This day last year

This time last year I was busy scouring crowded areas in Manila looking for firecrackers to bring home for the new year eve. You may ask why I have to scour when every corner of the street firecrackers store pop outs during this time.  These mock up stalls pop outs in busy sidewalks in crowded places like markets, bus stations, near mall in Manila and other cities in the Philippines. These stalls goes side by side with fruit stands.

It goes like this. All these stalls carry the same pricing, usually pricing of their own regulation. These vendors normally purchased theirs in just one source which is in Bocaue, Bulacan. I know the whole stretch of  the road carries the same price, what I always did is to stop in every stall and ask for the price and make haggle and pretend i'll be buying big quantity so that the storekeeper will give me good price. Then I transfer to the nearby stall and repeat the same thing and be observant with the storekeeper I just haggled in, chances are he might ask me to come back and offer me good price I can't resist. If I think it's the good price I grab it but if I sense it can be lowered more I continue haggling then close the deal. If not I continue doing it until I reach the last stall at the end of the road and assess which stall has the lowest price and go back to that stall and do the purchase. While doing all these I have to be observant of con men, pickpockets and errant vendors. 

I can assure you it is very enjoyable thing to do especially if you are not in a hurry and you have all the afternoon. This is one of the things I enjoyed most doing after Christmas.

Today this all I can do. Have a prosperous New Year.

"Sorry Aquino"

When was the last time you said sorry? Why did you say it? Whom you say it?  I asked this because just days past I was rattled watching on 24 Oras former president Cory  saying sorry to Erap for her role in EDSA 2001 where Erap ended his stay in Malacanang abruptly and goes straight in jail. What the **** she was talking about, was my initial reaction. I was flabbergasted and though she was smiling, I end up cursing someone. There was nothing to be sorry about. How could she be sorry when everything that happened that time was right? Erap was convicted. The next days, her son explained that it was meant to be a joke, in response to Erap remarks before she was asked to speak and should not be taken seriously. Erap took it seriously and believed that he has done nothing wrong and by Cory saying sorry to him concreted his belief. 

If she should say sorry of what she has done that time, it is to say sorry that GMA did not upheld her ideals and reasons of EDSA 2001, but that is another story.

Of course no one will take her seriously on that remarks, reading people’s reaction to her sorry proves that she should be the one sorry she said it. First time I heard her speaking in public was during her campaign sortie in Plaza Quezon in Naga City way back in 1986 and she was supposed to speak why Bicolanos should vote her instead of Marcos, but she talked only about Ninoy. That time by just mentioning Ninoy would be enough to get people vote her, in Bicol she won the election landslide. These days she can no longer get people rally behind her. I hope Cory would be more cautious now and maybe retire from politics if she wants history judge her right, or be end up sorry.

Now it’s my turn to say sorry to her.

How did I spend my Christmas Day?

I woke up today late than usual and arrived office just in time, almost. Thanks to the ever reliable MRT. After all the revelry yesterday, today I find my worksite block seems to be too quiet. Today also, my mind and body seems not on sync than usual. But I guess this I felt morning after feeling always pop out after every revelry or occasion-draining day.
Yesterday I spend my Christmas late afternoon at Orchard Road for the annual Christmas show right in the middle of the road. There are floats that not much to be desired, but learned later that they were better than last year huh. The show itself was yawning and appears to be a hush-hush. You see I decided to catch the show expecting it will be grandiose as the landmark road itself, speaking of Orchard Road why the whole stretch of the road is a bit messy. I understand that the road is undergoing upgrading works but I can say that my block worksite is better and nicely maintained. This is being my first time to catch this annual fair. I stayed on until the UP Madrigal Singers completed their performance. I purposely waited for their turn to perform though I was completely not at ease standing outside the cordoned mock up stage. I must say it's a pity they came all the way from the Philippines just to perform in a hush-hush show. Their performance itself was not that impressive as the sound system was not able to highlight their voices well. But one thing I have noticed, their performance was well received after every completion of song, they have rendered a Filipino song Kumukutikutitap and two not so familiar English songs. The rest of the performers came from different countries in the region. The first performer was heartwarming though. He's Singaporean artist performed a dragging aerobic exercise complete with back ups, and two Chinese songs. What a feat for a guy who battled leukemia. Performers from Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, and Hawaii were there to perform as mentioned by the program emcee who I find him annoying the entire show I was there. Maybe that's the reason why not everybody paid much attention to the show although the entire stretch of the Orchard Road was full of people.

I was surprised when I left the show area and found out the huge people along the road and its sides. It was past 9 in the evening. They were there having the grand time taking pictures with them, floats have been lighted out and just settling there on the road waiting for people who love to take pictures with them.

Summing up, I enjoyed spending Christmas day at Orchard Road. The pictures were taken the hours before my iPhone life lasts.

How did you spend your Christmas day?