Alta Realitat: Ölelés

Start:	Oct 7, '06 7:30p
Location:	Auditorio Carlos P. Romulo (Makati)

ÖLELÉS is a contemporary dance performance performed and directed by Jordi Cortés and Damián Muñoz and accredited by the Theater Association of Spain. It has received the Premio Cuidad de Barcelona in 2004 for best dance performance and the Premio de la Feria Internacional de Huesca in 2005 for the best dance proposal.

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.