Who Moved My Cheese?

I am confused whether I should congratulate myself tonight or not. I had the opportunity to confront my stressor tonight but I chose not to. I held back and decided not to respond.

I chose not to respond because in the end I didn't want to sound like a boy crying over spilled milk or longing for attention. I wanted to face it maturely and just preserve whatever good that we have and not ruin it. To me it sounds fair. For as long as it's clear in my head whatever the status of what we have now, then I should be fine. I should learn to move on and just look at this whole experience as a lesson learned.

But at the back of my head I am thinking that if I wanted to be man enough, I should have confronted this person and made this person know how I felt. That's the only way that we could ever judge and find out what we're made of. I was thinking that the only way something can be resolved is when two mature people talk it out. That's something in an ideal world. You ask so you will receive.

But I had so many thoughts in my head. I already had answers even before I ask them. It's strange that by way of preserving ourselves we never bother to hurt ourself when we know that experience is only going to make us tougher and wiser. And that the only way to find out about things is if I become inquisitive.

For now, what's holding me back is probably just this: pride. In my head, as I practice with full acting prowess, a contravida is only good if he had the last say. If the bida takes the last words and there's no way the contravida can make that kontra, that's it for him. Maybe that. Maybe in this next level, I am ready to be the one to have the final say.

That, or maybe I will change my mind the second that this person tells me something I am not prepared for. If that happens and I change my mind, I know that I'm just another John Lloyd Cruz waiting for another cheesy moment to crush my world.

It's so frustrating when the heart is just stronger than the mind.

But until I fully face whatever it is, I need to be consistent. I need to constantly remind myself that there are somethings which you will never or SHOULD ever compromise - and that's your personal identity.

In the meantime, Odette Quesada continues to sing EVEN IF in my I-Tunes.

Even if you mean the whole damn world to me, I can forget you wait and see... I can be strong, even without you. I can't waste my whole life hoping you'd come back to me but deep inside I know I will be waiting here for you... (this is where truckloads of cheese will be dumped).

Go On And Take A Bow

Warning: I might risk offending some of you but this message is not intended for you. This is just a general sentiment I thought of five minutes ago. So allow me to just say this.

I am not big fan of literary novels, nor a big reader. I never claimed I had read some of the best books ever published nor written by world-class writers, authors or critically-acclaimed novelists. I just happen to be not inclined to reading, that's all. My mind flies off to dream land as I imagine the first few lines of any book I attempt to read. That's why I always say comic books are the best for me. 

One night someone told me that his taste is quite eclectic when it comes to reading. Eclectic? You mean you're quite choosy with the books you pick and read? Wow. Before that this same person also told me how much he abhorred TWILIGHT. For him, it was a literary crap and drivel that shouldn't deserve any attention. 

Okay, so far the two claims only point to books which are literary masterpieces. But then eclectic, so in my mind..."Boy he is probably reading books that I have never even heard of." I scanned through all the possible titles in my head. I gave my brother's books a quick visual scan of what could be deemed as eclectic as I try to be smart and pa-know. My brother probably owns a thousand and so books here at home. Some of them expensive, some of them very expensive, and the others I just have never heard of. His taste is quite definitive. He reads certain kinds of books and orders it from all around the world even before it becomes a hit or something. Good taste in books, I should say.

So I curtly asked, "So what are these books that you read? I hope I know something from your list (at the risk of sounding ignorant)..."

"Harry Potter. Lord of the Rings. I also liked Da Vinci Code stuff written by Dan Brown."

I nearly fell of my chair. How can books like such be eclectic when it is sooooooo mainstream??? I wanted to just go away and leave. It's such a pretentious comment. The thing is, we work for advertising. Didn't you think we would already know by now how to read pyshcographic and poseurs?

Come on! I'm not a big book reader and I would know that these books are nicely written but come on, couldn't you try better? These are mainstream books reviewed a thousand times but others. Dan Brown his several accusations for plagiarizing doesn't make up for a credible writer now, does it?

I am not here to argue which is a good book or not. I am just surprised at brandishing yourself as eclectic and selecting teen hits like those. Honey, those are puffball stuff in my department. Namedropping those books will not actually make you credible. How about reading John L'Carres' The Secret Pilgrim, or The Last Tycoons or Monster of Florence? I don;t know just any book that would not come from mainstream.

My years in advertising always told me that when people get to no-choice and spontaneous moments, they resort to top of mind. This is one instance. To be able to say something clever nalang, we just rely on our top of mind general information,

Pathetic. I am jologs at heart and never claimed that I am sophisticated. I am proud that my choices are quite mainstream. That's consistency. I don't know about you.

The next time I will be asked what my favorite movie is: i"ll probably say Lawrence of Arabia or Dr. Zhivago. Para eclectic din. hahahaha.

The show is over; go on and take a bow (lyrics from Rihanna).

Masa talaga.

 

What 2008 means to me

Not for anything but I’ve always wanted for 2008 to end sooner than possible. There are so many things that I dislike about 2008 and as these things slowly unfurl, I cannot help but hope for 2009 to come sooner. And as this year comes to a close, I can’t help but feel very excited that finally, we can all bid adieu to 2008.

For the Chinese, 2008 is not an auspicious year; precisely because the year of the rat meant living a life like that of a rat. Rats are known for a lifestyle that is far from auspicious and secure. I wont go into much detail anymore but you get the idea. And since I’m born under the Rooster sign, I am not too compatible with the rat sign. So therefore I am one of the hardest hit this year. 2009 is the year of the ox, and according to Yahoo! Those born under the Rooster have more coming for them.

For most part of the year, gloom and doom were the foremost headline. Big disasters that caused the death of many, the recent economic crash and the continuous bad politics are major headlines for the year. While these are things of national interest, this also trickles down to us after some time. Especially the whole economic crash and all, job security and financial happiness is in question.

