Alta Realitat: Ölelés

Start:	Oct 7, '06 7:30p
Location:	Auditorio Carlos P. Romulo (Makati)

ÖLELÉS is a contemporary dance performance performed and directed by Jordi Cortés and Damián Muñoz and accredited by the Theater Association of Spain. It has received the Premio Cuidad de Barcelona in 2004 for best dance performance and the Premio de la Feria Internacional de Huesca in 2005 for the best dance proposal.

Boracay Trip

Start:	Oct 13, '06 08:30a
End:	Oct 15, '06
Location:	Hey Jude, Boracay

Bora!!!

Anj's Wedding

Start:	Oct 8, '06 7:00p
Location:	Uhmm I forgot.. Just send me a message..

What Else?

Intro to UW Hockey

Start:	Oct 7, '06 1:00p
Location:	La Salle Greenhills Swimming Pool

Intro to UW Hockey

Jorn's Farewell Party

Start:	Oct 6, '06 01:00a
End:	Oct 7, '06
Location:	Ayala Alabang

Pool Party hosted by Donnely

Gone With The Wind- Metro grounds to a halt as Milenyo hits the Philippines

I was supposed to go to an underwater hockey practice last night after work at The Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, a city just adjacent Makati where I currently live. At around 6AM, I received a text message from one of my bosses not to come as Malacañang suspended work in government offices, agencies and schools in the National Capital Region as Metro Manila anticipates Typhoon Milenyo (the Tagalog word for Millenium- internationally codenamed Xangsane). The day before that, I was calmly discussing the storm with my bosses over lunch saying that according to the CNN report that day, Milenyo would pass through Metro Manila directly within 48 hours. Since Filipinos are kinda used to bad weather forecasts, I kinda shrugged off the report and thought that if indeed this was a big storm, it wont be as bad as the first 12 storms that hit the country this year.

At 9-10 AM, winds were already whistling outside, and it sounded like the queerest of sounds, it almost like the rumbling of jackhammer and an oncoming train combined. As the wind intensified, power went out. The wind raged on furiously and it reminded me of being near a tornado back in 1998 during my grandfather's funeral.

At 1PM-2PM, the winds and rain lashed its fury on the hapless Metro, and from my room window, I could see roofsheets being blown away. Power is still out. Worse still, my Globe phone battery went out, my Smart mobile phone lost signal.  Great.

I have been through similarly destructive typhoons before but I thought I never heard such horrifying sounds of wind outside my window - its like being inside a washing machine! I wouldnt want to be out in the streets during this time. Today as I checked out the papers, I was astonished to see big trucks overturned, age-old trees uprooted, windows smashed, and billboards (I think they should be banned from now on) toppling over because of the awesome winds.

Power is still out in my area, and I am writing this blog in an internet cafe nearby. Some of the ATM connections are not working- Good thing I have 2 ATMs (I dispensed my Credit Card a long time ago, after racking a whooping PhP 70,000 expenses), and I havent collected my paycheck because there is no work in the bank I work for.

Oh well, it's another queer, difficult day in the Metro. It's all fun, and I'm still playing underwater hockey tomorrow.

 

 

 

Why I find it hard to believe "Nicole" - UPDATED! PLEASE SEE COMMENTS BELOW.

In recent months, media attention focused on the alleged rape of a Filipina at Subic Bay, Zambales at the hands of American servicemen, one of which she met while the the soldier was stationed in her home province of Zamboanga in Mindanao. I have spoken with some friends, some of which are diplomats from different countries (Rumors has it in the diplomatic circles that there was no rape, and it was all consensual) and we shared the same reservations about the alleged rape for several reasons. Call me sexist, I dont care.

Who in their right mind would go all the way and chase the American soldier in Zambales only accompanied by another girl-companion? I have been to Subic several times and I observed the presence of so many hookers on the lookout for foreigners in the area to the point that everytime the gang goes there, we would just chill out at the yacht club instead of going to Boardwalk where these hookers frequent alot (especially Pier 1). Okay, that does not make Nicole and co. hookers. But getting drunk in the company of people you barely know, you are so either inviting trouble or you are just actually planning to have sex with anyone of them. Pardon my being blunt, but Nicole drank alot of alcohol that night when she could have stayed sober. Bad judgement? I dont think so. I think she intended it. I mean she went all the way to party with these guys, what could she have had in mind. Come on, suddenly she began being such a "victim" on TV? Me smells a blackmail.

Feminist militant groups were all too eager to lap up her story, sadly, before the merits of the case were decided by the courts, the accused already lost the battle in media. That's the most unfair part in rape cases where the accused are almost always prejudged. Who cares if the girl was altogether lying? The case being a test of the Visiting Forces Agreement, everyone is too careful about the implications of a guilty or not guilty verdict. With the elections coming around next year, trust some local politicians will suddenly be part of this circus.

Crikey! Steve Irwin now Wrestles Crocs in Heaven

I never watch Crocodile Hunter religiously, but what somehow striked me was the infectious and kid-like enthusiasm of its host, the former Steve Irwin. I mean you have to give it to the guy to wear khakis in his mid40s when all of us would have our asses beaten to a pulp if we wore one to school, much less to work. The unmistakable Aussie accent and outback charm was pervasive and amusing, to the point that I am so distracted by it rather than the real star of the show- the crocodiles and other dangerous animals. His eyes filled with wonder and his voice quivering with excitement as Irwin introduces us to the world of wildlife conservation.

