so did you know that if you were to get into the business of owning a taxi cab, you would first have to go over the hurdle of thinking up a name for you taxi business? and not just any name. in fact, LTFRB has a list of the names already registered before you, so it has to be a unique name. so now when you see names on cabs like "PROKOPYO Trans.", you won't be surprised.

i learned of this when i was in my 3rd year at the university. so i went out of my way to observe the names. really, you wouldn't believe what the pinoy mind is capable of thinking up when pressured to think up a name for his or her cab. of course, you'd have to imagine the situation - a first time owner stands in line to register his or her cab. it's a hot morning and LTFRB's aircons are busted. so he/she/it fans (pronoun)self to death. upon reaching the front of the line, the cranky LTFRB employee (now thinking about an early lunch) asks, "Pangalan po?" ("Name of your cab, please?") What do you do?

So you stand there, obviously at a freaking loss for words. Not only does the name have to be something closely related to YOU, it has to be unique, different from the tens of thousands of names already registered before you. What do you do?

Me and a friend (whose blog i just recently linked. pis leah.) used to sit at SM North Edsa and laugh at the products of this situation.

i remembered this today because the jeepney i was riding home got stuck in the kalentong-shaw blvd intersection traffic. within minutes i was bombarded with memories of college again.

So the easiest way to think of a cab name is to do your own name. So if you have a surname like "Del Mundo", the you go with "Del Mundo Trans". The problem with this is that, you don't know if you're the only Del Mundo in the whole metro who thought this up (probably not), in which case you could go for variation (DelMundo Trans), hyphenation (Del-Mundo Trans), wrong hyphenation (Delm-Undo Trans) (believe me, it happens), shortening it Pinoy-style (DelMund's Trans), or to the very creative reversi (Odnumled Trans) which I'm sure moks will immediately think up if he was in the situation.

If that doesn't give you enough options, go the old school way. First syllables of names (you and your spouse, your kids' names, you and your dog) have proven to give us very interesting names. Notice BRAVIL Taxi, whose owners names might be Brando and Vilma. You can usually confirm this by the names painted on at the back of the taxi, the process which I confirmed the above-stated taxi name. If I should own a taxi when I get married, I probably won't go by this method - JoKal Taxi is so... errmmm, not nice. I do warn you if you use this method, look before you freaking leap, ok? Especially if your kids' names are Jamby and Colbert.

So you do get the idea now, right? I mean I pity the people who go there to register and are not ready, because for sure, the already high quality of our taxi names is going to take a beating.

Take a look around, notice them. The normal and boring (AVIS Taxi) - to the downright silly (PURUROT Trans) - the digital (Ctrl+Alt+Del Taxi) - the hopelessly abbreviated (Adv. Spcl. Mech. Taxi Co.) - the Pinoy and honest (BARUMBADO Trans) - the Pinoy overseas mode translated (Saudi Juice Taxi) [katas ng Saudi. get it?] - the Pinoy wanting to be something else (American Drim Taxi) - moks's taxi (UTUTEN Trans) - the err... letters? (JSDVVL Trans) - the inviting (CLEAN Taxi) - the... seductive? (VERY GOOD Trans) - OPM fanatic? (DI MAGBABAGO Taxi) - i dunno what to make of this (BIKINING ITIM Taxi) - cake lover (BLACK FOREST Taxi) - typographical error? (INTERNTINOAL Trans) - i doubt if she's really the owner (AIKO MELENDEZ Taxi) - i think we know where the owner came from before registering the name (NAGPA-DERMA Taxi) - a touch of class (New York Cab, Phils. Taxi) - and the religious (In Jesus Name, Amen Taxi).

I mean, if you didn't enjoy that, you should really get out some more. Sit down at a mall near the taxi line, and have a little bit of fun for your own sake. You don't want to be the one to not have done this once in your life.

There was a time when this river was his only friend.

He had grown up by the Constantine, biggest and mightiest river in the land. As a child, he had never noticed how it affected his life. But things change. Things have changed. Now that he owned the length and breadth of this land, he knew that the very life of it depended on this river.

Even as a kid, he never really cared for it that much. The River Constantine was a veritable playground, and adventure house on whose banks he and his playmates frolicked on afternoons when the chores got done early. It was a picnic place for his family on Sundays after church. It was a source of cool when the heat beat down on the land on a summer's day.

As he grew up though, the river became increasingly a part of his life. He could still remember his first catch, a trout -- when his uncles took him fishing the first time, the prize of manhood it seemed, earning him the praise of his uncles. He remembered his first kiss, because you never forgot moments such as those. The river was witness to that sweet moment, as well as the moon. He then had his heart broken very soon afterwards, and again the raging waters were privy to his tears.

