Chika nga lang…

Migrating to another country means you have to hurdle a lot of challenges. But I wasn’t expecting language to be
on top of the list — not when the country you’ll be in uses English as their native tongue. But I guess this is
what all Pinoys have to get over if they truly want to embrace life in the land of Frodo.

Consider these scenarios:

You ordered a meal at McDonalds and the service crew forgot to give you a tissue. You go back and asked for it. "Excuse me,
have you got a tissue with you?," the crew looks at you blankly and you remember it’s called "serviette" here. That’s when
you correct yourself and ask for a serviette instead of a tissue.

I was on training with an induction group for my new job and we were asked to draw when a groupmate suddenly asks:
"can you pass me the rubber?" I momentarily stopped what I was doing thinking — what did he say again?! Rubber connotes
something else and I wouldn’t want to be blogging about it. (you green-minded guys know it already..
hehehhe..) He was pointing at something at my side and I passed it to him. "Oh, an eraser." It finally dawned on me.
"No it’s a rubber," he smilingly corrects.

I could not make it on a job interview and my friend advises me to just reschedule it for another day. But before I did
that, she reminded me to pronounce reschedule as "reshedule" without the C. "Importante yan lalo na pag naso phone ka kasi
baka di naman kayo magkaintindihan," she says.

But I guess some words are just common derivation from American to British English:

elevator - lift
CR (di nila alam yon dito.. hehehhe) - toilet/ loo
french fries - chips
sweet potato (camote) - kumara
bellpepper - capsicum
candies - lollies

Some, just plain different pronunciation:

Letter R is not to be rolled on your tongue. My daughter has a teacher named Mrs. Walker and she usually calls her
"Mrs. Walka". And of course teacher as "teacha".

And lastly, "A" (ey) is pronouced as "ay" (to me it sounds similar to "I"). So when leaving, don’t  forget to greet
your friend: Have a good day mate (mayt)!

