Finding love in the Year of the Water Dragon

(Feng shui expert Marites Allen gave a preview of her 2012 predictions during a recent press briefing at Manila Hotel. On January 22, 2012, the hotel will usher in the Year of the Water Dragon with a Chinese bazaar, fireworks, blessing ritual by Allen, and an exquisite midnight feast at the Mabuhay Palace. The dishes will symbolize luck, longevity and wealth in the coming year. Copyright Stella Arnaldo)

EVERYONE’S still talking about the bombshell that showbiz princess KC Concepcion dropped last Sunday.

Well, I won’t dwell too much on it, since I don’t want to add any more to the noise. And as her mega-mom Sharon Cuneta did say, KC and Piolo are adults. In other words, KC knew exactly what she was getting into.

Of course, like many single, unattached women...KC’s desperate cry about wanting to find true love does tug at the heartstrings. But who, where and how to find it—that’s the big question.

Well, if you ask feng shui consultant Marites Allen about love, she can tell you that she is proof positive of how geomancy can help us single women find Mr. Right. After a failed first marriage back home in Cebu was annulled, Marites says she was able to activate her love life and attract many suitors with the help of feng shui.

She says she found her Prince Charming—an Englishman whose name she declines to reveal due to privacy issues—and married him. That is, “only after I carefully studied his chart!” Marites says she is very much happily married, with a wonderful family life with their four children. What’s more, she now has a great career as one of the country’s top feng shui consultants.

Marites, who is president of the World of Feng Shui Philippines, spoke to the media recently in a preview of Manila Hotel’s festivities to help usher in the Year of the Water Dragon on January 22, 2012.

So, of course I asked her: What can KC do to find that elusive “true love”? (KC, by the way, was born in 1985, the Year of the Ox.)

Marites says that KC’s “best match are those born in the Year of the Rat.” She cites the UK’s Prince Harry (Rat) and his girlfriend Chelsy Davy (Ox)—“they were having an on-and-off relationship but they seem to keep going back to each other.... So an Ox pairing with a person born in the year of the Rat is surely a very good start in finding the right one.”

Marites adds that KC’s best allies or friends are Snakes or Roosters.

But the feng shui expert counsels: “For a very pretty, intelligent and independent lady like KC, surely too many guys are already waiting for their turn to woo her heart. However, it is best for her to enjoy her singlehood and surely, when the time is right, she will find another love.”

Marites assures that love will come a-calling again, especially if “KC activates the southwest section of her bedroom with love charms such as peony flowers or double happiness symbols, such as the dragon and phoenix symbol, etc.”

***
(Just some of the lucky charms and feng shui books available at Marites' World of Feng Shui shops in the metro.)

SPEAKING of Rats, guess who was born in that year, KC?

Well, it’s none other than President Noynoy Aquino, who was born in 1960.

Hmmm...KC and P-Noy? Well, why the hell not?! I think it could be a perfect match!

Both of them are smart, well-bred individuals.

They are currently loveless.

They both belong to respectable families with their feet dipped into politics and show business. So there would be an immediate understanding of each other’s priorities, background, and ways of thinking.

Okay, so there’s a 25-age gap. But maybe a more mature man (accent on the latter quality) is exactly what the young KC needs.

After all, this is a lady who virtually grew up without a strong male figure in her life. It was really her mom Sharon who was both mother and father to her, rearing KC as best as she could.

As for PNoy, he is no stranger to relationships with younger women. His ex-girlfriend Shalani Soledad is 20 years his junior—so what’s an additional five years in the case of KC?

And apparently, he is not intimidated by intelligent, outspoken women, having had relationships with Korina Sanchez, Bernadette Sembrano, Shalani, Liz Uy, Bunny Calica, etc. And KC is the same...articulate, well-read, and with just a touch of the right demureness. (She is actually like a slightly refined version of presidential sister Kris Aquino, don’t you think?)

But more important, KC and P-Noy have compatible Chinese zodiac signs! She’s and Ox. He’s a Rat. Who knows, it may just work!

***
(Manila Hotel Executive Chinese Chef Sun Bing will be preparing a delectable feast for the Chinese New Year celebration at Mabuhay Palace, on Jan. 22, 2012. Photo courtesy Manila Hotel.)

KIDDING aside, Marites says the year 2012 brings a “general” risk of illness for those born in the Year of Rat, so the President should watch out. “It is a mixed year, so look after your health. Adjust to a less demanding schedule.”

She advises Rats in general to “focus on mentally-challenging activities, rather than doing the party scene.”

Marites adds that stress will bring tension to a Rat’s life, but his allies “are there to the rescue him.” A Rat’s best friends are Dragons and Monkeys.

To avoid falling ill, Marites advises Rats to acquire a Medicine Buddha Moving Mantra Watch “to create an aura of good health around you.” Also they should place a Brass Wu Lou in the Northern sector of the bedroom “as an antidote to the illness star.”

The year 2012 will be a generally favorable for those born in the year of the Tiger, Rabbit, Horse and Sheep, she says.

According to Marites, the Water Dragon’s power will help push dramatic changes in 2012. It may not mean the end of the world as the Mayan calendar supposedly indicated, but it will certainly be a “year of transformation.”

