Well, since they’re running fine, I hope you’d visit me there:

Prudence and Madness (my personal blog)

Prudence, M.D. (my health blog)

Erase, Rewind (my photo blog)

Gaming Froshie (my game blog)

So, in celebration of Halloween in this blog (since I’m bereft of my main blog due to its exceeded bandwidth limit error which I think is hacker-induced), I’m telling you some scary stories, two of which I have directly experienced myself, and the other one, I’ve been involved somehow. After all, most of us do get the kicks out of telling scary stories and making others jump out of their skins. Haha.
Let’s begin.

* * * * *

Spirit of the Glass

Back in the days when I was still an impressionable teen in high school, my friends and I, after a cheerleading practice, decided to have a game of “spirit of the glass” in one of the empty townhouses in the subdivision. I think we were around 8 people then and the sun was about to set.

I have forgotten how we started the game. All I remember was that we settled in the garage and seated ourselves in a circle, with our makeshift Ouija board in the middle. We weren’t taking it seriously really and were just asking some funny, pointless questions, mostly answerable by a yes or a no, like if we’re going to get married, or if one will win at the lottery.

But when we’ve decided to ask the board some really personal questions, which aren’t voiced out at all and the board began answering almost accurately, we all felt scared, perhaps because how could anyone know what the other person was thinking and know the answer to such a question? And questions that were asked were mostly of the kind that the only person who could answer it was the person who asked the question.

The only one question I remembered asking the board was: when did I start my menstrual period? This is something I know that most of the people in the circle didn’t know, even my two bestfriends.

And just imagine the shock that I had when I barely finished asking the question in my mind and the glass moved smoothly and surely towards the number 9. I had my menarche at the age of 9. And I swear my finger was only barely touching the glass, like what the others were doing, and yet the glass continued to move to 9 and hovered there, drawing a circle and then settling on the spot.

Then, we started asking the board to predict the future: What are the initials of the person I’m going to marry? What school am I going to for college? What year will I go to the U.S.? Some of the answers were clear, while others were vague. Sometimes the glass wouldn’t move at all.

In the end, we asked the spirit its name.

It spelled B-E-E-L-Z-

We didn’t finish the reading of the next letters of the name because, frankly, those first five letters were scary enough that we all scampered away from the place. I remember that it seemed the wind was colder and harsher that night.

The next day, though frightened, we returned to the “scene of the crime”. Our makeshift Ouija board was gone and there were glass splinters and pieces on the garage floor. Probably the night wind blew the things away.

And we went on with our lives after that. However, I can’t help but look back at that time of our lives, especially when one of my bestfriends (who was also there at the game) died 3 months after being diagnosed of leukemia (and only several months after that game). It seemed that one way or another, all of us who were in that game experienced some sort of unfortunate incident in our lives, with one attempting suicide, another being miserable all the time, and another whose family suffered bankruptcy.

I do not claim that having played the game made us all unlucky. It could all be coincidence. Or perhaps we disturbed something in the place that caused a lot of negative energies that influenced our behavior. It could be just ideomotor effect. I really do not know. But I think, this experience has become one of the reasons why I’m interested in knowing more of the paranormal, to debunk or to explain whatever such experiences bring.

* * * * *

The House By the Cliff

I think it was the summer of 2002 that my high school friends and I went to Baguio for a vacation. A friend borrowed a company guest house nestled somewhere in Benguet. We had a Dodge van (a “roving motel” I call it, because of the color of lights inside and the way those lights were placed inside the vehicle and also because of the seats that can be converted to one large bed) that can accommodate all of us and take us to the places we wanted to visit and a driver to boot. What more can we ask for then, right?

One night, we came home from a gimmick at Padi’s Point. I remember that we weren’t drunk then but we’re all extremely sleepy, probably because of the cold. But it wasn’t really a problem anyway since there’s the driver to take us home.

We turned the seats into a bed and we were all lying down at the back of the van. Some were already snoozing but I remember Serj and I being awake still (and, of course, the driver). Then I noticed that the van began a series of running and stopping short then running again. I wondered what the problem was but didn’t ask the driver. I didn’t think it’s because he was sleepy because he had plenty enough sleep before going out. I looked out of the window through the blinds but didn’t see much because of some night fog. All I can see was that we’re traveling alone on that road that night. That’s when I started panicking inside. What would happen to us if we get stuck in the middle of the road? Who could we ask help from? We’re all strangers to the area and we don’t know anyone.

