Monday, June 30, 2003
Excerpt from A Letter
You really are so much the big brother, you know that? Tough as nails, responsible for everyone, always setting yourself as the perfect example. I thought at first, I wonder if I could ever understand you.
I was going through my stuff last night, trying to de-clutter. Man, I surely dug up a lot of trash from my things, and I’ve only de-cluttered one fourth of my files. More stuff to go through.
While going through my things, I saw a lot of old letters. Mostly from friends – living in the southern provinces, living in another country, living three streets away from my house. I didn’t get to read all the letters. But I plan to, one of these days. It will be nice, I think. I miss receiving old-fashioned snail mail. The only snail mails I’m receiving these days are mails I don’t want to receive – Mastercard, Visa, Home Cable. Hehe!
Anyway, the one above was taken from a letter written by someone I unintentionally hurt. I dunno why I’m posting it. The words probably struck a chord in me.
You really are so much the big brother, you know that? Tough as nails, responsible for everyone, always setting yourself as the perfect example. I thought at first, I wonder if I could ever understand you.
I was going through my stuff last night, trying to de-clutter. Man, I surely dug up a lot of trash from my things, and I’ve only de-cluttered one fourth of my files. More stuff to go through.
While going through my things, I saw a lot of old letters. Mostly from friends – living in the southern provinces, living in another country, living three streets away from my house. I didn’t get to read all the letters. But I plan to, one of these days. It will be nice, I think. I miss receiving old-fashioned snail mail. The only snail mails I’m receiving these days are mails I don’t want to receive – Mastercard, Visa, Home Cable. Hehe!
Anyway, the one above was taken from a letter written by someone I unintentionally hurt. I dunno why I’m posting it. The words probably struck a chord in me.
Saturday, June 28, 2003
Happy Pride!!!
Harhar!
It's Pride Time! Embrace diversity. To a world without borders. Woo woo woo!
Now, if only I could completely come out of the closet...
Harhar!
It's Pride Time! Embrace diversity. To a world without borders. Woo woo woo!
Now, if only I could completely come out of the closet...
Rare Famiy Affair
It was my mom’s birthday yesterday. She just turned 54 and yet, I look at her and she doesn’t even look fifty. In any case, my relationship with my Mom improved over the past few months. Before you think of anything, the relationship I have with my Mom is good.
We hardly see each other because our jobs require us to leave the house early and go home late in the evening. Sometimes, she would already be asleep by the time I get home in the evening or vice-versa. In the mornings, we only have time to say hi or hello for an hour so because we both need to prepare for work. In spite of this, we have a good relationship. She trusts me and I am grateful for that.
I am saying that our relationship has improved because now, I can text her that I love her and not feel cheesy or reserved about it. And I am happy I could do that. In the past year, the circumstances that occurred in my life led me to appreciate and love my Mom more.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! I LOVE YOU!!!
In celebration of my Mom’s dinner, we had a family dinner which rarely happens since everyone has his/her own business to attend to. I made reservations for the five of us at trendy paella place – Una Mas (former Minggoy’s). I had to arrive at 8.30 for our reservation. My family, on the other hand, arrived thirty minutes later. (Seriously, am I the only prompt person in the world? Just kidding.) I was really glad to see them. I was even happier that we are actually having a family dinner. We should probably do it more often.
The dinner turned out to be. I just could not get enough of the paella, not to mention the entire sumptuous buffet. Hmmm… I had a chance to talk to my brothers and my folks about various things – school, work, career plans, business, relatives, and other things.
Following dinner, we decided to take walk around Greenbelt first. Boy, were we all stuffed!!!. And boy, this night is really turning out to be a fun one. I just probably missed going out with my family like we used to when I was still a little boy.
After an hour or so, the family decided to go home. I was staying over with my Hunski (which was my usual weekend agenda). In a way, I’m more of a boarder now at the house than a resident. I walked them to Ayala Ave. where they got a cab ride home. After they left, I began my walk to the apartment. I was happily remembering the events that just took place and then, I realized something.
I feel like I’m drifting apart from the family. And I miss them. I do not mean the “drifting apart” segment to sound negatively. It is bound to happen eventually. I have envisioned myself living separately from the family but I did not expect it to be like this. I am at a stage of transition to adulthood and that is probably one reason why I felt that. The good thing about that realization is that I have this resolution to have a gathering with my family once in a while – a dinner perhaps or a movie – just so we can still stay connected to each other.
