Read-o-meter Monthly Update

I Am the Messenger (Markus Zusak)

Skin Hunger (Kathleen Duey)

Japanland: A Year in Search of Wa (Karin Muller)

The Piercing (Ryu Murakami)

After Dark (Haruki Murakami)

Joker (Ranulfo)

Green Angel (Alice Hoffman)

The Complete Horowitz Horror (Anthony Horowitz)

Red Dragon (Thomas Harris)

Kamay Na Bakal Ang Sagot

Mula nung Sabado ng gabi, wala akong gana kumain. Wala namang kaso saken kasi hindi rin naman ako nakararamdam ng gutom. Ang nakapagtataka napansin ito sa bahay. Dahil wala naman akong ibang maidahilan, sinabi ko ang totoo. Ayoko lang basta kumain. Violent reaction. Mawalan daw ako ng gana kung wala na akong makain.

Kanina habang nagtitiklop ng mga nilabhang damit sa sala, naalala ko yung librong aksidente ko lang na binasa. Natabunan na ang kanyang istorya ng mga nobelang hiniram ko sa Library na pinagpiyestahan ko sa loob ng ilang magkakasunod na gabi. Pero kanina parang tinutuya ako ng sarili kong isip. Oo, natabunan na nga pero merong naiwang impresyon sa aking alaala na hindi ko maikakaila. At siguro, sabihin nang nakarananas ako ng isang klase ng 'shock' habang nagbabasa, bilang depensa ng utak e ni-repress ang dahilan ng 'shock' sa aking subconscious. Pero nagkataong 'idle' ang utak ko kanina kaya marahil, sinamantala ito ng subconscious at nagpaimbulong sa aking conscious mind ang mapait na alaala.

At dahil ako ay isa lamang bagay na kinokontrol ng utak, Wala akong nagawa kundi balikan ang libro at hanapin ang bahagi kung saan ko na-engkwentro ang 'shock'.

May aaminin ako. Mula pa nung kolehiyo, pinagdududahan ko na ang takbo ng sarili kong utak. Dahil utak siya, alam kong kinokontrol niya ako. At dahil utak nga siya, sinasamantala niya ang kahinaan ko. May pagkasadista ang linsyak na utak na 'yan. Yung mga bagay na hindi ko dapat pinapakialaman, pinag-aaksyaahan ng panahon, o dapat na kinakalimutan na, ay pilit na ikinukulit sa akin na tuklasin ko raw sa pormang katumbas ng diwang 'curiosity' o kaya ibinabalik sa aking alaala sa pormang katumbas ng diwang 'trauma'.

Ito ang nagbigay ng labis na anxiety sa akin. Alam kong di ako tatantanan ng utak ko kung patuloy kong ire-repress sa subconscious ang bagay na ito.

Eto na...

Nothing means more to me than freedom and equality. But in Japan, hierarchy has been a fact of life for centuries. The Japanese have learned to trust their proper place in life, to depend on the security that comes with a stuctured social order. Right and wrong, fair and unfair, even personal happiness are largely irrelevant. Virtue depends on recognizing one's place in the vast web of mutual interdependance that makes up their society.

The concept is deeply rooted in Japanese history. The country has always had a strong caste and class structure, but in 1603 one man succeeded in uniting the country and establishing a rigidly hierarchical society that would last for 250 years. His name was Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, and his rigid rule of law has molded the patterns of Japanese relationships to this day.

Tokugawa divided society into four classes. Every family had to post their class position on their doorway, and everyone was obliged to live according to that place within the hierarchy. At the top of the pecking order were the samurai, the military elite; next came the farmers, the backbone of society, harshly controlled and heavily taxed; then the artisans; and finally the merchants, who created nothing and were therefore thought of as parasites. Beneath them were the classless--the beggars, the blind, and the untouchables--groups so scorned that they were not even counted in the yearly census.

As time went on, the Tokugawa shogunate tightened their control over every aspect of daily life. Most peasants were no longer allowed to eat the rice they grew--only coarse grain and millet. Headmen might be permitted to wear rough silk, but the ordinary farmer had to content himself with linen or cotton. Neither could wear red or pink, or clothes that had been dyed into any sort of pattern. Even the size of the stitching was specified. Farmers were allowed to use a pack saddle when riding but forbidden to place a blanket on it. Sumptuary laws controlled the kind of house each citizen could live in, the amount of money he could spend on a funeral, and the size of umbrella he was allowed to own.

To justify his iron grip on society, the shogun invoked the teachings of Confucius, which placed great emphasis on proper behavior and obedience. Confucianism taught that all human relationships could be classified into five types: ruler/subject, faqther/son, husband/wife, older brother/younger brother, and friends. Certain rules and behaviors must be observed to maintain order in these relationships. It was everyone's duty to accept his lot with good grace and to obey his superiors without question.

For the next 250 years Japan remained suspended in time. A legal ban on progress and invention froze society in place. Contact with the outside world was forbidden on pain of death. Every detail of life was fixed and predetermined. There was no liberty, but there was peace and safety in knowing what one was supposed to do. Farmers tilled the land just as their grandfathers had, wore the same clothes, and abided by the same rules. As generation followed generation, hierarchy and structure gradually wove themselves into the fabric of society.

In 1868 the shogun was overthrown and the class system abolished. The disbanded samurai cut their topknots, donned business suits, and joined the new government. They proceed to build a modern nation on the same value system by which they had been raised: loyalty to superiors, respect for authority, hierarchical structure, highly formalized systems of behavior, one's proper place in the social order. Despite the extraordinary changes of the past 130 years, Japanese society is still based on the warrior ethic. People from neat lines when the bus arrives, and trains are always on schedule. Taxi drivers wear white gloves and keep their vehicles meticulously clean. Children are obedient, and everyone waits patiently for the light to change. And when a superior has a chore for you, you do it without complaint.

"If you want to learn to be a good Japanese, you must learn how to suffer," Roberto says. "You must learn discipline and patience."

(pp.94-96, Japanland: A Year in Search of Wa by Karin Muller)

Nagkakasala ako sa pagbabasa ng parteng 'yan ng libro.

Inggit. Galit. Hinanakit. Inggit. Suklam. Inggit. Inggit. Poot. Inggit. Inggit. Inggit. Inggit to infinity!!!

Gusto kong magsisi dahil hindi ako umayos noon sa pakikinig sa klase ng Kas 1. Marami sanang sinasabi si Villan pero mas pinili kong maging tanga.

At ngayon nga ako ay nagtagumpay sa pagpapakatanga.

Andami kong tanong. Andami kong gustong malaman. Andami kong gustong matuklasan. Pero nag-aalinlangan ako. Nadidiyahe ako. Dahil dapat matagal ko na 'tong alam. Dahil dapat noon ko pa ito naintindihan. Dahil dapat hindi na ako nagtatanong sa edad kong ito. Nasaan ang pinagkatandaan ko?

Ang mga katanungan ng isang matagumpay na Tanga:

1. Sa kasaysayan ng bayan kong Pilipinas, anong kwento sa Martial Law? (Hindi dahilan ang petsa ng kapanganakan para hindi ko ito malaman pero kaya nga naging isa akong matagumpay na Tanga.)

Naitanong ko dahil baka pwedeng i-hambing sa 'kamay na bakal' ni Tokugawa. At dahil ito lang ang naaalala ko sa aking pinag-aralan sa loob ng labing-anim na taong inilagi ko sa iskwelahan bilang estupidyante.

2. Follow-up question: Anong impact ng Martial Law?

Naitanong ko dahil baka pwedeng i-hambing sa 'legacy' ni Tokugawa, kung sakaling meron mang positibong epekto. Pero palagay ko ay wala? Dahil...

3. Kulang ba talaga tayo sa disiplina?

Naitanong ko ito dahil napansin kong walang kwenta ang pedestrian lane, No Smoking, No Loading/Unloading, No Parking, Bawal Umihi Dito, Bawal Magtapon, Please Fall in Line, at iba pang simple/maliliit na batas. Pero maliit man daw ay nakapupuwing. Kung walang discipline and obedience sa mga bagay na ito, ano pa kaya sa mas mabibigat na batas?

Kung ako ang sasagot sa sarili kong tanong, na dapat naman nga ay hindi ko na tinatanong dahil dapat alam ko na ang sagot pero hindi dahil nga ako ay matagumpay na Tanga, ito ang kasagutan ko:

1. wala
2. wala
3. oo

Kaysaklap.



Ngayong nailabas ko na'to, sana bumalik na ang gana ko sa pagkain.

Inuutakan Ako!

Mula nung Sabado ng gabi, wala akong gana kumain. Wala namang kaso saken kasi hindi rin naman ako nakararamdam ng gutom. Ang nakapagtataka napansin ito sa bahay. Dahil wala naman akong ibang maidahilan, sinabi ko ang totoo. Ayoko lang basta kumain. Violent reaction. Mawalan daw ako ng gana kung wala na akong makain.

Kanina habang nagtitiklop ng mga nilabhang damit sa sala, naalala ko yung librong aksidente ko lang na binasa. Natabunan na ang kanyang istorya ng mga nobelang hiniram ko sa Library na pinagpiyestahan ko sa loob ng ilang magkakasunod na gabi. Pero kanina parang tinutuya ako ng sarili kong isip. Oo, natabunan na nga pero merong naiwang impresyon sa aking alaala na hindi ko maikakaila. At siguro, sabihin nang nakarananas ako ng isang klase ng 'shock' habang nagbabasa, bilang depensa ng utak e ni-repress ang dahilan ng 'shock' sa aking subconscious. Pero nagkataong 'idle' ang utak ko kanina kaya marahil, sinamantala ito ng subconscious at nagpaimbulong sa aking conscious mind ang mapait na alaala.

At dahil ako ay isa lamang bagay na kinokontrol ng utak, Wala akong nagawa kundi balikan ang libro at hanapin ang bahagi kung saan ko na-engkwentro ang 'shock'.

