- Our childhood superheroes and idols are all flawed. Next time you read up on mythology, Shakespearean classics or Marvel comics, pay close attention.
- We all get second chances in life. It just doesn't always turn out the way we expect them to be.
- We need to be very, very specific with our prayers.
- Sometimes we look for love in the wrong places.
- At times, it is easier to deal with pain and rejection than love and acceptance.
- History can be rewritten in one day.
- Silence is a good breeding ground for voices in your head.
- We sometimes mistake courage for self-preservation and masked fear. It is revealed at the threshold of a revelation and how one deals with it.
- Being smart has its downsides.
- Knowledge and acceptance are at opposite ends of the spectrum. But one has to find the right reflection in order to see the rainbow.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
New Realities
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Steven Tyler is my Rock God
Well, at least one of them. I might be Liv Tyler in a parallel universe.
I kept the right ones out
And let the wrong ones in
Had an angel of mercy to see me through all my sins
There were times in my life
When I was goin' insane
Tryin' to walk through
The pain.
When I lost my grip
And I hit the floor
Yeah, I thought I could leave but couldn't get out the door
I was so sick and tired
Of livin' a lie
I was wishin that I
Would die
It's amazing
With the blink of an eye
You finally see the light
It's amazing
When the moment arrives
That you know you'll be alright
It's amazing
And I'm sayin' a prayer
For the desperate hearts tonight.
That one last shot's a permanent vacation
And how high can you fly with broken wings?
Life's a journey, not a destination
And I just can't tell just what tomorrow brings.
You have to learn to crawl
Before you learn to walk
But I just couldn't listen to all that righteous talk
I was out on the street
Just tryin' to survive
Scratchin' to stay alive
No, it ain't my love song. But this girl is a Rock Star. My life is amazing...and only those who truly know me will understand.
I kept the right ones out
And let the wrong ones in
Had an angel of mercy to see me through all my sins
There were times in my life
When I was goin' insane
Tryin' to walk through
The pain.
When I lost my grip
And I hit the floor
Yeah, I thought I could leave but couldn't get out the door
I was so sick and tired
Of livin' a lie
I was wishin that I
Would die
It's amazing
With the blink of an eye
You finally see the light
It's amazing
When the moment arrives
That you know you'll be alright
It's amazing
And I'm sayin' a prayer
For the desperate hearts tonight.
That one last shot's a permanent vacation
And how high can you fly with broken wings?
Life's a journey, not a destination
And I just can't tell just what tomorrow brings.
You have to learn to crawl
Before you learn to walk
But I just couldn't listen to all that righteous talk
I was out on the street
Just tryin' to survive
Scratchin' to stay alive
No, it ain't my love song. But this girl is a Rock Star. My life is amazing...and only those who truly know me will understand.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Time will reveal
And so my Divine Writer seems to be in one of His humorous moods. He might have decided my life is too boring, thus some unexpected surprises.
I am quite hard to surprise. So when I use that word, then it's something really big.
But time is on my side.
I am quite hard to surprise. So when I use that word, then it's something really big.
But time is on my side.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Of metronomes and anthems
It is another moment of triumph for Filipinos everywhere as Manny Pacquiao scored another victory in the ring, this time over Ghana's Joshua Clottey. True, yesterday's 12-rounder was a bit ho-hum, considering Clottey did nothing but hold his arms over his face for the majority of the fight - plus the fact that what we really want is Mayweather['s face] on the canvas - but, still, a victory is a victory. So congratulations are in order for Team Pacquiao (especially Freddie Roach).
That being said, it irks me no end that some people find it in them to ruin a perfectly glorious moment.
One of the headlines on Yahoo! News today caught my attention: "Arnel Pineda's version of RP anthem criticized". For those of you Filipinos who [live under a rock and] didn't get to watch the fight, Pineda was given the honor to sing the Philippine National Anthem.
Apparently, the National Historical Institute deemed the Journey frontman's version "wrong", ergo, they find it essential to file a complaint to the Department of Justice.
