Entries Tagged 'Foreign News' ↓

I'm no boxing fan. That's for sure.

But ever since Manny Pacquiao started breathing new life to "the poor man's sport" long dominated by Mexicans and African Americans -- like the usual Filipino, I realized that falling in love with the sport became as inevitable as falling in love with Manny's talent and sheer dedication to it.

Manny Pacquiao may be many things to many people -- a source of inspiration, a source of fascination, a source of intrigue -- a source of income.

But who cares what he is to these other people? Who cares really?

All I know is that every time he fights he makes me excited like a kid about to buy a new toy. He makes my stomach churn, my heart throb like crazy each time I see his toned body pressed against the ropes.

Whenever he's in the ring, I pray earnestly under my breath for his victory. Intensely. Sincerely. And I do so as if his possible failure is mine to bear -- his probable victory, mine to celebrate.

In today's "The Event", Manny fought as fiercely and as confidently as he always did in the past -- only better than before that and before that.

He just keeps getting better every time.

And while fans used to a KO (knockout) seemed a little less jubilant, I am immensely happy that Manny has once again made me feel like a kid for an entire day.

More than a new toy, Manny has given me a sense of pride, a sense of patriotism rekindled by his beautiful 'dance' inside the ring.

It takes more than mere love for the sport to appreciate and understand today's bout. Fans can only see as far as the center of the ring.

It seems that in boxing, it's not how well you started it. Not even how awesomely you ended it. It's how you went about it and how you made people feel while you're at it. The glory of boxing is "in the moment" -- not in the announcement of the winner or the glamorous after-party or the hefty paycheck.

The glory is in how Manny Pacquiao has once again proven to the world that like wine, he gets better with age. Like metal subjected to fire, he becomes malleable to perfection -- a sight to behold and scorching to touch. There seems to be no end to the number of combinations and styles he learns to use. To say that he may have elevated boxing to an artform is an understatement.

The fight didn't look boring from afar because Joshua Clottey almost never let down his guard or that he threw so few punches. His body seems hard as stone and his punches, few as they come -- ensure that they're felt.

It looked boring because Manny made it look so damn easy.

His ease in the ring however is in stark contrast with his intense and serious training outside of it -- away from the bright lights, from the deafening screams of spectators.

The explanation to Clottey's all-out defense is best given by the man himself. In the post game interview, when asked why he wouldn't let his guard down, Clottey explained that he wanted to protect himself from Pacquiao's speed in the first few rounds and planned to throw punches only when he feels he has already gauged Manny Pacquiao's movements. That time, to his surprise, never came. And before he knew it, 12 rounds had passed and the chance he had been waiting for was lost to oblivion.

It took Joshua Clottey 12 rounds of strictly defensive boxing to know what we've known over the years -- that boxing has redefined Manny Pacquiao. And that Manny, in turn, has redefined boxing.

That's Manny Pacquiao. That's boxing. And now, it has become impossible to define one without the other.

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Has it really been a year since I last wrote about International Women's Day in 2009? It seems only yesterday.

If I have to,
I can do anything.
I am strong.
I am invincible.
I am woman.

Every year, we go through this process when we pause for a moment and think about how our lives have been touched one way or another by a woman. It may range from a simple, comforting smile to an entire life changed forever by one woman's courage or strength or love.

Photo by *Zara

Everyday, we see them walk among us -- women just being themselves, doing what they do best -- serving and protecting, nurturing and loving, giving and inspiring...

Their selfless acts have become as natural to them as breathing, their show of support as ubiquitous as a tap on one's shoulder just when you need it.

It's an overwhelming experience -- to be loved selflessly and tirelessly by someone so strong yet so fragile, so sweet yet so dangerous, so innocent yet so knowledgeable. So sensitive yet so strong.

It is precisely these very same contradictions that make women so unique. Whether it's a mother's touch, a friend's embrace or a lover's kiss -- a woman's inexplicable capacity to take in so much and give the same without losing anything in the process but instead gaining more and giving more is almost magical if not unbelievable.

