Monday, December 29, 2008

Proof Of Life

Hello, kiddies...

Buhay pa po tayo dito. Buhay na buhay ang Bacolod.

Medyo busy sa kakalakwatsa (lagaw-lagaw ah)


And of course, there's the paperwork that needs to be done...

Hope you all had a happy and meaningful Christmas.

See you all in the New Year...

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Lantern Parade 2008

This was the first time that I was able to witness the UP Lantern Parade. Last year, according to hearsay, was more grandiose but the problem was ala akong kasabay sa panonood huhuhu.

But this year I was able to get a glimpse of one of the most important traditios of UP life kasi meron na akong barkada dito sa peyups hehehe. Originally, I was supposed to meet up with Regina, then Eleazar was texting na kitakits raw. Both arrangements did not materiallize so initially I wandered into the Academic Oval expecting that I would be viewing the parade by my lonesome self.

Buti na lang at nagkita kami ng mga DoTA friends ko. I was walking toward the UP Kas tambayan since I heard that their members would be congregating there to watch the parade. And since I have been a regular tambay sa lugar nila I thought I could meet up with any familiar face I would see there. Kung wala dun, pwede rin natin try ang UP Likas. hehe

I met up with the guys near the Engineering building. I immediately noticed that there were already floats parading and so I asked one of the guys:

"Nagsimula na ang parade?"

The reply was: "Kanina pa po..."

Holy syet! Here I was about to witness my first Lantern Parade and I was LATE! May maaabutan pa kaya ako?

Good thing that we went back to Palma Hall and there I got a chance to see the latter half (I think) of the parade...

The participants in the parade were a diverse mix of concepts, some were visibly constrained by budget and the number of participants while others were all out in design and presentation - in short, bonggacious sila.

The College of Fine Arts was, among those I saw, the best in concept and design. They had a carnival theme in which students came out in droves (as in maraming participants and floats) leading me to suspect that this may be a project or extra credit but still they were impressive - or at the very least - entertaining.

I loved their float which featured a punk sea lion - complete with mohawk, piercings, and tattoos. When we saw them again at Quezon Hall, the hosts were remarking that the Fine Arts people were baliktad, referring to the participants dressed up as carnival performers doing handstands, and a ferris wheel that rotated in reverse. hahaha ang kukulit ng mga hosts!

Other participants included UP Pampanga which featured a gigantic parol complete with flashing lights, an org which featured Igorot dancers, UP Lib Sci people with a large pop up figure of Quezon Hall, a frat group with guys playing a snake dance thing, the USC with their protest theme of "Defend the OSR!," STAND UP with their perennial (I think) Serve the People theme and the usual "Iskolar! Ng Bayan!" universal mantra, the anti-Arroyo and anti-Chacha theme which was prevalent - one group featured a Gloria puppet, another featured a float which pictured Gloria either as a sultan or a grotesque genie, there was a religious org that was chanting about Jesus and "what are you living for?", which was followed by, of all groups, UP Babaylan, with their white motif, bright lights and - uh - menagerie? hahaha in fairness, the Babaylan troupe elicited more calls to God that the religious org. atsaka weird na magkasunod sila....

The parade made their way to Quezon Hall and once again did their thing. We viewed the final stretch on a widescreen alongside University Avenue. Then the choir did their "community singing," na parang hindi naman community singing kasi wala kaming kaalam-alam nung lyrics ng pinagkakakanta nila.

Then the fireworks.

It was AMAZING! For about 10 or 15 minutes the sky was lit up by bright, vibrant colors. The air was filled with music, explosions, and the cheers of the assembled crowd. The finale featured the 1812 overture by Tchaikovsky, and upon hearing it I immediatetly went - "Syet! V for Vendetta!"

But all good things do come to an end. After the salvo of lights and sound, we made our way back to Palma Hall. I split up with the guys at A. Roces and made my way back to the boarding house.

