purpleblabbers Just another WordPress weblog

Redemption shall be mine

Lingering images of what could have been
Torment me up to this day
My heart refuses what it has seen
The futility of which I must pay

Allowing death to take over
Is no different as letting life slip away
Never have I been more sober
Nevermore quelling that which I say

No longer shall I disavow what is
Surrender seems all that is left
My soul yearns for everlasting peace
For desire, of passion is bereft

But of course Hope there may yet be
For where one’s heart truly lies
The eyes are not oft meant to see
True meaning posing in disguise

I take comfort in what lies ahead
Trust in fate and not futility
Though blood and tears have been shed
No reason to doubt predestiny

Best of luck and good fortune
Evasive or apparent as they may be
Great chances and moments opportune
Do my best, and you all shall see.

I was asked to write for a publication in my high school today, some sort of “class call” that I can hardly make anything of. I’m not sure if I did it right, but anyway, I’m sharing it here.
====
1995-2005: Ten years out of high school.
Pen Reyes

First things must come first. I am not in the best position to write an article pertaining to my CSA batchmates. For the most part, I haven’t seen or heard about most of them in the past decade. What I do hear are bits and pieces that would hardly do justice to how they are really like today. That wouldn’t be fair. As much as I am eager to write about them, I can’t. I can only speculate. It only makes sense to write now about how I am witness to how things have evolved around me. If I were to write honestly, I can only be honest about myself.

But I have an idea to try to make this work. I’ll speak to the reader about you, my dear batchmates, and put myself back into my high school shoes. (Funnily enough, they would still fit.) I’ll do my best to stand in the head of the class again, presenting you to whoever’s reading this the best way I can. I will do this, knowing you guys are right behind me, staring them in the face. So now, let’s do this. I offer this space to the CSA Biñan Graduating Class of 1995.

Five years ago, I was asked to do this exact same thing. From that time up to now, I was made to reflect on the differences between then and now. So what is different? We’re all older. Some may be wiser. Prettier. Chubbier?

You wouldn’t believe unless you’ve lived ten years after your high school graduation that people can actually metamorphose. We’ve been through our share of awkward puberty, but no one ever warned us of the horrors of adulthood. For us women even! We bloat, we get pregnant, we have babies… Some of us are lucky to stay in shape. But for us unfortunate ones, I would give any day to relive my high school life to stay away from salt and sugar! Okay, before this start to sound like a Cosmo article, let’s get back on track.

There are some of us who are now married with children, or just married, or the difference of the two. I’m still getting used to the fact that they’re engaged, now they’re hitched, having children, while I remain a child trapped in a 26-year old shell of a woman. Twenty-six. We’re older than most of our teachers were back when we were in freshman high school.

Still some of us are professionals, attached or unattached (or semi-attached). Since these guys are who I am like, I sometimes bump into some of them on the way to or back from work. I get to chat it up with some, but usually, we’re all in a hurry with our own little lives.

There are a fortunate bunch of my CSA batchmates who continue to be in constant company. You would think that a silly high school barkada wouldn’t really last. Some don’t. But there are those who do. When you think about it, these people really do share a lot in common, and they like each other an awful lot. So why would you let go of something that works so well? Augustine and Alypius went far back into their childhood. They were a petty lot, getting into trouble often. That’s their story. I’m sure some share that same parallelism with them. I’m in awe of these people. Making a thousand friends isn’t hard. Keeping friends for a thousand years isn’t a feat so easy.

Though I haven’t been as lucky to have kept close with my high school classmates, I know I share a lifeline with them. When I see one of their faces, or hear their names, I manage to creak a smile and realize that this is a part of my past that was full of youthful vitality and hopeful dreams. Hearing about their success stories inks pride in my own notebook, as if a part of them is with me. I would try to deny it sometimes, but I am bound to carrying a 1995 icon floating in my own consciousness.

So here we are. Look at us now. Ten years is a lot, but it isn’t enough. Our life has barely begun, yet somehow it feels like we’ve lived through much already. I’ve read somewhere that the past could only drag you down, however good or bad it may be. The future can only cloud your vision, however hopeful you are about it. Live in the present, for yesterday is gone and tomorrow may not even come.