May aaminin ako. Mula pa nung kolehiyo, pinagdududahan ko na ang takbo ng sarili kong utak. Dahil utak siya, alam kong kinokontrol niya ako. At dahil utak nga siya, sinasamantala niya ang kahinaan ko. May pagkasadista ang linsyak na utak na 'yan. Yung mga bagay na hindi ko dapat pinapakialaman, pinag-aaksyaahan ng panahon, o dapat na kinakalimutan na, ay pilit na ikinukulit sa akin na tuklasin ko raw sa pormang katumbas ng diwang 'curiosity' o kaya ibinabalik sa aking alaala sa pormang katumbas ng diwang 'trauma'.

Ito ang nagbigay ng labis na anxiety sa akin. Alam kong di ako tatantanan ng utak ko kung patuloy kong ire-repress sa subconscious ang bagay na ito.

Kailangan ko ng outlet!

Alapaap (Eraserheads)

Last night, I translated the song, "Alapaap" by Eraserheads in Bikol but I wasn't satisfied. I wasn't confident with my spellings because I wasn't used to writing in Bikol. Besides, I couldn't translate the title itself.

But then something came up tonight. (Surprise, surprise!)







Anyway, here's my translation.



ALAPAAP by ERASERHEADS

(Bikol version)
ni: Viola

May sarong aldaw na kita mag-eebanan
Bayae, mana sa panginuron
Aw, anong siram, haa...

Hanggang sa puro kan kina'ban
Hanggang maubos ang abo
Hanggang magtagdo ang luha
Hanggang maulog ang bituon

Chorus:
Hilenga sakong malsuk
Dae mo ba nahihileng
Naglalayog na baga ako, buda nasa langit na
Muya mo bang mag-iba?

Dae mo na kaipuhan na magtago, masupog
Dae mo na kaipuhan na mag-anap ki iba
Lingawi na ngona
Ang gabos na problema
Maghangos ka ke ararom ta kita malarga na
Handa na bang rumabas

Adlib:
Pap-pa-rap... pap-pa-rap-pa..
Pa pa pa pa (papapapa....)
La-la-la... oooh hoo hoo...

Dakulong bawal sa kina'ban
(Dakulong bawal sa kina'ban)
Tigtutulok ninda kita
(Tigtutulok ninda kita)
Abreha'ng puso buda isip
Palayugon ang kamalayan
(Palayugon)


Chorus 2:
Hilenga sakong malsuk
Dae mo ba nahihileng
Naglalayog na baga ako buda
Nasa panginuron na
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
mag-iba?





Special thanks to Manay Rose and Ralph Lho of goBicol forum for the translation of alapaap (panginuron) and tala (bituon). For correcting my spelling of "hilenga/nahihileng" and suggesting 'malsuk' as a substitute for mata, wahaha, Ralph Lho, maurag ka! Dios mabalos!



"Alapaap" is my favorite song. No, this is not the first time I made a translation, but yes, this is my first attempt of translating a song. There is no motive in doing this. I'm out of school and I'm not working. You can say that I'm bored and I've got nothing else to do. Apart from reading, heheh. The idea came up a few weeks ago, by the kitchen sink, while doing the dishes.

Saling-Dila

Hindi ko alam kung paano ako natuto mag-Tagalog. Basta ang tanda ko pagtuntong ko ng grade one sa public school sa liblib na barrio ng Sta. Monica, alienated ako sa first day of class. Nakikipag-usap ako pero di kami magkaintindihan ng kausap ko.

Eleven years later, sa isang project na pagsasaling-wika ng dalawang tula sa klase ni Sir U sa Pan Pil 17, natuklasan kong sa kabila ng pagiging Uragon ko, limitado pa rin ang vocabulary ko sa Bikol.

Two months ago, sa hapag-kainan habang simultaneous akong nag-aalmusal at sumasabay sa isang kantang German ng Tokio Hotel, napansin kong mas appealing, kahit nga hindi ko maintindihan, yung original (German) version kesa sa English translation ng pinakikinggan kong kanta. Tapos naalala ko rin na nasa listahan ko sa mission 101 ang mag-compose ng kanta. Muntik na akong mabulunan dahil natawa ako bigla. Ni hindi nga ako nakapagsusulat ng tula, kanta pa kaya na may himig na kasama? Pinakinggan ko ang English version ng Heilig, yung "Sacred". Nagustuhan ko ang melodiya ng kantang 'to pero habang nakikinig ako sa translation, napapakamot ako ng ulo. Ang korni-korni ng lyrics bakit ganun? Natapos ako ng almusal kaya dumiretso na ako sa kusina. At habang naghuhugas ng pinggan, OPM naman ang pinakinggan ko. "Sinta" ng Sugarfree ang nakasalang. Naaliw ako kasi naisip kong romantik ang wikang Tagalog. Ano bang English sa "sinta"? Mga salitang hindi kasing-bango ng orihinal na salita.

I ended up with a conclusion na boring ang English among other languages.

Kanina, sinusubukan kong i-translate habang sinasabayan ang pinapakinggan kong kanta. Nakakatawang mental exercise.

Nahirapan ako sa Heilig kaya Durch den Monsun" na lang ng Tokio Hotel pa rin. Pero hindi rin naging madali. Gaguhan lang. Eto na. First attempt. Raw lyrics.

Monsoon (Tagalog version)
Viola F.

Nakatitig sa sirang pinto
Wala nang natira rito
Sa kwartong maginaw
Ako'y nababaliw

Kaytagal ko nang hinihintay
Ngayong nandito na ang sandali
Ang langit ay dumidilim nang muli

Tayo na sa monsoon
Sa dulo ng mundo
Ng walang hanggan
Banayad ang ulan
Itaboy ang bagyo
Papalayo
At pag ako'y bigo
Ikaw ang isip ko
Sabay tayong tumakbo palayo
Sa monsoon
Ikaw at ako..


Saling-dila mula sa:

Monsoon (English version)
Tokio Hotel

I'm staring at a broken door
There's nothing left here anymore
My room is cold
It's making me insane

I've been waiting here so long
But now the moment seems to've come,
I see the dark clouds coming up again.

Running through the monsoon
Beyond the world,
To the end of time,
Where the rain won't hurt
Fighting the storm,
Into the blue,
And when I lose myself I think of you,
Together we'll be running somewhere new
Through the monsoon.
Just me and you..

Hahaha! "Banayad na ulan", meron ba nun? Hindi ko alam kung paano i-translate ang "Running through the monsoon", specifically "through". Hahaha! Anlabo.

Anyway, sinubukan ko mag-seryoso. Alapaap ng E-heads ang napagdiskitahan ko. Medyo madali lang siya.

Alapaap (Bikol version)
Viola F.

May sarong aldaw na kita mag-eebanan
Bayae, mana sa alapaap
Aw, anong siram, haa...

Hanggang sa puro kan mundo
Hanggang maubos ang abo
Hanggang magtagdo ang luha
Hanggang maulog ang tala

Chorus:
Helenga sakong mata
Dae mo ba naheheleng
Naglalayog na baga ako, buda nasa langit na
Muya mo bang mag-iba?

Dae mo na kaipuhan na magtago, masupog
Dae mo na kaipuhan na mag-anap ki iba
Lingawi na ngona
Ang gabos na problema
Maghangos ka na ke ararom ta kita malarga na
Handa na bang magrabas

Adlib:
Pap-pa-rap... pap-pa-rap-pa..
Pa pa pa pa (papapapa....)
La-la-la... oooh hoo hoo...

Dakulong bawal sa mundo
(Dakulong bawal sa mundo)
Tigtutulok ninda kita
(Tigtutulok ninda kita)
Abreha'ng puso buda isip
Palayugi ang kamalayan
(Palayugi)

Chorus 2:
Helenga sakong mata
Dae mo ba naheheleng
Naglalayog na baga ako buda
Nasa alapaap na
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
Muya mo bang (muya mo bang)
mag-iba?


Hybrid Bikol ang labas, hahaha! Hindi ako marunong ng wastong pagbaybay. Nahaluan ng tonong Batangueno ang malumanay kong Bikol kaya hindi ko sigurado kung 'e' o 'i', o kung may 'h' o wala. Hindi ko rin alam kung anong bikol sa mga salitang: alapaap, mundo, tala, puso, isip, at kamalayan. Hahaha! Ano ba yan, sobrang bulok ng vocabulary ko. Lalong wala naman ata akong alam sa malalim na Bikol!

Piercing (Ryu Murakami)

I would never, lie to you, I want you, to look at me, but focus your eyes, somewhere behind me, like one of those, 3-D pictures, do like that, that's the secret, my mother, she put ammonia, on my hand, and one time she said, do you want a tattoo, and she sharpened this pencil, a hard one, 4H or 5H, really sharp, and she stabbed my arms, and legs with it, and she hit me, with a milk bottle, and tied up my ears, and fingers, with string, she didn't care, she'd prise open my eyelids, with her fingers, and bring the tip, of a burning cigarette, or a needle, right up to my eye, it didn't bother her at all, so now, do you understand the secret? (p.173)

Ito yung binabasa ko nung biglang sumakit ang lalamunan ko nung nakaraang linggo.

Now I'm going to, cut your Achilles, your Achilles tendons, so remember, remember to do, like I just told you. (p.173)

Blooper 'to. Akala ko si Haruki ang nahugot ko sa shelf. Hiniram ko lang sa library kasi wala akong pera pambili ng kaligayahan. Krisis.

Halcion confuses your mind but it doesn't change your personality. (p.175)

Note to self: Uli-uli titingnan mabuti ang buong ngalan ng awtor. Kung Haruki Mukami, 'Haruki Murakami'. Hindi 'Murakami' lang basta.

We're almost there, he told himself sternly. We're about to hear what it sounds like when you cut the Achilles tendons. (p.177)


K E Y W O R D S : Baby. Icepick. Pavor nocturnus. Abuse. Home. Schizophrenia. Stripper. Boiling water. Bath tub. Stomach. Hotel. Knife. Achilles tendons. Erotomaniac. Incest. Swiss Army knife. Thigh. Crushed Halcion tablets. Can opener. Electrical cord. Nipple ring.



Ito yung tipong "random-hugot, lagot!" na libro.





THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING

If it were truly only for chopping ice, you'd think a completely different design might do. (p.5)

Who's that?
Me.
Well, if it wasn't you Taku-chan, who would it be?
If it's not me, I don't care who it is.
(p.24)

If you really loved me! You wouldn't just sit there! And let another man! Make me do those things! You'd beat the hell out of him! Or kill him! (p.25)

I need to be punished. She's mad at me. She's mad at me, but she won't hit me, so I've got to punish myself. If I don't, she might leave. He walked to the heater and shoved his right hand into the pot of boiling water. (p.26)

The ice pick met no more resistance than would a safety pin sinking into a sponge. It slid effortlessly into her sagging white belly.. (p.27)

His mother, enraged at the child who wouldn't cry or even cry out, only hit him all the harder; but the more she hit him, the more he concentrated on telling himself that it wasn't him she was hitting, until he actually succeeded in separating himself from the pain. (p.29)

He could actually see his other self standing before the shelves two or three paces ahead of him now, holding a package of disposable diapers. This other-self pointed to the picture of a baby on the package and grinned at Kawashima, then beckoned to him. (p.30)

Come to think of it... Come to think of it, somewhere along the line I became a man who never does anything people consider suspicious. (p.38)

When you cut the Achilles tendon, the sound it makes is as loud and sharp as a gunshot. (p.38)

First of all, the victim would have to be a prostitute - it was the only logical choice. (p.39)

But it was essential that the flesh he pierced with the ice pick be as white as possible. (p.40)

You could cause death by internal bleeding, puncturing certain organs, but what good was that if you couldn't watch it happening? (p.41)

She must remain uncertain as to what significance her own bloodshed and agony hold. It's vital that those on the receiving end of violence ponder its meaning. (p.45)

Did he need to do a dry run - order up a woman from a different S&M club one time before the big night, to acquaint himelf with the procedure? (p.48)

The most orthodox method would be to strangle her. Strangling held little appeal for him; but if it came to that, he'd prefer to use a wire of thin stainless steel. (p.49)

If it turned out to be her, all he needed to say was Long time no see. And maybe ask about the scar. (p.54)

In other words, men who were attracted to much older women were sick and abnormal. (p.55)

Such behaviors weren't the reasons parents abused children but the results of abuse. Children are powerless, Kawashima muttered to himself. (p.57)

Children would struggle desperately to feel love for their parents. Rather than hate a parent, in fact, they'd choose to hate themselves. Love and violence became so intertwined for them that when they grew up and got into relationships, only hysteria could set their hearts at ease. (p.57)

Focusing alternately on his own reflection in the bedewed window and the nightscape of Tokyo at his feet, Kawashima began to think of himself as a representative. A representative of all the children who'd become insignificant dots in that dark diorama; a martyr armed with only an icepick, facing down the enemy hordes. (p.58)










Maikli lang yung libro, 11 kabanata, 185 pahina. Pero deym, it's one hell of a book.

Psycho meets psycho.










The sex you have made with a man at your own suggestion is just never that good. After all, if you have to ask for sex, it means the man isn't really into it, right? And guys are never sweet or gentle or thoughful in bed if they're not really into it. (p.67)

Piercings scared them, like tattoos on yakuza thugs, and inwardly Chiaki would sneer at these men: Because I enjoy watching worms like you squirm. (p.69)

Memories aren't like words; they're soft and gooey. (p.96)

The girl had been holding the knife down at her side since he'd appeared, but now she raised it and plunged the scissors into the blood-dark meat of her thigh again. It sounded like when you step in mud - splut. (p.99)

How proud I'd be if I could actually kill her, she thought. Stab her in the thigh and hear the skin puncturing, like when you spear a sausage with a fork. But then things things get hazier and hazier, and finally you wake up in the hospital. (p.104)

Curling back her lips like a cornered dog, the girl bit into the base of his middle finger, where it met the palm. She was biting as hard as she could, squeezing her eyes shut and scrunching up her face, and her teeth broke the flesh and severed a nerve. (p.106)

Stabbing someone in a state like this would be like stabbing a manequin. She probably wouldn't even try to scream if he cut her Achilles tendons; she'd probably greet death with this same out-of-it expression on her face. (p.107)

He'd bought a combat knife with a blade as long as his forearm and ended up using it to slice through a cheap shirt instead of a pair of Achilles tendons. (p.108)

Her teeth were coated with a sticky substance, and her tongue discovered something like a bit of rubber band stuck to her upper gum. She fished this out and looked at it. It had a pattern of little grooves, and when she realized it was a piece of human skin, she remembered having bitten the man's finger. (p.113)

His face was a complete mess, in fact, and yet it was also the most adorable thing she'd ever seen. She had a sudden urge to hit that face. Not just give him a little slap on the cheek but slug him as hard as she could, with her fist or a bottle or a wrench or something, right in the eye. (p.129)

I like to watch boys when they're sleeping really soundly? So about six months ago I crushed up three Halcion tablets and mixed them in Kazuki's Campari and orange, and ever since then he won't eat or drink anything I give him. They're all like that. (p.131)

Everybody wants to talk about themselves, and everybody wants to hear everybody else's story, so we take turns playing reporter and celebrity. (p.133)

Everyone's running around comparing wounds, like bodybuilders showing off their muscles. And what's really unbelievable is that they really believe they can heal the wounds like that, just by putting them on display. (p.133)

Only voices and images from the external world could neutralize those from inside. That was why Kawashima's greatest fear - far greater for him than the fear of death - was of losing his sight and hearing to some illness or accident. (p.141)

Cut off from actual sights and sounds, with the unchecked terror swelling inside him, he knew he'd go mad in no time. (p.142)

He's quiet, and doesn't like to talk about himself or ask people questions, and he's so shy and bashful that he couldn't find the nerve to approach me, so he pretended to be a client. (p.147)

A chronic case, with a powerful drive to destroy herself. Maybe she wants me to kill her, he thought, staring at the scars on her wrist, and feeling his heartbeat quicken again. Maybe she's just waiting for me to pull out the knife. (pp.148-149)

He'd be nothing more than a tool for her. (p.150)

Maybe I'm falling in love... Falling in love with him. Because he didn't do anything . Didn't try to do anything. (p.154)

I hate it, but I never have the power to stop it, so it must be something I really need. This rage that makes me want to destroy everything I see - all the people and things, and myself too, burn everything down to the ground. I must need it. But why would a person need something like that? (p.156)

The thought frightened her, and she decided to mix some Halcion into his soup. (p.157)

The girl was washing the bowl meticulously, using only very hot water - no soap - to scrub off the grease and residue. She'd hold the bowl up to the light as if peering through it, and when she spotted the slightest blemish she'd start all over again. (p.159)

Insults were the calling cards of hostility. And only violent rage gave her the courage it took to stand up to the hostility all around her. Rage alone could show you the way to action. (p.165)

Chiaki took aim at his droopy-lidded eyes and slammed the can opener down. My name isn't Yoko. She heard the stainless steel meet the bone of the eye socket, a sound like a shovel crunching into frozen earth. (pp.165-166)

Don't say you're sorry, no matter how much it hurts. If you apologize you'll only be beaten harder. (p.166)

You will not have lost if you can look her right in the eyes. (p.167)

Asking for help is wrong. Because there isn't any such thing as help in this world. (p.170)

Here's the secret. You have to believe. If you even think it might hurt, even a little, you won't succeed. You musn't doubt, for even one second, that all the pain will be gone. (p.172)

The man who'd whispered softly in her ear as she bit his finger and the man who'd waited for her outside the hospital in the freezing cold and the man who'd bound her wrists so tightly and wanted to cut her Achilles tendons, were all the same person... You didn't get the sense that this man was two or more different people. And that made him unique. (p.180)

Whenever the dark side of a man revealed itself, it always felt to Chiaki as if he'd turned into someone else entirely, and only sex seemed to help counteract the disillusionment and despair. (p.181)

Chiaki believed that if you chose something painful, accepted the pain and left something beautiful behind on your body as a result, you got stronger. (p.183)









Ayoko na uli magbasa. Magbasa ng ganitong libro. Nakakarimarim.

Inkheart da Movie

5 stars dahil kay Dustfinger. Ganda ng katawan... ang firm ng maskels (hahaha!). Hindi ko malilimutan ang pwet ni Silas sa The Vinci Code kaya naman inabangan ko ang paglitaw ng cast sa hulihan ng pelikula at nakumpirma kong siya nga yun. Si Paul Bettany nga. Ahahahaaay!

Ang alam ko lang movie adaptation sa nobela ni Cornelia Funke. Hindi ko nabasa at binasa pero kung maalala ko may kakapalan yung libro? Hindi ko naman kasi pinapansin yun sa bookstore.

Sa unang eksena, mapapanood si Mortimer aka Silvertongue (Brendan Fraser) na nagbabasa ng bedtime story sa baby nila ni Resa (hindi ko kilala kung sino artista).

Sabi ng kapatid ko, parang Bedtime Stories ni Adam Sandler.
Sabi ko naman, ay, wala pala akong sinabi.

Napapakapit ako sa upuan nung magpunta sila sa book bazaar dahil naghahanap si Mortimer ng kopya ni Inkheart. (Andaming librooo!) Tapos dahil na rin siguro isa siyang Silvertongue, naririnig niya yung bulong ng mga libro. Binabanggit ang kani-kanilang title hahaha!

Nung natagpuan niya ang librong Inkheart sa isang antique bookshop, saka lumitaw si Dustfinger at ang kanyang alagang marten na si Gwin. Pero hindi ko agad siya namukhaan dun.

Buti na lang madilim sa sinehan kasi maluha-luha ako nung niloob ng boys ni Capricorn na mukhang mga punk yung bahay ni Elinor, kapatid ni Mortimer, at pinagwawasak pagkatapos ay sinunog yung entire book collection. Tumanggi kasi si Mortimer na tulungan si Dustfinger na makabalik sa librong Inkheart. Kaya, out of desperation, hiningi niya ang tulong ni Capricorn.

Bilang silvertongue, may kakayahan si Mortimer na i-summon ang character mula sa librong binabasa niya, provided na binabasa niya ang libro outloud. Ganun ang nangyari nang basahin niya ang Inkheart sa kanyang anak nung bata pa 'to. Lumitaw si Dustfinger, tapos si Capricorn. Pero ang kakatwa, naglaho si Resa. Pumasok daw sa libro.

