Annual Report Photo by Au Soriano
Happy Thanksgiving!Woke up this morning with a reenergized body and spirit after enduring six days (or so!) of being totally under the weather battling out what happens only once a year. I got up really thankful that I'm almost back to normal - a real manifestation that, apart from medicines are already working, my prayers have been heard. Not used to being sick; much less get stuck at home doing nothing just because of flu. So this got my day started on the right footing with a perfect pace.
Then I remembered that today is Thanksgiving Day; and I quote my boss in her email to the team:
"We don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving Day here – it’s a uniquely American holiday, commemorating from their journey from England (and King John’s oppressive taxes), and landing on the shores of the New World. Of course we make that journey in a matter of hours these days, and flight delays, overzealous immigration officers and lost luggage are about the only hazards of travel to the US. But we can imagine how it perilous must have felt to be on the water for days, leaving behind all that is familiar and safe, to venture into the unknown, in the hope of a better, brighter future. How thankful they must have been to reach the dry land!"
And we are reminded that we have so many things to be thankful for. I am thankful for many things - and it is only appropriate to express my thanks to those who have helped me through the darkness to see light.
I am thankful that I have been blessed with a strong, loving, and totally caring Mum who has selflessly devoted her life to caring for us her children despite all the harsh realities we had to face in the past. Through her persistence and unwavering love for us, she has provided for us not only our present but also our future. And she continues to care for us in so many ways until today that it is mpossible for us to even imagine a life without her. We have expressed to her that we can now take care of ourselves as adults and yet she insists on articulating that unconditional love through her affection, thought, and endearing company. I am forever thankful to have been blessed with a Mum like no other.
I am thankful that I have strengthened the bond I have with my Dad. I may have neglected my role as a loving Son to a Dad whom I have not spent my adult life with - and may have missed time together; but I am thankful that I have now a stronger bond with him with a firm resolve to celebrate our family today and in the years to come to later reap the rewards of an indissoluble connection fortified by love.
I am thankful that I have sisters and a brother who have given me their most sincere support in the things I do. They have never failed to show me their love even through the simplest gestures that one may easily neglect to recognize. I am ever so thankful for the warmth their hugs and kisses have given me all these years.
I am thankful that I have been blessed with wonderful job opportunities and that I have learned so much since I started working. I am thankful that I now work in a company that inspires me to continuously achieve not only for myself, but for the people I work with, the people I love, and my family. I am thankful that I have been blessed with the chance to work with brilliant and creative minds with resilient spirits as they have caused me to push myself to the edge in pursuit of learning.
I am thankful that I have been blessed with a loving partner who has proven far and wide that love is indeed a wonderful feeling and a perfect decision to make. I am thankful that I have been blessed with the opportunity to love and be loved.
I am thankful that I have been blessed with caring and affectionate friends who have brightened up my days and made life more bearable, more exciting to live. I am thankful that through them I get to enjoy life in ways I cannot without them.
I am thankful that I have been blessed with this opportunity to learn, live, and love. I am truly blessed and for that, I am ever so thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Once a year happens today.Oh, what lovely morning! It happens only once a year and today it greeted me with so much candor. Background- Woke up last Friday feeling ill - a little feverish and with my throat feeling tight inside. Didn't mind the rather obnoxious feeling of being under the weather as I had a great morning waiting for me to embrace it: american breakfast with Mum, QBR cascade to MBG, YBD update to MBG plus tidbits on our digital strategy moving into 2009. Exciting! But felt the need to call it a day right about lunch time as I was feeling way under the weather and couldn't function no more.
Today marks my official entry into illdom with my joints crying at every move I make, my eyes clamoring for me to close them, and my temperature way above normal. And there's one thing I surely hate about being sick - it's feeling that you have become, although temporarily, inutile to the world around you. I want to be at work and give my team some strain in the neck knowing they would learn most from it and will reap the rewards of team hardwork - and have lots of fun along the way. I want to be able to drive to and from work, to buy something for Mum on my way home. I want to be able to freely call friends and check on them without my throat complaining that it's just too much talking for now. I want to do lots of normal things; but just can't. So be it.