To indicate how momentous the transformation in 2012 would be, Marites recalled the previous Water Dragon years, the last one occurring in 1952. That year saw the passing of King George VI of the United Kingdom and assumption into office of his daughter Queen Elizabeth II. The first hydrogen bomb was detonated in 1952, ushering in the nuclear age. World War II also came to an official end with the Treaty of Peace signed between Japan and 48 countries aligned with the Allied powers coming into force.

She says although 2012 “will be better than 2011,” the Year of the Rabbit, “it does signify continuing disharmony, with conflicts between governments and social classes, and political and social unrest. There are to be key leadership changes; and social and industrial disputes are to escalate.” 2012 in an election year in the US, France, Russia and India, she points out.

Asked whether this meant a new President for the U.S. next year, Allen said: Yes, [US President Barack] Obama is an Ox (1961), and is slowly losing popularity with the yearly economic challenges in the U.S. So chances are, he may not make it to another term… unless he implements major changes more favorable to the U.S. economy.”

Marites will unveil her other 2012 predictions on January 22 at Manila Hotel’s Chinese New Year celebration. A Grand Chinese Bazaar will be held on the hotel premises featuring different stores selling lucky charms, house decorations and delectable Chinese delicacies.

While the fireworks light up the evening sky, hotel guests will dine on a feast prepared by Executive Chinese Chef Sun Bing at the Mabuhay Palace. The dishes will symbolize luck, longevity and wealth in the coming year.

Doomsday enthusiasts believe the world would end on December 21, 2012 because the calendar of the Mayans—a now-extinct indigenous civilization that once dwelled in Mexico—ends on that date. Well, I looked through Marites’s feng shui almanac for 2012 and it does include a 2013 calendar at the back. Whew!

(For ticket inquiries and reservations to Manila Hotel’s Chinese New Year celebration, call 527-0011 local 1108 or 1243.)

(My column, Something Like Life, is published almost every Friday, in the Life section of the BusinessMirror. This piece was originally published on Dec. 2, 2011. If you need to borrow the entries and photos on these pages, pls. cite your source. Thanks.)

Back with my homies

AS with most long-time friendships, one never truly recalls how the relationships were formed and how they were first cemented.

Gorjus, Dee, Berry and I bonded as close friends all throughout high school at St. Theresa’s College in Quezon City, although we belonged to different homeroom classrooms (only Dee and I were actually classmates all throughout the four years). But I’ve known Gorjus since pre-school at Little Angel’s Nursery School, where once she so bravely told my Mama why we had to have afternoon classes, because Mama didn’t believe me. (This was after a massive typhoon hit the country and all schools were closed for a month).

Gorjus returned to Manila recently for a week from her home in the US, where she keeps house with her doctor-husband and two very sweet kids (a boy and a girl). So over dinner and then coffee one rainy Thursday, we got together with Dee, gabbed, and reminisced some.

We had a hilarious time, though there were some serious turns, especially when we exchanged stories of a few girls who had passed on in tragic ways. But it was all great to be with my homies again even if it was for just a night. Too bad Berry wasn’t around, but thank God for Facebook, we are all updated about each other’s lives even if we don’t talk every day.

Dee—married to a banker—works in a government agency, and takes care of her two grown kids, one of them already a lovely 18-year-old. It was Dee who married first, followed I think by Berry, who now also lives in the US, then Gorjus. I am the only one in the group who is still unmarried and who lives rather untraditionally, I suppose.

Berry was called “Sor Maria” or “Sister Berry,” because she was the sweetest and most demure in the group. For a while we were sure she would end up as a nun at St. Theresa’s. She was and still is the epitome of quiet beauty and brains; I remembered her as always being at the top of the class. She was nice and respectful, although Gorjus claims that I actually got so miffed at her once that I refused to speak to Berry for quite a time, despite the apparent thousand apologies she gave me.

(Unfortunately, Gorjus doesn’t recall what caused the rift, and also fails to recall how we patched things up. I still don’t remember this incident, as with some other events Gorjus seems to hold in her head, but one must forgive my senior moments. We’re talking about events that happened 30 years ago—I can’t even recall what I ate for lunch yesterday.)



Dee was my closest buddy—the veritable gal pal who would endlessly listen to me prattle on and on and on about my sad sack life, and complain about the idiots in our midst. I don’t know where she got the patience. Yet she was the brave one who could confront me about important issues, and I had quite a few in high school. What we joke about today is how Dee was such a baby—the quintessential hatid-sundo girl—with her mommy just a few steps behind her most of the time. She protests now that she did a year on the school bus though. Uhm, okay.

I led a slightly less ethereal existence in my elementary years, riding the jeepney of Mang Munding, who plied the Quiapo-Dimasalang route between 8 am and 3 pm, but turned his vehicle into a “school bus” in the morning and in the afternoons when he would fetch us kids to and from school, and safely return us to our mothers’ loving arms.

Truly Gorjus was our Sony Pro memory stick that night, reminding us of the various laughable incidents or somber events that affected our gang of four or our batch back in the day (over 200GB of information dating as far back as 1970!). She was also our news bulletin of sorts, reporting on the successes of our girls, especially those living abroad. Apparently, our batch—I will never tell you what year we graduated lest I incriminate myself—has the most number of people who moved overseas, especially after college.

