DISRESPECTFUL?

 

The Red Carpet for Grammy’s is one of the highlights of the event that I most wanted to see, aside of course for the winners. I was actually planning to write a more detailed feedback about the ceremonies but I guess I will have to do that later. As for now, I can’t help but write something about this, as a totally attention-seeking, awareness-catching  post!

 

I absolutely find Nicki Minaj’s arriving at the red carpet with POPE-dressed-up-dude as insulting, disrespectful mockery. I actually didn’t come to notice Nicki Minaj, neither her music nor her style until the little kids started singing her songs. In fact, one of her cute, lovely, talented, sweet little fan’s video idolizing Nicki Minaj has become a hit on YouTube, discovered and featured by Ellen DeGeneres in her show.

 

I don’t care what others actually think, but Nicki Minaj’s red carpet walk and pose is a fail this time. I see it as COMPLETELY not a good influence for her young fans all over the world. She was already good with all the tutu skirts, colored wigs and girly fashion. Can she just stick to that and stay out of the whole catholic mockery and or disrespect?

I am sorry Nicki, you have just given me a reason to delete you from my playlist and music library albeit the fact that I have started to like your music and talent. The spot for admiration is vacant and is still there though, Please do clean the act!

Man and Woman

 

This could mean the other way around but I like it this way. I always go for GIRL POWER!

Every feminist would definitely agree to this. Knowing how male ego runs though, they would see this the other way around:

one can never be a FEMALE without a MALE

one will never become a MRS without a MR

one can never be a SHE without HE

and a WOMAN can never be without a MAN.

Then would come along the debate on who can’t live without who. Whatever way the individual sees it is what counts I guess. Bottom line is, man and woman are equal. Gone were the days of male chivalry and superiority. I don’t disregard though the fact that in a household, a man is considered the head of the family, but then again, I find this ironic when the woman in the family is the bread winner , right? Man and woman…. they are for each other, period.

“Sure God created man before woman, but then again you always make a rough draft before creating the final masterpiece.”

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Quote courtesy of Auntie Nerie Magno’s FaceBook wall. “Thanks for posting Auntie, it gave me an idea.”

Related articles

• Towards a Feminist Architecture (beyondjane.com)
• I’m Not a Feminist but…; (everydaysociologyblog.com)
• Chivalry is actually ‘benevolent sexism’, feminists conclude (politics.ie)

The Perfect V.

I have been following a fellow blogger’s site  for a bit while now. This Is My Soapbox (thisismysoapbox.wordpress.com). I love reading posts of her unwarranted opinion about the world around us. I came across her blog about The Perfect Vagina. I was smiling as I was reading the tittle, and asking myself  “is there an imperfect one?…” , I mean seriously, the human body is God’s creation, the technology might have let human’s knowledge improvised a hell of a lot on a human body but still…..you know what I mean!

So let me share this hour-long documentary video and let me see what you think!

Disclaimer: This documentary video contains nudity and the surgical procedures are censored and exposed graphically

The Perfect Vagina

So ladies?… How do you find your own fanny?

When I first become a medtech intern, I was assigned in a public hospital. Trainees as we are, the laboratory staff would ask us to do the sample collection from the wards. We carry with us our warding kit/tray that contains all the paraphernalia we needed for sample collection, i.e. BLOOD EXTRACTION. It was my very first time to actually see frontal view of a female genitalia inside the labor room and the delivery room  of the hospital. Since it is a public hospital, there were about 9 women in waiting. They were admitted on different OB/Gyne cases. If I can remember correctly, 4 of them were for normal delivery, 2 were scheduled for CS section, 1 for D&C procedure from a miscarriage and 2 were for something I can’t recall. Five of these women were already on the IE(internal examination) table, complete with their legs spread open and on the stirrups exposing their well shaven V as a prep for all their medical procedures. I went inside the delivery room after I scrubbed my hands clean and put on the gown. I stood by the door facing the women’s leg-spread bodies, each with a nurses on watch monitoring them. I called the names of the request forms in my hand to identify the patients and as I did I can’t help but looked at those exposed Vs. Boy they looked ugly!  Ha!Ha! Each one looked different is what I said, but then again, with the present conditions of these women, the size and shape of the Vs matter.

The documentary video tackles issues as to how different women deal with all the reasons to go under the knife. The more we become civilized, the more we become vain and conscious. Who’s opinion are we going to consider? Our own? Our partners? May it be husbands, boyfriend, friends with benefits, booty-call partners, flings, friends, family???

As long as the V is healthy, and serves its purpose , and one is happy with it, I don’t think there is a problem. Let’s embrace our own individuality, love our selves and let our contentment and satisfaction surprise us by giving us happiness and confidence.

