Minsan May Isang Puta

Tingin ng mga bobong kapitbahay ko, puta daw ako. Nagpapagamit, binabayaran. Sabi nila, ako daw ang pinakamaganda at pinakasikat sa aming lugar noon. Di ko nga alam kung sumpa ito, dahil dito naletse ang kinabukasan ko.

Tara, makinig ka muna sa kwento ko, yosi muna tayo.

Alam mo, maraming lumapit sa akin. Nagkagusto at naakit. Ang hirap pag lahat sa iyo, virgin eh. Tinanggap ko naman silang tao, bakit kaya nila ako ginago? Hindi ko maintindihan ang mga nangyari sa akin. Bukas palad ko naman silang pinakitunguhan, ni hindi ko nga itinuring na iba. Iniisip ko na nga lang na kasi di sila taga rito kaya siguro talagang ganoon.

Tatlong malilibog na foreigners ang nagpyesta sa katawan ko. Sabi nila na-rape daw ako.

Sa tatlong beses akong nagahasa, ang pinakahuli ang di ko makakalimutan. Parang maski di ko ginusto ang mga nangyari, hinahanap-hanap ko siya. Kasi, ibang-iba ang hagod niya. Umiikot ang mundo ko sa tuwing ginagamit niya ako. May mga pagkakaton na nasusuka na ko sa mga nangyayari sa aming dalawa. Parang ‘pag humahalinghing siya, nararamdaman ko na nalalason ako.. Gusto ko mang umayaw, hindi ko makuhang humindi. Hindi ko din alam kung bakit. Ibang klase din kasi siya mag-sorry eh, lalo pa at inalagaan niya ako at ang mga naging anak ko.

Alam mo, parating ang dami naming regalo - may chocolates, yosi at ano ka! May datung pa! Nakakabaliw siya! Alam kong ginagamit niya lang ako pero pagamit naman ako nang pagamit. Sa kanya namin natutunan mag-inggles, di lang magsulat ha! Magbasa pa!
Nung kinasama ko siya, guminhawa buhay namin. Sosyal na sosyal kami! Ewan ko nga ba, akala ko napapamahal na ako sa kanya. Akala ko tuloy-tuloy na kaligayahan namin, yun pala unti-unti niya akong pinapatay.

Punyetang buhay! Sa dami ng lason na sinaksak niya sa katawan ko, muntik na akong malaspag. Ang daming nagsabi na ang tanga tanga ko. Palayasin ko na daw. Taon ang binilang bago ako natauhang makining sa payo. Iniisip ko kasi na parang di ko kakayanin na mawala siya sa akin… Sa amin! .

Sa tulong ng ilan sa mga anak ko, napalayas ko ang demonyo pero ang hirap magsimula. Hindi nga ako sigurado kung nabunutan ako ng tinik o nadagdagan pa. Masyado na kasi kaming nasanay sa sarap ng buhay na naranasan namin sa kanya, kaya eto nabaon kami sa utang. Lubog na lubog kami sa pagkakautang, kulang yata pati kaluluwa namin para ibayad sa mga inutang namin.

Nakakahiya man aminin pero hanggang ngayon, sa tuwing mabigat ang problema ko, siya ang tinatakbuhan ko. ‘Yun nga lang, kapit sa patalim sabi nga nila. Para akong isang aso na nangagat ng amo, na bumabahag ang buntot at umaamo kapag nangangailangan.

Usap-usapan ako ng mga kapitbahay ko. May nanghihinayang, namumuhi at naaawa. Puta na kasi ang isang magandang katulad ko. Ang dating hinahangaan at humahalina ay nabibili sa murang halaga. Alam mo maski ganun ang mga nangyari sa akin, nilakasan ko pa rin ang loob ko. Kailangan makita ng mga anak ko, na masasandalan nila ako maski ano pang mangyari.

Maski ano pa ang sabihin ng iba, sinisikap namin na maging maganda ang buhay namin. Nag-aambisyon kami at nangangarap. Ayun, may mga anak ako na nasa Japan, Hong Kong, Saudi. Yung iba nag-US, Canada, Europe. ‘Yung iba ayaw umalis sa akin. Halos lahat, wala naman silbi. Masaya daw sa piling ko, maski amoy pusali ako.

