Enough!

Enough is enough! Together, we can peacefully make a change and help our beloved country rise again! ⚖️🇵🇭🤍



Reach out.

Helping one person might not change the whole world, but it could change the world for one person.

Reach out. Listen. Hug. Be there for someone. You might be saving a life with your one little act of kindness.

Now Open: Wit and Humor, Filipino-Style

Way back in 2006, during the prehistoric era of my blogging life (you know, when Friendster testimonials were still a thing and “selfies” were just called pictures of yourself), I started collecting a quirky little list: funny Philippine store names.

Fast-forward to today — many social media posts, memes, and controversial senate hearings later — our nation has not lost its touch for humor. In fact, it seems Filipino entrepreneurs have only sharpened their wit, proving once again that we can sell anything and make you chuckle while we’re at it.

So here I am, years later, updating my treasure trove of hilariously inventive store names. It’s a collection that reminds us that beyond the commerce, there’s always comedy.

Hope you enjoy this playful roundup of wit, wordplay, and unprecedented creativity I’ve amassed… because in the Philippines, even our business names know how to do business with a punchline.

Drumroll, please… 🥁 Here are some of the punniest, wittiest, and downright laugh-out-loud gems you’ll spot while strolling through our streets:

Adobo Putoshop

Avril Living Furniture & Interiors 

Bangga Ka ‘Day? Auto Repairs 

Blow Jab Boxing Ring 

Bob Marlin Restaurant 

Bread Zeppelin 

Brew Ha! Coffee Shop

Brews Almighty Cafe  

Cereal Killers Cafe 

Cha’ng Inuh Milktea 

Chicago Bulalo 

Chickpoint Beer House 

Chizmozza Mozzarella Sticks

Coco Martea 

Cut N’ Face Beauty Parlor 

D’ Architeethure Dental Clinic

Dirty Hairy Dog Grooming Salon 

D2 Na Me Wer Na U? Bar & Resto

EtceteRice

Eye Ronick Photography Studio

Gigabykes Quality Big Bikes Dealer

Eat My Balls fishball cart 

Egg Sheeran 

Emily in Pares 

For Heaven’s Shake!

Fries The Lord 

Grilling Me Softly With This Tong 

Hair Force One Men’s Salon 

Hair It Is! Salon 

Hairs To You Beauty Salon

Hand Job Nails & Spa 

Hard Cock Cafe 

Hari Pata 

Hurry Cutter The Barber Shop

James Tailor 

Jesus Fries 

John Lemon Juice Bar 

Koshkosh Laundry  

LGBT (Lomi•Goto•Bulalo•Tokwa’t Baboy)

Libing Things Funeral Parlor

Lord of the Ribs

Lord of the Rinse Laundry Shop

Lord of the Wings Lechon Manok

Lulugawan Kita 

Mang Inasar BBQ 

McDollibee

Mekeni Rogers Kapampangan Restaurant 

Nak Nam Fu-Cha Milk Tea 

Para Faucet Laundry Services 

Philippine Hair Lines 

Pizza Ng Ina Mo 

Probinsiomai 

Pusit To The Limit Squid Stall 

Pussies & Bitches Petshop

Put A Henna Mo! Tattoo Booth

Rice To Meat You 

Robocock Chicken Feeds

Scissors Palace Barber Shop 

Shawarma Geddon

Shoeperman Repairs

Sinabon Laundry Shop

Soaperman Laundry Center

Sofa So Good Furniture 

Starbuhoks Salon & Spa

Starducks Balut 

Starwash: Attack of The Clothes Laundry Shop 

La Kih Ti-Tea

Spotifries 

Summa Cum Laundry 

Superhairo Barber Shop 

SurpRice! Eatery 

Susan’s Roses Flower Shop 

Tailor Swift Dress Shoppe 

Tang Inasal

Tea Li Ling Pearl Drinks 

Tuna Turner Takeout Grill 

Washful Thinking Laundromat 

Wash Me Neyney Coin Laundry

Wash Your Problem Laundry Shop 

Wi-Pie To Go 

Wool Street Barongs 

Stroke of Serendipity

It’s been years since I’ve last blogged. Going through past entries tonight with my husband and my son who is now 20 years old suddenly brought back an overwhelming onslaught of memories. We found ourselves immersed for hours in laughter and conversation about all the stuff I wrote. They kept urging me to get back to it.

And thus, here I am.

