++Yes, Baby, YES!++

First entry for the year. (Excluding the draft for my research subject.i posted it late, don't kill me) This better graze the edges of the word good.

Sorry to disapoint your carnal expectations, this entry is swerving elsewhere =p

Alright, before i get lost in private jokes that emerged from ATTEMPTING to study Mass Media laws and provide my readers with nothing that caters to prurient interests, i shall continue.

The past month, made me ponder about a number of things.College is coming to an end, well for most fourth years. But either way it closes our doors to free cuts, drawing fugly caricatures your professors and doing a show-and-tell in class, bullying the yatots, and for girls from my school--its hello Y chromosomes, hello world.

Along with that closing door, are the opportunities missed in highschool. I, myself wondered why i turned down a couple things, okay, so its more than a couple. The basketball team in freshman year, the debate team in sophomore, the exchange-student program for junior year or the retreat for seniors. There are more things i would list, but i'll probably have a brigade of people both faculty and students line up to strangle me if i type them here (yes, it's that bad =p) And now, the time for doing those has runaway into the hands of others.

For a while, it seemed an issue worth wallowing for.

Then i saw Yes Man. No, it wasn't really inspired by Mr.Powers, it was Jim Carrey this time. Even as the movie was comical, it had a point. When you do say YES to life, it echoes that positivity until it travels back to you.

Yes, i may have turned down those things and said NO to many others. Only to pave way for other things to say YES to. Taking a short course in Culinary Arts and Radio MC for first year,for the second there came the photoshoots, my long dream to be in a choir(YES, i can't sing =p and i didn't pay them!), and finding Eco again(as if anything else tops that) there's junior year where i got to spend some time for the track team, acquired my very own computer and have experienced working. Then Senior year--well--yeah..there's something. hahaha.XD Okay, here goes. The best part of Senior year was knowing how much you value your friends(yeah,even if always asleep, i sleep in your behalf) and you actually spend effort to share some time with them. Its knowing how to open-up and learning to actually trust them with realities in your life--and trusting, is always foreign for an oyster like me. =p

And i'm proud to say, that i could care less about the things i missed, and i mean that in an inclined-to-good-way, for the things that i've said YES to (e.g my film that went a-disaster or my murdered class schedule, my unrealism-surrealism version of Van Gogh) are those that catered to my true desires and contentment, there may be room for some regret,but i suppose i'll be saving the space for something more interesting. Next stop, Locking a professor in a classroom perhaps?er. maybe not. better yet, i could try sandsurfing. hello dust and drought!XD

Did i make sense?

Hah, who cares.

I luv Eco!

--Oh yeah, and if you've read this far, do you have valentines ideas? rather than baking/cooking?, really would appreciate it^^

I am not for sale,

Ice.

++Level Up!

Don't ask about the feet just yet--
To alleviate some of the pain, i am dreaming of Abadas and berimbau necklaces--why in the world do they have to be expensive?! WHY?!

Now Why level up?
Yesterday, i was late for training--don't ask why. I was still carrying some of the bad mood when i arrived in club650--its probably the reason why my brains got the better of my body.
I took two sessions, technically the first one's half then our instrutor (that's correct) told me i could join the next training ses--the one my brother's in.
his instrutor told me i could already join the advanced level. OKAY let's try to qualify that in a way i won't be filled with too much hot air--i could be,, a good beginner and a poor advanced level--fair enough? still, it was very flattering and fulfilling--i was able to do makako's--only on one side.haha

We finished around midnight, and i finally got to experience the hot showers!!. I know, i know.. I acquired enough I.Q to make the water heaters work!XD
i wasn't able to bring an extra shirtm, good thing Anna lent me hers. The worst part was my broken blisters ached horribly with a touch of water and soap--though, it took my head off the day's frustrations.

By the time we got home, i missed Eco terribly. didn't want to call him anymore and bother his sleep--maybe that's why its hard to sleep sometimes, i got so used to spending hors on the phone with him--im having a hard time adjusting--but its getting better, i get to see him almost everyday anyway. (talk about addiction huh?)

