It was the night that a lot of people have been anticipating due to all the hype and nostalgia that the event possesses, and they were able to deliver!

Hindi dahil sa isa akong fan magmula pa noong elementary years ko pero dahil panalo talaga ang pagkaka-deliver… 03/07/2009 was the date and I was there to witness one of the most historic musical events ever… Eraserheads: The Final Set!

Nakakatuwang isipin na noong mga panahon na cassette tapes pa lang ang pwedeng mabili, isa ako sa mga taong naniwala at patuloy na naniniwala sa mga kantang nilikha ng apat ng tao na produkto ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas. I am really proud that I am genuinely part of a generation where Eraserheads was able to shine their stars so bright that they were able to literally and single-handedly change the course of the Philippine music industry that we now see today. They were able to surpass all obstacles, critics and break social barriers through the songs that they created.

 

Social barriers? Paano ko nasabing social barriers ang natanggal nila? Kung inyong iisipin, magmula sa pinaka-unang kanta na ginawa ng Eheads hangang sa pinaka-huling kantang sinulat ng grupo, lahat sila ay kumakatawan sa mga karanasang lahat ng tao ay nararanasan at mararanasan sa mga susunod pang panahon. Ilang lalake nga ba sa buong Pilipinas ang naranasang ma-basted o mapaghintay ng parang

pang-habambuhay (Pare Ko), manligaw at mangakong magbibigay ng lahat ng maaaring ibigay sa isang tao (Ligaya), May kakilalang merong uncanny love story (Shirley), nagalit sa mundo (Easy Ka Lang), nagkamali ng intindi (Maling Akala), high sa buhay (Alapaap), May kakilalang homosexual na discriminated (Hey Jay), mga di nakasundong kaibigan (Minsan), dumaan sa pagkabata (Wishing Wells), Nalungkot sa buhay (With a Smile), Gusto ng substitutes (Superproxy/Pop Machine), Gustong matutong mag-drive (Overdrive), Torpe sa panliligaw (Torpedo), ayaw ng pagbabago (Walang Nagbago), nagkaroon ng “what could have been” na love story (Ang Huling El Bimbo), nagpasa ng cake (Fruitcake), na-miss ang Pilipinas (Balikbayan Box), hindi makapaniwala sa lahat ng sablay sa buhay (Hard To Believe), nagtanong tungkol sa buhay (Spoliarium), mga taong pinilit iahon pero ayaw sumama (Para Sa Masa), ginusto ang kaligtasan (Huwag Kang Matakot), nakakilala ng mga pekeng tao (Maskara) at nangailangan ng high sa buhay (Tikman)?

 

For me personally, every single song that they created wasn’t just songs that reminded me of something or what people say “Theme songs of a generation”… It simply means my life as a whole up until now. The songs that these four guys have created will forever be in my heart and mind as long as I live because they virtually gave meaning to every single experience that I had so far in my life, and probably in the next years to come, even when the band has long been gone.

 

Nakakatuwa rin isipin na ito na yata ang pinakamagandang birthday gift ko sa sarili ko… ang makita ang pinakapaborito kong banda sa una’t huling pagkakataon (although I’m wishing it’s not the last) sa buong buhay ko… Imagine, magmula pa noong 10 years old ako, nakikinig na ako ng mga kanta nila. Ngayon, ilang araw na lang 26 na ako pero nakikinig pa rin ako ng mga kanta nila, partida yung banda tumigil na noong 2002 pa. Hanggang ngayon pinatutugtog ko ang mga kanta nila na parang bago lang. Naalala ko tuloy noon, Eraserheads cassette tapes lang ang meron ako at yung cassette player namin overused araw-araw dahil ilang beses ko paiikutin yung tapes ko. Yun nga lang, ang pinaka-unang tape ko ng Eraserheads ay hindi Ultraelectromagnetic Pop kundi Circus, yung pangalawang album nila.

