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.)

HOT NEWS!

Obamas Expected to have Sex in White House, Insiders Say
By Billy Kimball

In what is sure to be a controversial move, President-Elect Barack Obama has indicated to his inner circle of advisors that he and his wife may have sex in the White House sometime during the four years of his first term in office.

"He's not saying they definitely will have sex," said an Obama confidante who declined to be named, "But he's not ruling it out. He's also not ruling out having sex more than once." (Click here for the juice.)

LOL! para di naman kayo masyadong serious.

Although if you've watched the interviews of the presidential couple, especially that of 60 Minutes last weekend, you can sense there is still a deep level of intimacy between the two despite the 16 years of marriage. They joke w/ each other a lot (what we term as nagkukulitan), kiss, and hold hands. They look into each other's eyes when they speak to each other. So you know these two just love each other.

Let's hope the White House stint ah, "enhances" the relationship even more.

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.)

What can $700 billion buy?

FIRST of all, no matter how hard I wrap my head around this figure for the U.S. government's grand bailout party, I dunno how they're gonna pay for it unless they hock themselves further in debt. This is overspending to the gazillionaireth proportion and who is gonna pay for all that? The American public. Why do we care? If Americans have less money onhand, they buy less of our goods.

Why can't the U.S. goverment just pay off the mortgages of those who can't pay, or at least, stretch out the borrowers' payments or just help them get on their feet, instead of pandering to Wall Street and (U.S. Treasury Secretary) Paulson and George Bush's rich buds?

Anyway, here's a piece in Vanity Fair on what $700 billion can buy: prevent 200 million foreclosures, pay the U.S. debt to Japan, pay for social security for the next 40 years, remake Titanic 3500 times (ick!), buy 10 iPhones for every American, or how'd you like 10 large hadron colliders? Read the rest at VF Politics and Power

Ah Ludwig, you were right

“There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion.”

- Ludwig von Mises
(1881 – 1973)
Austrian Economist, philosopher and a major influence on the modern libertarian movement

I guess that says it all about the U.S. economy, ey? Dontcha worry my fellow Pinoys, the remittances of our parientes abroad will save our economy yet.

Good morning pow.

9/11...seven years after

WHERE were you when two planes struck the World Trade Center in New York City in 2001?

I was in the office, at Manila Standard, past 9 pm, advancing a special page so I wouldn't have to rush about the next day trying to beat the paper's deadline for the page to go to the printers. As is the usual in most newspaper offices, the TV was switched on, and stuck on CNN.

While buried nose deep in the stories I was editing, I heard a commotion in front of the TV set with most of our late-night staff chattering loudly about. "Ma'am me nag-crash na eroplano sa World Trade Center (Ma'am an airplane crashed into the World Trade Center)," was the response of one of the staff, when I asked what was happening.

So I approached the group and watched as black smoke was spiralling from one of the Twin Towers, a familiar landmark in New York. (It annoyed me some months after that when I had visited New York, I didn't even bother to tour the World Trade Center, as I wasn't much of a fan of skyscrapers really. I was more engrossed in the museums, Barnes & Noble, and watching plays on Broadway.)

Then CNN replayed the video of what looked like small plane crashing into one of the Twin Towers. I swear, my nape and arms got all clammy as a single thought popped into my head, "terrorists." I don't know what it was that made me immediately think it, because there have been accidents in the past of small-seater planes crashing into buildings. But maybe because it was New York City, and it was a beautiful sunny day, with the grey-colored Twin Towers standing tall in contrast against the azure sky. It could have been just another lovely day in the city, but cynic that I am, I just knew it couldn't be that perfect.

Soon after, as I continued monitoring CNN, another plane crashed into the other building. It looked like a jet. My hairs just stood on end, as I watched in horror like the other staff. This was real. It confirmed my notion that this was a terrorist attack. I immediately conferred with our night editor to remat the front page of next day's paper. Then our publisher and editor-in-chief came rushing in a few minutes after to oversee the paper's revision. It was back to business for us. As the night wore on, news about similar plane crashes came in, one in Pennsylvania, another at the Pentagon. We gathered all the wire stories and photos on the crashes. It was going to be a long night for us at the office.

