Tuesday, February 26, 2008

My Birthday

I thought the world would end on my birthday because I received a lot of greetings two days before, a day before, and at midnight. But the 26th has come and gone without incident, thank God.


Among the interesting presents I got were embutido from a friend and two love birds in a nice, lavender cage with a swing from her sister. I hope they survive despite the innumerable cats we have. My son took a picture of the birds and their stalker -- one of the cats. Reminded me of the cartoons - Tweety and Puddy tat. Whatever.

Yesterday morning, my birthday, with my sister and two maids, I wheeled to Pancake House two blocks away along the busy Katipunan Road for breakfast. The travel was a mite scary as vehicles zoomed past. I just prayed we'd survive and luckily we did. When we got to the resto, I pointed out to my sister, "Uy, may meeting!" In one table were six matrons (older than us) with ballpen and paper discussing we couldn't hear what. My sister and I settled down and placed our orders.

Before long, we heard the waiter approaching the table of matrons asking something like: "Hindi ba kayo o-order? Bawal dito yan." The rich-looking matrons hadn't ordered but were using the premises? What gall. The resto actually wasn't full so they weren't depriving the resto of customers but I guess that they just sat on yakking peeved the waiters. So they started ordering though the lead lady waved the waiter away saying she wasn't ordering. Some time later, the waiter came back after it appeared that they had consumed their orders. We couldn't hear what he said but one lady said, "10 minutes na lang." Apparently, they weren't ready to vacate the place within that period because they ordered again. Atrocious.

After breakfast, I went home with the maid and before long my tutee arrived. Earlier that morning his mom had sent a box of carrot cupcakes. As we tutored, my tutee was very cheerful and said, "I'm not complaining. It's your birthday kasi" despite the several pages of reviewers I had prepared for him. I served him some merienda and asked, "teacher, nagdedeliver kayo?" Found that funny because his mom has a restaurant, and here he was asking if we delivered food he liked. A few days ago, he was taking a long time to be picked up and I was impatient as we'd finished tutoring and there he was still in the sala with me. I asked for my box of cake ingredients (pre-mixed) and started to prepare the cake as we chatted on. I asked if he helped his mom bake and he said she always shooed him away. A day later, as we were tutoring and about to finish, I told him to text to be picked up so he wouldn't have to wait. He said, "Di bale, magluluto ka? Gusto ko manood." I said I wasn't cooking and only did the last time as my son was expecting visitors. My tutees become my nephews/sons somehow. Heart-warming. Sometimes, instead of addressing me as "teacher," they call me "tita". Once they even said, "ma." Anyway, back to the 26th.

In the afternoon, I had the maid wheel me to church (my husband's arm is still in a sling while my son was bathing -- I didn't want to be late). My husband walked astride us. It was drizzling but well, it was my birthday, and I didn't really want to spend it without hearing mass. After mass, my son wheeled me to the tony neighborhood restaurant as the showers continued. The trip was rather long, made worse by the darkness and the drizzle, not to mention that asphalted only roads. I'm sure my son wasn't having an easy time but he wasn't complaining. We ate at Inyo, yet again, my son's choice. Special enough without having to spend for the Wheelmobile which could have taken us farther off. I didn't bring my camera and regretted it. Reason I didn't was that we were on foot and I didn't want to risk losing it to holduppers. Our neighborhood is not free of them: the bag of the manager of a corner restaurant was snatched as she was about to enter the restaurant she managed, the laptop of a Korean student was similarly snatched. So was the bag of young teen (then) star, Maxene Magalona.

So why was it a pity that I didn't have my camera? The rain always has a charming effect on nature. In fact as I wheeled out our driveway, I saw the rocks gleaming from the rain. At Inyo, I the trees and the overhanging **** ( I don't know what they're called) looked so pretty. And the food we ordered were, as usual, presented in a special manner. The baked sushi was tasty and so were the other entrees. We ordered mango pavlova to end the meal and it was huge. Four could easily have shared it but my husband and I had to consume most of it as our son doesn't like fruits too much.


Anyway, this birthday was special in so many ways -- thoughtful cousins (sent tapa from Bacolod), friends (sent pajamas from Bacolod,another sent roses and a set of toiletries with a rose scent) and family (a pair of pearl earrings).


My teenage son finally gave me a gift, 4 gifts in fact: his saving the video in his flash drive so I could upload and watch it very often and 3 DVDs of Koreanovelas: Coffee Prince, Princess Hours and one more. I'll check the title later and upload the pictures later too. Got it. It's Spring Waltz.



Monday, February 25, 2008

Various 2

Hi. This is a very excited stage mother making an announcement. hahaha. Check out the video I uploaded under Various (please scroll to the end of the entry. The first picture is just that -- a picture. The video is towards the end.) That's my son right there singing solo and accompanying himself on the guitar. How funny that it comes after my account on Something Fishy. Just goes to show how much of a neophyte I am in blogging. I'm so happy I succeeded in uploading because it took me an eternity when I tried to do the same yesterday and miserably failed. I succeeded in Multiply except that to load it so it could be watched took another eternity. Please check it out. I'm so beside myself with happiness. Pardon that this sounds so self-serving but I am truly one proud Mama. Yahoo. Thanks to Blogger. If you were a person and I knew how to reach you, I'd thank you personally.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Life Story of JLo on film

Trust Filipino movie producers to grab every chance to make money. In the news last night, independent producer Irma Alegre was interviewed about her plan to make a movie on JLo. And the name bandied about to take on the role: Wally Bayola.

Who's Wally Bayola? He's Jose's alter ego in Eat Bulaga. Wally is a competent performer but he in a serious drama? Fine, he does the route every Holy Week along with other Eat Bulaga people but seriously, a movie on JLO with Wally? That will be interesting... but people might not take it seriously...

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Promise, this is true...

I do not want to belittle anyone here, but this is cute/funny. You decided.

A friend of my son's went to a healing priest. Aware that priority is given to people in wheelchairs, he came in one. The priest asked him to stand. He stood. The priest asked him to walk. He walked. Applause.

A miracle? Not really. As I said, he just used a wheelchair to facilitate his being "attended to" ahead of most. He had suffered from second degree burns in his arm and that's what he was there for.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Truth and Accountability, and then Some



from sports.freedomhomeschoolers.com


Hired the Wheelmobile to attend this mass at the Gesu last Monday. My husband said he had a basketball game so I didn't want him to change his plans for me. Went with my sister, instead.

