Someone/something to turn to when the world doesn't understand you

I was reading some Neil-related posts. The last one was by Ms. Amanda Palmer and their trip through China where she joined Neil who was researching for his new half-fiction/half-nonfiction book. The entry was supplemented with many entries, and in that sense, came to understand Amanda better, even though I'm a fan of some of The Dresden Dolls's songs (and she's using the Tumblr platform for her blog). Scrolling down, I came across a post that I started to read maybe a month ago. I thought it looked promising then. But it was a bit long, and the putting off didn't happen until today, which by the way, was accidental.

So there it is, Amanda Palmer's open letter to Robert Smith . It detailed her pre-adolescent and teenage years, and how Robert Smith's words became a refuge from the world that doesn't understand her. She detailed her obsession with Robert, how she would stumble upon vinyl copies of Japanese imports which she couldn't buy because they were too expensive for a still-in-high-school Amanda, having a Robert Smith shrine in her bedroom, the most prominent of which is a wall poster of Smith with his back turned to the viewer "hiding his tears", perfecting the band name's font used in one of their albums, having relationships with guys who shared the same passion on the band with her. She lived with and in his words.

While I was reading that, what she was saying struck quite close to home. Although I've never had one favorite band that I stuck with through and through (sometimes, I would want to listen to something else; and besides, I'm not a lyrics-oriented person - melody is enough to make me a fan of a song or a band), but I believe that is how one loves a band. You do things to pay homage to the personality/group that has a big influence on you, or that in a way he/she/they only can, define you and give meaning to your life.

Before she went on with her point, she told the reader to play The Cure's Disintegration album, download if need be. The torrent file I found had 0% health (edit: or it's probably because I lost my connection that time). So I just played what was on my library, a random collection of Cure songs. The first track was Blue Monday. I read on.

She related how seeing her favorite bands in high school in a festival in Coachella where she also performed reminded her about what music is to her. She mentioned that she had been a bad fan, because she eventually forgot about Robert Smith once she was finally able to do the thing that she always wanted because of Smith - becoming a musician and speaking to people through the songs.

And I recall. Even though I didn't grow up listening to the Cure, nowadays, as I listen to tracks I've collected because they are one of the greatest musicians I keep hearing about but have never listened to (not because some magazine or chart proclaimed to be, but reading about them and their influences in the articles of Erwin Romulo (in his earlier Young Star (the Friday section of a national daily) articles and my impressionable age of 11-14 - I'm impressionable until now actually but those were the years that I believe Young Star really shined). His were the only articles I remember, I'm not sure if I've read other writers' referencing or talking about the band), I realize that the music is right. For me, for my soul. Maybe not for all, but there are some in my measly collection which cut through. Though I don't know exactly what the songs say, the melody reminds me of me. I've never been familiar with their songs, hearing them only sparingly on the radio even during my younger days, and the only song that I knew then was theirs was Boys Don't Cry because my cousin liked to sing that on videoke. Hearing their songs brought the feeling that I was already aware and listening when those songs hit the radio and became popular, making them an inseparable part of my being. But these songs were from the 80s or the early 90s, a time when I had no favorite songs, no favorite artist, even no TV viewing apart from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/X-Men/Power Rangers on Friday nights.

The yearning, angst, fear in Smith's lilting voice, the earnestness, bounciness in the melody reflect a part of me, mirroring my inner conflicts in their songs. I never thought I would feel an affinity with the Cure as I do now.

A new track played. It's If You Leave and the mp3 tag says it's from The Breakfast Club. Again, one of the rare movies that speak to me deeply emotionally. Yes, there are some movies that have made me cry, mainly because of how the characters end up. But this story about five students getting punishment because of a behavior stemming not only from their unconscious self, but as a result of years of rearing by the same persons who expect unreasonably and condemn them for not keeping up a facade that everything's alright... let's just say I haven't left teenagehood yet. Or more specifically, I haven't left my angsty self (the part so often associated with teenagehood) yet. As my friend Joyce pointed out, twentysomethings are still given to plenty of angst. Well, I think mine is angst left over (or like how others would see it, should have been left off) from teenage years. Mind, I first watched The Breakfast Club about a year ago, when I had somehow acquired a very fast access to internet and learned how Torrent works.

I'm well out of my teenage years then and I can't help identifying with everyone of them, reveling in the secrets they shared with each other, understanding, although not completely seeing as they come from different social circles, each others' plights, rendering themselves vulnerable where before they were not by allowing a peek into their innermost thoughts and feelings. I felt myself ready to cry as the track played and I replayed images from the movie in my head. Tears in understanding for all the misunderstood/boxed/much-expected-from people in the world.

In 4:13 Dream, I love the track This. Here. Now. With You. the most. It
reminds me closely of the Cure songs that I have come to associate with non-80s/early 90s me. The melody resounds of the old Cure songs that I've come to identify with.

It just somehow feels so much better when you know that you are not alone in experiencing all the stresses, setbacks and hurts in this world. You can have an anthem or a theme for a certain phase of your life, resolve or get over it, move on. And years later, a sight, sound, smell, or a certain emotion triggers a memory. And you're grateful; even if nobody you knew understand you, there is this music or this piece of art that made you feel belonged and understood. After all, it is better to choose death than loneliness.

Four thousand and counting...

I heard about this thing called the NaNoWriMo a few months back. Frustrated writer that I am, I told myself I'd participate this year.

And so i signed up about two weeks before November. I was dead set on a science fiction novel. I have explored the milieu for quite a bit already. I was quite excited by the connections I made between... Well, the novel takes place in metro manila ca 2050. this one is with a space age-y feel to it.

First day came, and I was armed with a scratch pad to write down the first words of my story (people were sharing the PC so I couldn't monopolize it). I was about 600 words shy of the first day goal. But then I had a feeling my story wasn't going anywhere, especially since I had no plot yet to begin with, something that's been bugging me since I started to have a general idea about it.

I didn't write anything during Day 2, trying to think of something to propel my story forward. For Day 3, I think I was able to come up with another idea - this during one of the numerous daydreaming I've been doing a lot of lately. And so from it was borne a story in the chicklitverse. Many of the details are wishful thinking, yes, but I thought I could go farther with that idea. It was also more feasible for me to do during my first try at writing a 50,000-word story since I didn't have time to do extensive research if I wanted to make my sci-fi story the least bit believable.

