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  1. Warning: Dangerous Rant Ahead

    July 25, 2005 by ajay

    It must be the Waray as well as the Tondo Girl in me but I can’t ever back out of a good fight, especially if it involves Yours truly being dubbed a Blog Copycat by this Obscure Blogger Slash Self-Proclaimed Hotshot Marketing Consultant (kuno!).

    It all started last week when my California-based childhood friend, J, alerted me about an entry of Obscure Blogger (O.B.), a pseudo-friend from my not-so-recent past. You see, J somehow makes it a point to drop by O.B.’s blog when he wants to see how an overdose of narcissism can trigger the emotional death of a very vicious person. J thinks OB is so full of herself but it is perhaps a testament to O.B.’s imagined writing prowess that she gets to be noticed by this friend of mine.

    “She could be talking about you again, Ajay. But then again, maybe not. IMHO, your respective blogs are so starkly different from each other. You write about a variety of things. On the other hand, she only talks about herself and how much of a crap her life is,” J tells me.

    J was talking about something O.B. wrote, in a desperate potshot at me: “The way she writes her posts is almost me. Even the links that she chooses, the pictures she uploads, the headings of her posts and the things she writes about, it’s a wannabe version of (me) . But, the dead giveaway was her blog’s writing style. It was a desperate imitation of mine that I could almost feel sorry for her….”

    Jesus, Mary & Joseph! “What links? What pictures? What writing style?” O.B. uses Blogger, doesn’t have a domain name and doesn’t even subscribe to Flickr. On the other hand, she changed her blog design recently after I changed mine. Now, who’s copying who?

    While J and I were debating if that was me she was referring to, we both shared our hunches that she could indeed be talking about me, knowing about her life-long obsession to put me down. Clue No. 1: She wrote something about “this woman is pretty with a waistline I’d kill for.” (ahem! thank you ha!) Clue No. 2: she referred to ” a woman from my previous life” (we stopped knowing each other a year ago.) Clue No. 3: In a totally condescending manner, she further said: ” The tone, look and overall feel of her blog are pathetic imitations of mine. A year ago, she didn’t even know what a blog was.” (The similar tone, look and overall feel is a figment of her imagination but it’s right smack on with the fact that I’ve only blogged for one year. )

    As of this writing, O.B. has already devoted so much space about my being a Copycat that I’ve decided to end her agony (or prolong it) by giving the following reply:

    You are definitely a BASKETCASE! Senator Brenda will pale in comparison next to you…LOL!

    How can you accuse a writer with 15 years of professional writing experience of copying your style? How can you say that am copying your style when you don’t know my writing style from before? When I have a portfolio of published articles that is way, way thicker than yours and you trail me in terms of Google/Yahoo/Technorati search rankings. Ang kapal mo naman (You’re so thick-faced!)

    Now if you insist that am copying your style, at least be objective and point out the particular entry, post and expression in question. Then tell me that this language and expression, WRITING STYLE is patented to you and you alone and therefore can’t be used by anybody else. If I copied an exact phrase or paragraph that you used, then so much the better – you can now slap me with an honest-to-goodness plagiarism suit. This I think is better than you blabbering into thin air about me COPYING your writing style.

    I know that my friends are going to admonish me for going down to her level but she has given me so much crap that it’s time to speak up. This is the same O.B. who I once gave the opportunity to write for our company newsletter and who I introduced to somebody with whom she bagged a marketing contract. It is pretty obvious that she is not only thankless, she is also consumed with envy. How pathetic that someone who claims to be an expert in marketing cannot even market herself properly…in public and out of it.

    I don’t just say kapalmuks (thick-faced) to anybody but I will have to say it straight to her face if she is going to insult my accomplishments as a writer. I am confident in my abilities but I will never accuse anybody of copying my writing style unless it’s an out-and-out plagiarism. Most of all, I will always acknowledge the fact that there always be better writers and bloggers than me. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include this High and Mighty O.B. Bitch.

    Category Blah-blahs, Blogosphere | Tags: | 13 Comments

  2. A year ago, I blogged..

    July 24, 2005 by ajay

    I started this blog one year ago today. Little did I imagine that this would become such a part of my life, as much as breathing or walking.

