Wednesday, December 31, 2008
blog format change
ronjie-dot-com address change!
Monday, December 22, 2008
ronjie.com.mag unofficial issue #17 (22 december 2008)
and the FWDs!!! :-D
[FWD] 'Excuse me, Are you Jesus?'
A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago . They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.
ALL BUT ONE !!!
He paused, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.
He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did.
The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.
The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.
When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, 'Here, please take this $40 for the damage w e did. Are you okay?' She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.'
As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister....' He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, 'Are you Jesus?'
He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: 'Are you Jesus?'
Do people mistake you for Jesus?
That's our Destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.
If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.
You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall.
He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.
Please share this.. Sometimes we just take things for granted, when we really need to be sharing what we know...
Thank you.
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY .
TOO MANY CHRISTIANS ARE NO LONGER FISHERS OF MEN
BUT KEEPERS OF THE AQUARIUM.
[FWD] 3 stories for reflection
A turtle family decided to go on a picnic. The turtles, being naturally slow about things, took seven years to prepare for their outing. Finally the turtle family left home looking for a suitable place. During the second year of their journey they found a place ideal for them at last!
For about six months they cleaned the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements. Then they discovered they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home. Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell. He agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left.
Three years passed and the little turtle had not returned. Five years...six years... then on the seventh year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and begun to unwrap a sandwich. At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, 'See! I knew you wouldn't wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt.'
*[ Some of us waste our time waiting for people to live up to our expectations. We are so concerned about what others are doing that we don't do anything ourselves .]*
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
*The Frogs*
A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. The restaurant owner was shocked and asked the man where he could get so many frog legs! The farmer replied, 'There is a pond near my house that is full of frogs - millions of them. They all croak all night long and they are about to make me crazy!' So the restaurant owner and the farmer made an agreement that the farmer would deliver frogs to the restaurant, five hundred at a time for the next several weeks.
The first week, the farmer returned to the restaurant looking rather sheepish, with two scrawny little frogs. The restaurant owner said, 'Well... where are all the frogs?' The farmer said, 'I was mistaken.. There were only these two frogs in the pond. But they sure were making a lot of noise!'
*[ Next time you hear somebody criticizing or making fun of you, remember, it's probably just a couple of noisy frogs. Also remember that problems always seem bigger in the dark. Have you ever laid in your bed at night worrying about things which seem almost overwhelming like a million frogs croaking? Chances are pretty good that when the morning comes, and you
take a closer look, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about .]*
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*The Pretty Lady*
Once upon a time a big monk and a little monk were traveling together. They came to the bank of a river and found the bridge was damaged. They had to wade across the river. There was a pretty lady who was stuck at the damaged bridge and couldn't cross the river. The big monk offered to carry her across the river on his back. The lady accepted. The little monk was shocked by the move of the big monk. 'How can big brother carry a lady when we are supposed to avoid all intimacy with females?' thought the little monk. But he kept quiet. The big monk carried the lady across the river and the small monk followed unhappily. When they crossed the river, the big monk let the lady down and they parted ways with her.
All along the way for several miles, the little monk was very unhappy with the act of the big monk. He was making up all kinds of accusations about big monk in his head. This got him madder and madder. But he still kept quiet. And the big monk had no inclination to explain his situation. Finally, at a rest point many hours later, the little monk could not stand it any further,
he burst out angrily at the big monk. 'How can you claim yourself a devout monk, when you seize the first opportunity to touch a female, especially when she is very pretty? All your teachings to me make you a big hypocrite.' The big monk looked surprised and said, 'I had put down the pretty lady at the river bank many hours ago, how come you are still carrying her along?'
*[ This very old Chinese Zen story reflects the thinking of many people today. We encounter many unpleasant things in our life, they irritate us and they make us angry. Sometimes, they cause us a lot of hurt, sometimes they cause us to be bitter or jealous .. But like the little monk, we are not willing to let them go away.We keep on carrying the baggage of the 'pretty lady' with us. We let them keep on coming back to hurt us, make us angry, make us bitter and cause us a lot of agony.Why? Simply because we are not willing to put down or let go of the baggage of the 'pretty lady'. We should let go of the pretty lady immediately after crossing the river, that is after the unpleasant event is over.This will immediately remove all our agonies.There is no need
to be further hurt by the unpleasant event after it is over.]*
[FWD] GOD's Yellow pages
THIS IS DEFINITELY A KEEPER THAT SHOULD BE SAVED IN YOUR FAVORITES.
God's Yellow Pages
Let your fingers do the walking...
This Really Took Some Doing to Set Up, It's a great reference don 't you think?
Just click here for: God's Yellow Pages
I didn't set this up; but whoever did it, did a fantastic job!
[FWD] Servants Make Themselves Available
by Rick Warren
No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of
everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a
soldier. 2 Timothy 2:4 (NASB)
*** *** *** ***
Real servants make themselves available to serve. Servants don't fill up
their time with other pursuits that could limit their availability. They
want to be ready to jump into service when called on.
Much like a soldier, a servant must always be standing by for duty: "No
soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday
life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier" (2
Timothy 2:4 NASB).
If you only serve when it's convenient for you, you're not a real
servant. Real servants do what's needed, even when it's inconvenient.
Are you available to God anytime? Can he mess up your plans without you
becoming resentful? As a servant, you don't get to pick and choose when
or where you will serve.
Being a servant means giving up the right to control your schedule and
allowing God to interrupt it whenever he needs to.
If you will remind yourself at the start of every day that you are God's
servant, interruptions won't frustrate you as much, because your agenda
will be whatever God wants to bring into your life. Servants see
interruptions as divine appointments for ministry and are happy for the
opportunity to practice serving.
[thoughts] Wanted: Healthy Work Environments
You might say the alternative is, lower my standard. Don't aim high anymore. Shut up, coward. So do I stay here and "be a man" and face the reality? You dumb-ass. You think being a man means providing for your loved ones, but if you can't stay healthy and live long enough, you're just one of them cowards except you're pretending to be "the man." And you're dumb. Because if you really put your mind into it, if you really think about it, we can reach higher goals without having to sacrifice our religions, our well-being, our lives. I had to work on Sundays. Because if I don't... Imagine how many people talk about other people. "He's often sick. He's often late. He works so slowly. He doesn't finish on time. He can't get that big a raise. Heck, he shouldn't be promoted. Etc. Etc." All I want is...
Working in healthier environments (why does that sound synonymous with 'greener pastures'?) is only a short-term goal. The long-term goal is to change society, or to see it change. After more than 100 years since Rizal wrote about the Cancer in our Society, it has only metastasized.
Monday, December 15, 2008
[FWD] For us kids born in the 50s, 60s, 70s, early 80s
1950's, 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s!!
First, some of us survived being born to mothers who did not have an OB-Gyne and drank San Miguel Beer while they carried us.
While pregnant, they took cold or cough medicine, ate isaw, and didn't worry about diabetes.
Then after all that trauma, our baby cribs were made of hard wood covered with lead-based paints, pati na yung walker natin, matigas na kahoy din at wala pang gulong.
We had no soft cushy cribs that play music, no disposable diapers (lampin lang), and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, no kneepads, sometimes wala pang preno yung bisikleta.
As children, we would ride in hot un-air-conditioned buses with wooden seats (yung JD bus na pula), or cars with no air-conditioning & no seat belts (ngayon lahat may aircon na)
Riding on the back of a carabao on a breezy summer day was considered a treat. (ngayon hindi na nakakakita ng kalabaw ang mga bata)
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle purchased from 711 (minsan straight from the faucet or poso)
We shared one soft drink bottle with four of our friends, and NO ONE actually died from this. Or contacted hepatitis.
We ate rice with star margarine, drank raw eggs straight from the shell, and drank softdrinks with real sugar in it (hindi diet coke), but we weren't sick or overweight kasi nga......
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, and get back when the streetlights came on. Sarap mag patintero, tumbang preso , habulan at taguan.
