Musmos sa Lansangan

Here are some of the photos i've taken for our project in LTS 2.

A digital camera was used for convenience (this was done in only 24 hrs) & money (we're all broke).

Young Zaphod Plays It Safe

The following is a short story starring Zaphod Beeblebrox that is included, among other places, in the posthumously released collection The Salmon of Doubt. We hope you enjoy it.

A large flying craft moved swiftly across the surface of an astoundingly beautiful sea. From midmorning onward it plied back and forth in great, widening arcs, and at last attracted the attention of the local islanders, a peaceful, seafood-loving people who gathered on the beach and squinted up into the blinding sun, trying to see what was there.

Any sophisticated, knowledgable person who had knocked about, seen a few things, would probably have remarked on how much the craft looked like a filing cabinet-a large and recently burgled filing cabinet lying on its back with its drawers in the air and flying. The islanders, whose experience was of a different kind, were instead struck by how little it looked like a lobster.

They chattered excitedly about its total lack of claws, its stiff, unbendy back, and the fact that it seemed to experience the greatest difficulty staying on the ground. This last feature seemed particularly funny to them. They jumped up and down on the spot a lot to demonstrate to the stupid thing that they themselves found staying on the ground the easiest thing in the world. But soon this entertainment began to pall for them. After all, since it was perfectly clear to them that the thing was not a lobster, and since their world was blessed with an abundance of things that were lobsters (a good half a dozen of which were now marching succulently up the beach towards them), they saw no reason to waste any more time on the thing, but decided instead to adjourn immediately for a late lobster lunch.

At that exact moment the craft stopped suddenly in midair, then upended itself and plunged headlong into the ocean with a great crash of spray that sent the islanders shouting into the trees. When they reemerged, nervously, a few minutes later, all they were able to see was a smoothly scarred circle of water and a few gulping bubbles.
That's odd, they said to each other between mouthfuls of the best lobster to be had anywhere in the Western Galaxy, that's the second time that's happened in a year.

The craft that wasn't a lobster dived directly to a depth of two hundred feet, and hung there in the heavy blueness, while vast masses of water swayed about it. High above, where the water was magically clear, a brilliant formation of fish flashed away. Below, where the light had difficulty reaching, the colour of the water sank to a dark and savage blue.

Here, at two hundred feet, the sun streamed feebly. A large, silk-skinned sea mammal rolled idly by, inspecting the craft with a kind of half-interest, as if it had half expected to find something of this kind round about here, and then it slid on up and away towards the rippling light.

The craft waited here for a minute or two, taking readings, and then descended another hundred feet. At this depth it was becoming seriously dark. After a moment or two the internal lights of the craft shut down, and in the second or so that passed before the main external beams suddenly stabbed out, the only visible light came from a small, hazily illuminated pink sign that read, the beeblebrox salvage and really wild stuff corporation.

The huge beams switched downwards, catching a vast shoal of silver fish, which swivelled away in silent panic.
In the dim control room that extended in a broad bow from the craft's blunt prow, four heads were gathered round a computer display that was analysing the very, very faint and intermittent signals that were emanating from deep on the seabed.

"That's it," said the owner of one of the heads finally.

"Can we be quite sure?" said the owner of another of the heads.

"One hundred per cent positive," replied the owner of the first head.

"You're one hundred per cent positive that the ship which is crashed on the bottom of this ocean is the ship which you said you were one hundred per cent positive could one hundred per cent positively never crash?" said the owner of the two remaining heads. "Hey"-he put up two of his hands-"I'm only asking."

The two officials from the Safety and Civil Reassurance Administration responded to this with a very cold stare, but the man with the odd, or rather the even number of heads, missed it. He flung himself back on the pilot couch, opened a couple of beers-one for himself and the other also for himself-stuck his feet on the console, and said "Hey, baby," through the ultra-glass at a passing fish.

"Mr. Beeblebrox . . ." began the shorter and less reassuring of the two officials in a low voice.

"Yup?" said Zaphod, rapping a suddenly empty can down on some of the more sensitive instruments. "You ready to dive? Let's go."

"Mr. Beeblebrox, let us make one thing perfectly clear . . ."

"Yeah, let's," said Zaphod. "How about this for a start. Why don't you just tell me what's really on this ship."

"We have told you," said the official. "By-products."

Zaphod exchanged weary glances with himself.