We were at Gesu before 5:30 even as the mass was scheduled at 6 pm. Didn't want to be too conspicuous because the Wheelmobile, to begin with, is so huge it is bound to attract attention.

Initially, there weren't too many people, but as my sister pointed out, we were early. So was Cory Aquino, dressed in a canary yellow blouse and black pants. Behind her were her daughters Ballsy and Viel. Other notables eventually were: Tong Payumo, Gina de Venecia, Ting Jayme and family, the Sumilao farmers, Bro. Luistro of La Salle, lots of Jesuits. My sister saw Mar Roxas, I didn't.

The mass was led by Fr. Mario Francisco, SJ, acting provincial of the Jesuits.

The mass was generally uneventful and made even more so by the fact that towards the end of the mass, I sensed an incoming text message (my phone was on silent mode but I could feel the vibration). After the mass, when I checked, I had a text message from my husband: he had dislocated his right shoulder. It had been "replaced" (re-installed?) at the Moro Lorenzo clinic and he was all right, he said. When I asked if he could pick me up he said he wouldn't be able to lift me into the car. Oh my. I had sent the Wheelmobile off, thinking my husband could pick me up after his game. When I texted the Wheelmobile driver, asking if he could come back (this was 3 hours after he had dropped me off), he apologized but refused. He was back home in Pasay, while the vehicle was in Makati. My son texted where I was because he had walked to mass from the house after a group meeting and couldn't find us. when he finally came, I told him about his father's predicament. He said it would be difficult for his papa to drive so he said he'd just walk home and get the car. He assured me he'd try to get me into the car so I told him to bring over two maids. Shortly after he left, he called that he might not be able to make it immediately as traffic was heavy, he noted. But it wasn't too long after that he arrived with his dad, a sling propping up the latter's arm, and two maids. Husband directed my son and the maids on how to get me into the car. We drove him and my sister to the latter's house where her driver was tasked to take my husband to the ER of St. Luke's. X-ray pronounced there was no fracture, but it will be at least two weeks before he can drive. It will be even longer before he can carry me and we can go out normally. My son said we can still go out, he'll take care of carrying me. I don't want to risk having another injury in the family so I guess, we'll just hire the Wheelmobile if there is a compelling reason to go out. Thing is the Wheelmobile cannot easily be scheduled the way a taxi can. Oh well, adjust we must.

For instance, my son is going to a debut Saturday. That will be late in the evening in Makati. Plan was for husband and me to take him, wait it out in Serendra, pick him up as soon as he wants to go home. Another option was to book in a hotel so we wouldn't have to drive quite a distance at a late hour, possibly even in the early morning. Why do I want to avoid such (Driving home late after a party)? The number of road accidents in the news scares me, usually involving drunken drivers. So while you may be sober, the guy in the other car may no be. Therefore, I'd rather spend for peace of mind and safety's sake. But now, given the dislocated shoulder, option 2 isn't feasible either. So option 3: hire a driver. Hopefully, this one is possible. Will wait for word from a former driver of mine who now works for my sister. How unsettling this is but I guess, it's an eye-opener of sorts.

For one, should a 51-year old still play basketball? (how old was Jaworski when he retired from the PBA? How old was my father when he quit playing tennis because he injured his inner thigh?) Months back, when my son found out his father was going to play basketball again, he said, "no, na." Years back, when he and his dad played basketball ( a very rare occurrence, to begin with), his dad fell and fractured his ankle. But the child who is father to the man is not listened to by a stubborn man. Oh well.

A Unique Clock (forwarded by my sister)


A clock that has only 9's in it.
Very Interesting!

Having 9's does not make it special.... U can design a clock having only 9 with 9/9 (=1),
(9+9)/9(=2), (9+9+9)/9(=3) and so on...
What makes it really amazing is that... it has only 3 9's in each digit representation...
It's really great calculations and design.... ;-)

Solita Monsod on JLo and the Truth

Get Real
Truth
By Solita Collas-Monsod
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:47:00 02/16/2008


MANILA, Philippines -- The recent Senate hearings make one appreciate the importance of requiring witnesses to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Because it is clear that a person can tell the truth, but not the whole truth (a half-truth or a quarter-truth, which means a half-lie or a three-fourths lie), and then embellish it with things other than the truth, what is required by the oath is
the unembellished, non-concealing truth.

Take the statement of Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon. He asserted that Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. had been brought by the police to La Salle Greenhills by 10 p.m. of the day he arrived. That certainly was true, and if we stopped at that we would ask, “What’s all the fuss about?”

But it was not the whole truth. What Razon did not say was that the police continued to “guard” him in La Salle and pulled out only, apparently, when they were overcome by a superior force, i.e., the nuns. (By the way, at the risk of being a nag, I have yet to get a satisfactory answer as to why the La Salle brothers did not announce that he was with them or ask the police to leave the premises, since they were giving him sanctuary. What kind of sanctuary is that, when the police could take him out at will?) No wonder his wife and brother filed for writs of amparo and of habeas corpus.
An example of truth-embellishing is Razon saying that the lawyer who had dinner with Lozada before he was brought to La Salle was Lozada’s personal lawyer. There was a lawyer, indeed, but not one of Lozada’s acquaintance or choice. Or saying that Lozada was under protective custody; Lozada was in custody, but the protection was being extended to the administration (covering their asses), not to him.
Of course, Razon was not the only one among the Senate witnesses who seemed to take liberties with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I think those who watched the hearings will agree that this practice was more the rule than the exception. It is very tempting, if not to lie, at least to conceal or embellish the truth to make one look good vis-à-vis the opposite camp.

At the risk of going against the current of public adulation for Lozada, I believe he seems to have also fallen prey to the temptation -- at least regarding Sen. Joker Arroyo’s wife, Fely Aquino-Arroyo. I don’t have the transcripts of the hearing, but I recall that in defending himself against Arroyo’s charge that he was not evenhanded (I think Joker used the term “not balanced”) on whom to talk to, whether from the Senate or the media, Lozada caught Joker off-guard by saying that in fact he (together with someone named Tony Abaya) had visited Fely Arroyo in her Makati City home, and (here I am not sure whether this was said during the hearing or during subsequent TV interviews) she not only invited him, but she urged him not to testify.

