ESPN - Los Angeles vs. Detroit - Recap - July 22, 2008
Yay! Women athletes in a brawl!
Shoot, ang babaw ko.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
More Shenanigans
OFW groups nix Pichay's appointment to OWWA
Aba'y bastusan na talaga, ha.
As usual, the kapalmuks in the Arroyo administration are playing up the usual shenanigans --- appointing Prospero Primo (Prospero Segundo, or Cong. Prospero Nograles, is now comfortably ensconced as the Speaker of the House) to either the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority or the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
If in Subic, he could supervise State, ehem, First-Gentleman-sponsored smuggling much more efficiently than it is being done now.
If in OWWA, he could make sure the Administration could siphon off funds like it did in the run-up to the 2004 elections, when PhilHealth forcibly took over the medical contributions of the overseas Filipino workers, with no one the wiser.
This is fatiguing. Coupled with the fact that the moral crusaders have gotten on their high horse about contraception, it is hard to keep the faith that something will happen for the country.
Want to say more, but the brain cells are fried...
Aba'y bastusan na talaga, ha.
As usual, the kapalmuks in the Arroyo administration are playing up the usual shenanigans --- appointing Prospero Primo (Prospero Segundo, or Cong. Prospero Nograles, is now comfortably ensconced as the Speaker of the House) to either the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority or the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
If in Subic, he could supervise State, ehem, First-Gentleman-sponsored smuggling much more efficiently than it is being done now.
If in OWWA, he could make sure the Administration could siphon off funds like it did in the run-up to the 2004 elections, when PhilHealth forcibly took over the medical contributions of the overseas Filipino workers, with no one the wiser.
This is fatiguing. Coupled with the fact that the moral crusaders have gotten on their high horse about contraception, it is hard to keep the faith that something will happen for the country.
Want to say more, but the brain cells are fried...
Friday, July 18, 2008
Something in the Offing
CNN reviews "The Dark Knight"
Here's the deal: if I get my passport in time I will trot over to Bahrain to do this. BIG IF - if the guys at the Philippine Embassy get my replacement passport shipped back from Manila soon enough, and if our own guys here get my multiple exit/re-entry visa in time as well.
One could wish.
A toast for Heath Ledger, this was his movie, if the previous review and Entertainment Weekly's review are the standards to go by.
Hoping for a big-screen viewing because the spoilsports here really don't appreciate comics-made-into-movies. Sometimes I really wonder why I just don't point a taser into my brain.
Here's the deal: if I get my passport in time I will trot over to Bahrain to do this. BIG IF - if the guys at the Philippine Embassy get my replacement passport shipped back from Manila soon enough, and if our own guys here get my multiple exit/re-entry visa in time as well.
One could wish.
A toast for Heath Ledger, this was his movie, if the previous review and Entertainment Weekly's review are the standards to go by.
Hoping for a big-screen viewing because the spoilsports here really don't appreciate comics-made-into-movies. Sometimes I really wonder why I just don't point a taser into my brain.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Once, If Only
The summers of 1986, 1987, and 1988 were among the most beautiful times of my life, and just like how the fictional author Gordie Lachance tells it in the movie "Stand By Me" (also released during this period), we somehow never recover the innocence and the vitality of our lives just as things were coming to us.
For the geeks out there --- these were the years of Dragonlance, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and multiple re-runs of "Transformers the Movie" while covering up a group viewing of porn. "Highlander" rocked the big screen, and New Wave was gradually being overtaken by Stock Aiken Waterman. Michael Jackson stopped thrilling, and even as "Bad" sold, it was, but for a few cuts, really bad. It was "Miami Vice" and "The Equalizer," "MacGyver" and "Airwolf."
. . . We called them "soirees," or simply, sanctioned meetings of boys and girls who otherwise wouldn't have met. It was hard being smart - and fat - in high school. Teenagers could be so unkind, though never meaning to be. On the other hand, it was so easy being caught up in puppy-love, of spending hours on the phone, composing letters and daydreaming.
School was never a burden, it was actually an escape from the drudgery of home --- but home was always a safe place, where no dark shadows of foreboding would wait. Life was always looking forward to tomorrow though with the hope that today would never end.
They were different times --- and though my life had its brief "renaissance of innocence" from 1993 through 1995, it was never quite the same. I wonder where they are, the girls of my yesteryear, and if ever thought about that obviously-too-big wallflower, and wonder if their memories were ever kind.
In Your Wildest Dreams
(Justin Hayward/The Moody Blues)
Once upon a time
Once when you were mine
I remember skies
Reflected in your eyes
I wonder where you are
I wonder if you
Think about me
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams
Once the world was new
Our bodies felt the morning dew
That greets the brand new day
We couldn't tear ourselves away
I wonder if you care
I wonder if you still remember
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams
And when the music plays
And when the worlds are
Touched with sorrow
When the music plays
I hear the sound
I had to follow
Once upon a time
Once beneath the stars
The universe was ours
Love was all we Knew
And all I knew was you
I wonder if you know
I wonder if you
Think about it
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams
And when the music plays
And when the words are
Touched with sorrow
When the music plays
And when the music plays
I hear the sound
I had to follow
Once upon a time
Once upon a time
Once when you were mine
I remember skies
Mirrored in your eyes
I wonder where you are
I wonder if you
Think about me
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams
In your wildest dreams
In your wildest dreams
For the geeks out there --- these were the years of Dragonlance, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and multiple re-runs of "Transformers the Movie" while covering up a group viewing of porn. "Highlander" rocked the big screen, and New Wave was gradually being overtaken by Stock Aiken Waterman. Michael Jackson stopped thrilling, and even as "Bad" sold, it was, but for a few cuts, really bad. It was "Miami Vice" and "The Equalizer," "MacGyver" and "Airwolf."
. . . We called them "soirees," or simply, sanctioned meetings of boys and girls who otherwise wouldn't have met. It was hard being smart - and fat - in high school. Teenagers could be so unkind, though never meaning to be. On the other hand, it was so easy being caught up in puppy-love, of spending hours on the phone, composing letters and daydreaming.
School was never a burden, it was actually an escape from the drudgery of home --- but home was always a safe place, where no dark shadows of foreboding would wait. Life was always looking forward to tomorrow though with the hope that today would never end.
They were different times --- and though my life had its brief "renaissance of innocence" from 1993 through 1995, it was never quite the same. I wonder where they are, the girls of my yesteryear, and if ever thought about that obviously-too-big wallflower, and wonder if their memories were ever kind.