In my personal life, I just feel that there are many things that could be better off.  I am not going to enumerate anymore but the headlines would be love, work and money. Somehow, though I declared 2008 as my official banner year, it just didn’t happen this year. I moved to Ayala Land earlier this year only to come back to McCann after three months. I had wanted to save only to get depleted around the same time. And well, let’s leave the love part alone as this may get a little controversial.

All in all, 2008 I feel was not what I had expected. I am left wanting for more to happen but it just isn’t happening. As things are bound to get rosier next year, I am keeping all that I can cross crossed so I can have all the best for next year.

Oh, one thing about 2008.  If there’s any good coming out of it, I surely learned a lot. Resilience is one thing I learned. I am now more resilient and patient as I go through my shopping. Now I think harder before spending and make sure that I am buying it because I need it and not because I just want it. I also learned to say no na to things and people. And I have learned that the best way to curb impulse is to stay focused and take time. Deep breathings also help so you don’t decide haphazardly.

So while 2008 maybe a challenge, I am also learning from it. What doesn’t kill you will only you make you stronger afterall.

 

Crazy Thing Called Love

Among the many other things said about love in the Bible, it probably forgot that love can also make you stupid. So many things in this lifetime that one cannot explain, and that includes the process of falling in and out of love.

Loving these days seem an elusive experience. We keep talking about it like it's a general truth. We keep on hypothesizing why we are not in love now, how we know when it's the right person and when it feels right to just give in. For the pa-smart, they put up so many defenses just to protect themselves from pain and inevitable heartbreak, but in the end they still go through that vicious cycle.

The thing with love, it's like a plague. No matter how you prepare against it or build up a wall to protect yourself from it, when it comes, it comes. And no amount of anything can stop you from falling.

The thing is, falling in love is such a wonderful feeling. I am just stating what I feel is true with me. I've learned in the past to fall in love, fall out of love. Told myself how this person is not right for me, or how love can wait. I rationalized that feeling. But the more I hold myself back, the more intense and longing I was.

Cut to the time when the bug bit me. In my mind, I knew that this person was not right for me. We have different views, we have different opinions, even feng shui would tell us that we shouldn't be together but this person struck me and I find myself in love.

The things I didn't do for others I did for this person. That was my ultimate test of how madly into it I was. I never bended backwards this much (not even to the last person I loved dearly). And I thought it would have a happy ending...

The thing is all that I do and all that I am seem to be never enough. Even for someone who never believed in doing things for the other person just because but eventually bending it just because seemed not enough. I am never enough. I wasn't good enough.

What was I to think? Im at a point, confused and seriously reconsidering it where I am just thinking of myself now. If it was never enough, maybe it will never be enough. If you never waited for anyone, what makes me think you will wait for me. If you said you have so many things to run after for, then that concludes I am not part of that. Then go on and just live your own selfish and antagonistic life. You will die unhappy. Let's see if you find meaning along the way.

I had lived a life like that and so I know how it feels. I felt like a man of the Earth, not needing anyone, not knowing anyone else, but life was just about achieving and working. But I realized how sad it was to live that life. 

So now I've come to slow down and start appreciating things that God has given me. While you run after your endless dreams and wait for no one. 

I have only one question for you when you get to the top:

WHO'S GOING TO TAKE YOUR PICTURE AND CONGRATULATE YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE?

No one. No one will even know that you were there for you have no one to share it with and no one to witness that. What a sad life. Sure you're rich and all, but you're alone and lonely.

Come to think of it, you should be happy i am keeping you company.

crazy little thing called love.

when priests go awry

I am bothered sometimes what the motivation of certain priests are in joining the Catholic Church. Are they really in it for the love of God and the vow to serve his gospel, or to meddle with politics?

It's been said many times already that the separation between the church and state is a very fine line. So fine that it's so easy to confuse one with the other. But how can this be? Affairs of the state are not affairs of spirituality. 

I remember Padre Damaso from the Jose Rizal Novels Noli Me Tangere. He was this manipulative priest who kept meddling with the state affairs and personal affairs. And he is using his "spiritual" authority to really scare people. He would recommend ex-communicado status and even threaten you that you will be held in purgatory for not following his own orders. He was one of the most hated characters.

In the Bible, the Pharisees have also been ridiculed for acting the same way. They are priests on show. On show because they declare their faith, the things they do and even how nice they are only for show. But in reality they are the offenders and all. They even incited the public to doubt against Jesus Christ.

Today, we see modern versions of Damaso and Pharisees. Just the other day, while watching news, I saw two priests inciting the public to follow the same rebellion as in Thailand now. Thailand now is having their own version of people power where the rich have seized control of BKK Airport. This has critically paralyzed their tourism economy, not to mention Thai Airways.

Now, these two very caring and smart priests have wanted their wards to the same. Do these priests even realize the scenario we are in at the moment? Do they even know the meaning of recession and economic slowdown? And exactly how valuable each and every hour we put in in our work at the moment?

These two priests are probably just surviving with the donations their loyalists are giving. Hindi nila maintindihan just how tough times have been lately. And the thing is the action they want people to do will have drastic effects to everyone. Is it even in their job description to move people to extra-legal and extra-judicial means? And be responsible for the means of action?

They said this because they feel that the Arroyo government has been very corrupt. But is calling for a mass action a "religious" means? Parang no. Since when is it godly for people to overturn the government in violent and extra-legal means? I don't know.

But in my mind, I am really thinking that these priests from Navotas and Caloocan are just in it because they are bored and wanting attention from the public.

Hey. You got mine and now please shut up.

See you in my dreams

I know exactly why I am in love with this song. Maybe because this is exactly how I am feeling at the moment. This blast from the past is moving me stronger than ever. Naks.

