The October Effect Friday, Oct 16 2009

The October Effect- A theory in the financial market that stocks tend to fall or crash in value during the month of October.   This belief emanated from the Panic of 1907, the Crash of 1929, the Crash of 1987 and the 2008 credit crisis which all happened/started in October.

Although my interest in the stock market started when the Crash of 1987 (I was only 12 at that time) was all over the news, the term October Effect is just another business phrase with no application in literature or in my personal instrospection.      I only took notice and reflected on the significance of the month of October on myself when in 1994, I read an article about Tony Perez’s upcoming play, “Oktubre, Noong Tayo’y Nagmamahalan Pa”.    This is the first play in the multi-awarded playwright’s thought provoking trilogy about love, friendship and companionship and its consequence into our lives.  It’s sequel is titled “Nobyembre,  Noong Akala Ko’y Mahal Kita” and its third and final installment, “Saan Ba Tayo Ihahatid ng Disyembre”.     On that 10th month of 1994, when I read about Tony Perez’ play, I was then recuperating from a break up of a serious relationship.    And I was seeking solace through poetry and literature, which lead me to that article. (This was also the time when Lord Byron’s poem When We Two Parted became my favorite and up until this day, I can recite this literary piece from memory)

On that October of 1994, I ruminated on the Octobers of previous years and indeed, the current month was the month where great personal challenges or tribulations occured.  And fifteen years later, just this morning while driving on my way to work , I once again contemplated on the October Effect and the Octobers of recent years.

In October of last year, I learned very invaluable lessons about human behavior and office politics that Robert Greene forgot to write about in his classic “The 48 Laws of Power” (it was for this reason that I didn’t have any article written in October 2008).   But thanks, in part, to the said book,  I was able to maneuver my way and turned the tide against those who conspired against me, and ended up the victor.

October of 2007 was another difficult month,  at that time, the pangs of guilt are slowly killing me because I wasn’t really there for my Mother during her last days (She died of leukemia in August of 2007).   And I kept on wishing that I be given at least one more day with her, even if that will be limited in the realms of my dreams.   It may sound amusing that a martial artist who’s not afraid of stepping onto the ring has an extremely soft side.  But one night in October of 2007, while reading Mitch Albom’s For One More Day (a very beautiful story about a mother’s love for her son)  HBO aired on cable TV Anna Chlumsky’s movie “My Girl”.    In the said movie, Macaulay Culkin’s character died and at the unforgettable scene where Anna Chlumsky saw for the first time the lifeless body of her best friend, tears are swelling in my eyes and partly because of that emotional scene and partly because of the effects of alcohol, I dialed my mother’s mobile phone number countless times, hoping that somehow I will hear her voice.    In the end, I sent a text message to her number saying sorry for everything and that I missed her so bad and I hope she knows that I love her.

Perhaps the October of this year is no different.    It will be the end of an era as the global economic crisis and its inevitable effects has finally put my American company to its knees.  Though I have plans of pursuing a path outside my present company within the first half of next year, the developments that happened this month, though expected, still brings concerns.  But I have made my plans, well in advance though it will be a big leap of faith.   I hope Paolo Coelho is correct about the whole world conspiring to help you attain your personal legend, because the big leap that I’ll be making is a step closer to what I think is my personal legend.

The musings I made this morning in the Octobers of my life,  lead me to ponder on the song “Borrowed Heaven” by my favorite band of all time, The Corrs.    Almost everything or everybody we hold dear in our life is just borrowed heaven and sooner or later, these must fade or we must bade our farewell.   I just hope that I will not lose another “Borrowed Heaven” in this month of October.

The video below is the heartwrenching scene in the movie “My Girl” that I mentioned above

4 Responses »

 

Susan Boyle Dreamed a Dream Tuesday, May 5 2009

People are like stained glass window.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only when there is light from within- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

What made me who I am now is the sum of all the humiliations suffered during childhood- Nicolas Sarkozy- President of France

More than a decade ago, the university chorale group of PUP, The Bagong Himig (of which Beck is a former member) made a good practical joke during one of their performance.  One of their talented member, Mr. Red Nuestro, would sing from the back stage.   Anybody who would hear Red sing will think that he’s a member of the famous male group Il Divo.   So, he rendered a soulful ballad and everybody in the audience, specially the ladies, were captivated by a voice so splendid.  Halfway through the song,  Red walked in front of the stage and the audience who were just a few seconds ago, were enthralled by his voice, are now laughing heartily.   The romantic voice belongs to a man who could represent the Philippines in a sumo wrestling tournament.

