Riding the Magnum Bandwagon

Over the last 3 weeks, so much has been said about this one brand of Ice Cream, so much attention has been given to it that the logic of it already escapes me. One would argue, its just good branding, an excellent job done by the marketing people from Unilever. To be able to create such big a hype and have people drooling over an Ice Cream is just a testament to how powerful the use of social media nowadays. You got to hand it over to them. 

What is Magnum then? What's so special about this ice cream that everyone just seem to want to get their mouths dirty and painted with it? Is it really that good? I had the rare pleasure of trying out this "royal" ice cream back in Singapore and I found nothing regal about it. Having a sweet tooth myself, Id say it was just okay. Its definitely not something that I would rave about.

Taste is relative though, as one might say. But in this case, taste is irrelevant. Forget the belgian chocolate. Taste has now become pop culture. Put anything on Twitter and Facebook and have people talking about it and once it becomes a trending topic, everyone would want to get their hands on it. It doesn't matter if its Aling Selya's Dinuguan or Mang Popoy's pisbol (fish ball). The key is to have people talking about it. It's a known fact. The more people talking about it, the more credibility the product gets regardless of its real value.

What is Magnum then? And what has it created? Magnum now represents a virus that is slowly killing intellect and is now reducing people into mere social status. Magnum represents the "IN" crowd. "I can buy this and eat it, I will take a picture of me eating it and upload it on Facebook and everyone will know I can shell out P50 for one special pinipig Ice cream."

Before there was Magnum, there was "Pompeo checked in at Eastwood" Kurdapya was at Bora, (Oh don't even start with that whole Boracay is BORA thing) Jun jun is now having lunch at Fish N' Co. Mercy just bought herself a new Ermes Bag "Ay shit! di ko nakita wala palang H!" (Oh Shit! Its missing the letter H!)

From the blog www.certifiedfoodies.com, the author Mhel wrote "For us regular peeps, Magnum Ice Cream is a very affordable high quality ice cream and we won’t mind paying Php 50 for it. Magnum is more of a luxury indulgence for people on a budget."

I won't go into a debate about categorizing who's in that "Regular Peeps" status bracket but yeah I guess I won't mind explaining this to families that struggles to live on P100 a day. Moreso, try validating the line "...it's the poor man's Haagen Dazs".

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Magnum hater. I won't say no if someone would pay for it for me. I might even try buying it myself. But I surely won't go through all that trouble of holding off on the second bite just so I can take the best picture for my Facebook wall.

Our society is in decline. We don't seek for knowledge or information that matters anymore. We surround our lives with names and all things popular. Our society now cares for how one can fit in. And how easy it is to jump on a bandwagon. True, Magnum is just an ice cream, let the ones who can pay for it do whatever the hell they want with their money. In the end, what defines us as human beings isn't the ice cream or the food we eat and the clothes we wear. It's how we live our lives and affect others.

I just hope to see more of this.

How are you?

How are you?

Those 3 words, used to be very easy to answer. I can hardly remember the day when it was so easy to say "Im fine". When saying "I'm good" came inevitable with a smile. When those words didn't seem so hard to comprehend. When asking "and you?" was said with a wish that the other person asking was also doing well. Yes, there was a time when "How are you?" seemed the nicest thing to hear. The dark sense of dread of not knowing how to answer seemed so alien and was otherwise comforting.

And now I'm finding it more and more difficult to answer it. I'm constantly stuck in a pause not knowing what other words to concoct without sounding miserable. And sometimes even hearing "how are you?" makes me cringe and curl into a ball of melancholy. 

I want to be able to say "I'm fine" again and not feel hollow. I want to be able to smile and laugh in its most sincere form. I want to be able to look at the sun and bathe in its glorious sunshine without feeling the chills, without feeling cold. 

I want to come home.

And then I can meet every "how are you?" with a resounding "I'm perfectly alright".

For Kurt

Dear Kurt Brandon,

I have imagined this moment a hundred times. I'll be sitting in my room composing what would be my first letter to you. I imagined it would be a few weeks before you are born, but time has caught up with me and I find myself in the middle of wanting to come home and see you, and being stuck in a foreign land for a couple more weeks before I finally get to lay my eyes on you.

Nothing could have ever prepared me for this. When you're mom sent me the message that she was about to admitted to the OR to bring you into this world. I was stunned, I didn't know what to do. My mind was racing with the thought of catching the first flight back to Manila. I froze and I found myself calling your mom's number with tears running down my cheeks.

