23 Philosophical Questions

This tag by a friend is long overdue, haha! Anyway, I just chose 23 questions to answer. (Why 23? Nothing really... 23 ang edad ko, paki mo?) I tried to be witty but I think I failed, hehe! You be the judge. But I did answer some questions seriously.

What is the meaning of life? Life is what you make it. Yaak! What a cliché. Hmm, but seriously… Ano nga ba? Err… Life is the hell we have to go through in order to be able to savor the experience of heaven in the end.

If a tree falls in a forest with no one to hear, does it make a sound? Of course it does. Duh! It is the sound of silence. Haha!

What is the fundamental flaw in human nature? Pride or greed? Neither – it’s stupidity. It’s not knowing or realizing the more important things in life.

Would you kill one person to save a thousand? However, that one person is the most important human being in your life. Would you still do it? Nathan Petrelli, is that you? Haha! If in that ‘thousand’ PGMA, Erap and their respective partners-in-crime are included, then I wouldn’t save them at all!

Are men naturally polygamous? This I haven’t tested myself. Wish ko lang.. haha! Monogamy nga, olats na, poly pa kaya?

Are women naturally competitive with other women? I think everyone is naturally competitive with everyone else.

"If all the world's a stage and we are merely players..." what game are we playing? The SIM City 4! Haha! In fairness, 2 simoleons ang bahay namin, hehe!

Have you been accused of being a genius? All the time. If only they could see the frequency of 5.0s on my class cards, then they would think twice.

In a society where everyone is "entitled to their opinion", what place is there for Right and Wrong? Edi pag-botohan na lang. Mga Kapamilya, ang gusto ni Big Brother, kayo ang mag-desisyon!

If it was never illegal, would you have killed someone by now? Oh yes! Quite a number of them actually. Mga salot sa lipunan. As is seriously, the world will be a better place without them.

Does everything in the world have an opposite? If no, give an example. “Yes” na lang, para wala nang sample sample.

How do you define personal honor? Personal honor is… erm… ah! It is your set of principled values and being true to them with minimal compromises. ABS-CBN, on a current ad, called it integrity. Whether the station itself indeed has one, is another story, hehe! Go Kapamilya!

How would you describe the color blue to a blind person? Haven’t I heard this from a beauty pageant just recently? Anyway… Blue is the color of your energy. Ay wait, amber pala yun! Uhm.. Ah! Blue is the kind of light that has a wavelength of 400nm. Oha, oha! Haha!

How will you prove that genuine love exists? I mean, human have survived on earth for this long, right? So there.

What is the greatest unsolved mystery on earth? Bakit ang mga bakla, hindi naman nanganganak, pero dumadami. No offense to gay people out there, because I have gay friends. Pero yun nga, bakit nga kaya? Is it hereditary? Hehe!

Given infinity, will all that is possible eventually happen? Why not, chocnut? Who among the living right now can verify it when it actually happens anyway?

Is it better to be uncertain about something forever, or know the truth and be very hurt through all your life? Hurt is a relative word. Hurt can be controlled to a negligible magnitude with the right amount of healing and the right kind of attitude. But questions due to uncertainty will forever be, well, questions.

If you saw a yellow ball but everyone told you it was purple, who would you believe? If no, what would you do to prove your side? Who says I want to? I don’t have an obsessive fondness of either color, anyway. Buti pa sana kung blue.

Is education the filling of a pail, or the lighting of a fire? Education is the labeling of the pail or the fire. Learning is what fill the pail or what lights the fire.

Is a lie a lie, if everybody knows it is? A lie is a lie, regardless of who knows it. Malay ko ba kung in denial lang ang lahat! Bahala sila.

Imagine yourself experiencing a car accident. What happens and how does everything look like after the accident? I will live, but I will be in a coma for months. My family and friends will visit me everyday. They would always tell me stories about what I am missing, wishing I was conscious to put a funny spin on things. And then there will come a time when they would really need my badly for an advice. They would cry at my bedside and their tears will miraculously wake me up. Tapos paggising ko, babatukin ko sila, “Natulog lang ako nang matagal, anu-ano na pinang-gagawa mo! Ayan kasi ayaw mong makinig sa akin, yada, yada, yada..” Oh diba, kahit naka-coma, updated sa chika! Haha!

Do you ever wonder if you're already dead and this is just your life flashing before your eyes? Not really. But if ever, my gard! What a life I had pala! No wonder I am already dead, hehe!

Should the conservative Christian husband of an atheist woman allow her to have an abortion if there's a chance the kid might grow up and turn into a gay Mormon? Teka, san ba nakatira ang pamilyang ito?! Haha! Love one another na lang, para walang problema.

A Change Is Gonna Come

“If along the way, you act like you're someone you're not, pretty soon that’s who you become.”
~High School Musical 2

I'm sure you’ve heard of the cliché “the only thing constant in the world is change”, yada yada yada. But has anyone – whether a friend, a family or a mere former acquaintance – actually told you, “Uy, anlaki na ng pinagbago mo!?”

In order not to sound too preachy or condescending about this ‘topic’, I asked two good friends to identify what changes I have undergone as a person throughout the years. Here’s a summary of what they’ve told me.

STUDENT ACHIEVER. No doubt, this is one of the biggest changes I’ve undergone over the years. According to my friend, I epitomized the dream student a teacher could ever ask for. But now, not so much, haha! I am not the academic juggernaut anymore. Early on in college life, I realized that there are far more important things in life than good grades. But, not being able to do my best is a different matter.

PRUDENT AND PENNY-WISE. Well, I wasn’t exactly what you would brand as “kuripot”. But I owe my early fiscal maturity to my Mom who let me have my own ATM account at the age of 14. Not that there’s lot of money in it to splurge with, haha! She always emphasized about having at least a few savings for emergency purposes. I don’t get my allowance on a per-gimik basis – I get a regular monthly amount instead. The setup is still the same these days, but now I feel like I am too impulsive when it comes to buying – even on grocery items, haha!

A BRAT NO MORE. We use to call him “RK”. Oh well, actually, he is, up to now, a rich kid minus the “brattiness”. I still remember him pouting and brandishing his gloomy face in the house when he can’t have what he wants right away, may it be a cellphone or a laptop. Back then, he even had a better cellphone than us. What a brat! Now I know he has realized already that he cannot have everything right away. More than that, I know he now understands that he cannot have everything. These are the exact words of my friend. Her words say it all.

COMPUTING ATTITUDE. I remember having a fight with a good friend over a favor he asked of me which I didn’t give because for some reason beyond me, “it was unfair”. I guess that rift was the turning point of my ‘computing attitude or in Tagalog, ‘pagiging makwenta’. So these days, I am the ever giving friend and Kuya for my little brothers and sisters. Naks, parang ambait ko talaga, haha!

CHORES GALORE. I used to be the bunso of our apartment so I had room to be carefree. But not anymore. I am practically the landlord, bossing around my young housemates to accomplish their tasks, with deadly threats to boot for any failure to do so, haha! Quite ironic really, for when I am back at our home in Pampanga, I regress back to my childhood days, back when Mom would continually nag me to clean my room.

IN SUMMARY. The ranting and brat Rex has long been gone. He’s going through a lot but he chose to be silent about it and face it head on.

So what’s my personal assessment of myself? Well, I would like to think I am wiser these days. (Sige, na, pagbigyan niyo na ako na magyabang, haha!) In fact, for guy my age, I feel like I have experienced a lot of stuff an ordinary 22-year-old wouldn’t have experienced yet. And to think I haven’t had my heart seriously broken yet! (You see, I feel that at my age, having one’s heart broken should be the most painful experience of one’s life so far, and not be dismissed from college for up to 4 times, hehe!).

For me, it’s the stuff that we go through that changes us. (Okay fine, this realization is pretty obvious, haha!). I am just lucky (credits to my parents who definitely raised me well, I think, haha!) that despite the big stash of bad experiences I’ve had, I emerged a better person each time.

But that is not to say that right now, I am the best that I can be (waw, Mutya Buena’s song just started ringing through my ears). For I have yet to emerge the ultimate survivor completely. The ideal process would be to continually change and improve, for life never runs out of tests and experiences that shake us out of our comfort zones.

“Change… We don't like it, we fear it. But we can't stop it from coming. We either adapt to change, or we get left behind. It hurts to grow and anybody who tells you it doesn't is lying. But here's the truth: sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And sometimes, oh sometimes, change is good. Sometimes, change is everything.”
~Grey’s Anatomy, Season 4, Episode 1

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Erap: Guilty or not guilty?

