4 am

A friend shared me this video. It's about the coincidence of this time, being involved with prominent people, events, and culture. Rives here talked about 4 am and how it seems to always mix up with such stuff, despite the fact of being supposedly the most placid time of the day. Watch this video before reading through.

Rives: Is 4 a.m. the new midnight?

Disclaimer: I know that this talk is purely for entertainment only and has no intentions of being taken seriously. Please don't mock me if you think I'm being too opinionated about it and I put too much effort on explaining myself. And yes, I did a little research for this blog. (Don't laugh, it's a short and easy research lang naman.) I just like entertaining the idea in my head, okay. (Defensive much? haha)

It's a good observation from poet, Rives. His speech definitely boggled my mind. It might have convinced me a little that there is something magical about 4 am. He displayed enough facts that constitute the mysteries surrounding this time of the day; controversially linking together unrelated people and events that should have no more similarities other than their association to 4 am. It amazed me how Rives was able to connect all these things, but I still doubt it when he said that there might be a hidden code beneath it. Hearing the Da Vinci Code, apocalypse predictions, illuminati rumors, and all these make-believe crap made me realize that people have a knack of connecting things far from related.                

Just for example, this sem break I've been sleeping passed 4 a.m. and I happen to be writing this article about 4 a.m. which also happened to be Patrick Swayze's theme when he wrote his autobiography, "The Time of My Life". Hollywood has noted Patrick Swayze's talent when he appeared in the movie Dirty Dancing, in which he was even nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Actor".  After which though, had been nominated for the Razzie Award for "Worst Actor" for his next two consecutive movies. He's only redeeming point was when he was again nominated for best actor for the very last time when he played the leading man in the movie, "Ghost" which was premiered on the year of 1990.1990, the year that just so happened to be the year I was born with! 

When you think about it, there are loads od facts you can state about every person. And the odds of one of a person’s many facts being connected to one of another person’s many facts shouldn't surprise us at all. Of the many facts that each person could carry, no matter how different and unrelated two persons are, there will always be that one thing they would have in common. Like Patrick Swayze and I. Now matter how bizarre the thought is, this man who was once named “The Sexiest Man Alive” (not that I care about it), share something in common with an average girl like me.

I think the reason why things have been associated with 4 am is that it has earned quite a reputation. It’s being regarded as the idle time of the day when people should be sleeping. Therefore, people have been using 4 am to depict that strangeness of still being awake at this hour and actively doing stuff that’s meant for another time. Kind of like how they used to use 12 midnight on having that uneasy aura of being awake in  most horror films (that could also be found in other genres). 12 midnight however had lost its gist, now that most of the people are still awake during this hour. Maybe this is the reason why people have been opting for 4 am instead. 

So 4 am then maybe is the new midnight?

I'm posting this at exactly 4 am! :D 

But mom has been noticing my erratic sleep habit. She's demanding me to sleep early, before 4 am. Funny, eh? :P

References

• Wikipedia, "Patrick Swayze", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Swayze, accesed 10/29/2010
• Wikipedia, "4 AM",  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4_AM, accessed 10/29/2010
• Rives, TEDtalksdirector, Youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORYKKNoRcDc, accessed 10/29/2010

Sail Away, Sail Away, Sail Away!

Sorry for the low quality picture.

What happened when I tuned up its contrast and color

colored pencils on paper

Lost Sketchpad Drawing #2

Girl in the Night Street

colored pencils on paper

Lost Sketchpad Drawing #1

I lost my sketch pad! :(( 

To commemorate it, I'm posting some of my stuff there here. Good thing I managed to scan some of them before i lost it.

How to Shop at Ukay-Ukays

Ladies perk up and go gaga for sale season in malls today! But still, nothing screams good bargain like ukay-ukays do!

A lot of good ukay-ukay stores have been popping everywhere in the Metro. It's not like before when most of the good finds can only be seen as a tourist attraction in Baguio; when scoring a decent piece is like finding a needle in a hay stack.

There are reasons why ukay-ukay is becoming a fast trend today. Uniqueness for one! Try buying a shirt there and you would have a 99% guarantee of not knowing anyone who has the same shirt as yours. Another is all pieces are vintage. If you're looking for that old school kick to add to your style, ukay-ukay is the place to be! You'll find trends that are not sold in boutiques and department stores anymore.

But most importantly, it's thrifty! The most obvious reason why we shop in ukay-ukay and should be our main drive! If you want to have a successful ukay-ukay shopping spree, this should be our mindset: we shop here to save money!

Shopping in ukay-ukay can get pretty intimidating, especially to first timers. There's a lot of racks and stacks of clothes presented in a very unattractive way. Good pieces would look ugly piled with sacks of clothes. Some people would loose interest upon seeing this sight. On the other extreme, some go impulsive and buy almost everything they lay eyes on upon knowing they're cheap. Both behaviors are discouraged. To have the best ukay shopping spree ever, check out these pointers:

Bring alcohol/sanitizer. Ukay-ukays are not the most hygienic places; most of the items are mildly covered with dust (emphasis on "mildy", this shouldn't freak you out). You might wanna dab on alcohol on your hands and body after ransacking and trying out items there.

