Of course annoying part of my day was in the morning where I had to visit the orthodontist so that he can make my teeth more miserable.

I guess it wouldn't have been so bad (after all, I do this once every two weeks) if he didn't screw up the first time. I mean I was sitting there, and he was already putting back my braces, when suddenly, he gives me a curious look, and then starts taking out my braces again.

There's also the fact that he kept scraping my gums with his sharp hook, which is trying to attach a rubber from one tooth to another. He made around four attempts, which meant four scraping wounds somewhere in my gums.

Did I mention my orthodontists don't use gloves?

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I didn't get to treat out Erin and Chanty today because of last minute changes (fortunately, I was informed since Thursday). So I made use of the opportunity to go out with Becca (whose life is so spontaneous that I can't ask her ahead of time if she's free). Then again, as long as you're single and not part of a "group", it's easy to be spontaneous (and since I've been alone most of my life, I know the feeling well).

6:30 pm: Charles, meet me at Tower Records at 8 pm - Becca

8:00 pm: Browsing through Power Books/Tower Records

8:15 pm: Becca is at Landmark

8:45 pm: Still no Becca

9:00 pm: Sees Becca

Of course I originally planned to be by the MRT by 10 pm so that it would be easier for me to get home but since Becca and I chatted for nearly two hours, well, that wasn't an option. At least it seemed to me.

Talked about life, philosophy, and how I don't get out much because people don't invite me out. As proof of this, for our farewells, Becca approached me and turned her cheek on me, waiting for me to make beso-beso (kissing each other on the cheek goodbye). Initially, I was shocked since I no girl I knew did that to me. I mean I see it between saucy people or close friends but never to me. Second, it took me a few seconds to realize what to do. Becca was shocked and turned her other cheek. I still hesitated. And then she exclaimed. I finally kissed her cheek.

Sorry Becca but I'm not really used to those situations. *ahem* As I said before, I don't get out a lot and people aren't close with me. I'm more of the acquaintance-friend to most people. You know, the type you like to say hi and nice to run into but you don't invite to parties or call them up.

And then I had to figure out a way to get home. Without having to resort to using a taxi. Did manage to take a bus and I luckily chose the right one (i.e. one that stops at Annapolis). I'm familiar with commuting. Just not the names and places that the bus stops. >.< Oh yeah, also discovered one handicap I will undergo in future bus rides. I can't count in Spanish, which is the usual currency Filipinos use. The only numerical value I now is bente, which stands for twenty. Anything else and I'm dead meat. Fortunately, I had a fifty peso bill so the conductor gave me P36.00 change for the trip from Makati to Annapolis. Oh yeah, I didn't notice it but my bus was airconditioned. =)

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No flames so far. I guess that's good. ^^

Anyway, my left leg is aching. Must have strained a muscle or something. I guess that means no excessive (i.e. taking a one and a half hour walk home) walking for me.

Oh yeah, had to choose the restaurant where I was going to eat with Ela and Izza. Had to play maalis-alis (I don't know the english term but it's where people touch each other's hands and when someone say's go, each one shows either their palm or the back of their hand... the one who's different is the "it") and since I don't have the hive-mentality that most girls seems to have, I was the one who lost and had to choose. Apparently, I chose right as Ela had a craving for tempura and we were headed for Kamerori.

Girls will baffle me.

Me: Is it important for the guy to be taller than the girl?

Ela: Yes.

Me: Why?

Ela: Because it makes them feel more secure.

Me: But you're the independent and strong willed person.

Ela: Yeah but there are times when I want to feel secure and be comforted. I mean if a guy asks where I've been, I'd like to smack him but sometimes, I want to be comforted.

Me: Ela, you're the evasive type. How will we guys ever know?

Of course that's on the simple side of things. You can just imagine the relationship I have with my crush, who's the independent and silent type. At times, I know her. At other times, I don't. Flabbergast!

Also didn't get to treat out Joy and PJ. PJ forgot about it and she had promised a commitment to her org. Joy declined since she didn't have PJ to tag along with. Ah, the trivialties of life. I wonder what surprises tomorrow has in store (mark my words, it's going to rain tomorrow).

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I'm sure a lot of Americans right now will be writing in their blogs about the 9-11 tragedy.

I've always told people I'm oblivious to current events. I'm something like an urban hermit: no TV, no radio, no newspapers. It's so bad that I didn't know about 9-11 until the next day when our sociology and anthropology teacher, Dr. Abad, told us about the incident and how it's hard to believe, like its something out of a Robert Ludlum novel.

Speaking from someone who's on the opposite side of the world who lost no one (at least as far as I know) in the tragedy, 9-11 has vast effects.

*Make no mistake, the lost of lives is a big tragedy as well as an eye-opener for people, especially the Americans. The ends does not justify the means. Especially in this case. I can only be grateful that I didn't lose a love one.*

Suddenly, the US wants to intervene in a war that has been going on in the Philippines for the past few years as part of their "war against terrorism". Let me put it in other words: if 9-11 didn't occur, would Bush care about the Philippines? Or even insist that we accept US troops in the country? There's a fine thin line between revenge and justice. I just hope the latter is the reason for this sudden help despite the fact that the effects might be the same.

