“You know what’s right. It’s time to do what’s right.” Obama on supporting the new deficit plan, which raises millionaires’ taxes instead of heaping all the tax raises and burdens on the average American. (image by marian16rox.tumblr.com)

The new plan will tax rich people more (because duh they can afford it) instead of heaping all the tax raises and deficit burdens on the average American. This plan helps the middle class, the poor & the disadvantaged from taking the brunt of the recession woes.

And thank you Warren Buffett for the insight. According to the multi-millionaire & philanthropist, his staff pays higher taxes than he does and he says that it’s not right. He says that wealthy people must pay more because they earn more. He (a rich man himself) clearly said that it’s unfair . Amen to that! Yes, unfair, when laws are made to protect the rich and abuse the poor. 

Under Obama’s plan the wealthy need to pay higher taxes. It just evens out the playing field, IMO. If you earn more you should pay more, to help keep your country running. It wouldn’t be fair to raise the taxes on the average American while the wealthy whom many Republicans protect (& get funding from) get off scot-free.

The American public need to understand that many Republicans may veto this plan of Obama’s, simply because they want to protect the wealthy or their own business interests.  I hope those Republicans (& any Democrats who fight this) choke on their vetoes.

…All this & I’m not even American. Lol. They must be twice as passionate about this right now. I hope.

Don’t even TRY and read this if you haven’t watched Something Borrowed or read the book or plan on doing either, because I pretty much spill the ending from the get go. And then some.

I loved Something Borrowed. I loved that the lovable and quirky good girl, Rachel, got the gorgeous guy, Dex.

 I like the realism of the fact that they were scared or just so comfortable with the way people have perceived them that they let people get away with walking all over them – at first. It made the characters relatable. But then they “manned up” and when they did man up, it was clear they were hesitant and fighting their wants to do the right thing. Again, relatable. Again, human and realistic.

 I’m not saying this one’s up for an Oscar. Far from it. I’m just saying I liked how messed up they were when they realized they were in love with each other. Doesn’t love always muck things up even just a bit in real life?

 But back to the movie…

 I absolutely loved Ethan, of course. He was amazing in all his one-lined witty glory. I’m kind of sad because I know who he ends up with at the end of the second book, Something Blue. His awesomeness and that undeniably sweet soul of his would be wasted on the woman. I’m biased, I acknowledge, but really he’s just this adorable bundle of male perfection. Less shiny and gorgeous than Dex but every bit as amazing. If Rachel could have realistically had two guys, I would want her to have Ethan as well. Just saying.

  This guy is just adorable as hell and I’m annoyed that he got straddled with the girl he ended up with. He deserves his own Rachel (…Or maybe a Rachel clone? Lol. Crazy, yes, but what the heck? This is my opinion. You’re thanking your lucky stars I’m not a movie critic, aren’t you? lol) and I almost did root for him. I don’t know if he deserved to end up with the woman he falls for in S. Blue, that he deserved such a romance and if said girl even merits it. I just don’t like her.  (I don’t want to ruin it for those who haven’t read Something Blue. No, this isn’t in the movie. It’s from the books. Crossover ranting. Sorry!).

  Taken from another POV though, it would be coup for him to end up with that girl. So maybe I’ll just worship his cute-author-slash-cool-and-loyal-best-friend-character and say cheers to the man for getting that girl-who-everyone-loves-and-wants-to-be (although by the end of the movie I didn’t like her and a large number of people who read Blue were annoyed her for most of the book. Lol). Although I really wanted him to get a legitimate shot with Rachel. Hehe. This is the fault of one particular scene in which I almost – ALMOST – change allegiances from Dex to Ethan. Well actually I did, but just for that scene. He was so painfully sweet, you just had to commiserate with him.

