FILIPINO SURVEYOR/CIVIL ENGINEER wanted in Saudi Arabia

Three days ago, I posted in my e-group (high school and college) website that our company needs a Filipino surveyor/civil engineer to work here in Saudi Arabia. Until now, I have not receive a single resume. Where are our engineers? The remunerations is also competitive, US $ 1500.00 + US$ 200.00 food allowance, yearly vacation, no placement & processing fee.

Akala ko ba ay maraming naghahanap ng trabaho sa Pinas? Bakit yong mga kaibigan ko ay walang mairekomenda. Hintay uli ako ng ilang araw...

NOVAK, SHARAPOVA dominates 2008 Australian Open

(Photos from www.novak-djokovic.com and www.australianopen.com)

The opening Grand Slam of the Tennis World is OVER!

Novak Djokovic of Serbia slammed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6, to win the 2008 Australian Open single men's final on hard surface of Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia on Sunday, 27 January 2008.

Earlier on 25 January 2008, Maria Sharapova of Russia dunked Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, 7-5, 6-3 to capture the women's single championship.

Na-miss ko ang panonood ng Australian Open ngayong taong ito dahil naririto ako sa Saudi Arabia. Kailan kaya makukuha ng isang Pinoy ang karangalang ito?

WA ng WOWOWEE

It has been a week that we do not have TFC connection. This is not due to non-payment of subscription but because of the relocation of our portable cabins. The final location has been set and we shall have the TFC and Wowowee in a day or two.

Pero dahil napakalayo ng aking "pinagtapunan", matatagalan pa para ako pakapanood muli ng Wowowee dahil mga 100+ metro ang layo ng pinakamalapit na koneksyon. Napalapit lang nga ako sa maliit naming snack bar.

MOVING IN TO A NEW "HOME"

After 3 days, my new portacabin is ready for occupancy. Thanks to Mohammed Saeed for electrical works, Mahmood and Hom for painting, Mohammed Saleem & Mohammed Amin for carpentry works, the team of James Chacko for steel structural works and for our rental labourers. As usual, the carpet is supplied and fixed by Al-Andalus Furniture for SR 300.00 (US $ 80.00) for the 6 x 2.5m room.

Ang masama lang sa paglipat ko, I do not have my own toilet and bathroom. Kailangan kong gumamit ng palikuran ng mga ordinaryong manggagawa. Dahil marami naman kaming palikuran at banyo, baka kandaduhan ko na lang ang isa sa mga iyon para aking magamit.

SUHARTO Dies at 86

Whether I like it or not, it is worth noting the death of prominent figures in our history.

Former dictator and army general of Indonesia, Haji MuhammadSuharto dies in a Jakarta hospital over multiple organ failure on Sunday, 27 January 2008. The former leader is a US Cold War ally and is blamed for the bulk of political killings in the 196os.

Sumalangit nawa ang kanyang kaluluwa!

(Photo from www.nndb.com)

Miss Michigan is Miss America 2008

Kirsten Haglund, 19, of Farmington Hills, Michigan is Miss America 2008 in a Las Vegas live show on Saturday, 26 January 2008. First runner up is Miss Indiana Nicole Elizabeth Rash while Miss Washington Elyse Umemoto is second runner up. Kirsten's grandmother is Miss Michigan in 1957. (Photo from http://www.stignacenews.com/)

MY PORTABLE CABIN (PORTACABIN) IN THE MAKING

Second Day

Here is how my new accommodation is being built:

First day

WATER! TUBIG! WATER!

Our camp had run out of water yesterday probably because of water line repair somewhere in Jubail. A 13 cu.m. water tanker was provided but within minutes the tank was empty.

Dahil walang tubig ngayong umaga, hindi ako nakaligo. Mabuti na lang at nakaligo ako kahapon. Ang mahirap ay ang umebs. Kailangan kong gumamit ng toilet paper lang. Hindi pa naman ako sanay. Dati kasi, pagkatapos ng toilet paper, tubig at sabon ang kasunod. Mahirap na kasing habulin ng langaw.

(Photo from http://www.environment.gov.jo/)

THE BEES RESURRECT!

Good news! At least this blog is not monopolised by dead animals and celebrities.

