Playing to your Strength

When Harry Potter entered the Triwizard tournament, he had a huge problem making a strategy on how to complete the first task. Bartemius Crouch Jr., disguised as Mad-Eye, tipped him to play to his strength, which was Quidditch.

I used this strategy more than once. Last year, for example, I had to make a talk in front of a huge crowd. I had to make a talk about anything that has to do with music. The choirmasters of all the choirs in the Parish were required to do so. The problem was, I was probably the only choirmaster who didn't know how to read musical notes. Well, actually, I can---but it will take me eons to finish a 1-page music sheet. In short, I was the underdog. I was like the pre-super-soldier-serum Steve Rogers (that's Captain America) beside the other choirmasters. There's nothing I can say that the audience of singers and musicians doesn't already know.

And then I realized that I DO know something better than my audience doesn't know very well: gadgets and technology.
And so, the talk went well and my speech ended up as one of the well received talks among the eight or so choirmasters.
My criteria for a successful talk were all green:

• I did not see anyone sleeping. Hell Yeah! >=D
  
• The audience participated very well with my talk (they laughed and sang without having to beg them)
  
• Some of the audience had some questions the day after the event (I wasn't able to give them a chance to ask because of the lack of time)
• ...and the best proof that my talk was successful: I enjoyed the talk myself. I enjoyed it too much that I exceeded the allotted time.

Futball!

Hindi ako mahilig sa sports pero sinusundan ko bawat laban ng Azkals. Unfortunately, kagabi, nawala na yung chance nila na makalusot sa FIFA qualifiers. But I think it's a good start. Nagbabasa-basa ako ng mga forums at blogs kanina, at napansin ko na hindi uncommon yung mga nay-sayers.

IMHO, mas magandang suportahan natin yung mga sports na hindi advantage yung strength at height, kasi sobrang lugi tayo doon. ASA ka namang malayo ang mararating natin sa basketball---pwede tayong maging magaling doon, I agree---but we can only go so far---we are limited by physical build. Hindi ka makakahanap ng pinoy na makakatalon na tulad ng mga NBA players (hindi counted yung 90%+ foreign blood ha =P)

Sa football, totoo, advantage ang mahahabang binti--pero hindi sa lahat ng pagkakataon. Merong mga pagkakataon na advantage yung pagiging maliit.

Pano naman sa boxing? advantage ang haba ng braso at lakas doon. ---PERO, hindi tulad ng ibang contact-sports, may weight divisions sa boxing. That's a big difference. If you don't believe me, try to arm-wrestle someone 10Kg heavier than you (whose only form of exercise is lifting utensils) (it doesn't matter if you exercise or not, btw)

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After the game, the Kuwaiti football said that he's expecting the Azkals to be among the top ten in the next FIFA Qualifiers.

Personally--hindi naman sa wala akong tiwala sa skills nila-- to reach the top 10 within 4 years is too optimistic... top 20, pwede pa.

Zen

You don't look for zen. That's what a Buddhism book tells me.
The more you look for it, the harder it will be for you to find it.

I've been searching for that peaceful state of mind ever since I was in High School. I read a lot of psychology and philosophy books. I even read the psychology books that my brother used in college. (He's a psych Major).

These past few days, I've been neglecting my search for it...and oddly enough, this is when it showed up to me. Right now I'm feeling so impervious from verbal harm. Even if I know someone out there is badmouthing our group of friends [for some issue which I would not discuss here], I'm feeling fine---I was even laughing when I heard what s/he had to say. Being hypersensitive, this is something new for me.

Now I can really say,
"You could turn off the sun, but I'm still gonna shine!"

Live Birth video?

(don't worry--this is not a shock video---and is totally safe for work too) - got this via facebook.

Rudeness epidemic

A few weeks ago may nabasa akong article sa internet tungkol sa kumakalat na --ahem-- rudeness.

