Thank you very much, Manay Ichu!

Despite having been told by everyone from CNN to my neighbor that life is going to be hard this year. I refuse to wallow in despair. This just means that we have to work harder and pray harder. That could mean less salt and vinegar from my paksiw na tilapia. I would perhaps encourage everyone in the house to have coffee without sugar or if I can terrify guests about the effects of caffeine so I can save on coffee – I may just have to do it.

After all, Pinoy ako and I am resilient and I am going to survive this. Two full meals a day may also be good for my weight loss program. Shampoo is out of my grocery list because I don‘t have much hair anymore. Who says it’s all bad to be balding? There is a good side to everything said to be bad. And it’s easier to start a day smiling than pouting (try it with a little prayer or a "Thank you God for this wonderful day").

But there are people who make us feel good. And they appear in times when you need them most without them even knowing it. And you thank God for showing you the better part of life in times of distress – and yes, it does take a lot of faith and spiritual lenses to see during difficult times the lessons we ought to learn.

A couple of days back, I was feeling low because things were not going the right way. I was tired and weary. I had to stop and move away from what I was doing; another minute in the center of the tornado and I would have turned into a decorative jar. This business transports you to highs – so high you can almost reach the stars – and to lows – so low you could almost sniff the pungent smell of the devil. There are no emotional middle roads. That’s why life in showtown can be exhilarating. That day, I stepped backward and silently prayed for endurance.

And then, I got a text message from Manay Ichu Maceda, one of my dearest friends in life. "Just want you to know how much I appreciate and cherish our friendship. Love you. Manay Ichu."

Don’t get us wrong. Manay and I are not into a romantic liaison. I said this and will say this again – I’m shameless but I’m not sexually confused. Manay and I must have been catty, funny uncontrollable courtesans of some emperor in a Chinese dynasty in our precious lives. I wouldn’t be surprised if we led an uprising against the emperor – and succeeded – but it’s going too far from the story.

I would just like to thank Manay Ichu for the friendship – the itlog na pula she sent me last Christmas, but most especially, the short notes that give me strength when I need it most.

Salamat, Manay!

Check out Greenhills Theater Mall

The Music Museum Group, Inc. announces its newest venture for the year 2002, the Greenhills Theater Mall. It is a fully-airconditioned all-in-one shopping complex that houses numerous shops that offer quality items at rock-bottom prices.

The shopping complex also contains two movie theaters comparable to the best in the metropolis. Enjoy the latest movies in each of the 255-seater world-class cinema, complete with all the works like digital sound, upholstered seats, wall-to-wall carpeting and many more. When it began operations, it exhibited Metro Manila Filmfest entries Tatarin starring Edu Manzano and Dina Bonnevie and Bagong Buwan with Cesar Montano, Amy Austria and Caridad Sanchez. It is currently showing US box-office behemoth Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring which raked in $47.2 million on its first three-day weekend in the United States. Other films will be shown including Spy Game, an action-packed thriller starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt.

Besides the exceptional cinemas, the Greenhills Theater Mall also offers endless dining possibilities, with several food establishments serving a wide array of mouth-watering food and delightful drinks that can be enjoyed before or after watching a movie at the Greenhills Cinemas or in between shopping sprees!

As an added convenience, the Greenhills Theater Mall also offers free and spacious parking for all its customers, giving them a much-needed break from horrendous parking fees.

Check out the Greenhills Theater Mall and enjoy the perks of an all-in-one concept of a mall.