When I finally got home, still fully wired from what had just happened, I switched on the TV set and tuned in to CNN. I just sat on my bed, transfixed at the images of the buildings, billowing smoke, and people falling out the windows. Not long after, the Twin Towers just collapsed like a house of cards. And I just sobbed in frustration, anger, and sadness. I prayed for those who died from the attacks, and beseeched the Lord's protection on those of us still living.

Seven years after, as I look back at the photos and watch the special news reports reflecting on that dreadful day, there is still a catch in my throat. More than 2,900 people died that day, most of the victims' bodies were never found. These tragedies may not have happened here in the Philippines, but we have all been affected by those terrorist acts. Our lives, habits, and customs changed almost instantly after that fateful day. We are reminded of 9/11 every time we go to the mall, ride the rail, or travel by plane, arrive in another foreign land.

Despite the heightened security during these dangerous times we're in, we are still here, soldiering on, and moving forward. That takes courage. And I am thankful that despite 9/11, we have not lost our nerve for living.

And amid Typhoon Frank's devastation...

...here's another trite exchange between U.S. President George Bush and our very own presidentita. (Paging hubby Jon Stewart! Let's see this one on The Daily Show.)

PRESIDENT BUSH: Madam President, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to the Oval Office. We have just had a very constructive dialogue. First, I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that -- in which there's a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the -- of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House. (Laughter.)

President George W. Bush welcomes President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Republic of the Philippines to the Oval Office Tuesday, June 24, 2008, at the White House. The President expressed deep condolences for those affected by Typhoon Fengshen saying, "We, the American people, care about the human suffering that's taking place, and we send our prayers."

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Yes.

PRESIDENT BUSH: And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President.

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Thank you. (More here)

Watch the video. Katakot tumawa ang lola nyo. Kiliting-kiliti sa sinabi ni lameduck president.

And what totally inappropriate wardrobe! A lot of people died in the wake of Typhoon Frank, and yet she is dressed in red! Anovayan! Of course, it just so happens that that's the only color that suits her. Being short, she needs to stand out. But really...how lacking in sensitivity to what has happened back here.

Sa true lang, what's the purpose of this visit to George Bush? Mega-junket ng katakot-takot!

For sure nagsipsip ang lola nyo ke Obama and McCain. Just trying to make sure we have U.S. support whoever wins in November.

At baka me side trip to visit Joc-joc Bolante. Hingi ng cut pa nya at kulang. After all, we hear Joc-joc has sold (or is selling) his house in Alabang and all his cars. Tsk, tsk. He isn't planning to come back here that's for sure.

Kainez these people!

(Will post the video as soon as I figure out how. Stay tuned.)

AI viewers gone nuts

SO...American Idol fans don't care much for Broadway tunes! Sorry Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, all they cared about was how cute David Archuleta, David Cook and JC Castro were the night of their performance.

Was anyone actually surprised? These viewers don't appreciate real talent! I mean, how could they have sent home Carly Smythson who sang Jesus Christ Superstar rather well, and for a woman, might I add? Also in the bottom two was Syesha Mercado, whose very theatrical and excellent performance of One Rock 'n Roll Too Many, was certifiably Broadway-believable?!

When the American viewers voted off Michael Johns, I thought that was just heartbreaking! He was just one of the most talented (and sexiest) contestants ever. And such an all-around nice guy even his fellow-contestants loved him. All the judges also believed he would have been one of the top three. Okay, so I thought it was a fluke. Because the viewers got it right last week when they voted off Kristy Lee Cook during Mariah Carey week. I never liked Mariah's OA style of singing (feeling Barbra Streisand ba, just like Celine Dion) and I didn't like Kristy Lee very much either because of her country style. So I thought the viewers came to their senses and made the right decision in voting off Kristy Lee.

