The Nomad Wonders

I'd Rather Leave...

2008-12-20T18:28:00.005+08:00

I chanced upon this song 5 days before Christmas. Isn't it enigmatic how the saddest of songs find their way into my life a few days before the merriest season of all?

Anyway, this post is dedicated to two bloggers which I always remember come the holidays. I've been following their blogs for so long and though they aren't together, what's going on between them transcends both the distance and the differences they have. I hope you two find the right love and keep it forever. You know all along that you complement each other.

This song is supposed to be mine, but I'm giving it to you two. Don't wanna be selfish. Hey, it's Christmas, right? =)

To the Wanderer and the Silent Idealist, this is for both of you.

I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love
Rita Coolidge

I'd rather leave while I'm in love
While I still believe the meaning of the word
I'll keep my dreams and just pretend
That you and I are never gonna end

Too many times I've seen the rose die on the vine
Somebody's heart gets broken
Usually it's mine
I don't want to take the chance of being hurt again
You and I can say goodbye

So if you wake and find me gone
Oh baby carry on
You see I need my fantasy
I still believe
It's best to leave while I'm in love

Too many times I've seen the rose die on the vine
Somebody's heart gets broken
Usually it's mine
I don't want to take the chance of being hurt again
You and I can say goodbye

So if you wake and find me gone
Oh baby carry on
You see I need my fantasy
I still believe
It's best to leave while I'm in love
(It's best to leave while I'm in love
While I still believe
You see I need my fantasy...)
It's best to leave while I'm in love
It's best to leave while I'm in love...

Beat my... box

2008-06-29T11:02:00.004+08:00

There are very rare talents in this world that can make you famous... well at least on the Internet.

And then there's beatboxing. French beatboxing. Step aside, Blake Lewis.

Now, where do I go get beatboxing lessons? My officemates are in dire need of serious entertainment (oxymoron?) right now. Toilet humor doesn't seem to make the cut these days.

Bring out the popcorn...

2008-05-30T11:38:00.009+08:00

In one of my tweets earlier this year, I mentioned that 2008 seemed like a good year for movies. And I was quite correct. Here are a few of them flicks I can't wait to see...

Just because I have a thing for movies that involve complex equations.

Sex and the City
Just because these Manhattan girls crack me up. A fun night this would be.

Made of Honor
Just because I am actually a frustrated neurosurgeon. (Really now?)

Mamma Mia!
Just because Meryl Streep + Comedy/Musical = too good for words

Get Smart
Just because I'm a big fan of Steve Carell. Period.

Meet Dave
Just because Eddie Murphy is comedy personified.

My Sassy Girl
Just because I'm a big sucker for RomComs.

See the common factor? It's any movie that ends with me cackling loudly and clutching my tummy. Well, maybe except for the first one. So, see you at the nearest theater and let's laugh till we drop!

As I Mature

2008-04-24T10:58:00.020+08:00

Here's a poem the Nomad stumbled upon one sleepless night in front of his trusty laptop. He can't pick a favorite line, as everyone of them is so right on. =)

Click on the image to enlarge (just in case you have a 10.64/20 vision).

Rush Hour Madness

2008-04-16T10:39:00.006+08:00

Thinking of filing a class action for the day-to-day sardine experience at MRT? Not to mention the unbearable heat (and sometimes, ugh, smell), slashed bags, dead toenails, and the innumerable incidences of inappropriate touching-slash-frotteurism *ahem*.

Well, see this video and think again (We're still lucky, relatively.):

Sigh. Makes me wish I work/live in Singapore. Their trains are the coolest.

Inventions: Stupid and Risqué

2008-04-07T23:21:00.006+08:00

In the technological world, you'd think they've got no place for stupidity or things considered risqué. Usually, it's all about making life easy, where cumbersome tasks are finished in a snap, and creating things and schemes deemed Utopian decades ago.

In a nutshell, it's turning the impossible to a myriad of marvels and infinite possibilities.

Enter Gizmodo, purveyor of everything techno-, but sometimes not logical contraptions. Sure, they talk about iPhones and UMDs and cloud computing most of the time, but occasionally, a few uh, weird inventions trickle in. Take for example these two.

Intelli cool - Airconditioning for the Outdoors

I mean... what the heck? Why would I throw hard-earned cash for something that's downright idiotic? Sure, global warming has turned this country into something like the Death Valley, but there are more ways to alleviate the oppressive heat we're experiencing than burning money for kooky appliances. Cut back on the carbon dioxide emission: take a car pool with officemates, walk rather than drive to a place that isn't 5 miles away from you, and yes, quit smoking. You'd be doing the planet and yourself a ginormous favor.

The next one isn't really cutting edge or unheard of, but it'll tickle your imagination once you hear its name. Ready?

Floral Titi

Nope, it's not a tattooed and varicolored you-know-what but a Shuffle-like MP3 Player. What a name huh? Apparently, it comes in 9 mouth-watering (no pun there) colors and costs less than their distinguished contemporaries. Not actually ludicrous when it comes to its intended purpose, but imagine what happens when it is casually talked about by strangers in public (most especially here in the Philippines): "Hey look at his Titi, it's so cool." "Yeah, I'd love to grab his Titi and play with it all night long." See?

So the next time you feel like you're Thomas Edison or Blaise Pascal, do us all a favor and hire PR campaign managers. =)

Il Valore del Tempo

2008-04-05T10:20:00.005+08:00

I dislike chain emails a lot, especially those that say you'll get bad luck when "you don't pass this on". Doh! As if a bunch of data made mostly of 1s and 0s will be responsible if I get hit by a speeding truck.

Most of the times I send them straight to the trash folder, without so much as clicking on them. But this one struck me hard, and it once again reinforces me to think how every moment counts. Read on.

The Value of Time

To realize
The value of a sister
Ask someone
Who doesn't have one.

To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly
Divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who
Has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother
Who has given birth to
A premature baby.

To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize
The value of one-second:
Ask a person
Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.

Treasure every moment you have.

You will treasure it even more when
you can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or
family member:

LOSE ONE.

Let Me Upgrade U

2008-04-01T10:21:00.008+08:00

I've been a very irresponsible blogger. I only jot down my thoughts here when I have the time or only when I feel like it, which obviously is more sporadic than a Malayan monkey's ovulation cycle.

So, in deference to all of you readers (have I got any?), I am giving away something of utmost importance to me. Click click click for more details...

And that something is...

My Citibank Credit Card details! It is valid for use worldwide and is accepted at every imaginable merchant store. Now you can splurge all you want at high-end online stores like Fendi, YSL, or Gucci.

Wanna sport the sleek .007 look effortlessly like Daniel Craig? Ralph Lauren's Purple Label Line has many choices for you. Likewise, have her fall head over heels for you with Burberry Touch's musky scent.

For the ladies, no more drooling over that Prada Cervo Lux bag or that Chanel No. 5 perfume you've been wanting ever since your snotty office secretary bragged that her boyfriend casually gave him 2 boxes over lunch.

Hands itchy? Scratch no more, here are the magic numbers:
5401 2701 9350 8402
CVV: 654

Unlimited credit, all on me, just for you, my special readers. Have fun!

Pooped out

2008-03-18T05:47:00.006+08:00

Pardon the paucity of posts, the Nomad is plainly... (refer to title now).

Meanwhile, you can click here if you'd like to give your brain a much-needed work-out.

Why I'm A Creature of the Night

2008-03-06T22:52:00.001+08:00

I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.

~Vincent Van Gogh

While the whole world (or half of it) is soundly sleeping, a guy in his white nighties is solemnly staring at his laptop screen, fingers hovering silently above the keyboard or caressing the mouse for the latest Kathy Griffin stand-up, an iPod update, or composing a blog post such as this one. On other occasions, he might be reading a novel, browsing a magazine or just sitting out at their veranda, staring at the bleak sky.

I'm not really sure how it came to be, but my biological clock seems to be wound up for activity during the unholy hours of the evening. And here are a few reasons why I find myself a creature of the night:

1. I'm more active at night.
Despite a tiring and stressful day, just a quick nap before 9 and I'm back like a well-oiled machine. Add to this a mug of steaming green or white tea and I'm set for an all-nighter.

2. They say our extrasensory perception is more receptive to supernatural beings at night.
Not that I want to see spirits lurking around, but a heightened sense of vulnerability excites me. You'll never know who's breathing cold air on your neck or caressing your shoulders.

3. Collective silence
Just because the Nomad is a lover of serene and peaceful places. No doubt, nighttime is a Buddhist monk's paradise.

4. Since more people are likely to be making love.
Huh? How did that get here? My weird sense of psychology says that since pent-up sexual energies are released during the night, I am able to collect and channel them to me, thus revitalizing my own reservoir of youthful power. (I am weird in ways you can't imagine.)

5. My best ideas come at night
Research shows that a limber mind comes from a more active lifestyle (look ma, no Alzheimer's), and it isn't a secret that I work-out at around 8-10 PM. That's the time when my brain works double-time and new concepts become formulated to be presented next day at the conference table. Also, blog post ideas come to me like a locust swarm during the night.

6. Bandwidth.
Need I say more? Whole albums in under 15 minutes, movie torrents for an hour. Hogging is my third favorite word.

I'm not encouraging you to be always up just to be able to make the most out of your time. Getting decent hours of sleep (6-8 is ideal) promotes a sound mind and facilitates repair of your worn-out systems. It re-organizes your neurons for the next day, and boosts physical agility and mental acuity. And of course, dreaming of a make-out session with your favorite model on a secluded island is never a bad idea.

Night, the beloved. Night, when words fade and things come alive. When the destructive analysis of day is done, and all that is truly important becomes whole and sound again. When man reassembles his fragmentary self and grows with the calm of a tree.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Green Gift

2008-03-02T23:35:00.003+08:00

Among the many gifts endowed to me by the Big Guy up there, the one that I definitely enjoy the most is… the gift of the green thumb. Yes, I have the special ability to make green leafy things grow. Though I’m not the hands-on type of gardener (picture a shovel, fertilizer and watering can here complete with dirty jumpers and a buri hat), I nevertheless find a deeply satisfying sensation whenever I’m in our garden, tending to them little creeping creatures.

