2013

Tama at hindi ako magsusulat tungkol sa 2012 dahil handang-handa na ako sa mga pupuwedeng mangyari sa akin sa taong 2013.

Sinabi ko sa sarili na hinding-hindi ako magbabalik-tanaw sa mga nangyari sa akin noong 2012 dahil sa mga bagay na hindi ko inaasahan, at sa mga bagay na hindi talaga magaganda. Oo, may mga magaganda pero kung babalikan ko ang 2012, mas marami akong maaalalang pangit kaysa sa maganda.

Katatapos lang naming magdasal ng rosaryo na maski paano ay nakapagpasalamat ako, dahil binigyan Niya ako ng isang malakas na pananampalataya at kumapit ako sa Kanya ng napakahigpit. Turns out, mas papaimbabaw talaga ang kasiyahan kaysa kalungkutan.

Gustong-gusto ko ng mag-alas dose ng hatinggabi at hindi ko alam kung ano ang mangyayari sa akin. Gusto kong lumuha dahil finally, tapos na ang masalimuot na 2012 at magsisimula na ang bagong kabanata sa aking buhay. Pero sabi ko rin sa sarili ko na hinding-hindi na ako mag-iisip pa ng kung anu-ano sa taong 2013. Kaya rin siguro ako nasaktan noong nakaraang taon dahil nag-expect at nag-assume ako. Nag-expect ako dahil ang akala ko na magiging taon ko ang 2012 pero hindi naman pala. Nag-assume ako dahil pakiramdam ko para sa aking ang nakaraang taon pero hindi naman pala.

Dahil na rin sa mga hindi magagandang pangyayari, pakiramdam ko nagbago ang pakikitungo ko sa lahat, palatawa sa iilan at galit na galit naman sa karamihan. Ilang beses kaming nag-away ng mga kaibigan ko dahil hindi nila nasusunod ang gusto ko para sa kanila. Pakiramdam ko, napaka-bossy ko. Pakiramdam ko, nagmamagaling ako. Pakiramdam ko, akala ko kung sino ako. Hindi ko lang alam o hindi ko lang talaga alam, nakakasakit na pala ako.

Ang pinakamasakit sa lahat ay ang ipagpilitan ko kung ano ang nararapat. Nag-isip ako ng masama, naging madamot ako sa aking nararamdaman.

Kaya sabi ko sa sarili ko, sa taong 2013, sana maging baby ulit ako. Maging bata ulit ako. Gusto ko ulit magsimula sa simula, gusto kong mabago lahat. Lahat-lahat. Ayaw ko na makasakit pa ng kapwa, mag-isip ng masama sa kapwa. Sa taong 2012, naging ganoon ako at sa 2013, ayoko na. Gusto ko lahat maging masaya, lahat nagmamahalan at walang nag-aaway.

Kaya sa mga nasaktan ko noong 2012, humihingi ako ng patawad. Hindi ko sinasadya na masaktan kayo. Kilala mo na kung sino ka, kilala niyo na kung sino kayo. Bigyan niyo ako ng pagkakataon para mabago ang sarili ko dahil naging maramot ako. Madamot pagdating sa kasiyahan ng tao. Sa lahat ng hindi ko nginingitian at tinatanguhan kapag makakasalubong ko, pasensya na dahil na rin sa sobrang dami kong iniisip at inaatupag. Sa lahat ng nakalimutan ko, pasensya na rin dahil naging busy sa lahat ng aspeto ng buhay at pati ikaw bilang kaibigan ko, nakalimutan ko.

Sa taong 2013, babaguhin ko ang lahat, sa abot ng makakaya ko. Malay natin, sa taong ito mangyari na ang lahat. Pero ayaw kong pangunahan ang pagkakataon, kung darating, darating. Kung hindi, tiyaga lang sa paghihintay. Hindi pa naman huli ang lahat para maranasan ang lahat.

Maging matalino, maging ma-diskarte at maging simple. Yan ang gusto kong mangyari sa akin sa taong 2013. Huwag ng gawing komplikado ang buhay.

Ang tanging puwede kong gawin sa 2012 ay pasalamatan dahil marahil naging matatag ako. At dahil diyan, haharapin ko ang 2013 ng masaya at mabuhay!

Thank you 2012. Pasensya ka na at sa lahat ng puwede kong balikan na mga taon sa buhay ko, ikaw ang hindi ko babalik-balikan.

Kahit ginagawa siyang katatawanan sa Facebook, gagamitin ko siya rito: "2013, please be good to me!"

