Nov
30
2010
I challenged my daughter that I’ll buy her a new mobile phone if she can be on top her class for two consecutive grading periods. Well, she did, even more than I expected, she was on the honor list for two consecutive periods. My daughter having the FB curse (read my previous article), had been balancing her social life and studies pretty well and I’m so damn proud of it.
Now, the phone? I asked her to give me more time before I can give it to her, and she said “Ok.” without batting an eyelash. Then I said “Thank you for making me proud.”, her reply to that made me wonder if I was like her when I was her age. It took me 5 seconds to realize that I haven’t thanked my parents the way I should. I really have not thanked them for giving me the education, for paying my tuition fees, for saving enough money to send me to college and for sacrificing their own time for me to have my way. I have not thanked them enough for rearing me to success and for being there for my failures as well. I ate three meals a day when I was with them, sometimes five, and I didn’t hear them complain at all. I had shelter, clothes and even had gadgets that aren’t cheap to begin with. I was lucky and I didn’t even say thank you for that.
It’s a cliché to say that we love our parents and of course we thank them, but I can’t help but wonder was it really enough? I can’t remember the times when I said “Thank You” and really meant it. I say thanks when I receive gifts from my mom, get excited and smile, but then it goes unnoticed after a few minutes.
In the grand scheme of things, I never considered it a big deal. It was given, they are my parents, they are meant to provide me with my basic needs as I what I do now for my daughter, and it’s just a continuing cycle.
I never thought a 6-word sentence can make me realize how unappreciative, insensitive and dense I was.
Coming from my daughter, it was a big thing after all. I can’t remember if I was like her when I was 13 years old, makes me proud to say I just realized I am doing a fine job so far as a parent, but sad to say though that I was not as appreciative of my parents the way she is now. She just reminded me how I was as a kid and how I am as a grown-up at the same time. She is changing her world with her thoughts and consequently changing mine too.
So going back when I said “Thank you for making me proud.”, she replied “No Papa, Thank You for everything.” Coming from my kid that is as good as being given a badge of honor for being a parent.
Oct
27
2010
(quick post and unedited)
I’m starting to hate facebook, not only does it consume a lot of my time playing chess and other feel-good applications, it made me realize I was sharing my thoughts with most of my friends and not so friends – practically giving them rights to creep in to my life. Someone told me that if I’ll put a comment or a status online, it is up for judgment, criticisms and scrutiny, so I should be ready for it. If I don’t want to know what others think about me, then I don’t have to put my thoughts online, as simple as that. But the thing is, I just can’t help it sometimes, it’s the facebook curse, it’s hard not to write what you think when everybody’s actively doing it.
But here’s the sad part, sometimes you’re putting it online to get affirmation, to get sympathy and to express your feelings on something or someone and then hope to get your needed morale booster or the reply you wish you’ll get. We don’t need that online, we can get that from a hug, from a friend who can actually talk to you in person and see his actual reaction, not those smiley faces.
The sadder part – How many people do you know who have more than 500 friends online and stay every Friday and Saturday night at home? Or worse, doesn’t get the invitations when everyone else is hanging out together. How many people do you know who stay up late at night playing games just to beat their online friends? – I’m one of them. How many people do you know who eat dinner in front of the computer just so to update their status and share what happened to them that day? How many people do you know who take pictures of themselves on every angle of their faces and then post it online? – Why? It’s narcissism.
I get it, you want your friends to know who you really are, you want your co-workers to find out your other side. Facebook builds relationships, but it can destroy one too. Sometimes some things should be left unsaid and unseen. But what more can I say, it’s the facebook curse. It makes you more “shareful”.
And here is the saddest, when time comes that everything is laid down and out in the open, you’ll get the feeling you’ve been sized-up, scrutinized and have been judged all at the same time and worse, you’ll still be alone longing for a real companionship. So don’t fall for it, mum a little if not a lot. Saying less, the less likely you’ll say something foolish.
My days on FB are numbered; I think it won’t be long until some people do so too. Opening up is a good thing, but just like what Robert Greene said “We should not go past the mark on what we aimed for, in victory, we should also learn to stop.” And when do you think you’re in victory against FB? It is when you have said enough.
