Unbelievable is... unbelievable

Because I've been a bum for four months already, I'm running out of things to do. Thanks to my Tumblr dashboard, I happen to be informed about a TV show that had just finished showing in US called Pretty Little Liars. I got interested, the title is catchy, right? My internet connection at home is so slow, such that to finish downloading 10 episodes of Pretty Little Liars (each ep is almost 350MB) takes years. HAHAHA, just kidding. So... I decided to read the books first.

At first, I thought I wasn't going to finish reading even the first book, I just finished re-reading the Harry Potter series that time and I'm still in a harrypotter-is-the-best-bookseries-intheworld mood. But Pretty Little Liars got me. I was hooked by the book. It's a mystery novel, and I love solving mysteries.

The author, Sara Shepard, trully made it to the point that the readers will buy the next book, because the mystery wasn't resolved in the first book. I quickly read the second book Flawless, and the third book Perfect, each page increasing urge to get the next book so I'll know the ending. Interesting as it was, I paused after the third book and watched the TV episodes. The TV episodes weren't a copy of what's in the book, but I enjoyed watching the series because it's equally mysterious.

The plot is simple, there are five friends, one dies. Then the remaining four receives threatening messages after four years. These messages contain their deepest secrets. The sender is only known as A. And yeah, the book slightly revolves on them questioning who A was and resolving the issues that A brought.

The first three books make me suspect certain people as A. I was dying to know who A was. But I didn't expected that A will be revealed on the fourth book Unbelievable, which I finished reading last night.

I really thought that A will be revealed on the last book, or if not, on later parts of the series. But nevertheless, I was happy that I knew at last who A was. The feeling lasts for only a second because my immediate questions were: What? That's A? Why?

I know, I suspect that character as A, but I really can't believe that she's A. It's as if the author hasn't decided who A was until writing the fourth book. It's as if, the author picked from the characters, see who matched and voila: You're A!

I mean, it was somehow obvious, the facts match, but it wasn't explained how A did all those things. I guessed how A knew the secrets. The reason was acceptable, but I think her character's not introduced much as that.

Okay, the character is capable of being A, the character is really there when things happen, but there were no hints!

I've read other novels with surprise endings or characters, but when the secret was revealed, I'll realize something that makes me think that: Wow, yeah. That's why he acted this and that or something!!! You know, hints that don't tell you what the secret it, but hints that are there somewhere. Hints that might say: Hey, I was there. But you ignored me.

Anyway, I'll still read the remaining books of the series because there are still unknown mysteries. Plus, the characters are really interesting. Each is unique from others.

I Think I'm Not Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader

My cousin asked me what the 7 continents of Earth were. I said it was an easy homework and confidently recited these names: Asia, Europe, Africa, N. America, S. America, Antarctica & Arctica.

And he was like... "ARCTICA?! You sure? Isn't it just Arctic?"

I said, "Duh! I've read a trivia once that says all the continents have the same first and last letters... minus the South & North of America. So it has to be Arctica."

We checked it on the net and I was really dumbfounded.

There was no Arctica! It wasn't also Artic!

HOW IN GOD'S NAME I'VE FORGOTTEN ABOUT AUSTRALIA?! HAHAHAHA.

Primetime Politics

Although I am a student of the social sciences, people around me might have notice that I am not talking much about the coming 2010 elections. Why? First, I honestly think that much have been said about it, thereby losing my enthusiasm to talk about it. Second, I am lazy to talk about it because I feel like I have too much to say about it.

But here I am now. In a few minutes, you're about to read what my views about the coming elections are. Not views actually, but rants. Haha, just kidding. Okay, seriously now, not about my holistic view of it, but about the advertisements and campaigning strategies of the candidates for national positions. Let's start with the man with the billion-peso worth of ads.

I am sick of Manny Villar's "Nakaligo ka na ba sa dagat ng basura..." song. Though I admit that I am singing it sometimes, it is only because people around me are singing it also. LSS much. Even my little cousins know how to sing it. I think it is the most notable ad of Manny Villar. The message is catchy, the melodies are easy to sing with, and ofcourse the lyrics itself is being flash when the ad is being shown. Eventhough his "Akala Mo" ad is somehow catchy also, nothing beats the "Basura" ad. But, "sige na Villar, ikaw na ang mahirap." So what? Sure what he is trying to say is "you need to be one to know one". But in reality, it is not applicable all the time. And hello, how much is his net worth again?

