The Beach
Posted on: January 31, 2005
Rizal: Reformist or Revolutionist?
Posted on: January 28, 2005Everyone has their own opinion whether Rizal was a reformist or revolutionist. The great Filipino writers of our history, Constantino, and Agoncillo, would agree that he was a reformist. Tell that to Sir Esguerra and he would give you a 5.
By chance we met on the hallways of PGH. I was on my way to school and apparently he was too. At first sight of me he said, "Mr. Espiritu, tamang-tama naandito ka. Bukas yung midterms niyo dapat e diba wala ka. Kunin mo na yung test ngayon." For the second time this week I was caught off-guard by my professor. Last Saturday he made me report impromptu, now he wants me to take my midterms. "Wag kang mamobrelema, open books, open lectures, open notes, pwede mo ngang sagutin sa library. You have three questions to choose from and you only have to answer one. Yun nga lang, limited ang sagot mo sa 5 sentences," he said. "So... ano na?" he asked. I just nodded to say okay. Do I have any choice? "I have a PI class at 2:30. Just go there at GAB 107 and I would give you your exam." he added after that.
I can remember the time when I was still under his Histo 1 class. He entered the room and began to talk about a certain guy in his PI class who wrote as an answer in his blue book that Rizal was a reformist. He gave him a failing grade. Rizal, my professor lecturing us said, is not a reformist. We never got to ask him why but I wish I did. I have this gut feeling that one of his test questions would deal with Rizal being a reformist or a revolutionist.
After my Histo II class I borrowed books about Rizal in the library. My SocSci II class will give me enough time to review and search for the answer as to why Rizal was not really a reformist. It turned out, based on my readings, that Rizal was both reformist and a revolutionist. He was at first in favor of the assimilation of Philippines to Spain thereby a reformist. But this was out of his naivete. Later on he got to experience the ills that is happening in the society and his views profoundly changed. His revolutionary ideas were soon to be immortalized in his novels and revealed by the characters like Elias and Simoun.
Gab 107. I felt like a stranger amongst Esguerra's PI students. If it weren't for this exam, I wouldn't be sitting in their class. Esguerra wasn't there yet so I spent the time composing my thoughts amidst the cacophony in the classroom. When he finally arrived the class settled. He approached me with a blue book in his hand. The students around me sat silent for a while wondering what I was doing there. They don't know me, and I don't know them. I thought I would take the exam with them but it turned out that they were through with the midterms and I was just there to sit in while I answered the test. He said that I should pick one of the questions.
This is the question that I chose:
Rizal's El Fili is a separatist novel. La Liga Filipina is a progressive organization. Why is it then that Rizal denied the 1896 Revolution?
This is my answer, or at least what I thought was the answer:
Rizal denied the existence of the 1896 Revolution because he didn't want his conscience to be marred by the blood of his countrymen who will inevitably suffer because of their unpreparedness for a full-scale revolution. Although Rizal had revolutionary ideas, he was not for armed revolution per se. He was more for the gradual and peaceful one. One that is catalyzed by the education of the people. He reasoned out that when subject people are educated, intelligent, and have become aware of their human rights, they would have self-determination and they would strive to be free from their mother country. When this revolution happens, drastic changes will occur in the political, economical, social, religious, and intelligence sphere of a society paving the way for it's independence someday.
I hope that answered the question. As to whether Rizal was either a reformist or a revolutionist. I remain agnostic about it.
Ephemeral Visions of A Dream
Posted on: January 26, 2005Isn't it funny how dreams are so vivid and surreal when you're asleep but then when you wake up everything you've dreamt of fades into a gradual blur. Others remember their dreams so well that when they wake up they can tell you minute details of it. For me though it isn't. I can't even remember most, if not all of my dreams. But I do remember, as a child, dreaming of black and white cartoons. My dreams were like channels on TV where I can switch at will the things I wanted to see. For a few minutes I would be dreaming of Tom and Jerry (I remember having nightmares after watching the episode were Tom died and he was given an hour to reconcile with Jerry or else he goes to hell) then I would dream of Mickey and his gang, then switch to other animated characters.