"By-products," he said. "By-products of what?"

"Processes," said the official.

"What processes?"

"Processes that are perfectly safe."

"Santa Zarquana Voostra!" exclaimed both of Zaphod's heads in chorus. "So safe that you have to build a zarking fortress ship to take the by-products to the nearest black hole and tip them in! Only it doesn't get there because the pilot does a detour-is this right?-to pick up some lobster? Okay, so the guy is cool, but . . . I mean own up, this is barking time, this is major lunch, this is stool approaching critical mass, this is . . . this is . . . total vocabulary failure!

"Shut up!" his right head yelled at his left. "We're flanging!"

He got a good calming grip on the remaining beer can.

"Listen, guys," he resumed after a moment's peace and contemplation. The two officials had said nothing. Conversation at this level was not something to which they felt they could aspire. "I just want to know," insisted Zaphod, "what you're getting me into here."

He stabbed a finger at the intermittent readings trickling over the computer screen. They meant nothing to him, but he didn't like the look of them at all. They were all squiggly, with lots of long numbers and things.

"It's breaking up, is that it?" he shouted. "It's got a hold full of epsilonic radiating aorist rods or something that'll fry this whole space sector for zillions of years back, and it's breaking up. Is that the story? Is that what we're going down to find? Am I going to come out of that wreck with even more heads?"

Next Page

Walk to the past

The day and the night were all drawn up for the story of two (still nameless) frogs. That story would've taught them to respect others cause not everyone has the same basis for what they believe in. It should've been the first ever activity that i solely executed, or at least played the biggest part of its execution. It got me down that i didn't get to do the story-telling bit yesterday. There's still gonna be a next time, tho. From the foundation, we did the obligatory routine of going to Shang food court and planning what to do next.

Marcello & Landlady Allan made plans to go to LB, and i volunteered to come along thinking that i'll probably do crap on my SP again. I walked home again after that. The same usual stuff.

Jarek came to our house yesterday afternoon. He forgot that it's Saturday and i have a class. However, after eating some of my cousin's b-day food, Jarek came and ate more with me. I asked him if he wants to join our road trip -- Mark plans to drop off Allan & his desktop there, and go back home right after. He said yes.

The trip started awkward. Jarek made a comment about the Chinese -- how they're all the same tea-pickers -- and Mark told us he came from a line of conservative Chinese family. Apologies and a long silence followed. But they eventually gotten around to talking after that.

In LB, we had a brief chat with the people hanging out the House of Second Chances, then waited for Vida who'll go back with us to Metro Manila.

Icebag Tarugo

Have you seen two blind men lead each other? It's a sad thing to see.

They started the play with the part where two dying people were used by other dead people to settle their affairs that they failed to settle when they're alive.

It's a classic "Life is wasted on the living" business.

...

The part i liked most is the one about the twins joined at their backs fighting over a guy.

The Hokey Pokey (as written by W. Shakespeare)

O proud left foot, that ventures quick within.
Then soon upon a backward journey lithe.
Anon, once more the gesture, then begin:
Command sinistral pedestal to writhe.
Commence thou then the fervid Hokey-Pokey,
A mad gyration, hips in wanton swirl.
To spin! A wilde release from Heaven's yoke.
Blessed dervish! Surely thou canst go, girl.
The Hoke, the poke -- banish now thy doubt.
Verily, I say, 'tis what it's all about.

Symphony of Hammers

In the hazy zone between very late and very early, i walked along the street between Mega A and Mega B. This is contrary to Eric's advice for me to walk to Ortigas and go to EDSA from his place. I'm glad i didn't follow that, otherwise, i would have missed the amazing feat that awaited me between those two parts of SM Megamall.

The place was being fixed, so there are several people up the wall behind the safety nets. The striking of hammers to the walls are nearly chaotic, but far from random. In fact, they make a pattern that has a nice rhythm. Its intricate alternating series of strikes resemble something as beautiful as Ryuichi Sakamoto's Paradise Lost. This experience could probably be resembled by how Lawrence Pritchard Waterhouse mapped out the streets of London in Cryptonomicon. As i slowed down to listen in awe, tears almost escaped my eyes the way it did when i ate a whole portion of wasabi. I thought these things only happen in dreams and could be classified like floating in air. I shouldn't really be surprised by this, tho. Aside from the preference of each worker on when to strike with the hammer would be close enough, the number of people doing this justifies the creation of a pattern coherent enough to resemble music. It's just as fractals -- which is just a randomly generated set of colors -- eventually leads to an image that is similar to a real object.

