an email from Ethan

Here's something not many people know.. Ethan Zohn emailed me. Heheheehe. As respect for his privacy, not including his email here. But including the website for his grassroot soccer. I wish could volunteer. Wish soccer was big here in the Phils. But unfortunately, Basketball is the BIGGIE thing here. If it was soccer, reckon Ethan would have a grassroot soccer program here? That would be cool. Then would get my students to join. It would be both educational and fun. Posting Grassroot soccer link in my LINKS row. Posting these here coz well, you know, getting an email from him was surreal. It really was.

From: Ethan Zohn
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 12:03:50 EST
Subject: Re: Deaf girl from manila
To: piper

How are you. Of course I remember you. We have not taught deaf kids specifically but we have had a couple deaf students. Our activities are actually great because they are visual and game based ...not much lecturing.

Thanks for the email. I hope you are enjoying the new Survivor as much as I am.

Ethan


Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 23:25:56 -0400
From: Ethan Zohn
To: Piper
Subject: Re: Deaf girl from manila


The pics look great. thanks for those. USA is doing well....I just got
a gig as host of a soccer show called The Metro Soccer Report. I'm
pretty excited.

I hope you are well....

Ethan

.............. why are guys like these so rare????? if there were more ethan zohns, more rob marianos, more takuya kimuras..maybe the world would be a better place. heehee.

why i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE rob mariano

Rob Mariano. Boston Rob. I have always heard about that name and I read about the whole hype of them being on Amazing Race. To tell the truth, I haven't watched him in Survivor. The last Survivor I watched was, I think, Survivor:Africa, where I really liked Ethan Zohn - who I got to meet!! I have that photo here on my blog. (Now if I can remember which date it was in... Hehehe) Anyway, I watched Amazing Race 7, with curiousity about this couple. I even read the recap of their love story in Survivor, for a bit of background reading, which made me curious even more. They ended up being my favorite couple in the world! I would love to have a boyfriend like Rob. Hehehe. He is more real, not superficial. Not like the other guys you get on TV. Jon Buehler seemed too perfect for me. No offense. But Rob, he is himself on camera and off camera, he is still himself. I am glad he has found a girl he can love (who I envy but also can't hate as she is also a wonderful person. I also like her, she is very nice and she gets along well with Rob. Very perfect when they are together. They supported each other the entire race and had fun). I like their love story, I like reading about them. They really do love each other and you can't help but wish (even if you're snipping comments about them) that you end up with someone like that in real life. Like what Rob says in his vows... "You make me smile, you make me laugh, you make me feel important and smaht, sometimes you make me crazy, then you make things all right again.".... I wish someone would make that kind of vow to me also this one ..."To always treat you with respect, to always be your friend, to always put you above everything else, and to always love you with all my haht, forever and ever." Isn't that what love is? Amber is really lucky. To know more about why I LOVE ROB, read this one. It really says what I want to say: http://www.realityreel.com/unscripted_reality_television_episode_summaries_modload-News-article-1225.htm

My friends think I am crazy to like Rob. Can't blame them. After all, he was conniving, scheming and manipulating in all the reality TV shows he was in but what can I say, I LOVE ROB. I need to get me a shirt like Amber's that says it. Hehehe. I love the way he treats Amber. He was very sweet to her, it is evident he's smitten. I hope they will lead a happy life, and grow old together, I know they will look back and realize later how crazy all this is. It is for me. I am looking for Amber's vows on the internet. This is a good recap of their wedding. http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/story.cgi?show=76&story=8061&limit=&sort But it doesn't say Amber's vows. I'm still looking. But anyways, I hope that I find myself a Rob Mariano. (without the manipulating, cheating ways on TV, of course). Somebody who will be totally smitten with me, who will basically be my bestfriend and who will always put me above everything else. A man who can build you a house, remember to buy the bed you like, but refuses to take dance lessons, then gives in, buys diamond earrings at first opportunity ..... Those guys are kind of rare right now....................................

MABUHAY KA, PINOY!