    Blogging has so gotten into me that my week would not be complete without posting anything of note.But then again, that is expected since as Lei would say, I am such a “compulsive writer.”

    Other than this, blogging can be a convenient excuse for having a lousy love life. Or my inability to hog the television because the box is literally owned by my seven-year old son. Plus… if you’re on the graveyard shift and the rest of the world has become quiet at 3 a.m., what else is there to do?

    It remains that the best thing about blogging are the great friends I’ve made who I would not have met any other way in my lifetime. It’s amazing to learn how the WWW has bonded us together and bridged the distance. A special mention especially goes to my web ninong Yuga, my new-found friend Christine who gladly helped me tinker with this WP template, super-designer Thess in NL who’s offered to help me some more, the rest of my Blogkadas like Tito Rolly, Dr. Emer, Mec, Apol, Toni, Tintin, AnP as well as everyone else on my link list and who I’ve yet to link. My gratitude also to all those who’ve left their comments and continue to drop by. Your patronage motivates me to write meaningful posts and it is from knowing that I have a decent, discerning and intelligent audience that I will continue to write meaningful posts.

    Of course, this minuscule blog cannot possibly compete with the others who already have a hundred thousand or more than a million visitors to their traffic. But I am quite satisfied with the fact that there is quality more than quantity in this little world. Issa did tell me how her classmate in college who’s now based in the UK had been looking for her for ages and found her through this site. That, for me, is edifying enough.

    The good thing is that I have ceased being anonymous. I think this is the reason why more and more people are getting into the bandwagon – the fact that ordinary mortals like you and me can have their five minutes of fame, that publishing has become more democratic and is no longer limited to the select few. The bad thing about blogging is what made it good in the first place – I have indeed ceased to be anonymous. The fool who dares to go out with me, for instance, can just type Ajay or my real name on Yahoo / Google’s search box and thereupon be given the links to all my past articles as well as this website. It’s as if I bared my soul to the rest of the world, warts and all.

    But of course it would be a profound misconception for anybody to think that they know everything about me just from reading this blog. There is, after all, a need to segregate parts of my life which I deem private and public. It is not censorship or being less truthful, it is simply having respect for people in my life who may want their privacy protected. As I stated in one of my earliest entries dated July 28, 2004: ” My readers and personal friends should not expect to see every single lurid detail of my love life, even if it’s worth the price of a movie contract (grin). Am also not fond of expressing my views on politics and government, I leave that to high-flying columnists. But I will write about things close to my heart – places, personal discoveries,food, culture, books, and as an exception, monumental events in history. The barometer in all these is that it the blog should not cost me my job (but rather should gain for me a book deal (bigger grin). It should also be something my son Paolo should be proud to read when he stumbles upon this yearrrrs from now.”

    My foremost blogging philosophy is that one should blog responsibly and with finesse. Traditional media maybe edited but its one advantage over the blogosphere is that it is “streamlined” by way of observing the proper language and etiquette. On the other hand, maraming taong naghuhurumentado sa cyberspace. There are the eggheads who think they own the franchise to the whole blogosphere and therefore think they can do anything in their powers to abuse it. Take for instance this person, S, who I looked up to during my pre-blogging days for the kind of “eloquence” she displayed in her blog. Because we were getting to be close, I would tell her private things which, to my surprise would find its way to her blog complete with my name on it. This bitch-who-is-not-a-female-dog would also be instrumental in breaking things up with a jerk of an ex-boyfriend and what have you, she blogged about it. In fact, she blogged (and bitched) about me long after I severed my friendship with her for loss of trust and confidence and I believe continues up to now, even to the point of twisting facts, lying through her teeth, and praising no one else but herself. Her reason? It’s her blog and she can do anything with it, including, of course, gravely incriminating herself.

    Yes Virginia, blogging can be such a potent tool but it can also be a dead giveaway for knowing about a person, not only about his/her intelligence but also his/her character. By blogging, it’s either you appear dumb or smart, modest or humbug, bitter or spoiled, a saint or an ass****. Hopefully, the good eggs outnumber the bad eggs. Blogging is definitely not for the fainthearted ( because for one thing, it’s not easy to do, day in and day out) but here’s to more happy blogging days ahead…

    Thanks for joining me in the journey!

