having fun talking to a taxi driver

Rated PG.

 

join me having fun sa usapang wala lang between me and a pakistani taxi driver waiting faor a passenger. enjoy!

Obama in Riyadh

By MARK S. SMITH, Associated Press Writer Mark S. Smith, Associated Press Writer – 10 mins ago RIYADH, Saudi Arabia

– In his latest push for an open dialogue with the Muslim world, President Barack Obama on Wednesday sought the counsel of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and put the finishing touches on a highly anticipated speech about United States’ relationship with followers of Islam. The president travels to Egypt on Thursday to deliver the address that aides say will encourage a stronger partnership between Americans and Muslims while touching on a broad range of hot-button issues, including violent extremism, the threat of a nuclear Iran, and efforts to root out suspected terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Aides say Obama also will acknowledge that the Isreali-Palestinan conflict has been an important source of tension and passion while voicing his views on what all sides need to do to end the standoff. Before heading to Cairo, Obama opened his Mideast trip with a visit to Abdullah, the monarch of a country that’s home to Islam’s two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina. “The United States and Saudi Arabia have a long history of friendship,” Obama said as he visited the monarch’s desert horse farm. The U.S. president called Abdullah wise and gracious, adding: “I am confident that working together that the United States and Saudi Arabia can make progress on a whole host of issues of mutual interest.” In turn, Abdullah expressed his “best wishes to the friendly American people who are represented by a distinguished man who deserves to be in this position.” Earlier, the king greeted Obama at Riyadh’s main airport with a ceremony when the new U.S. president arrived after an overnight flight from Washington. Each country’s national anthem was played, the Saudi national guard was on hand and there was a 21-gun salute. Obama and Abdullah then sat together in gilded chairs, sipped cardamom-flavored Arabic coffee and chatted briefly in public before retreating to hold private talks. Around the same time Air Force One touched down in the country, pan-Arab Al-Jazeera Television broadcast a new audio tape from Osama bin Laden in which he threatened Americans and said Obama inflamed hatred toward the U.S. by ordering Pakistan to crack down on militants in Swat Valley and block Islamic law there. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs dismissed the recording, saying: “I don’t think it’s surprising that al Qaida would want to shift attention away from the president’s historic efforts and continued efforts to reach out and have an open dialogue with the Muslim world.” With Abdullah alongside him, Obama told reporters: “I thought it was very important to come to the place where Islam began and to seek his majesty’s counsel and to discuss with him many of the issues that we confront here in the Middle East.” In Riyadh, the president was talking to Abdullah about a host of thorny problems, from Arab-Israeli peace efforts to Iran’s nuclear program. The surge in oil prices also was on the agenda. And, Obama also was looking for help from Saudi Arabia on what to do with some 100 Yemeni detainees locked up in the Guantanamo Bay prison. The Obama administration has been negotiating with Saudi Arabia and Yemen for months to send them to Saudi terrorist rehabilitation centers. During a pre-trip interview with the BBC, Obama set the tone for his swing through the Middle East, saying: “What we want to do is open a dialogue.” In Cairo, Obama is set to deliver the speech that he’s been promising since last year’s election campaign — aiming to set a new tone in America’s often-strained dealings with the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims. Many of those Muslims still smolder over Iraq, Guantanamo and unflinching U.S. support of Israel, but they are hoping the son of a Kenyan Muslim who lived part of his childhood in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, can help chart a new course. Aides cautioned that Obama was not out to break new policy ground in his Cairo speech, which follows visits to Turkey and Iraq in April and a series of outreach efforts including a Persian New Year video and a student town hall in Istanbul. And they said the president is not expecting quick results, even though the speech will be distributed as widely as possible. Officials said Obama also wouldn’t flinch from difficult topics, whether it’s the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, the goal of a Palestinian state or democracy and human rights. Obama has been criticized for setting the address in Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak has jailed dissidents and clung to power for nearly three decades. The White House is going to extraordinary lengths to make sure the speech is heard throughout the Muslim world. Gibbs said the speech will be posted on the White House Web site, along with links to fully translated transcripts in 13 languages. He said it also will be posted on social networking Web sites like Facebook, My Space and Twitter. In addition, Gibbs said the State Department is registering callers from around the world who want to receive text messages about speech while it’s being delivered and provide feedback, which will be posted on the department’s Web site.

my neighborhood

Pretty much, I have the things I need around. Whenever I walk home from the office and there are bunch of youngsters driving around and saw me, they all shout: ”FILIPINO”!

Everyday life 3: makulay!

