Peace man

Lumabas na ang bagong video ng Bamboo, peace man.



Parang Hale's Blue Sky. Pero mas maganda para sa kin tong sa Hale, syempre kasi C5, saka mas mukhang pinag-isipan kesa sa Peace man.


Ang ending naman ng Peace man ay parang swimming beach ng Parokya. Actually, mas malapit pa nga dun sa ending din ng car commercial nina Chito.


haaay, basta... Sa "masaya" pa rin ako...

Fw: Dancing with God

When I meditated on the word Guidance,

I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.

The movement doesn't flow with the music,

and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,

both bodies begin to flow with the music.




One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back

or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness,

and attentiveness from one person

and gentle guidance and skill from the other.




My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.

When I saw "G: I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".

"God, "u" and "i" dance." ! ;

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust

that I would get guidance about my life.

Once again, I became willing to let God lead.




My prayer for you today is that God's blessings

and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God as God abides in you.

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead

and to guide you through each season of your life

This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.




If God has done anything for you in your life,

please share this message with someone else,

for prayer is one of the best gifts we can receive.

There is no cost but a lots of rewards;

so let's continue to pray for one another.




And I Hope You Dance

Fw: The Very Purpose of Life

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has with his wife now having cancer and him having "wealth" from the book sales.


This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, "Purpose Driven Life" author, and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.


In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.


One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body--but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions years in eternity. This is the warm-up
act - the dress rehearsal of God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.


We were made by God and for God, and until yo u figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.


Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to
go into another one. (my emphasis, not Rick Warren's)


The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.


We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in
Christ likeness.


This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.


I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.


Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.


No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.


And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good for which you can thank God.


You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.


If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain."


But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.


We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going
to heal Kay or make it easy for her.


It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of
helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.


You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good
is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly
very wealthy.


It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or
notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.


So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two
different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.


First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.


Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist
the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.


Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back.
It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.


We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?


Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism?


Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes for my life)?


When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done
today, I want to know You more and love You better.

God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.


Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.

FW: People Come Into Your Life For a Reason

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.

Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season!

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Fw: Ten Guidelines From God

Effective immediately, please be aware that there are
changes YOU need to make in YOUR life. These changes
need to be completed in order that I may fulfill My promises
to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in
this life. I apologize for any inconvenience,
but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you.
Please, follow these 10 guidelines

1. QUIT WORRYING
Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you
forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or
do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST
Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR
list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the
problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to Me. And although My
to-do-list is long, I am after all... God. I can take care of anything you
put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care
of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

3. TRUST ME
Once you've given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back. Trust
in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems
and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list. Problem with
finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster?
For My sake, put it on My list. I want to help you. All you have to do is
ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE
Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now,
I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling
stronger now? It's simple. You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking care of
them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know
that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you
started? Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME
I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy.
Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But
there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't forget to talk to
Me - OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include
Me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about
your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with Me.
I w ant to be your dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH
I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where you are.
Have faith in Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me; you wouldn't want the
view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet
your needs. You only have to trust Me. Although I have a much bigger task
than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple
part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE
You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you
forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate
than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your
laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time. Share your
tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those
who have none.

8. BE PATIENT
I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse
experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs
many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of
people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it
takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My
to-do-list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I
created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should
always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND
Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may
not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I
still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake. I created each of
you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical.
Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF
As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by
me for one reason only -- to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of
Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes My
heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You
are very precious to me. Don't ever forget...Touch someone with your love.
Rather than focus upon the thorns of life, smell the roses and count your
blessings!

All the wealth in the world could not buy you a friend, nor could it pay
for the loss of one.

ocia sali na rin ako... isa para kay Mel.

jimmy's hilarious... but omigosh it's mel gibson...


tawag ng isang concern citizen.
"uyy yung mel gibson mo, nahuli for DUI".

huhuhu wawa naman ang papa MG. sinabi ko naman kasi sa kanya wag nya syadong damdamin. sandali na lang namang tiis at mabibisita ko na sya sa LA. Ndi naman pede sa OZ, at kadami dami nyang anak.

mas lalong naging concern ang citizen --> "gising."

