I believe you guys have seen this commercial already. It has been a slight talk of the town because it places the somewhat “high-end” stance of Piolo Pascual in a TV material that promotes a brand meant for “masa” patronage. One more thing is the use of the popular song melody “Beautiful Girls”. This marketing stint has worked wonders for the brand as it went through talks with major publications in the country. Well, putting a familiar face with a big name to a relatively new brand will do the works.
Here here! Piolo Pascual persuading ladies to buy a detergent brand.
And just to show how massive the reactions are to this material, here is a Youtube clip I found done by a fan showing Luis Manzano teasing Piolo about his commercial. This was taken while ASAP (the Sunday noontime show) is on a commercial break.
Because I am a fan of Public holidays, it’s my pleasure to inform you guys about the already polished 2009 schedules for the “Holiday Economics”. The Makati Business Club is actually delighted for this schedule after being dismayed in long weekends last year because it caused some glitch in their operations. This year’s Holiday Economics is expected to bring in more motivations for Pinoys to do domestic travels.
Say ill excite you more by saying that there are 10 loooooong weekends for this year! And bite this- it is under Proclamation No. 1699 which was signed by GMA last December 24.
Here here!
Regular Holidays that means Long Weekend:
April 6 (Monday) Araw ng Kagitingan April 9 (Thursday) Maundy Thursday April 10 (Friday) Good Friday May 1 (Friday) Labor Day June 12 (Friday) Independence Day Aug 31 (Monday) National Heroes Day Nov 30 (Monday) Bonifacio day Dec 25 (Friday) Christmas day Dec 30 (Wednesday) Rizal day
Five Special Non-working Holidays are also added to help Filipinos commemorate special days in a more intimate way- this is according to our president. Hmmmm....
Aug 21 (Friday) Ninoy Aquino Day Nov 1 ( Sunday) All Saints day Nov 2 (Monday) Dec 24 (Thursday) Dec 31 (Thursday)
So, ready back packers and travel aficionados! Happy Holidays! He He He.
Last holiday season, people on the roads were obscured by red Starbucks cups placed on top of vehicles parading/roaming around the Metro. This is a gimmick launched by Starbucks to give away free cups of coffee for those people who spot the limited edition cup attached in the vehicle. I find this marketing gimmick brilliant and very cost effective. We all know how traffic is so high during the holidays and vehicle volume is just crazy. This move of attaching fake limited edition Starbucks cups on top of the vehicles is quite a novelty.
The Starbucks people were surprised to see metro aids, traffic enforcers and normal street people spotting the red cups. According to them, those people who qualify within their market would usually ignore things around them because of their busy minds, perhaps because of busy lives. Those normal people who were handed stubs were all too surprised and frantic thinking that they might have been logged under the “Wow Mali” scheme! Now that’s very Pinoy!
Well, I will surely spot for these red cups if in case Starbucks will still hold same gimmick next holidays seasons. Wont you?
For years, I thought that life would be happier if we please the people around us- and so I did. I even thought that pleasing new acquaintances can bring me possibilities for lifelong friendships – so I did. I was partly wrong and partly right. I find happiness in seeing people dear to me comfortable because they have me around. I am happy helping. I am happy reaching out. I often pretend to be okay whenever a friend would approach me for help, when in fact I am also screaming inside to release some anxiety. I often chase for attention. I would always try to check on everyone just to see if their doing okay. I guess I’ve done too much. Too much that I’m thinking these people see me as an element of annoyance already.
I am done pleasing others.
But I will never be done looking out to those people who fill my book with great stories.
Unlike before, I would look after them from a far. The chase for attention and simple replies shall end here, right at this very post. It’s true when they say that we often appreciate others in moments of their absence. I hope to justify this cliché this year. Will I ever create a need?I guess there’s a thin border line between being positive and friendly and annoying and attention deficiency. And I refrain to embrace the latter.
I realize people will not always need our help. Sometimes, they need silence and space. Sometimes, they need to build strength and solve their dilemmas on their own. Unfortunately, sometimes some people would be happier without us in their lives. And sometimes, we just have to live with it and hope that one inevitable day; they will come back seeking not for our help but for a smile, a talk, and a hug.
