Three To Tango
Written by Major Tom
Filed under: Personal and Family
July 26, 2006
It feels like its meme season once again and I’ve got one as tagged by Señor Enrique. This time the number involved is not 6, but 3. So here’s the three’s in my life.
Some THREE’s in my life:
3 things that scare me: 1. Moving shadows at night 2. Standing on great heights, like atop a 20 story building 3. Dying young
3 people who can make me laugh: 1. Jerry Seinfeld of Seinfeld 2. David Schwimmer of Friends 3. Myself
3 things I love: 1. My wooden guitar 2. My Computer 3. The TV
3 things I hate (or just detest): 1. Noisy and boisterous individuals 2. Having to drink milk because I ran out of coffee or tea 3. Hastily cooked food
3 things I don’t understand: 1. How air waves can be coverted into moving pictures on the television 2. Where fossil fuel came from (some scientists had hypothesized that they were remains of dead ancient creatures like dinasaurs) 3. St. Elmo’s Fire or Santelmo in tagalog. I’ve those rolling fireballs once when I was travelling by boat at nighttime
3 things on my desk: 1. CPU 2. Mouse 3. Keyboard
3 things I’m doing right now: 1. Writing this meme 2. Preparing to fetch my kids from school in about an hour 3. Thinking silently
3 things I wish to do before I die: 1. Travel the world 2. Head an organization 3. Publish a book
3 things I can do: 1. Play the guitar 2. Memorize Italian arias 3. Cook some non-everyday meal
3 ways to describe my personality: 1. Calm 2. Silent 3. With deep thoughts always
3 things people might not know about me: 1. I adore opera music 2. I was an editor in chief of a college magazine 3. I was President of a universtity student government
3 things I can’t do: 1. Draw anime-like images (which I had always wanted to) 2. Play a trombone (which I had tried once) 3. Toy with people’s emotions ( I borrowed this from Señor Enrique, but this is also very me)
3 things I think you should listen to: 1. Andrea Bocelli 2. U2 3. The current crop of new and talented Pinoy bands like Kamikazee and Rivermaya
3 things I don’t think you should listen to ever: 1. Gossips 2. Heavy Metal band that’s too heavy like Slayer 3. People who always do idle talk without considering that they have very near neighbors, officemates or classmates
3 of my absolute favorite foods: 1. Adobo 2. Fried Chicken marinated in minced garlic codiment 3. Rocky Road Ice Cream
3 things I’d like to learn: 1. Play the piano 2. How to build and manufacture a car (because I want to help our country become fully industrialized one day) 3. Build my own original web design
3 beverages I drink regularly: 1. Coffee 2. Coffee 3. Coffee
3 shows I watched when I was a child: 1. Starsky & Hutch 2. Combat 3. John & Marsha
3 people I have tagged to do this meme:- Trickyboy ( I think it’s high time he do another meme) - Warmstone (I hope she’d be reading this) - Myepinoy (I’d like to read some meme in his cool and very informative site)
You absolutely have many stuff here worthy of lengthy discussions, but let me pick out one now — opera.
I’m saving opera for my golden years so I’ll have something grand to look forward to when I’m truly old and gray. However, through friends, families and colleagues, I heard many wonderful arias but my favorite is O Mio Babbino Caro from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi.
Also, when Andrea Bocelli came to Manila, I went to see him although the only tickets I could get were near the ceiling of Araneta’s dome
And when he performed Con Te Partirò for his final encore, tears flowed from my eyes. When done, I screamed from the top of my lungs, “Bellissimo!”
Comment by eric — July 26, 2006 @ 12:17 pm
major tom,
been here this morning but wasnt able to comment. time constraints. will do these. dont ya worry.
Comment by bing — July 26, 2006 @ 12:25 pm
A few months ago, I downloaded Andrea Bocelli’s latest album “Amore” for my father then also got hooked on the songs.
Comment by Daphne — July 27, 2006 @ 8:15 am
You have a fear of heights, bro?
Comment by snglguy — July 27, 2006 @ 1:04 pm
To eric: Oh opera…Actually there’s a funny story behind this. About then years ago, I had a friend who was working as a medical representative and one of his doctor client introduced him to opera. My friend Victor had this recorded tape of Maria Callas that one night on a drinking binge he had introduced it to me and one of his cousins by playing it on the stereo. Victor said that he starts to enjoy it and began a lengthy lecture about who Maria Callas was, how she was a legend in the opera world, how her voice could break glass apertures at some point and then he had asked us if we did like the music. So me and his cousin had to pretend that we liked it otherwise he’d felt embarrassed. Actually, it was a shock to me to have ever been introduced to that kind of music when I was so deep into grunge and metal rock. So I had to excuse myself and me and the cousin had to laugh our heart out while Victor was not looking. It sounded just so strange back then.
But I couldn’t believe years after, I’d be so liking Maria Callas like she is a goddess, that in lonesome nights, her voice calms my soul and lulls me into good sleep. My fondness for opera music was a gradual development. One day a classmate from college lent me the Les Miserables record and I said…uhmm not bad and after playing it repeatedly, I just got hooked on it. Then upon reading good reviews, I bought Andrea Bocelli’s “Sogno” album and I swear its one of the best album I’ve ever heard. And so I started going deeper, listening to The Three Tenors until now that I have grown to be accustomed to the “real” operas like music from Puccini and Madame Butterfly. There’s no night right now that is complete without me playing Maria Callas or Pavarrotti. It just became a habit..a very good habit…it calms my soul completely
Comment by Major Tom — July 28, 2006 @ 6:04 am
To Bing: It’ll be the most pleasure for me to anticipate it…Thanks for so responding positively.
