Season of Giving

I noticed that the best gifts that I get at this time of the year at this time of my life are from my friends.

Not from my parents because they don't give me gifts anymore because for one, they are old enough to stop playing Santa to me. I am the youngest of three children and I am 26.

Not from my sister or brother because I've been independent for about three years now, I've been away and they only see me on birthdays and holidays and some occasional lunch outs and coffee bonding. I think they don't know me anymore. Well at least what I want or use on a regular basis. My sister and I are really close, but she still thinks that I still am a psuedo hippie (the original hippies are the people from San Fo, and technically, all others are psuedo hippies) who wears floral clothes and loves flower-decorated accessories. I would still do, when I get thin enough to fit my bellbottoms. I still am a psuedo hippie at heart, though.

At the age of 26, the people I always see are my officemates, my housemates, and my friends. Two days ago, a lesbian friend gave me a box of Marlboro Red flip tops as exchange gift. The next day, an officemate gave me a fabulous lighter. Today, another lesbian friend gave me a necktie. A special someone gave me the Victorinox pocket tools I've been wanting for ages. You can now judge me by the gifts I received from four people.

I have yet to see the gifts my relatives would give me, but I'm 80% sure that they would be stuck in the 90s when I was still cute, girly and skinny. But I love the gifts they give me, make me wanna become skinny and girly again. Cute, however, I cannot go back to.

I give gifts every year to all of my relatives that I see on a regular basis. And give gifts to all my godchildren (inaanaks), i have eight, though some of them have not seen me for years. I always want to make sure that when they come, I have something to give them. But just like my sister to me, I can say, I think I don't know some of them anymore. Well at least what they want or use on a regular basis.

But honestly, what I want or use on a regular basis doesn't matter. It's the thought that counts. Really. I am thankful that no matter how far I've been or how detached I've become (because of work and other things that maturing grown ups do like become independent and shit), they still include me to their shopping lists. I am thankful that I still receive gifts at times when the oil price is really high. And I am happy to still buy gifts for people I don't see even at times when the oil price is really high. Because it would be sad if an inaanak comes, expecting for a present and doesn't get one.

I am thankful that I still get gifts from friends. I am thankful that even if my parents don't give me gifts anymore, they are still with me on birthdays and holidays and some occasional lunch outs and coffee bonding. I am thankful that I still get gifts, period.

Because some people dont even know what a gift is, at this season of giving. Some haven't even celebrated Christmas yet. Because they cannot afford to.

So let's not forget to share our blessings. Have a Merry Christmas!

Singapore Tap Cards

September, 2008

Karla: Punta tayong Singapore!
Ako: Bakit?
Karla: Wala lang.
Ako: Sige.

September 10, 2008, nag book kami ng ticket papuntang Singapore.

November 2008, kumuha ako ng passport, madami akong pinagdaanag di kanais nais na mga pangyayari sa pagkuha ng valid ID. Nag-ahensya ako para makakuha ng passport.

December 03, 2008, nakuha ko ang passport.

December 04, 2008, lumipad ako papuntang Singapore.

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Ayoko sanang lumabas ng bansa. Gusto ko munang malibot ang Pilipinas bago ako mangibang bayan. Sa totoo lang, meron tayong mahigit pitong libong isla, ibig sabihin, mahigit pitong libong beaches, libong mga piyesta at parada, sagana sa kultura at magagandang lugar. Pero sa kabila noon, mahirap pa rin ang Pilipinas. Isang bagay kung bakit pilit pinauusbong ang turismo sa bansa. Sabi nga ni Sec. Ace Durano, pag may turismo, mas madaming trabaho.

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SINGAPORE

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Singapore

Singapore is a popular travel destination, making tourism one of its largest industries. About 9.7 million tourists visited Singapore in 2006.^[48] The Orchard Road shopping district is one of Singapore's most well-known and popular tourist draws. To attract more tourists, the government decided to legalise gambling and to allow two casino resorts (euphemistically called Integrated Resorts) to be developed at Marina South and Sentosa in 2005.^[49] To compete with regional rivals like Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai, the government has announced that the city area would be transformed into a more exciting place by lighting up the civic and commercial buildings.^[50] Cuisine has also been heavily promoted as an attraction for tourists, with the Singapore Food Festival in July organized annually to celebrate Singapore's cuisine.

Singapore is fast positioning itself as a medical tourism hub — about 200,000 foreigners seek medical care in the country each year and Singapore medical services aim to serve one million foreign patients annually by 2012 and generate USD 3 billion in revenue.^[51] The government expects that the initiative could create an estimated 13,000 new jobs within the health industries.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore#Economy

I think they (writers, travellers, articles, etc) always forget to mention how really extravagant the lights and water shows that Singapore also offers. Napansin ko na parang na-master na ng Singapore ang pagpapalabas gamit ang ilaw at tubig, kung may fireworks ang China, may lights and water show naman ang Singapore. Hindi ko alam kung sino ang naka-imbento ng teknolohiyang ito, pero mahusay dito ang Singapore. Sa Sentosa, madaming tubig, mga fountain at bonggang show na gumamit ng laser lights at tubig. May fireworks din. Nasa Singapore din ang tinuturing na World's Largest Fountain. Namangha talaga ako. Ito ang highlight ng pagpunta ko sa Singapore. Hindi ang mga malls.

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COST OF LIVING

Madalas sinasabi na mahal ang magpuntang Singapore, mataas daw ang cost of living doon. Pero sa aking pag tantya, hindi naman:

rice: SG$ 0.5
food/meal: SG$ 2.00/4.00 - pataas, buffet: SG$ 20.00 pataas (ito yung nakainan namin na hotpot)
mrt: SG$ 0.80 - SG$ 1.80
bus: SG$ 0.90 - SG$ 1.80
water/soda: SG$ 1.20 pataas (depende kung saan/ano ang bibilhin mo)

Madalas sinasabi na mahal ang magpuntang Singapore, mataas daw ang cost of living dito. Pero sa aking pag tantya, hindi naman, yun ay kung hindi mo ito ikukumpara sa Philippine Peso.

Pinilit ko ang isang kaibigan na sabihin sa akin kung magkano ang sweldo (starting) sa Singapore. SG$ 3,000 daw. Gusto ko sanang i-compute kung magkano ang buwanang gastos sa pamasahe, pagkain at tirahan ng isang empleyado kung ia-itemize ko ang mga ginagastos niya sa loob ng isang araw, time 22 days na may pasok, plus ilan pang gastusin kapag weekends at bayarin sa utilities at renta ng bahay. Pero sa mas madaling paraan, ganito ang naisip ko:

rice: SG$ 0.50 = PHP 5.00
food/meal: SG$ 2.00/4.00 pataas, buffet: SG$ 20.00 pataas = PHP 20.00/40.00 pataas, buffet: PHP 200.00 pataas
mrt: SG$ 0.80 - SG$ 1.80 = PHP 8.00 - PHP 18.00
bus: SG$ 0.90 - SG$ 1.80 = PHP 9.00 - PHP 18.00
water/soda/drinks: SG$ 1.00 pataas = PHP 10.00 pataas

Kung gayon, kung sinasabing SG$3000 ang starting pay sa Singapore, at sa equation ko sa itaas, masasabing PHP 30,000 ang halaga nun dito sa Pilipinas. Mataas na sweldo, kung tutuusin, sa halos parehong halaga ng gastusin na umiiral ngayon dito sa bansa. Ang mahal daw sa Singapore ay ang renta sa bahay. At kung may lupa ka na may nakatirik na bahay duon, napakayaman mo na. Hindi kataka taka kung bakit napakadaming housing units (mala-NHA na hamak na mas maganda at mas maayos) at condominiums at apartments duon. Kapag daw naka-condo ka, mayaman ka na. Pag naka-apartment, mas mayaman pa. At pag may bahay, lalo na kung malaki ang lupa, Ayala, Zobel at Lopez na ang level.

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SISTEMA

Apat na araw lang ako sa Singapore. My experience and stay there are well not sufficient to say what I will say here. But let me give you my two cents worth.

Every cent has a value in Singapore. A cup of rice in hawkers (a strip of foodcarts, like a giant foodcourt, carinderia style) is SG$ 0.50. Sa carinderia natin, PHP 5.00. Train rides are at SG$ 1.20, top up a SG$ 1.00 deposit for the tap card. Sa MRT natin, PHP 12.00 pataas, walang deposito ang tickets. Tap cards ang ginagamit nila, hindi tulad ng sa atin na sinusuksok pa sa entrance ng MRT Station. Meaning, hindi nagagasgas at madaling maluma ang cards nila, hindi kailangan agad palitan, kaya mawawalan ka ng isang dolyar (na katumbas ng dalawang tasang kanin) kapag hindi mo sinoli. Sa ganito palang, nakakatipid na ang Singapore sa paggawa at pag imprenta ng mga bagong tickets.

Wala silang takilyera sa MRT stations dahil sa cards. Meron lang isang booth para sa pagbili ng tap cards na may stored value (pre-paid kumbaga). Bukod duon, makina nalang ang kausap mo. Sa makina ka kukuha ng card, at sa makina ka rin kukuha ng deposito. Walang konduktor ang mga bus dahil sa tap cards at toll boxes na katabi ng driver. Wala din gaanong mga security guards sa mga malls, dahil automatic doors ang lahat ng pinto. Walang gaanong police, dahil law-abiding ang mga tao. Walang traffic enforcers dahil sapat ang mga traffic lights at signs na kakailanganin ng mga drivers, commuters at pedestrians.

May camera kahit saan ka pumunta. Meron sa loob ng malls, ng train stations, sa kalye, sa kainan. Sa lahat ng lugar. Kaya natatakot gumawa ng krimen ang mga tao dito. Minsan daw, pag nag-overspeeding ka, dadating nalang sa bahay mo ang tiket. At hindi mo pedeng sabihing wala kang kasalanan, dahil ilang warning din ng "Speed Camera Ahead" ang nakita ko sa daan. Sana lang, merong nanunuod lagi sa mga camera na nasa public places, dahil kung hindi at may nangyaring nakawan, masosolve nga ang krimen, hindi naman din masyadong maaagapan sa mismong oras na mangyari. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang parusa sa mga nagkakasala sa Singapore, sabi ng isa kong kaibigan, lashing daw.

Inisip ko, isa sa mga bagay kung bakit mayaman ang isang bansa ay dahil talaga sa teknolohiya nito. Matipid ang tapcards, ang machines at CCTVs. Dahil mahal lang ang pagdevelop, pag install, implementation at maintainance ng mga nito. Pero hindi na kailangan magpasweldo ng manpower buwan-buwan para gawin ang mga gawaing pedeng gawin ng makina. Mataas din ang kalidad ng mga gamit kaya hindi kailangang madalas palitan o kumpunihin, na nakakatipid din sa production at man hours sa paggawa ng mga ito. Naisip ko, although pede naman magkaroon ng ganitong sistema at teknolohiya sa Pilipinas, hindi naman natin kayang i-raise ang initial funds para dito. At sa laki ng populasyon ng Pilipinas, madaming mawawalan ng trabaho.

