The Third Age

It has been quite a while since I posted anything on this blog. The truth is I have been blogging on another site but still not as often as I used to.

I decided to stop posting at this blog. I just feel that the site I where I had my first attempt at blogging is still the place to blog stuff and as I said, I have been doing so for some time now. I may post the link later.

So I close this blog and a well-read one it is. I just do not feel like posting here anymore. Thank you kind readers.

In closing, I would like to share that in the soap I am following, Ysabella, Ryan Agoncillo’s character got killed. However, since he can’t be removed from the show, I predict that his character’s brother who is yet to be revealed is his twin brother to be played by… well none other than Ryan Agoncillo. Silly.

I was browsing through some articles in the online copies of This Rock magazine and I came across this in their Q&A page:

<QUOTE>

Q: I’m shy. What’s the alternative to my trying to promote the faith?

A: No faith.

Karl Keating

<END QUOTE>

It’s the last question on this page.

This is the transcript of my chat with my MD friend which let to my realization that I have a dysthymic disorder:

me: i realized that i’m manic depressive
doctor: huh?
doctor: how come
doctor: like do you get really depressed
doctor: with sleep and eating disturbances
doctor: and then go on shopping sprees
doctor: and spend a lot of money
doctor: hmm
doctor: and be impulsive….
doctor: …. like buying books worth 4 thousand?!
me: well…. yes
me: he he he
me: no real sleep and eating disturbances
doctor: (probably) your condition is more of being dysthymic

According to the web:
"Dysthymic disorder, or dysthymia, is a type of depression that lasts
for at least 2 years. Some people suffer from dysthymia for many years.
Their depression is usually mild or moderate, rather than severe. Most
people with dysthymia can’t tell for sure when they first became
depressed."

Of course, this is not solid. We diagnosed me over YM. *snickers*

May 14 is election day. We will choose the leaders of our land.

Coincidentally, the date is also the feast day of St. Matthias, the apostle who succeeded Judas. He is the first of those in a long line of unbroken succession from the apostles to now, our bishops.

When they chose him, the apostles first narrowed down the pool to the two most qualified candidates, prayed, asking the Lord Jesus to show the one whom He has chosen to replace Judas in his office and ministry, then cast lots which finally fell on St. Matthias.

It is the same process we should do go through on election day.

A little more than a year ago:

RM: This batch is really good.
RB: Yes! Very talented and responsible. They almost always deliver good results.
RM: They your favorite, right?
RB: *laughs* Nope. They inspire me but I like the incoming seniors better.
     They’re my favorite.

Yup! Those feisty, naughty kids the lot of whom would probably have failed if they were not so talented and — err, resourceful.

I do not necessarily like them but I certainly enjoy them. Not their so much their company which I share with but a few but their character.

May you always be happy.

Whenever I say to her "I bought new comic books"
          is like her saying "I bought a new pair of shoes" to me.

Thus, when I exclaim, "It’s a limited edition print!"
          She shoots back, "It was on sale!"

Being a frequent Cebu Pacific flyer, I was really disappointed with what happened to us yesterday.

We boarded the plane on time, which is still typical of a Cebu Pacific flight, and got settled into our seats when we smelled something bad. I thought it was like burning plastic. Some pointed this out to the flight crew and they were at first dismissing it as nothing but the passengers were insisted so they grounded our plane to get the mechanics figure out what was wrong with it.

They left us sitting on the plane with the air conditioning off. We were sweating like pigs and were not advised with what was going on until some passengers complained and demanded an explanation. This prompted the flight captain to explain that the mechanics are still checking the problem out. He even assured us that he would not fly the plane if there was something wrong with it.

We sat on that plane for an hour and a half, some fifteen minutes less than the fly time from Manila to Davao. The mechanics found out that the auxiliary power was bust and they tried to replace the air con system with an external one. We even attempted to fly.

At this point, I was thinking whether Aircrash Investigation would feature me as one of those on-board this flight. I was somewhat an interesting character after all since I’ve got all my student’s ungraded papers in my bag under the seat in front of me.

Thankfully, the flight captain was prudent enough not to take off  and we got off the plane and waited another 30 minutes in the terminal to get on another plane which was available.