    Ajay’s Writings on the Wall Trivia:

    Columnist, Blog-O-Rama

    Inq7.net YOU Blog Addict

    Pinoy Blog of the Week - January 28, 2005

    Site Stats Since January 2005 :

    12, 427 unique visitors

    36, 648 page views

    58. 599 hits

    Top countries by readership :

    United States, Australia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, Colombia and countries of the European Union

    Category Blogosphere | Tags: | 18 Comments

  3. A Smokey Mountain homecoming

    July 18, 2005 by ajay

    It has been 15 years since I last visited Smokey Mountain. As an aspiring journalist who was still in college, I went here to write stories about people living and getting their sustenance from the dump, families who actually rummaged the garbage for their day’s food.The grim images of the mountain would not leave me for years.

    Forward to 2005: the smelly heap that haunted me a decade back is no more and what greeted me on this Sunday morning were rows upon rows of “low-cost” buildings, children playing in the streets and teenage boys running around the court in a game of basketball. Now it seems Smokey Mountain has become a village in itself.

    Len, a young mother of three, proudly welcomed me into their concrete unit. Her husband was a scavenger who now works as a cellphone technician. They had to put down a downpayment of P1,800 (roughly $30) in order to move in and now have to pay P800 a month in order to stay in the house they call their home sweet home.

    Our org went to Smokey Mountain on our monthly outreach program. We paid a measly P1,500.00 to have two huge vats of porridge (arroz caldo) cooked and be distributed to the residents. In our ordinary lives, P1,500.00 would just be the cost of a hotel buffet lunch or a simple shoe purchase in a mid-level store. Or it could just be what a government fatcat would pay his driver as a “tip” for the day. But in Smokey Mountain, P1,500.00 (less than $30 at the current exchange rates) was enough to feed 500 people. I realized then that it only takes so little to make a big difference, and what is little to us is a big deal to the less fortunate. Hence, we should always count our blessings.

    Smokey Mountain is not bereft of unsung heroes. The local parish priest, Fr.Ben Beltran – who is an electrical engineer by profession – is spearheading SM’s cyber-revolution. He proudly showed us a computer room which would house a data encoding facility that will provide jobs to thousands of Smokey Mountain residents. In the very near future, the dump will also be the site of a call center and the world’s first “environmental” church.

    Aling Luz reveals that there are an estimated 6,000 families residing in Smokey Mountain. Considering that some families have eight or nine dependents, the total population could reach half a million. Says Luz: “Eh naniniwala kasi sila sa sinabi ng Diyos na humayo kayo at magparami kaya ayan, nagparami sila. Magtataka ka naman, matataba at malulusog ang mga bata namin dito.” (The people here believe in what God said, to go out and multiply that’s why they have multiplied. You would wonder though. Our children here are plump and healthy.)

    Going to Smokey Mountain is definitely an eye-opening experience. Poverty may stand for what’s wrong in all of us, but it can also signify the h-o-p-e that’s in all of us – to live, despite all.

    Category My Manila | Tags: | 14 Comments

  4. Sugar High Friday: Honey Banana Pancakes

    July 15, 2005 by ajay




    honeybanana-wthsyrup

    Originally uploaded by annalyn.

    I wanted so much to join the monthly food blogging event Sugar High Friday sponsored this July by Nicki over at Bakingsheet with the theme revolving around that sweetest of ingredients “Honey.” So what’s a harrassed mom like me with little time gotta do? I had no choice but to do a no-sweat but definitely yummy recipe for Honey Banana Pancakes.

    Who can resist a good pancake for breakfast? What I like about this dish is that it’s easy to prepare and very versatile too! Aside from the usual syrup and butter, I’ve tried doing them with mangoes and chocolate chips and the results were as good as your fave creperie next door.




    honeybanana

    Originally uploaded by annalyn.

    To begin, get your basic pancake mix, weighing approximately 250 g. Beat eggs in a big bowl, add 1 1/2 cups water, 2 tbsp. oil and the flour. Stir until just a bit lumpy.

