Vote Earth!

2009 marks the World's First Global Election, between Earth and Global Warming. People of all ages, nationalities, race and background cast their votes through their light switch - switching off the lights is a vote for Earth or leaving them on for Global Warming.

The Global aim of Earth Hour is to reach the target of one billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. The meeting determines official government policies to take action against global warming, to replace the Kyoto Protocol.

Let us unite with the rest of the world to vote for Earth against Global Warming! This our call to stand up and protect the future of our planet... and we have to help to make it happen!

We all have to vote and every single vote counts!

Save Energy! Save Earth!

. L . O . V . E .

I've read a site in the internet explaining on "How to show love to another person".

It explains...

Fall but do not stumble, be constant but not too persistent, share and never be unfair. Understand and try not to demand, hurt but keep the pain. Love is like a knife. It can stab the heart or it can carve wonderful images into the soul that always last for a lifetime.

Love is supposed to be the most wonderful feeling. It should inspire you and give you joy and strength. Sometimes the things that give you joy can also hurt you in the end. Loving people means giving them freedom that they choose to be and where they choose to be. Loving someone means giving them the freedom to find their way.

Love is a painful risk to take but the risk must be taken no matter how scary or painful, for only then you'll experience the fullness of humanity and that is love. Only love can hurt your heart, fill you with desire or tear you apart. Only love can make you cry and only love knows why. If you are not ready to cry, if you're not ready to take the risk, or feel the pain, then you're not ready to fall in love. There was a time in our lives when we became afraid to fall in love because every time we do, we get hurt. Then I figured that's why it's called falling in love. When you decide to love, allow it to grow. When you promise to love, refuse to let it die.

You love a person when you're with the person that can do no wrong. That you love each other through thick and thin, and you want to take it to the next level and be one with each other. You're bound on it and make you feel like time has stood still.

- - -

But for me, love is so unfair. We have given if not our best but our all, but just the same it is still not enough. There are things that only keep us holding on... but oftentimes we thought of just letting go. It hurts, but we must. We must for there are no other options, no other way and no more chances of things being ok.

My Favorite Inspirational Quotes

Below are some of my favorite quotes that truly inspired me and I hope you will be too...

Adolph Hitler : "If you win you need not explain, but if you lose you should not be there to explain."
Alen Strike: "Don't compare yourself with anyone in this world. If you do so, you are insulting yourself."
Mother Teresa: " If we cannot love the person whom we see, how can we love God whom we cannot see?"
Bonnie Blair: "Winning doesn't always mean being first, winning means you're better than you've done before."
Thomas Edison: "I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure."
Leo Tolstoy: "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
Bill Gates: "If you born poor it's not your mistake, but if you die poor it's your mistake."
Einstein: "If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means they had never tried a new thing in their life."
Mother Teresa: "If you start judging people you will be having no time to love them."
William Shakespeare: "Three sentences for getting SUCCESS: a) know more than other, b) work more than other and c) expect less than other."
Leo Buscaglia: "The hardest battle you are ever going to have to fight is the battle to be just you."
Ben Franklin: "That which hurts, also instructs."
Chinese Proverb: "Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I'll remember. But involve me and I'll understand."
James Baldwin: "Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced."
Jesse Jackson: "Never look down on anybody unless you're helping him up."
Jonathan Winters: "If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it."
Joseph Addison: "There is nothing we receive with so much reluctance as advice."
Ambrose Bierce: "Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret."
Oscar Wilde: "True friends stab you in the front."
Unknown: "When you spend your life worrying about how other people feel, you lose track of how you feel."
Plato: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle."
Les Brown: "Shoot for the moon, even if you miss it you will land among the stars."
Hervey Allen: "The only time you really live fully is from thirty to sixty. The young are slaves to dreams; the old are servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged have all their five senses in the keeping of their wits."
Heartland Advisor: "It takes a real storm in the average person's life to make him realize how much worrying he has done over the squalls."
Moliere: "If you suppress grief too much it can well redouble."
Carlos Castenada: "We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same."
Jonathan Swift: "Ambition often puts men upon doing the meanest offices; so climbing is performed in the same posture with creeping."
Charles Noble: "You must have long range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures."
Nellie Hershey Smith: "The next best thing to winning is losing. At least you've been in the race."

