Just came from the most fun medical convention I've ever been to! It was a gathering of medical faculty from all over the country and the workshop was ably facilitated by Dr. Joey Lapena, Jr. of the UP College of Medicine. The topic was most interesting, "Mentoring the Mentor" and I wanted to write about it, as well as my adventures yesterday, but am so pressed for time. Everything seems to be rushed here in Manila.
There are so many stories I want to write but for now only this most important one: I was able to watch history unfold at midnight yesterday as the 44th President of the United States took his oath of office. No wonder the first months of the presidency is called the honeymoon period as the oath taking was like the exchanging of wedding vows, this time between Barack and the American people. And the lavish inauguration balls were like an extravagant wedding reception. Even as I am happy for the citizens of America at this momentous event in their history as a nation, I cannot help but feel so very sad for my country. And I will end now before I cry here in this internet cafe.
If there's one thing that Pinoys are good at, aside from boxing, it's definitely copying. And of course, the esteemed object of our fervid emulation is the one and only home of the brave and land of the free, the US of A. We have prime time television shows like Pinoy Big Brother, Kapamilya Deal or No Deal, Kakasa ka ba sa Grade 5?, Bitoy's Funniest Video and many more as testament to this. Even our 24-hour source of current events, ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel), is patterned after CNN.
Kapitolyo by Revey
And in Negros Oriental, the provincial capitol is actually architecturally designed like, guess what, the Capitol in Washington, DC.
And so it is only natural that as Election 2010 approaches, local politicians are quick to catch on to the incredible socio-technological tool that has played a significant role in Barack Obama's campaign and election: the internet and weblogging.
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago is a weblogger of sorts, as she has a website with transcripts of her famous and sometimes infamous but always walloping speeches. Though she says she is not running for office in 2010, her weblog is interesting to read if only because Miriam is Miriam, a very intelligent lawmaker, a Karakter, sometimes a caricature, in the Senate AND it gives us a glimpse of a not-one-to-mince-words senator's take on the recent series of mind-blowing shenanigans by our very own government officials. (Hat tip to Meloinks for the link.) Senator Mar Roxas seems to be a nice guy who is running for president in 2010 and has tapped the internet as an arsenal in his bid. His website is themed blue, just like Obama's, but at risk of offending the web designer, I have to say that it is a super eyesore. Even if I already wanted to vote for Roxas, after visiting his website I would most probably change my mind.
I like the fonts and colors in Loren Legarda's clean and green website. Looks like she has a young webdesigner. What I don't like are the photos. Rather boring and undynamic.
As for the other candidates, looks like they haven't found a dedicated weblogger to blog for them yet. Or maybe I haven't looked hard enough. And for the others (de Castro, Erap, Villanueva), I didn't bother to look at all.
A recent survey by Pulse Asia showed the following top contenders for the not-so-distant 2010 Philippine presidential elections, ranked according to popularity:
1. Vice president Noli de Castro
(A former newscaster and a testament of how powerful media is.)
2. Former President Joseph Estrada
(This, after all that drama during the Senate hearings, the walkout from the Senate to people power in EDSA all over again, to the court hearings, conviction, sentencing and house arrest, to the incredibly swift pardon which was not even preceded by an apology or acceptance of culpability for plundering the nation. Is this really coming from the Filipino which Ninoy said is worth dying for?)
3. Senator Manny Villar
(This ranking was before Villar lost his position as Senate President just a couple of days ago.)
4. Senator Chit Escudero
(Everybody tells me he's very presidentiable. Except for one thing. He wanted the late FPJ to be president in the last election. Big question mark in the judgment category.)
5. Senator Loren Legarda
(Very intelligent and articulate but when she speaks, she drips cold-blooded-politician from every pore. Chilling.)
6. Senator Panfilo Lacson
7. Senator Mar Roxas
8. Mayor Jejomar Binay
(He actually likens himself to Obama because they have the same color. The nerve.)
9. Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando
(I like the radical things I've been hearing about this guy. But he's ranked so low, and maybe the rest of LuzViMin has never heard of him, that I don't know if he can rise to number one.)
10. Televangelist Eddie Villanueva
(Oh, please. Not again.)
That list is of the top ten overall for the whole country.
* Breakdown by geography is interesting.
MetroManila top four: Escudero, Villar, Estrada, Lacson
Luzon top three: De Castro, Estrada, Villar
Visayas top three: De Castro, Legarda, Villar
Mindanao: Estrada by a wide margin
* Notice the breakdown by social class:
Classes A, B, C : Villar, Escudero
Class D (most numerous): de Castro
Class E: Estrada
In a television interview, Estrada said that if the opposition does not unite, he will have no other choice but be forced to run in 2010. He truly, madly and deeply believes that he, being heaven's gift to the Philippines as it is, will be doing our country a big favor.
Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves. Some people wear their houses on their wrists. What? OK, maybe not their houses. Somebody else's house then. No, that's not right either. How about wearing the equivalent of one house on one's wrist?
