Seriously

My blog template needs to be revamped..seriously. Nagsasawa na ako sa itsura nya...bleeehhhh

Start em young

My friends had organized a 2 day youth environmental workshop in Cavite. They had 40 participants and their ages ranged from the youngest being 14 yrs old and the oldest being a priest representative of their environmental organization from their province.

I was looking at them during dinner time and it reminded me of the time when I was still young and unsure of what I wanted to do in my life at that age. I was an 'uhugin' (snot nosed) youngster confused as to what I was going to take in college:

major in voice (no money in that),
tourism (less money),
management (managing money but not mine) or
choose a college that had an environmental course (absolutely no money whatsoever!)

Well ok I guess I had an *inkling* of what I wanted, as I was active in the only environmental club back in high school (I was one of the founding members).
I think God had a hand in this because I missed out on the testing date in UST and I only applied to one other school. To make a long story short, I passed (thankfully) and enrolled in their only environmental program. Did I use it after I graduated?
NO, absolutely not. It was not even what I thought it was going to be. What saved me was the on-job-training that I had with Greenpeace.

Thats when I knew where my calling was. I was 17 then I am 28 now. Ten years to the day and I am still a volunteer with Greenpeace and have been an environmentalist ever since.

Looking at these young people eating their dinner and laughing, I told my friend that they are the FUTURE, the people who would make a difference and continue on with the environmental work that we had only continued in our generation. I wondered silently to my self if they were even aware of the immensity of the burden that their generation had to face and work with to save our world. More like an ant standing on top of a 6x6 tire, unaware of the size of the wheel it was standing on.

It may sound so "up in the air" thinking but if other people had seen what I have seen with the destruction and environmental problems we are facing, you would rather choose not to know. Ignorance is bliss is what they say.

Sometimes looking at reports regarding climate change and its effects, the predicted temperature change, agro-chemical companies tinkering with our food, toxic chemicals being dumped down our waters, whales, sharks, dolphins being hunted and killed as by catch to our dwindling fish supply, a shiver goes down my spine and I would just feel like dying and pleading to be ignorant and dumb,and just NOT KNOW about these things. It makes me want NOT to have children anymore.
If I can just go on and earn money, have a good life, dance my life away every night, worry about clothes and make up, worry about boys and just be a beach bum. It sounds so much more convenient and carefree.
But the 'problem' is *I* do care.
And so I do what I do. Year after year, day after day.

And there isn't any money in this I tell you.

What keeps me going are the rewards of seeing small and big victories, companies cleaning up their toxic mess, giant agro-chemical factories halting their GE experiments, countries saying no to GMOs, communities having their own marine sanctuaries and reporting that there are more fish to catch, making industries accountable, communities segregating their wastes and earning money from it.

Sometimes its like a walk in the park, but most of the time its like running up a hill of peanut butter. Even at home it can get frustrating, (teaching my folks at home to segregate is a pain in the you know what, so I have to be vigilant now and then).

So back to these youngsters. As I said, at that age I didn't know or only had an inkling of what I was going to do with my life back then. I'm glad THEY know at this stage what they want. I say start em young, give the correct values formation, equip them with the knowledge and skills and they have what most old folks don't have or are in danger of losing: HOPE.

I was 17 when I started, I am 28 now. Looking at them, I am confident that the work we started will not be in vain.

I still have hope .

My days as a professional zombie

I tried working in a call center and I lasted all of 1 ½ years. It was my first time to work in an office environment, and it was in Makati of all places. My job was a customer service agent for an online travel agency and I was part of the first batch for that account.

And Ohhh the growing pains we had to go through! We disliked our account manager because she was a snob and standoffish, our team supervisor lacked in social skills and the client wanted unreasonable (at that time) demands. Groans all around everyday and things came to a head one day that we even had to have a general meeting for the whole account to air out our grievances. But the pay was good and I needed the money, so I had to square my shoulders, and to grin and bear it. I called that experience, my character building period.

I had met a lot of quite interesting people and learned a few things from them as well. And some of them I would like to share with you:

• Despite the big pay, not everyone was happy with their jobs.
• But then again SOME were happy at what they were doing.
• You have to love what you do.
• DON’T work for money. But if you do find yourself doing it for that reason make sure, you at least LIKE your job.
• For people who work for the money, they have to work twice as hard because they have to force themselves EVERYDAY to go to work to earn for their family to survive
• The top honchos that I have had the opportunity to talk to confessed to me that it wasn’t their dream job or they didn’t really want their job. They were in that position because they wanted to be and do their best. Funny, our account manager was in her position for 5 years and she still didn’t like her job.
• Sometimes if you can’t do anything about a problem (stubborn airlines, or stupid customers) changing your attitude helps. After that everything seems easier and is a breeze doing it.