After high school, idealism can be quite addicting. You want things to go about a certain way, but then not everything can turn out the way you expect them to. The shards of time tick away at each brick of the wall, and soon you discover the inner chambers of reality. I think that’s where most of us are right now.

I want to talk to you now, my batchmates.

If I go way back to a decade ago, I was fresh out of high school, worrying about where to attend college. I was an idealist marching into unfamiliar territory, refusing to know any fear. But afraid I was. I was certain about one thing, and that was uncertainty. New faces, new places. But I came to realize, no one really has it all figured out. So as I trudged on with my head bopping up and down the road, I took comfort in knowing everyone’s just like me. We’re all trying to make it through the world.

I still don’t have a plan. I still don’t have it all figured out. I still don’t know what I’m going to do with my life. But when I take the time to reflect about my past, as I am now, I am able to see hope. The world is very real to me now, as I am sure it is for most of us at this stage of life. We’ve all ventured into our own highways and byways. We’ve seen the bumps on the road, and we may have managed to dodge some of the rocks and troughs. But we all know it isn’t going to be smooth sailing all the time. Nothing is worse than falling off the car and getting run over. We get beat and feel foolish with torn rags and bloodied faces. We wonder if we can ever get on our feet again. We either die, or limp our way to the hospital. But we’ll get there. Keep the faith, and we would see each of us have wings. Some of us are already soaring in the skies.

So much for metaphors. It’s been lovely addressing you guys again. Until next we meet, I am sure there are a lot of stories to tell.

Email: csabn95@yahoo.com
Yahoogroup: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/csa1995

It’s a good day
Ajay’s turning permanent today
Six months already?

Incredible.
Swift sweep of seconds

It’s not so good a day
I can’t figure out this problem
Almost noontime already?

Incapable.
Stupid evasive solution.

It’s still anxiety day
Work here snowballs each second.
Isn’t it over already?

Inevitable.
Soon as soon as possible.

a thin shelled woman
delicate, dormant beauty
aglow from within
================
Living by candlelight brings things into a different perspective.
================
eagerly fiddling
speaks shrwedly but feels sedate
unrelenting soul

Jierarudo was asking me the other day if I had anything on my head that I had to share. This was after I sent him an SMS about friendship. I told him it was nothing in particular, just one of those days when you feel like counting your blessings.

It led me to thinking.((I rarely get to really think like I used to. On regular days it would be like… things to do for work and school, and on regular nights it’s either sleep, a little light reading or videogames. ))

I started to really count. The people I knew, people I met. Friends I’ve made, family I kept in touch with. Boys I had crushes on, girls I envied. Students who gave me headaches, students who still keep in touch. Friends I miss, friends I still keep. People I live for, people I’d die for.

I counted less than ten people who I can say are really IN my life at the moment. Most of the people  I thought about are mere memories of the past. If in the present they would either be only kept via  remote manners (if any at all), like electronic gestures—SMS, email, or live internet chat. Does that strike you as sad?

Only later on did I realize I never really counted things I’ve accomplished, stuff I did on my own and am proud of. I can make a list of it even, come to think of it. But it came last in my head.  People came first.

================

A few weeks ago I’ve been rambling on about weddings. Paul (January 3) and Marla(October 25) being the closest people to me who were married recently. I never got to do the wedding fantasy that girls talk about when they’re little or teeners, so I may be having that kind of attitude towards it the past few months. So okay, I’m going to confess that I tried fashioning a “list” of my own. I showed it to silverh sometime last year, and he didn’t act so surprised.

================

Someone once told me that I shouldn’t value others above myself. “Stop being noble, that sort of attitude never can a successful person make.”  Does that mean I’ve had none but failure in this life this past quarter century? Am I some loser? I don’t think so.

Hello there. It�s been a while huh? Much of stuff in my head has drained out, and good thing I thought about typing a few words the other day, though I couldn�t get online to post. So here it is:

30 October 2003
Thursday, 8.42p
San Pedro, Laguna
Here is me, with thoughts piling up for not having written anything in the past week. Some things I’ve been obsessing about these past days:

* * * * * * * * * *

Hype. n. A word that fits the age.

