Curbside Stories

They say "Love is blind", while others say "the lovers are". Whichever you believe in, one thing is for sure, love comes in the most unexpected way. Kita Kita  (I See You) is not the typical romantic comedy film you see regularly in theaters. Lea (Alessandra de Rossi) and Tonyo (Empoy Marquez) are the main characters of the movie--they are the most unconventional pair but I was surprised by their chemistry. Their acting was so unbelievable that they made me believe everything is real.  I laughed and cried. It made me think. It made me see what the eyes can't.

I am not into poetry but this winning piece by Lily Myers made me feel otherwise. This poem so profoundly explained how men and women differ in their views about personal image. Read on... Across from me at the kitchen table, my mother smiles over red wine that she drinks out of a measuring glass. She says she doesn’t deprive herself, but I’ve learned to find nuance in every movement of her fork. In every crinkle in her brow as she offers me the uneaten pieces on her plate. I’ve realized she only eats dinner when I suggest it. I wonder what she does when I’m not there to do so. Maybe this is why my house feels bigger each time I return; it’s proportional. As she shrinks the space around her seems increasingly vast. She wanes while my father waxes. His stomach has grown round with wine, late nights, oysters, poetry. A new girlfriend who was overweight as a teenager, but my dad reports that now she’s “crazy about fruit.” It was the same with his parents; as my grandmother became frail an...

Photo from here . What can you say about having extravagant Christmas parties before we hit the holidays? I know it only happens once in a year but ever since the typhoon Haiyan left Tacloban City in Leyte and other parts of Visayas literally flat, I feel like there is no sense having Christmas parties with tons of leftover foods and drinks when you see images of families who beg for food in the streets. I find no reason for spending parties in plush restaurants when there are still families who have no roofs to protect them from the weather. I applaud those companies and families as well who, instead of having parties this yuletide season, opt to donate or spend a day or two of charity works. I mean, at this point of economic hardships and calamities, we must be more sensitive to the feelings of others. Let us be more generous in giving to those who are most needy because I believe that if we are generous to others, God will also be generous to us.

It has been more than a week already since super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) made two land falls in the Southern part of the Philippines, particularly in Samar and Leyte. Since then, the lives of many, not only in the Philippines but also from around the world, has changed. While the Visayas region was busy preparing for the typhoon, I was with my family, tucked safe and sound in the comforts of our homes in Luzon. Although the weather bureau warned us of storm signal number 1, it was relatively peaceful during the day. It was only at around 7 o'clock in the evening when the heavy rain poured with gusts of wind, but, it was not enough to cause me to be awake the entire evening. Nobody  really knew or has not anticipated how strong the typhoon was until the news broke in the morning that most of the provinces in the Visayas region, especially Leyte, was severely damaged. The super typhoon literally flattened the entire province, leaving more than 4 thousand people dead and mill...

Are you in a relationship wherein you absolutely feel that he is the right guy for you and he also loves you dearly yet he just couldn't commit to being with you forever? I know a lot of women has this issue with guys. I am sure that generically they will answer "I am not yet ready". But, what would you do if this "right guy" just won't commit? Would you say bye-bye or would you extend your patience and believe that he'll change his mind eventually?

Photo from here . Have you ever tried dining alone in a restaurant? I have tried it a couple of times. The first time I did it felt like I am the loneliest person on the planet but I also felt freedom. After a doing it a couple of times, it gave me a sense of empowerment... like the thought of paying for an expensive meal all by myself is so fulfilling, I never have to wait for anyone to finish his or her meal before I stand, I don't have to think of topics to discuss over a meal, I get to enjoy my food because there's no time pressure... I mean, every woman should do it often. It also opens the door to meeting new friends and perhaps a future partner.

