Secret Life of a Cellphone

I am the hope of the Generation, at least for the youth. I am everyone's favorite decoy. I can be anything and anyone for as long as I keep my identity within my keypads. I come in different varieties!!

I feel so loved, so needed! Who else would sleep beside you but me? Who else would make you smile but me? My ring tone is the greatest symphony in your ears. Many couples ended up together because of me. I am the merchant of contemporary courtship and many Casanovas are crippled by my absence.

In a daily basis, my life is very stressful. Having to endure hundreds of messages in my poor little system is really nerve-wracking. My dilemma worsened when Unlimited Text messaging is invented. Never there has been a free time, recess was never mentioned in my vocabulary and my keypads are always bruised because of this never-ending text messaging. I used to find solace during my battery-empty moments but people are just too cruel to use me even in my siesta time.

But after all my services, people will just trade me for a much newer model. And the rest of my clan will remain phased-out.

Secret Life of a Wall clock

I have been with humans for as long as I can remember but still, I can't understand them. People hate me because my hands move too slow, but they're going to blame me for being too fast when they are having fun.

I love numbers but I couldn't get past through the number 12.
I am the best distraction. People couldn't concentrate on what they are doing when they see me-- during exams, meetings, class discussions, etc.
I am the center of attention and people always notice me, but I am still wondering why I remain as a wall flower.
I leave a mark on every wall I go.

Sun rises, sun sets, my life has always been a cycle of de javus. Even when I stop my hands from moving, I know I am still correct twice a day.

I have something that even the richest man couldn't buy-- TIME.
I control it in my hands. And that, my dear, is why I am richer than anyone else.

Secret Life of a USB

I used to be expensive, now I'm cheap. Everyone can buy me now.

I give humans the best service I could ever give: I carry heavy-loaded files and kept them to myself for the longest time, I don't even mind not being safely removed from my comfort zone! But they wouldn't consider scanning threats before exiling me into a new place to prevent me from being contaminated with viruses. And worst part is, they're gonna hate me for that! It's not may fault that some random freak invented that virus!!

I have a lot of fears. I am afraid of horses, cookies, worms and trackers. Those things have really bad effects on me. Horses eat all my files leaving me with a long-term amnesia. Cookies are not yummy after all. Worms, I don't even know why I have worms in my body. I need to purge them out I might have a hard time digesting my files. And lastly, those trackers are actually getting into my nerves!! What's there to track after all?

Now, who says I am not problematic?

Secret Life of a Yellow Pad Paper

I am Yellow: don't be racist.

I am an endangered species during examinations and quizzes. Students beg just to have a piece of me.

Students panic every time a teacher calls out my name: "OK class, bring out 1 whole yellow pad paper."

I can be used even in my smallest form be it a 1/4 lengthwise or a cover to an over-chewed bubblegum.

On a daily basis, I get lonely. After being used, they just crumple me.

I am in love with the obsessive compulsives, I feel very important when I am with them. They don't want me to be folded or crumpled a bit. They even provide a folder for me!

I have seen all things that people couldn't say. I am an amphibian in camouflage: letter to a love one, an airplane for a kid, a ball to a trashcan, and a paper, just a paper. All of those I have been.

Secret Life of a Ballpen

Students used to love me.
When they were younger, they have always wanted to replace their pencils and use me-- I felt very needed.
When they grew older, they learned to forget me. I usually find myself misplaced in between notebooks or even found in the trash bins! My head is always exposed because students always forget where to find my cap!
If not being percussed on the armchair as a noise-maker during boring class discussions, my ink is wasted from practicing signatures and scribbling "i love____" at the back of their notebooks.
In Rizal's time, I am a weapon better than a sword. Now I am a modern day pacifier for grown-ups. Apparently, I always find myself being slobbery after taking a trip down someone's mouth.
In modern times, my inferiority complex worsens. Students do not want my help. They go to school even without me. What used to be a pencil case full of my entire clan,is now a small thing called USB. I just found out that with USB, information is much easier to transfer. Apparently, Powerpoint presentations are not copied in the notebooks and those USBs would just be inserted inside the big metal notebook, and poof! Everything copied.

Oh the modern life, when would I be digital?

Secret Life of a Door Knob

Humans want to get a grip of me. What they want is to twist my neck and let them in.

I have felt all types of hands--cold, smooth, rough, to name a few. Seldom times I get cleaned and most of the time people viewed me as a merchant of diseases. They blame me for colds and other communicable diseases. It's not my fault actually.

People do not see my importance. They wouldn't reward my services: I give them privacy, but they wouldn't give me one. I say "do not disturb", they'll knock at my home (door). I protect them from burglars, but they'll replace me with a padlock. I only go along with a key but people are so rude, they use their cards.

