Ghosts of Christmas Past and Other Stories

I didn't enjoy this year's Christmas.

These six words sum up everything I've felt during this past Christmas season. It's not because I didn't have money (on the contrary, I was financially richer this year than I was last year, even with all the aguinaldos coming from ninongs and ninangs). It's not because the family wasn't together even with Kuya getting married (actually they're temporarily living in the apartment next to ours). I don't exactly know how to explain what I'm feeling. It's like my 20 previous Christmases were much more special than this year's is.

Then again, it might be because I'm still having a hard time accepting that I now reside in the real world outside the confines of the university. Or maybe because last year's Christmas was just more meaningful than this year's is.

***

My December wasn't also as enjoyable as last year's was. For the first time, I wasn't able to join the Paskuhan in UST because I had to work (sob). I'm not particularly happy with my work environment because of one particular person (who is so dense that he can't even begin to realize that I'm really pissed off, but then again, he might really be just very dense and stupid --- ooopps, sorry, I promised myself I wouldn't speak out again about his shortcomings, but damn! It feels good to let it all out).

***

Yesterday I bought the Eheads tribute album UltraElectroMagneticJam. Wala lang, ang kulit pakingan lalo "Ang Huling El Bimbo" (Rico J. Puno) at "Alcohol" (Radioactive Sago Project). I can actually imagine Corics singing "El Bimbo" while dancing the El Bimbo wearing the white Elvis jumpsuit. Heh heh. As for RSP, what more can I say? Astig.

Lit

I will never settle for a few
when most are within reach.
I have no interest in ‘okay.’

I will never confuse a fad
for commitment.
I will frustrate the cynics.

I have been stubborn when necessary.
I have been easy when offered collaboration.

I have lit fires.

I am a Rock Ed volunteer.

Lit: a Rock Ed Volunteer Manifesto by Gang Badoy.
Picture taken by Mike Campillanes, December 2005.

Wear the white band. No More Excuses, Philippines. End Poverty Now.

Long Weekend

With the Thanksgiving season just these past few days, we had a long weekend to, err, relax. How? We went to Batangas for an overnight teambuilding (translated: magdamagang inuman sessions). It's really funny how it all came to be. Right after our shift ended on Thursday morning, our TL called a post-shift meeting to decide on how we were going to spend the long weekend (and the prize money that both our teams collected last Tuesday). It was then decided to have a beach outing, as Sir Matti's team were going to spend their weekend in Galera (of course, they've been preparing for this for weeks now). So, the venue was decided, and the final destination: Matabungkay in Batangas.

I don't think I'll relate the finer points of our stay in Batangas. Suffice to say that some had a good time, others more so than the rest. Moral lessons learned during our overnight stay:

(1) Never drink more alcohol than you can handle.
(2) Be careful with your stuff.
(3) When going swimming near coral reefs or the like, make sure you have aqua socks or slippers at the very least.
(4) Never fart in a vehicle, especially after a long night with Granma (translated as Gran Matador Brandy).
(5) Above all, after all has been said and done, mas masarap pa rin jumebs sa sariling palikuran sa sariling bahay.

Well Wishing

Someday when I'm awfully low / And the world is cold / I will feel a glow just thinking of you / And the way you look tonight / You're lovely, with your smile so warm / And your cheeks so soft, there is nothing for me but to love you / And the way you look tonight / With each word, your tenderness grows / Tearing my fears apart / And that laugh that wrinkles your nose / Touches my foolish heart / Lovely, don't you ever change / Keep that breathless charm / Won't you please arrange it / 'Cause I love you / Just the way you look tonight / With each word, your tenderness grows / Tearing my fears apart / And that laugh that wrinkles your nose / Touches my foolish heart / Lovely, don't you ever change / Keep that breathless charm / Won't you please arrange it / 'Cause I love you / Just the way you look tonight. Michael Buble, The Way You Look Tonight.

Words will never be enough to describe how happy I am for you both, my brother and my soon-to-be-sister. May you prosper in your love for each other.

picture by Fitz Javate, October 2005

Light Life Love

There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea. You became the light on the dark side of me. Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill. But did you know, that when it snows, my eyes become large and, the light that you shine can be seen. Baby, I might compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey. Ooh, the more I get of you, stranger it feels, yeah. And now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the grey. There is so much a man can tell you, so much he can say. You remain, my power, my pleasure, my pain. baby, to me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny, won't you tell me is that healthy, baby? But did you know, that when it snows, my eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen. Baby, I might compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey. Ooh, the more I get of you, stranger it feels, yeah. Now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the grey. I've been kissed by a rose on the grey, I've been kissed by a rose ( on the grey)... And if I should fall, at all, I've been kissed by a rose (on the grey). There is so much a man can tell you, so much he can say. You remain my power, my pleasure, my pain. To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny, won't you tell me is that healthy, baby? But did you know, that when it snows, my eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen. Baby, I might compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey. Ooh, the more I get of you, stranger it feels, yeah. Now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the grey. Yes I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey. Ooh, the more I get of you, stranger it feels, yeah. Now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the grey. Now that your rose is in bloom, a light hits the gloom on the grey. Seal, Kiss from a Rose

Picture by Tim Dono, August 2003.

Epiphany

I just had an epiphany.

I was just sitting in our office pantry just a few hours back, thinking about my work options, when suddenly it hit me. Ang trabaho, parang relasyon 'yan. Kapag masaya ka sa relationship, magtatagal kayo. Ganyan din sa trabaho. Kung masaya ka sa ginagawa mo, kahit ano pa ang trabaho mo, matatagalan mo yan.

Now what made me realize this? I guess, hindi na ako ganoon kasaya sa trabaho.

Chocoholic

I love chocolates.

Milk chocolate (which I am told is really not chocolate at all), dark chocolate (which is my second favorite kind of chocolate), mint chocolate, truffles, Belgian chocolate, choco balls, black forest, fruity chocolates, nutty chocolates, chocolates with rice crispies, peanut butter, or almost every other ingredient you can think of (I am told that there is a certain brand of chocolate that is sweet and spicy at the same time, with cayenne pepper in the mixture, but I have yet to taste this).

Which is why my determination to trim down on my weight was put to the ultimate test last Sunday. We went to Robinsons Ermita for lunch and a bit of shopping, and when we got to the circle near Chef d'Angelo, we saw that Red Ribbon was celebrating its Chocolate Festival, where people were invited to come and taste the chocolate. What made it impressive was a sixteen-foot-high fountain of melted chocolate, where people went in droves to dip pieces of marshmallows in the chocolate, sort of like a giant fondue. I was torn between lining up amongst the multitudes of fellow chocoholics and sticking to dieting. I was like, tang'na naman, pa'no ka papayat kung ganito ang mga makikita mo? Damn.

End of story? I went to Ice Monster and bought myself a Mudslide. Not quite as yummy, but delicious nevertheless.

101005

October 10rs of UST-BSCS-CS2K5 (with a few missing persons who, unfortunately, had to work) at Friday's Glorietta, Oct. 10, 2005.

Standing (L to R): Rouie, Edwin, Dya
Sitting (L to R): Poli, Anna, Michael, moi, Gheof, Jonathan

Insomnia Zombie

Staying awake for more than 24 hours has quite an interesting effect on me. How should I know? I've been awake from Monday morning at 7am til Tuesday at around 11am or 12nn. I know, it's my fault, that I should have slept before going to work, but what the hell. It made for an interesting day.

What happened? I woke up on onday at 7am, and it was a pretty normal Monday morning for me. Staying at home, Internet, etc. I was supposed to be sleeping from 3pm til 11pm for before going to work. But fate conspired not to let me sleep. First of all, it was the 10th of October, and I promised to meet with my college friends for dinner in Makati (it's a tradition that they started in college) at 8pm. So, sleeping til 11 was no longer an option. Second, I had a hard time sleeping. I was still wide awake at 5pm. I set my alarm for 6:30 so that I'd have enough time to prepare, but no go. I was still trying to sleep when the alarm went off. So there.

I met with my classmates (some of whom I haven't seen since March) at 8pm in Friday's Glorietta. Dinner til 10:30, and then a lot of goofing off and picture taking (no, I don't have the pictures, and I'll post in greater detail when I get copies of the pictures). No chance to ride the MRT, as it was already closed when we got out of the mall, so we opted for a northbound bus instead. On the way, it started raining, so I had to ride a tricycle from EDSA to Sct. Borromeo, as I had accompanied Jonathan to his apartment (and I had limited options as my money had just about run out). So, from Borromeo, I walked in the rain to Timog Ave. Not only was I sleepy, I got wet on the way to work.

