Joni Ang

While waiting for my turn to vote at my precint, I downloaded the WordPress app for my Blackberry to try it on for size. Thanks to Smart’s BB daily package I’m able to do unlimited online stuff for only P30 per day. The package is perfect for when I’m out of town and want to stay connected via e-mail, Yahoo! Messenger, gTalk, Facebook, and Twitter. Ugh, whatta geek.

The election is taking way too long, but truth is, I’m happy to know more people today care about the Philippines to vote and be heard. I also believe that when one doesn’t pay for government taxes and refuse to vote, then he/she should have no say when expectations of the government are not met. I am so proud of my fellow Filipinos! Especially those who carefully thought out the candidates they’re going to vote and didn’t succumb to vote-buying (or ‘eeny meeny miny moe’).

While we’re waiting for our volunteer-friend at the precint to text us when our numbers are up (estimated waiting time up to 4 hours) my cousins and I are singing along to KTV and sipping buko juice. It doesn’t get any more “Filipino” than this. Haha.

God bless the Philippines!

(Let’s see if this post goes through.)

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The book “Eat, Pray, Love” is a memoir that chronicles the author’s trip to Italy, India, and Indonesia (Bali, specifically). “Eat” was interesting because it was all about Rome (Hello? It’s Italy!); “Pray”, which was about India, was just so-so since I couldn’t really relate to Hindu meditation practices; but the third part of the book was very captivating. Or at least it was for me.

On the plane three weeks ago, just before we landed in Bali, Indonesia, I was already at the “Love” part of the book, which is the third and final part. You have to read this excerpt:

Ah–I should have known. I should have known that I would have a 25 percent chance of guessing Mario’s real name. In Bali, if I may digress, there are only four names that the majority of the population give to their children, regardless of whether the baby is a boy or a girl. The names are Wayan (pronounced “Why-Ann”), Made (“mah-DAY”), Nyoman and Ketut. Translated, these names mean simply First, Second, Third and Fourth, and they connote birth order. If you have a fifth child, you start the name cycle all over again so that the fifth child is really known as something like: “Wayan to the Second Power.” And so forth. If you have twins, you name them in the order they came out. Because there are basically only four names in Bali (higher-caste elites have their own selection of names) it’s totally possible (indeed, quite common) that two Wayans would marry each other. And then their firstborn would be named, of course: Wayan.

After I read this, I almost laughed because, come on, it sounds ridiculous. BALINESE PEOPLE HAD ONLY 4 NAMES? ARE YOU SERIOUS?? I had to find out if this was true or not.

In the duration of our trip, I met four Balinese tour guides, and believe it or not, all four of them were named “Ketut,” which tells us that each of them is the fourth child in their respective families. I must have talked to two locals to confirm what I read in the book, and indeed it was true.

The guy on the left who let me drive a speedboat is named "Ketut". But he rather people call him "Philip Morris."

Our tour guide/driver during the Cultural Tour was also named "Ketut". This guy is so patient with us. He had to wait for us for hours because we never show up on time. Sir, our deepest apologies. We're on Filipino time.

Another "Ketut" guided us through the Belikah Temple, the biggest temple in Bali. At the end of the tour, I asked him if he had a Facebook account. He just looked at me quizzically.

"Ketut" #4, owner of a small boat and married to a Japanese woman, brought us out to sea to where the waves are. This one kept saying "Sorry, sorry, I know little English only."

I don’t know about you, but I find this fact really fascinating! It’s the first thing I tell people whenever I’m being asked about our Bali trip. These four Balinese names are not just nicknames. These are real formal names. One local even told me that it’s against the law if they don’t use these customary names on their birth certificates.

Aside from this, I also learned other OMGfacts-esque information about Bali thanks to Elizabeth Gilbert, author of “Eat, Pray, Love.” In all the places I’ve been to outside the Philippines, so far I got most interested in Bali and its people. How admirable of them to have preserved their culture this way despite the foreign influences and all the tourists roaming their little island everyday!

The newest group of Filipinos made happy by the island of Bali. Yes, we *had to* wear those sarongs otherwise they won't let us in the vicinity.

In Bali, my name would have been Nyoman, because I’m the third child in our family. What would have been yours?