In My Dreams by REO Speedwagon

There was a time some time ago

When every sunrise meant a sunny day, oh a sunny day

But now when the morning light shines in

It only disturbs the dreamland where I lay, oh where I lay

I used to thank the lord when Id wake

For life and love and the golden sky above me

But now I pray the stars will go on shinin, you see in my dreams you love me

Daybreak is a joyful time

Just listen to the songbird harmonies, oh the harmonies

But I wish the dawn would never come

I wish there was silence in the trees, oh the trees

If only I could stay asleep, at least I could pretend youre thinkin of me

cause nighttime is the one time I am happy, you see in my dreams

We climb and climb and at the top we fly

Let the world go on below us, we are lost in time

And I dont know really what it means

All I know is that you love me, in my dreams

I keep hopin one day Ill awaken, and somehow she'll be lying by my side

And as I wonder if the dawn is really breakin

She touches me and suddenly Im alive

Oho, in my dreams

Holiday? Not for me.

Im just a little tired today. Well, not little. Really tired, flat and exhausted. It's been a pretty long day. Grind was supposed to start early today like 8:30am so I woke up early. But knowing network time, things are almost always never on time. So I arrived a little late, but the rest of the crew arrived an hour later. Thank you for an early wake up call now I'm super pooped. 

Cut to shoot location, the house was just too humid and dark. I had to squint every now and then to get a better eyesight. And the ventilation was just non-existent. It was too humid. Rain was breaking but wouldn't start yet. There was no electric fan, the circulation was poor. So start of the day palang, I was already tired. Thank God for an ice-cold Coke but I felt a little more refreshed. Hey, no kidding here. That really is true!

And then we cut to the jeepney scene where we're supposed to be like under broad sunlight. Rain was falling a little, then disappear, then here again, then gone again...

As I shuttled back from Kapuso to Kapamilya, the heat was a little more tolerable. Then the expected happened, heavy rain. I had to wait a little for the rain to stop and until my sundo arrives from the parking to take me to the next location. So the only time I get to experience aircon was thru the van. Wheww! thank God!

The next location was quite more mainit than usual. UV and machine heat generated by PCs in the internet cafe was too much. By the time we got to our final location, I was already wilting like an unwatered plant. I was already feeling the exhaustion from dehydration and heat. Aside from the Coke and two glasses of water this breakfast, I had no other liquid in my body.

We just finished now. And I felt my blood rushed through my head during the last take as one of the extras couldn't deliver her lines. And her lines were the easiest. She kept mixing it up! Grade two students could have done a better job. Then the last dad in the scene. He was just too insincere looking.

In between takes, there's this pachyderm who kept teasing me about and soliciting money from me. The nerve.

All in all today, I lost steam. No. I got dried up. And come tomorrow, I prepare myself once again for more action. Hoh boy! Isn't it the holidays, yet? Not for me. Not yet.

Kapamilya in SMX

Last night was terribly fun! Shalimar and I went to the Trade Show of ABS-CBN aptly titled Bagong Simula 2009. It was like watching ASAP nang live. Well, by now you ought to know that my sensibilities are really very Pinoy and pedestrian. I enjoy watching live shows (entertainment live shows, and not you know...) and getting involved in all showbiz functions. So last night was fun as I saw some showbiz people and all that.

But what made it fun was that I've never taken Vodka in a looong time. I've stopped drinking vodka-sprite for a newer favorite Chivas-Coke Zero. Eh last night there was no scotch available. The beer was served from the can (hate it). So I guess that leaves me with Vodka, then.

I tried it the Vodka-Perrier combination, slightly pricey I would think if this were to be done in bars, with a hint of lemon and that surely was heaven. I had a little too much and not having enough carbs for dinner, heaven was just literally a few sips away.

Later on that night I found myself hugging Jing Chua, singing Sharon Cuneta songs together with the Kapamilya singers and saying things I shouldn't be in the first place.

Hmph.

I finished the night scratching my head off. Here I am terribly alone in the middle of Mall of Asia looking for an ATM that would dispense cash. Metrobank had a glitch or something that all these functioning ATMs wouldn't accept any transaction. Okay. God is so wonderful. I had spare cash in my bag just enough to get me home safe. Thank God!

Oh and in the midst of it all, the buzz really helped. Didn't panic. Didn't worry. I was just smiling and looking for some decent cab going home. Heck. I even managed to go up to the 3rd level parking lot twice without even falling. Or managing to count all the traffic lamps we passed (total of 21) on my home. And saw a secret crush too!

that really felt good. but the morning after? bad.

Dreamland became Wasteland.

I just didn't want to wake up from my dream this morning. I was having such a good dream when I had to be interrupted and wake up. It's one of those mornings you wish you could just stay in bed and keep dreaming. Unfortunately, not today; I have to go to work today and finish some things.

In any case, that dream is a blur to me know as to what exactly happened. I do recall though that at one point I was literally loving what I was doing. Not exactly naive or anything like that, it's perhaps my subconscious playing back this thing that I've always wanted to do. I have been toying with that idea for some time now but I have never really done it. And this morning in my dream, it was just so perfect. I was getting very excited and all until... I had to be interrupted. Suddenly the dream was interrupted with reminders about work. Poof. Dream bubble gone.

I tried getting a couple minutes more of sleep and try to continue that dream but it just didn't happen anymore. And then I remembered I might oversleep and forced myself to wake up again. I rose and sprung forward to the toilet. When I got there, I felt blood rushed through my head. It's one of those days you know wouldn't be too kind on you.

Oh well. I am skipping lunch for today and perhaps get a good snack and dinner later. I am just too sleepy at the moment. That dream did this to me. I feel tired from all that excitement which had no ending. From dreamland to wasteland.

Now if I could only look for that "real" perfect ending to my dream...

Power of Not Knowing

Knowing something you're not supposed to know is deadly.

You begin to obsess, over-think, get paranoid and all those things.