Every afternoon and especially on weekends, part of my daily routine always involves watering our plants. Initially, Mom was the one interested in rearing them but since the law firm ate up all her time, I took it upon myself to look after them because they seemed to me like an abandoned and helpless puppy, needing of attention and great care. (I probably should consider taking up nursing.)

Everytime I am with “my plants”, it’s a different communal experience. There is this unspoken and mutual agreement that goes between me and them, as if they can read my thoughts and give me good advice like a longtime friend. That is another nice thing about being with Nature. Plants become the ultimate symbol of what humanity is to me.

Whenever I see new leaves or flower buds emerging from a plant, my lips break into a smile, knowing that those little red petals or the yellow-green leaflets symbolize new hope. To me, they tell a story. It can be redemption after committing a grave transgression, a boost to a floundering career or even finding that someone in this lifetime waiting to spend forever with you. It's catching a glimpse of the rising sun after an embittered and desolate night.

Sometimes, I spot three or four weeds growing in a pot, and I tediously remove each of them, just like weeding out the bad things we encounter in life; hurdling all of the obstacles we have towards personal growth. And though it’s certainly saddening to see some of them wilt and shed leaves, the next day always promises a new and fresh start, to make the best out of each moment we spend here.

There, a new and meditative post out of an activity that’s seemingly mundane. Composed this while I was hosing the plants down. Told y’all, gardening’s a good mind exercise.

Glitterati

2008-02-27T23:43:00.006+08:00

I chanced upon this dress on the January 2008 issue of the Reader's Digest, and it really caught my eye (not to mention, my wallet gave a slight jolt) because of the tag price attached to it. The smug, almost conceited look on the girl's face says it all:

"I'm too chic to be your chick."

From Reader's Digest:

Dress for the Cold
Designer Olivia Ong’s gold dress makes more than a fashion statement: It fights the flu. For her Glitterati line, Ong used cotton coated in silver, a natural antibacterial agent, so it blocks germs that can make you sick. Talk about the high price of fashion: The Cornell researchers who engineered the nanotech fabric say it cost $10,000 per square yard to make. At least you’d save on dry cleaning. The metallic finish also keeps the dress from getting dirty.

I know it does not even come close to an Oscar de la Renta or a Galliano-inspired masterpiece but with a price of $10,000.00 per square yard, you have got to be earning like a Hollywood superstar to wear one of these. It's almost like you went to the Oscars (which on a different note, was the boring-est ever this year), and glammed up the red carpet with Swank or Mirren.

And they say it's good for the health too? Where do I order for executive suits? Our metro's roads are just death waiting to pounce on us and our poor lungs.

More info here:
Cornell University's Chronicle Online
Gizmodo Article

It All Started with a Chair

2008-02-19T14:21:00.006+08:00

I'm surely no Roger Ebert. Neither am I one of Metacritic.com's nor Rotten Tomatoes' editors, but I feel like I'll be doomed here and in the afterlife if I don't give credit and wondrous praises to probably one of the best films of 2007 (in the US, actually). I'm talking about Juno, directed by Jason Reitman, written by Diablo Cody and released in the Philippines last week.

It's a movie that tackles teenage pregnancy, which, needless to say is an issue so rampant, the Americans likely treat it as an everyday issue, like traffic or pollution. But Juno, the main protagonist, is different. She took her pregnancy unlike any other US teenager would.

From Rhino's website:

The film's narrative centers on whip-smart Juno MacGuff (Page), a teenaged girl faced with an unplanned pregnancy from an afternoon with the charmingly unassuming Paulie Bleeker (Cera). Buoyed by the support of her parents (Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons), Juno seeks to find her unborn baby the perfect set of adoptive parents, and seemingly finds them in Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), an affluent suburban couple. Throughout, Juno tackles her problems head-on, displaying a youthful exuberance that's both smart and unexpected as she faces the consequences of her actions, both short term and long term.

Considering its measly budget (at $6.5 million), it will probably strike anyone as a kind of an indie film (no big Hollywood actors, no snazzy settings or jaw-dropping visual effects), but the way the cinematography was done tells the viewers otherwise. Reitman did a wonderful job with making the whole story meld cohesively into one believable act, and the chronology of events (represented by the passing of seasons) was a nifty idea. The actors were commendable too. Ellen Page (as Juno), at her young age of 20, played her character very smoothly, you'll easily be taken by her nonchalant and cavalier attitude. Jennifer Garner likewise gave a praiseworthy performance, acting as an expectant mother to Juno's child.

Getting the Oscar nods for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress for Ellen Page is proof enough that the film goes beyond boring, monotonous, or predictable. If I don't convince you that well, you'll be surprised to know that the critical reception of the moviegoers was extremely positive, where the movie raked in 22 times its budget with $143,052,431, as of this writing.

Never did a movie make me feel so good inside or outrageously giddy ever since I saw Forrest Gump. The musical scoring was absolutely good, there were times when I had to sway my head to the tunes. And I'm one who usually does not notice whether the music is good for a movie or not.

The ending scene was equally memorable as it was moving. It was where they both played the guitar and sang "Anyone Else But You" to each other. Call me cheesy all you like, but that is how I picture a lazy but happy afternoon with my significant other.

You are always trying to keep it real
I'm in love with how you feel
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you

We both have shiny happy fits of rage
You want more fans, I want more stage
I don't see what anyone can see, in anyone else
But you..

Among the quotes that struck me really hard:
"I know people are supposed to fall in love before they reproduce, but normalcy's not really our style." - Juno

"...find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person will still think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with." - Juno's dad

Photo credit Lance in my Pants

(I have about 4 pending posts before I saw Juno, and overtaking all of them with this review only shows how much I loved the film. I'm definitely buying the DVD.)

Ponderances

2008-02-16T08:39:00.010+08:00

"The unexamined life is not worth living."

-Socrates

Isn't it fascinating how we ponder about life's most complex enigmas at very unexpected places? It maybe while you're being chafed and intentionally groped on the train (while you have this faraway look), or waiting in line at your favorite fast-food chain, while everyone's gobbling their way to a triple heart bypass.

Sometimes, you do it while stuck in traffic; you're deep in meditation until you realize that the green lights have changed 4 times already and a mad driver howls at you for some reason. And in extreme cases, while lovemaking. Yes, it can happen too. As your partner passionately explores every nook and cranny of your body, you think about how your job sucks, why you didn't get an A+ in fluid mechanics when the dumb-but-goodlooking girl beside you amazingly nailed it, or why you never landed that hottie in the coffee shop. Never mind that your partner is moaning loudly while you just let out an indistinct sound then fake an orgasm.

For me, it usually happens, of all places, at the loo, sitting on my throne, while routinely moving my bowels. I know, I know, it's completely situated at both extremes of the Human Activity Spectrum, but what else is there to do? You definitely won't want to look down and inhale what had become of the chicken cilantro you ate for lunch. Or count the number of mismatched tiles. You might want to do something naughty, but then you're reserving that for when your movie date ends up boring. So, you will your brain to change frequencies and switch to "ruminate" mode, and disconnect from all worldly things.

These are, among others, the thoughts that have occasionally whirled around my brain, like a witch's burning pot:

Should I shift careers and get a higher paying job? How about a master's degree or taking up law?
What about going abroad and living there independently?
Will I ever get to meet The One and be able to do happy things together?
Should I get a MacBook Air?
When shall a perfect human clone be achieved? (Please...)
Should I switch to boxer shorts, or go commando instead?
When, oh when, will EDSA be traffic free?
Does this country have any chance of getting rid of corrupt and grandstanding rag dolls-cum-politicians?

and the most essential of all questions, which scientists will hail as the millennium's grandest discovery...

(Hold your breath...)

Will she ever find true love?

Oh life. Why must you give us the most baffling of questions? (Crap, I feel my stomach gurgling again.)

On a High...atus

2008-01-01T10:01:00.000+08:00

This blog would be on indefinite leave for the moment, due to reasons known only to the Nomad and some higher powers.

Rest assured that he'll continue supporting your blogs and other endeavors, silently reveling in your triumphs and consoling you in your downfalls. His shoulders have never been in better shape than now, to be able to lean on.

Nonetheless, he still wishes you a prosperous New Year! Here's to good health, trustworthy friends, more ad-clicking bloggers, and fat bank accounts. Cheers!

Oh, and more years of togetherness, and peanut ice cream goodness to the apples.

Onwards to a bright and fun-filled 2008! Halabshu! =)

Edo bri'cho o rish d'shato brich'to!

2007-12-25T09:16:00.000+08:00

Nope, the Nomad hasn't turned psycho yet. Just dropping by to say the loudest, most heartfelt and blissfully-coated Merry Christmas to everyone!

Packages containing specifically-tailored gifts for each of you are in transit now, expected to arrive at your doorstep/chimney/bedside in 24 hours tops. Batteries not included.

Oh, and do watch the calories. =)

Warm hugs and sweet minty kisses,
The Nomad

Miss You Most at Christmastime

2007-12-15T07:59:00.000+08:00

My whole month, captured in the stanzas of a song so poignantly rendered by the Philippine Madrigal Singers, I can't help but be moved every time I hear it. Their execution of the song was done in a somber, longing manner, in a way that pours out every emotion associated with being, well -- loveless -- this Yuletide Season.

Brrrr. It chills me to the core, and all I need for warmth is YOU.

Kahit nasaan ako
Papaling-paling ang tingin
Walang tulad mo.
Ang nakapagtataka'y
Maraming nakahihigit sa'yo.

Hinahanap-hanap pa rin kita,
Ewan ko kung bakit ba.
Ako'y iniwan mong nag-iisa
Miss kita, o giliw.

