Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Rant Of The Day

If you are a Filipino like me, you must be very familiar with the topic that I will be writing right now. I was actually thinking of more socially-relevant topics (like The Laguna Copperplate Inscription) but writing about this rant seems easier for me to accomplish. I wish not to offend anyone as I thought I was offending some people during my last few posts (as a part of my pledge to write better stuff here).

Conyos and Jologs. That's my topic for tonight (I mean, this early morning). Basically, if you are cultured, you are a conyo. But if you are uncivilized, you are jologs. In the Philippines, this has always been directly proportioned to one's economic status, the higher it is the more esteemed you are and the lower you get means the lesser dubs (or money) you have.

Since Filipino society dictates that conyos are better, most would aspire to be one. We may admit it or not, but everyone must have had this feeling. That is why most of us would like to elevate ourselves to gain more respect, significance, importance and self-worth.

However, this may or will lead to people becoming untrue to their backgrounds. It will be almost as if some of us become ashamed of where we come from and stuff like that. Which is not good. I have always championed the fact that all Filipinos have that jologs factor in them which makes them very much in tune with their Filipino heritage. For example, Dolphy is jologs. Or, the jeepney is jologs. Or dirty ice cream and turon are jologs. It is not self-devaluing, but staying true to one's own culture.

In my opinion, being a Filipino is actually jologs. The word jologs encompasses more than being a socio-economic class. It is your being a Filipino. Nakuha ba?

So the next time a jeepney-riding public high school graduate would tell me that he doesn't know a thing about pinoy showbiz, I'm gonna say, "Asus! Pa-conyo ka pa diyan!" with a disbelieving face.

The moral of the story, don't be afraid to be jologs! It is actually your being a Filipino!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 by Jerick · 6

Monday, April 27, 2009

Shut Up and Just Listen



Don't say no nothin'. This kid has got it goin'. Enjoy!

Monday, April 27, 2009 by Jerick · 0

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Respect People's Opinions

I thought I was in for yet another boring night at the office while a stumbled upon this YouTube video. Check out that video first.



I thought Miss California gave an honest and smart answer. She stood up for what she believed was right and I thought Perez Hilton's aftercomments were pretty uncalled for and stupid. How could he score the poor girl a zero when she gave a thought about and straight answer? It was definitely not a typical flowery beauty contest answer (not that I'm an expert on this topic) that would featured the words "children" or "future" or "world peace" or even "Africa"!

For that, I applaud Miss California. I knew the situation was pretty awkward since a gay man asked the question and he was obviously seeking for an answer that would favor him. I hope that would be the last time Perez Hilton would be asked to judge for any type of contest, let alone that asks for contestants' opinions. He should have just respected her opinion.

Thursday, April 23, 2009 by Jerick · 7

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Global Launch of the 2009 Top 10 Pinoy Expat/OFW Blog Award

Any successful endeavor is worth repeating and much more sustained. Especially when it touches and inspires the lives of the people for whom it dedicate its toils, pain, and achievements. Such are the motivations for which the 2009 Top 10 Pinoy Expat/OFW Blog Award (PEBA) is once again being launched online. Wikipedia mention of PEBA here.



In its second year, PEBA will recognize Pinoy Expats and OFWs bloggers making a difference in their lives, workplace, community, the Philippines and the world in general.

This year the theme is

“Filipinos Abroad – Hope of the Nation, Gift to the World”.

Cognizant and directly affected by the brunt of global financial crisis, Filipinos continue to anchor their hope and trust to their family members abroad as herald of better news and good tidings. Thus, reinforcing the OFWs and Filipino expats role and image as new heroes and saviors.

PEBA also recognizes that Filipinos wherever they are, be it land-based, sea-based or air-based as the case maybe, are shining examples of dedication, diligence, and excellence in almost anything they do. It is not uncommon for them to be praised as assets to companies and organizations contributing to the social and economic well being of their host country. PEBA considers the more than 12m overseas Filipinos scattered abroad as gifts to make this world a better place to live.

The award which started last year had a very simple objective. It was created to award bloggers who infuses enthusiasm and inspiration for others to do good and be hopeful in this world of hopelessness. Filipino expats and OFWs with their talents, means, resources and blogs unfailingly served as voice and beacon of hope. Ten top bloggers were identified from around the globe such as the Americas, Europe, Africa and Middle East, and Asia and the Pacific, who, up until these days continue to blog and their commitment re-ignited in contributing change through their own little ways.

So for this year with the valuable help of numerous individuals from around the globe, the search is on again. Filipino bloggers and netizens are invited to recognize Pinoy Expats/OFW who tireless blog in making the blogosphere a better space and place for exchange, discussion, and service of the Filipinos and the citizens of the world alike. It is worth knowing and learning those stories of Filipinos overcoming difficulties and challenges. Although it is a reality that not everyone is successful but still their stories are way for others to gain insight from their life lessons and experiences.