Language                Translation
--------                -----------
afrikaans               Ek het jou liefe
afrikaans               Ek is lief vir jou
alsacien                Ich hoan dich gear
amharic                 Afekrishalehou
arabic                  Ana Behibak (to a male)
arabic                  Ana Behibek (to a female)
arabic                  Ib'n hebbak.
arabic                  Ana Ba-heb-bak
arabic                  nhebuk
arabic                  OHIBOKE    male to female
arabic                  OHIBOKA    female to male
arabic                  OHIBOKOMA  male or female to two males or two
                                     females
arabic                  NOHIBOKE   more than one male or female to female
arabic                  NOHIBOKA   m.t.o.m. or f. to male
arabic                  NOHIBOKOMA m.t.o.m. or f. to two males or two
                                     females
arabic                  NOHIBOKOM  m.t.o.m. or f. to more than two males
arabic                  NOHIBOKON  m.t.o.m. or f. to more than two
                                     females
arabic                  (not standard)
arabic                  BAHIBAK    female to male
arabic                  BAHIBIK    male to female
arabic                  BENHIBAK   more than one male or female to male
arabic                  BENHIBIK   m.t.o.m. or f. to female
arabic                  BENHIBKOM  m.t.o.m. or f. to more than one male
assamese                Moi tomak bhal pau
basc                    Nere Maitea
batak                   Holong rohangku di ho
bavarian                I mog di narrisch gern
bengali                 Ami tomAy bhAlobAshi
bengali                 Ami tomake bhalobashi.
berber                  Lakh tirikh
bicol                   Namumutan ta ka
bolivian Quechua        qanta munani
bulgarian               Obicham te
burmese                 chit pa de
cambodian               Bon sro lanh oon
cambodian               kh_nhaum soro_lahn nhee_ah
canadian French         Sh'teme  (spoken, sounds like this)
cantonese               Ngo oi ney
catalan                 T'estim   (mallorcan)
catalan                 T'estim molt (I love you a lot)
catalan                 T'estime  (valencian)
catalan                 T'estimo  (catalonian)
cebuano                 Gihigugma ko ikaw.
chickasaw               chiholloli   (first "i" nasalized)
chinese                 Wo ie ni
corsican                Ti tengu cara (to female)
corsican                Ti tengu caru (to male)
croatian                LJUBim te
czech                   miluji te
czech                   MILUJU TE! (colloquial form)
danish                  Jeg elsker dig
dutch                   Ik hou van jou
dutch                   Ik ben verliefd op je
ecuador Quechua         canda munani
esperanto               Mi amas vin
estonian                Mina armastan sind
estonian                Ma armastan sind
farsi                   Tora dust midaram
farsi                   Asheghetam
farsi (Persian)         doostat dAram
filipino                Mahal kita
filipino                Iniibig Kita
finnish                 Mina" rakastan sinua
flemish                 Ik zie oe geerne
french                  Je t'aime
friesian                Ik hald fan dei
gaelic                  Ta gra agam ort
galego (galicia)        querote (or) amote
german                  Ich liebe Dich
greek                   s' agapo
greek (old)             (Ego) philo su (ego is only needed for emphasis)
gujrati                 Hoon tane pyar karoochhoon.
hausa                   Ina sonki
hebrew                  Ani ohev otach       (male to female)
hebrew                  Ani ohev otcha       (male to male)
hebrew                  Ani ohevet otach     (female to female)
hebrew                  Ani ohevet otcha     (female to male)
hindi                   Mai tumse pyar karta hoo
hokkien                 Wa ai lu
hopi                    Nu' umi unangwa'ta
hungarian               Szeretlek
hungarian               Szeretlek te'ged
icelandic               Eg elska thig
indonesian              Saja kasih saudari
indonesian              Saya Cinta Kamu
indonesian              Saya cinta padamu
indonesian              Aku cinta padamu
irish                   taim i' ngra leat
italian                 ti amo (if it's a relationship/lover/spouse)
italian                 ti voglio bene (if it's a friend, or relative)
japanese                Kimi o ai shiteru
japanese                Watakushi-wa anata-wo ai shimasu
javanese                Kulo tresno
kannada                 Naanu Ninnanu Preethisuthene
kannada                 Naanu Ninnanu Mohisuthene
kiswahili               Nakupenda
klingon                 qabang
klingon                 qaparHa' (depends where in the galaxy you are)
korean                  Tangsinul sarang ha yo
korean                  Nanun tangshinul sarang hamnida
korean                  No-rul sarang hae (man to woman in casual
                          relation)
korean                  Tangshin-ul sarang hae-yo
korean                  Tangshin-i cho-a-yo (i like you, in a romantic
                          way)
kurdish                 Ez te hezdikhem (?)
lao                     Koi muk jao
latin                   Te amo
latin                   Vos amo
latin (old)             (Ego) amo te (ego, for emphasis)
latvian                 Es milu tevi (Pronounced "Ess tevy meeloo")
lingala                 Nalingi yo
lisbon lingo            gramo-te bue', chavalinha
lithuanian              TAVE MYLIU (ta-ve mee-lyu)
lojban                  mi do prami
luo                     Aheri
macedonian              SAKAM TE!
madrid lingo            Me molas, tronca
malay                   Saya cintamu
malay                   Saya sayangmu
malay/Indonesian        Aku sayang enkow
malay/Indonesian        Sayah Chantikan Awah
malayalam               Njyaan Ninne' Preetikyunnu
malayalam               Njyaan Ninne' Mohikyunnu.
mandarin                Wo ai ni
marathi                 me tujhashi prem karto (male to female)
marathi                 me tujhashi prem karte (female to male)
mohawk                  Konoronhkwa
navaho                  Ayor anosh'ni
ndebele                 Niyakutanda
norwegian               Eg elskar deg  (Nynorsk)
norwegian               Jeg elsker deg (Bokmaal) (pronouncedyai elske
                          dai)
osetian                 Aez dae warzyn
persian                 Tora dost daram
polish                  Kocham Cie
polish                  Ja cie kocham
portuguese              Amo-te
portuguese (brazilian)  Eu te amo
punjabi                 Mai taunu pyar karda.
romanian                Te iu besc
russian                 Ya vas liubliu
russian                 ya liubliu tebia
russian                 ya tebia liubliu
russian                 Ya polyubeel tebya.
scot Gaelic             Tha gra\dh agam ort
serbian                 LUBim te.
serbocroatian           volim te
shona                   Ndinokuda
sinhalese               Mama oyata adarei
sioux                   Techihhila
slovak                  lubim ta
slovene                 ljubim te
spanish                 Te quiero
spanish                 Te amo
srilankan               Mama Oyata Arderyi
swahili                 Naku penda (followed by the person's name)
swedish                 Jag a"lskar dig
swiss-German            Ch'ha di ga"rn
syrian/Lebanes          BHEBBEK (to a female)
syrian/Lebanes          BHEBBAK (to a male)
tagalog                 Mahal kita
tamil                   Ni yaanai kaadli karen     (You love me)
tamil                   n^An unnaik kAthalikkinREn (I love you)
tcheque                 MILUJI TE^
telugu                  Neenu ninnu pra'mistu'nnanu
telugu/india            Nenu Ninnu Premistunnanu
thai                    Ch'an Rak Khun
thai                    Phom Rak Khun
tunisian                Ha eh bak                     *
turkish                 Seni seviyo*rum     (o* means o)
ukrainian               ja tebe koKHAju  (real true love)
ukrainian               ja vas koKHAju
ukrainian               ja pokoKHAv tebe
ukrainian               ja pokoKHAv vas
urdu                    Mujhe tumse mohabbat hai
vietnamese              Em ye^u anh   (woman to man)
vietnamese              Toi yeu em
vietnamese              Anh ye^u em   (man to woman)
vlaams                  Ik hue van ye
vulcan                  Wani ra yana ro aisha
welsh                   'Rwy'n dy garu di.
welsh                   Yr wyf i yn dy garu di (chwi)
yiddish                 Ich libe dich
yiddish                 Ich han dich lib
yugoslavian             Ya te volim
zazi                    Ezhele hezdege (sp?)
zuni                    Tom ho' ichema
zulu                    Ngiyakuthanda!