That he talked to Fely Arroyo in her Makati home is true. That she invited him is half-true. That Lozada went to her because he wanted to get the advice of both sides is an embellishment. That she urged him not to testify is not true. This is from Fely Arroyo herself, who is not just Joker’s wife but also an excellent (and very successful) lawyer whose credibility and integrity I do not question.
Fely did not know Lozada before he went to her house in the company of Tony

Abaya (husband of Belle). Tony is a close friend of Fely’s, who frequently asks her (and is given) free legal advice; and when he asked her a favor to give legal advice to a friend (Lozada) of a friend (Romulo Neri), it was no big deal -- “consulta” [consultation] is normal in her profession. Because she was in Makati, she told Abaya to come to her house so she wouldn’t have to go back to her office in the Ortigas business district.

This, by the way, was way back in September, about a week after Joey de Venecia first testified, and a couple of days before Neri testified -- long before Lozada became a household word. To Fely’s recollection, the meeting was very brief (at most 30 minutes), as all three had other appointments, but long enough for her to say she could not lawyer for Lozada, because of Joker’s Senate position, and long enough for Lozada to break down in tears as he described his reluctance to testify in the Senate for fear of his and his family’s lives and his livelihood. Since he had at that time not even been invited to testify, much less subpoenaed or issued a warrant of arrest, Fely’s advice was simple (and obvious): Lozada was under no compulsion to testify, so if he did not want to testify, he didn’t have to testify.

This is a far cry from the image created in one’s mind of Fely inviting Lozada to her house for the sole purpose of convincing him not to testify, which, whether deliberate or not, is an image created by Lozada’s testimony. Joker’s obvious ignorance of that meeting is the best refutation of that image. And Fely did not tell Joker because it was just another “consulta.”

Lozada is a credible witness, particularly because he was initially very careful (in his predawn press conference and the first hearing day) to hew to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He did not follow that line when it came to Fely Arroyo. While it has been initially damaging to her (she is now being touted as Ricky Razon’s lawyer and consultant, both of which descriptions she strongly denies), it will ultimately be even more damaging to him.

Truth is like a flame. Those who play with it get burned.


My comment/reaction:

I watched the Senate hearing when JLo mentioned his encounter with Mrs. Arroyo. I don't recall that he said she had invited him over the way SM says JLo insinuated. I could be wrong, though. Reactions, anyone?

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Jun Lozada yet again, from my son's blog

Minsan lang ako mag chain mail, so basahin niyo 'to. And re-post, if you care.

***
from the blog of the nephew of Jun Lozada
http://voltz1129.multiply.com/journal/item/43?replies_read=1
***

[A proverbial clash between David and Goliath, a boy surrounded by bullies. It’s starting. Claims being denied left and right, being retracted at every turn. Our family desperately needs help. We need people to believe, we need people who will support us, and this is the only way I know how to reach out. So please, if you care enough, please repost this so that your circle of friends may be informed. For further information, please read my past blogs.]



Given another chance, I wouldn’t choose a testimony on a Friday. This gave palace officials a couple of days to prepare. If you could notice, right after the hearing and the press conference, the implicated persons were out of public’s sight. Instead, some others were made to appear in front of the media. Now, after two days, these are the things that are happening:



Media people were paid 500K to shut up. I received a text message. I could only speculate. But I’m afraid it might be true. During these times, I’m going to take it for what its worth. Hopefully, its not true. Hopefully, journalists and media people will stick to their principles and continue to uphold the truth and not compromise it for any monetary value. But let me share one article that may somewhat give justice to this claim:



An article in Pilipino Star Ngayon dated Feb 9 claimed that it was only Sen Enrile who gave the most “substantial” line of questioning by asking my uncle why he chose to stay with those people whom he knew were corrupt. The article further claimed that my uncle loses credibility by choosing to stay with the corrupt people and goes on to say that he himself is corrupt by his own admission. Sen Escudero said it best: only a thief can catch a thief. If someone stole your cellphone and you report it to the police, do you think it will be recovered? I highly doubt it. I would dare claim that they won’t even catch the guy who took it. But go ask your local bully who just happens to be your friend, and I’m sure that within seconds someone will say that it was “magically” brought to him by another person. If my uncle turned his back from that project that early, yes, it could have made his life easier. But then again, if he was not there, we’d be listening to the Arroyo – De Venecia family feud on our sets now, without knowing for certain who’s telling the truth and who’s speaking mere lies..



Military is funded P-6B. Again, I’m taking it for what it’s worth. To begin with, I don’t really trust the military. Other than Trillanes and the Magdalo group, I think they’re the President’s private army. Try to look at the past PNP and AFP chiefs. They are either retired well off, or still serving the government in some other capacity. Favors never ended for them. But again, this is speculation, my opinion. Besides, after my godfather was brutally murdered by the “intelligence” unit of the PNP and were punished by something a bit harsher than a slap at the wrist (the criminals, all police officers, got about 6 months suspension, my godfather’s family got I think around 5mil in compensation, and that’s about it.), they were back on the force, ready to make mistakes again.



Weird events. My cousin and my aunts are saying that a black Mitsubishi Adventure is roaming around their houses. Yesterday, I was to go to their house, but on the way, I say a black Crosswind seemingly lost. I tried to follow it, but it stopped at some house. To avoid suspicion, I went on my way. Earlier, as I was going home, this same Crosswind was coming into the village and went through the security gate, meaning they were not homeowners. Still, it was moving slowly. I might be paranoid, but again, I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt. Also yesterday, someone called up claiming to be from the Wheelers Club. For those who don’t know, it is a towing service which you apply membership for so that in case of any accident, they will tow your vehicle free of charge. My mother’s vehicle is a registered vehicle. Here’s how the conversation went:



Lady: is Ms Evangeline Lozada going to register the vehicle again? Her vehicle is a white Mitsubishi Lancer with plate number _ _ _ - _ _ _, right?

Sister: uh, yes?

Lady: Is your mother still using the vehicle?

Sister: no, she’s commuting. Who is this?

Lady: Uhm, this is Mila.

Sister: Mila who?

Lady: Mila Diaz.

Sister: Where are you from?

Lady: Uhm, this is from Towing.

Sister: Towing?

Lady: Yes, from the Wheeler’s club.

Sister: What branch?

Lady: E. Rod.

Sister: Do you have a phone number?

Lady: 0920…

Sister: Don’t you have a landline number for your office?

