Family Reunion

An uncle of mine from Connecticut called me up to ask if my parents and I could come for a small family reunion on the 5th of January. The date kind of surprised me since everybody will already be back and busy in the office by then.

The gathering was originally slated on the 27th of this month, but many begged off since they will be wrapping things up at the office before they take a break again for the New Year festivities.

I hope that Uncle Bob will consider my suggestion to move the reunion to February. I would really like to get to know some of my relatives whom I’ve never met before. It’s a shame, but I really don’t know much about my family. I’ve been planning on checking our ancestry online, but work always gets in the way.

I hope my cousins will back me up on my proposal.

The Nannies

My lungs got a late exercise last night when I watched Mrs. Doubtfire. I already saw this movie twice, but a Robin Williams’ performance never fails to tickle my funny bones

I had 3 nannies during my childhood years. All of them were great. Well, the third one was kind of strict, but she still lets me off the hook once in a while.

I wonder where and how they are right now. I hope they’re with their own families. My 2nd nanny spent Christmas with us because my mom was pregnant with my sister back then. It must’ve been hard for her to spend Christmas with a family that was not hers.

I’ve been meaning to conduct a people search on them so that I’ll be able to thank them for taking care of me during my tender years. However, I’m having difficulties in locating them since I don’t know their last names. My parents are trying to look at their old phonebook to check their surnames. I hope that they’ll be able find it before the New Year festivities.

The Gathering

The party that I threw two days ago was a success. Everybody attended except for Jeide who had to attend to his sick daughter.

The occasion was more of a somber gathering than a wild party, though. Almost everybody was already married. It’s a good thing that I ordered extra food because I thought only 7 of my guests were married. It turned out that there were 5 more who already have spouses.

Nobody thought that many would attend. Many of us have lost contact of each other after graduation. Many suspected that I ran a thorough people search on each person listed on our yearbook. Well, I did. But what made my people search a lot simpler was the old school phonebook that I kept (and still use) since my freshman year.

Jeide called me up after the party. She really regretted not being able to attend. She promised that she will host next year’s reunion if her house gets renovated by spring.

Who's Calling?

An old college friend of mine called me up a while ago to wish me well on Christmas and in the coming New Year. She said that she’s been calling up almost everybody in her phone book ever since she subscribed to a low-cost Internet phone service.

However, her Internet phone has been ringing quite frequently since yesterday. The line gets cut though, immediately after she lifts the handset. She asked me if I’m having or if I had the same experience with my Internet phone. I answered in the negative.

I would’ve wanted to tell her about the horror movie that I saw a few months ago where those who received the strange calls got killed after answering them. Instead, I just asked her to call up the service provider and report the problem. I also told her to invest in a caller ID so that she could trace or call back the person who has been making the calls.

Completing My List

It’s just 4 days away, folks. I hope you’ve already finished your Christmas shopping, and that every close friend and relative of yours have already gotten or will be getting cards or presents from you.

I make it a point to call or send a card to every person dear to me during Christmas. Many of them write back. Some even send presents. Sadly though, there are two or three on my list that never respond. I tried to call them, but their line is already out of service. Maybe they moved to another county or city.

I’m quite bent on conducting a people search on them next week if I don’t hear from them on Christmas day. Even our common friends have no idea as to where they are or how they’re doing right now. Who knows, maybe they need help. And I can’t think of a better time to lend a helping hand than during the season of giving.

Holiday Surprises

One of the reasons why I love the Yuletide season is that long lost friends usually appear during this period out of nowhere to wish you well on Christmas and in the coming New Year. Candice, a seatmate of mine in junior high, suddenly called me up last week to do just that.

I lost contact of her when she transferred to New Orleans. Some of our classmates wanted to conduct a people search on her during our reunion two years ago, but many were quite apprehensive since some suspect that a maiden name search would already be useless since she might already be married.

I don’t know why I did not insist on pushing through with the search. I mean, I already knew back then that we could still find her even if she’s already using her spouse’s surname.

