Happy New Year!

We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is 

New Year's Day.  

~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Maligayang Pasko sa Iyo!

May your blessings bring

the gladness of Christmas which is Hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is Peace;
The heart of Christmas which is Love.

If a small thing has the power to make you angry, does that not indicate something about your size?
Sydney J. Harris

My Bucket List... at last!

After much hemming and hawing, i finally got ten items for my Bucket List:

Number 1. Build a school.
Number 2. Travel to Europe.
Number 3. Learn photography.
Number 4. Learn to play the piano.
Number 5. Find and get in touch with my first best friend in Grade I: Tomas, suddenly i remembered his name as i'm updating this post!
Number 6. Own a rest house with a river or brook nearby.
Number 7. Be cast for a full-length role in a film.
Number 8. Find a copy/picture of my painting that won in a UNICEF-sponsored art contest in 1967.  (We were informed they used it as an artwork for a greeting card.)
Number 9. Finish an oil-painting.
Number 10. Laugh and play in the rain again...for a last time.

So, what's in your own Bucket List?

Busyness=Happyness

The last quarter of 2010 is proving to be a very busy time for me.  I have nothing but gratitude for the blessings coming my way this last stretch of the year.

A series of conflict management workshops for the Bureau of Immigrations find me in Clark, Pampanga once a week until January 2011.  It's my first time to visit and teach at the Immigrations Academy in the former US Airbase and couldn't get enough of the refreshing sight of greenery and open space.

At John Robert Powers, International (JRP),  rehearsals have begun for the 2011 Showcase: Real Fame Unleashed. Once more, as the production manager for the bi-annual talent showcase, I am thrilled by the frenzy of activities steeped in creative juices from a team of top artistic directors.

The JRP Showcase features talents from the school in performance segments that include: acting, singing, dancing, hosting, TVC acting, fashion pictorial and runway.  Reputable talent agents and managers are also invited to watch the fresh talents and, hopefully, take them in as their wards in the hope of unleashing their full potentials as the next big STAR!

But I always tell our talents, breaking in to the glamorous worlds of acting and modeling needs honing one's skills, a love for the craft and a passion to be on top of his/her game! Once again, I ask: Gusto mo bang sumikat?

Ideals

Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands.  But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny.  ~Carl Schurz, address, Faneuil Hall, Boston, 1859

Lead Your Life

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them. ~G.B. Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profession, 1893

Amusing

I was poring over some pictures and found some amusing ones i thought would be nice to share here... take note, my role was as a sixty-year old priest but the production staff decided i did not need any make up to make me look the part. That left me thinking: maybe i do look like a sixty-year old priest in real life!

On Being

All my life I had been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was. I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction and even self-contradictory. I was naïve. I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer. It took me a long time and much painful boomeranging of my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have been born with: that I am nobody but myself. ~Ralph Ellison, "Battle Royal"

Midnight DJ : Sa Ngalan ng Ama

Despite the heavy rains last Thursday, August 26,taping of the Midnight DJ episode went on smoothly as the efficient staff and crew went about their duties to ensure that every take was a success. In between takes, the actors passed their time with friendly card games and funny banters. It was just like, pardon the cliche, one big happy family. In one corner were young actors' parents huddled while exchanging notes on their experiences with other productions and networks, while on the far end of the make shift (but airconed) dressing room were a couple of actors immersed on the laptop.

So what was I doing there? Well, Direk Lore decided to make true his promise to provide me with more roles (para naman may pambili ako ng ulam) in the weekly mystery tv show over at TV5. And boy, was I in good company! Other guests in the 11th episode of the show's 8th season were my idol, Bembol Rocco, Kalila Aguilos, fellow Actors Workshopper Ces Aldaba and young actor Renz Valerio.

Most of my scenes (five, yes i counted them) were with child actor Renz Valerio who, in my opinion, is another dramatic actor in the making. I play the role of Father Barbatos, the kind old priest who ran an orphanage. But this is not the first time i played man of the cloth, i was also a priest in a stage play we did at the old St. Therese Auditorium, "Isang Libong Piso," directed by the late tv director Raffy Oyales. In the musical play "Eugenie", director Chingay Lagdameo cast me as the Archbishop of Paris, Affre. Thus, Father Barbatos was not really to alien to me. And yes, you may blink and not miss me.

Midnight DJ stars Oyo Boy Sotto, Desiree del Valle, Meg Imperial, Joaqui Tupas, Julia Chua and John Medina. Aired over TV5, Firdays, 8:00PM

Sa Ngalan ng Ama (In the Name of the Father)

Director: Lore Reyes

Assistant Director: Jo Macasa

Episode Writer: Jessel Duque

Head Writer: Randy Villanueva

SYNOPSIS

Samboy visits the old site of the orphanage where he grew up, now an abandoned house up for sale. This visit reminds Samboy of a strange event that happened to him when he was just a boy. It involves a forbidden room where angry spirits seem to be trapped. When grown-up Samboy finds this room again, he awakens the spirits. When a disfigured man appears, things turn even stranger because Samboy starts suspecting that this man is his long-lost father, Samuel.



CHARACTERS

SAMBOY

BODJIE

QT

ANDREA

SWIT

ARTHUR

GUEST CHARACTERS

MANONG: Late 40s or Early 50s. A hideously disfigured man. He seems to be a burn victim. Mysterious and secretive.

SIONING: Late 20s. The ghost of a burned woman. Angry and vengeful.

EMPOY: 10. The ghost of a burned boy. Sad.

YOUNG SAMBOY: 12. Samboy as a boy.

YOUNG LANDO: 12. Samboy’s friend. See Episode 10, “Kampon ng Jejemon”.

