POST PARTY
December 30, 2006
There are times when I can’t write my heart out on these electronic pages; there are times when words are mere beggars in the midst of truth and circumstance, when all I wish to say can never fully capture the joy and laughter – the strangeness and unease of the moment.
At those times, I either keep my silence, write poetry, or turn to a pleasant fiction to house my tales. I shall try the latter two, and shall build the story up in the next few weeks. After all, the new year has come, and soon, there shall be a whole new 52 weeks, 365 days, 525600 minutes to write about.
I wonder what 2007 shall bring?
Yesterday night, I went to the Pinoy Harry Potter End of Term Feast for the first time. I had always been elsewhere at this time of the year. I would be with my family in Boracay, or in Iloilo, or in any other place on vacation. This year, I kept my promise and went to the feast.
In two words: PURE FUN. There were games, a Triwizard tournament, and food. There were friends whom I had not seen in a long time. There were new faces, new Hogwarts Philippines students, new voices and naughtiness, new silliness and styles.
It was a great party. And – well – you know – it was – great.
What else can I say, and how can I say it without sounding like a complete idiot?
All I can do now is look forward, nurse a few fears, and pray for guidance. I can revel in memories, smile, laugh quietly to myself, and write.
I wonder what 2007 shall bring?
AND NOW, FOR A LITTLE VACATION
December 23-28, 2006
Apart from a few encounters with demons, spirits, and elementals, Christmas was fun. We spent the vacation in Iloilo, where I got to talk to my cousins, aunts, and uncles once again. Now I know where I get the Perpetually Hungry, Hyperactive, and Noisy genes.
December 29, 2006
Motu Propio after Christmas, Apostolic Exhortation in January
Rome, Dec. 15, 2006 (CNA) – Sources close to the Vatican have told Catholic News Agency that the Motu Propio by which Pope Benedict XVI would allow for the universal use of the Missal of St. Pius V may be published after Christmas, while the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist could come in mid-January 2007.
Sources confirmed the recent statements to reporters by Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez, who told them after participating in a meeting of the Ecclesia Dei Commission, where the text of the Motu Propio was reviewed, that the document would come soon.
The declaration would allow the Mass of St. Pius V-often called the Tridentine Mass-to be celebrated freely and do away with the current requirement to have the explicit permission of the local bishop. The Motu Propio does not address the canonical status of the Society of St. Pius X, the schismatic organization founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
The Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist, according to the same sources, has already been finished by Pope Benedict XVI and is being translated into the different languages in which it will be presented.
The document, which sources say will be issued after January 15, reaffirms the Church’s commitment to a celibate priesthood, encourages the use of Latin in liturgical celebrations, and even requests that seminarians learn the language as part of their formation.
It will also promote the recovery of Gregorian chant and sacred polyphonic music as a replacement to modern music, which would result in a gradual elimination of musical instruments that are “inappropriate” for the solemnity and reverence of the Eucharistic celebration.
CONTEMPLATIONS ON THE CURRENT
December 13, 2006
Last Saturday, I did something that I had not done in a long time: I went back to St. Scho to participate in my schoolmates’ annual Christmas outreach program.
We expected to meet 120 less fortunate children from Pandacan, along with 40 parents. Thankfully, only about 60 or so kids arrived, making our job less strenuous. At the end of the day, however, I wished that so many more kids had arrived, because I suddenly felt happy, fulfilled, and relieved. I even missed my students, at some point.
I also found that I had been selfish for so many weeks. I had been so worried about my health, my projects, my novel, my essays, that I had forgotten that I could be of service to these kids. That’s what St. Scho did to us, you see: it was our motto in high school, to be women for others.
I learned something, after I finally got to rest last Saturday. No, it wasn’t how to help the less fortunate, or to not look at my own misfortunes and remember that there are far less lucky people than I. True, I felt what it was like to talk to kids again. I also thought myself stupid and selfish for worrying about my own problems when there were more problems in the world around me that I could solve.
What I learned was this: I had so many dreams of helping these children, and I had so much potential to fulfill them, but I was not using that potential.
I could write and raise enough money to keep them happy for their individual birthdays, but I was not working hard enough. I could teach and raise enough money to keep them happy for a few seasons other than Christmas, but I knew that I would not earn enough money to keep myself alive.
There was only one option left, I felt, as I left St. Scho and headed home. I had to leave the country and grab a great opportunity abroad. I had to study, get my PhD, and get a high paying job. I could invest my money, or put it in mutual funds, and use the interest to build an orphanage or refuge for street children.
Introducing: Inez’s grand plan for change.
