...at least where I came from! Although, this can easily be mistaken for Manila's Quezon Avenue when flooded. Really!!
Friday, April 29, 2005
Surreal Venice...
...at least where I came from! Although, this can easily be mistaken for Manila's Quezon Avenue when flooded. Really!!
Time Space Warp in Venice
Came from Venice today. The experience was surreal for two reasons, one reason is romantic the other reason is anything but. The first reason was because I thought I was in another time while walking through the narrow streets and secluded waterways of the city. It’s as if the houses and streets there existed in a world all their own, detached from everything else going around their waterbordered area. Indeed, looking at how the structures are thisclose to each other and how the streets and waterways are so narrow, one would realize how easy it is to feel so isolated and secluded in Venice.
Solitude and intimacy contrive and romance soon blooms in the air until (and this is the second reason my Venice experience was surreal)... tourists arrive by the waterbus-load with shouting tour guides heckling before them and peddlers jam the waterways pushing their fake Ferre, Gucci, and Vuitton bags at any interesting-enough-looking bella that passes them by... The romance instantly fades, replaced by the commercialism of the now-mass-tourism spot that is Venice. The place was—and it probably still is, even if I’m writing this down at 12am in the morning—crowded with tourists. Probably only one person out of ten was Italian among the throngs and throngs of people we saw there today. Venice didn’t feel like an Italian city anymore, it felt like Disneyland: just another tourist attraction that draws its personality more from its location and what it looks like rather than its inhabitants and how they live there.
But what do I know, right? I don’t live there. And hey, how about those who actually do? What do they think? How do the people who live in Venice feel about how touristy their place had become? Can they still live peaceful, private lives, what with every Tom, Dick and Harry from England, Japan, and Miami taking digital pictures of their windows, gardens, gates, doorknobs and what-not? I will never know unless I actually live there for some number of years and actually experience how it is to be hounded by tourists every single day of my simple Venetian life. But as a person who values her own privacy and solitude greatly and who would rather read a book than go out and party, I would think I would get really annoyed with all the people and all the attention and all the digital cameras that flock my habitat day in and day out. I may just quit on it all and get the fuss out of the city, regardless of how original, charming, and beautiful it is.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Venice's Plaza San Marco
See how peoples and pigeons alike fight for standing (and breathing!!) space?
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Love Your Own
I have said I fell in love with the Philippines while in Europe. I have to say the same thing about Filipinos. I appreciated Filipinos more while in other countries. Iba pa rin pala kapag kababayan ang kasama mo. We are all citizens of this world, no doubt. There is still, however, a sense of belonging with fellow countrymen that we will never feel with citizens of other countries.
I loved being around Filipinos while traveling as there really is nothing quite like the hospitality and warmth that a Filipino conveys. At the same time, though, I am saddened because of the fact that these Filipinos I have met had to live and work outside the Philippines in pursuit of a better life. It’s so sad that while we love being around our countrymen, a lot of us don’t exactly love to be in our country.
It amazes me and saddens me at the same time how we have come to be embarrassed by our identities as Filipinos. We try to hide, or at least downgrade, everything in us that is Filipino: We hate being brown-skinned and do everything in our power to become more “white”. We bleach our hair blonde, hazel, or burgundy to hide our black hair. We mask our hard-edged English accent to sound more “kano” or “sosyal”. We lambast our government harshly the first chance we get even if we’re never 100% sure about our judgments and theories. We make fun of the “jologs”, Jolina Magdangal or Sharon Cuneta… all this, one might argue, can actually be just a matter of “preference” or “opinion”—I myself can be accused of any one of these instances of self-denial in the past. But I think the worst we could do as Filipinos is to cave in to the world’s belief that the Philippines is hopeless. That the only future worth looking forward to is a future outside the Philippines. This is the harshest reality I have witnessed while traveling in Europe.
Nothing could be sadder than a Filipino losing hope in the Philippines.
