Archive for June, 2009

An Illumination

An Illumination

Under normal conditions, the research scientist is not an innovator but a solver of puzzles, and the puzzles upon which he concentrates are just those which he believes can be both stated and solved within the existing scientific tradition.

- Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

It’s not as much Copernicus disproving Ptolemy’s model, or Einstein propounding the theory of relativity, but scientific revolutions are made of simpler stuff than just grand theories and impressive ideas.

Like writing, the advancement of science and technology requires humility.  Science is sold every day, whether it’s a new invention or a new innovation.  Those who do science and technology – and those who sell it – are wise enough to take a step back from the project, and to realize how every part of it fits in with the other.  The assembly of facts, whether mental or material, is shifting and moving.  Facts can be disputed, and technology is always tested.  Even cold, hard scientific facts – or marketing facts, for that matter – are tested in reality.

In science, the equivalent of a writer’s revision in a work is called a paradigm shift.  Indeed, that’s a very cool phrase to use.  It speaks to something dreamlike and revolutionary.  Enamored as we are with “paradigm shifts,” it is all too often not the discovery of something new or innovative that causes it, but that something in the existing paradigm is inadequate or proven wrong.  That humility, to me at least, is the hallmark of a true scientist: the willingness to subject a scientific idea or a product of technology to the rigors of criticism.

Scientists should be humble to open themselves up to the possibility of being wrong without destroying their confidence for their science.  Scientific facts and products of technology do not always start out right: the errors are fixed, the criticisms are addressed, the problems are resolved.  What’s wrong from the beginning becomes right at the end.  That’s why science is the journey itself, not a stopover.

Scientists have to be open to criticism.  Every now and then, scientists need to revise their science.  Science is about constant proof, to affirm that the facts that they are stand as the facts as they are.  We constantly hypothesize, test, and conclude whenever we do science, and explore the possibilities brought about by that science.

When the results of the experiment are proven wrong, the experiment is re-evaluated.  The experiment is performed again.  The scientist bends over backwards not just to be proven right, but also to prove the facts to stand the test of discovery, exploration, and the rigors of scientific inquiry.  It’s not just the confidence in the results of science, but the willingness to subject those results to scrutiny and criticism, and learning and applying those lessons.

That, I think, is what makes a scientist stand out.  In the end, the qualities that make a scientist stand out will affect the product.  Humility and openness will result in a superior product.  Before that product hits the shelves, it has to be tested, underwritten, proven, and affirmed in the same way as the science that made it happen.

Like a revision of a story, scientific “revision” requires humility.  If you’re humble enough to accept criticisms, to apply lessons from criticisms, and to stand by your work where your confidence demands it, is the hallmark of science and is the key to commercial success.  Before wearing your laurels, you must first make sure that your head sees things the way they stand, and not moving in revolutions up high in the clouds.

Only then will the scientist see the illumination that leads to enlightenment.

Written after reading the exchange at Smoke.ph.

June 27, 2009 8 comments Read More
Story of Revision

Story of Revision

SDC10309Whatever I can call my “workspace” today is a mess of paper, computers, and manuscripts.  I still have a life, but when that life ends, I have to subject myself – only because of a compulsion – to revise my workshop entries.  They got me that far, so I guess I’ll have to go further.

Writing something requires so much discipline as it stands.  Revising it requires a lot more than just discipline, but humility as well.  You start by making marginal notes and criticisms for your own work, taking slow death from other people’s input, and come out with a resurrected output.

Like a phoenix from a pile of ashes… of course, that’s what they all say.  It’s one thing to talk about the importance of revising a story, but it’s another thing to actually do it.  A month into revising my story, the Word document stands as it is the day I came back from Dumaguete: blank.  Not that I didn’t get any work done, though.

It’s not just “editing,” but “revision:” a complete overhaul.  Here’s a bad Haruki Murakami rip-off to illustrate it:

Wordspacewordspacewordspace.  Monotthatwordbackspace.  Let’susethisandrevise.
Okaythatdidn’tworkdeletethesentence.  Wordspacewordspaceword…
Damnwrongspellinglet’skeeponrevising.
Thatsentencedidn’tworkokaylet’sdothisagain.  Spacedamnbackspacewordspaceword.
Revise.  Wordspacewordspace.  Thisfontsuckslet’schangeit.  Thatdidn’tmakesense.
Thisthoughtdoesn’tcoincidewiththatthought.  Thisshouldn’tbehere.  Eraseerasewordspace.
Wordspacewordspace.  Ohdamndeletesentence.  Wordspacewordspaceohcrap.
Let’sdothisrevisionsomeothertime.

After a month of revising a seven-page story, the blank Word document just stares at me.  I glare at the stupid document with the stare of an idiot.  The Quixotic struggle of windmills turned to woods makes me want to call Sancho and tell me to shoot this Cervantes wannabee dead.  I don’t know who’s winning the battle: the story, or the guy who wrote it.  The scribbles on the manuscript are there to guide me to rephrasing and restructuring sentences, fleshing out characters, concretizing themes.  It’s the kind of bending over backwards that would eventually give me the right to kiss my own story’s ass.

