++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.. =(

 

Alor, What now?

Today was my first day in school. (Third or second for most)I have this weird idea of not going to school on the first day.

Why? well for one: force of habit (No offense profs, this has been a semestral ritual..XD)

and two: to skip all the awkward introductions. Not that i get away all the time. Okay im blabbering now.

The first and only class for the day: French

Now why on earth did i pick this language?! I'm more inclined, not to mention the my interest level for asian languages are significantly higher (picture a 0-100 difference, that minute).

Unfortunately, Nihonggo was no longer offered and Mandarin's time slots were far from agreeing with my other listed subjects (dou bu chi, xiao jie..nikama?!!) and Hanggeul was yet to be offered. Alor, i settled for Francais 

Imagine my horror when the professor said that if a student in the class could pronounce his name correctly, she could pass the subject.

Oh joy.

Did i mention bulol ako sa letter R?

And his name you ask?

Durr.

duRR!! 

Well, the odds are looking grim..

No offense, i like his name, i just can't say it right.

Technically, im not ranting. Alor, what am i doing?

Just relishing the mishaps of the day. I knew i was bound to encounter Murphy one of these days.XD

The up side is, at the end of the class, my unfathomable love for other languages prevailed. Though half the time i'm preoccupied in catching at least half of what he's saying (*Ice to herself: Nani?! Wakaranai..yare, yare +_+ Bo?English Hasseyo? Aish! Bichoso..) I think im getting the gist of it. Appreciating each word by the second. Maybe i do love learning languages, no matter the origin

And besides. After this this i get to cuss and make it sound beautiful.=p

And when i pronounce it wrong, 

i could always say :pardon the French, no pun intended

plus, an excuse to eat more French food

Oh the love!>_<

beaucoup, beaucoup, beaucoup!

Au revoir!

-icE

btw, Alor means "so"

Imported from blogspot

I don't really know what made me decide to do that..weird ia.. >_<

..But yeah, the previous posts are from blogspot..everything that has "--amulet" in it

I know.i know..nagdadrama un. emo posts..ugh..>_<

-Ice

Forgotten Sentiments

For days, I've been fidgeting senselessly in front of my pc. Random thoughts apparently colliding with each other the more i attempt to scratch a coherent parcel of it.

Give or take it was a couple of months from my last rambling episode. I loved the title, though someone might come along and ruin the entire piece by saying that the name has already been taken by [insert great writer that i couldn't possibly measure up to, here] and that the work is merely a mirror of my own ambiguity.

A reflection of a scatterbrain.

It is.

And i don't really mind. I have too little time to linger on anything trivial.

YET. I tend to linger on many things irrelevant, or so they say.

How do you quantify irrelevant by the way?

Is this post irrelevant for reasons that its 2 am in the morning and i should be getting sleep instead of jumping timelines again?

Or perhaps, Losing another hour and giving it to the sand man? Giving in to the yanks of your appetite?

Or for spending too much time smiling and wallowing over a book, an epic that is on its own an impossibility and being spoiled by its happy ending? Would it be a better option if i opted for a book that had its own resume printed at the back of the cover?With notations I've never heard of?

Or maybe contemplating on ideas or things that you are aware of at the back of your head would never be answered to the extent that you solemnly prayed for?That you already have the answer , but maybe, just maybe, you still seek something more than what logic can offer? Would that be the same as being stubborn?

How does an activity qualify for "time well spent"?

Life's too short to determine which one is actually worth doing. Its a poor excuse to leave things that are of importance at bay and at the same time, it is also a lame reason to put off the ideas brought about by impulse. As hasty as they are formed, they dissolve as quick.

Much similar to thoughts like these.
Gone, forgotten, stashed in a huge, disarray at the back of your head.
All the schemes of grandeur you wished to keep you revved up.
Those you wished kept locked, resurface longer than the ones you wished were retained.

Either way, i am procrastinating and despising the idea of being sucked in by a puddle of mediocrity.

Its a nice scene to be in.

