General

General

The Saddest Poem

By on Monday, April 14, 2008

by Pablo Neruda

I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.

Write, for instance: “The night is full of stars,
and the stars, blue, shiver in the distance.”

The night wind whirls in the sky and sings.

I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.

On nights like this, I held her in my arms.
I kissed her so many times under the infinite sky.

She loved me, sometimes I loved her.
How could I not have loved her large, still eyes?

I can write the saddest poem of all tonight.
To think I don’t have her. To feel that I’ve lost her.

To hear the immense night, more immense without her.
And the poem falls to the soul as dew to grass.

What does it matter that my love couldn’t keep her.
The night is full of stars and she is not with me.

That’s all. Far away, someone sings. Far away.
My soul is lost without her.

As if to bring her near, my eyes search for her.
My heart searches for her and she is not with me.

The same night that whitens the same trees.
We, we who were, we are the same no longer.

I no longer love her, true, but how much I loved her.
My voice searched the wind to touch her ear.

Someone else’s. She will be someone else’s. As she once
belonged to my kisses.
Her voice, her light body. Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, true, but perhaps I love her.
Love is so short and oblivion so long.

Because on nights like this I held her in my arms,
my soul is lost without her.

Although this may be the last pain she causes me,
and this may be the last poem I write for her.

0
General

2008 April 12 to 13 Putipot, Zambales

By on Monday, April 14, 2008

The IT Department was looking for a summer outing destination and because I enjoyed my previous trip there, I suggested Putipot. Eventually it was agreed upon and so last weekend, almost exactly a year later, I was back in Putipot.

We were planning of using Rein’s car and mine for transportation but he had to back out because of an exam (with Prof. Aragon no less, no asking for an advance exam there). So some of us had to take the 12MN Victory Liner bus from Caloocan.

Also, at the last minute I learned we have insufficient tents and stoves. Tents are mainly for back up as it was summer and no rains or storms are expected. Still, I had to check the weather forecast to assuage my concerns. I then rushed off to buy a Snow Peak Starter Kit at ROX. Jeff also volunteered a small kitchen stove. It was lighter than your regular LPG kitchen stove but still way heavy.

Read More

0
General

2008 March 19 to 22 Pagudpud Road Trip

By on Sunday, March 23, 2008

Just got back from Pagudpud aka The Boracay of the North. It’s an unfair comparison, really. Sure both have white sands, both have great water, and both are overrated beach destinations. But Pagudpud is much less congested. That alone makes it way better in my book.

It’s a trip that Bing and I have been planning for a long time. We actually planned to do it summer of 2007 but the plans fell through and Bing and I ended up at Putipot with Erwin. That was also one great trip but still not the same. So we kept the fire burning and now we’ve finally done it!

As usual, the hardest part is gathering up committed people interested in going. After considerable effort, we were able to gather nine: Rein, Jessie, Bing, and I together with Len, her friend Maye, Paul, Ann, and Val. But Len, Maye, and Jessie backed out close to the trip date. Good thing Roly stepped in and joined at the last minute. And so with seven people, off we went.

Read More

0
General

Making Money From Airsoft

By on Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Crissy told me about the PNP now requiring the registration of airsoft rifles and pistols at a cost similar to that of real firearms. So now if you don’t register you can suddenly become a criminal for possession of a toy! Funny since, airguns below .22 caliber don’t even need to be registered. And to think they can’t yet resolve the proliferation of loose (unregistered) firearms that are mainly in the hand of unlawful elements. Talk about money-making schemes. The irony is that the idea was hatched by a brilliant airsoft-playing lawyer (aren’t they all?). Paintball markers aren’t yet covered. But I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before some greedy bureaucrat sees the opportunity.

0