The World of Second Chances

My Torque Phone

July 30, 2010

Career, Finance & Product

My husband broke my Sony Ericsson phone early this year. It didn’t matter to me because we still had two spare cellphones. When my Nokia 6120C phone was damaged due to frequent droppings, I decided to buy a new cellphone because my other cellphone was old and bulky.

I was looking for a simple Nokia phone, it could still be a 6120C because I really loved its slim feature. While Sony Ericsson is my second brand when it comes to cellphone, I thought that maybe LG or Motorola would also be a good choice.

The saleslady showed me the latest Nokia models. I told her that I am not looking for a high-end phone at this time because with a baby around me, I could not promise that I could safekeep my cellphone away from him all of the time. Well, E71 seemed to be perfect for me but I was not impressed with QWERTY boards. Besides, the phone is too wide for my little hand to carry while texting.

I told her that I was just looking for a second phone or maybe a meantime phone. Then she offered me those China phones named Torque, Cherry and Myphone. I told her that I am not into the touch screen thing and QWERTY.

Miel said that the D110 Torque would work just fine with my tiny hands and fingers. So the saleslady gave me a sample of the D110 model and I carefully examined its features.

Okay, so this is not a Nokia or an Ericsson phone so don’t expect that the speaker will be that good. I am not into MP3, MP4 and MP5 (if there will be such a thing) so D110’s inferior speaker is forgivable to me.

The screen is just fine, its longer than my Nokia 6120C screen. The keyboards are made of metal and are just perfect for my little thumb when texting. It’s dual sim, a bonus, so now I can be reached through Globe and Smart. Memory is expandable; I bought a 2-GB memory card. Camera is at 1.3 megapixel only. Well, I don’t need a phone cam since I have a digicam.

I haven’t tried the internet but I wouldn’t dare to try since the phone is just 2G. You can’t add your favorite tunes on the message alert tone so you’re just limited to the built-in tunes on the phone. But you can add tunes on the ring tone, mine is from the melody feature. Yes, just like Ericsson, it has a melody maker. My daughter keyed-in the notes of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and I’m using it as alarm and ring tone.

I can charge my battery anywhere there is a laptop or desktop because the USB is removable from the phone’s battery charger. I can listen to the FM radio when not busy at work.

The price is just PhP 3,200 for the phone and an additional of PhP 400 for the memory card. It’s too early to tell that I saved much money in buying a Torque phone because the defects (whether factory defect or my fault) are not yet showing. But for a text and call feature, a Torque phone
works just right for me.

Is it by any chance that I’m attracted to Acer/Wistron products? My laptop is an Acer and Torque seems to be related to Acer, too.
The Women in Vic Sotto’s Life

July 29, 2010

That’s Entertainment

Tall, slender and possessing an animalistic appeal, that’s how women view Vic Sotto. I don’t know the many women of his life so I’ll just discuss the most unforgetable ones.

Let’s start with ex-wife Dina Bonnevie. I was a young girl when they aired their comedy sitcom, 2+2. I think Mayor Herbert Bautista was in that sitcom, too. I forgot Herbert’s loveteam though. Dina is not only beautiful, she’s also intelligent and smart. In that 1980’s sitcom, I remember that toddler Danica was also in the cast. Then came their separation and the sitcom was put to end. As a young child, I thought they were a happy couple. Dina and Vic were such a nice couple, sayang! At least they produced two beautiful kids; Danica and Oyo Boy. After her failed marriage, Dina became one of the top dramatic stars in the 1980’s and 1990’s. And who can ever forget her May-December love affair gimmick with Gary Estrada? With her beauty and personality, there’s life after Vic Sotto.

Coney Reyes seemed perfect for Vic, too. Just like Dina, Coney is articulate, intelligent, smart and beautiful. Plus point is her being a jolly person. Their relationship produced a son named Vico. I wonder why Vic did not marry Coney. I can’t remember if it was Vic’s marriage that was not yet annulled at that time or was it Coney’s? Aiza Seguerra was a witness on the Coney-Vic love story. After all, she was their “baby.” The couple was just too fond of her.

Angela Luz’ relationship with Vic was not publicized. The only time people got interested on it was when Angela gave birth to a baby girl. That girl turned out to be a golf champion. Angela was the Bilmoko Girl in the 1980’s SMB commercial. She is the sister of the late Paula Luz, a singer.

Christine Jacob and Coney Reyes both have a bubbly personality. Christine was overweight when she started in Eat Bulaga. It was the late Rio Diaz-Cojuangco who advised her to lose weight. The new Christine captivated Bosing’s heart. Fans thought that Vic finally found the “One.” After several years of going steady, Christine broke up with him as she saw that their relationship had no future. Christine is now married to a Sandejas and is happily taking care of their children.

After Christine Jacob comes Kristine Florendo. Kristine was a beauty queen and that’s all that we know about her. Vic was mum about their rumored relationship and it did not create a stir unlike the first three women that I mentioned.

