adventures in neverland

rather, is seeing each other without the interruption of technology still possible? the advent of modern technology is both a blessing and a curse. we all know its benefits of course -- faster and easier communication anywhere in the world (goodbye very limited telegrams, expensive long distance calls and the very victorian handwritten snail mails) -- but sometimes it could be too much, especially when it intrudes, interrupts, spoils an otherwise cheerful meeting among friends. have you noticed how people in groups would gather on a coffee or dining table not talking at all but simply engrossed in each other's mobile phones and other gadgets with screens. how the only form of communication is to take each other's selfies, download them on instragram or facebook and then ask each other how many "likes" the posts got and who liked them, and what are the comments? idiotic, you'll say. welcome to the new world. yes, i am very old fashioned. i am ambivalen...

"after many a summer, dies the swan." -- aldous huxley. to the one who got away: first of all, i want to make it clear. i am not mad at you. nor do i feel bad about anything that you have or have not done for me. you'll always be a friend. in fact, i am writing this with nothing but joy in my heart knowing that i am setting you free. yes, i am setting you free. i get the feeling that you have outgrown me and you just don't have the heart to say it. i am therefore making this decision for both of us. let me apologize if i have not always been a good friend to you. for sometimes failing to appreciate you. i know i am not a good person, and a good friend. let me thank you then for being a friend. for being kind, thoughtful, nice, and always (well, almost always) hearing me out and understanding the complicated me. more complicated than you are. having said that, i really thought that you'll always be there for me. especially at those times when i was...

we were supposed to go beaching. but because we are women, we changed our minds, ditched puerto gallera and headed to gay tagaytay instead. driving on a quiet, traffic-free saturday, with the sun still undecided if she would honour us with her majestic presence, we did not regret our sudden change of heart. the two hour drive was a breeze, with katy perry humming "peacock" (i want to see your peacock) and her other novelty songs keeping us jovial all the way. %%%%%%% it's been a long, long time (more than a decade, at least) since i last spent the night in tagaytay. the last one, i think, was the seminar sponsored by san miguel corporation for manila-based reporters who were members of the economic journalists association of the philippines. i will forever remember those beer fueled, fun filled nights when reporters got together discussing not the day's biggest economic and business news, but the gossips, quirks of the people we cover, comic antics and other ...