Sleepy Musings: What Time Is It?

Time, for me, is one of the most interesting quandaries of the universe. On one hand, it's so fleeting, always inching forward on an endless reel of life and death. It's a force that simply keeps on moving, and try as we might to hinder it, we can never keep the seconds from turning into minutes, minutes into hours, and the hours inevitably turning into an unfathomable eternity.

Time is also absolute. It progresses but never changes; it moves and yet doesn't seem to go anywhere. It passes by and leaves snapshots of the past, writing an eternal record of circumstances that we can look back on but never alter. Sometimes we realize  that each moment that expires is ultimately set in stone,  and when this happens we are attacked by a wave of nostalgia-slash-regret that makes us wish that it really was as simple as turning back the hands of a clock.

To say the least, it's confusing. We look forward and see seconds that we wish to catch up to, and yet we turn around to see the very same seconds already left behind. The definitions of our past, present, and future get blurred and jumbled to the point that we don't even know when we're living anymore. This sentence you're reading, for example, is already part of my past and yet to me it's something I'm still writing and rewriting at this very moment. No, wait. Perhaps it's the future that's already come to pass?

I realize, then, how lucky we are that humans don't have the attention span to really stop and try to comprehend everything around us. Otherwise, we might all frozen in place by now, overwhelmed by the understanding of the sheer complexity of a seemingly simply concept such as time. As it is now, we have many questions but not quite a lot of answers, and that's okay. 

Time, for me, is one of the most interesting quandaries of the universe. An hour ago I didn't really expect to be writing anything philosophical/scientific/bullshitty, but look where I am now. Of course, I could always just delete this or let it sit in my tablet forever, but ultimately the decison is mine to make. In any case, there's no turning back. 

I’m Throwing Away My Laptop

I've gotten to digging around  my old writings again and I found one feature piece I wrote almost 2 years ago. So far I like what I've written, but then again I'm completely biased. To the few who read our blog, what do you think of me as a feature writer for the broad sheets? Enjoy!
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I’m Throwing Away My Laptop—#lolnotreally

I remember when I was still a child. It was a time when even black and white television was entertaining to me and cell phones and the Internet were still but promises of the future. Back then, there was no such thing as cyber media, and global communication was very limited.  If you wanted to know the news you would have had to read the newspaper or watch television religiously to know what was going on. Missed news was “forgotten news”, unless of course the rumor mill was still having fun keeping the buzz alive. People’s lifestyles were simpler.  

That was a decade and a half ago. Nowadays, you wouldn’t even have much of a choice as old media and cyber media practically shove information down your throats. With all of the alternative media popping up it has become a question of how you will find out and no longer if you will find out. At first it was a breakthrough; suddenly, everyone was more aware of the world and what was happening. As time passed, however, the internet and social media has given people a deep sense of morbid fascination. Once you’ve watched a tsunami ravage a technologically-advanced country in YouTube, you can’t resist but watch it over and over again, and in HD, too.

On one hand, new media have done wonders for communication all throughout the world. Families, friends, and even complete strangers are now able to share stories, opinions, and experiences through Yahoo Messaging, Twitter, Skype, Facebook, and countless other ways. Global support can also be called upon in times of disaster, letting people from all over the world help out in the comfort of their own homes. In times when mere seconds can decide the life and death of human beings, readily and conveniently accessible information is Godsend.  In this regard, technology is an invaluable asset which has saved and changed many lives.

 On the other hand, any kind of information, whether it is an irrelevant update on Prince William’s receding hairline or a new sex scandal of a famous celebrity, is accessible to anyone who has a computer or a reasonably-capable handheld. Because of this, many people, from juvenile preteens up to cyber-literate senior citizens have developed this outrageous sense of curiosity which often knows no bounds. It is one thing to be informed of the killings, the scandals, and all the injustice in the world. It is another thing entirely to feed off the bad news by “raping the replay button” in YouTube. In a way, it is voyeuristic.

