Random Musings of a Sleep-Deprived Mind

1. Honking you car in unmoving traffic may ease your tension, but does it ultimately get you anywhere? 
2. Sophistication is an art.  It can always be learned.  However, no amount of money can buy breeding.  Ever. 
3. Forcing your own beliefs, standards, and philosophies on others is a splendid way to alienate people.
4. Lovers come and go, but you can always count on genuine friendship. 
5. Advice dished out is but a recommendation.  If followed, well and good.  If not, don't make it your problem. Trust that the person is fully capable of leading his or her own life.
6. Do we really need this much noise in our lives?
   
7. Affection is always free to give and free to accept.  The giver offers it with with no price tag, and the receiver does not look for any fine print.
8. Politeness and charm unlock doors faster than being loutish and obnoxious.
   
9. Try to ask, "What am I getting out of it?" the moment you're tempted to harbor negative feelings.  You might be surprised with the answer/s that you'll come up with.
   
10. Opening the heart to the wonders of loving and being loved can be scary; choosing to be cold and barren emotionally can be even scarier.
11. I miss my Hello Kitty hihihihihihi
    

What Time is the Last Train Out of Here?

It was the holiday season once again.  Traffic and a multitude of crowds choked the city.  I was pretty hesitant to venture out on the streets to do the obligatory Christmas shopping.  But hey, it only comes once a year, right? I might as well show my appreciation to the folks that matter to me.

I decided to take the MRT instead of the bringing the car.  It was more convenient to do so.  No need to wade through the cars piled up on the streets.  No need to go around in circles in the parking building in hope of finding an empty slot.  All I had to do was hop on a coach, and I'd be on my merry way to the mall.

Mothers and Sons, Redux

Tonight, I brought my mom to the airport.

She spent a good three weeks here at the house where my father and I live.  It was actually a preliminary trip to prepare for her impending retirement come next year.  She went about her business of seeing to whatever things that may be needed when she finally returns for good.

At first, I was hesitant about the idea of her living with my dad and I.  After all, she has been gone for a very long time.  Like I said before, I may have already forgotten how it is to be a son to her, and she might have already forgotten how it is to be a mother to me.

Define Lusaw Ang Utak

There are days you can just write about anything you fancy.

And there are days you just draw a blank.

You stare at the screen. Until your eyes water up. Nothing comes out of of your head.

Brain-melt days. This is one of them.

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.

Crap.

I prolly need more scratching from Hello Kitty.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

The Lusting of Eternal Wanderer

Si Eternal Wanderer ay tunay na dalisay, busilak, and mayumi.  Sa totoo lang, maraming naiingit sa pagiging ganun nya.  Nangunguna na dito si Yj.  Pero okay lang yun Yj. Libre naman ang mangarap, di ba?

Wahahahaha

Jowk lang Yj a. Peace tayo, sis!

Nung nag-umpisa syang magsulat ng blog, wala kamuang-muang sa mga makamunduhan na pamamalakad si Eternal Wanderer.  Pero ng 'di mag-laon, namulat ang mga kanyang mga mata sa mga samu't-saring kahalayan na umiikot sa blogosphere.  Salamat kay Jay Vee, Lukayo, at Ash, nag-mistulang Eva Fonda Eba si Eternal Wanderer - isang Eba na nakakagat sa mansanas ng gawaing laman na kailanman e di pa nya nararanasan.

Susmariosep! Kapag malaman ang mga gawing ito ng kanyang  Mamá at Papá, e baka tanggalin sya ng mana.  Hindi pa yata handa ang laking kumbentong Eternal Wanderer na maglalalakad sa kalye't maging kalapating mababa ang lipad.

Pero okay lang yun.  Kasi ngayon, tuwang-tuwa si Eternal Wanderer na makaranas ng mga kahindik-hindik na pagnanasa para sa bagay na ito:

Ang light-saber ni Rudeboy

Mainit-init. Nakakapaso. Aw!

A Message to You

As the sun is setting, and the dusk slowly unfolds her cloak upon the dimming firmament, I stop to hearken to what my heart is murmuring.

It is but a simple yearning, whispered in the recces of my soul:

"Sana nandito ka para mayapos kita ng mahigpit sa aking piling."

-----
The time was brief, but I would have not exchanged those moments for anything else in the world.

I miss you.  I really do.

