Don't worry I did not commit a mortal sin. I am just beyond exhaustion. I woke up feeling silly because I was not able to send the 10-page long report that I did because Windows 2007 would not open to other PCs.
Crap.
Pure crap.
So I had to re-type it.
Darn.
I should have been sleeping and dreaming about Chiz Escudero. How many times did I talk about Chiz Escudero this week? More than the usual.
Oh yes. I had my laptop configured for Wi-Fi purposes. Yeah. UP is getting techie these days.
After three hours of class, my Japanese friend Akiko and I ate in that small Japanese/Korean restaurant in UP Shopping Center. UP is getting international eh? I let her chose the food. She knows it better than me.
Food. Oliver Twist is correct when he described it as glorious.
And nothing is more glorious than comfort foods like ice cream. So I ate strawberry flavored ice cream while having an animated (or imaginary drug-laced discussion) with fellow East 2 dormers. Weddings?! Yes. That was the topic. Can you imagine me and marriage? We simply don't go together like a horse and carriage. Sorry Frank. Sinatra that is.
But ice cream is good. Really good.
After three short hours of sleep, I hurriedly woke up and fix myself and my things in order to meet three Team Chiz volunteers in Barangay Tatalon. A fire broke last week, and several families became victims of the terrible tragedy.
Unfortunately, I missed the correct location and had to walk for a couple of minutes. Fortunately, I met a Bicolana (Sorsogoanon. Can you feel the Chiz Escudero connection?)whose family name is Balana. You see...that is the maiden name of my dear mother. You can see it in her eyes...a real Balana. Her father was one of the victims of the fire. She got a stub for the Chiz Escudero relief and was glad enough to help me find my way.
When we reached the place, the operation was about to begin spearheaded by Ka Alex and ably assisted by the devoted Liz Galzote. The relief consists of the usual rice, canned goods, milk, and old clothes. The milk's brand is Alaska. Good choice.
I just cannot fathom why the poor always get the worst of everything. Somebody should study the poverty of disasters.
Lunch is in the Senate lounge.
Senate lounge?
Yes. For the second straight day I was in the senate. Of course, next in the menu is Chiz. The august chamber discussed Resolution 22 regarding the body's sentiment on incarcerated lawmaker Antonio Trillanes. Chiz gave an impassioned speech that had the audience under his charm.
Unbelievable. That guy is simply unbelievable.
After another senate adventure...it was off to Greenhills for dinner. Look at what mischief and text message can do.
Penang Hill dinner is quite good. I like the bagoong rice despite its apparent saltiness.
This is life!
Ate Annie said it best...isang buong araw na libreng buhay.
Ate Annie, Liz, and preggy girl Dang...wow - you're one of the best! Thanks a lot.
But of course...if Liz is reading this - she would say no. No. The best is Kuya Mark.
Kuya Mark...may crush talaga sa iyo si Liz. Maniwala ka.
Picture this: five girls who just met this year inside the Philippine Senate watching their favorite man.
Yes. Senator Francis Escudero Live! In the flesh.
The neophyte senator who is in the thick of the controversial things gave a five starstuck volunteers a tour of his office. He even gave us a private audience.
Aaah. Life is good.
For a more detailed entry, check this link
As I was riding the cab back to UP, I was still smiling.
For some reason, charisma has magical powers.
What happened next is not worth knowing. I was reading and analyzing the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program or CARP.I was up until five in the morning writing about an overdrawn program seeking genuine social justice.
But Chiz...
...he's a charmer.
CARP? What CARP?
Oh yes. CARP. It's finished. Ten-pages long.
Dinner? What dinner? Oh yes.
I have not eaten anything.
But Chiz is enough.
Feeling new has nothing to do with spa or facials. It has to do with my new laptop. Don't ask me about the technological advantages of my new friend (I consider it a friend.) I was never a techie. But it is a good buy although I am still feeling my way through Windows Vista.
Bill Gates. Look what you have done. You have turned me into a slave. A Windows slave!
The brand? It's Acer.
There was no classes since it is the State of the Nuisance address of one terrifying female Hobbit. Thus I stayed in my room.
