On the Verge of Lunacy

So what's been keeping me busy these days? A game? A social networking site? A forum? Yes to all three but still wrong. My newest obsession (well, not really 'new') is Gaia Online. An avatar dress-up site complete with forums, mini-games, virtual hangouts, an MMO and guilds. It also has its own manga and NPCs. I joined the site back in 2007 but wasn't active until last year. I did not explore it fully so I thought it was some sort of game where you get to dress up your virtual self, your avatar, and show off. For the next two years all I did was sign in and get the Daily Chance (freebies). It was also hard to earn gold and I wasn't interested in the forums (that was one way to earn gold). And then I discovered zOMG! Gaia's MMO finally made me addicted to the site. I played for 10 hours straight on my first day. A few weeks after that I started exploring the other features. I played the mini-games. Most of them are fun but they need updates from time to time....

Two weeks ago I finally did what I've been wanting to do for three years - I have finally graduated. These past few days that I took a break, I had time to think about what I have done, what I have learned and what I wanted to do in the future. I already miss UP Mindanao. For seven years I have learned and experienced a lot of things that I would never have in any other institution. When I was in high school I vowed to study in University of the Philippines and nowhere else. UP lang, ayoko na sa iba . It was a quest to redeem myself, my pride. I knew I was among the brightest students in school but I cannot prove that because I am not a consistent honors student. But to be able to manage to get into academic contests and get the high scores in every exam was proof enough for me. My friends tell me I'm too lazy, that's why some people who did not know my capabilities doubt my achievements. I have to admit that that statement is quite true. I was always late and I submit pr...

I read a passage in Dean Koontz's book, The Darkest Evening of the Year, that loving dogs is a 'penance for all the other illusions we allow ourselves and for the mistakes we made because of those illusion'. We take them in knowing that a dog's life is short. The inevitability of losing a friend would force us to share their joys and pains. Their death reminds us that whatever we do with our lives, we can only do it once. Death is not at all that bad because it humbles us. It reminds us to cherish those we love, including creatures who repay us with love and loyalty. My mother Rhoda has always been fond of dogs. We grew up with a proud half-breed spitz named Dogart. I remember when me and my mother took him home. He was in an open red plastic bag and everytime he crawled on my mother's lap at the back of the bus on our way home, I would giggle with delight. He was furry and ferocious even as a puppy. I remember he bit me once when he was having his dinner and I tr...

I'm sorry I failed you as a friend I'm sorry I could not do anything to ease your pain I'm sorry that your cries for companionship and comfort are ignored at night I'm sorry we complained I'm sorry we could not fulfill your expectations We tried to do everything but we lost the battle Yet you never gave up Hope sparkled in your eyes everytime a loving hand soothes you We did not see it coming You were so full of life and joy You liked to play You loved me even if sometimes I wasn't such a good friend to you You greeted us with a wag of tail everytime we approach you even if you're in pain I'm sorry we could not do anything Why did it have to be you You were loved You were special Just like all dogs I'm sorry our efforts failed You will always be remembered Thank you for being a good friend Thank you for the smiles, for every wag of tail, for the happiness you brought, for being naughty while you're waiting to be fed, for being cute even if you h...

Most of the people who know me from my high school days to the preset think I've always been obsessed with books. I wouldn't call it 'obsession' and I've never started reading books (from cover to cover) since I read Edith Hamilton's 'Mythology' when I was thirteen. I never read my textbooks, or my notes for that matter. But I've started taking writing seriously when I was ten. I never expected my teachers and classmates would find my essays interesting. When I started earning better grades without taking a lot of effort, not that I've always had bad grades but I was considered a mediocre student, it made me want to read my books. For most writers (and honor students), exposure to reading materials precede or result to a good writing or an excellent grade. It was the other way around for me. I started quite late, but it wasn't too late. My mother bought me my first paperback as a birthday gift. At that time I was immensely interested in m...

STORM December 7 th . A day before the fiesta in  Dinagat ,  Surigao   del   Norte , my family set out for a perilous trip across the angry Pacific in a rattling boat. The heavy rain kept pounding on the rotting roof. The waters drummed on the sides and kept us unsteady on our feet. Even the wind were merciless;they deafen the ears. But the eagerness to attend a long-awaited family reunion kept us in high spirits amidst the storm. It was almost impossible to cross yet we braved on. The boat had to sail in its slowest possible speed to keep it afloat. It was hell hot inside. Everyone was silent as statues  and  even the little kids were aware of the danger. It seems that the slightest movement will inch them closer to death. I  opened  up ode window to let the air in. Instead, rain ambushed my face. Still wet, I went out and climbed up to the exposed roof and sat beside my cousin who was soaked to the bones. Fear crept up to my spine as I gazed upo...

For Doreen Mariz, a freshman BS Biology student, every morning is always a race to the bathroom. Armed with her blue pail and dipper, she wills herself to get up earlier than she usually does at home. "I have to get there first so I have enough water to use", she said. The finish line is not always a pretty sight to look at, however. Who would have thought that my younger sister would experience the same dilemmas I had just to prepare for the day. "It looks like any other public bathroom", she relates, "The only difference is that they do not have doodles on the walls, you have clothes hanging like bandiritas instead." But is not all about the bandiritas that most students are concerned about. The first few lucky residents who get there in the morning are rewarded with ample amount of water and a fairly decent view of the dormitory in the morning. Scattered plastic wrappers, toilet papers, and - oh yes, sanitary napkins. Scattered artifacts and remai...

I don't usually wake up before nine o'clock in the morning during weekends or vacation. If it wasn't for Abe no Yasuaki, the Genbu of Heaven and his green hair, I'd have spent my spare time playing Battle Realms and Generals. The last time I watched anime was more than five years ago. The last characters I was interested with were Sanosuke of Samurai X and Ryu of Streetfighter. Nothing about the story caught my attention. It was the animation that was superb. The fact that they have captured the spirit of the Heian Era was quite unusal for something that is usually associated with elementary kids. The clothes looked real. They were very detailed and beautifully rendered. They match the color of the hair and eyes of each character. The music gives a different quality to the series. You can sense the power and the tension of the opposing forces. * * * I found Tactics very interesting for its story and animation. Haruka's mysterious side and his relationship t...