Firestarter

As this year comes to a halt, I would like to take a trip down memory lane..this one is a bit cheesy, but certainly 2007 was an unforgettable year. Let’s look back shall we?

I started off this year with a new career, that was in the academe. I thought passing the rigorous interview was the hardest, but it was just the beginning. This was something new for me, and I had to adjust. This kind of work seems demanding, but it was a good learning experience. I saw positive changes in me, like assuming responsibility and developing good work habits. I also met some "new" people, that later on, I call my friends: my colleagues and my students (of course!). Its good that somehow I developed a form of "bond"  with them. Because they are also humans, and they need love and attention! (whoo). Some few years ago I was just like them, now it seems surreal that I am now mentoring them, and helping them out deal with their academic life…

Just when you thought that having a successful professional life is one thing that made me happy, well, not really. This is also a year of mourning. Two of my closest relatives passed away…

My memories of Tita Dang would forever linger on. She taught me how to serve and care for the needy, as she did when she was still alive. She’s a doctor of medicine, you know. And unlike those who could pay for their own tuition fees, she was from a lower socio economic status. But it did not hamper her to achieve and pursue her dreams. She worked hard day in and day out, delivering neonates in a local community health center. Knowing that it would not suffice her family’s daily needs, she had dreams of flying abroad. Until she was stricken with the big "C". That time, it was disabling for the whole family. Dealing with cancer is a big family matter, and she needed our support. We were there for her all the time. I remember visiting her after work. I  even taught her that, in order to swallow effectively, she should flex her neck (or chin tuck). She appreciated that. I remember  also the first time she cried in front of me when she learned about the diagnosis.It was an endearing moment for both of us. Now this is the first time we celebrated the christmas and New Year without her…She will be truly missed.

My Lolo Ed who told me about the war stories also went ahead..(If you have time, you can read my former blog entry dedicated to him.. here also)

We’re also moving to a new house come next year. A nice welcome, and homey feeling, but I would definitely miss going home to our old house here in Binan.

I also learned to shy away from my old, impoverished habits. There is too little time to accommodate things, and the key is to PRIORITIZE. Weighing some important decisions to be made was also one of the best things I learned. I cannot be involved with too many things or occupations, because I will not be able to participate well and give out my best. So I had to stop grad school for a while, give up some days in clinic. I also gave up my "gig" days, beer drinking, smoking, and all vices. Well, all these are part of the process..and its a sign of maturity to stand up for your own and be able to make important decisions in your own life. At the end of the day, it is me who will be responsible for the consequences of my own actions, and not other people.

To all the people who became part of my year, THANK YOU! Its a sign of being assertive, to say THANK YOU, and being assertive is a healthy and appropriate social skill. I hope we will all stick with one another for the new year to come. And God bless to you!

It was such a lovely and unforgettable day…Now I am longing for it…

3am. Geez. I’ll be having my lecture at 10 am yet I am still in a rather dazed and confused state. Got to do something with my teaching-learning slides. Heck, what am I supposed to do to facilitate an easier flow of discussion? Ah, i know just what to do..

8am. Arrived early. This should be it. No more beating around the bush. I placed a great deal of time and effort on this one.

9am. Found myself chatting with Irene..with some stuffs that would put my mind at ease. But I’m still contemplating on the possible outcome. Oh God!

10am. The moment of truth. I was greeted by the class. Started out a few minutes late, some virus were detected in my USB. "Good morning Teacher John" as they gladly spoke. Things turned out the way I wanted. Then suddenly, I noticed that the proceeding slides were missing. Great! I lost my momentum..Panic mode.
"Sir check the other files.."
Oh yeah. Felt relieved. It was the other unfinished presentation that I opened. Saved!
Discussion went smoothly. Although some parts were dragging, like if you were watching a teenage flick. But it was just ok.

Lunch time. Everyone was partly exhausted. I got exhausted too..But wait, the lab sessions will push through in the afternoon. Meeting with the OT CS’s regarding some changes in the CTS protocols. Perfect! This calls for another multi-tasking scheme!

1pm-3pm. Proceed with the teaching learning modules. Pre-writing, Handwriting, Reading, Spelling , Alphabet and Number skills. Students are inquisitive and insightful. They are eager to learn, which drove me to present even more techniques than what I have prepared. It was a fun learning experience. I found myself in commune, or in other words, "in-tune" with them. There is a sense of kinship, a blend of harmony, between me and my students. I realized I have served my purpose to them. I hope they too will do the same thing in the future…

4pm. It was a quaint afternoon spent in a coffee shop. Great company. Even more private conversations. Bottom line: relaxation. Freeing my mind from the stress and anticipations brought about by this experience. But one thing I realized, if you do something, you have to put your heart in it. Otherwise, its not something that you can be happy about. And you will end up whining, complaining, and even more bitterness will come along the way…

7pm.Conversations with God. A time to reflect on the day’s toils. A time to being one with a higher spiritual being. Peace of mind at last.