    Then, get about 6 pieces bananas, slice it horizontally and add to pancake mix along with your 1/4 cup honey and 1 tbsp. sugar. Fry in batches in non-stick pan, flipping to the other side until done.

    Now, if you want more decadence, put some scoops of ice cream (in this case I used mango and ube a.ka. purple yam flavors) and you’re on your way to a simple dessert heaven!

    Category Munchin' | Tags: | 14 Comments

  5. Wanted: A New Breed of Filipinos

    July 13, 2005 by ajay

    My country is a country that disappoints. I can very well say this to myself now ten years after returning to my homeland in what was supposedly the better world of the West. Ten years ago I was willing to bet my stake on the future and promise of these beautiful islands, only to realize that things have not changed in those ten long years but have in fact deteriorated to a point of hopelessness for Juan de la Cruz.

    If Rizal, Ninoy and our other heroes were alive today, would they have had second thoughts if the Filipino was worth dying for? Would they have asked where we have gone wrong?

    I look at my children when they’re asleep at night and wonder what future awaits them here. Would I be raising them with the hope that they’ll be entitled to opportunities that will make them get out of this country someday, or would I be instill in them ways to be “more Filipino” than their forebears are at present?

    Of course, the rightful answer would be for them to grow up to be “more Filipino” than we are now. If today’s situation appears hopeless, the challenge lies in parents like me to mold the future movers of this land, a generation which will hopefully be enshrined with greater values than the culture of colonialism, corruption, greed and indifference that is so prevalent today.

    I still believe that the Philippines is too beautiful a country to be left for greener pastures. Yet, we have seen the best of it being ravaged to the ground by the same leaders we chose to bring us to the apex of salvation; a meritocracy that promotes “globalization” by way of training its young to work in call centers and exporting legions of our seamen, nurses, caregivers and domestic helpers. We have lost the best of our brains and brawn to foreign shores while the teachers, scientists and inventors who choose to stick out in this homeland truly starve.

    I can go on and on here about what is wrong with us as a race relegated to the tag of belonging to the Third World. Is it because we laugh so much at ourselves that we can manage to laugh at poverty even if it stares us in the face? Have we been so taken by the politics of patronage that we elect the same people from the same families over and over again? Have we been so blinded by faith even if the church we have put so much faith on has failed to put food on the tables where those dozen children should be?

    Our sense of nationhood has become so fractured that most of us would now opt to “fly out” instead of “stay in” while finding more and more reasons not to love the Philippines. In our quest for survival, we have ignored our all-important connection to history and the extent with which our heroes shed their blood in the name of our independence.

    I do not mean to underestimate anyone’s love for this country. I know that there will always be something that will lure us back to our roots, whether we are inhaling the fumes of Manila or savoring the medieval sights of Europe. But I do think that the betterment of the Philippines will not be achieved by rabblerousers who think it is their divine right to dictate our choice of leaders, especially when they too have fallen short of our expectations in the past. Change can only come from collective patriotism and volunteerism for the greater cause, in this case the awareness that there lives the silent majority who are lucky to eat two meals a day and have not owned a TV in their lifetime.

    And if we have as much as lost our faith in our leaders today, let us not lose hope on the ability of the future generation – our children and our children’s children – to make a difference. Hope is eternal and we can only pray that it will happen. Someday. Soon.

    Category Blah-blahs | Tags: | 15 Comments

  6. One ‘hello?’

    July 10, 2005 by ajay




    The embattled one

    Originally uploaded by annalyn.

    This blog supports the ‘GMA Don’t Resign!’ movement.

    Don’t ask me for my reasons.

    Just shoot me.

    Category Blah-blahs | Tags: | 30 Comments

  7. Gadget Review: SE K750i & O2 XDA IIi

    July 8, 2005 by ajay




    SE K750i

    Originally uploaded by annalyn.

    If you’re looking for a phone that’s small on the outside, feature-packed on the inside, look no further than Sony Ericsson’s latest baby, the K750i. This one lays the groundwork for the forthcoming invasion of the 2 megapixel camphones in the market. Plus, it has irresistible add-ons like an internal 32MB which can be expanded through the accompanying 64MB Memory Stick Duo, superior quality radio and Media Player, email capability plus the usual IR, Bluetooth and GPRS. Read more about why I love this phone here.

