ANG PANSIT CANTON AT ANG PILIPINAS

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Tanghali na ako nagising kanina at parang feel ko kumain ng Pansit Canton. Di pa man ako nakakapag-hilamos ay lumabas na ako para bumili sa 24hrs na tindahan sa may labasan. Inabot sa akin ang binili kong Lucky Me Pansit Canton Kalamansi Flavor at... watdapak! P9.00 na pala ang pansit canton. Bihira na kasi ako kumain ng noodles kaya di ko alam na ang mahal na pala. Nung hyskul ako, P5.00 palang yun.. Tumaas na pala ng P4.00 sa loob ng limang taon.

Nung college ako, pag nagkaka-gipitan sa allowance, pansit canton ang tinitira namin. Yun ang pagkain ng mga gipit sa pera dati (at syempre sa mga tamad magluto). Pero ngayon na P9.00 na ang panist canton at P8.00 ang instant noodles, maituturing pa ba itong "affordable"? At syempre, ang bottom line, mahal na ang preso ng gasolina kaya mahal na lahat. Eh kapag bumababa ba ang presyo ng gasolina, magbababa din ang bilihin? Hindi! Halimbawa, ilang buwan na ang nakakaraan, tumaas umano ang demand ng asukal sa world market na naging dahilan ng pagbulusok ng presyo ng asukal sa bansa. Ngunit hanggang ngayon ba ay nagkakaroon parin ng ganoong problema? Hindi na po. Subalit bakit ngayon ay P18.00 na ang 1/4 na kilo ng segundang asukal na dating P8.50 lang? Maraming mga katanungan ang nasa isipan ng mga ordinaryong mamamayan ng Pilipinas. Bakit mahal ang asukal gayong nasa Pilipinas ang malalaking 'sugarcane plantation' na pag-aari pa nga ng pamilya ng ating mahal na Pangulo. Bakit gayon na lamang ang mahal ng bigas gayong nasa Pilipinas ang pinaka-malalaking palayan? Kung umaangkat man tayo ng bigas sa mga karatig bansa, hindi rin dapat ganoon kalaki ang deperensya. Ang LPG, tuloy-tuloy din ang pagtaas, magro-rollback lamang ng kaunti ngunit tataas din ng doble o higit pa sa ibinaba. Pati nga uling na dating P150 lang ang sako, ngayon P250 na. Ano na lamang ang gagawin ng mga mahihirap na pamilyang Pilipino? Hanggang reklamo nalang, dahil wala namang magagawa, hindi mo naman pwedeng boykotin ang bigas, asukal at mantika dahil kailangan ito sa pang-araw-araw.

Sa lahat ng ito, kawawa ang mga mahihirap na mamamayan na walang magagawa kundi sikmurain ang pagbulusok ng presyo ng bilihin, maswerte ang mga mayayamang negosyante na nagmo-monopolize ng industriya. Kawawa ang mga drayber na sinisikmura ang pagtaas ng presyong petrolyo, kawawa ang mga pasahero naaapektuhan ng  pagtaas ng pamasahe, maswerte ang BIG 3 na tinatawag, mga monopolistikong  malalaking kompanya ng langis na tanging nagkakaroon ng benepisyo sa paghihirap ng mga simpleng Pilipino. Kawawa ang mga mahihirap na maysakit na walang magagawa kundi bilhin ang mahal na gamot na pini-prescribe ng doctor, maswerte ang mga malalaking pharmaceutical companies na bumuo ng oligopolyo upang makontrol at mai-fix ang presyo ng mga gamot sa domestik na pamilihan. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit mga bata palang tayo ay naririnig na natin ang mga katagang, "Sa Pilipinas, lalong yumayaman ang mayayaman at lalong humihirap ang mahihirap." Nung bata ako, akala ko lahat tayo ay magiging maalwan ang buhay kung magsisikap lang at magtatyaga, akala ko tamad lang ang nagiging mahirap. Ngunit habang lumalaki ako at nagiging saksi sa kalupitan ng mundo, napagtanto kong hindi lahat ng nagsisikap ay umaangat. Dahil dito sa bansa natin, wala ang tinatawag na "equal opportunity". Equal opportunity to excel, equal opportunity to express, equal opportunity to be heard at equal opportunity to justice. Lahat ng ito ay hindi makikita sa Pilipinas. Sa halos lahat ng pagkakataon (kung hindi man sa lahat), mayayaman lang ang nagkakaroon ng boses.