To end this entry, I think that is the important thing I should always remember – time and circumstances might separate from my family, but the essential thing is for me to stay connected with them and let them know that they mean a lot to me…
and that I love them.
It was my mom’s birthday yesterday. She just turned 54 and yet, I look at her and she doesn’t even look fifty. In any case, my relationship with my Mom improved over the past few months. Before you think of anything, the relationship I have with my Mom is good.
We hardly see each other because our jobs require us to leave the house early and go home late in the evening. Sometimes, she would already be asleep by the time I get home in the evening or vice-versa. In the mornings, we only have time to say hi or hello for an hour so because we both need to prepare for work. In spite of this, we have a good relationship. She trusts me and I am grateful for that.
I am saying that our relationship has improved because now, I can text her that I love her and not feel cheesy or reserved about it. And I am happy I could do that. In the past year, the circumstances that occurred in my life led me to appreciate and love my Mom more.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! I LOVE YOU!!!
In celebration of my Mom’s dinner, we had a family dinner which rarely happens since everyone has his/her own business to attend to. I made reservations for the five of us at trendy paella place – Una Mas (former Minggoy’s). I had to arrive at 8.30 for our reservation. My family, on the other hand, arrived thirty minutes later. (Seriously, am I the only prompt person in the world? Just kidding.) I was really glad to see them. I was even happier that we are actually having a family dinner. We should probably do it more often.
The dinner turned out to be. I just could not get enough of the paella, not to mention the entire sumptuous buffet. Hmmm… I had a chance to talk to my brothers and my folks about various things – school, work, career plans, business, relatives, and other things.
Following dinner, we decided to take walk around Greenbelt first. Boy, were we all stuffed!!!. And boy, this night is really turning out to be a fun one. I just probably missed going out with my family like we used to when I was still a little boy.
After an hour or so, the family decided to go home. I was staying over with my Hunski (which was my usual weekend agenda). In a way, I’m more of a boarder now at the house than a resident. I walked them to Ayala Ave. where they got a cab ride home. After they left, I began my walk to the apartment. I was happily remembering the events that just took place and then, I realized something.
I feel like I’m drifting apart from the family. And I miss them. I do not mean the “drifting apart” segment to sound negatively. It is bound to happen eventually. I have envisioned myself living separately from the family but I did not expect it to be like this. I am at a stage of transition to adulthood and that is probably one reason why I felt that. The good thing about that realization is that I have this resolution to have a gathering with my family once in a while – a dinner perhaps or a movie – just so we can still stay connected to each other.
To end this entry, I think that is the important thing I should always remember – time and circumstances might separate from my family, but the essential thing is for me to stay connected with them and let them know that they mean a lot to me…
and that I love them.
My Name is Neo
You are Neo, from "The Matrix." You
display a perfect fusion of heroism and
compassion.
What Matrix Persona Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Is this cool or is this cool? Hehe!
You are Neo, from "The Matrix." You
display a perfect fusion of heroism and
compassion.
What Matrix Persona Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Is this cool or is this cool? Hehe!
Thursday, June 26, 2003
Going Home Wednesday Night
(Part II)
Do you like sleeping during your everyday trip going home?
I do.
Many people tell me to avoid sleeping when in commuting because a number of things could happen. (Thank you for your concern.) For example, you might go past beyond the place where you are supposed to get off. Or some corrupt individual might take advantage of you by stealing your wallet or mobile. Or some pervert might actually use the situation to satisfy his (her?!) pathetic carnal desire. Hmmm….
In spite of my friends' reminders, I still keep on falling asleep. I am not sure if it is because I had an exhausting day.
So there I was at the front seat, fast asleep. After what seemed an eternity, I woke up, looked at my watch, see that about thirty minutes have past, and here we are - stuck at the Manila City Hall. &*#$@!!!!
To make things worse, the king and queen of the bus (read: konduktor at tsuper) keep on taking in passengers. Passengers keep on getting on the bus that the whole vehicle seemed like a huge can of sardines. Inside the bus, we were literally defying whatever laws of physics there is on space.
What really caught my attention was the way people handled the situation. There were a group of college girls who were standing and giggling at the same time. There were also a number of people who were starting to get irritated because the king and queen still keep on taking passengers. There was another group of workers who were talking about the latest office gossip. Here’s what I heard.
Girl A: Nanduon si Kuya Tony kanina.
