Dispatches by Adrian Conoza

“I may not be where I need to be but I thank God I am not where I used to be.” ― Joyce Meyer, speaker and author That quote finally had made an impact on me at this point of my life. Why is it so? Let me explain. Picture credit: www.the-spearhead.com In the past days I've been writing about my life during my third year in high school, which I've centered around my unsuccessful leadership as the elected president of the section where I was in. I've sought my journals to weave a draft day by day. As I've read through my (almost) daily accounts, recollecting sudden happenings in my life made me reflect how hard life has been at that time, and how much I learned from the year-long burden. My eyes and heart, undergoing an ongoing "coming-of-age", were opened to many things, especially the reality of life. "Hand to Face 1" by Tim Patrick Picture credit: http://www.timpatrick.co.uk/ Among those realities, this stands out: leading is not an easy job, especia...

"Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done."—Psalm 9:11(NIV) "Wherever and whenever we meet in the name of Christ, we should consider him as present in the midst of us."—Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary(Matt. 18:15-20) In a Wednesday evening the night sky encircled Araneta Coliseum. Crowds lined-up and gathered inside the dome, and soon they filled it. While I and my fellow people from the church settled on our seats in an upper box—enough to see the stage where all that happened that night would take place—people continued to group in the boxes above and the floor below. That scene seemingly appear, as our youth pastor noted, that many Filipinos now are aflame towards God, that many Filipinos are gaining an interest in Jesus Christ. For that night was a night of moving and empowering praise to God. That night, the famous contemporary Christian music band Hillsong United came to Manila to perform their first o...

Last year, in my final year in high school, I successfully became a part of our school paper, being a contributor. I wrote much pieces enough for the people in-charge to include or exclude. The next year, I finally had a copy of the paper in my hands, and I found my name on print on the features section. That was already a success to me. And in this blessed day the Lord gave to me, and to my family in year 1997, let the following piece be my offering to you, dear reader. Compared to the piece on print, this is an updated edition. —◘— Picture credit: www.cartoonaday.com Models aren't only the ones with lots of pictures. Even the youth of today, especially our modern-day Filipinas, have lots of them, even tons and tons of them. They're lucky they don't have to use film after film. Thanks to digital camera—no, wait—to touchscreen cellphones, anyone can picture anything, anytime, and anywhere more efficiently. And what do we get? Multitudes of photos uploaded in social media an...

I've known of the electronic music "post-industrial" trio Factory Floor in a music magazine called Spin . After hearing electronic patch-ups from their past releases, they finally have a self-titled album. "Fall Back" is one of their singles from the album, and it's a creative collage of sounds (though I didn't mind the vocals, because I'm more into the music) that is very post-modern as well as abstract. The composition can even fit for a traffic report, or simply a talk show's background.

In Daft Punk's latest album, there's a track where the duo collaborates with Giorgio Moroder, then it is followed by a chord progression made by pianist Chilly Gonzales in transition to a slow and soft flow of melodies. It's a bit jazzy in the transition, then it finally reaches the melancholic point, where "Within" begins. "A deep vocoder sings about not understanding the world, being lost and not even remembering his own name," writes critic Nick Stevenson. Another coming-of-age feeling, it seems, though it can be felt by anyone. This reminds me of something: in understanding the world, and being found from being lost, God can help, for He does show the world in His perspective, and He shows the Way for the lost.

We have instant coffee, instant noodles, instant cash...and now "instant crush", at the least for a song. One of the first tracks I've heard from their latest album Random Access Memories . And here, is a brilliant mix of electronic and rock, of acoustic and synthetic (with the help of The Strokes' lead Julian Casablancas). Isn't it a thing with adolescence: having crushes instantly...and perhaps instantly fading away as well?

I am fond of most of the songs in Linkin Park's album Living Things , which I deem is one of their greatest compilations. The first time I heard this, I was amazed. This is a fresh treatment of their unique rock style, piecing together elements from their albums before Living Things . Military-like, yes it really is, with a good interweaving of moody electronic sounds, and really alternative rock riffs. I do like that "army" bridge. It makes the song whole, and much more felt and not just heard.

"...I remember sitting on the bus, and I was trying to write a song and I realized that I didn't have anything to say at all, and I didn't have any feelings about anything...That was a really scary for me, because I've always had lots to say, and lots of opinions whether right or wrong...and it came out of that that we were all feeling this sense of numbness, this feeling of kinda fading away as people. And I just tried to write about that, and it ended up becoming Crystal Ball."—Tim Rice-Oxley, lead of Keane The alternative rock band Keane was first featured on Dispatch on  101 Songs of My Third Year . And they are featured here again. I saw the music video of this song, from their album Under The Iron Sea (what a great title!), on cable television, and it appealed to me. It tells of a story of a man with almost everything he can be thankful for, and suddenly was robbed of these things. He was turned upside down, and so it goes. That's how this video, and th...

“The Philippines needed a modern cultural center for operas, concerts, and plays, and [I] planned to achieve a monumental one through its dimensions, elevations, and splendid decorations, and through its harmonious liens it would symbolize an organ or a cathedral.”—Juan Arellano, architect  "Then out came a woman to meet him     dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.  (She is unruly and defiant,     her feet never stay at home;  now in the street, now in the squares,     at every corner she lurks.)" —Proverbs 7:10-12, New International Version For five times I've gone to the University of Santo Tomas (for I am to attend there in my first college year), and so I've been further oriented into Metro Manila. My eyes have been opened to the surfaces and sights of the wide city during those visits. I've started to gain observations I have to get used to, as well as be familiar with, being not only a college student but also a regular com...

I actually knew this before fourth year, hearing it often on alternative music station Jam 88.3 . It turned out that I heard it again often while Jam is my background while doing schoolwork. Fitz and The Tantrums is one of those current bands I like. They also sort of taking us "back in time", since most of their music sound like Motown music, and 80's music.