As I was putting myself to sleep after a wonderful lunch (repeat serving of paksiw na bangus and beef stroganoff!) with Mum and my dog, Bobby, I almost burst into tears as Pachelbel's Canon in D Major subtly played in the background. Why? There were so many things running through my head that time. Maybe I was delirious. Maybe. I realized that vita e bella. I realized, too, that this life is just too short for these little illnesses to stop you from achieving, sharing, and seizing the day. I realized that, at some point, I, too, will die. Then, one of my usual thoughts rresurfaced again - would anyone cry? Point is not to leave people behind for them to cry at your dying bed; but I guess the best way to leave them is to give them a reason to celebrate their own lives in communion with others.
Stop. I didn't cry. Too much drama in bed would just make me feel worse. So I decided to close my eyes and feel good about this luxury (oh what coincidence!) of not doing anything. I am thankful - very much so - of how well this world has taken care of me despite of my being sick once a year. Maybe I need to embrace this "unbearable" lightness (of being!) for now and make the most out of it through further introspection. Bottomline is that this guy is happy; and though sick, would continue to conquer the world.
Hic habitat felicitas.
Vietnam Girls Here Confeeeermed! NYC, here we come!
Will spend Christmas Day with Dad in SFO and NYE in NYC! Winter, winter, winter... clothes! Officially, now I'm dreaming of Christmas! Extreme camwhoring this Christmas and NYE!
Would you spend 1133Ps for this?
Di ko kinaya. :o)
Friendster! Facebook! Yahoo Messenger! Be connected 24ever with your friends!Hinding-hindi nako mahuhuli sa latest happenings ng barkada dahil sa Globe, connected 24ever kami!  With Globe UPD8, always connected ka sa friends mo online! Kailangan mo lang ng Friendster or Facebook account and you can upload pictures from your phone straight to your account. No need for a computer! Hinding-hindi ka na maghihintay makauwi or makapag-Internet café bago mo ma-upload ang iyong photos, dahil sa UPD8, you can take a picture with your phone and upload it to Friendster and Facebook from anywhere at anytime.
Pwede ka ring maka-receive ng unlimited updates from your Friendster and Facebook accounts! Do you want to know if you have a new message, comment or invite? With UPD8, alerts from your favorite sites are just a text away! Click here to know more about Globe Friendster UPD8 or Globe Facebook UPD8. Ipaalam na sa buong barkada ang great news!
May UNLITXT at SAKTO Calls ka pa para sa mas matagal na kuwentuhan, tuksuhan at tawanan through text and calls. Click here to know more about SMS Promos or Sakto Calls. At abangan ang Unlimited chat through Yahoo Messenger! Free trial period from September 5 to October 4, 2008. Para naman sa barkadang on-the-go, dapat Internet ay laging kasama. Stay online anywhere and all the time with Globe Prepaid Visibility! With Visibility, mas mabilis na ang Internet connection mo, mas mura pa! Kapag may Visibility ka, siguradong connected ka to your barkada. Click here to know more about Globe Visibility. Tuloy-tuloy ang bonding ng barkada dahil mas madali at mura na ang GCASH To Load! You get 15% GCASH back when you buy prepaid load via GCASH. Click here to know more about GCASH To Load. Kung new, affordable and discounted cellphones naman for the barkada ang hanap niyo, meron ding available na Barkada Phone Deals. Click here to know more about Bakada Phone Deals. And to try and know more about all these new and exciting products, join the 24EVER Barkada Tour. Starting September 2008, you will have a new tambayan for your barkada! Hang out with friends, meet cool people, get freebies and win prizes! Click here to know more about 24EVER Barkada Tour. Never ka nang mabibitin, lagi ka pang in! Siguradong mas masaya ang samahan ng barkada with the Globe Connected 24ever services. Make Globe part of your barkada and stay connected 24ever! My Unusual Work Outfit Today I was told that, at Globe, there's an unwritten culture of wearing either of these two work outfits: (1) blue shirt and black pants; or (2) short-sleeved white <i>kusot mayaman</i> barong. I was also told that some people from the Multimedia Business Group started wearing their tailored tops more when I joined the team. I've been going to work with my usual tops with our without a tie matched with my slim fit black jeans (normall a big no at Globe).