Conversation with a Friend

Sometimes, we really have to sit with a friend and have a good conversation to at least bring out a little of ourselves. The words we may hear from them may sometimes hurt us but in the end, we learned.

20 February 2009

[09:22] annvernille: WE are blessed.

[09:22] annvernille: lahat ng virgo na kilala ko, ganun, they're already successful and yet they think they are not good enough.

[09:36] annvernille: subok na matatag, subok na matibay.. pang commercial talaga!

[09:43] annvernille: oo masakit kung iiwan mo na sya

[09:43] annvernille: pero mas masakit kung iiwan ka na nya para sa family nya.

[09:45] annvernille: kung maaagapan na ng maaga, why not kesa naman sa maghintay ka pang masaktan talaga.

[09:48] annvernille: alam mo mards, sometimes we need to be smart.

[09:52] annvernille: sometimes, men doesn't have to know what women feel, hindi naman sya nagtatanong eh.

[09:55] annvernille: hindi ako naniniwala na ang puso hindi matuturuan.. you could if you are willing to open your heart.

[10:00] annvernille: loyalty is there.. love can come last.

. . . Life's Seasons . . .

If you give up when it is winter,
you will surely miss the promise of spring,
the beauty of summer and the fulfillment of fall.

Do not let the pain of one season destroy the joys of all the rest.

Do not just judge life by one difficult season
but instead persevere through the difficult patches...

And better ones are sure to come,
sooner than later.

En Français. . .

I have nothing to do last night so I decided to go over our mini library and read some of my college books. I was surprised to find our scripts, inserted in one of my books, during our dramatizations in our French class.

Being a Foreign Service student, one should need to take a language class like Nihongo, French, Spanish or Mandarin. I remember, it is a must for us to take Nihongo lessons during our first year (two semesters) and on my 2nd and 3rd year of college (four semesters), we have to choose between Spanish and French on what language to take.

Senior students, at that time, frightened us that French is a hard-to-learn language and many of their classmates either dropped or failed the subject not to mention the strict professors. But reality caught up on me. Due to (could be) same reasons like mine, many students enrolled in Spanish and I was a late enrollee so, I was left without any option but to take French.

But opposite to what others said, when classes began, I learned to love the language. Yes, it is indeed tough but very challenging… and by the way, my professors were so great! They were just strict because they wanted us to really master the language.

Below is a copy of one of our scripts…

Ian Kenneth as PAPA

Maria Paz as MAMAN

Lorna as JULIENNE

Carmina Anne as ANNE

MAMAN: Je viens d'avoir notre courier, mon cher!