Contrary to what I previously wrote, the bees that I presumed to be dead were ALIVE and KICKING when the sun shone two days ago. They seemed to hibernate because of the cold climate or maybe that playing dead was one of their defense mechanisms. Right now, most of the bees on the walls of our office kitchen and on the bark of the big tree were gone. Probably, they found their queen.

Yong iba ay narito pa sa lapag. Ewan ko lang kung talagang patay na o nagpapatay-patayan pa rin. Hintayin ko na lang na sumikat muli ang araw.

KITCHEN CABINETS

I am going crazy!!!
We are renovating the kitchen of the workers. As a result, we need to change the kitchen cabinets from wood to concrete. This created a lot of problems. Everybody wants his new cabinet.There are about 350 workers living in our Camp composed of 10 nationalities and 6 companies. They are living in 70 rooms. The problem is everybody has his own cooking group, composed of 2 to 5 persons.
How to distribute the 70 kitchen cabinets is a headache for me. My solution, give 1 kitchen cabinet to each room and let them do the grouping.

Masakit na ang ulo ko. Paano hanggang off-duty ay panay pa rin ang hingi ng susi sa akin para sa mga kabinet nila.

Our BOOFIA

Here are the pictures of our boofia (or snack bar). It is located adjacent to the Kitchen of our workers.

Maluwag ang lugar pero marami pang mga gamit na dapat tanggalin. Maligayang pagkain!!

IT ALSO RAINS in SAUDI ARABIA

Yes, Narda. It is also raining in Saudi Arabia. This usually happens when the season is changing from Fall to Winter and Spring to Summer.

Ang masarap nito, bago ang nakatakdang pag-ulan, uulan muna ng buhangin o tinatawag na "sandstorm". Dusa talaga rito sa Gitnang Silangan kaya dapat ay hinay-hinay naman sa paggastos ang mga kababayan nating pinadadalhan ng pera ng mga OFW!

OUR GROs

Yes, we have GROs in our office. And they are Saudis. But before you make your bad connotation about GROs, the GRO I am talking about is Government Relations Officer. On the left is Saeed and on the right is Adel.

Kung sino ang okay sa kanila, kayo na lang ang humusga.

The BEES are DISPERSED

Our office boy - Mohammed C.P. - took the honey that the bees are making in the bougainvillae plant infront of our office. As a result, the bees were disturbed and went separate ways. Initially, they began to form a beehive again on the big trunk of the tree in the middle of our office. However, one of our Indian workers took the queen (which I failed to photograph) and placed it on another tree. But the bees did not hear the buzzing sound of the queen. They sticked on the walls of our office kitchen and on the truck of the big tree. Overnight, most of them died maybe because of the cold climate. It rained last night and continued until today.

Takaw naman kasi noong teaboy namin. Kakaunti pa naman yong pulupukyutan ay inupakan na. Mabuti nga at hindi siya pinagkakagat ng mga bubuyog.

HEATH LEDGER is DEAD

(Photo from www.bestof.provocateuse.com)

(Excerpts of the following article written by John Sullivan and Sewell Chan of New York Times on Tuesday, 22 January 2008)

“The actor Heath Ledger was found dead in a Manhattan apartment on Tuesday afternoon, the New York City police said.
The police said Mr. Ledger, 28, was discovered facedown in bed in an apartment at 421 Broome Street in SoHo. Police officials said that a bottle of prescription sleeping pills were found on a nearby night table, but that they did not know whether they played a role in Mr. Ledger’s death.
Mr. Ledger, the star of “Brokeback Mountain” and other films, was discovered by a housekeeper and a masseuse, the police said. The housekeeper had been in the apartment for some time before Mr. Ledger’s body was discovered, and she let the masseuse in at the apartment for a 3:31 p.m. appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. They said they did not know when Mr. Ledger scheduled the appointment.”

For more info, logon to http://www.nytimes.com/

Nagkainteres akong isulat si Heath Ledger dahil sa 2 kadahilanan:

1 - Isa akong residente ng Australia... si Heath ay isinilang sa Perth, Australia.

2 - Isa akong accountant .... ipinaaalala ni Heath ang walang kamatayang "accounting ledger."

