Poetry

It is 5:30 AM and I can't sleep. Probably because it is my birthday and by virtue of personal traditions, I should be weary. I'm going running in a bit.

Anyhow, I was looking through my computer files and found this poem I wrote a few months ago. Read the whole thing and other originals here on my POETRY BLOG. 

Today is My 19th Birthday (and Smart's Live More Run Promo Video)!

Shoes I've had since sophomore high school. If there is one thing I can't buy, it's shoes for sport. These ones are ruined but it was because of something awesome!

It is very sad that this blog is getting less and less updated. It is just I have been very busy for the past few days. Suddenly, I feel so sad for being unable to maintain my blog properly. (Yes, I am very vulnerable when it is my birthday.)

It's is my 19th birthday, my last run before turning two decades old. There is a lot of fear, worry, anxiety involved but I will hopefully have a good birthday this year. I've tried my best to change the way I look at myself and this world in the past few months and I hope it worked. Let's see

In other news, watch the advertisement for Smart's Live More Run which will happen next year! Exciting!

And yes, I'm in it being professionally awkward forever. Look at that:

But I had a lot of fun! Actually, if you have good eyes, you will see that beneath all the lack of grace is a happy, happy boy. I hope they put this up on TV so I can scratch off appearing on TV commercials off my not-so-secret vanity bucket list.

The Little Women are preachy but adorable

The title of this post says it all.

Little Women is a heart-warming cliche tale but with a well-executed tension: a poor family of girls rich in love for each other. Good cliche is very hard to find but then you get a little bit too jealous of the good-natured and highly self-conscious personas of the sisters. You will definitely start hating yourself for being inconsiderate, untalented, waddling in the marsh of sin, etc. Effective preachiness.

*spoiler alert

I have to be honest though. I wanted to throw my lamp against a wall after Chapter 40 where Beth meets her end and Alcott, as if running away from an angry mob, immediately removes to heating the romance between the other sister and the neighbor... in a picturesque foreign land. Really Alcott? Can't we dwell into the sadness for at least the next two chapters?

Verdict: Read it while you are wrong young. You age faster in this modern society and with age comes a sudden hostility towards an unlimited intrinsic supply of wellness of soul and being. As a coping mechanism, my new block mate lent me her copy of the Virgin Suicides. Oh yes, darkness! I can't believe I missed you! Muwahahaha

Lech Walesa on Solidarity

Former Polish President Lech Walesa at the Irwin Theater Podium alongside a translator.

Last September 29, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and past Polish President Lech Walesa visited Ateneo to talk about solidarity in the face of globalization. As it was a very wonderful opportunity (at least for me) to meet a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, it was rather easy to fanboy over the adorable and brilliant man. His never-ending supply of images to illustrate points were very enlightening and at the same time very playful. 

Three points I will most definitely keep in mind (non-verbatim):

• On the question of true democracy, Mr. Walesa quipped, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world: "Democracy is similar to pregnancy. It is either you're pregnant... or not." Crowd erupts in a laughter of realization: Democracy is absolute and should never be negotiable.

• Solidarity is multi-step. First, you acknowledge that you can't carry on a load by yourself and you inspire/ask everyone around you to help you. They will pass the request on until you are collectively strong enough. 

• With passion and a strong belief in what you are able to accomplish, you can do everything. To illustrate the point, he shares how he grew up with very little education but it never stopped him. Awesome, awesome guy.

And yes (duh) he has a Time Magazine cover.

Solidarity men, solidarity. Of course, even though I was still dust before the Martial Law, I could feel the collective power of recollection in the theatre when Lech Walesa shared his fascination of Former Pres. Cory Aquino and the solidarity she fostered in the Filipino people during World War I. According to him, the Philippines deserved a Nobel Peace Prize in the name of Cory Aquino.

These great men. 

*I acknowledge that his name is spelled with fancier characters but I can't seem to figure out how to put them in this without getting encoding errors. No harm meant. And we actually have a more intimate photo but I couldn't upload it. He was very open to photo ops with the students which he pronounced  his target audience.