Destination Unknown

Oh for goodness sake!

I’ve been hush-hush about it for a while, but I’ve actually been into sketching. Though I can definitely attest by my own that I’m not the most talented of the bunch, nothing makes me feel worse than doing all these stuff while being reluctant to reveal them to anyone - and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing for a YEAR! To me, that’s just bad. An artist, whether full-fledged or aspiring, should be open for comments and criticisms.

So here goes: I’m posting the link to the two sketches that I’ve been more proud of. The remaining two in my photo album are, well, clear in terms of revealing their flaws; let’s just skip that, okay?

UPDATE: Ha! For whatever crazy reason, I decided to stop the page from fully loading while I’m editting this post (I’m THAT O-C; well, sometimes) such that instead of appearing on rich-text format, the content of the blog (a.k.a. body of this message) is still on html. I decided to use this <img src=image’s-link-under-quotes border="0" /> tag and am delighted to find out that it works! Yay!

First off, the title. I don’t mean that updates on this blog
will halt again (why do I keep posting about how my updates will halt anyway?);
and I don’t mean that First Academy will give me an occupation (my God that’s a TERRIBLE pun!).

So what’s the deal? I’m currently taking up Saturday classes of the Web Design
course, and it takes around 4 hours per session and 11 months to finish.

All of this, of course, takes place on First Academy of Computer Art; it’s a
school of some sort and it offers training to a lot of art-related computer
skills such as web design, digital arts and 3D rendering. Located at Buendia
near the be-seen-places-of-college-students-trying-to-look-rich
(a.k.a. Rockwell or Greenbelt, pick
one), the school promises to provide rigorous trainings and to ensure that
students come out well-equipped in their chosen subjects. I choose web design
largely because I do plan to create a web site dedicated to how awesome I am (but
that’s a secret, so please don’t tell anyone. ^_^)

Today’s the first day of class, and I’m expecting that I’ll be quite busy for
the next 11 months just catching up with my studies. Hoo boy, do I miss the
kind of pressure unique to any academic curricula! So anyway, was my class
today any good? Yes. I learned quite a few. Although some of the concepts of
HTML have been pretty familiar to me, I feel like this is just the start of the
vast arrays of knowledge that will come in this short time. There’s an
"encouragement" for students too, to assure that they don’t go home
lazy and drunk and forgetting the concepts. After each meeting, all of us are
given a few assignments that we have to submit the next meeting; so of course
there’s coercion for everyone to apply what they learn. And you know what else?
We will have a project and a final examination! Awesome to Whoopie-dee-yay-do joyful
onomatopoeias ensue!

If the previous sentence sounded sarcastic, let it be known
that I’m saying this without any irony: I’m enjoying my class. I feel like I’m
finally fired up to do productive things again after weeks of procrastinating
what, I don’t have a clue. I like this feeling. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt
that my teacher is absolutely appropriate for teaching how web pages should be eye candies. I have to stress though: her good looks are ancillary, the same
way as how you don’t read my blog just because I’m cute ^_^. 

So yes,

Flirts Academy

… oops…

First Academy sounds fun!

P.S. The conceited remarks are all fictional : P. I don’t
think this highly of myself; I’m just bored and desperate for antics.

My experiences with Harry Connick Jr.’s albums weren’t
exactly pleasant. The first time I heard his songs was from Harry for
Holidays, and I thought the arrangements were hopelessly cheesy. His more
famous album When Harry Met Sally (which also happens to be his debut
album), while better, didn’t exactly send any sparks flying. So I was almost
ready to give up trying to admire Harry Connick Jr.’s work and to contend that,
despite achieving commercial success, his music just isn’t my type.

His Occasions: Connick on Piano Vol. 2 album was
going to either salvage my hopes of liking his songs or turn me away from his
discography for good.

Guess what? I’m pleasantly surprised!

Unlike most of Harry Connick Jr’s other albums, Occasions
finds him NOT doing any vocals, and instead playing the piano while Branford
Marsalis teeters between tenor and soprano saxophone.

