Recent Thoughts

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Life According to Meredith Grey 2

A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. “Never leave that until tomorrow”, he said, “which you can do today.” This is the man who discovered electricity. You think more of us would listen to what he had to say. I don’t know why we put things off. But if I had to guess, it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of pain, fear of rejection. Sometimes the fear is just of making a decision because, what if you’re wrong, what if you’re making a mistake you can't undo.

"The early bird catches the worm."
"A stitch in time saves nine."
"He who hesitates is lost."

We can't pretend we haven’t been told. We’ve all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still, sometimes, we have to see ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today’s possibility under tomorrow’s rug, until we can't anymore, until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin meant. That knowing, is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping. And that even the biggest failure, even the most intractable mistake, beats the hell out of never trying.

It's ironically true, isn't it? That even if we know by our own and other's experience that certain actions have certain adverse consequences, we still do them anyway.

We keep on cramming for our exams, even if the past 10 exams we crammed did not produce any passing results. Why can't we just study at least a week before, even just part by part.
We keep on stalling instead of doing what we need to do, only to promise to not do it again in the end when we realize we have no time even to sleep just because a lot still needs to be done. Why can't we just immediately do what needs to be immediately done?
We keep on denying things even if we know that in the end, we would eat our own words and admit it anyway. Why can't we just swallow our pride, retain some dignity left and just be done with it?
We keep on doing foolish things, sometimes even to the utmost disapproval of even our friends. We've learned the lessons many times before, why can't we just say 'no'?

Yes, we need to make our own mistakes. But do we have to repeat the same mistake over and over and over and over... again? I think that inside all of us, is a masochist, hehe.. =p

Monday, August 28, 2006

So much for being a Justice Secretary

While I was having lunch, I decided to read the Sunday paper. And after the usual news about the oil spill in Guimaras, page A5 of the Philippine Daily Inquirer screams in front of me, "Gonzalez: UP breeds destabilizers, naked runners"

The moment I finished the piece, I knew I won't take it lying down. So as if forwarding our dear Justice Secretary's bold yet stupid statement isn't enough, here I am, blogging my 2nd ever political piece. =p

Obviously, I was offended by the statement. It teems with utmost unfairness.

I'm not going to deny that yes, UP does produces most of the activists, young and old alike in our society today. He may have made it clear that 'he's not assailing the entire university population because “there are many students there who are bright and good" '. But the thing is, he just did.

Raul Gonzalez has no right to judge the way UP breeds its students because he IS NOT from UP. The very same things he bashed about UP are the same things he will NEVER EVER understand because he never got to experience them, being a UST alumnus.

Does he know that in fact, a huge majority of the population don't attend these mobilizations because they'd rather attend to their academic affairs than shout tirades without offering any solutions to the government?

And what the hell was he talking about when he said, "He said this was not the way the students should repay the government for giving them a world-class education. “They should consider the fact that the state is the one paying for their schooling. Why fight the state? Why try to bring it down. I think some degree of gratitude should be there also,” he said.

What world
class education was he talking about? Is he even aware that the same administration he is vouching for only grants half the budget of what the government schools need to even provide a decent education?

I may hate UST for winning the UAAP Cheerdance competition last year in a very controversial manner, but never did I seriously think the actual school and its students actually suck. Heck, even I once dreamt of being a Thomasian. I have friends at UST, I even know a lot smart bloggers from UST!

I am from UP but I am not a militant activist. I am not saying my fellow students who'd rather storm Malacanang with placards are wrong. It's just that I don't agree with their methods but I understand where their passion is coming from.

You see, that is one thing a UP student has -- passion for something he believes in. But in the process, he has respect for what other people are passionate about.

There is a reason why people like militant activists exist. Because injustice is everywhere and the administration does not seem to care. Just because the middle class do not heed the eternal calls for another People Power Revolution does not mean it is satisfied with the way things are handled by the administration.

What I hate the most about his statement is that he insinuates that we UP students don't love our country just because we are against the government. Does Gonzales know that in fact, UP encourages its graduates to contribute to the society, to help this country out? Is he not aware that it is actually love for country that fuels these activists to take it to the streets? Does he actually think that it is the activists' idea of fun to just shout endless calls for GMA's resignation? I may not agree with what they do, but even I cannot deny their love of the country. Last time I checked, electoral cheating, graft and corruption does not at all exhibit love of country.

