My Lola Pat's Birthday

August 25, 2011

After my shift, I went to Garden of Memories to visit one of the most important persons in my life, my Lola Pat. I brought her orchids, her favourite.

Today is my Lola Pat’s birthday. This is one of those days in the year that I don’t need to put a reminder on my calendar or my planner or even set an alarm to remind me what the event is. This is un-evitable and unforgettable date for me. It will always be remembered by my heart.

Lola Pat is not my biological grandma. She’s my Inang’s cousin. She took care of me when I was still little. I literally grew up with her. She loved me the way she loved her own grandchildren. She treated me like her own granddaughter. She’s my one and only Lola Pat.

Despite her wrinkles and all those physical changes that were caused by aging, she’s still beautiful. She’s like a celebrity. She has a very white skin (the kind of white that only Chinese and rich people can haveJ). She has a very kind and loving heart. She’s helpful and very approachable. She’s an angel in disguise.

I was only eight years old when she died, but if I’ll look back and walk through my memory lane, I still have a clear picture of the times I spent with her.

When I was still little, after my pre-school class from the day care, my Nanay would sometimes drop me off at my Lola Pat’s house. She would look over me while my parents were at work and my siblings were at school.

On Sundays, we always go to church and sometimes after the service we would stay at their house to eat lunch.

We always go to her house and I would always walk and play around the garage area just near her garden full of different kind orchids. Orchid is her favourite flower. She personally took care of her orchids. She loves orchids.

As I grow older, whenever important things happen to me, I’d always wished that she was still alive and she would witness it. Back in my elementary graduation, when I came up on stage, delivered my speech and received my medal, I wished that Lola Pat was there to hear me and put my medal on. In my high school graduation, I wished that Lola Pat was there to see my achievements and put my medals on me. On my 18^th birthday, I wished that Lola Pat was there to see me as I start the new chapter in my life. In my college graduation, I wished that Lola Pat was there and witnessed as I stepped on stage and received my last diploma.

I know she’s watching over from heaven with God and saw everything, but it still feels different if she was there and I could hug her after I received all my medals and diplomas. I know she would be proud of me.

It’s been fifteen years already, but whenever this day comes and I visit her tomb I would still cry while I’m praying and wished that she is still here.

Lord, please tell Lola Pat how much I love her and how much I miss her.

Crazy. Stupid. Love.

CRAZY. STUPID. LOVE.

After a very tiring day at work, Marel, Aaron and I decided to hang out for awhile before heading home. So we decided to go to Ayala, we didn’t have plans we just went there. By the way Aaron is my closest officemate with my current company while Marel is my closest buddy after college.

So there we were in Ayala and then we decided to watch a movie. First movie that Marel thought was Crazy Stupid Love. I have heard of it, coz she’s been talking about it but I didn’t bother watching the trailer (I dunno why) so technically I don’t have any idea what to expect. All I know was that it starred one of my all time celebrity crush, Ryan Gosling and my new fave female celebrity Emma Stone and that if falls on a romantic-comedy genre.

We first decided to watch it at Greenbelt 3, (which is my fave movie theater) but the LFS was too late so we ended up at Glorietta 4. So there we were with another unplanned movie date.

Cal’s wife Emily slept with her officemate David. Emily wants to divorce Cal. Cal moved out and spent nights at a bar. Jacob the womanizer saw Hannah, the law student, and tried to flirt with her. Cal and Emily have a son named Robbie who is in love with her baby sitter Jessica. Jessica has a secret crush with Cal.  Cal met Jacob the womanizer. Jacob taught Cal to womanize. Cal met a girl named Kate and slept with her. Kate is Robbie’s teacher. Hannah broke up with her lawyer boyfriend Richard. Hannah went back to the bar and asked Jacob to take her to his place. Jacob and Hannah spent days together. Jacob fell in love with Hannah. Cal and Emily have an older daughter Hannah.

