Sige lang

Nai-release kamakailan ang unang album ng bandang Equilibrio na may pamagat na Sige Lang. Ito ay binubuo ng mga kanta ng pag-ibig at pag-asa, sa genre na pop rock.

Ang Sige Lang ay masasabing isang OFW album. Ang unang kanta, na may pamagat na Sige lang ako, ay tungkol sa pagtatrabaho at pamumuhay nang malayo sa pamilya. Ang mga sumunod na kanta ay hindi naman tuwirang tumatalakay sa buhay OFW ngunit maraming linya na kapuna-puna ang pangingibabaw ng damdaming OFW. Hindi ito dapat pagtakhan. 9 sa mga kanta ay sinulat sa Dubai at ang 1 ay sa Singapore. Ang huling kanta ay Harinawa. Dahil sa mga blessings at isang dasal na nakapaloob dito, pwede itong kantahin sa birthday, pasko o sa bagong taon. Pero higit sa lahat, bilang OFW, ito siguro ang gugustuhin mong kantahin sa pamilya mo o vice versa, kung tapos na ang bakasyon mo sa Pilipinas at pupunta ka na naman sa bansang pinagtatrabahuhan mo. Kung may genre na "OFW rock", ito na siguro iyon.

Narito ang video na naglalaman ng excerpts ng mga kanta sa album.



Ang iba pang impormasyon tungkol sa album ay makikita sa Facebook album page. Ang CD album ay available sa Amazon at CreateSpace at ang digital album ay sa Nimbitmusic.

Bagoong rice

I went to the newly opened Barrio Fiesta in Bur Juman for lunch today. Going through the menu, bagoong rice caught my attention. Well, I'm used to having chopsuey rice and chili fish rice and chicken fried rice here in Dubai but bagoong rice . . . something new . . . gotta try.

It's rice flavored with bagoong topped with fried egg and shredded green mango and bagoong. (Bagmansilog?) Masarap. The serving was supposed to be for two but I finished it, together with chicken adobo flakes and kalamansi juice. Masarap talaga.

Sushi as Springboard

Last Tuesday night we bid farewell to one of the leader of the Tuesday knight group. He will be returning to the Philippines after a year of stint here in Dubai as an architect of a Saudi based developer with an office here in Dubai. Although he is not a part of those retrenched by other company due to recession but he resigned because of his firm inactivity here in Dubai.

The meeting was started with a game of chess between me and one of the leaders. The place was called Trinity Café inside Spinneys building behind Burjuman Mall, this place was a familiar hangout of the group. I joined this group about a year ago before we transfer to Burjuman and we returned here for this not so normal event.




Architect Elvin is a direct influence in our group, as one of the leader he is one of the pillar which make the group sustain its existence, he have shared us so many life changing topics which encourages us to go on and pursue our life here in Dubai, helping us stand strong spiritually. But he have more priority with his family in the Philippines, perhaps not only his job contribute to his feelings being off track professionally maybe he is yearning for more completeness if he will be at home.


Then comes the sushi time for this event, since I am not so familiar with the food listed in the menu, I was advice by the waiter to try light foods then I choose sushi. Peter who once part of the leadership of this group was invited by Eugene, currently one standing as our kuya. He shares us some words for us to be encouraged so we will have no heavy feeling when one of our brothers will leave the country for good.



Of course for our friend’s information of this meeting, snapshots were taken by some in the groups, check Danny’s account in facebook, some are in this blog. So we send out Elvin with a Sushi as springboard. While I beat Eugene in chess game 3-2, a thought run to my mind, we will meet again Elvin again someday in a different venue and different status. And by that time, Eugene will beat me in a different game, maybe dama, when we will be a bit older, hehe.

Eid tea

So that’s how you get inside the Burj al Arab. Make a reservation for an afternoon tea at Junsui.



I went there Sunday with Rey, Poh and Santad. So it’s true – the lobby glitters with gold. And the atrium, said to be the highest in the world, looks like a futuristic spacecraft. The place is magnificent ... and awe-inspiring ... and ... aah ... saksakan ng ganda.

The Junsui Asian afternoon tea consisted of 7 courses, I think. There was, well, tea and then some dimsum and then congee and spiced chicken … There was also something like a haluhalo.



Great Eid afternoon.

goodbye my dubai

the dubai bubble for me has bursted,

and everything has changed since then.

terminated and has been casted away

to the abu dhabi airport i am to flee.

my life here had been sort of,

just been utterly fantastic.

it was filled with many good things, but few were not.

people and things, filled me with awe and wonder.

i had not wished it be, nor had i forseen it,

that these experiences would happened to me.

everything here was moving too fast.

the blurr was breathtaking indeed!

the novelty of new places can't be denied.

and the glow on common things are exciting.

dubai for me was new and promising.

i was right, and disappointment was far from me.

wether i was jogging in a cold winter morning,

in the streets of karama, or in the parks of jumeirah,

my heart was pumping full red delight.

the blue frigid air seems to agree with me.

people is peculiar in a stange new place.

they seem to be friendlier and kinder to you.

in charismatic groups or colleagues, it does not matter.

love virus is in the air, and everyone is catching it.

food, fruits and drinks here are flowing and aplenty.

exotic and gourmet, everything is of gluttonic delight.

