Obviously Performancing screwed up the last post. Aaargh...
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
all i want for christmas is...
My two front teeth.
Yes. Seriously. I've grown tired of the Harry Potter-ish lightning bolt on my front tooth. I want to go see a dentist, but I might be banned from munching on sweets like...
Chocolate.
Hi. My name is Andre, and I'm a chocoholic. The sight of Cloud 9 would get my mouth watering. The scent of Cadbury bars would drive me into a feeding frenzy. The mere thought of Swiss and German chocolates would be like heaven for me. But for now, my Mom's stash of Hershey's Kisses would serve as a worthy snack while watching...
Battlestar Galactica.
So I'm a Sci-fi geek. What would you expect from a guy who has the complete Star Wars Saga and watches it in order every few weeks? I would love to get my hands on the DVDs of seasons 1 and 2 of this series; something to tide me over until Cinemax coughs up Season 3. Yes, it's on YouTube, but why should I spend my days squinting at a little screen when I could be playing...
Medieval 2: Total War.
Ever since I started up Command and Conquer: Red Alert on my very first PC years ago I have been hooked on strategy games. Maybe it's the feeling of power as I command hundreds of troops and decide the fates of virtual nations, or maybe it's the pure sadistic joy of watching poor, hapless peasants being bombarded to death by catapults launching fire pots. Or by the 16-inch guns of an offshore battleship. Or by a squadron of B-2 Stealth Bombers. It all depends on my mood really, but there are times when I just want to sit back, relax, and wish that I could read...
Harry Potter Books 1-6.
Yes, I've read them all already thanks to the magic of the Internet, but I have dreams of having a personal library someday, and I want to expand my collection of non-electronic books. Bookworm that I am, I've also set my sights on...
Ang Paboritong Libro Ni Hudas.
I've always planned to buy this and other books by Bob Ong. My collection of books is so lacking in humor, save for my two...
Pugad Baboy Comic books.
I already have 5 and 6, and the book sale at the
Teeth of the Tiger.
My Tom Clancy collection is nearly complete. This, plus Red Rabbit, will finally round out the fictional novels. Then I can move on to the nonfiction books, like...
Into the Storm.
I have always been interested in military affairs, and this is just one in a series of books which would give me an inside look at the American armed forces. After that maybe I could move on to another author, such as Dale Brown. The first book I would get would be...
Act of War.
Obviously, I'm a war freak. Let's move on, shall we? My birthday is in 9 days. Wow. I'm getting old. But what I'm really looking forward to is...
Dinner at a restaurant of my choice.
I'm thinking of having a...
Tenderloin Steak with Mashed Potatoes at House of Minis.
Or...
Eat-all-you-can Sushi and Sashimi at Saisaki.
However I could also go for the traditional...
Roast Chicken at Kenny Roger's Roasters.
Ever since I had a taste of the scrumptious wood-fire roasted chicken and flavorful gravy and creamy mashed potatoes we had been celebrating my birthday there...
Enough! All this talk about food is making me hungry, and our dinner isn’t ready yet. I only ate a plate of baked macaroni for lunch, and I spent a whole day walking around the campus. I’m so tired and so hungry and so handsome. Come to think of it, maybe what I really want –need- for Christmas is…
A vacation.
Friday, September 15, 2006
pushing the envelope(again)
Climb Mount Niitaka.
A simple phrase, seemingly innocuous.
Today was supposed to be another normal day. Classes to attend, people to meet, books to read, time to kill. Yet something felt different, even when I first woke up. My first class was at 10AM, so I had to be up by 8 to get ready for school. Yes, I still take more than an hour to go through my morning routine, but a lot of things have changed. The commute to school now takes less time than before, so I could afford to spend more time checking my email in the morning. I was so confident in the efficiency of Marikina's roads and its public utility vehicles that I left home at 9:45AM. Yup, 15 full minutes before my class was supposed to start. My confidence was not misplaced, however, and I arrived at Katipunan with 7 minutes to spare.
It means nothing, really.
Until you see it for what it really is.
I however forgot about Katipunan Avenue. Sure it was smooth sailing for a while, until the jeep got to the bottleneck at UPIS. It was stop-go, stop-go for all of 15 minutes. I was already fuming by the time the jeep got to the Tumana gate, and when I saw that the traffic stretched all the way to the other end I jumped off and walked the rest of the way to the Econ building. I arrived 20 minutes late, and the doors were already locked- wait, the doors were locked? The other time this happened, on the first day of classes, Prof. Esguerra was absent. Crap.
That seemingly innocent phrase triggered a chain of events that dragged half the world into one of the most devastating periods in history.
Who in their right mind would not want a class to be cancelled? Normally I would be happy, but I was already in a very foul mood after having to walk half a kilometer because some MMDA traffic enforcer didn't know $#!+ about traffic management, and finding out that all the effort and sweat was for nothing didn't help at all! And as if to add insult to injury, the jeep I left trapped in traffic passed right in front of me as I left the Econ building. It was only 10:30AM.
Millions died because of events begun by those three words.