Seldom times I move, only in a linear direction. People wouldn't want to look at me, they just want to touch me. My life is boring, wish I would be something else.

Artist date #4

It was my first time to really explore Eastwood ALONE. I live in South and going to Eastwood is like going out of town. I have been to Eastwood couple of times before but I never really explored it. Mostly, we would just eat at Fazolli's and indulge ourselves with unlimited garlic breads.

Just before the Valentine's day, I went to a party at Eastwood to support my friend since she is one of the models. Because the preparation for the models takes more than 3 hours, I have decided to explore Eastwood alone. Since it's almost valentines day and I have no one to spend it with, I just thought of the inner artist in me as my date, it's literally an artist date. I went to bookstores and read a few introductions of different books, I went on a jazz concert in one of the big open spaces of Eastwood, I ate at Mcdonald's alone, I sat on one corner and listened to the pianist as he played the different romantic songs. It was really fun. Though on the other hand, I get to endure all the sight of different couples passing by thinking how pathetic I am to visit a nice mall with no one to be with. Since flower shop tiangges are strewn all across the mall, I just appreciated the flowers they are selling and examined the faces of couples buying those.

It was really fun being able to find a whole new place and get to appreciate every inch of it. Just to think of it, I wouldn't be able to listen to the pianist for an hour if I was with somebody, I wouldn't be able to appreciate a jazz concert since most of my friends are really not into jazz, and lastly, not everyone finds it entertaining to spend an hour and a half in bookstore just browsing through different novels without even having the thought of buying any of them.

I have enjoyed this day exploring and I even forgot that I have to attend a party.

The last time I..

The last time i've ever been in a concert was during the E-heads final get together. I never expected to have a VIP ticket. Apparently, my friend has an extra ticket and she doesn't know who wants to join her watch. It was fantastic. I didn't even have to pay for it! The concert was quite awesome. Of course I understand why Ely has to limit his moves into just strumming his guitar and waving his hands once in a while. I have always loved Eheads. Their music is the soundtrack of my childhood. Even if i wasn't able to really relate to their "tang-ina nagmuka akong tanga pinaasa nya lang ako" during my childhood years, I still love them.

The last time I have been to Bicol

The last time i have been to Bicol was last year. I really love going there. My cousins live there and the only way I can get to them was through Holy Weeks where we need to visit them for our reunion. They actually live in Camarines Sur or Cam Sur and it would just take us roughly around half an hour to get to CWC.

I love Bicol. I have kept there most of my childhood memories. In Bicol, I get to breathe the type of air that Manilenos are not privileged to have. I love it when we go to hot springs and soak there for an hour. I also love going to Mt. Isarog and harvest different kinds of fruits, I missed walking my dog around the vast lands and chasing after them when they escape. Oh I miss Bicol!!!!!!!!! I want to have a vacation there this year but I am afraid I couldn't. Oh life.

The last time I felt kilig

It's nearly Valentines day.. but I just can't find any reason to celebrate it. None at all.

The last time I felt kilig was.. I couldn't even remember. Right now, I have been so entrenched with my organization and other activities that actually compensate the absence of a love life. I am not really rushing things. Time isn't running out, I have my whole lifetime to spend being in love once I get into a relationship. It does not matter even if the feeling of kilig has evaded me for the past few years. I do hope it would come back some time soon.

I am a Capricorn and my zodiac says I am the rational type of person. Yes, that's really true. My friend laughs at my stoicism but sometimes I couldn't find reason why you have to do something out of emotion. Oh well... I just couldn't write anything right now. My mind is spaced out after interviewing aspiring officers for our organization from 9:00am-5:30pm. Talking about busy sched.

The first time I became a champion on a sport

It was the last day of our table tennis class. The thing about last days are, once you have lost in the game, you get to be dismissed earlier than the usually 2 hour P.E. class schedule. Me and my partner Gillie were kinda fired up in playing since we knew that we would lose the game and get low grades if we stay nonchalant.There are these ladies who are kinda serious about this table tennis stuff. They seem to me that they have descended from the table tennis planet to invade the earth with their table tennis scheme. They are the poker-faced girls who are extremely good in table tennis. They don't smile, it feels like they are going to devour every inch of you once the game has started. Once you hit the ball with your pad, their eyes are fixed on the ping pong balls as if its an infrared device that gets into their sensory nerves and commands them to smash the ball back to their opponent.

Me and my partner Gillie are actually average table tennis players. We are only trying to play for the sake of the grade. Surprisingly, Gillie and I became the champion. How did that happen? Apparently, all of our competitors wanted to go home early so they screwed up their games and lost voluntarily. We ended up competing with the fair players and eliminated our chances of playing with the poker-faced creatures (I guessed they also voluntarily dropped the game for the early class dismissal). We were dumbfounded when we realized we've been up to the ladder and bagged ourselves with the gold! Though there weren't any ceremonies and stuff, the moment our PE prof wrote the grade 4.0 into his class record is quite a show.

