Monday, May 22, 2006

The Da Vinci Code



To whom this may concern,

I, Movie Buff, a christian, have watched the Da Vinci Code in Ayala Cinema 2 on its opening day last May 18 at exactly 12:30 PM. I have yet to be struck by lightning and my faith is surprisingly intact.

I write this letter to assure your wary soul that I will not by any means succumb to self-flagelation. Whipping myself to death is just not my thing - since I am not masochistic by nature. Nor will you see me running around with a cilice strapped to my thigh, since it'll be awful to walk with.

I have yet to understand what the big fuss was about over the move "The Da Vinci Code". Perhaps my cerebral cortex does not understand your age-old wisdom of the so called "good" and "Bad" but, I for one, have seen nothing bad in the movie. (Call me a sinner when I say that Silas had a nice ass or that Tom Hanks did look good topless.)

The movie "The Da Vinci Code" was just a movie. Certainly you do not need me to spell it out for you. But alas, since I am an able student of Communication, it is my civic duty to give you a quick lesson regarding movies. Movies primary purpose in the world is to entertain (and gross big time) and not to brainwash. Based on my knowledge, Ron Howard is not an evil scientist nor a mind controller, I assure you that the movie does not brainwash people.

Plus, whom this may concern, the movie was based on a book. You should know that movies that are based on books are usually big flops. Well, honey, TDVC wasn't really mind blowing. The book was by far, much better. So, if you want to start a fight, you should start it with National Bookstore and have them stop selling the book rather than deprive poor, old SM with their movies.

Sheesh. I really don't know what the big fuss is about.

Sincerely yours,

A confused movie buff.

posted by Betchai at 5:35 PM 8 comments
Saturday, April 22, 2006

Point of no return

For the past few days, I've been walking down jones avenue with an aimless look plastered on my face. My dad's in the hospital, after slipping in the bathroom and breaking his right hip.

I never felt so numb in my entire life.

Before any of you jump to hasty conclusions of me being a rotten daughter, let me just enlighten you of my recent discoveries regarding my father. Perhaps, by the end of this post, you'd join my sentiments and just wish to shove the dextrose bottle up his arse.

My dad's leading a double life.

For the benefit who are just plain dense: My dad has 'another family'.

In simple terms: My dad's been screwing around.

Do you want me to get crude? Because I can and I will - I know some pretty colorful words and I'm not afraid to use them.

I found out about a month ago, that he has actually been seeing another woman for perhaps over a year. I always had this inkling that 'something' was going on beforehand, but I guess I tried my best not to believe of what was constantly rubbed into my face.

So when it was said in my face, I just lost it.

Let's just say, we no longer own any cheap drinking glasses.

I trusted my father. I believed in him 100% for every excuse that he gave me. I thought my mother was overreacting and being paranoid. I backed my father up for every fight they had.

Boy was I stupid. Hah.

Finally I understood why my mother and I were leading such a crappy life. He was spending all his money on his new wife AND her three children.

At one point, as I have learned from my cousin, he threatened to leave my mother and I high and dry. He would leave us and would not support me in my studies. Man, can you just feel the love?

Now, the urge of just pushing my poor, defenseless, vulnerable father off his hospital bed is just oh so tempting. Perhaps, I might even strangle him with his own bandages.

My mother is at his bedside, up to this very moment. My cousin as well. And he still treats them like dirt. I don't understand why he can't be the least bit grateful for all that they have done for him.

Stupid little bastard.

My respect for my mother grew. Despite of what my father has done to her and to me, she still is at his side. Now that's love (but my ass of a father, does not realize that, naturally.)

I on the other hand, have done nothing for him. I only visit because I want to see my mother and give her support. Perhaps the only little errand I did was look for the blood he needed for his operation, and I only did that because my cousin needed help looking.

I could've easily given up my blood for my father. But I didn't.

Nor will I ever.

I've lost all respect towards my father. My trust in him went kaput. Every word that now comes out of his mouth are potential lies.

Walking down jones avenue gives me comfort. I walk oftentimes, aimless down the busy street and cross the potentially deadly streets more than once. Walking now clears my mind as exhaust fumes steadily clog my respiratory system, probably subtracting years from my already diminishing life.

I've learned to accept it all.

There really isn't much I can do anymore. There are no more glasses to break and tears to shed.

