i am the batman!

I remember that the first character I ever drew in my entire life is a whole-body image of Batman. Since I was just a little kid, Batman has been my hero, next to my dad of course. I didn’t like Superman and I definitely didn’t like Wonder Woman. Bob Kane and Bill Finger should really be in the list of my most favorite people in the world. Thanks to them, there’s Batman in this world!

I suppose everybody knows who Batman is. Who doesn’t right? But if you’re one of those aliens visiting the earth and don’t know a spec about the Dark Knight, I’ll tell you who he is. He’s the greatest superhero ever! Yaaaaay!

Bruce Wayne witnessed the horrible murder of his parents when he was very young. Traumatized by the unfortunate event, Bruce decides to train himself. He became master of martial arts. He’s a fluent speaker of a God knows how many languages. He’s also studied theatrics and other useful crafts to prepare himself to his self-proclaimed role as protector of the weak in all of Gotham City!

So by day he’s Bruce Wayne the philanthropist, playboy and owner of the prestigious Wayne Enterprises and by night he is the Caped Crusader Batman patrolling the streets of Gotham fighting crime and what not. What I like about Batman is that he’s not like the rest of the other superheroes. He’s not flashy and he’s not really gentle to look at. He’s headstrong, brooding and sometimes sinister. You’d actually feel that he’s one of the good villains, if there is such thing.

On my opinion, he’s the best member the Justice League ever has. He doesn’t have any powers but he’s actually better than the rest of them. Even Superman. Of course, it’s quite debatable but you don’t expect me taking it back. I’m a stubborn Batman fan!

does age matter?

It might be a cliche question but really, I won’t go all Lolita on you.

The question goes to all different challenges an individual is faced in his life. Lately I’ve been thinking how old I’m getting. Hold up! I’m still eighteen. But as look through my eighteen-year-old eyes to the different changes in the world, I’m starting to think how oddly mature and immature I could be.

Does age matter?

I wouldn’t know. Perhaps. The world is govern by laws and the laws says that there is a distinction between the old and the young. The term “of age” is considered highly important in the society. Birthday celebrations are held and anniversaries are upheld by cultures and communities as a wonderful tradition.

huge crush on andrea corr

When it comes to music, I’ve got a gender preference. Haha. No, I don’t know why. No, I don’t mean to offend or anything. I don’t even know if it’s offending to some people.

I love music. Who doesn’t right? I learned in one of my classes in criticism that music is regarded to be the best of all art forms. It could be debatable to a lot of artists out there but the reason given to me was quite satisfactory in my standards.

Music was considered the best of all art forms because of its nature. No medium was needed in comprehending music. Paintings needed to be interpreted from its canvas to be appreciated. Literary texts need to be analyzed from the paper. Music, however, is simply to be experienced. We no longer need to analyze or criticize music anymore. We simply let it flow into our ears. That’s it!

Going back to the gender issue at hand. Well, I don’t know if I’m offending anybody about my preference. Most likely not. I’m far from being a misogynist or a chauvinist, believe me. I like women of course. As a matter of fact, that’s the reason why I prefer women vocalist than men.

I mean it.

In my eighteen years of existence in this world, I have developed a “taste” towards female singers. Their different from male singers, of course. That alone could be reason why male and female are divided into alto, soprano, tenor and base. Don’t ask me any technicalities there, I’m not really good at Music back in my elementary years.

I just like the way women sing. The sound is just so beautiful to my hearing. I like the Corrs. They’re like the

tips on handling her

So let’s say you’ve got her in your arms–yada, yada–now. But I’ve got to say it’s just half of the road. Once you’ve got her, you still have to think hard to keep her to you. You’ve got to guarantee her stay in your arms once she’s there.

Fine, I’m not the best person to give tips on this but I guess I have a couple of tricks in my sleeve in how to keep her on me. To all my close friends who have a hint or two about my love life, I guess they have a picture of how I handle my girl. I’m really proud to say that we’ve been going out for quite some time now. About three years.

Of course, we’ve got our ups and downs. A lot of downs, really. But by the end of the day, she’s still with me and I’m quite thankful of this. Well, out of this gratitude, I decided to pay forward by sharing some of the many things I’ve been considering in keeping her. They may not be the best tips but I guess they’ve done me some good. I suppose it’s worth reading:

1. Stay Sweet. Very sweet. I guess girls have this tendency of remembering your “sweetness level”. Whenever it comes up! They swell with joy. But whenever it comes down, they panic. I guess this is where the small fights happen. They are really sensitive, these girls. So try matching up with their sensitivity and stay sweet!

