Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tetchie Today
What I know now about Tetchie: aside from appearing in TV dramas, La Tetcha has completed a course in Psychology from Ateneo de Manila. Way to go!
The Bunny with Brains
Tetchie Agbayani is one of the few Filipinas who made it to the Playboy centerfold. But years before her "infamy" with the german edition of the gentleman's night-table- companion I met Techie at the Sampaguita Studios for an interview.
She was starring with Christopher de Leon in the Eddie Romero film "Kamakalawa".
The Tetchie I met was beautiful, alluring, bronze-skinned, articulate and intelligent. She was bubbly but spoke with caution as if weighing each word, each thought before blurting anything out. I complemented her on her recent cover pictorial and maybe sensing my disbelief she was prompt to say, "Madaya ba?"
She proceeded to explain that she was pretty good at posing and projecting despite her petite frame. She seemed a tad defensive that I wanted to tell her that the photos did not do much justice to her, to the beautiful person that I was seeing for the first time.
La Tetcha gave me much hope. Whatever preconceived notions I had about how snobbish artistas can be had completely dissipated. I was determined now, more than ever, to show the best side of show business. Thank you La Tetcha!
A Journey...
A semester shy from my graduation, I started looking for a part time summer job. The fates will bring me to an office in Malate, beside the St. Paul College. The advertisement called for a writer/publicist and feeling that it was something up my alley I presented myself for an interview.
Glenda Togonon interviewed and hired me on the spot. I would learn years later that Glenda is married to editorial artist Boy Togonon. It was after two days that I would meet the first person who would open doors for me to become part of the world of show business: Bibsy Carballo.
Bibsy is one of the more respected publicists in local showbiz. I think she took a liking for my writing style that she took me under wings as I trod the showbiz paths with much amusement and eagerness. Bibsy was very professional, yet motherly. We would drive around from one location to another in her yellow galant. She drove while giving me thoughtful lectures on showbiz do's and dont's. Offering a few angles here and there. As a neophyte, I was quick to scribble in my new little notepad.
I would go home at night and share my day's stories with my mom who was more than happy to be my sounding board.
Bibsy hoped to hone my skills in writing in Filipino but with a "legitimate" flavor, more substance, less gossip. I was excited and glad as she had seemed to see through me and read my thoughts.
As a psychology major in the state university, I was more inclined to write profiles and features.
Bibsy assigned me to do publicity articles for movies she was promoting. The year was 1981, a golden time for Philippine cinema. I couldn't have entered at a more auspicious time. My journey has begun.
In My LIfe
There are places i'll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends i still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life i've loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When i think of love as something new
Though i know i'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know i'll often stop and think about them
In my life i love you more
Though i know i'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know i'll often stop and think about them
In my life i love you more
In my life i love you more
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends i still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life i've loved them all
But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When i think of love as something new
Though i know i'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know i'll often stop and think about them
In my life i love you more
Though i know i'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know i'll often stop and think about them
In my life i love you more
In my life i love you more
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Never Too Late
It's never too late to save the Earth. Please visit http://planetoverhaul.com to find out more about how you can do your share.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Lines Drawn So Carefully in the Past Have Largely Been Erased.
"This is the line!" Billy pressed hard with the yardstick as he drew a line, visible only to him and John, down the middle of their bedroom that would separate his side of the room from his older brother's.
"You cannot put your things on my side or come on my side of the line unless I say it's okay. This is my private property, so stay on your own side!" Billy said emphatically as he pointed the tip of the yardstick to John’s side of the room.
"That's just fine with me! And see to it that you stay on your side and don't you mess around with my things on my side when I'm not home, Twerp, or I'll punch you out!" came a forceful reply from John.
Even though the line through the middle of the room was imaginary, its power to establish boundaries that would be enforced, respected, even fought over by the parties involved was very real. The existence or power of such a line might be scoffed at as nonsensical child's-play, yet just such lines have always had a very important role in the lives of adults the world over.
Lines (Real, Imagined or Metaphoric) Draw Boundaries.
Consider the lines of longitude and latitude that crisscross any globe or map of the earth and are designated by incremental numbers called degrees. If you were to search the surface of the earth from an aircraft to observe these lines it would be in vain, yet these unseen lines are used to guide airplanes and ships to their destinations, to establish property lines, political boundaries, to locate sections of oceans or of land, to establish date lines, time lines, climate zones, to plot ocean and wind currents, and so on. Reference to lines can be used metaphorically, such as "the bottom line," "What's My Line?" as the TV show was called, "questioning along those lines." "That wolf hands everyone that same old line." Some lines are more concrete, literally, such as the Wall of China and the Berlin Wall. In any case, what happens on one side of a line or boundary is very different from what happens on the other side. Lines, real, metaphoric, or imagined, draw parameters that dictate what we do and how we do it. There is great security in lines, in the drawing of lines, for we learn what to expect and how to respond to whatever the line encompasses. If they are absent, no one knows quite what to do.
