middle-class morality

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

I've always admired people who are able to move on with their lives as if nothing ever happened. I'm actually one of those people… well, I used to. I was doing just great until middle-class morality screwed me up and introduced the concept of "having a conscience."

 

Funny thing is, I was never like this. Ask anyone who has known me for more than a year and they'll tell you outright that having regard for other's feelings - even a slight hint of it - has never been my strongest suit. Empathy, that I can manage. But actually "feeling" like any other creature that walked this earth was something that I was never accustomed to do.

 

Yes, I blame it on middle-class morality and George Bernard Shaw. I have always wanted to be Professor Higgins until I found my Eliza. I have never felt more vulnerable in my entire life that I would simply give in to anything or anyone. And having paved my way to self-destruction, all that is left to do is close my eyes and pray that I don't blow up.

unwritten

Monday, August 27, 2007

all good things must come to an end, and as i embrace the life of a mid-20 urbanite, i might as well pick a new theme song.. last year, it was "Real" by Plumb (Look at me, I'm 23, beautiful, a sight to see tonight) but this time around, i choose UNWRITTEN by Natasha Bedingfield. 

 

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
 

Isn't it just perfect?!?

deja vu all over again

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

 

just when i thought i had actually out-grown it, it seems like i'm even farther from where i started.

 

 i'd like to believe that everyone goes through it either when people turn 18 or hit the big 2-0. i know i did. it was a really tough time for me that i even labeled october 9 as my death day anniversary and never in my life have i been more destructive. the year was 2004.

 

i never thought i'd be one of those people who would suffer severely from Peter Pan syndrome. i didn't want to grow up and i still don't. and every year, since that fateful event, i would always be late for work (or i wouldn't go to work at all), i wouldn't mind if my room looks like little Payatas, i would be a total biatch to everyone (not to mention, extra crappy) and i would hangout at Starbucks, or at the cinema, or anywhere alone. for three consecutive years, i would always sink into the lowest of lows every third quarter of the year that i thought 2006 would be the last. and just when i thought i had actually out-grown the fantasy of being a kid forever, it seems like i'm even farther from where i started.

 

 i was just watching "Georgia Rule" (Lindsay Lohan, Felicity Huffman, and Jane Fonda) the other day and i haven't stopped thinking about it since then. euphemistically speaking, Rachel (Lindsay Lohan) is a free-spirit. truth is, she's a lost soul trying to find her way home. i remember her saying that she doesn't really care about the sex but what she really wants is to be held. and maybe that's exactly what the world needs - to be held (or touched) - so we can finally say that we are, indeed, home. but then again, maybe it's just me…

off to see the wizard…

Saturday, June 23, 2007

I cannot believe that it has been eight months since I last went out of town. Not that I'm tied up with work that I totally need to breakaway but I guess a time-out is in order from time to time (every quarter would be the ideal interval for me). And the way I see it, the ultimate reward of living in the urban jungle is you get to escape to a more relaxed environment you never thought existed.

 

So, this is it for now.

Au revoir et a bientôt!

sariling wika

Thursday, June 21, 2007

I have a friend who's currently teaching our boss how to speak Filipino and little did we know that teaching English would actually seem a whole lot easier. Actually, if you focus on the fundamentals of balarila (grammar) - i.e. pangngalan, pandiwa, panghalip, etc. - it isn't really that hard. BUT, the moment you get asked questions like "What does the word "naman" mean and why do i hear people insert it in a statement even if the statement already makes perfect sense without that word?" then you're in big trouble.

 

I admit, our language is a hodgepodge of various languages and we have certain words that you can't really explain how they would fit in a properly syntaxed statement but how much do we really know our own language?

 

I got this email from a friend which includes a list of Filipino words with definitions. This is probably the best compilation I have ever read:

 

*** Disclaimer: if you're studying Filipino, trust me, this is not
(and should not be used as) a reference material ***

 

