Three to Go!

Just three to go for the Planner! Wee!

Migrated Entry 03: How Much for School?

Just how much am I paying for my Jesuit education? I really cannot quantify. I haven’t seen the sum total of my enrollment fees for the last four years. I squirm in horror when I think of it, tallying up those numbers that at the end of four years will give me the piece of paper telling my future slave drivers just how good a slave I was; running after ungrammatical teachers and old hags. (bato bato sa langit, pag tamaan…masakit)

There isn’t much difference between the now and the time when they took the Negroes to England to man (or woman) the kitchen, or stables. I feel that my Jesuit education, as they emphasize it, is only making my ticket to the next master a little bigger, maybe a bit dressier.

That’s why I so dislike people who take expensive education for granted. I feel that you have no right to be kikay, devote time and effort in putting mascara and concealer and blotting oil control sheets on your face, when you do not even know the basic subject-verb agreement. I think that you better stick to learning the APA standards of citation and stop plagiarizing your research papers, and even journals!(in addition to submitting them on time with the proper number of pages) before you even start to play your video games and playing cards, before you pick up the keys and go to a bar.

And what’s more, I do not think people have the right to get laid when they were asleep in health and sex class, go running to me,crying, and asking me what to do. Eh kung di ka tatanga-tanga… I am itching to say.

It’s a free country of course. And I do not stop people who do those things I mentioned. But that doesn’t mean that I’ll start liking what they do. I am not a frigid person. I enjoy the sins (0r are they really?) of the flesh just as much as the next person. But hell, lust is no excuse for stupidity.

Some people think that I have no social life. I do. I drink and go to bars, dance and have fun. But it does not compromise my performance, wherever.

I asked Keeshia if I am a mean person by saying all this. She answered a resounding YES. But then, I really mean all this. Take it, hate me or not, this is my piece.

And yes, I can be mean,pala.

Migrated Entry 02: The World From Me

No one ever said that things will be any easier. The truth is, there is no such thing as "real world". It’s the same banana as I usually say, or the same potato. You can still be late in the real world, you can still feel tamad. You can still get scolded at. You still live. Your still learn. Only this time, you don’t have to write on your notebooks (unless you really wanna) what you pick up along way.

There are still schedules that you have to follow. Not following them means a deduction from your pay. One of the most important things that you must keep within in you (unless you never had it in yourself) is the ability to keep time. Over and above the places and the things that may come along your way, you can never be wrong when you respect time.

Me? I refer to myself as a person in a kingdom far, far away. There are some things that I might want to tell you, just in case you come to join me in this kingdom (far, far away).

1. Learn to commute. Learn the bus routes, MRT, LRT, jeepneys and FX’s and how they differ. No one can live on using the Taxi everyday. You can buy a brand new PSP when you save that Taxi allotment in one month.

2. Bring an umbrella. I always think that one day I will be reborn with a mutated arm that has an umbrella attached to it. Save your skin, hair and temper with an umbrella.

3. Keep a support group. Be friendly.

4. Do not stop learning. Whether it is learning how to speak Armaic or learning how to use a photocopy machine by yourself, never stop seeking knowledge. Drink it in, wallow in it. Only a fool believes that he has learned too much.

5. Reinvent yourself. Put on that little black dress and those stilettos that you were hiding for so long. The best place to start over is where no one knows you, and you know no one.

6. Last, Imagine. Take it from Walter Mitty. Inscrutable to the end.

Migrated Entry 01

Bare (Lazy) Bones

While there are days when I just want to lie down and sleep, wake up and sleep again, there are actually quite a number of days when I feel up and going.
*Sigh* I honestly do not know what to write about.
What pops into my head is Henry’s last write up in Beacon. It was so senti, so drama and so un-Henry that I actually thought (for a split second) that Henry was high when he wrote that. Of course the facts were facts, but I never thought that my hard-balled-political-writing friend can whip up things like that. Of course I dare not comment on the other articles because they are in the past. Oh, you know.*Wink*
I miss writing for Beacon, even when only a sordid handful read the damned thing. I miss debate even when we don’t break (though we often do). I miss the Union and travelling in a bus for more than 18 hours just to speak for something like a total of 28-35 minutes (double that if we break) in debate competitions. The ratty Beacon Office, the place where I slept the whole day in when I had a fever. I miss the greasy feel of the back canteen and the delightful monstrosity we call Chinito’s. I miss the J’s (I only call them that in my mind): Jon, Jams and yes, Jhing. Oh, gosh, I miss that school, that city. And no, I do not miss S.

(Note to MR: I never resent the article to you. Why would I give those readers of yours tips on how to cope with the traffic, price and life here? They should suffer. *Evil laugh* Kidding aside, I just thought that it wasn’t my place anymore.)

I went out a while ago and I saw a welcome banner sign out front a school. I tried to remember what it feels like to have the first day excitement. I miss that feeling,too. There are lots of things I missed and am missing after having thrust myself into this new world a tad too early.
But well, anyway, Henry texted me and told me that I was the only absentee in our biannual meetings at Coffeemix with Marco. That made me kinda sad. Those were cheap, student-on-a-budget meetings but they were fun. Sobra.
I have fun now, too. There are a lot of fun places here. I with a fun person (most of the time). But this is not fun-fun. It’s just fun. I hope you know what I mean.
I might be going home, who really knows? I surely don’t know myself. Is it a sad thing? I keep myself brewing by writing stories and stories that never get to have an ending. I have like a whole notebook of intros and middles and beginnings and endings that do not match. I hope they have a life of their own that will spawn soon. I surely will love that. If anything, it’ll be an assurance that I am still myself, Ems.
Ramble. Ramble.
Largo ya ’ste. Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to get yourself a cookie

FINALLY!