The stories I tell, if not good enough in form and technique, will not be read in a world of glittering vampires, bitchiness, profound realizations, and erotica.  What am I doing writing about the tired old stories of squatters?  Why should I even bother with the life of the outsourced Pinoy?  What am I doing wallowing in the misery of life, brooding about the human condition, writing about human adversity and the injustice of society?  Other people don’t, I do.  I can’t write well, so I guess I should prove that in the best way I know how: by trying my very best to write well.

That’s what revision is all about: asking the question “Why?” so many times until it reflects in your story.  It’s not just the grammar, the choice of words, or the spelling that someone corrects during a revision, but the story itself.

Even I’m starting to doubt it all.  Other people can do it, I can’t.  There just seems, at least to me, the urge  and fury to put so much effort into something that does not pay off.  Who cares?  Who reads?  What’s the point?

Yet even doubt has to wait.  Revising my story means I’ll have to revise myself as well.  The most self-destructive insecurity complex that I know of – mine – should not get in the way of the task at hand.  I need to have that kind of humility to accept the fact that no matter how bad I think I am, only I can make that revision.

Rephraserestructurefleshoutconcretize.  Breakdownrebuilddestroyconstructkillresurrect.  Those things can wait.

June 26, 2009 4 comments Read More
Lyrics Translations: Practice Makes (Not-So-) Perfect

Lyrics Translations: Practice Makes (Not-So-) Perfect

OK, someone asked me to make lyrics translations.  That means I’m in the mood to practice… making… lyrics… translations.

I’m a bit bored this week, so I decided to translate songs along the immediate line of:

  • Crap
  • Things I feel like translating
  • Things that will earn me the ire of readers
  • More crap.

I should really consider, therefore, to look for people to sing these things.

TRANSLATION 1. For some absurd reason, this song became a certified dance hit.  I do not know why.  People line dance to bollocks like this.  Oh well, it’s translate-able.

May Sakit Na Puso Ko

“Achy Breaky Heart,” Billy Ray Cyrus

Sabihin sa mundo, di ‘kaw babae ko
Sunugin mo damit ko pag-alis
O sa iyong amiga, kung gano katanga
Tawanan mo ‘ko sa telepono

Aking mga kamay, sa telepono ilagay
Aking mga paa’y sa may sahig
O ang aking bibig, sabihin sa ‘king kamay
Na di maaabot ‘yong pag-ibig

Wag lang sa puso ko, may sakit na puso ko
Baka di maintindihan
At kung sa puso ko, may sakit na puso ko
Sumabog at magpakamatay

Ooooh…

Sabihin mo sa ‘yong ina, ‘ko’y nasa Pampanga
Pakagat na rin sa aso mo
Sa kuya mong astig, kamao sa ‘king bibig
Kung ayaw niya rin talaga sa ‘kin

Sa hipag mong si Bing, ako’y yong sumbungin
Alam kong ako ay OK lang
O sa mga mata ko, kung ano ang iniisip ko
Baka ako’y layasan din ngayon

Wag lang sa puso ko, may sakit na puso ko
Baka di maintindihan
At kung sa puso ko, may sakit na puso ko
Sumabog at magpakamatay
Ooooh…

Wag lang sa puso ko, may sakit na puso ko
Baka di maintindihan
At kung sa puso ko, may sakit na puso ko
Sumabog at magpakamatay

Ooooh…

TRANSLATION 2. I have absolutely no idea why I’m translating this song, or if it makes sense, or if there’s any justice in a translation for it.  Here we go.

Ako’y Manghahaplos Na

“I Touch Myself,” DiVinyls

Mahal ko sarili ko
Mahalin mo din ako
Kung ako’y nalulungkot
Sa ibabaw ka nga
Sa sarili’y naghahanap
Hanapin mo ako
Nakakalimutan
Ipaalala mo sa akin na

Di ko na kailangan ng iba
Pag ikaw ay naiisip
Ako’y manghahaplos na
Di ko na kailangan ng iba
Di na, di na, di na

Ikaw lamang ang nagpapasaya sa akin
Ikaw ang araw na saki’y nagpapakinang
Kung ika’y nariyan, ako’y napapatawa
Hangad ko lang mapasakin ka

Ipipikit ang mata ko
At makikita ka sa harap ko
Baka ako’y mamamatay
Kung di mo ko pansinin

Makikita ng baliw
Kung gaano kita kagusto
Ako’y luluhod sa harap mo
Gagawin lahat para sa iyo

Di ko na kailangan ng iba
Pag ikaw ay naiisip
Ako’y manghahaplos na
Di ko na kailangan ng iba
Di na, di na, di na

Mahal ko sarili ko
Sana mahalin mo rin ako
Kung ako’y nalulumbay
Sumiping ka na sa akin

Hinahanap sarili ko
Hanapin mo ako
Nakakalimutan ako
Ipaalala mo sa akin

Di ko na kailangan ng iba
Pag ikaw ay naiisip
Ako’y manghahaplos na
Di ko na kailangan ng iba
Di na, di na, di na

Di ko na kailangan ng iba
Pag ikaw ay naiisip
Ako’y manghahaplos na
Di ko na kailangan ng iba
Di na, di na, di na

TRANSLATION 3. I love this song; it brings back memories.  I guess that when you have a song that memorable, and if you’re Marocharim, the recourse would be to translate it.

