Kweba…

A Tribute…

Ang ganda ng title, pero sa oras na marinig mo yung kanta na gawa ng Tenacious D na ganito yung title, sasabihin nyo niloloko ko na naman kayo…

…pero seryoso ako… Promise~

Bihira ako mag-sulat ng tribute; ayoko kasi ng pulitika kasi hindi rin naman ako bumoboto. Ayokong i-showcase ang isang tao, bagay o pangyayari na kilala nyo, kinakain nyo o di kaya naman eh napuntahang event ng kasama nyo kasi mas marami syang pera kesa sayo. Pero sa tingin ko eh isang napakalaking exception ng isang ito. Hindi siya bagay, hindi siya isang pangyayari; ang pangalan nya ay RDC Studios…

Kung si Batman may Bat Cave, ang San Roque Unit ng Central C 2C eh may RDC. Walang eroplano o matinding kotse dito. May gadget man, siguro isang distortion lang. Studio nga ang tawag, wala namang drums; hindi pa pwedeng mag-recording.

Grabe sa rant noh? Pero honestly, di hamak naman na mas pipiliin ko yung bahay na yun bilang head quarters kasi kung ma-iimagine nyo yung talagang batcave, siguro lahat ng computer screen ni Batman eh nag-uumapaw na sa ebs ng paniki dahil sa dami ng mga nakatirang Bats dun.

Isang maliit na property na pag-aari ni tito Ramon Dela Cruz at ng kanyang pamilya, ito ang tinaguriang “Pangalawang Tahanan” ng San Roque Unit ever since natapos ang “Joint CLP” nito kasama ang Sta Clara Parish; isang proyekto kung saan na-produce ang mga members na nag-tayong muli ng halos nag-laho nang SFC San Roque. Simple lang ang RDC; isang tahanan na kahit maliit eh kayang-kayang magpa-tuloy ng isang buong SFC Unit para sa isang official Unit mEATing. Households, Music Ministry Practice, Birthday Sessions, Despedida Parties, CLP Equipment Storage Facility Reservations, Planning, Bilangan ng Raffle Ticket, pati nga yata Awarding Ceremony nangyari na dito eh.

Hindi lang isang beses tumusok sa isipan ko kung hindi ba na-dedeprive yung privacy ng mga dela Cruz sa lahat ng kaguluhang nangyayari sa bahay nila. Pero since lahat sila eh kaanib ng Family Ministry eh blessing na para sa kanila na gawing instrumento para sa mga gawain Nya. Siguro kung sa ibang pamilya ito eh katakot-takot na pag-tanggi na ang inabot ng SFC sa kanila, hindi ako insider pero pagkatapos ng mahigit apat na taon sa community at hindi mabilang na pag-kain ng kung anu mang pwedeng makain sa bahay na ito eh ni hindi ko yata narinig yun.

Partida pa yun, taga-kabilang Chapter pako…

Sinasabing ang hospitality nating mga Pilipino mas matingkad kung ikukumpara sa lahat ng lahi mayroon ang mundo. Samahan mo pa ito ng lahat ng pamantayan ng isang pamilyang katoliko at makikita ninyo ang isang tahanan na tulad ng nasa Tribute na ito.

Lahat tayo ay may isang lugar na tinatawag nating tahanan. Syempre, kung wala kang Home Base eh certified palaboy ka kahit Super Hero ka pa. Ang bawat tao ay may sariling kastilyo na na siyang sinisilungan niya kapag umuulan. Bangketa man ito o isang dambuhalang palasyo, tila isa itong salamin na nagpapa-hayag kung anong klaseng mga living things ang naka-tira dito.

Alam ko marami pang mga tahanan na tulad ng nasa article natin ngayon; mga tahanan na pinapamahayan ng mga nilalang na kulang na lamang eh ampunin ang lahat ng pasakit ng sinumang kumatok sa pintuan nito. Basta ako, bilib na bilib ako; bihirang-bihira kasi ang maka-kita ako ng isang gigiray-giray na palasyo na kayang magpa-kain ng tatlumpung mananampalatayang sundalo.

Pawnage…

It was the point of no return; every sweep that you make using a sticky, battle-worn mouse will be the deciding factor if you will go home smiling or weeping. It’s just another point of ecstasy in your life where time stops; you fervently disregard everything because it all depends on your last, well-positioned click…

BANG!!!

This is what usually happens if you are a nocturnal entity who likes to live in computer shops as a hobby; playing with your equally vampiric amigos on your quest on knowing who will be the victorious group for the night… And on who will buy 2 bottles of Cola later for our midnight snack slash breakfast.

I once belonged to a circle of friends bound together through passionate gaming; sharing each bunny hop, emperium break, and creep push with my peers every night inside a lowly, worn down computer shop in Tejeron Manila, living the life of a happy-go-lucky college student who spends 80% of his weekly allowance on games, games, and more games…

But that was 3 years ago…

Tonight, I am sitting in a small, solemn chapel in the middle of the old Metro and am currently staring at a friend exchanging vows to the girl that he loves. OMFGFTWBBQSAUCEDESU…

Awkward Sunshine…

Playing games has been a part of almost anyone’s life. It is our chosen Zen on which we bound specific rules on something that we do and try to abide it for fun; stimulating our mental abilities along the way as well as our physical attributes if the game itself requires it. But on video games, it is a totally different thing. A video game allows you to live in a world of your liking, still bound by rules of course, but usually defy the ones that we have in the real world. A person who is passionate about his chosen games takes such rules seriously to the point that completion of each and every goal is a must; that is, if there is enough time to do it.

Our life as a gamer usually reaches its peak during our high school / college level. This is the point in time when we are almost free of the worries that adult life offers; but is already responsible enough for our actions as a growing individual. It is our point of Nirvana when we can actually restrain ourselves from basic necessities such as eating, just to spend our weekly allowance on the things that we love to do; regardless if that is a hard to find “Gathering” deck or a ridiculously over-priced mini four-wheel drive car bumper.

But it all goes to a sudden stop when we graduate college; well, for most of us anyway. Because the realization that we are already adults, that we now have to carry ourselves and move away from the loving care of our parents can be such a shock that we totally move away, if not completely, from our so called beloved hobbies.

So this is the point, where we choose to continue the game or just move on and accept reality completely…

Game Over?

With these thoughts in mind, I spent the rest of the night talking with these former comrades in battle; chatting about how we used to scream at each other when one is having a bad gaming night, or how arcade games back then stick out from the ones being offered nowadays. I of course got acquainted to them because of such games that all of us seem to enjoy. I mean, I remember being introduced to them 6 years ago because of a simple Counter Strike game; and now here we are, all grown men, jobs and all, sitting around a braided round table just reminiscing on our past war stories that we all shared when we were still on our peak of our gaming life like unsung heroes blasted from a prehistoric era.

Honestly speaking, I can still say that I am on the peak of my hobby as a gamer. With a not so time-demanding career as an online teacher, I can still play my own choice of games on my hard earned computer at home after a not so stressful day at work; I mean, I even get to talk with my young students about video games while working so stress is not really a factor for me. It’s just that not all of us have the luxury of time compared to what I’m enjoying right now, economic recession and all. It felt like one-by-one; we slowly relaxed our firm grip on our respective controllers and placed them down gently on the ground as we slowly trotted our way through our lives; willing to look back but never returning again; with me, left alone still clasping mine with both hands.

Of course some of us chose the path of gaming as a career, sporting their own boisterous computer shops; and some even etching their names on the Philippine Online Gaming Business.  But it was never the same of course; nothing can beat the time when we were all stuck inside a certain underground dungeon in Ragnarok Online fending off hordes of monsters; or during the time when we discovered Warcraft 3’s Defense of the Ancients for the first time gradually getting hooked on it, all in the name of friendship.

