Top 5 Things I Miss In Life

Do you have something, or someone that you miss? I guess there's at least one. For me right now, I miss more of life.

I, therefore, have to leave this workplace named cyberspace for long if I won't be doing anything productive here, except creating a post like this or dig more of music.

Furthermore, there was school, and it made me miss a lot of things. Now it's summer, I get close to some things I've missed, but there are still things I'm still longing for.

Here are the top 5 things I miss in life so far that struck my mind instantly and instantly landed into my notebook. Hope you'll like it!


5. My own piles of literature

Before summer began, I hardly got some time reading books. I could hardly get through free time when almost all of my time before was spent in labor, demands, and stress, and lazy sleep.

That's why today I do anything to get into the habit of reading once again.

I still believe in the pleasure and contentment reading can give. It can drive you to different places, feel the way you feel, bring you to various thoughts, and fuel an aspiring writer like me into writing.

While toiling when I was still third year, I have collected many books, from science fiction to fantasy to young adult to crime to nonfiction. Unless I read those books, more books would only flood on my room.

They have to be read, and I want them to be attended.

Friends are waiting for me. Here I come!


4. Working and playing.

I just miss productivity that I could enjoy and celebrate...but I miss playing more. Literally.

We are now in a generation where the synthetic replaces the realistic. Playing with your hands and feet have been replaced with playing with your mouse and your consoles. If only I could just afford "Just Dance"!

I'd be happier if I learn homegrown games and enjoy them with the fellow youth. I'm afraid that future generations would get out of the Pinoy culture of playing, and sadly I missed some of it. I have already grown into a guy who doesn't go out too much unless for the love of literature and the desire of a cool atmosphere.

I missed those times when I was with classmates or anyone playing "Ice Ice Water", "Langit Lupa" (Heaven Earth or Sky Earth), "Sili Sili Maanhang" (chili chili spicy), the simple taya-tayaan, or tagu-taguan (hide and seek)...

There are so many perspiring but exciting games, and I want them to be revived, so that I'll not just get close to humans and the body won't just be alive, but it would also refine my gut into a gut of a typical man in Men's Health. Joke!

3. Being with God

It's just so sad that things in life get ahead of one important priority—God.

I'm just thankful that amid the busyness at school, I still had the chance to read His Word and know something from Him, as well as simply talking to Him in prayer, though I fell asleep several times.

I miss being calm and happy with Him who loves me, and who loves you too. I miss the simple, abundant joy and satisfaction that I get from being comforted, encouraged, and renewed by the Savior.

We really have to plan things out if we want a consistent encounter with God all the time. Good time it's summer.

2. The joy of watching television.

When there was no Internet connected and no cable plugged in yet in our house, I simply enjoyed watching game shows, cartoons, and even newscasts from the box that receives it's contents from the antenna. I recalled when we in the house would rotate the antenna to get a clearer reception of the channel.

I also remember when I was already relaxed and entertained watching Mr. Bean (the real one) or Bob The Builder or Spongebob Squarepants (definitely!), Postman Pat, Doraemon, Pokemon, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, etc.

Also, there were game shows, some of which were adapted into Philippine editions, like Wheel of Fortune, The Price Is Right, Family Feud, Whammy!, and what else but Pilipinas, Game KNB? (English: Philippines, Are You Game?, source: Wiki). 

It has been a habit for me to watch this show. I saw the famous game show evolve into many versions. ...until it faded from the audiences' attention...until Showtime!  came.

I still miss game shows, though. I like the way they entertained me. 

I hope game shows on prime time would come back. We're all covered by dramas, and there's no The Game Channel on our cable here. Those with antennas are still lucky to get it.

Then, there are those newscasts. Yes, newscasts were a habit before. From the local ones, to those from the United States, like NBC Nightly News and CBS Evening News. 

Comparing the local from the foreign, I like the way the anchormen and women of those imported programs deliver the news—calm and easy. And also I like these programs the right stories are picked. They know the difference between news and gossip. 

I have to admit, but most of our national newscasts here have gone too much tabloid, where important news, crime scenes, CCTV clips, trending YouTube videos, and controversial lives of artists are stuffed into one. That's why I've gone bored at newscasts nowadays.

But anyway, watching news inspired my dreams to become a journalist. I still don't know yet if I'll get into it, since I'm enjoying the dreams of becoming an author, and a musician, and a radio person. Hopefully, I'll go back to dreams of being a journalist, thanks to Solar News.

Now with cable, I could have enjoyed more of television. There are just so many programs to watch. I became lazy to find one to catch, and I won't watch TV all the time because of other things. 