The love of a woman is fierce -- like a double-edged sword too dangerous for the faint of heart and too pure for the opportunistic soul.

Oftentimes, a woman's capacity for great love is downplayed as nothing more than a dutiful fulfillment of her mission, as if everything she does must have a reason, otherwise she is but a lost soul, whose existence becomes devoid of meaning and purpose.

In truth, she needs no validation nor recognition. She seeks none of those. For to her, everything she does is a labor of love, born of her immense drive to put the other person's happiness above her own -- always. To her, that is reason enough. That is reason itself.

It's a pity that while we claim that the world has become more tolerant and accepting of women, the exact opposite is true for most of them in many countries.

With the exception of a few Western countries, more and more women in the East suffer in silence in the face of maltreatment and abuse -- most times through no fault of their own.

In stark contrast with men, society finds it hard to separate a woman's achievements and contributions from the personal life she leads. This is probably one of -- if not the biggest discrimination women face. When a male political figure commits blunders and unthinkable sins for example, the world easily downplays, forgives and forgets.

But when a woman of the same stature does the same, she is eternally doomed and haunted by past mistakes -- never to fully recover from her foibles. It is as if she is not at all allowed to be human.

(Case in point: Bill Clinton vs. Sarah Palin; Tiger Woods vs. Northern Ireland's Iris Robinson)

I'd like to think that the world, after years of struggling with feminism has changed. But the glaring truth is that it hasn't changed a bit. It just wants us to believe it has just so we'd stop whining and complaining about it.

***

International Women's Day is also a celebration of women achievements. And for this year, I choose to honor a great woman writer, Lualhati Bautista who embodies the strong and stubborn woman who refuses to sit down and take it. Her strength shines through in her writing and her life and works serve as an inspiration to aspiring women writers. Lualhati Bautista -- all talent, all woman.

Today, as we celebrate the many ways a woman loves and the many wonderful ways we have benefited from such love, let us not forget the many forgotten women all over the world -- unrecognized, abandoned and unloved.

On this day, may God touch them in the night as they fall asleep weeping, may they wake up to a more caring world the next day. May they walk without fear among the crowd. May they speak without reservations of their feelings and fears. May they find comfort in the thought that they are remembered every year.

This is for all the faceless women of the world. One day, all will be rectified. One day, they will get what's due to them. One day soon.

Today is International Women's Day. Remember all the wonderful women in your lives. Let them know they are appreciated. Let them know they are loved.

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I know we're still hurting about what happened to Haiti and you've probably sent your donation there through the many available options and avenues online or offline.

Photo by ♥ Queen B

Today, if you don't know yet, let me tell you that you can DONATE TO CHILE THROUGH TEXT (for ALL GLOBE subscribers). All donations would go to the RED CROSS which will ensure that your donations would reach their intended recipients.

Just text CHILE to 2899.

Ex. CHILE 300 and send it to 2899

Available donation amounts are 5, 25, 50, 100, 30, 500 and 1000 pesos.

This transaction is free of charge. For prepaid subscribers, this amount will be deducted from your regular load balance and for postpaid subscribers, this will be charged to your account on the appropriate billing cycle.

Chileans are facing one of the toughest tragedies in their history in the aftermath of an 8.8 earthquake and recent aftershocks. Many of the civilians have resorted to looting delis and convenience stores because of the lack of food and other necessities. The situation is so out of control that the government have issued additional police powers to make arrests and restore order.

These are not your usual looters. They are ordinary people pushed to the limit by lack of assistance and possibly, hope. Let us make their lives a little bit bearable by giving what we can.

Remember, every little bit counts.

Please pass this information to as many Globe subscribers you know since not all subscribers have their Globe Advisory alerts enabled. Many may not be aware of this yet. Thank you.

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There are things in this life bigger than all of us-- bigger than our daily personal struggles, bigger than our economic woes and even bigger than the upcoming 2010 presidential elections. My friends, it is the universal desire for the well-being and safety of our brothers and sisters around the world. Yes, that much-ridiculed and overly-used, Ms. Universe-like wish of "world peace". Along with that is our ardent prayer that people be safe from harm.