Peace.
Oct
20
2010
(unedited)
I was five when I learned how to play chess and never stopped playing for fun when I have the time; I find it to be very fitting to the mind besides puzzles. Until recently I got hooked and can’t stop playing until I win as many games as much as I can, as much as my eyes can stay open. It keeps my mind off things – sad things mostly, but also helps me focus.
After playing 1,745 games for the past 10 months, I can’t help but correlate it to life – yes, too many games to ignore. But really, chess is life, with some contrasting aspects. In chess I play against another player, in real life, I can be dealing with a whole bunch of opponents. It is also played by the rules, no exemptions, not so much in reality; I myself sometimes (if not usually) bend the rules to get what I want.
But anyway, I want to talk about more on the resemblance of chess with life rather than its disparity. Chess is a strategy game. There are so many opening moves, so many variations on how you’ll start a game. A bad opening may cost you the game or prepare you for victory. More so with life, a bad impression on work may spell the difference between you and your boss. Try the pick-up line “So, you’re a girl huh?” and you’ll see what I mean of losing the game early. Take it from Adam Sandler from the movie “Big Daddy” who said “initiating the conversation is half the battle” – quite true. Making an impression to others can just take you 5 seconds, and a bad impression at that, can be irreversible.
There are also times you have to make sacrifices, to get a better position or get a more valued piece later on. This however essentially requires forethought because a stupid sacrifice in chess is a disaster. Isn’t this true in real life? It is very much so. Though the real value of your sacrifice depends on how you perceive your gain to be in the end or how you see your target to be worthy of it all, no matter what.
Also in chess, you adapt to the sequences of attacks being thrown at you. Same with real life, there are always changes and unexpected movements around us, adapting and countering it precisely at the right time and with the right moves can spell triumph in the end.
But what I like about chess so much is the fact that every time I get stuck in an awful position, there will always still be moves to move.
Check!
Tags: adam sandler, big daddy, candid standpoint, Candid Thoughts, Chess, chess over me | 
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Comments Off Oct
10
2010
I’ve always wondered how it will be for me if I could listen to other people’s thoughts and I always ended up concluding it will be awesome, until now.
Maybe influenced by watching “Heroes” (a tv series about supposedly ordinary people with superhuman abilities) and “The Listener” (another tv show w/c is about a paramedic who can listen to people’s mind) I began to admire this power.
Matt Parkman - Heroes
Toby Logan - The Listener
I pondered some serious thoughts about this and tried to relate it to some situations I may encounter in real life and found it appealing yet not so convincing.
At work, it’ll be good to know if I know what my boss is thinking, be prepared and know what to suggest or respond to his queries perfectly. In a board room meeting, it would be nice if I know what all of them would approve of, I’ll be a hit. But then again, it would just make me a puppet somehow if I’ll just adjust to their thoughts most of the time, and may not really impose what I really want. Not everything my boss thinks is apposite (I ought to know!) I may be sucked in and no longer think the way I should. Ironically, I would be manipulated without them knowing it & me getting sucked into it knowingly.
With friends, do you really want to know what your friends think of you? Always? Occasionally, I make insensitive remarks to my best friends and they sometimes get offended. In hindsight, I realized my tactlessness & wished I could take back what I have said. Hindsight is, unfortunately, a useless commodity, good only for regrets. My friends are not angels, they too have something to say against me and oftentimes they prefer to leave things unsaid, because it can be ignored or sometimes it’s just it. But now, if I have this ability, I’ll get to know the truth… uttered or not, good or bad….. and it’ll be an ugly feeling, an ugly truth. Again, what you don’t know can’t hurt you.
With women, they are one of the hardest species to read, they’re enigmatic. You may think I want this power over them, naaaaah. I have to admit, it’s a cool thing, but then again, so is being challenged. Imagine, if I could read the mind of a fine girl and her mind says, “You’re ugly.” I sure will back off somehow and be intimidated immediately, now where’s the thrill in that? She may love my jokes and my opening lines and we could hit it off. Women are mysterious, they can’t be understood, you just have to love them, and to do that, you don’t want to know their thoughts.