* * * * * * * * * *

Getting Married. Has the hype among girls about getting married already gone to the sewers? I think so. Might be because I’m not around a lot of women my age, or maybe just not around the hyped type. Most of my friends are single (except Marla, the one who was married recently and another who’s almost annulled). Most are in relationships, well ok… everyone’s in a relationship. No wait, Sammy’s not. He was, but not yet, again. Anyway, no bells are ringing for anyone else just yet.

I’m 25, and not getting younger. Decades ago, being unmarried at this age was unheard of, or so it seemed to me. Unconsciously, I asked Cleo (during Marla’s wedding)how old her parents got married. Cleo’s mom was a year younger than our age now, and her dad was 5 years her mom’s senior. My mom was 18 when she and dad got together, and my dad is 6 years her senior. She was 19 when she had my brother, and I’m a year older than she was when she had me.

It could be just the times. Back then, most people seemed to want to get married and have babies while they were young. Jack Geller puts it well in F.R.I.E.N.D.S. As a child, I recall counting the years ’til the clock strikes “eighteen years old”, when it would be time for me to be a “woman”. I can hardly recall my debut year, and ’til now I still don’t feel too grown up at this age. Did women back then mature much faster than the women of today? Or the opposite? My take… hmm, I can’t decide.

* * * * * * * * * *

On women getting married. First, a random thought: Is it a sin to fall in love with an incredibly perfect but hideously beauty-impaired person, when you are obsessed on by most to be the goddess (or god) of beauty and perfection yourself? And I don’t mean just plain pretty, but the gorgeous type. I know it’s a ridiculous thought. Sure, not all people think alike. For sure, some people, if not most, are judgmental. I admit I cannot help being judgmental. I reserve the evil comments about other people for conversations with my mom and closest friends (people I can count with fingers on one hand). But I can’t help objecting when I see a beautiful lady being wed to an ugly guy. But it seems to be the hype these days. Aha! You thought I was off-topic, but there you go! Ehem… Donita Rose Cavett (omg, how do I know her name? lol) was married to this yucky but decent enough looking gentleman in California this year. (Fine fine… I admit I watch a bit of showbiz news.) And look at Mikee Cojuangco! Err.. ah whatever. The guys are rich anyway. It all boils down to that? Who know what their loves stories are. This onlooker is just making an evil comment. I know it’s an evil thought, it’s just a thought anyhow. And it’s not even personal, obviously. I am not attractive, not to my own ogling standards, so It has nothing to do with my own love life. (=P)

But that’s not my main point. It’s this other thing… maybe Sammy would be the guy to ask, since he’s the most single guy among us anyhow. (=P) There’s this deodorant ad that shows a guy asking a girl if she was married, and when she answered no, he sighs and smiles. Question is, Do women become less attractive when they get married? After all, what is the general idea? Men scout around for attractive women, take their pick, ask her out, and if it works out, then it’s for keeps. Or some variation of the generality. Doesn’t matter
anyway right? ‘Cause when you’re married, you’re out of the game anyway. Still, the question stands. On my side of the coin, a person’s status in marriage spells a lot on another’s impression on him/her. What seems unfair is how it spells for married men vs. married women. Not only impressions, think about all the implications too. One. Women change their surnames when they get married. This practically changes their identity. The paper trail I have left in the first quarter of my existence has grown so much, I can’t imagine keeping track anymore. When I wear his ring and say “I do”, that would mean erasing my mother’s maiden name from mine. It personally isn’t too big a deal, but well, I wonder how this practice came into being. Aside from that, men can choose to claim single status just by slipping off her ring, even when he flashes a choice ID card there wouldn’t be anything there to show he’s married. Made me think about keeping my name as it is, hyphenating my husband-to-be’s surname, for life. I wonder if that is possible. Two. At one point, some women get knocked up in wedlock, and who wouldn’t notice that?? I have nothing against bringing a child into this cruel world, but the mom… even before the hellish time of the toddler years, would have to cope with nine months of judgmental ogling from people like me. After which, bye-bye to the figure that once was (or never was in my case), unless she’s one of the lucky girls with terrific figure-friendly metabolism.

