Blog of the Month - Top Five Friends One Should Have

Friends may come and friends may go
But true friends never go
They'll never leave you
True friends never go because they love you

REFRAIN:
You're the kind of friend
Who's always hard to find
Very good at listening, warm and kind

RAP:
I'm the kind of guy who needs someone like you
To share my happy moments
To cheer me when I'm blue
We're the kind of friends who could never break apart
Because our friendship is the kind that warms the heart

CHORUS:
What are friends for?
For better or for worse
It will last forever, it'll never end

RAP:
A true friend is understanding, truthful
And never jealous to his friend
So good, so natural and the best among the rest

Friends may come and friends may go
But true friends never go
They'll never leave you
True friends never go because they love you

Repeat refrain and chorus

I'm reminded of this song we've performed in high school where its [shallow] lyrics are written by no less than yours truly. At that time when I wrote it, I didn't have any [true] friends I really considered. I already met them at that time but you know, the commitment wasn't still there. I just treated them as special classmates I got to bond with more often than the ordinary ones. But "in partial fulfillment of the requirements in English II," I had to extract my thoughts to come up with this song. As for its theme, I don't have to state the obvious.

This should have been written in the early part of this month. Janice thought of this entry even before my birthday. It's just too difficult to categorize them because to begin with, my heart, and not only my will, chose my friends, and God helped me light my way.

This gives me a lot of pressure. Honest. In no particular order, these are Eduardo's top picks. (Jan, I hope the blog of the month for November wouldn't be a list of things anymore. Ha ha ha.)

• Spoilers
  
  They're the type who go with whatever stupidity and madness I have in mind - some harmless trips I do, like entering a bank for no reason at all except following their request to "Please come in" because they're open or shouting out loud inside a mall after seeing the sign "Sorry we're closed." I love to go with them because our creative minds coordinate with each other in making up funny stories that only us would laugh at them because we're the only one who would understand.
  
  
• Parents and/or Older Siblings
  
  While I love to be spoiled, I also love to be reminded that I'm not perfect and that I also need to grow up, be responsible, wake up and be realistic, those stuff that a sane person need to do. They're the type who would tell me to wake up from my deep state of insanity, push me to study, or to even clean my clutter and even to take a bath because I already stink.
  
  I'm a dominant type and I hate it when some people are trying to drive me but when I know that what they're doing is for my own good, I really appreciate it. They just don't want to spoil me to my ruin. Without them, I wouldn't have graduated and ended up being an endless member of a fast food crew instead, or I wouldn't have passed the board exam until now, or I might be swimming in the eternal ocean of fire at this moment.
  
  They are also my defenders, the type of people who would fight for me when I already feel weak enough to face my opponents. They're there to have the fist for those who made me cry, who have the logic and facts to defend me from my prosecutors, or those with the look saying don't mess up with my friend, or even the nice words telling the person to stop teasing me.
  
  
  
• Believers
  
  I am a person filled with insecurities inside. My self esteem isn't really that good. Thanks to these friends who keep on encouraging me to do things that they think I am capable of doing, those who tell me I am not fugly, and those who remind me that there's always a silver lining after the great flash flood. I'm already getting sentimental here but I really owe them a lot for my achievements because I've never had reached this far without their motivation.
  
  Truly, they've really lifted my soul to a level I never thought I would reach. Thanks a lot guys.
  
  
• Listeners
  
  What women really don't understand much with men is that we only open up our problems when: One, we've already exhausted all possible means to resolve the problem alone but still it wasn't solved; and Two, we know that the person we're confiding it with knows how to solve it. We don't talk just to be listened with. We need action.
  
  But sometimes, they are there just to listen. You know, the feeling of security that somebody is there when you whine, curse and all without them uttering a single word. They're just there. It reminds me of a text message my friend sent me:
  
  

  Friendship isn't about being there to discuss each other's problems. It's just about being there. She need not open up for you to know there's something wrong and you need not say anything to let her know you're there for her. Sometimes it's when you're both silent that you say the most meaningful things.

  
  Ayan. Pang-forever na yang quotation na yan.
  
  
• Talkers
  I am not really the type who calls, e-mails, or texts much. I only do it whenever I feel like it or when there's something I need to say. My Ate and Aunt feel bad about me failing to keep in touch with them. I honestly appreciate those who don't mind spending their pesos just to tell me that they're there. But whenever we meet, I love the endless conversation. Time is too short that our discussions wouldn't reach tae. It's the exciting debates, the ruthless criticisms, the funny things, reminiscing childhood years, embarrassing moments, politics, showbiz, science, everything.

Actually, there are still a lot more. Brevity isn't really born in me. There are still more that I would like to add. If there would be some additional numbers, I would like to include those na nagpapautang, nanlilibre, nagpapakain, nagpapaloko sa akin, and again, nagpapakain. Hehehe.

See also: Janice's blog of the month

Maayo'ng Pasko

I'm [almost] done decorating the house for Christmas. I know it's too early to do it. We could have waited for the halloween to be over but what can I do? I would be around till today. My mom and eldest sister doesn't have any artistic skill to do it.

Okay, I'm not really good at it. I usually leave that thing to Ate Doreen but since she's in Davao, I'm the only one left to do it. Thanks to Joanna who gave her time putting those trimmings on.

I've already taken a picture of the tree but I've left my USB cable in Manila. Apparently, Butuan has very limited resources that not a single computer store nor internet cafe has a USB cable being sold.

-o0o-

My birthday was held successfully. Only Joanna and Janice came in their costumes. But I still thank Ivy and Leah for coming. There presence is more important than anything else. As for the rest, what were they thinking? If they have the will to come, then they'll find ways to do it.

-o0o-

I think I'll be having flu.

What If? - Privileged Speech 1

It is a very hypothetical question and doesn't count any point at all in any forms of debate. It could easily be tappled down by answering back a "What if not" question. It is the question one very pessimistic person who doesn't have any other stand in this world but to be an opposition would raise.

I could remember way back in high school that I used to have difficulty in solving word problems. I know the answer but I don't know how to assign the variables to make an equation. But it was an advantage for the team in the Math Olympiad because I immediately knew the correct answer without my teammates using their pen to start calculating for it.

Same goes with the presentations. I could already have a clear picture of how the final work would look like. Perhaps, it is because it is really how artists work (Based on a Humanities book, Michaelangelo knows how his sculptures would finally look like before he starts working with his chisel). Problem is, being a scatterbrained, I always don't know where to begin.

But with that difficulty, the final work is still done. Though most of the time, it's not really something that I wanted it to be, at least, I'm happy that it's closer to what I want it and that our teachers are pleased with the outcome. Modesty aside, our group would always emerge as the best one when it comes to presenting our reports. It is because I choose to take charge of almost everything - from the concept, to the script, to the props, even to the costumes at some point.

My classmates know me well that I always get what I want when it comes to presentations. If my idea won't win, things won't be as good as expected. It is because it is my forte. Call me somebody who's tooting my own horn. But at least, I know my capacity.

And now, a strong force of negativity is testing me. A series of "what if" questions have been raised. Honestly, I feel so disappointed with these people, who I've been expecting to be the first to cooperate since they have the same range of intellect as mine. I'm counting a lot on them to make all these ideas into reality. I just thought that after years of having been graduated from high school, we've already grown up. I believe that with chronological age, being mature mentally also comes with it. But then I'm wrong. They really let me down.

But knowing me, I don't give up. If Group A can't do it, then there's Group Z. They might not be gifted with big brains as the others but they have the will to embrace the responsibility, the courage to take the risk of committing mistakes and of being criticized for being imperfect.

Personally, being so pessimistic about all things without even attempting to take a single step in achieving it is plainly cowardice. It's just having no sense of responsibility at all.

What if's are silly questions to be asked. Being realistic is, in fact, good but adding optimism to it would make it better.

Shedding off the last piece of responsibility from one's system will resolve nothing. Everything is a risk that we have to take. If others were able to do it, why can't we? Everything in this world is a challenge.

With this, ladies and gentlemen, I rest my case and I am now ready for interpellation.

Starstruck Part 2

Andyan na siya... Andyan na siya... Magtago ka na.

If you've been regularly going to the movies recently, you must have heard these familiar lines. Then some scary faces might surprise you but not enough to make one scream.

For the first time in my life, I've gone to a premiere night. Thanks to igma.tv forum where I've won four premiere tickets for this movie. I had to cut my time of sleep to only four non-straight hours for me to watch it. And it's worth everything - standing for hours on the line, dodging with the huge crowd, having lack of sleep, and yeah, hearing the boy band named "Studs" bastardize the songs "Binibini" and "Panalangin."

The Plot

After 20 long years, half-sisters Aileen and Romina, along with first cousins Ruth and Sandra, reunite in Camiguin all because of their grandmother's death. Accompanied by Sandra's friend, Lucy, the five girls dare to call on the spirits of the dead when they find their old Ouija board from when they were kids. The Ouija board is burned by accident before they are able to finish the ritual, trapping a murderous entity around them. As they begin to realize the terror that they have brought upon themselves, Aileen and Romina's hostile relationship even become more strained, while Lucy's sanity brings a heavy burden on Sandra, and Ruth's boyfriend, Gino, is unknowingly pulled into the danger and horror that await all of them. Confronted by imminent Death, the girls have nowhere to go unless they can identify the spirit and find out where it is buried. It is only by leading the spirit to its burial ground that they will able to release the spirit from the Ouija board and survive its fatal hauntings.

