The rabbit, the egg, and Christ…and another god

From Huffington Post comes What Do a Rabbit, Colored Eggs, and Candy Have to Do With Jesus? The History of Easter Revealed by Kari Henley:

It turns out the celebrations of modern Easter’s egg-toting-rabbit evolves from a mythic German goddess named Ostara, (Oestre / Eastre) who was the Germanic Goddess of Springtime. According to the Encycolopedia Mythica:

“In ancient Anglo-Saxon myth, Ostara is the personification of the rising sun. In that capacity she is associated with the spring and is considered to be a fertility goddess. She is the friend of all children and to amuse then she changed her pet bird into a rabbit. This rabbit brought forth brightly colored eggs, which the goddess gave to the children as gifts. From her name and rites the festival of Easter is derived.”

All other European words for “Easter” derive from the Hebrew word “pasah,” to pass over, thus reflecting the Christian holiday’s Biblical connection with the Jewish Passover. I find it ironic the holiest day in the Christian faith, dedicated to celebrating the Son of God, is named after a goddess.
According to www.godchecker.com: Ostara was very popular with the Anglo-Saxon people, who worshiped her under the name Eostre.

At least now I have a bit of a better understanding of this whole Easter-Risen Christ-bunny-egg hunt connection.  The writer was right; at times, I wondered about the whole connection but never really bothered to find the connection.

Earth Hour 2009

Found something interesting about the Earth Hour on March 28th, observed in hundreds of cities around the world.  This event began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia as a way to vote against global warming.  Turning off the lights for an hour could serve as one’s vote, whether a tourist spot or simply a household, for the earth.  Further info from the official website:

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

See the many cities that observed Earth Hour: H-E-R-E. Click the photos and have javascript enabled to see the effects.

A bigger bite of Apple

Presenting the latest addition to the iPod family- the latest, and smallest, iPod shuffle and MP3 player.

Watchmen: B+/A-

I went to the 12mn showing of Watchmen last night.  And I was happy with my decision to not read the last chapter of the novel because the ending of the film made up a big part of the reason why I loved the movie.

I shall return to the book to finish reading later but for now, here’s my review:

3/2 News Roundup

Yesterday, AIG reported the biggest loss in America’s corporate history (just a few days after RBS similarly reported the UK’s biggest corporate history- a staggering, but nevertheless still smaller £24.1bn).  With a loss of $61bn, the insurance firm again ran to the government to seek for more aid, which they got in the amount of $30bn in exchange of majority ownership in two of their money-makers: American Insurance Association (AIA), its business in Asia and American Life Insurance Corporation (ALICO).  Remember that the firm entered this pit after they decided to issue billions of dollars worth of credit default swaps, the instrument which had it share of the spotlight after other firms, notably Lehmann Brothers, fell victim to the failure to manage risks associated with CDS. The trouble of the firm is further compounded by the news that former CEO Hank Greenberg will be filing a lawsuit against the company for allegedly being misled to buy inflated prices of the AIG stock.  As the firm’s biggest shareholder, Greenberg’s wealth is without a doubt wiped out by what has happened.

VCB: B+/A-

Meet Vicky…

…and Cristina

…in the romantic city of Barcelona.

Oil Break-Evens

Going back to more than 3 months ago, in July, the price of oil peaked at $147 per barrel. While some analysts predicted oil going up even as high as $200 per barrel, many others saw this as nothing but a bubble that soon will burst and undergo price correction. The past couple of weeks, oil has been hovering under $70 a barrel bringing down majority of the prices in gas pumps to less than $3 a gallon. Today, the oil settled at $65.25 pb; it dipped to as low as under 64 just several days ago.

The big spike in oil price months back certainly boosted revenues of major oil producing countries, whose windfall profits helped fatten some of the existing sovereign wealth funds. It is therefore no surprise that Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Qatar and Libya find themselves on the list of the biggest funds. Despite that, it would still be good and interesting to know that not all these states earn, let alone big amounts. Even at $80 or $90, some of these states might still be losing money.

Two Men, Two Speeches

Two senators: a Democrat, a Republican.

One a victor, another a fighter.

After two years of campaigning, a day of voting and hours of waiting, one finally wins as the new president.