Siyanga pala, nakabili ako ng souvenir from the peddlers hanging about the Oval. Yung unang mama P50 raw yung sungay na umiilaw, but a few meters away I was able to find ale who was selling them for P40, at malalaki pa. It indeed pays to walk a bit if you want to avail cheaper prices.

At ngayon, tinubuan na ako ng sungay sa UP...bwahahaha

Pahibalo

Sa tanan nga mga tawo nga makalabay sa ining blog ni sonofaditch, mapahuway anay ako mga pila ka semana kay mapuli ko sa Bacolod. Wala didto 24 hours na internet sa balay kay dugay na gin-utod sang akon nanay hahaha

Tinghwa-on ko gid nga maka-online bisan kis-a sa isa ka semana para maka-update sa tanan nga hinitabo sa cyberspace.

Ma-greet na ko daan Merry Christmas kag Happy New Year sa inyo tanan. Kung kilal-anay kita kag wala ta ka na-text para mag-greet ta ka, buot silingon - wala na load si sonofaditch hahaha


This blog will be on hiatus for the Holidays, be safe and see you all next year...

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

WTF? Worst Half-Time Show Ever



Ayoko nang magcomment, nawalan ako ng lakas kakatawa...

Monday, December 15, 2008

WTF?! Eat My Shoes you Bastard!

This video cracks me up every time I see it...



It just shows that given adequate motivation, a person is bound to turn any ordinary object into a weapon. Eto'ng weapons of mass destruction mo lintik ka!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

My Bankai. Bow

Got this idea from a discussion thread over at www.mangafox.com:

"If you had a zanpaktuo, what would be it's shikai and bankai?"

The various creative suggestions from the otakus inspired me to make up my own personal zanpaktuo. Actually, I already had an idea of what my fictional zanpaktuo would be (an unfortunate side-effect of watching too many Bleach episodes) but I just didn't put it into writing. But since it seems I am not the only one who dreamed of having a zanpaktuo, here goes...

My zanpaktuo's name is "Enigma". It looks like an ordinary katana in its unreleased form but it's shikai, which is released with the command "Confound the unwitting!" is a medieval broadsword - the blade is about 3 inches in width and is made of crystal. The blade acts as a mirror which traps the thoughts of those who see their reflection on it. Once my victim has beheld his reflection on the blade, he/she/it immediately goes into a stupor-like state.

My sword's attacks are psychic-based. The names of each attack are inspired by mythical puzzles.

First Puzzle: Gordias. I can strike my opponent with a psychic blast which is fatal for hollows and ordinary humans. Those who are of tougher mental constitutions suffer varied effects which range from being stunned to turning catatonic. Name taken from the king who inspired the Gordian Knot, a particularly hard knot to untie. Solved by Alexander the Great by cutting it in half with his sword.

Second Puzzle: Daedalus. Another ability of my shikai is limited mind control. Due to my ability to tune into my victim's thoughts, I can play with his senses and make him see and or experience whatever I want him to see or experience. This could be used to turn an opponent against his own allies. Named after the creator of the Labyrinth which housed the Minotaur. Theseus solved the puzzle with a little help from Ariadne and some string. Daedalus and Icarus escaped by means of fashioning wings made of feathers and wax.

Third Puzzle: Oedipus. Final ability of my zanpaktou is the ability to read minds. By pointing my blade at a person, I can immediately see glimpses of his past experiences reflected on the blade. This is useful for interrogation or intelligence gathering, as well as gauging the ability of an opponent prior to combat. In Greek mythology, Oedipus was the one who solved the riddle of the Sphinx devastating Thebes.