Disappointing?

Of course not! This is the scariest Filipino movie I've seen in the entire life. The screenplay is neatly made that even a fault-finding individual like me hardly found any loophole on its story.

Here are my random thoughts:

• From the start of the movie to the end, it's been consistent with its genre.
  
• I would have to say that Topel Lee is the best horror director so far in the Philippines. If you got scared with "Feung Shui" and "Sukob" (though I find some scenes corny and very predictable), this one is far better than the two popular horror flicks.
  
• Puwedeng panlaban sa "The Ring."
  
• Jolen and Juday fans were everywhere that they couldn't help cheer whenever their idols' scenes are shown. Their side comments are really funny like when Juday was interrogating a complainant and somebody shouted "Superstar!" Another one couldn't help but answer back Juday when she accused Jolens of being greedy for their grandmother's wealth. Well, it's really shallow but simple things such as that made me laugh.
  
• What happened to the no-ticket no-entry policy? And what have all those many guards done to help keep people in order? I was religiously waiting on the queue and what the hell happened? People were pushing with each other that even those who didn't have any tickets got through.
  
• It's good to see stars. Gahd! Iza Calzado is very beautiful. My goodness! Saan ba makakakita ng ganyan kaganda at talented na babae? She even played the role well - funny, composed, maarte and... beautiful.
  
• Jolina is so different in this movie - not the same patweetums character we see in all her films. This time, she is a grade school teacher who is not the cheerful type.
  
• For once, Juday experimented a different role - somebody not the inaapi type but someone who has a strong character, chain smoker, maldita and all. Magaling! Magaling! Magaling!
  
• I was already expecting Rhian to be a mestiza so I wasn't surprised when I saw her in person. But still, she's so pretty. And I must commend the casting staff for being able to choose the right artists. Rhian's character speaks of innocence, youth and fragility and she was able to play it well.
  
• Day, nakita ko si Annabelle Day, pati ang anak niyang si Dong Richard. Wala lang. Some celebrities I saw were Lovi Poe, Valerie Concepcion, Prince Estefan and again, the Studs. I don't know some of them so I better not enumerate their names.

Guys, you better watch it na. It's worth your 150 pesos. And please, no piracy. Let's support Filipino movies.

-o0o-

Stargazing

Last Sunday, Hunnie and I thought of watching Showbiz Central live in Broadway Centrum. It just popped out of our head after a tiring baratan in Divisoria.

What started to be a mere curiosity turned out to be a realization that she, together with her two other classmates in Med school, are also gaga with good-looking stars. I just can't help but stare at Pia Guanio's slender legs and Rufa Mae's sexiness.

Other Realizations

• These four hosts speak with spontaneity. They don't have their queue cards with or any idiot board infront of them. Some staff just flash other follow up questions, they just glance at them and rephrase them according to how they understand the questions. They really gained my respect for them.
  
• Mo Twister is tisoy enough that no wonder girls got crazy on him.
  
• Rufa Mae maybe cool, candid and funny on cam but she's actually quite reserved in between takes. So typical for a comedienne.
  
• Raymond Gutierrez is more vain than Rufa or Pia. While Pia only needs some tissues to wipe some sweat on her face while Rufa Mae asks for some retouch every now and then, Raymond's make-up artist/assistant has to frequently re-apply powder and blusher on him in every break. Mo is just cool looking at the crowd.
  
• The studio is actually small.
  
• Love team thingys are really scripted. After the sweetness JC de Vera and Yasmien Kurdi showed while they were being interviewed, JC just disappeared in a snap of a finger leaving Yas alone. Well, that's showbiz.
  
• Amalia Fuentes isn't really mataray in person. She's even nice to the staff and to the people who ask for her autograph. She just has a strong personality but that doesn't make her like Annabelle Rama.
  
• Rustom Padilla is prettier than a lot of girls I see.
  
• Hunnie and friends got so kilig with Dingdong. My sole job was to take pictures of them with the celebrities. I could be a photographer in showbiz shows and make it as my part-time job. Hehehe.
  
• I'm really wondering. How do I look like on TV. These stars look dark when they are fairer than me in person. What the!
  
• Again, I'm jologs. I know that. Mababaw lang ang kaligayahan ko. Just want to entertain myself sometimes.

Election Flashback

So the partial and unofficial results are out and Escudero is in the lead followed by Legarda and Aquino. Unfortunately for Pichay, he's starting to wilt because not enough number of the people of the Philippines have planted him in the Senate. Tsk. Tsk. It just goes to show that political ads wouldn't guarantee you a winning seat. I'll just start to hypothesize that face value is something that matters to the voters.

I'm just happy that Chavit is definitely out. Bwahahaha! And so are Cesar and Richard. Manny Pacquiao has been swept by landslide victory by his competitor. Christopher de Leon is losing, so is Lito Lapid who'll definitely lose from Binay. This is a proof that popularity isn't also a big factor in one's victory. There are still voters who are intelligent and responsible enough in voting for their right leader.

As for the people of Butuan, they are still morons. Boy Daku, as what I've heard, is likely to win again. It'll put my beloved city in stagnation for another three years.

-o0o-

This moment of choosing the right leader reminds me of the May 1995 Elections.

I was 13 years old then when I've overheard our Barangay Chairman talking to my mother on matters regarding his bet. He's campaigning for no less than Boy Daku then when he heard that my mom wouldn't vote for him. His tone seemed to sound like he's reprimanding my mom for not supporting his bet, instead of sounding like he's convincing her. I didn't say a word. A few days after, lots of our female neighbors went to our house and told my mom that her only son's voice was heard over Radyo Bombo, reporting his Barangay Chairman about the obvious politicking instead of focusing on his role in developing the community. He also was calling all the people of Butuan to never listen to anybody's dictation as to who to vote, and instead, go for whatever their clean conscience is choosing.

That made my mom take an action. She wrote to tha radio station telling them that what I was doing was all caused by my youth and lack of knowledge about the reality. Too bad for her, she didn't have anybody to hand the letter except me. I threw the letter. Haha.

-o0o-

Weeks after, Radyo Bombo's rival station, Radyo Agong, was calling all interested people who would like to get election results in one voting center and get 500 bucks. I took the opportunity. The manager seemed to have no confidence on me at first but when he heard me speak, he realized my brain is bigger than the rest of the older people there.

Then election day came. I was assigned to the school near ours (more a kilometer away, near the place where I got hit by a jeepney). I came too early. Too early that it was when the first ballot was read by the teacher. After 50 or so ballots, the bored and tired teacher got suddenly delighted when she saw somebody's handwriting. She showed it to all the people in that room, appreciating how nice the penmanship is. How would I not recognize it when it's personally the best handwriting I've ever seen?

"That's mama's," I whispered to myself. I guess that was loud enough that my seatmate, our neighbor heard it. When the teacher read that she voted for another mayoral candidate, our neighbor said "You're mom is not voting for our candidate?" I told her "No, it's not my mom's. She has a better penmanship than that one." Hehe.

While other precincts were done in counting all the votes, some others had just started. I even got the chance to bond with a Radyo Bombo reporter, compare notes with him, etc. People around were just amazed how those two people from rival stations got close (rivalry is like Channel 7 versus Channel 2).

1 a.m. came and two precincts were still not done. I was hungry. I was sleepy. Our neighbors offered me some food. I declined. God, mosquitos were flying everywhere. They offered me their blankets. I said no. Minutes later, they panicked. I suddenly disappeared without them knowing where I'm at, where I've gone. I went home, ate and slept.

That was too courageous of me to walk more than a kilometer to our house, where there's a big balete tree along the way, where one portion of the highway is known to be enchanted, where high-speeding vehicles run. I was sleepy and hungry and it's all that matters. My mom was even surprised to see me at the gate calling for somebody to open.

I came back to the two precincts at 8:00 a.m. One was done. The other one had less than 50 more ballots to count. After an hour, I'm done with my report but I found my paper too dirty. At 10:00, I've gone to the radio station, transferred the results to another clean sheet and handed it to the news anchor. He even commented on my neat work. Well, that's me. Thanks to my mom who once told me that "The neatness of your paperwork reflects your personality." End of story.

High Blood

I guess I need to be taught about anger management. My blood was boiling 1000^oC yesterday.

I come here more than thirty minutes earlier to find out that our assigned workstations are occupied by some pieces of shit called newbies. I look for some available workstations where all of us in the team could be accomodated, pull up all my tools and is told that I need to transfer again to our plotted area, five minutes before the time. Isn't it very annoying?

There's a TOIC sitting on the chair that I'm supposed to sit on. I didn't give a damn. I loudly asked my teammate, "Where am I supposed to sit? All of the fuckin chairs are used." Thank goodness, he's sensitive enough to vacate the chair.

It's already eight minutes after 12:30 when my computer finally booted up. My Outlook was not working. Fuck! I have to call PAC and ask to go on Aux 8 while looking for another computer to use. I'm given five minutes. Are they serious? It doesn't even take five minutes to boot completely to the OS, plus pulling up the tools, registering to this Goddamn Open Office (since this bullshit company can't afford a Microsoft Office license), et cetera, et cetera.

Finally, I'm all set, except that I have to use web-based Outlook since the application is down. I have to deal with clicking the "check for new messages" icon everytime I remember doing it. Then came all these spam messages from the team about the QA update, clearing out some issues and reading a lot of whining about the inconsistencies. I shared my point. Giving a case ID number is just consuming less than a minute of your time and won't hurt any part of one's system doing it. What's the big fuss? Why keep on complaining?

