Baguio 2008

Dear Kids, These were taken during our visit to Baguio.




This is "Doglas" a mine's view park regular attraction. But it's the first time we had our pictures taken with him.


Sage and Sadie Navigating what will always be to me the Wine-Dark lagoon of my childhood.


Wright Park horseback ride with the Yaya.

Dominican Hill. I took the wrong turn and ended up in the Groto.

This was what I was looking for at the Dominican Hill.

We were able to check our emails inside (among other things.)


these pictures were taken inside Nazarene Bible College's White House where we stayed for 4 days and 3 nights (through the courtesy of your Ninang Joy)




Your Mom's favorite spot is where we can see from the window the whole La Trinidad Valley below.You picked strawberries later in the valley.



We call that window our 120-inch TV, the one I was referring to in Snglguy.com's blog

"Sa Umaga ang gandang panoorin ng sunrise, sa hapon makikita mo ang fog as it rolls in, at sa gabi may fireflies. Swerte kami nung Friday evening, bigla nalang may 10minute fireworks. Front seat kami."



Her silhouette against the 2 "TV screens"

GOTTA GO MY OWN WAY...

Dear Sage, you're having voice lessons at Center for Pop Music and your voice has improved a lot. One of your favorite songs so far is "The Greatest Love of All". It's the song you sing onstage during music class

Now we are watching High School Musical 2 and you are planning to study how to sing this song...

Gotta Go My Own Way Lyrics

Big Tummy

Dear Sage, Some kids call their Dad "Big Daddy"

you call me... (I'll let you type it here)

BIG TUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(You are the one who typed the text, I just highlighted it in RED)

Now, just a few minutes ago, I heard Sadie call me that too


BIG TUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(You typed this one too while I was helping Sabine)

We are blogging from downstairs. On the sofa. Kasi may wifi na kami! And we can even blog kahit nasa garahe tayo....

YEAHHHHH!

ok, you can call me big tummy again.BIG TUMMY IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD,UNIVERSE,SOLAR SYSTEM,INFINITY AND BEYOND AND HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sage With Honors

We went to Miriam today (Yesterday, 4/8/8) to get Sage's report card. ALL Her grades in ALL subjects are marked OUTSTANDING!

YEAH!!!

itutuloy...

COLD

Sage said this stolen shot was taken by Sabine. Looking back, it's very poignant. It was a beautiful day. I wish I could hold on to it. 

Happy Birthday Manuel IV!!! (April 1)

Boing is the favorite cousin of Sabine. He is seen here welcoming a celebrity-guest to Bigsound Cabanatuan.


(From Left, first row) Manuel Jr., Nita Fajardo, Dominic, Myka, Justine. (From left, Second row) Kristie Kenney, Manuel IV, Kitkat.

She may not be as hot as Dana Perino, the current whitehouse press secretary, but Boing (Manuel IV) likes her... and her name is only one letter away from "Kennedy"

Happy Birthday Sexy 1!!! (April 1)

Isang araw sa isla ng Boracay...


Sexy 1: Friend, tingnan mo o, hindi tayo pinapansin ng mga hunks.

Sexy 2: OO NGA! at lahat sila tumatakbo papunta dun sa isang chick na...

Sexy 3: AMPOCHAH, ni hindi man lang naka bikini?!!!




Hunk: dapat mauna ako... ano ba ang mayron sya na wala ang mga chicks na naka Thong dito sa beach?


















AFGHANISTAN OFW: Hmmm... Grabe! Sulit talaga ang pag gamit ko ng

DOWNY FABRIC SOFTENER.

Ang Bango!!!

(Teka, san galing itong mga lalaking naglalaway sa paligid ko???)

March 28, 2000

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAGE!!!

Dear Sage, 8 years ago yesterday, I became a Dad.

You are a born princess. Everyone of you. Everytime Sabine says "Dad, I'm a Princess. And you are a Prince." My response is always, "Mommy made me a Prince..."

Yes she did. 8 years ago yesterday.


BTW, here are pictures of your birthday dinner with Grand Dy and Cousins at QC




The next day you swam at the village pool...

Elegantly Black Sat.

"Dad, I want popcorn!" That's Sabine's simple wish after graduating from Nursery with HONORS. Partida pa yan, bilis mag review nyan. Frankly, the fact that she enjoys studying makes going to a school named "Calvary" worth it.



Sabine with Teacher Bessie

Dear God, thank you for being faithful to me despite of my weaknesses, my pride, my rage, my pettiness, my defiance... thank you for being faithful despite of myself.



After a week of heartaches, when I took a picture of these kids this morning, I had an inkling that my luck had changed for the better... (That's Kitkat and Boing. They slept over)

Notice my hand... I was really getting lucky.

