It has been almost a week since the Philippine delegation left Manila for a 3-month exchange programme in Hounslow, United Kingdom as part of the Global Xchange which aims to involve youths of UK and a developing country in specific volunteer works . The first phase will involve community works in UK followed by another 3-month volunteer works in a community in Cebu, Philippines.

After arriving at the VSO Training Centre in Birmingham, UK, we were warmly welcomed by our UK counterparts who did a welcome song for us. We were so equally excited as they were, it was so overwhelming that we didn’t care much about the jet lag we got from almost 15 hours of travel.

We spent 3 days in Birmingham and enjoyed much of our stay. We had tons of energizers, activities, there was a night of going to the pub, meeting other VSO volunteers and so much of adjusting. Being in UK is completely unbelievable. We have to wear thick coats, jackets, we sleep with socks on our feet, we now spend less time watching TV and try as much as possible to connect to internet. Taking a bath was a serious challenge, as it is always cold in the morning and the heater doesn’t function that right away.

Getting to know who our counterpart’s going to be is the most exciting and wonderful feeling in the first few days of our stay. It was crucial. Just imagine the person’s going to be your partner for the rest of the programme- the moment you wake up in the morning, and the time you get to bed, you’re always gonna be with him. Before we left Birmingham, we have been paired with our British counterparts. The decision made by our Programme supervisors wasn’t easy. They had to consider a lot of factors and I believe that they have made a good one. I am now partnered with Patrick Dougherty. He’s such a cool guy actually. The first time I saw him, I instantly felt that it would be great to be partnered with him since he’s at times quiet and mysterious. I just hope that everything will just go well between us.

At the moment, we are now staying in our respective host homes. I and Patrick, together with Neil and Mark (another Pinoy) live in Smith’s residence in Saxon Road, about 20 minutes from central Hounslow. Karla is our foster mother and I am very happy to have a foster sister named Kiana. They’re half-Jamaican but have lived here in Hounslow for years. Both of them are very wonderful!! And before I forget, they have a two-year old greyhound dog named Imka.

In the following days, we will be paired with another UK counterpart who’s going to be our work partner in the next 3 months. On Monday, we will have our first Global Citizenship Day and hopefully see our placements later that day.

 

We often hear how the flap of a butterfly's wings can influence weather patterns around the world. Striking an allusion between this natural tendency and a metaphor, the butterfly effect is tantamount to the analysis that small changes, if properly situated, can bring about wide-ranging effects.

In a world stricken by poverty and divided by chaos, individual butterflies needs to step up to create an impact. Each butterfly, assigned to a specific task, should work in synergy with other butterflies to elicit an effect.

An analogy of this process could be paired to individual youths aspiring to make a difference in their respective communities. Each youth, tasked for a specific purpose, should integrate oneself to a larger group working for a common goal.

This month of May, 18 young people from the UK and the Philippines will endeavor in this process of social transformation. Under the Global Xchange Programme, the 18 youths will be forming the Team 107 of the Global Xchange Programme (GXP) that is jointly implemented in the Philippines by VSO Bahaginan and the British Council. They will be placed in communities, first in the UK and then in the Philippines, to do volunteer work in the areas of disability, secure livelihood, and environment.

Carrying the brand The Butterfly Effect Project, the team will work for six months to make significant contributions to both UK and the Philippines. As they emanate the value of volunteerism, these individuals will influence change to their counterpart pairs, to their host homes, and to the communities that they will be in. These changes, when put together, would bring about large-scale and lasting effects.

Like butterflies that emerged from the cycle of metamorphosis, nine youths with different backgrounds and upbringing will represent the Philippines. Ready for their counterparts from the UK, each will try to flap one’s wings to make significant contributions to the world.

As planned, the bullet train railway will run the Laoag-Manila-Bicol route. As for the right-of-way acquisitions, Ang said this will be up to the government.

He revealed that they hope to submit their unsolicited proposal to government by the end of the year.

Travel

Both the Manila to Laoag and Manila to Bicol lines are also currently accessible by air and there are public buses that ply the two routes.

Running speeds of as fast as 300 kilometers per hour, a bullet train can cut travel time to the far ends of Luzon from Manila significantly. Fares are also expected to be cheaper than plane fares but higher than bus fares.

With SMC’s plan, the Philippines will be pitted against Vietnam in the bid to build Southeast Asia’s first bullet train.

The Vietnam project is estimated to cost $56 million and may choose either the group of Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, or Itochu Corp. and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd, all Japanese companies, for the project. The two groups currently run lines in Japan similar to what would be built in Vietnam. (article by Mary Ann Reyes, philstar.com)

Well, I just hope this project will eventually push through. I am a bit confident since the project will be facilitated mostly by the private company. Im so tired hearing delays and red tape stories on several mothballed government projects in the past that have created so much negative images about the Philippines

Earth Hour 2010 will continue to be a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up, to show leadership and be responsible for our future.

Last year, I was in Pasig city when I witnessed a huge part of the area taking part in this global initiative. I felt so amazed at how Filipinos regard this as an important event. There were even reports that the Philippines became one of the largest participants of Earth Hour 2009. I just wish that this happens twice or maybe thrice a year.

