Mitsuru

Monroe St. Dearborn, MI "My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places." -- A. A. Milne

I was 13 and had just came back from a day of playing ball with some friends in the neighborhood basketball court when I saw my Lolo and Lola huddled with serious looks on their faces around the old Sanyo, listening intently to the commentator’s pronouncements and unmindful of everything around them. After the radio announcement, my Lolo could only mutter in his soft voice that, “Marcos is finished.” The assassination of Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. or Ninoy on August 21, 1983 further stirred my interest in Philippine politics. I decided to know him better and managed to learn more about him-- from the stories and anecdotes passed on by people who were old enough to remember him to the old issues of the Philippine Free Press and other magazines in our possessions at that time. My uncle who was in the United States would send us photocopies of the San Jose Mercury News and the New York Times as well as betamax tapes of news about the assassination from foreign networks that were not av...

I am now officially a nocturnal animal. I’ve never been the early- to- bed type of guy though since I am usually up late at night. I mean really late when it comes to catching those precious winks. My normal bed time is actually between 1-2 early morns. But nowadays I am up until 8- 10 in the morning depending on what’s up on my menu. In another world, you can consider that as early, not late. For the record I have not ventured outside my hideaway in the daytime and have never felt the sun shine on my skin. For the past two weeks, I was in another world. My sun became the moon and the moon became my sun. And I am positive that it will remain this way in the next several days or so. I have evolved into a creature of darkness. I am a night owl. No, make that a vampire sans the blood thirst. In my case, my elixir is quite different from these abominable creatures. In my case, you can make that either an ice- cold lager or an equally ice- cold Coca- cola. And throw in some mixed nuts and ...

The picture above of Spain’s national basketball team competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics doing their best “slit- eyed” gestures in a publicity photo for their sponsor is creating a ruckus in the sporting world. The said photo has been regularly running in Spanish newspapers since July and the nosy British newspaper aptly- named the Guardian got wind of it and broke it to the world press. It’s no big deal though for many Spaniards as can be gleaned from Spanish guard Jose Calderon's statements who just shrugged it off and muttered, “We did it because we thought it was going to be something nice…It is too much of a big deal with you guys and everybody talking about it. “ I am not surprised though since the Spaniards are known for that and history can prove that and we don’t need to look back a hundred years to do just that--- Back in 2004, Thierry Henry, a black Frenchman and one of the best soccer players in the world was the subject of racist slur by Luis Aragones, Spain’s mana...

Tomorrow is the start of the three- day Fiesta celebration in my hometown Tiwi in Albay in honor of the town’s Patron Saint, the martyred Saint Lawrence and the Miraculous Our Lady of Salvation, the Patroness of the Diocese of Legaspi. It’s a celebration witnessed and participated upon by various pilgrims from places all over the Bicol region and beyond. Although I am not that religious anymore and a self- confessed non- practicing Catholic nowadays, I just cannot forget the customs and traditions that have been a part of my growing- up years. Yes, I still remember my religion class quite well, also being a “Sacristan” when I was a kid helped me a lot in knowing things beyond the four Evangelists. In fact, I still can recite Padre Huestro and Dios Te Salve Maria in a heartbeat. The Fiesta is usually highlighted by a colorful grand parade through the crowded streets of the town participated by various schools, organizations and local government units and culminating with the tradi...

Drifters in the night Flowers under the moonshine Longing for the Sun... And here's my blog post written two years ago today-- For Whom the Bell Tolls

Back in 1989 when many of friends were reading Mao, Lenin and Marx, I got hold of a book whose narrative were based mostly on eyewitness accounts as well as the writer’s own experiences as a political prisoner inside the Soviet GULag. GULag by the way is an acronym for "Chief Administration for Corrective Labor Camps" which is the name of the Soviet Union’s concentration camp’s governing board. The three- volume Arkhipelag GULag or The Gulag Archipelago is such a compelling read and quite an eye- opener especially at that time where all things Russian was either based on hear- say or propaganda. The book which was smuggled in parts out of the Iron Curtain and first published outside of the Soviet Union in 1973 was written by a Russian novelist and historian who was also the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970. I have only read one other book by the said author which is One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (although I have August 1914 in my book shelf) b...

