Yaku · Tating · Balot

Last June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States of America, in a landmark decision, ruled that all bans on same-sex marriage in all states are unconstitutional. This means gay and lesbian couples can now marry in all 50 states. The world rejoiced and social media erupted in colorful rainbows. Of course, there were also those who were not as happy, which is not really any less surprising. With issues like this, there will always be a divide. I can accept and respect that. What I cannot accept is the mudslinging that happens between these groups; the name-calling, the sweeping generalizations, and the sometimes idiotic debates where the parties only seek to speak and not listen or understand. It all eventually becomes personal, and, for some, ruins relationships. Is it really so hard to agree to disagree? Must every post supporting one side be marred with hateful and preachy posts from those espousing the other side? Can one not express their opposition without being ...

I will forever be proud of every Filipino and my dear beloved country, the Philippines. While we know we are not truly independent, we have tasted the freedom that our forefathers so bravely fought and died for. May we continue to fight to keep this freedom in our own unique way. May we triumph over those who try to take this freedom away from us. And despite the many difficulties that we encounter in our lives, may we continue to be everyday heroes and inspire the world with our story wherever we may be. We are with GMA-7 in dedicating this beautiful cinematic version of the Philippine National Anthem , Lupang Hinirang, to every hardworking Filipino around the world, our everyday heroes. Raise that flag, Pinoy! Natatangi ka!

Ever since I can remember, I have always loved (worshipped, more like) French fries. This greasy, calorie-loaded appetizer has become my go-to food, my comfort food, when times get a little too much to handle. (French fries and bacon, actually, but bacon deserves a special post of its own.) During my college days some x years ago, I would find myself walking to a McDonald's outlet at nearby Ayala Center Cebu all by my lonesome self. I wasn't hungry, no. I was simply craving for some of their crispy, salty French fries, and would order the largest one available. Then, Potato Corner opened shop at the same mall. They have French fries in all flavors -- cheese, barbecue, sour cream, chili barbecue, wasabi, and more. They also sell them in various sizes -- from those small pouches to quarter-of-a-kilo tumblers. To a French fries addict lover like me, I have found my own piece of heaven. groupsmore.com And apparently, Yaku and Tating did, too. I wonder if I may h...

I hate goodbyes, so don't think I don't care if I don't spend hours in long tearful embraces or lingering kisses. It's just not my thing. I don't like saying goodbye. And why say goodbye, in the first place? It's not like we're not going to see each other again. It's a small world. One way or another, we are going to meet again -- in this life or another. Goodbyes for me are endings. I don't like endings, especially with people I hold so dear. For me, saying goodbye is putting an end to a relationship, closing a book, so to speak. If I say goodbye to you, that means I am closing my life to you, that you are no longer part of my world. So know that if I don't say goodbye, it means I still want you in my life. And I'd rather say, "Till we meet again," and look forward to that day when we do see each other again and make it seem like I didn't leave at all.

Hi, I am Yaku. To know more about me, please watch my video below. I am playing Garry's Mod (or GMod) here. It is a sandbox game where you can build and play any game that you create. I usually play it with my friends online through Steam. Hope you enjoy it!

Hi, I am Tating. I am spending my summer vacation with my lolo and lola, my papa's parents, in beautiful Bohol. My kuya Yaku came with me earlier in April, but he had to go back to Cebu for his piano lessons. I am having the time of my life here in Bohol with my Pa Do and Ma Ping, my cousins Kuya Intoy, Mommy Paula, and Ate Istin, my nephews Janjan, Nixon, ZJ, and my niece Maane. I always spend my summer vacations here. I love Bohol. It is a lovely place that will always be dear to my heart. I wish Mama and Kuya were here. I also love the beautiful beaches, the green mountains, and the overall peace of the province away from the city. I will tell you more about them soon. For now, this is my "Hello, world!" post. Hope you enjoy reading our little adventures.

Revamping this site to include the adventures of my two beloved sons, Yaku and Tating. It is a work in progress, so hang in there.

Rejoice for Christ is risen! May you all have a blessed and meaningful Easter!

Naghinamhinam na gyud ko makauli. Naghinamhinam nako sa mga halok sa akong mga pinalanggang anak. Naghinamhinam nako sa gakus sa akong inahan ug amahan. Naghinamhinam nako makigduwa sa akong mga binuhing iro. Ug labaw sa tanan, naghinamhinam nako makakaon og usab sa akong mga paboritong pagkaon sa CEBU . Ginabot, bantay lang ka!

An "amusement" park set in the world of Jane Austen's novels...with people from Jane Austen's novels. Truly an amusing movie. And what a guilty pleasure it was! So my movie-loving niece Bernice had been recommending dozens of feel-good movies for me to watch. This was one of those "nice" recs. I have put it in the back-burner thinking I don't exactly need a romantic movie to fill my nights at the moment. But, every night, it has kept on nagging and nagging me, and well, eventually I gave in. (Yes, I adore Pride and Prejudice.) It was a delight to watch. Not exactly top-rated, it was a leave-your-brain-at-the-theater-door kind of movie. It is the kind that you watch if you just want to laugh and feel good, and not really burden your mind with intricate puzzles and plot twists to understand the story. It was exactly the kind of movie I needed. The pretty Keri Russell plays the petite and smart Austen-obsessed heroine who, in fervent hopes of finding ...

