yuletide musings and all that

although this is the second instance i am away from my folks, i met the yuletide midnight with my usual aplomb. you cannot be sad with your friends around sharing the table of lechon manok, new yorker pizza and grilled liempo then capped with red wine and a pack of cigarettes. 

me, ivy, tecson and iris had one thing in common. our flights back home are on the 25th. and oh, that's today by the way! on a sidenote, merry christmas everyone. wait, i still can't sleep. not sure if it's due to insomnia or is it i'm-excited-to-go-home-induced insomnia. either way, i'm sure you can tell them apart.

and my stomach still swelling in casual christmassy delight. yum, yum, yum. burp! yep, still full. that could explain the sleeplessness. or is it restlessness?

right now, i'm scanning my itinerary before getting to the airport. i have always been meaning to pack light. however, hefty loads from buy-me-this-and-thats and bring-me-this-and-thats hinder me to do so. they call it pasalubongs. quite a significant bulk, actually. although, i enjoyed shopping them and swiping them off from my credit card, work of the devil, honestly. good thing i made the payments already before i slip through the deadlines.

anyway, i am thanking all those who greeted. those who did not, thank you also. i know you'd be meaning to. but i know you're thinking what i'm thinking. my phone has a bad group texting capability and a blank mind is stopping me from composing the message. or i'm just too lazy to do it. although, i have called up my folks at home in advance, at around 8 i think, before the telco systems bogged down in traffic congestion. with 'smart' technologies in 'globe'-al scale, you wouldn't see this one coming. year on year, uh-huh. good thing facebook has superpoke! hehe. convenient, eh?

cut the alibi. and say merry christmas! (it's my alterego talking!)

merry christmas one and all. spread the cheer. and the wealth. i'm all arms. haha!

p.s.

butuan, the cradle of philippine civilization (i'm sure you're not missing this one from the history books), here i come. nyahaha!

###

100 and more ways to live on your last 100 days

one feel good moment about death. that's exactly how it felt watching this indie delight by chris martinez. consider the paradox of the wordplay, death is not really something to feel good about. all of us fear it. but 100 made a lighter take on the subject.

joyce de leon is at the prime of her career and all things mundane are within her grasp when she's confronted by a disease caused by her lust for the ciggy. it's every yuppie's addiction. hence, lung cancer. instead of moping with her impending doom, she decides to make the best out of her remaining days. and writes her itinerary on sticky notes.

while the grey-haired duo in 'bucket list' escape from their reality with their outrageous adventures before kicking the bucket, joyce, on the other hand, does a more pragmatic approach. resign from work. settle credit card bills and mortgage payments. pick her casket. organize song playlist from her ipod for her wake. give to the poor. give out her stack full of books. tell her best friend ruby. tell her mom. her wall of sticky notes is more than just her regular reminders; to accomplish them is her personal mission, a must. 

soon her best friend is already involved with her scribbles. and accomplish trivial and once-in-a-lifetime experiences together. go back to their high school classroom and relate their nostalgic moments together. experiment on a pasta dish. travel to hongkong together. photo-op with mickey mouse and brad pitt (in wax). get a relaxing massage. have their hair and nails done. later, mom got involved. then cigarette habit is cut. caffeine is flushed away. get a third opinion. go to manaoag. take chinese medication. her favorite kare-kare sans the bagoong. juxtaposing both their approach to joyce reveal their degree of acceptance to her condition. the mother took longer to accept the fact, delaying this notion by resorting to flagging assurances of a cure, even a miracle. inevitably, she will have to accept it. ruby, on the other hand, becomes her pillow of strength, a concealer of her weakness, her escape from her pangs of pain.

the highlights of the movie include the scene where joyce haggles with an agent as she tries to pick her casket. it's quite hilarious. and man, those deathbeds are pricey! 

another one would be when mom rushed to the hospital bed of joyce and finally learned about her cancer. she rants and scolded for not telling early on about it. her blood pressure shoot up. and later she was on the hospital bed while joyce on the wheel chair peering over her. joyce now took the turn and nagged her mom in return. hilarious!

despite some effervescent moments, you could still actually feel her rollercoaster ride of emotions as she's about to take her death cab. especially on moments of solitude. that's where the pain would take its toll, emotionally and physically. like a toothache, it strikes big time when you're about to sleep (sorry, i just have to write it...haha!).

as the movie tread on its length, it delves more deeply on the subject bearing on the spiritual consciousness. it also poses a rhetorical question of what goes beyond the confines of corporal life. what if we lived a good life, according to the words of God, only to find out that there's no heaven, that there's really nothing beyond it.

the ending could have answered this question.