Explanation of Languages

Afrikaans       -> People of Dutch heritage in south Africa.
Alsacien        -> french/german dialect (live in france, but speak like
                     german)
Assamese        -> language spoken in the state of Assam, India
Batak           -> North Sumatra province of indonesia
Bavarian        -> Southern state of Germany (actually a German dialect)
Bengali         -> language spoken in the state of West Bengal, India,
                     as well as almost all people of BANGLADESH
Bicol           -> Philipin dialect
Cebuano         -> language spoken in philipino near the town of Cebu
Chickasaw       -> Native American spoken in southeastern Oklahoma.
Friesian        -> they speak the language in Northern Holland
                     in Northern Germany and in some parts of Denmark
                     mainly west coast
Gaelic          -> Irish
Gujrati         -> language spoken in the state of Gujrat, India
Hindi           -> language spoken in the nothern states of India
Hopi            -> North American Indian Tribe (Southwest maybe?)
Kannada         -> Language of Karnataka a state in south India.
Klingon         -> Spoken in Star Trek
Luo             -> Kenya
Malayalam       -> language of Kerala State, India,
Marathi         -> This language is also from India from the state of
                     Maharashtra of which Bombay is the capital.
Mohawk          -> North american Indian tribe (New England, maybe one of
                     the Sven Nations/Iriquois)
Navaho          -> North american Indian tribe (southwest)
Ndebele         -> Zimbabwe
Punjabi         -> Northern India
Quechua         -> Quecha is a Mayan language
Shona           -> Zimbabwe
Sinhalese       -> Language of the non-Tamil (majority) people of Sri Lanka
Sioux           -> North American Indian tribe from the upper Midwest.
Tagalog         -> Filipino language
Tamil           -> language spoken in the state of Tamil Nadu, India
                   and in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritus ....
Telugu          -> southeastern state of India.
                   (eleventh most spoken language in the world.)
Urdu            -> the language spoken in pakistan
Vlaams          -> Belgian Dutch
Vulcan          -> Spoken in Star Trek
Zazi            -> Kurdic dialect

House (Hausu) Color / 1977 / 88 min. / 16mm

Directed by: Obayashi Nobuhiko

Cast: Ikegami Kimiko (Oshare & her mother), Oba Kimiko (Fantasy), Matsubara Ai (Gari), Jimbo Miki (Kung fu), Sato Mieko (Mac), Miyako Masayo (Sweet), Tanaka Eriko (Melody), Minamida Yoko (Oshare’s aunt)

Synopsis: Summer vacation is coming. A junior high school student OSHARE is keeping company with a dreamer, FANTA, a grind, GARI, a karate expert, KUNFU, ever hungry, MAC, cute but chicken hearted, SWEET, and a music lover, MELODY.

One day, Oshare is told her father is remarrying and is introduced to his fiance Ryoko. Shocked Oshare, remembers her aunt who is living in the country. She writes her aunt a letter asking the permission to visit, with her friends, during the summer vacation. Seven girls arrive at the Hausu Mansion, feeling uneasily but free from the chaperone Togo, their teacher, who was supposed to go with them.

