|
Dear July,
What the hell is taking you so long? Please move quickly, you're stressing me out.
________________________________________________________________
Writer's block.
You have no idea how frustrating it is to have five different Word documents open, some blank, others incomplete, all in hopes of finally coming together for one paper. I keep losing my stream of consciousness, I keep changing my mind, I keep going off track and missing the point. No matter how badly I want to get it done, it just doesn't happen. I'm sorry English 42 but I just can't seem to find the words to write about regionalism in American literature in the early 19th century right now.
You have no idea how difficult it is to suddenly be left staring at the ceiling in bed, placing yourself under the deep recesses of the night when you've been desperately forcing your tired body to sleep for the last hour or so. I know I've said insomnia has become a surprising but sometime-welcome friend, but not right now. And especially not in my bed at home. I don't know what happened exactly but every time I lay my head on my pillow and face the wall I've been staring at longingly before I slumber for the last eighteen years of my life, I just can't sleep. It's as if the bed isn't the same anymore, this isn't where my head is supposed to rest. I'm guessing it's because my bed at the dorm has become cozier than this one and that a part of me has started believing that dorm is home, not this one. The one right there is my bed, not this one. The place where I can completely relax is that small, single bed by the cluttered bedside table, not this one. I'm sorry bed but I just can't seem to sleep comfortably like I normally should in you and it angers me right now.
You have no idea how exasperating it is to be pressured unnecessarily into something you don't think about because it's something you actually fear. I'd like to believe I'm doing fine with handling all the stress of being a student of a course that's completely subjective and talent-based, an only daughter with parents and family having only the best dreams for me, and an over-all sane person, but when something unexpected gets thrown at me so suddenly, I'm afraid I just might topple. I don't worry about my grades not because it doesn't matter but because I don't want to care right now, right when everything is still happening. I don't want high school happening all over again -- this time, I want to do things my own way, without people expecting medals and certificates of me. I'm sorry people but I just can't afford to be pressured to becoming this perfect, ideal character you created of me, but who isn't really me.
You have no idea how annoying it is to realize unexpectedly that you've finished an entire blog entry, and still not an entire paper. Damn it, creative juices, can't you get your priorities straight?! I need you for academics, not ranting.
But oh God, how I needed that.
________________________________________________________________
Trivia of the Day.
I just found out that our course, Creative Writing, was originally called Imaginative Writing when it was established in 1961, until its name was changed in 1989.
We would have been called Imaginative Writers. Which sounds so cool! But our barkada would have been called ImEng'g. Which sucks.
________________________________________________________________
Today.
Today I feel like being random.
Today is the day I've been waiting for after a month's worth of stress and hassle: suspension of classes. With the heavy rains and the strong winds embracing me as the morning unfolded, I finally got my much-needed rest. ELEVEN HOURS OF SLEEP. Eleven glorious, beautiful hours! I haven't felt so rested in such a long time. While I don't think that's enough to completely wipe off all the sleep debt I've accumulated since college began, I think it's sufficient to keep me going for a week or so.
I think that may be the most productive thing I did today.
Today feels like the world has been turned one shade darker and suddenly everything is gray and pleasant. I always like this weather. I nestle in between sheets and cuddle with my pillows, and feel like things are going to be okay. Much like how life is pretty much going for me. Turbulent times have passed, and pain has done a good job of breaking me a part. But now, I feel calmer, more secure. Like the aftermath of a rainy day - things are not the same, but they are alright. Everything is cozy, everything is right.
Today I'm proofreading my English 21 critical paper on The Canterbury Tales. I'm doing a deconstruction on dominance & submission using The Wife of Bath's tale. Kinky, 14th century style. It was intriguing for me how someone from a time when women were considered second-class citizens could claim dominance on their men, and how these rich, affluent husbands allowed them to do so. It's fascinating how the need to lose control and be vulnerable is just as important as the need to be in power. We thrive on dominance, but we also desire submission and inferiority. I've always seen myself as a dominant type, but I honestly also like the feeling of being dependent, of leaning on to someone. I guess this makes me a.. versa? :)) CL184 would be so proud of me.