From May to October 2009 any Filipino blogger can nominate or be nominated except for last year’s top 10 PEBA awardees. Guidelines are available from its official blogsite (click here). By December 2009 winners will be announced in a public event in the Philippines whose details are still being prepared and ironed out. Sponsors, supporters and volunteers are very much welcome to make this endeavor a success.

Be part of another historic event of Pinoy Expats and OFWs!


*an advertisement from Pinoy Blog Awards Blogspot.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 by Jerick · 2

A Laker Fans' Prayer to the Deities (and Saints)

Ganesha,
May the Hindu heavens open to let Phil Jackson have the wisdom to create plays that would ensure Los Angeles Lakers victories for the entire playoff stretch.
May Andrew Bynum be the final puzzle piece to a Laker victory this year. He was sorely missed last year and Bynum's availability this playoff season gives the team a huge advantage for having another seven-footer in their line-up. May the deities connive to ensure his legs and knees are well enough to last the entire stretch.


St. Thomas Aquinas,
May Pau Gasol provide enough oooommmmppppffffff to scare off the competition. Huge 7" behemoths will try to intimidate him and may thou grant Mister Gasol the wisdom not to get scared facing those burly monsters.
May Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher provide the much needed support to the three bigger stars of the team. The support that they would give means extra points, assists, rebounds and field goal percentages that will be beneficial to the remaining Los Angeles Lakers playoff wins.

Lord Orprah,
May our Most Valuable Player Kobe Bean Bryant prove time and again that he is the best NBA has got past this decade. Though many trials beset him in the past, he has shown the world what great champions like him were really made of. May thou grant more MVP trophies to him. Including this year's. *wink*
May the rest of Laker team do their best as to not prevent the team from winning yet another trophy. The team sorely deserves to win another one this season. May the heavens and all the elements therein combine to produce such a great undertaking. I know they can do it themselves, but with divine intervention, the road to the trophy will not be as difficult.

I hope that as I speak for and in behalf of the entire Laker nation, the intents and desires of our hearts will be fulfilled. We promise not to do bad deeds anymore. We hope we could keep our promises. These we pray in the name of Harpo Productions and Gayle King, Amen.

by Jerick · 0

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

What Makes A Blogger (Part2)

When I'm not "in the zone" to write, I really don't wanna write.

I don't wanna risk quality over just being able to come up with a post. I thought I was "in the zone" some 2 hours ago. So I hope I was able to sustain that because I don't wanna leave this post hanging.

The past few days, I've been asking some blogger friends about their ideas on what would make a good blogger. Different opinions abound. Some of them even contradict my own dogma about blogging. Some were trying to be safe with their answers and some are not to reliable because their blogs themselves were not really, uhm, nice. *wink*

So the question is, what makes a good blogger?

First, he knows how to post some good content. He should write well. Not just grammatically correct (although it helps a ton), but his posts should be engaging. Not necessarily hifaluting, cos I'm not a big fan of flowering your words up, but being smart with your choice of words. Simon Cowell is not flowery. He is just witty with his word choices.

Second, he should stick to his gameplan on why he blogs. For me, this is my outlet. Call it a frustrated writer's chance to redeem himself. I would really love to write for a magazine or a newspaper lifestyle section but I don't know anyone close enough who could help me get a job as cool as that. A blogger whom I should call as Skinny Stud was discovered by a men's magazine because of his witty and comedic blog posts. This is like a virtual portfolio of written works! So this is really the reason why I blog.

Thirdly, a good blogger doesn't vandalize his blog with too much graffitis (read as: widgets!). C'mon, slideshows and virtual playlists on blogs!!!! I know I might offend some bloggers but, I'm just sharing an opinion.

Fourthly, a good blogger welcomes opinions from other bloggers and can adapt to change. I changed my blog a lot the past 3 years. And a few bloggers have also openly suggested me to change a few stuff here and there and I thought their suggestions were cool. Besides, we should listen to those that come visit our site regularly, right?

A good blogger also does not make his a blog an extension to his Friendster or Facebook. I don't wanna blog hop for the sole purpose of gaining potential exchange links! I dunno, just my opinion as well.

Anyways, I thought I was making less and less sense as I prolong this entry. Those are my opinion. Got reactions? Please feel free to comment. I promise and will try to write more sensible posts here. Besides, it is my idea to make this a comfort room for us all.

Bye!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 by Jerick · 8

For Love Or Money

Supposing that I'm a Filipino working in the United States as an I.T. consultant for the past 5 years. Life has been very, very good. I drive a nice Hummer to get me around Southern California, the place I call home for the past half decade. I live alone in my nice 3-bedroom suburban San Diego home that I still pay for as of this moment. Paying for it doesn't seem like a problem at all. Besides, $120,000 a year before taxes is too much for my needs, that I send some money home back to the Philippines every month.

