The Poetics of an Odd (wo) Man out

If you read this journal, even if I don't speak to you often, post a memory of me.

It can be anything you want. It can be good or bad, just so long as it happened. Then post this on your journal.

Be surprised and see what people remember about you. ♥

Kinuha ko kay aki "karren" na kinuha naman kay paula..

Hmmmm

may susulat kaya? ala naman nagbabasa nitong blog ko... hahaha

Feel-ing:

Kahit pa man maulan (sa bandang Kalaw) at mainit (sa banding Buendia) ay tinuloy pa din naming ni Shella ang pagpunta sa 29th Manila International Book Fair sa may SMX Convention Center. Ikalawang taon na namin pumunta dun. Asteeg kasi~ daming libro, daming tao, daming manunulat at mambabasa. Siguro para din siyang pagtitipon ng mga Pinoy na may hilig sa pagbabasa. Maraming bookstores ang sumali ngayon taon andyan ang Anvil, Goodwill, A Different Bookstore, Bookmark, C& E Publishing, OMF, National Bookstore at Powerbooks.

Last year, sa sobrang excited ko kung ano yung makitang book hala bili na pero ngayon taon naghinay-hinay ako. Umikot muna kami ni Shella tas tinimbang kung sulit ba yung book na nakita namin. Heto ang mga librong nabili ko:

1. Kaluluwa by J Neil Garcia (favorite ko to, asteeg ng mga tula )


2. Jolography by Paolo Manalo (medyo nagsisi ako na binili ko to for P250.. haay)


3. Master and Margarita


4. LadLad 2 by J Neil Garcia


5. Prose and Poems of Nick Joaquin

Hindi ko na maalala yung iba… kelangan ko na talagang mag-Vitamin B.

Nakakatuwa na may mga ganitong event kasi nakakatulong ito upang in “instill” ang hilig sa pagbabasa sa kabataan. Gaya nga ng nabanggit ko para tong pagtitipon ng mga mambabasa ng iba’t ibang edad at estado sa buhay. Patuloy nitong binubuhay ang imahinasyon at ang kultura ng pagbabasa na sinasabing unti unti ng namamatay.

Maraming yaman dala ang bawat aklat at libro. Ang pagbabasa ay isang uri ng paglalakbay tungo sa pagtuklas sa significant human experience sa buhay ng na sinulat ng isang tao sa ibang panahon at lugar pero can relate pa din tayo :)

Heto souvenir photo:

Feel-ing:

You Are Macaroni and Cheese

Compared to most people, you are quite playful. You are a big kid at heart. It doesn't take much to make you happy. You live for simple, happy moments. You are very content. You don't try to make life overly complicated. You remain thankful for whatever you have. Even if it isn't much, you make the best of things.

Feel-ing:

This week has been the most topak-in time in my life...for some reason i've felt my emotions fluctuating from good to bad to bad to good. parang roller coaster ride. I initially thought it must be the hormones. But NOOO! a lo mejor it was cause by a feeling of dissatisfaction or discontentment to where I am right now(in my life that is). Honestly, I don't really know why I felt like this or what triggered this in the first place?

and for that reason, I decided to finally had my hair cut. I guess by cutting my hair, it'll just cut off these whirpool of emotions. Hair is memory, like Merlinda Bobis said in her novel. So chop chop hair... bye bye topaks!

But whatever it is I'm going thru, I know I need to pull myself up and grin at my shortcomings. I have to rise above and I know I will with God's help of course and with the help I'm getting from my true friends.

Feel-ing:

It’s a rare event for my Spanish classmates and I (especially Jpaul who always rushes to go home) to eat lunch together after class. So last last Saturday (9th session), with Nivel 1 classmates (Dona, Boni and Jpaul) and Cha (nivel 3-present classmate) we venture the streets of Manila to find a resto that’s not only delicious but also quantitative (ang technical pero ang gusto ko lang sabihn ay marami). Jpaul suggested this Mediterranean resto where we’re the only Filipinos who’s eating there.

We walked along the supposedly shortcut from Instituto to Rob Malate then finally after 30 mins of walking non-stop, we reach this green resto, aka “SHAWARMA_____CENTER”. (I forgot the complete name.hehehe).True enough, we’re the only Filipinos eating there since everybody except the staff are Middle eastern.

The ambiance of the resto is nice except for the second-hand smoke I’m getting from those Middle eastern guys. Apparently smoking is allowed inside an airconditioned place. It could’ve been okay if they’re just smoking local and ordinary size cigarettes BUT NOOO, they’re using this big tube (like a big Aladin’s lamp) or pipe that just puff lung-killing smokes.