As years were added to his life, his respect for the river grew. The old ones would talk about it almost with awe and reverence -- he understood that now. The land produced plenty or few at the will of the river, it's waters carrying minerals from its source in the mountain ranges to fatten the land. Or not.

Year after year when the rainy season came, the people were under its mercy. The villages along the banks knew well of the force of Constantine's floods. They took these all in stride though, it is the way of the river. You get used to it.

He used to sit on his favorite rock watching the river in it's flood stage -- strangely, he enjoyed the river's rage. It was irresistible - the force of the River Constantine rushing through the land with so much force that it broke out into other small tributaries that spread out into the land, ultimately pushing it's way into the coast.

Ans so as he stood there on the Constantine's banks today, a deep sadness covered his soul. He took off his shoes and waded into the water. His bodyguards were immediately at his side, but he motioned them away. A man of influence he was, but this was something he had to go through himself.

He stepped into the Constantine -- you can't even call it a river now. It was... a stream, a mere trickle of the mighty raging flood it used to be. The stream's clear water flowed over his toes as his bare feet moved among the colored pebbles. The water seemed to recognize him, a feeling of deep calm coming over him as he walked along the water.

It has been a year now since the last raging flood was observed on the Constantine. Over the past year, the water level has steadily dropped, the river providing no reasons whatsoever for its lethargy. The people have voiced out their thoeries as to why the river's might has waned. Logically, well... there was no explanation. The amount of rain and storms have been the same all throughout the year. Why should this year be any different?

He was still walking through the water, his destination now within sight, but a million images still bombarding his soul. He wanted the river to come back, yes, with all his heart. It's as if his life has suddenly developed a thirst for Constantine's rage -- the rage was there no more. Of course, issues of the land still demanded his attention, but this one came back, over and over again, on nights where he would wish to hear these waters raging forth.

His favorite rock was still there, strangely occupied by a man well into the twilight of his life. The old man looked at him as if he expected him to say something. There was nothing to say except...

"You're in my spot."

The old man gave a hint of a smile, and did nothing. He, on the other hand, couldn't find anything else to do or say at that moment, so he sat there beside him. Besides, the silence was getting awkward.

"You miss it too, eh?"

"I do. Deeply." There were no other words to describe it.

"And it seems wanting it back is not enough."

He nodded. There was wisdom in that statement somewhere, only that he couldn't see it.

"The river has a source, way up in the range. I've been, once in my life. The look on your face says you have not seen it as yet."

"No, sir, I have not."

"Satisfy your curiousity, then. Go. See it, that you can tell its story as well as I when you're my age. Heh heh." The old man laughed, then smiled a sad smile at the memory. "It is a spring. A hole in the ground, would you believe? If only to see what is wrong, I suggest that you go and see it. Yes, that is my suggestion."

The young man looked up into the mountains. The old one was getting up and walking away.

"But the land has its affairs. Surely, I can't go and leave the land just to look at a hole in the ground?"

The old man was walking away, but replied, "Pssshh. The land can take care of itself for the few days that you will be gone up in the mountains. When you come back, your affairs will still be there. But you will have seen what I have seen. Then this thing you would not lack, as you lack it now."

The young man stood up and walked away, the opposite direction, his feet in the water among the pebbles, his head up in the mountains.

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Final Fantasy VII was the turning point for SquareSoft. It had to be better in all aspects than the sixth version, what the new PlayStation technology that was just beginning to hype at that time. But it had to bring in a story that was as engrossing as the past versions' storylines.

It was successful in all respects - a turning point not only for Final Fantasy as a game, but for the whole RPG and gaming world. I played the game for 2 minutes and I was hooked.

The characters were well thought of, the graphics were ahead of the times, the concept unmistakeably Final Fantasy but novel still. The plot lines -- well, what can you say about RPG plotlines, really? Ordinary guy wakes up to a world being threatened by a global menace, really doesn't care that much about what's happening but cares enough to see that his friends are protected. At the moment of decision a hot girl (surprise surprise) comes along and said unsuspecting hero-to-be is attracted enough to her to provide help to said damsel. Little does he know that the damsel is embroiled in the very crisis that threatens the world. He has no choice but be the hero.

And a sword, yes. There is always a sword involved.

While Final Fantasy has opened the eyes of the gaming world to mages summoning powerful beings to come to their aid, FFVII introduced the concept of Materia. Remember your Diablo 2 weapons that have sockets in them for jewels and stuff that add to their attributes? You got that right, Materia. FFVII introduced socketed weapons to the gaming world. Imagine if some young Japanese concept writer hadn't thought of that. The RPG world would have been the poorer for it.

As a gamer at heart, I say my heart never really left this world. It was the start of a long-standing chase for the ultimate RPG game. I still haven't found what I'm looking for. Maybe that's why I still long for Midgard.

