A sweet bday gift

This must be one of the sweetest gifts I received to date.


Ryan gave me this on my bday, well, technically, a few days late, but truly appreciated. ^^

Eventful 2008

2008 is proving to be a complicated year indeed. The first has yet to end and I've been getting surprises left and right. I really have no clear idea what I should do. Okay... I actually do know what to do when it comes to work. And of course, that's something that's pretty much routinely unpredictable with the number of brands under the company's umbrella, not to mention all their advertising needs.

What I meant was when it comes to my personal life. It had, in a totally unexpected way, started to turn into a roller coaster ride all of a sudden. And no, I don't believe turning 23 had anything to do with it, since the unexpected things happened a few days before that. Things just gotten a bit more complicated after my birthday.

I'll try as much as possible to share the following events, but I pray, I have to bit more vague than usual.

Two persons from my past surfaced one after another. The first leaving me uncertain, apprehensive, and at the same time very curious. The second offering me an excuse to think about stuffs I kept banishing to the back of my head. He keeps me second-guessing and rethinking over situations I would have answered flat-out if I'm in denial of what I feel.

And then there is one other person who seems to express interest in me, although I can't say if I'm up to thinking about relationships seriously at the moment.

However, there is another person who makes everything simple. With him, I can basically enjoy the friendship without fear that he expects it to evolve into something else.

These events are really unexpected especially when I realized I'm commitment-phobic. I guess discovering that proved to be a catalyst to troublesome events as I seem to be experiencing more boy trouble than ever.

I sort of came to a decision today. I think I should at least try to unravel the situation I find myself in before things get more tangled up than they already are. It's time for some answers and a time for honesty. I just don't know what the outcomes gonna be, but at least its a step forward.

Hidden Name Meanings... hmmm

What Jennifer Means

You are fair, honest, and logical. You are a natural leader, and people respect you. You never give up, and you will succeed... even if it takes you a hundred tries. You are rational enough to see every part of a problem. You are great at giving other people advice. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are loving, compassionate, and ruled by your feelings. You are able to be a foundation for other people... but you still know how to have fun. Sometimes your emotions weigh you down, but you generally feel free from them. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Harsh Reality or Rude Awakening

You decide... Cause I just don't want to think too much into it, or maybe I just don't want to accept what it actually felt like to me.

Is being nice worth it at all? Frankly, I'm disheartened at all to believe it at the moment. But I think after this angst-y moment, I'd probably trying my best to stay nice and hope people will see the sincerity in that.

Right now, I just felt used. I don't want to feel like that, nor do I want to believe that, but if I stick to hard cold facts, it will show that I had been cleverly played. I wonder what I had done to deserve this? I don't recall doing anything that would warrant such an action, or maybe I'm just too gullible, wanting to believe in the goodness that everyone possessed. I don't know...

I realized there's a lot of things I don't know, and I don't hide the fact that there's a lot of things I need to know. It just feels really hurtful when they take advantage of your blind spots for their own good. And take advantage of the kindness you had shown them. There are times I felt so old, and times I'm still a child who could just dismiss something like this so easily, that with just a few moments will express displeasure, and then later be playing alongside together like nothing happened. Its easily dismissed if it had only occurred once, but twice? Its time I should realize the friends I think I found are not really friends, just people realizing your potential as a highly profitable person to hook up with and take advantage of. Harsh? Maybe. But the reality it represents... a proliferation of friend-users.

It's funny in a bizarre way when you think about it. I should have been pretty adept at weeding out those people having gone through those people in my life. Makes you wonder how many I'll go through that time in this lifetime...

I never wanted to feel cut-off from the world like I did before, but I felt I don't have much choice when the world shows its ugly side and I'm pretty much left to my own devices.

The Story, The Deal, The Pain, and The Pride

As far as I can recall, I've always been an accident-prone person. And because of that fact, I'd been known to humiliate myself, and possess a long list of embarassing moments.

In fact, this is, above all, one of the reasons I never truly had what you would call an ideal childhood. A freak accident in third grade had caused the turning point in my life. It was then that I experienced being constantly bullied. It sounds surprising for those who had recently met me, but to those who had grown up with me all those years ago, its as real as the name of our school.

