.

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Damage Report: A Preview

Well, it has taken me days before I could be able to get to an electricity-powered computer. Milenyo (Xangsane) has left over a trail of destruction unforseen by Luzon within the last fifteen years. Probably this is the big thing that has hit the Philippines.

But it gets worse. Another storm is due to land next Sunday. Though there's no report that this could be much worse than Milenyo, all I could say is: nature is striking back... again!

Anyway, almost all of Luzon went power-off when the storm hit. And during the blackout in our house I was sweating buckets. Casualties of the storm: fifty or so. Financial damage: ho, maybe a million dollars or so.

I won't be able to write all about it until power goes back into my home.

And I'm using a computer at the mall's cafe...

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Tropical Strom

Any time today now, the center of the tropical storm Milenyo (int'l Xangsane) shall hit the capital of the Philippines. Ater it has hit eastern Visayas and was due to travel West North West, the Department of Education and PAGASA (the government's weather center) has warned Luzon of the impending danger. Floods, landslides, dengue, rat finks and the like are to be expected while it rains. The eye of the storm could hit the capital at night.

And probably because of the potent danger of the storm (120-mph winds, my god!), the classes were automatically suspended in the typhoon-affected areas. YAY!

Well, it's not funny. Many people are affected whenever the storms come. Not only it gives headaches to the government and calamity support organizations around the archipelago, the danger of floods, landslides, dengue, rat finks and the like are most likely to endanger the lives of the people currently in the affected areas.

=========

Anyway, how I found out that there are no classes the next day was because of the news. I came home just when strong rain poured down outside. I didn't even thought that the strong rain was the typhoon itself. I turned on the TV, which was tuned onto a local news programme, and it announced that there are no classes because of the storm. I rejoiced, and then I read the headline. It said, "Tropical Strom Milenyo".

=========

Well, this morning, the sky is gloomy. The rainfall's just drizzle, but I expect the fallout later to be much worse than I experienced yesterday.

Oh, wait. I noticed that the international name of the storm is Xangsane. Wow, not only it had just finished singing, it thinks it's sane.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Hell

I can't believe a major hell would happen this lovely Wednesday. Besides the usual hell I experience in school (homework, project, lessons, etc.) and the hell I experience both in real life and in MMORPGs, there are two major hells that has happened in one day. Both of them that made sure a huge lump would form in my head.

1. School bawl. We were at the home economics lab, making edible concoctions to please our teachers, when out of nowhere, ice flakes flew and hit my back. The ice flakes were no major threat so I just ignored it, but suddenly, a block of ice the size of a tennis ball hit my head. I saw the perpetrator and hit him with my black book. Hostilities began and everything were sent scurrying around the battlezone. The fight ended when the teacher got mad. At the interrogation room, the perpetrator denied any wrongdoing and stressed that I threw the ice flakes at him. Hmm, they would really do everything to reflect their faults to others.

2. End of days at home. Bad news. My father could die any day of these last six years of everyone's life. It started when my father got a flu and he decided to pee. When he saw his urine, it had blood, but not very obvious, really. He then announced that he is about to die. This thought had me burst into tears because, who would want to see their father die, anyway?

From here on, I just wish hell would fade for now, and not continue for the next few lives.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

"un"-friendly

I don't have any friends. I don't even consider my classmates as friends. Even if someone's always beside me 24/7, I don't label that person my cohort. My definition of friend is "a deceptive person who will claim kinship to his victim who, at any time of life, would be pushed off a tall building by the said sly person.

I want to make friends, but my soul wouldn't want to (he hates people). I must be a human repellant: people would walk away from me whenever they see me. Not that I'm ugly, unpleasant, childish or a cretin. My hunch is that some witch must've put a curse on me that prevents me from meeting any stranger, but that's kind of ludicrous in this technologically-dependent world. Maybe God laid down the curse, but why would He do that? Unless I'm some part of a plan to save mankind from the impending doom, then I would accept the fact that I was destined to be a loner.

Or maybe it's just me.