2. Buy Her Things. If you can afford, try buying her cute things and stuff. If you can’t, still, try buying her cute things and stuff. Believe me when I say, she deserves the best! I’ve done some crazy budgeting once in a while for my girlfriend. I actually skipped meals just to buy her something. And you know what? Whenever I see her happy and appreciative about it, I can say that it’s worth every cent!

3. Notice The Small Details. It’s another case of sensitivity. The way she wears her hair, her clean hands, her new outfit, her stylish hairdo! Even her new little earrings! Surprise her with the fact that you actually care about how she looks and smells! Of course, you’ve got to be cool in surprising her. Don’t give her the impression of you being an obnoxious prick who notices her in every detail. Just keep it simple and cool.

4. Admire Her Smile. For me, her smile is the best cure to every depressing spell. It’s the one that brightens your days and silences your nights. It’s your sun, moon and stars. Seriously. If you don’t feel like this about her smile, then I can say there’s something odd about that.

5. Write Her Notes. Girls usually like it. Especially when she gets to keep the little love notes. Text messages are also good, but it’s better if you make it stick or in other words, make it memorable! On my experience, the cornier the better. The cheesier the worse. There’s a difference between corny and cheesy. On my dictionary, corny means cute and cheesy means annoying. I’m not really sure about that but that’s how I figure it out.

6. Greet Her At Least Twice A Day. Yup! One in the morning and one in the evening. But it’s better if you greet her more. Make her feel that you’re there and that you care. Don’t be annoying. Be cute, though.

7. Nod On The Right Times. Like I said, make her feel that you’re there. Listen to her and tell her that you do listen to her. Girls usually likes to talk and share stories. If you want to keep her, then you better start to be a good listener. Of course, you should also show that you’ve got some sensual feedbacks for her.

8. Keep Her In A Good Mood. Like my good cousin DaveNorth always say, “Keep her happy!” There is of course a simple logic to it. “Keep her happy to keep her!” It’s that simple, really. Of course, you can’t expect her to stay being in a good mood all the time. But, of course, being the caring and supporting partner, you’ve got to let her know that you’re always there no matter what. In good or bad times, you’re ready to accept her.

9. Steal A Kiss Or Two. It’s self-explanatory. You’ll both like it. I promise.

10. Remind Her. Remind her of the first time she said “yes”. Remind her of the first kiss you gave her. Remind her the first time she cried and how you made her feel okay. Remind her that you’ll always be there no matter how fat and ugly she could be within the next three years. Remind her of the promise you gave of how you’ll take care of her and protect her from every one who dares to offend her. Most importantly, remind her…

you love her.

proetry and poese

After taking up CW101 under Prof. Jhoanna Cruz, we’re expected to have decided to the form of genre we’re suppose to focus at. In Creative Writing, we’ve got a lot to choose from. Being a fanatic of this course, I’m actually having this dilemma of what to focus on.

I’m lousy at playwriting! That’s a fact. At first, I was still optimistic in trying it out. I did try my best but I guess it just wasn’t for me. I don’t know. It’s the genre of being in the stage. The fact that the considerations that it’s to be performed rather than be read is quite new to me. Don’t get me wrong, I like staged plays. I actually had my share of experience in performing on stage in my younger days. But the writing of the play itself, hmmmm… I think it’s a no-no for me.

On the other hand, I guess I can consider myself to be a reasonably fair fiction writer. hehe. I mean, I’ve made stories that clicked. They’re not that good but I guess people found some potential in the writing. To be honest, I tend to get material to man’s best friend–the television. That’s the reason why my first short stories were kind of cinematic in a way. I like writing stories. Short stories or short short stories/flash fictions. The thing about fiction is the fact that I have the chance to explain myself in a prosaic way which is quite comfortable.

Poetry, however, is something exotic yet mysterious genre for me. And I’m quite thrilled in learning it. Unlike fiction, I find poetry more difficult and less comfortable. The choice of words, the tone, rhythm, rhyme, meter and other technicalities or non-techinalities are like strings tangled together in my mind. And the thing is, I love it! I love the feeling of playing with words and I kind of feel like I’m falling in love with poetry.