Then there’s Pia Cabrera, a model, who was linked to him. Just like Kristine Florendo, Vic was mum about their rumored relationship.

I remember that Vic tried to pursue Kris Aquino, too. But Kris was just too excited to let the people know about it, the short-lived courtship ended so fast.

Pia Guanio was Mike Jacob’s fiancee. Mike is Christine Jacob’s brother and yes, Christine was Vic’s ex. Vic came to the picture after Pia and Mike broke up. Pia is cute, sexy, smart and intelligent. With Pia, Vic was very vocal about his affection; something that he never did to his past girlfriends. They seemed to be compatible and happy until we saw a crying Pia Guanio on Showbiz Central some two weeks ago. They are having problems on their relationship and fans are just too concerned about them.

Now, is it possible that Vic and Dina will reconcile and be together again? Maybe this time, things have changed. Oh well, Vic’s lovelife still makes headlines in the entertainment industry.

Update as of Jan. 11, 2013:
I should have written this a year ago when the rumors linking Vic to Pauleen Luna was at its strongest. Pauleen Luna is almost three decades his junior and she is of the same age as Paulina, Vic’s daughter courtesy of Angela Luz. From the looks of it, Oyo Boy is not very happy about his father being linked with a much much younger girl. The chapter of Vic and Dina’s love story clearly ended when the latter married a politician from the Ilocos region. A possible reconciliation with lady love Pia Guanio became a fantasy when Pia married businessman Steve Mago. Pia is now a happy wife and mother to a baby girl. If you’ve seen Pia on TV, she’s still very sexy and toned; you wouldn’t think she just gave birth. Now back to Pauleen; she was once a Little Miss Philippines contestant—you can imagine the big age gap between her and Vic. But should age matter when two people are in love?
My Parents’ Theme Song

July 27, 2010

Wedding & Family Life

Pangako
By The Flippers
Pag-ibig ko sa ‘yo
Ko lang ibibigay
Pagkat ikaw lamang
Ang tangi kong mahal
Lumayo ka man
Ako’y maghihintay
Ganyan kita kamahal …

Lumuha man ako
Nang dahil sa iyo
‘Di ko magagawang
Magalit ng totoo
Pagkat ikaw lamang
Ang tanging mahal ko
Pag-ibig ko’y sa ‘yo …

Chorus:
Ang aking buhay
Ay lagi ng masaya
Buhat ng tayo ay pinag-isa …

Pag-ibig ko sa ‘yo
Ko lang ibibigay
Pagkat ikaw lamang
Ang tangi kong mahal
Lumayo ka man
Ako’y maghihintay
Ganyan kita kamahal …

Lumuha man ako
Nang dahil sa iyo
‘Di ko magagawang
Magalit ng totoo
Pagkat ikaw lamang
Ang tanging mahal ko
Pag-ibig ko’y sa ‘yo …

Chorus:
Ang aking buhay
Ay lagi ng masaya
Buhat ng tayo ay pinag-isa …

Ang aking buhay
Ay lagi ng masaya
Buhat ng tayo ay pinag-isa …

*********************************************

I cry everytime I recall this song. This is my parents’ theme song. More than that, I was a witness to the ups and downs of their relationship. There was a time when I thought that they would separate. My mother was very patient of my father’s shortcomings. For her, a family must stay together no matter what and there is always a chance to change for the better. I am not saying that my father is a bad person. Just like any other man, he had his inferiorities. My mother was successful in her career and at one point, she was given an award for her exemplary job performance. I guess, they were not able to settle their issues early on their marriage; it just stayed there unnoticed.

I knew in my heart that no matter how many times my father made my mother cry, she was the only one in his heart. And my father is not a bad person as what other people think. We had our issues but at the end of the day, we were still together; dining together and talking about the day’s events.
A Good Kisser Is Not Bad Breath

July 22, 2010

Health & Beauty

I will only speak as far as my opinion in terms of proper oral hygiene. Some might get the impression that I’ve kissed a lot of men. No, I only had three boyfriends in my life and the third one became my husband.

I am overly conscious when it comes to my breath; I always try to smell my breath if it still smells good or I need a gargle or toothbrush before talking with people. You can have a bad hair day and people will forgive you but having a bad breath will earn you codenames that you wouldn’t like. 😉

I lick my hand and wait for it to dry before smelling it to test if my breath is bad. Usually, if I eat a lot of breads and pasta, the particles are so sticky so they stay in between my teeth. These particles need flossing to have it removed. Otherwise, you’ll notice that your breath smells bad even after brushing your teeth.

Generally, smokers have that kind of breath that stinks. Heavy drinkers have that acidic-smelling breath, too. Some people are just not into the habit of brushing their teeth.