Then, suddenly, the van stopped. The driver told us that we just stay inside the van and he’s just resting for a few minutes. And so we didn’t go out. And my mind felt quiet again, thinking that it’s probably just because of the driver’s sleepiness that’s why the van was moving that way. A little nap is all he needed.

Again, I looked out of the window through the blinds and saw that we stopped by some house with a lamp post in front and a gated driveway. I didn’t think it was a good idea stopping right in front of that house, perhaps because the owners might think we’re stalking their house or something. I just went back to half-sleeping and half-chatting with Serj, who didn’t really appear worried at all (or maybe he just didn’t mind because he’s sleepy).

After about 10 minutes or so, I felt that we were moving again. And after a while, the rest of the group awakened, perhaps sensing that we’re nearing our house. When we got to the house, I wasn’t able to ask the driver anymore as to what happened back there because I was already aching to get to bed.

The next day, as we’re going down to the city again, we passed by that road. I looked out, trying to search for the house where we stopped at the night before but did not find any. In fact, the road going down from our house in Benguet to the city proper was bordered by a mountain and a cliff on the other side. There were no houses on the mountain near the road. And of course, there were no houses on the cliff side of the road. The most that I’ve seen was a waiting shed, and there wasn’t even a lamp post.

A talk with the driver later enlightened me as to what happened the night before. He said that the reason why the van was stopping short and then running again was because he had to step on the brakes several times because the road in front of the van suddenly vanishes. He would stop the van when he doesn’t see the road and then move again when he sees the road again. And yes, he did see the house with the gated driveway and lamp post too and thought of stopping there waiting for the road to be “normal” again. He also agreed that it seemed weird that we didn’t pass any house near the road on our way down to the city proper.

Did we just get lost or somebody tried getting us lost?

* * * * *

The Hitchhiker

Every Saturday night, my high school friends and I usually have our beer-drinking, movie-watching sessions at Serj’s house. Of course, that would take us into the wee hours of the morning. And going home, I usually get ride with either AJ and Jo or with Ram or whoever brought wheels that night.

One night, I hitched a ride with AJ and Jo and they drove me home. My house is situated at the very far end of the subdivision. But since they’re my friends and they’re all used to how creepy my place could be at night, they don’t mind driving me home there.

Jo stopped the car in front of the house. I got down while saying thanks for driving me as far up as my home and then they waited for me to open the gate and get in. Then they sped away.

After doing my nightly rituals and settling myself on bed, I received a text message from AJ. She was asking if I was okay. I said I was okay. Why wouldn’t I be?

Then she said, when I got down from the car and was going to the gate, she saw a white hand holding the back of her seat, near her left shoulder. She thought it was my hand but then I was already at the gate.

So whose hand was it?

* * * * *

For one part, I believe that there could be “ghosts” or “wandering spirits” out there. For now, our definition of “ghosts” and “spirits” are limited to such but perhaps, in the future, it may be explained that these ghosts could be just residual energies of the former living or maybe energies emanating from living beings such as ourselves. And so, when that time comes, “ghosts” could become just another name for “residual electrical energies” or something like that. Who knows?

I’m keeping an open-mind on this one, because, frankly, I think we really do not understand fully just yet the phenomenon dubbed as “supernatural” or “paranormal”. Wouldn’t it be exciting if compelling evidences will be found that could prove or trash the idea that “ghosts” exist as we know it today?

How about you? What scary stories would you like to share?

And yes, it was another adventure because it will be my first time public commuting to Tagaytay. Feeling turista!

I thought it was going to be difficult, with us coming from Bulacan and then public commuting up to Tagaytay. Actually, it wasn’t. Add to that the fact that most people are just at home because of the upcoming Barangay Elections.

From Bulacan, we rode the FX (actually it’s a Revo) to MRT North EDSA station. We took the train and got off at the end of the line which is Taft station. At the foot of the stairs going down from the MRT platform, there’s a bus terminal. See? It’s easy, right? And what made things easier was that the bus stops right in front of the subdivision where the house where we’ll be staying is.

And another surprise for me: the bus fare going to Tagaytay from Pasay is only P73! Now why was that a surprise for me? Because the fare going to Bulacan from North EDSA MRT station is about P45 and that’s via the NLEX. Comparing the distance and time traveled, I thought the bus fare to Tagaytay would have been more than P100. And so it’s good news, right? Also the bus wasn’t the rickety type you see along EDSA. It was comfortable with good airconditioning and TV and the seats are CLEAN (no crawling creepy cockroaches!). My only regret at that time was that I forgot to bring my earphones. The movie didn’t play until we were more than halfway through our trip and the driver was playing oldies tunes.

