Today’s my forty-first year on earth and it’s just like any ordinary day. No party or any semblance of a celebration. I just spent the day with my family at home- that’s the best day I will always have.
I don’t know if it comes with age, but of late I seldom look forward to a celebration for my coming birthday. When you grow older, you simply would just like the day to finish fast. Because as Paul Simon says “…still tommorow’s gonna be another working day, and I’m trying to get some rest. That’s all I’m trying to get some rest.”
What made this day quite eventful is that it was a delightful day for motorists in Metro Manila. A transport strike greeted my birthday, so the streets that are usually traffic infested during weekdays were suddenly free from restraint. Do you want to know who’s behind this traffic-free day for Metro Manila? – Click here…
I’m quite satisfied with my life at 41. I have learned to appreciate what I have in my humblest existence. I have learned to find happiness right where I am now. A loving family to come home to. The company of my friends and brothers in a sacred band among whom no contention ever exists but that noble contention, or rather emulation of who best can work and best agree. Now at 41, I no longer have to reach far and dream big. I am now at peace with myself. What remains of me now is to start making my bucket list.
Ah, this is what I like about my birthdays now, and I hope, for many more to come – spending the special day with my family…
It’s now time to turn to the next Chapter of my life…CHAPTER XLI
There’s no official proclamation that would say that Summer is “officially” here. Malacanang Palace will not announce on TV that summer has arrived. If you’re old enough, that is if you’ve passed forty (plus) summers in your life, you know how to read the signs and can easily feel it. One barometer for summer is the weather. But the weather lately is freaking out. It’s already the month of March but you can still feel the chills at night. This might be what PAG-ASA had warned about earlier, that we will be having a wet/cold summer this year.
Ah, but there are other signs that will tell you that summer is here. For one, Congressmen are already gearing up for summer vacation to who knows where. Congress had scheduled an early recess on March 14th, so by next week, it’s going to be quiet in the House of Representatives.
Also, another sign is our neighbor’s star apple tree begins to become abundant and its branches bow down by the weight of its fruits. A certain portion of that tree’s branches find our backyard a suitable place to bow to the will of gravity. This never escaped Maia and Ate Bebing’s attention. And so they had their first taste of summer by harvesting the starapples that gracefully offers itself for their taking.
The other signs that Summer has come? Observe the political climate and you’ll know its summer. The political upheaval brought about by the NBN-ZTE Deal that took its peak during the massive rally in Makati weeks ago, will now be hushed again in silence, as if nothing happened. Everyone, from the Senators to the protesters, will then be busy preparing for their next summer vacation. After all its summer, and you are in the Philippines. Like there’s Siesta. Like it has become an accepted reality that nothing happens in our country during weekends – have you notice that there are no news programs in the primetime during weekends?
So if you’re in the Philippines, enjoy the summer… nothing bad will happen in the Philippines when its vacation time.
My loving wife, Bambit, wanted to give me a gift on the first year anniversary of my raising as a Master Mason – a plaque etched with the timeline of my Masonic journey. She got this idea of a gift from her friend whose company makes fine quality wooden military plaques. Consequently, she had my plaque made by them.
For some reason, the plaque didn’t got to finish on time. After waiting for a while we finally got it. But it’s worth the wait, the anticipation was paid a good price. I now have a beautiful personalized Masonic plaque. It’s a 12″ x 16″ and 3/4 inch thick solid mahogany wood slab. The craftsmanship is noticeably superb. The images and text are finely engraved on the wood slab and not pasted unto it. It’s a 1=1 copy of the design i made for it in photoshop, a what you see is what you get result. A true mark of excellent Pinoy craftsmanship. The artists, artificers and the rest of the workforce of the company who made my plaque is 100% Filipino.
I have the plaque now mounted and prominently displayed on the side wall of our sala, as testimony of my wife’s enduring support to my being a Freemason. To love and care, on the level and upon the square.
Thanks Darling, wub u.
She said it once, twice, now she said it again.
This is the third, if not the nth time, that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) admitted a lie. The first one was to promise that she will not run as President only to break it later because she believed that the good Lord planned to put her to that position. Next came the Hello Garci controversy, which she denied at first and after a deafening protest, admitted lamely by saying, “I am sorry.” Now the NBN-ZTE deal.