The world has developed and continues to develop at a rapid pace. At some point in the past decade, being informed has suddenly become a synonym for being desensitized to brutality. Censorship has also taken on a looser meaning as more and more children get exposed to news they are not mature enough for. When did the development of technology start to make it okay for people to sell DVD copies of the Japan tsunami? When did being famous start to mean that you have no privacy?  At what point will we stop and realize that we’ve already taken a step too far?In the course of writing this, I’ve read about workers in Japan expecting to die because of radiation, I’ve watched a spoof about twin babies supposedly talking about political issues in Libya, and I’ve read a new tweet by a famous international star who was recently axed from his show. Undeniably, I am guilty of every accusation I have dished out so far. Really, though, who isn’t these days?

The information superhighway was one of the most brilliant inventions of the human race, and with it, came endless possibilities alongside many drawbacks. With technology already so closely intertwined with the world’s daily routine, it is practically impossible to imagine living without it. Sometimes, though, when the news spews out one horrifying tale after another, when morality becomes a vague concept through an LCD screen, and when people don’t know when to just stop clicking away, you have to wonder. Are we really the masters of technology, or are we actually the slaves? #deep           

Some Reasons NOT to Read Fanfiction

For all those who have loved a book, a TV show, or a movie so much that they didn't want the stories to end, there is a world called fanfiction where both the best and the worst writers come together. Personally, I've read quite a few stories myself and have a lot of times been impressed with how creative fans could be and how they could weave stories that are sometimes even better than the originals.

However, anyone who has read fanfiction will tell you that for every one great story there are about a hundred horrible, pluck-your-eyes-out fanfics, and it can often get so frustrating that you just want to  take your computer and chuck it out the window. In light of this fact, I have put together a few good reasons NOT to read fanfiction. 

Close your windows; secure your devices; and hold on tight.

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Fanfiction is a melting pot for the worst spelling and grammatical errors ever. This makes for the funniest lines and the biggest headaches.

I admit that I can be very meticulous when it comes to spelling mistakes and grammatical errors--of others, that is--but fanfiction is a whole different level. You either have to learn how to live with it, or stop reading fanfiction entirely, because while a lot of authors write well and will make the effort to proofread, most of them won't even bother. In fact, you'd swear these people make mistakes on purpose just to make your eye twitch. Here are a few examples:

• "People's lives are at steak as is the fate of this country, our country." Mmm, steak!
• "Everything was quite." Quite what? QUITE WHAT?!
• " 'You saved me from getting a Paris Hilton p- video made from your shower scene and being vued by Snap and Loopin.' Who MASTABATED (c is dat speld rong) to it he added silently." I don't even...*gives up*...Nope, dat is not speld rong at oll. Gud job Harry Potter fanfiction writer.

My suggestion? This:

RUN M*****F****** RUN!

Still, you'd have to hand it to people, because I have read some of the world's funniest lines ever while skimming through random stories. Here are some of them:

• "Shepard now struggled with his bowels, having to make the most difficult decision his long and eventful military career had submitted." 
• "Oh! My panties are still in the elevator."
• "YES!!! MY SWEET MEAT PRODUCT! YOU ARE MINE, ALL MINE!" 

Just three examples. I'm lazy like that.

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You'll know you're in for a ride when the author's notes starts of with this:

    

Rated R for strong adult language, sex, violence and blood content. 

And ends with this:

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AGAIN AS A FINAL WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS HEAVY SEX, ABULT LANGUAGE AND TALKS ABOUT MY PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH LINK. THIS STORY IS BASED ON DREAMS, DREAMS ABOUT MY LIFE WITH HIM. IF YOU FIND THE CONTENT OF THIS STORY TO BE OFFENSEVE, QUEER, OR PLAIN OUT OFF THE WALL, THEN DO NOT READ ON!!!!!!! I HAVE GOTTEN WAY TO MANY FLAMES ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THIS STORY WHEN I HAVE PLACED SEVERAL WARNINGS!!!! I WILL NOT ACCECPT (Reading this out loud sounds like clearing up phlegm.) ANY MORE FLAMES, RAMBLINGS, CUSSING OR EXCESSIVE LASHING OUT ABOUT THE CHAR JENNA, OR REVIEWS ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THIS STORY, EXCESSIVE LASHING OUT, VICIOUS ATTACKS AGAINST MY PERSONALITY, OR NON-MATURE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISIM (But it's constructive! ^_^ )!!! ANY REVIEWS SUBMITTED THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THE ABOUVE GUIDLINES, WILL BE DELETED IMMEDIATELY! THESE WARNINGS ARE NOT THERE TO LOOK PRETTY (You got that right.), THE AUTHORS PLACE WARNINGS FOR A REASON!!! IT IS TO TELL YOU WHAT THE CONTENT OF THE STORY IS SO THAT IF THE READER FINDS THE CONTENT OF THE STORY OFFENSIVE, THEY WILL NOT READ ON!!! <CUT>

