riigormortisss-blog

[riigormortisss-blog]

                                                                Sg

               Have you ever wondered how weird money is? A piece of paper in its physical form but we all know that money runs the world, how bonkers is that? Most people hate to admit it but money is one of if not the most influential thing in our lives, it shapes our decisions and our lifestyle, even the place where we settle. In the Philippines (which is a 3rd world developing country) money is a much more serious need compared to 1st world countries and that terrible need for money shape the lives of almost all of Filipinos. Personally I was lucky enough to be born into an above average family when it comes to financial status. I get to feel the luxury of living in a comfortable home, afford quality education, visit different countries and buy items to my liking. Why am I talking about money? In this entry I will talk about the day I spent the most money all compressed in 24 hours. This day takes me back to a very beautiful and progressive country located south of Peninsular Malaysia and east of West Indonesia, Singapore.

               The Republic of Singapore is an island city-state in Southeast Asia. Singapore has a highly developed market economy, The Singaporean economy is known as one of the most free, most innovative, most competitive, most dynamic and most business-friendly. Despite its small size, the country/city is considered to be a very developed country that has a booming industry, erecting numerous sky scrapers with unconventional designs that will make your jaw drop. My journey to Singapore starts as we checked in our hotel Marina Bay Sands, one of the most acclaimed and expensive hotels in Singapore. It is so known and looked up upon that some locals made it a trademark and symbol for souvenirs being sold at local markets. Singapore is so small that you can travel the whole city in a day via subway stations that connect the entire city and provide fast travel.

               My day of spending begins 2 days after we checked in our hotel, because day 2 was allotted specifically for shopping. I do not remember the specific amount of money I spent but I remember well enough. The day starts by spending the morning with my family at the breakfast wing of our hotel. The buffet breakfast in itself was very expensive but I can say that the food was worth it. Then we headed to the connected mall below our hotel and this mall was no ordinary mall, almost all of the stores here were branded. From Versace to Gucci, this mall had every luxury designer branded apparels and accessories. Now personally i do not like buying and using designer clothes that much but, it wouldn’t hurt buying a few shirts and belts right? Wrong, I spent too much money on clothes and I did not notice it soon enough because I was enthralled by gold shining buttons and belt buckles. I am ashamed to admit that I bought designer clothes that I do not even use that much. After a tour at the expensive mall we strolled through the city, going to local markets, café’s and tourist spots. We reached universal studios and it’s what anyone would expect, a theme park full of pop culture references and the like. I never fancied these kinds of amusement parks but I really liked this one, specifically the food. I am a huge sucker for giant turkey legs, and I ate A LOT of them (not my proudest moment). I also bought a bunch of expensive mementos from the shops inside universal studios, these include: picture frames, necklaces, laser printed pendants for my girlfriend, rings, plushies etc. basically a lot. The day continues and I found myself surrounded by electrical appliances, basically computers and computer parts. I am a hardcore gamer and this was basically heaven for me. From graphics cards to liquid coolers, I did not hold back in buying these amazing computer parts. A certain graphics card like Nvidia gtx 1080 ti costs around 50-80 thousand pesos and this was just one part of many other parts that I bought. To cap the night off I spent a lot more money on food and gifts that I could get for my mates such as Singaporean key chains, shirts and even stuffed animals. This wraps up my most expensive day on earth, for now.

               I am lucky enough to have this kind of state of living, which is why I am more sympathetic towards the people who could not afford basic needs because we all have one. I realized that during my days at Singapore on how fortunate I am in being able to spend this much on things that I do not even necessarily need. I cannot say that I am not used to this kind of luxury but sometimes having spent all this money on things like this makes me feel like I am undeserving of this kind of lifestyle because I have not worked a day in my life just yet. Spending hundreds of thousands in a single day is not something anyone could afford and it’s a bittersweet feeling mixed with pleasure and guilt, in which I feel very happy in being able to get all these things and yet feel bad about myself for being such a spoiled kid.

