In true Pinoy culture, it will always be said that God has greater plans for us. Imagine listening to other people’s thoughts.

I did not get promoted.. Thats ok God has greater plans for me

My boyfriend left me for another girl.. Thats ok God has greater plans for me

Ive never had a gf.. Thats ok God has greater plans for me

I lost my cousin in an accident.. Thats ok God has greater plans for me

Our house burned down.. Thats ok God has greater plans for me

In my 31 years of existence, 29 of that was spent being reared by God-fearing and very religious parents. I went to an exclusive Catholic school. Our family went to hear mass every Sunday and on Holy days. We celebrated feast days. We prayed the rosary. We observed fasting and abstinence. It came to a time that I even went to hear mass every day before going to work.

I have always believed that “God had greater plans for me” so many times in my lifetime as others have. I may be living that “greater plan” already for all I know. But God’s greater plan for me may not exactly happen in this physical world. Maybe the after life? And what about all the others who have it even worse than I do? What of them? How about those whose house have been burned down too many times? How about those who have lived all their life in poverty and yet be the first one ravaged by nature’s rage? How about those who have lost a mother… Only to lose a brother… And maybe a sister… All in the same year? How about the poor children who unfortunately are already exposed to the harsh realities of life… Only to be led to fate worst than they can ever imagined. God’s plan is very difficult to believe in these trying times.

Don’t get me wrong. I do believe that there is a God. A God exists for all the things and events I cannot explain. Maybe science can try but the timing of the events most certainly cannot be explained.

I look at the trees and feel God’s hand in the wind rustling its leaves.

I look at my kids and feel God’s hand that results in my 7-month old’s gurgling laugh and my 3-yr olds wise cracks.

I look at my job and feel God’s hand in the fact that I have managed to keep it for more than 8 years now.

I look at my wallet and feel God’s hand as I always seem to have money to buy food or milk or “chips” for my kids or chocolates for my husband even when I know I have already drawn out my last 20-peso bill.

If this life that I am living now is God’s great plan for me then it is everything great. Greater than anything I have ever felt or seen. Greater responsibility, greater emotions, greater burdens, greater pain. And in all that greatness, there is still only me… no greater than I was before.

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There has been a lot of hype lately regarding the so-called Moe-Show on the Radio. Mo Twister’s show airs daily from 6-9am at Magic 89.9. His show has a segment called “Forbidden Questions” where he has an invited guest (maybe a celebrity, fashionista, model etc) try to answer 40 questions. These questions would delve into topics like: who do they think is a closet gay celebrity… I learned from the showbiz talk show “Startalk” that the responses of his guests has cause so much noise that… well as one news show claims - Borgy got slapped by Vina Morales for saying on air that she was one of the girls that he was able to bed.

I myself like tuning in to an all-music station (I have outgrown the talking DJ phase) but one day found myself listening in to his program. I wasn’t planning on listening to the whole show - but I was trapped. It so happens Mo had Jon Lapuz as guest in his Forbidden Questions segment and when you have that hilarious a character you just can’t help but tune in. I recall questions like:

Who in showbiz has the worst body odor or bad breath? Answer: Chocoleit (not sure if I spelled it right).

Who do you think is the most overrated singer? Answer: Jessa Zaragoza

Who in showbiz do you think looks good in pictures and in tv but does not in real life? Answer: Zanjoe Marudo and Keana Reeves

Who do you think is most plastic? Answer: Aiko Melendez

Who do you think is a drama queen? Answer: Lara Morena - someone more famous - Angelica Jones (who apparently puts on mertiolate on her feet to make it appear red)

Jon Lapuz also mentioned things like: The BUZZ will survive without Jobert, daisy syete sucks and apparently a certain PB is a “confirmed gay”….

So many articles have been written about the anger and hurt felt by those whose names have been uttered to answer Mo’s FQs. More than once, a celebrity has been quoted as denying or explaining or apologizing. Lolit Solis has gone crazy, so has Cristy Fermin, and many others over the things that have been aired on Mo’s radio show. I say to them - “Those who have not sinned should cast the first stone”. And hey - dont you get your paid doing the same thing? I do not agree with all the anger going around for Mo. I do feel though for those who get hurt. Past actions do not necessarily make the person and we all make mistakes. However, as Mo has always declared - he does not force anyone to answer the questions. The guests do not need to answer - but they do. And to those who’s skeletons in the closet have been exposed - don’t get mad - if you know you did it - stand by it. And to those who have given out false information - then good luck to you. You may be the next recepient of a knuckle punch. And to those who have something to hide then try to avoid the show (unless your career needs the intrigue) or start hiding coz you might be the next “victim” soon.