100 was launched during this year's cinemalaya festival. watching the movie is a great experience. it's both happy and sad. the rave about 100 is with its seamless storytelling, effective actors and...it's one great piece overall. hope this kind of filmmaking would infect local cinema.

###

why pacman won?

the oddsmakers-slash-boxing pundits threw their hats off to dela hoya but the universe conspired against it. this is a david-vs-goliath match like no other. with pacman 4-lb shy from his opponent, a height and reach disadvantage, he truly beats the odds. on the other hand, during the weigh-in, while pacman looked vigorously youthful and in corking fighting form, the golden boy is visibly wilting with age. a true testament that age really does matter.

in the ring, pacman really controlled the fight from round 1 which made dela hoya seemingly begging for a lucky punch. true enough he landed 224 of 585 punches to just 83 of 402 for de la hoya (source: cnn). the golden boy, unable to pick up from pacman's agility could have resorted to medieval alchemy and effectively lost his midas' touch. he was visibly hurt and punctured. when he finally threw the towel at round 8, the glorious uproar of the crowd wass almost deafening, even from my pc. 

despite the victory, his modest to goodness remark to de la hoya 'you are still my idol' is an act of a true sportsman. although, i cringe every time manny speaks in english, i can feel his sincerity. this man is really something.

a champion at heart and in form, surely pacman did not disappoint. the millions of fans who threw their trust and hope are now inundated with triumphant who-hahs and woo-hoos! truly a euphoric moment. as my cousin would describe it, a proud filipino moment. hope this kind of fleeting patriotism lingers on and transcends to nirvana. 

but reality still does not hide the state of the nation. and hope we do not turn our backs to the current issues at hand. 

anyway, what excites me the most are the rumor mills of a pacman match with hatton or mayweather. that will keep him really busy beyond 2010. and would hopefully make him forget about politics.

and could somebody remind manny of the dogs hounding him? like i said, once bitten, he could be one of them.

###

why pacman should not win?

yes, he is the modern filipino folk hero. every time there's a pacman match, the crime rate is down, even zilch. congress will have its complete attendance in las vegas. military offensives in southern mindanao would have to stop. dec 7 is implicitly declared a philippine holiday. and he's just boxing. more than the sport we came to love, he becomes the symbol of hope. the hope for our seemingly decrepit democracy slowly shifting to oligarchy. a respite from the gadfly of immoralities this government came to emulate. and whoah, gma and her spin doctors love to toy around with the filipino's short attention span, even memory loss.

if he wins, people will easily forget the euro generals, the zte investigation, the extra-judicial killings, among the litany of other scandals that rocked this government. headlines will be replaced by his victory for weeks. and we feel that despite a crunch-time christmas, we feel better off. the psychoanalysis of pacquaio's victory will have a placebo effect to our nation. denying ourselves that we are sick; sick with apathy. somebody have said that we have reached our political maturity. oh well. whoever said that needs some wringing. this country needs an inspiration. certainly, pacman can give that. but as we go back to our usual chores, can we say did it change our lives, our country for the better?

if he loses, people will easily forget the unfortunate result of the fight and console him. he will still be proclaimed winner by the filipinos. media hype on the fight and his defeat would slowly wane. but in pacman's ego, it would be painful. his reach for self-actualization, the highest level in maslow's hierarchy of needs, would slip off to esteem needs; the need for more self-recognition and status. but this is a dream fight and losing it, if i were pacman, is not acceptable. i will seek for re-match. fight again for redemption. i'm not taunting him, i'm just trying to read his mind. that will keep him busy beyond 2010. his plan to retire next year and run for public office will be shelved. everybody thinks he's better off as a boxer than a politician. this is clearly reflected on his defeat in his district last local elections. i know pacman is a good man and his good intentions for public welfare is remarkable. but i think politics is not the answer for him to do the good deed. he will easily be consumed by the dogs surrounding him. like a vampire bite, once bitten you will be one of them.

people would say to cut some slack and forget politics for once. oh well. this is just me speaking my subconscious.

disclaimer: i'm a big pacman fan. today is his big fight. and i do want him to win.

