Owner: The Beat of my Drum URL:http://thebeatofmydrum.wordpress.com Join Date: Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:18:57 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: This is a personal blog site. I named it The Beat of My Drum because I have chosen to march to the beat of my own drum and to nobody else's. I write about my beliefs, thoughts, and whatever goes on in my life. My ideas are, I guess, a little differen Site statistics:Click here
Crazzzyyy 2007-08-21 22:28:28 So how does the night end when two crazy girls who are addicted to the camera have drunk much more than enough bottles of SMB than they should have? Well, here’s a scenario. It’s 2 in the morning, the crazy girls have parked on some obscure street in BF’s city, and they have taken out their powerful weapon. What happens next? The shooting begins.
We used to be lovers
Sobering up
I’m willing to bet it’s not me you guys are looking at here!
A vain creature always needs to have a solo shot
Yup, those were taken early dawn. People who passed by gawked at us, probably wondering if we were high on something (alcohol, actually). Drivers rolled down their car windows to leer at us, and they had this Wtf are these two girls up to at 2AM? expression on their faces. But we didn’t care! True camwhores couldn’t care less about what other people think. The important thing always is to get those shots! Anyways, I’ve opted not to include the embar
2 Thumbs Up 2007-08-20 21:19:01
I don’t like most Filipino movies, at least not the ones they’ve shown in recent years. The quality of Filipino movies has seriously deteriorated. I don’t know if it’s because there aren’t a lot of good directors anymore, or if it’s because the new breed of actors is just made up of pretty faces that desperately lack talent, or if filmmakers have just run out of ideas for a good story. The bottomline is, Philippine cinema is not how it used to be. I can remember a time when I looked forward to watching the newest Filipino film. Bagets, Bituing Walang Ningning, Pinulot ka lang sa Lupa, Hihintayin Kita sa Langit, Itanong mo sa Buwan, and Oro, Plata, Mata were among my favorites. Lino Brocka, Peque Gallaga, and Ismael Bernal were among the best of the best directors. If you are Filipino and you were a kid in the 80’s and the early 90’s, then you know what I’m talking about. I was in grade school during the 80’s, and in high sch
Impetus 2007-08-20 12:24:20
It’s like making love all by yourself while you’re suspended in midair. When you land, it could be on a tiny, tiny square you’re compressed into, or it could be on a stage big enough for a Broadway play, with you oblivious to the bodies and the breathing and the movement and even the air all around you. You are a seductress, a vamp beautiful enough to be Aphrodite’s rival, and you are not just seducing mere mortals. You have a much loftier goal. You’re seducing the gods.
I’m talking about dancing. When you dance your heart out, you become a goddess, at least for that moment when a glitch in time and space interferes with the realm of reality. When that happens, seize with your hands the world, for only then can you own it.
Why use such a strong metaphor for dance? Dancing is living as if it were your last day on earth. Dancing is living as if it were my last day on earth. When I dance, I get such a high that the energy emanating from me becomes big
What I’ve Done 2007-08-19 20:03:01
in this farewell
there’s no blood
there’s no alibi
cause i’ve drawn regret
from the truth
of a thousand lies
so let mercy come
and wash away
what i’ve done
i’ll face myself
to cross out what i’ve become
erase myself
and let go of what i’ve done
put to rest
what you thought of me
while i clean this slate
with the hands
of uncertainty
so let mercy come
and wash away
what i’ve done
i’ll face myself
to cross out what i’ve become
erase myself
and let go of what i’ve done
for what i’ve done
i start again
and whatever pain may come
today, this ends
i’m forgiving what i’ve done
Linkin Park on What I’ve Done: “One of the last songs finished for the album, the lyrics for this song were intended to work on many levels, including freedom, art, and death metaphors.”
—————————&mdash
THE LONG WAIT IS OVER!!! 2007-08-26 09:23:20 Finally!!! The results are out! I am at this very moment sending the list of passers (all 600+ pages!) to those who have requested it. To everyone else who wants the list to be sent to them via email, rather than leave a comment here, just send me your request at russ.anne@yahoo.com or thebombshell69@yahoo.com.