So there's the great switch: sci-fi to chicklit/romance within 3 days of NaNoWriMo start. And yesterday I started writing. I reached about 4,000 words, clearing the first two days' goal. Hopefully I won't lose steam. There's a lot of kind words and support around the nanowrimoverse and even here at DA. So I shall not fret, but remain fixed in my goal.

Onwards to 50,000 then!

This was originally posted at my DA account journal.

Patungkol sa isang balikbayan box

Kapag nagsimula nang ipatugtog ang mga kanta ng Eheads sa Winamp, tiyak tuluy-tuloy na Eheads goodness na ang mapapakinggan ko. Magkakasunud-sunod kasi ang mga kanta nila dito sa Winamp playlist ng PC. At kapag nakarinig na ko ng isang awit nila, di ko na mapigilan ang sarili kong pakinggan ang mga iba pa.

Isa sa mga napakagaling na gawa nila ay ang Balibayan Box mula sa Sticker Happy. Intro pa lang -- s**t! Namamalas mo na ang pagkahenyo ng bandang ito. Hindi naman silang lahat ang gumagawa ng bawat parte ng isang kanta. Merong sumusulat, tapos ung mga iba't-ibang elemento ng musika ay nakatoka na. Pero tinuturing ko pa ring gawa ito ng buong banda dahil ang kolektiba nilang gawain ang nagbigay-buhay sa mga kantang napapaloob sa kanilang mga albums.

Di ako pamilyar sa kantang ito dati dahil hindi ata siya inirelease sa mga istasyon ng radyo. Nung makabili lang ako ng kopya ng nasabing album (na naka-cassette pa, sa AliMall ko ata ito nahanap) ca 2005 tsaka ko unang napakinggan ang awit na 'to. Simpleng melodiya, simpleng lyrics, kaya di ko masyadong nagustuhan nung una. Pero makailang kinig lang at masasabi kong isa 'to sa mga nagpapamalas ng kagalingan ng banda (ang isa pa ay Torpedo). Hindi ko pa nabubusisi ang lahat ng kanilang mga kanta dahil di ako mahilig makinig sa lyrics, kaya pagpasensiyahan na ang opinyon ko sa kantang ito.

The opening riffs of Balikbayan Box tugs at my heartstrings (bilang di ko siya maisalin sa Pilipino), kagaya ng iba pang mga bagay na nagpapaalala sa akin ng aking pagiging Pilipino. Ang balikbayan box ay isa sa mga gawaing Pinoy, at sa panimulang iyon ay dama ko ang pagnanasa ng mga nasa ibang bayan na bumalik na sa sariling bansa.

Puno ng tuwa't galak / Ang aking balikbayan box... Narito lahat ang masayang gunita ng malayong pamilya at ang pangarap na sinisikap na matupad sa pagpunta sa ibang bayan.

Umuwi na tayo / Umuwi na tayo, hey, hey, hey / Umuwi na tayo / Dahil wala ng sense ang ating mundo... Iba man ang gamit ng mga linyang ito sa kanta, di pa rin maikakaila na sa pangungulila sa tahanan, ang mga salitang iyon ang higit na nagpapahiwatig ng saloobin ng mga Pinoy na nasa ibang bansa.

May pagpapahiwatig ng pagod, pag-asa at pagmamahal ang boses ni Ely sa kantang ito. Napapaiyak ako.


Ang larawang ginamit ay galing sa archives ni Levan.

NaNoWriMo-ing

Yes, I am. 


And I just breached the 1,000-word mark just before 12 MN. 49,000 to go. Haha! 

But seriously, those first 1,000 words are  sooo not up to par. Well, I haven't done a lot of fiction before, and I'm attempting something grand this month: to finish a novel (that's right! check out www.nanowrimo.org because that's what wrimos like myself are up to for the whole month). I do intend to see this through, and work out what I need for my plot, which for the moment, is still nonexistent. I thought I was a bit prepared as November was approaching because I already had an idea about my milieu. But thinking it up, and then putting the ideas into words is really quite hard. I should've practiced more. And it's quite difficult to find time to use the PC because I'm back home for the All Saints' Day ritual and will be here for a week (I go back to QC on Saturday). And there's only one PC (which conked out tonight - hopefully it gets back up tomorrow) and my sister's laptop. And there are four of us kids here at home. I actually started with my writing tonight at 7 by longhand because the laptop was not free.

So I do need a netbook/laptop.  And I'm extremely tempted to buy one (a netbook most probably - possibly the newest one from Asus) so that I could more effectively make use of my time and produce more quality text for the (quite ambitious) sci-fi story I'm cooking up.

Wish me luck! (Oh, my NaNoWriMo username is thewordgeek if you ever feel like looking me up or buddying with me :D)

for lack of a better title

This is contemplation (referring to quote in the right sidebar), yes, but I shall continue. Yesterday's mind-mapping sessions with Macel, Joyce, Macri and Chesca further reinforced in me the things that I know will make me happy (and food technology isn't included in the list). Chatting with Ces on Plurk reinforced that further. So today, I planned to go to UP and finally ask about admission requirements into the Institute of Creative Writing and Department of European Languages. 


The plan which never became. A disappointing event happened last night, my fault mainly (due to a lapse in judgement). I was feeling okay about it last night. This afternoon, I don't know... It was a downward spiral from then on, so I wasn't able to go out. The sight of nice accessories from online shops were what it took to make me feel a bit better. And I need to be. I need to work tonight. (And I daresay, my spirits would be very high come 8 tonight.)


Anyway, I told my mom about my going to UP while I was still in a good mood. She thought I was going to those departments to look for a job. But I'm actually intending to study further, a second course if it's possible in my current financial state. Hmm, how to tell her about it, what to tell her. I haven't been jobhunting for the past month, mainly because I don't feel like getting a job. I'm still in the 'thinking-observing-listening' phase of my near-quarter life crisis. I have yet to act out on things. I'm sure they don't see this the same way. 

dream days are back

I've been having dreamful (yes, what's the opposite of dreamless?) sleeps again.They're not bad. They just seem so unreal. Yesterday's included a love proposal from an effeminate guy. Today's had me getting a good bargain for a second-hand car. And I think it wasn't only one but two, one for me and another for my dad's to use (as the family car).Interesting... I wonder what the rest of the week will bring. It's been awhile since the last time I remembered I had dreams. Because when this happens, they usually go on for many successions of days.


I just wish I don't feel so tired or still sleepy (puyat, in other words) when I wake up.