Talagang pinag-isipan no? hehehe

My Bankai, which is named "Infinite Puzzle, Mind's Labyrinth" is similar to Tousen's bankai. The blade of my shikai splinters off into countless pieces a la Zenbonsakura but it reconfigures itself as a crystalline sphere encasing myself and my intended victim. Within that sphere my opponent's thoughts are laid bare to me and I could create illusions to assail his psychic integrity. In short - I could literallly drive him insane within the sphere and kill him with his own thoughts. Sadista ako no? hehehe

My zanpaktou's limitation is that it's powers could only be used against a single opponent at a time. And since most of my abilities take a certain degree of concentration, it is possible to nullify my mind control by physically injuring me. Forcing me to move will not release a person from my control, it would just interrupt whatever attack I was employing.

In its released form, my sword also gives me added speed and is much sharper than its unreleased form so it is also a formidable fighting weapon. And given that I am of captain status, most of my battles could be settled without me having to use most of my abilities.

Sufficient back-up is needed for me employ my sword's full abilities. In its bankai form, however, I gain sufficient defense from outside attacks due to the durability of my crystalline sphere. However, those with immense spiritual energy may be able to break through my bankai. If such a scenario happens, my bankai's ability will backfire on me and render me catatonic for an extended period of time.

Of course I'll survive! Ano tayo, weak? hahaha

O siya, tama na ang daydreaming! Having nothing to do renders me prone to fantastical imaginings. Patayog-tayog na lang ni ah.

Hellooooooo Pasig!

I spent a good part of this day exploring another corner of Manila. Our Anthro prof showed us around Pasig City together with a group of Anthro undergrads.

First of all, late kaming dumating sa Pasig Museum. The number of people taking the MRT was unbelievable! Christmas na talaga kasi sobrang traffic, almost all people have one destination: the shopping centers, malls, or the local flea market in order to engage in their Christmas shopping.

Fortunately, Sir was just about to wrap up the first part of the museum tour when we arrived. It so happened that the exhibit room that was first explored was the area where we will be setting-up our pottery exhibit. After we made our presence known to Sir Castro, we immediately set about the task surveying our would-be exhibit area.

Nagpaiwan kami sa baba at hindi na kami sumali sa tour sa second floor ng museum. We were scoping out the place, imagining our non-existent exhibit laid-out in the area. Actually wala pa naman kami talagang idea kung ano ang ilalagay namin sa exhibit, kaya patingin-tingin lang kami atsaka nagfoformulate ng mga possible na themes na iaassign sa bawat sulok ng exhibit area. We also looked at the materials available in the museum and upon further inquiry with kuya guard, we were assured that the museum had enough platforms, display cases and panel boards to meet our needs.

When the group rejoined us downstairs, Sir sent us outside on a tour of some of the old houses in Pasig. We were then led to the City Hall which featured a view of Marikina River. A sign that read "No Petting-Necking" caught our attention; mapusok talaga ang mga taga-Pasig - or is it the "romantic view" of the river? hehehe

We were then led inside the church and we saw a restored wooden mural and the old church bells. Throughout the tour, I was amused at Sir's informal demeanor - para lang kaming lumalakwatsa sa neigborhood niya (which turned out to be true, as our professor is a resident of Pasig).

The tour ended at around half-past noon and we rode a jeep back to Edsa Central. Another new mall to be explored hehe My classmates and I had lunch at Chowking and talked for a while - basically chismis unrelated to either Anthropology or the museum project.

Finally we took the MRT back to Quezon Avenue. The train operator announced over the PA system that the train was having a bit of a problem with the brakes, but it was a minor problem and the train could still operate.

sabi ng train operator:

"Diretso po 'to ng North Station...wag kayong mag-alala"

Sabi ko: "Baka wala nang hinto ang lakad nito..."

Dugtong pa ng isa: "Diretso North Station...tapos papasok na sa SM North!"


hahahahaha Lucky for us, the train made its usual stops. My classmates got off at Cubao station while I got off Quezon Avenue and took a jeepney to Philcoa.

And so ended the last (un)official class meeting for this year. Next year na lang ang mga gagawin at iba pang mga assignments for the museum project....pahinga muna tayo...