Then the viewers went nuts again this week. How could they possibly think that Brooke White, who started, then stopped, then started her song (You Must Love Me) again, is AI-worthy? At this stage in the contest, these guys should already have some sense of professionalism to go on with the show (or song) without skipping a beat. Never mind the mistake at the beginning. And JC Castro? What the hell was that? It was a very forgettable performance of Memory (pun intended) with just dreamy eyes all over the place.

The same was true for David Cook, who unexplicably sang Music of the Night straight, and toned down. No extra effort in singing it except for another case of dreamy eyes. David Archuleta at least had the guts to sing a very different arrangement of Think of Me, which was rather interesting. Even Lloyd Webber also thought so. O sha, sha, cute kayong tatlo...so you have a big fan bases.

That still doesn't explain Brooke. Must be the awa factor.

(Sayang that cute tee – Simon loves me (this week) – Carly brandished after AI judge Simon Cowell gave her high marks for her performance. Kiss of death na pala ang comment ni Simon.)

Hooters in Manila

The ‘real’ Hooters opens at Mall of Asia
By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo
Special to BusinessMirror

“THE owl is landing at the Mall of Asia on April 28.”

Kaz Endo, managing director and partner of Paradise Wings LLP, a Guam-based company that owns the Hooters franchise for Guam and Asia, including the Philippines, was referring to the owl logo of the popular US restaurant chain. The Hooters logo is known worldwide as it is printed on the tight-fitting, white, spandex, sleeveless shirts of the restaurant’s buxomy wait staff.

“We are currently finishing up our plans for the grand opening, and let me just say it’ll be a blast! [There will be] live bands, free giveaways and, of course, everyone will finally be able to try our world-famous Hooters chicken wings and burgers,” said Endo in an e-mail to the BusinessMirror.

A “special VIP party” will also be held on April 26, with only select guests invited, according to the restaurant executive.

He said about $1 million will be invested to open the first outlet of Hooters right outside the Mall of Asia (MOA), reputed to be the largest mall in Asia which is owned and operated by the SM Group of Filipino-Chinese taipan Henry Sy. “Our restaurant is part of the restaurant row at San Miguel by the Bay. We are located at Building ‘D’ and have plenty of parking space in front of us, so our guests will find it very convenient to come for lunch and dinner.”

He said the originally-planned location for the restaurant at The Fort Entertainment Strip ran into some snags so the company decided to push forward with the MOA site. “We hit some delays with The Fort that was unfortunate, but we have since resolved them. When MOA became a green light, we proceeded with our plans to open it first. In hindsight, the delay at The Fort was fortunate as we have since changed our design ideas for the interiors.” The restaurant at The Fort was supposed to have opened in February. (See “Coming soon at The Fort: Hooters,” BusinessMirror, November 6, 2007.)

Hooters at the MOA is approximately 350 square meters, “but if you add the outdoor area, it becomes about 100 sqm larger,” Endo said. He said the entire area has a total seating capacity for 250 people.

Over 100 staff will be employed at the MOA site, including at least 50 female waitstaff. “We worked with MTV recently to do a ‘recruitment’ party and we will continue to work with local marketers to cast our Hooters girls,” he said.

Since news of Hooters opening in Manila was published in this paper, Filipino bloggers have been spreading the word about the restaurant’s opening. Some also wondered if the restaurant will also come out with a Hooters calendar like its US outlets.

Endo said the company is “considering” publishing a calendar and a magazine for its Filipino customers by 2009.

He added that Hooters Girls from the US will be flying into town during the first three weeks of operation at the MOA, “as they will be here as guests to help train and observe our local talent.”

Meanwhile, Endo said the company is aware of the fake Hooters restaurant along Diosdado Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City, which calls itself “Hooters Sports Bar and Restaurant”. He said: “Without going into detail at this time, I will just say that Hooters of America and the principles of that specific operation are currently in a legal dispute over trademark and concept infringment. Meanwhile, as the only authorized official franchisee of the Hooters brand, I encourage all customers who are curious about our restaurant concept to visit us soon! Hooters is a family-friendly environment with great food, casual atmosphere, and of course, Manila’s coldest beers!”