As I grew up my dreams started to revolve around the people I see everyday. I would dream of regular days in the classroom, or at home, or in a different place elsewhere. There are times during casual conversations with my friends when everything seemed so familiar and I would stop and tell myself that this happened before. Did it happen before? Talk about dejavu. Maybe I saw it in my dreams. I don't know if it's just me but my dreams are totally made up of random events. It doesn't have a storyline and for most of the time it doesn't make any sense. You see people in your dreams. You talk to them as if they were real. As if everything that is happening is real. You see the world in a first person mode but there are also times that like in films, the camera just zooms out and you see yourself with the others.
I had these kind of dreams once. But lately it's like every time I go to sleep my mind just fades to black. Consciously I could conjur up images but that only happens minutes before I fall asleep. It's like nowadays I don't dream at all. It's a fact though that normal people dream every night. Dreaming is the brain's way of reorganizing itself and it happens during a stage they call REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Based on that I cannot not dream every night, if you know what I mean. But why can't I remember what I have dreamt?
I once came across the site of a blogger who recorded her dreams. Once of her posts dealt with why people do not remember what they have dreamt. She said that most of us are in such a hurry in life that when we wake up we immediately get out of our beds and onto our daily routines. She, on the other hand, gave herself five minutes or so to reflect on her dreams and jotted them down on paper as she recalled it. Believe me I tried doing this but whenever I have my reflections my eyes simply close and I fall asleep again. I wake up 30 minutes or an hour later not knowing that such an amount of time had already past. Looking at my cellphone's clock I realize that I am totally late for school. Forget the reflections, I need to get my butt off the bed lest I want to be marked tardy in my attendance.
I want to remember my dreams. I want to get a glimpse of a world created by my subconcious mind. I want to view my life in another perspective, however distorted or random it may be. This is why I make such a big deal out of it. For those who remember their dreams so well, I envy you. But I may as well be contented with that fact that I do dream even if I don't remember it. It makes me the same as any other normal human being on this planet. Tonight, I will dream. Tomorrow, hopefully, I get to talk about it.
The Ellipsis of the Mind
Posted on: January 25, 2005MTV Lokal featured the band Silent Sanctuary. By the end of the show they performed one of the tracks in their album "The Ellipsis of The Mind". The song was called "For Tonight". Their music was simple yet somber. Aside from the usual guitar, bass, and drum setup, they had a cellist and a violinist. The cello and the violin gave their song a solemn effect.
It's bands like these that make me want to listen more of Indie music. Before I came here I really didn't like listening to OPM. When I was still living in Abu Dhabi whenever someone would mention OPM, novelty songs would first cross my mind. Seriously, it's hard to get decent pinoy music when you're miles away from the country that's producing it. I do listen to a few pinoy bands like Parokya ni Edgar but that's just about it. Foreign music dominated my playlist.
When I arrived in the Philippines my music preferences began to change. Soon I began to fall in love with the rock anthems of Bamboo, the inspiring songs of Rivermaya, the awesome singing voice of Kitchie Nadal. I fell in love with OPM, alternative OPM to be specific. Kjwan. Cambio. Sugarfree. Stonefree. Sandwhich. 6cyclemind. Urbandub. Sponge Cola. Sugar Hiccups. Silent Sanctuary. There's a whole lot of them. I could remember saying a few years ago that filipino music is jologs but I take that back now.
I'm proud of our music, of our style, kakaiba talaga ang mga noypi. Kakaiba talaga!
Makamisa
Posted on: January 22, 2005"Are you ready for your report mr. espiritu?" my professor asked.
The last reporter was already in front of the class ready to start on his report on Rizal's El Fili. There was a brief moment of silence. Heads turned and eyes were on me. Everyone was waiting for my answer.