The answer to this question does not in any way provide a conclusion to this political issue involving former President Joseph Estrada and his plunder trial which aptly deserves its label as the “trial of the century”. Either verdict by the Sandiganbayan will not in anyway prove anything that will help our country move forward. The pro-Estrada camp will surely not take a conviction lying down. The same is true for the ‘other side’ in case of an acquittal.
When EDSA II happened back in 2001, I was too young to take an active part in it, much less fully comprehend what is going on back then. All my young mind could fathom then is that Estrada is the ‘bad guy’. Anyone present with the rest of the crowd gathered in EDSA clamoring for his removal from office is obviously one of the ‘good guys’. It is supposedly as black and white as that. Unfortunately, in reality, there is too much gray area in the myriad of issues, whether political or economical.
If acquitted, it will send a wrong message to our people and the rest of the world that crooks in this country can get away with messing with the government coffers. It would mean that Estrada was not a crook, therefore nullifying the very purpose of why EDSA II happened in the first place. Estrada’s ouster will be justified no more. Should we let Estrada continue his unfinished term as President then? It would come to show that the maturity that our judicial system showed when Estrada was arrested in 2001 was merely pre-mature, and a sham one at that.
If convicted, the member of the civil society that formed the very core that led to the success of EDSA II may feel vindicated and that justice is finally served for the Filipino people. But do we actually expect the Estrada family and their supporters to peacefully accept the decision and move on with their lives? Considering their defensive reaction to the controversial “Erap: guilty or not guilty – Kailangan bang may gulo?” print ads, I wouldn’t be surprised if another ‘EDSA’ is launched by the opposition – the very last thing we need right now. For sure, there will be negative repercussions to the economy, national security and the political arena.
I am no lawyer so I don’t claim to be an expert on the technical legalese and neither am I familiar with the specifics and detailed events in the 6-year plunder trial of Estrada. But I think I know enough to believe that we have suffered enough from too much polarity in Philippine politics.
Take the recent elections for that matter. It has been dubbed as Round 3 for the Estrada VS Arroyo fight. If you’re not on GMA’s side, you might as well be on Erap’s then. They insist that a vote for the Team Unity candidates is a vote for GMA (and the legitimacy of her presidency) whilst a vote for the Genuine Opposition is similarly a vote for Erap. But hey, can't a voter like me choose to vote for certain candidates for being who they are – what they personally stand for, their proven track record and their platforms – and not for whom they are affiliated with? Of course, I cannot deny that their party affiliation affected my choices. I, for one, personally believe that GMA cheated her way into the presidency three years ago, so any candidate who insists that she never cheated definitely suffered major minus pogi points for me. Heck, I refused to vote for her in 2004 just because she has better chances of beating FPJ and stuck it out with Roco because I believed back then that he’ll make a better President. So definitely, I hate the way being anti-GMA is equated with being pro-Erap. For being pro-Erap is definitely the last thing that I would ever be.
And how about the justices who are in charge of Estrada’s plunder trial, in whose hands the verdict lies and in effect the immediate future of our country as well? I personally don’t know much about them. But it’s really pathetic how this early, their decision is already doubted even if it has not been released yet just because one (or most) of them is banking on a huge promotion in the judiciary branch of our government. This early, regardless of the impartiality they may or may not show with their pending decision, their judgment is already tainted with black propaganda. Sour graping much in advance for the Estrada camp? So if they decide for a conviction, they did so because they wanted to please GMA (and get the promotion), but if they decide for acquittal, it means they were fair?
Personally, I think Erap is guilty. It’s not rocket science – how can he be innocent and genuinely pro-poor given the expensive mansions, endless stories of womanizing, drinking and gambling? And these days, his close allies are insisting that Erap is a changed man – spiritually most especially. Really now? If Erap was innocent and a good person from the beginning, what is there to change then? Couldn’t it be that guilt has finally sunk in? It really amazes me as to how the Estradas have convinced themselves that their family dynasty’s brand of leadership is the answer to this country’s problems. And they actually have the nerve to call foul over the Mahal Kita Pilipinas newspaper ads? Bato-bato sa langit, ang tamaan pikon.
If Erap gets convicted, for sure, GMA will milk the situation to gain popularity and redeem her reputation, like it’s even still possible. To GMA, this I have to say – you’re just on the same league as Estrada. The only difference being you make it seem that despite the extra-judicial killings, issues on cheating and jueteng payoffs, you are able to show how hard-working you are. Whether your efficient or not is another story. Like what Conrado de Quiros has said in his Inquirer column -- Free Erap? Just jail Gloria.
It takes an authentic servant leader to uplift the lives of the Filipino people. Unfortunately, the one we’re stuck with for the next three years is not exactly the best example. So is the one who’s on trial and claims to be so as well. Looks like we’re stuck with two evils for options. The only consolation is at least one is in jail already.

_____________
I was supposed to join an essay-writing competition at school with the title here as the very same topic. But I wasn't able to finish organizing my thoughts on the matter, so I didn't push through with passing an entry. It turned out, on-the-spot contest pala siya, hehe. I finished it anyway, without the pressure of a competition, ehe. Hindi ako nag-mamarunong sa pulitika natin. But I am definitely not an ignoramus.

Ask The King! Yet Again

INSTRUCTIONS: Ask anything! And I will summon all the power that I have to answer your question. Anything goes. You can ask for my opinion on something. You can ask a hypothetical question. You can ask a beauty pagaent question! Or one of those controversial forbidden questions that Mo Twister asks, hehe! You can even ask for a completely objective advice, haha! =p Or maybe ask anything about me. I will edit this post to write my answers to the questions as I read them.

This is the third time I am gonna do this. For the first installment of answers, read here. For the second installment, read here.

Anyway, I would have to go on a short blog leave. Gawd, I used to find it corny when bloggers announce a 'blog leave' or a 'blog hiatus'. I used to think it's just a maneuver to attract attention, haha! And now I am doing it. Anyway, my real world is a whirlwind of stress and agony and I don't wanna bore you with it. So you just might as well throw in those interesting questions for me to answer! I'll update the answers here as you ask. I had 12 questions the first time, then 21 on the second. Come on, all you fans of mine, wherever you are! If you even exist. Let's break the record, hehe..

PS. Ask as many questions as you can. Thanks!

The answers!:
26. What do you think is the single most defining trait that distinguishes a Kampampangan from other ethno-centric groups here in the Philippines?
We Kapampangans are most famous for our great-tasting cuisine. But if you want to spot a Kapampangan in a crowd, choose the person with the loudest voice or the most talkative one. Most likely, that person is a Kapampangan. Unless of course, if he's gay -- for we all know that our gay friends ARE always loud and talkative, regardless of region of origin, hehe! Mas lalu na kung grupo pa yung maingay. Most likely, Kapampangan sila. I should know, me and my orgmates are always have something to talk about, lalu na kapag nasa jeep kami at papunta somewhere. It's like we have our own world at wala kaming pakialam kung sensitive man ang pinag-uusapan namin, kasi hindi naman naiintindihan ng ibang tao, hehe. (June 17)

25. Sino at ano si Rex?? Some things na di alam ng tao about you? ~Jochie
Hmm.. There's so much to tell then, hehe. Here's the link to my Johari window. (June 16)

24. Wala lang, na-curious lang ako. Mahilig ka bang mag-dasal? ~Someone
You probably read the Depression prayer I posted before this one and the St Jude Novena I have on my right sidebar. What defines a prayer anyway? Does it have to be the usual standard ones or a well versed ones? I consider talking to Him as a prayer, and since I often talk to myself and Him, then, I guess you can say, "mahilig ako mag-dasal". But I am not the preachy yell-if-you-love-Jesus type at all. (June 16)

23. Can you really say that you love a person if you don't have experiences of it before? Kasi, how will you say na love na pala yung nararamdaman mo kung 'di mo pa siya naeexperience dati? Parang wala kang pagbabasehan. ~Kebs
Apparently, love is one of those things that you'd just realize you're feeling already. Napatunayan ko na yung chismis na, "You'll just know". Hehe! Basta, you'll just know. I think the signs differ for different people.

