Who Needs Foreplay?

Everytime I travel and meet a cute foreigner guy who has been to Manila, their first observation almost always is the grinding poverty here which they say contrasts starkly with the modern condos and big malls, then they ask me why there are so many poor people here and to just lighten up the conversation I just say, "Do you want the Miss Universe answer or the Christiane Amanpour BBC documentary answer?" And they just laugh!! And my mind goes, f**k Napoles and our corrupt leaders, sisirain pa ng mga mokong yan ang gabi ko, can't you see, I just want to run my fingers through that six-pack abs of yours, now do me a favor, and take off your shirt

Life's Simple Pleasures

Laura and Dylan were so giddy and excited this afternoon when they had their first tricycle ride! They were so happy riding it!! They also had a lot of fun playing amidst this sea of colorful balloons, as the Art Attack drawing sessions they had were packing up for the day.  Life's simple pleasures......

Skin Tattoo For Kids

Tattooes have become so popular that even kids are being enticed to try them, although most of them is just sticker based skin tattoos.  They look cute though!  Laura got these tattoos from an art festival at Robinson's Magnolia.

The Kids Do Art Attack at Robinson's Magnolia

One reason why I'm pushing Laura and Dylan to explore their creativity and their artistic skills at such an early age is because I sucked at drawing and art class all throughout grade school! I secretly hated it and I am really ashamed up to now that I'm a grown adult and I couldn't draw to save my life! And anyway, creative people always seem to have fun and come up with the most exciting things for mankind to enjoy, minus of course all the drug use and alcoholism addiction that some of them suffer from. Well, they did have fun today during an Art Attack fair at Robinson's Magnolia! A good way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon

Grace That Works Every Day

 

I read a great article today by one of my favorite PDI columnists, Fr. Tito Caluag.  He writes, "If we weigh all things properly, there are always more things to be grateful than to feel sorry about".  I admit it's always a constant battle - a daily battle of fighting anxiety - anxiety over not being able to pay the bills on time, anxiety that a wrong decision or a wrong move can lead to disaster in my personal life!  However, daily prayer and focusing on the positive and hoping on hope has always stopped me for falling over the cliff.  Each day is different and there are good days and there are bad days, but just like most of humanity, we plod on, hoping that tomorrow will still be a good day - with God's grace.

E.E. Cummings Poetry and In Her Shoes

 

 I was channel switching last night when I came across the movie In Her Shoes, which I saw years ago in the cinema.  The funny thing is, I was able to appreciate the movie more, now that I saw it on TV.  It must've been a case of me falling asleep again when watching movies!  Crazy eh!

Anyway, the scene that I caught was the best scene of all.  It is where Cameron Diaz's character reads an E.E. Cummings poem which she dedicates to her sister, played by Toni Collette.  The title of the poem is "I Carry Your Heart With Me".  I had tears in my eyes after Cameron read the poem!  I was just so moved by the words!  

So anyway, here is the whole poem.  Cameron reads all of it in the movie.  If you took a poetry class in college, you would know that E.E. Cummings writes his poems this way.

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                                      i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

American Horror Story Asylum Is My Favorite TV Show of the Week

I was lucky to see two episodes of American Horror Story Asylum one after the other this week in Jack TV because the show's story is really good!  I love it!  It's so sick!  My favorite episode of the week involved an exorcism which was filmed really well, it could rival a movie!

Here are my favorite TV shows for the week ending November 16, 2012 - 

#1 Jack TV - American Horror Story Asylum - exorcism scene

My second favorite TV show was this episode of Criminal Minds where the story was of two elderly people who kidnapped kids!

#2 Universal - Criminal Minds - kidnapper of kids

Most of the episodes of Grimm that I've seen are not really scary but the one I saw this week about a bunch of wendigo brothers was pretty scary!

#3 Jack TV - Grimm - wendigo 

I love this show!  This week, they featured this perky girl who already had a heart attack at the age of 19.  Pretty cute!

#4 Lifestyle Network - What Not to Wear - girl with heart attack

The Amazing Race continues with the hippie boys losing their passports.  

#5 AXN  - Amazing Race 21

This was another scary episode of Celebrity Ghost Stories, my favorite, being that of designer Cynthia Rowley.

#6 Celebrity Ghost Stories - Cynthia Rowley

In this episode, Evan Peters is being entered into the asylum, accused of raping and killing women.

#7 Jack TV - American Horror Story Asylum - Evan Peters

This was a fantastic documentary as it showed man's history.  I saw the part until the Roman empire.  Can't wait to see to the end!

#8 History Channel - The History of Mankind The Story of Us All

This 30 minute show features common people and their encounters with ghosts


#9  Bio - Ghostly Encounters - haunted hotel

This hippie guy brings drugs to Chile after successfully bringing cocaine out of Peru into the US

#10 National Geographic - Locked Up Abroad Chile

TV Talk: A Market Our Local Networks are Not Tapping

In the recent survey by Kantar Media on what Philippine households are watching, it came out that ABS-CBN got a 48% share of the audience during the primetime slot (6PM to 12 mn).  GMA-7 is second at 28%.  The share of both TV stations is at a staggering 76%.  Well, our household does not belong to that percentage though.  

Bandila and the current affairs programs are the only things I watch in local TV.  For the past 20 years, I think it was only Marimar which caught our family's fancy, otherwise, unless it's the maids watching TV, we would normally shift to cable for our entertainment needs - which is a pity really, because there is a segment of the Filipino population that these big local networks are ignoring.  Basically, that segment is me and my friends.  