Lobster, pink salmon, prawns and assorted biryani,

what else can you say but, what to do yani?

the sun and the sands of the desert, hot and dry,

whips in me the fictional universe of frank herbert's dune.

arabs are my fremen, ang-moh are the imperial sardaukkar.

paul muad'dib said, from the desert, a voice shall call for my salvation.

the building marvels of the age was in dubai.

architectural concepts that would elicit a laugh or a breath,

that are coming to life on the sands and even at sea.

imagination here is boundless and flying.

then, suddenly, the world had lost something.

the international market crashed, fell in ashes, burnt and spent.

nothing was spared, nothing remained untouched.

the dubai that was, had had came to pass.

boarding the plane, i glanced around me for one last time,

and looked at the country that has accomodated me for three years.

i muttered one last prayer in this foreign land, my God,

please let me return here in the near future. If You are willing.

now i bid to all of you my forlorn adieu.

goodbye to my love and my honeybabe.

goodbye to my goodfriends and aquaintances.

for i shall not see you again........ in dubai. he3!

Kumusta na?

Ang Kumusta Na (Makulit Ba?) ay isang kanta ng pag-ibig na sinulat ko. Medyo nag-eksperimento ako rito. Kanta ng pag-ibig pero walang salitang "iniibig" o "minamamahal". Walang "sinta" o "hirang" o "habibti".

Pagbibiro at pangungulit - ganon yung kanta.

Kumusta na? Wala pa ba?
Ako naman ay pwedeng maghintay pa.
Kaya nga lang, eh bakit pa
kung ngayon ikaw ay sigurado na?

Kung ‘di naman, saka na lang.
Ayaw ko ring ika’y minamadali.
Pero, teka, ngayon na lang
kung tayo’y doon din mauuwi.

Pwera na lang sa bandang gitna na medyo seryoso. Merong parang saglit ng zen (zen moment) . . .

Sandali'y hayaang maging sa ating dalawa.
Sa katahimikan ay may himlayang kay ganda.
Pakinggan mo ang puso ko.
Pakinggan mo ang sa 'yo.

Nangyayari iyan, di ba? Kasama mo yung chick. Biruan kayo nang biruan. Lokohan nang lokohan. Tapos biglang magiging seryoso. Tatahimik. Kasi, parang hindi na dapat magsalita. Siya rin, parang hindi na kailangang sumagot. Pakiramdaman na lang. Paparoon na, bok . . . Pero, dito sa kanta, balik na naman sa pangungulit.

Kumusta na? Wala pa ba?





Ako naman ay pwedeng maghintay pa . . .

how to finish a burger meal.

at these times of global financial crisis, it's a sin to make waste. precious food, whose market prices rise exponentially everyday, must not be taken for granted. this is similar to what your grandma used to say to you when you were young (ages ago, he3!!!).

focus panda, focus. ok, here i am, looking at my half-eaten burger. i suddenly became full. maybe because a few seconds before, i had gobbled-up french fries and dipped these decadently in mayo-ketsap mix. the said fries are good. it is with a distinct but delicious taste comparable to the fries of the golden arches, which by the way, i still rate as The Best.

anyway, going back to the burger, which now looked to me like anything but delectable, in between my hands, and held it there, waiting, or thinking what to do next. i had definitely lost my appetite.

should i throw it into the bin? come to think of it, it would be an awful waste. marami kayang nagugutom sa payatas... (there are many people starving in far away payatas, metro manila). ang sagot, bakit? kasalanan ko ba na nagugutom sila? (the answer, is it my fault that they are hungry?). hmm.. there is a point there, somewhere.

after my food-poisoning incident last november, i seldom eat-out anymore. furthermore, i seldom eat at all, moreso if it is a cuisine from the sub-continent (the culprit last year). never you mind, i'd rather starve. i dunno, alien food to me suddenly became sinistrous. close to paranoia perhaps. there could be an "e. coli" or salmonella hidden, swimming in that yummy-looking pungent orange sauce. goodluck! (emphasis at the K).

shaking my head to clear the mind. whew! enough! i have to finish this. i could hear my grandma again, yes ma, i will finish this (grumbling). this is bad, i am hallucinatingkh. i gave a sigh, the show must go on. then, i'm on. one bite after another, it's beginning to be difficult. it's an effort to swallow it down. now and then, it seems the burger is struggling to go out my mouth. but i went on. look, i am making progress.

you know, the hardest part is that last bite. i stared at it for a while. good grief, the last morsel. i am almost ready to blow. the water at the dam is in critical level, it is at the brim. where is the nearest toilet by the way?..... pause, aim, shoot it netless into the ring!

then, after all that has been said and done, nothing is left of the burger, it's done.

sit back straight, tip the head from side-to-side,

take a sip of cola, just to push it down,

and give a resounding belch if you can.

then raise your arms in a V. saying, aah! victory at last!

mission accomplished. what a nice way to finish a burger meal.

khallas!