Thursday, November 19, 2009

Kwitis

Ayokonaayokonaayokonayokonayokonayokonayawkonayawkonayawkona

Sa tuwing maririnig ko ang kantang "Losing A Whole Year" ng Third Eye Blind, nagdadalawang-isip ako kung dapat ba akong masindak at tamaan ng kidlat dahil sa ipinupukol na diwa ng pamagat ng kanta o magkibit-balikat at paalalahanan ang sarili na naging makulay at maligaya ang tatlong buwang bakasyon ko matapos ang siyam na buwan na pagsasawalang-kibo sa maginaw na bartolina sa dulong hilagang kanluran.

Labinsiyam na buwan na akong full-time na alipin ng Internet. Sa madaling sabi, cybertambay na hindi lumalabas ng bahay, maliban sa ilang pagkakataong kinakailangan masikatan ng araw.

Ang mga kaibigan na dating kaklase ay nasa iskwelahan pa rin, patuloy sa pagpapakadalubhasa sa aming sinimulang karera, maliban sa akin.

Sinong nang-iwan sa ere?

O baka naman, may sadyang nalaglag na sa lupa sa sandaling mag-abutan na ng diploma habang ang lahat ay nagsisiakyatan sa sunod na palapag ng karunungan.

Labindalawang buwan na ang nakararaan nang paratangan at isisi ko sa iba ang aking kahabag-habag na kinahantungan. Noon nanggagalaiti ako sa galit at hinanakit. Pero kagabi, matapos ang eksena sa mapang-akit na bintana, naliwanagan ang aking kukote at saka ko lang tuluyang natanggap sa sarili ko na walang ibang DAPAT sisihin sa mga nangyari kundi ang sarili ko.

Kasalanan ko.

Ang kabobohan ko sa pagdedesisyon ang naging mitsa ng aking pagbagsak. Kaya tuloy, bawat oportunidad na may diumano'y PRAKTIKAL na kahalagahan na dumatal sa aking tarangkahan, ay aking pinagsasarhan di lamang ng pintuan kundi maging ng aking durungawan. Kaya ngayon patuloy pa rin akong inaalipin ng Facebook at Plurk.

Walang pera, walang boss, walang barkada, walang kotse, walang kabit, walang asawa. Ano bang kinatatakutan ko na maaari pang mawala sa akin sa puntong ito?

Walanawalanawalanawalawalawala.

Naiimagine mo ba ang sarili mong de-kurbata at business suit pagkatapos ay magtitimpla ng kape ng supervisor mo?

Naiimagine mo ba ang sarili mong nanghaharang ng mga misis at nag-aabot, nag-aalok ng mga flyer at brochure para sa bahay at lote o condo unit?

Naiimagine mo ba ang sarili mong sinisigawan ng customer sa telepono dahil hindi niya alam kung paano buksan ang monitor ng kanyang PC?

Naiimagine mo ba ang sarili mong nagpapasuso ng batang hindi mo naman anak at naglilinis ng mansion na hindi mo naman pag-aari at nagluluto ng ulam para sa hindi mo naman mister?

Pwes ako hindi.

Ayokong mabuhay nang nagtatrabaho. Ayokong nabubuhay dahil lang sa trabaho. Ayokong maging trabaho ang buhay ko. Ayokong maging buhay ko ang pagtatrabaho.

Iyan na ba ang kahulugan ng buhay? Ganito na (lang) ba ang mabuhay?

Magpapakamatay na lang ako. Pero wala sa aking makapaninisi dahil hindi ko kagagawan at hindi ko kagustuhan na ipanganak at mabuhay sa ganitong mundo. Kasalanan ng mga magulang ko. Kasalanan ng mitosis. Kasalanan ng random chance. Kasalanan ng tadhana. Kasalanan ng lahat maliban sakin.

Bwahahaha! O ayan, quits na.

Sino'ng maysabing Life is unfair?

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

GIVE ME A PURPOSE TO LIVE BEYOND 2010

The window looks inviting tonight.

Large. Wide. And open.

I'm sprawled on the carpeted floor of OUR living room ten levels above the ground on this decent-looking apartment building.

I think of Sisyphus.

And I think of what my mother said, "Relax."

So I chill.

If there's anything I learned for the last two years after my self-imposed exile, it's self-respect.

I see no point in dying out here. It's not worth it jumping tonight. No matter how much it seemed so appropriate. For even though I never had a reason to live, to begin with, I'm not gonna allow myself to die miserably.