May malaki din namang bilang din ng labor workers sa Singapore, at sila ay nasa construction work dahil sa dami ng mga ginagawang condominiums, hotels at casino. May ilan na janitors/janitress din akong nakita. Yun ay dahil hindi kayang buuin o linisin ng isang building ang sarili nya.

Pero kung iisipin, nasaan ang mga tao sa Singapore?

Sabi, mababa ang pupolasyon ng Singapore. Dahil hindi daw marunong magreproduce ang mga tao dito. Kumbaga, hindi mahilig mag-sex. Mas gusto nilang magtrabaho, kaysa ang magpamilya. At nagagawa nila to, dahil sa kalidad ng edukasyon. Basic naman yun, diba? Kung nakapag-aral ka, mas malaki ang chance na makakuha ng trabaho na hindi labor work, at bilang advanced na bansa, madami ding naio-offer na trabaho ang Singapore, hindi lamang sa mga locals, pero pati na rin sa buong mundo. Sa ngayon, apat sa mga barkada ko nung high school ang nanduon at kinita ko silang lahat para ilibre nila ako ng Tiger Beer! At hindi sila nagkikita kita, hanggang nung dumating ako, dahil busy sila sa trabaho!

Siguro, mababa din ang krimen, kase sapat ang kita ng mga tao para mabuhay. Hindi nila kailangang magnakaw. At hindi nila kailangang mang-rape dahil hindi sila mahilig sa sex!

Dito sa bansa, mahal ang edukasyon. Kaya madami ang hindi nakakapag-aral. Kaya madami ang may kailangan ng labor work at iba pang unskilled workers. At minsan, kahit nakapag-aral, mahirap kumuha ng trabaho dahil sa kakulangan nito. Dahil wala tayong sariling industriya.

Pero hindi ako tutol sa labor work, dahil kung iisipin, wala tayong kakainin kung wala ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda. Wala tayong titirahan kung wala ang mga karpintero at mason. Wala tayong susuotin o gagamitin kung wala ang mga nagtatrabaho sa factories.

Pero kung meron tayong sapat na edukasyon, at sapat na teknolohiya, maaari na nating bawasan ang libo libong excess na mga tarabahador at empleyado na minsan, wala naman talagang ginagawa pero pinapasweldo at ilipat sila sa mga trabahong mas mapapakinabangan sila.

Sa Singapore, sinusunod ang mga tamang tawiran, tamang sakayan ng bus, tamang pila, tamang pasukan, tamang pagtatapon ng basura at iba pa. Sa ganitong paraan, mas maalwan ang bansa nila. At mas mabilis at maayos nagagawa ang mga bagay bagay. Syempre, wala ding traffic sa kanila.

Wala ding traffic dahil may tatlo lang na main modes of public transportation -- MRT, bus at taxi. Very inexpensive and very much efficient ang kanilang MRT at bus. May mga ruta silang sinusunod at humihinto sila sa tamang terminal, kaya hindi nila kailangang mag-unahan sa pasahero, hindi katulad dito sa Pilipinas na kaya nagtatrapik ay dahil sa mga nakabalandrang PUJs at PUBs na naghihintay mapuno. Ang MRTs nila ay nagkokonekta sa madaming istasyon sa buong Singapore. Maaring libutin ang buong bansa sa pamamagitan ng MRT. Wala ring traffic dahil konti lang ang may sasakyan. Dahil nga siguro efficient ang kanilang public transportation system. Hindi ko napansin kung mahal ang gasolina dahil isang gas station lang ang nakita ko sa loob ng apat na araw. Pero napansin kong mahal ang public parking. Isang dolyar sa bawat kalahating oras. Kaya kung magmo-mall ka ng nakasasakyan, magbabayad ka ng SG$ 10.00 sa loob ng limang oras.

Bawal manigarilyo sa madaming lugar, SG$ 500.00 - SG$ 1,000.00 ang multa dito. Bawal magkalat, bawal dumura at madami pang bawal. Na makikita ang mga warning sa lahat ng lugar. May multa ang lahat ng bagay pag sinuway. Kaya malinis ang daan, hindi nagbabara ang mga kanal, at hindi kailangan ng madaming street sweepers. Nakakatipid sila sa pag-aayos ng sewer system at sa pagpapasweldo ng street sweepers. Pero syempre, nagpondo sila sa mga kaukulang signboards at mga basurahan na pang matagalan. Syempre, hindi rin bumabaha sa kanila.

Ang dami kong nasabi, ang totoo nyan, naisip ko lang kahat yan, dahil sa simpleng pag-gamit ng tap cards sa Singapore. Naisip ko lang kung gano katipid yung tap card sa salary at man power. At kung gaano kasistematiko doon.

Napakalaki talaga ng nagagawa ng sistema para sa isang bansa. Kung maganda ang sistema at magaling ang implementation nito, siguradong mas gagaan ang buhay. Basta maganda ang sistema at very favorable ito sa mga tao, sino ba naman ang tatanggi o susuway?

Pag maganda ang sistema o pamamalakad sa isang bansa, o isang city, malaki ang natitipid ng bansa, mawawalan ng baha, mababawasan ang traffic at populasyon, at mas madali itong lalago dahil mas magiging efficient din ang mga tao, dahil makakatipid sila sa oras, pera at enerhiya. Walang hassle, walang problema.

Pag maganda ang sistema o pamamalakad sa isang bansa, o isang city, malaki din ang chance na makapagbigay ng sapat ng pondo para sa edukasyon. Mas madaming bata ang makakapag-aral at magiging edukado, maaaring bumaba ang crime rate dahil mababawasan ang pagnanakaw at iba pang common na krimen dahil mas malaki ang chance na mas gusto nilang magtrabaho kaysa maging kriminal, at makakatipid ang bansa sa pag-maintain ng mga pambansa at pangsiyudad na kulungan. Kung mas madaming paaralan, mas magiging efficient din ang mga estudyante, dahil makakatipid sila sa oras, pera at enerhiya sa pagpasok sa klase.

Pag maganda ang sistema o pamamalakad sa isang bansa, o isang city, mas magiging efficient ito at self sufficient. Mas matutugunan nito ang problema ng kahirapan, population at unemployment. Mas magkakaron ng focus sa basic social services tulad ng edukasyon. Kung maganda ang sistema o pamamalakad sa isang bansa, o isang city, mas magiging ganado sumunod sa batas ang mga tao. At mas magkakaroon ng kapayapaan sa loob at labas ng bahay.

Opinyon ko lang ang mga yan, parang common sense ba. Alam kong mas komplikado pa dyan ang realidad nating mga Pilipino. Pero malay natin, marating din natin ang antas ng kabuhayan na sapat para sa ating lahat. At kung lalabas ka sa syudad o hindi mo iisipin ang mga kakulangan ng bansa sa masa, makikita mo na napakaganda pa rin ng Pilipinas, kailangan lang ng konting kalinga.

Who was I?

I was born and raised (but only until I was seven) in the province. My first teacher was Ms. Maroma. I was in kindergarten. The first boy that had a crush on me was my classmate named Ryan. My first crush on a boy was to the school priest's grandson, Darwin. My first crush was Mary Ann.

My family moved to the city when I was 7.5 years old. I took an entrance exam in a private school in the city and passed it but chose to go to a public school instead. I could not believe that little girls aged seven and below would yell at their yayas, in the school ground.

I finished my elementary schooling at a public school. I wore white blouse and green pleated skirt. I had a choice of going to my Mom's high school but they enrolled me to a high school in Tondo -- where my Tita was schooled. They say some pretty popular celebrities went to that high school - like Dolphy. I did not believe them. Doesn't matter. High school was a blast for me.

I was in section 5 in my first year, section 2 in my second year, section 3 in my third year, section 1 in my fourth year in high school. I did not have honors but graduated in the top 2% of our batch. I had more than a thousand batchmates in senior year. I attended the Prom twice. I think.

I took the entrance exam of a state university. I was to take another exam to a university in España but got the results from the exam at the state university ahead. I only took one college entrance exam, at my dream school and passed it, on a quota course. But that does not pass me as intelligent. I just got lucky.

I finished a non-quota course because I shifted from my prestigious quota course to a more colorful course. I shifted because, for one, I thought the new course does not require a licensure board exam to practice. I was obviously wrong. The new course was fun. But the teachers were strict and the people were a bit boring. Unlike in my original course, students would smoke in a no-smoking floor and would go directly to a watering hole nearby after classes.

I joined a theater group, and four other organizations. All related to art -- film, photography, cultural arts, and architecture. But I did not even try to join a club under the college or department that I graduated from.

I was in second year college when I started hosting the UP Fair, I've done it until this year. Then I had a band.

I drank every after class in the summer of 2003. I got drunk thrice in college -- in a frat house, in my band mate's house and in my orgmate's house. I used to party hard. I went to hundreds of concerts and I only had to pay a ticket once. I had VIP tickets and all access passes. But that does not pass me as important, I just got lucky.

I wore a beige and mocha custom-made dress-gown in my graduation march. The photographer was not able to catch me receiving my diploma on stage. Bummer.

I bummed for 1.25 years after I graduated from college. I applied for a part time call center job, passed the exam but did not take the job because my best friend did not pass. I applied in a furniture shop that has a branch in Megamall (among others) but the owner said I was over qualified. That was the first time I was discriminated because I went to a good school.

I got my first paycheck in January of 2006. After that, I always paid tickets.

I wore sunglasses in the morning, I wore them at night. Some college friends never saw my bare eyes in daylight.

I girl-watched with guy friends. Because girls are pretty. I fell in love with boys, and girls too. I fell in love with enemies, and friends too. I had boyfriends, I had girlfriends, maybe I had too much love to give.

I was born 26 years ago, today.

Dahil Ganito

Simple lang akong tao, nakakatulog ako sa simpleng tapik sa braso na may kasamang sintunadong hele.

Narerelaks ako sa mahabang ligo, nakakalma ako sa swabeng musika.

Maamoy ko lang ang ulan, o makita ang kulimlim, naramdaman ko na ang patak ng ulan at sayang maligo dito. Minsan pipikit lang ako, iisipin ko lang ang malamig na simoy sa mukha ko, sabay malalim na hinga, para na akong nagka-enerhiya.

Madali akong makahanap ng mga bagay na makaka'refresh' sakin -- pag-inom sa basong may yelo sa harap ng electric fan, parang Nestea ang feeling. Mag 'ahhh!' pagkatapos lumagok ng malamig na Coca-Cola. O basain ang paa sa gripo, sabay tapat sa bintilador.

Madali akong sumaya, sumayaw o sumabay, dahil mababaw lang akong tao. Mababaw ang tawa, minsan, mababaw din ang luha.

Simple lang ako magsalita. Simple lang ako magsulat. Hindi ako simple pag tinignan mo ako, pero lalong hindi ako komplikado. May hikaw ako sa tenga, may relo ako sa kamay, may salamin sa mata. Masasabi mong nasa tamang pwesto naman ang mga bagay. May bag ako, para hindi ako nakakaiwan o nakakawala ng gamit. Pag binuksan mo ang bag ko, makikita mong direkta ang mga laman nito. Walang hidden pockets, walang kikay kit, walang mga extrang lalagyan na walang laman. Walang nakakalat na kung ano ano.

