From The Vault:

Bakit ka pa mag gi-girlfriend, kung magbre-break lang din kayo?

I wrote this six years ago, and due to that, the title of this article is long lost. Interesting to look back at how my mind worked six years ago. So many have changed, yet a lot are still the same.

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It is no secret to anyone that I am a fool when it comes to love. It is also no surprise to anyone that I am single since birth. Not that I am complaining but still, I can’t escape questions from friends and families alike on why I am still single. I don’t know if this is normal or not, but, if ever I finally get to have a girlfriend, I want her to be the first and only girlfriend that I will ever have. I want her to be the one I would walk the aisle with. I want her to be the one I would spend the rest of my life with. But everyday knowledge would tell me otherwise.

Just think, how many married couples do you know would fit what is stated above? Personally, I don’t know of any. Plus we hear a lot of people say, “Masyado ka namang seryoso! enjoy mo lang”, or “Masyado ka pang bata”.

Now, that last statement is what I don’t understand the most. In my mind I am thinking, “Bakit ka pa mag gigirlfriend, kung maghihiwalay lang din pala kayo?” I mean, sure, the odds are that you would one day, face problems, deal with trials, and you and your girlfriend/boyfriend might not be able to sort things out and just decide to go on separate ways. BUT, shouldn’t that be some sort of warning? Getting in a relationship and facing problems, one should already be aware of that and be prepared about it. If you really love that person, then why give up? What is the sense of being in a relationship when you expect that it would end up in the two of you breaking up?

Some may say, “Akala ko kasi, ‘siya’ na.hindi pa pala”. Now, then my answer to that is, “Paano mo nalaman na hindi nga siya iyon?”

Just think of this situation; when someone comes into your life, and you love him/her, you would say “Siya na. Sa wakas dumating na ‘siya’”. But when the two of you break up, or hurt each other, more often than not, you would say “Hindi pa pala siya.”

You would say that over and over and over again, until you finally get married and finally say that your wife/husband is the one. But how sure can you be? Because you are together? Because you got married to each other? What if the two of you get divorced? Then he/she isn’t the one? How could you say that you have finally found him/her when you can so easily say that someone isn’t him/her just because things didn’t worked out? Don’t you think that that person could arrive in a less literal way? For that person to arrive to your life, it could be as simple as really loving that person, living your life with that person, understanding that person, coping up with his/her short comings, weathering the storm, suffering all the sufferings and still come out standing and smiling, and, just having trust and faith, not only to him/her, but also to Him.

Then again, people might say, “Bata ka pa, hindi mo pa alam sinasabi mo”, and I just won’t accept that. Sure, I never ever had a girlfriend before, but does that mean that I don’t have knowledge about those things? I never got into a relationship before, but I had experienced a lot of painful rejections, and each and every time, I learned something. Yes, I know that the odds are very small that your first and only girlfriend/boyfriend would be your partner for life. All the times that you would tell yourself, “Mahal ko pa ba siya?” and how many times you get to say yes, rather than say no, until the time that both of you would say the most significant ‘yes’ in your lives. Science, math, and the numbers are just all against me, but then again, science tells us that emotions are from the brain, and right they are, but why do people still insists on drawing hearts as a symbolism of love?

Maybe, just maybe, if a couple just really love each other, they might just beat the odds, and live happily ever after. But then again, I might just be saying this because I never had one. Still, when the time comes, I hope that what I had stated above would happen, and you can bet that I would do all I could to make it happen.

Thinking Out Loud: Proving Grounds

Why do you want to prove them wrong?

 It probably is a universal human experience; being doubted that is. I'm sure you all have experienced someone not believing in you. Someone thinking you could not achieve or do whatever it is that you aspire to do. Someone who does not have any faith in you doing anything, in you amounting to anything. And usually they end it with a condescending laugh.

..and they point at you. POINT AT YOU DAMN IT!