Merong isa pang Silvertongue na nag-sa-stutter at hindi ko nabigyan ng kaukulang atensyon (kasi distracted ako kay Dustfinger sa pag-re-recall kung saan ko siya napanood) kung dahil sa speech defect niya kaya may mga sulat yung mukha nung boys ni Capricorn na mukhang mga punk pati na rin yung iba pang characters na ginawang alipin at creatures na nakakulong (e.g., yung buwaya na kumagat sa brasong may relos ni Captain Hook, unicorn, mga flying unggoy, etc.)

Kasama sa mga alipin sa kastilyo ni Capricorn si Resa. At may sulat din ang mukha niya.

Naaliw ako sa effect na yun. Para kang natulog nang nakasubsob sa librong binabasa mo tas nagkataong basa pa yung ink ng mga letra. Paggising mo, tadaaaaa!

Naglaho ang boses ni Resa. Pipi siya. Pero magkakilala sila ni Dustfinger. At parang may lihim na pagtingin sa kanya si Dustfinger (aaay chismax!). Habang ginagamot ni Resa ang kanyang mga kamay, napag-alaman niyang siya ang nawawalang asawa ni Mortimer. Ipinakita ni Resa ang sketch niya ng kanyang asawa at anak kay Dustfinger at na-recognize nito si Mortimer.

Si Dustfinger nga pala ay isang fire-eater. Nakakalikha siya ng apoy mula sa kanyang mga kamay. Pero hindi niya kayang i-tolerate ang apoy sa Earth kaya nung tangkain niyang sagipin yung Inkheart na hinagis ni Capricorn sa fireplace, nasunog ang balat niya.

Kapalit ng kabaitan ni Resa, pinatakas siya ni Dustfinger sa tulong ni Gwin na tinangay ang susi mula sa natutulog na Mortola na mukhang creepy old witch na nanay pala ni Capricorn. Nakakadena kasi ang paa ni Resa.

May pagka-selfish si Dustfinger at ipinakita ito sa ilang eksena sa pelikula. Pero justified naman siguro kasi gustung-gusto niya na talagang makabalik sa libro kaya gagawin niya lahat kahit pa nga magmukhang traydor siya.

Nagkakilala si Dustfinger at ang creator niya na si Fenoglio. Amazed na amazed siyempre yung author ng libro. Napanood niya si Dustfinger na nagpapalabas ng fireshow. Saka ko namukhaan si Paul Bettany, ahahahaaay!

Dun din binitawan ni Dustfinger ang makapagbagbag-damdaming:

"You are not my God!"

Si Farid (Rafi Gavron) ang sapilitang nai-summon ni Mortimer mula sa Tales of the Arabian Nights dahil gusto ni Capricorn ng salapi. Kasabay ng paglaglag ng golden coins mula sa kisame ng palasyo, nahulog din si Farid mula sa langit?

Nang lumitaw siya sa eksena, hati na sa tatlo ang atensyon ko: (1) sa plot; (2) kay Paul Bettany; at (3) sa kanya, na hawig ni Ping Medina sa pag-portray kay Teddy sa pelikula ng bandang The Dawn na "Tulad Ng Dati" hahaha!

Tuwang-tuwa ako nang eventually ay maging barkada sina Dustfinger at Farid. Hindi friendly si Dustfinger pero tinuruan niya si Farid na lumikha ng apoy mula sa kanyang mga kamay. Later on, sila ang magkatulong sa pagsunog sa palasyo ni Capricorn.

Mabait si Farid. Ibinigay niya ang kopya ni Capricorn ng Inkheart kay Dustfinger (na napag-iwanan ng mga kagrupo niya sa libro matapos ang heroic deed ni Meggie na anak ni Mortimer na isa rin palang Silvertongue).

Mabait si Farid. Nagpasya siyang sumama kay Dustfinger kahit kapalit nito ay hindi na niya makikitang muli si Meggie na puppy love niya. (Actually, nang nakawin niya ang Inkheart na kopya ni Capricron, kinuha niya rin ang wallet ni Mortimer na may picture ni Meggie nung bata pa ito. Hahaha!)

Mabait si Farid. Tutulungan niyang maghanap si Dustfinger ng panibagong Silvertongue na tutulong sa kanyang makabalik sa libro. Emo kasi si Dustfinger. Nang ma-reunite ang pamilya ni Mortimer at bumalik ang boses ni Resa, inisip niya na hindi na siya tutulungan ni Mortimer na makabalik sa libro.

Pero dahil bida si Mortimer, tinupad niya ang pangako niya kay Dustfinger. Pero bago niya basahin ang libro, tinanong niya si Dustfinger kung "sure ka na ba?" Natuklasan kasi ni Dustfinger na mamamatay siya sa ending dahil nabanggit ni Fenoglio nang magtagpo sila before. Pero miss na miss na ni Dustfinger ang asawa niya, kaya sabi niya, "sure na."

Again, mabait si Farid. Nasa kanya ang backpack at si Gwin nang maglaho si Dustfinger. Aniya, baka sakaling magbago ang kapalaran ni Dustfinger dahil bumalik siya na mag-isa, hindi kasama si Gwin.

Dahil mabait si Farid, inampon siya ni Mortimer. Hahaha!

Nagwakas ang pelikula sa eksenang talahiban starring Paul Bettany with a couple of butterflies. Ahahahaaay!




Isinapelikulang libro tungkol, dahil, at para sa mga libro.


Sabi ng isang mambabasa,

"Everything that happens, happens to books, because of books, or by means of books."

DEYM I SHOULD HAVE READ THE BOOK!

Drog-A-traksyon

Gustung-gustung-gustung-gusto kong basahin yung libro pero natatakot ako. Natatakot ako sa maaari kong matuklasan at mapulot sa kwento. At dahil nga hindi ko alam kung anong dapat asahan, lalo lang tumitindi ang pagnanais kong mabasa yung libro. Yun yung thrill!

Gusto kong mabasa yung libro dahil na-curious ako. Na-curious ako dahil wala akong alam at gusto kong malaman ang tungkol sa bagay na yun.

Actually, pwede ko namang saliksikin ang bagay na yun sa Internet. Kung talagang interesado ako, matagal ko na dapat nalaman ang sagot. Pero hindi. Ayoko ng Science hahaha! Gusto ko nobela. Gusto ko testamento. Gusto ko..gusto ko..gusto ko yung libro!

Matagal ko nang nakita yung librong yun. Sa National Bookstore dati pa. Hardbound. Gusto kong bilhin pero nangibabaw ang kakuriputan hahaha. Hanggang sa sumunod na pagbisita ko, hindi ko na uli nakita sa shelf yung libro. At tuluyan ko nang nakalimutan..

..hanggang sa nakadaupang-palad kong muli ang librong yun kamakailan lang sa Barnes & Noble.

Habang inii-skim ko yung libro, tumambad sa akin ang katagang ito:

"You got a point?"

Sabay nilabas ang tatlong syringe ng nagngangalang Destiny.











Ganyan ako ka-tanga sa lingo nila. At dahil diyan, gusto kong kilalanin, tuklasin, alamin ang mundo nila.

Sa pamamagitan ng nobela. (Ayoko sabi ng Science hahaha!)







Tinuturok pala ang heroin...?







Ugok.

Kaya nga sinulat ni Bradley Nowell (+) ng Sublime yung kantang "Pool Shark"

Lyin' in my plastic bed,
Thinkin' how things weren't so cool to me.
My baby likes to shoot pool,
I Like lyin' naked in my bedroom.
Tyin' on the dinosaur tonight,
It used to be so cool too.

Now I've got the needle,
And I can shake,
but I can't breathe.
I take it away, but I want more and more.
One day I'm gonna lose the war.




Hindi ko alam kung bakit o papaano. Basta bigla na lang umusbong 'tong fasinasyon..

'Please Observe Silence'

The world owns you. Not the other way around, so shut up.

You are not the center of the the solar system. The sun is. You learned that in elementary Science, so shut up.

The human body is an incredible machine, according to scientists. You are, by no means, merely a robot, so shut up.

Shut up for the world's sake.
Shut up for everyone else's sake.
Shut up for your own sake.

You reason out that when you were younger, you'd cry to get what you wanted. Anything you wanted you get by simply crying your heart out. Sure. Kids are cute when they cry. But not adults. Certainly not adults. When you see an adult crying, it's ridiculous.

Listen with your ears not with your heart.
Reason out with your brain not with your guts.

Never mistake one organ from another. Remember your Anatomy?

Forgive but never regret. And then, you can always opt to never forget. The important thing is to let go. Shut up. Don't start. By doing nothing, you do something. You don't affect the universe, and the universe in turn, won't affect you. So that there can be no regrets.

Let nature take its course. To destroy or to create, leave the task to evolution. Let time patch things up for you.

Shut up and go with the flow. Life never gets easy as you grow older. You do not grow younger so you need to save up your energy. Swim against the current and you'd be washed away somewhere faraway, mad and exhausted.

Try to forget your so-called ideals, if you must. You are not entitled to your own opinion. Keep it to yourself. Forget if you must. You do not have the right to live with your own convictions. You belong to the world and the world claims you as its dependent, so shut up.

As a human being, you do not grow a pair of wings. Don't try to fly.

Admit your faults. Admit your weaknesses. Surrender your cheap pride.

Until you learn how to shut up, you cannot observe silence.

Japanland: A Year in Search of Wa (Karin Muller)

Nabuwang ako in a somewhat positive kind of way. Ha-ha!

Cynical ako nung umpisa. Banatan ba naman ng ganito sa unang paragraph:

I remember turning twenty-one in a squatter's village on a remote island in the Philippines...

Hindi ako sanay magbasa ng ganitong tipo (lalo't documentary) pero nagustuhan ko ang paraan ng pagkakasulat. Suwabe ang daloy ng pagkukuwento.

Higit sa lahat, nagimbal ang mundo ko. Kinailangan ko i-deviate ang sarili ko sa pag-iisip ng kung anu-ano na namang kaviolahan. Inabot ng tatlong araw na sumpong. Hindi siya masaya.

Para takasan ang nobela, kinailangan kong magbasa ng ibang magaang nobela. Nyahaha!

Sa bandang huli, panibagong aral na naman ang napulot sa buhay ng may buhay.

Nagiging mosaic na ako sa mga hiram na pananaw.