Then there's this fat guy replying with a picture of an oogly bald faggot in the name of Boy Abunda. I just hate that celebrity. And I hate it more when I'm compared to him/her/it. I boiled my top. I told him to shut up. I cursed him. Our TL told us to stop. There was already a tension in the team. Finally, Miggy apologized. I did the same. We patched things up.

Time for lunch. I have to go to the locker area to get my food. My locker is blocked with a ladder that was supposed to be kept in one corner after use. I throw it out of my way. I don't care how loud the noise it creates. I'm sick of people not knowing where to put things back the way they were placed.

At the pantry. As always, those wide-mouthed Cingular agents are filling up the room. They're too noisy. The air literally smells bad breath. I'm not joking. The microwave oven is not closed. It's dirty. I don't want to clean it. I have to look for one seat in one corner. I can't get through. All those chairs are not properly returned. I pushem them too hard that they shook those tables. I didn't care. People around obviously observed that I'm pissed with their absence of sense of responsibility. I want to throw those chairs on their ugly faces.

What's so wrong with these people? Anyway, I went home happy. My sister and I were discussing about a very serious, timely and most importantly intellectual topic - Ruffa getting annulled. What can I say? Great minds talk about people.

Ate

We used to be enemies. It's hard to deal with her being bossy and OC. We're the extreme opposites. She's my mom's right hand and I felt like a Sergeant with no other choice but to follow my General and Colonel. But as we grew older, I realized, we've become close friends.

Meet my Ate Doreen, 31, still single. If we go out, people wouldn't think that we're siblings. We don't have any similarity as far as physical aspects are concerned. Our classmates who don't know our family often mistakenly identify us as sweethearts. We just laugh at them.

She came here two weeks ago to accompany a family friend who's going abroad. You don't know how difficult it was for a tornado like me to be cleaning my place in less than a day. I don't want to be reprimanded again for my lack of tidiness and order.

It's just too exciting for me to see my sister again after three months. But I admit, I also get irritated with her presence. I slept barely five hours a day, going with her to malls or some other places. I get pissed waiting for her outside the restroom, or when she has to enter all possible boutiques that she could see just to try some pieces of clothing or cosmetics. I also hate her being a lady, that she takes too much time in everything. I feel that I'm her PA, bringing one of her very heavy backpacks and handing her one or two of the four cellphones that ring.

She knows that my impatience drives me nuts. She could see that in my deep silence, through my sharper eyes, and the fastness of my pace. After all, I have been her brother for 25 years.

But when she went back to Butuan, I felt sad again. For more than a week, I chose to wake up late because I knew that I don't have to cook my food anymore because she already did it. That my room wouldn't be filled with silence because I have somebody to talk and argue with. That there's somebody always reminding me to change my shirt because it's already wet with my sweat. That I have a sister with me.

Life's like that I guess. The most important people in your life are those that are often unappreciated and disliked. But when they're not around, it's when you're longing for the things that you hate in them.

Well, I'll be seeing my family again... this Christmas and it wouldn't be too long.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy anniversary guys! We've gone this far. But then again, you are still my friends no matter what. We've changed a part of our personalities, we've grown, we've lived different lives and we've taken different paths but we're still here (although I know a lot in there nga di magparamdam).

OK, too much for the drama. In the observation of our 11th year, I enumerate things we all possess.

1. We are awesome.
   
2. For us, food and camera spell the word "fun."
   
3. People find us corny but we find ourselves amusing.
   
4. We love to debate on different matters.
   
5. Nobody has the ear to listen. We talk at the same time. The louder one's voice could get, the better.
   
6. Our conversations would lead us anywhere - the Greek and Roman mythology, the behavior of the gas molecules in the soda we're drinking, the acceleration of a falling body due to gravity, our high school teachers (and their kabobohan), our own funny and sad experiences, etc.
   
7. We're the biggest and the noisiest group in our class.
   
8. We are notorious for being liars (because of me).
   
9. We used to have weekly activities to make us "feel the closeness" of the group.
   
10. We used to date as a group every Valentine's Day.

Did I miss one? But surely, I don't miss you. Hehehe. Again, happy anniv.

_________________

Acknowledgments:
Ate Doreen for scanning some of the pictures for me;
Janice and Hunnie for making me steal some of your Friendster pictures

New Year's Resolutions

It's the second week of the new year and I still haven't posted my list of resolutions for this year. I really don't do it (in fact, I used to bluff and work on my creative mind to write a two-page, 500-word formal theme composition for like three consecutive years for the same theme - My New Year's Resolution) but for the heck of having a post, and also to experience sometime in my life that I once had some real resolutions, let me try aiming for some things. At least I have a goal. At the end of this year, I'm going to evaluate myself if I'm good enough at realizing my goals.

• Have a healthier lifestyle. I know that even though I don't look like a nice and kind person, people still mistakenly see me as a priest/seminarian because I don't smoke nor drink. It's not enough though. I make sure that I've walked at least 500 meters everyday but it's still not enough. Metro Manila is so polluted that I get sick often.
  
  This year, I'm planning to enrol in a gym. I could work on my cardio well, which, hopefully, will help cure my asthma, and, at the same time, exrete all the toxins in my body. I'm also planning to gain some muscles. I'm too shy to go shirtless because my narrow shoulders are too slopy, my older sister's biceps are bigger, my chest so flat, and my abs flabby. In short, I look like a seven-year-old boy who needs constant deworming.
  
  Gym membership costs a lot and I still have some things to accomplish early this year but I'm planning to start working out before the first quarter ends.
  
  
• Learn to swim. I have webbed fingers, my ears move and blush like gills, and I love saltwater. I know how to swim a bit, but I even laugh at myself imagining how I do it. My butt moves like I'm a merman. I need to learn how to float. And man, I need to learn how to hold my breathe longer.
  
  
• Learn to manage my finances. It's a shame. I have higher salary than my sister but she has a bigger contribution to our family and she still manages to buy what she wants. I need to learn the value of sacrifice. It's also one thing that I'll be considering before I'll be getting into a relationship.
  
  
• Read more. I admit that my vocabulary is too elementary. I need to learn new words. Maybe, I should invest on fictional books (which I hate) more than inspirational ones so that I could learn new techniques in writing. But that doesn't mean I would stop reading life-learning materials. I also want to be a better person.
  
  
• Sit and walk straight. Whenever I see myself on pictures or even on a big mirror, I'm ashamed to learn that my back is so curved that I don't stand my age. I know I have scoliosis but I should be more conscious with my posture. This is a big challenge for me though but I'll try. I'LL TRY.

Butuan Minahal nga Dakbayan

Still, my brain is not working for another blog entry so I've decided to post one song that I've learned from the choir. This is the finale song that we used to sing whenever we have cultural shows way back in high school. It's already in our system that whenever I see the sign "Welcome to Butuan City," I can't stop but sing this song so loudly.

There's a Butuanon version of this but I preferred to post the Cebuano lyrics because it's the only one that I didn't fail to memorize and it's also easier to understand.

Butuan minahal nga dakbayan
Kansang mithi ang larawan sa katawhan
Kabukiran ug kasubaan
Naghatag daghang kauswagan

Dakbayanon hingpit malinawon
Mao'y talagsaong hiyas sa Butuanon
Mahibalong moawit, mahibalong mosayaw
Puno sa gugma ug tim-os nga mga pagbinatiay

O, Butuan pinalangga'ng dakbayan
Ikaw gayud sa kanunay panalipdan
Kaming imong mga anak sa wa'y kahadlok mangako
Sa kakulian mohadla kanimo

Ipataas ang bandila sa kahanginan
Timaan sa imong binilhong kadaugan
Among isinggit tibuok kalibutan
Mabuhi, mabuhi ang Butuan minahal namong dakbayan

O, Butuan pinalangga'ng dakbayan
Ikaw gayud sa kanunay panalipdan
Kaming imong mga anak sa wa'y kahadlok mangako
Sa kakulian mohadla kanimo

Kanimo, Butuan!

Bakasyon Grande

I'm on my third day of my vacation. I'm too much preoccupied with some things to do. Will post my pics later when I'll have time.

Happy Christmas to all!

Another Advertisement

Story: Beauty queen-turned actress Charlene Gonzales and Aga Muhlach are rushing back home from a late-night party. They later found their cute twins near the christmas tree, with Atasha, asking Andres, "What is your Christmas wish?"

Then the boy answered, "We have a Daddy, we have a Mommy...what else can we ask for?"

It's a simple but nice advertisement of Jollibee. A family of good-looking people that are worthy to multiply their race.

Recall: A few months ago, another family endorsed the strongest competitor of Jollibee - McDo. That time, it was with Manny Pacquiao and his wife Jinky, together with their fair-complexioned-but-wide-eyed-and-ugly older son and the other dark-complexioned-and-looks-like-Manny-therefore-a-monkey-looking younger kid.

The recent fried chicken ad is obviously classy and TV-friendly. The endorsers are undeniably beautiful and do not look like a patay-gutom family unlike on the first.

You Know You're a FILIPINO When...

I've got this message posted at the bulletin board of Friendster. I've already read this from the Philippine Daily Inquirer way back in first year college and even translated the whole article to Filipino, the language that didn't snob me in high school (I had tried my luck for a "The Narra" since first year and they snobbed me. Well, it's obvious.)