The usual response to such situations? Why of course we want to prove them wrong! Prove 'em all doubters wrong and make them eat there words. We do what we can, focus our time and energy and skills to achieve and do whatever we are told we cannot do. Can't pass the exam? Oh sure I can. You won't get accepted in the varsity team? The hell I would be! You can't achieve your dreams of being a big shot blogger with a three story home and a personal air conditioned bus? You can bet I can!

We would do almost absolutely anything just to make sure we can one day achieve what they have deemed as impossible, and for us to shove it, implicitly or otherwise, it to their faces. All the while our inner selves are applauding ourselves for an excellent job.

Are you sensing a trend here?

But what if I tell you that i've been thinking about this the past few days (yes of course you've been, jeez) and I came up with something. Here me out here now. How about, instead of proving your doubters wrong, you instead prove your believers correct?

Now don't give me that face. I know it sounds like the exact same thing just viewed in a different light. But that exactly is what I was going for. A change in the way you view things could, and would, have a very significant difference. I'm also not saying that those two are mutually exclusive. Others might be saying right now "Well duh, ofcourse when you prove your doubters wrong, you are proving your believers correct at the same time. It ain't rocket science dude!", to which I respectfully disagree. There IS a difference. Let me expound on this.

You know I just have to put this in here somewhere.

I'd like to believe that doubters doubt (and alligators alligate... sorry) because they look at you at a negative light. You're weak, you're fragile, you're too small, you're too big, too skinny, too fat, too slow, too timid, too aggressive, and so on. Believers on the other hand, look at you and see positive things. You are strong, you are a leader, you are inspiring, you are tall enough, you have this and that skills, etc. But it isn't as black and white as we would like to think.

Say someone said you are weak. You proved them wrong. What did you accomplished? You showed them that you are NOT weak. But did you show them that you are strong? Not at all times does it mean that since you are not weak, you are strong. If I may do some analogy with mathematics here; Not just because you are not a negative number means that you are a positive number. There is zero, which is neither positive or negative. Likewise, that is how I view this situation; there is always a middle ground. You just proven that you are not weak, but you have yet to prove that you are strong.

See, that is why I now prefer to prove people that believed me that they are right in believing in me. It may look and feel like the difference is nothing but semantics, but for me the difference of what it implies is significant.

Someone said you're too ugly to be a model? Don't prove them wrong.
Someone said you're beautiful and can be a model? Prove them correct.

They say you're too short to be a basketball player? Don't prove them wrong.
They say you have a future in basketball because you are fast and smart? Prove them correct.

People say that government officials are corrupt? Don't prove those people wrong.
People say that government officials can still provide sincere public service? Prove these people correct.

You've been constantly turned down by the girls you like? Don't vow that one day their decision to turn you down would be proven wrong.
Instead, vow that one day, you'll prove that the decision of the girl that finally loves you back is correct.


Might as well as end this one with a Simpsons reference. Homer could easily want to prove Mr. Burns wrong, but instead, he looks at it in a different way. A visual reference would be in order:

Playing in the Background:

"If you show you are weak, you've accepted defeat."
-A Call To Arms, Urbandub

"Alam natin ang tama, bakit di natin ginagawa?"
-Dapat Tama, Gloc 9

"Marami ang namamatay sa maling akala."
-Maling Akala, Eraserheads


"Ang aking lihim na pakay, ay ang lahat ng ito'y gawing tunay."
-Love Team, Itchyworms

Thinking Out Loud: Baby Names!

When I am doing nothing and just staring in the empty space, my mind wanders and thinks of various stuff. "How does my back look?" "Why is my heart beating so fast?" "What will I be eating tomorrow night?" "That flower doesn't look like a flower." "What would happen if it rained chocolate?" "That cloud looks like a dog with wings." "I'm sure there is a Gundam under the Sunken Garden." "What would I name my kids?"

..and then I sometimes stop at a certain question or statement and take a longer time thinking about it. Like say, "Why would I name my kids?"