It’s unfortunate for our country to lose these brilliant beautiful minds, but what an honor for St. Theresa’s to have that many respectable women contributing their talents to make foreign economies work better! But then I have yet to hear of any Theresian performing much less than what’s expected of her by our nuns.

I was especially awed to find out that one of our girls works at Nasa as a nuclear physicist, one makes a good living as a jewelry retailer, another is a successful dermatologist, while another is actually the mother of a very current showbiz star! Our very own Berry is now studying to get a teacher’s certificate which will play right into President Barack Obama’s recent call for more teachers.

Here at home, we have an amazing number of bankers from our batch, a pediatrician, a well-known writer and newspaper columnist (my friend Georgia, who moved to another high school but still considers herself a Theresian), an architect, a surgeon, lawyers, etc., all leading honorable and admirable lives. And some are, yes, “domestic engineers” who keep house for their husbands and their now-grown adolescent children. Despite the times we lived in when all avenues for women were swung open, at St. Theresa’s we were taught that all career paths were prestigious—whether one was a housewife or worked in an office.

Of course, there was a short discussion about unsavory rumors circulating among some batchmates concerning yours truly, and a few other girls, mostly untrue. (One was even dubbed a Japayuki just because she lived in Japan, how cruel!) I really couldn’t care less. These people were never my friends then, why should I expect them to be friendly towards me today? And really, there are always two versions to a story, but when passed on as a rumor, will likely get distorted and the people involved, misunderstood.

But just like any school, there are the smart ones and there are the bullies. There are also the truly kind and sincere girls whom I appreciate for their friendship to this day—even if we see each other just on Facebook these days—and there are the backbiters. There are the quiet hardworking ones, and there are the veritable nuisances. Not one high school is without all these kinds of people. But life goes on and despite some negativity, our true fighting nature is unleashed, and we triumph against the canard and the cheap tattlers.

Still, as I sat back sipping my tea and listening to Gorjus and Dee discussing our girls and the past events in our lives, I couldn’t help but smile. I was beyond proud of our batch. Everyone seems to be in a good place right now. Perhaps our being Theresians helped form us into better citizens of this country or other parts of the world, although that could be a cause for debate, especially from our Assumptionista and Maryknoller friends, hahaha. But we’re all living the best years of our lives right this moment. We rock. And that’s all that matters.

(Originally published on Jan. 28, 2011. My column, Something Like Life, is published every Friday in the BusinessMirror. Photo from http://www.deeannegist.com.)

Let them eat steak!

NOW I'm the one getting a heartburn! But can you blame me? I can't stop laughing after reading one more stupidity from this glorious administration. Check this out: Two big meals. (Repost from MLQ3 via FB)

Of course, this meal wasn't as bad as Le Cirque's ($230/pax vs $740/pax at Le Cirque is no contest), but I'm just amused how all these stories of her dining pleasures are now coming to fore. I'm guessing the Pinoys behind the counter are the ones ratting out the presidentita.

Well, she wished for the foreign media's coverage. Now she's got it.

Btw, if you can guess who the woman w/ the handbag was, maybe I'll give you a prize.

(UPDATE 7:43 pm) Here's the same thing in the New York Post. My what a frenzy the presidentita has caused among the US media. Now they're trying to outdo each other in reporting about her eating habits. haha.

In the meantime, here's Barack Obama eating at a fast food joint again:



Now who was the idiot who said if we expected the presidentita to eat at a hot dog stand only in New York? Haller? Has this idiot ever gone to New York before this trip w/ his boss? Eating at a hot dog stand is what many New Yorkers do. Excuse me, even celebrities and VIPs do it. Go ask Mayor Bloomberg and Donald Trump, gago. Hay, que horror! The presidentita should really get a new apologist!

And, the video

(Video from The White House)

Grabeh ang galing mambola ni Obama! Tuwang-tuwa ang Lola nyo. It's sad though how the US media wasn't interested at all in the meeting. They're more interested in the US economy, of course, and the "beer summit". Tsk, tsk.

Anyhoo, the report on the meeting from PDI and in Al Jazeera.

(UPDATE 12:52 pm) One more video from Reuters

Finally, the photo op she's been dying for

(President Barack Obama shares a light moment with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington Thursday, July 30, 2009. AP Photo/Alex Brandon via the Washington Post.)

Proud ba kayo?

Meanwhile, in lala-land, Lito Lapid doesn't get his photo op w/ the U.S President. Poor thing.

But good grief! Lani Mercado is appointed a board director of San Miguel Corp.! WTF?!?!

(UPDATE Aug. 1, 2:29 am) Accdg. to Lani, a former actress and wife to Sen. Bong "pano mo trinansfer ang video" Revilla, she will contribute the consumer's point of view to the SMB board. Lola, maghunos-dili ka huy!

Murder in the White House!

(President Obama is kinda creepy here, anu?)

And here's Stephen Colbert and Jeff Goldblum's take on the "crime"

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Murder in the White House - Jeff Goldblum
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Stephen Colbert in Iraq

Cry rape

Something Like Life
March 20, 2009

"Standing on the stage, I felt his hands on me. I felt the blade next to my neck, then next to my chest. I felt the scrape of the concrete wall on my bare back.

“But that was my body. The rest of me had slipped away, and was up in the rafters, suspended—out of place, out of time.