10pm. A lovely way to celebrate. A hearty dinner! And more caffeine infused conversations haha!

12 am. Homebound. This day officially ends. But hey! I have more reasons to
smile and be happy about…How I wish it was still yesterday…

currently raving on moscow olympics and soft pillow kisses…recommended by ms joyce anne, my personal "indie" guru, sample their tracks on myspace…can’t wait to see them play on gigs!

Yeah, let’s MULTIPLY:
brickfields7.multiply.com
i miss going out on gigs too
hope everyone’s doin fine!

I, I still remember
how you looked that afternoon.
There was only you.

You said, "it was just like a full moon".
Blood beats faster in our veins
We left our trousers by the canal
And our fingers, they almost touched

You should have asked me for it
I would have been brave
You should have asked me for it
How could I say no?

And our love could have soared
Over playgrounds and rooftops
Now every park bench screams your name
I kept your tie

I’ve gone wherever you wanted

I still remember…

And on that teacher’s training day
We wrote our names on every train
Laughed at the people off to work
So monochrome and so lukewarm

And I can see our days are becoming nights
I could feel your heartbeat across the grass
We should have run
I would go with you anywhere
I should have kissed you by the water

You should have asked me for it
I would have been brave
You should have asked me for it
How could I say no?

And our love could have soared
Over playgrounds and rooftops
Now every park bench screams your name
I kept your tie

I would let you if you asked me

I still remember…

Kele Okereke talked about the song at some length in his January 2007 The Observer interview, responding to questions as to whether the song had an autobiographical nature:

"Not really … I guess, partially. [Can we call it a gay love story?] Yeah, but is it a love story? It’s one person longing for somebody they can’t really have. But it’s not consummated. It’s not a mutual thing. …
This is probably a contentious issue, but I swear that I could always see [male homosexual attraction] in people, in the way that guys would need to be touching other guys. You could see there was something they couldn’t say aloud. And I saw it when I was at school. And I guess I Still Remember is an attempt at trying to confront that..I know from my own experiences a lot of heterosexual boys had feelings or experiences when they were younger. And that’s not really ever spoken about, that un-spoken desire. …
Not two gay boys … but the idea of two straight boys having an attraction, or there being an attraction that’s unspeakable - that was the idea of that song." (Taken from Wikipedia-I Still Remember, Bloc Party)

Well, even if this song has subliminal messages and thoughts on homosexuality, I still like it. Who cares? I read in an article that artist Ping Medina would want to make This  Modern Love (from Silent Alarm) as a soundtrack of his life. So what if the writer was queer? It only proves how one song could change a person’s view of the world, that, in the midst of social transitions and developments that have been, people are still immature and unready to face issues such as this one. So God bless Bloc Party, especially Kele Okereke

Buy their album "A Weekend In the City". You will never regret it..

What was the 90’s like for most of us? Yup that is my generation, that was the time  when cassette tapes were still in, Nintendos, beepers and all those gadgets, the hiphops and metals dominating, the Bioman and the Voltes V fever, and Club Dredd was the place to be..

And there was Eraserheads

We literally grew up listening to their music. We could probably associate an E-heads song to any personal event. Remember the first time you fell in love and how it felt being dumped? Or how you desperately wanted to drive your own car? That heavenly feeling? Or the dormitory where dreams and friendships were made, and finally, graduation? Those names-Ligaya, Shirley, Kim and Aling Nena? What about the  sentiments of the masses and what-nots of this society? Yes, blame it on these four guys- Ely, Raymund, Marcus, and Buddy, that the 90’s have something to boast about. And that is their music.

The saying, "You don’t know what you’ve got until its gone" really applies to me personally. I wasn’t a fan of E-heads back then. At that time, my love for rock-and-roll had not been realized yet. I did not care if they cuss on their songs. I was apathetic when they have been accused of songs with demonic lyrics (the back-mask issue on Alapaap). I really had no idea how "influential" they were at that time. I did not know I was missing a lot!

