I Set No Corner

I was riding the bus yesterday and thought how silly it was for the conductor to play a documentary film featuring a certain tribe living in the Kalahari desert. One thing I noticed with myself is that I have such patience to watch ANYTHING that is shown on the screen of public trasports.

As the film went on I found it to be informative, which later became entertaining and then funny. It was so funny that I cant help but laugh. Good thing that most of the passengers seem to be enjoying the film as well and laughing to their heart’s content.

Too bad that a thirty-five kilometer travel distance was not enough for me to finish the video. However, it was surprising that I was able to realize something about life from a film which was originally intended to be comical.

Lesson: Civilized people refuses to adapt himself to its environment. Instead, he changes the environment in order for it to suit him. This attitude continues until suddenly, life starts to become complicated. Too complicated that the children of the civilized people now needs to go to 15 years of schooling in order to adapt to this artificial environment.

This made me ponder if progress and technology really made life easier for us or did it just did the opposite? What do you think?

The bushmen of Xi’s tribe are living well off the land. They are happy because the “gods” have provided plenty of everything, so no one in the tribe has unfilled wants. One day, the pilot of a passing airplane drops a glass Coke bottle. Initially, this strange artifact seems to be a boon from the gods – Xi’s people find many uses for it. But unlike anything that they have had before, there is only one bottle to share among all members of the tribe. They soon find themselves experiencing things they never had before: envy, hatred, even violence.

It is decided that the bottle, renamed “the evil thing”, must be thrown off of the edge of the world. Xi volunteers for the task. As he travels on his quest, he encounters western civilization for the first time. The film presents an interesting interpretation of civilization as viewed through Xi’s perceptions.

Laugh at me all you want but after 26 years since it was released, yesterday was the first time I got to see the movie “The Gods Must Be Crazy“.

I am one of Bob Ong’s legionnaire and that is a confession.

Aside from the humorous way he delivers his stories, I became attached with him because I manage to identify myself with him after reading “ABNKKBSNPLAko?!“. My college life wasn’t really a memorable one for me. There was even one part in the book where I almost cried because I know how hard it is to confess to your parents something that you know will break their heart.

Anyway, I admire his simple, entertaining, and yet meaningful writing style but after reading a story about him in inq7, I now admire him as a person.

on choosing to write in everyday Filipino:
“Consider language as a tool. English would be a saw. Filipino, a knife. My aim is just to peel singkamas (turnip) for merienda. A second language can never replace the first.”on choosing to maintain his identity a secret:
“Of course, you also do wonder at times how it feels to be a rock star. But I look at fame and success as Frodo’s ring, it’s not for everyone. I don’t cope well with big changes. It’s just not for me. Fame comes with a price I’m not willing to pay. I just want to write while living the average Filipino life. I don’t want to be robbed of that.”

you can read the whole story here.

Sa gitna ng malakas at pabugso-bugsong ulan noong nakaraang linggo ay hindi naiwasan ng drayber ng taxi na sinasakyan ko na mapakwento.

D: Oh my God what is wrong with the weather!
M: May bagyo ho yata e.
D: Yes there is and its name is Gloria.
M: Hehe.
D: Tomorrow there will be more trouble.
M: Ay may SONA nga ho pala bukas no?
D: Ewan ko nga ba bakit may SONA pa.
E wala namang dapat sabihin dahil wala
namang nagbago (naubusan na yata ng ingles).

Noong mga nagdaang taon ay masigasig kong inaantay at pinapakinggan ang SONA ng pangulo. Ngunit kahapon ay minabuti kong huwag magbukas ng telebisyon o kahit man lang ng radyo. Ayoko na munang makinig dahil sigurado akong sa kabila ng mga bagong salitang bibigkasin ay ganoon uli ang mensahe.