This experience inspired me to make the composition i've been assigned to do for Belle Ame. They wanted me to make a song that would show my (non)concept of a deity. I'd focus on most people's argument of an "intelligent design," which assumes that everything is part of the "grand design" and that this cannot be possible unless some entity has planned about this. This assumption is apparently flawed, for, save from a few rules, everything is actually ruled by chance and chaos. Poch Suzara explains it better in the mailing-list. This is not enough reason for anyone to be an atheist, as i am, but IMHO, it's good enough for the song.

I still can't think of how to put it in verses this time tho, so i'll just have to update this later.

Dodging People

It seems that i've been dodging people all my life. On the way to the North Avenue MRT Station, i walked opposing a horde of people that are probably on their way home. I walked up, climbing up two steps at a time, avoiding unnecessary steps. Near the top, though, i had to decide whether to take three steps or to take two steps, then step up just one more. I decided to take it slow but sure.

It was still crowded, probably with people rushing their holiday shopping so they won't need to go out tomorrow. After a few minutes, i got into the first car. This, i've done purposely so it'll be close to the stairs that leads to the shops full of pirated CD's in EDSA Central. I asked around if they have VCD's or DVD's of Nightmare Before Christmas or Super-Size Me. They don't have any of those, but they offered me Surviving Christmas, which i haven't even heard of 'til now and i don't think i'd have any interested in watching. I entered Shang, not interested in buying anything there. That mall never fails to disorient me no matter how many times i've been there. It must be their shops with overpriced products, then again, it might just be me, i'm not sure.

A few floors down, and several turns later, i found the exit that's closest to SM Megamall. I went out and headed in the general direction of that great big obstruction. Behind Building B, bodies bounced beside bodies. It's a big crowded mess of people burdened with shopping bags & other stuff that emerge from malls. I turned right and walked thru San Miguel Ave to get to Robinson's Galleria. From the time i set foot in Galleria, i've been thinking twice about watching 2046, but their management already decided for me, by changing 2046 into something else (i can't really remember at the moment). I would've liked to watch it again in that cold movie house, but it's too late now, i have to wait for a VCD/DVD of that. Having lost one purpose of going out, i just looked for Super-size Me and The Nightmare Before Christmas, having checked the shops that sell videos, i lost hope of finding it there and decided to go back to Megamall to look for it.

Just outside the back exit, where Erika drank coffee & Niña gave me iced tea, i decided not to go back from where i came. So i turned left to Ortigas, and saw the front of Gasoline Alley, where Niña and i sat and talk for hours postulating that there's probably a factory that makes people for the sole purpose of delaying her. Seeing that, i decided to go to a place where freedom is given the value it deserves. A place where people hardly respects the restrictions given by the law. A place where love and fear coexists, and are often inseperable. Yes. I decided to go to Virramall.

However, i didn't realize that going there required more effort. Crossing EDSA, i had planned on crossing Ortigas & riding a jeep or a bus from there, but owing it to my poor memory, this plan was sure to fail. There was no place to get across Ortigas for more than a kilometer away. It was too late when i realized this. I've been walking and have been seeing signs that said, "WALANG TAWIRAN NAKAMAMATAY" (this means "no crossing" in a Florante & Laura type of Tagalog). Having seen an overpass made me smile unnecessarily and inexplicably -- since i'd still have to walk to Virramall, given that all public transpo there are full. Having this in mind, i still looked forward to going up and getting across, since the other side seemed to have more lights. To my dismay & puzzlement, the overpass is locked. So i had to walk to the place of freedom on the dim part of the street. A few meters from that depressing event, however, the lights on the other side were also out. I trudged the street knowing that if it weren't for the vehicles passing by, it would've been pitch black, and eventhough it's only a two days before a full moon, i couldn't count on it because of the cloudy sky.