What can you expect from a girl of nine to do at that time? Most likely, that girl would probably begged her parents to transfer her to a different school, keep to herself, avoid picking fights, find another hobby, and try to figure out who she can rely on as a friend. And you know what, she did all that, and the only thing she was actually successful at, was finding another hobby: immersing herself in books.

It was at this stage of her life she detached herself slowly from the people around her, placing her friends under various tests to feel confident that these people have her back, and cringing inwardly when she realized her trust was misplaced. It were dark times in the life of someone who had been a cheerful person to begin with. The ever-ready smile was replaced with looks of suspicions, recess times were reserved for reading books and doing homeworks, lunch, a welcome reprieve from the otherwise tolerant treatment of her presence. She felt for the first time how lonely it was, and how cruel the world is.

With limited options, she kept to herself, a child of forced seclusion, hardly daring to even speak up or volunteer any information she knew. She was made a fool many times over, even by those she had considered friends. She didn't belong anywhere and it was this feeling that had her hanging out with various groups of people, trying to find a niche where she would fit in.

The case would seem a hopeless one at that and it wasn't until later she realized what made her move on, to keep on looking. It was an idealism that she had found in the comfort of her books that talks about a friendship that goes far deeper than giving out answers in a whisper to a so-called friend sitting next to you during an exam. It was a friendship that accepts and love unconditionally. A bonding that comes along to those who keep as much faith in you as you with them. It was fortunate that she found them at end of her elementary years, but it was still too early to let the real person shine through. She had been scarred too many times over to want to let down her guard to the group that had included her as their own.

She came to them meek, keeping to shallow topics, listening but hardly offering any advice, a wallflower at most. But it was also at this time she started to write. Anything that came to mind, a tribute to a friendship she felt blessed to have stumbled in, a song to put into words a childhood crush, a poem about the various uses of a new set of colored pens... a collection that she would show sparingly, due to fear of expected rejection, and worse, a humiliation she would not be able to lived down. Whatever pride must be placed in a work of art could not be found for there was none to encourage a bolder show of a creativity previously unassociated with her.

As luck would have it, she was praised by someone who didn't expect anything from her. They embraced her gift for words and in turn encourage her to write more, to be open to new people. It took more than a year to share parts of herself, to slowly give her trust to hands waiting to accept it wholeheartedly and kept it sacred for all the years to follow.

With strength brought about by these select few, she had started to spread her wings, exploring more what she can do. For once in her life, she found people who would show and prove to her that ideal friendships do exist in this world riddled with the need to appear more than they are, to step on those who they think were not up to their level.

The years to follow was a revelation of the person she herself had not known exist within her. A person of quiet strenght, capable of withstanding the misgivings and embarassment accompanying an accident-prone person, an optimism she had not known she possessed, contentment and a desire to share the feelings she had been priviledged to feel to others.

And now, she stand before you now, as real as any person who had come to terms with who they are and what they are, accepting and loving the person that some had deemed deserving of it.

I want to thank all of you (Haidee, Jamie, Jamee, Jacky, Iris, Donna, Kristina, Marie, and Louie) for making me the person I am today, for bringing me out to embrace the brightness that can still be found in this world. I also want to extend my thanks to my college friends (Peachy, Eirha, Yola, Kath, Nikko, Nova, and Carlo) for the friendship and being my support system in an entirely new environment. I could list a lot more people to thank, but you guys are the best! Thank you for giving me my confidence back, for showing me that the world isn't a scary place full of friend-users, that I deserve a place in this world, and even if I'm the most unconventional person around, I'm not a senseless nor worthless in your eyes. Thank you for the gift of love, trust, and friendship, it is indeed a treasure I'll cherish till the end of our years, or the end of the world, whichever comes first. ^^

Woeful Days

There are days when I feel perfectly fine, totally in control of my emotions, ready to face the world with the smile they had come to know so well, eyes that radiate nothing more than interest. And there are days when the stony facade crumbles and the anguish shows through. I guess today is one of those days. No matter how strong I try to make myself into, I'm afraid, I'll never be truly strong enough to face the challenges ahead with a smile on my face and no tears evident in my cheeks.