The fresh air in the country makes the seven girls happy. Oshare’s aunt although confined to a wheelchair is kind and takes care of them. After a short time, some mysterious phenomenon begins to occur. First, Mac, who goes to get a cool watermelon in the well, does not return, so the other girls go to search for her. To their surprise, Mac is in the well! After this, many attacks on the girls happen in rapid succession. One girl is eaten by a piano; one is chopped by a clock, etc. Later it is learned that Oshare’s aunt had died several years earlier, and became the spirit in the wheelchair. This "Hausu Mansion" is her remaining ghost! Why does the house attack the girls?

The reason is revealed later that the aunt who still loves her fiance who died in a war many years earlier will become younger and able to wear the wedding dress that she was supposed to wear only by eating the flesh of young girls. The girls are vanishing one by one in the Hausu Mansion. Finally, Ryoko is leaving to go to the mansion. Oshare is waiting for her, but is she really Oshare or her spirit?

I should have been warned that the movie was a complete bore after reading that synopsis. I mean, do they have to reveal the plot if it is as interesting as it should be?

I have been a fan of Eigai Sai (Japanese Film Fest) ever since we’ve seen Kairo’s "The Cure" last 2003. Hearing that they were featuring horror movies as line-up for this year’s film fest, I immediately asked my friends to go with me and watch it.

Saturday was a free day and we were hoping to catch a good one at Shangri La mall. Sara, Vira and Jen patiently queued for the 2pm film while Millet, Iel and I whiled away our time "travelling" Macau.. hehhehhe..

Anyways, it came our time to watch the film and we were eagerly awaiting to have that scare of our life. Waaa.. the movie could have won the best in musical scoring, sound effects, and filmography… huhuhuhhu… it was brilliantly done i still could not fathom what the meaning was behind all of it.. (hey, i’m trying to be sarcastic in all this..)

Marilyn Monroe-wannabe, Ryoko, was a character on her own, as she is shown complete with a wind-blown effect, her white scarf cascading around her shoulders.

The seven girls who got their own monicker from their passions in life Melody (for her love of music), Fantasy (for being a dreamer and a vain one to boot), Kung Fu (martial artist), Mac (for her unending appetite.. as in Big Mac, I suppose), Sweet, and the rest I forgot their names already.. hhehehh..

The really mind-boggling part was that they were all stripped naked when they’re attacked by the ghost. Don’t know what the reason was behind this but it seems to me they were exploited by showing their boobs onscreen for no reason at all..

It’s supposed to be a scary film but the sound effects, which projected retro music distracted viewers into laughing it all out. Well, at least for me as I was laughing halfway of the film (while other viewers decided to walk out on it..hhehehh..)

It was a disappointment for the rest of us, specially to Ruth who tried to beat the 2pm just to be able to watch the film. But come to think of it.. the movie may have been excruciatingly boring, but it left a lasting impression on me..

(Sweet being attacked by the headless Mac)

(Melody.. her fingers bitten off by the monster piano)

I’ve done business, nation, and IT… but I have never written showbiz. I’ve always thought that journalism was a glamorous job. But covering crime during my police beat days in college made me realize that it was not at all like I’ve imagined.

"May sunog don sa kabilang kanto a.." a police on duty informed us while we were whiling away our time in the press room. "May namatay ba?" asked one of the reporters, as he prepares his camera, ready to cover it. "Wala e." Hearing this, he put down his camera and got back to what he was doing.

Bad news is good news. If nothing bad happened, you won’t be able to report it..nobody will be interested. Haayy.. ano ba namang klaseng buhay yon.. Para bang you’re praying na may masamang mangyari para may ibalita ka..

After college, I worked for a business newspaper covering, (yes you got it right.. hehheh) the business beat .. gross national product, inflation, blue chips, stocks, dow jones index, forex… i have to be familiar with all those business terms.. my life was a see saw of emotions.. it either drove me crazy (trying to comprehend the business lingo) or bored me to death..

On IT, you have to be familiar with the latest in technology. A different set of lingo should be used (server, ip, tcip, network.. chuva chenes) haayyy.. ano ba naman. Naloloka nako sa kakamemorize ng terms mapabusiness, mapa-IT.. so kelan ba magiging glamorous ang job na ito?

