15 THINGS I WANT TO DO BEFORE I REACH 60

In a few hours, I will be celebrating my 45th birthday. And as usual, no fanfare nor celebration is in the offing. I don't feel like preparing big banquets to celebrate my natal day. Especially if I've been doing it for the past 44 years. A simple visit to the church to thank God for another year and ask for another year of lease will do. Plus, perhaps, one special meal for me. I was thinking of chami, but I just can't get the right concoction. So 1 whole pizza will do, preferably Shakey's Garlic and Cheese and perhaps a spaghetti platter and chicken. But before I lose my track, this blog is about my earnest desire of things I want to do before I reach 60. So roughly, I have fifteen years to do all of these stuff but I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I can hit it all before d-day.


1. A VISIT TO THE HOLY LAND. I wasn't formally introduced to my religion in my younger life. All I remember is the mandatory Angelus at 6:00 pm. I wasn't educated in a Catholic school from Grade 3 to high school, so Religion is not really a required subject back then. When I entered Sacred Heart for college, I was re-introduced to my religion. I have seen various episodes of the Holy Land tour, including pictures from friends. And this gave me all the desire to visit the land where Jesus walked, lived, breathed, preached, and offered His life for our Salvation. I have always thought that when I reached the Holy Land, I am ready to die.


2. MAKE A PIZZA FROM SCRATCH. I have always loved pizza. Be it from the greasy kind toasted on makeshift oven at some corner to the authentic Italian kind. There was a time when Shakey's pantry is made of glass and you can see the chef tossing and throwing the dough up in the air. That, I want to do. But they've enclosed that part of their resto, perhaps they are hiding something now. Or their commissary is where it is all prepared. But nonetheless, I want to build my own brick oven, with real firewood for that different taste and feel. and dump all my fave toppings on my pizza. I want it topped with Chami, Kwekwek, talabing, crispy pata, andoks chicken, arroz valenciana, macaroni salad, J&J V-Cut, McDo Twister fries and a lot more. But before this blog turns into an Epic Meal episode, I have to move on.


3. WORK AT GIFT WRAPPING SECTION OF STORES. I never marvel at gifts daintily wrapped in a whole cornucopia of colors, designs and ribbons. I admire people who give extra effort in wrapping their gifts. But what delights me is to see what kind of gift is hidden inside. By being a gift wrapping personnel (or whatever they call that position), I will know its content before the gift recipient even set his hands on those gifts. I will also know who spend so much on gifts, and who is kuripot. 


4. WATCH ALL THE CLASSIC PINOY FILM. Back then when the Philippine movie industry is young, it churned out all the best movies, some of which I haven't seen. Back then movies  were raw, no special effects, superb story line and great acting. These are the movies I want to watch: Anak-Dalita, 48 Oras, Agila, Biyaya ng Lupa, Ibulong mo sa Hangin, Itim, Kundiman ng Lahi, Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag, Pagdating sa Dulo, Sawa sa Lumang Simboryo, Tinimbang ka Ngunit Kulang, Tubog sa Ginto. Most of these films are lost into oblivion, but I hope that in fifteen years, a copy will surface maybe in cyberspace.


5. A HOLIDAY FOR MY ENTIRE FAMILY. I have often dreamed of this, where the whole family up to third degree of consanguinity will tour the whole world together. It will be blast discovering new things and places with your family. It will be an event of a lifetime. And I want to change the family tradition where we only become whole when someone passes away. This time I want the reunion to be fun, fun, fun.