In Your Wildest Dreams
(Justin Hayward/The Moody Blues)
Once upon a time
Once when you were mine
I remember skies
Reflected in your eyes
I wonder where you are
I wonder if you
Think about me
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams
Once the world was new
Our bodies felt the morning dew
That greets the brand new day
We couldn't tear ourselves away
I wonder if you care
I wonder if you still remember
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams
And when the music plays
And when the worlds are
Touched with sorrow
When the music plays
I hear the sound
I had to follow
Once upon a time
Once beneath the stars
The universe was ours
Love was all we Knew
And all I knew was you
I wonder if you know
I wonder if you
Think about it
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams
And when the music plays
And when the words are
Touched with sorrow
When the music plays
And when the music plays
I hear the sound
I had to follow
Once upon a time
Once upon a time
Once when you were mine
I remember skies
Mirrored in your eyes
I wonder where you are
I wonder if you
Think about me
Once upon a time
In your wildest dreams
In your wildest dreams
In your wildest dreams
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Zero-ing In
Arenas in Manila
Just a shout-out for the good press Gilbert Arenas gave to the Philippines and the Filipinos. I found some bits condescending, but shoot, what does Gil know, he spent his whole life in the States not worrying about some Third World country.
Glad someone says something good and true about what we have already known for a long time.
MAJOR APPLAUSE!
But so sorry, Agent Zero, I still won't cheer for you - you are a good opponent to play against, but I never liked your game (even on NBA 2K8, where your stats are ridiculously padded.)
Just a shout-out for the good press Gilbert Arenas gave to the Philippines and the Filipinos. I found some bits condescending, but shoot, what does Gil know, he spent his whole life in the States not worrying about some Third World country.
Glad someone says something good and true about what we have already known for a long time.
MAJOR APPLAUSE!
But so sorry, Agent Zero, I still won't cheer for you - you are a good opponent to play against, but I never liked your game (even on NBA 2K8, where your stats are ridiculously padded.)
Monday, July 14, 2008
Nocturnal Emissions
I have to open my trap on this one, even though belatedly. And no, for all those salacious-minded people out there, this isn't one of those sell-out sex revelations to push my blog hits over the top (the horror! What will my mother say? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! As if she even reads stuff from the Internet, she even can't start up a PC. But still.).
In March, I was making a decision on moving out from my erstwhile apartment. It was time --- I stayed in a good place, made friends with a God-fearing family, established some form of stability in my life ---but for some reason something about the whole arrangement was holding me back. I didn't know what it was. And yeah, the fact that I was a slob had a lot to do with it --- I didn't even have any new furniture and I had gotten rid of my TV set and DVD player. I wanted a change --- but the flat I was living in wasn't the one to accommodate it.
My first choice was my officemate's old flat --- he was starting a family of his own and he was leaving his room behind. His flatmates were fellows who were closer to me in interests --- heck, I spent more than enough time in that flat, including the Christmas and New Year holidays, and I sometimes on their (often) seedy couch. The two fellows who would be my flatmates would be a great complement to me.
I thought to myself, with a little re-tiling, a little insect spray, and a change of the bathroom fixtures, ta-da! I would have myself a brand new hang-out. And since the flat was for families, it was a sure babe magnet. Yup, I could use a few more babes in my life. Hmmm, one would actually be enough.
This flat, however, was in a significantly older (read: decaying) building, and despite the fact that I would save money on my monthly rent, I would be putting up a lot of money just to get things fixed.
I was still wavering between moving to this flat before my friend asked me to join him in a family flat in a building right beside this old (ummm, decaying, for effect, natch!) building. I had reservations about joining my buddy, who by all accounts, is an excellent sparring-partner and altogether good guy. He was, however, somewhat of a flake when it came to domestic matters and to handling other things as well. Staying with him and his soon-to-be-wife may not exactly be the best medicine for my nerves. Or to my wallet.
Anyhow, we checked out this flat and I found it exceeded my expectations --- including price. We were thinking of subdividing the living room so that we can accommodate my friend's old classmate who was coming to Saudi Arabia, but I did some further thinking, and said, let's not share with anybody else --- let's keep all of this space to ourselves! That meant, of course, that I was going to pay more rent than in my old flat.
But the place was new, had two bathrooms, a spacious kitchen, a balcony (unusable during the sandstorm period, but otherwise, an asset). So I ponied up the money, bought new furniture, and settled in. It was as good a place as I could think of to relax ---so much so that I almost spent my entire April in it.
Fast forward to my return back from vacation. I had gotten back on track, and though my AC unit got busted (it will get changed in the next two weeks, Insha'allah), I am comfortable.
One day we received a call from our buddies next door. He was steaming mad, I kid you not - over the state of affairs in their flat.
What happened was something out of a gross-out movie.
Our buddy woke up to slush scattered all over the hallway outside his bedroom door. The slush was a mix of green, brown, and yellowish goo. There was a dank odor everywhere. As he made his way to semi-dry areas on their carpet, he opened the bathroom door and found the source of the epidemic --- their toilet overflowed!
Let's pan the camera and focus on all the dribble coming out of the bowl, mixed in with sand, some compressed sewage, and other scree that was regurgitated by their septic pipes. There is a distinct squish of the rubber slippers as the soles make contact with the various solids. Imagine if there is a slight gurgle - a bass note that waxes in a crescendo to a reedy tenor quack. It's a mouthwash express, only the goo being cleaned came out the wrong way...
Now here's the kicker - our other buddy just comes home after a long night's work from the factory where he is currently on night shift. He comes just in time to see his flatmate seething over the morass --- at wit's end and almost close to pulling his hair out --- a virtual Mad Hatter about to snap at anyone and anything, especially the building super.
The other fellow is at a loss. They inspect all the damage and try to contain what they can. But like the proverbial horror movie where the worst is yet to come, and what we have just witnessed is one long horrible foreshadowing, they make their way to his bedroom (cue in the sinister music) and voila!
Goo was seeping out of the cracks in the ceiling. It paid no heed to value or cleanliness, it was not selective in its reach. It was the Mississippi and the Missouri flooding Iowa and the Corn Belt states. It was the cyclone that rocked Myanmar. It was the worst monsoon rains in years that hit Bangladesh. And aptly, this happened just as Typhoon Frank was about to rake the Philippines.
Shit was literally dripping from the ceiling. Okay, think the blood dripping all over when Mickey Rourke bangs Lisa Bonet in "Angel Heart" (side note: hugely entertaining, at that time). Um, let's go a bit further. It was almost as bad as the blood that flooded out the hotel corridors in "The Shining." You get what I mean.
The humor in all of this, after the three of them (yes, they found a third to occupy their vacant berth) had sorted out everything, ripped off their carpets, did their laundry, and getting the building super and his cohorts to stopper up the leaks and mop up the water (short of taking them hostage at gunpoint), here's the thing.
Solids were left behind everywhere. And the carpets were rolled up shawarmas with feces as filling. And here's what the super said, "Hindi namin trabahong linisin yan" (It's not our job to clean up that mess).
Here's another fun fact and perhaps the clincher - had I moved there, the dripping ceiling would have been in my room.
There are small kindnesses and there are kindnesses that make you wonder whether God just swung the bat for you and made that grand slam in the ninth. Or that buzzer-beater that breaks up a tied score. Or a hole-in-one. Or whatever. The Hand of God was definitely involved.
I'm glad I didn't move there. In fact, since this event happened I haven't even visited that flat. In time maybe I'll get to do it, God willing.