..BLAH BLAH BLAH... Something about not forcing people to read at gun point...Mentions of RESOPONSIBILITY... More ranting... By now, the author already probably looks like this:

<AAAND RESUME> IT’S A DAMN SHAME TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE ADULTS OUT THERE WHO CANNOT CONDUCTIVE (As opposed to insulative, I guess?) THEMSELVES IN THE SIMPLEST MANORS (Shame on them! Those manors are EXPENSIVE!) THEIR PARENTS HAVE TAUGHT THEM! ALSO LEAVING MALICIOUS REVIEWS IS ALSO A SIGN OF LOW SELF-ESTEEM. IF ALL YOU PEOPLE KNOW HOW DO IS ATTACK SOMEONE VICIOUSLY (Say what?), IT’S A SIGN OF SELFISHNESS AND NO RESPECT FOR ONES-SELF! I SUGGEST TO ALL READERS WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT LEAVING A MALICIOUS REVIEW FOR ME, PLEASE GET A HOBBY AND LEARN TO CONTROL YOUR ANGER(And the irony award goes to...), BECAUSE YOUR ONLY HURTING YOURSELF, NOT ME! ALSO LEAVING A NASTY REVIEW ONLY MAKES YOU LOOK STUPID (This is true, actually.), NOT ME!

I FIND IT VERY RIDICULOUS THAT I HAD TO LEAVE A WARNING THIS LONG, BUT IT IS BECAUSE OF THE VERY IMMATURE READERS THAT HAVE SUBMITTED NASTY CHILDISH REVIEWS!

AGAIN, PLEASE READ THE ABOVE CONTEXT BEFORE READING ON!!!!

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And so on, and so on. No, really. There's more. I find it funny because with all the time and effort the anonymous author put into making this, there's a good chance that he/she just received even more hateful reviews. I didn't even read past the author's notes and I felt like leaving a bad review. The entire internet is a playground for immature kids, you know.

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50 Shades of Grey.

If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you try reading it. No wait, I dare you to try reading it. So far I can't really bash it properly seeing as I haven't even read any book from the trilogy (Yes, trilogy. I know.), but from what I heard from a friend and some random quotes I saw online, the book is pretty sick. Depending on your book taste and how you define the word "sick", this can either be a good thing or a bad thing. You want to know what I heard about this book series? I heard that if you made a movie out of it you've basically made porn. BDSM porn.

Seriously, though. 50 Shades of Grey is a book that came from a piece of fanfiction that was based on the bad-book-turned-bad-movie TWILIGHT. Now, I have to admit that this book sounds completely different from its inspiration, but honestly it doesn't really sound better, just a completely different kind of bad. Don't take my word for it, though. Everything above comes from someone who has not read one page of 50 Shades-anything, which means I could be right on the money or way way off . You read it and tell me how it is because it doesn't look like I'll be reading this trilogy because of this little spoiler:

"Christian pulls Ana’s bloody tampon out of HER ACTUAL BODY before boning." 

Talk about 50 Shades of GROSS.

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As a conclusion, I feel that it's necessary to point out that the fanfiction world is a great way to read awesome, creative stories and get to know fellow writers. It's just that sometimes, you could land yourself in the bad part of fanfiction and are exposed to absolutely atrocious grammar, meaningless (take note of this descriptor) erotic literature, and crazy, schizophrenic authors. I know this because I've been to that area, and it's one place in the web that a normal person wouldn't particularly enjoy being in. 