And what, exactly, was their issue with Pineda's version? According to the article, "under Section 37 of RA 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code, the national anthem must be sung in accordance with the original musical arrangement of composer Julian Felipe, who gave it a marching tempo. Violators may be fined Php5,000 to Php20,000 or jailed for a year." Furthermore, Lupang Hinirang must be "properly sung with a two-fourths beat and 100 metronomes," which should make it last for 53 seconds, instead of the 89-second version that Pineda delivered.
Let's be clear on one thing: I'm not exactly a Pineda fan (though I must admit he's got the vocal chops). Neither am I pro-NHI; I am sure the agency is just doing its job. But, my goodness, how ANAL can they get? If they're that obsessive, maybe they should consider putting together an Association for National Anthem Literacy or something...
Until this day, I've never heard of an effing metronome, much less know what to do with it. I heard Pineda's version, and while, admittedly, it might have been slower than the prescribed marching beat, my amateur ears detected nothing criminally wrong with his rendition. To me, his interpretation was heartfelt, and more than enough to remind me how proud I am to be a Filipino by birthright.
A string of other talented Filipino singers received the same frown from NHI: Charice Pempengco, La Diva, Sarah Geronimo, Lani Misalucha and Kyla got less-than-stellar reviews from the board. I only agreed with the NHI on two counts: Martin Nievera and Christian Bautista, both of whom delivered harrowing renditions; but still, I don't see how that's enough to earn them DOJ's attention. The only injustice here would be to take the DOJ's attention away from more important cases and concentrate on metronomes.
Look, when we were in primary school and were first taught the National Anthem, what were the things they told us? Were we instructed to keep it at two-fourths beat and 100 metronomes (egad, I hate that word!)? Did our teachers ever whip out a stopwatch and give detention to anyone who sang it at 00:53:04 seconds or beyond? Hell, no (well, at least not in my school...)!
The only thing I remember being required to do was to sing Lupang Hinirang with nothing less than respect and reverence, with your right hand placed over your left chest, and with your eyes looking straight at the flag. Respect, not metronome, was the order of the day.
In fairness to him, I felt Pineda's sincerity and respect in singing the National Anthem. He's made a name for himself so he probably doesn't need the 89 seconds of fame this stint bought for him (or cost him, depending on your perspective). But, more than anything else, he certainly does not deserve the flak he's getting from NHI just because he sang it a few beats too slowly. That goes for all the other singers, as well (barring Nievera and Bautista).
Rather than stirring up the dust after each and every rendition of Lupang Hinirang, here's an idea for the NHI: maybe they should just put together a group of official National Anthem singers, train them in the prescribed metronomically-correct beat, and send out an official circular/pass a Congressional bill/whatever that one can only source out singers from that official group, so that future versions are guaranteed 100% correct. That would certainly be more constructive, don't you think?
I hope Pacquaio retires immediately. With a looming fine and possible jail term, I don't think any singer in his right mind should carry the responsibility of singing our National Anthem. Any volunteers from NHI?
That being said, it irks me no end that some people find it in them to ruin a perfectly glorious moment.
One of the headlines on Yahoo! News today caught my attention: "Arnel Pineda's version of RP anthem criticized". For those of you Filipinos who [live under a rock and] didn't get to watch the fight, Pineda was given the honor to sing the Philippine National Anthem.
Apparently, the National Historical Institute deemed the Journey frontman's version "wrong", ergo, they find it essential to file a complaint to the Department of Justice.
And what, exactly, was their issue with Pineda's version? According to the article, "under Section 37 of RA 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code, the national anthem must be sung in accordance with the original musical arrangement of composer Julian Felipe, who gave it a marching tempo. Violators may be fined Php5,000 to Php20,000 or jailed for a year." Furthermore, Lupang Hinirang must be "properly sung with a two-fourths beat and 100 metronomes," which should make it last for 53 seconds, instead of the 89-second version that Pineda delivered.
Let's be clear on one thing: I'm not exactly a Pineda fan (though I must admit he's got the vocal chops). Neither am I pro-NHI; I am sure the agency is just doing its job. But, my goodness, how ANAL can they get? If they're that obsessive, maybe they should consider putting together an Association for National Anthem Literacy or something...