 Then the part where Darcy finds out and it blows up in Rachel’s face… Damn. It was heart-wrenching to watch, as I’m the type of person who values friendship greatly, and theirs was the kind you would want to have for life. They were thisclose and suddenly everything is ruined and it can’t go back to that beautiful (if, somewhat unbalanced – because Darcy’s an insecure attention whore) friendship. It was horrible because no matter what each other’s faults were, these two loved each other like sisters and were the best of friends. But as bad as the fight was, it was needed for all of them to grow. At least the facing of reality was quick, ripping off the bandage quick.

 I’m against cheating. It’s wrong, and their scenes, always got me worked up, hoping one of them would just come clean to Darcy. But there are cases that are exceptions to the rule. People will say that a lot in defense of doing the wrong thing, but this time it’s actually true. In this instance I feel that Rachel and Dex got cheated first. They got cheated out it by an overeager, spotlight-chasing Darcy. So yes, I don’t usually condone cheating, even in fiction (it just sort of adds an allure to real-life stepping out, encouraging the cheating, so it bugs me even in fiction). People get hurt, lives torn apart. Dramatic? It also happens to be true. So like I mentioned before, I was for a lot of scenes cringing and muttering how they should just tell Darcy. Because it’s just better to be up front, yeah?

 You can say that this is another cold, hard fact of life: some people just aren’t meant to be together. And that’s it.

 Anyways, this was different. It wasn’t this cruel, insulting, planned deceit but something that was meant to happen from the very first. It just got derailed by the sheer brevity of Darcy. It reminds me of Feast of Love. You can’t just control true love. If it is true love, as it is in the movie, find it and don’t let the lustre diminish. Fight for it. Hard.

 But on to why I loved this movie so much. The girl gets the guy, right? But it’s more than just that happy ending, walking-off-into- the-NY-sunset formula.

 It’s rare for the good, accomplished yet average nice girl to get the guy that’s a stereotypical prince charming. He is! He’s like a walking, talking ad for male perfection (none of the cheesiness and more of the hot-damn). And Rachel got him.

 A lot of 80s films actually had this ending. Maybe even the early 90s ones? Yet lately movies have been giving us the girl-gets-cute-best-friend or girl-finds-the-geeky-soulmate version. Think 27 Dresses, or John Tucker Must Die or She’s Out of My League or even Burlesque. Sure the nice, geeky is just as perfect. Ethan is Exhibit A of that point… And the guy best friend is usually the better choice in rom-coms.  Yet I still can’t help but  want the out-and-out fairy tale, okay? Something Blue served it up. Minus Richard Gere’s private jet, but just as lovely.

 Furthermore, it is equally rare for Mr. Perfect to see what a great person, woman, that girl is from the get go. Even without any of the requisite, much-hyped about sparkle, Dex got it.

 Dex in all his glossy perfection fell for the girl without any life-altering experience to nudge him in that direction. He got to know her and he was hooked, no fabulous insight-rendering moments or flick of the switch light bulb moments. He was just drawn to this girl through the normal, everyday means of life at the very beginning of the story. He fell without flowery, romantic moments, just going through the motions of real life . Also, he loved her and was in love with her for so long, it’s kinda impressive.

 This part really drew me in. Let’s be honest. The picture perfect woman? Not real. In this world, we’re all a bit quirky and flawed. We all can’t be fabulously outgoing, ultra-confident glamour pusses. We can’t but we can still win.

Simply by being yourself, by going for what you want. Rachel stuck to her guns so to speak. It gave gave a messy realism to the romantic comedy, IMO.

 In life you do what you have to do to be happy. Not in a step-on-others-and-destroy-lives way but in the sense that you stand your ground and fight for that chance at happiness. You deserve that shot. No apologies, just life doling out curve balls for all of us.

 Yes, I know this is all fictional, but it gives the romantic in me a good feeling. So yay for this movie. I’m totally getting a DVD and waiting with bated breath (lol) for the sequel.

I know people who know me would tease that I’m just being sensitive because I  happen to like our current president and how he’s been dealing with the campaign against corruption.Well, I do like it when they go after corrupt officials and civil servants. They should! For too long we’ve sat back and let the corrupt, greedy bastards in past administrations get away with cheating our country out of change and our people out of true democracy.