Today I'm craving for ice cream, McFlurry in particular, and much to me and my dormmates' surprise (and disappointment!), McDonald's Katipunan is closed! Goodness, how is that even possible? I know the power's been cut but it was restored a few hours ago and we couldn't believe we couldn't have our fill of nuggets and fries just when we needed it most. McDonald's is supposed to be this constant, permanent presence in the life of stressed-out college students -- it's not supposed to close. Nghhh.
Today is a Stars kind of day. I think the reason I hold this band so dear to me is because there is no one else out there who can sing about love and hurt so exquisitely like they do. They tell stories of life and despair, of sunny days and hurricanes, but always in such a beautiful, cohesive way. They're the perfect companion for staying in bed and refusing to get out of the sheets, or sailing through a perfectly fine day. They always, always make me feel better.
Today I feel like being random. But in all my randomness, for the first time in a long time, I feel consistency. I feel like everything finally makes sense, like everything has fallen into their right places.
Today I'm okay.
________________________________________________________________
January 14th.
Little black shadows of rain droplets covered her legs. She hugged herself a little and felt the warmth of her new jacket. It was a new feeling, taking a ride with him. Disturbed was playing in the background, but somehow in the iPod inside her head, it was John Mayer providing the score to that moment.
She steals a glance at him. Eyes firmly planted on the road. She wanted to say something to break the silence, but decided not to. It was raining hard that afternoon, but she felt warm and fuzzy inside.
She could get used to this. Labels: finger exercises, Things one finds scribbled on scratch papers scattered on the desk
________________________________________________________________
Sometimes, all you need is one.
It's funny how I've been having commitment issues for the last three years of my life, when I have been in one serious relationship before in high school. I can't seem to get myself into something else anymore, no matter how great all the others are out there. I don't know, I guess the first one is just really irreplaceable.
Now before you get your eyebrows raised and tongues wagging, I'm talking about TV shows.
Friends. How I Met Your Mother. Sex And The City. Ally McBeal. Scrubs. Dirty Sexy Money. The Big Bang Theory. These are all great shows: critically acclaimed and well-loved by fans all over the world. Some of them are over, some of them have had their time, but one thing is certain, they've all taken a place in pop culture and in history. They're, as Barney Stinson puts it, legend--wait for it--ary. And I honestly all enjoy them. When I'm having a bad day, or a boring one, I just pop one of them into my player, and I feel better. But I can never finish one season completely. I can't sit through an entire day watching just one of these shows. I can't bring myself to embrace the characters, completely memorize the quotes, immerse in the music, and get myself drowned inside their world the way I only did with one particular show.
One Tree Hill.
I was looking back on my previous posts, particularly in my sophomore and junior year in high school, and I was shocked at how I just had to mention an OTH or Nathan Scott-related entry in literally every post. Obsessed would be an understatement -- I sang the songs to every episode, I can recite the lines by heart, and I knew the characters as if I was there inside the show with them. The whole entire time, I saw myself inside their world. Everything that happened to me, I mirrored to the plot line, everything I did I based on the characters' reactions. Everyday was a literal, "What would Haley/Brooke/Peyton do?" and sometimes I found myself wishing I should be in their world and not stuck in Manila. Instead of going home feeling tired with homework or extra-curriculars, I could have an ending montage of scenes complete with realizations, quotes from famous writers, and an awesome background music. What could be better than that? I was crazed, really. I give you permission to call me cuckoo.
But since college began, I sadly started losing touch. I wasn't as updated as I once was because of my busy schedule but I managed to catch up every month or so. However after Lucas and Peyton left, I just completely lost interest. My favorite characters were Nathan and Haley, and I was actually a Brucas fan, but I just didn't see the point anymore. It was a different world, a different show. I guess you could say I "graduated" from the show as well. And suddenly, nothing else was the same. I can't get myself to commit to another show the same way I did: no matter how much I love Friends, or the HIMYM gang, or the SATC girls. It's just not the same. It's like missing your "high school barkada" -- your new friends are great, but there's nothing like being with the ones you knew the longest and the best.
