Monday, July 27, 2009

Momentary lapses of judgement

Love means never having to say you're sorry. But sometimes, the stupidity of the human race gets to you and you find yourself wishing you just kept your mouth shut. It's easy to pass judgement on others but when it's your turn to look back on your stupidity, then you finally understand.

Momentary lapses of judgement.
Acting before thinking.
Small tactless comments that seem cute at the moment, but cause unwanted ripples afterwards.

The stupidity of the human race.

Love means never having to say you're sorry. But on the few occassions that you slip, the best thing to do is to suck it in and apologize and rely on the thought that love also means to unceasingly forgive.

*I feel like Meredith Grey voicing over an episode of Grey's Anatomy*

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Proper moviehouse decorum

I don't usually rant about the small stuff, but there seems to be little literature about the subject above that I felt the need to write about the basics regarding it. I know at least one of you reading my blogs have probably experienced this: you pay a considerably big amount of money to see the movie you'll know everyone's going to talk about at a theatre where people will most probably behave properly. I don't want to seem condescending or derogatory, but come on. Let's be honest. There's a reason why you're willing to pay more for a movie you can watch a year after on HBO right? Not only because you're a fan of the book the movie is based on, but because you also want the experience to be almost perfect: great sound system, comfy seats, enough leg room, etc. But apparently, you don't always get what you pay for. So for those who still quite lack the basics on how to behave properly when inside a public movie house, please... indulge yourself. So everybody can get their money's worth.

1. When the movie starts, please please please stop talking. Why? Because other people are actually watching the movie with you. Because it's a public place. Because they also paid to watch the movie in peace. I don't care if you share with the whole world your life story while the trailers are still running. But when the movie begins, you MUST stop talking. Or at least lower down your voice at a level where only the person you're talking to hears it. Because others paid to listen to the movie they're watching, not you.

2. As much as possible, avoid kicking the seat in front of you. Sometimes, when we change positions while watching a long-running movie, it's inevitable to accidentally kick the seat in front of you. You know what I mean? In case you do, say sorry. However, it does get irritating when you hit the seat in front of you everytime you change the position of your legs. Especially when there's enough leg room. Others paid for that luxury too.

3. (Related to number 2) NEVER put your feet up on the seat in front of you. No explanation needed.

4. When it's inappropriate to laugh, don't. When someone dies in the movie, or when someone gets hurt, or when someone's crying in the scene, please don't laugh. Even if you and your friend were whispering about something privately hilarious, please consider doing it at another time (say.. after the movie maybe?). It ruins everybody's moment. Remember, you're in a public place. Talk about private things later.

5. If you've seen the movie before, please don't talk about what's going to happen next.
Others also paid to watch the movie and they're expecting to get surprised, thrilled, excited, etc. It's part of their stress-relieving regimen. Again, please don't ruin the moment and take away the element of surprise the scriptwriters have prepared for everybody who wants to watch the film. However, if your friend is unlike the majority who wants to know in advance, please make sure s/he's the only one who can hear it. You're not sure if the other person near you wants to hear it, too, so let's be on the safe side.

6. Be careful about what you say when speaking in your native dialect.
This is not actually explicitly related to the subject at hand, but it does concern proper decorum still. Always bear in mind that you and your friend are not the only person who can speak/understand Bisaya, Ilocano, Batangenyo, etc. Some people in Manila can understand native dialects, too. Their parents are probably from the province, and they were trained since childhood to understand the dialect. So if you're planning on maligning other people but don't really want them to know that you are, I suggest not to use your native dialect. Consider some other code you and your friend can come up with. Or better yet, be nice. If you don't have anything intelligent to say, keep your mouth shut.

So there. The list above is not really comprehensive, but I think it covers the basics. Please take your time to read, digest, and understand. Let's all make the world a better place to live in. Thank you.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Harry Potter and The Vatican

They're friends now.

After the Pope has finally approved of the upcoming movie Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, my mom and her brothers and sisters can now breathe a big sigh of relief that their daughters are not being brainwashed after all by J.K. Rowling's witches and wizards. Don't believe me? Read this.

If you're part of the minority group who don't know who Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, and the Catholic Church is (and the way they don't blend together like oil and water no matter how hard you try to mix them), here's a brief explanation (at least from my point of view, just correct me if I'm wrong): the Catholic Church thinks that the books lure its readers into witchcraft and sorcery thereby putting in danger their soul and their belief in God. And if you're also part of a deeply religious family who values and respects what the Catholic Church says, this is a touchy subject. My sister and I love the Harry Potter series, and we had a relatively hard time justifying with our parents (and titos and titas) that we were already "spiritually mature" to handle the books. Nevertheless, my sister still had to give away her collection of books as "compromise".

This has got me thinking... if only the Vatican had read the complete series and realize that the whole story actually highlights the power of love and family and how good will always defeat evil in the end, then they could've saved our parents from the sleepless nights worrying that their children are already resorting to magic spells and incantations to get what they want (Accio car keys!). Right? Kidding aside, I admit that the books are of course subject to all kinds of interpretation depending on the reader. And it might pose some unwanted effects if perceived in a different way. But for me, I'll go by my rule of thumb: if it compels me to demean, hurt, or offend anyone, including God, then there must be something wrong with it. It suffices to say that even after reading all seven books, I still love God, my family, and my friends :D And I love Harry Potter. (Haha, labo :p)

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Happiness is a warm...

cup of coffee :D

A cheap one. Brewed at home. Served with hazelnut creamer. And as the famous MasterCard commercial goes:

Coffee grounds: *free*
Creamer: 52+ Php per pack
*skip the sugar since it's already sweet*

Coffee mug: 350Php
Smile on your boyfriend's face because he's drinking the best coffee ever (better than Starbucks!!!): Priceless

It's illogical. I know. Bear with me :D

It's been ages since I last posted an entry, and I missed writing about the nonsense. What amazes me is that even after 3 months since my last post, I'm still talking about the same thing. Either I'm getting boring, or my life is just really outpouring with good vibes that it needs to spill over or else I'm going to blow up.

With all the craziness happening in the world (low billable and utilized hours, market down, GMA getting a boob job, Belo finally speaking up.. I watch too much TV, I know), it's easy to overlook the small things that make you smile genuinely. I just had another spending binge several months back, and before I knew it I was paying credit card bills with transactions I couldn't even remember I made (my sister verified that I made them anyway). I had a Starbucks latte *everyday*, and I bought makeup that will probably last me 2-3 years. Of course, inspite of all the shiny new toys I bought for myself, I knew I couldn't pay for happiness. Happiness will always be a state of mind... a conscious choice I have to make all the time. You play the hand you're dealt with... with a smile on your face and a happy heart. Learn to appreciate the small things that create big ripples in your life -- like the smiles, laughs, and heartfelt conversations shared over a cup of warm coffee.

Right now, let's just say I'm happy that I finally found someone who'd harvest, plow, and seed my farm in FarmVille for me when my Internet connection is having problems with Facebook. =))

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands! *clap clap clap clap clap clap clap*