Girl B: O talaga. Balita ko hiwalay na naman sila ng asawa niya.
Girl A: Talaga. Eh kasi naman dalawa ang asawa noon.
Guy: Kasama niya nga iyong anak niya kahapon sa opisina.
Girl A: Anak ba niya iyon? Ampon niya lang iyon.
Hehe! I know I’m not supposed to listen but at that time, I really needed something to amuse me. To be honest, I was very close to being infuriated by the situation. I never really liked crowded buses. A situation like that is more than enough to make me erupt like a volcano (though like a dormant volcano, I rarely fight with strangers).
But instead of getting angry, I was there on my seat, pushed by people, my jeans wet from the dripping umbrellas of people, my precious bags (yes, I love my bags) pressed upon by strangers and to my surprise, smiling. I only needed one thought to make me smile.
HUNSKI.
Haay. The things that being in love would do to you.
Thirty mortifying minutes more and I already caught a glimpse of the familiar traffic light where I get off. You can only imagine how I had to squeeze my huge body frame out of that cramped vehicle. And I guess you can only imagine how euphoric I was to have gotten out of that vehicle.
A couple of minutes more and I found myself standing in front of the best place on this planet (well, next to my Hunski’s apartment) - home.
Note to self: Next time an FX with few passengers passes by, take it.
(Part II)
Do you like sleeping during your everyday trip going home?
I do.
Many people tell me to avoid sleeping when in commuting because a number of things could happen. (Thank you for your concern.) For example, you might go past beyond the place where you are supposed to get off. Or some corrupt individual might take advantage of you by stealing your wallet or mobile. Or some pervert might actually use the situation to satisfy his (her?!) pathetic carnal desire. Hmmm….
In spite of my friends' reminders, I still keep on falling asleep. I am not sure if it is because I had an exhausting day.
So there I was at the front seat, fast asleep. After what seemed an eternity, I woke up, looked at my watch, see that about thirty minutes have past, and here we are - stuck at the Manila City Hall. &*#$@!!!!
To make things worse, the king and queen of the bus (read: konduktor at tsuper) keep on taking in passengers. Passengers keep on getting on the bus that the whole vehicle seemed like a huge can of sardines. Inside the bus, we were literally defying whatever laws of physics there is on space.
What really caught my attention was the way people handled the situation. There were a group of college girls who were standing and giggling at the same time. There were also a number of people who were starting to get irritated because the king and queen still keep on taking passengers. There was another group of workers who were talking about the latest office gossip. Here’s what I heard.
Girl A: Nanduon si Kuya Tony kanina.
Girl B: O talaga. Balita ko hiwalay na naman sila ng asawa niya.
Girl A: Talaga. Eh kasi naman dalawa ang asawa noon.
Guy: Kasama niya nga iyong anak niya kahapon sa opisina.
Girl A: Anak ba niya iyon? Ampon niya lang iyon.
Hehe! I know I’m not supposed to listen but at that time, I really needed something to amuse me. To be honest, I was very close to being infuriated by the situation. I never really liked crowded buses. A situation like that is more than enough to make me erupt like a volcano (though like a dormant volcano, I rarely fight with strangers).
But instead of getting angry, I was there on my seat, pushed by people, my jeans wet from the dripping umbrellas of people, my precious bags (yes, I love my bags) pressed upon by strangers and to my surprise, smiling. I only needed one thought to make me smile.
HUNSKI.
Haay. The things that being in love would do to you.
Thirty mortifying minutes more and I already caught a glimpse of the familiar traffic light where I get off. You can only imagine how I had to squeeze my huge body frame out of that cramped vehicle. And I guess you can only imagine how euphoric I was to have gotten out of that vehicle.
A couple of minutes more and I found myself standing in front of the best place on this planet (well, next to my Hunski’s apartment) - home.
Note to self: Next time an FX with few passengers passes by, take it.
Queer as Mikee
You are Michael Novotny!
Trustworthy, sweet, and cute beyond belief, Michael is everybody's best friend,
and the perpetual Boy Wonder to Brian Kinney's Super (Anti) Hero.
This raven-haired stud with the supersonic smile was also voted
"Guy most likely to live happily ever after" - that is if he can just get over Brian…
and come out of the closet completely.
find your queer
as folk personality!
You are Michael Novotny!
Trustworthy, sweet, and cute beyond belief, Michael is everybody's best friend,
and the perpetual Boy Wonder to Brian Kinney's Super (Anti) Hero.