Raul Gonzales, you are such a misinformed man. You don't know what you're talking about. i can't imagine how you could be a Justice Secretary when you have this so much bias in your system. I may have only taken 3 units of Philosophy, but it is more than enough to allow me to pinpoint the numerous fallacious statements you made, most especially the hasty generalizations. So by the rules of logic, you are an 'invalid' person, haha! =p

Nakuuu! Kasuklam ka talaga! Haha! Anlakas ng apog mo na sabihin yan, ni hindi mo ba naisip na andami mong kasama sa gobyerno na UP alumni na maaaring ma-offend sa mga sasabihin mo? And you even had the nerve to call yourself a UST alumnus. Haay, so does UST breed illogical biased generalizers? I don't think so. It's a shame really, you're behavior is unbecoming of a supposedly 'well-behaved' man.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Unpopular Opinion 2: Anime is too kiddy for me


Hokei it's about time for the second installment of my 'unpopular opinion' series! O ha, may official disclaimer pa ako, hehe. So expect me to put that on all of my unpopular opinion posts in the future.

Anyway, my unpopular opinion this week is:

"Anime is too kiddy for me."

Wait! Before all you anime lovers out there crucify me for this, let me explain myself. =p

Obviously, I am not an anime person. But I don't hate them either. It's just that I am amused at how some people even older at me can be anime addicts at their stage in life.

Don't get me wrong, I loved cartoons when I was a kid. In fact, one summer, it came to a point where my Mama actually scheduled my viewing time because I was spending too much time in front of Cartoon Network! Voltes 5. Peter Pan. Ang Mahiwagang Kuwintas. A Dog of Flanders. Cedie. Princess Sarah. Flintstones. Jetsons. Voltron (The lion ang vehicles versions). He-man. (And that series where the heroes have the power to turn into the animals splattered on their chests, geesh, I forgot the name, I liked it so much pa naman.) Captain Planet. Little Lulu. X-Men. Wild Cats. Ray-Earth. Well, you get the picture. Seriously, I'm sure I forgot a lot of cartoons that I used to watch religiously as a kid.

But you see, that's my point. I liked these when I WAS a kid. Now I don't, hehe. Well, I actually stopped liking these when I was in the last few years of my high school. Blame it on MTV, hehe.

It's just that I think that there are things we outgrow when we, uhm, grow up, hehe. And for me, watching these shows that are made FOR kids in the first place is one of them. Sometimes though, I still enjoy watching re-runs of these cartoons, but not because I still enjoy them that same way I used to when I was a kid. It was because, it is really fun reminiscing at the stuff you used to like as a kid, right? Of course, your taste matures and objectively speaking, I wonder how in the world I liked some of these cartoons. I'm like, "Haha! Ang cocorny naman ng mga ito!" Of course, it is but natural. Shows for kids are as simple as the life of the minds that watch them. There's not much realistic complications in the plots. You wouldn't find any of the manic stuff we adults are forced to face in the real world.

As we grow up, we evolve as individuals. But our cartoons don't grow old with us. They stay as innocent and simply entertaining as they are to be appreciated by the next generation of young minds.

So what do I think of grown-ups who love anime? Are they immature? Not really. At least not all of them, haha. Each anime-addicted grown-up has a reason why they watch these shows, but unfortunately, it is something I will never get. Apparently, I'm not into Samurai X, Naruto, Gundam Wing, Slam Dunk, etc. I don't know, it just doesn't interest me.

The way I see it, Naruto for these guys is just what Grey's Anatomy is for me. Right? It just happens that what they like is in animation form. The only catch is, cartoons are made for children and TV series like Grey's are made for adults.

I know that adults can still pick up a thing or two from these animes. Nothing wrong with that, right? It is even beneficial. But what works for me is when I pick up lessons from a more realistic setting. Because it's much closer to what I actually go through everyday.

Let me end this by making it clear that I am not saying adults who watch anime are childish. I think anime is too kiddy for me, but, hey, whatever works for you, right? Whatever helps you get through your day.. =p

EDIT: Being childish and child-like are two different things. I prefer to be the latter.. =p

Friday, August 25, 2006

I've truly made it!

My first ever blog post was launched for the entire internet world to read on January 2, 2005. So who introduced me into the world of blogs? Well, I'm not sure if she know it but it's Cyril Bonabente. She was my Tenpin Bowling classmate way back in sophomore year. (She is a Journalism graduate, so naturally, she was a very good writer). She posted her blog address on her Friendster bulletin. I checked it out and I wanted to have my own right away. And so, was born! I even didn't have a proper entry for it so my first ever blog post was the one and only fictional love story I ever wrote! Haha! Kumbaga, tinesting ko muna how blogging works, hehe. And so the rest is history.

And now, more than 1.5 years after, my blog is still alive! Whoopie! Hehe. Actually, on it almost died on its first year, haha! I wouldn't update it regularly because I didn't know what to write. The only reason I decided to seriously revive my blog early this year was because I had a serious rift with some people who used to be good friends, hehe. You see, I wanted to release all this anger I had for them and so this blog served as my outlet.

