Past Time

Whenever I feel slow and empty, I succumb to my imaginations. It become my kind of past time. And one of the latest was I was an amatuer song-writer who won 1st place in Metro Pop. I got the chance to choose a band to play my winning piece, ofcourse.

When finally the name of my song called on stage, the people roared and stood up. As for me, I was still sitting and still can't find the strength to stand up and head to the stage. Head spinning, people around me kept on shouting my name amidst all the noise, mouth had been dried, and since I'm addicted to coffee, I could not bear the after-effects of it. Hands shaking vigorously. Hell, I do not need to shake every people's hands; they just need to grab my arms and consider it shaken.

Finally, I was up on stage with the band. A few congratulatory remarks here and there.

And at last, the privilaged speech. Godbless these privelaged speeches. It takes you to do something remarkable or acknowledgable just to have that certain chance; that undivided attention. Were as in Mendiola, all you need to do was to have a police permit and a good megaphone. But the difference was, well, in award nights, people will listen to what you'll say. Camera's are hungry for a stuttered word or movement, a critique will have the chance to lambast each uttered phrase or incorrect grammar, tabloids will wait for a mistake; a mistake so big it will make the whole world laugh.

I walked across and felt the microphone bumped in my mouth that created a little feedback.

Then my mind went blank for atleast 20 seconds. You'll hear around the crowd for shouts and whispers. Those 20 seconds alone made me realized two things: I've learned that a thousand simultaneous whispers was more loud than a shout; and I realized that the concept of the spotlight was for the person on that spotted light will never going to face a big crowd. All you would see were shadows or darkness in front of you. You were metaphorically alone on the stage. A tactic to scare the hell out of you who only tried to step on that unknown world of attention and celebrity status.

I used that figure of anonymity to compose myself and come up with a short speech I finally sought from the edges of my memory cells of my brain:

"Buhay sa Diyos, tenga, puso at isipan sa musika, paa sa lupa. Maraming salamat. Magandang Gabi!"

People stood up once again and roared while I raised the trophy or rather the soap and hustled myself up from the comforts of our toilet bowl and flushed.

Next time, I'll try noble peace prize awardee or a long time husband of Blair Waldorff.

Note: Italized part was from the acknowledgement section of the undisputed album light,peace,love by Bamboo.

Offertory

In times of despair, anxiety and near devastation, my mom held on to her rosary and lighted a candle in our mini altar here at home. You won't be surprised if us siblings carries our rosaries in our pockets almost everyday. We have in our home a very influential Mom. :)

In light of the sufferings we've seen for the past few weeks, let us join the mourners in their silences by offering them a prayer and a lighted candle.

For China, Myanmar, to our fellow countrymen in Region's 1 and 3 and the killings in Laguna

photo By Raffledoocious on Flickr

To Whom It May Concern:

To you whom I saw the world as it was;
Full of blissful and blooming colours.
I will never going to repeat to you these words again.
It's always been so hard for a person to say this phrase.
I will never have the courage to tell it right in front of your innocent face.
Is it because of the friendship we are now having?
Is it because of your unreachable status?
I could only give you one inevitable reality:

Sorry na.

Kasi minahal kita e.

Sincerely,

Cci

Highly Recommended!

Category:Books
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Author:Khaled Hosseini

"Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a WOMAN."

Have you ever endured the unendurable?

Here was a book presented to each of us who gritted every literal and figurative pains that we braved each passing time. Written for us by an author who captured humanity's ironies and emotions into one binding story that a reader shall never forget.

A very moving story of two Afghan women, both shattered and ironically unified by years of war, fear, crooked interpretations of the Koran by the people and seems like a Godless society. Each had given a very important role to one another. And each of them endured the unendurable. Both suffered in the hands of a husband. Realized that, either way, their lives outside and their lives inside a home were both dangerous and both cruel.

I wept during and after I read this book. If you love women as you love your mother or girlfriend or a friend, you shall love and respect them more and more until the last breath you exhaled. They are meant to be loved and respected more than just a thousand splendid suns.

Such a powerful and moving book. Highly recommended!

Khaled Hosseini, author of the highly acclaimed "The Kite Runner", DID IT AGAIN!

Napaka simple niyang magsulat. From the first line up to the last word, it will capture your heart.

------------------------------------

Notes: image above is from wikipedia.

Sadly, No Cheeseburger For Us. :'(

Four hours ago, I failed the last assessment examination for the call center I recently applied. It was tough and time stressing.

It's a non-voice call center located at San Juan. I got 56. The passing score is 60. Not bad for a first timer, eh?

Oh well. Perhaps, I was really called to serve people... in hospitals.

Retake? Maybe I will. Just maybe. There's a retake after a month.

Nonetheless...

Thank you for the prayers and punches my dear friends! You know who you are. Those punches gaved me a brave heart to get away from my comfort zone.

Blessed are the people who believed in me all these times. All these years.

Ano, cheeseburger or inuman? heheheh!

Of Sundays and Peace Be With You's

For us, family, we mostly spend our Sundays preparing to attend Mass and to hear the good word of our Lord. Proud to say, it has been our "Panata" to complete all Sundays of this year and hopefully for the coming years as well. So far, together, we haven't missed one yet.

But I can't help but notice the following when I went to hear the Mass:

1. Kapag papasok ka na sa pintuan ng simbahan, karamihan ng mga tao ay titingin sa'yo/sa inyo.

2. Hanggang sa magsimula na ang Misa at hanggang sa ito'y magwakas, kapag may mga bagong dating, they can't help not to look at the newly arrived.

3. Longest song ever played is "Papuri sa Diyos". More than 4 minutes, I assume.

4. Most of the times, we sang the above-mentioned song frowning. Ironically, the song is upbeat and lively!

5. Through the beginning, until the time we say "Peace Be With You!", I mostly caught people frowning and in serious mode.

6. Mas mahaba ang pila ng communion kay Father kumpara sa mga Lay Men. I still wonder why, up to this day.

7. Grandiosity of every Church is still quite obvious these days. Pagandahan. Papogian. Palakihan.

8. Genuflect in the middle not on the sides.

9. We worship the ideals, not the idols.

I hope that that part of the Mass in which we say our PEACE with one another, would be moved to the beginning of the Mass. Imagine people going to mass smiling in the beginning until the time we leave the Holy place?

If only God will give me just that one hour, the power to hear and grant some of the prayers I can't barely hear. The wishes that mostly comes from the silent whispers of a person who nearly breaks his/her eye balls due to shutting their eyes too much, it'll be an oppurtunity for me to put a smile on their faces, just for this Sunday. Granting every prayer reasonable and worthy of being granted.

I can't imagine a life without Sundays.