 

Ilang beses din akong nakipagtalo at muntik makipag-away nang lumabas ang issue ng backmask. Palibhasa may mga tao na makakita lang ng ibang taong mabilis ang pag-angat sa buhay, demonyo na agad ang nasa isip… Kung ganun din lang eh di lahat pala ng sikat sa mundo sumasamba demonyo? Eh di si Britney Spears, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, mga Pope at kung sinu-sino pang sikat sa mundo, lalo na yung mabilis ang pag-angat, demonyo ang mga rebulto sa bahay? Hirap talaga ng inggit at walang pera, kung anu-ano naiisip!

Anyway, sayang lang at wala na nga rin si Kiko… He would have been happy to see these guys play and it would have been a great treat to all the fans to see him sing with the band for the “Superproxy” performance, si Ely tuloy ang nag-rap. The song was dedicated to him plus an impromptu “Kaleidoscope World” chorus for him before the band sang “Ang Huling El Bimbo”

Ilang beses din ako naluha dahil sa mga pangyayari. Una nung nagsimula silang tumugtog dahil sa loob-loob ko, ito ang kauna-unahan kong makikita ang banda na tumutugtog sa harap ko. Pangalawa nung kantahin ang “Maling Akala” kasi sa wakas hindi na Brownman Revival ang naririnig ko. Pangatlo nung sa isang part ng “Alkohol” kung saan lumapit si Lemon kay Kapitan Elyboy at natapat silang dalawa sa camera na nakatingin sa audience. Ikaapat nung kantahin ang “Torpedo”, biglang flashback sa utak ko yung first year high school life ko kung saan kinailangan kong kantahin yun dahil sa isang role play para sa klase at tinawag na Ely ng mga kaklase ko hanggang 2nd year high school. Ikalima nang kantahin ang “Pare Ko” dahil kinanta nila yung “Pare Ko”. Pang-anim nung bumalik ang apat para sa scripted encore at bago kantahin ang “Superproxy” nagsabi si Ely sa audience na isigaw ang pangalan ni Francis. At pang-pito nung bigla nilang kantahin ang “Kaleidoscope World” chorus para kay Kiko.

 

Iba talaga ang dating sa akin kapag itong apat na ‘to na ang gumalaw. Ibang klase ang high at tulad nga ng nabasa ko, sinabi doon “Eraserheads, the only band that matters”. Para sa akin, Eraserheads is the only band that can touch lives on a certain level that nobody can ever surpass or even duplicate. Ika nga ni Ely “And so it was without a fuss we kill the buzz, Surrounding this delusional, irrational thing we call massive entertainment, Time to return the favor kick out the jams with the freeman flavor. Take it from Survivor, the search is over. I’ve found the best forget the rest. Erase it, replace it but never duplicate it. ‘Coz institutions are boring there’s no substitute for the real thing”

 

THERE’S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE REAL!!!

 

I’ve been doing my blogs in my Multiply site lately… I just thought I need to establish more contacts first before really getting in to this site. Just please check out my Multiply site

http://tensai0313.multiply.com/

Just a pickle I want to throw to everyone…

 

This one is regarding the Presidential Decree Number 851 under the Philippine Labor Law declared as of the 16 of December 1975, also known as the 13th-Month Pay Law

 

The decree can be found in this LINK and this LINK

 

I just want to throw the question…

 

What can employees do if a certain foreign employer (Korean), operating in the country, declared to give the 13^th-Month Pay on the 23rd of December, but refused to give the said pay in full?

 

I was just wondering because my f#@%ing company has f#@%ing decided to do the exact thing. I just want to know right now what our options are.

 

The most infuriating part here is the fact that during the company meeting, he said “I don’t want to hear illegal” (referring to what the employees have said that it is illegal not to give the 13th month pay in full) and he also said “If you have complain, go to DOLE!” (Sorry for the grammar folks, that’s how he said it), plus the fact that the said employer never changed his tax computations when last September, the Philippine government declared less tax collections, applicable to everyone in the country.

