Novels into Movies

I realized that the movies I liked before, sad to say, I've never read the novels they were based from. So I'm now gonna read Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club, Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting, and Nick Hornby's High Fidelity. It's gonna be a busy sem-break. :-)))

Of course, everyone knows the Fight Club movie

but for those who don't, here's the trailer:

I'm now reading the Trainspotting novel,

aet's written weeth an Skotheesh eccehnt. Here's the trailer:

ahm #throwbackthursday? High Fidelity

Learn to Play "Friends and Lovers" by Incubus (Chords)

Listen to "Friends and Lovers" by Incubus

Click here to know more about Incubus.

Si Omar Borkan at ang Pangarap kong Madeport

Bakit ba hindi ako nadi-deport? Eh kahawig ko naman si Omar Borkan, di ba? Haha! Kapal ng fez!

Click here to read more about Omar Borkan al Gala

16 Year Old Commits Suicide Because She Could not Afford Tuition

          Education is supposed to be the “great equalizer”. Meaning: if you’re poor, get an education so you can land a good job after. But now, if you’re marginalized before schooling, you tend to be even more marginalized inside school. So if you’re poor, you probably won’t afford it. If you’re a woman, you get discriminated. If you’re a minority, you enter a culturally-biased system. Thus, you tend to stop studying early and it becomes a cruel cycle. ALS students know this all too well. Just putting in my two pennies worth.

Click here to read the news on a 16-year old girl who committed suicide because she could not afford her tuition

Settling Down in a Backpack

Paeng Ferrer

     My basil plant shrivels. I gaze outside the window of the apartment I’m renting. No vegetation grows. It is barren.

Emerging Adulthood

     Arthur is the first in our barkada to get married. He now has a mistress. He can use her as an excuse every time we hold a get-together. “The Mrs. awaits!” he would say. He does not wander anymore. He has settled down.

     It made me reflect when it would be my turn to settle down. It is said that one of my generation’s trait is to delay marriage. There is nothing wrong with this, according to Jeffrey Arnett. He is the author of the book “Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from Late Teens through the Twenties”. He is a psychologist. He calls my era the age of Emerging Adulthood. We are the type who hesitates taking on responsibility. Examples of these are in the aspects of looking for permanent work, extending studies, and, as mentioned above, marriage.

Settling Down

     They said that one way to measure one’s readiness to marry and to build a family is to watch over a plant. I try my hand at planting an herb. If it propagates, I am equipped for marriage.

     I purchased a sack of gardening soil and five flower pots. I transported it home via the public commute. I took a jeep. I must have looked funny because of the bulk of the items I carried. The other passengers tried their best to hide their laughter. Two of the jars broke. “This is not a good sign,” I told myself. However, I still proceeded with the plan. I sowed two cuttings: a basil and a chilli plant. I read books on how to care and grow the said seedlings. I printed webpages from my internet research. Basil and chillies only grow in sunny areas. You only water it thrice a week. In case it catches an illness, like aphids, you can use a drug or organic cures. Yes, I also named my plants.

     I was delighted when the shrubs flourished. The cuttings were exceptionally green. The leaves’ aroma was magnificent. The basil grew flowers. Meanwhile, the chilli bore fruit. However, little brown spots appeared on the branches of the vegetation. I didn’t pay attention to it. I continued watering and taking care of the plants. Sometimes, I talk to it. I cut the flowers. I also picked the chillies. This is so the plants would concentrate on growing more leaves.

     “When soaked too much, plants burn up. Yes, it does,” said my neighbor who is a gardener. One of his eyes has a cataract. His voice was high pitched but coarse. You would think he had a vicious past experience when he talks. He was carrying a machete. I smiled. He ignored it. He stared at the distance. He walked away and never looked back. I continued watering the plants.

     What he didn’t know was that I didn’t water the plants excessively. In fact, I sometimes failed to sprinkle it. I couldn’t remember if I watered it last Tuesday. Do I soak it now that it’s Wednesday? What if it drowns? Who will water it when I’m not at home? Could I ask my neighbor to do it? It became very confusing. Perhaps, like the average couple, my plants and I had disagreements, confusion, and complex problems.

     Thus, the time came when the brown spots from the branches spread. The leaves slumped. The pleasant odor vanished. The budding shoots stopped emerging. The whole plant wilted. I had to accept the wretched news that the basil and the chilli withered. The only things left were the empty pots, garden soil, and the pesticides.

