Tales of the City
Book in Hand: A Girl's Guide to Fishing and Hunting by Melissa Bank
Song in Mind: That song by Hale
In Binondo, Find Your Heart's Desire
A couple of weeks ago, Gilda and I were just talking about walking through Binondo one of these days just to enjoy its uniqueness. Yesterday, we both had to deposit a check in the bank so we decided to walk. I have a feeling it's the closest thing we can have to fulfilling our "dream". Anyway, after the bank, we made our way to Eng Bee Tin as well to buy some of their famous hopia. On the way back to the office, I browsed through a nearby store and found a pair of earphones -- a bargain for P 120. Been wanting to buy that for the longest time since I found that music is an excellent therapy for stressful office days. That hub of old Manila is simply --- i don't know --- intoxicating. And I don't mean the stench from the filthy streets (its infamous characteristic). It's really more of the variety you can find and the directness of the business establishments there. You won't find flashy store window displays. You want something, then take your time finding it. Haha! An OC persons nightmare. But to someone like me who've been hard-pressed for some personal time, or space to think about other things aside from work or problems, sifting through strange stuff is highly hypnotic. I can just immerse myself and totally lose myself in the activity.
So what is my heart's desire which I found while taking a walk through the Manila Chinese district?
Temporary peace of mind.
Armpit Brew
Eeeyuch. Rode the MRT last Thursday and I had to stand in what can be best described as Armpit Central for thirty minutes. We were sardines in a can. My butt was pressed up against some girls back (she was short), and I had to avoid being unintentionally harassed by the man in front whose hand is just inches away from my crotch. Not supposed to be hard if it wasn't just inhumanely cramped. Some people even chose not to hold on to the rails anymore. There wouldn't be any space for you to fall into anyway. And the stench. Funny how people smell, huh? Someone really smelled sour and sweaty that night.
Got me to thinking about how we were never briefed about this part of adult life. In movies, we get the glamorous idea that everything's funky when you're up and about on your own. What they don't show are moments like that one I was stuck in.
Lost in a mass of humanity. All struggling to survive like mice in a glass cage, trying to find a way up or way out. Sweaty in the effort. Forced into situations you'd rather not be in (like an 8 pm ride in the MRT). I knew Peter Pan had it right after all.
I never should have grown up.
From Rubber Shoes to Marriage
Don't ask me how the conversation got there. First, we were talking about Ian's spunky new rubber shoes and then he and Eman were suddenly talking about their love lives. They both had stories. I don't. Or maybe, I did. But I am so deathly tired and ill of speaking of it. Then from love lives, the conversation moved on to marriage. *shrug* The only thing I had to share was that I still believe I'd be the last one to marry amongst my original high school barkada. I was born because my Mother promised God I'd be a nun when I grow up. Maybe, just maybe, there ain't nobody out there for me because nuns aren't supposed to marry anyway. Hehe.
Anyway. I think that ---
Ian's shoes are flabbergastingly expensive. Screw love stories and marriage. For now, this is all I know.
And the Kitten Lay Dead on The Road
Last night, I was actually in a good mood when Daddy picked me up on the way home. But, somewhere along the way, I saw a kitten lying in the middle of the road. A tiny little thing, the poor creature could've fitted in my palm. She (I happen to assume it was a she) wasn't mangled and bloody yet. She looked like she just fell asleep there, amidst the screeching wheels and the bleeping metal monsters.
I saw a brief glimpse of her as the headlights of the car sweeped through the road and I suddenly wanted to cry. Don't actually understand why. It wasn't as if she's the first road kill I ever saw in my life. Took me some time to realize why it hurt me so much. The words came to me like razor-edged swords.
Inocence is dead.
Respect for the Loser
I got angry with my class today. So noisy. I can tell they don't se me as a figure of authority. I didn't know how else to handle it, short of strangulating the noisemakers themselves. Made some loser-speech about please respect your classmates, please respect me. Probably didn't work. I could've been better off hacking the doors down and screaming "Egads, Gonads!"