               Money is money. It builds nations and burns empires at the same time. Maybe money is the root of all evil? I always find it difficult to spend too much money on things I do not need, but being in a foreign and wealthy country made me spend just too much on items, from designer clothes, to shoes, to gadgets and to food. I love luxury and I wouldn’t have it any other way but there is always this lingering thought in which I could’ve used money for a more altruistic and grand gesture, but hey, money is money, and I love it.

@maamida

[riigormortisss-blog]

Dear k,

             To be honest, i am not quite sure that saying anything would change anything but this is more of a save-your-time kind of letter than the typical informative ones. If i would say absolutely everything i have on my mind, it would take me years to complete it all. I shan’t delay it any longer my points in this letter are brief and concise, in a way. These things that i am about to say to you are straightforward in nature, but things are rarely as they seem don’t they? 

              My first and probably most important note that i would like to say to you is to not be afraid. Fear can be a heavy burden. Right now you are probably thinking about ghosts or monsters, but i am speaking of real tangible monsters that are a real threat to you and society. I know things will get rough and hard but i want you, nay, I NEED YOU to fight until you breathe your last. It is imperative that you know that the life granted to you is not for personal pleasure only, but to risk it to its very edge. The vigor that you have right now should burn eternally inside you even if you want to fall flat on your face. You will go through a series of different kinds of hardships like breakups, culture shocks, mental health problems and even death. Everyone is going through something and if you want to survive, you need to close your heart to the desperation, do not feel for them because they will certainly not feel for you.

               At the stage you are right now, you probably think that you should do this and that to secure your future and whatnot but, I am telling you right now that it is okay to let it go, just let go. There are things in life that you cannot control. Gravity, death, life and love, things like these are out of our control and that’s the way it is. Sometimes we think that if we receive something negative, we have failed ourselves, I am telling you right now that this statement is entirely false. I am not telling you to be hopeless, I’m trying to tell you that it is okay to fail and fall down because it is part of life and the journey that builds who we are as a person. IT IS OKAY TO LET GO, let go of that toy you lost, that girl that moved away, that snack you accidentally threw away, all these things happen in a certain mechanism that ultimately build up who we are right now.

               My third point is probably not new to you but eh, worth a shot. You should read more and I know what you’re thinking, yes those Geronimo stilton books you have right now are excellent starters book, but I do not want you to stop there, I want you to read more genres, more books with in depth plots and plot twists, explore romance and tragedy etc. I cannot emphasize how important knowledge is, knowledge truly is power. All your literary skills in reading and writing may seem boring and useless right now but trust me, people will pay you handsomely one day and envy your intellectual prowess. When I said read more, I meant in all aspects, not only on fictional books. The newspaper, autobiographies, memoirs and the like are all very informative and will help you in developing your cognitive skills in an efficient rate.

               I know I know, you being an 8 year old this 4th point probably does not make any sense, knowing you but I want you to genuinely love more. Love your family, your friend, your pets and your life more. Loving is the purest form of positivity in your life. Loving is not a crime and it won’t cost you a penny. Look into the mirror and tell yourself that life is going to be awesome because the amount of life you give to life will be given back to you and that is beautiful in itself. The burning desire in reforming society will soon come unto you, so until then, I want you to love everything you possibly can, because love is what keeps us warm when fear and darkness engulf the land.

               The road ahead is long and unforgiving. It is no place for a boy, only a warrior, which is why I do not want you to be sorry, but to be better. You are special and you will one day take up the mantle that I possess right now that will give you the power to change lives, to help those who need helping, feed those need feeding and kill those who need killing. Our dreams and aspiration is what will make us great. A lot of people will be smarter, stronger and faster but rest assured, none of them will have our character. Time is limited and you will understand all of this in ten years. Follow your heart boy. Farewell good hunter, may you find your worth in the waking world

@maamida