Opulent Odyssey: 2012

In My Dreams

By charline - Monday, December 17, 2012

2 Comments

I was in awe and I was in total shock while I was watching the PPV of Pacquiao and Marquez fight. “Was that a real knockout?” I suddenly thought to myself. Trying to deny it, I just came closer to the fact that a defeat is something that we cannot avoid.

Photo taken from HBO Boxing

Pacman was in good shape. In fact, the moment I saw him entering the ring, I could already notice his tough fighting shape. He’s ready to face his nemesis, Juan Manuel Marquez for the 4^th time. Then the sudden knockout in the third round came.

Whoah. That shook him a bit. But I was still confident that he would fight back. The next rounds showed good signs until the 6^th round. For a moment, all of us were stuck on a timeless still. “Pacquiao is down. Marquez won by TKO!” said the boxing commentator.

Boxing will always be one of my favorite sports. Im not a boxer but I surely know how to appreciate a good bout. This match is far by one of the best bouts Ive ever seen. Just as Ali has Frazier, Barerra and Morales, Mike Tyson and Hopkins, Pacquiao has Marquez. But never in my wildest imagination will Pacquiao ever get beaten up like that.

From by observation, there are various things that emerged in this bout:

Suddenly I thought of the law of diminishing marginal returns. Sometimes, when we idolize someone, we tend to put the person on a pedestal not realizing that the person is still human and there are still limitations.

1. Preparation is the key.

No matter how good you are, without strong and diligent preparations, all of your efforts are futile. You should never forget that if you are good enough, there are other people better than you. There are people who are more equipped, more skillful and adept than you. There are other people who want to have a piece of what you have now. In this bout, Marquez fought hard and he prepared hard just to win the bout.

2. Divine Intervention

I don’t know if I can categorize this factor in the bout but from what I can see Marquez was able to snatch some luck when Pacquiao turned to his left side and where he was able to have his right hand landed straight on Pacquiao’s jaw which led to a knockout. Seriously that time I was thinking, what the heck is Pacquiao thinking of moving close to Marquez side on the left and leaving his jaw open?

We all know that the jaw is the trigger point of every boxer. Once someone lands a solid punch in either your left or right jaw, you will definitely hear the angels singing. Right there and then, I felt somehow there is another force that determined the fight.

3. Even the best fall down sometimes.

The recent bout between Manny Pacquiao and Marquez shows us that the law of diminishing returns applies. What goes up will inevitably go down. All of the strong leaders, warriors, legendary figures that we have known in history or even other fields, experience their greatest downfall.

We witnessed how Julius Ceasar, dubbed as one of the greatest Roman generals, was stabbed by Cassius and Brutus which led to his death; Hannibal, another great general who was eventually defeated by Scipio Africanus; Napoleon Bonaparte, even Andres Bonifacio and Jose Rizal. The rest of the list goes on.

This rule also applies to Pacquiao and to all of us.

Just sharing some thoughts…

When we come to think of it, the thoughts of defeat come to mind. Are you willing to set sail and move to a direction you haven’t not yet known? Do you still want to attempt soar high even if you know that you will eventually fall?

This bout has made an impact on me not just a boxing fan but also as an ordinary individual who is fighting in this battle called life. Fear of falling into the unknown, into a shameless defeat would somehow titillate and to some point even torture my mind.

Sometimes, I just want to be complacent. But which is better, doing nothing and just remain exactly where you are- safe, steady, no motion or are you willing to take your chances and go beyond your inner fears?

Applying these thoughts to myself, I personally don’t know what awaits on the other side. Striving hard to get there, to be on that summit, I know my journey will never be easy.

What if I fall? What if I fail? All of these questions start to circle around my mind. But my inner clamor to achieve far beyond what my mind tells me is making a loud resonance. My heart and my mind is urging me to fight and get back up whenever I stumble.

Pacquiao, like the rest of us, has experienced failures, defeat and disappointments. It does not matter how many times we're knocked down or how many times we have faltered.

But it is in how we rise up, learn from those mistakes and conquer our fears that we ruly emerge victorious in the different battlefields that we all facing.

And so, I say never be afraid of stumbling or of failing. What goes up must come down and once you are down there is no way but up.

Life goes around in circles. It is continuous.

When you are still alive, you need to keep on fighting. You have to keep going.

"In boxing, one punch can change everything... in any weight class. No matter how bad you're losing, you're always a single punch from winning."

1 Comments

Music

Sweet November- Kailan Guitar Cover

By charline - Friday, November 30, 2012

6 Comments

Family

Breaking Dawn: Love and Family

By charline - Sunday, November 25, 2012

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Books

A Happy Nerd and A Political Maverick

By charline - Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The warehouse sale last weekend was indeed a Sunday madness for me. Not only did I actually encounter people hoarding books, putting them in huge boxes as if there's no tomorrow but I also get to realize that there are still many Filipinos who enjoy reading. Sometimes, I would laugh at myself since I am quite aware of the fact that I was one of those students before who just simply hated reading.

But my father continued to influence me, in the most indirect and subtle ways that he can. Whenever we debate and engage in an intellectual discourse, I was often left in awe before. I knew I wanted to say something but I was afraid my ideas were wrong and I was skeptical if my viewpoints even existed. And so, my father would always tell me to keep on reading. My omma would always remind me of my spending habits about books hahaha( sometimes I know I have this super weird tendency of hoarding). But my papa will just smile, it's human capital investment after all. My perception and views on things and life in general come from my penchant for book collection.

While looking for some pictures for this blog post, I came across this picture. Hmmm. Top 10 Most Read Books in the World. Assessing how far I fared, I think I was able to read 8/10. The Bible will always be the top, the greatest and the most influential book ever written. My lifeline and spiritual knowledge comes from this Holy book.

Since I am very interested with politics, I also got the chance to read the works of Chairman Mao. I think one of the nicest things I learned from my dad is to never choose what you read. Some people would think reading Mao Tse Tung's works can inflict harm. That by knowing his political standpoint, you might be dubbed as a Marxist. Often, my dad and I would debate about certain topics. Coming from a enlightened neoclassicist's point of view, our opinions would clash most of the time. Back then, I was recalcitrant to accept views opposing mine. It was then when I started reading materials that I usually considered as black and red books before did i realize that my knowledge is inadequate and so is my political view. With his books, I was able to grasp some of his thoughts and perspectives especially when it comes to China and the struggle of the working class.

As for the other books, I have always been led into the bandwagon effect lol. Whatever the current trend, sometimes, I get carried away. No wonder I became part of the LOTR, Harry Potter and Twilight phenomena. It's actually a good thing.

Top Picks

And so, while I was hunting for some of the cheapest and the best books inside the book store. I saw this book. OMG I couldnt help but laugh. Last year, I also went to Booksale and found this book. Being a romanticist that I am, I bought the book and read it. Haha. To my surprise, it is I think one of the most scientific books I have ever read about love. Who says love is purely an emotional thing? This is one book I highly recommend. :)

Since I have matured when it comes to the materials I read, I focused on searching for specific books that would shed light on my understanding of my country. I seriously want to know not just the economic aspects but also the hierarchy, the societal and political structure and even power relations. This book is a must read. The Philippines has long lost its identity as a nation. With this book, every reader will get accurate details about our country's society prior to Spanish invasion.

My yearning to learn more as to why Philippines has lagged behind countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, HongKong, etc., serves as my inspiration. Our country has vast and rich resources, not just natural but also human resources. But there are factors, political, historical and societal factors that impede our nation's growth. One of the ways for us to evaluate and to gauge our current and past conditions is to know more about other countries. We need to know how they thrive, how their leaders advance their respective country's interest and how their people react to such leadership and change. The perfect book I think that would best suit my purpose is Lee Kuan Yew's From Third World to First.

Next top pick goes to Malaysian Maverick. Among the leaders I truly admire is Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir. He is one of the living testimonies that you do not have to be a lawyer, an economist, a traditional politician to institute reforms. Mahathir, is a doctor who is well versed in history and political economy and is also considered to be one of those mavericks who dared oppose Western interventions. This is something that we should learn from Malaysia and Singapore. Yes, we have to be pliant like the bamboo but we should also learn how to say No. We should still assert our Sovereign rights to independently rule our country, free from an foreign policy intervention.

Without a leader with strong convictions, without a leader who will fight for the interest of the people and of the whole nation, every effort would surely go to waste. For when the intentions are wrong and the vision is blur, no leader can ever implement the reforms this country needs.

* With all these, I can say I am one happy nerd. Never mind if I am a political maverick or if I appear somewhat deviant compare to my other econ fellows. For me, free market of ideas still operates and this is one platform where I get to practice it.

P.S. I saw this pic online. Haha I want to know what men think about this? Guys, any comments?violent reactions?lol

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Life

Broad Daylight

By charline - Wednesday, November 07, 2012

P.S. The other day my friend and I were talking about taking chances in love and even in other things that we do not have any control of. I agree with her that if we want to be happy, we should dare explore all the chances and not to be afraid of the things that we can have. I think this is also a good way for me to practice my creative skills. :)

Dark clouds begin to gather on the sky.

The weather is getting nasty and gloomier than ever. As I struggle to catch my breath, I slowly nuzzle my nose to prevent the sudden outburst of tears about to fall. Feeling the strong palpitation of my heart, I look around and search for that familiar face.

Just as my grip loosens, I realize that the person I am looking for, the one I ever want to have is also the same person I have been trying to runaway from.