Let’s get right to the life-altering event that happened to me on December 9, 2021. Sharing with you what I posted on my Facebook the day I turned golden.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

This is it. The first day of my fifth decade of life is now upon me. But for a trepidatious moment there, getting to this point became a serious uncertainty.

Last December 9, the most sudden and the most unexpected happened to me. I suffered a stroke. In the wee hours of the morning, on my way to the bathroom, my right leg gave way without warning and I collapsed to the ground. It turns out the left side of my brain got blood clots which caused my mind to lose control of my right side.

Having been urgently admitted at the ER, getting scanned inside a frighteningly claustrophobic MRI machine, being speedily wheeled to an Intensive Care Room, and becoming hooked up to different machines around my bed were a series of surreal events that felt like I was the protagonist in one of the Korean telenovelas I love to watch. Except none of it was made up. It wasn't a bad dream. Every bit of it was really happening. I was truly in jeopardy.

I chose to hang on as best as I could. I mustered all the courage, positive energy and inner strength that I felt I still had in me and filled my thoughts with them towards my will to heal. On December 12, I was transferred from the ICU to a standard room. And on December 17, I was able to return home. My right side was still very weak which made it frustratingly difficult to maneuver my way independently, but the doctors assured me that diligent physical therapy and occupational therapy would help me fully regain my strength. It has been more than two months since my stroke, and I am now nearing normal. My right ankle needs to move better for me to walk properly but my leg and knee are strong again. My right arm and hand are almost back to 100%. I am typing on my laptop once more for the first time as I currently write this and quite efficiently at that, if I may say so.

What has this experience made me realize? I’ll share with you my top three eye-openers which you can learn something from. First, the power of prayer is the greatest power of all. When you are alone in bed for hours unable to move around with wires stuck to you everywhere, what is there left to do? PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. I prayed the Rosary, I prayed different novenas, and I prayed with my own words simply communicating to the Lord straight from my heart. I prayed for mercy from God our Father and asked for the intercession of St. Josemaria Escriva, Our Lady of Guadalupe and my Dad whom I believe is still closely watching over me. Armies of loved ones stormed the heavens joining in prayer and offered Masses for my recovery. The Lord listened and I don’t think it was a coincidence that I was released from the ICU on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe with her blessed tilma wrapped around me.

Second, inner strength is key to pushing forward. My shoulder, arm and hand were so weak that I couldn’t even hold a glass of water, write my name, button my clothes or make a thumbs-up sign. Countless times I wanted to give up and give in to self-pity and depression. But I kept thinking that there is still so much to live for. I chose to hold on. I forced myself to do the daily therapy, no matter how tough and challenging. I persisted in doing my exercises, even if I kept stumbling and keeling over. And gradually, day by day, my body made progress. Focus your mind, and the rest will follow.

Third and most importantly, when you are on the brink, it will strongly hit you that there is only one thing that really truly matters - the people you love and the people who love you. Everything else suddenly seems secondary and trivial. Does your family know how much you love them? Did you tell them? Did you show it? Did you spend enough time with them? Do your friends know how much you care? When was the last time you asked how they were? Such a crucial self-discovery it was! In the end, it will not be about money, fame or social status; you can’t take those with you. It will be about those you will hold in your heart for always.

To my Mommy dearest Imelda, thank you for being the amazing rock of strength that inspired me to overcome. I’ll never forget the first time you came to me in the ICU. You just looked at me with utter serenity and confidently told me with a smile that God and Daddy in heaven would take care of me and that I would without a doubt get better. That singular moment shared with you spurred my spirit to keep the faith, hold fast to hope and summon my will to heal.

To my SonShine Niccolo, thank you for being the blazing light brightening my darkest of days. Since your Dad was in Davao for work when the stroke happened, you had to take charge of mobilizing our household staff to take me to the hospital and answer the questions of the doctors and nurses. At 16, you were already being a mature and reliable man of the house. And how you kept cheering me on to get better, making me laugh, entertaining me with your stories, applauding me when I show progress in my therapy and hugging me tight when you see me tired or sad. You are truly the gift that keeps on giving and I realize that the best thing I can do for you now is to take better care of my health so I can be with you for much longer and create many more precious memories with you.

And to my Allan … Oh, Allan! There are not enough words to express the depth of my gratitude to you. Never have I ever felt more loved by you than when this happened. You refused to get me a caregiver which is what most families do for stroke victims because you said you wanted to be the one to take care of me. And how you did! Feeding me, bathing me, brushing my hair, administering my medicines, observing my therapy sessions so you could learn how to help me move better, drying my tears, nonstop motivating me to keep trying, praying with me, and literally being there for me every painstaking step of the way. I am the luckiest woman in the world and I plan to spend my second lease on life showing you how thankful I am for being blessed with you.

And to my brother Daniel and his wife Clarice, to my brother David and his wife Marbie, to my extended family and my kin, and to all my friends who became my angels on earth helping me any way they could, sending stuff over, constantly checking in on me, incessantly praying for me and lifting my spirits, I thank you profusely with every fiber of my being.

I am letting each and every one of you know while I can… I LOVE YOU. ❤️

So here I am now: Stronger, wiser, changed for the better. I prefer to consider what befell me as a Stroke of Serendipity.

This is it. This is GOLD. 💛💛💛

The Gold Key

Our sonshine Niccolo just won a 2018 GOLD KEY, the highest honor granted by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, for the short story he submitted to New York! 🔑🏆🎉 Past award receipients include Sylvia Plath, Stephen King, Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, John Updike and Joyce Carol Oates. This just makes us the most awed, joyful, proud and grateful parents of the moment! Yay! ♥️♥️♥️

This is his winning entry:

"Right Back at You" 

by Niccolo Manuel C. Tuazon

      The boss furiously storms through the office hallway. His eyes blaze, his thick brows are set in almost one straight line, and his cheeks are flushed red.  His dark unbuttoned coat reveals his crumpled shirt inside while his tie hangs unevenly around his neck. He stomps onward with both his hands clenching a bulging stack of paperwork. He abruptly stops at one of the office rooms and kicks the door open. 

       He immediately spots his employee seated at a desk. The sales clerk is slouched backward with his head bent to the right. His computer screen is on but he obviously isn’t seeing it because his eyes are closed. 

       The boss is in front of him in an instant. He slams the huge pile of papers on top of the table, making a sound as loud as a gunshot. The dozing employee wakes up with a jolt to find his supervisor glaring down at him. 

       “What do you think you are doing?” his boss yells at the top of his lungs. “Trying to sleep on the job? Again?” 

       The employee can’t help but shake with fear. “I’m sorry… so sorry, Mr. Hawkes! I didn’t mean to fall asleep!” He desperately tries to hide his panic and keep his voice calm. “It’s just that I had a long fight with my brother late last night so I hardly got any sleep after…”

       His boss does not bother to let him finish and growls at him. “You have slept on the job many times, Cain Linkladder, and I refuse to tolerate any more failures from a useless and pathetic punk like you who never runs out of excuses!”

       Cain‘s finger shakes as he points at the papers scattered around his desk. He asks with a trembling voice, “What are all these papers for, Mr. Hawkes?” 

       Mr. Hawkes smiles meanly at him. “Those papers are your punishment for being the worst employee in the entire company! Your workload has now been doubled and your salary has been cut in half.” He continues mercilessly, “Stop making fake excuses using your brother. It won’t get your life anywhere. Just get out of here this second and start working on those company orders!”

       Cain’s face is now completely pale. He tries desperately to explain his situation, “But sir, it’s--” Cain suddenly loses his ability to speak as he is forcefully grabbed by his collar by Mr. Hawkes.  

       His supervisor shouts, “Quit talking! Just get out on the field now and get your job done!”

       Hawkes then releases his employee from his grasp. Cain uses the chance to run rapidly out of the work building. He flees, consumed with great fear, worry, and shame. He wants to get back at his boss, but he knows he can’t. He cannot afford to lose his job. All at once, he feels a rising hatred towards his brother. 

       Cain ends up standing in front of the small and cramped apartment building he lives in with his younger brother. He marches inside, climbs up the stairs and unlocks the door of the space he pays monthly rent for. As soon as he hears his brother’s voice in his bedroom, his eyes narrow dangerously.  

       He barges into the messy room where his brother is engaged in an online conversation using a laptop. Without a word, Cain seizes the computer and ends the ongoing call. His stunned brother protests, “Stop grabbing my stuff and give that back! It isn’t yours!” 

       Cain’s expression darkens. He blurts out, “I’m the one who bought this and practically everything you have, Abel! And you never even thank me for anything I give you!”

       He continues lashing out at his brother, “Ever since Mom and Dad disappeared, I have been working with blood, sweat and tears in order for me and you to survive, but you just don’t care. You don’t do anything to help. You’re a useless and pathetic punk who doesn’t have what it takes to live in the real world. This is my punishment to you, so just grow up!” 