Innocent words transmitted by radio before one fateful December morning.
I spent the rest of the morning in the library reading newspapers. Lunch was spent at the CS Canteen, with baked macaroni again. My next class was at 2:30, so I went up to the air-conditioned confines of the Econ library to wait. I didn't really want to attend that class, but I had nothing to do for the rest of the afternoon and I was supposed to have another meeting for our BA 101 case presentation at 5:30. So with a cup of steaming hot coffee I listened to an hour-and-a-half long lecture which I could have easily read from the book. After the class it was back to the library again, to wait for 5:30.
It's simply amazing.
One innocent phrase with the power to change the world.
If you've been reading my blogs for quite some time now you probably know that I really hate waiting. I. Really. Absolutely. Definitely. Hate. Abhor. Despise. Waiting. So if you make me wait it had better be damned worth it. But history has a funny way of repeating itself, and as the clock hit 5:45, I found out that it did. Again. I arrived at the designated meeting place to find out that none of my groupmates had arrived yet. A text message clarified everything, and really made my day: "Ei di matutuloy meeting ngayon, lahat may ginagawa e. Wala bang nagsabi sayo?" My blood turned cold as I read that message. My face twisted into an evil smile, a smile I usually reserve for when I'm desperately trying to control my temper. This was the FOURTH time my dear groupmates saw fit to cancel meetings without notifying me until literally the last damned minute.
How I wish I had that kind of power.
If a group of letters could have it, why can't I?
You should be thankful I'm not some crazy, megalomaniacal dictator with access to certain 'weapons of mass destruction' because at that time I really wanted to press the proverbial button and send the world back to the Stone Age. Oh, what I would give for an MX-Peacekeeper ICBM with 10 megatons worth of pure thermonuclear goodness... Almost 2 wasted hours... I could have gone home early instead of wasting my time waiting for nothing!
Power. Unlimited power!
Power to change the world, to bend things to my will.
I was so frustrated that I just started walking around aimlessly. My normally handsome face was twisted into something- let's just say that if looks could kill a lot of people would be lining up before the Pearly Gates by now. For about 20 minutes I walked around UP, vainly trying to vent my anger yet failing miserably since 'venting' for me usually comes with 'shouting' and 'screaming', which I couldn't quite do in the civilized Diliman campus.
Yes. I'll have that power in the future.
Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.
I got home at around 7PM. Thank God for salpicado and baked potatoes and YouTube and blogging. Some ants just got a new lease on life.
A simple phrase, seemingly innocuous.
Today was supposed to be another normal day. Classes to attend, people to meet, books to read, time to kill. Yet something felt different, even when I first woke up. My first class was at 10AM, so I had to be up by 8 to get ready for school. Yes, I still take more than an hour to go through my morning routine, but a lot of things have changed. The commute to school now takes less time than before, so I could afford to spend more time checking my email in the morning. I was so confident in the efficiency of Marikina's roads and its public utility vehicles that I left home at 9:45AM. Yup, 15 full minutes before my class was supposed to start. My confidence was not misplaced, however, and I arrived at Katipunan with 7 minutes to spare.
It means nothing, really.
Until you see it for what it really is.
I however forgot about Katipunan Avenue. Sure it was smooth sailing for a while, until the jeep got to the bottleneck at UPIS. It was stop-go, stop-go for all of 15 minutes. I was already fuming by the time the jeep got to the Tumana gate, and when I saw that the traffic stretched all the way to the other end I jumped off and walked the rest of the way to the Econ building. I arrived 20 minutes late, and the doors were already locked- wait, the doors were locked? The other time this happened, on the first day of classes, Prof. Esguerra was absent. Crap.
That seemingly innocent phrase triggered a chain of events that dragged half the world into one of the most devastating periods in history.
Who in their right mind would not want a class to be cancelled? Normally I would be happy, but I was already in a very foul mood after having to walk half a kilometer because some MMDA traffic enforcer didn't know $#!+ about traffic management, and finding out that all the effort and sweat was for nothing didn't help at all! And as if to add insult to injury, the jeep I left trapped in traffic passed right in front of me as I left the Econ building. It was only 10:30AM.
Millions died because of events begun by those three words.
Innocent words transmitted by radio before one fateful December morning.
I spent the rest of the morning in the library reading newspapers. Lunch was spent at the CS Canteen, with baked macaroni again. My next class was at 2:30, so I went up to the air-conditioned confines of the Econ library to wait. I didn't really want to attend that class, but I had nothing to do for the rest of the afternoon and I was supposed to have another meeting for our BA 101 case presentation at 5:30. So with a cup of steaming hot coffee I listened to an hour-and-a-half long lecture which I could have easily read from the book. After the class it was back to the library again, to wait for 5:30.
It's simply amazing.
One innocent phrase with the power to change the world.