I just can't get the image of the drippings from the ceiling out of my head. It tops the gross-out factor of whatever happened in "Alien." Brrrr!!! --- it still gives me the shivers. To that, I just have to grin, thank the stars for my luck, and hold back the guffaws imagining my friends' jaws literally dropping and eyes popping at the deluge surrounding them.
Pasensya na, mga parekoy! Trabaho ko naman ang apihin kayo eh!
In March, I was making a decision on moving out from my erstwhile apartment. It was time --- I stayed in a good place, made friends with a God-fearing family, established some form of stability in my life ---but for some reason something about the whole arrangement was holding me back. I didn't know what it was. And yeah, the fact that I was a slob had a lot to do with it --- I didn't even have any new furniture and I had gotten rid of my TV set and DVD player. I wanted a change --- but the flat I was living in wasn't the one to accommodate it.
My first choice was my officemate's old flat --- he was starting a family of his own and he was leaving his room behind. His flatmates were fellows who were closer to me in interests --- heck, I spent more than enough time in that flat, including the Christmas and New Year holidays, and I sometimes on their (often) seedy couch. The two fellows who would be my flatmates would be a great complement to me.
I thought to myself, with a little re-tiling, a little insect spray, and a change of the bathroom fixtures, ta-da! I would have myself a brand new hang-out. And since the flat was for families, it was a sure babe magnet. Yup, I could use a few more babes in my life. Hmmm, one would actually be enough.
This flat, however, was in a significantly older (read: decaying) building, and despite the fact that I would save money on my monthly rent, I would be putting up a lot of money just to get things fixed.
I was still wavering between moving to this flat before my friend asked me to join him in a family flat in a building right beside this old (ummm, decaying, for effect, natch!) building. I had reservations about joining my buddy, who by all accounts, is an excellent sparring-partner and altogether good guy. He was, however, somewhat of a flake when it came to domestic matters and to handling other things as well. Staying with him and his soon-to-be-wife may not exactly be the best medicine for my nerves. Or to my wallet.
Anyhow, we checked out this flat and I found it exceeded my expectations --- including price. We were thinking of subdividing the living room so that we can accommodate my friend's old classmate who was coming to Saudi Arabia, but I did some further thinking, and said, let's not share with anybody else --- let's keep all of this space to ourselves! That meant, of course, that I was going to pay more rent than in my old flat.
But the place was new, had two bathrooms, a spacious kitchen, a balcony (unusable during the sandstorm period, but otherwise, an asset). So I ponied up the money, bought new furniture, and settled in. It was as good a place as I could think of to relax ---so much so that I almost spent my entire April in it.
Fast forward to my return back from vacation. I had gotten back on track, and though my AC unit got busted (it will get changed in the next two weeks, Insha'allah), I am comfortable.
One day we received a call from our buddies next door. He was steaming mad, I kid you not - over the state of affairs in their flat.
What happened was something out of a gross-out movie.
Our buddy woke up to slush scattered all over the hallway outside his bedroom door. The slush was a mix of green, brown, and yellowish goo. There was a dank odor everywhere. As he made his way to semi-dry areas on their carpet, he opened the bathroom door and found the source of the epidemic --- their toilet overflowed!
Let's pan the camera and focus on all the dribble coming out of the bowl, mixed in with sand, some compressed sewage, and other scree that was regurgitated by their septic pipes. There is a distinct squish of the rubber slippers as the soles make contact with the various solids. Imagine if there is a slight gurgle - a bass note that waxes in a crescendo to a reedy tenor quack. It's a mouthwash express, only the goo being cleaned came out the wrong way...
Now here's the kicker - our other buddy just comes home after a long night's work from the factory where he is currently on night shift. He comes just in time to see his flatmate seething over the morass --- at wit's end and almost close to pulling his hair out --- a virtual Mad Hatter about to snap at anyone and anything, especially the building super.
The other fellow is at a loss. They inspect all the damage and try to contain what they can. But like the proverbial horror movie where the worst is yet to come, and what we have just witnessed is one long horrible foreshadowing, they make their way to his bedroom (cue in the sinister music) and voila!
Goo was seeping out of the cracks in the ceiling. It paid no heed to value or cleanliness, it was not selective in its reach. It was the Mississippi and the Missouri flooding Iowa and the Corn Belt states. It was the cyclone that rocked Myanmar. It was the worst monsoon rains in years that hit Bangladesh. And aptly, this happened just as Typhoon Frank was about to rake the Philippines.
Shit was literally dripping from the ceiling. Okay, think the blood dripping all over when Mickey Rourke bangs Lisa Bonet in "Angel Heart" (side note: hugely entertaining, at that time). Um, let's go a bit further. It was almost as bad as the blood that flooded out the hotel corridors in "The Shining." You get what I mean.
The humor in all of this, after the three of them (yes, they found a third to occupy their vacant berth) had sorted out everything, ripped off their carpets, did their laundry, and getting the building super and his cohorts to stopper up the leaks and mop up the water (short of taking them hostage at gunpoint), here's the thing.
Solids were left behind everywhere. And the carpets were rolled up shawarmas with feces as filling. And here's what the super said, "Hindi namin trabahong linisin yan" (It's not our job to clean up that mess).
Here's another fun fact and perhaps the clincher - had I moved there, the dripping ceiling would have been in my room.
There are small kindnesses and there are kindnesses that make you wonder whether God just swung the bat for you and made that grand slam in the ninth. Or that buzzer-beater that breaks up a tied score. Or a hole-in-one. Or whatever. The Hand of God was definitely involved.
I'm glad I didn't move there. In fact, since this event happened I haven't even visited that flat. In time maybe I'll get to do it, God willing.
I just can't get the image of the drippings from the ceiling out of my head. It tops the gross-out factor of whatever happened in "Alien." Brrrr!!! --- it still gives me the shivers. To that, I just have to grin, thank the stars for my luck, and hold back the guffaws imagining my friends' jaws literally dropping and eyes popping at the deluge surrounding them.
Pasensya na, mga parekoy! Trabaho ko naman ang apihin kayo eh!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Planting New Flags
Villars take over storied Laurel house on Shaw Blvd - INQUIRER.net
Well, so here it is. The Villars have formalized their intentions for the Presidency --- inheriting even the symbols of the old Nacionalista Party.
I really have no major opinion about the good Senator --- who seems to have taken more time posturing than passing bills --- but him as presidential stock? Hmmm, he has to grow on me a little.
The political landscape is clearing as the terminal date of 2010 nears. Mar Roxas, once the administration lapdog in pushing Value-Added Tax, is now, under the guise of pragmatism and the public interest, ripping the Palace over VAT on petroleum products. He, too, is a new flag-bearer, though not falling too far from the tree. Roxas would do his grandfather and namesake, the founder of the original turncoat party (the Liberals), very proud.
On the side, Legarda and de Castro, members of the media (a most popular career track for aspiring politicians, apart from entertainment), are barely masking their interest in the presidential plum, and would be willing to welcome anybody who would make them queen (or king). A good ad: In the Running - for Philippine President. Searching for political patrons. Aspiring kingmakers and queenmakers welcome. Non-billionaires need not apply.