Abuloy — bayad sa nahigop na kape at nanguyang biskwit sa nilamayang sakla.
Akala – alam na alam daw.
Aginaldo – inaasahan na makukuha sa araw ng Pasko na mas okay sana kung pera na lang.
Bakasyon – sandaling pahinga sa trabahong hingal lang ang pahinga.
Bakit – tanong na laging mahirap masagot.
Bakya – tsinelas na may takong.
Baga – lutuan ng mga hindi makabili ng microwave.
Bagoong – masarap na ulam ng mga walang maiulam.
Baldado – hindi mamamatay-matay na mukhang hindi na mabubuhay.
Bale – suweldong inutang.
Kaaway – ikli ng 'kaibigan na Inayawan.'
Kababata – dating gelpren na may ibang boypren.
Kabag – utot na naipon sa tiyan.
Kabayo – hayop na sinasakyan Ng kalesa.
Kalbo – gupit ng buhok na korteng itlog.
Dalaginding – dalagang hindi pa nagsusuot ng bra.
Dilim – liwanag na maitim.
E — ireng paseksi.
Gahasa – romansang walang ligawan.
Ginang – asawa ni ginoo na mukha nang tsimay.
Ginoo – inaasawa ni ginang na may inaasawang iba.
Gipit – kalagayan ng tao na suki na ng sanglaan.
Ha – sagot ng nagbibingi-bingihan.
Halakhak — tawang bukang-buka ang ngala-ngala.
Handaan – magdamagan na Palakihan ng tiyan.
Handog – bigay na laging may kapalit.
Hipo – haplos na may malisya.
Hudas – tapat na manloloko.
Ibon – hayop na lumalangoy sa Hangin.
Imposible -- pagtaas ng unano.
Insulto – walang hiyang biro.
Isda – hayop na hindi Nalulunod.
Ita – negrong Pinoy.
La – ikli ng 'lalalalala' sa kinakantang hindi maalala.
Lalawigan -- syudad ng kahirapan.
Langaw – kulisap na bangung-bango sa amoy ng basura.
Ma – tawag sa gelpren na mukhang nanay na.
Malusog – hitsura ng tumatabang balat.
Mama – tawag sa sosyal na ina.
Mano – kaugaliang Pinoy na nakapupudpod ng noo.
Mantika – katas ng piniritong taba.
Maybahay — asawang utusan sa bahay.
Nakaw – pagkuha ng walang pasabing 'akin na lang ito.'
Naku – ikli ng 'ina ko, ina na ako.'
Nitso – bahay ng mga patay.
Nobya – gelpren na laking probinsya.
Ngalngal – iyak ng walang ipen.
Ngisi – tawang tulo-laway.
Ngiti – tawang labas ipen.
Paa – bahagi ng katawan na amoy lupa.
Paaralan – dito itinuturo kung ano, alin o sino ang mapipiling bobo.
Panata – dasal na nakatataba ng tuhod.
Regla – masungit na panahon ng pagkababae.
Sabon – mabangong bagay na ipinapahid sa mabahong katawan.
Sakristan – utusan ng pari.
Sampal – haplos na nakatitigas ng mukha.
Ta – ikli ng 'tita' o lalaking may bra.
Tamad – taong hindi napapagod sa pahinga.

 

 

 

for more… 

ONLI IN DA PILIPINS

* Nakasulat sa pader:
"MARUNONG KA BANG TUMAHOL? ASO LANG ANG UMIIHI DITO!"

* along a highway in Pampanga:
"WE MAKE MODERN ANTIQUE FURNITURE"

* in a Baguio grocery:
"FRESH FROZEN CHICKEN SOLD HERE"

* in Cubao:
"NONE ID NOTHING ENTRY"

* on a parking lot:
"TAXI AND OUTSIDE CAR NOT ALLOWED"

* along Luneta Boulevard:
"BAWAL TUMAE SA BULEVARD"

* on Jeepney and Bus signs:
"BEFORE PAY, TELL WHERE GET THE ON BEFORE GET THE OFF"

* on a Flower shop in Rizal Avenue:
"WE SELL ARTIFICIAL FRESH FLOWERS"

* on a delivery truck:
"NOT FOR HERE"

* on window of a restaurant in Baguio:
"WANTED: BOY WAITRESS"

* A grafitti inside the cubicle of a ladies' C.R. in a university:
"PLEASE DON'T SIT LIKE A FROG, SIT LIKE A QUEEN."

* At a men's comfort room, above a urinal:
"HAWAK MO ANG KINABUKASAN NG BAYAN"

* at a construction site in Mandaluyong:
"BAWAL OMEHI DITO. ANG MAHOLI BOG-BOG"

* somewhere along San Andres:
"NO URINATING, ON THE OVER WALLS"

* vacant lot near makati ave.:
"DON'T PARKING"

* at an eatery in Cebu :
"WE HAB SOPDRINK IN CAN AND IN BATOL!

[and this is the best of them all!! ]
* on a building somewhere in the Philippines …
"NOTARY PUBLIC TUMATANGGAP DIN NG LABADA KUNG LINGGO"