Saturday, December 13, 2008

PAYNE Flops... BOND Rocks! - Episode 1


It's the PAYNE that kills me... sigh! sigh! sigh!

...I had high expectations for both films... had very high hopes, in fact, for Max Payne... as I was absolutely addicted to the two games brought forth by its creators. That's why I was absolutely disillusioned, so utterly disappointed, when my wife and I watched the movie.

Never mind that Max, oh I mean, Mark Wahlberg was the actor chosen to play the title role... though I never imagined it would be him... but I thought hey, he might be able to pull it off. The sad, sad, very very sad thing was that the adrenaline rush I felt while playing the game... I never felt it while watching the movie! Aaaarrrrgggghhh!

Oh... wait... there was at least one moment when that occurred. It was a "bullet-time" scene with Max Payne holding a shotgun, then... seeing a bad guy from above and behind him, jumped and shot the guy several times! Ah... at least there was that moment. Are those who adapted the game afraid of being compared to The Matrix series? Well they shouldn't be as the game itself featured bullet-time... it's actually one of the game's best features!

Max's story is a dark, gloomy one... good thing it was adapted onto the film as it's awesome to see it there. Unfortunately, the adaptation made was too much of the drama... not enough action... sigh sigh sigh sigh!!!

Anyways... despite all those unfortunate attributes, there are still some positive sides in it, even teeny-tiny ones (I guess I noticed them since as a Max Payne fan, it's a MUST for me to find something positive in it, lest I end up saying bad words at those who made the film). Aside from that single "bullet-time" scene (sigh...) and that dark mood faithful to the game, the visual effects were awesome... especially portions of the movie involving the Valkyries... yeah!

The Max Payne movie was truly a downer... especially for a game fan like me. Here's to hoping there'll be a remake... hopefully a better one!

...

...

Oh, by the way...

ATTENTION: Prison Break and Heroes fans... Sucre of Prison Break was amazing as the big bad villain Lupino... and two new characters from Heroes season 3 appeared in the movie as well. =)

...

...

(2 b concluded)

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

PAYNE Flops... BOND Rocks! - Prologue


Wow... after another long hiatus... I finally got around to writing a post again.

After several days of working with the cognitive side of my brain, I was finally able to trigger my creative side and catch that somewhat elusive train of thought I had after watching two of the my most eagerly anticipated movies...

...Max Payne, a movie based on the legendary game of the same title... and Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig's second outing as Ian Fleming's superspy James Bond.

As my wife and I eagerly waited in line to buy tickets... I had high expectations for both films...

...

...

(2 b cont'd)

Friday, October 24, 2008

And Then There Was Minerva


Well, well, well...
It's back...
I'm back...
For more comments, talks...
And the occassional rants...

After a long hiatus (two weeks without a post seems like a lifetime to me, hehe), I finally found time to put in a post. I was supposed to post one after watching Max Payne (sigh! Sigh! SIgH! SIGH!). But I thought, why should I resurrect my talking points with something that's like too much of a downer? It shouldn't be, right? So I'll restart my postings with something much more positive... very positive...

I recently found the CD given to me by my cousin Anjo, who now resides in Canada. It's the first album of the label Minerva Records... appropriately named One. Gratefully reminded of how I loved listening to that CD over and over again two years ago, I promptly loaded all the songs to my iPhone.

All (except one) of the tracks included in that album are from the Minerva Records artists, composed of very talented Filipino-Canadian musicians. Their songs are superbly mixed and matched inside that album... going from mellow and sweet to painfully-romantic to rockingly-alternative to rockingly-headbanging. The whole album is already a treasure in itself via the music from the label's artists. An added treat to it is a track from the band Lokomotiv, with Basti Artadi (formerly of Wolfgang) at lead vocals. Among my most played titles from that album (and when I say most played, I mean they're very likely candidates for my "On The Go Nth Playlist", hehe) are Shadows on the Wall by Out Of Luck, Fireflies by Vultocazhe, Hollow by Kate D.

Stopped...
Looked...
Listened...

Positively satisfied...
Yup yup yup!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

On The Go (to the Nth power) - The Encore Release

Encore... Encore... Encore!!!