When I got to the office, it was downtime. "Yes, I can finally get some sleep," I thought to myself. But no go. Our team leader insisted on doing a lot of stuff during the downtime. End result? I ended up trying to annoy everybody, but in a funny and naughty way. My besugo (translated as best friend) Happy even said that she'd never seen me so naughty. I was slapping her butt, mentioning a lot of sexual innuendoes, and generally just being naughty. And all this continued up until our shift ended. Imagine, me being as naughty as I was, and all because of lack of sleep. Maybe I should try this again (hehehe) but not anytime soon. :P

~~~~~~~



Here's my picture taken on October 1 for Da Crew's planned support activity for RockEd. Just felt like sharing. :P

Questioning

Is my current job the right one for me? Lately I've been having a hard time going to sleep in the afternoon and waking up in the evening. What usually happens is me trying to sleep at noontime, but eventually drifting off to sleep four or five hours later. And the hardest part is trying to sleep from 7-10pm, while telenovelas blare from the TV in our room while my mom and sis watch.

Yesterday there's been a flurry of movement in the center, because of the current reassignment of positions (and not to mention the downtime we had during the first few hours). I asked my supervisor about the possibility of a reassignment, but no go. I'll just have to try to stay alive in operations.

Can't wait for March next year... Maybe then I'll be able to find my true career calling.

No More Excuses, Philippines!

Our country is in a dire situation right now. Oil prices have gone nowhere but up, the cost of living is becoming too expensive to be afforded by our fellow countrymen. Salaries stay almost the same, we have so much problems with traffic, garbage, crime, graft - you name it, we've got it.

What can we do? Do we need new projects?

I say (and a lot of other people say this too), we don't need new projects. What we need are new ways to implement existing projects. It's there already - from traffic rerouting to garbage segregation - the works. Basically our main problem is discipline (or, shall I say, the lack of it). If all people were disciplined enough to keep their candy wrappers in their pockets and wait till they get to a proper trash bin to throw it out, then our streets would be a lot cleaner. If our drivers were disciplined enough to follow the traffic rules and regulations, then our roads would be a lot less congested, and fewer accidents would occur.

The thing is, we always tend to put the blame on a lot of factors - the MMDA is not doing its job properly, we don't have good roads, garbage collection is almost nonexistent, we're not getting support from the government, much-needed funds for country-wide development projects are being used for country clubs and mansions of the corrupt officials, etc., etc. The question that arises now here is, SO WHAT? Should we worry about who to blame for everything, or should we worry about what we can do to help lessen these problems?

We should not be so hasty as to assigning a scapegoat for our problems. All of us - myself included - are guilty as to why we are all suffering. We are all guilty for our lack of self-discipline. No more excuses, Philippines! It's time to stop quacking, get off our asses, and start actually doing something to lessen these problems, one small step at a time. Believe me, big accomplishments start with small steps.

Join Rock Ed Philippines and start making those small steps.

Friends?

"I can't carry it for you, Mr. Frodo, but I can carry you..."
- Samwise Gamgee in LOTR: The Return of the King

What is the mark of a true friend? Is it the one who says that he will stand by your side, no matter what? Or is it the one who will not say anything more, but just stay with you throughout your darkest hour?

I Ain't Changin'

It's funny how people will always talk behind your back. Even those whom you counted on as friends. It's quite sad, really, especially when these people are saying nasty things, like how cowardly you are, how bad, how nasty, etc., etc. I had a sudden moment of insight - no matter what they say, these people are the real cowards, when they can't even work up the guts to face you and say these things to your face. Pathetic, really.

To my detractors and would-be detractors: say anything you want about me, my lifestyle, my personality, but you ain't changin' me. Say you know me, but I know myself better. I ain't changin', especially just to suit your needs or just to please you. If I do change myself, it will be because I wanted to, not because you told me to.

Updates

Blogger's Note: At last I've been able to update my blog (that should be all right with you, Gaget)...

It's 3:45 am right now, and we're not doing anything as of the moment. We're supposed to make calls (in short, work), but systems are currently down as of the moment. So as I sit here doing nothing, I can hear my officemates either snoring away or crowding around our team leader's desk as they try to guess every word in Text Twist. Just goes to show what people would do out of boredom. And speaking of boredom, I'm bored... Sigh.

I'll be planning to update this blog weekly, or (if I can manage it) a few times a week. Or whatever, whenever I can manage it.

Humdrum

Monday morning: wake up, have breakfast, watch a little TV
a little later: grab lunch, then watch more TV, then sleep for 8 hours
Monday evening: wake up, eat dinner, take a shower, get dressed
Monday midnight - Tuesday morning: "I need to speak to the person that's in charge..." ad infinitum
*Repeat until Saturday morning
Saturday noon: grab a bite to eat, then sleep for 8 hours
Saturday evening: wake up, eat dinner, shower, get dressed, go to (insert gimmick place here)
Sunday, 2 or 3am: go home and sleep for 5 or 6 hours
Sunday morning: wake up, eat breakfast, shower, get dressed, leave for mass
Sunday noon: go to (insert restaurant name here), eat lunch
Sunday afternoon: wander around
Sunday early evening: watch a little TV, sleep for 8 hours
**start all over again

I guess this is why most of my friends have been telling me (when I was still a student) that nothing beats going to school. I used to be disbelieving, until I experienced it firsthand.

I guess this is what it means to grow older. Even if you try to deny it, a sense of routine will always overcome you. But it doesn't mean that you have to live with routine all your life.

Thought of the day: Be spontaneous.

Yatta yatta yatta.

Heard During Office Hours...

Person 1: "Asan na yung kape ko?"
Person 2: "Kinuha ni _____..."
Person 1: "Mga magnanakaw..."
~~~~~
Person 3: "Nakailang benta ka kanina habang kasabay ka namin sa inbound?"
Person 4: "Naka-apat akong benta..."
Person 3: "Lahat galing sa amin?"
Person 4: "Yup..."
Person 3: "Magnanakaw ka... Layas!!!"
~~~~~

It's quite funny, once you hear these things being shouted almost at the top of their voices, especially the term magnanakaw. I dunno, but maybe it's just another form of camaraderie. It's kinda hard to describe only using the written words, since you can't even begin to describe the flavor of these exchanges, but it's funny, especially if you get to hear them in person. =)

Tagged

It's obvious that I don't have anything to post. Anyway, here's something I got from Anna...

three names you go by:
1. AJ
2. Arriane
3. James

three screen names you have had:
1. s3cr3tiv3
2. -=DSD=-
3. Body Shot Boy

three physical things you like about yourself:
1. eyes
2. hands
3. ears

three physical things you don't like about yourself:
1. tummy
2. thighs
3. feet

three parts of your heritage:
1. Filipino
2. Spanish
3. (not sure what else)

three things that scare you:
1. not-so-benign ghosts
2. really high heights
3. really tight places

three of your everyday essentials:
1. cellphone
2. money
3. glasses / contacts

three of your favorite musical artists:
1. Hale
2. Michael Bublé
3. Mike Francis

three of your favorite songs:
1. Blue Sky (Hale)
2. The Way You Look Tonight (Michael Bublé)
3. Let Me In (Mike Francis)

three things you want in a relationship:
1. love
2. trust
3. openness

three lies and truths in no particular order:

lies:
1. I'll eat almost anything
2. I have a very radical outlook
3. I'm ultra-conservative

truths:
1. I can't see clearly without my glasses
2. I procrastinate on dieting
3. I swear a lot

three physical things about the opposite sex that appeals to you:
1. eyes
2. body
3. (the last one isn't physical - actually, this will always have the highest appeal for me)

three of your favorite hobbies:
1. reading novels
2. blogging and reading other people's blogs
3. hanging out with friends

three things you want to do really badly now:
1. sleep
2. go on vacation
3. movie tripping

three careers you're considering/you've considered:
1. graphic arts
2. literature
3. IT

three places you want to go on vacation:
1. Bali
2. Seychelles
3. Cayman Islands

three kid's names you like:
1. Lauren
2. Sophia
3. Martine

three things you want to do before you die:
1. go kart racing
2. (hmmm... haven't really thought of it)
3. (hmmm... haven't really thought of it)

three ways that you are stereotypically a boy:
1. I go out for sports
2. I'm a bit dense at times
3. I eat a lot and belch loudly ('specially during nights out with the guys)

three ways that you are stereotypically a girl:
1. I have my nails done regularly
2. I love to cook (or at least, experiment with cooking)
3. I watch chick flicks without flinching

three celeb crushes:
1. Reese Witherspoon
2. Elisha Cuthbert
3. Jennifer Garner

Tag 3 bloggers:
1. Aglaea
2. SMD Kai
3. Gaget

Back Again

It's been quite some time since I last had the time or the energy to blog. Yeah, yeah, it's been less than a week, actually. But hey, I was almost constantly online during the past two months, and a few days of me being offline - that's something almost unheard of. Maybe it's one of the few disadvantages of having to get up to work. You sacrifice something in order to continue working. In my case, I sacrificed my almost daily fix of the World Wide Web.

