Imponderables

I got another one from a very good friend. Courtesy of "Mommy" Cris Bayani

Ponder on these imponderables for a minute:

1. If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented?

2. If people from?Poland? are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland?called Holes?

3. Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

4. If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

5. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?

6. Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

7. When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?

8. Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a racing car not called a racist?

9. Why are a wise man and a wise guy opposites?

10. Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?

11. Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?

12. "I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?

13. If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

14. What hair colour do they put on the driver's licences of bald men?

15. I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use? Toothpicks?

16. Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the postmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?

17. You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive. (Amen)

18. No one ever says, "It's only a game" when their team is winning.

19. Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.00 apiece on those little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards: NAIVE

20. Isn't making a smoking section in a restaurant like making a peeing section in a swimming pool?

22. OK ... so if the Jacksonville Jaguars are known as the "Jags" and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are known as the "Bucs," what does that make the Tennessee? Titans?

23. If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhoea, does that mean that one enjoys it?

24. Why if you send something by road it is called a shipment, but when you send it by sea it is called cargo?

25. If a convenience store is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the door?

Think about it...

Nightbeat: Reconciliation

He was back on the street again... Lamposts looking like blurrs of light... Weaving unseen and intricate lines in and out in between moving obstacles that, in relation to his pace, are virtually in a standstill... His mount had it final transformation: visually, it now sports a pair of white stripes in contrast to the vibrant shining red. It no longer carries a clean look that it once had. Performance-wise it was now far from what it was as a replacement for his old mount. It was nowhere as grippy and it slides just right. And just as his mount had changed, so had he. No longer the angry and sullen knight, his smooth and gentle maneuvers clearly reflecting his temperament.

Smoothly clearing a corner, he spotted a familiar sight: the former queen. As always, still pretty and still as white as he once saw her. Physically speaking, she still looked the same. But by the way she moved, one can tell that she too has changed. She then flashed her tail lights as a sign of invitation. Seeing that, he knew that the former queen had seen him. Setting his ride beside hers, he gave her a short glance and she signaled him for a short run. He replied in kind and they accelerated together into the night..

Together, they once again did the dance that they used to, making their way past traffic, navigating corners and exchanging and crossing each other's lines in the process. They were both smiling yet somehow knew that they could no longer return to a time gone by. Clearing a corner together, the scarlet wind was on the left side of the road while his former queen on the right. From afar, they saw a fork on the road - the very same fork where they made their respective decisions a long time ago. As they approached the incoming division, the former queen flashed her lights as if to talk. And for a brief period, both of them were transported to a time gone by:

Will you still be my friend even after we part ways?

Of course, I will always be your friend no matter what.

Promise?

Promise.

Returning back to reality, the former red knight smiled and flashed his lights in return. It looks as though he will be able to keep that promise after all. Stealing a glance once more at his former queen, he also saw her smiling. They both knew that they would meet again but no longer as the enemies that they once saw in each other after that fateful night all those days and months ago... Taking his respective lane, he parted ways with his former queen as she took hers. He then sped away down his chosen path into the night and once again smiled as he saw a yellow figure not too far away...

The Wonder Years

"Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come. The thing is, we didn't have to hate each other for getting older. We just had to forgive ourselves... for growing up."
                                                                                                    - The Wonder Years

I came across the above quotation a few days ago. Had it not been for the mentioned source of the quote, I would have definitely discarded it as another statement... Who knew that such a statement from an old TV series could carry that much weight?

It somehow woke a sense of nostalgia in me... It made me wonder how were the people who I used to study and grow up with are doing now. Questions such as "Where are they?" or "How do they look like now?" came to the fore. Yes, social network sites such as friendster and multiply are sprouting all over the internet like mushrooms, letting a person know how his friends, classmates and acquiantances are doing... But somehow, its different when you get to see them again face to face. Add to that the news of the death of the father of one of my former classmates in college, not to mention the demise of one of my batchmates from high school made me think about my mortality and how short life is. Funny, I'm still in my early twenties and I'm already acknowledging my own mortality and already wondering what am I doing with life right now...

As you can see dear reader, I just uploaded another photo album... this time filled with pictures of good old UST. Some of the places there are still familiar while some of the landmarks that me and many of my college batchmates grew up with are no longer there... Initially, I was one of the many who thought that many of the changes are no longer needed or that there could be a better way. Sadly, the price of moving forward is to let go of some of these landmarks. Places such as the Colayco Park and the UST canteen has given way to the Millenium Park (UST people, please correct me on that) and other such changes. The UST canteen's spiritual successor is the car park building in front of the UST Hospital. When I re-visited UST last Saturday and started my little photography project, I began to realize that some of the changes really are for the better (in a sense). I wouldn't have been able to get a rather good (relatively) shot of either AB Building or the Main Building had it not been for the spanish-era styled lamp posts to add some flavor to the scenery...