One thing I loved about seeing the UP MedChoir in concert here in Germany was how the experience gave me back a sense of appreciation for our country and our fellowmen, a feeling I have almost forgotten because almost everything I see here reminded me of the third-class, or fourth-class even, state of our country. I’m sure all the Filipinos inside that church felt this feeling too, especially when the choir sang Filipino classics “Manila” and “Paruparong Bukid”. Nakaka-senti kahit anong sabihin ninyong pagkakorni nun, ano! Seeing them sing, sing so well, and hearing of their vocation as (yet underpaid) doctors and their objective to solicit donations for the Pedia Ward of the Philippine General Hospital all made me want to pack my bags and go home and do something--anything!!--just to make our country a little bit better.
Traveling is a wonderful thing and a round-the-world trip is definitely a one-of-a-kind experience. Nonetheless, nothing feels quite the same like home—it’s so irreplaceable that wherever one finds himself or herself in, whatever the circumstance—whether in luxury, comfort or misery—he or she is in, the desire to come back home is still there. But a sad thing is that a lot of Filipinos in other countries have lost this desire to come home. I honestly feel very sorry for them—truth be told, I can’t deny that I somehow detest that kind of attitude. Turning your back on your country--whether you do so in practice or in principle--is tantamount to turning your back on yourself. Deploring the plight of the Philippines and criticizing the government to death may be our personal right, but what good will all our bad press about the Philippines do if at the end of the day we’re doing nothing to help it?
I loved being around Filipinos while traveling as there really is nothing quite like the hospitality and warmth that a Filipino conveys. At the same time, though, I am saddened because of the fact that these Filipinos I have met had to live and work outside the Philippines in pursuit of a better life. It’s so sad that while we love being around our countrymen, a lot of us don’t exactly love to be in our country.
It amazes me and saddens me at the same time how we have come to be embarrassed by our identities as Filipinos. We try to hide, or at least downgrade, everything in us that is Filipino: We hate being brown-skinned and do everything in our power to become more “white”. We bleach our hair blonde, hazel, or burgundy to hide our black hair. We mask our hard-edged English accent to sound more “kano” or “sosyal”. We lambast our government harshly the first chance we get even if we’re never 100% sure about our judgments and theories. We make fun of the “jologs”, Jolina Magdangal or Sharon Cuneta… all this, one might argue, can actually be just a matter of “preference” or “opinion”—I myself can be accused of any one of these instances of self-denial in the past. But I think the worst we could do as Filipinos is to cave in to the world’s belief that the Philippines is hopeless. That the only future worth looking forward to is a future outside the Philippines. This is the harshest reality I have witnessed while traveling in Europe.
Nothing could be sadder than a Filipino losing hope in the Philippines.
One thing I loved about seeing the UP MedChoir in concert here in Germany was how the experience gave me back a sense of appreciation for our country and our fellowmen, a feeling I have almost forgotten because almost everything I see here reminded me of the third-class, or fourth-class even, state of our country. I’m sure all the Filipinos inside that church felt this feeling too, especially when the choir sang Filipino classics “Manila” and “Paruparong Bukid”. Nakaka-senti kahit anong sabihin ninyong pagkakorni nun, ano! Seeing them sing, sing so well, and hearing of their vocation as (yet underpaid) doctors and their objective to solicit donations for the Pedia Ward of the Philippine General Hospital all made me want to pack my bags and go home and do something--anything!!--just to make our country a little bit better.
Traveling is a wonderful thing and a round-the-world trip is definitely a one-of-a-kind experience. Nonetheless, nothing feels quite the same like home—it’s so irreplaceable that wherever one finds himself or herself in, whatever the circumstance—whether in luxury, comfort or misery—he or she is in, the desire to come back home is still there. But a sad thing is that a lot of Filipinos in other countries have lost this desire to come home. I honestly feel very sorry for them—truth be told, I can’t deny that I somehow detest that kind of attitude. Turning your back on your country--whether you do so in practice or in principle--is tantamount to turning your back on yourself. Deploring the plight of the Philippines and criticizing the government to death may be our personal right, but what good will all our bad press about the Philippines do if at the end of the day we’re doing nothing to help it?
Monday, April 25, 2005
PGH Memories in Frankfurt…
This is the UP College of Medicine Choir, or simply, the UP MedChoir. They are on tour in Europe, visiting key cities in Ireland, Germany, France, and Spain. Caught them in concert in Frankfurt at the St. Ignatius Church at Gartnerweg last Sunday, April 24. Bitin ang concert nila! Only five songs!! They sang their contest pieces for Ireland, the Hotdogs’ “Manila”, “Paruparong Bukid”, and some tribal songs the titles of which I forgot. Was waiting to hear “Anak” or “Now That I Have You” para senti but, haayyyy, some things are just too good to last. They were given only around 15 or 30 minutes, I think, for this performance.
