dual*ities

“Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn’t the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.” ~ Robert Benchley

My “To Do” List for January 31, 2005 says that I have to accomplish the following by the end of the day: 1) an article for ADMU’s campus ministry office; 2) preparations for my thesis data-gathering (to be held on Wednesday and Saturday); and 3) 2 documentation reports for JVP. So far, I am done with the first one and am half-finished with the second (since this one involved many tasks). But the third? Zero. Nada. Zilch. I’ve already done everything I could possibly do at home on a Monday night—updated the batch directory, answered emails, updated my record book of finances, and watched a little TV. Everything, except for the very thing(s) I’m supposed to be doing.

Now, it’s 11:45 pm, yet still, I’ve managed to distract myself even further by opening old files on my computer. (As if there weren’t enough distractions as it is!) And (un)fortunately for me, I found a sort-of-a-game posted by a friend’s friend’s friend a couple of years ago on her on-line journal. It’s too amusing not to keep a copy of—even if I didn’t have a blog yet at that time. And now that I do have one, I figured I might as well post my answers to this game/quiz/list, which happens to involve bands and the titles of their songs. What’s more, I didn’t do it just once, but four times over! That is, with four different bands that “I grew up with” (hence, I am quite familiar with more than a few of their songs). Haha. Anything to avoid the obligatory. And that, I believe, is called, “shirking one’s duties”. My friends will be proud of me.=)

Well, what can I say? Picking out song titles and relating them to yourself, is infinitely much more fun that doing documentation reports. Anyone care to argue with me on this?=)

Directions: Pick a band and answer these only using their song titles.

Using INDIGO GIRLS

1. Are you male or female? DON’T GIVE THAT GIRL A GUN
2. Describe yourself? LEAST COMPLICATED
3. How do some people feel about you? MYSTERY
4. How do you feel about yourself? CLOSER TO FINE
5. Describe your boy/girlfriend or interest? GHOST =)
6. Where would you rather be? GET OUT THE MAP
7. Describe what you want to be? LET IT BE ME
8. Describe how you live? TRIED TO BE TRUE
9. Describe how you love? DEAD MAN’S HILL
10. Share a few words of wisdom: EVERYTHING IN ITS OWN TIME

Using CRANBERRIES

1. Are you male or female? I’M STILL REMEMBERING =)
2. Describe yourself? DREAMING MY DREAMS
3. How do some people feel about you? CLOSE TO YOU
4. How do you feel about yourself? FOREVER YELLOW SKIES
5. Describe your boy/girlfriend or interest? JUST MY IMAGINATION
6. Where would you rather be? SALVATION
7. Describe what you want to be? FREE TO DECIDE
8. Describe how you live? LINGER
9. Describe how you love? ZOMBIE
10. Share a few words of wisdom: EVERYTHING I SAID

Using PEARL JAM

1. Are you male or female? DAUGHTER
2. Describe yourself? DISSIDENT
3. How do some people feel about you? ELDERLY WOMAN BEHIND THE COUNTER IN A SMALL TOWN
4. How do you feel about yourself? ALIVE
5. Describe your boy/girlfriend or interest? BLACK
6. Where would you rather be? OCEANS
7. Describe what you want to be? DEEP
8. Describe how you live? EVEN FLOW
9. Describe how you love? INDIFFERENCE
10. Share a few words of wisdom: WHY GO?

Using AEROSMITH

1. Are you male or female? DUDE (LOOKS LIKE A LADY) --> hardyharhar!
2. Describe yourself? SAME OLD SONG AND DANCE
3. How do some people feel about you? TRAIN KEPT ROLLING
4. How do you feel about yourself? FINE
5. Describe your boy/girlfriend or interest? CAN’T STOP MESSIN’
6. Where would you rather be? LIVIN’ ON THE EDGE
7. Describe what you want to be? AMAZING
8. Describe how you live? WALK THIS WAY
9. Describe how you love? CHIP AWAY THE STONE
10. Share a few words of wisdom: DREAM ON

i was reading through one of my old journals (circa 1996) this morning, and saw this poem that i wrote nine years ago. boy, was i young then!:)

On green mornings of azure days
i like sitting by myself
amongst
burnished gold
and greens
and endless showers
of starry-eyed dreams

and
as the heavens above me
threatened to spill
its clear, silver spears
i sit still
gazing at the road at bay
thinking that it seems
a world away
on green mornings
of azure days.

