The Good and the Bad

Good News: Relieved. That was how I feel when I read in the newspaper that actor Richard Gomez is not anymore running for a post in my province, Bulacan. Dapat magsaya ang mga Bulakeño sa balitang ito. Aba eh kahit papaano eh progresibo na ang aming probinsya tapos may biglang manggugulong artista. Buti naman at umatras na si Goma. Naalala ko tuloy nung Pasko eh nagkalat na sa Bulacan ang mga streamers nya na bumabati ng Merry Christmas. 'Kapal ng mukha,' sabi ko sa sarili ko. Parang ang hirap yata tanggapin kung sakali na sya eh governor o congressman namin. Nakakahiya. Mabuti talaga at umatras na 'tong artistang 'to.

Bad News: Aba'y di pa nakuntento at ngayon naman eh sa Senado naman gustong tumakbo. Ano ba ang competence n'ya sa Legislation? Enough with 'honorable' Jinggoy, Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid! Ano na ang nagyayari sa ating bansa? *Sigh*

Hataw Na!

Astig. Sarap mag-tennis!

After months of talks and planning for a tennis match, sa wakas ay natuloy din ang tennis namin ng brod kong si Robert. Hectic kasi ang sched namin pareho sa law school kaya ngayon lang natuloy. Sarap pumalo kahit nakakapagod. Parang sa bawat palo eh naaalis lahat ng stress at worries sa buhay. Wow, ano to, nagpapaka-profound na naman si Chris. Haha! Magaling si Robert, palibhasa'y lumalaban dati sya sa Palarong Pambansa at for a time eh naging part din ng San Beda Red Netters. Astig tong brod ko maglaro, magaling talaga. Kaya nga Coach na ang tawag ko sa kanya eh, at least nakahanap ako ng libreng trainer ahaha! Ako naman eh tama lang. Marami pang rooms for improvements. I need to work on my forehand, backhand and service. Di lang yan, pati sa paghabol ng bola eh kelangan ko pa ring pagtrabahuhan, magbawas kasi ng timbang para wag mabilis hingalin hehe! Sana eh tuloy-tuloy na 'tong pagka-hook ko sa tennis para naman di puro sa libro umiikot ang mundo ko haha! Masarap pa rin talaga ang may physical activities. Let's get healthy!

Meanwhile, nabalitaan ko pala kay Gerber Mamawal, one of the Red Netters na pasok ang San Beda sa Final 4. Galing! Considering na hindi kumpleto ang lineup ng team. Credit goes to Coach Jovy Mamawal and the whole team. Manunuod ako next week, di ako pwede ngayon eh, daming babasahin. More power to our Red Netters! Animo San Beda!

sabi ni pareng albert camus

We value our lives and existence so greatly but at the same time, we know we will eventually die, and ultimetely our endeavors are meaningless. Whilst we can live with the dualism, we cannot live with the paradox.

eto pa...

We all carry within us our places of exile, our crimes, and our ravages. But our task is not to unleash them on the world; it is to fight them in ourselves and in others.

astig talaga tong idol philosopher ko na to. hindi mapapantayan ang lebel ng pag-iisip. Pucha, ang aga-aga eh namimilosopiya na naman ako. Di ba dapat sa gabi lang yan, pag tahimik at kalamdo na ang lahat? Oo. Tama. Kaya tama na muna at baka ma-overdose ka na naman. Ayus!

freeze

Walangyanghanepashit! (peram ako, Bob Ong). It's freezing cold these days! Kaninang umaga, napahirap bumangon dahil sa lamig ng panahon. Di naman ako nagrereklamo, in fact eh natutuwa nga ako. Kesa naman sa mainit di ba? At least etong ganitong malamig, may jacket naman para pamprotekta sa katawan. Eh kapag mainit? Wala kang magagawa, kahit maghubad ka ng t-shirt at tumapat sa isang industrial fan eh mainit pa rin. Hehe! Sana ganito na lang palagi! Naalala ko tuloy, this weekend eh magBa-Baguio ang pamilya, gaano kaya kalamig dun ngayon? I'll see (or feel hehe) on Saturday. Sana naman eh mag-snow (calling Vicky Morales or Santa Claus). Ngiyahahaha! (peram ulit Bob Ong). Habang tina-type ko to eh kasalukuyang nagyeyelo ako dito sa library. Kung pwede lang ipapatay yung aircon. Hehe! Have a great day sa 'kin!