No one was able to reach us all day (di uso ang cellphone , walang beepers). And yes, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our wooden trolleys (yung bearing ang gulong) or plywood slides out of scraps and then ride down the street, only to find out we forgot the brakes! After hitting the sidewalk or falling into a canal (sewage channel) a few times, we learned to solve the problem ourselves with our bare & dirty hands .
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 100 channels on cable, no DVD movies, no surround stereo, no IPOD's, no cellphones, no computers, no Internet, no chat rooms, and no Friendsters.......... WE HAD REAL FRIENDS and we went outside to actually talk and play with them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no stupid lawsuits from these accidents. The only rubbing we get is from our friends with the words.. masakit ba ? pero pag galit yung kalaro mo,,,, ang sasabihin sa iyo.. beh buti nga !
We played marbles (jolens) in the dirt , washed our hands just a little and ate dirty ice cream & fish balls.. we were not afraid of getting germs in our stomachs.
We had to live with homemade guns ' gawa sa kahoy, tinali ng rubberband , sumpit , tirador at kung ano ano pa na puedeng makasakitan. .pero masaya pa rin ang lahat.
We made up games with sticks (syatong), and cans (tumbang preso) and although we were told they were dangerous, wala naman tayong binulag o napatay.paminsan minsan may nabubukulan lang.
We walked, rode bikes, or took tricycles to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them to jump out the window!
Mini basketball teams had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't pass had to learn to deal with the disappointment. Wala yang mga childhood depression at damaged self esteem ek-ek na yan. Ang pikon, talo.
Ang magulang ay nandoon lang para tignan kung ayos lang ang mga bata, hindi para makialam at makipag-away sa ibang parents.
That generation of ours has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, creative thinkers and successful professionals ever! They are the CEO's, Engineers, Doctors and Military Generals of today.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had failure, success, and responsibility. We learned from our mistakes the hard way.
You might want to share this with others who've had the luck to grow up as real kids. We were lucky indeed.
And if you like, forward it to your kids too, so they will know how brave their parents were.
It kind of makes you wanna go out and climb a tree, doesn't it?!
PS - The big letters are because your eyes may not be able to read this if they were typed any smaller (at your age).
[FWD] The Computer's Gender
unlikeEnglish, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.
'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa.'
'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'
A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?'
Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two
groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether
computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was
asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the
feminine gender ('la computadora'), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers
is incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for
possible later retrieval; and
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself
spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
(THIS GETS BETTER!)
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be
Masculine ('el computador'), because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they
ARE the problem; and
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a
little longer, you could have gotten a better model.
The women won.
Send this to all the smart women you know...and all the men that have a
sense of humor.
[FWD] A Story of Love
sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't
think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have
something
to eat."
"Is the man of the house home?", they asked.
"No", she replied. "He's out."
"Then we cannot come in", they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had
happened.
"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"
The woman went out and invited the men in"
"We do not go into a House together," they replied.
"Why is that?" she asked.
One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to
one
of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I
am
Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one
of
us you want in your home."
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was
overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite
Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!"
His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?"
Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house.
She
jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite
Love?
Our home will then be filled with love!"
"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his
wife.
"Go out and invite Love to be our guest."
The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love?
Please come in and be our guest."
Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got
up
and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only
invited Love, Why are you coming in?"
The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the
other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love,
wherever
He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth
and
Success!!!!!!"
Thoughts:
Where there is pain, I wish you peace and mercy.
Where there is self-doubting, I wish you a renewed confidence in your
ability to work through it.
Where there is tiredness, or exhaustion, I wish you understanding,
patience, and renewed strength.
Where there is fear, I wish you love, and courage.
You have two choices right now:
1. Click this off
2. Invite love by sharing this story with all the people you care about.
[FWD] The value of the UP Experience
The Manila
Standard Today
INTEGRATIONS
maya baltazar herrera
Voyage
The value of the UP Experience
There are no children here
This week, I went to a meeting at the UP School of Economics and I came
away with renewed belief in the value of the UP experience.
If you speak to anyone from UP – student, professor, alumnus - you will get
no Latin slogans or apologies about how the school teaches values in spite
of its outward materialism. This is not a student population that thinks about
basketball games or memorizes school songs. This is not a school that
chooses one statement to drill into the minds of its students.
This is not, of course, to say that UP does not care about values. It is that
UP, in its own inimitable way, believes that values cannot be force-fed.
The statue of the naked man that guards the entrance to the campus in
Diliman best represents UP's approach to all education and the respect for
students that is the center of its educational philosophy. All who come to
this university, regardless of origin, bring themselves naked, carrying nothing
but their thirst; like the proverbial empty teacup, making an offering of self,
waiting to be filled.
Adults
For many students from private schools, the first lesson that is learned
here is that this is a school for adult education. There are no children here,
and that is why no parents are allowed either at freshman orientation or
during enlistment.
The spirit of the oblation lies not in a mother or a father offering up his
child to the world, it is that of the newly adult, freely offering of his self.
I remember quite vividly that moment that drove home how different the
UP education continues to be. It was my daughter's first semester in
university and she had invited a group of her high school friends to our
house. One of them asked a classmate whether she had gotten her parents
permission form approved for that weekend's outreach activity. From the
UP population around the table came the mock horrified responses of:
"Permission? " and "Outreach?"
I thought about it and realized that all of these students were, in fact,
legally adults. I thought it interesting that only the UP students appeared
to appreciate this fact.
Even more interesting was the "outreach" comment. I think back to my own
university years and the last three years that my daughter has been in UP
and am certain there is no lack of civic activity. There are medical
missions, house building projects, tree planting, community work and barrio
work and so on. I realize now that the reaction was not to the activity as
much as it was to the use of the word.
One of the most important differences of the UP campus from all the other
campuses my children considered going to is that this campus has no walls.
Many parents fear this. They are afraid their precious children will not be
protected from the ills of society in a campus that is so open to the rest of
the world.
But UP is open to the world in more ways than just not having the physical
walls.
Community
Being in UP means much more than being a student. This campus is
enmeshed in a community. This community is made up not only of the
transient population of students who go home each night. It includes the many,
many students who lay their heads on dorm pillows each night, enduring time
away from families in the firm belief that this campus will bring them closer to
their dreams. This community includes the families of faculty and employees
who live on campus. It also includes the many people who work not for the
University, but nevertheless work on campus. This community includes the
lady who remembers the brand of cigarette you smoke and automatically
hands it to you in the morning. It includes the gentleman who remembers you
like pepper on your egg sandwich or the one who knows you will dip your fish
balls into two of his sauces, who patiently waits for you to eat your three
sticks before being paid. It includes the woman who saw all her children
through college by selling peanuts every day on campus.
To a UP student, the daily heartbeat of the school is never far away from
the realities of the country. The word outreach suggests that civic activity is
something outside of the normal, something you do once in a while. It must be
immensely difficult to think of community as a thing apart when your campus
experience brings you face to face with all of the world's realities every day.
Character
All of this probably explains that unmistakable sense of self that you will
find from students who come from this campus.
Here is a campus where all have the same opportunities to learn. But also,
here is a campus that will give all the same opportunities to fail. There are no
guidance counselors who will chase after you because you have been skipping
classes. The attitude this university takes is that you must take the initiative –
for learning, for seeking help, for realizing you need help.
That is not to say that no help exists. But it is help that is not forced upon you.
This is a university rich in both introspection and conversation. On this campus,
the student is constantly exposed to people – faculty, administrators, community
members, other students – who care deeply and passionately about the world.
The conversations are almost never purely cerebral. A single graph can provoke
comments about government policy and its effects on people.
As a result, UP is home to a student population that looks at the world and cares.
It is easy to see pictures of protesting students and dismiss it as radicalism. But
there are few campuses in this country where students go beyond a passing curiosity
about what is happening in the world beyond their own lives. There are even fewer
universities where students not only care but also actually believe they have a
responsibility to make a difference – not in some hazy future – today.
