HEY, IT’S MY BIRTH MONTH!

I’ll be turning twenty-three in 20 days. I didn’t even notice it until the time that I had to sort out deadlines for our Department for next week’s tasks.

I believe that this year is going to be very special for so many reasons. First and foremost, I’ve always loved the number 23. I know it sounds corny to admit but this number has a real special place in my heart for very significant basketball reasons. He inspired me to not settle for mediocrity and to see that the more failures you have in life, the more successful you are.

And now, in a few days, I’ll be 23. I feel so magical just thinking about it. I don’t really have concrete plans on how I would celebrate that day. The only think I know is that I have a few days to prepare to get wiser before I get a year older.

On that note, I would like to share simple principles that help me live each day better, and not just survive with the rest of the world.

(If you believe otherwise, that explains why we are different. Fair? )

Never smoke.

I have friends who smoke like there’s no tomorrow. I’ve been inhaling second-hand smoke since I became my father’s daughter. I have a career where yosi breaks and yosi-lizations are all part of the job. But I’ve never puffed one in my entire life. Not even for show. Maybe to save someone else’s life, I’ll try, but for everything else, cigarettes and I will never be in each other’s mouth.

Not even if Johnny Depp says so. (Hey, THAT is saying something.)

THE NEED FOR A SUPERHERO

This entry was spurred by my Dark Knight hangover. (BTW, the movie was awesome. Highly recommended, even for non-Batman fans like yours truly. :P)

Superhero movies are always exhilarating. They inject you with a weird kind of high, not solely because of the amazing special effects brought about by the most modern technologies in divine Hollywood, but also because of its Utopian elements that never fail to get us off.

But after two or more hours of big screen fun, the wonderful world of fantasy would eventually crush into void. After all, it’s not exactly real. Men who can fly, run as fast as light, swing from one building to another or have the Bat-effing-mobile to crash the Lambhorginis of the streets are just figments of someone’s imagination— transformed into reality through rolls and rolls of traditional film or, in this day and age, millions of dollars worth of HD or 3D effects.

After a few hours of make-believe awe, the world reverts back to normal mode.

We still need saving, though. The villains multiply faster than heroes.

And yet, we are all on our own.

DISCLAIMER.

I think I’ve mastered all the ways to put you behind.

Yet the world disagrees

And celebrates your existence.

The way the leaves sway with your mere breath

Is a conspiracy I have no power

To fight with

-

To deny that you respire

along with the rest of us

Is like filling up prairies

with broken tears

-

Trying to depart from you

Triggers the rain to wail with the thunder.

Along with the deafening throbs

Of every single day; thinking

Not at all believing

That you can never be mine.

THE BABY ITCH

Yeah, I know you want meeeh. Hoho!

I think most single girls in their 20s experience this sensation more than once in a while. Personally, I’d always feel the need to “scratch” every time a friend of mine asks me to be the godmother of his/her child.

It won’t get any easier when I have to go to the nearest baby store and buy the cutest baby stuff ever. Because that would most probably mean that I’ll be trying my damn best not to think about what I’d get if it’s already my turn in the mommy bandwagon.

Believe me, with so many nice choices for baby gifts, it’s hard to resist thinking about what to get for your future children.

But of course, I’m not exactly in a rush. (Hello, I don’t even have a boyfriend to scare the baby itch with. LOL) It’s just that since the first time I became someone’s baby’s godmother, I’ve always been “gigil na gigil” towards babies. Or “itching” at the mere idea of having a baby of my own. Whom I’d love to cuddle and bathe and feed and sing lullabies to sleep. And yes, someone whom once in a while I’d also like to spoil with the best of everything.

I don’t know if it’s the maternal instincts in every girl that bring out this inner giddyness but it really comes out more often than we want to. Baptisms, most especially, are always very sentimental for me. I’d often daydream about having a little girl or a little boy of my own whenever I see a friend being so “daddy” or “so mommy” during these momentous affairs. Heck, I don’t even care if I don’t have a husband while I’m at the business of daydreaming about it (who’d most probably be just a pain in the ass, given the many heartbreaking marriage stories I’ve heard these past few weeks. But whatever. I eat my words anyway.) as long as I’d go home to a bouncy, giggly little angel who would surely take my breath away.

