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Mix-Tape: Influences

June 17, 2010

Here’s my very first mix-tape (not literally a tape though).

Influences

  1. Animate by John Petrucci
  2. Can’t Stop by Red Hot Chili Peppers
  3. End of All Hope by Nightwish
  4. Master of Puppets by Metallica
  5. Mind Storm by Joe Satriani
  6. Mottaka by Cheese
  7. New Skin by Incubus
  8. Stream of Consciousness by Dream Theater
  9. Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow by Bullet for my Valentine
  10. War of Hearts and Minds by Bamboo
Posted by kuyajot at 17:57:00 | permalink | comments[2]

Smile

June 16, 2010

Ngiti. Ito raw ang isa sa pinaka-madaling paraan para maipakita ang kasiyahan ng isang tao. Napakadaling gawin, kaya nga minsan ginagamit ito ng mga tao para maitago ang kanilang tunay na nararamdaman; kalungkutan, takot, pangamba, at kung ano-ano pa.

Pero may kakilala akong kahit gaano kabigat ang kanyang dinadala, tunay parin ang kanyang mga ngiti. Ang kanyang nakakahawang ngiti. Siya si Ate Henzel.

Sa isang blog-site (Tumblr) ko lang siya nakilala, at sa totoo lang, hindi nga niya ako kilala. Baka nga hindi niya alam na may nage-exist palang ako. Noong una, hindi ko lang pinapansin ang kanyang blog, dahil akala ko ay isa lang siya sa mga bloggers na nagpo-post ng mga larawan ng masasarap na pagkain, pero higit pa pala siya doon. Kelan ko lamang nakita ang kanyang mga personal posts. At ako’y nalungkot. Para bang gusto ko siya yakapin ng mahigpit. Tuluyan kong binasa ang iba niya pang mga sinulat. Ako’y naiyak at namangha sa kanya.

Hindi ko alam ang partikular na karamdaman niya, ngunit kung ano man iyon, alam kong hindi iyon biro. Nagtataka lang ako kung bakit tila ba masaya parin siya kahit na ganoon ang karamdaman niya, hindi naman niya kailangang magkubli. Hindi nga, totoo ang galak niya.

Nalungkot ako. Hindi ko siya kilala sa totoong buhay pero nalungkot ako at napatanong.

Bakit siya? Bakit siyang mabait at matino ang nakakaranas ng ganito? She does not deserve this!

Bakit siya? Habang ako, nagrereklamo sa tuwing naiinitan at nagigising sa umaga, siya nagpapasalamat. Habang ako naririndi tuwing nakakarinig at nakakakita ng mga taong umiiyak, siya pinipilit niyang pasayahin ang mga ito. Habang ako’y nagrereklamo sa tuwing nahihirapan sa buhay, siya ay nagagalak at kinakaya pa niya.

If there’s any way that she can share her pain with me, I’ll insist that she do it. My mind and my heart tells me that she doesn’t deserve this. But I guess God has his own perfect plan, after all, we are living because of His grace. “To live is Christ and to die is gain.” - Philippians 1:21

But just as what the Bible told us, we can pray for our hearts desire because God is so gracious and He listens and responds. And starting today, let it be my prayer that may Ate Henzel’s health smile back to her. Smile.

Posted by kuyajot at 0:34:00 | permalink | Add comment

Guitaristicism

June 9, 2010

I just finished posting my 10-part essay about my musical and guitaristic journey.
Each post has a video and an essay. You can click the individual posts or you can just click the title to view all of them at once (only from 10 - 1)

Guitaristicism by Josh Cerbito (kuyajot)

  1. The Childhood Music
  2. Picking up the Guitar
  3. The Rhythm Guitarist
  4. Advancing
  5. A need is a need
  6. Rebirth
  7. At 16 years-old
  8. Evolution
  9. Progressively Progressing
  10. Diversion

What’s next for me? I’m not sure yet, but I’m taking every musical opportunities possible. If you are willing, we can continue this journey together.

That’s it. I hope you like it guys! :]

Posted by kuyajot at 10:59:00 | permalink | Add comment

The Middle-Class Dilemna

June 5, 2010

Hello everyone. How are you doing? Good?

All of us here at home just did a movie marathon yesterday night and if my memory serves me right, they stayed up until 3AM or maybe later, I watched one more movie (I hope they serve beer in Hell) after they decided that it’s already bedtime, so I stayed up until 5AM I think. In short, they’re still sleeping right now. Me, I don’t sleep for more than 5 hours.