When Eve and Adam took the fruit from the tree of knowledge, that was considered the start of men's downfall.

The lure of knowing something is such a huge bait. Who wouldn't want to get a glimpse of the future? Everyone would love to hear what the future is like. Hiro travels through space and time just to watch and learn and correct. Unfortunately, clairvoyants and fortune tellers are no Hiro. Accuracy is still debatable. But objectivity remains doubtful.

In any case, what do you do with information and knowledge concerning you? Do you follow it? Do you deny it? Do you just forget about it?

Oh well information is only information. How you manipulate that is solely up to you. To make it work for or against you is totally up to you. Then again, if you had nothing to play with in the first place then that would not have been a problem.

Smile. You're on candid camera. Life's a big joke.

stop bad vibes

I am still trying my best to shrug all thoughts relegating 2008 as a bad year. Maybe I am exaggerating and not thinking big picture when I say this but I really don't get why this year turned out to be like this. Normally, August is the start of my lucky months, but this year is rather different. It still feels like the year is just starting.

I made a declaration early this year that I will make 2008 a banner year. I made significant steps this year like going out of the country and career decisions but the latter part of the year still proves to be very difficult.

And my horoscope/astrology reading and tarot reader couldn't agree more. Hey, wait. I am not naman believing these things. But maybe slowly but surely I am beginning to. Like Kate Hudson in that movie, the more she denied it the more she believed (not knowing). 

I should just stop thinking that this is a bad year and imbibe The Secret.

Hay. Good thoughts.

NIGHTmare on high street

i just have to say this. 

i love bonifacio high street like i love puma but last sunday night was just plain terrible.

it suddenly felt like it was divisoria during school opening and christmas shopping.

it was packed. people were just busy loitering around and making papansin. that or just sitting right at the corners where they should not be sitting on in the first place.

queues were mightly long. my favorite coffeebean had long lines. brothers had a line extending all the way to the next store. need i say more about starbs and krispy?

here's the height of it all: even the male restrooms had line. 

how ridiculous was that?

oh yes. the mad dash was due to rihanna and chris brown.

oh yes. about 70,000 fans and oglers went to BHS to watch the "biggest concert" of the year.

oh yes. people were just excited to show off and be seen.

 

I don't know what's worse: having to line for a good 45 mins just to get inside the venue, or having to endure the 4 hour standing time to watch rihanna do her back bends. or endure the sweat, grime and lagkit from the other singing fans? 

 

or worse yet, standing behind this uber-annoying ten year old kid who kept giving his inane commentaries and blow by blow account of what's happening on stage (kid - i could very well understand and see for myself that the show has indeed not started, and that we had been mercilessly subjected to gross waiting hours).

 

that or being pushed all the way back because no one said it was going to be this full, that concert! It was like watching tv nalang, on a large screen.

 

i don't know. to me the whole show was just kind of ridiculous. it was half baked in so many ways. if it weren't for the fact that rihanna is just so hot and sexy i probably wouldn't even be there anymore.

 

chris brown was lipsynching some of his tracks. he just kept imitating the king of pop (well, after all, he is being touted as the young MJ). and well, can i just gush and say that the DJ performed better and carried the whole show. obviously, i am not a fan of CB. oh, and that looked to very ASAP to me. so variety-show like!

 

rihanna on the other hand consistently kept the show somewhere between mediocre and high. it was yummy and yet nakaka-umay. her singing disturbia, shut up and drive, hate that i love you and umbrella were okay. but unfaithful was above perfect. the rest, uhm, umay.

 

were people just tired, plain awed and struck, or bored that's why they wouldn't budge to rihanna asking for a holler from the peeps? that she had to say "mother-fucker" to agitate the guys. the whole show ended on a good and rather high note naman especially when real-life sweetheart and co-performer came out to sing the last few lines of umbrella.

 

still, though, it felt kind of amateurish. those dance stunts were nothing great, except for those really agitating back bends and hand to head dance steps. the entrance was cliche. the exit was more cliche.

 

going out of the concert venue was all the more crappy! we had to inch our way out, manage to strategically find a spot where traffic wouldn't be as heavy and then finally inching our way to horizon.again, i've never seen BHS this packed that it really seemed like horror and nightmare to me. 

 

and at 11pm, at that late an hour, all restos were filled up. we ended up eating (and SUPER LOVING IT) at HOSSEIN's. 

 

If there was anything substantial from that trip, I've discovered that food at ZAO was actually good. And it always is nice to say hi to people you know.

 

ER said she had to endure 1.5 hours to get to Dela Costa from the Fort. Need I say that logistics, traffic, parking and queuing ARE MAJORLY HORRIBLE? the one-way traffic leading all to the convergence points was not brilliant.

 

on a no car passing zone, there were occasionally cars passing by to drop off these celebs like Bea Alonzo. Uhm, then she strolled all the way back to her entrance with entourage that could pass of the PSG's. Honey, no one here would like to crowd you. We're here for Rihanna, not you. But hwaytaminitkapengmainit, then again, this girl beside me kept chuckling, gushing and pointing at her trying to get her attention. Betty La Fea was loved by that girl.

litters everywhere.

hi-jack taxi cabs were preying on commuters.

resto service was all time slow.

wouldn't you agree with me still?

All I can say, we are SOOO not ready for a standing only concert. not yet. not here. not in this climate.

But I am still so going back to the BHS  I always knew. See you soon.

(photo credits from Yahoo, MTV Phils and BonifacioHighStreet.com)

NIGHTmare on high street

i just have to say this. 

i love bonifacio high street like i love puma but last sunday night was just plain terrible.

it suddenly felt like it was divisoria during school opening and christmas shopping.

it was packed. people were just busy loitering around and making papansin. that or just sitting right at the corners where they should not be sitting on in the first place.

queues were mightly long. my favorite coffeebean had long lines. brothers had a line extending all the way to the next store. need i say more about starbs and krispy?

here's the height of it all: even the male restrooms had line. 

how ridiculous was that?

oh yes. the mad dash was due to rihanna and chris brown.

oh yes. about 70,000 fans and oglers went to BHS to watch the "biggest concert" of the year.

oh yes. people were just excited to show off and be seen.