I guess, it's childish, or it's weird probably. But I guess I just can't replace the show, no matter how hard I try to let it go. I've gone so far as letting it define who I was, or at least who I wanted to be, and it was such a huge part of my life that I can't just erase it. It's a long distant memory now, but it's still there. I miss it. I miss every heart-aching line, every unforgettable kiss, every sleep-depriving conflict. I miss having this one certain presence in my life that made me feel safe, that made me feel like nothing can go wrong in my world, as long as it's okay in theirs. I miss One Tree Hill. My One Tree Hill.
If there's something the show has left me (aside from great music), it's that the world goes on, sometimes without the people we love in it. Things will never be the same, but things can go okay again. It might be a different kind of okay, but a comforting one nonetheless.
But it also taught me that it's okay to look back, to feel nostalgic about the past, and recall times that may have left you broken but also stronger. Because it's only by doing so that you realize how grateful you should be about the present, and how much better it actually is if you just open your eyes.
I'm listening to my OTH playlist right now. I should really watch season 1-4 again.
________________________________________________________________
Crash.
Sweet like candy to my soulSweet you rock and sweet you roll Lost for you, I'm so lost for you Oh, and you come crash into me And I come into you
- Crash Into Me by Dave Matthews Band
It's a nice feeling, knowing I'm here and you're there, and yet somehow, I don't feel so alone. Like finally, I know everything is going to be okay. And I don't want this to end. I don't want us to end.
________________________________________________________________
Dear July,
What the hell is taking you so long? Please move quickly, you're stressing me out.
________________________________________________________________
Writer's block.
You have no idea how frustrating it is to have five different Word documents open, some blank, others incomplete, all in hopes of finally coming together for one paper. I keep losing my stream of consciousness, I keep changing my mind, I keep going off track and missing the point. No matter how badly I want to get it done, it just doesn't happen. I'm sorry English 42 but I just can't seem to find the words to write about regionalism in American literature in the early 19th century right now.
You have no idea how difficult it is to suddenly be left staring at the ceiling in bed, placing yourself under the deep recesses of the night when you've been desperately forcing your tired body to sleep for the last hour or so. I know I've said insomnia has become a surprising but sometime-welcome friend, but not right now. And especially not in my bed at home. I don't know what happened exactly but every time I lay my head on my pillow and face the wall I've been staring at longingly before I slumber for the last eighteen years of my life, I just can't sleep. It's as if the bed isn't the same anymore, this isn't where my head is supposed to rest. I'm guessing it's because my bed at the dorm has become cozier than this one and that a part of me has started believing that dorm is home, not this one. The one right there is my bed, not this one. The place where I can completely relax is that small, single bed by the cluttered bedside table, not this one. I'm sorry bed but I just can't seem to sleep comfortably like I normally should in you and it angers me right now.
You have no idea how exasperating it is to be pressured unnecessarily into something you don't think about because it's something you actually fear. I'd like to believe I'm doing fine with handling all the stress of being a student of a course that's completely subjective and talent-based, an only daughter with parents and family having only the best dreams for me, and an over-all sane person, but when something unexpected gets thrown at me so suddenly, I'm afraid I just might topple. I don't worry about my grades not because it doesn't matter but because I don't want to care right now, right when everything is still happening. I don't want high school happening all over again -- this time, I want to do things my own way, without people expecting medals and certificates of me. I'm sorry people but I just can't afford to be pressured to becoming this perfect, ideal character you created of me, but who isn't really me.
You have no idea how annoying it is to realize unexpectedly that you've finished an entire blog entry, and still not an entire paper. Damn it, creative juices, can't you get your priorities straight?! I need you for academics, not ranting.
But oh God, how I needed that.
________________________________________________________________
Trivia of the Day.
I just found out that our course, Creative Writing, was originally called Imaginative Writing when it was established in 1961, until its name was changed in 1989.
We would have been called Imaginative Writers. Which sounds so cool! But our barkada would have been called ImEng'g. Which sucks.
________________________________________________________________
Today.
Today I feel like being random.