A string of other talented Filipino singers received the same frown from NHI: Charice Pempengco, La Diva, Sarah Geronimo, Lani Misalucha and Kyla got less-than-stellar reviews from the board. I only agreed with the NHI on two counts: Martin Nievera and Christian Bautista, both of whom delivered harrowing renditions; but still, I don't see how that's enough to earn them DOJ's attention. The only injustice here would be to take the DOJ's attention away from more important cases and concentrate on metronomes.
Look, when we were in primary school and were first taught the National Anthem, what were the things they told us? Were we instructed to keep it at two-fourths beat and 100 metronomes (egad, I hate that word!)? Did our teachers ever whip out a stopwatch and give detention to anyone who sang it at 00:53:04 seconds or beyond? Hell, no (well, at least not in my school...)!
The only thing I remember being required to do was to sing Lupang Hinirang with nothing less than respect and reverence, with your right hand placed over your left chest, and with your eyes looking straight at the flag. Respect, not metronome, was the order of the day.
In fairness to him, I felt Pineda's sincerity and respect in singing the National Anthem. He's made a name for himself so he probably doesn't need the 89 seconds of fame this stint bought for him (or cost him, depending on your perspective). But, more than anything else, he certainly does not deserve the flak he's getting from NHI just because he sang it a few beats too slowly. That goes for all the other singers, as well (barring Nievera and Bautista).
Rather than stirring up the dust after each and every rendition of Lupang Hinirang, here's an idea for the NHI: maybe they should just put together a group of official National Anthem singers, train them in the prescribed metronomically-correct beat, and send out an official circular/pass a Congressional bill/whatever that one can only source out singers from that official group, so that future versions are guaranteed 100% correct. That would certainly be more constructive, don't you think?
I hope Pacquaio retires immediately. With a looming fine and possible jail term, I don't think any singer in his right mind should carry the responsibility of singing our National Anthem. Any volunteers from NHI?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Sold!
I just won my first-ever bid on eBay today! Not that there was any stiff competition (I believe I was the only one who bid for the product!), but nevertheless, it still felt rewarding.
My purchase is a copy of Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, in the old cover design that I wanted. The price difference from the online purchase versus the usual retail price wasn't all that astronomical (UP: about $14.50; eBay price: $10). So why not just go to the nearest mall and get a brand-new copy?
I have this thing about collecting books in old(er) covers, particularly if they come in a series. I guess it's a habit I got from an old colleague of mine, who would pore over the shelves on second-hand book shoppes for old cover designs. I thought that was a really cool idea, and so a few weeks after I discovered that hobby of his, I was already competing with him on the shelves (one time, he made a mistake of putting down a copy of Stephen King's The Shining because he couldn't make up his mind. He regretted it after I snapped it up in less than 10 seconds.).
Going back to the AF series, I wanted it because of the cover, as I had purchased books 1 and 3 in the same design, and what is available in the bookstores are those in the crappy new cover (t would ruin my collection's look). Book 1 was bought from an out-of-the-way children's book shoppe, which I thought I could drag my lazy arse to any old time I wanted the next installments. But, yeah, I've got a lazy arse, so Book 1 was long finished and I still had no Book 2.
Then, a few weeks ago, there was a big book sale at the city area. My friend told me to go because she had seen a lot of AFs and Paulo Coelhos. But because I was in another place at the time, I opted to go the following day. By the time I arrived, all the AFs were gone, save for a worn-out-ish copy of Book 3, in the cover I wanted. So I bought that, along with a host of other titles.
And now, at last, I have found Book 2! Didn't I say it was rewarding? And it comes with free personal delivery :)
I have this thing about collecting books in old(er) covers, particularly if they come in a series. I guess it's a habit I got from an old colleague of mine, who would pore over the shelves on second-hand book shoppes for old cover designs. I thought that was a really cool idea, and so a few weeks after I discovered that hobby of his, I was already competing with him on the shelves (one time, he made a mistake of putting down a copy of Stephen King's The Shining because he couldn't make up his mind. He regretted it after I snapped it up in less than 10 seconds.).