Yeah... =)

Just when I thought the "circle" of my On The Go (Nth) playlist is already complete, a new song (or actually not quite a new song, but it's new to me 'coz I haven't heard it before, haha) unknowingly passes by my ears...
goes through my brain...
eagerly satisfies my music-loving side...
makes me listen to it twice... thrice... and then some more...
until I finally had to add it to my On The Go (Nth) playlist.

"I could be good, and I would
If I knew I was understood..."

I've listened to and loved a lot of Barenaked Ladies songs. One Week and Pinch Me are still some of my favorites until now. Make me listen to them again and I would. But their song "Too Little Too Late" from the album "Maroon" has that special factor in it (or at least for me, haha) that makes it qualified to be part of my On The Go (Nth) playlist. Just like two of the songs on that playlist, it has wonderful rhtyhm and fast-paced beats with a kind of quasi-comic, quasi-relaxing feel to it...
Something that only Barenaked Ladies songs have.

"And it'll be great, just wait
or is it too little too late..."

...

Now the Circle of the On The Go (Nth) playlist is finally complete...

...

...

At least for now =)

Thursday, September 25, 2008

On The Go (to the Nth power) 1.3

Three's the charm for this hit-upon-hit playlist of mine... On The Go, Nth Power, ready to go... for the third and last time...

"it's foreign on this side...
and I'll not leave my
home again..."

After two pulse pounding tunes, I know you'll expect another tune of the same type... nah! =) This Side by Nickel Creek has relaxing instrumentals and a feel-good mood that I couldn't help but listen to it all day long. It might not be at the same level as the previous two songs in terms of rhythm and beat, but it blends ever so exquisitely with the two songs that one would say... "Now, the Circle of the Playlist is complete" (another taste of the Lost Podcast, hahaha!).

"... there's no place to hide
but I don't think I'm scared..."

Uhmmm... by the way, I've never mentioned why the title for this entry is such, haven't I?
It's actually quite simple and logical... Or at least in my mind, it is. =)

On The Go... iPhone's default playlist name...
why the Nth power? 'Coz I play the same playlist over and over again for several straight days!

"... and it really makes me wonder
if I ever gave a thought about you and I
so this is goodbye..."

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

On The Go (to the Nth power) 1.2

What's that I'm hearing...
(clapping)... (wild cheers)...
Settle down... settle down... =)
Time for the 2nd tune on my On The Go playlist

"... i'm exactly where you'd like me, you know
praying for love in a lap dance
and paying in naivety...."

Another intricately written song is next on my list... But It's Better If You Do by Panic! At The Disco. I was first introduced to them via their equally addictive song, I Write Sins, Not Tragedies (with a very, need I say, colorful music video). This new song from the group boasts great lyrics and head bopping beats, making up for another chart-topper. And more importantly... another hit tune on my playlist... Awesome!

"... well I may have faked it
i wouldn't be caught
dead in this place..."

2 b concluded

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

On The Go (to the Nth power) 1.1


Reminded by my previous post on Fall Out Boy, one of my "On The Go" playlists, I suddenly had the urge of spilling out the beans on my other top "On The Go" playlist... after all (clap! clap! clap!) it deserves to be regonized... as the tunes are as addictive as my Fall Out Boy songs.
Come to think of it, this is actually one of the first "On The Go" playlists I made... one which I never had the heart to remove (such drama... what range... hahaha!)

Anyway, on with the "On the Go (Nth power)" playlist...

"...something to believe in
'coz i don't believe in you
anymore... anymore..."

First on my list is Makes Me Wonder by Maroon 5. Yeah! After several chart-topping tunes, this is undeniably another smash hit. Not only is it a well-written song, it has a great rhythm to it that makes you wanna get up and dance... woohoo!

"... i wonder if it even makes
a difference to try...
so this is goodbye"

2 b cont'd

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Boy, It Ain't A Fall Out!

Ever had a moment in your life as a person with a "Listener's Career" when...
you hear a song,
find the it very catchy,
judge that it might be a new release,
Then...
find out it's actually an old song,
And finally...
be frustrated that you didn't get to listen to it when it was still new (and quite relevant? =) )

This moment happens to me very often (oh, how frustrating) and I conjure that it might be because I'm a "Choosey-Title" kind of guy... someone who doesn't listen to a particular song if he's not familiar with the title. And it's also probably because I'm a "Choosey-Artist" kind... one who either does or does not bother to listen to a song if it's by a "certain" artist.

