Life is too short for bad things.

A great scholar told me, "life is too short for bad things." And yes, these simple words are of great importance. Its simplicity makes it a structure of greater implications. The word "things" does not only signify things that can be held in one's hand, but it can be generalized to bigger and more abstract endeavors. Perhaps, I will create a list on the things that may not make life worthwhile.

Life is too short...

1. to read critics of a lesser value. Would you compare the words of Soledad Reyes and Gemino Abad to Michel Foucault and W. Said? You do the math and put their works and words side-by-side.

2. for bad coffee. Coffee should be a perfect blend between the sweet and the bitter, the hot and the cold, and you and me. Now, would you consume coffee that makes you barf and makes you regret consuming it?

3. for being a specialist. Being a specialist will make your life miserable. Why not try to become a generalist and expose yourself to the "things" that you really want the most.

4. for bad company. Hating is easy, but getting the right people to be with is not without difficulty.

5. to be bitter. As I've said, bitterness is the religion of the insecure.

6. for unhappy thoughts. If you don't understand this, you have an IQ of less than 50.

7. to not take a chance. Example, tell the person that you like him or her. Life is not worth living with regrets. By not doing so, you will be haunted by the "I should have done that" cliche.

8. to deal with people who are stupid and wanting political correctness. I never cared for political correctness. Our main responsibility should be professional and practical correctness. If you want to spark change, resign from your job and join an NGO. If not, then stop whining about wanting to spark a change.

9. to not do things for the love of it. Simply put, do anything and everything for the love of it. Always say, I want to do this for the love of it.


These are just some of the things that I've seen in retrospect. The list will grow in the days to come.

Rub Your Language Against Mine

Language is a skin: I rub my language against the other. It is as if I had words instead of fingers, or fingers at the tip of my words. My language trembles with desire. The emotion derives from a double contact: on the one hand, a whole activity of discourse discreetly, indirectly focuses upon a single signified, which is "I desire you," and releases, nourishes, ramifies it to the point of explosion (language experiences orgasm upon touching itself); on the other hand, I enwrap the other in my words, I caress, brush against, talk up this contact, I extend myself to make the commentary to which I submit the relation endure.

(taken from Roland Barthes' A Lover's Discourse: Fragments)

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Rub your language on me, and make me feel your words.

Barthes as an Educator Educating other Educators on how to Educate

According to Roland Barthes, there are three major phases in the life of a professor.

First, teaching what "I" know. "I" referring to the professor.

Second, teaching what "I" don't know, pertaining to research.

Third, the process of unlearning what was been learned. Though this phase contains little knowledge; it, however, presents much flavor in one's life.

(Taken from A Barthes Reader, 1982)


Unfortunately, most of the professors I've met have not reached the third and most important phase.

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For those who do not know who Barthes is and think that the name is a brand of a detergent, here's a bit of an introduction. Roland Barthes is a French theories, critic, philosopher and, semiotician. If you still don't get the big picture, google him.

Departures: The Gift of Last Memories

The smell of death lingers with the movie Departures, which was directed directed by Yojiro Takita. However, the smell of death need not be a stench to be scorned. Preparing a body for the final departure is something as beautiful as life can be. Though death and life may be seen as a terribly vicious cycle, the thin line between the two shows the beauty of every breath. Being in such a profession is not an easy task owing to the emotional stress that one receives and this is exactly what Daigo Kobayashi had come to terms with being a professional embalmer.

One thing notable about this film is its ability to draw attention to something that is not normally noticed by most. The art of embalming and craft of sending a love one to the other side of life is usually overlooked. The process entails a different set of dynamics for the film. Embalming is not simply making the person look beautiful for an audience to simply appreciate but for the person who passed away, it is a farewell endeavor with a whole lot of affection in it. It encompasses the physical and the spiritual. Likewise, the film puts this system into perspective.

In the film, Taigo Kobayashi has dreams like no other would conjure. A great musician, specifically a cello was his immediate concern. He was part of an orchestra, but such an endeavor was not successful. After a performance, he was terminated from the job due to the fact that the company was not faring well. Starting from that point almost everything about this life fell apart.