PAPA: Ah, bon. Qu’est ce qu’il y a?
MAMAN: L’aller vien d’arriver, aussi.
PAPA: Bon! Je n’attend pas dire les enfants. Nous leurs dirons au cours de petite dejeuner.
MAMAN: Bien!
----------
MAMAN: Ah, vous y avez filles. (Ah, voile filles). Bonjour!
ANNE et JULIENNE: Bonjour Maman, Papa!
JULIENNE: Qu’est ce qu’il y a? Vous avez souriez…
PAPA: Bien, nous avons une surprise pour vous.
ANNE: Vraiment? Qu’est-ce que c’est?
MAMAN: Nous allons déménager à Baguio!
ANNE: Quel???
JULIENNE: Pourquoi?
PAPA: Bien, vos grandparents partiront pour Canada le moin prochain. Ils ont decide nous donner leur maison. Ils y resteront avec tat ante Petunia.
ANNE: Mon Dieu! Baguio! C’est formidable!
JULIENNE: Oh là là! Je ne crois pas, j’habiterai à Baguio finalement. C’est bonne nouvelle Maman, Papa!
ANNE: C’est vrai? Mon Dieu!
JULIENNE: Ce sera permanent?
MAMAN: Oui, ma chère!
PAPA: Je suis heureux, vous êtes contentes.
ANNE: Allors, Quand nous partirons?
PAPA: Ce Vendredi.
JULIENNE: Mais, attendez, nos études?
MAMAN: Avez-vous pensé déjà aux?
JULIENNE: Oui, maman… j’y ai déjà pensé? Je crois j’allerai à UP Baguio
ANNE: Formidable! J’ai envie de changer mon mode de vie.
(ALL LOL!)
----------
JULIENNE: Alors, il me faudra beaucoup de pullover.
ANNE: Bien sûr… moi aussi. Mais, je souhaite, ils ont beaucoup de magasin agréables.
MAMAN: Bien sûr, ma chère.
JULIENNE: Mais Maman, qu’est-ce que vous deviendrez? Vous travaillez?
MAMAN: Ah, c’est bien, ma chère. Je reprendrai le ferme de fleur de ta grandmère.
ANNE: Et Papa?
PAPA: Je serai avec LandBank.
ANNE: Ah, bon! Uh, Maman, Papa.. je crois il nous faudra notre permis de conduire, quand nous y arrivons.
JULIENNE: Et nos voitures…
MAMA et PAPA: Hmmm…
PAPA: Bien, mais vous aurez partager avec un voiture.
JULIENNE et ANNE: C’est bien. Bravo!!!
MAMAN: Mais vous avez nous promette ce vous ralentisserez aux carre fours! Et ne voulez pas trop vite.
JULIENNE et ANNE: Bien sûr! Non, problem!
PAPA: Je suis sertain, nous nous amuserez bien et nous aurons la vie bonne.
MAMAN: Vous aimerez la place mes chères. C’est très ravisante… Avec beaucoup de belles fleurs.
PAPA: Au fait, l’avion part à dix heures. Il faudrait que nous nous levions à cinq heures du matin.
ANNE: Après ça?
MAMAN: Vos grandparents passerent nous prendre à l’aeroport.
ANNE: Combien y a-t-il d’ici à Baguio?
MAMAN: a 200km. environ.
ANNE: D’accord. J’aime bien voyager.

In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham with Dean Merill

I was inspired by an officemate to read the book, IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES by Gracia Burnham with Dean Merill, which he also borrowed from a common friend. I loved reading it so I bought one for my collection.

The book tells the story of American Missionaries, Martin and Gracia Burnham, who were kidnapped by the terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf. While having their romantic anniversary getaway at Dos Palmas Resort in May 2001, they were seized and spent a year of their lives on the run, fighting to survive in the Philippine jungles.

The book is a chronicle of the improbable suffering of the hostages; hunger, privation of comfort, day-long marches and gun battles amidst heat, cold and exhaustion, not to mention the grisly tales of murder, terror and forced marriages between captors and captives.

There are also surprising events in the book that narrates the relationships developed between terrorists and the hostages. Their conversations were often friendly and at times, the captives realized that they were all on the same side avoiding a deadly confrontation with the soldiers who were tracking them.

The event also became a time of recollection and soul-searching; when true faith in God was tested especially when hope turned to despair. But always in the end, above all, God is gracious and merciful.

I highly recommend the book, In the Presence of My Enemies, to those who seeks encouragement and inspiration.

. . . God's Gift . . .

I haven’t noticed, just now, that I don’t have any post published introducing my baby to the blogging world. So, now I proudly present my little angel, Stephanie Lorraine. I conceived her when I was working in Hsinchu, Taiwan (2006) but I flew her to the Philippines when I was on my 5th month of pregnancy.

Lorraine was born at the University of Sto. Tomas Hospital at 8:05am of December 2, 2006 and weighed 7.28lbs. Her pediatricians nicknamed her “Pinky” and “Baby Ganda” because of her pinkish skin and beautiful face. Of course, mama is very proud of her.
I remember one time, Lorraine was about 8 months old, when we went to SM North Edsa to buy some of her stuffs at the Children’s Section when a man came to us and asked if I am interested to let Lorraine join their contest – SM Next Baby Model. We didn’t join the contest; first, because she’s below the age requirement of at least a year old and second, I’m not yet prepared to be a stage mother. He instead gave me a leaflet of the contest. I read the criteria for judging as follows: 15% physical built, 15% skin complexion, 30% projection and 40% overall appearance. I wonder, if we joined the contest, could Lorraine possibly won the competition?

The Gift of Love and Life

Having a child is definitely the most important event in one’s life. Moreover, children are the special treasure that enrich our lives, give us happiness and make everything worthwhile.

After so many years of yearning for a baby, Kuya Eli (my officemate) and Doc Anna believed their prayers were finally answered. The good news came Sunday morning, and the couple felt elated.