Wag Kang Maharot, Kampupot

“Build Me Up, Buttercup,” The Foundations

Wag ka ngang maharot, (maharot) kampupot, giliw
Ako’y ibabagsak, (ibagsak) iyong iwawasak
At higit pa, (malala) di ka pa tatawag oh
Pangako mo, (pramis mo) mahal rin kita
Kailangan ka, (siya na nga) higit sa sinuman giliw
Ikaw na mula simula
Wag kang maharot (maharot) kampupot, huwag mo kong saktan

Alas-diyes, sabi mo, paulit-ulit pa to
Huli pa din, maghihintay pa rin (tara na)
Pagbukas ng pinto, di na matitiis to
Hindi ikaw, pumapalpak pa rin

Hey hey hey, aking giliw, sige na
Hey hey hey, konting oras, para ika’y mapaligaya
Hey hey hey, sa bahay lang ako
Maghihintay sa may telepono

Oooo-oo-oooh, oooh-oo-oooh

Wag ka ngang maharot, (maharot) kampupot, giliw
Ako’y ibabagsak, (ibagsak) iyong iwawasak
At higit pa, (malala) di ka pa tatawag oh
Pangako mo, (pramis mo) mahal rin kita
Kailangan ka, (siya na nga) higit sa sinuman giliw
Ikaw na mula simula
Wag kang maharot (maharot) kampupot, huwag mo kong saktan

Ika’y aking laruan pero baka ako’y iyong magustuhan
Basta sabihin mo (sige na)
Konting pakipot mo, ako’y nahuhumaling pa sa ‘yo
Kailangan din kita

Hey hey hey, aking giliw, sige na

Hey hey hey, konting oras, para ika’y mapaligaya
Hey hey hey, sa bahay lang ako
Maghihintay sa may telepono

Oooo-oo-oooh, oooh-oo-oooh

Wag ka ngang maharot, (maharot) kampupot, giliw
Ako’y ibabagsak, (ibagsak) iyong iwawasak
At higit pa, (malala) di ka pa tatawag oh
Pangako mo, (pramis mo) mahal rin kita
Kailangan ka, (siya na nga) higit sa sinuman giliw
Tanging ikaw kahit simula
Wag kang maharot (maharot) kampupot, huwag mo kong saktan

Oh kailangan kita, oh yeah, higit sa sinuman giliw
Tanging ikaw kahit simula
Wag kang maharot (maharot) kampupot, huwag mo kong saktan

TRANSLATION 4. They say that Filipino is a very gender-neutral language, so I guess that if you’re heartbroken, this song would probably look good on a Regine Velasquez album.  Although in the general scheme of lyrics translations, this made me laugh out loud.

Pangakong Nasira

“Broken Vow,” Lara Fabian

Pangalan niya
Sabihin mo
Hitsura niya
At lakad ninyo
Makita ang mukha
At maintindihan
Ang ating katapusan

Ulitin mo
Di marinig
Sumira sa tapat na pag-ibig
Kasama mo sa gabi
Habang ako ay mag-isa
Noong tayo pa’y naalala

Lumaya ka
Lipad ka na
Tanong pa rin, o bakit ba
Magparaya
Ngayong nahanap na
Kung paano itago ang
Pangakong nasira

Anong tinagong salita?
May kinimkim ka bang luha?
Ang haplos na pangako mo’y sa akin lang
Naglaho nang ako’y iwan

Lumaya ka
Lipad ka na
Tanong pa rin, o bakit ba
Magparaya
Ngayong nahanap na
Kung paano itago ang
Pangakong nasira

Pikit-mata
Panaginip ng tayong dalawa at nagising na
Kay dami pa sa buhay na di poot at pananadya
Ako’y pipikit na muli…

Ipaglilimos ang kaluluwa mahagkan ka lang muli
Sana di na to ang pangakong huli

Lumaya ka
Lipad ka na
Tanong pa rin, o bakit ba
Magparaya
Ngayong nahanap na
Kung paano itago ang
Pangakong nasira

TRANSLATION 5. I have translated this before somewhere in The (Original) Marocharim Experiment, but I’m sure it will probably be vastly improved with my 1337 skillz.