We got to Tagaytay at around 10:30 A.M. The weather was cool and I really love the cloudy skies and the temperature. We dropped off our stuff in the house where we’re staying. It’s a house that has been borrowed by Chisse (Herbert’s girlfriend) from her aunt. And look at it! Isn’t it adorable?

That’s my friend, Serj, having his morning ciggie break.

The house reminded us of how a hobbit house (only bigger) so from now on, we nicknamed it “Hobbit House” (okay, don’t worry, we’ll think of a more creative name for it).

It’s a house spacious enough for a group of 6. And adorable as it is, it’s also a bit creepy inside.

Now, look at that. Doesn’t that remind you of a scene from the Ring? Doesn’t it look like as if someone’s going to suddenly pop up behind his back? It’s a mirror at the boys’ bedroom, thank goodness! There’s also a closet that looks like something that came from the Grudge movie (sorry, I wasn’t able to take a photo of it).

Well, what’s a vacation without a creepy house anyway? Yeah, we like it that it’s creepy but nobody slept upstairs. Hahaha.

After cleaning the house, we left our bags there and went off to visit the Our Lady of Manaoag Church.

Side comment: Now, you bad, bad Serj. You forgot your big, real camera! Now we have to shoot photos using camera phones. Ugh. Oh okay, Herbert and Chisse have cybershot cameras. But how’s that compared to your Nikon?

It’s just a small church, actually. I’m not religious so I don’t really see the point of having to go there, but some of my friends are. And okay, I’m feeling turista so I just have to go there so I could say I visited the place. Haha.

However, I think we only went to Tagaytay for the food and the booze.

Right after the Manaoag visit, we went straight to RSM for lunch. And we’re a bunch of hungry bears! And there are lots of people dining so we had to wait for a table for 6 people become available. But the wait was worth it. Last time I remembered coming to that place was when I was still in medical school and I very well remember how savory the bulalo is.

Oooppppssss! Sorry, hands were shaking because of hunger.

And no photo of the bulalo soup. We’ve already attacked it before I was able to take a photo of it. That’s the difficulty in taking photos of food. You have to resist the urge to devour the food before you can take a photo of it.

See how hungry we were? Food was gone in a matter of minutes!

We took some more photos and you can see them here at my multiply site.

On our way home, we decided that we should screw liquor ban (because it’s trying to screw our vacation) and attempt to buy liquor from the stores around the place, since we cannot buy from the near 7-11 convenience store because of the group of army soldiers stationed in front of it. So we went walking around the rotonda and found a grocery store. And as if devil is there, a whole tall shelf of wines and liquors are to be seen in front of the store. We bought some groceries (chips, dishwashing materials, coffee, water, and ice) and asked the cashier if we could buy some Baileys and Chivas. The cashier being the almost elderly that she is vehemently refused to and pointed to the poster that is inside the store about the liquor ban during election period.

Okay, so we got out of the store with our groceries and continued looking around for other stores. There were none. The only place left was the wines and spirits store right across the rotonda. We gauged that the soldiers won’t be able to see us anyway because of the small monument in the middle of the road (and it’s also a bit of stupidity in their part because why were they all guarding the 7-11 store when there’s a wines & spirits store conveniently located on the opposite side?). Ram, Serj, and I went inside the liquor store while Ronald, Chisse, and Herbert went home ahead of us, carrying the groceries.

The liquor store was like heaven. We couldn’t even decide at first what liquor to buy because we wanted to try many of those available there that we haven’t tried before. The sales lady is young, at around mid- to late 20′s. She’s very accommodating and helped us choose our liquor. We ended up with a bottle of absinthe and some boxes of flavored cigars.

Lesson #1 for beating liquor ban: Look for a liquor store who has a young sales lady on duty. Do not buy from stores with elderly ladies behind the cashier because they’ll screw your vacation.

So, that’s how we beat liquor ban. Also, Serj was able to sneak a bottle of brandy past through the security of MRT.

Lesson #2 for beating liquor ban: Wrap a towel around a bottle of brandy or any liquor and place it in the middle-middle of your knapsack. Not at the middle-bottom and certainly not at the middle-top. Cover it with other clothes, especially underwear.

Brilliant! Now we have a bottle of brandy and a bottle of absinthe and lots of cigarettes and cigars too. This is some boozefest!

But before that, we got some pictures with Jollibee first

Only Serj and I dared to have a photo op with Jollibee hahaha. I think I want to put that photo up in facebook.

