MRT Talk

I’ve been reading some blogs talking about the MRT, like Dodge’s and Joem’s, so I decided to write about my own MRT experience.  Haha.

Like them I also rely on the MRT to get around quickly.  Even if it’s kind of a walk from my house to the MRT Ortigas station, I take it anyway.  It’s great exercise.  Haha.  And I don’t exactly have a choice.  And even if I had a car, gasoline prices today are ugh.

I love the MRT.  But I don’t love the people riding the train.  People who assume, and people who have no good manners in their damn bones.

Like this woman na panget.  I was behind her in the line, and I was rummaging through my messenger bag, which was in front of me, and apparently, touching her butt, because she suddenly turned around and started shooting a death look at me.  I ignored her for a few moments, but when she continued to stare at me, I asked her what was up.  She goes, “‘Yung kamay mo nasa pwet ko na!”  Incredulous, I go show her my bag, and that I wasn’t even touching her goddamn ass.  That was the first time someone has ever accused me of that.  It was crap.  At pangit siya!  Hello!  Pero kahit maganda siya, di ko pa rin gagawin yun di ba.  It just ain’t right.

Another horrible experience I’ve had was trying to get off the Ayala Station during rush hours.  I’m pretty sure every one has experienced trying to ride the train at Ayala Station around these hours only to feel frustrated because he or she can’t get in the jampacked train.  Well imagine how frustrating it is to not be able to GET OUT of the goddamn train.  All because of these people rushing to get inside, like they’d get left behind or something.

It’s common courtesy to let people get off the damn train first before getting on, right?  I always make sure to do that, because I want to be courteous to my fellow passengers and hope that that courtesy be returned to me.  No such luck.  Heck, this is the Philippines!  The country of very courteous and nice people!  Yup, we are… to visitors and foreigners.  Our own countrymen can go to hell.

So there I was, following someone outside the train.  He got out, but for some reason, the crowd couldn’t just wait for me to get out as well.  They started pushing inward, and I got pushed back in.  Puta, bastusan na pala eh.  I started throwing elbows and pushing forward again.  I guess someone got pissed off because I felt a punch land on my back.  It was something to laugh at (hindi malakas, haha XD) but it was a punch nonetheless.  Bakit sila pa ang galit?  Sila na nga ang bastos. Hey, sounds family.  Sila na nga ang mali, sila pa ang galit.  Like people who get towed because they parked in “No Parking” areas, people who get stopped because they’re speeding or running the red light, or people who stab people in the back but expect the same people to support them anyway.  Mga Pinoy talaga.

Mas weird pa diyan eh paakyat na ako ng stairs when this random person going down the stairs na kasalubong ko suddenly says to me, “You see, you can hurt someone.”  Di ko siya pinansin at di ko na tiningnan ang muhka niya, pero WHERE THE HECK DID THAT COME FROM???

Good thing mabait ako and that I was rushing.  Otherwise, I’d probably have elbowed him too.

So there, the MRT rules (unless it’s delayed or breaks down) but the people riding it… well, if only killing weren’t against the law.  Haha.  Cause them peoples are a waste of space.

Ranchero

As mentioned, that was like the longest 1 hour of my life.  Or one of them.

Ranchero, according to the program, was supposed to tackle the role of food in prison.  Was it to keep the prisoners alive?  Or was food actually an instrument of torture for the inmates because in keep them alive, they are forced to endure prison life until the time they are released.  What if they want to die already?

Sounds intriguing doesn’t it?  That’s why this is the one we watched, not the other one.  Wrong move.

I don’t know if I lack film theory concepts, or I can’t appreciate art, or both, or whatever, but I didn’t like it.  Why, you ask?  oh, so many reasons.

Where to start?  Huh… Hmm… Well, what the hell is with the uber long takes man?  I can appreciate long takes.  You know, that people are acting with no cuts for so many minutes, and how the camera doesn’t shake and everything, and I guess they wanted to present the point that prison life is BOOOORING.  I’m guessing, okay?  I don’t know the motivation for that.  But come on.  Do you really have to show long takes for a guy waking up, and about 10 minutes washing his face, pissing, and walking around?  Or the cooking or something?  Daymn.  Like Jana said, 10 hours na ng sine wala pa rin siyang ginagawang bago!

Okay there, it was dragging.  Speaking of Jana, like 20 minutes into the movie, after sleeping, she left.  She couldn’t take it.

