Missing.

I miss my own cooking. I know this is being egotistical.  But I really miss eating the food I used to cook.

I miss having the ingredients I used to use, like Knorr powder mix as breading for a lot of food I prepare such as calamari, fish fillet, veggie and shrimp tempura.

I miss having red and white wine for dinners.  Yes, I have occasional beer and some cocktails, but it doesn't taste like red or white wine.

I miss my Japanese, Chinese and Thai utensils, and my chopsticks.  I miss my tea cup.

I miss my favorite restaurants - Red Lobsters, and Golden Thai and the Vietnamese restaurant across Future Shop. I miss the Vietnamese fried roll and pork dumpling.  I miss the authentic Pad Thai at Golden Thai and the authentic Japanese miso soup and sushi at Memories and Bloor Sushi. 

I miss the Mediterranean Pizza at Pizza Hut, and the samosas at the Pakistani grocer.

I miss Nabob, Second Cup and Timothy's coffee.

I miss the yellow mangoes sold by " Juan Valdez," at the corner truck.  I miss the sweet, seedless pakwan and globule grapes. 

I miss bagel and cream cheese and oatmeal.

I miss Canadian sweet corn, Canadian ham and Molsen beer.

Knots.

Like twisted intestines.

Like after having a big, unforbidden meal.

After running and panting in the name of fitness.

As one walks the lanes and highways of memories.

Do you get this God-forsaken don't get no satisfaction feeling.

Thanks, Rolling Stones, that's the song you left us deniers, hippies, revolutionaries, the Gen X'ers and digital babies.  It spans decades, just like your band members.

Look how and what people have become?

From playful to placid to platitudinous?

It reeks of guilt, of self inquisition, of juvenile posturings.

Us can be curled, bound, twisted, unraveling, unforeseen future and decayed past.

No moons, no sun.

Revelations.

Since President Aquino's SONA last week, there have been revelations of scandals day after day.

Yesterday, it was the overpricing of the folders used in the last election, some 300 plus pesos for a cardboard folder.  Four COMELEC officials have been charged regarding this illegal act.

The other day, it was the NFA who was caught in the red.  Apparently, and as the warehouses showed, the past NFA administration over imported rice dating back to 2008.  Now, thousands of sacks of rice are rotting in NFA warehouses.

Today, it is the MMDA which has been put in the hot seat.  It's been alleged by the new MMDA Chairman that "payola" was paid by bus companies/operators to MMDA enforcers, in order to avoid being harassed for traffic violations.  Of course, the former chairman Bayani Fernando denied the allegation.  

Day after the SONA, the minority leader in congress, Edcel Lagman denied the "facts" which President Aquino presented in his SONA. Lagman told Malacanang to check its numbers regarding the remaining national budget.  Likewise, minutes after the SONA, Dato Arroyo when interviewed by a TV station, denied that Pampanga was given so much emergency money out of the calamity fund.

Denials.  All those who were in charge of the past still think they're in the Arroyo administration who's been known as the ONE great denier.

Let the Truth Commission be formed right away. Let it do its work.  Let the truth be told.

The Filipino people are a forgiving lot.  Even FVR (ex President Ramos) could not hold his mouth and said before the SONA that Aquino should stop the blame game.

I say let's jail the offenders.  Aquino was right when he said there could be no reconciliation without justice.

It's only in exacting justice that the Filipino people will have faith again in the government. Marcos had been spared of jail time.  Look what we have now -  three Marcoses in high government posts.

Let's not forget the sins of the past.  If we continue on patching up the wounds, the scars would heal but the damage would still be felt like "ghost pain."

I remember being bullied when I was a freshman at a catholic parochial school.  My friend and I and another classmate were assigned to clean the hallway after classes, when the bully came near me and in an accusatory tone said, "is that how they teach you to clean in the public school?"

Yes, I graduated from a public elementary school, but I didn't know that there was a private and a pubic type of sweeping the floor. All I knew was that the public school system produced a lot of talented people, people who loved to read, people who wrote well and people who became good leaders.

My friend, who overheard the remark, immediately reported it to our teacher, who confronted the bully.  What did the bully say?  "It was said in a jest," the bully declared.  Denier.

