Why Bad Boys Are Just Bad

If you’re a living, breathing human girl and you tell me you’ve NEVER been attracted to someone your dad wouldn’t hesitate chasing off with a baseball bat, then you’re a liar.

For years, countless forms of media have been geared at promoting a hyper-sexualized characterization of the possessive, testosterone-driven and excitingly forbidden leading man. In other words, Christian Grey.

I know what you’re thinking: “OMG SEXINESS OVERLOAADDD!!!” right? Yeah, I used to think so, too.

They're pretty nice to look at though. 

I’m a teenaged girl. Of course I’ve fantasized about falling in love with a bad boy. A huge chunk of my daydreaming quota is dedicated to guys fighting each other because of me or entering bouts of pseudo-depression when I’m not around. This will probably bar me from joining any feminist movement in the future, but I thought completely losing myself in the process of finding love was romantic. I thought having a soul mate meant that I could depend on someone to tie me down to Earth and become my sole purpose for living (even if he was slightly off his rocker).

Damn you, Romeo and Juliet, for making me revel in the tragedy of love ending in double suicide. Damn you, too, Twilight, for making me feel like that’s totally normal in a modern – albeit slightly fictional – setting. But though Romeo admittedly does fickle like nobody’s business, he doesn’t fit into our average bad boy stereotype. Edward Cullen, on the other hand… Sparkly vampire predisposed to kill you, unhinge your self-esteem and watch you sleep? Back. Away. RIGHT NOW.

I used to dream about dating bad boys for several reasons. Now, I’m going to attempt explaining to my past self – and to you – why I was so stupid to consider them worthy of my adolescent infatuation.

Dissatisfaction

Slouched and disillusioned,
Nearly catatonic -

Bright light streaming from an LED screen

Is all that assures me

That I am alive.

For what is life when it is not lived,

Like music when it is not heard.

An Open Letter to People Who Can't Shut Up During a Movie

Hello.

I hope you know that that greeting is as far as my politeness will go in writing this letter. From here on, I won't bother censoring myself with regards to your cinema etiquette - or lack thereof. If you take offense at people saying what's effing wrong with you, then I suggest that you exit this page right now.

Suffering with Benefits

Okay, I'll be the first to be the first to admit that I'm probably as fit as a... Um... I'll leave it to you to think of a comparison apt enough to define me.

Sloth?

Nah, a sloth is naturally hardwired to remain stationary for most of its day/life/existence. I choose to act this way. 

Bart Simpson? 

Well, for the sake of this blog post, let's assume that Bart is in the middle of an existential crisis and needs to focus on achieving self-actualization instead of moving his lazy ass off the couch... Which, if you think about it, happens to be the root of said existential crisis. 

I might not be sure of my identity and purpose in life, but I don't think it's the cause of my current state of unfit.

Are You Happy?

So lately, I've been hooked on Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project. I bought it on a whim last week, and though I've heard a lot of rave reviews about it, I wasn't expecting to love it, much less find the energy to get up and blog about it.

Read it. I will hunt you down and climb up your window if you don't.

I'm a sucker for books with bright, heartwarming covers. I'm also a sucker for writers who have an uncanny ability of making you laugh while simultaneously questioning your purpose in life (hello, John Green). The Happiness Project chronicles the adventures of Gretchen Rubin as she attempts to become happy - or at least as happy as she should be. It all starts on a bus ride in New York City. Rubin comes to an epiphany that though she is considerably blessed - loving husband, adorable kids and a wonderful job which she loves doing - she still doesn't feel fulfilled. She's almost there, but not-quite-yet-so. There's something missing, and she was set on spending a year trying to discover that final ingredient to achieving self-actualization.

Healthy Dose of Competition

Sibling rivalry, Kardashian style 

For as long as I can remember, people have always told to stop. Comparing. Myself. To. Others.

"You are your own person. Just because you want the same things as him/her doesn't mean you have to beat yourself up when you lose. Just do your best, and you'll eventually find success on your own."

Um. I beg to differ.

