36 posts tagged “philippines”
Went to see mom and dad, with kids in tow, and had a thin crust Shakey's Special, along with slices of mojos (with garlic dip) and... a plate of siopao. I know, I know... it is a bit incongruous, but that's how some Pinoy meryendas look like at times.
It's a surprising mix that aims to please the palates of everyone around the table, because the food can sometimes serve as just the icing on the cake of conversation.
Yes, conversation. Kwentos. Stories. Shared around the table on a lazy (and thankfully not rainy) Sunday afternoon. You talk about computers and netbooks, or the rules of Scrabble, all while the television blasts the latest showbiz chismis during the airing of The Buzz (Boy Abunda, Ruffa, and Kris Aquino).
The conversation temporarily ceases when Kris Aquino announces that she may not report for work during the coming weeks, so that she can stay close to her mom, former President Cory Aquino, who is continuing her battle with cancer.
I invite you to say a prayer for them...
We are still in shock over the news about Typhoon Frank and how many lives were lost here in the Philippines. The television brings news and images of people hoping that their relatives who were riding that ferry are still alive. It is quite depressing.
I'm still trying to figure out whether I should allow my kids to jump up and down for joy whenever classes are suspended due to typhoons, or if I should share with them the dark side of these typhoons.
Perhaps I'll just let them be kids and wait until they're older.
With the brouhaha over the Philippine med school statement in the "Desperate Housewives" script, several bloggers have weighed in on the issue. I particularly enjoyed the post of Abe Olandres (Desperately Funny Friday YouTube Wrap), because he featured an episode on "Speak Out" where Filipinos got together to discuss what is means to be a Filipino, in the context of Fil-Ams versus FOBs.
1. Are you a Filipino if you don't speak Tagalog/Filipino?
Some parents in the US have tried to teach their kids to speak Tagalog, but when their children go to school, their initial interest in Tagalog seems to vaporize. A guest on the "Speak Out" show said that some parents don't teach their children Tagalog because they want their kids to easily get a job in the US.
Hmmm... having an accent will cost you a job? Perhaps.
Double-hmmm.... learning Tagalog will change your accent, even if you grew up in the US? Perhaps for some. But if you can copy the accent of other people, then you will realize that even if you know Tagalog, you can still sound British, American, Singaporean, or even Indian.
I met someone in a resto in the US. She sounded so American. No wonder. She's been living in the US for more than 25 years. Yet when she spoke Tagalog, she sounded like she grew up in Bulacan. No surprises there, because she lived for several years in the Philippines before she immigrated to the US.
2. What makes you Filipino?
If your ancestors are Filipino, then you're a Filipino. Yup, even if you don't speak Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Kapampangan, and any of the other languages/dialects in the Philippines. Yes, even if you don't act like a Filipino. And yes, even if you don't look like a Filipino.
And inescapably, even if you are not proud to be a Filipino.
I know of people who hate Tagalog, who wish they could be reincarnated as any nationality except as a Filipino, who want to just study in the US so that they can escape Araling Panlipunan here in the Philippines.
What if you don't have a single drop of Filipino blood in you? You're still a Filipino... at heart. Especially if you made the effort to speak Tagalog, if you spent a lot of time living amongst Filipinos in the Philippines, if you've embraced the culture of Filipinos, if you've absorbed some amount of "Filipino-ness" in terms of music and television shows, fashion, behavior, attitudes... Oh, make that "A Filipino in heart and in mind."
It's just like Pinoys who immigrate to the US and then try to assimilate the culture there. They become Americans in heart and in mind. Sometimes, they'll even intentionally speak Tagalog with an American accent. But that doesn't mean they're no longer Filipinos.
So that's what makes you a Filipino: your blood, your heart, and your mind.
There are some topics that simply won't die online. One of those is the case of Malu Fernandez, whose writings have angered quite a few people. Some rejoiced when she resigned.
But now she's back.
Annalyn says that It's Official: Divatricious Returns.
Tingog.com is calling for a Renewed Boycott Against Manila Standard Today.
Will all this online "pressure" produce a renewed resignation? Or will the can't-seem-to-go-away controversy boost the traffic of MST? Can bloggers make a difference? I mean... in this case?