This bully, during our four years in high school, was never seen smiling. The last time I saw this bully was somewhere in Boni Avenue inside a jeepney which was waiting to fill up with passengers. I was driving a Volkswagen that time and making a right on Boni from EDSA. 

Tomorrow, I await another revelation, another misdeed of the past. 

Settlement Sub Plots.

I was new in New York. This was mid 80's. All I know about subways and trains was that I must not take any other train aside from the Path Train which I should take at the Journal Square in Jersey City, then off at either World Trade Centre, or 33rd Street.

My housemates told me never to take an independent line because they'd never know where to find me.

That was a scary second day out of Midwest and sleepy Ohio.

Yes, it was my second day and I had to find a job fast.  If not, I would have to go to Chicago, where my sister had a friend with whom I could bunk temporarily.  Well, Chicago was my port of entry when I first went to the U.S. and I didn't have any qualms settling there, but fate intervened because at the time I left Ohio, my sister's friend was vacationing in P.I.

I actually got off at 33rd street and  walked along 5th Avenue.  I had with me a copy of the New York Times and the Daily News classifieds.  I kept on walking and stopping at addresses which I had encircled from the ads.

When it was all over, I had to retrace my way back to 33rd street, near Macy's, where the Path Train was.  My feet had blisters.

On the train, I took off my shoes.  No one minded, because New Yorkers or New Jerseyans were so used to this kind of stuff, and many more unusual kind.

After this, I applied for any job - groceries, electronics store, even a small merchandising outlet owned by a Filipino-Indian.  But I didn't have any retail experience and it must have shown in the interview.

Finally, after a week, one of my housemates accompanied me to a temporary employment agency just a few blocks from the World Trade Centre.  There, I was given a simple I.Q. test and when I got home in the afternoon, the agency called me to start work the following day.

My first job in Manhattan was doing data entry for a New York government agency which dealt with placing abused kids into foster care.  So, I got to read cases of incest and other heart rending stories of family violence, which I totally abhorred.

During lunch break, I would go from one employment agency to another applying for a more exciting and permanent job.  It must have been on my second month in New York when a big law firm hired me.

It was not a dream job, but it was a dream corporation.  I was working for one of the top five law firms in New York, analyzing and digesting legal documents into a computer data base.  The client roster read like a  page of Dunn and Bradstreet, representing brokerage firms, banks, and individual clients whom I'd read in the papers. Pay was good, benefits were tops and there were two bonuses in a year, mid and December.

The firm was housed first in the Reserve Bank of New York area, well within Wall Street, and then moved uptown, in 57th.

My NY breakfast consisted of a bagel with cream cheese and coffee, which cost about dollar and some change.  Lunch was usually at a Chinese restaurant where they weighed your purchase from a salad bar.  Later on, breakfast would be ordered from the office cafeteria which looked like a huge restaurant, and lunch would be in any of the restaurants dotting 57th, from American food, to Chinese and Thai.

I started to have NY friends, two Filipinos in the office, a Vietnam guy, a Jamaican, an Italian who lived in Brooklyn and who used to invite me over at Thanksgiving, and an Irish with an Indian mate.  

Lunch time also meant walking while eating if I wanted to shop at Macy's on Wednesdays, or if I wanted to go to mass at St. Patrick's, or to go to the New York Library.

I also learned about subways and other trains from New Jersey.  I could travel at this time to central New Jersey, feeling comfortable sleeping on the train.

Then some mornings, walking from the Bus station, from 42nd up to 57th, I'd see remnants of the New York underprivileged class - prostitutes (female and trans) doing a last minute sell, or the homeless changing clothes in the streets and warming themselves on open fire.

But then, I'd also see these homeless ones inside the church.

Life was wonderful.  New York had been truly friendly with me. 

Painting 101.

This is not about Humanities, nor the appreciation of the arts.  It's simply about painting the interior of a house.

But about Humanities. Up to now, I have no clue what transpired in my Humanities class in U.P. Diliman.  All I remember is the Professor, some lass known as Ms. Moreno. 

After some minor renovation done on the interior, exterior and the yard by some crooked contractor, I now tasked myself with painting two small rooms near the kitchen. As I've already primed the walls of one room before the renovation started, the task involved painting the new ceiling, and third coating the walls.  Then, I installed a new linoleum flooring.