FATHER BARBATOS: 60s. A kind old priest who ran the orphanage when Samboy was still there.

FATHER INOCENCIO: 30s. The current head of the orphanage.

ORPHANAGE STAFF

ORPHANS

POLICE

Human Nature

Who is wise? He that learns from everyone.
Who is powerful? He that governs his passions.
Who is rich? He that is content.
Who is that? Nobody.
~Benjamin Franklin

On Relationships

Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.

~Dinah Craik, A Life for a Life, 1859

Taking Charge

The best way to predict your future is to create it.
~Peter Drucker

Launch Pad

In photo are (seated from left to right) Jefford Lam (who will soon launch his own line of men's clothing), Bobi Rodero and Phoebe Lam. Standing from left are Roland Davila (make-up artist), one of the models, Davila's assistant, designer Gideon Sy, events producer Rhoel Mendoza, and yours truly.

Am sharing a post from my friend to all of you who dream about a career in the glitzy glamour world of fashion:

Phoebe Lam Ltd.(Hongkong), in partnership with London-based Filipino fashion designer and our friend Bobi Rodero, will be staging a fashion show on January 7, 2011 at the New World Hotel in Makati. Photoshoots will likewise be held between September and January. This event will actually be a shoot of a fashion show featuring the creations of Phoebe Lam Ltd. The video is intended to be shown in Paris and Los Angeles during the Fashion Week in March 2011. For this project we need Class A female models, at least 5'8 in height, and experienced in ramp. The first go-see was held on July 28, 2010 at Boardroom 2 of New World Hotel. Those who did not make it can still email their setcards to kaleidos_models@yahoo.com. Write "For Phoebe Lam Project" on the subject field.

Go, reach for your dreams! This might just be the break you've been waiting for!

Don't Grow Up Too Much, Too Soon

Grown-ups love figures. When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, "What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?" Instead, they demand: "How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?" Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince, 1943, translated from French

Another Year Older...

Thank you to all my well-wishers!

My Bucket List

I know. I know some things are better left unshared but heck, this is my blog! ha ha
So starting today i will try to complete a bucket list of ten things i haven't done but would really, really want to before i do the great sign off...

Number 1. Build a school.
Number 2. Travel to Europe.
Number 3. Learn photography.
Number 4. Learn to play the piano.
Number 5. Find and get in touch with my first best friend in Grade I: Matias [i can't recall his full name :( ]
Number 6. Own a rest house with a river or brook nearby.

.... i'm stumped, i'll try again next time. =)

Meanwhile, why don't YOU start your own Bucket List?

The Madness Continues

Ok since i don't work on Mondays and i have a lot of spare time in my hand, here's a third installment of my Baket List for those who care, pero for those who don't give a hoot, eh wag nyo na lang basahin. Hindi naman ako namimilit eh.

Thus, the madness goes on...

Baket 51: Nung high school, madalas akong may dalang gitara sa school kahit makuba ako sa dame ng dala ko.

Baket 52: Pakiramdam ko hindi kumpleto ang gayak ko pag wala akong dalang bag.

Baket 53: I hate it when cashiers ask for coins: "Meron po kayong three pesos?"

Baket 54: While shopping for a bracelet for my partner in a department store, the saleslady actually told me to my face, "Mahal po yan, " instead of showing me the piece from the counter.

Baket 55: On my way to watch a movie i bought some snacks from the lobby. It was too late when i realized i didn't have enough money anymore to buy a ticket. Kumain na lang ako ng hopia at pinagmasdan ng taimtim yun mga pictures on display!

Baket 56: As a very young boy, my favorite playground was a nearby cemetery. Madameng puno ng aratiles.

Baket 57. I enjoy making candies out of kamias fruits. Yummy!

Baket 58. While riding a bus along Taft Avenue (wala pang aircon buses noon, ha), i was almost a victim of an "estribo gang". But when i sensed something was happening behind me and i felt a hand working its way to my back pocket, i stood up and looked at the man trying to reach for my wallet and said smiling, "Wag boss, walang laman yan. Wala akong pera." The group got off the bus without an incidence. Nakuha ko ata sa projection.

Baket 59. Nung Grade One, i didn't enjoy going to church kasi naiinip ako. Yun pala yun Lola ko lang ang mahilig mag-istambay sa loob ng simbahan kahit tapos na yun misa. We used to stay inside for more than three hours!

Baket 60: Nung Grade Two, hindi na ako sumasabay sa Lola ko sa pagsimba.

Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now 2000 lives

Ode to Women Mentors (Part Two)

After serving in government under two Philippine presidents, my career would take a u-turn heading back for the corporate world. It was a time when call centers and BPO's were unheard of here in the country and automated customer service was frowned at: "What? Me talk to a machine?!"

It was an early job interview and i remember that balmy October day i drove my way through Roxas Boulevard to meet a lady who I have always admired since that first time i watched her host a variety talk show on tv. The show was Ms. Ellaneous over at GMA 7 and the lady: Ma-an B. Hontiveros.

The interview went well and so a month later there i was in a conference briefing with the rest of the team, and Ma-an was there, too. The company was TeleMessage Philippines, one of the pioneers in the customer contact services in the country and Ma-an was our CEO.

I have never felt more excited about anything the way i felt that day listening to Ma-an describe the many opportunities the new technology and industry we were about to embark on offered. She was speaking about changing the face of marketing in the Philippines and how new job opportunities would open up. Heck, it was like i was lost in a trance. But it was a good feeling. The one you get when you are mesmerized by someone speaking and you hang on to every word.

That is the effect you get from Ma-an. Various references to her would often describe her as a veteran broadcast/journalist but she is more known for her active and pivotal participation in the First Edsa Revolution. Nowadays, Ma-an is now vice-chairman of Ballet Philippines, a devotion she has kept after serving as its president for sixteen years. Wow, talk about constancy!