Read More:

- The Perfect Vagina (http://vimeo.com/user1691011)

- http://seriouslyrebecca.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/10-most-vaginas/

What’s Your Number???

What’s Your Number tie-in: A Novel by Karyn Bosnak

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Its Funny and entertaining. It’s definitely suited to become a chick-flick. When one wishes to relax, this book will do the part for you. When I bought the book , I told my self  I  have to read it first before I will watch the film which was currently showing that week…. well, aside from the film showing was long over for a week now in cinemas, I don’t think I will watch it anymore.. but then again, I would still love to see the film if it’s on HBO, or Cinemax or FOX movies one of these days. One thing tho.. it will help women realize that a man can definitely be good in bed but totally suck in dealing with reality in life. It is true that when it comes to matters of the heart , numbers will tell only fraction of the story.

View all my reviews

“I think I know Who the NPAs are”

 

I always told myself to prepare for all questions my children will ask me. Everyday, my children interrogates me of about just anything. Since I master the habit of counting 1-10 to almost all shocking encounters I had and will be having, I also do this when they fire me the shocking Qs.

When my 2nd grade son came home this afternoon, he dropped me a very good question.

“Ma, What do you mean by NPA?”

I closed the book that I was reading and looked at him. He was still carrying his school bag on his shoulders.

“Hi! you’re home! aren’t you going to give me a kiss first?” that’s my reply.

He dropped his bag. Remove his shoes and gave me a hug. I started to unbutton his school uniform so he can change to comfortable clothes. While doing that, I asked him:

“How was school?, do you have assignments?” He didn’t answer my question but asked me again.

“Ma, What do you mean by NPA?”….this time with an impatient tone, okay, he is not dropping the thought. Easy one, was what I’m thinking.

“It means, New People’s Army” I answered and I gave him one in return. “Why do you ask? Are you discussing about NPA at school today?” he didn’t answer but instead he asked me another one.

“Is that a job?… like being a policeman, a doctor, a teacher…you know, like those kind of jobs…like…you, a MedTech” He meant PROFFESION. Oh Boy!.. and I counted  1-10…. hmmm I don’t know if being an NPA is a profession? Is it? In fact, I don’t know how to answer his question. By the time my counting reached ten, I told him this.

“Well,.. they are a group of people who call themselves army but they don’t belong to the government” As a matter of fact, I don’t know if my answer was correct. I was silently praying for him to be satisfied with it and not going to ask for more follow up questions. Damn this NPA!…. but, God didn’t hear me right away or maybe He did but my son was quicker to ask me again.

“So, if they don’t belong to the government.. who did?” Alright, at least another easy one.

“The Military. They are called Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Air Force, the Army, the Navy… the Police too…. those guys in uniform” I answered him, once again I am hoping for no more follow up questions.

“Ma, Does the NPA have guns?”

Should he be asking his teachers this??? That’s why we send our kids to school in the first place right???.. Right?… Right.

“Yes they do have guns… lots of them, big ones.” I answered firmly and this time I am ready to beg him to ask no more.

“Okay” he said quietly. He seem satisfied with the answers I gave him, but I’m wrong. He wants to know more.

“Ma, if they don’t belong to the government are they the enemies?”

Seriously????? I think this is something  I don’t even want to know personally. Can he just ask me for another kind of toy, or few pesos to buy POGS card or rubber bands and marbles? Because, when he ask me those the answer is easy and it is always NO, or Maybe, or Not Now.

As a mother, I want my kids to come to me for answers. So, I have to answer him.

“They are not exactly called enemies, they just have issues that they don’t agree with each other.” I paused waiting for the big WHY?, but he just stared at me with a look that is asking Why? I continued by telling him that “Why are you asking this? If you want to know about the NPA, we will ask Mama U when she gets home, or you can watch TV Patrol Mindanao with me…” I am referring to my mom. She is a teacher and I always do this at questions I prefer not to answer. Ha! Ha!

“It’s okay” he replied. “I think I know who the NPAs are now”

Relief. Period

(Photos from the web)

I don’t give the NPA much of a thought ever since but for the first time, today, I found myself wanting to know about them. What are they up to? I am not saying I want to get myself involved. I just wanted to give my children the correct answers.  Before my son went to bed, I asked him why was he asking about the NPA today. He answered me that he was looking at the posters/paintings for a slogan contest by some of the college students at school when he was walking on the lobby on his way out to the gate He said the posters were about Peace in Mindanao and some drawings have the letters N.P.A.