So it’s either fiction or poetry. Where should I focus and concentrate? I like both. I can be good at both. But there’s this feeling that only one should precede the other in my choice. What? Help me.

Poetry or Prose.

wuthering me

Yey! Here’s the conclusion of my Wuthering Heights paper. I’ve passed this paper to my instructor but I still haven’t heard his feedback or even know my grade in British Literature 2. And because I really want some feedback from practically everyone, I decided to post a part of my paper here in my blog. And hopefully, I get some constructive criticism to give me an idea of what could be my grade in this paper. So here goes:

Conclusion

Wuthering Heights is one of the most amazing and awful novels I have ever read. It’s all about love, obsessive and passionate love between two powerful characters. Emily Brontё is to be commended to this marvelous work! It definitely stands out in the literary canon during the Victorian Period.

Her characters are either very whole or very flat. She made rich characters like Heathcliff, Catherine, Edgar and Hindley. But he also made flat ones like Mr. Earnshaw or the Lintons’ parents.

The plot is very devious and scheming like Heathcliff. Brontё has succeeded in making her characters alive. Her characters are quite consistent and life-like. Though there is of course the hint of being eccentric in her work, Brontё made it in such a way that her message about life and love is told to the reader.

The novel centralized to the plot. After the significance of one character has expired, Brontё immediately eliminates them. Examples of this scenario are the death of Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw, Mr. and Mrs. Linton, Isabella and Linton Heathcliff. Brontё’s killing of these characters are so sudden that it actually sounds too much of a coincidence.

Wuthering Heights is the kind of novel that would leave you astounded, amazed and at the same time creeped out. It was said before that Wuthering Heights was a work of a mad person.

The novel is very intriguing with its themes and motifs. Considering the fact that it was made in the Victorian Period where propriety is observed, I would say that Wuthering Heights is one of the best works in that time.

Until now, it still does not fail to get the admiration of young readers of today’s generation. Wuthering Heights has definitely worthy enough to be called as one of the greatest additions to literature.

not travelling

Here’s another one of my most favorite poems by master ee cummings. I remember my classmate Aaron presenting this poem in front of our class for our American Literature Class. I have to hand it to him. Even our professor, Dr. Genevieve Jorolan-Quintero remarked that the way he performed it was so good that it felt that it was the poet cummings himself was reciting his poem to us. A big hand for Aaron!  

somewhere i have never travelled

somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose

or if your wish be to close me,i and
my life will shut very beautifully,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility:whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

ee cummings

how i read a poem

There’s no definite way of reading a poem. There are a lot of critical approaches but the way to read the poem is always subjective. In my AH4, our instructor JC managed to simplify things in her own way. On my CL121 with Sir John and CL122 with Sir Nino, things got a little complicated.

Let’s not complicate ourselves. Here’s what I’ve learned in reading poetry. Here are some rough tips in reading poetry. If you see it defective, I would be more than glad to hear from you.

In reading poetry I…

…better be in a good mood. It’s hard reading poems when you’re distracted.

…read it first. I don’t try to understand it all at once. I just read it and let the words flow. Then, I read it again. And again. And again. I guarantee on your second reading, you’ll see a different poem.

…concentrate on the text first. It is important to look at the poem in a literary basis. Do not jump to conclusions or derive meaning just yet. If the poem said “the rose was torn and ravished”, don’t think of an abused woman just yet. Instead try focusing on the image of the flower torn into pieces.

…take note of the how the poem was written. Look at the line breaking, they actually mean something. Is there a rhyming scheme? Is there a meter followed? How many stanzas or how many lines? Is it a sonnet or an epic?

…depict a setting or a scene. The poem should have one. Feed on images. Where are they? What are they doing. What are the things around them that’s telling you that they’re in a cemetery, hospital, school, cabaret, house or hell? Try to figure out who is the speaker. On verbal address poems, try to figure out the addressee.

…check the symbols. What do they stand for? What could a flower, necklace, wolf, clock, elevator, angel, monster or drop of water mean? Try not restricting yourself to one line of thinking.

…capture the emotions. You’ll get it through the poem’s tone and the way the speaker is talking. Most importantly, try to relate that emotion with yourself. Did you also lose your mother? Did you also skin your cat alive? Did you manage to cut yourself into pieces? Did you ever talked with an alien? Something like that.