*** hunus-dili ***

jon stewart's having fun over this. pero after watching it, mas nakita kung pano naoovershadow kung minsan ng movie image ng isang celebrity ang pagkatao nya.


seryoso na.

mula sa simpleng moonshadows gimmick at mahuli na nagdridrive ng may tama ng tequila, lumaki na ang issue dahil allegedly marami daw syang sinabi laban sa mga hudyo ng lasing sya. bukod pa dito, marami syang nasabi ring kabastusan sa pulis na nanghuli sa kanya at pati na rin dun sa mga officers sa HQ nila ng dalhin sya dun para idetain.

initially, the sheriff dept said it was a simple case of DUI, at walang masyadong naging problema sa pag aresto kay Mel Gibson. But then, lumabas na may original na police report pala na pinasanitize diumano para alisin ang mga nasabi ni MG. So sinasabi ngayon na baka may naging cover up daw. Si MG kasi ay isang endorser at nagbibigay din ng donation sa kanila. may commercial video pa sya last 2003 to support the same sheriff dept.



nag issue na sya ng public apology ng dalawang beses. He admits na isa syang alcoholic. pero dahil isa na syang icon sa movie industry, marami ang nagsasabi na it's downhill for his career from here. lalo na nga't marami syang nasabi laban sa mga hudyo. karamihan pa naman ng nasa movie industry ay hudyo.

haaay. masyado ka kasing nilagay ng lahat sa pedestal. have we seen the last of him?

waaaaggg nnnaaammmaann.

Supernova wk 5: Ryan Star and Storm Large

Ang gleng gleng ni ryan this week. Nakuha pa nya ang encore.



pero kaunting ungos lang yan sa ibang naging magaling din ang performance tulad nina storm, dilana and magni (***swoon moment***). If any of these 4 guys wins and becomes snova's frontman, I wouldn't miss their gig when they visit Asia.

storm


magni ***swoon uli***



dilana - was way too cool! I think it was Dave who said na only a number of the rockers can perform in front of snova ng hindi sila nilalamon nung tatlo. Well, she proved it and ain't that sum-thin' sum-thin'! ~:)



si storm sikat na sikat sa youtube. isa sa mga performance na gusto ko ay yung Beautiful.



she also has a website: http://www.stormlarge.com.

Fw: The Cab Ride

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, and then drive away.

But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.

So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated".
"Oh, you're such a good boy", she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.
"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice".
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
"What route would you like me to take?" I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now"
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.
"Nothing," I said
"You have to make a living," she answered. "There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said.
"Thank you."
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?
What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT 'YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
You won't get any big surprise in 10 days if you send this to ten people.
But, you might help make the world a little kinder and more compassionate by sending it on.
Thank you, my friend...
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

Post Supernova Week 4

Kapapanood ko lang sa supernova. Ang galing ni Ryan and Dilana. Mas gusto ko lang yung kay Dilana dahil favorite ko rin yung song at nagustuhan ko ang rendition nya. Pwede bang dalawa na lang silang magperform tommorrow? :D
Sayang yung performance ni Jill & Gilby. Do you really have to grind? Ang panget, nasira yung focus sa performance. Turn off talaga. Ndi pa na-get ni Jill na ndi nagustuhan ni Gilby yung move.

Sabi ni Dave though, kung sya ang nasa stage, they'll be grinding all night long.

Duh. Ocia sige, kayo dalawa magtayo ng banda.



Dilana's Time After Time




Ryan's I Alone

Jordan Knight Love Songs Out on Sept 12

hehehe... if you know me, you'll know what "hehehe" means.

If not, weeeelll.... just go ahead and see my man's new website. --> http://www.jordanknight.com/

I have witnessed how this album morphed from a thousand shapes until finally coming up with this one. The song you hear on the site's background, is a duet with Debbie Gibson... ok, Deborah...

Maaann, I hope to see him doing those world tours again. *sigh* How's dante btw? :)

ehheerrmmm... sabi na nga ba.

He's married na.


On the rarest occasion, he made a comment on his own website about his private life.

You can find more about it in http://www.darrenhayes.com/dh/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=174.