[OMG, hindi ko talaga magawang magsulat ng blog na pure tagalog XP --- forgive me for murdering the languages]

Hindi ko mailaga yung link dito kasi hindi ko na makita yung site na pinagbasehan ko nito. Base dun sa sinulat, ---and I agree with this--- nitong mga nakaraang taon, ramdam na ramdam ung pagkalat ng epidemyang ito sa Pilipinas. Nung una akala ko, dahil lang mas madalas na akong nasa Maynila, pero pati sa mismong village pa lang namin, karaniwan na ito. Karaniwan na yung mga bata na sobrang lutong magmura, samantalang noong early 2000 halos wala kang akong naririnig na ganun. Ngayon, ang kailangan ko lang gawin at tanggalin yung headphones ko para makarinig ng mga batang nagmumura sa labas ng bahay---sa tapat ng kwarto ko.

Naalala ko tuloy yung lyrics ng kanta ni Blakdyak (ganyan ba ang spelling?) noong Grade 6 pa ako.

"'Lo Mabuti pa kayo ni Lola, namulat sa matitinong uso..."

Noong panahon na yon, nacocornyhan ako sa lyrics. Yung mga ganitong kanta ang depinisyon ng "Novelty Songs"--may kabuluhan pa yung lyrics. Ngayon, kung bibigyan kita ng piso sa kada kanta na hindi puro 'puso', 'pag-ibig', 'damdamin', 'pagmamahal', sex, o revival, baka ni hindi ka makabili ng McFloat.

Sad to say, pero hindi na "efficient" ang maging mabuti ngayon, kasi yung society na mismo ang nagiging masama...ang nakakatakot pa dito, palala pa ito ng palala. "Uso" na ngayon ang maging masama. Kung sa negosyo, hindi ka bebenta pag hindi mo hahaluan ng kalokohan yung mga binebenta mo...utakan na lang, wala na yung "service".

-- to be continued (naubusan ng idea, nawawala na ako sa topic ahehe) --

Other signs of aging

Habang nagkakaroon ako ng isang matinding conversation sa YM, nagulat na lang ako at biglang may nagbabasa ng lahat ng tinatype ko. Ayun pala, yung tito ko nakatayo sa likod, parang sinaniban ng isang text-to-speech program. Kailangan ba talagang basahin ng malakas lahat ng nakasulat kahit saan?? =\

Napansin ko rin tong habit na to sa pinsan ko na mahigit 20 years ang agwat sa akin...
Hindi naman niya yun gawain dati, pero mula nung dito siya tumira since last year, habit na rin pala niya ang magbasa ng lahat ng nakasulat.. tuwing may nagbabasa sa tinatype ko sa YM, inaalog ko yung window para tumigil yung nagbabasa...

Isa pang napansin ko---ewan ko kung sa pamilya lang namin to--- habang tumatanda, nagiging habit din yung pag-kanta ng gusto [niyang] sabihin...example:


oldperson: *nakikipag usap sa ibang tao*
oldperson: wala ka talagang ka-dala-dala!
oldperson: *be-bwelo muna* walaaaaang~ kadalaaaaadalaaa~(lagyan ng tono---kahit anong tono, hindi kailangang maganda)

Isa pa yung nagmomonologue... nakakairita. Yung bigla na ang magsasalita...parang facebook status na naghihintay comment at like. Madalas to sa bus. Halimbawa, biglang pumreno yung driver...tapos may katabi akong matanda biglang magsasalita: "kasi...dapat yung mga ......para "
Ako pa naman yung walang pakialam sa mga ganun...kaya ang ginagawa ko na lang, bigla kong ilalabas yung headphone ko at magpapatugtog ng napakalakas na Paramore.
Pero sa totoo lang, ang gusto kong gawin ay patugtugan sila ng I don't ca-a-a-a-a-are~

=\
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*bwelo* Ang saraaaaaap isumbong kay bonggang-bonggang bong-bong ng habit nila na to. XP

Supervillain

If I had a tagline, it would be:
"One lab accident away from being a supervillain"

Call me weird, but I totally understand what the usual giant-robot wielding villains have in mind whenever they want to conquer Japan the world. Whether their concern is personal gain, or they think humans are cretins (or any animal used as a description to defame other people) --like the villain in Gundam G, for example--, or they're just simply evil (like the Joker)...I get their point. Whenever I watch superhero movies, I always secretly root for the villain, although I know they won't win because people want boring happy-ending-stories.

If you are working in some gamma-ray experiments or radioactive animals, I'd like a trrip to your offices...

The current full moon has an opposite effect on me. I feel energized. I don't feel depressed or anything.

Perfection

Google Servers

Just how powerful is Google?