On a lighter note here are some other things that I discovered while being a slave to the grind that is the call center business:

· Don’t drink too much coffee before going home from a graveyard shift. I did that once and I was still up till noon (my shift had ended at 6 am that morning).

· It’s sooooo nice to ride the MRT at 6 am. There are hardly any commuters for the northbound train.

· You lose weight so much from working the graveyard shift that your clothes fall off you.

· FREE FOOD AT CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS!

· Go to work early so you can choose your seat. Being under the aircon vent is no picnic. My hands were literally stiff several times from the cold.

· I met several great people who until now are my friends.

· And meeting all the cute boys!

· My typing skills from being a chat addict were put into good use.

· I used to work at the 21^st floor. And I had a spectacular view of the sunrise and sunset EVERYDAY over the bay.

· The Makati skyline never looked so good this close.

So where am I now? I have long since resigned from my call center work and have fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams, to work on a ship. But that’s a story for another day...

Best things in life are free: things to be thankful for

· A good family who loves you

· Friends who have been with me for 10 years they are like family already

· Friends with cars who take you anywhere...HAHAHAHA!

· We can afford to eat whenever and whatever we want

· The freedom to do what we want

· Good books that inspire

· Fantastic music to dance to

· Soothing music to wind down

· The power to make your dreams come true

· Meeting great people during my travels

· THE INTERNET!

· Isaw, squidball, pancit canton, saging at hotdog!

· Freedom to do anything you want

· Warm hugs and sincere kisses

· Back rubs!

· Watching the sun set on the deck of a ship beside one of the best people that I have met in my life

· Good pounding music to dance to

· GOOD BEER AND GIN! (Guinness must have been made by God)

· Swimming with complete and utter freedom in the water

· Getting an encouraging letter from my niece, congratulating me about my work

· The feeling of Fiona snuggling beside me while I’m sleeping on the floor (Fiona is a dog, you dirty sick minded bastids)

· GOOD HEALTH!

· And a God who watches over me.

I think that’s it for now. I am sure over the years I have had a lot of things to be thankful for that I have already forgotten. But for now, these are enough. I am sure my dear readers you also have a lot of things to be thankful for that doesn’t have to be bought with money…

Good memories

I was just looking at my pictures tonite and saw my pictures on the ship. God how I miss being onboard. And these are the reasons why I miss being there badly...

Canan and friend jumping off the bulkhead


On the way to Tubbataha Ranger station. Looks like the Chief engineer found his mustache...


Kitchen wenches doing galley work (Ala, Sarah and me)


With the deck boys after work relaxing on deck




Canan, Paul and I relaxing on a sunday afternoon on the monkey island...1st class hehehe


Dani flipping his world during a swim stop


Dani and the first mate as the before and after for a toothpaste commercial

Ikaw ba'y nalolongkot? Walang magawa? Pumunta sa....

Ikaw ba'y nalolongkot? Walang magawa? Pumunta sa:

www.engrish.com

www.ebaumsworld.com

www.redmeat.com

www.bored.com

www.snopes.com

www.ghoststudy.com

www.allbrucelee.com/videos/kung_fu_fighter.htm

www.rathergood.com

NO TIME TO WASTE

Its been really weird weather lately. Rain out of nowhere and out of season. Really scorching summer heat. Definitely biting cold spells. More frequent occurences of el niño and la niña.
And this is all brought on by climate change.

I remember when were in Anilao and it was time to sleep, we had the AC on full blast but we had to turn on the electric fan as well just to keep cool (even the dog Fiona was already positioned in front of the electric fan, aba at inagawan pa ako ng higaan!). It used to be that the aircon on low was enough to make me use 2 blankets but now no effect. Mainit na talaga!

Kulang na lang mag prito ng itlog sa sidewalk.

Its really different this time. Before, summer used to be such a breeze to tolerate, but now no more breeze to tolerate the summer heat! (o ha nag rhyme at yon....). Its cloying and it makes you feel difficult to breathe.

And I know for a fact that it will never get cooler in the following years. It will get hotter and hotter and more and more people will get sick, the environment will suffer and we will witness an environmental destruction the likes that nature has never had. All this because of climate change.

