sunset tripping, the next day

with the bitin photo-ops i had before the farewell party last friday, i decided to come back the next day just to capture the famous manila bay sunset. unfortunately, it was a bit cloudy and clouds were arranged in a manner that's not generally ideal for a sunset tripping, but since i'm already there, i just made use with what i have. and these were some of the shots i took. (i experimented on different settings, hence the different color/s of the horizon.)

the thinker

into the cloudsmais con sunsetparang ice cream na bilad sa ilalim ng araweto yung tumira sa ice cream :)
pwesto!

saksi ang araw
yosi bos, kendi..
this is my quest to follow the sun

next stop: Potipot Island, Candelaria, Zambales

HAPPY WEEKEND. KANPAI!

split seconds

last night, while i was sitting pretty tired from a gym session and trying to relax beside the driver's seat in front of the jeepney and while waiting it to be full, there's a jolly videoke session happening on a sari-sari store con carinderia on the other side of the street, maybe less than 10 meters from where i am sitting, obviously they're enjoying their every turn on the microphone and happily shouts, err, sing their hearts out, but in a matter of seconds, everything will be replaced by shock, grief, anger, shouts, tears and blood.

as i look on this sari-sari store, a white isuzu crosswind came in very fast and without any warning, hit the store and anything and anyone on it! walang sabi-sabi, halos nagiba yung tindahan, at nakaladkad at dalawang beses napailalim at nadaan ng gulong ang dalawang matandang lalaki! all in a matter of seconds!

the crosswind halted but not that long when throng of people, including traffic enforcers, came rushing and angrily towards whoever's the driver. the driver locked the doors and drive away albeit not that easily and almost hit anyone and/or anybody who's trying to stop the vehicle from leaving. but it's machine against men and that heartless driver never bother to look at what he'd done and screechingly left the scene. maaring nakaalis sya but he won't get away that far because the montrous traffic of the aguinaldo highway in cavite will stop him and the traffic enforcers had his plate number, radioed all units and some biked officers immediately followed and look for him.

we attended to the two men lying on the road and immediately dispatched the jeepney we're supposed to ride on to the hospital, which fortunately is just 50 meters aways. the victims were trying to get up but they're so weak and shock and has some blood on their shirts and have this expression asking what had just happened!

moments later, andami nang tao, usisero't usisera, then the policemen came, some vehicles endlessly pressing their busina for the traffic it had caused (not knowing what had just happened) and then, more people coming in, some women still crying, even my co-passengers as they were really shocked with we've just witnessed.

parang pelikula, pero totoong buhay. nakakaramdam pa rin ako ng gulat pag naaalala ko kung pano parang gulay na nakaladkad at nasagaan yung dalawang mama, seconds before nagkakasayahan sila tapos biglang-bigla, halos ikamatay naman nila.

ganun pala talaga ang buhay, any moment pwedeng mawala sa yo, ni hindi mo alam kung ano yung mangyayari matapos ang isang kisap-mata o kung ano ang pwedeng dalhin ng isang segundo sa buhay natin.

i am thankful i am alive,

i am glad i still get to do things i thought were routinary and boring,

i am happy because i still get to wake up very early eventhough most people are still asleep,

i am grateful for my love ones,

i am contented with all the little things i have.

and i am still praying for the two old men who were victims of this unfornate event to survive, and for that driver to be fully aware and be accountable for what he'd done.

manila, manila

before the farewell party and while waiting for the others who were held by the super heavy friday Manila bay traffic, with nothing to do and with my trusty old little camera in hand, a little photo ops outside wouldn't hurt...

this one's near the CCP side

no matter if you're black and white

and the sun sets on the bay as thy boat docks..

when the night has come...

quite deadly (beer at yosi)

quite delightful (beer and tuna sashimi)

quite happy (beer, origami and me)

the bay at night (taken using the automatic setting, w/out flash)

on this bay (taken using a night mode, no flash)

toast!

Tonight's going to be the farewell dinner/party for some Japanese teachers. It's going to be held at the Manila Yacht Club.

In my four years of stay here, I was asked many times to be one of the emcees for some of our parties (about one each month), while the other two emcees, Japanese. And it's always like this: I will speak in Nihongo (of course, the script will be provided by them, otherwise, away ito hehe) and then one of my japanese partners will talk in english and the other one in tagalog. It's quite a torture, actually, but funny at the same time as we always asked each other if we say the word/words or phrases properly, or asked each other why are they laughing or make a sign that it's his or my turn. If only we can record it on video, pwedeng ipadala sa Bitoy's Funniest Video. hehe.

