we're all mad here.

flattering and amusing

2011-12-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

unabee Una Aurea Buendia

I think I just tweeted you guys to date my mother.

9 Dec

Retweeted by vikkicayago

unabee Una Aurea Buendia

"...who has problems with closet space because she has too many books."

9 Dec

Retweeted by vikkicayago

�

unabee Una Aurea Buendia

"You should date a girl who reads. Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes..."

9 Dec Favorite Undo Retweet Reply

Retweeted by vikkicayago

AN ODE TO THE LEAST FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK

2011-12-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

As much as I love that Boomtown Rats song, I cannot bring myself to hate Mondays. I see no reason to hate it. In fact, a lot of epic, historical events in my life happened on a Monday. And for that, I will always love Mondays.

I welcome today as a fresh start. Over the weekend, I committed a major slip. After five unadulterated years of being 'clean', I found myself using the full moon as an excuse to let loose. I wanted to revisit my old alter ego one last time. What happened was I became too inebriated to appreciate the lunar spectacle that made the world stop and look up last Saturday night. Like all self-proclaimed poets and hopeless romantics, I am a moon worshiper. David Thewlis ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Thewlis) wrote one very poignant ode about the moon. This poem is one of my absolute favorites and I'm happy to note that it's google-able since I lost my copy in my not-so-distant past.

It goes like this:

Love Poem

Er....
Yes....
The moon was booked to appear in this poem,
But due to stress
and overwork,
Countless appearances in sonnets and haiku,
It's going to be difficult to express how much
I like you.
It's been holding it's breath
And turning blue,
Once in a while.
Smiling for children,
Styling the tide.
Inspiring sex,
And suicide.
A backlog of allusions to deal with.
Feelings to justify.

It's done very well for a lump of white rock,
With a peak time slot in the night sky,
Sharing top billing with it's straight man, the sun, The best double act in kingdom not come.

Mystified and delighted
With the interest shown
By painters
And writers
And people alone.
But at the last minute NASA phoned
And bumped up the residuals,
So your poem's been postponed.
I'm sorry.

If you want to read his other works, go here (http://www.david-thewlis.com/poems.php).

Speaking of the past, I refuse to subscribe to the notion that the past ain't through with us. There's a very good reason why a working time machine has not been invented yet. How screwed up the world would be if we alter history. It's fun to read about time travel only in fiction. Let's give it that.

After the lunar eclipse debacle, I woke up with swollen eyes. I don't remember why I was crying and my mom said she thought she heard me wailing like in a dream state. Whether the mystery will unravel by itself, we will never know. And I don't think I'm ready to find out.

In the meantime, I shall forgive myself, remain intrepid, and move on.

it kills me every time

2011-11-30T01:43:00.000-08:00

a day in the life of the old vikki

2011-11-27T21:38:00.001-08:00

stared out to sea wondering what's in store for me. sat on the sand and stared at the sky. the sun hurt my eyes and i let it. closed my eyes and listened to the waves whisper their secrets. walked on hot sand and cooled my toes on the rising tide. filled my lungs with salty air and held my breath.

nobody was around so i laughed my loudest and cried unabashedly without bothering to wipe my tears. i made friends with a hermit crab and wished him a nice life. for once after a long time, i was myself again.

a day in the life of the old vikki

2011-11-27T21:38:00.000-08:00

road rage

2011-11-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

in a parallel universe i would have beaten you to a pulp a long time ago---not physically perhaps but with words. i don't know why you keep crossing the line. you have no right to put even a toehold on someone else's property. you of all people should know that. but then people would never guess because of your saccharine sweet front. like i said, I AM ON TO YOU. it would only be a matter of time before the rest of the world will find out about your real motives. stay at a safe distance just in case i decide to strike. then you will understand what road rage really means.

una's photo of my overstuffed bookshelves on Twitpic

2011-11-19T00:02:00.000-08:00

una's photo of my overstuffed bookshelves on Twitpic

THE SHIT HATH HITTETH THE FAN...ITH, AND UDDER STORIES

2011-11-18T19:54:00.000-08:00

assessing my life again as the year is about to end. everyone has their say on apocalyptic signs starting from the mundane (anne curtis' album is #1. you CAN argue with success, pipool! take a look at the twilight saga box office success) to the more serious signs of the times.

but let's not go there. YET.

this year floated by so quickly. i guess i had an uneventful 2011. but i'm not complaining. i have more reasons to be thankful now that my eyes have become open to the Truth. at the risk of sounding 'too preachy' , i wouldn't be as happy and as tranquil as i am right now if i didn't have a personal relationship with the Only One who really matters. on that note, one might like to rethink their assessment of what's 'cool' and whats is 'so-not-cool' according to the world's view. it took me quite a while to allow myself to get there. still getting there, i guess.

on other disturbing matters: our country has become a baboon-infested state (that glee episode comes to mind) where people have given in to their inner animal and have started flinging their poop at each other. it's unsettling to watch especially when these metamorphosed beings are supposed to be our leaders. let's not join the skirmish and avoid getting in the line of fire.

i still believe that this country will see the fruition of a Promise.

p.s. oh yeah. i totally forgot about the photo. i started writing a list of books i have read earlier this year. however, i slacked off and forgot to list the other titles. hence, i'm not sure if i did achieve my goal of 52 books to be read this year. i need to review my tweets/journals/notebooks and collate.

