When Venetians Go Blind, You Get Venetians Blinds!

No pun intended and no offense to the Venetians. This afternoon, I was at SM Makati (a department store), looking for Venetian blinds. My father broke the blinds in my office. The rather irritating thing is that the sales people cannot seem to know what a Venetian blind is!

To add salt to the wound, I was passed on from one sales person to another! I was pointed to this, to that to that , to this direction. What on Earth?!

The sales people in a department store ought to know what and wherever do they keep whatsoever they are selling, right?

To the sales people of SM Makati: Please know everything you are selling. It's a shame not to know anything about something in your (one of your) field(s) of specializations.

In other words, it's utterly demoralizing and stupid not to know what a dinosaur is when you are an archeologist/paleontologist.

Ciao everyone!

Ce Que signifie Il Pour être dix-huit

Greetings everyone! After approximately 3 months and 3 days of Blogging hibernation, I'm here again because it's Open Season yet again! Here's what's up although is down this paragraph :)

Eighteen. Dix-Huit. Basic French lesson on numbers.

What is the significance of the number eighteen? According to my secreatary, wikipedia.org,:

In science:

The atomic number of argon

In religion and literature:

The Hebrew word for "life" is חי (chai), which has a numerical value of 18. Consequently, the custom has arisen in Jewish circles to give donations and monetary gifts in multiples of 18 as an expression of blessing for long life.

In Judaism, in the Talmud; Pirkei Avot (5:25), Rabbi Yehudah ben Teime gives the age of 18 as the appropriate age to get married ("Ben shmonah esra lechupah", at eighteen years old to the Chupah (marriage canopy).

In Ancient Roman custom the number 18 can symbolise a blood relative.

Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22 was originally named Catch-18 because of the Hebrew meaning of the number, but was amended to the published title to avoid confusion with another war novel, Mila 18.

There are 18 chapters in the Bhagavad Gita, which is contained in the Mahabharata, which has 18 books. The Kurukshetra War which the epic depicts, is between 18 armies (11 on the Kuru side, 7 on the Pandava).

Others:

The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with North America and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject.

In many parts of the world, 18 is the age minimum for purchasing tobacco and alcoholic beverages. It is also the voting age in many countries. During the Vietnam War, Americans could be drafted at an age as low as 18, but were not allowed to vote in most states until they were 21.

A movement spread to lower the voting age, and in 1971, the Twenty-sixth Amendment extended a guarantee of suffrage to anyone 18 years or older in all states. The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in the U.K. and many other nations around that time.

In the United Kingdom, eighteen-year-olds can purchase tobacco, alcohol and pornography, go to war, vote, and model for pornography; (but the age of consent is 16).

In most European countries 18 is the legal driving age without a parent present.

In many countries 18 is the age of majority.

Minimum age at which one can get a full driver's license in many U.S states and Canadian provinces.
Minimum age to drive a car in many countries in the world. See also: 18 certificate, Coming of age

In the United States, it is the minimum age at which one may get a real tattoo.

It is the legal age at which one may gamble in some states in the United States.

In other fields
Eighteen is also:

a 2005 movie directed by Richard Bell and starring Brendan Fletcher and Alan Cumming.

A 2002 album by electronic artist Moby.

The number of holes in a stipulated round of golf

The number of chapters into which James Joyce's epic novel Ulysses is divided

The number of wheels on the most common type of North American tractor-trailer truck, which are hence often called 18-wheelers

The customary percentage to tip a waitress in a restaurant by groups of four or moreThe number of the French department Cher and the Turkish province Bitlis

DVD-18 is double-sided, double-layered DVD format

A Canon error message, see E18 error

In neo-Nazi circles, a code word for Adolf Hitler. The number comes from the position of the letters in the alphabet: A = 1, H = 8.

Android 18, a fictional character in the metaseries Dragon Ball.

18th Street gang, a Hispanic American gang

In some countries the number 18 means blood (relative)

All right. Now to the blog post. Indeed, eighteen has several significances. It's been part of life. In fact, it has been a part of my life. My sister's birthday is December 18th, a friend of mine is born on April 18th, the time now is 12:18 AM (haha) and today, I am eighteen (18) years old. Yes.

Eighteen. Dix-huit. Labing-walo.

Turning 18 today is like turning the giant turnstile of a ginormous vault door in front of me. I have opened the previous door. Here is the next door. I don't know where I am going. But one thing is sure. God is here to guide my way.

I am now allowed to do the things I was prohibited to do. Two sides of the coin. Good and the Bad. I'll choose Good although I know I am prone to slip and do evil things because I am a humble sinner.

I now possess the rights that the world once refused to grant me. The right to vote. The right to watch PG18 movies (Not X-Rated!). The right to have a driver's license and drive a car. The right to be one of the majorities. Yes, I am slowly climbing up the demographic ladder age-wise. With all these rights on a face of a card is another face---obligations, responsibilities and major decisions.

I must be a responsible Filipino citizen on Earth. I must live a blameless Christian life. I must develop myself. I must be better than I was before. Move forward but compile in a book the memories of the past. For I shall understand my present and future if I will look back at my past.

If I may have done bad, inappropriate and sinister things, do forgive me. I apologize to those whom I've hurt. I ask for forgiveness to those whom I've wronged.

I know that the damage has been done. But let us stand up, close the book and look forward and walk towards the horizon of a majestic, wonderful and marvelous future.

I was thinking these past few days, if I commit a crime, my future cellmates will throw me a welcome party.

No. That's one party I will dare miss.

I was apprehended before for jay-walking and was given a reprieve. I will abide by the law for I am a law abiding citizen. I will not commit a crime.

I am now of legal age. There are lots more to do and experience. God is not yet done with me.

I must act more maturely than before. I must observe stricter etiquette than I have been before.

I am now free from the chains of being a child.

Yes, I am now free from the bondage of being a minor.

I strived to reach for the bar. I now reached it and got hold of it. I will soon step on it and later look down on it as reminder of what was a child's life.

I am now an adult. A responsible, mature adult. I am now officially a citizen of legal age. I am now EIGHTEEN.

Ce que signifie il pour etre dix-huit?

(What it means to be eighteen?)

C'est que signifie il pour etre dix-huit...
(This is what it means to be eighteen...)