Christmas doth approach, so doth the gifts

Ich würde dir gerne ein Geschenk kaufen, aber ich habe kein Geld. (Translation: I would like to buy you a present but I haven't got any money.)

I was going through the German Words of the Day that have accumulated in my feed (I am using FeedDemon 2.7 synchronized with my Google Reader account, although I'll be upgrading the program in a little while) and came across that sentence, which reminded me of the coming festivities in about two months' time (by the way, I came across a funny observation about this occasion via an overly understated (and uber less than satisfactory) cake for Christmas).


I've never had many occasions to think of what to give during celebrations such as this or birthdays. It is explained by the fact that my parents never really bothered to honor the tradition of gift-giving especially to others. It's because of their overly thrifty nature (and of course, since we're the kids, much of those have also been passed on to us) that Christmas is celebrated at our home with heaps of food and gifts only for the children (meaning I and my siblings), for why would they give things to others when we ourselves are lacking so many things. As for birthdays, I think I have gotten away with not giving any gifts to my friends, well, because usually, parties are never in order when the mandatory getting-old day comes around. Maybe when I was still younger than grade three, and parties were still the norm that I still got to go to parties and probably, my mom also had to buy gifts. After that, I can't remember anymore instances when I had to give gifts (except the usual exchange gifts tradition during school Christmas parties which is still quite different from what I want to talk about). As for debut parties, as far as I can remember, only been in one, so that's about it.


So there's the history of gift-giving in our family. I would love to receive gifts though (which, now I realize, is the reason why the one of the more expensive parties my family planned was not well-attended). And every Christmas, we still do from some of our cousins' families (hi Tita Cora, hi Tita Tessie). But my thoughts today lie on the time when you have to think of the people you're giving a gift to, and then thinking of something appropriate to give them. And then there's the actual search for the aforementioned things, and if you fail to come up with a list of things to buy, you have to be creative (flexible?) enough to realize that what you're looking at during your frantic search for something appropriate is indeed the one. 


I think it's nice that someone is thinking about you before the festivities are over, digging (usually not so deeply) into your personality or the experiences you've been through together, to be able to come up with something that he/she thinks you would appreciate. There's the beauty of gift-giving. Someone reminiscing good memories, a token given to the person in the aforementioned memories to show appreciation, and the receiver, grateful, with another good memory to include in her growing milestones/memories storage. It doesn't matter how expensive or how small the gift is, but just the thought that that someone actually cared enough to give you something makes you feel flattered (hehe), appreciated, and in the best cases, loved.


P.S. It's still too early for Christmas, but the coming of December signifies hope for better things. Hopefully, most everyone has at least recovered by then, I have gotten myself together, and the Filipinos are looking towards 2010 with healthier mindsets. Of course, I do have a tangible wishlist (Christmas or otherwise) that any person with a kind heart is welcome to fulfill. I'll think about it so that the final list shall be manageable :D

500 Days of Summer: The only thing you should expect

I'm still hung up on 500 Days of Summer even if only for the image of Joseph Gordon Levitt drunkenly singing Here Comes Your Man (a very upbeat Pixies song with a somewhat tragic narration). Yes, he's adorable while making it a very memorable version of that song, complete with  shaking his head from side to side a la 80s superstar mode (I had that sequence on repeat when I watched the movie the second time).


The first time I watched it, there was a somewhat disjointed feel to it. I wasn't so saddened by the ending since Joe's character still had something going for him, even if only temporarily, inspite of what happened (that and my lack of experience in lovely matters, I think, are the causes of my indifference to his plight). When the credits started to roll, I remembered the presentation of the main characters in hindsight to the event that will change the lives of one of them, which is Tom Hansen. He is the believer in love and all the romantic notions attached to it. The movie's trailer made it clear that "this is not a love story," reinforced by the opening scene where Tom's sister comes to the rescue of the dishes still left unbroken by the distraught male lead. He had long been in search for the perfect partner, and he thought he finally meets her at the company where he writes and has a knack for coming up with Hallmark-esque messages for cards. I think the narrator said he had a somewhat distorted view of love because of a misinterpretation of the ending of The Graduate (which I haven't watched yet). And here was Summer, beautiful, averaging 20 double takes during a one-way trip to work, and seeming to work wonders in the karma of apartment landlords she stays in. Not only that, she loves The Smiths, which is just one Tom's favorite musicians. 

But this point of view is not shared by Summer, who is, at most instances, quite the reluctant lover. Tom was still determined to get her back, thus the number of days in the title, and his obvious fixation with her. At the point when he is near realization, he remembers those instances when Summer was not experiencing the same level of romanticity as he was. He was very happy then, seeing things from a different perspective, with no notion that everything will go terribly wrong afterwards. It's when he faces up to the facts that he grieves, shuts himself from the world... and bounces back with a new form. He is now fulfilling his dream of becoming an architect. And meets a possible new soulmate in the personality of Autumn.


Of course, some people find the one sooner than you do. Some find that person at a later point in their lifetime. One of his best friends identified the traits of his dream girlfriend, but still she is just a dream. He still prefers his current girlfriend of seven years very much because "she is real." 


This whole thing brought to me again the realization that change is the only constant thing in the world. Even if you're having the time of your life, even if now everything is perfect, there are sooo many other factors which would change what would happen to you one second, one minute, one hour, one day, one week, one year later. Even if you're in a super state of bliss, the person who you think you're enjoying it with may be on a different plane entirely, but exhibiting the sort of emotions/reactions that you picture yourself seeing. From stories and first-hand accounts, I guess that's just the thing about love. One moment, you're floating in the clouds. Next thing you know, you're in the most abyssal of the abysses. You can't be assured of permanence because things happen unpredictably. That's why my mom likes to make sure she has something available in cases of emergency (okay, an entirely different situation but valid nonetheless). I guess that's why some people become pessimistic with all the frustrations that they experience. It's so hard to keep up an optimistic outlook when you're disappointed time and again, when all you want is a chance to be happy or contented. 


I started this post with a very simple point in mind with the objective of expounding on it, but the worldliness of that simple point just as soon as left me, so instead I'm left with this, a bit of talk about love.

Visual Data redux

I remembered Wordle and I thought I should try it out again. There ought to be a lot of changes since that last one. Although I think much of the stuff has been focused on my post regarding helping Philippine Ondoy victims. (Or it probably just takes data from the newest posts. I did try giving it the RSS feed for my blog but it churned out the same thing. Check it out yourself:

Here's another interesting result from one of the users of the site. This now is the result of Homer's Odyssey. 'Father' is the most numerously used word in the text.


