•          Vision of eyes normalized a bit; i guess the blur was just due to ‘puyat.’ HOWEVER, I badly strained my neck over the weekend.  Something just snapped at the left side of my neck. Excruciating pain! Thank goodness Pfizer’s wonder drug relaxed the muscle spasm and normalized the condition a bit. Medical friends said I must be lacking exercises/stretching. Kinda hard to believe ‘coz I had been stretching (not overly and the types I’ve been doing ever since TaeKwonDo days) and jogging the past three days immediately prior the incident. See how tough it is for me to be healthy?!

•          Kris and I are joining a very big contest.  Worked hard over the weekend for our entry (along with Rosanne and Mr. H. — thank you so much for your help!!!). Keeping our fingers crossed!  Hehehe, joining contests now seem to be getting our hobby.  Seen the entries that won consolation prizes at the Swatch’s-Year-of-the-Dog-Photo-Contest (published in the Philippine Star early this month) :p?

•          Watched Memoirs of a Geisha.  T’was good.  2.5 hours in length.  However, I’m really bothered and irritated with the cinema goers and maintenance people at G4.  Again, after the movie, trash is left strewn all over the floor/cup holders and nobody bothers to clean up (actually, even without the maintenance people, everyone should be responsible to clean up after themselves)! Que horor!

•          Aside. Last Friday and Saturday, I’ve received SMS invites to join the rally in Makati.  I respect the beliefs and stand of those who are opposing PGMA and her Proclamation of State of Emergency.  But the SMS invites I received are kinda personally offensive: “Don’t be sosi Ateneo Law! Join the rally in Makati!  Gloria Hitler! Dictador! Bruha! Free Guevarra!  Free David!  Free Hontiveros!  Celebrate EDSA!”  The first line was so presumptuous and negatively avers that we are “sosi.”  Yes, we studied/are in Rockwell; but that does not necessarily mean we are immediately “sosi” already. Yes, we are Ateneans; but that too is not synonymous to “sosi-ness.”  The source of the SMS should take note that not all Ateneans come from the upper bracket of society nor do all Ateneans act indifferently regarding our country’s socio-economic and political issues.  In fact, the “sosi” Ateneans the SMS referred to rallied against the Marcos dictatorship 20 years ago.  Some even became political prisoners then! On the other hand, even without SMS invites in 2001, a whole lot of us rallied to EDSA clamoring for the ouster of  Erap (after some intellectual deliberations with Father Bernas, we immediately marched to the EDSA shrine all the way from Rockwell).  Oh well, don’t mind me anyway as this is just an aside lang from all of these political turmoils our country is having. 

•          Another aside, the statement of the Governor of Leyte kinda hit some chords last Friday.  She said her province really feels bad with the people of Metro Manila.  Each day is a day of survival for them, yet we in the NCR do not seem to care anymore and just added more problems for/diverted the focus of the country during the weekend. The international community are exerting so much effort to help them; however they now can’t expect the same assistance with the Filipinos from NCR as everyone seems to have shifted their attention to politics than their basic human needs.   

•          Last aside, one of the questions in the September 2005 bar exams asked what are the effects of the declaration of a State of Emergency.  Now we know…and soon, the Supreme Court might even have a definition and set the legal parameters of so.  One thing is for certain though, those who answered that “DECS/CHED declares the suspension of classes”  is totally correct!

• Alumni Holy Week Triduum Retreat

http://www.ateneo.edu/?p=120&type=2&sec=38&aid=2158

Take the time off from the busy life
    and experience the grace of peaceful rest…
Listen to your heart’s deepest longings
    and be one with the sacred…
Enter the central mysteries of our Faith
    through liturgy, prayer, Scripture, silence and solitude…

Join the Alumni Holy Week Triduum Retreat

April 13–15, 2006
Escaler Hall, Science Education Complex (SEC), Loyola Heights Campus

Sign-up is already on-going.
Deadline for registration is on March 24, 2006.
A non-refundable 30% downpayment is required upon registration.

For reservations and inquiries, kindly contact:
Ms. Florie Castro or Ms. Jeng Manglallan
Office of University Development & Alumni Relations
Room 213 2/F Xavier Hall, Ateneo de Manila University
Tel Number: (63-2) 426-6081 & 82
Fax Number: (63-2) 426-6080
E-mail: alumni@admu.edu.ph

• Holy Week Triduum Recollection & Services at the Ateneo Professional Schools

http://www.ateneo.edu/?p=120&type=2&sec=38&aid=2183

An Invitation to spend Holy Week in prayer and recollection.

HOLY WEEK TRIDUUM
Recollections and Services

Chapel of St. Thomas More
Ateneo Professional Schools
Rockwell Center, Makati City

Holy Thursday (April 13, 2006)

9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Recollection
Speaker: Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Patrick Huang, SJ, Provincial, Phil. Province of Society of Jesus

5:00 pm.
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Presider: Fr. Lito A. Mangulabnan, SJ

Good Friday (April 14, 2006)

9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Recollection
Speaker: Fr. Ari Dy, SJ, Director, Jesuit Communications Foundation & Ateneo Loyola Schools Chinese Studies Program

3:00 pm
The Lord’s Passion
Presider: Fr. Manuel Perez, SJ

Holy Saturday (April 15, 2006)

9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Recollection
Speaker: Fr. Catalino G. Arevalo, SJ, Professor Emeritus, Loyola School of Theology

8:00 pm
Easter Vigil Services
Presider: Fr. Ari Dy, SJ

We invite our alumni, friends, relatives and benefactors to join us.
Admission to the Holy Week Triduum Recollections is free.