Lord, thank you for giving my family, my friends and I another spectacular new year to celebrate. Feast us with Your Divine Love as we will start our year right and almost perfect. May we prepare everything so that we could face trials and challenges with You. 

In 2012, Lord, it might not be good and okay so allow me to forget the mishaps of my life. In 2013, Lord, please bless my family, my friends and myself with unlimited happiness, support, patience and most of all love for each other.

May we have a fruitful year ahead of us, even better than the past years. In Jesus' Holy Name. Amen!

Toodles, 2012!

More toodles to 2013!!!

4 Days Before 2013: The Metro Manila Film Festival 2012

As every Christmas comes, aside from the traditional Noche Buena, Panuluyan, Misa de Gallo, Misa de Aginaldo, Christmas shopping, Christmas carols, gift-giving and gift-sharing and so much more, it is a must for every Filipino to go straight ahead to cinemas and buy tickets to watch some entries for the Metro Manila Film Festival. This year, we have eight honorable entries from different film production outfits in the country. Some of them will give us a hearty laugh, a crying moment, a shocking incident and an a-ha feeling after watching these films. Well, for this year 2012, the festival has eight entries but I will only want to watch six of it. Maybe because those six are too convincing for me to watch them and also, some of my favorite celebrities are in there.

1. EL PRESIDENTE

This is the story of the first President of the Philippines, General Emilio Famy Aguinaldo and the story also of the First Philippine Republic. Actually, it has many accounts of history that has been inserted in this movie which includes the Spanish-American War, the Treaty of Paris, the Declaration of Independence, the death of Andres Bonifacio and so much more. This is not only for the whole family but also for the kids as well, especially those who have subjects like Civics and/or Araling Panlipunan. They said that it has a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes. I don't care if it's too long for as long as you wanted to learn more about our very first President, why not!

2. THY WOMB

After nearly ten years after her last movie, the Superstar Nora Aunor (in this trailer, she was regarded as the "Ginintuang Morena, Ang Pinadakilang Bituin ng Pelikulang Pilipino) is making a come back to the silver screen. Thy Womb is the story of love against hindrances. In this movie, it will define love as a sacrifice, no matter what, in whatever circumstances and any kind of measurement being used. This movie was chosen only after a movie backed out from the festival, but before it was chosen, Thy Womb made waves in the Venice Film Festival and given five minute standing ovation. Aside from the fact that this was a Nora Aunor-starrer, this masterpiece is directed by 2009 Cannes Film Festival Best Director Brillante Ma Mendoza. No doubt, a cinema like no other! Turns out, as of today, it only got less than PHP 3 million in its ticket sales and most of the movie theaters were already pulling out the film. Well, I guess it would swoon on top since the Superstar won her nth Best Actress award. And since I am a proclaimed new-generation Noranian, I will watch this!

3. SHAKE, RATTLE & ROLL 14: THE INVASION

Since the time that Metro Manila Film Festival started, it will never be Metro Manila Film Festival without Regal Films' Shake, Rattle & Roll franchise. On its fourteenth season (well, they said that last year was their last, their 13th), it will rock the Christmas season because three horrific episodes are directed by the master of horror, Chito S. Rono. From the way I watched the trailers, they were all done in good, suspenseful taste. I like to watch the Lost Command episode because it is about zombies. The episode Ang Pamana interests me a lot because it is about a dead horror writer. And the Unwanted episode is different because it is not about ghosts and monsters but about the close encounter to the third kind, the aliens. Well, tonight I'll be watching it to learn more! And yes, it's Chito S. Rono so it must be good!

4. SOSY PROBLEMS

GMA Films' entry Sosy Problems is probably different to the rest of the entries of this year's film festival. It is comedy, it has a story but the story is about the lives of the rich and famous in the country today. Good thing that they chose these actresses that everybody knows how good are they to become "sosyal." Heart Evangelista is beautiful, Bianca King is gorgeous, Solenn Heusaff is sexy and my favorite Rhian Ramos is glamorous! I just wanted to see if they really nailed their performances and convince me that those who are rich and famous are really like that! Now I wonder what kind of problems do they have and how different are their problems to us?

5. ONE MORE TRY

I will watch this because I like the works of Ruel S. Bayani. If it was directed by Ruel S. Bayani, the lines must be memorable and good, believe me! This time, Angelica Panganiban, Dingdong Dantes, Zanjoe Marudo and Angel Locsin will be under him. And the story plot is really catchy and interesting! Dingdong's and Angel's characters have a love child then they broke up. Then Dingdong's character met and wed Angelica's character but the problem is they cannot have a child. While Angel's character met a new man in his life and that's Zanjoe's character. Dingdong and Angel's character's love child is sick so Angel's character returned to Dingdong's character to ask for some help. Now expect heavy drama and heavy lines from all of them. From the trailer, two lines have been said thus making the film interesting enough to watch: "Ang pera natin, hindi basta-basta mauubos, pero ang pasensya ko, konting-konti na lang!" and another one is "Kahit isang gabi lang, pahiram ng asawa mo." Magnificent!