"Sir, i've just started reading yesterday and I don't think I would be able to touch all the points if I reported today."
"It's okay. Just report on what you know. It's better that you report today so that you can join your field trip next week."
"Okay," I hesitatingly said.
My professor then turned toward the reporter in front and motioned him to continue. Meanwhile, I skimmed the book that I borrowed for my report extracting details that I could use to build my impromptu report. I felt nervous because I had to stand in front and explain Rizal's supposed third novel to a bunch of biochemistry seniors, my sister, and my professor whose teachings had a profound effect on me. The guy was nearing the end of his report. By the time he finished his report, I was already done with an outline of mine. Shaky, I stood in front and started my report.
"Makamisa, which means "after mass", is one of Rizal's unfinished works and is said to be his third novel following Noli and El Fili. It is an anticlerical and humerous novel. Makamisa was written satirically which is reminiscent of the style Rizal used in Noli me Tangere..."
Minutes later I was finished. It was a good thing that Professor Esguerra helped fill in facts that I missed. As I returned to my seat he told me, "O ayan, makakasama ka na sa field trip mo dahil tapos ka na magreport." Originally my report was scheduled for next week, but incidentally it is also the date of our field trip in NatSci 2. I was looking for a compromise because I couldn't sacrifice neither one of them. I tried asking Prof. Esguerra to give me a make-up for my report next week but he was hesitant. Eventually I decided to give up the field trip because I felt that my PI 100 class was much more important. But now that I finished reporting, i'm free to go to my field trip next Saturday. I wouldn't want to miss out my last field trip with my blockmates before I shift to another course. I'm happy things turned out just fine.
These Happened The Year I Was Born (1988)
Posted on: January 21, 2005Ronald Reagan is president of the US
Federal grand juries return indictments against Gen. Manuel Noriega, ruler of Panama, charging him of running drug cartels
A missile, fired from the US Navy warship Vincennes destroys a commercial Iranian airliner killing all 290 on board
A Pan-am Boeing 747 explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland from a terrorist bomb
Controversial Arizona Governor Evan Mecham is removed from office for financial misdeed
Jimmy Swaggart is defrocked when his sexual liaisons with women other than his wife are revealed
The Netherlands becomes the second country to get connected to the Internet
Al-Qaida is established by Osama bin Laden
Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series
Washington Redskins win Superbowl XXII
Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup
Rain Man is the top grossing film
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking is published
"Faith" by George Michael spends the most time at the top of the US charts
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What Happened the Year You Were Born?
Ladder 49
Why is it that firemen run inside a burning building when everyone else is running out?
Watched Ladder 49 a while ago. It narrates the life of a veteran fireman by the name of Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix). The movie unfolds in a series of flashbacks of Jack's life as he helplessly lie trapped in a burning building after helping save a man. His captain (John Travolta) desperately figures out a plan to get him out of there. Most of the flashbacks dealt with the emotional highs and lows of Jack's life which included his first day at the fire station, him getting married to Linda, who later on gave birth to two of his kids, and just about a dozen different fire situations.
I would rate it as an average movie. It's not really good but neither is it bad. Let's just say that it ended tragically. The movie though gives the audience an idea of how it is to be a fireman risking his own life in order to save others. We should be thankful for people like them, the firemen, police men, people in the military, and just about everybody else who make sure that we stay safe. Watching the film reminded me of the heroism of those that perished doing their job saving people during the 9/11 attacks. If i'm not mistaken there were 300 or more firemen and policemen who died when the WTC towers collapsed. Such bravery and courage, laying down your own life so that other's may live. Not everyone could do that.
A Paper On CS
Posted on: January 20, 2005I still have these allergies all around my body. It even reached part of my face, just around the eyes. My sister consulted kuya Wilbert about my allergies. He told her that mine could have come from dust mites. This adds up to my growing list of possible causes. I ruled out mosquito bites, mosquito dung, and hairy catterpillars. I never get these allergic reactions whenever i'm outside. It's only when i'm indoors that they start to show up. Could it be from dust mites? I want to have a good night's rest, free from the irritating itchiness so I cleaned my room. I also changed my bed sheets and the AC's filter just to be sure. As of now, my allergies subsided into subtle red patches on my skin. Let's see if it returns tomorrow.