And that, I believe, is what truly forges character. Character is not molded by
speeches or long classes in ethics or theology. Character grows from within. It
begins by being handed the keys to your own self and being told you are in charge;
you now have power over yourself and your own actions – and with that power, you
take on responsibilities.
Each student in this university goes through his own unique voyage of discovery.
On his voyage, as he decides what he cares about, what he will fight for and what
he will sacrifice, he crafts his own personal values. That is what education is truly about
[FWD] Your Tree [who is ronjie?] I'm a Fig Tree
What tree did YOU fall from? Find your birthday and then find your tree, and then see what it says. This is really cool and somewhat accurate. game........
* Dec 23 to Jan 01 - Apple Tree
* Jan 01 to Jan 11 - Fir Tree
* Jan 12 to Jan 24 - Elm Tree
* Jan 25 to Feb 03 - Cypress Tree
* Feb 04 to Feb 08 - Poplar Tree
* Feb 09 to Feb 18 - Cedar Tree
* Feb 19 to Feb 28 - Pine Tree
* Mar 01 to Mar 10 - Weeping Willow Tree
* Mar 11 to Mar 20 - Lime Tree
* Mar 21 - Oak Tree
* Mar 22 to Mar 31 - Hazelnut Tree
* Apr 01 to Apr 10 - Rowan Tree
* Apr 11 to Apr 20 - Maple Tree
* Apr 21 to Apr 30 - Walnut Tree
* May 01 to May 14 - Poplar Tree
* May 15 to May 24 - Chestnut Tree
* May 25 to Jun 03 - Ash Tree
* Jun 04 to Jun 13 - Hornbeam Tree
* Jun 14 to Jun 23 - Fig Tree
* Jun 24 - Birch Tree
* Jun 25 to Jul 04 - Apple Tree
* Jul 05 to Jul 14 - Fir Tree
* Jul 15 to Jul 25 - Elm Tree
* Jul 26 to Aug 04 - Cypress Tree
* Aug 05 to Aug 13 - Poplar Tree
* Aug 14 to Aug 23 - Cedar Tree
* Aug 24 to Sep 02 - Pine Tree
* Sep 03 to Sep 12 - Weeping Willow Tree
* Sep 13 to Sep 22 - Lime Tree
* Sep 23 - Olive Tree
* Sep 24 to Oct 03 - Hazelnut Tree
* Oct 04 to Oct 13 - Rowan Tree
* Oct 14 to Oct 23 - Maple Tree
* Oct 24 to Nov 11 - Walnut Tree
* Nov 12 to Nov 21 - Chestnut Tree
* Nov 22 to Dec 01 - Ash Tree
* Dec 02 to Dec 11 - Hornbeam Tree
* Dec 12 to Dec 21 - Fig Tree
* Dec 22 - Beech Tree
APPLE TREE(the Love) - of slight build, lots of charm, appeal, and attraction, pleasant aura, flirtatious, adventurous, sensitive, always in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, scientific talents, lives for today, a carefree philosopher with imagination.
ASH TREE(the Ambition) - uncommonly attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be egotistic, very reliable and trustworthy, faithful>and prudent lover, sometimes brains rule over the heart, but takes partnership very seriously.
BEECH TREE(the Creative) - has good taste, concerned about its looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.)
BIRCH TREE(the inspiration) - vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.
CEDAR TREE(the Confidence) - of rare beauty, knows how to adapt, likes luxury, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, determined, impatient, likes to impress others, many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waiting for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.
CHESTNUT TREE(the Honesty) - of unusual beauty, does not want to impress, well-developed sense of justice, vivacious, interested, a born diplomat, but irritates easily and sensitive in company, often due to a lack of self confidence, acts sometimes superior, feels not understood, loves only once, has difficulties in finding a partner.
CYPRESS TREE(the Faithfulness) - strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give, content, optimistic, craves money and acknowledgment, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered, unruly, pedantic, and careless.
ELM TREE(the Noble-mindedness) - pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.
FIG TREE(the Sensibility) - very strong, a bit self-willed, independent, does not allow contradiction or arguments, loves life, its family, children and animals, a bit of a social butterfly, good sense of humor, likes idleness and laziness, of practical talent and intelligence.
FIR TREE(the Mysterious) - extraordinary taste, dignity, sophisticated, loves anything beautiful, moody, stubborn, tends to egoism but cares for those close to them, rather modest, very ambitious, talented, industrious, uncontented lover, many friends, many foes, very reliable.
HAZELNUT TREE(the Extraordinary) - charming, undemanding, very understanding, knows how to make an impression, active fighter for social cause, popular, moody, and capricious lover, honest, and tolerant partner, precise sense of judgment.
HORNBEAM TREE(the Good Taste) - of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and acknowledgement in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.
LIME TREE(the Doubt) - accepts what life dishes out in a composed way, hates fighting, stress, and labor, dislikes laziness and idleness, soft and relenting, makes sacrifices for friends, many talents but not tenacious enough to make them blossom, often wailing and complaining, very jealous but loyal.
MAPLE TREE(Independence of Mind) - no ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.
OAK TREE(the Brave) - robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.
OLIVE TREE(the Wisdom) - loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.
PINE TREE(the Particular) - loves agreeable company, very robust,knows how to make life comfortable, very active, natural, good companion, but seldom friendly, falls easily in love but its passion burns out quickly, gives up easily, experiences disappointments until it finds its ideal, trust-worthy, practical partner.
POPLAR TREE(the Uncertainty) - looks very decorative, not very self-confident, only courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.
ROWAN TREE(the Sensitivity) - full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egoism,likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic,passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.
WALNUT TREE(the Passion) - unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise.
WEEPING WILLOW(the Melancholy) - beautiful but full of melancholy,attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful and tasteful, loves to travel, dreamer, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with, demanding, good intuition, suffers in love but finds sometimes an anchoring partner.
Monday, December 8, 2008
[FWD] a pet's peeves
for those of you who have pet dogs at home... read on... =)
some of these are too much!
smart as dogs are, i did not realize that they were witty, too!
Ten Peeves that Dogs Have About Humans
1. Blaming your farts on me..... Not funny... Not funny at all!!!
2. Yelling at me for barking... I'M A FRIGGIN' DOG, YOU IDIOT!
3. Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is this anyway?
4. Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose. Stop it!
5. Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons. Now you know why we chew your stuff up when you're not home.
6. The slight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! Whoooo Hoooooooo what a proud moment for the top of the food chain.
7. Taking me to the vet for 'the big snip', Then acting surprised when I freakout every time we go back!
8. Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but I haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet.
9. Dog sweaters. Hello??? Haven't you noticed the fur?
10. How you act disgusted when I lick myself. Look, we both know the truth. You're just jealous.
Now lay off me on some of these things.
We both know who's boss here!
You don't see me picking up your poop do you?
A DOG ALWAYS OFFERS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. CATS HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.
[FWD] REMEMBER THESE
GEORGE CARLIN (Written when his wife died..)
Isn't it amazing that George Carlin - comedian of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate.
A Message by George Carlin:
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too
recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life . We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space but not inner space.
We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build mo re computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from chee r, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...
Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent
Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the prec ious thoughts in your mind.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
[FWD] The Optimist Creed
To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only the best , to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you.
-Christian D. Larson
[FWD] Few Definitions
School: A place where Papa pays and Son plays.
Life Insurance: A contract that keeps you poor all your life so that
you can die Rich.
Nurse: A person who wakes u up to give you sleeping pills.
Marriage: It's an agreement in which a man loses his bachelor degree
and a woman gains her masters.
Divorce: Future tense of Marriage.
Tears: The hydraulic force by which masculine willpower is defeated by
feminine waterpower.
Lecture: An art of transferring information from the notes of the
Lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through "the minds of
either"
Conference: The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.
Compromise: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody
believes he got the biggest piece.
Dictionary : A place where success comes before work.
Conference Room : A place where everybody talks, nobody listens and
everybody disagrees later on.