6. SISTERAKAS

Can you imagine Mama Kris Aquino, Vice Ganda and Ai-Ai delas Alas are in full force in one spectacular comedy movie event of the year. Thanks God for Wenn Deramas and his team for putting up Sisterakas. Originally, it was only Kris Aquino and Vice Ganda but my Mama backed out due to health reasons. In replacement of her is the Comedy Queen Ai-Ai delas Alas but according to the rules of the film festival, they will disallow the backing-out of an actor or actress but they can add more. So instead of backing-out, they added again Kris Aquino and changed the whole story. I don't know but it will never have more than PHP 40 million ticket sales only for the first day if it is not hilarious and worth-watching! Let me see it on Saturday with my dear friends if that's really true!

Two other entries are also joining the film festival: The Strangers and Si Agimat, Si Enteng Kabisote at Si Ako but I'm not interested to watch them.

Well, I can't wait to treat myself this Christmas for this beautiful films of this year's Metro Manila Film Festival. As what they always say, "relax, see a movie!"

Toodles!!!

videos courtesy of YouTube.

5 Days Before 2013: What I Wanted To Leave 2012 Behind

Yes, I need to forget everything that happened to me this year. It wasn't so nice, it wasn't so good and I really needed to forget it.

But of course, those things in my life can be counted as a lesson for me. A lesson that I learned so I could move on and move forward. A lesson that could make me a better or even a strong person, whether it is about my career, my family life or love life.

I may say that my 2012 is not as beautiful as what I thought before it began, but anyways, why I am dealing with negatives, with bad vibes, with sadness. I think that it was balanced. I also counted some of the good things that happened to me, fresh start, new acquaintances, better ideas and forgiveness.

But in all that's positive, 2012 is really not a good year for me. So what I have to do is to let go and move onto the next fruitful year, 2013.

I don't know but whether I need to believe or not, I'll pray to have a better year ahead!

Toodles!

6 Days Before 2013: Professor Christopher Tarroza

Before we end your 2012, I will be topping off my blog posts to my dear friends with my last friend as he celebrated his birthday yesterday, Christmas Day.

Ang pagkakakilala ko sa kanya ay maihahalintulad ko sa mga larawan, litrato o picture. Sa aming magkakapatid naman kasi, siya lang ang may SLR na camera so kapag may aksyon na nagaganap, makakapal ang mukha namin kung ipadala sa kanya ang kanyang napakamahal at mahal na mahal na camera. So let me put my writing to him the way I usually ask my students to do, descriptive. Kukuha ako ng sampung mga picture from his Facebook account and then I will describe him through it.

Yan ang kanyang palasyo. Of course, hindi, pero pakiramdam ko, ganyan ang gusto niyang mangyari sa kanyang tahanan probably the soonest. Mahilig siyang pumunta sa ibang bansa and sa ibang lugar and I guess that's his way of relaxation. In fairness itong kaibigan kong ito, magaling siyang mag-ipon and part of his expenses is to go anywhere. Previously, nakapag-Hong Kong sila ni Julie and also nakapag-Singapore na rin siya. Way to go, Prof! Hayaan mo, mag-iipon talaga ako (sure yan for 2013!) para makapunta tayo ng London.

Ganyan kaming um-emote na magkakapatid, parang mga hindi teacher. Anyways, gamit-gamit namin diyan ang SLR camera ni Prof. And as far as I remember, siya ang may pakana ng ganyang emote at pictorial. Teleserye style daw, so kami namang lahat, game. Dahil gumaganda at pumupogi kami gamit ang kanyang SLR camera, right?

Isa rin sa mga pinaka-simpleng taong nakilala ko itong si Prof. Wala siyang kaarte-arte sa katawan, maliban na lang sa mga pabangong ginagamit niya. Bilang lalaki, mahilig din siya sa mga latest gadgets and for him, he takes it as a reward for himself. Pero napakasimpleng tao, sobrang simple. Simple lang naman ang gusto niya sa buhay niya, magkaroon ng family, at magkaroon ng mas magandang buhay na mas maganda pa sa buhay niya ngayon (well, maybe?).