Now to stop being kids-starstruck-with-a-mascot to being kids-starstruck-with-alcohol…

…and TV addicts too! While enjoying our absinthe and pulutan of fried chicken, liempo, and nuts, we were watching PBB, GMA’s 20 years presentation, and some scary shit for Halloween.

And then,

Ka-blag! That’s what happens after downing a bottle of absinthe. It was funny, really. One moment we were talking and the next minute, I found Chisse and I were the only ones talking. Good thing we set those mats up early.

Soon, I was the only one left awake and I found myself twitting so that I could have something to do.

This is the culprit for those guys “sleepiness” (photo of which I took the morning after):

There’s nothing much done in the morning. We took a bath, got dressed, and then headed outside to buy some pasalubong. I bought only macapuno tarts since Colette’s ran out of buko pies (was that even possible really?). Then we got back home to fix our things and took some more last minute photos in front of the hobbit house. I don’t have these photos but I promise I’ll post it in my multiply site once Herbert and Chisse give it to me.

Then, again, we took the bus to get back to Pasay. It’s not as nice as the bus we took to get to Tagaytay but comfortable still. At least, I didn’t see any cockroaches roaming about. There’s a bit of heavy traffic along the way, though, brought about, perhaps, by the onslaught of people going to the precincts to vote. I got home at around 4:30 p.m. in Bulacan. And even then I was already missing the Tagaytay weather. Why can’t it be like that in Bulacan too? Hehe.

Now, maybe if I have that extra cash, I’d buy the house and lot for sale next to that hobbit house so I could have my own Tagaytay getaway place whenever I feel like escaping from a stressful life. Anybody who’d like to donate some cash? Or even a Tagaytay house? Hehehe.

1. Seemingly, another hacker trashed my site (tesstermulo.com) and caused it to exceed its bandwidth limit again.
2. I’m going to face work and studies again.

Tagaytay is really the place for me. Not so urban and yet not so provincial. I like the weather and that there aren’t that too many people around, but not too few that will make me think I got exiled for doing naughty deeds. Haha. I think I can live in a house like this forever:

Of course, it has to have basic amenities like food storage and such. But I can live in this house for an infinite period of time, as long as it has a computer and internet connection. Hehe.

Doesn’t it remind you of a big hobbit house?

More pictures later. I just have to go and take a little rest.  And yeah, I’ll also tell you how I beat liquor ban.

Mimi Lennox of Mimi Writes is the founder of the Peace Globe Movement. I think it started last year November 7, 2006, when she encouraged people to post photos of globes inscribed with their names or their messages as a protest that we really ought to work for peace in a chaotic world.

Some people may have criticized her for being whimsical in pushing for this. What could posting photos of globes on blogs do anyway? We are already aware of how much this world hungers for peace. What can this movement accomplish?

I believe that if you really are fighting for something worthwhile, no matter how small the gesture, it should be encouraged. It’s Mimi’s and other Peace Globe bloggers’ contribution to the quest for peace. Some action is better than no action at all.

I haven’t decided yet if I’ll put a globe on my blog on November 7. But, yes, I believe that this movement is worth a little post.

To know more about Mimi Lennox, listen to this interview of her by Doctor Anonymous.

So, imagine my joy when I heard that Paypal Philippines can now receive and send funds. At least, now there’s a more secured way to transact online. And it accepts some debit cards too (visa electron)! Now that’s good news. I don’t have to suffer having credit card information sent online.

So, what did I do?

First, I applied for an EON cyberaccount online at Unionbank website (read more about EON Visa Electron here). Then I received an email that informed me that my card will be ready for pickup after 5 banking days at the branch that I picked during application. In my case, I picked Muñoz branch.

Remember very well that you need to bring IDs (at least two) and photocopies of it to be able to claim and activate your cyberaccount.

The IDs you could bring are:

• Birth/baptismal certificates
• Current Driver’s License
• Valid Passport
• Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) ID
• Major Credit Cards
• Permit to Carry Firearms
• Tax Identification Number (TIN) Card
• Social Security System (SSS)/Government Service Insurance System Card
• Current Company ID
• Postal ID
• Current School ID (for students only)

Also, you have to have at least Php100 in your cyberaccount before you can enroll it at Paypal. The reason for that is $1.95 will have to be debited from your account when you enroll it. But after your first transaction using paypal, the $1.95 will be credited back to your Paypal account. Don’t worry, no maintenance balance is required for a cyberaccount.

Using an EON cyberaccount requires you to enroll it in the EXPUSE programme. You can acquire the EXPUSE number by calling 1-800-1888-2277 and be ready with your account and card details. However, the CSA will tell you that you will have to wait 4 banking days for EXPUSE number to be made available to you.