…learn more about the theme of the poem. Is it about drugs, sex and rock & roll? Is it about death or time? Is it about rejection or loss? What do you think the author is trying to tell you?

…understand the author and the time. Who is the author? Where did he live? What century did he live on? Why do you think he wrote the poem? Was he inspired by his one night stand with a complete stranger? Did he lose his wife? Or did he really make a poem for his books to sell?

…know if there are other poems like it? Then I compare and contrast them.

Those are some of my tips for now. I really have this feeling that I missed some important points. But generally that’s it! I’ll post another post like this if I remember some points.

I hope this helps!

purple pad craze!

I just realize something. For the past few months, I’ve been discussing a lot about Creative Writing and other related and/or unrelated stuff. But I still haven’t even given you a chance to see some of my works. Well, to make it up to you, I’ve got great news!

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to PurplePad!

PurplePad is our Creative Writing Blogsite featuring our works for the past semesters. Yes, it’s a requirement but I would have done one like it anyway. It’s all Professor Jhoanna’s idea to publish our works online.

On that site we’ve got collections of poems (narrative poems, mytho-poems and tankas), flash fictions and memoirs! It’s a one-stop amateur literary site.

Authors or my classmates and I have our own page with direct links to their works. You’ll definitely see their faces there! Learn more about them and get aquainted to the budding writers of the century (hehe..)!

Our teachers and mentors are also listed there. We couldn’t have done it without them.

We’d really want comments and criticisms from anyone who can spare some. Writers actually love them. They hurt sometimes but we like it! It helps us in our writing if people read and critique our works.

Check it out! PurplePad!

when dating

Whenever I date, I need to turn a simple day into a memorable one. My definition for a date is a little different. For me, dating is everywhere. When I spend some time alone with someone special, even if we’re just out doing simple errands, I consider it a date. Sitting together in a waiting area alone with your crush is a date for me. Of course, eating together on a fancy restaurant or watching movies together with her is hardcore dating. Here are some of the things I consider when in a date:

1. Always have a topic. Avoid awkward silences especially if you’re still in the getting-to-know stage. She’ll think you’re moving too fast. Don’t crowd her. Let her be herself.

2. Consider the place. Of course if you two are in a funeral, don’t go talking about her hair. Try avoiding those kinds of places. Don’t go on a date on a hospital. Same with churches. On first dates, I suggest you don’t go to the theater, it’s like your getting serious.

3. Always have your wallet ready. You’ll never know when she’ll be on a mood for a Coke. Try not to spend a lot for her though, it’s not helpful. Don’t let her spend for you unless she insist. Always be sensitive on money matters.

4. Walk. It’s better if you walk together. I find walking helpful on dates. Walk on parks, crowded streets or public markets. Walk where there’s a lot to be seen. Ordinary places become memorable when you’re walking with her.

5. Make her smile. Don’t be corny unless she likes it. Do not touch her. Let her wait for your touch. Tease her gently. Stop if she doesn’t like it. Make her feel comfortable with you.

6. Be sweet. Be nice. Be cool. Be a little aggressive sometimes. Leave an impression. Make her miss the moment she spent with you. Make her want to spend some time with you again.

thoreau and mortgage

I would really want to own my own house now. No, I don’t want to rent. I want to own.

Well for a poor fellow like me, it’s far from possible for me at the moment. I do have my own boarding house which is actually a room with holes in the ceiling and with the bathroom outside. It’s cheap though and near the school.

I guess it’s the sense of independence I’m after. I suggest you try reading Henry David Thoreau’s Walden particularly the chapter Where I Lived and What I Lived For. It talks about his experience living in a secluded cottage for two years, two months and two days trying to study society by detaching himself from it. He didn’t live as a hermit though, he paid visits and received them, too. I kind of think I’m somehow living like Thoreau in my boarding house all by my lonesome.

But I want a house. I’ve been telling my Architecture Student friends of my designs for my house in the future and they simply nodded and shook their heads. Owning a house is expensive. It’s expensive to buy and to maintain.

They suggested I check on this website about mortgage loan where they actually deal with the process. I good that there’s something like this to help those who are interested (like me) but new to the world of housing.

quick decisions

I was trained by my parents to be careful in making quick decisions. There’s actually wisdom when they say that our lives are governed by the choices we make. When you play soccer, you’ll understand what I mean.