Pasko'y sasapit,
Di ko mapigil
Ang mangulila
Hirap niyan...

...

Mayroon ka nang iba...

='(

Like Food to my Soul

2007-12-05T15:40:00.000+08:00

Comical and ironic. That is how I find it. That weeks before my mom's birthday, I only planned on sending her a simple birthday card from a bookstore. Little did I know that a few hours into her special day, I would find myself handing over a huge wad of cash to the teller of a department store for a gift I have got no idea if she would actually like.

First thing you have to know about the nomad, is that he is a very thrifty guy. So much so that he would rather skip meals just to have the utter satisfaction of feeling a fat wallet bulging in his back pocket. Yes, I am strange in that kinda way. It would take months of strategic planning and painstaking logistics before I indulge myself in something I really really want, like a gadget I've been drooling on or the latest best-selling novel by Gaiman. I'd utilize every method possible to hunt for the lowest prices and good bargains (got my iPod Video from HongKong at a much, much lower price than local distributors), jump from mall to mall and spend hours on end just canvassing and allocating hard-earned money. I am a living example of what frugality means.

But it's a different matter when it comes to my Mom. I'd go all out for her, even fishing my entire life savings just to get the best for her (and yet I was thinking only of a birthday card!). And this year, what usually took weeks of careful planning happened in just a matter of minutes. On the way to the bookstore to look for a nifty birthday card, I passed by the department store which showcased trendy corporate attires and chic casual tees. That's where it all changed. I said to myself , "She's a CPA-Lawyer. She can get what she wants in a snap, but hey, it's the thought and effort that really matter." So I stepped in and looked around. Every now and then, I'd stop in front of a pretty dress, scrutinize it closely, then shut my eyes and re-draw her image with the dress. It took around 20 stops before I was finally able to make a choice. On the way to the cashier, I spotted another great-looking casual shirt, and grabbed it too. At the teller, I could hear my wallet groaning, but I couldn't care less. I took the plunge and without second-guessing, handed it to the cashier.

After the little spree, I then went to the bookstore to throw in a nice birthday card, just to complete the whole package. On the way home, I scribbled a personal message and hummed a happy tune, savoring the good feelings welling inside me.

Later that night, I basked in her teary-eyed, too-good-for-words expression: that she really liked the gifts and that she truly appreciates our efforts. Yes! mission accomplished. I then gave her the card, and silently left the room, giving her some private moment.

Written inside the birthday card:

Mom,

If we have to live in another lifetime,
we wouldn't settle for any mother less,
even if it meant turning the world over to look for you.

You gave us a good life and shared with us values and lessons
that we'll proudly carry throughout our lives.

You always made us feel like
there wasn't anything we couldn't do...
and that's just one of the reasons
we love you so much.

You are God's greatest blessing to us. We love you! Happy birthday!

Forever grateful,
T and Jeric (my brother)

Of the Manila Pen and Sieges

2007-11-29T20:21:00.000+08:00

Funny that when I saw the Peninsula Hotel Manila just this morning, it was an overbearing figure of grandiose at the heart of Makati, then all of a sudden, it became a horrible picture of transgression and insurrection.

The first time I had a glimpse of that hotel was the Millennium Celebration of 2000 where Regine Velasquez sang atop its famed staircase fountain for all of the world to see. I was awestruck and thought it was set abroad, but captions from the TV told me otherwise. Back then, I only had vague ideas of what the Financial Capital of the Philippines looked like, as I only read from newspapers and saw from pictures skyscrapers and tall buildings that to my naïve eyes, looked almost like Manhattan on any given day. I told myself, "I'd like to work there someday." Where I can be with people armed with MBAs and JDs, wearing only the finest business attires, sporting extravagant cars and talking stock options as casual as the weather outside.

Seven years later, Makati is still as bustling as ever, traffic notwithstanding. More towering buildings, buses and cars battling for more road space, people hurtling here and there, exchanging pleasantries in cafés and restaurants, once in a while going out for a cigarette break. This caffeine-driven city is pumped up with so much adrenaline, it would be quite a nice sight to see it one lazy Sunday afternoon, where all the world halts to a stop, and the city is allowed its own breath of fresh air.

Oh, how I love Makati.

About all the political hullabaloo, I digress. Gotcha.

Manila at 5

2007-11-21T12:53:00.000+08:00

This was composed at 5 in the morning (last Monday actually, but only entered now due to a dizzying series of semi-fortunate events), at the passenger seat of a taxi on the way to the airport for a flight to General Santos City to attend a hearing. No, not the Nomad, but his Mom.

(no, it's not Manila, but you get the picture...)

The wind caresses my hair
As the city rushes past
Outside the car windows
Billboards stirring up fast.

To shake the sleepiness away
I turn my iPod on
To listen to jazz and bossa
But they elicited more yawns.

I look above and behold
A new day that begins to unfold
Painted on the canvas that is the sky
Gray and blue clouds rolling by.

While an apple is snuggled in his sleep
His guardian should be early on the streets.
But only a few cars are on the road
It's like the whole highway is his own.

While the buildings are all a-hush
I already feel the morning rush
The metro takes on a new spin
And my week, in a snap, will begin.

As the city slowly wakes up
It gives me the morning jive.
Quite a refreshing sight to see
Is Manila at 5.

Close Call

2007-11-14T10:31:00.000+08:00

I have long relegated this in the shady deparment of my brain called "Repressed Memories". I don't know why all of a sudden, it resurfaced out of nowhere. My overworked and underpaid brain cells must be having the worst bedlam of their ephemeral lives.

Flashback.

Sometime in 1995. Bocaue, Bulacan.

A family friend paid us a visit in our home at Bulacan. He was a Captain in the Philippine Navy and a very close acquaintance of my mom. We treated him like an uncle, and fondly called him Captain Mac. He and mom knew each other from way back, as Mom had to coordinate often with the military for protection when she worked for Malacañang.

He stayed for about three hours, having coffee and small talk with my mom at the veranda, while I was in my room poring over something, maybe a dictionary or an encyclopedia. When it was time for him to leave (he had a meeting in Fairview), Mom called me and my younger brother (5 years old at the time) so we can accompany him to the nearest bus station. Seated at the back of the car, my brother and I had a good time laughing at his funny anecdotes and marveling at his stories while serving in the military. Little did we know it would be his last laugh with us...

We arrived at Bocaue at about 2 in the afternoon, and he waited for a bus while inside the car because of the sweltering heat outside. My brother spotted a vendor selling candies and he bugged us for a few. So Captain Mac went down and approached the waiting shed, leaning over to buy the said candies. Then, in a hurried flash of events, we heard gun shots and they were coming from where Captain Mac was. I looked out of the window and people were in a frenzy, running amok and shouting. I was puzzled and thought, with a foreboding sense of fear coming, "Isn't that where Captain Mac is?" True enough, two men, wearing jeans and a violet shirt emerged from the crime scene, holding out a gun and it was... pointed at our car.

Acting on reflex, I ducked my head down and shouted to my mom and brother, "Yuko!" ("Heads down!"). A thousand emotions swirled inside me and questions started popping like crazy, "Who are these people?" "Why did they gun Captain Mac down?" "Am I going to die now?" "What if we get killed here?" A few minutes passed and I heard the gunmen shouting "May mga bata sa loob!" ("There are children inside!") and they fled from the scene. Gathering the courage (although I was shaking inside), I looked up once more and saw that onlookers were gathering at the crime scene.

I called Mom and my brother and saw that they too were visibly shaken from what happened. A few minutes later, red-and-blue strobe lights flashed and a blaze of sirens was heard, prompting the people to give way to the authorities. The police did the obligatory "Scene of the Crime Operative" stuff (gathering evidence, setting up a police line, interrogating first-hand witnesses). Many people pointed at our car, probably because they saw Captain Mac exiting from it a while ago. The police came and invited us to the police station.

While Mom was in a dazed and confused state, I gave the police a rundown of what happened, and the description of the two assassins. Though I can't remember their faces (they were about 30 meters away), I vividly recalled what they were wearing. Both wore faded jeans, the other a white shirt, and the second one, a violet shirt. All of these statements went to the police blotter and we were allowed to go home two hours later. I think one of my uncles came to fetch us as mom can't obviously drive us home. She was crying all the way home, while I looked out of the window, my mind racing with thoughts about what I just witnessed.

The investigation pointed to one conclusion: that rebels were behind the attack. (Nothing was taken from him, so theft was ruled out). I think they were trailing Captain Mac and keeping tab of his activities and that's how they sniffed the information on where and when to do the assassination. 12 years later, the case remains unsolved, what with the ever elusive insurgents inevitably slipping away from the hands of the law.

Thinking about it now, having stared death in the face, gives me one more reason to be grateful that I have been given a second lease on life. Like my high school teacher always says, "Carpe Diem!" Seize the moment, every way you can.

“Life as we know it can change in a blink of an eye.
Unlikely friendships can blossom,
Important careers can be tossed aside,
A long lost hope can be rekindled.
Still, we should be grateful for whatever changes life throws at us.
Because all too soon, the day will come when there are no changes left.”

this is not my sandwich. LOL.

2007-11-11T09:55:00.000+08:00

I was browsing some favorite blogs when I stumbled upon this entry from Director Jun Lana. I clicked, waited for the video to load, and after the whole clip, found myself rolling on the floor, quite literally. Aftershocks of the video still send stifled giggles, even when I'm in the middle of doing something important. I'll have to suppress my mind from remembering this come Monday, in the company of people wearing designer suits and looking all too important, lest i be mistaken for an NCMH escapee.

Promise, it made my whole Sunday. Wongo-wongo-wongo.

The Birthday Post

2007-11-04T00:26:00.000+08:00

No fancy wishes, no introspective thoughts, just my sincerest and heartfelt thanks to every person, especially my family, who made me what I am and who helped me realize what my purpose in life is, to achieve my dreams, and best of all, inspiring me to keep on wondering about... anything and everything.

