Quote from a film...

I like these lines from a film (that I enjoyed watching a few months ago): Don’t ever let somebody tell you, you cannot do something, not even me. You gotta dream. You gotta protect it.. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period. From the movie The Pursuit of Happyness. Based on a true life story of Chris Gardner. This was Chris Gardner saying this to his son.

Pinoy Talk in the UK

Do you remember the song 'Ikaw lang ang Mamahalin' by Joey Albert? I do remember that song. It was one of my favourites when I was in my early 20's. In fact, it still is my favourite now. I think I even stopped listening to new music when I reached 25. Most of the Filipino songs that I appreciate are songs of Joey Albert, Kuh Ledesma, Apo Hiking Society...okay, okay, let's go further down - Hagibis, Didith Reyes, Claire Delafuente, and many others that maybe I cannot remember at the moment - most probably due to my brain shrinking because of ageing, hihihihihi. Anyway, last week I went down memory lane listening to the songs of some of these artists - yes, here in England, yes on the radio and yes again, live! I find it surprising and exciting that halfway across the globe, there is - suddenly - a Filipino Radio Talk Show where I am! So, today, I would like to share with you this new frenzy in my Norfolk life. The show is called 'Usapang Pinoy' (Pinoy Talk). If you want to listen to last Saturday's show, please click here. Usapang Pinoy is aired on 96.9 FM in Norfolk, England. It is aired at 3pm over here in the UK, it is aired at 11pm in the Philippines and Western Australia, 10am in the East Coast and 7am in the West Coast (USA), and at 4pm in Western Europe. The presenter is Dr Joy Barredo. Joy is someone with an interesting personality, very bubbly and articulate. What's more exciting is that I will be guesting in her show on Saturday, 10 November 2007 (which, incidentally, is my brother's birthday - Happy Birthday, Let!). So for an hour, I will re-living my life as a radio presenter...and in England!!! Woo-hoo!!!! Thank you very much, Joy!!! If you wish to know more about Dr Joy Barredo, here are the links to her websites: The Goddess In You Your Love Coach

A complicated lady? Who? Me?

I have always been a hopeless romantic. I love love songs. I love love stories. I love romantic films. If there is something that I like that my husband doesn't, this is it. We like most things. Except for a few things like, for example, Italian food (pizza, pasta) which I love to bits but he doesn't and love songs. About 3 months before our wedding in 2005, I phoned him and asked him what songs he wants to be played at our wedding. There was only one song that he wanted. It was a song by Elvis Presley. He said to me the song describes me perfectly. I got excited and looked all over for the song. I found a copy eventually, after many weeks of searching. I was kind of disappointed to hear that it was not the romantic type of song. It was, to be honest, somekind of moaning about a woman that a man loves. It's complaining about her complicated personality and the difficulty he is in but loving her anyway. Here it is: Moody Blue by Elvis Presley Well, it's hard to be a gambler Bettin' on the number That changes every time Well, you think you're gonna win Think she's givin' in A stranger's all you find Yeah, it's hard to figure out What she's all about That she's a woman through and through She's a complicated lady, so color my baby moody blue, Oh, moody blue Tell me am I gettin' through I keep hangin' on Try to learn the song But I never do Oh, moody blue, Tell me who Im talkin' to You're like the night and day And it's hard to say Which one is you. Well, when Monday comes she's Tuesday, When Tuesday comes she's Wednesday, Into another day again Her personality unwinds Just like a ball of twine On a spool that never ends Just when I think I know her well Her emotions reveal, She's not the person that I thought I knew She's a complicated lady, so color my baby moody blue, Oh, moody blue Tell me am I gettin' through I keep hangin' on Try to learn the song But I never do Oh, moody blue, Tell me who Im talkin' to You're like the night and day And it's hard to say Which one is you. Okay, so it doesn't say there if the man still loves the woman, does it? It's just a song of a whiner. Oh, well. So was it played at the wedding? Surely! After two years, he still says the same thing about me and even sings the song to me from time to time - and keeps milking how complicated I am - now with more conviction than ever before. Do you think I like the song? You bet.

Give up or hold on?

Just when I thought I wouldn't have the slightest chance. Just when I thought I should just give it all up. Just when I thought my husband was only trying to be kind giving me all the encouragement. Just when I thought I wouldn't have it. Then it came....a new job!!!!

Do Animals Grieve for their Dead?

It was Tuesday. Jim and I were walking down Prince of Wales Road. He came to Norwich to have lunch with me. We were walking past an old building when I saw three grey pigeons sheltered under a window ledge at the side of the building. The one right in the middle was dying. Jim and I stopped walking and looked at them. It seemed that the two pigeons were protecting the weak pigeon – from the cold or from predators, I wouldn’t know. But they were there. Then Jim and I proceeded to have lunch. On the way back to where I work, we saw the weak pigeon on its own. Dead. One of the two pigeons were a few feet away and it looked like it was mourning. Eyes closed and head bowed to its chest. It looked grieving. It looked sad. The other was nowhere in sight. This made me wonder - do animals grieve for their dead? I think they do. A few days ago, I watched a film called ‘March of the Penguins.’ Amazingly, penguins behave like human beings when caring for their young. Due to the cold weather in the Antarctic, most of their young do not survive. When one passes away, the mother grieves for it. It cries and stays with the body as if still hoping it’ll come back to life. Not too long ago, I read something in the paper about a gold fish trying to comfort another gold fish that was dying. The writer described how it stayed until the dying gold fish was finally dead. Do they have feelings as well? Do they know how to get sad? I always observe how animals behave and when I was watching ‘March of the Penguins,’ I realized one thing – that animals do not go against their nature. They just do what they are here for – mothers care for their young and fathers provide for them. As with the Penguins, fathers and mothers are monogamous – at least for a year – until it is time for them to part ways again. The father cares for the chick penguin when the mother goes away to find food. I like how they seem to show love to each other when they reunite after a few months hunting for food in the sea. I was in awe how they protect each other and how they know that together - they survive, but divided - they all die. It’s amazing that even animals know how to love…and know the importance of family and togetherness. …and yes, I do believe they grieve for their dead. PS: I did not take a photograph of the pigeons as I know you wouldn’t like it...because it was such a pitiful sight.