To my friends, Camille, Fritz, Aika, Jeth, Peewee, Kitchie, Tyron, Zarah, George, Jason, Rance, Fe, Lei, Ody, Richard, Bryan, Luisa, Catz, Ryan… CONGRATULATIONS TO US!!! INUMAN NA ‘TO!!!
Please excuse my temporary euphoric state, but I just have to say this, to compensate for all the hard work, sleepless nights, tachycardia, tachypnea, palpitations, hyperventilation, increase in BP, hyperthermia, paresthesias, diaphoresis, anorexia, the manic-depressive states, the atrial and ventricular fibrillations (hehe), etc., etc., etc…
LIFE IS FUCKING GREAT!!!
Baby doll 2007-08-25 01:31:41
I’m happy because I’ll see my baby cousin again. Yay! She’s the one riding that horse in the picture on my header and the one in the middle in the picture to the right. She has been like my adopted sister since she was a year old. She’s now 5. Her parents’ jobs require them to be in some distant land or another all the time, and since my mom has loved her from the moment she was born, my mom decided to kind of raise her. I say kind of because she doesn’t really live with my mom anymore. When she turned 3, my mom decided that it would be best for her if she lived with her real family during the weekday, and my mom would just “borrow” her during the weekend. That way, Armie (my baby cousin’s name, short for Anna Regina Mae) would not be deprived of the chance to know and be close to her brothers and sisters, and at the same time still be my mom’s baby. My dad’s 50/50 about the whole situation. He laughs at her antics an
Want to be a shampoo commercial model? 2007-08-23 23:00:34 Well, I guess you’ll need an agent first. And of course, you’ve got to have The Face. So maybe I had better rephrase my question. Do you want to have hair as soft and shiny as that of a commercial model
’s? I have the solution. At least, it works for my hair. Presenting…
Drumroll, please…
…Baking soda! Yup! Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 2 tablespoons water, and about 1 tablespoon of your choice of shampoo
. My choice of shampoo is either Sunsilk Black or Pantene Black, but you can use your favorite shampoo. Stir until there’s no trace of powder anymore. Afterwards, use conditioner. Use the baking soda/water/shampoo mixture every other day, and use conditioner on your hair daily. Also, you can use extra virgin olive oil on your hair once or twice a week. Massage your scalp and hair with it, leave it on for 5 minutes. You can use a heating cap, but I suggest you don’t. Just use a regular shower cap. Heat facilitates dryness (duh?!), so I
Thank you! 2007-08-30 08:17:50 I have been wanting to say a big Thank
you! to whomever or whatever. If there is indeed a supernatural force out there that controls creation, then, I guess I want to thank he or she or it for deeming me worthy of the blessings I am receiving in my life. This recent success has not been the only blessing; things are working out for me in more ways than one. Maybe, if the supernatural force exists, it is quite fond of me for reasons unbeknownst to me? Or it could be good karma for everything I’ve done right in my life. As selfish as I am, and for all my flaws, I have done a lot of things right in my life. When all is said and done, your writer is a pretty decent person, with a scattering of mistakes and misjudgements here and there.
What are you worth? Are you even worth anything at all? 2007-08-30 08:11:34
“What will you do when the thing that defines who you are is taken away from you?” A peer recently asked that question. She was referring to the board exams that we took in June. I don’t agree that this achievement defines who she is. At least, it shouldn’t. I used to think that an achievement like this would also define the person I am. But the week leading to the release of the results, I had a heart-to-heart conversation with myself within the solemn confines of my room. I told myself, or tried to convince myself, that I shouldn’t break if I failed. I should take it with a grain of salt, use it to make myself a stronger, tougher, more emotionally mature person, and consider it a test to determine how complete I really am. Of course, I am most grateful that I did not fail, and consequently, did not have to undergo the process of toughening myself up. Who knows, maybe if the results were different, I would be asking at this very moment the same questio Read more:anything
Send me the pictures - A Poem 2007-08-31 19:10:53 Send me the pictures
He whispered across miles
Of you, of hands, of skin and lips
Of crumpled sheets, of tousled hair
Of eyes shut tight, of glistening sweat
Of you and me, of me and you
In compromising situations
And variations of assumed positions
Send me just one of them
If you would be so kind
And I’ll send you a verse
From my razor-sharp mind
She wondered if she sent two
Or three or four or even more
Would he shower her in increments
With lines upon lines of thoughts unspent?