...who traipses in the outskirts of my hippocampus. Note: Someone Else's Story from the musical Chess.

I cannot paint you, my love. Your calm eyes clashed with the storm in your heart. Thoughts wrapped alone in the cold, followed the scene I created; the essence is lost as memories came crashing into the walls of brown earth and hot kisses going up in smoke. The colors are smeared, the canvas remained blank and my eyes burnt.

"Particularly important to note on this day is the continuing struggle of Filipino World War II veterans to receive the veterans benefits they rightfully deserve. During World War II, Filipino and American troops fought bravely together under some of the most trying conditions suffered by any forces during that conflict, forging a historic bond between our two nations and their people. Filipinos displayed great courage alongside American soldiers at Bataan and Corregidor, only to be denied their just benefits by our government. The Veterans' Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 would honor the service of all U.S. veterans, including these Filipino World War II heroes. The Senate passed this bill last April. I urge my colleagues in Congress to take note of this day to honor the heroic service of Filipino World War II veterans by finally turning this important legislation into law." Such was the very eloquently written statement released by the office of Democratic Presidential...

This is to give Arnel Pineda and Journey Fans outside of North America the chance to own their new REVELATION CD/DVD ALBUM. So, US and Canada Residents are disqualified to join since you can easily buy the said album at a store near you. I am a Filipino Journey Fan and I am putting my money where my mouth is. So, I am giving away 2 Revelation Albums every month starting June 30, 2008 until December 30, 2008 in support of Arnel Pineda’s unparalleled journey with Journey through lottery drawing every 15th and 30th of the month. To qualify, you must be a certified blogger and your site should be current. You can add yourself to the new Arnel Pineda & Journey Fan Group in Multiply, REVELATION if you want to but it's not necessary to avail of the prize. For non- multiply users, you can post a shoutout about your intention to participate in the contest at the cbox located on the left side of this website. Or simply put 'em in the comment section below. You can also submit your...

The Blogger is on a self- imposed sabbatical from blogging to recharge his batteries. He'll be back on the second Monday of June 2008.

Anybody who’s been here before knows that I have a huge crush on Lea Salonga since way back and you can certainly label me as a certified fanatic of the singer- actress. Ha-ha. Yes, folks all you have to do is search my archives here and you’ll know what I mean. And I do travel near and far just to watch her perform, too. So, indulge me once again as I share with you this snippet of her performance at the taping of The Sharon Cuneta Show which ABS- CBN will air on Sunday, May 18, 2008. Video: mjrodis Update Alert! --I've recently updated my other blogs/sites under the Perfect Circle category. You can visit them if you have time to spare. It's no big deal really but to quote my dear old Forrest, "It's like a box of chocolates...You never know what you gonna get!" :)

Here's a blast from the past... Summer in New York City and the heat was just unbearable. And yet we were out walking the streets and avenues, doing our own version of the Theater Tour in Broadway’s Theater District when we decided to take a breather near the historic Ziegfeld Theater at the intersection between 54th Street and 6th Avenue (a.k.a. Avenue of the Americas since 1945 but Mayor La Guardia’s ploy did not catch up with New Yorkers. Hence, 6th Avenue is still 6th Avenue until now). It was one of those days that can easily classify as a Dog Day Afternoon (No, I am not about to do a stunt ala Al Pacino in that Sidney Lumet film although I am tempted to shout “Attica!” in the midst of this August heat) and a bottle of Gatorade chased by cold water from a Dasani bottle did not help that much to quench our thirst and ignore the heat. We have been walking since 9 o’ clock in the morning from our not-so- comfy room at the Skyline Hotel, a three- star structure l...