Ayoko ng komplikadong araw, araw araw. Komplikado na ang buhay, kaya hindi ko na yun dinadagdagan ng mga simpleng trobol sa araw araw. Mas gusto kong ngumiti, tumawa, matawa, kaysa mainis, mang inis o sakyan ang inis ng iba. Hindi ako mahilig sa tsismis. Mukha lang oo, dahil palaging 'safe' ang mga sagot ko. Mukha ding oo, dahil inaral namin ang arte ng isang cinco tsismosa.

Minsan, nahihirapan akong magpaliwanag sa ibang tao, dahil baka hindi nila ako maintindihan, o hindi ko maipaliwanag ang sasabihin ko sa salitang maiintindihan nila. Pero tinuturing kong maswerte ang mga taong sinubukan kong paliwanagan. Dahil kung tutuusin, ayokong magpaliwanag. At ginugulan ko ng oras at kakayahan ang subukang magpaliwanag sa kanila, kahit kadalasan, sarado naman din ang utak nila. At mas gusto nilang punahin ang sinasabi ko, kaysa ang ibig sabihin nito. Kaya minsan, diretso nalang sa barangay.

Pag nagtanong ako ng bakit, yun ay dahil hindi ko talaga alam ang sagot. Hindi ko alam kung madali o mahirap. Lahat yata ng dati kong karelasyon sinabihan ko ng "huwag ka nang magpaliwanag" at hindi ako madalas magtanong ng "bakit?" kapag alam kong mahirap ang sagot. Bakit? Dahil mahirap magpaliwanag, at ayokong nahihirapan sila.

Ayoko ng matalinhagang mga salita, dahil simple lang akong tao.

Nakakatulog ako sa simpleng tapik sa braso na may kasamang sintunadong hele.

Life's a beach!

Ah, a very cliche title.

I am going to the beach tomorrow, Apo Island, baby here I come!

Exactly a month ago, I was in Boracay. Two weeks from now, I am going to Singapore and I will make sure that I visit at least one beach!

My goal is to SCUBA dive next year! Because you know, for me, life's a beach, and then you dive!

(Ha! You did not see that coming!)

Lalalalalala

Nanuod ako ng tv. Ang lungkot, depressing. Commercials lang ang masaya, nagbabadya ng pasko.

Mula kay Beema

Madalas akong bigyan ni Beema ng links ng artworks na nakikita nya kung saan saan. Eto kakabigay lang nya sakin, exact words "para sa iyo yan, beema"

http://lambchild.deviantart.com/art/Creative-Color-56727175

Salamat Beema! :)

Haggard: The BIR Edition part 2

"Mam, ano po ang kailangan ko para makakuha ng TIN ID?" Inabot ko sa kanya ang hawak kong papel na naglalaman ng buo kong pangalan at TIN.

Mam: Kailangan mong magbayad ng P500 at may monthly dues ka sa BIR
Ako: Nagbabayad naman po ako.
Mam: Kailangan mo muna magregister at magbayad ng P500. Professional ang nakalagay sa iyo dito. May komisyon ka ba sa mga projects mo? Anong klaseng propesyon?
Ako: Ahm, empleyado po ako.
Mam: Bakit professional ang nakalagay dito?
Ako: Ah...hindi ko po alam. (sa loob loob ko, bakit nga ba?) Pano po ba magpalipat para maging Employee?
Mam: Gusto mo maging employee nalang yung tax type mo?
Ako: Opo.
Mam: San ba ang opisina mo?
Ako: Kalayaan po.
Mam: San ka nakatira?
Ako: V Luna po.
Mam: Punta ka sa 39, sabihin mo magpapapalit ka na Local Employee.
Ako: Mam, dun po kame galing.
Mam: Sige, pumunta ka nalang kay Irene ng 2nd floor.

Nagpunta kame sa sumunod na palapag. Tahimik ang hallway. May pinto sa kanan at kaliwa ng hagdanan. Pumasok kame sa kanan. Pagbukas ng pinto, madaming desks. May mga pangalan ang bawat isa nito. Pero ang mga tao, nakakumpol sa likod. Lahat naman sila, lumingon nung may pumasok. Pero bumalik din sa kanya kanya nilang usapan. Tinawag namin ang attention nung babaeng nasa pinakamalapit na mesa.

Ako: Mam, saan po makikita si Ms. Irene ng 2nd floor?
Mam2: Sa kabilang kwarto.

Lumipat kame sa kabilang kwarto.

Kasama ko: Ser, saan po makikita si Ms. Irene?
Ser2: Irene? (tinuro yung babae na nasa likod ng pinto)
Kasama ko: Mam, si Ms. Irene po?
Mam3: Irene? Ng 2nd floor?
Kasama ko: Opo.
Mam3: Akyat pa kayo. (Ngumiti. First time may ngumiti sa kanila. At medyo maganda din siya, kamukha niya si Imee Marcos)

Umakyat kami. Pumasok kami sa unang pinto. Walang babae. Pumasok kami sa sumunod na pinto. Nagtanong ako sa lalaking nasa harapan ng pinto at tila nagsasagot lang ng crossword puzzle.

Ako: Ser, saan po makikita si Ms Irene?
Ser3: (tumingala, banlag sya, tumuro siya sa likod niya. Pero hindi ko talaga alam kung san yun dahil isang mata nya ay nakatingin sa taas, isa ay nakatingin sa kaliwa.)
Bumulong ako sa kasama ko, sabi ko "San kaya yun?" Sabi nya basta magpunta nalang daw kami sa likod.

Nagtanong ako sa kasunod na mesa, tinuro nya sakin yung babaeng nasa dulo. Ganito ang eksena:

Over the shoulder shot, nakatalikod ako sa camera.
Ako: Mam, saan po makikita si Ms. Irene?

CU of employee.
Mam4: Siya yun!
Tuturo sa babaeng nasa dulo, nakaupo sa malaking mesa, nakatingin ang babae sa bandang babang kaliwa niya.

Maglalakad ako at ang aking kasama papalapit sa mesa. Dollying in ang camera kasabay ng bahagyang pag zoom in, para ramdam mo na malapit na malapit na talaga.

Tatayo ako sa harap ng mesa niya, ni Ms. Irene. Maaaninag niya na may tao. Titingala siya, dahan dahan.

POV ko, CU sa mukha ni Ms. Irene. Parang ka-aura nya si Rosa Rosal. Mas batang version.

Zoom out ang camera, makikitang nagpapapedicure pala siya kaya siya nakatungo sa bandang kaliwa.

Cut to POV ni Ms. Irene.

Ako: Mam, kayo po si Ms. Irene?

POV ko. Tatango si Ms. Irene.

MS sa kanan ko. Makikitang may nagpepedicure sa kanya habang kausap nya ako.

Ako: Gusto ko pong malaman kung paano ko malilipat ang tax type ko mula professional to local employee?

Kukuha ng makapal na notepad si Ms. Irene. Neon Orange ito. Magsusulat siya. Iaabot sa akin ang papel. Hindi siya magsasalita.

Kukuhahanin ko ang papel. Babasahin ang nakasulat dito.

Cut to close up nga papel.
tatapusin.

Haggard: The BIR Edition

Ang haggard maging adult. It's complicated.

Nung estudyante pa ako, problema ko lang, kung pano tatapusin ang mga plates, paano di male-late sa klase at paano pagsasabayin ang acads at extra curricular activities.

Aba ngayon, bukod sa health issues, kailangan mo pa kumuha ng mga Valid IDs. At ito ay yung mga ini-isyu ng mga sangay ng gobyerno or mga pambansa at malawakang institusyon. Whatever.

Kanina, kukuha lang naman sana ako ng TIN ID. Matagal na akong may TIN, pero wala akong ID. Nagpunta kame sa BIR dyan sa may Quezon Ave. Papasok pa lang kame, chumika na yung gwardya. Informative naman ang chika nya. Sabi nya, i-verify muna namen kung san kame dapat magpa ID. Pumunta daw kame sa "39 at 40". Kung ano man or saan man yung "39 at 40".

Marunong naman kameng magtanong. Kaya nalaman naman namin kung saan yung "39 at 40". Pumasok kame sa "39 at 40". Tinignan kong mabuti yung mga empleyado. Parang busy silang lahat. May namumuong pila sa loob pero hindi naman lahat ng desk ng mga empleyado ay puno. Nagtanong kame ulit kung san ang pila at sino ang nasa dulo. Nalaman naman namin, kaya nakipila na kame at naghintay. Mga 5 minuto na, hindi pa umaandar yung pila. Nagtanong na yung kasama ko "ah miss, umaandar ba yung pila? ... sino bang mag-aassist sa atin? ... ah sige, magtatanong na lang ako." Lumapit na ang kasama ko sa mesa ng isang empleyado. Matagal na kaseng wala naman syang ine-entertain. At parang wala ding pagtatawag ng number. Nalaman nya, na pede naman pala syang asikasuhin ng empleyadong iyon. Kung di pa sya nagtanong edi pede kameng abutin dun ng siyam siyam?

Pinasulat ng ale (empleyado) ang pangalan at TIN namin sa papel. Kinuha nya ito sa amin matapos ang tatlong minuto. Ewan bakit di pa nya kinuha agad. Baka SOP na paghintayin ang mga tao. May tinignan sya sa kanyang computer records. Tas sinulat nya sa papel: "RDO 40" at "RDO 38". Hindi nya sinabi kung para saan. Tinanong lang namin kung ano yun. Ang sagot nya ay "dun sa kabilang kwarto".

Nagpunta kame sa kabilang kwarto. Ganun na naman, may konting pila, madaming empleyado. Pero walang magsasabi sa iyo kung sino ang pede mong kausapin. Walang mga plaka na magtuturo sa iyo kung saang eksena ka dapat pumasok. Wala ding titingin sa iyo pagpasok mo ng pinto. Lahat sila pawang may sinusulat/an o me ibang kausap. Nagtanong kame. Sabi basta "diyan" daw ang pila. Diyan.

Matapos ang pagtatanong, nalaman namin kung sino ang pede naming kausapin.

Ako: Ser, kukuha sana kame ng TIN ID.
Ser: (tumingin samin, tas me ibang ginawa, tapos bumalik) Letter of request lang galing sa employer (umalis na, may ibang kinausap)
Ako: Ahm... Ano po ang dapat laman nun?
Ser: (busy, busy, finally) Na kailangan nyo ng ID.
Ako: Saan po namin ipapasa yun?
Ser: San ba kayo nagtatrabaho?
Ako: Kalayaan po.
Ser: Eto i-fill up nyo para ilipat kayo dito.
Ako: (nagulat, parang iba na yung goal) Ilipat po ng ano?
Ser: Kase sa 39 kayo ngayon e. Fill up nyo yan para ilipat kayo dito.
Ako: Bakit po kame magpapalipat?