In a radio interview over DZRH, GMA admitted that she knew about the flaws and irregularities of the ZTE contract because she was informed about it on the eve of its signing. Still she proceeded with the signing of the contract without informing the Republic of the Philippines about its irregularities. It took some time before the anomalies of the NBN-ZTE were exposed to the public.
And according to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, it was because of the “political noise” brought about by the NBN-ZTE Deal controversy that she was forced eventually to cancel the contract. She made this statement amidst the rising controversy of the NBN-ZTE deal. During this period, GMA’s minions were busy defending the contract and denying all allegations of bribery and corruption surrounding the deal during the Senate hearings.
The cancellation of the contract took some time after it was signed and was done only after the prodding of the Senate and the “political noise” it created. GMA knew all along that the contract was flawed. Right from the start she knew that she signed a flawed contract, and she remained silent about it. She even blamed the expose made by the NBN-ZTE deal whistle blowers as mere “political noise” instigated by the opposition. Now the truth is out.
If once cured of his sudden amnesia, Romulo Neri will say he said right that GMA is evil. For what can be more evil than a person who can lie barefacedly and admits to the lie only once the cat is out of the bag. But even then, still has the audicity to twist the truth in order to justify the lie. Such exceptional ability to lie comes second only to the Devil himself, whose greatest lie ever told was that of convincing the world he doesn’t exist.
She said it once, twice, thrice and she will say it again, until we say ENOUGH.
The corridors of power are busy this Sunday in fulfilling both their religious and political obligations, and as is often the case the combination of both. Religious in a sense that they attend mass and pray that they may get a good shot of this another Photo ops stint. Political, because for sure they are actually up into something else other than praying. Ah, for the benefit of the doubt, they might be really praying hard. Praying for a miracle or some divine intervention on a most unfavorable scenario for them, that of another EDSA uprising which might commence tomorrow.
Here’s Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Congressman Prospero Nograles in a picture depicting the deep religiosity of our politicians, praying together in a mass held inside the palace. Here are the two persons in Philippine politics who share a common illusion of being chosen by God. Not so long ago, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said on being President, “I believe that I am here because that is the plan of God for me and for us.” Just recently on a similar note, Nograles just minutes after being proclaimed Speaker of the House said, “It’s God’s will. It’s probably my destiny.”
Now another political storm is heading their way, both Gloria and Nograles need all the favors they can get from their God.
Meanwhile, in the land of ordinary mortals, my family especially our little princess Maia, enjoyed a swimming party of her cousin Rafael James “RJ” Gaerlan’s 2nd Birthday at Dream Land Resort in Caloocan. It was only Maia’s second time to swim on a pool since she was less than a year old, yet she showed no fear only much enthusiasm.
Click here to go to Bambit’s blog for more story and photos of our Sunday.
Being a computer geek has its advantages, one of which is the chance to raise more geeks and eventually conquer the world. My teen-aged geek stepson is a war tactician of the meanest calibre, and can change history with a few mouse clicks or key presses, in his army jacket while sitting in the comfort of his own room. This, for his mother, is better than having him trudge off to the nearest gaming centre and out of my sight. Well worth gearing him up in authentic army uniforms even. Hey, if my daughter can dress up in her princess gowns and play happy ever after, her brother can out play any general in his BDUs.
It’s my baby Maia’s birthday today. Today she’s four years old.
How she’d grown fast. Not only can she understand and obey orders, now Maia can perfectly understand situations as well. Yesterday, I wasn’t able to report to work because of a stomach discomfort. She watched over me the whole time while I was on bed. Without me telling her, she got her body warmer oil, the one we used for her when she had stomach aches. She gently applied it to my tummy and comforted me by saying, “it’s okay ama, it’s okay.” Then she snuggled by my side and wrapped her little arms around my shoulders, as if to comfort and assure me that everything’s going to be alright.
Time flies fast and soon in the blink of an eye my baby will be a baby no more. But even then, I will always remember how she looked the very first minutes after she was born. I looked at her, and she winked at me – as if saying, “hello ama, it’s okay ama, everything’s gonna be alright.”
My dearest Maia, on your birthday and through all eternity, I wish you a wonderful life.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAIA, We Love You Baby.
