SURPRISE, SURPRISE!

My daily ritual consist of kissing my wife, going to the toilet, driving to work (pansin nyo walang breakfast?), checking my our beehive (yung site na to), and checking my favorite blogsites. The first blog that I'll read would probably be the first one on our list of links. Besides, I need my daily dose of comedy before I start my boring day. To my surprise I found out that they released the list of Pinoy Blog Awards finalist! I rushed to finish Mr. D's blog entry to see if I made the cut....

In one category, I was glad to see Anne and Edmun's site. This little girl has gone a long way since she asked my advice on how to blog. But sad to say that our site wasn't in that category. Instead, I found that we are listed as a semifinalist for "Photoblogging". Ehh??? I asked myself several times "why did I get nominated for that category?". I didn't post a lot of of photos? But whatever it is that they found on "THE HONEYSPOT", I'm just glad that we are recognized.

For the category Blogger of the year, I'm upset that Jessica Zafra didn't enter the contest. But if she did, I bet that she will get the award. Check her out at www.twistedbyjessicazafra.blogspot.com

Up next on the honeyspot...more photos to come!

OVER A CUP OF STEAMING PEANUT BUTTER

Yesterday, me and my wife went out to do our shopping for this month. It is very timely because we hardly have anything in our freezer except for a bag of ice cubes. As we entered the newly designed superstore of Geant we came across the section dedicated to Christmas Decors. There were about 5 ugly looking Trees showcased on a pile of Christmas lights for the desperate holiday shoppers. Kinda ironic when you think about it… a Christmas promotion in the middle east??? You must be kidding! But to the management of the superstore, it's only commerce. Christmas sells you know.

As we walked in awe of the decors, I couldn't help but reminisce the memories of Christmas past. Those precious memories when I was still a young boy, and my dear departed relatives were still alive. I remember my grandfather would prepare his priced chicken for a year to be slaughtered before Noche Buena. My dad would make me a canon made of bamboo that I loved to play with. It made a muffled booming noise because I would stuff it with a tin can or a piece of cloth as my weapon of mass destruction. The usually dim street of Santiago would be lit up like a cabaret from the Christmas lights that neighbors put on their houses.

During Noche Buena, the kids would be lining up the buffet table and try to make the tallest sandwich for dinner. My grandfather's roasted chicken would be the competing with the ham that was given by his Chinese kumpare on the table. And after dinner he would make the traditional hot chocolate beverage that tasted more like peanut butter rather than chocolate. Those memories are so special that I could smell cup of steaming peanut butter under my noses as I walked pass the over decorated tree.

We bought Santa's hat with disco lights and a box of dancing lights for the apartment. After that I asked my wife to move on…all that holiday spirit made me home sick. This holiday, I wish that I can make our Christmas Merry and memorable for my wife…and our little baby boy (?). It surely won't be the same. But I hope next year will be different.

Happy Holidays!!!

PS: Congratulations to Gigi and Ryan for a bouncing baby boy!

EVAT

Balitang TFC muna....

Ipinatupad na daw sa ang EVAT sa mga airport ng Pinas. Sa mga expat na di nakakaalam at di pa uuwi ng Pinas this year siguro ay ok lang sa kanila. Pero magugulat ka kung sasabihin ko na lahat ng bibilhin mo sa abroad lalo na ang mga electronics, kapag dinala mo sa Pinas ay lalagyan nila ng 10% EVAT!

Para sa isang ordinaryong mangagawa na katulad ko, mabigat yun. Mamimigay ka na nga ng pasalubong sa mga kamaganak at kaibigan mo tapos ita-tax ka pa ng gobyerno? Ano ba ang kinalaman nila kung ibibili ko ang tatay ko ng imported na alak? Gagalisin na nga yung tao sa pag-inom na Ginebra pati ba naman yung alak na minsan lang niya matitikman lalagyan pa ng tax!

E kung ibili ko ng imported na pabango ang nanay at mga kapatid ko para makalanghap naman sila ng pabango na hindi imitation, at matanggal ang amoy tuyo na kinain nila ng tanghalian bakit nila lalagyan ng tax?