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Maybe Square Enix got a little pissed off at that piddly-wipe version of a Final Fantasy movie that Hollywood put out. Remember "The Spirits Within"? It carried with it the "spirit", for lack of a better term, of the game, but did not really endear itslef to the Final Fantasy followers. Why? It wasn't really of the game. The graphics were eye-popping, as was to be expected, but it did not really impress.

Maybe that's why Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children came out. They gave the project to the guys who designed the real game at the start. These guys were working for different software companies already, two of them actually owned companies already. Square Enix got them together and they made a sort of "Reunion" project. Out came this.

The hype was on when news came out that a game-based FF movie was coming out. I got an advanced copy 2 months before it came out, downloaded the heck out of my office connction then. It did not disappoint.

All the elements of the movie were there... only, more wonderful than I could have imagined. I was going "wtf?!?" and "holy crap!!!" at the fight scenes. It was like, everything you could dream Final Fantasy 7 could be, only cooler.

Cloud, main character extraordinaire. With the big-ass sword. Only, those crazy people made the big-ass sword even more bad-ass. I don't know how to describe it.

that big-ass, bad-ass sword is actually made of six pieces of "mini-swords", daggers, knives and short swords. I can't describe it here. To see it in the movie is the most awesome thing ever.

Of course, Sephiroth (with his freaking long katana blade), the ultimate FF7 bad guy was reincarnated for a fight scene with Cloud that whips the llama's ass, and for that matter, any other animated fight scene you can even think of. I think even Son Gouku would piss in his pants watching that scene.

believe me, even a layman anime lover without much knowledge of the FF7 world would love this movie for the sheer audacity of the concept. the hollywood version was more "real". this version pulled out all the stops and said, this is how a game movie should be. i think i'd never be satisfied with a game-based movie again if it don't measure up to this one.

=============================

now we come to my main point. hehe. it's the girl, of course.

FF7 never really finished whatever love story there was in the game. it was a cool game that way. if you check out FF8, it's exactly the opposite. you knew it was going to be a soap opera the first minute you played it, what with all the lovey-dovey cut scenes and all that.

in the game, there were three main female protagonists - Tifa Lockhart, Aerith Gainsborough, and the Princess Yuffie Kisaragi. throughout the game, all three have made their comments revealing some sort of attraction for the main character, or even just admiration. but the choice was between Aerith and Tifa.

Aerith was the "beauty" archetype -- mage, strong emotionally, hard-to-get. But my heart always went out for Tifa, the kababata who was always there to support Cloud -- a strong character, kicks ass too. You should see the fight scene she has in the movie. *whew!* *punaspawis*

Aerith dies in the game (a novel twist for an RPG industry coming of age), and Cloud is not able to forgive himself for her death. This is a strong point in the movie as well, they really built on it. And it was good stuff.

But they never really resolved Tifa and Cloud's thing in the game. When the movie came, I was blown away by how Tifa was conceptualized. Needless to say, she was freaking hot. I don't know what it was about the movie that instilled her as my crush of the moment. Hot. hot hot hot hot. no other way to say it.

i mean, i know she's animated and all, but holy crap, man. hot pare.

==================================================

ok, so go watch the movie now. or read up on your Final Fantasy 7 mythos.

ok, i find the title a little too cliche too. but let's use that for now. when i get irritated by y'all's comments, i'll change it to - the guy in my mirror. haha.

===========================

ok. so someone uttered the word "ideal" in the vicinity of my name last sunday. i find that freaking weird to say the least.

i really shouldn't be surprised because it came from my worship leading under-study, at our church. he's kinda... in touch with stuff like that. so he's liable to say something or anything like that more often than moks will be at any point in time.

it just kinda disturbed me. this guy does not really know me. he just sees the guy in front,  the one with the guitar, praying his guts out, hoping like crazy that the people around him get it. he sees the leader, the confident facade. i wonder if he'll be of the same opinion when he gets to see the lust in my life? or the stupid decisions? or the messed up oppurtunities? or the disturbing lack of idealism in me?

another person asked me that wee also -> how come a guy with so much passion for worship like you has so little idealism in him?

i don't really remember what I said, but I remember the sense of it. i pour out my all my passion in worship because it is the one place I believe that I, as His child, can stand up for what I'm made for. i've messed up huge parts of my life which kinda accounts for the lack of idealism in me. i've also seen other people mess it up that i lack the capacity to trust most of them. in worship, my trust lies in the One trustworthy, the One who will not mess it up for me.

i've promised to be really transparent with my friends. i rejoice in the fact that my housemates have not banished me from the house. they know me, they know where and when i fall and falter. i'm glad that they're willing to trust me still. i have an accountability group, where it is bad form to hide these stuff. how can you hope to improve on the bad stuff when you're not able to admit them to your brothers? i have friends, admitted losers all. in one thing we all agree. we would be crap if not for GRACE. i am blessed to be with them.

i thank Him that i still have the energy to pursue Him. if that hunger and thirst vanishes, then all would be lost... meaningless, all of it.

so i gather that i shouldn't really be bothered by the "ideal" comment. it doesn't really make much difference anyways. i am content that i still have the strength to pursue, and the gratitude in knowing that I am pursued. things around me messy as they are, i would agree that i am still in an ideal situation, spirit-wise.

every time i read this email, i'm reminded of those guys...

