CANDY
cry your eyes out
November 19, 2006
November 03, 2006
Sumaging Cave, Sagada
Jeni,Buti nagawa na natin habang bata pa tayo...... baka hindi na kayanin ng katawan nating ulitin pa ito.
October 19, 2006
October 18, 2006
CBC Documentary on War Photographers
4/12 CBC Documentary: BEYOND WORDS:"[In Liberia] they stripped this man down to his underwear and we realized that they were going to execute him. It happened so fast.As I developed these pictures I thought: I hope these pictures come out because they're going to be very dynamic images. But I also felt physically sick because someone had just been murdered in front of me. I wanted for my own sense of ego to please my bosses and my organization, but on the other hand it was at the expense of a man's life." - CORRINE DUFKA
The film describes how war journalism and photography wreck one's sense of humanity as war photographers become equally shell-shocked at what they've seen. It reveals how working in war zones made them into depressed and introverted people. Adrenalin rushes freak their systems, images they've captured mess with their heads for years, some ended up divorced and live secluded lives. A few have given up the job entirely. One felt there's no more peace for them even after the war is over. You could see it in their sad aura...
Corrine filmed this video of a young man shot at the back, and lying down on the ground trying to grasp some more air, was approached by one gunman and shot in the head. All in one frame...blood spattered on the ground.
The documentary is a moving piece of history about people we never see, people that shoot the headlines. "If one person is moved into action, into doing something, then our job is done, and well done."
October 08, 2006
Bishop Alberto B. Ramento, PIC- killed in his Parish
"Death's grip can break our bodies, not our souls; If death take him, I too know how to die. Let Fate do with me what she will or can; I am stronger than death and greater than my fate; My love shall outlast the world, doom falls from me Helpless against my immortality."
-Savitri
September 21, 2006
Remembering one Martial Law while living in another
34th Anniversary of Martial Law in the Philippines: Ongoing Murder Spree Against Activists Underscores a Chilling Blast from the Past
Filipinos associate September 21 with one of the darkest periods in Philippine history. On this same day in 1972, the Marcos regime imposed martial law. It took 14 years of struggle to end the dictatorship’s assault on political freedoms and democratic rights. More than three decades on, however, we find our country once more confronting authoritarian rule, with no less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo undermining the democracy and rule of law Filipinos had fought for. State-sponsored terrorism is again rearing its ugly head in Philippine society.
Amnesty International says there have been at least 51 political killings in the Philippines in the first half of 2006 alone. Philippine-based human rights groups say that, in fact, since Arroyo took over the presidency 2001, the Philippines has suffered no less than 1,000 extrajudicial killings of community leaders including indigenous activists, student and labor activists, and journalists. The regularity with which the killings have taken place, the perpetrators’ common profile—all gun-toting men astride motorcycles--and the activist-backgrounds of the victims, suggest that “the attacks are not an unconnected series of criminal murders but constitute a politically-motivated pattern of killings,” says Amnesty international.
Indeed, blame for this frightening trend can only be lain squarely on the shoulders of the Arroyo government. Under her presidency, militarists have come to dictate peace and security policy in the country. Meanwhile, the failure of the government—from the executive to the police, military, and the courts—to punish those behind the murder spree have created a climate of impunity that further feeds into a cycle of violence and lawlessness that is spinning out of control.
The regime cannot simply feign helplessness. In the face of targeted murders that take place with almost predictable regularity, and mindful that few of the perpetrators are actually caught, much less brought to justice, it is a thin line that divides passivity and complicity.
Since February 1986 when we rose as a people to end Marcos’s rein of terror, there has been no fundamental change in Philippine society. Our experience with democratic struggles and today’s mockery of it show that we need to pursue structural changes to rid our society of injustice and inequity, alongside fighting for pro-people and democratic governance. We can no longer be content at democracy being simply the restoration of elite competition for political power. History has shown that these very same elites—those who draw support from foreign powers and state instrumentalities of coercion and violence, namely, an unreformed military—have only been too willing to put aside democratic institutions to pursue personal gains.
