Gladiators in My Dream

They say dreaming is a result of randomly firing neurons, but however random the activity is, I think our brain is hardwired to make order out of chaos. If it's not the case, then you sleep sane, and wake up demented.

Last night I had one very lucid dream. Unlike my other lucid dreams, I was not a character in the dreamworld. I seem to be just watching how the events unfold for the two gladiators.

The dream was about an older gladiator with a striking resemblance to Elijah Wood. Imagine him baring his chest, grasping defiantly on the hilt of his long, broad sword, and wearing a pair of bold leather sandals. He was a warrior at his prime. He led several wars to victory. He was undefeated in duels. Eventually, the hobbit, now standing muscularly tall, became the king of his land. He ruled prosperously until a series of wars threatened the supremacy of his Kingdom...

Then enter an Eric Bana-ish gladiator. He was appointed by Elijah Wood as the soldier-general, the post which he once held. Eric was equally fierce and foreboding but his character is not as commendable as that of Elijah's. He resisted helping the poor. He did not defend the weak as he considers doing so outside of his duty. He is bound by the rules of war. He also doesn't care for his wife. Elijah heard of this and summoned Eric to his court. The King tried to talk Eric out from his unacceptable ethos. As a former gladiator himself, he must know best. I really can't remember their dialog but I'm sure the exchange was acrimonious. They ended up challenging each other in a duel.

The King cast off his linen clothes and wore once again the countenance of a gladiator. The night was dark. There was no source of light except for the big torch at the center of the coliseum, burning as fiercely as the two men. Both turned and faced the Elders of the Kingdom who watch from a fair elevation from the battle ground. The torch continues to burn. The white, rigged pillars casting off their majestic shadows...
My dream ends here.


I so wanted to witness what would happen next. But what could I do? hmmmpf!

Lying is a By-product

I hate liars. I hate lying. But I sometimes can't help spouting petty lies. I think I made another one today and I was convicted about what the Bible says: Liars go to hell. I thought about it for a while and I realized that lying is, in and of itself, not the sin. The underlying reason why one lies is because one does not do the right thing. Lying is a cherry on top of sins galore.

I know, Jesus said that one should not tell a lie. That is a categorical statement. No exceptions entertained. However, there are morally ambiguous situations where one can't help but to tell white lies. And I'm sure that you've heard people saying that there's no such thing as a black or white lie. Black, or white or pink, some lies even result to desirable ends and some are just plainly benign. I wonder if one tells the truth, even if in the short- term it would have unpleasant results, perhaps in the long-term, it would result to a more positive outcome, or an eternally rewarding repercussion in heaven.

Anyway, one thing is clear to me. I lie because I do wrong things. I told myself: "Do the right things and lying would become unnecessary. Period." But then, would that mean I can't stop weaving lies?

To all my blogger friends

Please include my new blog entitled "Travelin' Fashion" in your blogroll. As the name says, it's about Travel & Fashion in Korea.

Travelin' Fashion: An exchange student’s blog where he talks his walk.

Mashisoyo is Korean for delicious. ^^;

A Kaleidoscopic Bibimbapish Post, Samut-saring Karanasan ng mga Ipinalit-pinagpalit na Magaaral

Alumni’s Experiences : International College Student Exchange Program between
the Republic of Korea and ASEAN Nations.




I belong to Batch 2007.

What is exchange student in Filipino? Anyone?

Blog Readability Meme

**** Start Copy Here *****

1. Take the Readability Test for your blog(s) here.
2. Paste the result on your site.
3. Copy and paste this tag on your blog (make sure to include the links).
4. Add your link to this tag.
5. Tag as many friends / readers / victims as you want!

Read My Mind, Joan Joyce, Life in Korea, Apt1014, Elliot
[your turn!]

TV Reviews

I'm tagging Tentay Patis, Sollee, My Subconscious Talks, Marvs18, Kengkay, Crissy's Heaven
MLC

I can't touch things that are true...

Kaiinstall ko lang ng Google Earth on my laptop just to show my father what it can do. Hayon, punta kaming Paris, Cairo at kung san-san pa. When he went out of my room (baka napagod at di na-keri ang kata-travel),I decided to stay on Google Earth for a few more minutes. It's statistically expected for me to visit Korea, and I ended up landing on Daejeon University. Though the map isn't updated to 2007 geography (andaming kulang na buildings sa DJU) it made me recall Aslan's line in Chronicles of Narnia Prince Caspian:

"Things never happen the same way twice."

Point is: We need to grow in many different ways. But I'm such a creature of habit...

I know for a fact that kahit maglulupasay pa ko sa loob ng subway, when I get back to Korea again, things will never be the same for a number of reasons. Worst thing that could happen when I'm already there is when these words are pushed from my mouth: I had been better off in the Philippines.

Yeah, I shouldn't be expecting a fairy tale-themed life in this life. That's why I made a wish in my previous post.

Life on Film

A movie that is too long is a boring movie; you just want to cut it short and continue watching it later (you might not even want to do that). Is life not at all different? I have lived for two decades and a year and--for another decade or so--I cannot see my self doing the routinary mess that 'surprises' me everyday. Yes, I have a good family, I did well as a student, I have an easy and relatively high-paying job, I am surrounded by great people. Yet I want to have a lifespan of a butterfly. Each stage of their lives are well-demarcated. There is no confusion. Butterflies know no angst.

I yearn to live a life that's short and extremely eventful. I know it can't happen. And I can only wish in my hearts of hearts that I'd be reincarnated not as a person, but as a character in a soap opera about romantic love. I know I'm crazy. But come to think of it. As a persona in a soap, in 24 hours you have done what a centenarian has done in his lifetime. There is character development, you know your role, your purpose. You'll be able to travel to a lot of places, to be romantically loved, to be hurt and recover as if recovery is the next fastest thing to light...Yeah, I'd like to live in a soap opera. I don't wanna get tired. I don't wanna get sick and be confined for a long time. I don't wanna wear diapers or face the threat of being put in Home for the Aged. Yet I want to enjoy life, even if it is for just a short time. And isn't it that happiness, even in real life, ephemeral? So why not just live it on film?