Don’t they look nice in their costumes? Pinoy na Pinoy! Never thought I would miss the barong tagalog until I saw these guys with their barongs—after a long time of nothing but long wool coats and leather jackets, the cool crisp whiteness of the barong is certainly a fresh breeze from home. Will may be catch them in Paris in May where Alex (Choir Master) says they will be from May 7-11 and where, hopefully, they will be able to sing their full repertoire.
On a kilig note, watching this choir sing made me miss Nats MORE!! Nats is an alumnus of this choir and their concerts had a significant role in Nats and I first getting together. Uuuuyyyy, reminiscing!
Starbucks Rob Crowd in Frankfurt... sans Nats :(
Left to right: TJ (Nats’ brother—unmistakably his brother, see the resemblance?), Hannah (girlfriend ni TJ… sa wakas!), me (a.k.a. your highness), Van (MedChoir Bass and hopefully one of the soloists at our wedding—although I haven’t asked him yet!), and one of the MedChoir members (forgot to get his name, sowi).
The picture is spotty, but is still a wonderful souvenir. Was drizzling a bit outside and my camera caught quite a few of the drops. Didn’t get to talk to them for a long time as well because they were off right after the concert for a singing engagement somewhere else (can’t pronounce the name of the city, much less spell it out here, sowi again). Hope I can get the chance to hang out with them in May in Paris—want to get to know TJ (although kilala ko na si TJ, iba din yung makagimmick paminsan di ba) and Hannah more (future bilas na ba, TJ?) and continue the kwentuhan with Van na nagsimula sa Starbucks Rob!! What are the chances I would get to see the MedChoir in Frankfurt, huh?! Just another instance of God’s goodness to us while here in Europe. I never expected to find warmth in cold Germany, but here it is. Nats, you're the only one missing from this picture. Miss you honey ko!! Wish you were here!
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Choir Master Alex In Action
I remember the former Choir Master, Rico, promising to arrange one of the songs from “Moulin Rouge” for an a capella choral performance for our wedding…In case Rico can’t make it next year (I think he’s already a practicing resident somewhere in the US now), I hope Alex is willing to turn the Nicole Kidman-Ewan McGregor duet (“I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind if I put down in words… how wonderful life is when you are in the world”) into an a capella choral piece.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
The Beauty Around Us
My good friend, Brian Lisas, who's a very young but very insightful pastor, musician, tenor, and brother emailed to this to me in reaction to my last blog about the sea... sometimes we have to stop, step back, and take a moment to appreciate and be in awe of the beauty around us and the One who has made all of it, don't you think?
In this little "world" where I am right now, I can also sometimes find myself awestruck even with very little, seemingly insignificant, often-taken-for-granted things, such as the trees, their leaves, streams of water (which you could hardly see in manila), and the heavenly bodies that light up the sky in the night, that also made me say "God, you are truly Great and powerful and infinitely wise! What a great designer you are!"
If we only stop for a moment, take a look at the leaves of the trees, feel the fresh, cool air and ponder how God provides us with oxygen everyday, we will be filled with amazement about how great our God is.
Yes, every little creature in this world, even mosquitoes, ants, spiders and all other insects and "animals!" that we consider useless have their place in God's perfect natural creation...
Our world is truly designed in a more than perfect way. Meron ba nun? More than perfect? Sana may mas malalim pa na word sa perfect to best describe how I feel and think...
All of creation declares God's wisdom and power. Only when we pause for a moment and contemplate on these seemingly insignificant, often-taken-for-granted creatures will we be able to really appreciate comprehend and be mesmerized by God's power and the beauty of his creation.
In this little "world" where I am right now, I can also sometimes find myself awestruck even with very little, seemingly insignificant, often-taken-for-granted things, such as the trees, their leaves, streams of water (which you could hardly see in manila), and the heavenly bodies that light up the sky in the night, that also made me say "God, you are truly Great and powerful and infinitely wise! What a great designer you are!"