Alright, I’ve never been there, so plainly that’s why I have all these rants. Hopefully, I would forget about obsessing this way when I cross my own bridge.

* * * * * * * * * *
The Filipino at All Souls’ Day. There’s an ongoing seasonal pinoy hype. This weekend, while western culture dictates a holiday of Jack O’Lanterns and candy, pinoys flock to their families, mostly to the far-reaching provinces of the country. And then, in full-family-force, trample on the evergreens of the Eternal Gardens of their departed family. I know, not a big deal right? Every culture has its own way of paying respects to the dead, so how should this pinoy tradition be any special? For one thing, Pinoys go visit the graves of their dead all on the same day, to clean and repaint the stones all on the same day, to lay flowers and chant prayers all on the same day, to light candles and gnaw on mani(native roasted peanuts) and salty shells of butong pakwan (melon seeds) all on the same day. It would be mere stupidity or plain insanity to even imagine going to visit your own relatives residing just cities away. Major highways turn to nightmares, especially those in the vicinity of sea ports, bus terminals and airports. It’s like Christmas season a few months early. Hellish, this holiday’s notierity for its effect on the usual traffic awards overtime pay to DOTC guys, so I guess it’s not all bad. Not to mention the perfect alibi to laze around the house for at least 3 entire days.
* * * * * * * * * *
Reality Shows. Pinoy TV refuses to be left behind as GMA-7 starts a new trend of reality shows. I’m itching to start by saying “What is it with reality shows that people buy into these things?” Oh well, there you go. Couldn’t be helped. There is a troop of Survivor fanatics out there, I know. The groupie-like crowd of The Bachelor-type shows, and also the action-lovers like silverh who have a trip watching Combat Missions. My mom’s a lot entertained with Starstruck, the artista (actor/actress) search reality show in GMA. Thousands of hopefuls went to the auditions, and after 3 episodes GMA-7 has narrowed down their players to 60, and just now there are 30 left. They show footages of the losers crying, disappointed, laughing and overjoyed. Bah, I won’t be self-righteous and say I don’t enjoy watching these shows. There is a mysterious appeal to these shows that catches my attention when I chance upon them in one of my absent-minded channel surfing. Yet I c
an’t shake the strange jitters I get while watching these shows, as if chanting “fake, fake, fake, fake…”
* * * * * * * * * *

US President George W. Bush visits our country today. Yesterday afternoon, on my way home to Laguna, they were already protesters flooding the street on our way out of the University. Silverh and I stood at the faculty center waiting shed, anticipating a homeward bound journey, me to Pacita and him to Marikina. We were greeted not by a Pantranco jeep, but this awfully dense crowd walking (quite slowly) on the Academic Oval, as if a walking a hearse, wearing predominantly red and black garments. The first few rows were chanting “Bush, Bush go away, isama mo si GMA.” A few more rows later, the chants grew incoherent, as they were obviously too many to chant in unison. What struck me about this mass of people was the volume of curly-haired dark-skinned aborigine-like men towards the end of the massive queue. Are these the Filipino indigents? They seemed to walk aimlessly, carrying white translucent bags of what looked like bread and rice. Made me think whether they knew what they were doing, or were they just paid to carry the food rations for everyone?

===============================
What exactly are they protesting about?

They were calling Bush the number one world terrorist. They’re calling Bush a liar, owing to the fact that he declared war upon Iraq, saying that it was hiding weapons of mass destruction. They’re calling him the new Hitler, using military power and the aggression of war against any country he wishes, just to solve the worsening crises in the United States. They’re calling Arroyo a puppy gone crazy, welcoming Bush as his right hand in Asia. They’re also calling her a liar, owing to broken promises to her country, most likely the particular promise that she would not run on May 2004.

===============================

So, today is the day. I woke up a bit after 11 a.m., hearing my mom fussing about the news on TV. She was saying that my brother, who works in NAIA, said that Bush would arrive 1220H. He was right.