Look kawawa -seriously. They'll be hesitant to give you discounts if you pose around in gucci's and channel's. If possible, dress as a squatter. The more pathetic you look the bigger the discount they'd be willing to give. This means no speaking in English/Taglish too (you know why).

Set a standard. Don't buy something that will soon fall apaaart- duh! You should know how to identify good quality. Check for holes, tears, stains, etc before spending. Also, make sure the item fits you well.

Hesitation is encouraged. If you grabbed on something decent but you feel like there might be something better, drop it! You will find something better, if not leave and go to another ukay-ukay. Don't settle, be satisfied.

Dig into those mountains of clothes. Don't get intimidated by the clutter and chaos of ukay-ukay. Their items are intentionally arranged and presented that way. It's the sales ladies' way of concealing their favorite pieces they ought to keep themselves from customers.

Have your large bills changed first. Again, how can you look kawawa if you parade one thousand peso bills in front of them.

Put on your poker face. Don't let the sales lady know how you would die for that bag. Show no emotion, or else she'd be hesitant to give you a discount.

Be best friends with the sales ladies. The chummier you get with them, the bigger the discounts they give. Leave them your number so they can update you when the new arrivals come. It never hurts to expand your circle of friends!

Keep in mind these pointers and I guarantee you'll have the best ukay-ukay shopping experience ever!

Moon

The moon is an eye,
strolling along the elliptical tracks
around the earth. Lurking beneath
the sheer sheets of clouds,
enthralled by the scene below.

It encircles the world, roaming
like a tanod¹ with his silent alarm
not even the nocturnal hears,
more so the naive asleep.

You on the other hand
stare back, charmed by its coiled craters,
wondering if they are the source of its enigma.
While the shadows of its crescent light, mark
under your own round eyes.

Because you believe
the world unfolds
in the depths of darkness;
what is hidden in sight
reveals in the absence of light.

Yet, when the equinox comes
the moon remains modest
juxtaposed to the potent sun.



tanod¹
- sentinel n: a Filipino word for one stationed to keep watch and guard against surprises

Red Day Blues

I am now done with my (menstruation) period! This means that my normal psyche had crept back to me again! That may be the reason why I'm able to write this blog. I'm over my period! Next month's period will be next month's problem.

So why am I making such a fuss about this?

You see, there is a big difference between a girl and a girl having her period.

A girl...

A girl having her period...

Spot the difference?

To further elaborate this, lemme' tell you what happened to me during these past few days.

2 days before my period...

We were at SAR, our usual hang out in school since the caf is congested and noisy. We just finished eating, and everyone in the circle was studying for our tax quiz. I was studying with them too, until…

All of a sudden, my mind zoned into a realm of pessimism and I recalled all the miserable things that had happened to me in all 20 years of my life! I lost my will to study and spent half of my break (that’s 1 ½ hours) staring into nothingness and sulking in deep sorrow and self pity. The next half I felt guilty of not studying so I finally did study... And remained depressed the whole time.

After school, when I was on my way home, with my depressed thoughts, I was organizing my supposed to be activities when I get home. But as I got home, I found my bed exceptionally inviting that day. I tried my hardest to resist, but there was something different. Unlike any other day, it was "restable"! It was clear from my usual crap. Cause usually my bed looks like this:

But that day, it looked like this:

Hence, it was successful at luring me. So I slept, woke up late, and as soon as I woke up, found responsibilities waiting to be smacked down on me. That bed was evil, keeping me from being the responsible kid that I am.

1 day before my period...

I had another exam (Sales Management). Due to my laziness the day before, I had failed to study. So as my ingenious solution, I set my alarm clock at 4:00.

But when my alarm rang...

Hah! I did wake up! To those who know me personally, you probably thought I wouldn’t. But I did. :p

Only…

... so I was convinced that I was doomed.

My test was in essay questions. If you’re thinking that that probably saved my ass, because one can always rely on her ever imaginative reasoning skills at making stuff up and connecting things. Unfortunately, this skill is useless, as it asked to identify stuff before explaining it. So if you’re wondering what I put on my exam... Well, while the exam was for my Sales Management subject, my answers were all based on my Business Policy subject (the subject I had managed to study for the exam I had days before).

After the test, I went home to fetch things for an activity in school. I found my helpless little brother as a subject of mischief. Being a kind person though, I approached him in a subtle way. I asked for his help in preparing for what I needed in school. After he was done helping me, I immediately fired of tantrums and rants of how a lousy brother he is. I realized how mean I was, I feel guilty about it now. (He's actually the opposite! He's kind, sweet. and caring. I couldn't ask for a better brother. He's the best brother in the whole wide world! I love him so much!)