     You ask why? Perhaps my gardener neighbor was right that I drenched it too much. Maybe I shouldn’t have used a pesticide. Maybe I shouldn’t have picked the flowers and the chillies. Or maybe I shouldn’t have started the gardening project to begin with. However, I deem that the primary reason is that because I abandoned the shrubs during the weekends. Then I realized why getting married and building a family is called settling down. One needs to learn to stay put.

A basil plant slowly withers

Genuine Adulthood

     I move back and forth between two houses. I work in Laguna. So I stay in an apartment for rent from Mondays to Fridays. However, I visit my mom every weekend. She lives in Quezon City. This is one of the primary traits of Arnett’s theory. He argues that emerging adults are characterized by instability. Literally, we frequently relocate to different areas. Figuratively, we keep revising our life plans many times. In return, however, we gain a stronger foundation for adulthood. We achieve a better understanding of ourselves.

     When my plants died is also the time when I decided to get a bulky backpack. It’s almost like a mountain climbing backpack. Why a clunky bag? Mainly because I do not have a car. I don’t own a vehicle. In other words, a car is a mere briefcase for me. It is just a container – a container for my netbook, wallet, underwear, cellphone, toothbrush, scratch papers, socks, ID’s, pencil case, alcogel, umbrella, extra shirts, hair gel, etc. I am a turtle that drags its whole house.

     “How’s the married life?” I ask Arthur. “Nothing’s changed,” he shrugs. Perhaps, it is true that things remain the same in his marriage. Or perhaps, he was annoyed by my intrusive query. Nevertheless, it still made me ask myself, “Is there really a genuine adulthood?”

     Therefore, in the event that I acquire the right amount to purchase a vehicle, it doesn’t cost a centavo to fantasize, I would acquire a car with an enormous backpack. Pardon, you ask me? I meant a van or a pickup truck. If in case I cannot teach myself to stay put, I will take with me my plants. I will take with me my pet dog, like the e-heads song. ***

My Beloved Backpack. Haha!

Click here to know more about Jeffrey Arnett and Emerging Adulthood.

Learn to Play "Stella" by Ida Maria

I've been absorbed in Ida Maria's music lately. She's a musician from Norway who won multiple international and local awards. Her genre is a mixture of pop and punk. She has also performed with Iggy Pop, vocalist of one of the most influential punk band in the 60's and 70's.

Among Ida's songs, one of my favorites is "Stella" because of the melodic arrangement and the witty lyrics.

Of course, I just had to learn to play it on my acoustic guitar. So if you want to strum your guitar strings to this type of music, here is the chord pattern.

(Listen to Stella by Ida Maria to get the tempo)

Click here to find out more about Ida Maria

Chords for Maroon 5's "Won't go Home Without You"

This is my first attempt at putting up in the internet after figuring out chords to a song. Learn to play Maroon 5's "Won't go Home Without You"

Watch Maroon 5 perform "Won't go Home Without You" live

Salamat sa mga Bumati Ngayong Kaarawan ko

Salamat sa mga bumati ngayong birthday ko! Pasensya, hindi ko na kayo maiisa-isa. Tumatanda na ako at wala nang energy na magpuyat. Kaya ila-like ko na lang. Hindi na ako magko-comment.

Bawat taon, may iba’t-ibang dating ang kaarawan natin. Pinakamalungkot ko noong 2004. Dahil kakaunti lang ang nakaalala. Pinakamasaya noong 2009. Dahil may pera. Pero ordinaryo lang ang dating ng kaarawan ko ngayon. Nasa bahay lang ako sa Fairview. Siguro dahil iniisip ko pa rin ang thesis ko. At mas matindi rito, wala akong pera.

Bagong gupit para sa bagong edad.

Anyway, maraming nangyari noong edad 28 ako. Nagsimula ulit akong mag-blog; nakapasa ako sa Comprehensive Exam sa Ateneo; unang beses kong nakarating sa Mindanao; unang beses ko ring nakalabas ng bansa; pumunta ako sa Thailand, Singapore, at Malaysia; at kung anu-ano pa.

Ano kaya’ng mga mangyayari ngayong 29 na ako? Huling taon ko na ito sa line of two. Next year, 30 na ako. Inaamin ko, nakakatakot. Tama pala ang sinasabi nila na, “tatanda rin ang lahat ng tao.” Kahit makailang pushups at pullups ako sa workout, ‘di na ako babalik sa pagkabata.