The Corona Diaries

2011-11-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

the internet service has been quite slow lately, and so were the screws in my brain. I cannot seem to get a jump start on my writing. I have been faithfully writing journal entries but only on paper. I have reverted to my original favorite journal notebook---that wonderful Corona notebook with the creamy white pages where the ink never seeps through. see, i like writing in various colors of sign pens and most of the fancy journals i have tried either cannot absorb ink (hence, blot marks all over my journal) or the ink seeps through rendering the back page not fit for use.

i have already started a new list of must-see movies (which includes movies i must see for the sake of discussion, ex. 'breaking dawn'---nyork! nyork!). managed to tick off a few. so far, my current favorite is that melancholic movie, 'melancholia'. i am not going to pretend to be an expert movie critic but i prefer the montages ( i dunno if that's the right term) of this one over malick's 'tree of life'. reviews think otherwise. i am prepping myself to watch 'howl'. trying so hard not to pre-read the reviews. also, i have decided to watch this movie alone just in case it's a 'talkie' movie. is it? (sending this question into the generic void)

i am also starting my resolutions early. why wait till the new year? i plan to get into the habit of sleeping early and getting a solid eight hours of sleep each night. now this sounds like a simple plan but really it isn't. every night, after i brush my teeth, i tell myself to turn off the lights and do nothing but sleep. but every night tends to fall under the header 'epic fail'. there is always a tv show to watch, a chapter of a book to read, or newspaper clippings to save for posterity, or phone calls to make/take. i have long contemplated on extracting the television unit from my room. i still must muster enough courage and conviction to do that.

in the meantime, i shall faithfully retweet good old big ben. he has the most exquisite, life-changing tweets.

https://twitter.com/#!/big_ben_clock

Dear Diarrhea:

2011-08-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ha.

Woke up to a promising day. The rain has stopped. I pulled on my walking shoes and went for a morning walk. Huffed and puffed but I felt healthier after. Now to have breakfast. On the menu: oatmeal with cheese cubes and piping hot milk tea.

It's a relatively good morning.

KUMBAKIT NASASKLUBAN AKO NG MATINDING LUNGKOT

2011-08-07T01:39:00.000-07:00

TUWING NARIRINIG KO ANG KANTANG ITO:

dear blog:

2011-08-07T00:56:00.000-07:00

you will be my temporary confidante.

today marks the start of my new adventures in a strange city. i am not sure how i can survive this 'quiet life'. i have been talking myself into being brave---brave-R, actually. but the truth is i'm a bit scared. but i'll live. i have to.

here goes day 1.

postcard-sending is a dying art form

2011-08-01T03:55:00.000-07:00

RORY: Alright. Oh, I want to stop by the post office. I want to get tons of blank postcards. You are gonna get so many postcards.

LORELAI: You could just e-mail me.

RORY: Yeah but postcard-sending is a dying art form. Right, and it's nice to get mail.

(from the 7th season of Gilmore Girls)

these are amazing hand-crafted postcards by una's best friend and the stef and the gang. i am led to believe that i will receive one soon. these clever designs remind me of the griffin and sabine books. let us bring letter writing back to its original form. it's time to get personal.

http://darnalipad.multiply.com/journal/item/550/griffin_et_sabine?&item_id=550&view:replies=threaded

welcome to our secret meeting place.

2011-08-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

i haven't done much blogging lately. been busy with stuff that i will discuss later when the time is right. i like how serene this site has become. facebook used to be so exciting until communication has been relegated to the 'like' button and the 'poke'. i don't even bother opening my page sometimes. it has gotten too impersonal. but who am i to complain? it's up to me to build a real social network where pokes are tangible and likes are in the form of actual smiles or words. anyway, i have gotten into the habit of writing actual letters. it's very therapeutic and it gives me a chance to introspect (that word again). it's like talking to yourself indirectly (huh? go figure).

last friday, i was feeling rather good about myself so i decided to give myself a treat. i visited the book sale and rummaged through the entire collection. i sort of made a promise to myself to improve my compulsive book hoarding habit. for every book read, i am entitled to the purchase of one new book. i was in the middle of bradbury's 'the martian chronicles'.

