Dear Madel

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

For the past months, you have gone through quite a lot.  This past week, I imagine, would have to be the hardest week of your life.  I hope, I, as a friend, can offer you some words of consolation, even though I know no words can ever suffice.

I too have lost a loved one.  My grandfather passed away a few years ago and to date, I cannot talk or write about him without bringing tears in my eyes.  He was the best man.  He was the standard.  I don’t even know how to continue describing the person I have looked up to my entire life.

It is not the same as losing a mother.  I can never understand that -my mother is still with me.  The depth of your pain and suffering cannot even compare to the pain and suffering from losing my Lolo that I refused to let go all these years.  But you see, my dear friend, this is where you can be so much more different than me.

Your mother raised strong women.  I can attest to that.  Anyone who has seen you and your sisters and the manner you all carried yourselves in spite of the constant absence of your father, fulfilling his obligation, can say with confidence you three are strong women.  So be strong now.

The longing you feel is what is painful.  The fact that you can no longer touch her or hug her or make her listen to your whims is what’s painful.  It’s the breakfast in the morning, arguments on weekends, and the endless chatter of her childhood memories that hurts most.  But that’s you.  So for it to not hurt, make it about her.

She no longer feels pain.  She is at the comfort of the One who has planned everything, even if you did one hell of a job taking good care of her.  Remember her as she laid down in her coffin, as if she’s just sleeping, relaxed and comforted that she left the world with a responsible daughter, willing and able to take her place in taking care of the family.

I hope that you will see this light, and that when you cry, you cry tears of joy because she will no longer be hurt by needles and operations and unwanted medications.  Cry because you’re so happy that she’s no longer miserable for being confined to her bed.  Cry because you’re thankful to have met such a beautiful soul who raised equally beautiful daughters.

You see, time does not cheat.  It comes when it does and the reason is often something bigger than what we can fathom.  She left you because you are ready.  All of you are.  And she has fought the fight long enough to see the day that you are ready to become the woman she has always dreamed you to be.

Be strong, my friend, for this journey is not about your pain or your sorrow.  Make this journey about your mother’s success, through you, Odessa and Tin.

You will always have my prayers.

Love, Me.

Emotional quotient

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

I don’t know why I keep insisting that I have a high emotional quotient when it is actually a struggle for me to not spontaneously combust upon hearing a secret, good news or hidden wish.

But then again, if I did do that, I just might turn into a person I don’t wish to become.

Oh what to do, what to do…

Today is a blessed day.

/ iamsupercarla / Leave a comment

I had a three-hour night.  And it was the best three hour night.  I don’t have the rights to say why, but I just want to express my happiness.  I am so proud of my sister and best friend.  It truly is a good morning.

And here’s a little guide for us all.  Cheers to the future!

On Children
 Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Willing Willie is Wowowee on TV5

/ iamsupercarla / 3 Comments

(Side note:  I could resize that second logo to the smallest size possible and  still remain legible to the naked eye.  Compensating for something much eh?)

Finally, they said it.

It’s no surprise really.  It’s bound to happen.  Willie Revillame left ABS-CBN and left with a closing statement, saying that he’s putting up his own production company to produce his own show.  That should be a hint right there.

Basically, Willing Willie (TV5) is Wowowee.  I’ve watched it (yes, I know, I’m disgusting, echos, chaka, jologs, jejemon, yadayadayada) when I was left with no choice (bus ride home) and as a former reviewer of noontime shows, THERE WAS NOTHING NEW IN IT!

What a rip off.  So, I applaud ABS-CBN’s copyright infringement case against everyone involved.  Hah!  In yo fes.

This is what Willing Willie copied from Wowowee:

(1) Willing Willie’s opening song and/or dance number led by its host;

(2) Wowowee‘s “Biga-Ten” versus Willing Willie’s “Big Time Ka”;

(3) Wowowee’s “Willie of Fortune” versus Willing Willie’s “Willtime Bigtime,” which contains portions where the contestants tell their personal stories and showcase their talents before they sing or play a trivia game;

(4) the dancers/characters of Wowowee are also appearing in Willing Willie, most notable of whom is April “Congratulations” Gustilo; and

(5) the set design, stage, studio viewers’ seats lay-out, lighting and camera angles of Willing Willie are also strikingly similar to Wowowee.

And that’s basically EVERYTHING.

I’m quite excited to see how this turns out.  I wish I can say I feel for the poor, and how Willie was apparently scolded too much that he resorted to LOAs and in the end, rescinding the contract, but I just can’t.  Wowowee, even if it was hosted and “alaga” by Willie, is still ABS-CBN’s creative team’s brainchild.

And mama hates it when you steal her brain…. child.

Got the news from PEP.

Now, the Vatican is for condoms

/ iamsupercarla / 2 Comments

I know I’m quite late to comment on this (not that I’m required), and I’m late already because it was a big buzz this Tuesday and I’m only saying it now, but it’s such a HAH! moment that I just need to have it here.

So last Tuesday (dubbed by my good friend Punky CHOS-day [and if you’re not Filipino, I HIGHLY DOUBT you’ll get it]), the Vatican confirmed its stand on condoms:  THEY ARE FOR IT.

From what I’ve read in this New York Times article, Pope Benedict XVI finally acknowledged the fact that condoms play a big role in the prevention of AIDS, the number one killer in Africa today (I think).  To quote, he said it could be “the first step of responsibility, of taking into consideration the risk to the life of the person with whom there are relations.  Whether it is a man a woman or a transsexual.”

DAMN STRAIGHT, POPE.

Of course, they still see the condom as a way to prevent conception, but he did say that if it prevents the disease killing more and more people every year, then the issue on condoms as a form of birth control takes a back seat to explicitly passing on a fatal disease.

And this shakes up the Catholic church big time.  I mean, their stand on contraceptives is strong, take for example here in the Philippines.  We can’t even review the Reproductive Health Bill without the fear of being excommunicated by the CHURCH!  Jeez.  I think that’s why it created such a big buzz on clerics:  it’s the complete opposite of what they’ve been advocating for the past decades.

Finally, Africa and other medical leaders have someone big backing their campaign for condoms.  It’s high time, and I’m pretty impressed with the Pope for having the balls to admit that (no pun intended).  It’s about time the man of the house speaks the truth.

And just in case it is not obvious, I am for the House Bill No. 96, the Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act of 2010.  We all know Filipinos are happy people.  It’s time to make them well-informed happy people.
Update:  I am Pro-RH Bill.