Mahabang diskusyon ang naganap. Meron ba akong hindi nage-gets na common naman sa lahat ng gusto kumuha ng TIN ID? Ako lang ba ang may hindi alam sa "39" at paglilipat? Ginawa ko ang best ko na malaman kung bakit kami kailangang ilipat samantala gusto lang naman namin na magkaron ng TIN ID. Yun ang goal. Paulit ulit lang ang sagot ni Ser, hindi nya iniisplika kung Bakit kami kailangang ilipat at kung ano ang kinalaman nito sa TIN ID. Ipinipilit lang nya na kailangan kame magpalipat. Siguro nakulitan sya sakin, tinuro nya ako sa ibang empleyado. Sabi nya, yun din daw ang sasabihin, ang magpalipat kame sa "39". itutuloy

musicrossroads: theskysthelangit: p.s. nag-pphysical therapy na nga pala si tara, example.. tinatry siyang paupuin.. or ipa-tayo pero may mga ginagamit silang gamit para magawa yun.. like may bed na na-iincline para makatayo si tara parang ganon.. hehe

Every now and then, I would get updates from friends about Tara's condition. And it amazes me every time. Miracles do happen.

When Tara was shot exactly three months ago, we were all shocked. It even seemed and felt surreal to me that she was shot on her birthday. My friends and I were discombobulated. Imagine colored powders settling at the bottom of a glass jar full of water, suddenly being shaken by strong hands. Powders float in the water, chaos, then everything went blur.

When I read the first message, I was in complete disbelief I still cannot describe. My palms felt cold, I froze. I froze for about 10 seconds. My heart pounded. My mind went blank but as if I was hearing a very faint white noise. Suddenly, a gunshot!

News and updates spread via SMS and blogs. People arranged visits, interviews, a few days after, fund raising events. I was only able to visit once. Personally, when I heard that a big group of people were visiting 24 hours a day, I worried. I worried about the stress that this could press on Tara's very week body. Also to Joee and their families. But this could also pass on strengths and

SVH from Hansel

I was looking for an email that Hasmin sent me a few days back. I clicked on the "to" field to search by sender. I stumbled upon a lonesome message from a certain "Hanz Cruz". I paused and figured, it's Hansel.

His message:

From: hanz cruz <***********_**@yahoo.com>
To: altum viditur; sirhancelot
Sent: Saturday, June 4, 2005 12:07:21 AM
Subject: svh


*colors are not inverted like this (ill convert the photos and post 'em again)

I never saw this before, sayang.

Sweet Valium High was my band. Hansel was the drummer.

Sya ang official driver ng banda. Sinamahan ko sya dati magbayad ng Meralco Bill sa Commonwealth, in his old car. Last day na pala yun ng pagsakay namin dun dahil kinabukasan, Hatchback na yung kotse nya. At hindi ko alam na nun palang nagbayad kame ng bill sa Commonwealth, at may dala siyang more that P150 K pambayad sa kotse.

Hans gave me a stainless steel guitar pick. Tinago ko talaga yun kase pede syang pendant! Kuya Boying (Blueberry Jam's owner) also gave me a pick - yellow naman. Atom Araullo also gave me a brown pick. A gay man from Sarah's who knew that I was in a band, asked me to choose between his yellow or green rubber picks. Hindi ko alam bakit gusto nya akong bigyan ng pick. But I still got the green one.

Sa wallet ko dati, andun lahat ng picks na binigay ng iba't ibang tao. Hindi ko alam bakit isa isang nawala yung mga picks ko. Nami-miss ko na din sila, lalo na yung pick na bigay ni Hansel. Nostalgia na naman. Hay.

Bala

Bigla nalang tumugtog ang "Bala" sa playlist ni Amrei. Sabi ko, bakit sya meron nun. Sabi nya, nahanap lang daw nya sa archived music nya. Yung music na yun ay galing sa akin.

Hindi ko napigilan ang sarili ko't nakikanta ako kay K. At kinuha ko pa ang gitara. Para namang naaalala ko pa yung chords. Parang nakuha ko naman nota sa chorus.

Nung isang gabi, kinakanta ng utak ko yung "Telenovela" sa linyang "Buhay ko ay isang Telenovela at ako'y inaapi ng isang senyorita..." Hindi ko naman naramdaman yung ganitong pagka-miss.

Pero ngayon na nadinig ko si K, ayan na. Hay.

Grabe, miss na miss na miss na miss na miss na miss ko na ang Lady Bedspacers. Hay :(

Nalungkot ako bigla. :(

Tinatawagan ko ng pansin si K, Dambo, Jimi at Ken. Sana mapanuod ko pa kayo ulit, kahit jam-jam lang. Inisip ko tuloy, eto yung isa sa mga bagay na mahirap ibalik at balikan. Parang hindi na ulit mangyayari. Nung college, dis-oras na ng gabi, magkakasama pa tayo. Kahit kayo lang ang nagja-jam at nanunuod lang ako o nakikigulo.

Wala akong pakialam noon sa mga malalaking banda. Pero madaming banda ang kailangan ko lang hintayin matapos ang set bago ako makauwi, kapag nasa tugtugan ako. Mga kaibigan kong banda. Halos lahat sila, wala na ngayon sa eksena.

Dati, isang gig lang, pero halos kumpleto ang barkada, paano, iba ibang banda pero iisang barkada. Yung mga gabi sa sarah's. Sa apartment namin. Sa UP. Sa Vinzon's hill. Sa Blueberry. Sa Fine Arts. Walang tulugan, pamorningan. Tayo tayo lang, hindi tayo nauubusan ng pag-uusapan. Kung maubos man, ok lang. Hindi nakakailang. May payapang katahimikan. Walang nagkakahiyaan.

Wala din tayong pakialam sa mundo non. Walang pakialam. Malalasing tayo, mag-iingay, magpapakasaya, magkakalat. Masasabog sa katatawa. Sa kakakanta. Masasabog. Basta, satin, nangyayari ang mga bagay kahit walang pinagmulan, walang dahilan. Basta lahat, masaya lang.

Dati, pag magkakasama tayo, hindi tayo tinatablan ng bala.

Nakaka miss talaga. :'(

Trinorma

Ginawa namin lahat ng pedeng gawin sa mall. First time ko ito.

Nagkayayaan kame ng mga housemates na magpunta sa mall na para sa amin ay may pinakamagandang pangalan, ang Trinoma. Tawag namin dito ay Trinorma, or Trimonay. Ito ang binakla naming bansag sa kanya. Aliw yan, next to Ever.

Nagyaya ako dahil kailangan ko bumili ng regalo para kay Richette, ang una kong pamangkin. Magkabirthday sila ni Mommy, ngayong araw na to. Kabirthday din nila yung una kong inaanak na si Knight na di ko na nakikita. Kabirthday din Knight ang pinaka-matalik kong buddy sa Rep, si Jet. Tapos kabirthday naman ni Jet si Maica, orgmate ko sa Lunduyan ng Sining. Bale, lima sila.

Pagdating sa Trinoma, naghiwa-hiwalay muna kame para mag-ikot. Binilhan ko na ng regalo si Richette. Nine years old na pala siya, ang bilis ng panahon. Sabi ko kay Karla, magpamasahe kame tapos mag-Trinoma. Pero naisip naming manuod nalang ng Kulam. Isang oras at kalahati pa ang hihintayin namin. Nag "malling" nalang kame ulit. Dumaan kame sa Khumbu kaya binili ko na din yung matagal ko nang gustong bilhin - sling purse at bag cover para sa TNF backpack ko. Babalik kase akong Boracay sa 22, para sa event ng client. Trabaho. At medyo maulan sa Boracay, kailangan ko na talaga yung bag cover.

Nanuod kame ng Kulam. Nakakgulat, pero hindi nakakatakot. Nakakatawa din, old school at very Regal ang effects. Mantakin mo yung pagbukas ng libro, may sinag ng liwanag. Pinaghalo-halong "The Eye", "Shutter", "What Lies Beneath" at "Harry Potter". Pero sa kalumaan ng treatment, kalevel ng Regal Shocker at Shake Rattle and Roll. Pero syempre mas nakakatakot yung mga nauna. Hindi ko nga alam kung nakakatakot sila, o bata pa kase ako noon kaya yun ang naging batayan ng "maganda" sa mga nakakatakot na palabas. Matapos ang pelikula, ano pa nga ba e di pinag-usapan namin ang special effects, scoring, acting at editing ng pelikula. Aminado ako, nahihirapan na kameng maka-appreciate ng pelikula dahil minsan, napaka teknikal na namin sa mga detalye.

Lumabas kame para magyosi, tapos pumasok ulit para maglaro sa Time Zone. Tumatanda na kame. May pera na kameng pambayad ng mga ganitong laruan. Nakakangalay mag-basketball. Pero nakaka-relax.

Parang andami namin nagawa - lahat ng posibleng gawin sa isang mall - kumain, maglaro, mamili, manood ng sine. At oo, syempre, umihi din kame. Syempre may popcorn habang nanunuod. Syempre nag-"window shopping" din kame. Kaya madaming mall sa Pilipinas. Dahil isa ito ang pinakamurang paraan ng paglilibang.

Sapat namang sabihing nalibang kame. Sa Trinoma, Triangle North of Manila. Ang taray diba?

Peace, Love, RocknRoll

Wala nang kwenta yung mga pinagsusulat ko dito sa blog na ito. Dahil wala na din akong kwento.

Dati, bumabagsak lang sa tatlong kategorya ang sulat ko:

Peace - mga bagay na payapa para sa akin, mga nagbibigay ng peace of mind, mga bagay na kahit paano ay may social relevance.

Love - mga tungkol sa pag-ibig, sa tao at mga bagay na kabigha-bighani.

RocknRoll - mga gigs, performances, hosting. Tungkol sa musika, mga bagay na simple, pero rock.

Madalas nga akong magsulat ngayon, pero quantity lang, walang quality. Pwede din namang Ecoqua, sabi nga ni Kuya Bodjie, economy and quality. Pero hindi ko na din alam kung anong lagay ng ekonomiya o ang kalidad ng buhay. O kung ano mang may saysay.

Ngayon, hindi ko na maikategorya ang mga bagay. Dahil wala na akong kaalaman sa lipunan, pagmamahal at musika. Hindi na ako aktibo, nawala na ang panahon para mag-appreciate ng mga bagay na nakaka-inlab, at wala na akong na e-experience na rockstar moments. Wala na akong social relevance, pag ibig at musika. Sabi ko sa iyo, wala na akong kwento, wala na ding kwenta.

In Peace, Love and Rocknroll,

Napapansin Mo Ba?

Ang (ulap) ay pula, tumingala ka kaya, nang iyong makita...

Kanina, bandang alas-4 ng hapon sa opisina, nasilip ko na malakas ang hangin sa labas. Parang uulan. Binuksan ko ang mga blinds sa kwarto, dahil gustong gusto kong pinapanuod ang ulan. Gustong gusto kong maligo sa ulan, magtampisaw, mabasa sa ulan. Gustong gusto ko ang ulan, o ang panahon na umuulan.

Ngayon, pagtingin ko sa bintana, orange na yung ulap, lumaon nagiging pula. Sinabi ko pa nga sa mga kaopisina. Si Mark, may dalang camera, sabi nya, kukuhanan nya. Pero ang lumalabas sa LCD nya, grey na ulap. Sabi ko, optical illusion lang pala.

Dahil gusto ko ng pula. At ilusyon ko ang mga ulap.

Tumingala ka na. Nang iyong makita...

OH NO!

Nasira yung tagboard ko. And I don't know why :(

Finish or not, pass your paper!

