a new milestone...

What is life today compared in the year 1970s? In fact it is really different from what we are now. But we can never be now from what we are yesterday. People nowadays are trying to find and live the kind of life they had during those years. The way they dress, their hairstyle, and etc are now changing and welcoming the 70's fashion. Hairspray is a musical movie that exposes the beauty of the 70s. It speaks the life of being black and white in the United States and the opportunities given to the slim and fat. Here are some tunes in Hairspray, the movie. Enjoy !


Big, Blonde and Beautiful (Reprise version)
Big, Blonde and Beautiful
The New Girl in Town
The New Girl In Town (Brittany Snow)
You're Timeless To Me
I Can Hear The Bells
Miss Baltimore Crabs
Run and Tell That
Good Morning Baltimore
You Can't Stop the BeatI Know Where I've Been
Nicest Kids in Town
Welcome to the 60s
Without Love
Ladies Choice

Prestigious I guess fits to describe the one and only Ateneo de Davao University. The stylish facade splashed with shining shimmering splendid royal oceanic blue truly reflects its glory. It is strengthened by its mighty blue knights with glamorous shields. A star, illuminated by its quality education, is indeed everyone’s wish that they’ve been dreaming of. It is a star that keeps on striving and performing for developing an aurora to keep it glowing. Like other establishments and other institutions, it has all for you.
Ateneo de Davao University is one of the finest universities in the southern Philippines and can be considered one of the best universities all over Philippines. The campus is well-groomed and very well organized. From the buildings alone, it is more likely different foreign influences are collaborating to come up with a new taste of architectural design. It is totally glamorous and very fancy. Ateneo offers the best technologies in the field of education. In order to accommodate the inquiries of their beloved knights, Ateneo has a touch screen monitor to make the transaction more convenient. Not yet! There’s more. Ateneo has elegant cinema-like audio visual rooms. The room is decorated with wooden strips with tuneable lights. The widescreen television with dolby-surround audio makes the room so awesome.
The university has a four-storey library and a wide food court where everyone loves to stay. If you’re bored, don’t forget to bring the laptop with you ‘cause the university is a Wireless Fidelity Hotspot already. You can surf the net all day. If you’re sick, the university has a magnificent clinic. The clinic is well-organized and very tidy. It caters its beloved the best facilities.
The university clinic in Ateneo is managed by well and good-mannered staffs and nurses. They are really approachable. Whenever you need some medicine or any services, they can give it you. Nowadays, rumour is a virus that spreads quickly that slowly attacks into them. I have a friend of mine, victim of pneumonia and bronchitis asthma, is a victim of clinic rules. My friend is suffering from pneumonic attack that time and immediately went to the clinic for any pain reliever or something to lessen her/his pain. S/He asked and pleased them that to make her stay in the clinic and have a rest. Luckily, the staff granted her favour. After three quarters, the staff forced my friend out. My friend that time was still in the midst of calming his/herself. Because it is said in the rules, the staff forced my friend out while s/he is not in good condition. The staff reasoned out that s/he would skip class therefore the staff let my friend out to attend the next class. My friend told us that she was still suffering of shortage of breath and headache. Now, I am asking you is this the star you were wishing of? Where are the values that the Catholic, Jesuit and Filipino university taught?

I was thinking but I have no any idea. I felt like a fool but no, it couldn’t be. There’s something in me that I couldn’t express. My thoughts were wandering and I didn’t know where to go. What might it be?

It was gloomy. The dark grey clouds started to dominate the bright blue sky. It was not like the other days. It was really dark that a melancholy man stared up and paused for a moment. The loneliness of that day made him so blue and weak, tired and cold. The momentum of the scene was like in the 70’s. Everything was like in a watermark or greyscale mode. But that man caught my attention the most. He was clam but very heavy. He looked so pale that he might need to take for a rest. I asked him but he didn’t answer for he didn’t know who I am. It was kinda weird but at that time I felt so disturbed. I was totally upset for him. Pre-occupied. Nervous.

I stood up and looked around. I could feel the every heart’s beats. I could see the rolling of the wheels of an automobile clearly. I could hear and feel the trembling voice within of every individual. It was unusual. It was like a movie in a slow motion feature. Then I stretched my hands to him and asked him a question one more time – a question that puzzled and boggled my mind. I blinked my eye then I was bombarded. He’s gone with no trace at all. The cold air brought by the bad atmosphere caress my back. I was scared and freaked out. The ambience turned into wild and exaggerated beasts. Their liquids are very sticky and smelly. Their teeth were as sharp as a fang and as big as a husk. They were craving for flesh as if they weren’t given a meal for a thousand year. My heart was about to blast because of nervousness. Tired and hopeless, I closed my eyes for a moment. I prayed for my poor soul that will be served as a food to the greedy beasts and thanked the beasts for letting me see the world is not enough for everybody and the demonic cell that was spreading abruptly. I have accepted my fate. I’m gonna die like this. I have accepted my limitations that lead me to surrender myself. I have accepted my defeats that lead to loosen my principles. I opened my eyes and poof… Serenity covered the whole place. The tranquillity of the spirit woke me up and saw the ceiling of my room. It was scary but it was adventurous like a rollercoaster ride. Ideas were really unpredictable.

Biglang bumuo ng isang haka-haka ang mapaglaro kong isipan at nakulong sa isang patibong na nagdulot sa akin ng pagkatulala. Kumalat hanggang sa mumunti kong ugat ng aking utak ang kamandag ng aking kamalayan. Isang kamalayan na magwawaksi at magbabago ng aking pananaw at magwawasto ng aking paniniwala na siyang magdudugtong sa pagbuo at pagtibay ng aking prinsipyo at dignidad.


Nais kong kalikutin ang bawat ugat sa aking utak at magbalik tanaw kung saan binusog ko ang aking kamangmangan – walang alam, walang kamuwang-muwang. Natanto ko na ito’y kapanahunan pa ng aking kamusmusan, ng pagiging walang karimlan. Masakit man tanggapin ngunit masarap gunitain. Banayag ko pa ang matatamis kong ngiti at hiyawan sa bawat masasayang tugtugin, ang mga kumukurot sa hapdi na mga sugat dahil sa kakulitan, at ang mga nakakaalarmang hagulhol sa tuwing may madadaanang tinik sa paglakbay. Aral at laro lamang ang inaatupag – walang pag-aalinlangan, walang pangamba, walang inaalala at balakid ay parang wala.

Habang patuloy sa pagdaloy ang kwento ng aking buhay, dahan-dahang nababahiran na ng dungis ang mga maseselang bahagi na siyang uukit at mumulat sa aking kaisipan. Unti-unti kong nakikita ang hubad na katotohanan na lantarang nagmamakaawa at naghihingalo. Hinay-hinay akong pinukaw ng kahirapan at salat. Maraming tao ang dumaan at maraming bagong mukha na masisilayan. Ngunit sa bawat nilalang na aking nakasalamuha, sila ang nagbigay daan sa akin upang mapalawak ang karunungan at magkalaman ang aking balintataw. Sila ang nagturo sa akin na siyang nagdulot sa ‘kin na unawain ang bagay-bagay at bigyang-diin o puwang ang salitang kahirapan. Maaaring mabaho ito para sa inyo ngunit isang napakasakit na insulto na nagpapasikip ng aking dibdib at isang penetensya. Nakita ko. Nadama ko. Ang mga maliliit na tao sa lipunan ay unti-unti nang nasasanay at nananatiling mahina upang sumagupa upang mabigyang katarungan ang kanilang pagkatao. Wala silang armas upang maligtas sila sa mapagmalabis at mapanganib, mapangmata at sakim na kapaligiran. Ang tanging karamay lamang ay ang tambakan ng basura na siyang bumubuhay at bubuhay sa kanila. Kung ating malalapatin, nasaan ang hustisya? Nasaan ang karapatang pantao na mamuhay na matiwasay? Maituturi pa ba silang tao?

Mabilis ang takbo ng oras wari’y isang daga na hinahabol ng isang dosenang pusakal. Nakikita ko na ang pangit na mukha ng malupit at mapaglarong daigdig at dahan-dahan na rin akong nanlalambot na harapin ang katotohanan. Magulo at napakamapanganib. Kasabwat ang palabirong buhay na umaakit sa akin na makipagharutan. Talaga namang maabilidad ang buhay. Di mo aasahan, biglang papalit siya ng mukha na minsa’y aantig ng iyong puso at minsa’y kukurot ng pinung-pino. Ngunit kinabog niya minsan ang aking halos bato na puso at patuloy sa pagkatok upang pagbuksan siya ng pinto. Mapanghusga at kahabag-habag. Ngunit nagulantang ako nang minsan nasaksihan ko ang mga makasarili na naghahalakhakan, nanlalait at nang-aabuso tila pag-aari nila ang mundo. Tunay nga naman karumal-dumal na ang nangyayari sa ating paligid. Sumisingaw na nga talaga ang baho ng kasamaan. Kung ating uusisain ang likod ng kanilang hiyawan at kasayahan, sarap na sarap sila sa paggasta ng kayamanan ng taumbayan. Walang alinlangan sundin ang layaw. Tunay ngang mapusok. Sila nga ba’y karapat-dapat na maghari at magwagi? Hindi nga ba sila nakakapanghinayang?

Everything starts from the beginning. We are trying to create a good and strong foundation in order to face the new challenges that block our way and learn to pursue all the opportunities for us to develop to another kind and to step another milestone of life.

The night started to fall as well as the tiny drops began to shower. It seemed like a blessing. It was liked a sprinkled cold candy to a newly baked doughnut. The sweetness of the rain touched the warm bonding of friendship. Nanay, Ruki, Arian, Jedd, Kuya Clyde, the lovebirds Kakai and Prenzy, and I took a walk from the path walk of Jacinto to the exit. Everyone was in the decent mode, not so exaggerated and not so boring. I was thinking that time. Thinking of the things and the possibilities of how will I manage everything. I was preoccupied at that moment when my friend Arian burst out which broke the calmness of everybody. From that very moment, the momentum is increasing to the highest level to the extent we were trapped and conquered by the issue which was one of the item asked in Kuya Clyde’s and Nanay’s Philosophy examination. Shocked to hear such kind but I was totally active to grasp all the information why and how. It really disturbed a lot and my mind kept boggling. Peeppeep…the car was horning and brooomm… it started to blast off.

We were really having a good time strolling around. Everything really was a beginning. Jedd opened that it was his first time to attend the Simbang Gabi. I could not really believe it. It was followed up when the speedometer of the car at San Pedro was decreasing. With gladness, Ruki’s and Jedd’s eyes popped with their excitement to see the simple yet extravagant colourful decorations on Davao City Hall. They revealed that it was their first time to be in San Pedro during the season of Christmas. Minutes had passed and traffic jam started to break the long street of McArthur highway. We were so delighted that time and our laughs filled the closed house-like part of the car. Not too late and not too early, we were already to dock the new McDonalds near Matina Town Square fronting Ateneo De Davao University Elementary and High School Department. It was fuzzy yet so fancy. The lights were so bright as if we were stars to be spotlighted. The new establishment was so warm to serve their beloved tenants. It was spacious, fully air-conditioned, and clean. The cold air inside made me chill and even freeze because it rained so bad outside. At last! It’s eating time.

Looking at the right, to the left, staring to every corner of the building, indeed I could say wow! It was really a great challenge for everyone who work there because a school of people was coming and out that time. Though it was their start it was the time to separate our ways.

Isang taon na naman ang lumipas. Isang taon ng saya at kagalakan, lungkot at pangungulila na nagbigay ng maganda at makulay na kwento sa bawat yugto ng aking buhay. Ngunit bago ko simulan ang panibagong pahina, nais kong pagngilayan at balikan ang mga masasayang araw, nakakakabang mga linggo, at mga nakakabagot na buwan na nakaraan na nagtatak sa aking puso at munti at mura kong isipan - mga alaalang hindi mawaglit ninoman kung saan hinamon ako upang ipamalas ang aking kakayahan, kung saan saksi ako sa pagbati ng aso't pusa, at kung saan dinudumog ako ng sari-saring istorya na tunay nga namang nakakagulat at nakakamangha, nakakapagtaka at minsan bale wala na lang. Tuluyan na ngang pumasok ang taong 2008 nang puno ng saya, magarbo at maingay. Sa bawat patak ng oras ay sasariwain ko ang mga masasaya at kahabag-habag na pangyayari na siyang bumubuo sa aking kabuuan.

Enero 1, 2007, tila malaking pyesta kung saan lahat ng tao sa Pilipinas pati na rin ang mga tao sa mga karatig-bansa ay naghanda upang sabay-sabay saksihan ang pagpatak ng kamay ng orasan at salubungin ang bagong bukang liwayway na siyang sisikat sa buong taon. Parang kailan lang, tandang-tanda ko na halos magkaundagaga na ako sa paglilinis ng bahay, pag-aayos ng mga porselanang palamuti sa kabinet, pagtulong sa paghanda ng nag-uumapaw na mga sangkap at pag-aasikaso na isaayos ang mga maliliit at naglalakihang sisidlan. Hirap na hirap ako nun wari isang kasambahay na walang alam gawin kundi sumunod. Mangmang ang bumuo sa aking kahibangang pag-iisip. Ngunit biglang kumumpas ng mabilis ang kamay ni Mamang Segundo at biglang umingay ang kapaligiran. May naghihiyawan, malakas na tugtugin na yumanig ng aming pamamahay, at nagraratratan na talaga naming nakakabulahaw at parang isang nota na lang ay sasabog na ang aking tainga. Broom… pok… pok… bugssshh… Whoa… Tila tumigil ang oras na pagpatak sa aking nakita. Ang ingay na pilit sumisid at pumasok sa aking tainga ay parang isang oyayi. Ang ganda. Napakaganda. Ang kalawakan ay nababalutan ng sari-saring bulaklak sa langit na may iba’t ibang kulay tulad ng bahaghari. Ang gabi ay pinunuan ng kumukutitap na bituin. Ramdam ko ang napakalambot na haplos ng malamig na hangin. Napakasarap at napakagaan sa pakiramdam.

Ilang araw na nagdaan ay muling pagbalik ng klase. Dali-dali akong kumilos upang makahabol sa oras na halos lumundag ang aking puso para di mahuli. Sa aking pagdating ay natanaw ko ang mga matatamis na mga ngiti ng aking mga kaibigan. May naghalakhakan at nagbabatian. Agad akong lumapit at bumati sa kanila. Sa di malamang dahilan, napawi agad ang aking pagod at sakit sa katawan. Talaga namang di madala sa hula ang buhay. Sino bang mag-aakala na ang taong ito ay taon ng pagkakaibigan. Ako, si nanay, keichi, teteru, ruki, jidd, susiedear, karlatotoy, stupe, toreshii at ariansshi ay mas lalong bumuo ng matibay na pagsasamahan. Magkaramay ang bawat isa sa hirap at ginhawa. Masasabi nga nating barkadang walang iwanan. O diba bungga! Sa taong ito, batid ko ang bayanihan ng barkada. Nagkakaisa sa iisang hangarin, tulung-tulong upang sumulong, nakikipagsabayan upang maabot ang inaasam-asam, at sumasakop sa pagbabago. Sa taong ito, nahahasa an gamin abilidad. Di lamang sa pag-aaral kami magaling, pati na rin ang gimik at paglilibang ay pinasok na rin naming. Akalain mo ba naman na kumain kami sa sementeryo at gumawa ng Data Structure, nag-aral ng political science sa Philippine Eagle, at nagcheck-in sa suki at walang katulad na hotel/motel. to be continued...