Sa dami ng mga anak ko na nagsisikap na tulungan ang kalagayan namin, siya din ang dami ng mga anak ko na nanamantala sa kabuhayan at kayaman na itinatabi ko para sa punyetang kinabukasan naming lahat. Eto na nga ang panahon na halos di na kami makaahon sa hirap ng buhay. Napakahirap dahil nasanay na kami sa ginhawa at sarap.

Alam mo, gusto ko na sanang tumigil sa pagpuputa kaso ang laki talaga ng letseng utang ko eh. Palaki pa ng palaki! Paano na lang ang mga anak kong naiwan sa aking puder? At paano na lang ang mga anak kong nasa abroad? Baka di na nila ako balikan o bisitahin man lang? Hindi na importante kung laspagin man ang ganda ko, madama lang ng mga anak ko ang pagmamahal ko. Malaman nila na ibibigay ko ang lahat para sa kanila.

Sa tuwing titingin ako sa salamin, alam ko maganda pa rin ako. Meron pa din ang bilib sa akin. Napapag-usapan pa din. Sa tuwing nakikita ko ang mukha ko sa salamin, nakikita ko ang mga anak ko. Tutulo na lang ang mga luha ko ng di ko namamalayan. Ang gagaling nga ng mga anak ko eh, namamayagpag kahit saan sila pumunta. Mahusay sa kahit anong gawain. Tama man o mali.

Sa dami ng mga anak ko, iilan lang ang may malasakit sa akin. May malasakit man, nahihilaw pa.

Mabigat dalahin para sa akin, ang katotohanan na ni minsan ay di kami naging isang pamilya. Halos lahat ng mga anak ko, galit sa isa’t isa. IIlan ang gusto magtulungan, naghihilahan pa. Madalas kong itinatanong sa sarili ko kung naging masama ba akong nanay para magturingan ng ganito ang mga anak ko?

Kanino bang similya ng demonyo nanggaling ang mga anak kong maituturing mong may mga pinag-aralan pero nakakadama ng saya at sarap sa paghihirap ng kapatid nila? Di ko lubos maisip kung saan impiyerno nanggaling ang kasikiman ng ilan sa mga anak kong ito. Sila pa naman ang inaasahan kong magbabangon sa amin. Nakakabaliw isipin na natitiis nila ang kalagayan ng kanilang mga kapatid na halos mamatay sa hirap ng buhay. Parang di sila magkakapatid sa tindi ng pagkaganid at walang pagmamalasakit.

Ang di ko akalain ay mismong mga anak ko, ang tuluyang sisira sa akin. Kinapital ang laspag na ganda ko. Masaya sila sa mga nabibili nila mula sa pinagputahan ko. Buong angas nilang pinagyayabang ang mga pansamantalang yaman at ang kanilang hilaw na pagkatao sa mga makakakita at makikinig. Talaga bang nakakalula ang materyal na kayamanan at mga titulong ikinakabit sa pangalan? Hindi ko maintindihan.

Minsan sa pagtingin ko sa salamin, ni hindi ko na nga kilala sarili ko.

Dadating na naman ang pasko, sana maalala naman ako ng mga anak ko. Ilang linggo pa, magbabagong taon na. Natatakot ako sa taong darating. Ngayon pa lang usap-usapan na ang susunod na pangbubugaw sa akin. Gagamitin pa nila ang kahinaan ng mga kapatid nilang alipin sa kalam ng tiyan. Sa tagal ng panahong ganito ang sitwasyon namin parang eto lang ang sulok na gagalawan ko. Sana may magtanggol naman sa akin. Ipaglaban naman nila ako. Gusto kong isigaw: "Ina ninyo ako! Pagmamahal nyo lang ang kailangan ko!”

Sensya na, ang haba na ng drama ko. Masisira na ang make up ko nito eh. Salamat ha, pinakinggan mo ako. Malaking bagay sa akin na nakausap kita. Ang tagal nating nag-usap, di man lang ako nagpapakilala.