Yey, gawa na tong bagong layout ng blog ko. Hindi pa siya perfect pero pede na, kase ubos na yung weekend, at medyo nagsasawa nako intindihin yung HTML. Haha. Parang elementary lang. Kahit di ka pa tapos magsagot, pag ayaw mo na mag isip o ubos na ang oras mo, finish or not finish, pass your paper na. :)

Trial and Error

Sinusubukan kong baguhin ang itsura ng blog ko. Trial. Gusto ko itong maging kamukha ng multiply site ko. Kagabi, ok na yung itsura nito. pero hindi ako mapakali, ayan tuloy, halatang may mali. Error.

* UNDER RENOVATION*

Relak

Halos dalawang linggo na puro trabaho o overtime. Magkaiba yun. Maaring nagtatrabaho ka kahit wala ka sa opisina, at maaaring nag o overtime ka pero hindi ka nagtatrabaho.

Kaninang umaga, bigla nalang ako natutulala. Parang gusto ko lang basta huminto. Sa paglalakad. Sa pag-iisip. Kailangan ko huminto. Wala din naman akong hinahabol. Wala ding pupuntahan. Hinto.

Nag-eenjoy ako sa trabaho ko, lalo na sa mga katrabaho ko. Para silang hindi napapagod. Hindi naman ako napapagod sa trabaho, napapagod ako sa puyat. Sa maling time management. Sa kawalan ng exercise. Sa kakulangan sa bitamina at pahinga. Nakakapagod. Eto na naman ako sa panahon na gusto ko pihitin ang buhay ko papunta sa kung san ko to talaga pumunta.

Wala akong problema sa trabaho, kaibigan, pamilya. Kung tutuusin, napakaswerte ko sa kanila. Ang problema ko ay disiplina. Simpleng go, glow and grow diet, hindi ko masunod. At pag tumunog ang alarm clock, pinapatay ko lang. Pag-uwi ko ng bahay, haharap na ako kay Potpot, hindi para magsulat, magbasa o matuto ng mga mas kapakipakinabang na bagay, pero para mag-internet. Kung sa bagay, parang pahinga na din yun. Pero hindi naman talaga yun ang kailangan ko. Kailangan ko, disiplina. Kung paano ko hahawakan ng mahusay ang oras ko. Kulang na kulang ako sa 24 oras sa dami ng gusto kong gawin.

Kanina, nagpunta kaming Tiendesitas. Bibili dapat ako ng damit ni Potpot. At isasabay na din ang regalo para kay Ate. Birthday na nya sa martes. Pero wala yung damit na kasya kay Potpot. Ako tuloy ang napabili ng damit. Dalawang blouse na "pang-meeting" (hindi kase pang-meeting ang mga normal kong damit dahil kung hindi ito hippie o dugyot, haute cotoure ito. haha.) Bumili din ako ng vest. Trip lang. Nakiki-fad. Bumili ako ng tatlong pantalon. Isang itim, isang checkered at (drum roll) isang maong! Maong!!! Medyo nagsisisi na ako ngayon. Maganda sya. Maaliwalas. Pero maong sya. Hindi ako maong. Pero sige na nga, ganun daw talaga pag tumatanda, minsan kailangan magkompromiso.

Bumili din ako ng relo at cute na cute na wallet. Binilhan ko din si Amrei ng lalagyan ng cellphone, at si Kalai ng purse na pusa. Nagtataka nga ako bakit may pera pa ako samantalang palapit na ulit ang sweldo. Kahit paano, gumaan ang pakiramdam ko. Nakakawala talaga ng pagod gumastos, ano?

Parang pag pasko. Favorite part ko yung mamili ng panregalo. Yung nakakapagod. Tapos ibabalot. Ang sarap. Parang kanina, paikot ikot, hindi kumakain, hindi humihinto, patingin-tingin, gumagastos. Pero ok lang, paminsan minsan, masaya din ang ganito.

Isa pa pala, matapos ang ilang buwan, nakabili na ulit ako ng Sampaguita sa bata. Ang dami ng Sampaguita nya. Actually, Ilang Ilang sya. Puro. Walang halong Sampaguita. Sobra akong natuwa. Walong tali. Samantalang sa Timog area, tatlong tali lang, pareho pa ng halaga. Ang saya saya ko talaga gusto ko ngang bumili pa. Kaso naglakad na palayo yung bata.

Sulit naman yung pagod at puyat ng mga nakakaraang araw. Nabawi naman sya ng mga pangyayari nitong huling apat na oras. Simple, pero nakakarelak.

Pag gising mo

nandyan ako. sorry hindi ako nakakadalaw. pero lagi kita pinagdadasal.

Please Don't be Sad, Dad

Daddy has a frail heart condition. Last March, he was hopitalized three times for acute stroke. He shouldn't be worried or sad. That's why after he got out of the hospital, we (my family and I) took him to Puerto Galera to relax, even for just three days. Renting the house was P10,000 a day but that surely made him think not of his condition. And on May, we went on a vacation in Baguio. An annual family thing. There he was smiling again. Fooling around in front of the camera.

He never had to go to the hospital again, save for minor check ups and medication. On August 02, his younger brother, Tito Roger who's based in Pampanga died. Of heart attack. I was worried he would be sad and weeping. On August 9, we went out for a lunch with my Bayaw's family. Then we went bowling. I had the chance to ask him about Tito Roger's death. He seemed calm and taking it lightly. I was relieved.

At 6 PM today, my Mom sent me an SMS saying Tita Let, Daddy's younger sister, died. Of heart attack too. She was hospitalized on Thursday. Mommy said she couldn't tell Daddy that Tita let has passed away. Because Daddy had been worrying about it and even felt kind of sick today. Tita Let and Daddy were closer as siblings.

I'm so worried Daddy would feel really sad about this. When he is emotionally stressed, he becomes physically weak too. True enough, the heart feels pain. Physically and emotionally. I hope Mommy could get a good timing to tell Daddy. And I hope everything works out just fine.

Daddy, please don't be sad. Please :'(

Basketball sa Banyo

Sinubukan kong gumamit ng laptop sa banyo namin sa opisina, ang hirap pala. Wala ako mapatungan, nilapag ko tuloy sya sa sahig. Ang hirap naman mag-type ng nakayuko. At nakaupo sa trono, habang naglalabas ng... sama ng loob. Subukan kong tutunin na mag-type na gamit ang paa?

Sinubukan kong gumamit ng laptop sa banyo namin sa opisina, ang hirap pala. Eh pano pa kaya yung basketball sa banyo?

Tara was on TV

Hix sent me a link to a youtube video:

http://www.gmanews.tv/largevideo/latest/28150/Parents-of-Tara-Santelices-comatose-holdup-victim-ask-Arroyo-for-help

Of course it was news, about the case. And the plea for help.

But I was so happy to see Tara looking like Tara again. Sabi kase ng mga friends na pumasok sa ICU nung nasa ICU pa si Tara: pula yung mata nya, parang madaming dugo na nagka-clot, pati benda nya may dugo, tas purple na yung ibang parts ng face nya - syempre yun ang pinakabugbog kase dun yung impact. Pero nung nakita ko sya kanina sa TV, ang saya talaga, wala na siyang benda, wala nang pula-pula sa mukha nya. Nung nakita ko sya kanina, mas nakita ko ang pag-asa :)

How's Tara?

Reposted from http://jaaac.multiply.com/journal/item/88/


September 1, 2008

Dear Everyone,

Tara

After almost two weeks of being sick, I was able to visit Tara last Friday. Although I dropped by the Sunday before, I didn't get to see her 'cause Tita Anne won't let me in. I had cough and colds. So, when I came in the room last Friday, surprise surprise. Tara can open her eyes already! Actually only her right eye 'cause her left eye is sore (well, it's red). Whenever Cheska, Rina or I made movements or talked loudly, she'd open her right eye and move it to where the sound or movement was coming from. She also yawned too! Cheska also told me that when the doctor would press on her feet, Tara would feel tickled. That's a good sign too.

Great improvement from the last time I saw her when her head was wrapped in bandages and her eyes were covered with patches. Her gunshot wounds (entry and exit) were already closed, stitched up by the doctors. They're checking if she can breathe on her own. They're also considering home care.

Storm the heavens with prayers!

Family and Friends

I only know so little of how Tara's family and Joee are doing. Her family is always at her side. Other times Tito Larry and Tita Anne are busy taking care of paperwork and financial stuff. Lila and Gitta are busy with school too. I haven't seen or talked to Joee for the past two weeks since she got sick and she was busy with her finals and her thesis. Relatives stay with Tara during the night. Friends, friends of family, friends of friends and parents of friends drop by from time to time.

Donations

Donations are still being graciously accepted. Again, the bank account is under Anne Marie F. Santelices, Banco de Oro, SA 2140-06220. On Wednesday (September 3), it'll be her fourth week in Medical City so you could just imagine (or cannot imagine) how much the medical bill is already. Thanks to people from Canada who sent money through Rica (Caoyonan). I have deposit slips but I don't know the exact amount of donations so far. Ate Malaine (Joee's sister) also has money from gigs. RockEd too has been raising money for Tara. A lot of other people too are organizing gigs and stuff. Just make sure not to sensationalize what happened. I hope sincerity remains intact. Peace.

Case

Regarding the case, I only get updates from my friend Cha Ilagan, who's the daughter of Mayor Mon Ilagan of Cainta. She's regularly updated by Col. Torrecampo, Cainta's Chief of Police, who's handling the case. I don't know though if I can disclose details but just to be safe, there's progress. Even though things aren't moving as fast as we would like it to be, there's progress. I guess we should appreciate that. Cha also told me that they have already submitted a proposal to allot some amount for Tara from the city budget to help with the medical bill. She's also trying to solicit funds from other Cainta officials. And according to Tita Anne, when a DZRH DJ called up the mayor's office on air, it was promised that the municipality is working on the street lighting. Let's just hope and pray it'll happen soon because similar incidences happened again after what happened to Tara.

Petition

And while I'm writing this, I also checked on the online petition (http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/justice-for-tara-santelices.html). There are 6171 signatures already, which is something we can feel good about. Although some comments are a bit off/foul/annoying/unnecessary, I guess we should be glad that people are becoming aware of what happened to Tara and what should be done about it. I don't personally know Tito Larry's friend, Chito Iriga, who created the petition so I don't know what the next step will be. Maybe someone can print the 6000+ signatures and show it to people who can help with the funds or with the case (aka people in government, people in media, people who are rich haha). Justice is such a grand thing to demand from people but little ways, individual efforts, small acts of kindness go a long way. If you can do something, do it. If you know someone who can help, ask that someone to help. MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

Visiting

If you want to come and visit her, just ask me through text the room number. I'm not sure if I can publicly announce the room she's staying in but visitors are always welcome. Just make sure you're free from sickness, not coughing, not sneezing. Also, if you're commuting come before 10pm because security at the Medical City is strict.

Thank You

Hmm, that's it. Let's keep on praying for Tara, for her family, for more generous people, for the case to be solved, for everyone's safety and for malicious rumors to die down. Thanks to all those who have visited Tara, given money, attended gigs, spread positive information, forwarded messages, signed the petition and prayed for Tara's recovery. And to loosely quote Ms. Abaya (our 3rd year CLE teacher), we can become the answers to our own questions. Many of us ask why this happened, where the criminal is, what Cainta is doing about it, where the money will come from--an infinite amount of questions. Let's become Answers. Let's make things happen.

