coffee talk

during lunch time yesterday, my officemates, including me, had this stupid conversation about our favorite starbucks locations. what a waste of time.

anyway, here’s my list.

Harbour Square – i guess the view of the bay makes this one of my favorite places to drink my cafe americano.

Tagaytay – great view, perfect weather for coffee and good conversations.

Ateneo de Manila (in front of Gate 2) – nostalgic, the place makes me feel 10 years younger. hehe. the only drawback is that i feel the need to bring a laptop here coz almost everyone here is glued to one. kids nowadays are really loaded.

PSE (Tower 1) – only branch i know that serves my fav starbucks drink (read feb 12 blog entry entitled goooooood morning!!!)

Rockwell – i just love rockwell. also, it's right beside good earth roast. coffee and beer. two things i love most. haha.


have a great weekend people!!!

02252009

today is edsa revolution anniversary. today, i like to willfully believe that our country is not entirely hopeless... as long as there are still people willing to make a difference.


You will stand up for something.
With everything you've got.
Embrace your guitar.
Hold it tight.
Hold a banner to your chest.
Hold it high and sure.
Stand in front.
And center.
Stand straight.
Chin up.
Make a face.
Make a fist.
Walk. Run. Dance. Jump. Teach. Sing.
Act.
Gather yourself.
And then gather people.
And then scatter both.
Every now and then. But you will show up.
Because you know.
A revolution never happened when people were absent.
Your revolution is not on the internet.
Your revolution is live.
You are the plan.
You are the movement.
You will show up. When you do this, you will know that fabricating angst is a waste of time.
Because there are real things to feel.
And because.
Someday, other people's pain will be yours.
And, in return, other people will bear your pain.
And when you get the balance right.
Change will show its face. You will also relax when you can.
Dahil minsan lang ang buhay. Cheers, my friend. These are your 'good old days.'
The time in your life when you 'still had ideals.'
And because you decided on it - this season will never end.

- gang badoy to the RockEd volunteer



check out www.rockedphilippines.org

dig

i’m in bed, and listening to the latest album of incubus in my ipod. the album (light grenades) didn’t really impress me. it’s so-so. maybe “light grenades” is one of those albums that grow on you after constant listening. still, i didn’t regret getting the album for one reason, i’m really fond of their radio-friendly single ‘dig’. it's not incubus' most impressive song by any means, but it could be their most poignant to date.

Dig

We all have a weakness
Some of ours are easy to identify.
Look me in the eye
And ask for forgiveness,
We make a pact to never speak that word again.
Yes you are my friend.

We all have something that digs at us.
At least we dig each other.
So when weakness turns my ego up,
I know you count on the me from yesterday.

If I turn into another
Dig me up from under what is covering the better part of me.
Sing this song.
Remind me that we’ll always have each other,
When everything else is gone.

We all have a sickness
That cleverly attaches and, multiplies
No matter how we try.
We all have someone that digs at us
At least we dig each other.
So when sickness turns my ego up,
I know you’ll act as the clever medicine.

If I turn into another
Dig me up from under what is covering the better part of me.
Sing this song (sing this song).
Remind me that we'll always have each other,
When everything else is gone.
oohhhh each other, when everything else is gone.

difficult people

note: this essay is mainly based on an article i read in inquirer a few years back. basically this is the abridged bastardized version of it (i cut the article in half, edited, deleted some items, and added my ideas). to the original author, whoever you are, my apologies.

difficult people

what a day. there are people who are really difficult to deal with. the sad truth is... we really don’t have a choice but to deal with them, and try to make it through the day in one piece.

there will always be difficult people at work. he or she can be your boss or teammate. they are the reason why your work life sometimes is unbearable. they are the reason why you check out the classified ads every weekend. they are the reason why you need frequent bathroom or yosi breaks to keep your sanity.

there will be always difficult people around at any given time – especially when doing errands. there will always be people who don’t know how to get in line. may it be in the bank, supermarket, or the nearest mcdonalds. there will always be loud people that make your trip to the 28th floor of your office building or condo painful to your eardrums and sensibilities.

there will always be difficult people on television and government. these showbiz personalities (esp in noontime shows, fantaseryes) make you regret for out shelling out mere 500 bucks out of your monthly budget for cable TV. these politicians, who make grand speeches that they understand the plight of the poor but actually drive 5 million peso SUVs c/o taxpayers’ money, make you want to leave this country and migrate to australia or canada.

there will always be difficult people at home. they actually make it more difficult because you can’t run away from them. you see them everyday and see the mess that they’ve created in your living room, dining area, bathroom, and sometimes your life even. i say that torture is an understatement.

we live in a difficult world, full of difficult people. since we all live in just one world (too bad there’s no mrt headed for mars), there’s really no choice but to co-exist with them. no matter how tough it is to live with them. we should thank them for a few little things.

difficult people test our patience and kindness. it shows how well we can control our temper and put our emotions at check.

difficult people make us realize that we have standards – standards that we adhere to in the way we live your life. it makes us reassess our values, ideals, and goals. it makes us realize who we don’t want to be. we don’t want to be corrupt, dishonest, cruel, lazy, incompetent, ill-mannered, and juvenile.

difficult people actually make it easier for us to define ourselves. handling difficult people, situations, and relationships is part of life. in the end, we get out of them as better persons – definitely not difficult to anyone.

sunday morning thoughts

some basic truths in life...