Still, we must not forget the original flag-planter - our dear President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who with every new Cabinet and Commission appointment, is laying wreaths --- expensive ones at that ---at the grave of genuine Philippine democracy.
All the black flags are still flapping in the wind. To quote some famous words: "How many flags of death must she plant, before the living rise and put her to grief?"
Well, so here it is. The Villars have formalized their intentions for the Presidency --- inheriting even the symbols of the old Nacionalista Party.
I really have no major opinion about the good Senator --- who seems to have taken more time posturing than passing bills --- but him as presidential stock? Hmmm, he has to grow on me a little.
The political landscape is clearing as the terminal date of 2010 nears. Mar Roxas, once the administration lapdog in pushing Value-Added Tax, is now, under the guise of pragmatism and the public interest, ripping the Palace over VAT on petroleum products. He, too, is a new flag-bearer, though not falling too far from the tree. Roxas would do his grandfather and namesake, the founder of the original turncoat party (the Liberals), very proud.
On the side, Legarda and de Castro, members of the media (a most popular career track for aspiring politicians, apart from entertainment), are barely masking their interest in the presidential plum, and would be willing to welcome anybody who would make them queen (or king). A good ad: In the Running - for Philippine President. Searching for political patrons. Aspiring kingmakers and queenmakers welcome. Non-billionaires need not apply.
Still, we must not forget the original flag-planter - our dear President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who with every new Cabinet and Commission appointment, is laying wreaths --- expensive ones at that ---at the grave of genuine Philippine democracy.
All the black flags are still flapping in the wind. To quote some famous words: "How many flags of death must she plant, before the living rise and put her to grief?"
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
We Ain't No Racists Hee-ah, Foo'!
Something off the Freakonomics blog.
Which is a way of saying that sounding black dumbs you down. Word!
Back home, Arreneo (Ateneo) accents used to be the ticket to getting hired, though these days with all the accent training of people in call centers, one can't say that sounding sosy would guarantee you're talking with the real deal. That's the price of our continuing hypocrisy.
(Side note: My way of speaking was one of those shibboleths back in those days --- almost everyone thought I came from Ateneo though most of my schooling was in La Salle and then on to the State University).
Anyhow, sounding black means you're down with the 4-1-1, working on your skillz 24/7 but dayumn those skillz won't get you nowhere, brotha.
Which is a way of saying that sounding black dumbs you down. Word!
Back home, Arreneo (Ateneo) accents used to be the ticket to getting hired, though these days with all the accent training of people in call centers, one can't say that sounding sosy would guarantee you're talking with the real deal. That's the price of our continuing hypocrisy.
(Side note: My way of speaking was one of those shibboleths back in those days --- almost everyone thought I came from Ateneo though most of my schooling was in La Salle and then on to the State University).
Anyhow, sounding black means you're down with the 4-1-1, working on your skillz 24/7 but dayumn those skillz won't get you nowhere, brotha.
Yeah that sounds sick and facetious.
Asian boy just ain't got that soul.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Mid-Year Status Report
A long way from my last milepost, so this has to sort of make up for a lot of things I wish I could have said earlier.
In "On Writing," Stephen King's personal memoir of the writing craft, the author professes a distaste for the informal essay --- pieces with topics "What Did I Do Last Summer?" "What Would It Be Like to Have Hitler as a Classmate?" and some other inanities to which people immediately relate. But well, here it is, an informal essay ---
"What if I had decided to write about the lost months of 2008 in my blog?"
March, 2nd half: I finally moved apartments! At the start of the year, I was thinking of improving my physical environment --- I liked my previous flat and even more, I respected my flatmate and leaseholder, but it just wasn't the place for me. I had no public space, and I didn't have enough furniture. In retrospect, maybe I should have invested the money in my old flat and stayed there. But there it was: I needed a change to shake things up.
The new flat is smaller than the old one, though it is in a more strategic area of town and in a somewhat newer building. It costs a little less than the older place, but since there are only two of us sharing the bills, I am paying for a little more.
I had commissioned my own room from the living room space, bought a new bedroom set, a sofa set (without center or side tables though), a dining room set, and for the kitchen - a water heater and a microwave oven. Did I need to spend all this money? Maybe not --- but in the meantime I found the move comforting. I needed to do something for myself again.
April: The less said about this month, the better.
This was one of the worst months of my life. Not so much for me, but I hurt a lot of people and fell below the expectations of others. Because it was all on me. Sure, circumstances and people put me in the hole into which I dropped myself, but in the end, it was all about me.
I'm still healing from this experience. It was one of the reasons I went on vacation earlier than I had planned.
People around me remain a blessing. There is hope for this crazy world yet. And for me too.
May: Vacation time, for the most part.
One of the signs that tell me my life needs another change is that the sameness of my life makes the precious memories of the past seem all the more precious, as if these gems of my life's journey will never be replicated, and that I would be doomed to live this life on this last string.
I don't, couldn't, wouldn't believe this to be true. But I have been dealt this hand - I've gambled some, lost some, still winning for now but wasted so many chances. That's how it is with these things. Even so, all I can do is be the supplicant, down on my knees while my hands are busy grasping at the last flickers of starlight...
But there are no disappointments, no regrets on this vacation. I expected little and got back a lot. I pulled myself together, got myself back into the game. So goes my Year of No Expectations.
So here we are in June and July and I'm back to work, doing again what I do best. I hope I don't get derailed again, but that happens when the engineer needs a healthy shot of Prozac. Or two, maybe.
Just a checklist:
Economic Gains - Fairly good, but not the best.
Personal Growth - Slid back a huge lot, the consequences of which put me in a bind --- there is wisdom somewhere in all this muck, but I have to shovel my way out much harder.
Relationship Front - Still here, hoping. I already had my Big Fix the last few months, but since it ended in a blah-like nada uncertain disappointment, I hope for a little help over here.
Professional Front - The sharp edge has been blunted. Ah, well. It won't be like that forever.
I'm a bit behind in points, but I have stockpiled a lot of assets to make a big splash later in the year, which I should, at least to even the balance.
Mid-year Score: C
In "On Writing," Stephen King's personal memoir of the writing craft, the author professes a distaste for the informal essay --- pieces with topics "What Did I Do Last Summer?" "What Would It Be Like to Have Hitler as a Classmate?" and some other inanities to which people immediately relate. But well, here it is, an informal essay ---
"What if I had decided to write about the lost months of 2008 in my blog?"
March, 2nd half: I finally moved apartments! At the start of the year, I was thinking of improving my physical environment --- I liked my previous flat and even more, I respected my flatmate and leaseholder, but it just wasn't the place for me. I had no public space, and I didn't have enough furniture. In retrospect, maybe I should have invested the money in my old flat and stayed there. But there it was: I needed a change to shake things up.
The new flat is smaller than the old one, though it is in a more strategic area of town and in a somewhat newer building. It costs a little less than the older place, but since there are only two of us sharing the bills, I am paying for a little more.