Today is the day I've been waiting for after a month's worth of stress and hassle: suspension of classes. With the heavy rains and the strong winds embracing me as the morning unfolded, I finally got my much-needed rest. ELEVEN HOURS OF SLEEP. Eleven glorious, beautiful hours! I haven't felt so rested in such a long time. While I don't think that's enough to completely wipe off all the sleep debt I've accumulated since college began, I think it's sufficient to keep me going for a week or so.
I think that may be the most productive thing I did today.
Today feels like the world has been turned one shade darker and suddenly everything is gray and pleasant. I always like this weather. I nestle in between sheets and cuddle with my pillows, and feel like things are going to be okay. Much like how life is pretty much going for me. Turbulent times have passed, and pain has done a good job of breaking me a part. But now, I feel calmer, more secure. Like the aftermath of a rainy day - things are not the same, but they are alright. Everything is cozy, everything is right.
Today I'm proofreading my English 21 critical paper on The Canterbury Tales. I'm doing a deconstruction on dominance & submission using The Wife of Bath's tale. Kinky, 14th century style. It was intriguing for me how someone from a time when women were considered second-class citizens could claim dominance on their men, and how these rich, affluent husbands allowed them to do so. It's fascinating how the need to lose control and be vulnerable is just as important as the need to be in power. We thrive on dominance, but we also desire submission and inferiority. I've always seen myself as a dominant type, but I honestly also like the feeling of being dependent, of leaning on to someone. I guess this makes me a.. versa? :)) CL184 would be so proud of me.
Today I'm craving for ice cream, McFlurry in particular, and much to me and my dormmates' surprise (and disappointment!), McDonald's Katipunan is closed! Goodness, how is that even possible? I know the power's been cut but it was restored a few hours ago and we couldn't believe we couldn't have our fill of nuggets and fries just when we needed it most. McDonald's is supposed to be this constant, permanent presence in the life of stressed-out college students -- it's not supposed to close. Nghhh.
Today is a Stars kind of day. I think the reason I hold this band so dear to me is because there is no one else out there who can sing about love and hurt so exquisitely like they do. They tell stories of life and despair, of sunny days and hurricanes, but always in such a beautiful, cohesive way. They're the perfect companion for staying in bed and refusing to get out of the sheets, or sailing through a perfectly fine day. They always, always make me feel better.
Today I feel like being random. But in all my randomness, for the first time in a long time, I feel consistency. I feel like everything finally makes sense, like everything has fallen into their right places.
Today I'm okay.
________________________________________________________________
January 14th.
Little black shadows of rain droplets covered her legs. She hugged herself a little and felt the warmth of her new jacket. It was a new feeling, taking a ride with him. Disturbed was playing in the background, but somehow in the iPod inside her head, it was John Mayer providing the score to that moment.
She steals a glance at him. Eyes firmly planted on the road. She wanted to say something to break the silence, but decided not to. It was raining hard that afternoon, but she felt warm and fuzzy inside.
She could get used to this. Labels: finger exercises, Things one finds scribbled on scratch papers scattered on the desk
________________________________________________________________
Sometimes, all you need is one.
It's funny how I've been having commitment issues for the last three years of my life, when I have been in one serious relationship before in high school. I can't seem to get myself into something else anymore, no matter how great all the others are out there. I don't know, I guess the first one is just really irreplaceable.
Now before you get your eyebrows raised and tongues wagging, I'm talking about TV shows.
Friends. How I Met Your Mother. Sex And The City. Ally McBeal. Scrubs. Dirty Sexy Money. The Big Bang Theory. These are all great shows: critically acclaimed and well-loved by fans all over the world. Some of them are over, some of them have had their time, but one thing is certain, they've all taken a place in pop culture and in history. They're, as Barney Stinson puts it, legend--wait for it--ary. And I honestly all enjoy them. When I'm having a bad day, or a boring one, I just pop one of them into my player, and I feel better. But I can never finish one season completely. I can't sit through an entire day watching just one of these shows. I can't bring myself to embrace the characters, completely memorize the quotes, immerse in the music, and get myself drowned inside their world the way I only did with one particular show.
One Tree Hill.