The survey said the finale of ABS-CBN's Walang Hanggan was watched by a staggering 45% audience share.  Except for one gay man I met in a bar, no one among my social set talked about that show's ending - or maybe, did not want to admit to haha!  But seriously, I don't think any of them watched it.  Walang buzz e.

But if you say, Big Bang Theory or Modern Family, they would most likely know the characters and who this is and who is that.  Pity really since those two comedy hit shows can easily be replicated here - of course, in a more Pinoy setting.  I know we have many creative minds out there who can do witty writing.  Sayang lang na our networks won't let them do their work.

I think the bottomline is, we can't relate to what they are releasing in local TV.  So we don't watch their shows.  Buti na lang their current affairs programs are more interesting!  As for their news - may choice pa ba kami, e we really have to hear the local news!  It's really infotainment, not a news program.

My First Trip to Robinson's Magnolia

There has been a buzz around the soft opening of Robinson's Magnolia these past few weeks with a few friends posting their pictures or their experiences on Facebook.  We decided to visit it finally today - and we were surprised to find the parking full!!  Well, we learned later on that parking was free but nevertheless, we were impressed at how full the parking was, considering it was still a relatively empty mall.  Only about 30% of the stores were open.

One thing great about it though was the department store which looked classier and much brightly lighted than the one you see in Galleria.  The staff are also more helpful.

Don't go there to eat though - on weekends.  The queues are long and almost all restaurants could not keep up with the demand.  Anyhow, that should change as more stores and restaurants open in the future.

Five Ways to Cultivate One's Sense of Wonder

Nothing beats the smile on the faces of Laura and Dylan when they show a sense of wonder - be it for a new toy, or something they just discovered!  I have often wondered how I can rekindle that sense of wonder, now that I'm a jaded man of 40. 

Today, I read an article by Cathy Babao-Guballa where she recounted how her kids helped her regain her own sense of wonder.  In her article, she outlines the five ways to cultivate wonder - according to Margaret Tartakovsky.

First, Margaret suggests that we watch children play or do anything.  I have often marveled how Laura "sews" clothes into me as she fashions a Superman costume for me - made of used newspapers and masking tape joining it together!  I feel fabulous everytime she does it!

Second, she suggests that we allow ourselves to simply let our imaginations soar and run free.  Now, this I should do when I'm thinking of designs for my t-shirt line!

Third, she suggests that we take up photography or appreciate good photos.  This way, it would help us appreciate the beauty around us. 

Fourth, she suggests that one travels.  This one, I have experienced for myself.  Nothing beats enhancing wonder when one travels.  The world is just so unique, my sense of wonder multiplies many times over when I am in a new place!

Finally, she suggests that we always learn something new!  Since I am learning French and Spanish, this sense of wonder is cultivated everyday, as I begin to learn to express myself in languages other than English or Tagalog or Bisaya.

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Appreciating Anthony Strano's Thoughts: On Faith

I came across this interesting article which featured meditation and inspirational speaker, Anthony Strano, who will be coming here to Manila to talk about "Becoming Spiritually Smart" and "Spirituality in Daily Life".  In that short article alone, I came across a lot of nuggets of wisdom, which I would love to share with all of you.  Here's one of them -

"What we believe comes true.  Faith is the energy of understanding that enables us to realize that anything is possible - even if it is not within our line of vision and, most especially, even if it is not within the bounds of reason.  With faith, it is not necessary to analyze and know everything in detail before doing something.  All that is needed are a few basic facts, then we can take action." - I love this one!  I can totally relate to this.  In many ways, this is basically how I solve my problems, knowing that I don't have control over ALL the variables.  So I control what I can and the rest, well, as he says, I leave it to faith in others!

The excerpt above came from his popular audio book, "The Principles of Spiritual Living".

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Being Holy in Our Daily Lives

While I was reading Saint Josemaria Escriva when I was in high school, I was struck by his preaching - that of becoming holy, even as ordinary people.  Yes, we put on pedestals those saints who suffered dramatically for their faith - and the reality is, many of us will never be given that opportunity to be dramatic in our spiritual lives.  So I realized that, yes, what St. Escriva was saying is possible, because there are many ordinary people around us who live holy lives.  They may not emanate the holy glow or the halo on their heads - but everybody knows that they are good people.

So with the start today of the Lenten season, being Ash Wednesday, I will consciously rid my life of unholy behavior and step by step, match God's holiness.  It's not going to be easy since I'm sure it's a battle I'll do till I do, but if I just consciously think about it, maybe, I could become a holier person.  I could start with the simple sins first and go from there.  Whew, just thinking about it makes me think I'm climbing the Himalayas in beach wear!  But as they say, there is no impossibility with God!  So vamonos!

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Mother Teresa's Unconditional Love

I actually feel fortunate that Mother Teresa lived during my lifetime since I was able to witness first-hand how she led her life and expressed her unconditional love.  It's a difficult path to follow but it's possible to follow it in our daily lives - basically by how we treat the people around us, especially those who are not as financially successful as us or those who work for us and take care of our houses and our children.  

Of course, I do wish to extend my circle wider but there are time constraints and responsibilities now that I have for the kids and for my businesses.  But I do what I can do in my own little way, so that I can make the lives of the people around me better.

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Loving Yourself: The First Step to Being Fabulous!

If you loathe how you look or the kind of person you are, it would really show!  So no matter what shape or color you are, you just have to accept that that is how God made you to be - and whatever shape or size or color you are, you have to love yourself so that the feeling will make you feel fabulous!  Sometimes, whatever you feel inside you will clearly show outside, so if you're happy, then your outward glow will surely shine.  Ditto if the opposite opens.

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