Showbiz, blogbiz... Abangan! ;-)
This post was mentioned by Jove Francisco on local Philippine television. Here's the video in YouTube.
There's a major slowdown in the Philippines today, and I'm checking how Vox handles this situation. So far, the speed is all right. I wonder, though, how long this will take.
Do you remember the Taiwan earthquake earlier this year? And how our internet connection remained nonexistent for weeks on end?
Well, I hope this isn't the case of another broken submarine cable.
A shadow. Fleeting. Yet unmistakably clear.
Maybe it was just your imagination.
Mumu is the Tagalog for ghost and for things you just can't explain. You calmly return to your group, People look cool and normal. Until someone begins with: "Napansin nyo ba ang...?" (Did you notice the...?)
Then someone replies: "Shadow?"
Then things are not so calm anymore, and people try to keep from going to the bathroom downstairs...
In Cathy's Midlife Mysteries blog, I stumbled upon her The Lessons You Take From High School post, where she featured the speech ("Don't Believe Your Report Cards") delivered by Dr. Antonio Miguel Dans before the Ateneo High School Class of 2007. If you ever despaired over your low school grades, or hyperventilated when your children didn't exactly get stellar scores, then this speech is also for you.
Dr. Dans makes us reflect on the differences between
- Knowledge and Creativity/Curiosity
- Effort and Passion
- Misbehaving and Rebelling
And in the end, you'll confirm what you've known all along: That the friends you make in high school are the friends you truly make for life.
l was in high school in the 80s, and I couldn't help laughing when I found out chalk wars were already in vogue as early as the 70s.
I'm here right now in the ADOC Training Laboratory of the CICT/NCC in Diliman. I'm making this post using Firefox, running on Ubuntu.
This Advanced E-Commerce Training Course is organized by Janette Toral.
We'll be starting in a few minutes...
Marc Macalua gave a talk on Landing Pages and Conversions. Learned about online form refinements as well as the new battlefield in SEO. I also liked his Powerpoint presentation, and will probably adopt that format in future presentations.
Now listening to Aileen Apolo speak about Launching an Internet Advertising campaign and Website Metrics Monitoring. We've just had a walkthrough of Google Adwords, and now we're tackling Google Analytics.
For the last portion of today's training, Janette will tackle blog marketing.
More details and photos at The Next SEO Arena.
There's something mystically powerful about the rain or drizzles in particular, that leaves Filipinos in respectful awe. Perhaps it is related to our agricultural roots (no pun intended), and the incessant admonishments of our forebears:
"Don't get your head wet in the rain."
Our grandparents believe we can catch a cold if even a light drizzle momentarily touches our hair.
So we walk around with handkerchiefs on top of our heads, or transform paper folders into termporary belos (or veils) when we quickly cross the street to get to our office buildings.
And if ever we do get rained on, we remember to bathe at home to hopefully wash away all chances of catching a cold.
Well, looks like some Filipino relatives are no longer following that part of our culture. They walk around in America in the cold falling rain, and do not even cover their heads with a hand, much less a finger. I can't blame them, though. They grew up in America.
They walk around in light t-shirts in the cold early evening, under the lightly falling rain, with not even the slightest change in pace. It's as if they're just taking a stroll on a sunny afternoon.
Filipinos who settle in the United States past their thirties, on the other hand, will display their "respect" for the rain. No, they won't just place their palm on their crown.
They'll proudly wear their leather jackets. :-)
Ah, it's such fun to see different cultures meet and dance, under the misty descent of a California spring rain.
It looks like you can write your way to lower cholesterol.
In Affectionate Writing Can Reduce Cholesterol, the more personal, affectionate, and direct your writing is (as opposed to writing about some third party), the faster your cholesterol levels will drop.
I'm reminded of a lolo (grandfather) and lola (grandmother). They both exercise and also engage in daily brisk walking. Lola eats sensibly, while lolo loads himself with high-sugar and high-fat foods.
Surprisingly, lola's cholesterol levels are higher than those of lolo.
What's the secret? Lolo enjoys solving crossword puzzles with a ballpen.
I wonder if email writing helps lower your LDLs. What about blogging? Hmmm. Can Vox be one way of beating coronary disease? (Then again, it's not really high cholesterol that leads to heart attacks, right?)
