Valentine's

Give flowers to each and every woman in the business center? Check.

Finally, I did it. With a bit of help from the other boys in the business center, obviously. 

What started it all was Aissa's accidental remark that she won't be getting anything on Valentine's (which turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy as I narrate later). This got me thinking if the other ladies in the business center also harbored the same sobering thoughts. So I resolved that this year, on Valentine's, everyone will be celebrating the day of love. The proposal? Give each lady (fifty four in all) a rose.

The ball started rolling when Henry mentioned about Ma'am Che's new business: flower arrangements. I got hold of her text message and was genuinely shocked at the price: Php 400.00 per rose. There was the issue of supply after all and roses definitely don't come cheap during Valentine's.

So I sought out to get a supplier who would offer me a better price. After trips to Victoria, I ended up talking to Nang Nene, a stall owner in Bankerohan (who, coincidentally, turned out to be Ma'am Che's supplier in the end). Her offer: Php 300.00 per dozen. I had my price and ordered five dozen.

Next, I sought out Ma'am Che's services again for the arrangement and she (probably because she's a former officer of the business center) settled for Php 25.00 per rose. 

I was set and ready to go. But I needed assurance that I would get financing for the proposal (Php 3,000.00 isn't a piece of cake) so I tried to win all the boys' approval for the initiative. It's a good thing they were willing to make the necessary amut and, after which, all I needed from them was their participation in the actual rose giving "ritual". 

I bought the flowers, designed and printed the Valentine's greeting cards, and paid Ma'am Che. The rest was history. Each boy gave a flower to each lady and, for a day, the business center smelled of flowers and smiles.

As for Aissa, she didn't receive a rose from us. She was on leave that day.

Another Rainy Night

Just walked barefoot in downtown Davao. Torrential rain made the streets appear like raging rivers. Was trying to hail a taxi to no avail. Finally packed my shoes and waded into ankle-deep waters.

There's always a first time for everything.

Acceptance

Praying for acceptance is probably the hardest thing to do. 

That's because it is inherent in human nature to resist. Life gives an obstacle and one resists by fighting back or evading or obliterating whatever is in front.

In a way, this is good because it makes us better persons. Resisting makes us stronger, more resilient. When we dream of a better life for ourselves and our families and we strive our best to get that dream, we are resisting. When we persevere despite the many adverse conditions thrown at us, we are resisting. When we love the unlovable and care for those who don't care us back, we also resist.

But resisting is only good to a certain point. Unfortunately, there are many instances in life which simply blow us away, renders us weak and struggling for some sense of cosmic understanding. A loved one is diagnosed with cancer or suffers a stroke and is debilitated for life. A tragedy occurs and takes away the house, the dog, your wife and kids. A baby is diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. And that baby dies after just over three months. 

In all these scenarios, death, or loss, plays his part, ever mysterious and foreboding.  And the more we resist, the more we choose not to accept him, to welcome him like an old friend, the more we hurt ourselves in the process. 

The cancer will go away, it must go away. He'll be fully recovered by then, you wait and see. They're missing; they're not dead. They'll come back. Why did you have to take her away?

It is at this time that we need to pray for acceptance and strength. But it's oh-so hard to kneel down and say, "Lord, please grant me the grace to accept this."

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. - The Serenity Prayer

How Corona Differs From Those Japanese Prime Ministers

In 2007, Shinzo Abe, the 90th prime minister of Japan, resigned from his office. His decision came about after a series of scandals involving his subordinates nearly wrecked his political party and downgraded his popularity. It was as swift as it was expected. He resigned almost a month after he tried reshuffling his cabinet, a last-minute effort to win the public.

At first glance, you would think that his decision was quite rash and unfair. In the first place, his cabinet members were the ones messing around, not him. But a closer look at how politics work in Japan would yield a picture of individuals with uncompromising views of what honor is and what it should be. Current affairs would tell you that most Japanese prime ministers have held the office for only a few months, eventually ending their terms by resigning due to unpopularity. In Shinzo Abe's case, he believed in the concept of command responsibility, claiming as his own the shortcomings of the people he led.  It was all about respect, respect for the office that he held, an office that should be held only by those whose reputation and personality are above board.

Sadly, such an unflinching view of the public office is missing in our government officials. The latest in this string of people would be Corona, the man now being impeached. True, the prosecution has made an excellent job bungling their own case and the defense has been quite brilliant protecting their client. But, if one were to step back and look at the whole charade, one would be disappointed. Perhaps, we had higher expectations of what the Chief Justice should be but I don't see that in Corona right now. And as his trial drags on and a less exalted view of him is finally coming into view, I find myself asking, "How can this man sit through this entire episode and still believe that he can be the face of this country's justice system?"

In the next couple of days, the issues that will be tackled in court will get more serious. Even if Corona will survive this trial, his image will be so tarnished by doubt and apprehensions over his character that he will no longer be fit to be in the Supreme Court. However, if he's like one of our politicians, he'll be the last person on earth to know this fact.

There was a time when our government officials were like Japanese prime ministers, when they valued their names as much as their Japanese counterparts. I remember Raul Roco. He resigned from his post as the DepEd Secretary after rumors circulated that he will be investigated for graft. 

Many sides would later on pinpoint the "true" reasons behind his sudden resignation, citing this move as one of Roco's many political maneuvers in his bid for the presidency. But the fact remains that he resigned after someone merely questioned his integrity. For him, it was a matter of that subtle, often misunderstood, Filipino value called "delikadeza" which made him, at that moment of resignation, similar to those Japanese prime ministers.

Nowadays, you cannot say the same to our government officials who will always cling to their positions, despite scandals and bad public perception, at whatever the cost. Sad to say, Corona is becoming one of these men.

9GAG

Oh no. This can't be good. I'm addicted to 9gag and I cannot stop.