What Makes You Different...

"What makes you different, makes you beautiful. What's there inside you, shines through and through..." Line from the Backstreet Boys' "What Makes You Different", which was also used in the soundtrack for Disney's Princess Diaries.

It is something that had become close to a litany as I embrace my uniqueness. Lines that had kept me from hiding who I really am.

What does it take to be real? To be open to scrutiny and judgment? To be regarded as 'different'? A whole lot of courage maybe, or just a real desire to show the world the reality of their misconceptions. We all grew up in a society that doesn't take too kindly to those who are unlike them, we see them label a whole number of people solely because they are different from themselves. But what makes being 'different' a bad thing? Something I always end up wondering about.

Look around you, they're all like you in so many ways. They go to school, study, play games, work, think, eat, and a whole lot more. And yet, for a simple action or characteristic that you have no part of, you will consider as someone not fit to be in your social circle. An outcast to a society-driven thought.

What a sad reality it is when we realize that a lot of the people around us wears a mask, to hide who they are as a person, to represent a fabricated persona in order "to belong". A life I also once led.

Based on experience, it is a doomed fate. Tyring to please everyone by being someone lead to nothing more than becoming their lackey, being bullied indirectly, accepting their cruelty, and toyed around emotionally. It leaves more battle-scars than joining a real war since they are invisible scars that left you feeling unworthy, and in worst cases, a person who doesn't deserve to live. Some would probably laugh, thinking this is an extremity, and there are those who will scoff, thinking there are no one like that at all. It is our own inconsiderate attitudes that sometimes lead to a much cruel fate than we ever could imagine. A fate that leads to a loss of self-worth, self-respect, and the loss of one's own identity.

Learning to embrace my own individuality, restoring my sense of self-worth and self-respect was an uphill battle filled with discouragment, and a lot of self-doubt. But what I learned from all these, by slowly being true to who I am, I gained true friends that love the real me, and being different cease to be an ominous concept.

Nowadays, I still hear a lot of comments calling me weird, and for most people, that would be considered such a big insult. For me, it was a term I learned to equate to being unique. Weird doesn't have to be a bad thing at all, because God made us all weird by giving us individuality.

For the friends who stood by me through the ups and downs of my eventful life, a heartfelt thanks!!

The world isn't ready for me and I am not ready to face the world

It's funny when I think about it... it's so funny that I end up crying my eyes dry... My life is one big irony. Trapped in a world where every single action I do elicit a different response from what I hope for. Everyday is a struggle. To be true to oneself and nature isn't an easy task, and yet it is the path I had chosen to take. Unfortunately, as time passes, I am riddled with doubts. Should I even walk further on this path? Should even throw caution to the wind and stand my ground against everyone who feels I am overstepping my boundaries? I am tired. So tired of struggling. So tired of thinking of ways to escape the chains I am bound with. Some of them think it is by choice. But who would chose to be bound to a life where freedom is scarce and your own do not accept you as you are? I am who I am and I want to stay as who I am. Unfortunately, as things stand, I don't quite feel up to it. The mask has been shattered once again. The sadness is out for all the world to see and I found myself once again struggling. The world knew the smile, and only a select few know about the tears.

So Young, Sounding So Old

I guess it is simply my way
Sounding older than my days
As I grasp for meaning
To figure what I'm missing

There are times when thoughts just passed
And I don't bother since it wouldn't last
But just seconds of time
And it'll rest on the back of my mind

I am merely a girl
With wings not quite unfurled
Barely out of my teens
Knowing helplessness and what it means

Truth is something hidden
It will not show even when bidden
It can be called a thing
That would most times sting

Laughter is not all innocence
It's not something we all can sense
For evil can lurk behind a face
Some not even leaving a trace

Disillussion is our constant companion
It is one of change's many minions
With disappointment in tow
True happiness giving a weak glow

Life is many different things
And different emotions it brings
As hardship pile one over the another
You learn to rely on yourself more and less on others

Gratefulness

Don't you just experience days when you look back on your life and find things to be grateful for? To find situations that makes you feel glad you decided to live instead of to die? I guess today is one of those days when I feel the urge to check out my friendster testimonial, albeit they're few compared to other people, for the perfect way to cheer up, and to shed a few heartfelt tears.