If you've been reading my blogs for quite some time now you probably know that I really hate waiting. I. Really. Absolutely. Definitely. Hate. Abhor. Despise. Waiting. So if you make me wait it had better be damned worth it. But history has a funny way of repeating itself, and as the clock hit 5:45, I found out that it did. Again. I arrived at the designated meeting place to find out that none of my groupmates had arrived yet. A text message clarified everything, and really made my day: "Ei di matutuloy meeting ngayon, lahat may ginagawa e. Wala bang nagsabi sayo?" My blood turned cold as I read that message. My face twisted into an evil smile, a smile I usually reserve for when I'm desperately trying to control my temper. This was the FOURTH time my dear groupmates saw fit to cancel meetings without notifying me until literally the last damned minute.
How I wish I had that kind of power.
If a group of letters could have it, why can't I?
You should be thankful I'm not some crazy, megalomaniacal dictator with access to certain 'weapons of mass destruction' because at that time I really wanted to press the proverbial button and send the world back to the Stone Age. Oh, what I would give for an MX-Peacekeeper ICBM with 10 megatons worth of pure thermonuclear goodness... Almost 2 wasted hours... I could have gone home early instead of wasting my time waiting for nothing!
Power. Unlimited power!
Power to change the world, to bend things to my will.
I was so frustrated that I just started walking around aimlessly. My normally handsome face was twisted into something- let's just say that if looks could kill a lot of people would be lining up before the Pearly Gates by now. For about 20 minutes I walked around UP, vainly trying to vent my anger yet failing miserably since 'venting' for me usually comes with 'shouting' and 'screaming', which I couldn't quite do in the civilized Diliman campus.
Yes. I'll have that power in the future.
Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.
I got home at around 7PM. Thank God for salpicado and baked potatoes and YouTube and blogging. Some ants just got a new lease on life.
Monday, September 04, 2006
extraneous thoughts
Certain things have been taking up valuable real estate in my already overcrowded mind for the past few weeks. This is a desperate attempt to purge my mind of these extraneous thoughts and at least return some semblance of order to my gray matter.
People are going to kill me after they read this post.
Cheerio!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
...maybe later... hehehe...
| You Are Somewhat Machiavellian |
 You're not going to mow over everyone to get ahead... But you're also powerful enough to make things happen for yourself. You understand how the world works, even when it's an ugly place. You just don't get ugly yourself - unless you have to! |
how vain are you?
| You Are 43% Vain |
 You're a little vain, but more than anything you have a healthy amount of confidence. Thinking the world of yourself is great. Just don't think less of those who aren't as pretty as you! |
how evil are you?
| You Are 40% Evil |
 A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well. In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil. |
what planet should you rule?
| You Should Rule Saturn |
 Saturn is a mysterious planet that can rarely be seen with the naked eye. You are perfect to rule Saturn because like its rings, you don't always follow the rules of nature. And like Saturn, to be really able to understand you, someone must delve beyond your appearance. You are not an easy person to befriend. However, once you enter a friendship, you'll be a friend for life. You think slowly but deeply. You only gain great understanding after a situation has passed. |
Friday, August 25, 2006
perfect disaster
When the conditions are right, everything will go wrong.
August 14, 2006
My German 10 class had ended the week before, and now I had 2 hours of free time on my hands. I had already eaten lunch so I went to the SE Library to get the required readings for my Kasaysayan 112 class, Contemporary Philippine History. I remember Erika's reaction when I enlisted in that class: "'Contemporary Philippine History'? Martial law, People Power, politics, etcetera? E alam mo na lahat yan e!!!" Modesty(ahem) forbids me from commenting further on that, but I can say that I have had an active interest in history ever since I was a child. Anyway, I had two books photocopied that day, Nationalist Economics, and The Roots of People Power, the first chapter of which I had finished while waiting for the other book. Over the next few days I had finished reading the rest, in preparation for class and the first exam just a week away.
August 21, 2006
No classes today. I spent most of the long weekend in front of the computer, whiling away the hours commanding virtual soldiers on an imaginary battlefield. Of course I stopped soaking in radiation from time to time, taking glances at my Econ 106 notes or making the long trip to the refrigerator for another load of Hershey's Kisses.
August 22, 2006
I actually had time to fire up my computer in the morning. Yes, I was early for class. After checking my mail and catching up on the news I made my way to school, where my first stop was the launching of a lecture series for the Linggo ng Kasaysayan. I met my classmates in Kas 112 there and I confirmed, again, that our exam was on the 25th. Next up was Econ 131 and a problem set. Thank God for STATA. At least the days of doing regression analysis by hand are over. BA 101 had me and my groupmates deciphering codes and puzzles; our professor gave us a break after the grueling exam last week. I let loose my inner C.S.I. instincts, solving many in the first set, then cracking the second set just a few minutes after we recieved the paper. I was really feeling good about myself that day.
August 23, 2006
2:45PM
Econ 106 exam tomorrow. Cramming mode: ON. But the siren song of the computer is calling out to me...
6:05PM
Must... start... studying... linear... programming... open... book... Whew!
6:34PM
Dinner break begins.
11:15PM
Dinner break ends.