The fake Hooters sports bar uses a tarsier as its logo, but its large eyes are also positioned as the two “O”’s of its name, much like the real Hooters brand’s owl logo.

Begrudging his bedazzling

"The fact that Obama is exceptionally easy in his skin has made Hillary almost jump out of hers. She can’t turn on her own charm and wit because she can’t get beyond what she sees as the deep injustice of Obama not waiting his turn. Her sunshine-colored jackets on the trail hardly disguise the fact that she’s pea-green with envy."

(Clever. Click Maureen Dowd in today's NYT for the rest.)

I wish I was an American right now

NO, I'm not being unpatriotic.

I just thoroughly enjoyed this morning's Democratc Party presidential debate between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton which was carried live on CNN and I couldn't help but wish we here in the Philippines would have the same kind of electoral process that would be able to weed out the weak candidates from the stronger ones.

It was very exciting to watch both the Democratic Party frontrunners discuss issues intelligently and present their ideas and would-be policies to the voters. (Both were very cordial to each other btw, as if they had already agreed earlier on that what was more important to convey was party unity.)

I think the most important issue raised during the debate was on the Iraq war...why the U.S. got into it in the first place, and how the next president will get the country out of that mess. It is a topic that is really close to the hearts of a lot of American voters because most have friends and family serving in the military assigned to Iraq.

Clinton: (responding to a question on her failure to vote for an amendment requiring Bush to report to Congress the result of U.N. inspections before going to war) "You know, I've said many times if I had known then what I know now, I never would have given President Bush the authority. It was a sincere vote based on my assessment at the time and what I believed he would do with the authority he was given."

Obama: "I think it is much easier for us to have the argument when we have a nominee who says, 'I always thought this was a bad idea — this was a bad strategy.' " (The full transcript of the debate at CNN.com)

It didn't matter to me who nailed the debate because both argued strongly on issues they had already earlier been identified with, but what really appealed to me was the fact that the Democrats now have the best candidates to choose from.

You can almost feel the electricity in the air. Talagang excited sila sa States! Everyone is so galvanized to register, organize, speak up, and vote. Even if it's just the primaries. I suppose it's because they feel the Bush administration just so fucked up its seven years in office that the voters want a change and choose wisely this time.

So honestly, nakakainggit sila. Kasi, as far as the present crop of would-be presidential candidates here in the country goes, we don't have an Obama or a Clinton that can inspire us. You know, the kind that will be able to push us out of our comfort zones to help ourselves and our country to get its act together? Someone who can seriously kick butt and get the government to work for the people. For example, how many hours do you have to stand in line to get your driver's license, SSS ID, your baptismal or birth certificate, or your passport? (Answer: Longer than the hours you have to line up at the U.S. Embassy to get a visa.)

But I think part of the reason we don't have any more seriously competent politicians to serve the interests of the people is because of the following:

First of all, our electoral process is just chaotic. Like there are just too many political parties, and its members are just switching sides all the time naman. Magulo!

Then, we have a Commission on Elections that lacks the right equipment and credibility among its people to actually conduct honest and clean elections.

Third, all our politicians are trapos. Even the young ones have already adopted the style of their elders. You scratch my back, I scratch your back. There's always a quid pro quo involved in any resolution or bill passed by Congress or the Senate. They close their eyes to lobby money changing hands, even if they themselves don't get their share.

Kawawa na masyado ang Pilipinas. People just want to leave and move to another country. Hindi na bale mag-maid, mag-yaya, magpahid ng pwet ng matatanda sa ibang bansa, basta lang malaki ang sweldo nila at pamilya nila makakain ng tatlong beses isang araw.

They feel there's no hope. And we need a President who may not have all the solutions to our country's problems a hundred percent, but at least give us back the hope that things are going to change for the better.

In the States, they need change. Here in the Philippines, we need hope.