On May 9, 2008, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) will be airing a documentary entitled- Little Manila: Filipinos in California's Heartland So, if you live in North America, check your local PBS TV Schedule for details. Here's a brief synopsis of the documentary-- "Filled with chop suey houses, gambling dens, and dance halls, Little Manila was the area in Stockton notoriously called, Skid Row, but it was also the closest thing Filipinos had to a hometown. In its heyday in the 30s, this lively area had the largest population of Filipinos outside of the Philippines. We tell the story of Jimmy Ente, Jr., a longtime Stockton resident recruited to work in the asparagus fields. Jimmy, and many other like him, faced backbreaking work, low wages, and at times extreme racism to fulfill their dreams. Narrated by famed Filipino-American producer, Dean Devlin (Independence Day, The Patriot) this documentary tells the immigrant story as Filipinos experienced it."

Six months ago, I came across an article that was published in a magazine written by a Caucasian whose name I cannot recall, wherein his observations while traveling across Asia merited a page in that sorry magazine (I will not mention the magazine, hence I will be giving them undeserved publicity) that most Asians disgustingly pick their noses in public! Although I hope that Asians are not again being stereotyped by the said article or are being singled- out because of the size of their nostrils in this case but one can’t help but think otherwise. There are a lot of advantages in having two large holes in one's nares mind you, but it will merit another post for that lest we stray from the topic. Surely Asians have bigger holes in their noses compared to Caucasians but it doesn’t equate that we are more prone to picking our noses especially in public because of that particular anatomic feature. On the contrary, this finger digging exercise isn’t confined to only one race and althou...

It’s late April and still snow continues to fall in Minnesota not surprising for the state at this time of year where the weather forecast says the region will be blanketed in thick snow anytime soon. We arrived in Minneapolis- St. Paul Airport late last night on our way to San Diego and what greeted us was the nipping wind blowing right into our faces, numbing us in the process. Our Northwest Airlines Flight 755 out of Detroit was delayed by the plane’s spoiler malfunctioning and had to endure a 4 hour flight delay, transferred to another aircraft and missed the connecting flight that will take us to California. Northwest gave the passengers $100 service recovery vouchers to appease us for the delay and inconvenience. They also booked us in some hotels in downtown Minneapolis to spend the night and catch the first flight to San Diego the next day. On our way to downtown Minneapolis, we caught a glimpse of a city that is quiet and fast asleep, which was expected though for it was alrea...

ASIMO that versatile Honda robot that you often see in Honda Commercials will be in Detroit come May 13, 2008 to be the guest conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in the opening act that features world- renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The 4- foot tall robot which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility (ASIMO) which was first developed by the Japanese automaker in 2000 with the objective of helping humans particularly the elderly doing their daily chores in the future can speak both English and Japanese. In addition, this latest generation robot can now recognize faces, climb up and down stairs, keep up when walking with human companions and serve tea among its many skills and capabilities. ASIMO will be at the podium for a one song performance, the special rendition of “The Impossible Dream” before relinquishing the baton to the DSO’s resident maestro Thomas Wilkins for the rest of the show. It will be ASIMO’s second high- profile appearance in the United States after the hi...

We Filipinos are unique in so many ways. Take for instance our sense of humor that always puzzles non- Pinoys. They shiver in complete horror whenever they hear or experience one of our patented not so politically- correct sense of humor. Who can forget the late Secretary Raul Manglapus when he quipped, “relax and enjoy it” when asked about what the Filipinas working in the Middle East should do if they found themselves being raped by their Arab masters? Most Filipinos are exposed to all kinds of sick jokes from the day he/ she was born until he/ she literally finds himself six feet under the ground. In fact, everything is fair game to us and our jokes can be considered as the wickedest of them all. This is again highlighted by the recent controversy involving the conduct of medical workers at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center wherein a patient was operated upon by a team of government doctors and nurses because a body spray canister was lodged in his rectal vault courtesy of a...

A very candid Q & A portion plus a cameo of her daughter Nicole. :) video credits: vaguirre