The rift is already over, but I haven't lost the zeal for using this blog as a personal and creative outlet. Because in my course, I cannot in any way hone whatever creative skills I've got, hehe. We deal more with keywords and equations, not words or actual sentences.

And so, I'm proud with I have done with my blog and how it has affected me. I've met many fellow bloggers whom I actually consider as 'friends' to a certain degree, hehe. Though my ranking isn't as high as before, it's okay. Kasi naman, hindi na rin naman kasi ako ganoon kadalas mag-blog-hop, diba, hehe. Give-and-take lang kasi yan eh. If you want people to visit on your blog, mag-visit ka rin sa kanila. I've realized that in the bloggosphere, the saying 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' is very applicable, hehe. 'A visit for a visit, a comment for comment'! =p

So eh ano naman ngayon? Honga naman. Wala lang. Because today, I got my very first 'hater' on my cbox, haha! Grabe, this means, I've truly made it, I am indeed a certified blogger. 'Someone' actually exerted an effort to try to degrade me, haha! Someone actually hates me for being me, hehe!

The Truth: You are such a *****! And 'matalino?' Ha! That's a laugh! I think otherwise!

Okay, so what now? Wala lang. Natuwa lang ako. Pero sa totoo lang, ano kaya yung 5 asterisks? You're such a bitch? You're such a ahole? sheet? fucks? Wahaha!!

UPDATE (August 26, 3.35pm): Oh well, I found out what '*****' was, it's 'b*tch' indeed, hehe. In fairness, the comment came from the Philippines, at PLDT ang connection na gamit niya! =p

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Niccolo Junior

Actually this post more than a week overdue as far as the topic is concerned. Pero naalala ko lang ulit kanina.

If you'd notice on my left panel, I indicated that the usual first impressions on me are snob, intimidating, etc. Hehe. Well, because there's a little truth to it. I am one sort of a snob in person. Never in my dreams will I be voted as Mr. Congeniality. It's because I've never been the chummy type who says 'hello' all the time. Kung hindi tayo close, well, edi hindi, walang problema sa akin! Haha! Because I HATE people who are PHILCOA - PHILing ClOse Agad, nyak nyak! Seriously, I am annoyed by these people. Why? I am not sure. Maybe it's because I also hate people who pretend more than what they really are. So there, hehe.

That's why I find it ironic when my friends in Friendster often write me testimonial saying that I am a very friendly person. Haha! Sabi pa nga ng isa, "nakaksundo niya lahat ng tao."

Well, in my own way, I guess I am friendly. But only when we are ACTUALLY friends! You see, I am only a snob to people who don't know me. As for those who are mere acquaintances, well, whenever I see them, I do acknowledge them by throwing them a smile or a 'hi'.

The main reason why I am judged as a snob is because I don't easily warm up to people. I'd rather keep quiet than say something stupid, hehe. Plus, I am a sarcastic person. I thrive on it, haha! I tend to use something sarcastic and make it humorous. That's why application processes in my org are always interesting for me. I'm one of the members that the young innocent apps would stay away from when it comes to asking signatures for their sigsheet, haha! Almost always, they are intimidated. Why? Haha! I honestly don't know. Because for starters, I may not warm up to them, but I don't terrorize them either. I'm just being me -- quiet and observant. Wala pa akong ginagawa sa lagay na yun ha, pero natatakot na sila sa akin, paano pa kay akung mag-taray pa talaga ako? Haha!

But the trick to getting through me is, once I warm up to you, ha! Warm up kung warm up! Haha! Because I treat my friends the way I want to be treated. (Sa mga enemies naman, well, ibang usapan na iyun, hehe.)

I always ask the applicants their first impression of me. And as expected, 'snobbish' and 'intimidating' are high up on the charts. It happens with every batch of applicants. That's why I admire those few who manage to approach me early on. Nakakatawa kasi, kinakabahan sila lagi, haha! Pero pagtakapos noon, okay na, hindi na sila nahihiya sa akin.

So do I care if people see me as a snob? Not really. Because like I said, these people aren't close to me, their opinion does not matter most of the time. Besides, I confident that people who really know me know better. And it's their opinion of me that matter. Besides, I have been trying to get rid of this snobbish aura since elementary and I haven't been successful so far! Haha! I might as well let it be. Because at the end of the day, wala naman akong ginagawang masama. As long as I don't offend anybody, there should be no problem.

So why am I pondering on this anyway? Ano ba ang nangyari recently?
Well, we have this applicant and as always, I asked for her first impression of me. What she said wasn't so nice but it was the funniest and most interesting first impression I have had in my entire life!

