The black box arrived today!


Checking to see that the contents are in order.

Yes, everything's inside.
10 days to go!!!

'Roldz, thanks for sharing!

I just have to repost this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NINOY'S LETTER TO DAUGHTER BALLSY (1973)
August 18, 1973
FortBonifacio
Makati, Rizal

Ms. Maria Elena C. Aquino
25 Times St. Quezon City

My dearest Ballsy,

I write you this letter with tears in my eyes and as if steel fingers are crushing my heart because I wanted so much to be with you as you celebrate your legal emancipation. Now that you have come of age, my love, a voice tells me that I am no longer young and suddenly, I feel old.

An old poet gave this advice very long ago “when you are sad, remember the roses will bloom in December.� I want to send you bouquet of roses, big red roses from my dreamland garden. Unfortunately for the present, my roses are not in bloom, in fact they have dropped all their petals and only the thorns are left to keep me company. I do think it is fitting to send you a thicket of thorns on this memorable day!

I am very proud of you because you have inherited all the best traits of your mother. You are sensible, responsible, even-tempered and sincere with the least pretenses and affection which vehemently detest in a woman. I am sure like your mother, you will possess that rare brand of silent courage and that combination of fidelity and fortitude that will be the life vest of your man in the tragic moments of his life.

During my lonely hours of solitary confinement in FortMagsaysay, Laur, Nueva Ecija last March and April with nothing else to do but pray and daydream, with only my fond memories to keep me company, I planned a weekend barrio fiesta for you in Tarlac for your 18th birthday. I fooled myself into believing that my ordeal would end with the fiscal year. I planned to invite all your classmates and friends and their families for the weekends.

The schedule called for an early departure by bus from Manila and the first stop will be Concepcion , where lunch will be served by the pool. And after lunch, you were to visit the SantaRitaElementary School to distribute cookies and ice cream to the children of that public school where you were first enrolled.

I guess sheer nostalgia prompted me to include Santa Rita. We were only three then: Mommie, you and I. Those were the days of happy memories little responsibilities, tremendous freedom, a great future ahead and capped by a fulfillment of love.. You are the first fruit of our union, the first proof of our love and the first seal of our affections.

From Concepcion we were to proceed to Luisita for the barrio fiesta. I intended to invite a friend who could roast an entire cow succulently. Swimming, pelota, dancing and eating would have been the order of the day.

Sunday morning was reserved for a trip around the Hacienda and the mill and maybe golf for some of the parents and later a picnic-lunch on Uncle Tony’s Island . Return to Manila after lunch. I am afraid this will have to remain as one of the many dreams I had in Laur.

Our future has suddenly become uncertain and our fate unknown. I am even now beginning to doubt whether I’ll ever be able to return to you and the family. Hence, I would like to ask you these special favors.

Love your mother, whose love for you, you will never be able to match. She is not the greatest mother in the world, she is your sincerest friend.
Take care of your younger sisters and brother and lavish them with the love and care I would like to continue giving them but am unable to do so.
Help Noy-noy along and pray hard that he will grow to be a real, responsible man who in later years will protect you all.

You are the model for your three younger sisters. Your responsibility is therefore great. Please endeavor to live up to our highest expectations. Be more tolerant to Pinky, more accessible to Viel, our little genius-princess, and more charitable to Krissy, our baby doll, and make up for my neglect.
Finally, forgive me, my love, for not having been an ideal, good and thoughtful father to you all as I pursued public office. I had hopes and high resolve of making up, but I am afraid my destiny will not oblige.

I seal this letter with a drop of tear and a prayer in my heart, that somehow, somewhere we shall meet again and I will finally be able to make up for all my lapses, in the kingdom where justice reigns supreme and love is eternal.

I love you,
Dad

Our kiddo's magazine debut.

I'm out of words so...

  "We Will Rock You, the musical by Queen and Ben Elton, UK’s most successful comic writer, is an electrifying show that’s guaranteed to blow your mind and is set to rock Singapore from 28 March 2008 at the Esplanade Theatre.

Now in its 6th year on London’s West End, where it continues to play to packed houses, We Will Rock You has captivated 6 million theatre-goers around the world from London to Las Vegas, Toronto to Tokyo and beyond.