I was looking back on my previous posts, particularly in my sophomore and junior year in high school, and I was shocked at how I just had to mention an OTH or Nathan Scott-related entry in literally every post. Obsessed would be an understatement -- I sang the songs to every episode, I can recite the lines by heart, and I knew the characters as if I was there inside the show with them. The whole entire time, I saw myself inside their world. Everything that happened to me, I mirrored to the plot line, everything I did I based on the characters' reactions. Everyday was a literal, "What would Haley/Brooke/Peyton do?" and sometimes I found myself wishing I should be in their world and not stuck in Manila. Instead of going home feeling tired with homework or extra-curriculars, I could have an ending montage of scenes complete with realizations, quotes from famous writers, and an awesome background music. What could be better than that? I was crazed, really. I give you permission to call me cuckoo.
But since college began, I sadly started losing touch. I wasn't as updated as I once was because of my busy schedule but I managed to catch up every month or so. However after Lucas and Peyton left, I just completely lost interest. My favorite characters were Nathan and Haley, and I was actually a Brucas fan, but I just didn't see the point anymore. It was a different world, a different show. I guess you could say I "graduated" from the show as well. And suddenly, nothing else was the same. I can't get myself to commit to another show the same way I did: no matter how much I love Friends, or the HIMYM gang, or the SATC girls. It's just not the same. It's like missing your "high school barkada" -- your new friends are great, but there's nothing like being with the ones you knew the longest and the best.
I guess, it's childish, or it's weird probably. But I guess I just can't replace the show, no matter how hard I try to let it go. I've gone so far as letting it define who I was, or at least who I wanted to be, and it was such a huge part of my life that I can't just erase it. It's a long distant memory now, but it's still there. I miss it. I miss every heart-aching line, every unforgettable kiss, every sleep-depriving conflict. I miss having this one certain presence in my life that made me feel safe, that made me feel like nothing can go wrong in my world, as long as it's okay in theirs. I miss One Tree Hill. My One Tree Hill.
If there's something the show has left me (aside from great music), it's that the world goes on, sometimes without the people we love in it. Things will never be the same, but things can go okay again. It might be a different kind of okay, but a comforting one nonetheless.
But it also taught me that it's okay to look back, to feel nostalgic about the past, and recall times that may have left you broken but also stronger. Because it's only by doing so that you realize how grateful you should be about the present, and how much better it actually is if you just open your eyes.
I'm listening to my OTH playlist right now. I should really watch season 1-4 again.
________________________________________________________________
Crash.
Sweet like candy to my soulSweet you rock and sweet you roll Lost for you, I'm so lost for you Oh, and you come crash into me And I come into you
- Crash Into Me by Dave Matthews Band
It's a nice feeling, knowing I'm here and you're there, and yet somehow, I don't feel so alone. Like finally, I know everything is going to be okay. And I don't want this to end. I don't want us to end.
________________________________________________________________
She's a modern lover; it's an exploration, she's made of outer space
Hello, I'm Karla Bernardo. If you Google my name, you will find the Wikipedia entry of a Canadian serial-killer (and trust me, you do not want
to read about that - but I'm sure you will because now you're curious), which is why I suggest you type Bombastarr instead so you can stalk me better.
I spent eight-and-a-half years of my life in the University of the Philippines, where I graduated with degrees in Creative Writing and Juris Doctor. It is also where I learned how to speak a bit of Italian, got a taste of the best tapsilog, and took striptease for PE.
I love telling stories, as much as I enjoy finding them.