22. Kapag binasted ka ba ng isang babae, pwede pa bang magbago isip niya? ~Jay
Oo naman. You see it in the movies. I know some people. Case to case basis naman talaga. Sometimes, the attraction is there at first, may ibang mga dahilan lang bakit nabasted yung guy. Tapos eventually, mapapatunayan ng guy yung worth niya. Pero kapag walang attraction sa simula pa lang, nako, mas mahabahabang kayod iyun. Not impossible, but definitely not an easy mission. (June 16)

21. Masama ba talagang tingnan kung ang isang tao na ang tingin sa iyo ay kaibigan ay liligawan mo? ~Jay
Hindi naman. But it's stupid and useless, me thinks lang naman. Eh ayaw nga diba, bakit pa ipipilit. (June 16)

20. Puwede ba talagang "upgrade" ang "friendship" to "love"? ~Jay
Oo naman. Personally, lovers are friends, diba? When I am forced to define love, I would say, "Love is friendship with lust". Pero isang malaking BUT -- it's not always wise to upgrade friendship to love. Maraminh factors, timing, compatibility, among many others. (June 16)

19. Do good things really last? ~Jae
Just like everything else, no. Sayang no? Hehe. Based from experience and a testimony to Murphy's Law, what could go wrong, will go wrong. I just try to savor the good moments, while they last. Sometimes, I lump them together to increase their overall effect, hehe. Kunwari, mga sunud-sunod na gimik. Or when you're in a good mood, don't do anything that you know will ruin the moment as long as you can help it. On the bright side, bad things don't last either. Diba? (June 15)

18. Have you tried to build a wall around you just to know who among your friends will try to break it? ~edgar
I would have to say NO as well. But the thing is, I have this default network of walls, hehe. Only those who are able to break it can be my friends. The inner the wall you break, the closer we are. Oha. (June 14)

17. What's the thin line that separates flirting from courting? ~Maan
That's easy. Gusto mo example pa eh, haha! Definition by juxtaposition namu! Flirting is a word that starts with an 'a'. While courting is a word that starts with a 'j'. Hahaha! Joke.. Flirting and courting involves the same actions. It's the intentions that differ. (June 12)

16. Talaga bang halos lahat ng magaganda eh inipon sa Pampanga at Tarlac? ~Jay
Haha! Good observation. A proof of that is that we seem to have produced more beauty queens and artistas than any other region in the Philippines outside Metro Manila. Although Cebu might beat us when it comes to producing singers, hehe! Sa totoo lang, I have no idea why so. Maybe because of Clark Zone? Dahil maraming nabuntis na local women ang mga US soldiers? Hehe! (June 11)

15. Gaano katagal bago pwede ligawan ang isang babae na hiniwalayan ng matagal niyang kasintahan? ~Jay
I don't think there is an exact time limit. But personally, I think 1 month is too soon. Although case-to-case basis din yan. Courtship is not an exact science anyway. Some people think (myself included), they have a good grasp of the science, pero sometimes, things blow up in their faces, haha! If for sure, kung ayaw sa iyo, wala kang magagawa. (Based from what I observe from my friends' experiences) Being aggresive works for some but not for all. It's the same with being too eager. I personally think dating in our culture is harder. Unlike in the Western culture where hook-ups (serious and casual ones) can be easily started by buying a hot girl a drink. Pero sa atin, mas marami pa rin ang pa-Maria Clara (and more often than not, they're the ones who are the bigger catch) kaysa sa mga 'game'. Pero ganun siguro talaga. Us guys have to work harder to prove ourselves, kasi nga these girls are so worth it. (June 11)

14. Kung pwede pa isa, sino ang Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs para sayo? ~Coy
Oh, I've heard of this one. Pwede separate post na lang? Hehe. By the way, for my personal info, see my About Me on the left sidebar. Ayan, linipat ko na sa taas para sa iyo, hehe. Hindi nga naman kita sa ilalim. Anyway, YOU are on my Top 10, if ever. Why? Syempre, emerging trend eh. And I like your speaking voice, pang-DJ. Oha, hehe (June 10)!

13. Finally, what country would you most like to visit (other than Ireland )and why? ~Jigs
Expectedly, Scandinavian states, New Zealand, Switzerland for the magical landscapes. Singapore for the shopping. Maldives for its beach. South Africa for its animals. Japan for the bullet trains! Italy for its pizza and pasta! And the United States (Los Angeles and New York) and the United Kingdom for Hollywood and my favorite popstars, haha! (June 10)

12. What nationality would like to be other than Filipino? ~Jigs
Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Kiwi, Irish, Danish or Swiss. Why? Aside from the magnificent landscapes and sceneries in these countries, they're known to have a disciplined society. They're not that powerful like the US, France, Germany or Russia, but who cares? Most powerful countries are arrogant and half-abusive to Third World countries anyway. Plus, the I hear that the cheese in the Scandinavian countries are delicious, haha! Not to mention the chocolates in Switzerland, haha! (June 10)

11. If you were to name a country what would it be? ~Jigs
Oh I don't know. How about Beauford? Kaya lang, it sounds more like a city than a country noh? Kingsland? Nako, parang pangalan ng building. Haha!
Speaking of a name of a country, what if the Bangsamoro Republic would became a separate country from the Philippines? Imagine if it joins an international beauty pageant. It might go like this, "The first runner-up is.. Venezuela... Bangsamoro! You are the new Miss Universe!!" And if we have the Binibining Pilipinas, would they call their local qualifying pageant as Binibining Bangsamoro? Not that I am demeaning our Muslim brothers in the south and their Muslim culture. It's just it sounds interesting, doesn't it? (June 10)

10. Being a geography buff and all, what country do you think has the most interesting name? ~Jigs
Honestly, speaking, I don't have much background info of the the etymologies of the names of countries. So I don't really know which ones are interesting, as most countries are named after its local people / tribes anyway. Pero kung sa pronunciation (that's why I always enjoy the introduction of countries during beauty pageants! Haha!), I always lurve saying the hard ones: Tanzania (tan-zeyn-ya, not tan-za-nia) or Liechtenstein. (June 10)

9. What is the E-word? ~Elma
Experience. Pero hindi yung tipo ng experience na tinutukoy ni Jay. Yung green experience. Haha! Pwede rin 'egg cell'. Kasi, kung may anak siya, mas malamang kaysa hinde, hindi siya baog. (June 10)

8. Ano ang pinakaiinisan mong ginagawa ng mga bloggers? Hehe! ~Poli
When ask for link exchanges but they don't visit, comment or even tag sa blog mo. That really annoys me. Hindi ko nga pinapansin eh. Apparently, hindi nila nababasa eto sa sidebar ko: "For link exchanges, well, just come by here often, and I'd be glad to link you up. The Golden Rule applies in the bloggosphere too, you know. =)" And when they code switch so much when they narrate their activities for the day. Naiisip ko kasi kapag ganoon, "Oh so? Eh ano naman kung ginawa mo yan?" Pero kung may pag-mumuni-muni after or may kasaling lessons learned sa post, buti pa yun. Ayoko ko kasi nang wala akong value na nakukuha sa isang blog. Gusto ko, either matawa ako sa post or matutunan ako from that person's experience. (June 10)

7. Makikipag-siping ka ba kay Madame Auring kapalit ng 500 milyong piso? ~Poli
Honestly? Hmmm.. P500-M.. Hmmm.. OO! Haha! Pero pwedeng makipag, you know, muna ako sa iba? Ayoko naman na ang pers taym ko ay kay Madam Auring, haha! Tapos, pwedeng naka-blind fold ako? Tapos hihiga lang ako, bahala sila kung anong gusto niyang gawin sa akin. (June 10)

6. Kamusta ka na?! ~Rob
Everthing sucks but I am doing just fine, hehe! Nako, mali.. certain things suck lang pala (baka sabihin ni Lord, exag ako). Still alive! And blogging.. and stuck in college.. *sigh* As for you blog-related questions, I have no idea, haha! Nakakainggit nga ang mga iba nating kakilala sa bloggosphere na puro .com or .net na ang mga URLs! Haha! After a year, eto, .blogspot pa rin tayo, hehe.. (June 10)

5. Bakit kaya, nakakatuwa kang tao? ~Mats
Hahaha! Ikaw lang naman yata ang natatawa sa akin.. Wushu, pa-humble pa eh no. Seriously, err, ewan. Syempre, I try to joke around, tease people, throw punchlines here and there. Madalas, lalo na sa mga kakilala ko, 'headshot' daw. Sapul na sapul daw ang mga hirit ko. I like it when I am able to make people laugh. But I don't consider myself as a comedian or someone who constantly provides comic relief in a say a party or gathering. Pumapunchline at humihirit lang talaga ako every now and then.. (June 10)

4. Pinakamabigat na problemang pinagdaanan mo sa UP? ~Jochie
To be achieve the 'dismissed' status for many times. And the waiting for the results of the appeal is ALWAYS agonizing. Studying in UP is the best and worst thing that happened to my life. But someday, when I look back on all of this, I won't regret a single thing. Okay, maybe I will regret a few things, hehe. Like being a buddy, a friend and a brother to certain people. It's personal, don't ask. I know someone who knows someone who knows them and they read this blog. Hehe! And syempre, yung mga times na sana hindi ako nag-cram. (June 10)

3. Is the King inlab? ~Din-din
Haha! A very direct question. And the direct answer is NO. Walang panahon. Haha! Pero kung sa ganda lang, andaming maganda sa tabi-tabi. Basta, may panahon para sa lab lab na yan. May aayusin lang ako. =) (June 9)

2. Kung ang comment mo sa isang blog ay no comment, comment pa ba tawag dun? ~Jay
Nako, Philo 11 question na naman, haha! Hmm. Using 'NO' is just a negation of something diba, but it doesn't mean that something does not exist. Putek, corny answer to a corny question, haha! (June 9)

1. Ok lang ba na manligaw ng single mom? ~Jay
Frankly it's not an issue for me. Basta ba gusto mo yung girl at seryoso ka. Ngayon kung hot mama pa siya, edi mas astig! Haha! And since she's a mom already, it means she doesn't lack in, you know... the E-word. Haha! But yes, the extra child makes the situation more complicated. I guess para ka na rin nanliligaw ng dalawang tao, yung hot mama at yung anak. Teka?! In-lab ka na naman?! Grabe, wala akong masabi! Buwan-buwan na lang ay inlab ka, hehe.. (June 9)

In times of depression

About 3 months ago, a very good friend of mine (good enough to be a sister, neh 'Te Maan?), gave me a prayer pamphlet. Here's the prayer, in might come in handy for you. Maybe not now, but someday, who knows.