I was wrong about them: their conformity to the system is not a sign of weakness, but rather a great inner strength. (Karin, p.300)

If you want to live in Japan for a long time, then you must be reborn. You must forget everything you know and everything you believe in, and start over. You must value age and experience over book learning. You must do as you're told and blank your mind to any other thoughts. You cannot feel resentment against the system, not even for a single moment. You cannot demand fairness or equality, or even hope for it. You must learn to believe in a society that is based on hierarchy. It is a completely different way of thinking, of living, of being. If you do not accept it utterly, into your soul, then you will not survive. (Roberto, pp.66-67)

Kayabangan Overdose

New Year's Resolution: Read 101 books.

Minimum 8 books per month. (Max. 9).





Nakipagpustahan ako. Knowing that I will lose.

At stake: $100 by March (first week)





Nagyaya ako one night kumain sa labas. Dun sa over-priced na kainan Downtown.

Tinaya ko sarili ko.

Bill: $196. Akin ang wan-pipti.





Binigyan ko ng...





Ibinili ko si...





HELP. NAUBUSAN ATA AKO NG HANGIN. HINDI BA KAYO NILAMIG?

Sanity vs. Sanitation

Bandang alas kwatro ng hapon, bigla ko na lang naramdamang masakit ang lalamunan ko. Out of the blue. Pero dahil nagbabasa ako, ininda ko lang.

Hoy Brain, kung Brain ka talaga, i-disconnect mo nga ang nag-iinarte at KSP na si Throat. Alam namang nagbabasa yung amo, papansin pa. Killjoy, amp!

Nasa kalaghatian na ako ng nobela nang istorbohin ako ng another human being na nagpapasama lumabas.

Siyempre dinahilan ko masakit ang lalamu---

Nang bigla kong marinig ang magic word na "mocha". Wala pang five minutes, nakabihis na ako.

Opo, ang atensyon ko ay katumbas na lamang ng isang basong kape (yung Grande). Bagsak-presyo? Recession kase. Dapat cheap pleasures.

Balik sa usapang-sore throat.

Bubble tea ang huli kong ininom. Sa labas ako kumain. Maraming tao---

GERMS!!!

YAAAAK! AAAACK! GERMS!!! NOOOO! GERMS!!! KA-DI-RI!!! GERMS!!! AAAACKKKK!!! YAAAAKKK!!!

Hindi ako naghugas ng kamay bago kumain. Hindi ako gumamit ng tinidor. Kinamay ko ang pagkain. Iba ang naghanda ng pagkain. Hindi ko alam kung paano hinanda ang pagkain. Malamig yung bubble tea (superstition haha!).

Hindi ako lumalabas ng bahay. Stay-in. Enclosed. Shielded. Walang exposure sa foreign matter. Kulang sa bad bacteria. Bumaba ang resistensya.

Akmang bubuksan ko na yung isang 250-mg ng Amoxicillin nang sitahin ako ng awtoridad:

Siya: "Bakit ka umiinom nang walang prescription? Kaya dumarami ang mga blah-blah-blah.."

Ako: "Fine!" Sabay surrender.

Uminom na lang ako ng tsaa at tinuloy ang pagbabasa. Pero nilayo ko ng kung ilang nano-milya ang mukha ko sa libro. Kasi hiniram ko lang sa library---

Library. Free access. Public. Not Private. Outside. Foreign matter. Germs. GERMS! GERMS!!!

YAAAAK! AAAACK! GERMS!!! NOOOO! GERMS!!! KA-DI-RI!!! GERMS!!! AAAACKKKK!!! YAAAAKKK!!!



Nung natapos ko yung libro, kasabay ding nawala sakit ng lalamunan ko.

UP X-list

64/135

[ ] Worried about getting bullied by fratmen or getting killed in a riot.
[ ] Got bullied by fratmen or was killed in a riot.
[ ] Witnessed a riot.
[x] Watched the Oblation Run. (nung 3rd year, moral support kay nehar na ni-require sa anthro10 class niya haha. headcount daw!)
[x] Made friends with a teacher. (si sir u? *feeling*)
[ ] Was tricked as a freshman into attending a rally/prayer meeting.
[x] Wore red or black on one of those wear red or wear black days.
[x] Wore red on Valentine’s Day. (red-shirt day nun e!)
[ ] Wore black on Valentine's Day.
[ ] Celebrated a birthday at Mang Jimmy's.
[x] Learned UP Naming Mahal (nung graduation na haha!)
[ ] Was an RA (registration assistant) or SA.
[ ] Lied or begged to an RA for a slot in class.
[x] Participated in a there's-only-one-more-slot-are you-feeling-lucky? (Physics 71.1!!)
[ ] Jogged around the campus.
[x] Visited the Vargas Museum.
[x] Knew at least one xerox lady, manong, or technician by name. (si ate jocelyn guard ng IB, si sir noel technican ng IB. tsk..tsk nakalimutan ko yung 'technician' sa Filipino Dept)
[x] Attended university level graduation. (once in a lifetime lang mangyayari e!)
[x] Got an activist for a teacher.
[ ] Watched a La Salle vs. Ateneo UAAP game. (dunno..??)
[x] Watched a UP vs. any school basketball game. (Cheerleading class)
[x] Studied in CASAA.
[ ] Studied in McDonald's or Jollibee Philcoa for one full night and bought just one regular-sized drink. (di pa yan aabot sa bituka namin ni ruthchel LOL)
[x] Studied along Katipunan.
[ ] Studied along Katipunan and affected the mannerisms of a stereotypical Atenean. (no idea LOL)
[x] Watched a play that's not required for Comm III. (kay Lizzie!)
[ ] Went stargazing.
[x] Ate in Chocolate Kiss, Tea Room (in CHE) or Chateau Verde. (except Chateau Verde)
[ ] Slept in the lib. (NEVER!)
[ ] Struck up a conversation with a taong grasa.
[ ] Wrote to/for the Collegian.
[ ] Seriously pondered about the identity/ies of the people described in Eksenang Peyups.
[x] Went to the chapel.
[ ] Got a pebble stuck in your shoe/slippers while walking in Sunken Garden.
[ ] Cut class with your block to watch a movie.
[ ] Had a Voltes V for a teacher. (sa powerpuff, dalawa!)
[ ] Took a class under Joseph Palis.
[ ] Lied to the transcript lady to get a transcript earlier than the standard 3 months.
[x] Went to a Freshman-only concert. (TWICE!)
[x] Subsisted on just streetfood (fishballs, half footlongs, kwekwek, squidballs/rolls, mais, dirty ice cream) for a day. (foot-long!)
[ ] Learned how to smoke.
[x] Went on an out-of-town trip with blockmates or orgmates. (teambuilding ng org sa tagaytay)
[ ] Fell in love. (did i?)
[x] Actually read the book you keep borrowing from the lib. (ayoko bumili e.. kuripot haha!)
[ ] Played cards during your free time.
[ ] Dressed in business attire.
[ ] Sumabit sa jeep. (di ko nasubukan!)
[ ] Got sung to or sung to someone in class during Valentine's day.
[x] Watched the Lantern Parade.
[ ] Helped out a total stranger.
[ ] Helped out a total stranger because he/she was hot.
[x] Learned to stay awake for more than 24 or 48 hours straight.
[ ] Got bullied by fratmen and feeling cool wannabe people who were actually losers.
[x] Took Wednesday and/or Sat classes WILLINGLY. (PE2 & CWTS)
[ ] Volunteered for the pahinungod.
[ ] Ate "tasteless white sauce" pasta from cock-a-noodle-doo. (napansin ko lang yun nung nagsara haha! pero mabenta yung kapalit nun sa stall, yung inverted umbrella!)
[ ] Got a boyfriend/girlfriend.
[x] Took time to read the vandalism in the CR. (sa FC hahahaha!)
[ ] Watched a sexy art film for any GE class. (X-rated sa Anthro10!!)
[ ] Got held up or pickpocketed.
[x] Felt depressed because you were not as good academically as you were in high school. (nyahaha!)
[x] Did a last minute paper. (lahat ng ecology papers!!)
[x] Had spent a lot for 1x1 ID pictures. (kada semester!)
[x] Got exempted from final exams. (sa sportclimbing, uyeh!)
[x] Got exempted from a final exam but still took it. (panpil40?)
[ ] Attended a varsity pep rally.
[ ] Watched LIVE AIDS, Androgyny, Maskipaps or any well-known variety show.
[ ] Promised to quit smoking.
[x] Got into at least one (org- or council-sponsored) adventure race. (PARUMBAAY ni ruthchel, champion pa sana kung di lang naligaw team namin ahahaha! badtrip!)
[x] Knew where the best restrooms are on campus. (CAL ang best saken..kumpara sa science bldgs huwahaha!)
[x] Joined an org. (Ex Libris UP)
[ ] Allowed yourself to make mistakes.
[ ] Went to the gym in spite of having no PE class just to ogle varsity players/cute boys.
[x] Took summer classes. (EVERY year!)
[x] Admired the Oblation. (nung centennial celeb. ganda pala ng puwet ni oble!)
[ ] Made a video for a project.
[ ] Had a crush on a teacher.
[ ] Had a teacher who had a crush on/tried to court you.
[ ] Attended your ROTC Bivouac.
[ ] Faked sickness to get an absence excused.
[ ] Got your car scratched by one of those "Kuya bantayan ko kotse niyo" kids.
[x] Took a PE class where you had to pay for tuition (i.e. sportsclimbing, ten pin bowling, scuba diving, etc). (sportclimbing & tenpin)
[x] Went to school in your crappiest yet most comfy clothes. (always este most of the time!)
[x] Learned how to use the Bayantel pay phones. (dahil sa thesis)
[x] Participated in school activities. (Walkout? haha)
[ ] Caught the UP Pep Tryouts.
[ ] Dated someone from UP.
[x] Rode an IKOT and TOKI.
[x] Found a tambayan. (ugat ng acacia sa malcolm side ng sunken tsaka Animal House 1 nung nalilinis pa, haha!)
[ ] Went drinking at Sarah's. (ice cream hanap ko nun)
[ ] Learned how to beg for a higher grade. (du-uh!?)
[ ] Used your 6 allowable absences wisely.
[ ] Lived in a dorm. (no way! ayoko)
[ ] Already had sex on the sunken garden.
[ ] Volunteered to be beadle or go-to guy for your group/class.
[x] Had the worst schedule. (right after Math 53, Sportclimbing sa Balara!!)
[ ] Realized that there really is just one coconut tree on the sunken garden (huwaaaat??)
[x] Not used up all 6 allowable absences.
[x] Ate in ISSI, Treehouse, Mama Thai's and other more obscure cafeterias. (nakakain ako sa Treehouse bago nagsara!)
[ ] Ate food Aristocart-style.
[ ] Is active in your org.
[x] Attended an ACLE.
[ ] Got as many app forms as you can during the job fair.
[x] Learned how to cram. (SIYEMPRE!)
[x] Sold tickets for (or watch) an org-sponsored movie premiere. (watched)
[x] Saved money to photocopy all of your seatmate's notes. (nyahaha!)
[ ] Had accidentally seen a make-out session.
[ ] Slept in class. (NEVER!)
[x] Finished a homework/assignment/paper in the Shopping center or Philcoa.
[x] Had mountains of "unused" sample exams and/or old testaments. (HAHAHAHA!)
[x] Resolved to be "better this semester.
[x] Slept during a test. (Organic Chem 3rd Long Exam!! sobrang bangag kasi.. may 5 minutes nga ata!)
[x] Had groupmates from hell.
[x] Learned how to work with groupmates from hell.
[ ] Perfected the art of parking on campus.
[x] Had a bad encounter with one of the guards on campus.
[x] Developed a love for sisig.
[x] Practiced those UP cheers in the first meeting for PE class. (w/ matching actions pa)
[x] Looked at microfilms in the library or poked through archives. (pakana ni coline haha!)
[x] Reserved a classroom, AVR, etc. for a class or org function. (Hum1, PI100, Bio 150 Journal Club)
[x] Attended the UP Fair. (absent ako nung 3rd year)
[x] Went to a library other than your own college's to research. (Mainlib for GE subjects)
[ ] Lost a perfectly functioning umbrella. (naiwan sa Geol11!)
[ ] Used consultation hours properly.
[ ] Went to the Guidance Office for real, heart-to-heart guidance. (meron palang guidance office?!)
[x] Went to the infirmary. (freshie pa)
[ ] Attended class with a hangover.
[x] Drink beer or alcohol while inside UP grounds. *ubouboubo*
[x] Walked all the way to Philcoa or Katipunan from UP. (hanggang Arboretum pa nga, nung 'Suruy-suroy' sa AP12)
[ ] Buy frogs from NSRI or a Bio department. (kasama na yun sa lab fee)
[ ] Maxed out on the 6 allowed unexcused absences but DID NOT drop.
[ ] Got invited or pursued by a sorority or fraternity.
[x] Wore slippers to school. (Islander pa kamo!)
[ ] Had a professor who smoked in class.
[ ] Got diagnosed by the Infirmary as pregnant or infected with STD.

