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Showing posts from April, 2007

Reaching New Heights in Waikiki

I barely remember my first climb up Diamond Head. It was that long ago and far away. But it must have been good which is why I got my cousin and a best girlfriend to hike to the top with me. It was a cool morning when we started so the first few minutes went by quickly as we chatted along but as we began the ascent through clearly marked trail, I soon fell behind the others. The challenges were still waiting ahead. After the first flight of steep stairs I thought I would not dare take the next set of 99 steps. But after a few minutes of rest and breathing normally again, I ventured up the stairs only to find there was another spiral staircase inside the dimly lit tunnel. Thankfully this was a short climb and soon we were out on the terrace where the winds promptly claimed my visor and I was hatless. The jungle of Waikiki Beach highrises were at our feet and the ocean stretched into the horizon bursting in rich hues of aqua closer to shore and all shades of blue in the distance.

The Race to the Philippine Senate

The May elections are upon the Filipino people and the media is flooded with political advertorials. This is their best season yet. I sat through an hour of national news and found the political ads more entertaining than the noontime shows and Pinoy Big Brother. Filipinos love babies and toddlers because they’re cute and irresistible. Several candidates are quite aware of this and are banking on the cradle. They have made a point of carrying a little kid with one arm while the right hand is shaking hands with a voter. The candidate is usually followed by a crowd of admirers while campaigning at the local barangay or the public market, in schools or at a construction site and in open fields where Loren Legarda is planting rice with farmers. Miss Legarda’s posters say she is “No.1 sa Senado” but according to a recent survey, Kiko Pangilinan is at the top of the list of 12 Senatorial candidates. It’s not difficult for “Kuya Kiko” to head the list since his wife is megastar, Sharon Cuneta