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“Few religions are definite about the size of Heaven, but on the planet Earth the Book of Revelation (ch. XXI, v.16) gives it as a cube 12,000 furlongs on a side. This is somewhat less than 500,000,000,000,000,000,000 cubic feet. Even allowing that the Heavenly Host and other essential services take up at least two thirds of this space, this leaves about one million cubic feet of space for each human occupant – assuming that every creature that could be called ‘human’ is allowed in, and the the human race eventually totals a thousand times the numbers of humans alive up until now. This is such a generous amount of space that it suggests that room has also been provided for some alien races or – a happy thought – that pets are allowed.”

— Terry Pratchett (The Last Hero: A Discworld Fable)

A happy thought, indeed! I, for one, would love to see all my pets again.

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If you’re following the TV series, LOST, there’s no doubt you know who John Locke is. John Locke’s background is a sad one, which is why every time they feature his story in an episode my heart really goes out to him. I was even close to tears when he died in the series (but then he came back to life so yay). But why, do you ask, am I so affected by this John Locke character? The truth is, he reminds me of my father.

Obviously, Papa is not Caucasian – duh. I can’t explain what it is exactly but I find the lines, creases, and scruffy facial hair on John Locke’s face similar to Papa’s. They kinda have the same smile, too. I’m guessing they’re around the same age (mid 50s).

LOST is now back in circulation for the 6th and final season which means I’m gonna see more of John Locke. With that I can at least imagine my father walking and talking again. Hee. Creepy, huh.

It’s Papa’s first death anniversary today. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 365 days that he’s been away from us. Mama and I usually talk about how it feels like Papa is just away on vacation in Bacolod and that we’re waiting for him to come back any day now. I guess that’s our way of coping, but it doesn’t necessarily help us move forward. I trust that time will.

I still believe with all my heart that I’m gonna see him again.

See you soon, old man.

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In the Philippines, the “historical sites” we have are mostly Catholic churches. I’m not a Roman Catholic, but I do appreciate visiting old churches and learning their history. En route to Manila from a beach in Batangas on Bonifacio Day, we stopped by the largest church in the Philippines and in Asia located in Taal, Batangas. I was surprised when I peeked outside the car window, because I didn’t expect it to be that big!

The Taal Basilica was established in 1575 by the Augustinians, with San Martin de Tours as patron saint. Read what Wikipedia has to say about it. And apparently, it’s where Ogie Alcasid and Michelle van Eimeren got married in 1996. But we all know how that marriage ended.

Across the Taal Church are rows of heritage houses, also known as “Little Vigan”, because it’s second to Vigan in the quantity of heritage houses that were preserved since the Spanish Colonial Period.

You know those inscriptions hanging on the walls of churches, temples, or shrines? And those leaflets being passed around at tourist spots? I (try to) read them all. Knowing more about a place makes exploring it more real. It’s like adding colors to your imagination when you try to relive the significant events that occurred there years ago.

Our country may be tagged as one of the worst nations in the world because of our greedy political figures (and all the inhumane killings), but it’s good to be reminded that there are still beautiful things to see and experience here.

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I used to be some kind of a pack rat growing up, always insisting to keep things that have “sentimental value” even though I know I won’t find them necessary in the future. I would always think, “If I keep this item now, someday I’m gonna want to recall memories I’ve forgotten that are associated with it.” By the age of 21, I have collected lots of shoe boxes housing memorabilia and other miscellaneous stuff. You want thingamabobs? I’ve got twenty!

But when your life suddenly takes a turn (one that may involve leaving the house you grew up in and moving to a whole other island) you find yourself in a situation wherein you have to choose to either let go of the useless junk or take them with you. In my case, I let it all go. Because even in letting go of the useless junk, it somehow teaches you how to move on.