What else?  Oh, ang labo nung kwento eh!  Bwiset.  Hindi natakeup yung role nung food sa preso, siryoso.  ‘Yung issue na lang biglang may nawawalang kutsilyo, tapos maya-maya may nagriot na, tapos may namatay, at andoon pala yung nawawalang kutsilyo.  So wait… una, how did the cops know that a knife was missing?  Two, how did the guy with the knife get the knife???  Three, guys were just fighting over basketball.  How did everyone get involved?  Or why did everyone just suddenly storm out of church to join in the fight?  That’s so weird!  Oh, and after the riot, they just showed the main guy, sitting, for maybe around 5 more minutes, and then… the end.  Oooookay.

And the sounds!  The sounds of metal were way too loud!  It’s like they put lapels everywhere!  It was so unnatural.

And well, I guess I just really didn’t get the whole point of the movie.  Like Ambo said, it felt like they just wanted to make it a feature-length film or something, that’s why they used plenty of long takes.

I saw Sir Doy again after watching the film.  I was tempted to go ask him what he thought of the film but then he might say he found it good and well-crafted, mapapahiya lang ako.  Huwag na lang.  XD

Maybe I should just watch another film.  Nang matuwa naman ako sa Cinemalaya.  haha.  Except for Pepot Artista, di pa uli ako natutuwa sa mga napapanood ko doon.  XD

Cinemalaya Short Notes (July 12, 2008)

Was supposed to catch the 6:15 pm thingy of shorts or something like that with the works of Sir Doy, Sir Groyon, Jason Moll, and Macky Quimson being shown.  I came from a shoot near Ateneo.  Go figure.  Anyway, arrived in Taft area a little past 6, and fortunately, Ambo and Jana were still at Taft Towers waiting for JT to arrive from wherever he was coming from.

(Preceding conversation notes are now like, um, parphrased, ‘kay???  Totally not verbatim.  YAY!)

Me: (upon my arrival, sporting my Zara hoodie-yes, it must be mentioned, diva!- I wave)
Ambo and Jana: Muhka kang anime!
Me: Yes.  So, bakit andito pa rin kayo?  Sinong inaantay natin?
Ambo: JT.  Kukai’s boyfriend when she’s here, my bitch when she’s not.
Me: So, asaan na siya?
Ambo: Navaricose veins na kami dito kakaantay!
Jana: 20 minutes na kaya kami dito!

In short, they do not know.  So antay kami.  May mamang dumaan na may belt bag.

Jana: JT, ikaw ba ‘yan?  Wag ka na magpanggap!
(laughter)

While waiting, Ambo calls Mars, inviting her to come join us in our viewing of Cinemalaya.  She declines or some such thing, cause she and John are going elsewhere.  O sige.  XD  And, uh, we discuss more stuff, and more stuff, and more stuff, and more stuff, and more…

Me: Kasama si Anna Manalapas?  I haven’t met her yet.
Ambo: Ay si Anna.  Nako, wag ka mag-alala.  Mag (toooot!) pa kami sa harap mo.
Me: (raises eyebrow)

He finally arrives, his hair now short.  Jana, in her haste to finally get to CCP, suggests we get a cab; fortunately, one stops in front of us, and we flag it down, and  we pile in the taxi.   We talk about a lot of things in the  cab.

Ambo: Nagtuturo na ako sa PNU!
Me: Ng ano?
Ambo: May Philosophy, may economics.
Me: Economics???  The hell??

Ambo: It’s like that thing with this thing, where, okay na sana, biglang Bible Study.
Me: What’s wrong with Bible Study?
Ambo: Wala naman, pero baka (I forgot what the hell he was saying)
Jana: Hindi mo ba alam, si Ambo ang sumulat ng original Bible.
Me: Ah yes.

Ambo makes a motion towards JT.

Me: Hinalikan mo ba???
Ambo: Hindi no!
Me: Jana, palit nga tayo.
Jana: Bakit?
Me: Di ko matake ang kadiring pangyayari dito sa likod.
Ambo: Bakit, wala naman kaming ginagawang kababuyan ah.  Meron ba baby?
Jt: Wala naman.

More things are discussed, including Lakangiting Garcia, ARTAPRE, and “Heal our Land”.  Do not ask me to explain this Heal our Land phenomenon.  Please see Mr. Rondera for more details.  Ahem.  Moving on.

