what the president had to say....

I am not anti-Gloria. I am just not interested in politics. I think the politics and the state of our economy are tiring to talk about. Every time I go out and see the situation of our country – poor roads and bridges, dirty public restrooms, the slums, and all the corrupt officials – it’s disheartening. I wish I am living somewhere else like in the US or Europe where you can see where our money is going.

When I spent a year of studying in the US, I realized that only if the government cared too much about our people then there would be enough chairs and teachers for one classroom or that every child will be educated. But it isn’t like that and I hate to know that the government only made promises but was never faithful to them. I lived in the state of Washington where they include taxes for anything you purchase. That was okay I guess because you can see where those taxes go. But to do taxing here in the Philippines would not be good. I mean can you actually feel that our economy is improving? Pres. Arroyo had this statement to say about denouncing the issue of scrapping Value Added Tax (VAT) in our country: "If we remove the VAT, business confidence will decline, interest rates will go up, the more the value of the peso will fall, and the more commodity prices will rise. If we remove the VAT on oil and electricity, we will lose P80 billion for the poor. It will strip the majority of our people of the means to ride out the world food and energy crisis." Oh yeah P80 billion for the poor? Like where did that money come from? And how come the poor have not benefited from that still? In my opinion, there is no way that poverty will be diminished in our country if the government will not do anything about corruption. I think they should practice honesty and sincerity.

The president also mentioned that she would impose stricter policies on the Anti-Graft Law. I think she should do that in her family as well. I don’t mean to be really cynical about this but if I were the president and I knew I did something really bad to our country, I wouldn’t have the guts to speak in front with the whole Philippines as my audience and boast about the improvements I’ve done in the country. I mean people do not want to hear promises anymore. We want action and making sure the promises will be done.

On the other hand, one good thing I heard is that the cost of texting has gone down to 50 cents but would only last for three months. And this would be effective starting last night. I tried it actually but I guess the telecommunication companies have forgotten what the president ordered them or they completely ignored it. Anyway, at least that would be a good change.

A president could keep having speeches as such every year but what should matter is that these plans would become a reality or else she just wasted the people’s time in listening to her speech. I really hope good things will come.

My Surfing Experience

Today I spent most of the time in the computer lab simply because all of my classes are held there. I love surfing the net. In fact, it’s one of the best boredom busters I could think of, especially when I’m in school, doing nothing during my free time. But I’m not a computer addict as well. I don’t spend most of my time playing in the computer or chatting with friends. I think I have gone away from that hobby. Now, I mostly use the net for school purposes, personal agendas and for entertainment.

One of my most favorite things in the net is to search for the latest entertainment news. Yes, I love gossip news but not the local ones we have here. I’m more interested in knowing the latest in Hollywood. Aside from that, I like checking out business sites such as e-bay or online shopping sites like kohls.com or ae.com. My biggest problem in these sites is that they are only available in the United States. I wish Asian people like me could also avail of their products. Anyway, I noticed that clothing and apparel brands here in the Philippines do not really have their own websites or they have one but not updated. Among the brands that I have visited are Kamiseta and Team Manila. I could say that I did enjoy visiting them even though the stuffs are kind of pricy.

It may not come as a surprise but apparently, the first thing I do when I use the computer and I’m connected to the Internet is to check my friendster account. Actually, I check it more often than my email accounts. I guess there’s excitement in anticipating who has left a comment on your profile or the new friends who have invited you as a friend. Thanks to friendster, I am connected to my friends date back to my grade school years. Alongside checking out social sites, I also enjoy visiting the Real Madrid website obviously because I am a big fan of the team. I don’t get to watch soccer that much compared before now that I’m back here in the Philippines and so I only get updated when I visit soccer sites such as that.

Utilizing the computer in school is a different experience than using the one at home. Why? First of all, as students who pay for our computer and internet fee in school, we don’t get to use the computer all the time especially when classes are being held in the lab. To be honest, it is only in this term that I got to really use the lab very often. At least, I know that what we are paying for does not go to waste. Another problem is Dansguardian. It’s one of my biggest complaints because there are some sites that do not need to be censored by the school. Particularly, I find it difficult to access in Yahoo images because some computers in the lab don’t allow it. it may sound exaggerated but it actually eats your time especially when you’re doing a complicated activity in Compart and you don’t have enough time to finish it.