Comment by Major Tom — July 28, 2006 @ 6:05 am
To Daphne: I hadn’t bought that album yet but as you said, it had good reviews. I bet you already have “Sogno” and “Romanza”. They are exceptionally well.
Comment by Major Tom — July 28, 2006 @ 6:07 am
To sngl: Really, it really give me the scare. Once I was standing on the topmost corridor of a building here in the city, I felt so dizzy and my nerves were so wrecked that I swore from then on that I wouldn’t go so close to that situation ever again. I only rode the Ferris Wheel once because when the carriage I was riding reached the tomost level, I felt like screaming. I like climbing trees, but once I had climbed this very tall Ratiles tree when I was a child, I was petrified for a moment that I cried and a friend had to guide me from going down.
There’s actually a scientific definiton for this kind of fear…like clausthrophobia or something. Can’t be sure right now…
Comment by Major Tom — July 28, 2006 @ 6:14 am
I don’t think introducing Maria Callas to non-lovers of opera during a drinking binge was a good idea
I mean, Sex Pistols or Red Hot Chili Peppers would have been more delightful … hehehe. But I can see you and your cousin hysterically laughing about it; I would have, too! Yes, Maria Callas was the diva. Was she still alive when Onassis married Jacquie Kennedy?
Speaking of Sex Pistols, Malcolm McLaren, who was a groupie more than the group’s manager, later on produced an album which featured some of Puccini’s arias set against some interesting synchopated rhythms and with a bit of rapping as well.
That was sad about your watch given by your grandfather. Bet you had some explaining to do when you got home. My nephew who was about 12 at the time pinched some candy bars at a newstand I bought cigarettes from. I made him return them and apologize to the shopkeeper.
Comment by eric — July 28, 2006 @ 1:12 pm
major tom, for loving coffee, you have my vote. major tom for president - of the coffee lovers’s society.
sinagot ko na iyong six weird things mo. iyong kay singlguy na lang utang ko. pramis.
err, bakit ako nasama? did you really think i am THAT weird? wala naman. natanong ko lang.
your kids are lucky to have a smart dad like you. (kids can tell:))
Comment by atticus — July 28, 2006 @ 3:01 pm
To eric: It could have turned for the worse coz I think my friend knew that we were just pretending and seem to notice that we were just stifling our snickers. He got that “What’s Wrong With You?” kind of look the rest of that night.
Oh, the Sex Pistols. The first time I heard their music, I thought Sid Vicious was a psychopath. I think he was at some point…GEnius seem to come at a great price, just like Roger Barrett of Pink Floyd…
Bout the watch, my grandfather actually said to me that he wont buy another watch for me ever…but he did eventually, a mickey mouse watch though but it was memorable to me…
To Atticus: Hail to all coffee drinkers of the world!!! Included you because I thought you are very unique individual and unusual in a very sublime manner…
Comment by Major Tom — July 29, 2006 @ 4:42 am
Eric> Maria callas was still alive and kicking when Ari Onassis got hitched to Jackie Kennedy.
Comment by snglguy — July 29, 2006 @ 8:37 am
Major Tom, the 3 things you wrote that describe yourself are true based on the things I read on your blog. You’re very calm especially when you deal with criticisms/intrigues. You earn my respect for that (remember the troll issue a long, long time ago? You handled that fairly well). And your topics only reflect how intelligent and deep your thoughts are. Silent? I suppose so. Most intelligent people are predisposed to “silence”.
Comment by Abaniko — July 29, 2006 @ 9:28 am
iyo tamen major tom, adikto na kape. pano na lang kung walang kape na mundo? waa and gud to hear your support for OPM! rock on! hehe
Comment by rudyman — July 30, 2006 @ 10:50 am
Your personality 3’s… Calm, Silent, and with deep thoughts always ^_^ i think we taureans are mostly the same
though sometimes i can be hyper too…yeah, hope you don’t have that unpredictable moods like me hehe smiles
…can’t live without coffee too
..nice tag!
Comment by kathy — July 30, 2006 @ 5:03 pm
To Abaniko: Thanks man,..I’ve tried to fight back in the past actually but I just reckoned that in the end, it’s better to just turn the other cheek…
To rudyman: Oh, the time that there’d be no coffee in the world is the time I’d be shaking from extreme craving…I wonder when would I be able to taste that coffee beans that are sourced from cat’s manure. Medyo karo daw akel..
To Kathy: Unpredictability is also one powerful trait of mine. This might one general trait of Taureans aside from being bullheaded…I can be pretty determined at most times…
Comment by Major Tom — July 31, 2006 @ 6:58 am
Hmmm… we must be about the same age. I used to watch Starsky and Hutch, Combat, and John en Marsha too.
And remember those cheesy old Batman series with Burt Ward and Adam West?
Comment by Toe — August 2, 2006 @ 7:36 am
Yeah,..I can remember that Batman show na in black-n-white pa. Medyo malaki nga ang tiyan ni Batman doon…
Comment by Major Tom — August 2, 2006 @ 8:14 am
sorry to hear about your dad.
wow, you like seinfeld too!! chandler is my fave friends character, though schwimmer still makes me laugh.
Comment by drei — August 31, 2006 @ 1:40 pm
Thanks drei, I do appreciate your condolences…
Chandler they say has that perfect comedic timing but I guess he and Ross are toe-to-toe on this…
Comment by Major Tom — August 31, 2006 @ 2:48 pm