it's a wrap

Day You Said Goodbye, Allison Moorer

when the first hint of sunshine
peeks between the window blinds
and the morning hits my pillow
the sweetest dream is left behind

i'd rather die than face a new day
'cause i always wake to find
that i'm feeling just as lonely
as the day you said goodbye

can you feel me reaching for you
in the middle of the night
what i'd give to hold you, darling
within these arms of mine

all my heartache would be over
if my dream came true one time
then i wouldn't have to live with
the day you said goodbye

goodbye

the unnecessary stuff people do on weddings, haha, but unquestionably fun [vimeo]

happy anniversary darling, from your PA haha.

hmm. hmmm. shut up, brain. don't think. :P

not entirely mikado afternoon, who likes to be called "the other" person anyway? but okay, for hug-niversary!

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sthqe

posted by sir raud! amazing how this is still around even after 10 years haha. but since it's sir raud then it's certainly not impossible. he dates and files everything he does, even his document templates have versions! sometimes i imagine he must have rows and cabinets of file folders in his study at home.

amazing. he was (and i believe, is still) fond of throwing random trivia in during class like what's under the flagpole or what is the predecessor of toothbrushes or what was the current (at that time) innovation to the lollipop stick..yup, like i said, random, haha. he was one of those who encouraged discussions during class which i didn't like because, let's face it, i preferred daydreaming and taking notes over being present in class haha. the subject was supposed to prepare as well as inspire us to do research work, and while sir raud wasn't terrifying nor strict to a fault, i somehow still ended up hating the subject. i hated it so much i told myself i'm NEVER going to do research of any kind EVER again. then i went ahead and took up physics in college hahaha..but that's a different story.

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senior prom

i was looking at at this picture during my senior year prom night and, thinking back, i can actually vividly recall only two things: (1) maureen was extremely hyper active that night she managed to snap the cord of her gown - twice! hahaha, and (2) my favorite teacher was running a fever that day but he came anyway even if he was late. i somehow felt responsible because we had been exchanging messages that day and i must have sounded thoroughly disappointed when i learned he might not be able to go. amid telling him to rest and all that, though i meant it with all sincerity, i was practically begging him to please just go even though i know it was pretty selfish of me. well, he went. and i was so relieved and happy i wanted to just leave my seat and go where he was but in the end all i did was smile at him from across the dance floor to acknowledge his presence. i didn't even go anywhere near his vicinity during the rest of the evening. torpe, haha. he was my volleyball coach and military dad rolled into one, slathered with a decent serving of kindness and empathy. no wonder his pet name by all students is daddy yabu. also, he's the only person in the whole wide world to call me lee, and i prefer it remain that way :">

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delusion

there are two videos i can hardly bring myself to look at again. one was the embarrassing video of a poorly choreographed graduation dance presentation and the other is my department's entry to the the 2008 csm week film competition. we were juniors that time and it was directed by my batch mate and most of the cast were from my batch as well. it actually has an interesting story line if one could piece the frames together but there is just something ridiculously funny about seeing your friends, whom you've joked and laughed and fooled around with for a good three years, try to act in a drama. i mean, i just can't take them seriously i couldn't watch a scene without laughing my head off :)) and i believe the ONLY time i've seen it from intro to credits was when sandy showed it to me before submitting it to the committee. i remember i wasn't able to watch the screening because we had a game against bio the afternoon it was screened.

my wardrobe was hideous! i mean, the skirt was a little too long but okay, the t-shirt was weird, but the bag was totally hideous :)) and the hair! ugh! couldn't we have put it down or at least put it up in a proper pony tail? i'm so embarrassed with myself haha.

but at least i get to hear karl's piano composition again even though it was poorly recorded and not mentioned in the credits. it was, i believe, called "sunflower" and karl would play it in the octava's grand piano while passing the time until our next class.

somehow i remembered the film today after talking with frankie so i downloaded it from his playlist for the sake of having my own copy even if i couldn't watch it properly haha.

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random laughs and nostalgia

short videos/commercial spoofs/promotional shorts for college week 6-7 years ago.