According to the Greenpeace website, www.greenpeace.org

"Today, our world is hotter than it has been in two thousand years. By the end of the century, if current trends continue, the global temperature will likely climb higher than at any time in the past two million years. While the end of the 20th century may not necessarily be the warmest time in Earth's history, what is unique is that the warmth is global and cannot be explained by the natural mechanisms that explain previous warm periods. There is a broad scientific consensus that humanity is in large part responsible for this change, and that choices we make today will decide the climate of the future."

This is absolutely no laughing matter. Because once we reach that point where the temperature can never go down, that would be the beginning of our end. A lot of scientists and industrialists are trying to debunk the blatantly obvious evidences documenting and proving that climate change IS happening and it is happening at a more accelerated pace than it was anticipated.
Already the incidence of diseases like malaria and dengue in countries that didn't normally have it has been documented, the lowering of temperatures enables the mosquitoes that spread these diseases to survive in such climate now in the northern hemisphere. Or take for example, the erratic and violent super typhoons that has been ravaging North America and Europe, Hurricane Andrew and Katrina damaging Florida and New Orleans, and the destructive floods

" Heavy rains across central and eastern Europe have created flooding conditions not seen for centuries, killing more than 100 people, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of others, and devastating historic city centres in Germany and the Czech Republic. Flooding also has hit communities in Austria, Slovakia, Russia and Romania."

http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2002/europe.floods/

The climate IS GETTING HOTTER AND HOTTER. We have also HAVE to curb our use of fossil fuels as this is one of the major contributors of greenhouses gases that causes climate change.

Please take action in your own little way. Petition your governments to go for renewable energy like wind and solar. You can also:

1. Buy high efficiency models of home appliances.
2. Use energy efficient light bulbs
3. Hang your clothes to dry instead of using the dryer.
4. Use water efficiently, water your plants at night. Watering during the day makes it evaporate faster.
5. Car pool or
6. Ride that bike. Not only would that give you nicer legs it will help you tone your tush.
7. Don't burn your garbage. Segregate the biodegradables (to use as compost) from the non-biodegradables (to be sorted to recycbles and sent to recycling centers)
8. Minimize waste, bring a cloth bag with you wherever you go so you would have to minimize using that thin plastic bag you get from the market and groceries. I have gotten into arguments in malls because I didnt want my stuff wrapped in plastic. I know, I know its proof of purchase but whats the use fo the receipt?...
9. Turn off all unnecesary lights and or appliances when not in use.
10. Use rechargeable batteries whenever possible to minimize on toxic waste as well.
11. Use that dishwater to flush the toilet.
12. Last but not the least, encourare your friends to do the same. Never underestimate the power of a small group pf people working together for a common good.

Remember, there is NO TIME TO WASTE. The clock is ticking....

Engrish

Engrish as is only speaking here:

www.engrish.com

Para matawa naman kayo!

I got this in my email a looong time ago and it still never fails to make me laugh! Sa ating mga Pinoy, humor it the only thing that helps us through the harships in life. Eh kung hindi ka pa matawa ewan ko na lang...

PWEDENG MAGTANONG?

1. Kung papalitan ang balat mo sa buong katawan, ano ang mas gusto mong ipalit,
balat mo sa siko o  balat mo sa talampakan?

2. kung tatlo na lang ang buhok mo sa ulo,
gusto mo bang sama-sama ang mga ito o hiwa-hiwalay?

3. maliban sa buhok at kuko, anong parte ng iyong katawan
ang nais mong patuloy na humahaba?

4. bestfriend na may bad breath, o boyfriend na may BO?

5. kung ikaw ay magiging materyal na bagay,
ano ka, toilet paper o sanitary napkin?

6. meron kang six-inch na makapal na buhok sa kili-kili,
anong gagawin mo dito: rebond, dreadlocks o afro?

7. kung ikaw ay magkaka-girlfriend, ano ang mas gusto mo,
babaeng may chest hair o babaeng may goatee?

8. isa na lang ang kilay mo, saan mo ito ilalagay,
sa kanan o sa kaliwa?

9. kanino mo gustong makipag-makeout,
sa taong walang ngipin o taong walang dila?

10. pimple sa ilong o ilong sa pimple? (actually, slightly modified:
magkaroon ng isang malaking pimple sa ilong forever o kada
magka-pimple ka eh may ilong ito)

11. kung papalitan ang nipple mo,
anong ipapalit mo dito, mata, ilong o daliri?

links a lot

YAY! I have finally added the links to my friends blogs...hehehehe.
Kailangan talag humanap ng oras para dito!
and for my next project? Changing the interface of my blog, although my current template is ok na rin pero I want it uniquely my own design....so my next next project is? learning HTML LOL!