Press Start to Continue…

But then again we do have to realize that every game has its own respective endings. And that these endings are the ones that make them epic enough to stay in our minds forever. Yes I still feel bad that we no longer belong to a world where we are inhuman heroes gnawing at each other for a bottle of Cola; but it’s still time well spent; we’d all have to move on anyway.

We ended the occasion gulping the last round of drinks dedicated to the newlyweds, waving goodbyes and exchanging insults and handshakes promising each other that we will drop by and play some Left 4 Dead on a friend’s shop if we have the time to burn. We all scattered to our respective places in the city like ebbing dragonflies straying out in the middle of the night; our sober hearts warmed up with the sudden scent of nostalgia.

Even if our parents won’t believe it, Video Games have been an important part of our lives. Whether it’s an online game acquaintance or just a sparring buddy in your local mall arcade, the game itself gives us the opportunity to understand each other; because it is not the game that is usually remembered but the people itself that you associate it with.

With every sway of the Joystick, every slam of the button and rapid click of a mouse; everyone will come to a point that they are also going to turn over their controllers and move on. I’m just thankful that my journey with my peers was worth looking back because I can proudly say that once in my life; I shared an adventure with a group of friends… all in the name of Pawnage…

Berdeng Usapan…

Masarap ang trabaho ko kahit medyo kinasusuklaman ko ang ilan sa mga task na ginagawa ko. Nakaka-aliw din kasi minsan yung habit ko na makipag-kwentuhan ng tungkol sa kung anu-ano habang kausap ang mga esudyante kong Koreano.

Ito ang isa sa mga matitinding topic namin ng isa mga mada-daldal kong kausap:

—

Student: You know what? I go to my friend daughter exhibit!

Ako: The what?

S: I go to my friend daughter exhibit!

A: AHHH! Please say, “I went to the exhibit of my friend’s daughter!”

S: Okay, okay… It was very crazy exhibit! She was showing naked pictures!

A: Naked pictures? Why will she show naked pictures?

S: It was a photography exhibit of her photographs from around the world.

A: What do you mean naked? Without clothes? You can see the body hairs?

S: Yes! Even the below!

A: Holy Cow!!!

S: I was really shocked because I know her and it was pretty daring. You can look for her name in the internet because she’s very popular…

—

Syempre, around that time eh nag-bukas nako ng google.com; at hindi pa ako tapos i-type yung pangalan na dahan-dahan sa aking idinidikta ng estudyante ko eh tumambad na sa akin ang pangalan na tinutukoy niya.

“Miru Kim”

Alam ko by this time eh ginu-google nyo na rin yung pangalan na naka-lagay sa itaas. Meron na akong inilagay na sample dun sa itaas oh, yun na lang ang tignan nyo. Baka lang may mag-react kaagad… Okay lang, kasi hindi naman kasi siya malaswa… para sa akin…

At dito papasok ang ating diskusyon espektakyular for the week!

“Art or Lust?”

Alam ko sa moralidad ng tao, kahit na anong ipalabas na may naka-hubad dito sa Pilipinas eh automatic na malaswa na. Dulot kasi ito ng pagiging religious ng ating heritage at ng pagiging conservative ng ating lahi. At isa ito sa dahilan kung bakit maka-kita lamang tayo ng kaunting ahahay! sa isang parte ng isang ayayay! eh isa na tayong malaswang nilalang na kailangan ng mag-kumpisal or else…

Opinyon ko lang dito, since may artistic side din ako eh okay lang ang mga pictures na ginagawa ni Miru Kim. Hindi naman kasi siya nagpapa-kita ng kung anu mang nunal sa kung anu mang singit, hindi rin siya nagpapa-himas sa mga lugar na hindi dapat magpa-himas, mistula lamang siyang palamuti sa isang lugar na nakalimutan na ng sang-katauhan. Ang ganda rin kasi ng mga location nya eh; may mga point pa nga na para siyang isang kaluluwang “nag-mumulto” sa mga nakaka-takot na background niya.

Pero ayon naman sa estudyante ko, since may mga nakalabas na buhok na hindi naman nanggagaling sa ulo eh malaswa ang mga litrato ng anak ng kaibigan niya. Pwede naman daw siyang magpa-litrato ng may damit eh; bakit pa kailangang mag-hubad pa?

In fairness eh religious ang Korean student ko. Isa siyang ina na nag-tatrabaho bilang Chinese Literature Professor sa isang Unibersidad sa Korea at kahit na ganoon ka hectic ang trabaho niya eh umaatend pa rin siya sa mga church activities na kagaya ng mga assembly natin. Kaya kahit papaano eh nakaka-relate siya sa mga church activites na sini-share ko sa kanya. At idagdag mo pa yung bigat ng realidad na kilala nya mismo yung taong naka-hubad sa mga larawang iyon.

Pero nagiging hadlang nga ba ang religion natin para makita ang malaswa sa hindi?

Siguro depende na rin sa art na tinutukoy natin. Kasi nga naman, dito sa Pinas eh halos lahat naman ng mga bagay na pwedeng ihalin-tulad sa mga gawa ni Miru Kim eh may halong pag-akit na. At syempre kung nang-aakit ka na eh iba na ang pakay mo; hindi na art.

Mahilig akong tumingin ng mga artworks kapag may chance ako since dumating din yung time na gumawa ako ng realism sketches. Yep, inisip ko ring mag “Nude” noon dahil sa napanood ko yung Titanic pero mas fascinated ako sa features ng mukha ng isang tao, hindi sa “landscapes” nya. Maraming factors para intindihin ang nais ipahiwatig ng isang artwork kaya nasa inyo na rin ang pag-papasya:

Sining pa nga ba?

Puwit…

Malagkit… Malapot… Makatas…

Ang sarap talagang dila-dilaan ang isang ito lalo na yung papa-tulong ‘kayat’ mula sa nag-aalsang umbok ng kanyang pahabang…

…puwit.

Pwede na yung delivery diba? nakaka-excite kahit hindi direct to the point.

Toink? Aba nagbalik!

Yep, matagal ulit nawala itong kalokohan series extra-ordinaire kong write-ups dito sa yahoogroup natin na pinutakte na yata ng spamming bots. Madami ulit nangyare of course, pero medyo nag-tanda nako kaya wala munang sharing ng personal life dito. Sa totoo lang ito yung dahilan kaya medyo itinigil ko yung pagsusulat dati kasi napapansin ko na parang nagiging personal blog posts na yung articles eh.

Pero since nandito na ulit ako! Ibig sabihin eh nabaliw na naman ako at meron ulit akong bago!

Mabalik tayo sa usapang puwit; sa ngayon, naaadik ako sa Swiss Chocolate Waffles ng Waffle Time. Masarap syempre; lahat naman kasi ng bagay na mag-bibigay sayo ng sakit sa pag-tanda mo eh masarap eh. Hindi kaila sa mga nakaka-kilala sakin na isa ako sa mga pinaka-dambuhalang brothers ng community na ito at ramdam na ramdam ito ng aking bike na every 4 days na yata kung pahanginan ko ang gulong sa ating friendly neighborhood vulcanizing shop. Pero despite of that eh maya’t-maya pa rin ang tira ko ng waffle patago kahit na sinasabi ko sa lahat ng taong nakikita ko na diet ako.

And to think na lahat halos samin sa mother’s side ko eh malaki ang posibilidad na magkaron ng Diabetes… (ahahay!)

Minsan, mas masarap ang isang bagay pag puno ng kasinungalingan. Bawal, masama, nakakasama, ubod-ng-sama. Usually eh makikita natin ang isa sa mga adjectives na ito ang description ng isa sa mga bisyo natin. Yosi, alak, babae, video games; lahat naman ito ay may masamang dulot sa atin one way or another kasi masarap din naman kasi ang bawal eh.