I’m going to call that refuge The Shire. Like the home of the hobbits in Tolkien’s Middle Earth, my Shire will be the sanctuary to which all children can flock to learn how to be children, how to be useful – to learn. I’m going to get the best teachers in the country to teach these kids. We’ll have classes in mathematics, history, science, and English – but we’ll make these classes interactive and fun. We’ll have electives: music, creative writing, film, TV and video production, business, financing, and we’ll make these subjects so inviting and fun, that students from other schools can join in.
I’m going to have a library and hospital in the Shire. I’m going to have fields of corn and rice, so we can teach the kids about agriculture and working with the earth. I’m going to have research laboratories so they can appreciate genetics, GMO’s, and biotechnology at a young age.
I can’t wait to go to the States, study, then earn my keep. I can’t wait to put up that Shire complex. I can’t wait!
Oh, if only I’d pass! There’s so much to do, so many people to help! And I don’t have time!
RECHARGE DAY WITH NICEE
December 15, 2006
This is something I forgot to write about days and days ago, when I was busy with my essays and letters. Nicee introduced me to two new addictions: Trivia Machine and Firefly.
We met up in Glorietta and got to talking again, with Mallow running in the background. While we exchanged songs and files, and looked at pictures of the ultra-gorgeous JD Fortune, whom Nicee saw in person – while we browsed through files and laughed at our weirdness, we chatted. There was talk on current love life, past love life, future (or so we wish) love life. There was talk, over coffee and ultra-sweet chocolate cakes, about films and movies. There was talk, while Mallow was taking and giving data, about making a Supernatural Fanfic.
Nicee, ever the organized writer, offered to write my Supernatural Fanfic outline. Thank God for people with outline sense, because I can be too eager to write and step into the lion’s den without a care (or complete knowledge) of the coming fray.
Anyhow, we took to playing Trivia Machine, which, by the way, is now my favorite addiction. Answer any question for a given number of points, and you get higher and higher in the rankings (My fullest push landed me in Level 8). As soon as we forced ourselves away from Trivia Machine, Nicee handed me her copies of The Purifiers (oh, gross, man!), Green Street Hooligans (Heck yeah!), and Serenity and Firefly.
Firefly is a sci-fi series set in the future, when China and the US hook up to form a global alliance. This alliance spurs a war, between those who want independence, and those who want a galactic empire. The earth is gone, but the rest of the planets remain, and a group of inter-planetary smugglers travels the galaxy as they introduce us to a future strange, bleak, and highly hilarious.
Serenity is the movie based on the series, and I have yet to watch it. Firefly, however, has gotten me hooked! Too bad Fox pulled the plug after only 14 episodes. Anyway, there are other fans all around the world, and I’m going to share – how I want to be Kaylee so I can kiss Dr. Tam. Hahahahaha!
Ehem. Anyway, that was how we got through the afternoon, Nicee and I. Chat, more chat, and whining. Man, time was whizzing by, and we had accomplished so little. Drat, we wanted so many things to happen, a better film industry, a better publishing industry, but the country seems so helpless. And cripes, we had better get working on the fanfic soon!
Eh, that was just me, hehe. But the shout out is still the same. You! Nicee! We’re working on the fanfic soon! So exciting! Ah, Dean, and Sam, and ehem, the love interest, whom I have not seen for way too many Sundays now. This is getting sad. Very sad.
Fanfic! Fanfic! Fanfic!
EGG: TREE, GRASS, WATER, POCKET
December 14, 2006
Now, for the benefit of certain parties, I shall repost the “egg inquiry” thingy.
If you were given an egg to keep safe, where would you place it? In a tree, in water, in the grass, or in your pocket?
If you choose a tree, you are a person who does not plunge readily into any relationship unless you know that you’ve got Mr./Ms. Right on your hands. As a tree-keeper, you are a perfectionist and demand the most from your significant other – simply because you, like the tree, are a protective person who demands the most from your emotions. Advice: Take it easy on both yourself and your significant other. A relationship should come easily, and should not strain you out emotionally.
If you choose water, you are extremely passive, and will not make the first move to initiate a relationship no matter how much you like/love the person. Like water, you take the shape of anything you are placed in: you will not force a relationship into being, but you will wait for the other party to show you affection, or hints that you are truly liked, loved, or wished for. Only when a relationship is firmly established will you finally reveal your emotions. Advice: Don’t keep those emotions closeted for too long! You might lose the person you love only because you were too afraid to speak a word.
