Finally, pictures!

Finally the pics are here :D My trip to Coron, Palawan is one of the best vacations I've had. And I'm ever thrilled to share these wonderful photos.

Click on the image to see more! Also visit my Flicker page :)

Reflections...

If you want proof of God's existence all you have to do is climb a mountain, stand on top of it, and wonder at the greatness of the creations below and around you.

This is something I have held true to my heart.

I like hiking up the mountains. It's always a spiritual journey for me. And when I reach the top it's like I'm closer to the heavens and I have an exclusive view of the world most lack the privilege of seeing.

Last week I went to an island called Busuanga in the southern Philippines. Top of our list was trek to Mt. Tapyas. There was a 300-step stairway found in Coron town but we opted to go through the back door. Which is a 35-minute climb on a rocky and uneven trail, under the blazing afternoon sun, mind you.

Our lack of proper exercise during our stressful existence in the city made it even more difficult to drag our limbs hurriedly so as to escape the dehydrating heat.

Since going back would be an even more difficult task once you're midway, we took it one heavy step at a time and we finally reached the top. It was well worth it.

A 360-degree view of the whole Coron town and the neighboring islands nestled against the vastness of a deep blue sea. Breathtaking, not only because we barely had enough breath after the trek, but the panoramic view allowed us a deep sigh and ethereal silence that is my substitute to a prayer.

No pics here yet to show you...but soon! I will post 'em all for everyone to see :=)

Those Bastards!

Well take that Tom Cruise!

South Park, the most politically incorrect, most rude, most foul mouthed show ever invented on TV was honored for being just the way they are.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone must be feeling very vindicated right now after the George Foster Peabody Awards named them one of the awardees for broadcasting excellence in both news and entertainment.

"South Park" was praised as a show that "pushes all the buttons, turns up the heat and shatters every taboo," Peabody Awards Director Horace Newcomb said. "Through that process of offending it reminds us of the need for being tolerant."

I guess it's true that truth always comes out of the babes' mouth. In the case of South Park, they find ways to say it in the most shocking way possible. Conservatives may not like it, Catholics rallied against it, and a Scientology brat threatened to boycott promotion of his own movie because of it.

But hey, who's being rewarded now?

Many of the show's fans in the blogosphere commend this move, like this one from Blog NYC: So the only two things that we know about the Peabody awards is that we think we may have heard Jon Stewart say once that he won one for The Daily Show, and now they've given an award to South Park. In our book, that makes the Peabody the most respectable awards show out there, even though I've never actually heard of it.

I remember this memorable line from Biloxy Blues: "Once you start compromising your thoughts, you're a candidate for mediocrity."

Parker and Stone know that. And they'll probably be the last persons on earth to ever compromise their unconventional way of seeing the world.

more unconventionalities at Oddjack