Good thing my wife's love for good music has managed to slowly change this habit of mine. She introduced me to songs with titles and artists I'm not familiar with (which then made me addicted to them). So when a friend lent me CDs by Fall Out Boy, I fought against my initial instinct not to listen to them. And Boy Oh Boy, Was I grateful I did! =)

Fall Out Boy's music is so filled and overflowing with rockin' rhythm and sweat-inducing beats that I immediately became a fan. I was so addicted to their songs that I have one playlist on my iPhone containing only those tunes... and it's one of only a few playlists on my iPhone that I play for several days straight without changing.

Now that I have become a Fall Out Boy fan (among thousands upon thousands) there's only one more thing to say... "This Ain't A Scene, It's a #*%%@$^ Arms Race!"

Monday, August 25, 2008

Prepare for MAXimum PAYNE! Aaaargh!


Woke up early this morning to prepare for work, as I usually do...
still a little drowsy...
still a little sleepy.

As I still have a few more minutes before I begin my morning routine, I decided to open up the Macbook and browse the page for Movie Trailers at Apple's site, as I haven't visited it for a few days now... looking for something new to download to our iPhone. Trying to look at the movie posters at the site, I spotted the last trailer I downloaded... Luke Wilson's latest movie, "Henry Poole Was Here". Browsing through the new posters, I caught something from the corner of my eye... an image that seems so familiar... like a memory from a distant past. Moving my eyes to where the movie title was, my conciousness suddenly went...
BAM!
Gone is the drowsiness...
Gone is the sleepines.
My mind suddenly went racing from 0 to 100mph...
Gosh! The movie's title is MAX PAYNE!

MAX PAYNE!...
one of the best action games I've ever played...
engaging storyline, pulse-pounding action, eye-popping graphics, topped off with innovative character controls like "bullet-time" (no offense meant to Matrix fans, but can you perform "bullet-time" in "Enter The Matrix"?)...
easily one of the greatest games ever...
getting the Hollywood treatment, finally!

Eagerly anticipating to watch the trailer for the first time, I find myself cheering on the Download status bar... shouting "Come on! Come on! Come on!" inside my head while our M1-Vodafone internet connection creeps ever so slowly. By the time I was able to sync it to our iPhone, I had to prepare for the office... aw, shucks! Good thing we have an iPhone, at least I can view the Max Payne movie trailer while I'm on my way to the office.

Ah... a Max Payne movie. Just the thought of watching a movie based on that game makes me wanna jump up and yell "Awesome!". But I don't wanna get my hopes up just yet... just in case it won't live up to my expectations (remember the movie based on Hitman... it's ok if you don't... i barely do). Deep inside though, I do hope (and pray!) it would go beyond my wildest imaginations, blow us all away, and make us feel the PAYNE!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Beep Beep... Beep Beep... Encore


As most of my topics in the "Beep Beep... Beep Beep..." series often leaned on the bad, the worse, and the ugly, I'd like to add one more to the finale... an encore... so that you'll know that my travel that day wasn't all bad. So here's one sight that's quite colorful, funny, cute, and most of all, lesser than bad. :)

L) "Donut Bai" - Ah vendors... sidewalk vendors, street vendors... what would a Philippine road be without them? I guess it won't be too colorful :) From street foods like Mang Ambo's Fishballs and Aling Nena's Barbeque, drinks like "Palamig" and BJ (ahem... B-uko J-uice), toys, clothes and even cellphones. Just a reminder for those willing to buy cellphones from them though, you better be careful lest you pick up the GSMs - "Galing Sa Magnanakaw" (From The Robbers). Aside from lighting up the streets, they're also convenient for most of us travellers as you could pick up almost anything you want while you're on your way. The trouble with some of these vendors though is that they no longer pick the correct space to sell their goods. With lots of them lining up the sidewalks, pedestrians are often forced to walk on the actual road... something that's not only very invconvenient but also very dangerous. Just hope these hard-headed vendors would find a place that would be convenient for them and for others (as long as it's legal of course, haha)... and that the government would enforce the rules on them. Anyway, I would have to commend MMDA Chairman Bayani "BF" Fernando for cleaning up the roads in front of Baclaran church. Awesome! Hope he runs for President :)

...

