The Comfort Rooms

Just a funny thought, it was kinda hard for me to google this picture up. The keywords "poomsae" and "poomsae philippines" does not work to show this photo on the first page of its image results. What I did was search for who the three ladies were and find this photo on their Facebook profiles. So for the three ladies in this picture, sorry for invading your privacy.

So the 25th Southeast Asian Games drew to a close last Friday. The country finished 5th. It was a lowly ranking although the country could have managed to get into third spot.

It was kind of expected that the country would fare badly this year. But the country's non-representation as one of the broadcasters for the event is really just disappointing. It goes to show that none really cares about sports...other than basketball, billiards and boxing.

As expected, those sports with better funding (taekwondo, athletics, swimming) gets to win more gold medals. More funds means more appreciation shown to these athletes, more off-shore training, more international competitions, better training. Everybody from the sports-loving world has been clamoring for a national sports program that will be the avenue to better results on international sporting competitions especially the Olympics.

As we get to read December 20, 2009 broadsheet, expect sports columnists to write stuff about the things I have just mentioned. Lack of training, lack of funding, lack of preparation, lack of support. I'm just wondering, why aren't our athletes been really vocal about their dilemna? Shouldn't there be a Filipino athletes association? I believe that will mirror what our athletes really feel. Philippine sports is deeply fractured by rampant corruption and politicking. I hope our next President will give sports the recognition it rightly deserves.

See you all on the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in 2010! Expect more golds from the country this time!

The elephants looked really cute. Maybe that's the reason I loved going to Vietnam and Thailand. I love elephants.

Wait, I should be speaking about the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane, Laos. All I know is that I wanna go to Vientiane and see Patuxai. Anybody who's backpacking across Southeast Asia should know what the Patuxai is.

I'm not really jumping up and down with excitement cos I thought the Southeast Asian Games is really, just for Southeast Asia. Funny how host countries (Philippines included) would try to win every subjective sport to their advantage.

But I'm gonna say this only once: We always lose subjective sports on hostile grounds like Thailand and Vietnam. Are you familiar with the 2007 SEA Games boxing finals wherein the Philippines and Thailand faced on every single final there was? Massive cheating guys.

The events I'm looking forward to really would be swimming. Friend Daniel Coakley is gonna be defending his 50m Men's Freestyle gold and I am hopeful I'm gonna be holding that gold medal when he gets to fly back here to Manila before heading back to America for the holidays.

Honestly, I'm looking forward to next year's Asian Games in Guangzhou. Why? Because I thought we will be faring better this time. Hoping for a top ten (even top 15) finish next year!

Anyways, here's what I thought would happen at this year's SEA Games.

1. Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia or the Philippines would cry foul over some Thailand and/or Vietnam subjective sports wins (those sports that needed judges for scoring).
2. Miguel Molina and Daniel Coakley would win their swimming events without much competition.
3. The Philippine Billiards team would win the majority of pool events.
4. Malaysia and Indonesia will dominate Badminton.
5. Cecil Mamiit will win over Danai Udomchoke again on men's tennis singles final.
6. Tamarine Tanasugarn might win her last SEAG gold.
7. Philippines again would cry foul over Thailand boxing cheating.
8. Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei, East Timor in that order.
   

Pretty self-explanatory right? Let's start!


I'm A Fan

• Russel Brand (stand-up comic)
  
• Mancow Muller (new life hero, radio jock)
  
• How I Met Your Mother (the new F.R.I.E.N.D.S.)
  
• Entourage (just loved that show)
  
• Polynesian friends (just loved them!)
  

• Adam Lambert (send him back to earth)
  
• Miley Cyrus (give that kid her pacifier)
  
• Billy Ray Cyrus (that's called child labor, right pops?)
  
• Momma Lohan (i think you and your daughter both need an intervention)
  
• Dingdong Dantes (nevermind)
  

• Chico And Delamar (we're tired of you guys, sorry)
  
• David Blaine (the masked magician is way cooler!)
  
• Chris Brown (sorry kid, you've made the biggest mistake ever)
  
• Michelle Rodriguez (you're too testosterone-filled for me)
  
• McDonald's Hot Caramel Sundae (you are too sweet now for my liking)
  

I was finally able to watch Engkwentro, up-and-coming director Pepe Diokno's first movie. The movie will be shown only until Sunday on selected theaters across the city(check SM cinemas)
. If not the usual fare is your cup of tea, then you should go watch this city.

The film was edgy, like there was not a really dull moment during 65 minutes it was playing (except maybe for of the gang war shots - which I thought was kinda lame). Though my negative comment was purely an opinion, I commend Pepe Diokno for coming up with a brilliant debut movie. I just know that the kid's got some game.

I felt like I was actually there on the streets. I felt like I was a part of the scenario. I felt like I was there with the rest of the Batang Dilim boys sniffing rugby adhesives. I felt like I was there when Jenny-Jane was busy borrowing money from her friend. I felt I was there when Richard shot Tomas dead.

Which city and mayor did the director based his movie from was very obvious. I've stayed on that city for at least a year and I've heard stories about its much-feared assasins. They roam around the city (and it environs) using their trusty motorbikes. I've had some almost-quite personal experiences with that feared group. Whether the presence of that group makes crime rates go down low is none of my business. But what I can't accept was the fact this group even kills minors with their guns.

If not for this movie, I wouldn't have known of such cruelty. Thanks Pepe! May you direct other socially-relevant movies soon!

Here's my rundown on last week's sports achievements for the country (that I know of).


The Philippine Under-16 Men's Basketball team placed fourth on its Asian Championships. The winner (China) and runner-up (Korea) will represent Asia in the world championships.

Despite placing fourth, the young athletes showed a lot of promise. They were even the only team that showed enough balls to scare off the monstrous Chinese squad during their semifinal match. However, there are rumors that China has fielded over-aged athletes. If it were true, I hope they'll get sanctions.

Watch out for these young guns especially Keifer Ravena. Future UAAP superstar!







Wesley So shocked the entire Chess world by defeating two former champions en route to a last-16 placing in the Chess World Cup.

The foreign press was so impressed by him, they even hailed him as the next big thing.

I hope this kid makes it big really, really soon!










Francis Casey Alcantara ended the 2009 campaign with two straight singles titles.

Although I thought he was pretty much a disappointment, after starting the year with an Australian Open doubles championship, he became pretty much unnoticed except for helping put the country back on Group1 of Asia/Oceania Davis Cup.

I hope he does a better job next year and not be another case of a young Pinoy talent left unused due to lack of funds.

All I know is that the previous week was not really normal to me. What's normal to me would include routinary work-office trips and same office tasks. It was almost always a given that I can almost always correctly predict what I would end up doing for the whole week without Monday actually starting. Same things everyday. Same stresses everyday. Same cubicle, same wall paint, same ID, same music, same monitor, even the same chatmates during work.

Routine makes John a dull boy. All work and no play makes John an even duller boy. What John needs is an activity outside of the routine to make him enjoy life once again. Thank goodness, John has got his access to the outside world plus two working days off called WEEKENDS to make him get excited about life again.

Just before Monday(could be a person, could be the actual day) starts bugging me with work once again, allow me to refresh and indulge myself with what has happened the entire week.

What's Hot

• Hockey
• Thai green curry
• Chocolate Truffles
• Mineral Water
• Nerd's Watermelon Candy
• Cool and funny cab drivers
• Gilbert Teodoro
  

• Ampatuans
• Cerge Remonde
• GMA's congressional bid
  
• "Metrosexuals" in brownish hair
• Baguio trips that make weekend dates impossible
• Cockiness and prejudice
• Overly sweet Mcdo Hot Caramel Sundaes
• Bringing of umbrellas on rain-less days
• Unreading of The Comfort Rooms
  

1.) A razor both for shaving and cutting my hair

2.) Open - Andre Agassi's autobiography

3.) The Godfather Trilogy DVD

4.) The basketball jersey worn by Powerade Team Pilipinas

5.) A pair of Sanuk's

6.) A baby grand piano

7.) One-year free Zunic or Institut Santre treatments

8.) Advertising and construction projects for 2010

9.) An engagement ring for 2010

10.) A sponsor that will be willing to shell-out 1M for my 2010 wedding



Advanced Merry Christmas!

You are that monster everyone's talking about.
You are gigantic. You are a devil.
You are both a blessing and a curse.

You make me paranoid.
You make me anxious.
You made me stay at work for 17 hours.

You are like the end-all and be-all.
You are Alpha and Omega.
You are the reason for my employment.

You are the reason salesmen go gaga.
You are the reason Steve Jobs get richer.
You make everyone go crazy.

You are killing me.
You are making a work-horse out of me.
You are giving me the creeps.

I thought you exist only during Holy Week.
Why are you alive even after Thanksgiving?
I am working 364 days just waiting for you to come.

You are alive for just 24 hours.
But what presence you make in those hours.
Next year, you'll be ressurected again.

Are you the real Phoenix?

---from Jerick The Marketing Guy

When accolades come our way, they come in grand fashion.
Fresh from last week's sporting mega headline comes this yet another prestigious feat. Filipino Efren Peñaflorida is the CNN Hero Of The Year 2009. He won over 9 other finalists from all across the globe.
What made Efren special? His kariton klasrum has been playing host to a number of street kids in his home province of Cavite for the past dozen years. It was a mobile school intended to help the meager get some education. His win was a product of 12 years of committed selfless act and dedication to help the children out.
The guy richly deserved the honor he was handed with. I'm just hands-down gonna worship the guy once I get to see him in person. People who are truly helpful deserves riches not any amount of money can offer. The truly helpful does not think of material rewards and cash register ka-shings.The $100,000 was just the cherry on top of his sundae.
I wanna congratulate Mr. Efren Peñaflorida. You deserved this. You made us Filipinos feel better about ourselves.
As a closing, allow me to share excerpts from his acceptance speech:

“Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry. Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.”

This prayer is NOT INTENDED to be taken seriously.

To Ganesha, Jose Rizal, General Santos, Tita Wilma Galvante, and all of the powerful forces across all firmaments, here is my prayer for the Pacman:

May he be granted the willpower and smarts to win this fight. We know that he has already secured his share of the prize money. But a loss will lead to disappointment, thus giving Pacman the choice not to spend hard-earned money as voraciously as he would winning a match.

In the name of Hermes bags for wife Jinkee, Louis Vuittons for Mommy Dionesia, a couple more Ferragamos and Chanels and YSL's and Armanis and Pradas and Guccis for families and friends, a house and lot and a car for new girl-toy Krista Ranillo, a couple more endorsement deals, and added air to an already very airy head, please allow him to win.

Make him not gush all his bowels out as he will again be speaking to an English-speaking crowd before and after the match. May he give extra large bonuses to his English teachers for a job man thought would be impossible to accomplish.

May he be granted the understanding that not everything in this world can be bought by money, like having a good singing voice. May he finally realize that he can never be a singer, and an actor as well. The same goes with his dream of becoming a congressman. May he realize that maybe, he fallen entrapped inside the walls of Political Opportunism.

May he be granted what his heart desires, whether that desire comes with matching lingerie and lipstick.

It's another freaking weekend. You can only squeeze as much activities in so little a time.

Though I'm not the type who would stress myself thinking of which activities to do on a Friday and Saturday night. I just follow what my kasing-kasing decides.

Like right now, I think it will be best for me to come up with an article. What are some best ways for me to relax?