When I finally catch another breath, a cold crisp of air filled my lungs. I can feel my heart contracting heavily. It is mad. It is in grief and I can feel its remorse. For the nth time, my mind has succumbed to the dominance of my mind.

Stopping for a moment, I gaze at the sky, coal black clouds signaling heavy rain. And exactly in the same spot, I felt a sudden shiver down my spine, a shiver almost same as the strike of a lightning bolt. But along with this unexplainable effect are my endless thoughts of you. You are the person I ever want. But I don’t know why fear lingers on?

In my wildest reasoning, I start to think I can lose you. With just one wrong move, I can never hold you again. Amidst this cynicism, I ask myself, how can I ever have you in my life if I can’t even acknowledge the feelings I have longed suppress?

Battling arguments on my mind make me more confused. About to give in, I just slowly cover my face. As my tears start to fall, I have finally allowed my vulnerability to get the best of me. “Someone help me, please.” are the only words I could utter.

In a single throbbing moment, I felt a slight pat on my shoulder. Perhaps, someone sympathizes with me, I said, trying to convince myself. Just as I slowly open my eyes, your face comes to light. As my vision gets clearer, my heart has also found its way. There are no other places to go. There is no sane reason why I should in the first place.

My attempt to runaway again is just but a futile and desperate move to restrict myself to have that one thing that only you can give – true love.

Why do I have to make things hard for myself? Fear of almost all possible scenarios about our ending already entered my mind. But as you start to pull me close to you, as you hold on to me not wanting to leave, everything just vanished. I could only think of the best and the happiest memories we can create together.

As I try to win my heart over, you just hold me tighter. Looking up, the darks clouds are now gone. The rain has stopped and so is my anxious mind. In the broad daylight, you have revealed yourself. In that instant, I know this is where I belong and this is where I want to stay, here with you. After a long time, I have never felt this unusual bliss.

7 Comments

Life

A Beautiful Thing

By charline - Sunday, November 04, 2012

5 Comments

Life

Heavenly Blessed

By charline - Wednesday, October 31, 2012

9 Comments

Books

War, Dreams and Love

By charline - Sunday, October 28, 2012

“Know your enemy and know yourself for you can fight a hundred battles without defeat.” –Sun Tzu, Art of War

Ancient China witnessed the political cunning and tactical ingenuity of Sun Tzu. His book Art of War has transcended time which helped formed the greatest generals, warriors, leaders and even ordinary men. This is far by one of my favorite books ever written.

Though his book is considered to be a book for political strategy, there are useful insights that can be applied in all aspects of life.

What do war, dreams and love have in common? All of them can be related to a battlefield.

War

Last weekend, I decided to watch historical movies for a change. (since I always watch romance, comedy and action movies lol) Amongst the movies I watched, Hannibal is the best movie that day. All historical books would revere and would label Hannibal as one of the greatest military figures in history.

Not only did he shake and threaten the political stability of the Roman power in the Mediterranean but he also showed how it is to defy the odds, to go beyond what your fate dictates and to finally seal your name in the annals of history.

Through his brilliance in military strategies, his Roman enemies were often left confused, agitated and provoked. Baffled with his famous “always-do-the-less-thought-of-option”, the Romans ended up incurring great and terrible losses. The biggest of which is the Battle of Cannae where thousands of Roman soldiers died.

Dreams

While watching the movie, I let my thoughts wander for a moment. I was thinking. How could a man with limited military resources can pose major threat against the Roman Army?

Hannibal surpassed his own limits and outwitted the Romans when he decided to cross the Alps instead of fighting them by sea. He opted to fight by land for he knew quite well that Romans have strong naval advantage.

For months, they suffered from long travels without food, they endured the long and cold winter nights, they walked for a thousand miles until they finally set foot on Roman soil.

All of these made me think a little bit more. Sometimes, I guess, most often, I would fret and complain and whine about my present circumstances. I find myself being more impatient than ever. My logical reasoning would always attempt to disguise as valued excuses for me not to strive more, not to work harder. But just like Hannibal, I start to remember the importance of pushing myself to the edge of my limitations. There are no limits but my own. My vision for the future starts to get clearer.

Many people will try to pull you down. They would do anything to stop you, to discourage you to achieve your dreams. But if it is something you have have been dreaming of, if it is something you have ever wanted all your life, you have to protect it. You need to try and try until the only last option is to just let things be and let fate do its work.

Love

The same thing goes with love. In the movie, Hannibal said, “Your greatest strength can also be your greatest weakness.” I’ve always been strong and proud in this aspect. Deep down, I have continuously allowed my thoughts, my rationale mind to dominate my feelings, my heart in general. For years, my mind has succeeded to do what it is supposed to do.