Finally arrive at CCP, where we meet up with Anna Manlapas and her sister Patty.  I am finally introduced to her.  She now has black hair, not like in Hired where her hair was red.  Anyway.

We decide on what to watch, since we didn’t make abot nga the 6:15 pm thingy.

Me: Paano ba ‘to?  Labo ng schedule eh.
Ambo: Parang EAF lang ‘yan!  Ito o.  9 am, PEDANCE.  3:15 naman, ibang subject.
Jana: (random subject name) naman pag ganyang oras.
Me: Ah.

We line up and buy tickets.

Anna: Si Patty na yung pabili natin ng tickets.  Siya kasi student.
Ambo: Bakit, ako din naman student ah!

He proceeds to buy 3 tickets at student price.  Me too, but only 1 ticket.  Haha.  Oh yeah, we decided to watch Ranchero, because it was intriguing on the schedule: “What is the role of food in a prison?  To feed the prisoners to keep them alive?  Or to torture the prisoners who just want to die already?”  O di ba, intriguing!

But since it was way too early, we go to Harbor Square.

Me: Saan tayo kakain?  Sa mura ha.
Everybody else: Oo nga.
Jana: Eh di sa Jollibee!!!
Everybody else: O nga no!

We go in, grab a table, and only Jana goes over to the counter to order.

Jana: Hey, come let’s join us na kaya (to us).

I join her.  More chikahan in line, and in the table.

Me: (to Anna) di ba your mom works for (company)?
Anna: Sino ka???  Paano mo alam ‘yon???
Jana: Stalker!
Me: Oh, you know (proceeds to tell whole story)

Ambo: Bakit lasang isda yung fries ko?  O yung pangfishball??

Jana: Ambo, pahingi fries ha.
Ambo: Sige.
Jana: (reaches for fries, puts one in mouth)
Ambo: isa dalawang piso!
Jana: (pauses) ay, buo pa naman eh.  Babalik ko na lang.

Ambo reaches for JT’s pineapple juice.

Ambo: sarap ng pineapple ng Jollibee!  (to JT) I recommend it.  Orderin mo.

After eating, we all go out, and make tambay-tambay near the water.  Manila Bay is so pretty.  At night at least.  Then we all get our palms read.  It’s almost 9, so we start walking back to CCP.  At the entrance is a grotesque creature.  It looks like a girl, but we’re not sure if it’s even a human being.

Anna: Ambo, basahin mo kamay ko.
Ambo: Teka lang, nadidistract ako!  (makes sound effects-imagine “Help me!” moans)
Jana and me: (laughing our asses off)
Ambo: Noel, gawa tayo sine sa susunod.  Pangalan eh “Bangungot”.
Me: Starring (you know who!  Clue: Seton)?
Ambo: Oo!
Me: Siya ‘yung bangungot ano?  Dapat ikaw yung co-star niya.

We go inside for less distractions.  Inside, I see Carlos Armas and Jason.  I amble over, say hello.

Me: (to Jason) sayang, di ko naabutan film mo.
Jason: ako nga din eh!

Haha.  Film mo ‘yon loko.  XD  Hindi mo kailangan abutan.

I go back over to Ambo and the rest of the other people.  Muhkang patapos pa lang ang showing.  We sit down and the place gets hotter as more people exit the viewing area.  Blech.  so much for the hoodie, yeah?  I spot Mr. Groyon sporting new glasses and new hair(?), with a brown jacket, and… slacks?  Basta, hindi jeans.  I would have said hi, but he was always talking to someone else, and I did not want to be rude.  Also spotted Mr. Mike Lim, and Sir Doy.

I also spot food, and wonder, pwede kaya kami kumuha diyan?  Meanwhile, Ambo continues with the palm reading.  More people exit.  I see Caby, Diane, and Ivan.  Also see Meg.  I also spot a hell of a lot of people with DSLRs.  Bakit ba naging uso ‘yon?

I spot R.A. and Rona.  Rona is now super thin. 

I also see Eric Siy, and he asks for Tanya’s number, which fortunately for him, I have.  Fortunately it’s Sun, so you know, they can make tawag and I won’t care.  Haha.  XD  I also see Tina Baron and we wave at each other.

