It has been 4 years since I left the Ateneo High School Covered Courts a final time. A lot has happened since then. There's no turning back, but there are times I wish to.

Well, I get to see the Aerie again this week. Wheee!

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I am just so pissed right now, my uncle lost my ID while trying to get my birth certificate at the NSO. I would not have mind really, excpet that a new one would cost me 400 bucks. Talk about a really unnecessary expense.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Put your iPod or other music player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

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IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Life In Mono –Mono

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Gun Lae Gun –Chookiat Sakveerakul

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY?
Ticket –August Band (Mukha ba akong golddigger)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Pure Shores –All Saints (Magiging Traveler daw ako.)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
So Close –Jon McLoughlin

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Theme (In short, nagsesecond childhood. Hahaha)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Because of You –Kelly Clarkson (Tingin sa Kawalan)

WHAT IS 2+2?
Glamorous- Fergie feat. Ludacris.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Forever Young –Youth Group

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
These Dreams – Heart (Panaginip lang ba siya?)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Eyeshine –Sunday Flower (First Line: Can't figure out the way you are, it's like I'm chasing after stars... parang ako nga)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Story of a Girl –Nine Days (Bwahahahahahahaha!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Beautiful Disaster –Kelly Clarkson (Um, ok.)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Take A Bow –Rihanna (Best Actor!)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
I Gotta Find You –Joe Jonas (Maganda nga siyang wedding song)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
A Thousand Miles –Vanessa Carlton

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Tired of Being Sorry –Ringside (I'm tired of being sorry?)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
How To Save A Life –Boyce Avenue (Oo, pumasa ako sa med school nung 2007. Doctor na ako. Hahahahaha!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Let The Love Begin –Gino Padilla

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
My Immortal –Evanessence (Um, bagay!)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
All I Have to Give –Backstreet Boys (Magiging sugar daddy ako.)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Here Comes The End Again –Eyshine

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Gotta Go My Own Way –Nikki Gil (High School? Tweens? Pure unadulterated Pop?)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
This Is Me –Demi Lovato feat. Joe Jonas (naiiyak ako sa sarili ko? Or dahil nasa playlist ko ito?)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Gun Lae Gun (Radio Edit) -Flure (English Translation of the Chorus: Let this be the song, with your voice and mine together that we will be together for always. Just like the verse in a poem: As long as you love, you will have hope. As long as your love shines in my heart, I can see my destiny.)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Can't Cry Hard Enough –Bellefire

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Beautiful Girls –Boyce Avenue (The question is, do I like beautiful girls? Hahahahaha)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Huwag Mo Nang Itanong –Ersaerheads (In short, huwag mo nang itanong dahil madami!)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Dreaming Of You –Selena (Um, no comment)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Bring It (Snakes on Plane) –Cobra Starship

Overheard while getting my ticket at the Katipunan Station:

Friend 1: Friend, ang tagal-tagal mo naman. Pinagmukha mo naman akong tanga sa paghihintay sa iyo.

Friend 2: Friend, hindi mo na kailangan ang tulong ko para magmukha kang tanga. You can do that on your own.

Stolen from PinoyExchange.com

To label Chukiat Sakveerakul's The Love of Siam as simply a gay teen romance is to misjudge its power and intention. Within the two and a half hour running time (the director's cut is reportedly four hours long) of the film, Sakveerakul essays not only the two young leads' reunion and inevitable attraction but also a family's slow and painful road to accepting a long-delayed reality. I would like to think that The Love of Siam, above everything else, seeks to reaffirm the life-affirming values of loving and being loved without sacrificing the portrayal of the very palpable pain that usually accompanies the emotion.

The twenty-minute prologue tracks the histories of young Mew (Arthit Niyomkul) and Tong (Jirayu La-ongmanee), who are both schoolmates and neighbors. They form a very close friendship which was abruptly ended when Tong's family had to move out when **** (Laila Boonyasuk), Tong's elder sister, went missing during a trip in Chiang Mai, causing the family tremendous and irreparable sorrow. Years later, Mew (Witwisit Hirunwongkul), lead singer and composer for an up and coming boy band, again crosses path with Tong (Mario Maurer), who is struggling at home with his domineering mother (Sinjai Plengpanich) and alcoholic father (Songsit Rungnopakunsri). The two reconnect and inevitably fall for each other, disrupting whatever peace they have grown accustomed to.

