'Tol!

Napanuod n'yo na ba yung commercial ni Mike Defensor? Tol! Haha! Nakakaasar, walang kakwenta-kwenta! Walng concept at di malinaw kung ano ang gusto n'yang iparating sa mga manunuod. At may bading na Manny Pacquiao pa ha? Sana man lang eh ginandahan n'ya yung paggawa, walang sense talaga eh. Hahahaha!!! 'Tol!

Now Open: Election Carnival

It's here. And we can feel it everywhere. The election season has official started and it started with a bang! The complete senatorial slates of Team Unity and the UNO have already been made known. To say the least, what's happening is uttlerly CONFUSING. You'll find in GMA's Team Unity some people who were critical of her. You'll be surprised also of the Grand Coalition's lineup. It's as if jumping from a party to another leaves no mark on the consciousness of the voters.

To vote or not to vote? That's the question that we should ask ourselves.

Fab Four's Love Album

Syet! I can't wait to grab a copy of the The Beatles' newest soundtrack compilation album! I mean, who can't be pleased hearing The Beatles? "What people will be hearing on the album is a new experience, a way of re-living the whole Beatles musical lifespan in a very condensed period," producer Giles Martin remarked.

Sabi pa ni Pareng Paul McCartney: "This album puts The Beatles back together again, because suddenly there's John and George with me and Ringo." Astig di ba? Hehe!

All tracks are written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, except where noted.

"Because"
"Get Back"
"Glass Onion"
"Eleanor Rigby"
"Julia (transition)"
"I Am the Walrus"
"I Want to Hold Your Hand"
"Drive My Car / The Word / What You're Doing"
"Gnik Nus"
"Something" (George Harrison)
"Blue Jay Way (transition)"
"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! / I Want You (She's So Heavy) / Helter Skelter"
"Help!" – theme song ko kapag problemado. Help!!!
"Blackbird / Yesterday"
"Strawberry Fields Forever" -reminds me of Baguio. Hay. Gusto kong bumalik dun. Ngayon na!!!
"Within You Without You / Tomorrow Never Knows" (Harrison, Lennon/McCartney)
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
"Octopus's Garden" (Richard Starkey)
"Lady Madonna"
"Here Comes the Sun" (Harrison)
"The Inner Light (transition)"
"Come Together / Dear Prudence" -astig din tong Come Together.
"Cry Baby Cry (transition)"
"Revolution"
"Back in the USSR"
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Harrison)
"A Day in the Life"
"Hey Jude"
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)"
"All You Need Is Love" -my favorite track. Ganda-ganda nito. Ginamit pa sya sa isang napaka-astig na wedding scene sa Love Actually. Napapakanta na ko! Hehe!

heed the people's call, Idol!

It's not mayoralty seat but a post in the House of Representatives that Manny Pacquiao is eyeing, the news reported last night.

Worse becoming worst.

Manny should be listening to the voice of the people and not to the call of the self-serving politicians (GMA, Lito Atienza, and the rest) who apparently just want to take advantage of his popularity. Honestly, I still cannot figure out the ulterior motives of these politicians on persuading Manny to run.

I maintain that Manny should refrain from making his life miserable by joining the already-hopeless-and-pathetic political arena. He has already established himself as an excellent sportsman in his field and gained the respect of the Filipino people around the globe.

For that, he should be more than happy and satisfied.

My Bloody Valentine.

I've been planning for weeks now to donate blood but somehow, things got into my way and as such prevented me from acting upon this noble plan.

So, today, I carried my tired feet (I came from a tennis game) to the Philippine General Hospital. I was with Ayn, a law school friend (who's also a regular volunteer). Unfortunately, she did not pass the initial test because of lack of sleep. (I hope you see the connection. Lol.) Luckily for me, I was allowed to undergo the whole process of the exciting experience of blood donation. Incidentally, a couple (Mang Renato and Aling Dahlia) was waiting for a volunteer because they badly need some bags of blood for the impending operation of Aling Dahlia. They talked to me and I sincerely said Yes, knowing that what I will be doing is for a good cause. The dreaded needle expectedly hurt a bit but I was able to bear the pain, thank God.

While the blood is flowing from my system to the blood bags, I read a meaningful poem posted on the wall. It wrote:

I gave blood, Christ gave all
I gave a pint, He gave it all
The needle is small and sharp
The nails were large and dull
The cot is soft and restful
The cross is rough and hard.

The Med Techs are kind and gentle
The soldiers were cruel and mean
The crowd applauds my sacrifice
They that passed by reviled Him

Mine is type O positive
His is positive for all
Mine at best will prolong life for a while
His without doubt, saves all forever.