6-11. KNOW AND PERFECT THESE RECIPES. Some of my favorite food are those found in fast food joints. I know those of you who are health conscious will frown at me but their taste is just heavenly and "to die for" literally. However, if I have my way, I want to prepare the following food healthily: Twister Fries ( I want to know what secret is hidden behind these fries), McDo Crispy Chicken (I always wanted to know where they dredge their chicken, I tried those prepared breading and I just can't get that taste), Plaza Food Chami (this is my ultimate fave of all time, sometimes when I eat there, I get this plan to barge into their kitchen and demand for the recipe), Mang Bert's Crispy Pata (this to die for food is not only delicious but the meat is so tender you will not notice it's pork hind), Papa's Arroz Valenciana (I really miss this one, often prepared during Christmas and New Year only, I want to someday perfect this one so I can continue the tradition), Mama's Chicken Macaroni Salad (This is the only memory of how delicious my mother cooks, to this day, I am yearning for that taste. I've tasted all available macaroni salad I can get my hands and tummy on but none comes close to my mother's macaroni salad. Rumor has it that she uses her bare hands in mixing it up, owing to that distinct taste).


12. REUNITE WITH LONG LOST FRIENDS. Although Facebook already has done it in parts, what I want to do is to be physically reunited to my long lost friends. My life has been in chapters and in every chapter, I met and became close with so many people. But because of events that separated us, we never got a chance to be physically together and reminisce those bygone days. So paging all my classmate buddies in elementary, high school, college, at PCIBank, at Caltex, let's get together some time.


13. VISIT ALL THE 70+ PHILIPPINE PROVINCES. I don't want to be a stranger in my own land. Thus this is one of my obsessions. Out of the 70+ provinces, I think I have only been to less than 10. The Philippines is such a beautiful country and it pains me to only see its beauty through pictures and videos.


14.  LEARN TO PLAY AT LEAST ONE INSTRUMENT. I have always been a music lover. I cannot work well without a background music. I know I sing well (at least to my knowledge, especially when the spirit of the alcohol is hounding me), but what I want to do is play the music I want to sing. Thus, this obsession to learn to play at least one instrument has been hounding me ever since. There was a period when I want to learn to play the sax, because it sexy. Then came the guitar, but I can't memorize the keys. Then the keyboard, but I think I am tone deaf that I just cannot hit the right tune. Maybe I can just concentrate on cymbals, triangle or if I can hit the beat, the drums.


15. FIND MY OWN "HAPPY PLACE". I am always on the move, I move from place to place (courtesy of Joe Mari Chan), but I believe everyone deserves to have his own "happy place". A place where you are who you are. You can forget all the drudgery and topsy turvy that we call life. If I can only see that place, maybe I can retire there and be free of all the hustles and bustles of daily living. I was thinking of going to the Trappist Monks, once when I was 27 years old. But work again took away that interest. Perhaps that's not my happy place. But I hope that before I hit 60, that happy place is waiting for me and be treated as my permanent home and reverse the nomadic life I am enduring.

THAT DAY

At around 12 midnight tonight will mark the time when a major life-changing event completely altered my life. It was at that time when the dreaded accident happened. What was supposed to be a quick trip to a nearby store became a nightmare that tested my strength and faith in God, assured me that I have a family who will stand by me no matter what, and friends who supported me all throughout.

From the initial shock of the accident, the help of San Pablo’s finest who let me use their mobile car to accompany me to the emergency room, to the mayhem at the ER, me demanding attention, me shaking all over because of the unbearable pain, me begging for a pain reliever to ease the pain, the travel to the x-ray room in the middle of the rain and occasional bumps that sent stabbing pain, the doctor giving more attention to her facebook, she reading the x-ray and telling me that there is no fracture and releasing me, me struggling to ride a tricycle back to my place, me being carried into my home and my bed. That night will be considered my longest night of indescribable pain.

The next two months passed by with only one thing on my mind, to get back on my feet as soon as possible. I spent my 44^th birthday alone, in bed. Some friends visited me and brought some food.  My only solace then was my phone and facebook. I was alone from morning till night without anyone to talk to and answer to all my needs. And facebook kept me company. Two months in bed, with the scheduled therapy every other day, passed by so quickly.  Christmas came and went, it was the first time I spent Christmas alone.

The news that made my entire world come crumbling down was when I heard another doctor’s diagnosis, I have a broken femur. The news came before New Year’s eve, and I spent all day and night crying. I asked God for help, I don’t know who to ask for help, my coffer is drained, and I need an operation.