Taking those pictures helped me relax from the stress and crap of the "real" world. Yes, I know that its rather odd to visit a school during the summer break when you know that you're not going to chance upon anyone familiar there but something inside me was nudging or begging me to visit the old school again and just reflect. Every shot, every photo of a building or a place in UST reminded me of a lot of pleasant and not so pleasant memories. It was also strangely surreal because while I was taking pictures, I could almost hear the voices of either my college classmates or batchmates... A part of me was half-expecting to see them walking around, chatting, minding their own businesses the second I turn towards the sounds of their voices... At one point, my nostalgia got the better of me and I somehow saw images of me and my UST batchmates... Again, more memories... of cramming for exams... quarreling over projects and petty things... the gimicks... the laughter and chatter... Those were carefree days... In a sense, those were really the wonder years...

Well, time to park my so-called pen for now... Time to face the new day and the days to come... Come to think of it, all that came from just one statement from an old TV show...

Small World (Scene 1)

A detailed (?) recap of the drinking session at Alan's Grill last May 16, 2008... And now, for the characters:

What the Hec (WTH): an office worker and career man but has not yet let go of his interest in animation, television and such... But in a more subtle manner than before...

Smart Alec: A witty and good natured guy...

SWIPE: another office worker and career man...

Little Nicky: the... topic of the night...

Scene 1: WTH, Smart Alec and Little Nicky are having a few drinks at Alan's Grill.

[fade in] Nursery song "Its a Small World" [fade out}

Smart Alec: Ei Nick, where's you're imaginary friend?

Little Nicky: Don't worry, he'll come. He just came from work.

SWIPE arrives.

Smart Alec: So this is your imaginary friend, Nick?

SWIPE: Yep, the imaginary friend has materialized.

Handshakes were exchanged.

Little Nicky: Hey SWIPE, did you know that me, Smart Alec and WTH have a common friend who knows your ex-gf?

[fade in] Nursery song "Its a Small World" [fade out]

Slideshow of several pics showing drinks and food. Little Nick ends his story of seeing a nice BMW.

Smart Alec: Nick, your reaction to that BMW reminds me of how a deer reacts when flashed with a cars headlights: clueless and awestruck in the middle of the road.

Little Nicky: Really?

SWIPE takes a photo of a clueless Little Nicky.

Little Nicky: DAMN YOU SWIPE!

SWIPE: [snickers]  This will look good on friendster and multiply...

Little Nicky: SWIPE...

Smart Alec: Your world just got smaller, Nick.. hehehe....

SWIPE: [looks at Little Nicky] You're screwed man... [flashes evil smile]

WTH: Oh yes...

Little Nicky: What have I done?...

[fade in] Nursery song "Its a Small World" [fade out]

*End of Scene 1*

 

*pics of Little Nicky emulating a dumbfounded deer will be posted later this week...

Anemic Bar & Grill

Yes dear reader, Club Insomnia now has a partner joint where its patrons can go after spending a couple of hours at the club.

Its called: ANEMIC BAR & GRILL

It serves you a weakened state of mind and body throughout the day that you'll be practically begging for sleep at the most inappropriate times of the day... Its also open to guests that Club Insomnia can no longer accommodate...

So what are you waiting for? The night is still young and sleep will always be hard to come by when you need it most.

ANEMIC BAR & GRILL, where sleep is always a luxury.

Summer Dash: Interlude

Rain. There was something about it that makes people stop, think and relax. For some, it is also a time to reflect. From her seat by the coffee shop's window, she looked at her sunny yellow mount parked outside as she listened to the falling rain's rhyme.

Accompanying that rhythm, were the questions that were occupying her mind:

Who was that?

Where did he come from?

How did he do that?

And with each question, she recalled every aspect of her encounter with the scarlet wind: the place, the time and the characters involved. Reclining on her chair, she closed her eyes and began to wonder if she will ever come across him again...

The gentle ringing of chimes attached to the door signaled the entrance of another customer. Following the sound of the newcomer's footsteps, she saw the back a young man walking near the coffee shop's bar. Looking back out to where her car was parked, she was surprised to find the red wind parked behind her sunny mount. She then looked back to where she last saw the newly arrived guest but couldn't find him among the seated customers.

How on earth did he disappear?

And she found herself looking again at the scarlet wind in wonder and curiousity.

 

*edited cliffhanger part of story...

Summer Dash: Chance Encounter

Dawn. The sun is just about to peek over the horizon. Save for a few trucks here and there, there was hardly any activity at all. Except for a solitary figure running at speeds normally found and heard of in the middle of the night..

She made her way down the road, gently weaving and smoothly avoiding trucks here and there. To the vehicles that she had passed, she was nothing more than another sports car... Yet, there was still something about her ride that caught their attention: Her ride's vibrant yellow made a subtle impression of a light and bubbly personality, quiet as she may be.

As she approached an intersection, she decided to turn left. And with that, she slid her car in anticipation of the turn that she was about to make...   But nothing prepared her for a surprise as a red blur slid in front of her, so that it may be able to enter the road that she just left...

As the red blur disappeared into the road that she came from, she quickly slowed down the pace of her ride as she entered the lane that she was aiming for earlier... Relishing the sweetness of being alive after a near-miss, she suddenly realized that there she has much pondering to do... So many questions... All of them pointing towards the red blur that she saw earlier. Who was that?

Little did she know, that she left an mark on the mind of the red blur as well...