Yearend Entry: 2006

Posted on December 29, 2006 at 10:45 pm | 12 Comments
Filed under Daily Dose • Random Realities

I reckon this is my last post for this year as I’m very busy. I have not even finished doing Choice.

Here are the notable things that happen throughout the whole year!

  • I and my classmates had our retreat back in January. The place and food was so great. I really thought I would not enjoy our retreatÂ… and now, IÂ’m still savoring all of the things that we did there. If itÂ’s possible to have a part two (or even a part three) of our retreat, IÂ’ll join! Aww… I’m being nostalgic.
  • On February 04 of this year, a big accident happened here in the Philippines. The Ultra stampede occurred back then. It was the first anniversary of the number one noon time show in the country, Wowowee. Instead of 20 tricycles, some taxi cabs and two million pesos (about $40,000) of prizes at stake. Lives of many people were in danger.
  • I had my first (yeah, first) camping. It was a requirement for graduation. How stupid is that? Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.
  • March means graduation to me. Well, I landed as the first honorable mention of our batch (without exerting too much effort). I was also able to bag other awards. Oh, I’m not bragging about them. Habemus valedictorian! Can’t we have an another conclave?
  • College is a bit freaky. And I hate it. Can’t we just skip college? Haha. IÂ’m still in the “culture shock” mode; IÂ’m having a hard time doing some conversations with my new classmates.
  • The seventh of September marks the death of my grandfather. I miss my grandfather so much. (Please, stop me, I’m getting a bit teary.) I am so glad that I was able to had a grandparent like him. He was so generous to me. I could still remember during my pre-school years that he brings and gets me to school everyday and if there was a new toy available from one of the two biggest fast food chains in the country, he would bring me there and buy me the toy that I like.
  • I had my luckiest day this year back in November when I got PHP 50.00 worth of pre-paid load and PHP 125.00 in cash! My original plan last Friday was that I would only watch the quiz bee so as to support my blockmates and after it, I would go back home.
  • I got a new domain! (I sent e-mail to those people who regularly visit my site about it.)
  • I had my most boring Christmas. As for my birthday, it was not that good but not that bad too.
  • Starting tonight, we are — as how I like to call it — maid-less again.

This time, my favorite entries during the whole year:

Feel free to comment on these posts!

Happy 2007 to everyone!

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Christmas Eve

Posted on December 24, 2006 at 7:28 pm | 11 Comments
Filed under Daily Dose • Site Stuff

We have visitors tonight and they’ll be sleeping here! I hate this! Not now! Not now that’s Christmas! I just met saw some of my second cousins for the first time. They came all the way from USA. And here I am, locked in my room typing this. Yeah, I’m very unsociable!

On other news, I already paid for my new domain but I still have not paid for the web space. I’ll be sending my new link to you any time soon. Oh, does somebody wishes to sponsor this domain name for me? Hehe… I realized that this domain is still important to me so I’m keeping it.

Sorry for this nonsense post. I’ll be posting again tomorrow anytime soon.

[EDIT] I’m busy moving to my new domain (even I still have not paid for the web space) and doing some assignments. I’m so sorry I have not made any gift to my regular visitors and have not greeted you a happy Christmas on the right day. So to all of, belated happy Christmas! [/EDIT]

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Simbang Bengi

Posted on December 17, 2006 at 10:37 pm | 8 Comments
Filed under Random Realities • Site Stuff

Simbang Bengi

Siyam a benging pamagsadia,
Pusu tutung mangapnung tula;
Kasaya na kule ning yatu
Uling malapit nang malapit ing Pasku

Simbang bengi, malam a bengi;
Ing malam a Dios kalapit nang kalapit king tau
Wa, bengi man, pakaslag no man;
Kikislap pa batuin ning sablang lelangan

That’s an excerpt from a Kapampangan song that is sang every simbang gabi or dawn mass here in our place. I’m so sorry for those who can’t understand Kapampangan, even I don’t fully understand the song because it uses Kapampangan words with deep meanings.

Simbang gabi is a tradition that Filipinos do every year. It starts on the evening of December 15 (anticipated mass) or on the wee hours of December 16 (the real dawn mass) and commences on December 23 and 24 respectively.

Its origin can be traced back to the Mexicans in 1584 Fray Diego de Soria hold mass outdoors because the church couldn’t accommodate the people who wanted to hear mass.

I don’t know why or how completing the nine-day novena to Mama Mary connotes that you can wish for one thing and it will surely be granted. Also, it connotes yummy foods and drinks that we only usually see during this time of the year like puto bumbong, bibingka, tsokolateng bitarol, and salabat. But of course, we don’t have the same perspective so others would associate simbang gabi to these kind of stuffs. Others might associate it with being with our loved ones. Or as to some, it might be the perfect time to catch a cute guy or a sexy girl. (Pardon me for including that sentence, but it’s true, right?)