Seeing the green light, my heart pumped as fast as it did when i saw clouds reflecting silver rays of the sun. This was probably because i was so tired, but at that time, it seemed like a good analogy. I went up the overpass where a stream of people flowed against me, probably to get the heck away from that extremely crowded place. It's as crowded as a sardine can stuffed with twice its contents. Despite this fact, i was still determined to look for those two videos. I asked two stalls, which resulted again to the negative. I was then beginning to wonder why those two are so hard to find. After a few minutes, i decided that i didn't care why it is, as long as i find it. I also realized something else: that i didn't know how i could get to Virramall from that part of the shopping center. Rather than going in circles again, i decided to go out and head for Virramall's entrance. On the way, i saw the cinema and checked, just in case they're showing 2046 there, which of course, they're not. That, having wasted my time, made me get to Virramall's entrance more than a few moments since it closed. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, since most of the pirates leave at least half an hour before the mall closes, which led me to wonder what stupid thought came into my mind that implored me to go there in the first place.

Fretting over something that's already done is useless, i know, so i decided to solve my problem by making a time-machine. However, i had more urgent problems to deal with -- such as getting home -- so i decided to set aside that endeavor and get going. I turned right from the gate of Green Hills Shopping Center to Annapolis. After that i decided to walk to Cubao, just for kicks. Of course, i had to nourish my poor body before another torturous activity, so i grabbed a Pork Asado Crunch-pao (like Kung-pow, only crunchier) and some juice at a MiniStop near a condo named Atlanta Center. I continued where i left off with Poppy Z. Brite while eating. Going out of that store, i turned left. After a few meters, i drew a map in my head. I realized my walk would've been shorter if i turned right instead, and go thru Eisenhower then Rd 1 & Rd2. I wouldn't know where to go from there, but i'm certain it'll get me to Aurora faster. Thinking that i could always do that again next time, i continued to EDSA.

Seeing that the MRT cars are jam-packed, i said to myself that i'm doing the right thing by walking. In front of PNP's white gate that are as tall as three humans on top of eahc other, i saw a couple apparently arguing who gets the next piece of fishball, or at least that's what i thought. Just before getting to Serrano Avenue, i saw two groups of guys, which looked like people who are out to get my non-existent cellphone, but they didn't even noticed me, so it's just paranoia in my part.

Away from the Bagong Crame area, i discovered the land that MMDA forgot. It's probably covered in a mile radius from Bangbangali. From there, i could see the Cubao MRT station. Going up two steps at a time, i recalled that my ticket only has 10.50 PhP loaded in it. At the ticketing booth, i verified that it'll take me 10.50 PhP to get to the North Ave station from there. With a mild stroke of senselessness, i came up with an idea that'll attempt to justify the absurdity of my current situation. I decided to go to the next station (GMA Kamuning) and explain to people that i walked all the way there to get a bonus ride worth 50 centavos -- because, with a stored value ticket, the last ride wouldn't account how much was left on your card. Also, i decided to explain thinking this way because i'm of Ilokano (who are considered kuripot -- to put it nicely: extremely thrifty -- all over the country) origin. However, the fact that i'm writing this on a public web log made this decision nonsensical.

I took the first car of the MRT again because the other two were full. I didn't want a seat tho, just more place to move around.

I staggered down, one or two steps at a time, invariably, at the North Avenue Station. When i got to the foot bridge, i took one tiring step at a time, then walked very slowly on top, then down a step at a time. After a few minutes of regaining my strength, i got down two steps at a time like before.

It was surprising to see SM North still open after 10pm, so i got in and tried for one last time to look for The Nightmare Before Christmas & Super-size Me, but the video shops are closed. Passing by, i bought a brownie & iced tea, or "number one" as they called it, at some store. Eating while walking, i saw a music store and decided to buy a bass pick. To my dismay, the store was also closed.

I walked thru the parking lot and crossed the street at a part where nobody else would probably cross. I found a trash can near the back exit of Supersales club, threw my garbage and continued to walking my almost-daily path. After a few hours of senseless torture, here i am, with nothing gained but another look at a small portion of the world. Still the same, more or less. Still climbing up and down flights of stairs two steps at a time. Still dodging people.

Belle Ame 2004

We arranged Dianne the whole day, when zery realized that he did something wrong, of which i have no liberty to discuss, but it would suffice to say that this mistake might require major revisions in our part.

Members:

ais

vocals

iori

drums

rency/taki

rythms

yume

bass

zery

lead guitars

Playlist: for February 2005

1. Haruka Kanata
2. (Slamdunk or Naruto Soundtrack)
3. Dianne - written by zeri

UHF Week 3: Christmas party