I'll give you my list:

1. Listen to the likes of Paula Cole, Up Dharma Down, Macy Gray, John Legend, POT, and just anybody who I think creates good music.

2. Lie in a hammock, kill time there.

3. Make a fool out of myself. Make myself appear dorky.

4. Chat with childhood friends.

5. Eat Mom's tinola.

6. Eat tapsilog.

7. Text her. She knows who she is.

8. Make a poem.

9. Exercise.

10. Take a shower after getting home from work.

Pardon the little boy's wide-eyed eyes. Haha! I don't know what he could be thinking of. Maybe Hannah Montana? Or maybe how cute Joe Jonas is? Or how he liked Selina Gomez?

Did I just make the poor little boy gay?

Anyways, I was actually thinking of something else to write about until one thought caught me by surprise and almost instantaneously made me make this decision: I'm gonna leave my previously thought about article out in the open and type a different one instead.

One important advice for everyone. If making a blog post takes at least an hour for you to complete, chances are, you suck. Just my opinion but real talent should be free-flowing and not really be thought of like crazy. Unless maybe if you'll be writing for a magazine or a periodical. But what makes it draggy is the fact that editors might wanna edit out your work for a couple of sequences until they are satisfied with what you've finished. But really, if writing is really your thing, a 500 word article should be as easy as pie. Maybe 20 minutes should be perfect for you to finish everything up. But me, my thinking and typing are almost real-time.

While listening to Sarah Maclachlan's "Angel", I'm gonna type that I'm currently working as a Search Engine Marketing guy for an American mall. It means everyday, I make advertisment for that company plus some more IT-related stuff (like setting up web pages). My work is both Marketing and I.T. Looks like I've hit two birds with one stone? Probably madame.

What if I'm not me? What if I made a different path? What if things weren't the same as they are now? Let me list down possible scenarios on what could have happened if my situation weren't the same as they are now:

1. I might be helping out on our advertising company looking for new clients (where's it at?).

2. I might be helping out on our construction company looking for new clients (where's it at?).

3. I could be helping out my mom in growing her dormant jewelry business. She's just mega-talented when it comes to jewelry-making. No joke!

4. I could be in Hawaii studying. I almost did but backed out the last minute.

5. Could be working at a media company writing stuff for them.

6. Could be a teacher or a trainer on some company. I love teaching.

7. Could be in the U.S. working. What type of work? I don't know. Probably helping an uncle over his business there.

8. Took up Nursing?!?!

9. Took up Culinary Arts like a cousin of mine?!?!

10. Could be coming home to a 2 year old kid named Karl Gustaf waiting for me at the doorstep. :D

The Balut. The ultimate in Filipino delicacy. The end-all and be-all of all Pinoy street foods. The cheapest aphrodisiac. The king of all late-night snacks. The one test that would end all tests of one's manhood.

Pinoy food will not be Pinoy food without the Balut. Fear Factor will lose testosterone (it ever had?) without Balut. Kanto food will not be kanto food without the Balut. Pinoy late nights will never be the same without the Balut.

Obviously, I'm paying homage to this tasty yet weird treat. It was love at first sip (of the broth) for me. Our yaya and driver offered me balut while waiting for my dad one Sunday night some 18 years ago at the airport after yet another off-island meeting. Since then, I became a part of the balut-loving people of our society. Lines have been drawn as to whether you belong to the balut-eating human family or not. Whether you are the balut-spitter or the balut-swallower. Spit or swallow. What was I saying?

To all you balut haters, here's what I got to say:
1. You are among the people who would control your fart until your butt ended up swallowing its own gas.

2. You try to speak english as Americanized as possible but still pronuncing everything as everytheeeeeng.

3. You take glutathione pills.

4. You bathe with papaya soap.

5. You put Ching-Chan Su on your face.

6. You have blue contact lenses on your eyes. Where else?

7. You listen to Cueshe.

8. You listen to 6 Cycle Mind.

9. You have a crush on Rico Blanco.

10. You suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Balut For President!

It's almost 2:30 in the morning and I've been in front of my screen for almost 2 hours now being unproductive. I guess that's what Friday Night Madness is all about. Friday Night Madness is about scatter-brain, a state of relative nothingness, doing things without any real motivation and/or worthwhile purpose. I will be writing and thinking the same way a sleepy person would write and think. I'm just plain sleepy.

Best-selling Female Artist Of All Time. That's a humongous statement. A statement so huge, there is still room for some gigantic and freakishly huge. It means you are more commercially successful than Whitney Houston and Madonna. Mariah Carey is the only female music artist that I really adore, except maybe for Lauryn Hill.

She's beautiful. Looking at her, she looks white. But you know she's more that that as everybody is aware of her African-American and Latino roots. Quite a hefty mix. And me's liking it.

Growing up, I knew she's got a marvelous voice. Not just the whistles she's making but the voice itself. I like it. Even as a child, I really had this affinity with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Jackson 5, The Fugees, Boyz II Men, TLC. Mariah Carey was not a distant treat as her music has always been Pop/RnB.

She's a great songwriter as well. Almost never really recognized for her songwriting skills, it just shows that her talent encompasses that of just the songstress.

The struggles she's had with life has been a lesson as well. I don't wanna go to the point wherein I will experience a personal meltdown due to the fact that I was over-worked and stressed. Her recovery has been an astounding story of hope and redemption.

Like a true fan that I am, let me list down my ten favorite Mariah Carey songs in random order:

1. Breakdown
2. We Belong Together
3. Close My Eyes
4. Thank God I Found You (Remix)
5. Heartbreaker (Remix)
6. Vanishing
7. Don't Forget About Us
8. Vision Of Love
9. Don't Stop
10. Honey (Bad Boy Remix)

Andre Agassi was my very first tennis idol. Eight grand slam trophies. Former world number one. One of the few who has won a grand slam. Former Olympic champion. A great spokesperson to the sport of tennis.