Friday, November 13, 2009

103 BOOKS I'VE READ IN 2009

November

103. Blood Roses (Francesca Lia Block)
102. Kapitan Sino (Bob Ong)
101. You Suck: A Love Story (Christopher Moore)
100. The Sun Also Rises (Ernest Hemingway)
99. Buhay Pinoy: mga piling interbyu't artikulo (Dr. Fanny A. Garcia)
98. Bagets: An Anthology of Filipino Young Adult Fiction (Carla M. Pacis and Eugene Y. Evasco, eds.)
97. Full House: 10 Stories About Poker (Pete Hautman)
96. Impulse (Ellen Hopkins)
95. Mort (Terry Pratchett)
94. Small Gods (Terry Pratchett)

October

93. Diary (Chuck Palahniuk)
92. Wake (Lisa McMann)
91. Lombardo's Law (Ellen Wittlinger)
90. The Elephant Vanishes (Haruki Murakami)
89. Things the Grandchildren Should Know (Mark Oliver Everett)
88. Daniel X: Watch the Skies (James Patterson)
87. Pygmy (Chuck Palahniuk)
86. Snuff (Chuck Palahniuk)
85. Daywatch (Sergei Lukyanenko)
84. Bakit Baliktad Magbasa ng Libro ang mga Pilipino? (Bob Ong)
83. Macarthur (Bob Ong)
82. Alamat ng Gubat (Bob Ong)
81. ABNKKBSNPLAko?! (Bob Ong)
80. Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas (Bob Ong)
79. Stainless Longganisa (Bob Ong)
78. Nightwatch (Sergei Lukyanenko)

September

77. Deadeye Dick (Kurt Vonnegut)
76. Feed (M.T. Anderson)
75, Bulletproof Girl (Quinn Dalton)
74. Di Lang Anghel (U Eliserio)
73. The Camel Bookmobile (Masha Hamilton)
72. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien)
71. The Anti-christ (Friedrich Nietszche)
70. Kuliti: Pagtatanggol sa Pag-ibig (Buado, Eliserio, Manansala, Neri, Pascual)
69. Kawangis (Dumlao and Eliserio, eds.)

August

68. The Best of Youngbloods (Philippine Daily Inquirer eds.)
67. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
66. Twisted (Jessica Zafra)
65. Twisted 3: Planet of the Twisted (Jessica Zafra)
64. Twisted 5 (Jessica Zafra)
63. Womenagerie: Tales from the Front (Jessica Zafra)
62. Twisted 6 (Jessica Zafra)

July

61. Prom Nights from Hell (Stephenie Meyer, Kim Harrison, Meg Cabot, Lauren Myracle, Michele Jaffe)
60. Wintersmith (Terry Pratchett)
59. Life on the Refrigerator Door: Notes Between a Mother and Daughter (Alice Kuipers)
58. Only You Can Save Mankind (Terry Pratchett)

June

57. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (C.S. Lewis)
56. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis)
55. Fragile Things (Neil Gaiman)
54. Witches Abroad (Terry Pratchett)

May

53. Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
52. Twisted 7 (Jessica Zafra)
51. Steel Trapp: The Challenge (Ridley Pearson)
50. Chronicles of Ancient Darkness: Soul Eater, Book 3 (Michelle Paver)
49. The Graveyard Book (Neil Gaiman)

April

48. Werewolves in their Youth (Michael Chabon)
47. Your Favorite Seuss: A Baker's Dozen by the One and Only Dr. Seuss (Dr. Seuss)
46. Angela and the Baby Jesus (Frank McCourt)
45. This Is What I Did (Ann Dee Ellis)
44. Razzle (Ellen Wittlinger)
43. Rewind (Laura Dower)
42. Horseradish (Lemony Snicket)
41. The Demonata: Slawter, Book 3 (Darren Shan)
40. The Bell Jar (Sylvia Plath)
39. The Human Fly and Other Stories (T. C. Boyle)
38. Den of the White Fox (Lensey Namioka)
37: Tweak: Growing Up in Metamphetmine (Nic Sheff)
36. ChaseR: a novel in e-mail (Michael Rosen)
35. Noticing Paradise (Ellen Wittlinger)
34. The Mortal Instruments: The City of Glass (Cassandra Clare)

March

33. The Outcast of 19 Schuyler Place (E. L. Konigsburg)
32. Maximum Ride: MAX (James Patterson)
31. Lullabye (Chuck Palahniuk)
30. How They Met and Other Stories (David Levithan)
29. So Yesterday (Scott Westerfeld)
28. The Long Night of Leo and Bree (Ellen Wittlinger)
27. Heart on My Sleeve (Ellen Wittlinger)
26. Milkweed (Jerry Spinelli)
25. Personal (Rene Villanueva)
24. Are We There Yet (David Levithan)
23. Small Avalanches and Other Stories (Joyce Carol Oates)
22. The Communist Manifesto (Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels)
21. What the Moon Saw (Laura Resau)
20. Sa Ano Nabubuhay Ang Tao? (Sofronio G. Calderon, Leon Tolstoy)
19. Be More Chill (Ned Vizzini)
18. How I Live Now (Megan Rosoff)
17. Smiles To Go (Jerry Spinelli)
16. So B. It (Sarah Weeks)
15. HellBent (Anthony McGowan)