Games2girls is one site that I love to visit. It’s a site that offers the coolest games for girls (as the name implies). The dominance of the pink color, I think, is one of the reasons that attracted me to it. Well, it’s not because my favorite color is pink but it’s that feeling of going back to being a child again every time I visit the site. Nevertheless, most of the games are also good and fun.

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of my time using the computer because most of my classes this term require me to do so – from searching for topics and what could be reported to finding a solution for my boring and “pathetic” drama script. It just shows that you can find answers to almost all of your concerns on the net. You can even find gazillions of apple-pie recipes that sometimes you don’t know which the best is. Thanks to Bill Gates and the inventor of Yahoo and whoever is involved in the cyberspace technology, Internet does makes complex things easier and life better.

The Popular Literature

obviously when you say popular it means something that is common and usual..something that a huge variety of people can understand and relate to...something that we, the audience, have gotten used to over the years...

i honestly enjoyed reading "getting better" despite of its sexual contents..i was quite surprised that we had to read such a book but realized that i am after all in college..and i'm supposed to be used to such things...not pretend to be innocent still...i guess we all are exposed to such things whether we like it or not.we can't help it...this crazy world has changed. gone are the days of conservatism although not really but we can't deny the fact that those kind of stuff happen and are real..i mean sex, alcohol, promiscuity and all...whatever. i don't want to be a hypocrite but the lifestyle of the characters in the novel disturbs me...i can't imagine myself living like that...it's crazy and for me, in my own opinion, sinful. but i guess everyone has their own preference in the way they should live their lives...who are we to judge ryt?

anyhow, what i liked about this particular chicklit is the fact that it's undeniably funny and direct - straight to the point....it gives what readers want and expect in a novel - it's not madamotly-written...what i mean by that is (in relation sa story) as if someone who is so prangka is talking straight at your face and does not change or manipulate how the real world is like and humor is given generously..not baduy but witty and funny talaga...and i think that's what's so important in this genre of literature...it has to relate to reality and what most people are going through..it has to bring readers to a state of realization while reading it..and has to show certain issues in life like pressures in the workplace, troubles with the big LOVE, enjoying your friends' company and most of all learning from your mistakes...learning to stand up on your own after a heavy and heart-breaking downfall and living your life like never before and ofcourse laughing while reading etc humor helps talaga....like jacqueline wilson's "girls in love series" - funny and relatable...those stuff matters in a chicklit...characters have to go through a graceful transformation like the losyang nanay to a hot momma kind of thing...i thought reading the chicklit was very timely and appropriate..i know it's baduy and kahiya to admit it but i actually highlighted some lines that i liked...haha...i was in a moving on stage at that time din kaya i can relate a lot to almost everything...it was as if the book was heaven sent (yikes)...the breakup do's given were pretty much expected but realizing that such do's don't really work unless you have decided for yourself that it's finally time to move on and let go of the doosh! haha..sorry...

as for the other book, smaller and smaller circles...this one i consider, in a way, madamotly-written. i was so into it sa middle part..i thought pa nga Gus Saenz was the killer and siguro almost every character pinaghinalaan ko..even Joanna...but i was very DISAPPOINTED to find out na the killer came out of nowhere parang wala lang pinakilala na lang siya bigla...grabeh..it annoyed me..biglang nawala ung excitement ko...sobrang madamot...i was expecting a huge twist sa huli but it wasn't given...parang okay..so now, what? you expect me to finish reading the part where the killer got killed...? it was unexpectedly expected. the good side naman of the novel is that unique ung characters..u don't expect priests to be involved in crimes...i only think of them as prayer warriors or church leaders but not gorgeous-looking men who enjoy solving crimes...another thing i liked which i also thought funny was how the justice system or should i say police system is like here in our country...sobrang kawawa..sad to say but very TRUE! i couldn't agree more sa author...sana lang crimes could be solved that well...na investigators are sure of the suspects they try to catch...not ung kung sino lang na mukhang adik or psycho basta may mapakita lang na improvements sa investigation...that's so sad..pity naman the innocents. it would also help if the police or NBI are really interested in helping solve the crime and atleast lessen the misery of the family..i noticed kasi na policemen could be very selfish and mukhang pera...ginagawa lang for their job's sake or for money's sake and not becasue they really want to help...i liked that the writer was bold enough to expose such truths about our country.

