weekend wonderland

eto na naman ako
nag aantay ng ulan
pinipiga ang unan
na parang maibibigay nila ang kasagutan
 
pilipit na ang kumot
di ako makatulog
sa kakagulong at kakaikot
malapit nang tumilaok uli ang mga manok
 
di kita makikita
sa liwanag ng umaga
ako ang gamo gamo
at ikaw ang lampara 
 
gising na ako
isa ka lang palang pantasya
hindi ko na maaaninag ang ganda mo
dahil walang bituin sa umaga
 
 

from the warm winds
it is heralded
from the mornings
that are bright and gay
from falling leaves
and great brown fields
and awesome sunsets to end each day

enticing pools
and waters refreshing
each budding leaf and flower
don't spend you life a-wasting
on your life's another summer

see it in a splash of color
in any busy street
taste it in every flavor
sour, salty and sweet
feel the excitement
fill the air
mingle with beautiful bodies
everywhere

we have waited for this, and it's been a while
but hey it's finally here
the summer of our lives

I dream away
I call out your name
because my summers will never be the same

It will linger on,the scars that you made
as your promises begin to fade

Along the way
I lost my soul
There was nothing there to break my fall

Of all the things that I lost
It was YOU that I miss the most

I soak myself in this rain shower
not even memories to mock me
I have to find who I used to be
For I lost the Sun, and I lost my SunFlower

One thing I discovered is that you really don't have to be interested in music, all you have to be interested in are people and their musical preferences. When I was a kid, my uncle (who to me was like a big brother) used to listen to the alternative music of his time - songs by Sampaguita, Asin and the like. I never knew then what they were fighting for, all they were are sweet melodies that were so native, so purely local. My lolos and lolas taught me how to listen to classical music. My lolo Tot would teach me how to dance to his favorite Latin music, while there was always Bach and Mozart and Chopin whenever my lola Caying would get tired of listening to the popular music of those times. My Aunts and Uncles, who were teenagers at that time, were into Earth, Wind and Fire, Barry Manilow, Elton John and others. Even distant relatives and househelps were able to introduce me Laura Brannigan and her contemporaries. When my nephews and nieces were born, I could sing along the nursery rhymes that they play all day.
 
My Seminary days brought in Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer and Andrew E (go figure!). It was a good thing that I was able to "refine my tastes" when I encountered Eraserheads, YaNo, Rivermaya and all the budding local bands during that time. Before that, my friends and I were into the Beatles, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Aerosmith, Scorpions (can't believe that I was into them) and others of the same genre.
 
Its funny how music reminds you of the person and events that introduced you to it. Gin Blossoms would always be Jing's, EraserHeads would be Nap, Manny and Jet, Abet and the Calderon Dorm would always remind me of Oasis days and vice versa. Rivermaya would be for the countless crushes that I had during my college days, Nins and Pat made me appreciate Sting, Ponpon and the sound of culture, Red would always be Horny, Malaya and her grungy Nirvana Unplugged, Kath and Dara spawned Incubus though I was able to hear it first from Jigs and my Marilag housemates, Raf would always be the Skyline Pigeon, Jem got me on John Mayer, Jason Mraz and Ryu, Ponoy would always be Right Here Waiting and the Seminary would always be the City of God. Adele would always be Little Miss Muppet, Mama would always be Somewhere Down the Road, Papa would always be in Eric Clapton's Heaven, Sam had Linkin Park and Kayan would be always be my Throwing Copper, Walking After You, Golden Slumbers and hiphop music.
 
I could almost picture my entire life in one songbook.

Lapit mga kaibigan at makinig kayo… Ako’y may dala-dalang balita galling sa bayan ko…
 
20 years earlier this lines would not have meant anything except that it was the first lines of the first local music that I was able to listen to. My uncle, still sporting a mane of hair then and a more flat tummy, unknowingly introduced me to Asin during his stint as a young aktibista. I never imagined that after almost 25 years, I would be listening to these same lines from another group who called themselves the Black Eyed Peas.
 
I never was into hiphop music until recently. I caught a whiff of Black Eyes Peas when local radio staions started churning out their hit songs Where Is The Love, Shut Up, Hey Mama and others. It was not like just any other hiphop music, it had a distinct style, it had sense and I was fast becoming a fan. What was more fascinating however was that one of the group's member (one of its founding member and songwriter) is a Filipino. After watching his life story which was aired by a local TV station, I was convinced that I had to watch Black Eyes Peas if ever they perform here in Manila.
 