All in all this was the worst Cebu Pacific flight I was on and nothing barring a crash would top it off. The only fun memory I had while sitting on the hot plane was this group of folks a little older than I am, who named our flight captain, "Captain Uhm" for making his announcements full of the inane "uhm"

So now, I’m in Davao City to visit my distaff relatives, especially my lola who is supposedly 90+ years old. My mom does not really know lacking the official documents but with her eldest sister more than 70 years old, we can assume that it’s probably correct.

Lola Lourdes is still sharp as a knife, recalling the time she visited our place in Laguna when I was a preschooler. I was a somewhat incorrigible child back then who did everything to prevent them from sleeping in the afternoon. She said she even promised never to come back. Well, she did some 7 years ago. It was the last time I saw her until now.

My lola is from the Mandaya ethnic group and their family is settled in Cocornon, somewhere in Davao Oriental. I have had not the pleasure of getting there. Back in college, though, I was able to get to my grandparent’s hometown, ie where they settled and raised their 13 children, in Lupon. Only two of my mom’s siblings are residing there now. Most of those who remained in Davao are in the city. I don’t think I’ll be able to visit the province this time and I don’t know when I’ll be back.

For now, I’ve been hopping from one cousin’s house to another eating a lot of seafood (those that I can eat) and fruits, all of which are very cheap around here. I miss out on a lot of the things they serve since I am not particularly fond of eating seafood and fruits.

We’re planning on seeing some sights in the city and Davao City is really big.

I went to ATC to watch 300. A friend invited me to watch it at MOA but I said "No" and watched it at ATC with two others instead.

Watching 300 is like reading a comic book and if you like that, then you will love this movie. Do not look for very deep characterizations or complex plotlines. Just enjoy what is on screen and you’ll have an excellent time.

Before watching 300, I suggest that you read Rizal’s Letter to the Women of Malolos, specifically the portions where he tells the Malolos women what the Spartan women were like. Though I had not read the letter before watching the movie, I was informed of these passages in the letter years ago and it was very interesting to watch and hear the Spartan Queen mouth the words Rizal wrote in his letter.

The second movie I watched was actually the first movie I saw that day. I watched You Got Me while waiting for my 300 companions. I first heard of this movie a week ago when someone from the office told me it was showing. I had no intention of watching it until the day I had to get to the cinema early and buy good seats for 300. I had to kill time and it was the only other film I can make myself watch.

I was really hesitant to watch it since it is a date movie and well, I had no date. An acquaintance also saw me at the ticketing station and I had to wait for him to move some meters away before I bought a ticket and it was almost screening time.

I was just embarrassed for people to know that I watched this movie since I kind of said that I would never do so. However, I weighed the option of watching this one with that of wandering around the mall for another three hours and because I tire easily, I decided to get in the theater and watch.

Surprisingly I enjoyed the movie. It was funny and very entertaining. Formulaic. I also like seeing women in uniform…. but let’s just skip that train of thought.

What I do not understand is Sam’s character. There were a lot of information on his character but they do not seem to add up. He was raised in a war-torn Cotobato City where while still a pre-teen he saw his childhood friend killed before him. His parents do not seem to be married but are amicable. His mother is civil with his father and his father’s new family. Sam’s character ended up being a shy geek used by girls to do stuff for them. Always the friend and never the boyfriend as I heard. All these do not add up somehow. I could not understand his actions especially at the end of the movie when he suddenly mustered the courage to get Toni’s character.

I do not understand his rank. He does not seem to be trained in PNPA since he lacked the combat skills but he wears the uniform and is deferred to by other police officers. I may have missed some dialogs but I also do not understand how he ended up speaking with an American accent.

In the end, I was rooting for Zanjoe’s character who surprised me when he said he understood why Sam’s character backed off when the former began courting Toni’s character. Hell, that makes one of us.

I had hoped that Toni’s character just forgive her kind-hearted scoundrel boyfriend instead of rebounding with Sam’s character. Yes, Toni’s character and Sam’s character had a crush on each other for the longest time and each was waiting for the other to make the move but the geek boy did too little too late. If not for the fact that Toni’s character was vulnerable when Sam’s character made a move, she may not have fallen for him.

Sam’s and Toni’s "love" felt forced. Perhaps a few more minutes with a few more scenes could have changed my mind.