“From up above, I watched my body with a strange detachment. I didn’t feel fear, or panic, or any of the other emotions I would expect. I knew I was watching myself but, at the same time, I felt like I was watching someone else. Someone in a play.

“For her, I felt—I guess the word is concern. And pity.

“Down on the stage, the guy had pulled down my skirt and pantyhose and underwear. They puddled at my ankles. Then he started taking off his own clothes. He still had the scissors at my neck, so he was fumbling at his pants, trying to get them unzipped with one hand.

“When they finally were down, he pushed me against the wall and tried to have sex with me, standing there. When that didn’t work, he turned me around, my face to the wall.

“That didn’t work, either, so he pushed me down to my hands and knees. That worked. After a couple of minutes, he turned me over and pushed into me again. He moved fast, with a mechanical detachment. As he did, a gold cross hanging from his neck dangled in my face.”

The above account is by Joanna Connors, a reporter from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who finally told her story to the public last year. In Telling the Story I Tried to Forget—Beyond Rape: A Survivor’s Journey, Connors gives a full account of her rape by a stagehand in a theater in 1984. She was supposed to interview some actors in a stage play, but when she arrived late, they were gone. But the stagehand lulled her into believing that the actors would return. She also narrates how she lived with the shame and guilt of what happened and why she finally decided to tell her story. (Read it here.)

(Artwork by Spider Kiss)

As I write this piece, the news of “Nicole” recanting her testimony about her rape by US serviceman Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith has just hit the online newspapers. All at once, women exploded and quickly began to vilify her. A friend immediately commented on her Facebook link to the story, calling Nicole a “loser” and a “p*** in every sense of the word.”

One fellow journalist was even more upset: “Tatratuhin ka talagang baboy ’pag pumayag kang tratuhing baboy. Sana ikaw lang ang mabastos, ’wag sana kaming madamay sa pagpayag mong bastusin ka.”

Female politicians, unsurprisingly, came to Nicole’s defense. They asked the public to try to understand what she did, and blamed the government for not giving her enough support in the case. Before Nicole’s about-face, the Arroyo administration was being urged to assert its custody over Smith and remand him to a local jail cell instead of being allowed to stay in the US Embassy, where, many believed, he was being treated well. The administration was criticized for its impotence in renegotiating the Visiting Forces Agreement with the US government, especially after a phone call from President Barack Obama.

I’m sure by the time this column comes out, most women will have yet to recover from this latest slap on our faces. I believed and supported Nicole, and with her recant, it will now make it even harder for other rape victims to come forward and make their cases heard.

But can we really blame her?

When Nicole’s case was first made public, there were many who doubted her story. Typically, there were men who thought that she was lying about being raped, and even if she was, they felt she was at fault because she flirted with Smith.

Surprisingly, other women I spoke with at the time also felt the same way. After it was revealed that Nicole had danced with Smith while in a rather seedy bar in Clark free port and had drank some liquor, a few women automatically branded her a “loose woman.” So she probably deserved what she got. Good girls don’t get raped, only flirts and loose women do.

But we hear of men getting raped, homosexuals being sexually violated, fathers raping their daughters (google “Fritzi the Austrian rapist”), children being molested and old women getting raped. Clearly, there is nothing sexual about the act. Whether a woman wears hot pants or a duster looking dowdy like a fishmonger’s wife, both are equally in danger of being sexually violated.

Psychologists tell us that rape is about power, not sex. It is about aggression against another person. It is about taking control over another human being.

Of all the crimes that can be committed, it is rape that most women dread. In a robbery or fire, you can replace the material possessions lost. With rape, how can you replace your soul?

Rape rips through the core of a woman. The essence of her being is taken away from her. An assault of this magnitude changes one’s life overnight. When it happens, one is flooded by a confusing rush of emotions—fear, hopelessness, anger, self-loathing and self-doubt. You cannot believe it has happened to you, and even if you do, you torment yourself with questions about what you might have done to attract such a despicable act. This is why many women still prefer to keep quiet about it. It is the unspeakable crime.

The victim tries to forget it, but she really never does.

In her account, Connors says: “I might have buried this story, but it was not dead. It was still alive, and it grew in that deep place I put it, like a vine from some mutant seed, all twisted and ugly. And as it grew, it strangled a lot of other stuff in me that should have been growing. It killed my trust, my confidence. It almost killed my sense of who I was.” She was always distressed over what might happen to her daughter and son. She wanted them to live life and be bold in their actions, but she had taught them to live in fear, constantly hovering over them.

Telling the gristly details of one’s rape takes a lot of guts, especially when one has to identify the rapist in a police lineup. When the case goes to court, the victim has to face the rapist and feel his eyes boring into her being. Questioned and probed repeatedly by lawyers who will try to raise doubts over what happened, make it even worse. The victim feels victimized all over again.

I am writing these words because I am trying to put myself in Nicole’s shoes. I am trying very hard to comprehend why she recanted her testimony. And while this may sound naïve and foolish to others, I still believe she was raped, because I cannot imagine anyone would torture herself and go through that kind of drama and public humiliation for a lie. If it was all about marrying an American serviceman and securing a US visa, she could have made her accusations earlier enough by hooking an unsuspecting American while tending her mother’s eatery down south.