Yes, I have already thought what to name my future babies.

Babies!

I would like to have a lot of kids, ideally six (but really, 4 to 8 would be fine). Three boys and three girls. Of course, all of this would happen, maybe 8-10 years in the future. Likewise, all of these would depend greatly on my future-wife-whoever-she-may-be. But hey, it wouldn't hurt to have a "thought exercise" like this every now and then. Plus, it's babies!

Babies!

Okay, so let's start! There would be three boys, and three girls. My first born would be a boy, then a girl, and the pattern continues until the 6th baby.

Babie...eh ain't they cute?

On Deck: UP and Basketball

I have been willing to write this entry for quite some time, but I always fail to do so. But after that heart-wrenching defeat by the UP Fighting Maroons against the UE Red Warriors earlier today, I decided to finally write it. I won't be talking about my support for the Maroons (I think I already did that in an earlier post), but rather, I'll talk about something else. However, do remember that I haven't done much research about the topic, something that I would really want to do given more ample time. If any of you would like to chime in or help, that would be very much welcome. Then, I shall make a more comprehensive post. If there are any mistakes, or misconceptions, feel free to bring it up in the comments. But for now, I would write this with what I know (granted, it may very well be not a hundred percent accurate). I just don't want to lose the idea that is in my mind right now.

Enough of that, what exactly are you going to be talking about?

I said this in a tweet a couple of weeks ago, and I think it captures perfectly what I would be talking about in this post. "The fact that UP is the only public school among the UAAP schools should never be understated." You most likely already know that, though it is not something that would be lingering in one's mind all the time. It is a fact that carries with it a lot of implications.

Rewind: A Hidden Sugarfree Gem

So a few weeks back, I was playing the Sugarfree Live! album on loop, and this certain song caught my attention. I was quickly hooked to the song, mainly due to Sir Jal's backup vocals at the near end of the song. Anyway, I looked for the lyrics of the song and it became an instant favorite.

This song came from Sugarfree's third album, Tala-Arawan. Me and my bro owns an original CD of said album since the year it came out, but it is only a few weeks back when I discovered this song. It is a very Sugarfree song, which for me is that "it has that "kurot sa puso" feel. It won't necessarily bring you to tears, but their is the feeling that somehow, the song speaks to you, and that it is exactly applicable to a moment in your life."

So without further ado, I present to you, Ikaw Pala.

Thinking Out Loud: What Day Is It Again?

Yesterday is History, Tomorrow a Mystery, Today is a Gift, Thats why it's called the Present" 

No matter where you heard or read that quote, and you probably already had, it is quite true.

That being said, I'm not here to talk about that quote at all! I just want to talk about the days of the week, and what I personally think of them. I thought of writing this post when I am once again reminded of what my least favorite day of the week is. Let's start, shall we? :)

Monday - Yes, yes, I know, Monday is not technically the first day of the week. But we're not here for technicalities, right? Monday is fine by me, though I understand why most dislike Monday; it is after all, usually the first day of going to school and/or work. But that's just fine by me. I like going to school and work (I assume I would. I hope so). There is also the case of being in the company of your schoolmates and/or workmates. That is certainly a positive on most occasions.

Tuesday - Hey, the school / work week has just began, so I guess most are not even tired that much yet. Plus, if you are from UP (at least in most campuses), your school week may just actually be beginning. Personally, Tuesday is fun for me since for the past half decade, Tuesdays have been the day for the GA meetings of my organization, UP Tangway, and that is fun in itself. Not to mention that WWE's Monday Night Raw occurs every Tuesday here.

Hey, I'm a big pro-wrestling fan!                                                       

Wednesday - One word, manga. The so-called "Big Three" of manga comes out every Wednesday (technically, it is the translations, but you get the point). Not to mention that Wednesday is also PBA day. Wednesday is cool in my book simply for those reasons.