My fascination for bands started with their break-up. When Sandwich was introduced to me and later on, hooked up on their gigs, I thought, maybe, I should listen more to OPM rock. I was starting to ask myself, "What was the underground scene like in the 90’s? How was the UP fair back then when they played? Why do bands nowadays include Eraserheads as one of their biggest influences?" Little did I know that my curiosity will  lead to something else.

Thank God for this book which I just purchased minutes ago. "Tikman Ang Langit"-an Anthology On the Eraserheads features essays, not ordinarily written, which served as "testimonials" on how this 4-piece combo has inspired their listeners and fans in one way or another. They talk of the pop-culture Eraserheads has established, their memorable encounters with the band, and the legacy that lives on. Some articles feature interesting trivia, some unforgettable lines of their songs, and what not. I bought this book thinking it holds some of the answers why I got addicted to gigs and band music, and why people loved bands. My soul searching was finally over. And I was happy I was not alone…

I am not an avid Eraserheads fan. If I was, I could have stormed their staged performances, get a backstage pass on their concerts, and buy their records.I could have gone to UP fair every year and watched them perform. But that time, I was very young then, and was more ideal. Its not surprising why everybody knows them..
And its not surprising that I admire their songs now.

Eventhough Eraserheads got debunked, they are still in the scene. They are often referred to as "Sirs", as a sign of respect for what they have accomplished. If somebody asks me, "What was your E-heads unforgettable moment?" I would probably say interviewing Sir Raims, together with his current bandmates Pedicab, on air. He was laughing and smiling to some of my comments and questions. I am deeply humbled by that experience. And we go to some of their gigs in Saguijo, this generation’s Club Dredd. They keep the music alive by playing still (for Cambio, Sandwich, Pedicab, The Dawn, Twisted Halo) and  producing albums, of which the music industry is grateful for. 

Afterall, in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make. Thank you Sir Ely, Sir Buddy Sir Raims Sir Marcus, for the labor of love, and the music you made..

Friday. The day we all look forward to. There is something about this day that makes us go crazy. Because it’s almost weekend. And its always nice and breezy to have A Weekend in the City. Yup, that’s right- "A Weekend in the City", is the sophomore release from the British indie-alternative punk rock group Bloc Party.

I happen to drop by Tower Records when accidentally I bumped into a corner where there is a headset/ earphones but no disc was playing. I head on to the listening bar and, surprisingly, a guy waiting in line wants also to sample the album. He was holding a Bloc Party record too!

My favorite tracks include The Prayer (which could be an anthem for the "not-so confident", with its chanting and amazing drum beats; do not be deceived by the title- it does not contain any religious or elements of divinity whatsoever). Also Kreuzberg, a song about a short lived love affair, say for instance, a one night stand. I Still Remember is more tuned into the romantic hooplas. If you want to groove on to the dancefloor and still "heart" punk, then Hunting For Witches might satisfy your craving. (critics welcome this song as one of London’s trendy beats to watch out for).

With this album, listeners have divided opinions. They exclaimed the lyrics are too radical, a reflection of what is now-sex, drugs, politics and all that jazz. Some say its too uptight and the tunes are lonelier but edgier, and the band has given a more matured look to their music compared to their debut Silent Alarm. Rants and raves are rising, but one thing remains…They’re back!

So fellas, watcha waiting for? Grab yourselves a copy of this album, because you’ll never know what you’re gonna get. Sample the tracks at myspace.com/blocparty

On a sadder note…

I have just been informed that one of my favorite indie bands Narda is disbanding. I don’t know if this is true, pero sayang talaga. Every performance gets so hyped and addictive. I like their album, Discotillon, and would encourage you guys to buy it. Long live disco-punk!

ang piniping lata ng alaska sa larong tumbang preso..ang action hero na nasa karitela bitbit ang gitara…ang parlor ni bella flores..ang putok ng baril..ang utak na generator..ang mahabang dramatic pause..ang itim na canvas..ang kinakalbong bokalista ng twisted halo..ang taxi driver..ang condom na hinipan…ang tsinelas ng isang metro-aide..ang pinagtagni-tagning larawan ng buhay..ang ibat’ibang mukha..ang kabayong mala-halimaw..ang bagong silang na sanggol..ang baradong inidoro sa UP Diliman Institute of Chemistry..ang camera obscura…

at si ping mula simula, gitna, at katapusan

mabuhay ang mga pilipinong independent film makers..ayus

Doing nothing on a weekend?….

Why don’t you just buy the pirated DVD version of Little Miss Sunshine. Why? Don’t ask. Just watch it. No further questions.

What the fuck is life anyway?