ONE OF THOSE RARE NIGHTS. Today is one of those nights that would be something to remember for years. I actually spent the night at my cousin's house in Manila. Being here feels like being back in my old boarding house - I am surrounded again with so many people. I usually never get the chance to stay here because my mom has something against me burdening other people with my stay. Exceptions are overnights for plates (basically comprising 98% of my overnights) at Joyce's place.

Anyway, I am here because I brought the entire 19 episodes of the 'Meteor Garden' series, and my cousins, being the more serious 'Meteor Garden' fans, are currently watching the 15th episode - hehe, marathon. Never mind that we can't understand a single word! Since I have the privilege of watching those episodes at home, I am taking a break.

As much as I hate to admit it, we are bonded mainly because of four guys strutting their stuff on a soap opera. But you know what? Even if I don't have to look at their (referring to the guys) faces for the whole night, I am really glad to be here. I am glad to see my cousins. I only get to see them during some other cousin's birthday, Christmas, and New Year. I am finally able to catch up with the latest in my cousins' lovelives, interests, etc. And to be surrounded by family! Cool. Usually, I never really feel bothered by the fact that I am the only one keeping myself company, but rare times like this make me realize that sometimes, a little bit of intrusion can be welcoming for a change.

Well, I just want to share that. I'll have to spend the rest of the night following the travails of these characters with my cousins.

***

And oh. Since I'm still online, I just want to share that I've read my friend's blogs and I just want to congratulate Victor on passing the Ateneo law exams. Cool! Good luck on your first day in Ateneo.=D

May 28, 2003

THE LANGUAGE GAME. Before I launch into the actual thought of today’s entry, let me start off by mentioning my favorite show nowadays, ‘Meteor Garden’, a show featuring the famous Asian boyband, F4, and a female Taiwanese pop singer, Barbie Hsu Hsi Yuan. Yup, that show got me hooked. I am now subject to the teasing of my friends, in particular this one guy from the registration committee who calls me a ‘meteorite’. Duh.

Anyway, before you raise your eyebrows as to what’s the connection of the show to the whole point of the entry, this show is mentioned because it has gotten my cousin scrambling to learn Mandarin. (FYI: The show’s originally done in Mandarin.) And I’m willing to bet that there are not a few people suddenly itching to get themselves immersed in Mandarin and all things Chinese. Thank goodness though I still have kept my Meteor Garden cravings limited to just the show (and its story) and not to the whole F4 mania – I haven’t succumbed to memorizing lyrics that I don’t even know the meaning of.

Instead, I’ve been trying to learn French. It’s probably one of the more widely used languages in the world, but it’s hard to learn the language because no one really speaks it here. I couldn’t even take it as an elective since it won’t get credited and besides, I have too many other subjects to take. I did the only other alternative I could think of and bought myself a tutorial CD. But trying to actually speak French by that method is still next to impossible.

Anyway, with all the interesting languages out there that I also want to learn, like Dutch, (the language I’ve been using to mark off the dates in my blog) Bahasa, Niponggo, Deutsche….it’s rather disturbing that I couldn’t even think in straight Filipino. Blame it to the times, culture, globalization and all other scapegoats you can think of.

***

Sinubukan ko dating magsulat sa Filipino sa blog, pero naging mahirap para sa akin…lumalabas kasi na trying hard ako. (Tulad ngayon.) Tapos, hindi ko maiwasan na maging seryoso ang tono ng blog entry ko. Ako mismo nahirapan basahin iyon. Sa ibang mga nababasa ko na lathalain (the word!) na nakasalin sa Tagalog, (tulad ng school paper namin, Kulé) nahihirapan akong tapusin yung buong sanaysay. Eck. Subukan pang dagdagan ng gay lingo!

Sa kabilang banda, hindi naman ako nahihirapang sundan yung mga dubbed shows na salin sa Tagalog. Talagang diretsong Tagalog, at bihirang mahaluan ng Ingles at kung ano pa mang salita. Mas nagugustuhan ko pa nga kung minsan yung dubbed na bersyon kasi nagagawa ng Tagalog na i-capture (for the lack of better term) sa konteksto na ma-appeal sa Pinoy. Tulad ng ‘Cooking Master Boy’ na pinapalabas ngayon sa ABS-CBN sa Filipino. May mga napanood akong episodes sa AXN sa kanyang Ingles na bersyon na ok naman, pero ibang-iba talaga yung dubbed na bersyon. Mas nakakatawa siya, lalo na kapag sinasabi ni Mao kung paano niya niluto yung putahe. Heck. Mas lalo akong natatawa sa kombinasyon ng mga idiyom na Tagalog at yung ‘action sequence’ ng pagluluto!

