The World of Second Chances

A Few Will Cry On My Funeral

December 11, 2008

Life & Love, That’s Entertainment

Marky Cielo’s untimely demise definitely affected a lot of people; fan or not. Aside from being the first minority to reach star status in local showbiz, the boy was also good-natured. He had this charismatic aura that easily attracted people.

His star shone brighter in death. Proof of this is the long queue of mourning fans, friends, colleagues, former classmates, relatives and family. If we could only collect all the tears shed because of his death, it could have been a bucket full of tears in a day.

There are several speculations about the rootcause of his death. Was there foulplay? Was it suicide? Was it acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis? All I know is that his time on this life has ended to start a life beyond this life.

I couldn’t help but wonder if I would receive the same amount of mourning when my day on this life would end. How many people will cry on my funeral? One, two, ten? It makes me think that I want people to remember me as someone who touched their life in a positive way. I want to die leaving a good impression by having been a good citizen, friend, wife, mother, sister and employee. Maybe a few will cry on my funeral but I will leave a lot of people whose lives I touched.
Tara, Laro Tayo

December 3, 2008

Life & Love

Ang pakikipagrelasyon ay para lang pakikipaglaro ng mga bata. Pag naghahanap ka ng karelasyon, para ka lang batang naghahanap ng makakalaro.

Ben: Bata, tara, laro tayo.

Sandy: Hindi bata ang pangalan ko. Sandy ang pangalan ko.

Ben: Sige, Sandy—laro tayo. Ako nga pala si Ben.

Sandy: Ayoko. Pag nakipaglaro ako, baka masaktan lang ako.

Ben: Bakit naman kita sasaktan eh gusto kitang kalaro? Sige na. Pumayag ka na.

Napapayag ng batang lalaki ang batang babae na maglaro. Nag-jack & poy sila, holen, bunong-braso, jackstone, patintero at kung anu-ano pa. Nawala ang agam-agam ng batang babae na baka sya madapa at magalusan. Paminsan-minsan, umuuwi syang umiiyak dahil nadapa sya pero patuloy syang nakikipaglaro sa batang lalaki kinabukasan. Ang batang lalaki naman ay tuwang-tuwang kalaro ang batang babae dahil mabait ito at hindi nanggugulang.

Dumating ang panahong sawa na ang batang lalaki sa mga laro nila ng batang babae. Bihira na syang makipaglaro dito. Isang araw, kumatok ang batang babae sa pinto ng batang lalaki.

Sandy: Ben, maglaro tayo. Buksan mo ang pinto. Labas ka dyan.

Ben: Wala ako dito, Sandy.

Sandy: Ah, alam ko na. Taguan siguro ang gusto mong laro ngayon.

Maghapong nasa labas ng bahay ang batang babae ngunit hindi lumabas ang batang lalaki. Ganunpaman, inisip ng batang babae na baka nga taguan ang gustong laro ng batang lalaki.

Isang araw, nakita ng batang babae na may bagong mga kasama ang batang lalaki. Nagpapatintero sila. Nakisali ang batang babae.

Sandy: Pasali naman ako.

Ben: Hindi pwede. Sakto na kami.

Sandy: Sige na, isali nyo ako.

Ben: Hindi talaga pwede. Maghanap ka na lang ng ibang kalaro.

Matitigilan ang batang babae; magpapahid ng luha.

Ben: O, ayan ang ayaw ko eh. Yung iiyakan mo ako.

Sandy: Hindi naman ako umiiyak eh. Nagluluha lang ang mata ko.

Ben: Wag mong paluhain ang mata mo.

Sandy: Oo, susubukan ko.

Pinigil nga ng batang babae ang umiyak dahil ayaw nyang sumama ang loob ng batang lalaki sa kanya. Hindi nya alam kung dahil ba sa naaawa sa kanya o nagi-guilty kung bakit ayaw ng batang lalaking nakikita syang umiyak.

Lumipas ang mga araw at hindi na naglalaro ang dalawang bata. Ayaw na talaga ng batang lalaking magpakita sa batang babae. Napansin iyon ng nanay ng batang babae.

Nanay: Anak, matagal na rin kayong di naglalaro ni Ben. Hindi na ba kayo friends?

Sandy: Friends pa rin po. Ang laro nga po naming dalawa ngayon ay taguan. Ako po ang taya. Hindi ko po sya mahanap. Magaling po syang magtago.
Best Wishes, My Ex!

November 25, 2008

Life & Love

My daughter’s father married his long-time girlfriend this year. I learned about it yesterday through his Friendster profile. I experienced mixed emotions of being happy for him and being sad for our daughter.