We should be grateful for this administration’s dedication to searching for the truth, for its work towards providing justice. It’s a forward movement, a change that might not be readily felt but is gravely needed and crucial for the greater good. I mean, this is what we want right? The greater good? It’s not just abou you or me anymore, fellow Filipinos. It’s for all of us, so that our democracy can start anew with a clean slate, no corruption and with proper accountability.

But that’s not my point here. Really, it isn’t. And I do have one.

I’ve always been irked by the opinionated ravings of people – political pundits and average citizens alike – who just talk their faces off without having any real dealings or experiences with trying to make change. Each time we have a SONA you see politicians showboating, citizens complaining about things that only affect their own personal lives and critics bragging how they can do better. But these so-called concerned citizens do not do anything personally, as individuals, to make change.

If this were high school, you would call them posers.

They put in such a huge effort into putting down the people who ARE doing their jobs, but no effort whatsoever in actually initiating change, establishing community projects or volunteering for NGOs and programs. So much for all that hot air.

You might be raising your eyebrows, wondering where the heck do I get off spouting such nonsense. But you know what? It’s true. And it’s pretty simple to grasp.

If you want change, help make it, Filipinos.

There are literally hundreds of NGOs out there that could use your help to build up our nation, to give aid to the underprivileged, to protect and conserve our natural resources, to better education and to give support to Filipino arts and culture. Yet, programs and organizations lack volunteers, even while the majority is clamoring for that so desired change.

I joined some students earlier today in a Gawad Kalinga (GK) build and it was there that you could see proof of what one individual  can do, if they decide to make a change.

They were doing their part for our country’s welfare and none of them were grumbling about their own sacrifices. They gave up a Saturday morning – time they could have used to sleep in or go out – to help build houses. They gave up hours where they could be working on school work or spending time with loved ones. They poured out sweat and got clothes muddied. To build houses for people they don’t even know, with the idea that they were helping fellow countrymen and touching lives. These houses will be home to families. It is a fresh start on their lives with the security of a place to call their own. It is a chance to have a stable foundation onto which they can build their lives.

We didn’t get to do a whole lot this morning because it rain clouds arrived and it suddenly rained heavily„ but for the first hours under the blistering heat of the sun, we managed to make a dent, have an honest-to-goodness impact on the state of things. Small as it might be, it’s the effort, the willingness and the optimism that counts.

It’s the hope that this little part by one person when collectively taken can mean a big difference. Not only for one person or family, but for countless lives that will be touched directly or indirectly by the difference you’ve made.

Seeing these kids in action, you have to wonder what about all the innumerable others who seek change, a better future, but aren’t doing a damn thing about it? Where are all these supposed nation-lovers? Where are they when the country needs them the most? They sure weren’t at the GK build I was at.

So, really guys, don’t just sit there & complain.

In these students working with GK, or in volunteers – young and old – for other NGOs, civic groups or environmental organizations or even in the simple kindnesses people do, you’ll find the true, goodhearted values of nation building. Not the literal nation building, but the concept of developing, fixing, “building up” one’s motherland through various plans, projects, good deeds, ideas and seemingly easy acts done by individuals.

Piece by piece, little by little, we’re building a nation.

Building it up for ourselves, for Filipinos, for the future generations.

You know why? Because it’s personal.

Yes, President Noynoy Aquino said it right when he said anti-corruption was personal. Frankly, it and ALL issues affecting democracy, our people, our nation, should be personal.

Not just to him, but to us as a people. It’s personal when it’s our money that’s being stolen. It’s personal when it’s our countrymen being silenced, killed, victimized. It’s personal when it’s our choices, our votes, being trashed. It’s personal when it’s our resources being exploited. It’s personal when it’s our people being deprived of truth, justice, betterment and a democracy.

With that, we should also provide solutions on a personal level. Do your own personal bit for the good of the nation.