The songs are minimalists. Most of them are played from slow
to moderate tempo, and they never really build up. There aren’t many hooks that
would make me pause from whatever I am doing either. The end result is that the
entire works aren’t particularly memorable (although I’ll definitely remember
the moods they put me on), and most songs are not distinct from each
other.

Normally, I would chastise an album that merely achieves as
a good enough background music; in this case, I’m willing to make an exception.
Why? This is largely because the music is unrelentingly intimate and beautiful.
This is, of course, all thanks to the duo’s chemistry. There are very few albums I could think of that are better suited for a
romantic evening than this one.

Another reason is because I can obviously see that both
artists – Harry and Branford – have put much heart into this album; especially
since each of them contribute their own original compositions (all heard first
on this recording), and that none of the tracks are covers of standards or
popular songs. In a genre where a lot of other artists are content in merely
(sometimes lazily) interpreting standards, it is refreshing to see an artist –
make that two – actually use their creativity for a change. I find myself very
much appreciating what they were trying to do, and I am wholeheartedly
recommending this album to everyone. Score: 4 out of 5.

Mon David’s My One and
Only Love has presented itself as what could possibly be one of the most intimidating
albums to review. This has been clear since the moment I’ve first seen the
jewel case, which is plastered with credentials and hyperbolic compliments. If
I should end up not liking the album, I’d likely be told by disagreeing
consumers to read the Philippine Daily Inquirer comment, which would then be
followed by a derogatory "you just don’t get it" remark (or perhaps a "he’s much better live" comment). On the other hand, I
don’t think I’m doing everyone much service if I just agree to the general
consensus by simply being an echo because there’s not much else that hasn’t been said about Mon David’s brilliance. In both cases, I need to expend many efforts
in explaining myself. 

Given the pressure, I would’ve actually shunned the album,
but I was won over by seeing 3 Bill Evans compositions on the track list. 

Well, I’ll just say it right here and now: Mon David is very
talented, and probably brilliant (as an Inquirer journalist stated). His vocal
range is wide and he sounds like a more nasally-voiced Tony Bennett. 

However, I do not like the album at all. 

While the track listings are dominated with mellow and torch
songs, there are 3 hard-swinging big band songs. Let’s start with
the latter. Let Go is catchy, but is
ruined by Mon David’s scat singing: it sounds strained and silly (he utters
something like "let let lo lo bo lo le le lot let"). None of these problems are
carried over in Alone Together, but it
only becomes worse in ‘Yan ang Pinoy, which is another one of those "pinoy ako" (informal phrase for "I am
Filipino") novelty barf-fests. In this song, Mon David scat sings something
like "pa da pa pja do peno, pinas pa sa […] pap dot pa ding" (bading allusion?) with a few recycled scat phrases of Let Go. Try listening to
that song without bursting into laughter. Although not entirely verbatim, I swear
I’m not making any of these up. 

His torch songs are a little better. My One and Only Love, Skylark,
Very Early  and Waltz for Debby, with their sparse and tastefully-done backings, all
provide a glimpse at how the album could’ve been had it only focused on this
kind of music (answer: I would rate it higher). Very Early, Soulitude, ‘Nasa ‘Yo and I
Had a Dream are okay but they have the problem of being out of place - for
an album that touts Mon David as someone with the best jazz artist awards,
those songs sure do sound more suited for a Basil Valdez (a Filipino pop opera
singer) record. What’s even more baffling is the reluctance of using piano:
only few songs have it, which doesn’t make sense, because a significant portion
of the track lists consists of Bill Evans’ compositions (not to mention, Mon David himself cites Keith Jarrett as an inspiration)! Lastly, Abe Mu Ku (a colloquial term for "love
me") suffers from a spoken section that sounds extremely lugubrious, and the
whole composition could provide a good condiment for a pancake breakfast. 