Are you still with me? I guess you are so lost now. So what are you waiting for? Grab your keys and purse and go to the nearest cinema to watch this movie. J

If you’re looking for a good-laugh-movie you shouldn’t miss this one. I can guarantee you will be laughing so hard. These folks were hilarious I swear! It was one big messy story! CRAZY!!!

As I was sitting at the cinema and it came to the part where all the twists were laid down, all I did was, laugh-out-loud-while-I-put-my-two-hands-on-my-head-that-made-my-hair-messed-up-too and blurted out, “Damn! This is crazy!” J

Another thing that made this movie to watch for was because of Ryan Gosling. He was such perfection! That face, the stare and those abs. Wheew! Steamy! There were some scenes where I can’t concentrate on what’s going on because I was blankly staring at Ryan!

Until now I can’t get over the movie. The scenes are still lingering on my head. J So far, this is one of the best movies I’ve seen in 2011. This is an all good movie! Storyline was good. Twist was perfectly inserted. Performance was awesome. Messiness was CRAZY! 

WHEN ARE YOU PLANNING TO GIVE A PIECE OF CARE?

The Universe may have 8 planets but there’s only one place that we can live, EARTH.

God created the Earth so we can live. He made it very special compared to other planets because He wanted us to have beautiful place to live. He have entrusted us this place for us to take good care of it. Do you think you are doing your part as one of the caretakers? Think again.

Many research studies have been funded to study the possibility of us living in another planet, but no matter what they do to make it possible still it will not. So stop funding those research studies and focus on how we can restore the beauty of this planet.

Mother Earth has been sending us messages more often, but are we listening? Yes, there were few that listens, but it’s nothing compared to those who keep on ignoring the messages.

When disasters came we were frightened, we were terrified but after everything turns back to normal, were back to what we do. Instead of thinking on how we can SAVE EARTH, we think of how we can prepare and SAVE OURSELVES from the next disaster.

TRASHES were the main reasons for the floods and landslides that we ALWAYS encounter. We could have avoided these or have lessened the damage if we are responsible people.

Good thing that many organizations and even big companies have taken part to make a change, but their actions will never be successful if us, PEOPLE will not help and participate.

Kudos to the Muntinlupa City, because they have already implemented the “no plastic” law or whatever they call it. As for those who were not yet aware, if you will go to Muntinlupa, you will immediately noticed that most of the stores there, even at the malls, they don’t use plastic bags instead they use paper bags. I love Muntinlupa!

Pasig City has already started out a campaign for a greener city. (I am not pretty sure how it works; surely I’ll research more about it so I can share it with you) But my point here is that, at least they have started something.

Muntinlupa and Pasig are one of the biggest cities here in the Philippines, but they were able to come up with campaign and they were able to have their constituents follow. With the other cities, to the LGU, what’s your plan? If they can do it, I know you can too.

The biggest mall chain here in the Philippines has shown their care for Mother Earth for years now. SM Malls have started their campaign to use and bring your own re-usable bags few years back. They are one of the pioneering major companies that were very consistent in promoting greener lifestyle. Good to know that Ayala Malls (Market! Market!) is already following the trend. With these two malls, they have set a day a week or a month where they are not going to put the things you bought on a plastic, they’ll put on a paper bag or they will be requiring you to bring your own bag. I think SM is doing this every Wednesday, while Market! Market! is doing it every 15^th and 30^th of the month.

PEOPLE, the companies have taken their part, when will you?

You may think that you are just one out of the billions of people across the globe, so whatever you do will not make any difference but I think you are wrong. If every one of us will think that way, it will really not make a difference. But IF YOU START the change from you, and then everyone around you sees that, then that would make a difference. Just like the saying goes, IF YOU WANT CHANGE, START IT FROM YOURSELF.

You don’t know how to start? I’ll be sharing to you some of my simple ways on how we can HELP SAVE MOTHER EARTH. These are little things that you can do on your daily life. These maybe are little things, but if everyone will start doing these, I know it will be of great help.

STOP ASKING FOR PLASTIC

When we are buying stuff, baggers ALWAYS put it on a plastic bag no matter how small or how many the item is.