So I conclude, I don’t like this mind-reading capability, I would rather have the power of a lie – where I am the only one capable of lying. Can you imagine people believing whatever you’ll say? That will be the coolest.
Imagine at work, I could tell my boss, his car is my car and he’ll believe it. When at a bank, I could tell the teller I have 100 million dollars in my account, he’ll check, and will say “There could be some technical errors, we’ll fix it for you”. If I meet a new girl, I’ll tell her she’s my girlfriend, and she’ll believe it.
It’s a simple ability but with endless boundaries. (Watch “The Invention of Lying” by the way).
Peace.
Jun
30
2010
I just watched our 15th President-elect Noynoy Aquino deliver his inaugural address, and I can say it was more than what I expected. It was more concise, more clear and more specific than the speeches I heard from the previous presidents. There were also no words spoken that will make you google for the meaning, it was informal yet strong and vindictive.
(image from news.yahoo.com - reuters)
For you Noynoy, given the promises you made, I salute you, get it done – you are my president.
“Be safe!”
Here’s a copy of Noynoy Aquino’s Inaugural Address
His Excellency Jose Ramos Horta, members of the diplomatic corps, Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, former President Fidel V. Ramos, former President Joseph E. Estrada, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and other members of the Senate, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and other members of the House of Representatives, members of the Supreme Court, local government officials, distinguished guests, mga minamahal kong kababayan.
Ang pagtayo ko dito ngayon ay patunay na kayo ang aking tunay na lakas. Hindi ko inakala na darating tayo sa puntong ito, na ako’y manunumpa sa harap ninyo bilang inyong Pangulo. Hindi ko pinangarap maging tagapagtaguyod ng pag-asa at tagapagmana ng mga suliranin ng ating bayan.
Ang layunin ko sa buhay ay simple lang: maging tapat sa aking mga magulang at sa bayan bilang isang marangal na anak, mabait na kuya, at mabuting mamamayan.
Nilabanan ng aking ama ang diktadurya at ibinuwis niya ang kanyang buhay para tubusin ang ating demokrasya. Inalay ng aking ina ang kanyang buhay upang pangalagaan ang demokrasyang ito. Ilalaan ko ang aking buhay para siguraduhin na ang ating demokrasya ay kapaki-pakinabang sa bawat isa. Namuhunan na po kami ng dugo at handang gawin itong muli kung kakailanganin.
Tanyag man ang aking mga magulang at ang kanilang mga nagawa, alam ko rin ang problema ng ordinaryong mamamayan. Alam nating lahat ang pakiramdam na magkaroon ng pamahalaang bulag at bingi. Alam natin ang pakiramdam na mapagkaitan ng hustisya, na mabalewala ng mga taong pinagkatiwalaan at inatasan nating maging ating tagapagtanggol.
Kayo ba ay minsan ring nalimutan ng pamahalaang inyong iniluklok sa puwesto? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay nagtiis na sa trapiko para lamang masingitan ng isang naghahari-hariang de-wangwang sa kalsada? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay sawang-sawa na sa pamahalaang sa halip na magsilbi sa taumbayan ay kailangan pa nilang itong pagpasensiyahan at tiisin? Ako rin.
Katulad ninyo ako. Marami na sa atin ang bumoto gamit ang kanilang paa, nilisan na nila ang ating bansa sa kanilang paghahanap ng pagbabago at katahimikan. Tiniis nila ang hirap, sinugod ang panganib sa ibang bansa dahil doon may pag-asa kahit kaunti na dito sa atin ay hindi nila nakikita. Sa iilang sandali na sarili ko lang ang aking inaalala, pati ako ay napag-isip din, ‘Talaga bang hindi na mababago ang pamamahala natin dito? Hindi kaya nasa ibang bansa ang katahimikang hinahanap ko? Saan ba nakasulat na kailangang puro pagtitiis ang tadhana ng Pilipino?’