I’m glad she called. I hope that she could fly be here for our next reunion in 2008.

The Last Stand

Last week, the survivors of the bombing of Pearl Harbor had their last reunion. It’s not that the occasion has already lost its significance considering that the event happened more than half a century ago. The decision was actually arrived at by both the organizers and the survivors themselves.

Age has definitely caught up with the World War II veterans. Many of them were already bound to wheelchairs. Some even consider it a miracle that a number of them has lived this long. The survivors know that most of them might not be able to make it to the next one, so they agreed to let this year’s reunion be the last one.

I’m sure that there are many Pearl Harbor veterans who weren’t able to attend the occasion due to poor health. I’m also sure that the organizers of the event have sent them something which expresses the nation’s gratitude for their bravery during the siege.

I just hope that every veteran has been located and has been notified of the event. Past organizers might have had difficulties in searching for the other survivors. However, with the advent of the Internet, failing to locate somebody is almost an inexcusable negligence. Searching for persons online is very easy. You don’t have to be certified private investigator to do this.

FIFA 07

John recently bought the new FIFA 2007 PC Game. For those of you who are not familiar with it, it’s a video game that features all of the football clubs around the world. You could pit your favorite MLS team against the giants of Europe like Real Madrid.

I haven’t had the chance to play the past 4 releases of the video game. I intentionally kicked them off my shopping list because it can be very addicting. I was able to play it online a few years ago, and it was great. I ignored deadlines, and even skipped lunch and dinner because I was so hooked on the game.

I played the game with somebody from Toronto at that time. We had such a good time playing against each other. I never had the chance to play with him again. I forgot his name, but I still have his e-mail address. Maybe I’ll run a people search on him the next time I decide to kick some virtual soccer ball with somebody.

Call-Waiting

I just recently installed a phone-dialer software on my home computer. The thought of being able to use my computer in making and answering calls excites me. I also bought a headset to complement the program.

I know, this thrill is somewhat low-tech. I mean, I see a lot of people outside walking and talking on the phone at the same time. Bluetooth headsets are fast removing mobile phones from the users’ hands during phone calls.

Aside from being able to talk on the phone without holding anything, one of the things that convinced me to buy the program is its caller ID function. Although I haven’t gotten any crank call since my home phone was installed, I do get anonymous ones sometimes.

I already asked the phone company to activate the caller ID feature of my line. They offered to replace my phone unit with another one that has an LCD which displays the number of the person calling, but I declined since the phone-dialer will already flash the phone number my callers.

I’m already eagerly awaiting my first anonymous call for this month. Once his number gets displayed on my computer monitor, I’ll immediately conduct a reverse records search on his phone number.

Fishing Fisher

Do you know who Bobby Fisher is? I don’t blame you if his name doesn’t ring a bell. After winning the World Chess Championship in 1972 (the only US-born player to do so) and refusing to defend it in 1975, he decided to hide from the public.

To the surprise of many, he returned to the board which made him famous in 1992. He played against Boris Spassky in a match billed as “The World Chess Championship.” Of course, the match was not sanctioned by FIDE, the world chess governing body. Fisher went on to win the series, 10 wins to 5 with 15 draws.

Many were clueless as to what happened to him during his 20 years of hiding. I’m quite surprised as to why journalists and fans weren’t able to successfully locate him. While I’m aware that the people search options back then were not as many as what we have right now, still it would have been easy or highly possible for him to tracked down considering his stature.

Teen Pregnancy

I’ve watched many drama movies where girls in their teens run away from home because they are pregnant.

Do these things happen in real life? I’m sure they do. I just hope that they don’t happen often. Imagine being a girl, 16 years of age, pregnant, and all alone. That’s a terrible situation to be in.

Parents should not always be blamed for the unwanted pregnancies of their daughters. There’s a limit to the degree of restraint that a parent could give or enforce upon his or her child. This doesn’t mean though, that they could already renege on their duties as guardians when things get tough. On the contrary, they should show more affection during darker days.

