Déjà Vu

I'm ready to decide which course to take for my major year. Its the enrollment week and everyone I ask told me to take "Finance" as a major. I was so firm to take Advertising but most of my friends will either take "Marketing" or "Management". There are still some course to consider, like shifting to Accountancy since I have reasonable grades, or IT courses since this two are booming in the market.

I saw, Rey, walking towards me from South-Wing Bldg. He approached me and ask if I saw Reagan, I replied back and said, NO. I ask him what major he will take but he ignored me and moved away. I felt bad, why he didn't answer me? I helped him to finish their Radio Advertisement Project in "Advertising". Maybe he don't want me in their group. Our group of 4, which we call "The Ghost Fighter Group", Reagan as Eugene, Rey as Dennis, Gerald as Vincent and Me as Jericho. Jericho is not one of the 4 major character in the local dubbed Japanese Saga (Yu Yu Hakusho) but I don't want to be tagged as Alfred thats why I choose him as my character in our group.

I walked around, I found my self entering a classroom at 6f in East-Wing. This is the room where our subject "Humanities" held. Mr, Abcede teaches us about Religion instead of the subject proper. I looked around and saw no one.

I went down to 5th floor North-Wing and saw Marilen, I know her somewhere but not in this school. What she's doing here? She didn't pay me a look though my eyes darted and sticked on her while walking towards their crowd. She's wearing a maroon uniform, from Accounting department, I thought.

I continued, towards the Dean's office to check my eligibility of being a scholar. I been applying and granted a scholarship since the second semester of my first year in the University. I saw some familiar busy faces when I enter, but no one entertained me.

I decided to go and stayed to get some air in the University lagoon. It changes a lot this past years. I remember to have a broken bricks of path ways and filthy chairs around the area. Now, they replaced it to tiles. I sit and watch every busy souls walking around when suddenly I off balance and fell....

***Ringgggg ***

And I woke up! It's just a dream.

Life Changing Story

My page was been stagnant for the past days. Due to busy and demanding work schedule, I forgot to update.

Anyway, I will post one forwarded message here.. It's worth reading actually. Just like to share to those who accidentally wander on my page, friends and regular visitors. :D

GOD IS ALWAYS KIND TO THE WIDOWS AND ORPHANS and children, in general. Let's appreciate our parents who took care of us unselfishly- who put to heart the moral responsibility of rearing God given children. And for this - it is our moral obligation to do the same to our kids.

Read on.
=====

Very touching and a great eye opener for all of us.
From a Cebuano, a touching and a worth-living story.

Ever since I was diagnosed with having a possible heart enlargement, I have followed a strict regimen of physical exercises. I jog during week days and take a long ride biking to the mountains every Sunday.

But this Sunday turned out to be a special Sunday for me. While I was on my way to the mountains of Busay (Cebu ) hoping to strengthen my heart by this exercise, I personally encountered a heart-breaking scene that changed me.

I had already passed by the Marco Polo Plaza (formerly Cebu Plaza Hotel) when I decided to stop to buy bananas at a small carinderia located along the road. I haven't taken any solid food that morning so I wanted some fruits to have the needed energy to get to my destination - the mountain top.

I was almost done eating with a second banana when I noticed two children across the street busily searching the garbage area. "*Basureros*" I said to myself and quickly turned my attention away from them to sip a small amount of water. I couldn't care less for these children, to make it straight, I do not like them and I do not trust them at all.

You see, several times I had been a victim to these children who are pretending to be *basureros* looking for empty bottles and cans when in fact the 'palangganas', kalderos', and 'hinayhays' are their favorites.

I remember one afternoon while I was watching a TV program when the screen suddenly became blurred. I checked outside and saw two young *basureros*running away with my newly installed antenna!

Hatred may be too strong a word to describe my feeling towards these *basureros*, but I honestly just do not like them. Until I met these three children.

I was about to embark on my bike again when I heard one of the two children, a girl of about 7 or 8 years of age, saying aloud to the other, a boy of about 12 years, "Kuya si Dodong kunin mo kasi tumitingin sa mga kumain, nakakahiya." Only then did I notice a small boy standing near me biting slightly his fingers. He's a few inches shorter compared to my own 5-year old son (I came to know later that he's also 5 years old).

Though he did not ask for food from anyone in the carinderia, the way he was looking at the customers who were eating was enough to convince me that he was intensely craving for food. The older boy then quickly crossed the street and gently pulled out the little one who politely obeyed. As I watched the two crossing back the street to the garbage area, I heard the tindera saying "Kawawa naman yang mga batang yan mababait pa naman." I learned further from the carinderia owner that the children were from a good family. Both parents were working before and that their father had a stroke 3 years ago and became partially paralyzed while their mother died of heart attack as their father was still confined at the hospital. The parents were still in their early forties when the catastrophe happened and the children became *basureros* since then to meet their daily needs and the cost of their father's medication.

