dilemma

January 31, 2009

 

Why do bad things happen to good people?

 

 

 

 

- TELL ME WHY!

jollibee vs. mcdo

January 26, 2009

Everyone in blogosphere seems to be too engrossed in the upcoming Valentine’s Day, puro love blogs ang kumakalat, dinaig pa ang lovebug. Para maiba naman biglaan lang sumagi sa isip ko ang top leaders in fastfood chains who have been in competition not only in the market but more particularly in every home, even in my own very mind. Gusto ko lang malaman kung sinong lalamang.

    vs.        

 

		Jollibee	McDonald’s	My vote
1.	Burger	Aloha	Cheeseburger/ BigMac	Cheeseburger/ BigMac
2.	Spaghetti	Jolly Spaghetti	Mc Spaghetti	Jolly Spaghetti
3.	Chicken	Chicken joy	Mc Chicken	Chicken joy
4.	Gravy	Same name	Same name	Jollibee chickenjoy gravy
5.	French fries	Crispy French fries	Mc French fries	Mc French fries
6.	Catsup/ Ketchup	Malabnaw na maasim	Perfect blend	McDo
7.	Chocolate Sundae	Same name	Same name	Jollibee Choco Sundae
8.	Pies	Tuna Pie	Apple Pie	Apple Pie
9.	Pancakes	Same name	Same name	Draw
10.	Breakfast meals	Breakfast tapa	Sausage Mcmuffin & hashbrown	Sausage Mcmuffin & hashbrown
11.	Happy meal toys	Jollibee mascots printed cup & saucers	Snoopy collection	Draw
12.	Birthday party	Jologs classic pinoy style	Sosyal pinoy style	McDo
13.	Service	Friendlier	Friendly	Jollibee service
14.	Safety & Security	Alert	Kalmado	McDo
15.	Kids playground	Kiddie world	Playhouse	Playhouse
16.	Ambiance  (for tambayan)	No way	Yes way	McDo
17.	Cleanliness	Regularly maintained	Don’t even think about it	Jollibee
18.	Pinoy style	89%	43%	Jollibee

 Akalain mo, patas!

precious pieces of paper

January 25, 2009

 

I stared at my retiring wallet thinking of finally replacing her as I slumped into my bed; then there was my long lost wallet resting on top of my bed. Happily, I decided to transfer one by one my belongings from one wallet to the other. Little did I know, I chanced upon some precious pieces of paper of yester years which I kept safe to date.

 

 

 

 

1.  letter dated October 19, 2000 back in high school

Cheer up E!

Whatever it is

You’d surely get through

Think of it as nothing

The heavens smile on you

Take good care

And don’t let it get you down

Paste a smile on your face

And wipe off that frown

There weren’t anything

You couldn’t do

You’ve been always there for me

Being here for you’s one thing I can do

When it seems hopeless

Like fate’s crushing your hopes

Then just smile and tell the world

“There’s still light in me.”

Smile and put your cares away

I’m always here to listen

Even if I die tomorrow (tok tok tok)

I’ll always be here for you.

Love

Abi

 

2.  letter addressed to Pot2 (this is me) back in high school

Plzzz come 2 my BIRTHDAY bach at ? (vote for the restaurant nearby ok) on Sat. (lunch) Reply ASAP

Les

 

 

3. letter from Danes back in college

I should get a million STARS (Ley) for listening to HER. I’d rather: be in a room with a thousand frogs OR slide down or a blade & jump into a tub of alcohol OR be bitten by a dozen snakes… etc…

Aaaak! I’m about to go insane here. I’m hungry I have a headache I probably f***** the acctg quiz AND I’d be asleep by now if I didn’t have the colds. Gee. What more could I ask 4 in life? w/ my luck the bus I’ll be in on (later) will have a flat tire.

 

 

4. Letter from Ashley back in college

Erica

Sabi ni Benedict hi and hello – namiss ka na ata niya.

 Ashley

 

 

5.  Poem written sometime back in college

   

I was scared then & didn’t know how to react

I let him go on when I didn’t want to

It was my fault

& my fear came over my strength

But I’ve learned my lesson

I shouldn’t let him get into me

He just symbolizes my fear that needs to be removed

That now makes me strong

I am not alone when I know I am right

He’s nothing compared to what I am

This is my life my body & I have power over it

NO one has any right to get into me

Unless I want to

I can fight for myself I am not alone.