Arroyo’s pledge is to build a “strong republic,” yet it is creeping lawlessness, mass despair, and widespread corruption that are defining her rule. She is seeding an environment that is troublingly familiar, and that bears indictment on this particular day. More than three decades on, the shades of martial law are undeniable.
And so today, we, members of the Strategic Initiatives of Pinoys Abroad (SIPA) commemorate the 34th anniversary of the declaration of martial law, to draw lessons from the past as well as to express our commitment to ensuring that its tragedies and injustices will never come to pass again.
We demand an accounting of the Arroyo regime’s crimes against the Filipino people, and affirm the solidarity of overseas Filipinos (OFs) with our compatriots at home who continue to fight against tyranny, poverty, and illegitimate governance. On this day we remind ourselves that it remains the patriotic duty of each Filipino overseas worker to participate in the struggle for a just, free, and progressive Philippine society.
September 21, 2006
Thailand
Filipinos associate September 21 with one of the darkest periods in Philippine history. On this same day in 1972, the Marcos regime imposed martial law. It took 14 years of struggle to end the dictatorship’s assault on political freedoms and democratic rights. More than three decades on, however, we find our country once more confronting authoritarian rule, with no less than President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo undermining the democracy and rule of law Filipinos had fought for. State-sponsored terrorism is again rearing its ugly head in Philippine society.
Amnesty International says there have been at least 51 political killings in the Philippines in the first half of 2006 alone. Philippine-based human rights groups say that, in fact, since Arroyo took over the presidency 2001, the Philippines has suffered no less than 1,000 extrajudicial killings of community leaders including indigenous activists, student and labor activists, and journalists. The regularity with which the killings have taken place, the perpetrators’ common profile—all gun-toting men astride motorcycles--and the activist-backgrounds of the victims, suggest that “the attacks are not an unconnected series of criminal murders but constitute a politically-motivated pattern of killings,” says Amnesty international.
Indeed, blame for this frightening trend can only be lain squarely on the shoulders of the Arroyo government. Under her presidency, militarists have come to dictate peace and security policy in the country. Meanwhile, the failure of the government—from the executive to the police, military, and the courts—to punish those behind the murder spree have created a climate of impunity that further feeds into a cycle of violence and lawlessness that is spinning out of control.
The regime cannot simply feign helplessness. In the face of targeted murders that take place with almost predictable regularity, and mindful that few of the perpetrators are actually caught, much less brought to justice, it is a thin line that divides passivity and complicity.
Since February 1986 when we rose as a people to end Marcos’s rein of terror, there has been no fundamental change in Philippine society. Our experience with democratic struggles and today’s mockery of it show that we need to pursue structural changes to rid our society of injustice and inequity, alongside fighting for pro-people and democratic governance. We can no longer be content at democracy being simply the restoration of elite competition for political power. History has shown that these very same elites—those who draw support from foreign powers and state instrumentalities of coercion and violence, namely, an unreformed military—have only been too willing to put aside democratic institutions to pursue personal gains.
Arroyo’s pledge is to build a “strong republic,” yet it is creeping lawlessness, mass despair, and widespread corruption that are defining her rule. She is seeding an environment that is troublingly familiar, and that bears indictment on this particular day. More than three decades on, the shades of martial law are undeniable.
And so today, we, members of the Strategic Initiatives of Pinoys Abroad (SIPA) commemorate the 34th anniversary of the declaration of martial law, to draw lessons from the past as well as to express our commitment to ensuring that its tragedies and injustices will never come to pass again.
We demand an accounting of the Arroyo regime’s crimes against the Filipino people, and affirm the solidarity of overseas Filipinos (OFs) with our compatriots at home who continue to fight against tyranny, poverty, and illegitimate governance. On this day we remind ourselves that it remains the patriotic duty of each Filipino overseas worker to participate in the struggle for a just, free, and progressive Philippine society.
September 21, 2006
Thailand
September 20, 2006
September 06, 2006
August 03, 2006
July 07, 2006
Air China to Mongolia
Air China is always a disaster when you fly it to Mongolia. From Bangkok your day will start with a two and a half-hour flight delay from 1 to 3:30 in the morning. If you happen to have a connecting two hours in between, you will surely miss it. Hence a ground staff will meet you upon your exit to the Beijing airport, telling you to stay put in halting English. The Air China staff tells you a lot of other stuff in Chinese but the only understandable thing is "please wait a moment". And then the lot of you are escorted to the immigration- not transit- counter, where you need to fill out and present before the immigration officer one entry card into China, a customs form and a departure form. But if you missed your flight and have no indication in your ticket that you are connecting to a later flight, the official will look for a visa, which of course you would not have because you were not planning on entering or staying in China.