Nuts. Plain nuts.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
John Smith is a common American Name. Jane Smith is just as un-unique. Take away the pretty people playing the lead roles, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith is just another movie. Un-amazing. Completely forgettable. The action shots are tired old things. Choreography of the stunts were bordering on cheesy. And the romantic aspect failed to give off the right "kilig" factors. Two words can describe this film : Ho hum.
Love Me If You Dare
Now here's an exciting movie! Two kids loves to play the "I Dare" game. As they grow older, their dares become more complicated, stakes become higher. Took them a long time to be with each other. This is a french film with English subtitles. It's not exactly superbly crafted, but it was waaaaaay better than Barbie and Ken that is Angelina and Brad in the other movie. Interesting, you guys should try to watch it sometime.
Trusty Pinoys
Just watched a tv documentary where a girl was made to drop her wallet for someone else to find in the streets of Manila. Then they counted how many people actually returned the wallet to the girl.
65 Pinoys gave it back. 15 did not.
Given that this is just random sampling and cannot in any way beconsidered as a general reading, it's still nice to think that we Pinoys can be trusted to do the good thing after all. Weird news to hear when i just heard from Diane that she lost her cellphone to a pickpocket last week.
Reminded me of the time when a guy seated next to me in a jeepney did not notice that his cellphone slipped out of his trouser pockets. When he got off, I saw the cellphone on the seat he just vacated. I am mortified to say this, but it took me one whole second to decide whether to call him back or not. One second of doubt is enough time for doing wrong. With that time, I already had the idea that maybe I can keep it for myself. I'm sorry, I'm just human. But some other-self took over, and I started calling out to the guy and then screaming for the driver to stop.
Still, I never looked at myself the same way ever again. Maybe I'm over reacting, but imagine living your whole life believing that you will always choose right over wrong. But then one second is all it takes to bring it almost crashing down. If temptation can win you over in a second, then thank God angels are a nanosecond faster than that. :)
Song in Mind: That song by Hale
In Binondo, Find Your Heart's Desire
A couple of weeks ago, Gilda and I were just talking about walking through Binondo one of these days just to enjoy its uniqueness. Yesterday, we both had to deposit a check in the bank so we decided to walk. I have a feeling it's the closest thing we can have to fulfilling our "dream". Anyway, after the bank, we made our way to Eng Bee Tin as well to buy some of their famous hopia. On the way back to the office, I browsed through a nearby store and found a pair of earphones -- a bargain for P 120. Been wanting to buy that for the longest time since I found that music is an excellent therapy for stressful office days. That hub of old Manila is simply --- i don't know --- intoxicating. And I don't mean the stench from the filthy streets (its infamous characteristic). It's really more of the variety you can find and the directness of the business establishments there. You won't find flashy store window displays. You want something, then take your time finding it. Haha! An OC persons nightmare. But to someone like me who've been hard-pressed for some personal time, or space to think about other things aside from work or problems, sifting through strange stuff is highly hypnotic. I can just immerse myself and totally lose myself in the activity.
So what is my heart's desire which I found while taking a walk through the Manila Chinese district?
Temporary peace of mind.
Armpit Brew
Eeeyuch. Rode the MRT last Thursday and I had to stand in what can be best described as Armpit Central for thirty minutes. We were sardines in a can. My butt was pressed up against some girls back (she was short), and I had to avoid being unintentionally harassed by the man in front whose hand is just inches away from my crotch. Not supposed to be hard if it wasn't just inhumanely cramped. Some people even chose not to hold on to the rails anymore. There wouldn't be any space for you to fall into anyway. And the stench. Funny how people smell, huh? Someone really smelled sour and sweaty that night.
Got me to thinking about how we were never briefed about this part of adult life. In movies, we get the glamorous idea that everything's funky when you're up and about on your own. What they don't show are moments like that one I was stuck in.