Weekend reading (UPDATED)

GOOD reads today:

Caroline Kennedy endorses Barack Obama

"I have spent the past five years working in the New York City public schools and have three teenage children of my own. There is a generation coming of age that is hopeful, hard-working, innovative and imaginative. But too many of them are also hopeless, defeated and disengaged. As parents, we have a responsibility to help our children to believe in themselves and in their power to shape their future. Senator Obama is inspiring my children, my parents’ grandchildren, with that sense of possibility." (From NYT, Jan. 27, 2008)

How to prevent the U.S. and the global economy from sliding into recession? Spend, Asia!

"The tremendous rate of savings in East Asia is another reason Asia is in a better position to prevent global recession than anybody else. During the East Asian financial crisis of 1997, some currencies weakened dangerously. At the time, national governments lacked enough reserve foreign currency to counterbalance this devaluation. The lesson that East Asia took away from this experience was to maintain large enough reserves to prevent drastic currency fluctuations. As a result, Asian governments now accumulate foreign currency for reserve purposes at a rate far in excess of any other region." (From the Asian Sentinel, Jan. 25, 2008.)

Telling her own story, Michelle Obama finds her voice too

"You think of my parents who didn't go to college, who sent not one but two of us to Princeton, my brother and I," she told the 200 or so students that came to hear her speak. "And the one thing that is clear to me as I've traveled the country is the story of my father is the story of America, I don't care what color what folks are, I don't care if they grew up on a farm or in the inner city." (From TIME online, Jan. 24, 2008)

French Trader Is Remembered as Mr. Average

"André Tiran, the dean of the faculty at the University of Lyon, theorized that Mr. Kerviel’s training in risk control management might have given him some critical advantages in any financial scheming.

'It’s a little bit like becoming a thief with training in locksmithing,' Mr. Tiran said. 'If you’re good at being a locksmith, then to steal is easier.' " (From the NYT, Jan. 26, 2008)

Good reads (and another thing Pinoys should be proud of)

From The Economic Consequences of Mr. Bush by Joseph Stiglitz, former chief economist of the World Bank and Nobel Prize laureat:

"Up to now, the conventional wisdom has been that Herbert Hoover, whose policies aggravated the Great Depression, is the odds-on claimant for the mantle “worst president” when it comes to stewardship of the American economy. Once Franklin Roosevelt assumed office and reversed Hoover’s policies, the country began to recover. The economic effects of Bush’s presidency are more insidious than those of Hoover, harder to reverse, and likely to be longer-lasting. There is no threat of America’s being displaced from its position as the world’s richest economy. But our grandchildren will still be living with, and struggling with, the economic consequences of Mr. Bush....

"Whoever moves into the White House in January 2009 will face an unenviable set of economic circumstances. Extricating the country from Iraq will be the bloodier task, but putting America’s economic house in order will be wrenching and take years."

Read on at Vanity Fair.

Also, from the Asian Sentinel, a story on vigilantism, female style:

"A rambunctious and fearless posse recognizable by their pink-colored saris, the Pink Gang is the nemesis of violent husbands and inept government officials. Having personally suffered abuse, members of the vigilante club thrash abusive men, wife beaters and rapists, confront and shame wrongdoers and storm local police stations to accost lackadaisical cops."

Watch out men. We're on to you.

* * * *

Proudly Pinoy again

The Manila Standard Today reports that Lagen and Miniloc islands' resorts have been included in Travel + Leisure's 20 Favorite Green Hotels in its January issue. Actually, the issue was November 2007. Anyway, here is the relevant passage, as quoted by MST on Jan. 19:

“Surrounded by 123,000 acres of protected forests, jagged limestone cliffs, and hidden lagoons, travelers to sister resorts El Nido Lagen Island and El Nido Miniloc Island can take their pick of daily activities: bird-watching, kayaking, rock climbing, or simply watching fish swim below one of the guest cottages-on-stilts, which are set above the crystalline ocean.”