...when one operates by emotions, he or she is bond to make mistakes. we cannot really see clearly with our hearts.

...the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

...justice is not just about following the dictates of the heart.

...actions should be thought of... never act on the basis of impulses.

...forget journals, encyclopedias, etc., the only thing that should really mean to us is the context of our experiences

...justice is a craft because it is not just self-directing. It is also for others to see it.


sometimes i think that i think too much.

4th annual msa competition - 2009

tp://manilasurfers.multiply.com/journal/item/106/StokedInc_Outrageously_Stoked_at_Save_Our_Surf_event

i got to watch this three weekends ago.

surfing has definitely grown so quickly in the country. surfing is now mainstream... yeah!!! and i'm joining the bandwagon.

note: i'm never gonna take the bus to la union again. 6 hours of torture. hehehe. also, i think i need to surf at bagnotan first (for beginners). i still need to improve on my paddling before heading out to face the big waves again. i wanna live long. haha.

art of forgetting

i keep saying that i want to forget myself completely... but as long as i’m full of vanities and fantasies... i have not made much progress in the act of forgetting myself.

hot air balloon festival 2009

http://www.yehey.com/lifestyle/nightlife/article2.aspx?id=32848

i went to see the hot air balloon festival at clark last sunday. since i’m a caffeine addict, my fav balloon is the nescafe coffee mug.

looking forward to a bigger more exciting festival next year... i want to ride on the balloon this time.

happy walk

support Down Syndrome Consciousness Month Feb 2009 by joining Happy Walk this Sunday at SM Mega Mall.

http://www.dsapi.org/article.php?story=DSMonth2009

hope to see you there.


The Down's Baby Creed

My face may be different but my feelings are the same.
I laugh and I cry and take pride in my gains.
I was sent here among you to teach you to love,
As God in the Heavens looks down from above.

To Him I'm not different, His love knows no bounds.
It's those here among you in cities and towns,
That judge me by standards that man has imparted.
But this family I've chosen will help me get started
For I'm one of the children, so special and few,
That came here to learn the same lessons as you.

That love is acceptance, it must come from the heart;
We all have a purpose though not the same start.
The Lord gave me life to live and embrace,
And I'll do it as you do but at my own pace.

vday blues

good morning everyone...

vday, still for me, is a marketing scheme to make people spend and perhaps provide an after-xmas boost to the economy (probably invented by Hallmark, haha). it is a fact that vday is the biggest holiday next to Christmas in terms of traffic, spending spree, and stressed out people, most especially men... but then again, we have to accept the fact that vday means a lot to most women. this day was actually invented for them. they actually look forward to vday, and would try to look their best. so with this in mind, i can say that i won't spending or getting out of my way to make the woman that i love happy... even if it would cost me an arm or a leg.

anyway, since i'm still unattached, and enjoying every minute of it... i don't need to spend a single cent this year. hahahaha.

but let me end this blog entry on a positive note. i'm not really bitter as i sound.

we always rewind the best part. love is about making new memories, and remembering the old ones with affection and happiness. happy vday everyone!!!

i wanna barf...

goooooood morning!!!

i just got to work. on my way here, i passed by starbucks tower 1 to get myself my favorite morning drink. it’s actually dino who introduced me to this five years ago - double shot of iced shaken expresso with hazelnut syrup. it’s guaranteed to give you the buzz you need to jumpstart your day. unfortunately, almost all of starbucks branches had discontinued this drink (about two years ago). it's only the tower 1 branch i think that has this. i love being assigned in makati!!!

got to work. i have a deadline. bye.

thursday morning lss

even though I'll never need her
even though she's only giving me pain
I'll be on my knees to feed her
spend a day to make her smile again
even though I'll never need her
even though she's only giving me pain
as the world is soft around her
leaving me with nothing to disdain
even though I'm not her minder
even though she doesn't want me around
I am on my feet to find her
to make sure that she is safe and sound
even though I'm not her minder
even though she doesn't want me around
I am on my feet to find her
to make sure that she is safe from harm

the sun sets on the war
the day breaks and everything is new

Winning a battle, losing the war
By Kings of Convenience

bummer

i have a friend who just got dumped recently. and when i look at him, i can say that he's a mess.

they say that all is fair in love and war. but when you go to war carrying only a sword and you're up against AK47s, M16s, you name it, is it still fair?

many of us had fought battles knowing that we are bound to suffer defeat... we fought with all our might, with our ego bruised, our pride at stake. but we really didn't care, it really didn’t matter... because we knew, and we believed in what we were fighting for.

to my friend, hang on there.

wreck diving in subic

after almost two years of diving hiatus, i decided to join a good friend to try out wreck diving in subic. it was a great experience. visibility in subic is not like in anilao (mostly only 5 meters), but the excitement of technical diving makes up for it. we had two dives. first dive was LST, and the second was USS NEW YORK.