over all, i liked the texts we've read in this course. it really and honestly made me appreciate Filipino writers...di rin pala tayo nagpapatalo when it comes to writing...we can be as good as the others...i guess we should just keep supporting them...dapat maging international bestseller din ung mga Filipino written books...infinite possibilities but not impossible....long live Literature of the Philippines!

Generations

I could never forget that one day when me and my two closest friends had a serious conversation. we were in our last year in high school (gr.12), and In Jeong (our Korean friend) was about to leave for Korea to continue her studies. I have always known that she wasn't that close to her father. She shared with us how cruel and useless his father was. ..was always drunk and even brought his mistress home right in front of their mother. i couldn't help but asked her how she felt..and to my surprise she said she didn't care but felt really bad for her mother. while she was sharing, i noticed how strong she was...she showed anger but she never once cried. but there's something that she said that brought me to tears...she wanted her father to die soon so that all their sufferings would end. she wanted so bad for him to disappear in their lives so that she wouldn't see her mother cry again. and my other friend Margaret, felt the same way. after all, her mother has some mental illness and and her dad had a mistress too. i couldn't believe what i heard from them...couldn't believe it came from my dearest friends...i couldn't believe that they were able to hope and desire for such bad things..and i didn't know how to react..i couldn't understand how i felt..i was angry and hurt at the same time. my friends went through all these problems and i felt bad that i couldn't do anything about it. the only thing i could do was to care and be there for them. and i realized the kind of strength they had - the strength that got even stronger while going through tough and painful times...if i was in their condition, i don't think i would be able to handle anything like that...but they were good friends...they did well in school and we only had great memories together. i guess that incident only made us closer and made me realized how blessed i am to have a great family.

i recalled this incident after reading Generations. the girl might have gone through traumatic experiences but i couldn't see any good reason to kill her father...i don't think there's any good reason to kill anyone. you might be having so much anger and bitterness to the person but killing wouldn't answer all that. and i couldn't believe that the girl did not feel any remorse or sorrow. in fact, she seemed relieved after murdering her own father. is she crazy? or just plain wicked? another thing that i didn't get was to why her mother or brothers did not even care...is that possible? i guess what the author was trying to show was that people change when they go through horrible things. that when they have been hurt so bad, they are able to do evil things. but there could be other better ways to get away with gruesome experiences...murder shouldn't be an option. sometimes we just don't comprehend what goes through a person's mind.

what is vs. what if

" Fantasies are more than substitutes for unpleasant reality; they are also dress rehearsals, plans. All acts performed in the world begin in the imagination."

After having read "Tale of the Spinster and Peter Pan", I didn't find any relation to fairy tale. i was actually expecting of a fairy tale ending..the usual happily ever after. but i realized that the spinster was in her own world of fantasy...she is obviously tired of her monotonous, routine life! as much as she'd like to hide it by going to her fave bar on thursdays, there's no doubt that she has found her life dull and boring! that's even the very reason why she goes to the bar and sip wine and enjoy music...because she doesn't really have anything fun to do anymore. But then came Joel...her "Peter Pan". and she was probably hoping the he would take her to "Neverland". what do i mean by this?....well, the woman longs to be someplace outside of her real world...she's aging and Peter Pan reminds her of being young and carefree once again. I don't think she has hidden desires for the man..i think that she would just like to have someone daring and free-spirited who can help her enjoy her life, who can bring her to the land of "no worries"...the land where people do not grow up. unfortunately, all these things only exist on her mind...her own fantasies...just the way she wanted her life to be...but the truth is sometimes the things we have imagined cannot always happen.

