Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!

So, I made this greeting image out of boredom during the Christmas eve. I sat beside our humble Christmas tree with my digicam ready and took a couple of pics. Then, I used the Photoshop trial my friend installed in my laptop to put on the text. I really don't know how to use it so I just clicked and typed and clicked! So, there. May you have a blessed Christmas!

Happy birthday, JESUS!:)

Una

This is my first attempt to express myself in Filipino. Thanks to my course, Retorika, I'm forced to do the same sh*t every single day.
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Habang halos sinisira ng malakas na musika ang aking mga tenga, ako ay nakaupo dito sa gitna ng bulwagan ng isang malaking gusali. Tanaw ko ang mga bus na unti-unting napupuno ng mga taong pauwi na galing sa isang mahabang araw sa trabaho. Ang mga tao sa aking paligid ay walang tigil sa paglalakad galing sa kung saan man at patungo sa kani-kanilang destinasyon. Samantalang ako ay nakaupo lang, inaaliw ang sarili sa pakikinig ng musika habang hinihintay ang aking mga kasama para sa isang pulong sa ikalawang palapag ng gusaling kinaroroonan ko.

Unti-unti akong kumalag sa realidad at hinayaang lumipad ang isip. Ano kaya ang itsura ko kapag tuluyan na akong nakapasok sa mundo ng mga propesyunal? Magiging tulad kaya ako nitong isang dumaan sa aking harapan na mistulang nilamon na ng pagod at pagkabalisa? O maging kagaya ako ng lalaking kakalabas lang sa gusali na animo'y walang iniisip na problema sa trabaho at laging nakakatulog ng mahimbing? Mabilis kaya akong yayaman? O tatanda ako na wala man lang maiiwang karangyaan sa aking pamilya? Masuwerte ako na kahit isang estudyante pa lang ako, kahit papaano, ay nasisilip ko na ang mundong naghihintay sa akin paglabas ko ng unibersidad. Hindi na ako makapaghintay. Gusto ko nang dumating ang araw na lehitimo na akong nagtatrabaho.

Biglang nawala ang musikang tumulong sa aking magdala sa gusto kong kinabukasan. Nawalan na pala ng baterya ang iPod ko. Bumalik na ako sa realidad. Kinuha ko ang aking telepono. Naku, huli na ako sa pagpupulong.

In a Labyrinth of Thorns

I am in a maze. Yes, a maze of bullshits and what-nots. It led me to a single crossroad. Twice. Went into one direction that made me thought it's the right way. Turned out to be not. Went the other way which is riskier but freer. Thought it would eventually end up fine. Yet again, it turned out to be not. Really, one can't have everything. Those who strive to achieve it often end up with nothing.

Still, this is a maze. There are a lot of other crossroads, shortcuts, loops. But, this is no ordinary maze. I am in a labyrinth of thorns filled with luring vultures and plastic bags. Vultures who fool those who they think are of lesser creature than they are. Plastic bags which sways wherever the wind takes them. However, few good people run across me sometimes and help me break free from being bloody stuck in thorns. But, most of the time, I've got no one else.

Now, I run. I don't care if I'd be wounded by all the protruding thorns on the way. All I'm careful about now are the draining vultures and the wandering plastic bags.

And, I don't hide.

F.U.

All is well. At last. I know I have been too harsh with all the things I have said before. But then I told you that that's just the pride talking. I've overpowered that egoistic side of me and humbled down to keep things back on track.

I am in a roller coaster ride when it comes to friends. Just as how all other things are, there are certain ups and downs. And some loops and twists. I never knew that a simple "Bati na tayo." would close and end all the misunderstandings for the past eight months. No more heavy feelings whenever I see her. No more judgments on what she does. No more bitching around to piss her off.

I always thought it excruciating, but I stood corrected. Patching things up was easier than I thought. Though I am not yet in the mainstream of this revived friendship, I know the path is heading that way. I'm good with everyone now. That's what I feel, at least. You see, I am torn around three groups of friends who seem to have different mantras in life. And I would like to keep it that way as I don't want to impose anything on them. I am happy this way and so they are (I hope).

