is the same and you don't expect them to act the way they should. I have learned to roll with the punches and to wait for my turn...(been waiting a long time though), but as the saying goes...Patience is a Virtue that gets rewarded.

Oh and yeah, I got to travel again...for free! I am now up to 35 international cities that I have visited and almost all at no cost to me. Part of the perks of the job I guess.

So what am I looking for to the coming year....good health for my family, that's it...I don't ask for much, I figure if we are all in good health then we can work for a living and that pretty much takes care of everything. I am not putting all of my hopes of getting my US work visa this year, I just have a feeling that I would get that job I am hoping for, the one that puts me in financial stability. I have paid my dues, well so I think, and I think this will be a good year for me.

So, I wish you all a Happy New Year and may the best of last year be your worst this year., keep praying and keep hoping, if you lose hope then there isnothing to live for.

Cheers.

my 28 hr flight home

Ok so here I am, sitting in the airport (its 8:05am EST)....I like coming in early so that I avoid hassles. I didn’t get any hassles today, maybe because I remembered to shave. Anyway, I didn't have problems with airport security today...well, at least not here in Fort Lauderdale.

But it is not to say I didn’t have issues, there was traffic going into the airport, again it was a good thing that I left early. As soon as I got in I went to check in my bags and lo and behold I get shuffled to three queues. finally on the third queue I was attended to and served.....again.....issues, they couldn't figure out my ticket some how the airline screwed up my name...am not sure it was the airline or the travel agent but they got my name wrong on the ticket. somehow it showed up with an extra character space on the e-ticket and not on the reservation.....and as intelligent as airport ticketing systems go....they are not recognising it....with the intervention of some good people (they were still helpful since it was only 6:45 in the morning) they were able to fix it but again with the issues....they weren't able to give me my connecting flight's boarding pass......and I was hoping to breeze through LA international.

long story short, the ticket got squared away and I was happy......but not for long, one of my bags was overweight by 5 lbs. so I had to open both bags and transfer some stuff to even out the weight......its a good thing I always remember to pack my undergarments at the bottom of the suitcase.....that thing settled, I was on my way to go to my gate.

I picked a nice place to sit, right next to an AC outlet so I could use my laptop....I was all alone for a about half an hour, sitting quietly reading my e-books and guess what....a family with four kids sits next to me.....as big as the waiting area was...they had to chose the bench next to me....they were noisy, the kids were unruly....food was spilling....just your typical day at the airport...oh well, its time for me to get something to eat...I’m hungry.

Boarding the plane always has its nuances, people seem not to listen to the PA system, as soon as they hear that the flight is boarding, they crowd in front of the gate, just standing there knowing they won’t be allowed to enter anyway. They are always in a rush to get seated and once inside the plane they take forever to find their seat….that is something I cant understand….why is it that passengers have to check each and everyone of the seats while looking for their assigned seat numbers….go figure?....if you enter the plane and you are pointed to the general direction of your seat, look at the first number you find and match it with your seat number ( you should at least know your seat number by now), if your seat number is 32 and the first sit you see is 12….it means you keep walking past 20 more rows of seats…..you don’t have to bloody stop at every seat trying to check if 32 comes after 12…..and the funny thing about this is most people who travel are not first time travelers…..may be their first time in that particular airport or airline, but definitely not the first plane they have boarded….So I finally get seated and good enough I get rewarded for all of this waiting with an “exit” seat and no seatmate….cool, looking for a few hours of sleep, after all it is a 5 hour flight.

I was able to grab a few minutes of sleep at first, since I am on an aisle seat, the stewardess would tap my shoulder every time she and her refreshment cart would pass by. I was able to doze of again after the food service since most people didn’t get anything since you now buy food on domestic flights.

I arrived safely at LAX at 12:07 PST and now on to a new adventure the 10hr layover. Now here is the other thing that I have observed about people on planes, and this thing transcends all ethnic boundaries, whether you are an Asian, Caucasian, European or whatever, as soon as the plane comes to a stop, everybody removes their seatbelts, stands up, get on their mobile phones and start getting their bags. This is a wonder of air travel; would you get out of the plane faster if you stood up first? Would you be able to get your bags from the baggage claim area faster than anyone else? Would you clear customs and immigration ahead of all the passengers? It just completely amazes me to this day and mind you I have traveled a lot and have seen the same thing over and over again. That is why I try to leave the plane as late as possible.