I was up and, having nothing more important to do today, decided to follow the events. I took some TV captures. I dunno if they turned out too good, but anyhow, they were fun to do. So here’s my report. For TV captures, please go here. (still a broken link, sorry, have not uploaded)

Purple’s Report on the State Visit of US President George Walter Bush to the Republic of the Philippines

Arrival
12:12 The first BOEING 747 carrying the advanced party of the US President lands in Villamor Air Base, Pasay
City.
Susan Enriquez from GMA falsely announced that this was already AIR FORCE ONE. It was obviously not.
She retracted the report a few minutes later.
12:19 AIR FORCE ONE lands in Villamor Air Base. Marine helicopters whizzed around the Air Field around this time until Bush left the place.
12:32 US President Bush emerges from Air Force Once with First Lady Laura. RP Vice President Teofisto Guingona, RP Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople and US Ambassador to the RP __ welcome them.
My mom and I were half-hoping to see Harrison Ford alight from the plane.
12:36 President Bush’s entourage leaves Villamor Air Base.

Offering of Wreath to the National Hero
1:08 President Bush’s entourage arrives in Rizal Monument, Rizal Park, City of Manila.
At this moment, my dad notices how thick and heavy the car doors of Bush’s stretch limousine looked.
1:13 Bush alights from car with Laura, Mayor Lito Atienza receives them.
Lito Atienza reminded me a lot here of Rudy Guliani of New York.
1:15 Bush lays wreath of flowers as offering for Philippine National Hero Gat Jose Rizal.
He doesn’t lay a hand on the wreath. It looked heavy, around 2-3 feet in diameter. He looked a lot roasted under the afternoon sun, my mom was crying out, “Oii, nasusunog na si Bush!”

Philippine Navy Band plays Ang Bayan Ko’y Tanging Ikaw.
The band played another traditional song that I didn’t recognize.
1:18 Bush leaves Rizal Park.
My mom says, “Mukhang mabait yung asawa niya.”

State Arrival Ceremony
1:26 Bush arrives in Malaca�an
g Palace grounds, City of Manila. RP President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and First Gentleman Mike receives them.
It was sort of disgusting to see Mike Arroyo in the background. For a moment there my mom noticed how Laura seemed to stride faster than him, as if avoiding being escorted by him. Gloria looked so dwarfy even with a not-so-tall American President and First Lady flanking her.
1:27 Band plays Star-Spangled Banner (Francis Scott Key).
W. and Laura hold their palms against their chests.
1:29 Band plays Lupang Hinirang (Felipe Agoncillo).
Arroyo and Mike hold their palms against their chests.
1:30 Band plays Leron Leron Sinta.
1:38 Bush and First Lady Laura enter Malaca�ang Palace.
Along the way, the path the guests passed was lined with kids aged around 6-8 years old, waving tiny US and RP flags. Bush and Laura enjoyed looking and fussing over them, and even came closer. W even took a baby and held her for a while.

Story-telling with the First Lady
1:54 First Lady Laura sits with 200 selected students of NCR schools. She reads aloud a children’s book entitled Panda bear, Panda bear, What do you see?
The children looked adorable, though it was so obvious how they were over-rehearsed. Even the teacher who first spoke for the group stumbled over her lines… “Okay, now let’s song… err… give… err… sing a song for the First Lady.”
2:00 Six selected children deliver a story-play about the Bamboo.
Very nice delivery. Laura looked genuinely pleased.
2:06 Children present gifts made of bamboo to the First Lady.
Even I didn’t know about these gufts, I hardly understood while each child recited the name of the bamboo product he/she gave the First Lady.
2:07 The First Lady watches a Filipiniana dance presentation.
Nice. Though could have been better.
2:15 The children sing We Say Mabuhay.
Too artificial. Made my skin hair rise on end.
2:17 The First Lady thanks the children, poses for pictures, and leaves the room.
Laura looks pretty. You can tell she loved being around children too.

Speech at RP Congress
5:15 Bush makes his way to Batasang Pambansa, with almost everyone anticipating his delivery of a speech in front of Congress. Bush is only the second US President to do so, the first being Dwight Eisenhower’s Joint Congress speech during the height of the cold war in the 70s.
Supposedly scheduled at 3:15, it was rumored that the US President had second thoughts about pushing through with his visit to RP Congress. Satur Ocampo and company (I am not familiar with their names, a lady congressman and a couple others) have declared their intention early on of their symbolic protest this day, wearing full black or otherwise patriotic colors, and announced that they would walk out during the US President�s speech. Opposition senators and congressmen likewise announced that they would boycott the event. They however, were present.