OSCAR Nominations Released

Cate Blanchett in " Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Photo from www. filmweb.no)

George Clooney in "Michael Clayton (Photo from http://www.gclooney.com/)

The Oscar Statue (Image from http://www.jedigirl.com/)

The nominees for this year's Oscar has been released.
Best ACtor
1 -George Clooney - "Michael Clayton"
2 - Tommy Lee Jones - "In the Valley of Elah"
3 - Daniel Day-Lewis - "There Will Be Blood"
4- Johnny Depp- - "Sweeney Todd"
5 - Viggo Mortensen - "Eastern Promise"

Best Actress
1 - Cate Blanchett - "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
2 - Laura Linney - "The Savages"
3 - Marion Cotillard ' "La Vie En Rose"
4 - Julie Christie - "Away From Her"
5 - Ellen Page- "Juno"

Best Supporting Actors
1 - Saoirse Ronin - "Atonement"
2 - Cate Blanchett - "I'm Not There"
3 - Ruby Dee - "American Gangster"
4 - Amy Ryan - "Gone Baby Gone"
5 - Tilda Swinton - "Michael Clayton"

Best Picture
1 - No Country For Old Men
2 - There Will Be Blood
3 - Atonement
4 - Juno
5 - Michael Clayton

My bets? No one. Because I have not seen any of these films.

Wala kasing sinehan dito sa Saudi Arabia.

The AUDIT is OVER

The audit was over yesterday. However, my accounting program collapsed so I have to wait for our auditor until Thursday to re-install the program.

Ito ang mahirap na wala kang original na program. Hindi ka makapag-boot kapag nagkakaroon ng pagkasira sa programa. Dapat nang makabili ng ibang accounting program.

3 hours later:

My program was infected by an "amvo.exe." virus. I downloaded a free 30-day trial of RegRun5 and the virus was gone!

I WILL BE EVICTED FROM THE "BAHAY NI KUYA"

I am happy that we will be transferring to a new building in a few months. Although it is hard, I have to content myself with my portacabin without the luxury of my own toilet and bathroom. Sad to say, my boss informed me that he will be renting my portacabin for one year. This means that I need to transfer to another one. Unfortunately, there is none. So, he instructed our workers to build me a portacabin by Friday, 25 January 2008.

Mabuti na lang at nakatakda akong magbakasyon by 1 February 2008. Isang linggo lang akong magtitiis sa gagawing portacabin na mas maliit sa dati kong kuwarto at wala ring banyo at kasilyas. Sana, pagbalik ko ay tapos na yong bagong gusaling lilipatan ko.

NEW ACCOMMODATION IN THE MAKING

Our company is building a new accommodation building for Senior Staff. It means from portable cabin, we will be transferring to a new building built of hollow blocks, cement and steel. Yesterday, the first phase began by removing our portacabin from the site of the new building. Unfortunately, this means that I cannot use my own bathroom & toilet because the workers cut my plumbing connections. I am now using the common toilet.

Naku, maginaw pa naman ngayon. Mahirap lumakad papunta sa takubets at pabalik. Isa pa, mahirap din ang pag-jingle. Lalabas pa ako.

ASPARTAME is DEADLY?!

(Ricola photo from II Dio Pantofola of http://www.flickr.com/; Diet Pepsi photo from RichM921 of www.flickr.com and Diet Coke photo from http://www.freakingnews.com/ by Lyina of the Independents)

The following article is forwarded to me by my highschool classmate - Edna Santos Languitan. Where it originally comes or whether it is true, I do not know. But beware!. We must research ourselves for this chemical.

Akala ko ay matatalino ang ating mga scientists, pero bakit pinapayagan nila ang mga bagay na ito na nagdudulot pala ng kapahamakan? Mahirap talagang kumain ng mga pagkaing maraming chemical at preservative. Balik na lang tayo sa probinsya! Magtanim tayo ng gulay na organic at mag-alaga ng mga manok.

