Stop. Look. Listen. Watch!
August 26, 2008Not neccessarily in that order! I’m feeling a little nostalgic today so I was goign through some old files. Dug up some old music and a ton of photos. I came across this gem:
Another Day in the City (Classic Tragic Hero)
I also found a couple of pics from when Jen and I first started dating:
Nice place:
And then I found bunch of photos from all our travels so I decided to make a slideshow. Check it out:
About Quitting Cold Turkey
July 9, 2008Failure. I HAS IT!
A mere 85 hours after I smoked that wonderful Villiger cigar and attempted to quit e habit, my will crumbles and I give in to the craving. I have just returned to my desk from what I thought was a trip downstairs to buy myself a bottle of Del Monte Fit & Right that suddenly turned into a ciggy break. Yes. I know. I suck.
Lorem Ipsum
June 4, 2008Nullam ut dui. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Integer vel dui. Sed sodales. Fusce nunc lorem, interdum sit amet, faucibus eu, pulvinar a, ipsum. Etiam porttitor. Suspendisse erat. Praesent tempus, felis sed facilisis elementum, arcu sapien porta libero, vitae condimentum est odio convallis risus. Curabitur a magna at lectus adipiscing venenatis. Ut tortor mauris, mollis nec, iaculis et, rutrum ac, neque. Nunc ut nibh a eros ullamcorper laoreet. Pellentesque nisi. Donec risus. Ut in purus. Donec et augue.
Pellentesque eu elit. Sed velit tellus, aliquet in, porttitor ut, pharetra malesuada, sapien. In diam. Vivamus neque erat, rhoncus at, sodales a, dignissim ut, nibh. Suspendisse sodales augue sed est. Nunc nec neque a felis euismod convallis. Proin lorem dui, convallis eget, cursus non, tempor eu, nisl. Curabitur ullamcorper mattis ipsum. Aenean blandit malesuada nisl. Proin mattis interdum libero.
`American Idol’ cuts another finalist, leaving 6 contestants
April 17, 2008By ERIN CARLSON, Associated Press Writer Wed Apr 16, 10:05 PM PDT
NEW YORK (AP) — The praise of Mariah Carey couldn’t rescue Kristy Lee Cook from elimination on “American Idol.” The 24-year-old resident country singer from Selma, Ore., was the latest casualty as the Fox sing-off narrowed the competition to six finalists.
Though guest mentor Carey said Cook’s rendition of “Forever” gave her chills, Simon Cowell was not so impressed.
Brooke White and Syesha Mercado joined Cook with the lowest number of votes on Wednesday’s results show. When asked to predict the loser, Cowell said: “Maybe Kristy — you know, your time’s up this time, sweetheart.”
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Cook cried but took the eviction in stride. She directed her reprisal of “Forever” to Cowell, who grinned awkwardly.
The telecast also featured performances by “Idol” also-ran Elliott Yamin and Carey, who sang “Bye Bye” from her new album “EMC2.”
___
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a pretty girl
Good Morning
March 21, 2007I'm suddenly sad. A near debilitating kind of sad. I'm sitting here in Ortigas Park, drinking coffee on this beautiful Wednesday morning and I'm just so messed up sad, like nothing really matters. It's a feeling of utmost futility…in everything! I don't know where it's coming from and I don't think anyone can understand it. Mainly because even I don't understand it. It would really make me feel better to talk to someone about it but I don't have anybody to say it to. I really don't want to worry my wife because I know this is just fleeting. It's just that right at this moment, I hate how I'm feeling. I wish I could make it go away but my brain betrays me. It just won't do as it's told.
I watch all these people walking past, a whole menagerie of them, scurrying to someplace they probably think is of some great importance like their work or their kids or just their bed to get some sleep. Damned call centers, used to be you knew exactly where people are heading off to in the morning, at least the lot of 'em. They're going to work. Now you can't tell if they're coming or leaving. I wonder how their lives are. Do they like whatever it is they're doing? Are they dreaming of something better? Are those stupid white cords attached to their ears a mere companion or an armor of some sort? Do they even worry about it as much as I'm worrying about it right now?
