Pinoys in Singapore

Alam mo yung pagod ka pero masaya. wala ng susulit pa sa $15, 2 drinks, sisig, chicken wings and wedges na Pinoy price. filipino band na walang kapaguran sa kakasayaw, kakakanta at kakabigay ng kasiyahan sa mga kapwa pinoy.

asan ka nito?

SALI na sa aming grupo... www.pinoyofwsg.multiply.com or save this site in your bookmarks. hope to see you in the near future.

:)










more pics on

www.pinoyofwsg.multiply.com

What everyone should read...

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Finally were able to afford an SLR. haha! Anyway, this store may be very popular to Filipinos as the COO (Child of the Owner) adv the D90 we were eyeing landed on the hands of 4 Filipino customers. Bad thing they ran out of stock. I commend him though for having that Sales speech and he was able to convince us to buy 450D instead. We got it for a very reasonable price, tons of freebies and 3 lenses.


Sam possesed excellent customer service. Ill give him 11/10. Thats how good he is. And he possesed this light, encouraging aura thats really contagious. He made his small store like a little piece of heaven on earth.


Visit their website:

http://www.john316photo.com/

Paki-share na lang po. Para sa mga Tatay; sa mga taong Tatay na; sa mga taong
may Tatay pa; sa mga taong wala ng Tatay; sa mga na Nanay pero Tatay pala.....
at para sa ating lahat na nagmamahal sa ating mga Tatay..

Si Tatay...: an Essay-Writing Contest Winner
1980 ako ipinanganak. Tatlong taon bago pinatay si
Ninoy Aquino at anim na taon bago ang EDSA uprising.
Taon ding ito nang nagkaroon ng malaking krisis sa
langis ang buong mundo. P24.00 ang palitan ng dolyar
sa piso at 48 milyon na ang populasyon ng Pilipinas.

Ito rin ang taong unang pumunta
ng Middle East ang tatay ko para magtrabaho.
Isang karpintero ang Tatay. Isang skilled worker.
Malaki ang pangangailangan ng bansang pupuntahan ni
Tatay sa mga katulad niya. Sabi ng Nanay mahirap daw
ang buhay noong mga panahong iyon. Inabot na raw ang
bansa ng economic depression na galing sa Europa at
Amerika. Kaya minabuti ng Tatay na mag-abroad. Anupa't
dalawa ang pinag-aaral niya at may bago na naman
siyang bibig na pakakainin.

Parating pinapaalala sa amin ng Nanay na "nagtiis
kaming magkahiwalay ng tatay ninyo para magkaroon tayo
ng maginhawang buhay." Palibhasa'y parehas galing sa
hirap, kaya siguro ganoon na lamang ang pananaw nila.
Uuwi kada dalawang taon, tapos aalis na ulit
pagkalipas ng dalawang buwan.. Ganyan ang
pattern ng buhay ng tatay ko.

Pumutok ang giyera sa Middle East noong 1989. Doon ko
unang narinig ang mga salitang Operation: Desert Storm
at Third Anti-Christ. Nandoon din si Tatay. Isang
beses lamang siya nakatawag sa loob ng tatlong taon
niyang pagkaka-stranded sa bansang iyon. Mabuti naman
daw ang lagay niya. May tirahan naman daw sila at
husto sa lahat ng pangangailangan. Hindi naman daw
sila gagalawin sa giyera sabi ng embahada ng Pilipinas
dahil hindi naman daw sila kasali sa awayan ng
dalawang bansa at ng pakialamerong Amerika. Iyon naman
pala eh, bakit ka pa rin nandyan?! Na-imagine ko na
lang tuloy ang Tatay na parang isa sa mga sibilyan na
dumadaan habang nakikipagbarilan ako sa larong
Operation: Wolf sa SM City. Nang mahawi ang mga usok
ng giyera umuwi na ang Tatay. Wala pang isang taon ay
nakita ko na naman ang aking sarili na nakasakay sa
arkiladong dyip para ihatid ang Tatay sa Airport
papuntang Middle East . Ikaw ba naman ang magkaroon ng
pinag-aaral na nurse, isang seminarista at tatlo pa sa
elementarya. Kailangang kumayod, kailangang kumita.