###

obama on my mind

from nairobi to illlinois, from london to manila, majority of the mortals are overwhelmingly receptive of the new man on the presidential seat of the most powerful country in the world. america, slowly waning its luster in the global arena, due to the myriad of problems it accrued over the bush years of irresponsible governance, is finding comfort and hope to this new man. even the penguins of the arctic are flipping with glee with their new ally.

obama. his eloquence is mesmerizing. his color is apparent. his promise of change, almost messianic, is well-received. his is a story of a true american dream. change has indeed come to america. as some observers have said, even martin luther king would not be surprised that this moment would arrive, but he would be very pleased this happened. rev jesse jackson, who actively lived through the civil rights movement, broke down and probably even happier he lived through this winning moment.

with this, never can we imagine that america has been once an apartheid country. and they were able to reject this social stratification but it took a lot of struggle then, bloodshed even. pundits said, while apparent in the surveys, his victory is not about race. the timing of the financial crisis came in as a blessing in disguise for him as it became his premise for a pressing need for change. bush and his series of unfortunate mishaps, mistakes and missteps led a change of mindset of his people. eventually leading america to become color blind.

moreover, mccain's gracious acceptance of defeat is very inspiring. despite the boos from his arizona crowd due to his announcement of concession, he went on and expressed his call for unity as the race is finally over and about time to help heal the country badly beaten by the economic crisis. i also admire him for acknowledging that this historic election is rightly earned by the african-americans who have long fought and struggled for equality and acceptance.

now, the iron tires will be changed and the new oil will steer the gears, it's high time to move the american train and lead their renewed dreams to reality. no one knows if obama will live up to everyone's expectations. it's a tall order. and everyone expects he is up to it.

on the other hand, thanks to the synergy of technology and broadcasting, we were able to witness this history unfolding. thanks cnn, even for that ostentatious display of cutting edge broadcasting capabilities with that holographic reporting. princess leia couldn't be prouder.

the citizens of the world will no doubt continue to watch america. and obama.

###

what has the world gotten into? v1.1

your food is made from china. even toothpicks are made from china. can we not make anything?

and the tainted products from china. getting scarier every time.

starbucks is expensive. but people are hounding to sip their banal coffee.

oil is at $60 per barrel. but local oil companies refuse to trim it down one time, big time.

north pole is melting but nobody seems to notice.

none of the culprits of the collapse of the american economy is prosecuted yet.

when uncle sam sneezes, the rest of the world catches cold.

iceland is on a meltdown. pun not intended.

the bucks are getting scarce. but the ceos, even fired, get a hefty chunk. that's a farce.

free market is dead. like latin. and stalin.

fidel castro is getting old. cuban cigars are still expensive.

obama being branded as a terrorist because of his name. being un-american because he is black.

mccain as president? palin as vice-president? oh no! a tandem of stooges.

paris hilton for president? almost! 

the movie, body of lies, made us realize that america is capable of creating fake wars. 

the witches are out to get sarkozy. voodoo doll of the french president for sale, any?

scientology as a religion? tom cruise is really mad.

the uber-expensive scientific curiosity hadron collider is switched on. and the glitch that stopped it.

the contents of the internet is getting scarier. virtually anything imaginable and unimaginable.

