Stuck and Cursed

Time and again, traffic is one of the curses of the so-called civilization. Santolan to 20th Ave. would only take 15 min. on a clear road but on a chaotic 9 am road, it took me an hour. Added to the curse was manong driver's radio station that is the pinnacle of "ka-jologan". "Manong, pwede po palipat sa 107.5, NU?" He tried changing station for a while but his radio's frequency was seemingly stuck in ___#$. "Okay na lang po." I finally surrendered. I got an hour experience at Hades. So that was the start of my so-called thursday morning.

A Chronicle of IT Training Foretold (Just random thoughts, really)

In a few days time, the training will be over. I never thought i could survive the 130-day training given my so-chaotic schedule, but I did (thanks to coffee). It feels like finishing a very good book, you just feel so amazed that it's over. I remember the first day when i really thought the seminar would only last for a week and i had a shock of my life when i heard that it would last for three months or so, hah! I had some apprehensions at first because I imagined my classmates to be computer geeks who eat computer programs for lunch, and I hardly passed Wordstar back in College. But I learned later that i am not the one who is IT-challenged in the group. I felt relieved. My learnings are so many that i wish i could have much time practicing it. Everything is a matter of habit.

My classmates are weird mixture of humanity. Given the differences in language and culture, it was a very interesting group. I am just lucky, in a sense, that I could speak several dialects. They could not backbite me so easily, if its enough consolation, hehehe. We really blend so well, not only because of the weekly alcohol binge or downloading galore, or for the petty gambling (that leaves some broke for a week) but on the common passion to learn and to explore.

As the training about to end, I remember the feeling a day after a very big concert, I feel dazed. It's nice and sad at the same time. But everything has its ending. And this ending prompts us to a new beginning. The training, the friends i made, the learnings i gained(sometimes overloaded), all these experiences whether mundane or sublime, are all part of a cycle. And I can't wait for the next encounter.

The Strongest Link

Today, I learned that scientifically, cockroaches are superior creatures. They survived several evolutions, outlived the dinosaurs, but maintained their genealogy intact. I could never look at cockroach the same way again.

Caffeine-High 

Snickers and Scar Tissue

After three geological ages, when the dinosaurs became instinct and the apes evolved into a man, I finally went out of Room 9. I was isolated for two weeks there but it felt like forever. My infamous chickenpox finally subsided leaving me with scars and a deflated self-esteem. Room 9 is one of the empty rooms in the dorm with a reputation of hovering ghosts. I haven’t felt any disturbances whatsoever, thank you. I practically survived with a bunch of Urbandub CDs (they are one of the best pinoy bands now, I adore Urbandub), Mexican coffee (Tatay gave me when I went home), and several good books. I reread Great Expectations and David Cooperfield by Charles Dickens that my mindset became slightly British. I remember texting my friend, “I am ill now” from the usual “I’m sick.” I felt I was imprisoned because I was only given food and was not allowed to go out of the room until most of my dormates are already out for work. I never felt so isolated. The blisters were not so bad since the doctor gave me this medicine that costs P152 a tablet which I have to take six times a day for seven days. I was not only ugly with scars but broke at the same time. A cruel combination for this little vain world. My friends gave me lots of beauty advises to make the scars invisible. I bought three whitening creams and lots of Vitamin E. How vain can I get? Finally, I settled for the cheapest and the most philosophical advise, “your scars, among other things, will soon shall pass.”

Denden called me up and told me that they will be coming over from Iloilo for an interview in the embassy. She told me if I could fetch her in their hotel in Pasay so we could roam around. It felt so strange coming out of the sun after two weeks of hibernation. I feel like seeing the world in a different light. Hah! We watched Brokeback Mountain. It was a good movie. But since Denden is a sucker for happy endings (which most of the time an insult to ones IQ) she was a bit disappointed. She gave me lots of chocolates and I ate some while riding in the MRT that I practically fell in love with this wasted looking guy on my left. Hehehe. Is it love or is it Snickers with almonds? After i finished a pack of snickers and drank water; the saccharine high subsided, I looked at the wasted guy on my left again and I felt he was a cowboy from hell badly needing a haircut. See? It’s all in the brain, fellas. Love is a chemical. And you could eat only so much snickers.

Loud and Late

The show already started when we reach the Marikina shoe expo makeshift in Cubao. Blazing Bulalakaw, sir Alex's band, will be the 4th band to play for the night. the line-up was amazing. around 20 bands were there to support the album launching of Updharma Down. Word of mouth made the venue jampacked. It was not the usual bar set-up where bands play tired acoustic covers and yuppies discuss their usual yuppy craps. It was a gathering of indie bands (well, others already made it to the major labels) who just love to play original songs and share their music to all. After three high-schoolish bands played, Blazing Bulalakaw's entered the stage. one of the major set-backs of live shows is that it takes a while for the band to do sound check...wait...wait...wait. The songs were good. "Galeng," Dingdong and i agreed. Pedicab played next. It's Raymund Marasigan's side band. I love Pedicab! Maingay! Mahusay! By that time, most people are holding a can of san mig light, the mood was so tempting but because i made a promise earlier to be sober all night, i settled for a bottle of tropicana. Hah! One of our companions was so drunk that he kept on pestering me with questions like, "kau ba ni?" "naging kau ba ni?" It went on and on that i practically at wits end when i decided not to mind him. Ok, go ahead, keep on giving me imaginary boyfriends, for all i care...hehehe...

i only stayed until Parameta. it was 11:15 and i was practically going home late the previous nights that i opted to go home a bit early. I wish i stayed longer. Dingdong said i missed good bands like Radioactive Sago Project, Updharma, etc. it's ok, there's more to come.

that was my so-called saturday night.

Thinking about Saturday, that is, today...

I dropped my two MA subjects last week, Math Eco and Micro Eco, and still contemplating of dropping Managerial Eco as well. That would leave me dropping all my subjects this sem altogether. I'm burned out with the on-going IT Training in between my office work that i felt something has to give up for me to remain psychologically stable, as if i'm still is. I felt bad because i plan to finish graduate school in two years time so I could bum again. I need another vacation!


i was quite intrigued with Chapter 27, the new movie that chronicles the life of Mark David Chapman, the assasin of John Lennon. Chapter 27 is derived from a chapter in the Catcher in the Rye, one of my favorite books, which Chapman was clutching when he shot Lennon in the fateful day of December 8, along with the Double Fantasy album of John and Yoko. Jared Leto will play the role of Chapman with the added pounds. I love Jared Leto; even way back from his role as the wasted object of affection of Claire Danes in the tv series, My So-Called Life. God, that was a long time ago. I remember that was my favorite tv series, along with Fritze, in the late 90's. Hope it will be shown soon. It's so ironic how I got so interested with Chapman knowing that I am a die hard Beatles fan.

will be watching Sir Alex's gig later with Radio Active Sago Project and Up Darma Down. I promise to be sober...


...tomorrow again.