 

 

6.  Letter from Ashley sometime February 2007

Dearest Erica

Stay strong! The Lord is always with you.

This is a small help from me.

(portion confidential hence omitted)

If you need anything do not hesitate to ask me. This is a return for all of the good things you’ve done for me and I’m sure this not enough for all the kindness and help you’ve given me.

love, Ashley

 

 

7. Note from Argyle

 

Erica

Hello pretty girl!

Eto na po ang bookstand from your bookstand ferry este bookrest fairy pala. Hehe.

Belated happy happy & stop being sad!

                                            love, a

(note: this picture is not my bookstand… picture lang sa net)

 

 

——————————–

What a better way to smile… feel a lot better… hope for good things… & fight harder?!

 

inspiration

January 24, 2009

 

break time

January 23, 2009

Paano ba dapat magdasal?

1) magbigaypugay

2) magpasalamat

3) humingi ng tawad

4) humiling ng mga bagay-bagay

 

 

Hindi ako atheist pero hindi rin ako religious. Pwde mo ko maturing na non-traditional Christian pero baptized as Roman Catholic. I don’t attend regularly Sunday masses. I hardly pray daily. And I have not gone to confession to any priest since birth. But when I am happy or when I am sad or when I am tired, I talk to God. I treat Him as my confidant and to quote Argyle, he’s my Superfriend, just like everybody else. 

I don’t like to burden Him so much with my so so stories. Kaya nga siguro tatlo lang ang emotion na pwede makita sa akin which i submit only to Him. I am oftentimes misunderstood and misconstrued with regard to these emotions which somehow affect my mood most of the times. But there are those times which I really don’t care much how others would react. I do have the right to express my self like everybody else.

1)

Happy

Eto yun abot tenga ang ngiti na parang mapupunit na ang mukha sabay kumikinang pati mga mata. Although ito ang pinaka madalas ko na emotion, mahirap narin na sinanay ko ang aking audience, hindi tuloy sila prepared sa other emotions ko. Minsan parang peke yun ngiti pero diba may levels din naman ang state of happiness natin.

 

 

2)

Sad

Hindi ako iyakin na tao. In fact mabibilang mo lang sa kamay ang times na umiyak ako. Sigurado kung umiyak ako eh todo-todo yun. yun tipong mang-aaway lahat ng kaibigan ko habang nakiki-join sa pag-iyak ko.  Nakakaawa at nakakahawa daw ako umiyak eh. Hagulgol ever parang wala ng bukas. medyo weird ako kasi i have set a standard unto myself on what instances i would only cry. At siyempre skill ko na ang magpakita ng nakakadurog puso na itsura pagka malungkot at hindi pa ko umiiyak nun. At ang mas weird pa dun kasama ang sloppy heartbreaking movies like Magnifico na pwdeng magpa-iyak sakin. Mababaw ang luha ko sa pelikula kaysa sa totoong buhay.

 

3)

 

Tired

 

Eto yun mukhang pagod o tulala o lost o feel maglasing o sadyang lasing o play pretend ako. Need i say more?!  

 

 

 

At natuwa naman ako sa kasama ng picture para sa tired look ko.