At this moment, I’m beating the deadlines of my final papers. I’ve got to make a critical paper of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. I also have to make a critical analysis of one work of our upperclassmen’s thesis using the profound approaches we’re supposed to learn in CL122. I also have to study for my Philippine History and for my American Literature Exams. On top of that I also have to finish the requirements needed for me to join the Dumaguete National Writers Workshop. And all of them are due this week!

Fortunately I’ve scheduled my time in such a way that I can do the things I’m suppose to do. The problem lies on the strict compliance to the schedule. That’s important.

Another problem is money. Along with scheduling, budgeting is also important. I’ve learned to budget 500 pesos for a one-week stay in my boarding house. You have to be very careful with money. It’s good nowadays we already got payday loans to answer for immediate needs. What’s better is its faxless! Check the site for more details.

of assets

Here in the Philippines, the common term for loan sharks is “5-6″. I don’t exactly know the etymology of the term but I guess it’s because if you borrow a 5, you end up paying a 6. It’s when you lending becomes a business. Interests.

I remember my old principal say in her speech that those who lend money with interest would be cursed with serious disease, I don’t know where she got that info but I’m not sure if I’m going to believe her.

Then again, the loaning system isn’t all that bad. I suggest you check pay day loan and understand more of their personal cash advance system. Or why not go to your local bank and learn the protocol.

On the contrary, I think the loaning system is actually very helpful. But on my opinion, it’s only helpful if you help yourself. Poor people are trapped in the mindset of spending what they get on expenses that doesn’t necessarily give back anything. On other words, they spend a lot of money on liabilities.

It’s a basic rule that a lot of people tend to overlook. We should buy assets not liabilites. Learn to distinguish both of them. The normal trend is to work then earn then spend. Maybe we should try to work then earn then buy assets. When the assets starts working for us, then we can stop working and let the money in. Then we can spend.

how to cook rice

Being in an Asian country, I’ve been trained how to cook rice when I was still young. Rice is like the major crop in the Philippines and the rest of the Asian countries. I really don’t know what to feel whenever I encounter a grown man scratching his head in front of a cauldron or a rice cooker explaining his dilemma of not knowing how to cook rice. You need a cauldron or a rice cooker.

Step 1.
Put the rice in the cooker. It doesn’t really matter how you put it. People usually use cups. Go ahead and use cups. I don’t use cups. I pour the whole kilo down.

Step 2.
Wash the rice with water. If you already think it’s clean, I don’t care. Clean it again. You’ll never know how many impurities it may have. Let the impurities flow as you drain the water.

Step 3.
Pour water. The amount of water is debatable. Some people use the same amount of cups as the rice. Some say add an extra cup. As for me, I use my fingers. I use it as a measuring stick. I stop pouring until the water reaches half of my middle finger which stands from the surface of the rice.

Step 4.
Set the cooker. Do not forget the lid!

Step 5 (for cauldrons).
Set it on strong fire. When it boils, open the lid a little to let air out. Then wait for it to cook.

Caution:
Do not leave your rice cooking unattended. For rice cookers, the cookers accumulate a lot of watts. For those who cook in fire, rice burns easily.

incredible insurance

Everything’s unsure in this life. I’ve never come across an expected accident. No matter how sure and preventive you can be, it’ll never be enough. Why worry? Worrying is like solving a big problem with banging your head against the wall.

Whenever we hear the term life insurance, people automatically associate it with its trivialities in procedure and the unfairness of its protocols and conditions. I personally don’t get it, the fuss.

I guess we sometimes forget the principle behind life insurance. The system of insurance is quite impressive if you come to think of it. It’s a lifetime investment they say. I’m not really that sure. I think it’s more like a failsafe system.

I actually enjoy hearing every other people’s complains about their own cases concerning their insurance. For example, when someone needs medical assistance on Monday, they only give it on Thursdays. Loophole after loophole in the manual. I don’t get it.

I remember Mr. Incredible’s alter ego Bob Parr in Pixar’s The Incredibles. He was this boring insurance person trying to lie low. I enjoyed the part when he tried to help this little old lady in the shortcuts she could take to get her insurance money. His boss was mad at him for that. I wonder if that scene actually happens in insurance companies.

Try checking out life insurance quotes over the net to check things out.