5 Firsts on My Fifth

Two weeks ago, we journeyed to the Land of the Rising Sun. It was my fifth time to Japan and there was still a lot of room for firsts.

My mom studied in Japan for 2 years almost right after giving birth to me. She loved it there so much even if she had to hustle away from her awesome newborn. :) When she came back, she promised to bring me there one day and spoil the crap out of me to make up for her time away from me. That she did (even if she didn't have to, honestly).

She's awesome.

We usually go the touristy places over there:

1. Disneyland and Disneysea (Do not skip Tokyo Disneyland. I repeat, DO NOT SKIP TOKYO DISNEYLAND! It's Disneyland only or Disneyland and Disneysea - 2 days!)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   

        

2. Asakusa (ala Mercato or Night Market)
   
   
   

   

        

3. Akihabara (FAVORITE PLACE IN JAPAN EVARR because #ShoppingForAwesomelyWeirdJapanElectronics)

   

        

4. Tokyo tour (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza) for more shopping and eating
   
   
   
   
   
   

   

        
5. Just about everywhere with FOOD!!!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

This year, we added a few firsts and here they are:

1.  Maid Cafe in Akihabara

Mom usually likes to shop for watches and bags in Laox. It's a 7-floor shopping building and right across I saw a Maid Cafe. I dragged my parents to try and have lunch there instead of going to our favorite place, Denny's.

We couldn't take pictures inside, but...

 

Honest opinion: It was... ok. 

I probably should have done a bit of research on the prices because once you enter, they will tell you that there's an entrance fee of ¥500 each (about PhP220). And that's only for an hour. You have to pay again when you exceed. Food was limited and expensive and when you wanna take photos with the maids, they will charge another ¥500. 

There were dance and game shows inside which was fun to watch. But we were hungry so we really couldn't enjoy them. The maids were cute though. 

Mom got pissed off because it was taking a long time for them to serve the food. #HANGRY (I think they did that so we would extend our stay and pay the extra ¥500. But it's Japan, the Land of the Honest People, so I don't know.) Once they were served though, it was worth it (a bit)...

The barbecue-sauce cat is drawn on the plate once they serve it on your table. Kawaii deshou?

Overall, I enjoyed our 1 hour in the Maid Cafe. I don't think my parents can say the same thing though since dancing Japanese maids may not be their thing. I suggest stopping over there AFTER lunch. Have some dessert and coffee, then yell out "nyan nyan" (their version of "meow meow") to get the attention of the maids if you want something (seriously, we had to do that).

2.  Space [f*ckin'] Mountain

Nuff said.

3. Mt. Fuji

It was so breathtaking. From the car, it looked like a painting on the sky...  

My mom told me that the Japanese really think highly and respect Mt. Fuji that sometimes they call it Fuji-san. They treat the mountain as a living person.

Another thing that made this trip to Mt. Fuji awesome was the snow at the Fourth Step/Station.

First time to experience snow!!! *sings Let It Go*

4.  Sakura EVERYWHERE

Ohh, we were really blessed that we came just in time for Sakura season (spring). Sakuras were everywhere and JUST starting to fall. It was amazing.

I was surprised to see the Japanese also taking pictures and truly enjoying the weather just like all the gaijins (foreigners) around. I asked my mom why that is. I assumed they were used to seeing this beautiful thing every year so why were they celebrating. My mom's Japanese friend told us how the Japanese perceive the Sakura season and the story is hauntingly beautiful.

She said the Japanese long to see the Sakuras bloom because it means that the dreadful winter is over. For 5 months, the weather becomes excruciatingly cold and when they see Sakuras, it is finally the end of their suffering.

Sakuras also symbolize how the Japanese perceive life. The Sakuras bloom and they are celebrated. It's calming and exquisite. But after a couple of weeks, once the Sakuras know they have already exhausted their delicate beauty, they slowly let go of the stems and leave the trees empty and lifeless. My mom's Japanese friend said, "It's like they're committing suicide." Harakiri, she said.