*sighs*

Of course, this baby mania in my head would cease when I think of having to wake up at freakin’ 2 am in the morning to nonstop wailing and all the breastfeeding you have to do until your nipples are raw. Plus the many horrible stories of giving birth, 12 hours of labor and the 10-centimeters-dilating-phenomenon.

But what I would give for a cute little burp, a spit bubble or the most adorable laughter from a baby on a fine Sunday morning. I know it’d blow me away.

I mean, come on. Who wouldn’t get all “awwww” with these?

LOOPS

Okay, let’s talk about loops.

By the way, I planned to go all out and write the sappiest entry in time for Fathers’ Day but relatives bringing lots of dough for some quality good time got in the way of that. So I decided to just be all privy about my paternal love and sent a special card to my dad. It’s been the nth time that we spent Fathers’ Day without my dad actually being here anyway. Instead of wallowing on that sad thought, I decided to talk about something else. Don’t get me wrong, my father is still my hero. No amount of “blogs about fathers” would ever change that.

Okay so, let’s talk about loops.

A loop is defined as a length of line, thread, ribbon, or other thin material that is curved or doubled over making an opening. (Free dictionary, thank you very much.) Although as much as I don’t want to disappoint you, this isn’t the kind of loop I wish to talk about.

LOOK, A LOOKIST!

Aren’t we all guilty of having trust issues with people whom we deem don’t look “good” enough?

And by good, I mean nice and decent. And not necessarily Jesus, but kind nonetheless.

I’m not saying we should start creating a cult for the supermodels and the beauty queens of the world because they are the only ones who deserve to be trusted. I don’t think we have enough time to deal with their anorexia problems anyway.

I, for one, just can’t help but stay away from people (usually men) who look like they’re going to bring out their guns and have you killed in an instant. When I was in college, I spent most of the time commuting on my way to school. Whenever I board the FX or the colorum vans, I’d usually take a sneak peak first to make sure that no one who’s a cross between Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden was inside.

SURVIVOR MICRONESIA: GIRL POWER AT ITS BEST.

After 39 days, Parvati Shallow, a charity organizer from Florida, was recently crowned the Sole Survivor for the Fans vs. Favorites installment of the longest-running reality show in television. Outlasting 19 other castaways, made up of 10 Survivors from the previous seasons and 10 Survivor fans, Shallow also won the check for $1 million dollars with the 16th season of the Mark Burnett hit show concluded.

As a fan of the show myself, it is truly a dream come true to be able to meet, moreso play with some of the best players who ever played the game. I could only watch in awe. Overall, Survivor Micronesia definitely exceeded a lot of expectations and brought in a lot of surprises that endeared me more to one of my most favorite TV shows ever.

My overall thoughts about this season:

1. I agree with everybody else in saying, this is one of the best survivor seasons ever!

2. First time ever that an all-girls alliance made it to the end. I thought it was too ambitious but they pulled it off. Fantastic!

3. So many blindsides, so many shocking tribal councils, so many dumb moves. I LOVED it!

FAVORITE THINGS I NEVER GET TO DO

Have you also wondered what could have been if you thought differently, wanted different things or lived a different life? With so many things that I wanted to do, I think that if I developed an interest or devoted time in doing something else, I can be really good at it. Like if I developed an interest in swimming. Or if I didn’t hate math so much or I didn’t turn my back on science. It’s always that nagging feeling of “so many things to do, so little time,” that it makes you wonder what if you actually just do it.

I believe we do certain things because it’s either what we want or it’s easier that way. But isn’t it interesting that there are so many other cool things one could venture at if given the talent, the desire, the time and the appropriate passion for it?