For me, Ma-an was the ideal boss. When i became the General Manager for TeleMessage, i saw glimpses of Ma-an's business savvy and expertise first hand. But i would remember her more for her humanity. I remember how she fought for all the employees when the time came that the principals decided to sell out the company as more and more industry players wanted a piece of the BPO action. Ma-an took extra effort to see to it that everyone was well-compensated and even offered her own resources to train some employees for new skills that could help them find work elsewhere.

I recall that afternoon i went to her office to formally bid her goodbye and extend my thanks for the many grand memories. Although i cannot fully remember what brought about the exchange, but her words are marked and i carry them to this day: "Gabby, people like us will never run out of new things to do. We will find other doors. We are never afraid to knock or move on." I must have been staring at her for quite some time before i could respond because i can still see her calm, almost serene, look as she assured me that things would soon be back on their tracks.

I am certain Ma-an was referring to my professional options at that time. But nobody between us knew how those words would come to carry me through one of the darkest, loneliest moments of my life.

Ma-an made me braver and more solid. I learned to summon my own strength the way perhaps Ma-an would at those many times she faced adversity in her own life: with grace and serenity but with an 'in-your-face' attitude. An oxymoron, you might say. But I call her Ma-an Hontiveros.

Ode to Women Mentors (Part One)

I have been blessed. Many times over, i have had the fortune of meeting and working with some of the most influential women in their respective careers. That is not to say that i have never had male bosses, it is just that the ladies seem to outshine the men as far as i can remember.

If there is one thing i can say about my journey towards mentorship that is i seem to have this uncanny ability to gravitate towards women mentors. I am such a lucky bloke!

Consider the following:

Chingay Diaz-Lagdameo (photo, left) was the former dean at Assumption College in San Lorenzo Makati. But i met her first when she was our department head at the Communications Department. I remember as a newcomer in the faculty, i was taken by Chingay's gracious manners and subdued demeanor. She was mentor in its true essence: supportive but wise enough to challenge me every now and then. She always found time to talk to me and discuss my students or classes.

It wasn't long before we developed a bond and friendship that would see us weather some personal strife of our own. But through the years, despite losing touch every now and then, Chingay has remained to be my mentor in the academe world. And i have always appreciated her confidence in my talents. Sometimes i find myself blushing whenever she would introduce me to her friends and colleagues. She was always generous with her praises, but also honest with her admonishments. I distinctly remember her words to me: "do not mistake rights for courtesy". Such simple words, but they do resonate strongly to me up to now.

Chingay, the former chair of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, is now Executive Director of the MMCO, the orchestra-in-residence of the Center for Applied Music in Miriam College.

Renowned veteran broadcaster Tina Monzon Palma (photo, right) was my boss at ABC Channel 5. As our COO, she was instrumental in opening some opportunities for me in the network. From being the Senior Copywriter for the station, Tina moved me to head the programs research department which would later lead me to become part of the Programming Committee. The experience gave me the opportunity to learn more about the television industry and be able to express my ideas and even spearhead some projects. Tina was hardworking and more known for her no-nonsense management style. She may lack the frills that other lady network executives may indulge in, but Tina had integrity, boldness and the "balls".

But what others do not know well about Tina is that is a mother at heart! I think it is a conscious effort on her part not to brandish this part of her persona. After all, despite the celebrity status, Tina is a very private person. On several occasions, Tina and i would trade jokes and have fun over the phone before she went on the air for the late evening news she anchored. Sometimes i would threaten her in jest that someday i will write about her and reveal who she really was! The idea horrified her!

And what do i remember the most among Tina's wise words to me? Well, they came at the eve of my flight to one of ABC 5's provincial network. Knowing perhaps that i was traveling alone, going on an all-expense paid trip down south, far from prying eyes, Tina without much prodding, simply told me in her trademarked modulated voice "Be careful. Do not make a fool of yourself out there."

I'm sure Tina doesn't have any idea how those words really got to me. As a young man, Tina's words made me realize that indeed it had been so easy for me to fall into my own folly, and immensely regret the consequences. I was a changed man when i got to the airport! Changed, and wiser.

Nowadays, Tina is busy at ABS CBN Foundation as Bantay Bata 163 Program Director and as news anchor over at ANC's World Tonight.

My BAKET List!

Or things you wouldn't really care to know about me and i can't even begin to explain why... or how? =)

Baket 1: I am slightly dyslexic.

Baket 2: Except for a couple of years in a private all-boys school, i was predominantly educated through the public school system

Baket 3: I cried unabashedly when i visited the Yad Vashem war museum in Jerusalem

Baket 4: I went and stayed at Camp Abubakar in Cotabato during peace negotiations with the MILF before it was taken by the military

Baket 5: I can only use the bathroom comfortably if the tile walls and floor were wet

Baket 6: I once caught a parakeet while walking home from school

Baket 7: I think the Heroes Hall at Malacanang Palace is tacky

Baket 8:An ambulance took me to the orthopedic hospital after the bus i was riding home turned turtle along the north luzon expressway, help came an hour after other survivors and i sat drenched in the rain

Baket 9: I sold newspaper around the old Buendia and Taft Avenue. It was the "Daily Express", the only publication out after martial law was declared.

Baket 10: I edited a travel magazine: Asean Journals.

Baket 11: I swam in the Dead Sea in Israel.

Baket 12: I know how to weave the sulihiya

Baket 13: I'm left-handed but can play the guitar just like any right-handed

Baket 14: I once "re-connected" another man's severed finger after an accident at the filming of Indio

Baket 15: I have blood relatives in Miami who originated from Cuba and they are blonde and blue-eyed.