Mang Renato and Aling Dahlia showed their appreciation and thanked me almost endlessly. On my part, I feel thankful also because I had the chance to help these people unknown to me. I guess we all have this ardent desire to be of help to others. To share. To give. I came there because I felt that urge, that desire to do good. I thought to myself that I've been committing so much shortcomings as a human being (I hope you get my drift, it's hard to elaborate) and that it is high time that I do something worthwhile and meaningful that could produce a positive effect to me as well as to others.

The state of happiness that I am experiencing right now is priceless. I hope and pray that Aling Dahlia will have a successful operation and that she'll be able to restore her health to normal.

With that, I encourage you my friends to be a volunteer. Donating blood can change and help rebuild the lives of others.

CONTACT ME AND TOGETHER, LET'S VOLUNTEER FOR THIS WORTHY CAUSE.
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS,TOO.

Happy Valentine's to all!

persons and family relations

Last Saturday, Sherwin, a very good friend of mine tied the knot with his seven-year (wow!) girlfriend, Pamela. It was history as far as our Class APH is concerned. Sherwin is the very first one to settle down among my Philosophy brothers. Some of us were there but many didn't make it due to work and school. Honestly, we are happy for Sherwin and Pam. A good future is in store for them. I wish them all the best. Cheers to this lovely couple! God bless.

bored.

One thing I like about friendster is its Bulletin Board feature wherein you can post any message about practically anything. Surveys are fun to respond to especially when one is being killed by boredom. Here's one of those surveys. And yes, I am bored.

What's your dream surname?
> De Leon. Haha! Fascinated ako nung
college pa sa concept ng Lion eh.
Bedistang-Bedista! Astig di ba?

What are you listening to right
now?
> Dishwalla. One of my favorite bands.
Astig yung laman nung mga kanta nila.

What is the last digit of your
cellphone number?
> 9

What was the last thing you ate?
> bopis sa canteen hehe

Last person you hugged?
> my nephews caloy and wesley

How is the weather right now?
> steady lang. Not that chilly anymore
unlike the past days

Who was the last person you talked
to on the phone?
> mom of a friend

What is the first thing u notice
on the opposite sex?
> hmmm, what is between her ears (or the
lack of it). Read: Brain

Favorite type of Food?
> any kind of food hehe.

Do you want children?
> definitely

Do you drink?
> I do. Mamam tayo?!

Ever get so drunk you don't
remember the entire night?
> di eh.

Hair color?
> black.

Eye colour?
> black, too. Ano ba gusto mo, asul??

Do you wear contacts/glasses?
> glasses. My treasured nerdy but cool
glasses

Favorite holiday?
> Christmas

Have you ever cried over a
girl?
> hmmmm..

What books are you reading right
now?
> The Plague by Albert Camus

Piercings?
> di ko trip eh

Favorite Movie?
> Stand By Me directed by Rob Reiner.
The film was a certified CLASSIC. It is
a 1986 film adapted from Stephen Kings
novel The Body.

Favorite UAAP team
> NCAA ako eh. Red Lions syempre. Animo
San Beda!

What were you doing before filling
this out?
> I was trying to figure out why this
day did not turn out to be a great day.

Any pets?
> not fond of pets

Dogs or cats?
> wala ngang hilig eh, kulit!

Favorite Flower?
> sampaguita. Nationalistic ako haha!
Proud to be Pinoy!

Have you ever loved someone?
> who does not love?

Who would you like to see right
now?
> wala. I want to be alone right now.
May angal?

Have you ever fired a gun?
> Qualified ba ang toy gun? Kung ganun,
I already did fire a gun.


Right-handed or Left-handed?
> right

If you could go to any place right
now where would you go?
> Baguio/Sagada

Are you missing someone?
> hindi eh

Do you have a tattoo?
> yes. It is called the Lions mark.
Every Leonum brod has one. Wanna take a
look at it??

Do you still watch cartoons on
Saturday mornings?
> di eh. May class

WHAT IS THE WALLPAPER ON YOUR
CELLPHONE?
> none. Boring ang phone ko. Simple lang

DID YOU GET ENOUGH SLEEP LAST
NIGHT?
> I did. Pero bakit ganun, inantok pa
rin ako sa library?

WHAT DO YOU HAVE AT YOUR BEDSIDE?
> study table

WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?
> a lot of things. Do you want me to
enumerate?

WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAME/S?
> chris, tupe, chewy, chrissy boy, boyet
hehe

WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU ALWAYS
TAKE WITH YOU?
> my body and soul. Wow, profound!

WHAT DO YOU USUALLY DO WHEN THE
CLOCK TURNS 11:11am?
> think.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT BEFORE
YOU GO TO BED?
> that I must free myself from all
worries to enjoy slumberland

joining the club

so it's confirmed.

Boxing champ Manny Pacquiao is seeking for a mayoralty post in his hometown General Santos City. I just don't get it. What the hell was he thinking when he finally decided to run for mayor? He's proven his worth in his field and is now a legandary boxer at that. So what's the point in immersing himself in the dirty world of politics? *sigh*

The political sphere is very much from the boxing ring.

So please Manny, do yourself a favor. Withdraw your candidacy and just bask in your wealthy and comfortable life.

family planting

A photo from journalist Howie Severino's blog caught my attention. It featured a mother together with her children. The interesting part of the whole picture is that it describes that at 42, she already has 17 children. And the 18th baby is on the way. She was featured in an episode of i-Witness that talked about the lives of the people living under railroad tracks. She drives a pedicab in her struggle to feed her children. Worse, her husband has no job at all. Her story is a sad reality.

pathetic

Kaninang umaga habang ako ay nagba-bike sa amin sa Bulacan ay may napansin akong kakaibang streamer ng politiko. "HAPPY VALENTINE" from Vice Governor Rely Plamenco at Bokal Daniel Fernando (oo, yung artista). Di ko alam kung matatawa ba ako o maiinis. Mantakin mo eh pati Valentine's Day eh ginagamit para lang may excuse sila na makita ang mga pagmumukha nilang makapal ng mga botante? Mga bwakananginanila! Ang aga-aga eh pumapapel na. Magtrabaho na lang sila.

unsatisfactory

Kung bibigyan ko ng rating ang performance ko sa class this past
midterms, yan ang ibibigay ko. Paksyet, di ko alam kung bakit ako
nagkakaganito. Ang hirap mag-focus. Di naman ako dating ganito eh.
Masipag at disiplanado ako noon. Hay. Pero ngayon lang to. Tapos na
yun. Babawi ako this finals. Hataw na talaga. Ibabalik ko ang dating
christopher-the-diligent-law-student-and-soon-to-be-lawyer. Yun lang
naman ang kelangan para malusutan ang lawschool eh. Plain sipag at
tyaga. Pangako ko talaga at itataga ko sa bato: Sisipagan ko na
ngayong finals.

Rise above the challenge, bro!
Galingan mo! Sabi mo nga sa sarili mo noon:

At all times,
do the best that you can do, and
give the best that you can give,
so that you can be
the best that you can be.

Ayos ba yun? Pwede na ba sa Quotable Quotes ng Reader's Digest? Haha!

71 (Broken) Dreams

The first year anniversary of the tragic Ultra Tragedy has a one clear message: That justice must be served to the victims and their families, no matter the cost.

The painful event still haunts most of the loved ones of the 71 innocent people who perished in the stampede. The Inquirer reported today that the pledged financial support of ABS-CBN has not been given them. Heartless.

May the souls of the victims rest in peace.

I'm Pine. Thank You.

My freaking freezing Baguio weekend's over. So little time for a not-so-little refuge.

I was hoping that time would just stand still so that I can be in Baguio forever. You can't blame me for this feeling. I love Baguio and everything about it. The temperature was 10 degrees and I totally enjoyed the cold weather. The best part of the experience is getting to spend time with my family.

It was amazing seeing the strawberry fields and munching on the locals' authentic strawberry dirty ice cream. The Beatles' song about it (is the title of the song Strawberry Fields Forever?)kept playing in my head. It's sad though that I wasn't able to taste the strawberry-flavored taho. I got myself a dark green ethnic bag which I consider an indigenous art - a simple way of supporting our kababayans' industry and heritage. As a matter of fact, I brought it to school today. Proud to be Pinoy!

Most importantly, I am glad for having had the time to do some soulsearching and reflection. Believe me, Baguio's one of the places to free your spirit and to engage yourself in self-introspection. Baguio for me is poetically an asylum for people seeking for inner freedom. The night's freezingly cold weather and the view of the pine trees and the mountains enhances the unflappable and calm mood.

I cannot wait to go back to Baguio. Summer break is still seven weeks from now.

It's Monday once more. More work. More worries to come. But my Baguio experience, though only barely two days, is enough to have energized and invigorated my soul for more challenges ahead.

Have a great week everyone!