Having done a lot of shopping and purchases last holiday reign, I have noticed that a Filipino trait remains as ubiquitous as ever. I believe that this Filipino trait has travelled way past the old ages and it has evolved into many faces up until it reached the contemporary. I am talking about the “Tawad System”. Like “Filipino time” (being late for significant events) and “Manyana” Habit (procrastination), “Tawad System” has been deemed rather negative and an actual mishap in thinking that this can actually make us Filipinos look smart and well, practical. Say the term can also be concealed in business to be “negotiation” or “singing bids”.
I have to admit that I do “tawad” most of the time especially when I am in a very casual place with absence of security, parking and yes, air conditioning systems. Unlike the set trend of always asking for half the price (which is just outward wrong and “bastardic”), I always try to psyche up the “tindera” to what selling price is acceptable for her which will do great favour for both of us.For example, I am confident to have “tawad” when I am to purchase more than one unit.
But, “tawad system” can be so wrong. Business people are already aware of this practice so they have the tendency to over- price goods and/or services to give provision for “tawad”. Price negotiations can take place in all sorts of purchases and I wonder if prostitution can also welcome “tawad” in the industry.
I think that you also use this tricky Filipino trait most of the time. I see nothing wrong with this for as long as it’s always a mutual agreement and not a self-serving trick you do just to push your high belief in the cliche “customer is always right”.
Add on: The Menace was doing this article while he watches “You don’t Mess with the Zonan”. The Menace thought the movie was totally no-brainer and was done in honor of all the pervs out there. But, he can’t help but admit that the movie was totally funny. The Menace was also writing this down while negotiating with her sister on who shall be in-charge of the laundry now that their mom sprained her middle finger which was stacked in washing machine while doing the laundry. The Menace wins above her sister and accepted the compromise to do the dishes instead.
Mellow drama, some considerable achievements, expected failures, right leveled happiness, sudden escapes, beautiful friendships, down sides, ignorance, resentment, desperation, triumph, self-discovery, and tighter relationship with God- ideas and thoughts that went about in my 2008. I’m not sure if I have included all the stimuli and humanly defined terms in all these, but it doesn’t matter because I didn’t plan to start this writing with those words anyways.
Realizations – I had a lot of these during the holiday break. Realizations that went about in between party get goes, reunions, stressful travels and unbelievable expenses brought about by my aim to make my love ones feel like they are blessed same way that I feel so blessed by the past year.
I have a lot of realizations, so in between current affairs post that I might put here, REALIZATIONS articles will reign all throughout January. This will happen because this blog shall serve the main purpose it was built for- for me to speak my mind out and put my words into a web bank for me to look back and be surprised by writings that made sense, non sense and stuffs that I wouldn’t even care to shrug with or lift a muscle to create any reaction.
So here goes my first realization, PRAYERS
As human, we face the world full of things necessary and unnecessary. Things can be happy or sad, stressful or free and easy. I learned why population and urban nations exist, because no one can really survive alone. You may be living and running your own house, but buying commodities outside or attending to your personal needs will always include human interactions. Interaction will always be a two way thing. But what if time, proximity and even psychology won’t permit us to obtain any interaction in some points of our daily deliverance? Would we conclude to losing our minds? Or be Nancy Drew and search for some child-motivated crime scenes?
We don’t.
We turn to God. We talk to Him through whispered or loud prayers. I realized that human interaction can be a great savior of human sane. But I realized that prayers are indeed powerful. We don’t hear God respond real time. We don’t get a hug or kiss from Him. We don’t see Him laugh or cry with our stories. But, in this unexplainable context, we feel and hear his reply by heart. We don’t interact with Him physically, but our thoughts are being answered with us aware of it.
Prayer is my sanctuary. It has been tested. It can be done anytime, anywhere and for all situations- be it grief, happiness, confusion or hate, a prayer will always make you breathe easier and sleep sounder.
A year full of prayers to all of us! Prayers that can move even the most futile son of God.
More SERIOUS realizations for the whole month...I hope you can keep up.
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