Last month, curiosity made me search Youtube for the video of Susan Boyle.   I’ve seen her pictures in magazines, newspapers and have watched clips of interviews done by international news channels.  I want to know what’s so special about this ordinary looking lady from Scotland.    When I watched the video for the first time,  tears swelled in my eyes as the video progressed.   Now I understood why the world fell in love with her.

Susan Boyle is a 47-year old presently unemployed church volunteer who is living with her cat and admitted that she’s never been married…and never been kissed.   She took care and looked after her old mother who died in 2007.  In an interview,  she said that she joined the audition for the show Britain’s Got Talent as a way of paying tribute to her mother who encouraged her to join the said show.

When she first walked on the stage of the show and said that she wants to be a professional singer and dreams of becoming as popular as Elaine Paige, everybody in the audience, including the judges were cynical.  Susan Boyle was sneered,  jeered and mocked by everybody.    People misjudged her because of her unrefined appearance.

Then Susan started to sing.   She possesses a voice so beautiful that you would think that it was a voice of a seraphim.   The audiences and the 3 judges where overwhelmed with surprise.  It seems that its so against God’s plan for a fat lady to be gifted by such a wonderful voice.  The same audience who seconds earlier were showing their contempt are on their feet applauding until Susan finished her song.

The Susan Boyle Phenomenon has swept the web and videos of her audition  was viewed almost 100,000,000 times and counting.  Before she performed for the show, she mentioned that she always wanted to sing before a large audience.  Now, almost the entire globe have become her stage and her crowd.  The  lady who, a decade and a half ago, was humiliated and degraded in another talent show on TV (My Kind of People), is the same lady who ten years ago spent all of her savings to produce a demo tape and sent it to record companies, TV and radio talent competitions only to be rejected, is the same lady who has now earned the hearts of millions of people around the world who are eagerly anticipating for a release of her own CD (myself included)

Amanda Holden, one of the judges of Britain’s Got Talent, said that Susan’s performance is a big wake up call for those people who judge people on based on their outside appearance.  And countless articles have been written about not judging a book by its cover because of this performance.   But Susan Boyle’s story is also a big wake-up call for those people who are  afraid to pursue their dreams because of their socio-economic status, their educational attainment or their outside appearance.    These are not acceptable excuses for failure.  People like these should realize that it is them who have killed their dream, not the situation they are in.

It is so apt that Susan Boyle decided to sing I Dream a Dream from Les Miserables.    Perhaps she identify with this song.   A line in this aria goes, “But there are dreams that cannot be”.  But I think the only dreams that cannot be are the dreams that are not pursued.   The last line of this song is “Now life has killed the dream I dream.”  Don’t let life kill the dream you dream.

(I have no idea why I can’t play the Youtube videos I posted in my blog. Just double click the image and a new tab for Youtube will open)

5 Responses »

 

Chance for Growth Thursday, Mar 19 2009

I will not live an unlived life.

I will not live in Fear

of Falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days

to allow my living to open me,

to make me less afraid,

more accessible,

to loosen my heart

until it becomes a wing,

a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance;

to live so that which came to me as a seed

goes to the next as a blossom

and that which came to me as blossom,

goes on as a fruit-  Dawna Markova

This is a true story and I warn you, its a long one.   Cecilia and Pong are bright siblings who were born to a poor family in a slum area of Mandaluyong.  Their mother is a humble seamstress who has to work for more than 10 hours every day in a garment shop to make ends meet.  Pong’s Dad (Cecilia’s step father) is a tailor who has forgotten his responsibilities as a father and would provide money only for his own food and his share of electricity.

When Cecilia celebrated her 18th birthday, it was done under the lights of gas lamps and candles as they don’t have electricity at that time.  During college, very often, she don’t have enough money for lunch that she would content herself with bread filled with jams or fried bananas, while her classmates would help themselves with viands and rice. To help their mother augment their income, Cecilia and Pong would make paper bags from the pages of old telephone directories and sell them in a public market.  To be able to pay for the tuition fee of Cecilia in her 3rd year of college, their mother has to withdraw the money Pong has saved for more than two years in his kiddie bank account.

Everyday Pong has to walk more than 2 kilometers to go to the public elementary school that he’s attending.  Since they don’t have a refrigerator, he also has to walk another 3 kilometers to the public market every day to buy their food.  To fetch water, for their daily needs,  Pong has to wake up before dawn so that there’s no long queue line in the water pump.  Only after going to the market and finishing all their household chores that Pong and Cecilia could study.  Despite this, Cecilia graduated as Salutatorian in high school (narrowly missing the top spot because she and the valedictorian has the same grade.  The tie-breaker is the number of extracurricular activities that they have joined.  Since Cecilia has to stay home and work, she has to forego all of these) and she graduated as Cum Laude in college.