When you have acquired your EXPUSE number, login to Paypal and enroll your account to EXPUSE. If you have attempted to enroll the cyberaccount before without the EXPUSE number (like the very impatient me), there should be a link there that says “finish enrollment to expanded use programme” or something like it. After you have entered the four-digit EXPUSE number, the account will show that the card is finally verified.

Warning, though, for the impatient ones: I remember that in Pinoymoneytalk, it was said that you can get your EXPUSE number through your transaction history at Unionbank online. I tried what was suggested there but I wasn’t able to enroll the cyberaccount to Paypal. And do not attempt too many times if you do not have the EXPUSE number because it can result in blocking of your account in Paypal (which almost happened to me). So, if I were you, just call the hotline number I stated above, just to be sure. Perhaps the suggestion at pinoymoneytalk worked before but it seems that Unionbank changed some policies/procedures regarding enrollment at Paypal.

So far, I have only received payments from Text-Link-Ads. And I haven’t attempted to withdraw the money I have in Paypal to EON cyberaccount just yet because there’s a withdrawal fee of $5. I think I’ll just wait for the amount to get a bit bigger .

How about you? What experiences did you have using your credit cards/debit cards in Paypal? Leave your advices, suggestions, comments, and questions here so that we could help each other out.

And now, the pardon has been granted to Estrada.

He got the conviction guilty of plunder but did not suffer from it really. Has he ever languished inside a real prison cell during the years of which his case was tried? No. In fact, he has transferred residences, stayed in expensive hospitals, and even went abroad for some medical treatment.

What happened to the penalty that is the result of the conviction? Will he simply walk away without serving a portion of it? He haven’t even seen the inside of a prison cell and here comes the pardon on a silver plate, courtesy of the Malacañan. How will this reflect upon the integrity of our justice system?

I speak as an ordinary citizen with a very ordinary grasp of Philippine politics and laws. What does this issue tell me? That in the country where I live, those who have the money and the connections can buy or negotiate their way out of serving prison term?  While us, ordinary citizens are always kept on our toes to make sure we do not violate any laws, some arrogant few swagger, without care as to whom they hurt or trample along the way.  How can I believe in the justice system if the President herself can easily overrule it?

Equality under the law… it doesn’t seem to make sense anymore. It’s almost a myth.

Now for the original article…

* * * * *

Have you seen this circulating in emails?

“Okay, before going further, can I check these diplomas ‘coz I would just like to make sure that they’re not from some med school in the Philippines.”
- Susan Mayer, Desperate Housewives

Wait, before you make a comment or write in your blog that the scriptwriter for the episode, the producers, and even the actress Teri Hatcher are all a bunch of ignorant racists so burn them in hell (oh, don’t you dare misquote me on that), stop for a minute and think again. What did she say again?Okay, rewind to several lines before that aforementioned statement.Susan (Teri Hatcher’s character) went to see a male, Caucasian gynecologist:

MD: Well, everything seems normal. But, you say you’ve been having irregular periods?
Susan: Yeah, you know, one month off, two months on. That happens, right?
MD: Have you ever experienced night sweats? …. (few other lines here)
MD: How about hot flashes?
Susan: OK, whoa. I’m gonna stop you right there. I’m way too young for that, please refer to your chart.
MD: Susan, I know for a lot of women the word menopause has negative connotations. They hear aging, brittle bones, loss of sexual desire…
Susan: Before you go any further, can I check those diplomas? I would just like to make sure that they’re not from some med school in the Philippines…

(transcript of the conversation from Dr. Bautista’s blog)

If you’re one of those who may have stopped at reading the statement by Susan in which she demands to see her gynecologist’s diploma because she’s not satisfied with the diagnosis and already made up their mind that the TV show has just insulted Filipino health care professionals and Filipinos in general, let me ask you for some of your time before you sign-up for that petition or go screaming “Boycott Desperate Housewives! Racist Americans!” or something to that effect. I will not try to convince you not to feel insulted, as you are feeling now, because it would be futile to tell one person not to feel something that he’s genuinely feeling. Rather, I’m wishing that you’d listen to what I say, no matter how different it is from your perspective. And still hoping perhaps, from the additional information, you might just change your mind.

If you’re one of those who think that some people have made unnecessary fuss about this issue, then I also wish that you’d continue to read on.