This raven-haired stud with the supersonic smile was also voted
"Guy most likely to live happily ever after" - that is if he can just get over Brian…
and come out of the closet completely.
Going Home Wednesday Night
(Part I)
I have got to be the most selective person when it comes to choosing which ride to take.
On my way home last night, it took me about thirty minutes to get a ride. While I stood along Taft Ave. with my umbrella, my backpack and my messenger bag, I just watched FX after FX pass by me. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that difficult to get an FX ride last night. To think that, a.) it’s school time once again, and b.) it was raining as well. More to my surprise, I just stood there waiting for the FX that I want.
Hmm, what was I contemplating on that it took me so long to get a ride?
“Ah, Cubao. Okay. It’s not that full and I can take the back seat since the middle seat’s uncomfortable.”
FX zooms away. Another one passes by.
“Proj. 6, SM West. Oooh oooh, no passengers at all. I can take the front seat.”
Unfortunately, the blasted vehicle didn’t even bother to stop.
“&%^#$!!!”
More FXs pass by.
“SM Fairview. SM Fairview. SM Fairview. I never really liked SM Fairview FXs. The air conditioning unit’s oftentimes not good and I always have this feeling that SM Fairview bound FXs are bound to be held up.”
“Cubao. Hmm, there are already three people at the back seat.” “Nope. Sorry.”
“Nope. Nope. Nope.”
Finally, after the rain got stronger and stronger, and the people who were standing with me thirty minutes ago are now probably near their homes, I decided to take this ride. It was good enough. Working airconditioning unit. Not that crowded. Front seat for me, if I may say. Thank God.
I ended up taking the good old Fastrans bus.
(Part I)
I have got to be the most selective person when it comes to choosing which ride to take.
On my way home last night, it took me about thirty minutes to get a ride. While I stood along Taft Ave. with my umbrella, my backpack and my messenger bag, I just watched FX after FX pass by me. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that difficult to get an FX ride last night. To think that, a.) it’s school time once again, and b.) it was raining as well. More to my surprise, I just stood there waiting for the FX that I want.
Hmm, what was I contemplating on that it took me so long to get a ride?
“Ah, Cubao. Okay. It’s not that full and I can take the back seat since the middle seat’s uncomfortable.”
FX zooms away. Another one passes by.
“Proj. 6, SM West. Oooh oooh, no passengers at all. I can take the front seat.”
Unfortunately, the blasted vehicle didn’t even bother to stop.
“&%^#$!!!”
More FXs pass by.
“SM Fairview. SM Fairview. SM Fairview. I never really liked SM Fairview FXs. The air conditioning unit’s oftentimes not good and I always have this feeling that SM Fairview bound FXs are bound to be held up.”
“Cubao. Hmm, there are already three people at the back seat.” “Nope. Sorry.”
“Nope. Nope. Nope.”
Finally, after the rain got stronger and stronger, and the people who were standing with me thirty minutes ago are now probably near their homes, I decided to take this ride. It was good enough. Working airconditioning unit. Not that crowded. Front seat for me, if I may say. Thank God.
I ended up taking the good old Fastrans bus.
Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Closing Time
Another working day is about to end. For the past ten hours, I have been working. I have been working not on my real work mostly but on something else - this blog. I don't know why. A few minutes after I start doing my real work, I feel the urge to format my blog. Adjusting the fonts, reformatting the template design, thinking of a beguiling blog title, and playing with the blog tools and other things.
I am like a little boy who can't wait to play with his new toy.
Okay, okay. Although I am guilty for not accomplishing much throughout the day, I am not feeling too much guilt at all. I learned something new today. While this new learning may appear to be such a trivial one, the important thing for me is that I learned something new. Sometimes, we get so accustomed to our daily routine that we take for granted the opportunities to learn. And as we head back to our homes, we realize (though most of the time, we don't) that we really didn't learn anything new for that day. When I think about it, getting used to this routine day after day may lead to the danger of being resigned to what you already have. Am I saying that it is bad not to be content with what you have? No, being content with what you have is actually good.
I guess it becomes bad when you become content with what you have when you know that you can still accomplish more, when you know that you can still learn more.
As each day comes to a close, it would probably good to ponder upon the following words.
What did I learn today?