Apologies

Apologies for not being able to respond to the comments posted for my entries. How rude of me :-(
I plead guilty for not having enough time to even have the courtesy to acknowledge the comments I have been getting out of focus because of all that travelling and work.
But I do appreciate all the things that has been said no matter how short it was! It means that someone ACTUALLY! reads my blog! hahahahaha!

Anyway, more blog entries to come...

drat..I just remembered... I still havent linked my friend's blogs here....EEEP!

Budweiser

I know I know, I havent posted my Donsol trip yet. Tamad pa talaga kong mag-post ng entry and I haven't really found the time to sit down and write about it. But in the mean time I have been practicing taking photos.
I also have an online photoalbum but at the moment its taking me ages to upload even just ONE compressed file and I dont know why. So I'm posting some here...take a look.

(Drat. I'm having a hard time putting in the captions beside the pics as they come out jumbled. Anyway, pics 3 and 4 are from Donsol, 5 and 6 from Naujan Mindoro. THose frogs are my Bud-wei-ser frogs.)

I love these pics. Taken during a plant show in UPLB.

Despedida

Fran and her fiancee jack




I just got back from a despedida de soltera for a college mate. It's been such a long time since we last saw each other. It was actually more of a reunion than a despedida for her.
I can't believe she is going to get married but I have a very good feeling about her husband-to-be, he was very affectionate with her and she tells me he is very spiritual, which is a very good plus factor for her.
It made most of us think who would be next....hehehehe...sobering thought but funny all the same because most of us didn't have any boyfriends to say who would be married next!
And we also got to know that a beloved friend has separated from her husband. Another sobering thought, to think she sacrificed her future for this guy only to find out that he was philandering behind her back. Makes me think that marriage is fleeting sometimes and even in that, there is no permanence...
But, people still get married..and hope, dream and love.

Fran and Frank with Tinay. I have no idea what they are laughing about but it sure looks fun :P

Tara, Kat, Terteen, Iris, Fran, Jack, Tinay Jenny and Maning

Videoke

(Here is something to read in the meantime while I am still making the entry for my Donsol trip. Apologies for the late late post. I hope you enjoy this for the mean time.)

I love to sing. Let’s admit it, we curse so much at neighbors that sing videoke till the wee hours of the night, but when faced with the machine it will take a crowbar to pry the mic off of you.

Aba, masarap ata kumanta!
There’s nothing like belting out those high notes, never mind if we sound like finger nails being scratched across a blackboard…or worse parang kinukuping na yero (galvanized sheet being twisted)!

There’s a bit of a devil in me whenever I listen to videoke singing from the neighbors. I turn into a song critic and wince at the flat and sharp notes being belted out…”Ummm! Buhay ka pa!”

I remember one time we were at Anilao, Friday night. Danny and the gang were having a drinking session while I was snoozing. I woke up to the singing of videoke. My friend Riezel said, “Tara Maan! Tapatan natin yung mga kumakanta, ang babastos eh gabi na kumakanta pa!” (lets show em! ) After all, it was 10 pm already and there were no signs of the singing flagging down.

So I said alright. Our repertoires consisted of “My Way”, “Welcome to the Jungle”, “Through the Fire” and other songs sung ear splittingly. Danny came down to join us and we cranked up the volume. Not to be outdone, they also turned it up and matched ours!

So there we were puking out our throats, at first we were having fun…till 2 hours later, Riezel and I were just sitting down and trying to finish the song while half asleep. “Di ko na kaya ate maaaannn…”

We decided to call it a night and went inside to catch some sleep.

The neighbors?

Danny said that when he woke up at 3 a.m., they were still singing.

There was this one girl that was dominating the mic that had a grating quality to her voice, thin and tremolous like she was on her last breath. If you can imagine a cockroach singing with a warbling voice, you’ll get what I mean.

We woke up at 6 a.m. and they were still at it. We went to the market, cooked food and had lunch and this girl was STILL singing, “Ang LAKE LAKE! ANG LAKE LAKI NG BOLAKLAK! ANG POLA POLA! ANG POLA POLA!”....on and on and on.

They finished at 2 pm.

In which case we promptly played house music at full volume, making the speakers covering bulge out.

Revenge fell on deaf ears. The adjoining resort was empty…

And I?

I found myself singing, ang lake lake, ang lake lake ng bolaklak….the whole day.