I'm just spent.

Now for something to drink. Beer, anyone?

posted by Betchai at 10:43 AM 10 comments
Friday, April 21, 2006

Coffee Chronicles: Jolli-Coffee

I have never been picky as to where I have coffee. May it be at Starbucks or at some unnamed roadside store. As long as I can get mine caffeine fix, then everything is just hunky-dory. Yet, the idea of having coffee at 7 AM in Jollibee never appealed to me.

Jollibee was just to 'jolly' for me at 7 AM.

Yet, he insisted. So, there I was, amidst a grinning overgrown red honeybee and huge edifices of food, sipping my morning coffee. He grinned at me, the waiters grinned, the stupid bug grinned and even the guard grinned. I sighed.

It should be illegal to be so happy that early in the morning.

"It's to bright here," I said to him, after taking a tentative sip of my coffee. 'Jolly-coffee,' I though darkly. I surveyed the brightly colored walls of red and yellow. Just too bright.

"What are you? A vampire?" he asked me, while stabbing a piece of his pancake. "Cheer up,"

"It's 7 AM," I said, my voice rather low and throaty. I just woke up, so nobody can really blame me. "And maybe, I just am a vampire."

"You look like one," he added his own two cents.

"Thank you," I replied, rather sarcastically. The urge of dumping my coffee on him was rather tempting, yet, it would be a waste of jolly-coffee. We don't want that to happen.

He poked me with his fork. "You should eat,"

I swatted his fork away - it was sticky with maple syrup. "I'll eat something later," I said. "I'm not having anything with the word 'jolly' in it. It's too early in the morning to be jolly,"

"Man, you're just one big ray of sunshine aren't you?" he took a huge gulp of coffee.

I stared at him blankly. "At this time? Yes."

Jollibee was getting crowded already. I could hear the guard greeting the customers ('Good morning ma'am, sir. Welcome to Jollibee.') Little kids were already running around. Blasted little insects.

"Had I known you'd be this grumpy I wouldn't have called you,"

"You called at 4 AM. Idiot," I drank the last of my coffee. I needed more. I felt my annoyance rising.

He looked at my empty cup and shifted anxiously. "You want another cup?"

I thought it over for a moment. In the background a baby started to wail. Those pesky little insects continued to run up and down our aisle. One finally one bumped into my chair. I glared. "No,"

"Remind me to only drink coffee with you at night," he said as we left the establishment. He looked rather defeated.

I glared at the stupid red bug.

I hate Jollibee in the morning.

posted by Betchai at 11:59 PM 4 comments
Saturday, April 15, 2006

New Look

As you can see, my blog has a new look. =)

We are all drunk, some more than others.

"INTOXICATED...Life is a martini."

Oh yeah, right now I'm sober. ;o) Haha. So how about a martini? Shaken, not stirred.

posted by Betchai at 9:40 PM 0 comments
Friday, April 07, 2006

The Coffee Chronicles: Unlucky

"Malas kaayo ka pag-High School," ("You were so unlucky back in High School,")

That's what my old High School friend told me as we drank coffee at one unnamed roadside store in Lilo-an. To say that I choked on my coffee would have been an understatement.

"Ngano man?" ("Why?") I just had to ask.

He grinned. "Ever since you've started to study at San Roque, wa gyud ka-daug ang imong mga Teams ug 'Overall Champion'," ("Ever since you've started to study at San Roque, none of the teams you joined ever won 'Overall Champion'.")

I tried to think back to my not so fabulous life as a High School student (As if my college life is fabulous. Psh). True, all the teams that I've joined never won 'Overall Champion'. Not one. And that's 7 teams all in all. How Unlucky.

Come to think of it, all of my classmates experienced being part of the winning team at least once. That certainly made me wonder.

I asked him why he thought so. He answered that it was the doing of some cosmic power (Obviously, he's not the religious type). I was "fated" unlucky when it came to team sports. (He sprinkled a bit of sugar on me at that point.)

Great.

As I think about it more, All the teams that I've joined also never won the "Best In Cheer dance" category. I admit, I'm no star dancer - but I did my part of running and screaming (out of step and off key, at times).

Could it be, that my left footedness caused the downfall of 14 teams (yes, 14 goddamn teams!) in attaining the title of "Best in Cheer dance"?