We parted ways months after my college graduation. I guess, it would be better defined as “I dumped him months after my college graduation.” At that time, I was so angry at him for the following reasons:

1. He didn’t show any concern for our baby. He was afraid of the responsibilities of parenthood.

2. He didn’t fight for me in the real sense of the word.

3. The third reason is very personal. I’d rather not share it.

He tried to win me back for three years but I was so in love with PV; I didn’t give him the opportunity for a second chance. (PV and I went steady a month after my break up with my daughter’s father) But I gave him all the chances to be a good father. I gave him the liberty to visit our daughter every weekend. I hated him for what he has done to me but at the same time, I wanted him to be a good father if he couldn’t be a good husband.

He dated my officemate and it was fine with me. I wanted him to end up with her. During their first months of dating, there were no hassles among us three. It was like a tale in the movie, all four of us were just enjoying our life: me and PV and he and his new girl.

Things took a different turn when he and his girl decided to cut ties with me. It was fine with me because I wanted to focus on my relationship with PV. I wanted my ex out of my life but not out of our daughter’s life. He seemed so bent on forgetting me; he neglected his responsibilities to our daughter.

I didn’t take things sitting down. I wrote an e-mail addressed to him and his girl about his responsibilities and obligations to our daughter. They didn’t reply. After a couple of text messages and e-mail, I gave up.

I took the responsibility of providing for our daughter alone. I didn’t communicate with him for six months much to PV’s satisfaction. One time, I asked if we could see each other. He agreed and we had dinner at a cozy restaurant; his treat. We just talked about our good times with our present partner. It was an hour of fun, I forgot about our gap.

When I moved to another place, I lost in touch with him. The cellphone signal was not good in my new area. For two months, he was always on my dreams. I asked my former officemate if he knew what happened to my ex. He said that my ex went abroad to work. After that, I stopped dreaming of him. In a way, he was still connected to me because I could feel him. I got a missed call from him on December 25, 2006. I texted “Merry Christmas” but he did not reply.

He doesn’t forget to greet me on Mother’s Day. Could it be because deep inside his heart, he knows that I am a good mother? Almost two years have passed without much information about him that is why I was a little shocked to see his new profile—MARRIED.

Would it mean a total shutdown of opportunity to keep him bonded with our daughter? Would it mean a new life with a new family and totally forgetting the ones he had before (me and our daughter)?

I mentioned to Joel (my good friend) how I felt and with his old caring way, he insinuated that I should not be feeling that way towards my ex because I am getting married, too next year. So maybe, I shall wait for the day until my ex becomes a father to our daughter. Best wishes, my ex! Wish me luck next year, too!
The Antoinette Factor

November 12, 2008

That’s Entertainment

Some showbiz people are saying that Marian Rivera is not the real root cause of Dingdong and Karylle’s break up. While Marian is trying hard to defend herself from angry Dingdong-Karylle supporters, it seems like the real culprit (if she really is) is enjoying the merry-go-round as if she’s watching a real-life teledrama.

Surely, Antoinette Taus could never be forgotten as Dingdong Dantes’s first love. Never mind if he was linked to some starlets before like Bianca Lapus. Toni will remain to be Dingdong’s first love from the public’s point of view.

Their break up was not that controversial as compared to Dingdong and Karylle’s. Perhaps, the public lost interest in the Toni-Dingdong love team when the former moved to the US for her Hollywood dream. Until now, Toni believes that Karylle was the third party in the break up. And if Dingdong maintains a good level of friendship with Toni, it isn’t impossible for Toni to know the real score between her ex and the alleged third party behind her own break up with Dingdong. Notice that her answers in the Balakubak portion of Nuts Entertainment were not only brave but very sure.

I don’t believe that she and Dingdong have a child (or as they say, children). It isn’t about a child that continues to give connection to their aborted relationship; it’s Dingdong’s habit of making his exes his bestfriend. When Bianca Lapus’s mother died, remember that Dingdong was there at the funeral. When he dumped Toni for Karylle, he still visits her whenever he goes to the US. He maintains good friendship with his exes and I think that Karylle was most threatened to Toni among Dingdong’s exes.

Could Toni be the real reason of the spit up? Did she really intend to visit Bianca King on the set of Dyesebel or Dingdong asked her to watch the taping?

Whatever the reason is and whoever Dingdong will date after Karylle, Toni will remain to be the young love that Dingdong had.
Karylle, Dingdong and Marian

November 10, 2008

That’s Entertainment

Whoa! More and more people are getting interested in the most controversial break up in 2008: the Karylle and Dingdong split up. But who is really telling the truth? Who is still hurting? Who initiated the split up? Who caused the split up? What caused the split up? What is reel and what is real?