Jeepney

“Jeepney,” Spongecola

I alighted from the jeepney
There was a time we rode that, just you and me
There was a time your cheek was touching mine
Your cheek touching mine

Your hanky still is in my pocket
Your smell is still in every fold of it
Our laughter sounds so lusty
In the heat between you and me

But right here and now, it’s over
You’ve gone away, we’re not together

I still remember all the nights that we spent
Lying down, looking up at the heavens
I still remember all the nights that we spent
You and me in the rain

Color and hue of your smile
Strands of your hair blowin’ in the wind
The tenderness of your lips
Your tender lips

Your shadow from far away
I want to see it, wanna see it just today
Just to find an escape
From the chill

But right here and now, it’s over
You’ve gone away, we’re not together

I still remember all the nights that we spent
Lying down, looking up at the heavens
I still remember all the nights that we spent
You and me in the rain

But right here and now, it’s over
You’ve gone away, we’re not together

I still remember all the nights that we spent
Lying down, looking up at the heavens
I still remember all the nights that we spent
You and me in the rain

TRANSLATION 6.  I’ll probably get an ass-whooping for this (like from Flaircandy, for example), but I just feel psycho enough to translate it.  Huling Pantasya, FTW.

Mata Mo Sa Akin

“Eyes on Me,” Faye Wong

Awitin ko’y kinanta, sa entablado, o mag-isa
O aking salita, maririnig mo kaya
Ngumiti ka nga sa akin
Tunay ba, o panaginip lang
Nariyan ka lang sa may sulok
Ng munting bahay inuman

Huling gabing kasama ka, awiting luma, minsan pa
Huling gabi na nga ba to, baka oo, o hindi
Gusto ko iyong pamamaraan
Nahihiya ka ba sa mata mo sa akin
Hindi mo lang alam, mata ko’y nasa iyo

Andiyan ka lang pala, tinatago ng iyong mukha
Parang di ka nasasaktan, di ka minamahal
Para ba ako sa iyo, magaan na kurot pero sigurado
Kung ika’y magalit, alam kong di ako nananaginip

Hayaan mo ‘kong lumapit, lumapit na sa iyo
Para madama ko, bawat pintig ng iyong puso
Diyan ka lang hanggang ibulong ko
Ang payapang mata mo sa akin
Hindi mo lang alam, mata ko’y nasa iyo

Ibigay mo na rin, ang iyong pagmamahal
Ang luhang kinkimkim, sakit na pinipigil
Gusto kong malaman mo, higit ako sa damit at boses
Lumapit ka lang, alam mong di ka nananaginip

Andiyan ka lang pala, tinatago ng iyong mukha
Parang di ka nasasaktan, di ka minamahal
Para ba ako sa iyo, magaan na kurot pero sigurado
Kung ika’y magalit, alam kong di ako nananaginip

TRANSLATION 7.  Helga Weber asked me for a copy of “Shiny Red Balloon” by Barbie’s Cradle one time, so I guess it is but logical – at least in my world – to translate this thing anyhow.

Makintab na Pulang Lobo

“Shiny Red Balloon,” Barbie’s Cradle

Tinago ang pag-ibig sa aklat
Ito pala dinadamdam ng kaaway
Pana-panahon sa ‘king dibdib
Ako lang palang taga-tago

Baka ‘di totoo
Pag-ibig sa telebisyon
Sa ‘king imahinasyon
Kay hirap palang gawin
Laging sumasagabal
Makintab na pulang lobo
Lahat napapanis

Tinago ang pag-ibig sa aklat
Praktikal, di masamang bisyo
Pero baka ito’y makasakit pa
At magpaumanhin ang TV

Baka ‘di totoo
Pag-ibig sa telebisyon
Sa ‘king imahinasyon
Kay hirap palang gawin
Laging sumasagabal
Makintab na pulang lobo
Lahat napapanis

Tinago ang pag-ibig sa aklat
Partidang mahaba at mapag-isa
Pano ka nabuhay ng ganyan, o giliw?
Alam kong ganito

Baka ‘di totoo
Pag-ibig sa telebisyon
Sa ‘king imahinasyon
Kay hirap palang gawin
Laging sumasagabal
Makintab na pulang lobo
Lahat napapanis

Lahat napapanis

TRANSLATION 8.  Rain Contreras sent a heads-up on a recording of Nat “King” Cole singing a classic Pinoy hit, but the music legend said he didn’t know the words so he read/sang them.  Hmmm… it WILL sound like Britney, dude.