—–

John McCain’s speech last night, as he conceded the presidency to Barack Obama (D-Il.), was no doubt the best he has given since eternity. Despite the occasional boos from the crowd, there was nothing but nobility, sincerity, and elegance in his speech. Coming to the election, most expected an Obama victory, and quite appropriately so. McCain’s defeat, or the GOP’s for that matter, may be attributed to a lot of different factors that worked to Obama’s advantage. The economy, the much loathed Iraq war, and more importantly, the way the campaign was run. Even I got sick of his Joe the Plumber tactic… and Palin, boy oh boy. Yes, she is charming, articulate, and even hot. But there was just so much about her actions that completely killed those complements. It might be better not to list them down.

Flattening It Out

Everyday, an email gets sent to my inbox from RealAge containing health tips and whatnot. What grabbed my attention two nights ago was a link called “Eat more in front of TV”, which is what I do every single night. With so much eating, and not so much exercise, yes, it’s all building up in the belly. And I need some solutions (outside of having to go to the gym and work out). Here’s what I found from the website:

You can eat up to 6 cups of certain low-fat microwave brands for about the same number of calories you’d get from just 7 or 8 chips. Plus, the popcorn also counts as two servings of whole grains.

A survey of 15,000 people found that popcorn eaters get far more whole grains than people who go popcorn-free. And that’s great news for the waistline, because high-fiber whole grains help you feel more satisfied… And whole grains may help flatten your belly, too…

Swaps and Spreads 101

When you watch the news, one that always goes with figures relating to T-bills are swap spreads. I had a slight notion of what it was but a news article from the Financial Times (Oct 24, 2008) made it clear to me. Take note of the very interesting event that happened yesterday, one that many perceived to be a “mathematical impossibility”. Bolds below are mine.

Turmoil takes its toll on swap markets as spreads turn negative

By Michael Mackenzie in New York

The turmoil in the financial markets has taken hold of the trade in long-term interest rate derivatives, pushing rates to levels once thought to be a “mathematical impossibility”.

Interest rate swaps are the most widely traded over-the-counter derivative.

Long-term swaps are particularly important for insurers and pension funds that need to fund liabilities decades into the future.

Dawg

I can’t remember exactly when I started adoring dogs. Having lived with one for the past 2 months certainly helped. Although it is partly offset by the fact that the dog isn’t as smart as I wanted it to be. It’s not mine; it’s my aunt’s. It is turning three. Apparently the only thing the dog knows is to pee and poop on the grass, except during those times when he can’t hold it anymore. The only words he recognizes are “food” and “go out”. Give him a command and all you get is a blank stare. Now that assures I’m not getting that breed of dog. If I were to get one, here are my options:

• Siberian Husky- they could look evil but they could also look VERY awesome.
• Yorkshire Terrier- their hair is hypo-allergenic.
• Morkie (a mix between Yorkshire and Maltese and it is darn cute, but darn expensive too. One I saw in CA was at $999 and the one I saw in IL was, get this, $1500. Bloody hell.)
• Labrador Retriever- the golden one, color-wise. lol.
• Perhaps a miniature schnauzer would also do but it’s at the bottom of my list.

Finance: I just can’t get enough.