Then the miracles happened.

Help from my family came pouring in. I went to Lucena for further test. It was suggested that I be admitted at the Philippine Orthopedic Center, where I stayed for fifteen days. The first night was hard. It was my first time in a hospital.  With no available room, I was confined in a ward. At night, I got awakened by other patient’s cries of pain. Patients who can’t afford to buy medicines for their pain. There I experienced how it feels to be like in a zoo, with streams of nursing students coming and going gawking at you like you are some kind of animal. There I experienced scheduled bathroom privilege, being awakened at 5 in the morning by the head nurse, the heat, the scent and sight of rotting flesh as it is being cleansed, and guards who make you feel like a prisoner. But I was not complaining. It was an experience worth cherishing and my hope was high as I was waiting for my date with the knife.

Unexpected turn of events made me aware that this is one episode in my life I can call a miracle. The surgery was cancelled, a few minutes after I called the supplier of the hip screw, a day later I was released.

The remaining months ensued with frequent trips to the therapist and monthly checkup as I slowly gained my mobility. From wheel chair to two crutches, to one crutch, to walking stick, I slowly saw the progression.

Today, as I look back at that night, I can proudly say, that I won that battle.  I understood what the Lord God wants me to learn. I am no Job, I am not there yet.  But I know in my heart that God loves me, that He only wanted the best for me. That all those delays, misdiagnosis, and cancelled surgery has a reason.

The journey continues. I know I can get there someday, I am not in a hurry. But the fact that I can get there walking, unscarred by surgery, and with stronger faith in Him and love and support of my family and friends.

That night, may have scarred me physically, with walking stick all my life to boot. But it also made me stronger. He made me stronger.

Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. - Jeremiah 17:14

UNFIT TO A T

Time and again I see new kinds of articles of clothing but as most fashion items, they don't blend well with the person  using them. Here is my latest rant regarding these fashionable inventions.

FAT MAN+MUSCLE SHIRTS


It's not a sight to behold seeing fat man wearing muscle shirts. As the name describes, it is a shirt intended to show your muscles. So if you are fat (or so papery thin) please do not attempt to wear them.

Not only are you making a fool out of yourself, but you're a disgrace to the inventor.

SHAVED EYEBROWS+EYELINER 


This one oftentimes amuses me.

Question: Why would you shave your eyebrows when you have an intention of putting it back through the help of a pencil?

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

CAMOUFLAGE SHORTS+NON-MILITARY


It's designed for the military and it helps them blend in their environs. SO when a non-military person wears this, in the malls, I don't see any point. Why would someone wear a camouflage in a mall, without a gun, unprotected. What if an ambush attack happens? How will he defend himself?

I hope they fire a grenade launcher at you and blow your stupidity to oblivion.

OVERSIZED SHIRTS+JEJEMONS


I don't see your point. Why buy a shirt that's ten times your size?
What does this accomplish? Will this help solve global warming?
Do you know that the extra yardage can clothe the naked in Africa?

So the next time you see these stupid jejemons wearing oversized shirts, kill them! For crying out loud!


More to come, as Ka Ponyong scours the entire country to look for stupid people who wanted to fit. Sadly, not everyone is destined to fit and the intention to be so only makes stupid people more stupid.

A HUNDRED YEARS HENCE: A TRIBUTE TO THE ORIGINAL KA PONYONG

On August 3, 2011, the grand patriarch of the Andalis clan will celebrate his 100th birth anniversary. Lolo Ponyong, as we fondly call him, was the only grand father I ever knew. My maternal grand father died before I was even born. Thus, the close affinity I had with my Lolo Ponyong, crossed beyond the barrier of being my namesake. He was known as Eufronio Andalis, so technically I am not a junior but a third.

I looked up to him with great reverence and respect.