Because of You

“Dahil Sa Yo,” Pilita Corrales

In my life where there’s too much
The hardship and the pain
Of a heart in love
As if there’s no more heaven

And when I finally smile
You saved me from my sorrow
Only you, my love
Are my hope in my life

Because of you, I want to live my life
Because of you, ’till the day I die
You have to ask yourself
You love no one else
Ask my heart just this once
It’s only you that I love

Because of you, I became happy
I offer you, all the love that’s in me
If I am real and true
I’ll be a slave for you
Every moment of my life
Is because of you

Because of you, I want to live my life
Because of you, ’till the day I die
You have to ask yourself
You love no one else
Ask my heart just this once
It’s only you that I love

Because of you, I became happy
I offer you, all the love that’s in me
If I am real and true
I’ll be a slave for you
Every moment of my life
Is because of you

TRANSLATION 9.  I am one of the many fans of Avril Lavigne… without the audio.  In the spirit of that, here’s a lyrics translation take on one of the Avril music videos I like to watch the most.

Girlet

“Girlfriend,” Avril Lavigne

Hoy, hoy, ikaw, ayoko sa ‘yong girlet
Hindi pwede, kailangan mo ng iba
Hoy, hoy, ikaw, ako na lang ‘yong girlet

Hoy, how, ikaw, alam kong gusto mo sa kin
Hindi pwede, alam mong di siya sikreto
Hoy, hoy, ako na lang ‘yong girlet

Pwede ka, gusto kita, ang sarap-sarap mo
Iniisip ka bawat oras nalululong ako sa iyo
Di mo ba alam ang kayang gawin para maging OK ka?

Wag pakipot, akala mo ako’y maselan
At oo, ako’y putang-inang prinsesa
Alam kong gusto kita at ako’y tama

Siya ay, sobrang kever
Alam mong, ako’y mas swak sa iyo
Naisip ko, dapat maging tayo na
Yun ang pinag-uusapan nila

Hoy, hoy, ikaw, ayoko sa ‘yong girlet
Hindi pwede, kailangan mo ng iba
Hoy, hoy, ikaw, ako na lang ‘yong girlet

Hoy, how, ikaw, alam kong gusto mo sa kin
Hindi pwede, alam mong di siya sikreto
Hoy, hoy, ako na lang ‘yong girlet

Nakikita ko ang pagtingin mo sa ‘kin
At kung ikaw ay lumingon naiisip mo’y ako pa rin
Alam kong ako’y naiisip mo lagi’t-lagi

Halika na’t sabihin mo ang gusto kong marinig
Mabuti pa’t palayasin mo si chaka girlet
Wag mo nang sabihin ang pangalan niya

Siya ay, sobrang kever
Alam mong, ako’y mas swak sa iyo
Naisip ko, dapat maging tayo na
Yun ang pinag-uusapan nila

Hoy, hoy, ikaw, ayoko sa ‘yong girlet
Hindi pwede, kailangan mo ng iba
Hoy, hoy, ikaw, ako na lang ‘yong girlet

Hoy, how, ikaw, alam kong gusto mo sa kin
Hindi pwede, alam mong di siya sikreto
Hoy, hoy, ako na lang ‘yong girlet

Isang segundo lang balot ka na sa ‘king daliri
Kaya ko, at mas maganda pa ang gawa ko
Wala nang iba, kailan mo pa madarama
Sobra niyang tanga, ano bang nakain mo?

Isang segundo lang balot ka na sa ‘king daliri
Kaya ko, at mas maganda pa ang gawa ko
Wala nang iba, kailan mo pa madarama
Sobra niyang tanga, ano bang nakain mo?

Hoy, hoy, ikaw, ayoko sa ‘yong girlet
Hindi pwede, kailangan mo ng iba
Hoy, hoy, ikaw, ako na lang ‘yong girlet

Hoy, how, ikaw, alam kong gusto mo sa kin
Hindi pwede, alam mong di siya sikreto
Hoy, hoy, ako na lang ‘yong girlet

TRANSLATION 10. Time for a slashwrist/tambling translation.  Just for the hell of it, I’ll bend the rules a bit.

Winner

“Jai Ho,” Pussycat Dolls

Winner, Winner…

Meron (meron)
Nginig (nginig)
Kung haplusin mo Ang Ilaw
Papainitin ka
Kukunin sa yo lahat
Sasabihin mo, Winner

Winner, Winner…

Meron (meron)
Lagnat (lagnat)
Tumataas parang sunog
Para sa ‘yo, gagawin lahat
Ika’y aking iaakyat, Winner

Sa akin, easy lang, easy lang
Sa akin, carry lang

Winner

Ang tunog ay kay bigat, kay bigat
Madarama…

Winner, ikaw ang dahilan ng aking paghinga
Winner, ikaw kung bakit ako naniniwala
Winner, ikaw ang aking kapalaran
Winner…

Winner

Wala nang makakapigil sa atin
Wala nang makakasingit pa sa atin
Kaya halina’t makisayaw sa akin
Winner

Huliin mo ako, huli, huli, halina’t huliin mo ako, gusto ko ngayon na
Alam kong ililigtas, ililigtas, ililigtas mo ako, kailangan kita
Ako’y sa ‘yo magpakailanman, ako ay susunod
Saan ka magpunta, di kita pakakawalan