The financial tsunami, as many so aptly describe how things are going at the moment, has found me more glued to TV than ever. I have been glued for weeks but since Sunday night, when Lehman Brothers reported to file for bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch announced selling itself to BofA, being a couch bed potato has never felt so gratifying. Having to follow the DJIA, NAS, S&P and hundreds others of stocks go up and down; grasp, learn and re-learn financial concepts; and focus on discussions and catch up with what is being said could only confirm that there is a big finance geek in me hiding (not quite secretly so) and waiting to come out. I have honestly found it challenging to completely follow the CNBC star troopers debunk the issues surrounding the financial meltdown that’s not only hitting Wall Street but also Main Street. I found inherent beauty in seeing the fluctuation/volatility in the markets, with the Dow plunging more than 500 points Monday, up 300 Tuesday, down Wednesday, up Thursday, and so far, Friday, up another 410 points. Include there the intra-day up and downs and you have a really exciting story. If the Dow finishes higher than 404 points today, then we’ll end up on the same level or higher than when Monday opened- as if nothing happened. How’s that for an exciting turn out of events? I would like to think that the Fed and Treasury have managed to deal with things quite well to reduce the fear and panic that is continuously killing Wall Street. Tuning in to CNBC for as long as I’m awake every day, I couldn’t help but also be impressed with the competence and expertise of people- Santelli, Liesman, Faber, Ratigan, Macke, Pisani, Bartiromo, Carusso-Herrera, Gasparino… Surprising are information that concern 30/40-to-1 bank leveraging, stock price drops of more than 50% to 90% in a short time span, record-breaking jump in volatility (.VIX), rumored demise of even the top two (and only survivors) of this crisis, government bailout and infusions of trillions of dollars, money market funds breaking the buck- I just can’t get enough. The TV serves as my wake-up call (I set it to turn itself on at around 930am), practically starting my day with financial news and while it doesn’t become a sleeping pill for me, heck no, it doesn’t take a rest until about 12 midnight, when the re-run of Fast Money, now my favorite show, ends. Re-runs… yes, sometimes I watch them again just to make sure I understand critical issues and points (yes, the challenge I mentioned earlier being that I don’t get things the first time around). I even download the video podcast. Not only is it a highly informative show, but there are personalities there who just crack me up. Ah finance… I just can’t get enough.

PS I should have paid more attention in my boring classes before.

Delayed Update

It has been almost 2 weeks since I left Los Angeles, since I last blogged. Though I should have more time to do stuff, and I actually do, I seem to have less time to do a variety of things. Ever since getting here in Chicago, I have been focused on pretty much 2 things: job hunting and TV. Yes, I have been watching so much TV given I have one in the room where I sleep in. While I do spend a lot of time writing cover letters (still), I still do find A LOT of time to watch the boob tube. And my viewing is focused on two: CNBC, which is the financial TV network of NBC and is like Bloomberg, and the mundane- dating shows, hollywood news, reality shows… those you’re more likely to watch if you’re in Los Angeles.

The Greatest Song Ever Sung? :P

I haven’t really been mushy lately so permit me to be so now. Just posting the lyrics of a song anyway. I thought this was a really good song.

The Greatest Story Ever Told by Oliver James

Thank you for this moment
I’ve gotta say how beautiful you are
Of all the hopes and dreams I could have prayed for
Here you are
If I could have one dance forever
I would take you by the hand
Tonight it’s you and I together
I’m so glad I’m your man

20 Most Annoying Songs

The song “Tubthumping” played on my iTunes and even after years of hearing it, I never really understood what it meant until I googled it today. In my search, not only did I find its meaning (politicking, tubthumper being a politician), I also found a reference in Wikipedia to the 20 most annoying songs complied by the Rolling Stones.  Apparently the song was part of the list as #12.  Of course I looked at the rest of the list and was surprised some of the songs I actually like.

1. Black Eyed Peas, “My Humps”   — This is a rather fun song.
2. Los Del Rio, “Macarena” — I kinda understand.
3. Baha Men, “Who Let The Dogs Out” — Kinda understand too.
4. Celine Dion, “My Heart Will Go On” — This really ain’t bad, if only it weren’t overplayed.
5. Nickelback, “Photograph” — Well, I don’t like it for being too noisy to the ears.
6. Lou Bega, “Mambo No. 5″ — I’m 50/50 on this.
7. James Blunt, “You’re Beautiful” — This is annoying?!
8. Spice Girls, “Wannabe” — Um…
9. Sisqo, “The Thong Song” — Quite a fun song, IMHO.
10. Cher, “Believe” — Is it really the song? Or how Cher looked in the video?
11. Aqua, “Barbie Girl” — LOL. They could have easily said ‘Aqua’; I’m sure this isn’t the only one. I’m not really hatin’ them though.
12. Chumbawumba, “Tub Thumper” — Nah.
13. Rednex, “Cotton-Eyed Joe” — Never heard.
14. Eiffel 65, “Blue” — I thought this is cute.
15. Crash Test Dummies, “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm”
16. Meatloaf, “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” — I almost love this song…
17. ‘NSYNC, “Bye, Bye, Bye” — HAHAHA. Boyband hatred?
18. Ricky Martin, “Livin’ La Vida Loca” — I guess more annoying than Maria or La Copa dela Vida.
19. Semisonic, “Closing Time” — I love this song. C’mon now.
20. Wham!, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” — This puts a smile on my face. Always. So I disagree.