Another working day is about to end. For the past ten hours, I have been working. I have been working not on my real work mostly but on something else - this blog. I don't know why. A few minutes after I start doing my real work, I feel the urge to format my blog. Adjusting the fonts, reformatting the template design, thinking of a beguiling blog title, and playing with the blog tools and other things.
I am like a little boy who can't wait to play with his new toy.
Okay, okay. Although I am guilty for not accomplishing much throughout the day, I am not feeling too much guilt at all. I learned something new today. While this new learning may appear to be such a trivial one, the important thing for me is that I learned something new. Sometimes, we get so accustomed to our daily routine that we take for granted the opportunities to learn. And as we head back to our homes, we realize (though most of the time, we don't) that we really didn't learn anything new for that day. When I think about it, getting used to this routine day after day may lead to the danger of being resigned to what you already have. Am I saying that it is bad not to be content with what you have? No, being content with what you have is actually good.
I guess it becomes bad when you become content with what you have when you know that you can still accomplish more, when you know that you can still learn more.
As each day comes to a close, it would probably good to ponder upon the following words.
What did I learn today?
What's Your State in Life?
I agree. I guess anyone at my age would be at a state of acquisition, don't you think so?
I agree. I guess anyone at my age would be at a state of acquisition, don't you think so?
The First Post
Finally, I have created my own blog. I’ve been hearing about web blogs for quite some time now but I don’t really bother to find out what it is. It was only yesterday evening during a good conversation over a good dinner with my good friend, Carlo, that I got interested in finding out what a blog is. And next to checking out Carl’s blog this morning, I’ve decided to create my own blog.
Here I am now writing the first post. What most people don’t know is that, for a writer, creating the first article for a column, or in this case – a blog, is a really difficult task to do. The first article could make or break the person. It is in the first entry that the reader will have a preview of the writer’s style of writing, the sort of subjects that will be written and maybe a little of the writer’s personality, among other things. The first article serves as one indicator whether people would be reading the following pieces of writing. (Not that I intend to let everyone know every event going on with my personal life. It’s just that, once in a while, knowing that people come back to read what you wrote brings a certain kind of high to the author.)
To be succinct, it is in the first article where the readers would have their first impressions on the writer.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the first impressions game. While I may be guilty of it from time to time, I still prefer to get to know a person more and learn his whole being. Why should I form my opinion when I don’t really know a person? It is like seeing a hideous looking dress, and then you find out that it’s Dior.
The same thing goes for writing. The first article of any writer could probably be not deserving of the Palanca award but I would certainly try to read the next few articles of the writer. Who knows? The following articles may serve as his/her redemption.
Now, I must end this first entry and begin what I must really be doing an hour ago – WORK. As I type the last few words in to my first entry, I am hoping and challenging myself to sustain the existence of this web blog. As for you, I am crossing my fingers that you will visit this humble web blog once again.
After all, this is only the first post.
Finally, I have created my own blog. I’ve been hearing about web blogs for quite some time now but I don’t really bother to find out what it is. It was only yesterday evening during a good conversation over a good dinner with my good friend, Carlo, that I got interested in finding out what a blog is. And next to checking out Carl’s blog this morning, I’ve decided to create my own blog.
Here I am now writing the first post. What most people don’t know is that, for a writer, creating the first article for a column, or in this case – a blog, is a really difficult task to do. The first article could make or break the person. It is in the first entry that the reader will have a preview of the writer’s style of writing, the sort of subjects that will be written and maybe a little of the writer’s personality, among other things. The first article serves as one indicator whether people would be reading the following pieces of writing. (Not that I intend to let everyone know every event going on with my personal life. It’s just that, once in a while, knowing that people come back to read what you wrote brings a certain kind of high to the author.)
To be succinct, it is in the first article where the readers would have their first impressions on the writer.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the first impressions game. While I may be guilty of it from time to time, I still prefer to get to know a person more and learn his whole being. Why should I form my opinion when I don’t really know a person? It is like seeing a hideous looking dress, and then you find out that it’s Dior.
The same thing goes for writing. The first article of any writer could probably be not deserving of the Palanca award but I would certainly try to read the next few articles of the writer. Who knows? The following articles may serve as his/her redemption.
Now, I must end this first entry and begin what I must really be doing an hour ago – WORK. As I type the last few words in to my first entry, I am hoping and challenging myself to sustain the existence of this web blog. As for you, I am crossing my fingers that you will visit this humble web blog once again.
After all, this is only the first post.