“Last na lang to”, “Ngayon lang naman ulit”, “Bahala na…” Ilang beses ko na bang narining ang sarili ko na sinabi ito sa katawang alabok ko habang ginagawa ang favorite bisyo ko.

Kung tutuusin, wala na talagang hindi sinungaling sa mundo. Kahit na sabihin mong hindi ka sinungaling sa ibang tao eh siguradong hindi lang sa isang pagkakataon eh naging sinungaling ka rin sa sarili mo.

Bakit nga ba masarap ang bawal? Kasi masakit? Hindi ko rin ma-explain eh; at siguradong hindi rin yan ma-eexplain ng kaibigan kong chain-smoker na nasa med-school para maging doktor; minsan natanong ko na siya kung bakit pala-yosi siya kahit na ganun ang larangan nya pero wala eh, yun yung trip nya.

Nasa dugo na yata nating lahat ang pagiging rebelde sa bawat batas na kinagisnan nating lahat. Ang nakakatawa pa nito, kung meron man tayong kilala na sigurado nating walang kahit anu mang batas na sinuway eh siguradong kasama siya sa listahan ng kilala nating baduy o di kaya naman eh considered as ‘outcast’ sa social circle mo. Kumbaga eh kapag nakita mo sya sa mall habang kasama mo ang mga friends mo eh sasabihin mo lang na isa lang siyang “acquaintance” at hindi isang taong sanggang-dikit mo.

Kung tutuusin eh kahit si Rizal na national hero ay maraming natatagong karimlan sa buhay na mas interesante pang i-kwento kesa sa istorya ng Noli Me Tangere at El Filibusterismo combined. Gaya ng nasabi ko na dati sa isa pang article, mas masarap kasing pag-usapan ang mga bawal. At yan din saiguro ang dahilan kung bakit mas una mong binabasa ito ngayon at hindi yung God’s Word ni ate peps na araw-araw na lumalabas dito sa yahoogroups natin.

Kung hindi ko tatapusin itong article na ito eh mas marami pa akong masasabing examples na siguraong magiging dahilan upang tuligsain ako ng marami. Actually kakasabi ko lang na hindi ako mag-dadahilan kung bakit nawala na naman ako sa sirkulasyon. Nagiging masyadong below the belt na kasi ang mga topic na pinag-uusapan natin lately at hindi na masaya yun. Sana nga lang eh tulad ng isang scale eh mabalanse natin yung mga masasama kasama ng mabubuti kung hindi natin kayang pabigatin yung huli…

Teka inom lang ako ng tubig… BRB  

Hot Oriental Women…

Why am I easily mesmerized by cute Asian Women…

uhmmm…

Why oh why…

That was Hwang Mi Hee BTW…

Rant…

Okay, I am now officially typing this blog-post on a plain computer completely free from its umbilical cord that is the internet. Instead of waiting for some plurks to pop out, for some message to come in or for some torrents to finish, I am now able to read most of the stuff that I want to read, play most of the games that I want to play, and actually write a decent entry like this one.

I have never been to a job which did not involve being online in the internet. In fact, most of you people who actually know me are already accustomed to me being ALWAYS ONLINE on their messenger accounts. Oh my, withdrawal syndrome galore…

The reason behind all this adversity..?

Our place, which was a compound being dwelled in by us and 2 of my mother’s siblings, suddenly went to an impromptu construction due to some unknown issues known to man; okay, that was a bit exaggerated. Kidding aside, they were constructing something which was in direct line of the place where I was sleeping and where my computer was situated upon.

It sucks really… I felt like I was thrown out of my own room…

…w-wait, that’s what really happened right?

After shrugging it off with a few bottles of Cobra, 4 packs of Rebisco Strawberry Crackers, a PlayGround Mag deadline and a trip to the toilet, I finally decided to come and move in my GF’s house… with her whole family and four other families…

What was I thinking…?

It may be an after effect of the yellowish concoction named after a snake and a Japanese Warrior but I’m actually typing this now in my GF’s living room while people are walking around my back without really noticing what I’m doing regardless if I was playing my eyes out with The Last Remnant or typing a stress-reliever like this one. I am so liking the solitude here…

This will be the very first time that I will rant my heart out in a blog after so many years…

I came from a family which was well off; I never laid my eyes on a black and white television, was always updated on the latest Lego model and was always pampered with life’s simple luxuries that normal people don’t have. But it didn’t really get that much into my system though, I have a cool dad who knows how to train his kids to be humble enough and not care much about anything that money can buy. Okay, it might not have a complete effect on me but if you’d really know me in person, I’m a cheap prick who’d rather have Pop than Pepsi.

But as luck may have it, the well-off lifestyle that I grew up with along with my cousins vanished when my grandfather was diagnosed with diabetes and was forced to use his saving in trying to stay alive. I never regretted the gradual loss of properties on my mother’s side because again, what the hell do we care.

But when a tree loses its roots, all hell breaks loose…

Rock n Roll baby…

My Girlfriend’s family however, started way down the social chain. They actually worked their way up to where they are now and honestly speaking, they’re doing pretty well. They showcase this happy-go-lucky aura that screams Hakuna-Matata all over the place that personal problem; especially the ones involving money are seldom discussed more than 2-3 hours. I really envied the unity that this family showcased as they lived their lives one day at a time.

I know some of you will have some raised eyebrows on why they actually let me stay…

The whole construction thing is just killing my sinuses due to a bad case of dust allergy. My girlfriend’s parents already know my situation and yeah, even though it was an impromptu request, it was a straight yes; much to the dismay of my image conscious mother. As my girlfriend’s parents were also veterans of elopement, they shoved to us all the freedom in the world provided that everything should be transparent to them; a fact that my mother just couldn’t understand as she bantered away on the fact that people will always have something to say.

Her parents don’t care… her relatives don’t care… even the neighbors don’t care…

I hate it when people give a higher regard to what other people will say over their own happiness. I mean, It’s not I’m doing some crime here but the freedom that my supposed to be “in-laws” gave me scared the shit out of me. They actually welcomed me as a family; her father occasionally making coffee for me if he sees me having a hard time staying awake when writing something, her mother bringing out fresh clothes for me if I get wet or something even if it’s just a slight splash of sweat or water, and the whole family acknowledging me as their own; to the point that I even join them during their nightly prayers.

I know that these are usually the things that I also do with my own family. But I just hate the fact that the ideology of some of its members contradicts that of my own to the point that certain discussions end up into a verbal assault of my imperfect past.

Once an asshole, always an asshole… As If I’ll prove myself wrong…

Sinag…

Maganda…

Napakaganda…

Isang super skill na yata ng mga babae ang kakayahan nilang mag-mukhang bata kahit na 40-something na sila. Actually andame kong nakikitang mga ganito ngayon dahil na rin sa tulong ng siyensya. Ilang beses na namin napag-kwentuhan ng girlfriend ko ngayon na sana sa pag-tanda nya eh mag-mukha pa rin syang bata katulad ng nanay nya; at ako naman eh nangakong hindi sya bibigyan ng ganoon kabigat na stress para ma-accomplish nya yun.

Pero maganda talaga eh…

Ang ganda ng scooter ni Bro. Rollan, grabe de kuryente. Halos lahat ng nakakakita saken nung gamit ko sya eh napapalingon dahil sa absence ng galit na ugong ng isang maliit na makinang dapat sana eh nag-huhumiyaw na ngayon habang hinahatak ang malaki at mabigat kong puwit.

Minsan eh natutukso akong kumuha na lang ng motor para mawalan na ng stress yung mga binti ko sa pag-padyak ng aking kalawanging bisikleta. Kung tutuusin kasi eh kakayanin naman eh, saka mas nakaka-enjoy mag modify ng motosiklo dahil makina na ang usapan dito eh; hindi na pedal, kadena, at brake pads na kailangan mong palitan every 3 months.

