The Man In Large Eye Glasses

I just finished reading a summary of the life of Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. in wikipedia.org. Just for me to refresh what he'd done a year after I was born. I can't describe the man on my own words. Sometimes I have this urge to thank him for what he's done for this country and for many of us here who enjoys the evenings with ease and in the safety of our homes. But I don't know how or where. I felt that treasuring my fight-worthy freedom and helping the nation in my own little ways are still not enough to reach the heavens above where were you at.

He's gone and yet, he still inspires me to do good for this country.

Perhaps if he's still around, maybe he'll have his own blogsite as well. Telling people how he managed to be a President and a simple husband at the same time. Or perhaps he'll be one of the special guests of Kris Aquino's deal or no deal. Or yet, having a TV program of his own.

I wish he's around and reasoning with PGMA on how to handle the peace process in Mindanao.

I wish he's around and inspiring the youth of today on the things the technology could not do.

I wish he's around and writing a column in some of today's thought-provoking broad sheets.

I just wish he's around for his family.

I wish he's here with us while we build this nation step by step from the rubbles of a dark past, food shortages, increasing prices and surmountable God-forgiven streets of killings and storms.

I wish you were here, sir, giving us the smile you always pose for a magazine; the smile that makes us feel that this country is worth living for.

The Fever I Got From The Olympics

The first ever olympics I watched was the 1992 Barcelona. I was just 10 years old. But I felt the excitement and the triumph of the human spirit on each event. Will you believe me if I told you that I dreamed to become Philippine's first ever to win a gold in gymnastics? It was a long shot. There was this time after I watched the gold medal match of the "dream team", I felt I was meant to do the same. I see myself doing those bars, rings and balance beams, seeing myself an event away from that juicy gold. Muscles are drenched with sweat. A thousand flashes from cameras above me. Amazing. I could just feel the moment.

But when I shared my dream to my classmates, they said that gymnastics are for gays and sissies.

A total devastation hit me. I watched my dream flushed below the pipe lines of my brain's memory bank down to the bank of memories that should be forgotten.

But truly, the spectacle you'll see in this quarter of a decade events will move you to just dream something. Either dreaming to become one of them or dreaming to make a world a better place. It starts with just watching these men and women achieve their goals, competing without any of their blood shed on the floor of a fencing match or from a shooting. And it ends with you; awe-stricken and temperature dropping slowly. Savoring every fantastic feat you have watched. Your mind had become a highlight reel, playing replays of the most astonishing moments.

That's how you'll caught the olympic fever.

But after I watched the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, I moved on to enjoy my 9 years of being a teenager. Pimples grow here and there; teenage angst hits you, the pressure of going out with girls gives you the sleepless nights. Then I forgot all the succeeding Olympics. '96 Atlanta, '00 Sydney, & '04 Athens. I never caught the fever from then on. And thus stopped dreaming...

...until '08 Beijing Olympics came. It was contagious.

Now, I no longer dream to become an athlete. It was too late for me, I guess. For there's a great hype of '92 Olympics of "be like Mike (Jordan)" and '08 Olympics "be like MIke (Phelps)", and I can no longer compete on these coming generation of Shawn Johnsons, Guo Jingjings, Miguel Molinas, Federrers, Gasols and Heidelyn Diazes. Probably one of you who read this have a family member or a friend who would like to become Phelps or Nadal.

But I realized, we can surpass them in one way or another. At age 26, I'm capable of achieving something. Something the Olympics can never put it on records or something unbreakable by time, laps and shattering wins. Something more worthy of a gold medal. Something being just who I am.

And the Olympics will just be there. Giving you fever after fever. Excitement, struggles and slow motion relays. A powerful tool to become yourself or relive something from your past.

Today, I've become a ten year old kid again who once dreamed to become a gymnast.

Ocean of Opinions

For the past few weeks, I've been talking/chatting to a few good people for a short span of time. Their words just kept on going on my mind for some time now. So I decided to immortalize and share these to you.

Nawa'y kapulutan niyo ng aral. :)

On Zodiacs:

chigo adona: it's not that zodiacs are important. pero interested lang sana ako sa kaugalian minsan na sinasabi.
Binibini: haha
Binibini: know people by who they are.. not by templates of signs
chigo adona: indeed. oo nga noh.

