I wrote something about culture and being Filipino for AuxCentricity.com this month.

Part of the article reads: "We Filipinos are known for our hospitable nature. But I hope that we can also become known as a people who are raising children who don’t talk insolently to adults as if they have every right to do so; children who’d rather be with their families instead of bonding with their friends majority of the time; and children whom other parents would speak well of for being raised properly."

You can read the rest of it here.

... finding two Anna Quindlen books I've been looking for -- in one store, on the same day, yesterday! Bless you Booksale Mall of Asia!


Finished reading both books before I went to sleep and they are as inspiring as her other non-fiction books I already have.

Here are a couple of beautiful quotes:

"You are the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on the bus, or in the car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank account, but your soul. People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit ..." - from A Short Guide to a Happy Life

"Look, every day, at the choices you are making, and when you ask yourself why you are making them, find this answer: Because they are what I want, or wish for. Because they reflect who and what I am." - from Being Perfect



That makes it seven. Now, I've got to find me the remaining six Quindlen books I still haven't read :)

Just saw this at the BPI website. I'm disappointed that you can't redeem Chicken Joy items anymore and that they increased the required transaction amounts. Still, since I sometimes charge our groceries to my debit card, I could probably redeem a few items again. The good thing is, the promo period is longer this time.


Mechanics:

1. The promo is open exclusively to all existing BPI, BPI Family Savings Bank and BPI Direct cardholders (Express Teller, Jumpstart and BPInoy).

2. Promo period is from August 8 to November 5, 2010.

3. Cardholder should use his BPI Express Teller via Express Payment System (E.P.S.) within the promo period for a minimum single purchase transaction of P2000, P4000 or P8000 at any merchant to qualify for redemption of the free Jollibee food items.

4. Cardholder can redeem the featured food items at any Jollibee outlet nationwide. The redemption is valid for dine-in and take-out only. Redemption is not allowed for drive-thru orders.

5. The free Jollibee food items are the following:

-- Jolly Hotdog Classic and Jolly Crunchy Twirl for a minimum single transaction of P2,000
-- 2 sets of 2-piece Burger Steak with Rice for a minimum single transaction of P4,000
-- 3 Regular Yum, 3 Jolly Spaghetti and 3 Chocolate Sundaes for a minimum single transaction of P8,000

6. To redeem the free Jollibee food items, cardholder must present for verification the original transaction slip (minimum single transaction of P2000, P4000 or P8000) and the BPI Express Teller card used for the transaction to any authorized Jollibee personnel. Transaction date on the transaction slip should be within the promo period.

7. Cardholder must print name (as shown on the card) at the back of the transaction slip and surrender to the authorized Jollibee personnel before release of the free food items.

8. Only one (1) free food item can be redeemed per transaction slip. A customer is allowed up to three (3) redemptions per day per store only.

9. A single purchase transaction requires only one approval. Splitting into smaller transaction sizes and consequently requiring multiple transaction approvals will not be allowed.

10. The free Jollibee food item cannot be exchanged for cash, other products or discounts.

11. Redemption period is until January 4, 2011.

DTI Permit # 5164, Series of 2010.

Join individuals and organizations that are doing their part in saving Mother Earth today until Saturday ...


Amidst the backdrop of a changing world, the 1st Philippine International Eco-Show brings to the spotlight the diverse and innovative eco-friendly products and services made available by the finest companies and eco-entrepreneurs in the country.

Why attend?

* Explore enormous business possibilities for environment-friendly products and services.
* Network with industry players and brands engaged in eco-friendly and sustainable pursuits and advocacies.
* Carve your niche in the current 410 billion EURO* global market for environmental goods and services.

I have fond memories of a live show in Los Banos in the late ‘80s (or early ‘90s?) when I was still a student. It was staged at the UPLB Auditorium and featured a lot of talented kids, some of whom now also have kids of their own. The show was called Colby’s Missing Memory. It was about a talking computer who was a good friend to many kids.



In the story, a bunch of kids were building a clubhouse and one of them was not sold on the idea of being friends with a computer. Colby’s ability to play songs based on scripture was erased when Nick touched a switch he wasn’t supposed to.

All the other kids tried their best to make Colby remember about friendship and God’s love. Nick also asked two rhyme-talking diagnostic disks to help them recover Colby’s memory.

I love that show so much because all the songs (and I mean ALL!) had beautiful words and melodies. I even bought a cassette tape of the album all those years ago so I could listen to them over and over again.

Recently, I found out that House of Praise is now selling CD and DVD versions of Colby’s Missing Memory. I already have the CD and my son, James, loves listening to the dialogues and the songs. I plan to buy the DVD as well so that he and his brothers could also watch the whole story.


Although this album was originally produced in the ‘80s, the theme and the messages remain timeless – that love should be given away, that friendship should not be based on appearances alone, and that everyone is part of the Lord’s family.

Listen to, or watch, Colby’s Missing Memory with your kids. I’m sure you’ll also love the messages there as much as I did.

Build the next generation by equipping them with the right skills and knowledge. The Galileo Enrichment Learning Program invites you to a two-day conference on Giving Children the Winning Edge.


This event will be held on October 1 and 2, 2010 at the SGV Hall, AIM Conference Center, Benavidez cor. Trasierra Sts., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Speakers for the two-day conference will be Dr. Queena Lee-Chua, Ms. Maribel Dionisio, Dr. Eduardo Morato Jr. and Ms. Maricar de Ocampo.