If you choose grass, you fall in and out of love easily. When in love, you give everything to the relationship; when you lose your significant other, you also seem to lose yourself. Like grass, you find yourself being trampled on in many relationships; however, like grass, you also find yourself cushioning the other party’s blows, helping your partner out, and supporting him or her. You fall in love with the smallest details in a person; when you see the entire picture, however, you become hesitant, and cannot accept certain traits that you might not have seen before. Advice: Remember that the greatest relationship consists in loving in spite of, and not because of.
If you choose your pocket, you like to take control of a relationship, and you are an aggressive lover. You give everything in a relationship: you give all of yourself, sacrifice your time and money for your loved one, and take the helm and steer the relationship through its course, whether rocky or smooth. Because you are, by and large, the giving and sacrificing party, you expect your partner to follow your lead and never leave you. And, because you keep your egg in your pocket, you like everything to be close and within reach at all times: to some extent, you are obsessive compulsive, and want to know anything and everything about your lover. Advice: Don’t give too much of yourself! Keep your emotions in check. Make your lover miss you sometimes.
TO MY DEAR BOYS AND BOYTOYS…
December 13, 2006
And now, for some insanity, allow me to present my letters to the boys and boytoys I’ve added to my hot, illustrious collection. Aaah, this is so much fun! Now if these boys and boytoys suddenly stumbled upon these letters…well…*GRIN* * BLUSH*
Dear Orlando Bloom,
Oh, you supremely hot thing you! Seriously speaking, Orli darling, I wish you’d study your craft. I can tell you’re a good actor, but it seems that you need more oomph, more salt in your acting, so to speak.
Marry me? Hehe.
Dear Ioan Gruffudd,
If I would ever write an erotic novel, my dear Ioan, I would be the girl and you would be the man.
Now that I have your attention, I want to tell you to pick better movies. Ditch that Fantastic 4 thing, and do read your scripts before you take on projects! I want to see you in more serious films, period flicks with sense and class, those sorts of things. Want me to write you a script? I’ve got oodles of novels, you know.
Dear Nathan Fillion,
Can I apply to be a member of Serenity’s crew?
Man, I so love Firefly, and I can’t wait to watch Serenity! You rock, Captain Reynolds!
Dear Sean Maher,
You’re cute. I wish all doctors looked like you.
Dear Jesse Spencer,
My dear, darling Jonathan! How are you? I’m working on a final edit of The Romantic, and my goodness, I see you and hear you whenever Jonathan’s character comes on! I know I was right to base the character on you, you cute handsome, smart dude you!
Marry me? Hehe.
Dear Richard Gere,
Ah, papa! Now, if only you weren’t Buddhist, and if you were Catholic, man, I’d date you! We could dance. I could teach you a few steps. We’d have such a GREAT date! Swear!
Dear Jonathan Firth,
Man, I miss you! I haven’t seen you in ages! Well, you’re the only crush of mine that I’ve seen in person. When are you coming back to the Philippines? Are you still with the Royal Shakespeare Company?
I hope you get more parts, and more roles that will finally make you famous – you know you deserve to be famous! My regards to your brother, Colin. He’s cute too, but you’re hotter. Yeah!
Dear Jason Isaacs,
I still imagine you as Senator Galba in my Senator trilogy. You are the villain with charisma, the kind of bad guy good girls want to know better. And date. And be really close friends with. Maybe marry, after you change for the better. Ha! Yeah right!
Anyway, I cant wait to see you in all your new movies! You are simply Luscious Malfoy to me (hahahahaha!).
Dear Colm Feore,
I wish you weren’t so old. You are just so handsome. Maybe you could be Vespasian in my Senator series? Oh, but wait, you’re already Lord Lykaios in Sanctuary. Fancy a two-picture deal with this novelist?
Dear Victor Garber,
Oh, I wish you weren’t so old, like Colm! Really! You could be Vespasian, after you play Brother Moses in Sanctuary. What about a role in The Romantic? There are lots of speaking parts in it. I smell a hit. I smell a worldwide hit!
I also miss you on Alias. Drat, you are so…cute when you drive a car backwards.
Dear Gael Garcia Bernal,
You didn’t look like much in Y Tu Mama Tambien, but you were great as Che Guevara in The Motorcycle Diaries. I suppose you know that Che’s birthday is on June 14? Guess what: that’s my birthday too!
So what say you, Senor Bernal?
Dear Wentworth Miller,
You love to stay at home and rest. Your favorite game is Scrabble. You love reading. You really ARE my soulmate!
Seriously, Nicee said you and I could get along if we got together. So…
Marry me?
***
Hahahahahahahaha! Oh, man, this Statement of Purpose writing thing is really tiring me out…