11:30PM
With a hot, steaming cup of coffee beside me and the drone of the TV set to ANC, I finally get down to studying for the exam. Matrices, determinants, caffeine, eigenvalues, demand, supply, the kitchen sink, linear programming, and differentiation enter my head in a marathon cramming session.
August 24, 2006
2:50AM
I finally decide to call it a day and fix my things for the next-- erm.. for the day. Time to sleep!
3:15AM
One little, two little, three little piglets...
3:38AM
"...and therefore, Mr. Speaker, I say yes to the commitee report... *click*"
3:59AM
"...is positive definite when the determinants of the leading principal minors..."
Approximately between 4 and 5AM
Zzzzzzzzz....
8:15AM
Rrrrrrrrrriiiiinnnng!
10:23AM
"...the employer must have an incentive to train his employees..."
2:45PM
"This is the exam?"
What I held in my hand at that time was a piece of bond paper containing the easiest math exam I had seen since I came into the University of the Philippines. Or maybe because the cramming the night and early morning before, plus during the preceeding hour, had really paid off. Either way, I was smiling at myself during the 2 hours alloted for the exam. I came out of that exam feeling refreshed. Unlike in all of my previous math exams, I had answers --and sure answers at that-- to every single question. What a happy day!
5:06PM
"...Trade Act virtually guaranteed the unrestricted entry of American goods into the country..."
7:37PM
AstroSoc emergency GA. Supposed to start at 6 they said. Right. Buzzzzzz... *pak!* Damned mosquitoes.
9:22PM
Dinner. Finally.
August 25, 2006
TODAY
12:39AM
Must sleep... soooo tired... Zzzzzzz....
5:30AM
*Rrrrrrrrring! Rrrrrrrrring!*
5:35AM
*Toot toot! Toot toot!*
5:45AM
*Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!*
5:50AM
*Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring!*
5:55AM
*Toot toot! Toot toot!*
6:00AM
*Rrrrrrrrrrrrriing!*
8:36AM
*Toot toot! Toot toot!* *EXPLETIVE* "Bakit walang gumising sa akin!"
What a cruel world. I had prepared for 2 weeks for my Kas 112 exam today, which was supposed to start at, get this, 8:30AM. There I was, hurling various invectives while scrambling to get through my morning routine and attempt to salvage the exam. The normally placid pace of my morning rituals turned into a mad flurry of activity. Coffee hour was scrapped. Shower time was cut to a mere 6 minutes. Looking at the mirror and reveling in my good looks took just a few minutes. By 9:02 I was running out the door. My Mom had called one of my Dad's friends and I got a free ride to UP. Once there I literally hit the ground running; with only 10 minutes to spare before the exam ended I was quite in a hurry to get to class.
It was a good thing that my professor gave me another chance to take the exam. I was not about to let almost two weeks of preparation to go down the drain! Instead of going to my next class I stayed in the room and penned one of the longest handwritten essays I had ever written. Luckily, not much was done during my Econ 131 class that day, and we all got a 1 on our previous problem set!
At least now all my exams are over. Tomorrow, I'll be going to Paranaque for a night out with my high school barkada(can't wait!). Time to relax once again.
August 14, 2006
My German 10 class had ended the week before, and now I had 2 hours of free time on my hands. I had already eaten lunch so I went to the SE Library to get the required readings for my Kasaysayan 112 class, Contemporary Philippine History. I remember Erika's reaction when I enlisted in that class: "'Contemporary Philippine History'? Martial law, People Power, politics, etcetera? E alam mo na lahat yan e!!!" Modesty(ahem) forbids me from commenting further on that, but I can say that I have had an active interest in history ever since I was a child. Anyway, I had two books photocopied that day, Nationalist Economics, and The Roots of People Power, the first chapter of which I had finished while waiting for the other book. Over the next few days I had finished reading the rest, in preparation for class and the first exam just a week away.
August 21, 2006
No classes today. I spent most of the long weekend in front of the computer, whiling away the hours commanding virtual soldiers on an imaginary battlefield. Of course I stopped soaking in radiation from time to time, taking glances at my Econ 106 notes or making the long trip to the refrigerator for another load of Hershey's Kisses.
August 22, 2006
I actually had time to fire up my computer in the morning. Yes, I was early for class. After checking my mail and catching up on the news I made my way to school, where my first stop was the launching of a lecture series for the Linggo ng Kasaysayan. I met my classmates in Kas 112 there and I confirmed, again, that our exam was on the 25th. Next up was Econ 131 and a problem set. Thank God for STATA. At least the days of doing regression analysis by hand are over. BA 101 had me and my groupmates deciphering codes and puzzles; our professor gave us a break after the grueling exam last week. I let loose my inner C.S.I. instincts, solving many in the first set, then cracking the second set just a few minutes after we recieved the paper. I was really feeling good about myself that day.
August 23, 2006
2:45PM
Econ 106 exam tomorrow. Cramming mode: ON. But the siren song of the computer is calling out to me...
6:05PM
Must... start... studying... linear... programming... open... book... Whew!
6:34PM
Dinner break begins.
11:15PM
Dinner break ends.
