Rainy Day Playlist

Last week, Spot.ph came out with an online feature about celebrity rainy day tunes. They asked various artists from different fields their favorite bed-weather tunes.

Although I'm not a celebrity (sadly), I also have this habit of listening to music that fits my mood or the weather. So here's my feeble attempt to imitate the sikats, a list my favorite tag-ulan songs.

Note: These are not emo songs. I don't connect the rain with loneliness  and other bullcrap like that.


Air - Playground Love
This Virgin Suicides soundtrack creeps the crap out of me but the freaky melody makes it so perfect for the rainy season. Like the movie, the song has a gloomy feel to it. Perfect to listen to when the rain is pouring softly outside.

This Phoenix cover is really good.


Incubus - Aqueous Transmission
The title speaks for itself. Aqua means water and water means rain. The swabe voice of Brandon Boyd never cease to make ordinary rainy days into warm nakakakilig ones. I will love him forever. This song is ideal when it's raining outside and you're cuddling your pillow like it's the sexy beast that is Brandon Boyd. Okay I'll stop here. This is not a Brandon Boyd tribute blog.

Maroon 5 - Sunday Morning
Let me tell you this: I don't care if it's mainstream and I don't care if Adam Levine has a girl's voice. This particular song reminds me of lazy Sunday mornings with friends, listening to the rain outside -- in our underwear. One of the things I truly miss.

The Sundays - When I'm Thinking About You
This song is so cheesy but it's so song-to-listen-during-the-rainy-season too. The soft voice, the oh so simple melody and the overly cheesy lyrics just make it  perfect for precipitation.

M83 - We Own The Sky
The song's video shows kids having fun under the sun but whenever I hear this track, it makes me wanna play under the rain, my face welcoming tiny drops of water from the sky. Okay yuck I thought this is not gonna be an emo post. FYI, the song is not emo at all. Love the synths.

King of Leon - Sex on Fire
Just because. Caleb Followill is my latest obsession and this song is played more than 50x on my ipod everyday. God, that voice.

Okay is it just me or Caleb Followill really looks like he's having a great time?

Aurora, represent!

Back in college, all my block mates thought I was from Manila. No one had a clue that I was a shy promdi girl still learning the ins and outs of the big city. When they ask me where I came from, I readily tell them I'm from the province. No one bought it. I laughed it off.  

I am from a small province called Aurora in Central Luzon. The place is not as popular as its neighboring cities like Nueva Ecija and Bulacan, but I think we're getting there. It's an 8-hour drive from Manila and generally a rural/seaside area. We have mountains and rivers and waterfalls and a majestic share of the Pacific Ocean. We actually got everything covered there. People from Aurora, especially those from Baler are called "Akaws". Akaw is a local term that usually describes something unusual, something big or something out of the ordinary. You can click here to know more about our special dialect. It's technically Tagalog but infused with other quirky stuff tourists who speak Tagalog might not understand. 

Our house is located in a town called San Luis, 7 kilometers from the Baler, the province's capital. But I grew up in Baler, attending schools from the said town since I was in kindergarten up until I was in high school. I went to Baler Central School or BCS for my elementary education and Aurora National Science High School for my secondary. Kids from Aurora are usually nice and fun. Most go to Manila after graduating for college and some to Baguio or Nueva Ecija.

Facts about kids from Baler:

1. We are suckers for music. Rock music that is. I rarely meet kids from Baler that are into hip-hop and RnB. No hating here though. Music is music.

2. We love hanging out by the beach. Fact.

3. We laugh a lot. Even if we're in the city, kids from Aurora get noticed because of our loud voices and contagious laughs.

4. We can easily switch from our matigas na salitang Baler to puntong Manila. No sweat.

5. Undying loyalty to the school you graduated from. Especially high school.

Photo from here.

When I was still in the province, tourists rarely visit the place. Nothing really big happens except for the yearly town fiesta and the provincial foundation week. Now, Aurora is gaining popularity, thanks to surfing. Almost every month there's an event. City people flock the beach like seagulls whenever there's a holiday or even without one. I kind of miss the old Baler, the old Aurora.

Since I stared working, the only time I get to go home is during the Christmas holidays. Aurora is still beautiful but its unsoiled magic is slowly fading away. I just hope it won't end up like Boracay or Puerto Galera. 

Afternoon surfing session with a local surfer. Taken about a year ago.

Fangirling on a Saturday morning.

Incubus is coming to town and I'm going to see them live! Already have my ticket I'm just waiting for them to come here. Another check in my bucket list. I have been a fan of the band since I was in Grade 6 and I'm so excited to fulfill one of my dreams -- to see them play live. They've been here a couple of times already and I failed to watch those shows. I was still in the province the first time they went here. I didn't have the money plus I don't think my parents will allow me to go considering that time I was only 14 or 15. The second time they were here, I was in college and yes, I didn't have the money too. Now they are coming again, third time will be the charm for me. I'll be able to go. Not gonna be sitting or standing in the VIP area just like what I did in the Deftones concert but whatever, as long as I can see them play live, then I'm fine.

Here's what I'm watching right now. A video of their live set yesterday. I kind of agree with one of the video comments that it's disappointing to see fans who can watch sets like this look as if they have no idea what the band is playing. Learn your Incubus, kids.