Thankfully, I became interested to sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory, and animated series like Adventure Time, and simple yet sophisticated series like Alfred Hitchcock Presents. I decided to catch them. I finally searched for timeslots, even though I won't be able to catch them sooner at school season.

Can't afford torrents, just broadcasts for now.


And for our top 1.......(Drum roll)....


1. Organic, interpersonal interactions

Real conversations, meetings that aren't virtual.

Being confined in the house for vacation while watching or reading gives relief, but it makes me miss friends. 

Yes, Facebook built a bridge to other humans, but nothing comes close to real interactions. You can talk to them, feel what they feel(really?), and see their faces. 

Nothing comes close to reality. Seeing how they are is better than looking at statuses, though it's appealing to see how they are through photos. Facebook helped, but an interpersonal encounter is more human, realer, sweeter, and even more intimate.

I still don't know what to do with that yet, but I hope I could come up with ways to get connected for real. Maybe play at the streets, or watch a movie on cable with them, or learn something from them. 

You may miss school, I may miss school, but I don't like to miss it for now. 


There you have it, the 5 things I miss in life for now. They are not all that I miss, really, but they are surely the things I missed the most while climbing Mount Third Year, and still I miss. 

How about you? You also probably miss something. It's alright. I hope we could all find ways. 

But in case you miss the joy of life, God is there for you. You can start by talking to Him, and He'll respond, and provide for you. 

I hope, dear reader. that you'll come closer to Him from time to time. :)

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you"—Matthew 7:7

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."—Jesus in John 10:10


In case 5 things are too short, here a BONUS!!!

What is it?

Well...

Bonus: The Teenage Dispatch!

Why would I not miss this blog? I should have posted more and more before, but again, I had to attend to other things before I could go back here. 

That's why I still continue to make posts like this for the blog's sake. 

I hope you'll read more of this blog. There's the blog archive at the right. Thanks.

"Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

—Psalm 37:4

Murder, massacre, bloodlust (Review: "Two Minute Warning")

Note: This is a simple recollection and review of a person who appreciates the arts, including film. Humbly speaking, he is just starting again digging for movies this summer, and he's not much knowledgeable in motion picture. So don't expect that he'll give you a good review like those in newspapers. He just wants to write. Maybe in the future, he will write reviews better.

Recently this 9 a.m. of  April, 8, 2013, I viewed a film from the past which I found interesting to watch. On Cinemax, after seeing a good, original iteration of Captain America (where I saw again Nazis after The Rocketeer and The Counterfeit Traitor) in the morning, I was glued to a disaster film from 1976: Two-Minute Warning. It all started with a successful murder attempt to an unknown biker. Then, it would proceed to the beginning of a big day at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum—or the venue of the 1984 Summer Olympics—which attracted my eye from the movie's start. As the movie reels, different characters would be revealed, all fans watching the football championship to occur at the venue, all to be affected by a disaster that will happen soon.

The movie was good on editing and scene progression. The fast-moving events in the movie tricked my mind enough to speculate and guess. I would be taken to the football game, then to the murderer responsible for the crime earlier, now on a car with the radio on, then to the stadium again, then again to the murderer, then to an OB van for the game's TV broadcast...The cycle goes on like that, igniting my mind as to who that killer really is, and what's the motive, and so on and so forth.

But it also gave me a perspective of culture, and of sinful nature, now in a form of America's favorite sport, football, and of the weapon most people grasp, the gun. It even reminded me of the awful, disdainful killings at a daycare in the same country last year. It did let me see how people are glued to amusement that they don't even see that evil's behind them, until few bangs would panic them out. The good thing, however, is that the police works fast (how about us?), although it wasn't that nice that they mistreat innocents and become suspicious of them and overpower them.

In the end, it's just a movie. But it seemed that the cravings of bloodlust became rampant: from the killings on US, until the massacres in Mindanao, to the random violence seen on the news. If Upton Sinclair analogizes debauchery to the Cup of Fury, what could we pair to guns and rifles?

Sometimes I could really conclude that motion pictures sometimes reveal a glimpse of life, though most of the time it takes you out of reality. And I found myself agreeing to the late Roger Ebert's negative response:

 "I knew going in what the movie was about (few films have such blunt premises) and I knew Two-Minute Warning was supposed to be a thriller, not a social statement. But I thought perhaps the movie would at least include a little pop sociology to soften its blood-letting. Not a chance. It's a cheerfully unashamed exploitation of two of our great national preoccupations, pro football and guns."

Well said!

So far... (Part 2)

Author's Note: The post was written before classes started. Due to lack of time, it was posted lately.