Going back to the AF series, I wanted it because of the cover, as I had purchased books 1 and 3 in the same design, and what is available in the bookstores are those in the crappy new cover (t would ruin my collection's look). Book 1 was bought from an out-of-the-way children's book shoppe, which I thought I could drag my lazy arse to any old time I wanted the next installments. But, yeah, I've got a lazy arse, so Book 1 was long finished and I still had no Book 2.
Then, a few weeks ago, there was a big book sale at the city area. My friend told me to go because she had seen a lot of AFs and Paulo Coelhos. But because I was in another place at the time, I opted to go the following day. By the time I arrived, all the AFs were gone, save for a worn-out-ish copy of Book 3, in the cover I wanted. So I bought that, along with a host of other titles.
And now, at last, I have found Book 2! Didn't I say it was rewarding? And it comes with free personal delivery :)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The gift of today
Today, I read an inspiring quote from a bookmarked blog. The site owner apparently did not know who the author was, so I did some Googling and found out it was from an American writer named Mary Jean Irion:
"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.
Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart.
Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.
Let me hold you while I may, for it might not always be so.
One day, I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow,
Or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky,
And want, more than all the world, your return."
"Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.
Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart.
Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.
Let me hold you while I may, for it might not always be so.
One day, I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow,
Or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky,
And want, more than all the world, your return."
Much ado about nothing
Please humour me and let me have a good laugh. I've just been called a chick by a 24-year-old boy! I must say, I was thoroughly amused (and, okay, maybe a bit flattered. When you're a thirtysomething married woman, you don't get this kind of attention as often as you used to.).
My brother-in-law casually told me the other day that one of his friends popped in his Facebook chat window. He said he was browsing through little bro's FB friends, and he saw this chick. "Is he your sister," he asked. Little bro told him, "Uhhh...yeah...? Why?" "'Coz she's a chick. Can I add her?" To which he replied, "He's my big brother's wife! Choose another chick from my friends' list."
So the friend went through little bro's contacts (I think he has about 500+ on his list). The verdict? "She's the only chick I could find!"
Hahahahaha!!!!!
Seems that there's much to-do about my profile pic. But, seriously, what's wrong with it? Okay, I know there's probably a bit of cleavage showing there, but I've seen worse in other photos. Besides, even my husband noted that the shirt I was wearing wasn't really out-of-the-ordinary. It's just a nice top I could wear to the mall or to visit relatives.
So it strikes me as a bit peculiar that I've been getting a lot of friend requests from guys I don't even know. And a smattering of messages from male acquaintances/former colleagues. Heck, even a good guy friend from university scolded me for the "revealing" photo (he said he was uncomfortable with the picture, and that he could see my, ahem, chest area even from the small chat window. (And this is a guy who is exposed to half-naked (and naked) women on a constant basis.).
And what did my husband have to say about all the male attention? "Yeah, you could change your profile picture, you know. Let's take a sexier photo of you."
My brother-in-law casually told me the other day that one of his friends popped in his Facebook chat window. He said he was browsing through little bro's FB friends, and he saw this chick. "Is he your sister," he asked. Little bro told him, "Uhhh...yeah...? Why?" "'Coz she's a chick. Can I add her?" To which he replied, "He's my big brother's wife! Choose another chick from my friends' list."
So the friend went through little bro's contacts (I think he has about 500+ on his list). The verdict? "She's the only chick I could find!"
Hahahahaha!!!!!
Seems that there's much to-do about my profile pic. But, seriously, what's wrong with it? Okay, I know there's probably a bit of cleavage showing there, but I've seen worse in other photos. Besides, even my husband noted that the shirt I was wearing wasn't really out-of-the-ordinary. It's just a nice top I could wear to the mall or to visit relatives.
So it strikes me as a bit peculiar that I've been getting a lot of friend requests from guys I don't even know. And a smattering of messages from male acquaintances/former colleagues. Heck, even a good guy friend from university scolded me for the "revealing" photo (he said he was uncomfortable with the picture, and that he could see my, ahem, chest area even from the small chat window. (And this is a guy who is exposed to half-naked (and naked) women on a constant basis.).
And what did my husband have to say about all the male attention? "Yeah, you could change your profile picture, you know. Let's take a sexier photo of you."
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