Baket 16: Nida Blanca is my favorite actress.

Baket 17: I used to page myself in my EasyCall

Baket 18: My driver once left me at the gasoline station thinking that i was at the backseat when he drove away. He came back for me after two hours.

Baket 19: I like Davao City and GenSen.

Baket 20: I was an officer in our high school military cadet training

Baket 21: I won my first award when i was six in a UNICEF painting contest: Seven pesos, which my brother and i spent buying toys and Crazy Foam.

Baket 22: I auditioned for the Miss Saigon

Baket 23: I am not a good salesman

Baket 24: I am electrophobic

Baket 25: I slept on the floors of the Medical City ICU waiting area for five days while waiting for my partner to come out of comma

Baket 26: Pag may topak ako, i can consume half a gallon of ice cream in one sitting... at home only because (see baket 26)

Baket 26: I am lactose intolerant. Sanggol pa lang ako kape na ata pinaiinom sa akin ng ina ko

Baket 27: When i was 8, i strayed away from my mother's side and got lost in the wet market (Carbon) of Cebu City. We were reunited after an hour or so. At least tapos na syang mamili. I have the feeling she never noticed i got lost at all!

Baket 28: For the lack, or absence, of funds, i used to stare at the ducklings sold outside our school gates for hours until the vendor took pity and gave me one weak duckling to take home... it died the next day

Baket 29: I hate ducks.

Baket 30: I am an impulsive shopper.

Baket 31: I once got out of a driving violation (swerving) ticket by flashing my Office of the President id ...unintentionally.

Baket 32: I am a massage addict

Baket 33: For a time, all my shirts were the color blue

Baket 34: My first real (as in not imaginary) girlfriend was a lovely, doe-eyed lass from Palawan. We met at a science camp in high school. She wrote me once. I lost her letter. End of love affair.

Baket 35: I failed zoology once in college.

Baket 36: Whenever i get a recurring dream at night, it comes true.

Baket 37: I like to change the way i part my hair every once in while.

Baket 38: For a very, very long time i thought the lyrics for "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" went like this: you don't have to say you love me/ JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN

Baket 39: My first published poem came out in 1976 in MOP TOP music magazine.

Baket 40: I was the grand champion in the metro manila-wide interschool extemporaneous speaking competition after having picked the lousiest topic from the bunch: generation gap

Baket 41: I prefer to walk than to take a cab

Baket 42: My driver, after realizing i was not seated behind him in the car, tried to look for me in the trunk!!!! When asked why he would look for me in the trunk, the driver replied "Eh baka po nagbibiro si sir!"

Baket 43: I did not fire the driver. He continued to drive for me for 9 more years.

Baket 44: The most painful experience i had was burying my partner who passed away in 2004.

Baket 45: The most expensive material gift i received was a Guy Laroche watch in 1993 and i still wear it up to now

Baket 46: I'm allergic to shrimps, bagoong, crab meat... and BEER

Baket 47: I managed a hip resto bar in Eastwood City for five years

Baket 48: I used to practice crying or shedding a tear in front of the mirror without contorting my face

Baket 49: I can memorize my students names (all 40 of them) after the first day of classes

Baket 50: I always remember other people's birthday a week before the date but completely forget to greet them on the date itself.

To be continued... OC kasi ako eh.

My second love...

Not many know that i am also an actor. I was trained by the likes of Peque Gallaga, Lore Reyes (in photo, right), Gina Alajar, Laurice Guillen and Leo Martinez with the Actors Workshop Foundation way back in the late 80s.

My foray into TV acting was brief but memorable having appeared on tv from bit roles until i moved up to character guest roles: Wakasan, VIVA Love Stories and Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang, etc., etc., etc. My so-called acting career was cut short when i became a network executive over at ABC Channel 5 in the 1990s. But every now and then I appeared in guest roles in the Maryo J. delos Reyes-directed sitcom "We R Family" which starred Gabby Concepcion and Alice Dixson, or in some public affairs talk shows.

But before acting on TV, i was already a trained theater performer under Ms. Chingay Lagdameo and was even a member of the Metropolitan Chorus for a brief time. I've done plays at UP Theater, MET Theater, Meralco Theater and even the AFP Theater. From musicals to dramatic one-act plays.

I became an actor because i have always wanted to act as far as i can remember. I remember spending hours as a young boy in our front yard pretending that i was a tv host or acting a scene. As i grew older i developed a great respect for the craft. Indeed, after teaching, acting is my second passion.

But it is not a mere jealous mistress. Acting has provided me vast insights into the discipline of teamwork. The creative process is never the work of a single person. As an actor you learn to work with people, many people. Great people, small people. And you learn to respect them all. I have been able to share lessons i picked up as an actor to many of my students through the years. Humility, hard work, professionalism, persistence, diligence, creativity and teamwork are just some of the values the world of acting is steeped in.

I was recently invited to do a bit part in TV5's Midnight DJ, now on its 8th season. The multi-awarded director, Lore Reyes, is a friend from way back when i was an editor for a management magazine, Executive's Digest. Lore was our Production Manager who, perhaps, had his sights for bigger, more challenging things: like, say, becoming a part of some of Philippine cinema's unforgettable films.

After two decades i found myself on familiar ground. The call time was 6:30 a.m., somewhere in Antipolo. When my driver finally found the location, it was 7:00 a.m.! Great, i was thirty minutes late for my "comeback"!

And there it was. The set, the cameras, the lights, the crew. The actors waiting for their cues, working on their scripts. PAs shuffling back and forth. The catered food. Ah, the sights and sounds. And i was taking it all in. I felt like Norma Desmond incarnate except for the fact that i did not get to sing "As if We never Said Goodbye". Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

My role was short and sweet. It took all of 30 minutes to shoot my two sequences and before i knew it i was done for the day! The best part was i got paid for it, too!