Oh, this was for the ladies' division. Another set of champions for the guy's.

The first time I...

The first time I have ever been on a roller coaster was when I was 16 years old. I am such a coward, i thought I was going to scream and die after. Different stories circulate about those freaky rides saying that some people die of heart attack after riding one.
But all the adrenaline rush and the excitement, I ended up loving the ride. It was fun after all.

The first time I...

The first time I ever watched on the moviehouse was when I was in grade 4. The movie was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone. That was the night when my parents were away and my brother stealthily drove our car so that we can catch the Last Full Show. He was high school with only a student's driver license. I was an elementary kid. It was my first time to sneak out of our house at 10PM and came back home at around 1 am. We had school the next day.
Oh the liberty when your parents are away.

I never shared that to anybody not until today.

After 10 years now I can get it out of my chest.

Ten years is not at all late for a confession.

Artist Date # 3

I have never tried gardening. The last time I did it was when I was in grade 4. the outcome of it? FRUSTRATING.
Ever since that dreadful day happened, I have decided to stop gardening. Apparently, the plant I am planting died 3 days after. I gave it abundant water. But it died. When our maid took care of it, it was rejuvenated into a beautiful plant. I wondered how she did that, she must have chanted a few gardener's voodoo.

So today, I mustered all my courage and let go of my "trauma", and started gardening. Just the basics--trimming the grass, and watering the plants. I was happy finding out that the plants didn't wither right away (who knows what will happen with the succeeding days).

Just then I realized, maybe I am not jinxed? Maybe i got bad luck when I tried gardening when I was young? After gardening I remember something that is quite essential to my gardening career: Now I remember what type of plant it is that made my gardening career miserable---it's a cactus.

Smell Of Hamburgers

I woke up late this morning because I slept at around 1am with no particular reason. When i opened the refrigerator, I saw a hamburger. When I tasted it, it's already cold and the ketchup has dried up and no trace of mayo is visible. Then suddenly, its distinctive smell stroke me with a bang of flashback memories.

I remember the night when my brother went home with a Jolibee hamburger. I was really curious why he went home with that kind of burger, in the first place, no one loves jolibee. I was desperately hungry and I would do anything to lay may hands on that burger. He told me not to touch it. Ok fine. Eat it! It's all yours!!! But the following morning, i found it placed right in the middle of the refrigerator--cold as ice. The feeling of not attaining what I want is actually a torture to me and besides, I am terribly craving for a burger. What I did was I told my mother to tell my brother that she ate the burger but it was I who ate it. It actually worked! And now, I have this as a tradition. Because of that, up to now, I have this weird taste in burgers--I feel that they are more enticing and delicious most especially when they are cold (same case with frech fries)

Garlic

While surfing the net visiting my facebook account, i suddenly smell garlic being fried. Memory just flooded my mind. Every time I smell garlic, I always think of birthday parties. When I was young, my mother cooks for our birthdays. Since she used to have catering services, she is quite an expert with that craft.

The indicator that she is preparing for the party is when I smell her frying garlic. That actually comes first in every dish that she does. For the rest of the day, my olfactory senses would be exposed to this smell since she have to cook several dishes.

I love the smell of garlic but i hate its taste. Birthday parties wouldn't be such if there isn't any garlic in the pan. Just the smell of it makes me think of all the occasions.. :)

Dagat ng Basura

Today is the day that marked my existence!
We went to Tondo Manila to interview street kids for our thesis. Why tondo? We just guessed that this place has an enormous variety of street kids that might fit in to our criteria.

Just when we arrived in Tondo, we have decided to leave our stuffs to one of my friends' apartment so that we would not encounter snatchers. When we closed the door, we just remembered that we forgot our wallets inside!! But the thing is, the door won't open. It's locked and we need a locksmith to open it. I only got 40 pesos on my pocket, good for the three of us. On the way, we have to walk near the "dagat ng basura" just to cross the street. Apparently, Anne Curtis and Sam Milby are shooting a film or something so the roads are clogged with by-standers hoping to see the celebrities.
While interviewing street kids, suddenly, policemen raid the market and started confiscating the vendor's goods.

After the day, we just realized that this isn't bad luck, it's adventure.

Since Tondo markets are quite populated, you get to see a lot of people selling goods that are strewn across the road. A smell of fish brought me to the days when I was still a kid. I really do not go to marketplaces and the last time i visited one was when I was elementary. I remembered the night when my mother still buy sacks of vegetables (she used to supply vegetables to a hospital) and I would go with her. It would take us up to 10 PM at most. And after that, she would buy me and my sister cheeseburgers from Jolibee (yeah, we used to love that Bee) and we would eat it on the way home. I would sleep alongside with my mother and my sister beside me. My father was away during that time since he works at Pangasinan.