PRAYER FOR HEALING*
IN TIMES OF DEPRESSION

I am terribly depressed, dear Lord, and I need your help. I come to you trusting in your great love for me and believing you will not forsake me now. Help me, Lord, I am hurting badly and struggling. I am very tired, afraid and discouraged. I feel so lost and empty with no sense of direction in whatever I am doing and where I am heading.
Everything around me seems to be dark and gloomy. My present situation and thoughts about the future all seems hopeless. Nothing seems to lift my spirits any longer. Even those things and activities that used to bring me joy all seem dull and meaningless these days.
I humbly beseech you now, Lord. Please let me feel your loving presence, your loving care and concern, all your tenderness melting my pain and all my feelings of worthlessness. Let your powerful presence touch all areas of woundedness in my heart and in my spirit. Deliver me from my fears, my anxieties and all my negative feelings. Hold my hand during these trying moments in my life, Lord. Lead me to the right path, the right places, and the right people who can be your instruments of healing and love.
Lord, I need your strength now to keep my sanity during moments when I feel like I'm losing my mind and just giving up. Help me to believe that this situation is only temporary and things will be better soon. Help me to be able to cope, especially during moments when I feel so desperate.
Take care of my loved ones during these times when I feel unable to care for them. Give me the grace to understand your purpose behind this suffering that you have allowed me to experience trusting that all things always work out for good for those who love you and those whom you call for your purposes.
Jesus, my Lord and my God, You are my refuge, my Hope, my Strength and my Divine Healer. Please heal me and have mercy on me. Deliver me from this depression and after I have been healed. Let me bring you glory and be a witness to your love and heling power for others. I pray all these in Jesus' name with Mary and all the angels and saints. Amen.

Posting this does not make me religious. It just goes to show that I believe in the power of prayer. Especially in situations when it's the only thing I can do.

*The prayer card says it by Maribi M. Garcia

PINAKA-GUSTOs

Just to be fair, even if life isn’t, here’s the positive counterpart of my previous post. (Note: wala na naman ako maisip na topic, haha!) Baka naman isipin niyo eh nagpapaka-angst ako masyado or galit ako sa mundo, hehe!


1. PINAKA GUSTO MONG KULAY
:: Blue has always been my favorite color. But for color combos: blue & green, navy blue & light yellow. Tsaka yung dating color ng blog ko: cool green, cool blue, cool violet and gray! Oha, cool na cool! Ehe..

2. PINAKA GUSTO MO SA KAIBIGAN
:: Una sa lahat, parang boyfriend / girlfriend lang yan, dapat may chemistry kayo ng mga kaibigan mo. Tsaka isa pa, yun tipo na kapag nakapatay ka ng tao, siya yung pwede mong tawagan sa kalaliman ng gabi, tapos tutulungan ka niyang ibaon sa lupa yung bangkay, hehe!

3. PINAKA GUSTO MO SA NILILIGAWAN
:: Err, yung gusto rin niya ako? Haha!

4. PINAKA GUSTO MONG DAMIT
:: Yung mahal, signature, preppy, bwahaha! Joke. Before college, I TRIED dressing cool. But after just a few weeks at UP, I learned to value comfort more, hehe.

5. PINAKA GUSTO MONG HAIRSTYLE
:: Edi syempre yung bagay ko! Duh! Haha! Teka, I have a previous post about this eh. Read here.

6. PINAKA GUSTO NA SINASABI SAYO
:: Na mabait daw ako. Madalang lang yun, haha! Seriously, I love it when friends thank me for something I did that wasn’t much of a deal for me. Pag unexpected, gratitude feels great.

7. PINAKA GUSTO MONG INIINOM PAG MAY GIMIKAN
:: Iced tea? Haha! Basta masarap, kahit may alcohol!

8. PINAKA GUSTO MONG LUGAR
:: Ireland! Though hindi pa ako nakarating doon, hehe!

9. PINAKA GUSTO MONG PALABAS? BAKIT?
:: Sheeet! Andami! Pero lately, Heroes and Brothers And Sisters. Heroes, kasi syempre, sikat eh, tsaka maganda naman talaga siya. Brothers And Sisters, kasi parang ansarap maging kapatid ng mga Walkers! Hehe! Marami din ako gusto sa local channels, pero walang level of addiction..

10.PINAKA GUSTO MONG WEBSITE
:: Yung blog ko! Haha! Joke. Too many too mention. Ah! Wikipedia! Kasi andami ko nababasang interesting stuff about my interests. As for blogs, I like reading the blogs of friends that I personally know – because there are things that people won’t say personally, even to their close friends, so through their blogs, I get to know them deeper and better. As for blogs of other people, basta may sense, witty, funny. NOTE: May mga mabababaw na bagay pero may sense or nakakatawa.

11.PINAKA GUSTO MONG PAGKAIN
:: CHOCOLATES! Lalu na nalusaw sa byahe from abroad, tapos nag-lalangis ng yung wrapper, dahil na rin siguro sa iba’t ibang temperature na naranasan nito. Sheeet! Ansarap nun! Yun nga lang, madumi kainin, hehe.

12.PINAKA GUSTO MONG PABANGO. BAKIT?
:: Well, I use Clinique Happy. Tsaka pala Perry Ellis 360 Degrees.

13. PINAKA GUSTO MONG PRUTAS?
:: No particular fruit. But I love apples, banana and melon on shakes. And strawberry on syrups and juices.

14. PINAKA GUSTO MONG YOSI
:: Yung hindi mausok. Haha!

15. PINAKA GUSTO MONG BINABASA
:: Nakow, andami na naman. Basta mga materials na may natututunan ako.

16. PINAKA GUSTO MONG UNIT NG CELL
:: Of all the phones I’ve had, I like my N90 the best. Syempre, pinaka-high tech eh, hehe.

17. PINAKA GUSTO MONG SUBJECT NUNG HIGHSCHOOL
:: Math, Computer & English! Because I never had a hard time of them. Haha!

18. PINAKA GUSTO MONG SUBJECT NUNG COLLEGE?
:: Sa majors: CoE 131, 111 & 23. Sa mga GE: Psych 101 & Comm 3

19. PINAKA GUSTO MONG PANGALAN
:: Ethan Karl – bata pa lang ako, naisip ko na na ito ang gusto kong pangalan ng anak ko, hehe! Muntik pa nga itong agawin ng Ate ko, haha!

20. PINAKA GUSTO MONG INUUTOS SAYO
:: Err, critique me? Haha! It’s in my blood, Kapampangan ako at namana ko sa parents ko, hehe!

21. PINAKA GUSTO MONG PINAPANOOD SA TV
:: Teka, bakit ngayon ko lang na-realize na kamukha lang ito ng #9, haha!

22. PINAKA GUSTO MONG BUWAN
:: December! Kasi birthday ko tsaka Pasko.

23. PINAKA GUSTO MONG GINAGAWA PAG UMAGA
:: I am barely awake on mornings, haha! To my answer would be to sleep, hehe!

24. PINAKA GUSTO MONG GINAGAWA PAG GABI
:: Mag-marathon ng mga TV series! Haha!

25. PINAKA GUSTO MO - MAMALANTSA, MAGLABA O MAGLUTO?
:: Magluto na lang, at least after ng pagod, may kakainin ka. I’ve always wanted to learn, being matakaw and being Kapampangan, hehe!

26. PINAKA GUSTO MONG TINITIGNAN O NAKIKITA DITO SA FRIENDSTER
:: Updates of friends? Tsaka syempre, mga testimonials and comments, ansarap mag-reminisce eh.

27. PINAKA GUSTO MONG NARERECEIVE NA TEXT
:: Witty jokes! Tsaka Chicken Soup type of text, hehe.

28. PINAKA GUSTO MONG TUMATAWAG SAYO
:: Err, wala. I’m not a telebabad type of person. Random calls from missed friends are great though.

29. PINAKA GUSTO MONG NAG EEMAIL O NAG MEMESSAGE SAYO SA FRIENDSTER
:: Not much really. Halos puro forward naman eh. May text naman kasi.

30. PINAKA GUSTO MO SA GF/BF MO
:: Wala naman akong gf o bf, haha! >> Same answer, haha!

31. PINAKA GUSTO MONG MAALALA NA NANGYARI SA BUHAY MO
:: The times when I know I did the right thing, and it made a positive impact on other people, no matter how little..

32.PINAKA GUSTO MONG NAKILALANG TAO
:: Too many to mention! My friends, sino pa ba. Ayoko na lang mag-mention, kasi baka may mag-tampo. Basta alam na nila kung sino sila.