A month ago, my friend asked me if I was interested to write for Summit’s Hi magazine. Showbiz ang drama nito and I was a bit hesitant coz I’ve never done it before (naks… hesitant daw o… hhahahha). Parang feel ko yong mag interview ng mga ka-artistahan at ma-star struck. Since, she knew that I was so into Korean showbiz, I was tapped to make a profile story of four dramas (Attic Cat, Oh Pil Seung, Green Rose and Sweet 18).

Last Friday, my friend was texting me.. out na raw yong magazine. I rushed to a nearest magazine stand and there my article was… naks, cover story.. I never expected that.. I thought it was just a small article but it turned out to be three-page spread with front page pictures to boot.. nyahahah.. what a way to start my showbiz career off.. ay showbiz writer career pala.. sabi ko na nga ba, di bagay sakin ang kaseryosohan e. Now, I’m seriously contemplating doing showbiz ba lang.. haayy.. sana next time ma-interview ko na si Piolo.. nyahhahah..

Plugging lang.. bili kayo ng september issue ng Hi! mag ha.. :p

“Development Communication is the art and science of human communication applied to the speedy transformation of a country and mass of its people from poverty to a dynamic state of economic growth that makes possible greater social equality and the larger fulfillment of the human potential.”

I’ve always put him on a pedestal. He’s invincible. No one can be more perfect than him.

But a single event has erased everything out. Never in my wildest dream have I thought that he could do something like that. It’s like all my childhood ideals have crumbled down. Disappointed, mad and afraid, I’m trying to come terms with what happened.

I guess a myth is just a myth. Zeus is human, after all..

Reading a friend’s blog (yes Ruth.. i’m referring to yours ), I was reminded of this poem that made an impression when I was in my college days. Bakit nga ba? Di naman ako profound and I specially don’t know how to interpret meanings behind poems.. pero just the same, I liked the way it sounded.  This doesn’t mean na nakikinig ako kay Dean D when she was discussing her lectures on Philippine literature, ha..

I was trying to remember what the poem was since Ruth can’t put a name behind my ramblings on "burning at stake" (he left him aureoled in flame pala) chuva.. so here it goes.. by the way, di pala si Dean may gawa nito..

It was a sacrilege, the neighbors cried,
The way she shattered every mullioned pane
To let a firebrand in. They tried in vain
To understand how one so carved from pride
And glassed in dream could have so flung aside
Her graven days, or why she dared profane
The bread and wine of life for some insane
Moment with him. The scandal never died.

But no one guessed that loveliness would claim
Her soul's cathedral burned by his desires
Or that he left her aureoled in flame…
And seeing nothing but her blackened spires,
The town condemned this girl who loved too well
and found her heaven in the depths of hell.

                       -Soledad-

		Angela Manalang Gloria

isa pa ha.. i also like this one.. 

I shall haunt you, O my lost one, as the twilight

            Haunts a grieving bamboo trail,

And your dreams will linger strangely with the music

            Of a phantom lover’s tale

You shall not forget, for I am past forgetting

            I shall come to you again

With the starlight, and the scent of wild champakas,

            And the melody of rain.

You shall not forget. Dusk will peer into your

            Window, tragic-eyed and still,

And unbidden startle you into remembrance

            With its hand upon the sill.

                                    -To a Lost One-

                              Angela Manalang Gloria

To all my Journ classmates: Don’t you miss the days when we had our class in the AV Room tapos call parati ni Dean si Toteng for recitation? nyahha.. wala lang.. ;p

This happens to be my blog so I could write anything I like, right? For my friendster friends who haven’t yet discovered the real me, aaminin ko na.. yes, jologs po ako.. ayoko ng magkunwari.. gusto ko ng magpakatotoo.. nyahhahhaha..

And I really can’t contain my excitement, so I’m posting my recent adventure in meeting Lee Dong Gun in person (sa mga di nakakaalm.. sya si Martin sa Lovers in Paris.. ;p)

We were in Dusit Hotel yesterday on the off chance na we could meet "ajushi" in person. We were tipped off about a scheduled press conference at GMA, 7 pm, so we decided to go to his hotel. Voila! Around 6 pm, we saw him getting food sa buffet. pasok sana kami sa loob ng restaurant para umorder pero we were thinking na baka lumabas din sya agad at sayang yong food namin (actually, nagkukuiripot lang kami.. hehhehhe)..

While we were waiting for him outside (we were practically outside the resto’s glass door), nagulat na lang kami when we saw him exit.. grabe!! face to face ito.. kulang na lang lips to lips…hahhahah.. caught unexpected ang mga lola nyo.. (tumulo laway ni Aileen. si Pao naman napipi..) I did nothing but stare at him and say HI! nagbow sya to acknowledge the greeting.. naks.. may moment din ako.. wahahaha..

Ang guwapo.. all smiles talaga.. a girl attempted to shake his hands and he accomodated.. sayang hindi kami nagkalakas loob gawin yon nung kaharap pa namin sya.. anyways, seeing him in person and being able to take his pic personally (ay.. di pala ako kumuha non.. dahil sa taranta humina reflexes ko di ko napindot ng mabilis yong phone ko.. pinasa lang sakin sa bluetooth…) was heaven enough for us..

We waited at the lobby for another 15 minutes hoping to see him get out of the hotel for the presscon.. (If not, mamatay si Iel sa inggit.. takbuhin ba naman ang Buendia hanggang Ayala para lang makita si LDG.. hinihingal pa yan pagdating ng Dusit) Wagi pa rin!!! We saw him.. change outfit naman (ajushi-look in sweet 18 ang porma nya.. nakasuit.. ang gwapo).. ang swerte ni Dee kasi nakahabol sya and he also saw him in person..

So pinanindigan na namin ang pagkafan and we followed him to his limo. When he saw fans requesting to see more of him (tinted kasi yong car e), he rolled down his window and flashed his trademark brilliant smile.. waaahahaha.. a girl even dared reach for him inside the car..ay, tasteless yon.. sport na nga sya when he accomodated us to see him.. eto naman isa hablot ang ginawa.. sabagay, maybe she was just so overwhelmed, naexcite kaya ganun ang ginawa (kung si Sangwoo aka "Cholo" yon, baka tinalon ko na at umangkla nako sa kanya.. bwahahha)

Overall, exciting pala talaga mangstalk..hahhaha.. Next time uli!!! Ayan may practice na kami.. Dapat pag si Kwon Sang Woo at Rain na all out ang effort.. as in todo!!

Sara, Kaye, Jen… wag na kayo masyado magluksa.. may bukas pa… karirin natin ang pang-iistalk.. This time, di na kasama si Selle… sya naman mamatay sa inggit.. yay… jologs natin.. hehhehee..

Proof na nakita namin si LDG.. taken from a camera phone..  ang labo no? hahhahha…

Two weeks of planning and it all came to waste. It seems like Selle has smelt something fishy and decided to plead overtime so she can’t come to her own despedida… grrrr…

Being a certified "manang", we’ve thought of several ways to torture her and Sara, Jen and Iel (not me.. hehhhe) came up with the best plan ever — hire a stripper.. We can just imagine how she would react as one hot male seductivey gyrates in front of her.. bwahhaaha.. We even plan to tie her up in a chair, para walang ligtas..

The venue was set, even the stripper’s contact number saved in our phonebook — a call away for an appointment. Several friends have agreed to show up (mga sadista.. they wouldn’t pass up the chance seing Selle’s reaction..nyahhaha.. or is it because they want to see the stripper perform live?!) but the celebrator has become so elusive.. Di daw sya pwede ng ganun date as she would be busy rolling out a system sa office nila..

So we end up having dinner at North Park, Glorietta. Of course, topic was mainly of our missed opportunity seeing Sebastian, the Hot Hunk, gyrate (with the whipped cream, and all) to the tune of South Border’s "Ikaw Lang".. hahahhaha.. Jen even wanted to get married soon so she could have her excuse to hold her own shower party..

Sayang talaga.. It would have been a first sana.. hahhahahha.. panghinayangan ba daw..

Nga pala, I’m supposed to dedicate this blog entry to my dearest friend Selle (na-divert lang attention ko kay Sebastian) who would soon be leaving for Singapore. I’ve been pestering for some time already, kasi sayang ang talent nya (naks, parang meron.. hehheheh..) Now that she’s finally leaving. she can earn big bucks and be generous enough to friends she left behind.. hhahahha.. may ulterior motive pala ang pag-udyok ko sayong mangibang bansa no?!

Ajumma! Mamimiss kita.. huhuhuhuu..

(Moi, Selle and Kaye sans Sebastian.. tsk.. tsk.. tsk..)