Deeply moved by what I heard, I went to a nearby bakery and bought 20 pesos worth of bread and gave it to the children who initially refused, including the little boy. "Sige lang po, salamat na lang, bibili na lang po kami mamaya kung makabenta na kami," the young girl said to me.
I explained that they needed to go home because it was starting to rain. "Nasanay na po kami," the girl answered further.

Again, I explained that the rain could make them sick and if they get sick there'll be no one to take care of their father. Upon mention of their father, they nodded and accepted the bread but I noticed that the older boy did not eat.

When I asked him if he does not like the kind of bread I bought for them, he smiled and as he was about to explain, the little girl, who is the more talkative of them, interrupted "Linggo po kasi ngayon, pag sabado at lingo hapon lang po siya kumakain, kami lang po ang kumakain ng agahan pero di na po kami kakain pagdating ng hapon si kuya lang po. Pero pag lunes hanggang biyernes, kasi may pasok, si kuya lang po ang nag-aagahan, kami naman hapunan lang. Pero kung marami kaming benta, kami pong lahat (kumakain)," she continued.
"Bakit hindi nyo na lang hati-hatiin ang pagkain kahit kakaunti para makakain kayong lahat?" I countered.

The young girl reasoned out that their father wanted her older brother to come to school with a full stomach so he can easily catch up on the teacher's lessons. "Pag nagkatrabaho na si kuya, hihinto na kami sa pamamasura, first honor kasi siya," the little boy added proudly.

Maybe I was caught by surprise or I was just overly emotional that my tears begun to fall. I then quickly turned my back from them to hide my tears and pretended to pick up my bike from the carinderia where I left it. I don't know how many seconds or minutes I spent just to compose myself pretending again this time that I was mending my bike.

Finally, I get on to my bike and approached the three children to bid them goodbye and they in turn cast their grateful smiles at me. I then took a good look at all of them specially to the small boy and pat his head with a pinch in my heart. Although I believe that their positive look at life could someday change their present situation, there is one thing that they could never change anymore, that is, their being motherless. That little boy can no longer taste the sweet embrace, caring, and most of all, the love of his mother forever. Nobody can fill the empty gap created by that sudden and untimely death of their mother. Every big event that will happen to their lives will only remind them of their loss and make them wish for their mother's presence.

I reached into my pocket and handed to them my last 100 peso bill which I was reserving for our department's bowling tournament. This time they refused strongly but I jokingly said to the girl, "Suntukin kita pag hindi mo tinanggap yan."
She smiled as she extended her hand to take the money. “Salamat po, makakabili na kami ng gamot ni papa," she uttered.
I then turned to the small boy and though he's a few feet away from me, I still noticed that while his right hand was holding the half-filled sack, his left hand was holding a toy --a worn out toy car. I waved my hand and said bye bye to him as I drove towards the mountains again. Did he just find the toy in the garbage area or was the toy originally his -- before the misfortune struck? I did not bother to ask. But one thing is crystal clear to me, that in spite of the boy's abnormal life, he has not given up his childhood completely. I can sense it by the way he held and stared at his toy.

My meeting with those young *basureros* made me poorer by 100 pesos but it changed me and made me richer in lessons of life.

In them, I learned that life can change suddenly and just anyone may be caught completely unprepared.

In them, I've learned that even the darkest side of life, cannot change the beauty of one's heart. Those three children, who can infrequently partake of three meals a day, were still able to hold on to what they believe was right. What a contrast to many of us who are quick to point to our misfortunes to justify acts of impropriety.

In them, I've learned to hope for deliverance even when things seem to go the other way.

Lastly, I know that God cares for them. That while He may have allowed them to suffer such a terrible life, which our finite minds cannot comprehend, His boundless love will surely see them through. And in God's own time I know they will prevail. GOD BLESS!!!

Life is soo good, let's appreciate it :)

Yesterday Once More

It was..

The year that Menudo started their Golden Era which lasted not until 1985

and Warner Bros. releases " The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie"

but it was October 6 the same year that Depeche Mode releases their first album "Speak and Spell"

that a former highschool heartrobe and a former J-S Prom Queen in a northern rural part of a country consist of 7,107 islands in south east asia expect for a baby boy in their small town, 38 Kilometers away from the Country's Capital.

And now after ten thousand and two hundred twenty days, the boy whom they name after a Latin word which means "on the right hand side, skillful, fortunate, favorable, proper and fitting" is...

... typing this nonsese information. Because he wants everyone to know that today is his Special Day!

so...