• Mas gumanda ang katayuan ng ekonomiya kung ihahambing noong nagdaang taon.
• Iisa-isahin ang mga proyektong sinimulan na hindi ko alam kung kailan matatapos.
• Pasasaringan ang mga kumakalaban sa gobyerno.
• Sasabihin na kailangan ng konstitusyunal na pagbabago.
• Ilalahad ang mga bagong plano para sa bansa.
• Mangangako ng mas magandang kinabukasan.
• Hihingi ng tulong at kooperasyon ng mga mamamayan.
• Magpapalakpakan ang mga ka-alyado at mga balimbing.
• Mamumuna o magbo-boycott ang mga kalaban.

Mas pinili kong hindi na makinig dahil alam kong hindi ko makikita ang tunay na lagay ng bansa mula sa pangulo. Alam kong malabong mangyari pero hahangaan ko ang pangulong magsasabi ng mga kapangitan sa kanyang administrasyon lalo na kung iyon talaga ang lagay ng bansa sa ilalim ng kanyang pamumuno. Pagkilala at hindi pagtalikod ang unang hakbang sa kalunasan.

We attended a wedding yesterday at the Island Cove. Jasmin and Ruel are both friends of mine. I became close to the bride because we belong to a group of four who celebrates our birthdays together, eating pasta and watching movies on VCD. On the other hand, I stayed in a dormitory with the groom for a whole school semester enduring his wacky antics. It was a fun wedding. The bride even performed an upbeat dance number for her groom at the end part of the program. Best wishes guys!

After the reception, we decided to have a few games of bowling. I had my practice game with Jeff before the group game which ended with our opponent beating us by 1 point (465:464). It was an exciting battle which resulted to a second round with us beaten for the second time (425:410).

We thought that the night is still young at 11pm and decided to see Eugene’s new crib in Dasmarinas, Cavite. It was a nice apartment. We enjoyed the night exchanging stories and laughing at one another’s jokes and sillyness over coffee, mudslide, vodka ice, hotdogs, and scrambled eggs. Since it was 2am and the drivers seems sleepy, we decided to spend the night there and just leave early in the morning. So Eugene had eight housemates and tons of clothes for laundry in an instant.

It was a long yet fun day for me. God I missed those guys.

The term comfort food refers to any food or drink to which one habitually turns to for temporary respite, security, or special reward. The reasons that something becomes a comfort food are diverse but include the food’s familiarity, simplicity, and/or pleasant associations. Small children often seem to latch on to a specific food or drink (in a way similar to a security blanket) and will repeatedly request it in high stress situations. But adults are certainly not exempt. ~Wikipedia

Pasta is my all-time favorite. I have been eating this one since I was a kid and I am still loving it. With the number of variations it has, I think I will be loving it forever. Hehe.
on picture: montanara by amici de don bosco.

I am a pizza monster. Based on studies, I can eat half of a 10-inch pan pizza. Scientist are still working on improvements. I prefer pizza hut over Shakey’s especially with the edge turned into a volcano.
on picture: “forgotten name” by amici de don bosco.

I don’t know what it is with Thai foods that soothes me. All I know is that they taste great and they make me full. I will go for a seafood rice on depressing days.
on picture: seafood rice by s.r.

My fascination with scenic photographs, the vast number of photoblogs I saw in the net, and acquiring a point-and-shoot digital camera last year are the factors why I became a photohobbyist. There were times were I regretted buying my digicam and wished that I just bought something else say a PSP, PS2, or an iPod instead; but this hobby made me realized or confirmed somethings about myself. A camera is an amazing device – capturing not just what is in front of it but also who is behind it.

Unlike co-photobloggers Marco and Sydney, I rarely pick people as my subject and when I do, they are usually facing backwards. I am also more inclined to shoot “poignant elements, solemn and full of sentiments,” as Storm Crypt puts it. Artist’s temperament? Probably. What I do know is that there are things that I need to improve on. Not for the sake of coming up with a better photo, but more of coming up with a better self.

Anyway here are ten photos from my now defunct first blog. Each is special to me for different reasons.

click the first thumbnail and navigate using the buttons
or press N for next and P for previous.

01. I just reformatted my PC for the nth time the other day. This was right after I encountered my third critical error in less than twenty four hours.