The next day, I finally had my period. I realized then the reason behind my unstable behavior and abrupt laziness. Instead of controlling it though, I was a loose cannon!

Day 1

Here's the summary of what I did that day:

Went to Galleria with family for church…

At the service...

After the service, when we got home...

Day 2

And...

At 2pm I finally rose from my bed. And I forgot what I did next. No, actually I do remember, but I'm too lazy to put it here.

So what's the point of my blog? My point is when a girl has her period she's either lazy and apathetic or hazardously raging.

There are long scientific explanations behind this. But they're too complex and boring to discuss in my blog. Anyway, I have a better explanation that will put all these explanations in a nutshell!

Claud's Lilo and Stitch inspired explanation

This is how a girl is on a normal basis:

This is how a girl is during her period:

See the difference? It makes a lot sense right? So girls, if you feel like this, you're probably about to have your period. Boys, if you notice that your mom/girlfriend/female friend/sister looks like a hungry red Super Saiyan Vegeta with horns, give them a break. They're on their period.

Pnoy at a Bar??

It was past eleven o’clock at Grilla in Greenhills, a few hours after our laser tag game with orgmates and foreign interns, we decided to grab a few drinks and chill before leaving (that meant watching them drink beer while I enjoy my bottle of clear tasteless water. I had a long test the next day and I haven’t prepared for it yet). By this time my friends from AIESEC Miriam College had already headed home and I was the only Filipino left in the group.

I was having a rather fruitful conversation with the foreigners; exchanging ideas about history, cultures, and politics that I don’t typically talk about. I was greatly astonished by their knowledge and interest in these areas. But just when Sokol, was about to excitedly deliver his point, my eyes drifted pass his head and zoned to this dude behind the glass walls of Grilla. My mouth formed a perfect O as I shrieked “Ooooh my God! That’s the President of the Philippines!”. Those words put a halt on our progressing and seemingly intelligent conversation, to act like chickens with their heads cut off in sight of that smoker chilling outside, thirsting for a bottle of beer. Hence, we all jolted from our comfortable seats and quickly hopped outside. Of course I, being the only Filipino in that group, was compelled to approach this man in his drinking session to have our picture taken with him. As I was about to walk up to him (that I couldn’t imagine myself doing so), I was held back by one of his bodyguards. “Sandali lang po miss”, was all the words I could understand from him. The rest of this sounded like a murmur to me, as I realized how humiliating I was. I felt so embarrassed that I wanted to give up on that idea of having a picture with the president.

To be honest, I’m not really into Noynoy Aquino. I’m not saying this because I’m bitter. I was frustrated about the fact that the greater percent of the country voted for him. I was supporting Gordon, I believe that out of all the presidential candidates (and I believe many will disagree) Dick Gordon would fit best as the President of the Philippines. President Noynoy may possess the name and the honor handed down from his parents, but he does not have the capability to manage himself, much more a country.

Regardless, I was dedicated to get that picture. So, I took a deep breath, pulled myself together, held my chin high… and waited for the perfect timing to approach him again. I was more careful now! I was embarrassed of what I did! I can’t just approach a leader of a country surrounded by body guards. What was I thinking? Of course I’m gonna get restrained! So, we took the table a few feet from him. We coolly asked one of Grilla’s waiters if it’s possible to have a picture with him and thankfully he responded positively. He advised us to approach President Noy directly and not the bodyguards, I looked at my friends and telepathically said “yeah we figured that out already”.

I wasn’t gonna be as hyped as I have been if it wasn’t because of Nick. Now that I think about it, I could have acted more civil. But Nick has managed to successfully infect us all with his excitement and put us all in the heat of the moment. Interrupting the President in the midst of his yosi and inuman with his boys, just to have our picture taken with him was not even an idea I could grasp if it wasn’t for Nick. But I would be lying if I tell you that it was my only motivation.

Seeing a public figure in person is a different case than seeing such person on tv. Despite my cynicism about him, I could not help but be keen on meeting and having a picture with him. No matter how ordinary you think of that person, if he's popular and he's of higher rank, there is such a thrill on meeting this person face to face. It seems like all the lacking awe you have for him just accumulated the instant you’re faced with him.

A few minutes have passed and we still couldn’t get a good timing to approach him, I don’t wanna be held back by one of his body guards again. But I was indeed persistent and patient. Finally, a few foreigners took the lead of having a picture taken with him. Thus, we followed their lead and before we knew it, there was a line behind us already. The night ended with enjoyment and satisfaction of having a picture with “The President Noynoy”.

The night left me thinking though… I wonder how I would act if I see Justine Beiber or Charice Pempengco around the mall?

I was glad how the night ended. This kind of event doesn’t happen often. Heck, what are the odds of meeting the President of the Philippines at a bar?! Top that for badassness! Thus, it was in fact wise to just go along with the heat of the moment. We can’t always take ourselves too seriously, because then I wouldn’t have this story to tell, and I wouldn’t have this picture to brag.