Sabi niya, "Para po kayong dictator of power..." Bwahaha! O diba? What she meant by that I am not really sure, hehe.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Kailangang mag-Filipino...

...kahit ngayon araw na ito lang.

Yaman din lamang na sa araw na ito ay ang pagdiriwang ng Quezon Day, minabuti kong mag-blog sa ating sariling wika.

So eh ano naman ngayon? Haha!

Hay naku, tiyak na mahihirapan ako sa pagsulat ng aking blog sa para sa araw na ito. Inaamin ko na may kahit papaano ay may talento ako sa pagsulat, pero inaamin ko rin na mas matatas ako sa pagsulat sa Ingles kaysa Filipino. Nakakahiya ba ito? Hindi naman sana noh! Hehe!

So bakit nga kaya?

Nabasa ko sa isa sa isang nobelang binabasa ko dati, "Don't laugh at other students who speak weird tongues, for it means that they know more languages than you do." (Amerikano kasi yung bida sa nobela). Napaisip tuloy ako dati, "Aba oo nga no! Kung tutuusin, lamang tayo sa mga Amerikano sa aspetong iyon!" Kasi biruin ninyo, maliban sa Ingles ay marunong din tayo ng Filipino (naturalmente, duh!). Eh ang mga Kano? Ingles lang ang alam nila, akala mo kung sino! Haha!

Kung gayon pala, mas magaling pa ang mga probinsyano kaysa mga taga-Maynila. Kasi, mas lamang kami ng isa pang lengwahe sa kanila, dahil alam din namin ang sari-sariling linggua franca ng aming mga rehiyon. O diba? Halimbawa, dahil taga-Pampanga ako, 3 salita ang kaya kong gamitin nang maayos: Kapampangan, Filipino at Ingles.

Syempre, Kapampangan ang unang salitang natutunan ko. Pinakinggan ko kasi noong minsan ang mga boys teyp namin nina Mama at Ate para kay Papa na nagtatrabaho na sa Bahrain. Salamat sa Batibot at sa mga ilang kalaro ko, natutuo din naman ako ng Tagalog. Syempre, pagdating sa paaralan, kahit na pare-pareho naman kaming Kapampangan, Tagalog pa rin ang ginagamit. (Tanong ko lang, sa mga may ibang linggua franca sa inyo, sabihin na nating sa bahay, iyun ang gamit niyo, pagdating ba sa paaralan iyun pa rin?). At dahil pinalad naman akong makapag-aral sa mga matitinong eskwelahan, natuto rin ako ng Ingles. Dito ko sinisisi ang aking mabusising ina, haha! Lagi niya kasing tinatama ang mga mali ko sa pag-Iingles, hehe!

Mabalik tayo sa aking orihinal na tanong, bakit nga kaya mas gamay ko ang Ingles kaysa Filipino sa pagsusulat?

Sa palagay ko, ito ay dahil kapag nag-iisip ako, madalas ay Ingles din ang gamit ko. Wehehe, sosyal, diba! Haha! Pero sa tingin ko, nagsimula kong nakasanayan ito nang nasa mataas na paaralan na ako. Syempre, iyun na ang panahon na mas malaking pagkamulat sa mundo (lalu na sa mundo ng kaybol telebisyon, haha!). Iyun ay kasagsagan ng kasikatan ng MTV, hehe. Aba syempre, tulad ng ibang kabataan tulad ko noong mga panahong iyon, pinagarap ko rin maging tulad nina Donita Rose, Jamie Aditya at KC Montero (aba akalain mo, magpasahanggan ngayon ay VJ pa rin si KC).

Pero hindi naman ako conyo sa personal dahil Filipino at Filipino pa rin ang ginagamit ko sa pang-araw-araw na buhay. Pero ayun nga, mahilig pa rin akong gumamit ng mga parirala sa Ingles paminsan-minsan.

Aaaaargh! Ang hirap talaga nito! Hehe! Patawad sa ating sariling wika, pero nahirapan talaga ako na huwag gumamit ng Ingles sa kahit anong salita (maliban sa blog, hehe). Katatawanan nga eh! Pero iyung nakakatawa na nakakaaliw, hindi iyong nakakatawa na nakakahiya.

Isang hamon sa mga mababait na mag-bibigay ng kani-kaniyang palagay, sige nga, purong Filipino ang gamitin mo? Hehe..

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Ethereal Afternoon

This afternoon is ethereally interesting. =p

So this afternoon, I attended the ACLE* of my org which was entitled, “Talking To Your Angels”. And yeah, the title says it all, because we invited a professor from the College of Architecture to be our speaker. You see, this prof was given the gift of being able to see angels. Yes, the beautiful people with the wings and halo.