@ Kuya Eli & Doc Anna: The beautiful miracle of love and life has come to you now. May his/her/their coming bring happiness and joy to your family. Félicitations!

“Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love. The real miracle is the love that inspires them. In this sense everything that comes from love is a miracle.”

- Marie Lloyd

An Invitation from Canada

FRONT INSIDE

I got an invitation (all the way from Ontario, Canada) from my childhood friend, Ann Vernille, who will be having her Baby Shower on October 25 @ 6pm. Bad thing… I haven’t saved enough money for airfares. Well, there will always be next time or I’ll just patiently wait for Twinkle and Baby Miaka to visit us here in the Philippines -- hopefully soon!

@ Twinkle: Mare, I’m very very sorry. I won’t be there personally but my love and prayers will always be with you and Miaka.

@ Miaka: Baby, we’re very excited of your arrival! Soon Little Lorraine will have a baby sister in you. I know you will grow up to be a beautiful woman and have eyes and dimples like your mother. You came to us as a blessing from God and to be your mama's inspiration. And now, even though you’re still there inside your mama’s womb, I knew that you also feel what she feels. Just be strong because you’re the only one who’s keeping her very strong. Ninang loves you so much! See you soon! Hugs and kisses!

You call me - "Curacha"

One day, you might come across with this horrible-looking and scary creature served in your dinner table. It is locally called, “Curacha”, a strange-looking crustacean endemic ONLY in the waters of Zamboanga Peninsula and Sulu that seems to be like a hybrid between a large sea crab and a spiny lobster. Sometimes it is also called “Cucuracha”, literally “cockroach” in Chavacano.
My first encounter with this sea creature was when a mayor in Basilan gave me these, alive and fresh, as pasalubong. I am very hesitant (at first) to touch the curacha, feared that it might sting and poison me to death. My baby even shouted in a gruesome tone, “Mama… ipis! ipis! Yucks!” But true to the saying, “beauty lies within”… the curacha is very meaty in the inside and when cooked in garlic and chili sauce, is very delicious and will make a finger-licking feast. It can also be steamed or cooked with coconut milk. It is best to cook it minimally to preserve its unique exotic taste.

. . . My Unmasked Friends . . .

Before, Masskara Festival was just like any other festival to me… it will come and it will go. But everything changed since I worked in the Department of Tourism - Southern Tagalog Tourism Council (DOT-STTC) about 4 years ago.

I was assigned by my boss to be one of the event coordinators of “Masskara at Market! Market!” held on October 23-24, 2004. Market! Market!, a mall developed and managed by Ayala Land, Inc. located at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, is newly opened at that time. Our office together with Market! Market! redefined mall entertainment when we successfully brought the Masskara Festival to the metro exhibiting the colorful masks and featuring the actual winning dance troupe, Brgy. Villamonte together with their choreographer, Mr. Panoy Cabalcar performed right in the activity center.
Brgy. Villamonte Masskara Dance Troupe won 1st place both in the open and barangay categories of the 25th Masskara Festival with five minor awards, barangay category – best in mask, best in costume, best in concept and in the open category – best in costume and best in choreography. They were also the champion of the 2003 Masskara Festival and got 4 out of 4 minor awards. They have represented the Philippines in the 2004 Shanghai Tourism Festival with 15 other countries participating and watched by more than 200 million people in China. In fact, they gave me a memorabilia pin of that said festival.

Now, every time October comes in I would always reminisce the times I had with them. I remember giving them the wake-up call at Atrium Hotel, joining them at meals and watching them every rehearsal and on their actual performance on stage. Though, we’d only been for quite some time; I did enjoy getting to know them. I will forever treasure the friendship we have.

To my friends: Nahidlaw na ko sa inyo! Tani makabisita ko dira sa Villamonte! Bati ko ma-entra kamo sini nga Masskara Festival. Goodluck! Matan-aw na lang ko sa inyo sa tv! (I miss you all! I hope I could visit you there in Villamonte. I heard your group is joining again this year’s festival. Goodluck! I’ll be watching you on tv!)

