Maraming mga bagay ang kayang magpatulog sa’kin lalo pa’t sa panahong ito, kahit ano ay posible. Kahit saan man ako ay nakakatulog ako, mapa-bahay man o mapa-LRT. Bastok antok, diretso tulog!

Last night I was on my way home from Mandaluyong. I was about to ride a bus outside MRT North Avenue Station when I was able to catch up listening to this show on radio called, “The Flow”, on my portable radio.

I’ve heard about this show a couple or so times especialy whenever it’s being promoted on its home station, 103 1/2 Max FM. It’s an all hip-hop-and-RnB show, genres that I seldom enjoy listening to for the past few years (Maybe because a lot of RnB artists are starting to sound all alike and Hip Hop nowadays is becoming more commercialized that its purpose of being is no longer to break the social spectrum).

What just made me try listening to this is that I wanna know what makes this show interesting. More interesting though is how its host, HTown (of Power 108 and Blazing 105.9 fame), educates its listeners about the genre with interesting facts, trivia, bits of info about hiphop culture and old-school stuff dating back to the 90’s.

Speaking of the 90’s, the first hour of the show played nothing but music from 10 years ago. A lot of the songs played were all familiar to me, some that I even grew up listening to. Unlike today, hiphop back in the day was all-good. Less of those themes about sex, drugs, and violence (which hiphop artists are being notoriously branded) and more about social change, life in the streets, things that matters most, and things that everyone can all relate to. I was able to request a song from Bone Thugz ‘n’ Harmony, and HTown was able to play one (when he can’t find the particular song I was requesting for, which is okay for me).

They may be the “pop” music (“popular”) that definitely shaped my first ten years of life. It’s quite disappointing that there’s too few of good-sounding artists today that are driven by the purpose of showing the reality of life, whose songs that really reflect that very soul of the community and of society as whole.

Glad to know that some artists from the 90’s are still pretty much active up to this time, like Will Smith who matured into a fine actor (but is still active as a rapper) as well as Mark “Marky Mark” Wahlberg (who completely turned back on his ‘hip-hopper’ past to become one of the most bankable actors of today), and MC Hammer (who continues to discover outstanding new hiphop talents, and recently gave praise to Filipino hiphop dancing group, All-Stars).

Try listening to “The Flow” every 6:00-9:00 PM Saturdays on 103.5 Max FM at masisiyahan kayo sa mapapakinggan ninyo!

A few hours ago, I went to the gym near my place. I felt the need to unwind all the stress that accumulated in my body earlier at school (Go figure…). Quarter to 7 in the evening, I saw a very familiar place who entered the premises for the sole purpose of working out too. Turns out, he was an old schoolmate of mine, a batchmate to be precise.

A month ago, I was able to find a suitable time for me to go to the gym in the form of my Monday and Friday schedules that are so flexible, letting me out in 4:40 and getting home around 6. I also don’t have classes in the mornings on those days but I usually take advantage of those hours for doing late assignments, reports and the like.

That time, I was surprised to see my batchmate there also working out. He saw me when I saw him and we said our hellos to each other. I asked how long he’s been doing this. He said he’s been doing this for a few months now. Obviously, I could definitely see the changes in his body. Back then, he’s a really thin tall guy, but now his arms are getting more muscle mass.

Well in my case, I don’t have the same body type as him. Blame genetics for what I am now. I’ve been into this for three years now but on an on-and-of basis given that during those three years, I was busy with extra-curricular activties. But at least, from a overweight looking figure of 160 lbs. three years ago, I slimmed down to a maintainable 140lbs. Although it doesn’t really show since I tend to wear loose fitting clothes that used to be size XL. Now, I’m an X and I get mostly fitting clothes. 

My eating also doesn’t complement my physical well-being because I eat like a vacuum cleaner, leaving nothing but clean plates. Thank goodness I have a fast-acting metabolism which may explain about me not getting fat despite my food-intake and habits.

Back to now, we seldom speak unless we do speak. Since I started earlier, I was ahead so there’s never an opportunity to work out with him. I see him very busy with his weight lifting so talking to him might disturb him.

Later just past 8pm, I decided to call it quits and was about to cool myself down. Since I was just about to pass him by, I waved hi which started a very light conversation. In the process, he taught me how to use poles for stretching the arms which I usually don’t do since I prefer to do calisthenics which I got used to do since my TKD days.

He also decided to call it quits so he went to where I was heading at to change clothes. When he entered, he saw me wearing my DLS-CSB ID strap/lace (which attaches my cellphone). He asked where I bought it, and I said it was from my school. What was awkward was this, he asked how much (“90”) then later ask me if I could buy him one….WHAT?!

I asked him back, trying to know why he (an USTe boy) wanna have a DLS-CSB ID strap even though he’s not from DLS-CSB. Well, he said that he just like having one. He then said he’ll buy an USTe strap for me if I buy what he was asking for so that he won’t have to pay me back through pesos.

Despite the awkwardness the conversation is heading to, it was great to know that at the very least, I have a friend, whom I personlly knew, who go at he gym in my place. Yes, I do know some people there but it’s different if you and a friend who’re into the same interest, whihc further encourages you to pursue that interest.

——————–

(Note: I hate people who like to misinterpret the purest of intentions)