.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Blaaagh!

Okay, so I've been staying out of my blog for too long. Partly because of my hectic schedules, the upcoming graduation day, and three aptitude tests: one for admitting me to a college, one to test my worthiness to a vocational degree, and one (which I'll take in March) to get me the hell out of high school. Pardon me if I kind of insulted my Alma Mater by hating it. Actually it's not the school I hated, but the students I was stucked with within the four-year stay in high school. I was doomed to be with people whose behavior, habits and tastes I hate.

These people listen to hip-hop and R and B, loves throwing stuff at random (sometimes at other people's faces), and babble nonesense stuff every single minute of their lives until their heads explode. Anyway I'm glad I don't have to see them again after graduation, lest karma strikes and I meet them again as my classmates in college. AAAAARRRGGHHH!!!

So much for putting up with so much ---- in life.

-=-=-=-=-

Anyway, the other reason is Taiwan's earthquake and the cable-snapping in the sea. Apparently the damage done by the the earthquake is not limited to Taiwanese houses: the data optic fibers (?) that connects much of Asia to the rest of the world was destroyed, putting most of the continent's internet pull over to a grinding halt. Almost literally: ultra fast internet connections used for call centers and corporate places had its speeds go down to dial-up rates, and as the interruption continued, it had some companies lose much money. As for me I wasn't able to surf and blog properly.

Well the problem's almost fixed, I guess. The speed's gradually returning to normal. And soon enough, I could blog again. WEEEE...

-=-=-=-=-

On Sunday, the 21st of January 2007, here comes the feast of Sto. Nino again. Seven days before, people are already putting up decorations over the streets, the bands and banging their drums and blowing their horns, street performers rehearse for the dance numbers, and the marching faithful will plod the statues of this saint.

Well, I'm neither a devotee nor a Catholic. But I do enjoy these feast sometimes, since I rarely see marching bands and colorfu confetti on the streets (if I could only get my hands on a camera I'll post the festivites pictures.)

Either way we don't have classes on Monday. Which made me happier.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Luck

Prior to the possible luck that could strike me this 2007, my sister recently borrowed a thingamajig called the magic 8-ball. For those who haven't known it, the ball predicts your fate by giving answers to questions about the future. It only accepts yes/no questions, but its predictions are accurate. most of the time (as my sister, and maybe other 8-ball users and believers, succinctly puts it: "the magic 8-ball is always right.", but that's another story). The usage is simple (I don't know if these are the correct instructions -- I just made them): stare at the ball and ask a question at it, then shake the ball an you see your "future" based on what the 8-ball tells you on its answer window.

Wait... I sound like advertising material. Can someone hurl a heavy furniture on my face? Thank you.

Anyway back to the intended plot. As I said my sister tried my friend's magic 8-ball. Curious of its, um, unbelievable power to predict, I also dug in.

I asked these questions to the ball, and the ball gave me the following responses:

- Will I pass PLMAT (a Philippine university's entrance exam)? "My sources say no." (NOOOOOOO!!!!!!)

- Will I be rich in 10 years? "Yes Definitely." (WOOOHOOO!!!)

- Does someone have a crush on me? "Don't count on it." (Whew...)

- Will I pass UPCAT (another Philippine university's entrance exam)? "Concentrate and ask again." (...)

- Do I feel like what I think I should be? "Without a doubt." (I feel what, do not know.)

- Will the Philippine president be ousted before the end of this year? "Outlook good." (Just make happen already.)

- [Again,] will I pass UPCAT? "You may rely on it." ("May" means unsure, so it could be equivalent to "Don't count on it.")

- Do I have to be a stupid moron in order to be famous? "Very doubtful." (no comment.)

- [Again,] will I pass PLMAT? "As I see it, yes."

Results vary from person to person, place to place, time to time. Make sure you do the asking when you're in a good and cozy mood. Lest you fancy smashing things when you don't get the answers you expect, in this case you might destroy the 8-ball and something terrible will happen.

Again, Happy 2007.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

First Thing In 2007: Annoyance

Seven things I'm annoyed on the first seven days of 2007:

1. The Block. Well, it struck again, and it made sure I can't post on the first day of 2007. I've been trying to squeeze out a thought since New Year's Eve, but it wouldn't give me any.

Well, that broke my vow to greet every New Year with a post on the first day.

2. People who blow up things after New Year. Sleep was out of the question the day after the new year. For every pop I hear, my mind tells me to kill those jerks. Well, it passed. But I could still hear popping in my head.

3. Christmas... In January. The TV networks are still showing Christmas-themed commercials. That's not right.

4. The MMFF People. The Metro Manila Film Festival is trying its best to keep Philippine Cinema alive. But what if the committee's concept of film making is making money? That's the point when one of the movies that competed won the Best Picture award when it was revealed that it won because it was a box office hit (it made more money than the other films). That wasn't their criteria recently. In fact the committee itself made a crime against Art. Many celebrities and people were dismayed, of course.

5. Politicians contemplating a seat in the office. Elections are due for May, but these people are already advertising. A lot of streets have campaign paraphernalia scrawled all over. Oh sure, it's not campaign paraphernalia, as you people say, but a Christmas greeting. But what the hell is the phrase "Vote for x" doing there?

The ads may not have cause vehicular accident for now, but rest assured it will occur.

6. Upsurge in prices. LPG and oil prices soared, as well as many goods and services. Add the strengthening of the Philippine Peso against the US Dollar, and people who depend on their foreign-working friends will be poorer as the strengthening goes on every single day (and it was forecasted by psychics that it shall roll until the end of 2007).

7. My New Year's Resolutions. I'm sure I'll be forcibly asked when I return to school this Monday. What should I answer, anyway?