So, without a valid onward ticket and no visa you will not be allowed inside the main airport area where you are supposed to arrange either an onward flight or a night in town. You will turn to your Air China staff (by this time there are several of them attending to other passengers of delayed flights from somewhere else) and ask them to speak to the immigration officer.
The immigration officer will argue with the staff and then turn to you to say "I told your attendant that if he cannot handle this situation, I shall call the manager of this airline to supervise the situation, would you like me to do that?"
They will speak some more and at length, none of which will be shared with you. "Er, yes please help me get their supervisor..." you will finally say.
There is another hour of waiting as Air China sends its staff down to assist. There are two kinds: Air China staff that deals with connecting Air China flights, and Air China staff that deal with connecting flights to other airlines. The most pissed people in the immigration area are those who missed their connecting flights on other airlines because they take the longest to process: they need to buy another ticket to show the immigration officer but could not enter the airport to do so.
Then the creativity of the Air China staff is displayed. They come down with wads of fake stickers that they put on your ticket to show that you have a valid flight to catch in transit. This is accepted by the immigration officer, even though she has already seen your ticket when you first got there! Other Air China staff come with wads of these fake stickers of fake flights that they start sticking on everybody's tickets- just to be able to pass immigration. You get an overnight stamp in your passport and you're inside!
The next problem is the overnight stay. Air China will not buy you another ticket to get to your destination on the same day so they have to provide overnight accommodation, but ground staff would feign ignorance of this at first. If a considerable number of passengers press on this matter, they will then be accompanied to the duty officer of the day, whose station is in the departure check-out counters, for which you need to fill up another baggage declaration form and go through at least two belts.
The staff assists in getting you to an airport hotel 10 minutes away, where you shall share a room with another passenger, and be provided dinner, of only boiled cabbage and rice, if you do not eat pork. Breakfast is not even mentionable.
The next morning, passengers scramble to fit their luggages into a small van which will only make one run in the morning and one in the afternoon to the airport, regardless of the number of passengers that need to fly out.
Fearing another flight delay, passengers in the boarding area stare out the large windows to make sure there is an airplane outside the gate. Once airborne however, the sigh of relief is greater than if one has gotten just a normal connecting flight in any other airport.
So, without a valid onward ticket and no visa you will not be allowed inside the main airport area where you are supposed to arrange either an onward flight or a night in town. You will turn to your Air China staff (by this time there are several of them attending to other passengers of delayed flights from somewhere else) and ask them to speak to the immigration officer.
The immigration officer will argue with the staff and then turn to you to say "I told your attendant that if he cannot handle this situation, I shall call the manager of this airline to supervise the situation, would you like me to do that?"
They will speak some more and at length, none of which will be shared with you. "Er, yes please help me get their supervisor..." you will finally say.
There is another hour of waiting as Air China sends its staff down to assist. There are two kinds: Air China staff that deals with connecting Air China flights, and Air China staff that deal with connecting flights to other airlines. The most pissed people in the immigration area are those who missed their connecting flights on other airlines because they take the longest to process: they need to buy another ticket to show the immigration officer but could not enter the airport to do so.
Then the creativity of the Air China staff is displayed. They come down with wads of fake stickers that they put on your ticket to show that you have a valid flight to catch in transit. This is accepted by the immigration officer, even though she has already seen your ticket when you first got there! Other Air China staff come with wads of these fake stickers of fake flights that they start sticking on everybody's tickets- just to be able to pass immigration. You get an overnight stamp in your passport and you're inside!
The next problem is the overnight stay. Air China will not buy you another ticket to get to your destination on the same day so they have to provide overnight accommodation, but ground staff would feign ignorance of this at first. If a considerable number of passengers press on this matter, they will then be accompanied to the duty officer of the day, whose station is in the departure check-out counters, for which you need to fill up another baggage declaration form and go through at least two belts.
