The vivid signs of summer that had already arrived: warmer sunlight, narra trees in bloom and so are the plants as well, and during late evenings at this time of the year, Saturn ascends in the eastern sky along with his stellar pals, Spica (his summer chum) and Arcturus of the Virgo and Böotes constellations respectively but they are not pursuing Mars while Jupiter has already set in the west long before they all catch up. Important signs of summer: Lent and Holy Week and then the anticipated Easter... and so is the approaching end of the school year 2011-2012. When people think of summer, there are always thoughts of school graduation, then enrollment, vacation, tours and travel getaways, sweltering heat, sunburn, workshops and other significant and productive activities; well for, pubescent boys, summer reminds them of an important rite of passage which they either dread or get excited about which is circumcision. People really do got a lot of plans for the summer. How about me? I’m thinking of having a vacation, too. And so is searching again for reputable company that will print my mini-novels at last. Sigh... how I wish that my first published novel will be printed soon before summer ends and classes begin again in June.
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The class of Grade 4- Section Metro Manila, school year 2011-2012 here in the Villamor Air Base Elementary School (VABES); this photo has been slightly censored: naughty, attention-seeking boys!
Nitong school year lamang nagsimula ang pagpapangalan ng mga klase ng mga nasa Ikaapat na Baytang sa iba’t ibang pook dito sa Pilipinas at ang Metro Manila (National Capital Region or NCR) na kabisera ng bansa ang pinili ko. Lumipas na naman ang isang school year, ang sampung buwan na isang mabigat na krus na aking pinasan at ang aking lubos na pasasalamat sa Panginoon para sa tatag na ito at hindi dumulas sa aking pagkakahawak ang aking krus. The kids are alright and time is drawing near when it’s time to let go of them so that they will have another step higher till they reach the summit while I just watch them from behind and wishing them the best. Itong nagdaang school year na kasama sila, tila ba napagtanto ko lalo na kulang ang tamis kung walang pait at walang asim kung walang anghang, ang tungkol sa lasa kung matabang. Basta, hehehe, ganito nga lang marahil sa trabaho kong ito at natutuwa ako na summer na.
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Patuloy sa pagdami ang pageviews ng blog site na ito. Dumagdag pa sa listahan ng countries of origin ang Lebanon, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Poland, Argentina, at Mexico kahit na paisa-isa lamang. Nagkataon lang siguro. Ayon sa istatistika ng dashboard dito, may mga nag-refer na URL kahit na pulos mga very unlikely sites na aywan ko talaga kung paano tulad ng nba.com, cisco.com, at pati ba naman isang porn-downloading site dahil sa isang past blog post dito na “Picture Layouts and Speech Balloons” (December 11, 2010) kung saan ay may ilang Japanese ukiyo-e prints na naka-upload mula Wikipedia. Ang hinahanap ng kung sino man yun ay let’s say for adults only na obra ni Hokusai; well sorry siya at wholesome dito, hehe! Siguro napansin yung “Sumo Wrestling Scene” ni Kunisada. Oo nga pala’t under ng Google ang blog site na ito. Tapos, sa ibang datos, ang madalas na keyword ng paghahanap ay “VABES” at dati nga ay yung may kinalaman sa “Amaya” ng GMA-7 kaya nga napakaraming pageviews ang blog post na “Balangay at Barangay” (June 27, 2011). Siyempre ang pinakamarami pa rin pageviews ay mula mismo dito sa Pilipinas, then United States followed by Germany which had already overtaken Russia. Ah, baka mga Filipino expatriates ang mga overseas readers na yun; eh kung mga banyaga man, paano mauunawaan agad dito eh awful nga ang online translation ng Google Chrome, ano?
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My soliloquys had attracted anonymous readers for a long time. Just like what I said before, I just won’t mind as long as whatever’s mine is mine, get it?! No followers listed here except for myself and I don’t have other blog page to follow except mine. Soliloquy... a monologue which is the dialogue with myself. On the other hand, I got a lot of friends, too... sigh, I don’t have a close human friend, honestly. Perhaps, it’s because I’m such a weirdo and a geek, too (but still, I hide this image whenever I’m with the kids). The type of person who could bring on the creeps to people around- relatives, peers, neighbors or strangers alike; however, I won’t do that. I’m just this misunderstood, oftentimes aloof introvert who prefers to stay in a corner, my little comfort zone and I’ll go indifferent about the negativities and sarcastic remarks others speak of me just because I often don’t like to conform to be just like them also. I guarantee to everyone that I’m still normal, I know myself and it’s up for people to believe me. This blog site has become my great channel of expression. What if I post very personal essays here where in I’m confessing my loneliness and poured my heart out? Will somebody help me? Damn, why am I thinking of these statements? At least those Facebook statuses somehow receive “like” comments though the contents are filled with trivialites and vanities. Hell, this is no shallow FB. Here in this blog site, I talk about any matter or issue but unlike other bloggers, I don’t include statements which are too personal. I’m as shy as a dormant volcano or a deep-sea vent, you know. Dashboard confessional blog posts... as if you anonymous readers out there care about the blogger at all. Ooops... sorry for the harsh words. I just don’t know any of you but the cliché goes on- this little blog page is my little territory and I just shrugged at eavesdroppers as long as they’re not doing any harm here because if they do, they’ll gonna be really sorry in the moment they least expected.
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In reference to the fifth part of the February 10, 2012 blog which is “Stopping For a While to Smell the Scent of Flowers”, may binanggit pala ako doon na gusto kong gawin na isang consuelo na hindi naman bobo. Ginawa ko nga na pumunta ako sa isang tahimik na lugar at habang hawak ko itong ‘white elephant’ na original and latest Kaspersky anti-virus software na hindi pa kailanman ginamit at walang bumili sa mga inalok ko nito na mga may Internet, ipinairal ko ang aking malalim na imahinasyon na hindi naman nasayang ang 690 pesos ko; mga metaphysical expenses na pinaglaanan nito sa halip na Kaspersky... for placebo effect, that’s all. Actually, ang ganda pala ng naidudulot ng metaphysics laban sa frustrations at panghihinayang basta makulay ang imahinasyon. Ang weirdo ko nga talaga na ako lang ang nakauunawa sa mga pinagsasabi ko dito, hehehe!
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The January 2012 blog contains a paragraph about the tourism campaign "It's more fun the Philippines". Well, lately, may isang nagngangalang Amerikanong turista na nagngangalang James "Jimmy" Sieckza ang nagpakawala ng isang Youtube video na may pamagat na "20 reasons why I dislike the Philippines". Oh, yes... the notorious video na hindi ko rin namang napanood pa. Hmmmm, totoo nga yung mga pinagsasabi niya tungkol sa mga kapintasang napansin niya dito sa bansa. Naging eye-opener din sa lahat... kaya lang kung "ugly American" man siya o isa lamang nagtatamasa ng "freedom of expression" lalo pa't sa demokratiko nating bansa, nakapagsisimula pa rin siya ng matinding debate. Eh, kung nagtungo siya sa ibang bansa, halimbawa ay isa na namang Third World country tapos pansin naman niya ang mga kapintasan dito, magkakalat na naman siya ng kahalintulad na video to express his disgust? Kung sa mayaman at maunlad naman na bansa at meron na namang mga kapintasan na nadatnan niya that bring him all the culture shock, meron na namang video ng "20 reasons why I dislike...."? Bawat bansa naman, mayaman o mahirap, ay may kani-kaniyang kapintasan and so the long time cliche goes that we can't please everybody. Hay, huwag naman sanang pulos kapintasan o disgusting side ang pinapansin; which is more precious? The diamond or the dirt? That's just metaphor...
