Parallelism of Weddings and Wakes

	Wedding	Wake
Economic Purpose	Basically an Economic Union of two bank accounts	Basically consists of the pooling of all the family’s (conjugal and extended) resources to meet the expenses and provide the surviving family with money especially if the deceased is the only income earner
Costly	An ok wedding in the city would cost not less than 50,000 pesos (catering, cake, gown rental, car rental, tokens, etc.) Of course, you can have a wedding for a lesser cost but it would take the cooperation and skills of your entire clan to do the cooking, gown tailoring and other preparations.	A descent wake and burial would also cost not less than 50,000 pesos (casket not made out of mere thin wood with varnishing and a little design or trimmings, payment at the funeral home) A wake and burial could also cost less but the cheapest commercially produced casket costs 5,000 pesos and the family should have room in the house for the wake
Social Purpose	The ceremony and the reception draw family members, friends, workmates, neighbors, politicians and even strangers to join the festivities.	The wake and burial draw relatives, friends and foe, creditors, politicians, gamblers, and strangers to achieve their specific interests.
All About Appearances	Often (more than we dare to accept), weddings are done to save face, gain honor, merge with a wealthier family, or for convenience.	Wakes occur and often prolonged to gain as much money from hosting gambling operations or to draw pity and receive help.
Highly Commercialized	The heightened commercialization of weddings has made wedding businesses a booming sector.	Even wakes now have themes, much like a birthday party, and have become a show of economic status.
Highly Evolved Representations	Weddings no longer have a strong bearing on family building and God-centered lifestyle.	Wakes have transcended the purpose of grieving, acceptance and letting go to become interest-centered activities.
The point really is that these reflect how we have become as a society. If you do not agree with me then prove me wrong. I would very much like to know that what I have mentioned are the exceptions and not the general rules.

Havianas Craze

I developed interest in trendy tsinelas since summer never ended for me except for the occassional rains. I searched auction.ph for tsinelas on sale and found myself looking at this black simple but elegant looking tsinelas. The regular price is 1, 200 pesos but you can have it at the discounted price of 800 pesos.

I also found another pair of Havaianas tsinelas. Its brown with a dragon print in gold. I adore this pair because it fits my fascination for dragons, my favorite mythical creatures. You can buy this pair for 1,250 pesos.

You may be thinking, how can rubber slippers cost so much? The answer is the quality of the rubber used. Its soft and not prone to stains. Another answer is the creativity involved in the designs. Another practical answer is the advertising value of the brand since Havaianas tsinelas have been spotted in Hollywood and fashion shows. If you have the money, Havaianas tsinelas makes good investment on grounds of functionality and fashionability.

Check out more Havaianas designs at auction.ph or havainas.com.

Globe Load Expiration Problems

I used to load Globe prepaid card worth 300 pesos for several reasons. One, the expiration date is after two months or 60 days. Second, I earn an added 35 free text. Slow down in text frequency made me opt for loading only when I need to reply to texts or make calls. In the past two weeks, I load 15 pesos twice a week. A 15 pesos load should last for at least 1 day or 24 hours and forfeited in favour of Globe if unused. Recently, I observed that my load does not even last a day. After a nights sleep of around 6 hours, I wake up not having any load left. This has been happening to me in the past to weeks.

I heard from an officemate that he also experienced the same thing. In his case, he received more than 200 texts as Globe’s rewards since he frequently loads big amounts to his Globe number. The next day, he checked his account and the Globe reward texts already expired including at least 60 pesos of his load. He called Globe customer service and they said there have been early expiration problems covering around 5,000 Globe subscribers. Reporting the problem would increase the chances of recovering the amount but this involves a long and tedious process.

Sounds like there are only two options, wait and hope or move on. However, this should not be the case. In the first place, the early load expiration problem should not have happened or this should have been fixed immediately. As in any advocacy, maybe a concerted action such as a barrage of calls would pressure Globe to fix the problem. Globe’s customer care number is 211.

Another Roadblock for Human Rights

September 21 marks the eve of the declaration of martial. In keeping with their commitment to remain vigilant in fighting for the respect of human rights, producers and directors made the Indie film "Rights", a compilation of a number of short films representing various views of the state of human rights in the Philippines. The film premieres in Robinson's Galleria on September 21 as part of the IndieSine.

Today, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) gave the film an X rating with the explanation that the film is unfair, one-sided, and challenges public faith in the Philippine government making the film unfit for general viewing.

Naturally, the filmmakers protested this rating. I support their cause. First, any film that encourages respect for human rights can never be unfair or one-sided. There is only one valid side in the issue of human rights and this is the respect for human rights or the advocacy against human rights violations. Second, the government is of the people, by the people and for the people. A government (or rather an administration) that disrespects the human rights of the people loses its legitimacy and does not deserve to govern.