I finally got a topic for my paper. I originally wanted to do a paper on music piracy but my professor wanted that part of my paper would include an interview with Edu Manzano, the current director of the Optical Media Board. Now how am I supposed to secure an interview with Edu Manzano? I see him on TV but other than that I had no connections with him or whatsoever. And so I decided to change my topic. My professor suggested that I write about something that i'm into. Fine, I said that I like anything that would relate to computers. He asked me if I played computer games. I said yes, who doesn't. Then he asked what kind of game do I play. Being a game fanatic I could have said a dozen different games but the first thing that popped out of my mind was CounterStrike. He then suggested that I do a paper on how the game CounterStrike can be used as a module in training soldiers for armed combat. At first I thought why not? But then he told me that I have to interview someone in the military for information on the effectivity of simulations in combat training. I was hoping that he wouldn't say that. Now I have a really big problem. I could get countless information off the net but it would destroy the credibility of my research paper. I have limited if not zero book sources and I still have to find prospects for an interview.
Can anyone help me secure an interview with someone from the military?
I try not to scratch
Posted on: January 19, 2005I am experiencing major allergic reactions. I have pantals all over my body and it really itches. Just to give you and idea of how it looks like, imagine swelling pantals in the shape of islands, better yet archipelagos, surrounded by some sort of rash, covering your body. I know it's a bad description but it comes close to what you could see on me now. Plus there's this sensation of you being bitten by ants and that makes you want to scratch real hard. But when you do, things only get worst. I had this since afternoon so for six hours now I have been constraining myself, however difficult, not to scratch. I thought it would go away after an hour or two but it didn't. I couldn't take it any longer so my sister and I went to the nearest pharmacy to buy antihistamines. Just popped a pill minutes ago and things are starting to look better now.
Last November I had the same irritating experience plus a fever. I would blame mosquitoes whenever my allergies start popping out. But our house now is mosquito free and still I'm getting these reactions. Maybe I was wrong about the mosquitoes. Maybe the doctor was right when she said that it could have come from pollen caught in the wind or from a catterpillar of some sort. Tita Daning said that it happens whenever you get the chills and you're fatigued. It could be a plausible explanation. I started having these allergies just right after I returned home from my P.E. class (table tennis). She suggested that wiping vinegar over the affected area would help. Umm... vinegar? Sorry tita, but I think the antihistaminic drugs would do just fine.
Studying is my passion, but.....
Posted on: January 18, 2005I really find it hard to study when you are not pressured to. Compared to last sem, my load now is relatively light. I have no major subjects like Chem and Physics to worry about. Somehow I miss the days when I would lock myself in the room and read books, not because I want to, but because I have to. If you were me back then you wouldn't want to attend Esguerra's class unprepared. But my point is, I thrive under pressure. When things start to ease up I tend to loosen up a bit on studying. And this is, in any case, bad for a UP student.
Last friday we had our departmentals in Math 1. Unlike Math 11, Math 1 focuses more on logic and the history of math. Anyone will tell you it's easy. I would, but somehow I fear that the results of my exam would say so otherwise. You see I'm not really sure of my answers even though the majority of the exam is multiple choice. And I made a lot of mistakes because of ignorance. I thought May had only 30 days and that made all the difference. Three items wasted because of that single error. Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh. Now if only someone would have taught me the knuckle system of remembering how many days are there in any given month. For those who don't know about this, well then let me share it with you. Maybe it would help you someday. You start off with the first knuckle in your right hand. That's January. The space in between the first and the second knuckle is February. Then you go on with March and the rest of the months alternating the knuckle and the space between the knuckles. When you reach the last knuckle you start again with the first knuckle. Now the month's that landed on the knuckles have 31 days. Those that didn't have 30. February of course have only 28... 29 during leap years. Did it make sense?