You have to know that I wanted to be there, I wanted to see it through. I wanted to be there for your mom to hold and comfort her before she gets admitted to the delivery room. I wanted to see you come out of the nursery. I wanted to be the first to hold you and place you in your mother's loving arms when she wakes up and looks for you, just like I did when your brother was born.

What I really wanted to say my son is that I love you as much as I love your big brother Jaden. I know things are going to be very different because I won't always be around but that doesn't mean that I love you less. I promise to make things better and I know in time we will all be together.

I love you son, there is nothing else that I long for than to feel your tiny little fingers curl around mine as if it were your tight embrace. But for now, all that has to wait. I'll see you soon!

Love,

Daddy

Cyberdaddy

Yesterday, my son woke up from a nap and my wife told me that he was looking for me, in between tears he was calling me and then came the heartbreaking line "My daddy is stuck on a laptop...".

To my son, his father has now been reduced to a 4x6 inch character he sees on the laptop that he fondly calls daddy. Gone are the afternoons he would ride his car with me watching him from a distance. The 10am bath time we used to share is now a distant memory that is now probably fading from his young mind.

Sometimes late at night I'd wake up and find myself longing to hear him cry and ask for milk. A few months before I left for Singapore, I spent a lot of time with him. I knew I was leaving and my wife said it would be a good idea to have this bond before I finally leave home and work abroad. Everyday I felt more and more closer to him and everyday it became harder for me to leave. I was in constant pain the whole time, add that to the fact that I was leaving my expecting wife. But that's another story.

I never imagined I would have to live and work abroad. I've never dreamt of it. Not even in an alternate universe would I have wished to be separated from my family let alone my son and my wife. I've always thought I'd always be there for see and watch him grow. I wanted to hear him  play his first note, or watch him in his first basketball game or piano recital. I told myself that I will never miss any milestone in my sons life. I know I would never be a perfect father but at the very least I wanted him to have a father who was always there for him.

Now his daddy got stuck on a laptop.

For my son, Jaden, this is what I want you to know.

I love you! Never question that. Your mommy and I loves you so much. And when we say you mean the world to us, it means we will do everything to give you everything even if it means not being with you for a while. And  I know and I have faith that we will get through.

I may miss some of your birthdays, but you have to know how badly I want to be there. I may miss some of your games but you should know I would always try to be there. 

When trying is not enough I will do more than just try, I will be there.

Daddy misses you a lot. I think of you everyday. You and your mom are my source of strength. You inspire me to persevere and work hard, and to be tough when things get real rough.

But for now, I'll just be an image you see on the computer, your silly dad who sings "Elmo's world" and Yo Gabba Gabba songs.

I love you!

-Cyberdaddy Jay

All Things Grand and Wonderful

Today marks my second month here in Singapore. 2 months and Im still awed with wonder whenever I see the Esplanade or the view of Marina Bay Sands from the Makansutra Gluttons Bay. I may get used to it and it may seem ordinary for me a year from now but for now, let me just enjoy the moment. And let me just pay tribute to Singapore. I am here now...

All things grand and wonderful,

All buildings great and tall,

All things nice and coloful:

Singapore has them all.

Each little flower at the Orchid Garden,

Each little bird at Jurong Bird Park,

Painted with glowing colors,

and majestic tiny wings.

The purple headed mountains,

The river running by,

The sunset and the morning

That brightens up the sky.

The tall trees in the greenwood,

The meadows where we play,

The rushes by the water,

To gather every day...

All photos are owned and were taken by my very good friend Don Alejandro Fernandez.

Please visit his site at http://www.wix.com/donfernandez/photography

Inspired by the poem "All things bright and beautiful" by
Cecil F Alexander (1848)

A Ferry Ride Away...

Bintan, Indonesia is just a ferry ride away from Singapore's Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal, that is if you know where you're going.

We booked at Hotel Laguna in Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands' capital and the second largest city in the Indonesian province not knowing that its an hour and 45 minutes away from Bintan Resorts. There's really nothing to see at Tanjungpinang except for the crazy lady at the sidewalk who keeps on laughing at me whenever I pass by.

Amongst the many challenges that a tourist will encounter apart from transportation is that most people at this part of the island doesn't speak english. I was merely asking for a spoon at KFC and the guy kept giving me a straw. You can't ask for directions because it would be a very painful task, that is to try and decipher what the other person is trying to say.

