Lines In My Head

It’s really hard to describe how good or bad a year has been given that there is so much variability that happens within 365 days. It’s like a collection of positives and negatives wherein if you get a net positive value in the end, then you say you’ve had a damn good year. Otherwise, meh.  In any case (and most especially for an optimist like me), I find it better to reminisce about the feel-good stories rather than sulk at the mishaps and misses. Welcome to my rainbow-colored view of 2014. A relatively quiet family life. No health, financial, emotional problems. That is why I find it always a pleasure to make that 3 hour bus trip to Bataan. Nothing beats the comfort of home. A promotion in my professional career. Something I didn’t really wish or ask for but thankful nevertheless for the opportunity, challenge and additional benefits (!) bestowed upon me. A successful first year in my MBA program. Passed all my pre-MBA courses and honestly appreciated my Leadership class e...

Being alone in one little quiet hole certainly induces episodes of reflection. The same thought process happens when I'm standing under a constant stream of cold water or looking at the hypnotic waves of the sea. I guess one of the reasons I write is to put all these random ideas into a giant imaginary ball then throw it away using one meaningless, harmless post. This is one of those posts.

Spent last Sunday just rolling around in our unit, munching leftover stuff, catching up on some anime series, occasionally defending our ancient, and draining a bunch of three-pointers. Typical boring weekend for me but that got me thinking about random stuff happening lately. So while I try my best to induce some much-needed sleep, here are some recent ruminations. * * * * * We spend most of our time at work. In my case, it amounts to approximately 50 hours per week. That's why I think it's critical to have a pleasant atmosphere in the workplace as it has a direct effect on your mood,  on your day, and eventually on your life. Sadly, that hasn't been the case for me. You see, for the past few months, the previously warm air circulating around our office corridors has seemingly degraded into a dark hanging cloud of misery. It's not just me though. I think almost the entire workforce acknowledges that fact. I have no idea if it'll change but as of this writing...

This is the second installment for the overdue posts and it focuses on the one-year marker with C. I didn't even realize that we've been together for more than 365 days already but I guess when you're happy, content, and indulging in really good food on a monthly basis, there's a tendency to ignore the calendar. Anyway, aside from the usual serving of tasty cuisine, we had quite a number of fun activities planned for the occasion. The lovely details, in the form of snapshots, are on the next page.

Because everyone needs to hear what I've been up to recently (yes, my story is an important aspect in the advancement of the human race), I am dedicating a post to ramble about random stuff the past week. Thoughts include the comforts of home, Friday night drinks, a recent training program, the initial preparations for 'The Big Trip', the wonders of streaming music, and the foray into TV-land. Next page, juicier details.

Exotic. The deafening boom that emanated from hundreds of firecrackers. The smoke rising from the remnants of the brightly-colored fireworks. The clanging of pans and saucers from our excited neighbor. The usual extravagant and flamboyant countdown on the tube hosted by throngs of showbiz personalities. And the smell of that mouth-watering T-bone steak lying lazily at our kitchen table. All were clear and obvious signs that the start of a new year was upon us. Well maybe, except for that delicious steak. Nooooms. Hmmm. That steak. I still recall that flavorful aroma that made me dash to the table after the clock struck twelve. I then sat on the chair and skillfully sliced the meat from the bone, carefully noting the delightful juice oozing out of the crevasses of the fibrous delicacy in front of me. The next step was to pour the old reliable steak sauce over the steak followed by a quick stab from my mighty fork. With help from my stable hands and flexible arms, the sumptuous ...

One random morning, C asked me details (specifically the title and the author) about a certain spy book she read a while back while staying at our place. I replied that I could only recall the title (World's Greatest Spies and Spymasters) but the author's name evaded me. Okay my love, she said. Later that day, I would discover the purpose for her query. The title was to be part of her yearly post chronicling all the books she finished during the course of one year (I still owe C, the author's name, by the way). Year-end categorized listings. Hmm, a good idea for a blog post, I thought. Here then are various stuff that I thoroughly enjoyed for the past year. Lists are in no particular order. Movies, TV Series, and Anime: 1. Frozen - Best movie I watched this year. Brought back lots of childhood Disney memories. Props to C for the recommendation. 2. Arrested Development Season 4 - Bluth family! Hilarious as always. Can't wait for the movie. 3. Game of ...

Mic swings. It's no secret that I am a big, unabashed fan of pop/punk/alternative bands ever since I got introduced to that one particular Taking Back Sunday song about a gun pointed to my head and wishful thinking. A quick scan of my Facebook feed and Twitter timeline reveals this fandom as both are literally littered with witty phrases and playful lyrics. Through years of downloading, listening and re-downloading, I have genuinely formed a unique bond between these well-arranged set of words and my life's current emotional state. Enter these one-liners and catchphrases. Perhaps the countless hours of listening to Tell All Your Friends or Take This To Your Grave or Deja Entendu  enabled me, in most cases, to pull out an appropriate song line for every mood. Given that I consider myself as a happy, cheerful, and drama-free person, for some odd reason, I resonated more though with the angst-filled, gut-wrenching, slash-wrist type of songs. These tunes ultimately b...

Flashback. Three to four months ago. Rooms devoid of light. Car crash scenes. Sinking ship on stormy seas. Ravaging avalanche. Sinkholes and landslides. Zero oxygen atmosphere. Linkin Park's Numb. You probably get the picture already. Then, a flurry of emotions. I was lost. I was scared. I was sorry. I was afraid. I was sad. I was depressed. I was lonely. I was weak. I cried. I wept. I prayed. I hoped. I listened to sad songs. I sang along to sad songs. I tried. I failed. MORDOR. But then, I decided.  Move on. Move forward. Live more. Find happiness. Love yourself. Fast forward. Around two months ago. One cool Thursday night. On a famous coffee shop. On a city down south. No discernible reason. For texting. For tweeting. For communicating. For inviting to a coffee. For meeting.  But it just felt right. So I trusted my guts. I took my chances. And I found happiness. A spark. A connection. A "kilig" moment. A synergy. ...