He was one of a few real tennis celebrities. Rivaled only by the likes of Martina Navratilova, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe.

He was a presence on and off the tennis court. If Pistol Pete was the squeaky clean guy, Andre was the exact opposite. He was a tennis match in itself. Different sets, many unforced errors, countless line disputes, awesome returns of service.

If Hollywood could have chosen one player who could best represent them, it would be this Las Vegas native in a heartbeat. He had so much ups and downs, you wouldn't know which one would top them all off.

The tennis great will be releasing his autobiography in a few days and this early, it has become quite the talk of the town. He admitted that he used crystal meth when he hit tennis rock-bottom in 1997. Quite the shock huh? For me, not really though. I knew he must have used some drugs but not crystal meth.

For most, the initial reaction was shock. Then came the deluge of comments, both negative and positive. But for me, the message was clear: the ATP favors some players. They made it secret that he failed a doping test and that became the turning point of his amazing career, heralding an amazing last hurrah from him.

I would want to buy this book. And if this book would soon hit the Philippine shores, I would be among the first who would buy it.

I used to like Chiz Escudero. He positioned himself as this young politico out to save the country from political turmoil. He made the bashes and comentos requisite for an opposition leader. The new champion of the masses? Sounded like Ramon Magsaysay to me.

He could be this generation's Ninoy Aquino. I won't argue with that. He has got this universal appeal, charming his way from the masses, to the workers, the youth, the young professionals, and the elite.

People want him to run for presidency this early. I think it is one crazy thought. Though yeah, it is true that he is the best, I mean the only decent candidate coming from his erstwhile political party, the Nationalist People's Coalition.

A few hours ago, he announced his intention to get off of his political party. My mind wandered some 80 years ago when Manuel L. Quezon made his famous statement: Loyalty to one's party ends when loyalty to one's country begins. Amazing statement. It shows how a person looks at the broader spectra to see things clearer. I have the video of Chiz' announcement pasted. Courtesy of ABS-CBN. Listen to his 10-minute statement.



Sounded really promising you think? Now, listen to what were the hearsays last night.



Or maybe read this article from ABS-CBNNews.com. Too bad, YouTube still doesn't have Ted Failon's interview of Chiz Escudero regarding the events that happened a few hours ago. Chiz was kind of erratic. He had the signs of a trapo there. His flowery language could not camouflage the fact that he could not answer directly Ted Failon's (and also Karen Davila's) questions thrown at him live on TV Patrol World.

I still like Chiz. Wait for him on 2016 or even 2024. He's still young. Meanwhile, I'm still not sure whether to vote for Noynoy or Manny Villar next year. For sure, my vote will not be placed on an Erap or an unexperienced Chiz.

Here's a random list of songs that I have been listening to as of late:

*Lauryn Hill - His Eye Is On The Sparrow
*Lauryn Hill - To Zion
*The Fugees - Fugeela
*Lauryn Hill - Can't Take My Eyes Off You
*The Fugees - Killing Me Softly
*Bob Marley / Lauryn Hill - Turn Your Lights Down You
*India Arie - Video
*Mary J Blige - Be Without You
*Macy Gray - I Try
*Brian McKnight - Home
*The Fugees - Ready Or Not
*Third-Eye Blind - Semi Charmed Life
*John Mayer - Gravity
*John Legend - Green Light
*Limp Bizkit - Take A Look Around

This is supposed to be a story about the movie Almost Famous which happens to be my most favorite movie of all time. Never have I realized that I would be talking about my life here. Here's how my story goes.

Tears are on the brink of falling as I am presently thinking of ways to start my article. But one thing I know sure needs to be written right away -that I can relate alot to William, the teenage journalist who also happens to be the main character of the film.

Whoopie Goldberg's Sister Act II states that if you wake up every morning and all you think about is singing then you are singer. In my case, when I wake up in the morning, all I think about is writing, then therefore I am a writer.

Every morning, I think about being a free spirit. More than being a probability, I therefore am a free spirit. A life that is not bound by rules and measures and lines and of boxes. I want to do things as my impulse and conscience tells me to. Besides, don't we work our best when we can freely do everything we wanted to do without thinking of set rules and regulations? Greatness is measured by set rules and regulations and standards. I know that. But being a free spirit, it is expression and emotions that guides the way for me. If set rules and regulations encompass that of artistry's set emotions and expressions then I guess we're all good. Set rules and regulations are not always set rules and regulations.

Self-discovery is one of life's greatest mysteries. It is both a success and a failure. A tragedy and a triumph. Life will be worth living if we have found our calling. Shallowness allows us to accept what we have not found.

Thank you Almost Famous for that realization.

This is a darn decent picture of swine artificial insemination. I saw this nightmare when I was on missionary service in Negros.

Me and a Caucasian companion parked our van on a sleepy town called Amlan in Negros. It was a charming little town that had a nice view of the sea and surrounding islands with mountains as its backdrop. If you're imagining we were in the middle of a small village in the Pacific well guess what, we were! Haha! The sea breeze was amazing.

Going back to my story, we came across this town animal center and since I love animals, we began checking out the place. And I thought I heard pig noises so I told my friend that we check that place out. And to my horror, a pig was given (almost) a hand job.

He was a beastly boar, very hairy. Almost the size of a horse. He smells really bad and to begin with, I hate the site of big and hairy boars. Smaller pigs are cute. But the full-grown ones are NOT.

It was the ugliest sight ever. I believe I nearly puked when my friend and I left the place. The sight of men satisfying a burly beast is yucky. And the load! Ewww!

If this video will make me a better Christian, so be it.

I don't know about you but I have loved the durian from the very first smell. I can't exactly recall my very first durian taste but passing along Magsaysay Park in Davao City in an air-conditioned car some five years ago one hot summer morning, my olfactories sensed something very wonderful.