Until you realize you're wasting your time just thinking about it.

-------------------------------------------------------------
The dust settles at dawn, when movement ceases. Then i see. Then you will..

--amuLet

What's An Hour? :Earth Hour, Humbug

Eight o'clock to nine o'clock pm. Turn off your lights, to help save the earth.

You know what's annoying about these things?
I'll tell you a story
It was almost 8pm that night and a little girl received a text message from her mom telling her that there'll be a black out from 8 to 9. Realizing it was the so-called earth hour, she says to her brother

"no, there's no black out its the supposed time for earth hour"

They both decided to participate. Besides what's an hour?
Its that wait for a late companion, 20 pesos worth of rental in a computer shop, that extra snooze time.
When we begun shutting the lights, well, let's just say we were flooded with protests. When my mom got home, she was infuriated because she said the darkness attracts entities from beyond the grave. And no matter what kind of logic we give them, they always come up with some rebuttal that pushes out something in the back of my head

What kind of deranged, selfish, incompetent minds do you have?! Its a bit disrespectful so i decided it was best to keep it unsaid.

Although what ticks me out the most the excuse that since everybody else isn't doing it, why bother?

I admit that i am not the most perfect of personalities, in fact, i would rank myself as one of the lowest of beings based from my actions.

But what's an hour?
What's an hour that has merit for everyone?
What's a cause that transcends religion or opinion?

Its a cause to at least give earth some space to repair the damages we inflicted on it

---
The dust settles at dawn, when movement ceases. Then i see. Then you will..

--amuLet

Epiphanies are made to be simple

for now, i concede to my other self,
there is no use if i remain to doubt people.

I trust you.

You are perfect, all i need is to fix my flaws,
keep my feet warm, as they should

Ableu


The dust settles at dawn, when movement ceases. Then i see. Then you will..

--amuLet

PostMortem Jitters

After everything you desire has taken its course, what now?

is this supposed to be heaven?
tell me, do you find heaven in bringing me to hell?

every moment, my eyes compel me to wash some of the pain away.
you know it doesn't really work.

Where are your candied promises and flowery words?

This is incoherence.
This is helplessness.

I lose my stance
every single thing i do or you do is breaking my heart.
And i don't know why.
And in the midst of all this,
i refuse to let go,
i don't want to let go.

guess this is what they'd call crash and burn

I took the leap, now we will see if i made the wrong decision.

Ikaw lang kailangan ko. Nasan ka?

The dust settles at dawn, when movement ceases. Then i see. Then you will..

--amuLet

Its About Time I Do

Yesterday, i woke up without the dust in my eyes.
Sleep is scarce.

I wonder.
How long have i been like this?

They say that one should always look at the good characteristics of one person.
Today i do the contrary

For days, i've been trying to fortify my strengths to compensate for my weaknesses.
And for days, i have failed.

All for one reason
I missed step one.
so i go back.

with a heavy heart, i'll finish that first chapter i need.

My greatest friend and worst enemy
is my ego.

Although, i've learned to create a facade to dismiss things,
and prevent a ruthless vomit of words
its not enough to shield those i love,
those i care for

And in that pursuit to seal such
a revolting spirit,
i lost everything good life offered.

A smile for each snowflake that tickles your nose,
A moment of flight as the air brushes playfully on my fingertips
A shudder for each kiss on my forehead
And a smile for every pat on the back for a job well done

instead
i feel an encompassing rage within,
an origin of anger even i couldn't find
searing through my skin
tearing up my insides
numbing my hands.
as my soul crumbles
i whisper for a name that could save me

Help me, i implore you,
deafen your ears from my screams
open your heart to hear my pleas

i am pathetic
that's for sure
neither can it be helped

*sigh


The dust settles at dawn, when movement ceases. Then i see. Then you will..

--amuLet

The other side

Unspoken, unheard.

This will be the rest of me..
What's left of what you don't see

judge if you please
respect if you fail to understand

this is the story of my life,
far from the one you see
aside from the one you hear

-amuLet