anyway so i decided to give myself an advanced gift. it was frustrating, though, because i couldn't find anything that i REALLY liked, plus, my book sale partner was in a hurry. i picked up another copy of that awsome nick zinner ( from the new york indie-rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs) photography book, " I HOPE YOU ARE ALL HAPPY NOW " . it was with a heavy heart that i gave my first copy to unakins. she needed it more anyway. my 'generosity' was rewarded eventually because i found another copy.

i bought hers for P25. mine cost P40. score!

on my way out of the store, a shiny red and black book caught my attention. i could not believe my eyes. it was a copy of poppy z. brite's "lost souls". it was a bit pricey for a second hand book (P83!) but i bought it anyway. my first night with the book had me reading until two in the morning because i was too spooked to sleep. but i'm trying to be brave. the last vampire book that really creeped me out was 'salem's lot'. i never read that after dark. this book has generated a dark cloud above my head, which is why i have not finished it yet. i have to come up for air.

i should stop feeling too much. i tend to do that while reading or watching a movie.

like, yeah. sabaw hits.

2011-07-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

(overheard:)

girl A: "yeah, she's, like, y'knowww...."

girl B: "i knooow right? like...."

girl A: "uh-huh! like...."

girl B: "like, yeah...."

i love productive days (sometimes)

2011-07-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

yesterday was quite a challenging day for me. i found out that if asked to tell something about myself, i would draw a complete blank. i was just sitting there completely stumped with my mouth closing and opening like that of a goldfish. in that span of mortifying uncomfortable silence, i made a mental note to write a comprehensive description about me and memorize it. how do you describe yourself anyway? everything is relative so even if i build an image of myself with all the positive characteristics in the dictionary, everybody else will have a different take on the enigma that is moi. anyway, after a few whirs in my rusty brain, all i could end up with was a brazen, "wellll, i love to read!"

and that, my folks, is all i have to say about myself.

on to other things:

i received nina's 3rd snail mail for this month and i sort of panicked because i realized that my 2nd letter to her is still on my writing desk waiting to be mailed. crappin' crap. so i had to make a mad dash to the post office. seriously, guys, you should pay these poor folks a visit. they look lonely what with the mad boom of social networking putting a dent on their daily grind. but in my opinion,some things should still have a personal touch.why not poke someone in person today? wait, that did not come out right, did it?

i also visited the book sale after a long time and was delighted to find a book that i have been on the lookout for---piers anthony's "on a pale horse". i've been putting off reading this book until it disappeared from my book shelf. and you know how you realize the value of something until you lose them? that was how i felt. so for quite some time,i have been looking for a copy in all the book sales. finally, i found a replacement for the one i lost for P29 (!!!). i am a happy puppy.

i also bought this book of poetry by a ms.noni howard entitled "the politics of separation." i read some of her poems and i decided to buy it because her writing style reminds me of a very close friend of mine. i'm thinking of giving it to her on her birthday. but i must read it first, hehehe! i'm hoping i won't fall in love with the book so i won't change my mind about wrapping it up as a birthday present. i googled reviews for the book but i did not find any. she does have a facebook page.

so yeah, time to write another batch of snail mail. still no new movies available for consumption. the other night, i was annoyed to find out that my old copy of reality bites can no longer be read by my player. ingrid, i believe you have my other copy. guard it with your life. i don't download. i have no talent for that.

Pirate Radio: Deleted Abbey Road / Beatles Tribute

2011-07-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

IN SEARCH OF TAG JONES

2011-07-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

My personal favorite boyfriend for Rachel Green has always been Tag Jones although my criteria borders on the superficial. Forget substance---HE IS UBER CUTE. I remember wishing this guy would have more projects because he can really play a dumb guy and still charm the pants off most women.

Fast forward to this week: I am pleasantly surprised to find him on CSI:NY.

It's my current addiction now---although the show (according to what I've googled) has been running for 8 seasons now. I kinda like it better than the original CSI. The repartee is less contrived.

Useless trivia: He played Larry Gordon in Lords of Dogtown (wuuuht?!).

where do you draw the line?

2011-07-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

there are pet peeves and there are MAJOR pet peeves-the kind where you just want to bite someone's head off or do a duterte stunt. yes, i get that we put ourselves on the line when we put up social networking sites. but i draw the line on strangers asking personal questions. i don't even read my daughter's journals even when it's lying open-faced on the bed. anyway, it's not too late to learn common decency.

let's have a good day, pipol.

my favorite THIKC KEVIN quotes (from 'THE BOAT THAT ROCKED')

2011-07-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

(i don't want to have Thikc Kevin as my partner in any guessing game):

Thick Kevin: Nice guy.

'Young' Carl: Nice guy?

Thikc Kevin: Really nice guy.

'Young' Carl: Is that it?