But tonight's different, I was asked to do the toast, or offer a toast, or make a toast, basta, toast whatever. :) Not that I haven't done it before, but it's the first time that a non-Japanese was assigned to do it, and it was me they choose! (parang nakita ko si rufa mae "to the highest level tooo" hehe). Nung una syempre nagulat ako, kasi ako parati yung gumagawa ng speech ng Principal for the opening remarks o di kaya sa closing remarks, saka pati na rin yung sa toast, pero ako yung magbabasa ng speech?? kakaiba to.

The funny thing is hindi ko alam yung sasabihin ko, parang naubos na yung mga idea ko sa mga lumang speech ni principal at ng boss ko, until I look at my files and saw LAST YEAR's closing remarks! Bingo! At magrecycle talaga ako ng speech hehehe. Here's an excerpt:

"...we are saddened that you will be leaving us, but we are also glad that you share with us a very memorable three years of your professional lives." (may drama?)

"...our thank you is never enough to show our gratitude for all the wonderful things that you did to our school, for all your contributions that are just too many to mention, and for your unmatched dedication that will be remembered forever."

"...you served not just a teacher to your students, but more importantly, as a parent, as a friend, and as an inspiration."

and I have to say those in Japanese! Hindi, biro lang hehe. :)

Happy weekend. KANPAI!!!

Handwriting

When i was still in high school, or even in college, my handwriting has always been mistaken as that of a girl or maybe better than some girls (hehe). Maybe because i write smaller or finer and i think it's quite rare for a guy like me to have a little arte, believe it or not, on his penmanship.

I think i was influenced by the awesome handwriting of our class valedictorian in elementary, she writes so good that she made scribbling an art! She writes as if her pen was floating and every letter she wrote was perfect, with that little slant to the right and each word was finished with that little kulot at each end. I tried to emulate her writing, but sorry, no success on that. Still i tried and did not give up, until such time and without any realization from myself that i created my own handwriting style, my own penmanship.

It also help that I made a hobby out of joining on-the-spot essay writing contests and taking down notes on almost all of our lessons or physically transferring the content of our textbook into my notebook (so kapag time na ng pagte-check ng notebook, mine will appear like i've been so attentive in class lol). Me mga instance din na kapag tinatamad ang teacher namin (just my thought ok), ako yung pinagsusulat sa pisara (tagalog-english 101: blackboard) and of course who am I to protest, dagdag pogi points din yun sa character: matulunging bata, noted, 95 yan! hehehe. While I am strutting my wares (as if! lol), my teacher will be chatting and/or telling stories to my classmates and my classmates are either pretending they're listening or pretending they're copying what I am writing but actually they're drawing something or rushing that next subject assignment! been there, done that. LOL.

But nowadays, i thought my handwriting has deteriorated to the level that I myself cannot clearly read what I've written, kumbaga sa picture blurry ang dating o kapag salita naman ay hindi na malinaw sa pandinig. One may asked what happen? Simple lang, kawalan ng practice. With the onslaught of technology encouraging people not to use their own handwriting in communicating plus the convenience it offers, one cannot resist not to use it hanggang sa punto na nalilimutan na ang sulat kamay (hmm, parang hawak-kamay no hehe).

I've been using the computers for the last nine years, and instead of making a handwritten draft for any office memo or correspondence, typing it directly into the computer is, of course, more convenient, sabay edit na rin, mas madali ang trabaho. And don't start with cellphone/SMS/text, it does not only lessen my handwriting strength, it also affected my sfelling (anak ng spelling bee naman, wala na nga akong swerte sa spelling contest, heto at naliligawa pa ang letra ko!). From time to time, confusion regarding my spelling sets in and makes me wonder, and not to mention my failing memory on suject-verb agreement or that of the figure of speech or part of speech... whew! It's getting complicated hehehe, and I thought my only concern was my "deteriorating" handwriting, as usual, mali na naman ako. LOL.

It took a post from Toe to convince me to write something about handwriting, AND for me to write it first WITH A PEN AND PAPER and not directly into the computer. Quite a feat that i made it and if only you can see the draft of this post, iisipin nyo na "m" at "l" lang ang kaya kong isulat dahil parang puro "m" at "l" lang ang pwedeng basahin. hehe.

I am now more than convince to do first a handwritten draft before anything because right now, I am having some difficulty writing my own name nang dugtong-dugtong at hindi printed. Weird pero totoo yun, parang automatic na pirma lagi yung nangyayari kapag pangalan ko na ang isusulat, eh hindi naman ako artista na dapat sanay sa autograph, approval lang sa check vouchers ang pinipirmahan ko hehehe.