For Pong’s 9th birthday (there’s a 9-year gap between the two siblings), Cecilia gave her younger brother a book that had a profound impact on him.  It was a biography of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.  The rise of one of America’s greatest president from a lowly log cabin to the White House brought hope to the heart of Pong, who vowed one day, he will be more than what he is at that ime.  One of Pong’s favorite drawings in the said book is that of the young Abe Lincoln reading from the light of a fireplace.  He identified with this drawing because he too, must study under the dim illumination of a gas lamp.

One time, the house of the owner of the garment shop where Cecilia and Pong’s mother is working was gutted by fire.  Among the items rescued is a set of encyclopedia dated 1968 (the year was 1986) which was given to Cecilia and Pong mother.  This is the very first set of encyclopedia that Pong ever had. Though it was outdated for almost 20 years, he still devoured the books and have read them from cover to cover.

Things started to get better when Cecilia graduated from College and eventually became a CPA and worked for a large distributor of foreign magazines and books. Their family now was able to experience a little luxury and comfort.  Because of this, she was able to nurture his brother’s love of reading.  She would bring home issues of Time Magazine, Fortune Magazine, Asiaweek and the books that were published by Time-Life.  At an early age of 12, Pong became very interested in the world of international politics, international business and the stock market because of these magazines.

When Cecilia got a lucrative job abroad as an accountant, the fortunes of her family really turned for the better.  Because of the support of his sister, Pong was able to pursue several extra-curricular activities that he became an Editor of their college’s newspaper, a varsity player in two sports (air rifle shooting and tae kwon do) and President of the Student Council of his college as well as officerships in several student organizations.  He was chosen to represent the Philippines in an international conference of student leaders.  And he was awarded a medal and a congratulatory letter by President Fidel Ramos.

From elementary school, to high school and until college, Pong maintained his love for reading.  Because of this, he went on to win quiz bees and other similar academic competitions.  Until he became a grand champion in a quiz show where he won the grand prize of half a million pesos and also won the international edition of the same show and brought home the US$10,000.00 cash prize.  This same love for reading has enabled him to win a few more hundred thousands of pesos in cash prizes when the quiz show craze hit the Philippines between 2000-2003.

Meanwhile Cecilia built her career and ended up being a financial controller of a foreign multinational.  She also took several postgraduate studies in an Australian University.

Now the two siblings enjoy their respective careers and are living a lifestyle that is a far cry from the shanty town they grew up in.  Pong is presently employed as the Philippine head of a US multinational and is running a few family businesses with his wife, while Cecilia is currently starting a new life in Canada with her own family.  Both of them were given a chance to grow through a good education and with the toils and sacrifices of their mother.

Success stories like these are what Dr. Sven Volkmuth of Germany and his wife Jacynthe Omglin of France are trying to replicate through the NGO that they organized, named, Chance for Growth.  In the words of their website: http://chance4growth.com/ (please pardon me, their website is written in Dr. Sven’s native language and I have a very rusty, almost non-existent German) “Chance for Growth aims for the development of poeple in the underprivileged regions of the Earth”.  The organization’s goal is to give the poor and unfortunate a “chance” to grow and progress and develop their potential.  The main point of their activities is to support health and education, the two essential prerequisites for economic independence.  Dr. Sven once told me that being born to a privileged family and raised in a prosperous country where countless economic opportunities exist, he felt that he has the responsibility of doing something for the youth who were born in third world countries.  He believes that these disadvantaged youth should be given an opportunity to rise up from their current situation.

Chance for Growth has already done several projects here in the Philippines through several medical and educational missions in remote as well as the depressed areas in the country. At present, they are on the planning stage of establishing an office in Manila to be able to reach out to more underprivileged youth.  Aside from these, they have lined up several projects this year and we hope that we will be able to gather enough support to carry out all of these.

By the way, Cecilia, the lady whose story was written above, is my sister and Pong is my nickname.  And yes, that is our story.  That poem by Dawna Markova is one of my guiding philosophies since the first time I read it way back in 1995.  I just want people to know that all of us have the power to dream and do things to make it come true, despite of where you are now and regardless of all setbacks that you may encounter. And when you have finally achieved your dreams, I hope you would have the courage to risk your significance so that which came to you as a seed, you could pass on as a blossom. And that which came to you as a blossom, you could pass it on as a fruit.  Give someone a chance to grow.