33.PINAKA GUSTO MONG TUGTOG
:: Westlfie! Haha! Well, not anymore. See my sidebar na lang.

34.PINAKA GUSTO MONG ORAS NG ARAW
:: 6-9pm - because by then, my energy is completely up and running already.

35.PINAKA GUSTO MONG SPORT
:: Volleyball. Tapos runner-ups ang tenpin bowling at badminton.

36.PINAKA GUSTO MONG ARTISTA
:: Aljur Abrenica! Schoolmate ko eh! Haha! Joke. I actually like the likes of Kris Aquino – yeah, despite and in spite of her mistakes. But as a person and as a celebrity, probably Sharon Cuneta & Carrie Underwood.

37. PINAKA GUSTO MONG ORAS PAG TINETEXT KA
:: No particular time.. Pag bored ako..

38. PINAKA GUSTO MONG ULAM
:: Madami! Friend chicken never fails to make me salivate, hehe!

39. PINAKA GUSTO MONG LAHI NG TAO
:: Definitely, Filipinos, even if that means my chances of having blue eyes is ZERO. Haha! Basta, I have faith in our race. Maybe not on our current leaders, but on our race and heritage as a whole, I have great faith in it.

40. PINAKA GUSTO MONG NAIISIP NGAYON
:: Na baling araw, yayaman din ako! Bwahahaha! Seriously, because when I have more money, I can help other people more, kahit papaano. Kahit yun tipo lang na bibigyan ko ng extra allowance ang pamangkin ko. O di kaya, malibre ko sa Starbucks ang friends ko, kahit hindi ko birthday. O kaya mabili ko ng gamot ang lola ko. Or mailibre ko ng 2nd honeymoon ang parents ko, hehe! Or makapag-paaral ng isang batang matalino.. Yung ganun lang naman..

PINAKA-AYAWs

Na-enjoy ko nang husto ang pagsagot ko sa survey na ito na galing kay Heneroso. At in Filipino pa siya. So pinost ko na rin dito. Wala rin naman akong matinong maisip na topic.

1. PINAKA AYAW MONG KULAY
:: Color combo na lang: Brown & Violet

2. PINAKA AYAW MO SA KAIBIGAN
:: Walang utang na loob / traydor

3. PINAKA AYAW MO SA MANLILIGAW O
NILILIGAWAN
:: Masyadong pa-damsel-in-distress

4. PINAKA AYAW MONG DAMIT
:: Yung mainit isuot! Lalu na kapag hindi aircon ang lugar / pupuntahan

5. PINAKA AYAW MONG HAIRSTYLE
:: Err, syempre yung di ko bagay, haha! On other people, yung naka-gel at naka-spike paharap na parang binungkal ng kalabaw sa sobrang pagkapantay ng mga linya! Nakow, that's so 10 years ago, haha!

6. PINAKA AYAW NA SINASABI SAYO
:: That I'm not good enough (even if I try).. Naks, drama..

7. PINAKA AYAW MONG INIINOM PAG MAY
GIMIKAN
:: Yung mga shina-shot. Ampait eh!

8. PINAKA AYAW MONG LUGAR
:: Basta kahit saan na kadiri at madumi

9. PINAKA AYAW MONG PALABAS? BAKIT?
:: ABT UR LUV -- kahit eye-candy ang mga artista dito, sobrang AMPANGIT ng presentation at pag-tackle nila ng love t relationship issues ng kabataan. Dapat kasi makatotohanan at may social relevance. Hindi yung pa-kornihan at pa-baduyan

10.PINAKA AYAW MONG WEBSITE
:: Yung mga bloggers na puro ranting ng mga walang kwentang bagay o mabababaw na problema. Tsaka yun AlTeRNaTe CaPs pa ang spelling at kung may anu-ano pang ,.punctuat!0n.,. Haha!

11.PINAKA AYAW MONG PAGKAIN
:: Err, hindi ko alam kung ano ang tawag nila sa Tagalog eh, basta yung tinatawag namin na 'burong isda' sa Kapampangan, yung mukhang suka ng pusa, haha! Tsaka pala hipon (and similar seafoods), allergic eh

12.PINAKA AYAW MONG PABANGO. BAKIT?
:: Yung pabango ng Mama ko. Hindi naman sa mabaho siya. Pero kapag naamoy ko sa ibang babae, ayoko, haha!

13. PINAKA AYAW MONG PRUTAS?
:: Mga hindi ko kinakain - duhat, santol

14. PINAKA AYAW MONG YOSI
:: All of them, haha! Hindi naman kasi ako naninigarilyo.

15. PINAKA AYAW MONG BINABASA
:: See #10. Tsaka yung mga gwabeh ang spelling. Yun tipong ang simpleng 'ok po' ay nagiging 'ouwkhei powh'!

16. PINAKA AYAW MONG UNIT NG CELL
:: Yung mga hindi user-friendly.

17. PINAKA AYAW MONG SUBJECT NUNG HIGHSCHOOL
:: PE! Haha! Maliban na lang kung volleyball ang sport or badminton

18. PINAKA AYAW MONG SUBJECT NUNG COLLEGE?
:: EEE 53

19. PINAKA AYAW MONG PANGALAN
:: Wala naman. Pero may mga pangalan na naguudyok ng inis kapag naririnig mo dahil naalala mo yung tao na may pangalan na ganun

20. PINAKA AYAW MONG INUUTOS SAYO
:: Maglinis ng banyo! Maglinis in general

21. PINAKA AYAW MONG PINAPANOOD SA TV
:: Anime. Mga 'Asian' shows na ang konsepto naman ng pagiging 'Asian' ay kahit na anong gusto ng mga singkit!

22. PINAKA AYAW MONG BUWAN
:: September -- kasi haggard na sa mga trabaho sa school!

23. PINAKA AYAW MONG GINAGAWA PAG UMAGA
:: Gumising itself, haha! Yung maghanap ng pagkain para sa almusal tapos wala akong makalkal sa ref namin

24. PINAKA AYAW MONG GINAGAWA PAG GABI
:: Yung tina-try kong matulog pero hidni ako makatulog.

25, PINAKA AYAW MO- MAMALANTSA, MAGLABA O MAGLUTO?
:: Maglaba!

26. PINAKA AYAW MONG TINITIGNAN O NAKIKITA DITO SA FRIENDSTER
:: Mga flooders at nagpopost ng mga 'because-you've-opened-this-you-have-to-repost-this-and-put-a-nonsense -phrase-as-its-subject!

27. PINAKA AYAW MONG NARERECEIVE NA TEXT
:: Yung mga sobrang sawi na love quotes.

28. PINAKA AYAW MONG TUMATAWAG SAYO
:: Wala naman.

29. PINAKA AYAW MONG NAG EEMAIL O NAG MEMESSAGE SAYO SA FRIENDSTER
:: Chain messages

30. PINAKA AYAW MO SA GF/BF MO
:: Wala naman akong gf o bf, haha!

31. PINAKA AYAW MONG MAALALA NA NANGYARI SA BUHAY MO
:: Nagpakaloko o nagpauto sa mga walang kwenta at walang utang na loob na tao

32.PINAKA AYAW MONG NAKILALANG TAO
:: Si *a**. So far lang naman.

33.PINAKA AYAW MONG TUGTOG
:: Mga pangit ang tono!

34.PINAKA AYAW MONG ORAS NG ARAW
:: 11am-1pm -- kasi ang init! Tsaka nakakatamad dahil kagigising ko lang, tapos lunchbreak na kaagad.

35.PINAKA AYAW MONG SPORT
:: Na nilalaro? Basketball. Na pinapanood? Football. Kung sa panonood lang eh, gusto ko naman ang basketball. Hindi lang kasi talaga ako marunong, hehe!

36.PINAKA AYAW MONG ARTISTA
:: Andami! Yung mga over-rated tulad ni Richard Gutierrez (mag-model ka na lang!) at mga has-beens na kung maka-asta parang sikat na sikat pa tulad ni Richard Gomez. Teka, bakit puro Richard?! Haha!

37. PINAKA AYAW MONG ORAS PAG TINETEXT KA
:: Wala naman. Dahil kung ayaw ko magpaistorbo, sina-silent ko ang phone ko

38. PINAKA AYAW MONG ULAM AT DI KINAKAIN
:: Yung mga pagkain na allergic ako -- hipon, pusit, clams

39. PINAKA AYAW MONG LAHI NG TAO
:: Wala naman.

40.PINAKA AYAW MONG NAIISIP NGAYON
:: Na wala na akong pag-asa...