Isa sa pinakagusto ko dito sa kaibigang kong ito ay ang paglalaro niya ng badminton. Hardcore badminton player siya ng University of Santo Tomas and dahil na rin sa paglalaro niya, siya ay naging scholar (wow!). Pangarap ko siyang makalaro at sabi ko nga sa kanya, okay lang kung matalo ako. Proud and honorable ang magiging pakiramdam ko once na makalaro or even makalaban ko siya. Sana naman Prof! Kahit once lang, hehehe!

Last year ay natapos na niya ang kanyang Master's Degree in Mathematics sa University of Santo Tomas at saksi kami sa kanyang pagtatapos. Pagdating sa pagiging masipag, siya na ang first honors, valedictorian at summa cum laude ng kasipagan sa buong mundo siguro. Umabot na sa point na sa sobrang kasipagan niya, nahimatay na siya. Pero all of his diligence in studies and work, paid off naman. Look at this picture, he finished his degree with flying colors!

He's a proud Aurora native and proud din siya sa kanyang probinsiya. Hindi ito sa Aurora pero as early as today, nag-aaya na siya sa kanila para naman makita namin ang ganda ng Aurora. No doubt, Aurora is one of the leading destinations of tourist because of their beaches and wonderful scenery. Hayaan mo, after Catanduanes and Baguio and Thailand and bago tayo mag-London, pupunta ang buong Teacherrifics diyan sa Aurora at tayo'y magaala-Jericho Rosales sa surfing!

Makulit yang si Prof. Kapag yan bumanat na ng mga jokes, ewan na lang kung matatawa ka ng sobra o mamimilipit ang tiyan mo sa sobrang tawa (parang pareho lang naman!). Siya ang nagbinyag sa akin ng "Tito Boy" at ewan ko naman kung ano ang nakita niya sa akin na hawig ko raw si Tito Boy. Siguro dahil lagi akong nakasalamin at madaldal ako kaya nga siguro, Tito Boy ako. Si Andrewkells, tawag naman niya si... Huwag na baka magalit sa akin ang Andrewkellya.

Ikaw na ang driver na marunong sa sasakyan. Hindi ko makakalimutan noong hinatid natin sa airport si Lyrize at nahuli tayong dalawa dahil walang maparkan sa Terminal 1 ng pinaka-not-so-beautiful airport ng Pilipinas. Lagi mong nababanggit ang mga katagang "haaay salamat!" lalo na noong time na nakalampas tayo sa traffic light sa intersection ng MIA Road at Sucat Road. Sa pagkakatanda ko, limang beses mo siyang nabanggit (di ba, tanda ko!) at haaay salamat, naabutan pa natin si Lyrize noon! Sana kapag may lakad tayong magkakapatid, madala mo na sasakyan mo para hindi na tayo sardinas sa sasakyan ko, hehehe!

Bukod sa pagbabadminton, tumatakbo rin sa mga marathons itong si Prof. Pangarap namin nila Rachel at Theresa na makatakbo ng bonggang-bongga sa napakasosyal na Bonifacio Global City. Naikuwento mo sa amin na umabot ka sa 15K run na hindi mo namamalayan. Ikaw na. Kung ako, baka hanggang 1.5K lang ang kayanin ko hehehehe! Pero sana magawa natin yan sa 2013, huwag na 2012. Hehehe.

Yan silang dalawa ni Julie noong nag-Hong Kong sila recently. I didn't know how they started their relationship basta noong nakilala ko yang si Prof, sila ni ng diyosa. Ngayon, sadly nasa London na si Julie to have work and sabi niya sa amin, susunod siya doon. I'm so happy for the both of them dahil sila ay engaged na and ready to begin their lives together. As long as masaya sila (obvious and evidently naman), we're all happy for you, guys! And hopefully you could have the family that you wanted, bigyan agad si Prof ng Christopher Tarroza, Jr. hehehe!

This is for you, Prof! Sana'y matuwa ka at hindi magulantang sa mga pinagsusulat ko dito. Hopefully you achieve even more in your life though I know you already achieved what you really wanted. God bless you, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year sa iyo!

Toodles, Prof!!!

My Christmas Message

As of this time, probably you are very busy preparing your Noche Buena feast...

Too excited to go to the church to hear the Misa de Aginaldo...

Still thinking of the gifts you're too excited to open when the clock strikes 12...

And munching the food you've prepared...

But one thing's for sure... This season is not only about Noche Buena, Christmas tree and lanterns, Christmas carols, gifts, money and love for our family...

This is the season, the greatest season of all, when Christ our Savior is born!!!

Let us celebrate that the King is born in Bethlehem!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS CHRIST!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Toodles!!!