You see, it does not really matter to God how many of these nine masses have you attend. Your faith is more important to Him.

PS: The second page contains some site stuff, that includes some additional information about my soon to be domain.

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Where is my gift?

Posted on December 11, 2006 at 3:15 pm | 10 Comments
Filed under Random Realities • Site Stuff

When I was a kid, my parents would bring us (I and my younger sister) to Manila. There were no malls here in San Fernando, Pampanga back then. All we had were the stores in the down town.

Of course, when we go to Manila, they would buy us clothes to wear on Christmas and not to forget our presents. Actually, it was us who choose what presents we would like to get. The only gift that I can remember that my parents bought for me on Christmas (luckily, it’s still working) was a talking toucan, no, it’s not a pet; it’s a toy (that’s why I used the word working instead of alive).

Every time that it has batteries, I would bring it along with me especially when we would go to a relative. I would show it to my cousins, and make them awed and amazed.

But now, gone are those days that I would want something for Christmas. Gone are those days where I have something to show to my cousins. Gone are those days where my parents would ask me “What do you like for Christmas?”.

I’m not complaining or something. It’s okay for me even though they would not ask me that question anymore or buy something for me. I’m already used to it. It’s not a big deal to me. As the commercial goes, “We have a mommy. We have a daddy. What more can we wish for?”

*****

Back in March of this year, I graduated in high school as First Honorable Mention. I’ll be lying if I would tell you that I did not expect something from my parents. My father even said to me that he has a surprise for me. All I had was a party here at home (there were tons of people whom I don’t know, mostly were office mates of my parents), no that was not the surprise. It was a tarpaulin (the one that they use for billboards. It’s not as big as what you think) bearing my graduation picture and my awards. Well, I expected them to buy me something more fabulous than a tarpaulin.

But now, I’m already okay. I don’t expect them to buy me something because it’s Christmas or my birthday or I got good grades. Besides, having good grades is not a reason for our parents to buy something for us. In the very first place, it’s them who send us to school. Isn’t that one of the greatest things our parents can give to us? Sending us to a (good) school.

To proof to you that I’m already okay, whenever my high school classmates go to our place, in my room to be exactly, they would say, “What’s this? Wow… this is so cool, how I wish I have one like that.” for they had seen my billboard. And I feel so proud that my parents hired somebody to do that.

*****

As a conclusion, let me redefine Christmas: Christmas is not only a season for the kids… it’s for everyone! And it’s the season of sharing our love to others, not tangible things.

PS: Please read the second page of this post. It has nothing to do with this page. But you’ll like to read it, I reckon.

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The wrong person

Posted on December 2, 2006 at 8:42 pm | 17 Comments
Filed under Pinoy Pride • Random Realities

A while ago, when I attended the mass, there were some announcements, after the announcer said his part, there was a round of applause, but when the priest gave the final blessings, nobody clapped — clapped for Him.

What I’m pointing is that sometimes we clap for, praise and idolize the wrong person. To make the matters worse, there are cases where we don’t know that we already idolize somebody who is not supposed to be idolized.

Personally, I don’t clap for those people who don’t deserve my applause. I’ll just sit in my chair and think What’s this?. I can watch a presentation without clapping my hands at all. It’s not that I’m hard to please, I know whom should I clap for. I know whom should I cheer for. And I know how long should I clap or cheer for somebody; I know when it is enough.

I opine that most Filipinos don’t know how long to applause for somebody — they don’t care even if their hands are getting red because of clapping or lose their voice just to shout or cheer for their chicken or spend their pre-paid load so their favorite contestant will still be in the show. It’s plain stupidity. It’s okay to clap for somebody, especially if he or she deserves it. Clapping for somebody is a non-verbal language that can show our gratitude for someone. But then, enough is enough and it would always be enough when it’s already enough. But hey, when do you say it’s enough? When do you know that’s already enough and you have to end it? To cap it all, Filipinos do sometimes clap for the wrong person. Are they sure if they were cheering for the right person? I don’t know. You see, they might don’t have the slightest idea that they’re already jeering the right person.

When it’s already enough? Well, I reckon it’s enough when we’re already stepping somebody. When we’re trying to reach what we can’t reach at all. When we exaggerate things that does not need to be overemphasized.

You might get me wrong, I’m not talking about someone in particular. Besides, what I wrote above was my opinion. It’s true to me but it can be either true or false to you.

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