Now I don't know how to end this, so here's a GIF on how to properly use chopsticks instead. I hope you learn something, because I sure did. o_O

Before the Internet, There Were Books

Being a huge nerd and bookworm, reading has always been one of my favorite pastimes, and books are something that I've always felt I had something relevant to say about. And seeing as Pearl did a music-themed post, I thought I would answer back with a post about my most recommended reads. To our readers who know how to enjoy a good book now and again, here are five of my most favorite books/book series that I would very much suggest reading. Enjoy!

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“It's impossible to go through life unscathed. Nor should you want to. By the hurts we accumulate, we measure both our follies and our accomplishments.” 
― Christopher Paolini, Inheritance

The Inheritance Cycle, in my opinion, is one of the best book series there is in the fantasy genre. At first glance it really just sounds like your typical story with magic, elves, dwarves, and a young unlikely hero destined to save the world from an evil king. However, read a little more and you would eventually realize that this world is entirely separate from LOTR or any other fantasy series you can think of, sporting its own fascinating rules on allegiance and the power of simple words. Really, this is one of those "you'd have to read it yourself" cases, because I cannot and will not try to condense four great books into a short, terrible summary.

Why I recommend it:

Anyone one who knows me would know that fantasy stories are some of my most favorite books to read. I first bought Eragon on a whim in high school and have since the first page been hooked into this whole new world that is Alagaesia. More than just an amazing read, though, the Inheritance Cycle, or more specifically Christopher Paolini, is one of the biggest inspirations to me because he has accomplished something that I could only ever hope to do. Paolini first wrote Eragon when he was just 15 years old; by 19, he was already an internationally acclaimed author. 4 books later and he has finished his "practice book" as well as cemented himself as one of the best fantasy authors in the world, showing that you can be successful at any age if you just have skills and determination. For anyone who wants some writing tips and tricks, you can see him sharing his experiences on Twitter with the handle InheritanceCP.

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“A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is visible labor and there is invisible labor.” 
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

I remember calling Les Miserables as the first ever romance book that I really enjoyed reading. I don't even know where to begin trying to make a summary of this story, because it is so complex and expertly weaved together that each character has a great story to tell on his own. I would say that this book is all about love: patriotic love for country, the pure love of a mother, fearless love for God, the powerful love between two paired souls, and even a twisted love for justice that could end up corrupting a man. Love, yeah, let's go with that.

Why I recommend it: 

Veering away from my terrible attempt at summarizing this classic, I recommend reading Les Miserables because it is brilliant, simple as that. I confess that the book I borrowed from a friend stayed for quite a few months inside my backpack, but when I eventually got down to reading through it, I found myself awed and genuinely touched. Believe you me, you'll get emotional too when you read of *spoiler* how an abused little girl gets her first real doll.*end spoiler* Having said this, I suggest reading the unabridged version because from what I've read, there are a lot of good bits removed in the abridged version.

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“How terribly sad it was that people are made in such a way that they get used to something as extraordinary as living.” 
― Jostein Gaarder, The Solitaire Mystery

The Solitaire Mystery follows the story of a young boy and his dad as they trek across Europe in search of the little boy's mother. Along the way, the boy receives a tiny book baked inside a sticky bun, which relates a colorful tale involving fate, rainbow fishes, and a particularly temperamental deck of cards. How these all tie up together with reality is the real mystery, and what an exciting mystery it is! 

Why I recommend it: 

Gaarder shows just how clever he is by weaving together this impressive story-within-a-story-within-a-story book. In contrast to Sophie's World, this is less of a history-slash-philosophy lesson and more of a fun puzzle to tear apart and put together. My warning to you is that it can get pretty confusing, especially when you miss out on little details that matter later on in the story. Well worth it, though!

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“I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.” 
― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

This book is definitely my favorite classic out of them all. In this coming-of-age story, readers get to look through the eyes of Jean Louis "Scout" Finch and see how she grows up along  with her brother Jem in a world full of mysterious neighbors, widespread racism, and an ultimately flawed justice system. To kill a mockingbird is a sin, the reader will ultimately learn, because mockingbirds don't really do anything except to make music and "sing their hearts out to us".

Why I recommend it:

I don't know how Harper Lee did it, but she made me feel incredibly nostalgic about a childhood that I didn't really experience. Her story telling is so genuine and timeless that whether you read this tomorrow or 50 years from now, you would always be taken back to the past where being colored is a bigger crime than rape and child abuse. This book shares great morals on being equal, having integrity, and all in all just being decent human beings no matter what day and age you may have been born in. If you haven't read it yet, do it now.