Food was also very pricy at this side of the island. Ranging from $7- $10 Singapore Dollars for a meal. We tried eating at a local restaurant and we felt ripped off when we asked what our bill was. 71,000 rupiah.

Now comes the good part, despite our difficulties with communicating with the locals and tourist  friendly transportation (not!) we were able to find our way to their tropical paradise. Bintan Lagoon Resorts. 

We took the day tour (which costs around $70sgd with taxes) that gave us full access to the beach and their pool and it also came with a leisure package which included archery, lazer quest (lazer tag), ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) ride for 10 minutes and Bungee Bounce.

It would've been a lot easier had we booked at Bintan Resorts, come to think of it, staying and commuting from the city to and fro Bintan Lagoon Resorts was also a bit pricy. So if you're planning on having your holidays at Bintan Resorts, I would strongly suggest Nirwana Beach Club, we learned from a local driver that you can get a package for $80 per night. 

Overall, it wasn't that bad. At least now I know how to get around Bintan and where not to stay.

There is no God?

This is one of my favorite articles of all time. I read this on a Reader's Digest back issue when I was 15. Whenever I doubt the existence of God and I remember this article, it never fails to give that sense of comfort and relief. Its probably one of the reasons why I never turned Atheist. 

Happy Easter Everyone!

There is no God?

By Jim Bishop


There is no God. All of the wonders around us are accidental. No almighty hand made a thousand-billion stars. They made themselves. No power keeps them on their steady course. The earth spins itself to keep the oceans from falling off toward the sun. Infants teach themselves to cry when they are hungry or hurt. A small flower invented itself so that we could extract digitalis for sick hearts.

The earth gave itself day and night, tilted itself so that we get seasons. Without the magnetic poles, man would be unable to navigate the trackless oceans of water and air, but they just grew there.

How about the sugar thermostat in the pancreas? It maintains a level of sugar in the blood sufficient for energy. Without it, all of us would fall into a coma and die.

Why does snow sit on mountain tops waiting for the warm spring sun to melt it at just the right time for the young crops in farms below to drink? A very lovely accident?

The human heart will beat for 70 or 80 years without faltering. How does it get sufficient rest between beats? A kidney will filter poison from the blood, and leave good things alone. How does it know one from another?

Who gave the human tongue flexibility to form words and a brain to understand them, but denied it to all other animals?

Who showed a womb how to take the love of two persons and keep splitting a tiny ovum until, in time, a baby would have the proper number of fingers, eyes, ears and hair in the right places, and come into the world when it is strong enough to sustain life?

There is no God?

A Test of Spirit

When I got to my seat on the plane, that's when it all sank in. My wife's tight embrace and my son's soothing smile are the most irreplaceable things that I will dearly miss as I try to rise up to the challenge of seeking a new life in Singapore.

6 months ago, I was walking the streets of Bedok South with them. I took bus and train rides with my son on my shoulder. I held hands with my wife through the parks and subways of Singapore. now its a totally different thing when you're gonna have to do it alone.

Its funny because when I was back home, I couldn't wait to get out. Everything that is there to love about human existence has eluded the Philippines. I'm probably gonna be first to say I hate my country. From its discolored past and every corrupt government official that leeches every Filipino dry to the lowest organism in its infamous bureaucracy. From its insanely ridiculous conservatism that has held our country from moving forward up to the most high and mighty of our catholic church that sticks its fingers to every freakin' issue with their holier than thou attitude. The Filipino society, with its hopeless romanticism with all things tragic, scandalous, miraculous, dramatic, libelous and finds comfort with the mundane, has doomed itself to becoming the perpetual Sick Man of Asia. 

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Which is why its easy to fall in love with a country like Singapore. Who doesn't want order, cleanliness and discipline? Sure people here have complaints and things to whine about like the rising costs of living which has been going on for a number of years now but anyone who's been here would say its so much better here.

Basic fact, people move to another country because they want a better life. Its hard because you have to leave the people you love behind. My friend says, you can't have your own success story without that part of overcoming trials or making sacrifices, and I jokingly said "Wouldn't it be nice to have it all easy?" 

I know nothing's easy, and if this will be my test, then I'll take it head on. Walking the streets without my wife holding my hand or my son on my shoulder will be tough but I guess I have to endure it. Yes, I will always be a Filipino but I refuse to die like a sick man who willingly got devoured by his own kind.