29th Masskara Festival & 70th Charter Day Anniversary of Bacolod City

For us Negrenses, the most awaited month is October because of the celebration of the Philippines’ most colorful Masskara Festival held in Bacolod City. “Masskara” is a portmanteau of the words, mass meaning many or crowd and cara meaning face. The festival’s symbolic feature is the colorful smiling mask worn by the dancers. Thus, Bacolod City bears the nickname, “City of Smiles”.

The Masskara Festival started in 1980 when Negros Occidental is in the time of tragedy and economic crisis; April 22 of that year, Don Juan, a vessel carrying many Negrenses, collided with the tanker Tacloban City and sank, also the sugar industry continued to slump (sugar cane as the province’s primary agricultural crop). The festival is a declaration of survival of the Negrenses that no matter how tough and bad the times were, they are going to live on and in the end, triumph. The people live up to the Masskara tagline, “Sige Lang, Sige Na.. Bacolod Bato Kita!” (It’s ok, it’s alright. Bacolod, fight on!)
On October 1, 2008, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo officially opened the 19-day celebration of the 29th Masskara Festival with the theme, “Bacolod, City of the World” at the Bacolod City Public Plaza. This is a very historical event since it is the first time that a Philippine president graced the opening ceremonies.

Other events to look forward to are: Street dancing competition on October 16-18, the Electric Masskara along Lacson Street on October 17-19 and Search for Masskara Queen - Coronation Night on October 18.

The 29th Masskara Festival will be celebrated this year together with the 70th Charter Day Anniversary on October 19, 2008 when Bacolod was established as a city. An expected giant street party keeps vigil on October 18 which will be simultaneously held at Araneta and Lacson Streets as countdown starts 70 seconds to midnight and at 12mn the people sings happy birthday to Bacolod.

... 26th Anniversary of Facial Care Centre ...

Last week, I received an invitation from Facial Care Center in celebration of their 26th Anniversary on October 9 and 10, 2008 (Branches located in Makati, Ortigas, Tomas Morato, Shaw, Alabang, Binondo, Congressional, Pampanga and Cebu). Clients may avail of Buy 1 Take 1 packages, free treatments and more!

TRUE BEAUTY SHINES WITH AGE.

Angel Jacob. Agot Isidro-Sandejas. Donna Cruz-Larrazabal. Claudine Trillo-Webb. Hindy Weber-Tantoco. All remarkably beautiful.

Facial Care Centre respects true beauty. For 26 years, they still continue to provide women with the most modern, non-surgical procedures to help them enhance what they were already born with. So true beauty stands out even more with age.

4 Stages of Life ~ Les quatre étapes de la vie

. . . Time Machine . . . [machine de temps]

Usually, there comes a time in one's life where we realized all our faults. You might have hurt someone, someone might have hurt you, you may have lost a loved one.. but all in all, we regret. Wouldn't you wish right now that you have a time machine?! I mean, how amazing would that be.. Pick a time and date and SHAM! your there!

. . . Quarter Life . . . La vie quarte . . .

When I was still in school, I always wondered what it would be like in the real world with real problems. As a student, my problems revolved around studying and earning a degree. Of course, there would always be those occasional friendship squabbles to spice up student-life.

Life then was so easy.

After graduation from college, reality was staring me right smack in the face. Gone were the laid back days of being a student. Gone were the days when the major problems I had were finishing my thesis and making up with a friend.

After college, I was on my own.. testing the waters of the world.

It was a big challenge. You can never be too sure of what is in store for you. You can never tell whether or not the future will be bright -- or whether you'll grope around in the dark.

I saw myself facing responsibilities. I saw myself facing uncertainties. For probably the first time in my life, my "no guts, no glory" disposition vanished into thin air.

It was a slow, agonizing climb, but I learned along the way.

I learned that the older you get, the less friends you'll have. You can never keep all the people you have made friends with while you were growing up. Eventually, you will drift apart and live your own lives. But what you have shared with them has taught you lessons you can take along on your journey.

I learned that no matter what stupid decisions you have made, your family will always welcome you with their loving arms. They will stand by you and let you take your steps on your own, letting you know they're just behind you in case you stumble and fall along the way.

I learned that the job you have right now may not be the job you wanted in the first place, but it could be the job that really makes you happy. Sometimes, we choose the job not for its monetary compensations but more for our own development as a complete individual.

