Today is the last day of the year 2010 and I am ending this year's entry with a beautiful song I just heard today. I didn't have a second thought that this song was by Gloc9 and it is definitely worth blogging for me.

I was teary eyed while I was absorbing all the lyrics of the song. The lyrics is in Filipino, our language and I intend to translate it, but I have to suspend that for the moment. I just want to write about this song for the meantime and why I was close to tears when I heard this.

I have always been an advocate of loyalty and passion to our nation, to our beloved Philippines so that I could at least have a hope that something, if not everything will turn out fine in the end for our country.

The song talks about industrious people, professionals, learned people who leave our motherland for a greener pasture. In the academe, they call this "brain-drain" but to common people, this is understood to be settling for the "surplus". We just settle for what's left with us. Imagine visiting a hospital, public of private, being served by a fresh graduate, nurse. I don't intend to demean this profession, on the contrary, I so admire them, but we have to face the thought that the more matured and experienced nurses are leaving and the patients in pain will have no choice but to settle to the young nurses. The same goes to our Engineers, Teachers, Accountants or even our domestic helpers.

It is not a secret to what has happened to our country. The more professionals and industrious people leaving the country, chances are, the ruling elites, the traditional politicians, the greedy capitalists etc will have more "happy hour" in perpetuating their evil motives by simply lifting a finger and telling people what to do.

This song is so true, straightly detailing what is really happening in our country.

We are welcoming 2011 and we had changed political leaderships so in the coming new year, our hopes for the country will remain high, even higher. God bless Pilipinas.

The lyrics of the song from http://www.lyrics-buddy.com/2010/12/walang-natira-by-gloc-9/

Napakaraming nurse dito sa amin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira ahh
nagaabroad sila ahh
gusto kong (yumaman 5x)
nagaabroad sila ahh
gusto kong (yumaman 5x)
nagaabroad sila

yung bayang sinilangan ang pangalan ay Pinas
ngunit bakit parang puno na ang prutas ay pitas
nauubusan ng batas parang inamag na bigas
lumalakas na ang ulan ngunit ang payong ay butas
tumatakbo ng madulas mga pinuno ay ungas
sila lamang ang nakikinabang pero tayo ang utas
mga kabayan natin ay lumilipad, lumalabas
para pumunta ng ibang bansa at doon magtamas
ng kamay para lamang magkakalyo lang muli
ang pahinga’y iipunin para magamit pag-uwi
dahil doon sa atin mahirap makuha buri
mapahiran ng chokolate ang matamis na ngiti
ng anak na halos di nakilala ang ama
o ina na wala sa tuwing kaarawan nila
dadarating kaya ang araw na ito’y magiiba
kung hindi ka sigurado magisip-isip ka na
Napakaraming inhinyero dito sa amin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira ahh
napakaraming karpintero dito sa amin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira ahh
nagaabroad sila ahh
gusto kong (yumaman 5x)
nagaabroad sila ahh
gusto kong (yumaman 5x)
nagaabroad sila
mabuti kung mabuti ang kinakahinatnan
ang kapalaran ng lahat nang nakipagsapalaran
kahit nag-aalangan para lang sa kapakanan
ng mahal sa buhay ang sugal ay tatayaan
sasanlaan lahat ng kanilang pag-aari
mababawi din naman yan ang sabi pagnayari
ang proseso ng papeles para makasakay na sa eroplano
o barko kahit saan man papunta
basta kumita ng dolyar na ipapalit sa piso
ang isa ay katumbas ng isang dakot ng mamiso
ganyan ba ang kapalit ng buhay ng pilipino
kung lilisanin ang pamilya ang amo na kahit na sino
gugtumin, sasaktan, malalagay sa peligro
uwing nasa kahon ni wala man lang testigo
darating kaya ang araw na itoy mag-iiba
kung hindi ka sigurado magisip-isip ka na
Napakaraming kasambahay dito sa amin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira ahh
napakaraming labandera dito sa amin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira ahh
nagaabroad sila ahh
gusto kong (yumaman 5x)
nagaabroad sila ahh
gusto kong (yumaman 5x)
nagaabroad sila
subukan mong isipin kung gaano kabigat
ang buhat ng maleta halos hindi mo na maangat
ihahabilin ang anak para ito sa kanila
lalayo upang mag-alaga ng anak ng iba
matapos lamang sa kolehiyo mututubos din ang relo
bilhin mo na kung anong gustong laruan ni Angelo
matagal pa kontrato ko titiisin ko muna to
basta ang mahalaga ito’y para sa pamilya ko
Napakaraming guro dito sa amin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira ahh
napakaraming nurse dito sa amin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira ahh
nagaabroad sila ahh
gusto kong (yumaman 5x)
nagaabroad sila ahh
gusto kong (yumaman 5x)
nagaabroad sila
napakaraming tama dito sa atin
ngunit bakit tila walang natira ahh

thanks!
Happy new Year everyone! Mabuhay Pilipinas!

It's Christmas! I wanna share with you my most favorite Christmas song.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know that
He's bringing lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.

And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you.

And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you.

I got the lyrics from this site: http://www.christmas-songs.org/songs/chestnuts_roasting_on_an_open_fire.html

I love the classy way it was sung but the most memorable interpretation that keeps ringing in my ears is that of Karen Carpenters. I love her singing.

When I was little, I remember asking my mom, "What is a chestnut?"

Having been living in the province, 200 kilometers from the Capital City, I do not know what is a chestnut. During that time, I knew this thing - the chestnut - could only be known in Manila, not in the provinces, never in my hometown. When I finally got the chance to celebrate one Christmas with relatives in Manila, I got to see chestnut, not taste it.

I know we cannot afford to buy that thing or probably it was not an important food during Christmas eve, at least here in the Philippines. I remember seeing the way they cook it in a very big pan, which was very oily with tiny pieces of charcoal, I think. I am not really sure what was that thing they placed in the pan together with the nut.

Eventually, when finances of the family was leaning positive, my mom, whom I always begged for chestnut, finally bought home a bag of the nut one evening. I remember how excited I was to see it, taste it, savor it. That was Christmas and that was the very reason why I love this song.

Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Holidays to all!