ASPARTAME - THE SILENT KILLER For those who take Ricola & Fisherman , please note that they both contain Aspartame - the silent killer. Fisherman Sweets FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO EAT FISHERMAN SWEETS BE CAREFUL: Sugar free products contain ASPARTAME .. So don't consume Sugar free product esp. 'fisherman sweets' ASPARTAME - THE SILENT KILLER (by Ron Harder) To those who prefer to consume artificial flavouring: There is an epidemic across North America today of Multiple Sclerosis and Lupus. Most people do not understand why this epidemic is happening, and they do not know why these diseases are so rampant. I would like to share with you the main reason we are having this very serious problem. Many people today use artificial sweeteners in their tea or coffee. They do this because the ads they see on TV tell them that sugar is bad for their health. This is absolutely true. Sugar is toxic to us , but what most people use as a replacement for sugar is much more deadly. I am talking about ASPARTAME. It is the cause of the epidemic that was mentioned above. ASPARTAME is an extremely toxic chemical that is produced by a chemical company called Monsanto. ASPARTAME is being marketed around the world as a sugar substitute and is found in all diet soft drinks, such as Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. It is also found in artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet, Equal, and Spoonful; and it is used in many other products as a sugar replacement. ASPARTAME is marketed as a diet product, but it is not a diet product at all. In fact, it will cause you to GAIN weight because it makes you crave carbohydrates. Causing you to gain weight is only a very small part of what ASPARTAME does. It is a toxic chemical that changes the brain's chemistry It can and does cause severe seizures. This chemical changes the dopamine level in the brain, and it is particularly deadly for anyone suffering from Parkinson's disease. ASPARTAME is extremely poisonous, and here is why one of the toxic ingredients of it is wood alcohol. When the temperature of ASPARTAME exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in it is converted to Formaldehyde, and then to formic acid, which in turn causes folic acidosis. FORMALDEHYDE is grouped in the same class of poisons as Cyanide and Arsenic which are very deadly toxins. The only difference is, Formaldehyde kills quietly, and it takes a little longer. And, in the process of killing people, it causes all kinds of neurological problems. There are 92 documented symptoms of Aspartame Poisoning leading to coma and death. The majority of these symptoms are neurological, because the ASPARTAME attacks and destroys the nervous system. One of these symptoms is Lupus, which has become almost as rampant as Multiple Sclerosis, especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers.

BOBBY FISCHER is DEAD

(This picture was downloaded from http://www.bbv-net.de/. Original photo from AP)

(The post below is from my UP XDS colleague - Victor Isidro. )

Bobby Fischer is dead! Fischer, the first American chess GM to win a world chess championship, died in Reykjavic, Iceland at age 64. The eccentric American acquired Icelandic citizenship in 2005. Prior to moving to Iceland, he was held at a Japanese prison where he was detained for traveling with invalid US documents earlier. He will be remembered by many Filipinos, who he electrified with his brilliant and unusual behavior in the 1972 world chess championship. In that championship, he whipped the Russian world chmpion, Boris Spassky right in Iceland.. Our own Eugene Torre was a very good friend of Fischer. We will miss this man who made chess a popular sport in the Philippines. Photo below shows Fischer, at a tender age of 15, playing against Tigran Petrosian, another Russian super GM.

Alam ko ang mga "moves" ng chess pero hindi ako marunong maglaro. daig pa ako ng tatay at anak ko.

WHAT A MESS!!!

The Senior Staff of our company has its own messhall. Unfortunately, by the photos I took, the messhall is no different from the one the Rank & File is having. It is called a messhall but it should be that messy?

Gusto ko na sanang tanggalin ang mesang ito para wala na silang mapaglagyan ng kalat. Simula kasi nang ipasok ang mesang ito at gawing kainan at tadtaran, naging marumi na ang kusina.

We WELCOME PAL to SAUDI ARABIA

(Above photo was downloaded from http://www.flickr.com/)

Because of FAA rating, it is possible that new airplanes destined to US might be diverted to the Middle East. We welcome that move!

Nang tanggalin ng PAL ang biyaheng Manila-Riyadh ay naapektuhan nang husto ang mga manggawang Pilipino. Hindi ko alam ang tunay na dahilan ng paghintong ito ng biyahe pero nakalulungkot din dahil napakaraming Pilipino sa Saudi Arabia ang nais sumakay sa PAL.

Sana nga ay mabuksan uli ang rutang Manila-Saudi Arabia.

