De-stressing

Well, I was a bit miffed this morning because they're cementing off the fricking pedestrian pathways through the center island of the street formerly known as Emerald Avenue. It forces us to walk further away to find an open path, or to use the horrid overpass-crosswalk monstrosity over at the corner of Emerald and Julia Vargas.

It sucks.

Still... eh. Here's some destressing mindless nonesense:

Your Linguistic Profile:

65% General American English

20% Yankee

15% Dixie

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Stories Untold

This past weekend, Kate and I went up to La Union to meet with one of the grand old matriarchs of my Dad's side of the family. We enjoyed our lunch, dinner and breakfast with her a great deal. We did not lack food (at least 5 viands per meal [including breakfast] plus dessert).

It struck me how many stories will be lost to time when she finally joins the rest of the clan that has passed on.

She mentioned how she lived in Zamboanga City for 4 years, and how one of her sons was born there (earning him the nickname "morito"). Why did she go there? Perhaps to get away from her mother, she says. Now, it's hard for me to believe that this 80-year old serenely smiling woman could have harbored difficulties that would have kept her from her mother... but I didn't know the full story, and we were all young once.

She still works at the bank she helped start, clocking in early in the morning and then again after lunch at around 2 pm. She's been working there for 50 years - but she prefers working over staying home!

I remember helping her down from her van a few years ago, and she told me then "I'm not so old that you need to help me walk." That made it difficult for me to see her in the wheelchair most of the time we were there.

She has diabetes, and the whole family has tried to control what she eats... but as she puts it... she's 80! She's not afraid of "graduating" to the next life.

When we were leaving, she told me that I reminded her of my Lola Iday who was "beautiful both in the face and in her character". I've always thought so, but coming from someone who was, in all the ways that matter, her sister, I know it to be truth.

She urged us to come back often (and soon). Perhaps we'll take a few more people with us then too.

Cute Picture

Wala lang...

Shattering Patterns

Once in a while I actually notice my pet phrases being used as verbal crutches. Verbal crutches are things that you say when you're trying to think of something to say. (By the way, I applaud anyone who attempts to think before saying something - even if you're terribly slow at it.)

In my case, I've shifted my crutch phrases a couple of times in my life. My current ones appear to be "interesting", "what's funny is that...", "weird", "that's disturbing", and "jumpin' jehosaphat!".

Okay, I made up that last one.

I like shattering these patterns because it breaks up the lazy thought patterns in my head and makes dem inta shiny nu wunz. F33r my l33t skullz! Anyway, thinking can be tiring but thinking along new lines can be quite invigorating... other options include:

- avoiding the use of adjectives in writing;
- using as much alliteration as humanly possible;
- selecting metaphors tied to a specific theme (food, animals, noble gases...)

Riot Shields

I work in Orient Square Building, and sometimes park in the parking lot across the street from El Pueblo.

Today, when I parked there... I was surprised to see many riot shields propped up against the hurricane fence. Then I noticed that some 20-odd blue-clad police there with riot batons idly sitting in vehicles or standing around.

I was surprised because I saw lots more of them there yesterday (in the early evening), some enjoying a meal in Red Table, the rest waiting around in the same way. I'd assumed they would have left by now... but they remain there... No one will say what they're doing there...

Very ominous.

Gulaman, Dumbells and Boleros

Fr. Prudencio Macayan, S.J. passed away just a few days ago. In my 1st and only year of High School in Ateneo, he was my math teacher. A very stern and demanding one too.

He would grade an answer to question wrong if he couldn't understand the handwriting. He would not check the back of the paper for the rest of the answer to the questions (even if the questions he gave numbered in the 50s) if you didn't write "turn to the next page, please" at the bottom of the first page. He would go on a terrible tirade if you damaged any of the trees in the AHS area.

I just went to the AHS chapel and paid my respects. It's funny, but I still felt the remaining awe and deference to him as I stood beside his coffin. I was irrationally terrified that he would sit up and begin interrogating me on what I'd done with my life since he'd last seen me... peppering his speech with well worn pet phrases like "Are you a man, or a gulaman?", "Are you a dumbell, Mr. Osias.", or "I think you're all boleros."

Well, all I can think of is now that he's passed on... God help the folks who mess with the trees in the AHS. He's probably guarding them full time now.

Fanboy News

I'm a fan of many things... so here are a few things that I've got off the top of my head...

- American Idol - Scott is out. It was about time. I think he's a good singer and all, but I didn't think he was at the caliber of the rest of the folks there.

- Dr. Who - after a long hiatus, the BBC series lives again! After the first comeback season, however, the actor portraying the good doctor decided that he was in danger of being typecast and quit. There's a new actor portraying the doctor for comeback season two!

- Forgotten Realms - this D&D setting is returning to Undermountain! The uber-dungeon of Halaster Blackcloak in Waterdeep is getting some attention from the website. They're outlining some of the contents of the first level, and the entire first level map is available for download from the site.

- George Perez - this brilliant comic book artist has signed an exclusive 5-year contract with DC Comics (after a heated bidding war between the Big Two). I'm excited to see his work again in DC, though I thoroughly enjoyed his work in Avengers.

American Bridle

As I anxiously await who has been eliminated (heard it was a shocker) from the show, I wanted to pause and go back to the misheard lyrics of some folks near and dear to me... you are not alone!

Here, taken from the am i right website are misheard lyrics from Heart's "Alone":

Misheard Lyrics:
'Til now I always got by on my own
I never really cared if you loved me, too.
Correct Lyrics:
'Til now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you.

Misheard Lyrics:
And now it chains me to the phone.
Correct Lyrics:
And now it chills me to the bone.

Misheard Lyrics:
How do I get you a loan?
or
How did I get to alone
Correct Lyrics:
How do I get you alone?