Testing…

Ayaw andar…

Lagay kable…

Saksak pader…

Hintay ilang oras…

Testing ulit…

Ayun pwede na…

Pero onting charge pa…

Pagkatapos tanggal saksak…

Tanggal kable…

ZOOOOM!!!

Iba rin yung versatility ng isang low-maintennance na gamit kahit kailan. Swerte ni Rollan amp…

Isang araw eh hiniram ko yung scooter na yun para mag-liwaliw habang naghihintay kami ng mga members na dadalo pa (sana) sa music min practice na ginanap last Friday. Sa pag-baybay ko sa kahabaan ng ngayo’y napaka-luwag na Burgos st. eh pilit kong ninamnam yung malamig na simoy ng hangin na umiihip sa kung sino man ang nasa ilalim ng aninong hatid ng St. Mary’s Academy. Isabay mo pa ang tahimik na pag-bulong ng de-kuryenteng motor at ng isang napaka-gandang babae sa di kalayuan; ang sarap ng moment pare, parang pelikula…

Teka…

Magandang babae..?

Fourth Year highschool ako noon, nasa mismong lugar kung nasaan ako ngayon. Pero imbes na naka-sakay sa isang munting scooter eh nakatayo lang ako sa sidewalk na malapit sa akin, may dalang manggang-hilaw na naka-tuhog sa stick.

Nung mga panahong iyon eh napag-utusan ako ng isang kumag na tinatamad bumaba kahit na trenta minutos pa ang natitira sa lunch break namin na bumili ng manggang hilaw. Pero hindi naman sa nagrereklamo ako, naiintindihan ko naman na babae sya at dahil isa ako sa mga kaibigan nya eh kailangan kong syang tulungang bumili ng daily afternoon miryenda nya. Mataas ang sikat ng araw, nararamdaman ko ang butil butil na pawis na unti-unting binabasa ang sandong suot ko sa ilalim ng uniporme ko. Pero hindi naman talaga dahil sa mainit ang panahon kaya ako pinapawisan eh…

Pinagpapawisan lang ako sa nalaman ko kanina…

Ang kumag kasi na binilhan ko ng mangga ay isang babae na itinuring kong higit pa sa kaibigan. Isa siya sa mga taong hindi takot dumikit sa balat kong laging malagkit at basa sa pawis, isa siya sa mga taong lagi kong kausap, kabiruan, ka-kwentuhan, kaasaran, o minsan naman eh kasuntukan kapag nag-aaway kami.

Pero sya lang ang sumusuntok ha, hindi ko kasi pwedeng sapakin ang kaisa-isang pantasya ko nung highschool…

Hindi maipag-kakailang asar ako sa mga babae nung highschool ako. Certified Nerd ako noon at talaga namang galit ang mga babae sa isang katulad ko na mas gusto pang mag-lustay ng pera sa video games kesa i-date sila at samahan silang mag-liwaliw sa labas at manood ng kung anu pa mang katarantaduhan sa sinehan.

Malungkot ako syempre, kasi sa gitna ng isang eskwelahan kung saan maraming nabubuntis na kabataan eh isa ako sa mga taong hindi pa man lamang nagkakaroon ng pagkakataong magkaroon ng girlfriend. Hindi naman sa nagrereklamo ako pero talagang wala lang akong makitang dahilan para man-ligaw ng mga babae na ang panuntunan yata sa mga kasintahan nila eh cellphone load at magarang sasakyan.

Yun nga lang eh nag-bago ang lahat ng ito nung tumuntong ako ng 4th year highschool…

Hindi siya malambing promise; pero may mga chances na siya pa mismo yung nag-dadala ng towel para ipang-punas sa pawis ko, extra pencil para may magamit ako pag naputol na yung lapis ko, at extra rice kasi minsan bitin ako sa kanin. Hindi ko akalaing merong isang tao gagawa ng mga bagay na katulad noon sa isang torpedong katulad ko. Honestly napa-mahal ako, pero sa dahil sa mga twist and turns ng buhay eh hindi na pwedeng mangyari iyon.

Hawak ang tatlong pirasong hilaw na mangga eh dahan-dahan akong nag-lakad pabalik sa aking eskwelahan na tila walang paki-alam sa mga bagay na nangyayari sa kapaligiran ko. Syempre, ikaw ba naman ang magulantang sa balitang yung anghel na kaibigan mo eh buntis; dahil hindi nakapag-pigil ang boyfriend nya na walang paki-alam sa kanya.

Kaboom… Sakin yata naka-base yung story nung kantang Harana ng Parokya…

May mga pangarap tayo na hindi talaga matutupad. Hindi ibig sabihin na masaya ang buhay eh hindi na papasok yung mga asungot na problema na siyang dudurog ng lahat ng mga bagay na akala mo eh mag-tatagal pa.

At ngayon eh nasa harapan ko siyang muli….

…at pag hindi ako pumreno eh masasagasaan ko sya…

Maganda pa rin siya, akay-akay ang anak nya na lampas 7 year old na yata. Mukang maliit na bata pero alam ko naman na nasa lahi iyon; papunta kasi sila sa isang pamilyar na lalaki na naka-sakay sa isang motor na walang iba kundi ang boyfriend nya nung highschool.

Maganda pa rin siya…

Minsan eh nasabi ko sa girlfriend ko na mayroon akong nakaraang gusto kong balikan. Hindi ko kasi alam kung yung nakaraan bang yun eh natapos ng matiwasay o hindi. Kahit kailan kasi eh hindi ko nasabing minahal ko ang babaeng dahan-dahang umaangkas sa motorsiklong tatlong dipa lamang ang layo sa ungos ng scooter na sinasakyan ko. Nung naging girlfriend ko kasi ang isa pang kaibigang kasama ko ngayon eh deep inside nasabi ko na ito ang gusto ko; isang pag-ibig na magsisimula sa pag-kakaibigan.

Yun kasi yung the best para saken eh…

At sa pag-buga ng usok sa aking mukha ng motorsiklong lulan ng isang tao mula sa aking nakaraan eh nasabing kong maaari ko ng isarado ang isang naka-lipas na puno ng pang-hihinayang. Huli na ang lahat para magsalita pa ako, masaya na ako kasi after all this time eh hindi siya pinabayaan ng taong pinili niyang sinabihan ng nararamdaman nya…

Iniliko ko na lamang ang maliit na motorsiklo patungo sa kabilang direksyon, sa isang direksyon kung saan naka-harap ako sa papa-lubog na araw at nakatalikod sa tumatalilis na nakaraan.

Maganda…

Bihirang-bihira ang magkaroon tayo ng pagkakataong lumingon sa nakaraan. Syempre hindi lang sakin nangyari to; sigurado akong maraming pang tao jan ang maraming frustrations sa buhay dahil sa mga pangyayaring hindi umayon sa mga pinangarap nilang mangyare. Pero minsan eh wala na talaga tayong magagawa doon, ang maganda na lang talagang gawin eh tanggapin natin ang nakalipas at maging handa sa bukas; para hindi na ulit tayo mag-sisi at mapilitang lumingon ulit…

Pero ayus lang yan, nakaka-silaw naman talaga humarap sa kinabukasang dadating…

Basta isipin mo na lang, dapat mas maging maganda sya kesa sa nakaraan…

Nameless…

“Baket bumili ka!?! Sana dinaanan mo na laaaaang!”

That was my editor Denice by the way… After I told her that I literally bought the magazine that contained my first official write-up printed in Philippine soil.