FAA downgrades Philippine airport

The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has downgraded Philippine airport from Category 1 to Category 2 where it claims that airlines, especially PAL (Philippine AirLine), coming from the Philippines are not safe. It also advises American citizens not to board PAL.

Dahil dito, hayun at papalitan na ni Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza si Acting Assistant Secretary Daniel Dimagiba ng Air Transportation Office (ATO).

Hilong-talilong din si Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano dahil malaking kawalan daw ang 578,983 Amerikanong turistang bumisita sa ating bansa noong 2007. Sa bilang na ito, ilan kaya sa mga ito ang walang dugong-Pinoy? Kung halos mga Pinoy rin ang mga dumalaw na ito, hindi na dapat mangamba pa si Durano dahil sasakay at sasakay pa rin ang mga Pinoy sa PAL (kahit na nga lagi itong late = PAL = PALaging Late).

Iniisip ko rin na kaya inilabas ang report na ito ng FAA ay upang maging maganda ang "palabas" sa pagpapalitan ng posisyon sa gobyerno. Naisulat ko na, na bago magpalitan ng puwesto, ay gumagawa ng eksena o kontrobersya ang gobyerno gayong maaga pa lang ay nakalatag at plantsado na ang mga posisyon at termino ng mga kawani ng gobyerno.

FUNNY PHOTOS

(Click image to enlarge)

Here are some of the photos I downloaded from the net and put funny dialogues. I you have interesting photos that you would like me to put funny dialoques, just send them to me.

Sana ay matawa kayo.

ROASTED or BROASTED CHICKEN

Broasted chicken - 4 pcs. with rice or french fries, garlic sauce and tomato ketsup

Roasted chicken with rice or french fries, soy sauce and lemon

These are the samples that we sell in our small restaurant. The roasted chicken costs SR18.00 or $ 4.80 and the broasted chicken costs SR 8.00 or $ 2.13 per order. Drink is not included.

Sa ngayon ay medyo nadaragdagan na ang aming mga kliyente. Sana ay mag-enjoy sila sa aming lutuin na alam kong mas masarap pa sa resipeng pinag-aawayan nina Judy Ann Santos at Connie Reyes sa teleseryeng "Ysabella".

It's Engr. Joey's Birthday

January 12, 2008 is Engr. Julian "Joey" De Castro's birthday. We had pancit canton and broasted chicken for that very special occasion.

(Mula kaliwa: Cris, Pons, Noel, Joey, Rollie and Rodel)

Wala sa picture si Dondon kasi nag-oovertime pa.

HU-HU-HU! The Other Chick is DEAD

Yesterday, the other chick died due to the cool climate. As a result, the mother bird flew away.

Kawawa naman ang dalawang inakay. Ni hindi nila nakilala ang kanilang ama. Hu-hu-hu!

RP KIDS dominate WRO 2007

(The following article was downloaded from http://www.positivenewsmedia.net/) (The photo was downloaded from www.gchs.edu.ph)

Filipino kids dominate robotics tilt in Taiwan
By Mediatrix P. Cristobal

MANILA, Nov. 29 (PNA) - A team composed of Filipino students defended its title at the 2007 World Robot Olympiad (WRO) in Taiwan with its entry featuring a community with robot-operated security measures including a building which can protect itself from air terrorist attacks.
The entry dubbed “Operation Security Guaranteed” was built within a WHIZ Community where a Gatekeeper is responsible for analyzing the personal information of every robot by swiping a key card.
The team came from Grace Christian High School and is composed by Bryan Lao, Alyssa Sheena Tan and Mark Ian Tan. Under the guidance of coach Edster Sy, they won at the Open Category (Secondary Level), all winners of the 6th Philippine Robotics Olympiad held last September at the Alabang Town Center.
Their project has Spybot 101 which monitors the city’s vicinity, Firebot 103 which is the best firefighter of the “Bantay Sunog” Fire Department and Policebot which is a humanoid security guard that assists the Gatekeeper in taking care of unwanted guests in the community where Goodbot 107, a citizen of the WHIZ community, lives.
The entry also features a PRT elevator or Philippine Robo Transit which guarantees fast, convenient and safe travel; a TREN, which is a fast train system; and a hydraulic building named TAIPEI 101, the tallest building in the world, which can raise itself in the advent of an air terrorist attack similar to 9/11.
The Philippine team has won twice in a row in the annual competition participated in by over 800 students or 170 teams representing 18 countries. Participant countries include Denmark, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Norway, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, State of Qatar, Sweden, Taiwan, and United Arab Emirates. All teams used the LEGO Educational sets as materials for their robots.
Last year, the Philippines bagged its first gold medal in the WRO with FAITH’s entry of "Rossum's Universal Restaurant, El Batangueno Coffeeshop" which featured a mini-diner with robot customers, a waiter, receptionist, security guard and a "Robo Band" consisting of robot musicians.