While i was waiting for my body to run out of energy so i could drop-dead in sleep, i had some interesting conversations. here's an excerpt

WhyDoYouTakeMeForGranted?: nah, i highly doubt it would be.^^
WhyDoYouTakeMeForGranted?: the thing is, for so long i've been chasing his faint image in my head, searching for closure
WhyDoYouTakeMeForGranted?: and his absence only made it impossible
WhyDoYouTakeMeForGranted?: when he began sending messages, i realized i just got my closure
WhyDoYouTakeMeForGranted?: and it was that he had no more power over me. and i can walk away, not with heavy, but lithe feet this time

.the subject wasn't about Eco but he was the reason i could walk away.It made me miss him more. after >_<

And this one, kept me and my brother awake and laughing

I gotta go. Can't afford to be late again today.

Cheerio!

Its Not THEIR First Day ^o^

It was for me. At least its my first official day. Like i've mentioned before, my brother was teaching me at home A LIL BIT (Home schooled!! >_<) and i got a free lesson from his teacher before.

So today *ehem ehem*

I met up with hunhun in Libis to look for his dream headphones. We were supposed to go to g4, but i couldn't go far since my class starts at 7pm--the clock's ticking past four.

If you think about it, it was sort of selfish for me to ask him to go there, since g4 was a surefire place to find it. And i felt bad that we didn't find any =( and i dragged him all the way there. At least i got to see him for a bit.

So what i did was ransacked my contacts if they knew of an Imac store close to where we were. AND! there's none. Sorry luv, for dragging you all the way there. I'm glad you found kick-ass headphones.^_^

We ate at Fazoli's (And all the while i was worried sick that i would puke during training-We ate a bit late--thank heavens i didn't =p)

Back to the Capoeira!

I went to White Plains--and because the beginner's batch were halfway the 12 ses--and the staff was asking for the full amount for half the sessions, Kelv(YESH! I REMEMBERED HIS NAME!) suggested i take the classes in Club 650 (Where there are showers!).

The running warm-up i could take, thankfully, i still retained some of the stamina from my short-lived track-and-fielding days

BUT. I was gobbled whole, spat out, then chewed to splinters when the handstands came.

The handstands i could do--The walking, twisting a-la Eddy Gordo was an entirely different story.

GOOD thing, Jan was obsessive in teaching me Jinga (the base move of Capoeira)

they thought i was some gifted sicko--Ack-- i am faaar from that.I like gifts though.

Don't even ask about the feet.

Imagine hell, double that. My feet feels eight times worse.

And my back, i was thinking if i convert all the mischief i've done to joint aches--this doesn't cover a quarter of it--i've probably done more mischief than i cold possibly remember.

Then Jan came for their session there.

While he was there, i lingered over at Shopwise, hoping there were chestnuts--to no avail.

I settled for Vit water, kitkat and some weirdly concocted viand from the food court.

And i found this!

I took a picture of some gourd!

pretty, right? No don't answer that.It is

See those white things on the right?

They're shuttlecocks. As to why anyone would use that much--i haven't had the faintest idea.

And i was bored, so i thought "what the heck." then *snap*

By the time my brother's session was over, i was CLOSE to remembering some names. I think i would remember the faces--i fervently hope so or i'm dead meat come Saturday(its a mixed class then)

Then we stayed a while in Goudah--they ate, i had dinner already.

AND OH YEAH!! Marge, the girl who was teaching me, looked a lot like NEPH! I miss her! And i miss Eco too--but nobody in class looked like him, I just miss him like i always do XD

Eco, I'm bouncing off my chair--too excited to tell you kwentos--I would stand up, jump and start squealing like a little girl but my feet's detached from me and dad beat me to the punch with the noise barrage--he' s snoring loud enough for everyone.XD

Every intake of breath, every smile exists in the promise of seeing you soon. Maybe tomorrow?^_^ Lemme rephrase--Later.

That's it for now.

Ta-ta! *faints*

Oh. Ps. our group's name--let's hope i don't butcher the spelling " Grupo de Action Capoeira" or GAC. *faints again* 

Capoeira here i come!

After getting free lessons from my brother and snatching a few from his trainers (thanks!heehee..XD). I'm officially enrolling! I've gotten over my bout with the cheapskate in me and since the semester is almost done (yes, i have a paper due in an hour that i haven't started working on yet. Apparently my bout with the procrastinator in me isn't anywhere close to finish =p), and my impossibly grotesque-ly wounded finger is no longer scary looking, say hello Jinga!

Why Capoeira?
Well..that's the third question. The first is, "What is Capoeira?"
If you used to play tekken, you'd know Eddy or Christie--that's their fighting style

How it originated?