Procuring a high-class cello for a huge sum was not entirely a good idea. He went into debt and decided to go back to the town, to which he was born. His wife, Mika Kobayashi is a woman of strong tenacity. She approached everything with a smile even when Taigo Kobayashi went into debt and decided to move to his hometown. By and large, Mika is indeed a very good example of a very supportive wife. However, there is a part in the film wherein she got fed up with Taigo’s unwillingness to share the truth about what he is doing. She found out for himself that the new career path of Taigo was not usual and he wanted him to find a usual job. However, Taigo sticked to his instincts and defended his job since he was not doing anything wrong, but doing a service to humanity. Initially, Mika left but came back for Taigo. Another interesting twist in the movie is Mika’s pregnancy, which affirms the cycle of life and death.

Taigo Kobayashi’s life is full of unwanted ironies and such. As a child, he was part of a family that was broken. However, Taigo was very resilient and strong and did not allow that to break his spirit. His father taught him to play the cello; he had a strong affinity with music after that. In one part of the movie, the break-up of his parents took a serious toll on him but he never showed it to his mother. During the earlier part of his life, he went to the bathhouse alone and he cried like he never cried before even to the point that his shoulders were trembling. Nevertheless, not at one point in his life he showed his mother that he is crying owing to the break-up.

Looking at the plot of the movie; sad to say, it is quite predictable and expected. Though it offered something new in terms of the cultural value, the entertainment significance of it not substantial. The plotting of the movie is quite conventional and does not offer something new to the plate. Some of the twists are dull, looking beyond the plot; the movie touches hearts because of the melodramatic factor it possesses. From time to time, the scenes are quite touching due to the blend of Taigo’s love for music and his affection for the process of sending people to the other side.

The cinematography is one of the strongest features of the film; it is very lush and rich. Indeed the movie brought in some images of the countryside with almost perfect quintessence. As for the musical scoring, it was chosen very well that elevated the message that the film wanted to deliver. These two aspects of the movie are quite strong. These two compensated for plot's lack of spark.

Overall, this movie can be placed under the “so-so” category. It is would not really blow the socks of one’s feet. However, it still contains a certain cultural value that makes one think twice. The film showed death in a very unconventional manner. By unconventional, it is highly stunning and beautiful. Appreciating the value of the person is made stronger with death. With all thing said and done, the film carries the Academy Award for the being the best foreign language film.

Café Noriter: A Playful Cup of Coffee

“Café Noriter? That’s our place!” Without a doubt, coffee has been the staple beverage of most individuals nowadays. From the initial Starbucks craze early on, this simple beverage has started to become a lifestyle item for those who need their daily caffeine fix. Likewise, gourmet coffee is undeniably the highest display of this beverage and nothing beats Café Noriter at this game. We have large chains of coffee shops sprouting here, there and everywhere; but such shops do not bring something new to the coffee shop game. They may offer free Wi-Fi, an ambience that is more than cozy, and cheerful and perky baristas and staff; but these aforementioned factors can only go so far. As for Café Noriter, they went against the convention of what the usual coffee shop look and feel like. It made them one of the most sought after coffee shop from all over the metro.

Café Noriter is conveniently situated at Taft Avenue, Manila, in front of De La Salle University. One cannot miss this coffee shop for its remarkably playful illustration of their signage. Going inside is a highly different experience from the typical coffee shop. Their sets of furniture are not the conventional ones as can be seen in big coffee chains. Fixtures that were placed inside café Noriter are exceedingly playful and lighthearted. The walls of the shop are infused with cheerful illustrations of different cartoonish images. A more interactive and personalized store design is the cups hanging all around the place, which the customers are asked by the staff to personally design the cups. The windows are filled with sketches of various kinds that some may consider “cheesy.” Similarly, the tables are infused with drawings as well. Bringing it all together, Noriter becomes a playground for coffee lovers and the likes. Well, Noriter literally means, in the Korean language, as playground.