We live in a world that thrives on competition. Man has evolved through the centuries, but that inherent need to be the best remains unchanged. Our early ancestors fought each other for food, shelter and other tools essential for survival. In the same way, we now measure our rivals as potential threats ready to snatch the things that should belong to us. It doesn't matter if the stakes are high or low. Once our minds register the possibility of losing to another, instincts kick in and we immediately attack the source of our unease.

To put this in a better context (i.e., one that doesn't ostensibly reduce us to a bunch of dogs drooling over a piece of meat), let me give an example. Say you were in your favorite clothing store, and they just marked down their items as part of a clearance sale. You sift through racks of forgotten dresses and overlooked shirts, hoping to find a piece that would make the perfect addition to your closet. You glance absentmindedly to your left, and lo and behold: said piece of clothing has manifested itself in the form of a cozy-looking knit cardigan. Your mind already begins to race with different wardrobe combinations until you realize that there's someone else who had probably been thinking the same thing. What's worse? That someone already held the answer to your prayers in her hands. Literally.

5 Things I Learned From Watching Bb. Pilipinas

Hooray for self-explanatory titles!

I watched the live - well, as live as any telecast with commercials could be - airing of Bb. Pilipinas 2013 last Sunday. My sister and I knew we had to wake up at seven the next morning, but it would be a crime to miss BP's Q&A portion -- a  crime that would sentence me to a night's worth of Twitter-induced curiosity and self-inflicted ignorance. Yes, it's that serious.

1) There are just some people in this world who are too beautiful for their own good. 

Pia Wurtzbach - Bb. Pilipinas 2013 first runner-up

The inflection contained in the aforementioned statement indicates no envy on the writer's part whatsoever. Nor does it clearly  imply her descent into a void of self-esteem issues and woe-is-me griping. 

2) As if being blessed with perfect genetic combinations wasn't enough, they have to fit too?! 

                         

3) Because pageant candidates seem to have the two B's (beauty and brawn) down pat already, we tend to amplify their flaws in the area which they seem to lack in the most: brains.

I remember Twitter blowing up into a frenzy during the Q&A portion. The top 15 had finally been announced. Meanwhile, I thought I'd get a glimpse at what was lying beneath those pretty faces and gorgeous bods once and for all.

I didn't know what to feel after hearing answers such as: 

“Do you think you could be a good Catholic if you believe in the RH bill?”

“I believe that believing in the RH bill is a good… especially for us educated people, we should know how to be a… we should know how to… understand the RH bill itself. So it’s really important, especially for the kids right now. Thank you very much.”

“Which country in the world, aside from the Philippines, fascinates you and why?”

“Nais ko po sanang sagutin ang iyong katanungan sa wikang Filipino. Sa totoo po, kung ako’y papipiliin, ayoko po sanang bitiwan ang Pilipinas dahil mahal ko po ito. Pero kung bibigyan ako ng chance, nais ko pong maka… sa Amerika po. Dahil sa tingin ko ito ‘yung pinaka… para sa akin, maunlad na bansa at andoon sa President Obama na siyang matatag na president natin. Thank you.”

All About Flipped

So, our last set of exams officially ended yesterday.

This only means one thing: SUMMER TIME! Woohoo! I've been waiting for this day since... Well, since last year's summer break. I just the love the feeling of being able to do anything I want without being forced to do it. To be honest, I like the learning part of school just fine. What I'm not so okay with? Studying.

Nevertheless, I'm extremely excited to have more time on my hands; I missed blogging and sharing my (often) pointless thoughts for the entire Internet to see. It's surprisingly therapeutic and unbelievably rewarding. Therefore, to celebrate my first post of the month, I'll be talking about one of my ALL-TIME favorite books which I'll never get tired of even when I'm fifty and wrinkly and knitting sweaters for tiny orphan cats. Please excuse the disturbing visual. My excitement needs some sort of outlet. 

The interesting cover design immediately hooked me in. 

Flipped is a coming-of-age novel  written by Wendelin Van Draanen back in 2001. Many of you might be familiar with its movie adaptation starring Callan McAuliffe and Madeline Carroll as Bryce Loski and Juli Baker, respectively. Even though I liked the film and enjoyed its squeal-worthy parts as much as the next teenage girl, it cannot and will never live up to the book that inspired it.... In my opinion, anyway. Here's the trailer of the movie if you're interested. 