To make matters more complicated, Mew's Chinese neighbor Ying (Kanya Rattanapetch) is hopelessly in love with Mew, not knowing of his homosexual tendencies. On the other hand, Tong is currently dating Donut (Aticha Pongsilpipat), presumably not knowing of his own homosexual tendencies too. Tong's family, more specifically the father who's been spending days and nights drinking, is still suffering from the loss of ****. June (also played by Boonyasuk), Mew's band manager who looks a lot like ****, is then recruited to pose as the long lost daughter, momentarily easing the father of his staggered pains.

The Siam in the title refers to Siam Square, a shopping district in Bangkok where most teens hang out to shop, dine, meet, and have fun. Siam Square, in the eyes of the Bangkok youth, has become both the place for welcomes and farewells, of declarations of love and hurtful break-ups, of chance encounters and scheduled meetings. In the film, the popular venue is not only the setting for Mew and Tong's reunion and the numerous other events in the story but it also represents the unpredictability of the many facets of love which the film so intricately paints. While Siam Square or any other shopping mecca are ordinarily thought of as accessories to the bastardization of love and romance because it commonly equates blatant commercialism with the love's outward depictions like dating, gift-giving, and hanging out, The Love of Siam uses that very element to depict love's many wanderings and permutations. Underneath the glow of the traditionally amiable romance, The Love of Siam strives to say something more about the act of loving, whether romantically or familial: that it is more a nebulous network-like journey to maintain hope than a straight path to the assumed happy ending.

In fact, The Love of Siam ends without any of its characters fulfilling the traditional conclusions of a love story. There are no happily-ever-afters or expected closures. Instead, the film ends with a mere spark of hope. That hope that closes the film actually opens up million of possibilities for its characters, as numerous as the countless fortuitous encounters in Siam Square that initiate relationships between strangers or abruptly conclude long-standing affairs all within the fateful movement of time. Sakveerakul drafts a bittersweet ode to the complexities of loving, which commercial cinema has tended to avoid throughout the years. What he exclaims in The Love of Siam is that daringly traversing outside the common simplicities of love is far more gratifying than safely assuming formula.

Through the interconnected lives of two boys who are on the verge of self-awareness amidst their own individual conflicts and the people surrounding them, Sakveerakul notes that love survives notwithstanding the dilemmas that pervade the world. As Ying translates from a Chinese song, "as long as there is love, there is hope." Corny as it sounds, the Bangkok of The Love of Siam thrives on that noble aspiration, without knowing that it does so.

http://oggsmoggs.blogspot.com/2008/04/love-of-siam-2007.html

September 30, 2008. All roads led to Katipunan Avenue that night, literally. There was a juge bottleneck at the said avenue as ateneans of every color, gender and size trooped to ye olde Alma Mater. Never mind if it rained earlier that afternoon, thereby rendering Bellarmine Field muddy. (Boo for me for not having the guts to trample across the muddy field- a life lesson learned from the 2002 Bonfire).

Even if my bonfire experience was relegated to Xavier Hall and the surrounding areas, it still felt good to come home to Ateneo. I missed hanging out and walking around campus, never mind if there were changes from the time I studied there (though can I just say they murdered the SocSci Building with the ghastly add-on). Somehow, I just felt home. It was also nice to see familiar faces, as the bonfire proved to be a reunion of sorts.

More than the victory, the bonfire was a coming home of sorts- a reason to see friends and renew old ties. Of course, it was even better because we are the champs, but overall... it was the camaraderie that made the experience worthwhile!

Stolen from a couple of people around.

ADM 102: Introduction to Ateneo-La Salle Games
Thu/Sat/Sunday, 4:00 PM, Araneta Coliseum
Course Prepared by: Miguel Lizada
Course Instructor: TBA 

Course Description

The course introduces the student-cheerer to the dynamics and principles of the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry. The course employs both theoretical and application dimensions. The theoretical phase exposes the student to the history of the rivalry, the tradition of cheering, the construction of the ideal Atenean 6th Man, and other theoretical concepts.