02. Flood waters inside the house calls for extensive cleaning and drying. Worst part was I had to do it twice.

03. I managed to chat online with my friends earlier. Soon we will be from different time zones: Manila, Guam, Doha, and Texas.

04. Will be hitting Glorietta either Tuesday or Wednesday. I hope something good is in store for me.

05. Michelle asked me to go with her welcome entourage on Thursday. Oh my God she’s back.

06. I ate three putopao and a bowl of lugaw for dinner.

07. I learned yesterday that a friend from my church won the Bayaning Kabataang Pilipino Award. Lucky me, I’m friends with a national hero.

08. The entire afternoon wasn’t enough for me to figure out how to integrate tags on my blog the way I wanted it to be. Tomorrow is yet another day.

09. I started reading Photoshop 7 for Dummies a few months ago yet I am still at page 31. I finished The Alchemist in less than seven hours.

10. I have been running out again of things to blog about. For the meantime, please bear with my post.

Yes, the rain has come and with it are the floods. Living in a city surrounded by three bays, it seems that flood waters inside your house will be inevitable unless you resort to drastic renovations. With the news that it may rise again at its highest due to high tide, I think I will be postponing house cleaning until tomorrow.

*****

It seems like the dream dictionary is right in saying that I feel small and insignificant. Being unemployed for months can really take the best out of you. My problem with this job hunting thing is that my mind is still not made up on what path to choose. I wanted to run away from my current field without a clear knowledge of where would I like to go. I wanted to live up to my dream, but I guess not all dreams come true. Worst case, I have to return to where I started.

*****

The photo you see here is a re-post from my first blog and i took it using a Nokia3200. I really like this picture because it reminds me of a Bible passage which encourages me not to loose hope.

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:12

Things happen for a reason and the time will come that there will be no confusion. Until then… have faith.

I had a really weird dream last night. Actually weird na nga iyong maalala ko kung ano ang panaginip ko kasi normally hindi ko siya matatandaan later in the day. Tapos dalawa pa ang naalala ko. I wont tell about the second one kasi hindi naman ito gaanong interesting.

Napanaginipan ko kagabi that I was being married to a midget. Opo, sa isang unano (no offense). Parang it started with something that I have said na kailangan kong patunayan sa mga kaibigan ko by marrying her. Okay naman ang lahat not until after the wedding. Parang doon lang nag-dawn sa akin yung ginawa ko and I was regretting it. I was thinking that it was a mistake na sa tagal-tagal ng paghihintay ko at sa dami ng tiniis ko ay matatali lang ako sa babaeng ito just because of a dare. I was even blaming my friend Rea kung bakit siya pumayag. Bakit hindi man lang niya ako pinigilan, pinagsabihan, pinagpayuhan na huwag magpakasal (among my friends kasi si Rea yung level-headed pagdating sa pag-ibig. Siya yung inaasahan naming magtatanong ng, “O Christian ba yan?” at “O God’s will na ba yan?”). Tapos the only thing she said was, “Ewan ko nga ba bakit ako pumayag”. Lumalabas parang nabudol-budol ako into marriage. Tapos iniisip ko paano kaya ako makakawala sa pagkakamaling iyon. Since walang divorce sa Pilipinas naisip kong patayin ko na lang kaya siya. Morbid pero naisip ko talaga yun sa panaginip ko.

Any dream interpreters out there?

In my short exploration on the vast world of ice blended coffee, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s The Ultimate is the best I had so far.

The Ultimate
Our secret Coffee Extract and chocolate or vanilla blended with ice, chocolate espresso beans and non-fat milk.

one sip from it and I can feel my exhaustion flushing out of my body. It never fails to delight me.

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Congratulations to team Italy for being 2006’s FIFA World Cup Champions. Italy are world champions for the fourth time after beating ten-man France 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Berlin’s Olympiastadion on Sunday, 9 July 2006. You can read more detail in the official website.

Congratulations also to France and Germany for placing second and third respectively.