Send me the pictures
He yelled across the ocean
Playfully, her eyebrow arched
She shouted back “Maybe!”
On his end, he shook his head
Flexed his fingers, stood his ground
No can do, there’s no maybe, baby
You must, you will, send them to me
Send him even one?
She wondered what they’re for
Posterity? Art? Freedom? Sex?
Proof of humid, steamy nights?
And memories of heaving bodies?
To immortalize events in Time
That, when all is said and done,
Have hithe
Jardin de Miramar 2007-09-27 10:16:29
This is where my friend’s wedding will be held. It’s the Paradiso area in Jardin de Miramar in Antipolo.
Now I’m really getting excited about the wedding. It turns out that when you’re helping the bride plan the wedding, along with her maids of horror and her other whoresmaids (the bride’s words ), you start showing enthusiasm for the event, all your reservations and skepticism about marriage notwithstanding. I’ve been a whoresmaid before, sure, but I’ve never been involved in the actual planning. Not that you start believing in the overrated institution, of course (of course not!!!), but you start understanding why the ceremony itself becomes such a big deal. If only you could get engaged, go through the whole process of planning the wedding, choosing the gowns, the cake, the venue, the motif, checking out the band, etc., actually walk down the aisle to your favorite music, but do away with the marriage itself once the ceremony’s over
A Rebellious Achiever’s Wedding 2007-09-25 19:10:01 My friend, the bride-to-be I paid tribute to in a previous blog, has not disappointed me and her other friends. Not at all. She is proving to be a rather untraditional bride-to-be. First of all, being the crammer that she is, she has only recently started planning the wedding, 3 months before D day (or should I say W day? ). She has been engaged for 5 months, chose to keep it a secret for 4 months, and deliberately did not start planning until a few weeks ago. But I can totally understand cramming. I’ve said before that we’re almost one and the same. I’m a tried and tested crammer myself. We both work well under pressure. Another proof that this angel is not traditional is the motif. She first planned on using ivory, burgundy, and champagne. But she changed her mind, scratched ivory off her list, and replaced it with - guess what! Ebony! Yes, black! For a wedding! Isn’t that cool? I’ve told you before, this girl has always been way too cool. And she&rsquo Read more:Rebellious
En La Familia 2007-09-24 06:48:16
I miss blogging. If you’re a regular reader, you might have noticed that last week, The Beat of my Drum was inaccessible. My account was suspended because of the Payperpost links I’ve posted here. As it turns out, Wordpress does not endorse Payperpost. I had to take out all the Payperpost links. I have to tell you, I missed my blog terribly! Last week, I would sometimes have to force myself to go online. I didn’t want to go online because every time I did, I would remember that The Beat was no more. It was like I was mourning the loss of something that was tremendously important to me! I know it’s ridiculous, but this blog has come to mean something to me. I was so relieved when Mark from Admin contacted me to tell me what was wrong and how to remedy the situation. Thanks, Mark!