as for the the other text, "Document", the guy is somehow on the same boat as that of the spinster. he thinks that a particular document was meant to be written for him and then contemplates on the status of their relationship...if they even had one.....he was uncertain of how the girl thinks of him....they had late night talks and they go to the mall together...one could possibly assume that something might be going on between them but the guy is still left wondering...thinking what if the document was really about him....

we all create fantasies on our minds...and oh! how well we create them...but fantasies are departure from reality...we fantasize because we think something is impossible...and i like fantasizing and imagining impossible things...they actually help me get what i want..at least motivate me to reach what seems to be impossible...

*nose bleed na ako*

before and after

I think it's appropriate to say that contemporary writers have become daring and experimental - on the type of characters they write. The tried to break what used to be standard and plain and succeeded. On the other hand, the canon writers were (in my opinion) afraid to write about what's unusual because they grew up during those times when women were supposed to live in the shadow of men. They were to take care of their children and stay at home doing chores and all those "motherly" stuff. Women today (as portrayed by the writers) can stand on their own feet and can bravely defend themselves whenever they need to.

Moreover, canon writers described and used obvious settings for their stories...like in the province or a mansion with helpers, or near the shore...maybe because that was what the people have gotten used to...the story would usually have concepts about the rich and the poor and how the poor seem to be happier...."Games" does not even have an exact location..it was more of a situation..the guy and the woman conversing...contemporary writers put twists on their writing...they will keep you thinking and guessing till the end...unlike the canon texts where you know exactly how the ending would be...and canon writers (for some reason) like describing their characters in details...these are the the biggest differences i've noticed so far and i guess as we go on with the other contemporary texts, i can prove that some of the things i've written may probably be right..or not...anyway, i'm so sleepy....

Now and Then

The women in both stories, in my own opinion, did not have the freedom to follow what their heart desired but they did choose their own destiny. Tinang was unsure about her feelings towards Amado but right after she read his love letter, it was obvious that she loved him although she didn't have the chance to share it to him. She married a Bagobo thinking that his two hectares of land would give them a "bright tomorrow". Unfortunately, it did not turn out that way. From the author's description, it seemed to me that she was tired and unhappy. I don't think it was the kind of life that she wanted and expected but she seems to be trapped in that situation just like Pilar. Apparently, Pilar was not too fond of Mr.Perfecto and his slight arrogance that's why maybe she wanted other men according to her "ideals" but unfortunately it was only Mr. Perfecto who could understand her and probably take her seriously. And she had no choice but to go with Mr. Perfecto. I think that she would have ended up with him anyway. She was trapped!

I can't imagine myself being trapped in that same circumstance. Thankfully, things are different now. We always have the opportunity to decide on our own. Pilar had a choice but I don't think it was what she longed for. She used his father as an excuse not to be with Mr. Perfecto but i think she'd rather be with someone she's not that attracted to but might learn to love later on than age alone and lonely. I think most women on that phase of life have that fear or uncertainty. I am reminded of my cousin who never had a boyfriend until her early thirties and couldn't wait to get married because the rest of her friends daw were getting married and she didn't want to be the last single standing. Well she's now married and feeding her jobless hubby.

.....moving on.....

According to my lola, she was very young when she married my lolo. He was a Chinese businessman who was 20 years older than her. My lola would show us their pictures and based on that, she was very pretty and he was...ok. I mean he wasn't that good looking but he came from a prominent clan in Amoy ,old China (now a Taiwanese territory) before it became a communist country. Because he was against communism (the government took all their wealth and killed some of his relatives), he escaped to the Philippines in hope of a good life. He then lived and started his business in Cotabato where my lola worked as a cashier. Well my lolo was attracted really bad to my lola while she didn't like him at first because he was a lot older and un nga hindi daw dwapo.
But her relatives were pushing her to accept his courtship because he was rich. And they were married and had 10 children (grabe before couples didn't know about family planning). I shared this because I think women during those times had no control over their lives. I mean they seemed to follow what their family or society dictates them to do. Kahit na mas conservative noon, some women married early just so may security ang future nila. i don't know if I'm right about this but that's what I've noticed lang. Unlike today, women are stronger and confident. We think ahead and we want to have the best job. Not to mention na mas liberated and free-spirited ang women of today. Very career-minded and game sa mga challenges. i think we're equal na nga sa men compared before na sobrang sunud-sunuran lang ang mga babae. Today, men work and women handle the money (at least, women are consulted over money matters and sa house ang mga nanay lahat ang gumagawa ng decision). There shouldn't be gender biases anymore although meron pa din naman but at least, the strength and capabilities of women are recognized na.

