notes on the Meralco's stockholder's meeting

In my years of covering the Philippine economy, this would be the most chaotic corporate war I've witnessed.

I am in a daze. My mind is spinning and I am very hungry. I arrived at the Meralco auditorium before 9 a.m. not expecting the mammoth crowd that had already gathered and the long, tedious meeting that took place.

As I write this, the counting of votes isn't over yet. I managed to beat the deadline but I am still on standby as to what would happen later. And I fervently hope I got the right STORY. Could there be another angle I missed? I hope not.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Oh, sigh. I'm absolutely stressed out.

More later.

Happy Nanay's Day!

Most of the time I get by. I find joy in seeing my daughter's face light up everytime I walk through the door. It's enjoyable to hear her laugh her heart out, to see her smile and to just stare at her big round eyes.

She's slowly discovering the world and I'm slowly learning how to be a mom. So far, I don't know how I'm doing. Only my daughter can tell whether or not I'm doing fine.

All I know is that motherhood is no playground. It's exhausting, tiring and heartwrenching at times. It's especially painful when you lose yourself and have a hard time getting even some of it back. I always remember what my friend Nico said a few years back: a mother should be ready to embrace a new realm. It's not easy. Not at all.

But despite the bumps, I would never trade this place where I am now for anything in this world.

Happy Nanay's Day to all the moms out there.

One night in Buenos Aires

The football stadium in Buenos Aires seemed larger than life. There is an infectious atmosphere as U2 fans gathered for the rock gods' concert.

I found myself swallowed by the crowd, embraced by the moment and swept away by Bono's magical spell.

In the final hours of that memorable evening--for almost two hours of pure magic--I found myself in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At least, that's exactly how I felt watching U2 on IMAX 3D at the SM Mall of Asia.

This cinema is capable of sucking the viewer to another universe. In my case, it was U2's concert in Buenos Aires in 2006.

“Uno, dos, tres," Bono's magnetic voice reverberated in the air. This was the start of pure rock-and-roll trance.

I'm just so glad I didn't miss it.

Kudos to directors Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington and Peter Anderson and Tom Kreuger for the cinematography. (Wikepedia).

I almost tasted the sweat on Bono's brow and nearly touched him as he reached out his arm.

The highlight of my evening was when the band sang Sunday Bloody Sunday but for others it was the Sarajevo song that made the evening.

My "one night in Argentina" could not have been any better.

why?

It has been, to say the least a very tiring week. There are times, like now, when I question my faith on humanity.

I will never understand why a 70-year old Austrian locked his own daughter in a cellar for 24 years and fathered seven children with her.

Why do these things happen? Why do crazy parents put their babies in microwave ovens? Why do men molest their own daughters?

Why?

the pleasure of reading

I'm back after two days in Hong Kong. I'm bankrupt as usual as I couldn't resist shopping for books in HK's Page One and the small but very interesting bookshop at the HK airport.

So now, I have absolutely no money until the next payday. But who cares? There's almost nothing that can compare to the pleasure of reading good books.

I bought Pico Iyer's latest book on the Dalai Lama and Paolo Coehlo's Brida. I also bought a book about a child soldier who fought in the war in Sierra Leone and another on parenting.

Now, I can't wait. The pleasure of being lost in a good book takes away all my worries about where to get my next food and gas money. In times like these, I always remember a good advice from taipan John Gokongwei. He said in one interview that he taught his children to spend on travel and good books because they are among life's greatest treasures.

Oh yes...such pleasures of life!

Drenched in Hong Kong

Hong Kong- Did my life flash before my eyes as the pilot warned of a tumultous ride? No, but all I could think of was to throw up as I suddenly had a revolution in my tummy.

It was more than a bumpy ride. It was a roller-coaster ride and a very scary descent on the former British colony.

Three young ladies who looked fresh out of college, seating on the same row, said their lives flashed before their eyes. As for me, I only thought of my dear darling daughter.

The uncertainty was over in a few minutes but the heavy downpour in Hong Kong lasted the whole day yesterday. I was drenched after walking the whole afternoon around Mong Kok looking for this and that.

Today, however, is a new day. The sun is out. My travelmate and I will again roam the city for whatever we could find. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the typhoon has left for good.

Northern Exposure

SAGADA, Mountain Province - It was a long and arduous trip, perhaps not unlike the journey of a pregnant woman in labor, giving birth for the first time. But I am finally here after several hours on the road.

It's been years since I last saw this town where time seems to have ceased. At least to me. The air is still fresh and crisp and the deafening silence of the evenings is still music to my ears.

Or so I thought. After several days, I realized I am still a stranger to this place, with every experience still as foreign to me as any new journey. It's true what they say...you can never really come back to the same place.

Still, this trip is still an experience that will linger in my memory for a long time.

For how can one not enjoy Sagada? You listen closely and you will hear nothing but the laughter of children roaming safely and freely around town, no need for the watchful eyes of their mothers and fathers. You listen more and you will hear the chirping of the birds, the cries of the owls and the dogs, echoing deep in the mountains. You will hear the rustling of the leaves and the splattering of the rain on the pavement.

The air is cold but the warmth of the people will welcome you. There's no need to rush here. There's rarely a chance to feel stressed out. You can take your time eating "born again" cooked in garlic and olive oil. You can devour on the famous lemon pie from the town cooperative or you can while your time sipping mountain coffee in one of the many shops here.

Oh yes, this is the Sagada that I know. Only this.