Ngayon, sa araw na ito, dito magwawakas ang pamumunong manhid sa mga daing ng taumbayan.
Hindi si Noynoy ang gumawa ng paraan, kayo ang dahilan kung bakit ngayon, magtatapos na ang pagtitiis ng sambayanan. Ito naman po ang umpisa ng kalbaryo ko. Ngunit kung marami tayong magpapasan ng krus ay kakayanin natin ito, gaano man kabigat.
Sa tulong ng wastong pamamahala sa mga darating na taon, maiibsan din ang marami nating problema. Ang tadhana ng Pilipino ay babalik sa tamang kalagyan, na sa bawat taon pabawas ng pabawas ang problema ng Pinoy, nagsusumikap at may kasiguruhan sila na magiging tuloy-tuloy na ang pagbuti ng kanilang sitwasyon.
Kami ay narito para magsilbi at hindi para maghari. Ang mandato ninyo sa amin ay pagbabago—isang malinaw na utos para ayusin ang gobyerno at lipunan mula sa pamahalaang iilan lamang ang nakikinabang tungo sa isang pamahalaang kabutihan ng mamamayan ang pinangangalagaan.
Ang mandatong ito ay isa kung saan kayo at ang inyong pangulo ay nagkasundo para sa pagbabago—isang paninindigan na ipinangako ko noong kampanya at tinanggap ninyo noong araw ng halalan.
Sigaw natin noong kampanya: “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.” Hindi lamang ito pang slogan o pang poster—ito ang mga prinsipyong tinatayuan at nagsisilbing batayan ng ating administrasyon.
Ang ating pangunahing tungkulin ay ang magsikap na maiangat ang bansa mula sa kahirapan, sa pamamagitan ng pagpapairal ng katapatan at mabuting pamamalakad sa pamahalaan.
Ang unang hakbang ay ang pagkakaroon ng tuwid at tapat na hanay ng mga pinuno. Magsisimula ito sa akin. Sisikapin kong maging isang mabuting ehemplo. Hinding hindi ko sasayangin ang tiwalang ipinagkaloob ninyo sa akin. Sisiguraduhin ko na ganito rin ang adhikain ng aking Gabinete at ng mga magiging kasama sa ating pamahalaan.
Naniniwala akong hindi lahat ng nagsisilbi sa gobyerno ay corrupt. Sa katunayan, mas marami sa kanila ay tapat. Pinili nilang maglingkod sa gobyerno upang gumawa ng kabutihan. Ngayon, magkakaroon na sila ng pagkakataong magpakitang-gilas. Inaasahan natin sila sa pagsupil ng korapsyon sa loob mismo ng burukrasya.
Sa mga itinalaga sa paraang labag sa batas, ito ang aking babala: sisimulan natin ang pagbabalik ng tiwala sa pamamagitan ng pag-usisa sa mga “midnight appointments.” Sana ay magsilbi itong babala sa mga nag-iisip na ipagpatuloy ang baluktot na kalakarang nakasanayan na ng marami.
Sa mga kapuspalad nating mga kababayan, ngayon, ang pamahalaan ang inyong kampeon.
Hindi natin ipagpapaliban ang mga pangangailangan ng ating mga estudyante, kaya’t sisikapin nating punan ang kakulangan sa ating mga silid-aralan.
Unti-unti din nating babawasan ang mga kakulangan sa imprastraktura para sa transportasyon, turismo at pangangalakal. Mula ngayon, hindi na puwede ang “puwede na” pagdating sa mga kalye, tulay at gusali dahil magiging responsibilidad ng mga kontratista ang panatilihing nasa mabuting kalagayan ang mga proyekto nila.
Bubuhayin natin ang programang “emergency employment” ng dating Pangulong Corazon Aquino sa pagtatayo ng mga bagong imprastraktura na ito. Ito ay magbibigay ng trabaho sa mga lokal na komunidad at makakatulong sa pagpapalago ng kanila at ng ating buong ekonomiya.