It's quite hard not to be able to go online as often as you used to. I kinda miss my old life, when I used to have the luxury of leisure time. But I guess that it's a sign of the times. As you get older, you gradually seem to lose leisure time. It's something like this - when we're young and in school, we always wish that we already were finished with school and that we had jobs, so that we'd earn money in order to be able to spend it on leisure. Now that we're done with school, here we are wishing for that lost innocence, when we didn't have to worry about income tax or trying to please your boss or whatnot. Which goes to show that people will never be content about every aspect of their lives. There will always be something that will make them realize that something is lacking in their lives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



9Ball Cafe, Tomas Morato, Quezon City
June 18, 2005

Yatta Yatta Yatta

I got my first paycheck last Saturday. Technically, it wasn't a real salary as of the moment, since it was, as they said, a "training" allowance, but still, it feels good to finally be earning money on your own. I've been in training for two weeks, and I've only gotten my allowance for the first week, but they said that we'd be able to get the allowance for the second week sometime this week.

I'm getting kinda used to the work schedule by now, but my only problem is surviving the weekends. I could make do by going on nightouts on Saturdays, but then again, Sundays would be another problem. Just like what happened last night and this morning. I went out with my workmates on Saturday night, just to celebrate payday. We ended up drinking up to around 2:30 am, and then went cruising for still-open billiard halls. End of story: I went home around 3:30 am, fell asleep at 4:00 am, woke up at 6:00 am, went to church with the family at 10:00 am, had lunch at 11:30 am, went shopping from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm. Tiring.

Adbentyur Tweeping

Nothing much to tell. Oh, I watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith with my brother and sister at Greenbelt. We were supposed to watch at the Gateway Mall, but the number of people was unbelievable. So we opted to go instead to Greenbelt to watch.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith: Astig *thumbs up*

Oh, and I also bought my first ever original audio CD. I bought a copy of Hale's new album at Music One. And, like others before me, I think that the album was a steal at P250. I mean, it's really worth every peso. ;)

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh... can't finish this post due to all the messages in YM. Maybe I'll finish this sometime later. :P

Mama Fund

Mama Fund

I implore everyone to please click the above link. Here I am hoping to help in some small way. I figured that I could do my part by spreading the word, so that more and more people would be aware.

Nothing touches the heart more than a parent's love for his/her children, or the children's love for their parents.

Pichur Pichur

Okay... A few pictures of the very fun time I had in Zambales...



Which of us is the real Supah Bins? *ROFLMAO



DMC's beach tradition



The inuman sessions



Cards, anyone?

Special thanks to Tim for the pictures.

Zambales Part Deux

My shoulders and the back of my neck hurts. It's been a while since I've had a sunburn like that after swimming. Mostly because I usually went swimming during the early morning or the late afternoon, when the sun isn't too hot. This time was an exception, though. I went swimming at around 11am or 12nn. And I stayed until around 2pm. Then I went back for more after a few hours. No wonder I got sunburned. And I've got darker skin - darker than my usual complexion. Ha ha.

There are a lot of pictures that were taken during the outing, but I still don't have copies. Maybe I'll upload a few (of course, with Tim's permission - it's his camera, anyway), but I'll have to wait first.

Attendees: Iki, Adolf, me, Tim, Aaron, Yzza, Alvin, Donna, Baji, Larae, Billy, Mike, Abet, Timmy, Gaget, Bobet, and Sonny.

Details later. My skin hurts. :P

Down

I'm not really in the mood to blog right now. I just needed to give my mind and my fingers some exercise. (Exercise for the body will come tomorrow, so there.)

Lately I've been feeling so down. Doesn't often show since I usually am quite good in concealing my feelings, but I read somewhere that it's a very unhealthy way to cope. Instead of paying a lot of money for a shrink (err, excuse me... a psychiatrist, I mean), I'll just do my own psychoanalysis.

Alter-Me: What's wrong?
Me: Nothing much. Just some pressure coming from lots of places.
Alter-Me: And why is that?
Me: It's almost June. It's been two months, and I still haven't got a job.
Alter-Me: Is that all?
Me: No, it bloody well isn't all. I'm getting tired of the same old routine everyday. I wake up, loaf around, eat lunch, do my chores, loaf around a bit more, do other chores, loaf around still a bit more, eat dinner, loaf around again, and go to sleep. Frankly, it's getting boring having to sit around the house with nothing to do except look at the four walls of my room, and then go to my parents' room to look at the four walls, and then go downstairs to look at the four walls there!
Alter-Me: So, basically, you're having trouble adjusting to the routine that's slowly being established in your life after college.
Me: Not only that, but I get added pressure from seeing almost 85% of my batchmates with jobs. I'm happy for them, of course, but I can't help thinking that I should be working already. I should be in that position already. I should be this, I should be that, yatta-yatta-yatta, etc., etc., etc...
Alter-Me: ...
Me: That's pretty much it. I should finish whatever I still have to finish, so I can find a nice decent job that offers a more-than-decent compensation and benefits package. Sigh.
Alter-Me: Good luck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Watched Star Wars Episode III last Friday. Now everything becomes clear. All I've got to say about the movie. Obi-Wan (to Anakin): "You were the chosen one!"

Also watched Madagascar yesterday. Just the barrel of laughs that I needed to at least start to pull myself out of the funk I'm currently in right now. Gloria (to everybody): "We're not a bunch of Melmans!"

Oy vey.

Play "Misty" for Me

Eclectic. Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles. Key words: variety of sources, systems, or styles. The same may be said for my taste in music. I wouldn't feel out of place in a rock concert. Take me to a classical recital and I wouldn't go nodding off to sleep. Musicals wouldn't be something new to me. Of course, as with everybody, there are exceptions (April Boys, Mystika, etc. spring to mind). Right now, one of my favorite songs is Johnny Mathis' Misty. One of the many good songs of the past that still has a welcome place in my playlist (and in others' playlists, I hope). Goes something like this:

Look at me, I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree
And I feel like I'm clinging to a cloud
I can't understand,
I get misty just holding your hand
Walk my way and a thousand violins begin to play
Or it might be the sound of your hello
That music I hear,
I get misty the moment you're near
You can say that you're leading me on
But it's just what I want you to do
Don't you notice how hopelessly I'm lost
That's why I'm following you
On my own as I wander through this wonderland alone
Never knowing my right foot from my left
My hat from my glove,
I'm too misty and too much in love
On my own as I wander through this wonderland alone
Never knowing my right foot from my left
My hat from my glove,
I'm too misty and too much in love
Look at me...

Oldies.com for the picture, Dictionary.com for the definition of eclectic, and Let's Sing It for the lyrics.

Whatnot

I just reformatted my PC. Yesterday when I tried to use it, an error message came up even before Windows even started. Something-or-other file is corrupted, try installing a copy. Okay... I wanted to just search for the file and copy it, but my PC won't boot past that error message. Solution: Reformat PC. So I reformatted it. And now, instead of having one logical thirty-something gigabyte hard drive, I now have three logical hard drives. Whee. Downside: I lost almost all my files.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Went to Canon for an exam today. I was surprised to see Anna there. Anyway, it was a bit of relief to see a familiar face in a somewhat uncharted territory. Anyway, on with the exam. It had three parts - two parts on the C language (not C++, not C# - just C) and one part program simulation using EASY algorithm. Actually, the exam wasn't at all very difficult, but my only problem was that I haven't used C since second year college. Anyway, I do hope something good comes out of it.

10,000 Days

While I was browsing through Joey's blog, I noticed his latest entry about what he would do when his 10,000th day arrives. That got me thinking - what would I do when my 10,000th day arrives? I got out my notepad and started computing.

10,000 days will have passed when a person reaches his 27th birthday. Well, not exactly on his 27th birthday, but a few months after. If my calculations are correct, when this day comes to a close I would have lived approximately 7,764 days. Also, if my calculations are correct, my 10,000th day will come on July 3, 2011, a little over 4 months past my 27th birthday.

What would I do when that day arrives? Hmmm, good question, but not one that merits serious thought at this point in my life. I'd have 2,236 days to go before that day arrives - essentially, I'd have at least 2,000 days to go before thinking about what I'd do then.

