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.

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…

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?

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  

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?

Why am I easily mesmerized by cute Asian Women…

uhmmm…

Why oh why…

That was Hwang Mi Hee BTW…

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…

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…

“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.

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: