Congratulations to the 21 NCR finalists in the search for the 2012 Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (TOSP)!
I think he’s got first dibs on the name, at least in the Philippines. :)
(Source: mlq3)
Separated at birth?
(Source: ramonbautista)
Bad habit
I have this bad habit I just can’t kick: sleeping late — well, actually early…early in the morning. I just want to make the most of what’s left of each day for me time. Here’s what I usually do during then:
- Surf the Internet
- Play games on my iPod Touch
- Read books and magazines
- Organize my things
As I’m writing this entry, I’m also playing The Sims Free Play on my iPod. I want my two Sims (named after yours truly and my boyfriend) to go from “Dating” to “Partners.” And now that they already are, they’re doing the “Woohoo.”
It’s already two in the morning. I have to log off now.
Just live
A friend of mine took his own life just a few days earlier.
He shot himself in the head, months after contemplating suicide. I should have seen it coming. His posts on Facebook and his Yahoo! Messenger status mostly dealt with thoughts of death, of this being a solution to all problems.
It is not.
But then, I can easily say this because I have never found myself on the verge of taking my own life. I believe that no problem that comes my way is too difficult for me to overcome. But I also believe that I’m yet to reach a breaking point.
And when that happens, I hope I’d make it through. I’ve got so much to live for.
Clever use of a logo :)
(Source: myimaginarybrooklyn, via mlq3)
Happy Sherlock Valentine’s! I’m a sucker for witty, not wimpy, V cards. :)
(Source: doyoudopoison, via predilection)
Balitang vocab
I have Philippine free TV (particularly TV Patrol World and 24 Oras) to thank for my proficiency in Filipino. But my parents also take the credit for that. “Bakit tayo mag-e-English sa bahay kung Pilipino naman tayo?” they said to my brother and me. Oo nga naman. Why be pretentious and act burgis when it’s more fun to be Pinoy? And so we grew up speaking in English in school and Filipino at home – straight Filipino.
Now back to regular programming. Watching early-evening newscasts on Channels 2 and 7 have added words to my Filipino vocabulary, words such as…
- Karumaldumal: heinous
- Nagbabaga: red-hot
- Kalunus-lunos: pitiful
- Maralita: poor
Talk about sensational and ad nauseam news. That’s exactly why those words have made their way into my vocabulary – and stayed there. Listening to strident news-reporting about the same old crimes of passion (and worse), vehicular accidents, political (and showbiz) intrigues, and natural calamities have drilled them into my head.
Even if I don’t really use those words in everyday speech, they’re still nice to know and come in handy when I want to express certain things in a certain way. Filipino words are vivid and emphatic, perfect for expressing intense emotion (hence the Pinoys’ penchant for melodrama) and blindingly sparkling wit (hence the reign of “becky” standup comedians). When I’m gunning for these things, I turn to Tagalog, because I can’t find the English words that can do them justice. Maybe my English isn’t that superior. Or maybe English just can’t handle Pinoy histrionics and humor well enough, simply because a foreign language can’t quite capture the nuances of a different culture.
I must admit that I write better in English, but I can express myself orally in English and Filipino equally well. I’ve got to thank Philippine TV for that.
Sherlock is turning Japanese! It’s surprisingly surreal to watch these Englishmen speak in Nihongo.
(Source: crosspistols, via predilection)
Quo vadis? (Where are you going?)
The power of the written word is immense. A plan or a dream starts turning into a reality when you write it down and flesh it out on paper. When you write down the things you want to do and tell the world about them, you create a contract that binds you to your readers. When you say you’ll do it, you should (or at least try your darnedest best).
Maybe I’m being unnecessarily stringent — but isn’t that necessary to achieving your goals?
Now here’s my journal, a posh and pricey notebook, one of my aspirational buys (another one would be genuine-leather bags). I bought it late last year (on sale, of course) and have filled up only less than 20 pages so far with my scrawls — not a good number, if I’m supposed to be writing a Palanca-winning essay (one of my goals). But here’s the rub: I’m stumped. What should I write about? What story from my life can I share?
Perhaps I can start with this: I’ll turn 24 later this year, one year closer to 25, when a chapter of my life ends. Not that I’ve consciously divided my life into chapters, parts, or volumes, as in a book: Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood, Middle Age, and Old Age. But when I reach 25, I will definitely feel that I’ve reached my life’s one-fourth mark (assuming I have 100 years to live).
What have I achieved? The chapter of my life that will end when I turn 25 seems boring (by my standards, that is). Here are some reasons why:
- I haven’t traveled out of the country ever.
- I haven’t won any Palanca award.
- I haven’t been promoted at work (well, to be fair, I’m at my third job).
- I haven’t gotten an essay published in the Youngblood column of Philippine Daily Inquirer.
- I haven’t published a book (a mystery novel perhaps, because Sherlock Holmes is my childhood hero).
I feel that my life is lackluster (ugh, I feel so envious of those young achievers who make it to under-25 lists), and this makes me miss my days back in school, where I reaped honors and awards. I felt I was on top of the world when I was at the top of my batch. But I will not deign to call myself a failure at 23 years old. I’d rather treat this nagging feeling as a wake-up call: “Hey, work on your goals! But first make sure you know where exactly you’re going.”
Quo vadis? Once I answer this question, I’ll have to rethink my goals (do I really need to win an award to feel great?), put everything in writing — and into action (and then into writing again).