Going to the second room, I discovered some cracks on the floor which had just been finished by the worker.  Frustrated by the sloppy work, but having no other recourse, I bought a small can of the trusted putty and repaired the cracks.  

Then it rained last Sunday, and the unpainted room got soaked.  Examining the roof and walls, I found the culprit - water seeped through the bottom part of the wall edging the concrete floor.  The putty mix won't do the job, I told myself.  So yesterday, I mixed some cement from left overs, and cemented the wall-floor edging, and some other linear cracks.

I haven't mixed cement in my life before.  What I did was watched a "youtube" of a Bulgarian man showing how to mix Portland cement.  So there, my "cementing skills," originated from Bulgaria.  I should tell my Bulgarian friend, an ESL teacher in Toronto, about this adventure.

This morning I visited the project and it looks good.  So I readied the paint cans, thinner, rug, broom, newspaper, masking tape, and brush.  But wait, my two roller brush got dried with paint and they were hard and unusable.  I soaked them rather late, in water and waited for them to soften.

Finally, I decided to buy a new roller brush, 45 pesos for a 1/2 inch brush.  The other day, I bought a two-inch roller brush at Ace and it was only 49 pesos and it was of good quality.  Now, I know why there are so many hardware stores in the neighbourhood.  They are making a killing!

For instance, when the renovation started about a month ago, the cost of a bag of cement was 210 pesos, then it went up to 215, then 217 and finally 220 pesos.  There was even a time when there was a cement shortage, and village hardware stores imported from outside.

But before I could start/resume with the painting job, it was almost lunchtime, so I excused myself, sat in front of the computer and started to blog.  Why, labourers take lunch break, too. 

I plan to finish painting the second room in 1 1/2 days.  The rainy season has just started, and the second room, being on a higher level is a refuge, if and when it floods again, just like last year's Ondoy.

Reminded of Ondoy on a sunny day, I cannot help but wonder. 

Social Studies.

Forgive me.  Because I'm old, I still call this subject about current events and about Philippine society and government, in general, Social Studies.  I think it's known today as "Sibika."

"Sibika," popped into my mind early this morning because I was reminded of President Aquino's SONA(State of the Nation Address)  which I watched in its short entirety yesterday afternoon.

Aquino spoke in plain Tagalog, no fancy, eloquent words.  If he spoke in English, I guess it would have been more elegant, but less understood by the great masses of the Filipino people.

But it was a good speech.  It was clear and precise.  There were the usual critics who said the SONA was missing a lot of details and things.  

It was clear and precise.  Clear because it presented two things.  One, he presented the state of the Philippine nation - that it is deep in shit debt, some 197 billion in deficit.  What caused the deficit? The past administration spent more than it earned in taxes.

There's really nothing wrong if a government were to be in a deficit. Any government is not in power to make a profit or to earn surplus from the taxes it collects.  A government is elected to manage the affairs of its people - to oversee a rational tax collection and tax expenditure.

But any deficit should be manageable.  It should not overshoot.  I remember that before President Clinton was elected as U.S. President, the U.S government was in deficit, too, and it was Clinton who balanced the budget.

By presenting the real state of the nation, President Aquino was able to tell the Filipino people that in order for him to carry out his promises, foremost of which is curbing corruption, everyone should be able to make a sacrifice.

By sacrifice, I suppose he means, that government officials and employees should not expect any salary increases, to tighten government spending, etc.  And for private corporations and individuals, and all to not expect any earth-shaking "changes," such as an outright escalation of spending power.

But he did promise more jobs, better quality of education, health coverage for the poorest of poor, more infrastructures, and less wayward government spending.  He announced prosecution of criminals of all strife - from smugglers to tax evaders, to corrupt government officials, terrorists, and  media men murderers.  

Here, I wanted to hear more - that he restore general lawfulness in the Phiippine society fast.  That the law enforcement system act swiftly in going after petty and vicious criminals such as cell phone snatchers, laptop snatchers, bundol gang, car nappers, drug users who become criminals, and all other lawless elements.  These types of law violators are the ones that the general Filipino population abhor more than the "white collar or government" criminals, because their crimes are directly targeted to the general public.