For ticket reservations please download the registration form here and fax to 632.890.2509 or call Galileo at 895.8095 and 898.1234

*Note: I didn't include wine in the title because I didn't drink much :p

If you are a wine and/or cheese enthusiast, you would probably want to attend one of Wine Depot and Gourmet Depot’s wine and cheese tasting events. There, you’ll get to sample various types of wine along with cheeses from different parts of the world.


Last Friday, I was introduced to 19 kinds of cheeses that were imported from countries like France, Australia, and Norway. Since I rarely drink anything with alcohol content, I just sipped from a glass that was a third full of sweet white wine and also took a couple of sips of a full-bodied red. I drank water after that or else I might not make it home later :p


I am aware that certain cheeses need to be paired with specific kinds of wine. But based on a past experience, I knew that I would feel light-headed if I drink more than half a glass of white wine. So I didn’t take any chances and wasn’t able to follow anymore the print out list of wine and cheese pairings.


Instead, I just sampled the cheeses being offered by the friendly Wine Depot and Gourmet Depot staff. I enjoyed conversing with Ms. Tess Raborar, Ms. Honey de Mesa, and Mr. Bobby de Guzman while we talked about how each cheese tasted, which are the crowd favorites, and which give off the most awful aromas :)


Some cheeses have strong and pungent smells while others leave various degrees of aftertastes. Some taste bland while others are too salty. Some are hard to chew while others come in soft or runny consistencies. I couldn’t decide the best one I like so I’ll settle for three: the classic camembert, goat curd (yummy with bread!), and blue.


If you want to receive notifications on Wine Depot and Gourmet Depot’s future wine and cheese tasting events, visit any Wine Depot branch or fill out the online membership form and sign up for free. I was told that they send email blasts to members about upcoming activities.

BTW, you’ll have to shell out a P500 fee to join a wine and cheese tasting event. For that price, you’ll not only get to treat your palate to a burst of new tastes; you’ll also get to hypothetically “tour” the world as you try out and evaluate wine and cheese offerings made in various countries. The next time you visit the store, you’ll probably have more specific items in mind to buy for your next house party.

P.S. On my way home, I noticed how lovely the moon was and the sole star near it that night. I couldn't resist taking a shot :)

In case you guys don't know yet, Oreo is giving away free samples of their snack packs at 7-11 stores.


My son claimed his Oreos earlier :)


Check out the Share Oreo site to find out how you can get yours.

Lilly Gray Corbett loves living on Troublesome Creek, but she would much rather play with her best friend than watch her little brother and the twins. Her mama, Copper, is often gone helping to birth babies, and Lilly has to stay home. When Aunt Alice sends a note inviting her to visit in the city, Lilly is excited to go, and Copper reluctantly agrees to let her. Later, when they hear the news that the train crashed, Copper and her husband, John, rush to find out if their daughter is injured . . . or even alive.

To fellow followers of Tears for Fears, just sharing that Curt Smith has a new song called Perfectly ... Still currently streaming in his website even before it becomes available for sale in digital format on August 12. Be one of the first fans to listen.



I find the song soothing. Its melody and vocals have the qualities I've come to like in TFF songs in the first place. Pefectly ... Still gave me that sense of familiarity which brought back good memories of listening to old TFF music.

Oh, and don't forget to read the backgrounder info of this collaboration with Melissa Kaplan. Very interesting story!

I've been having these bad headache episodes for almost a week now. The pain usually comes at night when I'm all set to write and beat my seemingly never-ending deadlines. I really have to see an eye doctor within this coming week. I think my myopia and astigmatism are the ones causing my problems.

Last night, I was supposed to finish an article due this weekend. But I couldn't think straight what with the thumping in my temples. So I took an Ibuprofen tablet and turned on the TV. I guess, I might as well try to relax my mind by watching a film. I have this DVD of Dear John sitting around, unwatched, for weeks, after all.

I loved the story but still ended with a headache -- and a stuffy nose -- and red eyes :p Although this one didn't get me bawling as much as when I watched A Walk to Remember and The Notebook before. But, boy oh boy, Nicholas Sparks sure knows how to make people cry.

After the movie, I tried to recall from what other movie I've seen Channing Tatum before, but couldn't. I went online, searched IMDB.com for his profile and satisfied my curiosity when I remembered I saw him first in Step Up 2. That refreshed my flagging memory.

But then, since I was already online, I checked out youtube because I suddenly missed The Corrs' music. (I know, weird connections!) My search was rewarded though because I discovered a new song by Andrea Corr which, I also found out, came out in the Music of Ireland soundtrack. It felt nostalgic hearing the penny whistle parts. If it weren't four o'clock in the morning, I would have taken out one of my whistles (I have a fairly large collection) and play some Irish tunes.



Again, since I was already on one of my Irish music moods, I thought of searching for Enya's songs too. And I ended up hearing one of my favorites among her instrumental compositions. This video has very nice photos.



It's almost six in the morning now and I remain sleepless. Unfortunately, my writer's block is still prancing about in my brain. So excuse me while I go and find more relaxing music to listen to. Perhaps, after a few songs, I would find the kind of rest my mind has been searching for all night and I could finally go to sleep.