I’d like to believe that Nicole had reached her rope’s end. She is desperate to move on and have a better life. She is trying to forget and bury the past so that she could go on and live for what most women dream of. A good job, a husband and kids, and the house with the white picket fence. She no longer feels it possible to do so here where she is constantly reminded of her pain and suffering, where it is hopeless.

This is exactly what a rape achieves. The victim feels powerless and unable to move. By fleeing to another country, Nicole is trying to regain control of her life, and recapture what she has lost. Her soul, her spirit, her sanity.

Nicole has been judged enough. We must let her go. Wherever she may be, I pray that she is able to find the peace in her heart that she desperately longs for.

(This piece appeared in BusinessMirror, March 20, 2009. My column, Something Like Life, is published every Friday.)

'Nicole' recants rape charge

“My conscience continues to bother me realizing that I may have in fact been so friendly and intimate with Daniel Smith at the Neptune Club that he was led to believe that I was amenable to having sex or that we simply just got carried away,” she said. (Read the rest at here.)

I'M sorry. I'm still letting all this sink in. I think 'Nicole' has been under severe pressure to do this in exchange for a better future. I hope that's not the case, but if it is, it's a shame.

I'm trying very hard not to condemn her action for she has been judged enough. I just hope she finds peace in what she has done.

(UPDATE: 9:27 a.m. 03/18/09) The rumor mill is grinding away. 'Nicole's' sworn statement was supposedly written by Smith's lawyer. No doubt about it. It reflects much of his lawyers' contentions all along as well as the testimonies of Smith's friends, who had all tried to cast doubt on her allegations.

That she accepted P100,000 as settlement which is only equivalent to $2,009 at the present exchange rate shows how desperate 'Nicole' was to get away. Were there powerful people behind the scenes who tried to exploit her weakness? That's a certainty. In fact the revelation of Nicole's sworn statement so soon after a phone call from U.S. President Barack Obama to the presidentita was made public now sounds even more suspicious. VFA or not, there was just no way in hell that the presidentita would let this rape case get in the way of her newfound 'friendship' w/ Obama.

As for Smith, even if the decision on his case is overturned by the higher court, and he is allowed to return to the U.S., he like Nicole, will not be able to bury the past completely. He too has been changed forever by this case. And it will never really give him rest.

English the Obama way

Found this interesting story today:

"Other speeches may be better for learning vocabulary, but Obama's speeches make me excited about speaking English," says Nobuhiro Murauchi, who listens to Mr. Obama's speeches four times a week in the bath. The 41-year-old Mr. Murauchi, who runs a company selling computer goods on the Internet, has purchased two copies of the best-selling book about Mr. Obama's speeches, one for everyday use and the other as a keepsake. (Click here for the rest.)

Here we go again (Updated)

U.S. President Barack Obama will be the featured speaker at the 57th National Prayer Breakfast hosted by by the U.S. Congress. And guess who's on the first plane to Washington D.C.?

“She really just wanted to have a photo opportunity with Mr. Obama," a source said, referring to President Arroyo, “even for one minute."

The officials of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs are pulling every string to make sure Mr. Obama gets her attention, a source added.

"This breakfast event used to be no big deal in DC until this year," the source said. (Read the rest here.)

At magfo-Four Seasons pa! Gee, whoever said the Philippines is in an economic crisis and has a massive budget deficit must be nuts!

And uyyy, yung isang pupunta din, si feeling Obama. LOL!

* * * *
UPDATE: According to a report on the ABS-CBN News web site, the presidentita failed to meet President Obama again. Geez, I dunno how much more humiliation she (and our country) can take! This woman just won't quit!

Chiz plays coy

I hate to be so crabby on a Monday, but Chiz Escudero's drama managed to irritate me this morning.

"Given the lack of age requirement, I cannot categorically state that I am running. There is a proper time for such declaration. While others may have openly declared their intention to run, I respect their right to do so and wish them the best," he said.
"So when am I declaring? You can ask me again after my birthday on October 10, 2009," Escudero added. (Read the rest here.)

But two days ago, he said this:

"I am running because we need a leader that can provide solutions to the unemployment problem, the clamor of teachers for higher salaries and [I am] a man that could address the issue on hunger and poverty," he told reporters here. (Read the rest here.)

Hah! I knew there was something not right about Chiz. This kid is just all talk. Glib, glib, glib.

Btw, why does every Tom, Dick, and Harry for President thinks he's the next Barack Obama? First, Jojo Binay, now Chiz Escudero? Who next? Loren Legarda, too? Gads.

Enough! MAR Roxas 2010 pa rin!

Lagot kayo!

When your bank is failing and borrowing money from the federal government, shouldn't management at least have the decency to cut costs, streamline operations, and whip the company in better shape so the loan can be repaid? These people are so kapal!

Obama scolds Wall St. bankers on bonuses.

Now comes the hard part...

ARE you guys sufficiently rested already? I dunno about you, but I was still at my Mac until way past 6 AM half-sleeping in my bed, and watching the Obama inaugural. So mejo antok pa ako and I can't be held responsible for what I write here. hehe

Anyhoo, I was so happy to see the part where President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama went down from their tank (that was just a huge monstrosity...did you see how thick the doors of that GMC were?!) and walked along Pennsylvania Ave. waving to the people. That was really awesome. How long since a U.S. President and his wife has done that? I'm too sleepy to research the answer to that one, sorry.

