As you may have noticed the quote of the moment (on the right) is a bit long.
Beautiful, no? From one of the greatest, most original novels in the universe - If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, by Jon
McGregor.
I haven't come across anyone who knows about that book, apart from the people who were around when I bought it and another I
shared an excerpt with.
(Please do not whore out the book lest find the phrase "if nobody speaks of remarkable things" twenty times on your MSN Contact
List.
Like Zach's initial worry - people pulling a The Reason on the beautiful book.)
Imagine my surprise when I signed in one day and found "If nobody speaks of remarkable things" on my MSN contact list. I told
Zachary I thought it was myself (mine was "what if nobody speaks of remarkble things?") at first, and that he should go back and really
read it or even better buy the damn book instead of just reading it in a bookstore.
Both of us were attracted by the book because of its cover. Humor!
But really. If you find it, pick it up, and be patient with it (it is also recommended that you take note of All the characters because
knowing so comes in handy. I, for example, wrote down all the characters mentioned and their descriptions and house number.) because
you have to finish the story to really appreciate it.
You also have to finish the story in order to cry.
Funny: 'Beautiful' is usually synonymous with 'devastating', 'heartwrenching', and 'melancholy'.
(I don't count this as whoring out the book because I don't think 5 regular readers - or less - is considered whoring.)
August 1
I always liked the word/name August.
But Just August. Not Augustus.
August 2
What started out as a rant of his soaring cellphone bill morphed into an enumeration of his every single problem. A full-fledged teenage
disaster.
As does the rest of the adolescent population in the world has.
Ralph says he never has anyone to talk to and thanked me for listening. This made me turn a deaf ear on Social Studies class and good
thing I did my homework because we had a quiz after that.
The temperature's reasonably rised, I hope this isn't the last of the cold because I enjoy wrapping myself up in the blanket at night and
feeling so cold in the morning when I'm in the middle of dressing up and being dressed up.
August 3
Finally finished my reaction paper.
Well technically it isn't just mine since it was a pair assignment but my partner refused to cooperate because she was having
her own problems and crying throughout Social Studies class, and didn't come to school today, so I did it myself.
Not that I don't care, but she shouldn't have let that get in the way of school matters.
But come to think of it, even if she Did cooperate I would have probably snagged the job of writing the whole essay anyway because
I am a tyrant like that.
Speaking of essays, my English teacher caught up with me while going up the stairs from Lunch and commended me for one of mine
("A Teenager's Life" laugh your ass off!). Again, several paragraphs regurgitated from the trusty online journal.
And I quote: It was so beautiful. *puts hand on chest as International Gesture for It Touched My Heart*
I could not help but laugh inside because of the amazingly different reactions of school faculty in Singapore and the
Philippines.
Take that, Queen of Lipids! You just ran out of lipid bullets!
Stereotypes are really taking their toll on me, it's really getting rather annoying, specially today when I got the Goth Stereotype, I was
so revolted even though it was meant as a compliment:
(translated)
Hey I like your style, it's like goth right? I love your style the most you know *tugs at shoelace-turned-wrist-accessory on my right
wrist*
And it reminded me of that stupid, useless Disney short of those British kids on a school bus with Goth stereotypes of kids clad in black,
sporting black make-up and spiked cuffs, and hair waxed to defy gravity.
It also reminded me of one of my and Ruth's rants about the stereotype, and was once again reminded of how fun those bloody free
periods were.
I retorted by schooling them on the real meaning of the word 'Gothic' (Didn't they EVER get a clue that it meant more than the color
black upon seeing the font name Century Gothic?) and pointed out that I was not wearing any make-up at all, and was in fact wearing
a beige American Eagle shirt with blue, pink, yellow and white stripes across the chest.
Don't get me started on the Rocker Stereotype, bags of which I am being forcefed every day.
Specially on the school bus oh my god my school bus sucks worse than my class the people are annoying like fuck this guy is like a
month younger than me and it's like he's 12 geez and the girl just keeps on thinking she rules the world while another other boy is in his
own and drops by Earth every once in a while to drop a corny joke or give some lame fat-related or you-are-not-a-girl insult/joke which
excuse me for your information got old in like 1999.
August 4
I talked to Bernette (pretty like crazy
excuse me) today and we dissed and laughed at a bunch of my classmates' Friendster profiles. :D and I had to sing for her but it's
not fair you owe me one because when you sang for me it was like just playing around! And the other day I went a bit nuts with that
little plush thing she bought me during last year's AAD.
Talking about the Friendster profiles... who knew there were SO MANY image hosting servers on the net? That animate your photos
for you? And who knew that there were people who actually use these animations and paste 9358101253205 of them in their profile?
And who knew that these people actually put up the same photos over and over again anyway actually it wasn't over and over it was
just the same two people with the same two poses over and over?
Radio: Mary Black's Moon River. Never heard of her but damn that cover was beautiful.
I watched Finding Neverland again and I don't think I will ever ever get sick of that movie. I am still after its soundtrack - the piano is
LOVE - but alas, it is nowhere to be found here.
As is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the Fight Club soundtrack...