It’s been almost 5 years since I forced myself away from the geeky life of a computer builder / programmer to a not so (or more) geeky life of an aspiring writer. I didn’t really hate my college course; it was just that something inside of me wanted to scream my excesses away in a manner different to the one that I was practicing then. Or maybe I was just insane…

It’s not easy, really; I mean there I was penetrating the literary world armed only with enough knowledge to keep a computer running instead of the actual ability to feed it with any readable content worthy to be called a literary piece. This is after all the era of bloggers; these days people can just write about anything and gradually develop the skill to turn ordinary fertilizer into something actually palatable to the human mind; going along or against such an abundant flow of talents swarming the web is like cutting a modern day Red sea using a pencil with an angry pack of Egyptians hot on your tail.

It was the Koreans who first took notice of me while I was waving my pencil vigorously at my imaginary Red sea. Ignoring the fact that the only skill I had in me was a small stint in my elementary yearbook, they actually gave me really serious projects for actual Toefl based books on the spot. 2 years and 2 companies after that, another Korean company had me writing freely for a website for English-based teaching for their students to have something interesting to read on their website.

Seriously, they were THAT crazy… but thanks to that amount of trust, my writing level soared like an angry SAM missile. I mean seriously, you’re still reading this after 333 words right? Oh, better make that 340…

I know it was a big privilege on my side to actually be given such important tasks considering the amount of experience I have under my belt; and the funny thing about it is that the Korean readers actually thought it was a real-life Cambridge-raised westerner who was writing their stuff since I remained nameless the whole time. Sometimes, I just can’t help but feel sorry for them; they never really knew what hit them.

And so fast forward to a rainy 2009; I was then standing in front of a stall in PowerBooks, staring at a white colored magazine with a rabid looking monkey gracing its glossy cover. As I flipped the pages and stared at a slightly edited article bearing my very own pen name, my head flipped as well; the next thing I remembered is that I was a hundred and twenty pesos poorer and was already clutching a neatly wrapped magazine, receipt and all.

It really sounds ridiculous to buy a magazine that actually contains one of your written articles because other people would just grab the complimentary “free” copy instead, economic recession and all. But the way I earned my wings was enough for me to shrug off the sudden compulsive act. Being able to write for a publication which produces their works on the very same country that I live in really made me feel blessed. It was like I officially became the person that I wanted to be after almost 5 years of being the one who was unnamed.

God may never give you what you want on the spot, seriously. But he will surely get you ready for the one that you deserve to have.

No More Haruhi Dance… lol…

Okay, This is a rare post for me as an Anime afficionado…

The ending of the Latest Haruhi Suzumiya Anime no longer shows the Haruhi Dance!

Now as  tribute to the routine I was talking about, here is the old ending taken from the PS2 game:

Welcome to my Blog!

Well, what can I say… This speck of nothingness in the world wide web really took too long to finalize and finish. I mean I’ve been planning this one for more than a year now but it took a really long slump of writer’s block to wake me up on my senses.

Right now I’m finished with the design and is getting ready to publish some of my old works from my old, old, old blog from friendster…

The contents of this blog will show some of my “mostly free” literary works for some websites and other activities that usually fill up my time. I know you will be held back by the awkward mixture of fertilizer that I’ll be spewing out starting this evening but please do be patient; you are reading the loser’s mind…

Symphonies of the Future Past…

(Now this is one of my oldest post around on the Korean website that I write for. I remember myself out of topics because I was asked to out on a weekly basis without any restrictions… Imagine the sudden flood of topics rushing to my intoxicated noggin…. Good thing I survived it all…)

I went to our local shopping mall after work last week, just passing through while happily trotting around with my newly received paycheck which is carefully tucked inside one of my pockets, being careful not to spot anything that will tempt me to spend it in any way.

My computer is currently broken and I needed the help of my hard-earned wages to fix it. So there I was, in the most awkward place in the world, trying my best not to pay attention on any of the numerous ‘SALE’ signs that seem to sprout on every strategic location that I set my gaze at.

Being pissed on the fact that I was indeed in the wrong place at the wrong time, I decided to just test the tolerance of my patience and snoop inside a record shop of which I thought was the last place for me to commit an impulsive purchase.

Looking around the small establishment filled with record CD’s, original videos and tons of other musically related objects, I accidentally spotted something that I was really dying to buy… a compact mp3 player.

I was on the verge of snapping from my usual sanity while I examined the ridiculous contraption with my shaking hands, imagining myself caressing its finely sculpted outlines while trying to fight my ever growing enticement to pull out several bills from my salary to buy it. But I was suddenly brought back to reality when I began to wonder on why it was being sold on such an obnoxious place here in the first place.

Don’t get me wrong, but I always thought that mp3 players are the worst enemy of today’s recorded music. It is a fact that almost 97% of the songs that are being played by the owners of these little wonders are swiped from the Internet for free; which means that they are one of the main reasons on why consumers nowadays disregard the value of authentic records being sold in the market.

I for one am guilty of this doing; my computer alone contains close to 30 gigabytes worth of songs and movies that have all been downloaded from the World Wide Web. This alleged vice has officially evolved into a trend for technology savvy individuals on their quest for personal enlightenment, regardless of the fact that it is considered a criminal act since songs such as the mp3’s floating around the net are almost always being copied illegally; it literally degrades the level of the aforementioned industry and snatches much needed funding and appreciation from the music makers who produce the very same music that we enjoy listening to.

I remember the last record that I bought was Limp Bizkit’s “Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water”, back when I was still in school and was deeply in love with my old CD player. As a slave of music, I always wanted a little distorted symphony caressing my eardrums whenever I do something; regardless if I’m rushing a history project due the next day or just lazily snoozing on top of my bed in the wee hours of the morning after reading an adult magazine.

I can still recall the time when I picked the record up from the neatly stacked shelf in our local record store, quietly staring at its obnoxiously designed cover for approximately five minutes while gripping it tightly with my ever trembling hands, and afterwards scampering to the cashier so I can again make my beloved CD player’s speakers sounding very happy.

Nowadays, I don’t know where that CD is anymore, nor is my CD player able to work appropriately. I do have a copy of the whole album in my mp3 collection though, along with thousands of other songs that I enjoy playing in my computer everyday.

And at that point I remembered my broken computer back home who seems to be shouting at me from a distance, begging me to schedule her for repairs. I took my hands off the tempting little mp3 player and patted the fat little paycheck in my pocket. Live today, fight tomorrow…

Technology has indeed changed our lives all for the better, but there are instances that it literally stomps and violates some of our habituated traditions that we just tend shake our heads and sigh while quietly moving on ahead. But even while walking along the road of advancement, surrounded with such enjoyable amenities that are purposely brought by technology itself, there are certain times that I just can’t help but turn around and look back.

Limang Minutong Dahilan…

Hello guys! I’m baaack!

lol…

Yeah I know I’ve been out for a long time again and that some of you are waiting for those geeky messages that I usually type here that usually ends up as yet another reason to commit ungodly sins. Well, sort of…

I’ve just been too busy lately juggling some personal problems and other not so personal matters and I will discuss them little by little on the weeks to come. The last 2 weeks has been a bit terrible due to the fact that I had to sacrifice a few things to make ends meet and to keep up with my other responsibilities. Thank God I’m finished with them so I can safely say that we’re back on our natural programming. ..

But just a short explanation on why I’m babbling in English now: http://patatasx. wordpress. com/

Yep, after nearly a year of being hogged into doing it; I finally put up my own blog. (masaya ka na madel? >:))

In this blog I will integrate some of the things that I write for the 3 major nuisances that I have on my personal literary life. First off is of course my write-ups here in our yahoo groups, the other is the English articles that I will continue doing for my Korean company and last is the Geeky Articles I am planning to write for the Gaming website / forums that I help manage: http://www.masterdiwa.com/forum/

Ah yes, if you could just see me twitching in front of my computer screen just to cook of for the design of this atrociously colored blog. Oh yeah, a lot of people are already asking me why I chose the stupid name; It was the name of my old blog in Friendster and I thought I’d just use it as a sign of homage to where it all started: http://hotpatatasin abox.blog. friendster. com/

And so with that, take care guys and I hope to see you you again soon!