I had commissioned my own room from the living room space, bought a new bedroom set, a sofa set (without center or side tables though), a dining room set, and for the kitchen - a water heater and a microwave oven. Did I need to spend all this money? Maybe not --- but in the meantime I found the move comforting. I needed to do something for myself again.
April: The less said about this month, the better.
This was one of the worst months of my life. Not so much for me, but I hurt a lot of people and fell below the expectations of others. Because it was all on me. Sure, circumstances and people put me in the hole into which I dropped myself, but in the end, it was all about me.
I'm still healing from this experience. It was one of the reasons I went on vacation earlier than I had planned.
People around me remain a blessing. There is hope for this crazy world yet. And for me too.
May: Vacation time, for the most part.
One of the signs that tell me my life needs another change is that the sameness of my life makes the precious memories of the past seem all the more precious, as if these gems of my life's journey will never be replicated, and that I would be doomed to live this life on this last string.
I don't, couldn't, wouldn't believe this to be true. But I have been dealt this hand - I've gambled some, lost some, still winning for now but wasted so many chances. That's how it is with these things. Even so, all I can do is be the supplicant, down on my knees while my hands are busy grasping at the last flickers of starlight...
But there are no disappointments, no regrets on this vacation. I expected little and got back a lot. I pulled myself together, got myself back into the game. So goes my Year of No Expectations.
So here we are in June and July and I'm back to work, doing again what I do best. I hope I don't get derailed again, but that happens when the engineer needs a healthy shot of Prozac. Or two, maybe.
Just a checklist:
Economic Gains - Fairly good, but not the best.
Personal Growth - Slid back a huge lot, the consequences of which put me in a bind --- there is wisdom somewhere in all this muck, but I have to shovel my way out much harder.
Relationship Front - Still here, hoping. I already had my Big Fix the last few months, but since it ended in a blah-like nada uncertain disappointment, I hope for a little help over here.
Professional Front - The sharp edge has been blunted. Ah, well. It won't be like that forever.
I'm a bit behind in points, but I have stockpiled a lot of assets to make a big splash later in the year, which I should, at least to even the balance.
Mid-year Score: C
Friday, July 04, 2008
The Last Rays
PILGRIM'S THEME (Bukas Palad)
Tired of weaving dreams too loose for me to wear
Tired of watching clouds repeat their dance on air
Tired of getting tired of doing what's required
Is life a mere routine in the greater scheme of things
Through with taking roads someone else designed
Through with chasing stars that soon forget to shine
Through with going through one more day - what's new
Does my life still mean a thing in the greater scheme of things
I think I'll follow the voice that calls within
Dance to the silent song it sings
I hope to find my place
So my life can fall in place
I know in time I'll find my place
In the greater scheme of things
Each must go his way, but how can I decide
Which path I should take, who will be my guide
I need some kind of star to lead me somewhere far
To find a higher dream in the greater scheme of things
The road before me bends, I don't know what I'll find
Will I meet a friend or ghosts I left behind
Should I even be surprised that You're with me in disguise
For it's Your hand I have seen in the greater scheme of things
* * *
For Yours is the voice in my deepest dreams
You are the heart, the very heart
Of the greater scheme of things
* * *
Why don't we follow the voice that calls within
Dance to the silent song it sings
One day we'll find our place
For all things fall in place
For all things have a place
In the greater scheme of things.
(Shot at Boracay June 2008 --- the song captures some of my mood and it's very singable as well.)
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Pigain Muna ang Pagka-Senti
Tapos na ang bakasyon, tapos na marahil ang maliligayang araw dahil tambak na naman ang trabaho. Tigil muna ang pagiging tamad at batugan. Paganahin mo ang utak mo at kung hindi pupulutin ka sa kangkungan.
Ewan ko ba, siguro dapat kabahan ako dahil ang daming gagawin. Pero hindi. Ikaw pa rin ang naiisip ko.
Ang tanga ko.
Hindi naman siguro totoong pag-ibig ito, dahil wala naman talagang namagitan sa ating dalawa. Higit na makulay pa ang aking mga pantasya, mas hitik pa sa kakiligan ang mga guni-guni ko. Kung saan tayo mamamasyal sa Pilipinas dahil malaya tayong mamasyal at hindi tulad sa Saudi. Kung ano ang iyong suot at kung paanong hahaplusin ng hangin ang iyong buhok, kung ano ang simoy ng hangin dala ang halimuyak ng lupang binasa ng ulan. Kung anong salamangkang dulot ng mga katagang galing sa aking labi. Kung paano tayo aanurin ng damdamin patungo sa ligayang abot ang langit.
Nag-iilusyon talaga ako.
Karapat-dapat lang siguro nung tayo'y magkahiwalay dito na hindi tayo nagkita sa Pilipinas at mali o patay ang binigay mo sa aking numero ng cellphone mo. Tulad ng sinabi ko sa iyo noon, hindi na baleng hindi mo ako iisipin. Hayaan mo na lang akong mangarap.
Sa ilang sandaling tagpo doon sa Pilipinas siguro mayroon na akong natagpuang karapat-dapat para sa akin. Hindi ko alam, at napakaaga pang umasa kung wala naman talaga.
Hindi naman siguro masamang isipin ka at sariwain ang mga sandaling ipinagkaloob sa akin ng Diyos. Sa ngayon, nagpapasalamat pa rin ako sa Kanya na minsa'y nag-krus ang ating mga landas at nabigyan ang kulay ang aking mundo kahit sandali.
Hindi rin naman sagabal sa buhay ko ang mga alaalang ito. 'Yun nga lang, hindi sapat ang inspirasyong ito para sa mga susunod na araw. Kaya ngayon, kailangang pigain ko muna ang nalalabing pagkasenti. Ang sabi nga nila, hindi maaaring dagdagan ng laman ang basong umaapaw na ang tubig.
Sa ngayon, bubuhayin ko ang damdamin ko para makatulog ako ng mahimbing.
Para bukas, nawa'y may bagong inspirasyong dumating.
Para bukas, kung may magtanong sa akin kung aalahanin pa kita, puwede kong saguting diretso at walang kaabog-abog: Hindi na.
(Sana.)
Ewan ko ba, siguro dapat kabahan ako dahil ang daming gagawin. Pero hindi. Ikaw pa rin ang naiisip ko.
Ang tanga ko.
Hindi naman siguro totoong pag-ibig ito, dahil wala naman talagang namagitan sa ating dalawa. Higit na makulay pa ang aking mga pantasya, mas hitik pa sa kakiligan ang mga guni-guni ko. Kung saan tayo mamamasyal sa Pilipinas dahil malaya tayong mamasyal at hindi tulad sa Saudi. Kung ano ang iyong suot at kung paanong hahaplusin ng hangin ang iyong buhok, kung ano ang simoy ng hangin dala ang halimuyak ng lupang binasa ng ulan. Kung anong salamangkang dulot ng mga katagang galing sa aking labi. Kung paano tayo aanurin ng damdamin patungo sa ligayang abot ang langit.