I walk into Terminal 4 and asked for directions going to the Tom Bradley International Terminal…I got in without incidence and looked around for my ticket counter….and guess what, the counter opens at 4pm…so now I’m stuck in airport limbo before I can proceed to my gate. So I look around for the essentials….the food court, a coffee shop, restroom and a place to sit down. I got some Chinese food for lunch which was palatable enough. I scoured the gift shops, which were all over priced, for some souvenirs but decided otherwise. The duty-free shops were not any good either, well maybe because I did want to buy any smokes or liquor. So now I wait, it’s 2:30 PM and I am running out of options to do.

It is now 4:30pm and the ticketing counter is open, quite early for a 10pm flight, and now I know why. There was a long queue of passengers and each one having at least two huge boxes with them aside from their personal check-in luggage and their carry-ons and most of them are old people or senior citizen couples. It took me one and a half hours to get checked-in and I only spent 5 minutes on the counter.

The time is now 6:15pm and I am sitting at the gate…..still waiting for another 16 hour flight…this seems to take forever and mind you for an airport this big they should at least have facilities to entertain people who wait longer than 4 hours between flights. The nicest airport I have been to that looks after the passengers well being is the International airport in Singapore, they have lockers that you can rent so that you don’t have to tow your carry–on luggage everywhere you go, they have a hotel within the airport, nice restaurants not like this food outlets here at LAX, smoking lounges, wide screen TVs and the duty free shopping is second to none. Now that is an international airport. As big as a city as Los Angeles is they should greatly improve this bloody airport. For now I will be sitting in the airport, waiting and trying to rest and prepare for this long journey.

This is the longest wait ever, and LAX is the worst airport I have been in, it is so noisy and the people seem to just not listen to what the announcements are. The only nice thing to happen during this long wait was that I came across Cindy Crawford at the terminal.

We board the flight an hour late….I don’t know why Filipinos travel with so much luggage…and these are old folks. It takes so long to board, bloody hell. So I sit myself on my assigned seat…the exit seat…I can fully stretch my legs and I started to make myself comfortable so that I could sleep…..but as my luck would have it, people are just so insensitive to other people…they couldn’t care less if they hit my legs while going to the bathroom or they grab on to my seat trying to walk the passage way…result….i wasn’t able to get to sleep longer than 15 mins at a time. I am so bloody tired. To make things worse we wait like an eternity for the luggage to come out of the carousel….I was praying that my luggage doesn’t get lost in all those boxes. I did get to see my luggage again I thought it was going to be with out issues….but as you guess it, my suitcase comes out damaged and it is a brand new suitcase at that. At least I am home…..can’t wait for my next trip…..cheers.

smoking or non-smoking

today marks the 14th day that i haven't smoked.....or it has been 2 weeks since i last smoked....or i am smoke-free for the last 2 weeks......anyway you look at it, i win.

its great not being able to smoke, or at least stopping it. it changes things, your perspective, your insights.....your smell....hahahaha.......i never realised that smokers have a particular smell, that musky, tobacco smell.....i just can imagine what it does to other people.

why did i stop....well i just wanted to, am not a heavy smoker, a few sticks a day at the most not really a heavy one. i just decided to stop, that's it.......do i crave it....not the least bit.....a good decision.....everything to gain.

wish i could have done this earlier....but it's never too late to start.

cheers.

my mom

thought I wasn't going to do this, but I just couldn't help it. I miss my mom, she passed away 3 weeks ago.

she was a strong woman, in every sense. when I was young I used to think she was invincible, I never saw her get sick or anything. she never got tired, I would always see her doing things at home, cleaning, cooking ironing, helping us with our school work, always looking after us.

she had a heart of gold, a hearty laugh and a compassionate soul. she always took care of us, even my kids. she always thought of us even to the very end.

I shall miss her very much, but I am relieved in a way that she is now in a happier place with my dad. she had to endure a lot for the past 5 years, with her failing eyesight due to glaucoma, her aching joints due to arthritis, the loss of my dad 2 yrs ago and then losing her leg due to complications with her diabetes.

I hope we were able to make her life comfortable the last few years and moments she had, we tried our best. she was never to complain, but I knew she was deeply saddened with the loss of my dad for she loved him very much. my dad spoiled her but in a good way.

I am now without both my parents, but at least they saw us become professionals and I just hope we made them proud of what we have become.

I shall instill what I have learned from them on my own children and try my best to be like them.

I am going to miss my mom and my dad.

thank you to both of you for making me what I am today. I will continue to do you proud.

I love you!

the power of prayer

it was Friday morning and was supposed to be a regular visit to my mom, who is in the hospital for a mild stroke. (This is quite an ironic term since a stroke is a stroke, it may not lead to cardiac arrest, but it still affects your heart and the people who care for you), anyway, so we get there and people are all over my mom, her vitals have dipped to near fatal lows and they are doing all they can to make her comfortable.

