Family First

Posted on June 21, 2008 at 3:39 pm | 15 Comments
Filed under Random Realities

I’m not sure if you are familiar with those annoying Family First agents in the malls. Nevertheless, let me tell you about them. These agents are found in the malls, usually near the entrances. They were trained to ask this single question to the passersby: “Do you have a credit card?” Some would even follow the shoppers carrying with them a bag and an umbrella — both bearing a logo of the company — until they get an answer. Reply with a “no” and you’re safe, otherwise, you’re caught under their bait which will they make more enticing with the stupid freebies they are holding. The next thing you’ll know is that you are in their headquarters listening to an agent’s drowning voice about saving money for the future and sign what-god-knows-what contracts while drinking iced tea (which my teacher back in high school commented that there must be something in it that would make you sign the contracts) for hours. And you’ll get even pressured because for ever person they tricked into signing, all the agents would clap in unison. Scripted… Eh? Nice tactics, right? But that’s not I want to talk about.

I asked my high school friends if these nagging agents already asked them with the same question. Well, they were. These agents are actually getting into my friends’ nerves. But me? No! I was never asked with that stupid question. Haha. I guess, they don’t perceive me as someone who is old enough to have a credit card. But I’m not saying that I have one. LOL. My Dad actually asked me if I wanted a credit card but I didn’t accept his offer.

Earlier this year, I had a hard time convincing a bank teller that I’m already a college student. During my summer classes, my instructor asked me how old I am (and I was the only one who was asked with that question). Last week, during our first meeting in my major subject, my professor asked me “Dear, are you lost? This is not high school.” Yesterday, another instructor told me “Mukha kang totoy!” If you were to compare me with my younger sister (who is a graduating high school student), maybe, you would say that we were born on the same year or I look younger than her.

When will this stop? I’m not enjoying it really. Well, I used to but not anymore. Maybe, some of my younger readers look older than me. I’m 18, a junior student and I don’t know if people will believe me.

I know, I’ve already ranted about this… but then again, this is my blog! Haha. I’m just really annoyed. For the past two years, I’ve been on constant stress, but it looks like that it didn’t affect my appearance. If this year was stressful enough for me, we would be able to see it draw lines on my face. Maybe, I have this power that can retain my youth. Haha. Now, I should be included as one of the main characters of Heroes.

I’m actually tempted to go to the liquor store in the mall and see if the cashier and guard on duty would stop me. Hahaha.

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Fast Food Fanatic… Plus On Getting Stranded

Posted on May 10, 2008 at 9:20 pm | 12 Comments
Filed under Bulky Books • Featured Flicks

Fast Food Fanatic

In the Million Insect Storm, the Constellations Form Since the fourteenth of last month, I’ve already eaten once in Tokyo Tokyo (I love their Ebi Tempura), three times in McDonald’s (I’m a cheeseburger fan), and four times in Jollibee. Maybe, there is something that they add in their meals they prepare which makes me and their other patrons come back for more, be it their specialties and even their desserts. I guess it’s Monosodium Glutamate (or betsin in the vernacular)… But MSG in desserts? That’s weird.

This all began back in the start of the second term when I met my friends who just can’t get enough of Jollibee and McDo (and when we get extremely long breaks, we even go to the mall to try other fast food chains). Prior to that, the only place where I frequently ate my lunch was in the school’s cafeteria. I’ve grown I’mune to the food they serve. Every vials that they prepare seemed to taste like with what I call generic foods (fried chicken, pork chop, etc.). But since those people I was with were fast food fanatics. I was forced to eat either in Jollibee or McDonald’s almost everyday.

I know, it’s not healthy, we can’t be exactly sure what are the ingredients of the foods that they prepare. Besides, we know for a fact that foods that were deep fried (like fried chicken and French fries) are rich in saturated fats. Seriously, I need to stop and control from eating such food1.

The only benefit you get is that there is only a small possibility that you’ll get contract diseases due to spoiled food. And in the event that you get such, you can sue someone and get compensation.