It was 10:30AM when the phone rang. I knew that I was the only who’s awake so I had to answer that call. I don’t usually answer phone calls here at home; I don’t like it but the situation forced me to do so.

Well, this story of mine is not about ranting on how I hate to answer a phone calls but about the phone call itself.

So I answered the phone and to my surprise, it was a family friend who I didn’t hear the voice for years now but is still familiar to me. He used to be the one to fix our computer back when me and my sister were still young. (Hey I’m not old yet! I’m just 20 Kay?)

He called because a friend of his was looking for a Web Designer Developer. He then told me all the required skill and experience that his friend needs. He told me that the pay is very good (and when he says very good, it means veeeery good). At first I felt fortunate for the opportunity because it’s as if all the required skill and experience were copied from my resume. He then told me to call a certain employer (yes the employer himself) and tell that person that I’m the Developer he referred; I will be interviewed and if I pass the interview, I will be hired automatically. But here’s the catch.

If I pass, my office would be in Guam.

It’s not that I don’t like to be in Guam, it’s just that working abroad isn’t really a Joshy-thing to do. I studied and graduated in public schools and universities and I know that I must be working for my country first.

Being patriotic is hard when you’re in a middle-class family.

Should I tell my parents about the deal?

Posted by kuyajot at 10:01:00 | permalink | Add comment

CBAP SOMA Youth Camp 2010

May 17, 2010

It’s been 24 hours or so since I got home from the 3-day YGEN Camp in Tagaytay and I’m somehow agitated still. You know the feeling when you sleep the night after a swimming trip? Yeah, you feel like you’re still in the water. That’s what I’m feeling right now.

For me, this particular youth camp is very different from the others that I attended before in some aspects and I love it.

First, I attended not as a camper but as a counselor; being a youth camp counselor has its cons and pros. We were the first to wake up and the last to sleep. If something happens, we were the ones accountable. We barely have time to eat or rest, physically and mentally. It’s a tough job but people still do it because it’s for the glory of God; it’s for the dissemination of His holy word.

Second, this time I did not go alone, I’m with my church mates. And I’m so happy to see that my church mates also enjoyed the camp.

Third, I made lots of friends. And it’s really new for me. I don’t really make friends and maybe that’s one of my weaknesses. I always go alone, but not in this camp. I really wanted to tell my new friends how I cherish the moments I was with them, the chatting, the laughing, the praying, and the mere concept of being friends. I really can’t tell this in their face so I wish they would be able to somehow land in this blog of mine and read this.

Yay! So now let me just take this time to thank the people behind this camp-hangover of mine.

To Josh a.k.a. Choy, you’re a very good guy and no one can ever contest to that. Thanks for the nice I-like-what-you-like and I-know-what-you-know talks. Thanks for the musical sessions especially during the last night on the camp site, let’s do that again some other time. And just like what we told each other before leaving the camp site, this is just the first time, just the start of something, good, something great. God bless.

To Jizelle, you’re a very rare specimen and I like that. Some people may misunderstood you in some aspects of life but I stand firm in my belief that you are a good and nice person and that it’s God who’s moving in your life. Thanks for being game in front and behind the camera. Thanks for being jolly and perky. You’re mere presence makes me smile. And oh, thanks for the half mushroom burger. God bless.

To my co-counselors Ate Joanne, Ate Gellie, Ate Anne, Ptr. Donnie and Hannah, I really enjoyed the meetings. It was a pleasure working with you guys and I really hope that we can work together again, soon! If that happens, I promise to be willing to drain my brain juice just to plan and come up with good ideas prior to the event itself.

To Pastor Jobeth, your message really moved me. To tell you honestly, I was very sleepy that night but your message struck me hard that I even stayed up until 2AM. God really talked to me through you and to that I’m very grateful.

To Pastor Mark and the whole CBAP SOMA council, thanks for accepting my father’s request to include me in the list of counselors. The camp made a drastic change in my principles and thinking and it would not be possible if not for you. Thank you very much!

To my group members especially to Sarah, thank you for being good to me, for listening and interacting to my lessons and lectures and for respecting me even if I’m just almost as young as you. Thanks a lot.

I really had fun and I really feel uplifted. I can’t thank God enough for this experience.

For the first time, I felt infinite.

Posted by kuyajot at 12:07:00 | permalink | Add comment