11:30PM
With a hot, steaming cup of coffee beside me and the drone of the TV set to ANC, I finally get down to studying for the exam. Matrices, determinants, caffeine, eigenvalues, demand, supply, the kitchen sink, linear programming, and differentiation enter my head in a marathon cramming session.
August 24, 2006
2:50AM
I finally decide to call it a day and fix my things for the next-- erm.. for the day. Time to sleep!
3:15AM
One little, two little, three little piglets...
3:38AM
"...and therefore, Mr. Speaker, I say yes to the commitee report... *click*"
3:59AM
"...is positive definite when the determinants of the leading principal minors..."
Approximately between 4 and 5AM
Zzzzzzzzz....
8:15AM
Rrrrrrrrrriiiiinnnng!
10:23AM
"...the employer must have an incentive to train his employees..."
2:45PM
"This is the exam?"
What I held in my hand at that time was a piece of bond paper containing the easiest math exam I had seen since I came into the University of the Philippines. Or maybe because the cramming the night and early morning before, plus during the preceeding hour, had really paid off. Either way, I was smiling at myself during the 2 hours alloted for the exam. I came out of that exam feeling refreshed. Unlike in all of my previous math exams, I had answers --and sure answers at that-- to every single question. What a happy day!
5:06PM
"...Trade Act virtually guaranteed the unrestricted entry of American goods into the country..."
7:37PM
AstroSoc emergency GA. Supposed to start at 6 they said. Right. Buzzzzzz... *pak!* Damned mosquitoes.
9:22PM
Dinner. Finally.
August 25, 2006
TODAY
12:39AM
Must sleep... soooo tired... Zzzzzzz....
5:30AM
*Rrrrrrrrring! Rrrrrrrrring!*
5:35AM
*Toot toot! Toot toot!*
5:45AM
*Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!*
5:50AM
*Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring!*
5:55AM
*Toot toot! Toot toot!*
6:00AM
*Rrrrrrrrrrrrriing!*
8:36AM
*Toot toot! Toot toot!* *EXPLETIVE* "Bakit walang gumising sa akin!"
What a cruel world. I had prepared for 2 weeks for my Kas 112 exam today, which was supposed to start at, get this, 8:30AM. There I was, hurling various invectives while scrambling to get through my morning routine and attempt to salvage the exam. The normally placid pace of my morning rituals turned into a mad flurry of activity. Coffee hour was scrapped. Shower time was cut to a mere 6 minutes. Looking at the mirror and reveling in my good looks took just a few minutes. By 9:02 I was running out the door. My Mom had called one of my Dad's friends and I got a free ride to UP. Once there I literally hit the ground running; with only 10 minutes to spare before the exam ended I was quite in a hurry to get to class.
It was a good thing that my professor gave me another chance to take the exam. I was not about to let almost two weeks of preparation to go down the drain! Instead of going to my next class I stayed in the room and penned one of the longest handwritten essays I had ever written. Luckily, not much was done during my Econ 131 class that day, and we all got a 1 on our previous problem set!
At least now all my exams are over. Tomorrow, I'll be going to Paranaque for a night out with my high school barkada(can't wait!). Time to relax once again.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
bad day
Mein Gott.
Everything seemed to go wrong today. I woke up early this morning, hoping to get to school on time for a change. I was walking out the door by 9:15 AM, and I was at the terminal 10 minutes after. Two FX taxis full of people left as I arrived. The next one came after I had stood in line for another 15 minutes. I got to UP with barely seconds left before my 10 AM class started.
My classes were supposed to end at 4 PM, but no, I still had a meeting with my BA101 groupmates at 6. So I went to the library and waited until 5:30. Since I had only a Milky Way bar for lunch I bought a hotdog sandwich just to keep from keeling over. I sat at the Sunken Garden, munching away while watching people playing tag football (or whatever that was) and Frisbee. And I waited until 6 PM. I went to the Econ building, where there was some sort of party. And I waited for my groupmates. I sat at the lobby. I walked around. I read the announcements. I studied for my finals in German. And I waited, until one of my groupmates came by and told me that "we won't be meeting today, just be ready with your output tomorrow".
*EXPLETIVE* *IMPRECATION* *PROFANITY* *OBSCENITY* *@#$^#$&^$!*
2 wasted hours, plus the other 1 and a half hours I spent waiting for my dad. I could have finished the entire single player campaign of Age of Mythology instead of staring at thin air for almost 4 hours! Schade!
My entire day was not wasted however. I saw and talked to more of my friends today than in the past week. I received a high grade in my 3rd German exam, guaranteeing at least a final grade of 1.75. I'll be taking the final exam tomorrow because I want to have a higher grade. I had a fun time at the UP AstroSoc tambayan. And I got a free ride home.
And then I got home. The first thing I saw was CNN reporting on a foiled terror attack, causing airplanes to be grounded all over Europe and America. And then there were reports about bombings in Mindanao, NPA raids in
Luzon, suicide bombings in Iraq, rocket attacks in Israel, and
airstrikes in Lebanon.