Not too long ago, if you remember your history lessons in highschool (--i know i do, my then teacher was the modern incarnation of Queen Maleficient, twice the venom, minus the wardrobe) On with the story, remember the part with the slaves? This one took place in Brazil,if im not mistaken. the conquerors didn't want their slaves learning the art of fighthing, lest they become intellectual and come up with a successful coup plot.So what the natives did was make their version of martial arts, under the guise of dancing---and the rest is, as they say--i don't know anymore =p

Now the "why"
i just like it. Isn't that how most love of things are explained perfectly?

And besides, i like the idea of doing odas with my brother (yeah, he's waay far when it comes to skill level)--we look like twins--that's how our relatives put it--so we play the part--and i don't really mind--makes me look younger-him older.LOL XD

Pictures..will be up soon-hopefully
And i have to return to finish that final paper due in--30 minutes. oh joy

Glance Chapter I

There's a part of my life i've been dying to share or write about. But i guess it'll be incoherent if i jump to that part.
And since its a looong strory, i'll cut it in chapters.

Okay, here it goes

*july 30* still fixing typos..Emotion have the ability to surpass logic..ocassionally

==Stave I== Broken Promises, Shattered Beliefs

Unlike most girls my age, i discovered puppy love a little later than my peers. Probably because growing up for me wasn't something one could call "pleasant". You see, since i don't have sisters and there's hardly any feminine influence in the house, i was struggling between trying to fit in and being myself- I failed miserably with both.

In sixth grade, my parents got into a huge fight, one that ultimately changed my life. My mother, under the guise of "holy week penitensya", dragged us to Olongapo. I knew it was more than a vacation and we didn't really have financial stability then, so i helped with my cousin's computer shop (they had Ps2's, game cube, Pc's and a gift shop).

It was in Powerstation (its the name of the comp shop) that i met Caine. He's one of the elite players in Tekken(its a fighting game similar to Street Fighter, 'cept its Japanese), the best one i've seen there if i may say so. But that wasn't what caught my attention, i was surprised how he wasn't rowdy or noisy like most of the gamers there. He was my piece of chivalry in that chaotic place, a reflection of a complete gentleman.

I wouldn't tell you all the gory details, but we exchanged letters, each one sweeter than the other. He was the first guy to give me a ring, it was in a beautiful heart-shaped box that i originally thought was a jewelery box. NUNG NABUKSAN KO HOLY &^*%! Its a ring! (When i opened it , its a ring!)And the funny thing? He never, not once held my hand. The most intimate physical contact we had was when he was figuring the size of my pinkie finger, for the ring he was going to get me.

I thought everything would be well. He was my piece of light in that God-Forsaken place. It tuned out that our families were connected (NO! NOT BY BLOOD!) too connected. My parents and their parents used to be bestest of friends.

The catch? His parents didn't like me because they saw me as a hindrance to his path to priesthood. Mine simply disagreed with their only daughter having a boyfriend.

Not long after, he began to get mad at me for being friends with some of the kids in school who weren't exactly what one could call "good influences". I tried to explain that it was because of the novelty i presented, a freak from the city, was what made them curious to know who i am. And all i was doing was trying not to be rude. After that he refused let me see him. I didn't pursue anymore after he rejected one of my phone calls (did i mention, since we were just crashed at a relative's place, all my phone calls for him--pay phone, never more than 8 minutes), deep inside i felt inferior, maybe his parents were right, I can't compete with God-if that was his calling. I wouldn't.

The saddest part? The night before i went back to Manila, there was a Bingo game in school, a fund-raising event. I knew we were leaving in the morning and i wanted nothing more but have the chance to say goodbye, to get things cleared before i leave. All i wanted was to understand why.

It was disappointing, he was nowhere. So in a final attempt to be civil, if he was going to be that rude, im not going to stoop in the same level. I called his bestfriend (Luckily, his bestfriend is my classmate, and that guy's sister was my cousin's bestfriend..See? Too many connections)I bid him my goodbyes and thanked him for being nice to me. He told me that Caine was there during the Bingo night, he saw me and deliberately made sure i wasn't going to see him.

That part, for me was very insulting. It was beyond any affection i had for him.

I cried that night,
not because of him, but because even if i despise his guts,
even if he was exactly the opposite of a gentleman,
there were people there that i have begun to call "friends"

And no, i never cried for him, except once.