I've found out that I really am not a complete Filipino after all. It's originally 100 but now it's only 66. I could remember one of the missing things is "A straight guy could unabashedly put his arms around his guy friend while walking" and "You point something with the use of your lips."

I still have that clipping at home and I may post the rest someday.

Anyway, here's what it says:

You Know You're a FILIPINO When...


Your middle name is your mother's maiden name.
- TRUE for me. So is in the US. I've observed in Latin American countries that their mom's maiden name is written after their dad's.

Your parents call each other "Mommy" and "Daddy."
- FALSE. My mom calls my dad as "Bok," short for tambok (fat) even if he's not. He's just big. My dad calls my mom "Tit," short for Tita. They're not really sweet.

You have uncles and aunts named "Boy," "Girlie," or "Baby."
- TRUE. My dad's bro is named "Boy" but I haven't really met him.

You have relatives whose nicknames consist of repeated syllables like "Jun-Jun," "Ling-Ling," and "Mon-Mon."
- TRUE. My younger sis' name is Ling-ling.

You call the parents of your friends and your own parents' friends "Tito" and "Tita."
- FALSE. I address my friends' parents as "Ma'am" and "Sir." Some of them who, as I translated it, "Ang mga Pilipino ay naniniwalang lahat ng kapwa Pilipino ay kanilang kamag-anak," call my mom "Auntie."

You have four or five names.
- FALSE.

You greet your elders by touching their hands to your forehead.
- VERY TRUE. Even if I'm mean, I also respect the elders, especially my mom and grandparents.

You always kiss your relatives on the cheek whenever you enter or leave the room.
- FALSE. I'm not fond of beso-beso and I don't know anybody who does this.

You follow your parents' house rules even if you are over 18.
- VERY TRUE. I still even have a curfew whenever I go home.

You live with your parents until and at times even after you're married.
- TRUE. Though right now, I don't have a choice because I work away from home but given the chance that there's a career opportunity in my hometown, I would enjoy living with my family. But my mom has set my expectations that she won't allow me to live with her when I'll get married. No pressure.

You decorate your dining room wall with a picture of the "Last Supper."
- FALSE. Our dining room is so bare.

You keep your furniture wrapped in plastic or covered with blankets.
- FALSE.

You have a piano that no one plays.
- FALSE. First, we couldn't afford a piano. Second, it'll just keep me frustrated. Thanks to these fingers.

You keep a "tabo" in your bathroom.
- TRUE. Bathing wouldn't be enjoyable without that. And so is extreting solid waste.

You use Vicks Vapor rub as an insect repellant.
- FALSE. I use Efficascent Oil. Hahaha. Vicks is anti-inflammatory ointment for me.

You eat with your hands.
- TRUE. Why, does anybody eat with his feet?

You eat more than three times a day.
- TRUE. Very True.

You think a meal is not a meal without rice.
- VERY VERY VERY TRUE.

You think sandwiches are snacks, not meals.
- TRUE!

Your dining table has a merry-go-round (lazy Susan) in the middle.
- TRUE. We didn't intend to have that thing because we don't have a round table. We're just making use of the mechanism that we once used for our television.

You bring baon to work everyday.
- TRUE. But not now. I'm too lazy to prepare my sandwich.

Your pantry is never without Spam, Vienna sausage, corned beef, and sardines.
- FALSE. We don't have a cupboard. We just get whatever we want from our store. My mom doesn't settle for processed food, as much as possible.

You love to eat daing or tuyo.
- Yuck! What's that? Joke. VERY TRUE.

You prop up one knee while eating.
- FALSE. I'm the one who reprimands my older sister whenever she does it.

You eat your meal with patis, toyo, suka, banana catsup, or bagoong.
- TRUE.

Your tablecloths are stained with toyo circles.
- FALSE. We don't have tablecloth.

You love sticky desserts and salty snacks.
- TRUE for sticky desserts but not true for salty snacks.

You eat fried Spam and hot dogs with rice.
- TRUE.

You eat mangoes with rice--with great GUSTO!
- FALSE! Kadiri kaya.

You love "dirty" ice cream.
- TRUE. I even jump like a child whenever I here the sorbetero's bell ringing.

You love to eat, yet often manage to stay slim.
- TRUE. VERY TRUE!

You put hot dogs in your spaghetti.
- VERY TRUE.

Everything you eat is sauted in garlic, onion, and tomatoes.
- FALSE.

You order a "soft drink" instead of soda.
- TRUE.

You get together with family at a cemetery on All Saint's Day to eat, drink, and tell stories by your loved ones' graves.
- FALSE. We go there to pray and recite the "Nobena para sa mga kalag sa kalag sa porgatoryo."

You play cards or mahjong and drink beer at funeral wakes.
- FALSE. I don't usually go to funeral wakes and if I do, I don't play cards nor drink beer. I just eat and eat peanuts.

You think Christmas season begins in October and ends in January.
- FALSE. It starts in September.

Your second piece of luggage is a balikbayan box.
- FALSE. I've never been to any other country.

You've mastered the art of packing a suitcase to double capacity.
- FALSE. I'm not good at that. I let my Ate pack my things for me.

You collect items from airlines, hotels, and restaurants as "souvenirs."
- TRUE. I even collected toothpicks from a restaurant in Cebu. Yikes!

You feel obligated to give pasalubong to all your friends and relatives each time you return from a trip.
- FALSE. A gift is never an obligation. If my finances permit me, why not? If I'm poor, better.

You use paper foot outlines when buying shoes for friends and relatives.
- Partly true. I just have a straw cut in the foot's length.

You're a fashion victim.
- DEFINITELY FALSE! I may not be a fashionista but I'm don't belong to the clan of Batlita.

You can convey 30 messages with your facial expression.
- TRUE.

You hold your palms together in front of you and say "excuse, excuse" when you pass in between people or in front of the TV.
- FALSE. I'm not Ate Guy.

You ask for the bill at a restaurant by making a rectangle in the air.
- TRUE. Hehehe.

You cover your mouth when you laugh.
- FALSE. I couldn't forget when my elementary teacher called me "ugaling skwater" because I don't cover my mouth when I laugh.

You respond to a "Hoy!" or a "Pssst!" in a crowd.
- FALSE. OK, sometimes true.

You'll answer "Malapit lang!" - no matter the distance--when asked how far away a place is located.
- FALSE. But I get that answer most of the time.

Goldilocks is more than a fairy tale character to you.
- TRUE.

You refer to power interruptions as "brownouts."
- TRUE.

You love to use the following acronyms: CR for comfort room, DI for dance
instructor, DOM for dirty old man, TNT for tagu nang tago, KJ for kill joy, KSP for kulang sa pansin, OA for over-acting, TL for true love, BF for boyfriend and GF for girlfriend.
- TRUE. LR for lahi ra.

You say "rubber shoes" instead of sneakers, "ball pen" instead of pen, "stockings" instead of pantyhose, "pampers" instead of diapers, "ref" or prijider" instead of refrigerator, "Colgate" instead of toothpaste, "canteen" instead of cafeteria, and "open" or "close" instead of turn on or turn off (as in the lights).
- TRUE. But I never say colgate for a toothpaste or any brand for a certain thing.

You use an umbrella for shade on hot summer days.
- FALSE. I'm not Silhouette.

You like everything imported or "state- side. "
- FALSE. I value Filipino patriotism.

You love ballroom dancing, bowling, pusoy, mah jong, billiards, and karaoke.
- TRUE for karaoke (only when a few people could hear me).

You have a relative who is a nurse.
- FALSE. Only a friend.

When you're in a restaurant, you wipe your plate and utensils before using them.
- FALSE. But I smell the utensils and my mom often reprimands me.

You can squeeze 15 passengers into your five seater car without a second
thought.
- FALSE. We haven't done it.

You wave a pom-pom on a stick around the food to keep the flies away.
- TRUE. I remember how I would love to watch our store before if I'm the one holding it.

You always ring a doorbell twice, assuming that the first ring was not heard.
- FALSE.

You let the phone ring twice before answering, lest you appear overly eager.
- FALSE.

You use a rock to scrub yourself in the bath or shower.
- FALSE.

My score - 31/66. Not even 50%. Correct me if I'm wrong. Being in a callcenter makes me lose my skill in counting.

Makabagbag-damdaming Dayalogo

These are few of the award-winning lines delivered by some people I personally know. I just want to post this just in case I would be suffering from Alzheimer's disease someday, I'd be able to recall these moments and give myself a laugh.

Ako ang masunod diri sa yuta wa'y labot sa langit! (My will be done on earth and not in heaven.)

- Terror Math teacher Ma'am Berongoy everytime our section would ask for a rescheduling of an exam

Kanus-a man napangit ang Einstein?! (Since when had [section] Einstein gone bad?)

- Response of a raging classmate Andee in response to Kenneth's (Falle) statement that our section's presentation was a great one. (December 1997)

...And to top it all, you're a Tom Cruise look-alike and I'm nothing but a Katie Holmes dead ringer.

- Friend Janice on a birthday card she gave me comparing our differences (September 17, 1999)

When will you stop acting like an immature person?

- My team leader to my teammate (October 2006)

My will chooses you but my heart chooses her. God, help me, as I choose my heart to lead my way. Come what may.