I was not sure whether it was this Filipino pride, or is it their excellent brand of music, or both that had us fumbling for tickets upon learning that indeed there will be a Black Eyed Peas concert here in Manila. I finally got a couple of tickets after some prodding from my girlfriend (I told you I was gonna get them ;P) and after some assurance from the saleslady selling the tickets that yes, there are enough tickets to accomodate every one. We arrived 3 hours early not wanting to be caught in on the weekend traffic and to get us a good spot. After some merienda and some excellent coffee, we trooped to the CCP Open Grounds as the front act is already in full throttle. We later found out that we still are too far away from the stage to view anytthing significant and for us to be able to fully enjoy a hiphop concert. Deciding to look for ways, albeit illegal to move a little closer up the field, we tried bargaining our way in on the area for VIP ticketholders. We almost got in in fact, had it not been for the uber-vigilance on one guard. We decided not to argue, not wanting to be thrown out and fnally settled on the fence area separating the VIP area and those who are willing to/can pay less. There were some notable bands that played during the front act; different genres, all excellent!
When Black Eyes Peas finally got on stage, we knew it was going to be an experience. Their music, their energy, their playfulness was totally contagious. They can never fail to get a crowd on its feet. I can still remember the tiniest of details - the different colors of the barongs that they were wearing, Will spread-eagled on the floor kicking wildly, Apple making up some Tagalog lines but coming up short, Fergie's heavenly tummy, Kayan dancing... It was definitely an experience and after almost 3 hours, there was never a let up in energy level. The crowd began to disperse, the performers had said their goodbyes, we were heading home  but I can still feel the throbbing inside me. Maybe it was the coffee, maybe it was the music, maybe it was the Love, maybe it was Filipino pride...
 
Maybe it was all of them.

It was just recently that I noticed that the best shoes I've had are those that required some "adjustments" of my poor. old soles. The first few days of wearing them resulted in blisters, pinched nerves and sprained ankles. Maybe the fact that they once hurt my feet made them special, as they almost always are the ones that I find difficult to replace.
 
The earliest pair of shoes that I can remember was a Mighty Kid blue canvass shoes. I've had some discomfort wearing them the first time, though afterwards they become so comfortable that I brought it during a school camping trip. It rained the whole week that we had the trip and my shoes, in my attempt to dry it over a camp fire, became the camp barbecue.
 
My high school days brought me my first pair of Nike Air, a wonderful gift from my Lola Alme. As glamorous as they seem, they seem to be a bit "too high" for me at first. Having been used to shoes that are low-cut, it seems that my ankles are too restricted by my new shoes. It was after a week or so, however that I finally got to enjoy my first Nikes. It was so comfortable that I was not able to find a replacement shoe for the next 2 years.
 
Replacing the pair of Nikes proved to be too difficult that I switched to leather shoes during that time. My affair with leathers did not last long, as I choose to wear sneakers instead. My sneakers were not able to survive the wear and tear that my college lifestyle demanded so I replaced them with my first mid-cut trainer shoes. The new trainer shoes that I had resulted in blisters so bad that I chose not to wear them for almost a week. It was only after washing them and having to pry them away from the teeth of a dog that my feet became "at home" with one of my favorite pair of shoes.
 
When I got a job, the first thing that I bought was my first pair of Diesels. Since they were the last pair of shoes that time, I had to settle for a more "baggy" fit as they an inch or more larger that my usual shoe size.
 
It was only lately that I had what I can consider the best pair of shoes that I've had. Like all the others before them, they started as pains in the sole. The back of the shoes are somewhat uncomfortable as they rub against the achilles tendon, otherwise they are perfect. At times, I almost feel as if I had rubbed my ankles raw, making me love my pair of shoes more. Not because of the pain that it is causing, but because there would be many more days when my feet and my shoes would finally fit each other perfectly.
 
 

I am currently stationed at the 40th floor of our office. Every morning after preparing my early morning drink, I almost always would look out the window and enjoy the view of the metropolis. Nice view from up here, I tell you. The rising sun casting a soft shadow on the surrounding buildings, melting the morning mist before the early morning smog congests the metropolis air. From up here you can see the snaking traffic queues that seem to fill the streets by the minute, like a trickle of water building up as they approach a more major tributary. From up here you can all sides of the story, all is being taken into consideration.

I wish I could see the view from up here everytime I encounter an argument. I wish I could see the path each argument takes and where it ends, where it builds up and where its flow wanes. I wish I could clear the mists of ambiguity and avoid the smogs of misunderstanding. All could be more clear, if you take a view from up here.