But until then - carpe diem. And carpe noctem for good measure.

Reminiscin'

Last night I was cleaning out my two drawerfuls of junk and whatnot (yes, I do clean my stuff, although recently I haven't been able to attend to the task). I threw away old exam papers (some were mine, and others were of my scouts in high school), some old notebooks, a few scratch papers, and maybe a few other junk I haven't gotten around to throwing out. Anyway, I found lots of stuff in those two drawerfuls of junk. Some I kept, others I threw out. Anyway, here are some of what I found in there:

1. A handful of letters
I used to write a lot of letters to my friends during high school. And they wrote back. (Yeah, yeah, I know - what's the point of writing them when you can talk to them almost everyday then?) Anyway, I remember Peiah writing a lot to me whenever she was ranting about her then-boyfriend Kenny, or teasing me about Reiah. Unfortunately, I didn't know where I put her other letters - I only found one.

Also in that stack of letters were all the letters that Xiameer wrote to me (at least I think that was all, I can't remember exactly how many letters we've exchanged in high school). Anyway, this was during the time when I was courting her, and I think that period spanned a little over seven months. But, we were only destined to be friends.

2. High school retreat letters
More like notes, really. My classmates wrote notes on various materials. I even received an NBA card as a retreat note.

3. My old high school uniform with the dedications
It's traditional with every graduating batch (at least, I think it is). I had a very nice time remembering all the people who wrote dedications on it. Sadly, I couldn't remember a few of the others who wrote there.

4. Graduation pictures of my entire high school class
And I mean entire class. Those were the pictures that were supposed to be included in our high school yearbook (which never came out due to a lot of factors). I think that has got to be a record - almost every person looked like gay people with pasty complexions (no offense meant - but that was how terrible the pictures were. Blame it on the photography studio, or maybe the makeup artist).

5. My ex-girlfriend's picture and her first letter to me
These items were sent to me by my ex-girlfriend approximately 2 years ago. Seeing this got me thinking - I loved her, but at the time I found that our relationship was a bit impossible for me, since she lived in Mindoro, and I was based in Manila. The most we would have been able to meet would've been a few times in a month, and that was if I traveled to UPLB, or if she traveled to UST. Sigh.

6. My old prelim exam paper
College, first year, second semester. Mathematics 102C - Discrete Mathematics I. This was the only exam paper I kept in all these years. I was proud of that paper - still am, as a matter of fact. Not only did I get one of the highest grades during the exam, even with almost improbable odds I got a score of 113.5 over 108.5 total. Like my sister said when I showed her that paper last night, Weird.

Trips down memory lane can be soothing, or it can be disquieting. Good thing I found last night's trip to be soothing. Good for the heart, mind, and soul. Pax.

An Open Letter to the One

Taking risks is a part of life - there's no getting around it. Without risks, life has less meaning. So anyway, here I am taking risks. I've postponed this for too long.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To the Brilliant, Shining One:

There are a lot of things I should've told you. Well, not really a lot of things, but maybe some stuff of substantive importance that I should have let you know before now. Mainly what I never did realize until now. I remember during the start of our third year together, how you were a bit taken with him. And what happened when he went for someone else. I never did realize during that time what I felt.

After that, I would find excuses to talk to you, even for the most trivial of things. Back then, I know I should have recognized the signs. I guess I never really recognized it because of what I thought your reaction would be if ever I did come out in the open with it. Or maybe because I was still perceived to be quite taken with another mutual friend who I happened to have courted in the past. Reasons don't matter - at least, not anymore. What matters is that finally I've realized something that my subconscious self has tried to bop me in the head with over the past two years - I've silently fallen for you.

Maybe it was your quiet strength. Maybe it was your uncommon grace. Maybe it was your intellect. Maybe it was the fact that you were able to poke fun at me. Maybe it was the siomai we ate way back. Maybe it was something I've never seen in another girl before. Maybe a lot of things - but one thing is for sure, I've fallen in love.

I'm not sure whether you'll ever be able to read this (I might just discreetly let you know). But whatever - that won't change the fact that I've already fallen hard.

With love always,

-=BSB=-

Friday Fix

Song Trip: She's No You (Jesse McCartney)

She's no you, oh, no
You give me more than I can ever want
She's no you, oh, no
I'm satisfied with the one I've got
Cause you're all the girl
That I ever dreamed
She's only a picture on a magazine
She's no you, she's no you

Food Fix: Ruffles with French Onion dip

Destination: Guadalupe Minor Seminary Gym

wala lang :P

Job Titles

(Blogger's note: This will be my first 100% Filipino post... err, cancel that... It's actually more like 65% Filipino)

ANG BAGONG DIKSYONARYO
Mga Bagong Katungkulan (Translated Job Titles)

Siguro napapanahon ng palitan ang mga titulo ng mga katungkulan, trabaho (job title), o "elected positions" na dati nating nakasanayan.

President - Pasimuno
Vice President - Kunsintidor
Secretary - Palsipikador
Treasurer - Kubrador
Auditor - Kasabwat
Business Manager - Gastador
Public Relations Officer - Tsismoso
Sergeant-at-Arms - Pasaway

Representative - Pahamak
Observer - Usisero
Advocate - Taga-batikos
Spokesman - Bolero
Moderator - Taga-bulabog
Announcer - Manggugulat

Monitor - Taga-silip
Inspector - Taga-lapirot
Investigator - Mangangalkal
Enforcer - Tirador
Jail Warden - Sadista
Prosecutor - Tagapanlait
Judge - Pilato o Tagahugas-kamay
Aide - Taga-istorbo
Assistant - Galamay
Adviser - Sulsol
Consultant - Manggagancho
Contractor - Estapador
Expert - Punong-Yabang
Technical Writer - Manlilinlang
Spin Doctor - Taga-himas
Headhunter - Taga-silat
Headshrinker - Basagulero

Director - Taga-udyok
Manager - Taga-silip ng stock sa stock market
Boss - Busabos
Supervisor - Taga-salo ng galit ng Boss
Chief Accountant - Punong-Gahaman

Sales Vendor - Pirata
Collector - Mangingikil
Custodian - Taga-ligpit
Dispatcher - Taga-dispatsa
Distributor - Taga-kalat
Delivery Man - Taga-iwan ng Gamit
Circulation Head - Taga-bilog ng Ulo
Purchaser - Palengkera
Receptionist - Palikera
Clerk Typist - Taga-parami ng Papel
Messenger - Tagatulak ng Papel

Janitor - Taga-limas
Plumber - Taga-tagas
Repairman - Mambubutingting
Gardener - Damuho
Utility Man - Inutil
Watchman - Istambay
Security Guard - Bantay-Salakay
Doorman - Nagpapalusot
Driver - Kaskasero
Chance Passenger - Malas na Nakikiangkas
Comedian - Alaskador
Entertainer - Kerengkeng

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Milei for this one... ;)

One Year Ago...

... Working at PLDT North GMM Core Network Division, East Avenue
I was struggling to finish 300 grueling training hours, while I heard that Gheoff, Kheng and a few others were already almost finished with the 300 hours. Due to over-overtime, no doubt. I asked Gheoff, and he said that they get to work at 8am, and leave at 12mn or 1am. Workaholics, anybody?

... Went to my first foam party at Tomas Morato.
DMC went to Discontrol for the HPH foam party. Lots of people, lots of smoke, lots of booze, lots of foam. My mistake - I didn't change from jeans to jersey shorts. Ergo, I had to struggle with a very wet and very heavy pair of jeans.

... Got exposed on TV
DMC got passes for Yes Yes Show, and we went to ABS-CBN to watch and have fun. A few of us got seats almost in front of the stage (myself included), and predictably, we got caught on camera. Hehe.

... Toured several ABS-CBN sets
After watching Yes Yes Show, and after eating at the cafeteria, the ABS-CBN guys (Gino, Tim, and Ding) took us on a mini-tour, where we went to the various sets being used for the news shows. Specifically, we got to go to the M.U.B., ANC, Insider / TV Patrol sets. We also had lots of pictures which featured us goofing around on set.

... Went swimming, got a headache, recovered, drank too much tequila, got hung over, etc., all in one day.
DMC went on a beach outing in Bataan for 2 days and 2 nights. As expected, there were lots of beer and tequila. 'Nuff said.

Aaahh, the memories...

I Don't Want To Be Anything Other Than Me

I don’t want to be anything other than what I’ve been trying to be lately
All I have to do is think of me and I have peace of mind
I’m tired of looking ‘round rooms wondering what I gotta do
Or who I’m supposed to be
I don’t want to be anything other than me.

I was watching American Idol with my sister (I wanted to watch WWE Raw, but I didn't have a choice - it was my sister's TV set, anyway), and I heard Bo Bice sing the theme from One Tree Hill. Got nothing more to say to bo except for two words: You rock!

This song actually conveys a special meaning for me, as it addresses what I really am about. I don't want to be someone's something for as long as I live; I don't want to live on as just a copy of another person. I have my own identity, my own idiosyncrasies, my own opinions, my own ideas, my own principles. This song just puts it all into perspective - I don't want to be anything other than me.

CS2K5