It is the 20th century but believe it or not, ending a relationship because the parents doesn't approve of it still happens. Parents have various reason for disapproval--religion, family background, social status, looks, etc. Regardless of the reason, still many couples separate ways because one of the partners value and respect their parents and are afraid of being disowned by their own family. I have a colleague who had an unplanned pregnancy with her boyfriend for years. Despite being in a relationship with the guy for years, her parents are still against their relationship. When she discovered they were pregnant, they eloped but eventually decided to face their parents to sort things out. At first, the parents were furious to the point of really disowning her. Fortunately, her parents finally accepted the fact that she is pregnant with the guy they despise and were married soon after. Another story that I would like to share has a sad ending. The guy decided to end his ...

I feel like the most naive person in the world. I overheard from fellow commuters earlier this day about their date rendezvous last weekend. I was actually shock to hear them talk about personal matter inside a public utility vehicle. Anyways, the girl is 10 years my junior. Hold your calculators and let us not talk about my age. She was telling her friend that she finally agreed to have a date with a guy who's been wooing him for quite some time. He likes the guy but she could not find the time to have a date. So, finally she did and she admitted to kissing the guy before they separated ways that memorable evening. The question now is, would you kiss on a first date? How does it feel? Does that permit a new level of relationship?

I have a friend who had a relationship with a Muslim guy. My friend is Roman Catholic. Their relationship was good but when my friend had to go back to the Philippines for a vacation, her then-boyfriend married another Muslim woman because the guy's parents doesn't approve of her. It was a fixed marriage, a norm in where the guy lives. My friend told me that one of the factors why she did not expect the relationship to last is because she is of a different religion. Although the guy didn't ask her to change her religion, it was obvious on the part of the parents... it was a requirement. Would you change religion for love? Does religion ever matter for a relationship to pursue and to last? Can't we just all respect each other's beliefs?

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III delivered his 4th State of the Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City on July 22. I think the best thing about this year's SONA is the President asking every Filipino, "What have you contributed so far?" Read the entire speech after the jump.

1. Leaders engage themselves in filtered information, they surround themselves with bureaucracy that thinks the same way they do. As a consequence, although they reach agreement, oftentimes that agreement is not contemporary and not in any way relevant to what's going on in their marketplace. 2. Leaders who engage in selective hearing, in other words, they hear what they want to hear but not necessarily what they should.  3. Wishful thinking that when the business is off, the market will come back, they all do, they see the world through rose-colored glasses, they see the world as they want it and not as it is.  4. Fear. There are cultures that suppress reality. They punish people that have views that are confrontational or that are different from the norm. Organizations that suffer from this don't get real information, as a consequence, you behave in a way that's not contemporary with what's going on around you. This is from Larry Bossidy's speech ...

Above all things, I think we need a government with common sense and true concern. Would you build roads and bridges during the rainy season? I bet your answer is NO because common sense teaches us that concrete must be cured enough to make it stronger and the rainy days will impede the construction process. If you see that a house is flooding because their drainage system was dumped with soil from the road widening project you are doing, would you help dig up the soil? I bet the answer is YES because we are human beings with the inherent gift of care and compassion.

This week is just one of those days when I feel I am at my lowest... Let me explain. My house was flooded for days because the public works had to widen the road so they dumped soil to flatten and make even the surface. The excess soil covered our drainage system. When we asked the contractor to remove the soil so that water will not stagnate, the foreman said it's another contractor's job. I was so devastated to hear the lack of concern. That moment of truth hit me... it is not war but the lack of concern that will annihilate us. We were forced to spend money to hire someone who would dig up the soil to get rid of stagnant water that is attractive to dengue mosquito, leptospirosis and all other debilitating diseases. Monday is the first day of work and the only day in our weekday wherein all department heads gather for a flag raising ceremony... I was expecting to receive some words of encouragement from our boss to get us through the week with enthusiasm, but to ...

Is there a rule not to have a relationship with your best friend's ex-boyfriend? It didn't happen to me but I don't think I will be comfortable hanging out with my best friend with my ex-boyfriend as her new boyfriend tagging along. It will just bring in memories. Even if you have moved on completely, I can't say to my friend "I am happy for you two" when at the back of my mind I am really saying "It should be me". I will be too paranoid to think that he's maybe telling my best friend that she is better than I was when we were together. I think it will be awkward too for my best friend because she knows our better days. When it happens to you, how are you going to deal with it? Would you still be friends with your best friend? Would you rather slowly drift away?