So let's then talk about Manny Villar's runningmate, Loren Legarda. I don't actually remember her ads, so I am not gonna talk about it. Instead, I'm gonna talk about her recent guesting on Wowowee. (She also visited Bahay ni Kuya/Pinoy Big Brother Double Up, though I didn't catch it.) Anyway, Loren celebrated her birthday on Wowowee by giving money and computer to some audiences and their school. What pissed me off was one of the statement she mentioned at the start of the show. After greeting some people, the hosts Mariel Rodriguez and Valerie Concepcion asked her to also greet the TFC subscriber. Then Loren said something like, "Oh, worldwide pala tayo?" And I was like, "Duh, you don't know?"

I am still waiting of the campaigning strategies of Edu Manzano, a rival of Loren Legarda on the Vice-Presidential seat. After the announcement last year that he will be the runningmate of Gibo Teodoro, not much is heard about him. Except the alleged break-up between him and his girlfriend, Pinky Webb. Gibo Teodoro's latest ad is the one with the airplane. If the sub-ideas of that ad will be studied, it will not pass my standard. Well, if the next President is the pilot, then the citizens are the passengers, contributing nothing to the take-off of the plane. Which is not appealing to me, because I believe every citizen has to do his/her part for the country to become successful.

Though I haven't seen any solo TV ad of Bayani Fernando, Dick Gordon made my cousin LSS to Silent Night.

Noynoy Aquino for me has not yet found the perfect ad for him that will make people go gaga over. His latest has his nephew Baby James Yam on the last scene saying "Noynoy". His runningmate Mar Roxas, on the other hand, has not been innovative on his ads. His pre-Noynoy-affairs ads feature the famous "padyak" ads. His latest ads today is back on his Mr.Palengke kinda thing.

Finally, Erap Estrada-Jejomar Binay tandem has not yet appeared together on the ads also. Well, I am looking forward on how their tandem will carry on the campaigning. It's because I just don't guess where their personalities/visions intersect.

At the end of the day, the ads are not the only deciding factor of a person to vote for a certain candidate. However, the ads do affect how people view the candidates.

PGMA's (Last?) SONA

Dahil naiinggit ako sa mga nag-blog na tungkol sa SONA 2009... hindi ako gagaya sa kanila! Kahit na nate-tempt akong dumada. Kahit na buong Monday afternoon ko ay SONA mode. Kahit na 3PM palang ay pinapanood ko na sa Channel 9 ang pre-SONA chorvs nila. Kahit na hindi ko inalis ang tingin ko kay Pangulong Arroyo sa loob ng humigit-kumulang isang oras. Kahit na ninamnam ko ang nawat salita. So sorry ka, wala kang makukuhang reaksiyon ko dito tungkol sa SONA 2009. Dahil... una, parang lahat naman ng gusto kong sabihin nasabi na ng iba. Baka maumay ka lang. At pangalawa... tinatamad lang talaga akong mag-type. BUSY ako! HAHAHA. Tapos sayang ang space! HAHAHA.

Wala naman talaga akong pakelam sa SONA dati. Una lang akong nagkumahog mapanood ang SONA ay noong 2006. Required kasi kaming manood at gumawa ng reaction paper para sa PolSc 11. Natatandaan ko, walang pasok noon. Kaya sabi ng propesor, wala kaming dahilan para hindi makapanood. Pero ako? Nasa mall ako nun. Kay sa totoong buhay, sa Internet ko lang pinanood ang SONA 2006. San ka pa? Na-pa-pause na, puwede pang i-rewind! Tapos may full-text pa na puwedeng i-download! HAHAHA.

Natago ko pa ang reaction papaer ko na ‘yun. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ko tinago. Siguro dahil memoranle siya dahil ‘yun ‘yung unang papel na kinailangan kong isumite para sa isang major subject? Siguro dahil nagandahan ako sa handwriting ko doon? (Remembrance para maipaalala ko sa sarili ko na puwede ring gumanda ang handwriting ko paminsan-minsan. HAHAHA.) Or masinop lang talaga akong bata. Kunwari pa-OC. Ganun. HAHAHA!

Itanong mo kung anong grade ko dun. 2.75. Oo, 2.75!! Wow, ang baba. Hindi naman ganun ka-pula ‘yung papel. Pero nahiya naman ako sa sarili ko nung binasa ko siya kani-kanina lang. Kung ngayon ko bibigyan ng grade ang sarili ko, 4.0 siguro ibibigay ko. Pero dahil mabait ako, 3.0 nalang para sa effort. Hehe.

Ambabaw ko! Walang kwenta. Tsk tsk. Sinulat ko ‘to?! Ganun pala ako dati? Hmmm. Hindi ko naman sinasabing napakalalim ko nang tao ngayon. Pero siguro maiintindihan mo kung sasabihin kong habang tumatanda pala tayo, mas naiintindihan natin ang ibang mga bagay. Pero hindi ko rin sinasabing matanda na ako. May ilan lang talagang mga pangyayari ang minsang mag-uudyok na sabihan mo ang sarili mo na mas nag-mature ka na kaysa dati.