She said that the Japanese are hardworkers. Work is their life. Without work or anything to be proud of, life is meaningless to them. When this happens or when they're too weak to do anything anymore, it is acceptable, even preferable, to end their own life. Because for them, being useless and a burden to someone is not an option.

I never thought a flower can be perceived as a celebration of life and death. (Uhh, this is why I love Haruki Murakami.)

5.  [Legit] Sushi and Kimono Tour at Shizuoka

We went to the my mom's friend's house which is in the province. We had to take a bullet train (Shinkansen) to get there. Her house was enormous and peaceful.

She showed us around and fed us with legit sushi in a legit sushi house. Just reminscing about it now is making my mouth water...

It was prepared right in front of us so we could see how fresh all the ingredients were. My mom's friend taught us how to properly dip sushi in soy sauce. You should dip the fish not the rice so you flip it to the the fish side, dip, then slide towards you.

There was lobster, scallop, eel, sea urchin,etc.! I wasn't a fan of the sea urchin because it was slimy, but the others, I had no problem devouring. The plate may look like you won't be able to finish it in one sitting, but trust me... you can do all things in the name of sushi.

One more thing that my mom's friend made us do is to walk around a "village" wearing kimonos.

It was such a cool experience because you get to choose which colors you want and the fancier the better. They said a woman wearing a kimono should not open her legs or walk fast. Maybe that's why the slippers/sandals were so uncomfortable and the kimonos are so tight. My mom's friend told me to walk in small steps. I didn't have a choice but to do just that since kimonos are wound to your body multiple times, limiting your movements.

It was such a nice experience though because somehow, we were able to immerse ourselves to the amazingly rich tradition and culture of the Japanese. I hope the Japanese people preserve them forever.

5.1.  Onsen (Hot Spring)

When we were at my mom's friend's province, we stayed at a hotel with an Onsen. It wasn't really my first time going to an Onsen, but it was my first to go at night and have the place to ourselves.

This is an example of Japan's public bath area. People go in naked, shower, dip their naked selves in the 40℃ volcanic water, meditate a bit and let all their anxieties melt together with their dead skins. Uhh, I loved it. Right after we bathed in the Onsen, we had a foot massage, and slept like babies. That's. How. It's. Done. Goodnight.

We had such an awesome time during our trip. Mom promised that next time, we may finally go to Kyoto and see them temples! I can't wait for my next firsts in the Land of the Rising Sun!

Hangovers and Makulay na Daster

Things that happen after reading a Murakami or Kundera book, watching a Pixar film that poses as "for kids", or going to a gig of your childhood-favorite band... while drinking cocktails and 3 bottles of beer.

"Kay bilis kasi ng buhay, pati tayo natangay."

Ebe Dancel had a small gig in 12 Monkeys. He promised to play all Sugarfree songs. SUGAR [F*CKING] FREE.

The last time I watched Sugarfree play was the night they disbanded. And as if the sky knew what was happening, it rained pretty hard. I remember it clearly because while I was soaking wet jumping up and down, I stepped on shards of broken beer bottles. With my bleeding foot, I continued to sing along because... SUGAR [F*CKING] FREE.

I can't remember watching my first ever Sugarfree gig. I do remember following them around with my bestfriend when I was in highschool. We used to make Ebe, Jal, Mitch/Kaka sign our [very cool] phone cases...

because we honestly didn't have enough money to buy their actual album and have them sign it.

I remember how their songs spoke to me when I was going through things (a.k.a. puberty). I remember listening to all of them thinking, "P*cha, ako ba kausap mo? Sapul eh."

(FUN FACT: My favorite song is Cuida.)

And that's why I didn't care that I stood for 3 hours at 12 Monkeys that night. I didn't care that I was singing out loud while people on their prestigious tables were staring. "Kung pag-aari ko lang ang lumbay, itatago ko siya habang buhay." I mean... SUGAR [F*CKING] FREE!

And then I received a text from my sister...

At around Ebe's 5th song, I found out my grandmother (on my dad's side) passed away. She was gonna be 91 years old yesterday.