I think my mother saw how hard it was for me to leave abruply, so every weekend, we'd still visit the place. The worst part was there was a moment where nothing but a tree was between us, he smiled sheepishly at his friends but never did anything. Maybe that was the last string, everything else snapped. After that i stopped the weekend visits.


A few years later, i saw him again. Guess what? Apparently, he still thought we were hitched.He tried to explain why. You know what i think? He's too self-righteous, a hypocrite.

And no, i don't hate him, there's just a piece of me that demands closure.


====
Well there you go. First stave. Pretty long if i may say so.
Thanks for reading!

-Amulet

What Now?Another Apathetic Shrug?

Another year, Another State of the Nation Address.

Usually, i do not look forward to it because classes are suspended on the day of the Address. Why? because it's a Monday. And we really don't get to benefit the holiday. That day is a non-school day for Knollers.

Considering that our current president has given more SONA's than any other president in our republic and how many checks were made on that list of hers, it is but a reality to say that the Philippines has been shrunk to one of the bleakest scenes in Sweeney Todd. Yes, as a citizen, it is embarrassing, if not outrageous to still have hope for the country.

How far behind are we compared to the world?
The reason we are still affected by the oil price hikes? Unlike some countries, we are not modern enough to adapt to electric cars or utilize hydro,geo or solar energy. Or probably, we have just become so accustomed to polluted air that we began to fear the withrawal symptoms from smoke and sulfur if we clean the air.
Our education has drastically been reprogrammed to become a privilege to citizens of higher class. Why? Your everyday Filipino would rather work in a call center and answer mindless questions about somebody else's bill. Or in worse-case scenarios, they resolve to entertainment that does not require a highschool degree, heck it doesn't even need clothes.

But then again, if hope is futile, then what is the point of staying here?

For reasons that maybe, just maybe, beyond the absurd rise of oil prices, threatening famine, ridiculous population growth, and the general atmosphere of corruption emanating from almost-if not all 7,100 islands, maybe there's something more to that.

A culture that has been sruggling to keep itself alive despite our version of diaspora.
A rich archipelago that is inhabited by a number of endangered wildlife members.
An elder passing down the intricate art of "paghahabi".
A family with values that are distinctly ours.
Or more importantly, a developing country that needs nurturing and understanding for it to have a chance to reach its fullest potential.

Now, a SONA is hardly the answer for all the problems we have, but it is start. A glimpse at what we're headed and how we can help. See, our main problem is everybody has an opinion of his/her own. But the beauty in a democracy is that despite the variations in beliefs, a whole community would settle for the one that would be for the general good. I think that is something we are yet to master.
So on Monday, maybe i would listen(or read the internet version at the very least) to the speech of our leader not because my well-preserved professor who-has-single-handedly-defeated-Xerxes-in-the-decorate-your-booty-competition would most probably attach my head on the school gates if i don't, but because i want to be part of that small change. Our present leader nay not be appealing to everyone, but we must realize that we cannot pull the rope on opposing sides. What we can do is be part of that team that tugs upward, a citizen that knows how to lead and follow.

The State of the Nation Address will be on Monday, June 28. Aside from being aired on national television, anyone may have access of summaries, reviews or videos thru the internet or their local broadsheet.

The Hobbler and the Shire

Wretched, wretched, wretched title.. I know..

My limbs hurt so much, merely speaking takes colossal effort.

Okay, im exaggerating now.haha

I've been wanting to take Capoeira lessons since the clash of the Titans. 

Well, since i had to devote my summer to finish my internship, i had to scratch the Brazillian art in my to-do list and my brother went ahead and took em.

So now, im getting lessons free! courtesy of my patient, patient brother..XD (HAHAH!!XD All brawn, no brains!>_<)

Today is the second day of training.

I can't even walk..A painful reminder of how out of shape i let myself get after my Track and Field days.

So yes, like the title describes, i can barely walk. sitting and standing is out of the question. But hey my jinga's getting better, or so i think. An Oda will be plausible soon 

I'm beginning to look like Eddy Gordo. And i don't mean his moves..XD

--icE

ps. Lurved the Braveheart stretches..=p remember the last few scenes in the movie where they teach Mel Gibson an alternative they opt for when you want to get taller?

Okay, enough rambling.back to bed. Im reading Twilight for the nth time. Breaking Dawn's taking too long to get into my crutches.. =(