E and I were among the thousands who went to their concert at the Mall of Asia. We were supposed to go to the first one but we were broke that time. Admittedly, I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of paying a thousand bucks to see the band when I used to see them a lot in UP. But I’m glad I went because despite the fact that we spent a lot just to see an ant-sized Ely Buendia and it was really a mosh pit out there, we actually had a blast.

We arrived at the venue around 6:30, an hour and half before the show started. They said the gates were open around 3 and we were supposed to go there early to secure our posts. I’m glad we didn’t because it didn’t really matter since the silver tickets we had were really far from the stage. You had to be at the VIP section to see the actual band playing.

Show started a few minutes past 8, not bad for a Pinoy band concert. I actually got turned off by the crowd who started booing while the MTV veejays were doing their obligatory spiels about the concert sponsors. And it wasn’t even 8 yet. Totally uncool moment for me. Try waiting for a big band perform at the UP fair and you’ll see what I mean.

The crowd went wild when the band kick-started with Magasin.

I was surprised that the band sounded really well. It must be those awful sound equipment in the past but I’m not a big fan of E-heads’ live performances. This time they actually sounded like their records, with a few twists. Ely was his usual devil may care self and Raimund was of course, the entertainer of the group.

There were three sets in all plus a bonus set at the end. The band played most of their hits and I really appreciated this since if you’ve gone to previous E-heads shows, you’d probably hear them play more of their experimental songs. Not that that’s bad but of course we love their old stuff. Like this one:

It was a fun night, definitely one for the books. My gut tells me this won’t actually be the band’s final set and I’m crossing my fingers for that.

Hajime mashite Myla desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

Watashi no blog desu.

Watashi wa nihongo ga sukoshi dake hanashimasu.

Jya mata!

Albeit only forwarded to his mailing list, I was thrilled to receive an e-mail from one of my favorite writers, Paolo Coelho.

Below is the Christmas tale he wrote for his columns. Feliz Navidad!

Our Lady’s Juggler
by Paolo Coelho

A medieval legend tells us that in the country we know today as Austria the Burkhard family – a man, a woman and a child – used to amuse people at Christmas parties by reciting poetry, singing ancient troubadour ballads, and juggling. Of course, there was never any money left over to buy presents, but the man always told his son:

“Do you know why Santa Claus’s bag never gets empty, although there are so many children in the world? Because it may be full of toys, but sometimes there are more important things to be delivered, what we call “invisible gifts”. In a broken home, he tries to bring harmony and peace on the holiest night in Christianity. Where love is lacking, he deposits a seed of faith in children’s hearts. Where the future seems black and uncertain, he brings hope. In our case, the day after Father Christmas comes to visit us, we are happy to be still alive and doing our work, which is to make people happy. Never forget that.”

Time passed, the boy grew up, and one day the family passed in front of the impressive Melk Abbey, which had just been built.

“Father, do you remember many years ago you told me the story of Santa Claus and his invisible gifts? I think that I received one of those gifts once: the vocation to become a priest. Would you mind if now I took my first step towards what I have always dreamed of?”

Although they really needed their son’s company, the family understood and respected the boy’s wish. They knocked at the door of the monastery and were given a loving, generous welcome by the monks, who accepted the young Buckhard as a novice.

Christmas Eve came around. And precisely on that day, a special miracle happened in Melk: Our Lady, carrying the baby Jesus in her arms, decided to descend to Earth to visit the monastery.

All the priests lined up and each of them stood proudly before the Virgin trying to pay homage to the Madonna and her Son. One of them displayed the beautiful paintings that decorated the place, another showed a copy of a Bible that had taken a hundred years to be written and illustrated, while a third recited the names of all the saints.

At the very end of the line, young Buckhard anxiously waited his turn. His parents were simple people, and all that they had taught him was to toss balls up in the air and do some juggling.

When it came his turn, the other priests wanted to put an end to all the homage that had been paid, since the ex-juggler had nothing important to add and might even mar the image of the abbey.

Nevertheless, deep in his heart he also felt a great need to give something of himself to Jesus and the Virgin. Feeling very ashamed before the reproachful gaze of his brothers, he took some oranges from his pocket and began to toss them in the air and catch them in his hands, creating a beautiful circle in the air just as he used to do when he and his family traveled to all the fairs in the region.

At that instant, the baby Jesus, lying in Our Lady’s lap, began to clap his hands with joy. And it was to young Buckhard that the Virgin held out her arms to let him hold the smiling child for a few moments.

