Ethan Zohn: Survivor

For those of you who follow the Survivor series, you will recognize this face from Survivor: Africa. He's Ethan Zohn, the grand-winner of that same season of Survivor.

He's recently been diagnosed with a rare form the disease called CD20-positive Hodgkin's Lymphoma for which he began chemotherapy treatment Friday, last week.

He decided to have his hair cut really short! A decision, which was not really hard to make since it's all going to fall off anyway with the chemotherapy treatment.

Prior to his diagnosis, Ethan has been busy with his involvement in charity organizations - Grassroots Soccer, Colon Cancer Alliance, Autism Speaks and America Scores. He also hosts numerous MTV specials and worked as reporter for Major League Soccer, Fox Soccer Channel and The Madison Square Garden Network. He is currently hosting Earth Tripping, an eco-friendly travel adventure show and is featured in the documentary film A Closer Walk along with The Dalai Lama, Bono and Kofi Annan.

I was an avid follower of Survivor:Africa. In fact it was the only Survivor season that I was able to follow from start to finish. And I always kind of like Ethan because of his good nature in dealing with his fellow contestants of the reality show. I was just glad to have heard news that he's still been around working on his advocacies.

Go and fight the Big C, Ethan!

Watch the Ethan Zohn Faces Cancer with a New Do video here.

It's Complicated

An officemate shared with us this interesting scenario:

(Note: Names used here are a figment of the author’s imagination. Any similarity to actual names of people, living or dead, is purely a coincidence).

Peter’s son, Matt, by his legal wife, Marge, falls for the sister, Eleanor, of his common-law wife, Gigi. By some cosmic intervention, Matt and Eleanor, fall in love. And despite all odds, get married and start a family of their own.


Here are a few questions:

1. How does Eleanor address Peter, who is Matt’s father and her sister’s common-law husband?
2. How does Matt address Gigi, his father’s common-law wife and his wife’s sister?
3. How does Eleanor address Gigi’s children who are also Matt’s siblings?
4. How does Eleanor’s children address Gigi who is their Granpa Peter’s common-law wife and their mom’s sister?
5. How does Eleanor’s address Grandpa Peter and Aunt Gigi’s children?


And if that doesn’t muddle the concept of a family tree with the invention of new concepts such as Lola-Tita, Tita-Sis and Tito-Cous, imagine the torment that the children of this complicated relationship will go through when they will be asked to present in their elementary class their genealogy.

photocredits: The Juggler originally uploaded by sumrow @ flickr.com

Hayden Kho - Katrina Halili et al Sex Videos

So what happens now?

Old sins coming to haunt you. A smear campaign, character assassination to the core. Challenging the denials made in the past.

What becomes of the man from whom all filth derived?
Of the women whose consensual participation to the acts now put them in the seat of public scrutiny.

What of the lover who took in the man, the voyeur?
Has she really forgiven him?
Or is it just part of the brilliant plan of a woman scorned?

So what happens now then?

The man owns his doings? Swears by whosoever that he is currently taking steps to reform? Will he get away with it?

And the women? Or what’s left of their self esteem after the horrendous expose. Who’s to forgive, lest, forget?

And what of the families of all the parties involved? Friends, enemies, frenemies and acquaintances?

And of the society that feeds on the scum of every sordid detail?

Abangan....

The Wedding

We attended the wedding of Nehemias Dela Cruz Jr. and Sheena Mae Sunga last 18 April 2009 at Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental. It rained hard that day. Not reason enough though for family, guests and friends to miss the opportunity of witnessing the union of the two young lovers.

The groom's family did not let the occasion pass without inviting some of the big names in the political scene. Present during the occasion were Gilbert Teodoro, Senator Loren Legarda, Senator Manny Villar, Cong. Cynthia Villar and Cong. Jules Ledesma (smoking his tobacco) and his actress-wife Assunta de Rossi (all tall and towering over him). Scene stealers! People were more excited about having their pictures taken with them rather than the newly wed couple! (my mom included, but she didn't get a chance. ha ha! sorry mom!)

The rain continued to pour on to the reception. And yes, the lady guests had to pick up their skirts and trod the wet grass from the make-do parking area to the the Villa Ica Garden grounds. It must have been a nightmare for the ninangs! (le coiffure! le robe chere!) The newly weds, together with their parents and their Ninong Manny Villar ,braved the light drizzle (and the mud) to enter the reception grounds and march on the red carpet rolled out for them leading to their pavilion. (no pictures taken during this part of the ceremony, was hungry. can't take. pictures. must. eat. must. eat.)

We were too hungry to even take any pictures of the food served by Tison's Catering of Bacolod. But I tell you, it was worth the wait! They served chicken galantina, seafood paella, pink salmon, spaghetti to name a few. There was lechon everywhere! and beer for everybody, anybody! The dessert table was packed with mixed fruits, salad selections, leche flan and cupcakes. There was booze too! It was a choose your own poison and they will mix it for you kind of thing. Too bad the hubby had to drive us home, he would have enjoyed that part too.

We enjoyed our food while being serenaded by Kulai Pikata. It was a singing in the rain kind of thing and as they always say, the show must go on! They rendered songs requested by the couple and the couple's parents.

At some point the rain thinned down and allowed the flying of sky lanterns like they do during Chinese Mid-Autumn Festivals. Then, the couple's first dance. It wasn't the usual waltz or slow thing. The couple chose something Latin. Despite the rain, they danced for all their guests to see. They were both smiling the whole time, though at some point you'd find the dance steps executed a little awkwardly with the bride trying to balance herself on her soaking wet wedding gown. But you could tell that they didn't mind at all. They were enjoying their moment.

What party would be complete without the fireworks! I overheard it was worth 100k! What the heck! It's the last wedding in the family (the groom's the youngest and the his siblings are all married already) might as well end it with a bang!

After the dance and the fireworks, we sat a little while to watch the highlights of the wedding which was projected on a screen. Well, yeah, it was nicely done but I've seen better (the skeptic!). We didn't stay much longer after that. We just grabbed our souvenirs and headed home.

Here are some of the pics!

*digiscraps designs are by the following:
www.all4luvdesigns.blogspot,com
Angelica E.
Doris Castle
{Kasia} Designs of {We are} Storytellers
www.eye-on-design.com
Lie Fhung of Ztampf!