August 5
I resume Internet Hiatus, I have exams AGAIN oh god seriously the whole school has exams every like three weeks. Ironically the
more major one, the Quarter Exams, are easier to study for because there aren't any new topics and chances are I already know
them.
Yes I do study please I actually understand atomic structure now and can list all the quantum numbers. But I have yet to memorise the
mneumonics.... 1s, 2s, 3p.. something.. something..
And everyone knows I am shit at memorizing without comprehension or visualization. When I memorise it isn't actually information
stored in my brain, during examinations you'll see me closing my eyes and I'm actually seeing an image of my notes. Yay for
photographic memory, though it doesn't always work.
So while watching Birth I downloaded songs and after the movie my mom was getting all prissy again and told me to turn off the
computer.... which I did, and then forgot to transfer the songs to my memory card. I asked if I could turn it on again, and reassured I
would not turn on the modem I even told her she could watch behind me.
Then she exploded (*"Puputulin ko yang LINTIK na yan e!") which I burst out in silent fits of laughter at - after she was gone
of course - because "lintik" is a funny sounding word specially when used with compelling anger.
I still kissed her goodnight, because I am courteous like that, courteous being synonymous with Routine Things You Don't Like Doing
But Do Anyway To Avoid Life-Wasting Conflict, and afterwards she told me I should "do something about my life."
Hang on, mother, I think I missed the part where you found marijuana under my mattress?
And the part where I come home at 3 a.m. every Saturday morning, wasted?
And the part where I always scream at you and storm around the house like I hate the world?
And the part where I am failing every single subject in school and is on probation?
And the part where you found semen on the TV room couch?
SERIOUSLY all I am doing is trying to make myself even remotely sincerely happy by writing and emailing and listening to music; so I
can continue to pretend that everything is all Strawberry Fields Forever and I can continue cracking jokes to make laughter at the
dinner table and talk to my grandparents and go to school and study; SO I keep you satisfied and your trap shut.
The computer isn't The Machine From Hell really I don't know why the fucking hell they are so uptight about it. I have my life under
control, thank you very much.
Emo Parenthood
Eurgh my kid was like "5 more minutes pleeease" and didn't obey me AGAIN OH MY GOD NOBODY UNDERSTANDS ME WHYYY
AM I ALWAYS A TYRANT IN MY CHILDREN'S EYES I'M GOING TO GIVE MY SPOUSE THE MOST HORRIBLE BED EVER
TONIGHT. I'M SO ANGSTY I COULD BITE HIS PENIS (or her nipple, if you are a male) OFF.
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Birth was an interesting movie, though I was a little distracted by the computer so my attention was diverted between the two. I didn't
get the part where the boy said he got confused.
If the love of your life died and was reincarnated somehow and ended up in a 10-year-old body, what would you do?
*"Puputulin ko yang LINTIK na yan e (POO-poo-TOO-lynn KO YANG lin-TIK NA YAN EH) - I'm going to
cut off that motherfucker
(Actually I don't know what lintik means but thought motherfucker was a suitable translation, in context.)
August 6
The problem with me and record stores is Indesicion. I should just stop going there altogether. I pick up a CD, listen, drop my jaw,
want to buy. Repeat 20 times.
So obviously I always walk out with nothing.
This is why majority of my money is invested in books.
Though I have stopped for the time being because I am running on a miniscule hope of going back to Singapore in October if I save up
enough. It's pretty easy saving because all I have to do is Not Eat Outside the House.
This hope is so serious it's not even funny, if you observe me in school sometimes you'll find me with eyes glazed over and smiling a
little and that is me thinking of hugging you (chances are you who is reading this is a good friend because I don't think strangers would
bother reading this) again.
On a different note (or maybe not so)... I think I have mild stomach ulcer.
August 7
Reaction paper = 94%
Minus points for printing it on A4 paper instead of "short bond paper" geez.
Do you remember the Grumpiest In The World teacher I mentioned before?
(I know, I know, you're saying "here she goes again with her character-analyzing and excessive-describing of Strangers")
She's been substituting our Math class every other day (ours went off to the States to teach and we don't have a new permanent one
yet) and I've been observing her, she really is quite a depressing sight.
From the double eyebags, to the tight ponytail, to the permanent pursed lips, to the permanent crinkled forehead, to the tattered
Salvatore Ferragamo box she uses to carry stationery around, to the way she marked a student's Algebra homework - the same pursed
lips, crinkled forehead, the fervent annoyance that showed in the way she wrote each stroke of correction in red pen.
Then she did the unbelievable.
She asked Pamela, "what is the definition of real number, Miss?" and when Pamela could not answer, and the rest of the row could not,
she broke into a friendly sneer, and then, evolution! A smile and a chuckle!
I was awestruck. Seriously. So surprised that I kept my gaze on her until she looked at me so I could smile at her. You probably don't
understand but if you see her in person you would award her Most Unlikely to be Affable.
By smiling I wanted to say "You look better smiling," because in the previous meetings she was just so I-Hate-The-World Looking that
you would be so sad for her. I didn't say it aloud in case she took it offensively, and before class she was already insulted by an
immature group of boys at the back who imitated her ArmyGeneral-sounding voice.