The legend ends by saying that on account of this miracle, every two hundred years a new Buckhard knocks on the door of Melk Abbey, is welcomed in, and for the whole time he remains there he warms the hearts of all who meet him. #

—–

In the light of the proliferation of a number of online social networking tools, the researcher would like to look at how these sites improve the relationships between co-workers. These sites were originally intended to allow users to reconnect with friends or relatives who are abroad or have been out of touch. These sites have also allowed users to broaden their social networks by connecting with casual acquaintances and even strangers. But how about the relationship of those in the workplace, those who see each other everyday and maintain professional relationships with each other? Do social networking sites really improve the relationship on a personal level?

Because of several activities one can participate in while logged in to a networking site, the function of these sites have also evolved. No longer is it just a tool for asserting one’s popularity (the more friends, the more popular you are) or for communicating with long lost friends, these sites have become communities wherein one has to do his or her share of work. Facebook, for example, has an application called Fluff Friends where you can adopt a virtual pet. To earn ‘munny’ (virtual money) to buy food, you have to pet your friends’ pets. In another application called My Christmas Tree, you can send and wrap gifts for your friends’ Christmas trees, sort of an online version of exchanging gifts.

The researcher’s hypothesis is that there is a significant improvement in the relationship between co-workers who are ‘Friendsters’ or ‘Ka-Facebook.’ In my own workplace, I have noticed how this worked. Co-workers who don’t usually talk about things apart from work have shared experiences while feeding a pet or virtual shopping.

Employers may squirm at the fact that their employees use their free time by logging on to these sites but this may actually prove to be even more beneficial to them since anyone would agree that a pleasant working environment gives one more initiative to go to work everyday.

Anyhoo, the characters in Gossip Girl kinda reminds me of my high school, all the painful, awkward stuff in it.  Not that I lived in the same high-class environment.  But you get my drift.

Someday I’m gonna write something about my own high school life and it’s going to be painful, heartbreaking, funny, awkward and hopeful. 

As Frank McCourt described in his brilliant book Angela’s Ashes:

“When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all.  It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while.”

Here are some quick facts about Migmig:

• He was born on January 19, 2003 in Angeles City.
• He loves to eat vegetables.
• He has long, curly hair so people often mistake him for a girl.
• He loves to watch Heroes.  His current favorite is Hiro Nakamura. 
• He claims to have a girlfriend in pre-school named Genevieve.
• He’s a lolo and lola’s boy and a tita’s boy too.

Know more about him here.

Another former colleague has also moved on to culinary arts and is planning to put up a restaurant in the States.

I just wish I also have enough capital to put up my own business. Maybe, some day I could have my own little San Diego restaurant.

It really gets on my nerves when I see students in Katipunan Avenue each driving their own cars. Carpooling hasn’t really taken off in the Philippines unlike in other countries. I’ve read a recent article about carpooling in Kansas. In order to encourage carpooling in the area, the commuters are entitled to a raffle promo where they can win gift checks and even theater tickets. Cool huh?

Anyhow, I won’t have to worry much about the traffic since I don’t have a car and I just live nearby my workplace, unless of course I get to buy a used car just like these San Diego cars. It would probably take me more than a few years in my job now to be able buy one.

The book follows the story of Chiyo as she transforms to the beguiling geisha Sayuri. Behind the narrative is also a cultural history of Japan.

I recommend this novel for those who want to learn more about the Japanese culture without judgement or prejudice.

*Perhaps the best song over endless bottles of SMB Lights.

Where is the moment when we need it the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue sky’s faded to grey
They tell me your passion’s gone away
And I don’t need no carrying on

You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You’re faking a smile with the coffee to go
You tell me your life’s been way off line
You’re falling to pieces every time
And I don’t need no carrying on

Cause you had a bad day
You’re taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don’t know
You tell me don’t lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don’t lie
You’re coming back down and you really don’t mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

Well you need a blue sky holiday
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don’t need no carrying on

You had a bad day
You’re taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don’t know
You tell me don’t lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don’t lie
You’re coming back down and you really don’t mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

Sometimes the system goes on the blink and the whole thing it turns out
Wrong
You might not make it back and you know that you could be well oh that
Strong
Well I’m not wrong

So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost

Cause you had a bad day
You’re taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don’t know
You tell me don’t lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You see what you like
And how does it feel, one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
You had a bad day