(Hay sa wakas pwede na ulit mag-tagalog. .. Kung bakit kasi kelangan pang international pa yung dating eh… God Bless ^-^V)

Teki post #2: Home-Grown PSP…

I was chatting with my friend Mick during the wee hours of the morning and was asking him about topics to discuss on my teki post since I was not in the mood to think of one on my own. He actually wanted me to write a topic about something about his much adored PSP. I gave in any way since I am having the usual weekend slump.

Frankly speaking, the ever delectable PSP is one of the gadgets that I have really been avoiding ever since it was unveiled way back in E3 2004. Not that I am sick and tired of Sony doing beautiful things such as the almighty “Bravia” and the oh so glorified Play Station 3; the darn thing is just so flexible in any possible way that I might not be able to anything but just glue my greasy nose in front of it doing “God Knows What” (‘Echhi’ Mp4 anyone?) eventually turning my life into the path of addiction once again.

Surfing the web, playing games, playing MP3’s and yes, watching porno; to me, this is much more useful to me than buying myself a more, work-oriented laptop. But among the hundreds of things that you can do with it, I always wanted to question why oh why did Sony make a “Prodigal Son” that is capable of freeing itself from the loving arms of its creators.

The Firmest of the Firm…

To anyone who owns a PSP and knows how to play Gameboy games on it, I’m pretty sure you already know what I’m talking about. I did say that I don’t own a PSP but it doesn’t really mean that I won’t help my cousins crack theirs. Ah the endless possibilities that a single handheld device could do…

I know I’m not explaining much to the people, who think I’m talking in Ancient Chinese language here but technically, giving your beloved PSP some ‘Homebrew’ lovin’ will make it do all sorts of stuff; like playing downloaded games. I mean who else plays PSP games using UMD anyway?

Home-cooked goodness…

The word “Homebrew” is a terminology which is pretty much applied to video games using gaming platforms that can be coined as “User-Programmable”. To all of the gaming platforms that were ever released, with respect to the early Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the first generation Play Station, the PSP is the most flexible one yet.

It all started one fateful day when the world was still in awe on the little contraption that the bored PSP owners who got tired of playing on those official “UMD” (Universal Media Disc) cartridges found a way to rummage through the contents of the game itself; due to a small hole that some game developers left off on their games. This incident paved the way for persistent hackers to crack the very technology that the platform itself is running on; bending its rules to accept their own, in a really fun and productive sort of way.

Sony actually released their own set of updates to prevent the use of modified firmware that defy that of their own, but homebrew modifications like that of “Illuminati” and “Dark AleX” really showed Sony how ‘open’ their platform really is. I don’t know what went wrong here but I’m not complaining.

And the Battle Continues…

I did not write this one here to explain to you the joys of having a PSP and how to unlock its hidden possibilities. Sony already has too much problems about firmware revisions sprawled over the web and writing another guide about it just isn’t my cup of tea. If you wanna learn more about cracking your shiny new PSP over there, Mr. Google is your friend; not me.

Piracy is everyone’s best friend and a developer’s worst enemy; that goes even for games nowadays. Not everyone who can afford a PSP can afford its menagerie of “Official” games; I mean like most internet buffs here always say why buy it when you can download for free? Touché’…

The mere fact that such a simple device would pose a threat to the market share of such a big powerhouse like Sony just shows how persistent end users can be. I’m not saying that Sony created a defective product; even the ever adorable Nintendo DS has its own share of mishaps with the Homebrew crowd. People nowadays are just hard customers I think; not easily satisfied and always wanting more than they are offered to.

(photo taken from www.islandgazette.net)

Key Flavors…

Yes, like most of you people reading this right now, most likely you’re expecting another entry that is subjective to nosebleeds. Fear not, because after the first blog post here in my teki-teki section, my friends already gave you a favor and stopped me before the cannibals do. In return, I then promised them that I would write in a friendlier manner; not like a scholarly nerd who is doing an experimental thesis to compliment his new theory in Particle Acceleration…

Don’t ask me about the last one, I sure hell don’t know that as well…

Anyway, as a person who like to dis-assemble and re-assemble PC’s as a pastime, surely I have my own share of adventures with it; so maybe that’s what I will be focusing on right now. No more blood loss… lol…

Talk to the Hand…

A few days ago, my hands were literally aching after a days of typing non-stop evaluations and articles and playing ridiculous games like NBA 2k9 and Devil May Cry 4 (I usually do this during breaks to preserve my sanity when writing something) and the only culprit I could think of is my clunky CDRKing keyboard.

Don’t get me wrong, but low quality keyboards usually give out that “Bang for the Buck” impression that people like me; brand-blind and all, really love. It’s just that I hate having the ever painful “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome” especially since my work mostly revolves around computers; for the love of God…

The Keyboard is one of the contraptions that normal, technologically savvy people use every day. I know time will come that we can just order our computer around verbally (seriously, my computer accepts voice commands) but since you can’t just yell around in your house while happily chatting with people, or let’s say blurt out your top-secret computer password while you’re in the same room as your equally perverted brother, I’d go manual anytime.

Brief history…

Contrary to popular belief, there are a few keyboard layout designs out in the market. The first one to break out though, was the “QWERTY” keyboard by a man named Christopher Sholes back in 1967. It was originally designed for the first set of Remington typewriters released around the same year.

The aim for such a design is to let the hands alternate while typing English words. A lot of people disagree with this thought because it has already been proven that it was a bit biased with the left hand; although a hundred years later, it became more convenient for right handed people because of the conception of computers and the invention of the mouse.

There are also other keyboard layouts which have been developed over the years in the quest to fix the flaws of the original QWERTY design.

In the quest to take away subjected left-hand stress of the QWERTY layout, the Dvorak was born. But it failed as a typewriter norm due to the fact that even though it was a little unfriendly to the hands, it was friendlier to the machine. Dvorak typewriters were a bit prone to machine jam, so it was not followed as avidly as the latter.

The AZERTY on the other hand, was developed in contrast to the English-biased form of the QWERTY. Countries such as Belgium and France started using this design during the 1980’s and they still do today; as it is friendlier to use with their own language.

A Hunting We Will Go!

Seriously, if you don’t know Carpal Tunnel Syndrome yet, you should try to Google it; it really is the nightmare of chatters these days. As for me, I’m hunting for a good keyboard that does that is light on my hands. I trip to the local PC store in Greenbelt showed me a lot of choices; flashy backlit keys, integrated USB hubs from different names like Genius, Logitech and A4tech; all for the sake of being unique while retaining its functionality. I just picked up a simple Logitech that has keys that are light to the touch; at least now I can relieve myself from stress.

Yeah, I know you guys can’t make out what I’m trying to say on this entry but the hell with it. I want to make an entry about keyboards because they are so neglected these days; until your hands start to ache like mine. I’m still warming up on writing again because of a year-long slump; just help me out by minding the cheeky subjects okay?

