On coincidences…

Today was such a long day. I didn’t realize how tired I am until I got back to my dorm room, which was a just a few minutes ago, and rest my body for the first time since the morning. You see, Tuedays were supposed to be light for me, since I only have two classes–my film and multimedia classes–both of which are just free electives. To my surprise, it didn’t go like the usual easy-going Tuesday for me.

The APO job fair became so stressful for me–both going back and forth the venue and the Placement office just to accomplish my job fair tasks, and waiting in a long line to print the necessary documents for my job fair applications for the day. It was made worse by the scheduled quiz in my Film class, which caught me somewhat unprepared since I wasn’t able to finish the reading for I have used most of my free time for the day for my APO task.

Anyway, enough of the ranting. The real reason I wanted to blog today is my funny encounter with coincidence earlier. You see, I made friends with a Placement applicant earlier, my partner in tallying the day’s worth of evaluation sheets. The interesting part here is that, throughout the duration of us working together, we realized so many things we have in common.

Upon introductions we realized that we share the same last name–which she didn’t believe at first, thought I was tripping or something. Second, as the usual background checking of people who just realized that they have the same surnames, we became aware that we both have great great grandfathers, in our respective father’s side of the family, who were pure Chinese.

The last coincidence was the funniest thing that happened. We were working on the evaluation forms then, and I placed my phone on top of the pile I’ve already finished. When people rushed to the room where we were working, this new friend suddenly took my phone and put it beside her. I was stunned when she did that since I didn’t really understand why on earth she took it. Apparently, we also have the same phone and she thought that it was hers.

At that point, we started to get freaked out with the coincidences and kid one another about it. Well, it was really fun, and freaky. I was just amazed by everything that I had to write it here (though like in the past, I don’t think I made much sense writing this). Anyway, I just really wanted to so I won’t totally forget about the happenings.

There. Soupy post, once again!

On television and surveys and generalizations…

2:40 AM
At my recently converted workspace, just beside my dorm bed

Earlier today, while my orgmates and I were watching the Philippine version of Family Feud in GMA7–our usual Tuesday routine at our org room, 6PM on Tuesdays, I was somewhat surprised by the top answer to the question about naming important appliances in a household. According to the survey, the top answer is the television or TV, getting exactly 70 out of a hundred points.

You see, I have never considered TV as one of the more important home appliances. This attitude is reinforced by my being in the dorm and not having easy access to the idiot box for the past 3 years and counting. Well, I see its value, especially when it comes to entertainment, news, and many others. However, I really don’t understand why, for the 100 Filipinos surveyed by the show, 70 people answered it– a surprisingly high turnout, considering that the usual top answers score only between 50 and 60 votes.

At least in my point of view, the TV is among those that are dispensable. I mean, hey if you don’t have a television set, you don’t lose that much, right? You could still find entertainment through other appliances, like a simple radio or a laptop; you could still get news from the broadsheets or the Internet; and others. While no other appliance can store your food and chill your drinks like the refrigerator. Or you cannot make use of any other appliance to make your laundrying faster, easier and more efficient than the washing machine. But these two and the other important ones were no where to be found near the 70-point TV.

Does this simple house survey tell how we, Filipinos, put value in the things that affect our lives? TV over ref, washing machine, etc? Not a very good choice, at least in my opinion. Maybe this reflects a somewhat bad attitude that we have. That as most of us pick the TV that gives us entertainment rather than the other more important and useful ones to us, it is easy to see how we put more value into the more trivial and less significant issues rather than the vital ones at hand.

I know all these are hasty generalizations. But I think that somehow there is a little, so very little truth to it.

(Oh well. I hope I made sense. I just decided to write this since I’m having a hard time to sleep. Anyway, off to bed I go)

On text messaging…

3:44 PM
On my parents’ bed

I think I’ve reached my texting threshold. You see, I’ve been texting like crazy this past few days–without a doubt, so much more than I could ever remember. On an estimate, I think I’ve sent more than 600 texts in a matter of two or three days. This is since, I have been hosting and organizing mini get-togethers and impromtu gimmicks of different groups of my old friends back here in Subic. Thanks to my new globe post-paid line, which enables me to just text or call away and not worry about running out of credits; and to this impulse of mine since last semestral break, to take on the responsibility of organizing reunions or mini get-togethers of my grade school and high school classes.

Now my fingers are all sore. Even my arms are starting to hurt because of this too, I think.

Oh well. I guess this is fine. I just wanted to rant actually. Anyway, all those I’ve organized so far have been successes, so, no reason to fret or whatever. Yay for me! Hahaha. )

On Christmas and New Year’s eves…

1:30 AM
At our house, specifically in the living room, amidst the firecrackers outside and all the commotion inside

Hello 2009! Woot woot!

This is arguably the most fun New Year’s eve and day for the family. Aside from the usual getting together, media noche binging and videoke marathon, this year, my elder sister decided to welcome and celebrate the New Year a little differently. Getting the long neck bottle of brandy and litro beer, which were left overs from yesterday’s house party, she gave shots to everybody. And by everybody, I refer to everyone in the family, including our two nieces and nephew. Damn! After a few shots, the house was in total ruckus. I’ll not go into the details anymore. All I can say is that, everyone dissolved into laughter and fooling around–except for my dad of course, because he has a liver problem making alcohol out of the question, and me, because I’ve been drinking for the past six out of seven nights. But anyway, you get the picture. This was one hell of a fun night. No doubt.

Anyway, I’m glad about this. It made up for the kind of anticlimactic Christmas eve–because at that time, the sister I was talking about above was away for work, and Noche buena was celebrated at my eldest sister’s house and not in our own, a somewhat uneasy change for me. Not that I didn’t enjoy that one. I did actually. It’s just a little different. Christmas is Christmas, anyway.

Oh, well. I think I’ll end this post here. There’s still so much to write about the eve, but I’ll put it off for now. I’m a little sleepy and hungry at the same time that I don’t feel writing here anymore. That’s why. A post is a post anyway, even if it’s unfinished, lacking or nonsensical. Hahaha.

I seriously hope though that I find the time to write again about the 2009 and its probable challenges, about my new year’s resolutions and whatever in the coming days. I can do this! Believe! HAHAHA!