I am Iron Man

X-Men just got crossed out, Spiderman strangled himself with cobwebs, Superman returned to planet Krypton, Batman began selling his Wayne Enterprises stocks to buy from Stark Industries, and all other lesser known superheroes gave up and lived an ordinary life, most especially Incredulous Hulk. All these after Iron Man blasted into the big screen a few hours ago.

It’s Marvelous! The movie was extremely entertaining – great effects, good acting, nice soundtrack and storyline – and I’m not even an Iron Man fan. I don’t know what avid followers would say, but someone who knows very little about Iron Man, like me, would give the movie 5 stars. As an afterthought, I searched Iron Man on the internet, found write ups on its origin in wikipedia, and realized how a great deal of the superhero’s history was collapsed to fit the movie. At any rate, since we’re talking about how good the movie is and not how faithful it was to the story, I still maintain my rating. Robert Downey Jr. gave a solid performance and Gwyneth Paltrow was still beautiful to watch. The only flaw I can think of is the short fight scene with the antagonist. The movie, however, made up for it after the credits so I suggest you wait for it to end. I had goose bumps after that part. Seriously.

Watching the movie made me think why I didn’t pursue engineering instead. I don’t know of any superhero whose real identity works as a lawyer. And even if there was one, I don’t think it would be as cool as Iron Man.

Confessions of a Gun Runner

I wasn’t born with a silver spoon so I knew even as a child that I have to work hard to be successful. I knew then that life wouldn’t be easy.

In grade school I couldn’t buy snacks from the canteen. I always had packed lunch. Although I had an allowance (5 pesos) I refused to part with it for some lame snack. I always saved it. Being a kid, it was hard watching your classmates indulge on combos, yan yan, and chocolate bars while you eat your sandwich or nothing at all. Don’t get me wrong though. I’m not complaining; just reminiscing. Those times were hard but when I look back at it I feel proud of myself. For a child to practice self control and not whine when he can’t get what he wants is a big step towards maturity.

Since I don’t have enough money to address my wants, I decided to enter into business – 5 pesos is enough to support my needs because I always convince myself that I don’t need what I don’t have and anything other than that is just something I want. My problem then was what business and how to establish it.

Fortunately, the idea presented itself soon enough. My classmate wanted badly to get back at some guy from a higher batch for embarrassing him during lunch. Then when I got to my cousin’s place from school I saw him holding the answer (it was one of those classic cartoon moments when a big bulb lights up above your head) – a gun. So I approached him, asked about the price, how to get one, and if it wouldn’t get us in trouble. I was satisfied with his answers so I decided to push through with it. I floated the idea to him and he agreed to help me out. When I offered it to my classmate he excitedly agreed. And so it started. This guy told that guy who told another guy and this guy’s friends what I was selling. Orders came pouring in. I even had to bring brochures because they wanted varying models aside from the favorites Desert Eagle and Beretta.

I was getting what I want. I was doing good business. But of course, not all good things last. I wasn’t matured enough to anticipate problems and act to prevent it. I was so into the business that I failed to consider how dangerous it was for us kids to be playing with big men’s toys. I failed to take the side of safety, of prudence, and of discreetness. I erred.

At the time when business was done so publicly that exchanges were made under the cover of huddled students, my business venture slipped away at an instant. One of the buyers, after getting his item, immediately opened it for testing. In a blink of an eye he took the gun, loaded its magazine, and popped at an unsuspecting nerd who, of the most unfortunate of circumstances, was just passing through. He got hit in the eye. His scream echoed through the classroom. The huddled students quickly dispersed. I knew right there and then that it was the end of my booming business. I slipped all the pellet guns in my bag and walked away from the scene all the while thinking that what happened was my fault.

Luckily, the victim didn’t complain. Teachers asked questions but no one squealed. The code of silence among kids prevailed. Pellet guns were never seen in the hands of students again… at least in my classmates’.

It’s a Sign

Is it just me or is there something really really off with this sign? It’s an MMDA signage scattered around MRT North EDSA station. Hmm… I wonder who approved this one.

High School Poem

While rummaging through my high school stuff I saw an old notebook which I used for all my subjects in high school. It contained lecture notes, draft school articles, doodles and drawings (done during boring class hours), guitar chord patterns, poems (some of which were also done during boring class hours), and a few journal entries. As I read my notes and poems I wonder in amazement at how I came up with those ideas. It’s like reading someone else’s work. It even made me ask myself “I wrote this in high school?!”.

