I remember my friend Charlie

The Cebu City Council has asked the Pagasa to simplify its weather report. Two or three years ago, I asked the same thing of Pagasa but I wasn’t heard.

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“You were heard,” said a fellow mediaman, “but who are you? You should have raised a storm.”

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I have asked many ordinary people — small shorts like me — if they could understand what the weatherman is saying on radio or Tv. They all said no. One of them said: “Mura’g nangadye.”

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Pieces of jewelry worth some P2 million were found among the garbage dumped in a dumpsite in Mandaue. Some radio listeners advised the finder not to turn over his find to the police. I wonder why?

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Another listener said the finder should keep his find under the principle of “Finders keeper.” Right. No one is that lucky everyday. Except my colleague and good friend Lucky Malicay.

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It’s the Chinese New Year. Here’s wishing you all a Happy New Year! Kung Hei Fat Choi! Everytime I hear my Chinese friends say Kung Hei Fat Choi I’m reminded of my very good Fil-Chinese friend Charlie Chua. Every Chinese New Year, he would come to my office bringing with him a box of tikoy.

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Charlie would say as he handed me the tikoy: “May our friendship stick like tikoy.” And it stuck. Even now that he’s gone. He died at a very young age. Kung Hei Fat Choi, Charlie!

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Text message from Anthony Yupangco: “Sir Jabat, have you noticed that some public personalities supposedly in their 60s look like when they were in their 40s? If you can’t answer yes or no, try taking my question to Ma’am Belo or Sir Calayan.”

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I remember reading somewhere that in this our generation, more and more men are getting vain and are competing with women in patronizing beauty products — like skin whitener, facial cream, Eskinol and Ponds products, etc. Oh, well, as my friend Sen. Ping Lacson once said, it is also the men’s right to look good. (And beautiful? hehehe.)

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Senator Ping said men also want to look good but they’re shy to make known their desire.