Anyone can drive and not all will. A number of folks simply can’t be bothered with learning how to drive, a few are forced to learn only out of necessity, and the rest because they find joy in driving and the feel of being on the road. I’d like to think I fall under the 3rd classification. I’ve always wanted to drive.

I can recall watching my dad drive as he drove us to school each morning. I had looked forward to the year when it was my turn to sit on the passenger seat so I can watch his feet and visually learn how to shift gears. Occasionally, I would inquire after certain advanced driving techniques he’d use and, of course, a lot of basic ones. My dad would often give out tips on offensive and defensive driving (though he didn’t exactly use those terms), which I found useful when it was my turn to be behind the wheel.

I was in 2nd year highschool when I tested out all the theories I had about driving. As most of you may have guessed, it wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. I learned how to shift gears when I was in 3rd year but only truly drove, after going through a year on permits, back in 2001. Yea, I only became a licensed driver at age of 24. Pretty late for folks in my generation. And I had my first car at the age of 27 (a white Toyota Corolla, spiffed up vroom-vroom muffler, turbo engine and all — classic guy ‘drag’ car, it was often described). It was a sad day when I had to say goodbye to him the year I had to leave for Australia. But something had to give to cover the travel costs. Ah, well. Had I not went, I wouldn’t be here, blogging. True story!

Now, at 33, I’m happy to welcome my 2nd car, whom I’m calling MrLynx. Obviously, the name was lifted from the Ford sedan model, Lynx. It’s strange how it felt like history repeating, only in reverse. I wish I have the energy to explain it but I reckon I’ll save that story for another day.

Maybe it’s for the best. Perhaps MrLynx came into my life for the very purpose that’s only becoming clear to me. I’ve always loved driving even with all the you-won’t-believe-it-when-I-tell-you experiences. Driving has always been a source of great comfort. With over a decade of experience, I own this sh*t. Of course, it helps that I’ve got my dad’s ultimate compliment under my belt — he christened me Amado Junior when it comes to driving and if you knew him and his driving skills, you’ll understand why I consider it a compliment (not just because he’s my dad, hehe).

With every new thing and esp since MrLynx is a car meant to be taken out, I took him for a spin. I decided to hang out at the usual Starbucks near my place, somewhat introducing him to my routine.

Must either be that he liked the place too much that he wanted to stay the night or a hiccup as he adjusts to being with me, MrLynx actually stayed overnight since he refused to budge regardless of all ready efforts to prod him to come back into life (i.e. the car wouldn’t start, LOL). So come the following morning, I found myself repeating a scene from the previous night.

After a few hours of waiting for the car to be up and running again, I decided that it’s time to give MrLynx his first bath (er, from the moment he came into my possession, that is).

I’d love to claim that I wash my own car but I don’t. I used to. I will if there’s no other choice but for now, I’m availing the services of a local carwash station.

Shampoo. Check. Wax. Check. Vacuum interiors. Check. Tire black. Check. Empty the ashtray. Check! I solemnly swear I will religiously schedule periodic carwash sessions after this. But must schedule a trip to the casa to have everything checked, e.g. oil, A/T fluid, etc. (yea, it’s a ‘matic which I’m not too keen about but.. ah, well.).

I sat staring at MrLynx earlier today and I was engulfed with excitement from the countless imagined possibilities to make on the road. I had pictured the places we’d see, people we’d be with and the millions of pixels captured by MrSixty, MrPoPo and MrTots (whom you’ll meet one of these days).

It’s a mixture of longing and fear knowing that the streets and circumstances are different now. But I’m accepting the things I know I cannot change. I’ll simply continue riding the wave, face life (and the streets) head on.

♫ “There is no load I can’t hold.
Roads so rough this I know.
I’ll be there when the light comes in.” ♫
(Tom Cochrane, Life is a Highway)

Life is indeed a highway. I do want to ride it all night long.