The El Nido resorts were actually ranked number eight out of 20 resorts wordwide, coming after well-established and major establishments in the Maldives , the Swiss Alps, and Bahamas. Just goes to show the Philippines still has something to be proud about.

Searching for Bobby Fischer

DO you remember this film? It was a small movie released in 1993 and starred only two famous actors Joe Mantegna and Ben Kingsley. But it sure packed a wallop.

Based on a real life story, the film was about child chess prodigy Joshua Waitzkin and how his coach, played by Kingsley, tried to teach him the aggressive moves of grandmaster Bobby Fischer. It was a very engaging film, especially if you're watching the chess games, and despite Kingsley's prodding, Joshua remains a very polite and respectable chess player. This was unlike Fischer of course, whose games had always been marred by his tantrums and demands.

I've always found chess a very interesting game. I used to play it as a child but quickly outgrew it. I couldn't take all that thinking! It's true, it is a game for brilliant minds, and sad to say, I'm not one of them...haha! On the other hand, it's good I stopped playing the game. Baka mabuang pa ako like Bobby Fischer, grabeh! You know what they say, there's a very thin line between genius and insanity.

The entire world always thought Fischer was a recluse, but in fact, he had been travelling regularly to the Philippines, because his best friend was Filipino grandmaster Eugene Torre. I remember that when the terrorists attacked New York on Sept. 11, 2001, not too long after, Fischer went on radio using a Baguio broadcasting station to air his grievances against the United States. We had tried to get a copy of the transcript of that broadcast but as I recall, we were unsuccessful in doing so.

The media generally dubbed Fischer as a weirdo, and although he was a Jew, he was always pilloring the religious/ethnic group, making all sorts of inappropriate anti-Semitic comments.

Anyway, as it turns out, Fischer fathered a child while he was staying in Baguio City, according to the Phil. Daily Inquirer. He even played tennis at the Baguio Country Club. His girlfriend supposedly now lives in Davao City but has maintained close ties with the chess master. Fischer died on Jan. 17 from liver failure, in Iceland.

The New York Times also came out with a rather unkind analysis of Fischer, but hey, even in death, he really could rouse up all these emotions toward him. That's how much his genius (or yes, craziness) has impacted on the world.

If you can still find a DVD copy of Searching for Bobby Fischer, buy it. It's a really entertaining film. This is one of the best true-to-life movies ever made.

International Bazaar day

This was the scene at the International Bazaar at PICC last Sunday.

SUNDAY was International Bazaar day at the PICC. Fil and I arrived late so we found the venue pretty much filled to the brim, with a long line of patient shoppers still waiting to get in. Bumped into the late Enrique Zobel's right hand Joan Orendain, who looked very slim since I last saw her. She joked that she was wearing a whole pile of girdles underneath her slacks. Hahaha...but owww!

Joan was handling the publicity for the International Bazaar Foundation chaired by Lovely Romulo, spouse to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, who, we heard, also arrived at the bazaar. She said media entrance was free but Fil and I had decided to each pay our P100 tickets considering the event was for charity. Btw, Joan is responsible for a number of books in my library as she loved to gift them to editors. We may have had our differences in the past but as you get older, you somehow learn to let go of a lot of old hurts and irritations.

Lovely Romulo (left) and Alice Favila

Inside, we met the Romulo children, Mons Tantoco, a columnist for Phil. Star, and Lupe Romulo, whom I knew because we both worked for Manila Standard under Jullie Yap Daza. Lupe said she had been away from the country for awhile and probably had about five years worth of columns to write. But she said she no longer has a taste for society writing, and I joked that maybe it's for the best, otherwise baka ma-Malu Fernandez pa sya! Of course, Lupe is not the insensitive sort like that ex-People Asia columnist.

Also filling her shopping basket to the brim was Tita Moonyeen Singson, the spritely wife of former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Gabriel (aka "Lolo Gabby") Singson. Tita Moonyeen surely has endured a lot of trials in her life, and so Fil and I were glad that she looked so happy and healthy. She has such a joyful spirit that is so infectious, I cannot help but admire this woman.

