about the talking fish

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Writer. Wheelman. Occasional DIY mechanic. Walking collection of hang-ups. Hopeless romantic. Old-school. Analog soul in a digital world. I am all of these things and more.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

"With a little help from my friends..."

I didn’t have any real expectations when I parked up my car at nearby Lamoiyan Corp. for a job interview and testing session yesterday, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw Denise’s name on the applicant list. She had arrived just minutes ahead of me and we were both applying as sales trainees.

In all the interviews and test sessions I’ve had so far, this was pretty much the first time I strolled in and saw someone familiar with me. A batchmate of ours, Ivan, was also there, having already been given the preliminary interview.

Anyhow it was as if Den and I hadn’t been away for a month. It was nice chatting with her again.
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My friend Aileen just returned from Jakarta and Singapore. I missed her too. I want to play badminton with her again.
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Thanks to my friend Israel, I now have DVDs of Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team. This is pretty much the closest anime can get to replicating epic war films such as “Platoon” and “Full Metal Jacket” and it was a blast to watch. Short but powerfully complete, it’s one of the best Gundam anime ever made.

Friday, February 24, 2006

I know what you're thinking

I’ve been pondering about just how predictable people can actually be.

It’s surprising how often I can correctly finish other people’s sentences when I can discern their train of thought. All that’s necessary is to put in the caboose. Maybe it’s just that we’ve gotten all so cliched, everything we say is basically a repetition of what someone else has spoken some other time ago that only God knows when. If that were true, I can’t believe how boring and unoriginal we’ve all become.

Apply it to something else. “Discerning trains of thought” is something kidnappers and carnappers do very well. They’ll need that knowledge to know when exactly to strike, which is when you are simultaneously most vulnerable and most convinced there’s nothing out of the ordinary that will happen. It appears sticking to a predictable routine will land you into all sorts of trouble.

Funny it seems then that those who are free of predictability are either entrepreneurs or loonies. Go figure.
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Too much of technology nowadays is an answer to a question no one asked.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Off-day

I don’t quite understand why things aren’t going my way recently.

The whole time I played badminton in Villamor, I kept losing because my smashes went too deep or too shallow and I kept missing the shuttle by mere inches. While driving on the highway and overtaking the hordes of slowpokes, I actually made a couple of potentially dangerous mis-shifts. Yet I’m pretty sure I do well in both driving and badminton.

I don’t get it. Why is this happening?

Sunday, February 19, 2006

New and old

After Nanay’s 80th birthday lunch at The Good Earth Tea Room, we went to Moonwalk to claim Bianca’s new pug puppy.

We arrived at Rowie’s house and spotted Cooper out of the litter of puppy pugs. All of them were feeling lethargic due to the effects of their recent vaccine, and Cooper was especially groggy. He was pretty small at two months old—no bigger than a desk telephone—and he ain’t no eternal beauty next to our 7-year-old dog Tango, but that didn’t stop Bianca from fawning over our new housemate.

I’ll see how Cooper grows up. He’s cute in his own way.
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I find myself returning to HCP nowadays. I guess for all the misgivings the forum currently has, it still feels nostalgic enough to return to and I’ve carved out my own little niche in the now-huge community.

I’ve returned to Villamor AFB too after more than a year away from its badminton courts. The rough rubber-painted cement courts now have welcome Taraflex matting on top of them, but most of the games I played had me partner with virtual turtles—the kind who don’t run after the shuttle. Now my legs hurt from playing a losing game of fetch.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Celebration's over

The house party went pretty well, although unfortunately some choir people weren’t able to make it due to other plans. Although Monser arrived late, he served up a pretty mean grilled squid, as well as great chopsuey, while most of them also approved of Mom’s cooking. Overall, it was a good afternoon for everyone.

Sated with food and exhausted by the heat, I napped out for 45 minutes, waking up for badminton with Aileen and Miggy. We pretty much figured we’d need to burn all the food we’d eaten over the past three days, so today’s session was a start. Besides Aileen might not be able to play while she’s in Jakarta for the next couple weeks.

I think it’s about time I made my comeback to Villamor Air Base too. Since I’ve returned to badminton it might be a good idea to check up on my old badminton mates. I might as well keep myself fit while I’m unemployed—at least I won’t be bored.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Happy birthday to me.

This weekend’s been full of eating.

Yesterday Aileen treated me and her work friends to a despedida from her old job at DPC. Today, Mom got Papa and I to go to Antonio’s in Tagaytay for a heavy and sumptuous lunch, which was topped off by Matthew’s birthday dinner party tonight.

And it doesn’t end there. Tomorrow Monser and I will be having a post-graduation bash at my place for the choir.

Aileen and I will need a lot of badminton to work off this food.
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Thanks to all those who gave me presents and greeted me today.

Yes, I turn 23 today. Crap, I’m old. I hope tomorrow’s house party works well.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

HR = stupid!

The HR departments of the companies I’ve applied to so far are all rather stupid.

Why on earth do they have to always, always give me last-minute notice of a job interview?

Why on earth do they not take advantage of the fact that I have a cellphone that they can inform me with? Why on earth do they insist on using only my landline and complain that it’s always busy?

There just has to be a better way of doing this. I feel indignant. I may be unemployed and looking for a job, but I deserve better respect than this.

Monday, February 06, 2006

A bullet for my Beloved

Beloved,
There are only so many places I can follow you into. I’m sick and tired of wanting to fit into your world, one dictated by the iron grip of your idiosyncrasy, because I know I will always stick out like a sore thumb and you will never look at me anyway because I do so.

I’ve given up following you. Can you please go away?

Oh, yeah, that’s right: You were never truly here in the first place.
Shoo.

Bon voyage Auntie

Auntie Carole left for America at 8am today, after a two-week stay at our house. We woke up at 4am this morning to pack her stuff and fetch her to the airport three hours early.

I feel slightly guilty that I wasn’t able to spend more time with her. In the span of the two weeks she was here, I was busy with graduation matters, badminton and job-hunting while she was with Mama and Bianx going to such places as Antonio’s in Tagaytay, Market! Market! and Baguio City. Even more, she’s a genuinely likable fellow, along with Uncle Butch and their kids Czasha and JB in South Pasadena—and I rarely find genuinely likable people in any branch of my family, to be honest.

There will be other times, I suppose. Right now I just wish her a safe trip going back home.
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I sang the high-pitched tenor part for “Awit ng Paghilom” yesterday unassisted by other fellow tenors as I was the only one there. I felt the pressure to deliver a loud part, and it wasn’t all nice—after the song I felt I had gone wrong somewhere and felt it took a toll on my throat. Ate Nessa was kind enough to back me up.

Judging from how the others reacted I think I did well though. Thanks.
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Job-hunting has proved interesting so far. No real results yet though. Sigh.
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Lately I’ve been brushing up on my Initial D skills, now with the “eraser” technique, on time trials along the Akina downhill route. It does work, and my times confirm it (shaved a massive 4 seconds), but it takes a lot of time to perfect using it. Too often I end up one gear too high and kissing the barriers because I failed to downshift into the proper gear after doing the eraser. Also I think I’m doing eraser backwards.
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