Windtalker's Floating Island...

he's 79!

2009-01-31T01:55:00.015+08:00

Dad's birthday trip to the City of Pines, 23-25 January 2009

Wow that was a major blast the family had (sans eldest sis who, again, missed an important family event due to an assignment, this time overseas). The birthday boy was truly pleased, I thought he kindda felt how it was to be in Benjamin Button's shoes - Dad really seemed to have lost a couple of years in that 3-day stay in Baguio as he was raring to go and visit his favorite places all over the city, acting rather like a kid. It's been 20 years, he says, since he last saw Baguio.

His first wish was to have dinner at this old Chinese restaurant which he clearly remembers to have such an authentic taste of Kowloon & Shang Hai - the laidback RoseBowl Chinese Restaurant fronting Burnham Park. He's not mistaken, for we did get to savor that distinct Chinese taste & aroma in all the dishes we ordered. The waiters were snappy and were adept when it comes to their menu - they knew how to upsell and make you salivate with the way they described each item that we ended up ordering exactly what they suggested. They deserved the tips, surely.

On the way back to the hotel, Dad told us to check out the weekend schedule of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) thru the front office people - he really wanted to visit it to watch the Silent Drill, usually held on Saturdays as he remembered it. It was the Bell Captain, Mel, who went out of his way to call PMA himself and inquired which activities were in the offing. Well it turned out they switched the scheds on that particular weekend so it'll be the Pass-in-Review on Saturday, while the Silent Drill got moved to Sunday. PMA is a good entry in one's Baguio itinerary. Minus the scandals the Academy gets embroiled at every now & then, one still feels a certain kind of pride & patriotism as the cadets do their numbered drills, knowing these bunch will, sooner or later, be sent in wars (no matter how stupid some of these wars are) in order to uphold our democracy. (Side Note: I have, honestly, mixed emotions when it comes to the PMA, as back in college I was one of those attending rallies against a government who prioritizes the provision of a much higher budget to the military student than that of a civilian student - herein enters the 2 faces of Isko -Iskolar ng Bayan - the PMA'er and the State U Isko. Both are recipients of national budget allocations yet the so-called sibling rivalry never ends). Anyways, I was pondering on that notion while watching the cadets on parade, hoping that these men & women aren't going to waste taxpayers' money and that they'd really exemplify and act like true vanguards of our society. I wondered which side they intend to protect when they graduate - who among them becomes the next Ramos, Gringo, Red, Corpuz, Biazon, Lacson, Trillanes...oh well...

Next stop was Cafe By the Ruins, thus named because the restaurant owners retained the 'ruins' of what used to be the official residence of the 1st American Governor of Benguet, devastated during the war with the Japs. They built around the devastation. The overall effect was a hit - diners marveled at the decor with that rustic feel, topped with the numerous artwork created by artists of different styles & media, not excluding those of part-owner & national artist BenCab. Even the menu isn't a disappointment, as it shows a list of gourmet meals prepared out of organic ingredients, wild & fresh alike. Again, the waiters were very knowledgeable, especially the one who took care of our table (unfortunately I forgot his name, my bad!) - he was so good I got blunt with him, asking him how come he's not in one of the high-end hotels in Manila and I practically interviewed (grilled was a better word actually) him. (Side Note: I later realized the owners were just 2 tables away from us hehehe hopefully they didn't hear me trying to pirate their staff - well they should be proud right?)

We asked the driver to take us around the town's major thoroughfares, witnessing the changes Baguio had over the years. Traffic at Session Road was unbearable, despite the sidestreets being made one-way and rerouting implemented almost everywhere, it was like a small version of Makati but seemingly unsuccessful in its course. It was indeed an obstacle course, methinks. Double parking is everywhere, local police handing out tickets left & right, horns blaring from all over. The nightmare ceased when we got to the point nearing Camp John Hay. Whew - back to serenity and the Baguio we've always known.

The Manor. Now that was a revelation. A couple of days before we embarked on this trip, my sis and I scoured the net to look at various sites & forums about Baguio as we wanted to know which restaurants were still operating, what activities were good to try, etc. In almost all the forums we got into, the negative reviews on The Manor outnumbered the good that we both felt reluctant to actually stay there. It's easy to just go for it when it's just us, it's quite difficult when we have The Dad with us - he who knows his stuff & gets annoyed when the stuff don't get delivered - if you get my drift. To our surprise, the place and staff exceeded our expectations - all the way! - from Rooms, F&B, Housekeeping, Bell Service, and even down to Security. Contrary to what we've read on the forums, the glitches we've encountered were very minimal, they were in fact forgettable. The unexpected satisfaction we've all had is etched in our minds that we vowed to go back there this summer, hopefully with the entire clan.

As in standard practice, all hotels have Guest Comment Forms, tucked away in one of the pockets of the compendium. Sis & I agreed we'd both fill out forms separately and commend the Hotel with the positive things we've seen, then make suggestions to even make it better (well, if they'd care to listen, that is). Thing is, we've gone berserk with the bargains at the local shops & the market that we completely lost track of the time. Packing everything we bought & brought had to be done fast and so upon checking out, we barely had enough time to write down our comments in full.

Anyhow, I'd still mention one particular observation here, just in case anyone from The Manor stumbles upon this blog: it's regarding the Spa. For one, they offer a great service to the guests with those complimentary use of the gym, whirlpool & sauna, anytime while staying in the hotel. They also offer good rates to those other spa services that would make it very easy for guests to actually avail of them. The spa center therefore, is a really good revenue-generating area for the hotel. What I don't understand is why the hotel placed its spa to a location which doesn't highlight the natural ambience they are so lucky to have in their midst. The spa/gym is tucked away in the farthest corner of a wing, and it's so unfortunate that it's simply presented as a room without a view. Well I hope they'd relocate it somewhere more conducive and complementary to the services being offered. Perhaps convert an upper suite or 2. The Manor is so lucky to already have the landscape advantage of Camp John Hay, they could even sell the hotel as a Spa Resort. Just my 2 cents.

The one thing I regret was not being able to bring the fam to Forrest House which, at that time, was full-house so we opted for Mario's Steakhouse instead. Well that, plus a lot more said & done, I am still satisfied in the general sense. Baguio is still, and absolutely so, magical you'd learn to forgive & forget the flaws or glitches you'd encounter. Standing on the veranda from our suite, I truly felt all I needed was a bucketful of fairy dusts to sprinkle on the entire place and the cast of Shrek's Land of Far, Far Away will all appear right in front of me. No wonder Dad also felt so animated the whole time we were there :-)

my kind of island

2008-03-31T12:23:00.003+08:00

here's a clip of my Amanpulo trip in a nutshell

GETTING THERE.

amidst my excitement which had been building-up for the past 7 days, i was confronted by some stressful episodes on the departure day itself when, bibi my lab, seemed to have overcome the tranquilizer we administered on her just before we left the house...doc tina said bibi would surely be groggy the rest of the day and that she'd be calm & unusually quiet during the ground time AND especially during the flight...well, that didn't really happen, as, she kept on whimpering the moment i placed her in the pet carrier upon arrival at the amanpulo lounge 3 hours prior to departure (guests are normally requested to check in at least 2 hours but i came in one more hour earlier to make sure other guests won't see bibi)...

i was planning on taking a nap the entire 1 hour-plane ride but the moment the engine was started, Bibi also started on her yelping spree, no amount of engine revolutions nor the pilot's usual introductory speech stopped Bibi from trying to get anyone's attention...oh my Lord, i was getting agitated myself as the least i need is a guest complaint...all the guests in this flight were foreigners, with about 6 kids who kept on looking into my direction at the back seat and towards the cargo area behind me - good thing i was wearing my dark shades otherwise they'd know for sure i was guilty-as-hell the owner of the crying dog urgh!...i began saying the rosary, promise!, asking God to please calm Bibi down...she kept on and on, alternating whimpers with yelps, all throughout the first half of the flight...just towards my Hail Holy Queen part, she became quiet - whew finally!, peace at 10,000ft above the ground, Thanks be to God Hallelujah!

the remaining half hour was a breeze, i actually began enjoying the ride now, no more agitating episodes from Bibi...great view of various islands!, nice clouds!, virgin forests below!, wow this is the good part of taking a small plane, one gets to enjoy the sights more... all's well now, looks like it - until the pilot started making his landing speech again as we approached pamalican island, home to amanpulo resort - Bibi's back with a vengeance as her yelps were even louder...oh please dear pilot stop yakking and just land the plane fast!

perhaps the aerial view of the island mesmerized the foreign guests so much that they never minded the dog at that point...i could see from their reactions how awed they were and really, these are the moments when i just feel so proud of our natural resources...

as on all arrivals & departures, the welcome entourage of amanpulo is led by the GM, his wife, some department heads, and the guest assistants...the GM & his wife were as excited as i am to have Bibi meet Sulu so to immediately break the ice between the two, we went to the Windsurf Hut and spent an hour there chatting while the lovedogs get to know each other...well, Sulu has gone shy, and Bibi preferred to lounge around at the sunbed to enjoy the view instead...

THE BEACH.

the Windsurf Hut has become my initial choice to spend my swimming hours on our 2nd day at the 89 hectare island...for one, it has a great vantage point of other islands and two, not many guests were inclined to windsurf that day thereby giving Bibi & i all the privacy we need, after all this is going to be her baptism of fire swimming at the beach...

at first Bibi was hesitant to go out of the sun, it took some prodding from Sulu for her to frolick in the seashore but the moment she began testing the waters & realizing the temperature wasn't cold as she probably thought, boy did she play to her heart's content...in no time did she learn how to tread...treading farther away as she realized how easy it was to just go with the tides in going back ashore...eventually she goes off to the beach on her own while i sunbathe, comes back only to join me & rest...

we didn't do anything else but swim & sunbathe on our 2nd day, she was literally dog-tired by the time we arrived at my sister's casita...

EXPLORING THE ISLAND.

having worked for Puerto Azul Beach Resort/Golf & Country Club in the late '90s, and staying inhouse at the resort for over 2 years, i noticed that the basic concept of Amanpulo Resort was quite similar to Puerto Azul, as far as blending the structures to the forest reserve is concerned...there are also various species of flora & fauna (quite a number, rare), strictly preserved & maintained by amanpulo...they also have a big nursery where they dedicated a portion growing assorted vegetables, herbs & spices for the chefs' use on guests' gourmet meals (believe the F&B staff if they say "fresh from the Chef's Garden", i tell you, i've seen it, promise!)...and then there had been times while moving around the island using a golfcart, my sis & i had to stop to let iguanas or tabon birds cross...and during my daily morning swim, bibi & i get to waddle with the fish the size of my palm, they come mostly in pairs or in groups of four...
(trivia : apparently, it was in the '70's when in one of their trips aboard their private plane, the soriano's encountered stormy weather and had to take cover in the island of Manamoc, part of the Cuyo Group of Islands in Northern Palawan...it was there when they saw Pamalican Island, an 89-hectare strip of land surrounded by white sand and used as a coconut plantation by its original owners who were residents of Manamoc...the soriano's looked for the owners, made friends with them and asked if they could come back to pamalican in the summer for family outings...so amazed were they with what they experienced in this virgin island even then that they bought it the following year...)

one of my early favorites is GARY'S NEST, named after the resort's chief engineer who had been with the soriano's even prior to the development of the island...this spot is on top of a huge pile of boulders & boulders of rock which the resort has utilized as one romantic venue for private breakfasts, lunches or dinners...it is overlooking the beachfront to the left, and the pier to the right...i heard that a private barbecue for two here costs between $300-500 depending on the setup...
(trivia : a charming politico apparently proposed marriage then to his current wife, right there on Gary's Nest...how morantic aint it?)

there's also the GROTTO, truly a perfect place for meditation and some private moments with our Creator, best to visit right after a refreshing session from either the SPA CASITA or GARDEN SALA, or even from the YOGA class...of course for the sporty individuals, they've got a nice GYM with state-of-the-art equipment, and full-serviced TENNIS COURTS...it's nice to visit the DIVESHOP as well, and surely be convinced to take a lesson or two on diving...a walk by the LAGOON is also recommended, and not to be missed are the cocktails being served there when the lagoon is dressed-up to the nines : floating candles, live string quartet music, loads of lights adorning the area...

my personal choice to be is the BEACHCLUB, i'd say it's probably the busiest guest area in the island, even busier than the CLUBHOUSE where the infinity pool is located along with the FASHION BOUTIQUES, ANTIQUE SHOP, the LIBRARY and their fine dining outlet...the BEACHCLUB is situated right along the main beachfront where one may join the twice-a-day snorkelling trips or simply enjoy other non-motorized water equipment, all for the complimentary use of the guests...here, one can easily get lured with cocktail drinks, al fresco meals, or just sunbathe in style if anything else...i am so in love with this area too bad bibi's off limits here, she would have loved joining the snorkelling too tsk tsk tsk...

everything in amanpulo is quoted in dollars BUT, with the strong peso now, i believe that their rates (both on rooms and F&B) are actually affordable...the notion that it is indeed just for the rich, the famous or the infamous - is a lot of bull...i think one should simply think on the context of getting REAL VALUE FOR YOUR VACATION MONEY - you want to be treated right, pampered ceremoniously, feel like a king or queen, enjoy the beach as if it's your own, get utmost satisfaction in every service you take from the well-trained and very discreet staff, where else does regret come in?...honestly, i could say that if there really is a paradise, then it's in amanpulo...

i don't want to sound like their brochure but really now, one will eventually end up being so after staying in the island even for just a couple of days...it's no wonder that so many foreigners get in the country, go straight to amanpulo and no longer have a need to see its other parts, not even metro manila itself - they already carry the beauty of the philippines and the renowned hospitality of the filipinos when they leave this island...

at best, i could only suggest to local residents that (tho' you don't have to do it now), amanpulo is one place in your own country that you should get to visit even once in your lifetime...there may be 17 other Aman Resorts properties all over the world but ours is becoming the favorite of true-blue Aman junkies...

for years i've had bragging rights about personally dealing with ex-US President Jimmy Carter when he spent over 2 weeks in Puerto Azul to complete his Habitat for Humanity project in Cavite...now i'm altering it with my Amanpulo visit as my new claim to a seemingly far-fetched dream which came true at the least expected time...one more item in my decade-old wishlist crossed out, indeed!