I lived in Davao City for a year, and almost everyday, I can smell of durians. It is like the end-all, be-all of all fruits in the place. Any tourist should have at least tried a teaspoonful of it. The fruit is that celebrated in the city that as soon as you get past the Davao International Airport, a huge durian sculpture can be seen.

My elder sister best described the taste and smell of the durian. It was similar to that of the onion. It smells like onions and almost tastes like one. Though the durian is a fruit, but isn't sweet. It's got deadly skin that durian farms in Davao City warn people of falling durian, cause they can cause severe injuries. The Davao Doctor's Hospital doesn't even allow visitors to bring in the fruit. Interesting huh?

Have you ever tried the fruit? If you already did, you're cool. If you haven't, you're chicken skinned. Haha!

I don't think the metro will never be the same after Ondoy. The magnanimity, the rainfall recorded, the devastation created, the totality of it all, was just overwhelming. I still can't decipher the fact that the water reached Marcos Bridge in Marcos Hi-way in Marikina.

There will always be stories upon stories about people braving the floods and some were unfortunate to witness people drowning and some dead afloat.

If Manila will not learn its lesson through the ravages of Ondoy, then we really are a sorry people.

The call for reforestation, proper urban housing and sewerage has never been this loud. I hope we have learned our lesson.

Ondoy also brought the bayanihan spirit anew, thanks to the efforts of the media, government, and civic groups. Even through our own little efforts, we managed to help others as well. Here's where Barangay Soup Kitchen comes into play.

Barangay Soup Kitchen was borne (as far as Facebook is concerned) out of the efforts of the people behind PenPen Restaurant -that Pinoy comfort food place in the Scout area (in Quezon City). They hold soup kitchens to Ondoy-ravaged communities. They started out with communities in San Mateo, Rizal and I learned that they have a community somewhere in Fairview, Q.C. that they will be holding a soup kitchen as well.

The initiative is asking us all for some donations so that they can continue on with their efforts. No disposables. They want ceramic bowls. They're reusable and does not contribute to trash right? They need money, eggs, malagkit rice, pots, manpower, pan de sal, everything that you can give that would help.

If you want to know more, please see their Facebook Page.

It is never too late to help.

A few nights ago, I gathered here on The Comfort Rooms my list of Personal Idols. Irregardless of their fields of excellences, I tried to think hard on who really makes me wanna be like them or whoever's life I find really irresistible in finding out about (not to the point wherein people would mistake me as The Talented Mr Ripley...).

Anyways, when the blog post was done, I had only covered four men, who I thought were my idols. They were Nick Joaquin, Kurt Cobain, Erik Cua, and Roger Federer. I know the list wasn't even complete. Out of them four, it was only Kurt Cobain that was too striking for me. The three others failed to capture my inside.

That's why I was thinking again, are there other personal idols out there?

Eureka! (lame word, dang it)

Yesterday was a wednesday and RJ Ledesma was again on The Philippine Star. I know him as also the Editor-In-Chief to UNO Magazine, the less lubricious of the FHMs and the Maxims here in the Philippines. And he made a name for himself (aside from his Royal Tru-Orange days) as being the poster boy of yaya-raised guys here in Pinas.

That reminded me of Dada, my yaya who is now married to her husband. She was my second mum. And we still get in touch by the way.

RJ's column (pardon me for not knowing the title. It has something to do with humming and parallels of the universe) has always been a midweek treat. The wit, humor, sleaziness, and his amazing throng of DOMs and NGSBs are always a welcome treat. His got a gift of gab as well. If you want a Rovilson Fernandez that is less irritating, less full of himself, definitely a lot more tagalog and pinoy sensitivity, more wit and humor, RJ Ledesma it is.

Here in the Philippines, everybody wants to be white. That's why glutathione pills are such a craze here in the country. People take them to make them fairer. If you have obtained that Edward Cullen fairness, congratulations! If people are starting to mistake you for Michael Jackson, oops! Easy on the pills! You must have taken too much.

You can't really blame the people. It's the same reason why people go for rhinoplasty, or that eye surgery where they make your eyes bigger and put some eyelid folds to your eyes as well, or why people go to salons to perpetually straighten their manes. It is the euro-centric standard of beauty to blame. And oh, people wear freakin' blue contacts as well! Silly right?

I've never taken any of these glutathione pills. And I don't think I ever will even for the sake of its anti-oxidant properties. For one, I'm already maputi for Filipino standards. But even if I'm darker, I wouldn't take these either. For a guy, it is too vain. Why put the effort on making yourself white when you know for a fact that you can never be white? Besides, who freaking cares? We're brown and that's hot.

Oh Pinoy. If you are not Chinese or Japanese or part-Caucasian, just stick to your original skin color. It looks better that way.

In light of boredom and wanting to make a post but without having a specific topic in mind, out of randomness, here's Whatever Happened To?

Kumander Nene of PBB Fame

Lady Lee of Eat Bulaga Fame

Beeper, Pocketbell, and EasyCall

Tamagotchi

FVR's Philippines 2000

Erap's Angat Pinoy 2004

Precious Hippolito and Misty Blue of That's Entertainment Fame

Chico and Delamar

Brad Turvey (and his brother)

VJs Mike Kasem and Belinda Panelo of MTV

Fanta Rootbeer

ACA Video

Paskuhan Village

Let me share with you what a Canadian friend (Bangkok-based) mentioned to me thru IM a few nights ago. I'm sharing it in verbatim.

"I mean one thing that was eye opening about everything

is how it brought people together

not just pinoys in philippines

but pinoy people around the world

doing what they can to help

I mean I was taken back by all of it

and to see people using facebook and twitter to help each other

I mean

the storm is horrible and what it did was horrible but inlight of that people didn't let it break them"

I'm not in the mood to make gay introductions to blog posts. They can get lame, right? That's why I wanna go straight to the point. Its The Comforts Rooms' My Personal Idols.