Hindi kami magiging sanhi ng inyong pasakit at perwisyo. Palalakasin natin ang koleksyon at pupuksain natin ang korapsyon sa Kawanihan ng Rentas Internas at Bureau of Customs, para mapondohan natin ang ating mga hinahangad para sa lahat, tulad ng: dekalidad na edukasyon, kabilang ang edukasyong bokasyonal para makapaghanap ng marangal na trabaho ang hindi makapag-kolehiyo;
· serbisyong pangkalusugan, tulad ng PhilHealth para sa lahat sa loob ng tatlong taon;
· tirahan sa loob ng mga ligtas na komunidad.
Palalakasin at palalaguin natin ang bilang ng ating kasundaluhan at kapulisan, hindi para tugunan ang interes ng mga naghahari-harian, ngunit para proteksyunan ang mamamayan. Itinataya nila ang kanilang buhay para mayroong pagkakataon sa katahimikan at kapayapaan sa sambayanan. Dumoble na ang populasyong kanilang binabantayan, nananatili naman sila sa bilang. Hindi tama na ang nagmamalasakit ay kinakawawa.
Kung dati ay may fertilizer scam, ngayon ay may kalinga na tunay para sa mga magsasaka. Tutulungan natin sila sa irigasyon, extension services, at sa pagbenta ng kanilang produkto sa pinakamataas na presyong maaari.
Inaatasan natin ang papasok na Kalihim Alcala na magtayo ng mga trading centers kung saan deretso na ang magsasaka sa mamimili – lalaktawan na natin ang gitna, kasama na ang kotong cop. Sa ganitong paraan, ang dating napupunta sa gitna ay maari nang paghatian ng magsasaka at mamimili.
Gagawin nating kaaya-aya sa negosyante ang ating bansa. We will cut red tape dramatically and implement stable economic policies. We will level the playing field for investors and make government an enabler, not a hindrance, to business. Sa ganitong paraan lamang natin mapupunan ang kakulangan ng trabaho para sa ating mga mamamayan.
Layunin nating paramihin ang trabaho dito sa ating bansa upang hindi na kailanganin ang mangibang-bansa para makahanap ng trabaho. Ngunit habang ito ay hindi pa natin naaabot, inaatasan ko ang mga kawani ng DFA, POEA, OWWA at iba pang mga kinauukulang ahensiya na mas lalo pang paigtingin ang pagtugon sa mga hinaing at pangangailangan ng ating overseas Filipino workers.
Papaigtingin namin ang proseso ng konsultasyon at pag-uulat sa taumbayan. Sisikapin naming isakatuparan ang nakasaad sa ating Konstitusyon na kinikilala ang karapatan ng mamamayan na magkaroon ng kaalaman ukol sa mga pampublikong alintana.
Binuhay natin ang diwa ng people power noong kampanya. Ipagpatuloy natin ito tungo sa tuwid at tapat na pamamahala. Ang naniniwala sa people power ay nakatuon sa kapwa at hindi sa sarili.
Sa mga nang-api sa akin, kaya ko kayong patawarin, at pinapatawad ko na kayo. Sa mga nang-api sa sambayanan, wala akong karapatan na limutin ang inyong mga kasalanan.
To those who are talking about reconciliation, if they mean that they would like us to simply forget about the wrongs that they have committed in the past, we have this to say: there can be no reconciliation without justice. Sa paglimot ng pagkakasala, sinisigurado kong mauulit muli ang mga pagkakasalang ito. Secretary de Lima, you have your marching orders. Begin the process of providing true and complete justice for all.
Ikinagagalak din naming ibahagi sa inyo ang pagtanggap ni dating Chief Justice Hilario Davide sa hamon ng pagtatatag at pamumuno sa isang Truth Commission na magbibigay-linaw sa maraming kahinahinalang isyu na hanggang ngayon ay walang kasagutan at resolusyon.
Ang sinumang nagkamali ay kailangang humarap sa hustisya. Hindi maaaring patuloy ang kalakaran ng walang pananagutan at tuloy na pang-aapi.
My government will be sincere in dealing with all the peoples of Mindanao. We are committed to a peaceful and just settlement of conflicts, inclusive of the interests of all—may they be Lumads, Bangsamoro or Christian.