People have so gotten used to seeing me go to work in tailored tops that when I first wore a barong, though with a Cuban twist (four pockets in front with lots of pleating), they got shocked. I had different barongs made in different styles: polo jacket in cream and black, that Cuban style barong in lavender, normal short-sleeved barong in white, and a very executive looking type barong in white (ergo, long sleeved!)
Wore it to work today since I reckon I'd be attending a Quarterly Business Review presentation of Gerry Ablaza, our President and CEO, and another meeting with him for a secret project we've been working on + of course the fact that I know that this attire would definitely shock the hell out of my colleagues. So, this is a rare shot of me considering that I don't really wear this on a daily basis. I look different - definitely older and novel! So ladies and gentlemen, here's Uncle Pao in a barong! :o)
Happy birthday, Mum!
To my best friend and Mum, Happy birthday! Thank you for all the selflessness through the years I wouldn't be where I am now without your love and care and wisdom and guidance. I love you very much, Mumishikuyz! May your wishes come true. You deserve nothing less. I thank God for choosing you to become my one and Only Mum. Pao  July 16, 2008 Men: You ready or not?
Got this from a blog after doing a Google search on "masculine wash." My friends and I were arguing whether to try masculine wash or not and of us four, two said they would. Interesting because straight guys would, in fact, consider trying it at least once simply for novelty's sake. Whether there's a paramount need for us to take care of our genitalia by using our own "intimate wash" or totally none at all remains to be seen with how this new product fares in the market. In fact, one major personal care brand will soon be launching its own intimate wash for men this quarter.
Now are you ready for this or not?
I like having lunch alone.
Yes, call me a loner but this solitude over lunch is a luxury that most people don't have. Reckon it's more of a choice on my part; but I think the choice to eat alone is what makes it a luxury. Most people love eating with the company of friends and colleagues. While I enjoy that, too, I think eating alone gives you that opportunity to contemplate on certain things: work issues, to-do lists, objectives in life, stories to share... the list just goes on and on. Given that you have 10 or more hours spent at work, an hour being alone could be quite a luxury. And today, since my lunch buddy, Jose, is out doing some fieldwork, I again had the opportunity to choose to be luxurious - at least in the context of eating alone - and no regrets, it was a good one hour debating with myself on how to do things the right way over a bowl of monggo and a slab of pork belly. Yummy thoughts produced, indeed!
Trip to Pyongyang, North Korea, any takers? I've done Seoul, now it's time to go exotic! I'm really interested to join if this is a safe, legit tour (and no visa stamped on my passport. Don't want to have an incriminating seal on my passport that will bar me from entering other countries, especially those in the Schengen territories.)
Trip will be from September 17 to 24.
Whatchathink?
Sosyal, indeed.I don't really know how the word "sosyal" got really, really famous but somehow a lot of my friends associate that word to me and Pollynne. And now this is hilarious... a Philippine domain-targeted animated GIF banner ad on mediafire.com:
which when clicked leads users here.
Sosyalan, indeed.
Happy Father's Day, Dad! Not much is seen nor heard about my Dad, Jay, here on Multiply - but he's funky enough to have a Multiply page for himself! Reason why I don't post entries about my Dad is that we barely get to spend time together given that he has always been based in California since I was a kid. I get to spend time with him though every once in a while.
A lot of people say that the most obvious thing that I got from my dad are my eyes. They say it's a mark of a true Pe¤a. But let it be known here that, more than my eyes, I've a lot of other qualities I got from dad. Perhaps the most obvious - at least to me and those who know him - are my leadership skills. Both my dad and I love leading teams, organizations, and projects. We both have this special interest in making things happen through leadership.
My dad has always taught me the value of setting goals clearly so that it enables you to chart your path to success. But what is more important is not success itself - but the comfort it brings not to one's own self but to other people. He constantly reminds me, until now that I am an adult, that achievements are nothing if it weren't shared with others. Sharing your success, achieving for other people makes life more meaningful.