Sabi nila, ‘wag ko raw ibase sa iba ang kasiyahan ko. Kumbaga, kung may bumati man o wala, dapat kaya ko pa ring pasayahin ang sarili ko. Masyado namang counselling psychology ‘yun. Hindi naman ako naglalahad ng emosyon sa isang support group. Pero may punto naman, ‘di ba?

Pero, ang totoo, maligaya ako’t maraming nakaalala.Kaya hindi ako masyadong naniniwala sa mga teorya ng self-esteem. Na sa akin dapat magmumula ang contentment.

Isa pa, Linggo ngayon. Kaya alas-10 na ako gumising kanina. Mataas na ang sikat ng araw. Masarap ang walang ginagawa kapag birthday. Nagmumuni-muni lang. Sinorpresa pa ako ng nanay at ng mga kapatid ko. Naghanda sila ng munting salu-salo! Bundat na naman ang tyan ko.

Oo nga pala, nagkataon na ngayong kaarawan ko rin na-approve din ang entry ko sa "Dear Photograph" blog.

Ayon sa tradisyunal na pagpaplano ng buhay, matapos mag-aral, magtrabaho; sunod, mag-asawa. Ibig sabihin, ang next step ko dapat ay marriage. Kaya matagal-tagal na ring sumasagi sa isip ko ito. Nararamdaman ko na rin ang “pressure”. Mula sa mga magulang, dating kaeskwela, church mate, at sa sarili. Pero sa susunod ko na ilalahad sa inyo kung ano’ng ibig kong sabihin. Abangan ang blog post ko. (Nag-plug pa.)

Basta ang punto ko, masaya ako dahil sa mga kapamilya, kaibigan, at sa mga bumati. Maraming-maraming salamat! Tatanda rin kayo! ;p

Mag-click dito para makita ang "Dear Photograph" entry ko.

Sagot sa Number 12 Rejected UPCAT Essay Question: Why will Rick Astley Never Gonna Give You up, Never Gonna Let You Down?

Disclaimer: Nag-eksperimento lamang ako sa isang istilo ng pagsusulat. Ang mga opinyon sa entry na ito ay hindi ko totoong pinaniniwalaan. Enjoy!  :-)

12.) Why will Rick Astley never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down?*

Nasa harap ka ng laptop. Nagtsitsek ka ng e-mail at nag-e-fb. Nakakita ka ng interesanteng link. “Pinoy Sex Scandal,” ang pamagat. (Mag-click dito para manood ng Pinoy Sex Scandal.) Dahil gumana ang pagkamanyak mo, nag-click ka sa link. Si Rick Astley na sumasayaw at kumakanta lang pala ang napanood mo. “You’ve been RickRolled,” sabi ng pahina. ‘Di ba masisira ang araw mo?

Si Astley ay isang Briton na mang-aawit. Sumikat ang kanta niyang pinamagatang “Never Gonna Give You Up” noong 80’s. Nanatili ito nang ilang linggo sa tuktok ng UK at US charts.

(Panoorin ang Music Video ng Never Gonna Give You Up

ni Rick Astley)

Kung gayon, why will Rick Astley never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down? Kasi lagi siyang maaasahan. Kapag narinig mo ang kanta o napanood ang music video, asahan mong mabubwisit ka – walang palya! Pero ang mas matindi rito, hindi ka lang mapipikon, mala-last song syndrome (LSS) ka pa. Ibig sabihin nito ay kantang hindi maalis sa utak mo kahit ayaw mo nito. Ito na nga ang isa sa mga sintomas ng pagkalunod sa kulturang popular. Inaawit mo ang ilang kanta maski isinusuka ito ng pagkatao mo, paliwanag ni Rolando Tolentino, isang propersor sa UP.

Tatak ni Astley ang palagi niyang suot na amerikana. Mayroon pang padding sa balikat. Kutis sanggol ang balat niya. Babyface, ika nga. Lagi ring malaki ang shades.

Papasok ang tunog ng tambol, gitara, at organ na sinynthesize. Kilala ang 80’s sa ganitong tunog. Halimbawa ay ang Buttercup, Uptown Girl, Whip it, atbp. Kasunod nito, magsisimulang umawit si Astley. Pinipilit niyang palakihin ang boses kahit pawang mataas naman ang timbre. Nagmumukhang lampa na nagpapanggap na maton tuloy siya. Ito na nga ang dominanteng pakiramdam ng awit: lampa na nagpupumilit maging siga.