I don’t know if much has changed between how I think and express myself then and now. But one thing I noticed is that I don’t write much poems now. I guess classes in law school aren’t boring enough to inspire one to write poems or, more likely, law students don’t make much poems because boring subjects suck out their artistic drive.

There was one poem that particularly caught my attention. Back in high school I believed in courtship and that among the best ways to court a girl were through love letters and poems. So I wrote this poem for the girl I liked then, Sarah, who eventually became my first girlfriend.

Sovereign of my lonely heart,

whom I can’t stand to be apart

Allow me to show to you,

how I love and care for you

Reveries of you day and night,

you’re the damsel and I’m the knight

And I’ll save you from the dragon’s sight,

oh my lovely damsel of the night

How I wish these things were true,

how I wish you love me too

After she had her friends read the poem, one of them didn’t believe I made it. That girl, from what I’ve heard, claimed she read the same poem somewhere. I fumed with anger when I heard that comment so I decided to make a hate poem for her. In the middle of the draft, I ran out of ideas to lambast and ridicule her so I decided to stop. I realized then that hate is not as inspiring as “love”.

Another Knot Tied

I attended my officemate’s wedding last 19 April 2008 at St. Joseph’s Parish, Las Piñas – home of the famous Bamboo Organ. I imagined the church to be large so I was surprised to see that it wasn’t. Its quaintness is apt for intimate weddings such as this one. Oh, and it’s my first time to attend a wedding officiated by 4 priests – 3 of whom are the groom’s friends. It was fun. It was nice. We had a really fine time.

Elephant Painting

Doubt it if you must. I, on the other hand, will choose to believe its authenticity. It wouldn’t hurt to be amazed once in a while. I wonder if a talking monkey will grace the media soon.

Change the School Year Calendar

The start of another school year is just a couple of months away. The feeling of excitement being with friends again well up among the students. I know this to be true to most people but me. The first thing that comes to mind when I realize that school year is near is the difficulty of getting to school because of the rainy season.

Don’t get me wrong. I like rain – at least for the cool breeze that it brings. I also have nice childhood memories of the rainy season, e.g., running around the village with friends playing on pot holes and the gushing water along street gutters. In fact, between the summer and rainy seasons, I confess my preference over the latter. The only reason I appreciate summer is because of the fact that there are no classes. I don’t look forward to summer outings except for the bonding that results from it and the conversations at the beach about anything under the moon. Plus, I never really understood why we have to go swimming on summer. I’d always say, “If we wanted to quench the summer heat, why do it under the very same thing that makes it?”

Despite this rather unusual inclination to the rainy season, I have always wondered why the school year starts at the same period. It seems a bit odd that children are required to go to school when it is most dangerous for them to go out. As I see it, the school year should start on September and here are a few reasons why:

1. Rains make it difficult for students to go to school.

2. The welfare of students is more at risk during the rainy season than at summer.

3. Classes are more prone to suspension because of typhoons prevalent during the months of June to August.

4. In college, the second semester is divided by the Christmas break resulting in an awkward disruption of class schedule.

5. In law school, preparations for the bar will not get in the way of class schedule.

Of course, not everyone will agree with this. Some would say that the rainy season extends up to the month of October and there is no assurance that classes will not be suspended if it starts on September. Some would also argue that it will be more difficult for children to go to school and study on summer when the heat is stifling. Some would allege that we are just copying the system of US whose climate is entirely different from ours. Some are pessimistic that we will be hard pressed to change the academic year because it is deeply rooted in our culture. Some would even give the most trivial reason that swimming is a lot safer during summer than in rainy season.

First, I agree that starting the school year on September does not guarantee that no classes will be suspended due to typhoons. I believe though that the frequency of suspended classes will largely decrease. Since we cannot completely avoid the rainy reason, we might as well do something to diminish its unwanted effects on the academic system, i.e., suspension of classes.

Second, between the summer and rainy seasons, it is clear that the latter poses a more perilous situation for children. We live in a tropical country. As such, is it not right to assume that most, if not all, have better tolerance from heat than rain? If we think studying is more difficult for children during summer, then why do we enroll our children at summer camps or summer classes or both? Heat is stifling. Rain is dampening. So which is worse, leptospirosis or dehydration?