At times like this, I am glad I did not give up to the hopelessness I feel inside. It's also finding the reasons again that I had not failed to be the best person I can be, not only through my eyes, but also through the eyes of those I had come to know, love and share precious memories with.

I can't explain this nostalgic mood I found myself in, but somehow, I feel its fitting to remind me what I had gone through to get where I am now. Moreover, it also serves as a reminder that I had people who appreciate my presence the same way I appreciate them as well. Though I don't always get to chat them up, I know that in my heart, they will always remain special, and that they too know it as well.

Thank you everyone for making me feel someone of worth. You have no idea how much that helped me got through life.

Updates ^^

Hehehe... it has been awhile since i last posted, it's obvious how lazy I am...

Let's see, I've just started work, working on my fourth week at Bench, the clothing company/retailer of apparels... etc...

I've updated my new fic, Atashi no Koi, which I believed people who knew could very much guess plenty about it...

I'm working on another song, which I'll post once it's done...

hmm... I guess that's it for now.... hehehe.... ^^

hmm...

somehow, i feel like writing and yet nothing i want to write makes sense... i'm torn with this need to let off some of my thoughts, and yet, i couldn't quite put into words what it is that wants to break free and speak forth...

On Things and Stuff that Bothers Me

Well, i have to say a lot of things bother me, but what bothers me the most is the fact that people are afraid to be themselves. i'm not saying that i'm not one of those people because in some way i still am, but at least i'm trying my best to show others who i really am... i think the root of this fear is not being accepted by society. we've seen examples of such happenings, more in the form of men coming out of the closet to announce to the world that their gay. society had put it into our beliefs that there's only black and white and no gray areas in between, that these gray areas are met with such violent reactions that border on hostility to outright denouncement of such individuals. i believe each of us wears a mask concealing our deepest desires, thoughts, and feelings. we show the world something we believe it would find no fault in, a face that shows nothing more than a shadow of what we really are. i remember the days when i used to hide behind the shadows, being compliant, naive, and utterly speechless, a victim of bullies. but if you think about it, bullies themselves have that mask. each of us has something we want to hide to the world, i'm not denying that, but to actually have the courage to let go of that fear is something that we all seem to lack. i'm no inspirational nor motivational speaker, but i do know that despite the fact that no one would seriously take me to be the writer of such words at first glance, there are people out there willing to look beyond what they can see to the woman that i am. for others, being the center of attention is everything, and for some its the bane of their existence. others still crave to be recognize for their own endeavors, while others prefer to let others take the credit. can you look inside your soul and honestly say that you don't regret not taking credit for what is due to you? i know i did, plenty of times, because these are the opportunities that we miss out the most when we went for the modest approach because society would look upon you as arrogant. is it enough for you to know you played a part on getting someone to the top, when in truth that person doesn't serve it and would have probably missed it if you didn't do exert the needed effort so that he could take credit for your job? it's okay to be modest, but it's not okay to be taken advantage of. you are a nice person, but you're also naive if you think that that's the end of it... people had always wanted to reach the top, and when they do, they want to stay on top, and that means you'll have to continually working your butt off while these person reaps the benefit.
~*~*~*~
arrogance, defined.
arrogance had for most people meant simply of boasting, but i think it's time we put more into this definition. the purpose of boasting is to gain attention, no matter how trivial it is. on the other hand claiming credit for something you did isn't. it's getting credit where credit's due. therefore it shouldn't be consider arrogance when you claim what is rightfully yours.
~*~*~*~
i'll add more when i don't have pressing matters to attend to...

Can I Trust My Heart with You

Can I trust my heart with you?

Can you promise not to break it in two?

Can I risk getting hurt by you again?

Can I believe this is for real then?

You lied to me once before

That I can’t be entirely sure

If I open my heart to you again

Would you make me happy in anyway you can?