 

I don't know what's worse: having to line for a good 45 mins just to get inside the venue, or having to endure the 4 hour standing time to watch rihanna do her back bends. or endure the sweat, grime and lagkit from the other singing fans? 

 

or worse yet, standing behind this uber-annoying ten year old kid who kept giving his inane commentaries and blow by blow account of what's happening on stage (kid - i could very well understand and see for myself that the show has indeed not started, and that we had been mercilessly subjected to gross waiting hours).

 

that or being pushed all the way back because no one said it was going to be this full, that concert! It was like watching tv nalang, on a large screen.

 

i don't know. to me the whole show was just kind of ridiculous. it was half baked in so many ways. if it weren't for the fact that rihanna is just so hot and sexy i probably wouldn't even be there anymore.

 

chris brown was lipsynching some of his tracks. he just kept imitating the king of pop (well, after all, he is being touted as the young MJ). and well, can i just gush and say that the DJ performed better and carried the whole show. obviously, i am not a fan of CB. oh, and that looked to very ASAP to me. so variety-show like!

 

rihanna on the other hand consistently kept the show somewhere between mediocre and high. it was yummy and yet nakaka-umay. her singing disturbia, shut up and drive, hate that i love you and umbrella were okay. but unfaithful was above perfect. the rest, uhm, umay.

 

were people just tired, plain awed and struck, or bored that's why they wouldn't budge to rihanna asking for a holler from the peeps? that she had to say "mother-fucker" to agitate the guys. the whole show ended on a good and rather high note naman especially when real-life sweetheart and co-performer came out to sing the last few lines of umbrella.

 

still, though, it felt kind of amateurish. those dance stunts were nothing great, except for those really agitating back bends and hand to head dance steps. the entrance was cliche. the exit was more cliche.

 

going out of the concert venue was all the more crappy! we had to inch our way out, manage to strategically find a spot where traffic wouldn't be as heavy and then finally inching our way to horizon.again, i've never seen BHS this packed that it really seemed like horror and nightmare to me. 

 

and at 11pm, at that late an hour, all restos were filled up. we ended up eating (and SUPER LOVING IT) at HOSSEIN's. 

 

If there was anything substantial from that trip, I've discovered that food at ZAO was actually good. And it always is nice to say hi to people you know.

 

ER said she had to endure 1.5 hours to get to Dela Costa from the Fort. Need I say that logistics, traffic, parking and queuing ARE MAJORLY HORRIBLE? the one-way traffic leading all to the convergence points was not brilliant.

 

on a no car passing zone, there were occasionally cars passing by to drop off these celebs like Bea Alonzo. Uhm, then she strolled all the way back to her entrance with entourage that could pass of the PSG's. Honey, no one here would like to crowd you. We're here for Rihanna, not you. But hwaytaminitkapengmainit, then again, this girl beside me kept chuckling, gushing and pointing at her trying to get her attention. Betty La Fea was loved by that girl.

litters everywhere.

hi-jack taxi cabs were preying on commuters.

resto service was all time slow.

wouldn't you agree with me still?

All I can say, we are SOOO not ready for a standing only concert. not yet. not here. not in this climate.

But I am still so going back to the BHS  I always knew. See you soon.

(photo credits from Yahoo, MTV Phils and BonifacioHighStreet.com)

What would you want to put on your tombstone when you die?

Mine said I just died in your arms tonight.

I love REO Speed Wagon! I am having a retro attack of their hits, so I thought it was appropriate to put that in.

Dig the other tribute. Kudos to Celine and Meng for the wonderfully crafted copy for MDJ. Hahaha.

Post-happy halloween! 

Prescilla Mereilles is adorable.

Former Miss Earth from Brazil is so adorable. She says all her short i and e as long i and e. Sample?

"But Beelee, that wheel hev to wait. So steek around when Miss Earth comes back."

Her body is heavenly. Her speech adorable. What more could a guy ask for? 

*smitten*

Stressing Over Bottles

Never imagined the day I would be stressing myself out over bottles! The bottles for the shoot almost didn't come. It was almost suicide. But God is great, mighty and merciful. He was able to anticipate this and the bottles arrived. Though those bottles were not what I was expecting, it certainly is better than nothing.

This morning the topic was all about GETTING ANGRY - for me, I interpret it as staying and remaining objective as always. I remember yesterday where I panicked as it was the eleventh hour already and the bottles had not arrived still. But God is more knowing - He comforted us all with Teejae's news that the bottles had finally arrived that morning.

I really don't know what I'd do if those bottles didnt come. (Well, we had a back up but it wasn't as grand.)

Thank God!

When there's a Spider, there's got to be some shrieks.

I am arachnophobic. Really. I love watching spiders and all on Discovery and Nat Geo but seeing them live and very near me is really freaking me out. Just early today while we were waiting to see the costume fit of the talents, this huge spider just suddenly showed up from nowhere!

This spider about 6 inches in length, legs spread from the center, was about an inch away from one of the female talents. The female talent, ever so petite, was oblivious that the spider was just a few centimeters away from her face. When I was "calmly" telling her to slowly move away she was just ignoring me, until I finally told her that there was a huge spider beside her. She started screeching and jumping that startled the spider. I am not saying it got startled because spiders have ears, but whatever it is that shocked that spider, it sure moved with speed as it tried to scoot from the shrieking crowd.

If I am not mistaken, this spider is called "talon" and mostly breeds in houses, specifically near ditches and canals. They really get to grow this big but they are supposedly harmless and lucky. Peter tells me that they should not be killed because they bring luck to the household.

