Sunday, October 22, 2006

nightmares...

Surviving another round of you was a difficult thing. I had to grapple over, tossed and turned, just to eradicate you out of my thoughts. You're not addicting as others might have thought otherwise, but why do you keep on coming back, haunting.

You're always there when night strikes; always attacking when my eyes were shut. You're feeding me with inexplicable things, ruining the peaceful night that i should have had. I haven't noticed your arrival into my life, but your attacks were more gruesome than the first time I had encountered you. You just don't know, but you really messed my life.

I remember the first time you showed me that horrible thing; it made my heart palpitate fast. I had to run away just to evade it, because it keeps on chasing me. I had no idea why its after me, you're the only one who knows best why. Now you shifted the scene to another one, giving the exact details and emotions associated with it. More and more people grieving, more and more people shouting, what were these for?

What were all these? I have the inkling sensation to ask you why and what were all these? And why am I the only one to get it on a daily basis?

books that i love to read

since i don't have anything to post, why not check this list of books that i enjoy reading. Though I know some of you might have even read all of it, i think you wouldn't mind re-reading them as well.







[more to add...]

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

written by a korean national...

The message goes:

As you know, we have plenty of Koreans currently studying in the Philippines to take
advantage of our cheaper tuition fees and learn English at the same time.

This is an essay written by a Korean student i want to share with you. (Never mind the grammar; it's the CONTENT that counts) Maybe it is timely to think about this in the midst of all the confusion at present.

MY SHORT ESSAY ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES
Jaeyoun Kim

Filipinos always complain about the corruption in the Philippines. Do you really think the [that, sic] corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do not think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines.

Let me first talk about my country, Korea. It might help you understand my point.
After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country was destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no natural resources.

Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for Filipinos were very rich in Asia. We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine.

My father & brother also died because of famine. Korean government was very corrupt and is still very corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heart burning with patriotism.

Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighborhood and country.
Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.

40 years ago, President Park took over the government to reform Korea. He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get a loan and attract a foreign investment because the economic situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so that they could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through horrible experience.

In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw the President Park. They asked to him, "President, when can we be well off?" That was the only question everyone asked to him. President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea would be well off if everyone works hard for Korea , and the President of Germany got the strong impression on them and lent money to Korea . So, President Park was able to build many factories in Korea. He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart.

Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA came back to Korea to help developing
country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salary, they did their best for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.

My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood. Have you cried for the Philippines? I have cried for my country several times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many poor people. I have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me sad in the prison were the prisoners who do not have any love for their country. They go to mass and work for Church. They pray everyday.

However, they do not love the Philippines. I talked to two prisoners at the maximum-
security compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they are released from the prison. They said that they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines.

Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees could buy what they needed and saved money for the future and their children.

When I was in Korea, I had a very strong faith and wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines, I completely lost my faith. I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in the Philippines. Street kids always make me sad, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has been changed.

My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when they were young. They are so sorry that there are so many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pasangjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat again because they were sympathized the boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had a small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it. But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them.

My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received a great love from God. I want Filipinos to love their neighborhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off.

I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinos should remember. We cannot change
the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody, in a small scale and have to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to love. Let's put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.

I discover that every person is worthy to be loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and relationships. It changes the world. Please love your neighborhood and country.

Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to Him. In the Philippines, there is God for people who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love. If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines. Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country.

You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.

That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.


Yes, i do admit that we always complain about corruption. We also complain about little stuffs that the country had undermined. Why do you think we always complain? Love for this country is not the sole keyword! We may love the country and do our part to make Philippines a well-to-do country, a prosperous one, same as your country, Korea, yet do you think it would succeed if the people we elected had just done their part? I'm going to answer you, direct to the point, NO! That will never happen!

Your government, Pres. Park's time, had it's strenghts, uncomparable to our time now. Your elected officials had its' burning desire to eradicate your country's corruption. However, comparing Korean politics to our own local politics; it has a very different inclination.

Could you imagine that we pay taxes solely to let the officials benefit from it? They may love the country prior to their election to a public post, yet when they had
seated to that post, sooner or later they would change, because money is just at their fingertips. Could you imagine that we waste more than 60 million Philippine peso per annum to each elected congressman and 120 million Philippine pesos to national senators (if i deem it correct), and where does it go? This figure were not their actual salary, these funds were meant to develop poverty-stricken areas, and again i'm going to reiterate it, where does it go? Any official in the Philippines, that was elected, were all power-hungry individuals craving to have more of what they can chew!

To your second point, we were Catholics, and that we should have learned what our religion teaches us. Do you ever realized that the one teaching us hadn't even practice it? Don't be appalled on what i'm going to say, cause i may appear blasphemous, but they hadn't! Have you ever heard of celibacy? Do you think our priest now a days can handle such call of the flesh? Have you heard the news that most priest had sons or daughters, and had had inter-course with the same sex?