Apparently I wasn't the only one having a bad day today.
Everything seemed to go wrong today. I woke up early this morning, hoping to get to school on time for a change. I was walking out the door by 9:15 AM, and I was at the terminal 10 minutes after. Two FX taxis full of people left as I arrived. The next one came after I had stood in line for another 15 minutes. I got to UP with barely seconds left before my 10 AM class started.
My classes were supposed to end at 4 PM, but no, I still had a meeting with my BA101 groupmates at 6. So I went to the library and waited until 5:30. Since I had only a Milky Way bar for lunch I bought a hotdog sandwich just to keep from keeling over. I sat at the Sunken Garden, munching away while watching people playing tag football (or whatever that was) and Frisbee. And I waited until 6 PM. I went to the Econ building, where there was some sort of party. And I waited for my groupmates. I sat at the lobby. I walked around. I read the announcements. I studied for my finals in German. And I waited, until one of my groupmates came by and told me that "we won't be meeting today, just be ready with your output tomorrow".
*EXPLETIVE* *IMPRECATION* *PROFANITY* *OBSCENITY* *@#$^#$&^$!*
2 wasted hours, plus the other 1 and a half hours I spent waiting for my dad. I could have finished the entire single player campaign of Age of Mythology instead of staring at thin air for almost 4 hours! Schade!
My entire day was not wasted however. I saw and talked to more of my friends today than in the past week. I received a high grade in my 3rd German exam, guaranteeing at least a final grade of 1.75. I'll be taking the final exam tomorrow because I want to have a higher grade. I had a fun time at the UP AstroSoc tambayan. And I got a free ride home.
And then I got home. The first thing I saw was CNN reporting on a foiled terror attack, causing airplanes to be grounded all over Europe and America. And then there were reports about bombings in Mindanao, NPA raids in
Luzon, suicide bombings in Iraq, rocket attacks in Israel, and
airstrikes in Lebanon.
Apparently I wasn't the only one having a bad day today.
Monday, July 24, 2006
proportional response
It's the rainy season once again, and mosquitoes are once again in the air. I HATE mosquitoes. I hate how they fly around, darting here and there just beyond reach. I hate it when they buzz in my ear. And I most certainly hate the itchy welts that they leave after they suck my blood! But aside from the annoyance, mosquitoes also spread disease; malaria, dengue, and encephalitis are some of the more commonly known mosquito-borne diseases.
I absolutely despise those foul creatures. I don't care if they're only doing what nature and instinct tell them to do, I want to wipe them off the face of the earth!
That is why I am always ready to kill the first mosquito I see. I don't care if my hands get red and sore from all the smacking. I don't care if they get all bloody and grimy from the crushed black carcasses of the unlucky mosquito that wasn't quite fast enough to escape my wrath.
Bottles of Raid or Baygon don't last too long in our house; I ensure that substantial amounts are dumped on known and suspected mosquito hideouts. I don't care if I get an asthma attack, I want all those mosquitoes dead!
But even with all the pesticide I've dumped, even with all the mosquitoes I've killed with my bare hands, with my slippers, with a fly swatter, with a pillow, with a book, with a water gun, with fire, even with the freakin' kitchen sink, they just keep coming and coming. Like the unstoppable tide they come year after year, until we decided to go after the root of the problem.
Mosquitoes, like all animals, don't just appear from nowhere. They first enter the world as babies, those cute little wriggly thingys that infest the pools of stagnant water that collect around our house. Adult mosquitoes may be quick and stealthy enough to evade active pursuit, but their poor little babies are sitting ducks, like fish in a barrel, trapped like rats, and whatever other cliche you can insert here. So we dumped the water in the cans, in the boots, in the flower pots. Anything that had even a drop of water was drained. Countless little mosquito babies perished in one, swift, stroke.
Over time the mosquito problem died down. The buzzing gave way to silence. The welts no longer appeared. The odd mosquito reappears from time to time, but it is quickly and efficiently dispatched. There is no longer any stagnant water in our home, no place for mosquitoes to breed.
In the all-out war I declared against the mosquito pestilence in our home, I had won.
I absolutely despise those foul creatures. I don't care if they're only doing what nature and instinct tell them to do, I want to wipe them off the face of the earth!
That is why I am always ready to kill the first mosquito I see. I don't care if my hands get red and sore from all the smacking. I don't care if they get all bloody and grimy from the crushed black carcasses of the unlucky mosquito that wasn't quite fast enough to escape my wrath.
Bottles of Raid or Baygon don't last too long in our house; I ensure that substantial amounts are dumped on known and suspected mosquito hideouts. I don't care if I get an asthma attack, I want all those mosquitoes dead!
But even with all the pesticide I've dumped, even with all the mosquitoes I've killed with my bare hands, with my slippers, with a fly swatter, with a pillow, with a book, with a water gun, with fire, even with the freakin' kitchen sink, they just keep coming and coming. Like the unstoppable tide they come year after year, until we decided to go after the root of the problem.