Anyways, I still haven’t come up with a poem, short story, or a brilliant idea for an essay. I haven’t had much time. But I’ve been itching to post something here, so
I haven’t forgotten my blog! 2007-09-16 21:06:00 I haven’t forgotten this site! No way! This is my baby! It’s just that I have had to run some errands the past days, plan what the hell I’m gonna do now that I’m a licensed professional. Also, I couldn’t think of anything to write about, no topic came to mind, so I decided to leave my blog alone for a while. Anyway, a ridiculous and scary thing happened to me yesterday morning. I don’t actually know if this is a funny or scary story. You decide. Hahaha! While I was having my first breakfast at 5AM (I usually have 2 breakfasts, one at 5 and the second one at 8 or 9), I almost choked. Yup! I almost choked on a single piece of whole wheat flake. When it first lodged somewhere in my throat, I thought it would be easy to dislodge. It was just one flake, how much damage could it cause, right? But then, I began to realize that I couldn’t breathe, and when I tried to breathe, I was producing a wheezing sound. I started to kind of get scared then, but
Judgment Day/The Unsaved 2007-09-11 18:28:45 I’ve broken every vow I gave
To those whose souls I cannot save
To those who’ve earned, in retrospect,
Not one ounce of life’s respect
To manifest one’s innocence
One must appear to have some sense
Of what is right and what is wrong
And what it takes to stand so strong
Or else the judge of circumstance
Will deprive one of the chance
To soar above with wings as free
As this will time’s given me
The meaning of an unspoken word
May be the loudest sound I’ve heard
As compensating stands to gain
No flowing blood from heaven’s vein
The eyes can’t close their window to
The darkness of the blackest hue
For now the purest form of sin
Speaks the truth from deep within
While those without a rigid back
Lie unaware of what they lack
Confused, they cling to mercy’s gate
When to this path they’ve steered their fate
I couldn’t decide on the title. Both Judgment
Day and The Unsaved sound appropriate and capture what is being imparted i
The Lover of the Seraphim 2007-09-10 16:11:08 I kissed one of the seraphim
And now I sing this ode to him
Though I forget his mighty name
To me, you see, they’re all the same
All angels are the same to me
They love me wild and set me free
But this one seraph stole my heart
He’s well-schooled in seductive art
He flew me to Mt. Zion’s peak
On bended knee, began to speak
Of dreams and fire and passion’s moon
His eyes of gold just made me swoon
Their penetrating stare I took
As emblemizing love’s own look
Still on his knee, he sang of plans
Of happiness, I jumped to dance
At this, he stood in celebration
Of utter bliss and sweet elation
While Heaven winked at me, all smiles
In wondrous awe of female wiles
I still don’t know my angel’s name
This fact I hide with blameless shame
I choose to focus on the joy
Of dancing with my ageless boy
This is an attempt at writing lyrical poetry. I wanted something that rhymes, one you can read in a singson
The darnedest thing! 2007-09-10 16:08:24
My friend, cynic extraordinaire, the antithesis of the hopeless romantic, a bona fide player, beats every man at every game…is getting married! Oh, shit! The apocalypse could be just around the corner! You might say I’m overreacting, but you don’t know this girl. She has been a cynic since she was a teenager. This girl’s the ultimate BITCH, and she’s damn proud of it, and I’m damn proud of her for being one. She’s a rebel, a vamp, gets away with everything because she’s beautiful, and thinks and acts like a man. She’s also one of the smartest people I know, and that’s saying a lot because I don’t find a lot of people smart. We have more or less the same views, the same principles (or non-principles ), but hers are definitely more extreme than mine. She has vowed that she’ll never get married, never have babies, and she’s planning to die before the age of 36. This is because she believes that anyone over t
My Finest Hour 2007-09-09 19:35:29 Right before the final emptiness engulfed me, right before the last shard of glass winked at me in hues of blue and purple, I saw my killer’s face. It was a rather nondescript face, but each feature stood out in my consciousness. They say that near the end, scenes from your life will flash before you. Well, it seemed that even in death, I was destined to be different. There were no memories. There were no faces of loved ones that I longed to touch, tried to reach out to. There were just the heavy, brocade curtains, ecru in color. There was the burgundy tassel that he somehow found offensive and kept at me to get rid of. There was the dresser made out of blond oak, and the antique brass mirror towering above it. There were the velvet cushions of the carved, gilded, walnut Louis XIV armchairs. There were the armoire, the Picasso original hanging on the wall opposite the door, the silver laptop sitting on the coffee table, the white, satin slippers at the foot of the bed, and the ch
Assume this position in bed 2007-09-09 19:18:40 It was a command, not a request
My heart galloped in anticipation
It was a cold night, I shivered to the bones
The bed beckoned. Go on, walk towards it.
