Post-Bar Musings

The four grueling weekends that I have dreaded since I chose to enter the legal profession are now in the past. They are, as of now, a recurring blur that creeps into my consciousness every now and then. Several answers that I believe are already blatantly wrong; several more which, upon further research, I can confidently declare as correct answers, and a gargantuan void of luck, coincidence, and faith in between, are the vague precursors to my future.

I am a stranger to studying. I have managed to pass through grade school caring only about which flavor of lollipop to buy from the canteen. High school for me is more of a training ground for my personality especially with my involvement with a then-famous singing group. College flew by and I managed to sneak through law school without reading any of the pertinent law codals.

The past few months have been terrible. Cramming what seems to be four years worth of studying into that space of time is a disastrous idea --- but I had to go on. I’ve pleasured myself with generous breaks during the journey, including a full festival experience in Cinemanila (where I had the pleasure of shaking hands with Quentin Tarantino, being coffee break buddies with Kidlat Tahimik, and exchanging ideas with Jeffrey Jeturian). My cinephilia is something I can never remove from my personality. When my world was boxed into a condominium unit and a bunch of books, I had to find ways to explore the world.

I did my best, but I also made mistakes. Come March, I’ll know the results of my efforts, but the journey itself, I believe, was worth it.

Three Days

Three short poems; made on three different occasions and weathers; all talking about nature, yet I hope, evokes the human condition. Enjoy.

Three Days

Windy Day

Brought by fortune in unseen fleets,
a yellow leaf to the tops of tower
proudly gazing the lands below

With tear in humbled stem, it sees
a scene of tree with yellow leaves
embracing together against the wind

Rainy Day

A butterfly flutters by clutters
of my room. Like a lover, he floats
up and down the foggy window.

He is like the sky in mourning,
unable to kiss the petals, taste the nectar,
make love with Lilies, Daisies, Roses.

Sunny Day

Toads miss the thundering thuds
of rain tickling their skins;
that memory retained by tears

They crowd around a moldy mess.
Toads amass, with pangs of loss,
by dried grandfather frog caught by rays.

Café Aria

I used to write poetry back in college. This piece was me enamored by poetic rhythm, thus, I used alliteration, and other sound techniques to create an illusion of sound.

Café Aria

It is very difficult to lift a book on one hand
And a cup of coffee on the other
In a place called a coffee shop.

When the task is successful, you’ll wish
You were an octopus when the sight
Of a half-eaten cinnamon roll catches your eyes,
Which were, half-minutes ago, comfortably sitting
Beside the words, comas and periods of that period piece
You borrowed from the public library a while back.

What lead to that treachery of your eyes?

Perhaps, a war of the roses – an intoxication of scents
Of raw coffee beans, and warm cinnamon slices popped
Fresh from the microwave, or the herbal subtleness
Of that processed tea your partner is sipping in front of you.

Perhaps, a concert – an operetta rehearsed behind your back.
That sniffle-like laughter of a lady bugging her little boy,
Blending with the baritone of the barista chanting
John, Jules, Jake, and Alba, Ave, Maria
Where percussions of tip-tappings of shoes in cadence
With the foam-maker making foams
Or the door opener opening doors
For the latecomers to humbly look
For seats and watch what’s left of the show.

The music melts into a meditation
Preparing the café for an anticipated aria
Its yellow bulbs shimmering into a spotlight
Waiting for the soloist to drop the book,
Contribute the crisp soprano of cinnamon crust
Crunching into craving teeth - a masterpiece.
Around, a round of applause is heard.

The Benefits of Being an Island

When I was a kid, I adored maps. I've memorized capital cities, and to a certain extent, if you ask me, I can draw you a near-accurate map of the world. Give me a country, I can try to determine the capital city of that country, or at least, point to you where it is located in a map.

When I was eight, I discovered this island north of Russia. I was fascinated because it bears a variation of my name --- Franz Josef Island. It's probably named after the emperor of Prussia, but who cares, it bears my name, it's my island.

Lately, our world has been bombarded with wars --- Rwanda, Yugoslavia, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Albania... and I somehow get the point, nothing beats being an island. I don't have to care about boundaries and borders, all I should care about is myself.

Since I'm an island, I shouldn't care... I've lived my entire life that way, I don't see a reason why I should change. (but... India was once an island until it floated towards Asia, the same way there's this island called Atlantis that just disappeared ---- so it's either I float towards a land mass, or I sink). Right now, I prefer to sink and live with Spongebob and Patrick and just be happy.

Congratulations Tere

Congratulations Tere Licaros, who I worked with when I was LSG Secretary...

Congratulations for being crowned Miss Placenta...

But seriously, congratulations for being selected to represent us in Donald Trump's beauty pageant. I know you will do our country and beloved law school proud!

Five Things I Realized This 01/03/07

What a long day. I woke up at six o'clock since I have a hearing in Manila at 8:30AM. I napped another thirty minutes before deciding to really wake up, and take a shower. I left the house at 7Am, took a cab, encountered impossible meanings of Metro Manila traffic, before arriving at the court at exactly 8:25. I paid the taxi driver a hefty amount of P280 and rushed my way to the comfort room to pee. The hearing started, and the judge asked me if I was a lawyer (there were only three lawyers in the room, and about a dozen people to be arraigned). I said no, and he asked me why I was there. I told them that I am a law intern and representing some clients. He asked me where my supervising lawyer was, and I frankly replied that according to jurisprudence, lawyers are not required to assist law interns in hearing in the Metropolitan Trial Court. He asked me to cite, and I was stunned --- I didn't know the citation.

