29.5.08

Many people are leaving the country for the passed few days. I wonder what it's like, leaving all your loved ones behind and finding greener pastures abroad? Like my Aunt, who's now back in London after two months here in the Philippines for vacation; Heather, who's now in England with her family; and Patrice, who's now in Canada for good.
you know, every time this topic comes up i always remember Patricia Evangelista, the one who won the International Public Speaking competition in London last May 2004. Her prize-winning speech was really good, brilliant, splendid! it's so true. the topic was
The Borderless World.
It talks about Filipinos going around to meet the world. She talked about the Filipino Diaspora and the influx of OFWs, now scattered around the globe. Here is her speech, and I hope you'll love it as much as i do.


BLONDE AND BLUE EYES
by Patricia Evangelista

When I was little, I wanted what many Filipino children all over the
country wanted. I wanted to be blond, blue-eyed, and white.

I thought -- if I just wished hard enough and was good enough, I'd
wake up on Christmas morning with snow outside my window and
freckles across my nose!

More than four centuries under western domination does that to you.
I have sixteen cousins. In a couple of years, there will just be
five of us left in the Philippines, the rest will have gone abroad
in search of "greener pastures." It's not just an anomaly; it's a
trend; the Filipino diaspora. Today, about eight million Filipinos
are scattered around the world.

There are those who disapprove of Filipinos who choose to leave. I
used to. Maybe this is a natural reaction of someone who was left
behind, smiling for family pictures that get emptier with each
succeeding year. Desertion, I called it. My country is a land that
has perpetually fought for the freedom to be itself. Our heroes
offered their lives in the struggle against the Spanish, the
Japanese, the Americans. To pack up and deny that identity is
tantamount to spitting on that sacrifice.

Or is it? I don't think so, not anymore. True, there is no denying
this phenomenon, aided by the fact that what was once the other side
of the world is now a twelve-hour plane ride away. But this is a
borderless world, where no individual can claim to be purely from
where he is now. My mother is of Chinese descent, my father is a
quarter Spanish, and I call myself a pure Filipino-a hybrid of sorts
resulting from a combination of cultures.

Each square mile anywhere in the world is made up of people of
different ethnicities, with national identities and individual
personalities. Because of this, each square mile is already a
microcosm of the world. In as much as this blessed spot that is
England is the world, so is my neighbourhood back home.

Seen this way, the Filipino Diaspora, or any sort of dispersal of
populations, is not as ominous as so many claim. It must be
understood. I come from a Third World country, one that is still
trying mightily to get back on its feet after many years of
dictatorship. But we shall make it, given more time. Especially now,
when we have thousands of eager young minds who graduate from
college every year. They have skills. They need jobs. We cannot
absorb them all.

A borderless world presents a bigger opportunity, yet one that is
not so much abandonment but an extension of identity. Even as we
take, we give back. We are the 40,000 skilled nurses who support the
UK's National Health Service. We are the quarter-of-a-million
seafarers manning most of the world's commercial ships. We are your
software engineers in Ireland, your construction workers in the
Middle East, your doctors and caregivers in North America, and, your
musical artists in London's West End.

Nationalism isn't bound by time or place. People from other nations
migrate to create new nations, yet still remain essentially who they
are. British society is itself an example of a multi-cultural
nation, a melting pot of races, religions, arts and cultures. We
are, indeed, in a borderless world!

Leaving sometimes isn't a matter of choice. It's coming back that
is. The Hobbits of the shire travelled all over Middle-Earth, but
they chose to come home, richer in every sense of the word. We call
people like these balikbayans or the 'returnees' -- those who
followed their dream, yet choose to return and share their mature
talents and good fortune.

In a few years, I may take advantage of whatever opportunities come
my way. But I will come home. A borderless world doesn't preclude
the idea of a home. I'm a Filipino, and I'll always be one. It isn't
about just geography; it isn't about boundaries. It's about giving
back to the country that shaped me.

And that's going to be more important to me than seeing snow outside
my windows on a bright Christmas morning.

Mabuhay and Thank you.

I wonder what it's like to be there, adapting to the culture and seasons and everything. i mean, that's got to be quite hard, being a stranger in a place and all. If i'm in their place, what would I be doing?
Oh i know how it feels to be left behind. there's longing. there's missing. but i don't cry, coz i know they'd remember me somehow. :)
what if a family member leaves? oh, i dunno.
lisud kaha pud mag.adjust noh. pare sad.i lang, everything will turn out ok.

So sa katung nanglarga and maglarga pa, amping diha ha?

21.5.08


I really took the trouble of waking up early to watch the live telecast of American Idol finals. Two Davids, young smooth-voiced teen David Archuleta and roc
ker David Cook were head to head for the most coveted spot of the seventh season.

For their final showdown
Archuleta sung "Don't let the sun go down on me" on the first round, a ballad "In this Moment" for the second, and "Imagine" of John Lennon for the third round. Cook sang "I still haven't found what I'm looking for", "Dream Big", and "The World I know" for the closing performance. Judge Cowell criticized my bet Cook, saying, "You've chosen the wrong song", yeah, like the winning song. But then he took it back, apologizing to Cook for being too harsh and "It wasn't so clear cut as we called it." And he also said Cook "he didn't deserve it." (Being criticized that way, that is.) Yeah, he didn't deserve it, Simon!