Seriously, we need to go back to basics, maaaring mas mabilis na ang takbo ng mundo ngayon at halos lahat na ay de-numero o di kaya'y nadadaan sa tiklada ng keyboard o sa pagpindot ng keypad, pero iba pa rin pala na nakikita mo yung sarili mong handwriting, na kahit gaano pa ito kalinaw o halos walang pinagkaiba sa kinahig ng manok, it always feels good dahil nakikita mo yung effort, or at least yung pagsubok at pagpipilit na mag-exert ng effort. And besides, it's more personal. :)

Ellen at the Oscars best of

i missed the 2007 oscars, but thank God for Youtube, i saw Ellen's opening monologue and some of her antics during the show. love this girl!

it's raining!

at least here in Quezon.

and i am surprised that it's still cold here, and raining! quite opposite with the hotness that we call Manila. oh wait, and it's also windy, ansarap naman!

hmm, medyo hassle lang ang dial up, took forever to access this site and maybe another lifetime for this to be posted. hehehe. ansama ko, nakigamit na nga lang ako ng PC ng sis ko, nagreklamo pa.

i have nothing to do except to wash the dishes, play with my nephews, watch tv, more playing time, sleep and eat and then wash the dishes again. i am supposed to do my laundry here pero yun nga, umuulan kaya dala ko ulit pabalik yung labahan ko (na para namang andami, eh yun lang namang suot ko kahapon hehe). napansin ko rin sa sarili ko na everytime umuuwi ako rito, the moment na pumasok na ko ng bahay, ibang iba yung pakiramdam, relax na relax at parang di ako umalis, na-time warp kumbaga kasi the house is still the same as it was at least for the last five years (me konting renovation pero the homey ambience that i grow up with is still as fresh as the air here).

nagpapaka-senti pero parang routine na sa akin na tingnan parati yung pictures ng kabataan namin, and how i laugh at myself kung gaano ako kapayat nung high school at kung gaano na kataba ang mga batch mates ko ngayon (hmm, hindi isinama ang sarili? hehe).

i had my medals framed (medals talaga ha) and my junior tennis racket on the wall (yep, once upon a time, nag-tennis ako and once na lang yun , di na nasustain kasi lagi akong talo hehe). my mom loves to hang our pictures around the house, pero ngayon sa tabi na lang kaming magkakapatid kasi ang kanyang mga apo na ang bida! na okey lang naman at least di ko na pagtatawanan ang sarili ko hehehe.

andaming changes sa buhay pero everytime i go back here, i also go back to the old me, simple ang buhay, promding promdi. wala halos stress at walang kuplikasyon ng buhay lungsod.

hay. bukas balik ulit sa dati.

ekskyus lang, gawa daw ako ng garahe para sa ga-bundok na mga kotse ng 2 tsikiting. hehe.

love letters

(pahabol na post sa huling araw ng buwan ng mga puso and sort of inspired by Verns' love letter episode)

when was the last time that you made or received a love letter? the old fashion, the old school one, not thru email and definitely, not via text.

hand written, in a stationery (scented or not?) and then folded in a unique way that after reading or even before reading it, you'll fold it again and again just to figure out how to do it (that you eventually forgot it's a letter, damn).

kelan nga ba? ako high school pa, and that time, i think i can make a career out of writing love letters! i am not really good at it but i can whipped one in a flash! i don't know, maybe its the hopeless romantic in me, or maybe the dreamy teenage years of puppy loves and crushes and of picking roses and heart shaped balloons and stuffed toys with a little heart in it, or simply, i was simply inspired to write love letters.

Love letter

A love letter is a popular way to express feelings of love in written
form. Sometimes sent in the mail, and increasingly
by electronic
mail, the letter may be
anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation of
feelings.
Sometimes letters are preferable to face-to-face contact because
they can be written as the thoughts come to the author. This may allow feelings
to be more easily expressed than if the writer were in the beloved's presence.
Further, expressing strong emotional feelings to paper or some other
permanent
form can be an expression within itself of desire and the
importance of the
beloved and the lover's emotions. The expression of
feelings may be made to an
existing love or in the hope of establishing a
new relationship.
The increasing rarity and consequent emotional charm of personal mail may
also
serve to emphasize the emotional importance of the message.
As with
any letter, a love letter could be written in any structure or style. One
historically popular method is as a sonnet or other form
of poem. William
Shakespeare's sonnets are
often cited as good examples of how to write emotional themes. There have been
published books collecting models and suggestions for love letters.
After
the end of a relationship, returning love letters to the sender or burning them
can symbolise the hurt felt.
Some stationery
companies produce paper and envelopes
specifically for love letters. Some of these are scented, though
some people like to use their own perfume to
strengthen the impact of the letter. (taken from Wikipedia)

naalala ko nung minsang gumawa ako ng love letter (high school to ha), i had my pure intentions (naks) written there and i have this thinking na yung girl lang ang makakabasa. sorry, wrong assumptions. she read it with her friends (na friends ko rin naman) and before i knew it, alam na ng buong class namin, word for word, ang love letter.