In that case, change happened for the better.

love is a many splendored thing

Reading "Bread of Salt" is like going back to the good old days of finding your first love. It's a wonderful tragic love story - wonderful because everyone has gone through the moment of falling in love and doing everything for love but on the other hand, tragic because one disappointment could lead to falling out of it. hay..pagibig nga naman. i guess the boy in the story was not really "in love" although he thought he was. we have a tendency to become like the boy..we would try to live up to the standards of a person and would even do anything just so the person we "love" notice us.... we could be willing to go through embarrassments para lang ma-defend natin ung person. it's wrong to say na love is blind because it's actually the person that's blind. love is a beautiful thing..atleast it's supposed to be that way. it only becomes painful when we realized na things didn't go the way we wanted them to or worst we always expect something in return sa person and if hindi nya nagawa, we're left broken-hearted...yikes ako ba to...let's admit it, we do sweet things to the person and in return we want his appreciation or at least expect to do the same..but in reality, not all guys are like that(bias! and bitter!)...it doesn't apply to all guys ok..ung iba lang...i guess it's different na now..minsan guys would prefer na sila ang ligawan(ang kapal talaga) and mga girls naman sa sobrang infatuation sa guy would dare do crazy things..i hate how humans tend to become impulsive and then end up making irrational desicions tapos pag nasaktan parang it's the end of the world...i think we should turn those circumstances to our advantage. just like the boy...he realized na hindi sila match ng girl and he went back to who he really was..this time without pretensions. i think it matters to find a partner who will see u for who u are..because love is supposed to be a wonderful decision not feeling ha...u love because u have decided to love that person no matter what..if based lang sa feelings then it wouldn't last because feelings could change..love should not be that complicated..we're supposed to enjoy and cherish it..yikes...

moving on...

Guido might be a romantic but i think he perceives women differently. after all, he was the reason why Lupeng was convinced that women should be adored. what Guido was really saying in the line:"i think it is to remind us men that once upon a time you women were supreme and we men were the slaves".. is that it is now the men's turn to be supreme and women as slaves to them..(how dare him think that)..i have a feeling that he might be playing around Lupeng's way of thinking..i see Guido as a horny maniac who looks at women lustfully even if he told convincing statements to Lupeng like "did u stop being a woman? did u stop being beautiful?"...men will always have their way of tricking women...but thank God i believe meron pa din naman mangilangngilang na sincere gentlemen waiting to be caught by our nets...it's just a matter of waiting and believing..haha

and for all women out there...wag kayong papayag na maging sexual objects ng guys because we are beautiful creations and we deserve to be truly loved and respected..not adored(well maybe but in the right way)...hehe! we are unique in so many ways..yes we do have lots of insecurities and worries especially when talking about body issues but no matter what size we are in or what skin type or hair texture we have, we are still who we are. our beauty is simply effortless!

real men do cry

It's all about the man in the house - the king, head, and authority. The man in the story "Divide by Two" might have been indifferent to whatever Belle was complaining about but towards the end understood the real matter and dealt with it like a man: "This is man's work. I have met the enemy and he is mine". I can just imagine the man's anger towards the neighbor. whatever the reason for the anger (could it be because of a secret affair or something else more personal or because of pride), i think he knew what he wanted to fight for. On the other hand, Mr. Angeles of "The Mats", was still grieving over the death of his children and the thought that the remaining mats could not be given to them. WE are so used to the thought that men are supposed to be strong and emotionless, that men don't cry because it's a sign of weakness...i have to strongly disagree with that. I think that their manliness comes out when they become emotional because that's the only time that you can really see through their hearts. I know men that are quiet and seem reserved in nature but when things become touchy, they give in to their emotions because somehow they have been moved.