Nick Joaquin
I didn't know he died way back in 2004. So sorry.
But eversince my consciousness included Quijano de Manila (his pen name), I never really stopped admiring him. All this time, I thought he was still just reclusive. And that reclusiveness of him got me more interested in him.
His got this one poem regarding Ninoy's death that got me more interested in him. I think that was the best poem I have ever read. That poem is both visual and literary art. Its got something to do with centipedes. If you know the poem, kindly help me please.

Kurt Cobain

I only learned about him after his death. That would make sense since I was only 8 when he died and none of my parents listened to Nirvana. My mom as into Basia back then and my dad was and still is a James Taylor / Jimi Hendrix fan. Cobain was, I believe, the poster boy of troubled childhood. It was his life experiences that hooked me more to him. People love him and some does to the extent of worshipping him. He is no god, obviously, but who wouldn't get interested in him? And by the way, I support the murder theory. Courtney has got to pay.

Erik Cua
Being born and raised to a family of businessmen, it would have been customary for me (and my cousins) to follow the same path. With interests in advertising, printing, and at times, construction and real estate, I should be following that path (I'm working right now as a marketing guy for Apple Mac products and other non-Mac electronics). Erik Cua will always be a person to idolize. Why? Because at a young age, he became successful on what he does now. Amazing guy. I hope to emulate such business-savvy. I know I can. I just need the funds. Haha!

Roger Federer
There are those who naturally has talent and there are also those whose talent was a product of intense practice and training. Yet there are also those rare instances wherein talent was both naturally gifted with and at the same time a product of hard practice and training. Federer will not be Federer if not for the training he gives himself. The greatest tennis player of all time. Better than Sampras. Better than Bjorg. Better than Laver. Better than Tilden. And definitely better than your Nadal, Murray, Djokovic, and Roddick. He is just plain amazing.

This listing isn't complete yet. Thank you.

Just found myself singing along to this song the whole afternoon with my hands itching to play it in the piano.

Everybody has got his and her own stories about the Great Flood that happened over the weekend.

Deaths, livelihoods lost, families separated, cries, frustrations, fears, rains, muds, and even dogs fighting for dear life on makeshift rivers we all used to know as roads or kalsada.

We all know that this is only temporary. The sun will always come out tomorrow. No matter how dark and dreary your storm has become, the hope of a brighter and sunnier tomorrow will keep you going.

The circumstance has left us in deep thought, contemplating on what this event has brought to each of us. I guess we are not yet in the position to answer that question. How we continue on with life in the coming days and for others, weeks and months will determine how we have coped up. Remember y'all that there is someone high above who is willing to help us out.

Look at the bright side, people are helping each other out now.

Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, I was able to check out a ton of videos for this blog post. I have gathered here the Ten Best American Idol Performances. Everything was purely based on my opinion. No outside consultations, just which performances gave me the most chill and rank them from one to ten. My top three to five were almost given, but whichever came in from six to ten had to be reconsidered over and over again.

Some winners and other famous hopefuls didn't make my cut so some of you might think "why no Jordin Sparks or Kelly Clarkson or Clay Aiken et al"? Well guess what, it was hard not to put other really good singers inside my top ten because others were very good too! Whoever has reached the highest of octaves didn't necessarily reached my top 10. Everything was purely out of whoever gave me the most chills, and whoever had that magic based on that performance. No artist appeared twice on my list. Here it goes:


1. Danny Gokey "You Are So Beautiful" (sorry for the video quality. YouTube and this year's AI Season weren't surely the best of friends)
2. Fantasia Barrino "I Believe"
3. David Cook "Billie Jean"
4. Bo Bice "In a Dream"
5. Elliot Yamin "A Song For You"
6. Chris Daughtry "Have You Really Loved A Woman"
7. Katharine Mcphee "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"
8. Adam Lambert "One"
9. Blake Lewis "You Give Love A Bad Name"
10. Constantine Maroulis "Bohemian Rhapsody"

I think it was last week that my boss mentioned this over lunch, about young Pinoy fags dancing to Beyonce's Single Ladies in some rural basketball court and somebody had it uploaded on YouTube. Just a few minutes ago on Facebook, another friend posted this video and there, I finally got to catch the video.

What can I say about it? Well, to be kind enough, the choreography was so precise, you would think they must have watched the video for at least a hundred times. The swivel, snap and every sway was well, let's leave Beyonce and the others to do those steps instead.

I'm sure all sane people must have had eerie thoughts once they got to mince and dice everything about the video. It was actually scary and disturbing.

Try to watch that video. And make sure, no kids get to watch this as well.

I'm usually the last person who'd be addicted to quotes but whenever I get to catch a good one, I usually get glued to it. I don't have the memory for pretty bad quotes, I only get to recall those lines that usually make an impact or make my day great or just plain make me happy.

I have this Canadian friend named Curtis (the guy on the right) and he's got this Tumblr account and its all about quotes. If the world knows about Rockapalooza and Loveappaloza, I call his blog -Gwapo Quotes (http://gwapoquotes.tumblr.com/) Quotapalooza.

Its got all sorts of quotes, from statesmen and rockstars alike. Even sex kittens and rappers were not spared. Some quotes left me happy, others thinking, and others spaced-out. Haha!
And he needs more quotes! The site is pretty new so if you got some good ones out there, don't hesitate to visit his site and send him some!

Meanwhile, here are some of my favorite quotes from his site:

"Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves."

Newspaper would normally arrive between 8 and 9 in the morning everyday, delivered by the old man we would all lovingly call "manong diyaryo". It seems pretty late for some, although I prefer the newspaper to be delivered at around 6am. The first thing I would always wanna do once the newspaper arrives? Look for the sports section.