The application phase on the other hand requires the student to put into practice all the theoretical principles. These practices include, among others: effective skills in lining up for the games, cheering (pre-game, during the game, half-time and post-game), jeering, heckling, creating effective posters and banners for one's favorite players and posing and smiling for Fabilioh.com.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, the student should have been able to:

• understand what it means to be the Sixth Man
• understand the difference between an Atenean and La Sallite
• integrate himself with the community of believers
• develop his school spirit

o Excerpts from the "History of the Ateneo"
o The student's "OrSem Manual"
o "The Ateneo Cheerbook"
o "Who and What is the Ateneo Sixth Man?"
o Ruel De Vera's "The Eagles Have Landed"
o Selected Speeches of Angelico Sinjian of the Blue Babble Battalion

o “SUSPENDED! The 2005 UAAP Scandal”
o "We Must Come (Or Hit Them) From Behind"
o "How To Spell Correctly During Cheerdance Competition"
o “The Pumaren Defense Press: Terror and Truth”

o "No Cheering During Time Out"
o "Get that Ball! -- UE"
o "Why are there Two Birds in UAAP?"
o "Who let the (Bull) Dogs out?"
o "You Cannot Overcheer Us!"
o "NABRO: Equality or Social Injustice?"

o "The Art of Lining Up"
o "Sketching Posters and Banners for Your Favorite Players"
o "Scalpers and Where To Find Them: An Anthropological Study"
o "Reserving Seats Upper A/Upper B For Friends"

o "How to Jump From the Gen Ad to Upper B: A Step-By-Step Guide"
o "How to Jump From Upper B to Upper A: A Step-By-Step guide"

o "Developing Your Endurance"
o "The Psychology Behind Get That Ball"
o "Who are the Gang Green?"
o "Half-time is Game-Time"
o "Fly High" + "The Victory Song"

o "The Song for Mary and the Proper Way to Sing It"
o "How to sing The Song For Mary and Still Look Cute for Fabilioh.com" 
o "How To Argue with Sore Losers in PinoyExchange.com and Gameface.ph"

o “Defeat is not a Fundamental Option: A Theological Exegesis”
o “Ang Pagkatalo ay Hindi Isang Wala Dahil Meron Pa: Isang Pambungad sa Metapisika ng Pagkatalo”
o "Win or Lose, It's The School We Choose: Deepening Your Spirituality -- The Sesquicentennial Edition"
o "Contemplating on the Meaning of Life: An Introduction"
o "Surviving the Wrath of Fr. Adolfo Dacanay SJ"

I can't get enough of ABS-CBN's new soap Iisa Pa Lamang. Never mind the old plot and some bad acting (though a lot of the stars are good). What I really love about it is the dialogue. It is time camp made its way back to primetime since Impostora!

Transcription care of PinoyExchange.com

"Anak ako. Dugo't laman." - Scarlet
"Anak ka lang. Asawa nya 'ko. Lahat ng pag-aari ni Martin, pagaari ko na ngayon." - Katherine
"You're just a gold digger in red!" - Scarlet
"Damn you!" - Scarlet
"Same to you anak. Same to you." - Katherine

"Siyempre, diamonds are forever, like me!" - Katherine

"Ang ganda-ganda mo na ngayon Katherine, sarap mong patayin!" - Isadora

"Kung gaano ka katayod lumipad, ganun ka rin kabilis lalagapak. Ouch!" - Isadora

"Senior vice president ako ng kompanyang ito, ako ang legal wife ng may-ari ng kompanyang ito, tauhan lang kita, at higit sa lahat, madrasta mo ako! Kaya layuan mo ako. Get out of my sight! Leave! Now!" - Katherine

"Look who's here, my favorite step-mother. Ang dating gold digger in red, isa na ngayong merry widow in black." - Scarlet
''Ha! Kung sa bagay mas bagay sayo yang itim, kakulay ng budhi mo!'' - Scarlet
"Bakit ka nga ba nakaputi? Para pagtakpan ang mas maitim mong budhi?" - Katherine

"Ikaw ba, totoong nagdadalamhati ka? Kasi napansin ko, kaya mong mag-biro. Kaya lang ang corny mo! Anyway, gusto ko lang malaman mo na lahat nang 'to, hindi 'to permanente. Lahat nang iyan, babawiin ko iyan sa 'yo!" - Scarlet
"Sige! Maglaro tayo, agawan ng yaman! Pero kung ako sa'yo, kakabahan ako, kasi ako sanay sa hirap. Eh ikaw?" - Katherine

"Gusto mo ikaw ang itali ko? Pasweet sweet ka pa diyan, ganid ka rin pala!" - Isadora
"Ang bigat naman ng salitang 'yon Isadora, pero totoo, oo ganid ako! At gusto ko, ni singko walang matira sa'yo! Kaya manginig ka na Isadora, dahil uubusin ko ang lupang tinatapakan mo!" - Katherine

