Boracay Trip

Start:	Oct 13, '06 08:30a
End:	Oct 15, '06
Location:	Hey Jude, Boracay

Bora!!!

Anj's Wedding

Start:	Oct 8, '06 7:00p
Location:	Uhmm I forgot.. Just send me a message..

What Else?

Intro to UW Hockey

Start:	Oct 7, '06 1:00p
Location:	La Salle Greenhills Swimming Pool

Intro to UW Hockey

Jorn's Farewell Party

Start:	Oct 6, '06 01:00a
End:	Oct 7, '06
Location:	Ayala Alabang

Pool Party hosted by Donnely

Gone With The Wind- Metro grounds to a halt as Milenyo hits the Philippines

I was supposed to go to an underwater hockey practice last night after work at The Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, a city just adjacent Makati where I currently live. At around 6AM, I received a text message from one of my bosses not to come as Malacañang suspended work in government offices, agencies and schools in the National Capital Region as Metro Manila anticipates Typhoon Milenyo (the Tagalog word for Millenium- internationally codenamed Xangsane). The day before that, I was calmly discussing the storm with my bosses over lunch saying that according to the CNN report that day, Milenyo would pass through Metro Manila directly within 48 hours. Since Filipinos are kinda used to bad weather forecasts, I kinda shrugged off the report and thought that if indeed this was a big storm, it wont be as bad as the first 12 storms that hit the country this year.

At 9-10 AM, winds were already whistling outside, and it sounded like the queerest of sounds, it almost like the rumbling of jackhammer and an oncoming train combined. As the wind intensified, power went out. The wind raged on furiously and it reminded me of being near a tornado back in 1998 during my grandfather's funeral.

At 1PM-2PM, the winds and rain lashed its fury on the hapless Metro, and from my room window, I could see roofsheets being blown away. Power is still out. Worse still, my Globe phone battery went out, my Smart mobile phone lost signal.  Great.

I have been through similarly destructive typhoons before but I thought I never heard such horrifying sounds of wind outside my window - its like being inside a washing machine! I wouldnt want to be out in the streets during this time. Today as I checked out the papers, I was astonished to see big trucks overturned, age-old trees uprooted, windows smashed, and billboards (I think they should be banned from now on) toppling over because of the awesome winds.

Power is still out in my area, and I am writing this blog in an internet cafe nearby. Some of the ATM connections are not working- Good thing I have 2 ATMs (I dispensed my Credit Card a long time ago, after racking a whooping PhP 70,000 expenses), and I havent collected my paycheck because there is no work in the bank I work for.

Oh well, it's another queer, difficult day in the Metro. It's all fun, and I'm still playing underwater hockey tomorrow.

 

 

 

Why I find it hard to believe "Nicole" - UPDATED! PLEASE SEE COMMENTS BELOW.

In recent months, media attention focused on the alleged rape of a Filipina at Subic Bay, Zambales at the hands of American servicemen, one of which she met while the the soldier was stationed in her home province of Zamboanga in Mindanao. I have spoken with some friends, some of which are diplomats from different countries (Rumors has it in the diplomatic circles that there was no rape, and it was all consensual) and we shared the same reservations about the alleged rape for several reasons. Call me sexist, I dont care.

Who in their right mind would go all the way and chase the American soldier in Zambales only accompanied by another girl-companion? I have been to Subic several times and I observed the presence of so many hookers on the lookout for foreigners in the area to the point that everytime the gang goes there, we would just chill out at the yacht club instead of going to Boardwalk where these hookers frequent alot (especially Pier 1). Okay, that does not make Nicole and co. hookers. But getting drunk in the company of people you barely know, you are so either inviting trouble or you are just actually planning to have sex with anyone of them. Pardon my being blunt, but Nicole drank alot of alcohol that night when she could have stayed sober. Bad judgement? I dont think so. I think she intended it. I mean she went all the way to party with these guys, what could she have had in mind. Come on, suddenly she began being such a "victim" on TV? Me smells a blackmail.

Feminist militant groups were all too eager to lap up her story, sadly, before the merits of the case were decided by the courts, the accused already lost the battle in media. That's the most unfair part in rape cases where the accused are almost always prejudged. Who cares if the girl was altogether lying? The case being a test of the Visiting Forces Agreement, everyone is too careful about the implications of a guilty or not guilty verdict. With the elections coming around next year, trust some local politicians will suddenly be part of this circus.

Crikey! Steve Irwin now Wrestles Crocs in Heaven

I never watch Crocodile Hunter religiously, but what somehow striked me was the infectious and kid-like enthusiasm of its host, the former Steve Irwin. I mean you have to give it to the guy to wear khakis in his mid40s when all of us would have our asses beaten to a pulp if we wore one to school, much less to work. The unmistakable Aussie accent and outback charm was pervasive and amusing, to the point that I am so distracted by it rather than the real star of the show- the crocodiles and other dangerous animals. His eyes filled with wonder and his voice quivering with excitement as Irwin introduces us to the world of wildlife conservation.

Although I am not totally unfamiliar with environmentalism and wildlife conservation, I am a self-confessed wuss when it comes to dealing with reptiles and other animals (even if I have a turtle - Rufus,  as pet). I had an albino python on my neck before, stroked an iguana's back, went on a safari with Bengal tigers, but the courage of this man is simply endearing. He taught us, children and adults alike to be more humane, to be more understanding of the life around us, and this gift of communication is perhaps Irwin's greatest gift to the world. He made us see the world with our eyes with such wonder, and understanding that through his voice, his eyes, we see the beauty of life all over us.

Like any great ordinary men, the passing of person like Steve Irwin is indeed a terrible loss to mankind, but his death left a beautiful imprint in the lives of people and animals he touched and this imprint makes a mortal man live forever.