Rolling stoned

You can't always get what you want. I often find myself singing this Rolling Stones line these days. It’s true. You, instead, get what you need. Sometimes, when you’re not so lucky, you even get something distressing. But always, it’s something you can handle. So oks lang.

Terry's run

Terry Fox’s run across Canada to raise money for cancer research in 1980 was commemorated this morning here at Al Mamzar Park with the 2008 Dubai Terry Fox Run. Around 10,000 people walked, ran, biked or skated the 8.4 km and shorter distances.

I walked and ran up to the roundabout with the 2.3 km mark and went back. So did my taichi master Dr. Chen and his son Harry who was on bike. DTFR, by the way is chaired by Judy Rickatson, who is also a member Dr. Chen's taichi group.

There were lots of Pinoys who participated in the fund-raising event. It was a kabayan group that led the warm-up with aerobic exercise. And helping direct vehicle and human traffic throughout the event, in their neon green vests, were barangay tanods.

Rock on

I’d been looking for a t-shirt with a slogan “Rock On” for a couple of months now but couldn’t find any. Yesterday, I was at the Mall of the Emirates and saw this little store in the middle of the aisle selling t-shirts with slogans in them. I asked the saleslady if she has one with a “Rock On” design. She said no but she could print anything I wanted. I chose a beige-colored t-shirt but hesitated to have “Rock On” printed. I went out to smoke and think of what to print in the t-shirt.

For some reason, I thought of

“And in the end,
the love you take
is equal to
the love you make.”

and had it printed. It’s the complete lyrics of the Beatles’ song The End from the Abbey Road album. The End is the last in a medley of short songs which begins with Golden Slumbers. It follows the jam where all three of the band’s guitarists play licks one after the other for 3 rounds.

I still don’t know why I chose the quote. Maybe because it sounds like a re-statement of Newton’s Law of Reciprocal Actions, which every engineer knows by heart. Well, anyway, keep on rocking.

Green Issues

The earth’s environment is now deteriorating. Rich nations will never have their political will to hold back their sustained economic and industrial growth thus kept on expanding, turning bare lands into a city or suburban jungle leaving no mercies for a naturally balance biosphere.

Developing nations will not allow themselves to be left over also building and constructing so many infrastructures eating up virgin landscapes.

Poor nations will do everything to survive, scratching everything from all their resources thus also harming the ecosystem.

Something must be done, everything must be regulated, events must be monitored and somebody must be in control.



In Dubai, things have started to take shape, last 2 January 2008 we are able to be a part of a gathering of developers, government departments, contractors, designers, manufacturers and consultants to witness the government trust to save the environment and extend the supply of limited natural resources.

The event was held at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, inside one of its ballroom. Speakers are international experts particularly from USA and one is based in Abu Dhabi. They shared what are the organization responsible for energy conservation and management to minimize use of depleting resources and manage emission of environmental pollutant. They also laid ongoing programs training and licensing engineers and personnel for this purpose.

Some local speakers which are head of known land developer and government agencies promote green certification which now will be a must for the entire future project.

The way I understand, for an efficient and energy saving/conservation design project to be constructed an equivalent certification shall be release for that project. Any design and construction that will fail the set guidelines will not be given a permit.



I heard and read articles such as this one before. Domestic waste water shall now be recycled and reused, building cooling system to be properly utilized and electricity usage shall be managed properly. Lighting illumination will now be controlled with reference to outside natural light contribution, presence, location and sound technology control to be promoted for lighting.

Great new information and challenges now awaits those who are into this new movement. Meanwhile, in conclusion, the foods are sumptuous and the place is great for our snapshots.

Rainy days

It started raining last Sunday. Manakanaka.

It was very difficult to get a ride from office. It turned out that some streets, including Sheik Zayed Road, were closed in connection with US President Bush’s coming Monday. I had to skip my taichi class.

Monday was declared a holiday. Good decision. It would have been chaotic.

Nampating, kailangang labhan uli ang sinampay ko.

Yesterday was terrible. It rained all day. Streets were flooded and people were stranded or stuck in traffic for hours. Parang Pilipinas.

Pumapatak na naman ang ulan sa bubong ng bahay. Ito’y hindi ko akalaing ... mangyayari pala ... sa Dubai.

It was raining again when I went to work this morning. The weather got better around 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon. The sky was still cloudy when I was going home from office but I think I caught a glimpse of the sun.

is this Manila?

Have you been in MMDA-controlled Manila already?