...

Beep Beep... Beep Beep...

Ciao!

Friday, August 8, 2008

Beep Beep... Beep Beep... Finale



Hey hey hey, it's the final part of Beep Beep... Beep Beep... series. I know, I know, it may be sad 'coz there are lots more of them out there :) But rest assured you'll find some of them pop up in my blogs every now and then... in some form or another. 'Nuff talk, here's my final list of the uncanny Must-Sees/Must-Not-Sees on the Philippine Hiways...

J) Tickets Tickets Go Away, Come Again Another Day - As it's already a common sight to see lots of trash scattered all over the roads, I will no longer mention it here. What's worth mentioning though (or is it not?) is the fact that when you approach a particular toll gate along the highway I passed through, from a distance, you might think you're looking at snow scattered all around the gate. Well it's not snow, haha... they're actually receipts issued by the attendants at the toll gate to the drivers. Then, these drivers just throw them away as if it'll make a mess inside their rides... they should've just returned the receipts to the attendants. But I guess if a reward system like "return the tickets and get a chance to win money" won't work on these drivers, nothing else will... or a "punishment" perhaps :)

K) Billboards Galore - It was once a treat to have a joyride through the streets of Manila, especially for someone who came from the province, because of its "Cityesque" buildings and skyscrapers. But now, alas, instead of getting a view of these architectural beauties from the window of your bus, what do you get to see (or maybe I should ask who?)... a huge billboard of a "now-famous" actor endorsing new herbal medicines, another huge billboard of an almost nude actress advertising a new slimming clinic, and an even bigger billboard of the latest men's magazine cover-girl. Though these ads might still be considered as good "sceneries" for most people, I think it robs the cityscape of its gleaming beauty... aside from the fact that they are dangerous (remember "Bagyong Milenyo"?)

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Beep Beep... Beep Beep... Revolutions


Hey, it's part 3 of Beep Beep... Beep Beep...
Wonderfully titled Revolutions as tribute to the third part of the Matrix Trilogy
So here comes more of the uncanny Must-Sees/Must-Not-Sees on the Philippine Hiways...

g) To Unload Or Not To Unload - Sigh... I just don't know if these drivers just don't know how to read traffic signs, just choose to ignore them, just really love to break the law or are just plain dumb. You might be asking why I'm saying this about most public utility vehicle drivers... gosh, I'm asking the same question myself. You see, these traffic signs display "No Loading/Unloading Signs" at different places along the road... yet these drivers load and unload passengers either near these signs or exactly in front of these signs. Gosh, talk about ignoring the law, huh, hehe... I guess most of them just think that "No" means "Yes".

h) JayTripper - Ah, sounds like a cool term as I mixed it up with the Beatles song DayTripper... but what I'm referring to isn't cool... really... trust me on this. I think every country has their own type of Jaywalkers. These are the stubborn people who often find it difficult to have patience... patience in waiting for the right time to cross the road and avoid being hit/killed by the oncoming traffic. What's worse is that they often cross the road at places where they shouldn't even cross! Even if the pedestrian lane is just a few feet away. What could be worse than that you ask?... During that travel I had, I saw a lot of people crossing the one of the most perilous roads where pedestrians shouldn't be in... the highway! Yeah... the dangerous highway where vehicles deemed too small or too slow are not allowed to pass. Sigh... Highway-crossing
jaywalkers... Talk about Extreme Sports. Hmmm... Maybe they were the inspiration for the game Frogger (you know, the Highway-crossing frog).

i) To Unload Or Not to Unload X - Here's another version of the unlawful/uncaring drivers who load/unload at the wrong places of the road. Why the "X" mark? Because I think their bunch is much more extreme. Ever seen a PUV (Public Utility Vehicle) suddenly stop along the highway to load/unload passengers? No? Good for you. Because from what I saw, it seems to be very common. These PUV drivers stop while along the highway to load passengers waving at them (which, I suspect, are probably the same JayTrippers from the above segment). Then if these
passengers (JayTrippers) need to alight along the highway, the PUV drivers would let them. Hopefully, they have not caused any damage to others and themselves. And hopefully, they would not cause any damage before those in power think they might cause damage... 'coz it may be the only time they do something about it... which could be too late.

...

...

