immortality and immeasurable wealth

I'm writing this on the eve of the Rapture, an apocalyptal prediction made by an American pastor that Christ will take His followers at twilight on the 21st of May, 2011. With a little less than 7 hours to this event, I stumbled upon Doc Ligaya's call for articles for her hosting stint on The Blog Rounds. At first I thought it was pretty straightforward, but once I started thinking about it, I realized it was like a jolt that sent my imagination into a frenzy.

If I had more of both time and gold...I'm stretching this a bit to accommodate the wildest (and more interesting) yearnings. If I'm lucky and I survive the impending apocalypse, maybe this will also serve as a sort of to-do list, just in case someday I am bestowed with immeasurable wealth or immortality, or if I'm really, really lucky, both.

IMMEASURABLE WEALTH

1. TRAVEL. First thing I'd do if I had plenty of gold to spend is to pack my bags and go to as many places as I can. Of course if I had the gold for this, I'd also be buying my own private jet to shuttle me around. Maybe I won't even have to pack, since I can buy what I need and what I want wherever. I don't have a list of places I want to go to, but anything different from what I am used to is good enough for me.

2. BOOKS. I am a bibliophile, and it's a childhood dream to have my own library. I'd buy all the books I want, support the writers I adore and preserve the books I love. I love reading, not just books, but anything that catches my fancy, blogs included. Nothing makes me feel more satisfied than reading a good novel on a rainy day with my dogs at my feet and coffee on my table.

3. DOGS. Much like having my own mega-library, another childhood dream is to own acres of land for the sole purpose of giving dogs a home where they can freely be themselves. I want to rescue dogs and puppies who are living in deplorable conditions, and have them live somewhere where they are free and well-taken cared of. I would employ a vet to make sure these dogs' stay healthy. It puzzles me that I have this much passion for dogs, and not for humans (I would only rescue dogs and not humans, not even children). Maybe I was a dog in one of my past lives.

4. GADGETS. I'm a techie, and I love having gadgets. The development of these electronics are super fast nowadays, and no way I can keep up with my lust for these "toys" unless I have immeasurable wealth. Even if my present gadget still serves its purpose, often I get the impulse to buy something newer. Kinda like having a new laptop and still wanting to get a netbook.

5. PADDOCK CLUB. A fairly recent yearning, I learned of the Paddock Club in 2010, when I watched the Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix. The Paddock Club is a club of F1 enthusiasts who are given exclusive passes to all the F1 races. This pass enables them to mingle with the teams on the pitlane and to get the best seats in every race track. Membership is easy: you just have to pay the membership fee each year, which amounts to just several millions of dollars. Once a member, I'd travel with the F1 circus and get to see every race LIVE.

6. DOWNLOADS. I'm a sucker for downloading music, movies and games on the internet. If I had the dough, I'd download (legally) to my heart's content. For now, I have to resort to free downloads.

7. FAMILY PAYBACK. I've been blessed to have parents and relatives who were selfless and who worked hard to help me attain my more practical dreams. One of my fervent prayers is to be able to have the wealth that will cater their every whim.

8. WORK WITHOUT PAY. I love my work, but I also have to support myself with what I earn. If and when I have my own family, I'd have to support them also with what I earn. But if I were a filthy rich doctor, I'd work pro bono, because my bank account would free me of the my need to earn for a living.

9. CHARITY. It doesn't feel right to keep all my riches to myself. I'd love to be able to give to my favorite charities, as well as to offer scholarships and grants to those who are deserving.

10. HOME. I may be away most of the time, but I want my own private nook in this world. A place where I feel totally safe, and where I can go to when the world is becoming a bit too much for me. Of course, it wouldn't hurt if this place has its own beach, pool and McMansion.

IMMORTALITY

1. READ. I never seem to have enough time for reading. I always have a book or two (or more) waiting to be read. There are blogs I wish I could follow religiously, but just never had the time to do so.

2. WRITE. When I was younger, I thought I'd be a novelist. I had written short stories, but even these took huge chunks of time to complete. In writing, I have the tendency to be a perfectionist, especially in spelling and grammar, and it would just take me years to complete a novel. Sometimes I just want to go away and do nothing but work on a story. If I didn't have an expiry date, I'd be able to do this whenever I feel that itch.

3. COMPUTER GAMES. Be it on Facebook or an actual video game, I'd love to be able to waste time just playing these games. I can get hook on a game and waste precious hours just focused on it.

4. LIVE ABROAD. I envied Liz in Eat, Pray, Love. She was able to live in different countries for several months at a time and actually got to immerse herself in the culture of those places. I'd like to experience this myself, live somewhere long enough to experience how it is in their part of the world.

5. COUCH POTATO. As much as I love reading and playing computer games, I also love watching TV. I'm a TV-series junkie, and I love watching both old and new TV series.

6. HIGHER LEARNING. I have a degree in Biology, something I wish I had the time to follow up on. I'd love to earn a Master's or PhD in biology, do field work and studies, and even teach in a university. Maybe if medicine doesn't work out for me in a decade or so, I'd go back to this field.

7. ROOTS RESEARCH. Not the plant root, but my ancestral roots. I had always been curious about my ancestry. This type of research could take a lifetime, and because my roots are not confined to the Philippines, it would also entail some, if not a lot, of traveling.

8. TOUR. I'd need not just money for this, but time as well. To quench my wanderlust, I'd travel near and far, and I want to spend enough time in each destination to be able to appreciate what that place has to offer.

9. BE LAZY. In my head, I hear Bruno Mars' Lazy Song. It would be a treat to have a lazy day or two (or more!) once in a while. Nothing is more rejuvinating than wasting time doing nothing.

10. BLOG. Oooh, if I were immortal, I promise I'd post more often. No more excuses.

Okay, now with apocalypse dawning, I think I'd better publish this. It's T minus 3 hours and 30 minutes, and if the world does end, let this be my final blog entry.