Out with the Old...

May mga pagkakataon na sadyang said na ang utak at kaluluwa mo. Na sa sobrang pagka-said, wala nang naipipiga ni kakarampot na istorya na nais mong ibahagi sa madla.

Siguro ito na yung sinasabi nila na mid-life crisis sa pagsusulat. Na sa daming nangyayari sa buhay mo, hindi mo alam kung saan ka magsisimulang makwento. Na sa dami mong gustong ikwento, nagmistulang kalat na lang siya sa iyong isipan.

Naisip ko, gusto kong balikan ang pagsusulat? Pero pano ulit ako magsisimula?

Naisip ko rin, kung gusto kong bumalik sa pagsusulat, kailangan kong maglinis ng kalat. Overhaul kumbaga. Kailangan kong piliin nang mabuti ang mga karanasang dapat itago, at iwan ang nakaraan. Kailangang maliwanagan ang isipan para makapagsimulang ulit.

Speaking of overhaul, iiwan ko na pala itong blog ko.

Hindi dahil ayoko nang magsulat. Kundi dahil kailangang maliwanagan ang utak ko.

Lilipat lang ako ng bakod, para makapagsimulang muli.

Salamat Blogger. Hanggang sa muli.

Probinsiyana Chronicles: CAFE + Coffee.Brunch.Dessert

I promised myself that I'll make a blog review when I come back to this place. And it was a perfect timing when me and my bestfriends had a get-together after months of not seeing each other.

It was my third time to experience this one-of-a-kind cafe strategically located along Maharlika Highway of Plaridel. The place can be easily seen due to its red bricked wall and see-through environment. This small yet very cozy cafe is a perfect getaway for people who wants to get away from the noise and chaos of the city:

Ihanda na ang Auto...

Ikaw lang yata ang public figure na iniyakan ko.

Oo, nalungkot ako nung namatay si Karl Roy at Dolphy. Ngunit sa lahat ng funeral na nakita ko sa balita, sayo lang nangilid ang luha ko.

Tumingin na lang ako sa salamin ng bus nung nakita kong binabalita ka. Natanong ko ulit sa sarili ko, "Bakit ang mga weird na matitino ang laging nauuna sa hukay?"

Di ko talaga alam kung anong mararamdaman ko. Nakatutuwang isipin na kahit sa paghimalay mo, may mga taong naaalala ka. Di ka naman sing-sikat ni Piolo Pascual, o kung sinong matinee idol na sikat ngayon, may mga taong nakaka-alala sayo dahil sa iniwan mong bakas.

Kasama ka sa pagtanda ko. Kinalakihan kita hanggang college. Feeling hipster kami ng mga kuya ko dahil akala namin kami lang ang nakakaalam ng show mo na Strangebrew. Si Julia Clarete pa yung unang Erning nun, pero swak na swak pa rin si Angel na naging Erning. Lagi naming inaabangan yung show mo tuwing hapon. Malabo pa reception sa TV nun pero pinagti-tiyagaan naming magkakapatid dahil kakaiba ang palabas ninyo. Marinig lang namin yung intro na kanta ni Rico J Puno, tutok na kami. Aakaling sa una'y walang katuturan, wala kwenta. Pero sa totoo lang may mga naisisingit kayong satire jokes na grabeng pumailalim na hindi talaga mage-gets ng madla. Iba rin ang humor niyo, lalo na pag sumingit si Ramon at Jun sa eksena. At sino ba namang hindi makakalimot sa paandar mo na, "Erning, ihanda mo na ang auto," sabay sabi ni Erning, "Tama!" with matching chabakano language on the side.

Ngayon, hindi na auto mo ang ihahanda, kundi karo ng panghimlay. Napakahirap tanggapin na maglalahong parang bula ang pangarap kong magkakaroon ulit ng timeslot ang Strangebrew sa ere. Wala nang mag-aayos ng auto. Wala na ring kakain ng pinaghalo-halong weird na pagkain. Hindi na rin magdi-disguise na tubero sa Ramon Bautista at maghuhulog ng sabon para abutin mo. Wala na rin action sequence na masasalihan si Jun Sabayton na kasama ka. Wala na ring kasagutan si Erning ng "Tama!" At di man ako nakakakinig ng Brewrats sa radyo, alam kong kung ano man ang inumpisahan niyo sa telebisyon eh tinuloy niyo lang on-air.

Nakakapanghinayang. Bata ka pa. Di ba breadwinner ka ng pamilya? Di ba may pinaglalaban ka pa para sa bansa? Di ba magsusulat ka pa ng maraming libro? Di ba may mga gigs ka pang pupuntahan? Bakit bigla kang nawala?