If that is confusing to you, then perhaps you were not able to watch the marathon-no-lunch-break senate inquiry today featuring the infamous PNP top brass involved in the yet-another- scandalous-and-contemptible behavior by government officials in our great and glorious nation, to copy Meloink's description of our country.
I am not going to write about the details of that story that is fodder for another telenovela in this melodrama loving republic. You can read the gory details here and there . Mainly because I never knew until today that such incredulous things exist, I am going to write about the outrageously priced Roger Dubuis watches that said PNP top brass was supposed to buy with some of the millions of pesos worth of euros he was carrying on this Moscow trip.
List Price: $134,650.00 x 49.450 = PhP 6,658,442.603
40mm, 18kt white gold case with a manual winding movement. The white Mother of Pearl dial features black Roman numerals, a date window and a power reserve indicator. The movement can be viewed through the sapphire crystal display back. Watch is on a black leather strap with an 18kt white gold tang style buckle.
List price: $ 47,270.44 x 49.450 = PhP 2,337,523.294
In addition to its classic round shape, the exquisitely crafted Excalibur from Roger Dubuis has an innovative design marked by its refined crown guard and fluted bezel. A 45-millimeter stainless steel case surrounds a dramatic black dial with silver-tone hands, white Roman numeral hour markers, and a red, sweeping second hand. Signature triple lugs on the deployment buckle rubber wristband ensure a secure fit, while the precision of automatic movement keeps you on-track. The Excalibur is also water resistant to 165 feet and is powered by automatic mechanical movement.
Limited Edition - 46mm, stainless steel with a black and steel unidirectional bezel. This watch functions using an automatic winding movement and chronograph. The silver dial features blued hands, steel hands with illuminating tips and illuminating hour indexes. The movement can be viewed through the sapphire crystal display back. Watch is waterproof to 990 ft. This watch is number 064 out of 888 for the world.
A friend once said to me that my weblog is too halo-halo, a sari-sari store mix and (mis)match of sorts, without a theme, the topics unrelated to each other. Maybe not in those exact words, but close. And I say, duh! It'd probably be so boring to write about two or three themes only. And aren't we all multi-faceted, yes?
So tonight, I'm not even going to write. Instead I'm going to copy and link to two totally unrelated topics that are similarly close to my heart.
First the rant.
I've been silently seething about the Bolante case these past days and when I saw Dominique's post I said a big Amen. My sentiments exactly, penned so piercingly. Here's an excerpt, click on the link to read the rest of the letter.
Dear Mr. Bolante,
I have a question, a very simple one. Don't worry, it has nothing to do with the scam that will forever be associated with your name. I'm not interested in your innocence or your guilt. That much has already been decided. In the public's eye, you are guilty; but in the eyes of Philippine law, you are innocent. So long as you stick to your story, you will continue to be so.
You know, I didn't even bother to follow your performance at the Senate on television. The fact is, I've seen it all before. The senators will scream and the senators will shout; they'll wag papers under your nose and trip you up with your words; they'll sneer and they'll shout; and yes, they'll call you names. But you and I already know, at the end of the day, nothing will come of it. You are innocent; so long as you stick to your story, you will continue to be so. No, my question is a very fundamental one. If you will, it's a very human one.Read the question...
_____________________________
Then the rave.
This very good looking young man over here just won the Man Asian Literary Award for his novel Ilustrado. His name is MIGUEL SYJUCO and he's only 31 years old. Manila-born, Ateneo-bred and now Montreal-based, Syjuco has published poetry, fiction and journalism.
Sponsored by the investment company Man Group Plc, the Man Asian Literary Award is designed to draw greater attention to Asian writing and authors.
Ilustrado won over the other four finalists in the shortlist:
Kavery Nambisan (India), The Story that Must Not be Told
Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi (India), The Lost Flamingoes of Bombay Yu Hua(China), Brothers Alfred A. Yuson (Philippines), The Music Child
So what is Ilustrado all about? This here from Chuck Syjuco's webpage. "Ilustrado begins with Crispin Salvador, lion of Philippine letters, dead in the Hudson River. His acolyte Miguel investigates the author's demise and the disappearance of a manuscript about the corruption behind rich Filipino families. To understand the death, Miguel scours the life, charting Salvador's trajectory via his poetry, stories, interviews, novels, polemics and memoirs. The literary fragments become patterns become stories become epic: a family saga of four generations tracing 150 years of Philippine history forged under the Spanish, Americans and Filipinos themselves. Finally, the story twists, belonging to young Miguel as much as his lost mentor."
And if you want to read an excerpt from the novel, it's here.
Everybody's raving about Miguel Syjuco and these links here are where I got all above information:
late night work and getting wet in the rain all make for a good weblogging pause
some time later...
So sleepy and just wanting to crawl into bed, I was closing browsers when I chanced upon these two articles that dilated my droopy eyes. They mirror my sentiments exactly!
After Barack Obama was declared the elected president of the United States, the new objects of my love and hate, the TV anchors, asked each other and their guests this question: Your thoughts?