Nakilala ang awiting ito sa Pilipinas dahil kay Roderick Paulate. Palagi niya itong inaawit sa mga variety show noong 80’s at 90’s. Sa katunayan, nagkasamang magtanghal si Rick at si Kuya Dick sa Araneta noong 2008. Ano pa bang kanta, eh di “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Kung papansinin, mahina na nagpapanggap na malakas din ang mga papel na laging ginagampanan ni Kuya Dick. Katulad ng padding sa amerikana. Pampalapad ng payat na balikat.

Medyo nakakaasar din ang sayaw ni Astley. Lalo itong nakakaasar sa bersyon ni Kuya Dick. Isipin mo, mataas ang sikat ng araw, nanananghalian ka, bigla mong maririnig ang sinynthesize na tambol, tapos makikita mo si Kuya Dick na gumigiling. Masasampal mo talaga ang sarili mo.

(Panoorin si Kuya Dick kasama si Rick Astley

na mag-perform ng Never Gonna Give You Up)

Ganito ang sayaw: kumekembot pakaliwa at pakanan ang buong katawan. Kasabay nito, nanginginig ang tuhod. Pero dapat hindi lalayo ang bunganga sa mikropono. Kumbaga maiiwan ang bibig habang kumikilos ang buong katawan. Para mong pinapanood umindak si Ho at si Ha. Sila ang mga bouncer sa Eat Bulaga, ‘di mo na naitatanong. Parang tuod. Pinag-iisipan ko sa sarili kung bakit kailangang nananatili ang ulo sa mikropono? Wala pa bang lapel noong 80’s?

Dito na nga nakuha ang salitang “RickRolled”. Ibig sabihin nito ay ang panloloko sa internet sa pamamagitan ng pag-click sa link na may ibang inaasahan pero iba pala ang lalabas na pahina. Kadalasan, music video ito ni Rick Astley na “Never Gonna Give You Up” pero maaari ring iba. Basta nakakabwisit.

“Never gonna give you up, never gonna...” bwisit, na-LSS tuloy ako!

______________________

* Mula sa Rejected UPCAT Essay Questions ni Sam Sanchez. Sa unang pagkakataon, nagdagdag ng essay questions sa UPCAT ngayong taon. Naglista si Sam Sanchez ng mga tanong na hindi naisama sa pagsusulit. Hindi ko alam kung totoo ang mga tanong na ito. Natuwa lang akong sagutin ang number 12. :DD

Mag-click dito para sa Rejected UPCAT Essay Questions

Mag-click dito para sa dagdag-babasahin tungkol kay Ho at kay Ha

Mag-click dito para manood ng Pinoy Sex Scandal

A Nascent Martial Arts Exploration

Paeng Ferrer (09 Sept 2010)

I shake my head and I sigh in disbelief. A group of adolescent girls guffaw at me. They laugh because I miss a roundhouse kick pad work. I was 12. It was my first taekwondo lesson.

My father took me to a martial arts class for a father and son activity. It was 1995 and the closest school is in Cubao. Because of the girls laughing and the distance of the dojo, we only lasted two sessions. However, perhaps my father didn’t know, I immediately loved martial arts after that.

Nevertheless, it took me 14 years to take up martial arts again. I did not bother with the velvety breeze, tranquil trees, and high spirited joggers in UP Diliman. I was attentively looking for persons carrying long black bags. I followed them to the meadows beside the lagoon. Suddenly, I saw people jumping around and hitting each other with sticks. I figured, “what better way to start my martial arts journey than with Filipino Martial Arts (FMA).”

The Arnis practitioners were divided into two groups. The first was practicing intermediate exercises while the second was a bit more complicated. There were instructors for each cluster. I sat beside a tree and spied for a little while. I anxiously came up to the teachers during their break. They introduced themselves as Mr. Jeff and Mr. Brando. The former is in his youth with long braided hair. The latter is a clean-cut guy wearing eyeglasses and mountain bike shorts. They explained that they are from Lightning Scientific Arnis – International (LSAI). It is a school founded by GM Benjamin Luna Lema just before the Japanese War (also see our facebook account: Academia LSA). I promised to return for the next session.