State Dinner

(Time undetermined) I got tired keeping track of the time and instead went to play some videogames, only getting the bits of news later this night about what happened further. Anyhow, I heard that the main course for this state dinner at Malaca�ang is Lapu-lapu in tomato sauce. Dessert was chocolate mousse. There were other details but I failed to pay much attention. But I did see Former President Corazon Aquino sitting in the banquet table with the two First couples.

And that was it. My brother arrived home around 9 p.m., obviously a bit cranky. He was on duty all day today at NAIA.

Regular TV programming resumes.

Just a little something before I call it a day.

Thanks huntherx17 for the message at your blog. Yes, I am finally playing Final Fantasy VII. Makes me think.. how did I get started with playing videogames, let alone RPGs(role playing games)?

Hmm.. let’s see.

When I was younger (and I mean lower school, aged 10 below), I did not have much patience to play videogames as did my brother. We did own an ATARI console during my “formative” years. What games did we have? There was… Asteroids, Defender, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Space Invaders, … I can’t recall the names of the other games. Then came Nintendo’s “family computer”. There I remember my favorite to be Kage, Contra, Super Mario Bros. and the Legend Of Zelda. I never finished Mario, mainly because it took so long to play, and I did not grow too fond of the princess being abducted over and over again. I remember my cousins playing it to the finish.. I lost interest. I think I finished Zelda, and I am sure I liked it better than Mario.

Time passed and I never played in another console. High school came and went, and all I had was a glimpse at a Donkey Kong game on SEGA in one of our first visits to Baguio at the AGnP company house with family. I enjoyed watching other people play, but not actually playing. It became a boy’s thing. And obviously I’m no boy.

After college, I was enticed to buy a sony playstation. I read about RPGs on the internet, being talked about by techies and enthusiasts. I wanted to know what the fuss was about. Some time before that, silverh got me into playing PC game slike Diablo and Battle Realms. He got me back into the gaming thing, one could say.

It wasn’t a big deal at first,… (wait there’s pizza.. brb) Ok back. The first games I was able to get were not so fun. Then I found a copy of FInal Fantasy VIII. That was it.. I got hooked. Now I bought myself a playstation 2. What games have I played as of today? Ok, in the past year since I started, Final Fantasy 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10 ( I’m playing 7 right now.) Xenogears, Chrono Cross, Chrono Trigger, Saiyuki, … hmm.. I’ll see if I left out anything tomorrow. For now I gotta pack up. Ciao!

Yesterday afternoon, we went out to take an unsanitary trip to Manong’s Isawan. Magnanimously ate 10 isaw baboy… I imagine my mom (and dad) would throw a fit if they knew about it. A few germs wouldn’t hurt. Though a very vivid memory of a lacerated throat comes to mind.

—————————-
STORY BREAK!
—————————-
In my second semester as a college freshman, I acquired an acute respiratory illness, making it extremely difficult to swallow. Obviously I could not eat anything solid. I survived by eating unsalted soft-boiled eggs (the salt made my throat wounds sting) and drinking water. How did I get sick this way? One word. Fishballs.

I used to be not used to eating in street food stalls at all. I was not threatened by them, but I was not used to them. My dad often warned my brother and I against eating street food (by street food, it meant anything served outside the conventional “clean” restaurant), and never ever gave in to our finger-pointing of caramel-colored gulaman, deep yellow or red or green sa-malamig, nor fishballs, scramble, dirty ice cream, … Our only joy was eating taho from the manong magtataho on Saturday mornings.

Primary and Secondary School ended, and at the onset of my life in the University of the Philippines, I was greeted by the street food I’ve been banned from all my childhood days. No, I did not indulge like a crazed maniac, deprived of the Filipino staples of everyday. I did not have the craving for any at all.

It interested me one time, and I don’t even remember how it happened that I ate a stick of 10 fishballs (5 pesos worth). It came naturally in one of the chit-chat sessions with classmates.