I also bought ice creams for our dorm wing in order to deliciously combat the cruel effects of global warming.
California Maki and Double Dutch ice cream. That is life.
Who said Thirld World countries suck?
Well if your president is a cheating midget - it does suck sometimes. I mean most of the times.
Can a girl get any luckier?
My all-time favorite basketball team - the Alaska Aces - has won their 12th championship trophy. In a grueling seven-game series, the gallant soldiers of Time Cone left the boys of Manny Pangilinan in tears. The game did separate the men from the boys. The game is all about heart and character. In the end, the reigning Most Valuable Player taught the brash brat from a university in Taft Avenue a thing or two about basketball. Mac Cardona should have realized that basketball is a game skills and not a 48 minutes of trash talk.
On to the next championship! This is one dynasty that I like.
If Uytengsu franchise is starting another era of domination, JK Rowling has ended her amazing ascent to literary history. 21st of July in the year 2007. Remember that. The last book of our favorite boy wizard was sold to excited muggles. I finished the book in 12 hours. It could have been shorter but I had to take bathroom breaks in between. It was sad. Harry Potter is no more. It is the end. The boy did live.
Thanks for all the wonderful twists and turns that made me a fan. Thanks a lot JK!
The duality of life is an exhilarating element of our humanity. It can be profound as good and evil. Or simple as a beloved basketball team and an iconic book series.
Let me cry for a moment.
Wow. I just saw Gary Granada. Yes. The music legend himself. Friday feels weird. It means weekend is just a beat away but it also means that Monday is just a couple of pensive beats away.
Anyway , last night I finished the book Educating Peter by Tom Cox. If you don't like preachy tomes that deals with life then you'll find this piece interesting. I hope that local bookstores are also selling Cox's other boooks especially his first one, Nice Jumper. It's about golf. Sure it 's boring even if Tiger Woods pumps his fists with his every shot BUT it's a difficult sport. I studied it once and whew. You should try golf driving. Difficult very difficult.
Since I feel weird, let's talk about taxi drivers. They are a weird bunch. So far I encountered cab drivers who are either 1) a political analyst 2) a dangerous multi-tasker and 3) a credible replacement for Bayani Fernando. The rest, preferred to keep a silent mien during the ride.
The taxi driver/political analyst has been driving since the 1970s and was originally from Bicol. When I told him that I would be going to the Team Chiz headquarters, he became quite excited and started giving me his more than two cents worth of election analysis. He made it clear that he will vote for his Bicolano compatriot so I know that this will be a fun trip. You should have heard him dissect the winning chances of Tito Sotto and Tessie Oreta like a mad surgeon while we were passing the QC Circle. He was delightful. Here was an ordinary taxi driver who is so into the national affairs of the country. Listening to him instantly dispel the statistical myths of the present administration 's economic team.
It's a good thing that the trip was short. I will never forget that ride. I am not meticulous with speed. Slow or fast, I'll take it. Does that sound sexy? Anyway, ever rode a cab in which the driver is talking to his phone and driving at top speed while the latest Andrew E CD is blasting off your senses? I had. Basically, I was the one driving without a steering wheel since I would constantly remind him to turn left or right. Amazing. I'm still alive.
I met our Bayani Fernando replacement on 16th of December 2006. Hah! I remember. Why? I was on my way to receive my 2bU surprise which is (without my knowledge) meeting Francis Escudero in the flesh. Going back to our cabbie - well - he makes a lot of sense. He said that in order to curb traffic problems, the government should only allow 2 vehicles per family. Very sensible. It's true. The bulk of private vehicles in the Metro is the main reason for the terrible trafic that we experience daily.
The next time you ride a taxi and the driver starts talking, listen and converse.
But if you meet the Dangerous Multi-tasker...find another cab...unless he looks like a young Robert De Niro.
I have to submit two papers tomorrow for my Social Welfare Policy class - one is a research proposal and the other a group paper assessing the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
I need to sleep.
I need a drink.
I need a break.
Scientific cramming is one my best-known talents if you can consider it as a talent. It involves irregular sleep patterns and abnormal caffeine intake. It may not work for others but it sure does work for me.
