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Very true, Carlo

April 30th, 2007 by kwentongbayan

Got this from Carlo Garcia’s bulletin. Napakatimely neto. I almost had this last night. No thanks to three straight bottles of cold light, and the melodrama of a selfish stoopid biatch (tamaan ka sana).
Beh!
_______________

Img1031999703

When people get drunk, they tend to
say things they normally take years to
say.Some would even go over board and
confess their heart’s inner desire or
secrets. But when the spirit of
alcohol fizzles out and you become
sober, you revert back to the same old
person wearing a mask or cloak.After
the hang over, you realize how stupid
you are but on what aspect? For doing
things while you were drunk or for
being true to yourself?
_________________

I say, for doing things while you were drunk. Clearly, the head wasn’t functioning well. It’s not always good to be true to one’s self. Some things are meant to be suppressed. If it stinks, you don’t open the bin. Truth is never absolute. I believe in the power of the brain. Brain….brain….brain…

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Norman’s Housewarming

April 20th, 2007 by kwentongbayan

by Raz de la Torre
http://rzfdtwr.blogspot.com/

Norman had a belated housewarming party at his condo. It was more than half-a-year late.

I almost didn’t make it as I came from another party with my barkada.

Norman
revealed that the reason he’s having this party despite the fact that
he was planning on eventually moving to a cheaper place is because he
just got a roommate. It was sort of imposed on him by his neighbors.
This guy, who used to rent a room above Norman’s, got evicted and was
in urgent need of a new place to stay. The neighbors volunteered
Norman, knowing full well that he had his place all to himself.

In
a last ditch effort to lay claim to his personal space, Norms threw a
party. He may not be able to host one once his roommate moves in, after
all.

Interesting how we require certain stimuli before doing
what needs to be done. It’s not like we don’t know what must be done.
We just love procrastinating until we’re backed in a corner with all
other choices eliminated. So now, Norman’s place is clean, livable, and
broken in… as if prepped solely for the purpose of welcoming his new
roommate. At least he got to own it for one night :)

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Moving In

April 11th, 2007 by kwentongbayan

After so many months, sinipag na din akong linisin ang bahay ko. I don’t remember really cleaning it up since I started renting it mid last year. Save for konting sweeping of obviously accumulating dirt sa sala area, yun lang yata ang gnawa kong "linis". Until this morning.

Maagiw, maalikabok. Hindi OA ang pag-haaa…haaa….haaatching! ng mga tao sa mga anti- allergy commercials. Pag ganon na kadumi ang bahay, magsneeze ka talaga. Most of the dirt accumulated on top of the boxes with most of my stuff which remained unpacked.

Mahal ang bahay ko. Well, kung iisipin mura na din sya. (Mahal lang kase I shoulder everything by myself.) It’s a semi-condo building in a relatively safe community, not far from the major thoroughfares, malapit sa lahat ng kakailanganin mo. Bachelor pad na bachelor pad ang dating. Minus the fact na ang street name nito ay Pat Senador and not some posh sounding person, almost perfect na sya.

I decided to take that room kase maeevict na ko sa dati kong bahay eh wala pa kong makitang iba. Pero i’ve whined time and again about the rent. And i’ve been planning to house hunt again for a cheaper place. I’ve always considered that place as somewhat, temporary lang, until I find a cheaper, decent place (if such thing actually exists). Kaya siguro kinatamaran ko na din na mag-unpack ng gamit. Inayos ko lang ang mga kahon to provide moving space. Other than my clothes and things that I use daily, lahat nakakahon pa din. Pero hanggang ngayon, two months short to completing my one year contract in that house hindi pa din ako naghahanap ng lilipatan.

Narealize ko tuloy, para lang syang naging locker room, tambakan, transient dorm, karinderyang bukas para sa lahat ng gustong kumain (ahahaha). It never really had that warmth and coziness of a place i can call home. I have not made my personal stamp on it for it to be an extension of my self. (Naks) No curtains, no design, no space economy whatsoever.

How can I actually move out when I haven’t really moved in?

So kanina, knowing full well na in two months time I’d have to move out and pack my things again, inilabas ko pa rin mula sa kahon lahat ng abubot ko at inilipat sa steel locker na inagiw na ang mga compartments dahil hindi nagagamit; inayos ang layout so the sala area will be more spaceous; the TV in that corner where it seems like an altar of sorts; inayos lahat ng nagkalat na mga CDs, at kung anu-ano ang abubot sa isang lalagyanan; mopped the floor wet to get rid of the stubborn dirt; the kitchen area now looks more like a kitchen; Glade na lang ang kulang at may mga lilipad nang petals ng bulaklak sa bahay ko.