Speaking of words in visual form, I remember one site I've found to benefit and/or be of interest to many of us. The site author culls information/data/statistics and transforms them to images that will immediately show us the relation of each one to the other. Take for example (see below), his most recent work on the proportion of male/female usage of social networking sites (and can you believe the number of social networking sites out there, with more adding every minute?). The conclusion is that chicks rule because of the majority of the sites where matriarchy is the norm. As the site's name suggests, information is indeed beautiful.

Suporta para kay Mica sa Phil. Bloggers Choice Award

Matagal na kong gumagamit ng blog (eto nga ang kauna-unahang blog ko), nung panahong di pa sikat ito, at ang ideya nito, pati ang site, ay nakuha ko lamang sa mga Pilipinang manunulat ng fanfiction na binabasa ko dati. Pero bago pa nun, sanay na ko sa internet at nawiwili na rin sa mga bagay na kung susumahin ay pampalipas- o pampaubos-oras lamang. Pero di maikakaila na malaki ang tulong ng internet, lalo na ngayon (hello, kahit sino ka man, may boses ka na, basta magkaroon ka lang ng blog, twitter, tumblr o facebook :D Okay, balik tayo sa punto ko). 


Ngayon papakilala ko sa inyo si Mica. Mas bata siya sa akin ng isang taon at schoolmate ko nung highschool. Feeling ko nung unang beses ko siyang nakilala, ginagamit na rin niya ang net. Uso pa ang Yahoo Geocities dati, at sa pagkakatanda ko, meron na siyang site dun. Ngayon, may sarili na siyang domain (na hindi naman na nakabibigla ngayon, pero kasi ngayon lang uli ako na-expose nang bonggang-bongga muli sa net kaya surprising sa 'kin na ganito ang state ng mundo ngayon). Puntahan niyo na dali sa www.micamyx.com! 


At ngayon, malaki-laki na rin ang marka niya sa mundo ng blogging sa Pinas para maging finalist sa National Bloggers Choice Category ng Philippine Blog Awards. I-explore na ang mundo ni Mica at iboto na rin siya.

Here's how you can help the victims of Ondoy (Ketsana)

• 
  
  
  
  Donate thru SMS: text RED to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)
  
  and G-CASH: text DONATE <4-digit M-PIN> to 2882
  *Globe has waived the fee for the the transaction
  
  

• The Philippine National Red Cross
• Find out how to donate to The Philippine National Red Cross by checking their site: http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/PNRC/wtd.aspx 

TXTPower.org (accepts PayPal)

• For those of you who want to use PayPal, you can send your donations to the PNRC's Typhoon Ondoy fund through http://www.txtpower.org/2009/09/philippines-help-typhoon-victims-in-luzon-philippines/ Follow the PayPal link.

ABS-CBN Foundation - 

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/09/27/09/tropical-storm-ondoy-how-you-can-help

Kapuso Foundation (accepts major credit cards)  - http://www.kapusofoundation.com/donate

PhilippineAid.com (accepts PayPal)  - http://www.philippineaid.com/
• 
  
• For US citizens - Ayala Foundation USA accepts donations at  http://www.af-usa.org/donate_now.asp

List of banks where cash donations may be deposited can be found here - http://www.google.com/landing/typhoon-ondoy.html


In-Kind Donations

• Victory Fort is opening its doors to those affected by the typhoon. Call 813-FORT.
• NoyMar relief Operations: Clare Amador (+639285205508) or Jana Vicente at +639285205499). Drop off for relief donations is at Balay Expo Center across Farmers Market Cubao.
• Miriam Quiambao drop off points: One Orchard Road Building in Eastwood, or message http://www.twitter.com/miriamqfor more details.
• Philippine Army Gym inside Fort Bonifacio or GHQ Gym in Camp Aguinaldo are now distributing donations for Ondoy Victims.
• Team Manila stores in Trinoma, Mall of Asia, Jupiter Bel-Air and Rockwell shall be accepting relief goods (Canned Goods, Ready-to-drink Milk,Bottled Water and Clothes) for distribution by Veritas.
• Caritas Manila Office at Jesus St., Pandacan Manila near Nagtahan Bridge (+632-5639298, +632-5639308)
• Radio Veritas at Veritas Tower West Ave. Cor EDSA (+632-9257931-40)
• Aranaz Stores in Rockwell & Greenbelt is accepting donations of any kind for Payatas communities affected by Ondoy
• Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan Task Force Noah, a disaster response arm of the Jesuits, is accepting donations. Please drop it off sa Ateneo Cervini Dorm.
• Philippine National Red Cross‘ different ways to Donate.
• Red Cross Load Donations: Right now the easiest way to make donations from the seat of your chair is via mobile phone load. The Red Cross Rescue and Relief Operations. Text: REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)
• Ateneo de Manila University is now accepting donations for the victims of Ondoy. Donations can be dropped at MVP Lobby. For those stranded/those who need help: To all students who need help or know of people who need help. Please text the name, location, and contact number to (+6329088877166). ATENEO, which is now an open shelter, accepts refugees. Call (+632917-8952792)
• Papemelroti stores in 91 Roces Ave. / Ali Mall Cubao / SM City North EDSA / SM Fairview / SM Megamall / Glorietta 3 in Makati / SM Centerpoint / SM Southmall are accepting relief goods (canned goods / milk / bottled water / clothes – NO CASH pls.)
• TXTPower now accepts donations via SmartMoney 5577514418667103, GCash 09179751092 and Paypalhttp://is.gd/3GvuN
• Our Lady of Pentecost Parish (+632-4342397, +632-9290665) per Gabe Mercado, donations are very much welcome. The Parish is located at 12 F. Dela Rosa corner C. Salvador Sts., Loyola Heights, Quezon City.
• Hillsborough Village Chapel – Water, blankets, shoes, and clothes may be sent to Hillsborough Village Chapel in Muntinlupa City. These will go to families whose houses were washed out in the nearby sitios.
• Greenhills/Mandaluyong/San Juan Area, if you want to help out with the rescue and relief operations, you can drop off your donations (clothes, food, etc..) at La Salle Greenhills Gate 2 tomorrow or volunteer from 9am to receive, sort, repack the donations.
• Petron: You may bring your relief goods to all Petron branches.
• LUCA stores (Rockwell, Shang-rila, Eastwood, or GA towers): Send your old clothes & donations (no cash pls).
• “LUZON RELIEF: Volunteer / Donate / Pray”: Donations can be brought to RENAISSANCE FITNESS CENTER, 2nd Floor, Bramante Building, Renaissance Towers Ortigas, MeralcoAvenue, Pasig City starting MONDAY (Sept.28) / 9am – 7pm Contact Person: Warren Habaluyas (+632929-8713488) or email at luzonrelief@gmail.com
• MOONSHINE boutique in Rockwell also accepting relief good to help Ondoy victims in Marikina and Cainta.
• Katipunan Avenue. Contact Erica Paredes at (+632917-4741930) — they need bread, packed juice, sandwich filling (tuna, chicken, anything) You can help her make them, deliver the sandwiches to her house, or help her distribute! Call for more details.
• Manor Superclub, Eastwood City will accept goods and other emergency items starting Sunday at 10 am.
• Citizens Disaster Response Center (CDRC): Relief goods for typhoon victims being accepted at 72-A Times St., West Triangle, QC. Tel (+632-9299820/22)
• MINISTOP IBARRA (Espana cor. Blumentritt, Sampaloc Manila) is also accepting relief goods, Food (non-perishable goods only) Clothing, Medicines, Beds, Pillows, Blankets, Emergency Supplies to help Typhoon Ondoy victims.
• UP Mountaineers to deliver goods @ Wawa, Montalban (AM) & unreached parts of Tumana (PM) tom. Command Center will be Power UP TS. Supplies will be picked up from PUTS & UP Vinzons hall. Centralize UP's collection center there. For other UP assets, we recommend to organize delivery team to Cainta which just became accessible. If we finish up goods, we have access to ateneo supply. pls pass.