After the short play about the life of David son of Jesse, the Honor Students were announced. That's Mom on stage with Sabine accepting the Medal for the 5th Honors.


Just before bedtime... there's the talent show. Hosted by Ate Sage and Ate Kit. First one up is Sabine... Click on the arrows to play the video



Presenting.... Boing (it's a cover of the cuppycake song but he just composed the lyrics himself on that very night)



the amazing Sadie





Heeeere's KitKat!!!




Heeeeerrreee's Sadie!!!




and Finally... SAGE!!!

Spring Equinox 2008

Dear Sage, Sabine, Sadie; Yesterday morning, we left the house in Pasig and after picking-up your Mom at SLMC, we stayed here at QC to visit my Dad and to take care of Kitkat and Boing. Ninong El and Ninang Jen are in Baguio to monitor Bigsound FM there which just went on air. The only one left in Pasig is your lola. You guys played all day and upto around 10pm. When we were kids like you, we were not allowed to play, to watch TV, even to laugh out loud before black saturday.

Two Years Ago I wrote a blog entry about a Prose that mirrors the event that we are remembering today- Christ's sacrifice on the cross, the sacrifice for Love. It's from the book "Thorn Birds" . I think it's appropriate to re-post it here.

"There is a legend about a bird
which sings just once in its life
more sweetly than any creature on the face of the Earth.
Upon leaving its nest it searches for a Thorn Tree
and does not rest until it has found one.
Then, singing among the savage branches it impales itself
against the longest, sharpest spine.
And dying, it rises above its own agony
to out-carol the Lark and the Nightingale.
with ONE, superlative song-- Existence the price.
Yet the whole world stills to listen,
And God in his Heaven smiles.

For the best is bought only at the cost of great pain...

or so, says the legend."--Ralph Cardinal DeBricassart

May the Glory of Easter Morning, and the mornings to come after that, more than balance the Gloom of Good Friday and the days leading up to it.

Whatafool!

Dear Atticus,

I just read your latest blog entry (click on the link and lyrics below)

http://mayamanako.blogspot.com/2008/03/kissing-fool.html

You are far
When i could have been your star
You listened to people
Who scared you to death, and from my heart
Strange that you were strong enough
To even make a start
But you'll never find
Peace of mind,
Til you listen to your heart

People
You can never change the way they feel
Better let them do just what they will
For they will
If you let them
Steal your heart from you
People
Will always make a lover feel a fool
But you knew i loved you
We could have shown them all
We should have seen love through

Fooled me with the tears in your eyes
Covered me with kisses and ties
So goodbye
But please don't take my heart

You are far
I'm never gonna be your star
I'll pick up the pieces
And mend my heart
Maybe i'll be strong enough
I don't know where to start
But i'll never find
Peace of mind
While i listen to my heart

People
You can never change the way they feel
Better let them do just what they will,
For they will
If you let them
Steal your heart

And people
Will always make a lover feel a fool
But you knew i loved you
We could have shown them all

But remember this
Every other kiss
That you ever give
Long as we both live
When you need the hand of another man
One you really can surrender with
I will wait for you
Like i always do
There's something there
That can't compare with any other

You are far
When i could have been your star
You listened to people
Who scared you to death, and from my heart
Strange that i was wrong enough
To think you'd love me too
I guess you were kissing a fool
You must have been kissing a fool



ang sabi mo, Atticus, si George Michael wrote it with a man in mind (anselmo) and not a fascinating girl? Lalaki ang inspirasyon nung kantahin nya ito at hindi isang magandang babae???

Lintek sya!

Sorry, pero in my book, that's more blashphemous than saying "Happy Good Friday..."

Man! I'm in such a foul mood I'd probably eat dinuguan and puto bukas (byernes)! I hope you and our friends from abs-cbn (lalu na yung nasa bora who's wearing her expensive bikinis) have much better luck than yours truly. Darn. I sound just like... I might aswell change the title of this blog to snglguy.com2

40 YEARS OLD

Memo to self:

Admit it. You've been old since you were 20.
You never thought you'd reach

40...

You always thought you'd die before reaching it
You never thought you'd be given a long life
You never thought you'd live forever.
You never thought you'd find HER...

You never thought you'd be HAPPY.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OLD MAN.
(And No, you're not referring to Poseidon.)


itutuloy...

On Tolerance

Dear Kids, someday you will receive spam mail with this picture and an allegation that the child is a Muslim and he is being punished because he stole a loaf of bread. It was meant to provoke hatred towards our Muslim Brothers so please do not believe the spam.

We have no right to Judge the Moslems. Because we know NOTHING about ISLAM. Hindi naman tayo Muslim e.