I immediately thought of my dad. Mama had been sick for months. She's in the States. Last February, my auntie asked my dad to visit them there. "Para makita mo naman one last time," she said. My dad went there alone to check up on her. He stayed at the hospital with her for a week. The last thing he said was, "Ma, aalis na ako bukas ah. I love you," then kissed her on the forehead.

Goodbyes are very important no matter how difficult they are to say.

My auntie called the other night. She's the one arranging everything for the wake. She was telling my dad that she had no idea where to put all of Mama's stuff. She had a lot of clothes that no one wanted. I remember seeing her in her colorful dasters all the time. Her pajamas and church clothes are the best because they had to match. They had to be made using the same fabric. It was so funny and adorable.

Makulay na dasters and terno clothes. That's how I'll always remember how awesome she was.

Rest in peace, Mama. Have fun with Ang Kong!

(So please forgive me if I turned down any lunch/dinner invite. It's a bed/blanket-burrito weekend for me I'm afraid.)

New Year Goggles and Goals

Before I make crazy promises and impossible resolutions while wearing my New Year goggles, I wanna give the spotlight to 2014 first. Since my brain and sight have been compromised because of these damn goggles, I have squeezed what I learned in 365 days in just 5 categories. And here they are:

MONEY

I'm awesome when it comes to not spending a lot of money. I love budgeting and saving. (I have an Excel file to prove it if you don't believe me.) BUT, 2014 taught me that I'm not really THAT awesome.

Now that I have a stable income, one would think that I'll be able to save a whole lot with me bragging about my budgeting talents. But no! There aren't enough Forever 21s, Payless shoe stores, Starbucks, and Chinese restaurants out there to fulfill my desires.

2014 made me realize that having money means having more choices/opportunities. Having less of these, limits how you live your life. This is why I work my ass off because I love having a wide selection of things I can spend my money on. Whoever said "Money doesn't give you happiness," probably didn't have much to figure out how to use it properly.

I also love the fact that in 2014, I was able to help my parents with expenses at home. I believe this is my greatest achievement in 2014. Whenever I see the look on my mom's face when I give her my contribution for the house, it makes all the hardwork worth it. It feels really good to be the one helping them out this time. I'm not the breadwinner or anything, but it just feels good to have a major role/responsibility in our home. It makes me feel... included.

Money will enable your future self to live comfortably. (Given, of course, that you live a little uncomfortably now.) "Why do I keep hitting myself with a hammer?" "Because it feels so good when I stop."

CAREER

January 2014, I quit my first job ever. I was given an amazing opportunity to see my future in that company and unfortunately, I didn't like it. It sucked that I didn't because I was having so much fun. Fun doesn't equal fulfillment/success though.

After I quit, I immediately revamped my resume. The problem was, I didn't know what I wanted. Research? Marketing? Advertising? Media? Publishing? Wedding singing? It was overwhelming. Then I hear my parents offering me a position in our family business. That confused me even more. I stopped sending out resumes all together.

I asked the Universe for a sign. "Please please show me my successful self in the future so I can make the right decision NOW!" And lo and behold, the Universe gave me a call. A company was looking for a Sales Trainer, immediate hiring. I had no other leads so I went to the first interview. To cut the story short, February 2014, I became a Sales Trainer. March 2014, I received my first pay.

I'm no Jordan Belfort or anything, but trainer! Training! When I was young, I would always enjoy being a little know-it-all and tutor my classmates who are having trouble in school. I loved explaining Math using animals and food. I loved making the complicated simple. I loved imparting knowledge! But I never thought of it as a career though.

I'll be forever grateful to 2014 because it showed me my path. I love training. I love teaching. I love explaining complicated financial concepts/terms to my trainees and switch their light bulbs on. Oh how I love seeing their light bulbs turn on!

2014 taught me that there's absolutely no pressure in finding out what you wanna do in life. Time is your bestfriend. Maximize it. Just make sure you don't stop until you find that one thing you wanna wake up for for the rest of your life.

LOVE

2014 taught me a lot about TRUE love. How it's not unconditional and it should exist between a giver and a receiver. If the receiver doesn't want the love the giver gave, then it's not TRUE love. Which means, unrequited love is not TRUE love. (Doesn't make it not real though.) It's probably in the Selfish or Unconditional love category. I have no idea if this is TRUE love's real meaning, but this is what makes sense based on my experience.