Like many martial arts school, the teaching style revolves around repetition in order to gain muscle memory. However, I am extremely zealous bordering fanatical that I do not mind going through the activities. I am eager to learn how to grip the weapon, block, and strike properly. I fancy acquiring blisters and calluses. I push myself to exhaustion during conditioning exercises. I buy a lot of sticks, stick bags, practice daggers, training attires, etc. Occasionally, even outside work outs, I find myself hitting the air pretending I have sticks like a madman.

Once in a while, I stumble on something amusing in Arnis classes. It sort of defines me in a humorous way. It is providential that my favorite Arnis move is the umbrella block. It’s meant to stop a vertical attack to the head. The only problem is that I grew up in the boy band generation. I couldn’t help but notice that payong is like a boy band dance step. It goes like this:

1. Start with standing position. Hold the stick parallel to the ground with both hands in front of your hips.
2. As your opponent strikes you, block it by moving your cane above your head. Do this with your right hand. The stick should stay parallel to the ground but a bit leaning to the left. This will allow the assaulting weapon to slide away.
3. At the same time, deflect the attacker’s hand with your left hand.
4. Additionally, shuffle to the right to get out of range.

It’s a simple yet effective defensive move. But for me, it somehow becomes natural to sing a boy band song. I reckon it helps me keep my rhythm. Honestly.

A couple of months ago, I was fortunate to have witnessed the Lema Cup. It’s an Arnis competition in honor of the Grand Master. Early Saturday morning, I went to an edifice in the university. I witnessed, for the first time, various individuals from different LSAI chapters.

The fighters are in the center of the room. They wear protective gears like head coverings and groin guards. They clasp padded sticks. One is blue and the other is red, depending on their corners. Each player is unique. One of them is tall, the other short, one is bulky, one is slender, young, old, etc. In the same way, each fighter has a different strategy. One immediately goes for the head, the other hunts the opponent’s hand, somebody targets the legs, someone attempts to land as many combinations as possible, another one strikes then clinches, and so forth.

There are eight players. Each represents a different school. Two fighters battle at a time. There is no weight category. The fight starts after the salute. Three judges score the match from different angles. They raise either a blue or a red stick. This signifies which player lands a clean strike. After the points were tallied, the guy who went for the legs won. Our team did not triumph but it was an ecstatic day nevertheless (click here to see videos of Lema Cup 2010).

“It’s like we are standing before a mountain,” Mr. Brando told me after a class. It has almost been a year since I first approached LSAI in UP Lagoon. Yet there is still so much to unearth in the FMA terrain. Some people claim that studying martial arts encourage violence. Conversely, many of my classmates say that it gives them a sense of self-reliance. Thus, they move more peacefully when confronted.

There is another major advantage I obtain from Arnis. It is being able to share in the great history of our forefathers. I hear war stories from the Japanese period, the Macabebe’s, and the various weapons of our ancestors. My father was correct to think of martial arts as a father and son bonding activity. As a bonus, I am able to re-connect to the generation of my father’s father as well.

Lastly, in simple terms, I go to Arnis classes because I take pleasure in the company. So here’s to my teachers and classmates – PUGAY! ***

Diaspora: Isang Maikling Kwento

I tried my hand on something new. I wrote a short story. "We must not be harsh, Will," says Dr. Hannibal Lecter, "...our boy is still starting." Below is a preview. Click here to read Diaspora: Isang Maikling Kwento. Thank you very much.

“Ugat, tumakas tayo,” lumalapit sa akin si Amihan nang palihim. Hindi kami napapansin ng mga kapwa trabahador. Abala sila sa pananahi at pagluluto.

“Ano?”, sumasagot ako nang palinga-linga. Dinidiinan ko ang pindutan ng makina. Ipinapagpag ang tela. Sumusulyap muli sa kanya. Ayokong nakikipag-usap habang nagtatrabaho. Sinisita kami ng mga gwardya kapag nahuhuli.

“Bumaba tayo sa lupa.”

“Kumplikado ‘yon. Ako na lang ang bahala.” Napapansin niyang naiinis na ako. Lingon ako nang lingon sa mga gwardya. Nagdadabog na lumalayo si Amihan...

(Read More. Click here to view Diaspora: Isang Maikling Kwento.)

Click here to view Diaspora: Isang Maikling Kwento.