Buried in almost unending papers, reading materials and equations, it helps to be at peace with everyone. All the gratitude I give to those who have been patient with all of my eccentricities. And surely, better days are so ahead of us.

Dawning of the Dusk

I went out to grab a coffee. I missed this - sitting in a couch all by myself. Weird as it may seem, I craved for some time alone. Away from everyone. But, why did I crave? Why did I need to do this? It's because I felt I have been deprived of it. It's like I have been grounded.

Night has fully reigned as dark clouds covered the sky. Gloom was gradually taking over me. Contemplating for hours, I still cannot fathom why things went the opposite direction. What went wrong? Who had gone too far?

Maybe I was more of the problem. I mean, I was the one who has all these exaggerations. It was my mind which over-thinks. Maybe, the only wrong they have done was to give me too much. I grew up skeptical as I was not used to be the taker. Being the subject of overflowing attention and care was so new to me, I can't keep up.

When I realized that everything has been over the top, I felt the urge to run. It was a bit too selfish, I know. But, I felt as if I was slowly drying up. I felt lost. I felt compromised. My world has been limited. It was like I am caged. I needed to free myself.

Too much of anything is bad. That's one of what I have learned in this experience. I was like too drunk from drinking too much wine. Things may last even before you thought of it ending. I grew tired already.

What you don't have, you can't give. I do not have so much love in me. I grew up receiving too little. So, as I mature, it became natural to me to fence out and not take what some give me.

We're good now. But, of course, we're not the same as before. One of my crazies has gotten the best of me.

Desiderata

As a requirement to my LIT 103 class, here is my own DESIDARATA:

Accept life as it is, an impermanent world of cause and effect. Expect no magic. Live everyday as if it were your last and make the most out of it. Avoid idle moments.

Appreciate people around you. Love your family. Treasure old friends. Welcome new ones but be extra cautious. Find your own somebody who will be there always beside you.

Be honest in everything you say or do. A guilty conscience is an intolerable load to carry.

Defy mediocrity. Be the best that you can be. Challenge yourself. Never settle for just okay. Give your all to things that you do. Risk. Be open to new opportunities and possibilities.

Listen to yourself. Give yourself some time alone, away from the noises of this worldly life. It is nourishment to both the soul and the mind. Determine your outlet of emotions but make sure it is not harmful to anyone.

Rant NOT!

Yes, I am an Economics major. But since I'm enrolled in a college which is centered on arts and humanities, I am required to take up 12 units of Literature class, three units per semester. I am cleared with the six units which left me with two more terms full-packed of reading materials, sublimity and what-others. Modesty aside, I enjoyed just a little of my Lit classes though I'm a big fan of reading and obviously, writing.

For this academic year's first semester, I am taking up a full-three hour class every Monday with a professor I honestly don't like. Everything is just too overdone. From the gargantuan pile of reading (which I can withstand *for now) to the very obsessive - compulsive house rules, fillers, grade sheet and MEA CULPA late forms. The last time I checked, I am in my junior year in college, not in third grade.

Enough of this shit. I don't have any option to escape this course, anyway. Dropping isn't an option, it's just cowardice.

So, the reason for this entry is not to rant. I am to write my own desiderata in reflection to that of Max Erhmann's. So, what are my most desired things?

Maybe the next post will contain them. As of now, my mind's processing. It's a bit slower after uploading a lot, I mean A LOT of shitloads of world literature.

IN LIMBO

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Does it really do? What if, in the middle of all the missing and longing, the feeling just melted away?