These lines represent the rules and laws pertaining to the rightness or wrongness of what we do or don't do. They are codes of behavior that include the preservation of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, sanctity of the family, honesty in its many forms, sexual morality, rules of etiquette and ethics, protection of the environment, traffic laws, laws in the workplace, political, military, and business. It is universally recognized that these codes are necessary for civilizations to survive successfully. Civilizations rise or fall depending on how individual citizens respect and practice these codes of conduct.
"This is the line!" Billy pressed hard with the yardstick as he drew a line, visible only to him and John, down the middle of their bedroom that would separate his side of the room from his older brother's.
"You cannot put your things on my side or come on my side of the line unless I say it's okay. This is my private property, so stay on your own side!" Billy said emphatically as he pointed the tip of the yardstick to John’s side of the room.
"That's just fine with me! And see to it that you stay on your side and don't you mess around with my things on my side when I'm not home, Twerp, or I'll punch you out!" came a forceful reply from John.
Even though the line through the middle of the room was imaginary, its power to establish boundaries that would be enforced, respected, even fought over by the parties involved was very real. The existence or power of such a line might be scoffed at as nonsensical child's-play, yet just such lines have always had a very important role in the lives of adults the world over.
Lines (Real, Imagined or Metaphoric) Draw Boundaries.
Consider the lines of longitude and latitude that crisscross any globe or map of the earth and are designated by incremental numbers called degrees. If you were to search the surface of the earth from an aircraft to observe these lines it would be in vain, yet these unseen lines are used to guide airplanes and ships to their destinations, to establish property lines, political boundaries, to locate sections of oceans or of land, to establish date lines, time lines, climate zones, to plot ocean and wind currents, and so on. Reference to lines can be used metaphorically, such as "the bottom line," "What's My Line?" as the TV show was called, "questioning along those lines." "That wolf hands everyone that same old line." Some lines are more concrete, literally, such as the Wall of China and the Berlin Wall. In any case, what happens on one side of a line or boundary is very different from what happens on the other side. Lines, real, metaphoric, or imagined, draw parameters that dictate what we do and how we do it. There is great security in lines, in the drawing of lines, for we learn what to expect and how to respond to whatever the line encompasses. If they are absent, no one knows quite what to do.
These lines represent the rules and laws pertaining to the rightness or wrongness of what we do or don't do. They are codes of behavior that include the preservation of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, sanctity of the family, honesty in its many forms, sexual morality, rules of etiquette and ethics, protection of the environment, traffic laws, laws in the workplace, political, military, and business. It is universally recognized that these codes are necessary for civilizations to survive successfully. Civilizations rise or fall depending on how individual citizens respect and practice these codes of conduct.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
What is being assertive?
Standing up for your rights and not being taken advantage of is one definition of being assertive.
It also means communicating what you really want in a clear fashion, respecting your own rights and feelings and the rights and feelings of others.
Assertion is an honest and appropriate expression of one's feelings, opinions, and needs.
How is Being Assertive different from Being Aggressive?
Being aggressive means standing up for yourself in ways that violate the rights of others.
Aggressive behavior is typically punishing, hostile, blaming, and demanding. It can involve threats, name-calling, and even actual physical contact. It can also involve sarcasm, catty comments, gossip and "slips of the tongue."
What causes people to avoid being assertive?
Most people are not assertive for fear of displeasing others and of not being liked. However, although you may avoid some immediate unpleasantness by not being assertive, you could also jeopardize the relationship in the long run if you refuse to assert yourself and then feel taken advantage of over and over again
How Assertive Are You?
Ask yourself the following questions.
• Do you ask for help if you need it?
• Do you express anger and annoyance appropriately?
• Do you ask questions when you're confused?
• Do you volunteer your opinions when you think or feel differently from others?
• Do you speak up in class fairly frequently?
• Are you able to say "no" when you don't want to do something?
• Do you speak with a generally confident manner, communicating caring and strength?
• Do you look at people when you're talking to them?
It also means communicating what you really want in a clear fashion, respecting your own rights and feelings and the rights and feelings of others.
Assertion is an honest and appropriate expression of one's feelings, opinions, and needs.
How is Being Assertive different from Being Aggressive?
Being aggressive means standing up for yourself in ways that violate the rights of others.
Aggressive behavior is typically punishing, hostile, blaming, and demanding. It can involve threats, name-calling, and even actual physical contact. It can also involve sarcasm, catty comments, gossip and "slips of the tongue."
What causes people to avoid being assertive?
Most people are not assertive for fear of displeasing others and of not being liked. However, although you may avoid some immediate unpleasantness by not being assertive, you could also jeopardize the relationship in the long run if you refuse to assert yourself and then feel taken advantage of over and over again
How Assertive Are You?
Ask yourself the following questions.
• Do you ask for help if you need it?
• Do you express anger and annoyance appropriately?
• Do you ask questions when you're confused?
• Do you volunteer your opinions when you think or feel differently from others?
• Do you speak up in class fairly frequently?
• Are you able to say "no" when you don't want to do something?
• Do you speak with a generally confident manner, communicating caring and strength?
• Do you look at people when you're talking to them?
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