Dr. Sven Volkmuth and Jacynthe Omglin during their last visit to the Philippines.  Between them is Jacynthe’s father Ajarn Pudpadnoy Omglin, the muay thai living legend.

14 Responses »

 

Moon River-The Most Romantic Song of All Time Thursday, Feb 12 2009

It all  started one Saturday evening in the summer of 1990.   I just came home coming from my church choir practice when I heard on radio, a flute and harp duet  playing a very haunting tune.  That melody lingered and endlessly played inside my mind that the following day after church, I went to National Bookstore in EDSA to buy a piano piece of the song,  Moon River because I want to learn how to play this song.  (A little trivia about me:  Moon River is the only song that I can play on the piano).

The lyrics of the beguiling song, Moon River is such a big conundrum for me that I spent the next 4 years, since that unforgettable summer when I first heard it, trying to understand its metaphor and poetry.    With the help of a friend (who’s a gifted painter) I thought that I finally unraveled the meaning of its lyrics only to find out years later, that the song is inspired by the composer’s youthful days while growing up in Southern US, and that most of the words were just included in the lyrics to force a rhyme.

In the next 18 years I would hear Moon River again and again be rendered by countless singers and be featured in innumerable movies and TV shows alike.   We heard it sung by Anwar Robinson in the 2005 season of American Idol and Jason Yeager in the 2008 season of the same show.  The Three Tenors have included this song in their repertoire.   Almost all artists have made their own cover.  It maybe safe to assume that after the song “Yesterday”, Moon River is the song with the second most number of renditions made.

In countless Hollywood movies and TV shows, this song served as background music, very often, in the most romantic moments (Aside from the classic movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s where Moon River is the theme song).   In the finale of Sex and the City-Season 4, Mr. Big played the song Moon River as he bids his farewell to Carrie.    In the show Gilmore Girls,  Rory and Logan dance to this tune during the renewal of the wedding vows of Emily and Richard.  In dance movies, Take the Lead (Antonio Banderas) and Shall we Dance (Jennifer Lopez, Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon), the main characters danced to the tune of this song.   In the movie, Kate and Leopold (Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman), the two main characters listened to this song while on the roof top of their New York apartment.   How did this song become one of the most romantic songs ever written is a big conundrum.  Its lyrics never mentioned anything about love nor romance.    And if you will look superficially at its lyrics, it is almost nonsense.

That same Sunday, when I bought a piano piece of Moon River, the choir that I belong to, was assigned to sing at the Our Lady of EDSA Shrine.  After the church service, we went to the nearby Robinson’s Galleria mall (which is newly opened at that time) for our dinner.   We were strolling at the then spunky, new mall and we saw a musician playing on the piano.   I requested her to play Moon River.   This started my personal “tradition” that spanned almost 2 decades and counting, of requesting a musician to play Moon River.   Be it in a mall, restaurant or hotel lobby or whether the musical instrument is a flute, saxophone, violin or piano, I would ask them to perform the song, which for me is the most romantic song ever.  If by chance you hear a live instrumental rendition of Moon River, look around, I might be the one who requested it.

The video below is a collection of the renditions of different artists that includes Andy Williams, Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Diana Ross, R.E.M., Sarah Brightman, Kate Melua, including the composer of Moon River, Henry Mancini and a cute little toddler with his mother.

Below is the another cover version done by Andrea Ross, one of the best cover of Moon River that I’ve ever heard.

22 Responses »

 

The Right To Bear Arms Tuesday, Nov 18 2008

The 2nd Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the rights of American citizens to possess and carry weapons.   Most historians agree that the origin of this right goes back to 12th Century England wherein King Henry II required freemen to carry weapons for public defense and this policy was continued by King Henry III.   This was codified in the English Bill of Rights and when the the US Constitution was drafted, this right to bear arms was included and protected.

Philosophers and political writers such as Cicero, Aristotle, Niccolo Machiavelli and John Locke have all wrote about people’s right to have their own arms for their defense.   History tells us that tyrannical governments would disarm people and prohibit them from taking arms and use the military to eliminate and suppress  political opponents.   At first,  the right of citizens to bear arms is a collective right to protect themselves from oppression.   Recently, a landmark US Supreme Court decision on District of Columbia vs. Heller ( June 26, 2008) declared that this right is an individual privilege.  As the US Supreme Court declared ”…and to use that arm for lawful traditional purposes such as self-defense within the home. “

In the Philippines, despite being oppressed under colonial rule for more than 300 years under Spain, our constitution doesn’t have a counter part to the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution.    The Philippine Constitution guarantees a person’s right to live; but that right has a corollary; that a person has also the right to self defense and the means to protect one’s life.  