Here are mine.
Something has happened, is happening, in that far and distant place called America and its significance reverberates through all nations. The ends of the earth that were supposedly ne’er the twain shall meet have become a global village.
I sense that it is of utmost import that I be still and think deeply, how does this impact me and my community? What are the things that I have seen and heard and learned and what are the things that I can hope to see in the coming months?
The thought fragments will perhaps coalesce into something solid with time and reflection. For now, just these immediate responses.
Amazement. For a very quick count in an election that was so massive it spanned four time zones.
Admiration. For the grace of John McCain, conceding and encouraging his followers to support his new president.
Respect. The counts were not official yet everybody considered them official. That’s something totally unheard of in the Philippines. The last time we had a non-official body making an unofficial count, it almost ended in fist fights and law suits.
Hologram. Not very impressed now. I have a tolerance limit for techno toys.
Virtual hug. For the people of all ages, color, social class. Crying and celebrating together in Grant Park and elsewhere.
Swooning. For Davids Plouffe and Axelrod.
A Flicker. Of hope, perhaps?
Envy. Will my country ever reach that kind of politics?
Not much writing tonight because I'm busy studying. ;-)
Oh, just a quick one. We had our first boxing lesson today and it was a blast!! Muay Thai was too rough for me so now it's boxing, just like the artistas in Manila. Hah!
And, one last thing. I took a little peek at ANC and was troubled to hear about the snags in the JocJoc Bolante arrest and investigation. Listening to the roundabout way our senators talk, I could feel the bile rising. Is this going to be another disgusting senate hearing circus?? Please!!!! I wanted to scream and pull my hair out.
Sanity prevailed so instead of being a drama queen, I decided to go back to studying.
For a parturient giving birth, the most intense pushing happens during the second stage of labor, between the time the cervix is fully dilated to the time the baby comes out. It can be a bruising time for both mother and baby; tiresome, painful and as the name implies, laborious. The perfect coming together of all birthing factors: adequacy of pelvic anatomy, strength of uterine muscular contraction, bearing down abilities of the mother, and physiologic integrity of the neonate, is essential for a successful delivery.
With barely three days to go before Election Day, the pushing has been vigorous as Team Obama and Team McCain scramble across the country leaving no stone unturned, no hand unshaken, even no distant relative or dubious relations unlinked. Sometimes I love their rhetoric and sometimes I hate their politicking.
For sure it took nine months for the baby to be ready for birth and for sure the 44th president of America took a much longer time to be ready for November 4. And though the birth of a baby and the declaration of a winner are mere beginnings of difficult days ahead, both are sacred moments worthy of much pause.
Perhaps, for me, what I found most fascinating, even more than the compelling personas of the candidates themselves and their incredible workforces, is the American media itself. An avowed TV non-watcher, I have found myself glued to the box of late, feeling like a promdi-girl who goes to the big city for the first time. I am both awed and appalled by the things that I see and hear.
Awesome # 1
Super cool touch screens or whatever they're called. Something that I first saw in the movie Minority Report. I didn't know 'those things' really work. I didn't pay much attention to what the anchor was saying. I was so fascinated by how he could make the images on the electoral map appear or disappear or move over here and over there, enlarge, diminish, so on and so forth, by using his two-hand movements.
Awful:
Sometimes the super cool touch screens would not follow the man's commands. Hmm.
Awesome #2
They are all over the place. They're in one state this minute, in the next five minutes they're in another state, then in another couple of minutes, they're in the Dems camp and in the next segment they're at the Republican rally.
Awful:
It must be awfully tiresome and expensive to do that.
Awesome # 3
They are very knowledgeable about many things. They have very thorough researchers. They have a lot of resources and determination to get the information that they want. They seem relentless and indefatigable.
Awful:
They don't let up. They will nit-pick one phrase and dissect it to smithereens and discuss it to death.
Awesome # 4
They are strongly opinionated and they are not afraid to declare boldly where they stand.
Awful:
They're not shy about shouting to each other in front of the camera, or talking over one another.
Awesome # 5
They think/write/talk/argue so well. It’s takes a while to tell which is a spin and which should be taken with a grain of salt.
Awful:
I didn’t know they use a lot of metaphor and idiomatic expressions in these political talks.
I have not yet prepared for my lecture for the first day of school for the second semester and that would be for tomorrow. That's actually four fors in one sentence. Hmm.
In just barely two weeks the much anticipated American presidential election will be over. Like never before, I, together with most of the world, have been closely following this intensely fought campaign.
Here are my three favorite videos, the first two I got from here and the third one I got from there:
McCain Brings the House Down
I have to say, Obama and McCain have awesomely funny speech writers!
Obama Roasts McCain
If you haven't noticed yet, I love rhymes. Though I distinctly remember my lit teacher saying one afternoon in class that modern poetry has already dropped the rigid rhyme scheme, I still have fond affection for the antiquated partnering of syllabic sounds. And I also have this predilection to be doubly redundant with adjectives and repeat myself. Over and again.
