BAMBOO and FREEDOM!

Finally! Yesterday was my last day of school...I'm free! It seems that Boracay will have to wait until after the Elections. Ahahay! But then again I may just miraculously lose some of my excess pounds and deep-seated fear of going underwater by the time Election Day comes. Hyuk! Hyuk!

Anyway, I was in the mall yesterday and I brought a book --Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown....not since reading Sexual Personae by Camille Paglia have I been mentally blown away! A must-read indeed for the summer.

While I was checking out the other books I saw this cover of PULP Magazine, and guess who's on the cover? Bamboo's Back! This aftrenoon I saw them perform in A.S.A.P. and they should have performed solo without that Diether ruining the song...he should have stood at the corner and shut his mouth! Lordy, some people are just born to recite! Amen!

I also got my links right today. So, if you want to be my friend, send me a message in my board. If you're blog is interesting and funny enough, I'll add you up. I'm in no hurry really.

P.S. That Art Bell article I commented before? It turns out the real one didn't wrote it himself! Hah! Somebody must have! Anyway, whoever you are...my comment was for YOU!

GRADUATIONS AND FLASHES OVERLOADED WITH ELECTION FEVER

Hah! My sister finally graduated from High School and I was the designated photographer and home video woman for this momentous occasion in my sister’s life. It wasn’t so bad, I got back to see my old alma mater and discovered that the church still looks the same; the difference now is that we have better lighting in the room. After the graduation ceremony all hell broke loose inside the Church, kids were screaming and calling out for their barkadas to have that once in a lifetime group picture that will seal the moment of graduation for posterity. It was hilarious even. You’d think that these kids have never been photographed in their lives! But all in all, it was okay.

I was sorting out some of my old papers and I came across some of my research materials in High School when I did a paper about Stoicism as a philosophy And some quotes are still meaningful to me now as they did before almost 5 years ago. Here’s one:

“If you work at that which is before you, following right reason seriously, vigorously, calmly without allowing anything else to distract you, I keeping your divine part pure, as if you might be bound to give it back immediately; if you hold to this, keeping nothing, fearing nothing, but satisfied with your present activity according to nature…you will be happy. And there is no man who is able to prevent this.”
Bull’s Eye!

After Graduation we went to this Hotel in hope that we could eat in one of its Italian Restaurants and who did we come across unexpectedly? A “famous” actor who’s now running for Senator; he used to have a rift with a former President’s son and was recently head of a Board that concerns itself with things of “Pirated” nature. Hak. Hak. He looked tired and it never occurred to me seeing all the bodyguards and big cars near the hotel that it might just possibly be about the Election Campaigns! I must have been “recovering” from all the flashes of my camera. Now I believe the saying that though you may think of yourself as a “Western Fan” of Hollywood stars and all, an artista will always be an artista. You’ll ask yourself later on why the hell did I even do that? Anyway I told my Ma and Pa jokingly that we shouldn’t vote for “HIM” as a Senator since he didn’t even give us a kiss. Hah! A hand shake is something I can get from the Tambays in every corner of the Philippines. Anyways, we’ll see if he will be addressed as his father is being addressed now come Election Day.

FLYERS AND SCREAMERS
It turned out that the President GMA, along with her Senatorial Slate and Bodyguards were in town to campaign. Ilongga Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ilonggo Franklin Drilon were there. When I turned on the live broadcast, the President was already starting her speech. Too bad I wasn’t able to hear Miriam speak. My father was surprised that GMA could speak almost perfect Ilonggo---if I remember correctly, in one TV Documentary about GMA, it was mentioned that she speaks several Filipino languages and dialects perfectly. If anybody there doubts that there are other “languages” in the Philippines besides Tagalog and English---you’ve guessed wrong. My professor in U.P. said that it is only our colonial mentality that bars our acknowledgement of the fact that we actually do have languages of our own. Ignorance has never been bliss.

CHURCHES AND PRAYERS
If you’re confronted or reminded of something everyday you either tend to be oblivious about it or be aware of it. Everyday when I go to school, I pass by 4 Churches and on the school grounds another Church. I’m reminded of one quote by Seneca:
“We often want one thing and pray for another, not telling the truth even to the gods.”
Tumpak!

IF YOUR HEART CAN GIVE A ONE-LINER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
“I loved not yet, yet I loved to love…I sought what I might love, loving to love.”
Ahahay!