GETTING BACK HOME.

we cut our vacation a day earlier because i grabbed on the opportunity of taking the "flyback flight", meaning it just brought in guests to the island but wouldnt be taking out guests back to manila - it was basically an extra flight carrying new guest arrivals but no guest departure...i didn't want to subject myself to more agitation with bibi most likely misbehaving again and ruining guests' trip out of the island if i'd still stick to the original plan of flying back home with resort guests the following day, in a regular flight...so i thought, heck, with the "flyback flight" and no guests in it, bibi could scream all she wants this time...what a bummer tho' because of all things happening, bibi was so quiet and behaved the entire trip grrr we could have stayed one more day!

Click to view related posts :

amanpulo / Sulu

the incomparable amanpulo

2008-03-31T04:14:00.004+08:00

it is just so incredibly breathtaking...

amanpulo is the mother of all havens methinks, a place taken from a dream, honestly...i felt something like this when i first went to boracay but the moment i've had my first and actual glimpse of amanpulo, just from the aerial view inside their 17-seater company-owned charter plane, man, bora becomes second-rate in all aspects...seeing the island upon the plane's approach literally could blow your mind - i was totally dumbfounded...

owned by the soriano's and managed by the aman resort chain, the island had been converted into this dream vacation facility, generally deemed as only for the local&foreign-rich&famous flock who have cash by the millions as their kind of spare change...it's just my luck that i've had the opportunity to visit this world-renowned resort and spend a week in the island with my lab, bibi - which, incidentally, we're trying to mate with the GM's lab, sulu (unfortunately, as of this writing, they haven't started, uhm, well, makin' sum lovin', just as yet)...hopefully, they'd "get it on" before we leave!

below are some photos which i'm sure will tickle your fancy...you may also follow this link of the amanpulo website where you'll find yourself transported even more to this source of philippine pride...also worth looking into are the other aman resorts spread all over the world...

hillside casita...

the beachclub...

the clubhouse...

Click to view related posts :

my Amanpulo experience / Sulu

Sulu

2008-03-29T23:53:00.005+08:00

...aka "amanpulo's little GM", an adorable 2yr old black labrador that weighs about 40 kilos, owned by the resort's GM & his wife...he is so huge but so harmless, a free creature allowed to roam around the island and intelligent enough to veer away from guest areas...he plays with anyone who catches him swimming at the beach, plays with eagles & fish when he's alone...he loves amanpulo's popular angus beef burger and just about anything he can trick employees to feed him when his owners aren't looking...he's Bibi's newfound love since he taught her how to swim...unfortunately, both had a failed honeymoon during our 6-day visit to the resort...it is so frustrating as we would have loved to have Bibi bear Sulu's lineage, a champion breed...oh well, perhaps someday they'd meet again, go forth & be able to multiply...i could only wish...

Click to view related posts :
amanpulo / my kind of island

12 Jan 2009

today i just learned that Sulu passed away 2 days ago...it breaks my heart to learn that he was poisoned, which quite re-affirms the common notion that people in morocco really do not like dogs...my love goes to Sulu's owners, Miguel & Mafalda, who treated him like family.

a visit to The Lady

2008-03-13T11:05:00.006+08:00

it's been roughly a decade ago since i last visited the Lady of Manaoag Shrine and the long trip was truly worth it...if not for johnny, a family friend who came home from abroad for the first time after 15 years of being away and who had promised 'the miraculous lady' he'll make sure he'd pay his respects when he's in the country, i wouldn't have had the opportunity to see the shrine again...the place have weathered so many natural catastrophies but the townsfolk relentlessly kept rebuilding & refurbishing the shrine, now a cathedral, much to the gratitude of its millions of devotees...one wouldn't be able to see any traces brought about by numerous earthquakes, massive fires, civil wars & revolutions - all spanning the 400 years since it was built...the people from different generations kept on with the restoration as 'the lady' continued her miraculous healings...

we left manila at 5am, praised the Lord for the new & world-class north diversion road now called the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) which is equipped with an electronic toll collection system, thereby reducing travel time to north & central luzon provinces...the 3 and a half hour car trip was a joyride, what with a lot of establishments that abound the highway beckoning foreign & domestic tourists unfailingly and so travelers (like what happened to us) end up making pitstops one too many...

sneak peek of our recent trip to the 'Lady of Manaoag Shrine' above

on the way to Manaoag is a small town in Tarlac called Gerona where this unique 1.5 hectare floating restaurant owned and operated by the Barrio Fiesta Chain of Restaurants (of the singing cooks & waiters concept) is located...aptly known as 'Isdaan sa Gerona', the place offers loads of seafood choices on their menu while guests dine in huts amidst bamboo boardwalks and a 6-9ft deep man-made lake full of various species of fish...the establishment's facade was very conspicuous that we decided to have lunch there on our way back to manila...incorporated in the overall design are gigantic stone structures featuring fishes, spitting monkeys, goddesses, dragons - all great for photo ops especially when you're with 'balikbayans'...one of their specialty dishes tho is their roasted chicken marinated in a coconut milk & local herbs concoction and wrapped in banana leaves while being roasted...also very interesting are the lifesize wax figures of security guards - one sitting on a bench & reading the newspaper of the day, and another poised as a guard sleeping on duty...

i would recommend to anyone going to Manaoag, Baguio or anywhere to the north, to drop by Isdaan, even just for a drink of fresh coconut...my only warning is that you will have to have cash with you as they don't honor credit cards, not even the major ones...you may also just drop by Isdaan if only for their one-of-a-kind 'Tacsyapo Wall' where you can smash anything on the wall to vent your anger against anyone or anything...items available for smashing are plates in different sizes, old TV sets, radios, glass items, well upon seeing the area, i would presume they've got anything & everything there ready to be smashed...

johnny said he enjoyed his brief trip and surely, so did jr, raquel and myself, but we're looking forward to his entire family's visit hopefully in december...

my one & only PURE LAB

2007-11-12T01:31:00.001+08:00

27 january 2009

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

12 nov 2007

Call Name : Bibi
Birthdate : 9 January 2007
Favorites : Eukanuba Lamb & Rice (and everything else)

my latest baby, BIBI, is now 10 months old...she was only a month and 15 days old when she was given to me as a birthday gift by my wonderful friends ging & tina... she's had my hands full since then, as BIBI, true to her labrador genes, is overly playful, most often preferring the ultra-exaggerated way in everything that she does...

Bibi at 10 months old...

when our other baby, Prissy (a 6-year old doberman/terrier crossbreed) refuses to play, Bibi would simply sulk for a while but decides to play just the same, either with dad or me, but most of the time with anything her growing teeth could find to gobble on, i.e. the sofa...one time i bought her 3 tennis balls for pets so she'd cease attacking the sala set, but of course it only took an hour or so before the insides of the balls popped out...

Bibi at 9 months old...

BIBI at 4 months old...

BIBI at 3 months old...

Bibi at 2 months old...

Photo below shows Bibi at 2 months old and still much smaller than Prissy...

she's now twice bigger at just 10 months old...

*** next target : COLLIE !!! ***

Related Link : da double bratz

Prissy, our dear missy

2007-11-10T02:34:00.000+08:00

Call Name : Priscilla / Prissy
Birthdate : 19 September 2001
Favorites : Table Food especially "sinigang"

She was 3 months old when we got her, a Christmas gift from our friend, Oya who was then a doberman-breeder...apparently, Prissy was an "accident" - Oya never knew her terrier (take note: a small breed!) sneaked onto her gigantic doberWOman and sired 8 puppies months after...they all looked like DoberBoys&Gals when they came out, Oya realized the anomaly only after over a month or so (thus, Prissy's already clipped tail)...it was a welcoming mistake tho', as all the puppies were just so lovable and truly sweet...absolutely a great combination and yep, one lucky streak for us...

Prissy got her doberMom's instinct for hunting (mice, insects, even birds! ugh!) and her terrierDad's sweetness & charm...she's highly intelligent, just like BibiMyLab...Prissy is always a major attraction during the annual pet registration in our community, it never fails to have stud owners approach us to do some 'puppy sharing' arrangement with her...they're all amused when we tell them Prissy's actually a certified virgin and we'd like to leave it at that! *LOL*

Just last month's annual activity, the organizers kept on taking photos of Prissy & Bibi, they were no-doubt the crowd favorites, sheesh, i felt like being in a dog show as i was subjected to their Q&A's about my babies, i should learn how to be a stage mother soon nyahaha

Related Link : da double bratz

da double bratz

2007-11-09T02:59:00.000+08:00

our two bratinellas, Prissy & Bibi...

dad@77

2007-01-24T04:50:00.000+08:00

...a real blast!

dad had the most wonderful time being with his relatives, despite the randomness of the occasion as we celebrated his 77th birthday 4 days in advance...his one & only brother, cousins, nephews & nieces & their kids - they remembered and they came, such that he repeatedly said before retiring to bed after the party, "i couldn't eat nor sleep because i am so happy"...he was close to tears when at one time, he went to his room (usually the kids' playroom whenever they're here) and all of them did an impromptu song&dance number for him, their own rendition of the birthday song for the celebrant, too bad we weren't able to catch that on cam...

with a simple filipino-themed buffet and hearty conversations in between, the birthday boy continuously savoured that special combination even through the days that followed... it would have been perfect if only dear mom was still alive...

happy happy birthday again, DAD!

click here for the photo archive

dad@77 photo archive

2007-01-21T18:55:00.000+08:00

2006 ends & 2007 begins with family reunions

2007-01-21T02:13:00.000+08:00

celebrating Tito Floring's 80th birthday (3 Jan) held at Mario's Steakhouse...his brother, Tito Seniong hosts the Dela Merced-Andres family reunion held every first of January, which also marks his birthday...

Kuya Baby Suarez plays host to the Suarez-Andres family reunion held every 30th of December in Alabang, in honor of Ima Auring Suarez'(+) birthday...

2005 Suarez-Andres yearend reunion below :

my coffee table music during rainy days...

2006-09-20T17:20:00.000+08:00

or at least some of them (for now) which i'm able to upload, songs associated with certain unforgettable events that somehow added colour and spice to my otherwise simple yet complicated world...interestingly, some of the songs you will find here are those which were re-recorded and re-arranged by other artists creating versions quite unlike the originals...

(your media player will be launched automatically each time you click a link)

Bridges (French/English), Kevyn Lettau

Didn't Know I was Looking for Love, Everything But The Girl

Fallin', Robert Klein

Feels So Good, Don Potter

I'll Never Fall In Love Again, Deacon Blue

It Might Be You, Kai

I Will, Tuck & Patti

Knocks Me Off My Feet, Stevie Wonder

Lanca Perfume (accapella), Trio Esperanca

Let's Get It On, Marvin Gaye

Let's Stay Together, Al Green

Manic Monday, Sonia

Mercy, Mercy Me, Marvin Gaye

Never, Never Gonna Give You Up, Barry White

One, Aimee Mann

Say A Little Prayer, Workshy

Til There Was You, G-Race

Volare, David Bowie

What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong

What Can I Do, The Corrs

Wise Up, Aimee Mann

With or Without You, U2

to be continued...

Disclaimer : The songs above are copyrighted by their respective Artists, Songwriters, &/or Authors and are placed here for entertainment/listening purposes only. I STRONGLY encourage all readers to support the Artists by purchasing their music.

JCS rock opera

2006-09-20T14:19:00.000+08:00

the first time i was allowed to watch and listen to rock music was with the 1973 movie production of the broadway play, Jesus Christ Superstar...the film has thus become a part of an annual spiritual retreat of sorts for the family, as we watched it during the Holy Week year after year...

below are 4 of the scenes and songs i love most which, needless to say, featured the 3 standouts in the film...Barry Dennen as Pontius Pilate, Carl Anderson as Judas (sadly he passed away in 2004), and of course, Ted Neeley as JC...i prefer the 1973 film than the remake done in Y2K...

people power revolution

2006-09-20T04:56:00.000+08:00

part 1

part 2

mushy but endearing scenes

2006-09-19T00:58:00.000+08:00

Mr & Mrs Smith (2005) : "slow dance"

Love Actually (2003) : "whew grant"

Notting Hill (1999) : montage

You've Got Mail (1998) : montage

Jerry Maguire (1996): montage

Toy Story (1995) : "i will go sailing no more (buzz lightyear)"

Sleepless In Seattle(1993) : "all i could say was hello"

Scent of a Woman (1992) : "al pacino's tango scene"

Wild at Heart(1990) : "nic sings ala-elvis"

Big (1988) : "blue moon/chopsticks at the giant piano"

to be continued...

soul, rhythm & blues...

2006-09-18T14:02:00.000+08:00

Stevie Wonder

Marvin Gaye

Temptations vs The Four Tops (Motown 25th anniversary)

Barry White

The Intruders

memorable performances & stellar casts

2006-09-15T15:30:00.000+08:00

Magnolia (1999) :
Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, John Reilly, William Macy, Jason Robards, Philip Baker Hall, Melora Walters, Jeremy Blackman

Heat (1995) :
Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) :
Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, Clancy Brown,
James Whitmore, Gil Bellows

Pulp Fiction (1994) :
John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Uma Thurman, Ving Rhames, Eric Stoltz, Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken

Mario Puzo's The Godfather I (1972), II (1974), III (1990) :
Marlon Brando, Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Andy Garcia, Talia Shire, Sophia Coppola

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) :
Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Tung Thanh Tran, JT Walsh, Bruno Kirby

The Killing Fields (1984) :
Sam Waterston, Haing S. Ngor, John Malkovich, Julian Sands

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) :
Dustin Hoffmann, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry

All That Jazz (1979) :
Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Ann Reinking, Ben Vereen

to be continued...

the 3 tenors

2006-09-13T16:45:00.001+08:00

any good thing is indeed possible...

Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti

there is a tale to this once-called impossible dream that involved 2 of these 3 world-class tenors and perhaps only a few may have heard about...

even those who've never visited Spain, know of the rivalry between Catalanes and Madrilenos, since the Catalanes are fighting for their autonomy from a Madrid-dominated Spain...it so happens that, Placido Domingo is Madrileno and Jose Carreras is a Catalano...

for political reasons, in 1984, Carreras and Domingo became enemies...being that they were very popular and much sought after around the world, both stated in their contracts that they would perform only if the other was not invited...

in 1987, Carreras met up with an enemy more implacable than his rival Placido Domingo...he was taken by surprise with a terrible diagnosis : LEUKEMIA!

his fight against cancer was a painful one...he was subjected to numerous treatments, besides having bone marrow transplant and blood transfusions that forced him to travel to the United States once a month...

unable to work under these conditions, and though he possessed a considerable fortune, the high cost of these trips and medical treatments depleted his finances...almost reaching the end of his financial capability, he discovered a foundation in Madrid, the sole purpose of which was the support of treatment for the sufferers of Leukemia...thanks to the support from the "Hermosa Foundation", Carreras conquered the disease and was able to return to singing...

once again he attained his elevated and deserved status and attempted to join the foundation...reading their by-laws, he discovered that the founder, leading contributor and president of the foundation, was Placido Domingo...

he later found out that Placido had originally formed this organization to help him with his treatment, but had chosen to remain anonymous in order to not humilate him in accepting help from his "enemy"...

the most moving part of this story is their encounter...

surprising Placido at one of his performances in Madrid, Carreras interrupted the event and humbly, knelt at his feet, asked him for forgiveness and publicly thanked him...Placido helped him up and with a big hug they sealed the beginning of a great friendship...

in an interview with Placido Domingo, a reporter asked him why he had created the "Hermosa Foundation" at a time when, besides benefitting an "enemy", he had helped the other artist that was his competition...

his answer was short and definite : "We cannot afford to lose a voice like that..."

O d' Groucho

2006-09-13T01:57:00.000+08:00

if i have a snuffy, you bet i also have an oscar...he's one of the wittiest & highly intelligent beings i've ever come across with, perhaps it's why he's a grouch sometimes...but don't get me wrong, his grouchiness is, quite surprisingly, on the endearing side - he refuses to admit it but generally, he is more of a stickler rather than being complacent and agreeable...am not so sure if it's circumstantial - him being an oxford grad, took phd immediately after, taught in the university while preparing his dissertation, completed the thesis and now a full-pledged doctor of mathematics - more importantly, and this is where my inclination lies the most, i find that his grouchiness is in effect because he's a brit...

stewart, or stew (altho his other friends spell it as stu, i stuck with stew by choice as i tried my best to match his wits like a witch - read: there were times i wished i'd stew him alive with his irascibility - i've always felt something is a-brewing everytime we have our usual conversation matches by email), he knows he's my oscar d'grouch, in reality my ideal (and honestly, most welcoming) devil's advocate...he keeps me on my toes all the time...he corrects me with my notions, he debates with me as regards to movies i watch or books i read (or don't watch and don't read) not excluding certain film or book characters; he continually finds it amusing because i'm apparently too mushy and loves banal movies (his words, not mine) such as jerry maguire; he gets irritated with my spellings (one time he asked: "why do you spell LITRE like LITER? like the french and the americans. you're insane - get it right and learn ENGLISH.") - i called him prof. higgins after that (from the film, my fair lady), but the grouch got back at me quoting prof. higgins too : "you'll get further with the Lord if you learn not to offend his ears - and mine"...

next he would randomly address his emails with alternative names and i should be fast enough to get the drift and do the same on my replies...the only clue we have for this would be in the previous mail (say, we were talking about certain movies one time, his next mail he'd use sera and sign it as ben - turned out it's from 'leaving las vegas' cos we discussed nicolas cage - or random names from books he was reading that time and i would end up doing some homework first before replying as i had no idea who claude or pierre auguste may have been, not to mention other unfamiliar characters he used on me which seemed totally alien to me...one way or another, we were testing each other's wits with these continuous 'name that film/book/character' of sorts...

he's the only one i know who says "i expect you to talk idly and at length. be palaverous, be prolix, be sesquipedalian and tautologous" when all he's actually trying to say was 'write back and blabber away' sheesh...

anyways, i was recently in a movie-download-frenzy, took the opportunity to download some films i didn't get to see the past couple of years, one of which was 'goal' - needless to say, i thought about stew and how the grouch is doing these days...the movie is about english football (stew's passion) and shot in manchester (his birthplace) - i would think he won't like the movie tho' and would probably put it in his banal list, save perhaps for the scenes featuring football games and team practices in them...still and in fairness to him, he really makes great reviews and i usually heed his critical advise although reluctantly at times...

if there's anyone i would want to be with on an all-night drinking spree and we're not allowed to do anything else but drink and talk, stew would be IT as he definitely can, despite the random grouchiness, give me the most interesting topics and debatable issues i'd ever need in this lifetime...

could this be what the other players are seeing everytime stew plays on the field?

seriously, he's harmless, carefree, intense, independent (sometimes way too much)...i once called him hugh grant especially when the movie 'about a boy' came out, i guess you could go figure...

the only place and time i could beat him is when we're playing WordOx (and it has to be a No S No Pinks game), a word game which uses TWL...i'm deadmeat when we're doing scrabble tho' as he's a SOWPODS fanatic and he has that killer instinct for bingoes...he taught me those weird words i never knew existed, just as i taught him those few spanish words allowed in the games...

where art thou, snuffy?

2006-09-12T16:13:00.000+08:00

Aloysius Snuffleupagus - yep that's right, big bird's invisible friend does have a full name :-) i love this furry mammoth so much, especially and even when the grownups at sesame street still didn't know yet that he was real (it was in one of the episodes in 1985 when the producers finally decided to let snuffy come out of the 'invisible closet' they hid him in for 17 seasons)...growing up with the show, i picked on snuffy as my reference character to real life situations with friends, then and now...i mean, it was how i found real friends amongst the many people i encounter every day...i began finding out that even mere acquaintances become 'snuffies' later on...

which brings to mind one snuffy i had for almost 4 years, or just about...his name is kelly, a manufacturing engineer who is also a poet-in-hiding...it started during that period when i was out of the country, away from home, and having bouts of loneliness from time to time...kelly was there to lift my spirits up, boost my morale and get me out of the wallowing stage by giving me his own stories to tell (his frustrations included), based on his personal experiences...we talked about relationships, and he gave very sensible advise...we talked about how to get through a rough day and what to do with the VIP's (very irritating people) at work...on lighter days, we discussed wines, beers, gourmet food and both our bloopers at work...i called him snuffy and he knows why...he's the type of person you're sure would open the door for you at 3 in the morning and offer his shoulder for you to cry on...someone you could place a distress call on no matter if sometimes it could just be some false alarm...it was almost like 'when harry met sally' online kind of thing, minus the complications...

last week i was cleaning up my files (long overdue, really) and saw kelly's poems which he wrote over the last couple of years...instantly i thought about him and realized that last year i only had 1 email from him, a forwarded joke even...it's been 2 years since i really last heard from him, when he was complaining about the girl he was seeing then...in fact the subject of his mail was, 'on again, off again'...that night i dreamt of kelly and mr snuffleupagus and had been worried ever since...thus, i decided i shall dedicate a page for him and his poems as they really mean a lot to me...

there are moments in life when you realize you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real...

Poems by Kelly R Sullivan

From Afar

The stars burned silently
Their distant glow shown through
Upon the tired world
In whispers of light they bedew

The constant pull of fate
From choices that are made
Spoken words that drifted by
Such that nothing could persuade

So many moments in a lifetime
And yet it passes by like rain
Postcards from heaven
From those that left this plain

Reaching out from the night
They catch these candid thoughts
Of memories once echoed
Across the ages to be caught

Nothing seems quite undone
From their course so far above
It all remains for us
To share with those we love…

------

Without a Care

Reflections in the mirror
The images depart
Poised in contemplation
These secrets of the heart

Such tepid contributions
It seems to be profound
But shadows follow masters
Despite what has been found

Can you hear the hallowed bells?
They chant a woeful tune
Sedate our world to misery
Condemning us so soon

Such is life so sorrowful
To build these castle walls
Inside to bear as witness
From that which never falls

The antiquated stairwell
Ascending to a nether side
For those that dare to see
It often seems to hide

And yet as simply so
Quite evident and true
A sword of consequence
A shield of faded blue

In as many pass us by
Yet still fewer that would stay
Perhaps it seems too empty
This fortress of disarray

Let it be said so silently
The chances it has cost
For it would be enough
To dream of loves now lost...

------

As Ever

Glancing eyes
An innocent stir
Kissing souls
Forever to burn

Distant truths
Temptation calls
Wanted feelings
To hold on tight

Chances come
And chances go
Romance beckons
The heart awakens

Yet nothing more
Of time to answer
For moments end
Upon request

In other places
In each other’s arms
Let nothing more
Become of tears

Prayers are heard
So earnestly
Forget me not
Each breath you take

Such as it is
Nothing as it was
Yet you remain
As ever…

------

Just a Passerby

Upon the highest cloud
To spread my mindful wings
For that which seems to be allowed
I question even these things

But intuition has a simple rule
Instinctive first guess has charge
Yet I am blind despite this tool
My error of disregard is large

Events for I alone to know
Of others before my time
Is it fate’s omni shadow?
So solemn and sublime

The musical tone of morning’s light
My steady hand treads on
Words of synthetic delight
Before the enamoured mist is gone

Contentment is found in faceless frames
Pictures so perfect and serene
With no promises to count the blames
For the beauty I have seen

I am just a passerby
To this enchanted garden
Or so my heart would deny
From moments that would soften

For now I sit here silently
This Eden in the sky
As loves are born so hopefully
I will watch them upon high

------

Nothing More

When words fail to reveal
The beauty in our hearts
As time stands still
With seconds to impart

The chances of tomorrow
Are surrounded by fate
Resting wings so silent
They seem to contemplate

Nothing more to say
The subtle winds of change
Nothing more to show
An ebb of disarrange

Entangled luminous thought
The reflection in their eyes
Saturated with softness
For sentimental reprise

In the corridors of truth
Stand a faithful few
Reconciling the masses
From brilliance born anew

Nothing more to feel
The nethermost part to grieve
Nothing more to dream
The distant call to believe

In abstract echoes
The voices disappear
They sleep their weary heads
On pillows made so sheer

A kite in the wind
An invisible guiding hand
The words from a muse
To help to understand

Nothing more for tears
The resolution that is sought
Nothing more but love
The hope that it has brought

------

Whispering to the Wind

In these resolute times
Innocence is lost
Hope becomes overwhelmed
With promises to keep

But moments of sanity
Are clouded with angst
Soon faded into tears
Listen…the world is watching

Standing on a rainbow
Prayers abound majestically
The light of all lights
For the weeping masses

Let it linger, let it sing
Implicit trust burning through
Hold the candle’s beam
Only now is it understood

From distant hearts of illusion
Bring memories of tomorrow
Mountains for love to ascend
Reality beckons no more

Much simpler to some
Carried away by feathered wings
For their price has been paid
Whispering to the wind…

------

Simply So

Starry nights
Embrace the moment
Pieces of eternity

Open hearts
In silvery circles
Bound by fate
Simply so…

Wishes made
For fiery descent
Enveloped with reverie

Abstraction’s child
Pools of thought
Disappear in tomorrow
Simply so…

Silent eyes
Chasing after time
Forever it seems

Lucidly held
In skyward glance
Millions to delight
Simply so…

------

To Fly

In dreams of mist on wings of glass
That which is there, but has yet to pass

The deepest sorrow of loves now lost
The price of freedom...what has it cost?

Endless endeavors through the mirrors of time
Reflections of passion in dreams divine

An ocean of truth to guide you through
Friends of light...so many, so few

It seems the rainbow's end is near
The final challenge seems so clear

Yet, like falling rain upon the ground
Every drop is never found

Some things never come to mind
Eyes that deceive can keep you blind

On wings of light, fly away now
To castles of hope the angels allow

Keep such dreams and set them free
Open your heart and you will see

------

Lingering Thoughts

Whispering shadows
The fallen heroes of the day

A drifting memory’s pensive muse
It withholds the moment’s end

Enchanted mistress of the night
Sing for silence, the echoing breeze

So many, so few, so innocent
The sweet surprise of soaring

If they had only known
They had cherub wings

The wistful tune
It fills the starlit dawn

Dance again, reel again
Set them free from words

The fortitude of fire
It burns from deep within

A trance for the willing
A warning for the wise

Listen to her tears
Her soulful looming caress

Forget me not today…

------

Too Late

Life is an endless endeavor through the branches of time
The hopes of the future from dreams held inside

Each day brings you closer to your unseen destiny
A moment of truth in tomorrow’s tapestry

Yet the path can become a little cloudy, not nearly so defined
As if to say…”is this truly what I had in mind?”

Sometimes more than not you settle for a little less
Despite the heartache that your feelings would confess

Tears may fall from the storms that make you cry
But as often as they do, a rainbow clears the sky

Time will never stop to ask you if you’re ready
The task is up to you, your dreams the remedy

Close your eyes and make a wish, and dare to take a chance
The windows of the soul that beckon you to dance

With blissful slumber comes the changing shades of red
The twilight of it all from thoughts you’ve left unsaid

So along the way, no matter the time, nor the place
Never let them slip away, slip away without a trace

For tomorrow might be too late

------

WHAT IF?

Remember deep this story I tell
Listen, I say, and listen well

There once was a timeless Prince of Hearts
Whose lonely quest was about to start

Untouched by any soul from any land
No one there to hold or understand

He laughed at such ridiculous thoughts
In no one's arms would he be caught

But as to say, without a doubt
His jesting took another route

A Princess of Fire he did meet
Who stole his heart forever to keep

Happiness now tied him up a bit
She calmed his skeptical spirit

But the daring prince kept feeling, "What if?"
And forgot about her precious gift

He went away to never return
Leaving his heart forever to burn

Now old and gray he often cries
His Princess of Fire given way with lies

Time is bound and will never come again
He thinks of her, of things once said

To desperately wish to return to her arms
To see her eyes and feel her charms

If a similar chance would ever arise
No mask would he wear to help disguise

To soon the journey will come to an end
To "What if?" the chance around the bend

No grass is greener than the side which we stand
Given up for what could have been

Listen to your heart, listen to your mind
And the truth you shall always find

------

CASTLE EVERMORE

Amongst the clouds in a sea of blue
Castle Evermore stands so true

Pillars of stone for the dreams of tomorrow
A sword to defend from tearful sorrow

Towers that go on forever, as far as the eye can see
In search of the truth for His children's destiny

Blue turtles and doves that endlessly play
Hope for the future with prayers from today

Their ethereal cries of joyous content
The song of souls with heavenly ascent

Castle Evermore for the hearts left unwarm
To shelter the lost from the wandering storm

Come in from the rain and stay for the night
Dream the dream of angels delight

Let the morning sun bring another chance
Start another day with life's endless dance

Come again stranger, do not be afraid
These wishful walls from hope were made

Surrounded by the clouds, a paradise lost
The rain of the many from His hand it was tossed

To believe that its magic to rise above
This moment in time on wings of a dove

For what of the princess, and what of her prince
The Halls of the Faithful have painted them since

Castle of Dreams, Castle of Hope let them soon find their peace
Forever in their eyes the promises they keep

As boundless as time, to endlessly burn
The truth of the heart they shall soon learn

As each day passes, the Castle stands strong
The eyes of a dreamer, a distant faded song

A little bit older, a little more gray
But yet some things were meant to stay

How long to endure, one never knows
But one can judge from the flower that grows

Castle Evermore is truly as it seems
A shooting star to keep for your dreams...