Well, this may be a bit late, but better late than never, right? Just a few words of gratitude to the people who helped make my college life worthwhile.

Rheza A - thanks for showing me what it means to care. Kaso lang, gaya ng sabi ni Eric, nang-iwan ka. Hehe.

Anna G - thanks for all the help during our programming sessions, and our review sessions as well.

Lian - thanks for beating a sense of responsibility into me, and also for the study sessions as well.

Jerry O - thanks for all the rides. Sorry na rin kung madalas ma-late ang bayad ko sa mga prepaid. Hehe.

Gheof H - thanks for staying by my side for most of our four years together. Kambal. Hehe.

Abi C - thanks for introducing me to the world of blogging, message boards, etc.

Rouie T - thanks for the guidance, especially during the last year of college. There are a lot more that I want to say, but maybe this isn't the right place to do so.

Mike O - thanks for the laughs and the support.

Dya B - thanks for all the help, as well as the laughter.

Kheng B - thanks for pushing me to do what I can do.

Edwin J - thanks for putting up with me as a seatmate. Sorry kung di kita napakain nung birthday ko. Utang ko na lang muna yun.

To my thesis groupmates, Darren S and Jed A, thanks for putting up with me as well. Kaya natin 'to!

To the rest of the PuccaFam, Reg Q and Donnlyn V, thanks for the friendship and for adopting me as part of your group.

To the rest of the CSA guys past and present, Eric A, Harry B, Mark B, Carl C, Tintin C, Aaron C, Gatz C, Glen D, Mark G, Joseph G, Regi G, Gervin L, Alex L, Marco L, Nigel M, Allan Manangan, Martin M, Steeve M, Dennis N, Khrek P, Poleeh P, Barry P, JP R, Roque R, Leah S, Odin S, Bryan S, and Tomas V, we may not have always seen eye to eye on many things, but that is what made our class the way it is. For this, no words can convey my expression of gratitude towards you guys.

To the former CSC-turned-CSA guys, Cholo A, Diane B, Joel B, Stef C, Elliel DG, Kat DJ, Darwin D, Pyke E, Philip G, Marvin H, Lele L, Wally L, and Camillee Y, thanks for putting up with our class and accepting us for what we are.

To our friends from CSB, namely: Jonathan C, Rachelle L, Edwin N, thanks for everything.

Cheers to all our futures, may we all live and prosper.

Got nothing better to do, so...

1. Whose picture you keep on your wallet?
---> Lotsa pics. Mostly of me. :P But I do have pictures of other people there. Gradpics of KJ, Pi, Lian, Rachelle, Gheof, and Jerry; Vanity pictures of myself taken at qf Studios (Kuya Mike's a photographic genius); Group pictures of the CSA PuccaFam; and threesome pictures of me, Maye, and Piya.

2. What time do you go to bed?
--->Anytime from 9:30pm to 6:15am

3. What was the last thing you did before u filled this up?
---> YM

4. Who's the person you're gonna call if you need help?
---> Hmmm... Whoever can best help me with whatever I'm dealing at the moment... I mean, you can't just approach one single person with your problems all the time now, can you?

5. What's on your mind now?
---> Blessed sleep in the arms of Morpheus

6. Who's number on your speed dials?
---> 1: Home; 2: Mom; 3: Dad; 4: Bro Hans; 5: Sis Fitz; 6: Baji; 7: Gino; 8: Gaget; 9: Tim

7. With whom do you wanna be to have fun?
---> DMC, CSA PuccaFam

8. When was the last time you went out?
---> Went out as in went out went out? Last month

9. What do you hate the most for now?
---> Not having the desire, the energy, or the money to be able to go out...

10. What do you wanna do for now?
---> Finish our thesis, get a job, earn cash

12. What do you do for everyday besides eat and sleep?
---> Spend time on the Internet looking for solutions to our thesis problems

13. What pisses you off?
---> Insensitive people, and those anally retentive and paranoid schizophrenic people who insist on making my life hell by claiming that I was the one making their lives hell

14. Fave pet?
---> Spike, Napster (both dogs, but my mom gave them away), and Carlito (a cat)

15. What are the colors that make you happy?
---> Blue

16. Most fave thing in your room?
---> Aside from my books? Mini radio

17. What was the last thing you bought for your room?
---> Books (wala talaga akong binibiling iba eh)

18. Any instruments in your room?
---> Nada

19. Do you cook?
---> Sort of... I mean, I experiment and all, and sometimes my mom asks me to cook dinner... that's it

20. Are you satisfied with your life now?
---> Pwede na, although it can be more worthwhile if only I had something constructive to do

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Again, many thanks to Gaget for giving me another something to post :P

Too Old for Cartoons?

A lot of people say that about me. "You're twenty-one, for goodness' sake" or "Isn't anything better on?" These are the usual things that I hear whenever someone sees me watching cartoons. But what the heck, I like watching cartoons.

Take for example, The Fairly Oddparents and Jimmy Neutron. Just today I watched the Jimmy - Timmy Power Hour, where Jimmy and Timmy crosses borders and switches worlds. Here, Timmy becomes a three-dimensional version of himself, and accidentally sends Jimmy to his room, where Jimmy becomes a two-dimensional version of himself. The resulting chaos is hilarious, and they both struggle to restore order in their own worlds. But enough about JTPH.

Now, who doesn't know this face? Yup, it's Spongebob Squarepants. I actually like this cartoon because of the silliness of the main characters. I mean, who would have thought of substituting peanut, garlic, and ketchup for ice cream, nuts, and chocolate syrup in order to make an ice cream sundae? (By the way, in this particular episode Spongebob and Patrick end up destroying a moviehouse because of a severe halitosis cloud).

Now, a cartoon not for the weak of heart (and stomach). Happy Tree Friends may look like your average, cute, "girly" cartoon, because when you get your first looks at the characters, you know that they just seem to ooze cuteness. But hold your horses - they get in more trouble than they're worth. Think "Spongebob" meets "Celebrity Deathmatch". Here's one cartoon that's definitely not for kids.

Stripper by night, super-heroine later at night - that's Stripperella for you. Voiced by Pam Anderson, Stripperella promises to make the most lubricious men to rediscover the joy of cartoons. Stripperella airs next month on USA (ch. 17 for Home Cable, not sure which channel on the other cable providers).

So, who says cartoons are only for kids?

King Nothing

Wish I may
Wish I might
Have this I wish tonight
Are you satisfied?
Dig for gold
Dig for fame
You dig to make your name
Are you pacified?

All the wants you waste
All the things you've chased

And it all crashes down
And you break your crown
And you point your finger, but there's no one around
Just want one thing, just to play the King
But the castle's crumbled and you're left with just a name
Where's your crown, King Nothing?
Where's your crown?

Hard and cold
Bought and sold
A heart as hard as gold
Yeah! Are you satisfied?
Wish I might, Wish I may
You wish your life away
Are you pacified?

All the wants you waste
All the things you've chased

Then it all crashes down
And you break your crown
And you point your finger, but there's no one around
Just want one thing. just to play the King
But the castle's crumbled and you're left with just a name
Where's your crown, King Nothing?
Where's your crown?

Huh!

(Spoken)
Wish I may, wish I might
Have this wish, I wish tonight
I want that star, I want it now
I want it all and I don't care how

Careful what you wish
Careful what you say
Careful what you wish you may regret it
Careful what you wish you just might get it

Then it all crashes down
And you break your crown
And you point your finger, but there's no one around
Just want one thing, just to play the King
But the castle's crumbled and you're left with just a name
Where's your crown, King Nothing?
Where's your crown?

Oh, You're just nothing
Where's your crown King Nothing?
Oh, you're just nothing
Absolutely nothing
Off to never, never land

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A song fitting for the greatest pretender to ever walk this earth.

Follow-up to aaaaaaarrrrggghhhhh

What a day (And the day hasn't even ended yet). I've spent most of my afternoon sitting and twiddling my thumbs in a corridor, on the twelfth floor of a certain building in Emerald Avenue. I wasn't twiddling my thumbs around for nothing, though - I was waiting to be pre-screened for referrals by JobsDB to certain companies. Well, after twiddling my thumbs and looking up and down at my seatmate (I exaggerate, but I am extremely bored at this point), I was finally called to take the exam. Which was very very very VERY easy. Then another session of thumb twiddling before I was called again for the interview.

Interviewer: So, where do you see yourself after two years?
Me: (Hopefully I'll be in a long term relationship, financially stable - insanely rich, even - and out of the country.)
I: Yes?
M: I'll still be working very hard even though I've achieved my immediate goals. Hopefully after two years, I'll be well on my way to achieving my long term goals.

The good news: I got three referrals to three companies. The not-so-good news (it still ain't bad, no matter how you view it): all three referrals were for tech support and outbound telemarketing. Oh well, que sera, sera.

So, my schedule starting tomorrow would be something like this:
Friday - go to the Civil Service Commission and apply for the Career Service Professional Eligibility Exam; if laziness doesn't hit me, proceed to SSS East Avenue to apply for my Social Security number
Saturday - search for stuff that will help get the thesis done
Sunday - go to church, then out to lunch, and then later... The Jimmy-Timmy Power Hour! (God, I miss being a kid)
Monday - get up early and take the exams and sit through the interviews. I've got Branders.com at 10am, and Client Logic at 1pm. Good thing they're both in the Ortigas area.