On the morning of October 8, 2008, a gruesome murder was announced in the news segment of a daily morning show.    Members of the dreaded Akyat Bahay Gang broke into a house in San Joaquin, Pasig City and hogtied all of the 6 family members. The gang’s motive is robbery.   One family member, Cherry Painaga, was shot in the stomach trying to fight off an attempted rape by the gang members.   She died at the hospital where she was rushed in.   This horrendous criminal act happened only a few blocks away from our residence.    What is ironic is that several hundred meters away, is an intersection where policemen are stationed. 

This sent shivers to the peaceful community of San Joaquin, Pasig.  This sent me and my household to implement strong measures to ensure that a similar event will not happen to us.  We doubled our locks, strengthened the security of all possible entry points plus made other arrangements to ensure that our residence is safe from any breaking and entry from lawless elements. But perhaps the most drastic that we have done, is that I purchased another firearm. 

I already possess a Tanfoglio 9mm pistol (which is duly licensed by the government, I’m a law abiding citizen).  My wife celebrated her birthday last November 9.  My gift to her was late for one week, I brought her to the recent AFAD Defense and Sporting Arms exhibit in SM Megamall and bought her a Taurus 9mm Compact Titanium Pistol, a high capacity pistol which is very light and ideal to be handled by a woman.   It is the hand gun recomended by a friend who’s a member of the elite PNP Special Action Force (SAF). 

I have a collection of knives and swords in my house.  My wife and I have both studied kali knife fighting as well as escrima.   But against a thug armed with a gun, these antiquated weapons will be useless.    I am for regulated issuance of firearms to citizens.   It will be interesting to note that the firearms being used in crimes are not the firearms that are duly registered and licensed by responsible gun owners.   I remember several years ago in Australia, a new law that required surrender of licensed firearms. What happened was while the law abiding citizens turned over their firearms, the criminals did not.    Which made these citizens helpless to defend themselves which lead to the increase in armed robberies and assault.     Most of the owners of licensed guns in the Philippines have a common profile: that they are no thugs or hooligans but decent citizens who want to defend their family and property.

I mean no disrespect to the capability of the police force to protect its citizens. ( I have a lot of team mates in muay thai who are active policemen).    To quote Edmund Randolph, the first US Attorney General, “People who mean to be free must be prepared to meet danger in person, and not rely on the fallacious protection of armies.” 

I will protect my family from lawless elements with whatever means necessary.  I am of the opinion that I will be able to do this better with the protection of a firearm.

 

This is the Taurus 9mm Compact Pistol that I gave my wife as a gift.   Part of the gift is that every weekend, we will practice target shooting in our gun club. 

8 Responses »

 

Barack Obama-A Presidency That Will Have A Profound Impact Friday, Nov 7 2008

“Japan and the United States, for example, are so closely intertwined economically, politically, and militarily, that decisions in one have immediate high impact consequences in the other.  Under these circumstances, the day may arrive when Japan will demand actual voting seats inside the Congress of the United States.  In return, the United States would no doubt demand equivalent representation in the Japanese Diet.  In this way would be born the first of many potential “cross-national” parliaments or legislatures.

Democracy presupposes that those affected by a decision have a right to participate in making the decision.  If this is so, then many nations should, in fact, have seats in the U.S. Congress, whose decisions have greater impact on their lives than the decisions of their own politicians”

                                                                                        -Alvin Toffler, Power Shift

The 2008 US Presidential election, which was won by Barack Obama was described by many as the most closely watched US Presidential election by the world and was even dubbed “The Election That Made the World Blogging.”   The world closely observed history as it unfolds when America elected its first black president whose middle name (Hussein) is synonimous with the face of evil in the early 1990’s.  The new US president will lead with three immense challenges that the US and the world is facing, in Obama’s own words, “two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century”.  

All US presidents, after the end of the Cold War, has such an overwhelming impact on the lives of almost everybody on this planet, that almost everyone would want to express their opinion on who should be sitting at the oval office.   With the advent of the Net, YouTube and Google, this can easily be achieved.   And this is evidenced by the number of blogs, videos posted on the YouTube and the mock polls conducted by US and international news networks as well as magazines and newspapers of international circulation.

In mid 1990’s, when I first read Alvin Toffler’s Power Shift, I find his idea about other nations should have a seat in the U.S. Congress as the decisions and legislations that are made in this institution have a broad and great impact on the lives of the citizens of other countries, as preposterous.   I was a product of a State University whose student leaders go to the streets denouncing US imperialistm.     In the same manner that I don’t want any “imperialist” country to have control on my own beloved motherland, I believe that other countries, including the US, should also be free from the hegemony of another nation.   Now I contemplate that this line of thinking would be outdated in the age of economic globalization, outsourcing and supply-chaining. 

