My, my, it’s July!

And just like that, half of the year is gone.

That was fast.

And we now return to your regular programming

This song pretty much captures the sentiments of people at the office yesterday.



Imagine, I had 3 meetings for 2 upcoming shoots this week.

Yes, we're back!

Hello, reality!

And just like that, we're back at work!

Here's to an even more awesome, fulfilling, and busy-good year at the office this 2015!

May day!

I just realized it's already the 2nd of May!

Where did January to April go?

Time is just speeding by so fast.

Slow down, Father Time. Slow down.

FMM: Here's to them

As the Christmas celebrations come full steam and as shoppers fill the malls and cash registers ring non-stop. As revelries intensify and gifts pile up under the tree. As the season of joy reaches it's peak, let's remember those who might not have celebrations, or means to shop, or revelries, or gifts that pile under the tree.

To those who might not know that it's Christmas, here's to you!

Wonderfully said...

Just like millions of people around the world, I was in a state of shock and disbelief when the news about Sandy Hook Elementary School came out.

I've read the news and watched a lot of news reports and commentaries on youtube. Some added to the shock while others made me a bit teary-eyed. But one video stood out because of the power of the message and the no-nonsense way it was delivered.

This was from Gov. Mike Huckabee:

(video from youtube)

Wonderfully said, Gov. Huckabee. Wonderfully said.

The kid who almost made me cry

Saturday, 8:40pm.

I was outside Dexter's Bakeshop waiting for someone to open the locked gate.

While waiting, a little kid on a bike arrived. He was a scavenger, and the side car of his bike had black bags that were filled with odds and ends that he could sell. From my estimate, the kid looked like he was less than 10 years old. He was scrawny, had a harelip, was shirtless and wore a pair of shorts that looked like it belonged to his Dad.

Carefully, he started opening the big, black trash bags which were left outside by Dexter's. One by one, he sifted through the trash and started setting aside things that he could sell. Plastic bottles, soda cans, discarded boxes - he was bringing to life the adage "one man's trash is another man's treasure."

He glanced at me once and proceeded to collect more trash from the big, black bags. That's when I had the opportunity to strike a small conversation with him.

ME: Kumain ka na ba?
HIM: Hindi pa po.
ME: Late na, ha. Bakit hindi ka pa kumakain?
HIM: Mamaya na lang po, tatapusin ko muna ito. Para makadami din ho.

At that point, tears were welling in my eyes. Part of me admired his hard work and the fact that he'd forego dinner just to gather as much trash to sell. Part of me felt sad because it's almost 9pm and he hasn't eaten dinner yet. Then I thought, when was his last meal? Was he able to eat lunch?

Suddenly, I saw the lady who was about to unlock the gate so I could go in. Before she arrived, I instinctively took my wallet and handed over some money to him. He look surprised and a bit baffled, and I told him:

ME:  Pagkatapos niyan, kain ka muna, ha.
HIM: (eyes wide and with a smile) Salamat po, Kuya.

Then, I left to meet Ate Bullet, and the kid continued to gather as much useful trash as he could.

While walking away, my mind was racing, asking myself if there's anything more I could do for this kid. If only Dexter's was still open, or if there was a nearby restaurant, I would've bought him dinner myself. I'm sure he was hungry after pushing his bike and going from store to store, opening each trash bag and looking for something of value.

But I wasn't able to. And I'm just hoping that the money I gave him was enough for him to buy a good, warm dinner.

It's the least a hardworking kid like that deserves.

Coffee and Society

Considering that our country is warm 80% of the year, it's amazing how popular coffee has become in the Philippines. The sight of people sipping hot lattes under the sweltering Manila heat is somewhat of a disjoint. But it's here, and it's real.

There are about 3 to 4 coffee shops in every mall; from the established multinationals like Starbucks and San Francisco Coffee, to local upstarts like Baang Coffee or Tsoknut Cafe, to fastfood chains trying to jump into the bandwagon like McCafe.

Yes, coffee has arrived.

But the most glaring example of how much the brew has been embedded in our culture and consciousness happened last Saturday. I was walking along Araneta Center when a scrawny little kid came up to me and said:

"Kuya, pahingi po ng pera pang-kape..."