No one really knows

It’s something I can’t show

The love I still have for you

And how I always remained true.

It’s clear to me now

Despite my doubts

This is where I belong

The reason I held on

The time for words is over

My fears shall need to look for cover

Because I’m trusting my heart with you

Just please don’t break it in two.

Refuting the fraud-Mr. Art Bell's Article, Filipinos... makes me puke

Hahaha... I just have to re-edit this. I guess I didn't realize that I made a lot of grammatical and typographical errors because I was so pissed off...
anyway, it's the same stuff, just grammatically better.

~*~*~


I'm not sure if anyone had seen or read the article I'm referring to, but for those who missed it, I'll post it for your convenience and to refresh the memories of those who managed to read it...



~*~*~

Filipinos.....*make me puke* (Art Bell)

As we've all come to notice, in the past few decades, Filipinos have begun to infest the United States like some sort of disease. Their extensive involvement in the U.S. Armed Forces is proof of the trashy kind of qualities all Filipinos tend to exhibit on a regular basis. You can see this clearly by studying the attitudes and cultural Icons of most Filipino Americans.

Origins of Pinoys/Pinays:


Are they really Asian? Well we've come to accept the fact the Filipinos come from a part of the world known as South East Asia. But the term "Asia" is used in the wrong way. You may notice that contemporary Filipino Americans try very hard to associate themselves with groups that we know as Asian. I cannot count the number of times I have seen a 'Third World' Filipino try to connect themselves to the Chinese or Japanese people. There is no connection and here's why. The Philippines is a Third World country. Nothing respectable has EVER been created by Filipino people during our entire human history. Young Filipino men in America have become obsessed with "import racing". They have an enormously perverted affection for Japanese cars. It's a common phenomenon. In their minds, these Filipinos somehow believe that they are Asian and that it somehow connects them to Japanese people and Japanese cars. They often take credit for the ingenuity of Japanese people and say how it's an "Asian thing". This term..."Asian thing" derived directly from African American slang "blackthang". "It's a black thang." "It's an asian thang." You can see the connection. It's even funnier that, in Japan, Filipinos are heavily discriminated against. The only filipinos that can live successfully in Japan are the filipino prostitutes. But that's the case for most Filipino people no matter where they live in the world. Now we've come down to this fact...and it is a fact.

Nothing in Filipino Culture can be seen as Asian. They have no architectural, artistic, or cultural influence which is in ANY way, asian. Thinking of the great countries in Asia such as Japan, Korea, and China there is no way you can possibly connect the Philippine Islands. This assault by filipino americans to connect themselves with the great peoples of North East Asia is foul and disgusting. Try visiting a young filipino's web site too. You'll see something called the "Asian IRC Ring". It has to do with the chatrooms. The most horrible thing about this is that these TRASHY people are trying to associate themselves with Asia again!! People in Asia don't act like, this at all. What we are seeing here is the natural Filipino in it's element with full access to technology and this is how they act! You will consistently see this behavior over and over again.

Another interesting thing is that these "thirdworld" people also frequent RC chatrooms such as #chinese #japan and #asian. They must believe that they are some how related racially or culturally to North Asians. But it's completely WRONG! There might have been some distant contact With China and even less with Japan during World War II, but these people are actually more closely related to African americans and Mexican americans.


Do the parents of these young filipinos know what's going on? Would they accept this? I believe that they would and do. This is the natural "Trash" element in filipinos manifesting itself. Nothing good has ever come from Philippines and I don't believe anything good ever will.


Recognizing your Roots (A Message to Filipinos)

To all filipino people:
Please recognize your ROOTS! You come from the Third World! You country is a disgusting and filthy place. Most people there live in poverty! Your culture has MUCH MORE SPANISH influence than chinese, and absolutely no JAPANESE influence whatsoever. People in Japan and China, do not act like you. They do not constantly talk about sex and they have a MUCH HIGHER level of RESPECT for each other. There is NO WAY that you can connect yourself to Asia other than location. Your culture and technological advancement does not even come CLOSE to What Chinese, people have done in the past and what Japanese and Korean people are doing now! Everything you do is distinctly filipino. You cannot take credit for Japanese cars, video games, or Hentai! It's not an "asian thing" it's, an "American thing". You have no concept of culture...no concept of asian ideas or asian philosophy! Can you demonstrate how you use Confucianism or Taoism in you everyday life?? You can't. And you will NEVER be able to. I understand that you are trying to create an identity for yourselves as young people... but it is NOT related to Asia.