I guess that says I’m not so much of a rock person, as perhaps most of these Rolling Stones fanatics are.

MovieMania: Feels Like Heaven!

I couldn’t be amazed enough at how addicted I got to watching movies. Ever since I (almost) finished school last week, I’ve already seen more than 10 movies…in a span of about 6 days in fact. More than half of them are classics- and I mean those that were made decades ago. I CANNOT stop watching movies anymore! I am definitely putting the blame on my roommate who’s doing (or just finished) a film summer program at USC. Whenever free, he pretty much just hangs out in the living room, enjoying a movie or two. There was even a time he did some serious movie marathon- starting at around 9 or 10 at night and ending at around 2-3pm the following day; he was still up when I came back from school. I joined him in several occasions but I actually can’t remember the first classic film that I joined him in watching. I can only remember one called Walked with Ed Harris in it. In no particular order, here are the movies I’ve seen the past several days:

• Casablanca (1942)
• Notorious (1946)
• Rope (1948 )
• Rashomon (1950)
• Vertigo (1958 )
• Yojimbo (1961)
• 8 1/2 (1963)
• Repulsion (1965)
• Le Samourai (1967)
• Army of Shadows (1969)
• A Clockwork Orange (1971)
• What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) – Leo DiCaprio was brilliant, and I mean BRILLIANT in this film.
• The Rock (1996) – Yes, just last night… Say no more.
• L’Auberge Espagnole (2003) – Not a classic but a fun flick
• Children of Men (2006)
• The Devil Wears Prada – I already saw this weeks ago, but as I was trying to chill one night, I decided to give it a go again
• Atonement (finally completing it after I fell asleep while watching it on the plane)
• Step Up 2 (apparently not one of the classics)

I have some more I’ve already downloaded and are waiting to be seen:

• Rope (1948 )
• Rashomon (1950)
• To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
• Repulsion (1965)
• Chinatown (1974)

Vertigo and Notorious are both Alfred Hitchcock films. I never really saw any of his flicks until I saw Notorious the other night. And now I am contemplating buying a 15-disc DVD set of his greatest movies, which include 2 more I am thinking about downloading- Rope and The Birds, perhaps to help me decide whether I should get it or not.

My roommate Brian also introduced me to The Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films on DVD. Being a film freak himself, he apparently has some from that collection. Last night, I found myself going through the collection and the top 10s of some critics- until 6am. But the time and effort wasn’t in vain. Not that it’s bad but I found several other movies I want to buy and see:

• M (1931)
• Tokyo Story (1953)
• Seven Samurai (1954)
• The Leopard (1963)
• The Shop on Main Street (1965)
• The Honeymoon Killers (1970)

I love finally having the luxury of time to spend –THIS– much time on movies. Strangely (and maybe even sadly), I’ve seen about twice as many movies in the past week or so in the apartment than I have in the theaters all throughout my whole year stay here in LA.

So little time, so many movies to see. I. Am. Screwed.

Random Thoughts: Zoolander graduated.

Unlike the several graduations I had in the past, yesterday’s was certainly the least emotional.  You can blame it on the camwhoring we were all guilty of or the two remaining electives I need to complete within the next 3 weeks. The sadness just wasn’t there this time around.  Talking to a couple of people made me sad a tad bit but it was completely dissimilar to what transpired in DC during the eve of my departure. That night saw the worst of me. Today, I was talking to a friend and she surprisingly (and certainly interestingly) remarked that I no longer seemed as happy as I did back when we started. It honestly caught me off guard. It was a completely surprising observation.  But I admitted that there was some truth to it. Even the past two weeks or so, I know I managed to fuck up some things which were perfectly working out well.  Though I feel some level of guilt, it is quite unusual that I’m feeling like I couldn’t care less anymore. I’m just waiting for August 12. I am not going to have a more interesting life there, certainly not. But there was just… Nevermind.

————-

It feels great when your hard work pays off. The ceremony yesterday gave me two reasons to at least feel better about all the hard work and lack of sleep the past couple of weeks. Though there’s really no other option, the award for outstanding thesis and the numerous praises for the video I made I guess were more than enough a compensation.   Perhaps the award gives me a better sense of achievement.  That pile of readings and the paper whose pages grew by the day served as my lovechild for the past 3 months or so.