  1. I don't converse with people, so they don't talk to me. Unless there's an interesting topic to be talked about that's common between me and someone else, I'm mute. Besides, in this world where we just wait for the apocalypse to come (whether you are aware of it or not), there's nothing interesting to talk about that's worth everyone's time.
  2. I'm an introvert, and releasing my thoughts loudly could blow my head off. I contemplate a lot... most of the time. Whatever things that blare off my head, I keep in my brain. Unless the thoguhts are to be used for a purpose (school work, blogging, self-expression), I keep the rest of them in my head. Maybe with so much ramblings and information stored in my mind, I have forgotten how to make friends. Probably if I weren't as stressful as I should be, I could've been a better person. If I were to think less, I would have that sense of well-being. Unfortunately, that cannot be applied in my current state of living, that being a human being, like everyone else.
  3. I'm not cool enough. "Go away, creep. You're not one of us," this one is saying. "EEKKKK!! Ay dohn't unnnderstahnd yah. Gayt ouf may fayzz," oinked another. "I don't speak English," says this guy. If I could blend with the current trends, only then I would be socially accepted. But the, I hate crowds with tastes different from me. I dare to be different.
  4. I'm a ghost. As in spirit. As in dead. Probably my fascintion with the paranormal has transformed me into a paranormal entity myself. "Omigod, I'm dead!"
  5. Everyone's friends list is full. I'm inclined to think that this world is a real-life Friendster or MySpace or whatever social networling site you're on. And each individual is a networking account Whenever I try to make friends with them, an error message appears: "Sorry, this user's friends list is full."
  6. The whole world was instructed to hate me, despise me, screw me for eternity. Hey, this could be the last yet perfect reason why I don't have any friends. I must be singled out for eternal torment.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

the 16 lessons I learned in life

  1. focus on your target. once you get diatracted, you'll fall down, and you have to start all over again.
  2. "sakaling dumating ang pagkakataon, sunggaban mo na" (when the chance comes, grab it).
  3. never give out your personal info, as it might be used by sleazy goons to haunt you for eternity.
  4. as much as possible, keep a low profile.
  5. graciously ignore any unbelievable yet unusual offers you see or hear of. note that there are the cunning out there who can easily lure in suckers, if not kidnap them into accepting the offer.
  6. never trust anybody, not even your cohorts. at this stage of humanity, it's fatal to lean your shoulder on someone: you could fall off.
  7. everyone is cruel to each other, even the seemingly innocuous ones. the reason that they want to be friends with you is that they want to get a doormat to wipe their feet on.
  8. all are corrupt. only the gods of the official regions aren't.
  9. there are people who can do things far better than you do. soon enough, you will find yourself being the last person on earth not being able to do the things everyone does so well.
  10. incompetent people get to grab the highest position in the office, while the hard-working ones gets the lowest place in the workplace and, eventually, gets fired for no apparent reason at all.
  11. however hard you work, or fight, or sweat for it, you'll never be able to grab the prize because "You're doomed, sucker!!!"
  12. do not trust your luck in bottle caps.
  13. the universe has a warped sense of humor.
  14. "The meek shall inherit the earth... when the strong are dead."
  15. if you feel like you've been single out for eternal torment, don't complain; there are many who experience the same thing, some even worse that what you are experiencing.
  16. we will all die of something, if not war, disease, famine, gluttony, disasters, chemicals, or simple stupidity.

Monday, September 11, 2006

In-terror-gation

I had my ego checked for defects by the school psychiatrist -- no, wait. That's probably not a good word to describe the doc that checked my state of mind. It makes here look more like a psychiatrist.

Anyway, the school psychologist checked the status of my head. And this is what I got out from the doc:

  • health: you're still healthy, lest you get cranky and your immune system fails you. go see the medical doc. oh yeah, better watch out: you're getting loony.
  • studies: omigod! you're flunking physics! and you're starting to do the same in other fields! get a tutor, for crying out loud.
  • family: nice record. or probably you're hiding something from me. come, spit it out. don't make me use the lie detector on you!
  • social relationship: what the hell are you?! are you evenhuman?! get a life. (translation: you're too alone, and you'll probably not live till 18. beter haul off people you could push off a bridge.)

Well, the test kind of gives me the creeps, as if I were in some fierce interrogation session. You know: the one in which the suspected person is strapped down in a chair in a room only illuminated by a swining headlight, then strangers force you to spit out the answers they would only want to hear, and if you don't they would slap you in the face, kick you in the groin, or douse you with gasoline and set you on fire (ow. that's not fierce, it's vicious.) . my fears were unfounded, bu then I wasn't left unharmed... mentally: after the "interrogation", my head is due for explosion.