Father: A banker provided by nature.
Criminal: A guy no different from the rest....except that he got
caught.
Boss: Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are
early.
Politician : One who shakes your hand before elections and your
Confidence after.
Doctor : A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you by bills.
Classic: Books, which people praise, but do not read.
Smile: A curve that can set a lot of things straight.
Office: A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.
Yawn: The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth..
Etc.: A sign to make others believe that you know more than you
actually do.
Committee : Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to
decide that nothing can be done together.
Experience: The name men give to their mistakes.
Atom Bomb: An invention to end all inventions.
Philosopher: A fool who torments himself during life, to be spoken of when
dead.
Monday, December 1, 2008
[TXT] Mike Murdock's Law of Recognition
Everything you need is already in your life, merely awaiting your recognition of it.
Anything unrecognized remains uncelebrated by you.
Anything you refuse to celebrate eventually exits your life --
a Gift, a Mircale, or a Person.
Don't miss that chance.
Have you taken a good look around your world lately? Ü
[TXT] Eyebol
Girl: mgssu0t ak0 ng yellow..
b0y: i'll wear green..
Ngpnta cla sa c0ffee sh0p 2 meet. Dumtng ang pnget na bbaeng nkayellow.
Wlang lalaking nkagreen. Nlapitn ng bbae ang 1ng lalakeng nkared shrt.
G: xcuse me, r u my txtm8?
B: Hndi, ah! Nkagreen b k0?! Hello?!
[FWD] HOW TO RECRUIT THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB?
Put about 100 bricks in some
Particular order in a closed
Room with an
Open window.
Then send 2 or 3 candidates in
The room and close the door.
Leave them alone and come back
After 6 hours and then analyze
The situation.
If they are counting the
Bricks.
Put them in the accounts
Department.
If they are recounting them..
Put them in auditing .
If they have messed up the
Whole place with the bricks.
Put them in engineering.
If they are arranging the
Bricks in some strange order.
Put them in planning.
If they are throwing the
Bricks at each other.
Put them in operations ..
If they are sleeping.
Put them in security.
If they have broken the bricks
Into pieces.
Put them in information
Technology.
If they are sitting idle.
Put them in human resources.
If they say they have tried
Different combinations, yet
Not a brick has
Been moved. Put them in sales.
If they have already left for
The day.
Put them in marketing.
If they are staring out of the
Window.
Put them on strategic
Planning.
And then last but not least.
If they are talking to each
Other and not a single brick
Has been
Moved.
Congratulate them and put them
In top management
[FWD] I Will Survive! (Engineering Version)
(Engineering Version)
From Draftsperson.net
At first I was afraid, I was petrified
thinking I could not design what you had specified.
But then I spent too many years redrawing what you just built wrong
and I grew strong and I learned how to get along
And now you're back
with more floor space
I just walked in to find you here
with that QS look upon your face
I should have changed that stupid plan
I should have made you pay that fee
If I had known for just one second
you'd be back to bother me
Oh go now go,
delete that door
move the wall around now
you don't wanna pay for it anymore
Were you the one who tried to break me with your RFIs
you think I'd crumble you think I'd lay down and die?
Oh no not I
I will survive....
[FWD] WET PANTS
Come with me to a third grade classroom..... There is a nine-year-old
kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between
his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is
going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened.
It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he
will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never
speak to him again as long as he lives.
The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and
prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now!
Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.'
He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in
her eyes that says he has been discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is
carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front
of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's
lap.
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself,
'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is
the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him
gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are
on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is
wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been
his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.
She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you
klutz!'
Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy
walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?'
Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'
May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do
good..
Remember.....Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more
than standing in your garage makes you a car.
Each and everyone one of us is going through tough times right now, but
God is getting ready to bless you in a way that only He can. Keep the
faith.
My instructions were to pick four (4) people that I wanted God to bless,
and I picked you. Please pass this to at least four (4) people you want
to be blessed
This prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray for one
another.
The Prayer:
Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care
deeply for, who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation
of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their
spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace
and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence
through Your grace. Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their
needs. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their
comings. Amen.
(If the Lord lays upon your heart to send this to more than four '4'
people, you are truly blessed)
Monday, November 24, 2008
[TXT] Two ears = one heart
kaya kapag marunong kang makinig, marunong kang mag-mahal.." - Bob Ong.
Translation: "If you join your two ears together, they form the shape of
a heart. The ears are the heart's extension, so if you know how to
listen, you know how to love." - Stu Pid :-D
[TXT] [did you know?] The weight of the earth
Don't add more weight to it by carrying a heavy heart.
Stay light.
Laugh often.
Love much.
Enjoy life. Ü
[FWD] When God was defeated
and said, 'Once again, the Earth has become
wicked and over-populated, and I see the end of
all flesh before me. Build me another Ark,
and save 2 of every living thing along
with a few good humans.'
He gave Noah the blueprints,saying, 'You have 6 months
to build the Ark, before I
start the unending rain for 40 days and 40
nights.'
Six months passed. The Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard
- and no Ark!
'Noah!' He roared , 'I'm about to start the
Rain! Where is the Ark ?'
'Forgive me, Lord,' begged Noah, 'but there have been difficulties. I
needed a building permit. I've been arguing with the Inspector about the
need for a sprinkler system. My neighbors claim that I've violated the
neighborhood zoning laws
by building the Ark in my yard, and exceeding the height limitations.
We had to go to the Development Appeals Board for a decision.
Then Hydro One demanded a bond be posted for the future
costs of moving power lines and other overhead
obstructions, to clear the passage for
the Ark's move to the sea.
I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they
would hear none of it.
Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban on cutting local
trees in order to save the spotted leopard. I tried to
convince the environmentalists that I needed the
wood to save the leopards - but no go!
When I started gathering the animals, an animal rights group of Maneka
Gandhi sued me. It insisted that I was confining wild animals
against their will. It argued the accommodation
was too restrictive, and it was cruel and
inhumane to put so many animals
in such a confined space.
Then the Ministry of the Environment ruled that I couldn't build
the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on
Your proposed Flood.
I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights
Commission on how many minorities I'm supposed
to hire for my building crew.
Immigration and Naturalization are checking the Visa status
of most of the people who are hired for work.
The trades unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to
hire only union workers with Ark-building experience.
To make matters worse, Revenue Collectorate seized all my
assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with
endangered species.
So, forgive me, Lord, but it will take me at least 10 more years
to sort thru all this bureaucratic red tape and rigmarole, and finish
the work on the Ark.'
Suddenly there was a huge clap of thunder, the Earth shook, but the
skies cleared, and the sun began to shine. A rainbow
stretched across the sky. Noah looked up in wonder
and asked, 'You mean Lord, you're not going
to destroy the world?'
'No,' said the Lord.
'Your Government beat me to it!'
[FWD] just a thought
The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish.
If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. The Japanese did not like the taste.
To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer.
However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price. So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive.
Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste.
The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish.
So how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan?
To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies (still) put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The fish, in an attempt to run away from the shark, stay constantly alert and hence, fresh. The shark may eat a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --
Lessons from the story:
Like the Japanese fish - "Man thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence of a challenging environment."- L. Ron Hubbard.
Challenges are what keep us FRESH! Instead of avoiding challenges, jump into them. Beat the heck out of them.
Enjoy the game. If your challenges are too large or too numerous, reorganize the challenge, team up, be resourceful and do not give up. Failing makes you tired.
If you have met your goals, set some bigger goals.
Once you meet your personal or family needs, move onto goals for your group, the society, even mankind.
Don't create success and lie in it.
You have resources, skills and abilities to make a difference.
Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go!
[FWD] Statistics
MATHEMATICS
Smart man + smart woman = romance
Smart man + dumb woman = affair
Dumb man + smart woman = marriage
Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy
____________ _________ _________
OFFICE ARITHMETIC
Smart boss + smart employee = profit
Smart boss + dumb employee = production
Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion
Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime
____________ _________ ________
SHOPPING MATH
A man will pay $20 for a $10 item he needs.