The second point about the SONA that makes it precise and clear is that Aquino spelled out clearly some of the sins of the Arroyo administration, such as leaving almost no money for the present government to spend.  For instance, Arroyo earmarked tons of emergency money to her district in Pampanga seven months after the Ondoy calamity, and just before the May 2010 elections. Or how members of the Board of Trustees of the MWSS earmarked bonuses and incentives for themselves totalling to some 98 million pesos, before they even took care of the department's retirees' benefits. These two sins were chosen for effect because the country is just on the verge of the typhoon season and has just experienced water shortage. 

Aquino was precise - he was at ease pulling out those figures; his being an economist helped him.

There was a critic at ANC who said Aquino's SONA, was like him, dry. I didn't find it dry, at all.

I remember the speeches of Marcos - flamboyant.  But look where he took us. 

President Aquino is not a lawyer, so we can understand why his delivery is subdued - yet very human-like.  This kind of down-to-earth personality is what endears Aquino to the general Filipino populace. The people can relate to him.

Why Sibika?  

President Aquino mentioned an important aspect in his SONA.  That is to make the Philippine educational system at par with the rest of the world; to make the elementary and secondary levels a total of twelve years, instead of the present ten years.

In the U.S.A and Canada, twelve is the number. Six years in primary/elementary, two years in junior high, and four years in high school. 

In Canada, Filipino immigrants have a hard time qualifying for their professions (teachers, dentists, accountants, engineers, etc) because they would be lacking two years in education. The assessment requires a twelve-year primary/secondary education plus four years of university to be considered for a university degree.  So even if one has a University degree, during an assessment one's degree will be downgraded.

For instance, a Filipino teacher with just a Bachelor's degree, would lack the requisite four years of college degree and one year teacher's education.

If the Department of Education would ultimately enforce this two-year addition/change, I hope that the subjects to be taught would be relevant to today's global needs.  Not subjects like sex education, but more of science, math, languages, and civic studies.

Civic studies is a very important subject.  It should inculcate in the minds of the youth both the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.  It should inculcate civic values such as volunteerism, a watch-dog mentality for all levels of government and the environment, and moral values such as honesty and abhorrence for all forms of cheating, forthrightness so that each citizen can speak and act up.

PoliSci.

I majored in Political Science in U.P. Diliman for my undergrad.  I remember loving a subject called International Law, which was taught by a female instructor.

What do I remember of  International Law?  Oh, yes, "a marriage valid where performed is valid everywhere."

Do I remember anything else?  Nope, except that I got a 1.25 in this subject.

So with this info in mind, I can say that a marriage done in Vegas, even at those Elvis wedding chapels is a legal and binding contract.  It is considered a civil wedding.

Why is Las Vegas the wedding capital and Niagara Falls, the honeymoon capital of the U.S.A.? Statistics say so.

In Vegas, a couple planning to get married must obtain a wedding license first.  The license can be obtained easily by going to the Marriage License office in person, filling out the forms, and paying the fee.  All these take about fifteen minutes.  The office is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to midnight.  

In other states, couples are required to present blood samples.  Not in Vegas. 

Once a license is available, the couple can be wed at any of the chapels, or in the hotels.

The ease of paperwork, the availability of wedding ministers and venues, and the fun and carefree ambiance of Vegas all add up to why it's become the wedding capital of America. Americans from all over the U.S. and nationals of foreign countries get married in Vegas all the time.

But why is there a misconception that a Vegas wedding is not a real wedding?  This taint of a Vegas wedding has been caused by the concept that it is a "quickie wedding," and anything quickie is somewhat illegal or done haphazardly.

But wait. Those who think that a quickie wedding is not a real wedding are those who must have watched plenty of Hollywood movies, such as "What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas," and the like, or read about the Elektra/Dennis Rodman wedding.

But those who have gone through a Vegas wedding could tell you that it is for real - a wedding borne out of love. 

Personally, I think a Vegas wedding is fairy-tale like. 

Getting Married in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is one of the most unusual places to get married. You can organize your dream ceremony, from the most unique to the most sublime.