2 b concluded

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Beep Beep... Beep Beep... Reloaded


Whoa, it's part 2 of Beep Beep... Beep Beep...
More of the uncanny Must-Sees/Must-Not-Sees on the Philippine Hiways...
On with the show...

d) VIPs, More of 'em - Whoa... I've seen about 5 of them during that 2 1/2 hour trip. There must really be a lot of people in these parts who are too important to be caught up in a traffic jam... really important... or are they? :)

e) JamN it! - The traffic system in one of the places I passed through is probably one of the worst I've seen. Called "Buhos-buhos" system by some folks (which could translate to "Pour all of it"), it's executed during peak hours in the morning and evening. It occurs when several traffic enforcers stop all vehicles on one side of the lane then when there's several meters of free road in front of that lane, these enforcers signal all vehicles on the other side to occupy both lanes and encourage them to speed up. Anyway, it's already been dubbed by one travel guide as the worst traffic system in the country... I wonder if they'll ever change it.

f) The Breakdown - It's nothing much really. The bus I'm riding on just broke down, sigh... so I had to show my ticket to the bus conductor, tell him my supposed destination, wait for him to give me enough money for that supposed destination (they won't give you back your whole fare :( sigh...), get off the bus and wave another one. But before getting off, I had to make sure, of course, that my phone is securely hidden... you get my point, right? :)

...

...

2 b cont'd...

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Beep Beep... Beep Beep...


Browsing thru my iPhone awhile ago, I stumbled upon an SMS that I sent from my mom's phone (I use her phone whenever my wife and I visit the Philippines) to my iPhone. Reason why I did this? :) I got a "brainwave", haha. Forget the term, I'm just kidding... just thought
I'd use one of the words I picked up while listening to the Lost Podcast
(yes, I am a Lost addict).
Anyway... before our thoughts trail away from my topic at hand... I was actually riding a bus from my hometown of Dasmarinas, Cavite to Manila. As I saw one of the usual uncanny (what a term!) events unfold before my very eyes out on the road, I had a "brainwave" (haha!) to actually note down all of these events and send them to my iPhone for future blogs...
And finally, the time has come to bring out... (drum rolls!)... The Must-Sees (or Must-Not-Sees) of the Philippine Hiways (or at least from Cavite to Manila, hehe)

a) VIPs (Very Important Persons) - this is a sight that's becoming more and more common on the roads. These are luxury vehicles (never cheap ones) which wield sirens and special plates (sometimes NO plates at all) travelling alongside 2 or more police escorts on motorbikes. Who might they be who wanna get through the traffic jam easier? Any guesses (haha...) Hope they're not carrying emergency cases just like an ambulance.

b) Traffic enforcer - traffic police wearing blue uniforms (or other colours, depending on which agency they belong to). You're lucky if you ever get to see one who's dancing while directing traffic (cool...)

c) Motorcycle riders with no helmet - Ah yes... even if there's a law meant to protect the riders
themselves, they still break it. The worst part is that I've seen 3 riders fit into a small motorbike! No helmets... with a toddler riding in between the two riders.

...

...

2 b contd... :)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

"...Kill one, save a thousand..."


"...This is your destiny... join us..."

Ah, Wanted... From the moment my wife and I finished watching
the teaser, we knew we should not miss it... as we knew we'll be watching
one wild action flick.
Last night, we were finally able to watch it... and... whew...
thankfully, we were right. It's a visually stunning, action-packed movie.
Anyway, I won't go on blabbing too much about the movie... as there are tons
of other info/review sites out there... except to say that it features James McAvoy,
Angelina Jolie, and Morgan Freeman.
And... hmmm... though there might not be much depth in its story... it's got a lot of tastefully
satisfying visuals and action scenes. And for most of us who love action movies, that's what would matter most... action!
"...What the @#$* have you done lately?..."

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Songs by the Little Big Boys 2.0



10:30 am...
Office...
After being pulled out of my programming jive
by a third call for support by a different branch
(which usually happens in my, my wife,
and GrM's line of work in IT), I was pleasantly
surprised at a thought that suddenly formed inside
my head... rhythms and lyrics my friends and I
used to sing when we were kids. The funny thing
about it is that most of the lyrics to these songs were
actually modified by my young playmates, mostly
due to the fact that they don't know the actual lyrics.