Lost in a mass of humanity. All struggling to survive like mice in a glass cage, trying to find a way up or way out. Sweaty in the effort. Forced into situations you'd rather not be in (like an 8 pm ride in the MRT). I knew Peter Pan had it right after all.
I never should have grown up.
From Rubber Shoes to Marriage
Don't ask me how the conversation got there. First, we were talking about Ian's spunky new rubber shoes and then he and Eman were suddenly talking about their love lives. They both had stories. I don't. Or maybe, I did. But I am so deathly tired and ill of speaking of it. Then from love lives, the conversation moved on to marriage. *shrug* The only thing I had to share was that I still believe I'd be the last one to marry amongst my original high school barkada. I was born because my Mother promised God I'd be a nun when I grow up. Maybe, just maybe, there ain't nobody out there for me because nuns aren't supposed to marry anyway. Hehe.
Anyway. I think that ---
Ian's shoes are flabbergastingly expensive. Screw love stories and marriage. For now, this is all I know.
And the Kitten Lay Dead on The Road
Last night, I was actually in a good mood when Daddy picked me up on the way home. But, somewhere along the way, I saw a kitten lying in the middle of the road. A tiny little thing, the poor creature could've fitted in my palm. She (I happen to assume it was a she) wasn't mangled and bloody yet. She looked like she just fell asleep there, amidst the screeching wheels and the bleeping metal monsters.
I saw a brief glimpse of her as the headlights of the car sweeped through the road and I suddenly wanted to cry. Don't actually understand why. It wasn't as if she's the first road kill I ever saw in my life. Took me some time to realize why it hurt me so much. The words came to me like razor-edged swords.
Inocence is dead.
Respect for the Loser
I got angry with my class today. So noisy. I can tell they don't se me as a figure of authority. I didn't know how else to handle it, short of strangulating the noisemakers themselves. Made some loser-speech about please respect your classmates, please respect me. Probably didn't work. I could've been better off hacking the doors down and screaming "Egads, Gonads!"
Nuts. Plain nuts.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
John Smith is a common American Name. Jane Smith is just as un-unique. Take away the pretty people playing the lead roles, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith is just another movie. Un-amazing. Completely forgettable. The action shots are tired old things. Choreography of the stunts were bordering on cheesy. And the romantic aspect failed to give off the right "kilig" factors. Two words can describe this film : Ho hum.
Love Me If You Dare
Now here's an exciting movie! Two kids loves to play the "I Dare" game. As they grow older, their dares become more complicated, stakes become higher. Took them a long time to be with each other. This is a french film with English subtitles. It's not exactly superbly crafted, but it was waaaaaay better than Barbie and Ken that is Angelina and Brad in the other movie. Interesting, you guys should try to watch it sometime.
Trusty Pinoys
Just watched a tv documentary where a girl was made to drop her wallet for someone else to find in the streets of Manila. Then they counted how many people actually returned the wallet to the girl.
65 Pinoys gave it back. 15 did not.
Given that this is just random sampling and cannot in any way beconsidered as a general reading, it's still nice to think that we Pinoys can be trusted to do the good thing after all. Weird news to hear when i just heard from Diane that she lost her cellphone to a pickpocket last week.
Reminded me of the time when a guy seated next to me in a jeepney did not notice that his cellphone slipped out of his trouser pockets. When he got off, I saw the cellphone on the seat he just vacated. I am mortified to say this, but it took me one whole second to decide whether to call him back or not. One second of doubt is enough time for doing wrong. With that time, I already had the idea that maybe I can keep it for myself. I'm sorry, I'm just human. But some other-self took over, and I started calling out to the guy and then screaming for the driver to stop.
Still, I never looked at myself the same way ever again. Maybe I'm over reacting, but imagine living your whole life believing that you will always choose right over wrong. But then one second is all it takes to bring it almost crashing down. If temptation can win you over in a second, then thank God angels are a nanosecond faster than that. :)
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