____Want more?
Featured Works
Stargirl ( Cover story for Nadine Lustre, Scout, January-February 2017)
Surreal / So Real (at Scout)
Ode to a Great Love's 17-year-old Self ( Love.Life, Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Postcard from Diliman
( Youngblood, Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Writer for Philippine Law Register
A Call to Arms (January 2017)
Expecting the Expected (March 2016)
Former Writer for Stache Magazine
The Hero's Journey (June 2013)
The 8 People You Become In Your Youth (June 2013)
The Best Bad Idea That Is Argo (April 2013)
Mike Ross Remembers Everything You Don't (August 2012)
Style Between the Riffs (August 2012)
Book Lovers Never Sleep Alone (June 2012)
A Spectrum of Change (December 2011)
Digital Art (October 2011)
Elements of Style (June 2011)
In Her White Dress (All-Art April 2011 issue)
Morning After Pill ( Fervore: Literary Folio 2013, UP Portia Sorority)
How To Make a Blueberry Cheesecake ( Kalas: Kalasag Literary Folio 2011, UP College of Arts and Letters)
January 14th ( 100: The Hundreds Project, UP Writer's Club)
An Ode to The
Pillow Book (at New-Slang)
Introductions (at TeenInk)
One by One (at TeenInk)
Ask, and you shall be answered
Got a comment, question, violent reaction, love letter, or random piece of information you want to share with me? Just fire away. I don't bite.
(I changed my form and went back to Freedback because Ask.fm's being a bitch, requiring people to sign up for accounts before asking questions. Because I love you guys, I tweaked my ask box a bit, so that the questions will now go directly to my e-mail, but I'll be posting the answers still on my Ask.fm for convenience. TL;DR - I'll still be getting your questions so no worries. You're still free to harass me / send me your love.)
Answers
Most Frequently Asked QuestionAre you a pornstar?No, I am not a pornstar, stripper, or your friendly neighborhood call girl. It's just a fancy pseudonym with a long history, and two R's. Rawr.
Bombastarr.com
Bombastarr is my personal blog and my little corner in the Internet since 2005. Yes, I started writing here when I was 13 years old (aka when I was very angsty, hormonal, and always gushing at the littlest things) -- ergo, you'd have to forgive me if you come across an old post that reeks of immaturity and slightly unpolished grammar. I did a lot of growing up here, and from the looks of it, there's still a lot of growing up to do, so I don't think I'll be leaving this place any time soon.
The domain, Bombastarr.com, was purchased on June 2014 and
launched on July 2014, on the blog's ninth year (and fifth month, to be exact).
It's crazy to think that this blog is now thirteen years old, because (1) that seems like an eternity in internet years, and (2) that means if my blog were a kid, it's a teenager! That's insane.
Here's to more tales, explosive and otherwise.
So, why Bombastarr?
If you've been living under a rock and think I'm a threat to world peace or an object of covetousness, sorry to disappoint you, folks: it's just a fancy pseudonym.
As in most things, it started in high school. It began as a joke between me and a couple of friends during our freshman year. We were practicing for a field demonstration dance which involved the use of shawls, and being the crazy-always-trying-to-be-funny person that I was (or I always attempted to be) I started doing poses with the garment. Someone started taking my picture using my phone, and one shot looked like I was posing for those B-list movies (or should it be R-list, as in R-rated?) of the vegetable-nomenclature variety. #IKYWIM. Hence, the word, "Bombastarr." Yes, very cheeky, I know, but for a 13-year-old, it was quirky enough to figure as a username. That was 2005, right around the time I trying to decide on a URL for a new blog. It's been a lot of years since, and what started as a joke became something I've eventually embraced as an identity.
Despite the many other chances I've gotten to permanently move (to Multiply, Livejournal, Tumblr, Wordpress; to a bigger platform where I can earn or use the blog as a venue for commerce), I've come to realize that Bombastarr is something I can never truly leave behind. It is a place I've grown to appreciate and love because it is a place I can call my own. It's a venue for my rants, my views, my writing. It is home, and it is who I am.
Bombastarr is a glimpse of my life: the thoughts, ideas, and stories that shape it into what it is, and what it will still become. This journal has been with me for all my crazy, often embarrassing adventures, but I'm sure there will be more anecdotes and feelings and people to write about. Which is something I'm really looking forward to. After all, you know what they say about the greatest stories - sometimes, there's still a lot that's left unwritten.
Credits and thank you's
This blog is hosted by PhilHosting.net, and powered by Blogger. The layout is coded entirely by me.
Photo hosting: TinyPic, Photobucket
Question box: EmailMeForm, Ask.fm
Copyright © BOMBASTARR
Elsewhere, she wanders
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