Ang tatlong kabataang Pinoy ay kinapanayam ngayong umaga sa programang "Umagang Kay Ganda" ng ABS-CBN.

Kita talaga ang galing ng mga batang Pinoy!

NAZAL Resigns

The Saudi driver who was behind the wheel of the Toyota Dyna truck that met an accident on New Year's day resigns.

Dahil nakasulat sa Arabic ang kanyang resignation letter, hindi ko alam ang tunay na dahilan ng kanyang pamamaalam. Good luck na lang sa kanya!

WAWA si WILLIE ng WOWOWEE

(This photo was downloaded from www.abs-cbnnews.com)

Willie Revillame of the noontime show WOWOWEE is again in the limelight. This time about the Ferrari that he has been seeing driving. According to the Customs, the correct customs duty is not paid on this car. Willie behemently denied that he owns the car. He said he is just test driving it.

Ang liit naman ng mga utak ng nasa Customs at ng Anti-Smuggling Bureau, dali namang kontakin ang LTO para malaman kung sino talaga ang may-ari ng Ferrari na yan. Kung kanino nakarehistro eh di iyon ang singilin. Pero, tiyak na maraming damay sa Customs. Eh paano kung ang nagpalusot ay isang mataas na opisyal? Ang sabi nga ng mga kotong-pulis, ang lagay eh...!

Pinagdududahan din kasi kung saan kinuha ni Willie ang pinangbili ng Ferrari kung sa kanya nga iyon. Dito sinasabi ng mga tao na baka yong mga donasyon na natatanggap ni Willie sa mga shows nila sa abroad at mga bigay ng mga TFC subscribers sa studio ang pinangbili ng kotse. Noon, pinagmamalaki ni Willie na ipagpapagawa ng mga health centers sa Kabikulan ang mga nakalap nilang donasyon. Tanong ko lang, may nagawa na bang mga health centers?

Sa batas, hindi naman dapat tumatanggap ang WoWoWee ng mga donasyon dahil hindi naman sila rehistradong foundation o charitable institution. Ibig sabihin, iligal ang kanilang pagtanggap.

Anil Kapoor - Christopher De Leon's Look-ALike

(These photos was downloaded from www.realbollywood.com)

An Indian actor, Anil Kapoor, looks like Christopher De Leon. Like Boyet, Anil is also a versatile actor and has won numerous acting awards.

Kung sa USA ay may hollywood, bollywood naman ang sa India. Sa Pilipinas? Any suggestion?

Stephanie Mae - A FilAm Singer in the Making

Stephanie Mae, a daughter of my co-UPXDS scholar, is making a scene in the music industry. She has just released her first CD, entitled "STEPHANIE MAE Poker Face". To buy the 6-song CD, visit her at www.myspace.com/stephmaemusic.

Suportahan natin si Stephanie Mae sa kanyang pangarap. Isa siyang Filipino na dapat nating tangkilikin. At pwede siyang artista, di ba?

Lino Brocka's Proteges in Maging Sino Ka Man

(Photo of Boyet de Leon from www.yehey.com; Bembol Roco from www.nsclub.net; and Philip Salvador from www.abante.com.ph)

Three proteges of the late director Lino Brocka are showing their tremendous drama talents in ABS-CBN's second offering of Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang pagbabalik. These actors are Christopher de Leon, who won his Famas award in 1975 via "Tinimbang Ka Nguni't Kulang"; Bembol Roco, who won the Famas in 1976 via "Maynila :Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag" and Phillip Salvador, who was nominated in Gawad Urian for "Jaguar" in 1980.
Nagpapatigasan sa pag-arte ang 3 premyadong aktor sa pagganap na kani-kanilang tauhan sa teleserye. Kung sino ang magwawagi sa kanila ng award ay hintayin natin sa taong ito.