It sure was tiring. And also exciting. Siguro ngayon pwede na akong magpa-house warming. (Na medyo kalabuan kase aalis na din naman ako.) Pero at least, I get to experience personalizing my personal space, my emergency exit, kahit for the last two months man lang.

Although, namiss ko yung magulo at masukal na lugar which kept me company for the past months. Naninibago lang ako siguro. Parang Under the Tuscan Sun-buyer’s remorse as mentioned by Diane Lane.

Buyer’s remorse is a very common affliction among new homeowners. Just because you have a sudden urge to weep, that doesn’t mean you’ve made a mistake.
                  
The trick to overcoming buyer’s remorse is to have a plan. Pick one room and make it yours. Go slowly through the house. Be polite, introduce yourself, so it can introduce itself to you.

Image143

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For more, Cuaresma Quiz

April 3rd, 2007 by kwentongbayan

You scored as Cultural Creative. Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational.

Existentialist
81%

Cultural Creative
81%

Romanticist
75%

Fundamentalist
56%

Modernist
56%

Postmodernist
50%

Idealist
44%

Materialist
19%

What is Your World View?
created with QuizFarm.com

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Sana Semana Santa

April 1st, 2007 by kwentongbayan

DATI…

- Walang cable. Pagdating ng Lunes Santo, everything in the tube seems to slow down. Unang una na ang paborito mong kasama sa pananghalian (ang Eat Bulaga), which drops its usual happy-happy joy-joy gimmicks for their lenten drama specials. I used to not miss any of their specials, kase nga naman gaano mo kadalas mapapanood ang TVJ na nagdadrama on cam. (I’ve always believed that comedians are the best drama actors.)

- Come Thursday, wala ka nang ibang mapapanood. Maswerte na kung may programming ang mga networks, which usually starts pa by lunch time. Mga TV specials ng mga charismatic groups pa lagi on Channel 2 and 7, mga short films na produced ng mga well known Christian groups, mga Via Dolorosa features with Fr. Sonny Belmonte on Channel 9, at mga old Bible films (Ten Commandments, Genesis, etc) on Channel 13.

- Bida din syempre ang mga marathon ng Flying House at Superbook. Lent din yata when they first introduced the "Super Kids Club", isang Christan club for kids na panatiko ng mga Christian Cartoons na ito. Saka mga American B-Movie flavored religious shorts.

- Talagang linggo ito ng pagtitika at pagninilay-nilay. Di kami Katoliko pero sa family, we abstain from our usual meat at may I isda kami dyan.

- The best time din para tsumitsa ng summer specials: melon at buko juice for your drinks, syempre halo-halo, indian mangoes freshly picked from our garden, yummy bagoong, pancit luglog homemade, etc.

- Family reunion epeks din ito. Umuuwi lahat para ng kamag anak. Sa church namin, punung-puno ang Thursday Sta. Cena (last supper) at Seven Last Words pag Friday. Lahat ng mga churchmates na hindi mo nakita for so long kase sa ibang lugar na nakatira, bumabalik for the Holy Week. Kaya after service, para syang socialization where everyone catches up at may mga photo op sessions pa bawat group (lahat ng elderly men and women, mga youth at mga bata)

- Sa gabi, tahimik lang lahat, except for the eerie and haunting chants of the Pasyon, na lahat boses matanda. If you’ve seen Itim (Charo Santos and Tommy Abuel) sobrang nakuha nila yung eerie feel ng mga matatandang nagpapasyon.

- Kahit na napakainit ng panahon at unusual ang time, we observe the seven last words sa church. It start at noon, where there are seven speakers to preach about each of the seven last words of Christ. Laging kasali ang Tatay ko dito kaya we were obliged to come early and finish it until 3PM (the death of Christ). Tapos chance din ito for the church choir, yung mga kabataan, to sing Lenten songs (like Via Dolorosa).

- Grand event ang grand procession pagkatapos ng Catholic Mass sa hapon, kung saan inilalabas lahat ng mgagarbong poon na pag aari ng mga mayayaman at afluential families sa town namin. Pinaka sosyal pa nga yung karosa ng family ni Eula Valdez, na Garden of Gethsemanie yata yon. Daig pa ang piyesta sa dami ng tao na sumasama sa prusisyon. And the parade of candle lights is just breathtaking. Check this out: http://www2.mozcom.com/~valmonte/semanasanta/miercoles.html

(Below is the karosa owned by Eula Valdez’s family. Jesus meets the Samaritan woman by the well. Grabbed from Nueva Ecija Journal.)