The staff assists in getting you to an airport hotel 10 minutes away, where you shall share a room with another passenger, and be provided dinner, of only boiled cabbage and rice, if you do not eat pork. Breakfast is not even mentionable.
The next morning, passengers scramble to fit their luggages into a small van which will only make one run in the morning and one in the afternoon to the airport, regardless of the number of passengers that need to fly out.
Fearing another flight delay, passengers in the boarding area stare out the large windows to make sure there is an airplane outside the gate. Once airborne however, the sigh of relief is greater than if one has gotten just a normal connecting flight in any other airport.
June 25, 2006
Home
Social Worker to homeless: "Where are you from Sir?"
Homeless: "My home is not a place. It is people"
-- A Land of Plenty (only in DVD)
Homeless: "My home is not a place. It is people"
-- A Land of Plenty (only in DVD)
June 22, 2006
June 14, 2006
France Gabriel
June 12, 2006
finally saw a finals game
it's funny how one would watch a nba fials game and hope of capturing a glimpse of greatness that would be firmly set into nba records and then witness the 5 point worst playoff total of 3 time finals mvp shaquille o'neal. cute.
the only counterweight to this is that this is the first finals game where two 4-point plays were made (stackhouse and howard) by a team. this play (making a 3 pt shot and fouled) has only been previusly done six times in the nba finals. that would do.
the only counterweight to this is that this is the first finals game where two 4-point plays were made (stackhouse and howard) by a team. this play (making a 3 pt shot and fouled) has only been previusly done six times in the nba finals. that would do.
June 01, 2006
Paradise Now
Our Mongolian intern could not understand why a whole nation can be reduced to this. It is indeed difficult to grasp the condition under which young men and women are forced to such extreme sacrifice, while the whole world waits for the next tragedy. We found that the more we try to explain its history the more her questions grew. Soon both the night and our drinks ended.
I am sure she is now googling everything about Palestine even as I write this. I just hope she is not discouraged by the lack of a lasting solution despite all the years of international intervention.
May 26, 2006
Sins of Da Vinci Code
What the f__K is your problem with Da Vinci Code? Unless you think the movie is horrible, IT'S ALL FICTION!!!
May 24, 2006
SBD
Hetong southbeach diet, at pagiging mukhang 10 years younger at pagiging attractive sa mas bata.... tsk, dapat yata pinoproblema ko na ito ah.
Pinag-iisipan ko na nga ang sinasabi ng mga prends: "strong independent types are seen as mommy figures"- ano pala ang itsura ko? Samantha o Miranda?
"Oh, i can't believe you are 37..."
"What did you think, 27?--"
"Yes!"
"Thanks. Your next lunch is on me."
"No, seriously"
"Okay that's good, don't look so shocked"
(an hour and few conversations later)
"Wow, 37 huh? You must've learned a lot..."
("Aaaarrrrrgggghhhh!")
Friend whispering: "he might ask next if 'those' are real"
Whispering back "I could answer 'honey even if I can afford it i won't need it' but that would just convince him I'm telling the truth about my age."
Pinag-iisipan ko na nga ang sinasabi ng mga prends: "strong independent types are seen as mommy figures"- ano pala ang itsura ko? Samantha o Miranda?
"Oh, i can't believe you are 37..."
"What did you think, 27?--"
"Yes!"
"Thanks. Your next lunch is on me."
"No, seriously"
"Okay that's good, don't look so shocked"
(an hour and few conversations later)
"Wow, 37 huh? You must've learned a lot..."
("Aaaarrrrrgggghhhh!")
Friend whispering: "he might ask next if 'those' are real"
Whispering back "I could answer 'honey even if I can afford it i won't need it' but that would just convince him I'm telling the truth about my age."
March 25, 2006
Naturally formed rock bridges
They've got a wall in China. It's a thousand miles long.
To keep out the foreigners they made it strong.
And i've got a wall around me that you can't even see
It took a little time to get next to me...