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John & Brita Haycroft
Where Only One Grew Before
(Image used for the album cover: 51/365 200209 by carolinabena; cover layout, all mine)

This is actually a tag thing circulating in Facebook but I just had to bring it over and invite folks to come and join the fun. It does require a little tech skill, i.e. Photoshop, etc., but the rest of the instructions are pretty easy.

To Do This:

1. Go to “wikipedia.” Hit “random” or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2. Go to “Random quotations” or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3

The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3. Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days” or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days

Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4. Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

5. Post it on your FB account with this text in the caption/title field (or on your blog!) and TAG the friends you want to join in.

This is one of the most interesting meme that I’ve ever participated in. Some of the people I’ve tagged are: The Glamarazzi, Ade, Lauren, Helga, Luis, and a few more of my friends. I hope the rest of you folks will find it interesting enough to participate. If you do decide to do it, let me know (link to this post or leave a comment below) cuz I’d love to see what sort of album cover you’d come up with! Have fun!

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Rock tops my list of music genres and I’m partial to them old, classic rock bands. Of course, as a pseudo-musician like me, I enjoy listening to guitar riffs and bass lines. And there’s something magical about how these musicians seem like poets, if you listen to the songs they’ve written.

The Doors is one of the bands I’ve always been a fan of. Listening to their Scattered Sun album stirred unfamiliar memories; brings me back in time, in an era before I was born. It’s weird, actually. This fascination with periods that I have no knowledge of, just notions based on the things I’ve read and seen. Imagine yourself listening to Soul Kitchen and Light My Fire, you’ll understand what I mean. You’ll groove as Jim Morrison croons and tells you to keep the mojo risin’, baby.

And then there’s Jazz and Blues.. and the soulful trumpeter, Miles Davis. Now this talented man is good company on a night with a glass of merlot lost in a book. With the song It Never Entered My Mind playing in the background, you just might find yourself inspired to bare your own soul through your writing. His rendition of When I Fall In Love will let you feel how it really is to love. Without words. Amazing.

Having music in your life is simply awesome. It inspires me. It helps me express what I couldn’t bring myself to express. Music is like poetry to me. That’s why I listen to the sound that edifies my being. Perhaps that’s why I know what sort of music I like. I prefer to listen to the ones that would tell me about scattered suns and poetics of sound. They challenge thought and expose feelings.

What about you guys? What sort of music have you been listening to lately? Have you bought anything new? Can you say that the music you listen to adds value to yourself?

Image: amazon.com

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It’s easy to fall prey to the need to self-preserve. It only means that you love yourself. You know what’s important. You have it in you to do what you know and feel is right. Which is good. But be careful not to mistake having an easy life with having lightness of being. Life is as difficult as it’s beautiful.

How do we get that lightness of being? Perhaps you may not believe it but we all have been searching for it our entire life. Some may even die not knowing that it was what they had been looking to have in their life. Looking around and seeing all the earth’s majesty, taking in the vastness of the universe, we can’t help but feel utterly small. Small and heavily burdened by that very desire.

What am I supposed to do with my life?

Personally, I’ve asked myself this question far too many times, “What am I supposed to do with my life?” I had found myself thinking of ways that gets the job done and I called it being industrious and resourceful. I had introduced myself to various activities that I had not dared imagine myself doing and called it being adventurous. And so on and so forth, you get the idea. But even after having done it, achieved it, I still find myself asking the same question.

What criteria do you base your decisions on?

We often focus on the mundane, thinking that these things compose the grander scheme which then monumentally makes them a priority. They do, actually, but I can’t help but wonder why we’re like that. And then I would further ask, what criteria do you base your decisions on? Esp when we think about priorities.

For some, they settle for the things that gets them through the day. It’s a sad thought but it happens. Others, have it made so they can actually allow certain luxuries, which by themselves can be considered grand. A number have a general idea but are still trying make sense of it. And the rest are simply fumbling to, at least, finish one thing.

Finding the Answer

The answer to my question isn’t really about finding that very thing I would want to do, specifically, but the realisation that, behind every activity or project I may involve myself in, my core being will remain intact. These things are mere products of who I am and not things that make me who I am. Did I make sense?