To the friends of the blog, I also extend my gratitude to each and every one of you. You occupy a special place in my heart... and a partition on my hard drive. (naks!)

Now, what do you say to an all-expense paid trip to Bora, complete with accommodations, banana boat rides, parasailing adventures, breakfast in bed (with your special someone, not me, silly) and parties-till-you-drop?

the only catch would be... to actually find where the Nomad is and whisper three magic words in his ear. I'm dead serious. Find me, say "A Freilekhn Gebortstog!" and the tickets are yours.

An Ode to the Night

2007-10-29T02:13:00.000+08:00

Written and entered at 2 in the morning, probably while the nomad was half-asleep. so bear with the incohesiveness.

the night sky clears up
to reveal a thousand gems
all twinkling at me playfully
i reach with my hands, but alas!

in the distance two meteors race,
like little children at a park
they leave behind a streak of light
then venture off into the dark.

the moon bathes me in a radiant light
its luminosity, a warm surprise
that which kisses my skin
and makes me quiver in delight.

shadows lurk behind the trees
they watch in furtive despair.
all their eyes aglow with a furor
one that is of unequaled flair.

a silent breeze stirs by
and musses my tangled hair.
was she whispering something?
no, she's nothing but rarefied air.

the minutes turn into hours
and they all will go in a while.
like a fleeting moment of desire
charred in the embers of my fire.

i am engulfed in its silence
like the monsters in my head.
maybe after i retire into slumber
will they all vanish instead.

How my Music Evolved

2007-10-23T01:59:00.001+08:00

In tribute to my past post discussing in depth how my Internet evolved, I have decided to chronicle how my music library has grown over the years.
it all started in 2nd year high school. i was not much of a music aficionado back then, kinda like a go-with-the-flow type of listener. whatever is on the radio, i bop my head along with it. then one day, a classmate brought a CD that triggered my musical epiphany. it was the start of a lifetime obsession.

i'm basically a mainstream music type of listener. it can be anywhere from the Top 40s, to oldies, to jazz, bossa nova, rhythm and blues, country, alternative, rock, trance, everything that has a good beat, great melody and sometimes, meaningful words.

this, in chronological order, is how my music collection came to be.

ripping CDs

naturally, my first mp3s came from CDs. you won't need the Internet to be able to get the songs off them. just a good ripper to convert CDA tracks to MP3. but since my CD collection is only a handful, it became inevitable that I turn to the Internet for more.

iMesh

ah, my first encounter with a peer-to-peer application. browsing a music forum for the lyrics to *blush* "Foolish Heart" and where I can find a copy, someone mentioned using iMesh. this was dial-up era which meant that a 4-minute song would amount to a painstaking hour of waiting time to download. i wasn't complaining then; to me, every minute was worth the wait. but soon, i found out that the iMesh network wasn't big enough, newly emerging songs were hard to find and i need to scout for a much wider network. and so came Limewire.

Limewire

almost 45% of my music collection, i owe to Limewire. it was notches better than iMesh because it was connected to major P2P networks like Gnutella, and more "seeders" meant faster downloads. another major development was the advent of DSL, so songs were done in a jiffy. i was downloading like crazy back then so my music collection ballooned from 300 to almost a thousand within months. unfortunately, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), who clearly should be after the heads of P2P networks and their users, filed a lawsuit that would chase after Limewire and their millions of users. i think they're still in the talks. I admit, that was quite a scare: where would I find songs to download? and that's where Multiply introduced itself.

Multiply

To me, Multiply was heaven sent. a treasure chest waiting to be unearthed for me. we all know that Multiply is a social networking site. but it also doubles as a cache, a memory bank for all our digital data, whether it be music, videos, photos, and even blogs. that's when i learned how to use Multiply to its full potential.

whenever i hear a catchy song on the radio, and the DJ doesn't mention its title, i jot down the lyrics in my memory and Google it later. after finding the title of the song, it's a breeze. wanna know how? in Google's Search Bar key in "title of the song" multiply music. make sure that the title is enclosed within the quotation marks. if the search comes up with multiple entries, try to narrow it down by adding the artist.

for example, if I want to look for Bjork's Hyperballad, i key in "Hyperballad" Bjork multiply music, and Google comes up with many entries, i click on one of them and log-in with my account and the song is downloaded for me. five minutes after, the song is playing in my iPod. ah, i love technology.

mind you, i am quite adept at digging even the deepest of the 'Net to look for my songs. I exhaust different means, FTP servers, obscure sites, and even translating Mandarin and Nihonggo sites (their servers are full of hard-to-find songs). and if worse comes to worst, YouTube is my last resort. most people upload music videos of newly-released songs that aren't in Multiply yet. what i do is i download the video, rename it as a Flash Video file (FLV) and convert it to mp3. as simple as that.

okay, i know i am such a cheapskate by ripping off songs pro bono from the Internet, but what else is there for me? Apple, Inc., apparently thinks that the Philippines isn't such a lucrative country (boo!) and so the massive iTunes Store collection isn't available here.

and so, once more i have divulged to you how a geeky nomad i am.

Gore in Glorietta

2007-10-19T18:38:00.000+08:00

No, it's not the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize awardee, Al Gore, but the grim explosion at the Glorietta 2 mall in Makati, 1:30 in the afternoon today, just when people are having their after-lunch siesta.

Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net

I was updating my Twitter page when someone posted an update that indeed, a huge blast had occurred at Luk Yuen Noodle House which killed 8 and injured more than 100 people, all of which were either brought to nearby Makati Medical Center or to the Ospital ng Makati.

It was reported initially that an LPG tank from the restaurant had exploded and caused the big blow-up. But after a few minutes, and increased media coverage, it was circulated that a bomb had likely been detonated and it actually came from the "Delivery Bay" of the said mall. Apparently, the explosion was massive enough to blow a hole on the roof of the Glorietta 2 and a closure of the mall became mandatory to avoid further injuries. Some people claim that the whole building shook and another witness compared it to "muffled thunder".

At first, I just dismissed the news as a petty mishap, but after hearing that many were injured and that the bombing might be terrorist-related, I thought "This isn't a minor issue anymore. It's a tragedy, and one that jeopardizes our security once more." I had only been to Glorietta once because I live in Quezon City, and besides, I'm not really a big fan of retail therapy. I'd rather stroll in the park and read a book, or watch a lovely sunset to pass my time.

haay. this is for the repose of the souls of those who died and for the quick recovery of the wounded.

La vita è corto, gioco duro.

Read the whole story here.

Korean madness

2007-10-12T20:28:00.000+08:00

Okay, we all agree that Japanese people invent the weirdest games and poke fun at themselves for all they're worth. they have their way of contorting bodies like rubber, wallowing in mud, being mauled by thugs, hanging on to oversized mushrooms, the list goes on. humiliating and tarring their family's reputation is their definition of merrymaking. but hey, it's clean good fun, who are we to object?

and then there's Korean videoke. these people are such suckers for what seems to be the "greatest Filipino invention of all time." Quezon Avenue and Del Pilar Street in Manila abound with bars catering to the itching vocal cords of the chinky-eyed kind. and so in tribute to them, here's a funny video i found: two girls doing a song-and-dance repertoire. the singing was fine, but the dancing...oh gawd.

i swear, the whole time i was watching, i envisioned Sadako and Kayako, in all their hair-raising spookiness, doing this.

home entertainment just got a whole lot crazieeer.

On hitchhiking and domestic squabbles

2007-10-08T09:38:00.000+08:00

Now this, my friends, is one of the reasons why you should never fight in front of your kids. Well, unless if they're safely tucked in at night and you're sure they're out of earshot.

Momma, Poppa, stop fighting!

Boy survives two-hour flight to Moscow hanging onto plane wing

MOSCOW, September 24 (RIA Novosti) - A 15-year-old boy from the Urals suffered acute frostbite after riding the wing of a Boeing-737 plane on a two-hour flight from Perm to Moscow, Russian radio station Mayak reported on Monday.

After clinging on for the entire 1300-kilometer (808-mile) flight to Vnukovo Airport, the boy, named Andrei, collapsed onto the tarmac. His arms and legs were so severely frozen that rescuers were at first unable to remove his coat and shoes, the radio station said.

The airport did not confirm the report. "We have no information on this," the Vnukovo press service told RIA Novosti.

However, Moscow's air and water transport control department said the radio's claim was true. A department spokesman said the incident occurred on Friday, and that the boy's parents were immediately informed, and flew to the capital the same day.

Doctors said it was nothing short of a miracle that Andrei survived the flight, with temperatures hitting minus 50 degrees Celsius (-58 Fahrenheit), the radio station said. The Boeing-737 has a cruising speed of 900 kmh (560 mph).

The boy reportedly made the journey after a commonplace domestic dispute. Angry with his father, who reportedly has a drinking problem, and with his mother for siding with her husband in family rows, Andrei ran away to the neighboring village, where his grandmother lives. On reaching the village, he decided to go on, and hitched a 220-km (137-mile) ride to the regional center, Perm, where he was dropped off at the airport.

It remains unclear how Andrei was able to climb on a plane wing un-noticed, and the Perm Airport security service is being asked some serious questions, the radio station said.

Andrei is now being treated in a Moscow hospital, Radio Mayak said.

From RIA Novosti

Whew! what a way to hitchhike huh?

Parents, if you can't resist the urge to hurl daggers at each other, at least have the decency to make it subtle, especially if the kids are around:

Fill the room with soft music, and do a slow dance, just like highschool prom night. Then when the kids think you're in for a romantic getaway, silently but ferociously sink in your fingernails at your partner's back, until it starts to feel icky with blood. (see, just like lovemaking, only more gory).
Pretend to pillow-fight, and fake smiles. But don't forget to replace the feathers on the pillow with either spiked plastic balls, or mongo seeds. you'll love it.
Get your son's water gun, fill it with concentrated sulfuric acid, and run to the pool, all the while pretending to be horsing around, but screaming in agony. you'll despise the day you exchanged "I Do's" with your partner.