This 2014, I gave what seemed to be some kind of mutant version of "true" love to someone. (Which obviously was not true love in the first place. It being in its mutant state and all.) It went well at first because it seemed like he felt the same way. See, there were 2 versions of him: the real tangible one and the imagined intangible one that only exists in my head. I'm talking about the latter, of course. When it dawned on me that he actually didn't feel the same way, I was forced to meet the real tangible version of him.

The problem was, I was still hung up with the idea of my mutant "true" love that I had no motivation to shake the real tangible him's hand and introduce myself. I shut down and became a blackhole. I have lived in my imagination long enough that it was hard to snap back to reality.

Thanks to my friends who slapped and dragged me back to life, I was finally able to introduce myself to the real him. And... It wasn't that bad. It wasn't that bad at all.

I made 2014 all about that damn blackhole. In 2015, I'm making it about the twinkly stars around me. And when I say twinkly stars, I mean my friends.

FRIENDS

"Falling is a chance you give you friends to catch you." As I said, in 2014, I was in a blackhole. I got pushed over the edge and fell. I closed my eyes as I was falling and I expected to hit the ground pretty hard. I was surprised when I suddenly stopped falling. I opened my eyes and saw my friends there, all lined up to cushion my fall.

Selfish-me always thought that I was just a dumpee for all my friends' problems. That when it was my turn to be the dumper, they wouldn't be patient enough to be there for me and listen. 2014 proved me wrong. I gave my friends a lot of shit and they were there to deal with them all. And I will seriously forever be grateful.

I'm guilty of sometimes taking my friends for granted. 2014 made me realize that my friends are an integral part of my life. I've learned that life isn't like Friends or How I Met Your Mother where you can have coffee or beer at 2 in the afternoon with your friends every single day. It doesn't matter if we don't see each other all the time. Distance is nothing when you are committed to someone.

My friends are my gossip girls, slaps in my face, emergency contact people, coffee buddies, random trip/sleepover buddies, sisters, 3-hour phone pals at 3am, ETC! And I'll be the same things for them in a heart beat.

SELF

2014 served as a transition year from my childish, immature self to my... NOT SO childish, immature self. Maybe it's 'cause I turned 25 this 2014. I experienced changes in my taste of movies, books, food, coffee, etc. I found myself drinking tea, eating pineapples, reading 1984 (by George frickin' Orwell!), and watching Annie Hall. I got to know myself better and I believe that's one step towards self-worth.

Having gone through all these changes, 2014 also made me realize that some things never change. Some awesome things about me can stay unchanged while I grow. Like wearing colorful clothes (pink and green! #watermelonfeels), drinking coffee at 11pm (drinking coffee any time of day actually), hating kids but secretly loving them, singing randomly whenever I feel like it, and faking it until I make it (which REALLY works by the way).

Another breakthrough this 2014 is I actually felt more comfortable with myself. And with that comfort came a small amount of confidence. I was confident enough to sing in front of people in a wedding for crying out loud! IN A WEDDING! (I've always wanted to be a wedding singer!) Having confidence is something new to me. It feels nice. I think I'm gonna have more of it in 2015.

2014 was all about first steps of knowing and loving myself. First steps to self-worth. 2015 will not be about steps. It will be about soaring.

Having realized and learned all these things in 2014, my #2015goals are as follows:

1. Have short and long term savings. Short term for travel, emergencies, SCUBA license! Long term for condo!

2. Be an awesome trainer and have more patience with trainees. Follow dreams of becoming a motivational speaker (TED talk levels!)! Inspire and influence people!

3. Don't wait for those damn flowers from someone! Get some seeds, plant some and wait. Or just buy them yourself!

4. Pour out excessive, overwhelming love to friends! Do stuff for them they actually need. Make making your friends happy your priority!

5. Love self more by eating healthy (more pineapples and teas), exercising (Ayala Triangle, baby!), wearing earrings and heels to work (more confidence in 2015!), and sharing singing talent with other humans (preferably in weddings)!