Spot Jamie, Den, Char, and Crissy.  Jamie wears all black with a GG bag (ano bang brand ‘yung G tapos baliktad na G?  Basta, sosyal siya!).  Den was wearing… I forgot, but I remember thinking it was cool.  Char wearing pink shirt, jeans.  Crissy wears a white top (I think) with green pants and red Chucks, and sports make-up tonight.  Hhhmm!  (bakit ko bigla namention ang damit?  Hendi ko rin alam!  XD)

Sidebar:

Me: Nakita niyo na sina Crissy?

Ambo: Is it just me, or did she become hotter?  (Yes, I swear he said that.)

I amble over and wave hi.

Jamie: Hello Manu.
Crissy: (waves) Hello!
Den: (big, surprised smile)
Char: (mumbles) Nice hair (and then walks away).
Me: So, maganda ba?
Crissy: Hindi ka ba nanood?
Me: hindi, late na nga kami eh.
Crissy: Bakit hindi???  Dapat pinanood mo kahit kay Sir Doy lang!

Wander off, Jamie is now talking with sina Ambo and Jana.  Jana is showing her moles.  Don’t ask me why.

Me: O Jamie, bakit sosyal-sosyal ata itsura mo ngayon?  Ganyan pa bag mo!
Jamie: You owe me a bag!
Me: (sa loob-loob, walang hiya to ah! XD) Wala pa eh.  Haha.

Jamie has to go soon, but Ambo makes her go look at some ugly girl first before she leaves.  She does, and leaves laughing.

We hang around the lobby just waiting for the movie.

Ambo: (to Patty) (something to do with guys)
Me: Laro tayo game.  Turo ka ng lalaki na gusto mo, tapos lalapitan ko.  Sasabihin ko “hi.  Have you met Patty?” Tapos aalis na ako.
Patty: (laughs)

Me: Jana, gusto mo maglaro ng game?
Jana: anong game?
Me: (explains game)
Jana: Hoy, umayos ka nga!

We finally get to the movie.  The movie starts.  This is Ranchero BTW.

Jana: 10 hours na yung movie para lang ipakita na gumigising yung mama?  Ano ba ‘yan!!!

For more details, see next blog entry.  XD

Jana can’t take it anymore, she leaves.  We finish the movie.  A 1 hour movie.  too short for a full-length, but felt too long nevertheless.  That was like one of the longest hours of my life.  URGH.

After that, we just listen to the band playing outside, and we go home after.  Yay.

Fun night.  Parang class reunion.  Wahaha.

Nawala na ‘yung momentum ko.  On to panlalait sa Ranchero!

In the words (and tone of voice) of Mr. Relativo: “Oo, ako nga ‘yon!”

(Sorry Josh, very appropriate lang kasi yung title.  Haha.  XD)

(No, this entry has nothing to do with Mr. Relativo, just the title. Ahem.)

I wish some people, before spouting off their stupid mouths, would actually take a while to THINK, and DISCOVER certain things before saying stupid things that aren’t true.

Ako?  AKO???  Ako, gagawa nun?  What the eff men.  I don’t waste my time on that shit.  Kung galit ako, galit ako.  Pero di ako gagawa ng ganun!  Excuse me.

Bakit ako iisipin niyo?  Akala ko ba kilala niyo na ako.  Tapos iisipin niyo bigla ako ‘yon?

Umayos nga kayo.  Nananahimik na nga ako dito eh.  Mga bwiset.  Please don’t threaten me either, because, like I said, I ain’t doin anything.  Thank you.

How about that?

Apparently, I’ve been setting myself up for “pathetic-ness”.

Interesting.  And, if it’s really what it is, unfortunately, true.

Yup.  I need a life.

Can Wednesday come here already?

Pwede na talaga siyang mamatay! :D

With that said, let’s all now move on, and close that particular chapter.

Totally random question:

Nagsasawa kaya ang mga endorser ng mga produkto sa sarili nilang muhka kada nakikita nila ang mga sarili nila sa mga billboard, magazine, commercials, etc.?  Wala lang.  XD

Totally true quote:

Just because you believe it/want to believe it, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true or right.  Open your mind!

Frustrating

1.  You know you’re right, you know what you know is the truth, but then, nobody believes you.

2.  You try to get in, because you genuinely want to know someone more… but they just won’t let you.

3.  You know you’re being an impatient ass, and that’s wrong, but you don’t know what to do to get past that.  XD

You know what’s strange?

Imagine a person, for, say, most of his life, getting bullied everyday in school.  He gets shoved in lockers and toilet bowls, tripped in hallways, beat up by a lot of guys, etc.  Basically someone you’d feel sorry for.

