A long but touching story of "Andoy"

I received this story through e-mail a very very long time ago. Just in time for Christmas and with the Santinos and the Bro’s…

Somewhere in Milaor, Camarines Sur, Philippines there lived a fourth grader
boy named Andoy who would follow this route to school everyday. He has to
cross the rugged plains and cross the dangerous highway where vehicles are
recklessly driving to and from. Once passed this highway, the boy would take
a short cut by passing by the Church every morning just to say Hi to Jesus,
and faithfully say his, “Magandang umaga po” in Bicol dialect. A Priest, who
was so happy to find innocence so uplifting in the
morning, was faithfully watching the boy.

“Kamusta Andoy! Papasok ka na?” (”How are you Andoy? Are you off to school?”)

“Opo padre…” (Yes, father) He would flash his innocent grin, the priest would be
touched.

The priest was so concerned that one day he talked to Andoy, “From
school…”, he advised “do not cross the highway, you can pass through the
Church and I can accompany you to the other side of the road… that way I
can see that you are home safe.

“Thank you father.”

“Why don’t you go home? Why do you stay in this Church right after school?”

“I just want to say “Hi” to my friend, Jesus,”

The priest would leave the boy to spend time beside the altar, talking by
himself, but the priest hid behind the altar to listen to what this boy has
to say to his heavenly FATHER.

“You know my math exam was pretty bad today, but I did not cheat - although
my seatmate is bullying me for notes … I ate one cracker and drank my
water, Itay had a bad season and all I can eat is this cracker. Thank you
for this! I saw a poor kitten that was hungry and I know how he feels so I
gave my last cracker to him … funny but I am not that hungry. Look, this
is my last pair of slippers … I may have to walk barefooted next week….
you see this is about to be broken. But it is okay at least I am still going
to school … some says we will have a hard season this year and some of my
classmates have already stopped going to school. Please help them get back
to school again, please Jesus? … Oh, you know, Inay had hit me again, it
is painful, but I know this pain will pass away, at least I still have a
mother … Jesus, you want to see my bruises? I know
you can heal them ….here… here and….oh … blood … I guess you knew
about this one
huh? Please don’t be mad at Inay. She is just tired and she worries for the
food in our table and my schooling that is why she hits us… Oh, I think I
am in love … there’s this pretty girl in my class, her name is Anita …
do you think she will like me? Anyway, at least I know you will always like
me, I don’t have to be anybody just to please you, you are my very best
friend!

Hey your birthday is two months from now! Aren’t you excited? I am! Wait
till you see my gift for you…. But it is a surprise! I hope you will like
it! Oops, I have to go…” then he stood up and calls out,

“Padre, padre, I am finished talking to my friend. You can accompany me to
the other side of the road now”
(more…)

Trying Hard

I strive to be good. It’s not my life’s pursuit to be better than everyone else. I can live with the fact that I win some and lose some. I accept that sometimes I’m the pigeon and sometimes the statue. It’s not the most pleasant experience, but I find it easier to continue living forward because of this.

I am thankful of what I have. I don’t need to be smarter or richer or more goodlooking than the rest of the world just to appreciate myself. If there’s anything I will compare myself with, is with who I was before, and who I want to become. I base my happiness neither on other people’s net worth nor the attention that I am getting.

I have worked hard for every achievement that I have done. I do not have to cheat or smear anyone to get me where I am. Integrity is it’s own reward.

You know what? Congratulations. Get all the attention that you want , boost your EQ to your heart’s content. But don’t get frustrated if you cannot beat me. There’s nothing you can do against someone who’s not even competing with your ego game.

Do yourself a favor. Get a life. Stop bothering me.

Pragmatics

In an effort to offer a possible explanation why my officemate’s friend is finding it so hard to get some lovin as soon as other foreigners arrived, I introduced the concept of how my girl friends (mind the space between ‘l’ and ‘f’) choose between two men. These are defnitely NOT canonical, and feel free to object as you may please. Of course there’s always the pure unconditional love thing, but these are the types of women that I would especially be watchful of anyway.
(more…)

What’s Your Name’s Hidden Meaning?

 
(more…)

Shutting Up and Shutting Down

When I was in college, I realized that I have lost my faith in competitive debating. Which was, perhaps, why I decided to leave my team, just as fast as I got in, and avoided confrontational arguments ever since, whenever I can. I am drifting away from the arrogance brought by being right all the time.

I hated the fact that people will accept my arguments just because no one can refute them. I hated the tendency of people only wanting the truth that they want to hear. I hated the fact that some people will resort to debates not to broaden their perspective, but to find someone else to think FOR them. I have no respect for people who, instead of attacking the situation, attacks the technicality of how it was said, if not attacking the person himself. I condemn all forms of senseless blabbering just for the sake of being “correct.” I despise people who contradict everything just to show off how smart they are. I hated the way that debates are turned into sports, where the object is to win, defeating the purpose of why debating was formed in the first place.

So I will not argue about politicians and religion where people do not need evidence, or where people do not want evidence. I will not argue over things that I consider petty or will not improve my way of life regardless of who wins. Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute. I will just smile at them. I myself find it hard to persuade a man who does not disagree, but smiles.

Now, I only argue for one reason, and that is for the pursuit of the “truth.” I would hear people out before I speak. I will only speak if there is a need to, and not just to show off. I will not decorate my language. I will only say what is needed, in its barest form.  (more…)

Give Us This Day

Stars and Fireflies

Tonight, the apparent positions of Venus and Jupiter seemed to have fallen along the same celestial parallel. Immediately below those is a waxing crescent moon where the bottom area was illuminated(or was that waning, i didn’t follow the cycle). That wasn’t poetry– that’s Geodetic Astronomy’s way of describing what people saw as a smiley in the sky.

