# 59 WANT A NEW OXYMORON?
It’s Friendly Singaporean Tour Guide.
I share their pain. It seems to be a whole lot easier to keep a herd of sheep together than to keep a big group of Filipino tourists in one place. But that doesn’t mean that they have to be mean and rude to our kababayans. They apologized but it’s too late. A culture clash was inevitable.
I just wanted to share some pictures of my very brief sojourn in the Lion City as part of my work as official escort to our lovely sales people. It’s just too bad that the trip was set before my brother’s departure.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
SPAMTASTIC FOUR. Top L-R: Filjay and Nico; Bottom L-R: Josh and Tito.
Fil is our product boy who flew in for a seminar about pricing while Nico’s currently assigned to Toyota’s Asia Pacific office in Singapore. He’s been there for two years. Josh’s part of our sales training group while your Showroom Manager is on the sales operations team. It’s a blessing that Nico took us around for a tour of his island. Oh, I forgot to mention that all three come from the Ateneo. Blech.
Anyhoo, here are some pics for your viewing pleasure…
A SHOP AT SINGAPORE’S DIVISORIA. Looking for some pasalubong.
SEPARATED AT BIRTH. Cotton-stuffed teddy bear and Filjay communicating.
Walking at night is generally safe. And we all of a sudden found a potential material for our resident model.
IT’S DESTINY. Fil was surely refreshed.
# 58 MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
PRIME IN ROBOTOID FORM. Picture lifted from this.
Pare habang naglalaban si prime at si megatron nag babati ako pare. Ganun ka ganda! Haha!
Got this crude and rude text review from one of my best buddies right after he watched the movie. He belongs to a line of people who have been bugging me to see the TRANSFORMERS. Maybe later this evening I might get to see it and no, the chances of me jacking off during the movie would be slim. Hehehe. Before I go far from the topic, I just wanted to say that the TRANSFORMERS was a good part of my childhood- a comforting escape from all the nasty things my brothers and I have gone through.
We survived those years with a strict diet of preserved food stuff. Unlike most households that I have interacted, we just managed to get by. I recall those days when we could only have spaghetti and ice cream during Christmas and birthdays. Ang buhay ay parang bato noon… It’s hard eh.
We were so hard up for cash and there were even times that my brothers and I thought that we would stop our studies. But the Lord has been good to us and we made it through high school. And even college. This experience could be one of the biggest turning points in our lives that made us closer and stronger. When I think of it, it reminds me of this quote:
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember’d;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.-King Henry, V.iii
Anyhoo, I’m waxing sentimental here because my little brother’s off to Singapore next week and become part of the Filipino Diaspora. I wish him all the best and I know that he will do great things in his chosen path.
# 57 FOR YOUR BABIES
Aside from Stars (mistakenly sung “I hope you clap your hands…”) and You Make Me Feel Brand New, this song just nails it. I love it.
The song is intended for kids but it could also fit as a love song. The lyrics are just simple but what makes this far different from the stuff that we’ve been hearing for half a decade is the genius behind it- how the words are beautifully fused with the guitar and Mick Hucknall’s voice.
Writing about songs, these are the ones that should be left alone (which means that they don’t deserve a “revival”):
- For Your Babies- Simply Red
- Patience- Guns N’ Roses
- Like A Lover- Sergio Mendes & Brasil ‘66
Oh, and more to come.
Anyway, I’m writing things at random. I’m just happy. My day’s perfect. One of the best days, I must say. It is almost in the same vicinity as my wedding day or the day that I got my Optimus Prime toy. This day deserves a blog.
While away for a seminar, my beautiful wife just over-groceried (a constant concern whenever I make her in-charge of this essential duty). But never mind that, what I got was meal fit for a king. Tonight, I am blissfully full. I am stuffed with chicken burgers, vegetable salad, and soon, that special fruit salad that she so diligently made. I keep on telling my wife that she is a terrific cook. She, an unassuming one, is modest when she says that she just follows the recipe book.
I was bugging her the entire week to make her special fruit salad (typing this just made me drool) and she exhaustively shopped for fresh fruits in place of the canned fruit cocktail. It’s in the ref. In two hours, I will finally take another food trip.
This great day is one where things come into clarity about my life. Though, there are things that I would want to happen to me, my job, my career, and my loved ones, I am now looking at how blessed I am. It is not contentment but more of gratitude that things are better and things are bound to be great soon.
I am storing this day as one that qualifies for a happy thought. A much-needed shot in the arm.
Thank you, Lord 