I read somewhere in Facebook that the reason why sports is so good is that there is not definite script. You will really not know who the winner is until the decision has arrived. Sports is very dramatic. Its got cheating, scandals, upsets, competition, training, gambling, triumph, despair, everything. Sports is life. It is both health and death.

The past couple of weeks has been very good to all sports lovers. Here are my random sports musings:

Caster Semenya
The 18-year old South African has been on the spotlight for at least month now, thanks to her 800m gold at the World Championships in Berlin not too long ago. What made this story so intriguing is that people think she wasn't a woman after all! A Hermaphrodite is what the media has been insinuating since her triumph. Her home country cried racism and other stuff in defense of their golden girl. But when you really look at, observe, and listen to her, she just talks and acts like a man as well. Could be a lesbian, but hey, it will be none of our business over what would be her sexual preference. As to her real gender, let's just shut up and wait for results. Although I would feel bad should she receive the news that she's a hermaphrodite according to gender test results.

Mayweather vs. Marquez
That fight will commence in around 2 hours and I'm predicting a Juan Manuel Marquez victory. I mean, give that guy a break. He's the only fighter I think who can give Pacman a big scare and for that, I give him the props to beat Mayweather in a 12-rounder unanimous decision. Should JMM win, then Pacman will be the second person to beat Floydie. I wonder what will the biggest ego-head of a father, Floydie Sr., would say this time after the fight? I wanna hear him react should his son lose. Hmmmm.

US Open 2009
This has been the most exciting grand slam event I can remember since the French Open of 1999. We have new stars in Melanie Oudin, Marin Cilic, Caroline Wozniacki, Sam Querrey, Yanika Wickmayer and John Isner. Serena Williams' very controversial verbal with the line judge and her default of her semis match. Andy Murray and Andy Roddick's disappointing finish on what was predicted would be potential men's singles finale. Federer's upset and word war with the chair umpire. Juan Martin del Potro's coming of age as the newest major winner and of course, Kim Clijsters' amazing comeback from motherhood and back to winning the trophy.

Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers

Harana - Parokya Ni Edgar

Can't Help Falling In Love With You - Elvis Presley

The Great Pretender - The Platters

Imagine - John Lennon

I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - Aerosmith

You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker

Ang Huling El Bimbo - Eraserheads

I used to liken him to the Beast in The Beauty and The Beast. His 6'6" behemoth is beastly, add to that his always not-quite-shaven face. He's got a long wingspan which is potentially a great weapon in every tennis match. Add to that his Latino tenacity and passion which his people are so known for. Meet Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 US Open Men's Singles Champion.

Exactly 12 months ago, he was this teenager who was just having this mean winning streak in the North American hard courts. His winning streak propelled him straight into the top 10, making everyone take notice. However, his breakout was not really the most celebrated one in tennis as another athlete in the person of Andy Murray was more celebrated by both the ATP rankings and the media.

At first it was Novak Djokovic, then came Andy Murray. Djoke was almost successful since his 2008 Aussie Open win marked the first time a non-Federer or Nadal won in 4 years. However, it proved to be not so special. He battled a then-sick Federer in the semis and finished off a then-unknown Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France. Andy Murray has been all hype but no major. Though he was successful in pushing Rafael Nadal out of the top 2 since 2005, his no-major-trophy status makes him more of a pretender than a contender.

What makes Juan Martin del Potro different from the two is this -he's the first person to defeat both Nadal and Federer in a major. He downed Rafa in straight sets during their semis encounter and he came from behind to claim his first major over Federer in a 4-hour 5-setter.

At first it was the Big Three. Then came Murray, which created the Big Four. Now comes del Potro. Big Five? How about Andy Roddick? Big Six? How about Tsonga, Gonzales, Verdasco and Soderling? Nah, for the first time, the men's tennis is wide open. It's becoming a lot more exciting.

And oh, congrats Kim Clijsters for winning as well!

This should be the line call of the decade. That one "foot fault" ended a fiercely-fought match between two of the best women tennis players of their generation. One trying to assert her position as the real world number one despite winning three of the last four grand slams, the other, a returning mother back from a 2-year hiatus.

Here was what Serena Williams said as quoted: "I swear to God I'll f*cking take this ball and shove it down your f*cking throat! Do you hear me? I swear to God. You better be glad--you better be f*cking glad that I'm not, I swear."

Sorry for the language but that was how angry she was. We often see players shouting at linesmen but this was, in my opinion, magnified into larger proportions. The lineswoman mentioned that Williams mentioned to her that she would be killing her. I felt bad for Serena there. One thing, I thought it wasn't a foot fault. Second, after losing the first set, they gave her a code violation for breaking her racket out of frustration. Seriously, how often did Serena do that and how often do they give players such violation. Federer didn't get one back in March or even Zvonareva when she had a tantrum earlier at the US Open this year. Why single out Serena?

I feel bad for Serena. I know she's a sore loser but she will never be too good for tennis. Her 11 grand slams will always lose its luster against her counterparts' lesser hauls. She would never get the respect other players get. Poor Serena.

September 11, 2001 was pretty much a normal day at first. Be at school between 11am and 3pm. Get back home and just finish with the day's activities. I was staying with my cousins since their place offers a better commute to my school compared to the 14-mile distance from my parents' home.

We were just scanning thru CNN when we noticed the World Trade Center on fire while another plane hit the other tower. We thought it was just a movie. Not until we noticed BBC and other news channels covering the same event. H-O-L-Y C-R-A-P. Something really bad must be going on. America, of all places, has been under a terror attack. And oh, not just the World Trade Center, but also The Pentagon! And another plane going down on Pennsylvania that was intended to hit The White House. D-O-U-B-L-E H-O-L-Y C-R-A-P.

