Crocodile Jaws

I happened to watch tonight's edition of TV Patrol World and I was shocked at the last news that they had. A certain zoo in Negros is feeding live animals to their crocodiles. Preying on live animals can be an inevitable scene in the wild but having it in a zoo is another thing.

The culprit is the so-called Zoo Paradise World in Zambuanganita, Negros Oriental. (Oh, I never though there is a little Zamboanga in the Visayas.) The zoo was started years ago by the Spaceship Foundation which calls themselves as the "Barefoot Apostles". In 1993, the group's founder died and the administration of the zoo was transferred to the remaining members.

The news was brought about by a group concerned on animal welfare which had a video of actual feeding of the crocodiles with live goats and cats. TV Patrol crews disguised as a group of tourist and after making donation of P500.00, another live goat was dropped inside the crocodiles' lair. One crocodile immediately seized the defenseless prey.

The zoo staff denied the allegations but the video footage is such a loud cry. The administrator, in turn, blamed some policemen shooting stray dogs and forwarding the dogs to them as food ration.

I couldn't bear watching the crocodile devour the still crying goat. The reptile, the goat still between its teeth, brought the wailing animal into the water. The poor goat was still crying in pain in the water.

Oftentimes, goats were contrasted to sheep and were portrayed as the bad animals yet this particular video was so disgusting that I didn't finish watching the show. This incident is a clear violation of Republic Act 8584 or the Animal Welfare Act stating that no live animal should be subject any torture and pain. I hope the poor animals get the justice they deserve soon.

Lackluster Star (Grand Showdown)

Seemed like the "Grand Showdown" in our favorite soap has brushed on me and my friend as we had our own stints involving Dorina Pineda.

Thursday, and as per Roselle's web log, Jo won two tickets for the "Bee2win sa Bituin" Grand Showdown to be held in Araneta Coliseum on September 19. How I wish I am still in Manila to watch it with Jo. She even made a joke that I should go back just for the showdown. Oh, if only I had the means. I have the time though I don't have the resources to fly back. Anyway, I wish to express my congratulations to my friend and may you fully enjoy your free ticket and the showdown itself. I watched ASAP two days ago and I realized that there would be so many guests gracing the event so I am sure that watching its taped version in BWN would never quench my desire to be physically present in Araneta on Tuesday.



On the other side (naks! actually I really intended to say "On the other hand"), I immediately phoned home last Sunday to check whether my little sisters really went to SM North to attend Ms. Geronimo's mall tour. My mom answered the call and happily informed me that they went to SM and my album was signed by no other that Dorina herself! Wow! I was elated and so eager to have my album sent to Japan. It's really a nice timing since one of my friend in Japan who happened to live nearby our place in Bulacan is about to go back here in Japan at the end of the month so I asked her if she could bring my album here. She agreed so that completed my part of the "grand showdown". My little brother also sent me pictures taken during the mall tour. Sobra po akong masaya!

Lackluster Star

My vacation to the Philippines last year got me hooked again to Philippine television. After depriving myself indirectly of watching tv since I started staying in the dormitory around five years ago, then working till the very late hours of the night, I certainly lost track of what's happening in showbiz and what shows had been shown on TV already.

So what I did once I came back to Japan was to get a subscription from ABS-CBN Now to view streaming videos of their selected shows online. I was able to see soap operas like Kampanerang Kuba, Gulong ng Palad, Sa Piling Mo and my latest favorite, Bituing Walang Ningning.

It was through the latter that I grew fond of its lead star, Ms. Sarah Geronimo. I knew even before I left Japan that she was getting famous in the Philippines as a very talented singer but I never knew anything beyond that. The way she portrays her character in the soap was a clear reflection of herself that made me know her better (not personally though...)

It was just a few days that I was back in Manila that we passed by a National Bookstore branch when I saw Bituing Walang Ningning's sound track on sale. I immediate urged my mom to get me one copy. She hesitated as it cost P250.00 yet I still convinced her that I had been that homesicked that I really wanted a copy. Shooking her head, my mom granted my wish.



Having the album in my hand, I thought of having it autographed by Ms. Geronimo herself. Perhaps I could go and watch ASAP on a Sunday then ask her to sign my album. A pretty tough undertaking but not that impossible. So I collaborated with one of my friends who is another Dorina fan and we planned how to get the coveted autograph.