Nag-iilusyon talaga ako.
Karapat-dapat lang siguro nung tayo'y magkahiwalay dito na hindi tayo nagkita sa Pilipinas at mali o patay ang binigay mo sa aking numero ng cellphone mo. Tulad ng sinabi ko sa iyo noon, hindi na baleng hindi mo ako iisipin. Hayaan mo na lang akong mangarap.
Sa ilang sandaling tagpo doon sa Pilipinas siguro mayroon na akong natagpuang karapat-dapat para sa akin. Hindi ko alam, at napakaaga pang umasa kung wala naman talaga.
Hindi naman siguro masamang isipin ka at sariwain ang mga sandaling ipinagkaloob sa akin ng Diyos. Sa ngayon, nagpapasalamat pa rin ako sa Kanya na minsa'y nag-krus ang ating mga landas at nabigyan ang kulay ang aking mundo kahit sandali.
Hindi rin naman sagabal sa buhay ko ang mga alaalang ito. 'Yun nga lang, hindi sapat ang inspirasyong ito para sa mga susunod na araw. Kaya ngayon, kailangang pigain ko muna ang nalalabing pagkasenti. Ang sabi nga nila, hindi maaaring dagdagan ng laman ang basong umaapaw na ang tubig.
Sa ngayon, bubuhayin ko ang damdamin ko para makatulog ako ng mahimbing.
Para bukas, nawa'y may bagong inspirasyong dumating.
Para bukas, kung may magtanong sa akin kung aalahanin pa kita, puwede kong saguting diretso at walang kaabog-abog: Hindi na.
(Sana.)
Our Angel
There's this ancient smile
That lights up the lines of his face.
It's a smile without meaning
(Or perhaps, layers of meanings within meanings)
A smile that defies the ages.
The hope that flows from him
Is clear and refreshing with innocence.
It's hope that knows no darkness
(Or maybe, seeks light beyond the corner)
A faith firm and unshaken.
The world unfolds before him
And tomorrow for him does not exist
Today is his moment, and as it goes past
He follows with the joy of the now.
Then time will awaken
And spread before him her sighs
Then the forever that he holds within
Will cease and break into pieces.
There's this boy whose life is God's giving
And life could never be more sweet.
It's the boy who cries affection
(Or maybe, spreads love like he spreads his wings)
And suddenly, my life is complete.
(For my nephew Jeremiah Angelo -- I wasn't there when he was born, and I won't be there on his birthday in August. If it's hard on me, I can't imagine what it is like for his father.)
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Isang Pamulat
Sa simula ay nilikha ng Diyos ang mundo
at sinugo niya ang tao upang magsilbing tagapag-kalinga
nang mapanatili ang kagandahan ng kanyang nilikha.
Subali't sa paglipas ng panahon . . . nakalimot ang tao.
Pinabayaan niya ang lupa,
ang kanyang kapwa,
at ang kanyang sarili.
Nalunod siya sa pagkilos ng isang mundong masikip at nagmamadali.
Inabala niya ang kanyang sarili sa kamunduhan.
Nalasing siya sa pangako ng tagumpay
At 'di niya napansin ang kanyang paligid . . .
na mayroong hindi maganda
na may taong hindi makahabol
na may mga taong hindi masaya
na may mga taong hindi malaya . . .
May takot,
at nangungulila.
Sa harap ng kahirapan at pagkukulang
Sapat na ba ang mangakong may liwanag sa isang mundong sakop ng dilim?
Sapat na ba ang sumigaw kung walang nakikinig?
Handa ba tayong imulat ang ating mga mata sa katotohanang
mayroong ngang nangungulila
at naghahanap ng liwanag . . .
Na may mga taong nag-iisa, natatakot, nalulungkot
at naghahanap ng unawa
sa isang mundong madaling makalimot?
Tumigil ka nang sandali . . .
Huwag ka munang magmadali at makipagsiksikan.
Masdan mo ang mga mukhang nasa iyong paligid
At baka mapansin mo . . . na marunong din silang tumawa
at kumanta
at makiramay.
Marunong din silang magtanong
at kumilos. . .
Na baka kailangan lang nila
ay isang gabay,
isang liwanag, na magpakita sa kanila
na sila at maaaring magbigay-liwanag din
hanggang sa ito'y kumalat at dumami
. . .at mawala ang dilim sa mundo.
(An old piece circa 1995, c/o my buddy Robert with some verses from me -- I don't remember which --- for the Peer Counselors of La Salle Lipa High School. In keeping with the recent tragedies in the Philippines and China...sadness wells up in my heart.)
at sinugo niya ang tao upang magsilbing tagapag-kalinga
nang mapanatili ang kagandahan ng kanyang nilikha.
Subali't sa paglipas ng panahon . . . nakalimot ang tao.
Pinabayaan niya ang lupa,
ang kanyang kapwa,
at ang kanyang sarili.
Nalunod siya sa pagkilos ng isang mundong masikip at nagmamadali.
Inabala niya ang kanyang sarili sa kamunduhan.
Nalasing siya sa pangako ng tagumpay
At 'di niya napansin ang kanyang paligid . . .
na mayroong hindi maganda
na may taong hindi makahabol
na may mga taong hindi masaya
na may mga taong hindi malaya . . .
May takot,
at nangungulila.
Sa harap ng kahirapan at pagkukulang
Sapat na ba ang mangakong may liwanag sa isang mundong sakop ng dilim?
Sapat na ba ang sumigaw kung walang nakikinig?
Handa ba tayong imulat ang ating mga mata sa katotohanang
mayroong ngang nangungulila
at naghahanap ng liwanag . . .
Na may mga taong nag-iisa, natatakot, nalulungkot
at naghahanap ng unawa
sa isang mundong madaling makalimot?
Tumigil ka nang sandali . . .
Huwag ka munang magmadali at makipagsiksikan.
Masdan mo ang mga mukhang nasa iyong paligid
At baka mapansin mo . . . na marunong din silang tumawa
at kumanta
at makiramay.
Marunong din silang magtanong
at kumilos. . .
Na baka kailangan lang nila
ay isang gabay,
isang liwanag, na magpakita sa kanila
na sila at maaaring magbigay-liwanag din
hanggang sa ito'y kumalat at dumami
. . .at mawala ang dilim sa mundo.
(An old piece circa 1995, c/o my buddy Robert with some verses from me -- I don't remember which --- for the Peer Counselors of La Salle Lipa High School. In keeping with the recent tragedies in the Philippines and China...sadness wells up in my heart.)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The Times, They Are A-Changin'
Ballmer and Gates bid farewell with tears - Yahoo! News
You know it's the end of an era when your favorite corporate villain (or hero, if your prefer) has ceased to be the most dominant and is now making his way to the sunset.
Do stick around, please.
You know it's the end of an era when your favorite corporate villain (or hero, if your prefer) has ceased to be the most dominant and is now making his way to the sunset.
Do stick around, please.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
"Defense Wins Championships"
The Green and White did it again: the Boston Celtics are the 2007-08 NBA Champions!