Lucky day! Nagpunta ako sa tindahan ng halaman para bumili ng indoor plans para sa opisina. Since wala naman akong sasakyan, nag-taxi na lang ako. Habang pumipili ako ng mga halaman, kinalabit ako ng Pakistani na driver nung sinakyan kong taxi, inabot sa akin yung celfon ko, naiwan ko kasi. Bihira na ang ganung mga tao ngayon, yung mag-sosoli ng naiwan o nawala. Nagpasalamat ako, inabutan ko naman sya ng konting extra.

Translation in english by google translator:

Lucky day! I went to the store to buy plants indoor plans for the office. Since wala naman akong vehicle, a taxi na lang ako. While choosing me plants, kinalabit me that Pakistani driver nung sinakyan to taxi, inabot sa akin yung celfon ko, kasi I left. Ganung rare that people now, yung sosoli to the left or lost. Nagpasalamat me, inabutan ko naman sya the little extra.

bahay na bato

Tadaaaa!  designed by my bosing in 30 minutes, visualized by yours truly in 8 hours

(ambagal ko huh! usually pag pro ang renderer, kaya yan ng 3 hours, kung merong mabilis na kompyuter).

Akma ang mga ganitong shelter sa extreme weather conditions. Simple lang, walang masyadong palamuti.

Ito po ay isang farm house, isang madaliang iskets (anu na nga sa tagalog yun?).

Complete max file upon requst free with v ray settings 

horsepower

Al Khalediah Festival Cup Endurance Challenge 2009 Venue

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Remember those horses I posted previously?  That’s because I’m a part of a team that currently developing this horse festival venue that will be held here in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

the gate

3d rendered image

the gate-construction

almost done!

3d presentation of the venue

the actual venue, construction site

Tell me what do you think?  All presentations were done in 3ds max rendered with v ray.

ugat ng lahi

Sa aking pagtigil dito sa gitnang silangan ng medyo mahaba-haba na ring panahon, meron akong napansin sa ilang pagkakahawig ng salitang arabic at tagalog.

Ang mga susunod ay  ilan lamang na  sa aking kuro-kuro, ay mga salitang tagalog na nagmula sa lumang salitang arabe:

• Ate galing sa salitang    Okhti* na ibig sabihin ay aking kapatid na babae, Okht* أخت , kapatid na babae, mapa-bata o matanda man.

• Kuya galing sa salitang  Khuya*, kolokyal ng Akhuya*, o Akhu* أخ kapatid, kapatid na lalaki.
  

• Pantalon sa salitang Bantalon. Sa wikang arabe, walang letrang P, pinapalit ang letrang B, Ibig sabihin, mahabang kasuotang pang-ibaba na       pasanga ang hugis.

• Salawal galing sa salitang  Sarwal السراويل , maiksing kasuotang pang-ibaba, kadalasan ay panloob.

• Bathala galing sa salitang Bait Ul’lah,  na ang ibig sabihin ay Bahay ng Diyos (bait-bahay, Allah- Diyos)

• Paham galing  sa Fhm,  Fahm,  o Faham, unawa, pagkakaunawa, talino, intindi.  Halimbawa: Faham keif?[ (naintindihan mo ba?/naunawaan mo ba kung papa-ano?) keif-paano].

• Hiya galing sa Hya o Haya.  Mafi Haya (kolokyal), walang hiya.  Mafi Ishtihi ang wastong pangungusap. Mafi-wala, haya /Ishtihi, Haya-hiya.

• Wala galing sa Oa la, Wa la. ibig sabihin o hindi. Halimbawa, “Tutuo o hindi”, “Sahi wa la la“.

• Alam galing sa Ălm o Ălam. Karunungan, dunong, pagkaka-alam, pwede ring lihim na karunungan. Binibigkas ang letrang Ă sa kasong ito na parang nabilaukang manok, ibaba ng sagad ang vocal cords, ibuka ang bibig at lagyan ng bahagyang stress ang mga tonsils habang piliting bigkasin ang letrang A. Umaakma din dito ang salitang tagalog na:
• Alamat galing sa Ălamat, plural form ng Ălam.

• Salamat, galing sa salitang Salamaat, plural form ng salitang Salaam, na ang ibig ipahiwatig ay katiwasayan, kapayapaan, o katahimikan.  Mayroong issue dito na ang salita ay nanggaling sa Malay word na Selamat, pero pansinin na maraming impluwensya ng salitang arabic ang Malayan langguage.

• Bassit (Ilocano) , mula sa Bassit o Bassita (pambabae),  kaparehong kapareho ang ibig sabihin na kapiraso, kapiranggot, kakaunti o bahagya .
• Salamin galing sa salitang Alamin, arabic  ibig sabihin mga daigdig.

*kh, binabanggit ng pailalim sa lalamunan.

Kung meron pa kayong alam na salitang banyaga, na hawig sa salitang tagalog, maaring i-share sa pamamagitan ng pag-kumento. Ang post na ito ay aking i-aapdate kapag nakapag kalap pa ako ng panibagong impormasyon, balik-balikan po lamang.