A woman will pay $10 for a $20 item that she doesn't need.
____________ _________ _______
GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
____________ _________ ________
HAPPINESS
To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little.
To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.
____________ _________ _________
LONGEVITY
Married men live longer than single men do, but married men are a lot more willing to die.
____________ _________ _________
PROPENSITY TO CHANGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does.
____________ _________ ________
DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
____________ _________ ________
HOW TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BUGGING YOU ABOUT GETTING MARRIED;
Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next." They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.
[SWE] List of (Windows) Software Essentials
Safe & Fast Web Browser Google Chrome
Safe & Fast Web Browser Mozilla Firefox
Compressed File Handler ExtractNow or WinRAR
PDF Viewer Acrobat Reader
E-mail Use Web Browser, access Gmail or Yahoo! Mail
Torrent Downloader uTorrent
Chat/IM Yahoo! Messenger or use Web Browser to access Gmail Chat or Yahoo! Web Messenger
Office Suite OpenOffice.org
FTP FileZilla or FireFTP via Mozilla Firefox
Safe & Fast Media Player (for all Media) VLC Media Player
Windows Useful Extras
iTunes Store + iPod Syncing iTunes+QuickTime
Extra Web Browser Safari
Extra Web Browser Flock
Extra Web Browser Chrome
Windows Useful Tools
Print to PDF PDF995
Download Full Websites or Multiple Links WinHTTrack
Rename Multiple Files at Once FileRenamer
Configure Many of Windows' Hidden Switches TweakUI
Print to PDF Alternative PrimoPDF
Print to PDF Alternative CutePDF
If you have gadgets…
Palm Desktop
Nokia PC Suite
Did you want to shift to Linux?
Wubi
Monday, November 17, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Mutts :: October 27, 2008
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Mutts daily strip for : October 27, 2008 | |||
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[RAW] Free Broadband Internet Access Wireless Wifi Hotspot (Router/Access Point) in the Philippines courtesy of Wigo
[RAW] Peacock in the Land of the Penguins
[RAW] Make http://www.verylongurl.com/veryveryveryveryverylong into http://www.tinyurl.com/short
[RAW] Instituto Cervantes
Visit http://www.manila.cervantes.es/en/default.shtm for the Instituto Cervantes in Manila website in English. Visit http://www.pelicula.ph for the website of their annual film festival.
[thoughts] 3 October 2008
[RAW] Free Broadband Internet Access Wireless Wifi Hotspot (Router/Access Point) around Metro Manila, Cebu, Baguio, Davao, Philippines, etc.! Hot
Actually there are other websites, just make a search on Google.
Sushi served Nyotaimori-style
But yeah, in Christian contexts, this is a no-no, as you (usually males) are putting yourself in a situation where you could be tempted, at least to entertain thoughts violating "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife..." or "Thou shalt not commit adultery..."
Anyway, read this article first: http://www.vanityfair.com/online/style/2008/10/naked-sushi.html
Did you know? The French are predominantly Catholic.
Anyways, it turns out it's somewhere between US$ 100 to 300 to do this, and that's exclusive of something like a mandatory tip of 18% and taxes, and other extras. No, this is legal, and no, you can't touch the "plate." You do have chopsticks. But it would be rude as you are here to eat sushi in a different way.
Of course there are places-a-plenty like this in Japan. Anyway, if you're in New York, check out this out:
http://www.nyotaimori-ny.com/
Monday, November 3, 2008
ronjie.com.mag issue #10 (november 3, 2008) ==> special HALLOWEEN issue
what's special about halloween? november 1 and 2 are holidays in the philippines - all saints' day, and all souls' day. it's the time when filipinos go visit their dead at the cemeteries, have a picnic on grave tables, play tong-its, etc. sad. boring. that's what this issue is about. it's about sad or boring stuff. well, check it out yourself. issue #10. lots of forwarded stuff (including via text), and a really boring movie. oh, and a very difficult sudoku game that might take you the whole day to finish. me, i'm sleeping... :-D
[Movie Review] Once
and Lyrics starring Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant) about an aspiring
singer-songwriter and a girl he meets with whom he shares the same
talent and passion for music. Cool. I love music, I am a
singer-songwriter myself. For that, this was interesting.
WAS.
I slept on this movie. The songs are so melancholic. It became
dragging to a certain point. Perhaps that was the point of the movie.
If so, then it's a great movie. That I slept on.
I rate this a 2. It's a must watch only for very, very, very serious
movie lovers.
[TXT] Kapag may umaway sa'yo...
sabihin mo sa kanila:
UGLY never starts with "I," it always starts with "U."
wala ka pala e! haha! :-D
[TXT] You CANT stop others to talk negatively against you.
death.
RONJIE.COM comment: This is just one of those things I receive. I don't
necessarily endorse such TXT messages. But of course, the point is, if
they're wrong, they're wrong, and let it be also the fault of those who
believe in such negative things without first confirming for themselves
if what is said about you is true. In short, you can't stop gossip, but
you can go on and be not what they say you are. :-D
[FWD] MAHILIG SA SOUVENIRS?
By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:07:00 04/10/2008
HONG KONG-Think twice about taking 'souvenirs' from airplanes,
especially on international flights.
A judge here Wednesday fined two Filipinos HK$2,000 (P10,700) each for
taking with them life jackets from their Cathay Pacific flight from
Dubai .
Tsuen Wan Principal Magistrate Andrew Ma imposed the fines on Edwin S.
Antolin, 52, and Crisanto R. Ramos, 29, after they pleaded guilty to the
charge of theft. The life jackets cost only HK$400 each.
'Do you know each other?' asked the judge, who got curious why the two
would take life jackets from their flight. He apparently did not know
that many Filipinos had a proclivity of taking with them 'souvenirs'
from hotels, airplanes and other places they visited.
Both Filipinos denied knowing each other. They were seated on different
rows when they arrived here at around 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday for a
connecting flight to Manila .
Ramos occupied Seat No.. 35B while Antolin was in No. 47B, but they
apparently had the same urge to take the life jackets under their seats.
Antolin put the jacket in his blue traveling bag, while Ramos hid his in
a red shopping bag. They did not foresee that they would be arrested and
charged in court for taking 'souvenirs.'
When they got to the passenger terminal building of the Chek Lap Kok
International Airport , their belongings had to go through an X-ray
machine before they take their connecting flight.
Airport security officers later told investigators that they noticed
'suspicious objects' in the Filipinos' bags.
The passengers were searched and the life jackets were found. Ramos
supposedly even wrapped his jacket with a blanket.
The security officers reported the incident to the police and Cathay
Pacific staff members, who confirmed that the life jackets were missing.
During police interrogation, the Filipinos denied any wrongdoing but
they later pleaded guilty upon the advice of lawyers after they were
brought to court.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------
KABAYAN. PLEASE. BUMABABA NA ANG DOLLAR.
WAG NA NATIN SADYAING BUMABA DIN PATI ANG ATING DANGAL.
ISAULI NYO PO ANG KUMOT, UNAN, KUTSARA, TINIDOR, KITCHEN KNIFE, PLATITO,
CUP AT PERFUME OR LOTION SA CR.... DI PO KASAMA YAN SA BINAYAD SA
PASAHE.
PATI ANG EARPHONE... HINDI NYO PO MAGAGAMIT YAN KASI PANG-EROPLANO LANG YAN, MAY EROPLANO BA KAYO SA BAHAY NYO???
[FWD] Beware of a Group of Manila Cops
** PLEASE PASS ON TO FRIENDS... ****
Subject: Fw: Beware of a Group of Manila Cops
This was passed on by my husband's classmate from college in La
Salle... Hope it never happens to any of your loved ones!
DIDI
Hi ED,
THANKS FOR THE E MAIL. I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU MY SON'S EXPERIENCE
WITH THE MANILA POLICE LAST WEDNESDAY EVENING AT ABOUT 10PM.