Cut to a scene from my childhood where I killed a similar looking spider in our factory by dousing it LYSOL, Alcohol and acetone. It didn't die immediately but it certainly got paralyzed after the candle wax took effect. Hmm, maybe that's the reason why that garment is gone now.

Going back to the spider, this whole discussion about it led us to a new fictitious character SPIDER GAY. What if a spider bit someone and turned him gay? What would he be like? I will write more about it soon, but offhand, we were laughing so hard this afternoon just talking about it. Hahahaha.

PS: Please do not steal this concept from me, Lisa and Flemmyne. ehehehe.

Meantime, I've also had dreams in the past where spiders always attack me. Heaven forbid, I hope I don't dream of more arachnids tonight.

I Don't Need Another Hiro...

... to be able to travel back in time.

Just last night, I traveled back to the groovy past dancing non-stop for 3 hours. It was pure adrenaline rush and nothing but. But heck, I enjoyed it a lot.

Wednesday Nights at Fiamma afterall is all about the dance-able hits from 70s, 80s and 90s. There was Disco, Manila Sound, Jap-Pop, New Wave Classics and of course Madonna-thon. I just kept dancing and dancing! Saya.

We also greeted Lianne's birthday with Yettie, Carlos, Myrrh and others. She got a fine blowjob as a surprise. She was excellent at it. She drank the entire thing without saying anything.

Happy Birthday Lee! Tomorrow, Ponti!

Legally Bland

I went to Robinson's Place Midtown today and I was hoping I'd see some fantastic find in this Greenbelt copycat. They've been brandishing the new stores and new concepts they have unveiled since their re-branding. On top of that, they were having a clearance sale of sorts. So I thought I'd find good stuff today. I was prepared to shop a little and feel guilty after, but today was rather a disappointment.

Aside from the fact that the crowd was not as heavy as I expected it to be, the merchandise are all ugly. I am not just talking about Rob in general, but even the other stores. There was some kind of ugliness happening all around.

First off, there are hardly any good looking shoes and sneaks out there now. Except for my all time favorite Puma, there was hardly anything new. And technically it's not new since I've that pair in HK already. Actually, I already own a pair in another color scheme. I had that in silver, but they were selling it now in black. It was just so nice. But then again, Im on shopping embargo now in Puma, until i've fully worn out at least one pair. So I skeedadled and looked for other pairs in other stores. None. Nothing nice. Nothing new. Nothing even short of curious.

Second, long sleeves. I normally love the stuff in CK Jeans and Springfield. But the branches there didnt have anything interesting as well. I've seen better sets of merchandise in trinoma. I am sorry, but that didn't raise my shopping mojo. Zara, Celio and Diesel are no where in sight.

Third, the new stores there are not well-merchandised and even well-reviewed. I dont know Salsa is supposed to be exciting but when i saw the people there inside parang all the lusting just became nothing. It looked a little trying hard to me.

Fourth, there are bazaars happening everywhere. Underwears clustered with mango chips and costume jewerly. Is there any merchandising mix manager looking at all the stuff happening. It's some kind of disaster in the making.

Fifth, there are dark alleys and smelly hallways in Rob. And there are far worse - darker alleys, and smellier hallways. It's the smell of a reeking canal and left over pop corn from the movies. Then the areas being repaired are just toooooooo dark. It's scary. It doesn't help even that the mall is situated near.... uhm, I'd rather not say it.

Lastly, parking is a mess there. Driving all the way up to the rooftop, is not exactly environment friendly. Gas-guzzling and ill-thought. Parang just to be able to set a parking they did that nalang. I just wish that there were more thought to it.

However, I must commend Rob for making their Department Store look so much better now. I have to say that the clean lines (except for Crissa Jean's very ugly space with splashes of vomit) are nicely executed. It looks very warm to the eye, relaxed. Despite the fact that the sales ladies and men are running around like triathletes in tawdry heels, the look still managed to save the utter chaos of human. Note to salesladies, really- if it's not life or death, please stop making unnecessary noises, clanking, chattering, howling and shouting in the hallways. We want to make the most of our shopping decisions. Those noises - they're annoying.

Overall, the mall despite all the facelift and botox injected in it, despite all the "jewels and blings" they put in it, it still is very bland. I can see why. I think it's the whole mix that is the problem. The crowd and the marketing will not change overnight. 

When Zombies Walk

When Zombies Walk…

Waking up today was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. To begin with, I hardly enough sleep. I don’t know, for some weird reason, I just didn’t feel sleepy at all when I lied down on my bed. But the opposite was true when I was on the ride home. Strangest things happen, really.

I can only attribute it to one reason: massage. The massage I had last night was very invigorating. Every cackle on my bone and stretch I endured only made me feel more alive than ever. It must be some masochistic thing that I only realize I have until last night. After more than 80 minutes of pulling, kneading and wringing, my senses were working overtime last night. For once, my memory was functioning again; I could taste how good the fried bangus was and how delectable every pulp of the pomelo was. It was delightful.

The downside? I was up the entire night. And I’m really like that. Nothing ever forces me to sleep when my senses are all aware. No matter how many times I roll, if my mind isn’t tired yet I won’t be able to sleep.

I fell asleep in about an hour or so. But that sleep was not REM sleep. You know that state of sleep when you dream lucidly and your body goes on full repair. And when you don’t achieve that state, you wake up feeling tired just the same. Worse, you will be even sleepier. The opposite is true if you oversleep. Meaning, when you snoozed too much, you also get the risk of feeling tired too. Something about REM (rapid eye movement) that makes you that is really amazing.

So anyway, I was to work early today. Now when I truly need to be alert, focused and well-rested, I come in sleepy, tired and woozy. I hope two glasses of full on black iced tea would do it for me. Otherwise, the next one would be a Coke. Or if I still feel sleepy, I’d get some much-needed zzzs.