***
Mahirap talagang pag-usapan ang ‘nuances’ ng ating linggwahe. Minsan depende talaga kung saan tayo nasanay, kung ano ang pinag-uusapan, kung saan tayo naroon, atbp. Maraming nagsasabi na unti-unting namamatay ang wikang Filipino, pero siguro kung minsan, dapat naman talagang makisabay ang wikang Filipino sa panahon. Mahirap maging ‘purist’ kung pinag-uusapan ang wikang Filipino sa ngayon. Wala na tayo sa panahon ni Francisco Balagtas at iba pang makatha na ang pinagkukuhanan ng inspirasyon ay ang wikang Filipino. Pure, unadulterated Filipino. Sa halip, nabubuhay tayo sa panahon kung saan napapalitan na ng txt language ang pagpapalitan ng opinyon, sweet nothings, sermon atbp. Hindi ko na rin pag-uusapan ang Taglish.
***
This piece isn’t really written to criticize people who can’t seem to get their tongues straight. We are what we are and the whole point of language is to get our point across, whether in English, Filipino, or whatever way we could think of. I’m just thinking that there are other ways of looking at the whole language issue aside from being proud of our national patrimony. (Or me indulging in more babble.) If I get so anti-establishment about this, I’d say languages are more basis for biases and racial discrimination.

That’s just a thought, okay?

It’s really up to the person taking things in context. I think that this is the greatest thing about languages. The medium isn’t a passive thing to translate whatever’s inside our head. How we use it also matters.

***
On my part, even though I think that way, I guess I still think that it would be rather cool if we would insist on other people, especially foreigners, to learn to speak the language while they’re here. Usually we just speak to them in English. Wala lang. Naisip ko magandang paraan iyon para ipakita yung kultura dito. Something like that. I mean, let’s face it. Despite the heavy use of English, nobody (or very few) really thinks in straight English.

Some of the things I’ve realized while watching ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.’
1.Al Green songs are a major turn on.
2.Kate Hudson isn’t merely eye candy. She is really funny.
3.For a progressive society that tries to promote women liberation, women magazines promote fluff. Or are depicted to promote fluff.
4.I’ve heard some of the cheesiest lines in advertising. Come on, frost me?
5.I wish I had a guy who’ll cook lamb chops (or any lamb dish) for me.
6.I wish that guy was Matthew McConaughey.
7.I also wish there are chick flick festivals in this country.

MAKING THE MOST OUT OF SUMMER. I had a productive weekend. My thesis mates (already finalized! Joyce and Peter are the ones!) and I are finally seeing eye to eye on things, and more or less we are getting a clearer picture of things we want to pursue for our research. Whew. I thought we would forever be afflicted by the summer bug.

My driving lessons went along great! My driving experience so far covered Sucat Road, Evacom all the way to Las Piñas, and to ATC. And earlier this morning, with the help of the instructor, I was able to drive us from our starting point in BF, down Service Road, to Villamor Air Base (I finally saw the NAIA Terminal 3.) and through some villages in Parañaque. Before I knew it (hehe, as if hindi ako yung nag-drive), we were already in Las Piñas and then back at Sucat. Cool! Contrary to my fears, I didn’t bump into anyone, or anything, and I have more or less control of the wheel. I still drive like a granny though, but who cares? At least I drive with caution. Yippee! I can’t wait to get my license! Maybe all those times I sat in front with Joyce and all of my other driver girl friends had an effect on me. Girls, you’re my inspiration! Thank you thank you!=D

Another goal down.

***
I got a surprise when I came home from driving lessons. A neighbor gave us a pup today, a cute white mongrel who could barely walk his way around. He was hiding near the gas range, away from our other dog, the aggressive Monique. Earlier, the nasty she-devil was pawing and practically biting his back! She also dirtied his white fur.=( The poor thing couldn’t fight back, and so he retreated to where it was almost impossible for us to pull him out.

I can’t help but compare our two dogs. For one, it made me realize how big Monique was. Before and after her daddy died (around a year ago), Monique was our puppy and to this day, she still looks like one, except that she’s fat. She’s cute, small and curly haired – she reminds me so much of a stuffed dog I got years back. But looking at Lei (I’ve decided to call him that) and then looking back at Monique was like seeing two pictures of puppies that were rescaled.

Song of the Week: I Want You to Want Me by Cheap Trick. Groovy song!=D Letters to Cleo did a cover of it for the movie ’10 Things I Hate About You.’

University of Pennsylvania
You were a hard-working wannabe cool kid, and now
you are at the Ivy Leage equivalent of a rich,
suburban high school, and all of the kids used
to be too hard-working to be cool, so now you
all pretend to be cool together. As long as
Daddy keeps sending you money and you keep that
coke habit in check, you're degree will mean
something someday, even if none of your classes
did.