CHRISTIAN WENT TO THE CONDO AT THE CORNER OF VITO CRUZ AND TAFT
AVE. TO RETURN HIS COUSIN'S LAPTOP. HE HANDED THE LAPTOP TO HIS
COUSIN AND WENT BACK TO THE CAR. WHEN HE GOT TO THE CAR, THERE
WAS A COP WHO ASKED HIM WHAT HE WAS DOING THERE; WHY HE WAS
PARKED ON A NO PARKING
<http://tsikot.yehey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50585#> AREA.
CHRISTIAN SAID, IF IT WERE A NO
PARKING AREA WHY IS IT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF CARS PARKED.
THE COP TOLD HIM TO OPEN HIS TRUNK AND CHRIS ASKED, WHY? DO YOU
HAVE A WARRANT? ANYWAY, THE CAR DOORS AND WINDOWS WERE OPEN AND
ANOTHER COP SEARCHED THE INTERIOR WHILE ANOTHER OPENED THE
TRUNK.
IN THE TOOLBOX THEY FOUND THE PLASTIC END OF SPARK PLUGS
<http://tsikot.yehey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50585#> . THE
COP SAID IT WAS A PARAPHARNALIA. THE SAME COP BROUGHT TO THE
TRUNK USED PLASTIC SACHETS OF SHABU AND STARTED TO SHOUT 'DRUGS
'TO!', 'DRUGS!'
SO THEY TOOK CHRISTIAN, TO THE ATM OF BPI. THEY SAW HIS CARD
AND ASKED HIM TO WITHDRAW ALL HIS MONEY. FORTUNATELY HE DOES
NOT KEEP HIS MONEY THERE. ONLY HIS SALARY IS DEPOSITED THERE.
SO THE COPS WE INSISTED THAT HE WAS A DRUG USER. AND MY SON WAS
SAYING DO A TEST NOW SO THEY'LL SEE IF HE'S POSITIVE. HE SAID I
CAN'T WORK IN MANDARIN AS A CHEF IF I'M A DRUG USER. HE SAID HE
HAD TO GET POLICE, NBI, BARANGAY, COURT AND MEDICAL CLEARANCE
BEFORE HE COULD START WORKING.
THEN THE POLICE TOOK HIM TO POLICE HEAD-QUARTERS AT UN AVE. AND
THERE FORCED HIM TO EAT SHABU. IT TOOK A WHILE BEFORE HE ATE
IT. SIX COPS WERE PUNCHING HIM AND SCARING HIM WITH THEIR GUNS
UNTIL THE POOR GUY PEED IN HIS PANTS OUT OF FEAR. HE HAD TO
SWALLOW THE DRUG. THEN THE COPS STARTED TO LAUGH. NOW WE'LL SEE
IF YOU ARE NEGATIVE OF SHABU. '200,000PHP AND WE'LL LET YOU GO
OR THIS WILL BE AT THE FISCALS OFFICE IN THE MORNING. CALL YOUR
FRIENDS AND PARENTS.
THIS ORDEAL STARTED AT 10PM. HE WAS ABLE TO CALL ME AT 5AM THE
FOLLOWING DAY. POOR SON OF MINE WAS REALLY TRAUMATIZED. A
FRIEND OF HIS CAME WITH TWENTY THOUSAND THE COPS GRABBED IT AND
LET HIM GO AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED.
I WAS IN LIPA ALL THE TIME THIS WAS HAPPENING. CHRIS LATER
FOUND OUT FROM HIS COUSIN THAT SEVEN OF HER FRIENDS WERE ALSO
APPREHENDED BY THE SAME GROUP OF COPS AND ALSO TOOK THEM TO
THEIR ATM'S. THEY GOT ALL THEIR MONEY IN THE ACCOUNT. THIS COP
IS CAPT.MENDOZA OF THE MOBIL GROUP AND SARGENT GAVINO. IF YOU
GUYS KNOW INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE SERVICE, PLEASE LET THEM
KNOW ABOUT THIS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE FOR THEM TO RETURN THE MONEY
THEY TOOK FROM MY SON SO HE COULD GIVE IT BACK TO HIS FRIEND.
THE MORE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS SO CALLED POLICE OFFICERS THE
BETTER. THIS IS THE TYPE OF GOVERNMENT THAT WE HAVE NOW. DISARM
THE POPULATION AND THIS TYPE OF ABUSE HAPPENS. THANKS AND PASS
IT ON. BOB
[FWD] [did you know?] BANGUNGOT
BANGUNGOT & some realities
(From RONJIE.COM: I have not yet confirmed the authenticity nor the accuracy of this information. This is for entertainment purposes only. But then again, there's nothing wrong with drinking a full glass of water before going to bed!)
Got this information from a US-based pharmacist who is a cousin of a
colleague.
It seems only MALES are afflicted with this.
We had a co-staff/driver from FAO who died last month from supposedly
BANGUNGOT-- leaving a housewife and 3 very young kids.
IMPORTANT: Never go thirsty when going to bed and be sure you have
plenty of water during your 8-hour rest.
Bangungot has killed a male nurse of UERMMH. It is sudden death in
adults which cause them to die while sleeping. Many theories have been
put forward as its cause. However, here is an article which sheds some
light to the cause of this malady.
Please read on:
Article from THE PHILIPPINE STAR:
The reported cause of actor Rico Yan's death is nightmare or bangungot.
Medical investigators in China , Japan and several Asian countries who
performed autopsies on persons who died from 'acute hemorrhagic
pancreatitis' found out that the majority of them had eaten NOODLES as
their supper. This was a startling finding.
However, it wasn't the noodles that caused nightmares but DEHYDRATION.
Imbibing even
with a few drinks of alcohol or just
eating noodles immediately before bedtime compound this on an empty
stomach will trigger
an electrolyte imbalance and other factors that
causes a person to dehydrate or lose water.
It is therefore advisable for a person to take several glasses of water
before bedtime if he had a few or several alcoholic drinks.
Avoid eating noodles before bedtime, but if you can not avoid it, allow
at least two hours for the body to digest the noodles before hitting the
sack and drink plenty of water.
The most important thing is, never go thirsty when going to bed and be
sure you have plenty of water during your 8-hour rest.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- -------
PLEASE PASS TO YOUR FRIENDS!
[FWD] 4 THINGS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW YOUR MOBILE PHONE COULD DO
There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:
FIRST - Emergency
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialled even if the keypad is locked Try it out.
SECOND - Have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their mobile phone from your cell phone.
Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to
drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).
Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a mobile phone!"
THIRD - Hidden Battery Power
Imagine your mobile battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your mobile will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your mobile next time.
FOURTH - How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #
A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass it on to your family and friends
[FWD] MMDA apprehensions
I just reached my limit last weekend, and decided to
take action against the abusive MMDA enforcers. I
basically called up the MMDA head office and
inquired from the Personnel Officer, Antonio
Pagulayan, to clarify their policies. Here is what
I got.
If any of these abuses seem familiar to you, Mr.
Pagulayan has asked that you call either the MMDA
hotline (136) or call the METRO BASE at 0920 9389861
or 0920 9389875 and ask for an Inspectorate. They
will send inspectors to the place where these MMDA
officers are extorting, even while you are arguing
out of your apprehension.
1. MMDA officers are not allowed to group together
in order to apprehend. They are not even allowed
to stand together in groups of 2 or more. The only
time they are allowed to work together is for
special operations (probably when they apprehend
groups of buses for smoke belching)
2. Swerving IS NOT a traffic violation. Moving one
lane to the left or right is not swerving, no
matter where on the road you do it. And it is even
less of a violation when you do it with a signal.
Swerving is defined as shifting 2 or more lanes
very quickly. So you can argue your way out of
this, and call the Metro Base for help.
3. Sadly, using the yellow lane is a traffic
violation and will get you a ticket. However, buses
are really not allowed to go out of the yellow lane,
so if you see selective apprehension of private
cars only, you may complain.