I learned that falling in love does not always equal a happy-ever-after ending. Some may be lucky to live their fairy tales with prince charming ready to sweep them off their feet. Some may shed buckets of tears and get bruised to the bone and lose the love of their life.

I learned that getting hurt doesn't mean closing my door to love. It will always take time to heal and courage to open myself up to someone again. But the experience of falling in love is worth all the tears and the Band-Aids available at the pharmacy.

I learned about trust and betrayal. It is very hard to earn someone's trust and we can lose that trust with just one wrong move we make.

I learned about faith and hope. Sometimes, it is not enough to believe we can make it. We have to have faith to be able to make it through life. And every single day that comes is a breath of hope that today will be better and more meaningful.

I learned that life, with all its twists and turns, is a wonderful journey. Sometimes we are on top of the world. Sometimes we find ourselves lost in the woods.

But each step of the journey, we learn. We take along whatever lessons we get from our experiences. We take along the bonds we have built, the bridges we have crossed, and the mountains we have climbed. Each step of the journey, we become stronger, better and more fulfilled individuals.

I may have lived a quarter of my life already, but I know I still have a lot to learn. I still have to discover more about myself and the world I live in. I still have yet to reach my peak as a person.

It may be a long and tiresome journey, but life has taught me well.

...Favoris Anciens... Old-Time-Favorites

Join me as we reminisce and celebrate our old favorites and now nonexistent treats that used to delight our palates. . .

Cheezels and Chickadees. The little thingies covered with bright orange cheese and the chicken-y smelling balls aren't exactly the best junk food you had ever tasted. But these two treats gave you something to look forward to after your classes in grade school - the little toys inside. Most memorable to me were the colorful slimy sticky pop-up toys. My brother and I drove mom crazy when we made a game of throwing them up the bedroom ceiling to make them stick (and they did!).

Arnott's Tim Tam. Tim Tams are a gift from heaven. If you've never tried one, you owe your taste buds a major explanation. These are wonderful chocolate-filled, chocolate-covered rectangular biscuits. Too freaking sweet, you may be thinking. Wrong. They're creamy, they're perfect - just the right amount of chocolate. And they're no longer available.

Horlicks. Horlicks is a popular chocolate drink in Hong Kong. They used to sell the candy version here, which was very, very similar to Ovalteenies. These red and white packets were found near the counters of your favorite supermarkets, where your Chupa Chups and Strepsils now are.

Carol Anne's Cheese Potato Chips. Not much can be said about the packaging since these chips used to come in the transparent plastic bags now seen protecting your common chicharon and dilis. But the potato chips inside were fantastic. Perfectly crisp and flavorful, these chips tasted real, not like tha factory-produced starch we are now being swamped with.

Selecta's Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Sandwich. Good vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two Mickey Mouse-shaped chewy chocolate cookies. This was so good.. I used to eat five a day.

Magnolia's Ice Cream Sandwich. Magnolia's ice cream sandwich used wafers instead of your usual cookie, which made for a light and creamy treat.

Cigarette Gum. Paper-covered rolls of gum in pretend cigarette cartons. This was perfect for freaking our yayas out. "I-susumbong kita sa mami mo!" my yaya once said in halting Tagalog.

Jack and Jill Barbecue Curls. For lactose-intolerant, cheese-hating people, Jack and Jill used to produce an alternative to their popular curls. Not anymore.

Puffy Cones. The one sure thing to stop my bawling while heading for my pediatrician to get shots was a puffy cone. This treat was a cone filled with chocolate-covered strawberry marshmallow. The perfect tranquilizer for little cowards.

Chocovim. Chocovim used to be a staple in every child's life. The Chocolait-like treat used to be sold in bottles before it was phased out. It was again produced years later but this time, the chocolate milk came in pyramid-shaped cartons. That one didn't last either.

Tira-tira. The tira-tira of our generation can be remembered as a chalk-shaped, hard candy. But my mom tells me there was another kind of tira-tira in her time. Stretchy, chewy and taffy like. She still gets a glazed look in her eyes when she remembers it.

Pom-poms. Pom-poms were little caramel-filled chocolate balls that came in yellow boxes. They were chewy, they were sweet and now they are gone.

McDonald's Twister Fries. Here's another treat that was just too good to last. Twister Fries have been playing a now-you-see-me-now-you-don't game with us. Please, just do us all a favor and put it on the permanent menu.