Sometimes, in the rush and chaos of everyday existence and occupations, we forget that whatever differences, goals and priorities we have, there is one thing common to all of us -- a shared appreciation to the one thread woven in all of humankind -- that kind of strength to which any other strength -- be it economic or military pales in comparison -- it is the fortitude of the human heart -- the enduring resilience of the human spirit.

Photo by lille abe

The world, as I write this watch in shock at what now appears to be a patch of hell on earth as Haiti grieves for their dead -- with the death toll feared to go as high as 500,000. Millions of people are needing help, most of the survivors decided to live on the streets for fear of aftershocks. What happened to Haiti last  Tuesday, January 12, 2010 must shake us up out of complacency. If it can happen to them, it can happen to us.

There are two (2) things we share with Haiti -- poverty and corruption. These two always go together -- one resulting to the other, in an endless cycle of misery.

Haiti was unprepared for that 7.0 magnitude earthquake that is to come for a whole lot of reasons similar to us -- corruption which resulted to structurally-flawed and unsafe buildings, poor delivery of basic services, poor disaster-preparedness and more.

We, like Haitians, are no strangers to disasters -- political, economic and natural. And given our similarities with their current state, we can only cower in fear and pray earnestly that we do not suffer the same fate as theirs. most specially because compared to Haiti whose last experience with an earthquake was 200 years ago, the Philippines' most devastating earthquake experience is still fresh in our minds some 20 years ago in 1990. We were unprepared then and I sure as hell can bet that two decades after, we remain unprepared.

My heart goes out to the people of Haiti who lost what little they have. To bear witness to such a tragedy, to be able to walk among the dead seem like a curse far worse than subsistence. While it can't be argued that this 7.0 magnitude earthquake is a natural calamity, the number of casualties may have been limited if not totally avoided had there been early warning of an impending disaster which should have facilitated swift and orderly security of the residents. But then, maybe there's no stopping nature. There is a reason for everything.

Whatever it is, only God knows.

If you have money to spare, please donate. No amount is so small to not make a difference, and no amount is too big for our Haitian brothers and sisters.

The easiest way to donate to Haiti online (through credit card) to the American Red Cross is through this Google checkout link on the Youtube video, right side. For the technophobes out there, don't worry, it's safe, tried it myself.

You can also opt to donate through the American Red Cross website or to Doctors Without Borders.

***

On Pat Robertson's Haiti "pact with the devil" blunder

For the record, I would like to express disappointment over what longtime TV evangelist Pat Robertson of the 700 Club said on air claiming that the Haitians made a "pact with the devil" hundreds of years ago, hence the curse and the earthquake. He further claims that Haitians did this to gain their freedom from the French. I think such a statement is not characteristic of an evangelist. This statement spits at the honor of Haitians who hold the distinction as the only country in the Western Hemisphere to undergo a successful slave revolution. If there was such a "pact", who can attest to its authenticity? Who can judge? Such a statement only adds insult to injury. It is clearly judgmental and uncalled for.

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Fellow bloggers, unite. Today, October 17 is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This year's theme is: "Working Together Out of Poverty".

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is celebrated every year on October 17 throughout the world. It was officially recognized by the United Nations in 1992, but the first commemoration of the event took place in Paris, France, in 1987 when 100,000 people gathered on the Human Rights and Liberties Plaza at the Trocadéro to honour victims of poverty, hunger, violence and fear.

The figures are staggering. One in five people in the world live on less than a dollar a day. Imagine how skewed and imbalanced the so-called "distribution" of the world's wealth and resources has remained over the years. Continue reading →

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I am only one blog. I am only one voice. But today, I will pull words out of thin air. I will raise my voice until I am heard. And I will do the best that I can to let the world know that climate change is real.

It's not a hoax. It's not a conspiracy theory. It's not an illusion.

Continue reading →

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