Anyway, after sharing this with GrM, he, the creative guy
that he is, was able to uniquely weave his own
additional tales which spun other tales he'd been
keeping inside his brain. Though I wasn't able to
retain most of the stories we shared that hour
(unfortunately for me, as those are always a fun
thing to write about in a blog, probably next time,
hehe), before going back to do my programming work,
I was able to note down the songs I still remembered
that we used to sing when we were kids... and here I am
once again, to share them... and if you do remember
some of these songs (modified lyrics and all), it might
reawaken some of the childlike emotions in you...

a) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Theme
- my young playmate, who usually comes to our house
in Pangasinan, was the one who created two short,
modified versions of this song which originally goes as:
"Teenage mutant ninja turtles, teenage mutant ninja turltes
Heroes in a half-shell, turtle power"... or something like that.
His first version goes like this:
"Tinat tinat ninja tortol, tinat tinat ninja tortol... and pertiliser"
I don't know how he came out with it... but he just blurted it
out, hehehe, followed by a different one which goes:
"Tinat tinat ninja tortol, tinat tinat ninja tortol... and Michaelangelo".
Well at least he mentioned something related to TMNT, hehe.

b) One More Try by Timmy T
- this one was a modified version by my very young cousin
who was trying to join in my conversation with my other older
cousins while we were passing time, waiting for the electricity
to go back on (this was during the energy crisis in the Philippines
which... hmmm... could be another good topic, hehe). The
original chorus goes like this:
"One more try, I didn't know how much I loved you".
My cousin's version goes like this:
"One more try, tenenenen, I love you... yihee!"
Yes, it was followed by a wild cheer of "Yihee!", hehehe

c) i forgot the title, hehe... but it supposedly goes like,
please forgive my own interpretation of the lyrics of this song:
"Sing sing sing sing that dream along, tadatatatatadada, Sing
that dream".
- this is probably something most of you already know as
I don't really remember who came up with this one which goes:
"Sing sing sing, singkong chicharon. Beinte singkong pera pera.
Diyes na pulburon"
Wow, a yummy song about yummy treats. :)

d) Mangga-mangga game theme song
- this, i'm very sure, most of you are very very familiar with.
It's a song to begin a game called "Mangga-mangga". This is
actually played wherein an "it", which will be determined
by singing the theme song to "free" all other players
and the last player not to be "freed" will be the "it" (details
of this wonderful game may, hehe, appear on later blogs...)
The song, though I'm not sure if it was modified over
time, goes like this:
"Mangga, mangga, hinog ka na ba?
Oo, oo, hinog na ako.
Kung hinog ka na ay aalis ka na."...
The song probably
should have ended there, but, yes, it does have
additional lyrics, hehe...
"Max Alvarado, barado ang ilong.
Tony Ferrer, mahilig sa baril.
Bang!"
ah... yes... yes... you really have to say that last word, hehe.

For the following two songs... they're not actually from my
childhood days in Pangasinan... they actually came from my
first year high school classmates. :)

e) A Whole New World by Lea Salonga and Brad Kane
- this, if I'm not mistaken, is something I've heard from
a classmate of mine who was singing to another classmate
of ours (whom we'll call "Lea", for purposes of completing the
lyrics of the song, hehe), about seeing Lea's crush, "Brad", with
another girl, "Regine". Y'all know the original song so I'll go
straight to the modified version of the song, hehe:
"I'm so sorry Lea,
Nakita ko si Brad (I saw Brad -- for who don't speak Filipino, hehe),
May kasamang babae (Is with a girl -- am I translating it correctly? hehe),
Ang pangalan ay Regine (Whose name is Regine).
Selos ka (You're jealoused -- wow my translation's so lame),
Lumuluha ang 'yong mata (Tears are flowing from your eyes -- wow, hehe),
Wag kang mag-alala (Don't you worry),
Mahal ka niya (He loves you)."
I've forgotten the last line but it probably goes back to:
"Now I'm in a whole new world with you", hehe...