Darren Hayes' Letter to Fans:

Monday, 17 July 2006 I very rarely make comments about my private life.
But today, as I'm about to begin 6 months in the studio to record what I hope to be the best record of my career, I feel an overwhelming gratitude for the past 10 years of being a performer. Most recently, I've been moving toward a career that is more closely aligned with 'art' than it is 'commerce'. And in keeping on this trajectory - I have become increasingly more emotionally authentic in my music, writing and my relationship to my audience. As so many of you have given me your heart and soul over the past 10 years I thought it only fitting that I too return the respect and inform you of the most significant event in my life.

On June 19th 2006 I married my boyfriend of two years, Richard, in a Civil Partnership ceremony in London.

I can honestly say it was the happiest day of my life.

I feel lucky to live in an era where my relationship can be considered legally legitimate and I commend the UK Government for embracing this very basic Civil Liberty.

I'm proud of who I am, and after what felt like an eternity, I'm finally in a place where my heart is secure and content. And I can finally make sense of all of the searching.

I still maintain the belief that families and relationships are not commodities to be sold off for public consumption. In this regard, I am and will continue to be a public person with a private life.

I have always written songs about human relationships and our journey in life. I've never felt the need to differentiate or speak to a specific part of society. This hasn't changed. I will continue to write songs for everybody and hope that the feelings and thoughts I sing about are universal. Today, as I get on a plane to return to London, my head will be filled with all the future possibilities that I hope to explore musically.

To the people who buy my records, come to my shows and demonstrate on a daily basis their love and support for me and what I do: thank you.

Your overwhelming message to me lately seems to be that you are just glad that I am happy. For this, I am eternally grateful. To my Mum, Dad, Sister and Brother - thanks for always being so cool and loving me unconditionally.

With love and respect always
Darren Hayes

Stopping by to smell the roses...

Today, somewhere, at the same time, something unique, special... something exciting.... is happening to somebody else's life. The kind that brings the person the feeling of elation, of temporary jove, but forever carved in one's mind.

It's been happening to me these past few weeks, all in a rush, leaving me floating... I wanna stop in the middle of all this, and say a pray'r of thanks... but the world seems to move fast whenever you're happy.

I just hope I could carry these all in small packets of memories that I can use to weather down the storm that's coming.

Thank you to my friends, to colleagues, to bosses, to inventors of my favorite things, to my celeb idols, to songs that make me sing... they make my life so worthy of living!

Rock D Fort - Popagenda

By this time siguro, nasasabi mo ng "puro bamboo naman toh!" habang binabasa ito. So last na talaga, at dahil sa dami rin ng mga pangyayari, ndi na rin ako masyadong makapagkwento. Mas gusto ko na lang ireserve for private memories. :)



Medyo ndi successful ang Rock D Fort this year. Mainly because it's football season. Pero blessing in disguise naman sa mga believers (tawag sa mga loyal fans ng bamboo) kasi nasolo namin sina Bamboo. To top it all, maganda pang weather.



Kahit ndi gaano kapuno, ndi tulad sa Bar None, sobrang enjoy pa rin ang naging gigs nila, sulit bayad sobrang bait pa ng banda! Kahit paulit ulit na yun ang kanta, ndi mo pa rin pagsasawaan. Ndi nagbabago ang energy level. Naappreciate lahat ng manonood ang music nila.


Maganda rin ang feedback sa ibang lahi dito. Nagustuhan nila ang songs and performance level ng grupo. Sana nga lang makacontribute ito for them to buy the album. Kulang pa nga sa marketing ito. Kahit kami na mga pinoy dito (yung mga taga-east), ndi alam kung saan bibili ng album nila. Maganda ang exposure nila sa radio though.







Bukod sa Bamboo band, Popagenda also showcased a lot of local and asian bands. Eto ang official site --> http://www.rockonsingapore.com/.

Para sa vids sa barnone, may mga snippets ka ng makikita sa youtube na inupload din ng mga ibang nakanood.

eto, hinahanap hanap kita:


eto, alelujah & noypi


eto, mr.clay

Deserve nila talaga lahat nung Awit awards. With a great album and not so big-egos, they'll go places!

Bamboo sa Bar None

And then they were here. Siguro sa kanila isa lang to sa gig na dapat puntahan. Bibilib ka talaga sa sobrang sipag nila. At kahit paulit ulit, pare parehong energy level ang binibigay nila sa crowd sa kanilang mga performance.