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“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb..." he murmured.
I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word.
What a stupid lamb," I sighed.
What a sick, masochistic lion.” 
― Stephenie Meyer, Twilight

Ahhh, Twilight. With the movie series just coming to an end, I figured it would be apt for me to add this particular book series to this list. This book is included for the simple fact that I want people to realize one thing: if Stephanie Meyer managed to get rich out of something like Twilight, then there's hope for anyone out there who has a half-baked idea and a reliable spell checker.  This and this alone makes Meyer a very inspirational person, because despite how many people absolutely hate Twilight, Meyer's still probably laughing along wiping her butt with dollar bills. What do you haters say now?

Why I recommend it:

I DON'T. For the record, I actually have read the series--skimmed, to be more accurate-- so I can talk smack about it all I want. Bella is so whiny in the first book that I actually got drunk reading a few chapters (yay puns!), and it didn't really pick up from there. Let's not even talk about how the ending to this series was the most boring, anti-climactic scene I've ever read, and that's saying something because it had to go against the encyclopedia for that distinction. I'm just bashing now, yes, but Meyer turned vampires, one of the toughest, meanest monsters in the world into shiny, sparkling fairies. This is UNFORGIVABLE. 

Also, 50 Shades of Grey. Enough said.

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Do you have any suggestions for a good (or bad) read? Feel free to comment, like, share on Facebook, or something. In fact, please do. (^(oo)^)

If Only Real Life Has a Soundtrack As Well

Music is an area I've never considered writing about. For the longest time, I've thought of it as a weak spot for me.  I’m not saying that my taste level has now reached an all-time high, but at least I have broadened my  playlist beyond mainstream pop and R&B. Much of the credit goes to my sister, who pesters me to download for the two of us thus, keeping me on my toes to update my playlist from time to time.

There's probably so much great music and artists I have yet to discover so to be on the safe side, I’ll limit myself to writing about movie soundtracks that have earned a lot of plays in my list. Since these movies are fairly popular, everyone has got to have a song or two saved in theirs. For easy listening, just click on the play button at the bottom of the screen. (It's purple, so you can't miss it.)

I love how she makes me feel, like anything's possible,
or like life is worth it.

I've never really given notice to the soundtracks played in movies until this one, so it should only be fitting that this OST comes first. Up to this point, I've been pretty much sucked into mainstream culture, as finding quality music requires a little more effort. This album definitely had given my iTunes a much needed updating.  All of the songs are worth the download purchase but for movie reference, the most popular track is from The Smiths (song below), which was played during the elevator scene (album cover). I've never even heard of the Smiths before but what JGL likes, scripted or not, I'll be sure to follow. Haha!

My favorites: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out- The Smiths, Sweet Disposition, Mushaboom, Vagabond

Well, you're two penises short of a Shania
Twain reimagination band!

Nick & Norah's INFINITE PLAYLIST. 'Nuff said. If the OST blows, then what's the whole point?

Unlike 500 Days, which offers a more subdued, happy, indie music (I think?), Nick and Norah's tracks are more of rock alternative. So if you're looking for a bit of noise that's not actually deafening, maybe you'll like this one.

My favorites: Lover- Devendra Banhart,  Middle Management, Riot Radio

Paulie Bleeker: I still have your underwear.
Juno MacGuff: I still have your virginity.

Well, who doesn't like this movie? And who doesn't think the soundtrack's cute? Remember the last scene? So cute. It's more of a teenage girl playlist but the protagonist is  your typical  teenage girl, only pregnant (which makes her all the more typical). Lots of cutesy (Yes, I said it thrice, but it is!), happy vibes coming your way.

My favorites: Anyone Else But You- The Moldy Peaches, Sea of Love, Tree Hugger

I'm sorry for every word I wrote to change you,
I'm sorry for so many things.

Fine, I admit I'm kind of cheating on this one because I only know one song and it's French! Hell, I don't even know what the song is about but I love it! When it was played during the scene streaks of zombie watching, arcade gaming, and club dancing, I swear it was love at first sound. I might have gone overboard and way cheesier than usual on this one, but you get the point. I can never get enough of this song! I had it on repeat for an entire day after watching the movie. (Don't) take it from me, the album's worth listening to. Must remember to get the entire playlist though.

