Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Hmmm...
The rooster crows the first time -
I was making my way home when I got "mugged" on the Ever Gotesco Commonwealth avenue overpass. Apparently, the mugger mistook me for someone else being drunk (and maybe high on shabu by the looks of it). I though he would take my money (I had nothing much on my pocket that night), or my cellphone. Fortunately(?), all I got was a kick on the side. Call me crazy, but I was actually thanking the high heavens after that incident. Things could have been worse, but there I was walking with my head still on my shoulders (and my wallet and cellphone still on my pocket). I considered the event that night a reminder from the big Man upstairs, kicking my butt to let me know that yes, he's still the boss around here.
Seeing Pink -
What's with the pink MMDA fences lining almost every road on the Metro? It took me almost an hour to travel from Philcoa to Ortigas (Note: this happened at 6AM) because one of the fences near Camp Crame collapsed on a car, stemming the traffic to a standstill. E mukhang mas nakaka-cause pa ng traffic jams yung mga pink fences rather than alleviate it. Like steel livestock, cars and buses are being herded along EDSA at a snail's pace because these pink fences reduced the once 6-lane highway to 4-lane alley. Parang gusto ko na nga sabihin - Manong, paki-sagasaan na lang yung mga pink fences na yan! Arg!
Narnia -
I am currently reading the Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis. I am down to the last 2 books (there are 7 books in all), all very British and very Tolkien-ish (if you get my drift, my dear Watson). Jing told me that CS (Lewis) and JRR (Tolkien) had this group called the Inklings(?)
and apparently both dabbled into fantasy. While The Lord of the Rings was the seriouser of the two, Narnia was more of an adult storybook. Don't get me wrong, Narnia's giants consider men to be a delicacy, and doses of death and torture still abound in the series so I guess adults won't be much disappointed. It was nice to read fantasy books that were written 50 years ago and discover the seeds that CS and JRR planted bloom into JK Rowling's Harry Potter, Neil Gaiman's Stardust and maybe even Stephen King's Dark Tower.
I was making my way home when I got "mugged" on the Ever Gotesco Commonwealth avenue overpass. Apparently, the mugger mistook me for someone else being drunk (and maybe high on shabu by the looks of it). I though he would take my money (I had nothing much on my pocket that night), or my cellphone. Fortunately(?), all I got was a kick on the side. Call me crazy, but I was actually thanking the high heavens after that incident. Things could have been worse, but there I was walking with my head still on my shoulders (and my wallet and cellphone still on my pocket). I considered the event that night a reminder from the big Man upstairs, kicking my butt to let me know that yes, he's still the boss around here.
Seeing Pink -
What's with the pink MMDA fences lining almost every road on the Metro? It took me almost an hour to travel from Philcoa to Ortigas (Note: this happened at 6AM) because one of the fences near Camp Crame collapsed on a car, stemming the traffic to a standstill. E mukhang mas nakaka-cause pa ng traffic jams yung mga pink fences rather than alleviate it. Like steel livestock, cars and buses are being herded along EDSA at a snail's pace because these pink fences reduced the once 6-lane highway to 4-lane alley. Parang gusto ko na nga sabihin - Manong, paki-sagasaan na lang yung mga pink fences na yan! Arg!
Narnia -
I am currently reading the Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis. I am down to the last 2 books (there are 7 books in all), all very British and very Tolkien-ish (if you get my drift, my dear Watson). Jing told me that CS (Lewis) and JRR (Tolkien) had this group called the Inklings(?)
and apparently both dabbled into fantasy. While The Lord of the Rings was the seriouser of the two, Narnia was more of an adult storybook. Don't get me wrong, Narnia's giants consider men to be a delicacy, and doses of death and torture still abound in the series so I guess adults won't be much disappointed. It was nice to read fantasy books that were written 50 years ago and discover the seeds that CS and JRR planted bloom into JK Rowling's Harry Potter, Neil Gaiman's Stardust and maybe even Stephen King's Dark Tower.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Headbutts, Animal Porn and Bombahan
I really can't seem to piece together a blog entry lately so I decided to compile some on-the-spot thoughts.
I watched Manny Pacqiao fight Erik Morales yesterday. Though it was an exciting fight (momentum killer sa dami ng commercials), deep inside I knew it was not a victory for the Filipino people. There was a significant reach difference between the fghters, making it harder for Manny to get inside Morales for his killer combinations. Clearly, the better fighter was the Mexican. His stance was so balanced and stable that you would never know whether he is on the defensive or is on the attack. Another noticeable thing is Manny seemed to be wary of Morales' right-hand that he was susceptible to the punches coming from his left side, thus the cut he sustained (it may be a result of a head-butt but I think that had it been not subjected to the barrage of left hooks and jabs, it would not have opened. At least this is what I think). And so it ended the way I think it should, it would have made a lot of people happier (me included) if the result would have been different (read: favorable). Nevertheless, it was a good fight. TV analysts and sports columnists commended Manny for a gallant stand and despite the odds, his opponent only won by a mere 2 points. Surely, we Filipinos are looking forward to a rematch.
As early as today, I have already picked my song for this year - Rivermaya's You'll be Safe Here.
I just wish I could say and mean these lines when I was younger but hey, it's never too late to say it huh? "Put you heart in my hand, you'll be safe here" (goosebumps all over).
Here are the things you learn when you spend much of your time in front of the boob tube -
1) You can date a number of women/men at the same time.
2) You can (french)kiss each one then decide later which one you will keep.
3) You can discover classified AFP information by watching a local Filipino news channel. ("ayon sa AFP, mukhang di daw bomb expert ang me gawa ng bomba kasi kulang daw ng blasting cap, etc.") So next time, alam ng ordinaryong tao kung pano gumawa ng homemade bombs.