Haha! But as we learned from Sir O (the arki prof), angels actually don’t have wings and the bright circle hanging above their heads. He says these creatures have this bright, colorful aura that surrounds them, which probably lead people way back from the medieval ages to think they had wings.

Our ACLE was like Angels 101. I learned what they’re here for. Let me share for you some of the interesting stuff I learned about angels.

*Angels will be with us forever. Even if we die, when we meet them on the other ‘side’, we will be spirits just like our angels.
*Duendes or dwarfs are actually the guardian angel equivalent for plants.
*Kids can really see angels. So those stories where children smile or talk even if no one is with them, it’s true, they were probably interacting with angels.
*Angels have all the right answers. All we have to do is to listen.
*Having been with us ever since we were conceived, our personal angels know everything about us. We cannot hide even our thoughts from them. They know our deepest dark secrets. BUT they never judge us.
*When there is a message that needs to be relayed to us, our angels will stop at nothing to get this message across. They may not talk to us directly, but they may use symbols or signs. There is no such thing as coincidence.
*There are different angels for different purposes. Individual people are not the only people who have angels. Even groups of people have their ‘group angel’. Organizations have angels. The government has an angel. UP has an angel. The different colleges have their own angels. Even our own barakadas have angels!
*Angels can take the form of anything, after all they’re spirits. They just take the form of human beings if and when they decide to manifest themselves to us, because it’s the easiest form we could relate to. It’s not like we will listen to them if they were shaped like blobs, hehe.

Sir O even let us meditate so that we can ‘get in touch’ with our own angels. We had this nature background music, with all the chirping birds and rustling of leaves. The aircon in PH211 was even dripping over a pail, so the sound of falling water was an added live background sound effect, haha!

Sir O said that during the 8 minutes of silent meditation, all of us in the room were able to go ‘somewhere’. Oooh, intriguing, huh? One of the participants shared that she asked her angel’s name and for some reason the name ‘Michael’ keeps on popping on her mind. Another asked her angel if her father who works abroad was okay. Apparently, her dad was indeed doing fine.

So was I able to talk to my angel? Well, sort of, hehe. I didn’t ask him** anything. More like, nagsumbong ako, hehe. I just went on and on telling him what’s been upsetting me while hugging him. Pagmulat tuloy ng mga mata ko pagkatapos, maluha-luha ako, hehe. I’ve always believed in angels kasi, so yes, I have a good ‘relationship’ with my guardian angel. In fairness, magaling siya, kasi never pa akong naaksidente or nahold-up, hehe. And I always thank him for that.

So there, if you have any questions, try asking them to me. Baka sakaling may mai-share ako based from what I learned from our ACLE.

*ACLE stands for Alternative Classroom Learning Experience. It where different student organizations, fraternities and sororities set up their own seminars / talks about just about anything. Topics range from witchcraft to self-improvement, sex to current events, etc. Classes in the afternoon are cancelled to allow the students to attend these ‘classes’.

**I used the pronoun ‘him’, but I'm not saying my angel was in masculine form (angels don’t have gender).

Monday, August 14, 2006

Rainy days and Mondays...

"Hangin' around, nothing to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down..."

Haha! This song is so appropriate for today! Well, it was already applicable on the day of PGMA's SONA, but I didn't notice it then.

I had no class today. Nope, classes weren't suspended. It just so happened that ALL of my classes were cancelled. Ansaya diba? Eh paano naman kasi, isa lang talaga ang class ko kapag MTH, hindi pa sumipot si Sir. Aaaargh! So there, in effect, my journey back to the city was a waste. Darn! Sana naman kung tinatamad siya eh ina-announce niya, para nakakapag-handa ako, haha!

So what did I do the rest of the day? I went home to fix my stuff and clean our room. Not only did I sweep the 3-week old dust, I even mopped the vinyl floor with soap and alcohol, haha! After that, I had a well-deserved late afternoon nap. After all, I only had four hours of sleep the night before and I labored to clean our dingy room.