 

I just found out now that they are giving higher priority to probationary employees regarding the 13^th-month pay. I’m still under probationary so I guess I will be a little safer, but that’s basically not case. The main issue that I’m trying to raise here is the fact that the company is being very unfair and at some point, very unlawful

 

What’s bugging me is the one in section 3, letter A that states “Distressed employers, such as (1) those which are currently incurring substantial losses or (2) in the case of non-profit institutions and organizations, where their income, whether from donations, contributions, grants and other earnings from any source, has consistently declined by more than forty (40%) percent of their normal income for the last two (2) years, subject to the provision of Section 7 of this issuance” which is basically talking about exception to the decree. I’m worried that they might have already passed those “true information” about the company…

 

Anyone more knowledgeable, please help…

Just check tis one out… This basically tackles about stuff that i’ve been doing lately and a lot more

http://tensai0313.multiply.com/journal/item/5/Another_One_of_Those_Patriotic_Blogs…_Syempre_Tensai_Style

Di ko maintindihan… pakiramdam ko ang daming nangyari kahapon (exactly one and a half hour ago) pero kung bibilangin ko isa-isa lahat ng ginawa ko, parang wala naman nangyari. Siguro maganda kung enumerate ko no?

 

*Una, syempre gumising ako ng maaga (That’s 3am folks!) para hindi ma-late sa work.

 

*Ikalawa, matapos pagtripan yung ilong ng aso ko, kumain ako ng almusal na punung-puno ng microwave radiation. (That’s basically luncheon meat and bread) at dumiretso ng banyo para maligo,

 

*Ikatlo, syempre nagbihis ako, nagplantsa muna pala nung pinaka-patriotic shirt ko so far (One of this days baka gawin kong damit ng picture ko sa Friendster at Multiply), saka ako nagbihis na. Then pinag-tripan ko ulit yung ilong ng aso ko tapos alis na ako.

 

*Ikaapat, commute papuntang Makati (medyo boring ‘to at walang kwenta kausap yung driver ng taxi)

 

*Ikalima, walong oras na trabaho (Makipag-usap sa mga Koreano, manggambala ng officemates kapag walang ginagawa, gumawa ng paid blog, makipag-usap ulit sa mga Koreano, nakipag-chat tungkol sa pera, kumain ng radiation galing Country Style, then nag-logout)

 

Yun bale yung typical na usually nangyayari sakin araw-araw (except sa chat sa pera). Pagkatapos nun, since 6pm pa naman kami magkikita ni Ago (Executive Director ng Volunteers for CHANGE, barkada ko na rin) sa Green Hills para sa Blogger’s Night ng FlippyKnows at Team RP, sumama muna ako sa mga officemates ko. Mga nagpuntahan sila sa banko, ako naman, since wala naman gagawin dun, tumambay sa Starbucks para maki-free Wi-Fi. Bili ng Grande sized coffee, then hintay sa kanila.

 

Nang magdatingan sila, diretso kami ng KFC para kumain syempre, tapos naghiwa-hiwalay na kami. Sumakay ako ng taxicab papunta na ng Green Hills dahil plano ko dun na magtuloy ng paid blogs ko (this time enjoy na kausap si manong di tulad nung sinakyan ko nung madaling araw, main topic si Henry Sy at SM), pagdating sa Green hills, Starbucks ulit para sa pangalawang kape ko kahapon, then nag-blog na ako kaso di ko naipasa kay Angel (officemate ko dati sa Sykes na taga-supply ko ng topic) kasi mahal ang connection nila PhP100 per hour at hindi libre (KAINIS!).

