IT'S NOT A TOY, IT'S NOT JUST A ROBOT, IT'S GUNPLA

“Greetings, my fellow earthlings”. Today I will be talking to you about a hobby that I so love (or as for now, ‘I so once loved’ and will “soon to be” loved once more) to do especially during the summer break or during Christmas season. Today I’m going to talk you about my “seasonal-addiction” of GUNPLA’s.

So what is a GUNPLA?

Well, GUNPLA is generally the term used to name or describe any gundam model (or kit) that is in plastic form or is in plastic composition. The name itself is a portmanteau word made by combining the words “GUNdam” and “PLAstic”. Never heard of the word Gundam? Click this link then

I’ve always despised the stereotypical and ignorant notion of people that Gunplas are “toys”. For goodness sake, THEY'RE NOT TOYS, THEY ARE MODELS. If you closely on the box of a Gunpla model, it says there “ n scale model ” (where n is the scale number). IT'S A MODEL NOT A TOY, got it? Ok, now that we’ve got that all cleared up let’s continue to our topic here.

You might ask why I love these Gunplas but if you ask me that, you’re already missing the good part. You see Gunplas, unlike other scalar models-slash-figures-slash-collectables, are not ‘ready-made’. These Gunplas are to be assembled yet, and assembling these bad boys is the part that I LOVE THE MOST.

Assembling one isn’t really that hard, unless you have no patience at all. Assembling one takes time and effort but in the end, it’s all the worth it. Usually, smaller scale models (those with bigger denominator value e.g. 1/144) are easier and more convenient to build albeit the resulting figure isn’t as satisfying and as beautiful as those with higher scales (smaller in denominator value e.g. 1/100, 1/60). Also, there is FREEDOM in assembling these figures, that is, you can customize them in any way you want and be creative as much as you want to and paint them in whichever colour you like.

The problem with this though, in doing this (and in collecting such) is that these models can be pretty pricey. Yes, true (especially those that are of higher scale quality). These models can cost so much that I never ever answer the questions and inquiries of people regarding their prices

But for me, their price is worth the time they give – the time and moments of delight that I get from these bad boys are incomparable, and in that reason, ‘cannot be bought or exchanged for anything’. You wouldn’t buy a gunplay unless of course you WANT that Gunpla. And for these past six years of hunting and collecting these “amusing” machines of mass destruction and warfare, never had I had any regret buying any of these Gunplas.

For some more pictures, here's a link to an album of my "not-so-great" (small) collection of Gunplas.

Silence means yes

       
                                                               Silence means yes

               "Okay class, you're dismissed". The moment that I heard this, I immediately stood up from my shaking (and almost broken) chair and hastily ran out of the classroom. But right before I exited, I stopped right by the door – holding the knob tightly with my right hand while the other gripping the sling of my bag – and I shouted, "Today, I'm gonna make me the happiest man on earth!". Everyone looked at me. Most of them, perplexed (including our teacher). Daryl, my bestfriend, who sat three chairs in front of where I was seated smiled and gave me somewhat of an encouraging gesture: he raised his hands and gave me a 'two-thumbs up'. I looked back at him, and responded to him by pounding the left side of my chest with my lift fist clenched.

              It was a tuesday. It was the fourteenth of February.It was already dusk, just ten minutes before six in the evening (as I recalled) and I was waiting in the plaza beside the old, huge mahogany tree where we used to see each other. There was no bench to be found near the tree, the reason that I was patiently standing. I waited and waited and I waited and waited some more . . .until I couldn't wait any longer. So I reached for the phone on my left pocket and started to type: "Wer r u?". I paused for a sudden and hesitated to continue. I thought there for a moment, Am I really sure of what I am doing? Is this really the right and perfect time for me to tell this to her? I asked these to myself. And then I realized. I was just one year away from college, and I might never be able to see her again and tell her about this. "Win or lose, at least you would try". I remembered the words that Daryl spoke to me about. Finally, it came to me. Time doesn't need to be perfect.Time needs to happen. So I ran my heart out, and went out to look for her to that place that I know she would surely be: my heart.
             This day was very special. This Valentines day was the day I decided to finally confess my love and eventually court her, the girl of my life whom I've always dreamed of marrying (someday hopefully). It's been more than a year and a half since we came to know more about each other. We've shared many secrets to each other, and have had several conflicts and 'cold wars' along the way. And I think it has been more than enough waiting and keeping my true emotions covert. Today was the day I decided to man-up, and step up to the plate.
           I was panting. I was breathing very hard. My knees could even barely stand but never did I felt tired about it. I was just too excited and was filled with so much energy.I looked around the library but I didn't see her. I went to the librarian and inquired "Did you by any chance saw a girl came in here? Long reddish hair? Bright brown eyes, who I think is about two inches shorter than me?". "There is a girl with a long hair there in the literature section" she answered. I said thanks to her and immediately went out to the literature section. And there she was. Her long reddish hair magnificently leaning by her shoulder; her head, looking up at some of the books as if looking for something; her right hand was in her pocket, the other trying to reach for a certain book. I approached her.She then noticed I was coming, looked at me, and smiled.
   "Oi! Bro! What are you doing here?" 
   "Oi, Bro, uhm... I was looking for you."
   "Huh? Why?" she asked. Her face, looking very curious.
   "Uhm, I wanted to tell you something."
   "Ok,sure. What is it?"
          I opened my bag and I reached out for the flowers and a red box (which contained chocolates and a letter) and gave it to her. She then smiled. I came closer to her. I looked her in the eye, and she continued to smile to me. We were staring at each other for awhile there. She was speechless for she didn't expect any of this. I came even closer, and I hugged her. I hugged her so tight and warm, and told her,"Happy Valentines day Bro". That was the best feeling in my life. To feel her so close to me, its as if I wouldn't wanna let go of her and just hug her forever.
         I released the hug, and held her shoulders by my hand.I looked at her sincerely,and said, "Bro,I know we've known each other for a long time already. You know me more than anyone, as I know you more than anyone also. I may not be the best and that's because I am nothing – I am nothing without you. Which is why I need you. You complete me bro. I love you. Will you love me also?"        
        She was still so speechless. She didn't say anything. And after a while, tears started to slowly fall from her eyes and she started to cry. She then hugged me again. Still, she didn't say anything to me. She didn't have any response. Her silence was so puzzling. But for me, her silence meant something.
           But then suddenly, from out of nowhere, I started to hear a loud ringing noise. It was so loud. I tried to find where it was coming from. Then I opened my eyes, and realized, I was already late for school!!! It was just my clock that was being so noisy. I realized, that It was all just a dream.