But then Simon's my favorite judge. :) haha..

And when I watched the Finale, I was not surprised that Cook won! weee! He's been my bet for weeks, you know, and he's just oh-so-good! well, Archuleta wasn't bad. he was brilliant! But Cook got a sweep, getting a 12 million vote difference. Cook's amazing!
Simon even predicted that Cook would take the spot weeks ago. :) and he's right! it wasn't a knockout for Archuleta, i mean the votes. But Archuleta did well in the showdown, i mean, he 'wowed' me, which is something that approves Simon's words: what we just saw was a knockout. haha, seriously. ;)
And I admit, Simon was right, Cook hasn't chosen winning pieces. But really, people are way smarter these days, and the voters chose the right one.
Baby-faced Archuleta should feel lucky even to be on that stage, where a hundred thousand people have dreamed of performing. He's still has a lot to learn and experience, though. And he should be grateful for going that far... and to be beside Cook, who felt the same about him.
But hey, Archuleta, still haven't got a date for your prom?
I'm open. :D
wahahaha...


18.5.08

Oh screw this computer! It's got a very low memory and it's pretty slow now... that's why it's been two weeks since i last logged in in friendster and here in blogspot. i really hate it. all our computers, even our lappies (my dad's and aunt's) are getting slower by the minute too. aww, wish i.reformat na. kay hirap kaya noh... i'm leaning on the computer for my story and internet go-goes. sigh...

and yeah, i'm bored. pretty bored. i want to go out with my friends but every time we set up a date, the weather's bad or d sila sugtan! hahai. i'll set another date lang niya...

and Iway! i have something for you:


you're one of the friends that i'll always cherish!
why?
do i have to answer that?
of course.
ok.
so what's your answer?
i dunno. maybe that's what friends are for, accepting the real you and not complaining.
...
that's why i'll treasure you, coz you never judged me. you accepted me for who i am!
... thank you.
thanks too. without you, probably my life sucks.
:)



P.S.: way, ako na violet ha. ikaw na pink. bagay na nimo kay girly ka.
hehe!

4.5.08

Fortunately, I'm playing badminton with a neighbor now. I wouldn't have been able to do so if I hadn't shown up with my racket and challenged my brother to play with me. Hehe!

I’m not that good. Just call it a “budding” player. But it has been my dream to be a pro. I may not be that strong and fast, in fact I know fully well where I’m weak at, but I’m determined to go beyond my zone and enhance my skills. Aww, wa ra ko nila Rey Gerona ug Ray Francis Maglasang and Nicole Flores baytz. Wa ra ko sa ila tudlo. Hehe! Bitaw…

But I’m surprised that my strength in smashing has increased. I mean, before it was actually my clearest weakness but then after weeks of being so laxed and lazy, I did not imagine I could smash two or three times more effectively than before. Again, if I compare myself to the mentioned names above, I’m nothing. Pero nalipay ko uie! At least niimprove ko… in my eyes. J

I’m happy to have achieved this kind of level. I’m feeling more confident but I’m quite worried on my footwork. Damn I’m slow! Sigh…

Anyway, to you who are interested to know more about Badminton, here are some techniques that I got somewhere in the Internet. Click on the link below and learn more about them.

BADMINTON GRIP

BADMINTON FOOTWORK

BADMINTON SERVE

BADMINTON CLEARS

BADMINTON DROP SHOTS

BADMINTON SMASH

BADMINTON DRIVE

BADMINTON NET PLAY

If you are a beginner, you might find it quite overwhelming and very difficult, but then, just like how the saying goes, “Practice makes Perfect.” So don’t think twice to try these out if you’re really that spirited to reach the top! Everything is possible if you just do your best as you put your mind and heart in the game.


2.5.08


I've been reading manga and watching anime lately. I've been waiting anxiously for some action, since I myself am stuck here like Harry in Privet Drive. hehe...
Itachi's dead. dead. dead.
and i've been thinking he's cool--he'll always be. His brother,
Sasuke, finished him off. It was really cool, their battle thing! Their jutsus were superb. i can't wait for live action! i mean, i'm anxious for the anime to reach those episodes! and now Uchiha Madara's taking the hot spot... why's he saying that Itachi's a real hero? ever since i've followed the Naruto series, i didn't think even once that Itachi's a bad guy, despite the fact that he killed the whole clan of Uchiha years before. I think there's a reason behind it, and I was right. I knew Itachi's got something, and he's been hiding too many secrets. He's getting too good, too excellent, and Sasuke's abilities and skills accelerated too, leveling his brother. Their Mangekyou Sharingans were also eccellente!
i'm getting hooked up with this series, right?
LOL.
Sakura's extremely powerful now, with her insane and monstrous strength and all. She's also a good medical ninja too. Naruto, as usual, is hasty and impatient, but also skilled and powerful just the same. And Sasuke?... C'mon, he killed Orochimaru then his brother! the fearless and ruthless Uchiha Itachi! How's that for a chuunin ninja?
Know what,
Jiraiya, the Perverted Hermit (say that again) and one of the Legendary Sannin like Orochimaru and Tsunade, died too! aww... it was awful. yet he was amazing in his jutsus too. really powerful jutsus but the enemy, Pain, outsmarted him. He died... in a death befitting a shinobi.

whoa... I love this. :)