4. MMDA has confirmed that your license MAY NOT BE
CONFISCATED at a traffic apprehension. The only
time they can doso is if you are part of an
accident, or it is your third violation and you have
not settled your fines yet. They are only allowed
to give you a ticket, which you can contest. He
recommends actually receiving the ticket in some
instances, so that you can report the officer who
did it.
Also, you are free to ask any of these officers for
their "mission order", which is written by their
supervisor. If they apprehend you for a violation
that is not in their mission order for the day, you
can report them and they will receive disciplinary
action.
[FWD] QUIRINO AVE/SOUTH SSH DRIVER HORROR STORIES(Pls. always lock your doors)
For the general commuting public, maging driver ka man o hindi....
Ingat kayo when passing through south super highway cor quirino ave. On our way home from Makati, we took buendia then turn right to south superhighway, it was only 8pm and it was drizzling. we were cruising fine but it was a slow moving traffic. right after san andres st, there are these buildings which are modern version of home along the riles (near the designers depot), my wife screamed because somebody was trying to open the car from her side. sensing that it was locked he moved to the back door and tried to open it likewise, we were stocked in traffic and i was stunned that i could not think of anything to do but just look at him. so when finally the traffic moved he also moved away casually tucking the gun in his belly and staring at me as if saying you are lucky you locked your door. thank GOD my wife is so makulit in reminding me to lock the door evertime we go. kaya to all you people beware of that place. Actually you should be alert & be cautious when passing through south superhighway all the way to nagtahan.
Karla Vanessa M. Redor
************ ********* ****
Three days ago my driver had an encounter in this area. After dropping me off at work, the driver was on the south bound lane of South Super Highway near the home along the riles housing (near Sunday Machine Works and Designer Depot). As he came to a full stop at the San Andres intersection stoplight, a man approached the car's rear passenger side, grabbed the car's antenna and broke it. The man remained beside the car, apparently waiting for the driver to get down and confront him. Fortunately, the driver remembered my dad's warnings regarding these types of M.O.s and remained in the car. As the driver sped away, he noticed a group of men on the center island. It pays to be praning,
Sara
************ ********* ****
Yes, I have witnessed a similar incident, maybe about a month ago, and reported it immediately to Police 117. A young man tried to open the passenger door of the taxi in front of me. About three or four girls were inside the taxi at that time. Fortunately, the door was locked. I pass this route coming from Malacanang every night. Fortunately for me too, my car is heavily tinted so I am not easy prey. I shall call 117 again. I suggest you do the same. Although I don't know if that would really help.
Atty. Dara C. Acusar Assistant Secretary
Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel
************ ********* ****
A similar incident happened to me along Quirino Avenue somewhere between the Flying V gas station and Iglesia ni Kristo. 3 men approached my car IN BROAD DAYLIGHT! and SLOW TRAFFIC! and tried to open the back doors.
Bumusina ako ng tuloy tuloy to BR ward them off. It's scary 'coz that area has no patrolling policemen. When they failed to open my car, they tried the other cars naman. I don't know kung may nabuksan sila. Then yesterday, while the PMAP rally was going on along Buendia cor. Ayala, as I was about to cross that intersection, two of the rallyists tried to open my car doors again. Again in BROAD DAYLIGHT! WITH A POLICEMAN AROUND! Hay, what the world has come to. I suggest you lock up and make a lot of noise to at least rattle those thieves.
Judy
************ ********* ****
mga tsong this really happend last wednesday, September sept. 10.... and i hope u would take time in reading this........ I came from makati and was driving along south super highway (osmena hiway) going towards manila area, nung dumating ako sa maliit na bridge before the DESIGNER DEPOT, ung maliit na bazaar of clothes (corner quirino ave and osmena hiway) , if ur coming from makati and u took bu endia or pablo ocampo, mauuna ung bridge before DESIGNER DEPOT ung nasa harap ko is a gold honda civic, all of a sudden may mga lumabas na around 6 or 7 guys who obviously look like squatters who reside along the riles and biglang tinambangan ung civic, pinagsisipa, pinagyug-yug, pinagkukutkot ung susian and they were successful in opening the doors, tapos nagulat na lang ako isa isa nilang nilabas ung mga gamit na nasa loob nung civic cds, bags, etc. im not sure kung ung driver is a girl or a boy , pero ung driver tinutukan ng kutsilyo... in short parang kinuyob ung civic, btw, ako and ung civic during that time(mga 830 - 9 pm) ay nasa right most ng lane... meaning right side lang namin ung lakaran ng tao..... after robbing... they immediately jump off the bridge and went away..... dami nakakita nun pero isang taxi driver lang ang tumigil to check ung condition ng driver.... nga pala, may oner na nasa harap ng katabi ng civic, sakay ay mga pulis, 2 lang ata yun,,, naka purple na uniform (manila police)..... . i dont know kung nakita nila yung incident na yun....pero sa tingin ko naman makikita nila yun... natakot lang dahil 2 lang sila eh and their rusty pistols.... just a friendly warning mga tsong..... kung mag-isa kayo and mejo kita kayo sa loob ng kotse nyo (kahit ano pa yang kotse nyo, luma or bago) try to avoid muna if possible ung osmena hiway at night or better yet try to have another route kasi mejo nagpaparamdam na naman ung mga modus operandi na tulad nun dahil pasko na ulet. if any of u guys have contact sa manila police, paki inform naman sila or just spread this news.... its for all us naman eh... peace!
************ ********* ****
************ ********* ****
Always better safe than sorry... forewarned is forearmed... mga bro ingat kayo run, malapit lang ako nakatira dun kaya talagang totoo yung mga sinasabi rito, karamihan ng mga tarantado diyan nde mismo taga ilalim ng tulay (tapat ng sunday machine works) ginagawa lang nila taguan yun at takasan, mostly ng tulisan diyan mga taga-riles from Fabie, taga-Texas, taga-Muñoz, taga-Mataas na Lupa at mismo taga-riles (batangas line). uso rin ang agaw cellphone jan tsaka holdapan sa jeep lalo na sa riles ingat din kayo sa parking lot ng Designer's Depot kse yung iba doon naghahanap ng biktima (kase talagang madilim dun!) yan din ang isa sa mga reason kung bakit walang nakatira dun sa mga housing project na malapit dun dun sa tawiran sa kabila ng designers depot (yung maraming bata at totoy na nakatambay at yung iba nagbebenta ng sampaguita) wag din kayo tatawid dun dahil puro rugby boys and girls ang nakaupo run! ang masakit, walang ginagawa yung police detachment diyan! sana makatulong ng konti
[FWD] kuwentong pinoy
Philippines.
This was written in 1999. Matter of Taste by Matthew Sutherland
********
I have now been in this country for over six years, and consider myself
in
most respects well-assimilated. However, there is one key step on the
road
to full assimilation which I have yet to take, and that's to eat BALUT.
The day any of you sees me eating balut, please call immigration and ask
them to issue me a Filipino passport. Because at that point there will
be no
turning back.
BALUT, for those still blissfully ignorant non-Pinoys out there, is a
fertilized duck egg. It is commonly sold with salt in a piece of
newspaper,
much like English fish and chips, by street vendors usually after dark,
presumably so you can't see how gross it is. It's meant to be an
aphrodisiac, although I can't imagine anything more likely to dispel
sexual
desire than crunching on a partially-formed baby duck swimming in
noxious
fluid. The embryo in the egg comes in varying stages of development, but
basically it is not considered macho to eat one without fully
discernable
feathers, beak, and claws. Some say these crunchy bits are the best.
Others
prefer just to drink the so-called 'soup', the vile, pungent liquid that
surrounds the aforementioned feathery fetus...excuse me, I have to go
and
throw up now. I'll be back in a minute.
Food dominates the life of the Filipino. People here just love to eat.
They
eat at least eight times a day. These eight official meals are called,
in
order:
breakfast, snacks, lunch, merienda, pica-pica, pulutan, dinner, and
no-one-saw-me-take-that-cookie-from-the-fridge-so-it-doesn't-count.