He, with always a doze of jokes as we were gathered at his feet. Urging him to crack some more, as he lights his favorite brand of cigarette, Kool Menthol 100s. Remember the story of the talking horse? Or the one with the priest, the old lady and the razor?

He, who loved coffee, as I recall. And not the instant kind we now use, but the real brewed Kapeng Barako, oftentimes being used as sabaw to sinangag coupled with scrambled eggs with lots of tomatoes and onions and haot.

He, with his to die for Arroz Valenciana. Usually prepared and served only during Christmas and New Year.

He, who loved to read Daily Express, at times making his own commentary about the latest event with my Lola Talia, who busied herself with her latest crochet project.

He, who loved to watch TV, most of the times with us, sitting in an old rocking chair as our black and white TV set is tuned in to Oras ng Ligaya, The Big Ike's Happening, John & Marsha, Kuwarta o Kahon, Superstar, Tawag ng Tanghalan and other popular shows of the time.

He, who loves to bring us to Agdangan to experience the rural life where there's  no electricity, no TV, no maid. But aptly compensated by the 7 kilometer walk to Tampus, a seaside barangay, to frolic and play along the sea coast. The ritual pagbubuko (actually called pagmumura but it doesn't read right), where we eat young coconut flesh followed by a drink of its juice, to remove (daw) bulate in our stomachs. And when the night comes, amid the heat of the gasera, we again gather at his feet as we were entertained by his stories of old and distant war he experienced.

We lived with him for I think two to three years. And during that time, we were molded under his strict discipline. Along with our uncles, we saw how he gave corporal punishment for any infraction that may caused him his ire. But those didn't made us weak but in fact strengthen us. 

He left for the US, along with my Lola, when I was in grade 3. And during those times, we wrote letters to him and to Lola to keep in touch with them and send the latest news in our lives. When he left, he gave me a 25cent coin, probably as a token, because we were not included in the entourage who will bring them to the airport. I was teary eyed when he embraced me, and gave me his huling bilin.

"Huwag ka matutulog sa harap ng TV."   Because ,I, most of the times, fell asleep in front of the TV.

"Wala ka ng ibibili ng Kool'". I was his favorite errand boy, usually, with upa, or tip of singko which I oftentimes buy my favorite Beatles cookies (the one with peanut butter spread) or Lobo biiscuits.

"Huwag ka magsasama kay Anita". Because we were late one time from going home because I tagged along with my sister to visit a friend.

Little did I know that that was the last time I will see his smile.

One day in January of 1979, I was fetched by my father's driver in school. When I boarded the vehicle, he broke the news that Lolo Ponyong  has died. I don't know how to react then, but when I arrived home, that's when it hit me. I cried in my room. Knowing that I will never see him again.

A couple of days later, we fetched my Lolo at the airport along with all my Titos and Titas who went back to the Philippines to bring him to his final resting place. While we were travelling, one of my uncle, Tito Leovin, gave me something that was one of my most unforgettable gift ever. A Timex gold wrist watch. The last time we recorded a cassette message to Lolo, I asked for a wrist watch. And inspite of fact that he left us, he managed to fulfill my wish and his promise.

There are so many other anecdotes and memories that I will treasure in my heart as long as I live. And lessons he imparted on me as I grow up. But the best legacy he gave to us is his genuine fatherly care and provider to all his children which cascaded to us his grand children and great grand children.

A hundred years hence, his descendants have carved their marks in every millieu they chose. Although separated by vast miles from each other, we all know that we all came from a single tree who provided us all the nutrients that nurture our growth, and shelter that provided us a haven.

Happy Birthday, Lolo Ponyong! I know that you are now living your forever with your only love, Lola Talia.

The Lowly Singko

A week ago, while I was walking to my shop, I saw something glistening amidst the cornucopia of trash, rusted nail and mud. It was a five centavo coin, in mint condition, basking in the glory of the sunlight. I dismissed the idea of picking it up and continued my walk.

