The Clairvoyant finally got her car after three and a half months at Mazda repair shop. Three and a half months! And to think that we even pleaded to the casa last October to have the car fixed and ready to go before Christmas! The price tag was a pocket-emptying, passbook-ripping 248,000 pesos; down from the over 280,000 peso initial bill after some discounts were given. We could've bought a nice used car for that amount. But what the heck, it needed to be paid if only to finally conclude this chapter of a still unfinished book co-authored by one Ondoy.
The Crown of course is still at the repair shop. It has been quite difficult to find parts and it has yet to go through a paint job although the body repairs have been made. When it finally rolls off the shop then probably I can start calling it quits with the first car I ever bought. It'll probably be the first car I'll sell despite the sentimental value I've placed on it. Oh well, farewells are necessary as I am now committed to another - a Corolla...
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Hope in an Election Year
I was thinking of an appropriate topic to start my blogging in 2010. I'm used to reading about New Year's resolutions, horoscopes (especially predictions based on the Chinese variety), and all the other articles that tackle our hopes for 2010. For one, I found the forecast of El Nino to be welcome considering what we went through in 2009, a La Nina year. Climate change may have indeed changed equations and lives but there's no reason to look forward to something not like Ondoy or Pepeng.
2010 is an election year and need I say that a lot of people, never mind their status in life or society, are pinning their hope for a bright future on whoever's going to become Philippine president after May. There are plenty of candidates to choose from and it seems that a few strong ones are much lesser evils compared to those in the previous elections. I am currently leaning towards Noynoy but am getting frustrated by how his campaign is going. I'm all for him citing his parents but therein lies his weakness considering that the informed person also knows other information contrary to the positive that is associated with Cory's administration. In my mind and in my heart I always counter this by saying that indeed, Noynoy is offering something the others don't - and that is hope. Hope that we can still change this country of ours. Hope that we can change our citizens from the apathetic people we have become (or "manhid" sounds better) given that many have given up and are trying to find ways to leave this country for better lives abroad. Indeed, we need such hope if we are to stave off the degeneration of our families as OFW culture (its negative impacts) takes over.
The other candidates do not inspire me. Villar claims (as mentioned in his annoying jingle) that he will end poverty when his campaign at this stage has already cost billions of pesos that I am sure he will spend the next 6 years (assuming he wins) recovering and significantly increasing, of course, at our expense. Gibo is intellectually gifted and may have promise but I don't believe he is his own man with so much baggage from the current administrations "sins." I even suspect that he is not the "real" admin candidate - Villar is. Don't even get me started on Gordon and the rest of the also rans. Sure Gordon is a good speaker and perhaps we should look into his resume, which includes his stints in Olongapo and Subic. But I dare say that I would like first to see him attack Villar the same way he attacks Noynoy. I also suspect him to be a Villar proxy. Running so that he can have time to do a demolition job against the front runner while not even saying a piece about C5 insertions and other (alleged) anomalies of his Senate colleague.
I will defer talking about the other candidates (VP, Senate and my choices and analyses for local governments) to future blogs. For now, I look at the presidential derby and hope - and maybe pray - that 2010 will indeed be a better year weather notwithstanding.
2010 is an election year and need I say that a lot of people, never mind their status in life or society, are pinning their hope for a bright future on whoever's going to become Philippine president after May. There are plenty of candidates to choose from and it seems that a few strong ones are much lesser evils compared to those in the previous elections. I am currently leaning towards Noynoy but am getting frustrated by how his campaign is going. I'm all for him citing his parents but therein lies his weakness considering that the informed person also knows other information contrary to the positive that is associated with Cory's administration. In my mind and in my heart I always counter this by saying that indeed, Noynoy is offering something the others don't - and that is hope. Hope that we can still change this country of ours. Hope that we can change our citizens from the apathetic people we have become (or "manhid" sounds better) given that many have given up and are trying to find ways to leave this country for better lives abroad. Indeed, we need such hope if we are to stave off the degeneration of our families as OFW culture (its negative impacts) takes over.
The other candidates do not inspire me. Villar claims (as mentioned in his annoying jingle) that he will end poverty when his campaign at this stage has already cost billions of pesos that I am sure he will spend the next 6 years (assuming he wins) recovering and significantly increasing, of course, at our expense. Gibo is intellectually gifted and may have promise but I don't believe he is his own man with so much baggage from the current administrations "sins." I even suspect that he is not the "real" admin candidate - Villar is. Don't even get me started on Gordon and the rest of the also rans. Sure Gordon is a good speaker and perhaps we should look into his resume, which includes his stints in Olongapo and Subic. But I dare say that I would like first to see him attack Villar the same way he attacks Noynoy. I also suspect him to be a Villar proxy. Running so that he can have time to do a demolition job against the front runner while not even saying a piece about C5 insertions and other (alleged) anomalies of his Senate colleague.
I will defer talking about the other candidates (VP, Senate and my choices and analyses for local governments) to future blogs. For now, I look at the presidential derby and hope - and maybe pray - that 2010 will indeed be a better year weather notwithstanding.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Last Minute Activities for 2009
It's New Year's Eve and I'm online. I haven't been online this time of the year since perhaps 1998, my last New Year's eve during my 3-year stint in Yokohama. That time I had to sneak into the lab to send a few emails. I must admit I had nothing to do at home then and New Year's celebrations in Japan were quite different from those we celebrate in the Philippines. Fireworks displays were in parks, mostly organized by cities and many sponsored by corporations who believe the Hanabi will usher in good luck for them in business.
The past few days have been hectic - but in a nice way. They were not "toxic," which was how we usually described days preceding report deadlines or leading to conferences or seminars. In fact, they were pleasant as they were spent reconnecting with old friends. Healing was also part of the agenda as both the Clairvoyant and I nursed colds since Christmas Day. There was also the opportunity to organize things at home - finally re-installing the stereo component system that was among the things brought up for safe storage during the Ondoy event in September. It was definitely a feel-good situation after sorting through photos, both in print and in digital form.
There's a lot to be thankful for in 2009. I would rather be reminded of even the most simplest blessings and the happy moments in a year that was full of emotions. I would like to believe that after all that went about in 2010, we came out not scathed or scarred or branded but resurrected, reinforced and ready...for 2010.
The past few days have been hectic - but in a nice way. They were not "toxic," which was how we usually described days preceding report deadlines or leading to conferences or seminars. In fact, they were pleasant as they were spent reconnecting with old friends. Healing was also part of the agenda as both the Clairvoyant and I nursed colds since Christmas Day. There was also the opportunity to organize things at home - finally re-installing the stereo component system that was among the things brought up for safe storage during the Ondoy event in September. It was definitely a feel-good situation after sorting through photos, both in print and in digital form.
There's a lot to be thankful for in 2009. I would rather be reminded of even the most simplest blessings and the happy moments in a year that was full of emotions. I would like to believe that after all that went about in 2010, we came out not scathed or scarred or branded but resurrected, reinforced and ready...for 2010.
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