Lessons Learned: Kailangang tumingin tayo beyond the flashed images. Kailangang pakinggan ang mga bulong kahit na andami nang sumisigaw. Kailangang pakiramdaman ng higit sa kung ano lang ang ipinaparamdam. Dahil hindi sa lahat ng pagkakataon, katotohanan ang lalapit sa ‘yo. Minsan, ikaw ang kailangang humanap sa katotohanan. Tipong “Katotohanan, wer na u? D2 na me.” (Sorry, hindi talaga puwedeng walang corny part. HAHA!)

Gusto ko ba si Gloria? Hindi ko pa napagdedesisyunan. Hindi ako ANTI-Gloria, pero minsan galit ako sakanya. Hindi rin ako PRO-Gloria, pero minsan gusto ko siya. Balimbing mode? Siguro nga oo. Pero kesa naman pilitin ko ang sarili ko na lumugar sa isang panig na hindi ko naman lubusang nalalasap.

DEAR RIZAL

Dear Rizal,

Hindi mo ako kilala. Pero ikaw, kilala kita. Dati pa. Bata palang ako pinagmumudmuran na sa mukha ko kung sino ka. Kalabaw palang ang likod ng dating piso, namumukhaan na kita. Hindi ko inakalang ngayong semestreng ito, apat na araw sa isang linggo kitang makakasama. Pero wala akong 196 kahapon, at wala ulit bukas, kaya naman dalawang beses lang ngayong linggo. Ayos. Medyo nagsasawa na kasi ako sa iyo. Don't get me wrong. Napakakulay ng buhay mo para pag-aralan. Napaka-fascinating ng mundong ginalawan mo noon. Pero ewan, information overload ba ang tawag? Sa PI 100, binubusog ako ng bayograpiya ng buhay mo. Pati mga tsismis ukol sa 'yo. Pati mga cute na bagay tungkol sa 'yo. At sa 196 naman, ikaw ang kauna-unahang Filipino political thinker na dinis-cuss namin. Isama pa ang may kauntiang istorya ng Pilipinas sa panahon mo. Cool. Sikat ka talaga!

Kung nabuhay ka kaya sa panahong ngayon, iba siguro ang takbo ng buhay mo. Mag-memessage ka nalang siguro kay Blumentritt via Facebook. Hindi mo na kokopyahin sa sulat kamay ang history ni Morga, may photocopy na eh. Mas madali na ang pagpapakalat ng Noli at Fili via e-mail. At ang "Memorias de un Estudiante de Manila" mo, i-bblog mo nalang din kaya? Hindi mo na gagastusin ang halos lahat ng iyong allowance para sa mga libro dahil may internet at e-books na. Mai-rerecord mo rin nga siguro sa MP3 ang mga tugtugin ni Leonor sa piano, para feeling mo, lagi kayong magkasama.

Ngunit kung ngayon ka nga siguro nabuhay, wala na ang mga deskripyong hitik sa paglalarawan. Titipirin mo siguro ang mga letra sa mga texts mo sa mga kamag-anak mo. Wala ka na sigurong oras para manood ng mga palabas sa teatro dahil sa dami ng mas nakakaaliw na bagay na pupukaw sa atensiyon mo. Wala na ang mga larawang kathang-kamay mo habang nakasakay ka noon sa bapor na papuntang Europa. Naka-eroplano ka na siguro. Or kung magbabarko ka siguro, may digicam ka na, tapos edit-edit nalang sa Photoshop.

Hay Rizal. Ano bang pakiramdam ng hinahalukay ang buhay mo ng kung sinu-sino? Katulad ko, keber kitang intindihin dahil kailangan kita ngayong semestre para maipasa ang dalawang subjects ko. Pero after ng sem na ito, dig pa kaya kita? May kuwenta ka sa akin ngayon, pero sampu ng mga estudyante, magiging ano kayang papel mo sa amin matapos naming lumabas sa apat na sulok ng classroom?

Sige na, next time ulit. Madami pa akong bagay na dapat pag-isipan eh. Wala pa akong topic sa 199. AS IN WALA PA TALAGA! Tapos exam na namin sa Thursday. Kelangan ko pa magbasa sa 152. At sa 183. Tapos STS pa. HAYYY. Eto yata pinakamabigat kong sem. Buti ka pa, namamahinga na diyan.


Nagmamahal,

Rea