Have an awesome new year, everyone! Let's soar this 2015 and kick 2014's ass! :)

Thanks for the rescue! :) ++

Just grateful to a friend who spent the weekend with me. I've been feeling like shit since last week so it was really nice not to wallow in depression and sulk for a change.

We didn't do anything special or whatever, but it's kinda nice to not do anything with someone. (Yep, I think I just slept the whole time.)

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On another note, I figured out that making two worlds meet makes me anxious. Two sides of me that is. Sides that are not as simple as just the good and bad. It's kinda like mixing ice cream with chowder. O__O

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On another other note, I'm going to Singapore on Thursday! :) We're celebrating my sister's birthday. Oh, how I miss traveling. Oh, how I miss airports. I SERIOUSLY CANNOT WAIT! Weee!

Because I'm just a kid [at heart] and I have been good this year...

I wish there were no such things as sicknesses and diseases and disorders. Everyone would just exist without worrying about what will happen to them. A carefree life. [A careLESS life] Worry. That's the devil. I wish there was no such thing as worrying. When people hear bad news, they'd just skip the worrying part and fast forward to having a clear head to be able to solve the problem. Worrying intesifies the fear. It turns fear into a mutant one.

Today, I heard one of those kinds of news. The one that can make you have massive palpitations right after drinking brewed coffee. When you hear something that might determine your future, you start hyper-speed thinking. Your head starts to ache and you're just ruined for the rest of the day (maybe even the week/month). Those aren't the "appropriate" reactions but those are the initial ones for a paranoid person like me. When I heard the news, I start thinking why it's come to this. Why did I let this get out of control? Bakit ang tigas ng ulo ko? I think I need a therapist who can answer all these. I almost always understand myself, but this one... This is too Da-Vinci-Code-esque for me to decipher. I just got really scared and again, I started to worry so bad. Whenever this happens to me, I cover my ears and close my eyes for me to calm myself down. I don't wanna hear or see anything so I can give way for my brain to work properly. I just wish that by doing that, I could actually get some answers.

I know the directions and how to get to where I wanna go. I just have no idea why it's so hard for me to take that first step. I just wish the people around me motivate me the right way, but I know that's asking WAY too much. Plus, everything that I do will be up to me. No matter how much people around me offer motivations, it'd be me who will still make the first move. Everything that's happening to me, I only have myself to blame.

Whenever life slaps you in the face, you start taking it seriously. It leaves a giant mark on your face to remind you that it means business. I guess all I gotta do is ALWAYS look myself in the mirror and see that slap mark.

Decisions (big ones) and Moments with Friends (little ones)

Last October, I found out I was gonna be an Octoberian. After the Econ 122 (HARDCORE financial economics course) scare, I actually thought I was gonna be an April 2012 baby. But I managed to maintain my Economics Weighted Average (EWA) so here I am. Though I don't have any proof yet that I already graduated (no diploma or TOR yet because of the damn slow-ass admin), I can give you my grades in all the 137++ units I took.

Finding out I was actually done with college was a blast at first. I was glad that all that hardwork actually paid off. All those here-comes-the-suns, pimples, readings, caffeine in my blood, scolds from my landlady, etc. It was done. That was it. But then when it was beginning to sink in, I started getting scared. I didn't think I was ready to face the world outside of school (I don't like calling it "real world" because wherever you are, that is your real world). College was my comfort zone. If I could get paid to be a perpetual student, I'd SO be! But reality slapped me in the face and reminded me that I belong in a Filipino family that expects its children to eventually provide for their parents and siblings once they start working. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with that (a little). Heck, I wanna spoil my parents to death! And that's exactly why I got scared in the first place; because I was being pushed to execute everything that I have planned my entire school life. I'm now expected to make the right decisions because the decisions I make from now on are the ones that will matter. The ones that will help me execute those very ambiguous plans.