Is it just coincidental when Karylle and Dingdong’s break up rumor spreaded at least three weeks before the playdate of “One True Love?” Could this be gimmick? Does the sensational love team need gimmick, by the way? No doubt, Marian and Dingdong’s love team is selling like hotcakes so there’s no need for an additional spice. My analysis: the break up is NO gimmick!

At the height of the Marimar fever, a reporter asked Dingdong if he knows where Karylle is at the moment. The actor simply said “I don’t know!” Of course, Marimar fans were delighted at the response! The actor seemed not to care about his real love in favor of his reel love! What a reply, isn’t it? My analysis: Karylle and Dingdong’s relationship was never been so good. It was just our perception. We were just taken for a ride.

I was one of the many showbiz kibitzers who rejoiced when Marian was chosen to play the role of Marimar. The girl got the talent, the body and the face to boot! Fans didn’t care whether she really had a secret boyfriend. (Now we knew she broke up with longtime boyfriend, Ervic.) Her chemistry with Dingdong is physically intense; both of them have Spanish features and it just gave them the advantage. Undoubtedly, Marian’s time has come. She’s now GMA-7’s “it girl” and I think the girl deserves it. But news of her becoming a swellhead disillusioned some of her fans (to the delight of pro-Angel fans!) Her verbal confrontation with a Zambales local during the taping of Dyesebel hurt her sweet image. After that, she was repackaged as a Caviteña fighter: walang makaaapi. The question is, is she really api? Prior to the break up rumor, Marian was quoted as saying “Hindi mahirap mahalin si Dong.” Pampakilig lang ba yan sa fans nyo, Marian? My analysis: yes, it was just a pampakilig to the fans. At that time, Marian probably was not yet aware of the seriousness and gravity of Karylle and Dingdong’s break up. Nakisawsaw para pakiligin ang fans, kumbaga. Little did she knew that that statement could put her in trouble. Notice that Marian was defensive now than when the rumor (break up) was just starting to spread. Nadamay lang itong babaeng ito. Nagpakilig pa kasi!

Karylle finds it hard to move on, instead, she calls it “moving forward.” The lady is still in pain. The lady is crying in silence. My analysis: it was Dingdong who initiated the break up. Notice how relaxed Dingdong is as compared to Karylle. It’s difficult to move on after the break up if it wasn’t you who initiated it. Karylle’s transfer to ABS-CBN could make or break her career. But does a bleeding heart care about the consequences of her decision? She could be ABS-CBN’s next big asset. The first thing that she should do once she starts reporting to ABS-CBN is to keep her silence about the break up. Talking about her ex who’s on the rival network is a big no-no. It could boomerang on her. So please, keep your silence, dear!

Dingdong’s sudden change of heart is not really sudden. As he said, their break up is a result of a long process. He didn’t elaborate more about the “long process.” Long process of what? My analysis: his sudden rise to fame shifted his priorities from settling down to maximizing his career. He’s now 27 or 28 and Karylle is probably asking him about their future plans. Yeah, there could be some slight professional rivalry or relationship insecurity on Karylle’s part and maybe, she’s not really bent on asking Dingdong to marry her next year but a change in either or both of a partner’s lifestyle and focus is REALLY a big factor in any committed relationship.
You Look Wonderful Tonight

November 7, 2008

Life & Love

I’m listening to “Wonderful Tonight.” Wonderful Tonight

I’m reminiscing my ex, the father of my child.

He’s a handsome young man, a college classmate and my first love.

He loved to party, just like me.

The lyrics was about me and him and our partying days in college.

He was a good dancer. I was just a spectator.

He loved the limelight. I loved the farthest corner of the ballroom.

Baguio was still at its romantic glory some 13 years ago.

I loved to drink coffee at home after the party while feeling the cold air on my skin.

We had the best and the worst of time.

And partying was one of our best times together.
Breastfeeding Is Still Best For Babies but…..

November 5, 2008

Wedding & Family Life

Breastfeeding is still best and will always be best for babies but please, have a little privacy in feeding your child! It’s not that I’m sexually stimulated by the sight of breast hanging out from a mother’s blouse. I just hate to see mothers, especially young and attractive mothers, breastfeeding her child and exposing her breast to everyone. I know it’s not public exhibition and I understand the logic that the woman is just feeding her chid. But breasts are still sexual objects and there are people who are naturally pervert! Sure, he wouldn’t probably attack the breastfeeding mom but he could also divert his sexual desire on someone.

Cover your breasts, please! Or make the breastfeeding discreet. We don’t need to see you feeding your baby; that doesn’t make you a better mom than those who are not breastfeeding.