My favorite: Ca Plane Pour Moi- Plastic Bertrand

And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.

From someone who had no expectations and no idea what the movie is all about except that it was a coming-of-age film, The Perks took me by surprise. Big surprise. I laughed, I cried,  and didn't even care what I looked like coming out of the cinema. I especially admired how they threaded on the sensitive eewie parts by showing restraint as not to make it too heavy.

Listening to the soundtrack just brings me back to the feel-good air of the movie. Even if you haven't watched it, the soundtrack's still pretty amazing. It also features a track from The Smiths.

My favorites: Come On Eileen- Dexys Midnight Runners, Heroes, Asleep

I'm a little worried about Edward... 

Can vampires go in to shock?

Don't judge me just yet. Though the movie saga kinda sucks, the soundtracks have great music in them. They have songs from some pretty popular artists by the likes of Muse, Linkin Park, Paramore, Deathcab for Cutie and other underrated bands. Admittedly, I have four of the soundtracks, excluding BD Part 2 (emphasis on the soundtracks and not the movies).

My favorites: Flightless Bird, American Mouth- Iron & Wine, Meet Me on the Equinox, Supermassive Black Hole

Still in search of awesome music. Share some if you have. :)

Sunset Limitations? Bayaran Niyo Laing Ko!

Recently, I had the misfortune of getting my first ever crappy airplane experience. Long story short, there was much turbulence, a cancelled flight due to "sunset limitations", and incredibly horrible customer service all around. It was interesting enough to warrant an errant blog post, and I am personally surprised that things like this actually happen on a daily basis. Still, in the spirit of being tactful enough not to bash any person or company, I  am not going to be mentioning any names in this one;  I will however say that the airline rhymes with "Best Fair" and that the name makes me think of oranges and lemons.     

By all means, I am not an experienced flyer, but here are some tips I can give to whoever is crazy enough to take them and a few realizations.

Ticket prices for airplanes change by the minute. 

This one is probably as helpful as I can get, so for anyone actually expecting real advice you can pretty much stop reading right after this one. I don't have the slightest clue on how airplane ticket prices go, but from my experience, a P98 ticket one day can become P4000 within a span of a few hours, which explains how I ended up with "Best Fair" in the first place. If you want to get cheap tickets for a good airline, plan way ahead, always be on the lookout for crazy sales, and never ever fly with "Best Fair".

Despite how realistic it may look, that pig is just a product of my insane photoshop skills. 

Angry customers are craaaazy.

Here's a short list of the people who completely freaked out when our flight was cancelled:

• A staff member of "Be Careful With My Heart" who had props for a Magnolia commercial set for the next day. Living proof that most angry gay men can be quite intimidating and fluent when mad. Don't know what happened to him, but I hope he made it in time for his appointment.   

• "Tito" and company. This was an older gentleman who simply could not wait to talk to the manager that he ducked into the hole meant only for check-in bags. It almost turned  really ugly when security stepped in while his niece and nephew were trying to get him back out. Quotable quote: "Pasukin mo si Tito!" 

• Mayon groupie and high blood chick. One of my fellow Mt. Mayon picture-takers (who waited about 3 hours just for the crater to peek out from behind the clouds) apparently has a sister with some high blood pressure problems. Said sister was eventually rushed to the hospital, no thanks to the sluggish response of the "Best Fair" crew.

Cebu Pacific ground crew saying bye-bye!

• Maalala Mo Kaya media guy. He was the one who was obviously trying to stir things just to get good news material.  He was also the one responsible for calling in the press. He was absolutely no help at all, in my opinion.

• Laing group. *See below.

Bring Bigg's. 

An announcement of a cancelled flight always results to a stampede of furious customers. If you don't want your blood to boil and want to just watch from the sidelines, just do what I did and clutch some Bigg's takeout to your chest. With the aroma of delicious chicken and burgers wafting up into my nose, I was the calmest person in the room and was able to patiently wait until the angry customers managed to shout us into free lodging and a free rebooking. Bigg's is just that awesome.

