a few weeks into the month of june, people were wondering, “i thought it was supposed to be rainy season? then why is it so damn hot?” i should know, i was one of those who were wondering about the same thing. not that i’m complaining, i guess i’m just used to have the thinking that when june starts, rain also starts to fall from the sky. then towards the end of july, the weather started to turn weird. in a single day, it would rain and shine about three or four times, usually one right after the other. then, as you may have noticed, during the past two weeks, the sun had hidden itself amongst the clouds, it’s powerful rays blocked by sheer thickness of rain and moisture.

i actually liked what has happened during the past few days. although there are really inconveniences when it’s raining (it can’t be helped–like flooding, having difficulty getting public transport, roads getting potholes, increased traffic, and of course, sickness) i actually look forward to hearing the sound of rain hitting the rooftops, especially when i’m at home. for some reason, it helps me relax most especially after i arrive home from work in the afternoon. I also think that rain sets the mood for a lot of things. my favorite is on a rainy day-off, instead of watching tv or surfing the net, i go to my room, bag of chips and beverage in hand, and scatter all my cd’s on the bed and play laid back, easy listening music (most preferably ballads starting from the late 80’s and beyond from reo speedwagon, cheap trick, john waite, tom petty, dave matthews, tears for fears, tom scott, glass tiger, john mayer–just to name a few) while sitting cozily on the couch, put my feet up and chow down some chips while jamming (unfortunately, my room doesn’t have space for a couch so i guess my bed would have to do). that for me, is the ultimate stress-reliever. thinking of nothing but the tunes that i hear, enjoying the melodies of instruments playing in harmony, tapping my feet or nodding my head to the beat of the song in the background during mid-morning or mid-afternoon (makes me miss my drum-playing stint back in high school). at that point in time, i could manage to smile and say to myself, “it’s all good.”

on the other hand, rain makes certain people nostalgic. i also have, on a number of occasions, reflect or reminisce personal events, especially when it’s raining hard outside and the electricity is out. and it sometimes coincides with something that has happened to you which affected you emotionally (say a breakup or a fight you had with a significant other). it’s like the heavens are empathizing with how you feel and rain is the mode of comfort you’re being given. it is in these times that i want to have such artists as diana reeves, melissa manchester, julia fordham, james ingram, patti austin, lani hall, michael buble, and even kenny g playing in the background. their songs make you feel more pain to the point of breaking down and crying. but as they say, after the rain, comes the sunshine. no matter how much sorrow you have, or pain you felt, in time, like rain, it’ll all go away and the warmth of the sun and the chirping of the birds beckons you to move on and start over. this is, how a cliche comes to call it, how life goes on.

let me end this simple entry with the lyrics of one of my all-time favorite songs which i frequently listen not just on rainy days, but also when i’m driving or when i just need a feel-good song to listen to. the words are very simple, yet the way the music was brought together makes it for a beat and rhythm so light-hearted yet soulful that listening to it once is not enough. i’m having LSS (last song syndrome) because of it. anyway, hope everyone has a good weekend ahead!

How Do You Talk To An Angel
The Heights

I Hear Her Voice In My Mind

I Know Her Face By Heart

Heaven And Earth Are Moving In My Soul

I Don’t Know Where To Start

Tell Me Tell Me

The Words To Define

The Way I Feel About Someone So Fine

How Do You Talk To An Angel

How Do You Hold Her Close To Where You Are

How Do You Talk To An Angel

It’s Like Trying To Catch A Falling Star

At Night I Dream

That She Is There

When I Can’t Feel Her In The Air

Tell Me Tell Me

The Words To Define

The Way I Feel About Someone So Fine

How Do You Talk To An Angel

How Do You Hold Her Close To Where You Are

How Do You Talk To An Angel

It’s Like Trying To Catch A Falling Star

How Do You Talk To An Angel

How Do You Hold Her Close To Where You Are

How Do You Talk To An Angel

It’s Like Trying To Catch A Falling Star

How Do You Talk To An Angel

How Do You Hold Her Close To Where You Are

How Do You Talk To An Angel

It’s Like Trying To Catch A Falling Star

Yeah

Yeah Oh…..

much has happened since the month started. i never imagined myself any more busier this month than the previous months. in a time that everyone is supposed to be laid back, relaxed, soaking up the holiday and christmas air and adding a few inches to their waistline, well, i managed to achieve only the last one–or at least i’m in the process of–which ruins everything that i have worked hard on (read: dieting). *sigh* imagine attending back-to-back weddings and a company christmas party, all of which is served with sumptuous buffet food, a full week before christmas dinner! add another wedding two days before new year’s eve and what do you get? 15-20 pounds easy! good thing i don’t gain weight that fast now unlike before, but still, it’s extra baggage to be carried. one of my cousins noticed how i managed to lose weight since she last saw me a couple of months ago. finally, a compliement about my hardwork! i really didn’t believe what i heard until she repeatedly asked how i was doing it. though i did gave her my routine, it followed with a precaution that it might not work for everyone. eating only two meals a day for a guy like me seems not enough, but i got that to work for me. but enough about food, i’ll be eating much more of that in the coming weeks. i’m still in the process of compiling my top 5 down moments of the year, and i should say, it’s quite hard (and sad) to look back remember the things that made me shed tears and almost literally carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. i’ll be sure to have that posted before the end of the year. although i received questions about my rankings. i earlier stated that it should’ve been a top 10 but due to time and space constraints, i limited it to a top five. they’re now asking what my numbers 6-10 are, with no explanations needed. well, i did a quick rundown (again) of the year’s events and to be honest, i wasn’t able to come up with five more significant events to add to my top 5. i did, however, manage to squeeze in one more which would be fittingly placed on number six. got a wild guess? it’s something that, aside from dieting, i’ve been wanting to for the longest time. for those of you who know me, you probably know what i’m talking about. and to that person who i had that with, its something really worth remembering. next time again, maybe? as if four separate sessions weren’t enough! getting back to the cleaner side of things, i did manage to buy some gifts in time for christmas. i still have to do one last-minute shopping after i get off work today, which is in a few minutes, and then all that’s left is the giving part. sadly, i wasn’t able to really enjoy buying those gifts, as time wasn’t really a luxury i could afford to waste. i spent the entire day yesterday scouring malls for gifts worth giving. one surprising thing though, is that there were far fewer people at the malls yesterday compared to around the same time last year. not that it’s a monday, but being on christmas week, i would’ve expected hordes and hordes of people at the malls, frantically making their way around with lots of shopping bags in their hands, and long lines at the counters. well, it was a welcome relief that i was able to do 90% of my total christmas shopping yesterday. maybe it was karma’s way of repaying me for all the stress i’ve been encountering the whole year. especially that my leaves for the 24th and 30th-1st have been approved, so i can, even for those small windows of time given to me, enjoy the holidays. again, the next entry will be my other top 5, barring any major urges for me to write down another entry. i may not be able to personally greet all of you who continue to read my journal, but let me take this space to greet each and everyone of my friends, family, the person i dearly love, colleagues, relatives, flings (as if i had one…hahaha!), and of course, the listers of rx-talk a very merry christmas! hope your christmas is less stressful than mine! be merry, for new year’s is up next!