How wonderful it would have been to see that smiley. I would have wanted to see the hope that all the other people has seen. Some said that it was God’s sign that everything is gonna be all right.

The eyes were bright. The smile was there, but no smiley. I can’t seem to find that which everyone’s talking about. Was I the only one who missed to see the face smiling back at me tonight? (more…)

I’m Giving Out Christmas Cards.

UPDATE 20081111
TBB is having a topak until Christmas. TBB plans on sending his readers REAL snail-mail Christmas Cards or somethin as a token of his appreciation. But alas, he can’t do that if he doesn’t know your postal addresses.

If you’re such a big loser and want to receive a Christmas card from a total stranger without being obliged to send money or another gift, shoot TBB an email.

DO NOT BE AN IDIOT by posting your address in this blog. send an email to thebitterbastard@gmail.com with your postal address. Your name will help, by the way.

Probably he has some sinister plan on stalking you or have you assassinated but hey, don’t you wanna get a card from him anyway?

No, he doesn’t mind if you’re from another continent. Kindness knows no bounds. It’s not heaping but there’s some budget.

Offer good till end of November. He’ll be sending em all the very next day

TOP 8 MORONS OF 2004

Another forwarded email, from the same boss.

  
1. WILL THE REAL DUMMY PLEASE STAND UP? AT&T fired President John Walter after nine months, saying he lacked intellectual leadership. He received a
$26 million severance package. Perhaps it’s not Walter who’s lacking intelligence.
 
 
 
  2. WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS: Police in Oakland, CA spent two hours attempting to subdue a gunman who had barricaded himself inside his home.  After firing ten tear gas canisters, officers discovered that the man was standing beside them in the police line, shouting, “Please come out and give yourself up.”
 
 
  3. WHAT WAS PLAN B??? An Illinois man, pretending to have a gun, kidnapped a motorist and forced him to drive to two different automated teller machines, wherein the kidnapper proceeded to withdraw money from his own bank accounts.
 
 
  4. THE GETAWAY!  A man walked into a Topeka, Kansas Kwik Stop and asked
for all the money in the cash drawer. Apparently, the take was too small, so he
tied up the store clerk and worked the counter himself for three hours
until police showed up and grabbed him.
 
  5. DID I SAY THAT???   Police in Los Angeles had good luck with a robbery
suspect who just couldn’t control himself during a lineup. When detectives
asked each man in the lineup to repeat the words: “Give me all your money
or I’ll shoot”, the man shouted, “that’s not what I said!”.
 
 
  6. ARE WE COMMUNICATING???  A man spoke frantically into the phone: “My
wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart”.  “Is
this her first child?” the doctor asked. “No!” the man shouted, “This is her
husband!”
 
 

  7. NOT THE SHARPEST TOOL IN THE SHED!  In Modesto, CA, Steven Richard
King was arrested for trying to hold up a Bank of America branch without a
weapon.  King used a thumb and a finger to simulate a gun…  Unfortunately, he
failed to keep his hand in his pocket. (hellooooooo)!
 
  8. THE GRAND FINALE!!!  Last summer, down on Lake Isabella, located in
the high desert, an hour east of Bakersfield, CA, some folks, new to boating,
were having a problem.  No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t get their
brand new 22 foot boat, going. 

It was very sluggish in almost every maneuver, no matter how much power they applied.  After about an hour of trying to make
it go, they putted into a nearby marina, thinking someone there may be able to
tell them what was wrong.  A thorough topside check revealed everything in
perfect working condition.  The engine ran fine, the out-drive went up and
down, and the propeller was the correct size and pitch.  So, one of the marina
guys jumped in the water to check underneath.  He came up choking on water, he
was laughing so hard.

NOW REMEMBER…THIS IS TRUE.

Under the boat, still strapped securely in place,
(more…)

Stupify

Forwarded by my boss.

Idiot # 1
I am a medical student currently doing a rotation in  toxicology at the poison control center. Today, this woman called in very upset because she caught her little daughter eating ants. I quickly reassured her that the ants are not harmful and there would be no need to bring her daughter to the hospital.

She calmed down, and at the end of the conversation happened to mention that she gave her daughter some nt poison to eat in order to kill the ants. I told her that  she better bring her daughter in to the Emergency room right away.

Here’s your sign lady. Wear it with pride.

Idiot # 2

Seems that a year ago, some Boeing employees on the airfield decided to steal a life raft from one of the  747s. They were successful in getting it out of the plane and home. When they took it for a float on the river, a Coast Guard helicopter coming towards them surprised them.
It
turned out that the chopper was homing in on the emergency locator beacon that activated when the raft was inflated. They are no longer employed at Boeing.

Here’s your sign guys. Don’t get it wet, the paint might run.

Idiot # 3 - A true story out of San Francisco:

A man, wanting to rob a downtown Bank of America, walked into the branch and wrote “this is a stikkup. Put all your muny in this bag.”
While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he began to worry that someone had seen him write the note and might call the police before he reached the teller’s window. So he left the Bank of America and crossed the street to Wells Fargo. After waiting a few minutes in line, he handed his note to the Wells Fargo teller. She read it and, surmising from his spelling errors that he wasn’t the brightest light in the harbor, told him that
(more…)