Drunken Reflections: ChinaBank Open at 12 Midnight

One night's party has given me realizations that actually make sense. When one is intoxicated, what enters his or her mind are mostly useless ideas. Not in my case, and not in the case of this one party I attended. Amazingly substantial ideas popped into my mind, and they are actually worth sharing. For that, I give a week's toast to last Saturday's drunken reflections.

The Night Marketing Strategy

I doubt that sounds anything like an idea a person under the influence of alcohol would think about. Before heading home after leaving their organization's Frosh Welcoming Party , I had to take my good friend Sparkles to her sister's condo because she accompanied me while we were waiting for my ride home to pick me up. On the way there, I noticed that store signs were lit (not something I'd think about on an ordinary day!). What I remember most with lighted signs that I pointed out was a coffee shop and ChinaBank, among others.

Here's a sketch of what went on in my conversation with Sparkles:

Bunny: Hey look, the coffee shop is still open! So are (blank) and (blank)
Sparkles: No Bunny, they're already closed.
Bunny: But the lights are on (referring to the lighted sign)
Sparkles: Yes, the lights are on but they're already closed
Bunny: ChinaBank is still open, the lights are on
Sparkles: They're already closed, the lights are just on
Bunny: But why do they turn the light on? They're just wasting electricity. Or maybe it's a marketing strategy. Maybe they leave the lights on the sign turned on so that the party people can see their corporate identities and logos when they go home. 'Di ba? I think I'll share that with Steve Wicks on Monday. I'll recite that too in my marketing class.

Bam! There goes my marketing strategy. I don't know with you, but I think it's a pretty cool realization- specifically after drinking some margarita!

You Look Silly Matching Colors

Actually, matching your outfit is not silly. It's matching the colors of your outfits that makes you look silly.

Gone are the days when it was cool to use a single color to dictate what you will be wearing for the day. Imagine someone wearing everything in one shade of blue. blue headband, blue eyeshadow, blue top, jeans, blue shoes, and blue bag. Awful! You'll look like a color that walked out of the color wheel.

I used to think it was cool. I would only do this subtly. I'd wear a green bracelet with my green slip-ons and green bag. Sometimes, with green underwear. I still match colors even until today, but you wouldn't even notice it.

So what to match, then?
Colors with other colors. Use different tones or shades that complement each other (clashing colors for other purposes), whether of the same color or otherwise . This will make you shine not in an attention-grabbing-matching-outfit-color way. Black is an exception, of course. How many shades of black can you have?

You Look Silly Making Ringtones

Before we could download mp3 tones in our phones, we used to have a composer feature where we can make ring tones with basic notes. I remember surfing the internet looking for keypress sequence to copy so I can compose the songs that I want.

Admit it, you've tried composing one of these:
-Mission Impossible
-Boy Band songs
-London Bridge
-Twinkle Twinkle

From today, it seems like that was a very long time ago. It's amazing how fast technology can develop. Back then, making ringtones was fun. We'd be wowed if one had a composed song that sounded very much like the original. We'd exchange sites where there are good guides for the latest songs. Now you look silly when you make one.

You Look Silly Taking A Call

Remember those days when the cellphone industry was just starting to find its way into our pockets? That was a time when almost everyone wanted to get his or her own phone. And for those who already had one, they wanted to have a call on their phone.

You must have witnessed this at least once- a person taking a fake phone call. Because cellphones weren't an ordinary accessory before as it is today, there were those who were itching to have a reason to take them out.

At first, it seems like an ordinary action- he or she takes out his or her phone and takes the call. After a period of yapping, the one flaw that the person fails to do pops up: the phone rings for real. And because ringtones were the in thing, they never fail to announce your incoming call. Good job!

I Look Silly With My Aurora Scientific Calculator

The first time I ever needed a scientific calculator for school was during my first year in high school. At that time, it didn’t matter to me what kind I had, as long as I had one that does the functions I need. I didn’t even bother to check them out; I just asked my dad to buy me one. He bought an Aurora calculator.

Now that I am in my third year in college, I realized that my calculator sucks. When I took my math class two terms ago, it was a real bummer. All went well until I needed the function for ‘!’ or factorial. I won’t bother explaining it. Heck, I already forgot what it’s for! Anyway, because it wasn’t able to perform the task I needed, I had to do it manually.

There are also other reasons to go with that:

-Had to push the reset button to turn it on

-Had to erase everything when I made a wrong press

-It’s got a flip cover that got detached and not possible to put back

-Which leads to the keys being pressed accidentally ALL the time

-Which leads to battery use and

-Soon enough was using solar power to do my computations

Recently though, I bought a new one. And I’m excited to do some calculations.

You Look Silly Wearing School Shoes

There are occasions when one looks silly wearing school shoes.

When I was in high school, there are times that we are required to change from our school uniforms to our Physical Education uniforms. This has happened to me before, and I think it's silly. An accidental silliness.

For some reason, one thing that is usually forgotten when bringing another outfit are shoes (or at least in my high school). The moment you realize that you did not bring the proper shoes to match your outfit is a nightmare. Imagine these:

• Numbered T-shirt + jogging pants + SCHOOL SHOES
• Colored shirt + jeans + SCHOOL SHOES

It may not be that bad, but the fact that everyone else is wearing the same thing makes you stand out. Believe me, it's not the kind of attention you want!