I lay on Egyptian cotton, tilted my head sideways
The raven head creating the starkest of contrasts
Placed a finger on made-up lips of ruby red
Spread my legs as wide as the pelvis would allow
At this, he leaned forward, began the ritual
Stood with phallic strength in front of his easel
His strokes as fine as his long, cruel fingers
Read more:Assume
, position
God’s supplication 2007-09-06 20:37:47 Three knocks. The sound of shuffling feet. A whisper that sounded like the wind asking for permission to pass through. Raven. I opened the door to find a man in an Armani suit and a pair of loafers custom made for him by the local cobbler. Oh, him. I was expecting the suit, but the shoes threw me off. May I come in? Should I genuflect? He smirked. Genuflect? Now, that is classic. I thought you were much too smart for such a frivolous idea? I was. I was being sarcastic, but there was, apparently, no such thing as a wry sense of humor in heaven. He looked like he could use a drink, so I offered him brandy. Always way ahead of me, aren’t you? You’ve always been able to read my mind instead of the other way around. This, from the great man himself. I was visibly and incredibly flattered. I need your help. Am I hearing you right? I need to breathe. I need to breathe! I have a cross to bear and a millstone around my neck, and damn it, I just need to breathe! I could understand
Deliverance 2007-09-06 00:59:29
It’s sexy and alludes to the forbidden, but it’s artistically done. To answer the question that’s probably on some of your minds, no, I’m not the girl in the picture. But I have her permission to post it here. She’s quite proud of this artwork.
Neither is this one of the pictures I was referring to in Send Me The Pictures.
Why Deliverance? It’s an interesting and fascinating story, but one I’m not at liberty to narrate. At least, not here. Let’s just say she believes he’s her salvation.
It seems like almost everyone’s addicted to the drama, doesn’t it?
Back to Basics 2007-09-04 20:02:27 I was at Nomads this weekend. If you have read my earlier/earliest entries, then you know that I’m talking about my favorite sports club. I was supposed to go on vacation this weekend, didn’t get to book a ticket because I waited too long, so I decided to work on my fitness and my friend’s fitness instead. I served as her personal trainer even though she’s better at badminton than I am. I was strict, I wouldn’t allow her to eat or even snack on anything after the workout. Tough love, man! Okay, so maybe I was guilty of downing a bottle of beer after one of our games. But I figured I wasn’t the one on a diet, and one 100 kcal bottle of beer wouldn’t hurt. So I drank while she watched. Hehehe. I know, I know, I’m a cheat and a bitch! But it feels really rewarding after a workout, doesn’t it? It’s one way of pampering your body (yes, even if it’s painful sometimes) and at the same time maximizing its use and energy potentia Read more:Basics
Michael and Catherine - Wordplay 2007-09-04 19:10:27 “I think I have a crush on you,”
She said this a trifle shamelessly
With a twinkle in her feline eyes
He looked at her two seconds longer
Than comfort and mercy would allow
Thought twice about putting into
Words the floating shapes in his mind
Yet with a impish grin arising from
Boredom, impatience, ire, and bliss
Decided to go for it anyway
“Haven’t I always told you so?
I think, in fact, it’s more than that,”
He did not see it coming
Or maybe he did and welcomed it
In any case, he felt the sting
On his left auricle, “Ouch, that hurt!”
“Serves you right, you arrogant fool!”
He intercepted the other hand in midair
Took it to his mouth and kissed the palm
That kick on his shin was paradise
“I loathe you, too, from now and ever,”
He groaned to her retreating backside
Had he been talking to the front view
He would have seen the beaming face
- RAV September 2, 2007 12:34 PM MLA
Read more:Michael
, Catherine
Fallen for Bora 2007-09-30 12:09:13 I just got back from the best vacation I had this year! Wednesday night, I was informed that I was going to Boracay. Everything had already been planned, everything was taken care of, all I needed to do was buy new swimsuits, sarongs, and flipflops, start packing, and just be grateful for the wonderful surprise. Gosh, almost everything that has been happening in my life lately has been surprising, and they’ve been really pleasant, even wonderful, surprises at that! I crammed for this trip. I totally did. I had to run some errands Thursday, so I didn’t get to shop until that evening, got home at 10:30PM, started packing at 11, went to bed at 1, and had to wake up at 4AM Friday. Our flight was at 8AM. I had to postpone my review classes, which was not a problem to me. But now you know my priorities! To say that I had fun would be an understatement. I know Boracay has always been a tourist attraction in the Philippines, but I’ve never been there. I’ve never really Read more:Fallen
Independence Day 2007-10-04 21:08:57 I got the official word…Finally, finally, FINALLY! And when I say official, I mean official! From v to p, now back to v, and NEVER to return to p!!! What a year! And man, what a lifetime!!!