Kung tutuusin maraming na-miss ang Tatay sa buhay
naming magkakapatid, lalo na sa akin. Wala siya nang
una akong magtalumpati sa entablado. Wala din siya
nang grumadweyt ako ng elementarya at hayskul. Wala
siya nang una akong nakipagsuntukan sa kaklase ko nang
inasar ako nito habang binibigay ko ang libreng
plastic na singsing na galing sa cheese curls sa
kaklase kong babae. Wala din siya para turuan akong
magbasketbol tulad ng ginagawa ng mga kapitbahay ko sa
kanilang anak. Wala rin siya para panoorin si Kuya na
contestant sa Student Canteen at ako naman para
sabitan niya ng medalya para sa mga math competition
na sinalihan ko. Wala siya nang dumating ako sa punto
ng aking buhay, na siya ring kinakatakutan ng lahat ng
katulad kong nagbibinata- -ang magpatuli. Wala rin siya
para turuan akong maglanggas. Wala siya nang
kauna-unahang lumabas ang pangalan ko sa dyaryong
pang-estudyante bilang isang editor. Ipinagtabi ko
siya ng mga kopya para maipagmalaki sa kanyang
pagdating. Wala siya nang una akong tumikim ng alak
dahil binasted ako ng dinidigahan kong babae.. Wala rin
siya nang sumubok akong manigarilyo at itapon ito
pagkatapos ng dalawang hithit pa lang.

Wala siya, wala siya parati.

Napansin ko na lamang na mas naiibuhos naming
magkakapatid ang oras naming sa labas ng bahay at sa
eskwelahan. Ang Ate ay kagawad ng Sangguniang
Kabataan, ang Kuya naman ay matagal nang kinuha ng
seminaryo, ang dalawa kong kapatid ay may mga sarili
nang kina-career at ako naman ay natutuon sa aking
pagsusulat.

Dumating ang isa sa pinakamasayang araw ng buhay ko,
ang pagdating ng Tatay at sabihing ito na ang huli
niyang uwi dahil hindi na siya babalik ulit sa abroad.
Makalipas ang ilang buwan, trinangkaso ang Tatay. Sabi
ng doktor ay overfatigue lang daw at kailangan niyang
magpahinga. Pagkaraan nang ilang buwan, na-diagnose na
may tumubong tumor sa utak ng Tatay at malignant na
ito. Minsan naitanong sa akin ng uncle kong doktor
kung nauntog ba ang Tatay o nabagsakan ng mabigat na
bagay sa ulo. Nahihiyang ngiti, kamot sa ulo at isang
"hindi ko po alam" lang ang naisagot ko.

Kung gaano kabilis na nadiskubre ang tumor niya sa
utak ay ganun din kabilis na binawi sa amin ng Diyos
ang Tatay. Habang pinagmamasdan ko ang Tatay habang
mapayapa itong nakahimlay noong
burol niya, nahihirapang tumulo ang luha ko. Kung
tutuusin, hindi ko kilala ang taong ito. Siya ang
tatay ko. Kalahati ng pagkatao ko ay galing sa kanya.
Pero kung tatanungin mo ako kung anong gusto niyang
timpla ng kape, kung allergic ba siya sa hipon na
paborito ko, kung San Miguel o Purefoods ba ang team
niya sa PBA--isang malaking EWAN lang ang maisasagot
ko sa iyo. Noong bata pa ako, nasa abroad ang Tatay.
Kapag nandito naman siya para magbakasyon, mas
malaking oras ang nagugol niya sa pag-aasikaso ng mga
papeles niya para sa susunod niyang pag-alis. Nang
tumigil na siya sa pagtatrabaho, ako naman ang abala
sa mga reports, periodical examinations at mga
research works. Nang nasa ospital na siya, kahit
makipagkuwentuhan ay mahirap nang gawin dahil halos
hindi na siya maintindihang magsalita dulot ng
chemotherapy.

Matagal nang patay ang Tatay. Minsan nabalitaan kong
dumating na ang seaman na tatay ng boss ko, pilit ko
siyang pinauuwi nang maaga. Minsan ding buong
kawilihan kong pinagmamasdan ang isang kaibigan ko na
nagmamadali dahil baka masaraduhan na siya ng grocery.
Kailangan niyang makabili ng
ingredients ng spaghetti dahil 'yun daw ang bilin ng
tatay niyang na-stroke. Minsan rin nang makainuman ko
ang matalik kong kaibigan habang binubuhos niya sa
akin ang sama ng loob niya sa pagbabalik ng tatay niya
na malupit sa kanila nang mahabang panahon at
ipinagpalit sila sa ibang babae. Sa tingin ko lang,
"Buti ka pa nga may Tatay pa." Syempre hindi ko sinabi
iyon sa kanya. Baka mamaya tanungin pa niya ako kung
kanino ako kampi, kami pa ang mag-away. Minsan din
sinamahan ko ang kababata ko nang dinalhan niya ng
pansit ang tatay niya sa City Jail. Hindi naman sila
nagtatanong kung bakit ako ganun. Wala naman silang
alam kay Tatay.