Your Identity is Filipino. That's all you are. Just Filipino. Think about what that means....

Sincerely,

Art

~*~*~

In relation to what I am about to say, I ask you all to bear in mind that the one behind this Hate mail was not the real Art Bell, rather someone mindful of the attention associated with the name to use it as his/her pseudonym in showing his/her ignomity.

It must be said that this had circulated several months ago through e-mail, if I remember correctly, and it is due to my heavy schedule that I had not been able to place my own response to this outright libel.

A person who forgets to look at his own roots before degrading another is like a wannabe star badmouthing his/her rival. I don't believe anyone has a right to call another race "thrash" and degrade them to nothing more than a speck of dust. I ask you now, if an American says Filipinos are trashy because they have no real culture, but only cultures from the invading forces that had dominated the Philippines for more than 3 centuries, then wouldn't it be just fair if the Filipinos called these Americans British or English "trash" as well since it had been apparently clear in American history that these so-called White Americans had been nothing more than society outcasts and their families who left England or Britain to settle in the continent they had dubbed the "New World" away from the stifling English society where First-Born males were given the highest priority? Of course Filipinos could do that, but that would mean stooping to their level of thrash talk.

Anyone who's familiar with Philippine history would firmly state that this person made the mistake of saying that Filipinos don't have a culture when in fact, we do. Way before the Spanish vessel had first landed on our archipelago, we had our own rich culture that had sadly been replaced with another. Long before the Spanish unified the archipelago with their conquest for the "sake of religion", Filipinos had been living a peaceful life. They had their own form of primitive government where a datu ruled a town or barrio, the society had been egalitarian, meaning women had been given equal rights as men, their own concept of art, as could be deduced from the painted, or tattooed bodies that had been considered their own label of fashion, and the instruments they had developed for music. Moreover, these primitive ancestors had been able to build their own home using the resources available at their disposal, living in harmony with nature.

The Spanish had been a colorful historical landmark in the sense they had changed the Philippines as the first Filipinos had known it. Roads had been flattened and became cobbled, buildings and structures using stones had been erected, rails had been placed on the windows and heavy clothing replaced the clothes that had been designed for our climate. Anito worship had been replaced with a half-understood Christianity, women had been cast away from their positions as equals of men and been reduced to a place of hearth and home, banned from getting a proper education that includes Mathematics and Science. The natives had been made to feel inferior, because of their hospitality, they had been believed to be nothing more than eager to serve others, that the Spanish had fashioned themselves to be lords, someone that had not seen the handle of a broom or a walis-tingting. Forced into inferiority by these White Europeans, the Philippines had been treated nothing more than a vacation place a rich aristocrat or elite might have on the shores of some lake in the country, away from the heavy bustle of city life. If you think about it, the corrupt Spaniards had introduced the concept of graft and corruption in the first place, as well as other vices that had plaqued our nation at the moment. I am not blaming the Spaniards of today since they had not done anything to warrant any blame on their part. I'm talking about the past, and I'm not entirely saying that the Spanish invasion had not been beneficial in some ways.

The Americans had done a better job, but sad to say had left a trait that had been the downfall of many a business in the country. I am referring to the fact that most Filipinos believed our goods to be inferior to that of the Americans, the so-called "colonial mentality". They had been conditioned in the belief that as long that it's imported, it's of good quality. What a lot of these people don't realize is that the labor of some of these "imported" goods had been done by their own countrymen as well.

The Japanese occupation had been one unforgetable event in our long history. It had been filled with oppression and an air of despair and hopelessness, and yet the courageous among our people had dared to stand up against them despite the lack of support by the Americans. Who's to say that we owe our courage to our conquerors when in fact it had been ingrained within us way before the Spaniards had first laid their eyes on our shores?

