SILENCE & CHATTER
Forcing myself to write in my blog is a lot like trying to jumpstart conversations on strange subjects. I don't want to write about pedestrian stuff, just like I don't like talking about pedestrian stuff. I don't like discussions about the weather (unless the weather itself is unusual). Or traffic (unless there's a new wrinkle or solution), or something equally blah. It reminds me of the days when folks around me would chat about who was seeing who, who had a crush on who, who was devasted because she missed out on a sale or because some guy didn't like to wear the latest in fashion... high school. Grade School? Bleh.

But I do like telling stories and anecdotes. I like listening to little slice of life stories, the eccentric activities of my friends and family, the odd story from the newspaper. And I like telling people about them. Talking may be my vice. I remember that I once had to be given a double-shot of anaesthetic before my tonsils were taken out because I kept talking. I pity the fools who drug me up to "loosen my tongue". Muhahahaaaa!

And yet, when I'm reading I can be oblivious to the world and to a lot of people. I've pissed off quite a number of folks by continuing to read when they dropped by (and cut into my reading time). Rude, but I honestly didn't see what was wrong with it. Call it a deficiency in "emotional intelligence".

So I'm quite comfortable with silence, and quite comfortable with talking. I guess the trick is to make the former seem like I'm listening, and control the latter to keep things straight to the point, and yet mysterious and meaningful.

Ah, heck. I've never done mysterious well.
BRAINTEASER TEST
Well I took the Brainteaser test at E-mode and...

Alex, you answered 29 out of 30 questions correctly!

Congratulations! Your score is in the 99th percentile. This means that if one hundred people took the test with you, your score would rank higher than 98 of them on average.

When we analyzed your test, we also discovered that when it comes to quantitative ability, you measure in the 100th percentile. This score indicates you have unusually strong abilities when it comes to solving numerical problems. If there is a numerical pattern to be found, you'll find it. You've got a knack for noticing when something "isn't right." Whether you're conscious of it or not, you have an ability to simply understand when something doesn't add up. Also, when it comes to splitting the check, doing taxes, or determining the number of fans in a baseball stadium, you're the one people turn to.


I dunno man. Is this really true?
Musings on Hinirang
After having given long thought to the mechanics of the Hinirang RPG, my thoughts have turned to the setting itself.

Hinirang may have a body of work surrounding it already, but a lot more of it is filled in by our knowledge of the period of Philippine history that it is approximating. How to explain this to folks without removing the mystery and the sense of 'magical realism' that some of the stories strive for? I've been giving though to the daily life of the Katao of Hinirang, and there're some things that immediately jump out at me.

Family. Friends. There's got to be a reflection of the tight family and societal bonds in the community.

The Supernatural. Don't go out after dark. Always say "Tao po" when knocking on the door so they know someone human is paying a visit.

Food! My god, a list of the food that people eat...