Ay sorry, di ko nasabi pangalan ko.

Pilipinas nga pala.

Author is mike portes -mike.portes@gmail.com

Pinoy sa Likod ng Kurtina

Over a thousand Filipinos arrive in Dubai every month.

And why not? Literally, the sun shines here all year round; prosperity is in the air; and it's a place where people have reasons to dream of waking up in the morning as millionaires or with kilos of gold on their lap!

Yun nga lang, habang hindi pa nangyayari yun, iba ang nakikita ng maraming Pinoy pagdilat nila sa umaga --- kurtina!

Betcha by golly wow! Paano ko ie-explain to fascinated Pinoys back home our living condition here!

Noong una akala ko isolated cases. But with the skyrocketing apartment rents in this City of Gold , such conditions are becoming the norm.

Sideways...sidesteps
Hindi yan dance step. That's the latest move ngayon sa mga sharing flats. Sa sobrang liit ng space, patagilid ang galaw. Kaya minsan, mga ka-flatmates, hindi na magkakitaan. "Hoy, where have you been, ba? Hindi ka na umuuwi sa flat!" Kasi nga lagi silang naka-sideview!

Warning: Smoking is dangerous to your room.
Hindi health reasons ang dahilan bakit bawal magyosi, no! Ang styrofoam kuya!

Yes, naunahan ng Pinoy ang IKEA sa innovation na yan --- Yes, styrofoam walls, styrofoam doors, styrofoam room. Di ba nga naman, styrofoam keeps you fresh! Para kang gulay, o kaya ice candy. Pero siguro mas feel mo minsan na 'tuna' ka, o di kaya 'sirena' kung feel mong si Marian ka.

"Ate, di ba fire hazard yan?" "Anong fire ka dyan? Rent ang mas nakakamatay dito!"
"Illegal ang partions sa Dubai . At least ang styrofoam, pag nagkahulihan, mabilis sa baklasan. Gets mo?!!!" "Yes, Ate."

Therefore, 'no smoking': ang sirena baka maging daing!

Burj Al 'Cupboards'
Hindi lang Emaar Properties ang may 'K' na magtayo ng skyscrapers? Haven't we heard, the Philippines is a major supplier of architects in Dubai ? In other words, nasa dugo natin yan! Kaya ba ng Arabong gumawa ng rooms out of cupboards, luggages and shoe boxes?

Dati sa airport lang bida ang mga luggages, ngayon multi-purpose na: dividers na rin sila --- para ang isang kwarto maging lima !

Pampataas sila sa mga cupboards kasama ng mga shoe boxes na pinaka-antenna. Siyempre, the taller the better --- you keep your neighbor's eyes away.

Now Showing
Pagpasok ko ng flat, akala ko sinehan, ang daming kurtina. Mga kuarto pala. Pero ang cute, cinematic!!! Parang barangay, complete with eskinitas. Kada bukas ng telon, parang movie --- sari-saring life. May natutulog, may nag-eemote, may nka-curlers, may nakasimangot. Sa panlimang kurtina, may nag-totong-its, sa pang-anim, may naggugupit.

Ang gandang movie, di ba? "Ang Pinoy sa Likod ng Kurtina!" Paraisong Kurtina Ayyy! Our Paraisong Kurtina. It can make you laugh, it can make you cry.

Be proud of our Paraisong Kurtina.
It exists because we'd rather send our money home than spend more for our comfort. Within its walls, lies our desire for a little privacy, our groans, our tears, our dreams, our struggle for some little savings. My curtain says a lot. It says, "I have saved again, inay; I'll be able to send money next month."

O ano? Dream mo pa bang pumunta ng Dubai ????

Don't Give Up...

Just reposting a very nice story I received today on my mail.

One day I decided to quit...
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. ..
I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I asked, "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me... "Look around", He said.
"Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds,
I took very good care of them.
I gave them light.
I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth.
Its brilliant green covered the floor.
Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.
But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year,
The Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo.

He said. "In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit.