Although I am not totally unfamiliar with environmentalism and wildlife conservation, I am a self-confessed wuss when it comes to dealing with reptiles and other animals (even if I have a turtle - Rufus,  as pet). I had an albino python on my neck before, stroked an iguana's back, went on a safari with Bengal tigers, but the courage of this man is simply endearing. He taught us, children and adults alike to be more humane, to be more understanding of the life around us, and this gift of communication is perhaps Irwin's greatest gift to the world. He made us see the world with our eyes with such wonder, and understanding that through his voice, his eyes, we see the beauty of life all over us.

Like any great ordinary men, the passing of person like Steve Irwin is indeed a terrible loss to mankind, but his death left a beautiful imprint in the lives of people and animals he touched and this imprint makes a mortal man live forever.

 

Requiem for 911

I was sleepy and propped upped lazily on the couch when I first saw and heard the breaking news on TV. The World Trade Center was billowing with smoke. It was all too surreal, I thought I was in twilight zone. I woke up my friend and told him what was happening and as the newscaster droned on and on, another plane hit the other building. Pentagon was hit, and another crashed in a grassy knoll in PA. I must be dreaming. This cant be happening. In a daze, I sent a text message to my Mom, and she told me that one of my Dad's former co-workers who migrated to the States worked at WTC. She was on the 75th floor that day. I remembered playing with her kids when they were still the Philippines. Now those former playmates lost their Mom. It was such a sad sad day for the world. How thousands of lives lost because of an extremely flawed American foreign policy, combined with a lethal and deranged interpretation of a supposedly peaceful religion.

 

Is Hell Endothermic or Exothermic?

HELL EXPLAINED BY CHEMISTRY STUDENT

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term.The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well :

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat)or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law(gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.


As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today.Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than therate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over.

The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore,extinct......leaving only Heaven,thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God."

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A"

Anatomy of a Coño III

So what is a Coño, that  what we have been asking all along? How do we define it on our own terms? I guess they are defined by different criteria, as the meanings offered by linguistic authorities change over time as usage of the term changes too. For now, Coño is differentiated by money, class, education, speech, lifestyle but most importantly by attitude.

I think in any society, in any country, or cultures for that matter, there are variations of the Coño breed. They, like death, and taxes are unavoidable. It still represents deep societal divisions and mirrors the national psyche. It is serves as another proof that elitism is present everywhere, regardless of ideology, color and creed. Even in a supposedly equal and just society as in Communism, there is still a stable of elite cadres to lord all over.

Oh well, life sucks, Coños makes it more amusing, funnier and bearable. Why so, its for you to find out.

 

 

 

 

Paradigm Shifts

Most of my friends were kinda weirded out the way I have been acting antisocial these past few weeks immediately after the Punta Fuego trip. I have missed all the major parties, get togethers, and somehow tried to stay below the radar so much that most of them were surprised, annoyed and questioning. The party animal has gone on an indefinite sabbatical.

But what to do? I'm so over wasting time in the usual places: The Fort, Greenbelt, House Parties... It's just that I got saturated by these activities. Travelling on the other hand can be tiring and expensive. I guess its a cycle for me that happens every after a couple of years to withdraw and go into a cocoon, weaving dreams in my solitude and crafting designs of world domination to come out again and blind the world with the horrifying beauty of my existence (ha ha ha... I guess I am a sick deluded fuck).

I am just so happy right now in my implacable peace, the rhythm of my breathing (tobacco-free now, I must tell you), the splash of the waters, the beautiful dives, the angry swishing of hockey sticks that in one fell swoop, the glorious banging of the 3lbs puck slamming its resin-coated heaviness on that gleaming metallic goal- validates the duality of life - one wins, one loses.

Most of my friends have partners. I am luckier. I am single. They have to compulsorily attend dates, I dont. If I dont feel like going out, I can always beg off. If you are with someone, you have lesser chances of saying No when he/she asks you out when you just feel like curling in your bed in fetal position. Chances are if you said No, he or she would feel bad and has to put up with your choice of just staying put. When you are single, you dont have to please noone and you can look good for everyone. I dont have to wait for someone get dressed, I dont have to watch the stupid film, I can look debonair without someone asking if I am out to flirt with anyone and everyone. Damn, I dont even have to care about their feelings!

Call me selfish. But at this point, selfishness matters to me. For once, I dont have to be Doctor Phil to everybody, and be shock absorber of their sad stories, It's tiring to dish out advices and to console someone in need and watch your own life run away from you. For crying out loud, I am not Mother Teresa. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends, but I need time for myself, and that time is now. I need to listen to myself. To just be happy.

My friend thought I was being an asshole when I was mouthing off sarcastic remarks few weeks back. Sorry, baby, but you have just been collateral damage. Just give me time.

 I am not looking for dates either, so for those people who were so insistent on getting my number, get off my back.

Damn, I have to finish this ranting now, I have a hockey game to catch. Now if you want to play underwater hockey with me, that's another story.

 

 

Philippine Underwater Hockey Confederation

PUHC and SAPUHC Photos. Underwater and Above Water. :P Will post photos here of PUHC and SAPUHC Tournaments and Gatherings.