Kamsahameda~

Please Join our discussions on our forums…

photos taken from:
www.Microsoft.com
www.computerhope.com

Excess Baggage…

Tuwang-tuwa ako ngayong mga naka-raang araw kasi natatapos ko na ng matiwasay lahat ng daily tasks ko sa office na walang inuuwi kahit isang homework o kung anu pa mang trabaho na dapat naman talaga eh sa opisina lang ginagawa.Ang sarap ng feeling na solve na ang lahat ng mga posibleng problema sa trabaho; walang ka stress-stress. Pero ang mahirap nga lang sa bago kong accomplishment ngayon eh pagdating ko sa bahay eh uupo lang ako sa tapat ng computer ko tapos toink… walang gagawin…

Hanggang ngayon eh naaasar pa rin ako sa blog ko, baket? Kasi sobrang kinakain nya yung oras ko dahil kailangan ko pa ng mga maaayos na lay-out, kailangan ko pang gumawa ng maayos na header, at kailangan ko pang punuin ng mga sulat na may kabuluhan kahit papaano para naman masabi naman ng mga titingin sa webpage ko na hindi naman nasayang yung effort nila na i-click yung link ng Blog ko. Alam ko nasabi ko na ito noon, ayoko kasi yung napipilitan ako na gawin yung isang bagay na parang hindi ko naman gusto; yun kasi yung feeling ko sa blog ko kasi parang pinipilit lang ako ng natural na agos ng inpormasyon ng internet para ayusin yung pagkaka-salansan ng kalokohan ko.

Sa unang buwan ng pag-air ng blog ko eh marami ang pumuna; ibang kasama sa SFC, manager ko sa office, mga kaibigan ko, at syempre yung mga critics. Halo-halong reaction eh, siguro eh wala nga sa itsura ng isang katulad kong tamad ang mag-maintain ng isang blog. May mga kaibigan na nag-offer ng domain, mga kakilalang editor na nag criticize, grabe, hindi ko na tuloy alam ang gagawin ko kung itutuloy ko pa ba ito o hindi.

Last week, habang nagbabasa ng mga email eh saktong may lumabas na message galing sa incumbent Chapter Head namin; si bro Jason. Nung una eh hindi ko nakilala pero nung nabasa ko yung message eh naalala ko lang na sya nga pala yun. (nasanay kasi ako sa isang taong mahaba ang baba na mahilig kumain ng saging…) Sa signature nya eh nakalagay ang mga usual messages ng mga taong matyagang gumawa ng signature at nandoon din yung link ng “Deviant Art” page nya. Ewan ko kung ano yung pumasok sa ilong ko, pero ni-click ko yung link na yun; at dun bumalaga sa aking mga mata ang sample ng makulay na mundong ginagalawan nya…. Pre-Nup pics!

Hindi kasal ang topic ko ngayon wag kayo mag-alala; ang sakin lang eh parang nakita ko ang isang parte ng buhay ng isang kapwa mananampalataya at kung papaano nya napapa-ikot sa mga kamay nya ang mga gawaing obviously eh kumakain ng malaking porsyento ng oras nya. Samantalang ako eto na nagrereklamo eh ni hindi ko kailangang tumayo sa upuan ko para gawin yung sa akin. There and then eh naalala ko yung isa sa mga pangaral sakin ni kuya Donnie, yung editor ko na prof sa Lasalle; “Writing is a gift that not all people have”. Kumbaga eh kanya-kanyang regalo lang yan eh; nasa satin na lang yun kung gagamitin natin.

Gamitin… Hay…

Gusto kong mag-sulat pero sa sobrang engrossed ko sa mga bagay na sineseryoso ko eh hindi ko napansin na ako na mismo yung nagsasarado sa pintuan ng mga pangarap ko; na i-aapak ko na lang pala yung paa ko sa loob at ipapatong iyon sa unang hakbang ng hagdan eh kinakatamaran ko na…

Na ako mismo yung humahara sa pag-usad ng sarili ko…

Yep, late yung write-up ko ngayon pero natauhan ako. Kahit na hindi sya malinaw, o mukhang kabaliwan na naman yung message eh present ako. Kahit na sabihin ng mga critics na mali ang grammar ko eh di go; nagsisimula pa lang ang laban ko…

Salamat aking kritiko… binuhay mo ang sarili mo…

Random thoughts… 11-25-08

I’m sitting in front my computer again, and again I’m having this irritating phenomenon called a writers block. I’m done with the first half of the book by the way, and that’s hooray for me.

After skirmishing through the last of my blog posts a few days back, I realized that I really do suck when it comes to the grammatical sense on how I write. Of course it’s not usually the case when it comes to blogs because it IS a free speck on the web but in any case, why call myself a writer when indeed my works suck?

I am recently having a slump at work due to the fact that this economic crisis is just around the corner and that it actually caused me to lose my beloved office table which was the biggest one that I ever had ever since I started working on offices way back 2k5. And the rest of it resting at the brink of destruction if our company happens to lose its footing as well…

Going back to the community,I’m also considered as an MIA member since there are no such text messages about such activities that are supposed to be circulating around this time. I just hope everybody is safe enough to tango again next year…

And yes now I am sitting in front of my computer again; and this is the type of crap that comes out of my mind whenever I do so…

Arangkada…

ZOOOOOM!!!

Aaminin ko na po na kaskasero ako, so natural lang na magustuhan ko yung mga rides na mabibilis ang andar! Eto yung checklist ko sa mga nagustuhan kong mga sasakyan ever since:

1. Cyclone Loop (Star City)
2. Go Kart Racetrack (Enchanted Kingdom)
3. Patok Jeeps (yung byaheng Stop n’ Shop)
4. EDSA Buses (preferrably yung papuntang Sapang Palay)
5. Yung bisikleta ko syempre (lalo na pag late ako nagising at kelangan kong makapunta sa office namin sa Makati in under 10 minutes…)

Ilang beses ko na sinabi yung sarap ng pag-daloy ng Adrenaline rush sa katawan mo lalo na pag muntik ka ng masagi ng isa pang rumaragasang sasakyan na muntik mo nang ikamatay (joke)… Pero yun nga lang, sa bilis ng pangyayari sa mga buhay-buhay eh para bang lagi na lang tayong may nakakalimutan…

Kaninang madaling araw eh nakasakay na naman ako at enjoy na enjoy sa rumaragasang pag-hagibis ng Bus na sinasakyan ko sa EDSA kasi kasalukuyan akong nag-commute papasok sa office dahil sa isang obvious naman na dahilan (nadisgrasya ulit ako at sira na naman yung bike ko… hehe…). Isa sa mga kinaaasaran ko sa mga bus na ito eh yung tipong pag-para mo para bumaba sa destinasyon mo eh 100 yards (minimum) yung layo ng ititigil nila kasi hindi mo daw sinabi ng maayos na bababa ka.

Kamote diba?

Usually eh ganoon ang nangyayare sa akin pag bababa ako ng Buendia cor EDSA. Napipilitan akong i-exercise yung mga muscles ko sa paa na kakagising pa lang para lang mag-compensate sa kundoktor na ako pa ang sinisi dahil hindi naman daw ako pumara. Pero ang ikinagulat ko talaga sa bus na nasakyan ko ngayon eh ibang-iba kasi yung kundoktor eh nagpa-alala na kaagad na merong bababa ng buendia kahit na nasa Ayala Avenue pa lang kami…

Asteeeg…

Actually, napansin ko na nung nasa Evalngelista pa lang kami na laging nagpapasalamat yung mga pasahero sa kundoktor na iyon bago sila bumaba. Nung ako mismo yung bumaba sa destinasyon ko, dun ko lang nalaman kung bakit. Pati tuloy ako eh napa- “Thanks po!” sa kanya.

Thanks Giving pala ngayon. Alam ko malayong malayo yung storya ko sa tema ng okasyon ngayon at syempre, hindi rin naman talaga tayo nag-cecelebrate ng Thanks Giving. Pero alam ko na yung maliit na pasasalamat na binibigay ng mga pasaherong bumababa sa Bus na iyon ang isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit naeengganyo yung kundoktor na galingan pa lalo ang serbisyo nya. Yun ang kapangyarihan ng “Pasasalamat”

Nawawala na nga ba ang pagpapasalamat sa atin ngayong halos lahat eh sobrang busy na at halos ang lahat ay kumakaripas na sa kanilang mga destinasyon?