In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed.
"I would not quit." He said.

Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.
Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. ..

But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots.
Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.
I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.
He asked me. "Did you know, my child,
that all this time you have been struggling,
you have actually been growing roots".
"I would not quit on the bamboo.
I will never quit on you."
"Don't compare yourself to others."

He said. "The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.
Yet they both make the forest beautiful."
"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"
"How high should I rise?" I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned.
"Yes." He said,
"Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and brought back this story.

Nothing Beats Dubai (P-1)

If you think that the architectural and engineering expansion in Dubai is over, oh well think again. A slew of new projects are on the table and in the works as we speak, and this time, the projects have gone bigger, better, bolder and weirder. Take a look:

The "cloud' is a speculative design for a resort city elevated 300 metres in the air above dubai and supported on slanting legs resembling rain. it is designed by nadim karam of lebanese architect atelier hapsitus. it is a horizontal presence on an elevated platform, an antithesis to the sum of skyscrapers spreading over the entire region.

ha hadid' "dancing towers" are planned to be located in dubai's business bay development area. the plan consists of three buildings which rise up from the ground bending and intertwining with each other to create fluid animation of the forms.


The "pixel tower" by light architecture is on the palm jebel ali overlooking the lagoon and bay. the building's twisted core gives it a light and flexible appearance. the 45 degree twist allows the uppermost apartments to have optimal views, despite the buildings footprint.

The "infinity tower" is designed by skidmore owings and merrill and is located directly on dubai's waterfront. when complete it will be the world's tallest tower to feature a 90-degree twist. it will be used for luxury apartments and services, with all sides of the building featuring optimal views. the building's interior structure will feature a a concrete column, shaped like a helix. each floor has a slight 1.2 degree twist to compose the full 90 degrees.

madrid's a-cero architects led by joaquin torres has designed a new tower for the city of dubai. "the wave tower" is a high-rise proposed to be installed on the city's waterfront, the first skyscraper to do so. the tall tower, which appears to float in the sea, is connected to land by a gently curved bridge which mimics the waves ofthe gulf sea. the building is under development and will be in the madiant al arab district. it will stand at 370 meters and have 92 floors wrapped in a double skin glass facade.


real estate mogul donald trump is also part of the architectural plans of dubai, along with nakheel hotels he plans to build a 255 meter "trump hotel" on a man-made island in dubai. with 60 stories, the 5 star hotel will also house some luxury apartments. the building has been designed by atkins architects.


" Opus" is another dubai building designed by british architect zaha hadid. the 235 million GBP development was designed for the business bay for omniyat properties. it stands at 20 stories located next to the towering burj dubai. hadid's concept was to have the building open onto the city, framing the views. it is currently underdevelopment and is planned to be completed by 2010.


"0-14 tower" was designed by resier and umemoto and rur architecture pc along with dubai developer, shahab lutfi. the building was designed for dubai's business bay and features 22 floors covered in a double skin facade that's outermost skin is constructed from 40c, thick perforated concrete. the one meter space between the skins creates a chimney effect, cooling the building.

"'dubai pearl" was originally conceived by the omnix grop in 2002 but has since been taken over by a consortium of investors led by the al fahim group. the 3 billion USD project overlooks the pal jumeriah and covers 1.4 million square metres of the dubai media and technology free zone.


currently awaiting completion, this art deco inspired building will house a hotel and residences. "the burj dubai lake hotel" stands at 306 meters next to the duabi mall and the burj dubai lake.


"dubai towers" is the centerpiece for the large 'lagoons' development. the buildings and the development were all conceived of by TVS. the four towers range in size from 54 to 97 floorsand were inspired by the flames and movement of candlelight.


The "da vinci rotating tower", is one of the most innovative an unique buildings to be built in dubai. the 250 meter tower will allow each floor to rotate freely allowing the building to shift its shape. in between each floor horizontal wind turbines will allow the building to produce energy.

Nothing Beats Dubai (P-2)

'dubai promenade' is another project developed by nakheel. located in between dubai marina and palm jumeirah, this wheel shaped five star hotel is built on a man-made peninsula. it will be accompanied by a series of sister towers that will create 2,000 residential units.