Now that we've recounted some highlights of the history of our people, I believe it just follows that we bring to light some of the values and traits that had already been incorporated in our brief historical discussion. I don't think we owe to any conqueror our courage, nor our artistic inclinations during the pre-Spanish period. It should be noted that the Filipinos are naturally hospitable and resourceful. Moreover, we value the concept of bayanihan, the collective effort of helping a fellowmen. How many countries can boast of having a trait such as this?

I would also like to ask this person if he had any idea at all of the architectural structures Filipinos had erected during the Pre-Spanish period. Sure, we do not have similar architectural structures such that could be seen in countries such as Japan with their tatami mats and shoji screen, China with their tiled roof, but it must be put into consideration the fact that our country is located further south than these two, nearer the equator, and therefore experiencing a different climate. Houses made out of rock takes a lot work and our ingenious people had managed to make their homes not out of rocks, but out of the bamboos that were abundant in resources. Because of our climate, houses made of bamboos made it a lot cooler during the summer months and having a raised floor protects it from the flood in the monsoon season. If you're still unclear to what I am referring to, I am talking about our national house, the Bahay Kubo.

What is wrong by calling ourselves Asian, because we truly are Asian? We are not Asian based on geography alone, we share values with other Asian culture that this person knows nothing about. We are, as I said before a hybrid of different cultures, a melting pot of various origins both from Asia and other continents. Yet, despite the influences of Western countries with their suspicious outlook in life and individualistic lifestyle, we Asians had always stuck together, we all share the collectivistic view on society. Each Asian could find something that would connect him to his continent in whole world, so why would someone begrudge any Asian to seek out its roots? If this person feels so strongly against Asians, Filipinos in particular, why would he need to write this under someone else's name? It only further strengthens my belief that he had no idea what he was talking about. Rizal wasn't a coward, nor was Balagtas when they decided to write against the Spanish colonial authority in the Philippines during that time, so why would this be any different?

I have to say I am disgusted that this person feels that it is a shame to be a member of a "Third World" country. We might not be technologically advance, but being looked down upon by one as ignorant as this person appears to be is enough to make any country under the so-called "Third World" banner furious. He must try to get his facts straight because as far as any educated women and men are concerned, the Filipinos had contributed a number of important things to the world. The invention of Khaos wasn't made by an American, and in case for those who had no idea of what this gadget is for, let me enlighten you. Khaos is a gadget that allows car owners to save on gas by almost 50% and it's a really timely invention since oil isn't exactly an unlimited resource. Is this person even aware that the Filipinos discovered the beneficial uses of virgin coconut oil? Or what about the medicine for the foot and mouth disease? Erythromycin was discovered by Dr. Abelardo Aguilar, Agapito Flores designed the flourescent lamp that we used today, even the former American President Bill Clinton had entrusted his health to Dr. Eleanor "Connie" Concepcion Mariano, a Filipina doctor that even became the youngest captain in the US navy. And who could forget the disaster that a Filipino had created with his "ILOVEYOU" bug? Jose Rizal was a genius in his own right, being able to write at the age of two, growing up and becoming a lot more than an opthalmologist. He was a writer, a painter, a sculptor and a teacher. And besides that, he had learned to speak 20 languages, not an easy feat for anyone. So how could this person just state that nothing good or important had ever come from our shores? He needs to investigate more and he might just find that a Filipino had been behind the special effects used in his favorite movie, a Filipino engineer had built his computer, there are so many things nameless Filipinos had contributed to society and to degrade a people into nothing more than a labor machine of no importance is very pathetic.

I would further like to point out that we do not constantly talk about sex and being liberal with that term had been the cause of your influence. Our people used to be a conservative nation, in some respects it is still is, however to accuse of thinking nothing more than sex twenty-four seven reveals the fact that you are indeed in an insecure position. There is nothing entirely wrong of talking and exchanging information about sex, since it is not a taboo term. Furthermore, being open about such an issue lessens the chances of putting it to practice without prior knowledge, such that had befell India with its high-rate of AIDS-afflicted individuals due to lack of responsible sex education.