I have no new stuff to share, so I thought I'd post some random things and updates:
* Remember my request for a phone? Well, the Jury finally meted out their decision, haha! Mama told me to buy a new battery for my 3660 instead of buying a new phone. Kasi nga diba, hindi na tumatagal ng isang araw ang charge (kasi naman, forward nang forward ng text, haha!). Papa told me instead to 'concentrate' on my studies because in the end, his N90 will be handed down to me when they go home for Christmas. Sayang! Hindi effective yung blog-drama, haha!
* I have a kras on BANGS and JUNNIPER of LET'S GO! Geesh, I'm so addicted to this youth sitcom. I haven't missed a single episode. Well, I have missed 2, but I eventually caught them on youtube. Sobrang nakaka-relate ako, kasi UP ang setting.
* Nagpaalam na ako kina Mama kung pwede ako manood ng Westlife concert. Haha! You might be wondering, I'm 21 and it's my money, what do I need the go-signal for? You see, it's true, it's my money and technically, I have every right to spend it the way I want to. But Mama would always nag me whenever she notices that there's a huge discrepancy between her estimate of my bank account and the balance that I report to her, hehe. Kesyo magastos daw ako masyado! Kung tutuusin nga, napakababa ng weekly allowance ko compared to what others have. Biruin niyo, since freshman year, I only so far had an allowance increase only ONCE, and it's only P100 (in consideration of the rising prices of fare). Kaya eto tuloy, I am forced to skip lunch by as early as Thursday (hehe, kung minsan lang naman, especially kapag nagStarbucks ako that week, hehe), dahil sa EVAT na yan! Haha!

Anyway, masyado na mahaba to. Next time na lang ulit. May bago na akong naisip na UNPOPULAR OPINION, hahaha! =p

Ansarap matulog!

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Face to face?

Okay, before you read the rest of this post, promise that you will not judge my whole character based on this post alone. Please understand that each person has his or her own idiosyncrasies. This is mine, so deal with it. =p

I have a life-changing decision that I need to make as soon as possible. Actually, my deadline is on September 3, 2006. Because the following day, Westlife is going to have a concert at the Aranet Coliseum!

Bwahaha! I know you're probably thinking: ang baduy ko! Waaaa! =p But, is it my fault to be a huge fan of them, no matter how cheesy, mushy and uncool boy bands supposedly are?

As some of you who's reading been this blog at least since last May know, I've been a Westlife fanatic in my high school years. And man, that was eons ago! I was only 13 then, and you're probably thinking I didn't know what real music was back then, hehe.

This is the third time that Westlife will be in Manila. I wasn't able to watch them on their first time here, because I was in Bahrain at that time. But a year after, they came back, and I made sure that I will be able to watch.

Honestly, I didn't enjoy that concert as much as I should've. The waiting from lunchtime to showtime wasn't worth it. You see, I only had the Upper Box B ticket (P850), so it's free seating (meaning, the earlier I get in, the better chances for a better seat). Well, I got as close as the barrier would let me. I even had a pair of binoculars. But I HATED THE CROWD!! Ang ingay nila! As in sobra!

Yeah, I know it's a concert, so technically, the place should be noisy. Add the fact that probably 90% of the crowd are screaming doting girls who long for Westlife for their looks, haha! The 10% comprises the parents who accompanied their crazy daughters and weird statistical rarities like me. But why can't they just shut up especially during the performances and let us all hear the music that we all came for? Naku, yung katabi ko noon, gusto kong ihulog sa Lower Box, kasi sigaw siya nang sigaw! May birthday banner pa siyang dala (it was incidentally, one of Westlife's member's birthday).

But of course, I still enjoyed it, kahit papaano. But I promised myself that the next time they'll perform here, I'm gonna buy the more expensive ticket so I wouldn't have to put through with the crazy noisy girls again.

So now, I have this probably last chance to watch them. Hindi na nga sila kumpleto eh. And I still hasn't reserved a ticket. P3000 kasi yung price nang pinaka-murang reserve seating na ticket. Ayoko na kasing pumila no. I'm 21 for crying out loud. I'm not same old fan who would fall in line the whole day for a measly spot in the huge venue. I just want to enjoy the night and the music that would take me back to my high school years. Gusto kong pumunta ng Araneta, pumasok, manood, lumabas at umuwi nang walang aberya. That's all. No more hoping that through divine intervention, I would be able to meet them backstage. No more socializing with fellow fanatics, some of which even skipped work just to be able to watch, haha!

Anyway, wala nga pala akong pera for the concert. Gusto mo kong pautangin? Babayaran kita in 3 months, haha! =p

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Unpopular Opinion 1: Love is overrated

I'm going to start a new feature on my blog and it'll be about my unpopular opinions. But what qualifies as 'unpopular'? Hmm, let's say if at least 60% of the general public think otherwise, then I will be the unpopular one, haha!

Since it's my first time, I'm gonna talk about something that would probably solitict much violent reactions from you my dear blog visitors and blog hoppers. That should translate to more comments, haha!

"Love is overrated."

The first time I thought of this was when I was an applicant of the UP Volleyball Club. There was this bit on the sigsheet where I should write my 'philosophy on love'. Of course, I could stick to the artsy pantsy cliches like love is blind or love is never jealous, etc. I didn't want to pick out something from books or the movies. So bigla ko na lang naisip, love is overrated.