Don’t decode this, people, it’s not meant to be decoded. It’s meant to be understood by a very select few only. I just had to say it here. So that I never forget! And also in the name of freedom!
Gel, Gi, Ivy, Belle, Nellie, Fritz, Scott, Tris, are you getting this?! Whoopppeee!!! Congratulate niyo naman ako!
Lemme say it again…
LIFE IS FUCKING GREAT!!!
Read more:Independence
, Independence Day
An evening of some animal lovin’ 2007-10-03 17:41:01
People, meet the newest apple of my eye. Her name’s Cookie, and no, sadly, she’s not mine. But if I had my way, she definitely would be!
——————————
By the way, this is not becoming a photo blog, although I know that based on the most recent posts, it does seem to be. I guess it just shows how fickle and flighty your writer is? The Beat of my Drum started out as a journal, became a site for ranting, then a podium for my soapboxing, then a literary blog for my poems and short stories, and now seems to be venturing into the area of photojournalism. I’m not promising that it will become a journal, a creative writing site, or a soapboxer’s domain again anytime soon. I just go with whatever tickles my fancy, and the way my mind seems to shift from left to right and up and down and then right to left at any given moment in time, who knows what that would be tomorrow? Oh well, the important thing is that you r Read more:evening
Mind your own beeswax 2007-11-03 20:16:31 Have you noticed that when something isn’t going right in your life, like when you’ve made a bad decision or when you’re in a crisis, the people closest to you act like it’s all about them and not really about you? They act like you’ve committed a crime against them, and worse, your intent was to hurt them all along. Take what’s happening with my cousin right now, for example. She’s in a relationship with a cancer patient, and the whole family seems to think that she is in this unacceptable relationship just to spite them. Yesterday, I heard my mom and my aunt discussing this “major crisis” (I wasn’t eavesdropping, my mom was using the phone in my room!), and to hear them talk, you’d think they were the major players in this drama. They seemed to think it was a personal insult not only against Aunt S, my cousin’s mom, but also against them. They were pitying Aunt S because her kids are “not giving her a brea
Happy Halloween! 2007-11-01 05:17:52 HAPPY HALLOWEEN, BABIES!!!
It’s November! It’s almost Christmas! Yay! The holidays always give me a certain high. I know, I know, it’s been almost a month since my last blog. I’m a fugitive! But, yep, dear readers, I’m still alive. I was busy almost the whole month of October - busy celebrating Oktoberfest! Hehehe… So okay, I admit, I was the wrong kind of busy! Guilty as charged! But I’m going to get back to being serious next week. I promise.
We did say goodbye to October last night by going clubbing at Jill’s and then attending the Halloween
party at Prince of Jaipur, both of which are located at The Fort Strip, which, in turn, is known as one of the premier clubbing scenes here in Manila. There’s nothing like a party to start the month right, right? I’m sure you agree with me!
No, they’re not real costumes, but she’s a sexy chick in fight mode and I’m a (gilded) baby doll!
The dolls of Jaipur
With J Read more:Happy
, Happy Halloween
The Movement Within 2007-11-04 23:42:49 They dance to freedom all night long
Redemption surrendering from beauty’s song
A hand held out, a strength regained
Now life reclaims a soul once stained
A dance of madness, a dance of peace
A dance that grants the night release
As the then, the now, the ever
All come rushing in together
The names that flash before her eyes
Each lifts the veil from darkened skies
The light then dawns now on the face
Of him who’s earned his righteous place
Their dance goes on through space and age
Beyond the rhythm, beyond this stage
The yearning unfolding as they spin
Unmasking the beat of the movement within
Wanted: Acoustic Band 2007-11-10 22:29:38 If you are an acoustic band (or a manager of one), and you live in Manila (NCR or Rizal), I am interested in you! I’m looking for an acoustic band that can play for a wedding reception on December 8, 2007. That includes the whole reception (about 4 hours), with breaks. Email me at russelledazzle@yahoo.com. Leave your name, contact numbers, repertoire, and the terms of payment. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Please, I need this information ASAP. Thanks!
Read more:Acoustic