tick tock tick tock

It’s only a matter of time before the much-awaited Todos Los Santos holidays finally kick off. I can’t wait to go back to the City of Dead Pines and wrap myself in its cold embrace. I want to buy jars of Benguet coffee and ride the pink malnourished ponies! Already, an officemate asked for walis (broom) and chocolate crinkles—things she can buy in Manila, but there is nothing like Meningoccocemia-contaminated Baguio artifacts and delicacies.

A year ago I was having beers and bacon-wrapped liver appetizers with friends at Rumours in lower Session Road. In the middle of familiar conversation we all froze when some drunk stranger, for some reason, hurled an ashtray across the room. I never figured—not that I ever inquired—what the hell The Stranger’s problem was so I judged the occasion (as I almost always do) as a most strange random burst of nihilistic aggression.

from Love and Death

In Love and Death, Boris (Woody Allen) finds himself in love with his cousin Sonja (Diane Keaton) who, aside from being the most beautiful girl he has ever seen, is “one of the few people who [he] can have deep conversations with.” In one of the movie’s early scenes, Sonja examines a dried leaf and says, “Oh yes. This must be the best of all possible worlds!” Boris replies, “And certainly the most expensive.” The scene proceeds to what I consider one of the funniest dialogues ever written:

Boris: Sonja, what if there is no God?

Sonja: Boris Dmitrovich, are you joking!?

Boris: What if we're just a bunch of absurd people who are running around with no rhyme or reason?

Sonja: But if there is no God, then life has no meaning. Why go on living? Why not just commit suicide?

Boris: Well, let's not get carried away. I could be wrong. I'd hate to blow my brains out and then read in the papers they found something.

Sonja: Boris. Let me show you how absurd your position is. Alright. Let's say that there is no God, and each man is free to do as he chooses. Well, what prevents you from murdering someone?

Boris: Murder is immoral.

Sonja: Morality is subjective.

Boris: Subjectivity is objective.

Sonja: Not in any rational scheme of perception.

Boris: Perception is irrational! It implies imminence.

Sonja: But judgement of any system or a priori relation of phenomanae exists in any rational or metaphysical or, at least, epistemological contradiction to an abstract and empirical concept such as being, or to be, or to occur in the thing itself or of the thing itself!"

Boris: Yes, I've said that many times.

bloody hell!

Yesterday, I spent the entire afternoon proofreading a mock-up for a magazine we’re publishing this week. It’s for a multinational company that manufactures and distributes light bulbs, CT Scans and other electronic devices. The magazine layout was pretty clean-cut and straightforward—Dutch-inspired, according to our Art Director—but the editorial content was another story.

Now part of my job, aside from chasing after misplaced punctuation marks and misspelled words, is holding back my laughter when I see something like this: in an article entitled “PSPI Donates Blood for the Red Cross” there is a sentence that reads: “The volunteers described it as the bloodiest event of the year.”

isn't it romantic

My friend K., who is currently based in Zamboanga for the truly altruistic pursuit that is Nursing, has been sending me text messages rather frequently these past couple of weeks.

At first I found myself on the receiving end of a deluge of forwarded text messages—the ones about the value of friendship and faith, complete with animals made entirely of punctuation marks. I ungratefully interpreted this as a hostile gesture from her because she knew very well that I hardly appreciate—and reply to—such cheesiness. Then again, she had always been thoughtful and sentimental, in addition to being brusque and perverse. (That, or she had never been more bored in her entire life.)

Several days after, she sent another message. This time she informed me that she was about to embark on a mission or training or something. She was on her way to Margosatubig, Pagadian City where she would be assisting in a number of surgical procedures. Here are samples of text messages I enthusiastically replied to:

1. Kapaaanak ko lang! I’m covered in blood! Even my socks!
2. I just had my first major operation. Pelvic lap. Ectopic pregnancy. Grabe! Astig! Pinahawak pa sa ‘min ng doctor ang mga lamang loob! Hahahaha! How are you doing?
3. Yehey! We just delivered a baby! It's a boy! At inihian niya ako!
4. Tambay lang dito sa ER. Walang patients. Grabe yung dream ko last night! May penis ako! What does that mean??