I decided to do a major overhauling in the house last weekend–driving everyone crazy, of course. My weekend hero was Fantastic Ning who was brave enough to utter only two words whenever I was around. “Op” which I finally discerned was a shortcut for “opo” (the polite way of saying ‘yes’ in the Filipino language), and “Op” which again, I decoded, was an...

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Artwork by then seven-year old  Niccolo Sebastian Beldia “Room for Rent” was published in The News Today on August 2, 2005. The new urbanites make up almost half of the population in this city (I picked up the stats at an abandoned coffee table so you don’t have to believe this). However, that little piece of information suggests that people have been spending...

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VIA Ready Brew by Starbucks Company Manufacturers often make sure their packaging says it’s “instant coffee that tastes like brewed coffee”, but then you end up getting the same odd coffee flavor. The words ‘aroma’ and ‘flavorful’ painfully shy away from flimflam coffee, and I have experienced this over and over again for years. Everytime a new brand of instant coffee comes out...

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 Betis Church (Pampanga, Philippines), by Frances Beldia From the age of seven until I was about 25, I’m guessing I must have prayed the traditional Catholic devotion called the rosary approximately 365 times. Many times for small-time swearing in grade school, one hundred times for the failed attempts to cut class in high school; the other hundred times to accomplish what the nuns...

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The universe will simply give you what you’re asking for the moment you invest on positive thoughts and emotions. Poor health, an empty bank account, arrogant bosses, gossip mongering officemates, low-paying job and a career that can’t get a ride to success top the list of incessant complaints thrown by people from all races, cultural and psychological background. You, being the hapless victim...

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