- break-up line of Jose Ajoc to my friend Junnah (February 15, 2003)

Basi kalimot ka nga dili ka bisita diri. (You must have forgotten that you are not our visitor)

- Mama whenever I don't do anything at all except sleep, eat and watch TV everytime I go home

'Duard I have a bad news... Samuel is dead...(silence) But I have a good one. Samantha is born.

- Classmate June on the phone one Summer break (April 1999)

Da, Ro?! Di ka ganahan ug Carpenters? Nindot baya na ilang kanta. (Really Ro?! You don't like Carpenters? But their songs are nice.)

- Classmate Irish's reaction to classmate Ammeruth regarding her question to classmate Kristine if she still watches CARTOONS (high school days)

Si William, ang lalaking sa pagkakataong ito'y tanaw tanaw ko. Yun lamang at gumuhit ang ngiti sa aking mga labi. (No English translation could give justice to this poetic line).

- Friend Janice's award-winning tanging lathalain (feature article) entry in the 1997 Division Schools Press Conference

I have forgotten some more. I may post them when my memory is refreshed.

Into the Altar of Cindy

Cindy Kurleto is not pretty. She's very pretty. She may not have the great curves but she's still sexy.

I just had attended the MTV AIDS Awareness Symposium held in our company today. Fortunately for me, Cindy was the one who came and hosted the event.

I shouldn't have joined the symposium. Modesty aside, I've had enough of those seminars about reproductive health, responsible sex, AIDS, etc. I may have known better than those who are actively active in sex. But then again, there's Cindy and an hour of sitting infront of her altar wouldn't hurt me.

And so we were taught about the causes of AIDS and its difference from HIV and the use of condoms. For me, abstinence and faithfulness is still the best practice. There's a short open forum wherein most of the people were shy enough to ask, especially the guys who might receive redicule thinking that they don't know enough about sex and the virus. Oh! The fragility of men's pride.

And there's this so-called "nurse" who works in a callcenter who keeps on asking. Actually, he wasn't asking to clarify things. He was doing it to impress people that he's a reader, that he's updated, that he knows much, and that he's a nurse. Well, whatever. What's boggling my mind was the physical structure of the virus and how it looks like inside and outside an organism's cell. I also wanted to give the speakers a harder time by letting them explain how the virus travels inside the body and replace the components of the nucleus. But then again, for the love of Cindy, I didn't do it.

I couldn't forget his opening salvo and the things that he said after that. It went this way:

"I am a nurse.... Did you heard about...?"

I should have asked for the mic and said:

"I am a grammarian. Did you hear him say 'Did you heard?'"

No wonder why he ended up in a callcenter. He must not have passed TOEFL and was denied for a work abroad and thought that being in a callcenter is worth a bunch of bucks than being a volunteer.

Anyways, the final part of the event was taking pictures with us wearing red. I got a red fan and covered my face with it to hide my identity in case those images would be flashed on the 5th of December during the MTV AIDS Summit. I had taken my picture with Cindy and as expected, her shoes look better than my face. I don't want to post it.

Trick or Treat

I'm scaring most of the people in Eastwood right now. My face is fully painted with red and a silhouette of horns on my forehead and fake mustache and beard were drawn. Obviously, I'm a devil.

Our team is supposed to look like corpses for our company's costume contest. But while I was putting that mint foundation on my face, I can't fit into the character who looks pale and lifeless and I look less scary. I don't want it. I need something more. And so I am a demon. People who know say the same thing - there's no much difference on my looks except that I'm blushing.

And yes, I have the guts to go out of the building and eat at the Hepa Lane with this look. It's even funny to see a devil praying for grace before eating his lunch at 3:45 a.m.

We're not aiming for winning the EK prize. It's the spirit of camaraderie that is more important. Our TL is not around and it's more fun for us. Hehehe.

Speaking of fun, I love how C5 and even Cubao look like. No traffic, not much noise, and yes, less ugly people.

Till I Met You

I'm jologs and I also value the Filipino patriotism in me. I've grown up with some Filipino movies, mucus-stimulating melodramatic lines, predictable fight scenes, and terribly corny jokes.

With all those kabaduyans, I'm still proud of our Filipino movies... and still enjoy watching and criticizing all the loopholes and all.

Just watched this movie yesterday out of curiosity. I've been reading positive reviews and I think this is worth the try.

Here's what I could say:

• The storyline is very predictable. Boy meets girl. They hate each other's guts. He finds out her deepest secrets. They fall in love with each other but can't realize their feelings because she's taken and is bound to get married for the guy's adoptive father.
  
• Marky Cielo's (Starstruck Ultimate Survivor) face is obviously overly covered with thick foundation.
  
• Pekto's high-pitched voice is so irritating. His character is an irritating deaf sidekick so... So.
  
• Regine is undeniably old. I wonder how she looks like without any make up on.
  
• Kuh Ledesma still has some class even though she plays as a tindera of a carenderia. Regine's mom and Direk Mark also did a cameo role in the movie.
  
• As always, Eddie Garcia acts well.
  
• Bino will always be Bino whether he would be a police, a fugitive, or a ranch guy without a gun.
  
• Regine's acting in this movie is good. I would suggest a deeper character on her next movie that would showcase her acting ability.
  
• It's always the case in Filipino love stories. A pair younger alipores would always make a side-love story, which when we scrutinize, may be omitted without any effect on the plot.
  
• It has always been my question since I was a kid. Do rich people really wear casual and formal clothes, embellished with all jewelry and make-up even when they're inside the house?
  
• I wonder how much have Talk 'n Text and WOW Magic Sing paid for the excessive exposure of their products.
  
• The house is nice. Modern-type model in the middle of a ranch.

Anyway, here's the lyrics that has been playing inside my head all this time. I don't dedicate it to somebody because I haven't found her yet. Someday, I might be able to sing it infront of her.

kuh ledesma

http://www.lyricsdownload.com/

Rockafella

I'm still trying to forget the big humiliation I've had last Sunday evening at the TSBU (Technical Support Business Unit) gothic rock party in Clamshell, Intramuros. In my greatest desire to fit my attire with the theme in order to camouflage myself with the huge crowd, I was still recognized.

While my name was being called by those barriotic and undeniably horrible-looking emcees, I was already thinking of walking out, tenderring my immediate resignation and trying to forget everything. But since professionalism still filled my soul, I TRIED not to look like I'm pissed with the event's stupid idea of having us catwalk on that musical instrument-crowded stage. Just imagining a scoliotic bald scarecrow in his sleeveless black polo, fatigue cargo shorts, black Chuck Taylor and red necktie with eyelids darkened with smudged eyeliner walking on that small stage makes me think of cutting my webbed fingers to my death.

I'm thinking of resigning before I could see myself in another barriotic TV program called eTV. Help! Mother of Forgetfulness, have mercy on me.

* * *

I'm thinking of changing my URL again. I'll find ways on how I could inform you guys about the change. But sooner or later I'm going to do that. Just to give myself some privacy.

I Am Bad Because I Am, Because I Want to be

I'm not going to cry. No, I ain't gonna cry. Please. These lacrimal glands wouldn't produce any fluid at all. But NO! They just did. And again, they do. And keep on secreting liquid.

I don't want these eyes. And the more do I hate those eyes who look at me with much pity like I'm the most misfortunate man on earth. I don't need your mercy. I've grown up relying only on myself, my family and my friends, except of course lifting everything to the greatest force above. Besides that, I don't expect anything from anybody. And I don't want anybody to expect anything from me.

Tomorrow I'll be turning 25 and all my life I've already accepted that I am not a normal person. I am not sociable. I am not a public pleaser. I don't befriend people that easily. Sometimes I might be congenial but that doesn't mean that we're already friends. No personal attachments - just treat me as one of your ordinary teammates, acquaintances or just some stranger around whose name you can't even remember.

I am not born to please anybody nor am I born to be of service to everybody. The world I'm revolving around is just small, something isolated, somewhere not everybody is not priviliged to enter. Call me selfish. That's okay with me. Fuck the word "camaraderie." It's never my obligation to make everybody happy. If you don't like me, that's fine with me. I would even love to hear you say that to me. But I would never ever change for anybody.

I am not unlucky. I would never be unlucky. I am not an island. I may be geographically away from the people I love but that doesn't mean that I am an island. My being me is the only thing that's left for me and please spare it for me.

Lastly, happy birthday to me.

Enchanted Rollercoaster Ride

1. The ironic faces. Ces and I busy posing as we're boarding for Laguna. 2. Four normal hands and a set of webbed fingers. 3. The view of Enchanted Kingdom from the top. 4. The excited but scared Talakitok on the ferris wheel. It isn't so obvious though with his very big smile. 5. Holding on to the astronaut after getting dizzy with the Space Shuttle. 6. A new yellow shirt after getting wet with the Riogrande Rapids. 7. Learning to drive. 8. Frustrated model along those New York Streets. 9. Equestrian. 10. Take two. The devilish look on the ferris wheel.

At the Enchanted Kingdom, on September 9, 2006, I conquered two of my fears - speed and height. My motivation? I guess it was only getting my money's worth. I don't want to put the five hundred-peso entrance ticket to trash.

It was Sheila's post-birthday celebration and also timely since her bestfriend, Ces, also paid her a visit. I miss Ces, the girl who used to make me blush with her green jokes. I was just so innocent then when she became my classmate, and then became my friend and we shared so many crazy experiences and she transformed me to be the meanest asshole that I could be. Hahaha!