But real actors do not really do it for the money. Show me a working actor who does it for the dough and i'll show you a ham. It is not uncommon to hear actors working on projects for less or even waiving their fees all for their love for the craft. For them, acting is their passion!

Finally i got to watch the Midnight DJ episode "Demonyong Hunyango" tonight. My family was chiding me for not having asked autographs from Oyo Boy Sotto and Desiree del Valle. I think they were more excited to know that i got close enough to the two stars than my onscreen performance.

True to form, there i was. At least it sounded like me, looked like me and moved like me. But hey, i was trained by the best, so NO ACTING, PLEASE! i was simply 'being' my character and loving every minute of it... all of the three minutes of it!

Direk, i'm ready for my close up!

On Attitude

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright, quoted in Reader's Digest, June 1995

John Wooden on true success | Video on TED.com

A Song from the Past

I found this song on youtube after many years of looking for a copy. My high school classmate Dada and i used to sing it during our lull times in campus. It's a poignant song that speaks of a love that never was... (meron bang ganon?)

MY HEART (Harriet Schock)

My heart overprotected its first born
Sorely neglected its last torn pages
Of the book it had learned by heart
My heart runs at the first sign of danger
Opening up to the strangest stranger
Till time can tear us apart
Along with my heart
And scars like well travelled roads
Always lead home If the going gets rough
And the scars are deep enough
My heart like a road map to your door
Winding homeward for one more moment
The promise of one more start
My heart is crying I love you
But these words that I'd love to tell you
Got lost along my way
along with my heart.....

On Father's Day

On Father's Day i will say a prayer for a Dad who tried to do good by me. He may not have been the richest man, nor the most powerful king but i know he gave me the best: HIS BEST!

On Father's Day i will give thanks to a Dad and tell him I LOVE YOU!

Happy Father's Day!

A Mother's Love

We all know that being a Mom is the hardest, most rewarding job on the face of this Earth.
"You don't love me!"
How many times have your kids laid that one on you?
And how many times have you, as a parent, resisted the urge to tell them how much?
Someday, when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a mother, I'll tell them...
• I loved you enough to bug you about where you were going, with whom and what time you would get home.
• I loved you enough to insist you buy a bike with your own money, which we could afford, and you couldn't.
• I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover your hand picked friend was a creep.
• I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your bedroom, a job that would have taken me 15 minutes.
• I loved you enough to say, "Yes, you can go to Disney World on Mother's Day."
• I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, disgust, and tears in my eyes.
• I loved you enough not to make excuses for your lack of respect or your bad manners.
• I loved you enough to admit that I was wrong and ask for your forgiveness.
• I loved you enough to ignore "what every other mother" did or said.
• I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall, hurt, and fail.
• I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your own actions, at 6, 10, or 16.
• I loved you enough to figure you would lie about the party being chaperoned, but forgave you for it...after discovering I was right.
• I loved you enough to shove you off my lap, let go of your hand, be mute to your pleas and insensitive to your demands...so that you had to stand alone.
• I loved you enough to accept you for what you are, and not what I wanted you to be.
• But most of all, I loved you enough to say no when you hated me for it. That was the hardest part of all.

By Erma Bombeck, columnist, essayist, book author

Looking forward to Mother's Day ;)

Mama taught primary school children until her retirement. Up to this day, i can only marvel at her patience and determination at handling 40 seven-year-old pupils per school year, for more than twenty years!

For the last twenty years of my own life, i have been spending weekends with Mama at our family home somewhere in the suburban south. Her cooking is something to look forward to, but more importantly, it is the mother-son time that i really cherish most.

On weekends, Mama and i will spend hours swapping stories and thoughts on the latest matters: siblings, friends, celebrities, work, relatives. Although not necessarily in that order! Mama would be her usual supportive self. Forever encouraging me with my hopes and dreams, she never fails to put in a wise word or two. Ah, mothers are God's gift to aging guys like me!

As i grow older, these moments have become more precious to me. Perhaps, weekends like these are the strongest links that will bind us together... across distance, beyond time and space.

I LOVE you Mama!

Romantic... Poignant

Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight

Slowly England's sun was setting oe'r the hilltops far away,
Filling all the land with beauty at the close of one sad day;
And its last rays kissed the forehead of a man and maiden fair,--
He with steps so slow and weary; she with sunny, floating hair;
He with bowed head, sad and thoughtful, she, with lips all cold and white,
Struggling to keep back the murmur, "Curfew must not ring to-night!"

"Sexton," Bessie's white lips faltered, pointing to the prison old,
With its walls tall and gloomy, moss-grown walls dark, damp and cold,--
"I've a lover in the prison, doomed this very night to die
At the ringing of the curfew, and no earthly help is nigh.
Cromwell will not come till sunset;" and her lips grew strangely white,
As she spoke in husky whispers, "Curfew must not ring to-night!"

"Bessie," calmly spoke the sexton (every word pierced her young heart
Like a gleaming death-winged arrow, like a deadly poisoned dart),
"Long, long years I've rung the curfew from that gloomy, shadowed tower;
Every evening, just at sunset, it has tolled the twilight hour.
I have done my duty ever, tried to do it just and right:
Now I'm old, I will not miss it. Curfew bell must ring to-night!"

Wild her eyes and pale her features, stern and white her thoughtful brow,
As within her secret bosom, Bessie made a solemn vow.
She had listened while the judges read, without a tear or sigh,
"At the ringing of the curfew, Basil Underwood must "die.
And her breath came fast and faster, and her eyes grew large and bright;
One low murmur, faintly spoken. "Curfew must not ring to-night!"