    Prior to this, I also had the chance to take the much-vaunted O2 XDA IIi, the latest in the high-end O2 line, on a tech test. If you’re used to having Windows on the computer, this one is the Pocket PC version. My most memorable experience was viewing my blog using it which cost me a few hundred pesos of prepaid credits for less than five minutes use. Priced at a little less than $1,000, this smartphone is definitely for the loaded. I wonder what makes it tick.For the full review, click here.

    Category Technews | Tags: | 2 Comments

  8. Feeling the pinch

    July 3, 2005 by ajay

    If you notice, I have distanced myself from the turbulent goings-on now rocking the Philippines. Politics is after all not my business. But it doesn’t mean that I do not feel for the rest of my countrymen who must once again suffer the follies of their duly-elected leaders.

    The painful fact is that life has not become better for those of us who chose to stick it out in our country of birth, pay our taxes and obey the laws . I don’t know who is to blame more: our officials who flaunt their power (and abuse of it) with impunity, or the people who never to learn their lessons and elect the same nincompoops/ego trippers to public office again and again. We are definitely going to the dogs when wages have not increased and yet the prices of petroleum, services and commodities have shot up by as much as 300 hundred per cent. It is mind-boggling how laborers and ordinary salary earners can cope with it.

    Those among us who don’t consider going abroad as an option can adopt the motto: “work hard, live smart.” Extravagance is out, frugality is in. Time-tested ways to do this are the following:

    - Use public transport whenever possible. The MRT and LRT can get you there in due time sans the traffic and high gas prices. If you must use the car, think about car-pooling.

    - Car pooling is not the only option because you and your friends can also share books, DVDs, CDs and other possessions among yourselves. The few hundred pesos you can save buying these products can be better spent somewhere else.

    - Brownbag your lunch. If you spend a hundred bucks in the cafeteria for a meal, you can cut that in half by just bothering to pack. When you do, steer clear of culinary boredom by preparing the usual tapa, hotdog, corned beef and tocino. There are healthier, creative ways of dishing out office meals other than those which scream “sodium nitrite!”

    - By all means, go to the mall…but only to exercise and (sigh) window-shop. Traversing Megamall’s Building A and B equates to a 30-minute treadmill workout.

    - Dine in instead of dine out. Because dining out these days will cost you more VAT, and fat.

    - Get a second, third job.

    - Think twice about buying high-ticket items that easily depreciate in value, such as cellphones.

    - Don’t rush to the nearest midnight sale. Because overloading on sale items can also cost you lots.

    - Get rid of stuff you have not used in years. Conduct a garage sale, advertise it or auction it on eBay.ph

    - Ditch the credit card, pay cash whenever possible.

    - Draw up a budget and stick to it.

    - Rediscover places where you don’t have to shell out oodles of moolah. Example: smell the breeze in Baywalk and Luneta.

    - During your spare time, use your brain..instead of your wallet. Blogging and surfing the net is certainly much cheaper than shopping.

    More tips on Frugal Homemaker. Care to share your proven money-saving technique?

    Category Life & Living | Tags: | 25 Comments

  9. If these walls could talk

    July 1, 2005 by ajay

    Speaking of motels, I have had a friend tell me that motels don’t have as seedy a reputation in America as they do here in the Philippines. Correct me if am wrong but in there, it’s really more of a lodging place for weary travellers while in here, it’s the undisputed stopover of horny revellers. The motels here must be raking it in, otherwise why are they fully-booked on special “occasions” and why are the people who own them become billionaire-philanthropists, to the point of donating a couple of buildings to a prestigious university in Manila? Another motel owner is ironically close to the Catholic Church, and the chain of tacky inns he owns stretch from Pasig to Recto.

    But I digress. In my previous post, I gave my thumbs up to local motel food, describing it as masarap (yummy), to which my friends were quick to add that it must be the subliminal effect of engaging in an erotic exercise. My goodness…hahaha! This got me to realize after going to a couple of motels all these years that the only thing I love about motels is… the food! It must be the fact that I am spoiled rotten. I honestly prefer a decent hotel any day. You know… the one with crisp white sheets, fluffy white towels, a commanding view of the city, a relaxing bathtub with running hot and cold water and of course…. BUFFET BREAKFAST!