When I moved permanently to Manila, I’ve managed to hoard a whole new set of worthless crap. Because, really, old habits die hard. After a certain period of time, I again found myself stuck with too many unnecessary things (boxes, papers, clothes with stains or rips, worn-out shoes and slippers, old bags, hair clips, ribbons, paper bags, bottles of old lotion and cologne, receipts, containers of different sizes, key chains, jewelry boxes, scrunchies that have lost their elasticity, USB cables, incomplete set of crayons, pens with no ink, etc.) that I can’t seem to let go and are only causing clutter in my little world. I’ve moved apartments six times in the last four years, and every time I move, I always accumulate junk in boxes that I need to throw or give away. Disposing of these objects is kind of symbolic, you see. Saying goodbye to the old ways, and welcoming the new. I figured that if I don’t do it, I’m never gonna be able to declutter my life. Yes, my life. Because having a messy bedroom says a lot about a person! Lol.

Not that I’m not messy now. I still am. My apartment is a haven of disorderliness but I think I’m doing a whole lot better than before. And I have an easier time disposing of things now.

In fact, I sold two mobile phones this week that I no longer use. Before, this would be something that will stress me out because I hate letting go of personal things. But today it’s easier for me to do so. I don’t even have problems with the idea of selling my iPod Touch that’s only 7 months old.

I know that I’m just putting too much drama in this (haha), but I guess my point is, sometimes we reach a point wherein we feel that we’re actually stepping up one level in the maturity ladder while minimizing sentimentality a bit. More importantly, we are able to decide that we no longer want to be held back by our fear of losing personal possessions. If we can move on from little things, it won’t be long until we can move on from bigger things, in some cases, from people who were previously part of our lives.

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I just discovered a new favorite movie: August Rush. I know it’s not unusual that I gush about movies, but this time I’m turning up the gushing one more notch. August Rush is an absolutely beautiful movie.

I’ve had a copy of this 2007 film in my external HDD for a while now, but never got around to watching it (because I haven’t heard of it before and didn’t think it was anything special) until that night when I told myself I should sit through it. And I’m so glad I did!

If you look at the big picture, you’d see that the story is about an orphan boy who came looking for his mother and father whom he haven’t met yet. And he does eventually find them. But what makes this story unique is how he finds them. Or to be precise, how they find him.

Yet the story is not just about a boy whose one wish in the world is to be found, it is also about a mother who, after 11 years, still haven’t moved past the terrible experience of losing her baby. She lived her unhappy life trying to fill the void brought on by what she thought was a miscarriage. She later learns that her son is alive and sets off to find him.

The story is also about a father who, oblivious to the existence of a son, have not quite gotten over that girl he met 11 years ago at a rooftop. From time to time he is reminded of the love they could have had but lost due to some complications.

What eventually makes these three paths meet is their love for music. The mother and the father are both musicians, and the son, while growing up, develops an extraordinary passion for music even though he hasn’t played a single note in his life. He claims that the moon told him to follow the music. And he believes that if he learns how to play the music, his parents will hear him, and they would know he was theirs.

Below are some of my favorite quotes. I’d like to think that “music” and “faith” are interchangeable.

“Listen, can you hear it? The music, I can hear it everywhere. In the wind, in the air, in the light. It’s all around us. All you have to do is open yourself up.”

“Sometimes the world tries to knock it out of you, but I believe in music the way some people believe in fairy tales.”

“I believe that once a upon time, long ago, they heard the music. And followed it.”

“I don’t know where it [music] comes from, but it’s what I hold on to. And I can’t let go.”

“Do you know what music is? God’s little reminder that there’s something else besides us in this universe. A harmonic connection between all living beings, everywhere, even the stars.”

“You got to love music more than you love food. More than life. More than yourself.”

“I could hear it. Sometimes I wake up and it’s there. I hear it when I’m walking down the street. It’s like someone’s calling out to me. Writing it all down is like I’m calling out to them.”

“You can’t learn music from books. It’s out there.”

“You never quit on your music. No matter what happens. Coz anytime something bad happens to you, that’s the one place you can escape to and just let it go. I learned that the hard way. And anyway, look at me. Nothing bad’s gonna happen. You gotta have a little faith.”

“The music is all around us. All you have to do is listen.”