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. Before, I could make them in a snap. Green or Blue? Green! (:p) Heels or flats? Flats! Jeans or leggings? Jeggings! Harry Potter or Twilight? You're stupid! There were moments when it was a little more complicated. Cellphone or laptop? hmm... Sleep or coffee right before an exam? hmm... To do thesis or drink with an old friend? hmmmm... (:p) Now, there is a whole new level of mutant complication in making decisions. To take a break first and just chill for a while or look for a job right away? To take that job that pays WAY less than your expected salary because you're after the experience or screw experience and bring me the moolahs?! Everything is moving too fast. The world is not even waiting for me to make my decisions. Maybe I'm the one who's moving too slow. If that's the case, then I MUST pick up the pace. It's very comforting to know that my parents are there to guide me with these decisions. I feel like I'm walking on a string blindfolded, and I'm glad my parents are there screaming which direction I should go to.

I must make big decisions from now on because whatever I come up with right now WILL matter in the long run. I must make do with that damn string and slowly lift that blindfold over my head until I can clearly see what's up ahead.

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On another note... I had my gradwar (:p) celebration last weekend. Of course there were booze (lots and lots of them), food (also lots and lots of them), and friends (just a few of them). [♪♫ These are a few of my favorite things. ♫♪] I wanted to spend a night with my close friends maybe for the last time (not an emo statement... just facing reality...). I wanted to do things that we always did before. Eat, drink, get drunk, laugh, make fun of others, make fun of each other, eat, drink, get drunk. I never really liked hosting an event or "party" but for these people, I would do a lot more. These people tolerated my corny jokes, my sudden emotional shifts, my opinions, my laziness, my grammar corrections, my foul comments, my judging self, ME. These people put up with me and the craziness I came with. I love these people to death. I say "I love you" way too many times, but this time, I really mean it. I do not understand how these people managed to let me in to their lives. I have trouble letting people in mine, but with them, it was as easy as blinking my eyes. It also happened that fast. In just one blink, these people became part of my routine. I hate to think that that was the last time I was going to see them. I'm still hopeful, but I will not expect. Destiny. :)

For now, I will hang on to the little moments these people left me with. The arguments we let pass because even if we know we're all smart, we are better friends with each other. That one night when I had no place to sleep in and you guys accompanied me in Jollibee. The "Why do you think WE SHOULD hire you?" moment. That one night we ate Isko-ramble and stayed at the track oval to chat. That time when we raided bookstores in different malls. Those times in Sarahs/Drews/Delish/Sefali. Sleep overs in my house. New Year's eve in MOA. The egg yolks sucked. And who in her right mind would give an Octoberian sunflower seeds because there are no sunflowers in UP for Octoberians? :) These crazy people make me even crazier. But in a very good and kinda high way. :p

I love you guys so much. And it's almost scary how I mean it. Will still wait on destiny to do its job. :)

Koala's March

Me: Baka kasi walang kasama 'yong friend ko mamayang 3am eh... Samahan ko nalang siya...

Dad: Sinong friend?

Me: 'Yong classmate ko sa Econ...

Dad: Sino ngang classmate? Anong pangalan?

Me: 'Di mo naman kilala...

Dad: Ano ngang pangalan?!

Me: Tricia!

A dialog between a dad and his daughter wherein the dad longs to find out if his daughter is going to hang out with a boy at 3am in the morning. It was actually kinda funny once I knew that that was what he was trying to do. I wanted to prolong the conversation as long as possible to piss him off. It kinda worked.

*on the phone*

Mom: Baby, miss na kita.

Me: Anubeyan 30minutes palang ako wala.

Mom: Haha! Nasaan na ba kayo?

Me: Papasok palang ng SLEX. (and yes, SLEX is 30 minutes away from our house)

Mom: Mag-iingat ka sa UP ah!

Me: Of course!

A phone conversation between a mom and her daughter wherein the mom desperately clings to her daughter because she thinks that her daughter may be up to no good. It's kind of surprising because she was in a bad mood the whole day. She probably just wants someone to help her with the chores at home (maid, day-off).

And now I'm alone in the boarding house with nothing to do and with only a bottled water in the fridge to consume.

And fine, yes, I miss them like hell already.