Below are the senatorial candidates I will be voting for and the reasons why I am consigning my legislative powers to their capable hands:

1. Honasan
2. Trillanes

These two will make our lives interesting. Their secure transport from jail to the Senate Hall will be covered by the media every single time that it may just cut off Marc Logan’s airtime during the news. Sure we have to pay extra to shoulder that security expense but hell, I would really like to get Marc off the air. Plus, think of the conspiracies they can cook up and finance with their development fund allotments! We would be in a steady state of wariness, praying either that we wake up with a new Government or not. A few minutes on the CNN, BBC and FoxNews would be nice once in a while even if it were because of another coup.

3. Aquino-Oreta

I would just love to see her dance one more time. I’m sure the spin doctors would turn her mocking dance into some endearing funny joke during the campaign.

4. Singson

We need all the corruption expertise we can get to enact laws to combat them. So long as those loophole-ridden laws are passed, we can all trust our Government and sleep tight at the night.

5. Sotto

I just love the way this man attempts to sound so regal and respectable using his Thesaurus to insert a politico-sounding word or two in his sentences.

6. Gomez

Man, I pity this guy. "Di man lang pinulot." is how my father describes Gomez’s situation, forcing him to run independent.

With two more actors in the Senate, they can now make Senate: The Movie. It does not have to have a more creative or catchy title. The cast alone will attract mobs of viewers. Proceeds will of course go to charity.

7. Remoto

I might as well throw in an someone who is openly part of a special-interest group. This gay guy is not into bootlicking some powerhouse politician. He just want to defend the rights of LBGTs but what I  truly hope for is that he picks a fight with Santiago.

Five more slots to fill. Suggestions and comments will be appreciated.

What happened?

I wrote the letter. I had it signed and sent to the highest official in the university. Heck, I even had half the signatures required to clear me of all responsibilities.

The last two weeks of of my official work days I spent at the training center up in the largest campus. Been studying something which I had wanted to learn for a long time now. Though, in the end, it was not at all what I expected, I enjoyed the change in environment. The smog-filled air was not at all different from the dust-filled public transportation I experience everyday but the sights were different.

My two other peers were hired around the time the training was wrapping up. By that time, I was rather uncertain with what I wanted to do. To be honest I am still uncertain but at the time the uncertainty was more critical. I had no work and I had little money left. I was expecting some allowance from our project but the paper work had been bogged down at some point in the bureaucracy and there was little hope that it would be released soon.

I was really keen on re-enrolling. Re-admitted to be precise. I only have to drop a subject now and I would have gone through all the processes a student can do in his stay at the university.

There were vague plans. Most of them starting June this year. I got a pledge of support for studying at the training center. My friend at the center discouraged me from studying there and invited me to teach there instead. Tempting, in some ways but I really wanted to get back to studying. Full time.

It was near the end of November. It was a Monday afternoon, if memory serves me right. I woke up from a troubled sleep and read an SMS which was sent hours earlier. One of my co-trainees who was set to teach the training center students wanted me to take over his schedule.

We were somewhat expected to give a return service for the free training we got. It was supposed to be a technology transfer after all. Unfortunately, his topic was something else. Not the one we were trained in. Still, the pay would be good enough to keep me for the next two months. I almost said yes. He had the materials ready and was willing to teach me all that I need before the training dates.

I was keying-in my response when I received a phone call….

It was my supposedly former office roommate. They needed someone to take up one lecture in order to offer this other subject. No one was taking it and everyone was swamped with load.

"Do you have a job?"
"No"
"We need someone to teach **** *** in order to offer **** *** for graduating students."
"Oh…."
"Will you take it?"
"Err…. Ok"
"Ok?!"
"Yes."
(laughter) To those with him: "Thank him!"
    "Thank you"
    "Thank you"

Yeah sure. Minutes later. Another phone call.

"We’ll just recall your resignation. Instead of re-appointing you as lecturer."
"Well, ok. But I just handle that one section, right?"
"Yes."

The rest was history or at least a repeat of history.

Here am I once more in my Sisyphean task.

———–

I did get to return some service last week.

When I got back, one of my colleagues greeted me saying, "Welcome home, Rex."

It sounded nice.

But….