'the maestro'

2006-09-11T03:22:00.001+08:00

years ago, i watched a cable re-run (forgot what it was) which gave tribute to motown artists...i couldn't forget what one of the guests said - "barry white contributed much to the world population because of his bedroom voice" - i suppose no one could disagree with that, regardless of which generation you belong to...any barry white song could very well pass as an aphrodisiac methinks :-)

my first exposure to his music was with 'love's theme', i was in grade 3 or 4 i think, when uncles & aunts, then in their teens, would play his records full blast...also, an official carrier (not sure now whether it was philippine airlines or cathay pacific) came out and used the song in an aggressive advertising campaign while it's enjoying a tremendous hit in the airwaves. i had fun listening to the grownups ooohing and aaahing with barry. i even remember being required to participate in a stage production with 8 other classmates in grade school, doing an interpretative dance for the song complete with leotards, tights, tutu, ballet shoes and all (eeewww!)...

it seems barry's rise to fame was kinda accidental as he was supposedly just hired to write and arrange music for an all-girl band (one of whom became his wife)...the first single he wrote for them however, was inspired by real conversations they've had as lovebirds which made it even more interesting...expectedly, the song went to the top of the charts...lead vocals was done by barry's wife and here's that song...

Walkin' in the Rain (with the one I love)

an endearing moment was when The Maestro and The Tenor had the opportunity to perform on stage together, i would have loved seeing that live but well, just as most of us in this generation, all we could do is watch it on video...

zazdorovyeh!

2006-09-10T01:56:00.000+08:00

i was told that's how russians say 'cheers' when drinking and if i remember it correctly, it has to come out like "zazdo-RO-vyeh!", stressed on 'ro'...this was how andrey, a former officemate (who is russian) painstakingly taught me to pronounce it...

when it comes to the vodka i love, i'd always remember andrey because it was during his birthday celebration when he gave a dinner treat in an authentic russian restaurant, wanting us to learn more about russian cuisine, AND, brought with him (because he made sure he introduced it to us the proper way) bottles of genuine russian vodka, apparently straight from the russian town supposedly known as the best producer of such in the whole of russia - the kind of vodka which should be pure, high-quality triple-distilled alcohol, drank straight-up with nothing else, so much like tequila-style...we knew we drank so much of it but nobody suffered any hangovers the following morning and he explained it was because of its purity and the manner by which it was distilled...no wonder it costs a lot and is considered a rare find anywhere else in the world...although there was a big discussion that night regarding the origins of vodka (of course andrey insisted vodka started out in russia, some of our colleagues claimed it's poland), we all still agreed that this pure russian vodka he brought was the best we've tasted...it may have taken me the 4th shot to drink it without wincing, a couple more beyond that it became easy, smooth even...he surely wasn't joking when he said earlier in the night that i won't just see stars after having a taste of his vodka, it'll fly me to the moon and back, thankfully still in one piece...

but, sans andrey-the-supplier-of-pure-russian-vodka, i now content myself to the next best thing - absolut vodka mandarin...it was another colleague, armi, who introduced me to it (she spent a couple of years in sweden and was practically spending her time discovering various swedish products, including caviar-in-a-tube, packaged like toothpaste and way much affordable :-) anyways, i used to just have, and was actually happy with plain absolut vodka blue with tonic water and lime but when i had the taste of vodka mandarin, i decided this was indeed the next best thing...you can do away with the tonic, and the lime, take it straight-up over some ice and again, no hangover the following morning...

talking about vodka, someone emailed me this joke...

SIPPING VODKA

A new priest at his first mass was so nervous he could hardly speak. After mass he asked the monsignor how he had done. The monsignor replied, "When I am worried about getting nervous on the pulpit, I put a glass of vodka next to the water glass. If I start to get nervous, I take a sip." So next Sunday, he took the monsignor's advice. At the beginning of the sermon, he got nervous and took a drink. He proceeded to talk up a storm. Upon his return to his office after mass, he found the following note on the door:

1. Sip the Vodka, don't gulp.
2. There are 10 commandments, not 12.
3. There are 12 disciples, not 10.
4. Jesus was consecrated, not constipated.
5. Jacob wagered his donkey, he did not bet his ass.
6. We do not refer to Jesus Christ as the late J. C.
7. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not referred to as Daddy, Junior, and the Spook.
8. David slew Goliath, he did not kick the shit out of him.
9. When David was hit by a rock and was knocked off his donkey, don't say he was stoned off his ass.
10. We do not refer to the cross as the "Big T."
11. When Jesus broke the bread at the Last Supper he said, "Take this and eat it for it is my body." He did not say "Eat me".
12. "Omitted"...I'd have burned for that one :-)
13. The recommended grace before a meal is not: Rub-A-Dub-Dub thanks for the grub, yeah God.
14. Next Sunday there will be a taffy pulling contest at St. Peter's, not a peter pulling contest at St. Taffy's.

hahaha zazdoROvyeh!

when kids rule

2006-09-03T18:49:00.000+08:00

ever since our first cousins from my dad's side began raising babies of their own, it had always become such a major issue to us, everytime we wanted to get together like old times - aka the eat-drink-and-be-merry kind of gimmicks - what to bribe their little gremlins (there are now 10 of them) so they won't get bored and eventually leave the adults to have some fun...it used to be so easy for us cousins to mobilize and do our usual nite out: pig out for dinner, go hopping til the bars close, move to 24-hour establishments where we'll "wash up" til breakfast - we practically had our regular TGIF gigs - all these before kids began popping out like corn kernels...yep, age of innocence has ended and for the past couple of years, the priority in every activity we'd do together had been focused on how to ensure the gremlins are preoccupied (and enjoying themselves) so that we could, no matter how briefly, relive those days of yore...so much creativity is required because adult fun, particularly in its rarity, is at stake...

last friday was one such occasion...we wanted to get together to, of course, eat-drink-and-be-merry once again...we had a birthday lunch for my dad's one and only brother the previous sunday (aug 27, his 78th year) but felt we all didn't have enough time to enjoy each other's company...they had to go home early as the kids had school the following day so we've decided we'd get together again this weekend and just have our gimmick here at home...true enough, at the last minute, 2 kids didn't want to go...panic creeps in because the other gremlins may be influenced and if that happens, their parents (my cousins) will be forced to cancel...

with phone calls and text galore interchanged between us cousins the entire time, we finally agreed we'll bribe the kids with the following : access to unlimited internet games for the boys, cake decorating class for the girls, the toddlers can watch cartoons all they want...

success! not only did they suddenly get excited, they surely got preoccupied, and were truly enjoying! woohoo! nobody made any tantrums, not one cried, and more importantly, when they got tired, they all holed up in dad's room, watched tv and curled up in bed on their own much later on, til we finished drinking...my cousins had to carry them all to their cars at 2 in the morning but no one has complained, we all had our respective adult and kiddie time, and a good one at that...

mommy dearest

2006-08-23T05:02:00.000+08:00

(listen to one of dad & mom's theme songs)

Aida Senense-Andres
(7 Feb 1940 - 23 Aug 2001)

The 'Mommy' to husband Gene and children Dina, Nene, Winwin. She was 'Manang Aids' to her 5 younger siblings but 'Mommy Aids' to all their children and their children's children. She was 'Aida', 'Aidz', 'Tita Aida', 'Nana Aida' to the Andres clan. She was 'Mommy Andres', 'Mommy Groovy', 'Mother', 'Mommy Dearest' to all her children's friends, and plain 'Mrs. Andres' or 'Ma'am Andres' to her husband's colleagues. Today marks her 5th year since she left this mortal life to be with her Creator but we know in our hearts she is forever here with us no matter where we are.

We love and truly miss you, Mommy!

being away from home when it happened and not able to get a flight immediately, i was in a bit of a time warp and thankfully friends and family kept me through the waiting and anticipation... below are messages which helped me deal with my grief thousands of miles away...

-----
From: "DINA ANDRES"
To: 'Winwin S. Andres'
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2001 2:15 PM
Subject: 40th day

hi win! are you sure you will be allowed to come back home for this 40th day of mom? if so, please make sure that we have the candles (plenty) that you described. is it also possible for you to bring cut flowers again (the orchids you brought during the wake is ok if ever), that can last until at least a week? if so, please do. thanks and answer me soon.

regards, ate dina

------
From: 'Joel S. Andres'
To: 'Winwin S. Andres'
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 5:29 PM
Subject: RE: i dreamt of mommy last nite...

Win,

Isa lang ang ibig sabihin daw nyan.....uwi ka na dito at walang taga-timpla ng
kape ang Tito Gene! See you...siguraduhin mong uuwi ka sa 30th ha!

Joel

------
From: 'Joel S. Andres'
To: 'Winwin S. Andres'
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2001 12:09 PM
Subject: RE: pahabol pa...

Eto pa pala......OK yung 9th day sayang wala ka na, yung mga chorus line singers e full force...siguro tawa ng tawa ang Tita Aida kapag kinakantahan na siya nung mga golden girls ng SSS parish!!! OK naman at daming food.....nakaka-miss lang talaga ang Tita Aida sa mga occassions at sa lahat ng handaan nandun siya lagi....eto ngang birthday ni Joshua, sa bahay daw kayo lahat matutulog ng October 5 at home made kse ang balloons, kaya lahat daw tayo ang mag-hi-hi-hip!!! anwyay, sige, tawagan mo lang si Dominic before 30th ng ma-arrange natin ulit ang iyong nalalapit na pagdating!!! sige at dito nalang cousin, see you end of the month.....

Joel

------
From: "Stewart Houten"
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2001 1:14 AM
Subject: Some thoughts !

Hey Winwin - how are you doing? I hope you are managing to cope with your grief. It is a very sad time for you and I hope that you have the strength to endure all. This is just a brief note to let you know that I'm thinking of you.

(((big hug))) - I know you are hurting. And I'm sure you will miss your mother deeply and always. But I fully believe that parents know children make mistakes and are eternally ready to forgive them. That is the parent/child dynamic and even though it changes form it stays with us throughout life. Parents implicitly understand and are always ready to forgive us. That's their job. So please try not to be so hard on yourself.

You have had your reasons for making the decisions you have made. You didn't stay away from home because of malace. Your mum would have known that you cared and understood that you couldn't be there. Sadly hindsight can be destructive in these situations. You must try to remember that your decisions were made for what you thought was the best. You can do no more. As time passes the context of the past becomes distorted and we begin to rewrite our own history. I personally subscribe to the notion that we are without free will. Given the opportunity to make the same decisions with ALL the information you had at the time, you could only have done what you did. And that was what you thought was best.

I can only imagine what you are dealing with - I've never yet been through that experience - but please try to hang in there. You may feel like you're in limbo now but that won't last forever. Perhaps try to focus on the good times and any positive thoughts. I know this is sounding flakey and I'm feeling uncomfortable with that, but try to stay away from your possible mistakes and where you think you went wrong. It can't help right now. One day when you are feeling stronger you can do that, but for right now simply grieving for your mother is enough.

I would love to know how you are. Please write if you have the time. I have news for you too.

Take care and tough it out mate,

Love Stewart
UK

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From: "Litz Senense"
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 10:09 PM
Subject: RE: i dreamt of mommy last nite...

Dear Winwin,

Thats okay. It's good you dreamt of her. It means she is still around, and thats a good sign. She is looking after you.

Yes, i did my 9 days novena, and I still keep on talking to her. I feel good when I looked at her, i mean our pictures and I feel good knowing that she can see me and i am sure she is happy with your lola & uncle George.

By the way when is the 40th day? will you please let me know when so i can also offer mass on that day.

And now you are back to normal life and when you said 30th, do you mean to say you are going back home for the 40th day rites or what?

Win, got a friend here and they are going to Thailand to get their adopted daughter sometime in October. They might come to see you. I will let you know if they have time for you to meet.

Catch up later and take care yourself okay. Still smoking? i hope not. SMILE.......

Love ya.......

Auntie Mely
Adelaide, Aus

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From: " "DORIS DIA""
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2001 4:34 AM
Subject: just to say hello!

hello there, how are you doing ? i hope everything is doing fine with you. i know its hard to let go, but i think its the best thing that you can do. just think about the happy memories that we all had with her, i know that she herself wanted that to happen cuz, she would not like to suffer and so with you guys, especially your dad. so dont feel too bad. although regrets are always at the end, and if only we could turn back the clock , then definitely we will not do the things that we have been doing. let's just pray for her soul in peace. okey.

till here and hear from you soon. take it easy. take it one day at a time. just think of the positive side of life than being negative about it. it will make your life easier. i know you are getting stressed-out. but think of it this way, "STRESS IS ALREADY A PART OF OUR DAY TO DAY LIFE", how to cope with it is to take it one day at a time. just do what you can do for that moment, then if you could still do more then do it, in you pace. one thing that you have to always include in your daily routine is PRAYERS. PRAY BEFORE YOU WILL EVEN START YOUR DAY, ASK HIM FOR HIS GUIDANCE TO DO YOUR JOB FOR THE DAY. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THANK HIM FOR THE WONDERFUL DAY, THANK HIM FOR HIS GUIDANCE AND BLESSINGS. and you will see that HE will always be there for you..........

take care okey.........

love auntie dolet
Union City, California

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From: Alicia W. Smith
To: Winwin S. Andres
Cc: Carolyn Shields
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 1:51 AM
Subject: RE: dear friends...