Tuesday - get up much earlier than usual. This time I've got Convergys at 8am.

Que sera, sera...

aaaaaaarrrrggghhhhh

Got nothing to say really. As Gaget puts it, "yowch".

Two Things

Got this from Gaget, who got it from Friendster...

1. TWO NAMES YOU GO BY:
- AJ
- Arriane

2. TWO THINGS YOU DISLIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
- too objective
- moody

3. TWO FAVORITE PARTS OF YOUR BODY:
- eyes
- hands

4. TWO THINGS THAT SCARE YOU
- autophobia
- paranoid schizophrenia
(I don't have these conditions, but I put them here because they scare me... well, not the second one so much, it's just disturbing)

5. TWO THINGS U NEED EVERYDAY
- 'Net fix
- food

6. TWO OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS @ THE MOMENT:
- Metallica - King Nothing
- Fairly Oddparents Theme ("Oddparents / Fairly Oddparents / 'Wands and wings' / 'Little crowny things'")

7. TWO PERSONS YOU SPENT TIME WITH THE MOST THIS DAY:
- mom
- dad

8. TWO OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
- reading books
- write (whatever springs to mind - a poem, a lyric, a blog post - anything)

9. TWO THINGS YOU WANT TO REALLY BUY RIGHT NOW:
- books, books, and more books
- a new phone

10. TWO CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING:
- systems analyst / programmer trainee / quality control inspector / anything in the IT field
- writer / novelist

11. TWO PLACES YOU WOULD GO ON VACATION THIS SUMMER:
- Zambales (oh, wait, I've been there already)
- Bataan *wink wink*

12. TWO OF YOUR FAVOURITE PERSONS: (except family members)
- Gaget
- Donna

13. TWO THINGS YOU DID YESTERDAY:
- watched cartoons (The Fairly Oddparents, Rugrats, Thundercats, Danny Phantom)
- browsed for jobs online

14. TWO PERSONS THAT YOU MISS A LOT?
- Rheza
- Rouie

15. TWO FOODS THAT YOU'RE CRAVING TO EAT?
- Friday's Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
- IBP's Grilled Tuna Belly

16. TWO FAVORITE SUBJECTS IN HS/COLLEGE:
- Software Engineering
- Systems Resource Management

17. TWO OF YOUR FUNNIEST MEMORIES IN COLLEGE?
- Tintin's debut (Jed getting drunk and falling asleep on the gutter outside Tintin's house in particular)
- Donnlyn's bloopers

18. TWO PERSONS THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND NOW?
- Rouie
- Gheoff

19. TWO ELEMENTARY FRIENDS YOU'D LIKE TO SEE RIGHT NOW?
- Jops
- JC

20. TWO COLORS YOU LIKE?
- blue
- black

21. TWO COLLEGE FRIENDS YOU WANT TO TALK TO?
- Bro' Jar
- Gheoff

22. TWO THINGS YOU'VE BEEN WANTING TO DO
- play Ultimate Frisbee
- buy a car

23. TWO OF YOUR FAVORITE HANG OUTS?
- Starbucks ABSCBN
- IBP

24. TWO FAVORITE PERFUMES?
- Davidoff Echo
- Ralph Lauren Blue

25. TWO THINGS YOU WOULD DO AFTER THIS?
- turn PC off
- go to sleep

Misunderstood

Misunderstood. Definitely what I'm feeling right now. No, not feeling - I am misunderstood right now. Everywhere I turn, another misunderstanding flares up. Almost whatever I do, they think I'm up to something. I go to my room - they think I'll be doing something nasty. I'm not eating much - they think I'm depressed. I don't laugh as much as I used to - they think I'm a regular Johnny Raincloud. Stuff like that - I mean, how much do I have to eat to convince everybody I'm not depressed?

Sometimes, even everything I say is being used against me. What the hell is this, a legal proceeding? Anything I bray may be abused against me in a sort of caw? Er, I mean, "say", "used", "court", "law"? What, I'm not allowed to speak my mind freely any longer? Ridiculous.

Damned

... if I'll just lie on my back waiting for an attack
... if I'll just let myself be fooled yet again
... if I'll just be on my defensive mode
... if I don't make an offensive
... if I won't do anything about it

And so it begins ...

Stupid Poetry

Damn I feel so stupid.
Stupid stupid stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.
Stupid for trusting you, stupid for believing you.
Stupid for even thinking I could trust you, when all others have lost their trust.
Stupid stupid stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.
Stupid for thinking you were what you weren't.
Stupid for seeing what you wanted me to see, not what I was seeing.
Stupid stupid stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.

All I know now is,
I will never be as stupid again.

Korean Fever

Korean fever has definitely hit the streets of Manila, what with ABS-CBN's Lovers in Paris, Save the Last Dance for Me, Stained Glass, and GMA's Full House, and (oops, I forgot - I'm not really familiar with GMA's soaps, as my mom only watches the ABS-CBN soaps). OK, I'll admit Lovers was definitely good for a lot of laughs (I really enjoyed seeing Vivian getting into the notoriously funny situations, or her shouting "Aja!" - forgive me if I spelled it wrong, I don't read, speak, or write Korean at all), but up to this date there has still only been one Korean film I've watched and enjoyed. See the picture - it's the DVD cover for My Sassy Girl, starring Jeon Ji-Hyun and Cha Tae-Hyun. The movie was based on a story published on the Internet. I'm not really good at summarizing plot synopses (I do hope I got this one right) for movies, so I won't even try. Anyway, any plot synopsis I make wouldn't do the movie justice - one should get a copy and watch the movie himself. "Shule? Coffee masho!" (Again, I don't read, speak, or write Korean at all - forgive me if I spelled it wrong)

Outing Pix

We went to Iba, Zambales to swim, relax, and have a good time. It was just the five of us (see above pictures) plus Gheoff's two consenting adults (his sister and her husband, who, incidentally, owns the beachfront property we went to). More pictures (just click on the picture).

Numb

They say that numbing oneself to adversity is not a good thing. Numbing oneself prolongs the suffering. A long time will pass before acceptance sets in.

In connection, a false sense of acceptance is not a good thing as well. You tend to pretend to have accepted adversity, when in fact you haven't faced everything about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have I accepted everything about not joining the graduation march tomorrow? I've gone through the false acceptance stage; right now I feel nothing. I'm numb. Stone.

School

I never thought I'd be saying this, but I miss school already.

During the past four years of college life, I've been wishing that the years would pass by quickly, and how often I'd fume because the days won't go by fast enough. I wanted a lot of things - a high-salaried job, a car, a snazzy phone, a cool wardrobe, nights out, lots of money to burn - basically, I wanted to live the high life, instead of suffering through the most boring lectures on how to apply theorems to solve discrete mathematical problems.

Okay, so maybe I don't miss everything about school - I certainly don't miss going to boring classes (disclaimer - not all the classes I've ever had are boring). But if there's one thing I miss about school, it's hanging out with friends and classmates. Even though I never was really that close to most of my classmates, I still found them quite interesting to be with. Much like being in your own Friends show. It'd be something like hanging out in various places around UST, or even in the classrooms while waiting for professors to show up for class.



This photo was taken by Anna before the Baccalaureate Mass parade. It's most of the guys in our class, with the very first college professor that we've met as a class. The guys in the photo are Jerry, Harry, Edwin, Allan, Lele (in the background), Ma'am Cha, Dennis, Poleeh, me, Darren, and the two guys at the bottom part are Aaron and Gheoff.

I'm getting kinda hungry right now. I'd eat, if only it weren't the dawn of black Saturday.

Prowls Along Blog Country

Joey has a very interesting tidbit right here. This actually is something I've never learned anywhere else. If this is fact, then my lower age limit would be (at this moment) 16.5 years old. That's right, 16.5 years old. That would be a thrill, but two words act as a very good deterrent: statutory rape.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anna is pressured due to different factors. She put into words what I haven't been able to say until now - we both wish that the graduation wasn't due for maybe about three years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gaget is pissed. Having experienced so many instances like what she experienced on the 18th of March, I quite sympathize with her. Taragis, that'd really piss me off too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mommy Mhy hasn't been as prolific as she used to, as evidenced by the timestamp on her last post. Hoping she's fine, and that she will be writing again soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Donna will be closing shop, as she put it, for a while. According to her, she just doesn't have the drive to write about every little bit of detail happening in her life right now. My sincerest wishes that she may continue to be this happy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There just isn't anything to write about my life right now, not unless you count having spent most of the afternoon covering my six (yes, six) Harry Potter books in plastic for their own protection. Why six? I've got two Book Ones in stock, and I'm unwilling to part with them. Sorry, you'll just have to get your own.

Or maybe the fact that I regret not having spent the last two years of my college life with one of the people I considered to be one of my very good friends. (Rhez, if you're reading this, I'm referring to you.) Back then I thought that I'd always spend college life (and the endless lunch periods) with her around, but she had to move to Glendale after our second year. I miss hearing her saying "Can I just be dead?" or "I'm sooo good, I hate it."

Whoa... Come to think of it, I did have something to write about.