...to write again. Sadness. Melancholy. Loneliness. That's all it took to get me running back to my blog. Since I came to Dubai, never had I felt such an overwhelming sense of sadness until last night. It came out of nowhere really. I was doing fine, albeit very busy, the entire day Sunday; but I was as fine and dandy as I usually am on any given day. Until I stepped out of the office last night, and stood for a good few minutes in the parking lot tinkering with my phone to find a good playlist to accompany me on my kilometer-long walk towards the Metro station. The culprit? A cat. Yes. A cat. A full grown orange cat with eyes so earnestly wide and fur so painfully soft. Here's what I wrote (on MS Word) this morning about the encounter:

YESTERDAY marked the start of the month-long Ramadan. To my Muslim brothers and sisters around the world who are celebrating this very important month, Ramadan Mubarak! It was my first time to spend Ramadan in a predominantly Muslim country, and it was quite an interesting experience. Restaurants were closed for most of the day. Roads were mainly quiet in the mornings. And of course, you don't see people taking a drink or chewing on a bite anywhere. Non-Muslims have to refrain from eating and drinking in public as a sign of respect to our Muslim friends. Observing Ramadan timings, we got off work early. For one who walks home from the office, it was still a little too hot outside for me. So I just took it real slow and decided to get some cool air at the nearby Deira City Center. At 4 pm, the restaurants and coffee shops were mostly closed for dining patrons, offering only takeaways. A lot of people were also lugging around shopping bags and pushing carts containing food and...

I AM NO food connoisseur, but I adore food. Who doesn’t? I love food of all kinds, most especially food that is not “boring.” Bland food is bleh. Give me food that offers a thrilling adventure for my palate, and I’m in -- hook, line and sinker. Balut, anyone? I love food that drives my tongue crazy. It doesn’t have to be so good it makes me close my eyes in its sheer delightfulness. If it’s salty or sour, I’ll have it. If it’s spicy, I’ll devour it. If it’s completely new to me, trust me to be totally giddy over it. I’ve had quite a gastronomic adventure during my first month here. I plan to write about them one by one. For now, I’ll give a shoutout to the food I’ve had at the office.  During my first few days at work, my dear officemates here in Al Wasl offered me a taste of some really interesting and scrumptuous Pakistani and Indian food. I’ve had some mutton mince curry with chapati, chicken and mutton biryani, paratha with yoghurt, burfi and other Pakistani sweet...

MAYBE it's just me, but I have always thought that all Arabs are Muslims, practicing only the Islamic religion, all of them. I have always thought that all who live in these Arab countries are somehow "born" or "sworn" to practice only Islam. How wrong I was. (Duh!) I owe this stereotyping to the simple fact that I have very limited exposure to Arabs. Sure, I've been to the US, some countries in Europe, and India. I have worked face-to-face with Americans, Europeans, Indians and Chinese over the years. However, I haven't really interacted much or worked with Arabs before. Muslims yes, Arabs no. So what brought on this realization? Last week, I was hurrying to catch the 12 NN mass at  St. Mary's Catholic Church  here in Dubai thinking that all 12 NN masses are English masses. Imagine my surprise when I arrived (late because this mass apparently started at 11:30 AM) and was seeing Arabic characters projected on the big screen. The churchgoers we...

ONE of the attractions that I was looking forward to upon coming to Dubai was the famous dancing fountains just at the backyard of the Dubai Mall. Dubbed as the largest choreographed fountain system in the world, the Dubai Fountain was designed by WET Design, the same company responsible for creating the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel Lake in Las Vegas. Here in Dubai, the mesmerizing fountain is set on the 30-acre Burj Khalifa Lake. There are daily performances coming in at 30-minute intervals in the afternoon and evening, and it's free! The world's largest dancing fountain at the world's largest mall near the world's tallest building. They don't do things half-heartedly here, huh? First time I went there, I was with my BFF Bujoy, and I was undeniably enthralled and touched by its beauty I almost cried. For real. We only get to watch one show though because we were in a hurry to catch the Metro train back home. (Also, we were watching "X-Men: ...

IT HAS BEEN a month now since I came to Dubai, flying in from Cebu with my niece Irish. Everything was overwhelming at first (it still is sometimes), but I'm learning to adjust slowly everyday. Dubai is indeed a city of extremes and superlatives. For someone coming from a third-world country in Southeast Asia, it was difficult to keep my jaw from dropping and my eyes from popping out every time I stumble upon something new and amazing. I am literally a "promdi" (Pinoy slang for "from the province") here, breaking my neck looking up at the towering skyscrapers and massaging my calves after strolling around the world's largest mall. But what the heck! The world is ours for the taking, right? We shouldn't apologize for being so "green." I am going to enjoy this whole new world that I have the fortune of being immersed in now. I am going to embrace it and bask in it with such childlike wonder, it will hurt and make me go insane. Speaking of ins...

Photo from www.e-architect.co.uk. I NEVER THOUGHT I'd miss stringing words together into informative (and hopefully, effective) prose until I got my fingers a-typing like crazy for my current workplace, Asia Pacific. Well, we're a travel and tourism company in Dubai offering yacht cruise, sport fishing, desert safari, and all other tourism services in the UAE. My first attempt at a 250-word blog post is about the top wonders of Dubai. It was so hard writing concisely about stuff that are simply beautiful, stuff that you'd like to get carried away writing. For a first-timer in Dubai, I admit to be the proverbial wide-eyed tourist. Everything here still amazes me. Anyway, all is well eventually after hours of trimming it down from 700 to 300 words. While not exactly my best work, I think it's not bad for a comeback piece. If you're in Dubai, check our yacht cruise services out.

So here I am about to start a new blog again. How many times have I tried but failed to sustain it in the past years since my last blog, Faery Dancing, was created about five years ago. Now that I am in this enchanting desert paradise, I think it's fitting that I chronicle my adventures (or misadventures!) here, there, and everywhere. This is a totally new environment for me, so it would be such a pity to let all the fun pass by without putting them in writing or at least capturing them in pictures. Setting them in stone, so to speak. What am I a writer for! So wish me luck. And may the odds be ever in my favor. Insha'Allah!