February

14. Sexy (Joyce Carol Oates)
13. Norwegian Wood (Haruki Murakami)
12. South of the Border, West of the Sun: A Novel (Haruki Murakami)
11. A Wild Sheep Chase (Haruki Murakami)
10. In A Miso Soup (Ryu Murakami)

January

9. Red Dragon (Thomas Harris)
8. Joker: Hamlet's Been Cracked (Ranulfo)
7. Green Angel (Alice Hoffman)
6. After Dark (Haruki Murakami)
5. Piercing (Ryu Murakami)
4. The Complete Horrowitz Horror Stories (Anthony Horrowitz)
3. Japanland: A Year In Search of Wa (Karin Muller)
2. A Resurrection of Magic: Skin Hunger, Book 1 (Kathleen Duey)
1. I Am the Messenger (Markus Zusak)

Saturday, October 17, 2009

101 things in 1001 days?


  1. Eat fruits.
  2. Learn how to create paper cranes.
  3. Memorize a German song. (Durch den Monsun & Heilig by Tokio Hotel)
  4. Always recite the Anima Christi before sleeping.
  5. Befriend a stranger.
  6. Learn how to cook rice properly.
  7. Improve vocabulary. Learn a new word each day.
  8. Play golf.
  9. Learn how to write a haiku.
  10. Send a note to 10 authors.
  11. Listen to jazz music. (jazz fusion: Radioactive Sago Project)
  12. Know the current events.
  13. Write an adaptation story to “13 Reasons Why”.
  14. Keep a Dream journal.
  15. Wake up early at least once a week.
  16. Take a morning walk at least once a month.
  17. Watch The Little Mermaid.
  18. Eat less chocolate.
  19. Learn how to put on makeup.
  20. Read a book upside down.
  21. Compose a song.
  22. Learn basic Spanish.
  23. Practice ambidexterity.
  24. Wear a mohawk.
  25. Cook an edible dish.
  26. Learn how to sell Books online.
  27. Start writing my Biography.
  28. Learn the Sign language.
  29. Create a DeviantArt account.
  30. Send a letter to self.
  31. Make a list of favorite quotes.
  32. Drive on the freeway.
  33. Eat sea urchin.
  34. Clean the microwave twice a month.
  35. Learn how to read music.
  36. Submit a fanart.
  37. Go to Canada.
  38. Visit the library.
  39. Drink sake.
  40. Wash the car.
  41. Write a poem. (tula-tulaan)
  42. Bake cookies. (thrice)
  43. Write book reviews.
  44. Update blogs.
  45. Drink a cup of tea everyday.
  46. Buy a book online. (four hardcovers to be shipped by the end of March!)
  47. Get a job.
  48. Save money.
  49. Be good.
  50. Burn a paper bill.
  51. Take a picture of Forks High School.
  52. Visit Hershey’s chocolate factory.
  53. Watch a music concert of a favorite band.
  54. Play paintball.
  55. Eat a pizza pie.
  56. Visit a psychic.
  57. Ride a roller coaster.
  58. Buy Emily’s electric guitar.
  59. Go to Disneyland.
  60. Ride a train.
  61. Smell the tulips. (Ate a petal!)
  62. Kiss an alpaca.
  63. Donate to charity.
  64. Roll on the grass.
  65. Climb a big, old tree.
  66. Pat a dog.
  67. Look for Emily Strange.
  68. Attend a music festival.
  69. Visit an Indian Reservation.
  70. Ride a gondola.
  71. Travel with family for a holiday trip to Europe.
  72. Ride a trolley.
  73. Sit under the waterfalls.
  74. Climb a mountain. (Mt. Fuji!)
  75. Ride a jet.
  76. Go on a cruise.
  77. Bunjee jump.
  78. Go home.(Daddy's funeral )
  79. Buy my mother a diamond ring.
  80. Go to Tokyo.
  81. Watch a red carpet movie premiere.
  82. Go to Alaska.
  83. Feed an elephant.
  84. Go to Hawaii.
  85. Take a picture of a koala.
  86. Watch a silent film.
  87. Try skydiving.
  88. Go to a circus.
  89. Watch a demolition derby.
  90. Ride on a pushcart.
  91. Dye hair white.
  92. Eat an exotic food. (tofu and black sesame flavored soft cone!)
  93. Try snowboarding.
  94. Eat caviar.
  95. Attend a tea party.
  96. Drink Chardonnay.
  97. Build a snowman.
  98. Go to church.
  99. Play a prank.
  100. Create an alter-ego.
  101. Read 101 books. (87/101)


Why not?