Hopefully, more Filipinos will become even more aware and cooperative in this significant human contribution to our planet. We may only switch one or two bulbs next week, but it's the commitment we have for a better Earth that matters most.

I am one zillion percent sure that most of you have watched last weekend's Pacquaio fight against Joshua Clottey held in Arlington, Texas. It was absolutely one of the most boring fights I've ever seen. Agree? I only needed to watch the first three rounds and I was out already in our sala room. Anyways this post is not going to tackle about the battle (much has been blogged and said about that, honestly). One part that I always excitingly wait whenever Pacquaio fights is the singing of the national anthem. This time, I was actually not going gaga over Arnel Pineda ( coz I do really like ladies doing the "birit" part instead of the guys), but the moment I saw these three beautiful sexy ladies, the so-called Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders being introduced,I was like, are they gonna sing the Star Spangled Banner the La diva Way? Looks like they were inspired by La Diva. Yeah, they really were. And I'd like to give them two thumbs up for a wonderful job!!

Here is their video singing America's national anthem. I also have here La Diva's performance of the PHilippine national anthem performed during Pacquaio's fight against Miguel Cotto late 2009.

[video align='align-center']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N35gbz5L30&feature=related[/video] I am so in deep regrets after downloading 17 episodes of Love of siam on Youtube and watching them for 2 full hours. I said, "Bakit ngayon ko lang 'to napanood?"  I am "totally" in love with this movie!! (or should i say with Mew and tong) i just can't believe that perhaps I am the last person in this world ever to see the movie. Tong!! Mew!!! I am badly wanting to see you guys..

I have seen a couple of movies about gay love and this is definitely the "best" I've seen so far.  And i am pretty sure I am just one of the millions of fans here in the Philippines wanting more of Mario and Witwisit. I am craving for more!!! As in! I am actually thinking of more posts about these two cute guys. I hope they can read this. haha.  How i also wish that our fellow folks can also produce another movie, ( of course gay movie) which will bring out our own LOS, something that we can be really proud of.

My most favorite part in the movie, the part that really gave me so much goosebumps and "kilig" was when Tong helped her mother decorate their Christmas tree. I was completely breathless with Tong's decision to choose the male Christmas decor. (While Tong was helping his mom, he's got two small Xmas decors in his hand, one male puppet (i don't know what to call that) and another female puppet.) His mom told him that he must decide for himself, choose what's best for himself. Tong just followed his heart. He chose the male one. Believe me, I played that part for nth time already!

I hope to see more of these guys!!!  Amo Love of siam!!

 Many people have been so curious whether this new ABS CBN show will be a certified hit among televiewers especially at these times when other rival networks are also fielding big and great shows to capture the chunk of TV ratings. After a couple of episodes since it started, Pilipinas Got Talent (PGT) is undeniably one of the most talked about Tv shows today! Seriously. And I am pretty sure you've seen and followed the show not only on TV but also on Facebook, Twitter and of course Youtube. Imagine this, my condo mate told me about this 16-year old (very young huh!) guy from Batangas who performed "Highway Run" during his audition. I didn't get the chance to watch him on TV but gawd, youtube has it! And as of this writing, Jovit Baldovino, the soft-spoken guy who sells siomai during his spare time, has been a shocking testament of how popular this show is right now. He's already gotten 1 million + hits or views on YT after only one week since the posting of the video!!! that was wow!!!

Just recently, I have also viewed other hit videos from the talent show and I was absolutely surprised to see different talents and unique performances from our fellow folks. At this time, i am already a fan of, aside from Jovit, Josephine from Cebu, (the one who sang i Believe), the cute guy who sang "Hush hush", Hello World, Sarah' impersonator, Oldies but goodies and the three guys who happen to be good dancers (the ones who flew from Thailand)

Whew!!! After so many months of patiently waiting, Charice's newest song is now out in Amazon and iTunes for downloads. IT was officially released yesterday and true to many of our expectations, Pyramid is an absolute hit to many avid fans. AS of this writing, it has already reached #13 in top sales and #8th most popular in Amazon. I do hope this trend will continue until the song reaches Billboard 100. Im so excited!!!

By the way before I forget, I'd like to give credits to Iyaz for doing such a great job collaborating his genuine talent with Charice.  The album is under 2010 Reprise Records. Please continue supporting Charice!

  I have been researching and looking for more information about this  young singer from Moreno Valley, Caifornia who auditioned for the 9th Season of American Idol. The moment he got the golden ticket after performing "Sunday Morning" at the LA auditions, I was so in a rush mode to check whether this "next-possible-idol" is a Pinoy pride or not (well, regardless, he'll definitely add a new flavor in the show).

I've checked a couple of websites for a while. One site says that he's not a Filipino, but is married to a Pinay. There's a claim that he's a Latino but surprisingly, Andrew has a couple of Filipino friends and, you won't believe this, one of his favorite Female artists is the phenomenal Pinay singer Charice. Check the idol website to see it yourself.