(President and First Lady Obama walking down Pennsylvania Ave. after the swearing-in ceremony. Loved the dress and pumps, but with the gloves, I wasn't feeling it. The President, on the other hand, looks handsome and dapper. Kilig! Photo from Reuters)
But the feeling of excitement, renewed hope, restored energy was just palpable as the crowds cheered for the couple while they walked. It sure was a great time to be in DC. Nakakainggit! But now after the inaugural festivities are over (the couple has finally turned in after attending all those balls according to the press reports), comes the hard part...critiquing the First Lady's outfits! Bitch ba? haha. It was just that my cellphone and mailbox were full of comments from my girlfriends and my sister about the First Lady's attire, both at the swearing-in ceremony, and the Inaugural ball.

As we've seen in the past, the First Lady really has her own fashion sense. She usually sticks to the basics (business suits) and the same silhouettes (shift dresses). On some days, she wears high-end brands like Narciso Rodriguez, on other days, she's in a J. Crew (the clothing store has been cutting its prices in a bid to increase its sales so malapit na syang maging low end brand hehe) .

(The olive green gloves up close. Yak color! But look at the detail in her dress ha. Wonderful! Photo by Getty Images)

I personally loved the yellow-gold embroidered dress and coat she wore to the swearing-in ceremony. It was bright and sunny, as was intended to be by the young Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo. But I hated the hideous olive green gloves and green pumps. Why? Because I just hate the color green, yun lang! Kahit na Jimmy Choo pa yung shoes nya. With the shoes alone, the outfit was actually striking, but I thought the gloves just wrecked it.

(This was the Milly houndstooth dress Dr. Jill Biden, the Vice President's wife, was wearing underneath that hot red coat. Loved her boots as well. Biden photo by Reuters)



In a departure from her predecessors, the First Lady stuck to just one ball gown, an ivory white, one shoulder, ruched gown created by a relatively unknown designer Jason Wu. (Departure because usually, a First Lady changes her gown for every inauguration ball she and the President attends.) The Wu frou-frou looked like a "prom dress" griped my sister. I couldn't agree with her more. Perhaps the intention was to soften up the hard features of the First Lady. However, the gown didn't look flirty or feminine at all, it was yun nga prom dress-y. I thought it probably looked better up close, cos maybe those rhinestones and Swarovski crystals would give it the oomph it needed, but sorry, the entire thing reminded me of of a plucked chicken.

(The inaugural ball gown: Looks like a plucked chicken to me. Photo by Getty Images)

On the other hand, I super loved the Vice President's wife Jill Biden, for walking in those sleek black calf-length stilleto boots and red overcoat. She really rocked! She was apparently wearing a Milly houndstooth dress under her fab, fab coat. Apparently some people criticized her for the length of the dress, the hemline grazing above her knees, but hello, if you have it, flaunt it. These were not the knees of a fuddy duddy old woman approaching senior citizenship I tell ya.

At the ball, Dr. Biden was sooo splendid in a red strapless gown by Lebanese-American Reem Acra. (She dresses all these celebrities walking the red carpet.) It was so simple with just a tad amount of ruching, but Dr. Biden looked so vava-voom sexy. The Vice President just looked so positively cuter beside her. I truly am fascinated with this couple as much as I adore the President and his First Lady. Last thing about Dr. Biden's Inaugural Day outfits, if you compare them to what she's been wearing all throughout the campaign, it seemed a radical departure. Parang from conservative, biglang, wow, fabulosa!

(Jill Biden in a Reem Acra red gown. Doesn't she and the VP look awfully good together?)

Too bad the First Lady's hands were tied in the matter of picking a gown color. Tradition has it that First Ladies wear white during inaugural balls. Perhaps she should have chosen a different silhouette or did away with that one-strap look, or chose a different designer altogether. Methinks even that outrageous Christian Siriano who won season 4 of Project Runway would have done a better job of designing her ball dress.

Oh well, at least the First Lady is daring enough to try out different looks and continues to excite the girls into commenting about what she's wearing. Her predecessors were hardly fashion plates, and were largely boring in their attire. So winner pa din ang First Lady kahit pano.
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OF course ang pinaka-winner sa lahat ay:

(The hat was custom-made by Mr. Song Millinery in Detroit.)
Only a big woman with a big voice like Aretha Franklin can get away with a magnificent hat like that! Love it!

Obama inaugural via CNN/Facebook

FIRST off, this application was a way cooler gimmick than CNN's hologram interviews during election night in November. BUT, the amount of traffic to the CNN Live site caused some problems to some international viewers leading to some screen freezing. (I had to go to the TV finally to watch the proceedings there, but kept the Mac still tuned to CNN.)

(A shot of the crowd. The news reports said about 2 million visitors were expected to watch the inaugural. Check out the comments on the FB window. Just click to enlarge)

GENERALLY, it was a nice experience with most my friends still up and updating their statuses in reaction to what we were watching onscreen. I think I became too obsessed, that it seemed that I was updating my status every 15 minutes. (I counted more than 10 status updates since I started watching online at 7pm.) What was cool about the app was I could read the reactions of other people around the world as well, while they too watched the events unfolding onscreen.

