Insightful, Hopeful

It's such a joy that Manny Pacquiao won over Erik Morales last Sunday.  He really is the new people's champ. Salamat sa pagbibigay karangal sa lahing Pilipino!

During weekends, when I just bum around the house, I usually watch singing contests on tv. On Saturdays,
there is Fam Jam on QTV Channel 11; Little Big Star on ABS-CBN Channel 2; and Pinoy Pop Superstar on GMA 7.
On Sundays, there is Pop Star Kids on QTV Channel 11 and Search for a Star in a Million on ABS-CBN Channel
2.
These contests obviously highlight the singing prowess of Filipinos, but lately, I have been more impressed with kiddie contestants. Maybe it has to do with kids having no inhibitions especially with Little Big Star where parents are shown to be cheering on their kids on the sofas situated near the stage, thus, for me gives added boost or sometimes pressure on the kids. As for Pop Star Kids, it follows the same format as Pinoy Pop Superstar but I have not been able to watch it frequently,though the host is one of my favorite singers, as it coincides with the time I go to mass.
Fam Jam is a new concept for the QTV channel and is promising. It showcases the Filipino family's musical talent. I have only watched it about twice, but I really like the Cercado (not sure of the spelling), composed of 4 pre-teen and teenage girls that are super talented. I also liked the father and son group but last time I saw, they were no longer in the competition. This a very good show because it promotes unity among families, and makes them enjoy as well.
Pinoy Pop Superstar and Search for a Star in a Million had its own set of questionable contestants. Questionable in the sense that you may wonder, "how could they allow such contestants to appear on TV? Was there ever a screening process?". Call me mean, but for us viewers, we want entertainment and not headaches. But admittedly, I was more disappointed with Search for a Star in a Million, because some of the grand finalists (final 12) were not really that competent. Good thing the Final 4 are really deserving.
Only the final 4 really had talent. Unlike in Pinoy Pop Superstar where most of the finalists can sport his/her own style. Last Saturday, I was touched seeing a new grand finalist, Denver Regencia, performing teary-eyed. This guy is good, and has a jazz-style in singing. He is from Davao, and he sent money for his grandma to see him perform. He seems reserved, like a typical lad from a province who comes to Manila with big dreams. It was his 4th week, and if he won, he would qualify for the grand finals. It was indeed his night, and I was so happy for him. :)
These contests represents a Filipino dream - to perform, to shine, to live his dream somehow. We'll
always be one in music as a people. Salamat musika!

A warm welcome to a new year - 2006, year of the dog for the Chinese.
Hopefully this would be a good year for me, since I was born in the year of the dog too, 24 years ago.
I would like to write some lessons I learned last year. The year 2005 was a mixture of sadness and happiness for me. In the early part of the year, one of my friend died who was really special to me. It was very sad, having experienced for the first time, losing someone very close to me. But with the help of family and friends, I was able to recover from the sad loss and I learned many important lessons - that life is indeed short and that every waking moment of our lives is precious and something we should all thank for. I was also happy because I made new friends and rekindled old ties with my friends at SFC. Though I may not be able to attend all the activities at SFC, I am happy to serve Him in ways I can. I also had bonding moments with my officemates with our trip in Bohol, and I turned 1 year at work. But the greatest lesson I guess is to have faith, that things will be alright whatever trials come our way. Thanks be to God!
This 2006, I hope to continue to have good relationships with family and friends, to improve myself in all aspects of my life - spiritually, emotionally, physically, socially. I wish that for all of you too :D