Kudos to Mo for his creativity (if the idea actually came from him) to get audience share. In an industry where people live inside glass houses and it is the norm to meddle in other people’s lives - the winner will always be the one who is talked about the most.

I just need to quote this: (from Pinoyexchange forum where the source indicated is Wells Avante/Wednesday, December 13, 2006)

Mo Twister reacts to Say Alonzo’s statements

He said, “Listen, Say, you will never be invited in this show because I don’t have an idea who the hell you are. You have to be some sort of celebrity to be on the program. You, my dear, do not qualify. Turn around, just sit there and stay pretty.”

Tune in…. Magic 89.9 6-9am.

(C)

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i’m usually not the type to be awed by famous-celebrity-types but there was this one guy who was a guests judge at our office xmas party that really tickled my fancy (together with the rest of the females present). I swear I did not know he existed until that night. And because it was a party and he was a celebrity it did not strike me as odd to have my picture taken with him. It is only now I can say… Baddddduuuuyyy to myself as I look at what I have done.

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Me and my hubby are coffee drinkers (and coffee lovers).

Its as much a part of our lives as rice is to pinoys. Although we have a coffee maker and do our best to make brewed coffee every morning, most often we just wake up to the taste of Nescafe instant coffee. I’ve tried other instant coffee brands but I must say that Nescafe is by far the best tasting of the reasonably-priced instant coffee of all.

This is why I am very much outraged that Nestle - the company that manufactures Nescafe - has revamped the household favorite. Initially I thought it was just the packaging. I was not encouraged by the bolder colors of the coffee package so I still opted to buy the old ones…. until the groceries stopped selling the old coffee stocks. Now all you will see is the… New taste of Nescafe.

I had no choice but to accept the change.

I was disappointed as I took my first sip of this new and supposedly enhanced instant coffee. I threw the first cup away. I made another one and the taste did not change. I thought I was just sick or that something was wrong with my taste buds but as I took sip after sip - the coffee just tasted more worse than before. If you have had the opportunity to try coffee cooked out of rice (bigas) then you will not have a hard time imagining what the “New” Nescafe tastes like.

Alas - I am still trying to finish the 2nd pack of Nescafe that I bought last month (oh yes its taken that long). But I wouldn’t waste coffee even if it was the worst of the lot.

So Nestle peeps - I can’t imagine why you would change the way you made coffee but please if you have to innovate, make sure you do not forget the long years that your old brand kept you going.

Tsk tsk tsk tsk…..

(Pictures courtesy of Nestle website)

(C)

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My hubby and I decided to go on a movie date today. Good thing they were showing “Happy Feet”. Because of my busy schedule, I have not been able to keep myself up to date on the latest movies but I heard somewhere that this movie was supposed to be awesome.

Pictures courtesy of Warner Bros.

The movie centers on a sort of odd penguin-soul born amongst a community of so called normal penguins. Mumble was a penguin who could not sing a decent tune to save his life. Instead this oddball tapped his happy feet. In this community where finding your mate depended on singing to each other’s heart songs he had a difficult time finding the love of his life. The story goes on to witness Mumble’s foray into another penguin community, meeting his posse’s, and venturing into the unknown to prove that he was one who could make a difference. The movie was hilarious (or maybe my hubby and I were just easy to please). It was ticklishly funny and witty and how I wish that my young ones are now old enough to appreciate this movie.

Here are my favorites:

• Of course Happy Feet
• The Amigos and how they think that everything Mumble does is cool
• The Adelie land where penguins dont sing but rock
• Lovelace aka Barry White, the guru
• The singing and dancing
• Lastly - how the movie made me want to look up penguins and how they really live their life.

Im clueless but if a penguin out there really sang and tapped his way to his woman’s heart, I would love to confirm it. So go on and watch it - you will definitely love it! (C)

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