Okay, enough spoilers! The movie is starred by big names such as Keri Russell, Robin Williams, and Terrence Howard. If you haven’t seen it, get a copy now. After you’ve watch it, rush back here and share your thoughts. =)

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This post is not about the movie Must Love Dogs. Though I watched it recently and mentally tagged it as one of the boring “Rom-Com” movies ever. This is about my long-time love for dogs. Dogs have always been part of my growing up years which is why I always develop some kind of attachment to them. When our puppy died last year, it took me weeks to move past it. The urge to get a new puppy then was so intense because I wanted to cover up the pain. I know this sounds like I was just overreacting but it was something I couldn’t help feeling. But we didn’t get a new puppy. Because I don’t think I can bear losing pets anymore. Add to that the deaths of my favorite hamsters that also happened last year.

Our ugly dog, Sandra, gave birth to three puppies who are just as ugly. But they’re puppies, and puppies are always cute when they’re that tiny. Wait a few months and their cuteness shall come to pass, transforming them to full-fledged ugly askals.

But why do we love these askals to bits? For one, Sandra was Papa’s dog when he was still alive, and she’s one of the things that remind us dearly of him. Every time I see her grow a few inches longer (and taller) I would always smile and silently tell Papa how big his favorite dog is now. She’s a menace but most of the time we overlook that fact about her. Except during the times when she successfully chews off her leash and jumps on top of the table to gobble up what’s supposed to be our ulam for lunch. Or when she runs inside the house right after she has gotten her paws soiled from walking in the mud. Or when she leaves (more) chew marks on our sofa and sandals — She can really get into my nerves!! What was my point? Oh yes, despite all these, we still love her. And she’s a good guard dog.

Her three pups (I’d rather not mention their names here because my little cousins gave them the most horrible names, lol) are almost two months old, and it’s almost time for Mama to give them away. I’ve only “bonded” with them for a month, but I already feel sad when I imagine they’d have different masters soon. I asked my mom if we could at least keep the furry black one and give the other two and Sandra away. But of course we can’t give the mother away. Who would want a big ugly mongrel?

It won’t be long til I would need to say goodbye to these puppies. It may even be before this week ends. So I’m writing this entry to at least keep a remembrance of them. I really hate saying goodbyes. Even if it’s to pets.

What’s wrong with me??

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Two years ago, I listed some reasons why I loved the month of August. This year proved to be no different. Three out of the five weekends of August I was away from work and from the confinement of my apartment. And you know how happy I get when I’m away on a trip! Here are the reasons:

Macau

More pictures here!

Macau is just how I expected it would be. Casinos left and right, Chinese establishments all over the place, and since it’s not that far from the Philippines, I expected the place to be equally hot and humid! But I loved the experience just the same. Especially that night Deej and I walked around the place to take pictures, to loiter, and to eat. One to two days are enough to get a good grasp of Macau, in my opinion. And Sarj wasn’t kidding when she told me that everything (well, almost everything) is just walking distance. That’s how small the place is.

One of the things I like about being raised in a third world country is how easy it is for me to appreciate beautiful things and places. Show me a colorful skyline with dancing lights, a uniquely-shaped building, a mall with an artificial blue sky disguised as Venice, historical churches, or a musical water fountain display and I’d be whipping out my camera to start shooting or recording, seemingly caught in a trance. To totally enjoy the trip, it really helps for a traveler not to be uptight and ashamed to act like a tourist.

Hong Kong

More pictures here!

It was my second time in Hong Kong, but this time I didn’t get to see the tourist spots that I planned to see but instead I had the chance to find the shopping places hidden in the streets of Kowloon and Hong Kong Islands. I’m not really into shopping when I’m traveling but this is fine since I’ve already seen most of the tourist attractions in Hong Kong with Mae three months ago. Among these are: The Peak, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, the Ngong Ping 360, the largest outdoor and seated Buddha in the world, the attractions along the waterfront (Space Museum, Avenue of Stars, The Clock Tower), A Symphony of Lights, and of course, the place that has made me a happy person again, Disneyland!

After spending a total of 7 days in Hong Kong this year, I think I can say that it’s a place I can imagine myself staying in for a period of time without worrying much about being an outsider. It’s such a safe, tourist-friendly place that it’s almost heartbreaking when I’m reminded of how far behind the Philippines is compared to her neighboring countries. Then again, they don’t have our beautiful beaches which I wouldn’t trade!

Bacolod City

More pictures here!