Anyhow, getting to Laguna is not at all that bad. It's very bad. Getting stuck by the terrible traffic jam along Southbound Highway would tell you that patience isn't the only the value that you need. One must be proactive enough in thinking of some funny ways to get rid of boredom - you know, taking pictures on sleeping people inside the van or even those on the bus, singing along with the songs on the radio, and showcasing one's talent in talking too much to the point of losing all the saliva.

We first rode on the ferris wheel, which they call as "Wheel of Fate." For almost 25 years of my life, I finally had the courage to get onto that ride. I thought it's going to kill me but no. It's really nice to be on top of everybody. We even got back to that ride before going home.

Then we went to Anchor's Away. It's a ship-like ride that sways like a pendulum to almost 180 degrees. I felt like my intestines were all mixed up since we were seated at the very last row. I wished it would stop swaying but the moment it haulted, I wished for more. In fact, we took the ride four times.

Then we flew to the Space Shuttle. It's like a rollercoaster but the former's turns are not as big as the latter's. I was very apprehensive at first because I don't want to lose my life with all the pieces of me scattered everywhere. I had never taken that ride in my entire life and I never imagined myself on that ride. The problem with me is that I can't scream. Sheila was even so brave to take the front seat where the momentum is at maximum. Christine (Sheila's landlady's daugter) was seated beside me while Jag (Ces' friend) was alone next to us. Being so conscious with my safety gear since I felt it's kind of loose, I was caught off-guard when the ride started leaving me with no air to inhale. I even forgot to remove my sunglasses. I thought to myself, "Stop! Wait a minute! I'm not yet ready!" But then I had no choice. I felt my brain was shaken that I felt like a blank slate for a few seconds. Had I died at that time, my mom would exert all her powers to resurrect me in order to kill me again. They didn't even know that I went to that place.

Time to relax and take a breather. We got to that Jungle Log. I got wet but not as wet as in the Riogrande Rapids. I couldn't forget how I told Sheila to shut up from screaming that her panties got wet. We ended up buying new shirts for ourselves.

Then we went to those no-brainer rides like the revolving swing and parachutes and my favorite one - the carousel. I felt like a kid again. Innocent but bored, after that adrenaline rush. I even spotted Joshua Zamora of the Maneuvers busy taking pictures of his family.

The Swan lake looks boring but it's definitely physically demanding. My knees and upper thighs got pretty tired of kicking those pedals. Getting to the bump cars gave me the chance to master the ride. Wow! I really enjoyed it that I went back three times. The rollerskater (a kiddie version of the rollerskater) is just OK. After that space shuttle ride, it's no challenge. The splash bumpers (I'm not too sure of its name though) is the boat version of the bump cars. It's pretty fun thinking that only Ces, Sheila and I were on that lagoon while others were just looking at us.

The worst and corniest of it all was the Adventures of Hanna Barbera. After all, it's just for kids but we forced outselves to get in. Even its billboard is grammatically incorrect. It states "Now Showing Today..."

I have more to say but I'm a bit tired (and sleepy) to talk and write more about my experience. What I could say is that the Anchor's Away is just like sex (as if I had experienced it). According to many, once you get a taste of it, you keep on coming back to do it again.

If I would have the chance to go back to that kingdom again, I would love to take it. I even planned to go back there on my birthday. This time, I would be alone. I don't know. I have no definite plans for next week yet. I thought of isolating myself in my room for the whole day with my phone turned off and enjoying a day-long marathon of CSI while eating various flavors of ice cream (yes I have a freezer now). I also thought of going to Ma Mon Luk and have their delicious siopao and mami. Or maybe take advantage of the 50% discount for facial services at Flawless (since they're giving discounts for eTel employees especially on their birthday). Whatever it is, come what may. Basta, di ko manlibre but I welcome presents.

Sleepless in Butuan

Just when I thought that I could take the much-deserve eight-hour sleep when I'll get here, then I'm wrong again. It's worse than my callcenter job. It's already past 5:00 a.m. and I'm still wide awake. We haven't done cleaning the entire house, arranging all the interiors. Minutes from now, we have to go to the market. I still have to finalize the invitation list, do some more errands. The feast is still a day away but the chapel people will come to our house this evening.

I told you fiesta is peste! My right shoulder is damn aching. I'm sleepy.

By the by, I'm being frequently reprimanded. In a house where I'm the only guy, and the only tornado person (besides our youngest sister), I can't keep things in order. But I'm still enjoying things.

Freedom

I'm on a vacation leave for two weeks. I'm at my sister's laptop right now and keeps on complaining about the slow connection. I'm not really a proactive person and I've been reprimanded about that bad attitude more than 50 times on my 4th day here. But still, they can't do anything about it.

I just want to share how much I got more than mad with the people of PAL. For a change, our flight from Manila to Butuan wasn't delayed but their staff were testing how much of barbaric warriors we are. I could remember how my aunt pinched me as I was answering the counter back but didn't mind her at all. Being an egoistic person, I don't want people to reprimand me in public, especially if I'm not at fault, as I am not a small boy anymore nor am I in my elementary years. I should have asked for their supervisor but I was already so hungry at that time. Had that man gave me more reasons to boil my blood more than 100 degrees, I could have eaten him whole.

Anyway, we've arrived safely. My aunt is enjoying her stay and has so many itineraries in her mind. We're in a careful planning for the fiesta next week. As much as I wouldn't like to have that kind of party, I can't do anything but to cooperate. After all, it's the first time in our 15 years here that we're preparing for the feast. Honestly, I call fiesta as peste. I hate people, I hate entertaining people, I hate to prepare food, I hate to wash the dishes. I just hate it!

But then again, I'm home. Though I'm expecting some arguments with my mom regarding Ling-ling, being home is a lot different than being away from my family. As a children's song says, "Happiness is coming home again." I just miss my room, my dog, our very clean bathroom, our big TV. I don't miss our neigbors. Not at all. Someday I may realize to burn all their houses so that our house would be the only one standing in Villa Caridad.

We had some visitors coming and that included kids. Yes. KIDS! Kids who don't know how to behave properly. Kids who are noisy. Kids who are so hyperactive. But they can't make inarte when I'm around. Nobody could dare open my toy collection in our divider. My aunt and mom would just laugh at me whenever I would tell those kids to keep away from my toys by just looking at them. Hahaha!

Happy Anniversary!

When I was a kid, my mom used to tell me that the power of the mind is the only thing that is limitless in this world. It is in one's way of thinking that he can't be overpowered by anybody. I can't remember when my mind started to wander. But all I could remember was from that time she told me about it, I learned to think more imaginatively, my brain started to work more creatively and it worked for me both positively and negatively. The only problem though is that one's idea must be put into something concrete that it could reach into one person's senses and that is when one's thoughts start to be limited, as to there are so many considerations to think of... but as for me, the hell I care of other people!

Today is the first year of this so-called vice of lifeless and boring people like me - blogging. Although I don't find myself boring, as going to bars, drinking and smoking is something boring for me, I'll just try to accept the fallacy that I don't have much of a life compared to normal people.

I never kept a diary of myself because I don't want people to know my past nor anything about the how's and why's of my death. But I later developed myself into a transparent individual and thought of looking for an outlet for my depression of losing my job and failing in my attempt to be loved back by the girl I have loved for a long time, I found blogging a nice medium for my emotions. It started all in friendster and a newly found friend introduced me to blogger. Someday, when I'll get old, rich and famous, I might decide to host my own blogsite.

Like a temperate deciduous tree, I've been through all the seasons - shedding my leaves during the fall and have them grown in spring. It just makes me laugh whenever I review all the entries I have. Whether it'll be about my failed pursuit/s, rantings, criticism, food, and all, I never thought I've written those. Writing is not my talent, just my frustration and whenever I read my entries over and over again, they give me a certain sense of pride in myself.

Finally, I am hoping to write more and more about my life through this blog. For most of you, this doesn't make sense but this is already an achievement for me. Thank you for all those who keep on checking this site almost everyday. And for those who just randomly click on the link in blogger without reading a single word that I've written, you've made the right choice.

My Three-Dimensional Space Experience

12:25 p.m. I'm finally done with my last call. I haven't taken my last break so I might, as well, make use of the last five minutes.

12:30 p.m. I log out from my Avaya phone, bid TL's Trish and Tin goodbye, go a floor higher, get my bag from my locker and get out of the building to hail a jeepney for the MRT Cubao Station. After a long time of competing with so many people on the train, almost kissing some of their armpits, I finally reach Taft Station, ran down the stairs and take a jeepney towards Mall of Asia.

Do I look excited for "Superman Returns"? Am I? Of course, I am not. It's been a while since I haven't seen it. For 20 years, I've waited for him to fly again. I've [sort of] memorized "Can You Read My Mind," got bored with "Lois and Clark," sang the hit song of Five for Fighting several times, and snubbed "Smallville." This is it, finally!

2:00 p.m. I'm already at the mall. After being notorious for my tardiness since elementary to my second year in college, I finally decided to be an early bird. I'm an hour early. That's nice. I look for a vacant seat for my weary varicous veins to rest. I spot a place near some Americans with elite group of Filipinos, who speak like old people, with thick R's and all. I hear a young guy, about 15-18 years old, who says he hasn't heard of Superman at all. I don't care. Maybe Superman isn't globally popular. Whatever.