Ink Refilling Bugger

I own a Hewlett-Packard printer, the All-in-one version with printing, scanning and photocopy options. The price of the printer itself is affordable. However, the price of a new ink cartridge if you've dried up every tint in your original ink cartridge is worth more than 1,000 pesos. This means that after buying six cartridges, you've spent the purchase price of the printer itself.

I decided to try the ink refill stations. The most advertized ink refill station in the country is the company endorsed by the girlfriend of Jericho Rosales. The thing with ink refilling is that they remove the sticker of the original manufacturer, inject the ink inside the containers, and replace the sticker with their own. After two refills with this company, I rarely used my printer so it took a several months before requiring a new refill. When I brought the ink cartridge to the same ink refilling company, the person who entertained me told me that they do not refill unoriginal cartidges. She made the remark because of the sticker, which she surprisingly did not recognize as their sticker. I went to another branch and they told me the same thing.

At home, I looked-up the website of the company to learn about this weird policy. I texted my concern to the number given and they said that the company "does not refill replacement cartridges because they cannot guarantee the quality of the refilled ink cartridge.

One would think that at least the company is concerned with quality. . . but so are the other ink refill businesses. If their issue is ensuring quality, then they could have assessed the condition of the cartridge and not the sticker alone. After inquiries, I learned that the company is retailing ink cartridges, those worth more than 1,000 pesos.

The implication of the policy is that after your first refill with the original sticker replaced, you have to buy a new cartridge, which they also retail for all printer brands. How's that for a revenue-focused business policy, which is impressive on the business side with disappointing on the consumer side.

A Call for Change in the Hazing Rights of Fraternities and Sororities

In the past few days, the death of a graduating college student of the University of Philippines in the Diliman campus spread through the news. The type and extent of physical injuries sustained by the college student and through the testimony of two attending physicians concluded the death of the student as excessive physical trauma due to hazing. It's a pity that another student with a promising future died due to the irresponsibility of the members of the fraternity he wanted to join. This is disturbing especially since this fraternity have renowned members in the Senate and other positions of power.

What does this say about the fraternity and its members? Some would say that joining a fraternity necessarily involves hazing and the decision is made by choice. If a person knows that he or she cannot handle hazing but insists on joining anyway, then the fraternity should not be responsible for any untoward incidents. While it is true that joining is by choice, a fraternity with this perception negates the purpose of fraternities of practicing accountability to themselves and to their brothers and sisters.

What is hazing anyway? This involves physical and mental tests, the accomplishment of which initiates the applicant to the group. Tests constitute the bond among the group members in experiencing and hurdling the same tests. The intensity of physical and mental tests depend upon the tradition of fraternities and sororities. For most, the unassuming paddle used to navigate boats became the symbol of physical pain expressed through varying shades of red, purple, blue and black on your skin just even after a number of hits. Mental tests can range from decision-making, commitment and even to humiliation.

Based on the decription of hazing and the purpose it serves, does this include risking the lives of applicants. The answer would definitely no. Even if extreme physical and mental difficulties are justified as testing the limits of potential group members, no fraternity or sorority is worth the sacrifice of life. Even the grandest benefits that fraternities and sororities offer cannot outweigh the value of life.

I call for the exercise of accountability for the deaths of students through hazing. Fraternities and sororities need to step back from the culture of complacence and violence and re-assess their original purpose. CHANGE is NEEDED NOW.

Angel Locsin and GMA Network Squabble: An Example of Conflict of Interest

Two months ago, showbiz news in the Philippines picked-up the possible transfer of Angel Locsin, A GMA Network star to the other competing network ABS-CBN. Since then the news never stopped, except for the Gretchen-Gary & Ruffa-Ylmaz issues that dominated showbiz news for a number of weeks. Oh by the way, the Ruffa-Ylmaz issue is still on-going. Then in August, Wilma Galvante, an executive officer of GMA Network expressed on television her sentiments on the sudden and undue decision of Angel Locsin, together with her manager Becky Aguila and father Angel Colmenares, to leave the network. The term 'ingrata' or ungrateful pertained to Angel Locsin leaving GMA after the network made her a star through various prime time and high rating shows, with the exception of her last show, Asian Treasures that did not gain as much viewers as her other fanta-seryes. I have to admit that I did not follow Asian Treasures because there was just no chemistry between the lead actors.

In response, Becky Aguila and Angel Colmenares agreed to interviews by ABS-CBN where they explained that they are negotiating with ABS-CBN for a contract and this was with the knowledge of GMA Network since Angel Locsin no longer renewed her contract. Angel Locsin who was then in London to study fashion was also interviewed where she explained her side.

Angel is Angel and she has built a good public reputation that cannot be tainted by calling her 'ingrata' even if this was indirectly expressed by an executive officer of GMA Network.

