The Attack of the Iraqi Shoes

I reckon it was Tuesday morning when I heard Ted Failon over the DZMM radio when he said, who is that president who got thrown by a pair of shoes. I thought he was just having some kind of joke but it wasn't a joke, it’s real. That certain president was Pres.George Bush. While having a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq; a TV correspondent suddenly threw his shoe at him and said “This is your farewell kiss, you dog!". However, the correspondent missed Bush so he threw his other shoe at him but failed to hit the target. This was really funny. When I first heard of it, I thought an American was the culprit but it was actually an Iraqi and not just an Iraqi but a Iraqi correspondent. Now, the shoes are being sold for $10M. This just might be the most expensive shoes ever and it might even make it to Guinness.

Suddenly, some politicians have shared their concerns about the shoe throwing incident. It might just actually happen here, who knows. We never know, the palace might announce that reporters are banned from wearing shoes or slippers anymore during press cons.Because, one of them might just throw their shoes or worst all of them might throw their shoes. But some administration allies are confident it won't happen here.Well, we just have to wait and see. As we all know the country is trapped into a whirlwind of surprises.

Looking Back

I wrote last month about how much I miss the lights in Makati.But this year, this tree and these lights are the ones I always see everyday this December.It was almost a year now when I left my work in Makati. Although,I actually didn't want to leave but I had to. I miss some people there except for one of course. But we just have to move on and move forward. We just have to carry on with our lives.

This December will mark another end of a year and another things I should just forget and leave in the past.One important thing that I should just leave in the past is something that concerns a friend who I thought was a real friend.I don't want to tell the details anymore,I've gone tired of retelling the story all over again. Although,I wasn't totally brainwashed because first things first I had big doubts of him from the beginning.I may have doubts but still one cannot miss being hurt by something that is make believe. My friend Jinky told me that it's not good to just leave everything behind and not even try to ask and talk about it with the person involved. You can't really move on if you have questions smoldering your mind.But I made up my decision and I won't talk about it with him or even ask.Because this is my way and I can't force myself to do something I really can't do. Maybe it's time to forget but not forgive.It's time to put it in the past and never open it again,the incident and the person who caused it.


Every December will be the mark of sending my ill fated memories to the past.This is the second one I'll be sending and I'll be trying my very best to not remember it again.I wouldn't be suprise at all that someday news about him being wed will come to me. But I rather not hear any news from him at all.Things just won't be the same again,I know but I did manage in the past without his presence and I still can.


Next year when I see this Christmas tree again,I will be more enlightened.And I'm sure my holidays will always be as merry as it had always been.

Under the Rug

I always had this thought that there must be something out of order these past few months. B.A., B.A. for Bad Ass has been sending me feelers in which I had big doubts regarding his real intention. A certain report came to me some few months ago from a common friend of ours telling me that Girl’s best friend told him that B.A. and Girl are still at it. I did believe it besides; our friend doesn’t have any reason to lie to me. So while BA has been sending me pseudo feelers since August until October, I honestly doubt the words that are coming out from his mouth. I doubt if he ever said anything true to me at all because of what I’ve heard from our friend. That is why I haven’t been optimistic about him and the things he’s been doing or saying. Honestly, he’s 100% doubtful from the start.

Coincidentally, Girl’s best friend added me on Friendster. You see, I actually know the Girl and the Girl’s best friend because we were from the same high school. So it’s not really a surprise that Girl’s best friend added me. I had this sudden urge to ask her about Girl and BA. And luckily she answered obligingly. And the answer was a no surprise at all. I’ve heard it already from a common friend of ours (BA). The only difference this time was that the answer came from the most reliable source. It came from the person who would never lie about it.

What really irks me is the fact that BA has indeed been lying to me all along. This answer confirmed everything that he’s really a bad ass. Those feelers were not true not even one of them. But what was he up to after all? Why did he have to do all of those? Is it because he just wants to spite me? Or was he merely flirting? Then he’s not just a bad ass but a flirt as well. What with the “it’s complicated” status on friendster? Why on earth could he just tell the truth about it? What does he want from me? I’ve been living a peaceful and orderly life when he started to get his trash on it. I’m not just speaking for myself; I’m also speaking for the Girl. Does she know what he’s been doing behind her back? Is it justifiable to flirt with someone else just because your girlfriend is away and won’t be there to catch you? I don’t deserve to be treated like this by a BA. And she doesn’t deserve this as well. I’m not naïve to think it’s just me who was victimized.


It’s his birthday tomorrow and I won’t be sending him a greeting. It will be just an ordinary day because he’s not worthy. Even this coming Christmas and New Year, there will be nothing from me. This is my early New Year’s resolution and I’ll be starting it now. If we’ll ever cross paths which I hope not, I’ll just pretend I didn’t see him. Wherever he is, it’s wherever I’m not present. This is the time to move on and move forward. No matter what, I’ve been under the rug because of him.

Naming Names

This morning, I wasn’t able to use my ipod due to some unexpected reasons. I ended up listening to the radio through my phone. I was listening to Mellow 94.7 “The wake – up show”. The dj’s were talking about names and nicknames. The female dj was talking about someone she knew whose name was” Monica “. When this Monica was a kid, people used to call her “Nica” for the reason I think because she’s a kid and suits her best and it sounds cute. When she grew older, she started using her whole name “Monica“because the name sounds like a strong and an independent kind of woman.

Then the guy dj started talking about his own name story. When he was in college, professors call them not only him by their surnames. To me and to the female dj, that’s kinda off. I myself don’t like to be called by my surname unless with a Ms. But he said, professors do this so as not to confuse themselves because there are some students with the same names. Another instance, there are four students named Anna. So they call them Anna 1, Anna 2, Anna 3 and Anna 4. Well lucky me, I didn’t have a classmate whom I shared the same name since grade school. Though I once had a classmate in college with the same surname, Joanna Marie.


It suddenly dawned on me the days when people used to call me “Pot – Pot “. When I was a kid, our neighbors call me by that name. I don’t know where it came from and how it came to be. I never got upon a chance to ask my parents about it. My three brothers have their own silly nicknames when they were kids. The second eldest was Carag. The third eldest was Tonting. And the fourth was Pitok. When they grew older, Carag became Jay. Tonting became Onson and Pitok became Ogie.

The other name I ‘m called is “Len – Len “. I think when I was already 10, they’ve been calling me “Len – Len “. Our neighbors and my brothers and parents call me by this name. When I started high school, it became “Len “. You see, it’s doesn’t kind of suits me if I’m still called Len – Len at the age of 13 or 14. My classmates call me by my full name then.

College, my classmates started calling me “jov “. I don’t even remember who started this but maybe it’s because it’s the first syllable in my name. From then on, all college friends and classmates call me jov until now. But, lately some of my high school friends have been adapting the nickname. Kidong, Kennedy, Jen and Joanne have been lately calling me jov. Officemates, formers, superiors, and mentors call me by this name too. But college friends were actually the starting place of this name.


It’s really funny when I remember what I used to be called. Len – Len was retained minus one Len plus the new addition Jov in my name or nicknames list. Len will always be family and Jov will always be with friends.