*****

On Getting Stranded

Because of my high school friends’ persuasions, I decided to turn up to the meeting they’ve set a few days ago. I was hesitant at first because the previous week was another he’ll week. But yeah, in the end I met my HS friends. And we decided to watch a movie… guess what we watched? Due to unfortunate circumstances we watched Iron Man. I’ve already watched it last Tuesday and I didn’t imagine that I would watch it again. I had fun though. The last flick I watched twice in the big screen was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

After the credits were rolled (where we saw weird credits, there was a chef and even caterer, drivers) and the bonus snippet, it was time for me to go. This time, I had to transfer to another jeep to get home from SM Pampanga. It was drizzling when we left the mall. But when I got off the first jeep, the drizzle turned into a massive pouring of rain. I was stranded. Everyone in the street looked for a shed where they could stay for a few minutes, and that included me. With this, I’m grateful to the Burger Machine stall where I stayed for a few minutes to wait for a jeep. I was only stranded for ten minutes or less. I even posted a tweet while I was waiting. I was like calling every single saint known to man for the rain to stop, but it didn’t.

By the time I got home. I was totally wet. My pants especially the bottom part was wet. The back of my shirt was wet. My handkerchief was wet. My hair was wet. My Chucks were wet (my socks were spared though). It was as if I had a bath on the road! I’m fine now. I got home safe and sound, and as what I’ve posted in Twitter, I’m dry now.

*****

After other people blaming so many bloggers, this time, it’s my turn to blame Jmar.

NAME 10 THINGS THAT STARTS WITH THE LETTER “M”

  1. Moo MiniCards: After getting 10 free MiniCards, I ordered more to give to my friends.
  2. Mitch Albom: One of my favorite authors. He’s a great author!
  3. Multiply: I have a Multiply account, but I don’t update it frequently.
  4. Moleskine Notebook: I want one but they’re expensive!
  5. Microsoft Office: Do I really have to explain this?
  6. Maroon 5: One of the bands that I like
  7. Mega Series: NGC’s Mega Series makes me go wow always.
  8. McDonald’s: Just refer to the first part of this post. XD
  9. MacBook Pro: I want one, but at this point, it’s very impossible that I’ll have one.
  10. Music: <3

I don’t want to be blamed so I’m not tagging anyone. Haha.

  1. But I still don’t know why I’m not gaining weight. [↩]

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Unexpected Realizations

Posted on March 8, 2008 at 9:10 am | 14 Comments
Filed under School Sabotage

Running ahead of oneselfNOTE: This was originally written last night.

This day made me realize a lot of things. Things I didn’t expect, realizations I wished I never knew. But nevertheless, I’m thankful that I knew them. And I realized all of these just because of an incident… an incident where most of my blockmates’ real colors were revealed.

One of the things that I knew today is most of my blockmates are plastic. When you’re talking to them, they let you feel as if they are good friends, but when they only see your back, evil horns start to sprout from their heads. This was really evident during the incident that happened today. And by that time, I already suspected that some of my blockmates are doing that to me and all I had to do was to confirm it. True, enough, there are some who are doing that to me. I didn’t expect that, I don’t treat my classmates like trash. When we have something to do, let’s say a report, I’m the one who always sacrifice. I do the written report, the aduio visual presentation, and this and that. In other words, I’m spoon-feeding them.

Nowadays, it’s really hard to decide whom you’ll trust isn’t?

Some are calling me names, according to my source, it’s because I’m excelling in some of our subjects. Hell. What? God, ang babaw naman ng rason na yun! I don’t get it why they’re acting like that, they’re acting as if they’re grade schoolers! Actually, they always act like that, they’re acting like a mentally retarded child. Puhlease, I don’t give a damn to such people. There are other better things that I can waste my time with! They don’t deserve my precious time.