I know that most parents would do anything just to find a daughter who has ran away from home. There’s no excuse for failing to look for her. Conducting a people search nowadays doesn’t even entail much of anybody’s time. Besides, shouldn’t time and money be immaterial when it comes to the welfare of one’s child?

What's In a Number?

My car conked out on me yesterday, so I was forced to take the train to work. Don’t get me wrong. I’m used to taking the train or bus to work. I even relish riding them since I get to chat with some of the passengers.

I usually have this weird urge to talk to strangers, especially those that I sit with on the bus or train. Yesterday was different though, as I was busy going over the files that I have to re-write for an important presentation scheduled in the afternoon.

As I was browsing through my planner, I noticed that the lady beside me was going through with some of the details of her notebook as well. It was an improvised planner. It was colorful and cute, unlike mine which is black and dull.

The first page contained her name, address, and telephone number. What surprised me though, was that her social security number was also written on it.

It’s very dangerous to just write your SSN anywhere. People could track you down through a people search based on your SSN, or even steal your identity if they can access your social security records. I would’ve wanted to give her this piece of advice. However, she was wearing a serious frown that day. I just thought that the last thing she might’ve needed that time was an unsolicited advice from a stranger.

Searching In Vain?

A friend of mine has introduced me to a former U.N. aid worker who has extensive knowledge on people search techniques. She has been working with orphans from war-torn countries, helping them find their missing parents and relatives.

How is it like to be an orphan? I guess I’ll never know. My parents have been at my side for the longest time, and I really can’t imagine life without them.

I wonder how those children lost their parents. Were they abandoned, or were they orphaned by war? For those didn’t even get the chance to see or know them, do they ever wonder how their parents were like when they were still alive?

I was able to watch a documentary about the plight of refugees a few months ago. I learned that many African and South American children end up getting separated from their parents whenever they try to smuggle their way in the United States and in other countries. Many were reunited with their parents. However, there were some who were not as fortunate. I hope that the missionaries or the organizations that took care of them conducted a thorough people search on their parents before giving them up for adoption.

Craig... Daniel Craig

Bond is at it again, and this time he’s fallible.

The latest Bond flick takes 007 back to his roots. Sure, he’s still the slick spy who gets everything that he wants. However, Ian Fleming’s most famous creation in Casino Royale is somewhat unrefined compared to the previous Bonds that graced the screen.

I was quite skeptical as to how the new Bond movie would fair. Critics have doubted if Daniel Craig can match up to Pierce Brosnan in playing England’s most popular secret agent. They were proven wrong.

I was one of those who doubted Craig. He was virtually an unknown in the industry (or maybe I haven’t been watching too many movies lately). I didn’t even give the man the benefit of the doubt.

Craig’s performance was commendable. The movie was great, too. However, I still keep wondering as to why the villains continuously fail to track down Bond, especially since he’s quite too visible for a spy. With all the latest gadgets that Bond movies introduce, it’s quite surprising that the writers have failed to equip 007’s enemies with an excellent means or device with which they could conduct a people search on him. Well, maybe if the writers did, then Bond would’ve died as early as the movie’s first installment.

A Friend in Need

I received an extremely depressing news a few months ago that a very dear Jesuit friend of mine is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. I don’t know why I didn’t visit him immediately. I guess my procrastination got the better of me.

There’s no excuse for abandoning a friend, especially during his time of need. I really would’ve visited him sooner had I known his exact whereabouts back then. I know that’s not an excuse. I could’ve just conducted a quick people search on him on the Internet, or I could’ve gone to his last address which is just an hour from my place.

I’ll be visiting him this weekend. I don’t know if he’ll still be able to remember me. My former high school classmates who also know him said that he hardly remembers anything at all. I know that what he got is basically irreversible or incurable, but I am still hoping for a miracle.

Crank Yankers

Prank calls were quite rampant before phone companies started offering caller ID features. There was even a time during the summer of 87 where we got pranks twice a day on the average.