She with quick step bounded forward, sprang within the old church-door,
Left the old man coming slowly, paths he'd trod so oft before.
Not one moment paused the maiden, But with eye and cheek aglow,
Staggered up the gloomy tower, Where the bell swung to and fro;
As she climbed the slimy ladder, On which fell no ray of light,
Upward still, her pale lips saying, "Curfew shall not ring to-night!"

She has reached the topmost ladder, o'er her hangs the great dark bell;
Awful is the gloom beneath her, like the pathway down to hell.
See! the ponderous tongue is swinging; 'tis the hour of curfew now,
And the sight has chilled her bosom, stopped her breath, and paled her brow.
Shall she let it ring? No, never! Her eyes flash with sudden light,
As she springs, and grasps it firmly: "Curfew shall not ring to-night!"

Out she swung,-- far out. The city Seemed a speck of light below,--
There twixt heaven and earth suspended, As the bell swung to and fro.
And the sexton at the bell-rope, old and deaf, heard not the bell,
Sadly thought that twilight curfew rang young Basil's funeral knell.
"Still the maiden, clinging firmly, quivering lip and fair face white,
Stilled her frightened heart's wild throbbing: "Curfew shall not ring tonight!"

It was o'er, the bell ceased swaying; and the maiden stepped once more
Firmly on the damp old ladder, where, for hundred years before,
Human foot had not been planted. The brave deed that she had done
Should be told long ages after. As the rays of setting sun
Light the sky with golden beauty, aged sires, with heads of white,
Tell the children why the curfew did not ring that one sad night.

O'er the distant hills comes Cromwell. Bessie sees him; and her brow,
Lately white with sickening horror, has no anxious traces now.
At his feet she tells her story, shows her hands, all bruised and torn;
And her sweet young face, still hagggard, with the anguish it had worn,
Touched his heart with sudden pity, lit his eyes with misty light.
"Go! your lover lives," said Cromwell. "Curfew shall not ring to-night!"

Wide they flung the massive portals, led the prisoner forth to die,
All his bright young life before him. Neath the darkening English sky,
Bessie came, with flying footsteps, eyes aglow with lovelight sweet;
Kneeling on the turf beside him, laid his pardon at his feet.
In his brave, strong arms he clasped her, kissed the face upturned and white,
Whispered, "Darling, you have saved me, curfew will not ring to-night."

*From Ringing ballads, including Curfew must not ring tonight, Rose Hartwick Thorpe, 1887

Christ has risen!

There is Hope!

Happy Easter!

A Lenten Reflection

The following is a dramatic reading written and performed by Richard
Harris on his album, "Slides" [copyright 1971 by ABC Records]. As a young boy i used to hear it being played on the FM radio during the lenten season. Many years later, this piece would be a favorite material for my friends and i whenever we felt like shooting the breeze in the then so bare Greenbelt Park, some twenty five years ago!

According to some accounts, this was written with regards to the fighting in Northern Ireland which was particularly bloody around that time. But a deeper look into the prevalent mood of the piece, i think it does have a more universal appeal.


"There Are Too Many Saviours On My Cross"

There are too many saviours on my cross
lending their blood to flood out my ballot-box
with needs of their own.

Who put you there?
Who told you that that was your place?

You carry me secretly naked in your hearts,
and clothe me publicly in armour, saying
"God is on our side,"
Yet I openly cry
"Who is on My side? Who, tell Me who?
You who buried your sons and crippled your fathers
whilst you buried My Father in crippling His Son."

The antiquated Saxon sword, rusty in its scabbard of time,
now rises.
You gave it cause in My name,
bringing shame to the thorned head that once bled for
your salvation.
I hear your cries in the far-off byways, and your
mouth pointing north and south,
and my Calvary looms again, desperate in rebirth.
Your earth is partitioned but in contrition
it is the partition in your hearts that you must abolish.

You nightly watchers of Gethsemane,
who sat through my nightly trial delivering me from evil,
now, deserted, I watch you share your silver.
Your purse, rich in hate, bleeds my veins of love,
shattering my bone in the dust of the Boxside
and the Shaghill Road.

There is no issue stronger than the tissue of love,
no need as holy as the palm outstretched in the
run of generosity,
no monstrosity greater than the anger you inflict.

Who gave you the right to increase your fold while
decreasing the pastures of My flock?
Who gave you the right? Who gave it to you, who?
and in whose name do you fight?

I am not in heaven,
I am here, hear Me.
I am with you, see Me,
I am in you, feel Me,
I am of you, be Me,
I am for you, need Me.
I am all mankind, only through kindness will you reach Me.

What masked and bannered men can rock the ark
and navigate a course to their own anointed kingdom come?
Who sailed their captain to waters that they troubled
in My font, sinking in the ignorant seas of prejudice?

There is no virgin willing to conceive in the heat of
any bloody Sunday.
You children, lying in cries on Derry streets,
pushing your innocence into the full-flushed face of Christian guns,
battling the blame on each other,
Do not grow tongues in your dying dumb wounds speaking My name.
I am not your prize in your death,
you have exorcised Me in your game of politics.

Go home to your knees, and worship Me in any cloth,
for I was never tailor-made.
And who told you I was? Who gave you the right to think it?
Take your beads in your crippled hands.
Can you count My decades?
Take My love in your crippled hearts.
Can you count the loss?


I am not orange, I am not green,
I am a half-ripe fruit, needing both colors to grow into ripeness,
and shame on you to have withered my orchard!

I, in my poverty, alone and without trust,
cry shame on you and shame on you again and again
for converting Me into a bullet and shooting Me into men's hearts.

