What do to when you’re fuckin’ bored

For four (4) consecutive work days I’ve been sick. For the last two days, I tried to work from home but failed to complete my entire shift due to fever and flu. Then here I am in weekends, staying at home for fear my illness might come back if I force myself to go out to the mall. And then later I remember that tomorrow is a holiday I don’t have to go to work.

Talk about a loooooooong time to rest. LOL

Not that I’m complaining but it comes to a point when too much rest can also bore you out and the brain is asking for some point of stimuli to have it functioning again.

So a result of this “boredom” cause, a good friend, Erwin Cruz, suggested I make a blog about the things I do (and can do) when bored. I must say, this is one blog post which does not require much research and thinking, so why not? It will be fun too! :D

Let’s start off with the usual things I do when bored at home:

1. Pester someone online. Favorite victim, Erwin Cruz. Pester each other. Call each other names. Throw senseless smilies. Trade anecdotes and insults. In short, have fun.

2. Of course you can’t pester everyone in your chat list. Not all are born on the same level of tolerance for “pests”. LOL. Just greet everyone on your chat list. See how they are. Catch up on your lives. Be a “confidante” if they are down. Rejoice in their joys, etc. If you feel like you are wasting time from boredom, then do something worthwhile for friends.

3. Social networking. You have no idea how much social networking can take up your time, IF you are an active user. Friend updates, chats, applications, games, articles to read, etc. There are just so many things to do and friend gossips to catch up on! :D

4. Do what I do, blog about anything and everything under the sun.

5. Read ebooks or books, which you had a hard time catching up on because of time constraints. Why not feed the brain with some knowledge or opinion on a story? Your brain might go dead if you let it go bored. Would you believe I even read some textbooks (que horror!). I know. Probably why most see me as a geek. But I’m still proud of it!

6. See those stacks of DVDs? Watch some of them again. Or if you haven’t seen some of them, now is the right time.

7. Clean my room. There are times when my side of my room is messy and I’m too lazy to clean. But if there’s nothing else to do. Why not. Might as well organize my closet too. I suddenly realize I have lots of clothes! :D

8. Worse case scenario when I’m bored because there is no electricity (black out) I will be forced to clean the whole house. Top to bottom. Throw out unnecessary items. Flush out the debris. Make everything spic-and-span. I become an obsessive compulsive neat freak. But this is rare. XD

9. Hang out with friends if time, money and company permits. Watch a movie. Shop. Dine out. Bond.

10. If nothing else suits me, then SLEEP! The weekdays can be so hectic we deprive ourselves of the much needed sleep. When boredom steps in maybe its the brain telling us to give it some rest.

Well the above list are MY LIST. How about I suggest a few more items anyone can do when they are bored.

11. Go bunjee jumping without a bunjee rope. Now that is EXTREME SPORTS!

12. Balance your checkbook.

13. Go to the beach. Swim. To make it more exciting. Swim with sharks. Now that adds up to the thrill!

14. Become a paparazzi for your friends, follow them around with a camera.

15. Boil ice cream. Eeeew?

16. Call a wrong number and talk to whoever answers. A bit old school but hey, it still works I’ve heard.

17. Check out the weather forecast for other parts of the world.

18. Read a magazine upside down.

19. Listen to a type of music that you don’t normally listen to. I consider this a good thing. It’s like expanding your horizons to other genre and culture.

20. Make a spontaneous party.

21. Master the art of cherry-stem tongue-tying. Good luck on that.

22. Pretend to be sick.

23. Recite romantic poetry… to an appliance. :D Oh god, I remember a party I went to once wherein the birthday celebrant, already tipsy from too much beer, serenaded and seduced the refrigerator.

24. Make a scrapbook. Digital or otherwise. Give a theme for it then share it to everyone.

25. Say everything twice. If it doesn’t annoy the person you are talking too, say them more than twice.

26. Scream. Just be sure to be ready when stones are being thrown at you afterwards.

27. Turn everything into a photo-op. Even your neighbor’s garbage can or the dog’s poo.

28. Use a kick me sign. As a challenge, see how many people you can put a kick me sign on without them knowing it.

29. Walk around a public park, every so often pretend to trip on a ‘invisible’ wire.

30. Watch a film that will terrify or paranoid you for the rest of the day. Let’s see if that bores you still (or make you sleep at night).