Winner, winner

Takas (takas)
Palayo (palayo)
Idadala kita sa lugar
Pagnanasa nating dalawa
Di mawawala ang pag-asa (Winner)

Ikaw ay (ikaw ay)
Nadarama (nadarama)
Ko sa aking ugat
Ang puso ko’y tila dagat
Ako’y nagbago na ng tuluyan (Winner)

Hayaan mo lang masunog giliw
Hayaan mo lang dumating, Winner

Malalaman mo lang giliw
Isa lang ako sa marami

Winner, ikaw ang dahilan ng aking paghinga
Winner, ikaw kung bakit ako naniniwala
Winner, ikaw ang aking kapalaran
Winner…

Winner

Winner, Wala nang makakapigil sa atin
Winner, Wala nang makakasingit pa sa atin
Winner, Kaya halina’t makisayaw sa akin
Winner

Huliin mo ako, huli, huli, halina’t huliin mo ako, gusto ko ngayon na
Alam kong ililigtas, ililigtas, ililigtas mo ako, kailangan kita
Ako’y sa ‘yo magpakailanman, ako ay susunod
Saan ka magpunta, di kita pakakawalan

Kailangan kita, kaya natin, handa na ako, kaya heto na

Winner, ikaw ang dahilan ng aking paghinga
Winner, ikaw kung bakit ako naniniwala
Winner, ikaw ang aking kapalaran
Winner…

Winner

Winner, Wala nang makakapigil sa atin
Winner, Wala nang makakasingit pa sa atin
Winner, Kaya halina’t makisayaw sa akin
Winner

Winner

Baila baila, baila baila, baila baila

Winner!

June 25, 2009 4 comments Read More
Everything Falls Into Place

Everything Falls Into Place

Everything falls into place.  There’s always a place for all shapes and sizes of things; it doesn’t matter if they’re on the straight and narrow, or the crooked and confusing, there’s always a place for everything.  You win some, you lose some, but you always move up a notch where everything’s faster, where every line is drawn for you.  You start off with nothing, and then you end up with a high score.

June may be a time for romance (wink wink), but this year, it’s the 25th anniversary of Tetris.

The gaming community is a collective not to be riled (the most gaming I do these days is Pokémon and the occasional rounds of fighting games at arcades), but it goes without saying that Tetris is a gamer’s game.  First developed in 1984 by Alexey Pajitnov, Dmitri Pavlovsky, and Vadim Gerasimov, Tetris was as simple as video games can get.  All you needed was to line up a bunch of different-shaped blocks into a row, the completed rows get eliminated, and you’re back in the game.  It’s simple, addictive, and we’re still playing the game (with the addition of frou-frou graphics and RPG elements) 25 years after it was first programmed.

You won’t see avid Tetris players in computer shops anymore (thanks to all this fan worship of Warcraft III and Left 4 Dead), and you certainly won’t see those 99-in-one “Brick Game” handheld Tetris machines where you play everything from speed Tetris to Tetris “racing games.”  Yet I guess that even in this day and age of cool-ass graphics and Facebook game alerts (seriously, I don’t wanna), there’s always room for the old stuff.

Everything falls into place.  Like blocks on a Tetris game, everything just keep falling into gaps, spaces, and for those used to it, every piece will fall into a snug fit between other pieces.  Suddenly, everything vanishes, and you start over.  It may seem to be over, but it never is… stupid crooked zig-zag thing!

As long as there’s a place for everything.  Happy birthday, Tetris!  I’ll play you again, as soon as I get you to work on this here computer.

those 99-in-one “Brick Game” handheld Tetris machines where you play everything from speed Tetris to Tetris “racing games.”  Yet I guess that even in this day and age of cool-ass graphics and almost every game in Facebook, there’s always room for the old stuff.
Everything falls into place.  Like blocks on a Tetris game, everything just keep falling into gaps, spaces, and for those used to it, every piece will fall into a snug fit between other pieces.  Suddenly, everything vanishes, and you start over.  It may seem to be over, but it never is…
As long as there’s a place for everything.  Happy birthday, Tetris!  I’ll play you again, as soon as I get you to work on this here computer.

* – Photo from “Tetris Story” by Vadim Gerasimov, one of the three pioneer developers of the original Tetris.  Thanks to Francis Acero for the tweet.