Repost

I wrote this blog entry after having been asked through text countless times "How's Tara?" Although I'm always glad to share good news to friends and strangers, I guess it's more practical to write an update since no one has heard anything from anyone for a long time (online at least). You can repost this if you want or post a link to this entry. The circle is not exclusive. :) This is my very best attempt to update everyone. I'm sorry in advance if there are minor details that I've left out or misinterpreted.

I'm keeping the faith, how about you?

Mucho dandruff,
Jac


_________________________

The first paragraph made me so darn happy. Ang galing diba? Ang galing talaga. =)

The Eraserheads Reunion Concert

It did happen. May concert, nandun silang apat. It was big. One of the biggest events I have ever attended, next to EDSA II and World Youth Day.

It started with a bang, literally, fireworks and all. We were still outside waiting for Ani until the countdown was down to 5 seconds. We were running, 5, 4, 3... Crowd cheering, digital clock ticking. Bam, lights on! That ever familiar Alapaap guitar intro played. The audience was ecstatic. Cheering. I was sure most had goosebumps. We sure did.

I watched intently, though trying to video the opening number. Nakakatawa kase parang may misteryo -- Raimund was wearing a wig. Parang gustong maglaro sa mga isip namin, "si Raimund ba talaga yan?" Kahit naka-eyeliner siya na identity na nya sa Sandwich, nang tinanggal na niya yung wig. Ely was wearing a longsleeved polo and aviator shades, Pupils.

Alapaap ending, fireworks! Applause. Applause. Cheering. Jumping, dancing crowd. Then silence. No hello, no welcome spiel until maybe the third song. Apparently, the energy was fluctuating. Everyone was high until the music stopped. And started again. Kulang sa rapport. But still, it was good. Until it, the whole concert, suddenly, ended.

After around 10-14 songs, an intermission was announced. A 15-minute break. Sabi ni Hix, may countdown daw sa screen ng 15 minutes, tas bigla nawala. Nag-joke pa siya, sabi nya "O hindi na bumalik."

Then, Buddy took the mic, said that someone had to announce something. Asking the audience to hear what, adding that we would all understand. The announcement - the concert would be cut short, no second set, no come back. Because Ely was rushed to the hospital because of chest pains and emotional stress. Some members of the audience still applauded. Ako, natulala. I would have applauded, cheered even, because anyway, the Eheads deserved a final cheer. But I was in shock.

Madaming opinions ang audience na nadinig ko. Sabi, olats. Sabi bulok, sabi bakit ngayon pa mismo nangyari. Kahit nag-practice na sila. Madami din ang solved na. Madaming bitin sa "reunion". Pero hindi lang din naman siya reunion ng Eheads. Reunion din siya ng iba pang madaming tao. Ang dami kong nakitang mga kakilala from college.

As for me, I thought, ok na din. Kahit sa P850 lang kami, sabi ko nga, hindi namin sila kailangang makita. Kailangan lang namin madinig.

Ok na ko sa one set na pinerform nila. Though di nila natugtog ang "Pare ko", "Overdrive" at "Ang Huling El Bimbo".

Ok na din ako, dahil for P800, I got what I want - see them perform live, and reunited. I would not have seen it anywhere else, any other time. It was really, so far, a once in a lifetime chance. Note that somehow, I am still hoping for another chance. But really, so far, it was only this time.

But of course, I was also hoping for an encore. I believe the thousands of people that gathered there last night deserved an encore. Yung rehearsed last song sana nila. Hell, it could have been "Ang Huling El Bimbo".

Rehearsed naman sila, for sure. Or at least, kahit paano, they - Raimund, Marcus and Buddy, would still know how to play the songs that they sang, the music that they made. Mga kantang buong Pilipinas ay alam, na sila mismo ang nagpasikat. Kahit sinong high school noong '90's na nag-aral na gitarahin ang "Pare Ko" could still somehow play it today. Sila pa kaya. Lahat sila, kumakanta din. Hindi naman siguro sasama ang loob ni Ely if Raimund or Buddy or Marcus sang an encore. The audience deserved a final dose.

Sige, sige, malungkot na ang mga tao. Maybe stressed na din ang banda. But anyone who saw the number of people who lined up for the show would feel that the concert deserved an announced last song. A farewell song, even, if we must call it that.

Ok na ako, but of course, I wished for the best. Pero pano naman yung nanggaling pa ng probinsiya? O yung ibang lumuwas pa galing sa ibang bansa? Ang daming tao, maniwala ka. Ang hirap mag-park. Na isang sign na malaking crowd ang Eheads ay nasa working class na din. I'm sure, sa dami ng tao kagabi, merong nanggaling sa malalayong lugar. May mga nag-cancel ng appointments. May nag-last minute pangungutang dahil sa biglaang pagbebenta ng tickets. I'm sure, people made time for this show. And found a way to be there. It even rained in the afternoon but the sky cleared hours before people started flooding in. Sana man lang it ended as good as it deserved it to be.

But shit happens, and so it did. Pero sana may plan B sila. Anyway, hindi naman ito ang first time na makaramdam si Ely ng ganito in a concert. He was also at a gig the first time that he had a heart malfunction. Pero sino nga naman ang magsasabi na "O, pag may nangyari, dapat prepared tayo" because it was like saying that something terrible could really happen. But then again, expect the worst, ika nga. And the show must go on. But apparently, it did not.

Pero isang encore na hindi sila kumpleto, final bow na wala si Ely, ok lang din ba yun? Napansin ko din na mas madalas siyang nasa screen than the other members. Para na ngang over exposure, kumpara sa iba. Sana wala namang ibig sabihin yun.

For me, mas malaking factor ang emotional stress kay Ely. I just wish that Ely would be okay soon. At sana, babawi sila. Kung hindi man, ok na din yun. Kung kailanganin man ni Ely na panandaliang tumigil sa pagbabanda, at least, nakapag reunion na sila. Isang major concert, na baka hindi na abutan pa ulit ng Eheads generation. Sa concert na ito, siguradong isa na syang legend. Applicable din siguro sabihing strike while the iron is hot.

Sabihin na nating walang ka-kupas kupas. Applause. Lights out.

Eraserheads Concert, The Reunion

The news came out. I got a bit excited specially when a couple of friends, and my Ate, sent me messages (through email and SMS) about it. But no one knew who the organizer was, and where to buy tickets from. It's a reunion concert of the Eheads to be held at the CCP grounds, that's all we knew. Parang urban legend. Maganda pag-usapan pero walang makapagsasabi kung totoo.

Rumors came around that Marlboro would be sponsoring it, and tickets would be downloadable from the internet. It was said that Eheads will be getting 10M pesosesoses per (E)head. But a few weeks before the concert, we were still clueless on HOW to get tickets - the most important step in watching a paid show. Parang tsismis lang talaga. Kahit madaming kumakalat na balita. *wink*

Until last wednesday, my sister told me that she'd be buying tickets, at kung papabili ako. Si Ana din, nag YM na kung sino ang organizer at nalipat na pala sa Fort Bonifacio ang venue. Si Peach, nagtext na ng presyo, P800 daw at P1,500.

Sa kulit ng Ate ko, nagpabili na din ako ng ticket. Inabutan nya pa sa UP ang Eheads at siguradong nung college, feeling nya, sya si Shirley na nakikipagholding hands pa sa CASAA. Ang UP fair na napuntahan nya dati, limang Piso lang ang ticket, may Yano at Eheads pa sa line up. Napasagot siya ng bayaw ko sa harana ng Fill Her, with matching kanta at gitara.

I guess, we can say that I was part of the Eheads generation. 1993 nung lumabas ang Ultraelectromagneticpop. Grade 5 ako nuon. Of course, I wanted to see the Eheads reunite. Of course I want to see them playing on stage again.

Pero hindi ako ma-excite ng todo. Para nga kaseng tsismis. Parang kalevel nung Millenium Bug. Binuksan ko nun ang computer ko at inintay may alas-dose. Alam kong hindi yun biglang magka-crash. pero syempre, ayoko ding ma-miss. What if totoo? Edi na-miss ko. Hindi ko na maaabutan ang susunod na milenyo. Kaya itong Eheads concert na kulang sa detalye, hindi ako excited. Baka hindi naman totoo, pero I don't want to miss it. Baka hindi na to maulit.

At 2 PM today, Amrei showed me a video in youtube -- a clip of Eheads' soundcheck for tonight's concert. I saw Ely, singing, Guitar on his hand. Then the camera panned a bit to the right. I saw Raymund. It's true. Eheads is really reuniting, at least for this one-night-only show. It's Eheads -- Ely of the Pupils, Raymund of Sandwich, Buddy of Cambio and Marcus of Marcus Highway -- the four of them, in one stage, singing a very familiar song. It's them, one of the best Filipino Bands ever, who captured an epic size of audience, ladies and gentlemen, The Eraserheads, for real!

Now I'm excited!

Kung. If.

Kung sa tuwing naiisip ko magsulat ng entry sa blog ko, ay nagagawa ko ito, meron na sana akong 4,002 entries ngayon. Yun ay 3 beses sa isang araw. O 1,334 entries kung isang entry bawat araw, kung nagsimula akong magsulat ng January 1 ng 2005 hanggang kahapon/kanina, August 26.

Yun ay kung. "If" baga. Pero hindi. Dahil...dahil madaming dahilan.

Parang ngayon, iniisip ko pa lang yung mga dahilan kung bakit hindi ko nagagawang magsulat ng entry tuwing naiisip ko/may naiisip ako, napapagod na ako. Ang dami ko na kasing naisip. At ang isip ay di hamak na mas turbo kesa sa mga daliri/kamay.

Kaya din nga pala ako mabilis magsalita. "Because life is short, so talk fast" ika nga.

Kung sa tuwing naiisip kong magsulat ng entry sa blog ko, ay nagagawa ko ito, meron na sana akong malalaking kalyo sa pitong daliri. Dahil malimit namang magamit ang lahat ng sampung daliri sa pagta-type, diba? At kung sa tuwing....

Ayoko na. Kung lang pala. Gusto ko totoo.

The SAGITTARIUS Woman

Someone sent this to me. Might be true, or not. You judge (me)!

Just replace "man/men" with "woman/women". Haha. :p

The SAGITTARIUS Woman
"Then it doesn't matter which way you walk," said the Cat.
"-So long as I get somewhere,"
Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat,
"if you only walk long enough."

She's not always going to say the kind of things you want to hear. Most of the time, she'll curl your sideburns with her remarkable, flat statements and her embarrassing questions. But now and then she'll say something so special and splendid it will make you feel like singing.

You may need a sample. Scene: Coffee shop. You've just gotten up the courage to tell her you love her, but before you can say it, she looks at you with wide-open, guileless blue eyes-or forthright, steady brown ones- and asks you curiously, "How do you feel about being so short? Does it make you neurotic or anything?" While you're gulping, trying manfully to recover, she'll add, "You shouldn't care about it. Lots of men were short. Like Napoleon. And Fiorello LaGuardia." That's almost adding insult to injury, but before you get a chance to walk out, thinking no woman ever deserved such ungallant treatment more, shell muse dreamily, "I hate men who look like bean poles. You're perfect. I noticed when we were walking over here tonight-we measure just right together."

