back an old haunt

I went back to one of my old haunts after almost six months of absence. Yes, I went back to Greenhills. Although we were there for only a few hours and spent most of the time in the Shoppesville area, it was a good kind of rush... even if we were tired and spent after shopping. Where else can you get five nice shirts for PhP2,500 (roughly US$50)? Am going back after having my birthday thingy. There are still some pieces that I'm eyeing for when I have a little more extra money. So there. Shopping. Pastime, therapy, way of life.

sabado nights

Ooh. Time in at work today at 6:41 pm. Wonderful. This is some kind of torture actually, borne by the entire I.T. department. Most of the I.T. staff are here in the office today because yesterday was the month-end commission cutoff and today we have to "stand guard" while the system is running, computing the commissions and overrides and doing initial checking because we've had so many changes to the system.

[an hour later]

The HELL... apparently Accounting isn't done with all their entries for the system! We haven't even started running. You see my work starts after the run itself. AND WE HAVEN'T STARTED YET! I'm going to the Santugon party now. Feh.

freaky friday

bad stomach
+
commission cutoff toxicity
+
no money
=
wonderful day for me!

i'm going home

on endings

Studio 23 recently aired the last episode of Dawson's Creek, culminating in the death of one of the cast members (and no, it's not Jen's grandma). As per the storyline, it's been ten years since Jen moved to Capeside, Joey was climbing ladders into Dawson's bedroom, and Pacey was a problematic underachiever. Since the season when manic-depressive Andie left to be institutionalized and Joey and Pacey started dating, I didn't really follow Dawson's Creek except for that one episode after a few years when Joey and Pacey were locked in a K-mart together and they used all the stuff there (looked like fun--I think that was one of the fantasies of my childhood, although nerd that I was, I fantasized about being locked in National bookstore after hours... bad idea: no food).

Anyway, "fast forward to a few years later", Jack is still gay but having a hard time maintaining a relationship, Joey still has that goofy look and is now a book editor, Dawson's hair is mercifully short--he is the writer-producer of a TV show loosely based on the goings-on in Capeside and still in love with Joey, Pacey is a hotshot businessman but still in love with Joey too, and Jen has a one-year-old daughter and is dying. Yes, it is Jen's funeral that ends it all. But they were able to wrap it all up: Jack and his boyfriend make up and go public with their love, Jack promises to take care of Jen's baby, Joey and Pacey end up together, Dawson overcomes his writer's block for his semi-autobiographical series and finally comes to terms with his life.

It's so nice to think that everything can be neatly wrapped up in an "ending". In a bridal magazine recently (thanks to D&A's preparations, I am constantly browsing -but not buying- bridal magazines), I saw a fairy-tale themed wedding and in one of the pictures the bride and groom were kissing, with a flower girl in front holding up a sign saying "and they lived happily ever after..." It all ends like that, doesn't it? The boy gets the girl, everyone is happy. But it doesn't end up that way in real life does it? Because there are really no endings, only constant change. A wedding is not an ending, it is a beginning. Even graduation is called commencement--commence meaning to 'begin', right? We begin real life. Even death, for those with faith, is merely a beginning.

It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy when Pacey and Joey, Wesley and Buttercup, or Jerry Maguire and Dorothy end up together at the end, but of course that's not all there is to it. What happens when they have their first baby? Or when one of them dies? But that's the pessimist in me talking. Actually I'm a sucker for happy endings, evidenced by my constant re-watching of the Two Towers' interspersed scenes of Gandalf and the Rohirrim hordes' arrival at Helm's Deep and the storming of Orthanc by the Ents (thank heavens for DVDs). But the victory at Helm's Deep only foreshadows the greater battle against Mordor, when a greater battle but happier ending will be won. And so in life, there will be many, mini-happy endings. But they come and go, and then you may be dragged in turmoil again; but eventually there's going to be other happy endings, and maybe an ultimate happy ending at the end of this journey.

So here's to endings... which are only actually new beginnings.
Except in movies and fairy tales.
Unless there's a sequel.

---

Told you I'd write about Dawson's Creek.
posted to riannesravings@yahoogroups.com

FGD

Just had an informal focus group discussion/interview with a consultant from a market research firm. Just the second time that I've been involved in something like that: the first was in McCann-Erickson when I was in high school, Maita dragged me along when they were reviewing a Coke jingle. I really thought it had something to do with smoking because the girl who contacted me specifically asked. So I brought two of my yosi-buddies along.

He was really friendly, of course he had to be to be able to cull information the way that he was doing. He asked about our gimmick habits, where we ate most of the time, where we went shopping... I was wondering where it was all heading, but then I remembered that it was something about "lifestyle". Aaak! Sedentary lifestyle is tops for me! Of course the occasional badminton game (and tournament coming up, from which we are not expecting much anyway)... Well maybe he was trying to determine smoking habits and cigarette brands too. Maybe. I wouldn't know. Anyway, it was all good. Nice lunch with two of my friends and a quite likable person naman.

hoy hoy FPJ

Man, see what you're doing to the country? You just hint that you're about to announce your candidacy, and the peso-dollar rate falls. Sharply, may I add. You've negated the gains brought about by the Bush visit, when the peso gained quite considerably. And what happens when you become President of our beleaugered country, pray tell? After you set your best friend free and clear him of all plunder charges, what then? Will you magically rid this country of debt with your magic sword? Hoy hoy FPJ, are you sure you know what you're doing? To whom are you beholden? Sigh.

two minutes late

Argh. Was two minutes late for work today--clocked in at 8:02am. Not bad actually, I thought I was going to be more late. Left the house at 7:16, then brought my mom to her office at Roxas Blvd/Buendia extension... and then went all the way back to Makati... I wasn't sure if I saved time by parking at the office (paying an extra PhP10) but at least it was convenient (no walking on gravel pathways), separate elevator. I could get used to this for an extra ten buck each time.

Parking expenses: average of 10 days a month that I bring a car @ PhP110 per day yields PhP1,100 a month on parking alone! Okay so that's not even 5% of my monthly income... but still! Eep! Total cost of bringing a car to work comes around to PhP2,500 a month because of gasoline, car washes and other expenses--and to think that my mom has paid for whatever repairs so far. Tsk tsk... all this thinking about expenses because I was two minutes late for work today. Sigh.

endings
My sister was amused that Studio 23 was airing the last episode of Dawson's Creek a few days after its Filipino copycat Tabing Ilog aired its own final episode, although Dawson's Creek had already ended last year in the States (we are behind, after all). TV series endings have commonly been observed to be let-downs. These two were no exception, although I wasn't able to see the Tabing Ilog ending (apparently, Eds and Rovic renewed their vows, Badong and Corinne are picking up where they left off, George has let go of James--shucks forgive the ka-jologs-an!).

Anyway, I did see the Dawson's Creek ending. More on that later.

some words from Alanis

excerpt from Hands Clean

Ooh this could be messy
But you don't seem to mind
Ooh don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime

We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this

I noticed that I seem to have more songs than ravings lately. Bad case of writer's block, not to mention dulled senses, repressed creativity, flagging spirit. But I'm writing about that too. Later.

mini-spending spree

Life for Rent - Dido's album containing 'White Flag'... must've listened to that song 40 times over the weekend. Other notable songs are 'Sand in My Shoe' and 'Don't Leave Home'. Ok so I bought the UM copy (LaSallians know what that is), so I'm not really sure if that last track is really supposed to have that bonus song that starts at 7 minutes... As a whole though, the album comes off as a collection of mostly nondescript songs which serve more as a showcase of Dido's melodic voice. But then that's my opinion--you don't really have to trust my taste since I liked 'Limp' by Fiona Apple, 'Stand' by Poison and 'Deeper Shade of Soul' by the Urban Dance Squad. [About the last song--does it show that I liked it?]

New pillows - treated myself to new fluffy fluffy pillows. PhP174.75 each. I love SM.

The Virgin Suicides DVD - haven't watched it yet. Although I really wanted to watch it before. Maybe I will be able to relate.

Saw the Buffy VCDs at Odyssey. Still don't know whether I should buy the boxed set from Amazon (real Amazon, not Quiamazon)... but what if it's available in Quiamazon? I would save 80%! Isn't that ok? Us being a Third World country and all...

Can't decide...
...whether to have my little birthday thingy at home or maybe at a resto. Was thinking of Bento Box--cheap but I really like the food. Nice to have it at home so that you don't have to worry about overflowing drinks (easily covered) and will cost much cheaper. But then I worry about the parking. After all we live in the sideskirts of Makati, where the streets are small with a squatters' area nearby. And our neighbors keep on buying cars without expanding their garages! Grrr! One time a few years ago, I was able to "rent" the parking lot of the church (a block from our house). Maybe I'll be able to do that again. However, we had to get the cars out at 12MN. Well... thinking thinking...

beating around the Bush

Haha! Talk about trying hard for a title. Anyway, my mom is glued to the TV (and the volume is up REALLY high, I can hear it from my room which is in the other end of the house--but then it's a rather small house). Bush has just finished his speech, and the joint session of the House and Senate has been adjourned.

There were 19 applauses, some commentator mentioned. I was expecting as much, even if Bush's speech was generic in nature, citing the victory in Iraq, the shared history of the Philippines and the US, and the need to be eternally vigilant. My mom was saying, why isn't everyone clapping? But of course most people who were kids during or grew up right after the war, the US is a wonderful country and the savior of all. Let's hope that Bush's promises, however vague some of them were, will actually bear fruit.

I like the United States but I understand where most of the militant groups are coming from; needless to say because I used to share their ideology. But most probably, that won't work here in the Philippines. I believe that if we're going to succeed in our niche in the world right now, it won't hurt to have the biggest capitalist power on our side.

headache
Am having a really bad headache right now (but am still posting). We just came from a meeting with Jaime Santiago, one of the florists that D. and A. are considering for their wedding. He has really good ideas. Of course as so-called coordinator I was there also; but I had to beg off from the meeting with the musicians because of this really bad headache. Add to that Kai's pang-aasar--hmmm take me out to coffee na lang dear, hehe. Maybe it's too hot--time to take a shower.