Going Alternative

Today, I escaped from my rather mundane life of being a law student.

Feeling somehow burnt out by the recently-concluded midterm exams, I finally recognized that my body and soul needs some rest. I affirmed the need to do anything not related to law school. The morning was spent watching the tennis game of our team, San Beda Red Netters in Rizal Memorial. I was with The Bedan associate editor Trish and Marj, one of The B's trainees. I've been wanting to witness the games of the Netters but for one reason or another it was only now that I got the chance to. I was also there to somehow show my support to my alma mater's team. If I can devote some of my time to watch our Red Lions' games, why not do the same for our Red Netters? It is actually one of the problems of the sports program of San Beda - the lack of support from the community. It is high time that Bedans realize that the other teams like tennis, football, swimming, and others are in dire need of their support. Their cheers can do a lot to encourage our players to give their best shot in every game.

Going back, the match was between San Beda and Letran. Our players are really good. Having Coach Jovy Mamawal is really a blessing for the team. Coach Jovy, as always, accomodated The Bedan because he too was a sports editor for the paper during his time.I would say that the players were prepared but as in any sports, competition could get really stiff. The Letran team is equally good. Unfortunately, luck was on their side today. But there are still a number of games lined up. And I am looking forward to watching these games. If the demands of lawschool would allow, of course.

Katipunan was my next stop. That's where our NGO is located, at the Ateneo to be more precise. For the uninitiated, I volunteered to be a student-intern for SALIGAN (Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligal), a legal-resource non-governmental organization whose partners are the basic sectors of the society. I attended one of the trainings that we are supposed to undergo. After that and the assignment of new tasks, I immediately left our office to meet my The Bedan peers.

Next stop was Cubao to visit its best-kept secret. Together with my brothers-(and sisters)-in-ink, we explored Cubao X, the old Shoe Expo near Ali Mall. Their purpose is to write an article about the whole place and inform Bedans that there is a haven like this. It is actually a community of artists who opened galleries/shops not for the primary purpose of business but to express themselves and their art and passion. Found in Cubao X are specialty bookstores (it's sad though that I wasn't able to find a copy of Robert Fulghum's All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten),thrift shops, visual art galleries, and stalls where you can find pop culture and vintage stuff. Our Vintage Pop visit is especially interesting because I learned some insights from its owner,Bong. At first, he was hesitant of being interviewed because he thought that we were from the mainstream media. But when our writers informed him that it was only for our campus paper publishers (the Bedans, of course) to read, his apprehension was cast away instantly. Plus, like us, he is a Bedan. Available in his shop are of course anything vintage like jukebox machines, clocks, toys, posters. Paintings too are sold and clocks made by him. The clocks are really awesome and I liked the black and white one. Meanwhile, he shared to us the fear of Cubao X artists on the possibility of the same of becoming popular. Bong emphasized that they are putting up shops and galleries for them to have the space where they can express themselves. He was right because going mainstream is contradictory with being underground, independent and alternative. On the contrary, I am also of the belief that they should be open on the idea of more people visiting their spaces, if not for the purpose of purchasing, then for plain appreciation of their art. Nevertheless, I understood his sentiments on the matter and I respect him for that.

Food, food, food! It's getting late and my stomach was crying out loud for some good eat. Bellini's was the culminating and most-awaited part of our so-called Cubao X-perience (or should I say Cubao X-ploration?). Bellini's, as our sports editor Carlo had been saying, serves authentic Italian cuisine. It is located at the center of Cubao X, just beside Vintage Pop. The restaurant is owned by former paparazzi, Italian Roberto Bellini, who is now based in the Philippines. I have to say that the place really has a feel of a genuine Italian restaurant because of the music, the framed Italian newspaper and magazine articles, the Italian waiters and crew (now, I'm joking), the owner's own sketches and with a miniature leaning tower of Pisa to boot. I ordered what is called Bellini's pasta with meat and eggplant. The mouth-watering pasta lived up to my appetite's high expectations and I got my money's worth. The best part of the experience is having the chance to hang out and bond with the new breed of promising The Bedan writers. A good laugh or two with these people really made my day. Thanks to RJ, Trish, Carlo, Edge, Dana. I had a good and memorable one!