    On the other hand, just thinking about motels here give me the ick. Here’s my beef on them:

    I get claustrophobic because there aren’t any WINDOWS! The whole structure is a box. I imagine all sorts of crazy things like what if there’s a fire or an earthquake. Surely, I wouldn’t be caught running through its narrow corridors into the streets with just the towel on, or nothing at all… ;)

    What’s with all of those MIRRORS? Is it scientifically proven that mirror images get you more primed up? Are you sure there are no peeping Toms lurking on the other side and if so, are they not busy burning the latest CD version of the Sta. Mesa scandal?

    What’s with all those contraptions? Is it in the Kama Sutra? Because all of them are not engineering students, your clients in the heat of passion cannot possibly figure it out unless you post a how-to guide on the wall.

    The towels….. eeech!

    The toilet…. stray hairs on the tiles, half-used rolls of tissue.. double eeech!

    Victoria Court is overpriced. Do you really need a room with a safari theme, a yacht in the middle or what-have you.. just to get a shag?

    What’s with those rose petal-shaped discount cards? Why’s the design shaped like a flower? Frankly, those cards are all over the place that they’re not so “secret” anymore.

    And while we’re on this subject, my friends posted this question in our email group today: What’s the most unusual place you ever had sex at?

    As expected, it drew the most interesting answers:

    A. computer room, office, closet, garden, VTR room, talahiban (vacant lot), girls’ dorm

    B. office conference room

    C. car in a parking lot, girl’s bathroom in a movie theater, theater changing room

    D. car, office, abandoned house, camping site, stairs

    E. every corner of the office, rooftop of building

    F. Boss’ room, neighbor’s kitchen, CR, heavy petting inside the bus

    G. public restroom, car, bus, train, mile high club, broom closet, kitchen, in the middle of a crowded concert show

    H. guidance counsellor’s room, servant’s quarters, disco’s CR, shower stall in resthouse, car

    Shame, shame, shame! One of the answers is mine and for the life of me, am not telling which! lolz…

    Category Life & Living, My Manila | Tags: | 2 Comments

  10. More food notes

    June 28, 2005 by ajay


    Dunkin’ Van
    Originally uploaded by annalyn.

    I haven’t seen Dunkin’ Donuts in a stationary van before so I simply had to take a picture of this one with my cameraphone. Located at the corner of EDSA and Pioneer St. in Mandaluyong.

    My kids eat donuts all the time but I avoid it for the simple reason that a friend said “it packs the most calories.”


    Chow Mein
    Originally uploaded by annalyn.

    The Dunkin’ van was just a stopover because I was on my way to eat at the Lola Maria restaurant of the newly-renovated The Legend Villas (formerly Legend Hotel). They’ve got a moderately priced lunch buffet at only P495 which includes an extensive make-your-own halo-halo area and the noodle station. I couldn’t resist plunking my fork down on the chow mein which was crispy fried noodles topped with seafood, meat, fresh veggies and the most delectable sauce. I am too much of a noodles person to resist!

    Which reminds me: Filipinos usually out kalamansi and soy sauce/liquid seasoning on their noodles. But try putting chili sauce on your pancit canton, it’s even better!

    I need somebody to explain to me why motel food is simply great… dahil ba ito’y luto ng Diyos? Pardon the pun, hehehe. But I do think it’s a secret nobody has voiced out in the open that motel cooks are good…. otherwise, why would they be offering catering for parties and take-out aside of course from dine-in? My officemates and I who all live to eat (not eat to live) have been ordering from the Mahal Kita Motel (whatever) in Pasay. Patawarin po kami pero ginagawa naming midnight snack ang kanilang pancit canton and crispy pata courtesy of our benefactor, the Korean Agent. Ibang klase ang style ng kanilang special canton, may hard-boiled egg and fried chicken.

    In the meantime, there is so much food that I’ve been trying to subsist on a diet of whole wheat bread when the opportunity permits. So help me God!


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    Category Munchin' | Tags: | No Comments

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