Pacific Science Center

Ineksibit sa PacSci ang labi ni Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis). Yung larawan ng kalansay niya na nakikita natin sa mga textbook, yun ang naka-display sa glass case. Tapos may model din kung ano ang kabuuang hitsura niya. Ayun mukhang unggoy. Tapos maliit, around 3 feet lang kasi siya diba. (Yeah, mas matangkad ako sa ninuno ko!) Tsaka balbon siyempre.

Interesanteng impormasyon na napulot (at hindi ata napag-aralan sa Anthro10 at Archaeo2) :

1. Ulna ang unang nahukay.
2. Femur ang sumunod.
3. Hindi alam kung paano at bakit naging Lucy ang tawag. (Hehehe)
4. Obsolete ang napag-aralang hierarchy na: (pabaliktad) H. sapiens <--- H. erectus <--- H. habilis <--- etcetera <--- etcetera, etcetera KASI Pre-Lucy pa ang teoryang ito. (Merong pinakitang 'tree' na Post-Lucy at dahil mas bago, mas complex. Kaso hindi ko na naintindihan. Sala-salabid ang arrow. Haha!)

Iba pang highlights ng 'field trip' sa PacSci:

1. Humipo ako ng Dinosaur dung. (Yeah!) Matigas siyempre. Parang bato lang. (Fossil nga e.)
2. Abnormal ang BP ko: above normal ang systolic rate, below normal ang diastolic rate, at *super* above normal ang heart beat. Wala kasing numerical data na binigay. Estimate lang. May lilitaw na red line tas depende sa haba mula sa point of reference, which is the Normal. Pero kumbaga sa rate na 1-10, 5 yung normal, nasa 9 yung heart beat ko. (Abno!!)
3. Nakakita ako ng boa constrictor (Boa constrictor). Sa wakas! Dati, iniimagine ko lang based sa drawing sa The Little Prince tas nakita ko sa TV nang magpunta ang Wildboyz sa Africa. Ngayon, personal na! Dalawa sila, si something at si something. (Hindi ko na maalala, pero babae at lalaki.) Upclose ang hirap paniwalaan na kayang lumunok ng mammal nitong ahas na 'to kasi anliit lang ng ulo. Mas malaki pa katawan kesa ulo. (Gusto ko nga sanang bulabugin para magalit. Baka sakaling ngumanga.)
4. Nakakita rin ako ng naked mole rats. Trivia: Social animals sila at unique ito sa kanila bilang mammals. Elongated ang katawan nila. Naked sila kasi kita balat nila. Walang balahibo. (Naaalala ko yung mga daga namin sa thesis. Yung mga baby na mukhang tuta. Hindi pa kasi tinutubuan ng balahibo. Ganun.)
5. Nakakita ako ng butterfly na mukhang.. butterflyfish. Wala nga lang buntot. (LOL)

Marami pa sanang cool na interactive stuffs na gusto kong subukan kaso hino-hoard ng mga bata o/at magulang. Kainis.

***

Napakswerte ng mga bata ngayon. Napakaraming bagay ang maaaring matutunan sa loob ng isang araw na katumbas ng ipinaglalagi ng estudyante sa loob ng iskwelahan sa loob ng mahabang panahon. (Isang exhibit lang ang katapat ng pinag-aralan ko sa Anthro at Archaeo?! C'mon!)

Saklolo! Tulo(n)g!

Kung anong hirap bumangon sa umaga este tanghali, dobleng hirap naman matulog sa gabi este madaling araw.

Ilang araw nang ganito na dire-diretso hindi tulad nung isang taon, sa nagdaang buwan ng Disyembre. Bad trip! Minsan napapaisip tuloy ako kung kailangan ko na uminom ng gamot.

Nung isang araw, sumakit ang ulo ko. Sa tindi ng sakit, kinailangan kong idaan sa isang tableta ng Paracetamol. Gumaan ang pakiramdam ko tapos makalipas ang ilang oras, nakatulog ako. Nakatulog ako at hindi sapilitan! Tapos paggising ko kinaumagahan este kinatanghalian, andami kong naging panaginip. Sari-sari. Pero hindi ko na maalala pagkabagon ko sa kama.

Pag sumapit na sa taning na alas dos ng umaga ang oras, itutulak ko na ang sarili ko na humiga sa kama pagkatapos ay ipipikit ang mga mata nang napakahigpit. Pakapipiliting matulog, makatulog. Struggle kung struggle. Pabali-balikwas ako sa kama.

Kinaumagahan, pagtingin sa orasan, tanghali na. Naglaho na naman ang kalahating araw. Pagkakain, maliligo, tapos gabi na uli. Maya-maya oras na naman ng pagtulog.

Ayoko na matulog. I mean, ayoko matulog sa oras ng pagtulog. Bakit ba? Ako ay isang nocturnal. Maliksi ang utak ko pagsapit ng dilim. Nakikipaghabulan ako sa sariling imahinasyon sa sandaling patay na ang ilaw. Hindi magkandatuto. Andaming magagandang idea. Kaya kayhirap matulog, makatulog.

At kayhirap din bumangon dahil alam kong napakaraming bagay ang pinakawalan ko nang piliin kong matulog nang sapilitan.

Sabi ni Marisol,

"I want to do everything... Why not? Sleep less."

Hearing Voices Inside Your Head?

Habang ako ay nagpapatugtog ng isang lumang kantang may pamagat na "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" sa bersyon ng The Starting Line, biglang nag-materialize 'tong wirdong couple at nag-umpisang magtalo. Wala akong ibang nagawa kundi ang makinig sa kanilang kwento.

* D E A D A I R *

You know I'm crazy.

Aren't we all?
I mean, mental. I've just been out of rehab. You know, I had problems with depression...

Earth to psycho!
What??
Are you talking to that invisible friend of yours again?
No. I just wanted this fact be passed on to you.
Well, too bad, my brain's damaged. Can't process it.
Oh yeah, right. I'm sorry.
Stop that shit. The world's not sorry for us.
It's our fault, you know.
No, it's fucking not. This world should've been a better place.
Dear, you're not God.
No. Of course not. I can't even play the guitar.

* D E A D A I R *

She didn't like him because he can't play the guitar.

If I could I wouldn't be here.

Why not?

I would have lived outside. Besides, I'd be too cool to waste my time talking to you.

That's how they ended up together, back in the rehab when they first met two years ago. She was lonely. He was angry. Both took pills of the same brand, on the same night at the same street address in their rented apartments which are, coincidentally, both four blocks away from the Institute.

She was the first to arrive in the ER. Her classmate who was supposedly meeting her up for a study session stumbled upon her at the doorstep. She called the 911. Forty-five minutes later, the ambulance arrived bringing him in, with his roommate, who had found him unconscious in the tub.

They spent six-and-a-half months inside. She was forced to drop her classes. He quit his job. They shared their new-found haven in the medical library located on the west wing of the Institute. At first, it was only he who'd read. She was never fond of science. She'd just sit there to pass the time until the nurse calls them for a routine checkup.

* D E A D A I R *

You aren't smoking. He throws an accusing look on her as she lit the cigar dangling from her mouth.

She shrugs off, No.

He grabs the cigar and throws it out. Into the fountain. They are in Central Park now. It's a lazy Sunday afternoon.

What the hell did you that for?

