Paper Boat Feelings

Paper Boat Feelings

You cannot hear what my mind thinks
Or what my lips hunger to say.

Your ears are more than five hundred miles away from mine.

So to ease the fear inside of me,
I carefully wrote what I wanted you to hear
On a piece of white paper
With my loosely script hand writing,
I wrote what I wanted you to know
and what I wanted to say.

As the ink marked the paper,
slowly I wonder how this small piece of white paper
will get through to you.

I finally inscribed my name at the end of the letter.
Without thinking,
I carelessly folded the paper.

With each fold,
I pray that, like my message,
this small paper boat will get across to you.

I held the paper boat along the shore
and looked at the moon.

Funny,
but no matter how far the distance is between us,
we are under one moon
and under the same sky.

We share nothing but time.

I set the paper boat on sail.
The wind gently takes its course.

As the calm water of the night
gently kissed my boat,
I can see the ink smudging.

My heart smeared by my own words
The words I want you to hear.

The boat keeps sailing,
cutting through the silent night.

I watched as the wind blew the boat far away from the shore.
Again, I stared the the moon.
Your voice echoes in my mind
Your sweet words captured my heart.

The water slowly swallowed the boat.
As my feelings slowly swallowed the better part of me.

The boat will never get through you.
My feelings will be left unheard.
And still, you are hundred miles away from me.

We shared nothing but time.

---- January 24, 2008
9:53 AM

DTI – Ayala - Magsaysay Business Plan Competition extends its deadline!

DTI – Ayala - Magsaysay Business Plan Competition extends its deadline!

With over four million peso cash prizes to be awarded to thirty creative and profitable business plans, the search is still on for the most creative, innovative, feasible, and profitable enterprises in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The competition urges a ll young entrepreneurs, either in the NCR or with those with at least one (1) business transaction dealing in the NCR, belonging to the micro-businesses and small & medium enterprises to send in their business plans to the DTI-AYALA-MAGSAYSAY Business Plan Competition secretariat.

Assistant Secretary Angel L. Pelayo of DTI-NCR expressed her unwavering commitment to this program: "DTI-NCR aims to contribute to the business sector. We believe in the ingenuity of the youth today, in making things towards progress. Spearheading this program is a testimony to the continuing role of the government as promoters of entrepreneurship."

The competition is open to young entrepreneurs 35 years old and below, who are planning or are already operating within the agri-business sector. There are three categories: the Young Entrepreneur (Individual Enterprise and Group Enterprise sub-categories), Student Entrepreneur (for college students only), and the Outstanding SME Business category.

Grand winners have the chance to take home as much as P500,000. After the contest, all winners will be given technical assistance as aid provision in business start-up and consultancy.

All agriculturally based enterprises ranging from food production, seed supply, agrichemicals, farm machinery, agricultural arts and crafts, animal husbandry, crop sequencing, to organic farming and modern agriculture are eligible entries to the competition.

For the Young Entrepreneurs Business Competition – Individual Enterprise , prizes are as follows: P300,000.00 (Grand Winner), P200,000.00 (1st Runner – up), and P100,000.00 (2nd Runner – ups). For the Young Entrepreneurs Business Competition – Group Enterprise , prizes are as follows: P500,000.00 (Grand Winner), P300,000.00 (1st Runner – up), P200,000.00 (2nd Runner – up), and P100,000.00 (3rd Runner – up).

For the Student Entrepreneurs Business Competition , prizes are as follows: P100,000.00 (Grand Winner), P50,000.00 (1st Runner – up), and P20, 000.00 (10 Finalists). For the highlight category, the Young SME Business Competition, prizes are as follows: P200, 000.00 each ( Top Ten Entrepreneurs).

The business plan should discuss the business concept thoroughly, accompanied with financial plan, resource requirements, and market summary among others. Entries will be judged according to the following criteria: creativity of the product / service, feasibility, profitability, and contribution to the community.

"We want to develop more opportunities for Filipino entrepreneurs. This is one of the avenues where they can showcase their inventiveness and entrepreneurial skills," Pelayo said.

Interested applicants may get hard copy of application kits at the local NCR – based DTI branches, Philippine Information Agency (Look for Girlie Guyong @T:929-4521 / 453-3760), and at Ayala Foundation, Inc. (Look for Bambi / Clarissa / Bam2 @T:752-1185, or Mildred @T: 752-1065). Application forms may also be downloaded at www.dtincr.ph, www.starfishmagazine.com, or at www.ayalafoundation.org .

This is a joint project of Department of Trade and Industry, Ayala Foundation, and Office of Sen. Ramon Magsaysay, Jr., in partnership with Manila Bulletin, Manila Times, The Philippine Star, and Business Mirror.

Application forms may be sent to the DTI-Ayala-Magsaysay Business Competition Secretariat, c/o Starfish Magazine, Center for Social Development, Ayala Foundation, 10F BPI Building, Ayala cor Paseo de Roxas, Makati City. Deadline of submission is extended until 12NN, February 20, 2008. Awarding of winners will be on March 15, 2008.

*** To view a larger version of the poster, just click on the image. :P

Million Miles Away

Million Miles Away

This is sooooo our song right now.