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grill

one december evening, on a drive home from band practice, we were talking about how everyone suddenly goes quiet at the same time following a good laugh over a joke. so in order to avoid such awkward silence, or “gap” as we called it, kuya marlo proceeded reading everything he sees outside starting with “GRILL” - the led signage just outside a coffeeshop/steakhouse along banilad’s main road.

a few weeks later after constant self-promises to try out the place we finally managed to stop by after a game of pingpong. it turned out that grill is not its actual name but we call it such all the same and has come to be loved for its P98-baby back ribs, crispy sisig, choco lava, big mirror on the wall, and perfect ambiance.

it was, for me, a perfect place for gathering a small group of friends – it’s small and warm and happy and the food is great! it became the perfect place for get-togethers, birthday parties and the like, and we always tend to huddle at the far side on the table beneath the big mirror.

gradually we brought others into our little haven, and others brought others too. and for persons outside the little group above it is finally known by its full name, ATF (all time favorites) Grill. What makes it very convenient is that it is accessible, being near both offices (where i used to work), and in the early days before they wrote “ATF Grill Property” on their menus, we managed to get ourselves a copy and has been indispensable in placing advance orders for lunch-outs.

anniversaries, send-offs, birthday treats, farewell parties..you name it, we've all celebrated it there.

but then again some things just don’t last forever, no matter how good, it seems. i don’t know why one rainy afternoon it suddenly occurred to me that i miss this one place i always thought would last longer than it did. 

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ishi the idealist

one of the classes i enjoyed going to the most when i was in college was the course on philippine government and constitution. on one occasion we were made to write a "blueprint for change", our idea of what actions the government must take to effect change in the country. here was mine:

"Blueprint for Change"

The following will have a higher percentage of efficiency and effectiveness if the leaders of this government are themselves competent for the leadership positions they hold. 

• Effect a shift from unitary to federal form of government. This way it will be easier for the government to recognize regions which needs assistance the most.
• Implement a moral recovery program. This could be done through giving importance to subjects such as GMRC, History, and Filipino in all academic levels and by recognizing the efforts done by NGO's like CFC's GK777 and others.
• De-privatization of some companies and building government-owned companies. This is to provide job opportunities to Filipinos who have not earned college degrees, hence, they cannot find jobs in private corporations. These companies shall train employees for administrative positions also and implement programs that would sustain local economy. This shall hold until such time that it would seem fit for the government to sell these companies to private corporations provided they are not foreign investors.
• Prioritize agrarian reform programs. Host conferences and training workshops for farmers.
• Send rockets to the moon! But, seriously, focus first on applying science and technology in finding ways to reuse the country's abundant natural resources.

..then send rockets to the moon :P

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adventure time

you know public schools. during exam day we had test questionnaires you MUST NOT write on, which were collected back at the end of the subject period, and were then forwarded to another section in rotation. my teachers think i'm kind, and good, and responsible (and all things nice) because i always volunteered to take stuff to other classrooms. but, in reality, this was exactly what i've been thinking all those times. EXACTLY. teehee :D

throwback thursday 4/25

high school.

CAT officers are seniors. and during the army inspection they are expected to bring their dates to the event and the dinner afterwards. what's interesting is that it has been our school's tradition to pick a sponsor (female) or an escort (male) from the juniors.

and that's how, a week before their inspection, we heard she has been asked by him, or she is going to be this officer's date, and so on. well, most of my friends were already asked out so imagine my surprise when the battalion commander walked up to our poor excuse of a home room and asked "will you be my date?".

that was the only time in my life i was asked "will you be my date?". ever. technically, though, i was only filling in the place of his real girlfriend who was the adjutant hahaha. his family was there, of course, and in most pictures of us his younger brother made sure to include his adjutant girlfriend =))

after leading the dance during the dinner party he left me alone with my friends because he's got his real girlfriend to attend to anyway. yes na lang. overall, though, it was a good experience. getting asked out (in the most gentlemanly way! sir yabu always stressed out officers should be gentlemen..and women), going through how-to-act-like-a-lady coaching with our guidance councilor (how to sit, how to stand, how to walk, how to cross your legs, SMILE!), getting pampered on the day, getting excused from classes in the afternoon so we could take our beauty rest before the dinner party (haha, really!).

i had a hat. the same one that you usually see on stewardesses. unfortunately i was the only one with the hat because the others have lost theirs so i had to take it off for uniformity. it would have looked a lot cooler, though, with the hat. :)

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