With the election of a Democrat to the White House,  the US and the rest of the world wait in eagerness for the resolution of the war in Iraq and the battle against Al-Queda and Taliban in Afghanistan; for the reversal of the financial crisis that brought down even the largest US banks that also lead to to the downward spiral of the international financial market in a seeminly endless domino effect; and to address global climate change (remember that the Bush Administration for some reason or another, did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol).  The Philippine’s own congressmen foresee that with the majority of the congressional seats in the US congress are being held by Democrats, and with a Democrat at the helm of the White House,  the Filipino Veterans Equity Act that is pending in the US Congress, which will benefit countless Filipino World War II veterans and their descendants will be finally enacted.     Even the company that I work for, which is the recruitment division of the largest Hospital Group in the US will be affected by the immigration policies the Obama presidency will make.   According to my direct superior, Barack Obama, being a Democrat will tend to favor laws that will limit the inflow of foreign workers, including Filipinos, to the United States.  Which could mean that the nurses we have accepted into our recruitment program would have to wait a little longer for their deployment to the US. 

Indeed, whatever decisions Obama’s administration will make,  would have an intense effect on the rest of the world.

One Response »

 

Slipping Through My Fingers Saturday, Sep 20 2008

Another CD is blasting endlessly in our family car.  It’s the soundtrack of the movie, Mama Mia, a musical based on the songs of the immensely popular 1970’s band, ABBA.  And surprisingly, its my daughter RP who would insist that this CD be played over and over again.  I never thought that my daughter will appreciate and love the songs of a group who last performed as a band was when I was only 7 years old (1982). Perhaps its because of the highly entertaining plot of the movie wherein a young girl who’s preparing for her wedding, dreams of finally meeting her father and wants to him to walk her down the aisle.

Of the almost two dozen ABBA songs that were featured in the movie, one song stood out for pulling several strings in my heart.  It’s the melancholic piece, “Slipping Through My Fingers”.  The song clearly captured the emotions and thoughts of a mother who tries to be a part of her daughter’s world, but no matter how she try, her child keeps on growing and is slowly slipping through her fingers.

Whenever I hear this song, I can’t help but be very emotional.  Every word is the exact expression of what I feel seeing my daughter growing up.  My daughter is already 9 years old and I realized how short is the time I have left to enjoy her company.  I often said that I will consider myself the luckiest Dad in the world if at the age of thirteen, my daughter would still prefer my company rather than the company of her friends.

Come to think of it, parents “have” their children for only a few years, then they will eventually have their own circle of friends.  And for a few years more, they will start building their own lives and career, until for a few more years, they will have their own family.

It is the thought that I only have a few precious years left before my daughter would grow up, spread her wings and seek her own destiny that stirred me to be always there for her, and to be a constant witness to every milestone she would experience, be it the first time she went to a certain place, or the first time she tried a new sport, or whenever she would receive an award.

Perhaps the best reward that I ever received is my daughter telling me; “Da (this is how she calls me), some kids still have to look for a best friend.  But me, my best friend is my Daddy.”

Side Note:

Although the song, Slipping Through My Fingers was written on the point of view of a mother, the composer and lyricist is a father, Bjorn Ulvaeus.  He composed the song while thinking of his daughter Linda Ulvaeus as she was growing and is slipping through his finger.

Leave a Response »

 

Sa Barangay Ni Kuya Daniel Saturday, Sep 13 2008

Last May,  I wrote about being interviewed by GMA Ch. 7’s late night show, 100% Pinoy.  That episode is about people who would join various competitions  with the hope of making it big.   Most of the people featured are participants and winners in singing competitions and beauty pageants.  And perhaps to provide another angle, they interviewed me because I was a former champion of local and international quiz competitions.  The interview lasted for several hours but when the show was aired, my segment was only 1 minute and 10 seconds long (like I said in my previous article, I am not complaining.  In fact I feel sorry for the segment producers because their topic is too broad to be contained in a 1 hour show, less the commercial advertisements.  And also, I said yes to these interviews in the hope that I could make a positive impact on the lives o the youth).    Well, I think that personal record is already broken.  Last Monday, I had my shortest TV stint when I guested at UNTV’s daily morning show, Sa Barangay ni Kuya Daniel.