Lady: Uhm, wait. (pauses for a while, seemingly getting something) its (insert Wheeler’s Club number here)



This is why it’s weird. First, my mother’s membership isn’t due until July this year. What would be the reason behind someone calling about her membership? Next, why would anyone from the towing department call and ask about membership? Their job is to tow cars, not register people. Another thing, for registration purposes, why would you need to know if the person is still using the vehicle? I mean, why the hell should they care? They’re already paid and that payment is good until July, so what’s their business wanting to know how that car is right now? And finally, if she is an employee of the Wheeler’s club, why must she pause and look for a number for their own office? You can look Wheeler’s Club up in any yellow pages. Why is it that the first number that would come to her mind is her cellphone number? For official purposes, shouldn’t you give out your company’s own number?



Another call weird call was from someone from Days hotel, asking if my father was home. Asked why, he said he just wants to know if he’s here. Upon saying he isn’t the person on the other end said thanks, and put the phone down. Promos are common nowadays, but from Days hotel? Can anyone tell me if they got a call from them recently looking for a person and not saying why? My father isn’t a hotel person. At least, that’s what I know. At this particular time, I’d trust him more than the Days dude.



We may just be paranoid, but we’re not taking any chances.



Retractions and preparations. Abalos, on his initial interview, fumed when asked by a reporter his thoughts now that 3 people are implicating him on the ZTE deal. He lost his cool. Days after that incident, he appears in front of the media, saying that he is going to file a libel case against my uncle. Now, he has an alibi, a story he can tell the whole world, so he waited until after a couple of days before he could readily face the media. With all due respect to Benjamin, the mayor of Mandaluyong and son of the controversial Abalos, is one of the mayors I actually admire. I don’t know him, I am not from Mandaluyong, but I like him simply because he is a Bosconian. The four years of my life in Don Bosco Mandaluyong have been the most transformative in my life, simply because of the care of the Salesian priests. I have no doubt in my mind that he too is one of those people guided by the principles of the Salesians. I leave him to decide whether or not he will choose the truth over his family.



Gen. Razon, for his part, is still maintaining that he merely acted on my uncle’s request. He is still firm on saying that my uncle wrote to him asking for safety, because he fears for his life. Again, we ask, safety from what and from whom? The senate isn’t going to kill him. “Arrest” doesn’t mean he’s going to get killed, and we’re not dumb as to believing that something bad will happen to him at the senate. We are afraid of the administration and Abalos, and help from the PNP is the last thing that we’re going to ask for after what they did to my godfather, Uncle Jun’s brother. Razon initially claimed that records do not show a certain Roger Valeroso. However, a further search on their database revealed that this Valeroso was actually a former member of the PNP who is now with the DENR. A couple of points I want to question: Under what capacity can a mere SPO4 serve in the DENR? Yes, one may ask too, what is an official of the Forestry corporation doing in a broadband deal? Different talents may be in one person, which is why they serve in areas which are totally different from each other. But as my uncle said, one of his tasks was to “moderate their greed” which ultimately means allow greed, but not to blown up proportions. Could that be Mr. Valeroso’s task in the DENR? But then again, why is he being asked to run errand picking people up in the airport? Additionally, where is he? Why has he not appeared yet, and why is it that only his name is being surfaced, and not the person himself to prove his existence? And most importantly, Razon said that the PNP is just doing their duty of “securing” my uncle, and they have accomplished that mission since my uncle is now speaking in front of the public. However, if it were true that PNP personnel were the people who handled my uncle, why is it that Roger Valeroso is from the DENR? It’s problematic. He and Gen. Atutubo should’ve talked first before releasing a statement.



Speaking of Gen. Atutubo, has anyone seen or heard from him after Thursday? I haven’t. Maybe they’re still spanking him for speaking without coordinating. Palace officials and scriptwriters are now having a hard time trying to figure out how the abduction angle can be dispelled, because apparently, the written request and my Aunt’s supposed request are not yet enough for the people.



Sec. Neri, the dear friend my uncle seeks to protect out of “respect”, is not even supporting him, which is all the more demoralizing, for lack of a better term, for me personally. My uncle’s in a position where he can no longer turn back, so afraid or not, he should carry on. He’s been broken down in Hong Kong. On the account of people who were with him, there were times when he answers his cellphone and then his eyes just suddenly turns red. We want to show him that we’re still behind him, but personally, I’m feeling disappointed and afraid that this might lead to nothing because they’re ganging up on him.



Invoking rights. Let me get it right: according to the bill of rights, one has the right to invoke his right against self-incrimination. By invoking this right, one may not be persecuted by evidence that is from him. When Sen. Miriam Santiago was questioning my uncle, he could have very well invoked this right so as he would not be persecuted on his admittance. He didn’t, because he wasn’t going to hide anything (well, apparently, anything that does not involve Sec. Neri) from the public. Now, people from the government are filing a case against him because of his admittance of corruption. And you know why? Because “this government does not tolerate corruption.” Tell that to importers who continually pay people from customs so that they can go on with their business. Tell that to countless people who MMDA and traffic enforcers extort money from. Tell that to the general public. Tell that to the farmers who walked all the way from the province to air out their grievances to the government. And if they all say that statement is a fact, then I will concede that the President is in fact our savior, and no other person is fit to be in that position of power than her.



Funding. I could tell you this much: a couple of my cousins and I are discussing this situation, and we concede that if it were up to us, we would just shut up given the right amount, amounts that would make us all set until at least the next generation. I will not be a hypocrite who will say that I am an all-righteous person. I just want to live a quiet, simple life. That’s why I’ve been holding off law school even to this date. By doing all these, we’re being put at the very top of the most wanted list of the Leprechaun’s private army. It’s a tough company to go against. She has allies in all major departments of the country and she is the well-loved commander-in-chief of the military leaders. Accepting an amount is the easiest way to get out of this mess. But after my uncle’s testimony, how else can you retract after going this deep into it?



My uncle is doing this for the country, in honor of that great man who produced excellent people, my grandfather, Rodolfo Sr., or “Upoy” for the locals in Ligao, Albay. This country, as my uncle claimed, has done so much for our family. What he is doing now is the least he can do to repay this for this country and honor his father. I am just afraid that he may be “just another witness” to the very same people who he is trying to protect. To dispel the possibility of funding from the other side, I will wholeheartedly say that he is not motivated or funded by anyone from the opposition. To tell you frankly, my uncle’s not that poor to be bought at some price (unlike me and my cousins). While he was in Hong Kong, he was telling my father that he doesn’t want to talk to Sen. Lacson anymore because it seems that he is using him for his political ambitions in 2010. He wanted his family to be the ones who would fetch him from the airport because he doesn’t want to be linked to any opposition senator, as it might give the wrong impression.