 

Pagdating ni Ago bandang mga past 6pm, stay pa muna kami kasi bumili rin sya ng inumin nya, then diretso kami sa kainan kung saan si Juday ang endorser (Bacold Chicken Inasal), order ng sisig at kanin, then diretso na sa My Little Art Place sa 222 Wilson St San Juan Metro Manila (kahapon di ko alam yang address na yan), eh wala pang tao… dumiretso muna kami ng Mcdo. Pagpasok dun nag-usap lang naman kami dahil pareho pa kaming busog, then mga almost 9pm balik kami sa My Little Art Place sa 222 Wilson St San Juan Metro Manila (wala lang, trip ko lang ulitin yung address) kaso medyo sablay kaya di na kami pumasok (pasintabi lang po sa mga taga FlippyKnows saka Team RP at kay Niña Terol na rin, nagpunta po kami kaso yun nga di na kami pumasok. Gumana yung spider sense namin eh. Mukhang OP kami kung papasok kami dahil mga mukhang nag-major ng Fine Arts yung mga nasa loob. Ako naman ay iba ang major nung college at iba yata ang theme nila kahapon di tulad nung huli kaming sumali na for bloggers talaga, although medyo mukha nga lang akong graduate ng Fine Arts ngayon.) so, pumunta na lang kami sa Gateway lulan ng taxi ulit, and guess what… Nag-Starbucks ulit kami! (Palpitate malamang!)

 

Nag-usap ulit kami dun tungkol sa mga pangyayari sa nakaraan, kasalukuyan at konting hinaharap. Nakita pa nga namin si Argi (President ng Tamaraw Volunteers ngayon) kasama yung mahal nya sa buhay (hehehe!)

 

Ayun… kaya pala parang ang dami nangyari… sangkatutak ang gastos ko kahapon kaka-taxi saka Starbucks! (This one is a joke folks… paki-kiliti na lang ang sarili kung medyo corny or kung slow ka lang talaga)

 

But seriously, I believe this has been the first time in a long time that I was able to reconnect with a friend. I’ve been too pre-occupied and busy lately that I wasn’t really able to talk to my friends, like how we used to do it (pareho kahapon din). Too much have already changed but it seems the friendship will always be the same.  We may have some changes in beliefs, personalities, looks, humor and preferences, but our camaraderie stays intact. I just hope that this lasts a lifetime and after years from now, we would still have similar views in life and we keep the friendship torch burning and the willingness to help at the same time…

Just something i posted in our official Multiply site for VOLUNTEERS FOR CHANGE. A little burst of emotion and cry for hope. Just follow the link guys!

http://v4change.multiply.com/journal/item/34/TULOY_PA_RIN_TO_ni_TENSAI

I always love Jason Mraz’s songs from his first album Waiting for my Rocket to Come to Mr. A-Z to We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things to his singles. But so far, his song entitled Make it Mine is the one that I really love the most, due to the fact that the lyrics were given high thoughts by the artist himself. A well-written piece of artwork that speaks about making sure to take every opportunities as they come, and turn them into great possibilities in life. Only a handful of artists would actually care of writing something like this because most of them are too busy talking about how they could get girls, make love with a girl grinding on a pole, say sorry for the things they’ve done but in the end of the song, still blame other people, and the list just go on and on and on.

What I love the most about Mr. A-Z is his flexibility in his song writing and style. I’m a natural rock lover but this guy really took my attention. I’ve seen him perform once live when he had a concert here in Manila and the thing that really captivated me is how he can have fun with his guitars and vocals, and still come up with a great tune. Right now, I think he’s a little bit underrated due to the fact that majority of the people in the world nowadays don’t care about good lyrics anymore and just listens to things that only has good sounding beats.

Anyway, just listen to the song and see for yourself what I’m talking about…

Make It Mine lyrics

Wake up everyone
How can you sleep at a time like this
Unless the dreamer is the real you
Listen to your voice
The one that tells you to taste past the tip of your tongue
Lip and the neck will appear

I don’t wanna wake before
The dream is over
I’m gonna make it mine
Yes I… I know it
I’m gonna make it mine
Yes I’ll make it all mine

I keep my life on a heavy rotation
Requesting that it’s lifting you up
Up up and away
And over to a table at the gratitude cafe

And I am finally there
And all the angels they’ll be singing
Ah la la la ah la la la I la la la la love you

I don’t wanna break before
The tour is over
I’m gonna make it mine
Yes I…I know it
I’m gonna make it mine
Yes I’ll make it all mine

And timing’s everything
and this time there’s plenty
I am balancing
Careful and steady
And reveling in energy that everyone’s emitting