Thank you to everyone who will be helping. Be blessed.


**Culled from http://www.google.com/landing/typhoon-ondoy.html and http://behindinfinity.deviantart.com

Celebrate Reading Meme

I love books that's why I thought I would answer this meme (from http://mattviews.wordpress.com). I've come across book blogs earlier this year, but I didn't pay a lot of attention to them yet. Surfing through some again ignited my flickering passion for books. I'm even thinking of joining two challenges starting today. I just have to find and/or get the books I will be reading. I will also compile the list of books I've read this year. From this point on, I hope to be a more critical reader so that I could share what my thoughts on the book after reading.

Here we go...

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
If I do eat, I won't be able to read because my attention will be on the food that I'm eating, like getting my hand out of the package, or determining how I'm supposed to bite it. So no snacks for me.

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
My books should be as clean as possible. Of course, you can't prevent coffee or other food stains from spilling into (hopefully just) one or two pages. However, marking the books is a big no-no. You just have to preserve them in their pristine state as much as possible.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
No dog-ears; laying the book flat open also damages the book. If there's a bookmark available, I will use it. However, atm receipts, grocery receipts or any other small pieces of paper will do. Sometimes though, when there's nothing around I could use (or if I'm just too lazy to find one), I just try to remember which page I'm in and hopefully remember it the next time I pick up the book.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
I'd love to say both, but I have mostly read only fiction.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
I would rather have the hardbound books. However, I can't afford them yet, and besides, you can't carry them around! I think I'd also be bored if I'm just listening to an audiobook. I have my own pacing when I read books so I'd like to stick to that. I could also go back on previous sentences, paragraphs or pages when I have a printed book so it's easier to tie details up and imagine the story in my head.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I think I can put the book down at any point, but I prefer to finish the chapter before I do. However, if I've still got a long way to go before finishing the chapter, I usually try to finish at a point where there's no sense of excitement (anti-climactic in a sense).

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
I try to infer the meaning using context clues. If I have a pen and the paper I write vocab words in with me, maybe I'd write it down and make a note to consult the dictionary in the near future (which as is most often the case, I don't).

What are you currently reading?
Well, I'm in the middle of one of Katie MacAlister's Dark One novels: Sex and the Single Vampire, but it's an e-book. I recently started reading Conrad's Heart of Darkness, because I brought it along one time when I was applying for work. However, I've started a few other novels which I think I should be reading right now (like The Graveyard Book, Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Catch-22 and Smoke and Mirrors).

What is the last book you bought?
Okay, so the most recent ones I bought numbers four in all: Bangkok Dangerous, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Rama II and Heart of Darkness. Got them from Booksale at SM North Edsa. Silly me, I brought home most of my books because I will be able to start on them, but no, I had started some, but I haven't finished even half of those. And so when I moved back to QC, I had to bring a lot of clothes and couldn't find space for any of my books. So one day while in SM, I thought I'd look at the new location of Booksale and buy one book. I ended up with four. There was another interesting book they had on sale there: Iain Pearson's An Instance of the Fingerpost.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
What I'm reading usually depends on my mood, so if I feel like not continuing with what I'm currently reading, I'll pick up another one. Hopefully I get to finish it or both of them or all of them.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
As long as its quiet and without distractions (like people moving around all the time), I can read well. I also read lying or sitting down, and sometimes standing up. I usually do this at home, but more recently, I have been able to ignore the environment and read in crowded and noisy places like CASAA.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
I'd rather read stand alone books so that I won't be left with the feeling of needing to buy the next one. But I've read a few series, and they're also great (e.g. HP, LOTR, Tales of Earthsea, Dune).

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
It would have to be Neil Gaiman. Reading Preludes and Nocturnes, my first time to read any work by his, is unforgettable. At the beginning, I thought it had lousy visuals. But it wasn't long before it's got me hooked into this world where Endless beings personify aspects of life, and lost ordinary people, just like me, make their way, stumbling at first, but eventually finding the strength to stand up on their own. Since then, I've tried to read his novels and short stories. I love Neverwhere, it's my favorite Gaiman novel. I just love fantasy. I love the way the fantasy world co-exists with the real world that we know. It's there, we just don't know it. And it's our choice what we do with the knowledge of the existence of both.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
Oh, I've got no system yet. We only have one bookshelf at home, and it's quite stacked to the limit. Some layers are two or three books deep (for the mass market paperbacks), and I usually put the ones I want to read or re-read nearest the glass door of the shelf.

my BIG world

Ten years ago, my world was just starting to expand. 