If we only stop for a moment, take a look at the leaves of the trees, feel the fresh, cool air and ponder how God provides us with oxygen everyday, we will be filled with amazement about how great our God is.
Yes, every little creature in this world, even mosquitoes, ants, spiders and all other insects and "animals!" that we consider useless have their place in God's perfect natural creation...
Our world is truly designed in a more than perfect way. Meron ba nun? More than perfect? Sana may mas malalim pa na word sa perfect to best describe how I feel and think...
All of creation declares God's wisdom and power. Only when we pause for a moment and contemplate on these seemingly insignificant, often-taken-for-granted creatures will we be able to really appreciate comprehend and be mesmerized by God's power and the beauty of his creation.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
I Love The Sea
i do, i really do! one would think a love for the sea is a natural thing for an islander like me. but it's like i found a lost love just now. i had to go to europe to find this out about myself, but i hope it's not too late for this love affair. :)
i LOVE the bluish-greyish(!)-greenish hue of the water (varities of which range from the deep blue of the mediterranean to the grey-green of the atlantic), the feel of sand between my toes, the smell of the sea breeze, the shiver a cold gust of wind brings running up my arms, the spray of water on my face when the waves crash on the shore, the way my hair (and my scarf or my skirt) gets blown away from me by the wind... i LOVE everything about the sea...
just in these last two or three months i've seen the pacific, the atlantic and the mediterranean... it amazes me how the hues of these bodies of water differ from each other. they're all still saltwater, i know, and chemically there really probably isn't any difference at all, but i would like to think there is something like a personality to these oceans... a "color" or "aura" that makes one ocean bluer than the other, or more ripply, or more "wave"-y, or "calmer"... i don't know. i'm probably waxing too melodramatic but i just can't help it.
the funniest thing about this is that... I DON'T SWIM. shame on me for being a filipino and not knowing how to swim! i haven't snorkeled, haven't gone on a dive, haven't seen any fish up close and personal except for Nemo and the "Jaws" shark robot at the Universal Studios tour. the Philippines is chockful of diving spots, wrecks, coral reefs, white sand beaches... and all I can do is the freestyle in 4 feet of water. at five feet, i prefer to tiptoe, and beyond five feet, i prefer to be on a boat and out of the water.
one of the first things i'll be doing (aside from learning how to drive) when i get back to Manila is to take swimming lessons. seriously. i took swimming lessons in college at UP but i never got to treading because i was absent (for real!) when we got to the lesson about treading water. got an uno (thats an A+) for my freestyle though and a dos (thats a B) overall. but throw me in the middle of the ocean and i'll die in ten minutes flat. or even less, actually.
they say there are times you have to force yourself out of your comfort zone to really live, you know? in the water is one of the zones i'm real uncomfortable in. like a fish out of water in reverse. it's time for this to change, i think. i'm now ready to throw in the towel (quite literally) and jump into the pacific. (...now if i can only stand to wear a bikini in the atlantic coast of northern france... ;-p!)
i LOVE the bluish-greyish(!)-greenish hue of the water (varities of which range from the deep blue of the mediterranean to the grey-green of the atlantic), the feel of sand between my toes, the smell of the sea breeze, the shiver a cold gust of wind brings running up my arms, the spray of water on my face when the waves crash on the shore, the way my hair (and my scarf or my skirt) gets blown away from me by the wind... i LOVE everything about the sea...
just in these last two or three months i've seen the pacific, the atlantic and the mediterranean... it amazes me how the hues of these bodies of water differ from each other. they're all still saltwater, i know, and chemically there really probably isn't any difference at all, but i would like to think there is something like a personality to these oceans... a "color" or "aura" that makes one ocean bluer than the other, or more ripply, or more "wave"-y, or "calmer"... i don't know. i'm probably waxing too melodramatic but i just can't help it.
the funniest thing about this is that... I DON'T SWIM. shame on me for being a filipino and not knowing how to swim! i haven't snorkeled, haven't gone on a dive, haven't seen any fish up close and personal except for Nemo and the "Jaws" shark robot at the Universal Studios tour. the Philippines is chockful of diving spots, wrecks, coral reefs, white sand beaches... and all I can do is the freestyle in 4 feet of water. at five feet, i prefer to tiptoe, and beyond five feet, i prefer to be on a boat and out of the water.