Cyberspace

The Buggles, featuring Trevor Horn(right)

and Geoff Downes(left). Famous for 

"Video Killed The Radio Star"

A part of this summer leave were simple days in the four corners of the house, in the pages of books, and in front of the TV and computer, No, not playing online games of fantasy or war that many adolescents get absorbed to. But I spent those times discovering new music, reading opinion articles, stumbling upon different things, and of course, blogging.

I went back to my bookmarked tracks from The Buggles, and I searched for their other songs.

Yellow Magic Orchestra, a pioneer 

electronic band in Japan. "Firecracker"

is their first single.

I also uncovered the electronic band from Japan, Yellow Magic
Orchestra, and I liked them and their compositions very much.

I also listened to OPM bands like Daydream Cycle and Techy Romantics, both also specializing in synths, beats, riffs and loops.

All of them are great in their music. They serve as inspirations for me to create music someday...electronic music.

In addition, I read opinion articles on Inquirer.net and I came to realize
that it wasn't bad ( I really like to read newspapers in print in the first place and I still prefer reading them that way, in fresh press paper), just make the brightness of the monitor suitable and not too bright. I started reading "Pinoy Kasi" by Michael Tan more often, as well as the column "Looking Back" from Ambeth Ocampo. Nevertheless, I still continued patronizing and waiting for every column of "Young Blood".

I also played Boggle and Scrabble online in preparation for some game with other fellow churches ( I only played Scrabble for the game). I got back to playing these games that I've forgotten and neglected for a long time. Now, I want to play them more, especially Scrabble, but I want to play it one time with real tiles and with friends.

Nevertheless, I admit that sometimes cyberspace strikes boredom on me.

Stacks of books

One of my goals this passed summer was to read many books. And throughout my summer, I finished some books that were in my stack of books.

Here's the reading list:

• The Myrmidon Project by Chuck Scarborough and William Murray
• A biography of Eric Lidell, the runner turned missionary
• Time Machine:World War II Code Breaker, an adventure/game-like book taking you back to World War II
• The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 and 3/4 by Sue Townsend
• 2 books from The Cat Who... series namely The Cat Who Played Brahms and The Cat Who Went Underground written by Lillian Jackson Brown
• Idoru by William Gibson
• Then Again Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume
• A collection of comic strip from B.C. by Johnny Hart, and 
• Short stories from anthologies Emperor of the Air by Etahn Canin and Tangents by Greg Bear.

I also started The Day I Became An Autodidact by Kendall Hailey, Insomnia by Stephen King, and Fools by Pat Cadigan. However, I still didn't finish the earlier two yet, while I discontinued reading Fools to lessen my reading list and focus on other books.

And now, I continue reading Crimson Joy by Robert B. Parker

Did I enjoy this summer leave?

After all these getaways and strolling, after those episodes of Adventure Time and Everybody Loves Raymond, after those stories I read in books, after those adventures of Jim Qwilleran, after the virtual realities of Idoru, after a marathon of Word of The Lourd, after many books bought at affordable prices, after all of these summer leave, did I enjoy it?

Before that, there are such "should haves". I should have read more. I should have learned more. I should have got along more...But all in all, I could say that even at the least I enjoyed this rest and refreshment the long vacation gave me.

I have envied others, thinking they have better ways of spending vacation, knowing they have more savings...

But then I think as I wrote these happenings that I should be happy and thankful that I had this long enough time after the tiring and challenging second year to relax and revive.

I enjoyed it in my own way.

Sooner, I would welcome myself to third year. I think and feel it would be a more challenging, more busying journey since there's Physics, Chemistry, Trigonometry, Analytic Geometry, World History, etc...I think that as it is an upgraded experience, it would be a long and struggling school year, but with God's help, I could do it.

In fact, I'm even excited.

I'm ready.

So far...(Part 1)

 Author's Note: The post was written before classes started. Due to lack of time, it was  just posted today.

After 73 days of summer vacation, I'll be "back to work". By the 4th of June, I'll go back to school to continue my journey with education. I'll be 3rd year this coming school year, and I expect to acquire more knowledge, cherish new experiences(let's include that Prom), and enjoy the whole school year at my new section.

As I write this blog, days are counting and June 4 is coming soon. Summer has just passed. Rains occurred during the day, telling us here that it's starting to rain a lot. Then I thought of reexamining what happened on this vacation. The big question is this: did I enjoy this summer vacation?

But before that, what have I done during the past 3 months of leave?

There are many, and I'll list them. It's hard to list them in some good order, but I want to list as many and as orderly and clear as I can.