Now, I have to go to sleep and tomorrow, I am back to what is called "the real life."
Nonetheless, the past day is enough to have recharged my body and my soul. I am certain that tomorrow would be a productive and fulfulling one. Alternatives are always a welcome occurence but then again, reality bites and I have to go back to my normal and mundane existence.

(repost from wwww.cross-point.livejournal.com)

Bring Back the Lite!

Powtek!!! Nalungkot talaga ako nang husto nung nalaman ko na nag-reformat na ang 103.5 K-Lite, ang kaisa-isahang FM channel na painakikinggan ko at pinakagusto ko. Para sa tulad kong trip ang light alternative music (not too loud, not too soft), K-Lite talaga ang nangunguna. Kumbaga, akong-ako yun eh, yun ang talagang trip at preference ko. Ang pangalan na nya ngayon ay Heart FM, kaparehas na ng Wave 89.1 ang genre nya. Nakakadismaya. Ang K-Lite lang ang consistently na nagpapatugtog ng mga kanta ng Dishwalla at ng iba pang cool na alternative na banda. Walang kapantay ang K-Lite. Sa loob ng apat na taon ng pakikinig ko dito eh parating satisfied ang musical cravings ko. K-Lite had always provided my alternative fix each day. Para sa akin, malaking kawalan talaga ang K-Lite. The reformatting of it is like stripping the same of its identity, of its very core.

Eksamin Taym

My midterm examinations week didn't really start with a bang.
Labor Relations yung subject nung unang exam.
Pagkabigay na pagkabigay ng questionnaire ng prof eh nagulantang kaagad ako sa question number 1:
State the features of Article XIII Sec. 3 of the Philippine Constitution with regard to labor.
What the...?! Napabulong ako ng medyo malakas. Bulong pa ba yun? Haha!
Tsinek ko yung ibang tanong at lalo akong nanghina. Ang hirap talaga! Nag-nosebleed ako haha! Nag-aral naman ako. Buong Sunday eh nasa library lang ako nagbabasa (opo, bukas ang aming lib nun, ang loser no? Linggong-Linggo eh nasa lib haha!). Sunod nung Monday, mula umaga hanggang 6:30 eh halos hindi na ako tumayo sa pwesto ko sa lib. Call of nature lang ang pahinga! Well, ganun talaga. Life stinks and shit happens, 'ika nga nung kaibigan ko. Sabi ko sa sarili ko eh bawi na lang. Ano pa nga ba? Sa tagal ko na sa lawschool, dapat alam ko na na there's always room for improvement. Kung akala mong binigay mo na lahat ng sipag sa pag-aaral, nagkakamali ka. May mga nerves pa sa utak na hindi nata-tap. At may tyaga pang masasaid mula sa iyong kaluluwa. Haha! Parang karagatan, ang lalim!

Blog ko 'to!

Bakit nga ba mainit na sabaw?
Sa totoo lang, di ko rin alam eh.
Basta, ang natatandaan ko eh paborito kong sabihin yang expression na yan.
Basta na lang lumalabas sa bibig ko. Wala lang.
At isa pa identified na sa 'kin yan.
So, anong pake mo?
Kanya-kanyang trip lang naman yan eh!Hehe!
Maaaring sinasabi mo ngayon habang binabasa mo 'to,
"Ano ba naman taong to, ang labo!"
Oo, tama ka. Malabo ako.
But who isn't?? Sa Tagalog, "sino ba ang hindi?" Haha!
May kanya-kanya tayong kalabuan at kahibangan.
Kanyang-kanyang mundo at kabaliwan at kawirduhan.
Tungkol dito ang blog na 'to.
There are neither rules nor restrictions. No hang-ups.
Anything goes, kumbaga.
Mainit na Sabaw!