The internet was just something I've been reading about in Young Star (the Friday youth section of the Philippine Star). From what I've gleaned, I knew immediately that I would like to be a part of that world. I'd want nothing more than to take advantage of this new tool to learn more not just about my immediate surroundings, but also a lot of different things from around the world. Learning about HTML (enrolled in a course the  summer before high school) also opened my eyes to the fact that one cannot only get information from the internet, you can also contribute to it. TechTV was then also available  to me and it introduced to me the different uses of  the internet. 


Thus began a life of reading fanfics and fiction made by unpublished but talented writers, downloading images of anime/movies/actors/musicians, blogging, watching J- or K-dramas once in a while, buying books through websites/online auctions (the first book I bought was Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides whose original owner was selling it through avalon.ph), discovering different kinds of music, and learning about writing, designing, photography and a myriad of other stuff. 


Thus is the life mentioned a never-ending search for information of different sorts and purposes.  Knowledge is power. And with a wealth of information at my fingertips, my world is so much bigger, my actions affecting not only the people I interact with physically; on the internet, an action, a reply, a message may be ignored by most people but there will be a few who will take time to read, dissect and criticize. Thus are actions jumpstarted, reactions generated, worlds changed.


+++
I didn't intend to end this entry way. This was supposed to be a post reminiscing about 10 years ago. But this is how it ended up. So what's with the post?


Well, avalon.ph is sponsoring a contest where you can win Neil Gaiman's Adventures in the Dream Trade. So there you go, if you haven't joined yet, don't waste any more time. The contest ends tonight at 11:59 pm. 


Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite storytellers, and I want to have everything by him to be able to reread them anytime. I still can't forget the impression I got when I first read Preludes and Nocturnes, my first time to read his work. Totally mind-blowing, something I'd treasure for a lifetime.

jitters

I slept early last night (around 12 MN) because I only had about four hours' sleep before my day started (the pitfall of not living with parents, especially ones who expect that their kids wake up not later than 8 AM). I was intending to wake up early, check my resume, decide on a wardrobe and waltz my way through the venue. My first time to do so.

I'm supposed to go to this job-seeker thing (haha! yup, it's a job fair). I worked on my resumé yesterday afternoon. Removed, revised, revamped the whole thing a bit. This morning, I was intending to surf the internet for some more resumé-writing tips. And then some more on the one thing I couldn't decide on: the wardrobe.  

I have two pairs of slacks, and only one blouse to go with them (my bad, I should have brought the others I had from home). And this blouse is the collared and long Korean type. I feel like I'm overdressed if I waltz in there with that on. It's going to be held in a mall. I feel like I should be wearing something else. Also I don't have any shoes. What I have is a pair of wedgy sandals. I thought I should have some of those flat/doll-type ones. I was dreaming of walking around in that pair of sandals, but then, I have an aversion to attracting attention. One of the reasons is that I feel like I'm gonna commit some fashion booboo anytime.

So there, the net-scouring stretched far more than I had intended. It's now 12 PM, I haven't found any tips. But I've checked my facebook, deviantart, multiply, twitter, plurk accounts and other stuffs in between (like del potro's 20-year old self winning his first grand slam after back-to-back wins over nadal and federer, amazing no?). I'm thinking I should just go there tomorrow, when I'm not thinking of other things (football is one - I'm playing this afternoon). If I do that, I just hope Mom won't check up on me today, because she was the one who gave me a heads up about this.

Alright. So it's not just about going to a job fair. Yesterday, while working on my resumé, I had a glimpse of what getting a job feels like. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. A first-job jitter, I know. But... Hmmm... Can't shake it off just yet. Can't help thinking that I have to let go of my carefree life when I get that first job.

But the job-hunting comes first... *sigh*

fangirl mode

I didn't know that Colin Firth played Mr. Darcy till tonight, while I was looking thru Ayn's site, and found her The Top 7 Fabulous Fictional Fellows list. He's my perfect image of Mr. Darcy ever since I first read Pride and Prejudice. I first saw him in Bridget Jones's Diary, and even though he was sort of dorky in one scene and not immediately likeable (like Darcy's character), he imbued this manliness (when he fought with Hugh Grant) which could make any girl (who loves that her man defends her honor) fall in love (hmm, there should be a better word besides manliness). You can also feel the strength behind his silent demeanor. Thus, the connection to Mr. Darcy of Pemberley.

Anyway, Colin Firth starred in a six-episode TV adaptation in 1995 and I have got to see that. There's nothing like seeing the man you've envisioned in the book acting out in real life what you've read about him doing. Hope I can find the videos in torrent...

Fitzwilliam Darcy is #1 in that list. Legolas Greenleaf takes 7^th place. I'll just quote Ayn because I can't think of a good way to rephrase what she said:

7. Legolas "Greenleaf" Thranduilion (Orlando Bloom, The Lord of the Rings) - gorgeous, brave, immortal and a prince. What more could you ask? Of course, you have to get past the fact that he's prettier than you first.

I just love that. One of my favorite scenes was in The Two Towers when he nonchalantly disarmed the minions of what's-this-guy's-name who were threatening to stop? attack? Gandalf when he was approaching Theoden. A lot of work pulled so effortlessly. Uh-huh. I like men like that.



Oh, and he looks totally yummy when he became captain of The Flying Dutchman. This is the best one from the At Worlds' End installment that I could find. I liked him better when he had the violet bandana on near the end of the movie.

Anyhow, I originally set out to write about one of my earlier movie crushes, those of the smart, long-haired, devil-may-care variety. I'm talking about Vincent Kartheiser who played Ozzie in 1997's Masterminds. It's not very popular although Patrick Stewart plays the villain here; he bagged the title role after showing some chops in his previous outing with Thora Birch (this from imdb). Well, I've watched it a few times on cable, and he's smart, long-haired and cool, trumps the bad guy in the end while pulling through for his family and for humanity. And did I say he's very cute? The other movie I've seen of him is Heaven-sent where he was younger. I haven't seen him since his teenage years. I don't watch Angel, and I haven't watched Mad Men yet, so I'm not sure if he's a great actor. I'd just like to preserve the way he looked in Masterminds. I'm sorry, but yeah, I'm a bit partial to baby faces. I couldn't find many pictures of the guy from his teenage days. So these few are the ones I've found. And no, no Angel-era pics here, sorry.


I think the first image's from the Masterminds movie. His clothing seems to indicate it.

Well, I guess that's all for today. But you should check out http://bit.ly/IGVth for some more awesome guys. I don't know all the guys mentioned but Colin Firth, Hugh Laurie, James McAvoy and Brad Pitt are <3.