Getaways and adventures

The beginning of my leave began after the last day of classes. Amidst those days spent in front of the TV and the computer, I had spent summer with getaways and strollings.

Saturday after classes ended, most of us in section Linnaeus had a farewell party at Enchanted Kingdom. We spent the whole day enjoying every rides(though I nauseated after the dizzying ride at that anchor-like ride—Anchors Away) even though it rained a lot that day. A joyful adventure!

Another Saturday (Black Saturday—April 7) the whole family, together with Dad's long-time friend and his wife, had a very great feast of chili shrimps, kaldereta, and steamed fish, plus ice cream care of Kuya. It was a very delicious culinary experience for my taste buds and stomach.

In celebration of my brother's birthday, the family had a nice lunch at a Chinese restaurant at the large and wide SM Mall of Asia(MOA). Then, at about near evening, we all watched The Avengers in 3-D. An amazing experience!

At the 23rd wedding anniversary of my parents, the whole family gathered for dinner at Alabang Town Center(ATC). Before the dinner, I saw and strolled on a bigger and more wonderful National Bookstore, where I saw new books and a science fiction section. After that I had a taste of Starbucks—thanks to my sister. Then, all of us there had a dinner of tasty chicken and fries at the Korean restaurant Chicken Bon-Chon, and a cozy coffee talk thereafter at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

For one week, I volunteered for Brigada Eskwela or the National School Maintenance Week at our school. There, I knew where my section is and I got my books earlier, but I also helped cleaning and decorating the room(even the CR) in simple ways. There I realized that at least I have done something productive rather than staying in boredom, or let's put it, doing things repeatedly, more than enough(unless it's reading or writing).

And recently, I, the family, and our friends in the church went for a relaxing and once-in-a-while outing at Batangas. I got the chance of swimming in the nice beach and the pool. I even learned the basics of swimming—floating, hoping that someday I'll get swimming as a skill.

Walter Mart, SM.....Booksale

One of the things I've done mostly throughout this summer was strolling on malls. I mostly visited Walter Mart, where I always went by myself through walking and where I always hunt books(at Booksale). But also, when I got the chance, I strolled at SM. I got those chances 4 times. Once—again—all by myself. Every time I had those saunterings on both malls, I cherished each time feeling the cool air, walking through stores, eating with the family or friends, and what else but taking time hunting for books—especially new deliveries—whether I have money or not. I even thought twice on the books to pick and buy.

These getaways during summer, both with others and by myself, were good things, simple and good things in life that I appreciated.

Television

My summer was also spent with the Tube.

After seeing it for many times and searching it on the Net, I liked and became a fan of the animated series Adventure Time. Especially during the early days of summer, I viewed each episodes until I came to see in the following days that they are just replayed.Though, I still expect to watch new episodes and view the show anytime.

It was also during those summer days that I discovered the comedy series Everybody Loves Raymond. I encountered it one morning and I liked it. Days passed by and I found it nice to watch. Almost everyday I tuned in to watch new episodes. Every plot and humor of the so-called "TV's favorite dysfunctional family" made me laugh, especially the dialogues of Ray Barone(starred by Ray Romano). Good thing beTV reruns this great sitcom from the 90's. For now, it replays episodes I've already watched, but I hope they'll air new episodes soon.

Furthermore, I came back to my interest in watching movies. I saw many movies this summer, but I didn't load any DVD, except when I watched The Iron Lady. I scheduled movies to watch and watched them on HBO, Cinemax, and Star Movies. I viewed mostly past movies from the 80s to those black-and-white fifties. I like to watch sci-fi movies, so I watched the nostalgia films The Incredible Shrinking Man and The Invasion of The Body Snatchers, and also 3 Babylon 5 movies, which were from the 90s. I also viewed other movies that I liked, from thrillers to drama. There's Nightmares, where I liked the story "Bishop of The Battle" the most; Christine, which got me to appreciate Stephen King more; and Dead Poets Society, with the dialogues "O Captain! O Captain!" and "Carpe Diem!"

Furthermore, I regained interest in watching NBA, especially the continuing Playoffs/Semi-Finals.

Most of the time, almost each day when I woke up, I just saw a game running through the screen. As I watched. I saw those basketball players doing their game, shooting, dunking, even alley-oop-ing. There are shouts in the background, whether it's "OKC! OKC!" or "Let's go Heat! Let's go Heat!"

I admit to you, dear reader, that I'm less inclined to basketball and hardly play any hoops. But one morning of watching some of the day's game, I just got inclined to watch and get updated. Thanks to my close friend for this, and I'm with that friend in rooting for Boston Celtics this semi-finals as well on the Finals.