To continue the story, the gynecologist is a Harvard graduate and diagnosed her as being in menopause. However, later, we’d find out that Susan’s actually pregnant, hence the diagnosis was wrong. Moral of the story? Even a Harvard medical school graduate can make a wrong diagnosis. No matter how much we are under the impression that graduating from such schools automatically makes one a good doctor. No conclusion was formed in the episode that Philippine educated doctors is equal incompetency.

Also, I would just like to add that I do agree that what the character, Susan Mayer, said was dumb because it would be rather difficult for anyone, for example, a Philippine medical school graduate to fake his diploma and be able to practice medicine in the U.S. Why? Because in the application process during the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (or USMLE), the applicant is required to submit to the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates or ECFMG a copy of their medical diploma and then, in turn, the ECFMG will return this copy of the diploma to be certified by the medical school. The medical school will, then, mail it back to ECFMG, verified that you indeed graduated in the school. An additional measure to prevent falsification of documents is submission of an identification information sheet that is certified by the medical school to ECFMG.

The little statement above from a recent episode of Desperate Housewives, plus the video from Youtube, have spread like wild fire through blog postings and emails and, believe it or not, has prompted Malacañang and several PMA (Philippine Medical Association) doctors to compel the producers of the TV show to apologize to the Filipinos for the “derogatory” remark. The Filipino-American community also started a petition that has been circulating in the health-related and OFW mailing lists. They’re demanding that “the episode be edited to remove the ignorant and racist remark”.And it’s undeniable that the blog postings have been a big part in creating the awareness that there has been a statement like such was made in a certain TV show that some Filipinos watch. Most were hurt, some are annoyed, while some did not feel insulted at all. There are those also who’re calling for a boycott of the show (although at this point, I don’t know if there really is an organized movement out there to really pursue a boycott that could be reminiscent of the Malu Fernandez Controversy).

But if there will be another call for a boycott (aren’t we getting tired of these?), I definitely would not be in it. First of all, I’m a doctor and I didn’t feel insulted by the remark at all. Nor did I think that they’re taking a shot at Filipino doctors and other healthcare practitioners. How can anyone take seriously such a remark coming from a ditzy, bitchy character from a TV show?

And to argue that it’s correct that they can absolutely demand that the TV show remove the offending segment, since majority of those who’ve seen the clip got offended, is a democratic fallacy. Even if a majority of the population in a given society holds a particular opinion, it does not necessarily have a bearing on what’s true. Majorities can also be wrong. Just imagine what would happen if a mob institutes a censorship on what is to be written and what is to be shown on TV. If that time comes, I’ll just fervently wish this mob isn’t composed of narrow-minded blobs or else we’ll be left with Teletubbies all day.

As for the government and the PMA getting entangled in this issue, I’d say it’s not necessary. Why don’t they immerse themselves into thinking how we could improve the status of Philippine health care and give better incentives for our health care professionals to stay in the country than whining about a fictional Caucasian female who’s ignorant of Philippine medical schools?

And lastly, why do we have to bother about all of these? To show them that the community of Filipinos here and abroad is a power to reckon with? That we can topple any writer, institution, or TV show that criticize us? That to hurt the pride of the Filipinos is a sin?

I recall this conversation with a friend of mine in Chikka earlier. He said that he find the DH remark annoying. And you want to know why he said that? He said it annoyed him that the character have to pick Philippines. Why can’t it be Cambodia? Malaysia? Thailand? So, I told him, his last statement is actually racist. Then he just laughed and told me it’s because we ought to love our own. But is that correct? Love our own country while we demean others? Be racist to others while we’re angered that others are racist toward us?

Personally, just recalling the number of times my schoolmates had poked fun at how Korean girls dress up in school and how Iranians smell is enough to convince me we’re damn racists ourselves. Only that we don’t like it when the joke’s on us.

Others who blogged about this: (Links that are in bold typeface are my favorite posts about this issue)

• Desperate Housewives, Philippine Medical Schools and How Many of You Got it All Wrong
• Who’s Desperate? by Dr. Martin Bautista
• Anti-Filipino Slur on Desperate Housewives? by AJ of Baklaako.com
• Another Perspective on the Latest ‘Racial Slur’ Issue by Frances Paola Doplon
• Desperate Housewives on Philippine Med Schools by Sassylawyer
• My Take on This Desperate Housewives Shenanigans by FeistyMomma
• Desperate Housewives Shenanigans Part Deux by FeistyMomma
• Desperate Housewives Flap by Doctor Anonymous
• Problems of Context and the Oversensitivity of the Desperate by Jon Limjap
• Desperate Housewives insults Filipinos by Michelle Malkin
• Desperate Housewives jokes about Med Schools in the Philippines by Yuga
• What Should You Do Before Condemning Desperate Housewives? by Rico Mossesgeld
• A Call To Boycott Desperate Housewives? No Thanks by Karlo of Pinoyblogero.com
• Reacting and Over-reacting to Desperate Housewives Script about RP Med Schools by Lester
• Desperate Housewives on Pinoy MDs by aloyloy
• Personal Branding by Sonnie Santos
• An Open Letter of Apology to the Cast and Crew of Desperate Housewives by Mike Villar
• Anatomy of a Mob by Doctor Anonymous
• Batuhan: Desperate Housewives by Allan S.B. Batuhan
• Are You Offended That I’m Not That Offended? by Eugene