There are others who asks my friend who I am always with about our assignment in Statistics. They’re asking her why she’s not copying from me. F*ck! What they’re saying? So does that mean, if I have let my friend copy my work, then, they could just borrow it and have it duplicated? I guess, they’re too scared to ask directly from me. They know that I’m very mean. Haha. Besides, I won’t let them copy my assignment. As a matter of fact, I don’t even let my friend copy my assignment. I can teach them how to solve for the mean, and this, and that but I can’t let them copy from me. As for my friend, I teach him how to compute this and that, and never I have given the answers directly.

One more thing, this morning we had a report about Canada. I prepared an audio visual presentation for my blockmates (and because Feist is a Canadian, I used her song 1234 as its background music). I know that some would not appreciate it. Definitely, there would be some people who would not like it. But to announce to the whole class that our audio visual presentation is ugly? Hey, that’s different. They’re saying that most of the pictures in the AVP were used multiple times. I don’t know what made them think that. Can’t they just broaden their minds? The next time they’ll present an AVP I’ll shout to the whole class that their AVP is ridiculous!

But here is the stupidest thing, after our reporting we had a game, as a prize for the winner, we bought two packs of Choco-Mani, you know, those cheap chocolate bars filled with nuts that you can buy in sari-sari stores. My blockmates reacted that our prize is soooo cheap at walang kwenta. But right after the game, they were all clamoring for the soooo cheap at walang kwentang Choco-mani even though they’re not the winners. Again, they’re acting so childish.

They’re pissing me off and they’re getting into my nerves. Now, I don’t wonder anymore why I greet myself “Welcome back to hell.” when I arrive at school.

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Ten Books

Posted on February 23, 2008 at 9:35 pm | 21 Comments
Filed under Bulky Books

A Heap of Books Because I cannot think of an experience I had for the past few days that is worth sharing to everyone who visits my blog, I decided to write another blog post about books. This time, I’ll write ten short reviews (and in some cases, with an accompanying synopsis) for ten books.

The Weirdest Book

For me, the weirdest book I had read is “The Dogs of Babel” by Carolyn Parkhurst. It’s the weirdest because in the story, the main character tries to teach his dog how to speak like a human being. Yes, you read that right. Paul Iverson, a linguist, decided to teach his dog how to speak because he wanted to know the real reason why his wife died. At first, I didn’t like it much, but on second thought, I realized that it’s really a good book. The ending of the book was nicely written. Actually, it was one of the New York Times Notable Fiction & Poetry books of 2003. You can read my full review of the book here.

The Most Intriguing Book

Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” will surely stir your faith especially if your faith’s foundation is very weak. The story revolves around the secrets of the Holy Grail. Robert Langdon, the protagonist in the book, with Sophie Neveu tries to decipher the chain of clues while they try to get away from the cops. The author is good in intertwining facts and fiction. The reader should be careful in separating the facts from the creations of the author’s imagination. In my case, even though I enjoyed reading the book, it still remains as a fiction. Period.

The Funniest Book

I guess, everyone who had read Bob Ong’s “ABNKKBSNPLAko?!” will agree with me that it’s the best book out in the market if you’re looking for a way to relieve your stress. Since I’ve read this way back during my sophomore year in high school and my copy is missing I had already forgot most of the details of the book. What I can only remember is that it is a story of the misadventures of a pupil who goes to a public school. Though the book is really filled with humor — actually, I cannot remember not laughing every after reading a few paragraphs — the reader can still learn something from the book.

The Saddest Book

Chinese Cinderella is the autobiography of Adeline Yen Mah, an unwanted daughter. Practically, the story revolves around Ms. Mah who was always maltreated by her step-mother, father, and even her siblings. And wouldn’t it hurt you if your own father forgot your name? That’s how unimportant Adeline was to his parents. But no matter how many hurdles in life Adeline had encountered, she was able to prove to herself that she can do something. As a matter of fact, she is currently a doctor. A full review written by me is available in Choice.

