Sound bites 101

Sound bites
Situation: We had a discussion about the word 'belong'

Me: (Introducing an example sentence using the word belong) "This eraser belongs to me."
Student: Mmm, I belong to (the) eraser.
Me: No, the eraser belongs to you not the other way around.
Student: But why?
Me: Because you bought the eraser, you have power over the eraser. You own the eraser. The eraser has no power to own, it has no power over you. Is it clear?
Student: Yes, clear.
Me: Ok, please use belong in a sentence.
Student: I belong to the eraser.

Thought bubble: Is it another one of those existential statements? Why do I have a feeling that it is beginning to be a Philosophy class.

Changes and revisions

Inumpisahan ko ang linggo na nakaplanong dalhin sila mami at dadi sa Cafe Mediterranean, kasi nag-request sila to eat out on family lunch this Sunday. Eh, my tendency is to spoil parents kapag gusto nilang lumabas, oh well paminsan-minsang request lang naman nila ito, so why not bring them to some healthy and yummy place. Pero pagkatanggap ko ng allowance from my work, naku, mukhang i need to revise my plan.

Haha! So I have to rethink things again. Mmmmm.

So, by the way, am enjoying my life here in my tiny little dorm. Habang rush hour sa Makati last night, I looked out my window and marveled at these skyscrapers mushrooming around.

Para kay Ekay

Ang post na ito ay para sa 'yo Ekay ^^

At ang link na ito ay para rin sa iyo Ekay ^^

Sana magustuhan mo.

ParakayE

Mga repleksyon habang hinahabi ang panibagong kabanata

Anim na araw na ang nakakaraan nung magbigay ako ng Graduation Speech sa mga elementary graduates ng aking Elem Alma Mater. Nung una kinabahan ako kasi maliban sa maraming bata ang makikinig, iba ang pakiramdam na ang mga dati kong guro na dun ko lang ulit nakita ay makikinig din sa aking speech, yaiks. Mas lalong tumindi ang kaba ko nung pagdating ko sa school ay isa-isa silang lumapit sa akin at nagpa-selfie pa. Maraming nagsabi na parang walang nagbago, ganun pa rin ang hitsura ko (big grin). Meron ding nangumusta, nagtanong at ngumiti. Iba pala talaga kapag bumalik sa mga taong nakilala natin during childhood - dati ang tatangkad nila, dati sila ang may di nababaling otoridad, dati sila ang mga nakakatakot magalit kasi maraming mga misadventures at curiosities nung childhood days na mabilis nilang sinusuway o nabibisto.

Sila rin ang unang mga mentors ko.

Alam kong napakalakas ng kaba ko nung nag-speech ako. Madaming bulol moments, patigil-tigil at minsan ako lang ang natatawa sa jokes ko pero mukhang naappreciate naman nila.

Isa sa mga napansin ko, kailangan pala ng seamless na pag-co-combine ng sensibilidad ng mga bata (na gagraduate) at sensibilidad ng mga adults (teachers, parents, guests). Kasi di naman pwedeng magsalita ako sa harap nila ng hindi naiiintindihan ng mga bata - dapat pinapagana ko pa rin ang mga imaginations nila habang binibitawan ang mga salita ng aking naratibo/speech.

So ayun, mukha naman naitawid ko ng maluwalhati ang obligasyong ibinigay nila sa akin.

Masaya at nagpapasalamat ako sa oportunidad na makasama ko ulit ang aking mga dating guro pati na rin ang mga bagong graduates ng aking paaralan.

Deep beautiful melancholy

I want you to get into the deep beautiful melancholy of everything that's happened.

- Elizabethtown
Cameron Crowe

Cats in the morning

Meet Grey, the cat

This morning while looking outside our lawn, I spotted Grey (our cat) having her usual morning ritual

She loves lying on leaves as she gets her morning sun

Her eyes are as green as a freshly fallen leaf

After a while, she walked up the terrace and occupied her favorite spot! The glass table.

And Grey has many friends, Orange and Kuting-Kuting

And Lyka. We suspect that Lyka is Kuting-Kuting's mom, well she kept mum about it.

So, we've come to the end of a story of one cat morning. Furry-well everyone til' next time.

Random pictures

Sun and Moon (UP Lantern Parade)

Basilica Minore del Santo Nino de Cebu (right) during week of Sinulog Festival

People hearing morning Mass during Sinulog Festival

Dan posing in front of Ati-Atihan souvenirs

Coal painted face

Of bad hair days and blank screens

Matagal ko na rin itong hindi napapakinggan.
Tamang-tama sa mood na medyo kalat at lutang.

Ohwell.

Echo & The Bunnymen | The Killing Moon

The full weekend and my newly acquired books

Been away from digital life for a while because I was (1) busy finishing my work deliverables (2) traveling over the weekend (3) too cash strapped to buy smart load for my internet stick.

Add to that, I am closely managing my domestic chores now because of my impending relocation to Manila by early February. Yeah, my Cebu adventure is coming to a close I need to plan ahead about shipping, packing and all the nitty-gritty business involve in moving out. My Cebu farewell write-up will be up soon, hopefully by next week.

So last weekend, I made a major decision. Instead of celebrating Sinulog with the jolly people of Cebu, I was convinced to fly to Kalibo and celebrate Ati-Atihan. Well, actually Kalibo was planned months before I got the Cebu contract so yeah, it will be best to honor that decision.

Ati-Atihan is a crowd celebration. Every minute, a marching band, consisting of mainly of drums plus lires, some have trumpets, will push you to dance to their beat. Add to that the colorful costumes of children and adults participating in the parade. They all painted their body and face with coals. Nice. In Ati-Atihan nobody is a stranger, because when you dance to the beat, you are dancing with the whole community. You are one with the rhythm of the tribes, of the streets and of the city.

It is my first time to celebrate it. And it was amazing. Full of colors and drum beats. You cannot block the marching of the people, one must either seek the safety of sidewalk or you dance with them. Participants have bottles of beer in their pockets to quench their thirst when they finish drumming to a song. These people are impossible. They start playing and marching as early as 5am up until 12 midnight for 5 days with small periods of rest.

I remember in my Anthro class, my professor said the first to enter the state of trance are the drummers. They get lost to the beating of drums, they repeat the rhythm until they reach the building climax, release. Tapos meron pang alcohol, wow, todo-trance!

Aside from trance, dancing and costumes, my stay in Kalibo was made worthwhile by their yummy pizza places: Zabroso and Jads. Although exploring these places during Ati-Atihan is not so comfortable because volumes of people who flock the city to celebrate end up ordering their lunch/dinner in these pizza parlors too. So you have to count extra minutes before you get your hands to a pizza slice.

My flight back to Cebu was also tense. I was beating the check-in deadline when I arrived at the airport 30 minutes before my boarding time. The long lines of people waiting to enter the airport was enough to make me lose my faith in catching my flight. But luckily, I was permitted by the guard to enter right away (since I made an online check-in) only to find out that my flight is one and half hour late. Big relief.

Whew.

So am happy that although the plane arrived 2 hours later, at least I am inside the airport, writing my weekend adventures.

Now back in office in Cebu City, I am very intrigued by my new book acquisition:
A history of mourning by Richard Devey
Ruins of Ancient Cities vols I and II
A journal from Japan
Brave New World
Study in Emerald

Excited to read.

But I will work first. So Dr Who season 2 has to wait because I have to read my books first before watching the doctor.

Manigong bagong taon

Overflowing faith