Yesterday, as I trod the same beaten path, I saw it again glistening, as if proudly announcing its presence or perhaps shouting "Pick me up! Pick me up!" I didn't. Instead, I took out my cellphone and took a picture of this one lowly singko, with a blog post running in my mind.


I asked myself questions once I reached my shop. What has happened to the singko? Why didn't anyone picked it up? Why didn't I picked it up? Is singko dying? Or worst, is it already dead? Has it reached the same fate as its younger sibling, the sentimo (1c)? 


My lola used to tell stories about how valuable the Philippine currency was then. With an exchange rate of only P2 for every dollar, our economy was solidly backed up by gold reserves. I don't know why we shifted from that currency to paper currency, but I think it was a wrong move. Look at the British pound, its stronger than the US dollar  because it is backed up by gold reserves.  My professor in college once told us, the future of economies will be foretold with the currency circulating, the more coins, the sturdier the economy. 


Basing on that statement, I think the Philippine economy is going to the dogs. 
But before I bore you, I don't want to make a mess with the economics.

Why are we avoiding the Philippine coin?  


Why are supermarkets and the likes tagging their products like, 19.95, when in fact, you won't get the 5 cent change? Even if you get that change, it won't be accepted by other stores. I salute the big supermarket chains for supplying us 5cent coin, but i seems it has only legal tender on their stores. Bring it to other stores and they will give you that same look of disgust, as if trying to say, "and cheap mo".


Try to give 5cent to kids who will be disturbing you again come Christmas time with their off tune carols, and surely enough they'll thank you followed by the tagline, "Ang babarat ninyo!", even if you gave them 5 cent. You get the same response from them as if you didn't give them any.

Try to open up an account with a bank for 5 cents, and they'll frown at you, if you're lucky, or haul you out of the bank by security if you look like something else.

My lola once told me, "Di ka makakabuo ng piso, kung wala kang singko". I think it still hold true but if you have 95 cents and picked up a 5 cent, what will it buy you? Assuming that they'll accept your loose change.

I guess like all heroes we enshrine on its face, it will soon be forgotten. Forever lost in value until an archeologist dig it up in a thousand years and make a whole mountain of money from their finds. 

But it is sad to note that the portraits that once was there is gone. Lapu-lapu once grace the sentimo. Melchora Aquino, the singko. Both of them forgotten for their contribution to our freedom, because we chose to ignore the coins that graced their portraits. Well the Philippine central bank should take the blame for that, they chose to remove their faces along with the diyes sentimos with Francisco Baltazar. Instead they just placed the denomination and some kind of fish. U smell something fishy there. Does the coin designer have an axe to grind to these heroes?


I was planning a new mission in life, that I will be picking up ALL 5 cent coins that come my way. Maybe even conducting a social experiment and document the mission, but upon returning to the place of the lowly singko, it is gone. 
Maybe, someone did care.

Quest for the Best

SOON ON THIS BLOG.
The best may not always be bought at the cost of great price.

Are We a Nation of Dancers?

Since Youtube offered its services to the world, videos from our country proliferated. Youtube has provided international careers to relatively unknown, as in the case of Arnel Pineda and Charice Pempengco (soon, CouchPatatas, haha).


But another type of posting generating millions of hits are videos about dancing. The Cebu Inmates started it all with their Michael Jackson dance routines. It hit millions of views.

Since then, many followed suit.


One of my favorite so far is this video (hope I get a freebie from them).





I want to join them one of these days.


But going back to the topic, why are we Filipinos so fond of dancing? In every festivities, like weddings, birthdays, funerals (yes, it's true), part of the merry making is hiring, in the early days cumbancheros, or a whole orchestra for those well-endowed, and in present days, sound mobiles complete with lights and lasers.


Every town and city has its own version of festivals (chami, saging, litson, longanisa, kwekkwek(?)), and part of these festivals is the street dancing competition. Participants donning the city or towns produce dancing to the pulsating beats in retro, hiphop and at times trance.