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

WTF? Jizz in My Pants

I don't know how I stumbled on this vid. I was online searching about pottery. Oh well...



comments:

1. The guy on the right is channeling either the Pet Shop Boys or Erasure. Matanda na kayo kung kilala niyo sila. hehe

2. The song is actually good, though the lyrics were a bit inane in my opinion. The editing is spot-on, adding to the humor of the skit

3. What's with the faux British accent?

4. every shot in this vid mocks a certain aspect of pop/R&B music videos. In fairness, high production value ang vid.

5. WTF? is that a Justin Timberlake cameo? suki na yata ng SNL si JT ah... I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one who produced this...maybe there's another "Dick in A Box" in the works?

UPDATE: apparently Youtube has blocked this particular video, heres the link if you want to view the video.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Pot Ng Ina Mo!

In our Anthro 225 class Prof. Castro offered us an opportunity to participate in an upccoming exhibit in the Pasig Museum. We were given the choice of either passing a term paper or providing our ample "talents" in setting up the Pasig Museum exhibit.

The topic? POTTERY...specifically the pottery industry in Pasig.

Since may INC pa ko last sem at may paper kay Ma'am Camagay this sem, I jumped on the opportunity to participate in an activity that would mean one less paper to research and write.

Just this evening during our class we finally decided on the committees that will compose the Pasig Museum project. I elected to join the Exhibit Management Committee.

Why?

Kasi control-freak ako eh. hahaha

But it seems that this control freak has met his fellow control freaks. And mind you, mga experts ito in their own fields. Good thing walang sumamang control freak sa committee namin. Baka na-intimidate ko hehe

But I am looking forward to working with my classmates on this project. We are scheduled to tour the Pasig Museum this Saturday with Sir Castro to get a glimpse of the museum as well as other historical sites around Pasig.

Now, if only I had a camera...

But the bigger question for me is: "Paano bang papuntang Pasig?"

hahaha magpapaka-lost uli tayo in the big city! at least, this is another opportunity to familiarize myself with another corner of Manila. Hala, sige!

And so I am now on "management mode" and "research mode" on the history and ethnography of pottery in Pasig city...oooooooooh....

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Fuuton: Rasen Shuriken!



'la lang, just wanted to post something...hehehe

Tulog na tayo...

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

You're both Finished!

hay salamat at natapos na yung report ko on Otis and Schurman para sa Kas 208 ni Ma'am Camagay. It was postponed last week so this was a long overdue project. Whew!

Isa lang comment ko kay Ma'am: suabe...hehehe. I'm beginning to see why despite the workload, those who took up Ma'am's classes still enjoyed it.

At umulan ng Nagaraya sa UP Press...hahahahahaha

OK din yung examen corto namin sa Span 11. Las preguntas y los ejercicios estan muy facil. wahahahaha tingnan lang natin sa Biyernes kung ano ang score natin....

I was already dizzy with hunger by the time we were dismissed at around 7 PM. At the Coop Canteen, I sat across a kind old lady who suddenly engaged me in conversation. She knew a bit of Ilonggo and she was asking me about my course and whatnot...

Turns out she's an Adventist and was teaching in a university in Tagaytay. She asked me if I am familiar with Adventists and I said yes, because there is an Adventist school in Bacolod.

I didn't tell her that I also knew an Adventist but he's the atypical, "deviant" sort. Doesn't worship on Saturdays and spends much of his time, uh....fornicating. hehehe

Basta, tomorrow will be a "break day" for me! Kalimutan muna natin ang pag-aaral!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

La Casa Ha Caido

...y con los politicos malos de Thailand.

Syet! The Thais are beating us at our own game! At tayo ang original people power people! [syet! at may alliteration pa!]

Now, La Bruja Loca (aka MaDame Senator hahaha)is talking about una revoluccion Filipina against La Pequeña Demonyita?

WTF? from nauna to gaya-gaya?

WOOOOOOW NAMAN AMF! hahahaha

O siya, review muna ako Spanish porque me hace una examen a la mañana. quiereme buena suerte por favor...Gracias!