            

'Ego'

                                                                         'Ego'

                    At first glance, one would easily assume that the title of this blog, ‘ego’, is the same as that stereotypical notion and/or definition of ego, which is pride. This is a common perception that I expect from many. But actually, it isn't really meant that way. The word ‘ego’ in which I use here is the Latin equivalent of the word/s  ‘I’, ‘myself’, or ‘me’.  That is because the articles that I'll be posting here will all be about myself, ‘ego’. If not all, then maybe most of it. So to start off, let me begin with a simple introduction:   

“Hi :)”

                     Hello there. My name is James Gabriel Garrido, but you can simply call me by my first name, ‘James’. I’m  5”1’ tall and I weigh about roughly 58 kg. I was born in San Remigio, Cebu – on the fifteenth of November of the year Nineteen Ninety-six, exactly  four  o’clock in the morning. I’m currently living in my sister’s residence in Sunny Hills, Talamban, Cebu city, Cebu  - albeit my permanent home address is  in ‘Poblacion, San Remigio, Cebu’ (northern part of Cebu where I grew up and where I spent most of my childhood ).  The reason that I’m staying here in the city is because I’m currently studying  Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in the University of the Philippines, Cebu . I’m a freshman student, and my student number is 2013-53100 (because of some reason, I fortunately passed the UPCAT).

                                                                       About me

                      There isn't really that much to talk about me. Because if I’m going to summarize ‘me’ in one sentence or so, it would be: “I am a VERY boring person”. You see, I have nothing to tell or talk about that is going to interest you in any way whatsoever. And there isn't, I assure you that. No really, I mean it. There isn’t.  I swear. But for the sake of telling, I'll just say some few things about me as to what are some of the things that I love, like, and do, and what not, or just say anything that I can say about myself.

                   I hate wearing my eyeglasses, despite the fact that I am near-sighted and I’m only forced to do so, so that I could see things clearly from afar. I don't feel like wearing it because I feel awkward about it and I just don't want to. I don’t drink (alcohol) and I don’t smoke. Never have, and never will. I live a straight-edge lifestyle (the reason for that, I will tell later maybe in my future posts). I love to eat nachos or any other Mexican food (e.g. taco, burrito, etc). I listen to some rock/ballad music. I love THE BEATLES and I still love listening to them and their music, up until now (if you’re reading this and you don’t know who they are, STOP. Go to youtube, and search them and listen to their music, and through God’s merciful name, may you learn to realize what ‘good music’ is all about).I’m not a musician but I do know how to play the guitar. Though, I haven’t been able to play it again since the classes started. I don’t play basketball, I don’t do UFC, but I used to play tennis. ‘Used to’. I quitted a month before graduation because I became so busy with my Investigatory project but I am planning to come back and play again as soon as it’ll be vacation. I play and collect trading cards, specifically ‘Yu-Gi-Oh’ and ‘Cardfight Vanguard’. Although in Yu-Gi-Oh, I haven’t really been playing that much already because of the current ‘shitty’ format of the metagame and in fact, many are already transferring to Vanguard (just as I did) where there is an equal and more balanced structure of a meta. I LOVE PHILOSOPHY, PERIOD. Yes, I love Philosophy VERY MUCH. I’ve only read a few books about it, but I’m already SO in love about it. I like how it approaches life, and its valuable lessons to it, and the many great men who define ages, and the concepts and ideas that Philosophy presents, it is just ‘life-changing’.  I've only read 1 dialogue of Plato, which is the ‘The Apology’ (of Socrates, translated by W.H.D. Rouse) and a reference book about Philosophy (‘Ideas of  the Great Philosophers’ by W. S. Sahakian and M.L. Sahakian). The latter, I really love to read and read and read again and again. It’s a beautiful summary of some of the most remarkable concepts and ideas or philosophies of great philosophers. From Plato to Kant, from Epictetus to Schopenhauer, it just has almost everything fundamental. But enough about that. I’ll talk more about Philosophy on my other blog. For now, I think that’s about it (I guess). 

               To summarize all of this, I’m really a ‘weird’ person. That's just the way I see myself. I feel different from the society. I don’t do vices like other teens do today. I don’t partake in what modern men do (specifically ‘playing’ e.g. dota, etc). I like philosophy, and I’m pretty sure, NO ONE, with the same age as I am, WOULD EVER learn to love philosophy as much as I do. Not that I know any but my point is, I’m a weird kiddo. I am just so different from other people that I just can’t seem to get along with others because I find it hard to adjust and become someone else. Or maybe, I just haven’t found the right people to be with. Who knows (I don’t. Do you?). And thats about me. Finis.