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.

Ecstacy.

Ecstatic.  That's the word that can best describe the feeling and aura Pinoys are feeling and exhibiting these days.  One cannot help but be sucked into it.  It's in the air.

This ecstasy is not fuelled by the so-called "party pill," but by the impending inauguration and coming of the new President of the Republic of the Philippines - Noy Aquino.

Tomorrow, June 30th, is the swearing in of President Aquino.

But why such euphoric feeling?

I've been in Manila just for two months, but already,  I'm totally in the mood, and in one with the more than 14 million "kababayans" who voted for Aquino. 

I remember the time that Noy's father, then Senator Ninoy Aquino, visited U.P. Diliman.  It was before Martial Law; he went there to give a speech.  I don't remember anymore what he talked about.  I presume it had something to do with the excesses of the Marcos administration.

Senator Ninoy Aquino cut a dashing, charismatic figure.  He proved, during that short appearance, his flair for public speaking and his encyclopedic grasp of events and factoids.

Now, his son, Noynoy, who doesn't possess the same brand of charisma as his father, but still emits a compelling personality, will be sworn in tomorrow.  The people who knew and remember his father, could not help but feel nostalgic.

If Martial Law had not been declared and if Ninoy had not been assassinated, he was sure to have been elected as a Philippine president.  Certainly, this nation could have been totally different. 

We were number two to Japan in terms of economy before Martial Law had been declared; now we trail even Vietnam, who'd been just out of the destructive war and Indonesia, who had been just out of the chaotic civil war post-Sukarno and Suharto rules.

Pinoys could not help but be ecstatic.  Here is another leader who could provide change.  It's the feeling of hope.  Pinoys are good at hoping.

Post Mortem.

Attending a mass in a mall has its pluses and minuses. Plus because after a morning mass, you can have a quick brunch before heading to the supermart, running an errand, doing more shopping, catching an afternoon movie or heading to a game of bowling.

Another plus is if you bump into relatives you've haven't seen in a while, and are really glad to see.

But a minus if you run into certain individuals who'd ambush you and subject you to a stilted conversation. 

Long gone are the days when you attend a Sunday mass in your parish;  today, more and more people don their Sunday shopping dress and hear mass in a mall.

When attending mass in the mega church, I've often worn dark glasses.  You see, the regular mass we attend is being televised, and the glare from the huge lights and the intrusiveness of cameras panning the pews are difficult to bear.

I'm also into wearing a baseball cap, a habit from my Toronto days, and so, if you see me, you'd think I'm a fugitive hiding from the law. 

So the times I've let go of the cap or the dark glasses, people who know me, see me.

I don't mind talking to people, but certain individuals should recognize when a chit chat is not comfortable and should not be pressed on in the first place. 

There's no surer way to wreck a present than a past life. 

Chow Times.

Whatever happened?

Did you ever run into these TV entertainment programs with a segment called "whatever happened to?"

Whatever happened to would usually refer to a child actor of a long forgotten sitcom, or a to a star of a cancelled sitcom, or soap, or to a singer or a band with a one-hit record.  It is an update of sort, bringing the fans and viewers, into the present life of the once popular idol or star, now mostly forgotten. 

This segment is always interesting as it brings back memories of one's childhood or teens, and of the good 'ol days.

When I was new in the U.S., I happened to chance on the show "What's Happening," a show with an all-black cast, and I got hooked on it, although I was watching reruns of a 70's show.  I also loved the sitcom, Wonder Years, with Kevin and his family.  Wonder Years, I think, ran in the latter part of the 80's but had its setting in the 70's during the height of the Vietnam war. 

The 2009 movie, Wonderland, likewise brings a flood of the past for many.

The question whatever happened, almost always has a tone of nostalgia, longing and of bittersweet sadness at missing an individual or an opportunity.

Politics of Rumour.

I am amazed how rumour appears to have been institutionalized in the Philippines; it's become a tool to disseminate lies and tales, ambitions and dreams.

It's been so ingrained in the Pinoy life that it's permeated not just the day to day activities of families and individuals, but also the highest levels of government.

Take the case of  Vice President-elect Binay.  In the past two weeks since he'd been proclaimed, we've read and heard how he wanted to become the DILG chief, and how he'd been offered instead the DOTC cabinet post.

President-elect Noy Aquino told the public he'd never offered the DOTC post because he'd never talked to Binay.

After days of negative write ups about him, Binay today proclaimed that he never asked for the DILG post, and said he recognized it is the president's prerogative to appoint or not to appoint the vice president to a cabinet post.

So, all this brouhaha about Binay wanting the DILG post now seems to be a product of every one's imagination.  Of course  there's such a thing a "leaking" it to the press and letting the pubic react to it.

In Binay's case, the public pulse beats clearly.  The people approves of Aquino's strong and formidable show of leadership, and disapproves of Binay's seemingly "bullying" tactic.

I think Binay who's so used to being the Chief, is simply trying the Pinoy "kung makakalusot lang naman," or maybe it would fly, who knows. 

In the case of Kris Aquino and husband James Yap, rumour has it that the wife left the abode with two kids in tow. 

Kris Aquino's life has captured the pubic's imagination; she'd been very successful at openly talking about her life in public  that millions of Pinoys have continually watched her programs and bought her magazine.

To countless of people, rumour can add spice or poison to life.  I'm sure one time or another, you have been either a victim or perpetrator of rumour, knowingly or unwittingly. 

Local Tourism.

LEFT - Vacation house of a cousin in Nueva Ecija.

I've never really explored the Philippines. I've gone to most states of the U.S, and some of the provinces in Canada, and I'd seen most of Europe, but  I've only gone as far as Vigan up north, and have never been south.  Shame. 

I'd been to Sagada and Tuguegarao, two beautiful  but less visited places by both local and international tourists mainly because of its treacherous road (Sagada) and hot weather (Tuguegarao).

I'd travelled to Lucena in Quezon, Catanduanes, Camarines and Naga in the Bicol province, and of course to the other well known vacation spots (Baguio, Pangasinan, Laguna, Batangas, Tagaytay, and other parts of Luzon).

I've never been to Boracay, though, so this is upcoming in my calendar.  A sister is coming home in October and having a medical mission in La Union, so we might tag along as part of the volunteer group.

A sister in law of a sister is another visitor and wants to visit Cebu or Bohol, and again we were asked to join them.

A sister who's lived most of her life in the United States and now a regular visitor to P.I. recently commented that it's only now that she's really discovered the true beauty of the Philippines.  

So, I'm taking a cue from her and would start to enjoy the scenes of the Pearl.