       Cain raises the laptop he is holding and swings it down until it smashes on the wooden floor. Shrapnel and glass from the destroyed laptop fly across the room. 

       In utter shock and anger, Abel charges at his brother. Cain, who is much larger than he is, easily dodges his attack and then shoves him into the concrete wall. Abel hits the wall so hard that he falls on his back in pain.

       Cain does not reach out an arm to help his brother up. He instead leaves the room at once, slamming the door shut behind him. He is not heard from again the rest of the night.

       Abel sobs and sobs as he lies on the floor. Slowly, he stands and cleans up the debris of metal and glass spread in the room. His sadness is overpowered by his anger and hate. He wants to get back at his brother, but he knows he can’t. He feels an overpowering need to release his rage. 

       The next day, Abel wakes up early, eats his breakfast, gets dressed, and heads out for school while his brother is still in bed. Abel reaches the school gates and stands by to watch the students coming and going. He finds himself setting his sight on Isaac, a skinny kid with glasses who annoys the class with his nerdiness. 

       He follows Isaac until the boy reaches his locker.  As Isaac opens the door of his locker in the hallway, Abel rushes up to him and slams his locker door shut. 

       Caught in total surprise, Isaac asks, “Why did you do that?”

       Abel replies, “Because I wanted to, ugly nerd!” 

       Isaac, his heart beginning to pound, says, “What did I do to you, Abel? I have done nothing wrong!”

       “Oh yes you did do something wrong, Isaac… you know what you did wrong?” said Abel. 

       Isaac, now white as a sheet, asks, “What?”

       Abel replies with a scary smirk. “You. Were. Born. You useless and pathetic punk!” 

       “No… please don’t hurt me, Abel!  I’ll give you my lunch money! I’ll even do your homework! Just please, don’t hurt me!” Isaac pleads with him.

       Abel merely replies with a villainous look, “Too late.”

       Abel then punches Isaac in the face and throws him down to the ground. The dazed boy tries to recover, but Abel kicks him in the stomach again and again. Isaac rolls on the floor, crying for help and begging for mercy. 

       By the time teachers and other students arrive, Isaac is knocked out cold and Abel is gone from the scene. 

       The school administrators quickly have an ambulance take the unconscious child to the nearest emergency ward and call the parents of Isaac. 

       The father and mother of Isaac rush to the hospital and are terribly shocked to see the awful condition their son is in. The doctor reports that Isaac is suffering from a concussion and fractured ribs. 

       They then see Isaac’s eyes slowly open. 

       The father carefully approaches the medical bed he is stretched out on, leans down, and asks, “Son, do you recognize me?” 

       Isaac nods. 

       The father asks, “Do you recognize Mom?” 

       Isaac nods again. 

       The father asks one more question, “Do you remember who you are?”

       Isaac softly replies, “Yes, I am Isaac. Isaac Hawkes.” 

       The father embraces his son and asks one last question. “Son, who did this to you?” 

       Isaac’s eyes fall shut. He struggles with all his might to answer, “My classmate Abel. Abel Linklad- aahhh!” 

       Isaac cannot continue. He starts shaking violently. The doctor rushes forward to help him, but he has already collapsed. The doctor reveals to his parents that Isaac has most likely fainted again due to the painful trauma of recalling the incident that happened to him. 

       The parents are overwhelmed with pity for their only child.  Suddenly, the father remembers the name his son was trying to say and figures out who did it.  It was Abel Linkladder who must be the younger brother of his employee, Cain Linkladder. 

       The father’s thoughts go whirling inside his head until the pieces come together. He finally understands what happened. He had lashed out at Cain who lashed out at Abel who lashed out at Isaac. The chain of rage and hate began with him. He was actually the useless and pathetic punk who started it all. Now, this was his own punishment.

       Hawkes crumbles to the floor and weeps hard, his insides overflowing with deep remorse. He comes to a kneeling position and prays harder than he ever prayed before. With his whole heart, he asks the heavens for forgiveness for his sins against Cain and others like him. He vows to never again let his own anger hurt and infuriate others. Nobody deserves to feel like a useless and pathetic punk.

       The father promises to himself that, as soon as Isaac awakes, he will shower him with utmost love, care and kindness that his son will live paying forward. 

♥️
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Hair Maintenance

Real beauty comes from inside.... inside the beauty salon! 

Thank you to Carl of Hairshaft! Have a happy hair day! 