Who was the culprit? Instincts pointed me towards China, the Balkan states, and the ultra-fundamentalist Taliban regime of Afghanistan. Well one of my guesses were correct. And we know the rest on what had happened. Lives have been taken away, safety has been so much in the forefront, peace has suddenly looked like a bygone era. Lines have been drawn, money spent in gargantuan proportions, life has never been the same again.

It made the whole world a little bit more paranoid, both for its benefit and destruction. Everyone can and will at some point be suspected as the bad guy. Theories and conspiracy theories have been heard, both real and unreal. How has the world been post-9/11 attacks?

Everybody knew what happened on that fateful day. It was done. What's important is how the world reacted towards it. It's been eight years since. A lot has really happened.

I was actually thinking of a different thing to blog about (the new iPods to be exact) but while I was holding back a runny nose, I just randomly thought of people who were once kind of famous but has suddenly just got out off radar's reach. For example, the sexy actress Rina Reyes of Seiko Films fame. Where is she now?

Rina Reyes with Gardo Versoza in a nameless Seiko Films flick

Aside from here, there are some people whose whereabouts I'm curious of. Here are the following:
*the members of S Club 7, 911, LFO, E-17, O-Town, Code Red and a host of other late 90s pop-rnb douches.
*Gregg Alexander, the vocalist of The New Radicals
*Mel Martinez, the gay brother of Maricel Soriano
*Anna Luna
*Gladys Reyes' bestfriend in Mara Clara
*That's Entertainment veterans like Precious Hippolito, Marilyn Villafuerte and others from that show
*That kid from GMA's Beh Bote Nga. Forgot his name.
*Brian Gahol, a former Alaska cager
*Lana Asanin, former Eat Bulaga host
*Vanessa del Bianco
*Erica Fife
*Paolo Santos

If I were to believe what Facebook has predicted would be my own death, I would have stopped breathing on this exact date and exact minute doing this exact specific thing:I know it would be the most retarded thing ever to believe what Facebook predicted would be my death but it won't hurt either if I would take this as a health warning.

Who wants to kill himself because of too much eating? I don't. Who wants to suffer a stroke and get paralyzed sitting on a wheel chair, I certainly wouldn't want either. My maternal grandmother has been paralyzed for a good 6 years before she died 6 years ago and her suffering was not the best thing you would wanna see.

In a way, I guess people get sick so that we can learn from them. A relative died of lung cancer, thanks to his cigarette smoking. A family friend died on a car accident while being heavily intoxicated and cruising along a not-so-occupied Fort Bonifacio Global City road eight years ago.

I just had this feeling that whatever it was we were eating would determine the kind of life we will be experiencing should we hit 50 years and beyond.

I love my life, but loving it involves a whole lot of responsibility. Life is worth living and enjoying. I should take good care of it.

Just before the clock strikes September 1st here in the Philippines, allow me to share a few things:

*For the nth time, I feel lonely again. Only this time, the person I confide with the most isn't there (deliberately) to help me out and comfort me. Besides, I don't think that person completely understands me. Why make the effort right?

*Since I got no one to share problems with, some malicious forces from the inside earth creep in. Since they love the spotlight, I will be more than happy to give it to them.

*I feel sorry for quite poking fun on mainstream bloggers. I was just sharing honest opinions.

*The med tech at St. Luke's told me that I have strong blood pressure. I donated a bag of blood for a kidney patient. Hope he got no malignant cyst on one of his kidneys. I was able to finish off a bag of blood within 10 minutes. I'm a 110/70 so no, I got no high blood.

*I hope to see the love of my life soon. Her coming will end my loneliness for sure. Sometimes, even best buddies are not enough, especially when jeepers creepers creep in usually.

*I hope best buddy can say sorry this time. And for jeepers creepers to bug off. And for the love of my life to come back soon.

*Maybe it will never be too late to find someone who could relate to me more than what best buddy could do at best huh? At least jeepers creepers can satisfy his homo-love (oops!) for as long as his gayness wants.

*I'm outta here. Love of my life, come back and we'll hate them for all we care.

STATEMENT OF JAPETH AGUILAR

When I returned home after graduating from Western Kentucky University it was mainly because I wanted the chance to play for the Philippines in the FIBA Asia Championships and feel the pride that comes from playing for my country.

Unfortunately it didn’t go too well. But having seen first hand what it was like, how the teams from the Middle-East played and the system they followed, I felt the challenge to try again and to take them on, confident that we could surely do better the next time with hard work, dedication and the willingness to sacrifice and learn.

I am prepared to do just that. My father Peter who also played for the Northern Consolidated national team wants me to do that and so do the other members of our family.

The only way I can achieve this goal is by playing for the Smart Gilas development team under coach Rajko Toroman provided of course that they accept me since I had initially decided to enter the PBA Annual Draft.

I am confident that they will.

The experience of Tinajin, China, opened my eyes and told me that if I truly want to help my country in international basketball I will have to sacrifice a career in the pro league with all the glamour and all the perks, and join the national pool for the present time.

I will always be grateful to coach Yeng Guiao for the opportunity he gave me to play for the Philippines, Powerade Team Filipinas manager JB Baylon and PBA Commissioner Sonny Barrios for their kindness, understanding and support.

I wish to extend my deep sense of gratitude to coach Yeng, Burger King team owner Mr. Bert Lina and team manager and PBA chairman Lito Alvarez for their confidence in my ability by making me their No.1 draft pick.

I trust they will understand that my desire to play for my country means more to me and my family than anything else.

I have made the choice with my family’s blessings and encouragement.

I hope and pray that my countrymen will support me in the effort to help strengthen the Philippine Team in its continuing quest for respect and redemption in international basketball.
SGD. Japeth Aguilar