Four Books and One

Silly me. Brought home most of my books, including the ones I want to read the most (Kafka on the Shore, Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Amulet of Samarkand, Catch-22, Shogun, Smoke and Mirrors), so that when I came back to QC yesterday, I couldn't bring any more books because my bag was filled with clothes, and some stuff I need to study.

My first foray out of the house this afternoon brought me to Radio City in Muñoz this afternoon, to buy myself a UTP cable so that my PC can access the net in a non-wireless way. After that, I proceeded to SM North where I'm supposed to buy stuff for toiletries. I entered the mall thru the 2nd floor, and I remember Macel saying Booksale is still found on that same floor. I looked for it, and it looks good; a bit bigger, with more variety of books. And that's why with P240, I was able to get:

• Close Encounters of the Third Kind by Steven Spielberg
• Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee
• Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
  
• Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett

The first two are sci-fi, one of the genres I'm most inclined to nowadays, aside from the chick-lit/romance reads and Murakami's reality bending works. I bought the third one because I've been hearing much about it, and besides, it was a brand new copy for a very cheap price. I'm delighted with my fourth find. This is not a mass market paperback, but if the hard-bound edition was softbound, this was how (big) it would look like. I've been quite interested with it, more so because even if it's a thriller of some sort, it's set in Thailand. And it's less than P150. There were also a number of Iain Pears's An Instance of the Fingerpost. It was thicker and smaller than Bangkok Tattoo, and the story was intriguing. However, nothing memorable jumped out as I was browsing through the pages. I'll look at it again next time.

So I'll be looking forward to reading those the next few days. Since yesterday, however, I started rereading Sex and the Single Vampire by Katie MacAlister. I just found out that paranormal romance is just one of the things that she writes about aside from YA and mysteries. I just found its file while I was browsing through an ebooks thread. It was empowering, and of course, it makes one fall for this perfect vampire lover - strong, witty, sensitive, sexy, incomplete, and just the right type for our heroine, who, abused during her past, is resisting any sort of control over her, has a bad leg, two widely mismatched eyes and can summon ghosts when she sneezes. I'm not finished with it yet, but it'll only be a few more hours before I look for the next book/e-book to read.

feeling organized and clean

Alright. So tags in blogger started in late 2006. I only started applying them in December of that year. This blog is five years old. I don't suppose I should go back through all of my posts and tag them. Hopefully not. Unless I'm seized by a sudden OC attack, then I might just do that.

This new template I got is so wonderfully clean, I feel so organized. And I'm not the most organized person when it comes to some personal stuff (Oh, but my files in the PC are organized most of the time. Although there are a number of stray files, which are still in the to-do list). In fact, my tags are so varied and so many, I might just as well be tagging my future posts with the first thing that comes to mind. So it was that after installing the theme and deeming everything to be in its rightful place, I set about to grouping posts that have been tagged under common names (much like Wordpress's categories), some of which I still had to think up.

So that's that. Hooray for this theme. I love the look, and you know what, it's inspiring me to write. :D

listening to: Supertramp

wish

I turned the corner, and there he was

leaning on the wall, one hand in his pocket,

the other holding a

cellphone, busily punching an immediate reply

to a business associate.

Around him, people continued

to mill about, approaching an acquaintance or browsing through

(the products in) the gallery. Amidst the

usual chaos of the 33rd floor, he stood looking

quite at home in the busy atmosphere, very much composed...

and very cute.



At my approach, his head snapped up,

his hand snapping the phone shut and

a wide smile drapes itself across his features.

He had been waiting for me, and

when I reached him, we make our way

as he guides me through the throng of people.



If only

that smile would appear that way

only for me.



+ I wrote this one day in June two years ago, a piece borne out of some wishful thinking, which was extremely short-lived. heh :D

++ This piece is also published at deviantart and at fictionpress.

write. read. watch. [aug-16-09 edition]

Where art thou?
- laman ng SMS ko kay Daddy nung isang gabi dahil maghahapunan na ay wala pa siya

++

The next day, I was muttering some lines using old English-speak. From there, I got the inspiration to write my Meet fuNky_souL piece for the Peyups Webring. Pero di pa nagma-materialize. Kagabi, sinubukan kong basahin ang A Midsummer Night's Dream dahil iyon lang ang libro ni Shakespeare na meron dito (pagmamay-ari ng kapatid kong si Karen) pero wala pa ring kinahinatnan. Kelangan ko ng iba pa. In the meantime, maghihintay muna ang intro piece na iyon.

++

These days, madalas facebook ang inaatupag ko sa net. Naka-ilang applications na rin ako, at siyempre, dahil madalas ay masugid ako sa mga sinisimulan kong gawain, tinutuloy ko pa rin ang pagsubaybay sa lahat ng iyon, although di na kasing-sugid ng dati. Iba na ang naaadik sa mga bagay na sa huli ay wala rin namang patutunguhan.

++

Sa ngayon, palipat-lipat ako sa pagbabasa ng Smoke and Mirrors ni Neil Gaiman, Gerilya ni Norman Wilwayco at Catch-22 ni Joseph Heller, depende sa mood. Minsan, di ko masakyan iyong ibang mga kwento ni G. Gaiman. Iba-iba talaga ang mundong ginagalawan ng mga tauhan niya. Pero interesante ang mga pinapakitang pangyayari dun. Hindi ko lang masabi na I love those stories as much as I loved Neverwhere or all 10 issues of Sandman.

++

Siyempre, di maiwasan ang tumaba nang todo. Ilang beses ko nang binalak na mag-jogging o di kaya'y magpractice kasama ng soccer ball ko somewhere malapit sa aming bahay, kaso di pa nagkakatotoo iyon. Bukas sana nang umaga. Siyempre, wala naman kasing ibang magawa dito sa bahay kundi maupo, kumain, magluto ng iba pang makakain, mag-net, matulog, kaya di talaga maiwasan ang paglobo.