The telephone was the perfect way of getting in touch with somebody without exposing yourself too much back in the 80s. Although James Bond movies have already shown that wires could be tapped or that calls can be traced, many believed back then that they can pull of nasty phone stunts with impunity.

The present generation of prank callers would definitely think twice or thrice before pulling such a stunt. Many of telephone units being distributed to households today are equipped with caller IDs. Gone are the days when only the CIA or FBI can trace phone calls. Many reverse phone searches are Web-based, so this mode of people search is easily accessible to many.

I wonder what I would’ve done had I found out the name and address of that prank caller who had the audacity to wake us up at 5am. Maybe if we had a caller ID back then, I would've returned the favor by acting as his 3am alarm clock.

God Bless Iraq

Iraq never fails to make it to the evening news or at every newspaper’s headline. Although I wouldn’t dare think that God has forsaken that part of the world, people are usually tempted to make such a conclusion every time they hear that another spate of bombing or kidnapping has again plagued that country.

As Thanksgiving Day draws near, I can’t help but wonder if Iraqi families would be able to have such a happy and solemn gathering between friends and relatives anytime soon. Hundreds or thousands of people in Iraq are still missing. Some say that they were abducted by American soldiers. Others blame sectarian violence for the kidnappings.

I grieve for the families who would never be complete again because of the disappearance of a member. It’s not as if that they could easily conduct a people search on their missing loved ones. Habeas Corpus petitions are also virtually useless as the Iraqi government has not been successful in maintaining peace and order between the warring factions.

I hope that all this misery would soon end.

Looking for My Snowman

One of the things that I like about the Yuletide season is that I get to decorate our porch and lawn. Reindeers usually litter our driveway, while countless Christmas lights illuminate our roof.

The only Christmas decoration that I can’t seem to make is a snowman. While neighbors envied the lights and the figurines that adorn our home, I secretly wished that I could exchange decors with them. Many of my neighbors seem to be skilled in the art of inviting Mr. Snowman into their front yard.

I got my wish last Christmas when a son of one of our neighbors offered to make me one. It took him 5 hours to build one. His creation wasn’t that great, but it’s definitely better than the one I could’ve done had I dared make one.

That neighbor of ours has already moved to another village. I would’ve wanted to ask their son if he could make me another one next month. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get his new contact details. There are times when I even want to conduct a people search on them in order to be able to have my snowman. Quite absurd huh?

Where is Elvis?

I find it quite amusing whenever people ask if Elvis is really dead. I guess die-hard fans just can’t accept the fact that the singing and movie icon has already passed away.

Some people really do believe though that Elvis is still alive and is just hiding from the public. Some even claim to have found documents showing that Presley’s death has been faked. I haven’t seen the said evidence yet, but I doubt if they are genuine.

I wonder if people search agencies or services will entertain any request to look for Elvis. If ever they do entertain one, could they possibly end up going home with an autographed cassette tape?

Maybe no fan has attempted to conduct a serious people search on him for fear of being led to a dead end, or worse, to an epitaph in a cemetery.

As much as I would like to join the others in formulating conjectures about Elvis’ possible whereabouts, I think that this issue should already be laid to rest along with its subject.

The Trusted Nanny

Walter (a childhood friend) used to have a nanny that was very protective. She was also a bit of a kill joy since she would always dissuade us from playing on the streets. Looking back, she was definitely justified in prohibiting us from doing some of the things that we liked. It’s hard to find a nanny like her nowadays.

Walter recently became a dad. He and his wife work in the same advertising company. Her maternity leave is about to expire and they were really in dire need of a nanny who could take care of their first born.

Some have already approached them for the job. However, Walter didn't think that they can be trusted alone with his child. “How about your former nanny?” I asked. At the very least she can come up with great recommendations.

He said that she doesn’t live in her former apartment anymore. I told him to conduct a people search on her. He thought that it was a great idea. Now, let's see if he finds her. Stay tuned!