I also hope that Bush is taking this out on the right people. I mean until today, no one really knows who engineered this catastrophe. Sure, there are several theories and probabilities say that most likely, this person and that person masterminded it. There's still a percentage though, no matter how small it might be, that innocent people are being blamed (or put in another context, the guilty people are not suffering).

On another note, people are sensationalizing the event. I think it's too soon. People are still recovering from it. It's not some public road sideshow for everyone to see. It's a tragedy. People will perhaps grow and learn from it. In the meantime, the best we can do is give them our condolences and our prayers.

I wonder if I'm going to get flamed for this, especially from the Americans who read this blog.

To me, 9-11 has been an excuse for Bush to show his military might and seek revenge against those easiest to blame. Not that I'm proclaiming inaction or to let the oppressors go free. In our sociology/anthropology class last year, perhaps the question to ask is why such a tragedy happened? What were the reasons the masterminds behind 9-11 have for targeting America? Is it just because they represent "truth, justice, and freedom?" or could it be something more?

9-11 is a sad sad thing, with the lost of lives and pride. I just hope that the aftereffects don't prove to be as devastating.

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Bart: You should be careful. There's an intestinal flu going around.

Me: Too late. Caught it yesterday.

In light of yesterday's digestional problems, I'm pretty much okay by now... when it comes to digestion. I caught a cold, which is natural for me. That's what handkerchiefs are for. Except the hankie has been overworked. It's so wet that the pocket I put it in is soaking like squished fruit. And my eyes are so itchy that I can barely keep them open.

Yes, you saw this coming. I need a holiday. >.<

Oh yeah, missed Saiyuki because I was dozing off. Oh well, I guess that's what early morning replays are for.

And I did meet this cute girl form Theology class. Her name is Pia and she's from AB Psych. Still, I couldn't help but feel being manipulated. When she came up the stairs, she had these two lemon squares which she bought from the org that's below us. She then advertises that they're really good. Uh huh. But you haven't eaten them yet, so how can you say they taste good? Aside from that, she has a nice and cheery personality. ^^

I should be happy tomorrow's Thursday. I'll be treating out Ela and Izza as well as PJ and Joy. No Steph though. *sigh* I don't think my wishes come true. At least I'll be treating out Rin on Friday and some OAV peeps (supposedly) on Saturday. *pokes Daimira when she's available*

And yes, I should get a comments section one of these days. For most web logs, the initial post tells only half the story. Feedback covers the other part. But since I'm too lazy right now to get one, unless someone volunteers to get me one (or know where I can get one), I'm stuck with this until the semester ends (which is in five weeks). Hopefully by then I'll have a new layout, among other things. ^^ I hope Arcina's serious in her offer to host me. ^^

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Sometimes, life just surprises me. I manage to get by every single day.

Well, it's nice to know that I have friends out there. Even when I'm pesky with text messages, emails, and blogs, they still manage to tolerate me and reply. =)

Oh yeah, here's a funny interlude when I turned on my ICQ:

me: hihi ^^

Noelle: hello

Noelle: who's this?

me: charles...

Noelle: oh hi!

me: -.-

Noelle: you didn't say boo

What can I say? It's nice to know I've developed a "personality".

Oh yeah, sorry if I haven't been signing people's guestbooks. I guess I'm just not that type of person who fills in guestbooks, mainly because I never really got one and in the yesteryears of the Internet before cable modems and DSLs, accessing guestbooks took really long. ^^

P.S. Reading my European trade paperback of American Gods right now (don't worry Verne, I'm done reading Left Hand of Darkness) which has a story. I originally bought it from Powerbooks a few years ago when it was on sale. I put reading it on hiatus but a friend wanted to borrow it so I loaned it to her. Summer passes and I see her again. She exclaims that she dropped my copy in mud (eeek!) but managed to replace it with an exact copy. Unfortunately, the exact copy isn't exactly in mint condition and has a few dark spots on the outer rim of the pages. A few months pass and it's only now that I get to read the thing. I'm deliberating whether to buy myself a paperback copy or not.

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Oh yeah, one of my disappointments right now is the fact that there's no one I can talk to about Morgawyr. I mean the Terry Brook fans I usually talk to are either far far away or grown out of it. My grade school friend Tim probably hasn't lifted a fantasy book in ages. His Rivan Codex is still with me even. Steph's Steph. I don't get to talk to her often and she's busy with her studies, much less give me attention. I'd usually rant to Jobert about it but he's in the US and while I already emailed him, it's just not the same.

Which explains why lately I've had all the time to read and write.

Oh yeah,there's a big and visible error on the part of our village. The women's circle or something like that is sponsoring a mooncake festival to be held in the village hall. There's a big banner outside the gate. And there's a typo or spelling error. It says P30 entrance fee, inclussive etc... Hmmm, I wonder if my mom is part of that women's circle.