i am reminded of the time i saw emotions from my "very recent ex-boyfriend". i have always considered him insensitive and sobrang "manhid" but when i saw him cried for the first time after admitting his faults, i realized that he has feelings too and marunong din pala siya umiyak despite of his pagiging macho.. Sure they don't become emotional all the time, but when they do, it's usually with sense and you can't help but be moved by it. (maybe that's also the reason why it's so hard to move on..huhu).

Mr. Angeles is who I call the typical Filipino tatay. He works hard to earn a living and provides for the whole family. Whenever he goes home, he brings pasalubong. Just like my own papito...If there's anything i am so thankful for, it would have to be that we have been blessed with a great father. I always get excited whenever he comes home from Indo (who doesn't?), just like Mr. Angeles who works away from his family. Everytime my dad comes home, we all have to be present at the airport and just like in the story, we couldn't wait for the pasalubongs. It's what we always anticipate about. And one by one, he takes it out of the maleta and hands them to us. It has become a tradition in our family (and i think also in all Filipino families). For some reason, we always have to have something for our loved ones even if it's just a pack of fish crackers from the bus station.

another thing I have realized is how our parents, when they give us something that is costly (say a brand new car or laptop), they would always put conditions before you can use them. but as for my parents, they only ask for one thing and that is to treat my studies seriously and excel at it. that's not too bad...atleast i don't get grounded whenever i make mistakes...

i must confess that lately i have been buying Filipino literary books...maybe i am overwhelmed by how Filipino writers can be as good as the foreigners...maybe even better.

it's so Filipino-ish

Filipinos are born happy. We rejoice over something that's for some people is not even worth rejoicing for. We tend to appreciate even the smaller things and that's what I love about our race. We are very accommodating too. Whenever our friends come over, we usually offer them the best things...I used to think that we do it because we want to impress them but really I think it's beyond that. I think it's already a huge part of our culture. I remember the time I invited my Indonesian friends to come over our house in Jakarta, and I, the typical hospitable Filipino, prepared a "feast" for them. Before they even started eating, one of my closest friends came up to me and asked me why I had to bother preparing for them....and I cheerfully told her that I just wanted to do it for them because they're my friends and they don't get to come to my place all the time. To my surprise, she responded negatively. She told me that I should not have bothered to prepare and confessed that she doesn't feel good about it. I was disappointed because I just wanted them to have a good time and really don't we all Filipinos do that? But then I realized that they come from a different culture and different backgrounds so maybe I made her feel uncomfortable. I learned that it's all about getting used to the things that may seem different to us. I mean I have been "culture shocked" many times before but I got through them and I learned to have an open mind just like Maria in Arguilla's "How My Brother Leon Brought Home A Wife". She knew the kind of adjustments she had to make and she welcomed those changes. Arguilla perfectly illustrated in the story the importance of families and going back to your roots despite of the changes you have made. It showed how we still value "pamamanhikans" and how important it is for our parents to get to know the people you're going to be living with. It proves how family-oriented we are.

Back in highschool my best friend used to call me the "Corny Chrys". I didn't really know her reasons for naming me that but I think it's because I'm always jolly and I don't take a lot of things seriously. I love how Carlos Bulosan wrote that : "Laughter was our only wealth". I love the thought that Filipinos are a happy race and yet we still put importance on our families, education, friends, lifestyle etc. Just think of the "noche buenas" that we celebrate..isn't that enough proof that we know how to have a great time despite of the ugly things that people from other countries know about us?

We may have been termed as "brown monkeys" or that we eat dogs or those other funny names people call us but atleast monkeys learn easily. They are smart, can adopt to a new environment well and they know how to have fun. And by the way, monkeys are not ugly.