USS NEW YORK - A 120m-long hull. 27m of water between Alava Pier and the northern end of Cubi Point runway.

LST - Situated between Grande Island and the southern tip of the runway. 32m deep.


i still have five popular wrecks to explore there.

EL CAPITAN - A 3,000-ton freighter, about 130m long that crashed down the mouth of Ilanin Bay.5m below the surface.

SAN QUENTIN - The oldest known wreck in Subic, a wooden gunboat scuttled by the Spanish in 1898.

ORYOKU MARU - Located 400m off Alava pier. 20m (60ft) deep.

PATROL BOAT - In Triboa Bay at a depth of 20-25m (60-75ft).

LCU LANDING VESSEL - Triboa Bay. 5-20m (25-60ft).

thanks to sctex. the drive to subic is now only 2 hours. my love for diving just got its second wind.

notes: i lost my dive mask to the sea while washing it during our one hour break. USS NEW YORK won't forget me. i left a memorabilia, an expensive one. haha. 2K down the drain... also, i learned that diving is like riding a bike... even after 2 years, i was able to quickly get the hang of it. i have to admit though that i was scared shitless at first.

celine again

sometime last december, extreme boredom led me to watch Before Sunrise and Before Sunset back to back. both films never fail to fascinate me (watched both films 3 times already). great acting, great dialogue, and most of all, they make you think, spark conversations, ask questions... stuff that make up great films. in my opinion, "Before Sunrise" had to build the bond between celine and jesse and persuade the audience to care. "Before Sunset" benefits from that work having already been done.
so i can say that both films are awesome as "standalones", but are better when perceived as two parts of a whole.

another thing that i like about both films is that they are more “real” than most romantic movies. not all relationships end up with a definite, concrete, clear-cut ending... most are open-ended, equivocal. the answers don’t present themselves right away, or in a straightforward manner… the answers could reveal themselves over time, by chance, or sadly never at all. it's weird though... right after watching, i told myself that i need a drink.

where can i find my celine?

Before Sunset
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jesse: You want to know why I wrote that stupid book?

Celine: Why?

Jesse: So that you might come to a reading in Paris and I could walk up to you and ask, "Where the fuck were you?"

Celine: [laughing] No - you thought I'd be here today?

Jesse: I'm serious. I think I wrote it, in a way, to try to find you.

Celine: Okay, that's - I know that's not true, but that's sweet of you to say.
Jesse: I think it is true.

Jesse: Oh, God, why didn't we exchange phone numbers and stuff? Why didn't we do that?

Celine: Because we were young and stupid.

Jesse: Do you think we still are?

Celine: I guess when you're young, you just believe there'll be many people with whom you'll connect with. Later in life, you realize it only happens a few times. Jesse: And you can screw it up, you know, misconnect.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Celine: The past is the past. It was meant to be that way.

Jesse: What, you really believe that? That everything's fated?

Celine: Well, you know, the world might be less free than we think.

Jesse: Yeah? Celine: Yeah, when given these exact circumstances, that's what will happen every time: two part hydrogen, one part oxygen, you get water every time.

Jesse: No, no, I - I - I mean what if your grandmother had lived a week longer, or, you know, or passed away a week earlier, days even. You know things might have been different. I believe that.

Celine: You can't think like that, it's...

Jesse: No, I mean, I know you shouldn't on most things, but - It's just, on this one it seemed like something was off, you know?

Before Sunrise
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jesse: Do you believe in reincarnation?

Celine: Yeah. Yeah, it's interesting.

Jesse: Yeah, right. Well, most people, you know, a lot of people talk about past lives and things like that, you know? And even if they don't believe it in some specific way, you know, people have some kind of notion of an eternal soul, right?

Celine: Yeah. Jesse: OK, well this was my thought: 50,000 years ago, there are not even a million people on the planet. 10,000 years ago, there's, like, two million people on the planet. Now there's between five and six billion people on the planet, right? Now, if we all have our own, like, individual, unique soul, right, where do they all come from? You know, are modern souls only a fraction of the original souls? 'Cause if they are, that represents a 5,000 to 1 split of each soul in the last 50,000 years, which is, like, a blip in the Earth's time. You know, so at best we're like these tiny fractions of people, you know, walking... I mean, is that why we're so scattered? You know, is that why we're all so specialized?

Celine: I don't know. Wait a minute, I'm not sure... I don't...
Jesse: Yeah, hang on, hang on. It's a, it's a totally scattered thought. It... which is kind of why it makes sense.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Celine: I believe if there's any kind of God it wouldn't be in any of us, not you or me but just this little space in between. If there's any kind of magic in this world it must be in the attempt of understanding someone sharing something. I know, it's almost impossible to succeed but who cares really? The answer must be in the attempt.


i wish there are more celines around...

cinemanila experience

note: wrote this a few months ago. just forgot to post this. this entry has been lying around in my draft folder for a looooooooooong time.

i was only able to watch three films. i was targeting at least five. anyway, there's still next year.

4 minutes - germany
blind pig who can fly - indonesia
old man who moved mountains - china/philippines

hopefully the organizers will feature another lav diaz film next year. i wasn't able to get to watch melancholia due to a prior commitment. sayang.