One Tear, Left Eye

I have waited for you for so long! Today is the ultimate GV day. GV day that consists of a facial, foot spa, mani-pedi, shopping for a new pair of shoes, AND THIS! :D

Just Another Take on the Bill

My family and I went to Tagaytay last April. We accompanied my mom's highschool classmates because one of them was going back to Australia for good. My mom's classmates were cool. They kept reminiscing about "the days" and I enjoyed listening to them. I liked that they were obliged not to order shakes with straws in them because of me. I'm glad they found out that they could stir the shakes with their spoons.

So we toured around Highlands and was happy (at least I was) that it was deserted. It was a Tuesday so the place was empty. We were taking pictures of ourselves and breathing in the view when my sister called me.  "Tingnan mo 'yong mga ibon oh," she said. I looked at a cage full of lovebirds. I was always a fan of colors so I stared at the cage with my mouth wide open.

Two particular lovebirds got my attention. They were chasing each other from branch to branch. The girl (how I found out it's a girl you will see later) was letting the guy chase her as if saying, "Habulin mo 'ko," with this I'm-ready-for-you tone of voice. They did that for about 3 minutes and again I was staring at them with my mouth open.

Suddenly, they started kissing, chase each other again, and kiss again. It became a kiss-chase-kiss madness in the cage. At one point, one of the birds joined them, but the guy wouldn't let anyone touch his girl. They were doing their thing and no one could ruin or interrupt what they were gonna do next.

After a good 5 minutes of all the chasing and kissing, they finally did what they were thinking of doing even from the beginning. They were going at it like there was no tomorrow. I actually thought the girl was going to die. I covered my sister's eyes because I wouldn't know what to tell her if she asked what they were doing.

It was time to leave when I saw the cage as a whole. Every bird in that cage were going at it. If you have watched the film "Shortbus", it looked a lot like that scene in the bus but prettier, more colorful, and no flesh was showing.

If the birds don't control their "hobby", they would fill the cage with little lovebirds that will eventually go at it and bear more and more birds not considering all the externalities. If the cage is big enough (and almost always it's not) then the only problems would be the safety of the birds and the resources in the cage. Are they healthy enough to keep doing what they're doing? Are they passing diseases while doing what they're doing? How are they gonna provide for themselves and their young? Where are they going to get the resources if they start to run out?

These questions probably never crossed their minds. They are merely paltry little birds. This is why they need someone to educate them what to do and how to do them. They need help and they need it soon.

And yes, this is just another take on that bill that everyone's talking about. I have read the bill and I have to admit that I don't really this bill that much. I don't need to know all about these contraceptives, ligation, vasectomy, etc. because I already know all about them and I'm informed. Even if I happen to not know some of the things it's talking about, I have access to information. This bill is for the people who do not have access to ANY of these information. They are all willing to learn, but no one is helping them. And the time has come for them to learn and be informed. If they keep this pace up, we would have more maternal deaths, abortion counts, and we might become poorer and poorer (yes, the economy is affected and I'll explain in a bit).

Personally, I don't like the idea of ligation and vasectomy unless it's endangering the life of the patient. I don't like having to destroy something that is working perfectly well. [Also, I'm extremely against abortion (which is not included in the bill and is still illegal here in the Philippines, just FYI).] BUT, I am not going to judge someone who has done it or is thinking of doing it. It is that person's choice and I am in no position to tell him/her what's right or wrong. I can only give that person information and it is up to him/her to choose whatever he/she wants to do. At the end of the day, the bill is just offering us a choice. Just a choice. And it's always nice to be offered some.

The bill will not force the people to get a vasectomy or a ligation or even to drink the oral contraceptives. The bill is just going to provide us with information about all these fancy words so we can make intelligent decisions and be educated before we make our "move". Along with the information they will provide, appropriate resources will also be given to be able to plan our families and control the population as a whole. All the bill is offering us is accessibility to all of these. And who wouldn't want that?

