Family Feud

(Photo courtesy of JC Buendia)

Let me ask you this, you think it's easy answering the questions on a game show? Think again! :) At home, you can answer the questions without any hesitations or butterflies in the stomach. Playing THE ACTUAL GAME is something entirely different.

My Mom, Ninang (Pinky), Miguel, and I guested on Family Feud and we played with the "Fantastic 4 Honor Guards" (Actually one is a sub since one of them was assigned in Isabela that time). It was a fun experience but I'm glad it's all over.

At the start, we were briefed on the rules and all that but we forgot about assigning a team captain... In the end, all eyes were on me... I didn't want to but I had to obey my Mom and Ninang...

I was praying to Lola and I asked her to help me answer the questions. Good thing I was able to get an answer in round 1! All of us were praying to her actually. In the last round, it boiled down to me. It was for the game! Grrr!!! Pressure much? But my relatives and I agreed na walang sisihan. Haha. Plus majority said Pag-ibig... Had I chose Miguel's answer "Kalusugan", we would have won the game. But Tita Kris said it best that Lola would have wanted the Honor Guards to win :) And I was happy that they won and got the jackpot!

Ding Dong Dantes was a very humble and classy guy. He even bought flowers for my mom and her sisters. It was apart from the flowers from the network. He's a good guy and we all thought he's a good host.

Joining a game show was fun but I tell you... The butterflies in the stomach, the nervousness and tension... Hay... It's something else!!!

Happy Birthday Lola

A year ago, the family heard mass for the last time with my Lola on her birthday. It was just a small group. I remember serving during that mass and at the end, Lola thanks each and everyone who dropped by to pray with her. She was always the type of person who would never forget to say thank you.

Towards the last few months of her life, I would be one of the people who would accompany her while walking. I'd always offer my right arm to guide my Lola and she would always say thank you afterwards. Even in the hospital, she would never fail to say thanks to the nurses.

Last Saturday, as I was watching MMK, I couldn't help but miss her when I saw Bea Alonzo portraying her. Bea did a great job in being mahinhin and she had that kind face just like my Lola. I know how much of a loving mom she was to my mom and her siblings. If you watched the show, she played mom and dad since Lolo Ninoy took care of the country. That was the split, family-Cory, country-Ninoy. Pretty tough huh?

Yesterday, I went to the Cory SWATCH watch launch at the Ayala Museum and there was this flash presentation of he pictures. I saw a picture of me with my Lola and she was carrying me. I felt sad and happy at the same time. It has always been like that. Happiness and Sadness contradicting each other. I miss Lola very much but at the same time you feel that happiness since so many people love her.

Today, I went to work, and I went to mass at lunch. I prayed for Lola on her special day. It's the first time I don't have a card for her on Jan 25. But I guess this time, it's just a small tribute in remembering her on her birthday. She would have been 77.

Happy Birthday Lola. I love you and I miss you everyday... Thanks again for everything! I know you're spending it for the first time with Lolo after so many years. Please say hi to him for me...

Lola's Birthday coming up...

This Monday, January 25, it will be the first time we'll be celebrating Lola's birthday without her. I have to be honest, there are days wherein I just become really sad because I remember her. I saw a grandchild helping out the grandmother enter a van. Seeing that made me miss my Lola so much since I helped her walk a lot during her final year in her life.

 

Death is something that is difficult to digest. I'm telling you. It's nasty. But my Lola, for some reason, foresaw this and she made a prayer... "Prayer for a Happy Death". In that prayer mentions the loved ones that are left behind. "Let them not mourn for me long for it is only temporary". 

I believe my Lola. There is a heaven and in the end, and I'll see her when my time comes. 

 

Not mourning will only make it worse...  Do not pretend that all is well. YOU HAVE TO GRIEVE if you're going through mourning. If you don't, it'll hit you harder. Believe me. Instead, celebrate the life of that person. 

On Monday, I'll celebrate my Lola's life and legacy she left behind. She's touched soooo many lives in life and death. 

I know I've been blogging a lot about my Lola but I can't help it. I don't want her being forgotten. In a way, I want to pass on the lessons I learned from her. 

So to the people reading this blog and comment that they get inspired, Thank you very much. I'm happy it does. I will do my best to do that.

Let me leave this entry with a quote from my Lola.

"If there is one last thing that I want to do, I would like to reconnect with the real strengths

   and underlying virtues of Filipinos, the fine attributes which make our people not only

   worth dying for, but equally important worth living and sacrificing for."

                                                                                                       Cory Aquino

 

Yo!Noy + Analog Soul Tees

I got a surprise today from Analog Soul Tees!

Migs, Nica, and Paolo of Analog Soul have been helping us out in Yo!Noy. They came up with these 2 designs to help the cause and are now available in Rockwell and Trinoma :)

Designs courtesy of Analog Soul's Paolo Lim.

Migs texted me earlier today and said that the shirts are out :) Thanks Migs!!!

The one I went to was the Rockwell branch and it can be found at the Archaeology Wing of the 2nd floor.

The Yo!Noy Face design costs 575php because it has a nicer fabric.
The Yo!Noy Laban design costs 395php

Check out jiggycruz.wordpress.com on how these shirts came to be.