one of the first things i'll be doing (aside from learning how to drive) when i get back to Manila is to take swimming lessons. seriously. i took swimming lessons in college at UP but i never got to treading because i was absent (for real!) when we got to the lesson about treading water. got an uno (thats an A+) for my freestyle though and a dos (thats a B) overall. but throw me in the middle of the ocean and i'll die in ten minutes flat. or even less, actually.
they say there are times you have to force yourself out of your comfort zone to really live, you know? in the water is one of the zones i'm real uncomfortable in. like a fish out of water in reverse. it's time for this to change, i think. i'm now ready to throw in the towel (quite literally) and jump into the pacific. (...now if i can only stand to wear a bikini in the atlantic coast of northern france... ;-p!)
Finding Friends from Everywhere
my two new bridesmaids: anna from slovakia and vienna from hongkong... now nats, you need to find a guy 6-feet tall to be anna's partner, ok? ;p
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
For People My Age...
A friend found forwarded this to me today... Can't stop laughing!! Bukingan ba ng edad ito or what? I know some people are embarassed of their age. Not me! Sorry na lang for those born later because they missed all of this!! (Syempre love your own age group.)
Anyways, this is for all those who CAN recall and for all the others who can recall hearing their thirty-something friends recall these things... Enjoy!
*kumakain ka ba ng aratilis? oo naman, napuwing pa ako sa ilalim ng puno ng grade one ako... alam ni sharon ang kwentong ito, hindi ba ship???
*nagpipitpit ng gumamela para gawing soapy bubbles na hihipan mo sa binilog na tanggkay ng walis tingting? wag kalimutan ang TIDE at ang pesky kapitbahay kalaro na feeling expert sa chemical compound na ito
*pinipilit ka ba matulog ng nanay mo pag hapon at di ka papayagan maglaro pag di ka natulog?at ang lagi nyang panakot ay: "sige ka, isusunod ko na sa yo ang mga damit mo pag lumabas ka pa!"
*marunong ka magpatintero, saksak puso, langit-lupa, teleber-teleber, luksong tinik? saksak-puso? duh... how violent naman that game!!
*malupit ka pag meron kang atari, family computer or nes? n.o.t.a. ako dito kaya ngayon ako bumabawi with my gadgets, ehehehe
*alam mo ang silbi ng up, up, down, down, left,right, left, right, a, b, a, b, start? uh... hindeee?!!
*may mga damit ka na U.S.E.D., Boy London, Cross Colors, Esprit, Blowing Bubbles at pag nakakakita ka ng Bench na damit eh naalalamo si Richard Gomez? at ang rowing commercial na may umaalingawngaw na boses sa background?
*addict ka sa rainbow brite, carebears, my littlepony, thundercats, bioman, voltes v, mazinger z, daimos, he-man at marami pang cartoons na hindi pa translated sa tagalog? wag kalimutan ang TRANSFORMERS!! wengkk-engkk-engkk-engk-engk! optimus prime RULES!
*nanonood ka ng shaider kasi nabobosohan mo siannie at type na type mo ang puting panty nya? uh... i'm afraid annie doesn't work it for me... although may kakaibang dating ang "time space warp, ngayon din!"
*marunong ka mag wordstar at nakahawak ka natalaga ng 5.25 na floppy disk? you know i've heard of those things?
*inaabangan mo lagi ang batibot at akala mo magkakatuluyan si kuya bodgie at ate sienna...nung high school ka inaabangan mo lagi beverlyhills 90210? kiko matsing-pong pagong forever fans club ako noh!! excuse me!
*gumagamit ka ng AQUANET para pataasin ang bangs mo? ohhh, yesss!!! i even had the balakubak that came with it.
*meron kang blouse na may padding kung babae ka at meron kang sapatos na mighty kid kunglalake ka? i thought it made me look seksi pero nagmukha lang akong patpatin na brazilian football player
*nangongolekta ka ng paper stationaries at mahilig ka magpapirma sa slumbook mo para lang malaman mo kung sino ang crush ng type mo? in short, ang mga babae sa pilipinas, grade three pa lang naghahanap na ng papa?