'the al sharq tower' will be the tallest building on dubai's sheikh zayed road when it will be completed. measuring 360 meters tall, the tower will contain 268 luxury apartments. the building features eight interconnected cylinders which covered in a spiraling filigree. skidmore, owings and merrill designed the structure which is currently under construction.

architect andrew bromberg designed this 120 floor building while at aedas architects. measuring 516 meters, the 'pentominium' is a residential only building which will be one of the highest towers n dubai's marinA, when it is complete. the slender building is covered in glass with a series of tiered balconies on one side.

INspired by the 'Q1', the world's tallest residential tower, the 'D1 tower' is designed by sunland architects. it combines middle eastern tradition with modern technology. it measures 284 meter tall with 80 stories, located on dubai creek cultural and artistic district.

atkins architects also designed 'the lighthouse' a new tower located in the middle of dubai's financial center. the 400 meter tall office tower which hopes to set a new standard for sustainability among dubai's towers. it plans to reduce its total energy consumption by 65% and its water consumption by up to 40%.



'ocean heights' is another tower located at dubai marina. it measures 310 meters tall and contains 82 floors. each side is twisted to maximize the views over the water when the building is completed this year.

'the burj al alam' or world tower is a 108 story, 501 meter high skyscraper currently being constructed in dubai's business bay area. designed by nihon architects, the building's form is based on the form of a flower. when complete it will be among the tallest building in the world. the top of the building will be finished with a 6 story turkish bath and sky garden, when construction is completed in 2010.

'tameer towers' was proposed as a sustainable skyscraper, designed by gensler architects. the development will include six 72 story towers with a diamond shaped base. set to be complete in 2011, the towers will be shaded by a series of landscaped terraces. inside, apartments, hotels, shops and office will fill p the space.


'synergy' is another building designed by india's sanjay puri for dubai's business bay area. the 20-storybuilding was designed to appear like a stack of cubes that were fluidly merged. one side overlooksthe promenade in front while the other side faces a lake. the facade is punctured by a decorative motifderived from islamic art.

The 'emaar towers' are located at the entry point to the burj dubi development, right across from the burj dubai tower. the towers are 42 and 34 stories each and will mostly house offices. an articulated skin covers the buildings and recalls the layers of traditional islamic architecture.

royal haskoning architects were invited by nakeel development to create a masterplan design for pal jebel ali, off the coast of dubai. their winning design includes sports facilities, housing, retail and office space. the design also features an iconic bridge connecting to the main towers.

'the apeiron hotel' will be a 7-star hotel built on an island off of dubai. the arched 185 meter tall hotel will cost 500 million USD. it will have 350 luxury suites that will only be accessible by yacht and helicopter. designed by sybarite uk, the hotel features its own lagoon, beaches, cinemas and at gallery.

'the empire tower' is located in the heart of dubai. it uses an array of splayed vertical layers which are unified at the bottom and rise up into the sky with gentle curves. it measures 230 meters overlooking the sea and nearby parks.

'the palm tower' is as its name implies, inspired by the trunk of a palm tree. it is located in the center of jumeirah village. it measures 150 meters tall holding offices, retail space and gardens. designed by sybarite uk, it contains 60,000 square meters of interior space.

Welcome to Atlantis

Is a 30-metre water slide through shark-filled waters your idea of a relaxing holiday? Or would you rather take a look at the ruins of the legendary island city of Atlantis by strolling through an underwater maze of tunnels? Or perhaps you are the jet-setting type and would instead prefer a jetlag recovery massage.

A new entertainment resort in Dubai offers all these and more. Atlantis, the second such resort in the world after the Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. opened its doors to guests and day visitors last week. It is the flagship resort of Palm Jumeirah, one of the three palm-shaped artificial islands off the coast of Dubai.

Dubbed the first integrated entertainment resort in this metropolis on the Gulf coast, it is offering a whole range of entertainment and leisure activities themed around marine life apart from regular hotel facilities.