Dear Winwin -- I was so sorry to see this note. Both Carolyn and I have experienced the loss of a parent and it is indeed very hard to endure. I can only tell you that with the passage of time I hope you will find you probably have a very rich trove of memories.

In the meantime I hope you can take solace from the fact that you obviously brought a smile to your mothers face many many times throughout her life. And that's what it's really all about, don't you think? You, your mother, and your father are in our prayers.

Big hugs to you.

Alicia
Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP) for Habitat for Humanity, USA

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From: "Aiman"
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 8:32 PM
Subject: Re: mommy...

dear winwin
very sorry about your mommy, i'm sure it's a very sad time for you. but then i know you are very strong you will make it ok. I was thinking where you are right now, I did call you today, but your room line was busy as ever, any way call me
a s a p

A Z
egypt

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From: laura
To: Winwin S. Andres
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 12:45 PM
Subject: Many prayers and thoughts sent your way Winwin

Winwin..
At times like these....I can not find words sensitive enough, it seems... that truly express how my heart and prayers go out to you! Having lost both my parents...my mother just this past year. I suffer with you in OUR losses...but send a thought of great comfort... We have to remember that WE are the ones who regret...and suffer in our thoughts as we think...what I could have done...what i should have done..... and how unfair it is in life that we cannot go back and make up for our past forgetfullness. But in out regret we need to remember...that LIFE is just this: a journey we go through. A pathway of learning and with that learning, REGRET is a big part. I so wish you healing....and send love and prayers across the miles Winwin. Know that you are in my thoughts...look forward and remember to only look back without regret...Your mom loved you...and it shows in everything you do!! know I am thinking of you at this most difficult time...

*Laura*
Denmark

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From: Pongco, Andy
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 12:03 AM
Subject: RE: dear friends...

Dear Winwin,

Sorry to hear about your Mom. We were somehow in the same boat as my mother in law passed away too last 17 August. No matter what they say about mothers in law, mine was one of the best.

Will be leaving for SFO/LAX end of November to be with my Mom for her birthday. Your message came at a time when I have been feeling so guilty for not having seen her for some time.

Now look after your Father. We are doing the same with my Father in law as we stay in the same house. Again my condolences.

Andy
Hotel Intercontinental Manila

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From: Dioko-Cariaso, Leslie
To: 'Winwin S. Andres'
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 11:03 AM
Subject: RE: dear friends...

dearest winwin!

i'm so so sorry to hear about your mom! i've been on maternity leave and was only able to get the details now after i read both your emails re your mom.

i feel for you win! and i know how you feel, having lost my mom too in 1991. pls. be assured of our prayers and support from here! will be writing you more later okay. just have to go to a meeting right now. PLS. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! Also assure you dad, the rest of the family, Ate Dina, of our prayers!

love always,
leslie
Intel (Phils.)

pls. make sure you get some rest now okay.

------
From: T S
To: 'Winwin S. Andres'
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 10:17 AM
Subject: Sympathies

I am writing to express my sincere and heartfelt sympathies. Your email is the first I have heard of this news. A little over a week ago, I had some very strong thoughts about you - perhaps this was why.

There are no magic words to take away your pain. And I know you are filled with the would haves, should haves, could haves. In reading your mail, something very strong filled my heart. And that is the lesson you talked about - the one for how things will be with your father. This perhaps is a greater gift and honor to your mom than you realize. As a mother, we love our children unconditionally, for the mere sake of loving them and expecting nothing in return. We have happy hearts when our children have joy, and saddened ones when they have sorrow. And when we see our children come through a life's painful experience with a lesson learned, there is great warmth that comes to us. We do not wish to see our children struggle, but also know that life gives many good and sad times, and each lesson makes our children the strong, wonderful people they are.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours.

Terri
USA

------
From: Glecie TAN
To: 'Winwin S. Andres'
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 8:36 AM
Subject: Re: dear friends...

Dear Winwin,

I'm sorry... honestly... I don't know... thanks for the e-mail. I've lost my filofax containing all tel nos. and addresses; our computer was transferred to my kuya glovie's house and under repair ... We could not e-mail personal matters here in mandarin due to restrictions since our groupwise keeps on crashing. I wish I could be with you last Aug 26. If I only got the e-mail on time. Don't worry, your mother is with the Lord now.

We will pray for you and your family. I' ll keep in touch asap.

God bless you and miss you...

in Christ,
Glecie
Mandarin Oriental Manila

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From: Beth Surban
To: Winwin S. Andres
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 7:11 AM
Subject: dear friends...

Dear Winwin,
Hope all is well. Got some news from Ate Nida who also got the chance to see you and visit Mommy at the wake. I pray for Dad's strength...it must be really hard for him. They are like my parents too...I really feel bad that I did not see them last year when I went home. I also pray for you three (like my sisters) for strength and to always remember that Mommy (although sorely missed) is in good hands now and at peace.

I miss Tatay and get that heartache each time I think about him. I turn around and pray...trust that God is taking care of him. Take a deep breath each time you feel the heartache - and move on...because that's what they would like us to do.

I will try and contact Dad and Ate Dins when I get home in January. Perhaps we can get together or see each other even just for a short time while I'm visiting.

You take care of yourself and yes, make sure you spend the best, quality time with your Dad as much as you can. Stay in touch and we're always here if you need a friend to talk to. We love you.

God bless,
Beth (Gerry, Paolo & Kevin)
San Francisco, Cali

------
From: bawgjc
To: 'Winwin S. Andres'
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 4:58 AM
Subject: I'm Sorry...

WINWIN

MY DEAR I'M SO VERY SORRY TO HEAR OF THE PASSING OF YOUR MOM.YES YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN A PARENT IS GOING TO LEAVE YOU AND IT IS VERY HARD TO ACCEPT EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THEY HAVE GONE TO A BETTER PLACE AND YES SHE IS WATCHING YOU MY DEAR ALWAYS. YOUR LETTER LEFT SUCH AN IMPRINT ON ME I HOPE IT DOES ON MY CHILDREN AS I SENT IT TO MY SONS WHOM I GUESS THINK MOM WILL BE HERE FOREVER. MY DEAR LOOK AT THE SKY AND SEE THAT BRIGHT STAR THAT IS YOUR MOM LOOKING DOWN AT YOU AND WINKING SAYING I LOVE YOU MY DEAR CHILD. I LOST MY LAST PARENT MY DADDY IN 1992 AND I MISS HIM SO VERY MUCH AS I HAD HIM SO LONG AND TALKED TO HIM EVERY DAY AND SAW HIM SO MUCH. SO MY DEAR ONWARD WE GO WITH THE LORD'S HELP AND YOUR IN MY PRAYERS SWEET CHILD.

LOVE & HUGS, BARB
USA

------
From: Amar V.Mungcal
To: Winwin S. Andres
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2001 6:20 PM
Subject: Re: Your mom

Subject: Mommies

When you were 1 year old, she fed you and bathed you. You thanked her by crying all night long.
When you were 2 years old, she taught you to walk. You thanked her by running away when she called.
When you were 3 years old, she made all your meals with love. You thanked her by tossing your plate on the floor.
When you were 4 years old, she gave you some crayons. You thanked her by coloring the dining room table.
When you were 5 years old, she dressed you for the holidays. You thanked her by plopping into the nearest pile of mud
When you were 6 years old, she walked you to school. You thanked her by screaming, "I'M NOT GOING!"
When you were 7 years old, she bought you a baseball. You thanked her by throwing it through the next-door neighbor's window.
When you were 8 years old, she handed you an ice cream. You thanked her by dripping it all over your lap.
When you were 9 years old, she paid for piano lessons. You thanked her by never even bothering to practice.
When you were 10 years old she drove you all day, from soccer to gymnastics to one birthday party after another. You thanked her by jumping out of the car and never looking back.
When you were 11 years old, she took you and your friends to the movies. You thanked her by asking to sit in a different row.
When you were 12 years old, she warned you not to watch certain TV shows. You thanked her by waiting until she left the house.
When you were 13, she suggested a haircut that was becoming. You thanked her by telling her she had no taste.
When you were 14, she paid for a month away at summer camp. You thanked her by forgetting to write a single letter.
When you were 15, she came home from work, looking for a hug. You thanked her by having your bedroom door locked.
When you were 16, she taught you how to drive her car. You thanked her by taking it every chance you could.
When you were 17, she was expecting an important call. You thanked her by being on the phone all night.
When you were 18, she cried at your high school graduation. You thanked her by staying out partying until dawn.
When you were 19, she paid for your college tuition, drove you to campus, carried your bags. You thanked her by saying good-bye outside the dorm so you wouldn't be embarrassed in front of your friends.
When you were 20, she asked whether you were seeing anyone. You thanked her by saying, "It's none of your business."
When you were 21, she suggested certain careers for your future. You thanked her by saying, "I don't want to be like you."
When you were 22, she hugged you at your college graduation. You thanked her by asking whether she could pay for a trip to Europe.
When you were 23, she gave you furniture for your first apartment. You thanked her by telling your friends it was ugly.
When you were 24, she met your fiancee and asked about your plans for the future. You thanked her by glaring and growling, "Muuhh-there, please!"
When you were 25, she helped to pay for your wedding, and she cried and told you how deeply she loved you. You thanked her by moving halfway across the country.
When you were 30, she called with some advice on the baby. You thanked her by telling her, "Things are different now."
When you were 40, she called to remind you of a relative's birthday. You thanked her by saying you were "really busy right now."
When you were 50, she fell ill and needed you to take care of her. You thanked her by reading about the burden parents become to their children.

And then, one day, she quietly died. And everything you never did came crashing down like thunder.

YOUR MOMS - IF THEY'RE STILL AROUND, NEVER FORGET TO LOVE THEM MORE THAN EVER..AND IF THEY'RE NOT, REMEMBER THEIR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE AND PASS IT ON...

Amar
Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Th

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From : "Flora N. Simard"
To : 'Winwin S. Andres'
Date : Fri, 31 Aug 2001 05:25:58 +0000

Dear Win,

I just emailed you to your work address and a few minutes later an auto reply came. I guess you were able to book a flight to Manila. Ron and I feel very sad about the passing of Manang Aidz. Dolette shared your email to me. I am pretty sure Manang Aidz knew how you feel about her. I am not asking how you are emotionally, but how are you in your job and life in thailand? I did not know you left the country until Dolette mentioned it when she called me about Manang Aidz. I will surely miss her. She was a friend, my confidant, a shoulder to lean on, and I can go on! I know how she cared about Manong Gene, you, Nene, and Dina. She is resting now! I find comfort knowing everyone is helping the family especially Manong Gene. My heart goes to you, Nene, Dina, and Manong Gene. May Manang Aidz soul rest in peace!

It is late summer here in California but still very hot. I could not wait for fall when the weather will be better. I hope you can come to visit us someday!

You all take care! My warmest regards!

Love,
Bing
San Diego, Cali

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From: "Toni Pascua"
To: "Win-Win Andres"
Subject: Re: i'll need your prayers...
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 21:13:24 -0700

Win,

Condolence....we're so sorry to hear about your mom. We will include her in our prayers.

Can you please let us know your mailing address.

Toni
LA

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From: "Bangkok ETC Webzine"
To: "winwin andres"
Subject: Re: new phone extensions
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 21:29:27 +0700

Dear Win,

Sad to hear the news. Please accept our heartlfelt condolences. I'll tell
our friends about it.

Got to go...take care.

Percy
Bangkok, Th

From: "Bob"
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Subject: Hi WinWin
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 23:43:19 EDT

Hello...
I just finally got on here .. and read about the sad news .. I am really
sorry to hear of your unexpected loss.......... God works in mysterious
ways.. One never knows when HE wants us to join him...... My prayers go
out to you and to your Moms everlasting soul. may she find her place in Gods
kingdom .........

Your "forever" friend.......
Bob
USA

P.S. I know how it feels to be without a mom............lost mine when I was six...... ;o((

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From: "Mary Caeg"
To: "winwin andres"
Subject: Sincere Condolences
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 20:37:11 -0700

Win and family:

I was so shocked to hear about the sudden loss of your mom. I remember her as a fun-loving and "cool" person....she was so full of life. My heart and prayers go out to you and your family during this time of sadness. She will always be remembered as the kind, loving and caring person that she was. She will be missed.

Take care and I will keep in touch.

Best regards to your dad and sisters,

Carmela & family
LA, Cali

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From: Maria Centeno
To: Winwin S Andres
Subject: Hello!
Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 13:06:14 -0700 (PDT)

Hi Winwin,

I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. I should have written sooner but I was out of town and just got back from Toronto this weekend for a 5-week training. I certainly have fond memories of your mom when we always visited you at home back then. She's so young to pass away. How did she die?

I really don't know what to say. I just want to extend my condolences to your entire family and offer my prayers that may her soul rest in peace. How are you holding up? Just hang in there, my friend. Life goes on...and if it gives you any comfort, please remember that you've got another friend in me.

May God bless her soul.

always here for you,

Dulce
LA, Cali

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From: "Andag, Marissa"
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Subject: Condolence
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 16:55:14 -0700

Winwin,

Beth relayed the sad news about your mom. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Hope you're able to go home to Manila w/o difficulty. Be strong and have faith.

My deepest sympathy.

Issa
LA, Cali

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From: "Alan Dimayuga"
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Subject: Re: i'll need your prayers...
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 21:22:19 -0700 (PDT)

Dear Winwin,

San nakaburol mom mo? If I were you, try to come home. I already
advised abby and ghie about it. Kailan libing? Come home, ok?

Alan
Las Palmas Group of Hotels

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From: "Serpil"
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Subject: Re: i'll need your prayers...
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 19:43:28 EDT

My deepest sympathies and prayers.....serp

From: "Kelly Sullivan"
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Subject: Re: Please confirm
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 16:34:56 -0400

Winwin,

i do not have the words...i will send you this...a poem i wrote when my gradnfather past away in 1995. my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family...

Kelly
Ohio

Father of the Forest

Life is an endless endeavor through the branches of time
With guidance and nurturing we follow a path that others have explored
Beginners must learn to crawl before they walk
And so on later to run
But who should teach the saplings of life
The truths of our perennial forest?
Whose roots can support the enigmas of a generation?