As expected, whenever a member saw my sigsheet, they would react to my bold statement. Common initial reactions were, "Ang bitter mo naman yata!". On the contrary. Although I must admit, I went through my own periods of bitterness on love, hehe. My heart has had its own share of 'down' moments. But at that time, I really wasn't bitter anymore. But I'm not saccharine about it either.

Before you judge me, hehe, let me explain myself.

Love is overrated for me because I hate the way most people equate happiness with love alone. I mean, there's more to life than finding 'the one' for you. If you're in love, then good for you. But if you're not, it should not take it toll on your self-perception either.

To love is probably the best thing that could happen in your life. Note that my operative word is 'probably', hehe. You see, I haven't been most lucky when it comes to this. Reciprocated love is too elusive for me, hehe. But I'm okay with it. These days, you won't ever find me sulking up in one corner, wondering haplessly why the hell I'm still single at 21. Like I said, minsan din akong naging Bitter Ocampo. But I'm through that phase. I'm through feeling bad about myself when I shouldn't be at all.

Hindi ko alam kung kailang ako magkaka-syotang muli. Feeling ko na nga, tatanda na akong binata, haha! But while I'm still single, I'm gonna enjoy the perks of being one at its fullest. For now, I'd rather vent all the 'love' I could give to my friends and family, who all deserve it. But when I finally meet 'the one', I'm gonna make sure I'm gonna enjoy its perks to the fullest either. Pana-panahon lang iyan.

PS: For my past posts about the universally favorite topic of love, re-visit these links.
In search for the perfect blog site address
Finding the one
I'm Scared

EDIT: August 11, 10.22pm

Sabi ko na eh, this topic is gonna elicit some warmer response, because apparently, everyone has an opinion on love, hehe.

Anyway, I'm gonna clear somethine, lest I be mistaken for a love grinch! =p

I'm not saying that LOVE SUCKS. I'm just saying it's OVER-RATED. Because I hate people who sulk in dark corners just because they weren't so lucky in love. I've been through that phase. But now that I have a better perspective, I have realized that feeling sorry for oneself is one of the worst things that you could do to yourself.

Having said this, I also hate people who over-grieve their lost loves. I know, mending a broken heart is not an easy task. In fact, it takes gargantuan effort to do so. But given enough time to let yourself heal, you should be okay. But after that mourning period, you should go back to appreciating your self and not let past heartbreaks ruin what you have at present.

Lastly, I think I should have said, "Romance is over-rated", hehe! Because Donya is right, love comes in many forms. =p

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Blogs Galore! 10

Akalain mo, #10 na ang aking Blogs Galore! series, hehe.


So it's UPCAT weekend this weekend. (Parang ang redundant pakinggan). It always happens on the first weekend of August. Coincidentally, the year I took the UPCAT, August 5 & 6 din siya noon! Ang galing no? Whatever.

All week, persistent rumors were flying around if UP would suspend classes last Friday afternoon. Kesyo aayusin daw ang mga upuan para sa UPCAT, haha! Well, it didn't happen. Some classes were being 'cancelled' since Thursday, though. Because the professors / teacher / instructors are missing in action. Haha! Apparently, due to lack of personnel, some of our 'dear' teachers are being shipped to remote places to act as proctors for the UPCAT. Some, I heard, were even sent to Mindanao. Waw diba.


Thanks to our Smart Bro, I am now able to download and watch Ghost Whisperer episodes! While it is not as intriguing and engaging as Grey's, this Jennifer Love Hewitt starrer is okay. Considering that I am a Charmed fan, I suppose supernatural stuff does interest me. Well yes, every episode has its scare factor. Some situations are downright creepy if it would happen to you in real life. Don't worry though, even the faint in heart will be able to handle it.

What's weird though is that my eyes water everytime I watch an episode, haha! Putek, nakakahiya! Haha! Crying over a horror / suspense TV show? I mean, how ironically crazy is that?! Anyway, it happens during the part when the restless souls and those who survived them get all dramatic in settling their 'unfinished' businesses. Usually, it's about longing for forgiveness, words unsaid, missed chances, etc. Add the fact that mostly, it's about parents and their children and that one of them died.

Thank God, I haven't experienced a devastating loss in my family so far. Maybe that's why these kind of stories thug my heart. No matter how strong my personality is, I can't imagine if I can handle such great pain. Well, I've lost some dear cousins, aunts and uncles before, but I was too young to remember the pain. Besides, I still remember the good times I spent with them, and it's comforting enough.