f) Jollibee theme song (one of many their many themes, hehe)
- this song will probably be remembered by my first year high school
class. It's a song that my classmates and I sing when eagerly
anticipating the next episode of the X-Men Animated series.
As you may already be familiar with my sense of forgetfulness, hehe...
I have also forgotten how the original song goes. But it starts out with
"Isang tulog na lang, Jolibee na naman..." so with that, you probably
will remember, hehe. Anyway, the modified version goes like this:
"Isang tulog na lang (Just one more sleep to go),
X-Men na naman (It's X-men again).
Si Rogue ay lulubog (Rogue will sink),
Si Storm ay lilipad (Storm will fly).
Si Wolverine na claws (Wolverine is claws),
Si Cyclops na duling (Cyclops who has double-vision).
I love you Jubilee,
Pati na rin Jean Grey (And also Jean Grey -- to keep up with the
spirit of the original song, pronounce it as "Gri").
Hintay ka lang Professor X (Just wait there Professor X),
Nandyan na si Beast (Beast is coming).
Tawagin mo si Gambit (Call up Gambit),
Magpupusoy kami (We'll play "Pusoy" -- hehe, it's a card game)."

..........

Ah... songs by little big boys, with very creative
and imaginative brains, hehe.
Sigh... once again, makes you wanna resminice doesn't it...
Think...
Want...
Wait...
Huh?

Toys by the Little Big Boys 2.0



It was past 7:30 am on a Sunday, 20th of
May 2007. After providing support for
the branches before 7am that day during the
DR (Disaster Recovery) Exercise, GrM and I
find ourselves sitting on one side of the conference
room, waiting for the next round of calls from
the branches, talking about our childhood memories
back home (GrM is from Batangas and I was from
Pangasinan), most especially the toys we used to
play with and those which we built on our own.

One of those customized toys came to mind...

GrM said that he once used to play with a toy (or weapon,
if used in another way) which I believe was called...
hmmm... it seems I've forgotten the name, hehe.
This toy he's referring to, was also something me and
my friends used to play with back in the province... and
we use it by shooting each other with it, hehe. This
was what we used as an alternative to a toy gun. If
you've ever used your pen to shoot moistened paper
at your classmates in school, I believe this is a
different version of it.
Anyway, it's built using the following:
1) a long, hard straw with a huge diameter, kinda
like what you use when drinking Zagu, but harder
(...hey, hey, i know what you're thinking...
that's not it... hehehe...)
2) rubber bands
3) match box
4) mung beans ("monggo"), lots of it
To build it, place one end of the straw on one of the
narrower sides of the matchbox and tie them up with
your rubber bands. Just make sure that when you tie
up that end of the straw, you still have space to put
your lips on. Put as much monggo beans on the match box
as you can put.
To use it is quite simple... Open the match box...
take as much monggo beans as you want... put one in
your mouth... put your lips on the end of the straw
and... shoot! :)
It is a lot of fun to play with. Although, it can
be quite painful at times... especially if you're
on the receiving end of the monggo beans.
Aside from the fact that it's moist (yuck!)...
it stings.

Sigh... what a wonderful memory to reminisce. Makes
you really wish you were back home... running around
the streets with your friends just before sunset...
then later making up toys that you could all play with
the next day. Hope... Next...

"We're moving..."

Though I started blogging thru Friendster,
I feel like this would be a good move for any
future I'd like to have for my "blogging career"...
hehehe...
Once again, inspired by GrM and my former fiancee,
now my wife (yes.. i know i'm a lucky guy), I'll be
moving all the blogs I created in Friendster to Blogspot.
Hopefully, I'll be able to build this up.
Yeah!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Firsts 2.0

we all have our firsts...
first letter,
first phone call,
first... first...
first email address,
first email,
first chatmate,
first... first...
first Friendster invitation,
first Friendster friend,
first Friendster picture,
first Friendster blog,
first Friendster post,
first... first...
so after so many first things in my life,
i have come to my...
first Friendster blog...
first... first...
and now...
my other first...
(drum rolls, please)
first Blogspot blog...

inspired by a friend, the Greenman
(in my future blogs, i'll call him "GrM"),
who always had a lot of interesting things
in his mind, proven by his own blog,
and my loving fiancee, my switart, Cherry,
i'll now begin another first...
hopefully, you, readers, will enjoy reading
these blogs... as i have enjoyed
writing them down.

anyway, since this is my second first, hehe,
i'd like to make it my best yet.
why?
so that i'll be compelled to top it with the
next one... hahaha