The oaks of the woodland, so earnestly answered
Worthy parents they would make
Through winters so cold and summers of drought
Their lineage continues on
No matter the plight, against all the odds
These trees forever stand proud
Their children grow strong with the wisdom of their forefathers
Wisdom that brings no problems, and only opportunities

The oak shall never die
Its seed will carry it through the timeless river of life
Its end is simply our beginning
A perpetual cycle in our forest of green
Our lessons learned, from this patriarch oak
Will be passed to those born of our kindred
So it could be said, in so many words
So long "Father Oak", but not good-bye

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From: "Rita Gatt"
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 19:59:45 +0200

dear winwin,

i'm so sorry to hear about your mum. i can only try and imagine what you and your family are going through. but i know this one thing she is at peace now, and watching over you, you'll feel her sometimes and you'll just know, she will never be too far away. my prayers go out to you and your family

rita g
malta

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From: "Sisadhi Reuben"
To: 'Winwin S. Andres'
Subject: Condolences
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 21:39:02 +0800

Dear Winwin

Very sorry to hear that your mother passed away. It was so sudden. What happened? She seemed very healthy.

Please accept my condolences and rest assured that my thoughts and prayers will be with you and your family during this time of loss.

Chris

Sisadhi Christopher Reuben (Chris)
The Oriental Bangkok

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From: Maggie Bosman
To: "'Winwin S. Andres'"
Subject: FW: i'll need your prayers...
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 07:55:04 +0200

Dear Winwin,

I am so sorry to hear about your mom. You are in my thoughts and prayers
during this difficult time ..... as is your dad, and of course, your mom.
May her soul rest in peace.

Maggie xxx
So. Africa

From: "Gina McIlroy"
To: 'Winwin S. Andres'
Subject: TEXAS-Condolence
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 20:28:57 -0500

Dear Win,

Sorry to hear about your Mom. I didn't open my mail til Amar called this afternoon. She called Manila today and talked to your Dad. I will call Melissa today via MSN...she's always on line. Peter is also leaving tomorrow for Manila and that he'll call you. if you have a chance to send us phone numbers where we can reach you the better. Mac said condolence din.

I know you're strong...biglaan kasi...be strong! Take care and keep in touch.

Ingat, gina

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From: LyndaCJohnson
To: "Winwin S. Andres'
Subject: Re: i'll need your prayers...
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 18:49:53 EDT

Dear Win:

So sorry about your loss. been there, done that too many times. Of course you and your father will be in my prayers. Just keep in mind that your mother is in a much better place than us now. She'll always remain alive in your heart and those of all who loved her.

When my dad died, it, too was sudden and unexpected. It took me 3 yrs. To finally acknowledge he was gone. Kept expecting him to walk in door and ask why I was telling people he was dead. Sudden death is better for the person who dies than for the ones they left behind. Keep up your faith and be grateful she didn't suffer a long, slow death. She's re-united with God and will be waiting for everyone else. She's at peace now. Take care and have faith.

How's your dad holding up? you? So sorry about your loss. don't know if you ever got the letter I sent you. Just remember to keep in mind she's in a much better place than any of us now. And she's waiting for you and looking out for you. Know it's not much consolation. Been there. Done that. Lost both of my parents. my dad's was sudden but mother was a relief when it finally happened (she had breast cancer which was a slow, painful death).

Love,
Lynda
Arizona

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From: "Carol Mc"
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Subject: About your Mom!
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 13:46:10 -0500

I am so terribly sorry to hear about your mom. I know how that feels as my mom died 2 years ago. I am assuming this was totally unexpected as you said nothing this morning.

Please accept my condolences and prayers for you and your family.

If you need to talk, just write! Good luck with flights and leave.

Carol
Oklahoma

Our family flew to Davao City 6 months after Mom's demiss to bring her ashes to her birth place as part of her request while still alive. Photo shows us with some of the Senense Clan, taken during the burial which took place at the Senense family plot in Davao Memorial Park on Feb 7, 2002, Mom's 62nd birthday.

---
From: "Flora N. Simard"
To: "Winwin S. Andres"
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 1:50 PM
Subject: Re: mom's final destination...

Dear Win,

Thanks for the detailed news about Manang Aidz' final trip. Yes, if I am correct, she should be 62 years old this 7th of February. She will enjoy all the activities you are doing in her behalf, after all, she was the one doing them for you before. She finally got her turn. I am glad you are home to keep Manong Gene company. Say hello to him from us. I'll write more next time. I still have a lot of things to do.

Hello to everyone in Davao, to Manong Gene, Dina, Nene, Genevieve, Liway and Johnny and Family, Helen and Ralph and Family, and the Senense clan in Davao and Tagum.

Love you all,
Bing Simard
USA

pinnochio

2006-08-12T09:14:00.000+08:00

who wouldn't love this classic? it is, for me, the best animation made for the kids and the kids in grownups too...it has the elements that teach a child all the simple and basic values he needs to learn in his lifetime...

be still, my heart

2006-08-10T13:27:00.000+08:00

bangkok, thailand, 1999. my first official one-on-one dinner with a member of the bangkok press was with this writer for a travel & tourism trade magazine, a kiwi covering the southeast asian tourism beat...as with most press contacts, we've previously corresponded by email concerning press releases from my end or research gathering from his...this particular time however, i had a schedule of press rounds in bangkok which gave me the opportunity to meet with some personally, and him specifically...i agreed to his suggested place, an irish restaurant & pub which he claimed offered great beers, authentic fish & chips and assorted baked pies...on top of the alleged good food, i was glad to note that the place had a nice ambience, and the music not so loud, really an ideal place for business meetings...i was caught by surprise however because when i arrived (i was a bit late), i saw this gorgeous human being standing up and waving at me as i stood near the door obviously looking for someone, and offering his hand he said, "hi i'm mark", with his matching hazel eyes and impish grin - no way is this the writer i was supposed to meet!, since when had there been tourism writers this...this...this yummy!? ok, deep breaths, stay calm, and be still, my heart!

we offered and accepted each other's calling cards and started talking bits & pieces about ourselves, since when have we been in thailand, are we happy with our jobs, how's the hotel & convention industry, tourism per se, yadayadayada...in all of this i tried to keep from staring until finally, i probably forgot to look somewhere else before that certain silence became noticeable, i ended up getting caught staring at him when he said, "go ahead, say it"..."uhm, say what exactly?" i replied, immediately trying to work on the salad in front of me and he goes, "this always happens, so shoot, tell me if you liked him in that film?" i still couldn't figure out what he's on about so all i said was "huh?", still trying to look busy working on that salad...then he goes, "people have been telling me i look like ed norton and i'm not so sure i even like the guy, isn't that why you're staring? don't worry, it's ok if you hate the guy..." then i go - and now with the excuse to really stare - "ooooh, right! yes! ed norton! you're right, you do look like him!" (but at the back of my mind, i was racking my brains thinking who the heck is ed norton?!) i wasn't sure how we veered away from the subject but we certainly did and talked more about the birds & the bees and ended up closing the bar and telling each other we should hook up again when either one is in town and that he definitely should visit our resort very soon (it's a 2-hour trip by car from bangkok)...hmmm, something to look forward to then...

back in the resort the following morning, i patiently waited for my officemate, zig (he's originally from fiji but grew up and studied in canada, joined his parents in thailand just a year or so earlier when his dad got assigned there by the UN) - so we could have breakfast together and i could hopefully learn more about who this freaking ed norton is...zig arrived, got his food from the buffet, sat down beside me, listened to my frantic urge to know who ed norton is and he nonchalantly retorted "the one in american history x"..."huh?"..."it's a great movie, i'm surprised you haven't seen that!"..."i haven't even heard of it yet!"..."well you should've, he looks like mark..." aaarrrggghhh!

that night, i heard a knock on my door and found zig outside, he said he was on his way out to buy a few things but wanted to lend me something i might be interested in - well well, he handed me a vcd copy of american history x and told me, "there's your mark! enjoy!" you bet, i immediately put on the player and watched the movie and boy was i hooked! i was hooked on the real ed norton - he was so great in the movie! when his face first appeared on the screen tho, i recognized him as that new actor in one of my other favorite movies, "primal fear", his name just didn't register cos i always associated that film with richard gere (i actually watched 'primal fear' just out of curiousity, if the director would give justice to the book with the same title)...in american history x, i still couldn't get the semblance yet as regards to mark until it's in the 2nd half of the movie when ed's character gets released from prison and he finally had the hair and the beard on (the movie's 1st half showed him as a skinhead)...

be still, my heart...mark or ed?

ed norton is like the younger versions of de niro, travolta or cage - they're one of those rare actors who are able to come off, and really really get away with playing protagonist/antagonist roles simultaneously in the most natural way...(no wonder de niro made sure that the producers got norton as the other lead before he agreed to do the 2001 film, 'the score' - legends truly know to whom they could turnover their crowns and scepters one day)...

anyways, thus began my interest to watch all norton films from then on, not excluding the so-so films he made like 'keeping the faith' (his first crack behind the lense), 'death to smoochy' etcetera...when i finished my contract with the resort, zig gave me his american history x vcd as his going-away present (zig, btw, is the first guy from the right in that photo of mark, you have to click it to see the whole picture)...

mark, on the other hand, remains the gorgeous guy that he is, probably still using that line "go ahead, say it..." - with a face as beautiful as that, how many other hearts stood still even just for an instant, i wonder?

* and here's a few trivia i found on the net regarding Norton's debut film "Primal Fear":

- 2,100 actors auditioned for the role of Aaron Stampler - Matt Damon was one of them.
- When trying out for the role of the altar boy, Edward Norton went into the audition in character, complete with stutters and all, and this won his role.
- Wil Wheaton and Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the part of Aaron Stempler.

who is john galt?

2006-08-03T02:41:00.001+08:00

during my college years, being young and idealistic, (not to mention being in a state university whose apparent objective is to mould its students to be the 'voice' of the present in order to effectively become the 'leaders' of the future) - i was one of those who believed that anything bordering on controversy compounded by an influence to our political and socio-philosophical views then was a definite best-seller and a sure-ball discussion group material within the campus...one such example is ayn rand's book, "atlas shrugged", initially banned due to its theme...

for years (before & after my time in the university), the book had been one of the, if not THE, most popularly-borrowed from the library...and you will know, if you get the opportunity to see it with your own eyes (which i really hope you do), why students prefer to read the 'atlas shrugged book from the library' rather than any other copy in the world whether bought or given as a gift...the library copy was actually pretty old, i still remember the hard bound cover was already too faded when it finally landed on my hands that i could barely read the engraved letters...it looked old and torn but perhaps it was because too many eyes and hands have already held it...just like genuine leather, the more you touch, hold or rub it, the shinier it gets and the older it feels...

the moment you open this book, you will discover why it has become the most sought after copy...inside its pages are notes scribbled by students who have borrowed and read it over the years, mostly unsigned...notes in different handwriting and written on the page margins, in black or blue or red pens, these raw expressions were from various generations of students stating views, opinions, agreements, oppositions, there are even debates about the many issues stated in the book...it was like being in an inter-active discussion group while reading this particular copy and really, one cannot help but react (and in writing just as well), to ayn rand and subsequently to the other readers before me...it was an amazing experience and never have i found such passion amongst readers towards a book, or any other material for that matter...i felt this was the best form of vandalism i've ever seen as such graffiti only made the book more reflective of our societies and the liberties we enjoy from them despite its being written decades ago...

'atlas shrugged' and 'the fountainhead' are two of the most compelling books i've read in my youth and definitely the kind i will not hesitate reading all over again...

a rightful passage

2006-07-09T00:28:00.000+08:00

ROOTS was the very first book dad gave me to lure me to shift from my nancy drew/hardy boys reading, to novels which he said i needed to learn to love as passionately as how i did with the former bunch...it was summer that time, just freshly graduated from grade school and the one thing i was pre-occupied with and so excited about then was getting through the 3 days-a-week practice with the high school volleyball varsity team for the entire 2-month summer break, never mind if i was the only one from my batch invited by the coach to train with the HS team...dad said i have plenty of extra time in-between each week to teach myself, veer away and say goodbye to nancy, joe & frank, and welcome the world of alex haley, mario puzo, robert ludlum, sydney sheldon etal...

i remember asking him why 'Roots', especially after seeing that it's triple the thickness of nancy's or the boys' - urgh! he then explained that in order to like novels, my first read should be interesting enough for me not to want to stop and get back to the mystery gang...

of course he was right - i got glued to each page and totally immersed...i was able to finally relate to 'kunta kinte' discussions between dad and my older sisters during dinners, eventually contributing my thoughts and opinions about some of the realities of life i was only beginning to understand...perhaps dad's main purpose why he chose 'Roots' for me to read was indeed to open my eyes and mind to a world where freedom should not just be a matter of choice nor privilege, but a human right...

four years later while i was packing my bags and getting ready for university life and looking at the things i needed and wanted to bring to the dorm, i took 'Roots' from the bookshelf and made sure it's one of the items going with me...

two months later i was joining student rallies and social integration programmes with the masses to fight oppression and uphold freedom of speech...

i surely got upRooted no doubt...

* about the background music: Bayan Ko (My Country)

This patriotic song has accompanied almost every struggle of the Filipino since the turn of the century to recapture the visions and ideals of the First Republic -- from the anti-American protest movement and millenarian revolts of the 1920's and 30's, to the resistance against the Japanese occupation in the 40's, the student revolt of the 70's and more recently, the 1986 "People's Power" revolt that toppled the Marcos dictatorship. Original Tagalog lyrics is by Jose Corazon de Jesus, melody by Constancio de Guzman.

father's day at Rm 504

2006-06-18T18:35:00.000+08:00

continuing with the family tradition despite & inspite of : 1) the absence of mom (who passed away in aug 2001); 2) the eldest sis being away working out of town; and 3) the celebrant having had a major operation just two days ago...still, and no doubt, celebrating father's day had always been fun and heart-warming...

we just brought two of his favorites : chocolate mousse and ice cream (altho' his had to be the 'lite' kind)... generally, this year's celebration was the simplest we ever did for dad but it surely had a lot of significant moments attached to it...

dad couldn't contain his excitement for 2 nights, he knew that yes, we'd most likely come up with something for him as father's days never fail to put him in the family limelight over the years, and more importantly, it was the day the surgeon was going to remove the last of those tubes in preparation for his "test walk"...

it was also the day his 'new toy' was delivered - a "walker on wheels" :-) i'm pretty sure this one is an old model but it did look a bit high-tech just the same, what with the hand-breaks, padded seat and the utility rack (i initially thought we were about to assemble a mountain bike when i saw the parts & accessories), it even came in a very trendy colour with an oven-baked finish - that, to me, certainly makes it sooo high-tech hehehe

my bro-in-law, now called by the family as "sultan" - (thanks to moi lol but seriously, i gave him that monicker cos my sis met him when they were both working overseas - in brunei nonetheless!) - assembled the parts while dad eagerly watched...the latter just can't take his eyes off his 'new toy' and was darn too excited to try it already, save for our glaring eyes cos he still had his tube on and the doc hasn't arrived yet...

he had to content himself playing with his 'live toy' instead, sweet & loveable jeff who definitely had a blast riding the 'walker on wheels' and playing with dad's 'trapeze'...