The focal point of Atlantis, The Palm, is the Ambassador Lagoon, an open-air marine habitat, claimed to be the first such in the Middle East. The habitat, created with 11 million litres of salt water, is home to thousands of marine creatures representing several hundred species. Then of course there is the replica of the ruins of Atlantis, which Plato mentioned in his dialogues 'Timaeus' and 'Critias'. The boulevards and ruins of the legendary lost city have been recreated on the seabed in the Ambassador Lagoon and visitors can view these from an underwater maze of tunnels called 'The Lost Chambers'.

Another facility, Dolphin Bay, offers visitors the chance to meet and interact with dolphins.

One of the major highlights of the resort is Aquaventure, a water playground spread over 17 hectares. Created with 18 million litres of water, Aquaventure comprises water slides from a 30-metre high Mesopotamian-styled Ziggurat temple, a 700-metre private beach and thrilling rides through cascades, tidal waves and rapids along a 2.3-km artificially created river called The Rapids. As for the ziggurat, it features "seven heart-pumping water slides, two of which catapult riders through shark-filled lagoons".

For children, there is the Splashers, a water playground which allows young visitors to participate in a variety of water games and challenge each other to cross rope bridges interconnecting the 10 water slides.

If you are hungry and tired after all these activities, you can head straight to The Avenues, a marketplace featuring top global brands and 17 restaurants, bars and lounges. This includes four restaurants run by Michelin-starred chefs - well-known Japanese chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, London's Giorgio Locatelli, Frenchman Michel Rostang and avant-garde Spanish chef Santi Santamaria.

If you are planning to stay over at the resort, well ... be prepared to shell out a pretty penny. The 1,539 guest rooms and suites in the Royal Towers featuring private balconies and views over the Arabian Gulf or The Palm Jumeirah come at a price. Rates start from 2,900 dirhams ($789) a night for a guest room at the Royal Towers and go up to 92,000 dirhams ($25,056) if you want to stay in one of three-bedroom Bridge Suites.

As a hotel guest, you can also make use of the Spa & Fitness Centre, a two-storey affair covering 1,900 square metres. Therapies on offer across the 27 treatment rooms at the centre range from desert hot stone therapy to sports massage to jetlag massage.

Though the resort has opened its doors, the people behind it are organising a grand opening ceremony in November which will feature, among others, a Kylie Minogue concert and fireworks display by the Grucci Family, who did the pyrotechnics in the Beijing Olympics.

So, next time you visit Dubai, you know you have yet one more indulgence option. You just have to take a drive through a six-lane underwater vehicle tunnel to reach the resort.

Funny Videos

I was searching for some porn (thats's joke) videos on Youtube but these are what I've got instead:

The 8th Wonder of the World

I have never been a fanatics of sport or the Olympics Games for that matter much less an enthusiast of anything that has to do with Chinese, Chinese people, Chinese food or Chinese culture. Call me racist but yes I am. But a yesterday, But yesterday, a milestones in sports history have had my hands down and the Chinese people has proven me wrong for the first time in a significantly jaw-dropping kind of way. I am talking about the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in which China was unanimously voted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host.

Though I wasn't able to watch the opening ceremony of the 17-day quadrennial event as I have to go to work yesterday, news pages of striking and provocative images from the kick-off ceremonies have left me in awe and enough to convince me that it might really be the most spectacular Olympic ceremony the world has ever witnessed. Armed with enthusiasm and little passion for modernized arts, I checked the same event on Youtube and after having watched the hour-long spectacle, I must say in all honesty that it was indeed splendid, spellbinding and won't easily be erased in recent sporting memory. Once again, proving China is more than just a chopstick nation but a force to reckon as far grand sporting event, creativity, talent and unity of people are concerned. Truly, the next Olympics host city, London has a lot of homework if it wants to surpass or at least match the scale and grandeur of Beijing’s.

I won’t further much on how fascinating it was, I know a million blogs and websites have already devoted a piece of their time featuring this event so just check out down below some of the best and extraordinary photos from the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremonies, an event that was hailed by one writer as truly the modern 8th wonder of the world!