Sit back down. You're staying. For a long time. A friendly, frank Sagittarius girl has just wound herself around your heart with her own, peculiar brand of charm. She'll always be a little outspoken, because she sees the world exactly as it is, even while she's wearing those ridiculous, rose-tinted glasses. That, you must admit, is quite a talent. It's not everyone who can apply clear, reasonable logic to every situation, and retain the happy faculty of believing things will get better or else deciding to accept them for what they are.

Sagittarius females are regular Pollyannas. It will cut when she tells you she wishes you would make more money, but then she'll add, "Of course, too much money can make people selfish. Maybe it's lucky that you're poor." Admittedly, it's sort of a left-handed optimism, but you'll get used to it. This girt will never lie to you. Sometimes, you may wish she would. Show curiosity about how she spends the nights you're not with her, and you'll get a detailed, perfectly honest report of the letters she writes to that handsome intern she met last summer on her vacation and how many dates she turns down on the phone. She may even relate her troubles with insomnia, brought on when she lies awake at night wondering if maybe what she feels for you is friendship instead of love. You'll feel like yelling at her, "For Pete's sake, lie a little once in a while, can't you? A man has his pride." Don't yell too loud. You'll offend her, and she's not exactly noncombustible herself. Sagittarius girls have been known to fly into some pretty fiery rages.

She will probably live alone. Sagittarius girls are very independent, and both sexes have a strange aloofness to family ties. Maybe it's because they travel so much, they don't get home often enough to get to know their families well. Even if they only travel to the movies and girl friends' houses, they're restlessly on the go. I don't want to frighten you, but I once knew a Sagittarius woman so unaware of the nuances of family relationships that she invited her rejected beau to come along on her honeymoon with her new husband. The poor thing looked so lonesome. He said he'd pay his own way. Why are you looking at her like that? Did she do something wrong?

There's one thing you'll have to learn right away, or the relationship will never get off the ground. When you want her to do something, ask her. Don't tell her. The cave man technique went out with Tarzan and Jane, as far as she's concerned. She enjoys being protected, but she doesn't want to be ordered around. Not even her mother gets away with that. Who are you, that you should top her mother? She may have an Aries mother, and if a Mars woman can't boss her around, no male on earth is going to do it. However, there's a queer twist to her nature. Although she dislikes being bossed, especially in public, when she's testing you for firmness, be firm. Jupiter women can't stand weak, wishy-washy men. If she gets too high-spirited and her clever tongue gets too sarcastic, or she threatens some action that really incenses you, give her a light touch of the Tarzan treatment. Just enough to keep her in line. Like "You do that and I'll break your neck." She may react with surprising meekness if she thinks you're serious. A Sagittarius female has no in-tendon of giving up her individuality for any male, but she kind of likes to know you think of her as a girl.

She may confuse you, but that's nothing to what she does to herself. Many a Sagittarius girl mistakes friendship for love and love for friendship. If you're one of those old-fashioned men who prefer evasiveness and timidity in your women, you'd better look for another Bingo partner. This young lady has bright, frank ways with men, and she's not going to play any silly games of "Guess how I feel" or "Guess what I think!" How she feels and what she thinks are identical with how she acts and what she says. Her outspoken bluntness naturally causes misunderstand–ings, and a good share of fiery battles, let alone hurt feel–ings, but it doesn't crush her spirit. Jupiter pride comes to the surface and rescues her in a crisis, allowing her to pass off her heartache as the biggest joke of the season. Inside, she may be weeping, but she'll employ such clever wit in answering the questions of friends about the break that they'll decide the whole affair was a harmless flirtation on her part. Little will they guess how she soaks her pillow every night, wondering what she could possibly have said that fractured everything. It might have been when she told him not to stop by her apartment the time he called from the lobby around midnight-because she was "busy talking with a man who had a few problems." Actually, the man was her brother-in-law, but with the peculiar Sagit–tarius twist of leaving out the core of the story, she neg–lected to mention that. Why should she have to explain herself? (All Sagittarians show a raging, righteous anger when their integrity is doubted.)

Or it could have been when he asked her if she minded him bringing his little sister along to the movies and she blurted out, "Gosh, I hope that doesn't mean she's going to be hanging around all the time when we're married." She may have sincerely liked the young girl, but the natural Sagittarian fear of being suffocated by in-laws brought on her thoughtless and forthright statement. Now she misses his sister as much as the man, but it's too late to explain what she meant. Besides, no one would understand.

Impasses like this are impossible for her to fathom, for all her logical mental processes, and often lead the Jupiter girl into a never-never land of romance, not knowing where the fire might flame up, or why, and afraid of being burned when it does. Then she'll play it too cool and be unable to take anyone seriously, least of all herself. She'll flirt openly, but without any intention of making it a lasting or a forever thing, and gain the reputation of a cold heartless female. A fire sign is never cold or heartless, but then there are a lot of astrologically ignorant men out there who don't know that. If such a state of affairs should happen to lead to spinsterhood, she certainly won't be a dry and bitter old maid. She'll still clown with life and have a barrel of fun. She'll have a dozen interests to replace a man-and enjoy every one of them.

Of course, you're not interested in a Sagittarian spinster. You plan to make one your wife someday. (At least, I hope you have honorable intentions. This poor girl has enough problems without you setting out to seduce her.) Let's stop dwelling on promiscuity, and think about marriage. Like the male Sagittarian, she's a little skittish about wedlock. You'll need to use some bright, colorful pieces of tinsel as bait to get her pinned down (to accepting your proposal, that is). She's breezy and unconventional in her relationships with men. Since she considers herself your equal, she may copy your mannerisms, as well as wear your sweater. If she also likes sports and camping, as lots of Sagittarian females do, you may have trouble distinguishing her from the boys. But she's not the same. For one thing, your sweater looks different on her. Not that Jupiter women are offensively masculine by nature. They can be the softest, most feminine women you ever squeezed. It's just that she pals around with so many men you get used to seeing her in the crowd-everywhere but in the steam room and the gym.

Since she's so scrupulously honest and aboveboard, she may be a little careless of her reputation and contemptuous of the hypocrisy demanded by society. If you question her about it, she'll be plain-spoken. She'll probably tell you that waltzing in at midnight doesn't indicate promiscuity any more than coming home at a more conventional hour indicates innocence. She knows her morals are above reproach, and that's all that matters. Naturally she's dead wrong. What other people think matters very much to a female reputation. But try to understand her attitude. Don't think she's fast and loose just because she laughs at a few jokes, usually without the slightest idea of what they're all about (the subtlety of the double-entendre often escapes Sagittarius). So- she stays up to watch the sunrise from the George Washington Bridge (or from the top of a silo, if you live in the country)-that doesn't mean she's the wildest girl in town.

The truth is, she's a trusting child at heart. Her outlook is so naive it makes her vulnerable to wolves, con artists and phonies (though oddly enough, not in other areas, just in romance). Forget about how cleverly she argues and how startlingly logical she can be. All that has nothing to do with her heart. Her mind isn't under discussion. It's bright and intelligent, and well able to take care of itself in any emergency. But her heart is defenseless. It falls down and gets bruised quite often.

That's another thing. She's slightly clumsy. At times when the Sagittarius girl strides down the street like a thoroughbred horse, you'll think she's the most graceful woman you've ever watched-until she stumbles on a crack in the sidewalk, awkwardly grabs the awning over the fruit stand to catch her balance and upsets two crates of oranges. The owner may swear a little, but he’ll soon shrug his shoulders, tell her to skip it, and hand her some grapes. The sunny Sagittarian disposition can melt the hardest hearts. Now and then, this girl will remind you of a clumsy puppy dog, wagging its friendly tail, and walking all over your feet. But then friendly puppy dogs do get lots of people to love them and feed them. Of course, dogs are a little cheaper to feed. The typical Jupiter girl has a large appetite. She likes good food and wine, nice clothes, and when she travels, she likes to go first class. Sagittarians are extravagant by nature (unless the Moon is in Capricorn or there's a Virgo ascendant). Money for the sake of money doesn't interest them, and it takes quite a bit of training to teach most of them the meaning of a dollar bill. Check her ascendant carefully before you loan her your credit card.

The Sagittarian girl you're involved with may be in show business, because lots of them are drawn by the lure of the footlights. If so, start out on the right foot by expecting her to put her career first, until she tires of it. The sweet sound of applause and the thrill of the encore will ring in her ears with more conviction than all the romantic phrases you can conjure up. Never force her to choose between pleasing you and the excitement of pleasing whole gobs of people at once with her sunshine personality. After a while she'll grow disgusted with the hypocrisy and artificial glitter she finds all around her in the world of show business, and she'll come running home to try domesticity with someone who is real. You. Someone who believes honesty is beautiful and deception is ugly. You again. Leaving a career won't remove the wings from her heels forever. They were fastened there at birth. The travel bug will always be nearby to give her a case of wandering fever. Vacation with her when you can; otherwise let her go off to ride the carousel herself, and trust her. She loves you, not the clowns and organ grinders she likes to pass the time with.

Because of her casual attitude toward romance and her shyness of marriage, you may think she's lacking in sentiment. You are so mistaken. She'll cry rivers at sad movies and read poetry with wet eyes. She's probably saved every note you ever wrote her, scraps of the flowers you bought her in the rain, and the tickets from the hockey game where she met you.

As for her talent as a homemaker, be brave. And be patient. Sagittarius girls are acutely bored by the confinement of dusting and mopping. No sooner does she make a bed than it gets unmade. Gosh, you'd think the darned thing would stay neat for a few days anyway, it was such a drag tucking in those sheets at the corners. She'll hate it all with a purple passion. When she has a home of her own, however, she'll probably swallow her distaste. She'll prefer that you get her a maid if you can possibly afford one. If not, she'll doggedly keep it shining. Her mother will never believe it. That sloppy child waxing the coffee table? Impossible. Pride and the eternal Sagittarius logic does it. She needs to be surrounded with beauty and cleanliness to be true to herself. The message reaches her that, if she doesn't wipe up the linoleum, no one else will. If she was forced by circumstances to do a lot of chores in childhood, she may rebel at first, but she'll eventually reason it out, and settle down to sweeping the comers with a minimum of resentment.

Her cooking? Well-you can never tell. Maybe you'd just better eat out on weekends. If she manages decent meals through the week, you can't expect her to keep a perfect record on Saturdays and Sundays, too. Most Sagittarian women aren't exactly ecstatic in the kitchen (unless there's a Taurus, Cancer or Capricorn ascendant). But she can whip up a mean, fancy dessert when she's trying to cheer you out of the blues. Her own moods can be terrors, but they're rare, and they last so briefly you'll hardly notice them. When she's really hurt, her tongue can be bitterly sarcastic. But she'll forget what she said almost before she's finished the sentence, and she won't understand why you want to dwell on it. This is not the woman for a brooding, melancholy man. Gloom and pessimism, can actually make her physically ill.