The best stress reliever ever.

A "Laing Refund" needs to be mandatory for airlines.

Apparently, one group that I was scheduled to fly with bought and cooked an assortment of seafood as well as some Laing to take to Manila as "pasalubong". Obviously some people with a sense of humor, their joking scream of "Bayaran niyo ang laing namin" was the funniest moment of my whole experience. I'm no expert, but I think that this just further proves that flyers with food are generally more relaxed than those without.

As for the Laing group? I ended up taking a group picture with them and sharing a hotel room with one of them.

The last piece of advice I would give is to try out every other airline before booking with "Best Fair". Sometimes, you are going to have to stick to a rigid schedule, and by booking with a consistently unreliable airline (I checked online), you are taking a HUGE risk which is way more trouble than it's worth. I have come up with hopefully the newest tagline for this wonderful airlines: "Come fly with Zest Air 'Best Fair', but I'm telling you, the plane is never there!"

Of maids, mother complexes, and Filipino time

These past few days have been such a flurry of news, it becomes hard to keep up. There’s the editorial from UST’s The Varsitarian which sparked public outcry after lashing out on Ateneo and La Salle. We also have the recently concluded filing of Certificate of Candidacy, with Atty. Leni Robredo joining the ranks of hopeful candidates. And last time I checked, the Anti-Cybercrime Law has been put under a Temporary Restraining Order after numerous organizations have submitted petitions against it. But, the biggest news of all, the one that I think deserves attention is no other than the finale of ABS-CBN’s “Walang Hanggan”.

I may deserve some backlash right there, but with ABS-CBN counting down the days until the grand ending, it may as well be. Long ago, I may have reacted to this with absolute annoyance that local television is synonymous with soap operas. But I have long surrendered myself into accepting that this is an irrevocable part of Pinoy culture. Though I won’t go as far as liking them, I can now sit back and watch in peaceful tolerance.

With “Walang Hanggan” coming to a close (which means saying goodbye to the “yami” Coco Martin), I thought it only fitting to share some of the things I’ve picked up in soap operas in order to avoid the drama and stress of living in a teleserye. Though I’m pretty sure they are not at all helpful and I’m just deliberately wasting your time, read it nonetheless.

Is it me or Coco Martin looks a little bit off, to put it nicely?

1.       Never hire attractive maids.

If you’re the epitome of the classic doña, never get pretty ladies for hired help. This is applicable especially if you have an only son, who is going to inherit all your family’s fortune. Pretty soon, you may wind up with inday as your daughter-in-law. Sure, they may have found true love. And yes, they may find everlasting happiness. But better avoid going through all the mess and trouble you’re going to face before they get their happy ending. 

This may as well be next impossible since no good-looking girl will aspire to become yayas if they have a face for television. So, in amendment to the earlier rule:

Never hire maids your son’s age.

No matter how different your son’s type in women may be, never underestimate the power of proximity and small confines. Better opt for the elderly and maternal types, unless your son has a disturbing thing for mother figures.

Loving the hair and looking not at all like a wig. 

2.       DNA testing for instant family.

If you’re in serious rotten luck that you have a parent or sibling you've never known or met, just remember the saying “maliit ang mundo”. So, if the fates work their magic and you meet someone you feel a strong kinship to, then DNA testing is the way to go. Especially if physical resemblances won’t do it for you. You can stop wishing he is your long lost father and know once and for all. For starters, find out if your blood types match. (Tip: O parents can never have AB children. It’s all one Google search away.) Then, if there’s a match, then you can now proceed to comparing your DNA. 

Coco Martin turning out to be her long lost son. How convenient.

3.       Don’t start your wedding on time.

If you have unresolved issues with an ex or you've been estranged for a while but you are still harboring some feelings, better move your wedding down by a few minutes because if he or she is coming to stop it, chances are he/she will be late. Blame it on Filipino time. So better uphold the tradition and start your wedding late. No one will be surprised if you do so.

2 grand weddings. Lucky girl.

I may go on and on but I don’t want to lose any more self-respect in admitting more than I should. I’m just glad that “Walang Hanggan” is coming to a close. But then again, a new one will take its place. And so, the cycle continues.