dyahe.

napakamot na lang ako ng ulo. but i thought (hindi naman sa pagbubuhat ng sariling bangko) it was not badly written, not at all bad as it produced that kilig factor that i just need. hah! and we know how things in high school are: dreamy teenage years of puppy loves and crushes, etc, etc.... and that kilig factor was, well, really a factor. and that's the start of a career, errr... romantic endeavors of the teenager named zherwin. lol

(i have friends who are reading this blog, hoy, wag nyo akong pagtawanan! lol)

but that's okey, a chapter of my high school life that itself stays vividly in my mind (enter sharon cuneta singing... high school life oh my high school life, every memory kay ganda, high school days oh my high school days are exciting kay saya...)

the song certainly brings back some memories... and it made me smile, ahh, that love letter...

(fast forward: after two years, we broke up and during college i was a freelancer *wink, thus the career, wink* and it was six years ago that i (or a friend who's the ex-boyfriend of a friend of lyn) finally found lyn, or since then, happy days.

i did not wrote a love letter to her (maybe just a couple of short notes), and she's asking me why not. i reason out that who needs a love letter when i can always tell her face to face how much i love her...

(kilig, kilig)

hmm, i just had an idea of a surprise...

I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse

don corleone?

no, don chavit singson to manny pacquiao.

lol, okey, i just made that up.

but really, what it is that makes the people champ to be this eager, very, very eager to enter the ring, err, political ring? one can only speculate. but the good news is, at least for now, that political ambition takes a backseat, for now, and that he'll just concentrate on his April multi-million dollar walk-in-park-ho-hum-of-a-fight with this undefeated AND UNKNOWN Solis guy.

what makes him changed his mind, for now? hmm, maybe the cold shoulder treatment given to him by Cebuanos on last weekend's Boom-boom/Z Gorres/Jaca Cebu fight. This article describes it more accurately. was he booed by the fans? or he just realized he's going to earn more in boxing and remain the king of endorsements? well, i am happy for him, at least for now, and he made his mother even doubly happy that she answers every question thrown at her with "I am happy and thankful that he'll not enter politics". manny's own words: for now, backseat muna ang politics. again, for now.

goodness, make it for good na.

***************************

okey, something related to the title. :) finally, i've seen The Godfather. yes, the movie. and only now. and i know now what i've missed with those years of not watching it. and what's more shameful? i have the trilogy and they're just there, just there. and i call myself an Al Pacino fan? shame, shame, shame. lol

my review of the movie will not give justice to the greatness of the film, so i will not do that. besides, i am not good with film reviews and more often than not, i give spoilers. see, i'm bad. pero, anak ni marlon brando naman, i am glued to it for three hours and was always "schocked" with those bloody "little" acts of violence, so dark, so good. (and when i saw francis ford coppola with george lucas and spielberg handing the oscars to scorsese, i wanted to say, coppola rules! hehe) and what i love about the film aside from touching loyalty and family is the way it makes you feel the scene, you can feel as you are more nervous with Michael's meeting with Sollozo and that policeguy or when Michael looked for the gun and used it or with luca brasi's "knife" encounter or Sonny's surprise tollgate experience or that Enzo (the baker) trembling in front of the hospital. how can you not loved it, the tension just keep on building up and it will just hit you. bang. and the eyes of Pacino is so intimidating that it will kill you if you refused his offer hehehe. (i remember in Devil's Advocate how those eyes "eat" the robotic acting of keannu reeves, but that's another story).

I just love Al Pacino more. and i am now excited for the next two, i'll have Godfather II this friday (wala kasing basketball) and hopefully the third one this sunday.

so, make me an offer i can't refuse. bang.

