Secret No More

I realized it's hard to have a secret blog. Nobody can share thoughts with me. My boyfriend only reads my posts but never cares to put his two cents' worth. Anyways, I'm gonna tweet about this. I'll give out the URL and... hello world!

Wearing that Bikini Top

It was my first time to wear a bikini top. And I loved it, I never felt so much freedom.

It was a night in the pool with friends from work after a week of planning, gathering, writing, editing, and doing live for a new show. (What could be more fitting than spending it in a hotel with pool and buffet of Asian-European breakfast?)

Wearing that top brought out a range of feelings. The idea of finally having to wear it made me felt excited, thrilled. When I was actually wearing it, I was quite surprised... I never thought it would look good on me (so I was wondering also, how it would look if I were wearing its pair because I wore it with shorts I borrowed from a friend). And after those two hours of first-time-experience I told myself I'm gonna wear it again (next time, I'm going to wear the whole thing) and buy some more pairs.

It was summer 2009, my cousin and I just spent a couple of days in Dumaguete and Siquijor. When we came to Bohol we found ourselves in a store with overflowing bikinis. It was a chance for me to buy myself something I never had before, so i grabbed a couple of bikinis tried them on, it was that pink and white which looked good with my type of skin color (that was my cousin's comment). But there was no chance for me to wear it since I went back to work the following day, just until this month when we stayed in the hotel.

The thing is, I learned something from just wearing that little piece covering only my breasts. It was more than just showing off some skin, it's about acceptance and enjoying the freedom to be able to wear it. There are countries banning wearing bikinis or anything that shows off too much skin for that matter.

It was about appreciating the freedom of expression (what you wear, how you wear your clothes is self-expression, you know?). We should be grateful of the freedom that lets us be.

Second, it was also one way of confirming or reassuring oneself that yes, I accept me for who I am, no matter what my skin color is, no matter what my body type is. It is one way of imposing to people that hey! I love who I am and I don't care if you don't dare!

Buying a pair of shoes

Two months ago, I wanted to buy myself a new pair of shoes for work, the kind that I can use anywhere anytime. I have seen pairs of shoes which made my heart skipped, like my feet and those shoes belonged together... nice, comfortable, but a little higher than affordable.

Because of financial constraints, I decided to wait until the 3-day sale.
When it arrived, I only have a thousand to spare for a pair of shoes and I planned to buy two pairs.

Because I want to play smart, act like I'm a wise consumer, I did a little hopping and fitting comparing the shoes from one store to another.

I noticed that those shoes sold below 500 pesos do not look good, too ordinary, and in big sizes. 600 pesos to 800 pesos shoes are those which you cannot wear in a daily basis. And those shoes priced at 900 pesos to a thousand are not perfect, good enough, but buying it is like not shopping on a sale day.

For someone like me who only has a thousand to spare, buying a 50 percent off Charles and Keith sold at 999 pesos is already splurging.

I had no choice, I told myself that I can't leave the mall empty-handed. I spent four hours in looking for my feet's "soulmates," I can't just go home and report back to work the following day in slippers or in those old, dirty, dying shoes.

So, I bought it... with a justifiction that I never really bought any pair of shoes for myself that pricey.

President Cory Aquino

She was a woman always in yellow, seen on TV holding the rosary and leading several novenas for friends who are sick and for the country facing difficult challenges whether it be in politics or natural calamities.

She was the wife of the late Senator Binigno "Ninoy" Aquino, a sacrificial lamb for the country's fight against the dictatorship of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

She became the president of the country after Marcos' regime fell following the EDSA people power. It was in her term that the country gained its freedom and bloomed under a democratic government.

She's often described by people who personally knew her when she was alive as simple, humble, sincere, and has unfaltering love and devotion for God.

Her colleagues in Malacañang before said that during her presidency, there was no corruption that is why some former politicians said that she was the greatest president of the country, the most honest servant of the Filipinos.

Even after her term, Cory continued to serve the country by being active in advocating good governance and women empowerment. Her opinion on prevailing issues of the nation mattered. Her advices were followed.

Cory then was diagnosed with colon cancer and died at the age of 76, leaving her five children and more than 80 million Filipinos who are now thinking: "what's next for us?"

State of the Nation Address

July 27, 2009 at Batasan Pambansa

We were assured of a strong economy despite the global recession. Upgraded ports and airports. Lesser debt. Thousands of job oppurtunities. 1.5% inflation rate, the lowest in history since 1966. Medicines' prices lowered for about 50%. Almost 90 percent of the population now covered with insurance. 95,000 classrooms have been built and 60,000 teachers have been hired.

quotable quotes:

"I did not become President to be popular. To work, to lead, to protect and preserve our country, our people, that is why I became President."

"Some say that after this SONA, it will be all politics. Sorry, but there’s more work…."

"Meanwhile, I will keep a steady hand on the tiller, keeping the ship of state away from the shallows some prefer, and steering it straight on the course I set in 2001…"

"A President must be on the job 24/7, ready for any contingency, any crisis, anywhere, anytime…"

"Governance, however, is not about looking back and getting even. It is about looking forward and giving more—to the people who gave us the greatest, hardest gift of all: the care of a country."

A hit on the head to her critics:

I never expressed the desire to extend myself beyond my term. Many of those who accuse me of it tried to cling like nails to their posts…

I am accused of misgovernance. Many of those who accuse me of it left me the problem of their misgovernance to solve. And we did it…I am falsely accused, without proof, of using my office for personal profit.

Many of those who accuse me of it have lifestyles and spending habits that make them walking proofs of that crime…

We can read their frustrations. They had the chance to serve this good country and they blew it by serving themselves…

Those who live in glass houses should cast no stones. Those who should be in jail should not threaten it, especially if they have been there…

Thanks congress:

She thanked the congress for about five times for the support she got from them in several projects and asked the congress to pass the bill for CARP extension.

POINTS:
There was a constant mention of how the economy is doing under her eight and a half years of turbulent term and it was all the good stuff.

The president forgot to add on her report issues on environment, and especially issues on corruption.

Spokesperson of Cebu City RTC, Judge Gabriel Ingles also noted that the president lacked humility in her SONA. He said that she should have asked the forgiveness of the public for several controversies she and her family was dragged into.

The president only said that she never expressed the desire to extend her term but she was not clear if she really wants it or not. There was also no mention of dropping the constituent assembly, which Congressman Pabling Garcia of Cebu brought up the following day.

It was her ninth SONA but there was only one thing she was confident enough to dissect, and it was the economic aspect of the country, to which the businessmen in Cebu reported in contrast.

Her 70-minute speech received 126 rounds of applause.

signing back in

Gone for a while, but now i'm back with more stories to tell. and i have to write each topic blog by blog. let me see... well, there's SONA, death of president Cory, and some personal bad hair days.

When the Senator Was Using Prepaid

He lost 400 pesos worth of load without even using his cellphone. (I wonder what kind of cellphone he has, a 2G or 3G?).

Last month, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile said that he was billed for ringtones he did not download. The Senator complained to the telcos (GLOBE, SMART, SUN) and to the National Telecommunications Commission on the "load robbery" in a senate hearing.

Interesting discoveries:
1. that there has been no history of disagreement between telcos and NTC on call and text rates.
2. that NTC has never used its power to set fair and reasonable rates thinking that they only have "residual powers" over it. (why not abolish NTC? all this time they never did their job???)