Stop this shit. You're ruining our date.

* D E A D A I R *

Unang Pelikula Para Sa 2009

Bedtime Stories

Kwento ng isang loser, si Adam Sandler, na mahilig sa bedtime stories. Actually, may pagka-self-centered siya kasi siya ang bida sa mga kwentong iniimbento niya para sa kanyang dalawang pamangkin kay Courteney Cox, which is understandable kasi nga loser naman talaga siya. May pagka-ironic din 'tong loser na 'to kasi nung unang gabing nagkwento siya sa dalawang pamangkin niya, sinabi niya na walang happy endings sa totoong buhay, pero deep inside, "gusto" niya magkaroon ng happy ending ang istorya ng buhay niya (bilang loser). Pinipilit niya sa dalawa niyang pamangkin ang pagkakaroon ng "happy ending" sa kwentong hinahabi nilang tatlo na tungkol sa kanya (na isang loser) sa kanilang bedtime story sessions gabi-gabi sa loob ng isang linggo. Kasi nalaman niyang nagkakatotoo yung kwento.

Ilang beses kong binanggit ang salitang 'loser'?

This doesn't seem to sound right. I dunno why. I might be giving the wrong impression.

I have nothing against the movie. I liked it. And I'm not being sarcastic.

In fact, natawa ako dun sa huling bedtime story.

You're fired.

Tapos lalo pa akong natawa kasi yung tatay na kahilera ko sa upuan, nahuli sa pag halakhak. Ang slow, haha. Haha. HAHAHA! NGYAHAHAHA!

Hindi na ako nagulat nung umekstra sa ilang eksena si Rob Schneider. Talagang inseperable ang mag-bestfriend. Yiheee!

Ang sumorpresa sa akin sa pelikula e si Lucy Lawless. Nabasa ko ngalan niya sa Cast nung matapos ang pelikula. At habang palabas ako ng sinehan, kinukulit ko sarili ko. Siya ba yun? Siya ba yun? Siya ba yun? XENA!!!!!!!

Si Keri Russell naman akala ko kahawig lang ni Keri Rusell. Tapos si Pierre Bouvier este si Adam Sandler, well, akala ko si Pierre Bouvier (Simple Plan). \m/ Ahahahaaaaay!

Crush ko ilong ni Mickey.

Crowd's favorite siyempre si Buggy.

Happy Valentine's!

Sabi nila, French daw ang romantic language. Sa mundo ng langaw, German is the language of luuuv.

Yes, luv. Not love.

Luuuv.

May bago akong objek ng fasinasyon. Tokio Hotel, anyone? Matunog ang banda nila sa Europa kung saan sila nagmula (at least sa mga ka-taste ko LOL). Dinala nila sa Amerika ang hysteria nang ilabas nila ang kanilang unang saling-wikang album. Mga kabataan sila, edad 19-21. Kambal ang bokalista at gitarista. Silang dalawa ang tinitilian, kinababaliwan, pinapantasya, etcetera, etcetera ng kanilang fans na panay mga kabataang babae. Hence the term, boyband. (For more information about this band, select from the following Google search list.)

Pero wala akong pakialam kung boyband sila o hindi. Actually, ayokong tanggapin na boyband sila. O maski rockband.

Gusto ko lang sila kasi ang kyut-kyut ng Kaulitz twins, ahahahaaaaay!

No doubt, si Tom ang nagpakilig sa akin kasi di-hamak na mas maganda pa saken si Bill. Pero boses ni Bill ang dala-dala ko hanggang sa panaginip at matapos ang pananaliksik, natuklasan ko ang kanyang personality. (Hi Bill, I think we're compatible.) Si Tom ang epitome ng pantasya ng kabataang babae (o ako lang ba?). Di ko siya maikahon sa "hot only" o "cute only" pero siguro yun ang dahilan kung bakit nagkakaganito ako (kilig-to-infinity). Pero sa totoo lang hindi ko gusto ang getup niya. Oh well. At least, wala siyang bling-bling.

(Nagmumurang-kamatis na ba ako dahil ang interes ko ay hindi angkop sa aking edad? Kung sa pahayag pa ni Ate, "Retarded ka!" dahil sa Children's section ng Barnes & Noble ako nagtitingin ng librong bibilhin para basahin. FYI I'm 21. The Kaulitz brothers are 19. Eeek!)

Moreover, German sila. Ahahahaaaaay!

Coincidentally, may kakaibang attachment sa akin ang bansang Aleman. Mula nang mabasa ko ang Book Thief (Markus Zusak), nahalina ako sa Aleman. Naging curious ako kay Hitler. Nasabik ako sa Oktoberfest. Higit sa lahat, nabatobalani ako sa lenggwahe nito.

Pag may gusto akong bagay (o tao), gumagawa ako ng paraan para i-satisfy ang sarili ko. Kaso lang, andami ko atang karibal dito sa kambal. Puro pa teenagers!

Kaya idadaan ko na lang sa kanta. Ito ang pinagkakaabalahan ko ngayon. Ang #3 sa aking New Year's Resolution: i-memorize ang German version ng Monsoon.

Durch den Monsun - Tokio Hotel

Das fenster öffnet sich nicht mehr
Hier drin ist es voll von dir - und leer
Und vor mir geht die letzte kerze aus
Ich warte schon 'ne ewigkeit
Endlich ist es jetzt soweit
Da draußen zieh'n die schwarzen wolken auf

Ich muss durch den monsun
Hinter die welt
Ans ende der zeit
Bis kein regen mehr fällt
Gegen den sturm
Am abgrund entlang
Und wenn ich nicht mehr kann, denk'ich daran
Irgendwann laufen wir zusammen
Durch den monsun, dann wird alles gut

Ein halber mond versinkt vor mir
War der eben noch bei dir
Und hält er wirklich was er mir verspricht
Ich weiss, dass ich dich finden kann
Hör' deinen namen im orkan
Ich glaub noch mehr dran glauben kann ich nicht

Ich muss durch den monsun
Hinter die welt
Ans ende der zeit
Bis kein regen mehr fällt
Gegen den sturm
Am abgrund entlang
Und wenn ich nicht mehr kann, denk'ich daran
Irgendwann laufen wir zusammen
Weil uns einfach nichts mehr halten kann
Durch den monsun

Hey! Hey!
Ich kämpf mich durch die mächte, hinter dieser tür
Werde sie besiegen und dann führn sie mich zu dir
Dann wird alles gut - Dann wird alles gut
Wird alles gut - Alles gut...

Ich muss durch den monsun
Hinter die welt
Ans ende der zeit
Bis kein regen mehr fällt
Gegen den sturm
Am abgrund entlang
Und wenn ich nicht mehr kann, denk'ich daran
Irgendwann laufen wir zusammen
Weil uns einfach nichts mehr halten kann
Durch den monsun...

Mukhang ok lang pag binasa, diba? Kayang-kaya. Pero pag sinabayan na ng pakikinig sa kanta...

(NOTE: Wala akong anumang background sa wikang Aleman. Wala akong elective language nung college. So I definitely have to start from scratch.)

...Bad trip. Asar. Di ko masabayan. Grrr!!!

...Bad trip. Asar. Di ko ma-pronounce. Grrr!!!

...Bad trip. Asar. Ang hirap i-pronounce. Grrr!!!

Pero ika nga sa Revelations (Melissa de la Cruz), "[Love] It's so close to hate, it's almost indistinguishable."

..Bad trip. Asar. Di ba pwedeng Chrous lang. Grrr!!!

This is stupid. I don't friggin' understand a thing.

Grr!

Grrr! Grrr! Grrr!

Grr!

Oh yes, I'm definitely in luv.

Sana mag-concert sila dito.

PS. MERRY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

Balik-Tanaw Sa 2008 (Beryson 2)

Andaming nangyari. Sobrang dami. Diba, dibs? Andaming biyahe. Andaming mukha. Andaming drama. Andaming alak. Andaming calories. Andaming gastos. Andaming retrato. Andaming luha. Andaming halakhak. Andaming bloopers. Sari-sari, halu-halo, labu-labong emosyon. Mga 1st time and last time. Mga welcome at paalam. Mga pangako at excuses. Mga bago at sinalo. Mga itinapon at nilimot sa kahapon. Mga nilisan at binalikan. Andami. Andami-dami. Saan ko ba uumpisahan?

Graduation. Yeah! Congrats. Akalain mo nakatapos ka on-time. Na-survive mo ang jinx ni Oble sa Quezon Hall pagkatapos mong makipagkodakan kasama niya nung katutuntong mo pa lang sa university. First year. First sem. Obviously, wala ka pang alam. Hindi mo alam ang urban legend. Kaya nang i-spill sa iyo ng Ate mo pag-uwi nyo sa inuupahan mong kwarto sa UP Bliss, halos mangiyak-ngiyak ka dahil natuklasan mong doomed na kaagad ang kapalaran mo hindi ka pa man nakakapag-umpisa. Hahaha! What a loser. But then again, nagawa mong isanla ang iyong kaluluwa kay Sata--- este nahabag sa iyo ang kapalaran dahil ang middle name mo ay Tanga, kaawa-awa ka naman sige na nga, sumaiyo ang kaligtasan mula sa delay.

Kabiokada. Akalain mo nga naman, may social life ka rin pala. Hahaha! Good job, loser. Pasalamatan mo naman ang mga kaibigan mo. Mag-"I love you, friends" ka. Kung di dahil sa kanila walang kang Multiply account. Dahil kung di dahil sa kanila, walang food trips. Walang inom. Walang karnabal. Walang Dibi-Divisoria. Hindi ka mapapakanta sa videoke. Hindi ka makakarating sa Timog Ave. Hindi ka makarating sa Greenhills sakay ng jeepney. Walang mangungumbida sa iyo sa mga birthday celebration. Wala kang makaka-rakrakan pagsapit ng Feb Fair o karamay sa puyatan/cramming tuwing may exam. Etcetera. Etcetera. Kung di dahil sa kanila, L-O-N-E-R ka na L-O-S-E-R pa. Itaga mo yan sa.. sa.. sa buto mo. Deep into your bone marrow.