But no matter how hard I try to protect myself, there were times where I ended up wounded and hurt and where I feel like the most plausible thing to do is to just give up and not care about it anymore. Then I realize, remaining complacent will do no good either. I must learn to stand up, to fight again and to learn again. In this aspect, I can say I am now willing to share it with the The One. My mind has coalesced with my heart in saying that I can have the love I need without suppressing my feelings and without compromising my raison d'être.

War, dreams and love are different settings of battles with useful lessons to teach- to continuously fight, to endlessly dream and to humbly love until your last breath. You have to know yourself for you to have the capacity to love someone. You need to experience your own weakness to discover your strengths. You need to fight your own battle to experience your own victory. Lastly, you need to find yourself to find God.

P.S
Im sharing to you a short music playlist of some of my best instrumental movie themes.

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

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Friends

Anachronism in Transit: My 24th

By charline - Friday, October 12, 2012

Writing love letters. Composing Poems. My fused attachment with books. My romantic ardour with music. Strong gastronomic appetite and finally, my zealous and constant search for knowledge and how it transcends real life.

Going back to my younger self, so many years aback, only mirrors how my passion and perception for certain things evolve. All these things sump up the 24 years of my life. I always find myself in a state of anachronism where sometimes I end up juxtaposing the past with the present, and the other way around. So, I can’t help but think. Is it a bad thing or a good one? Along with this belief is where most of my thoughts and my love for things seem to revolve.

Passion

Being an ardent aficionado of the ancient world, of the timeless beauty of Greco-Hellenic culture, of the intricateness and complexity of both old and present societies, of the universalities of mythologies and of the immortal personification of my highly admired legendaries, without a doubt this is where my passion lies.

But there was one point in my life where I felt under siege in this so-called midlife crisis. Hell, it can be really taxing, gruesome and tedious in a myriad of ways that only those people who actually experienced it can actually understand what it truly means. I kept posing senseless and futile questions to myself that sometimes I ended up being more confused than I truly was.

Suddenly it dawned me, why am I forcing myself to believe that I don’t know what my real passion is when in fact it has been there all along? Somewhere in my deep consciousness, it is there, waiting to be acknowledged, to be reaffirmed. Like most of my Eureka moments, right then and there, I realized these are the things I love the most, what I am good at. No matter how long it will take me to achieve my dreams of becoming a diplomat and wherever my endeavors take me, I will strive hard to get it.

Music

Even in music, my playlists would never fail to include old songs. The classics dominates my scanty interest for the contemporary. Why not? The Beatles, the Bread, Scorpions, Heart. I bet there are others like me who still appreciate and who hail these songs as the best songs ever written. Though, I would appreciate new songs, these classics have that exquisite sound I rarely here nowadays.

Love

I consider myself as a hopeless romantic albeit me being too rational and not to mention my feministic tendencies. My friends would usually dub me as Gabriela, a persona equivalent to Joan of Arc. (Haha). Having this kind of labeling is totally fine with me. Guess, I have not yet accepted to learn the ways of a modern woman towards love and dating in general.

I still operate in my conventional and conservative beliefs about courtship, dating, etc. Seriously, I don’t have future plans of changing my views especially when I get to witness the newfangled and in vogue romantic approach that would often lead a relationship in shambles.

But for that person who will put magic to it, for that someone who can really show me what a Shakespearean love is or even just a close share of it, I guess I might take down my defenses and risk my complacency. Even I myself cannot possibly tell who will that person be? ;)

Life

“You should live now and think of the future”. Funny, how this cliché appears to have a contrarian streak for me. There is no argument in that we have to live by the moment. But how can we live now if we don’t know the past hiding beneath our consciousness, to be exact in my case my stubborn consciousness.

Only by knowing the past and by learning from the circumstances which shaped it, do we truly find ourselves happy and living at the right time and place- enjoying the present and hopeful for the future.

And so, as I celebrate my 24^th birthday, I wrote this blog entry to remind me of my affirmation about life- that it is possible for the past to coincide with the present and with present to the future, even in subtle ways; especially when you are able to grasp the realities of life-may it be harsh or good and to just be grateful for the One who created me, who made me this kind of being and who continues to allow me to explore life in so many ways. God only knows what the future that lies ahead of me and for everyone else.

With this, I end my blog with a haiku.

Life will never be a perfect place

Who cares?

When you put smile on my face?

P.S.

Thank you for all those people who make my life a memorable one to live and for those who complete my life's ensemble. You’ve got me covered. I am truly blessed to have you throughout these years. ;)

8 Comments

In My Dreams

What Makes a Champion

Sweet November- Kailan Guitar Cover

Breaking Dawn: Love and Family

A Happy Nerd and A Political Maverick

Broad Daylight

A Beautiful Thing

Heavenly Blessed

War, Dreams and Love

Anachronism in Transit: My 24th

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