You are they way you’re made and you’re amazingly beautiful that way. Accept it. Know it. Believe it. Love it.

Knowing that we continue on with life with a sense of purpose, that being the act of finding within ourselves a positive answer to the question, “Am I significant?”, will make a whole lot of difference. You just may begin to experience that lightness of being.

Big world. Millions of opportunities. People. Yourself. These make up to an overwhelming promise of redemption.

And they all sit with you beautifully.

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He’d say stuff like, “You’ll like my gift” “Can it be my gift for your birthday and Christmas?” “I’m on my way to buy your gift now”. He certainly made sure I’d expect the gift. When he did arrive at my doorstep last night, he was holding it behind his back, which of course made me want to take a peek at what he’s hiding. Oh, the suspense.

Finally, he asked me to cover my eyes. Ta-da! A small box wrapped in red and green ribbons.

You’ve got to love the message on the card. Awww. Utterly sweet. Heehee.

But he told me to wait till 12mn to open it. Gah. I pestered him about it a bit, asking “so what’s in it?” to which of course he didn’t respond to and merely provided a clue — “I got it in your favourite colour.” And I exclaimed, “Green!” even when the first colour that came to mind was pink. Egad. Whatever can it be? So, I just finished getting ready cuz I was on my way to Alabang to hang out at a 24-hour Starbuck’s after having dinner with Rico.

In separate cars, we drove over to Mocha Blends BF to get something to eat and spend a bit of time together. When I arrived, he then said I can go ahead and open my gift! Weeee!

I had a guess at what was inside but was too afraid to think it cuz I might get disappointed if I find that it was something different. I wanted to enjoy whatever gift Rico gave me. Can you guys guess what he did give me?

Omigod! Omigod! Omigod!

It’s either the power of positive thinking or my blatant wishing but yea, I scored an 8GB iPod Nano for my birthday! Woot!

I’m deliriously happy! I’m so ecstatic! I’ve always wanted an iPod, preferred a handy one so it’ll be easy for me to carry around esp when I start jogging (wishful thinking? Well, I’ve always wanted to do it! Heh). Never thought that Rico (or anyone) would give it to me as a gift for my birthday!

Thank you, sweetie, for a very thoughtful gift! AND — I have to say this — I love the build up! I love surprises! You guys should have seen the grin on my face when I first saw what was inside. My face literally lit up, me thinks. LOL.

Happy birthday to me!! Woohoo!

P.S. I reckon I’ll be in good mood for at least a month. Don’t push it, though. Heh.

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But guess what? It took me more than a year to actually get a copy. Got a free one at that! It’s all thanks to Yehey! when I went together with the BoB to their office in Ortigas, Tuesday night, to talk about their localised online payment solution, Kaban, and they gave us CDs on top of the Almon Marina dinner.

So, yea, I’ve been listening to Kala (follow the link to check out their KALAFUNK website!) for the past couple of days now and I’m not tired of them yet.

BTW, if you want to explore on your own or get to know them further, have a read and a listen — you can start here. Hehe.

Photo credit: clickthecity.com

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Now, I’m tasked to list 7 songs I’m listening to off-late, and 7 people I want to tag to continue the game.

Whaa–?!

It would’ve been better to ask me to list 7 albums not just songs. [grumbles]

“Myu-zik iz zee wahterr o’ mee soul.” Teehee.

Anyway.

Getting on with the game —

1. Sweet Thing by Mary J. Blige [Chaka Khan Cover]
   “Oh, sweet thing, don’t you know you’re my everything?”
2. Every Little Thing by Dishwalla
   “I wish I could be every little thing that you wanted all the time — sometimes.”
3. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
   “We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl.”
4. My Happiness by Powderfinger
   “You’re over there when I need you here.”
5. My Skin by Natalie Merchant
   “Your face-saving promises — whispered like prayers — I don’t need them.”
6. Under The Milky Way by The Church
   “I wish I knew what you were looking for — might have known what you would find.”
7. Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
   “If I lay here — if I just lay here — would you lie with me and just forget the world?”