$1,000-$2,000 a month? No problem at all! My life as a New Filipino Hero is both fulfilling and an honor at the same time. I help alleviate my family's poverty with the money I send them. I guess this is the life they had all ironed out for me. Me, graduating from Information Technology and hopefully, finding a job abroad which I thankfully did without sweating much of my eyebrows.

Life in the Land of Milk and Honey is something that I have dreamed of. In fact, I love the fall season, something that I will never experience in my home island of Cebu. During winter, I can spend some R&R eastward in Colorado or Utah. And I no longer get giggly upon the sight of snow. I admit, I was jumping up and down upon seeing some snow fall while on a trip to Sacramento but now, I consider myself staying here for so long that I have become used to the sight of it.

I have even developed that American twang and I sometimes find myself laughing on the inside when people recognize that I do not have the FOB accent. I guess it helps if you're the only Filipino in your company.

Things have become so quick that I did not realize that I have been here for 5 long years. Yup, I am now eligible to become an American citizen.

Should I tell my friends back in Cebu regarding it? Should I tell them with such pride and excitement as if it is something that I have dreamed of all my life? It means I will no longer become a Filipino unless I choose to be a dual-citizen. But should I give up my being a Filipino for that coveted green card and citizenship?

Shame on me and shame on all of you. Trading your citizenship in exchange of a better life is all but nonsense. Your newfound American citizenship does not automatically give you a more Caucasian complexion and hair color. It doesn't make your Filipino accent vanish in a jiffy. It doesn't change the fact that you are born here in the country and that you have ridden on carabaos, and tricycles, and jeepneys. It doesn't change your preference for tabo over bathtubs. It doesn't strip you off your craving for some warm morning taho. And it doesn't make your future kids look like the Jonas brothers when they get born.

All in exchange of a better life huh? Crap it is.

by Jerick · 3

Saturday, April 4, 2009

No Such Thing As Third Sex

"Salot sa lipunan ang mga bakla"
That was how a friend of mine stated why he would never hire gay men (I'm talking about men here) to his Internet Solutions company. They watch gay porn. They are loud. They are maarte. They everything. Well, I can't blame him. That was his belief, I wish I wouldn't find out in 10 years that he would come out of his stinking closet and have a gay relationship of his own.

But really, out of all the gays that I have chatted with, only one never dared to get kinky in some way. Why is that? Why gays have to talk of fellatio, copulation, coitus, and other what-have-yous all the time? I'm just sharing an opinion, I guess.

I guess there will really be a stereotype against gay men. I was never comfortable being seated beside a homosexual be it in a jeep, in a bus, in an FX, a plane, a moviehouse (horror of horrors!), let alone engage in a conversation or spend a whole day with one.

Homophobia you think? Probably.

You fear what's not comforting to you, right? You fear about things you don't know yourself. It is the relative unexposure to the gay culture that is getting me. How many hook-ups can one gay have in a week? Or, how are they inside a men's CR. Or, if girls love to go as a group inside their CR, why wouldn't they?

Is it not just the preference, but a whole new different lifestyle, a whole new different gender?

I wish, I dunno. I dunno what I should be wishing for. I don't think it really is acceptance because they have long been there. I mean, you guys have long been there. Maybe deciding to be one means you decided to risk what the world would view you. I don't think equality will really come. There will always be prejudice to some degree.

All gay men, please chill.

Saturday, April 4, 2009 by Jerick · 10

What Makes A Blogger (Part1)

It is only logical for a blogger to write what he knows best. Unless somebody paid him to write about something else, then that's the time he can research over something he does not usually tackle in any regular random day. I never talk about asbestos or any some other particle only those interested in it would know but if somebody would ask me to write something about it with a price? I probably would. And somebody actually did ask me to write about it! Too bad for him, I never gave in. Only US$ 10 for a 500-word article? No freaking way.

I always loved the fact that tons and tons of people come over to my blog...well, they just came over to my blog! According to Mr. Feedjit, most of my blog traffic comes from the search engine and I thank all of those people who stumble over to my blog. I guess they all just stumbled over and left in a splitsecond. That's it.

No article reading.

No article commenting.

No return visits.

No nothing.

Oh crap.

I write according to what my impulse would tell me to write about. If I felt like stopping, I stop writing. If I would like to continue, oh boy, would I continue! When I told a blogger that I usually finish a blog post within 30 minutes, he was surprised. I really just finish within that range. If my creative juices were fantastic, 10 minutes would be gratifying.

I dunno, maybe it is just the artist in me.

So impulsive.

So hot.

But the question is, what is my idea of a good blogger?

Man, continue reading next week. *wink*

by Jerick · 4

Thursday, April 2, 2009

WARNING: Giant Snake!


Thursday, April 2, 2009 by Jerick · 1

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