Scramble. I never had the chance to try this frozen treat when I was a kid. Mom had a thing against street food. Although I was able to sneak in afternoons of bagoong-topped singkamas on sticks and lots and lots of fishballs, for some reason I never got around to trying the scramble.

Binatog. Corn and shredded coconut with your choice of sugar or salt. I liked my binatog very salty. I couldn't imagine eating it with sugar. To this day, binatog vendors occasionally can be seen in the streets riding their bikes that carry tubs of this old Filipino favorite.

Cotton Candy. Binatog vendors aren't the only ones who have disappeared or dwindled in number. Old men who push around metal cotton candy-makers are almost extinct.

Lipps Candy. Bright pink strawberry/cherry-flavored candies that little girls used to play with by pretending the candy was lipstick. It was disgusting, it made our lips as sticky as hell, but hey, it worked. Not to fulfill our desires though, instead of looking like pretty ladies, we looked like clowns with bright pink mouths.

Shawarma. Shawarma stands used to be so hot. But one by one, it seems like they've all closed down. There are still a few that remained open, thankfully, for those people who like this Mediterranean treat.

Rolling Stones. Rolling Stones, which were chocolate-covered honeycomb balls, came in orange packs. If I remember correctly, they were just P3.50 when I was in grade school.

Hershey's Bar None. The old Bar None came in a packaging of different shades of brown that immediately told you, "I'm gooey and chocolatey! Pick me, chocoholic!" Yes, it was gooey, it was chocolatey. Perfect for a quick sugar fix.

Goya Chocolate. The older ones were creamy and melted easily in your mouth.

Brown Cow. If there was one thing I absolutely had to have in the refrigerator when I was a kid, it was Brown Cow. And I didn't like mixing it with milk - I liked it on ice cream or better yet, I like eating the syrup straight from the bottle.

Clover Bits. Leslie's used to sell Clover Bits in tiny packets for a quick snack fix. Although the extra-cheesy Clover of today is still as good, one cannot help but miss those little packs that can easily be slid in one's pocket.

Chocolait in a Glass Bottle. Chocolait now comes in plastic bottles or the cartons that come in two different sizes. Years ago, though, I'm sure you remember that Chocolait came in thick glass bottles. These bottles were even used by a lot of people for keeping tap water cold in the refrigerators.

Cola Candy. Cola Candy in the purple wrapper was usually sold in sari-sari stores or sidewalks. This has been replaced with Dynamite, Maxx and a host of other different generic hard candies.

Original Chippy. I swear that the Chippy of today isn't the same as the Chippy of before. Let's wait and see that Jack and Jill will revert to the original recipe.

Dip Pops. This was a Goya product. These lollipops came with powder dips for a more interesting sucking experience.

Combos. Combos used to come in bigger carton containers and an assortment of flavors. I liked their pizza line. Now, Combos come in packs and usually have just one flavor - cheese.

Benson's. The individually wrapped Benson's candies tasted very different from the rolls that you can boy now. The old kind was chocolatey and the caramel was more chewy. The packaging now may look more hip than the old drab one, but then again, it's what's inside that really counts.

Melody Pops. A lollipop and whistle in one. No wonder kids loved this. I was really beginning to miss it. But when I remembered the racket my little brother used to make with these lollipops, add to that the amount of saliva spillage, I can say that we are better off without some things.

..Aimer un ami.. [Loving A Friend]

I went to Facial Care Center (FCC-Tomas Morato Branch) about two weeks ago for my usual beauty treatment/regimen. After my session, they handed me a free cd of TV host Boy Abunda entitled "Love Life: Life Songs and Life Stories with Boy Abunda."

It was just this morning that I was able to open and play it in my cd player.

The album contains 10 cuts of inspiring and uplifting songs including When You Wish Upon A Star, Childhood, You Changed My Life in a Moment, Now and Forever, Tears in Heaven, Don’t Worry Be Happy, Time After Time, Song for Mama, It's My Turn and Because You Loved Me as well as 10 conversations with Makisig Morales, Sharlene San Pedro, Ai-Ai delas Alas, Ogie Alcasid, Martin Nievera, Kris Aquino and Erik Santos. The album also includes a very special conversation with his mother, Nanay Lesing.