June 24, 2009 2 comments Read More
Fabulous Ortigas Center

Fabulous Ortigas Center

There’s lot of fun for everyone: only here in fabulous Ortigas Center.
Ortigas Center sprawls over three cities.  This complex is home to some famous commercial centers.  Office buildings, as well as condominums, dot Ortigas Center’s vast expanse of premium land.  Architectural designs in Ortigas vary from modern marvels to timeless elegance.  Whether it’s an all-glass façade or handsome marble walls, Ortigas Center is pleasant to look at, unlike other central business districts.
Yet fun is what Ortigas Center is all about.  Ortigas is where speed marries familiarity.  Its beautiful streets, named after precious substances, prove that wealth is everywhere in this business district.  Not only is Ortigas home to San Miguel Corporation’s corporate headquarters, but it is also home for many big players in global finance.  Business process outsourcing is also big in Ortigas, offering employment to thousands of people passing by its streets 24/7.  Web-based businesses are very popular in Ortigas.  Many multinational companies make Ortigas their extension office, or transform premium office spaces into their corporate headquarters.
Metrowalk, at Meralco Avenue, is home to many recreational facilities that cater to many lifestyle choices.  It’s great for drinking, for karaoke, or even for healthy eating, with many choices available to visitors or office workers out for fine weekend nights.  Metrowalk played host to Feté dela Musique this year, but is famed every night for musical reverie.  Bands play to entertain hundreds of patrons on weeknights at its sprawling center court.
SM Megamall has always been SM’s definitive mall.  With two sprawling shopping complexes, “Mega,” or “Gamol,” as it is affectionately called, is deeply engrained in Philippine popular culture.  Robinson’s Galleria, just west of SM Megamall, is pioneering for its choice of classy but affordable shopping for everyone.  For that classy, elegant shopping experience, visit EDSA Shangri-La at Shaw Boulevard.  For bargain goods, visit Saint Francis Square, across Megamall.
Ortigas has more to offer than just shopping.  Ortigas Park is great for unwinding after your work shift.  Restaurants at Pearl Plaza, just along Pearl Drive, offer tasty gourmet dishes at reasonable prices.  Coffee shops abound in Ortigas, featuring selections of coffees that cater for everyone from casual coffee drinkers to true connoisseurs of fine coffee.
Ortigas is easily accessible via train, Ortigas Station northbound, or Shaw Boulevard Station southbound.  You can also take buses plying EDSA.  Some jeepneys also have routes along San Miguel-ADB avenue, passing EDSA Shangri-La to Robinson’s Galleria.  You can also take taxis at reasonable rates.
Visit fabulous Ortigas next time you’re here.  Choices abound here, whether it’s for work or play.

There’s lots of fun for everyone: only here in fabulous Ortigas Center.

Ortigas Center sprawls across three cities.  This complex is home to some famous commercial centers.  Office buildings, as well as condominums, dot Ortigas Center’s vast expanse of premium land.  Architectural designs in Ortigas vary from modern marvels to timeless elegance.  Whether they’re all-glass façades or handsome marble walls, buildings in Ortigas Center are pleasant to look at, unlike those in other business districts.

Yet fun is what Ortigas Center is all about.  Ortigas is where speed marries familiarity.  Its beautiful streets, named after precious substances, prove that wealth is everywhere in this business district.  Not only is Ortigas home to San Miguel Corporation’s corporate headquarters, but it is also home for many big players in global finance.  Business process outsourcing is also big in Ortigas, offering employment to thousands of people passing by its streets 24/7.  Web-based businesses are very popular in Ortigas.  Many multinational companies make Ortigas their extension office, or transform premium office spaces into their corporate headquarters.

Metrowalk, at Meralco Avenue, is home to many recreational facilities that cater to many lifestyle choices.  It’s great for drinking, for karaoke, or even for healthy eating, with many choices available to visitors or office workers out for fine weekend nights.  Metrowalk played host to Feté dela Musique this year, but is famous for its nightly musical reverie.  Bands play to entertain hundreds of patrons on weeknights at its sprawling center court.

SM Megamall has always been SM’s definitive mall.  With two sprawling shopping complexes, “Mega,” or “Gamol,” as it is affectionately called, is deeply engrained in Philippine popular culture.  Robinson’s Galleria, just west of SM Megamall, is pioneering for its choice of classy but affordable shopping for everyone.  For that classy, elegant shopping experience, visit EDSA Shangri-La at Shaw Boulevard.  For bargain goods, visit Saint Francis Square, across Megamall.

Ortigas has more to offer than just shopping.  Ortigas Park is great for unwinding after your work shift.  Restaurants at Pearl Plaza, just along Pearl Drive, offer tasty gourmet dishes at reasonable prices.  Coffee shops abound in Ortigas, featuring selections of coffees that cater for everyone from casual coffee drinkers to true connoisseurs of fine coffee.

Ortigas is easily accessible via train, Ortigas Station northbound, or Shaw Boulevard Station southbound.  You can also take buses plying EDSA.  Some jeepneys also have routes along San Miguel-ADB avenue, passing EDSA Shangri-La to Robinson’s Galleria.  You can also take taxis at reasonable rates.

Visit fabulous Ortigas next time you’re here.  Choices abound here, whether it’s for work or play.

POSTSCRIPT: Bluejackal sent a heads-up today that a certain in-flight magazine of a major airline company did not pay a dude the 15-cent rate for the words “a,” “and,” and “the.”  (Source article here.)  I sort of chuckled, knowing how close to my heart this particular story is, whether it’s true or not.  The story reminds me of a famous novel by Ernest Vincent Wright entitled “Gadsby: Champion of Youth,” where the whole novel was written without the use of the letter “e,” just because publishers said it’s impossible.