I think the thing with waking up early and not getting enough sleep is such a bad combination. I am not an early waker during weekdays. I have not much reason to get up early. Everytime I wake up early I always get late to work. Take this, if I wake up at 6:30 and be out of the house by 7:30, waiting time for a commute will take me around an hour or so. So I’ll get to work by 10am na. If I wake up at 8:30 and get out of the house by 9am. I am at work by 10am too. Strange isn’t it? Life could really play harsh jokes on us most of the time and I am pikon. I don’t like jokes like that especially when I am serious about going to work early. It’s so ironic even that whenever I tell myself I want to come in early for work, I always arrive 30 minutes later than my usual time. Or worse, whenever I tell myself I want to go home early, I always end up going home around 12am or past that. Life is a cruel joker.

Anyway, I am here now at Milward Brown waiting for the first respondent to arrive. She’s not yet here. I already downed the McDo Longganisa meal in 5 minutes anticipating that we’d start any moment now. Alas, we have not started yet. Oh well, there’s still a sausage McMuffin waiting there for me now.

Oh, and the last thing, we start the group discussion later I will be staying on the other side of the room – the dark room. I fear that I will only fall asleep if I don’t try to listen to every word she says. And I have legitimate reason to feel that since so far I am the only one on this side of the room. Shucks. Well, catching up some zzs isn’t bad, but this is work hour. Haha.

I think we’re starting anytime now. Thank God.

Now the zombie shifts focus from food, to the imc, then to fgd. The zombie lives for another day.

An Uber Saturday!

An Uber Saturday

So how does one make a weekend really uber? And what does it take?

Not much, I say. Perhaps the only three things you’d need would be enthusiasm, friends and energy.

After a long week that was my weekend started as early as Friday night. I went to Greenbelt 5 to cram for a gift for baby Via Montebon. Although I was by myself, it didn’t feel bad or anything. In fact it was rather therapeutic, as I normally would say.

Greenbelt 5 is uber-magnificent.

I guess most of you know that I had a very short stint with Ayala Land (for Greenbelt). I had not been to Greenbelt in a long leisurely stroll after a long time and it felt great to be back in what I used to consider “home”. And amazed I really was. Phase 2 of Greenbelt 5 has finally opened and it really is such a sight to see. The extension part features some of the best brands the mall rats have yet to see. And I am quite amazed how fast the turnover was. And seeing those stores just broke away the financial worries and recession bad news that had been haunting me for some time now. Well, at least for an hour or so.

What’s also nice with Greenbelt 5 is that it finally completes the Greenbelt series malls. I can really say now that Greenbelt is truly connected. I remember back then how Greenbelt felt so inaccessible to me especially when it’s raining. Imagine, one has to go out of the building and brave the summer heat, or rainy weather just to get to the other side. And as if not enough, many still get lost inside the area (not me, though :P). And now with the interconnection of all the Greenbelt buildings, it’s just so easier to go around, without getting lost. And identifying the building is a cinch.

I remember my bosses reminding us all to find a way to somehow make the interconnection work. By that she meant accessibility and convenience in the grand address. I know. As shoppers, aren’t we all looking for little conveniences?

And so seeing Greenbelt 5 now connected with Greenbelt 1 is really fantastic. Although I was not able to take a full glance, I somehow saw a newly face-lifted Greenbelt 1.

That same night, I saw my ex-boss AC Ocampo with Chef Ricky and Sheryl Laudico of Marciano’s, John and Yoko and Sumo Sam fame. It was fun to see them again. Had a fun time working with them back in Greenbelt.

Shopping for Gifts: Uber-confusing.

I thought shopping for a gift will be easy. Apparently not…

I went to Chicco to check out what stuff do they have there. The friendly staff there toured me around and recommended what to give baby Via. I was particularly excited when I saw this baby book that had all the textures in it. What makes it exciting is that it had textures inside the storybook. It had rough, smooth, rolling, furry and everything else. It also makes a sound. I didn’t know that babies at 3 months or so are actually looking for texture already. And hear this, they are also anticipating sounds. There in the storybook had a button that was making all these cutey-patootey sounds made especially for babies.

And I looked for more things around the store and it just confused me more. Should I give clothes? Or something educational? Or perhaps something that Via could use right away like milk, or diapers. It’s such a tedious process to buy gifts. But seeing all those cutesy stuff make you want to have a baby sooner.

But wait. I had to remind myself to give Via what she really needs. And so I left the store… and just ask from mum who have better experience in buying stuff for babies. I am quite inexperienced so better heed advice.

Bar Uno: Uber-funny!

After milling around the mall, I thought it would be nice to go back and see a comedy show. So I went to my new favorite comedy bar BarUno. It was just so funny that whole night. I had 6 bottles of beer that night and went home with a slight buzz and headache. But it was worth it. I can’t forget the slapstick jokes they dished that night. For a change, I needed a laugh particularly because of a heated argument during a meeting last Friday. That argument kind of got ugly and I just needed to brush those thoughts away.

I slept smiling.

Uber Saturday Delight

Gastronomic feast: that’s how I’d call my Saturday. Despite waking up with a slight buzz still, I had to perk up my morning sooner. Via’s baptism was at 1PM at the UP Chapel.

Mum prepared lunch early enough. She served the yummiest lunch! Ginataang Tilapia, Fried Chicken and Pinakbet. I ate a lot. The tight long-sleeved shirt was going to get tighter, that much I knew.

Via has got to be one of the cutest babies I’ve ever seen. She’s so lovely and well-mannered. She only cried a little considering that this is her first outing.

Reception was then held at Chateau Verde inside UP. This is a famous restaurant frequented by UP students and other guests. The food was yummy. I remember there wascarbonaragyoza, piadina, mango crepe and spring roll. I liked the gyoza because it was fried just fine, and not too oily and soggy. I also liked the empanada piadina.