After this exchange of comments and responses, a new issue came out, a spreading sex video allegedly involving Angel Locsin with a Japanese national. This was again followed by news that Angel Locsin's schooling in London was funded by a patron (DOM). As if this was not enough, Angel Locsin was also rumored to have undergone abortion.

The barrage of black propaganda against Angel Locsin causes one to presume that a demolition job is being implemented against her after her party announced the definite contract signing with ABS-CBN.

Looking back, the actions and reactions of the parties involved, expressed conflict of interest. GMA Network previously had a talent management contract with Angel Locsin and her manager. This means that Angel has two managers expecting cuts from her show and movie earnings, GMA Talent Center and Becky Aguila. Angel Locsin is becoming adept in business management and realized that having two managers is not necessary so she did not renew her co-management contract with the network. GMA Network realized that its most popular talent is trying to spread her wings by engaging in production on her own, to the exclusion of the network. Since the network does not stand to gain from this, they did not support Angel's first movie production 'Angels'. So from here the bitterness continued until Angel decided to try her luck in ABS-CBN.

Showbusiness is still business with an artistic flare. Business interests determined the decisions made and actions taken. After all the ruckus there should no hard feelings between Angel's camp and GMA Network. Business is just business.

Living and Loving: Some Helpful Rules

WARNING: THESE RULES DO NOT APPLY TO MASOCHISTS, PSEUDO MASOCHISTS, SCHIZOPHRENICS, PSEUDO SCHIZOPHRENICS, MINDLESS AND PSEUDO MINDLESS INDIVIDUALS.

Love is too complicated so there is no point in debating it. More likely than not parties will never find a common ground for discussions. Nevertheless, there are rules to help people make sense of the chaos that love brings. ; p

First Rule: Acknowledge that love is complicated. Never for a second fool yourself into thinking that love can ever be simple.

Second Rule: Know who you are as an individual before getting into a relationship. If you are at a stage where you still don't know who you are, chances are you'll bum yourself through the relationship until you lose interest.

Third Rule: Agree on mutual boundaries and limits. This will save you the trouble of wasting energy on senseless quarrels. Nobody wants to develop pimples or wrinkles from the stress of anger.

Fourth Rule: Know your partner. If you are not interested in knowing the good and bad sides of your partner, then what's the point in engaging in the relationship. You might want to think about ending the relationship for the sake of giving your partner the chance to find the person he/she deserves. If your life revolves around you, being single could be blissful.

Fifth Rule: Enjoy each other's company. Relish the relationship. If you are not at all happy even at the start of the relationship, you were probably fooled, conned or threatened to get into the relationship. If so, get out Right Now or call for help (Bantay Bata Hotline is 163, Police Emergency Number is 117). If you become unhappy in the course of the relationship, find the cause to raise the probability of saving the relationship.

These are just basic rules I personally learned from the experience of loving and living. This sounds cliche but hey these rules work. I refuse to say more. There's nothing more to say anyway.

I wish you all the best guyz!

Sentiments of a Gal with Wide Feet

I have big or rather wide feet! I say this because I find it hard to find shoes, which I like that fit comfortably. I am a size 7. However, when I try on shoes, I end up facing the decision to purchase a size 8, 9 or even 10 just so the shoes can accommodate my wide feet but at the disadvantage of having that extra length. If I do decide to buy the bigger sized shoes, I take the risk of tripping or losing the aesthetic value of the shoes.

My professor in college said that wide feet and splayed toes may have an anthropological basis. In the highlands, where people engage in farming by terracing the mountainside, they had to use their feet to brace themselves in navigating the muddy mountainside to prevent slipping or falling. In the context of evolution, the body has a way of adopting to the environment. As the years pass, people developed wider feet and splayed toes to make it easier to climb the muddy mountain side while tilling or planting rice, fruits and vegetables. This genetic adaptation then became transmitted to the succeeding generations. As you might have guessed, I am belong to the succeeding generation of Igorots. If this is the case, then I can't do anything to change this physical characteristic except perhaps through an operation, which I am not willing to take.

Meanwhile, I have to go around this trait. This means preferring open shoes or sandals that let my feet breath. Recently, I purchased these purty (pretty) sandals or tsinelas from a supermart. The design and color caught my attention. I grabbed a size that looks wide enough and surely it did. It costs $2 (100 pesos). You can find similar items for the same or cheaper prices in other stores. Its really very pretty and it does not make my feet look that big (although they still look big : )

Another means of dealing with this problem is to find double wide shoe stores online, unless you can find such stores in Philippine malls.

You can also try shoe brands selling soft leather shoes such as Hush Puppies and Naturalizer, go for cloth-made shoes, or find your own pretty tsinelas.

Don't forget to inform me if you find shoe stores or brands that accommodate people with wide feet... Thanks! Ciao!