I must admit, I was a bit skeptical during the start of the season when GM Danny Ainge swung two megadeals that netted first Ray Allen and then Kevin Garnett. With a paper-thin bench and two young players starting at point guard and center, the challenge to rise to the top of the East, much more win the championship, seemed daunting.
But these players came together and displayed a passion for defense never seen for a long time. While Pierce was the heart of the team, Garnett was its soul. His intensity, his dedication to the team, his commitment and competitiveness, permeated the entire team and changed its entire team philosophy.
While establishing the season-best regular-season record at 66-16, the Boston Celtics came together and embodied the concept of team defense.
A lot of things --- what I would call "essential accidents" --- had to happen to get the Celts to victory. There was of course, just plain old luck. However, I believe this success is a reflection of the hard work of the basketball players who believed in the team and sacrificed for each other on the court. I wouldn't put my money on the front office, given some of its missteps along the way, but hey, they did get the job done, even if some people allege they got a huge assist from outside the organization along the way.
Success in this team was not an overnight thing. The players, the coaching staff, even the front office made a commitment long ago on how they will succeed, and it all came together wonderfully this season.
And like defense, this commitment is not accomplished simply by relying on skill, but by dedication, passion, and consistency. Sure, on some days the team could be killed for laying off a little, or playing less than its best, and it took big-time scares from upstart Atlanta and one-man army Cleveland to get them to focus.
Defense is discipline. In basketball as in life.
It's hard to comment on all of these things, on the heels of the first major championship of the team I've grown to love the most over the years. Our local equivalent, the PBA, hogged our screens but we did catch a few games now and then. My first idol was Julius Erving and the Philadelphia 76ers, mainly because I liked seeing players dunk. Of course I was about eight or nine then, what did I know?
It took the amazing 1984 season for me to be converted to Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. I despised the bonhomie of Magic Johnson even as I admired the passing game of the Lakers. What won me over with the Celtics was the grittiness of the players --- they may not have been the best athletes on the court, but certainly they played with savvy, intensity, and true grit. It took a transcendent effort by Magic Johnson and the Lakers to prevent the repeat in 1985, and by then I was soaking in as much basketball knowledge I could get.
1986 was a banner year for a number of reasons, including the Edsa Revolution and my graduation from grade school, but it was also an unbelievable season for the Celts.
Well, after that championship came the decline and the fall ... it was tough rooting for the Celts after Larry, and then McHale, retired. I detested Rick Pitino and Antoine Walker, though because a fellow named Michael Jordan was beating up on the whole basketball world, everything was just fine.
The post-Pitino years made following the Celts unbearable, and all I could do was keep the faith that the Eastern Conference teams would win the championship.
So now we are here.
It was great that I got to follow the playoffs on television (despite the snafus of our local cable service, Solar Sports came through by showing the Finals on network television), though I had to make do listening on ESPN Internet radio to catch the last three games - Game 4 was on while I was on my layover in Hong Kong, while I had to get up for Games 5 and 6 because the local affiliate here bought the rights to Euro 2008. Schmucks.
So now we are here.
Banner 17 is hanging up in the rafters of the Boston home arena. On to Banner number 18...
I must admit, I was a bit skeptical during the start of the season when GM Danny Ainge swung two megadeals that netted first Ray Allen and then Kevin Garnett. With a paper-thin bench and two young players starting at point guard and center, the challenge to rise to the top of the East, much more win the championship, seemed daunting.
But these players came together and displayed a passion for defense never seen for a long time. While Pierce was the heart of the team, Garnett was its soul. His intensity, his dedication to the team, his commitment and competitiveness, permeated the entire team and changed its entire team philosophy.
While establishing the season-best regular-season record at 66-16, the Boston Celtics came together and embodied the concept of team defense.
A lot of things --- what I would call "essential accidents" --- had to happen to get the Celts to victory. There was of course, just plain old luck. However, I believe this success is a reflection of the hard work of the basketball players who believed in the team and sacrificed for each other on the court. I wouldn't put my money on the front office, given some of its missteps along the way, but hey, they did get the job done, even if some people allege they got a huge assist from outside the organization along the way.
Success in this team was not an overnight thing. The players, the coaching staff, even the front office made a commitment long ago on how they will succeed, and it all came together wonderfully this season.
And like defense, this commitment is not accomplished simply by relying on skill, but by dedication, passion, and consistency. Sure, on some days the team could be killed for laying off a little, or playing less than its best, and it took big-time scares from upstart Atlanta and one-man army Cleveland to get them to focus.
Defense is discipline. In basketball as in life.
It's hard to comment on all of these things, on the heels of the first major championship of the team I've grown to love the most over the years. Our local equivalent, the PBA, hogged our screens but we did catch a few games now and then. My first idol was Julius Erving and the Philadelphia 76ers, mainly because I liked seeing players dunk. Of course I was about eight or nine then, what did I know?
It took the amazing 1984 season for me to be converted to Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. I despised the bonhomie of Magic Johnson even as I admired the passing game of the Lakers. What won me over with the Celtics was the grittiness of the players --- they may not have been the best athletes on the court, but certainly they played with savvy, intensity, and true grit. It took a transcendent effort by Magic Johnson and the Lakers to prevent the repeat in 1985, and by then I was soaking in as much basketball knowledge I could get.
1986 was a banner year for a number of reasons, including the Edsa Revolution and my graduation from grade school, but it was also an unbelievable season for the Celts.
Well, after that championship came the decline and the fall ... it was tough rooting for the Celts after Larry, and then McHale, retired. I detested Rick Pitino and Antoine Walker, though because a fellow named Michael Jordan was beating up on the whole basketball world, everything was just fine.
The post-Pitino years made following the Celts unbearable, and all I could do was keep the faith that the Eastern Conference teams would win the championship.
So now we are here.
It was great that I got to follow the playoffs on television (despite the snafus of our local cable service, Solar Sports came through by showing the Finals on network television), though I had to make do listening on ESPN Internet radio to catch the last three games - Game 4 was on while I was on my layover in Hong Kong, while I had to get up for Games 5 and 6 because the local affiliate here bought the rights to Euro 2008. Schmucks.
So now we are here.
Banner 17 is hanging up in the rafters of the Boston home arena. On to Banner number 18...
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
New Expression for the Day
Something from Hazel.
New expression: Laughing like a horse on helium. Excellent auditory imagery. Way to go, Zel! (I don't get the inside jokes as much but I bet I could use the hirit sometime. Patok!)
New expression: Laughing like a horse on helium. Excellent auditory imagery. Way to go, Zel! (I don't get the inside jokes as much but I bet I could use the hirit sometime. Patok!)