I like the Mediterranean feel, the colorful lamps, the chairs and the lively designs. I was a bit nervous eating there since I haven’t eaten in those kind of restaurants and I’m not sure if my palate is going to love Mediterranean food. It’s just that I don’t want to waste money over some food that I can’t eat. So I played it safe, I choose (based from the menu with pics) the one that has chicken and rice. It seems palatable.

When our orders arrived, I was surprised to find a big bowl (parang caserola) with this half-size chicken. (andami pla nia) I didn’t expect it to be this many. The food tasted like chicken curry. It’s delicious but not enough to make me cry. (like Sonja’s cupcake). I like the Fita bread that Dona and Cha ordered. We also ordered a milky tea (forgot the name!) which I didn’t drink because it smells like ginger and I don’t drink tea.

While we were eating, Jpaul mentioned that in Asia, Philippines is the only country who don’t use a lot of spices in its cuisine. Probably, he was right. Most Filipino dishes are sweet, for example Spaghetti. Even Macany (GK volunteer from Taiwan) made a comment that why it is that most Filipino food are so sweet.

The food trip down Mabini St definitely reminds me that there many tastes of food that my palate still needs to explore.

Feel-ing:

Here's the inspiring speech of Butch Jimenez during the 2003 UP Commencement Exercise.. .. really really love this!

What's better than?

As graduates, you are just about to set sail into the real world. As you prepare for the battleground of life, you will hear many speeches, read tons of books, and get miles of advice telling you to work hard, dream big, go out and do something for yourself, and have a vision.

Not bad advice, really. In fact, following those nuggets of truth may just bring you to the top. But over the years, I have come to realize that it is great to dream big, have a vision, make a name, and work hard. But, guess what, THERE’S SOMETHING BETTER THAN THAT.

So my message today simply asks the question, What’s better than…?

Let us start off with something real simple. What’s better than a long speech? No doubt, a short one. So, you guys are in luck because I do intend to keep this short.

Now, let me take you through a very simple math exam. I will rattle off a couple of equations, and you tell me what you observe about them. Be mindful of the instructions. You are to tell me what you OBSERVE about the equations. Here goes:

3+4=7, 9+2=11, 8+4=13, and 6+6=12. Tell me, what do you observe.

Every time I conduct this test, more than 90 percent of the participants immediately say 8+4 is not 13 it is 12!

That is true and they are correct. But they could have also observed that the 3 other equations are right. That 3+4 is 7, that 9+2 is 11, and that 6+6 is 12.

What is my point? Many people immediately focus on the negative instead of the positive. Most of us focus on what is wrong with people more than what is right about them. Examine those 4 equations. 3 are right and only one is wrong. But what is the knee jerk observation? The wrong equation.

If people you did not know were to walk through that door, most of you would describe these people by what is negative about them. He’s fat. He’s balding. Oh, the short one. Oh the skinny girl. Ahhh, yung pango. Etc, etc, etc. Get the point?

You will definitely experience this in the corporate world. You do a hundred good things and make one mistake. Guess what, chances are, your attention will be called on that one mistake.

So what is better than focusing on the negative? Believe me, it is focusing on the positive more than the negative. You do that, and this world would be a much nicer place to live in.

What’s Better than Working Hard?
We have always been told to work hard. Our parents say that, our teachers say that, and our principal says that. But there is something better than merely working hard. It is working smart. It is taking time to understand the situation, and coming out with an effective and efficient solution to get more done with less time and effort. As the Japanese say, “There’s always a better way.”

What’s Better than Dreaming Big
I will bet my next month’s salary that many have encouraged you to DREAM BIG. Maybe even to reach for the stars and aim high. I sure heard that about a million times right before I graduated from this university. So I did. I did dream big. I did aim high. I did reach for the stars. There is no doubt it works. In fact, the saying is true: “If you aim for nothing, that is exactly what you will hit…nothing.”

But there’s something better than dreaming big. Believe me, I was shocked myself. And I learned it from the biggest dreamer of all time, Walt Disney.

When it comes to dreaming big, Walt is the man. No bigger dreams were fulfilled than his. Every leadership book describes him as the ultimate dreamer. In fact, the principle of dreaming and achieving is the core message of the Disney hit song, “When You Wish Upon A Star.”

“When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are; anything your heart desires will come to you. If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme. When you wish upon a star, as dreamers do.” – Jiminy Cricket.

But is that what he preached in the Disney Company? Dream? Well, not exactly. Kinda, but not quite. The problem with dreaming is if that is all you do, you get nowhere. In fact you may just fall asleep and never wake up.

The secret to Disney’s success is not just dreaming, it is IMAGINEERING.

You will not find this word in a dictionary. It is purely Disney word. Those that engage in imagineering are called imagineers. The word combines the word imagination with engineering.