Ang post na ito ay batay lang po sa aking sariling palagay. Paki-tama po ako kung sa palagay ninyo ay merong mali. Salamat po.

Sa susunod ay aking idadagdag ang equivalent arabic word.

wanna save the planet?

It will require you a teeny weeny bit of common sense.

sandman says

Dati syang sandman, snowman na sya ngayon, obviously dahil ginaw na ginaw talaga sya. Huli man daw, bumabati pa rin sya ng maligayang pasko!

ps.. nakakainis ang tag-lamig!

frodo lives and jesus christ

(source)

In case you didn’t know, the English word “Tattoo” originates from the Samoan word “Tatau,” which roughly translated means, “ha, ha, crazy drunk man let us scar his back.” Seriously, “tatau” means to “strike twice.” Such a definition is amazingly misleading considering that a traditional tattoo takes months to finish. It was a sacred ritual, commonly saved for the chief and his sons. Now, both male and female Samoans use tattoos as a way to proclaim their Samoan culture. Samoans typically use natives siapo designs in their tattoos. Siapo is an art here in American Samoa which uses geometric figures and strong lines… it’s about like black and white triangles on steroids.

Once a year, one of our local enviro-friendly, art-conscious, left-winged, dreadlocked, on-island, venture capitalists, named Tisa, holds a tattoo festival at her restaurant on the beach. We may have been the only blank skin on the beach. Contrary to what you may be thinking, there were no peirced noses, Harley Gangs, or Devil Worshippers, it was a great family trip full of first time experiences.

Such as…

1. My first time to see a Congressman strip and dance for money. (Well, he didn’t fully strip, but during a traditional siva dance, he did lift up his lava lava to show his pe’a.) Congressman Faleomavaega, our local representative from American Samoa put on a show. If only Hassert and G.W. could learn to dance, they’d never have problems raising money.

2. My first time to see a person endure a traditional tattoo. Although there were several tattoo artists using the contemporary hot glue gun looking apparatus to scorch skin, one man utilized the traditional method which involved a set of shark’s teeth constantly beating a person’s skin. There was a good deal of blood, but not so much that Colt has vowed to never have a tattoo. Too bad. Truth is, most of the men had consumed enough alcohol to dull the pain. Thus Colt walked away thinking people who got tattoos had to have bad breath and also had to be sleeping on the ground in order for three people to hold them down and paint on them. This particular artist, Wilson, has his own website… http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/7277/wilson_tattoo.html

3. My first time to pay for a festival. I was caught off guard by the $5 cover charge, but I guess I should have expected it from Tisa, our crazy, on-island venture capitalist. Luckily parking was free. Tattoos were extra.

4. Colt’s and Ally’s first festival which they got to play in the ocean waves rather than walk in the hot sun for hours on end. It sure beats a sespool of water, urine and sunscreen at the Poultry Festival.

While the kids played in the Pacific ocean, we basically sat around and watched people show off their tattoos all Sunday afternoon. As you can imagine, there were very few tattoos of anchors and naked Tahitian women. Rather, the traditional Samoan tattoos contain stories and are individual to that person. It is very artistic, and most are very intersting to look at. Much unlike the tattoos sported back home. Who really wants a picture of Daffy Duck, a dragon, or Frodo Lives! on their back???? And who in their right mind tattoo’s their face? Furthermore, it’s ironic that the origins of a tattoo which were originally sacred have evolved after years of mutilation and cross-cultures, so that today many tattoos stand for violence, gangs and evil.

As I sat around and admired all the blue and black ink, I too wondered if I was ready for a tattoo. After at least two minutes of forethought, I settled on the idea of a tattoo which would encricle my upper thigh. I’d have to use my thigh because my biceps are simply too small to tell a good story. It would only be a comic strip on my small guns. Thus, I decided I needed a tat that depicted Jesus coming to Earth, Our Family’s Journey to this island, and the Samoan way of life, all meeting in one moment. Plus, a good “Frodo Lives” etched into my skin too. If you can’t tell, I probably need to flesh out (no pun intended) the details of this tattoo. But usually, the local tattoo artists prefer creative elbow room, so I don’t want to be too confining.

I’ll probably talk myself out of this idea by the time I post this article. But, who knows? At least I’m not going for the traditional pe’a tatau which starts at both thighs and covers its way to the man’s shoulder (including everything in between… and I mean EVERYTHING! perineum and all. check out wilson’s site on the pe’a.)

For now, I’m just walking around with freckles on my shoulders, which happens to get more attention from the Samoans than any tatoo could possibly produce. Maybe I’ll just play connect the dots and hope a dragon or cool design reveals itself.