Another interesting facet of Café Noriter is the mood that it delivers to its customers. The “at home” feeling is felt within the confines of this coffee shop - playground. There are several areas wherein customers can sit as if they are at home. For the more serious individual, the chair and table would be the best option. For the laid-back individual, it is the loft and throw pillow. Considering the latter, individuals must remove their shoes, climb the steps, and do an Indian sit for their own delight. As the clichéd line goes, “Its home away from home.” But yes, Café Noriter is really a home away from home; a coffee shop that feels more like a home.

Coffee, tea, or milk; Café Noriter has it all. For non-coffee drinkers, They have some treats that would make individuals fall in love with their brand of beverage. Hot chocolate would be the best bet for those who have a sweet tooth. Iced mocha for those who need caffeine kick. For their pastries, their waffle seems to be the best-seller. Loaded with various toppings, one cannot go wrong choosing this as a nibbling counterpart of any beverage. Anything from Noriter is quite pleasurable, may it be a cup of coffee, a bit of something to munch upon or both!

When a creative spark is needed, Noriter is the place to be. With the creatively eccentric design and the to-die-for decorative pieces, those creative juices will surely flow. Study dates anyone? Having it on Café Noriter is not a bad idea. The cozy ambience and the feeling of home will make studying a pleasurable endeavor bundled with yummy bites and beverages. For those who simply want to unwind from the hustle and the bustle of the metro, this place makes unwinding an understatement.

Tired of the same old coffee shop experience? If such is the case, trying Noriter will bring the coffee shop experience in a new light. From the playful decorative accents to how customers choose to enjoy their beverage; Café Noriter surely has something of everything for everyone. Something sweet, something cold, something hot, something relaxing, something quirky, something that everyone likes, Café Noriter offers it all. Frappes, tea, cappuccino and the likes, pastries of different kinds, such are irresistible treats. However, Café Noriter is not simply a treat for the taste buds but for the senses as well.

Operation Happiness: A Treatment of Some Sort

I have been feeling struggling with unhappiness without knowing the source. Rather, I know the source but I prefer not to divulge it just yet. I know, some people might regard me as a crazy person having intense mood swings and such. It’s a good thing I haven’t tried Prozac yet (soon I will). However, I found and formulated a better way of getting over unhappiness. Of course, I could not have formulated this without conversing much with other people and trying to find out how happiness works. I created this treatment that runs for exactly seven days. One week of trying to be happy and nothing else, this is the ultimate objective. This is what I coined as “Operation Happiness.” (Yeah, I’m trying to sound like a professional counselor here which I am totally not)

Operation Happiness Day Fucking One: Smile, but not too much and not too little.

Operation Happiness Day Fucking Two: Don't ever short-live the happiness, never ever. Short-living the happiness invites loneliness and depression to a free-for-all feast, with you as the main course.

Operation Happiness Day Fucking Three: Bad thoughts should be banished. If banishing such thoughts are not possible, just hide them all under the sheets.

Operation Happiness Day Fucking Four: I don’t want to hear the truth, just tell me something beautiful or good to hear.

Operation Happiness Day Fucking Five: Say your apologies to yourself, since you treated yourself worse than you would do to anybody else.

Operation Happiness Day Fucking Six: Chant the mantra over and over again, "Happy Happy Fun Time," until you wear it out.

Operation Happiness Day Fucking Seven: Happiness is a choice and a style of thought. Simply put, choose happiness and forget everything else.

It would be best not to skip a day on the daily dose of happiness. Omitting a step would render the whole regimen highly ineffective and futile. On a lighter note, happiness is something that is completely elusive. No one can really catch the whole of it, a part maybe. One of these days, I would create happiness in a bottle and joy in a pill and such won’t be illegal to peddle. In addition, it would be BFAD and FDA approved! It will be coming soon, very very soon.

The Writer Within

A tanka for the writer that I would love to be but never will be:

To you who wrote here;
The pen flows to the tempo;
Don’t you feel the rush?
Continue to scribble and write,
Until those words come to life.