firsts

"When a mystery is too overpowering, one dare not disobey"


Or as our philosophy legend in our school would say, "Lundagin mo beybeh"

Daily Commute.

I used to commute on a daily basis from our house in QC to work in Metropolitan Park, Pasay and then to our head office in Buendia, Makati when I eventually was transferred there. It seemed daunting at first because the distance to be covered was really great and It took around four different rides (Tricycle, Jeep, MRT, and another Jeep) to go there.  I almost declined the job offer at that time just because I didn't want to commute that far on a daily basis. Times spent in the MRT on the way to work and back home were always hellish. It's like being part of the battle of Thermopylae squishing yourself through a mass of bodies in the hot gates. I'd be so worked up early in the morning and so tired when I get home at night but there was really no other choice.

I got used to it in time though as I started bringing my camera with me to document my daily trips to and from work. The MRT despite its irks, would always be to me a fascinating place to be in during the morning when the sun is just about to rise and its rays are hitting the train on its sides. The light coming in through the windows are very dramatic. If only the train was not so crowded. The Jeepneys on the other hand are always full of people who are sleeping, weary from the night before and from the day's work. Ditto for bus rides.

Nowadays, I now drive on my way to and from work. I haven't shot much in a long while. I still commute on days I can't use the car because of color coding.

Cauayan Public Market

I've been going to the public market ever since I was a little kid. My mom would take me with her on weekends as she goes through the fish, meat, fruit, and vegetable vendors. She would occasionally introduce me to them and I had to ask for blessing from each one every time even though I could not remember their names anymore. My hand would smell of fish, chicken, pork, and beef altogether combined by the time I'm done with all of them. Then we would eat at Goto Heaven where they serve the best lugaw and sopas in town. They're so good I used to order two bowls of each. And at only 10 pesos per order nothing can surely beat that.


It's interesting how after all these years the public market hasn't changed much. I still see the same people I used to see back then when I was a kid. I still have to ask for blessing from the same people my mom introduced me to and my hand would still smell funny after everything. I still eat at Goto Heaven and the prices of lugaw and sopas have remained relatively cheap. 

There was news before of the local government relocating the public market but it was met with heavy resistance coming from the people who have been there for a long time. In a few years SM, Puregold, and Robinson's would be opening and it would definitely kill a lot of these small businesses. I just hope the local government will have plans to protect the livelihood of the people who will be affected.

Socialism

Yes, it exists. There, in every wall where the working man has written his deepest sentiments.

Sunsets and Skylines

On rare occasions where I actually have time to watch the sunset from my office building's rooftop. Most of the time I never even notice it has passed because I work from 8:30-6:00. And I always feel it calling to me from outside through its yellow light creeping through the gaps in the window blinds.

Rock the Riles 2011

Every year RockEd PH celebrates human rights day by setting up gigs all over the metro with popular and upcoming bands. The gigs are staged in different stations of the EDSA Mrt line with each station highlighting a specific theme. I stayed at Shaw boulevard station because my cousin's band Malay would be playing there. Ideally I could have watched all the bands I like such as Up Dharma Down, Radioactive Sago Project, and others by riding the Mrt back and forth. But I was just too lazy to do it and I didn't want to lose my front row spot at the Shaw station. All in all, it was a great experience as always and it will continue to be one of the events that I look forward to every year.

P.S. Gotta practice taking band photos

To the dearly departed

As far as I can remember I have always visited the dead on all soul's day except this year. I am working now and I don't have the luxury of time to go home to the province to visit my dead relatives. So i'm stuck here at home with nothing to do. I could have made plans to go out with people I know but for very justifiable reasons they need to be at some other place without me.

It goes without saying that with all the idle time I have in my hands I have been thinking about life in general. Sometimes I wish people could live forever but in my opinion life itself would lose its value. The finiteness of life is what makes it worth living (if that makes any sense at all haha). Not to say I'm happy that we will all die and that those that went before me were lucky because they went first. Sometimes things that don't last forever are easier to appreciate than things which are always there. We don't take them for granted because we know someday they will perish. Though we sometimes do, still, every moment spent with them is special.

As for the people very close to me who have passed away, I will always remember them because I have lived with them.

And let perpetual life shine upon them...