"Happy Birthday to ME!"

Malaysian Open - The Finals

2nd part of the weekend's-capade!


Its been a week since the 250 tour in Kuala Lumpur started. As I mentioned on my previous entry about the tournament, there are a few known players joined the first and new part of ATP 250 tour in the City. Sadly, we haven't had the chance to see most of them due to early exits and the fact the we only bought tickets for the final game.

Some of the early ousted players includes, former world no. 4, David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez, Jose Acasuso and 2 time grand slam champion Lleyton Hewitt. I really rooted for Lleyton to win the tournament if Verdasco or Davydenko wouldn't make it. I thought this will be a great time for him to show his ability adding that the tournament was held in Asia and near to his Country, Australia. But, there, badluck is around the air.

Luckily, Nikolay and Fernando smoothly sailed to the semis whom they faced the other top seeded on the tour, Robin Sorderling and Fernando Gonzales. Nikolay who defeated the charming Frenchman, Gael Monfils who just won the "Open de Moselle" a week ago in a straight set, 6-3, 6-3 faced Soderling who won to Czech, Tomas Berdych, 6-2, 6-2. And Fernando Verdasco who won to Richard Gasquet, 7-5, 6-4 faced Gonzales who defeated the ever focused Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, 6-3, 6-4.


Not Too Easy Win

The top seeded, Nikolay, won a not too easy game to Robin Soderling before reaching the final. The game lasted for morethan two hours. Robin secured the first set with a very convincing score, 6-1. But "Kolya" doesn't feel intimidated and win the last two set, 7-6(1), 6-2.

(Game statistics: Both players produced 9 total aces, 67% of Break points, 62% service points, 38% return points and 50% total points won. - source: Protennislive.com)

Verdasco on the other hand, demolished Gonzales in straight set, 6-4, 7-5. Which makes my finalist prediction into real.


The Final GAme

The feeling of being present to a Pro Tennis Final is unexplainable. For the newbie like me(us), where everything are "first-time", the crowd, the noise, the people arriving late and those cute kids running up and down the stairs can be appreciated easily. No "shush" unlike in a movie house when someone is giggling or murmuring, this is different, and I really love the experience!

Between the two favorites on the tour, I easily fell over and decided to cheer for Davydenko. I'm a huge fan of both players, but between the two, I felt that the Russian is more deserve to win the title (just an opinion). Adding that most of the spectators are cheering for Verdasco, So it's "Me Against The World".

Fernando Boleh!
Malaysia Boleh!

Both players are good on their down the line ground strokes. Hitting the ball back and forth with an average of atleast 120kph. But, compliments should be given to the Russian, who keeps his pace and consistent on his game. Verdasco haven't mastered the consistency of his game yet. I don't know. Its shows on every execution on his serves and rallys. But he is still a good player.

Break points are won by Nikolay on the 7th and 10th game of the match, which help him to secure a first set win against Fernanando, 6-4.

7th game result:

10th game and first set result:

Do-or-Die

A nerve breaking second set started with both players losing on their serves. Exchange of breakpoints on earlier games which keeps me thinking if Verdasco can pull-off to win the set to have a chance to win if ever they made it to the 3rd and deciding set.

Nikolay seems to gain his composure and able to break on 11th game, an important point away from the Spaniards.


With Nikolay serving for the match, I prepared my self to dash down nearer to players stool to secure an autograph. My mind is already set that Nikolay will won the match. But the fences are lock :(

(Game fact: Verdasco produces a total of 4 double fault against 1 from Davydenko in the second and final set.)

The crowd are cheering crazily for Verdasco when both players get ready for the 12th game on second set. This atleast boost Verdasco's confidence. But Davydenko is so focused that he still manage to win the game and become the

First Proton Malaysian Open Champion!

(Picture from: Malaysianopentennis.com)

Pity I wasn't able to get a sign from Nikolay, but atleast I had Fernando's!

Lets Color the World.. Pink!

We're been busy this past two days that I don't have time to finish some of the entry on my blog. Some are still and will remain save as draft until I finish all the details I want to include.

Like I have said, last weekends, is not like our normal off day. Me and some of friends, tried to be a good citizen and join a walk to raise awareness on women's breast cancer last Saturday. I'm actually undecided to join before since I thought that its exclusively for girls/women... I'm wrong, based on the huge crowd of guys on the activity.

The activity went smoothly as planned aside from us being almost late on the activity. The taxi we hired from our office (some of my friends are working) got lost and mistakenly brought us to KLCC instead of KL tower. I don't know, I was seated in front beside the driver and felt that he's bringing us to a different place, but I stayed silent not until I realized that he really sending us to a different place.

Anyway, everything is soo cool! The experience and feeling is one of a kind.