CONTRADICTIONS AND DICTATIONS
Physical attractiveness has been defined as: “That which represents one’s conception of the ideal in appearance: that which gives the greatest degree of pleasure to the senses.”(Hatfield and Stretcher)
RECONCILE THIS WITH
“It is a sign of dull nature to occupy oneself deeply in matters that concern the body; for instance, to be over much occupied about exercise, about eating and drinking, about easing oneself, about sexual intercourse.” (Epictetus)

I prefer the latter one. It’s almost a statement for people with self-esteem issues and for people struggling with weight or excess pounds (HARK! The fat lady spills!). Count me in!

Can you see my excess fat making waves as I run to you? BWAHAHAHAHA! Fats rule! In the dining table, in the kitchen, in the hundred of fiesta menus in the Philippines….Vegetarians are still a breed unique to the Philippines. SLURP!

P.S. I finally saw a replay of Miriam making her speech….damn she’s convincing!
Ahahay!

BLAHS, FUSES AND BLOWING MY BUBBLES

This is my latest blog after so many weeks of being incognito on my own blog. I was trying to change the look of my blog by getting free blog skins/templates from a website and every time I change my blog--- weird symbols mess up my words. Bummer! After cursing and wasting precious hours on the net I finally gave up. Hay ahay, at least finals is midway through for me. Two more exams and I’m free! Boracay here I come!

The good thing after I returned to regular templates in Blogger, was that I got my first message on my tag board! Ok if that sounds pathetic that’s ok. Apparently nobody ever read my blog besides Jas (who until now is the one and only person out there that posted a comment on one of my blogs) or if there was anybody else, nobody bothered posting a comment. It (tagboard message) was from Sassy Lawyer, and the nice thing was that she greeted me on my recently celebrated natal day. Apparently she read one of the comments I made on one of those blogs by Filipinos on the net-----I don’t know if she agreed with what I wrote or not---but it doesn’t matter. She made my night.

Anyway I was reading her blog and she mentioned about typing “Bangungot ng Bayan” in the Google Search and clicking on the “I feel lucky button”---voila! Hilarious! If this is something, I’d like to construe it as a sign from the heavens. Jinx or somebody’s dark humor…check it out!

Besides cursing on the messed up words I kept getting after changing one after the other of my blog templates (obviously with no success) I read and I read a lot of blogs by Filipinos here and abroad. I don’t know it’s like having an experience of all sorts after reading most of them. Some are simply hilarious, some make you read twice, some make you feel their mental angst, and some makes you feel funny and weird at the same time---- it’s MY version of mental road trip.

After reading and trying to digest the four Geneva Conventions this morning and R.A. 7610, we finally had and finished Natural Law II Human Rights finals exam today. Whew! Then I remembered that we have to make a Memorandum for this make-believe rape case—you can choose if you could be the defense or prosecution---if I had my way, I wouldn’t choose any---I’d rather sit on my ass just reading blogs….but alas, life is not that kind. He He He Anyways, I wouldn’t know how to start S!#$ with this take home paper. I haven’t even attended a single rape case in court---Or any case for that matter. For a law student I know I’m pathetic. I really am. Don’t even doubt.

The one thing that makes me frown and smile at the same time is reading comments about Filipinos written by bone-heads---oh wait, them having bones? That’s too kind a description----Empty Heads is that I wonder if these people actually write consciously (using mental faculties and all? Normally I couldn’t care less about other people’s comments about Filipinos that are apparently and obviously HARRRUMPH! But just in case somebody would post a comment about this one, I’m all for it.

From a friend of mine in Myspace:

THE E-MAIL
Subject: Filipinos.....*make me puke* (Art Bell)

As we've all come to notice, in the past few decades, Filipinos have begun to infest the United States like some sort of disease. Their extensive involvement in the U.S. Armed Forces is proof of the trashy kind of qualities all filipinos tend to exhibit on a regular basis.You can see this clearly by studying the attitudes and cultural Icons of most Filipino Americans.

Origins of Pinoys/Pinays: Are they really asian? Well we've come to accept the fact the filipinos come from a part of the world known as South East Asia. But the term "Asia" is used in the wrong way. You may notice that contemporary Filipino Americans try very hard to associate themselves with groups that we know as Asian.

I cannot count the number of times I have seen a 'Third World' Filipino try to connect
themselves to the chinese or Japanese people. There is no connection and here's why. The Philippines is a Third World country.

Nothing respectable has EVER been created by Filipino people during our entire human history. Young filipino men in America have become obsessed with "import racing". They have an enormously perverted affection for Japanese cars. It's a common phenomenon. In their minds, these Filipinos somehow believe that they are
asian and that it somehow connects them to Japanese people and japanese cars. They often take credit for the ingenuity of Japanese people and say how it's an "Asian thing". This term..."Asian thing" derived directly from African American
slang "black thang". "It's a black thang."