Wed06

NGAYON…

- Thanks (or no thanks) to Cable TV, ang dating tahimik na tube ay in its usual mode pa din kahit na semana santa na. Save for Cinema One with their movie marathon ng mga PInoy movies na religious themed (Nakausap ko ang Birhen starring Lotlot de Leon, Ingkong Alpha at Omega starring Ruffa Gutierrez, mga Snooky Serna as Virgin Mary Movies, mga 80s teen flicks na laging may magpapari or magmamadre sa story).

- Pati mga networks, semi regular programming pa din. May mga movie marathons pa din, pero not necessarily religious. Last year na, medyo disturbing sa channel 7, kase Biyernes Santo eh ang palabas eh some sleazy comedy starring Andrew E and Janno Gibbs. Funny naman. Pero parang hindi apt na around 3PM pa sya pinalabas. May Wowowee pa din in its usual programming.

- They don’t show Flying House and Superbook anymore. Waah! (di ko na nalaman kung ano nangyari sa mga batang time travellers…)

- I, for one, miss the Seven Last Words service sa church namin. Mainit kasi eh. And they shortened the Seven Last Words na din. Instead of having seven speakers for each "word", yung pastor na lang ang nagpipreach about the seven last words in general.

- Di na sya masyadong reunion week. Madaming tao ang hindi nakakauwi sa probinsya. Either may work (call center kase), or may out-of-town (kase nga naman, mas affordable at mas madali na ngayon bumiyahe, at sa sobrang stressful ng city life, now’s the chance for the stressed out yuppies to have their break)

- Mga mas bata na ang kumakanta sa pasyon (although dati may Teen Edition naman talaga ang pasyon). Sa amin nga, contest pa sya, mala amateur singing contest. Tas sa mga nakikita ko, ginagawa syang gimik spot ng mga kabataan, ang pagpunta sa pasyon.

- Ganun din ang prusisyon. Well, guilty din ako. I watch the procession to check out if may mga kakilala ako na nakiprusisyon. Sight seeing na din ito. (Sorry po).

- Buhay na buhay pa din ang sangkabayanan kahit Good Friday na. Bukas pa din ang mga major establishment (nagsasara lang sila pag lunch to 3pm). Bukas ang Jollibee na naging major after-procession attraction ng mga nagsimba at nakiprusisyon. (Dati yung mga barbeque stands ang bida eh).

- Sa aking obserbasyon, nawala na yung katahimikan ng mga dating holy week noong bata pa ako.

Siguro stuck lang ako sa ’80s talaga. Those were the best years for me. Frustration ko ‘to na hindi na maibabalik ang mga ganong panahon. Well, change is inevitable.

Di ko alam kung dahil sa pagbabago, cuaresma is less holy nowadays. Personally, less concious na ako about really devoting the week for contemplation etc. Pero kanya-kanya naman yan. It’s that feel that goes with that 3 o’clock habit old music that I miss most. I don’t know if it’s just the feeling that I miss, or that part of being holy even for even just a week.

Most of my friends are going out of town (shyet nainggit ako). Pero in as much as I know I’ll be missing out on a lot of fun, malulungkot din ako thinking that I’m not with my family. I’m a closet homebuddy, I guess. Kahit na boring ang aking probinsya, i think I’d rather spend my time there. Like it’s my personal sacrifice for the week, I guess I’ll have to pass up on gimiks muna.

I think the remembrance will only get "less holy" through time, pero it will still be holy nevertheless.

(Below: the 400-year old Catholic Church right beside our house, with the weeping Virgin Mary karosa na palabas for the procession. Funny anecdote ko dito, last last year, isang pulutong ng mga nagmamagandang bading ang nakabuntot right behind the Virgin. Photo grabbed from the http://www.nuevaecijajournal.com/.)

Fri10

Fri15

(Above: Grabbed from http://www.nuevaecijajournal.com/, a site put up by my neighbor and Novo Ecijano Broadcaster Ramon Valmonte. Ito yung karosa of the dead body of Christ, adorned by sampaguitas na pinag-aagawan ng mga tao after kase nga miraculous daw ito.)

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