So there. Have fun!

mushed potatoes

2007-10-06T23:12:00.000+08:00

i'm really sorry for this, but what can i do? the rain brings out the potatoes in me. so, this is all mush-mush stuff. i seem to be drunk from the fountain of Cupid.

and this is to all of my friends, who right now, seem to have the break-up virus. cheer up, people!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Once you awake in someone's arms,
once you have glimpsed the dawn...
Once you have glimpsed the face of love,
flown the space of love...
You're someone else forever...

Once you have dreamed in someone's arms,
how can you dream alone?
Once you have known the joys of time, the smiles of time,
Can you walk alone across the miles of time?...

After you've heard the song of songs,
What other song will do?
After your eyes are blinded by the summer sunlight,
oh how long before they grow accustomed to the dark of winter?

Once I belonged in someone's arms..
I never felt the cold...
And once I believed in someone's arms,
That they would always hold me.
Once I was sure how real it was...

Now I try to pretend it never was,
Long to forget it never ever was.
But with so many memories,
where do you begin,
once you've been in love?

my hearty laugh

2007-09-29T23:23:00.000+08:00

Everytime I hear an extremely funny story or a hilarious anecdote (it's all about Kathy Griffin these days), i let out a booming hearty mirthful laugh, one that will scare all the bats out of the deepest and most hollow cave in South Africa. then, after the punchline has long waned, this laugh will trickle down to a Duchenne smile, kinda like an aftershock.

of course, i only give out that laugh when i'm with people i'm extremely comfortable with, and use it with discretion. it's not like i'll guffaw my guts out when inside a church or a yoga session, or when inside an elevator with people wearing Armani suits or Zegna shoes. on those occasions, if i see something that piques my interest and tickles my brain, i'll just silently smile, commit it to memory, and laugh only when i'm in the comfort and privacy of my room (yeah, i sound like i'm straight out of Promises in Malibu, keesh..)

not a few people have noticed how my laugh is contagious like Ebola. once on a PE class, while me and my doubles partner in badminton wait for our turn in the court, a few of our classmates were huddled up, exchanging something like a juicy gossip or gushing over the sweaty basketball players. then my partner whispered something in my ear, and sure enough, loud chuckles were bouncing off the four walls of the gym, and every head was turned in our direction. even the janitor mopping the floor looked up. soon, everyone was laughing and my cheeks gave off probably the reddest color they could muster.

then, one of the girls from her clique came up to me and said, "wow, your laugh is hilarious in itself." she was one of the cheerleader-type of girls, our local version of what Hollywood would label "dumb blondes", not exactly my idea of a close friend or a long-term partner.

i gave her a half-smile and said, "hey, thanks (if that was a compliment)."

"can you repeat it?"
"huh?"
"your laugh..."
"uh, that is quite hard to do."
"please?"
"but why?"
"i just want to smile again."
(i really can't give her an encore because the joke was about them and I would only be able to issue an awkward laugh)

at that time, my PE prof called us. it was our turn on the court, so I said to the girl "hey, give me a good joke later and i'll make you smile again." she said okay and went back to her group, probably screwing their minds for an extremely good joke to tell me.

we got caught up in our game and played on when the bell rang and it was time to go. as me and my partner were leaving the gym, he told me another joke, and the hall reverberated once more with my mirthful chortles. a group of girls not really far from us giggled and we looked back. it was the girl, she was smiling at me, and her hands were poised on what seemed to be her cellular phone. i just shut my mouth and we started to walk faster, though nonchalantly.

from then on, i forbade my partner to tell a joke whenever we're together.

that NBN Deal brouhaha...

2007-09-26T23:01:00.001+08:00

I know, i know. jumping on that NBN Deal-slash-scam bandwagon (which is totally laden with controversy and reeks with corruption and money laundering, topped by the fact that Mike Arroyo's name is mentioned), heck, this must be my lamest post to date.

But i'm really itching to post this picture. COMELEC Chairman Abalos, being grilled by the Senate about the ZTE Contract, allegedly offered former Sec. Romulo Neri of the NEDA P200-million to approve the said project. The gesture says it all.

"shut your trap, Neri. my ass is on the line here."

Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net

i'm going to rehab.

2007-09-23T04:00:00.000+08:00

we need a spotlight here.

meet my new crystal meth. my current addiction. the one who made me stay up all night crawling the Net for more of her videos.

it's Kathy Griffin, an Emmy Award-winning American stand-up comedian and actress. She was a red carpet commentator who got kicked out of E! after making a gag about Dakota Fanning taking drugs and alcohol (this apparently enraged Spielberg himself and demanded an apology from Kathy). Griffin is a self-proclaimed "D-list celebrity".

and we even share the same birthdate. no wonder my sense of humor is so out-of-this-world.

here's a sampler. try to stifle the laugh, unless you want to go home in a straitjacket.

go on, i know you're craving for more.
Part 2

stealing glances

2007-09-12T23:01:00.000+08:00

ito ay para sa mga taong naniniwala pa rin...tulad ko. nakamasid at bumubulong sa mga bituin tuwing gabi, umaasang makikita ka, at balang araw, magsalubong ang ating mga landas, at habangbuhay na pag-isahin ng tadhana.

Sometime, Somewhere

We speak, but the words we say mean nothing.
We smile, but the smiles we give are wanting.
We look upon each other's eyes, no spark
No glow, no real signs, but we both know
This is all for show.

Until that sometime, somewhere,
We could show the world we have each other
Sometime, somewhere we need not hide our feelings,
We just keep on believing that we both have the time together
Sometime and somewhere, our lips would be free at last
To say the words we've hungered to say.

And we won't have to worry, we smile, we won't say sorry
One look and we have cast our fears aside.
Sometime, that sometime will turn to forever, for all time.
Somewhere, our somewhere would not be just one place,
But everywhere.

Until that sometime, somewhere,
We just have to be content with stealing glances
Somehow, content with saying nothing,
Smiles that are always wanting.
Though deep inside it hurts because we know,
That our love, like love,
It's what it is, it's what we got
Our love, like love, will have to wait
Until that sometime, somewhere.

my world revolves around you.

2007-09-10T03:41:00.000+08:00

out of lack of something to do (which God knows isn't true), i snapped a few photos of my current possessions-slash-obsessions (thanks mom for the high-def pics courtesy of your Nokia N73).

they're all the things that currently revolve in my universe right now.

* my laptop
though more than a year old, and most of the time cranky from overuse, never will a day pass without us seeing each other. she lets me read my favorite blogs, current events around the world, and the latest in technology. she does a myriad of other things which i need not expound here anymore, unless you've been living in an unexplored cave for the past half-century.

* my iPod
only 3 months old, this is the laahhv of my life at the moment. enough said.

* my Nokia 5070
yeah, i hear you. it's not the latest marvel of Nokia, incapable of 3G reception, or kick-ass photos, or GPS capability, or microwave cooking, but it serves its purpose alright and i'm happy with that.

* Reader's Digest issue
i consume these magazines like a vulture starved for months. not only do they provide me with a good laugh for the jokes and funny anecdotes, but the wealth of information inside is enough to feed my brain for a week. actually, this is my aunt's subscription issue, but for a reason i can't fathom myself, they don't bother reading it. methinks they're just interested in winning the 50,000,000.00 lottery stuff.

* Ken Follett's "The Man from St. Petersburg"
I've read his work, "A Dangerous Fortune" before and I liked it because of its fluidity and his uncanny way of describing sceneries of medieval England. plus I can't deny, the intricacy of the plot and steamy scenes are very engaging.

* my 512Mb Flash Drive
my cute repository of music files, the latest Diggnation podcast, papers, pleadings, affidavits, and all legal mumbo-jumbos, and of course, ~~naughty files~~ family pictures.

(bookworm + tech junkie)^{x²/y + (f(x) - g(x))} = thenomad

iPod Touch (and the best iPods ever)

2007-09-06T03:09:00.000+08:00

i won't wait till the sun's up so i can post this. heck, i was up till 3AM waiting for Stevie J for the big Apple announcement.

so, the best music-player in the world just got elevated huh?

after nearly two years and a much anticipated update to the iPod family, Jobs finally gave in to the tech people's demands. and wow, he never fails to deliver.

this time, an all-new, totally ass-kicking iPods are up for grabs. wondering what's new?

Fatty iPod nano with Video capabilities and beefed-up battery life, and 3 new games
New User Interface (UI)
New colors to the iPod family (a red shuffle, ahem)
More storage and full metal design (look ma, no scratches)
5 and 5.5G iPod renamed iPod Classic
WiFi Capability (for iPod Touch), ah finally!
Touchscreen and widescreen iPod
Multi-touch and incredibly thin (8mm!!)
YouTube, Google, Facebook on iPod Touch
iTunes WiFi Music Store
Ringtones for the iPhone
Starbucks integration

the Royal iPod Family

and the best part: significant price drops. $250 for the 80GB model iPod Classic, and $299 for the 8GB model iPod Touch.

here are some links to those who might still be clueless (duh):
iPod Touch
Engadget's blow-by-blow account

don't worry, my ever-loyal iPod video, i won't ditch you just yet. you're still a baby, for crying out loud. besides, my pocket's still reeling from the big hole you gave me last May. i love you, nonetheless.

the chronicles of wonder inday

2007-09-04T17:08:00.000+08:00

lately i've been receiving funny messages from a friend. they're all about this maid whose IQ would have garnered her a scholarship all the way to Harvard Law.

here are some snippets of her highly-publicized wit and humor:

"I believe that my trained skills and expertise in management with the use of standard tools, and my discipline and experience will contribute significantly to the value of work that you want. My creativity, productivity, and work efficiency and the high quality of outcomes I can offer will boost the work progress"

Ayan ang sagot ni Inday sa bago nyang amo. Astig!