I always hate the feeling of not being able to pass requirements on time...thus I make sure to finish everything even if it means personal health deterioration. Such a dedicated student! No. I did not just write that one.
This weekend, I promised myself to relax. Relax like a queen.
Speaking of queens (worst segue in the history of blogging), the marital saga of movie queen Amalia Fuentes is still far from conclusion. The latest is that a couple of men sternly told her not to talk about Angie Arnaz. Ms Arnaz is said to be the third party in question. For more details, read Dolly Anne's column today.
Of course, any Fuentes interview requires a really biting tirade. She did not disappoint. She said that one of the reasons for demanding separation is that she does not want to end up like her good friend Nida Blanca.
Ouch. Not even the soul of Rod Strunk burning in hell was spared.
Yes. That is Amalia Fuentes with her rival/friend Susan Roces. This is a still shot from their movie The Big Broadcast. Aaah. When movie stars look like movie stars.
I'm officially back. This blog will be a daily journal except weekends will be posted on a Monday as a round-up. What's with the weekend break? I promised not to surf the Net for at least two days in a week in order to conserve energy and money. We are currently living in the Gore-era. It's cool to conserve.
So what was I doing in these past days aside from cramming for schoolwork? Watching movies. A couple of weeks ago, I had to endure the very loud movie of Michael Bay - Transformers. 
I definitely see a very bright future for Shia Le Beouf. Who would have thought the peskiest member of the Stevens family will star in three blockbusters in a span of two months? The guy is good. Plus the fact that he has charm which is rare. We are talking about a charming star who can act - not Zac Efron. Time magazine called him as an Every Guy, in the same mold as Tom Hanks. Fair enough. But he also reminds me of another Every Guy, the great James Stewart. Incidentally, Le Beouf's sleeper hit Disturbia was a remake of a Hitchcock film starring the affable Mr Stewart. However, I have a feeling that he will reach the Harrison Ford plateau. Ford started out as the leading man of young special effects wizards such as George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Michael Bay is not the same as Lucas but his still an effects wizard. But Le Beouf will be under the tutelage of Spielberg as he essays the role of the son of our favorite archaeologist. Yes. He will be the son of Indiana Jones. What better way to start your quest to be the next Harrison Ford than star alongside Han Solo himself?
Of course, every muggles know that the real movie treat of the year is the fifth installment of the Harry Potter series. Most people hate the fifth book but I don't. The wand-to-wand fight scenes though was a bit of a letdown. I was expecting more. Imelda Staunton was marvelous. Hah! I knew it. Pink is evil! Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange? Genius! The kissing scene? First reaction is: am I still watching Harry Potter? I cannot wait for the book.
During weekends, I treat myself with a couple of DVDs just to unwind. I recently watched Curse of the Golden Flower, Art School Confidential, The Interpreter, and Kung Fu Hustle.
Curse of the Golden Flower is the reunion movie of Zhang Yimou and her enchanting muse Gong Li. Violent very violent. But there is something romantic when blood mixes with chrysanthemum flowers.
Art School Confidential is a small film about a Picasso wannabe who wanted to impress the woman of her dreams with his art. Unfortunately, her nude model dream of a woman has fallen for a hunky art prodigy with a secret. Our hero concocted his most ingenious plan that landed him...in jail.
I was not able to watch Sydney Pollack's The Interpreter. I finally saw it and it was a fine movie. It is always a joy to watch Sean Penn. My father said that he did not understand it. We do have different movie tastes.
Stephen Chow and his big-budgeted film is rather inferior compared to Shaolin Soccer. I was terribly disappointed.
I have not been able to keep my promise to read one book every week. Last Wednesday, I bought a novel entitled Educating Peter. It was the sophomore effort of Tom Cox. It is a road and coming of age story about a rockstar wannabe named Peter. The book had me at its cover - blue backpack and an AC/DC black shirt.
There is something therapeutic about blogging. I currently have at least five papers and I still prefer filling up my blog instead of finishing research proposals. But of course. I cannot talk about Shia Le Beouf and Dolores Umbridge in my research proposals. The bigger question is when will the men's basketball team of the UP Fighting Maroons win?