Another point on the same issue, the church and the state are different and separate
entities in the Philippines, but why does the church always interfere with the government? Solely because, they also had private interest on the matter. They had corporations, non-taxable to be exact, that they need to protect. They had shares from different companies, and had hidden organizations to maximize the wealth of the so-called church to help the oppressed, the poor, and the afflicted. Yet had they done that. None to what i recall.

Now, I really sound bad, but that's reality in the Philippines! If we stop complaining and kept our voices shut for the rest of our life on this reality, then nothing would happen. We air our grievances to be heard. We complain for a change of heart and mind to happen. We complain because we want honesty of the mind to prevail, and the truth be heard. We revolt because we wanted change to happen as quickest as possible. Because if we do what you suggest that love our country and accept the horrible reality we face, then nothing would happen. Not even a single pint of improvement will ever happen.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

hypocrite, and yes i admit

Ever felt being the worst hypocrite of all? I do? I just felt it right now!
I was praying with the people that i despised a lot (which made me more hypocrite
than they are). I just can't imagine why and how I ended up in such a way, but I can't concentrate. My thoughts are just at the back of my mind, pushing its way through as I say every word.


I'm bad, and I must admit that I truly am. I do believe in the same God, but I don't
accept such practices that led me to despise them. Oh, I can even add and admit that now I don't believe on priest anymore, even their homilies. This really make me blasphemous isn't it? But I just can't accept the fact that these people represents a divine image yet after such good act, the evil lurkes doing its nasty job. I think, you know what i mean?

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

revolutionary tax? este pacquiao lovers


Disclamer: For Pacquiao lovers out there, this is not to degrade you this is just meant for fun.

Source: from a yahoogroup...


If somebody asked for revolutionary tax to you, pay this bill they'll surely like it!


Pacquiao rules!!! whahaha...


After becoming a champ, a singer, and an actor, now he will surely be in our households forever!

dog hunt...


I want to have this dog, can somebody tell me where i can buy it?

Happiness?

"Our happiness depends on wisdom all the way."

-Sophocles



If people can feign to be happy why can't I? This is my understanding of the quotation
stated above. If wisdom is the main thing a person needed why does most intellectuals
search for it's meaning? Why does most of them search upto the very ends of the earth
just to find what their souls needed, and longed for? If philosophers were correct in
their philisophical explanations about life, why does most people find emptiness and
lack of contentment?


Being contented with what you have for now, doesn't even guarantee true happiness.
Being intelligent likewise can't guarantee your success in life, you can't even achieve
what you'd desired.


I just don't want to contest his philosophical idea about happiness, but i just don't
understand the reason why i felt this way. I had attained intellectual satisfaction, yet
i felt empty inside.

Friday, October 6, 2006

Military?! No, No!


this is the reason why i can't be in the military... whahaha

Wednesday, October 4, 2006

PRC should be overhauled!

News today: "... ang bahid (stigma) ay hindi mabubura ng retake..." (bandila - source: Oct. 4, 2006)


I think it is best to have a retake, than do nothing at all. She is so damn stupid of trying to point out their faulty statistical conversion on the licensure exams. Imagine a 100 item test being replaced by a statistical mean. This should be nullified. It doesn't cover anything of that 100 item test!


Her reason is such an alibi not to have a retake. Sobra nga naman ang pagod nila sa pagdodoctor ng score.


I just hate it, PRC has no integrity! PRC should be overhauled! Paano nga naman matatangal ang stigma if the culprits are still free!


This is a suggestion, and it would be best kung pati PRC eh kakasuhan ng administrative case for the leak in the exams! Matatangal lang naman ang stigma if PRC is dissolved, the people involved including PRC officials will be sued for their liabilities, (at hindi lang yung mock trial, na after which wala na), have another set of exams to be retaken, and have another set of officials to govern it, at hindi yung officials na enclosed sa time ng leak!


Paano na lang yung ibang professions na nagtatake ng board exams, not just the nursing profession. Damn, nakakaawa naman, walang integridad ang nagpapatest sa kanila. How can Philippines have qualified professionals if the one conducting the licensure exams were rotten. As the saying goes, magtabi ka ng bulok na kamatis sa hindi bulok na kamatis, makikita mo pagkalipas ng ilang oras lahat bulok na!

Tuesday, October 3, 2006

EO for compulsory retake of nursing licensure exams.

Though i don't condemn the nursing board passers, I think it's time that they make the supreme sacrifice of retaking the licensure exams. The reason is simple: by statistically (though still had fraud) computing and removing the questions that had leak, it may not holistically render a qualified nurse afterwards. I know that it's hard to review, give all your effort and time for the examination, but still do the sacrifice of retaking the exams, to fully remove the stigma.


Though the government acted late, i still acknowledge their effort to eradicate fraud on the PRC and the profession. Why not erradicate the fraud in the presidential elections too?

champions, any comments?

Now to those of you all questioning the integrity and capability of the UST basketball team, think again, we defeated ateneo at the championship match. It only proves that UST is qualified to be in the final four, and it vindicates the allegation and issue that UST administration had paid forth a player from UE just to be in the final four. Hope you distrators learn from the experience.