The Much Awaited Book

Among the books that I had read, it’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by JK Rowling that I really waited for. I read the first installment of Harry Potter way back in 2001 and it was only six years later later that the final book in the series was published. I was lucky enough to get the book on the day it was released. In the last installment, Harry, Ron and Hermione try to find a way how to vanquish You-Know-Who. Rowling ended her famous tale impressively. The only bad thing is that there were only few pages left after the climax. But of course, I won’t tell you who died and survived.

The Most Entertaining Book

“Youngblood3” edited by Jorge V. Artura and Ruel S. de Vera is an anthology of articles that were published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer under the column Youngblood. The essays were written by twenty-something and below that’s why I was able to relate with their stories. The book was entertaining because the essays didn’t just focus on one topic. There was an essay about solitude, a student who fell in love with her teacher, a battered wife, and many more that really glued my eyes on the book.

The Most Disappointing Book

Christopher Priest’s “The Prestige” really disappointed me. It was adapted into a movie back in 2006 and I had seen the trailer of it (just the trailer, not the movie) and I was impressed with it. So the first time I saw a copy of it in a local bookstore, I didn’t hesitate to buy it. But after reading it, I find the book neither good nor interesting. Actually, the ending gave me the creeps. Okay, I need to shut up, I hate talking about this book.

The Most Interesting Book whose Theme is Death

I had read a number of books that has something to do with death. Three of them are by Mitch Albom, and I can say that his “The Five People you Meet iin Heaven” is the most interesting book that I had read whose theme is death. In the story, Eddie dies because of an accident in Ruby Pier, the amusement park where he works. In heaven, and as what the title suggests, he meets five people who has in one way or another had a connection with his life. My full review.

The Book that Left me Devastated for Days

Nicholas Sparks’ “A Walk to Remember” left me out of my mind for days because of the very tragic ending of the love story of Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan. Actually, because this book left me devastated, I even posted an entry entitled “A Walk to Forget“But of course, I’m pleased that I read such good novel. Indeed, it’s a very tragic story. For those who want to read a tragic tale, you should read this, I’m sure you’ll be thinking of ending your life after reading it because the resolution of the book was really depressing. Okay, I’m exaggerating.

The Best Book

Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner” is the best book I had read so far. It’s about two Afghan boys — Hassan and Amir — as close as brothers whose friendship was destroyed because of a very tragic event that happened during their teenage years. Years later, it’s in Amir’s hands if he want to be good again. This book really captivated me. I learned that friends are really precious things here on earth and we had to take care of them. If you are looking for something to read, this is the book that you should try! I have no regrets on asking my Uncle to buy this book for me.

Oh, yes, those books on the photo (you can click on it to see a larger version, Lightbox supported) are all mine. XD As much as possible I don’t call them as my collection because I buy books not to collect and put them on display but to read them, leisure myself, and learn something from them. Reading has been my hobby for years and I guess, it would be very hard for me to remove it from my system. Though others say that reading is boring especially if the book is only pure text (no illustrations), I find it fun and enjoyable… as long as the text is interesting enough.

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An Expensive Treat

Posted on January 8, 2008 at 9:49 pm | 19 Comments
Filed under Bulky Books • Daily Dose

As what I have written in my previous update, I’m now going to continue recounting our recent trip to Manila. After we had a sumptuous lunch at the very extravagant Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila and lingered a few minutes at the pool side and take photos (you can read more about it in my entry entitled “So Sofitel“), we went to Trinoma.

I thought that we would go to Mall of Asia instead of Trinoma because MOA is situated near Sofitel. Actually, we have seen it from the pool section of the hotel, erected on the reclamation area. After more than seven months from the day Trinoma was opened, it was my first time to go there. The mall is big and I got lost trying to locate — what else — Power Books because of the confusing structure of the mall. When I decided that it was time to ask somebody, I asked at the concierge BTW, I was at the right floor and Power Books was just a few meters away. My parents and siblings went to SM North Edsa, leaving me there alone.