Third, why do we even have to care whether we are copying the US system or not? If something is good for the country and its citizens, does it make the initiative or change bad if the Americans thought of it first? We have to simply acknowledge that the current system is no longer beneficial to the country and accept the fact that change does not necessarily uproot the society from its culture.

Fourth, I think you will all agree with me that intellectual children are far more needed than better tanned ones.

An Old Cellphone Story

A story I made when I “lost” my mobile phone last June 2006.

Papasok ako ng office sa Ortigas from my apartment sa Pantranco. Sumakay ako ng jeep papuntang Philcoa from Pantranco (in front of Jollibee). Inaantok antok pa ko dahil puyat sa kung anong dahilan na di niyo na kailangan malaman. So naiidlip idlip ako sa jeep nang biglang nagkaron ng kaguluhan. May 2 kalalakihan ang nanghoholdap. Nasa bandang estribo ang isa, samantalang nasa bandang gitna naman ang isa. nakaupo ako sa likod ng driver so medyo malayo ako dun sa holdaper. Pilit niyang kinukuha yun bag ng babaeng katabi niya. Maganda siguro ang cellphone kasi sigaw siya ng sigaw at ayaw ibigay ang bag. Maganda yun babae. Chinita, maputi, shoulder length ang buhok, maliit at mapula ang labi, medyo matangos ang ilong, maganda ang kutis, nursing ata ang course. In the end, nagtagumpay ang masamang loob na makuha ang bag ng magandang dilag. Tinutukan nila ang iba pang pasahero para hingin ang kanilang mahahalagang gamit. Mabuti na lang at nang mga oras na iyon ay kasalukuyan na kaming bumabaybay sa delta. Nagkataong may police outpost doon. Ginilid ng driver nang mamataan niya ang police station. Nataranta ang mga magnanakaw. Nakatalon agad yun isang nakapwesto sa may estribo samantalang ang isa na katabi ng magandang babae ay hindi pa. Nang magtatangka na siyang tumalon mula sa jeep, nakaisip ako ng isang malabayaning aksyon. Dinukot ko ang cellphone ko mula sa aking bulsa at ibinato sa patakbong magnanakaw. sakto namang tinamaan siya sa ulo nang patalon siya mula sa jeep kaya naman nawalan siya ng balanse at nalaglag sa daan. Swerte lang niya at nakaiwas ang sumusunod na revo at hindi siya nasagasaan. Hininto ng driver ang jeep. Nagbabaan ang mga kalalakihan at ginulpi ang magnanakaw.

Matapos ang pangyayaring iyon, nagkatinginan kami ng magandang dalaga. Naiiyak siyang nagpasalamat sa ginawa kong kabayanihan. Nagkataon palang di lang cellphone niya ang nasa bag – naroon din ang pang-tuition niya. Oo ngayon pa lang sana siya magbabayad dahil kulang ang kanyang pera noong enrolment. Kurot sa puso ang magandang pangyayari. Tumagal at mas lumagkit ang aming pagtitinginan. Namalayan ko na lang na habang hawak na namin ang kamay ng isa’t isa unti unting na palang naglapit ang aming mga labi. Ngunit sa di inaasahang pangyayari ay nalubak ang jeep. Dumukot ako sa bulsang kinalalagyan ng cellphone ko… kinapa ang iba pang bulsa… nagbukas ng bag… naghanap sa kailailaliman… at napagtantong gising na ako at wala na ang cellphone ko.

Kill “Monthsary”

Filipinos give much value to the monthly celebration of a “boyfriend-girlfriend” relationship. In fact, owing to the lack of an English term therefor, we have even created a word for it, i.e., monthsary.

The etymology of this term, however, eludes me. I can only surmise that it is the result of combining “month” and “sary”. The use of the word “month” is without a doubt clear enough. But what about “sary”? Obviously, it was derived from anniversary by taking “anniv” out, which we know to refer to a year. Now, “sary” doesn’t mean anything, or if it does, it is not related to its intended use. Thus, monthsary as a term is senseless.

Since we took it upon ourselves to coin a word, shouldn’t we at least make something that has logical basis? So, I propose  MENSIVERSARY.

Its etymology is easy to understand, we just use “anniversary” as the basis. It comes from two Latin terms, namely, annus and versare. The former means “year” and the latter means “to turn”. So “anniversary” means to turn another year. Hence, if we want to refer to “to turn another month”, we get the Latin term for month, which is mensus, and connect it to the Latin term versare. This results in MENSIVERSARY.