Napakalistless ng crowd that night. Feisty daw sabi ng DJ. We really didn't care. We just wanted to see Bamboo, Ira, Nathan and Vic.

Nakita nyo ba yung pic? Ang lapit ko na nyan huh. Kaya lang everytime eye to eye kami ni Bamboo, talagang binababa ko yung camera at sinusulit ang ala private performance nila with me. Kasi naman, napakaswerte ko sa puesto. Sa lahat, ako lang ang elevated kaya walang magagawa ang group, pag napatingin sila sa kanan nila, ako agad ang makikita.


They sang songs from both of their albums. Mas maraming pinoy songs. They also gave us Hinahanap hanap kita, Ulan and 214. Haaay, college... those were the days.


Wala, ndi pa ko bumababa sa cloud 9. Pasalamat na lang ako Pilipino sila. Four to six years from now, they'll be so inaccessibly famous if they keep up with this kind of songs, samahan pa ng matinding kapit sa pangarap, sipag at tyaga and they'll go places na.

Itong pic sa kaliwa, pagpasenyahan na at ndi good shot. Medyo dazed pa ko sa katitig nung mama. Samahan mo pa nga nung ibang members, wala na ko talagang mafocus.

Ganito muna. Namnamin ko muna lahat. Me part 2 pa sa Rock D Fort.

Today's Firsts

Ang daming firsts na nangyari today sa kin. Most notably ay tatlong bagay:
nakita ko si Arnold Clavio.

ooppss... hindi naman ako masyado excited...

nasa likod nya kami... napakalabit sa kin yung kasama kong nakakita sa kanya. Kilala nya si A.C. by face only, kaya nasabi na lang nya sa kin na, "uuuyy newscaster yun ng channel 7 sa atin". Ndi ko sya nakita agad until a woman caught my eye na kinakausap nya. Nung napalingon sya sa likod saka ko lang sya nakilala.

at syempre napatigil ako sa paglakad... at tanging nasabi ko na lang ay "grabeh! nastarstruck ako!". 😛 Naglalakad na si Arnold nun ng bigla syang napalingon uli dahil sa narinig sa kin. Nangiti na lang ako sa kanya. Mukha ring nagmamadali na sila kaya hindi na kami nangistorbo. Mukha namang friendly sya though, na kahit gusto pa rin nyang huminto medyo hatak na sya ng kanyang kasama.


Sunod... punta kaming Bar None para kumuha ng tickets for the Bamboo gig.
6pm kami nakarating kaya sarado pa.
First time ko sa Marriot and Bar None. Usually nasa lobby lang kami or sa labas, sa may Tang's Mall. The receptionist gave us directions on how to go to the basement where Bar None is. Bumalik na lang kami ng 7pm to buy the tickets. Kita ko ang poster ng Bamboo gig. kilig.





and last.... Pepper Lunch fast steak! Swak na swak sa sarap. Medyo mahaba ang pila kaya nagworry rin kami ng kaunti kung magtatagal bago kami makakain. Iseserve na medyo raw ang steak, sa isang hot plate, so ikaw ang kelangan maghalo ng steak, veggies and sauce.Nasa yo kung gusto mo ay raw or well done.

Blogging from Jurong Library

Customer Appreciation month ngayon sa National Library. I'm not sure what's happening on other branches, but in Jurong they're giving away baloons and ID jackets. May children program din kaya there's a lot of children here right now to attend the storytelling hour. Sa mga members, ang book quota ay doble, that means I can now borrow 8 books. Sa mga mabibilis magbasa tulad ko, ayos yun. Ndi mo nga lang maappreciate if you opt to read your books slow because ndi naextend ang borrowing time.

Still ang daming nanghihiram, kaya yung mga bagong releases and hard-to-find books ubos kaagad.

Kadalasan, to borrow something, I just go online, reserve a book and pick it up in Tampines Library. Before though, I made it a point to visit as many library branches as I can because that's the one thing I didn't have the chance to do back home.

Ndi ko nga lang pa napuntahan lahat but among the ones I was able to see, there are three places that I favor going back once in a while: Tampines Library because that's the closest to my work place, Geylang Library because mas wide ang selection of books dun then Orchard Library since ito naman ang pinakamalapit na mapupuntahan ko for manga and american comics. Pero sa lahat, Jurong Library ang pinakafavorite ko, ndi lang bilang isang library but also as one of my favorite places here in Singapore.