On Relationships:

Charles Benson: u have to marry a genuine un blemished and innocent lady.
Charles Benson: pray for that.
chigo adona: yes pa i will.
Charles Benson: hindi ako naniniwala sa modernity of women.
Charles Benson: cguro sa remote place in the Phil.
Charles Benson: kaya lang baka babaeng unggoy naman yun.
chigo adona: hahahaha! perhaps. haha!
Charles Benson: joke lang anak, di baleng di maganda basta maganda ang kalooban, at mamahalin ka forever.
Charles Benson: masarap ang may minamahal, pero mas masarap ang pareho kayong nag mamahalan.
Charles Benson: love is only love when both individuals share the love for each other.
Charles Benson: one way love is expensive financially speaking.
Charles Benson: talo ka dyan sa ganyang love affair.
Charles Benson: pero when someone is in love, he is blind. everything seems possible, up to the point of stealing.
Charles Benson: addicted to love so to speak and obsession is what they call it.
Charles Benson: u like old fashion ladies?
chigo adona: yes pa. i know that pa. im not a fan of Francisco Balagtas' concept of Love. which goes by "hahamakin ang lahat, maging akin ka lamang." I don't believe in that crap. because, hindi ko po kayang hamakin ang Diyos, para lang sa babae. Hindi ko po kayang hamakin ang mga magulang ko para lang sa isang babae.
Charles Benson: well, you are a normal and intelligent person because of that reasoning.
Charles Benson: that is being healthy anak.
Charles Benson: bravo! i believe u.
Charles Benson: i have been in that situation before, i had bee so stupid, pero di naman hinamak ang dyos at mga magulang ko.
Charles Benson: i cant do that.
Charles Benson: pero dumadating sa punto na when u love someone, para bang ang lakas ng loob mong gawin ang mga hindi tama.
Charles Benson: prayer time anak c u later. bye. balik ako at ikaw rin ok?
chigo adona: bye pa! i love you! log off na po ako.
Charles Benson: love u too very much.
chigo adona: take care your health po!
Charles Benson: yes anak u too.

On Generation Nation:

laurene: sadly, in my generation--i don't know with you kasi i think your generation is much better than mine--people conclude everything considered as "deep" or plainly pinagisipan to be "nosebleed" and "talino mo naman!"
chigo adona: oo nga noh. i do noticed that in this generation. siguro this generation of yours was too tired to grasp things on their minds and tend to not complicate things. ?
laurene: no, i don't think so. i think they're just too interested in having relationships via text to care. so by default, they chose to be stupid, they choose to not use their heads
chigo adona: hmm.. give them a chance, ms.laurene. give them a fighting chance and see how this will goes.
laurene: unlike in your generation, they aren't passive. i think they're just like that because they already know. they already figured things out
chigo adona: or we've been on that kind of generation before, i guess?
laurene: pardon?
laurene: i didn't get that.
chigo adona: parang nanggaling na kami sa ganiyang attitude and suddenly, we grew up with that kind of personality, have matured.
laurene: siguro nga. and it just so happens that merong stuck sa "teenager" phase?

On Contentment+Happiness=?:

chigo adona: what is happiness?
Addie Mendoza: whaaat?
Addie Mendoza: uhm.
Addie Mendoza: happ1ness 1s c0ntentment?
Addie Mendoza: when y0u kn0w y0ur sat1sf1ed, and y0u kn0w y0u d0n’t need anyth1ng else
chigo adona: hmm... so would it be possible to be contented but not happy?
Addie Mendoza: n0
Addie Mendoza: 1 th1nk
Addie Mendoza: y0u’ll 0nly be happy 1f y0u’re c0ntented eh.. when y0u’re unhappy, y0u l0ng f0r s0meth1ng..
Addie Mendoza: d1ba?
Addie Mendoza: makes sense t0 me
chigo adona: that's a good point. hhmm.. sige i'll ask you.. what will be that certain thing na makakapag pa kontento sayo?
Addie Mendoza: that’s s0meth1ng 1 d0nt kn0w
Addie Mendoza: 1 th1nk n0 0ne ever kn0ws
chigo adona: hmm.. so what will be that certain thing na makakapag pa ligaya sayo?
Addie Mendoza: that’s why l0ts 0f pe0ple are always unhappy
Addie Mendoza: f00d

On Choosing Wrong but Happy, Right yet Sad:

chigo adona: hmm.. maiba tayo.. let's go back to humanities 101.. philosophical questions.. would you rather be wrong but happy or right yet sad? and why?
kay moreno: wrong but happy. risky na ko ngayon eh. hehe. i would rather experiment on doing something na nageenjoy naman ako kesa magstick ako sa isang bagay na hindi ko naman gusto.