Now that you know I hope you won't commit the same stupid mistake as I have. It really frustrates me whenever I think about it. I should have done better in the exam. Anyway there's always a second chance. I hope I could redeem myself in the next dept. exam. I should. I will.
Psalms 23
The Lord is my Shepherd,I shall not flunk
He keepeth me from lying down when I should be studying
He leadeth me beside the water cooler for a study break
He restores my faith in study guides
He leads me to better study habits for my grades' sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of borderline grades
I will not have a nervous breakdown for thou art with me
My prayers and my friends, they comfort me
Thou givest me the answer in moments of blankness
Thou anointest my head with understanding
My test paper runneth over with questions I recognise.
Surely passing grades and flying colours shall follow me
all the days of my examinations
And I shall not have to dwell in this exam hall forever.
- Anonymous
Weird
Posted on: January 13, 2005
"One of two 19-year-old fish with human-like facial features in Chongju, about 140 km (88 miles) south of Seoul on January 10, 2005. The hybrid species fish were born between a carp and a leather carp in the pond of a personal house in Chongju. Each of the two female fish is 80 cm (32 inches) long and 50 cm (20 inches) in circumference. The owner of the fish said on Monday that their faces have begun to look more and more human over the last couple of years. Picture taken January 10."
-Reuters
Channel Surf
Posted on: January 12, 2005Here are the programs I watched in TV today.
1. The Psychic's Secret Revealed. The show explains how psychics fake spoon-bending telekinesis and mind-blowing telepathy. I don't believe in people who claim to be psychics and this show gives me a reason why. The stunts they perform to trick the people are quite ingenious. But they are fake nevertheless. Do you know that the psychic's reading of your life is scripted. They tell you the same thing. People believe that the readings are specific to them but actually they generally apply to anyone. Psychics are good actors but the stuff they do are fake.
2. WWE Smackdown. Psychics are fake. Wrestlers are not. It's obvious that the matches are planned and the lines they say are scripted but the punching, the pedigrees, suplexes, archaeos... the act of wrestling in general is real. My sisters say that the punches are faked but they don't watch WWE so they don't really know. They're not fake. The only reason why the wrestlers don't seem to flinch whenever they are punched at is because they're bodies are built for that stuff. The more muscles you have the less pain you would feel during brawls. The match I saw is a three-person battle for the heavy weight championship. It's between Chris Benoit, Shawn Michael, and Triple H. It's a non-disqualification match so anything goes. At the end of the match Shawn Michael's face is covered with blood, Triple H has a cut in his forehead, while Chris Benoit may have suffered from a back injury when he was thrown at his back on the steel table used by the commentators. Christ Benoit won after Triple H tapped out.
3. Amazing Race 6. The best reality show ever. The others are good not because they're "good" but in a way, by watching these reality shows, it makes you feel superior over the people who make idiots of themselves. There's a lot of these shows actually. Most are from MTV like Wild Boyz, The Assistant, One Bad Trip... and so on. Given the chance, I would join the Amazing Race. Not only do you compete for a million bucks, you also travel the world in the process. Even if you didn't win, the places you get to visit are equally rewarding. Too bad only American citizens could join.
4. Sponge Cola on MYX Live. The band rocks. I especially like their song Lunes and their cover of Madonna's Crazy For You. Mabuhay ang OPM!!!