Unfair sa kanila yung words sa email. Imagine nyo kung ang spam ay may ganitong subtitle:

A child was caught stealing bread in a remote area in the Philippines run by Christians who believe in the interpreting their Holy Book, THE BIBLE, literally...

IN the name of their religion, the child is punished. Because it says in their Holy Book:

"If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire" Mark 9:43


There are some parts of the Bible which our religion do not interpret literally (Mark 9:43 is one of them) kaya ang mga muslim ay hindi dapat mag cite ng verse, out of context, para lang tayo i criticize. At tayo din, hindi dapat kutyain ang Qur'an (Koran) dahil wala tayong alam dun. WALA TAYONG KARAPATAN.

Please be tolerant of other people's Religion. Always pray for them.

Sya nga pala, Dhes, We know you are in Lanao right now. Ingat Kayo! God Keep You All Safe!!!

525,600 minutes x 40

525,600 minutes

525,000 moments so dear

525,646 minutes

how do you measure,

measure a year?

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights ...in cups of coffee.

In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife

In 525,600 minutes

How do you measure a year in the life?...

How about Love?

Measure in love.



-- Lyrics from "Seasons of love"

Ides of March

"Caesar, beware the ides of March"


Sa aking mga Anakis, sa school pag nabasa nyo yung tungkol kay Julius Caesar, malalaman nyo na tinalo nya si Pompei the great sa isang sagupaan na malapit sa bayan ng Pharsalus kaya sya naging Diktador ng Roma. Ang hindi nyo mababasa don ay nung bago mag simula ang gyera, may isang Legio (siguro sarhento ang katumbas) na nangakong isasakripisyo nya ang kanyang buhay para tyak na manalo si Caesar. Hindi ko maalala ang pangalan nya. anyway, ang aktong pag sakripisyo sa buhay sa isang digmaan nung panahon na tinatatag ang imperio ng Roma ay tinatawag na "Devotio." Ngayon siguro ang katumbas nila ay mga suicide bombers. Itong Legio na ito na hindi ko talaga matandaan ang pangalan ay biglang umatake sa tagilirang bahagi ng mga tropa ni Pompei (right flank nya ata).

Syempre natigok sya kaagad.

Pero nung nanalo sila Caesar binigyan sya ng parangal dahil sinasabi nilang ang kanyang "Devotio" o sakripisyo ay ikinatuwa ng mga Imortal sa Olympus kaya kahit lamang ang kalaban at dehado si Caesar, nagmilagro, at sya ang nanalo.

Sa panahon ngayon, ang daming gustong maging Caesar sa politica. At naghahanap sila ng mga taong pambala sa kanyon para matupad ang kanilang mga pangarap na sila naman ang makinabang sa mga multi billion peso contracts sa Gobyerno. Pero syempre, hindi nila sasabihin na gusto nilang maging CAESAR kundi ang sasabihin nila sa'yo, gusto nila ng PAGBABAGO.

Naghahanap sila ng Devotio.

Ang ating lipunan ay nahahati sa dalawa: mga tumataya sa politika at mga hindi. Kung ikaw ay isang politiko na tumatakbo sa eleksyon, tumataya ka sa politika. Kung hindi... Candidate kang maging Devotio nila. Pag namatay ka, paparangalan ka pero makakalimutan din. Tulad nung Legio na iyon na nagbuwis ng buhay para sa pangarap ni Caesar... Na hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko talaga matandaan ang pangalan nung lintek na 'yon.

Pero meron tayong Karapatan na hindi pwedeng tanggalin ng mga Politico. At yon ay ang ating karapatang hindi pumayag na maging Devotio nila.

Darating ang araw, mababasa nyo ang mga kaguluhan sa politica ngayong mga panahong sinulat ko ito. Dapat ipaliwanag ko kung bakit hindi ako nakikigulo at sumasangayon sa mga Politico: kaliwa o kanan, Gobyerno o Oposisyon. Sa mga susunod na isusulat ko, susubukan kong ipaliwanag ang sarili ko. Mga Anakis, kayo nalang ang bahalang humusga sakin. at sana, tama ang mga desisyon ko dahil hindi ako pumapayag na maging Devotio nila, bagkus ang palagi kong sina sabi sa mga politico... MANIGAS KAYO!

itutuloy...

MALAYO PA ANG UMAGA

when the PeoplePower icon of the past shares the stage with a farce, she becomes one too.

When the best and the brightest that this generation has to offer is either Chiz escudero, who thinks that Erap and Marcos did no wrong; or Mike Defensor, who thinks that Gloria is the best president we've had, then,

THE FUTURE ITSELF IS DYING. (my apologies to the speechwriter of W.Bush. I snitched the phrase from him)


Kanta na lang tayo. Marunong ba kayong mag gitara?