The Masked Ball

Tallahassee / Quincy, Florida

The Masked Ball

(c) John S. Nasche Sep 27, 1989

The King and his Queen sent out the criers to all the land.
“A great Ball is to be held!”
From all the land and from The Land they came.
(Yes, even from the Green Place, although they were very shy,
and one had to look quick to see them such was their talent in remaining unseen.
But they were there, for I heard them chuckling in the darker corners at the foolishness that they beheld.)
But Lo!
Such strangeness!
Even though naught was said of it, everyone that came wore his or her masks!
(You and I were the only ones that did not, so people looked at us in a strange way, wondering why we choose to be so different.)
T’was a strange sight, –
All of the Ladies and Lords, -
The Knights and the Squires, -
Even the King and his Queen, -
All dressed in their finest royal robes and gowns -
And every one of them wearing a silly mask.
Some of the masks were the masks of piousness, as if they were holy and just people.
(We knew that their hearts were black and cold).
Other masks were of great smiling faces proclaiming, “All is well!” -
But from underneath the corners we could see tears falling like rain.
Masks, -
All the masks that people wear.
Masks of righteousness, -
Masks of peace, -
Masks of debauchery, -
Masks of understanding.
Masks of the gentle father, (while harshly scolding his children).
Masks of the loving wife, (while wickedly stroking the arms and loins of other men).
Masks of the faithful lover, (with bodies still aglow with the sheen of sweaty passion from their last encounter with a stranger).
All the masks, - and it saddened me.
And so I left the main ballroom and found a quiet corner where a single candle sputtered in its holder.
There alone, (or so I thought), I touched fire to my pipe filled with the Noble Herb, -
And sat musing as I sipped from my goblet of wine.
Then there was the touch, -
Your touch, -
On my sleeve, -
On my heart.
I turned and you stood there alone with a gentle smile on your face.
Your face, -
Not a mask.
“May I join you?” you asked.
“I have tired of the masks.”
“Indeed!” I replied. “What is your name?”
“Love” is all you said.
“Love is” all you said.
“Love is all” you said.
Love is all you said.
And I smiled.

 

 

 

Minsan kay hirap i-appreciate o ipagpasalamat ang buhay lalo na kung panay o maraming paghihirap ang iyong nadarama at nadaranasan. Ngunit minsan darating din talaga ang mga kasagutan sa ating mga katanungan kung kaya hindi tayo dapat nawawalan ng pag-asa.

Salamat po Diyos ko. 

 

 

midterms

aral mode!

 

kapag umabot ka na sa 3rd year law 2nd sem, there’s no turning back. konti nalang ggraduate ka na, at nakakahinayang na yun tinapos mo na mga taon.

 

high lights ng buhay law school:

buong araw at magdamag mag-aral tapos pagdating sa klase magdadasal na wag sana matawag sa recitation

masigawan at murahin at mapahiya sa klase

tawaging bobo at tanga

nasabihan na umuwi nalang at buti nalang at maganda ka, mag-asawa ka nalang ng abogado

halos mahagisan ng lamesa/eraser, ballpen, libro

palayasin sa klase

lumagpak sa exam kahit pa todo ang aral, daig pa yun binuno ko pamula elementary upto college ah

nasipa narin ako ng eskwela (kaya nga from san beda eh andito na ako sa arellano)

ma-recruit o mapasali sa fraternity/ sorority

malunod sa usok dahil todo paninigarilyo ng prof sa loob ng klase

maglasing kapag masaya dahil nakasagot sa recit o hindi natawag

maglasing kapag malungkot dahil bokya sa recit 

maglasing para makiramay sa mga kaklase masaya man o malungkot

hindi matulog kapag exams at masobrahan sa kape

makakabasa sa exam ng tanong na hindi naaral sa 3 libro na nabasa mo

ma-ospital dahil sa ulcer dahil sa pagpipigil sa kain ng oras, high blood pressure dahil sa kaba, magkatama sa atay dahil sa sobra sa alak, o UTI dahil sa pagpipigil sa ihi

itatago sa bag ang law books kasi baka matanong ng isang simpleng mamamayan at wala ka maisagot

matawag na attorney ng buong barangay

mang-barops tuwing September

 

at marami pang iba

ang saya diba ?!

——————————————————————-

 

buti sana kung aral lang iniisip ko. pero pasalamat parin ako kasi i am surviving this far.

 i envy full-time students who think nothing of tomorrow. i hate full-time students who waste time & money.

cheers to all full-time working students!  bow ako sa inyo.

my condolences

January 17, 2009

 

One way to celebrate life is facing death.

maligayang anibersaryo

We face all challenges beyond all the problems because we believe that the more pain we overcome, the more stronger we become. 

Sadyang baliw nga ata ang tao at  pinanganak na masochist (n. someone who obtains pleasure from receiving punishment). Lalo na mga pinoy. The above statement confirms it all.