I almost cried listening to this album. All the said conversations are very heartwarming but the one that struck me most is the conversation with Kris Aquino entitled "Loving A Friend."

Here is a copy of the conversation. . .

Kris Aquino to Boy Abunda:

Time after time, you've made me believe that everything.. "as in everything" is possible. And you know what, I believed in my self because you always believed in me. I've gotten lost so many times but you've been my flashlight. Ok sige, hindi flashlight. You've been my diva lights.. You've been brighter than all my studio lights combined. In the darkness, I found my way. I've gotten weak but you've been like a multivitamin strengthening my soul. You and I can't count how many times I've fallen. Sometimes because matigas ang ulo ko. I look without really measuring the depth. Other times because I was pushed to the very edge. But you're better than any parachute.. because you are my wings. I should in fact be at rock-bottom but because of you I've only soared higher. 'Wag na nating bilangin ang oras. Alam naman natin, our friendship is beyond the here and now. You and I know, for sure, we'll see each other in heaven.

Boy Abunda to Kris Aquino:

Sarap naman pakinggan Krissy. Ano kaya ang sasabihin ng Diyos 'pag nakita niya tayong papasok sa langit? Siguro sabi niya raw magiging maingay ang heaven dahil sa dalawang ito dahil alam mo namang tayong dalawa e 'pag nagkikita tau e walang patid ang daldalan. But thank you Krissy. Thank you.. for thinking about me and thinking about heaven na kasama ako. E tanong lang, halimbawa sabihin ng Diyos.. "Naku Kris, hindi pwedeng pumasok 'yang kasama mo." Ano kayang gagawin mo? Pero ako seryoso e.. Alam kong ipagtatanggol mo ko because you've always done that for me. Saka alam mo, dito sa buhay na ito 'pag nahulog ako walang pag-aalinlangan.. walang pagdududa.. I'm sure.. you will be there to catch me. At Krissy, with you I am safe.. and because of you I have become better. Thank you.

..The Power of 3 Lil' Words..

Some of the most significant messages people deliver to one another often come in just three words. When spoken or conveyed, those statements have the power to forge new friendships, deepen old ones and restore relationships that have cooled.

The following three word phrases can enrich every relationship:

I'LL BE THERE - Being there for another person is the greatest gift we can give. When we are truly present for other people, important things happen to them and to us. We are renewed in love and friendship. We are restored emotionally and spiritually. 'Being there' is at the very, very core of civility.

I MISS YOU - This powerful affirmation tells partners they are wanted, needed, desired and loved.

I RESPECT YOU - Respect conveys the feeling that another person is a true equal. It is a powerful way to affirm the importance of a relationship.

MAYBE YOU'RE RIGHT - This phrase is highly effective in diffusing an argument and restoring frayed emotions. The flip side of "maybe you're right" is the humility of admitting "maybe I'm wrong."

PLEASE FORGIVE ME - Many broken relationships could be restored and healed if people would admit their mistakes and ask for forgiveness. All of us are vulnerable to faults, foibles, and failures. A man should never be ashamed to own up to he has been in the wrong, which is by saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.

I THANK YOU - Gratitude is an exquisite form of courtesy. People who enjoy the companionship of good, close friends are those who don't take daily courtesies for granted. They are quick to thank their friends for their many expressions of kindness.

COUNT ON ME - "A friend is one who walks in when others walk out." Loyalty is an essential ingredient for true friendship; it is the emotional glue that bonds people. Those who are rich in their relationships tend to be steady and true friends. When troubles come, a good friend is there, indicating "you can count on me."

LET ME HELP - The best of friends see a need and try to fill it. When they spot a hurt they do what they can to heal it. Without being asked, they pitch in and help.

I UNDERSTAND YOU - People become closer and enjoy each other more if they feel the other person accepts and understands them. Letting other know in so many little ways that you understand him or her is one of the most powerful tools for healing your relationship.

GO FOR IT - Some of your friends may be non-conformists, have unique projects and unusual hobbies. Support them in pursuing their interests. Rather than urging your loved ones to conform, encourage their uniqueness - everyone has dreams that no one else has.

I suppose the 3 little words that you were expecting to see have to be reserved for those who are special; that is I LOVE YOU.