Baccalaureate

For the first time in a long while (around two weeks), I spent time again with my classmates. It was still the same story, with so much laughter all around us. But this is something I'll be missing so much once the month of March is over. Putting everything in perspective, sometimes being a student just about beats everything. No organizational activity will ever surpass the bonding of classmates.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was because of the Baccalaureate Mass that I was once again with my classmates. Initially, I thought that the Baccalaureate would either be (a) moved to a new venue or (b) postponed for a new date, on account of the rain. But, evidently, God must really like someone in UST, since the rain stopped early enough so that the major parts of the field wasn't as muddy as the other parts. Anyway, after the mass, the program commenced with the pinning ceremony and the ceremony of the light. Pledge, etcetera, etcetera, then a rather dazzling and awesome fireworks display - "C U in 2011" - which must've cost a lot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So denied,so I lied,
Are you the now or never kind
In a day and a day love
I'm gonna be gone for good again
Are you willing to be had,
Are you cool with just tonight?
Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well

Here's to the nights we felt alive
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry
Here's to goodbye
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon

Put your name on the line
Along with place and time
Wanna stay not to go,
I wanna ditch the logical
Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well

Here's to the nights we felt alive
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry
Here's to goodbye
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon

All my time is frozen motion
Can't I stay an hour or two or more
Don't let me let you go
Here's a toast to all those who hear me all too well

Here's to the nights we felt alive
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry
Here's to good bye
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon

Here's to the nights we felt alive
Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry
Here's to good bye
Tomorrow's gonna come too soon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Heard at the Baccalaureate Ceremonies:

Hosts: The Faculty of Engineering!
(Eng'g students cheering, ICS students clapping)
Hosts: And now, the College of Science!
(Sci students cheering, ICS students cheering and laughing)
AJ: (laughing) Mga pasaway!!! Nyahahahaha!!!
Doc Sev (Science Dean): Kayo ba yung mga nakikisigaw?
Ma'am Pearl (ICS Chair): Dean, mga anak niyo rin yang mga 'yan dati... Simula dito...
Doc Sev: Ahh, kayo pala yun eh... Iniwanan niyo na kami...
1 ICS Student: Di nga po... Ipinamigay niyo po kami... :(
Sci and Eng'g Students: Ahh, kaya pala...

Depressed

Reasons:

+ Thesis still not finished
+ Problems on inter-organizational matters
+ Academic records on hold
+ Possible administrative and legal action

Things I'm most anxious about:

+ Not being able to march
+ Disappointment of my parents
+ Thesis
+ Possible administrative and legal action

If I could go back in time I would:

+ Decline the presidency
+ Concentrate on academics
+ Try to finish our thesis on time

But since I can't:

+ Try to finish our thesis within the month
+ Work on the inter-organizational problems

Now, can anyone blame me if I'm so depressed nowadays?

The C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E S-O-N-G Song

(SpongeBob)
I call this one the “Campfire Song” song

Let’s gather round the campfire and sing our campfire song
Our c-a-m-p-f-i-r-e s-o-n-g song
And if you don’t think that we can sing it faster then you’re wrong
But it’ll help if you just sing aloooooong…

(Patrick)
Bum…Bum…Bum…

(SpongeBob)
c-a-m-p-f-i-r-e s-o-n-g song
c-a-m-p-f-i-r-e s-o-n-g song
And if you don’t think that we can sing it faster then you’re wrong
But it’ll help if you just sing along

c-a-m-p-f-i-r-e s-o-n-g song. Patrick!

(Patrick)
Song!!! c-a-m-p-f-i-r-e ---

(Spongebob)
SQUIDWARD!
*silence*

GOOD!!!
It’ll help!
It’ll heeeeeeelp!!!
If you just sing aloooooooong!
(BOOM! CRASH!)
OH YEAH!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, so I'm a kid at heart. Sue me.

Rants part 1

Something I've gotta get off my mind before I finish studying for the final exams...

Announcing something to make everyone notice you is something that ticks me off. For instance, Goyong in the Maggi Spaghetti commercial where he goes "Birthday ko ngayoooonn!!!" is quite pathetic. Sure, his only goal was to announce that he loves eating commercialized spaghetti, but his way of announcing it is too pathetic in my opinion.

Another actual instance of this, which really ticked me off... There's this certain girl who, at certain days of the month, sends text messages to every Sun subscriber in her phonebook. Her message? "Hello friends! Please text my friend here, 0922-*******, and greet him a happy monthsary. Thanks. Ü" Okay, so her friend's celebrating a monthsary with his girlfriend. Fine. So her friend's also a Sun subscriber. Fine. So Sun's got this 24/7 Call and Text Unlimited Promo. Fine. But even though I'm on postpaid, I don't greet him a happy monthsary. Why?

Reason #1: I don't have 24/7, and being the economical (read: kuripot guy that I am, I'd rather not waste my free SMS on that.
Reason #2: I don't know him, and he doesn't know me. Why should I text him all of a sudden?
Reason #3: I am a living, breathing, thinking human person, and I am just too stubborn to be programmed by other people on what to do, when to do it, etc.
Reason #4: It's pathetic. Announcing monthsaries just to get people to congratulate you for surviving another month together is way too lame.

What did happen afterwards? I did a little research (piece of cake), and guess what I found out? This girl's friend is actually her boyfriend. 'Nuff said.

Astro Boy

I recently played the newest Astro Boy game on the Game Boy Advance, and like the original Astro Boy animé series, it is about a young robot with a “soul” (called the Omega Factor) working to make the world a better place for humans and robots to coexist. The planet Earth of the Astro universe is a technologically advanced one, with human-looking robots, and the available technology can make life infinitely better for all – or end all life. Here, a war between robots and humans occur, with the robots eventually becoming victorious, but with almost 80% of the Earth becoming a wasteland. Horrified at the outcome, Astro transcends time and travels back to the past, and ultimately changes the flow of time by convincing several key persons and robots not to go to war with each other.

In our world, technological advancement is much like the one in Astro’s world. It can make life infinitely better, or it can ultimately destroy it. In less dramatic terms, technology can assist and facilitate our day-to-day activities, but it can also hinder our progress as persons. If we put technology to good use, then we may be able to help other people by providing them a better chance at living their lives.

Sometimes it’s funny how we can learn so much from the Japanese animés. My theory is that, after the Second World War, the Japanese have developed a new, profound sense of life, and they wish to spread this lesson to everyone everywhere through their animé shows. After all, it’s so much easier to broadcast a message using animé. Plus, it’s much more entertaining.

Editorial

(Blogger's note: This editorial is about the creation of an editorial to be edited by the editor making the editorial, who will then submit the edited editorial to his editors, who will in turn edit the edited editorial, and give it back to the editor who made the edited editorial, and edit the edited editorial, and resubmit the edited edited editorial to his editor, who will again edit the edited edited editorial.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GTO is about a former biker gang member, Eikichi Onizuka, who applied to a private institution and became a teacher. Onizuka, while being slightly, err, academically-challenged, is a spirited and dedicated person who thinks more about the welfare of his students and places it above his own. At first, his class, the most notorious class in the whole school, plot to kick him out. But, as time went on, his students came to terms and started to become close to him.

At times, Onizuka's antics earn the ire of the head teacher Uchiyamada, his co-teachers, and at one point or another, the parents of his students. In his quest to become the Great Teacher Onizuka, he jumped from tops of buildings, stood in the path of monster trucks barreling down at breakneck speed, demolished walls between rooms, all for the sake of his students.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, I wasn't able to finish watching GTO on my computer, because my CD-ROM wasn't able to read the CD with the final episode. It's already at the point where Onizuka's fate as a teacher in the Musashi Seirin Academy is already in jeopardy due to his actions against students of a rival school, who had beaten up a student of his.

Sometimes I can't help but think, "What if I had a teacher like Onizuka?" Sure, he's like a big dumb ox, but he teaches the most important lesson in life - that there will always be someone who will be there to help you, to cheer you on, to fight for you, to fight together with you, to support you. Having a teacher like Onizuka will make for some very entertaining afternoons, with his antics.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