I see a nice enough looking couple walking hand in hand. She's dressed up well and all made up, obviously heading off to work in some office in one of these glass towers that practically surround me. He's wearing basketball shorts, flip-flops and a fake leather biker's jacket over a white wife-beater. In his free hand he's carrying two helmets, the girl's black shoulder bag and a small pink paper bag that probably contains pork adobo on rice inside one of those disposable plastic microwaveable containers that's been reused one too many times. The sight of them together is just so sad. Yes, I know, I'm being judgemental but fuck it, it's painfully obvious what possibilities lie ahead for them and most of them aren't pretty. The few positive scenarios are so unlikely and yet you can see by how tightly they are holding each other's hand that it's what they are hoping for. That makes me even sadder.
Then I see this girl, pretty little thing, looking as if she just stepped out of a magazine. I bet she works for one too. There's one here nearby. You can see she's put a lot of thought in her outfit, her accessories and even her make-up. She has this look like she just knows she's gorgeous, you know,
the contorted, I'm- so-pretty-I-don't-give-a-crap-about-you-unpretty-commoners look.
However, you could see her watching the people looking at her. She could barely contain her glee that she is being admired. It's really pathetic and sad and I just hate how sometimes people are so goddamned transparent.
Then I see another girl, probably no older than eighteen, walking this adorable collie. You can tell it isn't hers. She's perfectly perfunctory. She's obviously a maid, possibly from some charming little province trying out her luck in the big city, finding herself waiting for her rich master's dog to take a shit, shit that she will then carefully wrap in a plastic bag and throw in the nearest trashcan. Except that there aren't too many trashcans around here. The thought of her carrying dog shit around so early in the morning depresses the shit out of me. At home in the province, she'd probably be done sweeping the leaves off the front of their small yard and would now be warming her hands with a cup of cheap instant coffee sharing priceless laughter with her sisters or possibly even someone special. Here, she has shit to warm her hands.
Then I catch myself and realize that these are all just stories I made up inside my head and it makes me even sadder that I can't come up with anything except sad stories. So I finish the rest of my coffee in one big gulp. I walk to my building, ride the elevator to my office and set myself in my tiny cubicle, away from all those walking tragedies. I turn on my electronic window to the world that mockingly declares, with the most ironic glee, "Yahoo!".
I sigh and begin my day.
Anna
January 5, 2007Her name is Anna. She had a friendly face and an even friendlier heart. Her smile could cheer anyone up and her laugh was sheer poetry. She was wearing her favorite dress, a yellow haltered top dress that always reminded her of ripe mangoes and summer, two more of her favorite things. The dress stopped just a few inches above her knees and she smoothed down the hem before she dried her tears and stood up from the cold concrete bench. And without knowing exactly where to go, she walked the school grounds, reminiscing in the chill of that october night.
She wandered around aimlessly, visiting old haunts and places pregnant with memories both bitter and sweet. She brought her hands up to her eyes and silently scolded herself. "Why can't I stop crying?"
Half an hour later she found herself back at the familiar concrete bench. This had always been her bench and no other place in this old campus felt more like home. With a sigh of resignation, she sat down once more. And although she tried to stop them, the tears came once more. She buried her face in her hands and started to sob.
"Someone so beautiful shouldn't be crying so hard, and certainly not for this long."
Anna looked up to see a young man standing in front of her. He smiled at her and for a moment she felt oddly comforted.
"I can't stop crying and I do not know why." She told him.
He knelt on one knee and looked into her eyes and he said, "I do. Follow me."
And she did, with the trust of little girl she followed after the young man as he walked briskly in front of her.He led her past the auditorium and past the library, past the canteen and past the chapel, and soon they were walking out the gates of the school. They took the footbridge across the main avenue, walked past the line of restaurants and coffee shops, some she found familiar and many others which she seems to have seen for the first time. They turned into a small side street and walked until they reached a small compound of townhouses. The young man led her to the third house from the right.
And it was there, through the window did she see him. He was much older than she remembered but she was certain it was him. He sat there alone, a bottle of beer one hand and a five year old photo in the other. She felt her tears stream down her cheeks once more and realized that the man inside was crying too. And although she could not hear him, she clearly saw his lips call out her name, "Anna…"
She turned to the young man who led her here, to this place, to where she now knew she needed to be. But he was nowhere to be found, like he was never really there at all. No matter though. She took a deep breath, dried her tears and smoothed out her dress once more. She knew what she had to do.