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Ugh. Today's not a good day. Got indigestion from something I ate last night (and contrary to popular belief, I eat a lot so it could either be the shrimp, the mangoes, the chips ahoy...). Had to puke out my breakfast before heading to school. And when I finally got to school, I started having diarrhea. >.<

As usual, you can expect what I'm going to say at this point. I need a holiday.

Oh well, already sorted out the Daf thing thanks to Rin. Yup, I guess I was right. Daf = Daphne.

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Ack! Farscape's cancelled!!!.

Oh yeah, my computer crashed because of reasons unknown to me. My power grid didn't blink but a power surge still isn't out of a question.

I want a new layout. I'm even thinking of taking up Arcina's offer of letting her host my blog and let her do the layout. Of course I'll end up with a yaoi layout but then again, most of the people who read this are females so they'll be pleased. *sweatdrop*

It's also strange how memory can play tricks on you. Right now I'm trying to recall if Erin's cousin, Daf, is the same Daphne I see at Sunday School. I mean I could be wrong but as I said, memory is tricky. The only reason I thought of that is because I saw Daphne's comment that she's leaving for the UK soon. The Daphne I know is leaving the country but I don't know where. Since her weblog isn't exactly full of private info, I really can't confirm (note to people who want to avoid stalkers: less info on your blog is better). I think the Daphne I know is also eighteen and she also has a lieu of ex-boyfriends (or at least suitors). I forgot her last name but I think it's also Lao, but since the Philippines is infested with a lot of Chinese, people of the same age and gender having the same first and last names is common (or at least not unlikely).

Not that I'm that desperate to know. I just hate not knowing. ^^

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The stupidty of it all... I can't believe it.

It is a sad, sad day for the comic industry when comics are stigmatized as a medium "just for kids". And while I'm not exactly someone who reads adult comics, it's really stupid when it's considered a crime for an adult to purchase one when it's within his/her rights. And why the sudden rap on comics? Mobs of mindless parents, priests, and politicians suddenly show concern for the welfare of their "children" and since comics are easier to blame than television or video games, they go for it.

Sometimes, it makes me glad I live here in the Philippines and while most Filipinos practice folk catholicism, we aren't as fanatical as our Western counterparts.

And then I remember the Verum Est incident wherein Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons were proclaimed evil, the number people who proclaim that Harry Potter is Satanic, and an incident once in our church where there was a public outcry against the violence in "cartoons" like X-men.

People are idiots. Some probably don't even know that some popular movies like Road to Perdition were adapted from graphic novels.

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It's raining and I just arrived from school. As usual, I need a holiday.

It only dawned on me now that I'm in real danger of failing my Theology class. I just lost 35% of my grade. You see our long exams constitute 35% of the final mark. I got a 1.75 for my first long exam. I got a 0 for the second (because it's an F). When you get their average, it's less than a one (which would make my grade D). Since it's less than a one, that's counted as a F or zero. Goodbye 35%!!!

Note passing has also begun. I mean during Philo, my seatmate was passing a note to his girlfriend so that they could communicate. For poetry, Peachy was sending notes to Cathy.

I'm haflway through Jose Rizal's Noli and our test is already on Thursday. Maybe I should read American Gods now. =)

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Oh yeah, how could I forget? Happy Birthday Charm!!! ^^

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It's amazing what motivation can do to you. Finished reading Morgawyr. And it wasn't disappointing. Makes me realize that I'm more of a fantasy reader than a scifi one. I can stand reading consecutive titles of fantasy. I don't think I can say the same for SF. Or maybe it just needs getting used to.

Anyway, dad was complaning about mom during dinner. "Her family's always concerned about food... the trouble starts when it comes to eating."

Of course mom is also stupid and annoying. I told the family not to waste the battery of the cordless or else the entire phone line will be dead. Did they listen to me? No. Mom just had to use the cordless and babble on to her friend, gossiping that she hates this girl who behaves like this and that. What a hypocrite. Mom behaves like that girl she's complaning about. That aside, she was on the cordless despite the fact that the regular phone was beside her. In fact, she would probably have talked all night if the cordless didn't die on her. And then she comes to me asking why all the phone lines are dead.

"I've told you before and I'll tell it to you again: if the cordless' battery dies, all the phone lines die."

Oh yeah, now I have to write a poem for poetry class tomorrow.

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"I need a holiday." That's probably one of my overused statements for the past few weeks. And I really do need one.

I'm also dreading tomorrow as I have to see Fr. Dacanay regarding my F. Oh well, time to face the music. Better tomorrow than later.

Bookstore hopping during a rain, especially, on foot, is far from recommended. But I didn't have a choice as today's my only free day. And it's a good thing too. I got the the third book of Terry Brooks' latest trilogy, The Voyage of Jerle Shannara: Morgawyr.

Ironically, I'd like to comment on an observation. Terry Brooks' writing improves over time. On the other hand, I find Terry Goodkind's writing suffers over time... Anyway, that's just me commenting on books I like. ^^

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