When I Say "I Am A Christian"

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not shouting, "I've been saved!"
I'm whispering, "I get lost! That's why I chose this way"

When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't speak with human pride
I'm confessing that I stumble-needing God to be my guide

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not trying to be strong
I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success
I'm admitting that I've failed and cannot ever pay the debt

When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't think I know it all
I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible but God believes I'm worth it

When I say, "I am a Christian," I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name

When I say, "I am a Christian," I do not wish to judge
I have no authority -- I only know I'm loved

I first encountered this poem by Carol Wimmer at Kuya Milben's blog. And I was moved by it ever since because it is exactly what I feel with my faith. I am a practicing Catholic by the way, but I acknowledge that I am not that religious. And neither am I perfect. So here, in time for the Holy Week, I just wanna share the poem. Hope you're having a meaningful week! =)

PS. Sa mga textmates ko, finorward ko na to diba? Apparently, yung na-forward ko ay yung shortcut version. Eto daw yung original, naka-copyright pa sa author ito. Check out the story behind it here: www.carolwimmer.com.

Answer the King 2: Of leche flan and poo

INSTRUCTIONS: Just share your own thoughts on the featured statement of question. It's as easy as that. Feel free to share your wisdom and elaborate on your answers. I'll edit this post as you share your comments to show them off. And yeah, don't forget to include your links, para free plugging na rin, as always! =p

If you had to choose some thing to eat, which one would you go for?

"Taeng lasang leche flan o leche flan na lasang tae?"

A childhood playmate of min posed this question to me back when we were kids. The original version featured ube and shit. Pero syempre, dahil mahilig ako sa leche flan, palitan natin. So what do you guys think? Syempre, dapat may explanation mga sagot niyo.

PS: By the way guys, I am nominated at the 2007 Philippine Blog Awards for the Bloggers' Choice Award. Along with 60 other blogs, hahaha! Ano naman chance ko sa Inside PCIJ, diba?! Wala eh, hindi ako nakapasok sa Top 5 ng Personal category. Huwag niyo na ako iboto, ehe, wala rin akong chance. Mag-comment na lang kayo dito.


1. Mas katanggap tanggap ang leche flan na lasang tae, kasi may assurance na edible siya, unlike yung tae na lasang leche flan na tae talaga. Basta, mas matetake ko yung leche flan na lasang tae. Iisipin ko na lang na exotic dish siya from Mozambique, hehe...
~ Felipe

2. Sa tingin ko madali lang sagutin 'to. Malamang yung leche flan na lasang tae! Hehehe. Sino ba kasing kakain ng tae? Eh kung lagyan mo ng sugar yung tae? Di pa rin! Hahahaha. Lasa lang naman yan e.. (Eh sino ba kasi nakakaalam kung ano ang lasa ng tae?)
~ Scion

3. Totoong mas katanggap-tanggap ang leche flan na lasang tae. Siguro mas masisikmura ko yun. At take note, leche flan talaga naglasang tae nga lang. Kesa naman sa tae, panigurado isusubo mo pa lang yun para tikman amoy pa lang tataob ka na eh! Baka di lang maglasang tae yun, kasi mapapa-puke ka din! Lol!
~ Mats

4. Yung leche flan na lang ng lasang tae. Kunware mali yung pagkakaluto. Lol. Lasa lang naman diba? Hindi AMOY.
~ Redg

5. Leche flan na lasang jebs na lang, para at least alam ko na lasa ng jerbaks. Sino na nga ba nakatikim na ng ebs?
~ billycoy

6. Just to be the devils advocate: I'll pick taeng lasang leche flan. In the first place, I don't know what shit tastes like, but I do know what it smells like. So, I would have to assume, the leche flan that tastes like shit, will also smell like shit. Think fear factor -- only more extreme. Tthink Austin Powers 2 (Basil, this coffee tastes like shit!)
~ da poggie

7. Noong una naisip ko na taeng lasang leche flan na lang para maiba. Kaso naisip ko ung phrase na 'we are what we eat'. So ayun, nagbago na isip ko. Mas ok kung leche flan na lang no! Bwahahaha!
~ kebs

8. Definitely leche flan na lasang tae. Kasi as long our vision isn't being manipulated diba? hehe.
~ juice


9. Yung leche flan na lasang tae. Kasi we are accustomed na pwede nating kainin ang leche flan. Magugulat na lang tayo sa lasa niyan. Well, kung ikaw ay accustomed naman na kumain ng tae. Ewan ko na lang. Kasi yung tae, kahit sabihin sayong lasang leche flan di mo pa rin kakainin. Kasi instilled sa mind mo na hindi kinakain ang tae. Madali lang yan eh. May tao na hindi parin kakain ng palakang bukid kahit sabihin ng iba na lasa siyang chicken.
~ jod

Answer the King! 1: You want what you cannot have

INSTRUCTIONS: Just share your own thoughts on the featured statement of question. It's as easy as that. Feel free to share your wisdom and elaborate on your answers. I'll edit this post as you share your comments to show them off. And yeah, don't forget to include your links, para free plugging na rin, as always! =p

"You want what you cannot have."

I want chocolates, does that mean it's because I can't have some? Haha! Mamilosopo ba?! Well, of course, we all know it's not as easy and logical as that. I think this will only hold true when we're not contented with what we have. It's normal to want more in life (in any aspect of it), but there's a thin line between ambition and obsession. More so, I think it's where our curiosity comes into play.


(My comments in parenthesis are italicized).
Your answers:
1. If you're sick and bawal sayo isang bagay, yun lagi ang masarap. Sa love, yung bawal at hindi pwede ang laging may spark.. It's because WE CAN'T HAVE EVERYTHING that we want (Best sentence of your answer! =p). No matter how much we want that special something or special someone, most of the times, we can't simply have it. Maybe that's how it really works. Yes you can have some, but anything in excess is bad.
~mats

2. We can't have the world. Why? Because it's too big, we can't carry it, we can't put it in our bag; it's not handy. Even if we want the world, we can't have it. Having the world is not also fashionable to carry, but we want it. Why do we want the world? I don't know with those bunch of fools. (Haha! Yun lang! =p)
~billycoy


3. Simple lang naman yung para sa akin. Yep, tama yung statement na yan, gugustuhin naman talaga natin yung bagay na wala tayo, diba? At mas lalo pa tayo magkaka-desire sa isang bagay na alam natin na kailanman hindi magiging atin, unless na lang kung sumuko na tayo at hindi na natin aasamin ang bagay na hindi natin makakamit. Mahirap naman din kasi umasa.
~irish

4. You want what you cannot have because you stop wanting to want the things you have. Di ba?
~elma

5. Elma's reply could be the be-all and end-all explanation for this statement, if it were phrased as "You want what you DON'T have". Since it says "...what you CANNOT have", the statement has a very different meaning. Not everybody wants what they cannot have. Thus, this statement cannot be considered as an accepted fact among the entire population. (Yeah, it only holds true in certain situations.) I cannot have the world, and neither would I want it.
~thejoketh

6. You want clear skin, you want to be a little whiter with manageable hair, you want a kick-ass set of beard and moustache, you want a muscular body, you want six-pack abs, you want to have a great singing voice -- but you CANNOT have that. You were born the way you were. (I disagree in parts with the last sentence. Yes, we were born the way we were. There are things that we can improve on, but not everything. A tanned complexion or a baritone voice, we cannot change, but a healthier or buffed up body, we can work on -- if want to. In short, you're right, the things we cannot change, we must accept. I just want to add that for the things we can change or improve on, then we should. Besides, libre ang mangarap, sabi nga ng Kamikazee, (",)
You want a beautiful girlfriend, you want higher grades, you want a car, you want a laptop -- because you DO NOT have any of this. (Until you have them, hehe!)
~argel

7. Dati, sa lovelife ganyan ako. Now, sa career. But it's okay. I just leave everything to God. 'Cause sa lovelife, when I don't get who I want, after a while I become thankful. Parang hirap pag naging kami pala.
~tintin

8. The want of something makes one move. Wanting what one cannot have makes everything move forever. Wanting of that something is the reason why we still live. (Naks, pinaka-profound na sagot so far, hehe!)
~scion

Ask The King! Again

INSTRUCTIONS: Ask anything! And I will summon all the power that I have to answer your question. Anything goes. You can ask for my opinion on something. You can ask a hypothetical question. You can ask a beauty pagaent question! Or one of those controversial forbidden questions that Mo Twister asks, hehe! You can even ask for a completely objective advice, haha! =p Or maybe ask anything about me. I will edit this post to write my answers to the questions as I read them.

Here's the first installment of this thingamajiggymanicad.