Lesson 1: Being a law intern is fucked up. You're in a limbo where lawyers pity you, and judges belittle you. You also can't do anything too, since you're still a bar exam from being what you pretend to be.

I texted Judy and thanks to her, I got the case and the bar matter that allows me to be there. I cited the materials to the judge and he asks his clerk to note the citations and... threatens to cite me in contempt if those didn't match up. Finished my court job, and rushed to Ayala to work out. I only lasted a pitiful 20 minutes in the cardio machine, and was not able to do my daily routine because...

Lesson 2: Forget legal citations, forget your case file, forget your name, but don't forget to eat a hearty breakfast.

Feeling bad for myself, I went to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Greenbelt to eat brunch, drink my favorite tea latte, and work a little on my thesis paper. Still unsatisfied, I decided to watch Letters from Iwo Jima (a very good movie, probably Clint Eastwood's best work). Took the MRT to Shangri-La where I got hungry again, so I went to KFC and ordered a two piece chicken meal with a single roll of bread. Took a cab home and while on the way home, and a text message to someone I met somewhere, I learned that:

Lesson 3: Don't ask someone out on your first message.

Lesson 4: Think before you act.

Lesson 5: That at 24 years old, what I'm thinking and doing is simply pathetic. I am such a loser.

My ego is in its death bed. Someone save it.

American Idol Season 6 (Top 24)

Since my interest for American Idol has been rejuvinated by today's show, I might as well bring up my ranking and assessment of the top 24 people:

Top 12 Boys
1. Blake Lewis ("Somewhere Only We Know") - The top male voice is actually rather lightweight, but it's a very bold modern choice sung quite decently.
2. Chris Sligh ("Typical") - It's quite distressing to know that Chris is strategizing the show, instead of just putting his heart out in front. The result felt gimmicky but his voice is pretty good.
3. AJ Tabaldo ("Never Too Much") - It's a corny performance but is quite good compared to the rest of the bunch. Now that we know that AJ is comfortable on stage, all he has to do now is prove that there's a voice underneath that cutesy bundle of fun and joy.
4. Nick Pedro ("Now and Forever") - There's a nice tone to his vocals, it's quite unfortunate that he chose a very boring and uninteresting song to showcase it.
5. Phil Stacey ("I Could Not Ask For More") - He's good when he's reaching for the high notes, he's utterly pathetic in opening songs.
6. Brandon Rogers ("Rock With You") - Bad song choice, he sounds like someone with a stuffy nose --- that tone can actually be put to good use.
7. Jared Cotter ("Back at One") - Mediocre karaoke performance and he looks very stiff and awkward on stage.
8. Rudy Cardenas ("Free Ride") - Corny, forgettable, gay-ish.
9. Chris Richardson ("I Don't Want to Be") - I thought I was hearing bumblebees buzzing.
10. Sanjaya Malakar ("Knocks Me Off My Feet") - He's got a pleasant voice, but it looks like he was auditioning, not performing for an audience.
11. Paul Kim ("Careless Whisper") - The anti-Will Hung is starting to put Asians in a bad light again --- no shoes, same drawers? That sort of gimmickry is reserved if you've proven you're good. This performance shows that you don't deserve quirk.
12. Sundance Head ("Nights in White Satin") - Creepy, nasally, and awkward.

Top 12 Girls
1. Lakisha Jones ("And I Am Telling You, I'm Not Going") - This is the type of performance that should have been reserved for the finals, as it is truly a winning performance. The problem here is that Lakisha has raised the bar for her so high, that she might start becoming boring if she doesn't deliver.
2. Melinda Doolittle ("Since You Been Gone") - It's fantastic how Melinda suddenly becomes a different person when she's singing. This is truly wonderful --- she reminds me of a more lovable Fantasia.
3. Sabrina Sloan ("Never Loved a Man The Way That I Love You") - She's fun, energetic, and sounds like she's been doing this for ages.
4. Stephanie Edwards ("How Come You Don't Call Me") - Good vocal control and stage presence.
5. Jordin Sparks ("Gimme One Reason") - Very mature performer, and the fantastic thing here is that at merely 16, she can only learn and improve.
6. Gina Glocksen ("All By Myself") - Like Chris Sligh, it feels like she's more into strategizing a win rather than performing. Show-offy but definitely good.
7. Leslie Hunt ("You Make Me Feel") - Primarily because I like the unique tone of her voice. Given the right song, she can wow. She should definitely stay away from the belting songs as there are plenty better belters in the competition.
8. Nicole Tranquillo ("Stay") - I agree, it's all over the place --- but her vocal acrobatics astound.
9. Amy Krebs ("I Can Make You Love Me") - Generic but if it weren't for the 6 guys, 6 girls rule, she'll probably make Top 12.
10. Haley Scarnato ("It's All Coming Back To Me Now") - Forgettable karaoke. Next.
11. Alaina Alexander ("Brass in Pocket") - She should've done this naked, and it could be worth watching.
12. Antonella Barba ("I Don't Want To Miss A Thing") - Even performing this naked wouldn't save this trainwreck. I'd still watch though.