I don’t wanna wait no more
No I wanna celebrate the whole world
I’m gonna make it mine
Because I’m following your joy
I’m gonna make it mine
Because I… I am open
I’m gonna make it mine
Yes I… I’m gonna show it
Yes I’m gonna make it mine
It’s mine…
Yes I will make it all mine

 

 

I just had a trip to Calawis in Rizal province today and it brought back memories of the things that I’ve done in the past, and of course, gave me stuff to look forward to. It’s been a while since I’ve set foot in to those lands and I must say the feeling is still there. I have to admit that I’ve never really been that active anymore in going to the mountains whenever our organization conducts immersions in Malasya. It was, as I’ve told one of my colleagues, due to the fact that I have developed some sort of phobia when going on immersions.

Medyo nakakatawa lang… kasi sa lahat ng nakapanik ng bundok, ako lang ang makapagsasabing nakapanik ng kalahati lang ng bundok. It was I believe two years ago when the incident happened. Papunta kami ng Malasya para bisitahin yung mga katutubo doon nang bigla akong masugatan sa talampakan na may dalawang pulgada (2 inches) ang haba, at napwersa ako’ng huwag nang tumuloy sa tuktok ng bundok. Hindi naman ako umuwi agad noon dahil nakituloy muna ako sa bahay ng isang katutubo na naninirahan sa lugar na yun at pumalagi muna ako doon ng dalawang araw. Sayang nga kasi yun yung una naming punta doon na mananatili kami ng tatlong araw. Kaso walang nangyari saki’ng maganda. Nangailangan akong makituloy sa gitna ng bundok at dilaan sa mukha ng aso sa kalagitnaan ng gabi.

That’s basically the main reason why I‘m pretty much reluctant to go back. Not because I don’t like hiking, but because I’m afraid that I might get the same fate the moment I get back there, or worse. Kumbaga sa Tagalog, medyo nadala yata ako. Masakit kasi eh!

But of course, I am not closing my doors on it… who knows, maybe one of these days, I decide to go and join the immersion and see the wonders of the mountain’s surrender once again. Kasi, kahit na sangkatutak na kahirapan ang maranasan mo sa pagpunta doon, Parang nawawala lahat ng mga hinanakit ng katawan mo pagdating mo sa tuktok at maka-usap ang mga naninirahan doon. Ibang-iba rin ang pakiramdam habang nasa kalagitnaan ng kabundukan. The serenity and simplicity of the place will truly captivate anyone that has never been there, and the joy of seeing the people in there, smiling at you and being happy that you were able to visit them is highly unexplainable… that once there, every inch of pain in and out of your body just washes away like magic, and you would definitely feel like you would want to come back for more.

Iba rin kasi talaga kapag nandun ka. Walang ingay ng mga sasakyan, walang pulusyon, walang drama (I’m from Tondo) at walang teknolohiya. Ang meron lang, betamax (HUH?)

Napakasimple ng buhay. Walang telebisyon na gugulo ng pag-iisip mo, walang computer na palagi ko’ng kaharap sa trabaho, walang gulo, walang pulitika, walang Koreano at wala rin yung mga nambasted sakin dahil wala sa kanila ang trip pumunta doon!

Right now, we’re on the process of preparing the things that we need to have in our Pasko ng Pagbabahagi 3, which basically is Volunteers for CHANGE’s annual Christmas project. Sa ngayon, ito ang nagbibigay sa akin ng kagustuhan na bumalik doon dahil kumapara sa mga nakaraang dalawang taon, ito na yata yung may pinakamarami kaming naimbita para sumali sa project namin. Sana maging masagana at matagumpay ang project na ito ngayong taon kahit medyo struggling ang grupo… para tuluy-tuloy lang ang saya! Ito rin siguro ang magiging hudyat para magising namin ang natutulog na damdamin ng iba naming kasamahan para sa volunteerism, at mapatunayan sa lahat na tuloy pa rin ito…

Finding things the hard way I guess has been my thing for the past years of my life, where I have to experience wounding things first before I finally realize what is basically predestined for me to do. I have to admit, it’s not a good thing, but I guess that only goes to prove that I’m really a unique person with distinctive experiences. That everything that I will get and see will always be different from how people will commonly experience stuff in their lives

Hindi ko maintindihan kung matatawa ba ako o maiinis sa sitwasyon na ‘to. Kay daming ibang paraan pero mas madalas mangyari na kailangan ko muna mahirapan bago ko talaga maramdaman sa sarili ko na dapat ay iba ang ginagawa ko.