I remember in my elementary and high school days, part of our PE requirement was performing field demonstrations, dancing, again, to the current hits at that time.
I've danced to the tune of In the Navy, Christmas Polka, and the like.


So, is dancing part of being a Filipino?


We, Filipinos, love fun and merry making. Even in crisis, we find time to celebrate. I remember an incident when a fluvial parade turned to tragedy killing dozens of devotees (and even churning a movie out of it). The succeeding year, they downsized the parade, but the mass dancing continued.


We, Filipinos, also dance as part of age-old traditions. We dance to the Virgin of Turumba, to Santa Clara, and the likes. Sometimes, faith can be expressed in dance.


We, Filipinos, join dance contests in all scales and sizes. From barangay, city/town, to nationwide dance contests, our youths express their angst, their hopes, their ambitions, through dancing.


Perhaps, one of the Greek muses, Terpsichore, ruled over us, playing her lyre to her delight, as she watched the mass of human bodies gyrating to the beat of one nation.


Dancing is our way of expression, our way of life, our way to fame.

Before I go, a word from my sponsor.

One word, ha ha, I hope the passengers remember the safety instructions.

My Theory of Inverse Proportion

Inverse proportion is defined by myself as, when one value increases, the other value decreases. Used mostly in mathematics (algebra in particular, let me recall, it is the correlation between one value affecting the results of another when they work together). In the cartesian plane, it is the effect of the X and Y axis in hyberbolic ...ZZZZZZZZZZ.



In my life, the theory has been hounding me for the past 43 years. And sometimes, I stop and think that this theory should be sacked altogether, coz it's not giving me any good. Here are samples of how the theory of Inverse Proportion is ruining my existence:


1. There is inverse proportion with the cash on my wallet and the bills due.
2. There is inverse proportion with the length of travel and my need to piss.
3. There is inverse proportion with the chance of rain and carrying my umbrella.
4. There is inverse proportion with the number of days till laundry and looking for a good pair of pants.
5. There is inverse proportion with the time spent waiting for a ride and the time left for catching a meeting.
6. There is inverse proportion with the need to take a bath immediately and the availablity of a soap.
7. There is inverse proportion with the need to take a dump and the distance to the nearest toilet.
8. There is inverse proportion with the demand for my products and the supplies for the materials.
9. There is inverse proportion with the cellphone load and the need to call or text anyone immediately.
10. There is inverse proportion with the need to load your cell and the availability of loads.
11. There is inverse proportion with the decision to close shop early and have a long sleep, and the sudden rush of customers near closing time.
12. There is inverse proportion with the plan to wake up early and finding your bed so irresistible to leave.
13. There is inverse proportion with deciding to buy something for yourself and the need to repair your equipments.
14. There is inverse proportion with decision to ride non-aircon bus and only aircon buses plying the streets.
15. There is inverse proportion with your need to buy bottled water on a bus and availability of the vendor.


to be continued....

Let the Battle Begin!

So, yesterday, SM City San Pablo opened its doors to eager, enthusiastic, rabid (?) fans of the franchise. Traffic was horrendous! It took me five long hours to reach my destination, five precious hours which could have been spent doing more productive things than cursing the stupid traffic alternating with the confusion of ideas whether to walk back to my shop.


The same fanfare and traffic I experienced when Puregold opened its doors two years ago.


Now the battle has began between two retail giants. The question in my mind is: who will eventually come out a victor. Only time can tell.


But like all other battles, there will be victors and collateral damages involved. The victors from this battle is the consumers who now have a choice. Specially when Christmas season comes.


I am more worried about the collateral damage this battle will produce. Personally I don't go to big supermarkets like SM, RObinsons and Puregold. I don't feel like giving my money to someone who is so rich they can probably buy my soul along with my future descendants without suffering a dent in their cashflow.


I usually go to my neighborhood grocery store, where I feel more at home, where service is more personalized and we are acquainted on a first name basis. I only go to these big malls when the product I am seeking is not available in my favorite grocery store.