For Christ's sake, why are infants brought to the movie house? As far as I know, everybody, including those who can't even understand any language at all, are paid in full. Seven bucks is too big to be wasted for babies who can't even remember how creepy Superman's looks is. But I'll still forgive those stupid parents. I guess they just want their child to acquire any kind of air-borne diseases. And for the child's nanny also to have the chance of watching the movie in 3D.

People are like me. They're fond of documenting their first time. I even spot a group of coñotic Ateneo girls with their parents taking their pictures with the big Coca-cola figure behind them.

2:45 p.m. People start lining up for the 3:00 schedule. I head towards the right side. The space is too limited that the file looks like a maze or a snake. Tickets are inspected and the 3D goggles are distributed. I ask Manong distributor if the glasses should be returned back after the movie and he said yes. When I touch it, it's heavier than what I expected. It's not made of thin plastic lenses with cardboard frame. Hahaha! Ignoramus.

3:00 p.m. Lights are out. The screen is so huge. According to the voice over, it's an eight-storey screen but I don't think so. Instructions are given. I remember them. The goggles should be put on when a green signal is flashed on the screen and should be removed when a red signal is flashing; Viewers must also wear them during the preview of movie trailers; AND after the movie, people must take the exit at the back, WITH THE PEOPLE AT THE LAST ROW TO TAKE THE EXIT FIRST. It's clear. I'm happy because I'm at the last row.

As always, advertisements were shown first before anything else. The screen is so huge that I feel like throwing up. I'm far-sighted so anything that is so large would give me discomfort. Plus, it's Kris Aquino's Purefoods Chunky advertisement which comes first. Good thing there's no Ginebra, Magnolia nor San Miguel ads. FYI, iMAX is a tie up of San Miguel Corporation and SM so it's expected for these advertisements to be shown.

Anyway, here's a list of things I could say:

• "Superman Returns" isn't a bad movie. I came in the theater pretty excited and tired. I got out happy and more exhausted.
  
• Keannu and the late Christopher don't have the same surname. The former has "S" in the end while the latter has none. So never say Christopher Reeves, puwede?
  
• There's really something in Brandon's looks that I find so creepy. Did he undergo plastic surgery to make him look almost the same as Christopher Reeve or to make him look something beyond a normal human being?
  
• His blue eyes are obviously fake.
  
• His shoes are like the normal rubber boots that people wear on rainy days. We call it bota.
  
• I hate it when I'm near a gay guy. I have nothing against them but when they're too noisy and start expressing their sexual desires, that's the start that I get annoyed. Anyway, my seatmate keeps on commenting the bulge on his crotch. He says it's digitally minimized so that the audience wouldn't get distracted by it. I just said "Sshhhh..."
  
• The whole movie isn't at all 3D, just approximately 20 minutes, most of them are the flight scenes. It's like Superman is getting near you and you could feel that you might get hit by some pieces from the explosion.
  
• How does it feel when, as a fetus, Superman's child would start kicking inside a woman's womb? Isn't it freaky?
  
• The kid reminds me of the child-actor-turned-drug-addict-turned-comeback-actor-whose-movie-was-a-flop Macaulay Culkin.
  
• Kevin Spacey is really a good actor. I start hating him for his character here.
  
• Kate Bosworth looks like Natalie Portman in a few angles. Most of the time, I'm distracted by her big forehead. Had she lived in the prehistoric era of the Philippines, she would be a slave.
  
• If he really exists and that I'm working in Daily Planet, I must be the first and the only guy to observe that Superman and Clark Kent is the same person. The characters are somewhat stupid not to recognize that very obvious resemblance.
  
• Superman is a stalker. He always tells Lois that he's always around. My voice is loud enough when I said "stalker" right after Superman delivered that Academy Award-winning line that my other seatmate, who keeps on sniffing (maybe because she got carried away with the drama), laughed. Congratulations, I'm not corny at all!
  
• Nothing really spectacular than the very detailed animation, and yes, the return of Superman.

After three hours (including the ads and the trailers), it finally ended. As for the last instruction, people don't remember it... or they choose not to remember it. I don't think that they don't understand it. They're just stupid to choose not to understand it. Being in the last row, I was one of the people who go out last.

Superman and the Brown-haired Guy

Since we're going to have a new schedule for this month, my rest days would run from Thursday to Sunday. It's considerably a long vacation for me which works both for my advantage and my disadvantage. The brighter side of it is that I wouldn't have to be disturbed by my alarm clock, saying that I've got to get up and work. I wouldn't have to deal with those egoistic level 2 techs, I wouldn't have a hard time looking for working computers, and I wouldn't have to be irritated by the PAC ringing my phone from time to time in case I would take a long time in after call work (ACW) for completing my notes, creating a dispatch or submitting my case to the outbound team.

On the other hand, I would have a longer time for boredom. Being away from the family leaves me nobody to talk with, nothing to talk about, nobody to reprimand me with my messy bed, and nobody to compete with when it comes to watching a television program. I also have a hard time adjusting my biological clock as I usually wake up at 8:30 in the evening. During my off, I wake up at 2:00 a.m. and stay awake until 12:00 noon.

Yesterday, I've thought of something fruitful for me. After eating all the chocolate chip pancakes that I've made, and eating a plateful of rice and my favorite tuna with egg, I thought of going out. My grey hairs are so evident that I thought of dying my hair again. This is also the disadvantage of growing my hair. I have to dye and apply gel on it.

For years, I only used blue black or very dark brown on my hair. I don't have the guts to wear a loud color on my head, except once when I decided to have highlights. My friends like it but I don't care if I look good in it or not. I just want to try. After all, it's not somebody else's head that I'm experimenting.

Yesterday, I dropped by Ystilo Salon in Tandang Sora. Their very big billboard caught my attention. It's not Vina Morales' face that attracted me. It's their offer of giving 20% discount to customers. So instead of going elsewhere, I've decided to stop by Berkeley Mall and go to that parlor. After a few minutes of waiting, of learning new recipes from a food magazine, I was already called by the assistant to have my hair shampooed. She asked me what color would I love to be applied on my hair. This time, I asked for her suggestion but told her that I don't want to look scandalous with loud colors. So, she told me that golden brown/amber dye would fit me. Well, here I am, a newly born brown-haired person!

* * *

Aside from conquering my fear from Brandon Routh's not-so-human features, I thought of watching Superman Returns in 3D as I might not have chance to watch it again and only only mall has the IMAX theater in this country. So, I've also thought of going to SM Mall of Asia. I don't want to spend my time to take a cab nor do I have my private car so my practicality told me to take the bus.

For those who are thinking of going to that mall and don't have any choice but to ride on a bus via EDSA, here are things you need to bring along with you:

• Patience. It is a virtue and the probability of being stuck in a traffic jam is 99/100.
  
• Food. A person who is not on a diet but could easily get bored must have something to eat. It doesn't just gets me away from being bored. It exercises my jawbone.
  
• Reading materials. If you're lucky enough to get into a bus with no sound system, then you are really very lucky! Not only that you would get rid that annoying high-pitched corny person of an FM station that requires you to memorize it, you also could get your ears rested. And you could have the time to enrich your mind.
  
• iPod, walkman or just some cotton balls to cover your ears, in case you hate Love Radio and their very jologs songs.
  
• Handkerchief or towel. It's either hot, dusty, or the airconditioner of the bus smells ewan. It also protects your respiratory system from stinky seatmates.
  
• Skill in sleeping. I tell you, it's better to sleep than wait for long hours.

After hours of waiting, I've finally reached the so-called biggest mall of Asia. It's indeed very very big in the middle of a wider unoccupied space. As for my plans of watching Superman, the tickets are sold out so I'm scheduled to watch it on Friday next week. That would mean that I would have to deal with my patience again.

Constant Change

I could remember the most overused advice I've received from my high school classmates when I asked them to write for my personalised slambook - "Don't ever change 'Duard." But there goes the next sentence - but please stop criticizing people. They're getting inconsistent there.

Being a stubborn piece of brat, I never followed their advice. I've changed a lot and I never stopped criticizing people. Well, I'm still that snobbish, strict-looking guy who walks too fast and I still laugh out very loudly even in public places but there are lots of things that have changed in me and I don't need to enumerate them.

As for my friends, I could hardly see the changes since I feel that we still look young, and that we look younger than our batchmates. Maybe because we're living a clean life - vice-free and all that... or maybe it just runs through the blood... or that birds of the same feather are really the same birds. Whatever it is, we're still noisy individuals who love to have healthy arguments even in the midst of our eating engagements. And whenever we would observe that we have been already talking about people, we immediately shift to another topic, politics or any ideas that is, for we think that small minds talk about people.

Right now, I'm engaged in a conference call for more than hour. I was supposed to transfer the customer to another department but since she got disconnected and I am a nice guy and that, I had to call her and conferenced her to another agent. I can't drop the call because it will lose the three of us and being a lazy butt, I also love this moment. I get the chance to view some blogs, read the news and look at some pictures of my old classmates. There I saw our high school class valedictorian and his girlfriend who was also our third honorable mention. They both graduated in the University of the Philippines - Diliman. The former as Magna Cum Laude for BS Molecular Biology and Biotechnology while the latter with the degree of AB Journalism. The girl now works in a callcenter as a Tier2 technician while the guy as an assistant scientist in Laguna.