————-

I realized how easily I can get attached to people. Talking to another friend last night made me realize that even after meeting some of them just a few weeks back, I do have the tendency to already feel some level of sadness towards the idea of not seeing them again.

————-

I thought it was fun acting like Zoolander yesterday and mimicking his blue steel look. I got a new haircut just hours before the ceremony so I had a big ego going there. lol.

Viva Espana!

Today in Vienna, Austria, Germany and Spain faced each other again for the European Championship. Looking back at some numbers and history, they odds were against Espana. During the penalty shootout between Italy and Spain, the latter had a horrible record. The day was June 22. On 3 different occasions, Spain lost in PKs. First, Jun 22 1988. In a World Cup match against Belgium, the Spaniards lost 5-4 during the quarterfinals. Second, on Jun 22 1996, they lost again on PK. Finally, in 2002, South Korea defeated Spain again, 5-3. It was also a quarterfinal match. I somehow expected for a 4th this year. But they surpassed that.

Looking at Spain’s success in the Euros, they managed to grab the trophy only once in the entire 48-year history of the competition (13th this year) whereas Germany had already won it 3 times. Hence, another challenge for the team. But after 2 hours of play, 1 unanswered goal from Fernando Torres, and 100% hard work, all I can say is, OLE OLE OLE OLE! Viva Espana! Spain have been crowned the new European champions. It was a good decision on my side to have woken up early (915am) and head for a British pub, taking an hour bus ride.

What I always loved about watching a match in a pub was the atmosphere of the crowd. Countless times did we all shout, Es-pan-ya! Es-pan-ya! Es-pan-ya! It truly didn’t suffice we had to cheer the classic, OLE, OLE, OLE OLE OLE OLE! The pub surely had more Spanish fans than the Germans did but both sides were eagerly waiting for our respective teams to score. But in the 32nd minute, Fernando Torres became Espana’s hero when he kicked the ball past keeper Lehman. That proved enough for the country to gain the victory. Honestly, I was hoping for a much more tensed game. 2-2 by the end of 90 or even ET then PK victory for Spain. That woulda been AWESOME.

Gotta love the day still. Sweet victory. Sweet experience. Sweet everything.

The victory is ours.

Amore Nel Paradiso.

Alfredo said, “Life is not like the movies. It is much harder.” And this is the very story that Cinema Paradiso presented. A man helplessly in love with a woman fails to witness a fairy-tale ending to their love story. It was one that wasn’t lacking nor in excess of romanticism. The secret meetings, the waiting and hoping, and even the traditional writing of letters were all there. This could only cover one of the many themes Cinema Paradiso was able to encapsulate throughout the 3-hour running time of the movie. If there was one prominent theme here, it was that of love. But it wasn’t just about love for a woman.

Amante. The romantic love that lingered between two characters until their old age is one of the strongest proofs that even as time passes by, despite the number of people we meet, the heart surely never forgets.

Holland, Hollander, Hollands.

Due to the currently ongoing Euro 2008, watching Netherlands play aroused my curiosity as to why they are oftentimes also referred to as Holland. In the case of the UK, it was kind of understandable that they were called Great Britain. But Holland and Netherlands when put together do not make up one whole name as is the case with the UK. Netherlands of Holland or Holland of Netherlands? No, although the latter is a bit more appropriate. Find out why, after the jump.

(This picture is a perfect representation. Well, sort of. You have the flag, the people, and who knows maybe they’re speaking the language too!)

#2: Kids at heart.

1. I’d like to think that I’m generally not mean, but if there’s really one thing I can’t tolerate, it’s the stench that emanates from, well, smelly people. I need not identify who they are for the sake of not having to state the obvious.

2. Proposals to seek alternative forms of energy as the price of oil continues to skyrocket point out to the use of corn as a potent source. Yet issues arise with regard to possible scarcity if this particular commodity is used. It is a valid point. I’d like to think it is part of social responsibility. Therefore, any proposal to push through with this plan for the sake of profitability and with utter disregard for possible starvation is just plain ridiculous.