Her children will probably adore her. She'll be their buddy, and have a circus playing with them. Once she's over her initial fear of responsibility, she'll cope with diapers and daily baths like a crisp, efficient nurse. Almost everything she does she does well, with grace, when she finally decides to learn it. Just like the big people, the little ones will get a good dose of her cheerful optimism and outspoken remarks. If they survive her blunt truthfulness, they'll grow up thinking she's the greatest big sister a kid ever had. She'll read them funny stories with happy endings, and take them on sudden, impulsive picnics in the woods to look for the three bears. (She half believes they're hiding there herself.) Her youngsters will probably be well-dressed, but not fussily so, and bright-mannered. If they pick up a few unconventional tricks from her, like making footprint curtains by spreading monk's cloth on the floor, stepping barefoot into yellow paint and walking across the material-at least you won't be raising a houseful of conformists. Her honesty will mark their characters. If they don't find those three bears after a careful search under all the fir trees, she'll probably tell them to forget it-it's a phony. But she will have looked first. The child who wrote the editor of the New York Sun to ask if there was really a Santa Claus just had to have a Sagittarius Sun sign. Moon or ascendant. She probably raised her own children by the frank, yet idealistic answer of "Yes, Virginia . . ." The Jupiter mother may have to watch a tendency to be lax in discipline, except when she's tired or angry. That's the wrong time for spankings.

You’ll have a lovely hostess. No one entertains as graciously as a Sagittarian woman, not even her Leo sisters, who are no slouches themselves in the social department. There's a quality about her sunny, outgoing friendliness that makes people feel deeply welcome, from the garbage man to your boss. A Sagittarian breaks the ice instantly at the stiffest affairs, though she may raise a few eyebrows, too.

As long as you let her call her soul her own, and don't make her feel tied down, your Sagittarius Pollyanna will give you a triple bonus: her loyalty, her trust and her affection. The three are inseparable, because when she gives her love, her friendship trots right along beside it.

The Jupiter woman is an incurable idealist. And here's a secret perhaps she never told you: She fell in love with you many years ago, when she was a little girl and wished on the new Moon for someone to share her honest heart. There were lots of times when she thought she had found you and was disappointed. But when you finally came along, she knew you right away, because you were a gentle clown with a dream or two of your own who took her hand and showed her the way to the stars.

FOR TARA SANTELICES

Word spreads around fast and almost everyone has already heard about what happened to our dear friend, Tara Santelices (Assumption Antipolo’s Batch 2003 and Ateneo de Manila University’s Class of 2007, AB Political Science).

On the eve of her 23rd birthday, Tara was shot in the head during a hold-up while riding a jeepney along Imelda Avenue, Cainta, Rizal. Joee Mejias, who was with her at that time, rushed her to Amang Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Marikina City. The parents of Tara and Joee arrived at the hospital shortly thereafter. When morning came, Tara’s parents finally decided to transfer her to the Medical City, Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City. Since 8:00am of August 6, Tara has been in the ICU fighting for her dear life. Her parents have decided not to push through with the operation.

Although it might seem that there is nothing else that we can do but wait for Tara to wake up from this horrific nightmare, we, the friends of Tara, have decided to raise funds for Tara’s hospital bills. This is the least we can do to ease the unbearable pain her family is going through. We have been given the go-signal from Tara’s dad, Tito Larry, and here are the details:

The temporary bank account is under Anne Marie F. Santelices, Banco de Oro, SA 2140-062201. For direct cash donations, please proceed to the ICU Waiting Room of the Medical City (Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City). Please look for Joee Mejias or Lila Santelices.

Any amount will be gratefully accepted. Anonymous donations are also welcome. Please spread the word. Forward this to your family, friends and even to everyone else you know. Please post this on Friendster, Multiply, Facebook and wherever else you can think of. Please send group messages on Yahoo Messenger. This will mean so much to us, her friends.

Please continue praying for Tara, for Joee and for both of their families. If you want to come see Tara, visiting hours at the ICU are at 9:00 am to 11:00 am and 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

For inquiries, please contact Joee Mejias (09228154987) for calls and Jac Ledonio (09167243071) or Myka Francisco (09163695148) for text messages.

Hindi ko maubos maisip

Let's Pray for Tara Santelices

Through text messages:

Laura: 3:51 AM
please pray for tara (our guitarist and dear friend) na sana walang masamang mangyari sa kanya. she's in a critical condition. thank you.

Me: 9:53 AM
Laura, what happened?

Laura:11:32 AM
Nasa hospital sya critical daw. nabaril sya sa ulo

Me: 11:38 AM
What the fuck! Why?

Laura: 11:46 AM
Holdupper :(

Me: 11:52 AM
Fuck! We'll pray for her.

Steph: 12:04 PM
Hey, lam nyo na ba? Si tara of saffron got shot in the head last night. She is in medical city icu right now. Let's pray for her.. Medyo malala condition.

Me: 12:05 PM
Oonga e. :c let's pray for her. :c

Steph: 12:06 PM
Gusto nyo bisitahin bukas? Pupuntahan ko si rica tas punta kami med city...

Me: 12:07 PM
Pag pede bumisita sige pero contained and ICU diba? Depends kung iallow tayo pati ng parents nya. Yung stress lang...

Amrei: 12:13 PM
(forwarded from +63906...) laura to. nabaril sa ulo si tara

Amrei: 12:13 PM
(forwarded from +63906...) hold up nasa med city na sya sa icu for an operation 5050 and chance

Through YM:

musicrossroads (8/5/2008 9:31:51 PM): tot
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 9:32:01 PM): alam mo na nangyari kay tara? bday niya today
ako (8/5/2008 9:32:13 PM): oonga e
ako (8/5/2008 9:32:37 PM): pagdasal nalang natin na maging ok sya
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 9:34:03 PM): oo nga e

musicrossroads (8/5/2008 9:49:54 PM): kanina pako nakatulala dito. naisip ko lang pero bad na maisip pero naisip ko lang what if one dies on one's birthday no? ang tragic lang.

ako (8/5/2008 9:50:47 PM): :(
ako (8/5/2008 9:51:16 PM): today is not a good day to die
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 9:52:18 PM): :(

musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:05:53 PM): from laura: nasa Medical City ICU si tara, 50/50
ako (8/5/2008 11:10:09 PM): NOOOOOOOOOOOO
ako (8/5/2008 11:10:12 PM): :(
ako (8/5/2008 11:10:15 PM): bakit baaa????????
ako (8/5/2008 11:10:19 PM): bakit????
ako (8/5/2008 11:10:23 PM): ano nangyari????
ako (8/5/2008 11:10:30 PM): ang bigat sa loob
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:10:37 PM): :(
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:10:39 PM): i know
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:10:41 PM): :(
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:10:59 PM): she got shot, yun lang text saken ni rica
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:11:01 PM): :(
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:13:24 PM): holdaper daw nakabaril
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:13:27 PM): putangina
ako (8/5/2008 11:15:44 PM): what?!
ako (8/5/2008 11:15:47 PM): putangina nga
ako (8/5/2008 11:15:49 PM): shit
ako (8/5/2008 11:15:54 PM): kelan? saan? tangina
ako (8/5/2008 11:16:00 PM): naholdap na nabaril pa?
ako (8/5/2008 11:16:05 PM): =((
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:16:55 PM): :(
ako (8/5/2008 11:17:07 PM): alam mo, kaya yan
ako (8/5/2008 11:17:11 PM): kaya dapat!
ako (8/5/2008 11:17:27 PM): si meh din, nag 50/50 sa st lukes icu
ako (8/5/2008 11:17:30 PM): she survived
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:17:41 PM): sana nga kaya
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:17:44 PM): kaya
ako (8/5/2008 11:17:48 PM): sana talaga
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:17:49 PM): nga sana
ako (8/5/2008 11:17:58 PM): we really need to pray for her
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:18:12 PM): :(
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:23:58 PM): head daw tot
musicrossroads (8/5/2008 11:24:00 PM): putangina
ako (8/5/2008 11:24:44 PM): oonga e
ako (8/5/2008 11:25:00 PM): putangina tot...

I hate it when things like this happen to good people.

Something similar happened to my friend Meh of Matilda about four years ago. She got hit by a BMW of a drunk asshole. We visited her in the ICU, she's in a very critical condition for her skull was damaged. She needed stitches in the head. Luckily, she survived.

Maybe it's our prayers, maybe it's Meh's strength, maybe it's the doctors' skills.

Whatever saved her, all we can give are our hopes and prayers.

Let's hope and pray that Tara's condition be better. Soon.

Videoke @ Music Match. NOW!

We went to Music Match to be with a friend, Kri, who's leaving for Thailand in a couple of weeks.

Pagod na pagod na din ako from past night outs pero gusto din namin pumunta sa videoke session na ito, lalo pa't bonggang kumanta si Kri.

Pagdating ko, wala akong energy. At wala din battery and cellphone at laptop ko. So nakisaksak ako sa room namen. Pagbukas ko kay Potpot, voila! May free wifi! Ang saya saya!!!

First time ko nag beer habang nag wa-wifi at may mga nagvivideoke sa tabi ko. First time ko din maging anti-social. Pero hindi ko talaga keri kumanta. Or hindi ako kumakanta. Or kung kumanta ako, wish nyo na hindi nalang sana. Seryoso.

Eto, ang saya lang. Si Kri at Amrei lang ang bumubirit. Si Peach, ako at si Miech ay nakatanga lang. Ay ako pala ay nagwa-wifi. Sana sumunod si Chix Che Ani. :)

Dear Portia

Mahal kong Portia (de Rossi),

Nalaman na ng aking mga kaibigang kauri natin na ako ay may blog dito sa mundo. Isa lang ang naisip ko: kahihiyan.

Nakahihiya na mabasa nila ang mga kuwento kong walang kwenta. Mga salitang walang laman, at mga katotohanang walang katuturan.

Kailangan ko nang ayusin ang aking mga malgrammar. Iedit ang mga pa-deep na mga sinulat.

At nawa'y matuto na ako ng salita ng dayuhan. Sumasang ayon ka ba sa akin? Tutulungan mo ba ako?

Sa bilang na tatlo, isa, dalawa, ok go! :)

I'm going to die today

i just want to write something. i chose a title that (i thought) sounded interesting.

but the truth is, i'm not going to die today. because it's already 11:51 PM, and before i finish writing this, the day would be over. but if i could die today and use the computer tomorrow to tell you how it was to die, then yes, i would die today.

what happened: i was reading some of my old posts. and i realized these:

1. i don't really know english
2. most of my posts are unintelligible
3. i post blogs more often before
   
4. things are really different now than before
5. i had more good vibrations before than today
   
6. i drank too much beer in college
   

what i want to happen:

1. know english
2. post intelligible pieces
3. post more blog entries
   
4. be happy even if things are better or worse today than before
5. be positive, be happy (i have already deleted most of my negative/angsty posts)
6. drink the same amount of beer that i drank in college
7. don't die today
   

wish me luck :)

APPLE OF MY EYES

FINALLY, AN APPLE OF MY OWN.

I got my macbook (pot pot or macbutt) today. Bought and brought by a friend from Singapore.

I am currently using it to write this entry!

YEHEY! *jump clap feet*