Then she walked through the apartment's wall to sit with her beloved.
In darkest night…
January 2, 2007This is an old quiz and I can't help but feel a bit nostalgic. Green Lantern, Hal Jordan to be more precise, was my favorite superhero when I was a kid.
Your results:
You are Green Lantern
|
Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.  |
TASTE
August 26, 2005
And it’s been awhile
Since I could look at myself straight
And it’s been awhile
Since I said I’m sorry
And it’s been awhile
Since I’ve seen the way the candles light your face
And it’s been awhile
But I can still remember just the way you taste
-Staind
STANDARD NONSENSE SALVO 5: Big fat bald guy in the kitchen
August 25, 2005I started helping out in the kitchen when I was eight. I owe my knife skills (naks…skills daw!) to my grandmother. Who while having to fill a big order for a rush catering job was either desperate or trusting enough to put an extremely sharp blade in my then rather young hands. She showed me how to peel and slice the onions. And for about an hour, that was all she made me do. I remember that day quite vividly. I was crying but I was happy. I knew then that I was hooked.
However it was my mom who really taught me how to cook. I was barely nine when I cooked my first dish, adobo. Fairly simple, but back then it was still a bit of a challenge. (hey…c’mon! i was a kid!) My mom let me do everything on my own, from prepping to presentation, observing me through the whole process, offering guidance and advice along the way. The fact that my cousins had no complaints and my mom’s quiet smile as we had dinner made me believe that I did pretty good.
From then on, a new dynamic in our relationship took place. Not just as mother and son, but as apprentice and teacher. And I think even then, I somehow understood what it meant. That I was to learn as much from her as possible, so that soon, we could be equals, even if it was only in the kitchen. By teaching me how to cook, my mother became my friend.
Much has happened since then. We prepared countless dishes together, from the simple adobo, to kare kare, from pancit to puttanesca. I began to focus on more western dishes, while she went on and learned more exotic asian delicacies. We got to a point where we were learning from each other. No longer apprentice and teacher, just two cooks in a kitchen. And even as our friendship grew, as often as it is with parent and child, we had our share of fights. We had our share of joys and sorrows. And bittersweet as it was, I know it was more sweet than it was bitter.
I lost my mom to cancer nearly 3 years ago. She was 47. And I miss her terribly.
I’ve learned quite a lot of new recipes since then, even created a few of my own. And even if there is that slight twinge knowing that my mom could never get to taste them, there is comfort in knowing that I love cooking as much as I do because of her.
STANDARD NONSENSE SALVO 4: Noodles of fun
July 5, 2005Me and my officemates, Ginny, Wilma and Mico, came across this at the Ministop downstairs:
Subo Laver Egg Soup? What were they thinking?! We were laughing so hard people in the store started looking at us funny. Curiousity got the better of Mico though who decided to give it a try. And supposedly, it’s actually pretty good.
A few days later, we were back in the same Ministop to get us some snacks. Mico wanted to get the egg soup again. We found a new variant beside it:
Subo Milky Cucumber Soup? Now that just floored me. Could it be some weird kind of marketing ploy? It did work on Mico right?
I don’t know really nor do I care much. I’m just glad to have shared a good laugh with my new friends. So keep your eyes open, and keep your sense of humor. You never know what you’ll run into. Happiness, however fleeting, can be found even in a 24 hour convenience store.
STANDARD NONSENSE SALVO 3: kababawan
June 22, 2005i just really found this funny:
INTERNET = PENIS
* It can be up or down. It’s more fun when it’s up, but it makes it hard to get any real work done.
* In the long-distant past, its only purpose was to transmit information considered vital to the survival of the species. Some people still think that’s the only thing it should be used for, but most folks today use it for fun most of the time.
* It has no conscience and no memory. Left to its own devices, it will just do the same damn dumb things it did before.
* It provides a way to interact with other people. Some people take this interaction very seriously, others treat it as a lark. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what kind of person you’re dealing with until it’s too late.
* If you don’t apply the appropriate protective measures, it can spread viruses.
* It has no brain of its own. Instead, it uses yours. If you use it too much, you’ll find it becomes more and more difficult to think coherently.
* We attach an importance to it that is far greater than its actual size and influence warrant.