Tax ka na nga sa mga mangongotong sa iyo paglabas mo ng NAIA, may tax pa rin sa loob! Besides nagbabayad din naman ang mga expat ng mandatory tax sa POEA kada uwi namin sa Pinas para lang makabalik at magtrabaho ng malayo sa mga mahal namin sa buhay di ba? Masakit lang sa loob na ang mga bagay na iuuwi mo na nasa loob ng balikbayan box mo ay kakalkalin para malagyan ng EVAT. Bakit di muna nila sugpuin ang graft and corruption bago nila pagtripan ang mga pinaghirapan ng mga bayani ng makabagong panahon? Kawawa namana ng mga domestic helpers at ang mga taong mababa ang kinikita sa abroad. Minsan na nga lang makakauwi bibigyan pa nila ng sakit ng ulo.

THE CONTROL FREAKS BANNED FRIENDSTER

Hi everyone! It's been a long while since I updated our blog (sounds familiar ba?). Life sucks! (really familiar eh??) Our broadband at home was cancelled for over a month now by lawless bandits (we call them local servers). My friend from the internet shop (in which my home PC is connected to) told me that there had been an inspection in our area for illegal internet and satellite cable connections, thats why he had to cancel my subscription for a month. He had to remove all the cables visible to the inspectors. Now its really annoying to stay at home with just the TV for entertainment. Now, if you missed my blog entries then you can blame the government! Hehehehe!

The same guy that owns the internet shop on my block is the same guy who runs the network at my work place. He can be very friendly outside but be also follows protocols at work. Since I work for the government, they are so strict about the websites that the employees visit. Ofcourse, number one on their list is Porn. Now who the hell will visit a pornsite using the hospital PC? You will be surprised to know who.

Anyways, one of the latest sites that was blocked other than www.jandbabe.friendsterblogs.com is www.friendster.com! I believe that friendster has been very instrumental to the Pinoy expat to be in contact with their friends...but why the hell did they block it? I can only think of one reason...maybe they use a lot of their working hours visiting friendster? Or to the web administrator friendster = to porn. They are so unfriendly! So to whom it may concern, If I were you I would look at the major problems of our LAN connection (this includes speeding up the connection and upgrading the PC's you pricks!) instead of picking on useful sites such as friendster.

DON AND ED TO THE RESCUE!!!

I don't know where I will be without friends. If they make pocket size friends my pockets will be full. But those exceptional ones I will surely carry close to my heart...Drama!

Early in the morning I had a problem with my car. As soon as I left the parking lot and turned the steering wheel to the right, I knew that there is something wrong with Tita Cory (our HRV is golden yellow). There was a sound coming from the steering...kinda like turning a rusty lock from a nuclear sub...When I reached work I'm still bothered by the sound which made me pop the hood. As I might have guessed! There is a leak from my steering oil reservoir! The oil is down to an inch. The alternator is soaked with transmission oil and I got a little scared. I heard about cars that burn because of leaks. But theres no need to hurry, Don's brother is my reliable mechanic. He can fix it really good.

After bringing it to the garage, I was told that it will take time to fix my shit colored car. There is no way I can go back to work asap. The only way to get back quickly is ti call Don the reliable! Thanks Don for bringing me back to the hospital...I'll make a copy of the Kama Sutra DVD for you dont worry! hehehehe!

And when I needed a ride back to the garage in the afternoon there is always the dependable Ed. He's the real deal! This guy will always be there to help. I have never heard him say no to me. Kudos to both of you! (what is kudos by the way???)

MY NANNY IS LIKE A SATELLITE

It’s another day of work for me. Yesterday, I thought that I have already finished my report to my boss, but after he browsed the papers he saw that there are a few things missing… that’s why today, it will be another day facing the office PC.

In order to finish my papers, I needed to go to Ate Raq’s for her files. But tough luck! She has an appointment for an x-ray so I need to wait for a little while.