Since two years ago, after my folks moved to Manila, I only fly back to Bacolod for special occasions (weddings, official reunions, my dad’s funeral). But the trip home last month wasn’t for anything special. It was just a long weekend and the round trip plane ticket I bought was very cheap. Plus my friends have successfully convinced me to book the flight by luring me with plans to get together. So I did! Because I’m hopelessly gullible like that. And we did have a blast at our slumber parties and reunion dinners.

I also took the chance to visit Papa’s grave for the first time since his funeral last February.  My situation reminds me of Emily in A Lot Like Love. She lives in CA but her mother’s grave is in NY. Because she lives far away, she only gets to visit the cemetery once in a while.

One thing about this that’s driving me insane is how they misprinted my dad’s name. My auntie blames the guys who made the headstone, but I don’t. Evidently, my good-for-nothing of an uncle has screwed up the name as he was the one who was placed in charge. My dad is a Jr., not a Sr.! Now there are two Pio B. Ang Sr.’s in Greenhills Chinese Cemetery. It’s soooo frustrating. I mean, how hard is it to get a name right?

Baler

More pictures here!

The trip to Baler last weekend was an interesting one, mainly because I got to know more about their history at the Museo de Baler and got to see the church where the actual Siege of Baler took place in 1898-1899. The first time I went to Baler two years ago I had no idea how rich the history of the place was, I’m glad I had another chance.

Learning about the history and culture of a particular place is something that I find very captivating. As a result, I downloaded the movie “Baler” and watched it the other night. It’s definitely a love story — a tragic one — but it pretty much showed the gist of what happened during the siege. It’s good to see Pinoy filmmakers getting into epic or period films too and not just the usual flimsy horror and tutti fruity flicks.

Hopefully the next time we go back to Baler, there will be better waves!

Last but not the least..

We celebrated Deej’s birthday this month! He turned 25 on August 25. That’s him above beside his humongous 35″ pizza from El Buono Pizza. PIZZZZZAAAAA!!!

Now that September’s here, everyone’s raving about Christmas being just around the corner. There’s something about knowing that Christmas is nearing that makes me sad, so I’m obviously not looking forward to it. Maybe it’s because it’s the first Christmas without Papa… or maybe it’s because a month after Christmas I’ll be turning a year older again… Ugh. I hate QLC.

But, despite the grief, life is still good! Goodbye, August. Hello, September. =)

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Riz is giving away some pretty stuff on her blog. But since I just read her blog post today, I missed joining her Win-a-Pair-of-Pearl-Earrings contest! I’m sad cos they look so pretty and I do love pearl earrings! They’re the kind of earrings I wear on a daily basis. Being away from the Internet world for two days has finally posed a disadvantage. =(

But it’s not too late — I still have a chance to win that Camera Charm earrings! Now this kind of earrings I don’t wear on a daily basis but it’s something I would on special occasions. To join, all I have to do is take a top-view photo of my desk, post it on my blog and leave a message on her blog. So here’s my entry:

What’s on my desk?

I obviously have a lot of (useless) stuff on my desk. And to be honest, I’ve already tidied up this desk a bit because it’s previous state is not something I’d like to share to everyone! Here are the items that are currently on my desk:

• The calendar my sister-in-law gave me.
• Pictures of Deej and my family. And I have that Instax photo of me and Riz.
• Four books on the shelf including my Bible.
• A Smile magazine (that I got from Cebu Pacific) and an In Flight magazine (from Seair). I’m collecting these travel mags, but I’m honestly not sure if I’m allowed to take these from the airplane cabins.
• My iTouch.
• The keys to the car and to the apartment.
• The lamp that I rarely use cos the kind of bulb it uses is not energy-saving.
• The free CD I received from Folded & Hung. I love F&H!
• And last but definitely not the least: my beloved laptop + mouse.

Thank God Riz didn’t ask to share what’s inside the desk drawer because that would be like showing you my very own version of Pandora’s Box! I keep everything that doesn’t go with anything in the apartment inside that drawer. You can just imagine how messy it is.

I hope I win those earrings! But if I don’t, I hope there’s a Part 2 contest for the Pearl Earrings! *hint hint*

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