The one on how our kids call the cops

As some of you know, Nathan, my one-year, five-month-old baby boy, has begun to walk. He also has begun to show interest in all things techie. It is for this reason, apparently, that he insists on pressing the OFF button of my computer to shut it down (while I'm still on it, mind you), grabbing the mobile phone of his mother (while she's still on it), and pretty much just tinkering with everything he can get his chubby yet grubby hands on.

Lately, he's gotten into the habit of lifting the telephone's receiver off the machine just to say, "Wo?", his version of "hello." So one day, he lifted the phone and jammed his palm on the telephone's numbers pad. The nanny thought nothing of it until she heard a voice on the other line, so she grabbed the receiver from Nathan, and said "Hello?"

"Bantay-Bata 163," the voice on the other line said. My son had dialed ChildWatch 163, the hotline for citizens who wish to report child abuse! Needless to say, our nanny apologized profusely and had to convince the woman on the other line that there was no abuse taking place and that my son was only playing with the telephone.

This isn't the only time it's happened in my family. Apparently, my cousin Angelica's child Olivia dialed 911. I can only imagine Lic's shock when the cops showed up at her doorstep!

The one on Trina Belamide

Yesterday, I decided to contact a Philippine songwriter of whom I'd been a longtime fan. Trina Belamide. For those of you who unfamiliar with Trina, she's responsible for some of Philippine music's most enduring love songs, including the now-classic Now That I Have You by The Company and one of my favorite local songs of all time, No Other Man by Geneva Cruz, a finalist at the 1998 Metropop Song Festival. She's also responsible for Tell the World of His Love, the theme for the Pope's visit back in the mid-1990s, and is now experiencing a huge hit through Regine Velasquez's revival of Shine, which, in my opinion, was still better in Ima Castro's hands.

The woman is prolific! I'd call her the Diane Warren of the Philippines, but people put too much stock in ridiculous little monickers like that, so let's just leave it at that: she's one of the country's best, if not underrated, songwriters.

I ran into her site while surfing around John and Benz Rana's WeddingsatWork site (the best Philippine wedding site on the Internet, bar none!), and decided to swing by her site to see what she'd been working on. Lo and behold! Her site is young and pretty, kinda like she is! You should look around. There are mp3s for you to listen to (you be the judge and tell me if Ima Castro kicks Regine Velasquez's butt, and don't forget to play Geneva's No Other Man), and you can contact her.

I did.

And she replied! It was short, but sweet, and wonderfully down to earth. It was the highlight of my email check today. I replied to her, and here's hoping she'll reply again.

She's president of KATHA, the local songwriters' union. I'd like to join KATHA, and see how I can get some of my stuff into the ears of people at the record labels. That, however, is the farthest thing from my mind right now, because Trina Belamide emailed me back! She, the person behind Vanna Vanna's Do You! Man, if we're talking pop, Trina Belamide is queen! Hoy, Metropop people, give the woman her props!

Shee-hee. Me a fan. Imagine what it'd be like if I hooked up again with Cynthia Alexander? Some of y'all remember what that was like.

The one on musical tag

Gotcha, Jax!

Random 10
1. I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend Nina
2. Wag Na Wag Mong Sasabihin Kitchie Nadal
3. I Wanna Be With You Avalon
4. The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything Veggietales
5. Dance Dance Dance Wilson Phillips
6. Closer to Fine Indigo Girls
7. Anytime (I Am There) Deborah Gibson
8. Five Candles Jars of Clay
9. Don't Walk Away Ganns (yeah, listening to myself, kapal ko! Watch for the single out in March!)
10. Sticks and Stones Dale Ibay

What is the total amount of music files on your computer?
About 30MB. I've got to delete stuff.

The last CD you bought is Let's Talk About Love by Celine Dion, for one of my Perfect-Proposals.com clients. For myself, I think the last CD I bought was WOW Gospel 2003.

What is the last song you listened to before this message? Nina's I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend. The Diane Warren Love Songs album has been stuck in my player for ages.

Write down five songs you listen to a lot or mean a lot to you.
1. I Could Not Ask For More by Edwin McCain. Cathy's and my theme song.
2. Everything To Me by Avalon. My song for God.
3. Big Yellow Taxi by Amy Grant/Joni Mitchell/Counting Crows. My song for life.
4. Not While I'm Around by Barbra Streisand. My song for Nathan.
5. Hold On by Wilson Phillips. My song for myself.

Who are you gonna pass this stick to?
1. Tina. She's working on her thesis, and needs a break.
2. Galvin. My favorite international male blogger of 2004, a great musician, and wonderful Asian Christian.
3. The Rowster. She's too busy, and needs a break too. Take the tip as well, RushHourHell. ;)

The one on my color

My gosh, I just realized it: I'm yellow. Not as brown as most Pinoys, but not white or creamy fair like most Caucasians. I'm yellow. I'm the color of most Fil-Chinese, but I'm not Chinese.

I'm yellow!

What color are you?

The one on why Valentine's is a great holiday

It shouldn't have to be a great thing when a Christian entrepreneur benefits from a holiday largely considered to be steeped in pagan mythology and Hallmark marketing, but man alive!, I love Valentine's Day!

As some of you know, Cathy and I operate Perfect-Proposals.com, the only wedding proposal consultancy in the Philippines today. Since Valentine's brings about the kind of jitters expected from romantic hullabahoo created by Hallmark, we've gotten referrals, inquiries, and an increase in the number of clients.

God is very good. Watch for our book!