Eto na ang kasagutan siguro kung bakit nagtatagal at dumadami pa ang mga kapatiran/fraternity/sorority sa mundo at kung bakit nauso ang hazing o mga ritual kung saan kailangan mong pagdaanan ang hirap upang mapabilang sa nasabing kapatiran. Hindi ko ito sinasabi dahil myembro ako ng isang con-fraternity (mixed ang frat & soro, co-ed kami). Ako pa na nag-aaral ng batas should know better. Andyan ang Republic Act No. 8049 o ang Anti-Hazing Law.

Masyado na kasing maraming namamatay. Pero hindi layunin ng batas na iabolish ang mga kapatiran. Obvious naman diba, ultimo silang mambabatas ay miyembro ng mga fraternity, maging ang ating maraming opisyales ng gobyerno, kabilang na ang Korte Suprema. Siyempre ang mangyayari nun salungat na yun sa ating Saligang Batas na nagbigay sa bawat Pilipino ng kalayaan at karapatan magtayo at/o maging parte ng isang organisasyon, asosasyon at kung anu pang syon.

Pero hindi rin ako hipokrita para ideny na wala pang namamatay sa pinakamamahal kong kapatiran. Sabihin na natin masokista nga talaga ako at kagustuhan kong mamatay sa kamay ng mga taong pinakamamahal ko. Tulad ng nabanggit sa nakaraan kong blog, ang pagdanak ng dugo at kamatayan ay hindi kailanman maiiwasan sa amin kundi isang katotohanan. We stare at the face of death and smile. Hindi dahil masaya kami at ikinararangal ito ngunit dahil iyon ay tanging katotohanan lamang.

Alam ko ang pinasok ko, at hindi magandang panaginip ang pinagdaanan ko, pero nakangiti parin ako. 

 

ang buhay ay regalo

hindi mo hiniling pero laan para lamang sa iyo

ang buhay ay laro

may pagsubok, kung san may kasiyahan at kalungkutan, may panalo at talo 

ang buhay ay blankong papel

at ikaw ang lapis

ang buhay ay istorya

may mga kontrabida at ikaw ang bida

ang buhay ay halintulad sa kamatayan

tunay na sigurado at hindi maiiwasan

ang buhay ay buhay

katotohanan man o kathang-isip

 

ang buhay namin ay ganito

mula noon, hanggang ngayon

 

 

lion love

January 16, 2009

Dear you,

I hope you’ll never get to read this. 

I hate you for breaking my brother’s heart. Say your prayers early. It’s time to get even.

————————————

No matter how hard I try to ease another’s pain, I just can’t manage to, and so I thought; it’s the same way how I can’t manage to ease my own pain but I know my self better. As how I’ve managed to solve another’s problem, solving my own is yet another struggle. But having family to stick with you forever, true love lasts forever while our enemies wither.

There’s no one in this world who can solve your own problem but only your self. Cliche as it may sound and lame as it may seem. But as a sister, I can’t help but share the pain. I don’t know if that’s the same way for others but that’s just how I am. Not that I cry when they cry but then I would like to take away from them the pain and just bear it on my own. I am not a good problem-solver my self. I don’t have all the answers to all the questions in this world. But carrying their burden of pain is easier for me instead of seeing that lovedone torn apart, broken into pieces, and mentally incapacitated by choice.

But how can you help ease the pain when all a brother has to ask of you is either finish off or spare the culprit’s life. This is the power of “hiling” as how we call it in the fraternity world. We are no strangers to one another but only to ourselves. No wonder bloodshed never stopped.

I have never witnessed a battlefield full of my warrior brothers but from history alone of our notorious existence and with the newspaper headlines we’ve made, it still reminds me so much of how human beings go back to stoneage and face the radical life of survival of the fittest. Eliminate all enemies and paint your foreheads with their blood. Although the tradition remains as times have changed, the battlefield has likewise changed. It’s time for the battle of the brains. And this battle is the most difficult of them all and the enemies come outnumbering our strength. But in this battle, only great minds succeed. And being wise beyond our years, we’ve managed to stand victorious like old times.

I was not born a fighter but was made one. And I know love.

 

 

moot and academic

January 14, 2009

I’m still alive today and that’s something to celebrate about.

Dear Erica Iris, Here is your horoscope for Wednesday, January 14:
Use your analytical powers to break down your biggest problem into several smaller, more manageable chunks. If that seems too much, you can get help from a wise friend or family member.