So before you start giving opinions left and right, look in the mirror and ask yourself, “What am I doing for my country?”…Because to put it bluntly, it is just plain annoying when people mouth off when they themselves aren’t doing anything. And it’s ignorant to assume that change can be done easily – instantly – if you haven’t even TRIED effecting change.

We can’t leave all the hard work to our officials, we have to pick up the slack, too. Walk the talk, quit your whining & go initiate your personal contribution to changing our nation.

I forgot to post this on here, as I originally post thoughts on Tumblr. I watched the movie on its first day here. It was every bit as good as I expected it to be.

I cried a little in some scenes. What did you expect? It’s the final one. An end of an era. And some of my favorite characters died (Tonks/Lupin), so I teared up.

One thing though…

Where’s Lupin’s kid at the end? I hated that Tonks & Lupin died. When I first read the book I was inconsolable. Okay only for about a few hours until I got to the ending and saw/read that Teddy was doing okay, and Harry was watching out for him. Still, it was sad. Lupin & Sirius were always one of my favorites and they died. Anyways, back to Teddy Lupin. I was looking forward to that scene in the movie when they take the kids to board the Hogwarts Express. And they didn’t even show him. Or maybe they did and my nephew who was fidgeting beside me just distracted me.  Did they? I didn’t see Teddy! *rages* Total buzzkill. :/

On the upside, Neville was awesome. He, Lune and the honorary “uncles” are the best ever. So I’m glad one of my favorites had his day in the spotlight.

And… once you’ve seen pictures of Matthew Lewis in real life, you can never quite go back to seeing him as Neville-the-funny-looking-one.​ You keep expecting him to morph into that hot guy from the premiere. Geez, Tumblr, thanks for messing with my mind once again.

So that’s really a lot of things, but yeah. Over all, an epic movie. Probably ties with the first one as my choice movie of the HP film series. For the books though, it’ll always be The Prisoner of Azkaban.

For serious. Where do people pick this stuff up? Lmao.

As for actually moving, it’s a constant question I have to deal with – especially with my family & college classmates.

With my classmates, it’s expected. A lot of them do want to move, that’s why they took Nursing. They see my situation as a no-brainer, when it’s really not. I like having an idea about where I’m headed & what it’ll be like. Sort of a plan, but flexible and changeable along the way. Lol. Ok, scratch that. Just a fairly good idea of what I want to do there.

But my family? Ugh. My older sister and most of my cousins are on my back about this all the freakin time. They want me to move someplace close (so they bug me better I guess? Or for easier vacation planning maybe), and they’ve even resorted to pointing out that some of my friends have moved. So far, only 2 are there, ok?

It seems easy (and compared to others, my situation is), but I’m still trying to figure out a lot of options – what I want to do, do I want to study something else, postgraduate opportunities, what NGOs are there to volunteer for (yes, this is very important if I want to like a place), who’s living close by.

Sure, moving abroad is a logical step for people in my profession, but I still have time. I don’t want to rush and end up miserable because it’s not what I expected. I also want to be prepared.

As in really prepared. Moving to a different country is a huge decision. And a life-changing one in more ways than just geographically. So I’ve made a list of things I need to do to better prepare:

• I want work experience. Both in an office and in the hospital.
• Learn to cook. I’ll probably end up staying with my sister or cousins for a few months and none of them are vegetarians. No one will be sympathetic if I go hungry because I refuse to eat the meat dishes. Lol
• Practice driving an manual transmission car. Automatics are easy, so if I get better MT, I’ll survive with AT.
• Get certified for IV insertion/IV therapy, Basic Life Support, ACLS.
• Laundry skills need polishing. Learn to iron, too.
• Learn to sew or mend. I’m serious. It seems like a practical/useful skill to have.
• Car basics. If I’m gonna drive one… Another reason to embrace public transport.

I used to be really excited about going (I still do sometimes like when there’s a really good game happening in Chicago), but then I realized why the hell would I want to leave so quickly?