I guess I just had an epiphany…

I suddenly saw that I should stop whining because it’s already a normal thing… that it seems like I’m being molded to become numb from this kind of emotion in the future… Whatever the reason is, I don’t know a squat about it.

As I’ve said in my past blog, everything happens for a reason, that no matter how big or small the reason is, in the end, it will always be the cause of everything.

Alam ko na medyo madalas ko makalimutan yun at madalas ako magtanong ng mga bagay na parang walang kasagutan… Pero kung pagbabasehan ko sa katotohanan ang lahat ng nangyayari, palagay ko’y kailangan ko lang talagang maghintay. Ngayon, hindi ko maipapangako na hindi na muli pang magtanong, ngunit siguro sa pagkakataong ito, kailangan nang mas lawakan ang loob at pag-iisip para naman hindi na maging ganung kasakit ang mga bagay na bumabangga sa aking katauhan.

Acceptance is a big virtue to achieve. Not everyone can basically embrace the idea of tolerating something that they don’t want for the sake of something good in the future. May pagkakataon kasi na sa atin, mas gugustuhin natin na makuha o makita agad ang tagumpay. Marami satin ang tamad maghintay, katulad ko… Kaya siguro sablay din ako sa math kasi tamad akong maghintay ng kasagutan sa mga katanungang kailangan ng formula.

Maybe you’re asking what made me think this way… Except for the fact that this has been seemingly a normal trend in my life, I found out why things are seemingly not happening between me and that other road that I tried to take. I found out that it is actually better to stay neutral for the time being instead of hoping against hope. I felt that it would be better if she stays as my friend since everything is better that way. No complications, no drama, no bullshit, no nothing! Just plain old friendship… that as long as I try not to feel more towards her, the better.

Besides, I’m not really fully recovered with my Krystal situation and every movement I do, still highly depends on her… That even though I’ve said all the things above, I don’t think I’ll be over her (Krystal) anytime soon. I just wish that after all the waiting that I’m doing, time will come that I’ll realize that she’s been that person in the horizon after all and she finally walk towards me…

How come every time that I feel like I’m getting near something, everything goes the other direction and I end up seemingly light years away from that thing that kept me pushing hard? That when I feel like I’m already taking the right track, an avalanche block my way, forcing me to take another route until I eventually fall down on my knees…

Once again, Tensai is talking about his hopeless love life here… (Or should I say love death?)

I just can’t imagine why for some reason, I just can’t seem to get to the finish. People say I should wait and the right person should come in the right time… Well people, I believe I’ve been waiting for too freakin’ long! I’ve been in neutral mode for like forever, and I still couldn’t see the face of that person standing against the light in the horizon. She’s just standing in there, seemingly waiting for forever to end, and no matter how hard I try to push forward to her direction, I still can’t get any nearer…

By now, I think somehow, I have been able to get over, what I can only consider as a failure, my situation with Krystal… (For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, click here) And I’ve actually tried to go to a different direction, but it seems that the direction that I tried to follow is practically a dead end, and a lot worse that it seem to be… That even though I thought that things are already going my way, out comes the strong wind to push me away. I just couldn’t get to that gemstone… It’s basically something for my eyes to behold, but never to grasp it within my hands…

Alright I admit… I’m being too emotional again… Too much listening to Eraserheads’ song Light-years made me think this way… But still, I just wish that person comes real soon because the more that I wait… the more frustrated I become.

Talk about being hopeless romantic, huh…