For inquiries/questions, please proceed to the APS CMO or Chaplain’s Office (ground floor) or call 729-2003 local 2120 or 2116.

•     Late night with friends last night.  Tough to get up from bed this morning. Tougher still that my eyes aren’t that cooperative — not only are they sleepy, but they are sooooo bleary as well!  Despite my eyeglasses, I can hardly see anything clearly (like I’m not wearing any glasses at all).  Heck, my vision of the letters I’m typing  is that of them overlapping one another. It’s a wonder I got to drive all the way to the office!

•    As always, I watch a bit of the news before I leave the house for the office. Both of the giant local TV networks were reporting about the situation in Camp Crame,  Fort Bonifacio, and Malacañan.  Sigh, gulo na naman… I then went my usual way, thinking that the Service Road route might have more traffic this morning due to the situation in Nichols.  However, I was dead wrong.  The heavy traffic was also along Roxas Boulevard!  The cause:  a parade of sorts in front of CCP, thereby all vehicles heading towards Vito Cruz were re-routed through CCP complex.  Aaaaaaarg!  Not even a single warning sign (I gave up, went back to Buendia and passed through Taft).  Dang, I was thus super late in the office today! Aside, according to Betty, traffic along the Service Road was not that bad naman. hay!

•     I jogged the past two days and in both occasions, I felt massive heartburns. Ang hirap talaga maging healthy!

•     Betty and I just watched Ever After.  Super ka-kilig! J What a break from the friggin things happening right now. 

Ways to Donate to the Philippine National Red Cross

For the Southern Leyte Disaster

1.  By Cash

The PNRC staff may pick up cash donations or donors may donate to the PNRC personally.   Cash donations can also be deposited through any of the following bank accounts listed below:

            1.  Peso Account

                 Bank:   Metro Bank, Port Area Branch

                 Account Name:    The Philippine National Red Cross

                 Account No.:   SA 3-041-63122-8

                 Bank:   Metro Bank, Port Area Branch

                 Account Name:   PNRC – Southern Leyte Relief Operations

                 Account No.: SA 151-3-15151391-4

            2.  Dollar Account

                 Bank:   Metro Bank, Port Area Branch, Manila, Philippines

                 Account Name:   The Philippine National Red Cross

                Account No.:   SA 2-151-00218-2

                Swift Code: MBTC PHMM

                 Bank:   Bank of the Philippine Islands, UN Branch, Manila, Philippines

                 Account Name:   The Philippine National Red Cross

                 Account No.:   SA 8114-00309-4

II.  By Check

      All checks must be payable to the Philippine National Red Cross and can be either delivered to PNRC National Headquarters or picked by a PNRC authorized representative.

III.  In-Kind

      We will appreciate if donations in kind are in good condition; and are not expired and damaged to make our rescue and relief efforts more efficient and effective.    Donations in kind can be delivered to the PNRC National Headquarters or can be arranged for pick up by our authorized representative.

IV.  Contact

For further inquiries, please contact the following:

             1. Ms. Gwendolyn Pang, Director of Fund Generation:

Mobile: +63 917 827 7421 or e-mail: gwenpang@redcross.org.ph

2. Ms. Charina Bognalbal, Membership and Fund Drive:

Mobile:  +63 917-805-7431 or e-mail: fundgen@redcross.org.ph

3.      Ms.   Edna Andales, Membership and Fund Drive

Mobile: +63 917-806-8523

4.      Fund Generation Department contact numbers:   

Ms. Annabelle Bartolome:   Telefax:   +63 2 525-5654

Ms. Julie Alemania:             Telefax:   +63 2 527 0575

       Ms. Thelma Aguilus:            Telefax:   +63 2 404-0979

Traffic!!!

1. Re-routing at SLEX on Monday to Wednesday next week, at 11pm to 4am due to DPWH flyover project in Sales Bridge area.

2. Re-routing along Ayala Avenue begins tomorrow at noon, in preparation for the wreath-laying ceremonies at the Ninoy Aquino Monument on February 25.

Calamities!!!

1. The landslides in Leyte has claimed 107 lives already (that’s the official count; but some say that the tally can go as high as 1000!).

2. The landslides in Indonesia has claimed 31 lives.

3. In Mexico, there are 65 miners trapped in deep coal shafts.

4. Alert Level 2 is up for the Mayon Volcano

TV!!!

1. American Idol is now down to 24 contestants (12 gals and 12 guys). So far I’ve got 5 fave girls already. We’ll see how the guys will fare tonight.