Which Ivy League University is right for YOU?
brought to you by Quizilla


What do they offer in this university anyway?

SELF-CONFESSED TRUANT. At exactly 2 p.m. today was my first day of driving lesson. I got ready at around 12:30 and left the house at past 1. I was really early for my first day. Except for one.

Today WASN'T my first day of driving school. Yesterday was.

What I actually did today was submit a letter to A-1 about some excuse about having a migraine yesterday, and it made me feel like a jerk. I really thought that my first day was today! So imagine my surprise when the girl from A-1 called me up yesterday to tell me that I have missed my first hour. And sure enough, I rechecked my schedule and it was really set on Thursday! Dang. I don't want to forfeit any single minute of my driving lesson time!

And now, I had to make it believable that I was actually going to class. Oh well. To kill time, I paid a long overdue visit to my orthodontist- which was also really bad because I broke a part of my retainer(s). But that is another story.

***

Yesterday was really a wake up call. I just hate the way idleness is making me irresponsible! And my body is sore from all the sleeping I've been doing.=( I have chest pains and headaches from all the sleep. I'm really glad that I am meeting with Joyce and Peter tomorrow - this time around I will make sure that I would be doing something productive.

I've been keeping much to myself lately. Nothing really much to share, except that I've been stuffing myself with ice cream as of the late, and indulging myself in other ventures that I hope wouldn't fall flat on my face.

VENTURE # 1: I tried to enter Inquirer's 2bU! - I hope it works out! I just submitted some articles, and I'm still crossing my fingers.... oh well. I'm not much of a writer though, I just merely dabble in it. I don't think I have the talent and patience to write a short story. But I guess I'm just wishing that such a distingushed youth section (tee hee, kind of an oxymoron, don't you think?) such as 2bU! would have some appreciation for the 'ramblings of a confused and dazed twenty-something.' (Sorry Jen, just had to borrow that. It accurately describes what's inside my think tank. Heh! You inspire me!=D)

VENTURE # 2 : For the past couple of days, we had mangoes for dessert - breakfast, lunch and dinner. The abundance of mangoes was courtesy of our mango tree. And because eating mangoes just the way they are loses its novelty after some time, I decided to put some of it in my drink. I made some mango milkshakes and mango pancakes! I really should learn how to make crepes as well.

VENTURE # 3 : I finally had the guts to enroll myself in driving lessons. I'm still due to attend my first class, so not much to tell about it.

VENTURE # 4 : I've been recording tv shows as of the late - from cartoons to soap operas to cooking shows. Well worth watching Fez dance to Roberta Flack's ditty, 'I Will Survive'! My work area has expanded to more than 3 GB because of this. I really must buy more cds soon.

I've been keeping myself busy, and none of it related to thesis. Gee. Alarm bells are ringing in my brain.

Quotable Quote: "So you're going to ditch me. Just like Hyde. Everyday, I am here with my heart on my sleeve. Hoping only for friendship. And acceptance. And what do I get? Abandonment. Loneliness. When is it FEZ's turn? Where is my whore!?!" - Fez from 'That 70's Show'

ERRATUM. Alcala is in Pangasinan, and not in Pampanga as I earlier wrote.

***

BROWSING AROUND. It’s already May, and though I still feel sluggish (and at times, such a loser), I am making progress on the things I set out to do. I’m making progress on the VIZ and Flash, wrapping up old EDRES work, and preparing documents for driving lessons. Yup – there are moments of victory amidst many hours of lying around and reading old Nancy Drew and River Heights pocketbooks.

Speaking of which, I read a River Heights pocketbook yesterday, which I swear is still the best juvenile read ever. I should know - I still feel like a juvenile after reading one of those books! For the uninitiated, it’s a spin-off from the Nancy Drew series, using Nancy Drew’s hometown, River Heights, as backdrop and featuring the students of River Heights High as the main protagonists and antagonists in the plot. It has loads of the romance, jealousy, intrigues, angst and really little of… school.

I almost completed the series, except for a couple of books that I wasn’t able to get while they were still available (which was like, a decade ago). I really liked them back then, and I have to admit, I like them still, even though I really can’t relate to them since : 1) they’re in high school and I’m nearly done with college and 2) they have much more colorful love lives than I do. Hmm. They’re good escape reads – especially when one is forcing herself to read ‘academic’ stuff for thesis and HPAIR applications.

***
Guilty as charged. Hey – I can’t spend all my time bumming around, can I? Anyway, it’s kinda hard to find inspiration for topics when all I face is blank air, so I crank open readings, essays of professors, past works, etcetera.

I’ve also tried to read ‘Wuthering Heights’ for the nth time. Geez. Give me a newspaper anyday.