Photo Story

Pagkatapos mong putulin ang lahat ng puno ... ngayon ikaw ay magtatago at nakikisilong?

Buti nga ... serves you right. Katulad din yan sa laro ng buhay. Kailangan alam mo ang diskarte ... para ikaw ay maka-survive. Bago mo kasi gawin ang isang bagay ... pagisipan mo muna ... bago gawin. At baka habambuhay mo itong pagsisihan.

Kung gusto mong mangutang ... tanongin ang sarili ... marunong ka ba magbayad? Kaya mo bang ikaw ay ma-eskandalo at inaabangan sa kung saan saan ... at kaya mo ba ang buhay na napapraning ka na anytime may dadampot sa iyo ... dahil sa pagiging sugapa mo sa utang? At alam mo bang may sakit ka na?

Kung gusto mo magdruga ... panindigan mong kaya mo. Kasama na riyan yong pagbabago sa katinoan mo ... ang pagbebenta mo ng mga gamit sa bahay ninyo (a Hallmark sign sa mga bagong recruits) ... ang pagwawalanghiya at pagtraidor mo sa mga kaibigan at pamilya mo ... at ang walang katapusang cat and mouse game mo sa mga police.

Kung gusto mong magsigarilyo at mag-inom ... dapat na magexpect ka that anytime soon magka-ulcer ka or magka-lung cancer. It doesn't take a rocket scientist para malaman ito. It is just a matter of time bago lumabas ang mga symptoms. Tapos kung kailan malala ka na ... gusto mo ang ora-oradang lunas? Blame it on yourself ... not anyone else.

Kung gusto mo ang pera by way of deforestation or illegal logging or sa pag-uuling lang ... huwag ka nang magtaka kung bakit bumabaha at may landslides ... kung bakit may climate change ... kung bakit bumubulaga sa atin si El Nino at El Nina ... mga phenomenon na wala naman noon pero taon-taon tayong binibisita.

Kung gusto mo pa rin ang mga maling akala mo in cutting trees ... be sure humanda ka sa mga possibilities katulad ng increase greenhouse gas emissions, fewer crops (di ba nagi-import na tayo ng crops from other countries from rice to onions or garlic)), poor air quality, soil erosion, animal extinction, and undrinkable water. Nakaka-alarma na.

Going back sa image ng taong nagtatago sa lilim ng kahoy ... wala kang karapatan ... you don't deserve the shade.

Lavender Fields Oddity

Is this the showbiz trend that is in vogue right now? A trend is a general direction in which something is developing or changing. Others call it a movement ... a swing ... or a shift.

It all started with Iron Heart a teleserye produced by ABS CBN when 98 percent of the cast names are either Greek or Roman gods and mythical deities.

GMA followed suit ... and they did not take the situation lying down. In Widow's War, it was clear they were concocting a similar plan to what the rival company did. Whether the viewing public notices it - the cast surnames make reference to a house - it has a fondness to make a home its central theme ...that is why we hear Palacios, Casas, Castillo, Balay and this I found today two characters have Trano as their family names which also means an Italian house. Another character has a surname Domo which is a Greek word for house. I wonder why they didn't use Villa instead ... which is more popular.

ABS CBN's Lavender Fields is now in its second week.  If you pay attention ... the names of female leads are all flowers. 

1. Jodi Santa Maria - Jasmine Flores - Both name and Surname are referring to flowers.

2. Jodi Santa Maria - Lavender Fields - Lavender is a flower

3. Janine Gutierrez - Iris Buenavides de Vera - Iris is a flower and de Vera is a flower farm

4. Jolina Magdangal - Lily Atienza

5. Maricel Soriano - Aster Fields

6. Jana Agoncillo - Mirasol Gallego - Mirasol - Spanish for sunflower.

7. Krystal Mejes - Myrtle Hidalgo - Myrtle is a flower

8. Pamu Pamorada - Petunia Hidalgo

9. Cheena Crab - Dahlia Esteban

10. Kate Alejnadrino - Maxine Fields - Maxine is a flower

11. Analain Salvador - Heather Buenavidez - Heather is a flower

12. Lotlotde Leon - Rose Flores

13. Roxanne Guinoo - Ivy Fernandez 

14. Maria Torre - Stephanie Jacinto- Stephanie is a flower.

Is these just coincidental? Or there is really a trend like this in showbiz now? Since the backdrop is the flower business, did the director and scriptwriter want to christen everybody with flower names?