Angelina Jolie recently revealed that she underwent double mastectomy last April as a preventive measure following the discovery that she is carrying a cancer gene. The chances for her to develop cancer dropped to 5% from 87%. Her mother died of ovarian cancer and seeing her mother throughout the battle and her six young children were the motivations for her to do the procedure. She also considers the removal of her ovaries. I think it was heroic of her. It was a courageous feat to sacrifice the removal of a part of her femininity and choose to live longer for her to see her children grow up. I remember the famous Miss Universe 2013 question "What is the essence of being a woman?" that was confidently answered by Sushmita Sen of India. After 10 years, it was only now that it was answered most profoundly. Her revelation made us think that we do have options for our health and our happiness. Sometimes, we have to give up a part of ourselves to someone or something that...

I didn't bother to register at the COMELEC for this year's election because I couldn't find time in my busy schedule to take a leave. I was hoping the agency would have office on weekdays for someone as busy as I am, but to no avail. Somebody told me that if I will not register, I won't be able to vote. My mind was already set that I won't be able to exercise my right to decide for the future of our nation. The campaign went on as scheduled. I was stuck in traffic for two hours on two separate occasions because of the long campaign caravans of opposing parties. It was one hell of an afternoon ride! I was late for important appointments. A few days ago, I had a conversation with my sister about the ongoing campaign--how we both hate a particular campaign jingle, the allowed sizes for campaign posters, the tons of garbage it will leave after the election and the cunning ways a politician does and will do to win precious votes. I told my sister that I won'...

Does Sabah really belong to the Philippines? The Sabah sandoff is a worldwide buzz and while everyone else is giving their commentaries about it without the full knowledge of the facts, let us take time to review our history. In the end, let us all pray that this struggle will end in the most peaceful and diplomatic way possible, anyway, Malays and Filipinos are borne out of the same race.

Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual, the former variably endangers the morals of the entire country. - Karl Kraus Our country is corrupt. Which country is not? Corruption is everywhere. It is a plague. It has a cure.  If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher. - Abdul Kalam  There are laws, moral and legal, and only a few favors righteousness over corruption. The duty of the youth is to challenge corruption. - Kurt Cobain We can still do something. We must be the change we want to happen in the world.

Don't do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. - Philippians 2:3 In a historical turn of events, Juan Manuel Marquez defeated Manny Pacquiao via technical knockout on Round 6. It was the most devastating sight any Filipino could witness from a man who has brought so much honor in the country through boxing. Go and succeed in your grandeur! Ride out on behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness. Let your strong hand perform awesome deeds! - Psalms 45:4 Despite the loss, Pacquiao left the arena with a smile. It is not something that you get to see in the world of competitive sports. Defeat definitely teaches us humility. What we can learn from this day is that we must know when to stop. If we will not listen to God, He will have to do it the hard way... like letting us hit the floor really hard

Kim Kardashian's engagement ring from ex-husband Kris Humphries. A 20.5 karat  Lorraine Schwartz ring that costs $2 million. He demanded Kim to return the ring. A generous boyfriend would give the sun and stars to his beloved if only it is possible. Close to that is giving his girlfriend a jewelry, not necessarily an engagement ring. I know most of you have received or have given jewelry as a present to your loved one. There is nothing wrong with that for as long as it is not stolen. But, what would you do if the relationship comes to its bitter end? Would you still keep the jewelry? Or would you return it? When Kim Kardashian decided to end her 72-day marriage with Kris Humphries, she was demanded to return the $2 million worth of engagement ring. Did she or did she not return it? I have no idea. But, according to Lizzie Post of Emily Post Etiquette, 18th Edition , he or she should return the wedding gifts if the marriage only lasted in less than six months and if t...