Personal knowledge is all we have. Should there be any actual evidence, I personally would not know of it. However, I can attest that everything he said in the senate about his involvement in the ZTE deal is true due to the fact that it is the same story we’ve heard countless times before. And that is all we have. That is the only stone that we could throw at the Goliath we are going up against. I implore you people, please make your voices heard. Please pass this on. Let more people know so that they will not be confined to what they hear or see on the different media that present news. Our involvement in this mess won’t make us rich. It won’t make my uncle the president of this country. National recognition may be inevitable, but what more can it give you than celebrity status, and how in the hell can it improve his lifestyle? We gain nothing big from this mess. So please, help this David out and spread the truth before Goliath completely annihilates him and make him just another page in their book of lies.


&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

My husband is sick and tired of this issue. Last night when he turned on the TV, he sighed in disgust when he heard JLO's voice which he recognized even before the face of the man came on. He promptly switched channels.

The hearing may resume tomorrow. Out of curiosity I just might watch it on TV...

Various



Last night Hangad had a post-Valentine concert in Eastwood. My son had a surprise for us: he sang solo while accompanying himself on the guitar with the rest of the Hangad members providing the background vocals. Initially I thought he would just accompany the female Hangad member (and he did) when he and she stepped up front towards the latter part of the show. All the time he had been behind the group with the musical arranger/keyboardist and the drummer. The other guy on keyboard joined the other members up front when they sang a capella. My son stayed behind all the time so the video his dad took showed him between two members occasionally.

I was dumbfounded to hear him sing solo on stage, very confidently and smiling! I couldn't believe it was he. Night before his school org also had a post-Valentine show and he told me later that he sang High and Dry solo, in fact volunteered to do so aside from accompanying a fellow org member on the guitar as she sang solo, because the program had so few numbers lined up.

He never ceases to spring happy surprises and I know his smile right before he began to sing was somehow a "taunt" to his unknowing parents and tita -- he had this surprise up his sleeve. Oh possibly, the surprise also came for the family of Joey: his dad, mom, sister and younger brother who all showed up because they read my son's announcement re the concert in his blog. That certainly touched us -- that they came. For moral support, they said, the way Joey also always came for my son's performances as a member of the high school theater group.

After the show, the musical arranger excitedly congratulated us, recounting how during the audition, our son's voice had so stunned them and how when they swooned he told them "I don't sing solo." In high school, he never did. But over the past few months he has been a Hangad member, he'd always say "I might sing solo" only to tell us later on, "no more na."

At any rate, his maiden solo as a Hangad member was All I Need Is Love, a good and light enough number that suited his age and temperament, I think. It was an enlightened choice by the musical director, a good start for a parvenu of sorts.

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After the show my husband and I went in search of a place to eat. Our first choice was Cafe Adriatico except that it was closed, I hope not permanently but only to mourn the death of its founder, Larry Cruz. May he rest in peace.

We ended up in Something Fishy which I had read about only last week, where a friend had eaten years ago, and for which I received an enticing flyer before the show began.

Possibly, if we weren't hungry, we'd have changed restaurants because while the staff was friendly and efficient, the place was not well lit and the table and chair kept slipping/sliding. Guess why? Husband said the floor was oily. uh oh. Then our orders came, my husband's was tuna sisig and mine was inihaw na baboy. Two cups of steamed white rice arrived with our order when in fact we had asked for seafood rice. It was replaced before long.

Presentation wise: the tuna sisig came in a fish-shaped hot plate; the inihaw na baboyw was in a boat-shaped porcelain (ceramic) dish with two compartments. In the bigger compartment lay cuts of pork that looked very dry, while on the smaller compartment, my eyes could see nothing. No color, I thought, just empty space. It occurred to me that they should at least have put parsley or tomato or cucumber to brighten the dish, but no, it was Noah's ark, okay the bottom of Noah's ark with one miserable pig in it. Then I looked: some clear sea water had seeped into the boat and I hadn't seen it: vinegar, clear as water. No sili to add spice or color to it. Okay, simple living. The rice was orange with some green onions and a few chunks of I couldn't see what. Remember the place wasn't brightly lit.

Now to the taste. The appearance of the food being rather uninviting, I wasn't too enthused to try it. I got a slice of the pork and it was okay, something that tasted like it was cooked at home. Husband put some of the tuna sisig on my plate but I asked him to take them back. I wasn't too enticed to even try it. When I asked how it tasted, he said The Barn's was much better. So that's it for Something Fishy and us. Oh behind my husband was a post that showed a man with his huge catch of fish. In another picture was Richard Gomez with another man also with a huge fish. Tuna, possibly?

A very well written piece on the events of our time from CEAP

Speaking Truth, Seeking Justice
Setting Things Right
CEAP on the Events of our Time
February 14, 2008

“No lie can live forever,” said Carlyle. “Truth, crushed to earth, will rise again,” added William Cullen Bryant. And forty years ago, Martin Luther King cried:
On some positions,
Cowardice asks the question, “Is it safe?”
Expediency asks the question, “Is it politic?”
Vanity asks the question, “Is it popular?”
But Conscience asks the question, “Is it right?”

There comes a time when one must take a position
that is neither safe nor politic nor popular;
but one must take it
because Conscience says, “It is right.”

Following his conscience, Rodolfo Lozada Jr. these days has revealed possible corruption in the handling of government contracts. His confession has stirred memories of other allegations by other people of graft and greed in government, and is shaking the souls of many to speak and act in response.
What of us, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), an association of 1,252 schools, colleges, and universities with at least 2 million students and around 120,000 school personnel and faculty?

We too must speak, we too must act. For, as the same Martin Luther King continued, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent on things that matter.”

Silent then we must not be or must no longer be, if once we were. May not our lives end but rather begin in a special way this Valentine’s Day. Beyond the love we are expected to declare for the persons of our hearts, is the love for the people of our country that we are invited to express in this time of crisis in our land. Mere bystanders we cannot just be but active participants in the continuous task of shaping our nation’s life. In the words of Vaclav Havel, “By perceiving ourselves as part of the river, we take responsibility for the river as a whole.”