Legaspi. Dito kung saan ka una pagkatapos ay huling lumusong sa baha. Muddy baha! Ito ang huling bakas ng iyong phobia sa ulan. Nagpaalam ka ba talaga nang maayos? Hahaha loser. Inunahan na ang takdang oras ng libing niya. Pero aminin mo, nung gabi sa handaan (post-nuptial), pinatulan mo ang SMB. Ikaw pa umubos. Ano ba yun, sobrang bored ka ba sa buhay, hija, o uhaw ka lang talaga? Either way, huli ka. Ayaw daw ng beer, o. Yan ba ang nagagawa ng nostalgia, nade-deactivate ang taste buds?

Disyerto. Memorable 'to. In fact, ito ang isa sa top favorite memories mo. Pwede ka nang mamatay there and then kung ginusto mo. Dahil maligaya ka. Dahil maligaya kayong lahat. It's all about good time. High time. Dito mo rin natuklasan ang sarap ng pinaghalong vodka at Redbull. Lasang apple juice, yum yum. At higit sa lahat, dito ka lalong humanga sa Ate mong sinubukan mong gayahin pero hindi mo nakopya. Saka mo maiisip na wala sa lugar kundi nasa tao ang kaganapan. Walang kinalaman kung pareho kayo ng pinanggalingang iskwelahan. Kung talagang Tanga ang middle name mo, sorry ka. On a brighter side, nabalitaan mo kay Sir U ang tungkol sa Philippine Graphic. Ang nag-iisa't tanging maipagmamalaki mong bagay sa mundo ng mga letra. Pero walang ibang nakakaalam. Hindi sa isa itong lihim. Masama sa kalusugan ang magbuhat ng sariling bangko.

East Coast adventure. Tour de Amateur. Dalawa lang kami ng kapatid ko. In a strange city. In a faraway country. On the other side of the world. Pinaka-exhausting both as experience and memory. New York ang pakay namin at nasa New Jersey ang tinutuluyan naming hotel. Sa lob ng apat na araw, araw-araw humigit-kumulang isang oras ang biyahe. At ang biyahe, biyahe kung biyahe!

Hotel ---> shuttle bus ---> airport ---> air train ---> bus terminal ---> bus ---> railroad train ---> subway ---> NYC (=walkathon)

Jetlags, Alak, Buryong. May mas angkop na tawag rito. Homesickness.

Lisensya. Antindi ng dinulot nitong sakit sa ulo. Halos makalbo ata ako? Halos magka-wrinkles?

Kalahati Muna

Yung nakita kong topic sa LiveJournal community, 101 Things in 1001 Days (Jan 1, 2009 - Sept. 29, 2011). Gusto ko mag-post kaso lang..

WHAT IF hindi ko ma-fulfill lahat? Wala namang consequence. Hindi naman ako bibitayin. Pero. Pero. Pero. Ikamamatay ko! Mamamatay ako sa kahihiyan. Dahil kahit ako ay isa username lamang doon, saksi ang buong cyberspace sa kayabangan ko.

First time kong mag-attempt gumawa ng New Year's Resolution. Inumaga pa ako sa kaiisip ng mga bagay na praktikal, o produktibo, na hindi imposibleng gawin basta't may disiplina, kapaki-pakinabang para sa pansariling paglago in terms of freedom (huh?), creativity, or knowledge (sana may wisdom din), at makapagdudulot ng sense of satisfaction habang ginagawa ang mga bagay na ito dahil bagamat self-imposed, malinaw ang purpose.

1. Eat fruits.
2. Learn how to create paper cranes.
3. Memorize a German song.
4. Always recite the Anima Christi before sleeping.
5. Throw the garbage twice a month.
6. Learn how to cook rice properly.
7. Improve vocabulary. Learn a new word each day.
8. Vacuum the floor twice a month.
9. Learn how to write a haiku.
10. Send a note to 10 authors.
11. Listen to jazz music.
12. Know the current events.
13. Write an adaptation story to "13 Reasons Why".
14. Keep a Dream journal.
15. Wake up early at least once a week for breakfast.
16. Take a morning walk at least once a month.
17. Watch The Little Mermaid.
18. Eat less chocolate.
19. Learn how to put on makeup.
20. Read a book upside down.
21. Compose a song.
22. Learn basic Spanish.
23. Practice ambidexterity.
24. Wear a mohawk.
25. Cook an edible dish.
26. Learn how to sell Books online.
27. Start writing my Biography.
28. Learn the Sign language.
29. Create a DeviantArt account.
30. Send a letter to self.
31. Make a list of favorite quotes.
32. Drive on the freeway.
33. Eat sea urchin.
34. Clean the microwave twice a month.
35. Learn how to read music.
36. Submit a fanart.
37. Go to Canada.
38. Visit the Library.
39. Drink sake.
40. Wash the car.
41. Write a poem.
42. Bake cookies.
43. Write book reviews.
44. Update blogs.
45. Drink tea.
46. Buy a book online.
47. Get a job.
48. Save money.
49. Be good.
50. Read 50 books.
51. Burn..I was supposed to be only telling HALF of the story. (It's friggin New Year, Viola. What the hell do you think you're doing?)

PS. The truth is, I have already made my 101 list.

Umm, ano.. pero kasi kalahati ng nasa listahan ko panay luho. Puro gastos, gastos, gastos. Ganitong wala akong trabaho at ubos na ang savings ko dahil sa nagdaang holidays, walang kasigurahan ang buhay ko sa mundo. Sa maniwala man tayo o hindi, pera ang dumadaloy, nananalaytay sa ating katawan. Bakit? Bakit? Kasi kung wala kang pera, patay ka!

AT gaya nga ng sinabi ko kanina, ikamamatay ko pag hindi ko natupad ang nasa listahan.

I Am the Messenger (Markus Zusak)

Praise for I Am the Messenger (Hango sa loob ng pabalat ng libro):

"Do you want to know a secret? It's something that many children's book reviewers believe, but don't often reveal....Children's books often make better reading than the selections on the adult bestseller list...." - BookPage

Bato-bato sa langit, ang tamaan ay ubod ng pangit!





For the first time in the history of my life, tumalab sa akin ang sikat na sikat na quote na:

Don't judge a book by its cover.

Una kong nakita ang libro sa Fully Booked sa The Block two years ago pero walang appeal sa mata ko. Mukhang boring ang cover. Siyempre, napahiya ako ngayon.

Ganun din ang kaso ng A Book Thief. Kung hindi lang dahil sa pamagat, hindi ako maeengganyang bumili last year.

Pero dude, seryoso, wala sa cover ang ikinagaganda ng isang libro. In fact, I believe that a book can only be considered good if it can bring a reader into tears. Which is almost always the case everytime I read a book. Now, I wonder if all the books I've read are good ones? If so, does this make me also a good reader? LOL. Magbuhat ba ng sariling bangko.

Balik sa libro.

Ed Kennedy, will you be my best friend? (=Papalitan ko na ba si Holden Caulfield?)



You can almost always quote a line or two in every single page of the book. Exagge ba? Obviously, it's me, speaking (thinking/typing/whatever). Always excited when reading. Hi! My name is Viola. Nice to meet you!

LOL

You don't get it, do you? Go ahead and read. See for yourself. (Page something something.)

Mission 101

101 things in 1001 days?

1. Eat fruits.
2. Learn how to create paper cranes.
3. Memorize a German song.
4. Always recite the Anima Christi before sleeping.
5. Throw the garbage twice a month.
6. Learn how to cook rice properly.
7. Improve vocabulary. Learn a new word each day.
8. Vacuum the floor twice a month.
9. Learn how to write a haiku.
10. Send a note to 10 authors.
11. Listen to jazz music.
12. Know the current events.
13. Write an adaptation story to “13 Reasons Why”.
14. Keep a Dream journal.
15. Wake up early at least once a week.
16. Take a morning walk at least once a month.
17. Watch The Little Mermaid.
18. Eat less chocolate.
19. Learn how to put on makeup.
20. Read a book upside down.
21. Compose a song.
22. Learn basic Spanish.
23. Practice ambidexterity.
24. Wear a mohawk.
25. Cook an edible dish.
26. Learn how to sell Books online.
27. Start writing my Biography.
28. Learn the Sign language.
29. Create a DeviantArt account.
30. Send a letter to self.
31. Make a list of favorite quotes.
32. Drive on the freeway.
33. Eat sea urchin.
34. Clean the microwave twice a month.
35. Learn how to read music.
36. Submit a fanart.
37. Go to Canada.
38. Visit the library.
39. Drink sake.
40. Wash the car.
41. Write a poem.
42. Bake cookies.
43. Write book reviews.
44. Update blogs.
45. Drink a cup of tea everyday.
46. Buy a book online.
47. Get a job.
48. Save money.
49. Be good.
50. Burn a paper bill.
51. Take a picture of Forks High School.
52. Visit Hershey’s chocolate factory.
53. Watch a music concert of a favorite band.
54. Play paintball.
55. Eat a pizza pie.
56. Visit a pyschic.
57. Ride a rollercoaster.
58. Buy Emily’s electric guitar.
59. Go to DisneyWorld.
60. Ride a train.
61. Smell the tulips.
62. Kiss an alpaca.
63. Donate to charity.
64. Roll on the grass.
65. Climb a big, old tree.
66. Pat a dog.
67. Look for Emily Strange.
68. Attend a music festival.
69. Visit an Indian Reservation.
70. Ride a gondola.
71. Travel with family for a holiday trip to Europe.
72. Ride a trolley.
73. Sit under the waterfalls.
74. Climb a mountain.
75. Ride a jet.
76. Go on a cruise.
77. Bunjee jump.
78. Go home.
79. Buy my mother a diamond ring.
80. Go to Tokyo.
81. Watch a red carpet movie premiere.
82. Go to Alaska.
83. Feed an elephant.
84. Go to Hawaii.
85. Take a picture of a koala.
86. Watch a silent film.
87. Try skydiving.
88. Go to a circus.
89. Watch a demolition derby.
90. Ride on a pushcart.
91. Dye hair white.
92. Eat an exotic food.
93. Try snowboarding.
94. Eat caviar.
95. Attend a tea party.
96. Drink Chardonnay.
97. Build a snowman.
98. Go to church.
99. Play a prank.
100. Create an alter-ego.
101. Read 101 books.

Why not?