THE ANSWERS:
21. Naniniwala ka ba na UP student daw ang lumikha kay Ederlyn (Geog daw ang course, hehe)? Justify - Gee
Now that you've mentioned it, a certain 'Reese' commented on this post, kilala niya daw ang totoong Ederlyn. Matter of factly, nung sinearch ko si Ederlyn sa Friendster, isa sa mga profiles na tiningnan ko, UP student nga siya. Not sure though if Geog ang course niya. [January 25, 3.07pm]

20. Ano naging reaction mo nung makita mo na look-a-like mo si Diego? - mats
Uhm, "Hah? ganoon ba ako kapangit?!" Haha! Pero honestly, I think it's the wavy hair. [January 25, 3.06pm]

19. If you were in a relationship but suddenly felt something for someone else (strong man o hindi), would you go for it and leave your gf or stay with her and live a life of what if's? bakit? - maan
Hmm, pwede bang 'stay with her and live a life of happiness'? It all comes down to whether or not I am happy with my current. Kung hindi, edi tapusin na namin to save ourselves time. Kung oo, edi I stick it out with her. Wait, scratch my meter of happiness. It's all about commitment pala. I can be happy with anyone, even the flings (yeeees, as if meron ako, hehe!), but there is only one person I can be committed and devoted to. Wushu. =p [January 25, 3.05pm]

18. Have you ever fallen in love? - bea
Milagro at ngayon lang nagka-lurve question. Anyway, the answer is yes. How many times? Twice (yun talagang dinibdib ko nang husto ah). Ay, hindi na pala kasali sa tanong ang part na ito! Haha! =p [January 21, 11.25pm]

17. Kung merong dalawang huklubang nagaaway, kung saan para sa isa, lahat ng bagay ay may dahilan at para sa isa nama'y di lahat ng bagay nangangailangan ng dahilan, kanino ka papanig at bakit? - kebs
(Hay nako, as expected, pati tanong mo ang nosebleed, hehe!) Lahat ng bagay ay may dahilan, gaano man ito kababaw. Bakit kamo? You just have to take it all on faith (Weeh, biglang nag-Englishing? Haha!). Lahat ng bagay may dahilan, pero hindi lahat ng dahilan, kailangan nating maintindihan. Some things or rather reasons, are too big for us to comprehend. [January 21, 11.21pm]

16. Anu-ano ang mga tukso ng mga kaklase mo sayo dati - nung elementary / high school? - utakGago
Sa Elementary, halus lahat ng klase ng tukso -- lampa, gatas, kulot, Xerex, bakla, T-Rex. Ano pa ba? Hmm.. Pero pagdating ng High School, wala na masyado, hindi ako masyado tinutukso sa school. Not because siga ako or what, pero hindi talaga ako tinutukso. Pero alam ko na ang tingin ng mga schoolmates ko (except for my friends, because they got to know me better) sa akin ay snob (which is true, but not because I snap at people intentionally, hindi lang talaga ako namamansin ng mga hindi ko ka-close), mukhang pera (siguro, nag-typing job kasi ako dati), teacher's pet (admittedly, close talaga ako sa mga teachers, yun ang turo ng nanay ko eh) at Mr. Goody Two-Shoes (dahil hindi ako mahilig magpakopya kapag quizzes, at never akong naging promotor ng bad behavior, etc). In short, I am far from being Mr. Congeniality. [January 21, 12.18pm]

15. Do you believe that there are just some problems that need not be confronted or solved? - theWhore
Yes, there are problems that are never worth our time. BUT, usually, the problems that bother us that much, they're the ones we need to confront. Pero syempre, depende pa rin sa specs ng problema (Naks, ano to, machine problem? Haha!). Sometimes, timing is of the essence -- some people need the time to heal, to be alone, to think, etc. [January 20, 11.55pm]

14. Which is worse: to leave or be left behind? - jae
To be left behind -- because you had no choice or say in the matter, the 'leaving' part depended entirely on the person who left. Whereas the one who leaves has an active role on what happens. BUT -- in the long run, it's the one who was left behind who survives a better person. Tsaka syempre, yung naiwanan, he or she has his or her support system (family or friends) to help him or her through. It helps a lot in the aftermath part, right? =) Naku ha Jae, andami mo nang tanong! Hehe! =p [January 20, 7.45pm]

13. Bakit masarap ang bawal? - jae
Because it is supposed to be that way, hehe! =p "It’s a constant battle that rages within all of us, between the better angels of our nature and the temptations of our inner demons" -- Mary Alice says on Desperate Housewives. If bawal wasn't so masarap, it wouldn't be the test of character that it was made to be. Besides, where's the fun in being bad (or doing things that are 'bawal'), if these things didn't feel good, right? Nakagawa ka na nga ng kasalanan, di ka pa nag-enjoy, ano kaya yun?! Haha! [January 20, 1.45pm]

12. How do you know what you need to know until you know it? - jae
Naks, Dawson's Creek (I didn't watch it back in my high school days, though, hehe!). Here's my answer: I don't. I won't know whether I need to know something or not until I know it. Diba? Problem is, it's not like we are in a word processor where we can easily UNDO the things we typed. I think that's where faith comes in sometimes. An Arki professor who could talk to angels (yeah, he really can, I even have a previous post about it last August 2006) said, "If you don't have it right now, you don't need it." Period. [January 19]

11. Bakit ba napaka importante sa mga tao na nag co-comment at maging na rin sa iyo ang P? - sozeena
Nyaks, it's the P-word again, hehe! If I'm not mistaken, there's a saying that P is a virtue, right? While there is a thin borderline between an exceptionally long P and martyrdom, hehe, the world would be a much better place if we all had decent P's. Besides, we are all but human, mistakes are inevitable, and if you're on the receiving side of the hassle or offense incurred due to mistakes, a lot of P will help. [January 17, 4.55pm]

10. When you're a kid and you have imaginary friends, it's cute, but when you're an adult, it's schizophrenia. Why is that? - donya quixote
Because I learned from an ACLE last sem, that the imaginary friends we had back when we were kids were actually angels playing with us. But as we grow older, when we lose our innocence, we stop playing with them. Seryoso to, pramis! Yun ang sabi nung speaker (he can talk to angels). Besides, having imaginary friends is a kid's way of coping up with problems too big for him to handle. But when we grow older, we must deal with our problems the adult way -- we face them. =p Naks. 'Kala mo kung sinog matapang, hehe! =p [January 15, 1.52pm]

9. Doesn't expecting the unexpected make the unexpected expected? - edgar
Logic question to ah! Of course it does. BUT, it's not like you can expect ALL the things that can be unexpected. The set of all things unexpected is too big for one man to do, hehe. So therefore, the better you expect the unexpected, the more the unexpected becomes expected! Shit! Nosebleed! Haha! [January 14, 1.38pm]

8. Would you risk your life for a cause? And for what cause would you die for? -dindin
If the cause is worth risking my life, of cause! Este, of course pala, hehe! As for the second question, hmm, my automatic but sincere answer would be -- family. Family is family, period. Good thing God assigned me to a great family, loving and treasuring my family isn't that hard. =p But for other causes, well, let's just say I haven't figured that part of my life just yet, hehe. But I'm sure it would be something I am so passionate about. It's all about the passion naman, diba? My passions right now aren't the type that could possibly risk my life, hehe. [January 14, 1.28pm]

7. Kung kanin ka, ano sasabihin mo sa ulam? - ba
Kakantahan ko ito ng, "Balutin mo ako sa lilim ng iyong pagsasabaw", para ayun, masarap at malasa din ako, hehe! [January 13, 2.41pm]

6. Sinong UP prof ang nakasira sa hopes and dreams mo ngayong College? - scion
Haha! Kailangan pangalanan? Hehe! Itago na lang natin siya sa codename na Sir Lullabye. I fully recognize, admire and respect his expertise in his field (he is indeed an instituion by the way), but the thing is, I can't pick up what he's teaching. The more I try to listen, the more i get bored, hehe! Because of him, I had to take a subject 4 times, hehe. Mayroon pang isa eh, pero dahil mabait na siya ngayon dahil sa kanyang new-found-love, well, good for him! Hehehe! Buset kasi, sana agad siyang nagka-girlfriend, para agad siyang bumait! Hehe! Itago na lang natin siya sa pangalang Sir Push-Ups. [January 13, 2.35pm]

5. Sa palagay mo, gaano kataas IQ mo? - jochie
I've taken too many IQ tests in the internet, I am not sure which one is the official, hehe. Pero ayun, honestly speaking, mayabang na kung mayabang, sa tingin ko mataas naman ang IQ ko. May mga bagay na ako lang ang nakakaisip, hehe -- kaya ang tawag sa aking ng mga kaibigan ko, "shotgun", kasi tuwing hinihiritan ko sila, sapul na sapul tulad ng headshot sa Counterstrike. I also have this gift of remembering small and seemingly unimportant details, even if it's more than a year already, (e.g., the clothes people wear on a certain event). [January 13, 2.24pm]

4. Ano sa palagay mo ang tanong ko? At ano ang sagot mo sa tanong na iyon? - billycoy
Sa palagay ko, ang itatanong mo ay, erm, To whom would you say: “Dude, we know you’re gay. Come out!” Tapos eto ang sagot ko. See forbidden question #4, hehe! [January 12, 2007, 5.19pm]

3. How many crowns does the king have? - juice
Haha! Hmmm, I guess I already have one for my chocolate addiction, another one for my coffee addiction, yet another one for my long 'P', hmm, what else? Ah yeah! I have one for being a snob and friendly at the same time, hehe! Ask our org's applicants, they should know what I am talking about,. =p [January 12, 3.36pm]