Mr. Diwa Dadap, an events manager, will be promoting in UNTV’s early morning show, Sa Barangay ni Kuya Daniel, their upcoming nurse expo. Being one of the exhibitors, he invited me to join in the interview.   But I have one humongous problem. The call time is 7a.m.  And I have problems making it on time for appointments earlier than 8a.m.  My circadian rhythmn has been set at me waking up at 7:30, it is for this reason that for a long time, I’ve been planning to compete in 10k runs but couldn’t do so because the race starts earlier than 6a.m.

But sometimes, you have to get out of comfort zone (waking up at 6a.m. for me is getting out of my comfort zone. He he he)  And I made the appointment on time (well a few minutes late).    The staff of UNTV are very friendly and accomodating.   When it was our turn to be on air, I thought that it will be an interview.  Instead, it is just a plugging for the expo.   So I was only given an opportunity to speak for about 30 seconds, then its over, a personal record is broken.  

I’ve observed that the staff and hosts of Sa Barangay Ni Kuya Daniel have a very different kind of work attitude that I’ve seen in other TV stations.  It seems like they are just a big family having some happy, quality time and not like some TV shows whose life existence is to rack up the ratings game.     

When I entered the UNTV building, I saw hundreds of people waiting for their turn with the free medical assistance program of the TV show (or perhaps the TV station itself).   Let’s be pragmatic for a second, it takes money to run a TV station, and these businesses get their revenues from advertisements.  But I don’t think that their shows get enough viewers attention to convince sponsors to advertise, which translate to low revenues.   With UNTV still being able to do these free medical assistance programs (plus their other public assistance pprojects) is a strong testament of their intense desire to be of service to their less fortunate brothers, and I really commend them for this.  Religion aside (I don’t belong in any, I’m an existentialist)  I praise the members and church workers who makes the public service programs of UNTV possible.   

Side Note:  UNTV is closely associated with the religious group of Bro. Eli Soriano (anybody from this group, please pardon me if I am mistaken).  One of my closest friend, Glenn, used to be a free thinker like me.  But he was converted to joining Bro. Eli Soriano’s religious group.  Even my father who used to be an agnostic had a change in belief and become a member of the same sect.

 

With the main host of the show, Daniel Razon and Diwa Dadap.

 Diwa posing on the set of the morning show. I met Diwa when he invited my company to be an exhibitor in the 1st Pinoy Nurse Expo.   He is a nephew of Maestro Jerry Dadap, a known composer and conductor.  Back when I was the Student Council president of my college, I helped in organizing a concert by the Maestro together with his choral group as a fund raising campaign for the various projects of my college.   It is a small world.

 This is Badong Valdueza,  one of my brothers in Yaw-yan and in Muay Thai. He holds the distinction of fighting in two professional bouts in one night.  In December 2005, he won his MMA match in URCC held at the Aranete Coliseum. Then he has to rush to the other side of the metropolis for his kickboxing match held at Rizal Memorial Stadium, which he also won.  Nobody has ever done that before until today.    He is now a security aide of Ben Tulfo, who is known for his TV show, Bitag, which is also aired in UNTV.  

The show also have a public service segment.  Shown in these picture are the poor and indigent patients waiting for their turn with the medical staff.   

 

16 Responses »

 

100% Pinoy: One Minute and 10 Seconds of Fame Tuesday, May 20 2008

One minute and 10 seconds… that’s exactly how long I was featured in the GMA7 late night news and public affairs program, 100% Pinoy.   

Last March, I wrote in this blog about guesting in the DZMM Tele-radyo show Sikap Pinoy and about my observation that I’ve appeared/guested in different  programs of 4 local TV Channels, namely Channel 2, 5, 9 and 13.  And that the only channel that I haven’t appeared yet is GMA7.   And because of this, I included another item in my Bucket List or 101 Things To Do Before I Die, that is to be featured or appear in all of the 5 local TV networks.    I pondered that this is very doable considering that there’s only one channel left for me to appear on for me to accomplish this.  Two months,  later, I received an e-mail from Ms. Rica Torres, a researcher of the GMA7 program, 100% Pinoy.  Their May 15 episode is about competitions that are participated by Filipinos and a segment will focus on the Filipinos who joined different competitions and are now leading successful lives .  Since I won the grandfinals of Battle of the Brains and its ASEAN Championship in 1997, they considered to include me in the segment.

Delight is an understatement when I first read that e-mail from Ms. Rica.  This means that another item on my Bucket List will be crossed of.  So the interview and taping date was set on May 7 and will be done in my office and in my house.  All my staff were excited about this (up until now, I don’t know what’s the big fuzz about appearing on TV), it is very rare for our office to have this kind of atmosphere, it only happens every December when Christmas bonuses are distributed.  