I'm just being nostalgic over a friend who has been with me in our own transitory periods. I can't help but feel neglected after spending at least a half and a quarter of my vacation with her before entering the world where I am in right now. It was a-little-more-than-friends-but-less-than-lovers type of a relationship. A very special friendship, indeed. What happened, then? I don't know, honestly. Our communication just stopped. I tried reviving it, though, but to no avail. Maybe, we're just both busy making progress in our lives. But, is one day of chatting over a cup of coffee too much to ask?

Hasty things last shorter than we expect it to. We were super friends in a blink. And in a snap, we're I don't know. Is hanging on the right thing to do? Should I wait a little longer?

I'm losing the reason to hold on. Yes, I have friends who I barely see now, but still, I feel inside me that they are here with me in spirit. There is like an invisible thread keeping us tied to each other. But this one? It's like that critical line has been fully cut.

I am in the middle of nowhere for quite some time now. It's like I'm longing for nothing, missing for no one. In that notion, should I keep myself in limbo and hope? Or is it pragmatic to just give up the thought of revival and move forward?

Under the Weather

It isn't always a sunny day. The clouds can get too heavy, too. It will cover up the blue sky and eventually, it will pour out rain. You may get caught off guard, but remember that there are people willing to share a space under their umbrella with you.

Thunders may roar, lightnings may strike, still in after every rain, there is a rainbow emerging from the clearing gloomy sky.

Endure, we must, with all the challenges we encounter on a daily basis in this very complicated existence of ours. Patient, we should be, so we can witness the unfolding of a brighter day.

Sure Looks Good to Me

Life is a constant struggle to become better. But in the course, we are met by a lot of obstacles. There are times when we feel like giving up so we weep for every little hurt to melt. Seldom we are really enlightened by the reason why such sad experiences happen. Or is it just because we are blindfolded by the emotion rushing and eating our whole sanity?

You see, there are people who evidently are weak. People who resort into killing their own lives, people who shun from the help of the Higher Being or of the people surrounding them. I, myself, am not that strong but, in all the wrongs (so I think) that has happened in my life, I always believe that there are reasons behind them. I know I am not just speaking for myself here when I say that sometimes we gotta look at the bigger picture to answer our endless why's. Or it can be the other way around.

For the past few weeks, I have been listening to this Alicia Keys song SURE LOOKS GOOD TO ME. This last cut from her As I Am album talks about the positive perception towards the bad things that occur in one's life no matter how painful and inescapable it may get. The inserted video in this post inspired me to write this. Since I heard this song, it has become my own external source of strength as its words are full of encouraging thoughts. This basically speaks about "to never be afraid to fall", as what A. Keys said in the clip. It is inevitable in one's life to experience his lowest moments, but isn't it that these pages in our lives are the same as what make us stronger and better?

The key solution to overcoming depressing lows in our lives is simply to untie the blindfold and face, deal and learn from it. Face it with your head held high. Deal with it with broad understanding. Learn from it so by the time you come across it again, you know what to do. And, I think it's better if you have your own 'somebody' who's there with you no matter what. May it be your family, friends, special someones. Just make sure that there is always someone who looks after you. We will only be accepting the freedom to fall if we are assured that there is someone who is there to catch us.

Caught Up

Believe it or not, it was my first time in Enchanted Kingdom. I have this deep fright in all the rides and stuff in amusement parks rooting from an experience in Star City back when I was a kid that's why it took me this long to finally step inside that kind of place. I was about 7 or 8 then when my uncle, cousins and I went to Star City. Even as a kid, I lack the extreme adventure inclination. When my cousins pushed me and tried the Wild River with them, I was shocked to see that there was no seat-belt or anything that would keep us from our seats. I can't back out then so I rode the log up the rails. The feeling of gravity pulling me, as I try to keep an almost lying position, the moment the log from the highest peak of that ride splashed down almost made me jump. Luckily I didn't. After that, I promised myself not to return on any amusement parks. You might find it shallow but really, the charisma of amusement parks never worked on me.

So, there. My promise to myself was broken. That's the history why I declined all of my friends who invited me over the years to join them in either Star City or Enchanted Kingdom. But last 18th of April, my friends in our nationwide organization invited me and really wouldn't take no for an answer. Until before I get in the car, I'm having second thoughts.