At kung gaano naman kamahal ang bilihin dito sa aking bansa, siya namang mura ng buhay ng tao. Saan pa ba, kundi dito ka lamang makakakita ng buhay na nakikitil dahil sa cellphone na nagkakahalang P1,000 o mga taong tinutumba ng hired killer na binabayaran ng sampung libo. Dito nabibili ng mura ang hustisya. Naaareglo ang kasong pagpatay o rape sa dalawampung libo at nababayaran ang otoridad para sa proteksyon ng malalaking sindikato. Dito rin mura lang ang dignidad. Mga taong ipagpapalit ang dangal at prinsipyo at sinumpaan sa bayan para sa kaunting halaga gaya ng mga heneral ng hukbong tanggulan na lumilibot sa mundo para magbakasyon gamit ang pera ng bayan. Dito iniiwan ng mga ama, ina at anak ang kanilang pamilya upang makipagsapalaran kapalit ang maliit na halaga at minsan ay nagpapahamak pa sa kanila.

Mahal ko ang Pilipinas, paulit-ulit ko itong sinasabi simula noong kinder kung kailan natutunan kong bigkasin ang Panatang Makabayan at kantahin ang Lupang Hiniranag, para sa akin, napakaganda ng aking bansa, dahilan upang araw-araw ay dalawin ito ng mga turista, ngunit ang mga katotohanan na kumakalabit sa akin sa tuwing nakakakita ako ng batang natutulog sa kalye at nakakapanood ng balita sa telebisyon tungkol sa krimen, kahirapan at korapsyon, di ko mapigilang manghinayang. Ako ay isang Pilipino, nagta-Tagalog, kumakain ng fishball at kwek-kwek, isaw at adidas, mahilig ako sa pansit canton gaya iba kong kababayan at ako ay buhay na saksi sa mga malungkot na pangyayari sa lipunan. Dahil sa pansit canton na kinain ko kaninang agahan, napagtanto kong muli ang isang malaking katotohanan na pilit kong iniiwasan... MALALA NA NGA TALAGA ANG SAKIT NG MAHAL KONG BAYAN.

CLICK THE PHOTO BELOW TO VOTE TAYLOR SWIFT AS ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR AT THE ACADEMY FOR COUNTRY MUSIC (ACM) AWARDS...

Histrionic Personality Disorder (HDP)

Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a personality disorder characterized by a pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking, including an excessive need for approval and inappropriate seductiveness, usually beginning in early adulthood. These individuals are lively, dramatic, enthusiastic, and flirtatious.

They may be inappropriately sexually provocative, express strong emotions with an impressionistic style, and be easily influenced by others. Associated features may include egocentrism, self-indulgence, continuous longing for appreciation, feelings that are easily hurt, and persistent manipulative behavior to achieve their own needs.

People with histrionic personality disorder usually have GOOD SOCIAL SKILLS, but they tend to use these skills to MANIPULATE other people and become the CENTER OF ATTENTION. Furthermore, histrionic personality disorder may affect a person's social or romantic relationships or their ability to cope with losses or failures.

People with this disorder lack genuine empathy. They start relationships well but tend to falter when depth and durability are needed, alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation. They may seek treatment for depression when romantic relationships end, although this is by no means a feature exclusive to this disorder.

Additional symptoms include:

* Exhibitionist behavior.
* Constant seeking of reassurance or approval.
* Excessive dramatics with exaggerated displays of emotions.
* Excessive sensitivity to criticism or disapproval.
* Inappropriately seductive appearance or behavior.
* Excessive concern with physical appearance.
* Somatic symptoms, and using these symptoms as a means of garnering attention.
* A need to be the center of attention.
* Low tolerance for frustration or delayed gratification.
* Rapidly shifting emotional states that may appear superficial or exaggerated to others.
* Tendency to believe that relationships are more intimate than they actually are.
* Making rash decisions.