---

Amo: Bakit tuwing paguwi ko nadadatnan kitang nanunuod ng TV?!
Inday: Because I don't want you to see me doing absolutely nothing.

Iba talaga si Inday.

---

"Compromising safety with useless aesthetics, the not-so-well engineered architectural design of our kitchen lavatory affected the boy's cranium with a slight boil at the left temple near the auditory organ."

Ayan ang sagot ni Inday ng tanungin ng amo kung bakit may bukol si Junior. Asim factor of 10!

---

"A change in weather patterns might have occurred causing havoc to the affected surroundings. The way debris are scattered indicated that the gust of wind is going northeast causing damage to the path it is going"

Ayan ang sagot ni Inday sa amo ng tanungin kung bakit nagkalat ang basura sa likod ng bahay.

---

"Heavy fire exerted by the stimulus affected the best conductor of heat which is steel, causing the Oryza sativa to change its state of color, smell, as well as the taste"

Sagot ni Inday ng tanungin ng amo kung bakit nasunog ang sinaing. Ganyan kalupit sumagot si Inday.

---

"Dear Sir/Madam, attached herewith is a list of proposed acquisition in line with my proposal to upgrade your household facilities. I have already made initial survey of the current market prices. Note however that prices vary depending on prevailing exchange rate and aggregate supply and demand which we also monitor on an hourly basis."

Si Inday nagpapalam mamalengke. Malupit na ekonomista si Inday.

---

at ang latest:

(Amo, pinakialaman ang cellphone ni Inday)
MESSAGE - "im not xtremely gudlukng bt i hav a sense of humor. im not breathtkngly ntellignt bt im relatvly witty. im not nsanely rich bt im fairly kind. im just a simple guy wid a crazy elusive ambition of meeting ur acquaintance. so, hi.
-DODONG, nakikipagtxtm8

pati mga manliligaw ni inday, tatagilid si Einstein sa pag-eenglish.

comic relief part 2

2007-08-29T22:06:00.000+08:00

we break into your regular programming and/or occasionally hyped-up, caffeine-induced activities to give you an earth-shaking, nerve-numbing story weaved from the depths of Tagaytay.

this can cause a mixture of hyperhidrosis, catalepsy and/or looking under your bed every 30 minutes until the sun comes up. you have been warned.

------------------
This story happened a few months ago along the Tagaytay Road. There was a guy who got left behind by a pack of mountain bikers. The group was large and he didn't bring a cellphone. He crashed his bike somewhere between Picnic Grove and DBP. To make things worse, a storm came in. So he walked.

This guy was on the side of the road hitch hiking on a very dark night in the middle of a storm. The night passed slowly and no cars went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few meters ahead of him.

Suddenly, just before the junction going to Manila, he saw a car slowly looming, ghostlike, out of the gloom. It slowly crept toward him and stopped. It was raining hard, wind blowing all around you, what would you do? Like you would, he got into the car and closed the door, then realized that there was nobody inside the car.... even in the drivers seat.

The car slowly started moving again. The guy was terrified, too scared to think of jumping out and running. The guy saw that the car was slowly approaching a sharp curve. The guy started to pray, begging for his life; he was sure the ghost car would go off the road and he would plunge to his death, when just before the curve, a hand appeared through the window and turned the steering wheel, guiding the car safely around the bend.

Terrified, the guy watched the hand reappear every time they reached a curve. Finally, the guy gathered his wits and leaped from the car and ran to the nearest place where there were houses.

Wet and in shock, he went into a store and voice quavering, ordered two bottles of beer, and told the people about his horrible, supernatural experience. A silence enveloped everybody when they realized the guy was apparently sane and not drunk.

About half an hour later two guys walked into the same store.

One said to the other.......

"Yan! Yan yung tarantadong sumakay habang nagtutulak tayo..." wehehe.
-------------

Shout-out to my namesake, Renz for this story and for making me look like a mental-institute patient in our living room. tenchu beri matz.

tea!

2007-08-27T06:29:00.000+08:00

Tea. What better way to finish my evening. It's all that I've been drinking for the past few weeks. I've shied away from soda, carbonated drinks, and even juices laced with chemicals I won't even bother to spell. Ever since a college friend told me that tea is some sort of a stimulant, that it can perk you up till the wee hours of the morning, I've been hooked. You see, my brain has a penchant for ordering my ever-weary body to shutdown just after 9pm. And so, if mindpower can't cut it for me, I invoked the powers of tea. And what powers it contained indeed.

After a few days of consuming teabag after teabag, I feel much de-stressed. Even my nerves seem to agree with it. My head feels lighter and I can concentrate on what I'm doing, even if a million other gophers are around to badger me. I can work on projects and papers even if my eyes are screaming at me to let them rest. And the best part of it? I lost weight! Now, I can finally throw away the overpowering urge to enroll myself in a fitness program in a gym. Tea is way less costly than a weekly visit to the gym. Besides, I work out at least an hour every day at home, so I know I am physically fit.

However, what's funny is that tea has somehow found its way to a thousand other products that we people use everyday. From green tea soaps, to lotions and foot soak (ick!), and even to a woman's unmentionables; you know, what they use when they get that periodic visit from a bloody stranger inside their bodies. Open up your television, and I guarantee you; once every ten minutes the word "tea" will reverberate across the room. It appears that tea has become sort of a cure-all or remedy to our common ailments. I have nothing against it, I just find it curious how little innocent tea leaves from China have woven their way into our fast-paced lives, enabling us to stop, listen and enjoy the little wonders of life.

Maybe, it's Mother Nature's way of telling: "Son, you need to slow things down a bit and stop to appreciate and commune with me."

Love is Stronger Far Than We

2007-08-18T07:54:00.000+08:00

Or is it?

I've always wondered how ~~some~~ many people fall in and out of love so easily, changing partners like clothes in their closet, or the brand of toothpaste that they use. i mean, whatever happened to "one, true love"? as homer simpson says (only editing the word apology), "the word love is thrown around a lot these days". methinks it's overrated.

i've seen it all, like scenarios straight out of Shakespeare's plays. the ones full of dramatic flair ("Don't ever leave me, my beloved"), the tragedy ("Life will never be the same without you"), the superficial ones ("i miss you honeybunchie"), and of course, the "I-hate-you-now, I-love-you-a-minute-later" relationship. the world is their stage and these star-crossed lovers are the best (and worst) actors I've ever seen.

it even occurs to me as strange and even absurd, how not a few people come up to me to ask for advice, when they are fully aware of the fact that I had never experienced it, nor have I undergone the pains and joys of having a serious relationship. guess they want someone who has a different view when it comes to matters of the heart. maybe they see me as having a fresh perspective, when in fact, i'm really dead on that department. but still, it amazes me how words of wisdom come out of my mouth right when i least expect it and the people seeking for advice lap it up like a thirsty dog who found a puddle of water.

well, that's me. always the spectator, but never the participant. guess i really am a cynic when it comes to what they call 'that many-splendored thing'.

(heck, Cupid must have been foaming in the mouth as i write this. know why? the electricity went off for a split-second before I hit the save button and had to to re-write everything from scratch!)

spiderpig!

2007-08-08T04:46:00.000+08:00

it's 5 in the morning and raining like hell outside... and i love it!

anyway, I just watched the Simpsons Movie and all I can say is: a million thumbs up!

I've never watched the animated series on TV and so I had no idea what was to happen inside the theater house but then after seeing it, wow! i'm totally hooked!

and just to show you how hooked I was, I entered the moviehouse at 12:50PM and only came out of it at 6:30PM. I watched the movie for three times! I was really fighting the urge to watch it a fourth time but I was afraid icicles would come out of my nose (it was frickin' cold inside) and I really had to go home.

anyway, here's one part of the movie (the only part that makes you feel mushy inside, because 99.9% will have you howling with laughter). this part is where Marge and the kids leave Homer to save Springfield.

comic relief

2007-08-05T14:17:00.000+08:00

There are a million reasons why I love Youtube, and this has got to be one of the best. Warning: this might have you rolling on the floor, and you better grab some antacids, or a bucket.

The video features Gwen Verdon, apparently one of Broadway's brightest stars during the 50s and 60s, having 4 Tony Awards under her belt. Music was adapted from DJ Unk's "Walk It Out", which matches Verdon's dance, to my utter disbelief and amazement.

look closely at their eyes... kinda creepy.

i would die laughing seeing my aunts do this. send some flowers okay?

my ideal island

2007-07-20T16:33:00.000+08:00

they say no man is an island. well, i beg to disagree. bring me with the following things on an island looking like the one below and you can leave me alone. (okay, we'll be eliminating the basic necessities here, such as food and water)

1. an Internet-connected laptop
yes yes, i hear your clamor. a laptop with Internet connection defeats the purpose of being stranded because I can basically contact someone to rescue me. but no, i won't. the Internet will serve as my entertainment and home theater system on the island. promise, i won't check emails/social networking websites/futile attempts to re-acquaint me with humanity. only to catch up with the latest on gadgets and news around the world. one request though, hook me up with a 10-Mbps connection please.

2. my iPod
music has become my panacea these days. when i'm down and need a quick uplifting, i just pop my earbuds and my mood definitely takes a good turn. whenever i need to be inspired, my smart iPod comes up with the best line-up of songs to clear my head and crush that writer's block. will you marry me iPod?

3. sunblock
to hell with skin cancer. being alone in an island doesn't mean I don't care for my well-being. what if someone familiar and/or famous sees me (like Angelina Jolie) when they're cruising?

4. ice-cold Bailey's Irish Cream
okay, this is too much to ask but if I will have to be drinking this until I sprout gray hairs on my ears, then no complaints will be heard.

so there, you see that my requests are fairly simple, so why don't you get me a yacht and bring me there now? I'll live like Chuck Noland only with everything I've mentioned above.

i took my love and i took it down.