But I do remember being attacked by a strange fever, paired with a burning sensation in my throat. I could not get up from the top of the double-deck bed Marla (a bestfriend and college roommate) and I shared. I remembered being unable to go home on my own, and Marla nursed me coz of my fever. Suspicious of my throat discomfort, Grace(also a high school friend and college roommate) and Marla looked down my throat and told me I was bleeding there… they could see lots of white spots and traces of blood. That’s when I panicked (and they did too) and told my parents about it.

My family came over (yes, my brother came too), and drove me to the Emergency Room of Makati Medical Center .We saw people being brought in who looked obviously sick. I was there sitting stupidly, feeling the torment inside me. When the doctor was finally able to attend to me, I was prescribed with medicine that cost 100 peso per pill. I had to take at least one a day. For a month. I felt sorry for being such a burden that time to my parents.

I wasn’t able to go to school for a month and, for the first time in my life, I flunked an exam (face down on the floor, bruised and beaten!) with a horrendous 20% equivalent. I had to work big time to make up for it, and ended up getting a 74% in the final grade. Not so bad. Though I lost the energy to aim for excellent grades that moment on.

It was so weird to get sick like that. I guess it was a case of misfortune. That time, the food stalls in UP weren’t scrutinized as they are today. Just very recently, a study by the Microbiology Program has proven that these food stalls were safe to eat in as long as you do not dip your food in the sauces used by everyone. Notice how all the stalls have separate vials enabling you to pour the sauces on your food instead? So, moral of the story: Don’t dip, pour.
—————————————————-
—————–End of Story———————-
—————————————————-

Yesterday evening we went out for Japanese with Dr. M. The sashimi was great! It has only been my second time to eat at Saisaki’s. I grew up most of my summer holidays spent at my uncle’s place in Paranaque, and he always cooked food for himself since he seemed to have never learned to eat Filipino food. Oh, he’s a full-blooded Nippon-jin (Japanese) by the way. My eldes
t fraternal first-cousin was his daughter, and they seemed to favor my brother and I among our cousins, and we often sat with their family at his table when they were dining. I often picked the sashimi from the sushi, I don’t remember liking sushi very much. But in afternoons when the house was quiet (Pinoy siesta) I recall sneaking in his drawers to snitch some seaweed sheets, and I’d be munching on the black stuff ’til dinnertime!

I forgot how Japanese food gave me the illusion of not eating too much cholesterol. Well, I guess it is less fattening to eat Japanese, but I ate so damn much! At some point I’m bound to have had as much fat intake as any normal meal!
————————————

So it goes.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S.
Monica: Do you really think just that you’re sorry that’s the best reason to get married?
—————
I wonder how it’s like, walking around, living your life, with the knowledge of life growing in your belly? And no you pilosopos, I do not mean the lactobacilli shirota strain nor the amoeba thingies.

Wow, I’ve blogged 3 times and it isn’t even noon yet. I need to start working.

Right after people have gone to their workplaces and students seated in their classrooms. They slaved a journey against the heavy rains and gusty winds. Just to be in class or at work. Then… “Okay boys and girls, you can go home and fight against the weather one more time. Have a nice day!” Though I cannot deny I am somehow thankful for the free hour and fifteen minutes left of my workday. (I only officially work til 12:45 p.m. Though there is much to accomplish in the office that I keep putting off. Blah-blum-blug.)

Weather forecasts are a lot like fortune-telling. It never tells you anything definite, lets you keep on guessing “What is really going to happen?” Meteorology shows its usefulness in catastrophic situations. Much like seismology, in the case of volcanoes gone boink and earthquakes to the umpteenth intensity. Warning systems aren’t very practical, at least not in THIS country, still in the advanced stone age-mezzo pliestocene period.

Who was that teacher in Divination in the Harry Potter books? *bling* Ahh yes… Professor Trelawney. And Firenze, the Centaur, who stood in for her one time in Divination.

I must admit that even before reading Rowling’s work, I’ve been enthused with the ideas in wicca. Particularly those aspects which entice the senses and enhances the consciousness. Much of which, I believe, inspires the poet, artist and craftsman in an individual.