And it is on this special day that I remember these timeless values that my dad has taught me. And for that, I remember his role in my life as my Dad.
Happy Father's Day, Dad! Much love!
I know I'm back in Manila......because I hear house music played in shops at the mall. ...because I'm back to attending huge ass parties. ...because I see too much glitz and glam in these big parties where people are dressed up to the nines but not moving even a single joint no matter how great the DJ is. ...because I can do quick detours to malls in case I need to dress up for a date. ...because I now have access to McD again! ...because I bump into friends (and acquaintances) in malls and clubs. ...because I'm having so much difficulty getting a taxi and the necessity to get my car fast is pressing. ...because I'm back to watching movies in world class cinemas. ...because I can understand what everyone is talking about even when I don't want to eavesdrop into their conversation. ...because I see a lot of cuties and hotties again. (Or is this what we call repression? No sex for a looooooong time now!) ...because I get stressed with the littlest things. I'm connected with the universe, at least when I'm in Manila. ...because I can play loud music and neighbors won't care much. ...because I miss my friends in Vietnam while still very excited to make new ones here. Back in Manila and staying here for good.I'm back in Manila! Arrived last night at around 8PM after a grueling two hour and a half of emotional roller coaster ride on board Philippine Airlines. There were times that I genuinely smiled at the thought of being with my beloved family again and my new job at Globe; but there were times, too, that I cried a lot thinking of the very few but really intimate friends I left in Saigon. I never thought I'd smile and cry that much.
My last few days in Saigon were fantastic. Spent most of it with friends either partying or just lounging around Phu My Hung while I packed my stuff. The party marathon started Thursday and it sure ended with me getting pissed drunk with a bottle of wine at the Park Hyatt. (In fact, I was too drunk that I actually experienced - for the first time - seeing double!)
Had my last lunch in Saigon at the Gourmet Shop with my closest friends - Pollynne, Huy (and his girlfriend-to-be, Xuan), Dan, Nic, and Brian. It was a happy lunch until I realized that it will take a while before I see them again. I tried my best not to cry. A bit successful, I said goodbye to Huy and Xuan as they waved from their motorbikes. My eyes were already flooded with tears but I held on.
Pollynne, Brian and Dan accompanied me to the airport right after lunch. I wanted to say a lot... to thank them for everything we have shared in Saigon but I just chose not to say a word anymore. I know it would just make everyone sad, including myself. They helped me check in my luggage and three huge boxes. We then smoked outside the airport until I had to leave for Immigration check. Hugged each of them and at the point gave up on controlling my tears. I had to let the flood out. I noticed however that none of us said "good bye." Instead, we said "see you soon" and "love you."
I cleared my eyes and prepared for immigration, went straight to the chocolates shop after. And from there began my emotional roller coaster ride. Every time I'm reminded of Pollynne, Dan, Huy, Brian, Nic and all the nicest memories I have culled in Saigon, I would get sad and burst into tears. Every time I'm reminded of my new job, my mum, and my friends in Manila, I would smile in excitement. Then I told myself that this is indeed very schizophrenic... a very apt example of how bittersweet this whole experience is.
I have proven again that I'm saddened not by separation itself but by the thought that it will be a while again before I get to be with the people I've fallen in love with. I cry whenever I ask myself the question "when will I get to hug them again?" or "when will we ever get to dance again?" Nostalgia is a nice feeling, but it is something that I have to learn and master as part of growing up.
Now on my second day here in Manila and I found it strange to hear the Angelus at noontime. It's quite amusing, to be honest, to be watching really baduy noontime shows again. Great to hear house music being played at the mall, a proof that I am indeed back in Manila. Staples like Starbucks and Seattle's Best are available to me again. Tyler and Zara are there, too. Topman and Springfield. Rockwell and Ayala. Embassy and Government. These are names that make living here again a bit exciting and, I would say, posh. But I know these are names far from those that have made me feel at home in Saigon. The names that are closer to the my heart's core are those that I sorely miss now like Pollynne, Huy, Dan, Kenny, Nic, Brian, Ting, Bryan, Quan, Sam, Ching, Redge, Abby, Mic and a lot more other names I will keep forever.