~4/4/96

i was site hopping just now when i saw this on K's journal, and decided to give it a try:

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY
1. Pia
2. Pol
3. P

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD
1. piapol
2. noone
3. bulan1819

THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE
1. filipino-malay
2. spanish (‘coz all filipinos are part spanish)
3. chinese (‘coz all filipinos are part chinese)

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU
1. not having anything to do
2. not finishing what i’m supposed to do
3. dying not knowing how to love

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS
1. a nice, quick shower
2. banana for breakfast
3. my watch on my wrist

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS
1. indigo girls
2. u2
3. akafellas

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS AT PRESENT
1. this year (by chantal kreviazuk)
2. (i wish i knew how it would feel to be) free (by lighthouse family)
3. avenue q (the entire soundtrack from the new hit musical on broadway)

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS
1. finish my MA thesis!
2. finish my MA thesis!! (yes, this occupies the first two spots! haha.)
3. volunteer with an international development agency

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP
it should be:
1. platonic…mwahaha!
2. not “high maintenance”
3. full of laughter

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE.
1. i hate being alone
2. i’m such a sucker for reality tv
3. i love chocolate cake

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE SAME SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU
1. eyes
2. lips
3. boobs (haha!)

THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU
1. eyes
2. height
3. hair

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO
1. wear a skirt when it’s not absolutely necessary
2. sleep early
3. be a girly girl

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES
1. reading and writing
2. fiddling with my computer
3. traveling

THREE CAREERS YOU'RE CONSIDERING
1. development work (preferably education-related)
2. research
3. writing and drawing for children’s books

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION
1. greece
2. egypt
3. palawan

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE
1. go bungee jumping
2. work in africa
3. contribute something positive to society

i said goodbye to my kids today. my Pathways "kids," that is.

they're actually not kids anymore. they are teen-agers who come from low income families, but who are gifted enough to make it to college, through the help of the Pathways to Higher EducationProgram. for two years, i was their project head and coordinator. but i'd like to think that, more than that, these students also saw me as their ate (big sister), their pseudo-mom (sometimes), and their friend. hence, no matter what, i'll always think of them as "my kids."

but i have other roles to play in life, and other paths to take, too. and so i said my farewell this morning, at least in my official capacity as their project head. in response, they sang me this song:

Sana'y masabi sa awit kong ito
Lahat ng ninanais nitong puso ko
Sana, saan man patungo sa buhay
May pag-ibig, may pag-asa
May saya at saysay
Sana sa bawat sandali
Matikman pa
Sarap ng pagsasama
At simpleng ligaya
Tara na, sakyan lang
Malay mo
Andyan lang, andyan lang
Ang hinahanap mo.

when i first heard this song from the new coke ad, i did find it likeable, primarily because of its catchy tune and its message of hope. plus, it is an adaptation of lighthouse family's (i wish i know how it would feel to be) free, the mtv of which is one of my favorites. (i can't wait to see the uk version of the ad, which is supposedly closer to lighthouse's rendition of free). but now that is has been sung for me by the Pathways scholars, it's all the more meaningful to me. in fact, it's pretty much my favorite ad right now on local tv. all because of "my kids".:)

i heard this song while i was wrapping gifts yesterday, and thought it's quite an appropriate theme song to welcome the new year.=) here goes...

THIS YEAR
by Chantal Kreviazuk

This year is gonna be incredible
This year is gonna be the one
All the planets are lining up for me
This year I'm gonna have fun.

This year I'll paint my masterpiece
This year I'll be recognized
I can feel I...I'll fall in love for real
This year, this year.

Refrain:
January, I'll learn to fly.
February, love's gonna find me.
March, April, May, I'll get carried away.
Ohhh, ohhh... This year, I'll reach the pinnacle
This year, I'll get to the top
People will ask, "where she got that energy"
This year, I'm never gonna stop.

(Instrumental)

(Repeat Refrain)

Ohhh, ohhh...(2x)

This year is gonna be incredible
This year is gonna be the one
All the planets are lining up for me
This year I'm gonna have fun.

I'm gonna have fun...
Just watch me now,
This year (3x).

the unleavening of the old
has begun
anew

pages of my life
are being turned over
one
by
one.

but my ink
has not yet run
dry.

empty leaves
now lie before me
awaiting
to be filled
once more.

a new leaf.

a new life.