(Iel and Emily)

(Nancy, Sara and jen.. all smiles sa kodakan..)

(The sisterettes Stef and Angie with Jen.. dami mong exposure a..)

I was waiting for my dad to drive me to the office.. I’m all prepared to brave the traffic jam when he told me that he’d be going to Fairview area and he could drop me off UP Diliman.. Anyways, as I was waiting for him, I tried channel surfing on the local station and came upon this MTV recording of DOT’s jingle, "Halika, Biyahe Tayo".

I first came upon this song during a PAL plane take off (ironically, it was an international flight, unlike a local travel that the song was endorsing.. hehhehe..) and I was really impressed with the artists’ delivery, I had goosebumps all over.

The song noted all the beautiful tourists spots and local festivities in the country: Intramuros, Luneta, Vigan, Batanes, Subic, Baguio, Palawan, Boracay, La Union, Pahiyas, Masskara, Ati-Atihan, Kadayawan, atbp.. ang dami.. It was a showcase of everything that’s good in the Philippines and more.. Sobrang nakakaenganyo, you’d really want to tour the country..

                                       As it enumerates the Philippines’ beauty, I can’t help but be proud that I am a Filipino. Sense of nationalism is imbibed as one watches the video — a wake-up call for everyone who’s getting tired of all the political booboos in the country.

Truly, the Philippines is gifted: beautiful secenery, friendly people. It still remains a puzzle to me why we lag behind neighboring countries, in terms of economic growth. I guess too much politics and "kanya-kanya" is catching up on all of us..

I just wish that for a minute these politicians would stop thinking about their own interests and get serious with their jobs. Sayang naman ang ganda ng Pilipinas kung di tayo magmo-move forward..

BIYAHE TAYO
Various OPM Artists

Ikaw ba’y nalulungkot
Naiinip, nababagot?
Ikaw ba’y napapagod
Araw gabi’y puro kayod?

Buhay mo ba’y walang saysay
Walang sigla, walang kulay?
Bawa’t araw ba’y pareho
Parang walang pagbabago?

Tara na, biyahe tayo
Kasama ang pamilya
Barkada at buong grupo
Para mag-enjoy nang todo.

Halika, biyahe tayo,
Nang ating makita
Ang ganda ng Pilipinas
Ang galing ng Pilipino.

Napasyal ka na ba
Sa Intramuros at Luneta
Palawan, Vigan at Batanes
Subic, Baguio at Rice Terraces?

Namasdan mo na ba
Ang mga vinta ng Zamboanga
Bulkang Taal, Bulkang Mayon
Beach ng Boracay at La Union?

Tara na, biyahe tayo
Mula Basco hanggang Jolo
Nang makilala ng husto
Ang ating kapwa-Pilipino.

Halika, biyahe tayo,
Nang ating makita
Ang ganda ng Pilipinas
Ang galing ng Pilipino.

From city to city,
Seven thousand and a hundred plus islas
Sa mahal kong Pilipinas
Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao ating puntahan.
Huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan!

Nasubukan mo na bang
Mag-rapids sa Pagsanjan
Mag-diving sa Anilao
Mag-surfing sa Siargao?

Natikman mo na ba
Ang sisig ng Pampanga
Duriang Davao, Bangus Dagupan
Bicol Express at Lechong Balayan?

Tara na, biyahe tayo,
Nang makatulong kahit pano
Sa pag-unlad ng kabuhayan
Ng ating mga kababayan.

Halika, biyahe tayo,
Nang ating makita
Ang ganda ng Pilipinas
Ang galing ng Pilipino.

Nakisaya ka na ba
Sa Pahiyas at Masskara
Moriones at Ati-Atihan
Sinulog at Kadayawan?

Namiesta ka na ba
Sa Peñafrancia sa Naga
Umakyat sa Antipolo
Nagsayaw sa Obando?

Tara na, biyahe tayo
Upang ating matamo
Ligaya at pagkakaibigan
Kaunlaran, kapayapaan.

Halika, biyahe tayo,
Nang ating makita
Ang ganda ng Pilipinas
Ang galing ng Pilipino.

Tara na, biyahe tayo
Upang ating matamo
Ligaya at pagkakaibigan
Kaunlaran, kapayapaan.

Halika, biyahe tayo
Nang ating makita
Ang ganda ng Pilipinas
Ang galing ng Pilipino.

Halika, biyahe tayo…
WOW Philippines…