*kilala mo si manang bola at ang sitsiritsitgirls? e si luning-ning at luging-ging? kay pong pagong pa din ako! give me those orange sneakers ANYTIME!
*alam mo ibig sabihin ng time space warp at di momakakalimutan ang time space warp chant? everybody say with me... "Time Space Warp... NGAYON DIN!" Bow.
*nakakatawag ka pa sa pay phone ng 3 bentesingko lang ang dala? at alam mo ang kanta ni dingdong avanzado na tatlong bentesingko? at kilala mo si chenee de leon na kalove team niya nun?
*inabutan mo ba na ang Magnolia Chocolait eh nasa glass bottle pa na ginagawang lalagyan ng tubig ng nanay mo sa ref? na ang tawag ng lahat ay "pridyider"?
*meron kang pencil case na maramingcompartments na pinagyayabang mo sa mgakaklase mo? hindi lang yun, and sharpener mo ay yung may tangkay na iniikot!
*noon mo pa hinahanap kung saan ang Goya Fun Factory? actually hanggang ngayon, i still believe there is such a place...
*inabutan mo pa yung singkong korteng bulaklak atyung diyes na square? correction.... hindi daw diyes yun. sampera daw according to my friend.
*alam mo yung kwento ng pari na binigyan ng perayung batang umakyat ng puno para bumili ngpanty... and shempre, alam mo rin ba kung anobinigay nya sa nanay nung umakyat ng puno? uhm... hindi ko to alam actually. masyadong wholesome ang mga bedtime stories ng nanay ko sa kin.
*meron kang kabisadong kanta ni andrew e na alam mo hanggang ngayon.. aminin? alin dun?
*laging lampin ang sinasapin sa likod mo pagpinapawisan ka? huwag kalimutan ang twalyang may "Good Morning!!"
*bumibili ka ng tarzan, texas at bazooka bubblegum... tira-tira, at yung kending bilog nasinawsaw sa asukal? e naalala nyo pa ba ang munchies, white rabbit at rolling stones?
*idol mo si McGyver at nanonood ka ng perfect strangers? Wala kayo sa kin, kaya nyo bang ipiano ang McGyver theme? ha? haaa??!!
*eto malupet... six digits lang ba ang phone number nyo dati? Sorry can't relate. Nasa backlog kami eh. ;-p
Anyways, this is for all those who CAN recall and for all the others who can recall hearing their thirty-something friends recall these things... Enjoy!
*kumakain ka ba ng aratilis? oo naman, napuwing pa ako sa ilalim ng puno ng grade one ako... alam ni sharon ang kwentong ito, hindi ba ship???
*nagpipitpit ng gumamela para gawing soapy bubbles na hihipan mo sa binilog na tanggkay ng walis tingting? wag kalimutan ang TIDE at ang pesky kapitbahay kalaro na feeling expert sa chemical compound na ito
*pinipilit ka ba matulog ng nanay mo pag hapon at di ka papayagan maglaro pag di ka natulog?at ang lagi nyang panakot ay: "sige ka, isusunod ko na sa yo ang mga damit mo pag lumabas ka pa!"
*marunong ka magpatintero, saksak puso, langit-lupa, teleber-teleber, luksong tinik? saksak-puso? duh... how violent naman that game!!
*malupit ka pag meron kang atari, family computer or nes? n.o.t.a. ako dito kaya ngayon ako bumabawi with my gadgets, ehehehe
*alam mo ang silbi ng up, up, down, down, left,right, left, right, a, b, a, b, start? uh... hindeee?!!
*may mga damit ka na U.S.E.D., Boy London, Cross Colors, Esprit, Blowing Bubbles at pag nakakakita ka ng Bench na damit eh naalalamo si Richard Gomez? at ang rowing commercial na may umaalingawngaw na boses sa background?
*addict ka sa rainbow brite, carebears, my littlepony, thundercats, bioman, voltes v, mazinger z, daimos, he-man at marami pang cartoons na hindi pa translated sa tagalog? wag kalimutan ang TRANSFORMERS!! wengkk-engkk-engkk-engk-engk! optimus prime RULES!
*nanonood ka ng shaider kasi nabobosohan mo siannie at type na type mo ang puting panty nya? uh... i'm afraid annie doesn't work it for me... although may kakaibang dating ang "time space warp, ngayon din!"