Now we have a logical term. It’s time to stop using something without basis. Don’t greet your loved one “happy monthsary” anymore. It means nothing. It amounts to greeting without meaning. Spread the word. Spread the love. So to all whose relationship turned another month today, I greet you all a HAPPY MENSIVERSARY!!!

On Charter Change

Something I wrote for my English for Lawyers class last 25 November 2005

Undeniably one of the most talked about national issue today is the charter change and the proposed move from the present Presidential system of government to a Parliamentary form, particularly Federal system. This has, in fact, been officially tagged as priority by no less than the President of the Republic herself, Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her State of the Nation Address this year – a move criticized by the opposition as a means to ensure or earn, or both, the support of majority of the Congress in her most trying moments. While shrouding this policy decision with political color would normally illicit more doubts than understanding, one must still take time off and consider the viability and propriety of such decision.

The Local Government Development Foundation in its publication entitled, “Primer on Local Government in a Federal System,” provided a comparative overview of Presidentialism vis-a-vis Parliamentarism. It may be well to discuss at least two (2) of the most important differences between the afore-mentioned systems of government.

First is with respect to the governance structure. In a Presidential system, there exists three (3) co-equal departments, namely, Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary. In a system of government such as this, the principle of inter-departmental courtesy is practiced; which promotes alienation of public policy making resulting to awkward situations such as that brought about by the issuance of Executive Order 464 directing officials under the Chief Executive to seek approval before attending Senate or Congressional hearings. In a Parliamentary system, the government power is lodged with a central body composed of a fusion of the executive and legislative functions/offices. While this set up removes the said hazard encountered in the Presidential system, it may be said that it lacks the proper check and balance present in the former.

Second is the manner by which the head of the government is chosen and the term within which he may serve. Under the Presidential system, the President is both head of government and head of state, and is chosen by the citizens through an election to serve for a fixed term. On the other hand, in a Parliamentary system of government, the President merely acts as the head of state and a Prime Minister is chosen by members of the Parliament to head the government for as long as a vote of no confidence is obtained for its termination. The two (2) mentioned characteristics of Presidential system have brought about several issues and scandals; the bes examples of which are the declaration of martial law and the blatant and massive elections cheating. While there is no absolute assurance that these will not occur under a Parliamentary system of government, it may however be maintained that the possibility of another martial rule or repetitive election manipulation may somehow be lessened, if not curtailed, due to the governance structure and period in a Parliamentary system.

It cannot be gainsaid that no form or system of government can address all problems and concerns that have hounded and are still hounding this nation. The fact that the Presidential system has not elevated the status of this country for the last seventy-five years does not necessarily mean that the system is faulted or inappropriate, or both, for our society. Also, the fact that Parliamentary system has contributed to the growth and success of other countries does not mean that it will, in the same manner, effect change once applied in this country. It is this writer’s opinion that whatever form of government a country chooses to adopt, it is the people that will ultimately steer the country towards progress and development. Thus, idea of change should not be focused on the type of government but on the type of attitude one adopts under a present circumstance.

1st time

First time ko.

Ikaw pang ilan na? Ok ba? Hindi ba mahirap? Hindi ba nakakapagod? Hindi ba nakakasawa? Tuwing kailan mo ginagawa? Gaano karami kaya mo sa loob ng tatlong oras? Mabilis lang ba o dapat matagal? Saan saan mo ginagawa? Paano kung maisipan mo pero walang pagkakataong gawin, ano ginagawa mo? Paano pag habang nasa gitna ka bigla kang napagod, itinutuloy mo ba o inuulit mo na lang?

Pasensya na kung madami akong tanong. Gusto ko lang kasi mas magaling yun mga susunod. Gusto ko yun masisiyahan lahat. Saka gusto ko madami. Mas marami, mas maligaya. Di ba lahat naman tayo yun ang gusto – ang makapagpaligaya?

Ang dami kong tanong. Ang dami kong alalahanin. Pero dahil alam kong hindi masasagot ang lahat ng yan ng hindi ko ginagawa, dapat gawin ko ng madalas. Excited pa ko, pero pagod na sa ngayon. Bukas na lang ulit. Bukas second time ko na gagawa ng blog. Ikaw pang ilan na?