It's in my list because I love the ambience. They also have Cafe Galilee here... ang sarap ng kape nila... at ng tuna puff. Maraming pumupunta dito but it's big enough that you can find a corner and then watch the people go about and do their business. Children running around, parents reading the morning paper... and yet it's not as noisy.
Ndi rin basta basta yung corner na pede mong puntahan. May mga tables with sofa chairs... may study table... may corners na solo mo lang... may corners na pede nyong gamitin magbabarkada... may dim light at may seat beside a window pane. Basta library goer ka, you'll be able to appreciate the comfort that this library can offer. The staff are all friendly too but at the same time not to eager to push their business to you so you have the peace and quiet that you want.

The main library, located in Queen Street near Bugis, is the newest one. The old one was demolished to give way to one of the biggest in asia. Oo sabel, mas malaki pa sa PUP library. Ang weird nga, kasi ang basement nun reminds me of the PUP library basement kung san natutulog kami pag lunch break. I haven't seen all the floors, mostly because when I went there karamihan restricted pa. Nice collection of manga and comics though, but maybe irereserve ko na lang yun kesa bumalik uli.

Pero talaga... ang sarap ng kape sa Jurong. langhap sarap. babalik balikan. kahit walang asukal. kahit walang gatas. kahit ndi sprinkled ng choco powder or cinnamon. amoy barako pero ndi kasing tapang.
ay... library nga pala ang pinag-uusapan.

Ocia! Storytelling in english open for all kids from aged 4 to 7 will start in a few minutes. Kelangan ko pang magreserve ng seat.

'til next, sabel.

Thank You by Oprah

Forwarded by a friend... really love Oprah...

Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, forthis is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1Thes 5:16-18)
===========================================================
THANK YOU By Oprah Winfrey
I live in the space of thankfulness - and I have been rewarded a million times over for it. I started out giving thanks for small things,and the more thankful I became, the more my bounty increased.

That's because what you focus on expands, and when you focus on thegoodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships,even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.

"Say thank you!" Those words from my friend and mentor Maya Angelou turned my life around. One day about ten years ago, I was sitting in my bathroom with the door closed and the toilet lid down, booing and ahooing on the phone so uncontrollably that I was incoherent. "Stop it! Stop it right now and say thank you!" Maya chided. "But - you don't understand," I sobbed. To this day, I can't remember what it was that had me so far gone,which only proves the point Maya was trying to make. "I do understand," shetold me. "I want to hear you say it now. Out loud. 'Thank you.'

"Tentatively, I repeated it:
"Thank you - but what am I saying thank you for?"

"You're saying thank you," Maya said, "because your faith is so strong that you don't doubt that whatever the problem, you'll get through it.You're saying thank you because you know that even in the eye of the storm,God has put a rainbow in the clouds. You're saying thank you because you know there's no problem created that can compare to the Creator of all things. Say thank you!"

So I did - and still do. Only now I do it every day.

I kept a gratitude journal, as Sarah Ban Breathnach suggests in SimpleAbundance, listing at least five things that I'm grateful for. My list includes small pleasures: the feel of Kentucky bluegrass under my feet(like damp silk); a walk in the woods with all nine of my dogs and mycocker spaniel Sophie trying to keep up; cooking fried green tomatoes with Stedman and eating them while they're hot; reading a good book and knowing another awaits.

My thank-you list also includes things too important to take for granted: an "okay" mammogram, friends who love me, 15 years at the same job(and loving it more than the first day I started), a chance to share myvision for a better life, staying centered, having financial security. Iwon't kid you, having money for all the things I want is a blessing. But asI look back over my journals, which I've kept since I was 15 years old, 99 per cent of what brought me real joy had nothing to do with money . (It had a lot to do with food,however.)

It's not easy being grateful all the time. But it's when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you:PERSPECTIVE. Just knowing you have that daily list to complete allows you to look at your day differently, with an awareness of every sweet gesture and kind thought passed your way. When you learn to say thank you, you see the world anew. And as Meister Eckhart so eloquently stated:

"If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is a Thank you, that would suffice."