After that, we all headed to BED Bar in Eastwood for some drinks and pulutan at 5pm. Happy hour it is.

After that, we decided to give TANKE TANKEKO’s newest baby a try – 1521. 1521 is the newest resto very near Mr. Poon along Shaw Blvd. Tank’s resto allowed me to re-discover and look at Filipino food differently. I love Filipino no less but the food there, made me look at Filipino food at a higher respect. The food she recommended were POCHERO, BONGGANG BONGGANG BINAGOONGAN. We also tried her silinglabuyo with white cheese, Kare-Kare with hint of turmeric.

We started with the silinglabuyo with cheese. It was so yummy. There was no hint of anghang in that. It was so cheesy and yummy. As you bite into it, the cheese is slowly melting in your mouth.

Then came out the crunchy binagoongan. The sauce was just so mouthwatering. It just has the perfect saltiness and sweetness to it. Every bite was crunchy. Angsarap, lalo, with rice!!!

Then the Kare-Kare too! It was heavenly. Though I still prefer the traditional kare-kare this one is a variety of its own. Partner it with binagoongan rice with tomato, onion, egg and nuts. YUMMY! And the pochero too was served with a twist.

I had kamias cooler to refresh me. It was just perfect. The asim gave the meal enough kick cleansing the palate and making you ready for the next bite.

Trinka had the chocolate with yogurt for dessert. That means dark chocolate melted to perfection with yogurt and nata de coco. To die for. It was absolutely yummy.

We capped the night with Greenbelt and Greenhills (read Kamias Margarita and Green Apple Margarita). It’s nothing that you ever tasted.

I thought the meal would somehow be a little commercial like Bistro Filipino, but this one is a little cultish for me. All the right food, with cutie name study is sure to make you want to crave for more.

I am already looking forward for my next visit there.

Sunday – Just resting.

Today Sunday, I am just resting. Trying to write something for my blog is quite a struggle again. I don’t know. Last week I wrote a full version and commentary of my favorite horror movies but the internet hanged. And all those things that I wrote, kaput in ten seconds. That’s why I am slightly irita with bloggingnow a days.

Oh, well. Are you having an uber-weekend?

Ripping off Gen's Blog :)

Since Gen and I have probably the same predicament now, where both of us are dying to blog something but have nothing to write as yet, I will just steal her questions, and answer it. As far as I recall this is what they call desperation. Hehehe.

But don't worry, I am going to write about something again soon.  

1. Who knows the real you?
Probably my FGF, Lot and best friends Cesar, Tin and Rox. 

2. When was the last time you went out?
Just last night: went to Myron's at Greenbelt 5 for dinner. Then went drinking with other friends near ABS.

3.If you could kiss anyone who would it be?
Secret, because we haven't met.

4 . What song are you listening to?
These Dreams by Heart and In My Dreams by REO Speedwagon

5. Whom does it remind you of?
Someone I always see in my dreams but haven't met personally. Maybe it's fate telling me something, or nothing at all.

6. Last movie you watched?
HellBoy 2

But today, I will definitely watch Eagle Eye and Mirror

7. Which of your friends live closest to you?
Probably that would be Roxy. And she's the only best friend left here in Manila.

8. What is your favorite shirt?
Dark Blue Dri-Fit shirt from Giordano, which my brother gave.

Dark Chocolate Brown Long Sleeved Shirt from Calvin Klein.

9. Do you drive?
Not yet. In time I will.

10. What did you do yesterday? 
Drink. Drink. and Chug more beers. 

Work. Rant. Rant. Rant. And practiced the art of deadma.

11. Do you wear contacts or glasses?
No. Thank God for 20/20 vision.

12. Do you trust your friends?
I do, most of them. 

13.Who was the last person to call/sms you?
Kiko

14.What annoys you?
people who throw garbage around, not minding the environment

policemen and their fat bellies smoking when there's a traffic jam

slow people especially when i am feeling the need for speed

15. Do you want multiple piercings?
Planning to get two piercings on my left ear.

16 . Your favorite song in your player?
Mika, the whole album

Voyage, the album

17. Last time you went to the mall?
Greenbelt 5 last night. It was time to see Zara again.

18 . What was the last thing you ate?
Spanish Sardines Gourmet Sandwich - sardines with mayo, lettuce, tomatoes and some olive oil. home made yan.

19 . Which of your friends would make the best roommate?
I'd rather be with someone I am in a romantic relationship with. 

20. Last thing you purchased?
Dinner - Three-a-pound US Angus Sandwich

For myself - Lacoste shirt and shoes from Kenneth Cole

21. Last vacation you were in?
If I consider the Ramadan Holiday as a vacation, then here at home. If not, then in Hong Kong just three weeks ago.

22. Do people ever spell your name wrongly?
Though my name is pretty common and generic, yes people still misspell it. That or they call me by second name, John.

23 . What's the last compliment you received?
"Ang laki na ng pinayat mo ah. Anong ginagawa mo?" - Jing Chua, Media Planner

"Ang cute cute ni sir. Chinese ka siguro." - Stand Up comedian. Duh.

24. Who was the last friend you hugged?
Lot

25. Which celeb are you eye candying?
Karolina Kourkova.

26. What's next on your wishlist?
Clean and green environment. More trees. More fresh air. Less hot temperature.

27. Which band's concert would you want to watch?
Lifehouse.

28. What color are your nails?
purplish - i am not oxidating well

29. Date down a special day for you? 
Not too warm, not too cold, just enough to wear a warm sweater --- according to Miss United States. Hehehehe. Seriously, my birthday!!! 

30. In just one word, describe yourself.
Unperturbed. Still the happiest and brightest, if not the best, little boy in the world.