Thikc Kevin: No. Has lots of friends. Has long hair.

'Young' Carl : Jimi Hendrix?

Thikc Kevin: No, much older.

Thikc Kevin: No shoes.

'Young' Carl: Nice guy, has long hair,doesn't have any shoes.Must be...

Thikc Kevin: Wore a dress.

'Young' Carl: Dress?

Thikc Kevin: Wore a dress!

'Young' Carl:This had better not be Jesus.

Thikc Kevin: YES, JESUS!

'Young' Carl: Why didn't you say he was the Son of God?

Thikc Kevin: (flabbergasted) Was he?

Thick Kevin: It's type of bird, but it's wearing a hat. Not so much a hat. Something that's at the top of a coat and attached to the coat and covers the head, but is not a hat.
'Young' Carl: A hood?
Thick Kevin: Yes, and now the first name, type of bird. It's a something hood.
'Young' Carl: Robin Hood! Why didn't you just say he lived in Sherwood Forest and has a bow and an arrow?
Thick Kevin: Yeah? What? Who are you talking about?
'Young' Carl: Robin Hood.
Thick Kevin: I didn't know that.

MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY: FROM NINA'S BLOG

2011-07-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Link

at day's end

well actually another day has began (it's 2am). ive had good news yesterday because i finally got the letter from my superheroine friend. hehe.

let me just say this: for two people thousands of miles apart, who havent really spoken; as in really "speak" like the close friends that they were at kalayaan some 24 years ago to snail mail and find that they speak of the same thing in their letters to each other..read 5 days apart

CAN ONLY BE THE WORK OF GOD..

Nice one, Lord! Neat, neat trick! We are so amazed and grateful for the role that you actively play in our lives!!! Muah!!! We love you you! :)

OF MUSES FORGOTTEN:

2011-07-14T23:46:00.000-07:00

i remember when

i was relatively young,

i filched library books

and pocketed library cards

just because i knew for a fact

that you once touched them.

in that way

i could feel our proximity

if i close my eyes long enough

and conjure how your slender fingers

would engulf my amazon hands.

with you i feel like a proper woman

never mind that the others complain

that i have too much balls.

with you my demons are subdued

as i let you take the lead

in our impromptu slow dance.

---darna

10 dec. 2010, wed.

I watched

2011-07-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

Last week, I watched the 2008 Sundance Film Festival nominee, "The Last Word". It's about a guy who makes a living composing, well, suicide notes for clients who are planning to off themselves. The idea is for them to have a better version of their 'last words'. Disturbing, huh? Nevertheless, I enjoyed the movie and the reason why I'm writing about it is the imprint of a brooding Wes Bentley on my brain for days. I know I have seen him somewhere. So to save myself the agony (I'm one of those who toss and turn at night when nagged by something) , I googled him, and whoa! He's that weird, enigmatic guy from 'American Beauty'. He played Ricky Fitts. Remember this dialogue?

Ricky Fitts: I was filming this dead bird.
Angela Hayes: Why?
Ricky Fitts: Because it's beautiful.

(*shivers*)

Kudos to Ray Romano as the suicidal character who makes a living writing on-hold telephone music.

ON READING:

2011-07-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

"One could get a first-class education from a shelf of books five feet long."

---CHARLES WILLIAM ELIOT (former Harvard University president)

WHO DOESN'T LOVE WINNIE THE POOH?

2011-07-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

Doing my ritual online reading and I came across Roger Ebert's review on the new Winnie the Pooh movie to be out this month. ( see the trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1431542041/ --- take note of the soundtrack. SQUEAAALLL!!!=)

One of the perks of being a mommy is having the privilege to keep tabs on the latest, kewlest animated movies. Even as an 'alleged' adult, I personally have not lost my love for anything under the 'kiddie' category. Having a kid immensely doubled my enjoyment in dipping into the fantasy world of make-believe.

My daughter and I had this Winnie the Pooh obsession when she was little. We had all the movies in VHS form ( now all discarded, no thanks to 'amag'), not to mention the merchandise. What can I say? We are suckers that way.

For a kid lacking any psycho-motor skills, I grew up with book characters as my friends. A.A Milne's book fascinated me alongside the wonderful illustrations of E.H. Shepard.

Naturally, I passed on that fascination to my daughter. I still have the book. I'm also pleasantly amused that one of my favorite film critics also hold a soft spot for that silly old bear. I feel that I AM NOT ALONE. It's a good feeling.

The latest Winnie the Pooh movie is directed by Stephen J. Anderson and Don Hall. From what I have read, the movie was hand-animated with watercolor background---exactly the way I like it.

The lovely Zooey Deschanel lends her voice by performing one of the songs. Catchy tune, I must say. Just like the old Winnie the Pooh songs we already know by heart.