Each year, over 100,000 couples exchange wedding rings in Las Vegas. February 14th, St-Valentines' Day is chosen the most often 

followed by New Years' Eve.

Mythical couples like Elvis and Priscilla Presley, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow, Jane Fonda and Roger Vadim, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward pronounced their eternal vows in Vegas.

Sugar 'N Spice and Everything Nice.

While visiting Seattle last spring, my bro-in-law and sister, who both have sweet tooth, would regularly drive us to a Baskin and Robbin's  for usual doses of ice cream.  I'm a regular fan of ice cream, that is, I always keep a tub in my refrigerator.

As to which brands, I try everything - from Baskin and Robbins and Haagen Dazs, to DQ, Ben and Jerrys and some lesser known brands.  Occasionally, when I go to Chinese groceries, I pick up a Magnolia.  

If I get a Magnolia ,  I almost always pick up "ube."  But with all the other brands, I go for chocolate, rum raisin, vanilla and rocky road.

At Baskin and Robbins, I always choose Butter Pecan, Vanilla Swiss Almond, Jamoca or Very Berry Strawberry.

At Japanese restaurants, their dessert usually consists only of ice cream, and only two choices - green tea or red beans.  I love both.

Growing up, we kids relied on the "Mamang Sorbetero Mang Delfin/Tony," who used to ply the streets of Mandaluyong with his clean ice cream wagon and equally clean clothes.

When buying, we brought our own cup/glass for Mang Delfin to scoop our ice cream into, and got the sweet or ordinary cone on top.

Occasionally, if our mother was not looking, we'd call the ice drop man for a stick of ube or mongo ice drop.  If we had extra school allowance, we indulged on a Magnolia twin popsies.

If there were birthdays to celebrate or during some fiestas, my mother ordered ice cream from Mang Delfin, and it came in that huge, aluminum tube, immersed in dry ice.

I loved those "sorbetes" flavours - ube, queso, mango, macapuno.  And during those good 'ol days,  it was hygienically safe to consume those so-called "dirty ice cream."  Today, I am not so sure.

I've always wondered what that "eat all you can Haagen Dazs ice cream," is all about. For 400 pesos?  I can't try it.  My blood sugar level wouldn't allow me to. 

Which reminds me, we tried the eat all you can merienda/snack at Barrio Fiesta the other day. It costs 120 pesos a piece.  For that amount, you can eat arroz caldo, ginatan, palitaw, dinuguan, puto and kutsinta, maja, lumpiang prito, pancit, pandesal with carne norte, pritong saguing na saba, etc.

After that snack, I had to chew on a Ricolla.

Chances Are.

LEFT - The movie, Chances Are, starred Cybill Shepherd and Robert Downey, Jr.

by Johnny Mathis

Chances are 'cause I wear a silly grin
The moment you come into view,
Chances are you think that I'm in love with you.
Just because my composure sort of slips
The moment that your lips meet mine,
Chances are you think my heart's your Valentine

In the magic of moonlight,
When I sigh, "Hold me close, dear,"
Chances are you believe the stars 
That fill the skies are in my eyes.

Guess you feel you'll always be
The one and only one for me
And, if you think you could,
Well, chances are your chances are awfully good.

In the magic of moonlight,
When I sigh, "Hold me close, dear,"
Chances are you believe the stars 
That fill the skies are in my eyes.

Guess you feel you'll always be
The one and only one for me
And, if you think you could,
Well, chances are your chances are awfully good.

Where do you want to be?

Is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence?  

It's pure dissatisfaction.  It's not being content with what one has.  It's just plain battle inside one's head when one keeps on thinking about decisions made in the past.

No one can travel back in time; it only happens in the movies.

Experts say when a decision has been made, just forget about it. Let its consequences take their own course.  There's no use to cry over spilt milk, remember?

That's why we hear so oft the phrase, " time to move on."  No wisdom in dwelling over actions made, decisions rendered, contracts signed, etc.

I saw this old movie of Sally Field (Karen) and Ed Harris (Mack) titled "An Eye for an Eye."  It also starred the young Kiefer Sutherland (Robert Doob) as the serial rapist and killer, who raped and murdered Sally Field character's teen daughter, Julie.