Las Morenas del Caribe 2

One thing that distinguishes the Cuban team is their use of the the 6-2 system.  As opposed to the standard 5-1 system which uses one full-time setter and 5 hitters, the 6-2 employs two setters and 6 hitters.  Both setters are diagonal to each other; whoever is at the back acts as the primary setter, while the one in front acts as a hitter.  Once the setter at the back rotates upfront, he or she becomes the an attacker, and the opposite who has now rotated to the back becomes the primary setter.  What makes up for the stilted setting is the fact that at any given time, there will always be 3 attackers in front of the net.  It is this system that the Cuba has perfected, turning the setters into ferocious hitters at the expense of unimaginative and predictable setting decisions.

Lilian Izquierdo (lower right) and Marlenys Costa (upper right), along with Tanya Ortiz, Raisa O'Farill, were the setter-hitters of Cuba during the early to mid- 90's.  With the arrival of Taimarys Aguero post-Atlanta Olympics, she and Costa became the deadly duo opposite each other until the Sydney Olympics.  In 1997, Cuba experimented with running a 5-1 system with Aguero as the full-time setter. But after a year, it was dropped and they returned to the usual 6-2 formation.

For Anthony

Dear Anton,

Wow, it's been a while hasn't it?  I'd offer a thousand and one excuse for not writing you at all, but hey, better late than never ehehehehe

Las Morenas del Caribe 1

I already introduced to you some of my favorite Cuban players, Mireya Luis and Taimarys Aguero, in this my previous post about volleyball 101.  But allow me to delve deeper into las Cubanas and their team that overwhelmingly dominated the international volleyball scene in the 90's.

Regla Bell, on the right, and Yumilka Ruiz, on the left, were the other starting outside hitters  (OH) for Cuba during the 90's.  Bell is unusual because she is a left-handed OH when most southpaws are assigned as opposite (utility) hitters.  Ruiz took over the starting position of Mireya Luis, and remained with the team until the Beijing Olympics.

Cubao Boy + EB + Eternal Wanderer = Astro Gheys

May ilang buwan nang hindi nakapanood si Eternal Wanderer ng sine.  Ang huli pa yatang napanood nya na sine ay UP. Matagal-tagal na rin iyon.  Kaya nung nagyaya manood ng sine si EB, e sige lang go lang ng go kahit may trabaho.

(hango sa conversation sa YM ni Eternal Wanderer at EB)

Para sa Iyo. Oo, Ikaw!

Alam kong binabasa mo ito. At ito lang ang masasabi ko.

Isa kang malaking ganito:

Sapol sa noo!

AHAHAHAHAHA

Two

A man offered to pay a sum of money to his twelve-year-old daughter if she mowed the lawn. The girl went at the task with great zest and by evening the whole lawn had been beautifully mowed-well, everything except a large uncut patch of grass in one corner.

When the man said he couldn’t pay the sum agreed upon because the whole lawn hadn’t been mowed, the girl said she was ready to forego the money, but would not cut the grass in the patch.

Spices, Star Treks, and Sanrios

In his never-ending quest for his Prince Charming, Eternal Wanderer has had a good share of home runs, near hits, and awful misses.  However, this year, he has managed to break a personal record of sorts.  He actually found two people he really, really liked.  Of course, whether they really, really liked Eternal Wanderer back is another matter altogether.  Teehee :P

For those who have been reading the blog of Eternal Wanderer since about the start of the year, Spice is some sort of motif that crops up again and again in his writings.  They sort of got together early this year, and that made Eternal Wanderer extremely happy.  But alas, some good things come with an expiry date.  But nonetheless, he's fond of Spice.  He honestly is.  He's fond of Spice so much that he still meets up with him whenever Spice is in town.  They hang out and do lotsa fun stuff.  And Eternal Wanderer will resist the urge to elaborate what the fun stuff is because it's gonna be too TMI-ing again hahaha

Philippines, My Philippines

Remember my uncle who visited sometime last month?

He's a columnist for an online newspaper, and wrote about his recent trip to the Philippines here, here, and here.

I understand where he's coming from. He's been staying in the States for almost a good four decades or so. Chances are, his memories of the Philippines are frozen in time. And I don't blame him if he sees what he left all those years ago radically changed. That's putting it mildly.

It is true that many places in the Philippines, especially in the highly urbanized centers, may not be pleasing to the eyesight. It is also equally true that the socio-political system in the country is skewed to favor those who have the money and those who have the power. Everywhere, there is graft and corruption. Everywhere, there is filth, squalor, and poverty.