And now, for the tagging part —

1. Shai – that is if you’re not too busy. Heehee
2. Mel – if you’re still not having your kid. Hahaha.
3. Zoe – interesting Lomo, Zoe. Do you find inspiration in music, too?
4. Alistair – The only photographer I know who spends a lot of time taking photos of musicians.
5. Aaron – I noticed that you’re listening to a lot of music lately. Care to take a shot on listing 7 of them? Heehee.
6. Neil – I’m not sure what your take on memes now but I’m hoping to find out about your current picks since the last time I saw a list you made, I was impressed.
7. Angelo – Hi, Mr. NBA Obsessed. Hehehe.

Okay, people. Carry on then.

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Anyway, I cheated and just decided to google the lyrics so I can check what the band, Switchfoot, was singing about. I was so intrigued as to why I’m drawn to the song because usually the reason I’d like a song is because I can relate to it so imagine my surprise when I find this:

They tell you where you need to go
They tell you when you need to leave.
They tell you what you need to know
They tell you who you need to be.

When everything inside me
Looks like everything i hate
You are the hope i have for change
You are the only chance I’ll take

You guessed it — this is now considered a current favourite.

I also liked the carrier single and album title, The Beautiful Letdown.

“I don’t belong here..”

Can you guess what mood I’m in right now? I bet $5 you can’t. Teehee.

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I’m utterly depressed. Why is it difficult to get want you really want? Pain is a given. If only tears would come and ease some of the hurt away. Or perhaps I can scream and let out pent up frustrations.

I’m angry. Disappointed. Frustrated.

To make matters worse, this came at a stressful time. I’m boarding the plane heading to Singapore on Friday. I’ll be travelling for a good 27 hours. Alone. It sucks that I have this to think about.

Good thing I got new music. Them Anberlin boys aren’t as bad as I thought.

Gah. I need a cigarette.

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I first took notice of the band when they performed the song, Under the Milky Way, in the Opening Ceremonies for the Commonwealth Games, evenwhen they’ve been around for a couple of decades. I reckon it’s due to the fact that they did have a hard time getting enough PR that’s why they’re not as popular as they should be. Anyway, the song captured the attention of the musician in me. The way they played it then was enchanting. I’m not kidding. I find the lyrics fascinating, here’s a taste:

Sometimes when this place gets kind of empty,
Sound of their breath fades with the light.
I think about the loveless fascination,
Under the milky way tonight.

and so does the lyrics of the song, Almost with You. Well, I reckon it wasn’t just the lyrics, it was actually the entire sound of the song. Even now, I can’t get the song out of my mind.

This album was first released in 2004 so, yea, I’m a couple of years late in buying it. Who cares? I love it. All acoustic. I found out that the album’s title is actually taken from one of the songs in the album, The Unguarded Moment.

So hard
Finding inspiration
I knew you’d find me crying
Tell those girls with rifles for minds
That their jokes don’t make me laugh
They only make me feel like dying
In an unguarded moment

So long
Long between mirages
I knew you’d find me drinking
Tell those men with horses for arms
That their jokes don’t make me bleed
They only make me feel like shrinking
In an unguarded moment

So deep
Deep without a meaning
I knew you’d find me leaving
Tell those friends with cameras for eyes
That their hands don’t make me hang
They only make me feel like breathing

In an unguarded moment

Steve Kilbey is one hell of a songwriter and singer. It’s funny that he has a blog, too. Though, I was expecting more poetic entries in it but — oh, well.

So, it has been these four guys who have been keeping me company the past couple of days in my nightly cigarette sessions outside the house. They helped me deal with news about things that would normally throw me off balance. They’ve become a soundtrack of this on-going conversation I am having with myself about honesty, boundaries, principles and — ah, yes.. patience. Life’s more tougher lessons are worth every tear.

Humor me.
What a funny coincidence…
Mad Season
A Day of Music

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