I don’t really put too much faith in awards and credentials,
and I can independently decide whether an album is good or not without knowing
how well it sold and how it was received by critics. What bothers me is
that I have faith in Mon David based on all the praises I’ve read about him from many different publications. After this review is posted, there might be a possibility that my
blog will see a transient public exposure. The most painful part of reviewing
this album isn’t that I might be criticized and badmouthed. The most painful part is that I originally intend to express a more
positive opinion; but after hearing the contents of the album, I am dismayed,
because I know Mon David can do better and I can’t help but shake my head in
disappointment as I ready myself for flame mails. Score: 2.5 out of 5.

Self-indulgence is a quality each and every individual possesses; yet what makes each of us unique is in its degree and how it motivates us on our pursuits. We indulge to satisfy ourselves; in different aspects of life we find the path that would make ourselves happy.

That we can apply the same concept about relationships is, of course, undisputable. Oftentimes we search for friends who would make us love ourselves more for each time we spend with our friends. It’s this reason why some people derive pleasure in friendship through having a bonding under a common ground. There’s nothing as satisfying as having a host of friends who share the same interests with you.

But some friendships are simply bizarre, because they survive even among plenty of contradictions to the concept of self-indulgence (that I’ve defined).

I have a friend from a distant province; and it’s rare that I spend more than a time span of less than a week with her. I know for a fact that we do have a friendship, but I do not know what exactly is THE GROUND that draws us to each other.

It’s funny. Our interests couldn’t have more different. I don’t even know what she is interested in; frankly I find that she’s quite dull and that she lives quite a monotonous life. For every topic of interest that I try to bring up, she just rebuff it as a waste of time (and mind you a lot of my hobbies aren’t a waste of time. I love reading, watching movies, listening to good music, and writing. Okay, my mistake. They were indeed a waste of time. Hah!) I would typically be annoyed with anyone who does this; and heck I do get annoyed by this habit of hers.

What I do not understand is how we managed to stay friends for more than 7 years despite all of these. I do not feel that I’m getting any edification for indulging myself in trying to share interests with her. Yet I just do feel a small, geniune, undescribable happiness whenever I spend time simply talking to her, whether face-to-face or through other means of communication. Is this love? I don’t know.

Weird, noh?

But I’m not complaining.

You probably know how most workers like to fall asleep while commuting home. Well, I certainly like doing that, which is why even though it’s kind of far, I walk a couple of kilometers just to take the bus, where I can take a nap while the good ole driver takes everyone home.

I usually fall asleep; but not today. And let me tell you why.

This bus was quite well-ventilated, and it’s playing the typical GMA lineups during these hours of the day. So far, so perfect for sleep (way better than when some headache-inducing Love Radio’s songs and its DJ’s tasteless jokes are playing on the background). However, unlike all the other buses, this particular bus created a very cacophonous "HUNK" sound whenever it slowed down; it probably revealed that the driver was homosexual, since his bus stopped at every hunk. While that was uncertain, the sound was certainly earsplitting enough for me to stay awake throughout the duration of the trip, and I was so annoyed since it was so stupid! Doesn’t the bus company - G Liner in particular - spend any time doing routine maintenances for their own buses?

Geez, now I’m feeling really grumpy since I’m nap-deprived. What’s even scarier was that I’ve been kept awake by a multiple HUNKS.

Err, yeah.

There are so many people who
love to overcomplicate simple matters; unfortunately, I’m the person who wishes
things could be simpler, but has been shoehorned in a lot of complicated
situations. My history happens to be one of the many unwanted complexities that
put me on many tight spots.
 
Anyone who’s ever talked to
me knows that I’m one of the more isolated people you’ll encounter; it’s not
because I enjoy being alone, but it’s because I am forcibly distant from people
who I want to relate to, but couldn’t. 

When I finished my first
year of high school, I was frustrated with a lot of things. I was scorned by
teachers and adults (and the feelings were mutual), bullied by many seniors (whose head and arse you couldn’t tell apart),
and I wasn’t happy with where my life was headed. Afraid of eventually becoming
a delinquent, I finally decided to start anew by transferring to a school -
Bacolod Tay Tung High School (BTTHS) - that is many islands away from my home
and my will-be former school - Chiang Kai Shek College (CKSC). This was a very
hard decision for me, for I had to leave behind all of my friends that I have
spent possibly seven years with. 

