Countdown: The Last Half-Hour

It's war out there. Seriously. I'm becoming deaf. All those fireworks sound like bombs and gunshots. World War III.

I can't do much now, because my entire family is simply waiting for midnight. My aunts and uncles are downstairs, karaoke-ing to their heart's delight. And we've just eaten a most sumptuous dinner, by the way. The traditional sweet hamon, loads of fried chicken, meat loaf, salad, and a bilao of biko. Later we'll have Puttanesca. Heaven.

Oops, we're going up to watch the fireworks now. Ten minutes to midnight. And counting.

Note to self: Jump when midnight strikes. Maybe you'll grow taller.

Countdown to 2011: Six Hours Before Midnight

Today's the last day of 2010. The last day? The last day! The last day.

Unbelievable. Incredible. Heartbreaking. Amazing. Wow.

As of now, I'm wasting the time by sitting in front of the laptop all day. I suppose I should have done something worthwhile, something that will make this year end with a blast. Well, you know how lazy I am. That should be one of my resolutions for next year then: overcome my laziness.

Anyway. It seemed like only yesterday when we were getting ready for 2010. The world was getting ready for the new decade, complaining how the 2000s were such a flop and how it sucked, and hoping the 2010 would be better. Now this year had gone by so quickly that I couldn't remember if it was better. You know. It's crazy. I'm feeling crazy. We're all crazy.

I'm glad for 2010. I can't say it was the best; I can't say it's the worst either. It was just a great big adventure. It had lots of ups and downs, but now that I think about it, I realize I loved every moment (well, almost) and all those moments made me into what I am now. I'm just glad that I'm here, a living, breathing creature, waiting for another year. I do hope 2011 will be better than this year.

The important thing is, we survived enough to be able to see 2011. The world went through so many trials and changes, and at times it seemed like there's no reason to live and more than enough reason to break down and give up. But no. The world survived. We got through everything. Now there's a fresh, blank canvas ahead of us and all we have to do is paint a masterpiece.

Recap

My sister, Celine (I'm mentioning her name because I'm mad at her), just told me I have to write about the play festival. Oh, joy. But now that I have no idea what else to talk about, maybe that'll do.

So now, what about it? Okay. The Play Fest, of course, is a great time to learn and experience new things. It's the time when you are made to discover your own talents and skills and share them to others. It's the time when you test your limits and realize that you can be the best only if you put your heart in it. It's the time when your relationships with others are tested and how you deal with them. It's the time when you discover yourself.

What I love most about the play fest is that it's...fun. Really. No matter the pressure, the harrowing practices, the screaming of the directors, the constant bickering, the dreadful performances, it's worth it. You learn a lot, period. Experience is good.

So, that said, I'm done here. I can't wait for the next Play Fest...next year.

The Story(ies) Behind The Title

Because I had nothing else to do (and nothing else to write about) I decided to while away the time by doing some research. So I googled (or yahooed, to be exact) the title of my blog, 'Truly, Madly, Deeply'. Check out what I've found:

Truly, Madly, Deeply is a 1990 film made for the BBC's Screen Two series. The leading man happens to be Alan Rickman, who is Professor Snape in Harry Potter. According to movies.yahoo.com, this is about a bereaved woman who literally wills her dead lover (Rickman) back from the beyond. According to Wikipedia, "the title comes from a word game played by the main characters, in which they challenge each other to by turns repeat and add to a series of adverbs describing the depths of their mutual affection".

Truly Madly Deeply is a song by Australian pop band Savage Garden, released in 1997. Actually, this was where I really got the title. My sisters and I were watching Myx and it was a time of the day when they were playing 'old' songs. The title really caught my attention. And this is a very familiar song, because you always hear it on the radio and it reminds me of our maid a long time ago who always listened to it especially when ironing clothes in the evening. You know.

trulymadlydeeply.com : "Australia's premier destination for wedding invitations and bomboniere". Shop here if you're getting married.

http://www.trulymadlydeeply.biz/ : Another online store. According to the website, "Shopping heaven for every occasion and for everyone you love. Established since 2002, Truly Madly Deeply is proud to offer quality products for special occasions".

An online fashion store. Check it out, the blouses are cute.

http://www.trulymadlydeeply.org/ : Another bridal wear store.

A few information for now. I'll keep looking. But honestly, why is it that WEDDINGS are mostly associated with 'Truly Madly Deeply'?

Randomness: 'Tis The Season

Today was... GOOD. No, "good" is not enough to describe today. First, it was the second and last day of exams, so you have no idea how relieved I was. I mean, I trudged through this whole week, beating deadlines, passing this and that, studying like hell. All I wanted was for the week to end, and vacation to start. You know, the only thing that probably got me through the exams and torturous studying was the fact that they're the only way to freedom. Yeah. Endure it all.

So now, I'm glad. Christmas vacation begins! We also had our Christmas party in class, which was a blast. Everyone was happy, and it was contagious. And this afternoon, I also spent some time with my friends in the mall, and then tonight, we have this Christmas party for my dad's officemates, right in the house. As of now, I'm typing while my ears are being bombarded by people karaoke-ing (is that even a word?) outside. It isn't that bad, really.

But - yes, there's a 'but' - I'm still not completely relieved. Because... tomorrow I have this recital. Where I have to play the piano. Where I have to be in front of about a hundred people. Where I might freak out and forget what I am supposed to play. Where I will definitely make a fool of myself. Okay, calm down. I'm getting the jitters now. Butterflies in my stomach. The urge to throw up. God, I'm gonna be sick.

I guess I'd just have to... endure it. Right? One last obstacle to freedom. One more to overcome and I'll have nothing to worry about next. One last and I'm free.

Taking the whole day as a whole, I'd still say it was awesome, so thank God for it, for this season of giving and loving. If only I don't have this lump in my throat, as if I'm going to be sick. I hope not.

Wish me luck.

Words without thoughts never to heaven go.

"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.
Words without thoughts never to heaven go. "

Hamlet by Shakespeare - Act 3, Scene 3

Praying. The above quote best describes it for me. Because, unfortunately, that's how I pray. Every night before I go to sleep, and during the day at school, and during Sundays at church, I pray. But the problem is, I don't put my heart in it. Maybe some nights, I'll pray wholeheartedly. Some nights. Especially when I need something. But at other times, I get distracted by too many things. At school, I don't take prayer seriously. At church, I don't pay attention; I daydream. My words go in the air, and I'm just wasting my breath because I put little thought in them. So I guess God does not hear prayers said without thought, or heart, or soul.

Lesson learned? Pray with your heart, not with your mouth.

Time is making fools of us again.

Time. How cruel is it? Seriously. I feel like I woke up today and realized suddenly that it was December. I mean, I KNEW it was December (duh), but it was only today when I was really hit by the realization that 2010 is indeed coming to a close. I couldn't believe it. It seemed like only yesterday when we celebrated New Year's Day. And now...?

Time flies fast indeed. Like a light breeze that you enjoy too much so you become sleepy and lazy, wasting time. Or like a lightning bolt, jolting you awake now and then to make you act for once. Or like a whisper in the wind, which you strain to hear even when the wind carries it away.

We run after time, as it runs away, laughing and mocking us. I guess that's why we're fools.

Isn't it strange that when we're enjoying what we're doing, that's when time goes by most quickly? And when we hate what we're presently doing, time seems to drag on forever? Like during boring lessons, I would often glance at the time and would see that barely a minute has passed when it seemed like a century. That was torture. But here's another thing. When we want more time, the opposite happens: it speeds up like crazy. Like when I'm nearly late for school, I would move as fast as I can, and when I think I'm beating time to the finish line, I glance at my watch and...I'm late.

Like this week, for example. I can't wait for Christmas vacation to come, so I'm just excited. Bad move. Time seems to want some fun. It's because I couldn't believe how slow the days are moving. Seriously. It's only Tuesday today. Last week, the days flew by. Now, I feel like Christmas vacation is a million years into the future.

I'm not saying that time is an enemy. I think it's ourselves. We make ourselves slaves to time, when we are the ones who MAKE time. The thing is, we probably just can't help ourselves.

make time.

"It's a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up." ~J.K. Rowling