	C	G	F-G	C	G	F-G
	Malayo pa	ang umaga, '	di mat	anaw ang	pag-asa

	E	Am	F	C
hanggang	kailan matitiis an	g paghihirap ko?

	Dm	G
	at sa dilim hinahanap

	E	Am
	ang pag-asa na walang landas

	F	C	F	G
	kailan ba darating	ang bukas para s	a'kin?

Analog-Digital World

DIGITAL... Sage made this using her Friendster account.


ANALOG... I have a feeling that Sabine will learn to play the violin really, really soon. Sadie loves to watch us when we play foosball.



DIGITAL... They Love surfing.

ANALOG... Sabine's Team got silver medals for our effort during their sportsfest.

Sage made this "I'm a Princess" digital collage from Friendster too.

Rock and Roll Forevah!

Dear Sabine, by last count you've watched Alvin and the Chipmunks for a gazillion times now. last time you went gaga over another film was with "Cars"

Probably because of the Rock music...

Knights of the Round Table

"It's not the color of the Armor that counts, but the Knight within" --MCGMD

Dear Kids, there is this legend about two, star-crossed lovers, cursed by an evil Religious Wizard to walk the earth together, but to never meet each other in human form. From being a beautiful woman, she is transformed into a hawk when the sun is in the sky, while her lover, a Black Knight, assumes the form of a Wolf when the moon rises and then becomes human again at dawn. They accompany each other in their quest to break the spell. But the prophecy of how to break it sounds like a riddle:

"The two must stand together in front of the bishop as husband and wife on the day without a night, and a night without a day."

Unable to make sense of the riddle, not knowing what to expect, both rode on to meet their destiny. When they finally came to the end of their journey, the Black knight dueled with the Bishop's mercenaries and ultimately defeated the bishop's curse itself. For that day was special. That day, an ECLIPSE took place. It was indeed a day without a night, and a night without a day.

A couple of nights ago, we missed gazing at the lunar eclipse. I would have told you guys this story while watching it. Sayang.

Anyway, that's our new dining table. It's round like the one in the legend of King Arthur and his Knights. Round like the two principal Orbs that make Eclipses happen. We bought it on February 14, 2008.

itutuloy...

Putting Jun Lozada in Perspective

He WAS part of the Other Side.
But he came through... Only because he had to.

Now he's better off without his erstwhile CONFEDERATES.




"Now that it's all said and done,
I can't believe you were the one
To build me up and tear me down,
Like an old abandoned house.
What you said when you left
Just left me cold and out of breath.
I fell too far, was in way too deep.
Guess I let you get the best of me.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.

I'm slowly getting closure.
I guess it's really over.
I'm finally getting better.
And now I'm picking up the pieces.
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you.

You took a hammer to these walls,
Dragged the memories down the hall,
Packed your bags and walked away.
There was nothing I could say.
And when you slammed the front door shut,
A lot of others opened up,
So did my eyes so I could see
That you never were the best for me.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.

I'm slowly getting closure.
I guess it's really over.
I'm finally getting better.
And now I'm picking up the pieces.
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.
I'm slowly getting closure.
I guess it's really over.
I'm finally getting better.
And now I'm picking up the pieces.
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
Well I'm putting my heart back together,
'Cause I got over you.
Well I got over you.
I got over you.
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you."

Post VD

"For he who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience sublime happiness"-- Edmund Dantes, le Comte de Monte Cristo

Dear Kids, I wrote about SAD syndrome last December. I'm just wondering if there's a statistically confirmed disease entity called "Post-Valentine's Day Syndrome?"

I've been checking my account last night in a social networking site and I found disturbing entries bordering on the suicidal.

Maybe it's because the disappointment is greatest when the expectations are highest. People look forward to Valentine's day Months before the actual date. Then when those expectations aren't fully met, those with depression will find it easy to take what they think is the easy way out: Death.

Last Night, while trying to write to a depressed collegiala with disturbing messages, I received a phonecall from your Yaya who told me that her sister slit her wrist (because of a boylet who probably has a frenchkissing IQ of a rotting corpse). I rolled my eyes, told her not to panic, since suicide attempts via wrist slashing rarely succeed (except in the movies), and to bring her sister to the nearest clinic or hospital to have the wound stitched up and to be given prophylactics because her sister might die... OF TETANUS!

Lintek. nakaka depress. Para hindi tayo mag suicide lahat dahil sa depression, basahin nyo nalang itong na pulot kong message.


So, is he a very, very, clever comedian or not? If not, Magtatayo ako ng call center at kukunin ko syang agent. Papatawagin ko sya kay Mirriam umaga at gabi para dumugo ilong ni Madame (a lot of people will pay me to see this happen. papalitan ko na blog URL na ito at gagawin kong: mayamanako.blogspot.com)