* If you’re not careful what you do with it, it can get you in big trouble.
* It has its own agenda. Somehow, no matter how good your intentions, it will warp your behavior. Later you may ask yourself “why on earth did I do that?”
* Some folks have it, some don’t.
* Those who have it would be devastated if it were ever cut off. They think that those who don’t have it are somehow inferior. They think it gives them power. They are wrong.
* Those who don’t have it may agree that it’s a nifty toy, but think it’s not worth the fuss that those who do have it make about it. Still, many of those who don’t have it would like to try it.
* Once you’ve started playing with it, it’s hard to stop. Some people would just play with it all day if they didn’t have work to do.
STANDARD NONSENSE SALVO 2: Friendster Ad
June 1, 2005
Honestly, am I the only person to think this is weird? This just seems wrong somehow. Or is my mind just filthy?
STANDARD NONSENSE SALVO 1: “love vs luv”
May 27, 2005Before you go on reading, let me warn you, this might get a bit
uhm… sappy. Really, if you can’t handle reading a grown man talk all
mushy then i would suggest you move on.
Still here? Very well…
Love has many meanings. It has been defined by so many people and in so
many different ways. Love is blind, love hurts, love is a many
splendored thing, love is a chemical reaction inside one’s brain,
etcetera etcetera.
Because of its varied definitions, there is a bit of confusion as to
what love really is. One debate i find compelling is between “love as a
feeling” and “love as an act of will”. The former of course relates to
the most common experience of love, that is “being in love” while the
latter speaks of commitment, whether or not you are still “in love”.
People who subscribe to the notion of “love as a feeling” put emphasis
on emotional connection, that indescribable spark, better known in
tagalog as “kilig“. To them, when the “kilig”
is gone it means that love has gone along with it. Proponents of the
“love as an act of will” school of thought vehemently refute this frame
of thinking. They insist that true love is continued commitment to
someone even when the “kilig”
is gone. These people believe that “being in love” is merely a stage in
the greater act of love. To them love is not driven by emotion, rather
it is driven by conscious effort.
I have problems subscribing to either of the 2 paradigms. The first one
seems to suggest that the heart goes where it pleases, that emotions
dictate when and who (or what) we love, that love is a fragile thing.
While the other seems as appealing as a life sentence, as if love is
nothing but hard work.
So which is which? I could go on and discuss the philosophical merits
of both schools of thought. But I won’t do that. Firstly because if I
do this entry would be unbearably long. The second reason is a bit more
personal. (and as I’ve warned, sappy) It’s like this, me and my wife
have been married for almost 3 years. And yet I wake up every morning
knowing that I could never be more in love with any other person in all
of time and space. (I know 3 years doesn’t sound like much, but I’ve
observed other relationships run out of “kilig”
in much less time. I’ve also been told by my elders to expect the
honeymoon to end after 1 year. But I believe this is for another entry
so moving on…) What amazes me even more is this, it doesn’t matter if
we’ve had a fight and still haven’t made up before we slept. I still
wake up with that wonderful feeling, of knowing without a shadow of a
doubt that I am in love with my wife. This brings me then to come up
with my own definition of love. (and It doesn’t matter if no one will
agree with me on this) True love for me is this, the conscious
commitment to making sure my partner falls in love with me every single
day. I think if two people in a relationship share this notion, then
there’s no reason for the “kilig” to die in a commitment.
Luckily my wife agrees with me on this one.
Intro muna
May 25, 2005I’m crazy about the beach. I love to snorkel and i
spend hours paddling like mad on a kayak. Oddly though, I’m still shaped
like a whale. But that’s ok. Just give me sand, surf and beautiful weather
and I’m happy as a clam. Good thing our country is blessed with so many
great beaches.
My wife is just as nuts about the beach as I am, maybe even more so. We
beach hop so much that we have mastered the art of travelling on a
budget. I’ll be posting more on that later.
Our last trip took us to Cebu, Dumaguete, Bohol, Surigao and Cagayan De
Oro. I’ll be putting up our pictures here very soon. But for now,
here’s a pic taken at “Bas Dako” or Big Sand Beach in Moalboal, Cebu.
The place is practically deserted, the sand, powder white and the water
is clear as clear can be, definitely one of the most pristine beaches
I’ve been to.