The ageless legend of My trial grows old, and the youth of your pulse,
staggering shamelessly from barricade to grave,
filing in the book of history My needless death one April,
Let Me in My betrayal lie low in My grave,
and you in your bitterness lie low in yours,
for our measurements grow strangely dissimilar.

Our Father, who art in Heaven, sullied be Thy Name!

The Search is On!

The search for outstanding physicians is on with the 19th Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial Awards. The annual event is spearheaded by the Southern Tagalog Association of Medical Practitioners and presented by the Philippine Medical Association in cooperation with United Laboratories, Inc.

This event was launched last March 24th at the Discovery Suites with cocktails in honor of this year's new batch of judges headed by no less than Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral.

Four outstanding physicians will be chosen in the fields of Clinical Practice, Government Service, Academe & Research and Community Leadership. Apart from the honors and distinction that go with the award.Winners will also receive specially designed trophies, medallions and plaques courtesy of United Laboratories, Incorporated.

Each of the 12 category finalists will receive fifty thousand pesos worth of Unilab medicines for donation to any charitable institution of their choice.

The four category winners will receive one hundred fifty thousand pesos worth of Unilab medicines for donation to any charitable institution of their choice.

In addition, Unilab will also sponsor the attendance of the four category winners to a medical convention in the united states. The prize includes convention registration fees, air-fare, and hotel accommodations

All that in honor of the Filipino physicians of distinction!

Awarding ceremonies will be held at the Isla Ballroom of the EDSA Shangrila Hotel on May 21, 2010.

Stop, Talk & Listen

It is has been a rarity that I've written about my favorite TV programs. In fact, I try not to share my preferences for fear of retaliation, ha ha ha. But after mulling over the issue for quite some time now, here goes:

I chose to write about VIVA Cinema's STOP, TALK & LISTEN (STL).

This is my favorite showbiz talk show for over six months now since i moved to a new place in Ortigas. The cable provider carries the VIVA Cinema over channel 45 and i was surprised to find very familiar faces chatting and having fun about the latest showbiz buzz! I remember telling myself, "Aba, meron pala ganitong show?!!"

STL is hosted by writer-par-excellence Dolly Ann Carvajal, the talented Mr. Fu and the refreshingly intelligent beauty Maui Taylor. Now, if it sounds that i'm raving over these three, well duh, guys have you heard them take a spin on the latest news and gossip?

What makes STL appealing to me is that fact that it is NOT like any other showbiz talk show that caters more to the drum-beating and publicity stunts of networks and movie outfits. There is less of pluggings and cutesy profiles, instead viewers are taken into a brazen look at celebrity happenings, no excuses just plain panning, or not! The hosts are so candid and yet very responsible about their actuations. Thank God, they are on cable!

Segments like "Alam ba News", "Gumaganon" and "Huling Hirit" are worth looking forward to if you're into hot, juicy insider tales.

Gumaganon, in particular, is the blind item portion of the show and is the most sought-after as the entries are really more ticklish than shocking! But what makes it more fun are the hosts' futile attempts at "misleading" viewers with their clues and hints. From hunks to sexy actresses, young male celebrities to celebrity hosts, showbiz denizens don't seem to stand a chance from Maui, Mr. Fu and Dolly Ann, who are curiously moving about in their own circles inside the biz.

In truth, STL is not pretentious and the chemistry among the hosts is enough to sustain one's interest in the goings-on. You have to be on guard and watch out for one-liners from Maui, Mr. Fu and Dolly that can really bring you to tears laughing. Why sometimes you could actually feel that they are having a blast themselves! And that makes viewing more worthwhile. A refreshing escape from the drudgery of hard (and often repetitive) news and scandals.

Dolly's "Chickadora" is a one-on-on interview segment with celebrities. Although recently i catch out takes from previous VIVA programs. Siguro busy si Dolly Ann to sit for fresh interviews?

Although apparently on a shoe-string budget (naku baka mag tampo si Boss Vic and Valerie) STL is still worth keeping on air. If only for the honesty the hosts bring into the program, the staff and crew seem to have less problems in their hands than those from other big-budget, fully-produced talk shows pummeled by big and diva-nesque EGOS.

I can only hope that the set does get a revamp! Hindi ba uncomfortable yun seats ng hosts? Maybe a sofa would be better?

But apart from that, STL is top on my showbiz talk show list! It's pure fun, mindless (yes!) trivia and loads of insider savvy. As a viewer, i never felt that topics and issues were forced down my throat.. and that, as you know, is not a cool feeling.

STL is aired three times a day, 7 days a week! Take a peek, if you want to CHILL!

Kudos to VIVA and STL hosts, staff and crew!

"At dahil dyaaaan....may gumaganon..."

The Power of First Impressions

Communication expert Jill Bremmer shares these insights and I reprint:

I had the pleasure of watching the movie "Working Girl" again recently. It stars Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, and Sigourney Weaver and tells the story of how a girl from the "wrong side of the tracks" succeeds in the pressurized world of big business. I never tire of seeing this movie. The plot, direction and acting are all first-rate, but I love it because of what it teaches us about the power of first impressions. Melanie Griffith's character knows that she must remake her New Jersey image in order to be accepted as a Manhattan professional. So she does just that. She changes her wardrobe, hairstyle, even her voice. And what happens? She is instantly welcomed into the high stakes world of mergers and acquisitions. She knew instinctively that, in order for her ideas to be heard, she had to first "look the part." By making some simple adjustments in her outer image, she was given the opportunity to reveal her inner qualities.

This movie illustrates beautifully what psychologists, communication experts and image consultants have been saying for years. First impressions count! Packaging is important, whether we're considering a house, a product or a person. We think what looks attractive or reliable from the outside must surely be on the inside. We judge books by their covers; we buy houses based upon curb appeal and we take people at face value. And they do the same to us!