"It's an asian thang." You can see the connection. It's even funnier that, in Japan,
Filipinos are heavily discriminated against. The only Filipinos that can live successfully in Japan are the filipino prostitutes. But that's the case for most Filipino people no matter where they live in the world.

Now we've come down to this fact...and it is a fact. Nothing in Filipino Culture can be seen as Asian. They have no architectural, artistic, or cultural influence which is in ANY way, asian. Thinking of the great countries in Asia such as Japan, Korea, and China there is no way you can possibly connect the Philippine Islands.

This assault by filipino americans to connect themselves with the great peoples of North East Asia is foul and disgusting. Try visiting a young filipino's web site too. You'll see something called the "Asian IRC Ring". It has to do with the chatrooms. The most horrible thing about this is that these TRASHY people are trying to associate themselves with Asia again!! People in Asia don't act like, this at all.

What we are seeing here is the natural Filipino in it's element with full access to technology and this is how they act! You will consistently see this behavior over and over again. Another interesting thing is that these "thirdworld" people also frequent IRC chatrooms such as chinese japan and asian. They must believe that they are some how related racially or culturally to North Asians.

But it's completely WRONG! There might have been some distant contact With China and even less with Japan during World War II, but these people are actually more closely related to african americans and Mexican americans. Do the parents of these young filipinos know what's going on? Would they accept this? I believe that they would and do. This is the natural "Trash"element in filipinos manifesting itself. Nothing good has ever come from Philippines and I don't believe anything good ever will.

Recognizing your Roots (A Message to Filipinos).

To all filipino people: Please recognize your ROOTS! You come from the Third World! You country is a disgusting and filthy place. Most people there live in poverty!

Your culture has MUCH MORE SPANISH influence than chinese, and absolutely no JAPANESE influence whatsoever. People in Japan and China, do not act like you. They do not constantly talk about sex and they have a MUCH HIGHER level of
RESPECT for each other.

There is NO WAY that you can connect yourself to Asia other than location. Your culture and technological advancement does not even come CLOSE toWhat Chinese, people have done in the past and what Japanese and Korean people are doing now!

Everything you do is distinctly filipino. You cannot take credit for Japanese cars, video games, or Hentai! It's not an "asian thing" it's, an "American thing". You have no concept of culture..no concept of asian ideas or asian philosophy! Can you demonstrate how you use Confucianism or Taoism in you everyday life?? You can't. And you will NEVER be able to. I understand that you are trying to create an identity for yourselves as young people... but it is NOT related to Asia. Your Identity is Filipino.

That's all you are. Just Filipino. Think about what that means....

Sincerely,
Art

MY COMMENT: HILARIOUS! SOME PEOPLE'S BRAINS WERE PROBABLY LOST AFTER THEIR MOTHERS DELIVERED THEM. I COPIED AND I POSTER THIS MESSAGE FROM MYSPACE.COM AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT POSTING MY FRIEND’S COMMENT. BUT I WANTED TO ASK HER YOUR PERSMISSION FIRST....AFTER ALL WERE FILIPINOS WITH MANNERS...AND MANNERS ENTAILS A WORKING BRAIN.... HA HA HA HA
Seriously though, if I was anyway near comatose I would still wake up from where I’m sleeping and stand on my own two feet and blow my whistle on Art. Man, some people are so unnecessarily brave to post their opinion on the web---do they really think that no Filipino can get through this $*!#? Art must be a member of the netherworld (it doesn’t exist Art) or for that matter Brains with nothing but Bones---oh wait having bones would be too much---Empty-Heads is more like it. Art, honey WE ARE ASIANS---if that simple fact of geography doesn’t get to you I don’t know what! We’re predominantly Catholic but we have Muslims and other religious groups, including Taoists, etc. We are generally TOLERANT and yes, don’t be surprised, we are a THIRLD WORLD COUNTRY. Don’t be too surprised Art, we are not alone---it’s sad but it’s a fact of economics my boy. And if what pisses and obviously clouds you’re judgment and reasoning is that we are 3rd World----you are living in seashells my boy. Did you even learn World History? If I didn’t take Philippine Literature in College I would have dismissed this “opinion” of yours as crap---but since I’ve been educated let me say this: Art, take a look at your State (I presume you’re an American?!) and I’m quite sure there are a few Filipino professionals in your place, I suggest that you strike up a conversion with any of them.. (This is me talking down on you) Be nice, you might learn a thing or two about history, culture, the arts, literature etc. etc. etc---besides, Filipinos always feel the need to educate the ones that don’t know $#*&! We don’t condemn the man, we condemn their parents for letting loose an ignoramus on the web….BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!