XX OO from Makati! A Tribute to My Saigon Friends: "These times will last forever."August 16, 2006. I knew only quite a few people when I got here. In fact, I only knew Julio and Ting. I left my friends in Manila - if only for a while - knowing that I will make new ones here in Saigon. Now with less than a month to go before I leave Vietnam, I would like to pay tribute the new friends I've made for making my stay colorful and worthwhile. Thank you for being part of my Saigon story.
Those long lunch breaks. Coffee in posh cafes. In disappointing cafes. Walks up and down Dong Khoi. Services at Notre Dame. The Saigon heat. The unexpected rain.
The French Indochine.
Weekly religious trip to Lush. Getting drunk in Q Bar. Gaudy Apocalypse. Dingy sidewalks and alleys.
Dressing up and dressing down.
 Classy restaurants. Backpacker joints. Roadtrip. Plane trips. Fashion, drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Glam. Or the usual lack of it.
Deviants and conformists. Rolling eyes unnecessarily elsewhere. Laughing here Bathing in the sun. Hugs in the cold. DVD marathons. Friday night cocktails. Shoes searching. Soul finding in Phu My Hung. Parties. Fights. Joys.
Sadness. 
New friends and a few strangers.
Unity, teams, splits, drifts. Loyalty. No need. Good memories. Fun times. Small talks, big hearts.  Good or bad. Friendships. We've all been friends in more ways than one. Love. A big thank you.
"These times will last forever!"
That is sooo 70s. VN Online services going retro... in a bad way. Almost every service that you could possibly think of now allows you to transact business online. Now that we are in a very well developed digital world, doing business online is expected to be governed by the same tested principles of doing business offline. And one of those principles is that whatever it is that you publish on fliers, TV commercials, or print ads should be true and real. Doing business online is not exempted from this one. Whatever is published on your website should be true and real. I guess not here in Vietnam.
My friend and I agreed to take the so-called luxury train to Nha Trang this weekend. It's a long 10-hour ride from Saigon, but what the heck, we're going for the experience. So I booked our tickets online. Book it online and pick the ticket up after paying.
I decided to pass by the airline ticketing office first since I was around the area, which would secure our plane ride back to Saigon. Got our plane ticket already so I then went to the train's ticketing office to pick up our coach ticket to Nha Trang. Surprise!!! 5 Star Express has already been renamed to Golden Star. As such, my online booking was considered null and void. I booked tickets on a website that, in the first place, should have already been brought down the minute they changed names!
Here's another good story. What else do you need when you're planning a beach trip? You need accommodations. Found this interesting resort, White Sand Doc Let Resort, which had a superior room pegged at 75USD++. At the bottom part of the rate card, it said: "All rates above are inclusive of breakfast for 1 or 2 persons and exclusive of government taxes and service charge." Thinking it's a good deal for a pretty decent resort, I called their hotline to book. The representative handling my call said that the internet rate I saw does not include breakfast. I argued with her saying that that isn't possible since their website said otherwise. She argued with me effectively wasting 30 minutes of nonsense. I then referred to my travel agent in Hanoi and gave them an instruction to book whatever room is available at the rate my friend and I agreed on to share. And guess what, the booking info I received from Hanoi includes breakfast at 70USD++. I just don't understand why the representative said otherwise when their website promises breakfast for two. Again, in this case, there is definitely no truth in advertising, which is nothing but annoying for any customer.
Doing business in the digital age requires transparency. If the goddamn service has been renamed invalidating a system thereafter, bring the website down and tell your customers. Don't just allow people to transact business with technically a nonexistent service. If your website says that all rates "above" are inclusive of breakfast, damn include the breakfast as has been promised online. Anything less would never be acceptable. That is how you do business online. Services that behave otherwise are just not cut out to do business today. Get a time machine and warp your company back to the 70s where you might have a chance to thrive.
From VNG to GT. A new life begins.