World Light Expo Water screen laser show

it may appear initially as blurry because i was running when taking this. :)

trees

parang puno, ganyan tayo.

may buhay, may panahon ng taglagas,

kelangang kumapit sa lupa kundi mabubuwal

mamamatay.

san ba tayo dadalhin ng hangin?

igugupo?

sisirain?

hahampasin?

sasabay, lalaban?

kakampi ba natin ang ulan?

kaisa ba natin ang araw?

sa pagyuko natin kasabay ng buwan

may bituin pa kayang

hahalik

sa hamog ng nakaraan?

sa muling pagsibol mula sa kinasadlakan

makikita pa kaya ang dating natatanaw?

o kawalan na lang

ang sasalubong sa dahon ng pagmamahal?

yumukod na lang sa takip silim

hayaang yakapin ng lamig

hayaang hagkan ng usig

sapagkat sa paggising

isang tinig

ang maghahatid

ng isang damping

kasing kinis ng tubig.

on the block (writer's block)

some years ago, when i was still in college and was busy with accounting and some of my org's and school activities, i still find time getting busy with the school paper. yup, i was a newspaper guy and i don't know if i was a good one or a bad one.

back then, i concentrated mostly on essays and poems, and as i always wanted to put it, parang lyrics ng kanta ng eraserheads ang takbo ng pagsusulat ko. easy to read, spontaneous at walang pretensyon. minsan tipong parokya ni edgar naman sa pagkamababaw but just the same, easy to read. medyo off lang sya para sa isang hardhitting school paper.

i must admit na hindi ako kagalingan sa pagsusulat, but if the creative juice is flowing, sige, sulat lang. marami na rin yung oras na pinipilit kong magsulat pero halos wala akong mapiga, tuyot sa ideya, lost for words. writer's block!

writ·er's block (rtrz) KEY NOUN:
A usually temporary psychological inability to begin or continue work on a piece of writing.

ngayon, i am experiencing a "partial" writer's block or a blogger's block for this case. pero teka, can a blogger's block be also considered a writer's block?

sa dami ng nagba-blog ngayon, pwedeng ikonsedera yan. pero marami rin ang pumupuna at nagsasabi na blogging is not really writing (duh!) kasi raw walang disiplinang sinusunod dito. siguro kung old school writing ang pag-uusapan, itsapwera nga ang blogging, pero who cares di ba? (uhm, teka lang, ano ba ang old school writing?? hehe)

i believe writing should not be put in a box, yung hindi tipong ganito dapat, ganito dapat at hindi ganyan. siguro kung script yang binubuo mo, maaaring you'll follow a certain path, kung nobela naman, ibang usapan din yan.

sa blogging, sariling atake na yan, walang pakialaman. kung ayaw mo, wag mo. c",)

pero ngayon kahit sa blogging, parang trying hard ako, ilan taon kayang nabakante sa pagsusulat? hala, matagal na rin pala. kinalawang na rin, wala kasing practice. inisip ko na once you have it, you'll always have it, tama, pero di ko naisip na you should also nurture it at yun ang mahalagang part. na binalewala ko. hindi pala ito katulad ng pagbibisekleta na kapag natutunan mo na, for life na yan, kahit 48 years ka pang dehins mag-bike.

i am trying to bring it back, and blogging is a good exercise for it at bonus pa yung "interactive mode" nito. just like the day after a first gym workout, i am feeling the pain for using my longtime stagnant writing muscles (talaga lang ha lol) pero pakonti-konti, i'll get there. dahan-dahan lang hanggang masanay ulit, just like lifting weights, start with the light one and as your muscles get used to it, dagdag pa ng weights! sana lang maging maskulado ako pagkatapos nito. hahaha.

motto ko pala nung high school: try and try until you die, if you die at least you try. (hanep, slum book na slum book ang dating!)

but it's true, im gonna try and try writing again wag na lang sanang umabot sa die part, ayaw ko pa yata nun. hehe

and with the writer's block? itulog na lang yan!

World Light Expo 2007 II (pictures dump)

the last post is just hard to top and since i have a lot of pictures taken, magpapagalante na ko, i'll share what i have hehehe.

the above archway leads to Macapagal avenue..

(to the tune of paper roses) paper lantern, paper lantern

a glimpse to a member of the terracota army

Entrance fee: P30 (yata)

a 3D theater

entrance fee: P30

dragons (just one, or four, of the lot)

tail of the dragon

dragon cups (me pipino sa mata, beauty secret??)

pagoda hoppers

turkey-ish

dragon ulit (this time red)..

dolls

(kung black lang yung hair, sadako resurrected!)

ah eto... (walang mai-comment hehehe)

these dolls/mannequins are actually moving..

sarimanok? (newly-hatched ba o bulaklak yung inaapakan nya?)

children

poste lang po, isama na natin, kawawa naman.