Escorting Tita Moonyeen, was Alice Favila, also a member of the International Bazaar Foundation and wife to Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila. For those who were also at the bazaar on Sunday, Alice was the voice announcing raffle winners. Unfortunately for Fil and I, no amount of cajoling Alice could make her call out our names. Not far behind the Tita Moonyeen-Alice parade was a dressed-down Antonio Abacan, president of Metrobank whom I thought did a good job guarding the bank's onsite ATM and filling it up with lotsa cash hehehe! Geez, there sure were a lot of shoppers withdrawing that day!

My new kooky ring

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to buy a lot of goodies from the international embassies which had their booths that day. Aside from the throng of people which made it almost impossible to move through the corridors, the prices were outrageously expensive for some items. Like there was a nice embroidered blouse being sold at the Thai embassy booth which the sales clerks said was P1,200. Also there was a beautiful necklace of gems selling for P14,000. You and I have been to Bangkok. You know exactly how much these things cost especially if you go to their Divisoria-like areas. I quipped to a fellow shopper that it was probably cheaper to fly to Bangkok and buy the stuff there than at the booth, to which she answered "Korek!"

At the Spanish embassy booth, there were also the usual baby colognes...but selling at least P50 more than what they go for at the Watson in SM. And the can of fabada which my mom and I only bought at Landmark grocery at Trinoma the day before, cost P120. At Landmark it was only P111. Same deal with the olives, olive oil, and other food stuff, Too bad there were no espadrilles being sold – last year they were a real steal at P250 a pair.

The wines at the New Zealand booth were also ridiculously expensive...selling for the same prices at Santi's! I love NZ wines (Villa Maria Estate's pinot noirs are especially excellent, and its sauvignon blancs are constant awardees in international wine competitions) but I was there to shop for bargains not support the entire government of PM Helen Clark! The only inexpensive wine I found was at the Chilean embassy booth, about P420, although it wasn't the year and the variety I was looking for. What I wanted to buy at the NZ embassy was lamb chops but due to our late arrival, were already all gone. Darn.

Yummy empanada from Polland bakery.

And yes, the U.S. Embassy was absent again this year, although Fil quipped it was probably because there was really no more "made in the USA" goods to speak of. I guess it's also because every month, the American Women's Bazaar is held at the World Trade Center, although I've been there a few times and have not seen many US goods/brands either. Geez, and to think California 2006 wines are especially superb this year and although I'm not a steak person, their certified Angus beef is still tops in my book.

But duh, what were "made in the Philippines" goods doing in the Korean booth?! You would think they would sell their beautiful leather bags and or at least DVDs of their hugely popular telenovelas! Buti pa ang Cuban embassy had CDs of their music on sale (pirated lang nga), and cigars. Of course since I don't smoke I didn't look at the boxes of Havanas on display.

Joyce's portabello mushroom dip in extra virgin olive oil with melba toast on the side. Fab dish for cocktails.

As usual, it was mostly food I brought home, infused with the local flavor and sweat of our fellow Pinoys, like the really delicious empanada of Polland bakery, the homemade Portabello mushroom dip of Joyce Aragon, some hummus from good old reliable Kashmir restaurant with some pita bread and an order of plain roti. Yummm.

I was also able to buy my pantulog – a pair of cotton shorts and top, and a night dress, for P200 each. There was also a long kurta-like gown from Turkey for P750 which I plan to shorten and hem in time for next summer's bathing suit season. (The bleached blonde tindera, however, was really kinda sungit though and absolutely refused to give me a discount for the box of baklavas she was selling for P800.) I also love my new weird ring which I bought for P250 from one of the charity organizations selling their wares at the bazaar. Thanks to Lupe for clueing me in on it, after I saw the cute thing on her finger.

All in all, it was a mildly productive shopping expedition. I just long for the good old days though when the ambassadors themselves were on hand to hawk their country's wares which could be had for reasonable prices. It was a different time in the world when shopping was still safe and diplomats could still mingle among the common folk unharmed. These days, it's all about X-ray machines and security checks at shopping venues. Tsk, tsk, tsk...