###

what has the world gotten into? v1.0

a pretty lady holding another girl's hand. a decent man in another boy's arms.

a couple wrangling over money. while the son guilelessly looking at them.

pregnant lady standing in mrt while the men perched comfortably, pretending not to notice.

children dangling in jeepneys, wiping passengers' shoes cadging for pennies.

children calling their parents by their first names. siblings calling their elders by their first names.

kids no longer play patintero. piko. sungka. sipa.

the emo look? i don't get it! is it the modern marilyn manson?

facebook's tagalog translation of 'confirm requests' is 'talaga lang ha'.

a family going out of the church mid-ceremony because they had attended the last half of the previous ceremony. just like watching a movie, eh?

teenagers would rather be an actor/actress than go to school.

being famous for speaking barok english.

politicians can be actors too. and actors can be politicians.

journalists are killed for their words. now the sword is getting mightier.

the culture of corruption is way going overboard.

the thin line between news and gossip is getting thinner.

truth is becoming subjective. not absolute.

why apathy? is it our way of saying, 'there's nothing we can do' to the world's ills?

###

before sunrise. and the milkshake poem.

in times of gloom, one turns to introspect and inspect his troves. 

as a cinemaphile, i turned to my stack of dvds. grabbed the stunner tandem film, before sunrise/ before sunset. watched it for the 3rd time since i bought them.

it's one of my favorite romantic films of all times. although, im devoid of such fancies (i consider myself insensitive), im quite fascinated with the thought of travelling incognito and meeting someone along the way that pique your interests. someone who share the same passion for dialectics. someone who has different take on issues like love, religion and death. someone you can finally connect. close to being soulmates, that is.

anyway, what's striking about the movie is the flow of their conversations. all through out, you can hear them talking just about anything. jesse is on his way to vienna to catch his flight to america. while celine is on her way to paris to resume her studies after a brief visit to her grandma. in the lounge car of train bound for paris, they met and struck a very engaging talk, probably the best talk of their lives. but when the train arrived at vienna, jesse had to get off. and he managed to convince celine to accompany him to the streets of vienna and talk some more. he premised that this could only happen once in their lifetime. they could have their own lives apart in the future but they can still look up to the day that they had met.

the highlights of the film are as follows:

- at a restaurant. they pretended to phone each other's friends and talked about how they meet each other. and what they think about each other. mushy. but it clicked.

- the first kiss. in a giant ferris wheel in the prater. but the events that led to the kiss made it more eventful.

- celine's thoughts about God. how does he manifest himself? she said in spaces between people.

- jesse's thoughts about people. that they hate themselves because they are always around themselves. and they're sick of that. i kinda agree. i have yet to experience that. consciously.

- and the anonymous street poet by the river danube who offered to make them a poem on just about anything. the couple suggested the keyword, 'milkshake'. and here's how it goes:

daydream delusion, limousine eyelash

oh baby with your pretty face

drop a tear in my wine glass

look at those big eyes

see what you mean to me

sweet-cakes and milkshakes

i am a delusion angel

i am a fantasy parade

i want you to know what I think

don’t want you to guess anymore

you have no idea where I came from

we have no idea where we’re going

lodged in life

like branches in a river

flowing downstream

caught in the current

i carry you 

you’ll carry me

that’s how it could be

don’t you know me?

don’t you know me by now?

ravishing, isn't it? anyway, after 14-hour fleeting moments together, because jesse had to fly to america, they decided to meet again. at the vienna train station, six months later. thus, the sequel. but not entirely so. you'll know.

###

the stooge who ruled the world

i am the captain of my ship

and i shall abide by the gaze of the north star and the whispers of the wind

gone forty thousand leagues, from the seventh seas to the nth

the unwavering tides would halt you, even the wind might daunt you

but the perils are inevitable, takes a lot of mettle to persist.

when you get there, when you prevail, it doesn't culminate the travail.

the journey just got better. for another one will commence.

who would say nay to the advances of the universe?

the alchemist once conspired with it, the synergy is compelling.

sahara may be vast and endless but the little prince endured it.

albeit seemingly guileless, yet intrepid.

wanderlust led him to wherever his heart desires. 

he prevailed. they prevailed.

consumed by hope, mired by hops and hoops

you won't just stare at the labyrinth, you must get through it.

for life is a farce

the bitter the better. rest assured, no one will laugh at you. 

they are just mere spectators.

when you prevail, they will exclaim your masterpiece.

the punchlines just got even better.

for when you stop, the world will stoop at you.

the joke is on you. and they will start laughing.