Arrived in Enchanted Kingdom mid-afternoon, we first took the Rio Grande. It wasn't frightening at all. The only thing is, we're SOAKING WET! Then, we tried the Flying Fiesta and joked around that it would dry up our clothes. I was enjoying, surprisingly. Then we went to where the Log Jump is located. This is the same ride I dreaded in Star City. I was really nervous. But then, I made it after some awkward, shy shouts. Then, we rode on to the Anchor's Away which made me scream on top of my lungs. That kind of feeling like your stomach's in your throat and the urge of vomiting really sucked! It was just an urge. Thank God I didn't puke. But before riding, I was in soliloquy. I thought that my life, somehow, is always on a safe track. I thought that I am always on guard with the activities I do. So why not try something extreme and risky? Just a step from riding the big boat, I said to myself, "What the hell?". And so I screamed. I let it all out. I felt good but awkward after the dizzying ride. We took a break for a while since the last ride took almost all our energies. We, then, tried some softcore features of the Enchanted Kingdom with Dodgem and the Ferris Wheel. I deeply appreciated the latter because the lights flickered when we were, I guess 100 feet up the ground. I bailed on the main event of the night, though - SPACE SHUTTLE! I know I can't take that one.

I can say that I've enjoyed my off-guard experience at Enchanted Kingdom, of course, with big credits to the people I was with, Kuya AC, Ate Lucille, Pat and John. Though I don't promise I will come back, at least the memory it left me is something to be cherished.

Pride's Talking

'Why?'

'I just missed you.'

'Uh-huh.'

'Yknow, it's seems like I broke up with my boyfriend.'

'....'

'Whatever happened between us is so childish.'

'I know. That's why I just let it go.'

'You're happy now, aren't you?'

'Yes, I am. You?'

'At last, you asked.'

'...'

She approached me. I may really be so stone-hearted but, I can't let her in again. I can't be a friend anymore now that I'm settled with my new lot. If only she talked to me earlier, we might have revived our friendship. I'm fed up with people telling me I should be the one to make a move coz, in the first place, I wasn't the one who started all of this, I wasn't the one who left. This might be the pride talking but what the hell. Everything I loved about her are the same things I can't stand today. I tried to be civil and all but I just can't pretend that everything's okay. Bitter much, can't help it.

Twist

Just a week back to school, a big change has already happened. Life, really, sometimes can be so unpredictable. In my case, those whom I never thought to be my company is now my lot and the one whom I thought to be my somebody is gone.

Vague, it is. What happened before and just after the unfolding of a new decade is really a big question mark for me. WHAT HAPPENED? Maybe it's my fault. Or maybe not.

Right now, I'm not missing anybody. Maybe distance is good. I mind my own business and you do yours. No hard feelings. Never did I realize that this would happen. But I've no regrets. No blame is pointed to anyone.

I'd rather say I'm not sad. I know things are awkward now and I chose to ignore them. You might think it's cowardly for me to not pay much attention. You surely would think I'm overwhelmed with pride to be this stone-hearted. I don't care.

I was too blind to see past against what you said about the world. I was too insensitive to feel what's outside your universe. I was too deaf to hear the pleasant music that is waiting to be heard.

Now, I can see brighter, I can feel better and I can hear louder.

Tick.Tock.

In the corner.

Alone with unfinished drink. Rammed with ideas. Tick tock. Occupied.

Involuntarily looked over the counter. You were there. Wasn't planning on looking at you. Coincidence. Stare. It was, for sure. 4 seconds. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. No blinking. Weird. Totally weird. Locked eyes broke. Looked at the cars passing by outside, instead. Freakin' uneasy, it was. Looked back over the counter. WTF. You're still there. Stare. It's like you know me. But I don't know you.

Distracted. You hit the door. Glanced. Tick-tock.

Gone.