The Best Hood of All

It can be unpredictably crazy, incredibly daunting, and downright scary. It can make you question yourself and ponder the ridiculousness of all your decisions. It can make you sob desperately, sigh with worry, scream in fury, and pull your hair out in frustration.

But still, you know in your heart of hearts that it is a job you will not give up for anything else in the world. You'll keep at it and try harder. You'll take whatever is thrown at you and bounce back up with more determination to get it right. You'll forget yourself and love another with your entire body, heart, and soul. As if your life depended on it. Because in a way, it does. And that life depends on you, too. 

You'll feel the need and unhesitatingly, you'll feed it and fill it with all you've got. 

And then comes the reward. Oh, the reward! The unparalleled satisfaction, the immense joy, the  unparalleled high. An unexpected kiss, a bear hug, a silly smile, a grateful look in the eye ... any tiny gesture of appreciation and everything is worth it. Everything.  One good day out of a hundred embeds in the memory and keeps hope and happiness afloat. 

Truly, there ain't no hood like motherhood.

Happy Mother's Day!!! Spread the love! 💖

Pillow Talk

Never underestimate the power of pillow talk.

I've been married to my husband for 16 years. Prior to our wedding, we went out for almost eight years. One thing that has helped keep our relationship intact is communication. We talk about anything and everything under the sun, the moon, and the stars.  And more often than not, we do this right at the comfort of our bed just before nodding off to sleep.

At times, we discuss big things - our still unfulfilled dreams, significant plans for the future and our family, ideas for the improvement of our business, and other profundities that may or may not turn out to be life-altering.

But more often, we simply chat about the most mundane trivialities. We discuss encounters we've had during the course of our day... a client's improbable demand, a friend's hilarious Facebook post, a mischievous prank pulled by our son, a cool show discovered on Netflix, a hyped-up restaurant that fell below expectation. Nothing is off topic - politics, showbiz, sports, work, religion, the weather. We just go on, taking turns speaking and listening. His new haircut, my blue nail polish, his motorcycle trek, my shopping adventure, his aching shoulders, my tired feet.  We rave, we rant, we argue, we listen, we laugh, we sigh, we ramble, we smile. We pray. We dream.

The result is cathartic. We find that being able to let things, big or small, off our chests brings about lulling comfort and a soothing lightness of being. A fitful sleep is the reward. Usually, it is only upon waking up the next day that we realize we dozed off mid-conversation. 

I read somewhere that relationships are harder these days because conversations become texting, arguments become phone calls, and feelings become status updates. Don't allow yourself to get sucked into that walled and filtered mire. 

Log off, lay down, grab a pillow and start talking. 

Fore!

I refuse to be a golf widow, so I decided to take up the game with my husband. 

I realize that I actually enjoy it. The surroundings are so calming and peaceful, and getting that one good hit feels so amazing that it makes up for all the lousy ones before it.  

But you know what I really love about it? Getting to driving the golf cart! It's so fun speeding about the lovely hills and taking in the breathtaking views in my little vehicle. 

It's simply exhilarating, made even more so when my son is with me on the ride. His whole face beams with joy as we weave across the course and jump in and out the cart for every hole. During those moments, I forget all my worries and cares and just forge on ahead, savoring the moment. Wheeeeee!

See you at the greens! 

The Kiss

My six-year old approaches me looking uncharacteristically shy and a tad embarrassed: "Mom, I watched kissing. But it's in the cartoons... so that's okay, right?"

Bwahahahaha!

Celebration

As G.K. Chesterton said: "The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul."

Let's celebrate all the good things that happened in 2010 and look forward to even better things to come in 2011!

Twitter Bug

Follow me at http://twitter.com/LoonymuseIrene so we can be tweet buddies!

Woot! Woot!

The Best Gift

All the expensive presents in the world will never compare to the value of the hand-made card my son gave to me on the eve of my birthday.

It was all I needed to feel such overwhelming love, happiness and gratitude.

Everything else that followed was just icing on the cake.

Staying Alive

Unbeing dead isn't being alive.

- ee cummings

Love Blossoms

Thank you for the beautiful bouquet of red roses, my honey! I feel like the luckiest woman in the world for having you in my life.

From that fateful moment we met many moons ago, I have amassed wonderful memories of Valentine's Day celebrations happily spent together. Whenever I think it can't get any better, you always do something to surprise me and prove me wrong.

You have an endearing way of keeping the romance burning.

My heart feels so ever content.

My gratitude is boundless.

You are my saving grace and I love you endlessly.