I came from a Singaporean vacation last October 2007. That country was hell of a clean space. You know what I mean if you have been there?

I have lived in Singapore for two years starting from 2003. Honestly, I was impressed because the place was clean and orderly. All the things I wish my country are to be.

But lo and behold, I was surprised. In my return visit last time, I was delightfully surprised that Manila that I know to be was dirty, was now (unbelievably) pretty clean. I am looking for reasons to explain this phenomenon. It may be an election period so that roads and by-ways are clean and squeaky. It may be a something else, but the heck with it. As far as I am concerned, it is political will. And that is rare. Political will is hard to come by these days.

For example, in the San Pedro-Biñan National road, concrete establishments are demolished because they have encroached into public territory. These structures have been there since time immemorial. No public office can get them out of these public lands nor have the political will to evict these squatters of the same. At present, the Old National High-way needs to be widened. No other entity has the political will to do this except for the MMDA.

I give my kudos to the Dictator of Metro Manila (MMDA) whom political will is stronger than that of neither any of the existing political party nor the prevalent kiss-arse attitude of our times.

We need professional and strong politicians now than ever. I hope they come in our time of need. God help us.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!!!

our election

This is the grassroots level of democracy and fair an election should be, ideally. Popular right of suffrage was invented by the Americans and was propagated throughout the world after the Second World War. This idea was given a class room trial at the time of the Thomasites (a term for the American teachers that came into the Philippines on-board the U.S.S. Thomas). Voting for the class officers, a class of 40 pupils, after canvassing, to the shock of the Americans, found out that a total of 53 pupils have voted. Was it a deficiency in mathematics? Beats me, better ask someone else then. Though democracy came early in our shores, electioneering and rigging comes just shortly behind.

Far from being an American and similarly so as being fair, I admit that, I participated in this “barangay” election period, as biased as I can be in favor of my ex-choir friend more so when I found out that he was running for a seat in the barangay council.

Going on, I never met him when I was on a 5-week “pearl of the orient” vacation last October 2007 not until just hours after the elections. When we did, it was kinda’ arguing about the democratic contest that he has just lost. We invited him to join us in a post-election drinking spree (I drink occasionally, and this is an occasion. Hehehe!!!). Although, during the campaign period, there was an alcohol ban, (drinking is not allowed. Well, when you are caught ofcourse. He3!!!) We nevertheless have done what all devotees of the Oktoberfest would do, DRINK & be merry!!!

I remembered the time when I were in college and ran for Grad Class Vice-Preisdent. The campaign period was rather good for me, until it was finally over. The “over” part was hard to accept. I was in the losing end of the election story. It did not fare very well to my ego. So I was accusing the other side of all conceivable things to justify their win. Rubbish. It was a landslide, it was decisive, and it was a knockout. It was uncontestable. Then ego turned to grief. Most of my running-mates cried. I did not cry with them, really. I was gazing up the sky, wondered what had had happened. There we were, on our backs on weary and weathered limestone, wallowing in despair on top of the battlements of old intramuros, looking for signs in the night, that maybe, all of these talk of defeat was just a really bad dream.

I understand my friends’ loss. I really do. I can relate with the sucker that he is now. Maybe it’s because of the sucker who I really have been. So when we were giving all his lamentations to us half-drunks, we just took it and gave encouragements and expressions of support to our recently defeated/injured friend. Sigh! That’s life.

Well, back into 2007, the winners of the barangay elections were the incumbent. And, as the gossip from the grapevine suggests (from inside the FX, from the wet market shoppers, vendors and from your regular corner bums), a PhP 1,000.00 reward was offered for those who voted for favored candidates (?). Although no legal protest were filed in Court by the aggrieved parties, the bribery issues was generally accepted as truth by the population. So, nothing could be done according to the eyes of the Law. But as far as I am concerned, the maiden Law became a whore of the highest bidder. Darn….

“The people deserve its government”. There are many things to say about his, but I will abstain, for now.

If money is the root if all evil, also, money is a requirement for election victory. money is the root of all evil. Could it be deducted then, that election victory is the root of all evil?

So, the night ended in awful sorrow for our friends’ loss. But hey, let us just account what had had happened, learn the lesson in it. And then, just move on. In the end, it is a question if you are still the man you still are and you're the man you hope to be? After this struggle, I hope you held you’re balls well. It is all that you have when you face your Creator.

As for me, we hope you do your best in life and in all jovial favor I say, let us drink to that!!!!!