Just a few days after acquiring the album, the same friend told me that the recording company repackaged Bituin's sound track, now including two additional tracks. I felt sorry for myself for having low E. Q. but who would have thought that the album would be repackaged? I even asked my friends if I could still go to the store where I purchased the album and have it replaced with the repackaged one. Well, that's business here in the Philippines so I must know it by heart that my request would be futile. I just resorted to hoping that I could download the additional tracks online whether legally or through P2P. (Guess how I managed to get the two tracks then...)

My friend inquired to ABS-CBN but sadly got the information that those who are planning to watch ASAP should reserve three months in advance. I thought it was so ridiculous as I only have less than two weeks before I return to Japan. Well, maybe I am a different case as I am a balikbayan but still...

I visited another friend who had worked with ABS-CBN before to get some more info and he told me that I could try my luck by falling in line before the audience gate, bring my passport and claim that I am indeed a balikbayan. Having a new light of hope on the way, I told my co-fan friend of the plan. Yet, I forgot to ask for directions how to go to the studio which was my fault, so my friend was still hesitant in going. Feeling that the only hope that I had just the day before slowly fading infront of me, I never mentioned ASAP again until me and my friend parted ways.

The following morning, the morning that I should wake up too early to line up the queue for the audience, I found myself waking up around 9 o'clock. I just accepted to myself that I should give up then. Luckily, we had too much fun the night before watching "You Are The One"'s last full show enough to make me reach home around one in the morning. So feeling less regrets, I just waited on TV for ASAP.

ASAP on that day would be such happiness for me should I be there in the live audience. Ms. Geronimo had at least three song numbers which was unlikely of the past episodes where in she was out of the country and just had taped song numbers-once for every week that she was away. Yet, I might be really blessed as there would be a mall tour, one quite near our place though after my departure for Japan. My mom and siblings suggested that they can have my album autographed and then send to me in Japan afterwards. I said that I am fervently requesting for that and requested that they take a picture of Dorina during the mall tour. That should do at least.

My Longest Birthday

August 6, 2006. The night before I leave Japan for the Philippines. My friends held a despedida for me and at the same time, a birthday celebration for me as one of them would not see me until December. We had Japanese-style spaghetti then.

August 26, 2006. Roughly two weeks before my birthday. We went to Taliptip, Bulacan for swimming. My family and college friends were there. It was supposed to be held on my sister's birthday 10 days ago but it was decided to be a double birthday celebration to include mine. We had hamonado (yum yum), pancit bihon with canton, fried chicken and a black forrest cake from Ate Hanie.

September 4, 2006. The night before I go back to Japan. My family and college friends had a despedida-cum-birthday party for me. We had bird's nest soup, pork asado, pancit canton and lumpiang shanghai, plus a another black forrest cake, this time from Pamela. I left Manila with a full stomach enough to make me not eat anymore except the meals from the plane.

September 10, 2006. My birthday. As I woke up, I merely said to myself, "Happy birthday!" I was to prepare pancit bihon for today but for some unknown reason, I didn't have the will to do it. I just though that there might be some food in the church and so then there had been food. Two babies were baptized today and there was food after the mass. (The baptismal rite was incorporated in the mass.) There was yakisoba (stir fried noodles), fried chicken, bola-bola, lumpiang shanghai, donuts, ice cream and cake. I ate a lot and ended up with a full stomach again.

Festivities for my birthday wasn't over yet as we went to a yakiniku (grilled meat) house in Sagae City. This time I was with my friends Elmer, Abe-san, Ate Kaye and her husband. We had tonzoku (steamed pork feet), yakiniku (grilled meat) and beer. I went home almost incapable of walking due to my heavy tummy.

I called home tonight and I heard that mom prepared pancit bihon to celebrate my birthday. Another good news was that my sisters won the Marian contests in Obando, for birthday card and poster making contests. I am very proud of them, partly because I was the one who composed the message in the birthday card which was just an impromptu poem.

This year I had the longest celebration of my birthday. Food was not the basis for it but the people greeting me and celebrating my birthday with me. The well wishers and the birthday songs that I heard. Not the birthday candles that I blew, but the wishes that I made and the wishes that I made last year that came true. Of course it rained today, as every year. But I was showered too with a loving family and caring friends. God showered and will continue to shower me with His blessings, as I received a special birthday blessing today in the church. It is the longest and perhaps the happiest. Thank you very much to everyone!

Isolated from "the world"

I was so happy and excited to be back. I could see my family and could meet my friends. I prepared a detailed itinerary weeks before my departure but I was about to scrap it off as I had been locked up at home as our landline phone became unusable for three weeks. As a sad consequence, I could surf the internet at home. I, being an internet addict, suffered withdrawal symptoms the day I arrived.