4) Pimping is cool.
5) I'd like to see a Leaving Asia channel. It would feature reasons why people should do so.
6) You can watch animals copulating (animal porn) on TV and not be considered a perv. Talk about being on the top of the food chain.
I was really pissed to know that there are plans to set off bombs inside Catholic churches during the Lenten season. How low can someone get. Pag me nangyaring ganun, would bombing a mosque during Ramadan do justice?
I watched Manny Pacqiao fight Erik Morales yesterday. Though it was an exciting fight (momentum killer sa dami ng commercials), deep inside I knew it was not a victory for the Filipino people. There was a significant reach difference between the fghters, making it harder for Manny to get inside Morales for his killer combinations. Clearly, the better fighter was the Mexican. His stance was so balanced and stable that you would never know whether he is on the defensive or is on the attack. Another noticeable thing is Manny seemed to be wary of Morales' right-hand that he was susceptible to the punches coming from his left side, thus the cut he sustained (it may be a result of a head-butt but I think that had it been not subjected to the barrage of left hooks and jabs, it would not have opened. At least this is what I think). And so it ended the way I think it should, it would have made a lot of people happier (me included) if the result would have been different (read: favorable). Nevertheless, it was a good fight. TV analysts and sports columnists commended Manny for a gallant stand and despite the odds, his opponent only won by a mere 2 points. Surely, we Filipinos are looking forward to a rematch.
As early as today, I have already picked my song for this year - Rivermaya's You'll be Safe Here.
I just wish I could say and mean these lines when I was younger but hey, it's never too late to say it huh? "Put you heart in my hand, you'll be safe here" (goosebumps all over).
Here are the things you learn when you spend much of your time in front of the boob tube -
1) You can date a number of women/men at the same time.
2) You can (french)kiss each one then decide later which one you will keep.
3) You can discover classified AFP information by watching a local Filipino news channel. ("ayon sa AFP, mukhang di daw bomb expert ang me gawa ng bomba kasi kulang daw ng blasting cap, etc.") So next time, alam ng ordinaryong tao kung pano gumawa ng homemade bombs.
4) Pimping is cool.
5) I'd like to see a Leaving Asia channel. It would feature reasons why people should do so.
6) You can watch animals copulating (animal porn) on TV and not be considered a perv. Talk about being on the top of the food chain.
I was really pissed to know that there are plans to set off bombs inside Catholic churches during the Lenten season. How low can someone get. Pag me nangyaring ganun, would bombing a mosque during Ramadan do justice?
Monday, March 07, 2005
Killer Pagong, Evading the Queen of Spades and Chasing the Boracay Sun
Normally, one would complain when they feel sand between their toes, the sun on the their backs and the salty wind on their faces. When you are in Boracay though, the only thing to complain about is how quick time flies when you are enjoying yourself.
Last week, we trooped to Boracay for our summer getaway. It's getting hot and humid in the city and one really needs to unwind after a whole year's (or more) worth of stress. The trip itself was well worth the wait (working out and keeping a trim figure, hehe!) and the hassle (of booking a flight and the endless bargaining). One gets to Boracay through air, land and sea making it both a traveller's dream and nightmare. One gets an instant reward for all his/her toils to get to the place upon setting foot on the beach. Unlike other beaches where the sand get super-heated, Boracay beaches remain cool and springy you can almost burrow under it's polvoron-like sand to hide from the sun. Of course the worth-a-thousand-pictures sunset, the pristine waters, colorful fishes and the beautiful people roaming about (bilog and mundo!) are all worth mentioning.
We passed the time playing cards and one companion introduced us to the game of Hearts. I knew the game sounded familiar, as they told me that it was the same card game on Windows that no one (as far as I know) plays. The game was simple enough and we were all enjoying it before long. Evading the Queen of Spades after draining a Boracay Grill Killer seemed an achievement of a lifetime, hehe!
I guess I will have to take the time to heal my sunburns (and my savings too) before I begin packing my bag(s) again. One things for sure though, it feels good to have sand between your toes, the sun on your back and the Boracay wind on your face.
Note: Killer Pagong was the name I gave for the henna tattoo that I got in Boracay.
You can view some of our pictures at - www.pbase.com/boracay2005
Last week, we trooped to Boracay for our summer getaway. It's getting hot and humid in the city and one really needs to unwind after a whole year's (or more) worth of stress. The trip itself was well worth the wait (working out and keeping a trim figure, hehe!) and the hassle (of booking a flight and the endless bargaining). One gets to Boracay through air, land and sea making it both a traveller's dream and nightmare. One gets an instant reward for all his/her toils to get to the place upon setting foot on the beach. Unlike other beaches where the sand get super-heated, Boracay beaches remain cool and springy you can almost burrow under it's polvoron-like sand to hide from the sun. Of course the worth-a-thousand-pictures sunset, the pristine waters, colorful fishes and the beautiful people roaming about (bilog and mundo!) are all worth mentioning.
We passed the time playing cards and one companion introduced us to the game of Hearts. I knew the game sounded familiar, as they told me that it was the same card game on Windows that no one (as far as I know) plays. The game was simple enough and we were all enjoying it before long. Evading the Queen of Spades after draining a Boracay Grill Killer seemed an achievement of a lifetime, hehe!
I guess I will have to take the time to heal my sunburns (and my savings too) before I begin packing my bag(s) again. One things for sure though, it feels good to have sand between your toes, the sun on your back and the Boracay wind on your face.
Note: Killer Pagong was the name I gave for the henna tattoo that I got in Boracay.
You can view some of our pictures at - www.pbase.com/boracay2005