What you can do, when you are buying only small stuff or maybe you are buying only an item or two, you can proactively ask the cashier or bagger not to put it on a plastic. Just put it inside your bag, but don’t forget to get your receipt. 

ALWAYS BRING YOUR RE-USABLE BAGS

When we go to the supermarkets and “palengkes” to do our groceries we always ended up with a lot of plastic bags.

What you can do, since SM and Market! Market! have already produce re-usable bags that you can use for your groceries, buy maybe 2 or 3 so you can use it for your groceries. When you know you are scheduled to do the shopping or grocery, bring your re-usable bags so baggers can put your stuff in there. If you’re not sure when are you going to do the shopping and groceries, then maybe you can have a little space for your re-usable bags on your daily work/school bag.

STOP THROWING YOUR TRASH EVERYWHERE

When we are on the street or literally outside a building where trash bin is nowhere to be found, we ended up throwing out trash literally ANYWHERE.

Come on people, the streets are not a big trash bins, (in some it may looks like a trash field, but don’t you think it became that way because of the trash you threw?).

What you can do, if it’s just small trash like, candy wrappers etc, put it on your pants/bag’s pocket first and then throw it later when you already found a trash bin. If it’s a little big like cups you used etc, PLEASE don’t mind holding on it for awhile until you see a trash bin where you throw it. And PLEASE make sure you throw it on a trash bin not on the corner of the street or somewhere else.

Be responsible enough, to throw your trash on the right place. We have been taught about this since we were young, but still we don’t follow it.

Let’s start the change on ourselves, little we know everyone is doing what we are doing. Be an example to your family, friends, colleagues and everyone else around you.

SAVE MOTHER EARTH BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank

I was not planning to watch a movie last Sunday but when my friend Marel told me that after church she will be having a movie date with her HS gay best friend EJ. When I asked her what movie they’ll be watching, she said “Babae”, and then I said I wanna come with them to watch it too.

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank was an award winning Indie film from Cinemalaya. Most of the Cinemalaya films were not available for commercial viewing. Since it made a big noise in the Indie film world and a lot of people wanted to watch it but missed the Cinemalaya screening, they decided to show it on the commercial big screen.

The movie starred one of the big names in the showbiz industry and I should say she’s one of the most versatile actress and the most in-demand comedienne of this time, no other than Eugene Domingo. J It also co-starred JM de Guzman, one of the best dramatic actor of this generation, Kean Cipriano, Callalily’s front vocal and Cai Cortez.

The movie’s outer story was about an Indie film producer and director who want to make their names big in the industry. They wanted to make a big hit Indie film and dreaming of making it to the most prestigious award giving bodies around the world. Their concept was about the slums’ status quo and the underlying issues that came with it. Their story was about a widowed woman living in a slum area with her seven children. She can no longer bear the pain of seeing her kids suffer so she decided to sell one of her kids an old foreigner pedophile.

On the other hand, the movie’s inner and main story was really about the status quo of the movie industry, not just in the commercial film but as well as in the Indie film. Some may not understand this but for those people who studied the ins and outs of the industry as well as those people who have a very critical view on what they watch, they would definitely understand what the movie is about.

The real deal these days especially in the Philippine movies, were the shallow story lines starring the-most-famous-but-not-so-good-actors. Most of the movies didn’t make any sense anymore. Some were copy cat of the other movies. Movies now were more of an advertisement tool and very commercialized. You would see how the sponsor’s products were being inserted in every scene. Some movies were no longer realistic.

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank also tackles on how some actors make their demands and their say about the project that they are doing. It seems like the production owe them big time because they agreed to do the project so they have the bragging rights to demand a lot and make changes to the movie and the story lines. But that shouldn’t be case. They were just actors, which mean they are paid to play the role they were given the way the director wants them to be. They are paid to make the character come alive. They may make suggestions but it is still the director’s call, not unless the actor is the producer too.

Ang Babae sa Septic Tank was a movie that lets you in to the world of film; the ins and outs of it.