I love to make you mine
'Cause it's the only way to hold you
In my wild imagination

Still you don't know how
To grab a chance and spend some time
In just a simple conversation

Just give it a try
Though I'm like chasing rainbows in the sky
I wanna hold you in my dreams
And make believe that it's true
Although I know
I know that it's impossible to do
'Cause you're a star
People love you as you are
You're a million miles away from me

I wish that you were here
'Cause it's illusion every time you're close to me
And sing my love songs

'Cause it's the only way I could tell the world
"I love you"
Although you're a million miles away

Just give it a try
Though I'm like chasing rainbows in the sky
I wanna hold you in my dreams
And make believe that it's true
Although I know
I know that it's impossible to do
'Cause you're a star
You're a star..
You're a star..

Just give it a try
Though I'm like chasing rainbows in the sky
I wanna hold you in my dreams
And make believe that it's true
Although I know
I know that it's impossible to do
'Cause you're a star
You're a star..
You're a star..

A million miles away from me...

Maybe you are not a million miles away from me (587 miles to be exact), but you are definitely a star. A big, bonggang star who has a big bonggang bonggang impact in my life.

A Meantime Guy

A Meantime Guy

What's a meantime guy?

He's the one you call when you're bored because he makes you laugh.

He's the one you talk to when you're feeling down because he's willing to lend an ear and be a friend.

He's the one you spend time with between guyfriends, before you find "The One". You know, the one who you keep around in the meantime.

He's too understanding, too comfortable. He doesn't make you feel nervous or excited the way a "real" man does.

But he's cool, and nice, and funny, and attractive enough that when you're lonely or horny and need intimate male companionship, he'll do just fine. You don't have to wine and dine him because he knows the real you already, and you don't have any facades to keep up, no pretenses to preserve. You're not trying to get anything of substance out of him.

He's not easy, but you know that he cares about you and is attracted to you, and that he'll give you the intimacy you need. And you know you don't have to explain yourself or the situation, that he'll be able to cope with the fact that this isn't the beginning of a relationship or that time's any possibility that you have any real romantic feelings for him. It won't bother him that you'll get up in the morning, put on your pants, say goodbye, and go on a date with the man you've been mooning over for weeks who finally agreed to go out with you.

He'll settle for a goodbye hug and a promise to call him and tell him how the date went. He's just so cool . . . Why can't all men be like that?! But deep down, if you really think about it (which you probably don't because to you, the situation between the two of you isn't important enough to merit any real thought), you know that it's really not fair. You know that although he would never say it, it hurts him to know that despite all him good points and all the fun you two have, you don't think he's good enough to spend any real time with. Sure, it's mostly his fault, because he doesn't have to give in to your needs.

Maybe he's too short, or a little overweight, or has a big birthmark on him forehead, or works at Taco Bell. Whatever the reason, somehow life has given him a lot of really great qualities but has left out the ones that men want (or think they want) in a man.

So he remains forever the funny friend, the steadfast companion, the secret lover, and you go on searching for your goddess who will somehow be everything you ever wanted in a man. You'll joke to him that he should be the best man at your wedding, and he'll laugh and make a joke about a smelly rental tux.

He doesn't captivate you with his beauty, or open doors with his smile. Mainly he blends in with the crowd. He's safe.

He doesn't want to be the center of attention and turn the heads of everyone in the room. But he wants to turn someone's head.

He wants to be special to someone, too. We all do.

He has feelings.

He has a heart.

In fact, he probably has a bigger and better heart than any man you've ever known because he's had a front-row seat to The Mess That Is Your Life, and he likes you anyway.

He obviously sees something worthwhile and redeeming in you because although you've given him nothing, absolutely no reason to still be around, he is.

Anyway, yeah, I'm a meantime guy. Been one more times than I care to admit. I don't know the reason, really, and at this point I don't even care. I just want to let every guy know who's ever had the good fortune to have a Meantime Guy that we may be a lot of fun, but we cry, too. A lot. And someday we won't be around.

----------

Found this on one of the forums I usually visit.

Can you relate to this one? I think this always happen in the Homo World. The Meantine Guy is THAT super sincere guy that is usually taken for granted. In short, MARTYR.

I can relate to this. I've been a Meantime Boyfriend a few times. And I tell you, it is very unfair. But to a Meantime Guy, it is better getting that close than being nothing to the other.

Lungkot.

Thinking Twice

Thinking Twice

It is a very known fact that I have a lot of friends.

I do not know what had gotten into me last night that I started to ponder on who my real friends really are.

There are those who usually join me dancing in bars. Some join me at the mall. Of course some are from work and some are from my schools.

But when can we actually say that your friendship with another person has finally cross the line across being true and genuine? Is it when you share a bucket full of tears? Or when you both have stomach ache from laughing out so much? Is it when everytime you need to go out, he/she is the first person to pop your mind? Is it when you feel comfortable with the silence that befalls between you when you are together?

I cannot say.

Since last night, I have been in a very, very foul mood. I am not sure why. I am now thinking twice on some of my friends. Especially those who only see me everytime they are troubled or everytime they need me.

I can pinpoint to you some of them but it is not fair. I can name names but I am holding back. Why? Because all my wanderings may be a result of me being childish as I was once called.

And I am just hoping, as India Arie told me before, this too shall pass. I know it will.