RIZA, DALAGANG PILIPINA?

Riza Santos, Second Big Winner of the just concluded Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition 2, declared that she is a truly Filipina maiden by keeping her virginity until her marriage.

Sa panahon ngayon na iilan na lang ang nangangalaga sa kanilang kabirhenan, si Riza ay masasabing tunay na ehemplo ng dalagang Pilipina, kahit na lumaki siya at nagkaisip sa ibang bansa. Dapat tularan ng mga dalagang Pilipina si Riza.

Natatandaan ko yong sinulat kong romansang nobela na may pamagat na "Birheng Walang Langit". Sana ay hindi maging ganoon si Riza. Hindi sinasadya, ang pangalan ng bidang babae sa nobela ay si Clarissa. Tunog Riza rin, 'di ba?

ONE CHICK IS DEAD

One of the two chicks hatched by the bird nesting on the bougainvillae plant infront of our office is dead.
Malamig kasi ang klima ngayon dito sa Jubail. Siguro'y nanigas ang sisiw sa lamig. Paalis-alis din kasi yong inahing ibon para kumuha ng pagkain.

BROASTED ANYONE?

To augment my income, my boss agreed to let me operate a small broasted shop in our camp. Actually, it already started on 8 November 2007 but we only moved in in its permanent location adjacent to the workers' kitchen yesterday, 11 January 2008 but we have not started cooking there yet. My partner is my wife's nephew, Jimsen, who will take care of the business while I am on leave. Aside from broasted chicken, we will be having tea and coffee, sandwiches, some cooked foods and some groceries for Filipino clients. The shop opens at - 6:00 - 10:00 PM only.
Dapat kasi, hindi maapektuhan ang trabaho kaya sa gabi lang kami nagluluto.

AMERICA, IS IT A WOMAN or BLACK?

(This photo was downloaded from www1.whdh.com)
In 2008, America will face a challenge of voting the first woman president or an African-American one. Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton's wife, is head to head with Barack Obama in the Democratic race to challenge the Republican of either John Macain or Mitt Romney.

Ang dasal ng mga OFW, kung sino man ang manalo sa kanila, dapat na patatagin nila ang ekonomiya ng Amerika upang lumakas ang US dollar at nang tumaas uli ang palitan ng piso sa dolyar. Makasarili ba ako?

MALE BEAUTY CONTESTS

(The man in the photo is Mr. World 2007, Juan Garcia Postigo from Spain. I acknowledge the owner of this photo)

Beware ladies! Male beauty contests are sprouting like mushrooms not only in the Philippines but around the world. Now, beauty products and beauty regiments are not only for the ladies. Men are more beauty and physique - conscious. They are seen in spas and other beauty centers and in the gyms to enhance their physical characteristics.

Joining beauty contests for men is also a stairway to stardom. Men join in to "promote" themselves. Talent scouts are audience of these beauty contests. Some became known and famous. Others' stars wane after exposing themselves to the world.

Gayunpaman, handa pa rin ang mga Pilipino at mga kalalakihan na kalakalin ang kanilang mga katawan upang maging sikat na artista at modelo. Ito na kasi ang pinakamabilis na paraan upang makilala at sumikat. Kesehodang ibandila nila ang kani-kanilang ari-arian sa madla.

JALIL KAWARI - CAMP JANITOR

This is Jalil Kawari, a Nepali national, who works in our Company as a Camp Janitor for more than 20 years. Aside from being a janitor, he is tending a small store inside our camp.

Sa tutoo lang, marami siyang ari-arian sa Nepal. Sa kanyang kinikita rito, madalang ang kanyang pagbabakasyon.

My Door Broke Down

I was inserting my key to the door knob when it was broken. I called our carpenter - Mohammed Saleem, and his assistant - Nizar to replace the knob.

I AM under AUDIT

Our financial year is over and I am under audit. Our financial statements - Balance Sheet and Income Statement - must be finished before I can go on leave in February 2008.

Ang aming awditor ay si Jaisan, isang Indian (tingnan ang larawan). Tatagal ng 4 na araw ang awditing.