*marunong ka mag wordstar at nakahawak ka natalaga ng 5.25 na floppy disk? you know i've heard of those things?
*inaabangan mo lagi ang batibot at akala mo magkakatuluyan si kuya bodgie at ate sienna...nung high school ka inaabangan mo lagi beverlyhills 90210? kiko matsing-pong pagong forever fans club ako noh!! excuse me!
*gumagamit ka ng AQUANET para pataasin ang bangs mo? ohhh, yesss!!! i even had the balakubak that came with it.
*meron kang blouse na may padding kung babae ka at meron kang sapatos na mighty kid kunglalake ka? i thought it made me look seksi pero nagmukha lang akong patpatin na brazilian football player
*nangongolekta ka ng paper stationaries at mahilig ka magpapirma sa slumbook mo para lang malaman mo kung sino ang crush ng type mo? in short, ang mga babae sa pilipinas, grade three pa lang naghahanap na ng papa?
*kilala mo si manang bola at ang sitsiritsitgirls? e si luning-ning at luging-ging? kay pong pagong pa din ako! give me those orange sneakers ANYTIME!
*alam mo ibig sabihin ng time space warp at di momakakalimutan ang time space warp chant? everybody say with me... "Time Space Warp... NGAYON DIN!" Bow.
*nakakatawag ka pa sa pay phone ng 3 bentesingko lang ang dala? at alam mo ang kanta ni dingdong avanzado na tatlong bentesingko? at kilala mo si chenee de leon na kalove team niya nun?
*inabutan mo ba na ang Magnolia Chocolait eh nasa glass bottle pa na ginagawang lalagyan ng tubig ng nanay mo sa ref? na ang tawag ng lahat ay "pridyider"?
*meron kang pencil case na maramingcompartments na pinagyayabang mo sa mgakaklase mo? hindi lang yun, and sharpener mo ay yung may tangkay na iniikot!
*noon mo pa hinahanap kung saan ang Goya Fun Factory? actually hanggang ngayon, i still believe there is such a place...
*inabutan mo pa yung singkong korteng bulaklak atyung diyes na square? correction.... hindi daw diyes yun. sampera daw according to my friend.
*alam mo yung kwento ng pari na binigyan ng perayung batang umakyat ng puno para bumili ngpanty... and shempre, alam mo rin ba kung anobinigay nya sa nanay nung umakyat ng puno? uhm... hindi ko to alam actually. masyadong wholesome ang mga bedtime stories ng nanay ko sa kin.
*meron kang kabisadong kanta ni andrew e na alam mo hanggang ngayon.. aminin? alin dun?
*laging lampin ang sinasapin sa likod mo pagpinapawisan ka? huwag kalimutan ang twalyang may "Good Morning!!"
*bumibili ka ng tarzan, texas at bazooka bubblegum... tira-tira, at yung kending bilog nasinawsaw sa asukal? e naalala nyo pa ba ang munchies, white rabbit at rolling stones?
*idol mo si McGyver at nanonood ka ng perfect strangers? Wala kayo sa kin, kaya nyo bang ipiano ang McGyver theme? ha? haaa??!!
*eto malupet... six digits lang ba ang phone number nyo dati? Sorry can't relate. Nasa backlog kami eh. ;-p
Reboot Before You Crash
We all need a reboot sometimes, huh? when everything in your life gets all muddled up and so confusing that you just need to shut yourself down?
Yeah you know what i'm talking about... parang nauubusan ka ng RAM sa dami ng mga bagay na minu-multi-task mo? Yup, that is definitely what i'm feeling now. So many things have been happening inside my head that i'm left with very little resources to work with. True, rebooting your computer will make you lose a lot of data you haven't saved, but sometimes you don't need all the NEW data anyway. Sometimes you're better off with what you've already got on your hard disk.
Even if you stamp your feet in exasperation because, oh man! you've been working on that (what you've lost after the reboot) for four hours!!, you always realize that what you have saved in your hard disk is always enough to give you what you need...