In the book, “Imagineers”, Disney’s CEO, Michael Eisner claims that “Imagineers turn impossible dreams into real magic.” Walt Disney explains that there is really no secret to their approach. They just keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because they are curious. And it is this curiosity that leads them down new paths. They always dream, explore, and experiment. In short, IMAGINEERING is the blending of creative imagination and technical know-how.

Eisner expounds on this thought by saying that “not only are imagineers curious, they are courageous, outrageous, and their creativity is contagious.”

The difference with imagineers is that they dream and then they DO! So do not just be a dreamer, be an imagineer.

What’s Better than a Vision?
You must all have been given a lecture at one time or another about the importance of having a vision. Even leadership expert, John Maxwell, says that an indispensable quality of a leader is to have a vision. The Bible also makes it very clear: “Without vision, people perish.” So, no doubt about it, having a vision is important to success.

But surprise! There’s something more potent that a vision… it is a CAUSE. If all you are doing is trying to reach your vision and you are pitted against someone fighting for a cause, chances are you will lose.

The Vietnam War is a classic example. Literally with sticks and stones, the Viet Cong beat the heavily armed US Army, primarily because the US had a vision to win the war but the Vietnamese were fighting for a cause.

Jesus had a rag tag “army” of 12 disciples against the pagan gods of the mighty Roman Empire. But they were able to turn the world around towards Christianity. How? They just did not have a vision to spread their faith; they were truly fighting for a cause.

In the realm of business, Sony founder Akio Morita did not just have a vision to build the biggest electronics company in the world. Read his biography, “Made in Japan.” He was fighting for a cause, and his cause was to help rebuild his country battered by a war. His vision to be an electronics giant was secondary.

So what’s the difference between a vision and a cause? The following

Vision
No one is willing to die for a vision You posses a vision
A vision lies in your hands
A vision involves sacrifice Cause

Cause
People will die for a cause
A cause possesses you
A cause lies in your heart
A cause involves the ultimate sacrifice



A Final Review
• What’s better than focusing on the negative? Focus on the positive.
• What’s better than working hard? It is working smart.
• What’s better than dreaming? Imagineering.
• What’s better than a vision? A cause.
• What’s better than a long speech? Definitely, a short one.

2 final points:

- “To whom much is given, much is required.”
- “There is no destination beyond the reach of one who talks with God.”

Feel-ing:

Saturday morning: Shakespeare jumped off the creek in front of our house. Shakespeare who is more than 10 years old and 80% blind accidentally fell in the creek. Everyone was trying to help him and pull him out of there. But the thing is, no one wants to carry a scarred (galisin) dog. We tried to tell Shakespeare to grab the long stick so we can pull him up but since he's blind he didn't see the stick. He ran off to the other side of the creek and returned at night. We can hear him barking but we can't do anything. Then, it rained so hard that night so we're assuming that the currents washed him away. :((

Today,nanay said in verbatim ito, "hindi na kita kilala.." which really surprised me. She said I spent most of my time in the office that we often don't see each other anymore. She even suspects that may be I have a "boyfriend" that I'm hiding. What can I say? I certainly did change but it doesn't mean that I'm doing something bad or whatever. And for the record, I DON'T HAVE a BOYFRIEND!! If I have a Bf, I'd probably not hide it.. I'm 23.. so what's there to hide? I mean I'm in the right age.. haay.. LONG SIGHS.. I guess I just want to spread my wings. I'd like to stay in the office and work so I won't have time to really "think and contemplate" things cause it's just makes me really really sad. I want to be so tired that when I reach home, I'm going to sleep well. I don't want to have a time for thinking things over and over. Or maybe I just want to escape this inescapble melancholy... I dont really know. I guess they (my parents) just have to trust me..I'll be okay....

... this will pass right?

I never thought that fixing graduate school requirements will be sooo 'toxic'. There are just so many things to do: getting a copy of your TOR, look for professors who will do the recommendation letters, xerox this and that, go to former school, deal with menopausal staff and do the recommendation letters yourself.(and I'm not even in gradskul yet.. .. GRRR)

Even though the whole experience is time-consuming and tiresome, I felt glad (in some ways) because fixing these help me reconnect to a certain part in my past: college days. It also awaken my interest to study again by just meeting my professors.

another chapter begins.... (that's if i pass my admission exam.. hehehe)

Nakakainggit panoorin ang mga batang masayang naglalaro at naliligo sa ulan, walang pakialam sa dumi ng tubig (sabi kasi nila ang ulan daw galing sa laway ng mga tao or collective saliva) o kung magkakasakit man sila sa pagligo dun. Nakakainggit kasi kebs lang tapos ang gaan-gaan ng mundo para sa kanila.

*image taken somewhere from the Internet.