---------------------------------------------------------------
Comments:
Winwin wrote...
the family wishes to thank the following doctors who made dad's hip operation successful :

Dr. Florencito Ylescupides (Orthopedic & Spinal Surgeon)
Dr. J.A. Bautista (Internist & Cardiologist)
Dr. Elizabeth Magalit (Aneasthesiologist)
Dr. Robert Delfin (General Surgeon)
Dr. Annelle Alviar (ER Doctor)

...and the 3-shift nurses on duty who all made our 8-day stay at the SJMC seem like a vacation...

Special thanks as well to Ms. Mila Magsaysay-Valenzuela and Paco Magsaysay for facilitating dad's blood requirement during the operation...

Lastly, to our relatives & friends who visited, called, and/or offered prayers and strength the whole time -

May God Bless you all!!!

Friday, August 18, 2006 3:47:13 PM
---

Beth wrote...
"...I'm so glad to hear that Dad's doing fine. Don't worry, things will fall into place (as God planned). [re his toy] Hindi walker tawag dito nun, rollator. Tama ka, high tech yan compared to a regular walker. Ang advantage nito, mas designed sa height ng patiente at mas malaki ang assistance that the equipment can provide for quicker recovery...Please give my best to the whole family. Give Dad a big hug for me and tell him I'm sending my love."

ayun pala naman ang korek term, hi-tech nga ang dating pangalan pa lang hehehe - W

Monday, August 21, 2006 3:32:06 PM
---

Isay wrote...
I wish your Dad all the best, please give him my warm regards. Take care and God bless.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006 1:57:11 PM
---

Bini wrote...
buti na lang mabait ang patient ninyo Win. sa amin ang may katigasan ang ulo, kahapon nga namili ng gamot sa kanyang pill bed, buti na lang di na overdose ang makulit kong tatay

bata pa ang tatay mo kaya mas madali ang recovery at siempre super TLC from everybody

Sunday, August 27, 2006 10:27 AM
---

Issa wrote...
"...Hope your dad is doing better, and that you and your family are coping well. I'll include you in my prayers..."

Thursday, September 07, 2006 2:31 AM
---

Dulce wrote...
"...Hope you’re OK… And how’s your dad doing? I hope he’s feeling better and more mobile each day. I was really moved when I saw your dad’s pictures. I still remember him as the super-pogi and tall young father when we were back in high school. I’m sorry that he had to go through surgery and all the associated pain. I will include him in my prayers for a more speedy recovery. Tama ka, we are all aging and are at a stage when our parents need care. My Nanay just turned 70 this year. She’s fine and in relatively good health, pero madalas na rin siyang mag-complain of back and hip pain, plus she’s already diabetic… sigh…..."

Tuesday, September 12, 2006 5:56 AM
---

Kuya Jun wrote...
"Hello Winwin and everybody!

Thanks a lot for the pictures and the blog. That is really cool. We are so glad to see that Tata Gene is looking well after the surgery and on Father's day. We are so similar nga naman ngayong wala na tayong Ina (we miss her so much) but we also make it a point to be together on all occasions like Father's Day. Almost every sunday, we have our get together at home, with Pocholo's family and Evelyn's too para sa Tatang. He enjoys his apos, all six of them kahit mga teens na ang mga iba. I talked to Tata Pito and greeted him on his Birthday. He told us that he spent the day with all of his family and with you daw. Sabi ko nga sa kanya that it should be done often na because now is really the time to enjoy and be together with his brother. Because of the same injury that happened to our Tatang, please make Tata Gene walk until he can use a cane na lang so that he can be more mobile. Tatang never got rid of his wheel chair kaya parating gusto nakaupo although I used to make him walk with his walker sa aming terrace 10 times around. Nakatamaran na lang. Build his confidence that he must dispose his walker and just use a cane kung puede na. You have to understand that they are afraid they might fall down or slip again if they don't have the walker. Sometimes they use pain as an excuse to sit down often but when you ask them where it hurts so that you will have the doctor examine it, they would say that wala na ok na. Mahilig mag lambing ang Tatang.

Well regards na lang. Take care and keep in touch."

Monday, September 18, 2006 4:38 PM
---

inside edition, gala nite avp

2006-04-29T14:57:00.000+08:00

TestMessage

2006-01-28T22:38:00.000+08:00

i tested the cd on our dvd player, the laptop and my pc - in front of your staff (para may witness hehehe) - the file played on all 3...am not happy with the result, kaso lang ito ang napapala ng rush ;-(

13,672KB ang bigat ng file, nagha-hang ang pc ko everytime i attempt to send it, might be cos the pc has been on the whole day, super pagod na kaya dito mo muna tingnan...i'll switch this off for an hour or so, but will make sure i'll send you the movie file sa yahoo before midnight...it's still better that you burn a copy from your end as well...w

(dont worry...this post is hidden as usual)

other blogs & interesting sites

2005-09-14T18:02:00.001+08:00

alton brown he's a genius. i always have fun watching his show, "good eats" - it's like the CSI on kitchen phenomena, combining his wit with wisdom, history, pop culture, science and good ol' common cooking sense.

a sassy lawyer in philippine suburbia a truly entertaining and informative blog which deals with anything under the sun. absolutely a great read.

one toque over the line he's what you'd call the no-nonsense chef, one who takes no bull from anyone. his blog states, "I own an upscale, nationally acclaimed restaurant. It is expensive.If you can't afford to eat there, sorry. I have overheads you couldn't even imagine and make no apologies for my prices as I am giving you my life.. I smoke too much, I gave up most drugs, I despise litigious behavior and will carry the tradition of cuisine to my death. I'm fiercly opinionated and if you're sensitive, don't ask me what I think. Chances are I'm gonna say it sucks."

on to 30 years & counting my long lost friends from yesteryears mobilizing again after 25 years. the blog "...is home to the 227 members of St. Mary’s Academy high school Class ’81...this is where renewal of ties will not only be geared within our class boundaries - we shall aim to extend it towards a larger sphere of connection with people who have touched our lives in the past, or those inspiring us in our present, and hopefully with both, we will continue to be motivated in ensuring a future filled with long-standing friendships and memorable experiences..."

pinoy cook if there's a need for you to learn more about filipino cuisine then this is the best recommendation i can give you. it's maintained by the sassy lawyer who says, "this blog is about the meals I cook for my family, a filipino mom’s collection of recipes. My collection."

takori she's one hilarious individual when in the right mood, a former classmate in high school who turns out to be a great friend despite the huge gap of us not seeing each other in between. in her blog she says, "i am who i am and whoever i am supposed to be ...Tell me what you think. Maybe you might understand me ..... who knows what revelation may come upon you and you may know me better than I know myself."

wow philippines is a one-stop-shop when it comes to our beloved 'floating island'...this is where one may discover the beauty of the philippines and its people...

when a genius bids farewell

2005-09-09T04:24:00.000+08:00

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of the wonders of Latin America, his 100 years of Solitude undoubtedly a literary masterpiece which is, again, the kind i will not hesitate to read over and over again...too bad he has retired from public life due to health reasons - cancer of the lymph nodes...below is a farewell letter he wrote to his friends, which spread on the internet a couple of years back...

A GENIUS BIDS FAREWELL (SE DESPIDE UN GENIO):

"If for an instant God were to forget that I am a rag doll and gifted me with a piece of life, possibly I wouldn't say all that I think, but rather I would think of all that I say. I would value things, not for their worth but for what they mean. I would sleep little, dream more, understanding that for each minute we close our eyes we lose sixty seconds of light.

"I would walk when others hold back, I would wake when others sleep. I would listen when others talk, and how I would enjoy a good chocolate ice cream! If God were to give me a piece of life, I would dress simply, throw myself face first into the sun, baring not only my body but also my soul. My God, if I had a heart, I would write my hate on ice, and wait for the sun to show...Over the stars I would paint with a Van Gogh, dream a Benedetti poem, and a Serrat song would be the serenade I'd offer to the moon. With my tears I would water roses, to feel the pain of their thorns, and the red kiss of their petals...

"My God, if I had a piece of life... I wouldn't let a single day pass without telling the people I love that I love them. I would convince each woman and each man that they are my favorites, and I would live in love with love. I would show men how very wrong they are to think that they cease to be in love when they grow old, not knowing that they grow old when they cease to be in love! To a child I shall give wings, but I shall let him learn to fly on his own. I would teach the old that death does not come with old age, but with forgetting. So much have I learned from you, oh men...

"I have learned that everyone wants to live on the peak of the mountain, without knowing that real happiness is in how it is scaled. I have learned that when a newborn child squeezes for the first time with his tiny fist his father's finger, he has him trapped forever. I have learned that a man has the right to look down on another only when he has to help the other get to his feet. From you I have learned so many things, but in truth they won't be of much use, for when I keep them within this suitcase, unhappily shall I be dying."

jukebox

2005-09-06T18:11:00.000+08:00

nature's twins, they sure are

2005-04-28T14:02:00.000+08:00

Jaq Lozada, a friend since high school who is currently managing the Broadmoor Hotel in San Francisco recently went to Pebble Beach, California for a work-related group outing...seeing the pictures she took of the place (photo below)...

...truly reminded me of one of the best work environments that i've ever had the opportunity to be in and this is at Puerto Azul Beach Resort and Golf & Country Club in Ternate, Cavite...

you see, Puerto Azul is situated in a 3,300 hectare nature reserve only 90 minutes away from Manila by car, with a unique 27-hole Gary Player designed championship golf course amidst a breathtaking view of mountain greenery and clear blue waters fronting the southern entrance of Manila Bay...i particularly enjoyed learning how to play golf (as seen in the photo above) at the Pebble Beach-inspired course as it has a great view of several coves and nearby islands from numerous vantage points... the course, known to avid golfers as very very challenging, had been home to many prestigious tourneys such as the Johnie Walker Classic and the Presidential Cup to name a few...

incidentally, today, April 18, marks the usual tournament date of the Dr. Rebecco E. Panlilio Memorial Cup which brings a rather significant trip down memory lane for me...i've co-organized several of the late Dr REP's invitational cups (he's the well-loved chairman and president of Puerto Azul who became an icon in the Philippine tourism industry for establishing the first Filipino-owned hotels & resorts chain - the Grand Hotels & Resorts Group)...looking back at my stint with the group made me realize how lucky i was because no matter how tedious special event preparations were, they all provided me with a constant room for enjoyment i always completely forgot it was indeed part of the job...

photo above shows REP, myself and invited guests on board the company-owned 336-seater state-of-the-art twin-catamarran on the way from Manila to Puerto Azul...i specifically preferred it by sea as it only took 45 minutes to get there - definitely the most comfortable way methinks :-)

last photo was during the rounds i did with mural artists showing them suitable spots around the complex where kiddie art workshops were best held...

nothing beats boracay

2005-04-19T02:44:00.000+08:00

being in a family who just loves picnics and outings, i've been lucky to see and experience so many beaches in luzon, visayas and mindanao, but nothing, there is absolutely nothing comparable to boracay...not even the over rated beaches in thailand and malaysia could be as close to its awesome beauty...the quality of sand is rare - it's not just powdery and white, but most amazing is that it doesn't scorch one's bare feet even during the peak of the noonday sun...other beaches may have their unique settings and views but when it comes to boracay sand, i could say it is one of a kind...

sunset is breathtaking...

and the water is simply to-die-for...

spending a week in boracay with siblings, cousins and friends just wasn't enough !

this particular boracay trip was made in feb 1997, just before Fairways and Bluewater Golf & Country Club started its project...two days ago (17 april 2005), the Shangrila Group of Hotels held their groundbreaking ceremony for their multi-billion resort in the island...i dunno if i should be happy for tourism, or cry once again, for a not-so-impossible disturbance of idyllic peace in such a paradise as our boracay...

villa escudero, quezon

2005-04-18T22:48:00.000+08:00

this was the family's first trip to Villa Escudero, special because my sisters and i were not keen on going then, that dad & mom continually tried selling the place to us on the way. we thought it was just a so-so resort owned by some wealthy haciendero who just decided his estate was worth showing-off (and make money out of unsuspecting tourists). we were so wrong! there was never a dull moment during our overnite stay, in fact we were begging dad to agree to a 2nd nite as we haven't finished discovering the entire place yet. it was so huge, so self-sustaining (sooo wise of the owner to build a man-made lake & dam) to generate power and serve even the neighboring communities)...inside the premises, the escudero's preserved & refurbished the old chapel which also served as a museum of real old & antique collections...guests were treated to sumptuous buffets served & taken at nipa huts along the foot of the dam - definitely awesome! this has become one place we always take visiting relatives or friends in the years that followed...

punta baluarte, batangas

2005-04-17T00:31:00.000+08:00

Punta Baluarte is one of the first resorts built in batangas...we decided to try it out for an overnite stay because we were lured by its sales pitch claiming it has a 2nd pool completely boasting of using plain, natural seawater...hmmm, for a change, a tempestuous plunge and sunbathing without sand...they actually came up with this idea because no matter what time it is, the sea level just wasn't high enough for swimmers to enjoy the real beach...you have to walk a few kilometers before you'd get to the point when the water level reaches your tummy uggh! it was like losing the appetite for swimming by the time you reach a considerable level and worse is having to walk back again to the seashore feeling so disappointed, and obviously more tired...as a result, you just enjoy the sea view while swimming at the 2nd pool...well the 'beach pool' as we called it sure was an experience but then again, what's a beach without getting sand on your feet and bums...