(Simon)
March 24, 2006
As performed by Annie Lennox
They say you stand
By your man
Tell me something
I don’t understand
You said you loved me
And that’s a fact
And then you left me
Said you felt trapped
Well some things you can explain away
But the heartache’s with me till this day
Did you stand by me
No, not at all
Did you stand by me
No way
All the times
That we were close
I remember
These things the most
I’ve seen all our dreams
Come tumbling down
I can’t be happy
Without you around
You didn’t stand by me
No, not at all
You didn’t stand by me
No way
So alone I keep the wolves at bay
And there’s only one thing I can say
You didn’t stand by me
No, not at all
You didn’t stand by me
No way
You must explain
Why this must be
Did you lie
When you spoke to me
Did you stand by me
No not at all
Now I got a job
But it don’t pay
I need new clothes
I need somewhere to stay
But without all these things I can do
But without your love I won’t make it through
Without your love I won’t make it through
But you don’t understand my point of view
I suppose there’s nothing I can do
Did you stand by me
No, not at all
Did you stand by me
No way
- Joe Strummer
By your man
Tell me something
I don’t understand
You said you loved me
And that’s a fact
And then you left me
Said you felt trapped
Well some things you can explain away
But the heartache’s with me till this day
Did you stand by me
No, not at all
Did you stand by me
No way
All the times
That we were close
I remember
These things the most
I’ve seen all our dreams
Come tumbling down
I can’t be happy
Without you around
You didn’t stand by me
No, not at all
You didn’t stand by me
No way
So alone I keep the wolves at bay
And there’s only one thing I can say
You didn’t stand by me
No, not at all
You didn’t stand by me
No way
You must explain
Why this must be
Did you lie
When you spoke to me
Did you stand by me
No not at all
Now I got a job
But it don’t pay
I need new clothes
I need somewhere to stay
But without all these things I can do
But without your love I won’t make it through
Without your love I won’t make it through
But you don’t understand my point of view
I suppose there’s nothing I can do
Did you stand by me
No, not at all
Did you stand by me
No way
- Joe Strummer
March 19, 2006
Paalam FRIENDS
Finally hindi na aalis si Rachel, bumalik na sya kay Ross at nagdecide silang magsama muli. Sina Chandler at Monica naman ay lilipat na sa isang bahay sa ibang syudad, sa araw rin mismo sana ng flight ni Rachel pa-Paris. Merong Joey room sa bahay nilang iyon. Huling eksena sa apartment nila Monica't Chandler, ngayo'y wala nang laman. Tinanong ni Joey kung matagal nang purple ang kulay ng mga dingding. Nakahilera silang anim na nangingilid ang mga luha. "So I guess this is it". Naalala ni Monica na dapat iwanan ang susi. Lahat sila'y may kopya nito kaya isa isang nilapag ang mga kopya nila sa mesa. Me oras ba kayong magkape? Tanong ni Rachel. "Sure," sabi ni Chandler..."where?" habang papalabas sila sa apartment na iyon. Tapos bumaba na sila ng hagdan. Nagpanning ang camera sa loob ng apartment, mula sa bintana kung saan nakikita ng magkakaibigan ang naghuhubo sa kabilang apartment building, hanggang sa famous refrigerator na nire-raid lagi ni Joey, tapos sa counter ng kusina ni Monica, sa anim na susing nakapatong doon na ngayo'y wala nang may-ari, finally sa pintuan na may frame sa peephole. Yun na ang last shot. Tapos na ang FRIENDS. Parang ubos na rin ang tissue ko...
February 05, 2006
Zahra's goodbye[2005]
There were many times over these past eight months when I would be sitting in a taxi and forget where I am, lost in my thoughts, and suddenly I would see something unfamiliar,
or the taxi driver would say something I didn’t understand, and I would remember with a jolt “oh yes- I’m in Thailand!”
I think that when I go back to Canada I will experience this- but in the opposite sense, like when I say (and I know I will) kup khun ka to the person at the grocery store, or the
ticket collector at the movies and they give me an odd look.
I know that every time I step outside my door (at least for the next few months) and I am hit with a chilling cold and a nasty wind, I will have to close my eyes and conjure up the
warmth of this country.
I think the saddest moments will be when I am missing all of you, and realize that I can no longer just walk one street over and find you typing furiously at your computers,
making your morning coffee in the kitchen, or discussing what good movies we should go see this weekend.