Here's a link to the Thank You episode: http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/tows_past_20011119.jhtml

So Dark the Con of Man Da Movie

Da Vinci?

'Syado ng maraming nasangkutan ang libro na ito since it was published...
from the Baigent/Leigh vs Brown plagiarist case...
to the controversy over the film's soundtrack...
you can't help but wonder if it's all hyped.

ndi siguro naimagine ni Dan Brown na ganito kalaki ang resulting avalanche.
You know what the greatest lie here is? The Con of Man is for you to be convinced that this movie is big. Mas kontrobersyal pa ang Angels and Demons, as it relates more closely to recent times in the church. So what's all this hulabalou all about? Maraming pumatol ng irerelease na ang movie dahil biglang me mga call to ban the movie. Naturally, mas maraming nasangkot sa gulo.

Stripped away all these controversies, you'll get nothing but a common formula theme. Boy meets girl, comes into peril, goes to different places/countries for an adventure and then solves the mystery and saves the day. Me kaunting revelation pa sa ending ng movie. Sounds familiar? Oo sabel... katatapos lang ng MI:III.

Sabi ng self-righteous groups: 
kelangan natin ipagtanggol ang christian faith... 
kelangan wag itolerate ang pagbalahura sa ating simbahan...

Sagot ng iba: may karapatan kaming husgahan kung ano ang dapat naming panoorin at pakinggan.

So pano yan pareho silang tama di ba? Walang panalo... ay meron pala, si Dan Brown at ang distributor ng movie. Free publicity. maning mani ang over $224 million overall grosses.

Try reading Deception Point and Digital Fortress... halfway through these books, you'll see through the hype of Da Vinci. Compared nung libro pa lang ang Da Vinci, mas maganda pa ang resulta ng mga debate. People were inquiring about Christ, about the Christian faith, Opus Dei, the Priory, the knights of the templar. May patutunguhan ang mga pag-uusap. There was an opportunity to learn and increase awareness of the Faith. It wasn't about commercialism. Even the church at that time played it smart and cool, tahimik na pagliliwanag lang ang binibigay nila. Now, it's all about the box office. The millions of dollars Brown gained. 

Just like in Richard Gere's Visa commercial... "but there's only enough for one bird.." 

(side note:
-anak nung guide ni Gere yung magkapatid-girl na bumili ng ibon & boy na aalis
- tito nya yung me ari ng tindahan ng ibon
- at iba pang kamag-anak ang ibang nagtitinda...
- ang mga ibon, babalik sa me-ari pag pinalakpakan...
- it's such a small sleepy village...)

p.s.
Me isa pa kong narinig na nagbato ng opinyon tungkol sa pagtanggap ni T. Hanks sa kanyang role... ganito ang takbo ng usapan nila :
SR1: Ba't ba tinanggap ni Hanks yang role na yan? *kunot noo*
SR2: Ndi ba nya alam na sa ginawa nya diretso na sya sa impyerno nyan? SACRILEGIOUS na rin yun eh... *palo sa mesa*
SR1: Ndi lang, ngayon pa lang pede na syang maparusahan. Ikakabagsak na ng career nya yan. Kakalaos na nyan yan."smirks*

Si SR1 pala nawalan ng trabaho. Sabi nya, me nagsabi sa kanya "magresign ka!". Ano kayang "sacrilegious" ang ginawa nya?

Quote of the day: Always guard against a harsh, fault-finding, and bitter spirit.
Related links:
Matthew 7.5 - u hypocrite... (read here).
Slanderous Judgment or Righteous Judgment (read here)
Cracking Da Vinci (read here)

review on filipino maids

If you find that poverty mentality keeps you from achieving the success you deserve, the reason may be in your own past. Having the frame of mind that sees you with far less than you are capable of attaining can come from being raised in poverty. The deep belief that you cannot achieve more, or don't deserve to is the ingredient that makes a reality of this mindset. -- anon.

Nung unang panahon... early 19th century.. may naging komento si Jean Mallat na nasulat ni Ambeth Ocampo sa inquirer tungkol sa mga chinese foreign workers (http://www.inq7.net/opi/2004/apr/16/text/opi_arocampo-1-p.htm) sa tin non. Noon daw, sila ang pumupunta sa bansa para magtrabaho at may ipadala sa pamilya nila back home.