I've said earlier that without this bill we might become poorer than we already are and this is why. In truth, there are no inverse or even direct relationship between population and the economy. BUT, there is however, an inverse relationship between poverty and the economy. In the Philippines, there are more poor people than there are rich or average. The rich people can multiply how many they want and it wouldn't be that much of a problem because they can afford their standard of living and eventually, affect the economy positively. BUT, when the poor people start multiplying without knowing if they will produce various externalities, that's when the problem begins. The population is largely clustered in the lower class so if the government provides jobs which require dimplomas, only the upper class or the others who could provide to go to college would benefit. As a result, people tend to depend on investing on tricycles, jeepneys, or sari-sari stores which are very poor investments. Some people would go to other countries to find yet another dead-end job just so their family would get by. Some officials actually prefer this because these OFW's give us millions of remittances every year. Why the hell would we want our citizens to leave our country and be away from their family? You say population is no big deal but when it's getting crowded you let them throw themselves away from our country. It sucks that we are happy when our currency depreciates. We prefer the high exchange rate because we earn more dollars than pesos. It seems like there are no jobs here in the Philippines because a lot of people are not qualified to work. The truth is there are available jobs in the Philippines (Check the classified ads in the newspaper. There wouldn't be a portion alotted to finding jobs if there weren't any.) You just need that piece of paper called a diploma to be able to participate in the working class.

I have nothing against the people who are not in favor of the bill. I actually get some of their points. But their way is obviously not working because we still have the same problems. We are still poor. The bill is just presenting a new solution to the problem, and I hope everyone could get on board. Why don't we just try it and see what happens?

Again, the bill is going to offer us choices and resources to plan our future. It will give us access to information that we might not know we need. This may be a drastic change and it is undoubtedly hard to swallow and digest, but once that we get on the same page, we'll be able to digest it just fine. Time is running out and we have to take action now. Those poor little birds must learn that they are NOT poor little birds to begin with. They are actually free to fly and see what's waiting for them outside that cage.

from http://facethefactspasstherhbill.tumblr.com

Disclaimer: I'M NOT GRADUATING YET

When I was in my senior year in highschool, I didn't want to go to college anywhere else but in UST. Everything was already set up in my head. I was gonna go to college with one of my bestfriends, we were gonna go home together everyday, hang out, etc. I was gonna study Psychology, which got me excited even more. I felt that UST was a big enough pond for a big enough fish like me to swim in. But my parents pushed me to go to UP. I didn't wanna go to UP. It was the Pacific Ocean, and I was a poor little Pandaka Pygmaea. I spent my summer vacation convincing them to let me go to the school that I want and got in to. I sulked and sulked until they finally got to me. They brought up the "financial issues" and I had no choice but to oblige. Parents will do/say whatever they can to manipulate you to also want what they want.

Fast forward:
I was still frustrated that I wasn't in the course that I wanted. I wanted to study Psychology, but since the quota is as high as frickin' Mt. Everest, I decided to apply to my second love, Economics. I'm now in my third year as an Economics major, and so far, I haven't had to drag to myself to go to [some of] my classes. It's funny how everything can change completely in a relatively short span of time. My parents now hate that I'm in UP because, to put it simply, it turned me into a person who thinks about stuff. They hate that I always have an opinion on almost everything. They hate that I answer back to them. "Nung bata kami hindi kami sumasagot sa mga magulang namin!" (Baka naman walang tinatanong.) They can't accept that life does not wait for them. That they can get stuck and the world will just keep spinning and changing. They already promised themselves they weren't gonna let my little sister go to UP. Which might change since people/they are, in general, capricious. Also, I learned to enjoy my [current] stay in UP. I found out a lot about myself, other people, and the things around me. I learned how to stand on my own two feet and not need any other set of feet but my own. I learned how to open my mind and be receptive on the views of others. It is now easier for me to pick the friends that I should keep and those that I should drop. Even though I'm not graduating this semester (which technically I should be), I now realize that I wouldn't have learned all these things if I went to UST or any other school. I wouldn't have met a set of friends that I will keep forever. I wouldn't have experienced riding a jeepney while my pants were ripped in half. I wouldn't have experienced eating nothing but street food because I didn't have food in my boarding house.

It never occurred to me that a little fish can actually grow into a big enough fish to fit in to the Pacific Ocean. I am and will forever be thankful that I got to experience (and still experience) the UP life.