MUSIC = TUGTOG

Music in Tagalog is "tugtog" a symphony of sounds (which is "tunog" in Tagalog). Music drives my life. I actually have a soundtrack for my life that spans from when I was a kid to what I am now. I can imagine parts of my past and apply music to it, making them look like Music Videos. Sometimes I do things so that the MTV would actually look better in the movie in my mind.

I once handed a crush a single rose through her car window while wearing a faded dark trench coat, I told her "I love you. You don't have to say anything now. I just wanted you to know how I feel about you. Good night." and before she can answer, I walked away. It was raining! We just came from the prom and we had a fantastic time. I waved without looking back and walked the three blocks home in the rain. Now if that ain't MTV material, then I don't know what is!

Ofcourse I always edit out the part where her brother, who was with us because he was my classmate, and was acting as chaperone, screams out "Hoy gago! Umuulan! Sumakay ka na dito at baka magkasakit ka! Lagot ako kay Tita! Bahala ka! Sira!" (Hey jerk! It's raining! Get in the car before you catch something! Your mom will kill me! Your choice! Crazy...)

Eniwey, my taste in music is eclectic at worst. I have parts of my life that play on rap, rock, classic rock, hip-hop, romance, classical music, death metal, nu wave, etc. etc. Thus the confusion in my iPod and the almost 18 Gigabytes of MP3s that I own. I can't wait to get my own hard drive again so I can spend another month of my life trying to organize all of that. The death of my old hard drive wasted my last effort and good.

I can't sing; well, I can sing as well as any decent Filipino worth his bagoong* should be able to sing. I don't know any musical instruments though I can drum a little and can air guitar to save my life. But for all my love for music I really ain't into it enough. Though ask me about songs and titles and lyrics and well my library is right almost there with most critics. Not as good as the others, but eclectic enough to pass in most circles.

I love my music and I love my audio equipment. If anything, that is what I have always strived for: great audio equipment. I've heard the really bad ones and have been treated to some of the best ones in the industry. I'm proud of my tastes and pity anyone who locks themselves into one genre. Its like sticking to one kind of food all the time.

I mean rice can only get you so far. There are moments for Mozart,for the Michael, and Metallica. Yes, there are even moments for the Macarena. Just don't ever deny yourself the music. You don't know what you're missing.

*A very salty, pungent, pasty condiment made from the preserved corpses of thousands upon thousands of miniscule shrimp. A cure for anaphylactic shock brought about by allergic reaction to chitin by inducing instant death through asphyxiation instead. Perfect with green mangoes. Smells like pussy.