Fast forward ngayon, nakakita ako ng article sa shanghai tungkol sa pagreview ng skills ng mga filipino maids.

Iba na talaga ang panahon ano. Ngayon tayo na ang may pangarap na bumalik ang panahon nung tulad ng kina Rizal.

Pangarap ko na dumating ang panahon na buhay pa ako at ndi na tayo nirereview sa pagiging maid. Sana magkaron ng kabuluhan ang pagsisikap ng bawat filipina maid sa ibang bansa.. na iangat ang pamilya nila, ndi
lang financially pero pati na rin sa lahat ng aspeto sa buhay. Sana bawat isa sa anak nila lumaking responsable at productive citizen ng bansa... ndi man makagraduate bilang doktor, engineer, nurse etc. maging isang
magaling na businessman na lang na magbibigay ng trabaho sa iba, o kaya maging isang simpleng guro na may pangarap itaas ang antas ng edukasyon.

Sana dumating ang panahon na nirereview naman ang skills ng karamihan sa tin bilang professional o kaya bilang economic assets of the country.

Ito na yung article.

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/05/17/278155/Filipino_maids__039__mixed_reviews.htm

Filipino maids' mixed reviews
2006-05-17
FILIPINO
housemaids have not been widely used by local Beijing families
since
agencies started marketing their services in March.
An estimated 1,000 to
2,000 Filipino maids work on the Chinese
mainland, with up to 300 in
Beijing, where four agencies offer their services.
Employers of Filipino
maids in Beijing, however, are mostly from Hong
Kong, Taiwan and overseas,
and include very few native families, local
media have reported.
Wealthy
white-collar professionals with strong English skills are the
main employers
of Filipino maids, said an agency manager quoted by the
Beijing-based Global
Times newspaper as saying.
"Beijing needs at least 200,000 home servants
every year, of whom three
to five percent must be skilled professionals, and
Filipino maids
probably account for one percent," he said.
The
relatively high cost is one reason why Beijingers stick with native
Chinese
maidservants.
Besides the US$350 to US$400 for the monthly salary, employers
must pay
about US$1,060 in fees for training, visas, employment permits,
physical examinations, insurance and annual flights for a Filipino maid.
The average monthly salary of Beijing residents, by contrast, was about
US$340 last year, according to the Beijing Statistical Bureau.
On
arrival, maids and their bosses face obstacles in communication,
lifestyle
and cuisine.
Mr Wu, a businessman from Singapore, fired his Filipino maid
because
she was incapable of cooking Chinese food properly and he worried
about
the influence of her Philippine accent on his children, Beijing Youth
Daily said.
Wu has since hired a Chinese servant for just over US$100 a
month.
Philippine servants, nevertheless, though, have an international
reputation for their high-quality service and cheerful temperaments.
Mr
Chen, who works for a foreign-funded company in Beijing, said his
breakfast
is ready and his home and car cleaned when he gets up every
day.
"She
likes to sing and sometimes dance while working, and that makes me
happy
too," he said.

The Invitation by Oriah

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.

I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's
longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.

I want to know if you will
risk looking like a foolfor lovefor your dreamfor the adventure of being
alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...I want to
know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow if you have been opened by
life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further
pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain

mine or your own

without moving
to hide it

or fade it

or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy

mine or
your own

if you can dance with wildness

and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips
of your fingers and toes

without cautioning us to

be careful

be realistic

remember
the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are
telling me is true.I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to
yourself.If you can bear the accusation of betrayal

and not betray your own
soul.If you can be faithless

and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you
can see Beauty

even when it is not pretty

every day.And if you can source your own
life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure

yours and
mine

and still stand at the edge of the lake

and shout to the silver of the full
moon,"Yes."
It doesn't interest me

to know where you live or how much money
you have.I want to know if you can get up

after the night of grief and
despair

weary and bruised to the bone

and do what needs to be done

to feed the
children.
It doesn't interest me who you know

or how you came to be here.I
want to know if you will standin the centre of the fire

with me

and not shrink
back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom

you have studied.I
want to know what sustains you

from the inside

when all else falls away.
I want
to know if you can be alone with yourself

and if you truly like the company you
keepin the empty moments.