Recently there has been a lot of commotion and discussions going on about the real status of our environment. Some may argue that we’re going about the wrong way of protecting our environment by promoting extreme environmentalism but one just have to look at our surroundings and know that we ought to do something about man’s destruction of the environment. But it is also not correct to pursue all means of protecting the environment, while neglecting human progress. It’s a delicate balance, I guess, and we haven’t found the formula for it yet.

My belief in this is that we should exercise moderation. For example, I do not say that we stop using paper altogether, but rather we only be wary of indiscriminate use of it. Nor do we forego all plastic products, but rather we should be prudent in using these materials and not produce more than we could use.

Here are some other tips I’d like to share:

1. Buy dishwashing liquid and fabric conditioners by bulk – I think we have the bad habit of buying economy sizes of products.  While it may seem cheaper that way because we spend only a little at a time, it’s actually cheaper to buy the bigger size available for that particular product, especially if the product is non-perishable.  Plus, doing so will minimize waste.  My mom was able to find someone in the market selling dishwashing liquid and fabric conditioners at a lower price if you buy it by bulk and by refilling a bottle.  You can just bring an empty bottle of that product or any empty plastic bottle and they’ll refill it.  I think this is a better practice since we can find another use for what may seem to be another useless, empty mineral water bottle.  At the same time, we can help lessen the demand for more dishwashing liquid stored in smaller plastic bottles.
2. Ride a bike when you can to get to places – In my area, I think it would be better if more people use bicycles to get around, especially if you’re just running errands since it’s just a small town (city).  However, the problem is that everybody here owns a scooter or a small motorbike which they use for the sole purpose of bringing the kid to school (which is only a block away) or just buying vinegar from the nearest suking tindahan.  It’s bad enough that we have such air pollution due to the PUVs and private vehicles (not to mention the emissions from the jewelry-making industries) but the smoke emissions from the scooters are substantial too due to the sheer volume of scooters out on the street at any given time.  However, people aren’t encouraged much to use bicycles for transport because first of all, there are no bicycle lanes here.  I just don’t know how we’re going to go about it.  The main road used to get from the highway to the expressway is the busiest road but it’s too narrow that it can barely accomodate a two-way traffic.
3. Keep the extra tissue papers you get when dining at fast food restos for future use – Whenever I eat out, I usually take the extra tissue papers and put it in my bag.  They may come in handy for wiping stains from shoes or clothes when you’re on the go.  Anyway, if you leave those tissues on the table when you leave the resto, they’ll just clean it up and trash it, even if you haven’t used it.  So I think it would be better if you put it into some use before you dunk it into the trash.  Also, if you’re eating out, don’t ask for too much tissue (I think I may be guilty of this, too, whenever I’m at a coffee shop) you know you’re not going to use.
4. Use shopping bags as much as possible.  Stop indiscriminate use of plastic bags – Note the key word “indiscriminate”.  I didn’t say we must altogether stop using plastic bags.  They’re useful with our modern life.  However, most of the time we waste plastic bags for things we buy that don’t need it.  For example, you’re going to a bookstore to buy a pen and that’s all you’re buying.  After purchasing, the guy in the counter will put it in a small plastic bag and stick your receipt on it.  And you, after receiving it, will just put the plastic bag inside your bag or your pocket.  What function did the plastic bag serve then?  Nothing.  But it’s another waste added and it’s nonbiodegradable.  So, what am I trying to say?  Just use the plastic bags when you don’t have a bag of your own (or a shopping bag) to hold your purchases or if you’re only buying something that will need adequate storage such as food or something that might spill or stain.

Want to participate in Blog Action Day?  You still have time!  Just go here.

Running Time: 1 hr. 50 min.
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for crude sexual content throughout, nudity, language and drug references
Distributors: Universal Pictures Distribution, Universal Pictures International
U.S. Box Office: $119,318,320

***Warning! Some spoilers ahead! Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!

Awww…they look cute, don’t they?

