If # 0005

IF you could have lived through any war in history (without actually fighting in it), which would it be?

Honestly, I would rather not be in any actual war, though there's a certain part of me that feels as if it could have been a soldier given a different...body. However, just to satisfy my own curiosity (as well as the question at hand), I think I would have wanted to live through the Trojan War.

I would like to have been the one to document and romanticize the actual event, maybe casting my own set of characters alone with it, and leaving my thumbprint in literary history with my own set of Epics. To this day I find it hard to believe that a blind man such as Homer could be the source of "documentation" of the said war. I know that his accounts were masterpieces of Literature, as these are among the classics, however, I would have wanted to give a more detailed, more historical version of the same. My version would probably be more specific (i.e. How the armor and uniforms looked, how the Trojan Horse was designed and built, etc.).

I could also probably give a detailed account as to how Troy looked. Given that Troy was most probably located near Turkey, this battle could also have been reflective of the never-ending conflict between East and West in that general area of the world (Crusades, Greco-Persian wars, Trojan war, Desert Storm).

If # 0004

IF you could physically transport yourself to any place in the world at this moment, where would you go?

At this particular moment I would want to be transported about ten feet away from me --- to my bed. Ha. The bed is a magical place. It's a realm where dreams and fantasies become realities. I now understand the symbolism behind a magic carpet, if only in comparison to a bed.

My bed is deformed and uncomfortable, though. It does not... Zzzz....

(connection with real world terminated)

If # 0003

IF you could spend one whole night alone with anyone in history, who would you choose?

Well, because of the sheer number of people involved with the history of the world-- Famous or not, Filipino or foreigner, currently alive or passed away -- the speed of the slots of faces in my mind's eye has increased to a blur, as I select the category to which this "person" belongs. Also, this would not be an intimate event, much like the situation in the previous post.

Even though it knows there is no right or wrong answer, my mind still has difficulty choosing this certain "one person". At least with the "one wish" (If #0001), I chose an answer that could help me grant more wishes, despite being, in all actuality, just one wish.

I guess, at the top of my head right now, I'd have to say Ninoy Aquino. I would love to have learned, even if for just one whole night, how he would have run the country. An interview with him may even be published as reference to future lawmakers (not politicians). I would have loved to have him assess the current state of Philippine Politics, though I am sure that that conversation would extend probably to a weeklong conference.

I will also definitely ask him if he saw who it was that shot him. The Filipino people need closure. No more finger-pointing and speculation. Only the people on the tarmac really knew what happened. What if it really had been Galman? What if the command "Pusila! (shoot him)" was intended for Galman as the escorts saw him reach for a weapon? Of course these are all far-fetched ideas, but only Ninoy (or his escorts) can give us the peace of mind that we deserve.

I will also ask Ninoy if he is happy with the state of Freedom in which the country is, as a result of his sacrifice. Is there truly freedom, or is this a masquerade? Contrarily, Is not the abuse of freedom a form of oppression to the weaker and unable? We lack visionaries like him, as he and his kind have either died or are too old to put this country in its proper place.

If # 0002

IF you could spend one whole night with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?

The common answer to this question usually has something to do with sex and/or intimacy, in which the respondent would look for the most attractive person in his/her mind. But there are times when it's just about something more.

Right now, I guess my answer would have to depend also on what we would be doing. Since we don't wanna take the common answer, we can skip that and head for the uncommonfolk.

Even then there are a million faces, famous and not, flashing in my mind's eye faster than vegas slots and they stop like a missed jackpot, as two faces light up each eye.

I'd have to say it's a tie between BONO and OZZY. I find both of them great overall musicians and lyricists. Being emotional catalysts, lyrics provide a middle ground wherein everyday men and women can relate with the song and claim it as part of their lives. I'd probably ask either one of them how they write their songs. I'd ask them what inspires them. I'd ask historical questions, nonsensical questions, kidstuff questions, trivia and all sorts of babble.

Then I;d ask if we could collaborate. Ha. As if spending a whole night with them wasn't wishful thinking enough, I get to ask them to collab? I must really be delerious. But then again, the question was asked, and the answer came.

If # 0001

IF you were to be granted one wish, what would it be?

I came across this book among the number of them shelved in my room at home and thought to myself "This would be great in combating the self-inflicted Writer's Block". After all, as was taught to us way back when, If you have writer's block, you have noone to blame but yourself, as you are not writing. Metaphysical, Philosophical Self-Babble.

So, going back to the book, I decided to use the questions in the book (entitled IF...Questions for the Game of Life) to grab hold of that block and carve it into something fantastic...or so I hope. So, question number one has been posted up above in bold and blue.

Quite mind-boggling really, as noone wants to be limited to just one wish. Most of the time, the answers to that would be "I'd wish for more/unlimited wishes". Of course, knowing the rule of the Genie (see Aladdin, Disney), you probably know that that's not allowed. Moving along, I'd probably wish for the most practical thing right now: Money. As to the exact amount, maybe I'd say a million Euro. One million is a round figure and the Euro is a strong unit of currency. Why not the dollar, then? Too cliche, I guess.

With a million Euro right here and now, I can probably fulfill so many more wishes, whether mine or someone else's. Of course this is assuming that if the wish is granted, I don't get hounded by the governement for having too much money on me. I wouldn't want to lug that lump sum around while fleeing from town to town.

With that, I sleep. And dream to have that wish reappear and maybe get granted.