We Will Rock You is an enormous multi-million dollar musical featuring stunning costumes, sets and lighting. The talented international cast includes New Zealand’s pop princess Annie Crummer as the Killer Queen and “Rock Star INXS” finalist MiG Ayesa, who reprises his West End success, in the starring role of Galileo.

We Will Rock You is not a Queen tribute but a “rock musical’ featuring 26 of Queen’s legendary hits including “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Are The Champions”, “Killer Queen”, “Another One Bites The Dust” and “This Crazy Little Thing Called Love”.

We Will Rock You delivers a show that reflects the scale and spectacle that marked Queen’s live performances and earned the band its pinnacle position in rock history."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can't, can't, can't wait! (...to see Mig Ayesa! )

The hubbs found this link. An ode to Narra Residence of Hall of some sort. Read on...

http://meloinks.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/2007/10/narra_in_narra_.html

Just highlight all the things you’ve done in your life….go, go, go…

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said ‘I love you’ and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game <-- Is horse race a huge sports event? F1?
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope.
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe <-- Just went. And I didn't bring a backpack. hahaha
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing (in a wall in Pasig)
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland <-- Hanggang Scotland lang.
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married <--- YES!!!
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest <--2nd. Molave Res. Hall's Breakthrough fashion show. Charing!
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo <-- Henna lang.
81. Rafted the Snake River <-- In Wild Wadi, yes!
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house<-- Land, yes!
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (Yep, here we go again!!!)
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery <-- I want to. Just to fixed my broken eyebrow)
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray (not the dangerous ones in Underwater World)
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol. (and a bow and arrow, too!)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach - in Bio 11 class
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey - parts of both, yes
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions (90%)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair (every year during high school and once or twice during college fairs)
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head (with half an inch left…yes)
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away 

Next to Seasons of Love, this is my favorite track in the Rent Album. Right now, I live by the words: "No day but Today".)

There Is No Future - There Is No Past

Thank God This Moment's Not The Last

There's Only Us
There's Only This
Forget Regret Or Life Is Yours To Miss

No Other Road No Other Way
No Day But Today

I Can't Control - Will I Lose My Dignity
My Destiny - Will Someone Care
I Trust My Soul - Will I Wake Tomorrow
My Only Goal - From
Is Just To Be - This Nightmare
Without You - There's Only
The Hand Gropes - Now... There's Only
The Ear Hears - Here... Give In To
The Pulse Beats - Love... Or Live In
Life Goes On - Fear... No Other
But I'm Gone - Path... No Other
Cause I Die - Way... No Day
Without You - But Today
I Die Without You - No Day But Today
I Die Without You - No Day But Today
I Die Without You - No Day But Today
I Die Without You - No Day But Today
I Die Without You - No Day But Today

No Day But Today

 

1. AED 1 (Dhs.) = 15 Pesos.  Not bad compared to the Peso versus the US Dollar.  Wait ‘til you eat a BigMac meal for 16 Dhs.
2. UAE is made up of 7 Emirates namely: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah. Fujeirah, etc…
3. The man made palm islands you often see in forwarded *.ppt messages is for real.  And guess what?  There are 3 being made: Jebel Ali, Jumeirah, and Deira.
4. Aside from wearing black veils in their faces, some local women/wives wear something metal-ish in their faces, just beneath these veils.
5. Local women, underneath their black veils and frocks, wear all the designer clothes, shoes, accessories, and hell! even underwear! they want.
6. Dubai is the REAL open city.  Check out the Russian and British women parading in their next-to-nothing clothes.
7. Muslim men kiss cheek to cheek as a sign of greeting.
8. Men here in the UAE know how to party!  They hit the dance floor and dance like there is no tomorrow!
9. There are no cold cuts here!!!
10. Pierre Cardin and Givenchy are “Halal-certified”. Tee hee.
11. Red Bull is something you drink in a bar.  On the rocks. Gawd!
12. Drum-type washing machines are so much easier to work with than upright ones.
13. Almost all the houses here have centralized air conditioning and water heaters.
14. There is only one cellphone network.  Etisalat.
15. A sim card is more expensive than a DVD player.  It costs 165 Dhs.  You can get a DVD player for as low as 150 Dhs.
16. There are 15 Round Abouts from the Al Ain entrance to the front of the building I’m staying.  Imagine how many there are in the whole UAE.
17. There is apparently no water shortage here.  Everywhere you go, you will see fountains or man made waterfalls.
18. You will find the tallest flagpole in the world in Abu Dhabi.
19. If Deira City Centre is to Shangri-la, Burjuman is to…err…Nordstrom?  Yup! It is that high end! The place even has a Saks Fifth Avenue!
20. A subway here does not have trains.  It’s an underground pedestrian passage.
21. Robed women do not want us, Filipinas, to sit beside them in public transportation.  Likewise, my dears.
22. A lot of establishments are closed from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
23. “Eid” is their equivalent to our New Year celebration.  Theirs lasts for a week.
24. A newspaper section called “Appointments” is where you can find jobs.
25. In fastfood chains, they call French fries “chips”. 