Another thing, there's a reason we are called the only Catholic country in Asia, cause the majority of our people are Catholics. So why does this person have to ask us about applying Confucianism or Taoism in our everyday life? You don't see me asking a person from another country that question because it is irrelevant. Not all Asians are Buddhist or Taoist for your information.

Whatever this person understands, it is not that we are trying to find an identity for ourselves, because every individual goes through that stage. As a people, we already have an identity so why should we seek out something more? The only thing we are looking for is who we truly are as a person, in case identity crisis is too technical a term for this person. Psychologists know this, and even laymen understands this concept so how about this person, is he open-minded enough to realize that?

This person had ended his essay saying we should think about it, being a Filipino I mean. And that must be the only part I agree with him wholeheartedly. True, I am just a Filipino, and I'm proud of being called one. I am not a Filipino by blood, but I am born a Filipino, a Filipino that could make a name for myself, even in a small scale, through the traits that each Filipino had learned to acquire, the perseverance to succeed.

:) oh happy days...

Okay, maybe i shouldn't be too happy about life at the moment, i'm in danger of failing eco, but somehow, that doesn't really seem to faze me much... must because finally, i've met my half-brother and i have to say it felt like i've known him my whole life. i wished i'm spending time with him right now, but hey, i can't exactly bail out on our thesis proposal and i do want to graduate come october... i guess i just wanted to share to the world the happiness that's bubbling up within me... anyway, i better get back to writing that darn thesis...

Don't Come Running Back To Me

Don't Come Running Back To Me

I've cried so much

Since you went away

And now you're back

Saying you're here to stay

Been caught up

In the changing times

I have to wonder

What's on your mind

(Cause) I don't want to cry

I don't want to scream

I'm so confused

Don't know what to do

If you're not true

Don't come running back to me... yeah...

I don't want to hurt

I don't want this pain

It's driving me

Insane

If you're not true

Then don't come running back

Running back to me

It's been a while

Since we last talk

Didn't have a chance

To know what went wrong

And now you're here

Saying you want me back

But how can we

When trust is what we lack...

*~*~*~*~*

Basically, i'm still not through with this song... i'm working on the bridge...

%-(

Confusion

I don't want to cry no more

Don't want to hurt no any more

Been down that road before

Don't want to go back for more

You came and left me

Sitting down, my heart in pain

You never looked back

You never really cared

And now you're back again

Waiting to pick up what's left

I wonder if there's any piece left

To be broken when you leave

I can't seem to shake the feeling

You want only one thing from me

You could care less if I lose heart

As long as no harm come to my part

It's always been like this with you

And I wonder if you've ever been true

You go through this women

And yet tell me you want to come back

I don't understand you

Don't even know if I want to

But if you're serious this time around

Pursue me and i might come around

Nothing Really

Well, i'm back on my feet and raring to get back into the swell of things... being confined in the hospital is not a good idea with a scammer on the loose and scamming my friends using my ym account.... not to mention all of the lectures and lessons i missed... well, anyway, i've got to make-up for everything so despite unexpected distractions in my life right now, i can't afford to sit back and make pretty...

Turning 20

okay, i turned 20 yesterday and i still had not done the promised recap of the whole term... but let's make it the whole year...
~*~*~*~*~*~
there might be lapses in my memory, but still i'm going to write what i can...

let's see...

* spent a term in batangas for almost a week...

* experienced my first failure in college

* realized i'm not in love

* waited to see if the fortune-teller was right (she's not, unless i did something that had altered my future

* found myself feeling unwanted attraction to another guy

* managed to get accepted to rice mag

* been doing well with managing the bulletin board

* made a few more close friends

* been writing a new novel

* been getting wonderful reviews but i'm still not through with it despite my first goal to finish it in time for christmas... i'm still in chapter 18.... can't say how long it'll be... >.<

* passed my failed course the second time around

* passed my scary embryo class as well

~*~*~*~*~
hmmm... i think that's about it.... or at least that's what i could remember at the top of my head...

wonder if this year i'll find someone to love.....