Then Thursday, May 15.  The weekly conference call I have with my boss is scheduled every Thursday.  I am worried that this week’s conference call will be as long as the previous week wherein I stayed in the office until 11:45p.m.   Lady Luck may have smiled at me and I received an e-mail from my boss saying that our  weekly call is cancelled.   So nothing will be in the way for me to be at home and watch the show. 

The only instance that the our TV will be tuned to a local network is when I’m watching the news either late at night or early in the morning, aside from that its all AXN, National Geographic, Discovery, Starmovies and HBO on the boob tube.   But on the evening of the 15th of May, its GMA7 on the screen. 

With much anticipation, my family and I were stucked on the TV.  I am not familiar with the Channel 7’s program schedule, all I know is that 100% Pinoy is after Saksi.  When we opened the TV, its still Regine Velasquez’ show, after a few minutes its already the late news program, Saksi.  Then the show we’ve been waiting for a week. 

The show started by featuring a grandmother who joins Barangay level beauty contests.  Followed by a young lass who constantly compete in local singing contests.  Then Regine Velasques’ interview was up next.  I had a bad feeling that the segment that will feature me will be extremely short when Asia’s Songbird interview didn’t last for more than 4 minutes. 

Then my segment came. It showed me showing some books and tinkering with my laptop with my daughter, RP. Then they showed my trophies and  then me, answering two questions (out of the several that were asked during the interview).  Then its over.  I timed it, and my awaited GMA7 appearance is just one minute and 10 seconds. 

I am not really disappointed that I was shown for a little over one minute, like I said, what’s the big fuzz about appearing on TV.    I think the topic is too broad and in fact, I feel sorry for the producers and writers to cramp everything in a one-hour TV show, less the airing time for the commercials.  Kudos to the producers and writers of 100% Pinoy, specially to the Segment Producer, Eric (sorry I forgot the surname, but I do remember he’s from City College of Manila and lives in Alabang) and Rica Torres, the Researcher.    If not for them, I will not be be able to cross another item in my Bucket List or 101 Things To Do Before I Die.  

I remember reading a quote from the famous artist, Andy Warhol.  He once said that everybody will be famous for fifteen minutes…we’ll I am looking for my remaining 13 minutes and 50 seconds!  National Geographic or Discovery Channel here I come.

Leave a Response »

 

First Mother’s Day… Without My Mom Saturday, May 10 2008

There’s a muay thai tournament on May 11 and I’m supposed to compete.  Prepared hard for it, training for almost 3 hours everyday, including Sunday for 2 months.    Then my only sister arrived, from Papua New Guinea for a vacation.  They will be migrating to Vancouver on May 20, after that we may not be able to see each other for 4 or 5 years.  Then my plans changed.  

Mother’s Day this year will be celebrated on May 11.  And it will be the first time, in more than a decade that I will be with my sister on this special day for mothers.  And ironically, our mom will not be with us.  Its been 9 months since my mother died and the wound is still as fresh as on the day it happened. 

Nine months… and I still haven’t forgiven myself for not being with my mom at a time when she needed me most.  She was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) on May 20, 2007.   The doctors frankly advised me that the chances of surviving AML is very low if not treated immediately.  And being her only child here (my only sister is in another country),  I have to take charge of her treatment and hospitalization.    But despite this, life still went on for me.  I still went to work and I still trained for my sport like its just any ordinary day.   I have a muay thai tournament in July of that year and instead of being with my mom, I trained hard for that tournament.  I won a trophy in that forgotten day in July, but I lost my mother one night in August, a night that will haunt me forever. 

Now, there’s another muay thai tournament and it fell on Mother’s day.  But I will not make the same mistake.  I will visit my mother’s grave with my sister this Mother’s Day. 

*****************************************************************************************************

 My mother is both a strong woman and a woman of strength.    She’s a humble seamstress who never finished elementary school but was able to raise and educate her two children:  One is now a Financial Controller of a large multinational in PNG; the other is a Managing Director of the Philippine office of a US firm. One graduated with honors both in college and in high school and finished her MBA in Australia; the other received and won numerous awards including a medal and congratulatory letter from the President of the Philippines.   My sister and I both owe who we are to our mother. 

Perhaps one of the most one sided relationship is the one between mothers and their sons.  Sons will never be able to equal the amount of love their mother has given them.   And sons will only realize the power of their mother’s love only when she’s already gone.    Though thanking and honoring my mother through this song may not be enough, I will still dedicate this to her:  I recited this song during the last night of her wake:

 

2 Responses »