Just Another Day
Posted on: January 11, 2005I had a long test on Histo II. It's the first test I had in any of my subjects this semester. It's not hard, but I did have mental blackouts on some of the terms like the Thai boats which serve as floating markets. I was thinking of writing "sampong" but I knew it wasn't that. Good thing I kept the number blank because the word was actually "sampan". Quite far from sampong. Mentally associating ideas for hard-to-remember-words doesn't always work (I thought of the Filipino word for ten (sampu) while memorizing "sampan"). The remainder of the test was relatively easy. I take pride in my ability to name all the countries in West Asia, particularly that in Middle East, and their capitals. There were two particular questions that made me smile while answering it. One is to name "the country with the highest GDP in West Asia." while the other is to name the tiny piece of land on the map adjacent to the humongous Saudi Arabia. The answer to both questions is obviously the United Arab Emirates. I light up whenever I hear the letters U.A.E. It's my nostalgia.
After school, I patiently waited outside Robinsons because I have to give something important to my classmate. She told me to be there at 2:30. I was there at 2:15 because my professor in my Soc Sci class dismissed us early. It's very predictable that she would be late so I gave myself 30 minutes. I had no means of contacting her and I didn't plan to wait the entire day so I said to myself if she's not here by 3:00 I would go home. It reminded me of the bad habit we Filipinos have. We even coined a term for it. Filipino time. When you say "Filipino time" it's actually showing up 30 minutes or more after the scheduled time. It happens a lot. Even with Filipinos abroad. I know. I'm guilty of doing it sometimes. As a corollary, people give themselves the excuse of not showing up on time because the would say to themselves "wala pang tao doon" or "mamaya pa sila magsisidatingan." It goes to show how we Filipinos are lazy and tardy. Joyce didn't show up. Ate LeeAnn went to school early to tell me that Joyce couldn't come at that time because she had important things to do. Thank God it was only 2:40. I didn't want to waste 30 minutes standing outside Rob for nothing. I went home after that.
A mother with her child entered the bus I was riding in. All the seats were full so they had no choice but to stand.
I would gladly offer my seat to a lady or a senior citizen if the situation allows me to. Let me explain. If the lady or a senior citizen or even a kid you want to offer your seat to is too far away from where you are, it's pointless to stand up and offer your seat, because the moment you stand up a guy would come and take your place. Today was different. They stood right next to me, and at that moment I got up and gave my seat to them. The mother thanked me and gave me a smile and I felt like a thousand bucks. I smile whenever I see men offering their seat to women, and now I got to do the same act of a gentleman and it felt great. I didn't mind standing for 40 minutes all the way to Cavite. The very thought that I helped someone is better then me slumping on a bus chair.
Anyway I made a discovery today. I found out that San Agustin buses are offering student discounts. Instead of paying P23 the trip only cost me P18. That's P10 per day. Multiplying that to the number of school days and I could actually save P200 pesos per month. That's huge savings. It's enough to buy me the book I found in the bookshop near the entrance of Rob.
Die to Live and Vice Versa
Posted on: January 04, 2005"All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time..."
If you look down you'll see this familiar quote on my new year's post. It makes perfect sense to me now, our beginnings and endings, life and death, etc. The last three books I've read mentioned a thing or two that relates to the quote above.
In the Genesis Acount, a book I read in the church library, there's a chapter that explains why God allowed entropy in the universe. It says that entropy is essential for our survival. In order for something to live, something must die. It's a continuous cycle. We feed on animals and plants. Our body converts what we consume into energy that keeps us going, that keeps us alive. In return, when we die, we feed the soil with our lifeless bodies. We give back what we had once taken away. In Tuesdays with Morrie, Morrie keeps pointing out to Mitch that "when you learn how to die, you learn how to live." In the Five People You Meet In Heaven, another book by Mitch Albom, it points out how the death of someone could give life to another. Just like how the captain's tragic death kept Eddie alive. Or how Eddie's death would give Amy/Annie the chance to live.
And the more I think about it the more I see it happening everywhere - Death and Life. We think of death as contagious but to die is just as natural as it is to live. As Morrie would say, "It's part of the deal we've made."