Kiefer's character, Robert Doob, was soon arrested for a DNA match but was released in no time because his defense team argued that they were not given a sample of the DNA, which the prosecution promised, on which they could perform their own tests. The case was dismissed and Karen and Mack were dumbstruck as Doob walked away a free man.

Meanwhile, frustrated over the justice system, the couple Karen and Mack joined a support group for people with relatives who died violently. Sally Field soon found out about a clique within this group that advocated for killing the killer.

She soon trained for the task of killing her daughter's violator.  She joined a fitness class and took defense and shooting classes.  But soon, another victim's mother who turned out to be undercover cop, advised her not to go on with her plan.

But after Robert (Kiefer) raped and murdered another girl, Sally Field decided to carry out her original plan which she already abandoned.

Frustrated people can be walking around without their heads; we may not know who they are.

The priest yesterday told the congregation how scared he was to find out about the hundreds, maybe thousands of people, who flocked to the fire arms/ammunition expo at the SM Mega mall.  He asked, do people really not feel safe in this country that they want to carry a gun?

Sanity, control.  Even if morons, thieves, swindlers, dubious contractors and con artists swarm around you, do not lose it. Money will always come back to you. 

Aggravation which you did not want in the first place, and which was caused by evil forces is not good for your health.  If you were wronged, and it is not physical but just financial, don't prolong your agony.  Just get over it.

An eye for an eye is not in the civilized nation's books.  Believe in "karma."  Whoever does a wrong will experience a wrong, in a worse way.  

Imbibe the positive force around you.  Inhale the green grass in whichever fence it is.  Caress the pups, swat the flies (the real ones), clean the yard, sanitize the house, feel the heat of the morning sun, drink your coffee.

And feel sanity and peace return to you.

New Adoptee.

The neighbour's dog gave birth to several puppies and the owner needed homes for the new babies. So, she gave us one and we accepted it - but she's a sorry sight to see. I think she's the "ugly, unwanted one."

Her right eye is somewhat skewed; "pisak," in local parlance.  Today, we're still not perfectly sure if she's blind on the right.

She was bony.  For a two-month old pup, she was weightless.

I assigned her first to the second bathroom.  Surprisingly, or because she was too weak, she behaved the first night.  Then the following day, I gave her a good scrub.

After that refreshing bath, the "bony one" perked up and ran all over the kitchen and dining area.

I gave her bread and water, and gradually fed her house food.  But into her first week, I noticed that her digestive system has not been working well; after each meal, she would "poo." Even with dog food, she still excretes few hours after eating. 

So, I moved her into the "under construction" outside washroom.  It has roof and walls already, so she's safe and warm there.

This is her second week with us.  From a bony weakling, she has transformed into a perky, pesky little thing.  We call her either "Whitey, or Tisay."

Welcome to your new home, Tisay!

Panahon Ko 'To.

LEFT - Fashion of the '70's era.

The new game show "Panahon Ko 'To," hosted by Lucky Manzano and Billy Crawford is really entertaining.

I watched it yesterday and the group of Bembol Roco won, but in the final round, they were not able to answer most of the questions, including identifying the secret star, which was Clint Eastwood.

 

Of course, I like the questions from the 60's and 70's most, but could also answer the 80's, 90's and the present decade.  If the questions refer to Philippine scenery of the 90's and 2000's, I almost get the answers wrong. 

For instance, I woke up at around 1:30 a.m., and after a snack, watched TV and flipped channels. On the Cinema One cable channel was a Tagalog movie about a good cop who was battling it out with a serial rapist and murderer - a scion of a powerful and evil man who was being protected by corrupt lawmen. 

I never saw the title of the movie and didn't recognize a soul except for Orestes Ojeda and Jonee Gamboa who were in supporting roles.  I waited for the ending credits and saw the names "Jeric Raval and Daisy Reyes," names that didn't ring a bell.  So, I supposed this movie must be in the latter part of the eighties or could be in the nineties, when I was out of the country.

In my time, teens and older people were smokers.  Then in the latter eighties, smoking started to become taboo.  In the nineties and up to present time, smoking, especially in North America where the no-smoking law is strictly enforced in public places including restaurants and bars, is a BIG NO NO.