I made a lot of new friends
in my new school, BTTHS, and my life turned for the better. Of course, rumor
has it that I’ve become a better man *roll eyes*. This I have been very
thankful of. After having spent 3 years in Bacolod,
I decided to come back to Manila to pursue my college degree in De La Salle University. While I was sad at what
had yet become another farewell – albeit a more sentimental one since my friendship
with a lot of people in Bacolod ran very deep - I was happy that I could
finally be able to, after a long separation, revisit my Manila friend again - and relive the good times -
all while showing them that I have become a changed man. 

Nothing in life stays the same, and things didn’t turn out as good as I had thought.

Yes, I’ve made many
conscious efforts in continuing the same kind of relationships with the friends that I’d left
before, as though continuing a book from where I’ve left off. I even tried to
reconcile with enemies from the past. I was successful at the latter, and I
felt good about it. 

Unfortunately, I wasn’t very
happy with the way things turned out with my elementary and 1st year high
school friends and acquaintances (except for Randolph, of whom to these days I maintain close
communications to). I feel like they have become strangers; and it’s hard to blame them, for the changes of priorities,
attitudes, beliefs and the way of life go both ways. Even if they appeared to
be happy about hearing from me again, their lives continue to unfold like
sceneries from the other side of a window, and I have neither involvements nor invitations to
participate in whatever good times they’re creating with each other. 

Friendster has played an
important role in reuniting me with my former friends, but that’s all it ever
did. It didn’t make be belong to a group where I used to belong. It didn’t send me any invitations to reunions whose participants were mostly my elementary classmates.
When I click on their friendster profiles, all I see are photos of them happy
with each other. I don’t see myself. Then I start longing and start feeling bitter about not having shared any of these experiences, while at the same time I feel that I shouldn’t impose myself on them. 

Maybe it’s time I stop
lamenting about the tides of changes, and maybe it’s time I start creating good
memories with the people close to me or the people that will eventually come my
way. Maybe if my life wasn’t so full of separations, then things could be a lot less complicated.

I still am sad that I don’t hang around with the people that I used to be with more than a decade ago. Isn’t it a pity? How I wish
things were different and a lot better than that, but I guess that’s just how
life is, and that I have to move on.

I’m still into Jazz, so for those who love me for my
semi-comprehensive knowledge for that particular genre of music: fret not, for
there is no love lost.

But lately, I’ve been into another genre of music too, and
that’s R&B. My brother loves the hiphop scenery, and frequently updates his
R&B collection. He doesn’t, however, buy just about anything - he’s picky.
He wouldn’t settle for the R. Kelly kind of junk; he’d only settle for the more
acquired, and sometimes relatively obscure, artists. And most of the R&B
album from his collection shares one thing in common: they’re all neo-soul.

And I’m really enjoying the neo-soul stuff! Neo-soul is the
genre that sounds like a modernized version of Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye,
with a smattering of Prince. It has the intensity of soul music, plus the
groovy beat arrangements found on most contemporary R&B’s, making them the perfect kind
of ambience for boys/girls-night-outs (whether just for chilling, or for slow-dancing). But a good neo-soul album, like all
other music, isn’t only about setting good background music. Just like all
other genres, the good stuff does warrant a serious and attentive listen. Examples?
Try Macy Gray’s "Why Didn’t You Call Me".

The forefronts of this genre were D’Angelo and Erykah
Badu, both of which have albums that have received recognitions from various
critical-outlets. Aside from the aforementioned two, I also love the albums
from other neo-soul artists such as Maxwell, Joss Stone, Angie Stone, India
Arie, Macy Gray, John Legend, Jill Scott, Corinne Bailey Rae, Lauryn Hill, and
Anthony Hamilton.

So, does anyone have any further recommendations? What are
the R&B albums that I just have to own?

My comment box is open.