2. Two episodes in the new season of CSI….sooo captivating! Gosh, the issue about Nick Stokes is still not over.

•          I truly seldom read forwards, both in emails and in texts (sorry sa mga nag-se-send talaga!!!!). However, this morning, I’m glad I was not in my automatic delete-mode. With my deplorable state of emotional balance, this SMS quote from Cala somehow helped me a bit to get back in my groove: Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.  So love the people who treat you right; forget about the ones who don’t; and believe that everything happens for a reason.

•          Recently, I feel bad/tampo over a petty matter, for the apparent non-appreciation of some things I’ve been doing, and for something I truly felt kinda ‘nabastos’ with. I was told by some friends that I should be the bigger person and understand those who do not see my point/efforts. Besides, I should be ‘sanay’ or be used to the ways of others already that I should just brush my feeling bad/tampo against them immediately aside.  Hmmm, despite some of the maturity I think I have, I still believe that disregarding my feelings and total acceptance of others’ shortcomings are not the real solutions.  One, it is quite unfair to me to just let things slide when there are some hurt emotions.  Two, being used to the ways of others is not an excuse or license to hurt/disregard another.  That shows lack of respect, care, and consideration to both my person and our friendship.  Three, both sides won’t learn each other’s mistakes that the same matters could again pose as a problem in the future.  But then again, if the other party won’t acknowledge or address my feel bad/tampo, then I could really do nothing anymore. As Kris puts it, “GANUN EH.” Oh well.

•          It was recently called to my attention that because of a mistake of someone, I have to remit some sum of money designated to me years ago.  Blast that mistake and how i came to know about it; feels like being pushed to the wall. Hay.  I miss having elders taking care of me and of all the things I now have to handle. 

A. For weeks now, i kinda feel soooooooo ugly (aesthetically).  Shallow as it may seem, but the comments I’ve been hearing weren’t that kind that they somewhat knocked off some of the very meager self-confidence I got. 

•          One, when I had my haircut, the girl who did the service suggested that I should try having treatments for my hair (hehehe, how un-girly of me, I forgot what the heck the stuff she mentioned).  I declined saying I’m in a hurry (I really am naman, but add the fact that I see them as waste of my strained finances at this point).  Then, she asked how about fixing my eyebrows (are they broken?!!).  No, thanks (I am in a hurry, I have hair follicle problems, and again waste of money).  Thank goodness my trim was over soon.

•          Two, in a questionnaire Kris and I had to answer, there is this question about what we don’t like about each other.  For lack of anything to put, Kris grudgingly (according to him) answered that i seldom ‘fix’ myself.  Ganun?  Ok, there is some truth in that answer; but I would like to explain that I do not exert efforts in ‘not fixing myself’ and that the term ‘fix’ pertains to acts beyond the usual hygienic rituals/basic grooming (trust me, I am very meticulous about those).  I do not ‘fix’ myself to the extent my other ‘girlash’ friends/cousins do because I am not used to.  Make-up and hanging out in salons weren’t familiar when i was growing up ‘coz I lived with my dad and bro.  Then, the times I had to use make-up (recitals, ball, grad pictorials), my face would just produce huge pimples!  Eeeew and ouchie!  Also, I think I subconsciously did not yearn for these aesthetic products/treatments because at an early age, I knew the value of money; thus, I’d rather expend my allowance on necessities or on books. Kinda absurd to ask money from my dad for those beauty things when I knew there were so many payables he had to attend to being a single parent and all. 

•          Three, a couple of my officemates were encouraging me to get rid of my eyeglasses ‘coz sayang daw eyes ko to hide behind them. Eh, I’m practically blind without my glasses eh.  I can’t do contact lens ‘coz I always get foreign objects (particularly my own eyelashes) in my eyes (Abel says getting ‘puwing’ is just nastily painful with contacts on — nge, katakot na); besides I think contacts are more expensive in the long run. 

•          Fourth, a couple of relatives are saying I’m so ‘taba’ these days. 

B. Congrats to Mel, AJ, and Chet for passing the February 2006 Medical Board Exams!

C. Get well soon, Kris!  That big gash from playing softball is just soooo freakin’ly nasty (hehehe)!

D.  I stand corrected (by Allan).  Michelle Kwan can still skate but not just as actively as before (like competing in the Olympics).  True enough, I heard from the news that she will be skating for Disney. 

E. Speaking of figure skating, grabe, sweep ng Russia ang gold sa Torino Winter Olympics!

F. I caught the start of the oral arguments on the petition for the declaration of  the unconstitutionality E.O. 464.  For four hours, the Supreme Court Justices grilled Senator Joker Arroyo on the Senate’s petition.  Grabe, his salary is truly worth our tax money!  I am not entirely favoring his arguments but I was awed with his reasoning and the way he withstood the intensive questioning of the Magistrates of the Highest Tribunal of the land. 

my bro referred the link below with regard to my allopurinol/gout queries.  interesting…check it out and be healthy!

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/202021.html

Our players need our support!

UAAP Men’s Baseball
Final 4 Game
Ateneo vs. UST, Sun, Feb 19, 8:30am, Rizal Memorial Coliseum
(#3 Ateneo beat #2 UST 12-5 on Thursday, Feb 16, setting up this last  playoff game with UST which enjoys a twice to beat advantage.)