I know i'm being cryptic and all (ano ba ang pinagsasasabi ng babaeng ito... baka nalilipasan ng gutom) ... Sorry ha, feeling "dheep" ako ngayon e. What i just want to say is that there are times when we get so caught up in the things of the moment that we can't function properly anymore because we forget the things that are permanent. Not all of us get a chance to get back to what's true and lasting once we've replaced this with the make-believe and temporary. Once we get this chance, we should hit that reboot button and say what-the-heck to all that might be lost.
Better to lose a file you haven't finished than the hard disk with your entire life in it.
Monday, April 18, 2005
First Time
Life is all about firsts, don't you think? For the first time in my life, I am word-less in front of a computer. Ako pa, word-less? Almost impossible di ba? (Although at the rate I'm yakking about not having anything to yak about, or yak with, for that matter, parang hindi ako word-less no... pero sige na din, indulge me.)
D'abord, a word about "fearlessparin". Believe me the choice of name is not as much a product of courage as it is a product of katamaran. Simply put, was too lazy to create another name and so I just reused my yahoo email add. This is called being environmentally friendly, therefore am recycling my ideas. (hnnlabo...)
Hey dont blame me for lack of words, and along with it, originality. This blog wasn't my idea in the first place you know. Pinilit lang ako ni Nats no... since ang haba-haba ko daw mag email sa yahoogroups bakit hindi ko na lang ilagay sa blog. Oo nga naman, why subject my friends to my extremely long tales about my extremely exciting life?!!
I gotta ride the trends everywhere else in this wurld and start providing entertainment "on-demand" instead of entertainment "i-demand-you-to-read-this". So, promise from now on, dito na ako dadaldal ng mga bagaybagay on all areas of the walangkwenta-uberdeep spectrum... Promise talaga.
D'abord, a word about "fearlessparin". Believe me the choice of name is not as much a product of courage as it is a product of katamaran. Simply put, was too lazy to create another name and so I just reused my yahoo email add. This is called being environmentally friendly, therefore am recycling my ideas. (hnnlabo...)
Hey dont blame me for lack of words, and along with it, originality. This blog wasn't my idea in the first place you know. Pinilit lang ako ni Nats no... since ang haba-haba ko daw mag email sa yahoogroups bakit hindi ko na lang ilagay sa blog. Oo nga naman, why subject my friends to my extremely long tales about my extremely exciting life?!!
I gotta ride the trends everywhere else in this wurld and start providing entertainment "on-demand" instead of entertainment "i-demand-you-to-read-this". So, promise from now on, dito na ako dadaldal ng mga bagaybagay on all areas of the walangkwenta-uberdeep spectrum... Promise talaga.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Sunday, April 03, 2005
First Filipino American Christian Church, Southern CA
The Worship Team... Actually kung hindi lang ako kailangan sa Cruzada ngayon, I'll be more than happy to serve with this group in the ministry here at FFACC!! Tutoo yun, no joke! C'est vrai! :D
L to R: Kuya Noel with his daughter Regine (bass), me (keyboards), Stephen (rhythm guitar), Ron Lubag (lead guitar), Ate Grace Ulangca (soprano) , Ate Rachel Estanislao (soprano), Kuya Vil Estanislao (worship leader), Ate Vinday Geronaga (alto)... sorry hindi ko po nakilala yung last guy sa picture. :(
in my element... kumakanta pa!
Actually lahat kami, I believe, really felt what we were doing--hindi mo mapipigilan kumanta talaga to God kapag Praise and Worship... If I weren't looking at the music sheet, I would've closed my eyes and let my hands do the work. But as it is, binabasa ko lang yung chords at pyesa so I had to keep my eyes open so mega-kanta na lang ako with the vocals. BUT, I have to say to say this is one of the few moments I felt at home while on the opposite side of the world from Manila.
The "Inpromptu" Band at FFACC...
L to R: Kuya Noel, Ron, me, Stephen, and Allan (drummer). Inpromptu kasi last minute inorganize ni Kuya Noel, last minute ang tawagan, last minute ang line-up at lalong last minute ang praktisan. Miracle talaga ang ganda ng tunog namin. God really moves and creates wonders regardless of our ability. He makes IT happen talaga! Thanks Kuya Noel for making me part of this!! Sana makapagjam tayong lahat sa Pilipinas minsan!
Saturday, April 02, 2005
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