Teenage Heartbreak, End of The World? (Of course not!)

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Love is a strange thing. When you are young and thinks you are in-love, you tend to do weird things, fall for weird people and fall apart in the weirdest way imaginable. I am pretty matured now, but every time I read teenage magazines and see teenage girls giggling over crushes and high school lovers, it feels like a time capsule is bringing me back to the old days.

I was pretty young the first time I fell in love, although I didn't know yet the difference between true love and puppy love that time. And when you're the teacher's daughter striving to be on top of the roll, boys seems to be distant. Nobody really courted me for real even until I was third year. I occasionally get love letters taped under my desk from "anonymous" senders saying "I'm cute" and "they are shy", those kinds of thing.... but there was no formal courtship. I somehow envy my girlfriends who had suitors who visits them at home on weekends and got boyfriends with their parent's blessing. Everybody says I'm lovely and smart and jolly and talented and all that, but I asked myself "Why in the world don't I have a boyfriend?". A question left unanswered until a few months later. Not to mention, my dad specifically said "NO BOYFRIEND TILL AFTER COLLEGE!", and that was one rule so hard to follow.

First, I will share my story with Chris (real name hidden for the person's privacy), a guy whom I had a huge crush for sometime. I started to notice him in second year. He was a petite boy with a clean cut and very neat. he is an awesome dancer and does "back flips" flawlessly. He plays the guitar and plays baseball for the athletic meet and he has a very good handwriting (I know, coz I often sneak at his testpapers on my mom's desk, I often hide some of them). My mom handled their Filipino class until they're senior year, and I can hardly count the times when I interrupt their class, calling my mom to ask for random things (money, ballpen, paper or even ask stupid questions) just so he could notice me. During the Student Council room-to-room campaign, I had the longest speech on the senior class. I absolutely did everything to get noticed but it seemed like non of them worked. Everytime I received anonymous letters I keenly checked the penmanship but nothing matched. He often smiles at me whenever we pass by each other (and of course I giggled to death) but that was all, nothing more. On the night of Student Council Induction Party, I finally had the courage to do what a decent teenage girl wasn't supposed to do. I asked him one huge question, "DO YOU LIKE ME OR NOT?" A moment of silence.... then he walked away without a word. I was horrified, embarrassed, disgusted and broken. I went home crying, I wasn't able to finish the party. The following morning, his bestfriend gave me a letter. It was from him, saying he was sorry and that he just didn't know what to say the other night. And there was the answer to the question of why I don't have a boyfriend. He said, "I liked you since last year. It's  just that it won't be possible. I'm afraid to embarrass your mom, she might get mad at me if I court you. And I'm not good enough for you. You were up there smart and pretty. I am down here, with nothing." (that was really his statement and I kept that letter until my latest heartbreak last year when I decided to burn everything from my past, which I regret now). Then after that, I realize I never really loved him--- just INFATUATED. I was just stunned for his looks and therefore fantasize as what normal teens do. Then I moved on with my life. That was basically my first cry, not knowing that a lot will follow as year will go.

Months after that, I finally had my first boyfriend. But I won't elaborate more about him, coz I can hardly put in detail how I lost him. But I lost him a year and three months after, in the most painful way that you can possibly lost someone (you probably have a vague idea of what I mean).

After all, I realized that there's more to life than a high school romance that turned sour. I got a chance to meet other guys and even though most of them didn't work the way I wanted them to, I still stood up after every fall and moved forward.

In the past five years, I've been loved and dumped a couple of times already. And apart from the pain and heartaches, I learned a lot of lessons. 1) a teenage heartbreak is never the end of it all 2) a lot is yet to come during the rest and after our teenage days 3) when somebody leaves, it's an opportunity to find a better one 4) people come and go so you really can't expect everybody to stay, and 5) Everything happens for a reason -- so if you are in a difficult, painful situation today, keep believing that something good will soon come your way. Take it from me... I've been there!

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P.S.

I heard about Chris a few weeks ago (seven years after what happened), and I learned that he is currently in a serious commitment with another dude. Yes, I learned that he is homosexual. And I was enlightened... that's probably why! :)