The past week, I've found myself wanting to be alone many times. Halimbawa na lang, last Thursday, nag-yayang uminom ang mga orgmates ko. Normally, even if I'm not into drinking that much, I wouldn't say no. I would go but I'm not after the booze, I'm after the bonding.
But I said no, this time. Ewan, wala ako sa mood. Ni hindi man ako pinilit, haha! Kaya ayun, lalu tuloy ako naging determined na mag-moment na mag-isa, haha! Sumama yung mga roommates ko, kaya tahimik sa room pag-uwi ko, and I enjoyed the solitary comfort.

Basta, something was off during the week that just passed. It's one of those times when I'd rather be alone, but I want to be noticed, hehe. It's one of those moments when my self-esteem is strangely low and I feel unappreciated. The weird thing is, I don't know what triggered these episodes. I just hope that this will be over soon.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Bejeweled King! Bwahaha!

To kill time I would play Bejeweled 2 Deluxe, especially back in the times when I was just using dial-up connection. I would play while waiting for the webpages to load. The objective of the game is simple: form a line of 3 similar gems.

I discovered this game about more than a year ago (Bejeweled 1 pa siya at naka-PC pa ako noon). Then I was able to have my orgmates and housemates hooked on the game as well.

There are actually 8 playing modes all in all. The first 4 are available by default. The other 4 will be available once one reaches a certain level or score on the default playing modes. Classic and Action are the ones being played the most by me and my housemate Jerome. Eto kasi yung pinaka-basic na playing mode, pampalipas lang talaga ng oras.

But the past week or so, I've been playing the game not just to kill time, but to murder a co-player. Bwahaha!

As you can see, I have obliterated Jerome from the High Scores list for Action. Ang yabang kasi niya eh, pinag-mamalaki niya yung #1 score niya sa Classic, samantalang nadadaan lang naman yun sa swerte. Why? In Classic mode, the game is over when there is no possible move, which is actually just based on what gems the game gives you. Whereas Action is the real deal! You are always assured of a possible move, you just have to have quick eyes and fingers to find them, for there is a time limit that decreases with each level.

So there, ambabaw no? Haha! Ayoko kasi na sa sarili kong laptop, hindi ako ang High Score! Bwahaha! Anyway, one of these days, I will take over the Classic High Scores!!

PS. Grabe, ngayon ko lang napansin sa High Scores, 20 hours ko na palang linalaro ang game na ito since December. Halos isang araw na rin yun ah! =p

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Bring On The Pain

“Science answers questions in life like – why the sky is blue, why plants need CO2 and why lightning strikes. But can it answer why gravity can't make people we love fall for us?”

I received this text quote this morning and eventually forwarded it myself to my own friends. At first, I just thought it was cute. I mean after all, science has been able to answer a lot of what used to be unanswerable questions. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it also able to answer everyday queries that actually affect us to the very core of hearts? For sure naman, hindi ka sasagutin nang diretso ni God, diba? Itanong ba science? Hehe. But just moments ago, while watching an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, I suddenly wondered why life has to be so full of painful ironies.

I wish I could try to answer this question, like we bloggers would normally do when these kind of thoughts clutter our mind, right? But as I think about my own life’s ironies, I realized the mere act of remembering them, well, are painful to a degree that it’s better to not just relive them even just in your mind.

Damn that 18th episode of Grey’s Anatomy Season 2, haha! Andami kasi niyang subplots na tumagos sa puso’t damdamin ko, hehe. There’s the you-love-each-other-but-you-can't-be-together angle, and more – secret-lover-masquerading-as-your-best-friend-unrequited-love, I-wanna-say-how-much-you’ve-hurt-me, how-could-you-do-that-to-me, no-matter-what-I-do-you’ll-never-love-me-back-again, how-come-you-can-forgive-the-others-and-not-me. Haay naku, kailangan ba talagang ipaalala ang mga nakaraan? Haha! Ayan tuloy, medyo nalungkot ako.

The scapegoat would always be this: everything happens for a reason. It’s the classic answer to every question in life that does not make sense, right? It’s so easy to leave everything to destiny.

Geesh, I can't even think of a way how to decently end this post. Somehow, I'm supposed to offer some sort of solution to the problem at hand diba? Hehe. But no, I hate to use the scapegoat. I honestly don’t have the slightest idea why life is so full of painful ironies. They just happen. Sometimes, the pain just keeps getting worse.

Like Meredith said in Grey’s Anatomy:

“Pain, you just have to ride it out, hoping it goes out on its own, hope that the wound that caused it heals. There are no solutions, no easy answers. You just breathe deep and wait for it to subside. Most of the time, pain can be managed. But sometimes, pain gets you when you least expect it. It’s way below the belt, and doesn’t let up. Pain, you just have to fight through. Because the truth is, you can't outrun it, and life always makes more..”

Quick Thoughts