NOT ANOTHER MOMENT: THE DEAR JOHN EXPERIENCE

I have read Nicolas Sparks' Dear John earlier today. It moved me both emotionally and spiritually. And because I was so affected by its story, I completely skipped the part where John's father had suffered a heart attack and for that, he has to stay home and extend his leave to attend to his Dad's medical needs. (Not to mention, to spend his time together with his Dad) I was actually into Savannah and John's story by the way. But I want to take this part to really dwell more on what I feel about John and his Dad's situation. 

I kind of more like to feel the same way about my father when I was younger. But I wasn't a rebel. As mentioned from my previous blog post, we do not have that father and daughter serious talks.
But we do share moments where we laugh together over some silly jokes. He is not cold. He is just quiet. And he is a completely normal person. My dad went to the army. So does John. John is pretty much, a rebel. Just because his Dad's comfortable talking about coins, little John must've
pinned that he's done with it. I cannot blame John. He grew up without a Mom. No one else but his father. Who would have thought that his father's suffering from autism? No one knew about it then. Not until he met Savannah. My dad.. My dear dad.

He doesn't ask about how my day went. Just the same as, I don't have an interest telling him. But getting back, what if he does ask? Would it make a big difference? I am clearly trying to avoid the thoughts. Anyway, I already mentioned to my previous blog entry that I had a prayer. My prayer goes like this:

(I can't believe I am saying this in public)

Dear God,

I love my Dad. I love him so much that I do not want to see him suffer when he's getting older. I prefer to die younger than seeing any of my family member dies right before my eyes. I know it sound selfish but Lord, you know pretty well that from the deepest part of my heart, I am, but most telling
you the truth. So please, help me and guide me to make the most out of my time with my family, specially with my dear Dad. I can exchange my life to extend his. To extend anyone from
my family. I just hate it being like this. To swear over mushy stuffs. See Dear God, I am not as cold as a meat on a freezer. I just hate talking about emotions involving my family.

So Dear God, I know You love me. So I am asking you this. Please, please help me find a way to get through my dad too. Thank you!

A prayer so strong he listened. Probably because I was so makulit. And then, he bought his 2nd hand mountain bike. I was really into it. And whenever its chain snapped, walang alinlangan to bring it to a local bike fixer. [fixer -- what the?] It cost around atleast 200 pesos. And knowing him, he'd rather
spend it on rice grain, his utangs or anything much more valuable than fixing a chain. I can't imagine him pulling out his dear hard-earned money off his pocket. I love him.

I am looking forward to spend a weekend riding that bike with him on an early morning MOA adventure. But for now, I was more than agitated that the chain snapped again. Holy cow! I'll lose
weight not because of riding my father's bike. But to getting home walking four kilometers away. Hahaha! I'm still riding that bike again. For some reasons, I do not hate it. I do not curse it. I do not think of not riding it again. But instead, I am pushed to spend another afternoon with it. Even if it fail to get me home, not walking. I love that bike but not more than I love my father.

MY LIFETIME WISHLIST C/O AMAZON DOT COM

I've been drooling for these items for the past weeks already. I wish they have an Amazon.com in the Philippines para kahit ako na lang ang magpick up ng item ko. Cheaper and I don't have to think about government taxes and shipping fees. Geez, why do we have to work hard to earn money when spending will take you just a minute? (darn, even without a minute!) I don't like that kind of thinking.. Anyway, here they are.. You'll learn how boyish I am until today! Hahahaha! So what if I don't like make ups and Hello Kitty? Duh!

Drool Item #1
Pacific Chronium Men's Dual Suspension 26-inch wheels Mountain Bike - $99.95

Drool Item #2
Topeak Modula Cage EX Modified Shape Bicycle Waterbottle Cage - $8.39

Drool Item #3
Ventura Bicycle Headlight and Taillight Combo - $14.00

Drool Item #4
Park Tool WTK-1 Essential Tool Kit (para hindi na ako mukhang tanga na naglalakad kapag nasisiraan ng bike) - $16.72

Drool Item #5
M-Wave Bicycle Saddle Bag (Medium) - $4.99

Drool Item #6
Schwinn OPP Bell (black) - $4.99

Drool Item #7
Schwinn Trasher Adult Micro Bicycle Helmet - $21.99

Drool Item #8
Schwinn Aluminium Frame Pump - $7.99

Drool Item #9
Mongoose Cable Combo Bicycle Lock - $9.99

Drool Item #10
Kindle 3G Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G + Wifi, 6" Display - $189.00

Drool Item #11
Polar Insulated Water Bottle - $5.88

I like window shopping in Amazon.com. Feeling ko kasi ang mura nilang lahat because I can afford almost everything. Really. Seriously. And all I have to do is just replace the $ with peso sign.. :p I can grab 'em all at a blink!