(Joe Biden being sworn in as Vice President. I don't have Obama's actual swearing in as my Internet service decided to freeze that moment. Erg.)

It was a nice experiment for CNN and Facebook. Very innovative. Anyhoo, here are other screen shots of Barack Obama's inaugural via CNN/Facebook right up to the Bush couple's departure from the capitol. (I just had to make sure Dubya would leave.)

(Obama's speech: 'Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.')

(Special guests were the Tuskugee Airmen, the first African-Americans integrated into the U.S. military.)

(The Obamas and the Bidens walk the Bushes out to their waiting chopper.)

(43 waves goodbye to his fans...ngek may natira pa ba?)

(And we have lift-off folks! Bye-bye Bushie! Woop! glad that's over!)

* * * *
Meanwhile, I thought Obama's inaugural address was great. It was brief, straight to the point, and expectedly, called on all Americans to unite, and not to look at their differences as a hindrance to doing great things. He also outlined his main program of government: emphasis on scientific research, health insurance reform, addressing the economic crisis, and a push for diplomacy to settle international disputes.

I liked this part, because it kinda addresses our conditions here in the Philippines as well:

"What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them— that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government."

Read the full text of President Obama's inaugural address here.

(Online banner of New York Times tonight.)

Sure I didn't finish my work tonight, but I didn't dare miss this event. It was great to be part of history...even if it was just by watching TV or the computer feed. Congratulations U.S. of A! The world looks to you again for leadership and greatness.

Maya Angelou on Barack Obama

Something inspiring from poet Maya Angelou; her "ruminations" on the Barack Obama presidency on BCC's Notes to Obama. Click here for the video. (Suplado ang mga tiga-BBC, ayaw magpa-download ng video.)

Pinoys to make money easily in Year of the Ox

EASY come, easy go.

This is the overall reading for the Philippines in the Year of the Ox by renowned geomancer Joseph Chau of the Mandarin Oriental, Manila. “The location of the Philippines is in the wealth and prosperity direction [southeast],” he said in his press conference on Wednesday; thus, Filipinos in general will have an “easy life” in 2009.

But he cautions that even if they can earn money with no difficulty this year, “you know what they say, ‘easy come, easy go.’” Mandarin Oriental’s annual Chinese New Year festivities will be held at 10 p.m. on January 25. (The rest of my story in BusinessMirror.)

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I'll try to post the rest of the predictions for the individual zodiac signs. Must scan first. Stay tuned for that.
* * * *
(UPDATE: Citigroup Reports Big Loss and a Breakup Plan Hmmm...so much for Citi's finances turning around, as per Master Chau's prediction.)

The audacity of hope*

THE second day of the New Year and I’m in a virtual coma. Too much food, too much to drink, and too many yappy relatives. You can understand why my brain is half-functioning today.

I could bore you with the details of my family’s Christmas Eve celebration (basically, it was eating, opening gifts, eating, drinking, more opening of presents, eating again, then sleep, only to be repeated the next day), or I could make up my New Year’s resolutions (stop eating pork, go to yoga class three times a week, walk more, read more books, less computer time, etc. etc. etc.). But what would that accomplish?

Mercifully, I read a news story about Filipinos feeling more hopeful for 2009. According to the latest survey from the Social Weather Stations, 92 percent of its respondents said they would be welcoming the New Year “with hope”, while only 8 percent said they would be entering 2009 “with fear.” Of course, we’re only talking about 1,500 respondents here, mostly living in Metro Manila, thus hardly a representative sampling of us 76 million Filipinos.

Still, I tend to believe the results. Sure the entire economy is pretty much in the dumps, no thanks to the presidentita, and her continued machinations to extend her term beyond 2010. But Filipinos are very much the contrapelo in any situation; even in tragedy, we smile our sadness away. Beaten down by economic and political burdens, we still crack jokes and laugh. When the stacks are all against us, we will try to find some way to be more optimistic.



I suppose we have no choice; we need to trust that our desperate lives or any negative situation will turn around, or we would all fling ourselves off the San Juanico bridge. The alternative is just too depressing to even think about.

Being mostly Roman Catholics and believing in some Higher Power who listens to our prayers and pleas for succor and comfort also help us banish whatever gloom threatens to engulf our being, especially during the critical days of Christmas. I know for a fact that many people who normally don’t go to Sunday Mass usually go to Church for midnight Christmas Eve Mass, ardently praying for more blessings in the New Year. (“Lord, I need a better job. Lord, I need more money to be able to buy food for the kids. Lord, I need you to inspire my son to study harder. Lord, I need you to make my husband stop fooling around. Etc. etc. etc.”)

And then my cynicism surfaces and I think, maybe it’s because we’re so used to being at the bottom of the barrel, that we think there is no way but to reach up and out. Consider rich countries like Germany, whose own “hope” survey results were also published by the SWS on its web site. Compared to most Filipinos, Germans seem to be extremely fearful of their future. Every year from 2001 to 2007, their survey showed 50 percent or less of German citizens entering a new year with hope. (There were no results yet for 2008 entering 2009.) In contrast, Filipinos were very much above 80 percent on the “hope” meter every same year.