Mosquitoes, like all animals, don't just appear from nowhere. They first enter the world as babies, those cute little wriggly thingys that infest the pools of stagnant water that collect around our house. Adult mosquitoes may be quick and stealthy enough to evade active pursuit, but their poor little babies are sitting ducks, like fish in a barrel, trapped like rats, and whatever other cliche you can insert here. So we dumped the water in the cans, in the boots, in the flower pots. Anything that had even a drop of water was drained. Countless little mosquito babies perished in one, swift, stroke.
Over time the mosquito problem died down. The buzzing gave way to silence. The welts no longer appeared. The odd mosquito reappears from time to time, but it is quickly and efficiently dispatched. There is no longer any stagnant water in our home, no place for mosquitoes to breed.
In the all-out war I declared against the mosquito pestilence in our home, I had won.
plans
President Arroyo's State of the Nation Address today was full of her plans for the nation. It focused on the division of the country into 'super regions' so as to allow the said regions to concentrate on their competitive advantages. I was impressed by the plans for improved infrastructure, poverty alleviation and for a better economy, but I couldn't help but notice the President's silence on other issues, such as education. Nevertheless, she delivered one hell of a speech, outlining her vision for the nation, even mixing in some humor. She also gave recognition to the efforts and achievements of certain people. I do hope that she follows through on her promises. Her plans looked impressive on the Powerpoint presentation; they would most certainly be more impressive when turned into reality.
***
The opposition must be feeling really stupid right now. For the past few months all they have been doing is planning PGMA's removal from office. All this time they have been promoting divisiveness, when many have decided to take a break from politics. They had better get their act together if they plan on getting elected or reelected come 2007. The smart move would be to cast politics aside and work for the betterment of the nation. The effort and dedication they give working against the President would most probably be of better use when applied to working with the President.
***
The opposition must be feeling really stupid right now. For the past few months all they have been doing is planning PGMA's removal from office. All this time they have been promoting divisiveness, when many have decided to take a break from politics. They had better get their act together if they plan on getting elected or reelected come 2007. The smart move would be to cast politics aside and work for the betterment of the nation. The effort and dedication they give working against the President would most probably be of better use when applied to working with the President.
ooops.
That should have been today's State of the Nation Address... I think I've got this 'Performancing' stuff figured out... Hehehe...
no classes... again...
It's been raining non-stop for the past few hours. Apparently there's another typhoon coming in. I can't wait to see the protesters at tomorrow's State of the Nation address... Hehehehe... >:D
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
sleepless night
I can't sleep. It's
Haaay... Calm down... Remember your blood pressure... Breathe... Always look on the bright side of life... Whew... Yeah, the bright side. It could have been worse; I could be dead now if something had gone wrong that fateful Monday. And costs aside, I got a two week vacation in July! That's good, look at the bright side. Hehe... The bright side... I do hope everything is bright when I FINALLY(hopefully) return on Thursday.
Friday, July 07, 2006
post-appendectomy me
Just got out of the hospital today, minus my appendix. I spent the last 3 days at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan thanks to that useless little quirk of evolution.
I woke up with intense pain in my stomach last Monday. At first I thought it was just your 'normal' stomach pain but once I stood up I discovered that it was worse. I woke my mom and next thing you know we were speeding towards the hospital. I was supposed to take my first exam for German 10 in the afternoon so I was hoping that all I had was some sort of weird gas pain or at most something that could be cured by a magic pill so that I could go on to school.
But every doctor that examined me at the hospital said that I had acute appendicitis. I had to have an operation so that they could get it out of my body. Damn. There goes my perfect attendance. And my exam.
***
I wrote the preceding paragraph last night. I had planned on writing about everything that had happened for the past 3 days, but my computer disagreed with the 200-odd words I had already typed here. Screaming various invectives at my restart-happy power surge magnet of a computer has done nothing to restore what I had already written so I think I'll just give a brief summary of what has happened to me.
***
It turned out that my appendix had swollen to 8-9 centimeters. If I had not gotten to the hospital on time or if I had forced myself to go to school despite the pain it would have most probably burst, further complicating my condition. On Tuesday I was confined to my bed, receiving most of my food from an IV. I couldn't even sit up since the wound still hurt. It was only on Wednesday that I started to walk around my room, albeit with me using the IV stand as support. By Thursday morning the IV was gone and I could eat anything I wanted. I could also walk around my room without needing any help, although getting off and into my bed still hurt.
The normal recovery period for appendicitis is two weeks, but I'll most probably be back in school by Monday, unless something else happens. I've already missed a lot of classes, and I can't afford to fail this semester. Haaay...
I woke up with intense pain in my stomach last Monday. At first I thought it was just your 'normal' stomach pain but once I stood up I discovered that it was worse. I woke my mom and next thing you know we were speeding towards the hospital. I was supposed to take my first exam for German 10 in the afternoon so I was hoping that all I had was some sort of weird gas pain or at most something that could be cured by a magic pill so that I could go on to school.
But every doctor that examined me at the hospital said that I had acute appendicitis. I had to have an operation so that they could get it out of my body. Damn. There goes my perfect attendance. And my exam.