I had no choice but to stay at home. I don't know all of my friends' mobile numbers but one who didn't reply a single SMS. To top it all, all of my planned errands were plagued by the intermittent rain in Metro Manila. The rain caused floods to emerge again in our little town of Obando, its neighboring cities of Kalookan, Malabon and Valenzuela, causing the agony of travelling to Monumento in Kalookan.

I resorted to use the broadband of my cousin, but unfortunately, a few minutes after he left, the connection was cut off and I could bring it back anymore. Feeling sorry for what happened, I rented internet in a computer shop at about 11:30 pm after wading all the way to the shop from our home via a road less travelled-for it was flooded by rainwater and mixed soy sauce and vinegar factory wastes. I was reminded by my mom of the lethal leptos pyrosis only to realize that I had a small cut in my toe from my last nail cutting event. Apparently, I didn't catch the disease and I was even able to write about it here.

But one thing I realized in my almost two-week isolation to "the world" was I spent time with my family alone. And it was so touching. I missed them so much so I was too happy being with them again.

I sent e-mails to my pals inviting them to our family excursion to a swimming resort. Some e-mails bounced back to me due to already non-existing users or mailboxes that already reached their quota. Hopefully, one would read my e-mail and contact me thru the mobile number that I included in the e-mail. I would just wait and see then...

Homecoming 2006

What I hate most during trips is packing my things up. I know how to maximize space as I experience every time I send a balikbayan box to the Philippines but I still freak myself out every time I need to fill up those luggages before hopping in the bus or plane that will bring me to my destination. This time was no exception.

It was Sunday, August 6 and it had been arranged that my friend from Hong Kong will come to my place early in the morning, say 9 am. I was supposed to do the packing the night before but due to some things that I had been pondering through the night... and ... oh, yeah, due to my internet addiction, I wasn't able to get any sleep. So as I was still copying and pasting files from my external hard drive to my laptop which I would be bringing with me to Manila, Ate Rachel rang my bell. Around 24 hours later, I would realize that I didn't finish copying files to my laptop, thereby missing the chance to show to my family and friends my life in pictures for the past 11 months that I've been away from them. But, luckily, a few days after, (of course, still in Manila), I would discover that I had almost every picture file in the recycle bin. Blessing in disguise!)

I asked Ate Rachel to go with me to the supermarket to buy last minute pasalubongs. Good thing was, I was invited by some primary school teachers as an informal guest speaker in their cultural exchange program a few days ago and they handed me 5,000 yen (approx. 2,500 pesos) as royalty. So I bought a few famously branded Japanese chocolates and looked for my siblings' request-what they call as the "tatak barko". It was actually Bourbon's chocolate-filled cookies with ship imprints as the design.

Having no time to eat lunch, we proceeded to the church after unloading the stuffs that we bought from the supermarket. Afterwards, we dropped by the souvenir shop in the train station to buy another set of last minute pasalubongs. My night was spent with Ate Rachel, Ate Hanie and (Kuya) Elmer eating spaghetti as my despedida and a month-in-advance birthday celebration. Ate Rachel helped me packed my things and we went to the bus station together with Elmer.

I reached Narita International Airport around 6:30 am with the check-in counters still closed. Having nothing to do, I checked in as the counters opened. I forgot to charge my mobile phone's battery last night so I sneaked and charged it by plugging my charger to the boarding gates electric jacket which supposedly for cleaning purposes only. Luckily, no one noticed me.

We had a stop over at Hong Kong and curious whether my phone will roam in HK, I turned it on. A few seconds later, I received a call. It was from my school, asking me to sign the scholarship form for the month. Gosh! I completely forgot it. I was about to accept my not that so lucky fate of not receiving my August allowance as a result of not signing the form when I recalled that I have my name stamp at home. I immediately called Elmer and asked him the favor of signing my form using my name stamp. Good thing was, Ate Hanie, suggested to me to leave my room keys so that if ever emergencies (like this) happens, we could still do something.

With my mind already relieved regarding that allowance, I reached Manila at around 4:30 pm. My mother and brother Patrick were waiting for me at the airport. We went to the Baclaran church which was near to the airport and it was such a good timing since a mass was said at 6 pm. Then, we went to SM Manila, where my sister Pamela works, and my sister Carmina was staying for the day to wait for me.

After Pamela's day at work was called off, we took the LRT to Monumento. We had dinner at Chow King in Monumento. (Thanks Pamela for that one!) We went home around 10 pm and that concluded my first day in Manila buy sharing stories with my family.