Have you ever wondered why the tsunami waves didn't reach the Philippines? Our geo professor pointed out that Indonesia broke the waves. If that country wasn't in the map the tsunami would reach mainland Philippines. Imagine waves reaching a height of 40 meters crashing down 4 kilometers inland on a city. The Filipinos couldn't handle such a disaster. The flashfloods that swept Quezon province looked petite compared to the humongous waves that crashed down on South and Southeast Asia. And there we have it again. Those who died in Indonesia gave us Filipinos the chance to live. Death. Life. They're inseperable.
Anyway the death toll is at 150,000+. We should help those who survived the tragedy especially those in Indonesia. We owe them that much.
Mouse Trap
Posted on: January 01, 2005WARNING: This post contains graphic material. Viewer discretion is advised.
The picture above is all that remained of a squished rat. How did it get there? I really don't know.
Three days ago my room started to stink. I tried cleaning my room but it was still there. It wasn't really that bad but it kinda smelled funny. Yesterday my sister told me that my room smelled like a dead rat. Me, apparently immuned, couldn't really smell it. I tried spraying my room with air freshener and that temporarily solved the problem. But this morning the smell grew worser. I tried to find the source of the stench but I couldn't find it. My sister, who was checking out the closet, told me it was coming from the wardrobe. That's when I remembered.
Three days ago I heard squeaking noises from the drawer pictured above. I knew it was coming from a rat, actually a mouse. Mices are smaller. The drawer wasn't entirely closed and I figured that a mouse climbed in there apparently trying to get out. Without even thinking I kicked the drawer closed.
Now you know what happened to the mouse.
I should have pictured the mouse itself but the stench was way unbearable. And you wouldn't want to see it. It was way gross. Pancake ala Muridae Cricetidae. With a surgical mask and surgical gloves on I tried removing the mouse. Man, thinking about it makes me sick. Luckily I was able to dispose the mouse in the garbage bin. The stench was still there so I sprayed the drawer with Lysol. The can was almost empty when the stency was finally gone.
I am not a mouse killer. I even have names for some of them, those of who visit my room every now and then. There's LeeAnn, Mickey, Minnie, and Jerry. Si LeeAnn ata ung napatay ko. It's not my fault, it just so happened that the poor mouse was at the back of the drawer when I kicked it.
Ugh, thinking about that mouse really makes me sick. I think I'm gonna throw up.
Happy New Year
"All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time..."
It's pointless for me to make a new year's resolution because I never keep them. But I do believe it's high time for change. Everything changes as time pass by but we decide if it takes effect on us. Somehow I hope that something good would change in me this 2005.
It's my first time to consciously spend new year here in the Philippines. Well I was here on new year's eve eons ago but I was only like what, 1 or 2 years old? I can't even speak lest remember what happened. When I first arrived here I always thought that Christmas and New Year would be special. But it was just like any other day. Although New Year is more of an ear wracking experience. Things go boom every now and then on the streets. It's like being under enemy fire. My sisters would scream whenever something would explode. It was really embarrassing being around them.
We ate hotdogs and bread for our new year's eve dinner. Good thing though they served food in church or else we'll be facing the new year on an empty stomach. We were supposed to buy a bucket from KFC and maybe a pizza box or two, compliments of Ate Avi and Joyce, but they weren't able to withdraw money from the bank. But before you start to pity our condition let me tell you that even though we didn't have the fancy food nor the company of our family we were still happy. I mean why shouldn't we. We were blessed and God has always been faithful to us these past few years. There's really nothing to be sad about.
Well there's one thing though. Joyce (the sister of ate avi) accidentally dropped my mobile in a pail full of water. It really didn't matter to me that much. All I can think of is that I won't have an alarm clock to wake me up this new year. I rarely use my mobile. I keep it for timekeeping purposes and emergency calls and that's it. I can live without a mobile. But Joyce was generous enough that she offered to buy me a new one. So how about that, a new year, a new mobile. Not that bad for a new year's start.
Anyway to all of you out there I wish that you have a prosperous New Year. There's a lot to look forward to this 2005 amidst the chaos surrounding us. We should make the best of this year.