The short gaps in between these mealtimes are spent eating Sky Flakes
from
the open packet that sits on every desktop. You're never far from food
in
the Philippines. If you doubt this, next time you're driving home from
work,
try this game. See how long you can drive without seeing food and I
don't
mean a distant restaurant, or a picture of food. I mean a man on the
sidewalk frying fish balls, or a man walking through the traffic selling
nuts or candy. I bet it's less than one minute.
Here are some other things I've noticed about food in the Philippines.
Firstly, a meal is not a meal without rice-even breakfast. In the UK, I
could go a whole year without eating rice. Second, it's impossible to
drink
without eating. A bottle of San Miguel just isn't the same without
gambas or
beef tapa. Third, no one ventures more than two paces from their house
without baon and a container of something cold to drink. You might as
well
ask a Filipino to leave home without his pants on. And lastly, where I
come
from, you eat with a knife and fork. Here, you eat with a spoon and
fork.
You try eating rice swimming in fish sauce with a knife.
One really nice thing about Filipino food culture is that people always
ask
you to SHARE their food. In my office, if you catch anyone attacking
their
baon, they will always go. "Sir! KAIN TAYO!" ("Let's eat!"). This
confused
me, until I realized that they didn't actually expect me to sit down and
start munching on their boneless bangus. In fact, the polite response is
something like, "No thanks, I just ate." But the principle is sound-if
you
have food on your plate, you are expected to share it, however hungry
you
are, with those who may be even hungrier. I think that's great. In fact,
this is frequently even taken one step further. Many Filipinos use "Have
you
eaten yet?" ("KUMAIN KA NA?") as a general greeting, irrespective of
time of
day or location. Some foreigners think Filipino food is fairly dull
compared
to other Asian cuisines. Actually lots of it is very good: spicy dishes
like
Bicol Express (strange, a dish named after a train); anything cooked
with
coconut milk; anything KINILAW; and anything ADOBO. And it's hard to
beat
the sheer wanton, cholesterholic frenzy of a good old-fashioned LECHON
de
leche feast. Dig a pit, light a fire, add 50 pounds of animal fat on a
stick, and cook until crisp. Mmm, mmm... you can actually feel your
arteries
constricting with each successive mouthful.
I also share one key Pinoy trait ---a sweet tooth. I am thus the only
foreigner I know who does not complain about sweet bread, sweet burgers,
sweet spaghetti, sweet banana ketchup, and so on. I am a man who likes
to
put jam on his pizza. Try it! It's the weird food you want to avoid.
In addition to duck fetus in the half-shell, items to avoid in the
Philippines include pig's blood soup (DINUGUAN); bull's testicle soup,
the
strangely-named "SOUP NUMBER FIVE" (I dread to think what numbers one
through four are); and the ubiquitous, stinky shrimp paste, BAGOONG, and
it's equally stinky sister, PATIS.
Filipinos are so addicted to these latter items that they will even risk
arrest or deportation trying to smuggle them into countries like
Australia
and the USA, which wisely ban the importation of items you can smell
from
more than 100 paces.
Then there's the small matter of the blue ice cream. I have never been
able
to get my brain around eating blue food; the ubiquitous UBE leaves me
cold.
And lastly on the subject of weird food, beware: that KALDERETANG
KAMBING
(goat) could well be KALDERETANG ASO (dog)... The Filipino, of course,
has a
well-developed sense of food.
Here's a typical Pinoy food joke: "I'm on a seafood diet. "What's a
seafood
diet?" "When I see food, I eat it!"
Filipinos also eat strange bits of animals---the feet, the head, the
guts,
etc., usually barbecued on a stick. These have been given witty names,
like
"ADIDAS" (chicken's feet); "KURBATA" (either just chicken's neck, or
"neck
and thigh" as in "neck-tie"); "WALKMAN" (pigs ears); "PAL" (chicken
wings);
"HELMET" (chicken head); "IUD" (chicken intestines), and "BETAMAX"
(video-cassette-like blocks of animal blood). Yum, yum. Bon appetit.
"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches" --(Proverbs 22:1)
WHEN I arrived in the Philippines from the UK six years ago, one of the
first cultural differences to strike me was names. The subject has
provided
a continuing source of amazement and amusement ever since.
The first unusual thing, from an English perspective, is that everyone
here
has a nickname. In the staid and boring United Kingdom, we have
nicknames in
kindergarten, but when we move into adulthood we tend, I am glad to say,
to
lose them.
The second thing that struck me is that Philippine names for both girls
and
boys tend to be what we in the UK would regard asoverbearingly cutesy
for
anyone over about five. "Fifty-five-year-olds colleague put it. Where I
come
from, a boy with a nickname like Boy Blue or Honey Boy would be beaten
to
death at school by pre-adolescent bullies, and never make it to
adulthood.
So, probably, would girls with names like Babes, Lovely, Precious,
Peachy or
Apples. Yuk, ech ech. Here, however, no one bats an eyelid.
Then I noticed how many people have what I have come to call "door-bell
names". These are nicknames that sound like - well, door-bells. There
are
millions of them. Bing, Bong, Ding, and Dong are some of the more
common.
They can be, and frequently are, used in even more door-bell-like
combinations such as Bing-Bong, Ding-Dong, Ting-Ting, and so on. Even
our
newly-appointed chief of police has a doorbell name Ping. None of these
door-bell names exist where I come from, and hence sound unusually
amusing
to my untutored foreign ear. Someone once told me that one of the Bings,
when asked why he was called Bing, replied "because my brother is called
Bong". Faultless logic.
Dong, of course, is a particularly funny one for me, as where I come
from
"dong" is a slang word for... well, perhaps "talong" is the best Tagalog
equivalent.
Repeating names was another novelty to me, having never before
encountered
people with names like Len-Len, Let-Let, Mai-Mai, or Ning-Ning. The
secretary I inherited on my arrival had an unusual one: Leck-Leck.
Such names are then frequently further refined by using the "squared"
symbol,
as in Len2 or Mai2.
This had me very confused for a while.
Then there is the trend for parents to stick to a theme when naming
their
children. This can be as simple as making them all begin with the same
letter, as in Jun, Jimmy, Janice, and Joy.
More imaginative parents shoot for more sophisticated forms of assonance
or
rhyme, as in Biboy, Boboy, Buboy, Baboy (notice the names get worse the
more
kids there are-best to be born early or you could end up being a Baboy).
Even better, parents can create whole families of, say, desserts
(Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Honey Pie) or flowers (Rose, Daffodil, Tulip).
The
main advantage of such combinations is that they look great painted
across
your trunk if you're a cab driver. That's another thing I'd never seen
before coming to Manila -- taxis with the driver's kids' names on the
trunk.
Another whole eye-opening field for the foreign visitor is the
phenomenon of
the "composite" name. This includes names like Jejomar (for Jesus,
Joseph
and Mary), and the remarkable Luzviminda
(for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, believe it or not). That's a bit like
me
being called something like "Engscowani" (for England, Scotland, Wales
and
Northern Ireland).
Between you and me, I'm glad I'm not. And how could I forget to mention
the
fabulous concept of the randomly inserted letter 'h'. Quite what this
device
is supposed to achieve, I have not yet figured out, but I think it is
designed to give a touch of class to an otherwise only averagely weird
name.
It results in creations like Jhun, Lhenn, Ghemma, and Jhimmy. Or how
about
Jhun-Jhun (Jhun2)?
How boring to come from a country like the UK full of people with names
like
John Smith. How wonderful to come from a country where imagination and
exoticism rule the world of names. Even the towns here have weird names;
my
favorite is the unbelieveably-named town of Sexmoan
(ironically close to Olongapo and Angeles). Where else in the world
could
that really be true? Where else in the world could the head of the
Church
really be called
Cardinal Sin?
Where else but the Philippines!
Note: Philippines has a senator named Joker, and it is his legal name.