Among my siblings, only one is a smoker.  Among my thirteen nephews and nieces, just one smokes.  

This is the panahon of the digital babies.  Every boy and girl has a cell phone, PSP, Ipod, and internect connection.  

This is the panahon of the coffee, or specifically of the high-calorie caffeine drink laced with other non-coffee concoctions, mostly cream and sugar.

This is the panahon where the young destroy their bodies with alcohol, pills and drugs and then spend hours in the gym.

This is the panahon of couples living in and not getting married.

This is the panahon where children rarely acknowledge their parents' love and sacrifice, and only think of themselves.

This is the panahon where decorum and delicadeza are passe.

Decorum.

LEFT - TAKEN FROM NEWS PHOTO  "The pamanhikan begins with former Tarlac Congressman Jose Peping Cojuangco welcoming the Jaworskis as Mikee receives a bouquet of long stemmed roses from Dodot."

At the inauguration of the new Philippine President Noy Aquino, he observed protocol and decorum when he fetched outgoing President Gloria Arroyo from Malacanang.

It was also decorum that dictated Aquino to accord Arroyo respect inside the car, and on the podium (him offering Arroyo a hand in mounting and dismounting the elevated box).

And in his inauguration speech, Aquino also promised to restore decorum in the streets of Manila and of the entire country when he declared war against "wang wang, counter flow and tong."

And yesterday, Aquino told the public that he'd ask his cabinet to attend a seminar on improving the way it communicates with media.  Again, a show of decorum.

Decorum.  "The forms required by good breeding, or prescribed by authority, to be observed in social or official life; observance of the proprieties of rank and occasion; conventional decorum; ceremonial code of polite society.  Propriety of manner or conduct; grace arising from suitableness of speech and behavior to one's own character, or to the place and occasion; decency of conduct; seemliness; that which is seemly or suitable."  In Pilipino, it means "magandang asal, tamang pag-aasal."

Decorum has been sorely lacking in certain societies for so many years now.  No, let's not look macro, but go micro, and look at our own families.

Today's most children resent parental restrictions, admonitions and advice concerning proper behaviour.  They declare, "lumang uson na iyan," or "that's passe.

Take dating, for instance.  In days past, a male suitor would go to the female's house when courting (aakyat ng ligaw) ; woo not just the girl but the girl's parents, as well;  then, agree to a chaperon when dating; and finally, ask for the girl's hands in marriage in the formal "pamanhikan, elaborate with food and with the groom-to-be's parents and padrino (godfather) in tow.

In the rural areas, "pamanhikan," or asking for the bride-to-be's hands in marriage, even consists of doing favours for the girl's parents, like chopping wood (magsisibak ng kahoy), fetching water (mag-iigib ng tubig), bringing fresh milk from the barn (mag-gagatas ng kalabaw), and other menial errands for the girl's family. 

And in the more ancient past, the groom was expected to give a dowry to the bride's family.

It is not only in the Philippines where the elaborate custom of "pamanhikan," is done.  In India, though it's opposite, a dowry is given to the groom's family.

Although the Philippine courting scene and practises have changed through the years, and decorum has been largely ignored by some, there are still a large number of Filipinos who observe decorum, good manners and Philippine traditions.

For instance, the unique Pinoy tradition of kissing the hands of the elders (mano po) is still widely practised, "pakikisama," or buddy-system is still a norm, and "pag-galang sa magulang at matanda," or respect for parents and elders is generally expected of the young.

In courtship and marriage, the Filipino parents, no matter how modern they've become in practises, still continue to exact decorum and demand that their children get married properly. After all, marriage is not just a tradition but to most religions, a sacred ritual of uniting two people, and in civil societies, a ceremony to legally bind two parties, and accord them rights and privileges not normally present to common law relationships.

The dawning of the new Philippine presidency with its flair for decorum and decency has spawned hope for the millions of Filipinos. There is a feeling of resurgence of energy - of change, not just in governance, but in the state of affairs of Filipino families -  economically, spiritually and in the over all betterment of the Filipino. 

Not a Dole Out.