Plus, the mention of the Manga Big Three gives me an excuse to put this picture in.

Thursday - My least favorite day of the week hands down. Why? Lot's of reason actually. The week starts to get tiring at this point, it is almost Friday but not quite yet, there is nothing interesting on TV. The last point is actually interesting. I think my dislike for Thursday has roots in my childhood. See, I grew up during the time that anime dominated local TV, so much that there were anime from 4pm-6pm (before the nightly news), AND during the prime time(!). And if I remember correctly, those prime time animes were different for every day of the week (I remember Hell Teacher Nube for Mondays, and Vampire Hunter D for Wednesday). The anime that I like the least was usually on during Thursdays, so, I like Thursdays the least as well. Poor Thursday.

Friday - Ah! Fridays! Who doesn't like Fridays? PBA, Bubble Gang, end of the school/work week, honestly, do I even need to elaborate anymore?

Saturday - If there is one day to go out and enjoy the world, Saturdays would be it. Or you could spend the whole day having siesta. Or go out and watch a movie, or do household chores, or go shopping, or get a massage, or go on a food trip, or even just stay on bed all day. I love Saturdays. Why? I just do.

Sunday - Sundays are like..weird, in a sense. I still like Sundays. A day for retreat, for rest, for some more pampering. But at the same time, you know that happy days are ending (so to say), and that the week is about to start again. But me, personally, I look forward to Sundays, at the very least I get to play some basketball every Sundays.

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Playing on the Background:

Lying from You by Linkin Park:
"The very worst part of you is me."

Haruka Kanata by Asian Kung-fu Generation

Enter Sandman by Metallica:
"Exit light, enter night.."

Stan by Eminem:
"Stan, why are you so mad? Try to understand, that I didn't want you as a fan"

If You're Gone by Matchbox 20:
"There's a little bit of something in me, and everything in you."

From The Vault: Ano Nga Ba Ang Patinikan?

(ed. note: I have a thing for speeches and public speaking. So here, I am posting my opening remarks speech during the Patinikan 2012. Added some pictures to make it less text heavy. :D)


To our board of judges, to our guest speaker, to all my co-members in UP Tangway, to all the participants and their advisers, welcome to Patinikan 2012, and good morning.

"Bakit Patinikan?" That has been a question asked to me countless of times before. They ask, shouldn't it be, Panitikan? Taking a look at the archives of our organization, it shows that Patinikan started off mainly as an essay writing competition. Hence, Patinikan is indeed a play on the word Panitikan. Not to mention, Bataan is a province very familiar with fishes, making the name Patinikan appropriate. But then, I am asked yet another question, "Ano ang Patinikan?"

Patinikan is an inter-highschool set of competitions. But is that all there is to it?

I'd like to think that there is more to Patinikan. That it is more than just the usual academic competition. I look at Patinikan, and see it as a medium to carry out a message, and raise awareness on the different issues that are prevalent in our society today. Two years ago, we talked about the role of mass media in the government, last year it was about the drive of the Filipino students in learning, and this year is about the responsible use of technology. To put it shortly, Patinikan transcends being a competition and is now a medium for awareness, a medium for change.

Yes, this may all sound very idealistic. Yes, we are not that big of an organization, and yes, who knows if what I am saying right now makes any sense, at all. But this reminds me of a video that went viral on YouTube about two years ago. It is a video of Professor Winnie Monsod's last lecture for that semester, and in it, she mentioned a quote. The quote was, "I am only one, but I am one. I can not do everything, but I can do something." Patinikan is our something. And if we each do our something, if we each do our part, then that moves us closer to achieving our everything. It would take all of our collective effort to achieve that everything, and it would be hard. It would not be easy, it isn't easy at all, and frankly, we shouldn't expect it to become easy. But then again, that nothing in this world that's worth having comes easy.

Again, a good day, and may we have a very memorable Patinikan ahead. Thank you. :)