'loy krathong' festival

2005-04-16T17:56:00.000+08:00

that's the annual and most colourful festival held in the whole of thailand...it happens on the first full moon of november each year, when the locals make banana leaf bowls (krathongs) decorated with flowers and candles which they later allow to float (loy) to the sea or river...foreigners dubbed it as the 'festival of lights' because on the night itself, the entire country's bodies of water are filled with candle-lit krathongs floating from all over, truly a sight to see...

according to folklore, the krathong is supposed to carry all the misfortunes, bad tidings or any negative aspect which one experienced the entire year and it is during loy krathong when one gets the chance to drive them all away...for lovers, it is said that they will have a long lasting relationship when both their krathongs float together til the candle stops burning...most krathongs also have one or more coins tucked inside the flower or leaf decoration, apparently to honour their sea goddess so that she will make the following year a prosperous one...

below are a few photos of my first 'loy krathong' experience, as celebrated in the resort i worked with...being the emcee for the entire proceeding, which showed various collections of big and small krathongs amidst a colourful cultural dance and rituals about the festival, i wore a traditional thai costume, which, surprisingly, is very similar to one of ours...

one of the highlights of the evening was a gigantic ice carving featuring the different temples or pagodas found in thailand...it was set just beside the main pool, providing a spectre of light on the water with its reflection...

well i had to cheat a little bit and push my krathong cos it won't float away :-)

of course, seeing what i did, a guest cheated too and started pushing his krathong as well hehehe

pigging out with officemates after the show...the one with the mustache is my favorite drinking buddy, Walter Thenisch, our executive chef, who brought his son specifically to teach me how to float the krathong correctly...

going places

2005-04-16T13:11:00.000+08:00

some of the places i'm lucky to still have photos with...

here's with sis & bro-in-law when they visited me right before christmas in pattaya, thailand...i brought them to hopf brew house where one finds the best wheat beer in town...then we went joy-riding via the traditional 'tuk-tuk'...

this one's in singapore, when i attended the asean tourism forum...the only place i've ever visited where you get receipts on ticker tape for every taxi ride...

a popular shrine somewhere in the eastcoast of thailand where you'd get to sit down with monks and hear some words of wisdom which is supposedly going to guide you in making the best out of your existence (unfortunately, they only speak in thai and all i did was simply nod)...

photo below is in another part of the eastcoast where locals/buddhists worship a mountain which houses the image of an icon...one story i heard was that the tribes in the area refused to have that mountain demolished (supposedly to pave way to infrastractural projects) so they asked a wealthy devotee to have the icon lasered like a permanent tatoo - lasered in gold no less!...in thai practice, it is absolutely a no-no for anyone to desecrate an icon, thus the mountain remained preserved and nothing, not even for the benefit of progress, can touch it thereafter...

below is the first catholic church i've visited in bangkok, where priests saying the masses are all foreigners...

this one's somewhere in the outskirts of bangkok...a shrine housing the pure-gold lying buddha, apparently the biggest in the country...i was told that if you whisper a request or favor, it will be granted...also in photo is a family friend visiting from davao...

these photos were taken onboard the mabuhay sunshine cruiseship, when the entire family sans moi, took a 5-day cruise to cebu, boracay, negros and palawan...an aunt and cousin joined them...the formidable group, as expected, had the priviledge of being invited to the captain's table during the gala nite...shown with the family in the second photo are the very hospitable captain and his crew managers...partly hidden at the back is eldest sis who organized this trip...

here's when i joined my sis and a couple of friends for a 2-day roadtrip from manila to batangas, stopping in every possible historical or cultural destination along the way...we actually did this for the benefit of our visiting friend from california...

another favorite getaway is puerto azul, a beach resort with its own golf & country club which we've always gone to over the years...it's a natural haven where one can feast of numerous beach coves, a 27-hole golf course and a huge forest reserve with various living species...i never even thought i would one day get to work there too...

from 'mabuhay' to 'sawadee kha'

2005-04-15T04:10:00.001+08:00

my first trip to Thailand was in March 1999 during the 4th Philippine Travel & Tourism Golf Classic (Asia-Pacific Series), when its organizers invited me to join the 60-member contingent of golfing executives from the Philippine travel and tourism industry...as part of my duties and responsibilities at Puerto Azul, i get to be sent on official missions to either represent the property, network with industry peers to hopefully get future business, or in most cases, to observe the competition, be it local or international...it was also a de-stressing trip away from my work environment (even for a couple of days) as the invitation came immediately after the rigorous and much more demanding arrangements for the Jimmy Carter Habitat for Humanity Project (6-month meetings with the US Secret Service people and Malacanang's Presidential Security Group notwithstanding, could you imagine how hellish it was DURING the actual 2-week event, particularly the day when 3 philippine presidents - estrada, ramos & aquino - all came and joined mr. carter in the housebuild activities...well this habitat experience require a separate entry as i don't want to digress again...)

the golf classic had 2 legs : 1st leg was held in 2 different golf courses in Pattaya; the 2nd leg in Bangkok, again at 2 different courses...it may have been some twist of fate that i was allowed to join the group even when the invitation came in at the very last minute, because for the 1st leg, we were billeted at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort - a resort complex with 4 hotels and a huge convention center...i've had the most fun during those first 3 days, and we had the opportunity to meet the GM when the resort gave us a welcoming cocktail party... i was also able to see the semblance between Pattaya and the coastal strip of Cavite...

arrival at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort in Pattaya, above

we spent the next 7 days in Bangkok for the 2nd leg, did lots of shopping, sightseeing, and officially met with Thailand-based media people in between the golf activities, for PR purposes...

dinner with travel magazine editors at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, Bangkok

that was March, a good 10-day respite before i plunged back to Puerto Azul and worked on finalizing even the most trivial details with golfing actor Richard Gomez and his group for the 7th Smart Gold-Goma Cup...a couple of weeks after that, we were doing the 4th Puerto Azul International Sports and Music Festival, and then a few more similarly strenuous events that practically drained me to the max...

before the ceremonial tee-off (left); behind the scenes and on a break with friends (right)

it was harrassing all the way through but i was nevertheless in good spirits the whole time...by November of the same year, i joined and started my first day of work at the 1,100-room Royal Cliff Beach Resort back in Thailand (that, my dear reader, was my twisted fate)...

Oh, Popeye! My Popeye!

2005-04-09T10:31:00.000+08:00

last thursday, i met with some high school batchmates at the national sports grille in makati...actually it was a meeting amongst the overall organizing committee regarding preparations for our silver jubilee celebration next year...i wanna make this post to feature one unusual highlight from said meeting...our honorary member - - -

isn't he cute? we were in the midst of discussing pertinent issues when one of the girls started pulling out things from her 'magic bag'...we let her tinker with her materials while the meeting was ongoing until we can't help but stop and just watch her as form and shape began to surface...'twas amazing - all in 15 minutes or so, she made Popeye from scratch! and she presented it to me as belated birthday gift, supposedly what she wanted to do 2 months ago but i was out of town...her business is basically hosting kiddie parties, facilitate their games or do balloon sculpture shows as "The Balloon Lady" - surely, Popeye could be one proof that she's serious with her craft...

when i brought Popeye home, we had fun getting him around the house the next day...

my 3-year old nephew is away with his mom for a few days but i'm pretty sure he'd be so glad to meet Popeye...

a doll-less house

2005-02-19T03:37:00.000+08:00

Reading one of SassyLawyer’s posts truly gave me something to ponder, and deeply at that. It's about her friend’s only daughter celebrating the peak of her 7th year with a gift from mom: "a four-foot dollhouse custom built to house the Bratz dolls" (full article with photos at http://houseonahill.net)

Replies from fellow readers were mostly those of awe and jealousy, as each one recalled their childhood days with their own favorite doll or, for some, their doll collection. This gave me much reason to look back to my childhood with a sudden realization that I actually grew up in a doll-less house! It just occurred to me, have my sisters and I been stripped off of a traditional way of growing up because dolls were not part of our lives? Which came first, our parents who did not believe in the concept of dolls as toys, or the 3 of us girls manifesting our disregard for dolls and asked for other toys instead?

As far back as I remember, what I considered "toys" were mostly things that involved storybooks, coloring books, crayons, art projects, the traditional jackstone, the alternative chinese jackstone in various colours and textured materials, pick-up-the-sticks, snakes & ladders, and any other toy save for dolls. (I learned to read & write at the age of 3 and was practically reading or reciting any word I saw from anywhere. I came to the point that it has become a daily ritual between dad and I to read to him the day’s headline story out of the morning paper during breakfast.)

While other kids opted to play with their dolls, I sat with the adults and insisted that they teach me to play chess, the guitar, or let them ask me to either spell a word or do numbers. All these as a pre-schooler indeed! I insisted on going to school with my 2 older siblings but due to my very young age, the school simply refused to accept me. I was, however, and after seeing me dressed up in uniform every time my 2 sisters were brought to school, finally allowed to sit-in and participate in the kindergarten class. By some twist of fate, I became a candidate for valedictorian but had to be pulled out, as I weren’t, after all, age-qualified or to put it bluntly, enrolled (sigh).

And so it went, I was into academics and extra-curricular activities from that day forward. I was almost into every programme in school, and when I got home, I still jived with the adults, aunts and uncles who were 20-25 years my senior, learning the latest dance steps or listening to the popular music at that time. Even at age 7, I’d rather listen to Barry White or Marvin Gaye than play tag or hide & seek. I read books and answered puzzles than play, period. My concept of ‘play’ was actively attending and going through all the Girl Scout activities on weekends, or discussing anything under the sun with the grownups, instead of staying home to worry about what new dress Barbie should have.

So if I had a favorite doll when I was growing up, I honestly just don’t remember! After pondering on Sassy’s post, I asked myself : without that stage of enjoying dolls as a kid, do I feel incomplete as an adult? How come my answer is no – did I really miss something?

In support of TheSassyLawyer’s call…

2005-02-06T06:01:00.000+08:00

plagiarism sucks, ergo, I’m posting this alarming email I received from sassy (well, I actually wanted to post a link but couldn’t get it right TSK) so here goes her entire message…

Subject: Support the fight against plagiarism on the net

I came across kuro.ph via Google. I was shocked to find that many of my blog entries had been plagiarized and posted there. The "bopis" recipe in http://tinyurl.com/fv29q was copied, word for word, from my food blog http://tinyurl.com/hwhvz The Board Master who calls himself "Fireman" is a plagiarist. Princeedward is also a plagiarist. The pork satay and pinaupong manok recipes, including the photos, were also copied from http://cooking.houseonahill.net. I
am demanding for the removal of Fireman and Princeedward from the Kuro.ph forums and all their postings deleted. I have posted the above in the kuro.ph forums. But it will help if I can have your support. Whatever form of support will be appreciated, whether blog entries or otherwise. If you know of any other blog entries that have been plagiarized, please post an entry about it in your blog or in PinoyBlog. Let us mobilize our community in the fight against plagiarism on the internet.

Thank you.

I hope the site owners of kuro.com would ban those two from their forums…bad bad practice methinks, to simply let them get away with it just because they’re moderators in the said site…removing the entries in question wouldn’t be enough…dapat sa mga yan sa precinto na lang magpaliwanag! - w

the DAD

2005-01-17T06:04:00.000+08:00

wow, a few more days and he's turning 75...

the road to his diamond year had so many exciting turns...not because i'm his daughter that i'm saying this but i know for sure that dad is one hell-of-a-guy, even on his own merits...i've witnessed how people around him always gave out their best to earn his approval and subsequently his respect...if there was anyone i am in awe with, past and present, the very first on my list would be dad...he has this major effect on people, a powerful but very subtle positive strength that would draw them to him, toddlers included...as far back as i can remember, he was like 'the don' from whom people wanted advise, counseling, words of wisdom or whatever one wants to call it - he was practically 'the source'...

he is the quiet type...when we were growing up, he taught us how to listen well...he once said a person will not learn anything unless he listens well...he has this amazing self-control that i rarely see amongst the top brass - he is definitely a class of his own...

he had his heydey in sports (he was good in basketball, volleyball, swimming, pelota, tennis, bowling, badminton - heck i think he played almost everything and became quite an influence in trying to convince us, his 'tres marias' to choose a sport we would be comfortable with along the way - i still wonder if it were different had there been a son)...i chose volleyball when i was in the 6th grade, when the highschool varsity coach - whom we called "Papa Brown" (picture: James Earl Jones in his early forties, honest! the coach really looked like him) - started scouting for recruits and being tall & thin, i was invited to try out...it was dad who was more excited about that invitation, even moreso when i made it to the varsity team during the summer training prior to entering 1st year HS, and subsequently became capt ball later...you bet he was there in almost all my games for the entire 4 years! it was a relief for me when he was assigned by his company to another city when i again made it to the varsity team in college, making it impossible for him to continue watching - it was a bit awkward for a 16 yr old to have a parent on the sidelines, and drive away prospective suitors right? :-) nevertheless, he became 'daddy groovy' to his peers...'daddy gene' to our friends...and somewhere along his mid-forties he became 'james coburn' to his business associates due to his signature salt & pepper hair...

he was, and still is, very particular with the food he eats...i remember him getting satisfied with his food ONLY if it was mom who cooked it, or my grandmother, or if it was from a well-established restaurant or hotel...i remember him always dragging the entire family to lunches or dinners at gourmet restaurants, and there would be a non-stop food review between him and mom on the way home...on the other hand, mom, being a natural in the kitchen and knowing his exact preference and taste, would be challenged to experiment back home and subsequently outdo the gourmet dishes we've tasted, which then became reasons for lots of hosted lunches or dinners at home...our home, which has become a refuge for anyone who loves good food - relatives from both sides, his officemates, our friends - the house never ran out of guests except for very rare times...when MOM passed away in 2001, it was a major concern from everyone who knows the family - who will cook his food - that was the common question thrown at us in whispers during her wake...it was indeed a difficult challenge the 3 of us daughters had to face...

on jan 24, he's turning 75...we will only be doing a simple dinner inviting his only brother with his family, and also to celebrate mom's 65th birthday on feb 7...i bet that double celebration on the 24th and 25th will surely give him a blast...an exciting get-together fit for two endearing individuals so close to our hearts...

The Engineer

2004-08-27T23:03:00.000+08:00

The Engineer

2003-08-27T23:18:00.000+08:00

* video is best viewed with a broadband connection
** all photos used in this video are saved here

'the engineer' photo archive

2003-08-26T00:21:00.000+08:00

Songs I Grew Up With