I've been away from my podium for months already, oh, for almost a year now. How I miss my sanctuary. Truth is, I have drafted a few articles ready for posting but the topics couldn't find its way through this blog site (talking about being up-to-date ha!ha!).

I only realized the months that I have not posted any article when during a training at work, where I was asked to handle newly hired agents, a newfound blogger friend Godfrey, introduced himself as a blog-addict.

It was through Godfrey that I first heard about green activist. Well, to put it aptly, he categorized himself as a green activist. You must have known by now that anything associated with green has something to do with "Mother Earth". Blame it to the popularity of environment activists such as Greenpeace and Kalikasan.

I was a bit surprised by the knowledge of such an initiative and at the same time, initially felt glad that there is such an undertaking going on -- in cyberspace. I've been lecturing this first batch of Trainees I handled to participate in relevant socio-political issues even if their work makes it impossible for them to do so. And my friend is such a revelation. Most of them actually have medical background. Godfrey himself is a registered nurse, another trainee is a licensed Physical Therapist and a few more nursing graduates. Another trainee in the same class actually approached me and told me about her membership in this ecumenical youth group way back in college.

In those days that I was with Godfrey's class, I intimated to them the sad reality of more and more youth flocking to call centers and how this fact contributes to the saddening reality that the knowledge and skills of the youth are not maximize to contribute to the country's development but instead is being robbed by these BPOs that invaded our country.

I also intimated to this class that this company is the first and last center that I will work with. My long term goal is to become a university professor, I said. Teaching has always been my passion. No matter how the salary from my present job differs from the meager salary teachers get, there's no stopping me. And I prodded them to do the same. To think of starting to consider jobs that would contribute to the country's development, even if the system prevents the country from developing. And someone blurted out about having no choice, that the job is addictive. Another trainee said they have no choice. Truly, the government cannot provide sufficient jobs. Unemployment rate is at 11.9%, the highest in the history of the country. Again, the reality of this perennial crisis lingers.

not-so-serious stuff

-I bought my first Sudoku book last week. ^-^ I was so enthralled to find cheaper ones that I almost bought the whole set. Now, I'm addicted to it. (Daboy and I will no longer fight over one Sudoku table on PDI).

-I made salsa for my friend's despedida party the other night. Next time, I'll bake this old Pineapple Upside Down cake I used to bake when I was in high school. Some friends and colleagues may not know but back in high school, I competed in a division-wide school baking competition and won 1st place.

Loud and clear

It's all over the news. The anti-terror law went into force last Sunday, July 15. According to Defense Undersecretary Ric Blancaflor, a chief proponent of the law, 'The general population is safely guarded by this law. Only terrorists have reasons to be threatened.”

Would that really be the case? Remember how the law was misused and abused when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared a State of Emergency in February 2006. Left and right arrests were ordered. Fabricated cases and warrants were used to daunt Arroyo’s critics. Remember the spate of political killings in the absence of a terror law. Civilians were targeted; so many innocent lives were claimed.

Would that make the President’s and its cabinet members’ declarations credible, plausible and worthy of the public’s trust and approval?

Pinocchio would probably rise from the bookshelf where he quietly lays to knock these people on their heads for beating his track record as a charlatan. The lad from ‘the boy who cried wolf’ would surely feel challenged for this government’s anesthetized foolishness and brazen numbness if they still believe people would play the game they have been playing, just as they thought people would easily dance to the tune of their manufactured ‘Cha-cha’.

These same people who say that civilian rights will be upheld are in sheer stupor and oblivion. This same government who is fast exceeding Marcos’ record of human rights violations has no other scheme to play.

These days, the government shouts to the high heavens its 'resoluteness' to put an end to unabated killings and bring to courts those who will be found guilty, while its other hand reeks of blood for having claimed so many lives. Eight hundred sixty and still counting.

The fangs of GMA are biting. Aggressively biting. With the terror law in place, it’s as clear as the sun that the law will be used to intensify the government’s attacks against dissenters. No more, no less.

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Last May, I chanced upon this news about Bishops all over Asia going on a five-day training session at a posh university in Bangkok to become skilled at chatting, blogging, sending email message etc. Even Friendster was introduced to them. Simply put, they were toured on the cyberspace. It was so delighting to know that even prelates show interest on stuffs about cyberspace. When I read about this news, it made me smile subtly. Ha!ha! Now we’re even. Just as I was also getting hooked on blogging.

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My dad’s side had their family reunion last June.

I was reunited with my cousins, aunts, nephews, nieces, lolo’s and lola’s and other relatives who were never familiar to me until we saw each other on that occasion. I only knew some of them through pictures. Some I didn’t even get to see died already (rip).

I appreciate my uncle’s effort, Prof. Gil, to bring us together by initiating that gathering which started only December last year when we gathered to share the joy with my uncle who passed the bar exams.

The other night, my friends and I went out for a leisurely walk around our neighborhood in an attempt to burn some calories. I must be so really tired that I had no hard time getting to sleep the moment I laid my back on the bed.

The next day, I woke up at 6:42 a.m, went back to sleep again, then woke up again at 8:00 am. I was in high spirits that I didn’t feel that usual headache that has hit me for a few weeks now.

Lately, I feel that I’ve become insomniac. I reckon, I should avoid caffeine, softdrinks and most important of all, spurn negative thoughts once I’m in bed. Of course, a few chapters of my fave book would help me get that elusive ‘zzzzz’, but once I doze off, the slightest sound could easily wake me up.

That is why, the wonders I found the next day after that night made me renew my resolve to do more physical exercises. Before, I did dance exercises (commonly known as aerobics) to burn some fats. But that was before when I was really fat.

I would surely try some forms of exercise.

Btw, I did some yoga yesterday.

June 15, 2007

Guess what's in Yahoo's Today's Top Searches?

At number one (drums roll)....1.) Father's Day. June is the month when people from all walks of life pay tribute to their fathers, popsies, tatay, papa, daddy or whatever term there is to signify deference to your father.

Go, get that precious hankerchief you could get for your dad, or that neck tie he's been dying to have. :-)

Happy Father's Day to all fathers, would-be fathers, and moms who play both mother and father role in their lives!

Finally

For months now, I've been thinking about creating my own blog account. After all, it's the latest thing among the youth. Blogging is what interests a lot of young people my age. I’ve persistently considered this in my ‘to do’ list the past months that at the end of the day, I feel contrite for not giving in to this craving. I felt so guilty for not capitulating to this craving that I started to reminisce about having wrote fairly sensible essays in high school, ha!ha!

During college days, this had to take a backseat when I had to focus on my course, which took much of my time and had me doing innumerable financial statements and ledgers, trying to balance debit and credit, analyzing accounting and auditing problems etc. I was trapped in this situation for 3 years that I thought I would one day end up as a corporate accountant. ^_^

Now I find myself tapping the keys of this PC in front of me.

At least this time, I could make use of this to write about my personal diary, my thoughts, my political journal, my outlet, my underground podium.