While writing about GTO, I realized something: the workplace isn't much different from Musashi Seirin. In the workplace, you'll see the tyrannical and narrowminded Uchiyamadas, the Nakamatas who suck up to the Uchiyamadas, the Teshigawaras. There will also be the Nanakos, the Kikuchis, the Yoshikawas, the Murais, the Aizawas, the Tomokos, the Fuyutsukis - but most importantly, the lessons that the Great Teacher Onizuka has imparted will apply as well - There will always be someone to support you; Learn to like yourself before you expect others to like you; Bullying others is not a good outlet for pent-up stress. After all, the workplace is similar to the school - It's still the same old jungle however you choose to walk through it.

Which Resident Evil Character Am I?

At times you can be conceided and annoying about it. You just love the women and make sure everyone knows it. You are still a good person, who will do the right thing and who cares for others. You like to keep your humor in tough situations and you feel the need to goof around to smooth things along. But also in tough situations, you're prepared to kick some major ass. You are Carlos Oliviera.


Which main Resident Evil Character are you like and why?
brought to you by Quizilla

Survey Survey

Just something I picked up from Gaget, and I think also from Joey...

Random 10 Songs:
Let's Get Retarded - Black Eyed Peas
November Rain - Guns n Roses
Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
Jeremy - Pearl Jam
Make Love Listen to the Music - Room 5
Harder to Breathe - Maroon 5
Eyes on Me - Faye Wong
Word Life - John Cena
Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
White Flag - Dido

What is the total amount of music files on your computer?
A little over a hundred mp3s, plus eight or nine hundred more on CDs

The last CD you bought?
Two blank CD-Rs

Five songs you listen to a lot or mean a lot to you:
You'll Be Safe Here - Rivermaya
Misty - Johnny Mathis
The Way You Look Tonight - Michael Buble
Alive - Pearl Jam
Gloomy Sunday - Sarah Brightman

Who are you going to pass this stick to?
(1) Rey
(2) Donna
(3) Mommy Mhy

Of Hearts and Bombs

The following is a message I picked up on Friendster's bulletin board regarding the recent Valentine's Day bus bombings at General Santos and Makati. How people could plan to do such acts is beyond me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two passenger buses were blown up yesterday in
separate locations, one in Gen. Santos and
another in Makati. At least three people were killed
in each one and several others were wounded. It
makes one think what kind of a heart a person
would have to be able to do such a horrible act and
much more to people they do not even know. In
their effort to send out whatever message they
wished to impart, they've snuffed out the lives of
people who have families, friends and loved ones
who will grieve their unnecessary and untimely
loss with the bitterness of knowing that there was
no real reason for them to die. The Abusayaff has
already claimed responsibility for the bombing. If
you believe that what monsters that they are
deserve to die, then repost this as a testament to
that belief.

Let every post and repost mean agonizing and
torturous death to one of each of those who
perpetrated the gruesome act. Let it be reposted
until enough hearts cruel enough to want cruel
men to die have wished them to do so. Repost this
only if you truly wish for their demise.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Valentine's Day is supposed to be a day for celebration, for celebrating the one thing that unites all people on the planet - love. It wasn't meant to be a day of destruction. It certainly wasn't meant to be a day for mourning, which was what happened just four days ago.

Random

You Have A Type B+ Personality

B+ You're a pro at going with the flow You love to kick back and take in everything life has to offer A total joy to be around, people crave your stability. While you're totally laid back, you can have bouts of hyperactivity. Get into a project you love, and you won't stop until it's done You're passionate - just selective about your passions

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

I Wish I Can Share All The Joy That's in My Heart

Sana'y masabi sa awit kong ito. Lahat ng ninanais nitong puso ko. Sana saan man patungo sa buhay May pag-ibig, may pag-asa, may saya at saysay. Sana sa bawat sandali'y matikman pa Sarap ng pagsasama, at simpleng ligaya. Sana bawa't araw laging may saya Laging may ngiti, laging kasama ka [Sana] Kasama ka sa saya ng buhay. Kasama ka't kahawak ang kamay. At sa bawat himig, sana marinig mo [Pag magkasama] isang awit ng puso. Sana sa bawat sandali'y matikman pa Sarap ng pagsasama, at simpleng ligaya. Tara na, sakyan lang, malay mo. Andiyan lang, andiyan lang ang hinahanap mo. Andiyan lang, andiyan lang ang hinahanap mo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This has got to be one of the best songs I've heard for this year. As Joey said, it speaks of hope, not only for our selves, but for the whole world. Just think, if one girl may inspire the world, imagine what would happen if the people who got inspired by this stood up and started changing the world into an infinitely better place for everyone. I wish I can share all the joy that's in my heart.

Top 10 Searches in My Friendster Network

10. Nokia Camera Phones
Nokia's one of the biggest names today when it comes to camera phones. But searching for it on Friendster?

9. Free MP3 Songs
Does the concept of free MP3 songs violate the concept of intellectual property rights? (I might've had too much dosage of our Computer Ethics class)

8. Louis Vuitton Bags
A bag is a bag is a bag is a bag. What's with Louis Vuitton bags anyway? I don't have anything against people who have these bags or think about having these bags, but in today's times, wouldn't it be more practical to think about functionality and durability instead of brand names?

7. Free Ringtones
Again with the "Personalize your mobile phone" craze. Not to worry though, since this is something which will still last for a while. (And no, I don't want to hear your latest "Krystala" or "Mulawin" or "Yeye Vonnel" ringtone)

6. Tips on Flirting
#1 - Make eye contact. #2 - Smile. #3 - Be confident in yourself.
Do you really have to get tips about flirting from other people? Okay, sure, some might claim to have been there and have done that, but it is your own experiences that will always count, for flirting does not always have guaranteed results.

5. Zodiac Love Match
Kinda pathetic, if you ask me. Again, refer to #6 - it's almost the same thing. Bottom line - there are no guarantees in life and love. But what the hell - as long as you're not hurting anyone, then by all means, go for it.

4. Latest Nokia Mobile Phones
3210 - old school. 3310 - somewhat old school. 7610 - hip. 7260 - trendy.
The list goes on and on... This is why Nokia's been making a lot of money from the Philippine market.

3. Louis Vuitton
Fashion icon? Vainglorious, despotic designer? The choice is yours.

2. How to Win an Ex Back
Do you really want to win an ex back? I agree with another comment regarding this: "You should search for 'How to Win an XBOX' or something."

1. Download MSN Messenger 8.0
Oh for heaven's sake, go to MSN.com and download MSN Messenger there. I don't guarantee it being there, but I can guarantee you one thing - it sure cannot be found on Friendster.

Whatever Things Part 2

You Are Tequilla

When you drink, you're serious about getting drunk! You'll take any shot that's offered up to you... Even if it tastes like sock sweat! And you're never afraid of eating the worm.

What alcoholic drink are you?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

{See above} Just the way I like it. Err, except for the part about taking anything even if it tastes like sock sweat...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a long while, I got the chance to talk to Donna, and I'm really really happy for her. She just told me the news while we were chatting on YM, and of course I'm glad to hear what she had to say.

Just goes to show I've been out of touch for so long... Tagal kong in hiatus eh...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are 80% Aquarius

How much do you match your zodiac sign?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm turning 21 next week, but I have a question: Can I just postpone my birthday? I want to spend the last few days of my 20th year differently, without the stresses that comes with writing an undergraduate thesis, or the stresses that come from various administrative officials.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last na 'to...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You Are 20 Years Old

20 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Whatever Things

Okay, so I promised an update here. But as of the moment I don't have anything to write about, so I'll just write about whatever comes into my mind right now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My classmates organized a seminar on Philippine web security and underground hacking. A very timely and interesting topic for all of us who attended, since in one way or another, each one of us are hackers of various degrees and levels, I guess... Why else would my colleagues react so positively whenever the topic of hacking methodologies were touched?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kitchie Nadal's song "Wag na Wag Mong Sasabihin" is a definite hit. But after hearing it almost nonstop ever since "Lovers in Paris" launched, it gets pretty tiring at times, especially whenever I watch Channel 2, and commercials for "LiP" are shown. I mean, come on! Hearing one song once or twice, or maybe even three or four times a day isn't so bad, but hearing the same song over and over and over on one channel (plus hearing it on the radio everytime I commute to school) is bound to be tiring and irritating to the ears. But, I guess this is better than having to listen to "Yeye Vonnel" playing on the radio during my almost daily ride to school. Spare me.