For those of us who know the truth, we pray for the courage to speak it. For those who seek justice, we pray for humility in the pursuit, personal integrity in the quest, respect for others involved in the search. For those of us who must judge and act on what we see and hear, we pray for fairness and the will to make the good triumph over evil in a way that removes the bad, without the act leading to what is even worse.

In tandem with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) we invite our member schools and their constituents, our alumni and friends individually and communally to pray for guidance on what to do in these times of tension and difficulty. We ask our administrators, faculty, and students to bring to the fore the issues of the day, discuss in humility and decide in fortitude and love what we must do together as a people in the different parts of the country where we are.

We must seek to discover the educative moment and the lesson for life in the investigation sessions and in the rallies and other mass actions we may join. To our country and the world we must show and say that we will not allow dishonesty, corruption, indifference or neglect to rule our lives. We must look into ourselves and ensure that what we decry in others we do not do ourselves.
We should pledge to continue to teach and live truth, honesty and integrity in our own schools so that when our graduates leave us they bring with them not just skills and knowledge but wisdom and love to inspire and change the world.

To this end, we link up with other groups sincerely searching for truth and justice. We encourage the establishment of truth centers in our schools so that our students, teachers, and staff are led to continuing awareness, reflection, and formation toward social-political engagement. We invite our members to support the sanctuary fund set up by the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP). We support the signature campaign demanding the implementation of the Supreme Court's decision junking Executive Order 464 so that the search for truth is not hindered or compromised.

Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life we shall continue to ask to lead us, accompany and comfort us in all we need to do. It is He, after all, who will truly set us free. The Holy Spirit we ask to enlighten us so that our external actions flow from inner harmony of heart. We remember the words of Will Durant: “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.” So we ask our Heavenly Father for the grace that we never neglect but ever firm up the moral fiber of our souls.

Our anger at the wrong and sinful things in and around us may we not allow to make of ourselves men and women of violence. We take to heart the thought of Martin Luther King: “The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence, you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

May our light dispel our darkness, may our love melt whatever hatred may lurk within. But in this Kairos moment, this time of grace, we, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, with all men and women of good will, in our nation and in the world, in the name of the Lord, by the grace of His Spirit, in concert and in communion call on ourselves and one another to -- speak the truth, seek justice and work to set things right.

CEAP National Board of Directors

Thursday, February 14, 2008

15 February 2008

This morning I woke up before 5 a.m. Yesterday, much as I wanted to, I was unable to hear mass. I don't like leaving the house before my husband and son leave for school, which would be inevitable if I hear mass at 6:30 a.m. on a school day. Because then I'd see them only late in the afternoon, earliest or at 7 or after. In the evening I couldn't hear mass either as my son requested us to watch Sinta (in fact, he sold us tickets) because last night's show would have Maita, whom he considers the best Sinta so far, and Joseph, a very good Narding and my son's friend. One of the tatays was my husband's student in Grade 7. He's now one of the managers in a multinational company. The other tatay is taking up medicine. And Redentor was Mel Garrido aka Bill Cosme. It was the nth time I watched Sinta and so I knew the story very well. This made me decide to focus on the music rather than the acting. In particular, I watched my son and his reactions to what was happening on stage as it was he who led the orchestra. Poise my son is not conscious nor concerned about. He is so spontaneous he laughs when a scene is funny. Lucky for him he doesn't miss the cues or else there would be hell to pay.

After the show and after speaking to a few parents of the performers and some of the performers themselves, my husband and I drove off to our Valentine's dinner. Earlier in the day he had said we could go to a hotel but after the show, he didn't seem inclined to drive farther than Katipunan. So off to Teriyaki Boy. Hardly a venue for a Valentine dinner -- it was hardly decorated but for a few heart-shaped advertisements. Even Shakey's in our area no longer carries the heart-shaped pizzas on Valentine's. What gives? Has the commercial crap finally settled on more people's consciousness? A survey on QTV for instance revealed that 45 percent believe Valentine's should be celebrated, while 55 percent said no need. Anyway, when we reached Teriyaki Boy whom should we see but a family of three-- my sister's neighbor: husband, wife and daughter. I guess that too was their Valentine's dinner as they had just picked up their daughter from training. It felt good to see families rather than just couples celebrate Valentine's together.

Back to this morning... At around 6 I decided I would hear mass, so I called the maid to dress me up. She took forever and was scowling, but I wasn't too worried because even if she is called to do something for me at later hours, she has the same dour look. She took her time dressing me up even as she knew what time the mass would start and had the gall to say when we reached the church "nag start na ang misa." I wanted to ask, did you expect the priest to wait for us? Still the walk to church had been very restful. The sun was not blatantly out. The skies were gray and it looked like it would rain except that there were no clouds. I glanced at the neighborhood termagant's store but the wooden sheets behind the grills were still up. Apparently she hadn't opened her store yet nor smoked her first cigarette.

In church I saw mostly women but there were couples around and unaccompanied men. No children in sight, I guess because of classes. Oh, you might wonder, why was I able to hear mass on a weekday? Had I violated my own policy of not leaving my husband and son behind?

Husband had no work today, while my son's class was set to begin at 11:30 a.m. So there.

After mass, armed with a P100 bill which I deliberately brought with the intention of buying fruits, I saw a biker with a glass box of baked goods. Julie's the signage read. The pan de sal looked enticing as did the cheese roll, the Japanese pie, hopia and another slice that looked like it had the same filling as hopia. I chose a few of each and was billed P48. (Later when I computed at home, I ended up with a total of P39. I had been gypped. anyway...) Then I proceeded to the fruit carts. There were a lot of old women there and one glanced at me. She had a red umbrella and as she approached me she said, "o". By the grace of God (I always forget her face, see?) it occurred to me that she was the mom of a friend from college and luckily I was correct. She was stuffing lots of mangoes into her plastic bag and ended up with three kilos. I chose a bunch of anorexic looking latundan bananas and asked how much the star apple cost. P60, the man said. I got one though I would have wanted to get more. Why? Because remember I only had P52 left, and my friend's mom was around. She saw me quietly sitting and asked, "Pumili ka na." I said "I'm just waiting for my change." The bananas and one star apple cost P25. whew. The man didn't weigh the star apple after disgustedly asking the maid, "isa lang?" He then said, "P10". He took a long time to give the P25 change saying he had only P20. But we refused to leave so he asked the other fellow selling fruits for change. I notice how this practice is often subscribed to by sellers, I guess, in the hope that their clients would be too impatient to wait.