Nope, for all that I’ll have to cross an ocean…and cross it I shall! (hopefully sometime soon, because if not I will be very sad). Don’t forget though, you all have an open invitation to come to Canada-I promise to show you all the important human rights related sites;), and off course take you out for a little fun too. I once wrote to my family and friends this about working at FORUM-ASIA:
My workplace is a house of characters so diverse and refreshing, that everyday I am so excited to see them in anticipation of what quirky and interesting things they will do or say. Our office is much too small for the amount of traffic it attracts; it’s like a funhouse with distinct, and yet extraordinary characters who pop in and out of its doors, and sometimes decide to stay awhile. I love the dynamic energy, the passionate spirit, the immense dedication, and the heartfelt kindness that all the staff seem to embody.
I will miss, ever so much, lunches together, special dinners at ZAP, the thrill of ordering food, and actually getting what I want, and the very special talks over coffee or drinks, and sometimes dessert. I am not sure how to express what my time here has meant to me, short of saying that it was, remarkable.
There are also moments with many of you that I will not forget, like the IDP conference at Pak-Moon Dam- visiting the devastated communities, the dam site, and my own personal “trips” into the rivers (yes plural); the first day of ACSF, the KL “experience”, the second day of ACSF, the Where is Somchai? protest, the third day of ACSF, the weekend at Hua Hin, the last day of ACSF, and so many other unforgettable moments…
Please keep in touch, and if there is anything I can do for you, know that I would be thrilled, and flattered that you would ask.
Zahra, Mr. Book and I, at the book fair in the Queen Sirikit Convention Center. We grabbed Mr. Book as he was passing by, poor guy didn't even know who the hell had been pulling and shoving him here and there- then flashes and flashes of the camera. We spoke to him in broken thai and english. We instructed him to face this way while physically turning him another way, and thanking him at the same time. He could not even pause long enought to take a peek at us. Soon as we finished he hurried away, like some victim of mauling. We didn't even by a single book.
January 20, 2006
Newsbreak
Dec 22, 2005
Newsbreak Cafe
What an unexpected treat! Susan Fernandez and Bobby Garcia singing Leah Navarro and Basil Valdez! He let his hair down "due to insistent private demand" and, with Susan playing the guitar, both performed some of the most memorable love songs I've heard in many, many years. None of the people I was with that night realized how precious that performance was amidst all the foolery and laughter of the half drunk Joel Saracho and friends. Once again, just like my realization about Eraserheads, the more I stay out of this country, the more things I took for granted before have become very valuable to me. Antonio Banderas said it in one interview: when he left Spain, many things that he even hated, came back very beautiful for him after a long time....
I felt just like that- i mean- Leah Navarro and Basil Valdez???!!!! pshchschchhh!!! Have I ever imagined in all my life???!!!! So I jostled, drank, danced, laughed, and pretended not to listen so hard because most of my friends there have probabaly heard them a hundred times before... but i really appreciated it and wished to thank them for this wonderful performance on my homecoming. I hope they realize that they contributed a lot of 'class' to that humble cafe that night.
Newsbreak Cafe
What an unexpected treat! Susan Fernandez and Bobby Garcia singing Leah Navarro and Basil Valdez! He let his hair down "due to insistent private demand" and, with Susan playing the guitar, both performed some of the most memorable love songs I've heard in many, many years. None of the people I was with that night realized how precious that performance was amidst all the foolery and laughter of the half drunk Joel Saracho and friends. Once again, just like my realization about Eraserheads, the more I stay out of this country, the more things I took for granted before have become very valuable to me. Antonio Banderas said it in one interview: when he left Spain, many things that he even hated, came back very beautiful for him after a long time....
I felt just like that- i mean- Leah Navarro and Basil Valdez???!!!! pshchschchhh!!! Have I ever imagined in all my life???!!!! So I jostled, drank, danced, laughed, and pretended not to listen so hard because most of my friends there have probabaly heard them a hundred times before... but i really appreciated it and wished to thank them for this wonderful performance on my homecoming. I hope they realize that they contributed a lot of 'class' to that humble cafe that night.
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