Then one day, he’s had enough and shows up at school, armed with guns and kills all the people bullying him.  That’s kind of a very predictable reaction, especially in the States.  Haha.  But here’s the weird part: all the people will go either “Oh my God, why did he do that???”, you know, really shocked, or they’ll go “Throw his ass in jail!!!” with righteous anger, especially if they’re related to one of those people who got killed.

Not that I’m siding with the guy who shot up the people, I’m not saying what he did was a proper response to that, and frankly, it’s his fault and his decision to respond that way, but at least people can TRY to understand why he did all that.  Hey, everyone has a snapping point, right?  Try enduring all that crap he did, and see if you don’t go shoot all the people or something.  It doesn’t make it right, of course, but still.  Wait… what was supposed to be the whole point… oh yeah.  There we go.  I really can’t believe people still react in shock when kids in the States do that.  Getting beaten up and bullied everyday isn’t a sign of a guy who’s about to snap???  Weird people.  I don’t get it why they don’t get it.  Probably what’s sadder is that the victim is kinda different from the people at school, so even teachers treat them like weirdos.  And then they get all shocked and surprised when the kid shoots up the school!  Fucked up, meyn.

It’s the same thing where… hmm… Oh yeah, I know.  You call someone a friend, lie to them, stab in the back, ruin his name with your other friends, and then suddenly get filled with indignation and “righteous anger” when that “friend” doesn’t do something for you, or doesn’t support you in something, or doesn’t listen to you.  Why are you surprised?  You treat him like crap, and then suddenly, he’s supposed to be your best friend?  You sure you live in the same planet?

Ah well.  People with that kind of thinking.  Can’t talk to them.  Then they end up making bad decisions and whining about them too.  Bully for them.

Random thought: TELLING THE TRUTH HELPS.  A LOT.  Try it.  =)

I wish to apologize…

Because I’m being a moron over here, and maybe I’m making you uncomfortable by how I’m acting right now.  I probably am.

I might be asking too much of you, but I hope you can cut me some slack.  Why, you ask?  Well, frankly, I’ve been out of the “game” (I don’t exactly want to use this term but this is the only common term I know) for more than 3 years already.  I just recently got back in.  So I don’t really know how to act anymore, how to approach this, etc.  I mean, just 2 days ago, I got scolded by my friends when I told them I wanted to do something that involves you.  They said it was too early for me to do that thing I was thinking about (get your damn minds out of the gutter, people, puhleez!).  What they said made sense, so forget that for now.  But I still want to do something.

Right now, I guess I just want to get to know you more.  A LOT more.  And despite my clumsy, heavy-handed attempts to do so, I hope you still give me that opportunity.  Kick my ass later if you get tired of my pathetic attempts, I won’t mind.  At least you gave me the chance, which I will appreciate for the rest of my life, no matter how long/short it might be. 

Lord, seriously, if you’re trying to teach me patience, can’t you find some other way to do it?  Please? 

On an unrelated note, I just discovered something.  And I’m still wondering how I should feel about a person getting crap from other people.  That person may deserve it, because of certain decisions made, but still… Am I supposed to enjoy that crap is happening to that person now?  On the other hand, shouldn’t I enjoy that crap is happening to that person now because well, that person fucked up?

Agh.  Why do I even care in the bloody first place?  I’m not supposed to!

funniest (and stupidest) I’ve heard on the radio so far

I was on the way home yesterday afternoon, after a free lunch at A.Venue suites.   I was riding a taxi.  And you know the radio stations taxi drivers listen to, right?  Whatever station has a “Papa Bear” for a DJ.  Anyway, they had this segment where people call in and ask for advice on certain things.

Caller: Hi, ako po si Angela, 24 years old.

DJ: Oh Angela, bakit ka napatawag?

Caller: Kasi po, nag-aalala po ako.

DJ: Anong inaalala mo iha?

Caller: Kasi po, kami ng boyfriend ko, pareho kaming “active” (if you know what I mean).

DJ: Active saan?  Sports, dancing, rallies?  (laughter)

Caller: So ang worry ko po, ayaw ko pa po kasi mabuntis.  Ano po ang gagawin ko?

DJ: Bakit, mapilit ba masyado ang boyfriend mo?

Caller: Hindi po, ako po yung mapilit.

Oooookay… Hinlabo naman nito meyn.