Maikli lang naman yun diba?

Kamsahameda~ (thank you in Korean…)

ZOOOOOM!!!

Kuting, Upuan, at isang pang isip-batang Laruan…

I had a blast… period…

The past year was of course a good one but I really had my own share of problems; and I highly doubt it’s gonna end early this year. But enough about that, personal na yun eh…

Ay syet… nag-tagalog bigla…

Matagal akong nawala yep, and it’s for a good reason; nag-karoon ng mga aberya sa buhay, mga projects kailangang tapusin, mga deadlines na kailangang habulin… mga bagay na naging dahilan kung bakit natuto na akong mag-laba ng gabi kesa sa umaga (salamat mahal kong washing machine… *yakap*). Pero ang pinakamatinding nangyare saken ngayon eh nawala ako sa SFC…

Yep, naglaho akong parang bula…

Siguro nagtataka kayo kung bakit nagsusulat pa rin ako ngayon nitong year-ender ko dito sa yahoo groups natin kasi ako na rin yung nag-sabi na wala na ako sa grupong nagbubuklod sa atin. As far as I’m concerned, ako rin eh nagugulumihanan sa sarili ko; o baka naman nilalamig lang ako.

Noong una eh hindi ko rin napansin na parang lumamig ang gabi natin dito sa maynila. Parang abnormal kasi na ang isang polluted na lungsod na katulad ng sa atin eh bigla na lang magpo-produce ng isang napakalamig na simoy na usually eh mararanasan lang natin sa ating mga probinsya. Hindi ko na tuloy maalala kung kailan yung nagsisisigaw ako sa kalye habang nagba-bike sa madaling araw dahil sa sobrang lameg.

May mga pangyayaring ganito na hindi natin maipaliwanag kung bakit hangga’t walang nagsasabi. napansin ko na lang na wala na palang masyadong activities sa SFC, at kung meron man eh may dadating na asungot sa schedule ko na pupwersa sa akin na bumitaw at gumawa ng ibang bagay.

At ngayon nga eh hindi na natin napansin natapos na ang taon…

Honestly, kung paguusapan natin yung part kung bakit nga ba ako nagsusulat pa rin ngayon eh hindi ko rin alam. Naka-upo ako ngayon sa harap ng computer ko habang pinapanood ang pusa namin na pilit inaabot yung kahon ng tikoy na nasa ibabaw ng lamesa, nakikita ang sunod-sunod na e-mail galing sa Bobong Pinoy groups na hindi ko naman binabasa, at tila isang batang praning na naka-tingin sa bagong biling remote controlled na laruan na nakapatong sa ibabaw ng lamesang nasa harapan ko.

Bugso ng damdamin? hinde… chance para mag-dahilan? ewan ko; siguro nga eh nabibigla lang din ako…

Pero ang layunin ko naman from the start eh isulat ang mga karanasan ng isang ordinary SFC member na katulad ng ibang tao na nag-tataglay ng maruming diwa na nag-lalakbay sa kung saan-saan lupalop na mismong kukote lang natin ang may alam.

2009 na ngayon, nadagdagan na naman ng kulubot yung mga mukha natin, yung iba eh mawawala na sa kalendaryo, may mapo-promote, at meron ding mag-eemote. Lahat naman eh nangyayari ng biglaan eh, kaya nakaka-excite ang buhay…

Come to think of it, almost 2 years na din pala akong nagsusulat dito… madaming criticisms, madaming comments, syempre may mga naasar pero expected na yun… Tuloy ang ligaya…

Bring it on 2009…

Snaps…

Well hello thar! I know it’s kind of surprising but yes, I am back today coz it seems I can’t sleep with all these thoughts about my recent vacation clogging my brains and all. So I might as well pollute yours.

Me and my girlfriend just came back from my beloved hometown Lucban, Quezon. It was a trip filled with utter nostalgia; one that is so big it will not fit on this speck of bloggy-thoughts that I want to share today. So let’s just start with the picture above.

Beautiful isn’t it?

For the benefit of those who don’t have the slightest idea what the picture is, it’s the enormous image Jesus Christ from the infamous “Grotto” founded by my equally infamous kababayan Fr. Joey Faller, settle on top of a hill outside the town. Now what’s so special about this one anyway?

We are on a vacation… My girlfriend forgot to bring her digital camera…

We shrugged the idea off our heads when we learned about the said matter while we were perched inside a humid “colorum” van being pulled over by a couple of hungry LTO officials since as we all know, my GF’s brother is the Unit Head of Central C 2C Fatima; who had just happened to celebrate their CLP baptism last Saturday.

So as we stared outside the craggy van and lamented on how uniformed men lose their dignity, we just laughed on our dumb luck and just thanked the Lord that her brother will have a camera to use on his Unit’s special Saturday.

So why am I talking about that picture again?

Armed with only our mobile phones, we snapped through 4 suns and 3 moons worth of pictures like there was no tomorrow. But alas, as you could actually imagine, the quality of our short-legged megapixel phone cams ranged from bad to insanely hideous.

I know it’s not really a genuine possibility to get good quality pictures from half-charged mobile phones but this was one of those rare occasions where me and my girlfriend actually went together on a long vacation; and was actually sane enough to plan on going to numerous places all marked by a once-in-a-lifetime chance of us to be actually free for more than 2 days aside from Christmas.

So there I was, literally cursing my breath away is I finally finished climbing 300 or so steps up to the statue of “Bro” himself. I was actually swearing on top of my lungs that I would really force myself into buying an SLR this coming Holiday as I eased myself at the very feet of the lofty statue.

As I gasped and wheezed on that very spot (thanks to quite a few extra servings or rice under my belt…), I then impulsively whipped out my trusty Motorola from my pocket and flipped it open like Jackie Chan flicking out a cigarette lighter; As I did the other day and the day before that. I just held it up high and snapped randomly on the first thing that ever touched its handicapped lens…

…and on that moment,

God gave me a really serious photograph…

What the hell was I thinking… lol…

I am a man full of doubts, that’s a fact. I may be a happy-go-lucky person who seems to not really care about almost everything but I do have doubts. There I was lamenting on such a handicap as not having what I want and there and then, God actually gave me what I wanted to have.

Me and my girlfriend ended up enjoying the whole menagerie of events after that; still full of mishaps and sorts of stuffs which is worthy of yet another story.

No more excuses on this blog for me. Let’s just say we’ll just do this one again, one miracle at a time…

questions

Fountain

* What are the two major political parties of Japan?

* What are the differences with each party’s advocacies?

* What do you think is the reason why the Democratic Party has successfully ruled over Japan’s politics?

* What do you think is the reason why we have 2 or more political parties in each nation?

* What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of it?

* If you would choose between the two parties, which party would you like to join? Why?

* In your country, which party is ruling for most number of years?

*Why do you think that Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party has successfully held its ruling position for the majority of the last half-century?

*What are the advantages and disadvatages of having a ruling party in the house of representatives?

*Do you think the sucess that has been achieved by the Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party will be also achieved by the GNP? Why?

*Do you think it is OK to change party whenever your political party is in trouble? Why?

*Do you ever think that assembly men of Korea will change party? What will be the reason?

*What can you say about those politicians and Bureaucrats switching side? What do you think is the reason?

Headlines:

*Who is Park Tae Hwan?
* How did he become famous in Korea and in other countries?
* What is wrong with his performance recently?
*What do you think is the reason why he is not performing good nowadays?
* Do you agree with his reason, that it is because of his coach?
* Do you think he is undergoing too much pressure eversince after the Olympics?
* Do you consider this pressure as one of the reasons why he is not performing well?
* Do you think having a personal coach is important? Why?