On this day, I resigned as Greenwich Pizza Corporation's Research and Development Specialist. 

'twas an ordinary day but ended up extraordinary for me.  Fin'lly, I'm free!  I should drink to this new found freedom soon.  Yep, before I leave.  Cheers! 

The U.P. system is the premiere educational institution in the Philippines.
Kahit kaninong Pilipino nyo itanong, sasabihin na UP ang numero unong unibersidad sa 'Pinas.

Yung mga nagsasabing hindi UP ang number one, mga in denial. Di nila matanggap ang laki ng pagitan ng UP sa iskwelahan nila. Yung iba naman mga bitter, hindi pumasa sa UPCAT kaya naninira--cheap daw ang U.P., Jologs ang U.P. (jolog: Gaudy, unelegant, without refinement in taste), magulo at delikado raw sa U.P., never daw nilang naisipang mag-aral sa U.P., pero deep inside U.P. ang dream school nila. Sabi nila, ito ang breeding ground ng mga future leaders ng Pinas - pati na rin mga future rebels.

Sa U.P. mo makikita ang lahat ng klase ng tao. It's the "REAL WORLD" daw e--lalake, babae, binabae, tibo, tomboy, alanganin, syoke, mayaman, mahirap, jolog, sosyal, kristiyano, muslim, pagano, satanista, tarantado, sira ulo, basagulero, siga, duwag,
'langhiya, nerdoks, geeks, macho, sexy, payatot, maganda, guwapo, panget, manyak, birhen, liberated, conservative, maginoo, bastos, peste, magnanakaw, manggagancho, mamamatay-tao, etc. etc. etc!

Dito mo rin makikita ang pinakamaraming fraternities - APO, S.J., Sigma Rho, Alpha Sigma, Pi Sigma, TOM, Mu, Sigma Phi, Upsilon, Downsilon, Rightsilon, Leftsilon, Babaylan, Alpha Phi Chupapi, etc.

Name it at meron ang U.P. Pati na rin ang source ng lahat ng masasarap na pagkain na makukuhanan ng sakit--fishballs, squidballs, kikiam, isaw, A.D.I.D.A.S (paa ng manok), bilog, tenga, balun-alunan, kwek-kwek, Mang Jimmys, Rodics, Beachhouse, at ang ever famous CASAA - na ngayon ay downloadan na ng mga mp3, at mpeg na bomba.

Kung ikukumpara mo sa mga ibang schools, sa U.P. mo makikita ang pinakabulok na systema kapag registration (ooops, may CRS na pala--copuntrzd regtrn) at ang pinaka mahihirap at mahahabang subjects. U.P. System ang tawag dahil maraming campuses all over the Philippines. Nandyan ang U.P.Diliman, ang pinakamalaking school sa Pilipinas.

Sa sunken garden maraming milagrong nagyayari tuwing gabi.

Sa sobrang laki pa ng campus, pwede kang magtayo ng house and lot at di ka pa masisita ng admin.

Sa U.P. Manila, nagkalat ang mga konyito at konyita. Airconditioned pa daw ang classrooms nila! Pampered! Andun ang pinakasosyal na UP building, ang UP
Robinsons (Robinsons Mall). Nandoon din ang P.G.H., kaya kahit masaksak ka habang nag-aabang ng jeep kapag ginabi sa pag-uwi, o isa kang binabae na nabugbog dahil nahuli kang naghihipo sa sinehan sa Robinsons, o mamamatay-tao at hindi callboy ang napick-up mo sa may PWU, malamang ay mabubuhay ka pa.