The use of flower names sounds so surreal ... I find it disturbing ... and diverting attention. With a good story in hand ... mentioning flowers in every split second is overkill - the puffery and the flowers' scents become abhorrent and despicable.

This made us think - what will the producers offer us next time? Name of trees? Acacia ... Narra ... Maple ... Chestnut... Elm ... Oak ... Walnut ... Willow ... Banyan ... AD NAUSEAM.

                                                                                                       Lavender Fields

The word to be defined today ... is Shimenet. This word was coined by no less than the VP herself ... so aside from writing a book ... she is a genius ... and although Shimenet is a brainchild of some enterprising content creators ... we have to give credit to the VP ...  without her American twang ... the word will be languishing in the doldrums waiting to be discovered.

If a BLACKSMITH is a METALSMITH who creates objects from wrought iron and steel ... let me be the first to call her this in honor of the VP. She is a WORDSMITH non-pareil ... and whoever coined the word needs a tap on the shoulder. He or she needs to come out in the open and enjoy the distinction and the respect from internetlandia ... the way Carlos Yulo stormed social media.

Shinemet is beating around the bush ... she tries to fudge and dodge the questions for reasons she only knows. The good doctor above has his way of defining it ... and he succeeded.

Ang Chinito Ba At Prinito?

                                                                Donny Pangilinan- ABS CBN Actor

Ang daming poging singkit ang naglipana sa showbiz ngayon. Nandiyan sina Donny Pangilinan, Jeremiah Lisbo. Mccoy de Leon, Gil Cuerva, David Licauco, Michael Sager, Manolo Pedrosa, Radson Flores, Nikki Co, Royce Cabrera, Kimson Tan, Edgar Alan Guzman, Dustin Yu. Matthew Uy, Rodjun Cruz etc.

However ... it look like may dalawang klase ng singkit according sa malabigang content creators sa social media.

Pag ang singkit daw ay mestizo ... they call them "CHINITO".  Pero kung ang singkit ay kayumangging kaligatan and tawag nila ay "PRINITO." Parang may pagka-sarcastic. Parang negative ang dating.

May point naman daw.  Nagra-rhyme kasi eh. sabat ng isa. Ganun?

But for us, we believe maputi man o maitim pareho lang ... SILA AY CHINITO! Pinoy with monolids or Asian eyes.

                                                                                     Gil Cuerva- GMA Actor

WALANG PERPEKTONG PAMILYA PERO MANANATILI ITONG BIYAYA || HOMILY || FATH...

When Expectations and Reality Are Like Tubig At Langis

Why are expectations and reality often at odds with each other? Why don't they always meet ... they don't align most of the time.

Expectations are what we picture things will happen or evolve ... while reality is what actually is the picture on hand. While we look forward to these two will pair off, they often are irreconcilably incompatible. 

When we EXPECT others can act and behave like we do ... we in REALITY don't accept them for what are. When parents think their children can continue the same honors and achievements they once had... the reality is they are being too hard on them.

This disparity of expectations vis-a-vis reality can often bring feelings of resentment and dissatisfaction. When reality does not measure up to our expectations ... it becomes a big let-down.

Just like the image above ... when you expect your dream of going to Australia and seeing Sydney's Opera House  ... will come sooner ... if not later ... but when all the plans are falling like the proverbial house of cards ... seeing your plates lining up similarly like the art theater in a drain rack in your kitchen sink... it reminds you of broken hopes and dreams.

Expectant ka that someday isa kang mabuting anak ... pero ikaw rin ang gumagawa ng problemang naghahati ng pamilya mo. Gusto mo maging good provider ka ... pero puno ka ng bisyo sa katawan ... at maliwanag pa sa sikat ng araw na walang kang trabaho ... at wala kang ginagawa para magkaroon.

So we need to watch out ... we have to think of strategies or defenses we can make use to manage HIGH expectations.

Then And Now