The branch of Power Books in Trinoma is smaller than the other branches I have been to. It is relatively smaller than the nearest Nation Bookstore branch from our home. But of course, unlike NBS, the majority of the products that they sell at Power Books are books. Lol. I tried to look for a book of Adeline Yen Mah in their biography section. I was not even sure if the books were arranged by title or subject at first. But to no avail and after checking most of the books’ authors and titles, I haven’t seen any book written by her.

I’ve seen good reads but they’re way too expensive. One of which is Michael Chabon’s “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union.” Because the book is hardbound, there is no question why it was priced as Php 1000 plus. I think I’ll just wait for the paperback edition. I’ve also seen “The Emperor’s Children” by Claire Messud. I have expressed in Twitter that I wanted a copy of it. But after reading the synopsis of the book, I was turned off. Time was running out and my father called and told me that he would fetch me and we would go to SM North Edsa. And because I know that it could take months before we’ll go back there I was determined to get something to read. So I decided to take anything that have an appealing cover, without even caring to check the writer’s style1.

The Namesake The first book I have seen appealing to my eyes was Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Namesake.” I’ve already finished reading it, just today. It’s the second book I have read this year. The story revolves on how Bengalis name their children. The main character named Gogol struggles in the USA with his very weird name. The book can be summarized from the words uttered by Gogol who changed his name into Nikhil later in the book: “There is no such thing as a perfect name. I think that human beings should be allowed to name themselves when they turn eighteen. Until then, pronouns.” When I read that, I burst into laughter. I can’t imagine how people would call somebody who is below eighteen using pronouns all the time. It’s a nice book. Book lovers who are looking for a book written by somebody who has not have American or British blood running in their veins should try it.

Daniel Isn't Talking Just below the shelf where Lahiri’s book was displayed, I’ve seen this book by Marti Leimbach entitled “Daniel Isn’t Talking.” The front cover features a kid with his arms raised. The book looked interesting. And yes, it really is. This is the first book I have read this year, and it’s a very nice book to start with this 2008. I didn’t know that it was about an autistic kid. The last time I read a book with an autistic kid in the story (”The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon) I wasn’t impressed. Maybe, if I knew that autism was involved in the book, I would not have bought it. But this one is really good. What I liked about the book is that behind the drama of the story, some humorous lines were inserted to make the book a lot interesting.

*****

Falling Leaves When I was already in SM North Edsa, I went to another bookstore, this time, Fully Booked. I must say that it’s my favorite bookstore. They have so many books! I went to their biography section, where I have seen an Adeline Yen Mah book (”Chinese Proverbs”). What I wanted was “Falling Leaves” so I asked the salesman if they have other books of Mah. And guess where he brought me? In the children’s section! And her books were under the general fiction. Weird. You see, “Falling Leaves” is a biography and not a product of Mah’s imgainations. “Chinese Cinderella,” which I have already read is also a biography so it was also shelved on the wrong place. Another book that I have seen by Mah was “Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society.” It’s fiction, so they got that one correct. Maybe, whoever shelved her books were confused where they would put them because their titles sound fiction-like. In the end, I bought “Falling Leaves” and “Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society.” Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society

I got these four books for almost Php 2000. But I’m not complaining. I consider this as a treat to myself. Besides, I really like reading, it could take me anywhere around the globe without moving even just a fraction of an inch. So, any titles that you can suggest?

[EDIT] My father saw my passbook, and because I used my ATM to buy these books (the transactions I made are recorded there), he shouted at me, saying that I’ve spent too much money. [/EDIT]

*****

And because of this, we arrived back here in Pampanga around 11PM. I was not able to go to the party of my friend. I can’t believe that I missed it. I believe that most of my high school friends were there at the party. I have missed the chance to mingle, laugh, chat, and laugh even more with them. Maybe, next time, I would be able to see and meet my friends again, that is if there is a next time. Lol. Whatever.

  1. I check the author’s style via the Internet if the books are sealed with plastic. Unluckily, the books were covered so I don’t really have the chance to read even just a few pages of the books. Obviously, they don’t want private reading. [↩]

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