Sa U.P. Baguio, para kang nagbabakasyon while studying. Malamig all year round, kaya marami ang laging may kayakap tuwing gabi. Familiar din ito sa mga Jolina Fans dahil dito shinoot ang isa sa mga super duper kilig movies nila ni Marvin.

Sa U.P. Los Banos, para sa mga gusto nang kumawala sa parents! Liblib na lugar, you can do what you never got to do when those parents are around! Ayos para sa mga nature lovers dahil bundok ang nasa likuran. Ayos din para sa mga nag-iinit na mga lovers, marami kasing talahiban.

Meron ding U.P. Visayas at U.P. Mindanao, para sa mga sawa na sa Luzon. And of course ang pinaka-underrated na branch, ang P.U.P.? or Philippine University of the Philippines, for short. (wahahahaha)

Meron ding mga hoping maging U.P-- nandyan ang UST or UP Sana Tayo, DLSU-di Lusot sa UP, at and ADMU (Ateneo de Manila Univ)-Ayaw Daw Mag-UP.

Hindi mo talaga makakalimutan ang buhay mo sa U.P. It's unique and one of a kind.

Unforgettable para sa akin yung oblation run na dinadayo pa ng taga ibang school, pati na ng mga tigang na foreigners, mga bakla, at mga kolehiyalang taga all girls school na akala mo mga inosente kapag nagtilian. First time nakakakita ng birdies ang
mga virgin kuno (meron ako narinig, in a very coño accent: "ay why is that they look like sausagues, wat?!? wahahahaha), nagpapapiyesta ang babaylan, labasan din ng mga video cameras ang mga gurang at mga walang asawang teachers at librarians, at tuwang-tuwa ang ibang mga lalaki dahil mas malaki pala ang mga alaga nila.

Laging nasa headlines ang UP! Dahil sa mga rally, sikat na alumni, at dahil na rin sa mga krimen na nangyayari all around campus. Naka-witness ako ng binaril sa A.S. walk.

Napaka-memorable din sa akin yung teacher ko sa KAS-I na hinarass at hinipuan ako sa cubicle nya. May kilala rin akong badaf na titser na nagbigay ng indecent proposal sa machong-macho at very papable kong kaklase, "Hoy Mr. ___, bumabagsak ka na. Kwarto o
kwatro??"

Ang saya-saya talaga dito sa iskul natin! Taun-taon ay hindi nauubusan ng events ang U.P. Meron tayong yearly fair na ginagawa tuwing February, concerts like Elvis and Maskipaps, ang nabanggit nang Oblation Run and Lantern Parade tuwing December, ang pagpapaulan ng libreng condoms tuwing World Aids Day, pagpapa-premiere ng mga uncut versions ng bomba movies sa Film Center, halos araw-raw na mga rally, rumble ng Upsilon at Sigma Rho every month, at orgy ng babaylan every weekends. Kaya masasabi nating napaka aktibo ng eskwelahang ito.

Sa kabila ng lahat ng ito, nangunguna sa kahit anong bagay ang mga nag-aral sa U.P. Siguro dahil sa pinagdaanan nila sa eskwelahang ito naging mga !@#$ at street smart ang mga Isko at Iska. Kaya hindi mo mauutakan ang mga yan. Survival of the Fittest,
'ika nga, kaya kapag gumraduate ka sa U.P., you are ready for the real world. Angat ka talaga sa iba. Sa kahit anong field, mapa showbiz, politics, business, rebellion, etc. nangunguna ang mga taga UP! Mga bitter lang ang di makatanggap ng fact na yan.

Kaya sa lahat ng mga Isko, wherever you are (nangungurakot na pulitiko sa kongreso, namundok na kasama ang mga NPA), whatever you do (walang trabaho, director, producer, artista, model, singer, rebelde, tindera, doctor, abogado, mangingisda, magsasaka, magnanakaw, swindler, estafadora, congressman, presidente ng pinas etc.) saludo ako sa inyo!


Itaas ang bandila ni oble at ng buong UP System! U.P. da best!
MABUHAY ANG MGA ISKO AT ISKA NG BAYAN!

*Disclaimer: This entry was directly lifted from another blog of another UP student.  Therefore, I am not taking credit for this.  I just find it amusing and thus, decided to post it here for all the world to read. Merci Beaucoup.