I guess my son finally understood the pictures he was looking at when I answered his questions. Maybe that is why he seem satisfied when he told me:

“I think I know who the NPAs are now.”

 

To know more about the NPA:

- http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/npa.htm 

- http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/news/rebel-army-philipines 

- http://mrcheapjustice.wordpress.com/tag/new-peoples-army/ 

- http://www.topblogs.com.ph/post/new+people%27s+army.html 

- http://theprwcblogs.blogspot.com/2010/03/red-salute-to-new-peoples-army-on-its.html

- http://newpeoplesarmy.blogspot.com/2009/03/welcome-on-new-peoples-army-blog.html

taxi

I am  currently on a short holiday here in Manila. WCW  is on Eid break from work so we kinda make most of this  nine-day break of being together. As much as we wanted to spend these days in my hometown, but with appointments and important transactions on our itinerary ,were staying in Manila regardless of the typhoon and all.

To go round Manila can be easy, transportation of all sorts  is accessible. The public transportation like buses, jeepneys trains and taxicabs are everywhere,  the only enemy is… traffic!

Familiar as I am going here and there in Manila, I opted to have taxicabs to get to my destinations. First of all this is how taxis in Manila look like:

Airport taxi or known as the yellow taxi . Flag rate of Php 70.00

In  Davao City, yellow taxis are the Maligaya Taxi.

Coupon Taxi or the Fixed Rate taxis, mostly seen in airports with dispatchers that are employed to the corresponding company running the taxi service. Fixed Rate are based on the distance of the passenger’s destinations.

Regular Taxi with flag rate of Php40.00 .One can never be mistaken to spot them because they are everywhere.

During our stay (now and even few times before), these taxis never fail to irritate me and ruined my mood for the day. Are they always like this to all? Or they are acting such an a** because I am with a foreigner?

WCW and I decided one afternoon to go to Robinson’s Place at Pedro Gil. The guard at Mabuhay Manor helped me call the taxi that was hanging out outside the hotel. Traveling along Roxas Blvd. I noticed that the meter wasn’t on, so I asked the driver about it. I didn’t get an answer right away . I looked around to check out where we are on the way and decided to wait for us to descend the flyover along VitoCruz and Roxas Ave. stretch. When I asked the driver regarding the meter again , he looked at me at the rear view mirror and I just stared back. He said it was a fixed rate of Php360.00 regardless of the distance. Hearing this send my blood pressure out rage! I firmly told him that He can’t charge me a fixed rate since he is not a  coupon taxi, besides, he is not dispatched from the airport. He kept quiet and was kinda acting arrogant by carelessly stepping the breaks and accelerator and clutches. I told him to pull over and were getting off. He continued driving and I was just about to start giving him hell but WCW  held my hand telling me to just let it go. Besides, we were already at Robinson’s. Against my will I handed him only Php300.00 . He was about to complain that it’s not enough but before he can I demanded for a receipt. He was bitching about a lot of BS like the traffic and all. I acted like I am not getting off the cab not unless he will give me the receipt. Of course he can’t give me any. WCW was tugging my hand and told me to just let it go. I get off the cab and slammed the taxi door  hard as I can, it shook the cab and made the people around looked back to check what made the giant slamming sound. With that I released my anger at the shameless taxi driver.

This morning, our itinerary will be at MOA(Mall of Asia). With our numerous times going to MOA in taxi from Mabuhay Manor, I already calculated the meter to be around Php63.00 not exceeding Php 75.00 for the less than ten-minute ride. Like any ordinary day at Mabuhay Manor , the guard will always get the guests the taxi and would tell the driver “Metro lang pare, sa MOA lang po“. Hopping in,  the driver told us “nagdadagdag ako ng  sandaan pag MOA ha!, traffic kasi!(I am adding a hundred charge to MOA, it’s due to the traffic)”. Sarcastically, I answered him saying “Walang problema Kuya, bigyan mo ko ng resibo pag baba namin! Siguro naman calibrated tong…LBX taxi no? kaya dapat may resibo ka” I was making sure he saw me looking at the taxi details written on the coupon handed to me by the hotel guard. Arriving at MOA, I saw Php67.00 on the meter. I handed him Php70.00(50 and 20 bills) ,then I said, “may resibo ka? I’ll give you a hundred extra“. Unfortunately he can’t give me any so I got off.  Once again, I wonder… were they like this to everybody ? Or only because I am with a foreigner that they had the guts to push their luck to ripped off  their passengers for few bucks?

I understand life is hard and driving taxi to make a living is also difficult. Do they think acting arrogant and over charging would make life easier? In fairness, I am proud to say , that never once did I encounter a taxi driver in Davao who acted the same way.