INVADING 3D ILLUSTRATION, RAAAR!

Er, it's kinda hard you know.. You have to make sure you draw the right size and the right shape. But it is extremely fullfiling. It is..

This is a sample of my latest 3D work. Stan and Eric from SouthPark.. It's not done yet. Up ko na lang next time.

I GOT ME MY OWN GAME BOARD

It's just one of our school's project this time: to make your own packaging design. But I am actually thinking of creating (and selling) a larger version of my Media Monsters Travel Game Board.. It's basically a board game slash truth or dare slash ice breaker. All in one! And to make it more exciting, everybody will perform on a current player's challenge. Kid's stuff. I have my mock-up design with me right now. Looking at it is encouraging.

BIKING TO SAVE A PENNY AND TO SAVE THE EARTH! WEH! PALUSOT LANG...

I recently pushed myself into hobby-biking. It all started when I was trying to save a few pennies from my pocket, weh! Kulang budget!. I needed to go to Morayta for shirt printing stuff and yes, I kind of liked it. All the way from home to Morayta, vice versa. Since then, sabi ko, I want to continue doing this.

The day after that day, I made my way again to Morayta to pick up the shirt, riding my father’s precious black mountain bike. It’s really fun because aside from saving 14 pesos, I can get myself an inch-skinny after a day’s hard pedaling and stuffs. Hard to admit though that I double my calorie and cholesterol consumption up to times two. Hurrr, I don’t like that part. The good thing guys, (drum roll) I drink water now!

Maybe biking is something that I'd love to continue doing for the rest of my life. Not only that it'll make me a super Boracay-babe in seven months time, but it's something that'll keep me healthy and well, (blink-blink) fit.

Yesterday, November 08, I went biking again and this time I wanted to go to Intramuros to love that cobble stone road. From Tayuman to Abad Santos, (I went around town entering the smallest street possible) Binondo to Jones' Bridge and there.. There comes the story...

BIG BAD BICYCLE: THE CHAIN REACTION

Just after I asked a woman for a direction sa baba ng Jones' Bridge, something snapped from below! My goodness, it's the bike's chain: snapped-in-half! I can't believe it! With all my sweat running down my forehead, my smelly La Salle shirt's making me dizzy, my no-belt denim really going low, 50 pesos in my pocket, no phone, no bag with those crappy biking tools, no bottled water, no everything! Except high hopes and the looks plus the new hairdo, I went back up again at the bridge thinking what to do with the trusty mountain bike. Mind you, it's not about my weight okay?

I passed a security guard by the river and asked him if any chance, there's a nearby pagawaan ng bike sa area. He said, "Ay, doon sa may simbahan. Alam mo yun?" He checked my bike and seeing there's nothing he can do "Tanong mo doon sa mamang mataba diyan. Gala yun dito." I say my thanks and went on 10 steps forward to see a fat guy behind an owner type jeep. "Oo, doon sa may Quintin Paredes, diretsuhin mo lang. Ano ba ang nangyari?" Even if I do not answer any of their questions, seeing my bike made them say: "Ohhhhh, naputol?" I walked along the road passing people staring at my bike and I don't care with those "bakit-sya-naglalakad-ay-sira-pala-ang-bike-nya" looks. I felt happy anyway. My temper didn't show up e.

THE FILIPINO KUYA HERO

Habang naglalakad ako sa kahabaan ng hindi ko sigurado kung anong street, may guard na kumausap sa akin.

Kuya Guard: "Naputol?"

Me: "Opo e. May malapit po bang pagawaan ng bike dito?"

KG: "Meron, pero doon pa. Teka lang, tignan ko kung anong pwedeng gawin."

At doon na nagumpisa na kalikutin nya ang bisikleta ko. At the back of my mind sabi ko, I can't miss this. I have to write it down sa blog to commend the Filipino people for helping out a stranger in need specially to Kuya Guard and to Kuya Assistant. He's still wearing his uniform and didn't mind getting his hands greasy. He is just sooooo helpful. I hope people are like them. Doing things that doesn't need to ask for anything in return. I offered him a yosi. "Aayoko, babawasan mo pa ang haba ng buhay ko." are his exact words. "Salamat po ulit ng sobra!"