...that every time they talk, i want to "hadouken!" them right in the face.

but this one's funny.

==============================

Ok pare, was really uber bored kanina so I decided to watch Superman Returns at Glorietta 4. I texted Claude and Jeff but it seemed the two were out na naman. Sucks. So I called na lang the girl Claude introduced to me at Max Brenner, a couple of weeks ago. We traded numbers kasi before. Actually, she asked for my number pare. See pare, I'm that hot! Kaya girls are all making kulit to my friends for my number. Her looks is kinda ok naman. You know, the 'pwede na' type. The only problem lang pare is her height. She's like an arm rest lang kasi pare. Pero I'm cool naman with it so ok na.

She replied after five rings with "Who's this?!?". I was tahimik lang on the other side. S&%t talaga pare! Major turnoff talaga! So I made putol na lang the line. I hate kasi burara girls. Obviously, she lost the card I gave her at Max Brenner. Sayang talaga pare. I gave her a chance pa naman to be with me and she blew it pa. She's bobo kasi.

Good thing my mom was out kanina so I got the chance to drive for myself without Hilariously Stoopid messing with my aura.

So yun na nga diba? I was like riding on air with my uber bilis driving and it only took me 5 minutes (which would normally take 30 minutes with Hilariously Stoopid driving) from our house to Glorietta. Can't wait na nga for Drag Racing Pinoy to reopen their site kasi I think I belong to that group. I can even do the drift na nga pare while driving pababa at Rufino towers. Eh Rufino is notorious pa naman for having the narrowest parking pababa and paakyat ng floors. Yeah pare, I'm that galing talaga at driving so there's no point na talaga in hiring stupid natives as my driver pa.

I got the last full show at cinema 2 (11 PM)… kasi all the earlier show times were all like, sold out na pare. So I made tambay na lang at Starbs while enjoying a cup of chino. I made no pansin na lang at the all the loser-poser orcs making lipana around the cinema floor. I made it clear that my seat is far from the masa-crowded timezone which is full of baho natives that time… probably waiting for Superman din. I focused na lang my attention to my cup of chino for the solid caffeine rush. Dami kasing attention-getters sa crowd and they are irritating my aura. Good thing bilis lang mag fly ng oras kanina…

After the movie, I was like, really disappointed talaga pare because of the uber daming flaws. I mean, Superman Returns is the year's most stoopid movie made for stoopid people and I am the one tasked to figure that out. Really disturbing talaga pare…

1. Diba pare, Superman and Lex Luthor were of the same age lang? Diba nga friends pa sila before they became enemies. How come sa movie, Lex was portrayed as matanda na? Weird.

2. Correct me if I'm wrong pare pero I dont recall Superman and Lois Lane having sex to produce a child which is hikain pa!

3. Up to now, sumasakit pa rin my brain thinking how come nobody still can't figure out that Clark Kent is Superman provided all the people at Daily Planet are fond of detective work since most of them are journalists/reporters nga. Are they all that stoopid talaga or may magic powers lang talaga the eyeglass of superman, rendering him incognito whenever he wears it?

4. What's with the kulot na bangs pare? I mean, its pretty obvious naman na straight hair ni Clark sa movie tapos whenever he change into Superman na, the kulot bangs suddenly appear.

5. Superman is gay. Just notice the leg position whenever he lift his feet off the ground. Kadiri pare no?

6. Superman is laging handa pare, because he only needs to make hawi lang his clothes to reveal his costume. I mean, super lambot ba his costume for no one to notice it while at work. Specially the Superman boots which he always wear under his black shoes (?!?). The layered getup must be really init pare.

Now I know where the orcs got their style in layered clothing. Kaya naman I'll bet an arm and a leg that Superman has BO pare.

7. There was an incident sa movie pa where Lois Lane was slammed on the head by the vault's door which was made entirely out of steel. She fell pa nga unconcious sa tubig. The question is, how come she suffered no bukol? Not even minor bleeding pare. Eh it was like very lakas kaya ng pagkaka-slam on her head. Probably she's hard core pare. Internal hemorrhage in the head. Big time!

8. After an earthquake, there should be a big tidal wave. That was missing pare. I anticipated pa naman that part.

Dami pa sana pare.. pero I really have to hit the sack now. It's morning na pala. Basta, I'm giving the movie -10 out of 10 because it sucked… as in major!

Later pare.

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later.