With just P27 left, I didn't have enough for the two newspapers I wanted to buy: Philippine Star and Inquirer. We had to go back to the house to get change for the two dailies.

Why did I title this blog entry thus? I guess because I'm expecting something to happen later? I prayed for the country at mass today. Beware the Ides of March is a well known adage. But why is it that in the Philippines February is more like the month of which we need to be wary?

Monday, February 11, 2008

JLo

Watching the Senate hearing was in turns enlightening and frustrating. Yesterday afternoon, shortly before the Senators declared a recess to go to lunch, I caught a few minutes of it. Initially, I was irked seeing JLo playing to the cameras. He was reacting too much for everyone to see -- a stark contrast to the poise and composure of Clarissa Ocampo years back. It occurred to me that he had turned cocky. But when the older senators ganged up on him, I decided he didn't deserve their hubris. What they made him go through provided a justification for why he was consistent in his saying that he wanted to avoid having to be in a Senate inquiry. There are a lot of bullies out there. And the prey of the bullying was not limited to him. The Senators bullied each other as well. I admire how MR vehemently countered the accusations of the older legislators. On the other hand, the action star turned senator was funny in pretending to be intelligent. He furrowed his eyebrows producing a crease between them but his questions did not match the look. They weren't questions that required deep thought.

The son of the former president knew how to ask questions. I didn't think he had it in him. Good for him that he does.

The former policeman was not intimidated by anyone; neither was the former general. Good for them because some of those invited to the hearing could have made those of lesser stuff cower or shut up in fear.

There was one invitee who had a chorus behind him. They'd shake their head or nod, as though on cue, always the right motion in support of their boss's answer. It looked a bit comical.

JM has balls. Nothing seems to faze her. But I was amused at how frequently she used the term she said shouldn't be use: dinuraan or its permutation. I thought before she was simply a rich girl but somehow she has impressed me over time.

In a previous hearing, I noticed how competently PC was asking questions that drew answers from JLo. The wannabee future president's questions, on the other hand, were so showbiz-like that JLo perpetually invoked the statement that he'd rather not say anything as it might ruin his friendships with MD and RN.

A number asked questions that were phrased so much more lengthily than the answers obtained.

Not a few people want to befriend Mike Defensor now. Imagine, he handed JLo P50k for pamalengke. He was ribbed for this gesture by Chiz Escudero (check out http://www.veoh.com/videos/v4112467mMj4Fdmq?s=forward&p2=A+friend&p1=v4112467mMj4Fdmq > who undoubtedly echoed what was in the minds of many viewers. But MD also better beware. He mentioned that he told JLo if you need more, I can get from the car. He carries so much cash with him. No wonder he had so many bodyguards when we saw him in a mall some time back. They occupied a table for six or more then, the bodyguards I mean.

It's a pity there will be no hearing today. Wonder if there'll be another anytime soon.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Philippin

Haha, I didn't mean to post the above with the aborted spelling and no contents but I must have been so distracted I accidentally pressed "publish post."

What could have distracted me yesterday? I can't even now remember. Maybe it was Jun Lozada and his "revelations." Is he for real? I guess he is because he does not pretend to be holier than thou, admitting even to what Miriam Defensor "accused" him of: getting an insurance for himself paid by Philippine Forest Company from Insular Life, with his wife as agent. Besides, what could he possibly gain from coming out in the open? Possibly, harm for himself if not his family. will there be another methane-induced explosion anytime soon like there was when the ZTE-NBN thing exploded some months back? What does that make of us Filipinos?


This a.m. as I read about his press conference in the newspaper there was a quotation ascribed to him, about what a lowly farmer (in economic terms) said when he asked that farmer why they didn't harvest the guavas and sell these to earn some money. What the farmer said struck him, JLo (that's what FG calls him, he said) said. The farmer answered, "Those are for the birds." So that farmer is not lowly at all, he is high up in the totem pole of kindness. He thinks of feeding the birds, when he himself seemed not to have enough to dress well: his shirt was torn in some parts, JLo said. the ironies in this world abound.

The other day, as a friend and I spoke, she mentioned wanting to live in Batanes which is famed for the simplicity of lifestyle thereat. A few weeks ago, when the contestants in Eat Bulaga were those who had proven their honesty, the jackpot question was "Where is Honesty Cafe where people just get coffee, pay and get change without anyone watching?" The answer, of course, was Batanes. One time on TV when the province was featured, the jail was shown. It didn't have a lock and had only one inmate. Sometimes, it was empty. UTOPIA. There's a joke though about Batanes. Or is it true? The winds there are so strong, one doesn't find chickens in the province.

I almost forgot, as I devoured the accounts on JLo, I was reminded of The Sound of Music when the von Trapps where sheltered by the nuns or more accurately, shielded from the soldiers who were out to get them. The furtive arrangements the La Salle brothers and the nuns made for Lozada were pampelikula...

Two text messages

The first is a joke from a friend:

Kwento ng isang OFW. "I was so depressed last night I called LIFELINE. Got connected to a call center in _______(name of a country). I told them I was suicidal. They got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck."

The second from 639166229259:

Congrats! Ur SIM# had won Php.780,000.00 2nd prize draw last nov/28/2007. Pls call me now.I'm Alex d. cuevas. (auditor of Phils. Charity Foundation) Per DTI-NCR No.1548 series of 2007.

To the second text I texted back, "Wow, how lucky I am. Two weeks ago, I also won. Please donate the amount to the PGH Children's Cancer Ward."

I never "won" again after that.

Saturday, February 2, 2008

A Different Bookstore-Serendra and then some

If you have a retail business, be sure to be around come opening and closing time each and every day. Two examples why:

last night we were in Serendra. After spending time in Fully Booked, we went to Mary Grace for some cheese roll to take home just in case our son was hungry after the prom and then hied off to A Different Bookstore nearby. I've always known it closes at midnight, which was why we confidently strode in.

As we browsed, this lady was recommending me stuff which I looked at, all the time aware of the clanging of plates and utensils near the front of the shop. Yes, the bookstore has a coffee shop. The clanging was getting into my nerves and called to mind what a now dead relative said to her maids one time I was in her kitchen helping her make sandwiches. She chided her maids thus: "Hinay lang mag panghimos, daw ara kamo sa Chinese restaurant." Then she explained to me how Chinese restaurant waiters usually work so noisily, no attempt at finesse whatsoever. And I noticed this myself years later and would thus constantly remember my cousin. So hearing this kind of noise in the bookstore's coffee shop alerted me to the possibility that he was making all that ruckus because he wanted people to leave.