2007-06-23T08:26:00.000+08:00

one month of blog hiatus and all i have to write down is the lyrics of a song.

it's a really good song, originally done by Fleetwood Mac, then covered by Dixie Chicks (their version is a much better one, evokes a nostalgic feeling).

I dedicate this song to my father.

Landslide
Dixie Chicks

I took my love and I took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life

Well, I've been afraid of changing 'cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too
Well...

Well, I've been afraid of changing 'cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older, too
Well I'm getting older too

So, take this love and take it down
Yeah and if you climb a mountain and you turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well the landslide brought me down
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well maybe
Well maybe
Well maybe the landslide will bring you down..

why the Chinese people won't run...

2007-05-18T09:38:00.000+08:00

In light of recent events, I decided to write a post about the elections held last Monday, of which I proudly participated in and which still reminds me of the horrible ink they put on my right index finger.

While aboard an FX taxi going to the Supreme Court for an errand my mom asked me to do, a thought suddenly entered my mind: "Why won't Chinese people enter the muddy bedlam called elections despite having a big chance of winning?"

First let me discuss why they have a big shot at winning:

1. Chinese people are easy to look at, or attractive. (in short, they're cute.) I have first-hand experiences on this. Surely, people will vote for someone they find pleasing to the eyes.

2. They are uber-rich. They can throw tons of money for audio-visual advertisements, for posters, for mini-concerts and soirees. Although vote-buying is considered a no-no, people will always be grateful for a bag of noodles or half-sacks of rice.

3. They have very short and easy-to-remember names. Admit it, name recall is one of the biggest factors why some of our politicians win. And with a surname like Dy, Sy, Go, Tan, which people can easily write on the ballots, a position in the government is guaranteed.

4. They are eloquent and charismatic. Chinese people are known to have the best minds in the world. And they are sure to win people's hearts with a warm smile and a good handshake.

Then, here are the reasons why they won't dare to run:
1. Money. Why spend hard-earned money on something as dirty and lowly as Philippine politics? I'm not being flip, our country is really in a muck right now when it comes to politics. So if they're breaking their backs on earning moolah, why throw it all away in a snap?

2. Crime. When a Chinese magnate wins a position in the government, expect a round of kidnappings to follow, then news about the sudden loss of a chinese politician's son.

3. Demoralization. News of graft and corruption, which we Filipinos eat for breakfast, will always make the headlines. The purest Chinese man will never be the same again after he enters Philippine politics.

Don't get me wrong, I love my country, but we have to accept reality, and that means we have to accept that there are crocs disguised as humans who work inside government offices, exchanging dirty money under tables, talking about how their "conference-slash-leisure trip" to the Bahamas went well, and how to plan their next strategy hemorrhaging money into their bank accounts.

whew. i need a breath of fresh air.

PS. The driver of the FX taxi I rode on, is... a foreigner. How cool is that! He was saying things like, "hanggang Vitow Cruzz lang pow", and "eto pow sukleeh niyow".

PS2. To Kate, Alex, Patrick, and all the Chinese people I know, halabshu. *wink*

guess how exciting my summer is

2007-05-01T23:55:00.000+08:00

one day, out of boredom (and that even though I have an Internet-connected laptop), i chanced upon this website, rather, game, which has become one of my personal favorites. I could play it for hours on end while drinking coffee that my grandma incessantly makes for me. Apparently, she thinks i'm doing biology stuff or discovering the cure to alleviate her arthritis, when in reality, i'm just killing time and brain cells in a game for four-year-olds.

the game is easy enough to understand for someone who knows how a mouse works and has a good maneuvering skill. The photo says it all.

so, after 3 straight hours of playing the game, my oh-so-wandering mind started turning its gears.
brain: "hey, you bum"
me: "yeah?"
brain: "notice how the copter has become similar to your own life?"
me: "uh, what?"
brain: "you wind your way, up or down, you meet obstacles, sometimes crash, but the farther you get, the more strong and determined you become to reach the end."
me: [creeped out] "uh, brain, this game has no end."
brain:"that's not the point, you idiot!"
me: "just playing around. i know what you're trying to tell me; that the experiences, hardships and successes I've had in my life honed me to become a better person."
brain: "good."
me: "remind me to stop drinking coffee."

honestly, do i need glasses?

ouch!

it's funny how a simple game made me realize some of life's complexities:
1. in this life, we have our own share of ups and downs, but once we get past them, life becomes sweeter.
2. we meet obstacles along the way, but learning to hurdle them makes us stronger.
3. it's not the outcome of something we've done that matters, but the effort we exerted to make it there.
4. boredom squeezes out my introspective thoughts.

yay! my personal best: 4,679 (it took me ~~five~~ three hours to do that)

PS. want the game? get it here: www.hurtwood.demon.co.uk/Fun/copter.swf

happy birthday laptop!

2007-04-19T21:51:00.000+08:00

You turn a year this day, remember? well, with a whopping hard drive capacity, you probably do.

we've been through so much the past year: papers, research, wifi nights at the college of business administration and/or the mainlib, managing my multiply account, updating my blog. You even come in as my not-so-handy iPod during sleepless nights.

i hope you forgive me for all the times i've become cranky because you lose battery just when i'm 10 seconds away from downloading my favorite song. i tell you, it isn't your fault. your owner's a human, and so the mood swings have become inevitable.

the moment i saw and bought you, i knew we were going to have a great time. we kicked ass with our presentations and reports! you reveled with me when my level turns up a notch in DOTA. or when i get a 1.75 in my bio exam. you commiserated with me when i got a 2.25 on a supposedly 1.25 paper. you would always come up with good song to relax my nerves. i thank you for all of that.

stick with me until i have enough dough to buy you a companion.

i am digitally yours,
the nomad

i've been moved... by a kiwi!

2007-03-30T21:50:00.000+08:00

no doubt about it, youtube has revolutionized how we view the world and how it has successfully brought media from the seemingly stiff newsroom to the comfort of our very own bedrooms.

but few of the videos i see there compare to what i've seen just yesterday. it is a very good animation movie where a kiwi (the Australian bird) is hammering trees on the side of a cliff (apparently, he was doing this for his whole life). Kiwis are flightless birds and so it can be understood that this particular kiwi was dreaming of flying someday.

it painstakingly took the effort to hammer a thousand trees on the side of a cliff: imagine how much hardwork that must take. then at the end of the animation, the kiwi just jumped and flew above the trees. i just realized that the purpose of the trees on the side of the cliff was to give the kiwi a feeling that he was flying above a canopy of trees. in the middle of the film, tears fell from the kiwi's eyes. it was then that i finally came to understand that what was waiting for him at the end of the flight -- was death. how strangely sad.

as gary jules's song goes: "the dreams in which i'm dying are the best i've ever had". this line immortalized the whole idea of what the bird did just to make his ultimate dream come true. it inspired me that no matter how improbable my dreams may become, if i really put my heart into it, then it can happen.

watch the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdUUx5FdySs

speechless...

2007-03-19T00:44:00.000+08:00

this song makes me... speechless.

Speechless
City Boy

Speechless
I wish there were something to say
I drank too much of you
And now you've gone to my head
I'm laughing like a fool
You leave me
Speechless
And words I'm rehearsing all day
Are caught up in the traffic
Getting lost in their way
They're always left unsaid
You leave me
Speechless

Restless
I count every step to the phone
And when I get the nerve to dial
Then you're never home
So here I am alone
And feeling restless

I wanted to say
You're unbelievable
But then I got caught up
On my own reply

If I asked you to stay around
To hear what I might say
Would I see the answers in your eyes

Speechless
I look for the right things to say
Whoever stole my dictionary
Tore out the page
It happens every day
You leave me
Speechless

Speechless
I know that it's all down to you
You see I'm not responsible
I've met my full meen

There's nothing I can do
You leave me
Speechless

...

I Just Wanna Be on a Beach (Sunburn)!

2007-03-17T16:50:00.000+08:00

Ah, here I am, pretending to be blogging even when in reality, I only get to update my blog once in a blue moon.

Darn, I want to go to a beach! It's so hot and it's been four fucking weeks and my body is really aching to go to a nice beach with all the sand and the water and good music.

I want to lay down under the sun, drinking iced tea, listening to Michelle Branch's "I'm Feeling You" or Square Heads' "Happy" or any song that's appropriate for a beach.

I want to plunge my weary body in the cold, clear water and just swim away and drown my problems.

Then, when the night comes, I'd create a bonfire and call all my friends and gather around it, and we'd drink all night long and tell happy stories until I end up flat-faced on the sand and wake up in the morning being washed by the freaking cold water.

Let's go to a nice beach please? Boracay, Puerto Galera, anyone?

Of Limatiks and Frozen Bruises

2007-02-18T19:42:00.000+08:00

This day marks exactly one year of my first ever mountain climbing/trekking experience. We went up Mount Makiling in Laguna as part of the "out-of-the-classroom" experience of my Biology 115 (Taxonomy of Higher Plants) class.

It was a very nice experience. We walked four hours to reach the mountain's highest point, and believe me, it was really on the way there that was really more exciting than reaching the zenith. Mt. Makiling is a rainforest mountain, so we were given the heads up that "even if the sun is blazing outside the mountain, expect getting drenched". What we didn't expect was that the word 'drenched' was to become an understatement.

3AM - I woke up to the sound of Stonefree's "Sayang" (it was the UP Fair 2005 and bands were still playing), and got my things ready. Call time was at 4AM in front of the Institute of Biology and when I arrived, there were quite a few of my classmates already. We were still groggy (some went straight to IB after the fair), and chit chat was really minimal.

4AM - The bus that was supposed to get us to Laguna was already revving up, and half of the class had arrived already. My classmates are now more sober and making small talk about the trek. Collection of the payments for the trip was being made and we boarded the bus after a few moments. Many of my classmates haven't arrived yet so we waited a few more minutes.

5AM - It was time to leave. Mam Regz (our instructor) counted the heads and after making sure we were complete, told the driver to proceed. It was only when we were along the Acad Oval that one of our classmates caught up.