***
I wrote the preceding paragraph last night. I had planned on writing about everything that had happened for the past 3 days, but my computer disagreed with the 200-odd words I had already typed here. Screaming various invectives at my restart-happy power surge magnet of a computer has done nothing to restore what I had already written so I think I'll just give a brief summary of what has happened to me.
***
It turned out that my appendix had swollen to 8-9 centimeters. If I had not gotten to the hospital on time or if I had forced myself to go to school despite the pain it would have most probably burst, further complicating my condition. On Tuesday I was confined to my bed, receiving most of my food from an IV. I couldn't even sit up since the wound still hurt. It was only on Wednesday that I started to walk around my room, albeit with me using the IV stand as support. By Thursday morning the IV was gone and I could eat anything I wanted. I could also walk around my room without needing any help, although getting off and into my bed still hurt.
The normal recovery period for appendicitis is two weeks, but I'll most probably be back in school by Monday, unless something else happens. I've already missed a lot of classes, and I can't afford to fail this semester. Haaay...
Saturday, June 10, 2006
easier said than done
For the past year a lot of people have been clamoring for change. Some want charter change. Others want a regime change. Many want economic change. We all want to change our current situation, yet no one wants to change themselves. Let's admit it, we all whine about our country's lack of progress. We are quick to criticize everything done by our leaders. We complain about how hard our life is with soaring oil prices and inflation. We throw everything -including the proverbial kitchen sink- at each other, destroying lives and reputations over ideological disputes. We do everything but solve our problems. We talk and talk and bicker and complain but we do nothing to lift our country from the muck of poverty and corruption and conflict. We are quick to point fingers, wasting time on investigations which lead to nowhere while people suffer and die on the streets.
How can we solve our problems? We should first change ourselves. To change a country we must first change the individuals who make up the country.
One thing we desperately need is discipline. "Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, disiplina ang kailangan"; so goes the slogan of Marcos' "Bagong Lipunan". Say what you want about the guy, but you have to admit he had some pretty good ideas. Our people today have little or no respect for the law. Simple rules such as "bawal tumawid dito" or "bawal magtapon ng basura dito" are ignored by many. If the simplest of laws are broken with impunity, what about the other laws? If the people don't follow such laws as "no loading/unloading here", what's to stop them from stealing or killing? Our people also enjoy short-circuiting the system -any system- as long as it provides greater convenience. Who hasn't tried to find a friend or relative in a government office when applying for a license? Who hasn't tried to bribe a police officer when caught violating traffic rules? Who hasn't tried to jump a line in the supermarket, or in the bank, or in the school cafeteria? Who hasn't cheated in school, or on their income tax return? Who hasn’t beaten the red light, or held back traffic because he/she wants to be the first to make the u-turn? We cry about graft and corruption, we cry about election fraud, we complain about the traffic, yet we fail to realize that we are doing the same things and everyday, albeit in our own little way. In doing so we contribute to the problems of our nation. Discipline is the answer to these problems. Start with the simple things. Follow traffic rules. Throw your waste at the proper place. Fall in line. Wait for your turn. Don't cheat. Set an example for the future leaders of our country by obeying the law. Our children must see us doing what is right instead of what is simply convenient or expedient.
How can we solve our problems? We should first change ourselves. To change a country we must first change the individuals who make up the country.
One thing we desperately need is discipline. "Sa ikauunlad ng bayan, disiplina ang kailangan"; so goes the slogan of Marcos' "Bagong Lipunan". Say what you want about the guy, but you have to admit he had some pretty good ideas. Our people today have little or no respect for the law. Simple rules such as "bawal tumawid dito" or "bawal magtapon ng basura dito" are ignored by many. If the simplest of laws are broken with impunity, what about the other laws? If the people don't follow such laws as "no loading/unloading here", what's to stop them from stealing or killing? Our people also enjoy short-circuiting the system -any system- as long as it provides greater convenience. Who hasn't tried to find a friend or relative in a government office when applying for a license? Who hasn't tried to bribe a police officer when caught violating traffic rules? Who hasn't tried to jump a line in the supermarket, or in the bank, or in the school cafeteria? Who hasn't cheated in school, or on their income tax return? Who hasn’t beaten the red light, or held back traffic because he/she wants to be the first to make the u-turn? We cry about graft and corruption, we cry about election fraud, we complain about the traffic, yet we fail to realize that we are doing the same things and everyday, albeit in our own little way. In doing so we contribute to the problems of our nation. Discipline is the answer to these problems. Start with the simple things. Follow traffic rules. Throw your waste at the proper place. Fall in line. Wait for your turn. Don't cheat. Set an example for the future leaders of our country by obeying the law. Our children must see us doing what is right instead of what is simply convenient or expedient.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
woohoo!!!
I FINALLY have DSL! No more dial-up internet cards baby! :D
To inaugurate my first post of this new age of unlimited, high speed 'Net surfing, I present one of the first streaming videos I watched with my new, super-fast DSL connection... :D
weeeeeeeeee...........
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