We heard it straight from the mouth of the new Secretary of Finance, Cesar Purisima - there is no intent to balance the budget, but to plug the leakages in government tax collection - as a first step to increase government revenues.

With increased revenues, the new administration will have more money to finance its infrastructure development (another key agenda of  President Aquino), education (top priority) and other projects.

Change has long been overdue and it was the cornerstone of  Noynoy Aquino's election promise which led to his victory. But as he himself admitted, change, Aquino said, can only be felt, maybe three years down the road, or even beyond the six years of his presidency.

So, to make people feel change right away, President Aquino promised in his inaugural address to eliminate "wang wang, counter flow and tong," three issues which almost every motorist has encountered in his day to day driving.  

Maybe the new administration can also implement a BIG CHANGE which every tax-paying Pinoy can feel instantly. Give tax rebate to individual tax payers, and a rebate on VAT.  

In Ontario, a province of Canada, each tax payer can apply for a rebate on the GST (government service tax) when s/he files his income tax return.

Mr. Obama did this very thing right after he won the U.S. presidential election in order to spur spending in the lethargic U.S. economy.  An average American household thus received about a thousand dollars.  Then he injected money into federal infrastructures to provide much needed employment.  

We know that the average Pinoy family is so lacking in extra cash on hand.  A tax rebate  and a VAT rebate would go a long way in plugging household deficit, and directly spur spending. And with the so-called domino effect, this rebate could produce a chain of  economic activities down the line - increase in sales and revenues for producers, sellers, transporters, merchandisers, and allied industries and an increase in hiring and employment, and so forth.

Yes, the government would have to fork out the cash.  It can look up to revenue generating agencies such as PAGCOR and borrow from the Central Bank. Yes, this added borrowing will increase its deficit but the very role of the government is to inject cash to spur the economy anyway.  

And this is ONE government spending which will directly benefit the great masses of the Filipino people - a change that can be felt immediately, and one which will go back to the coffers of the government in the form of taxes to be paid by corporations who would have benefited from the increased economic activity brought about by the ONE TIME cash injection.

It is not a dole out.  Call it a rebate or a bonus. Afterall, the Pinoys are now the Boss of P-Noy.

Friends.

I watched the sitcom "Friends" mostly as reruns.  During its regular run, I was too busy sleeping. Same is true with other popular sitcoms, such as "Everybody Loves Raymond and Seinfeld," which I enjoyed as old episodes. Whenever a new season unfolded for these shows, I would be snoring in front of the TV by the time they'd be on.

Jogging my memory, I used to enjoy "Wonder Years, Days and Nights of Molly Brown, Family Ties, Night Court, Cosby Show, Golden Girls, Murphy Brown, even Married with Children" on their regular seasons. 

What happened after these shows folded up?  I simply didn't like the new, now-cancelled shows.

But then I started to wake up from my prime time nap (eight pm) at around eleven in the evening, and those times were the start of sitcom reruns.

Of course, I stayed awake for the six p.m. early evening news edition, and "Jeopardy" (7:30 p.m.) because those hours were my dinner time, but as soon as Alex Trebek bades goodbye, I conked out, too.

If I had to work the following morning, I'd try to go back to sleep at one a.m.  But the sleep apnea(sleep disorder)  episode sometimes kicked in at 2 a.m, and before I knew it, it was 6:30 a.m. and time to go to work.

At eleven p.m., I would turn on the TV and put it at its lowest volume or even mute, and begin to enjoy old movies, sitcom reruns, even foreign films with English dubbing,

Now in Manila, I still can't figure out the cable channels.  I mostly tune in to newscasts, HBO and Cinemax.

Back in Toronto, I'd also stay logged on to the Internet in the wee hours of the morning, reading news back home (P.I.) and interesting blogs.

These days, I'm only tuned in to my own blog and another blog which I haven't abandoned yet.

I miss reading Rush Limbaugh (right wing, why not?), Toronto Star (liberal) New York Times (liberal), Washington Post and Times, even the Baltimore Sun, and the countless, interesting political blogs.

Staying in Manila somehow has limited my on-line hours, and my movie time.  

Sleeping hours changed, too, mall visits fluctuated, eating became enforced, exercise and dancing became nil, even non existent.

It's a life of a dead man. No complaints.