###

anodyne for the wretched soul

they dumped me!

yes they did.

and for the life of me,

i succumbed to the pain

reeking inside the once-placid halls of my existence.

i was muted in disbelief

when i first heard it.

but when it finally sunk in,

i felt a dagger leaving my venter

then a profuse gush streaming through the incision.

shaken, aghast with their valid torment.

however, i no longer can dwell on what has elapsed.

can i move on? or shall i persist?

for now, how do i find solace? how do i find calm?

even if it's fleeting, i need it.

even if it's way beyond me, i'd nourish it.

give me my anodyne. 

...

numbed.

###

2007's best soundbites and quotable quotes

newsbreak gathered this year’s most memorable quotes from the country’s most sensational events.

1. “kaya pasalamatan natin siya. palakpakan natin siya.”—former president joseph estrada, as he thanked president arroyo for granting him pardon following a sandiganbayan verdict in september convicting him of plunder.

2. “back off!”—first gentleman mike arroyo, as quoted by whistleblower joey de venecia, who testified before the Senate that mr. arroyo had asked him to back off from the controversial national broadband network (nbn) deal.

3. “sec, meron kang 200 dito.”—former socio-economic planning secretary romulo neri before a senate committee, recalling what resigned commission on elections chair benjamin abalos reportedly told him about a bribe offer in connection with the botched nbn deal.

4. “how can I comment on something when the one who said it doesn’t know if it’s 200 pesos or 200 million?”—resigned comelec chair benjamin abalos, when asked to comment on neri’s accusation that he offered him bribe for the nbn deal.

5. “can i check those diplomas ‘cause i would like to make sure they’re not from some med schools in the philippines.”—“desperate housewives” character susan mayer, portrayed by teri hatcher, in one of the episodes of the popular abc comedy series. this line caused uproar among filipinos; abc apologized.

6. “for me, that’s again grasping at straws as thin as his hairline.”— presidential daughter evangeline lourdes ‘luli’ arroyo, as she lashed out at joey de venecia.

7. “the duty-fee shop was overrun with filipino workers selling cell phones and perfume. meanwhile, i wanted to slash my wrist at the thought of being trapped in a plane with all of them.”— an excerpt from the column of malu fernandez, who resigned from people asia and manila standard today after a volley of criticism that she got from filipinos here and abroad.

8. “if i knew, i wouldn’t have worn heels.”—abs-cbn news anchor ces drilon, protesting police suggestions that she had prior knowledge of the november 29 caper led by detained sen. antonio trillanes iv.

9. “now i have the justification to have more shoes…The prescription of the orthopedic doctor was to have more shoes and i said ‘sure.’”—former first lady imelda marcos after her doctor prescribed her to buy the correct type of shoes to protect her knees. the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan had allowed mrs. marcos to go to china and hong kong to seek medical treatment for her knees and eyes and to attend a trade show.

10. "it is understandable for the akbars to suspect anyone who may possibly have the motive…but to single me out as one of the suspects is the biggest of all the injustices they have done to me."-- anak mindanao partylist rep. mujiv hataman, in a privilege speech refuting accusations that he and his brother jim masterminded the blast at the batasan pambansa on nov. 13, 2007. the blast killed basilan rep. wahab akbar; mujiv hataman had worked for akbar when the latter first ran for governor.

our balance sheet of life

our birth is our opening balance

our death is our closing balance

our prejudiced views are our liabilities

our creative ideas are our assets

heart is our current asset

soul is our fixed asset

brain is our fixed deposit

thinking is our current account

achievements are our capital

character & morals, our stock-in-trade

friends are our general reserves

values & behaviour are our goodwill

patience is our interest earned

love is our dividend

children are our bonus issues

education is brands / patents

knowledge is our investment

experience is our premium account

the aim is to tally the balance Sheet of life accurately.

the goal is to get the best presented accounts award.