I am about to end a chapter and open a new one soon after. I will be bringing with me new learnings that I have culled over my nearly two years of being with VinaGame. There have been so many highs and lows of my stint here, but I am very happy that, at the end of it all, much has been learned! (Will share those management learnings in a separate post soon. Maybe when I'm back in Manila with more free time to boot.) Sad to leave VinaGame, of course, because it has given much in two years -- experience and support. In VinaGame, I was blessed to work with and report to one of the coolest CEOs ever, Bryan Pelz. I told Bryan that I've always loved working with him and would definitely keep in touch. As I fast approach May 5, my leaving sinks in more deeply. I realize how much nice memories I have built on Saigon and around Vietnam and that I am finally leaving what I have considered a bona fide second home, friends, colleagues, AND lovers.
Very excited and a bit scared (a healthy balance fit for a new job), I will be joining Globe  Telecoms as their Head for Multimedia Marketing. I'm excited because this will be the second time that I will be working with Minette, who was the Managing Director of Level Up! when I was a Brand Manager. She was one of my closest mentors back then and I just loved her style. I remember back when I was still with Samsung Mobile, I always looked up to the people I worked with at Globe. They were very snappy, professional, creative, and oh, sassy in many ways. Now I have the chance to be part of that company I once looked up to, I'm psyched up for it now more than ever and ready to take on bigger responsibilities in life. Pao is growing up, turning 25 this year... it's about time. A Guide to the French. Handle with Care.from the NY Times by Elaine Sciolino:
PARIS — “Every man has two countries, his own and France,” says a character in a play by the 19th- century poet and playwright Henri de Bornier. In five and a half years living in Paris as an American correspondent, I have tried to make the country my own, knowing that I never will completely fit in, but always will be fascinated. So as I finish my stint as Paris bureau chief and move on to a new beat here, it seems a good moment to offer eight lessons learned.
1: Look in the Rear-View Mirror To begin to understand France, you have to look back. The French are obsessed with history. Part of this feeling is a genuine affinity for the past, part a desire to cling to lost glory, part an insecurity that comes with a tepid economy and the struggle to integrate a growing Arab and African population. Marie-Antoinette regularly makes the covers of magazines. So does Napoleon Bonaparte. No anniversary is too minor to celebrate. In my time here, France has marked the 20th anniversary of France’s sinking of Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior, the 200th anniversary of the high school baccalaureate diploma, the 60th anniversary of the bikini and the 100th anniversary of the brassiere. For the 100th anniversary of her birth in January, Simone de Beauvoir was celebrated with half a dozen biographies, a DVD series, a three-day scholarly symposium and a cover of the magazine Le Nouvel Observateur with a nude photo of her from the back.
2: An Interview Is Sometimes Not an Interview Their love of history doesn’t mean the French always render it accurately. It has long been common practice for journalists in France to allow their interview subjects to edit their words. “Read and corrected,” the system is called. I once took part in an interview with Jacques Chirac, when he was president, in which he said it would not be all that dangerous for Iran to have a nuclear weapon or two. That certainly was not French policy. So the official Élysée Palace transcript left out the line and replaced it with this: “I do not see what type of scenario could justify Iran’s recourse to an atomic bomb.” The practice of doctoring the transcript has continued under President Nicolas Sarkozy. Last month, the president lost his temper when a bystander refused to shake his hand at the annual agricultural fair. (A polite translation of what he said would be, “Get lost, you stupid jerk!”) The incident, captured on video, was seen by millions on the Internet. According to the daily Le Parisien the next day, Mr. Sarkozy later expressed regret in an interview, saying, “It would have been better if I had not responded to him.” But the paper’s editor soon confessed that the words of regret were “never uttered.” They had been edited into the transcript by the Élysée Palace. 