For me, these are the collateral damages. Small businessmen who barely earn from their business what with small margin as markup. They will suffer the consequence.
Many will fold up eventually, eaten alive by the giants without having any means to
protect their turf, defending their business to its last breath.


Large supermarket chains are nothing but bullies. Encroaching the market share and forcing small players to fold up.


That's the sad truth about consumerism.

My "Doggone" Days

Ever since I was a child, our household often kept dogs, basically to serve as guard to our house, to eat our leftovers, to culture ticks and polgas, and to play with us kids. It wasn't fashionable then to have dogs with breed, and we never cared. Dogs come and go in our household, but not as often as maids do. Some of our maids, made lasting impressions, but all our dogs left remarkable imprints in our lives as we grow up. They taught us how to be responsible and caring, it helps us get over life's stresses, even up till now. They may not be as famous as Hachiko, but they gave us lasting memories that is fun to look back and reminisce as days go by.


FOSTER
He was Mama's dog. A beige colored dog, he was big. He looked like a cross between a mongrel and a labrador. He gave us all the love and attention. I still remember him running from our old apartment to our new house, effectively leading us to the place. He played with us. He fathered lots of puppies, and became a terror dog in our neighborhood. He hates kids who are noisy and kept on banging our gate. He hates tricycles and would often run after them. He's bitten quite a few of them. But the loyalty he showed us is unparalled. His only addiction is to be petted on his head, We as kids would often pet him simultaneously so he couldn't open his eyes, it gave us a lot of laugh then. He lived to a rough old age of 12 (84 in dog years) after losing much of his hair. One day, while all of us was home, watching TV, he approach us one by one, asking for his much needed pet on the head. He never missed anyone, even our maid. He waited for us to all go to sleep. We found him dead the next day.


POGI
He's an Agdanganin. With curly gray hair, which is a rare breed for us, thus we call him, Pogi. His long ears earned him a nick, Kapitan, because we would often anchor our hands to his ears while we walk. Foster never got jealous nor territorial when he arrived, in fact, they got along quite well. There isn't much memory I have of him, except that she was my Lola's dog back in Agdangan and she decided to bring it home to us. He did sire lots of puppies, one of whom died as a puppy, who playfully died while trying to eat a metal stand. I can still hear that puppy's whine when we tried to remove him from the stand. We managed to disengage him from the stand, but died a few hours later. Pogi also became a terror dog in our neighborhood, with Foster, they became a tandem prompting us to post "Beware of Dog" sign on our gate.
We found him dead one morning near a pack of half-eaten hotdog. He was poisoned.


PATOLA
A brown mongrel who snout is just too long to earn him the name Patola. He is dumb, slow, plain stupid, but we loved him. He wasn't the pick of the litter when he was born, one of my sibling taped his snout because he's a kid. When we try to remove the tape, it also took off the fur on his snout. We pity him for being that way> He tried to be like Foster and Pogi but he was not even close. One day, he tried to chase a car, he was killed on the spot.


There were numerous other dogs when we were growing up, but when I started to live on my own, I still maintained pets.


BOUNCER
Say separation anxiety and it will spell out BOUNCER. He was my dog back in Gumaca when I opened a resto/bar there. I named him such because we needed a bouncer back then and he just happens to be there. He would run after me where ever I go and won't stop until I notice him and order him to go home. When I returned to our house in Lucena, he came with me. He was my anchor when I was down. He understood me, comfort me. He is the first dog I knew who has an allergy (with Chorizo).When I went to Baguio to visit my sister, I asked my aunt to take care of him. But she didn't. He grow thin and may have became a scavenger. When my sister decided to relocate to Lucena, they found him still at our house, thin and still guarding, still waiting. My sister luckily adopted him, took care of him until he bounced back. When I returned home, he still remembered me. I will never forget how he reacted when he saw me. Then I got accepted for a job, and every morning, it has become a ritual that he would walk with me till I take a ride. Sometimes still running after me, only stopping when he can no longer catch up. In the evening when I pass by the mall near our house, I see him there, waiting for me. And we will go home together. Maybe he never left the place where I left off. Talk about loyalty, and he emulates that word. Bouncer passed away after being poisoned by his enemies at an old age of 60 dog years.