LA LA LA, BIKE PA...

My bike's okay and it started to rain. What a precious day. I love rain! Ang sarap sumingit sa mga sasakyan sa may Binondo. Nung nasa may M. Hizon ako, gosh nagsnap ulit ang chain! Buti na lang malapit na ako. Wala ng magsesave ng oras na yun e. Wala ng taong pwede kong tanungin. I guess they are busy with their lives at that time. I walked from M. Hizon hanggang dito sa bahay. Doble exercise. Walking and biking. Bongga! Paguwi ko tawa ako ng tawa. At ang sabi ng tatay ko: "Kawawa ka naman, e di pinagtitinginan ka?" sabi ko "Wala akong pakialam sa kanila. Hahahaha!"

I guess no biking tomorrow. Sira ang bike e. I am looking forward to me and my father's street journey on weekend. Hmmmm, Lord I think you are answering my prayer.. I can feel it.. Thanks! (Knuckle up!)

REMEMBERING FINAL FANTASY AND OTHER GAMES I WAS HOOKED WHEN I WAS YOUNGER

I was a hard core gamer when I was in High School. We had that gray and shiny Playstation One at home, thousands of pirated PS1 CDs, a few originals (probably all of them are trial versions of newly released games from Japan) and three gray memory cards. I remember owning an original PS1 memory card. And I treasure it like it was a million dollar worth of an item.

These are the games I work my way up until the end: (And the most that occupied a lot of space from my memory card. Hindi po lahat ng games dito ay nag-occupy ng space sa memory card ko all at once. FYI, I believe that a memory card CAN contain 20 saved games only!)

1. Final Fantasy VII
2. Final Fantasy VIII - My most favorite of all the FF series I played
3. Final Fantasy IX
4. Resident Evil NEMESIS
5. Resident Evil
6. Gran Turismo
7. Crash Bandicoot
8. Tony Hawk Pro Skater
9. Street Sk8r
10. Heart of Darkness
11. Tomb Raider I to III
12. Abe of Odyssey or Ape of Odyssey, that I can't remember. :)
13. Metal Gear Solid
    

There are still others that I can't remember. I will document them once maalala ko.
I remember spending a little of my baon to buy CDs, magazine that contain cheat codes, walkthrough, colorful magazines with all those beautiful pack of reviews. I spend more on well, playing sipa with my best guy bud and co-gamer, Sean Ralph Rivera. Sa kanya ako madalas makakopya ng files ng game if I find it hard to get around the town and search for materias, Guardian Forces, etc. Hahaha, I remember when I was playing FFVII, I accidentally found a way to slide down the Sector 7 Slums (hindi ko sigurado kung dyan nga) to obtain a yellow materia. And he wouldn't believe me! When I showed him where and how, oh his face! Sabay sabi: "pakopya nga!" and it was the proudest moment of my life as a Final Fantasy gamer and searcher. :D

When you play FF, you don't just run around town. You literally have to go through the corners of everything while continuously tapping the X or O button. There are ALWAYS hidden (good) items around, be it an extra potion, a rare materia or a rare playing card. Another way of possibly be the excellent gamer you are is to cheat. Yes. To cheat. It's either you enter a code by simultaneously pressing the L, R, Triangle, Square, O, X buttons (whichever came first) or by using the genius GameShark. I choose the gameshark. It's the easiest. I don't have to memorize the sequence of codes everytime I start a game. Hehe.

I miss playing RPG games. I miss equiping my characters with all the pamatay and leveled up skills they "recently" mastered. I miss burning my patience while taking an S license at Gran Turismo. I miss pimping up my car. It's probably the reason why I am a sucker at Wangan Midnight Tune 3DX+.. Oh.. Oo nga no!

Emo mode because I recently downloaded FFIX's OST.. I am currently listening to Frontier Village Dali. But my favorite is Crossing Those Hills. Yun ang music pag nasa labas ng world (map mode) si Zidane para pumunta sa ibang lugar. Nun ngang una kong narinig ito after 10 years, natatandaan ko pa ang tunog. I hum with it. :) ang sarap maging bata. Ang sarap ng walang responsibilidad. Hehehe. Yun pala yun e! Zidane was my favorite back then. Then, si Steiner. (from FFIX sila) My favorite naman sa FFVIII was Squall, Zack and Irvine. Sa FFVII syempre si Cloud at Aerith.