If you’re used to being on top, being rich, and powerful, and then you lose all your money because of a mistaken investment, how hopeful would you feel about the New Year? Already, there have been reports of a couple of suicides from the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the U.S. and the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme.

Perhaps it is all a matter of trying to readjust one’s attitude as well, and finding out one’s priorities. If it’s money that moves you, having it will give you a perpetual high and makes you want more. Losing it, will push you off the edge. But you and I know (though we do sometimes forget especially when confronted by the latest Prada bag in the shop window) that there are more important things in life than money – like family, moral values, and spirituality.

So whatever ill or mean thing which may have happened to us in 2008, or no matter how disgusted we are with how our country has plummeted to the dark abyss of nothingness, we’re still here, alive. We have our good health, a roof over our heads, and are still able to eat three square meals a day.

Personally, I felt extremely blessed that during Christmas, my entire family was together despite earlier events in the year pointing to what could have been a tragic disunity amongst us. And I prayed hard every day that all the hurts and pain amongst the family members would be healed. With that prayer answered, how can I not feel anything but even more hopeful of what the New Year would bring? How audacious is that?

Most of you readers also realize that like me, our families are still better off financially than 70 percent of our kababayan, so how dare we be depressed or sad or fearful for 2009? We should in fact give thanks that He has not forgotten us, and that even though we sometimes think we don’t deserve it, we continue to get the good stuff from Him.

Of course, in the same breath, we should maybe pray some more for those less fortunate than us – like those who were not able to be with their families last Christmas, for our kababayan abroad who have lost their jobs because of this global economic crisis, and especially for those who are in poor health, that their situation will turn around in the New Year.

I don’t mean to sound preachy, but really, we have so many things to be thankful for. List ‘em down. 2008 may have been awful year for a number of us, but hey, we’re still standing! Who was it who said: “What does not kill us makes us stronger”?

And I firmly believe that 2009 will turn out just splendid. For one, it’s a year before the next presidential elections, and we have the power to change our country’s direction. So that is something to look forward to. (Register to vote people!)

So in the same joyous spirit and ebullient words of a good buddy of mine, I wish you all a Happy New Year. Let’s rock and roll, baby!

(*With apologies to the U.S. president-elect. Photo from www.5pie.net. Btw, this piece would have been my column for today in BusinessMirror, but someone decided to close shop earlier than usual. That's the New Year for you. Something Like Life is usually published every Friday in the BusinessMirror, unless someone throws a fit. As you can very tell, "stop being bitchy" isn't part of my New Year's resolutions.)

Hysterical!

I just saw this TV ad tonight, and wouldn't you know it, Chuvaness already has it on her site!

Katawa talaga 'to! Pramis!

Tired of Obama already?

Na-ah! As far as my friends and I go (and even my Mama!), we continue to be fascinated with the President-elect of the United States. We still can't get enough of the news about him and his family. I personally am still hooked to CNN and BBC and surf there often to find more video news about Barack Obama, and read every scrap of news bit about him among the newspapers/wire services online. Obama fanatic? Fer shur. (But not for that pretend Obama.)

Here's another one from my favorite essayist, Pico Iyer:

My Chance Encounter with Obama in Hawaii

It was three days before the New Year in late 2006, and I was eating a burger with the traveler and writer Paul Theroux on Oahu's North Shore. Beside us in the rickety little shack was a quintessentially Hawaiian group of Chinese Americans, African Americans, semi–Southeast Asians and kids who could have been any or all of the above, waiting for the dad in the group to bring over their avocado burgers from the counter. It took Paul and me a few seconds to realize that the dad in question — who looked like a skinny teenager — was, in fact, the freshman Senator from Illinois, who was expected to enter the presidential race in the next week or two. (Click TIME for the rest.)

Enough already!

CAN the presidentita's minions just shut up already about Barack Obama? So she got snubbed. Not once, not twice, but three times. Once when she was in New York and Obama was running his campaign elsewhere; the second time when she called him after he won the U.S. presidential elections and he never returned her call; and again a third time, according to deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo. The presidentita's calls have yet to be returned. (Geez, how dense can a person be? Obama doesn't want to speak w/ you, GMA, get it?)

Revealing that, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said our presidentita and the U.S. President-elect already have an understanding on issues:

"With reference to a letter to President Arroyo on June 24, 2008, during the [her] last working visit to the United States, President-elect Obama outlined issues and concerns for collaboration between the Philippines and the United States hinged on a "partnership that makes progress on 21st century challenges," Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.

He said the these issues include climate change, food security, poverty reduction, the future of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, human rights in Burma and defense reform.

"President-elect Obama expressed confidence in successfully addressing these challenges," Ermita said.

He added that in the letter, Obama cited the "shared history" between the US and the Philippines. (The rest here)

(Poor presidentita...still waiting for Obama to call her back. Photo from ABS-CBN News.)

Gads can't these guys just quit? Talking about Obama constantly makes the snub even cut deeper dontcha think? I mean, forget it already. He snubbed the presidentita, so move on to other issues. He probably has a very good reason why he doesn't want to talk to her. (We know why, but she's still living in some parallel universe where she thinks people love her.)

If the guy doesn't wanna talk to you, no amount of preening for the media and propaganda will make your phone ring, anu? Tigilan na ang kahibangan na 'yan!