6 - 9AM - The trip going to Laguna was not that eventful because 2/3 of the class was asleep. I tried to enjoy the countryside scenes from my window, but really couldn't hold my drowsiness. We stopped by a fast-food chain because my classmates had to buy some food (I had breakfast before the bus trip) and then we continued after a brief stopover. It was only when we reached Laguna that I came to my full and excited senses.

9AM - We entered UP Los Baños (that's where the foot of the mountain is situated) and the teachers arranged for our transportation going there.

We boarded at least 4 jeepneys and enjoyed the ride going to the trail (the road was not paved and the occasional bumps were inevitable). But the diverse flora of the area kept my attention away from my aching butt.

9:30AM - Finally, we arrived at the point where human transportation would not be possible and we had to continue on foot. We prepared our things; ("pack light" was the principle here) so I just brought water and a few chips so it would be easy to trek.

The first few hours of the trekking was very exciting and hilarious, what with all the muddy slips and screams from the ladies that were being sucked by limatiks (Haemadipsa zeylanica). These are tiny creatures (a miniature version and a cousin of the leeches) that crawl on the ground and cling on tree and bushes. They have strong attaching powers because of their double-ended suckers that sip blood from your skin. We were asked to watch out for ourselves and our classmates because limatiks had the penchant for springing on their victims unannounced. My instructor even told us that some were daunting enough to reach the eye area of a person. And so we became cautious.

Most of the trip was a mixture of grunts and eeks from my classmates. Imagine being attacked by 5 limatiks on different parts of your body?!

Some of my guy classmates dismissed the annoying creatures because they were very hard to remove. Of course, we saw and identified many plants and fascinating species of never-before seen flowers and even dangerous ones. We would stop for a few moments to check each other
for limatiks and for water breaks.

Some parts of the trail were really slippery and you could just imagine our shirts to be encrusted with clay and debris. Of course, I also had my share of embarassing slips. But everyone was having a good time, so I didn't mind. There was even a part of the trail that required us to climb a very steep rock(?) using a rope. The girls were skeptical and one backed out (aww..) because of health reasons. So climb I did; it was very tedious and nerve-wracking (what if I accidentally let go of the rope, God knows how my skull would curse me), but I'm proud I was able to finish. I helped others on the way up.

As we were going farther and farther up, this was when the drenching parts came. Heavy drops of water started to fall, and in no time we were soaking wet. I was just wearing sturdy sandals and a pair of black socks that eventually became brownish-red. We had to help some of the girls because the trail was becoming more and more precarious.

A few more twists and turns and YES, we reached the top, only to find out that it was very cloudy and no one can see a thing. Anyway, we just enjoyed the cold weather and had lunch at the peak. Pictures were taken, jokes were exchanged, and believe it or not, after only about 30 minutes, it was time to go down. So much for climbing 4 hours only to stay for a fleeting moment. We cannot stay longer because the trek down would take another 4 hours of gruelling acrobatics (haha) and it was beginning to get dark when we made it down. I accompanied Alex, one of my classmates back to a spring we came across on the way down to wash our stained shoes and faces. Then, we boarded the jeep back to where our buses had been waiting. There were cabin showers inside UP so we cleaned ourselves up and even compared how many wounds we got from the limatiks and countless slips. When we were all prepped up, the teachers announced it was time to leave and so we jumped on the bus and rested our weary backs on the way home.

It was almost 9PM when we arrived at the Institute of Biology in UP Diliman and we were very tired so we just went straight to our houses and dorms.

The trek was really a test of our strengths, flexibility and mind power. It also showed us how God has given us such a beautiful and diverse environment that we should nurture for the future generations. And it certainly is one of the most memorable moments of my life; another piece of the puzzle I'm trying to complete, where I get to experience life to the fullest.

Well blog, what can you say? This is a longer, more informative post huh? Thanks for listening (or should I say reading) anyway.

songs that keep coming back.

2007-02-16T11:12:00.000+08:00

hey blog, i found two songs that's really stuck in one of the many confused recesses of my brain.

they're sugarfree's "kung ayaw mo na sa akin", and wickermoss' "letters". these two songs kick ass.

Kung Ayaw Mo Na Sa Akin
Sugarfree

Kung ayaw mo na sa akin
di na kita pipilitin
kung buo na ang loob mo,
bahala k ana sa buhay mo
di ako desperado
sa walang kapantay na pag-ibig mo.
Sa mga halik mong walang kasing tamis
tubig ako at ikaw ang langis

[chorus]
Kung hindi ka na babalik
Araw araw na akong gigimik
Kung malayo ka na ay malaya na ako
Ngunit ang kahapon ko ay bihag pa rin
ng alaala mo.

Kung ayaw mo na sa akin
di na kita hahabulin
medyo bata pa naman ako
may mabibighani pa sakin siguro
kung ayaw mo na ako
leche lalong ayoko sayo
Alam mo naman kung san ang bahay ko
baka sakaling magbago
ang isip mo please

[repeat chorus]

Letters
Wickermoss

What should I do just to make you feel at home
To keep me from being left all alone
I want you to sing me a sweet lullabye
I want you to hold my hand
Hold my hand, hold my hand

These are the times Ive longed for you
I asked if you feel the same way too
But you held me up, I missed your sweet hello
I wondered how could you treat me so cold

I gave up everything just to be there for you but
You held me up and you let these feelings go
Please give me a chance to say what’s inside
Please promise me you’ll never say goodbye
Say goodbye

Ive always wanted to sing my sweet lullabye
I want you to hold my hand, hold my hand
Hold my hand

(Repeat Chorus)
(Adlib)

I gave up everything just to be there for you but
You held me up and you let these feelings go
Just give me a chance to say what’s inside
And promise me you’ll never say goodbye
Say goodbye

Say goodbye
Say goodbye

i hope you find this post at the very least sensible. after all, i'm here to spill what i feel/think at the moment.

thanks blog.

i'm sorry blog.

2007-02-15T21:41:00.000+08:00

i'm just busy. (or so i always say)

promise (and i will definitely and always make good of this), i will come back refreshed and take care of you.

please be patient with your confused and always wondering boss.

thanks for putting up with my "blog moodswings."

sense and sensibility

2007-01-01T01:05:00.000+08:00

Bonne Année!

it's my first post on the first day of 2007.

what to expect this year:
1. more sensible posts and
2. more time for sensible things

looking forward to a great two thousand and seven!

till then, this is the nomad signing off..

Merry Christmas everyone..

2006-12-24T21:12:00.000+08:00

this is the season I eagerly await for the whole year. it gives many of us the feeling of carefree jubilance, where you can slack off, eat, chill or just chat away with family and relatives.

all around the world, christmas is something that many people celebrate with merrymaking and decorations, gift-giving, sharing and thanking God for the blessings of the year gone. it is also the time when we ponder on what we have done the past 12 months and if they were productive, or if they have created a new person out of us. well, i hope i did.

So to everyone, a Happy and Joyous Christmas! Let's welcome the New Year with new hope and another tabula rasa - a clean slate, that is - has been opened to us; to change for the better and create another pathway to walk on and pick-up on new experiences and learnings as we go along.

How My Internet Evolved...

2006-12-18T11:45:00.000+08:00

Today marks the first day that I'm connected via wireless to the Internet (well, at home because I first surfed wirelessly in our school)

The first time I was connected to it was February 14, 2002, I vividly remember. Those days were "dial-up days", and I was really excited because I get so many information from the Internet. Even though speed was literally crawling, and even if I had to wait for 2 minutes before the whole of Yahoo's home page loaded, I glued my eyes on the monitor. Being connected to the Internet changed the way that I live for the past 15 years or so. Since then, projects, homeworks and research were more dependent on it than books or materials. Of course, I still do research by encyclopedias and reference books, but when I met Wikipedia and Google, things changed radically. The "copy-and-paste" generation in me had to follow the trend.

E-mail and instant messaging also revolutionized how I communicated with my friends and colleagues. Where before, we had to get together to exchange pleasantries, now I simply go to my computer and open up Friendster, or Yahoo! Mail, and boom, I'm connected, no fuss or hassle in having to meet them in some place. Even friends who were abroad were instantly connected and we were exchanging what-have-yous in seconds.

Then, time passed and technology evolved, and there was DSL. I knew I had to avail of this technology to be better-equipped and so, after 4 years of dial-up, we switched to the new one. Imagine unlimited and fast Internet for about 30 pesos a day? How better could it get? Or so I thought.

When I entered college, things looked up anew and we were caught unaware of the technology called WiFi. It made dial-up look like a grain of sand in a beach. This meant a more mobile means of communication because wires were completely eradicated and radio waves became the norm for most people, especially those with laptops. This urged me to buy a notebook computer from which I was able to do homework and keep in touch with other people as well. Wireless Internet is basically widespread around campus so connecting to it was a cinch. Since then, I never looked back.

And now, as I type this, I am surfing the Net in our terrace via the wireless connection from the router that we bought a few days ago. Woohoo!
From being tangled in wires and crawling Internet to completely breaking free and blaring speeds. That's quite a fast development in a matter of four years.

And so, that's how my Internet evolved!

all i want for christmas...

2006-12-02T07:14:00.000+08:00

*sigh*

it's the second day of Christmas month and almost 416 days since the iPod video has been released and still, I am here dumbly wishing for my angel to drop me one. Gawd, how I long to have a digital music player so I don't feel bored wherever, whenever.

i have read a thousand reviews and blogs of proud owners having multiple iPods. so if you happen to be one of them, can you spare me one of your pod?

PS. anyone generous enough to give me 15,xxx bucks?
(darn, this blog entry is so mendicant)

hey..

2006-11-05T08:25:00.000+08:00

when's the next one?

don't tell me it'll be three months from your last post. i mean, what would the purpose of a blog be?

haay.

when shall i...

2006-09-18T03:57:00.000+08:00

start posting good thoughts here...?

The nomad will wonder soon..