Dapithapon
KANLURAN
(Gary Granada)
Nag-aawitan ang mga magsasaka
Nagsasalitan ng tula at kanta
Naghihiyawan ang tagadalampasigan
Nagsasayawan ang mga mangingisda
Ang namamasukan sa mga pagawaan
Naglalabasan at sila'y tuwangtuwa
Palubog na, palubog na
Ang haring araw sa kanluran
Pauwi na, pauwi na
Ang haring lawin sa kanluran
Nagsasayahan ang mga may kapansanan
Kababaihan at mga mag-aaral
Ang mga kawal at alagad ng Sambahan
Ang makasining at mga makaagham
Ang mangangalakal, guro at lingkod ng bayan
Nagkakaisa sa iisang inaasam
Palubog na, palubog na...
Pauwi na sa kanila ang haring agila
Ang ibong mandirigma sa kanluran
Sunset at Boracay Beach.
In no way does the song match the mood of this shot, but I'd like to think that in times of old when the workers of the land rest their limbs and call it a day, this is how it would look.
Anyhow, I'm not exactly in an agit mood right now, though there is always that wish that when we find peace, it is not merely the absence of conflict but the achievement of genuine harmony.
The Lord Cometh...
One of the stained-glass windows at Jaro Cathedral in Iloilo.
This was a classic point-and-shoot with my sister's digicam. The sun's rays were hurting my eyes, so I just centered the image on the view screen and gave it a pop.
Even after the viewing I wasn't convinced it would look this good. I could have done better by resetting the output to actual prints instead of VGA, so that the resolution would be higher, but as it is, this was a lucky shot. What a blessing.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Lay-overs
I am posting from Hong Kong airport where to-date I have been stuck for three-and-a-half hours, and still counting for another four-plus hours. Beautiful lay-over. Had I known it would have been this entertaining, I would have booked with Emirates.
I wouldn't have taken this early morning flight, for instance. Lining up at the check-in counter at NAIA was at times frustrating on the one hand and funereal as to be almost eerie. One would think we were livestock being led off for slaughter. There is also this other thing that few people would be at their best at four in the morning. I just had about enough time to finish all the formalities just 30 minutes before boarding.
Slipping into Hong Kong was at least welcome, in the beginning.
As usual, this airport is the paragon of efficiency. There is a sense of purpose among the various staff employed here. The duty-free shops are likewise well-organized, so much so one won't feel so much different than waiting in a mall. The snag? So far, no sight nor whiff of Western domination like a Mickey D's. There is a Starbucks, but there is so only so much satisfaction one can derive from sipping over-priced coffee. By my count, I've spent close to five hundred pesos for nothing. Shoot, give me an artery-clogging hamburger with all the fatty goodness thrown in anytime, anywhere.
Otherwise, one can hang out at one of the pay lounges and prepare to be fleeced even more. I might just do that, just for kicks.
Well, is it too much to ask for even an original restaurant or something? That's where I would give points, at the very least.
Is it, really? Is it?
Arrival update: I was wrong. Somewhere in the bowels of the airport was a Burger King and a Popeye's! The downside was, the only reason I found this out was that our flight was delayed. At least we got free food! Yum yum!
I wouldn't have taken this early morning flight, for instance. Lining up at the check-in counter at NAIA was at times frustrating on the one hand and funereal as to be almost eerie. One would think we were livestock being led off for slaughter. There is also this other thing that few people would be at their best at four in the morning. I just had about enough time to finish all the formalities just 30 minutes before boarding.
Slipping into Hong Kong was at least welcome, in the beginning.
As usual, this airport is the paragon of efficiency. There is a sense of purpose among the various staff employed here. The duty-free shops are likewise well-organized, so much so one won't feel so much different than waiting in a mall. The snag? So far, no sight nor whiff of Western domination like a Mickey D's. There is a Starbucks, but there is so only so much satisfaction one can derive from sipping over-priced coffee. By my count, I've spent close to five hundred pesos for nothing. Shoot, give me an artery-clogging hamburger with all the fatty goodness thrown in anytime, anywhere.
Otherwise, one can hang out at one of the pay lounges and prepare to be fleeced even more. I might just do that, just for kicks.
Well, is it too much to ask for even an original restaurant or something? That's where I would give points, at the very least.
Is it, really? Is it?
Arrival update: I was wrong. Somewhere in the bowels of the airport was a Burger King and a Popeye's! The downside was, the only reason I found this out was that our flight was delayed. At least we got free food! Yum yum!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Leavetakings
This is the first post I have had, well, in over three months and it is somewhat bizarre to be writing again after so long. Just like something unfinished, this stays unfinished until the whole thing falls into disrepair. It's been so bad that some fellow offered to buy my site for $50. Unbelievable.
This is also the first and last dispatch I am issuing from Manila at the tail end of this year's annual vacation.
As vacations go, I believe I have reached the stage where "ho-hum" is knocking on the door of "dayumn, is it vacation time again?" Considering my state of mind and affairs prior to leaving on this vacation, that kind of transition deserves its own level of understatement. Or irony. Or whatever.
I will always miss home. Always. Even as I go on and make my own way elsewhere in another time zone, this patch of earth is my own building block, my genesis. That said, this year it has been somewhat easier to let go 0f The Things That Were Before. Ah, such semi-tragedy it may seem, but mostly in that some people in my life may have been hurt that I didn't care so much to make time for them during this vacation.
All I can say is, sorry. Really. It has nothing to do with you, it's all about reaching into the heart of me.
There is this FACE that my brother-in-law wore the day he went back to work in Dubai sometime during the middle of May. Here is a man who missed the birth of his son and only experienced true fatherhood when he arrived in March.
I'll remember that face because I'll be wearing it. For their sake, still, as it has been in the beginning, as it shall be in the end (when it does come). One day I hope to wear it for someone else, and for the family I am leaving behind. This vacation did offer possibilities, but it's too early to tell. In its own time. In His time, as well.
So rings the mantra of my life, and my new meditation for the necessary adversities in life: Not for my sake, but for theirs.
Non sibi, sed suis.
This is also the first and last dispatch I am issuing from Manila at the tail end of this year's annual vacation.
As vacations go, I believe I have reached the stage where "ho-hum" is knocking on the door of "dayumn, is it vacation time again?" Considering my state of mind and affairs prior to leaving on this vacation, that kind of transition deserves its own level of understatement. Or irony. Or whatever.
I will always miss home. Always. Even as I go on and make my own way elsewhere in another time zone, this patch of earth is my own building block, my genesis. That said, this year it has been somewhat easier to let go 0f The Things That Were Before. Ah, such semi-tragedy it may seem, but mostly in that some people in my life may have been hurt that I didn't care so much to make time for them during this vacation.
All I can say is, sorry. Really. It has nothing to do with you, it's all about reaching into the heart of me.
There is this FACE that my brother-in-law wore the day he went back to work in Dubai sometime during the middle of May. Here is a man who missed the birth of his son and only experienced true fatherhood when he arrived in March.
I'll remember that face because I'll be wearing it. For their sake, still, as it has been in the beginning, as it shall be in the end (when it does come). One day I hope to wear it for someone else, and for the family I am leaving behind. This vacation did offer possibilities, but it's too early to tell. In its own time. In His time, as well.
So rings the mantra of my life, and my new meditation for the necessary adversities in life: Not for my sake, but for theirs.
Non sibi, sed suis.
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