How to make money out of rules

Yesterday I had the unfortunate chance to experience government service at its finest (okay Im just teasing, I mean worst). As most Filipinos unwillingly have to endure every once in a while I had to visit the MMDA office at Guadalupe. Apparently, I needed to settle some penalties for 2 traffic violations before I can get my driver's licence renewed. I have no complaints about that, after all it was my fault. I chose not to pay the fines on time. So I went there to get done and over with. 

As soon as I got there and old lady selling pens approached me and asked, "Lisensya po Sir?, Plaka?" (License, Plate?) "Ay Sir, di po kayo pwede dyan, nakashort kayo... magpantalon po muna kayo" (Sir, you can't get inside, you're wearing shorts, you have to wear jeans). I walked passed by her, ignoring her completely. I had a big wound on my legs and I can't wear jeans. I explained this to the guard who told me to ask their commanding officer to grant me an exemption so I can transact with them. I went out looking for the their head, went to the security office only to find an empty office. It was lunchtime. I'll give it to them, maybe they were on a break. I went back to the guard on the office and told him there was nobody there. He said I have to look for their "boss". A teenager approached me and said "Bakit boss? kelangan nyo ng pantalon, pantalon po sir?"  (Sir, do you need a pair of jeans?").

I was able to find the head master general his excellency, the Royal Guard who took pity on me when he saw the wound on my right leg. The agony was just about to begin. Their office did not have any AC's. Ceiling fans and the exhaust fan were no match to the scorching heat of the sun. An hour and a half after submitting my documents and paying the P30 clearance fee, my name was called and was given a number so I can proceed to the next window. I had to wait for another hour for my name to be called so I can make the payment and another hour and a half to get my name cleared of my violation. I guess the word efficient was a word they've never encountered.

There are a couple of things I want to raise. What's wrong with wearing shorts? Why do they need to require applicants to wear jeans before they can transact and enter that rat hole? Was it a call for decency? Are we going to meet the pope to kiss his blessed hand for atonement? I find that rule ridiculous, superficial and discriminatory. I see nothing wrong with wearing shorts or slippers. Where do they think we are? The Vatican?

Second, the staff had to deal with technical difficulties (I noticed that their internet was down as soon as I got in) and they were disorganized. Instead of finding a way to address their trouble, they laughed and talked non-stop. It took an hour before an IT staff to check their internet connection, before they decided to have our papers checked through their other office. 

Can someone also explain what clearance fee and computer fee is for? Does that mean we need to pay them for having them check their computers? or for having our names cleared even after paying the penalty? 

Don't get me wrong, Im not singling out the MMDA. It just so happened that I had to deal with them yesterday. This goes to all government offices in general. Anyone who has tried getting their NBI clearance has been made to endure their long tiresome queue just to get to the first window. (Unless you paid one of the fixers). What's the airport tax for? Why does the NAIA charge it but Singapore Airport doesn't?

Do you know when the MMDA traffic enforcers are most visible? Its around 7 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. I don't think I have to explain why, but for the sake of those who doesn't drive? Its when the color coding rule is in effect.

Rules. What do we do without them?

Willie Strikes again

An avid Willie Revillame supporter would say, they were just waiting for him to make a mistake. I'm sorry if I can't help it. He's pretty consistent. He never fails to disappoint and make a fool of himself.

Just a few months after his new show was launched, and a couple of days after my post about how miserable primetime TV has become, Willie does it again. It seems like controversy follows him where ever he goes. 

[ I posted the original video here that had over 400,000 hits but after a few days it was taken down. The video contained Jan-jan's erotic dance and showed Willie asking the poor boy to repeat it over and over. ]

It amazes me how some people think there's nothing wrong with this. How they defend it and regard it merely as a show. While it may be true that the kid was in on it a 100%, there was a judgment error made when the host of the show who had every control to stop it did not do anything, and instead laughed like a buffoon on the background and even made the kid do it over and over again.

So he apologizes on National TV, brings the child's parents to his show and makes it appear like it was nobody's fault. 

The issue was not how lewd or malicious the performance was, but the fact that they allowed it to be aired on TV for all the world to enjoy. Or probably, the bigger issue now is how our society is now able to tolerate irresponsible parenting for a few thousand bucks. 

Or the fact that we have now sank to our deepest low. From soap operas that offer no redeeming values or any substance at all, and worse thrives on plots of revenge and evil schemes to TV game shows that promises false hopes of sudden wealth while exploiting poverty and misery.

Ask yourself. What kind of society are we bringing our children into?

Also read:

http://www.betterphilippines.com/righteous-indignation/willing-willie-jan-jan-controversy-or-why-philippine-tv-sucks/