2. Bakit mo masabi na "long and enduring" ang iyong p as in patience?? - irish
Simply because I rarely get seriously mad. Naiinis din ako from time to time, pero hindi ako yung tipo na nagtatatalak about it the whole day, lalu na kung sa mga ibang tao or kaibigan ko na wala namang kinalaman sa kinaiinisan ko. My stand is that if complaining or ranting won't make things better, then it's a waste of my brain's CPU time, especially when it comes to trivial and superficial things. And as much as possible, pilit kong iniintindi ang mga sitwasyon, para hindi na lang masyado masira ang araw ko. But the thing is, I may easily forgive, but I sure as hell don't easily forget, hehe! Pero syempre, nasa pag-bawi naman yan eh! =p [January12, 3.33pm]

1. Gaanong kahaba ang iyong P? Sa literal na wikang Ingles: How long is your P? - thejoketh
Waw naman, unang tanong pa lang, forbidden-style na! Hehe! Anyway, my answer is: I can safely say that it's pretty long, and erm, enduring. ^_^ Because, hey, one's P is pathetic, pointless and useless if it's not long -- enough! (Read the comments to know that P we're talking about =p) [January 11, 11.33am]


Just a piece of real life update: I had my first 'job interview' this afternoon. And it was an impromptu one, hehe! After our class, my classmates invited me to the company talk that TrendMicro is having at our college. Since I didn't have anything planned for the rest of the morning, I agreed to try it out. I passed an IQ test that I thought I wouldn't pass because the pattern recognition part was so darn hard! Then there was the relatively easier 'technical skills' exam which we finished 30 minutes ahead of time. After that, I thought they would just contact me if they're interested in my 'services', but no. The HR officer told me, that I will have an interview with one of their Anti-Virus Engineers, right there and then. Haha! Sheeet! I wasn't prepared, hehe! But I think it went well, though I highly doubt that I am already hired because they haven't seen my transcript, hehe! For future interviews, here's my tip: just think of these concepts: career fulfillment, exposure to other cultures, give back something to society, and servant leadership. Haha!

Ask The King!

Awww shucks! Another week passed by and I still don't have a decent follow-up to my usual rants and raves. And now that I finally can squeeze an hour to blog, I don't know what to talk about! Darn!

Since I'm experiencing a total writer's block right now, I figured I let you decide on what I'd talk about here. Yeah, yeah, darn excuse, haha! But you see, I have always wanted a Q&A section on my blog, just like what Vinks used to have. But I never figured how to use those online query forms, haha! So now, I feel, is the perfect time to do that.

INSTRUCTIONS: Ask anything! And I will summon all the power that I can get to answer your question. Anything goes. You can ask for my opinion on something. You can ask a hypothetical question. You can ask a beauty pagaent question! You can even ask for a completely objective advice, haha! =p Or maybe ask anything about me. I edit this post to write my answers to the questions as I read them.

Fire away! Guys, be as creative as you want to be, hehe. If the question is too personal, I will not be offended, I will just politely tell you, the answer is something I cannot post in here, hehe.

So there, I will wait on the questions. In the meanwhile, I have to get back to what I need to do. Haaay.. Ayoko nang mag-aral!!! ='(

ANSWERS:

1) Is love a social construct? - Donya
Grabe, 1st question pa lang, 'love' na! Anhirap naman! I think everything we perceive are based on experience, except for our natural instincts and reflexes. Unless you consider 'love' or 'loving' to be an 'instinct' or a 'reflex', then love is indeed a social contruct, haha! Plus, not all of us look at love at a very objective perspective. (9.25.2006)

2) True or false. We cannot not communicate. - xienah
Ito namang isang to, kinailangan ko pang kalkalan sa baul ang Philo 1 skills ko, haha! My answer is TRUE. Negation of a negation eh, haha! That and the 'no man is an island' cliche. (9.25.2006)

3) What is love? - tintin
Nyuk nyuk! Love na naman! Haha! To answer the question. For me, love is true friendship with lust. Oha! Haha! Totoo naman eh, you should be good friends first before you can become lovers. For me, it's the friendship is the foundation of any relationship (aside from natural family ties). Plus, love is over-rated, haha! (9.25.2006)

4) Saan ka sa as umiistambay sa AS? Anong oras? Kelan? - edgar
Aba Edgar, may balak ka bang i-stalk ako? Haha! Sa UP Aguman tambayan ako tumatambay sa AS, sa may tabi ni Manang photocopier malapit sa 1/F, Girls' CR. Kami yung mga maiingay na tila nag-ge-German or Chinese, haha! Kailan? Every vacant ko especially lunchtime, andun ako, pero hindi masyado this week, kasi super busy! (9.26.2006)

5) If you were given 3 wishes, what would those be? - Jhed
Haha! Jologs, pero interesting to. Sa ngayon, ang wish ko ay MORE TIME, MORE TIME at MORE TIME! Haha! Pwede na ba iyon? =p Pwede ring more money, para pang-Starbucks, kasi malapit na matapos ang taon, kailangan makakuha ulit ako ng Starbucks Planner, haha! Tsaka nga pala, sana tuluyan na akong makapag-drive at makakuha ng license this sembreak, hehe. (9.26.2006)

6) What are your top 10 favorite song of all time!? - Juice
OMG! This is so hard! =p Since I have to answer this in a jiffy, I'll choose the 10 that enter my mind first. Not in any order: Westlife - Obvious, Mariah Carey - We Belong Together, Mandy Moore - I Wanna Be With You, Avril Lavigne - Fall To Pieces, Bellefire - Pieces Of You, Kelly Clarkson - Because Of You, Bic Runga - Sway, Rascal Flatts - Bless The Broken Road, Carrie Underwood - Lessons Learned, & Jojo - Leave (Get Out). Darn! Andami ko pang gustong idagdag! Haha! I didn't include any OPM entry, because it's so haard!! (9.26.2006)

7) Ano ang hidden talent (kung meron man) ng king op tsokoleyts? - Dindin
Hmm, I can move my ear lobes. Haha! Hindi naman talent yun eh, hehe, it's more like a 'weird skill'! =p Ano pa ba. I can type pretty fast. I can't remember my WPM rate eh, but it's safely say it is pretty fast. My friends say so, too. I guess it's the typewriter training I got when I was little, haha! Plus, when our very first personal computer came, I installed a typing tutor to help me with the correct finger positions. =p (9.26.2006)

8) What do you think about marriage? Sa tingin mo - anong taon ka mag-aasawa? - utakGAGO
Naks, naman, an-serious! Hmm, I guess I believe in marriage. For me, it's the ultimate big gesture, the ultimate form of commitment. It means you're willing to spend your lifetime with your lover, diba? As for my marrying age, I think it's safe to say I would want to marry in my early 30s. I don't have a specific age target. My target is my financial stability, haha! Gusto ko magawa ko lahat ng gusto kong gawin as an individual bago ako maki-sawsaw sa buhay ng ibang nilalang. (9.27.2006)

9) What is your gift for your friend on his upcoming birthday? - jigs
Naku, napaka-PERSONAL na question, hahaha! =p Ano bang gusto mo? I'll figure something out, don't worry. Let's get together ha? (9.27.2006)

10) Anong course mo? Bakit mo ito kinuha? - dxter
Kaw naman, hindi mo pa ba nabasa sa sidebar ko? Hehe. BS Computer Engineering. Bakit? Kasi noong high school, nag-enjoy ako nang sobra sa Computer subject. Akala ko madali lang, hindi pala! Haha! If given a chance to have a another degree, I would take BS Geography or BS Psychology. O diba? Napaka-related?! Haha! (9.27.2006)

11) If you were brought back to the time when you are to choose your course, would you still opt for BS CoE? Why? - elma
Whoa blockmate! Seryosong tanong to ah! Hmm. I DON'T KNOW. The thing is, we always complain how hard our course is, but still, inspite of having a chance to shift out year after year, we didn't. Diba? Hehe. Plus,I haven't reaped the benefits of toiling hard to get the degree. Alam ko na sa ngayon, puro hirap pa muna. Saka na yung saya. Hehe. It's easy to say that I'd choose another course, just because those courses are easier. But no pain, no gain, right? Psychology and geography will always interest me though.

12) Convince me that your super favorite WESTLIFE is better than the Backstreet Boys ( ;p ) - gee
Hindi naman question to eh! The thing is, I won't answer it, hehe. I have reasons why I prefer the Irish more than the American, but THAT'S JUST ME. =p I can always say why I like them better, but I won't convince you to think the same. I am simply not like that. But why do I like Westlife better? I don't know. Basta mas nagustuhan ko lang talaga sila, haha! =p I thought they made better music and they were better role models (yak, this was way back in high school pa ha! Haha!). Well, until Bryan was addicted to booze and Mark admitted he was gay. But I am not saying being gay is bad! Because honestly, you can't be a role model for boys if you aren't a boy, right? Hehe! =p