Pass our narrow hallway that is being renovated (it looks like a Gap store because they removed the ceiling panels. Now everything up there is exposed. I like it that way, it’s rugged.) I overheard the nurses having a conversation while they take their morning coffee. If all the nurses are inside one room at the same time, then they must be talking of something very important! I must get inside the pantry for a scoop! Hehehehe!

I have a bunch of interesting co-workers. Sometimes you can’t help but compare my workplace to the news room of CNN! One girl in particular sounds like the late Inday Badiday because of her rough, annoyingly-high-pitched-raspy-voice. No rumor can escape the pointy ears of our staff! We are always up to date, and sometimes the news is being broadcasted even if it hasn’t happened yet! I think you call it precognition…

I walked in, and the news is about… Sarah Geronimo and Mark Bautista… Not as juicy as I thought the topic will be, but on a lazy day (like any other day after the previous boss had been booted out…) it is good news! Rumor has it that Sarah and Mark were invited to a Sheikh’s house for dinner. Apparently, the kids of the Royal Family are a big fan on the singing couple. How? We’ll the Royal Filipina Housemaid’s watch TFC (or ABS-CBN) at home while they baby sit the kids, that’s why! If the maids can influence them with a small thing like music, then I guess those kids learned more than that! One time my friend Shaikah cussed in Tagalog, which didn’t surprise me as much because she already told me that she had a Pinay nanny when she was a kid. Kudos to our kababayan!

Back to Sarah and Mark…

The couple was invited to a lavish banquet at the Sheikh’s residence, and was asked to perform their famous songs. And at the end of the evening Sarah was given a set of gold jewelry and an envelope full of cash! Mark received an expensive watch and probably some cash. People pay so much for good entertainment here. Especially when they are royalty.

And as for me…I’m still waiting for Ate Raq’s to comeback so that I can get my much needed files.

More coffee please!

Dear Janners

Dear Janers,

Kamusta ka na??? Miss ka na namin dito. This is the first weekend na wala ka, and it all came to me last night na we look forward to the weekends and day off's kasi alam namin na magkakasama uli tayo. Yun nga lang nag-evacuate ka na dito sa ating maliit na playground. Pero di naman kami totally nag-goodbye sa iyo, kasi alam namin na magkikita pa tayo…di ba???

I'm glad that you liked the video that we made for you. Matagal ko na talaga binabalak gawin yun para sa iyo kasi special ka….special child ka naming! Hehehe! Siguro napapansin mo na most of the time that we are out lagi akong may dalang digicam. It is the longest video I have ever made. Nag-enjoy naman ako sa paggawa kasi nababalikan ko yung mga pics and the memories that went with it. Mas may meaning kapag nilagyan mo ng music di ba? Si Papi Ed nga pala ang pumili ng song ng Nikelback (tama ba spelling?). Yun daw ang theme song/favorite song mo.

Dun nga pala sa mga taong di ko nacover sa video, pasensya na po! Kasi limited ang time ko at di mag-fit ang sched ko sa mga ginagawa ko. Tambak nga ang paper works ko sa trabaho e. Daig ko pa ang nagtake ng accounting sa paggawa ng costing, charts at graphs. Hope you guys understand.

Dapat nga bumili ka ng car jan…at h'wag scooter! Kasi naiimagine na kita na para kang character dun sa movie na "Dumb and Dumber", sa scene na umakyat sila sa Aspen Colorado ridding a scooter. Magyeyelo ang sipon mo, at for sure pagtatawanan ka nila pagdating mo sa trabaho kasi may yelo ka sa ilong! At kapag na-ihi ka sa upuan mahihirapan kang tumayo kasi didikit ka na sa upuan. Hehehe!

Ok mahaba na ito…sulat na lang ako sa iyo next time. Regards kay Nonoy at Dennis! Miss na rin namin ang company ninyo. Sulat kayo uli ok?

ps: dito nga pala sa spoof ko ng My Sassy Girl, nahirapan akong paputiin kayo...pero mas succesful naman ang pagputi ni Papi kaysa sa iyo. hehehe!

Nagmamahal,

Dennis a.k.a Vin Diesel (mumtaz)