Sana ganun lang kadali to break down my biggest problem into several smaller, more manageable chunks. Sana ganun din kadali to get help from a wise friend or family member. For the longest time I have managed to stress only my self into resolving my own problems. At any rate ofcourse I thought I was doing fine, but then again I’m no superwoman. Ano nga ba ang problema ko?

Simple lang, problema ko ang mundo, tao at pera. The typical problems of an average adult. But that’s not what I’m going to talk about.

I’m hurt whenever my friends make fun of my blogging. Hindi nila alam yun ofcourse dahil tahimik lang ako at nakikitawa habang pinagtatawanan nila ako at ang pagsusulat ko at since they don’t read my blog anyway, here’s my moment to emote about it.

Walang pakialaman, kanya-kanyang trip lang, respeto naman. 

Although meron naman may comment sakin na close din sakin na highly acceptable, he says that he chooses not to read blogs because for him that’s invasion of one’s right to privacy. so i guess at some point i do agree with him but then again we’re not on the same wavelength.

Writing is a my outlet, it’s not just another hobby like dancing or singing. When I first started blogging, it was for my own consumption only. Hindi ko nga alam na blogging ang tawag dun. It was my livejournal account. Noone I know knew that. For me, mas ok yun. Kung may makabasa man, at least hindi ko sila kilala and vice versa so walang effect sa existence ko as a human being in the real world. Diba nga in the world wide web, you can be anyone you want to be. Not that I’m pretending to be someone I am not but having the means to show parts of you which you never thought existed, it’s like “coming out of one’s closet”. Blogging was my private comfort zone. Until ofcourse people began to comment. It was with my friendster account. May mali nga naman ako dun, kasi mababasa for sure ng mga friends ko ang blogs ko dun. Hindi ko pa ma-moderate ang comments. Hindi kasi ako techie, basta nakakasulat ako okay na yun. But then ofcourse I had to change my course in blogging.

If I were to compare my writing then and now, it’s totally different. Although there’s always a give-away hint of Erica’s striking personality, the rest of it are all different. I don’t know if it has something to do with lawschool and work experience but i think it’s the bits of changes of Erica growing as a person. So there I began to write on a perspective of not giving away too much information of the who’s and the what’s. althought the flow of thoughts is consistent, hindi giveaway ang totoong nangyari at kung sinong mga involved. Okay na ko dun.

I had my fair share of mishaps in my blogging experience - that’s when someone who knows me by name and reputation accidentally reads my blog and bugs me on the details. So I guess blogging has other plans for me. I even felt offended once when someone i know reposted my blog as her own revised version without my permission and without quoting me or pasintabi or kung anuman. Talk about plagiarism and E-commerce Act, bloggers have rights protected by law.

Then a good friend finally urged me to make my own site after the flooding good comments I’m receiving, even my law professor commended my writing, that’s more important she says. But a bimbo as I am in the web world, she made my site herself. And ofcourse I loved it. My private comfort zone came to life again. Selected blog rolls lang. Until ofcourse my not so good writing became popular. And so I thought. Hindi pala, bloghopping/ blogdropping pala yun. I still encounter good comments and met some good new acquaintances. At eto na ang paksyon ng mga bloggers! And ofcourse I felt good inside again. With people nothing like me but with similar blogging interests, life can’t get any better than this.

Although there are still those who make fun of my blogging. I don’t give a d*mn anymore. 

It’s like how friends talk ill of my fraternity; it’s moot and academic. Siyempre that’s a different story.

My choice. My life.

Mootness - In United States law, a matter is moot if further legal proceedings with regard to it can have no effect, or events have placed it beyond the reach of the law. Thereby the matter has been deprived of practical significance or rendered purely academic. This is different from the ordinary British meaning of “moot,” which means “to raise an issue.” The shift in usage was first observed in the United States. (wikipedia)

As made applicable in the Philippines, “Well entrenched is the rule that where the issues have become moot and academic, there is no justiciable controversy, thereby rendering the resolution of the same of no practical use or value.” [Southeast Asia Manufacturing Corporation vs. Municipal Council of Tagbilaran, 94 SCRA 341 (1979); Yorac vs. Magalona, 3 SCRA 76 (1961)].