Summer Fun (in our backyard)

Summer's here!!! And the best way to keep cool this summer is to go swimming. Who says you cant have summer fun at home? Check out these cool summer pictures of my nephew cale and neice Alliana.

GLOBELINES SUCKS!!!

Its been more than two months now since we reported to Globelines that we have been having problems with our internet and phone connections and until now they haven't done anything to resolve it. We got their Globelines wireless phone with unlimited internet connection and we have been experiencing all these hassles since day one!!! We have always kept our part of the contract.., we have been paying the bills promptly. It's Globelines who's not keeping their word. It's so ANNOYING!!! FRUSTRATING!!! INFURIATING!!! Every call we made would get disconnected and we have to dial again.., and again and again to finish our conversation. BAD TRIP!!! #@$&#!!!! Even the internet connection is busted. It took me 20min to log in to blogger. What's even more frustrating is that my entrecard credits have suffered because i cant do my dropping. They said that they really had some upgrades done in our area (Mandaluyong-Pasig) and that they are going to give us rebates for the days that we didn't have connection. They said it will be given on the next bill. When the next bill came there were no rebates made and they promised that it will be given on the next statement. Now I have lost hope on the rebates after three bills have passed with no freaking rebates!!! Their customer service and technical support group are very incompetent!!! It's such a waste of time talking to them. No one ever reads the notes they made except the next agent i talk to. They dont seem to have an active support group who resolves the customer's concerns. It's just so annoying and I never thought I would be even bothering to write this blog. I just have to release my frustrations.., thanks for listening.

I-WITNESS DOCU SEMINAR

I was watching TV when I chanced upon a commercial plug from I-witness documentaries of GMA 7. They are going to have their first ever i-witness docu seminar and they are inviting 80 participants to attend this one day free seminar on documentary making. I was so excited when I learned about this seminar and I didn't waste any time. I thought that this would be a great opportunity for me to develop my storytelling and documentary making skills. I find video editing very interesting. It's such a great challenge to put together some videos and pictures and make a story out of it and I enjoy doing it. It's so much fun to document a special occasion in our lives. It's like laminating a part of your life that you wanted to protect to have for a long time. And this seminar is definitely an opportunity that I wouldn't want to miss. They asked for an essay to be sent to them regarding my favorite i-witness documentary. Only one episode popped in my mind when I thought of this, it was the wedding of Vicky and Jhune. A very special love story indeed. Both Vicky and Jhune are physically handicapped. Vicky has no hands and feet and Jhune is a polio victim.

I've always believed in the power of love. Yes.., I'm a hopeless romantic. I had my own share of love.., puppy love, crazy love, and yes, even the nasty and sickening kind of love. But whatever dreadful experiences I had in the past, it never hindered me from having faith in the good old fashioned love. Although some may have a cynical outlook about love.., it is really worth fighting for. And the trouble with love.., if you dont take chances, if you dont take risks, we end up risking even more. But there are people who are more than willing to take that chance in love, and the rewards are immense. These are the people who have fought and proved their love is remarkable.

Such is the story of Vicky and Jhune that was aired back in December entitled "A Special Wedding". Their love transcends physical limitations. But what even struck me was their unconditional love for their unborn baby. You know how, when expectant parents, sometimes reply when asked what gender they would prefer their baby to be? They would usually answer "kahit ano basta normal" (no gender preference as long as the baby is normal). What if, knock on wood, their baby turned out to be physically handicapped? Would they love them less? That made me reflect on my own perception about parenthood. Are we that hypercritical? But when Vicky and Jhune were asked what gender they would prefer for their baby, they simply answered "Kahit ano basta buhay" (no gender preference as long as the baby is alive). This story has made me realize that my insight on love is insignificant compared to theirs. And their story has made me even more of a hopeless romatic.., hehehe. But seriously though, It has moved me in a conclusive way. Love should always be unconditional, regardless of color, nationality, religion and even physical restrictions.

I just received an email from Jenny of I-witness and I was surprised to know that I was chosen as one of the participants for the docu seminar. OH yeah!!! I'm just so thrilled to learn about this great news. Thanks to I-witness for this great opportunity!!!

Easter Reflections

For all Christians, Easter is a festive celebration because Jesus died on the cross so we can all be saved. As we celebrate and observe the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I cant help but think, have I been a worthy Christian? It's funny how I, sometimes.., eerrrrr.., most of the time, seem to forget the very essence of this day because more often than not I tend to backslide. Yes.., I'm a sinner. No, I wont point back at you. You should be the one to admit that to yourself.(Come on admit it too.., hehe)

Seriously though, I know I have a lot to be thankful for in my life. God is so good! He has continued to shower me with blessings despite all my indulgence. I may not be as privileged as some people are but I am contented with what I have. I thank God for all the blessings that He has given me. He knows how immoral I have been but that didn't stop Him from providing our daily needs.

Now as we celebrate another Easter, I trust that we will continue to try to live in His teachings. I dont want to sound preachy or self righteous here.., hey I'm a sinner. But personally, it doesn't really matter how many times we fall, what matters most is how many times we bounce back after each fall and we should acknowledge that God is with us in whatever things that we do. I pray that we will be continuously blessed. I wish you and your family the most joyful and meaningful easter celebration.

HAPPY EASTER!!!