I believe there are more but I’m running out of ideas! LOL

Anyone wants to add on these? :D

527 days ago • Journal • Tags: boredom activities, so bored, things to do when bored

Downhill then Uphill

Two major major (can’t help it, it’s trending) things happened yesterday while I was recuperating from flu and fever.

First, the Philippine hostage taking, which started with Rolando Mendosa, a fired police officer armed with a M16 rifle and pistol, seized a busload of 21 Hongkong tourists and four locals to demand his reinstatement on the force.

The ordeal ended in bloodshed with police storming the bus and killing the gunman after he opened fire on the tourists, killing eight of them.

I have seen the videos and I found one from youtube. Too view what happened, play the video below.

Pfhilippine SWAT storm bus with hostages in Manila

Here are my takes on what I’ve read and seen:

1. Yes, I admit the way the hostage taking was handled badly by the Philippine police and media was wrong. They weren’t trained that well, which leads to…

2. Can you really blame the Philippine Police if they weren’t trained that well? Blame it on whoever is not giving the right training.

3. The Media has to be given the right ‘filter’ on what to show on cam and not. Especially, if we know what will happen to the country nationwide. There goes our ‘tourism’.

4. What?! Philippines has been banned as travel destination from other countries?! *goes up a platform* Well, excuuuuuuuuse me! Before you point any fingers on the Philippines as an unsafe haven for travelers, can you at least show us the statistics that no crimes, hijacking, rapes, terrorist attacks happen in YOUR country? I mean really! The nerve! As if YOUR country is SO PURE and paradise-like that no such things happen?! These things happen around anywhere the world!

Whew! That last one really got on my nerves!

But I think the Philippines had underwent similar and worse situations that this, and yet we’re still here. Despite the bad image this incident has brought my country, there still many open-minded people out there taking the side of the Philippines, that we are not fit to be banned and called us such because of this incident.

On a lighter note, even with its comedic factor of grammatical usage, with Miss Universe Philippines representative, Venus Raj, gaining a place within the Top 5 finalists is already a blessing and great honor for the country after the Philippine hostage taking incident.

When actor William Baldwin asked her to mention one biggest mistake in her life and what did she do to make it right, many were dismayed when she answered that she had made no “major, major” mistake during her “22 years of existence.”

Miss Philippines 2010 Venus Raj Top 5 Question And Answer

Yes, I believe I will side with everyone saying her answer was probably a reason why she lost the chance to win the coveted title.

Personally, it is a major factor since NOBODY is perfect to have never made a mistake in their life. At some point, no matter how shallow or serious a mistake might have been, it is a mistake that made us who we are. Mistakes shape our personalities and without mistakes we are not human. So to answer as such is… just wrong. LOL

Even then, with Venus earning a place among the royal entourage of Miss Universe 2010, it is good news to hear after the incident the previous day.

Filipinos, we have the attitude to see the brighter side of things no matter how bleak things are. Kudos to us being as such. :D

531 days ago • Journal • Tags: major major, philippine hostage taking, venus raj question

The Truth About Music

I do not classify myself as an elitist nor knowledgeable on culture and the arts. What I do know is I understand the basics of many genres and I give each a chance to reach a specific part of my heart so I could understand the meaning of its lyrics, its tune and its origin.

Musicians always have this struggle to get to the top, to reach their populace and to gain awareness for their art. In the past, commercial and political pressures help in creating an atmosphere of insecurity and fear to get in the world of music. It’s different nowadays when there are so many channels, especially with the Internet included, that anyone can make their music heard. Music is celebrated like never before but the issue lies on creating music for the benefit of someone else’s script. It’s like controlled “art” or manipulated “truth”.

Have you ever wondered how much music could have possibly revealed to mankind if only given the chance to be freely articulate? It is a challenge indeed to have “real” music be heard by the majority, to hear what must be heard and for many to digest its meaning. Am I sounding like an elitist? No. I’m not shunning pop culture but I, myself am questioning the role of music to stimulate human mind and delve into the world of comprehending the world as what it is and not masking any part of it.

I am not making an advocacy to make everyone listen classical music. I know I can’t make everyone appreciate it. But I would like to ask everyone to give it a chance, to make your mind and imagination move in tune with the step and note. Close your eyes and feel each key, each rest, each jump of motion into the waves of sound. Make your own story and feel the emotion you can conjure with it. Such as the aid of classical music. It makes us understand a part of ourselves, a part of our lives, a part of our origin, a part of our culture and a part of our world.

Here are a few classical music I recommend for listening.