Being a fault-finder and that, I can't help but laugh at the way they look. God, he's getting bald on his forehead and he's got a big belly. While the girl is fatter and flatter than before. They're experiencing outward growth of somatic cells and they look older (as expected). I have to shut my mouth now and the call will have to end.

What can I say? All living things change... and grow old... and will die.

Teamwork

I rarely believe in the word "team". As I was growing up, I would never entrust the group's assignment to anybody in the group. My choleric personality would always tell me to do all the things for everybody to make sure that the output would be excellent, else, I'd prefer not to belong to any group at all. I just don't want to blame any person from his mischief/s. I always demand perfection and excellence from me and I want to be responsible of my own actions - nobody to blame me, not even myself, which is something that I love.

Thanks to these darn teammates. Because of their overwhelming talent in absenteeism, we got one of the worst schedules for thee month of July. I have to start my shift at 3:30 in the morning.

As for the cocky L2 technicians, watch out for my painful revenge. Expect a very lengthy and tactless letter of complaint to be sent to the team manager. It's going to be a heavy outpour of my emotions. Good luck!

Just an Advice

For the parents, never reprimand your kids if they'll get into trouble. Instead, encourage them to get involved in fistfights, tell them to stop from going to school. Later on, you'll reap the fruits of your labor. Your son will surely become a famous boxer, movie actor, singer, product endorser and a national hero. But be sure that he could also be good enough to relate to the people who could afford cinema tickets or else, the movie of his life story is going to be a flop.

Side comment: It's a shame that the fucking Manny Pacquiao Movie has great box office return in my hometown, Butuan City. What are you thinking Butuanons? It just goes to show how cheap your tastebuds are.

Out of the Abundance of Boredom

... my fingers speak.

On my rest days, it's either I would sleep all day, surf the net, or cook anything I want. It even gets me to a point of being OC wherein I keep on cleaning my room and the toilet, and continue organizing my things. If I'm not lazy enough to go out, I go mall-hopping. In fact, I've done it last Friday, starting my itinerary in Ever Gotesco Commonwealth, where a person wearing denim jeans and ordinary shirt could be considered as over-dressed. Then I went to SM North and hopped from one boutique to another, trying on some polo shirts, which are, again, too big for me, even though they are already the smallest sizes. Then finally, got patient with the traffic jam on my way to Megamall. I wasn't able to do window shopping there since my big sister told me to go to PVAO and inquire about a certain stuff regarding my lola's claim on my granddad's heroism for the country during World War II.

Another Slipper-y Incident

'Twas past three in the afternoon when I received a text message from my ate requesting me to go to Camp Aguinaldo and make some inquiries in the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office. Thanks to Caro's fashion advice that I bought a pair of leather slippers to give my feet a sense of comfort and at the same time, to give me a different look. It really paid off, except on last-minute visits to establishments which demand for shoes... strictly shoes, where toes should not be seen. This time, a soldier, and not a security guard told me that I couldn't enter the premises as I was wearing slippers. Good thing that I was courteous and English-speaking enough when I asked him where the PVAO is and he gave me special consideration. Besides, I was able to explain to him that I didn't plan to go there.

Showbiz

I am very much showbiz oriented. But let me clarify that I don't go for those gossips which don't have any basis. I always want proof or if no proof is provided, at least the story is logical and sensible enough para mapatulan ko. I always hate those cheap confrontations of sexy starlets begging for publicity and media exposure. I also hate those trying hard love teams which are so obviously forced to solicit kilig factor from there fans.

Anyway, here are some things that I usually and recently hear from talk shows and and read from the papers, that are, sort of, worth my attention and my nice criticisms. Again, I'm just bored:

• When promoting for there recent movie/show, actors always say these lines:
  
  • Maganda ang pelikula namin (This is a good movie.)
    Of course, they wouldn't tell the viewers that it is not worth the viewers' time and money. They shouldn't have plugged it, if that's the case.
    
  • Pinaghirapan po namin ito (We've worked hard on this.)
    I understand. For so many sleepless nights, they've of course, worked hard on this.
    
  • May mapupulot kayong aral sa pelikulang ito (You'll learn something from this movie)
    Of course. We would be educated how to curse, appreciate the art of baring one's soul and all other no-no's of a moral person like me. Hehehe.
  
  
• Press people try to link some single stars. If they are already together, it's either they make stories that they've already split or they've already been married. And if a couple admits that they're already married, the press are trying to make them apart.
  
  
• Manny Pacquiao Movie? What the heck is that? And Jericho Rosales as Pacman? Haven't they thought of something as tall, as young and as good-looking as Manny other than Jericho? and Bea Alonzo as his wife? God! Wala na ba talagan katinuan ang mga taong nasa likod ng pelikulang ito? Making a movie about an overhyped person who didn't contribute to our country's economic and political crisis is already a capital sin. Choosing these stars is another one.
  
  But since everything has been done, I don't have any other choice but to expect a realistic acting from the actors. Rosales must don a straight hair, must be cross-eyed in the entire movie, and he must speak in very hard accent.
  
  
• Christina Aguilera has a new single. I forgot the title. In fairness, she's beautiful in her music video. I have nothing against her. In fact, I like her better than Britney Spears but I just can't help but laugh whenever I see her lower extremities - she's bow-legged ... and her big boobs are not proportional to her gecko-shaped body.
  
  
• For Brandon Routh fans, I'm so sorry for saying this but the newest Superman/Clark Kent doesn't look like a human being anymore. Whenever I see his large posters and billboards, I really have this freaky feeling looking at his face. He's somewhat the male version of Barbie.
  
  
• After two consecutive years of being so controversial with their so-called Music Awards, SOP has reformed its award-giving gimmick to SOP PasiklaBand. This time, no homegrown talent is nominated, thus, preventing any controversies regarding being biased and all.
  
  
  
• MTRCB has, again, showed its being an ultra-conservative agency. After giving the Da Vinci Code an R-18 rating, it has warned several local shows for being “in a patently lewd, offensive or demeaning manner,” which, we all know, is very relative. Shows that are warned inclue Lagot Ka, Isusumbong Kita, It's a Guy Thing and even the FTV franchise. Yes, it's Fashion TV. MTRCB Chairman Ma. Consoliza P. Laguardia said that she received so many complaints against models who show their breasts and genitalia. What the! Are we getting back to the Spanish era? And there's nothing suggestive with those models. Only fools would get sexually aroused while viewing those anorexic women.
  
  Not only that. They also summoned Howie Severino for featuring the “Lukayo: Hindi Ito Bastos,” a wedding ritual practiced in Laguna, for I-Witness. In the documentary, old women were shown with wooden penises and acting like they are masturbating. This is part of our culture and it is but necessary for us to understand about our being Filipinos.
  
  
• On a lighter note, MTV has partnered with Awit Awards for the first time. If you don't know, Awit Awards corresponds to the Grammy's in the US. I've seen some of its snippets and it has, indeed, improved a lot. There's even a red carpet presentation, something that wasn't present before.
  
  
• As for MTV Asia Awards, I've observed that it's getting worse every year. The best so far was the third one, where Vanness Wu and Michelle Branch hosted the event in Singapore. It is where all the winners graced the show, including Robbie Williams and Mariah Carey, who won as Favourite Male and Female Artists, repectively. Thailand hosted the event this year. Most of the presentors were Thais, who don't even know how to speak in English. As for Tata Young, could you just keep her on your local shows? She's a shame to the Asian population. She does not sing. She screams, and she's out of tune. Thai fans get gaga screaming their tonsils out when she tries to reach for those high notes.

Papable

adj. slang
Defn.

1. a modifying word used by girls and gay guys to describe hot, gorgeous, and delicious men;
   
2. the characteristic of physically or sexually turning a girl or gay man on;
   
3. being endowed of the sex appeal to bear that girl a child;
   
4. having the capacity to be a father;

I don't have these characteristics. I MAY BECOME a good father someday and I want to prepare for it. Again, I admit that I want to become a father and not just like Stanley, a piece of jerky microscopic gamete that we call as sperm cell. I want to stand for my child, offer my time, hard-earned resources and most importantly, love for him.

* * *

Here's an award-winning advertisement by DUREX Condom in the U.S.:

To all those who use our competitors' products...
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

* * *

I wouldn't have to discuss about celibacy before marriage anymore. I just demand it for myself. I'll just be sharing an advice about responsibility.

Having sex is a responsibility itself. If you're not ready for any higher level of responsibility aside from yourself, get a protection. Remember that in every pleasure that you'll enjoy, there's always a pinch or a lifetime of pain to equate it.

* * *

To my Papa, wherever you are in this universe, whether or not there's an internet connection up there (or down or wherever), or whether you're just behind me ready to hit my head when I would say something bad about this entry;

To my Lolo Lucing who has been so kind to me (though not that kind to my Mom);

To my other Lolo, whose nickname is something I'm not aware of... OK, I'll address you as Lolo Ed**rd*, who, I've heard, has been good;

To all of the men who planned for their kids;

And for those who really prayed of having one, have the financial and psychological capacity to raise a child, but sadly, don't have the biological ability to have one (whether sterile or lesbian):

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO YOU!!!

As for the fathers who keep on fathering for more than 4 kids, whether or not with the same woman, and also those who keep on impregnating more than one woman, regardless if they're married to one... What were you thinking? If you can't control your sexual urge, there's already a scalpel-free vasectomy.

* * *

This is out of the topic but if you are experiencing information overload, here is the best cure for it. Just click on this link.