I was holding on to one book when I asked the lady sales clerk hovering nearby, "what time are you closing?" She said, "magsasara na nga po kami." I looked at my watch. It was 11:30. So I called out to my husband, "They're closing." By then my husband was holding a book he was contemplating on buying, but decided to put it down and get me. The lady said "Sige lang ma'am, baka gusto pa bumili ni Sir." I asked, "what time are you really closing?" She said, "12". I was dumbfounded. That was a good 30 minutes away. Oh boy. But we chose to leave even as we realized we still had a half hour to browse.

Second story:

This is the story of a friend. Along West Avenue are several restos. One night around 8, she and her husband and son walked into one. Shortly after they ordered, the waiters began to pull down the blinds and turn off some lights. Apparently, the waiters wanted them to be the last customers. Not long after, however, the waiters turned on all the lights again as they saw a car arrive. It was the owner. So, business resumed as usual.

Bonus story: My sister was choosing a belt from among many in a reputable store. The one she wanted cost more than the others. the sales girl offered to switch tags. My sister balked and left.

Age cannot be an excuse for bad manners

This blog is written in reference to my horrendous prom night. Back then, as I rued what had transpired, I tried to excuse my prom date's deed by saying he was young. But then it occurred to me that he wasn't that young.

Back when I was in grade six, the grade seven son of my mom's friend needed a date. The two moms agreed: I was my mom's friend's son's date.

From the time he picked me up to the time he brought me home, I only felt special. He opened the car door, got food for me, was a gentleman all throughout the evening. So I guess breeding, upbringing determine the extent of how courteous, considerate, etc. a person is. Brought up properly, a Grade Seven boy can be a better date than a Sophomore high school boy. Yes, my prom date was a year younger than me.

I rest my case.

Prom Night - My Own

After I post this blog, I'll have to remove my picture and my son's so my identity remains secret. hahaha.

Back in 1972 we were actively planning for our Junior-Senior Prom as Juniors in a hotel when suddenly, President Marcos declared martial law and attendant to it, imposed a curfew. So back to the drawing boards the planners went. The venue was transferred to a classmate's big house. I can't recall now why.

My date was the best friend of my cousin. Summer before the prom, my cousin stayed in our house for a few weeks and this friend visited him. They played pool in the house and I found him cute. Oh boy, this is embarrassing even after 34 or so years. So why am I writing this? I guess so I can laugh about the nightmare that ensued.

I can't recall now how I asked him to the prom because back then it was a no-no in the house for us daughters to call boys. So maybe, I asked my cousin to ask his friend to call? I think that's what happened. I can still recall where I took that call. Oh boy. In the clean kitchen where we had our meals. I was so excited. And he said he was too. this feels so bizarre. I think he called one other time to say what time he'd pick me up with his friend, etc.

It was a double date (I feel so silly doing this, haha). The car was tiny (Minca?) and when they picked me up, they meaning my date, his friend and my classmate, it was not that dark yet. Maybe it was around 6 pm. Rode the car and we didn't talk. Oh my. While on the phone we talked like friends, in person, it was utter silence. At the prom site, we had a picture together and both of us had arms crossed (what do psychologists have to say about that -- body-language interpretation, I mean). We still hardly spoke. We had dinner and at one point he and his friend excused themselves. Not long after, another classmate of ours approached us and motioned to us to follow her. In the bedroom of the host she proceeded to tell us that our dates had left. I can't recall now how our classmate found out. I can't recall now if we even thought of calling our houses to have ourselves picked up. But what happened was that classmate who informed us was the double date of another classmate whose date was the informer's cousin. She said they'd take us home.

The car was huge so we all managed to squeeze in. When I got home, my father opened the door and I told him what happened after I told him not to do anything about it, not even tell my Mom whom I guess I wanted to spare from the hurt. Our prom giveaways then were mugs with our names and our date's. We each got a pair so I remember bringing my prom date's to his house. I think I wrote a note but it's contents I cannot now recall.

A year or so later, there was a party in the house and this prom date of mine had the gall to gate-crash. I don't remember now what happened then.

Which brings me to why I thought of writing this piece. Last night my son was a Junior girl's date to her prom. They had never met but became dates because the girl's mom is the friend of a friend of mine. In the car on the way to the girl's house, even if I sounded like a nagger, I gave a few reminders to my son. Don't look bored. Be a good date. Never leave your date. If you can help it, don't use your cellphone (because then he'll be ignoring his date if he texted away) As I said these, I thought, maybe, my date back in 3rd year high wasn't reminded of such matters by his mom. So I felt I had to remind my son.

Background on that prom date of mine: he was the son of friends of my mom and dad. They belonged to the same civic club. Years after that fateful night, my sister told me that when the mom met her, she asked, "Are you xxx(my name)?" I have no idea if she ever found out what an awful date her son was. My friend who told us they had left said they most likely had or were going to have a pot session. Oh boy...

Now back to my son's 4th prom night et al.: the first was last year when he was invited by his classmate from nursery school, the second was my son's own, the third was for his date's. Car arrangements varied:

1st prom night: the mom of the girl said to bring our son to their place and they'd take care of everything including seeing my son home.

2nd prom night: my husband and I picked up the girl with my son because parents were strict and my son then wasn't yet driving. Going home, my husband picked them up and brought the girl home with my son.

3rd prom night: it was the graduation of a nephew so we got a driver to bring my son and his date to the prom venue in a hotel. After the dinner of my nephew, we went off to pick them up in the hotel though we waited a bit in the hotel lobby along with other parents of the girls. This set-up consoled me in the sense that we weren't an oddity.

4th prom night: we were at the girl's house on time but as the date of her friend wasn't around, the parents of the girl, the dad especially, offered to be the one to take them to the prom site. they also said they'd pick her up from the prom site. I didn't feel slighted by the arrangement because I understood their apprehensions. After all, in a sense, been there, done that.

I won't read this draft anymore as I don't feel comfortable about it, maybe another time. So excuse any errors you might find. Now I shall proceed to deleting the pictures I posted in earlier blogs that indicate my identity. (Then again, I shall not delete those pictures because I don't think my date will read this anyway and it's the truth to begin with. Nothing to be ashamed of on my part, right?)