I Rule My World!

The blessed, sweet weekend is upon us once again. After six days of delving myself into the lives of Austro-German, Russian, Iberian, Chechoslovakian, Swedish, and Finnish composers–I could finally close the history books, and rest.

Not that I have been a mad student and have read those biographies nonstop, (although it has occupied quite a big chunk of my existence in the previous days). I do stop reading when "surprises" come–like piano students, and Amba appointments ("surprise" because I had forgotten all about them even though I had previously written them in my appointment book. Tsk, tsk, tsk..)

Now, I can sit back and let the Sabbath rejuvenate my cooked up brain cells and my aching neck and back. I could finally let go of the pen that has written the hundred and one musical facts to feed my failing memory.

Welcome sweet day of rest and have a great Sabbath, y’all!

Last Saturday, the Amba went on a trip to SSD to video some songs with Hope channel. On the bus, someone gave out  kakao-flavored Loacker Wafers. Since I was furthest from the ‘Mother Theresa’, I got the last bite. Well, at least I got the last wafer…
Jagger, who was sitting beside me, and was a fan of food, asked me if it tasted good. I’m not a wafer aficionado, but I think it tasted pretty yummy…Uh, yeah. Maybe I sounded convincing, she resolved right away to buy at a grocery store on the nearest possible time.
Yesterday, I was shopping in SM and I thought of buying the famed Loacker wafers since I think I convinced myself, too, that it tasted good.
Hmmm..Loacker, the Original Quadratini–Cocoa cream filled wafer cubes. No Trans Fats.
Thing is, one bite was enough. So go figure.
But then if you’re too slow, then let me spell it out: K-a-k-a-o  f-l-a-v-o-r-e-d L-o-a-c-k-e-r  w-a-f-e-r-s  s-u-c-k-s! Eeeeewwwww!

I doubt my study habits are working. I mean I vowed to finish K. Marie Stolba’s A History of Western Music from cover to cover–and I’m halfway through. I highlight important points, and even rewrite them in three separate notebooks to categorize important people and their works, from musical terms and musical styles. Occasionally, I answer music history online quizzes to test my memory, and on other occasions I would listen to the music described by the textbook with the score in my hand. I read musical annotations, and listen to a classical radio every now and then to identify and aurally analyze the music played.
For the past few weeks, my time has been devoured by the lives of Machaut, Du Fay, Dunstable, Palestrina, Monteverdi, Couperin, Rameau, Vivaldi, JS Bach, Telemann, Handel, CPE Bach, Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti, Willaert, Isaac, Pergolesi, Stamitz and other important composers that somehow escaped my memory.

Then again..as "they" say (whoever "they" are), "All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy". So on study breaks, I would play Bejeweled or TextTwist or surf the net. Or I would take the liberty to watch a movie. I eat sweets occasionally and sleep late on unavoidable instances.

So, tell me, my study regimen does sucks, right?

im almoooost there! one more chapter and im done reading the baroque period… woohoo!!!! then again, i have three more weeks left to indulge myself in seventeen more chapters of classical, romantic, and 20th century music…

i feel like i’m prepping myself up for a board exam (kudos, anyway, to those who have just finished the Nursing Borad Exams–hopefully, wala ng mga controversial issues..). thankfully, a license is not at stake, but, some big cash for scholarship! so that’s just as good!!!

hayyy, when will all this studying end?! (is not a question i remorsefully pose, altho my previous sentences would connote that, but rather a personal rhethoric question). i could just picture the wise old professor agnazata answering that question. When does it end? it never does…