My friends are here. The NGOs I volunteer for are here. We have someone that does our laundry at home, someone to cook for me, someone to clean up.

Upside of leaving though: Independence!

Also, I love the train systems & reliability of public transport in other countries. I’ll get to travel more. I’ll get to check off a lot of items off my Bucket List. There are a lot more gadgets that are available there than they are here and at a cheaper price, too (my techie side is in raptures over the idea).

So yeah, there are ups and downs, but I’ll stay put for now.

I think I’m the only one who doesn’t have a biology degree. Admit it. Nursing is a bit unrelated… And then they asked me to apply for a full-time position as a coordinator of a program they’re setting up. *died-of-happiness*

Then reality slapped me back to life. More decisions to make, apparently.

FU, reality.

Almost everybody here at home is excited for me. My dad just “pouted”, pointed out how I talked about that Humanitarian Action master’s degree and asked me about moving to Chicago.

Nice one, Dad. Even my sister (who’s a nurse in Chicago) is happy and excited. But my dad? Nope, wants me to go “see the world” first or maybe he just wants to get rid of me. :/ He was excited about me being a nurse & getting to really work then save up for traveling.

To be honest, IDK what I’m gonna do. I’ll be working at this reef/rainforest organization for a minimum of 2 years. There’s flexibility for sure, but I’d feel guilty about having to take a month or so off to go on a trip to the US if I took it.

Also, I’ve sort of set goals on a health-related NGO. I even have a 5-year plan! :O Yes, I’m OC like that… Then there’s the fact that it’s here. My family, despite their happiness for me, really want me to move. I think they realize how living here is suffocating me. It’s not the place (I love living in a city an hour from the mountains and an hour or two from beaches) but the people. Ugh. Except for friends I’m really close to, I’m sick of people here. Closed-mindedness & petty drama & not giving a fuck about what’s going on. Conversations are going stale. This is one of the reasons why my sister & parents easily convinced me to take Nursing, so I’ll have the option to leave.

Now I’m confused about what to do. I’m going to go and think about this. Maybe something will click by Monday. I hate being mature/grown up. 6-year-olds take their carefree days for granted. Can I be six again? Real life is scary.

But one good thing I got out of the seemingly endless stream of daughter duties (in other words acting as personal  assistant to my mom) is that I got to listen to the President, Noynoy Aquino, thank volunteers from my province for their work. He was grateful not just for their  campaign work but more importantly for the projects they’ve initiated in partnership with his administration. Since his election into office, various NGOs have worked to do numerous housing, community outreach, livelihood and fundraising projects that focus on social issues geared towards change.

What Pres. Aquino emphasized when he was running for office was to make a change, implement reform, but more importantly to set up a sustainable way of creating that change. So he was glad that NGOs around the country, including here in my province, have started their own ways to do so. He says he’ll be retiring in 2016, but these works by volunteers will continue beyond his term, which was what he hoped for. It’s sustained reform, a change fueled by the dedication of everyday citizens hoping to make the country of ours stronger… so that every Filipino’s tomorrow (not just those in power) will be a brighter one indeed.

So this is my wake up call. Get more active, do something productive.

Two volunteer meetings this week… But first, get some sleep TONIGHT.

Watching CNN last night… Anderson Cooper reported he & his cameraman got into some trouble, getting kicked, pushed around and chased.Protesters tried to take their camera away, not noticing Anderson was capturing it all on his camera phone. Several other journalists have had similar problems in Cairo. :/

While I respect the various groups’s right to assembly, to protest over the state of their country and to choose their leader, I wish they would do it peacefully. I’m worried that because of the violence, the people’s voice and their reasons for protest will be overshadowed.

Ousting a leader with people power & no bloodshed – it’s been done before. Here in my country. And in other places as well. They can do it in Egypt. It can happen anywhere when people have the same hopes & dreams for their nation.