OISHI
My first attempt to take care of a dog with breed, a shih tzu. Oishi came into my life when everyone doesn't want him. He was near blind, his neck is oozing with pus from a wound probably from spending too much time on a leash. That wound emits foul odor. He was heavily infested with fleas and all but I took him in. He was a brat though, owing to his lineage and breed, he demands constant attention. He always gets what he wants, and always in his own term. He is old when I took him in, and a year after, he left me. After suffering from renal disease and paralysis of the lower extremities for two days, he died, suffering. I was at his death bed when he left.


At present, I still have two dogs, namely Chuchai and Poknat, both mongrel. They are my stress busters. Some time, I will devote an entire post to them. But since this is a post for my dogs who's died, I think it is unwise to put both of them here.


Dogs as they say are man's best friends. Sometimes, we think that they depend on us for their food, their bath, their walks. But, living with dogs, I think we gain more from them than they to us. They are survivors, they can live without masters, but can we live without them, specially after taking care of them for so long?

Why I Will Not Buy an IPad.

Okay, so there's this new craze about everyone wanting an IPad because its cute, sleek, hi-tech, susyal, and all the ravings and some rants. So, I asked myself this question: Given that I have the money (which I don't, but don't take this as sourgraping), will I buy an IPad?


The answer is a big NO!! But wait there's more!


1. The size is too small for a screen and integrated keypad. You feel like Carpal tunnel syndrome in the works.


2. 9.7 inch Screen is too small for my ever-growing eye problem. I want my screen the bigger, the better.


3. So what if it has Wifi-capability and 3g, my cellphone already has that!


4. It has a digital compass. What? I got lost in the woods I have to have my IPad with me????


5. Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. I have a very oily fingers, and its ok if it's oil resistant, but they didn't even include a FREE wiping cloth?


6. Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously. I only speak English and Tagalog.


7. It can last 10 hours surfing, but its thin! It will heat up eventually and fry the innards.


8. Supports TV and video. If I want to watch a TV, I'll use a regular TV set.


9. Capacity, it supports 16 - 32GB Flash drive...What the? do they know that one DVD movie is already 4gigs???? and no hard disk??


There are other features which the IPad "boasts" of, but for the price I can buy a more flexible laptop or better yet, I'll buy a high-end PC. But then again, Windows sucks too! But that's another story....

Blogspot Will Never be the Same Again

(or the final attempt of yours truly to immortalize my thoughts in blogosphere)


Blogging caught my attention the first time I heard of a super fast internet connection available for the masses. At a shocking speed of 48.8kbps per second, it was the fastest available then. I posted my first blog at word press. However, due to other concerns, I deactivated this account to focus on more pending matters.


The second blog, Couch Patatas, came out after I took a sabbatical from work and instead re-examine my priorities and re-direct my life. In the blog which drew quite a few readers, I documented my journey to find myself by looking back in my past. Many topics were posted there, until I posted an article with a somewhat sly undertone which confused my readers and (I think) reported me to the site. The next day, my blog is gone (my thought, sorry for the pic, but its widely distributed in the net and anyone can download it, duh).


Friendster, (remember that site?), offered the same service, but I only and hesitantly posted blogs there cause of the growing craze of earning from your post. Lesson learned from that blog, you cannot be creative writing articles with moolah in mind.


This is my fourth and final attempt. After this, I don't think I will have the energy and the ideas to post more entries.


In this blog, I will "attempt" to change the blogging community by posting my thoughts (and rantings, if I may). There are a lot of good blogs that I read, case in point is Bob Ong's, and I am proud to be influenced by his writings.


I hope, dear Constant Readers (courtesy of Stephen King), that you join me in my journey as I explore the world the only way I can afford.