I'll agree with you that none of this seems fair. People should be judged by their inner values and beliefs, but it is often the first impression that determines whether someone will stick around long enough for you to reveal those wonderful qualities. Very few people will ever see those documents that define who you are, such as your resume, diploma or birth certificate. Like it or not, it is often that first impression that determines your future, more than your professional achievements, family background or educational credentials.

When you step into a room, people make subconscious decisions about you. Within about thirty seconds, they've judged your economic and educational levels, your social position and your levels of sophistication and success. And keep in mind that they're basing those decisions purely upon what they see, i.e. your wardrobe, hairstyle, smile and posture.

After about four minutes, they've also made decisions about your trustworthiness, compassion, reliability, intelligence, capability, humility, friendliness and confidence. At this point you've probably had the opportunity to speak, so they're now taking into account the way your voice sounds, the content of what you say and how you say it.

Impressions are based upon instinct and emotion, not on rational thought or in-depth investigation. They are the product of the associations we make between outward characteristics and the inner qualities we believe they reflect. In other words, we filter everything we see and hear through our own experiences and biases and assign a stereotype to them. First impressions are a kind of human shorthand.
When we talk of stereotypes, we instantly think of race or gender. But we all harbor assumptions regarding almost every human trait imaginable: tall or short, heavy or thin, articulate or not, clean or dirty, well mannered or rude, organized or disorganized. Whether we like to admit it or not, we all believe that one trait is preferable to another.

Part of the problem is that we have no time today to make informed decisions. We have become a transient society, leading fast-paced lives with sound-bite mentalities. Our encounters with others are brief and lack substance. So we've come to believe "what we see is what we'll get". I believe television is largely the culprit. Television creates stereotypes and reinforces them constantly. It's also conditioned us to expect messages to be delivered in thirty seconds. To prove my point, try watching a commercial, TV show or full-length movie without the sound. You can easily determine the characters and plot just by watching them. Analyzing the visual messages from their clothing, behavior and body language is all you need to understand the relationships and story lines.

Are first impressions lasting impressions? Yes, for a couple of reasons. First, our life experience has taught us that our first impressions of others have usually been correct. And when these subconscious judgments were reinforced again and again, we grew to trust and believe in our instincts.

First impressions are also lasting because we hate to admit we make mistakes, so we cling to our opinions rather than revise them. Psychologists tell us that, once we apply a stereotype to someone, we spend the rest of our days seeking to validate it. Our rational brain kicks in and looks for every opportunity to confirm what the emotional side, with all of its biases and stereotypes, originally believed. That's not to say that negative first impressions can't be overcome, but it will take much time and effort. Remember that you're trying to overcome human nature and that's not an easy task.

So what can we do to be in control of how others perceive us? Confucius said, "In all things, success depends upon preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be failure." All you have to do is to decide who your audience will be in any given situation, determine your objectives and make choices that match the audience's expectations. Do you want the promotion, the recognition, the relationship? Whatever your objectives may be, decide what qualities the decision-maker expects from that type of person and then dress, behave and communicate in the expected way.

Take a cue from successful salespeople. They employ a technique called "mirroring". They know that when they reflect the posture, speaking style and wardrobe of the other party, they open the lines of communication. That person begins to see them as someone who understands them and who shares their same values. Trust is quickly built and the deal is sealed. Try the same technique yourself. Think ahead to your objectives each day and whom you will encounter. Make choices that reflect their style of dress, behavior and communication and watch what happens!

The A, B, C's must be studied, analyzed and managed in order to make positive impressions on others.
• Appearance
• Behavior
• Communication

A PSALM OF LIFE

TELL me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream ! —
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real ! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal ;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way ;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle !
Be a hero in the strife !
Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant !
Let the dead Past bury its dead !
Act,— act in the living Present !
Heart within, and God o'erhead !
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time ;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate ;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

PRECIOUSNESS OF SILENCE

The Silence is Meekness.
When you do not defend yourself against offenses; When you do not claim
your rights; When you let God defend you; The Silence is Meekness.

The Silence is Mercy.
When you do not reveal the faults of your brothers to others; When you
readily forgive without inquiring into the past; When you do not judge,
but pray in your heart; The Silence is Mercy.

The Silence is Patience.
When you accept suffering not with grumbling but joyfully; When you do
Not look for human consolations; When you do not become too anxious, but
Wait in patience for the seed to germinate; The Silence is Patience.

The Silence is Humility.
When there is no competition;
When you consider the other person to be better than yourself; When you
Let your brothers emerge, grow and mature; When you joyfully abandon all to
The Lord; When your actions may be misinterpreted; When you leave to others
The glory of the enterprise; The Silence is Humility.

The Silence is Faith.
When you keep quiet because you know that the Lord will act; When you
renounce the voice of the world to remain in the presence of the Lord;
When you do not labour yourself to be understood; because it is enough for
You to know that the Lord understands you; The Silence is Faith.

The Silence is Adoration.
When you embrace the cross without asking "Why?"; The Silence is
Adoration.

Do You Want to be a Star?

Gusto mo bang sumikat?
I was recently invited by Rated K for an interview about how to break into show business. It's one great episode especially for the starry-eyed out there. Hosted by Korina Sanchez and aired Sundays over ABS-CBN. Video is courtesy of ABS CBN.

Rated K 31 Jan10 courtesy of ABS-CBN WWW FlipBooth... - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

And We're Back...

After a long silence, I'm finally back in harness.
The last quarter of 2009 found me neck deep with commitments. Particularly the one below:

‘Rise to Fame’ features John Robert Powers students - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos