On Friendship

        When I turned on the radio this morning, the song being played was Amy Stewart’s Friends. Voila! I drew inspiration from it, and thus, this latest blog entry. A friend is defined as someone whom one knows, likes, and trusts. I guess these are the criteria or qualifications for one to be considered a friend. In the course of our lives, we cross paths with different people and only a few, if not many of them, become our friends. The rest are mere acquaintances.

        Our friends could be our classmates, neighbors, officemates, et cetera. In other words, for two people to become friends there has to be something in common between them. We cannot start from scratch. We cannot start from an empty slate. There has to be a common denominator which will bind you together, a common niche where the friendship will grow and bear fruits.

        I consider friendship as a stress-free kind of relationship. No real demands. No real obligations. But despite the absence of such, friends know how to understand each other, and sympathize with each other more importantly. Real friends are those with this kind of understanding. Friends should be there for each other during the best of times, but most especially, during the worst of times. They may not see each other that often, but the bond between them is intact as ever, and ages like wine.

        But some good things never last. Here goes the pessimist in me! Sometimes, friends will have to go on their separate ways, and eventually grow apart. They pursue different interests, different careers, and different paths. Friends can forget each other. Friends can become strangers again. But it is never too late, to start all over again.

        I had a falling out with some people before. I know that sooner or later, our paths will cross again. The world is not that vast as it appears to be. It is a small world after all. And life is too short to be reminded of our misgivings…….

Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a 

slow-ripening fruit.

                                                     - Aristotle

THE VIEW FROM THE.......side

     The title above could mean a lot of things. I know that it sounds quite boring, if not appealing. Nothing really exciting for this week.

 

     I will just let the pics do the talking, and hopefully, you will be able to decipher why this humble post was accorded such title. You be the judge…….from the side.   : )

   

(photos by Javes Consul)

Shamcey Supsup: SUPSUPerb!

        The internet is ablaze with messages and ponderings about Shamcey Supsup. Who doesn’t know her? For one, her surname sounds very interesting, if not funny. Every Filipino knows her recent achievement, or the honor she brought to our country. Everybody is talking about it. Still clueless? Then you must have been living under a rock for some time! Not to be outdone is this humble blog. I have joined the bandwagon in “honoring” her so to speak.

        Last Tuesday September 13, the entire archipelagic Philippines stood still for a couple of hours, awaiting the results of Miss Universe 2011. Every Filipino was excited to find out how our bet will fare amidst eighty nine gorgeous women from all corners of the globe, from Albania to Hungary to Vietnam. Filipinos were rapturous, as if there was a Pacquiao match! After Venus Raj’s historic run last year, everybody wanted to find out if Shamcey Supsup will be able to replicate or even surpass Venus’ performance at the Miss Universe last year. Such a tall order!

         Top sixteen, top ten, and then top five. When news broke out in my office that she made it to the final five, then our country is already assured of a runner-up finish I told myself (if she will not bag the title). The rest is history as they say. Good finish as third runner-up! Yeah, she was inches away from taking home the boxing belt, I mean the crown. But maybe it was not meant to be. As they say, you really cannot have it all (like a beautiful sounding surname). A runner-up finish is no mean feat! And the Philippines edged out China in case you haven’t noticed. Not in the dispute over Spratly Islands though, but in the Miss Universe!

        Shamcey is now a celebrity, a pop icon in her own right. She is a magna cum laude graduate (UP Diliman), architectural board topnotcher, and the fourth most beautiful woman in the universe to boot. She is one hell of a woman! What more can you ask for? Right Lloyd Lee?

        If Venus’ fourth runner-up finish is a major major, then Shamcey’s third runner-up finish is SUPSUPerb!  

C A M A R A D E R I E

         

         What is camaraderie? Camaraderie is defined as good natured rapport between and among people. In other words, it simply means goofing around with people!  Camaraderie is a social process that is conjunctive. Meaning, it conjoins or binds people together. As long as there are people interacting with each other, then expect camaraderie to burgeon. However, this social process is already on the verge of extinction. In a few more years, camaraderie will make it to the registry of forgotten virtues. Sad but true.

         

        Technology has paved the way for easier communication. Just open your computer or your mobile phone then the world is already at your fingertips. You can send a message  to       anywhere, from anywhere. Social networking sites have made it easier for people to connect and re-connect with each other. You can expand your social horizon by just one click. Internet technology has benefited us tremendously. But sadly, it has made human communication frosty and distant. In this wi-fi era, face to face interaction has already become optional. Yes, there is Skype. But nothing beats the physical presence of the person you are talking to. Instant messaging has made communication instant and effortless. But it has also made communication, very impersonal.

        A prerequisite to camaraderie is the physical presence of people. How can we feel warmth, sincerity, and compassion in the absence of such? It cannot be denied that we find joy in the company of others. In my social science classes, I always emphasize the idea that “no man is an island”. In other words, man cannot live alone. Like it or not, we need other people in order to survive. I am not saying though that we have to be dependent on each other at all times, for we need to learn how to stand on our own two feet. However, as a general rule, man cannot exist by himself or herself alone. Can you be the sole provider of all your needs? Nein. Man is always situated in an interconnected network of needs. We need each other, period.

        Let this blog entry be a tribute to camaraderie before technology erases it. Let this be a reminder that human interaction is at its best when we come face to face with each other. Let us enjoy technology but not at the expense of our traditions and values. Hail to camaraderie!

R A i N

        I like it best when it is raining. When the sky is dark, and with thick, dark clouds perched on it. It gives me that unexplainable thrill and adrenaline rush. I like rain period, but not the Ondoy type though. Just the right amount of rainfall from drenched clouds hovering above us. Enough to cool the air. Enough to hydrate Mother Earth. Enough to make seeds sprout. Enough to make me feel nostalgic and sentimental. 

        My liking for gloomy weather arises perhaps, from my pessimistic disposition in life. Sunny weather dampens my mood a bit, but not all the time to correct your misconception of me. I really do not know why. Maybe because I want everything subdued. Or maybe because I am an Aquarian. In case you do not know yet, my zodiac sign is symbolized by a water bearer. Coincidence or not, I love water! I love looking at a beautifully set up aquarium. I like ponds with waterfalls. The sight of a swimming pool is irresistible to me. The sound of raindrops falling on our rooftop is melody to my sense of hearing. And I love to shower albeit I do it only once in a day. Do I drink eight glasses of water a day? Next question please.

        Call me an unconventional creature of some sort. I am most active and most creative at night. During the day, I feel indolent and lethargic. Perhaps, I was a nocturnal being in my past life. Choosing night over day, and rain over sunshine, make an eccentric person that I am. I simply hate conventions. If only they could be thrown out of the window! One time when it was Valentine’s Day, I wore black (or was it midnight blue?) when the others were wearing spirited colors. During a sports activity, I wore a long-sleeved shirt when everybody was wearing a simple T-shirt. The interior of our house is white, while my room is splashed with earth-toned colors. And now the piece de resistance: during a faculty meeting, everybody was dressed appropriately except me. I wore shorts, quite decently though lest I lose my job!

        But I know very well that it will not rain everyday. That's why whenever it rains, I try to savor this moment to the hilt. When I was a child, me and my neighborhood friends used to play under the rain. How I miss those days when we were innocent and carefree. Not very conscious of ourselves and others. Unlike now, when we all live a fishbowl existence. But it has water still! So I am loving it. So the sun is up again. For things to dry up, and allow us to pick up the pieces in our lives.

        If only rain could wash away my sorrows and take away my pains, then I wouldn't mind if it will rain everyday. 

Most especially when your love's comin' down like.......rain.

Feelin' .......

        

        Of all the colors in the palette, blue is that which is commonly associated with sadness. A song even goes by the line bluer than blue, sadder than sad. I don’t think there is any scientific or logical explanation for this correlation. But nonetheless, one is inclined to say I am feeling blue whenever sadness sets in.

        Sadness is the reverse of happiness. In Western tradition, these two concepts oppose each other just like other word opposites, for their meanings are indisputably poles apart. But here in the East, they complement each other instead. Yin and Yang are two forces in the universe which represent negativity and positivity respectively. But despite their obvious disparity, they are compatible bed mates since they play complementary roles. Sadness falls under Yin, while happiness falls under Yang. They create a certain balance since we appreciate happiness more if we have experienced sorrow or grief. The more we feel blessed if we have experienced dispossession. The more we are grateful for our success if we have failed previously. In other words, the Yin and Yang denote each other. One cannot exist without the other.

        Life is an endless roller coaster ride. Life could be one bumpy journey. A smooth ride is not always exciting, right? Consider a salad, that has to be tossed in order to get some dressing. In the wheel of life, sometimes we are up, and sometimes we are down. It is a cycle that can be very dizzying, but such is the nature of life. In the final analysis, life is not always rosy as red. Life is not always painted with bright hues. Sometimes, we need dark hues in order for the bright ones to come out, and stand out.

        Sometimes, I have trepidation about being happy for I have an inkling as to what might follow next. What comes after sunrise? What comes after life? Sunset and death correspondingly. A flower will wilt eventually. A fruit will putrefy in due course. A river can run dry in the long run. Call me an unyielding pessimist if you want. Today you are happy. Then tomorrow, something might just upset you. I have experienced this a number of times, to such an extent that I have come to dread happiness. I would rather be upset, so that disappointments and trials will not ruin me anymore, as I am already in a disconcerted position to begin with. There is nothing else to mess up! I try not to be negative though, for I try my darn best to look at the brighter side of things. 

        But not too bright my dear, for I may not see it.