Here are six things that I would have love to do if the gods of fate pushed me in the right direction:

6. Play the guitar.

I think it’s safe to say that everyone who has ears loves music. But not everyone loves music and feels frustrated at not being to play it at the same time. Maybe I can sing a tune, yes, but I’ve always wanted to play the guitar. For me, the guitar is the most powerful and most convenient of all musical instruments because you can have it with you anytime you want. And I’m all for power and convenience. Plus most, if not all, great songs of all time are guitar-aided, which is great. Another thing is, girls are easily swooned by guys who can play the guitar compared to the one, let’s say, playing the cello, the maracas or the trombone. Although swooning girls isn’t exactly a venture I’d want to try. Last time I checked, I still like men.

MEET MY NEW BOYTOY

More specifically, meet my MacDreamy.

Featuring two of the most awesome cyber thrills today: my blog and Twhirl. Haha!

It also comes with this. (PowerMac Centers offers this special promo until April 30th. :)) Double yay!

I originally wanted to name him Gandalf (y’know, the White Wizard. But it’s just so tacky and corny (I know already!) Plus I don’t want to wallow too much on my LOTR geekdom for once.) After not so much thought really, the idea of MacDreamy came up and turned out to be so right in the money. This baby has been my MacDream for all my Mac-SoYearsOf-life. And I’ve been working so hard so I wanted to make sure that I’ve saved up for something so MacWorth it.

Okay enough about that. The last thing I wanted to do is sound like Meredith Grey. I don’t even have the energy for Grey’s Anatomy anymore, what with all the soap opera crap they’ve been showing. (House FTW!) I just watch that freakin’ show because of Sandra Oh (Points for the rhyming.).

Dear Shonda Rhimes, whatever happened? Please quit the whole hospital staff doing each other and sleeping with someone’s wife, husband, boss, janitor, mailman and godknowswhoelse storyline. We already get that doctors have personal lives, okay? Get on with the icky medical cases. It’s still good TV, you know.

A TRIBUTE TO PINOYEXCHANGE.COM

Okay, first of all, PinoyExchange is very much alive and kicking. I’m not saying goodbye to it nor is it saying goodbye to us.

This particular entry just merits my sheer love and appreciation for the longest-running Pinoy online community, which has become an influential avenue for Filipinos all over the world to “speak their mind” (as their previous tagline suggests) about various issues talked about and dealt with in the society. These issues range from the most serious and pressing matters shared within the political, religious, professional and academic circle to the lighter and more personal topics that revolve in a typical Filipino way of life.

Obviously, it’s about Pinoys exchanging ideas, thoughts and interests by interacting with, fighting with, and teaching/learning from each other.

Founded by Dr. Michael Nolledo (username: “batanguliran”) in 1999, PinoyExchange (or PEX for the more familiar) has grown to become more than just an online forum over the years. It does not only offer key information and valuable knowledge on different “topics under the sun” but also serve as a significant channel to unite Filipinos in interest-sharing, critical thinking and unabashed assessing on the most challenging issues of the modern times.

I’ve been a member of PEX since 2003. But prior to that, I was already a member of our university’s own online community, which first introduced me to the world of online forums. Right then, I was easily fascinated with the exchange of ideas and preferences between various types of people. The feeling was altogether thought-provoking, overwhelming and fun as you go along with it. It was even addictive at times as it demands all your attention, away from homework and weekly readings for school. Along the way, I realized my fellow Thomasians clearly are an opinionated lot. We were talking about school and student affairs, the ridiculously difficult (and often unnecessary) subjects, the professors we respect or frown upon and other issues around the country and the globe which we think merited a student’s point of view.

However, I felt that the avenue I was in was too “constrained” for my taste as I only get to converse with people who were studying or studied at the university. In the most opportune times, a friend introduced me to PinoyExchange, which at that time was where he’d particularly spend a lot of time dissing and teasing haters of the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe (for which my friend and I were both fans of.) He told me to join him so we can both kick a freakin’ ass or two.