Friday, September 08, 2006

Dang

1. My computer broke down. Malfunction after boot screen disappears.

2. Steve Irwin died. Lovely guy got stung by a stingray. Pay respect to his family, close friends, and fans.

3. It's raining hard, and I'm at the computer rental. Like, how am I supposed to get home without an umbrella?

4. Projects, homework, schoolwork, etc. And they're rushing down at me like landslide.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

27th Manila International Bookfair (A narrative report)

Before I go into the details of whatever happened to me at the grand book fair, let me summarize the experience, thus: This is the greatest thing that has happened to me in Saint Joseph, yet, this is the last time I would experience this (I can always make myself go there, then).

Okay, on with the details.

The day of Friday, well, is like the usual days that have passed me over the past fifteen years of my life. But on the day of September the first, well, it’s just like the other days, except for the “chosen ones” of the Book Lovers’ Club (the “chosen ones” being the Club officers, the most active members of the Club, and me). We are actually going to an event that is on my mental list of “events to celebrate before you die”. Not that I would want to die already, but to be truthful, this event is the only item in my list.

The event, named and proclaimed The Manila International Book Fair, is probably one of the greatest things hitting literary fanatics around the Philippines and, also, around the world (it’s been around for 27 years, meaning this is one big event). Everyone seemed to have come to gawk and enjoy at the random selection of books, pamphlets, and other literary paraphernalia they can purchase. The place of the event was at the World Trade Center Manila in Roxas Blvd., just a short drive away from the CCP Theater.

Anyway, the trip to the fair is not as pleasant as the Book Fair itself; in fact, it’s the worst transportation scene in my life. I wouldn’t go into there; it’s much too yucky to write.

So, there we are, in front of what seemed to look like a warehouse. From the entrance gate I saw the huge billboard of the event, in screaming red letters it said The 27th Manila International Book fair. There were people outside, and not just Filipinos you would push onto a path of oncoming traffic in case you’d meet them elsewhere (no, wait, that’s a joke. I’m just being sarcastic.), but I also noticed that there are also many people of various races, religion, and, I don’t know, clothes? (Yes, there were also people wearing funny outfits there). We went in and bought our tickets to the entrance, right after we deposited everything we own (the management is afraid there could be people who would sneak unpaid items out, but maybe they could benefit from item sensors), and then we went in.

My first reaction: Whoa! Where am I? Am I still on earth? This place might be just, well, rows of booths from book companies and publishers, but for me (and everyone else who loves to read) it’s heaven (whatever happens I will not let my soul get detached from its vessel, I said to myself). Well, before I even noticed the marauding party had vanished. Well, this when the real adventure begins.

There I was walking around like an idiot and mesmerizing at the beauty of the millions of books displayed before the masses, waiting for someone to pick it up and buy it. Unfortunately, I’m on a very limited budget: I could barely shell out cash for coloring book. Fortunately, in most of the booths, they were selling bargains and big deals: Buy 1 Get 1 free promos, discounted books, and piles of old books, many of which hide rare and unknown books and literary paraphernalia (many of them which contain very great, uh, contents). Since I wouldn’t want to waste the precious time being here, I decided to buy two dirt-cheap books: one being compiled essays/ranting/reviews by Jessica Zafra (I don’t consider her a hero – or a goddess – but I consider her my spiritual guide); the other one being stories inspired by anime/manga/games/Japanese stuff.

Because of shelling out, I could barely afford transportation now. And since there’s still a lot of time before we depart, I decided to check out the remaining books.

There were a lot of books and literary paraphernalia there, and of different genres (not just the genres of horror, action, drama, angst, etc.). Children’s books, books for teens, novels, short stories, how-to books, textbooks, encyclopedias, informational, magazines, audio books… a lot.

At 12 noon, the Book Lovers’ Gang went out to have lunch. I must’ve seen every booth that was in there. Our departure is still at three in the afternoon. And I was afraid I would suffer atrophy from the long wait I have to endure.

Fortunately, the roaming around part did well in my time wasting; I re-interrogated the booths and before I was halfway through, BAM! We’re due to leave. It did felt like I only wasted one hour.

Too bad this is the last book fair I could attend with the Book Lovers’ Gang.

Friday, September 01, 2006

27th Manila International Book Fair

I'm currently here at Roxas Blvd. for the 27th Manila International Book Fair. Well, I'm currently infornt of a computer with internet connection, courtesy of PhilOnline.


I'm yet to post out whatever things had happened to me here. It's half good, half bad. But I'm enjoying it, though I had only bought two dirt-cheap books: one ranting column, and one anime/manga/game-inspired storybook.


Anyway, there's more coming. See you later.


Chea, andmaing libro dito!!! (Chea, there's lots of books here!!!) Envious?