Today is yet another one of those busy, long days i usually get myself into… Had to get up at 5 am to prepare for a photo shoot at 6. Too bad I slept late and got only 4-5 hours of sleep (Thanks to Celine, there weren’t any cockroaches who tried to wake me up in the middle of the night)…
The photo shoot, as usual, took longer than what was allotted… Kuya Bojo, who volunteered to be the photographer, was in his perky mood, much to the relief of those who were late (ahemmm..) Anyway, I hope the pictures would look great. No offense to Kuya Boj, but why didn’t we get a professional to do the job? I mean, hey, this picture would be used for major events…
Two hours later, I was off to Chrysanthemum church where my piano students are waiting. I have more than the usual to look forward to… It’s payday!!!
Poor Nicole, she had the slot of the day where I was really having a hard time to fight off sleepiness. Where’s coffee when I need it?? I tried to walk around while she was playing but that didn’t help much either. Hay, I really have to make sure I get a good night sleep before I teach. Tsk tsk!!
Then back to AUP I go, to rehearse for the coming anniversary concert at CCP. Thankfully, the members consisted of the Amba’s cream of the crop…Rehearsals won’t be as boring… (sorry,  had to be a little blunt there..)
And now I have a few hours left–should I spend the night reading Stolba, and review or would I rather sleep and try to make up for the cockroach nights I spent???? Heck, I already spent some of it in blogging..woohoo..

Madilim ang kwarto. Habang pinipilit kapain kung nasaan ang turn ON switch ng ilaw, hindi mapagkakaila ang kakaibang halimuyak na sumalubong sa aking ilong. Isa lang ang pinang gagalingan ng pambihirang amoy na ito— at hayun nga, tama ang hula ko! May mga ipis sa kwarto.

May  MGA ipis sa kwarto. May MGA ipis sa kwarto. May MGA IPIS sa kwarto. MAY MGA IPIS SA KWARTO!!!!!

Natatandaan mo pa ba yung patalastas ng Baygon kung saan napakaraming ipis ang gumanap? Basta lumang patalastas yon. Una, pinakita yung lalake na papunta sa kusina, tapos nang binuksan nya ang ilaw eh ayun, nakita nya ang mga ipis na nagpaparada sa lababo. Ilang saglit lang eh naglabasan narin ang iba pang mga kapal-muks na ipis galing sa ilalim ng refrigerator. Buti nlang may Baygon yung mama at na-tepok ang mga buwisit na ipis. Walang natira, kahit isa. Kagilagilalas! Naka kikilabot! Malaki ang impact ng patalastas na yun sakin. Para sakin kase, ang mga ipis eh hindi talaga nakakatuwa.

Sumaglit yon sa isip ko ng makita ko ang sang damakmak na ipis sa loob ng comfort room. Hayun, nag ipon ipon sa sulok. Tila ba may General Conference Session ang lahat ng ipis sa buong mundo–ok fine, exaggerated, pero pramis! Ang dami talaga. Umurong ang ihi ko sa pagkagulat at pandidiri…

Aba, at pa hindi nakontento ang mga bwisit, at hayun, nag recess sa sala. Ang iba naman ay nag strolling sa ilalim ng hapag kainan. Hindi ko na pinansin. Mind my own business nlang ako dahil wala ako sa mood mang terrorize.

Mahimbing sana ang tulog ko ng maramdaman kong may gumagapang sa aking kanang braso. Bumaligwas ako at nagmadaling buksan ang ilaw. Aba, ang tatlong magkukumpareng ipis eh hindi nakontento sa sala at nag adbenchur pa sa kwarto ko. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, isa lang ang katapat ng mga yun, at hinablot ko ang sapatos ko na may tatak na Celine at hinampas ng tigatlong beses ang bawat isa. Nang gigigil ako sa inis dahil ang sarap ng tulog ko! PAK! PAK! PAK! Ang maingay kong sapatos ang pumutol sa katahimikan ng gabi. Hindi tumagal ay naamoy ko na ang signature smell nila. Winalisan ko ang sahig at muling sumubok bumalik sa mahimbing na pagtulog.

Hindi nangyari ang aking binalak. Naitext yata ng mga ipis bago sila mamatay ang mga kapwa ipis nila na mainam ang napuntahan nilang lugar. Kaya ayun, wala na akong nagawa buong gabi kundi ihampas si Celine sa bawat ipis na sumubok mag pilgrimage sa aking kwarto.

Dalawang gabi naganap ang giyera. Walang nagawa si Kapitan Baygon at Colonel Muriatic Acid sa mga guerillang ipis. Ngunit matagumpay si Celine.

The End.

(Ang mga nailathala sa taas ay pawang katotohanan, at katotohanan lamang)