I don’t know why I’ve been putting off watching this movie. I love Adam Sandler movies because he reminds me a lot of an ex-boyfriend. Haha.

The story is about two firefighters, notorious womanizer and all-around jerk bachelor, Chuck Levine (Adam Sandler) and father of two kids and widower, Larry Valentine (Kevin James), who are good friends. Larry asked for favor from Chuck, since he saved his life, to help him claim pension benefits for his kids by being his domestic partner, since he doesn’t want to look for a new wife. Thinking that it would be easy, Chuck agreed, after being initially reluctant. They went to get married at Niagara Falls and Chuck moved in with Larry and his unsuspecting kids. However, when a government bureaucrat becomes suspicious of their new arrangement, they had to orchestrate a charade to project domestic bliss, which includes stuffing their garbage cans with “gay stuff”. Things got complicated when Alex McDonough (Jessica Biel) entered the picture as their lawyer and Chuck fell in love with her enough to become less of a jerk and be more the sensitive and warm type of guy. Things get more confused until it ended up in a court room hearing (with a bunch of pro-gay and anti-gay movement around) and there, Chuck and Larry realized that building a family isn’t only about being a man and a woman, but rather sticking together through thick and thin.

Some people have criticized this film being anti-gay, since it involved certain gay stereotypes and the characters poking fun at it, like listening to music of Wham!, Village People, and doing musicals. Some also noted that the movie seem to promote a lot of stereotypes for both men and women: that “real” men are those who sleep around, fantasize of sex with lots of women (and actualize these fantasies), play basketball, do “macho” stuff, and overall, treat women as their playthings and that women are the bimbo kind who let themselves be men’s playthings. At the beginning of the movie, Larry was portrayed as being in fear for his son’s “questionable” sexuality, with the kid discovering a fondness for cooking, musical plays, tap-dancing, and a dislike for watching/playing sports and pornographic magazines depicting naked women. Does this encourage viewers to adopt the same perspective? That parents should be in fear if their sons start to display interest in “womanly” activities such as cooking, dancing, and getting dressed up? Also, the movie showed that much of the religious organizations nowadays do condemn homosexuality (“gay is not the way”, they say). Does this movie portray that homosexuals are anti-religion or anti-God?

As the movie plays on, we’re led to see how both the Chuck and Larry characters start to evolve and each are discovering their more “sensitive” or “feminine” side, with Larry starting to accept his son for what he is (even joining him in his practices at home for his audition), and Chuck learning that being a more sensitive and warm guy, something that is oftentimes connected with being gay, who could emotionally connect with a woman, is not going to make him less of a man. Watch out for that scene where Chuck goes shopping with Alex (I love all that lip pointing and making faces!). The complication that is the attraction of Chuck for Alex is a bit of a nice touch for this movie, I think. It adds more to the tension and confusion of Chuck, being caught in between sticking up for his friend and going after the woman he loves.

The “fight” scene was rather cute too. I can’t imagine two heterosexual guys fighting like that. And yet, they are two heterosexual guys fighting like how a husband and wife would.

And yes, Steve Buscemi never fails to make me laugh. I know it’s bad to laugh at someone’s appearance, but damn, he’s just so effective in being so weird and funny at the same time. Who would forget him? Especially in his roles in Con-Air, as a dangerous, mentally-deranged prisoner, and the homeless guy in another Adam Sandler movie, Big Daddy? And in this movie, he’s the relentless bureaucrat who even digs in Chuck and Larry’s garbage can just to hunt for “evidence” that the two aren’t really a homosexual couple. A parody, perhaps, of those people who spend a ridiculous amount of time prying other people’s lives, especially homosexuals, with the mission of condemning them and then purging them of their “sins”?

Overall, I don’t think the movie is being anti-gay by depicting all these “stereotypes”. I mean, in real life, some people do harbor these prejudices and they judge those around them based on these. But it does not mean that they are correct. This movie is actually pro-gay, I think, and redeems itself with scenes encouraging people to come out of the closet and be true to themselves and be not afraid of how people will judge their sexuality. And this movie shows that people are not correct in telling others how they should live their lives or how they should not be a homosexual because they’re an “abomination in the eyes of God”. Being a “real” man does not mean getting the most number of women to bed or being the toughest guy out there (imagine, Ving Rhames is gay in this movie…and an “axe murderer” too). Gay men are real men too. Perhaps what makes a man (and a woman) is how one stays true to friends and fight for what is truly right, no matter how many people will have the delusion that their twisted version of what is right is what you should follow.