Maraming pagkakataon na nanghihinayang ako dahil
masyadong maaga ang paghihiwalay namin ng Tatay. Gusto
kong sisihin ang Pilipinas dahil napakahirap ng buhay
dito. Sa Amerika ba may tatay na nangingibang- bansa
para makapagtrabaho lang? Naisip ko tuloy na sumama na
lang sa mga nagpipiket na mga migrante dahil alam ko
tulad ko rin sila. Kadalasan rin sinisisi ko si Saddam
Hussein at ang Gulf War dahil kinuha nila ang tatlong
taon sa buhay ng Tatay. Sayang ang tatlong taong iyon.
Nakalaro ko man lang sana ang Tatay ng basketbol o di
kaya'y naturuan niya akong mag-bike. (Beinte anyos na
ko nang matuto mag-bike).

Isa sa mga klase ko sa writing ang nagpasulat sa amin
ng kahit ano tungkol sa aming mga tatay, samahan pa ng
larawan kung maaari. Bigla tuloy akong nalito. Hindi
ko alam kung anong tungkol sa Tatay ang isusulat ko.
Ikuwento ko kaya na isang Overseas Contract Worker si
Tatay. Isang bagong bayani. Nag-aambag ng malaki sa
ekonomiya ng Pilipinas. Sabihin ko kayang may larawan
ng tatay kong may suot na hard hat na dilaw,
construction boots at may hawak na drill at kasama
niyang nakangiti ang mga kapwa niyang
Pilipino with matching background na disyerto. O kaya
ang larawan nilang magkakababayan habang pinagdiriwang
nila ang New Year at nag-iiyakan dahil tinutugtog and
Lupang Hinirang. Ang drama no?

Kuwento ko kaya na isang survivor ng Gulf War ang
Tatay. Na natutulog siya at ipinaghehele ng mga
Patriot at Scud Missiles. Pakita ko kaya ang mga
remembrance ng Tatay na mga dull na landmines.
Adventure naman ang dating nito.

Kuwento ko kaya kung paano hindi nagpabaya ang Tatay
sa pagbibigay ng pangangailangan namin. Hindi kami
sumasala sa pagkain, may magagandang damit, maayos na
tirahan at nakakapag-aral. Siya ay naging isang good
provider. Siguro isang malalim na buntong hiningang
"Haaaaaay!" ang ibibigay sa akin ng mga kaklase ko.
O di kaya'y dalhin ko ang picture ni Tatay habang
kini-chemotherapy siya. Ikwento ko din kaya na naging
mabilis ang lahat ng mga pangyayari. Na inoperahan
siya sa loob ng walong oras at binutasan ang ulo niya.
Na nakalabas pa siya ng ospital. Pagkatapos ng isang
linggo, agad siyang namatay. Tragic naman ang approach
ko nito.

Gayahin ko kaya ang kuwento sa telebisyon na tipong
galit na galit sa mundo ang anak dahil hindi ito
nabigyan ng sapat na atensyon dahil inuna ng kanilang
tatay ang pinansyal nilang pangangailangan. Teka,
hindi naman totoo yon eh! Napaka-unfair naman 'nun kay
Tatay.

Ikuwento ko na lang kaya ang isa sa mga magagandang
alaala namin kay Tatay. Apat na taon ako noon. Malinaw
na malinaw pa sa alaala ko ang pangyayari. Kadarating
lamang ng Tatay pagkaraan ng dalawang taon. Nagkaroon
ng simpleng party sa bahay. Kainuman niya ang mga
kumpare niya nang tumayo siya at binuhat ako mula sa
kuna ko habang pinaglalaruan ko ang bagong matchbox na
pasalubong niya sa akin. Inutusan niya ako na ikuha
siya ng beer sa refrigerator. Pagkakuha ko ng beer ay
kinandong niya ako at buong pagmamalaki na ibinida sa
mga kumpare niya na natanggap na raw ako sa local na
DayCareCenterdahil abot na ng kanang kamay ko ang
aking kaliwang tenga kahit idaan pa sa ibabaw ng ulo
ko at matatas na ako magsalita at madali raw akong
matuto. Matagal din akong nanatili sa pagkakandong
niya. Mistula siyang bagong dating na hari na
suot-suot ang kanyang korona. Ako ang kanyang korona.

Kapag naaalala ko ito, napapawi ang lahat ng
panghihinayang ko sa mga taong kailangan niyang
magtrabaho at mawala sa piling namin. Mga panahong
kasama ng mga tatay nila ang mga anak nila. Ito na
lang ang isusulat ko. Bago ang lahat, pupunasahan ko
muna ang mga luha ko at ang patulo ko ng sipon. Baka
mapatakan pa ang keyboard ng computer at ang hawak
kong picture. Picture ng isang paslit na may hawak na
bote ng beer habang kandong ng tatay na kitang-kita
ang kasiyahan sa mukha.