"Iba na ang sitwasyon ngayon Isadora. Marami akong pera, kaya ko nang bilhin ang kahit na ano. Kahit ikaw, magkano ka ba?" - Katherine
"Hayop ka! Kahit kelan hindi mo ako mabibili, at hindi mo ako kayang bilhin!" - Isadora
"Sabagay, ayoko sayo. Mumurahin ka eh, pero yung anak mo ibebenta mo ha. Sige na, promise hindi ako tatawad. Kahit used goods na, ok lang. Pag-isipan mo." - Katherine

"Pagod ako. Huwag kang loloko-loko. Baka gusto mo ihampas ko tong bag kong mas mahal pa sa'yo!" - Katherine
"Sabagay, ako rin eh, pagod makipaghampasan. Next time, ok? In fairness ah, ang ganda ng damit mo. Pahiram minsan ha." -Isadora

"Natatakot ka ba sa akin, o sa sarili mo? Alam mo, bibigay ka rin." - Katherine

"Pakisabi sa bisita mo, ayoko ng nangangamoy basura ang bahay ko." -Katherine

"Anak ka nga talaga ni Isadora, nakuha mo lahat sa kanya. Mata-pobre, mayabang, at higit sa lahat, bastos!" - Katherine
"Don't you dare say bad things about my mother, kumpara sa 'yo. anghel ang ina ko!" - Sophia
"Anghel na may sungay!" - Katherine
"Oo, may sungay. Para suwagin ka! Para mauna ka na sa impyerno!" - Sophia
"Hmm. Matagal-tagal na kayong inaantay dun. In fact, balita ko, si satanas mismo ang sasalubong sa inyong mag-ina!" – Katherine

"Panandaliang donya, habang buhay na busabos." - Lola Aura

“Mamamatay tao ka! You killed my father!” - Scarlet
"Kung may gusto kong patayin, ikaw yun Scarlet!” - Katherine

“Luluhod ka sa harapan ko at magmamakaawa ka na tanggapin kita ulit!” - Scarlet
“Kumain ka na. Gutom lang yan!” - Miguel

“Oh aren't you excited to see me?” - Isadora
“Excited? Alam mo bang mas excited pa akong magpunta ng dentista at mag pa root canal kesa ang makaharap ka?” - Scarlett
“Ikaw naman, nagpapaka-funny. Kung ang lahat ng bulok na ngipin ay kasing ganda ko, o di wala ng bibili ng toothpaste… I'm so witty” - Isadora
“Ano ba talagang pakay mo? I'm sure hindi naman ang kapakanan ng dental industry ang pinunta mo dito di ba? Business? Monkey business?
“Oo, at napaka disenteng monkey business. Politics.” - Isadora

“Ba't mo ko sinampal, biyanan mo ko!” - Isadora
“Di lahat ng biyanan, pinagbibigyan, Di lahat ng biyanan pinapatulan! para yan sa mga biyenang bakulaw tulad mo!” - Scarlet

"Tapos ka na sa gold digger in red. Tapos ka na rin sa merry widow in black. Ngayon, baka pwede ka ng dirty mistress in dirty brown.” - Scarlett

“Same to you anak, remember? Pareho na tayong nasasadlak ngayon. Damn you, damn me. Karma's a bitch, and so are we…” - Scarlett

I've been meaning to write down this entry for almost two months now, but everytime i come to this page where I transfer thoughts onto the screen, my mind just suddently becomes blank. It has been quite a while since it happened.

My existence into this world has passed a threshold where I no longer consider my self part of the that young crowd. I have gone through as some would say a quarter-life crisis, perhaps i still do. But I realize there are other things to dwell upon, more things to to waste my energy and thoughts.

A survey question got me thinking: what would you have want to achieve in 10 years. Honestly, right now, I am still not sure what I want done in that time. It is a not too distant future, but I know i'll get there. Right now, let's focus on 25 and what I wanted to achieve at 25. I achieved some of it, some remain in my dreams.

Right now, the only thing i see myself doing in 10 years is establishing a cat sanctuary, where I could adopt stray cats, similar to what PAWS has done, only for cats.

10 years is still far from the corner.

Here's to being 25 and to continuing aspiring for more!