The haphazard travel magazine article above was written without the words “a,” “and,” and “the.”  - Marocharim

June 23, 2009 8 comments Read More
Mona Lisa Overdrive

Mona Lisa Overdrive

Vorhanden, zuhanden. Those words seem like lyrics from a Rammstein album.  Bring on the pyrotechnics, we’ll be rockin’ tonight… well, we won’t.

Behind those big-sounding words – straight from the intellectual iron maiden that is Martin Heidegger – is a very important concept: instrumentality.  Vorhanden, or presence-at-hand, refers to things and concepts that are already there to begin with; it is up to us to make theories about what makes those things and concepts meaningful.  Zuhanden, or ready-to-hand, refers to the involved actions we have with instruments; we don’t need to make theories about using a spoon, for example.  Of course, I’m not an expert in all things Heidegger.

Personally, I appreciate the fact that more and more people are using social media to act upon their society in a positive manner.  I don’t know of a single advocacy or cause that does not have a manifestation in the Web.  The fact that Twitter has become the gateway for information on the state of Iran is something we should applaud and be proud of.  For everything said about “cyberactivism” as “slacktivism,” Pinoy Netizens are at the forefront of impeachment complaints and calling book blockades out as bollocks.

I don’t usually disagree with Cocoy on matters concerning technology – I’m sure he knows what he’s talking about – but I believe we are far from “cyber war.”  Twitter is a great way to inform us all about the goings-on in Iran, but it’s a long way from being the definitive catalyst for social change.  Rather than descend into long-winded discussions about hyperreality and simulacra/simulation, I’d like to make this polite (if not curt and fair) point: technology is an instrument in a situation, it is not the situation itself.

Take things like “cyber hackers,” for example.  I’m not discounting the possibility, for example, of online marauders hacking into my computer systems because of an open letter to Congress; but I’m not overestimating it, either.  Like I said before, the almost instantaneous action made possible by online social media can sometimes mislead us into thinking that the Internet will lead to instantaneous consequence.  To treat the “virtual world” as separate from the “real world” would be to misunderstand how things fall into place.  The most the Internet can do is be a catalyst for spreading information; the messenger may be shot during the war, but he or she is still not a soldier.

It can also mislead us into thinking that “cyberactivism” compensates for the weaknesses of physical action in the social realm.  Take Carlo Ople, for example:

And that I think is one of the strongest qualities of Virtual Rallies. The moment a person joins, he’s in it for the long haul. The count is cumulative regardless of the time and space. As long as the website is up and running, people will be counted. That’s the reason why the Facebook Cause against Con Ass is already nearing 30,000 sign-ups. Imagine if we give it more time? That number will continue to grow and eventually might even end up more than 100,000.

As much of a kind acquaintance Carlo is to me, I have to ask if he’s pulling anyone’s leg here.  Numbers are relevant, yes, but I don’t know how much commitment is there to be found in mouse-clicks or memberships to groups.  The numbers may be there, the shoutouts may be there, but as long as the barometer of action is measured in presence-at-hand, the cause is not there at all.  As inconvenient as physical action may be, we cannot allow things to descend into an exercise of slacking off and presiding in our computerized Parliament.  While we’re tweeting away at the events at Iran, the protesters are still marching in Teheran.  While there are people who will tout thousands of members in the No to Con-Ass Facebook groups, the protesters marched at Ayala.  There is a very big difference there, the least of which being commitment.

I feel that some people have a tendency to overestimate the importance or centrality of the Web as anything beyond the instrument that it is.  ”The Internet is the new bastion of democracy,” at least to me, would be to say that the Internet becomes the Zion to the invasion of anti-democracy machines somewhere at the other end of the Matrix.  It’s a tool: the same tool that can be used to propagate democracy can also be used to propagate dictatorships.  It’s like we’re giving a tool a mind of its own.

Let’s get this back on track on a more positive note.  More than open up doors for things like “cyber war” and hackers and things like that, the real effect, or perhaps “danger,” of online social media is a more informed public.  It’s more dangerous than malware attacks.  Yet that comes with a curt and fair warning that when people define their situations as real, they are real in their consequences (yep, the Thomas theorem).  The central roles that we take as Netizens should also reflect in the way we are as citizens.  Virtual environments are not situations: they are instruments that act upon situations.  Vorhanden compliments zuhanden, but the latter is primordial – that is to say, authentic and involved – compared to the former.

The sooner we come to grips with that, the sooner we come to grips with the online and the offline…

Ah well, that’s another rant altogether.

* – So I’m kind of writing this because I just had a conversation with a friend writing her thesis on “virtual worlds.”  LOL.  The title comes from a novel by William Gibson.  And I’m still writing in long sentences, woot!

June 23, 2009 12 comments Read More