3: The Customer Is Always Wrong It is hard for French merchants to admit they are wrong, and seemingly impossible for them to apologize. Instead, the trick is to somehow get the offended party to feel the mistake was his or her own. I’m convinced the practice was learned in the strict French educational system, in which teachers are allowed to tell pupils they are “zeros” in front of the entire class. A doctor I know told me he once bought a coat at a small men’s boutique only to discover that it had a rip in the fabric. When he tried to return it, the shopkeeper gave him the address of a tailor who could repair it — for a large fee. They argued, and the doctor reminded the shopkeeper of the French saying, “The customer is king.” “Sir,” the shopkeeper replied, “We no longer have a king in France.” 4: Make Friends With a Good Butcher With food as important as it is here, one of the most important men in your life should be your butcher. Mine, Monsieur Yvon, is more than a cutter of meat. He is a playful spirit in a rather sober neighborhood — and the exception to the customer-is-always-wrong rule. In his tiny shop on the Rue de Varenne, between the Luxembourg Gardens and Les Invalides in the Seventh Arrondissement, Monsieur Yvon has donned a necklace of his homemade sausages to get a conversation going. At Christmas, he and his team of butchers put on elves’ hats with blinking lights. He offers passers-by free charcuterie and glasses of Beaujolais nouveau every fall. He is so deeply trusted that when avian flu struck France, his poultry sales went up, not down. Monsieur Yvon has cooked my Thanksgiving turkey when it was too big for my oven and taught me how to make the perfect pot-au-feu. I have watched him lovingly choose just the right pair of center-cut lamb chops for an elderly client. Were they to be cooked today or tomorrow? Grilled or sautéed?
Even when he bears bad news, his explanations are delicious. Once I ordered a 16-pound turkey and got an 11-pound bird instead. “It was the fault of the foxes,” he said gravely. “The foxes?” I asked. “Yes, the foxes.” It seemed that the electric fence surrounding the turkey pen had shorted out and the foxes had had a field day. “They only ate the big turkeys,” he explained. 5: Kiss, but Be Careful Whom You Hug The French need no excuse to kiss. The first time I was kissed by a Frenchman was on July 20, 1969, the day a man landed on the moon. I was a student with a backpack, arriving at the Gare de Lyon. The newspaper seller kissed me on both cheeks because I was an American. The ritual double “bisou” — the two-cheek kiss — takes some getting used to. There is nothing sexy about it, but it can be awkward, especially for my adolescent daughters when they are required to kiss strange men. Mr. Chirac never seemed to relish the formal, jerky air kisses. He is more of a hand-kisser. He knows how to cradle a woman’s hand in his, raise the hand to chest level, bend over to meet it halfway and savor its feel and scent. Mr. Sarkozy is unpredictable. When he’s in a bad mood, he might offer a curt “Bonjour” and a cold handshake. With those he likes, he gets really close and hugs. They sometimes hug back, as did Israel’s president, Shimon Peres, during a visit this month to the Élysée. But the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has made it clear through her aides that she is not a hugger and needs her space. 6: Don’t Wear Jogging Clothes to Buy a Pound of Butter Rules govern even the smallest activities. I was making chocolate chip cookies one Saturday afternoon and ran out of butter. Dusted with flour, still in my morning jogging clothes, I dashed out to the convenience store up the street. The problem was that it is not just any street. It’s the Rue du Bac, one of the most chic places to see and be seen on Saturdays. I heard my name called and turned to face a senior Foreign Ministry official, dressed in pressed jeans and a soft-as-butter leather jacket, wearing an amused look, and carrying a small Nespresso shopping bag. We went to a corner cafe for a drink. The Swedish ambassador and his wife stopped as they were riding by on their bikes. Both were in tailored tweed blazers, slim pants and loafers. Then Robert M. Kimmitt, the deputy treasury secretary, walked by. He and my foreign ministry friend joked that my style didn’t match the setting. I made the point that it was my neighborhood and I could dress however I wanted. But as my French women friends told me afterward, jogging clothes (shoes included) are to be removed as soon as one’s exercise is over. 7: Feeling Sexy Is a State of Mind, or: Buy Good Lingerie In her close-fitting sweaters and pants and tailored leather jackets, Eliane Victor is both stylish and alluring. The retired author and journalist is in her late 80s. For French women, being sexy has nothing to do with age and everything to do with attitude. Arielle Dombasle, the actress and cabaret