Do you listen to music when you're outside?

Something random. Are you comfortable being outside while wearing a pair of earphones or headsets? When I go to work every night it’s impossible for me not to chance upon at least one person with an earphone or a Skullcandy-ish headset. They’d sit beside me in the bus, pass by while crossing the street, and jog past along Ayala Triangle.

I can’t help but wonder, anong volume ng music nila?

I tend to imagine numerous scenarios which strengthen my refusal to go soundtripping while outside the comfort of my house where people are vulnerable to almost everything.

What if you’re walking on one side of the road with a pair of headsets on your head and a long-lost friend sees you from the other side? He/she starts screaming for your attention but you can’t hear him/her because you’re busy listening to Adele. Hwat ip?

What if you’re listening to music inside the bus and a man declares a holdup—that everyone who doesn’t turn to look at him and start giving his/her money would be shot without hesitation? You’re busy listening to Coldplay’s The Scientist so you contemplate on the meaning of life as you stare out the window and watch the raindrops slide down the glass. The holdupper sees that you aren’t paying attention so he plants a bullet in your head. Hwat ip?

What if you are walking on the sidewalk with some emo rock song playing on your earpiece, and then a mile away, a bus is hijacked by a terrorist who has planted an explosive on the brakes. Like in the 90’s movie Speed, if the bus stops, it blows up. So the driver keeps on driving and the wheels skids off the road and then the bus rides along the sidewalk and then everyone gets out of the way and then people are screaming at you to run as well but you cannot hear them because Simple Plan is busy complaining about life on your music player and then the bus runs over you and then your internal organs spread on the sidewalk and then— Hwat ip?

You get my point. Pretty lame for some, but I guess that’s the downside of having such a wild imagination. I mean, the world is a dangerous place. Things can happen. If you even dare decrease your alertness by 30%, you’d be in danger.

The people who usually go out with their ears covered, I praise them for being bold enough to abandon all care in the world just so they can listen to their favourite songs. I wish I could be that lenient to myself, but I’m way too paranoid.

What about you? Are you comfortable being outside wearing a pair of earphones or headsets?

Night Shifter

Yes, this is another one of those "paramdam lang, buhay pa ako" blog posts. I've been gone for a month as I've been busy with my new job. I now work night shift as an editor, and not only is it deterring my social life, it is also affecting my blog as well. I've no complaints with the job I took, though: the company is top-notch, people are really nice and the workplace is heavenly. 

Working night shift has a few disadvantages:

1. It's hard to find places to eat which are open 24 hours. It has already come to a point where my officemates and I spend a good hour per day talking about how and where to eat. The answer? Bring baon. The microwave is always there.

2. Summer has come, so damn you, summer. Night shift work means having to sleep during the day. The question is: can you sleep with the heat turning your bed into a makeshift grill? Happy are those rich enough to have air conditioners. Paano naman kaming mga kapuspalad? I always wake up drenched in sweat and other bodily fluids not worth mentioning.

3. As I've already written, it has an effect on your social life. You won't get to meet friends that much anymore unless they also work night shift. Weekends tend to get really boring. Majority of establishments are closed during the night. Most of my friends are already asleep during times I'm awake. I don't drink, so bars are out of the question. What do I do, then? Stay at home until the sun rises. I bought a Playstation so I could at least combat the boredom, and it's a good thing I love videogames. In fact, perhaps this videogaming is the reason I still haven't posted anything on my blog for the past few weeks even if I've the time to.

Of course, there are lots of reasons I still choose to remain on the night shift:

1. I get to bid farewell to the annoying traffic daytime workers experience everyday in their lives. Imagine looking out the bus window and seeing the bumper-to-bumper traffic caused by the rush hour. Pauwi na kayo, papunta pa lang ako.

2. We don't get sweaty during work. Heat can distract employees and make them all cranky. They'd go out to smoke, complain about the heat, and return to the office sweaty and uncomfortable, affecting the quality of their work. The good thing about my shift is that despite the workload, everyone remains in a good mood due to the temperature.

3. The manager and the director always stay during night until morning, so the employees working our shift have a chance to let their presence known and mingle with them so they'd be more aware of the latest happenings in the company. In short, us night shifters find out developments first than the day shifters.

4. Bigger pay. Who doesn't want that? Okamown. Ikakayaman niyo ito.

You might notice that I didn't include health-related disadvantages above. I'd say it only happens at the start once you get used to it. If you have spent a considerable amount of time working night shift and you still experience something close to ulcer or anemia, then think twice about continuing.

So ayun lang naman. Nagparamdam lang. Sana may time pa ako bukas or within the week para magsulat. Sorry pala kung hindi na ako masyado nakakapag-bloghop. Gagawin ko talaga pag nakalibre ng oras at nasanay na sa workload to the point na maaga na ako natatapos.

Harlequin Theatre Guild of DLSU Presents "The Sky Over Dimas"

The Harlequin Theater Guild will close its 46th season with Tim Dacanay's stage adaptation of the Palanca Award-winning novel, The Sky Over Dimas written by Vicente Garcia Groyon and directed by Romualdo Tejada on March 21-23, 2013 at the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium, De La Salle University-Manila.

In the heart of Bacolod’s high society dwells the Torrecarions, a notorious hacienda family with dark secrets filled with greed, deceit, and betrayal that anyone in the family cannot escape from. Amidst all the secrets, there is but one person who will do anything and everything to end the cycle that continuously haunts his family: George Torrecarion, who is fed up with all the lies. As his great- grand father, Faustino’s memoirs reveal more lies to the origin of the Torrecarions, George at present exiles himself to Hacienda Dimas where it all began and exposes the darkest skeletons of his family’s past.

The cast includes TV actor and producer Toby Alejar and professional theatre actor Redjie Jimenez as George Torrecarion; Suzette Tijam and Harlequin Theater Guild's Alumni Ace Guttierez as Margie Torrecarion; Senior Member Jose Rufino Dy Buco as Raffy Torrecarion. With music Scoring by Dodgie Fernandez, whose recent works include Harlequin' Theater Guild's "Si Tonying at ang Mahiwagang Aklat ng Kasaysayan" and PETA's "Haring Lear;" Set design by Joseph Duran, whose recent works include La Salle Dance Company-Contemporary's "Sudhaya" and Harlequin Theater Guild's "Si Tonying at ang Mahiwagang Aklat ng Kasaysayan;" and Lights design by Tanghalang Pilipino's resident lighting designer Katsch SJ Catoy.

The show will run on March 21 (Thursday) at 6:30 p.m., and March 22 and 23 (Friday and Saturday) at 10:30 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.. Tickets are sold at P200. 

 

For additional information, contack Kyle Bulut at 0917 896 2239 or email them at harlequintheatreguild@gmail.com.

Like them on Facebook for more information.
 

Watch All Five Contenders for the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film

Paperman's getting plenty of praises and oh-look-it's-so-cute remarks from people here and there thanks to Facebook, but I find its co-nominees in this year's category for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film better. Sure, Paperman is a fine piece of work, but if it wins the Oscar, it would be because it comes from Disney, not because it's the best among all nominees.

I blogged about Fresh Guacamole a month ago. As much as I adore this two-minute surreal cooking demo, I don't think its creativity is enough for it to win the Oscar. It's cute and all to see these inedible items used as guacamole ingredients, but it's too short and shallow compared to the others.

Yes, The Longest Daycare's nice. It has all the crude Simpsons humor we're used to and it has the cuteness only a short film with Maggie Simpson can provide. Chances of it winning? Fifty-fifty. It feels like it was just placed here as a filler, but the Academy can still prove me wrong.

Here's one that can convince them voters to vote, vote, vote, knowing how it sort of caters to both the young and the old. Win or lose, there's no denying Head Over Heels deserves more exposure. The story of an old couple living upside down from each other is a tad original, until the movie Upside Down got released. Still, watch it if you want a good heartwarming tale to make your day.

Now here's my most favorite, the entry I'm placing my bets on. If you've read your Bible then you might know Adam lived alone in the Garden of Eden before Eve came. Adam and Dog gives an interesting take on how the supposed first man on Earth spent his first few days, and also how man and dog became nature's epitome of friendship. I've a good feeling if Paperman loses the Oscar, this would be the film that takes home the award. It's a crowd favorite whether or not one believes in the Bible. Then again, Adam and Dog is not about whatever religion has taught you; it's just a simple tale of friendship that would go on for centuries, and I guess that's enough for this sweet film to take home the Oscar.

So try to watch all the animated short films and hit me up in the comments section below. Which one is your favorite? Which do you think would win the award? I would love to hear from you.