3. I’m slowly realizing, late is at might be, that no matter how difficult something is, it still becomes enjoyable as long as our interest lies in it. The level of difficulty is surpassed by the amount of effort we put into it. Because our heart is in it.

4. I wish comforting someone to easily get over the grief of losing a family member is as simple as regular people enjoying the beautiful positive words of a considerably comforting song.

5. And he says, “Dad, I love you. Can you hear me? I promise I’ll be good. So don’t worry about me and [our] family. You’ll always be with me wherever I go.” It sounded as if it came from a kid. Perhaps grief and sadness reminds us humans that no matter how old or tough we seem, when things like this strike us, we are indeed still kids- vulnerable to the forces of the world to which we don’t have control.

RT#1: Keeping things grande.

1. Sundays are generally boring. Not only is it because there’s considerably few emails that get sent but also it is a time when no one is around. Well, except for Starbucks peeps.

2. I am a bad movie critic. I’ve gone from being positive to being, well, neutral, after seeing the movie ‘The Oxford Murders’ to which I initially had a good though until I read some reviews post-watching (therefore the neutral stance to balance things out).

3. Usually, I don’t believe in alms-giving because I think it might promote abuse or tolerance of the practice. However, in the Philippines, I think I am more inclined to give to the kids that roam the roads than to the (white/black) old men here. Case in point: the regular beggar in Starbucks who asks for $2 to buy diapers for his daughter.

4. I feel repressed not being able to sing whenever, wherever I want to. Instead I do silent performances. Whenever, wherever. At least it makes me believe I can reach all the notes with utter perfection.

Shoot now. Sightsee later.

A friend recommended this movie and without a clue as to what it’s about, I obediently downloaded it. Not even exerting some effort to look for the plot, I quickly watched it after it finished downloading. Even with some work that needs to be done, I thought this is probably worth spending some time on. It had an interesting title.

In this movie “In Bruges”, I personally thought Colin Farrell did an amazing, and interesting, acting in this movie. The expressions, the witty remarks, the humor… Gotta love the Irish guy in this movie. Add to that the irony that is found between the violence/goriness/thrill and the fairy-tale-ish/romantic/idyllic scenery that is Bruges.

Watch the trailer and it might interest you as well.

PS I thought “Bruges” was some foreign language that meant something… interesting. At the risk of sounding stupid, I even read it “Bru-ges”. Perhaps the most unsophisticated way of reading it. HA. HA. HA. I didn’t know a place as such existed in Belgium. Plus it was recommended by a German lad. I must be forgiven…

Divorcing marriage

Having had lunch at one cafe in school allowed me to catch a glimpse of some news on TV. It was interesting enough to have caught a report about marriage in the United States for 2 consecutive days. Yesterday, it was reported that in a span of 7 years (?), the number of couples getting married declined by 20% and co-habitation is now at a rate of 80%. In today’s news, viewers sent their opinions and the following were just some of them:

• It is becoming socially acceptable to have children out of wedlock. So why get married when there’s no need?
• One guy, after going through 3 divorces, already thinks marriage is not worth it (SURPRISE!)
• Marriage is merely a glorified and expensive pinky-promise.
• (If I understood it right…) Filing your ITR individually, rather than as a couple, actually increases your rebate and this allegedly makes for good (economic) argument against marriage.
• A guy said his grandparents celebrated their 50th and his parents are about to celebrate their 25th. Thus, he would want to have his own wedding and break some records. (Glad to hear!)

Three of the views above only prove the gravity of are and how rare is it for you to see people who still believe in the value of marriage. One guest in the show yesterday said that people now have more fears of getting married due to the growing statistics of people getting divorced. As a result, they just resort to co-habitation, where they don’t get tied down. There’s no commitment.

I don’t know what else to make of this. As someone who was brought up as a Catholic with my own view of the sacrament of matrimony, its value and sacredness, it is difficult to be impartial hearing things like this. It is not fair to blame the country and say it is not a good place to settle down and start your own family. Rather it is in the people who are involved and the society itself that creates pressure among everyone else, giving the impression that marriage is almost sure to fail. I hope I don’t see that day when marriage becomes a societal taboo because the society dictated it to be so. Legalization of gay marriage, departure from heterosexual marriage, co-habitation, and either children out of wedlock or abortion… Something must be terribly wrong with this country.