Today is Independence Day. A time for us Pinoys to stand up and shout ----- "I'm proud to be Pinoy!" This day is the biggie deal for all other countries. In America, Independence Day is the day you will see so many American flags all over the streets, malls, etc. I have yet to see that happen in the Philippines. It's not so much a big hype here as it is in other countries that are really proud to be Americans, British, Japanese and so forth. There will be debates among Filipinos, wondering what we would be if we didn't seek freedom from the Americans. "Sayang, mas madali pa naman pumunta sa America if hindi tayo nag rebel!"(Too bad, if we didn't rebel from the Americans, it would be more easier to go there right now) and.. "Ano kaya if hindi tayo sell ng Britain, siguro parang Hong Kong na tayo?"( What if Britain didn't sell our country? Would we be like Hong Kong?) My country, after reading about its rich history, has a lot to offer, a lot of people worthy of praise. So many smart and brave men died just to give us, the next generation---the future--- the freedom we have now. For what purpose? For a corrupt government? For colonial mentality? For Filipinos abroad to shun their heritage? We have much envied values, a culture rich heritage, many beautiful islands just waiting to be traveled to and discovered. Many foreigners who had the guts to come over here despite the warnings all gush about our land. Our country. We should be proud.

Admiring KIMUTAKU

My admiration for the multi-talented Japanese actor/singer/artist, Takuya Kimura grew one lazy afternoon. Having watched all the DVDs I had, I decided to try watching this Japanese Dorama called "Beautiful Life". My best friend has a crush on this guy and she swears on her life that he is a great actor. So, feeling, I had no choice and resigned to the worse (I've never ever watched a Japanese Dorama, let alone any of those Korean Dramas that the rest of the Philippines are crazy about). And as you already have guessed, I LOVED that show! It was touching, moving and funny! and YES, Takuya Kimura was a great actor. He has an amazing presence onscreen that make you kind of.. stare, stop and listen. I don't know. He has charm, yes. So from then on, I was hooked. I actually own what, 6 Japanese Doramas now. And all of them have Takuya Kimura in them. Unbelievable. I watch his shows when I feel like escaping from reality, when I am bored.. and when I am feeling down. My present favorite Kimutaku dorama is Good Luck. (Hajime Shinkai!!!!) It is a good one, despite the kind of weird title of the Dorama. And recently, Pride. (Halu Satonaka!!!)Very good, although Good Luck is better in terms of storytelling but that's just me. I also loved him in HERO, this is a very good show, very well-rounded. Kind of like CSI. There is, of course, BEAUTIFUL LIFE. As I have said, it's a very touching, moving and funny series. If you are a first-timer Kimutaku watcher, you should start with this one! I also liked Sora Kara. It is a suspense series. I didn't want to associate Takuya's face with that character he portrayed. Like Tom Cruise in his movies, especially Collateral(wherein, although Tom Cruise was the bad guy, you didn't want him to be the bad guy) you actually forget he is Takuya... and also didn't want him to be the bad guy!! I have drawn some of my friends into this addiction of mine and they themselves can't stop talking about Takuya sometimes. Hehehe. My bestfriend has resorted to giving up stuff she knows about him and I learned that the whole island of Japan actually kind of worships the ground he walks on. I mean, they copy his style, stuff he does, clothes he wears. I've yet to see a Filipino / Filipina actress who wields that kind of charm here. And so.... I add Kimutaku into the growing list of people who are inspiring me these days. He is already what, 33 years old, married, has 2 kids, still a gigantic force after being in the business since 15 years old, still has tons of followers and he is very very humble about his achievements (and believe me, after googling him, he has PLENTY!) and whether he knows it or not, he's got the whole world in his hands......

...... as Hajime Shinkai in Good Luck

..... as Halu Satonaka in PRIDE.

work, work, more work

well, not really. what we have been doing at SAID now is fixing the classrooms. we also had our team building seminar last monday and it was nice and fun. a lot of lecture on teamwork and some of the activities were new to me... and here i thought i've seen them all. i now only have one more week of freedom until i get back to really teaching. eeewwww. i will have 15 students in my advisory class..... and in standard Deaf classroom rules, that's a lot, people. (my advisory class is first year high school, by the way). also am teaching english for grades 6, 7, first year and second year. and then history for grade 5. to tell the truth not very motivated this year compared to all the other years i've been teaching. i dunno why. maybe just been doing this kind of work too long. sheesh. there's one thing i do know though... will get a year-long headache and white hair. hehehehhe.