++

Kagabi, dahil di ko napanood ung original telecast nung Lunes, ay pinanood ako ang dalawang huling episodes ng Season 5 ng pinakamamahal kong House. Di ko alam na dalawang palabas na kaagad ang makikita ko, dahil madalas naman ay isang episode lang ang pinapakita sa AXN. Pero ayun... Medyo malubha na nga ang mga nararamdaman (as in sensing, not feeling) ni House kaya't medyo nagpakawala rin ako ng ilang luha habang pinapanood ang huling eksena kung saan iniwan na ni Dr. Greg ang ilang personal effects niya kay Dr. Wilson at tuluy-tuloy na siyang dumeretso sa psychiatry hospital kung saan siya mamamalagi muna. Preview ng Season 06 ay dun na sa pscyh hospital (with a cool soundtrack to boot: Elbow's Grounds for Divorce sa ep02 preview na makikita sa YouTube). Pero ayun, parang diba, dati nasa pedestal siya, kahit na mali siya, nai-aassert pa rin niya ang gusto niya, ang mga ideas niya. In a way, medyo invincible siya. Tapos kung anong nangyari (dahil hindi ko pa napapanood nang buo ang seasons 3,4 & 5 nang buo), bigla niyang nakikita at nakakausap ang patay nang si Amber. Humantong sa punto na hinallucinate lamang niya sa nangyari nang isang buong gabi. Nakakatakot at, hindi ko alam kung pano sabihin, parang naging helpless na lang siya sa mga pangyayari. Nakakatakot na mula sa isang state na in-control ka, biglang hindi mo na kayang i-control ito. Ni hindi mo na nga rin alam kung alin ang totoo o hindi. Kasabay nang medyo malagim na pangyayaring ito ay ang pagpapakasal nina Chase at Cameron, finally pagkatapos ng makailang balakid sa kanilang pagpapakasal. Mas madalas nitong season 5, parang parati na lang nakasimangot si Chase. Mas madalas kong makitang pumihit ang mga dulo ng labi niya paibaba (epekto ni Cameron at ng kanilang relasyon?) Mas nagkaroon na rin ang bulk ang katawan niya, mas mahaba ang buhok at usually ay may beard, kaya di na siya iyong hot na Chase na naging crush ko sa simula.

++

Sinimulan ko ring basahin ang graphic novel edition ng Neverwhere ni Neil Gaiman (ang Neverwhere ang paborito ko sa mga libro niyang nabasa ko na - ang mga di ko pa lang nababasa ay Blueberry at Fragile Things. Ay! At ang The Graveyard Book dahil hindi ko pa pala ito natatapos - pero astig 'to kaya go Read!). Medyo iba ung imahe dun sa pagkaka-imagine ko habang binabasa ko iyong libro. Pwedeng di ko talaga naintindihan nang mabuti ang mga paglalarawan ni G. Gaiman habang binabasa ko iyong libro niya. Pwede ring binago na rin mismo ng writer at ng mga illustrators ang vision nila sa libro. Mas voluptuous na si Door. I imagined dati na medyo payat (close to malnourished na payat pero hindi pa malnourished) sina Door at Richard Mayhew, tapos mas makulay ang kasuotan ng Marquis de Sade. Pero di naman ganun kalaking problema iyon sa graphic novel. Ayos naman siya sa 'kin. Handa na kong ma-amaze at makapag-imagine uli. Kakaibang mundo na naman ang mapupuntahan ko. Excited na kong ituloy ang pagbabasa :)

something killed me

I don't know what's with today. After a fairly satisfactory day, after-dinner just seemed to continue spiraling downwards. I had work tutoring English and not one of my lessons turned out the way I used to do it. Distracted, or not in the mood...one of those two. Was supposed to watch a season 5 House episode but was not able to, mainly because I went overtime with my last student. I didn't feel really like I was doing my best but I couldn't do anything about it. I hate this feeling...

And so, I just tried to ward off the feeling... soundtripped, surfed, plurked song lines and generally, just sent my plans to hell. and now, it's late, i'm looking at the time i've wasted. my right hand's aching, I haven't washed my clothes like I planned to. I was also looking forward an (first) early morning jog, and now, it's not going to happen. darn this.

my mood's a bit better because of DA, but not yet in the pinkest of degrees. me need to go artsy, even if just for awhile.

Of death and bento

I first heard about Cory Aquino's death through Facebook status updates. I was quite busy tending to online duties because I was set to go home to Pangasinan that day. the news kinda surprised me, but not to the point to incite grief in me as yet. Maybe it's because of the things that Kuya Carl said happened in the past. Here at home, my mom has been constantly tuning in to the TV coverage of the wake. And somehow, you realize that even if that person wasn't the greatest person there ever was, you just have to look at his/her family and how much they love him and you'll have no doubt that in spite of the bad things that he/she may have done, his family needing him/her is enough to at least set aside any animosity and feel genuine grief.

Cory Aquino has been an important figure in the Philippine history. Though as of the moment, events from 20+ years past are quite sketchy for me because of recent information, I still believe that Cory Aquino has been very influential in the country's state of affairs. Kris' outpouring the other day also showed that besides being a dedicated public servant, she also tried to be the best mother that she can be.

For that, I pray that Cory Aquino rest in a more comfortable place while still looking out for our beloved country.



* * *

2009 is becoming a landmark year for deaths of people who have had an influence, direct or otherwise, on me. Francis M died in March after proudly showing to the Filipinos that we have something to be proud of. My Uncle Bert died in May, leaving behind a his loving wife, four kids and four grandchildren. Then Michael Jackson, musical genius, left to stay somewhere better the following month. This month, it's the former president's turn to say goodbye.

This is just the thing with growing up: as you grow older, you eventually have to say goodbye to the people you know. If you were younger, they were already old, then you'll just have to expect that they'll die out before you do the same.


* * *

I've been meaning to post this since the other Friday, but busy-ness and lack of internet access have prevented me. Anyway, this photo was taken by my student Chiro-san of his friend's bento. I'm sharing this because it just looked soo kawaii!!



According to Chiro-san, the characters in the bento are three famous characters among/for Japanese kids. He was quite surprised that I knew about Hello Kitty. Anyway, isn't it just so cute? And there seems to be a variety of food in each of the bento (Japanese for lunchbox; something that girlfriends/wives make for their boyfriends/husbands), unlike the lunchboxes here in the Philippines which usually consist of rice and the viand. The image just makes me go yum :)

ant-bitten

being bitten by no less than six red ants (the kind that bites painfully) is some experience. sure, I didn't mind too much while I was trying to get the picture from that certain angle but I couldn't stay any longer. after they bit me, the parts where their proboscis made contact with my skin were swollen. nothing much to it.

then the following morning, i woke up with pus where the ants bit me. it's been almost three days since that incident. and i still have to see those bites go their healing way.

but well, that's just the experience if you're really pursuing a shot. unfortunately, the shot i made that time didn't turn out as well as i expected.