And who could forget American Idol? I myself and the family followed it, though not from the very start. Knowing that there's a great singer who is half-Filipino competing there, I joined with many who tuned in to AI every week. I'm amazed by every performances of Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledette(haha), and the rest. I even rooted for Jessica, hoping she would make it all the way to the final 2. She was blessed to be "saved" by the judges and to be with Phillip Phillips in the top 2. However, Phillip was the one who won in the end. Yet, in my opinion, both of them are great singers in their own tempos.

Lastly, I went through summer with the afternoon "teledrama"—the Impeachment Trial of the Chief Justice, now former CJ, Renato Corona. Honestly, I seldom watched this trial, finding the accounts and properties discussed boring and confusing. But then, when the final witness, Corona himself, stood before the impeachment court to testify, I became interested again. I followed it to the end, where 3 voted to acquit the Chief Justice and 20 voted to convict. Therefore, Corona was impeached, and I witnessed it in the television that heats up when Senator Santiago speaks fiercely—yet with truthfulness.

(To be continued...)

A Fictional Summer Vacation From The Imagination

   What if you're summer is like life on Adventure Time—the animated series on Cartoon Network?

   Watching Adventure Time is one of the things I do this summer. For your information, Adventure Time is one of the standard cartoons on Cartoon Network today. It is one of my favorite cartoons as a teenager who still appreciates the wonder of cartoons. It follows the adventures of Finn the human and his best friend Jake the dog in a place called Land of Ooo. The cartoons are definitely wonderful. Yes. The cartoons and the stories are weird and funky, but I like it that way. Every story is well-written and cool.  The music is cool, often featuring electronic and synthesizer-made sounds similar to video games from Atari 1600 and Family Computer of the 80's. Adventure Time is certainly distinct and unique.

   What if your summer is like Adventure Time?

   I think it would be new, different yet enjoyable.

   When you spend that vacation as real as Adventure Time, what you'll mostly do is to trek on adventures, fight enemies and villains with skills and a sword that makes you a hero, help people in trouble and save the day.  But you'll enjoy it. It would be fun.

   You'll live in a big and wonderful tree house located in a serene field of grass. You'll have fun with a cute dog with magical powers to stretch and shrink his body, legs, and arms. You can play games or play VHS on Beemo (BMO)—an Atari+Game Boy+PlayStation+Vectrex game console who can talk and transport you into the virtual reality of video games. The tree house has simple, but nice things inside that I appreciated them. I saw a turntable in one episode, and noticed the telephone with a screen and a headphone in another. 

   You'll also have the privilege of having adventures and seeing the various places and kingdoms of the Land of Ooo. There's the Ice Kingdom, held by the old Ice King who steal princesses unless you and Jake(or vice versa) would stop him every time he works on his schemes. Mountains of crystal ice, lots and lots of penguins which Ice King also takes care of. Grounds of snow, atmosphere shaded with nothing but blue...icy blue. There's also Candy Kingdom. All citizens made of sugar...candies. The kingdom is lead by the tall, long-haired, pink-haired, science geek named Princess Bubblegum, a hybrid of bubble gum and human. She's Finn's crush. You can even have that chance to be kissed for your bravery. Beautopia, a torn yet renovated underground city thanks to a large, muscular but gentle woman named Susan Strong.  There are just many places you could see that I couldn't remember them so much.

   You'll also enjoy partying with different and even odd people—mostly with the candy people of the Candy Kingdom— playing games, dancing to the beat of upbeat music, waving your arms and legs like this and that. That's the culture there. Partying is an enjoyment for most of the people there, especially in Candy Kingdom—again.
  
   As you live your vacation the Adventure Time way, you could also solve mysteries; meet many people, including other princesses, the Korean Lady Rainicorn and her parents,crafty people and creatures, big and small; visit Tree Trunks and eat her specialty—apple pie; have jam sessions with Marceline the Vampire Queen; read the book Enchiridion; observe and help Princess Bubblegum on her scientific researches and experiments; find memories; create your own melodies and make music using your voice that turns to be electronic, and by playing with balloons, guitars, and even BMO's motherboard, perhaps.

   There are many things you could learn and do there. It's just random!

   That vacation would be fun. Though it may lead to challenging and sometimes dangerous situations, you'll certainly have fun.

   It would be a nice vacation...Care-free...Just like the younger days.

   And you'll know what time it is.

   ...Adventure Time!

For my fellow Filipinos, catch Adventure Time weekdays at 11:30 am, 2:30 pm, 6 and 7 pm. For others, just check your TVs if you have cable or satellite. And correct me if I'm wrong with any of what I wrote. You're free to comment.