http://houseonahill.net/
This site is nominated in the Best of the Blogs' Best Journalistic Blog category. Here is the blurb from BOBs' site (now that's too much alliteration right there):
This journal is one of five blogs from "Sassy," a self-described Filipina attorney, wife and mother. She regularly applies her legal scholarship and incisive logic to demands for fairness and accuracy in the media -- among many other things. She's an unflinching fact checker who reviles propaganda and innuendo masquerading as facts.
Monday, October 31, 2005
No All Saints' Day for Me
This is the first time in many years that I will not be going to the cemetery with my family on All Saints' Day. I've been feeling sad about it for days and needless to say, I can't really do much about it. I can just imagine the preparations going on at home now. Akoh must have taken care of the food they'll be bringing, Papa must have put the tent in the car by now, Sakoh will be arranging and rearranging the flowers, Nenet and the other kids will be so excited they'll have a hard time getting to bed.
I was explaining Halloween to my students today. I also told them about the Filipino tradition of visiting the graves of departed loved ones and how this occasion is as much for the living as it is for the dead. Looking at it from that angle, the dead provide the opportunity for the living to just be with each other, and in an almost ironic way, celebrate life. It is a good time to be with the most important people in one's life amidst the confusion of everyday living.
Well, if I'm sad about not being home for this day, Akoh and the people back home must be feeling worse. It seems like everyone's leaving home. My eldest sister, Janice, left for New York last Saturday. Jona is currently in Bangkok shooting a documentary and won't be back until the 3rd. I wanted to call home tonight just to let Akoh know I haven't forgotten what day it is, but I wasn't able to buy phone cards. Sigh.
But most of all, I miss my Amah, the one person in my life who's probably responsible for my sanity. It's been fifteen years but there is no day in my life that I don't think of her and hope she knows how much I love her. I dedicate this entry to her.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Friday, October 28, 2005
My Friendster Horoscope
The Bottom Line
You've accomplished great things, but staying grounded and humble is wise.
In Detail
You're grounded, you're focused and you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. How about setting your mind to something a little more unusual, for a bit of a change of pace? When was the last time you talked to your college roommate, or better yet, your date for your senior prom? Maybe it's time to reconnect. If you don't have their contact info, do a bit of research and see what you can find. An email from a long lost friend could make anyone's day.
Hmm, lemme see. I went to the prom with my friends. My "date", if we must call him that, has recently gotten engaged. I hope I get invited to the wedding (hint hint).
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Gearing up for Winter
Here are some of the things that I will have to rely on to get me through the cold. Brrrr....
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Miss International 2005
Time out from all the talk about the UAAP and the college wars. There just might be a part three of that, but for now here's a breather.
While I'm not a huge fan of beauty contests, there is no mistaking the fact that I was quite ecstatic to find out that Ms. Philippines actually won this year's Ms. International. I only found out about it days after the pageant since I'm currently living in a different part of the world. Since then, I was really curious about the question and answer portion. See, when I do watch beauty pageants, I'm always entertained by the more often absurd answers that contestants give. Of course sometimes, there are also the equally absurd questions. Anyway, I finally got hold of "the winning answer" and I must say that I am very impressed. She said it so perfectly that I would have given her a standing ovation for it. Mabuhay! :)
So here it is...
"MABUHAY! Representing the democratic and freedom loving people of the Pearl of the Orient, I am Precious Lara Guigaman, from the beautiful country of THE PHILIPPINES"
One of the difficult questions asked was:
Q: "What do you say to the people of the world who have typecasted Filipinos as nannies?"
Precious Lara: "I take no offence on being typecasted as a nanny. But I do take offence that the educated people of the world have somehow denegrated the true sense and meaning of what a nanny is. Let me tell you what she is. She is someone who gives more than she takes. She is someone you trust to look after the very people most precious to you - your child, the elderly, yourself. She is the one who has made a living out of caring and loving other people. So to those who have typecasted us as nannies, thank you. It is a testament to the loving and caring culture of the Filipino people. And for that, I am forever proud and grateful of my roots and culture."
(She received a deafening applause from the audience.)
Monday, October 24, 2005
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Friday, October 21, 2005
Movie: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
| Start: | Oct 20, '05 8:00p |
| End: | Oct 20, '05 10:00p |
| Location: | home |
Monday, October 17, 2005
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Friday, October 14, 2005
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Shopping with Wendy
| Start: | Oct 13, '05 9:00a |
| End: | Oct 13, '05 2:00p |
| Location: | LongShou Market, Attraction, Happy Family |
Monday, October 10, 2005
Sunday, October 9, 2005
Saturday, October 8, 2005
Ryan
| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Documentary |
His is a life that every artist fears. How can one create something that equals his last masterpiece? What happens if his well of creativity runs dry? "Sometimes it's not about the money" but why does it still matter anyway?
It's been a long time since I last felt totally moved by a movie. It's so good it will make you want to weep.
Friday, October 7, 2005
Dinner with friends
| Start: | Sep 30, '05 7:00p |
| Location: | Pizza Company, ZhengZhou |
ZhengZhou
I went to ZhengZhou with Rain for a few days. We weren't able to go anywhere fancy but I managed to take some pictures while on the bus on our way home. These are attempts to capture the ordinary ZhengZhou life.
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