We shall defeat the enemy by wielding the tools of justice, social reform, and equitable governance leading to a better life. Sa tamang pamamahala gaganda ang buhay ng lahat, at sa buhay na maganda, sino pa ang gugustuhing bumalik sa panahon ng pang-aapi?
Kung kasama ko kayo, maitataguyod natin ang isang bayan kung saan pantay-pantay ang pagkakataon, dahil pantay-pantay nating ginagampanan ang ating mga pananagutan.
Kamakailan lamang, ang bawat isa sa atin ay nanindigan sa presinto. Bumoto tayo ayon sa ating karapatan at konsensiya. Hindi tayo umatras sa tungkulin nating ipaglaban ang karapatang ito.
Pagkatapos ng bilangan, pinatunayan ninyo na ang tao ang tunay na lakas ng bayan.
Ito ang kahalagahan ng ating demokrasya. Ito ang pundasyon ng ating pagkakaisa. Nangampanya tayo para sa pagbabago. Dahil dito taas-noo muli ang Pilipino. Tayong lahat ay kabilang sa isang bansa kung saan maaari nang mangarap muli.
To our friends and neighbors around the world, we are ready to take our place as a reliable member of the community of nations, a nation serious about its commitments and which harmonizes its national interests with its international responsibilities.
We will be a predictable and consistent place for investment, a nation where everyone will say, “it all works.”
Inaanyayahan ko kayo ngayon na manumpa sa ating mga sarili, sa sambayanan, walang maiiwan.
Walang pangingibang-bayan at gastusan na walang wastong dahilan. Walang pagtalikod sa mga salitang binitawan noong kampanya, ngayon at hanggang sa mga susunod pang pagsubok na pagdadaanan sa loob ng anim na taon.
Walang lamangan, walang padrino, at walang pagnanakaw. Walang wang-wang, walang counterflow, walang tong. Panahon na upang tayo ay muling magkawang-gawa.
Nandito tayo ngayon dahil sama-sama tayong nanindigan at nagtiwala na may pag-asa.
The people who are behind us dared to dream. Today, the dream starts to become a reality. Sa inyong mga nag-iisip pa kung tutulong kayo sa pagpasan ng ating krus, isa lang ang aking tanong—kung kailan tayo nanalo, saka pa ba kayo susuko?
Kayo ang boss ko, kaya’t hindi maaaring hindi ako makinig sa mga utos ninyo. We will design and implement an interaction and feedback mechanism that can effectively respond to the people’s needs and aspirations.
Kayo ang nagdala sa akin sa puntong ito—ang ating mga volunteers—matanda, bata, celebrity, ordinaryong tao, na umikot sa Pilipinas para ikampanya ang pagbabago; ang aking mga kasambahay, na nag-asikaso ng lahat ng aking mga personal na mga pangangailangan; ang aking pamilya, kaibigan at katrabaho, na dumamay, nag-alaga at nagbigay ng suporta sa akin; ang ating mga abogado, na nagpuyat para bantayan ang ating mga boto at siguraduhing mabibilang ang bawat isa; ang aking mga kapartido at kaalyado na kasama kong nangahas mangarap; at ang milyun-milyong Pilipinong nagkaisa, nagtiwala at hindi nawalan ng pag-asa—nasa inyo ang aking taus-pusong pasasalamat.
Hindi ko makakayang harapin ang aking mga magulang, at kayong mga nagdala sa akin sa yugto ng buhay kong ito kung hindi ko maisasakatuparan ang aking mga binitawang salita sa araw na ito.
My parents sought nothing less and died for nothing less than democracy, peace and prosperity. I am blessed by this legacy. I shall carry the torch forward.
Layunin ko na sa pagbaba ko sa katungkulan, masasabi ng lahat na malayo na ang narating natin sa pagtahak ng tuwid na landas at mas maganda na ang kinabukasang ipapamana natin sa susunod na henerasyon. Samahan ninyo ako sa pagtatapos ng labang ito. Tayo na sa tuwid na landas.
Maraming salamat po at mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino!
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