singer married to the philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, dared to expose her breasts on the cover of Paris Match and took off her clothes in a song-and-dance revue at Crazy Horse in Paris. Some people feel she tries too hard. But give the lady some credit. She’s turning 50 and has a Barbie-doll body. A 600-page sociological study of sexuality in France released this month concluded that 9 out of 10 women over 50 are sexually active. The sexiest French women seem naturally skilled in the art of moving, smiling and flirting. Chic French women prefer to peel and polish rather than paint their faces. Too much makeup, they say, makes a woman seem older, or worse, “vulgaire.” “The most beautiful makeup for a woman is passion,” Yves Saint Laurent once said. “But cosmetics are easier to buy.” French women spend close to 20 percent of their clothing budgets on lingerie. But you also have to know how to wear it. When the Galeries Lafayette department store inaugurated its 28,000-square-foot lingerie shop in 2003, it offered free half-hour lessons by professional striptease artists. 8: When It Comes to Politesse, There Is No End to the Lessons Never use the word “toilette” when asking a host for directions to the powder room; try to avoid going there at all. Never say “Bon appétit” at the start of a meal. Don’t talk loudly. Never discuss your religion or your money at dinner. Eat hamburgers, pizza, foie gras and sorbet with a fork. Always say “bonjour” to the bus driver, and to fellow passengers on elevators. “Pas mal” doesn’t necessarily mean “Not bad.” It can mean “Great!” New sculpture trend: Mummification
Took this photo during my recent Manila trip. Funky. Now, mummify away!
A bit pissed, slightly melancholic, and tragically alone....I then run back to this excerpt:
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.
- Rainer Maria Rilke
Good night, world.
Goodbye, my dear R-Lyn. Rizlyn "R-Lyn" Cabigao-Hinolan, my best friend back when were still freshmen at the University of Asia and the Pacific, passed away yesterday at 2:20PM at the Makati Medical Center.
My dear R-Lyn,
It's so surreal that I am writing this letter to you now that we've so gone beyond just keeping in touch online and I still couldn't believe that only divine intervention can bring this message to you.
Is that the car which you used to teach me how to drive? I remember those days very clearly and will forever keep them in my heart. You taught me how to brave the road no matter what and to always trust my instincts. I have you to thank for that and a whole lot more.
Thank you for all those fun times. Remember, we'd always buy two packs of cigarettes so we could try out the different brands available at Pearl Drive? Or when I come to school late, you buy two packs of the same brand so that I, too, have my own when we go to the smoking area? Remember those days when we came to school in our "raver" outfits so that we can go straight to Orange or Halo after dinner and attend the gig of the DJs we religiously followed? Remember when we'd breeze through exams not really caring about what score we would get? We were daring, bold, but smart. Remember when we'd look at crazy graphic magazines and just be awed by pure visual awesomeness? Remember that night we drank beer at the smoking area of the school at past midnight? Did we smoke pot in school? I can't really remember, but I know that night was pretty daring. We even gave the guards cans of beer as bribe. Remember when we'd make fun of our teachers at the way they talk and would even catch teacher expressions that made us crack up like crazy? Remember that time we drove back to school from my place in Manila just to get my bag which I accidentally forgot in school? Remember when we'd just scribble mindlessly on our notebooks and not paying attention at all to the blabbery in class? (I still have that notebook, by the way.) We were deviants and we were happy.
You were my best friend, R-Lyn. You will always be in my heart. I will miss you. Thank you for the friendship. You only went sooner than the rest of us; but somehow, I know our paths will cross once again. Be happy in the company of God and his angels. Nudge Him for me once in a while. Play with the angels up there. And when we meet, tell me how fun it is to be flying with them.
Love,
Pao
Happy Valentine's Day!Here's a fire heart for all you lovers and friends.
May your heart be filled with love today as we
celebrate the goodness of life spent
meaningfully with others.
Big hugs!
Here I am, Manila!
5-14 February 2008: The Philippines
6-9 February 2008: Boracay Island
5, 9-14 February 2008: Manila
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I worked in VN and I find this material offensive.