I love that burger, wonder why I stopped loving it.

Resumes!!!

It just came unto me that I am about to graduate this June and the first thing I have to do is to find a company to apply to. Since applications are tedious and require luck and perseverance, I have decided to apply this early.

I have to print 6 resumes, after printing them, the smell of ink just gave me a recall. I remember the days when my father bought us a printer. It has been a 2 years since the last time i used it. It's still working and nothing's wrong with it. It just that it doesnt have an ink. And every time I try to refill it, my laziness just gets into my way. Now, I still have to go to school to get my papers printed.
I remember the last time i used it, I used it to print a powerpoint in our Genders class. The next day, I just realized that the letters are not visible so i have to print it again.. Every time i smell newly printed materials, I just remember my poor printer..
when will i ever buy an ink refill? :|

Mush Potatoes

It was only after our 2nd year of stay in La Salle that we discover the canteen inside Miguel Building 3rd Floor. Apparently, this room is exclusively for the use of the faculty but sometimes, students can't help sneaking around the forbidden canteen to buy foods in between classes. Me and my friends have decided to eat there, but to our greatest disappointment, we are not allowed. So we just took it out and ate the food in z2 instead. What I love about the serving is that the waitress gave us an abundant scoop of mush potatoes. The smell of mush potatoes really has a tremendous effect on me. I love it! :)

When I smell it, it takes me back to the time of our frosh years. When I was frosh, I usually order a food only if it has a mush potato sidedish. If I saw a food with it, I order it even if i am only after the potatoes.

What I remember the most about the food is during the time when we eat at Andrew Building 6th floor. And after that, we would order mango crepe. Mouthwatering, I know. Aside from the crepe and potatoes, this is the time to review our Kaspil class. Life was secluded to me and my block, it's like La Salle is for us, the only premise of this university is Andrew and nothing else. Those were the FROSH days, and after this term, it's time to say good bye. How come no one warned me that time in La Salle slips so quickly?

Cheese Flavor

As my friend, Trisha and I walked pass Zaide, a familiar smell just tickled my olfactory senses.
"Cheese flavor? Where does it come from?", I asked my friend.
"Zaide, where else?", said Trisha. Actually she has a point, where else would it come from?

Suddenly, I felt nostalgic and memories flooded by mind. I just remember the days when we cook popcorn in our house. Those were the days when microwaves are not yet in, and for you to cook popcorn, you have to use the hard way. It was always flavored cheese.
After waiting for the popcorn to be cooked, we would choose our most comfortable position in our sofa and watch our most favorite childhood show--Wansapanataym. We need not to worry about assignments, school is just nothing but a playground and class lessons are just instructions on how you can play in that childhood arena. How I wish I can turn back to time when my questions are as simple as how would I have my 2 front teeth back? how would I win Jack and Poy?, what's the lyrics of pearly shells? who will win: Taguro or Eugene?, will I be expelled because I misplaced my ID? When happiness is simple as knowing that classes are suspended, and the only thing that will make you cry is your bully classmate.

Yeah, life is simple during the time of cheese-flavored popcorn.

Artist Date #2

I really do not have any idea as to what I can do so that my artist date wouldn't dump me for anything. Today, what I did to release my inner artistry is to put a little design on my hair.

I grabbed myself 3 colored pens and swiveled it on portion of my hair. I look ridiculous, I know. I have to sit in SJ walk for about 15 minutes so that people may notice my new look. A queer view for fashion as one may put it. I posed some hilarious positions and experimented with different facial expressions. People might find it weird, but for as long as I can exhaust the inner artisan, why not. Bizarre taste, you say, but who cares? Then I would know my artist date wouldn't have to evade my senses.

First sentence from the book: The Changing Family by Mark Hutter

India is one of the world's largest nations.
After 30 years, I wonder what would be the largest nation. Would it still be India. Perhaps it would be China.

"God made the earth and the universe, and the rest is made in China." From my ponytail down to my slippers, everything is made in China. This encroachment taught us that no matter how far we go, we would still find ourselves buying a made in China apparel.
I do not want to be racist here, I am not at all racist! All I have is plain observation.

But try to think of it, what if after 100 years, we find ourselves using items made in the Philippines? Wouldn't it be nicer? An Ipod made in the Philippines, that's what I am talking about. One hundred years? Would that be feasible? Maybe when we can make our own Yoda we would be able to do so. But as of now, we'll just have to endure the sight of a another country's name on our apparels.