I know this is judgement of what I see, but still. I know she probably has a great personality and all of this is only because she hates
being a teacher so much. She's proabably dying to get out and party and get drunk and get laid or something.
August 8
Today I surprised myself by being able to do all Conversion questions in the Practical Arts exam, at a steady pace and not getting stuck
even once.
Not like I'm going to be writing computer programs in the future, much less talk Binary Digits (101110101100), but okay.
I fail to understand why people hold online relationships any less important than those in person.
I, for one, would have shrivelled up and decomposed somewhere in the streets of Manila if I didn't have the Internet.
August 9
Joutaro: Oh my god it's so hot luckily I brought my TOWEL! *flings towel in air from his bag*
Hahaha you have to admit, metrosexuality can be so adorable.
Instead of doing Social Studies revision when I got home I caught In Good Company on HBO and finished it.
The movie isn't... fantastic plot-wise or anything, but I cannot pinpoint what I like about it so much. Specially because there was no
Everything-works-out-for-the-lead Ending. And Scarlett Johansson's character is so interesting. The fact that she doesn't even talk much
makes her interesting.
Today I found out that the Art Club
does sport a Camera Club as well. Imagine my shock anger discontent
annoyance.
They have to take photographs as homework, EXCUSE ME THAT'S WHERE I SHOULD BE BUT THE CLUB'S FUCKING FULL this
boy who is in that club is on my bus and he saw one of his clubmates and asked if he could see her photo and suddenly he was like
"WOW SO NICE" and I did a sideways glance and the photo was SHIT psh watch me dive headfirst into regret for not signing up for
the Art Club because I was lazy OH MY GOD.
[/proper sentence structure defiance]
Another thing I fail to understand is several people's misconception of my sexuality (not that I agree that it should be judged by the outward appearance or mannerisms but that is what they were implying).
Stupid quote of the month: You're a boy!
And besides, I have perfectly girly mannerisms like my fetish for earrings (and sticking several of them in one earhole), the tendency to over-accesorize in the wrist areas, and evident swooning over certain beings of the opposite sex (Jude Law, etc).
August 10
This morning at around 0120hrs I spent like half an hour analyzing the phrase "halfway across the continent" because it suddenly
sounded weird. I tried "across half the continent", "halfway the continent", and "why the fuck did 'way' become a suffix for 'half'
anyway."
And I guess I fell asleep brooding over that.
So today was the last day of the Quarter Exams, on the menu was Social Studies and Trigonometry and last night I was being stupid
and only studied for Social Studies which I don't really need to study for because I only needed 28% on the exam to get an 85%
overall score (included other tests and stuff.)
I was so proud of myself in memorizing all the Greek names all in one morning, I took mental pictures of some, alphabetized some, and
made acronyms for some. Say hello to:
the Poets: Homer, author of Iliad and Odyssey ; and Pindar, author of Olympics
the Dramatists [EAST]: Euripedes,
Aeschylus,
Sophocles - their themes dealt with Destiny and
Karma ; and
Thespis, who created Tragic Drama by introducing other characters in addition to the chorus
the Comedian: Aristophanes, who mocked politics, current events and culture in the most slapstick, obscene way
possible.
the Historians [THX - The surround sound thing, you know]: Thucydides, author of The History of the
Pelopponesian Wars ;
Herodotus, the author of The Persian Wars ; and
Xenophon, author of Anabasis - an account of
the Greek army in Persia.
OK actually I don't think you're interested so I won't continue (Sculptors, Philosophers, Scientists and Mathematicians). You may now
school your friends on your newly-acquried knowledge on The Golden Age of Greece
I often wonder when I'm going to run out of things to say. My life is actually really boring so I don't see how I can come up with so
much writing very week. Imagine the length of this if I actually had a life. Maybe I should start on some fiction.
Then again I have no patience for fiction, I get so bored with plots.
Dear Reader,
Are you a regular? Why do you read this?
Answer please. Feed the tagboard or my
inbox. You may choose to leave the answer as
anonymous (though personally I do not see a reason to do so).
Staaaadeeyum, arcaaaadeeyum.
Hump de bump doop bodu, bump de hump doop bop!
This journal thing would be really interesting after a few years. I plan to keep this for as long as I can, it's funny how we can archive
our whole lives like this. Six years from now, this week will be some week lost in history and getting older and older in some part of
my brain I don't visit by then; until I read this very sentence
We do this as a feeble attempt to immortalize our memories,
as does the shutter speed, aperture dial and the Burning of Light onto Film (only applying to SLRs of course).
Six years from now I would have grown yet more and re-reading autobiographies like this would be like hearing a Second
Opinion.
In the case of computer programmers it is the process of Documenting.
In the case of a historian it is Archiving Important Events, Comparing and Anazlying Facts.
In my case, it's Wasting my Life In Front of A Computer Screen and Making Unimportant Events Important Events When the Latter
Lacks Thereof.
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Updated Thursday, August 10, 2006, 08:52 p.m.
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