You Look Silly Wearing Fake Eyeglasses

What are glasses for? It's for people who have a problem with their eyesight.The lenses are made specifically to correct one's eyesight, for one to see a clearer picture of the world. But for some people, they want to have a more blurry view of the world.

Though it is pretty obvious what eyeglasses are for, some people wear them for other purposes. Some want to:
-Look smart;
-Look like a dominatrix;
-Look like a secretary; or
-Protect their eyes from dirt (uh, goggles would look better on you)

Sure, it can help enhance the look one wants to achieve, but really- it's silly! People who wear glasses for their proper reason are already hassled with it, but it seems like others want the hassle as well! One has to wipe the lenses constantly; push the glasses up the nose bridge every now and then; remove it when it fogs up. Wearing glasses regularly, and for a long time, is no easy job. Now wearing a 'fake' one doesn't exempt you from this.

First of all, your lenses aren't even lenses. They're hard plastic fitted to the frame of your glasses. I don't know how it does not bother you that there is plastic right before the lovely view when you can see it without wearing one. Second, it's bad plastic. Does it make you see the world in HD? No. You'll get the opposite. You have two pieces of scratched plastic in front of you.

I say, set your eyes free. Let them see the world not through two plastic windows, but through the very air that touches them.

You Look Silly In Those Sunglasses

Isn't it fun to wear sunglasses? For some reason, everyone seems to look a lot better when they wear one. They seem hotter, cooler, sexier. Besides protecting our eyes from the harmful UV rays of the sun, we wear shades as a fashion accessory. But it looks silly when worn without the sun around.

Sure it is an accessory, but why put tinted lenses in front of your eyes when there ain't no sunshine? Wearing one to the mall or wearing one when shopping is still quite acceptable, but there are some places where shades are out of place, and yet some people insist on them, like:
-the school canteen
-the library
-night parties
-job interviews
-in the classroom

Believe me, I've witnessed some of those mentioned above.

You are excused though, if:
1. You are a famous person and you need to hide (you attract more attention, actually)
2. You need to sleep
3. You have an eye infection
4. You need to spy on someone
5. You are a blind person playing an instrument

If you can't help it, better wear it on your head instead!

Burrito

It is natural for most of us to like certain characteristics of another culture that is not part of our own. Whenever it is not present in our ways, we try to adapt them somehow. Some people learn the language of another nationality, while others dress up in their fashion. In Betch D's case, she eats a burrito.

Yup, you got it. She's trying hard to be Mexican, and it's not working. In fact, her eating a burrito magnifies her being a Filipino. Let me tell you why.

First, she enjoys it so much because the burrito's got rice in it. Yes, you argue it's rice cooked the Mexican way. Sure sure. That's true anyway. Second, we have meat to go with the rice. Perfect match! Lastly, we have the the flour tortilla to wrap around the two, making it a very handy and portable meal.

Because I've been observing Betch D for some time now, I can certainly say that she is a true Filipino. For her, the rice and meat packed together are the kanin and ulam, while the tortilla wrap is the pisang tinapay. What a filling meal! Don't forget your cup of Cafe Puro to go with that.

Hah, think no one would notice? I have to say though, the tortilla wrap is a clever disguise!

Lame Joke

Just about a week ago, I celebrated my 20th birthday. At this age, you can't expect to get a lot of stuff from your loved ones. Just to be sure, I always remind my parents that I still want a birthday cake on my birthdays (with number candles, of course).

On the day of my birthday, I found Betch E really sweet for her gesture. She gave me a pack of Skittles candy. Although I prefer the the original flavors, any pack of sweets will make me happy anyway- until she made the lame joke.

Right after she greeted me a happy birthday and gave me a hug, she gave me the pack of Skittles. Why did she give me Skittles for a gift? Because the name of my dog is Skittles. Is that even funny? Is it funny to eat one's dog?

Later that day, she just had to repeat it. She even added a new line, telling me the pack of Skittles was actually for Skittles. Because her birthday was just three days away from mine, I had to laugh. Her joke made the pack of Skittles turn white, like my dog.

Anyway, I appreciate it a lot. Thank you Betch E for your present. You are a very sweet girl, unlike Betch A who has nothing better to do than to ask when the joint birthday dinner treat will be. She doesn't even eat. I haven't opened the pack, because I plan on sharing it with you and the others on the Thursday we meet again!

Checkerboard

Right now, a lot of people are going crazy over plaid tops. I myself would like one, and I know exactly where to get ‘em for a much cheaper price. I won’t be getting one any soon though- at least not in the place I have in mind- because we should be avoiding crowded places due to the flu outbreak.

We see a lot of people wearing it, and one of them is Betch X. She thinks she’s so cute wearing a ‘plaid’ shirt that she wears it every other day. I’m sure you won’t get sick of it; if there’s anything else she would don, it’d be a different color combination…of plaid yet again!

Now, plaid and checkered may only have slight differences, but Betch X keeps calling her plaids checkered. It’s pretty obvious that they’re checks- two colors alternating on those giant squares covering her torso.

She looks like a tablecloth.

Actually, she looks more like a checkerboard.

I could just ask her to lie on her belly and I could play chess on her back with someone. Checkers can also be an alternative game.

Although Betch A is a fashion blunder, it’s a good thing she agrees with me that those big checks are pain to the eyes. Betch E (whom I’ll be writing about next) says otherwise. You’ll still be my friend if at times, you decide to look like a board game.

If Betch X won’t stop wearing those big checks, I’ll start bringing pawns and other chess pieces in case we get bored!