Wedding Proposal Recipe

Ingredients:

1 kg of courage
1/2 kg of creativity
1/2 cup of sentimentality
1/4 cup of traditional proposal lines, cut into words
1 ring white gold with diamond (price varies)
your fiancee to be
yourself, remove all the nervousness inside.

Procedure:

1. Plan your wedding proposal ahead. Several circumstances will hinder you, in my case, distance and opposition from family. But I am determined to pursue my love and follow God.

2. Ask yourself and pray for it intensely. You have to ask God and yourself "are you sure?" Put all your 1 kg of courage in a bowl.

3. I planned my trip to Singapore, in your case, in any place. Mix your 1/2 kg of creativity in your 1 kg of courage. Mix it well. Add little water, tea or a coffee break. I planned that it will be under a tree because 6 years ago, I opened my feelings for her under a tree in a building facade so at least I have to replicate the scenario. Let your imagination and creativity run well.

4. Before that, on a separate occasion. I brought a simple white gold ring for her with a simple 2nd rate diamond (not really expensive but genuine). I tried so many jewelries store back home. I couldn't find my piece, until I bumped into one within my budget and fit my taste and my fiancee's personality. I asked the girl to give me the ring, and she gladly gave me a discount---lucky charm.

5. Mix in slowly the 1/2 cup of sentimentality bring her to the lanes of your sweet past and your promised future.

6. We were walking down the "rainforest" inside the Singapore Botanical Gardens that Sunday afternoon after going to Church, we were surrounded by numerous big trees. Tall and strong...like my love 8 years ago that sprung from a seed, the tree is now big to bear fruit. I must preserve it.

7. When we stopped before a tall and huge 'balete' tree. I stopped. Took my ring out, and while she is fixing the camera. I presented to her the ring. She was confused or shocked, why there is a ring---or why I am giving her a ring, did I just picked it up somewhere?

8. Dash it with your traditional wedding proposal lines. I faced her, kneel in front of her and asked her, "Will you marry me?" Will you be my wife? Will you be the mother of my children?
She said, "Of course" at first. Not really convinced, she might be overwhelmed or confused, I repeated just in case, she did not understand. Then she finally said, Yes.

9. I kissed her and we embraced. Serve this proposal with sweet toppings of hugs and kisses.

10. When we went out of Botanical Gardens, I know I planted a seed of love in our hearts. And finally, and officially, she is now my fiancee.

NOTE: Serves only 2. click to continue...

100 days Apart

This is my 3rd time coming over to SG. I learned to love the place. I learned to be familiar with sights and people.

I brought with me, a can of bagoong, laing, mangoes and several Filipino grocery items like: Sinigang flavor mix, paksiw mix, Mang Tomas Sarsa, Chocolate tablet, fish bagoong and whatever you can think that is Filipino.

I saw her after almost 100 days of being apart. Our relationship literally became a virtual relationship. We only see each other through webcams and chat online and made many phone calls. For us, and like many other virtual relationships, the internet is heaven-sent innovation. Webcams is the meeting place, and phone calls is the regular chatbox. Being separated is difficult.

I really planned my trip several months before my expected arrival. After my first visit last December, I promised myself to return...and I did. The long wait is over. I am coming over and would be staying. I hope to stay for good but our dreams won't permit me as of this time.

Seeing SG for the 3rd time is not new, the Terminal 1 is impressive. My thoughts run wild, and I have to see her. See her and embrace her. And when the moment I gazed my eyes on her and saw her waiting outside the airport doors...I suddenly felt, I was home, I suddenly felt complete.

My home is in Singapore now. My heart is here...my life is here...and I will always return so long as my other part remains here. Singapore had a new meaning to me. It means new life, new beginnings and new future for me. click to continue...

My Bestfriend's Wedding--The Male Maid of Honor

My bestfriend Jen tied the knot last April 7. Actually, she is actually not my bestfriend because she is like a sister to me. Knowing her long before I learned to write my name on a paper, and knowing her like the back of my hands, her marriage to her long-time boyfriend, Ferds, become a special day to me as well.

We are breaking the tradition. I am her Matron of Honor, in lieu of a traditional Maid of Honor. Actually, we already planned this "name" long before she had serious relationships with any other man. She told me, since I am her closest friend, and a male at that, I will certainly not qualify for a "Maid of Honor", so I told her, you could either use, Matron or the Bride's Butler....so we choose Matron, the masculine form.

So, there I was, I took the line of the procession, as the male 'maid of honor'. It was such a lovely event, teary because my only female non-blood sister is getting married, but happy because finally she has found the love of her life.

Many things come to my mind: our fondest and cheerful childhood days together, our grade school days, where she would fight for me, whenever I will be teased, she would brace herself against the dogs I fear along the streets. She included me in her valedictory speech when she graduated Valedictorian in high school, and now, I am her Maid of Honor. Truly we've been part of each other's lives.

She might not come in my own wedding but I know, she will be my female, "bestman".

To my sister, friend, prayer partner, gangmate, confidante, childhood buddy, my best wishes. Be rest assured my love for you and your husband Ferds and your cute boy, Kier. Farewell, and see you soon! click to continue...

A Beauty Queen, without brains?

Everyone is blogging and everyone is buzzing about Janina San Miguel's answer to the Binibining Pilipinas Pageant. Millions of Filipinos are reacting to her grammatically incorrect statements before the audience---the entire viewing public of the Philippine archipelago.

I rememember wayback in College, my English Professor told us, that it is pardonable for a Korean or Japanese for not learning English but it is an unpardonable sin for a Filipino not to learn or speak any English word at all. Well, the reason is not really about being "nationalistic", In fact, our very own Constitution provides, that our "national language is Filipino, unless otherwise provided by law, English". The framers of our fundamental law did not see it as anti-thetical to be a proud English-speaking Filipino. Without prejudice of course, to Rizal's admonition, "Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika ay higit pa sa mabaho at malansang isda". But our very own brainy Pepe, must admit that learning other tongues and speaking them fluently are not, on its face, being unationalistic. He too, speaks fluent Spanish, German, English, Deutsch and Japanese and more. He is a polyglot in the truest sense of the word. I believe, that the acid test of being nationalistic is being able to speak other languages but still having the tongue of Filipino native speaker. Our knowledge and fluency in the English language are our competitive advantage among the rest of the modernized and newly modernized nations of the world.

But what makes Janina looks so stupid? In my observation it is not really her "grammar". She did not only violate rules in grammar but sense in logic as well. Watching her closely and listening to her answers, I have noticed that her statements have no logical connection between and among them. What is the relationship between being 17-year old girl and a neophyte beauty contestant for not being able to answer the question straightly? The question is simple. In fact, it is actually a give-away, so to speak.

I believe, being ungrammatical does not make one, utterly senseless. You can be ungrammatical but still make sense. For instance, if one say " I be going to Manila, to gave the very very delicious mangoes for my sister in laws". This glaringly ungrammatical statement makes sense. In other words, "I am going to Manila to give these delicious mangoes to my sisters-in-law". The grammar did not affect the sense and logic of the statement.

But lo and behold, Janina's answers were not just grammatically incorrect but purely illogical. As I see, she neither heard nor understood the question posed to her. Get her hearing aid!

When we send our beautiful girls abroad to compete in various beauty pageants, would it be also great to send those who can make us proud? For Janina, it is not too late. She can still learn the rudiments, basic grammar and elementary logic before she competes for the Miss World. I will surely watch her there...

But seriously, isn't this a reflection of the quality of education we have in the country? Just asking... click to continue...