Visit www.analog-soul.com/yonoy and www.youthfornoy.ph too :)

Things starting to heat up...

The Presidential race has been heating up. There's all a lot of talk going around.

The naysayers are saying that my Tito Noy's using my grandparents popularity for his bid.

I know that my Tito is more than capable of leading this Nation. I really do believe he can fix things and set things straight. But as I mentioned before, one man cannot do it by himself. We ALL have to play our part.Why do I say that? Because that's what my Lola taught me. At the end of the day, we really have to help one another. That's why she kept on saying to pray for one another.

My grandparents were awesome individuals. They taught my mom and her siblings a lot about life but more importantly, they taught them the difference of right from wrong. I think that's what important. Imagine that. Your parents who taught you everything became heroes of the country. Wow. Me? I think I'm very fortunate to have them as my grandparents. I'm blessed. I can't ask for more.

My Tito Noy said it best in his new ad. It was truth well told and there was ABSOLUTELY NO B.S. "Hindi ako magnanakaw." I believe him when he said that and I know he will live up to his word.

So there, I just wanted to share my thoughts on this.

Martial Law Babies

I don't know why I haven't talked about this but after the Rock Ed Radio episode last week, I feel that this should be talked about. Arnold Arre's "Martial Law Babies" is about these group of children growing up during the Martial Law era and how they are now living in the present.

I'm not a Martial Law baby but I heard so many stories of Martial Law growing up. What sucked was cartoons were removed during that time. Voltes V was removed from the television sets and I think that it was the only decent cartoon at that time. Steve and the Armstrong brothers were not present! I remember my Grade 4 teacher telling me that he grew up hating the dictator since he removed Voltes V and it was Lola who brought cartoons back.

Arnold Arre did an excellent job with character development. It mainly focuses on  two people, Allan and Rebecca. You see them growing up and facing problems on school, work, barkada issues, leaving the country, deaths, etc. I think Arnold Arre passionately did this graphic novel. The ending was just brilliant. It makes you think. It depends on the reader on how to interpret it. I thought of it before going to sleep actually. He was a genius! It was just a shame he couldn't make it to Rock Ed the next day. I wanted to have the book signed.

What I picked up from the book was Filipinos leaving the country for better opportunities. You have all types of Pinoys but now I want to mention those super patriotic/nationalistic but live abroad. I think that it's unfair for the Pinoys living abroad. You know they want to do their part but they can't. They  found a better life there and I can't blame them. You have people living here and there's just no sense of nationalism or patriotism. It's sad. I think that it's time for us to dream again. We Filipinos need to dream and I mean dream BIG. We have to reach for it. Dreams make us motivated and inspired. It's looking towards something. Hopefully it's a bright future. We need to dream again guys. If you're reading this, don't let go. Pain is temporary, Quitting is forever. Don't give up and live your dreams.

Try and buy a copy of this book. If you were born in the 80's like me, you'll appreciate it. If you were born after 71, you'll definitely relate to this. If you were born in the 90's... Hmmm... It may be too heavy for you but it's still a great read. This sells for Php 500. You can get it in Fully Booked. (Filipiniana Section) or at SPUTNIK! I don't know if Druid's Keep or Comic Odyssey carries it.

The Tangled Web Q&A part 2 - For the loyal followers

First of all, to all the followers, thank you for putting up with me. Thank you for continuing to read. I wish I could give out prizes and all that but I don't have any sponsors. If my followers reach more than 500 then I think I can give out prizes. I still have a few Ninoy books left...

So anyway, as promised, here's the 2nd Q&A. It'll be a while til the next one. I had fun!

"All will be well"

I just have to put some geek into this entry.

I've been reading Blackest Night and I'm amazed by The Blue Lantern Corps. Hope is what triggers their power. Plus when all seems lost, they say "All will be well."

At this point in my life, I'm very happy with what's happening. I really can't ask for more. Sure there may be speedbumps along the way, but what I do know is that all will be well in the upcoming future.

-)

For the 320 Followers of The Tangled Web

I am not posting this on Twitter.

Here I am posting this entry for the loyal follower :)

So welcome to the Q&A part 2.

But this time, I'll put some rules.

1 question only. I can't do 20 questions at once. It's draining. Sorry.

I can't answer all questions. I have to maintain some level of privacy. :)

But either way, you can ask away :)

It may be a while until the next Q&A...

I'll close questioning Friday. January 8 at 12nn. :)

Sweeteners

I thought Equal did a good job with this. I was eating lunch today and when they put down the sugars and sweeteners for the coffee, I couldn't help but notice the colored screaming text in the packet.

It reminded me of the Nestle Fruit Selection Yogurt campaign last year.

I think it's sad that too much sugar can be bad for you. Well, too much of something is bad as it is. But, I believe that life should always be sweet. Everybody should be happy.

Easy on the sweet stuff guys!

I'm on day 3 without rice... It's pretty hard...

Hello 2010!!!

It's a brand new year!

Twenty Ten!!!

First post for 2010. I really don't know what to expect in the upcoming months except long and tiring days in preparation for May. It'll be a tough year. But hopefully, all will be well.

Right now, I'm looking forward to The Killers concert at the end of the month. :) Haha.

I'll write something more meaningful when I feel like it. :)

Happy New Year!