Saturday, October 10, 2009

AT THE ZOO

You asked me to take a stroll at the zoo
Cos you said you needed someone to go with you
So I went along because I had a crush on you, even then
In fact, I wanted for us to, you know

Afterwards we ate together outside
You told me your side of the story
I found out that your boyfriend left you
Because he didn't like your new hairdo

Does he really love you so? (2x)

INSTRUMENTAL

I tried to amuse you, you kept laughing
You told me not to leave you cos you don't want to be alone
I don't mind staying with you until dawn
Everything I'll do just to make you happy

Does he really love you so? (4x)

Me? I love you

I love you, I really do (4x)

Do you remember we had so much fun

At the zoo (6x)



***
Here is the original lyrics of the song.


SA ZOO - YANO

niyaya mo akong mamasyal sa zoo
ang sabi mo kasi kailangan mo ng kasama
sumama naman ako kasi crush kita, noon pa
kung sa bagay, gusto ko na ring magka... alam mo na

pagkatapos kumain tayo sa labas
kinuwento mo ang iyong nakaraan
iniwanan ka pala ng iyong boypren
kasi ayaw niya ang bago mong buhok

mahal ka ba niya talaga (2x)

INSTRUMENTAL

inaliw kita, tawa ka nga ng tawa
sinabi mo huwag kitang iwan, ayaw mong mag-isa
okey lang sa akin abutin man ng umaga
lahat ay gagawin para ka lang mapasaya

mahal ka ba niya talaga (4x)

ako, mahal kita

mahal na mahal (4x)

natatandaan mo ang saya-saya natin no'n

sa zoo (6x)

Monday, September 14, 2009

NOMINATION FOR 2009 JOY Award

Ready, Jetset, Go! is proud to present the first and original of the many one-of-a-kind awards that has been created in the universe.

THE first official frequent flier award, the 2009 Jetsetter of the Year Award (JOYA) is now open for nominations. The JOYA is the first in recognizing among flight passengers, the most frequent of the frequent fliers all across the globe. Sponsored by Friends of Flight Passengers, the foundation behind the novel award has been recently established to promote awareness among population of the backbone in the boom of flight industry and the appreciation they duly deserve.

"We have long recognized model bodies for their services. Each year we have pilot and flight attendant awardees. Well, what about the passengers?," mused by the founding President who was also a former frequent flier himself.

In order to qualify, the following criteria must be satisfied:

1. The candidate must have traveled AT LEAST twice in international flight AND twice in domestic flight WITHIN a 12-month period.
2. The candidate must be unemployed during the time of his/her travel.
3. The candidate may either be living or dead.

In accordance with the above criteria, the candidate must also fulfill the following responsibilites:

1. The candidate will provide a certified copy of his/her legal passport and unexpired VISA in accordance to criterion number 1.
2. The candidate will submit to a voluntary background check in accordance to criterion number 2.
3. The candidate will secure proof of birth or show in person with proper identification. Similarly, a certified copy of death certificate will be submitted if the candidate is deceased.

The winner will receive a recognition award, cash prize amount to be discussed later, and a chance to join the club for free. No consolation prizes will be given. Nomination will close on November 1, 2009 at 11 PM Pacific Time. The winner will be announced on December 1, 2009.

The foundation does not discriminate in age, sex, height, weight, religion, mortality, and educational background. Businessmen, exchange students or educators, religious leaders and/or members, international volunteers, media men, celebrities, military staff, government leaders, pilots and flight attendants are, however, exempted to join the contest.



Thursday, September 10, 2009

BOOK MARATHON CHALLENGE

The first official book marathon challenge happened two years ago. In this competition, time is your opponent. You will select a book series by an author of your choice and applying the idea of a marathon, you must finish reading the books in the shortest time possible. In 2007, one great spirit took up the challenge and read the 12-book series of Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan.

"Before I entered the challenge, I had a rough estimate of when I'll be finishing the series. I figured three days would be enough. But I finished on Day 5."

Despite the contestant's disappointment, no other challenger has joined the contest and so, by unanimous decision, the contestant was declared champion.

In December 2008, the champion, in order to renew the title, decided to take the challenge but to a new definition. The challenge is longer and somewhat tougher.

"The challenge will last for 365 days which is equivalent to one year. Within this time frame, one has to finish 101 books," explains the reigning champion. "Any book will do as long as you meet the quota."

The champion is now more than halfway to finishing the challenge. Still, no other challengers have joined. However, the champion is willing to give up the title of Book Marathon Champion.

If you are interested to take the challenge, simply tell us the book series of your choice for approval afterwhich, you can begin reading right away. We only require you to report to us the number of days (or hours) it took you to complete the challenge and we'll see if there's a new champion.

Happy reading!