That is the life for most people living here in the Philippines, and may take several generations to undo the damage we ourselves have brought upon the country. For if we have not remained apathetic and indifferent to the system, then we might have not found ourselves in the mess that we are in. If each and one of us asked, "What can I do for my motherland?", perhaps we would not find ourselves being apologetic for the ills and conditions of our society.

-----

My Tito was here for a scant two weeks or so, and most of the time, he was staying in Metro Manila. But Manila is not the Philippines, and the Philippines is definitely not Manila. Sure, Manila is just like any other big city in the world,: fast, rude, noisy, and polluted. However, if he only ventured out further than the city and its surrounding environs, he would've had a better grasp of what the country is all about. He would've experienced the serene white beaches, the breath-taking vistas of mountains and plains, and most especially the genuine character of the Filipino people. Tell me, who would not be charmed by generous hospitality offered to you in the countryside? Who would not be touched with if they share with you the meager resources they have? Who would not be charmed by the warm reception and the casual conversations you encounter in the provinces?

-----

I am lucky to have been around the world. I, too, am lucky to have gone around the Philippines.  My mom always said, "Wag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan." She made sure I familiarized myself with my own country even before I stepped foot on foreign soil.  Too bad my Tito, in many instances, experienced the bad part of the proverbial two-sided coin.

So at the risk of sounding defiant, I will say it out say it aloud.

There is no place like the Philippines. I am proud to call it home.

My Favorite Comic Storylines: Kingdom Come

Totalitarian vision of a dystopic future

Imagine a future where a new generation of super-heroes conduct themselves no better than super-villains. Imagine a future where the line between good and evil is blurred beyond distinction. Imagine a future where the old guard is pushed aside, and chaos reigns supreme. Imagine a future where an aging preacher's prophetic visions can lead to the world's apocalyptic destruction or its ultimate salvation.

Mark Waid and Alex Ross' chef-d'oeuvre moves forward 20 years from the present, into the time where Superman and his colleagues have either turned their backs at the world or operate under the cloak of subterfuge. In their stead, a new generation of super-heroes emerge, more violent and heavy-handed than their predecessors ever were. Wonder Woman coaxes a tragedy-laden Superman out of retirement to lead the restoration of peace and order throughout the world. Slowly, with the help of their now-aged colleagues and protegees, they keep the new batch of super-heroes and super villains in line by literally muscling their way through.

Unfortunately, their totalitarian approach is viewed with much suspicion by both non-powered colleagues and villains. The faction led by Batman insists that the methodology of Superman's Justice League is no different than what he is battling against. Luthor and his cohorts, on the other hand, prepare to counter the Justice League with their most formidable weapon: a Mr. Mind-controlled Captain Marvel.

The great battle meets head-on as Luthor unleashes Captain Marvel on the Gulag, the fort where the Justice League has incarcerated the super-villains. In the escalating melee, the head of the United Nations decides to aim a nuclear warhead to obliterate the meta-humans --- heroes and villains alike --- once and for all. It is only through the valiant self-sacrifice of Captain Marvel that some meta-humans survive the outcome of the great holocaust.

An enraged Superman returns to the United Nations, followed the surviving meta-humans. He is then made to realize the complex situation of masked crusading: that they cannot live in the world and live above and apart from it. In the ensuing epilogue, poignant scenes are depicted on how they fully integrate themselves as members of a kinder and better human/meta-human society.

The Kingdom Come whole saga  is complex, rich, and multi-layered in its approach to narration. Waid frames it within the perspective of Norman McCay, an aging minister plagued with prophetic visions of a catastrophic future. He is guided through the story by the Specter, who acts both as a commentator and judge to the unfolding events. But the Biblical allusions do not stop with the avenging angel imagery. The entire narrative is replete with Biblical references, specifically to those of the Book of Revelations. It's hard press to miss the symbolism of Superman as the militant Messiah, the savior who shall bring war in order to make peace.

Equally stupendous is Ross' contribution to the series.  His painted artwork gives a stunning feel to the series' visual design. Each panel was of photo-realistic quality; reading through series is akin to viewing a very gorgeous album.  It was my first encounter with Alex Ross' work, and I've been a fan ever since.

All in all, the series is certainly a worthwhile read, both  as a comic book series and as a literary work of fiction.  It most surely will stand the test of time because of the relevant themes and situations presented.  Perhaps this what really classic comic story lines are: they still remain pertinent to the reader's experience years after they were written.