I am not a criminal!!!

Have you ever felt being treated like a criminal? Or at least felt that someone thinks you are? It’s such a weird feeling that you wanted to poke a gun at them to defend yourself.., hehehe. Four years ago, I was caught littering at a waiting shed while waiting for a bus. There was a new presidential decree at that time that makes littering a criminal offense here in the Philippines. Since it was a new decree, the MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority) officers were very keen on seizing the violators. Poor me, I was caught throwing a cigarette butt while I was walking to board the bus. I wasn’t aware of the new presidential decree, not that I’m defending my actions, but hey it was just a cigarette butt!!! I ended up getting a ticket for my violation. The MMDA agent told me that I have to pay a fine which means I have to go to the MMDA office along EDSA which is totally a hassle to go to. Their office is right in the middle of EDSA and there are no bus stops near the office which means I have to walk from Estrella to the MMDA office (For those who are not familiar with what I’m talking about, trust me, you wouldn’t want to walk that part of EDSA) So I did what a law-abiding citizen would do.., I ignored my violation ticket and didn’t pay the fine. It was the worst decision I’ve ever made in my life!!! Six months later I received a subpoena from the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court. It read-

People of the Philippines
versus
Archilles Esguerra
Criminal case no 3036
For
Violation of MMDA Reg. no 96-009
as amended by MMDA Reg. no. 99-006

WTF???!!! Throwing a cigarette butt has made me a criminal???!!! Apparently it did! I was so alarmed and I didn’t know what to do. The subpoena said that I have to report in court at 7 in the morning. That is torture!!! I panicked! Receiving a subpoena is not something I get on a regular basis, I mean, come on!!! So, I did what a law-abiding citizen should do, accept defeat and pay the fine. A few days before the scheduled hearing in court, I dropped by the MMDA office to pay the fine (No I didn’t walk along EDSA, I drove my car to get there.., hehehe) They gave me a memo that I have to show the judge on my court hearing. Needless to say, I still have an appointment with the judge in court. The dreaded day in court came. I went there alone because I didn’t want my family to make a big fuzz out of it. I was surprised to see that there were around fifty other fellow accused criminals in court that day (all with the same littering case). We were instructed to stand in a designated place once our case number has been called out by the clerk of court. It was a surreal feeling. I am not a fan of movies that show court proceedings but it definitely is the same as what is shown on TV. Then my case number was called out and the clerk of court asked- how do you plead?..., Oh my GOD!!! I’m being read of my violations and this petite young lady just asked me how do I plead? Before I even answered, the lawyer beside me from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) told the judge that I have already paid the fine and they have received a memo from the MMDA that they are no longer interested in the further prosecution of the case. I was totally numb and didn’t know what was going on until I heard the judge say, case dismissed and she pounded her wooden mallet (whatever it is that you call that) and she asked to call out the next case.

Four years later, I have now recovered from that trauma. I’m a free man!!! Then I received a call from an employer whom I will start working for after the Holy Week (yes.., I’m no longer a bum). As a prerequisite before I start to work for them, I agreed that they do a background check on me.., and guess what.., they found a criminal case filed against me. To make the matter even worse, they found a case for a violation of the Bouncing Check Law. WTF???!!! This is insane!!! What happened here?!!! I don’t even have a checking account!!! The guy from the HR dept of the company that I will work for asked me if I have a copy of the court order that will prove that it was a littering case. Fortunately, I still have it with me. When they did the background check, they found that it was the same case number but it has a different violation record. Luckily for me, they accepted the court order that I have.


What happened here? I was charged for a littering violation but my records have it as a bouncing check law violation? This is so distressing!!! Now I have to go back to the court office that handled my case to clear things out. I hope my records would be cleared soon. I am not a criminal!!!

weather-- It's everywhere

What's your favorite digital picture that you've taken?

This is one of my favorite pictures that I have taken. This is my nephew Cale.

Me with Christine "Happyslip" Gambito!!!

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US Election 2008- The Field has narrowed

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I like them really meaty with lots of onion and cheese!!! Oh yeah!!!
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A very special love

Soulmate.., an ideal partner.., bestfriend for life.., God's gift..,

Just a few of the words to describe what we long to have in life. Someone who will be with us through the good times and be a source of strength in times of challenges. Finding love and keeping it to have for a lifetime. These are what Ryan Roxas and Susan Bea Alfon have found in each other. And to make sure they keep it for a lifetime, they sealed it with a very solemn wedding and an intimate reception last March 1, 2008. It was a very exciting day for everyone. The wedding was held at the Iglesia ni Cristo church of Pateros and the reception followed at the Villa Monica Clubhouse. To the newly weds Ryan and Susan, my best wishes, hugs and love for you on your blessed union. I love you guys!!!

The couple with Ryan's family

Everyone's looking but.., why not!!!

The couple on their first dance as husband and wife

Rhoel, the groom's brother, did the make up on Susan. Susan looked so fresh and regal. Little did everyone know that hours before the church wedding, they had a fashion emergency. The glue for the fake eyelashes wouldn't work as they expected. So how did they solve it? Thanks to the "caimito" tree right in front of the hotel. The bark of the tree has a sticky juice in it, and presto!!! The fake eyelashes stuck in place and did not fall off.

Here's a short video that I made on the wedding. Enjoy!!!