Bushisms

IN case you missed it, here's a Reuters video on US President George Bush's gaffes at the APEC summit in Sydney last week. Ahh, to have a cartoon character as head of state...some countries are just too lucky!



Sep. 7 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush makes light of his slips of the tongue, during an APEC address.

U.S President George W. Bush, renowned for his mispronunciation of words during his speeches, once again made audiences laugh during his address to the business summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) forum in Australia.

Within the first seconds of his speech, Bush referred to the gathering as the OPEC summit, the acronym for the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and then quickly rectified it to APEC, causing the gathering to erupt into laughter.

He later referred to Australia as Austria, but failed to pick up on it or rephrase the comment.

Throughout the rest of his speech he mispronounced several words, including Australia's capital Canberra, Kuala Lumpur and Jemaah Islamiyah.

And as if things weren't bad enough, when he had concluded his addresses, he made his way to the wrong exit, prompting Australian Prime Minister John Howard to make finger gestures at him, to show him the right way off the stage.

Kidnapping of Filipinos...the video clip

IN case you haven't seen the clip yet, below is the testimony given by Rory Mayberry, a former employee of First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting Co., at the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee hearing on allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse at the new $600-million US Embassy in Iraq. Mayberry alleges that the company kidnapped Filipinos and other Third World nationals to work on the construction project.



For a background on First Kuwaiti and its labor practices, read the story below. It also talks about an earlier group of Filipinos complaining of mistreatment by the company.

BAGHDAD EMBASSY BONANZA
Kuwait Company’s Secret Contract & Low-Wage Labor
by David Phinney, Special to CorpWatch
February 12th, 2006

Work for what is planned to be the largest, most fortified US embassy in the world was quietly awarded last summer to a controversial Kuwait-based construction firm accused of exploiting employees and coercing low-paid laborers to work in war-torn Iraq against their will.

More than a few U.S. contractors competing for the $592-million Baghdad project express bewilderment over why the U.S. State Department gave the work to First Kuwaiti General Trading & Contracting (FKTC). They claim that some competing contractors possessed far stronger experience in such work and that at least one award-winning company offered to perform all but the most classified work for $60 million to $70 million less than FKTC.

“It's stunning what First Kuwaiti has been able to get from the State Department,” one contractor said.

Several other contractors that competed for the embassy contracts shared similar reactions and believe that a high-level decision at the State Department was made to favor a Kuwait-based firm in appreciation for Kuwait's support of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

“It was political,” said one contractor.

Mohammad I. H. Marafie, chairman and co-owner of FKTC, is a member of one of the most powerful mercantile families in Kuwait.

(Click CorpWatch for the rest of the story.)

US importers look to less costly RP mangoes

MA. STELLA F. ARNALDO
02/28/2007 | 11:13 PM

Major importers of Philippine mangoes in the United States are looking forward to less costly mangoes from Manila with the decision by the US government in December to allow other provinces in the Philippines to export the produce.

This developed as the US Embassy in Manila confirmed the arrival of an inspector from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to assess the mangoes to be shipped to the US mainland and the territories of Guam, Hawaii and the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas (CNMI).

The first mango exports from areas outside Guimaras Island are expected to commence in March 2007 “and could last all-year round," according to Roberto Amores, president of the Philippine Mango Exporters Foundation.

Aside from Guimaras other mango-producing areas in the Philippines are Zambales, Batangas, Bataan and Pampanga, all in the Luzon region.

There are other areas in the Visayas such as Cebu, and Davao in Mindanao, which also produce fresh mangoes. Only Palawan is still prohibited by the USDA from exporting its mangoes because “the mango pulp weevil, a pest not known to exist in the United States, is prevalent (there). There are currently no approved treatments for this agricultural pest," the US Embassy said in an emailed response to this reporter’s queries.

(More at GMANews.TV)