You know how much I heckle myself to finally getting a haircut.
Finally! After so long, I had my haircut on a day when I NEVER thought of having my hair cut.
Here's the story:
I was walking down from applying for a job inside Don Antonio when I found an outlet of Reyes Haircutters. Being the cheapie I am, I thought: Hell, why not? When will I get back here, if I say next time. So in a few minutes, I had bangs, and a new hassle free layered cut. All for Php50.
Pat me on the back.

Mission: Starbucks

I'm not a big Starbucks fan, nor am I a big coffee fan, but I do appreciate some Starbucks stores here in the Metro. I especially love the one in my building here in Convergys because of the friendly staff who probably already know me and my 'usuals', which are either Venti Hot English Breakfast/Zen Green Tea with Honey or Venti Classic Hot Choco 2% milk, are warm and the best I've seen so far. They are quite friendly, really, and most of the time, they offer me some specials or upsizes for free.
So I'm not a big Starbucks fan, I am a big fan of this store.
So when they gave me a card, you know that promo where you get a sticker for every cup you buy? Like this:

Got this a couple of days ago, and I am kinda far away still from the 16 sticker goal to get the yearly planner. But then, it's until January of next year, so I guess I'll make it. My only problem is getting the coffee part of it coz part of the challenge is to get 8 stickers from buying the featured beverages, which are all coffee based. Coffee does not sit well with me, so I'm going to have a hard time on that one.
Til then, Bottoms Up!

Being Filipino

Euphemism: the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euphemism)


Good morning! While I am drinking my steamed milk, and in between munches on pan de sal, I want to talk about how we Filipinos are generally so polite, how we as a people redefined the whole meaning of the word above. Either it be to be polite, or to show intense sarcasm (saying, "uuuy, ang baby kasing cute ni Elmo sa sesame street" to mean that the baby looks like a monster), it is not a small feat that we Filipinos have sucessfully manuevered the usage of words to our advantage.

Take for instance, like Amy, our supercoach, said, if the baby is really so cute, the person would actually say "Ay, ang cute naman ng baby!" but if the kid is not so cute, the same person would exclaim "Ay! Ang laki-laki na nya!". Good point, eh?

So it just shows anyone that the Filipino is such a euphemistic race. We're so keen on not offending, to the point of our own discomfort. For example, an officemate you're not so close with offers you a ride in a non-aircon car. So all the way from Makati to Commonwealth you have absorbed all the air and dirt and smog. Officemate apologizes, and you would naturally say:"Okay lang. Okay nga yung fresh air eh..."

But maybe that's a good trait. It sure is as hell funny when you think about it

This is Just NOT RIGHT

People! Why? I just hate how people don't talk straight anymore.

MY PET PEEVES

1. Texting me using "po" or the DISGUSTING variations of the word like "poh" or "pow"

-I am not you're grandmother, mother or ninang, so please drop the pseudo respectful crap by using "po". Like, "wat r u wering poh?" Where is the dignity of the word there? JUST WHERE IS THE DIGNITY THERE? It is definitely not cute, and the same goes for the morons you say "sowee" or "pweez" especially if you are a guy. It's not endearing. It is disgusting. IT.IS.NOT.CUTE. Especially if we're not close.

2. Alternating caps on the friendster profile page or any other networking sites.
example, and this is a real one from friendster: MaArtE,SEnSItive, SuPlAdITa, FRiEnDly, fAshiOnIStA, KikAy, AtTraCtiVe AnD EveRytHinG NiCE THaT Was Me!! MaTaLinO (ThEReS N o OnE IN THiS WoRLd hAs stUpId MiNDs) mAaRte aKo PeRo InDi AkO mAlAnDE-jUZ DOn'T EvEr jUdGe Me cOz yOu dONt mE aT AlL.... AND ..... YoU MuZ ReMEmBeR eVeRYtHinGs hAs a reAsONS..... DoNt ! DArE mE COz YoU DoNt knOw wHaT CaN I dO SoMe peopLe dOnT UnDErSTaNd WhAT Is my aTtItUde BUt dOnT JuDgE aNyOnE...... .. i pRoTeCT my fRieNdS...aNd pRoTeCt YoUrs :)

Holy Ham! WHAT THE HELL??? Not only did I have to read this like three or four times because my brain is just too slow to read it all at once, I actually had to process the meaning of the whole thing. And just look at that grammar, "eVeRYtHinGs hAs a reAsONS". Do we still go to school, 'Pinas?

3. Text Language in text fields that can accomodate 10,000 characters or more.

-There is simply no excuse for this. The reason why text language is created is because the space is limited. You have room for 10,000 characters here.
Another example lifted from Friendster: *HoTcHiC**sEXy dAw..cHAvii nG mGAh fWEnDz qEw .. sVi qEw nAMn.. mAdAnDa aqEw.. maArTE?/..sObra ** hiHi.. nDi mHEii mAarTE.. kAla nYOuh lAng yUn,, kSHi cHigURo .. yU fOUnd mE.. wEAriNg uNiqUe eAriNgs.. USing mAkEuP.. oWeYs lOoKing mY fACe in tHE mirror.

4. Pretending to Talk like Blacks
-Their language is for them alone. It sounds cool only if they speak it. UTANG.NA.LOOB. Don't try to imitate them. It's just, again, DISGUSTING.
Example: ThuG BaLLa bAbY oF kArEn rOsE i CamE FrOm a SmaLL TowN wEr oL ThA GenGsTerS- kiLLahZ- DruG DeaLahZ- YounG bLoOdS- LiVin aLonE AnD biG TyM SinDiCaTe ArE OcCurS


Can we ever talk like people again?