I’m hoping there will be a better alternative in making their pleas and demands heard. Something better than the violence. Also hoping for a good conclusion for everyone in Egypt.

WALK AWAY.

There will always be those individuals in your life that pretend to care, just to watch the train wreck up close.  They’ll try to insinuate themselves into your business, talking the talk and never actually giving you any word of wisdom. Preachers on their pedestals, despite the fact they’ve never truly had to deal with problems of their own. Because if they’ve been there (you know, wherever darkness you are in right now), they’ll talk of the reality and not of contempt. Those who have faced the dark bits of life. listen to them, they won’t be preaching. They’ll be listening and will speak the (sometimes hurtful) truth without making you feel like shit.

But the preachers speak like experts, condemning you to self-doubt, when in reality they’ve never really had that much experience in life. Actual messy, chaotic life. So when those persons come around, dispensing wisdom like they’re Gandhi, ask yourself if you want to be there when they’re spouting off the bullshit.  Because if they’ve never been in your situation, they won’t understand your POV or decisions.

People can be poison, crushing your dreams and dismissing your ideas with their take on life. They’ve most likely lost their imagination, if they’re putting down yours. And usually the “advice” they’ll say will neither be constructive nor insightful, just more white noise. So choose the ones that make you see the light and stick around when everyone else is turning their backs. Choose the ones with good hearts and truths (no matter how gritty or painful) and an honesty about flaws/mistakes.

Yes, there are those well-meaning ones going for the tough love approach. The difference between tough love and just plain downers is that with tough love they actually make you see what’s wrong and point you in a good direction. Downers just keep on hating, laying blame, giving high-and-mighty advice – that they themselves can’t follow – all without ever really telling you what the hell you’re doing wrong. Their crap that has no place in your reality.

People can be bitchy hateful twats, who want to make themselves feel better by bringing you down. Misery loves company and they probably think you’re good company. So burst their bubble and tune out their drama.

The doubts will come, but if you know yourself, they’ll fade away as you stand strong and believe. Trust and have faith – in you, your choices, your true friends, in family, in the path you’ve chosen. The negativity isn’t worth your time. You’ve got better things to do, like  chasing your dreams.

A beautiful country that’s just waiting for you to fall in love with it, Italy will hold you captive within days (even hours?) of getting to know it. There is always an event to go to, architecture to see, people to talk to, gorgeous views to capture on film.

There is an abundance of great places you can spend a summer in – the world is awesome that way, full of diversity and beauty at every turn -  but I feel that Italy would be a good place for me.

It’s so different and yet so much alike to my home country, because of the Italian people. They’re nice, friendly and generally happy. Italians also love their country in an unselfish way, because they want to share its beauty with visitors. In some cities and countries I’ve been to, this is not the case. The locals tend to snub tourists and keep to themselves, but while I was in Bari last year, I found locals going out of their way to help out with things like getting around or suggestions for sights we absolutely musn’t miss. Maybe it’s just in Bari that it is like this, but I get the feeling that it’s this way for all of Italy. The people are warm and their identity is so strong, you get drawn into their world and culture so fully. It’s a good experience when traveling, IMO. Nothing like finding depth when you’re on a holiday.

And then there’s the old world feel. The buildings and landscapes are just so magnificent and classic, that in a way, it’s almost like you’ve been transported to another time. You could get lost in its amazing  labyrinths of ancient ruins, preserved monuments and buildings. Then you want time to stand still at sunset, when the rays of sunshine light up the structures. It’s a bit of a fairy tale, really, one I wanted to get stuck in. You’ve seen pictures. I don’t need to explain further.

And who can forget the food? The food and the culture is wonderful. I’d like to learn to cook there. Their food is off-the-charts. From hotels to restaurants to little hole-ine-the-wall-cafes, I’ve discovered new dishes and new twists to old favorites of mine. Eating there is an adventure, even for a vegetarian like me. Learning the language would be lovely. I’d like to find out more about their beliefs, religion/faiths and traditions. All the little things that make Italy, Italy.