We were all surprised as she was laughing and quite jolly the night before.

At this point each of my siblings, I am sure are mumbling their prayers in their head. I myself have been talking to God the whole time.

And then the dreaded TALK was inevitable, we sat in a conference room with the doctors and we were given the current scenario. I have prepared myself for this a long time ago, knowing that my parents are not getting any younger. But even if you are prepared you still have this feeling that "this is not happening to me," so we sat there and discussed things, and options and eventualities.

This was going to be one of the most difficult and most important decision I had to do, the good thing is all my siblings had the same decision.

Long story short, my mom is in quite stable condition, her vitals are doing good and her heart and kidneys are holding up to the medication.

At this point, I would thank all my friends, relatives and loved ones who have showed what the power of prayer could do. All her doctors were surprised at her recovery, but still we have to watch her constantly.

I love my mom, she is the sole reason why I am here and why I am what I am right now.

I am still ready for anything that will happen, I just wish it won't be put to the test again.

We breathe easier for now, but we continue to support her with everything we have.

Thank God!

true christmas spirit

i have just come back for the holidays having been away for a year, and what i have seen so far is that the christmas spirit in my native country has been such a put-on being done by politicians and entertainment celebrities as well as TV shows much like a routine than something from the heart.

it has made me sad an miss the days of old when i was young and christmas meant something.
but my belief in the christmas spirit was brought back to life and it had given me hope, this i saw from the eyes and lovcing heart of my 10 year old daughter.

on christmas day during our reunion with my in-laws, my daughter went out to the town plaza with her cousins and came back bearing small trinkets as gifts for her younger cousins, no one told her to do it and she spent whatever money she had on her, personal money she got as gifts.

i could see the love in her eyes as well as the happines and joy she had being able to give something and seeing the smiles on her cousins faces.

that to me was the true essence of christmas.

waiting again

It’s been a month since I have returned, and I am starting to get bored. I do have some job offers but I am still waiting. Don’t get me wrong I am happy to be back, happy to see my kids and family….but the feeling of being empty and worthless is there again.

 

It is quite hard to be staring at the TV the whole day, you can only watch so much TV. Your day becomes a routine and there is only so much change you could do without having to go out and spend.

 

You lose your drive and motivation, I had set-up myself to study a different language, it will come in handy when I get back…..the problem is I can’t get myself to start doing it.

 

All my friends are at work and I am literally alone.

 

I just hate waiting…..but there is nothing else for me to do.

 

the next michael jordan

i just finished browsing through the net wondering why Kobe Bryant changed his number from #8 to #24....well he has his reasons. but i was amased at how other people think or assume why he did. the thing that got to me the most was, and still is, is the "heir apparent " theory. that Kobe is the next Michael Jordan....thus the #24 after Jordan's #23.

let's face it...there will never be another Michael Jordan for several reasons.....professionalism, attitude and PASSION.

kobe may have exceptional moves but it is nothing that can change the way the game has been played. some say if the game was on the line, they would definitely go to Kobe (he with several buzzer beaters under his belt)...but he is not the only player who can do this. others have done this. what kobe lacks is the professionalism and attitude to be as near great as Jordan. for one he can't work with another superstar...remember him and Shaq. so with that said kobe will be great but wont live up or come even close to Jordan.

there are others who are being compared with Jordan, another player who comes to mind is Lebron James....come on..Lebron?? again he lacks the attitude and the passion and most specially the professionalism....you don't hold out till the last day to sign your contract trying to hold out for more money. with that move you have just shot professionalism and attitude down the drain. and most specially the passion. some even ask for lower salaries in the desire to help and win.

Dwayne Wade, another great player, but then again he always forgets the word - TEAM. we know he can shoot and get to the basket but to extend yourself all season long without using your teammates takes a toll on you. 2 years ago they could have won it if not for his injuries. you can't take a whole team on your own.

The player that i can think of that would come very close to Jordan would be Grant Hill, he had the passion, the attitude and the professionalism, but he also had the injuries. If he had more injury free seasons than what he had he would have been great, but his career in the NBA has been cut short due to injuries. He would also have been a better player if he had a better team to work with.

So that is my personal take on it....i may be wrong but these are just my thoughts.

I love this game!

the next step

so here i am waiting again for the next step....i really don't like
waiting....good thing i have a lot of patience. well nothing much i
can do about it...i have no control over a lot of things.

in the meantime i have to make good use of the time i have, read the
books i missed, get in touch with friends i haven't spoken to in a
long while and do those things i want to do.

i know things happen for a reason and i patiently wait for my time.