There are three main reasons why Flipped always stood out amongst the sea of young adult novels stacked on my bookshelf: 

Drowning in Feels

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS NUMEROUS SPOILERS ABOUT THE UTTER PERFECTION THAT IS LES MIZ. COME SHARE YOUR EXCITEMENT WITH ME. 

Yesterday, I was finally able to watch Les Misérables with my sister and brother-in-law. I've been dreaming of this day for ages - since I found out there was going to be a new movie adaptation, actually. I've been hearing amazing reviews about the casting and directing and  overall portrayal of 19th century revolutionary France... Though as much as I appreciated everyone's input, I could've done well without all the spoilers lurking around in Facebook and Twitter. (I mean, I know Fantine dies, but you didn't have to describe Anne Hathaway's sob-inducing hospital scene in excruciatingly SPECIFIC detail.)

So here are my thoughts, in no particular order of importance:

• Les Misérables is not a film without its flaws, but these were tied together in such a way that you don't really mind the choppy transitions or unfocused shooting. You just see the characters, feel their emotions and get carried away by the music.

• Personally, I loved the casting for this movie. Of course, some are better off as singers than actors and vice versa. Russel Crowe was a great Javert and really captured the ambivalence between pursuing the law of France or honoring the code of God. He may not have the voice of Josh Groban, but what he lacks in vocal range, he sure makes up  in heart-wrenching emotion. 

• Hugh Jackman... I thought I couldn't love anyone more than I did Wolverine, but Jean Valjean just blew him out of the park. His sheer complexity and constant battle with his conscience gets me every time. 

• Eddie Redmayne's voice. Enough said.

• Oh, and his freckles. One mustn't forget the freckles.

What Have I Done With My Life?

This year's EDSOR Peace Camp was held in La Salle Greenhills, and I was beyond fortunate to be chosen as one of my school's delegates for the two-day event. The whole experience is indescribable, and I truly learned a  lot from the all the speakers, lecturers and of course, my fellow participants (shout-out to Balai Masayahin! hehe, love you guys!). Anyway, EDSOR is mainly about bringing together youth leaders from all four schools who compose the consortium and informing them of their role towards social transformation.

The priceless friendships formed are just part of the bonus. :)

Nevertheless, I'm not here to talk about the OVERABUNDANCE of humiliating moments I endured over the weekend (especially those that pertain to me swearing in front of  a group of scarred grade school kids). Nope, today, I'm going to rant about how utterly useless my fifteen-nearly-sixteen years of existence have been. All. This. Freaking. Time. 

One of the guest speakers shared a story about a young boy in the U.S. who started a foundation helping marginalized communities in Africa receive access to clean drinking water. When he was in the first grade, he realized that many kids his age actually died because they didn't have something people in developed countries take for granted every single day. Inspired, he decided to collect change from family and friends and gradually earned enough to build a well in rural Uganda. He personally traveled to the benefited area and witnessed how big of a difference he made with just a collection of pennies, nickels and dimes. 

Oh, and I forgot to mention that he accomplished all this when he was SEVEN. You read that right. When I was seven, I just hid the fact that I still occasionally enjoyed a good episode of Dora the Explorer. 

So... Yeah. What have I done with my life?

I've always admired leaders and trailblazers, heroes who've paved the way for a brighter future filled with hope and promise. I still don't know what kind kind legacy I wish to impart, but the bottom line is explicit: I just want to leave one. 

I really hope I have the strength and commitment to pursue my dreams. Dreams that can help others fulfill theirs.

Sticking to My Resolution

Well... I did it. I can't believe I finally got off my lazy ass and created a blog. This is definitely a huge leap - at least it is for me. Though I've been writing for a long time, I never did it just for the sake of doing it. I've gone through countless essays, speeches, poems and scripts, but they've all simply been a means to an end. Meeting deadlines for assignments, preparing for group projects, submitting entries during auditions... You get the point. I'd like to think that I am - or could be with enough practice - a decent writer. After all, what is blogging but Twitter ranting that exceeds more than 140 characters?

And I am very, very adept at that. :)

Hope this little project goes well. It's finally time to do something for ME without any hidden motivations and goals. Wish me luck.