Sadyang mapaglaro ang buhay. Pero kelangang tanggapin na nangyari na ang hindi inaasahan. Iniisip ko pa naman na kakaiba yung pagpanaw mo. Yung tipong death by music o namatay ka sa pakikipaglaban sayong adbokasiya. Pero sa ganitong paraan? Hindi yata tama.

Alam kong wala nang magagawa ang panghihinayang ko sayo. Kaya magpapasalamat na lang ako.

Salamat Arvin sa pagiging parte ng college life ko.

Salamat Arvin sa pakikibaka mo sa kalsada kahit kinukutya ka na ng ibang taong walang ginawa kundi mangutya para lang kumita.

Salamat Arvin at pinatunayan mo na hindi kelangan ng magandang mukha para makilala ng madla, maiparating lang ang iyong hangarin.

Kahit hindi kita kilala ng personal at nakita lang kita minsan na nagbebenta ng tshirt sa isang gig, nagpapasalamat pa rin ako na kahit papano, masasabi kong pisikal kitang nakita, Kahit literal na nagkabanggaan lang tayo.

Gayahin man ng iba ang istilo mo, ikaw pa rin ang nagiisang Tado. Tado ka kasi eh.

Paalam kaibigan. Nakahanda na ang auto mo sa langit.


Arvin "TADO' Jimenez

1974~2014

New Year's Epiphany

So while you guys started your New Year with a bang, I started mine with a respiratory tract infection. I never been so sick before that I thought I have german measles. I was off work for a couple of days and I hated it. Now don't get me wrong. I'm no workaholic, I just don't wanna stay home for a long time. 

But I think being sick for a couple of days gave me an opportunity to ponder on life, realizing that I've been so focused on earning money without having any goals. Yeah, I have very exciting highlights last year, like the spontaneous Baguio adventure for my birthday, the clothing line's first anniversary gig, seeing Tegan and Sara in the flesh... but these were the ONLY highlights I have last year. Maybe even my entire life.

And it got me thinking: what am I doing with my life? Do I watch too much Youtube? Am I an in-denial workaholic? Or am I just an epitome of a boring person who has this boring life?

Have you ever tried 'stalking' your friends on Facebook to see what's been happening in their life, and then asking yourself on how they manage to balance their professional and personal life?

I did. (Don't judge me)

I also promised myself to be more active on blogging than before and it's currently failing. Probably because I don't go out that often. And I want to end this shenanigans.

So I made a list of all the things I want to do not only this year, but on how possible I can make it happen. Consider this as a mandatory bucket list:

1. Be healthy. And no, it's not an excuse for a fat person like me to have this on the list, I prefer being huggable and healthy than thin and sick. And I think people should have this as a New Year's resolution instead of losing weight, coz losing weight is sooo everrated. But deducting a couple of pounds in my weight while doing it won't hurt :)

2. Travel the Philippines. I made a pledge that if ever I started travelling, I'll roam the entire Philippines first before the world. I'll go back to Baguio, Bicol, Cebu, then discover Sagada, Samar, Bohol, Palawan... the list goes on. But the place that really caught my attention is Batanes. And I will make that Batanes trip happen, alone or with the gang.

3. Travel around the world following my favorite band. I don't need to reiterate who's my favorite duo of all time, especially right now that they're permanently inked on my skin. With enough resources and money, I know I can also make this happen. I just wish my scared-shitless-because-I'm-afraid-I'll-be-lost-self will go away.

4. Start a blog series. I always wanted to have this "blog-serye" to practice my writing skills. I don't know what concept yet but I hope it will come in my dreams. Where's lucid dreaming when you need it?

5. Start reading... again.

6. More tattoos, more fun. As the Pringles commercial once said, "Once you pop, you can't stop!", or that Kardashian thingy, "Once you go black, you'll never go back." I recently got inked with my tattoos #2 and #3 and it was phenomenal. I missed the feeling of needles rubbing my skin as well as the sound of the machine. I plan on getting tattoos as an annual thing, specifically every July which is my birth month.

7. Buy a new guitar and start doing renditions, or recording my first compo :)

8. Continue my hobby as a photographer.

9. Continue blogging, based on un/fortunate events or whatever the shit I want to blog.

I guess that's about it for now. List may change if there's another epiphany and events will happen in no particular order.

Probinsiyana Chronicles: Willy's Diner

I'm no food blogger so please be nice to me.

I tend to pass by this small diner along McArthur Hiway in Baliuag on the way home or when I'm in SM Baliuag to buy groceries. My curiosity grew fonder so with a little persuasion with my boyfriend, we tried it out.

This small yet cozy diner can be found inside Caltex Compound, right across SM Baliuag.