Or perhaps, my inability of correctly volleying, kicking or hitting a ball, crushed the dreams of 7 teams of being called "Over All Champion"?

My Cerebral Cortex does agree that it has yet to fully develop my athletic abilities in team sports and in dancing. Apparently in that aspect, my brain is underdeveloped.

After that enlightening discussion, I brushed off the sugar of my shoulder and we called it a night. My friend assured me that my unlucky streak was only limited to Team sports, the Intramurals and dancing. I agreed.

He promised he'd give me a rabbit's foot if ever I'd join a dance sport. I laughed but agreed.

So for seven years I have unknowingly caused the downfall of every team. My mere presence has squashed every Captain's dreams of becoming 'Overall Champion' and I have successfully disappointed every Head Cheerleader out there. Every jock must hate me now. All 14 teams must see me as a jinx. All my classmates have tasted victory. And I...I...

Ah, screw it.

I could only care less.

At least now I've found my true calling in life: Being a 'Silent Team Killer' (who does her part as a water girl.) (Mom will be so proud!)

'til the next cup of coffee.

posted by Betchai at 6:08 PM 1 comments
Monday, April 03, 2006

Just thinking...

This is the nth time since I blew off this blog.

It's really been a while, hasn't it?

To think, I actually promised to keep this thing updated. Right.

I often wonder if people are actually reading this blog. (Are you?) But then again, I write for my own enjoyment and don't need to bother with readership at this point --- after all, this thing is no novel (or will it ever be.)

Speaking of novels, I have a plot bunny bouncing around in my head for a while now. I'll see what I can do. It may become a short story or a chaptered story - who knows. I'll start writing the outline and the basic plot soon (when I feel like it)and we'll see where that goes.

To whoever reading this, I'll keep you posted.

Summer school will start tomorrow. And no, I am not an idiot who needs supplementary lessons over summer (this is just to get your stupid ideas out of your stupid head). This is just another semester in College - one whole semester equivalent to approximately 5 months all compressed into ONE MONTH. Talk about cramming. ;)

Classes I'm taking:

1. Business Writing
2. Cebuano Speaking and Writing
3. Developmental Theater

Oh yeah. Before I forget, these past weeks have been hell. Reason: My father. I'll explain more of it soon, in my future entries.

Just one thing in relation with the topic of my father: I will never trust anybody again. Thank you DAD.

posted by Betchai at 2:10 PM 2 comments
Monday, January 02, 2006

THAT time of month

I believe every woman out there would heartily that THAT time of month is the most tedious and most annoying period ever - no pun intended.

I openly understand that as women, we have to undergo the "monthly cleansing of our cervixes" - just to put it lightly. But I'd rather hang myself updside down off a building by my feet than to undergo such bloody hell - again, no pun intended.

I know that if we don't go through that every month, we either die due to internal infection or we're pregnant. I'd rather go with death due to internal infection than have a spawn growing inside of me right now.

But seriously, do we have to go through 'it' every damn month? Isn't there something easier to than discharging gallons of the proverbial "dirt" all the time? I for one, have become sick and tired of purchasing sanitary napkins and beer all the time - beer supposedly does not only make you drunk, but it also helps you in your menstruation.

Wait a minute. If beer helps women in their menstrual cycle, how does that then affect men? It is in fact proven, that high intake of beer actually increases the estrogen level of the consumer. It therefore only means that men would actually add estrogen to their hormonal count. Micheal Jackson really should read this - I'm sure it'll save him a lot of money if ever he decides to finally undergo a sex change.

It's unfair, if you think about it. We have boobs and menstruate every month. Guys have dicks and they are circumcised - and they undergo that only once. I'd give anything to have a man menstruate. At least, he'll share the burden. After all, that's what society's been talking about right? "Sharing the burdens in a relationship"? Am I right?

My professor keeps talking about how we should be proud of being a woman. Yeah. I'm proud - I'm just not proud when my lower regions hurt and I'm PMSing. Then I'm not proud but then I'm a downright bitch biting people's head off - wait, that's what I've been doing most of the time.

BTW: Please check out my multiply account. We are selling our Mercedes Benz 350 SLC for P350,000.00. You can see pictures of our car there. HERE! CLICK ME! HERE!

posted by Betchai at 6:07 PM 3 comments