A good kiss starts with a nice breath. It doesn’t matter if a kiss is driven by lust or love but surely, I wouldn’t want to exchange kisses with someone who’s got a bad breath.
Pagtulong Sa Kapwa Sa Gitna Ng Trahedya

July 21, 2010

Life & Love

1. Uod sa palayan sa Bataan- nakakaawa ang mga magsasakang umaasa lang sa kita mula sa pananim. Ang mga uod na yun ay hindi bago sa Bataan, may mga pangyayari na rin dating maraming uod sa mga halaman at puno (gaya ng tibig) ngunit hindi naman nakakapanalanta talaga.

2. Pagkalunod ng mga mangingisda sa Mariveles- pati ako ay naluluha pag nakikita ko ang hinagpis ng mga pamilyang naulila ng nalunod na mga mangingisda. Sino ba ang makakapag-akalang magiging trahedya ang pangingisda nila sa gitna ng hindi pa kalakasang bagyong Basyang?

3. Oil spill sa Cavite at Limay- nakakaperwisyo sa kabuhayan ng mga mangingisda.

4. Kakapusan ng tubig sa ilang lugar sa ka-Maynilaan- isang araw kang mawalan ng tubig ay napakalaking hassle na, ano pa kaya kung ilang linggo ng wala? Sabi nga, mawalan na ng kuryente, wag lang tubig. Papaano pag may LBM ka? Paano pag may batang maliit ka sa bahay? Paano ang kalinisan ng paligid kung walang tubig?

5. Sunog- manakawan ka na nga raw, wag lang masunugan. Nakatingin lang tayo sa TV habang ang mga nasunugan ay abot-abot ang panawagan sa tulong. Ang pagkain nila ay rasyon. Ang mga damit, baka nga di pa nakapagpapalit. Naisip ko lang, ang daming nanonood ng TV pero may nagawa bang tulong para maibsan ang paghihirap ng mga nasunugan?

Ganun naman siguro talaga ang kalikasan ng tao; marunong maawa o makaramdam ng awa. Pero iilan lang ang may ganang tumulong. Maliit man o malaki, tulong pa rin yun, hindi kailangang maging si Zobel de Ayala o kahit si Sharon Cuneta para makatulong.

Ang daming problema ng bawat Pilipino, alam ko. Kahit ako nga, hindi naman din ganun kaunlad ang buhay. Pero sa maliit na paraan, sikapin nating tumulong. Marami dyan, nakakabili ng kung anu-ano pero wala namang naibibigay na tulong para mapabuti ang buhay ng kapwa. Social and moral responsibilty? Argumento yan ng mararamot, na wala daw tayong moral at sosyal na responsibilidad para sa kapwa. Kung ganun lang din pala, sinasabing pag sa inyo nangyari, hindi rin obligado ang iba na tumulong sa inyo.

Ang pagtulong nga ay nasa puso. Kung ang tao ay hindi tinuruang maging matulungin sa mabuting paraan, hindi nya maiintindihan ang pakikiramay sa mga taong nasa kaawa-awang kalagayan.
ウィル私は再びあなたを参照していつ？

July 21, 2010

Wedding & Family Life

私が知っていることはありません。

私はどのように知ることはありません。

神のみが知っている。

私はそんなに、母を欠場。
It’s More Than a Phone

July 21, 2010

Life & Love

I am guilty of not being too careful of my late mother’s cellphone. I’ve been using her cellphone since she passed away last May 2, 2009. When I saw her new cellphone in 2008, I fell in love with it. It was a white Nokia 6120C, very slim and very light. It’s a smartphone, too. I tried to apply for a postpaid phone in Smart Wireless in Balanga but my application was denied. According to them, my record showed that my salary was not enough to meet the minimum salary requirements to avail of their postpaid promo. They were referring to my old ITR in 2006 wherein I had two ITR’s: one from my previous employer and the other one from my current employer. I told them that I could request for my 2007 ITR and I could provide my three latest payslips. They seemed unconvince so I did not pursue my application.

After my mother died, I became the owner of her cellphone. It was the cellphone that she used to call me and text me when she was alive. Her cellphone contained all her contacts who became my textmates after she died. I realize how blessed is she for having good friends around her. She was surrounded by several friends while I have yet to develop longlasting friendships from my current pool of friends.

When I woke up last Sunday (July 18) at around 12 midnight and saw that my cellphone was off, I had the instinct that the frequent droppings lead to its hardware damage. I couldn’t sleep that night; I felt so guilty for being too lax in taking care of it.

Monday afternoon, I brought it to a cellphone repair shop and after several attempts to reheat the components, the technician suggested to change the power IC. He was asking PhP1,500 for it. I knew that he was overcharging but I was willing to pay a high price for a phone that contained my mother’s contacts. And too bad, I didn’t save her contacts on my computer!

Tuesday afternoon, the technician texted that despite changing the power IC, the phone would not power on. My husband and I decided to bring it to his friend for a second attempt to revive the unit.

Jimmy could not promise to repair it but he said he would try his best. I was depressed but later on, was trying to accept that there’s a big possibility that it would never be repaired. I lost Mom’s contacts. I hope some of them will find a way to contact me through my existing number. After all, real friendship is supposed to be longlasting.