Rat Race Artist

Stuff I found funny

2007-04-28T02:00:00.000+08:00

Movies

1. black hawk down - ibong maitim sa ibaba2. dead man's chest - dodo ng patay
3. i know what you did last summer - uyy... aminin!
4. love, actually - sa totoo lang, pag-ibig
5. million dollar baby - 50 million pisong sanggol (it depends on the exchange rate of the country)
6. the blair witch project - ang proyekto ng bruhang si blair
7. mary poppins - si mariang may putok
8. snakes on a plane - nag-ahasan sa ere
9. the postman always rings twice - ang kartero kapag dumutdot laging dalawang beses
10. sum of all fears - takot mo, takot ko, takot nating lahat
11. swordfish - talakitok
12. pretty woman - ganda ng a mo
13. robin hood, men in tights - si robin hood at ang mga felix bakat
14. four weddings and a funeral - kahit 4 na beses ka pang magpakasal, mamamatay ka rin
15. the good, the bad and the ugly - ako, ikaw, kayong lahat
16. harry potter and the sorcerer's stone - adik si harry, tumira ng shabu
17. click - isang pindot ka lang
18. brokeback mountain - may nawasak sa likod ng bundok ng tralala /bumigay sa bundok
19. the day of the dead - ayaw tumayo (ng mga patay)
20. waterworld - basang-basa
21. there's something about mary - may kwan sa ano ni maria
22. employee of the month - ang sipsip
23. resident evil - ang biyenan
24. kill bill - kilitiin sa bilbil
25. the grudge - lintik lang ang walang ganti
26. nightmare before christmas - binangungot sa noche buena
27. never been kissed - pangit kasi
28. gone in 60 seconds - 1 round, tulog
29. the fast and the furious - ang bitin, galit
30. too fast, too furious - kapag sobrang bitin, sobrang galit
31. dude, where's my car - dong, anong level ulit tayo nag-park?
32. beauty and the beast - ang asawa ko at ang nanay nya
33. the lord of the rings - ang alahero

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How to Deliver a Bad News

KUMIRIRING ang telepono nang madaling araw...."Hello, Master Carlos? Si Arnaldo po ito, 'yung katiwala niyo sabahay-bakasyunan niyo."
"O, Mr. Arnaldo, ikaw pala. Ano't napatawag ka? May problema ba?"
Um, napatawag lang po ako para abisuhan kayo na namatay ang alaga niyong parrot."
"'Yung parrot kong si Pikoy, patay? 'Yung nanalo sa bird show?"
Opo, Master Carlos, 'yun na nga po."
"Putris ... sayang! Ang laki pa naman ng nagastos ko sa ibong'yon. Hay, buhay! Teka, ano nga ba ang ikinamatay niya?"
"E, kumain po kasi ng bulok na karne...."
"Bulok na karne? At sino namang salbaheng tao ang nagpakain sa kanya ngbulok na karne?"
"W-Wala po. Nanginain po siya ng karne ng isang patay na kabayo."
"Patay na kabayo? Anong patay na kabayo, Mr Arnaldo?"
"E, 'yun pung mga thoroughbred horses niyo, Sir. Namatay po kasi lahat silasa pagod, kahihila ng kariton ng tubig."
"Nasisiraan ka na ba ng bait? Anong kariton ng tubbbiiiiggggg?"
"'Yun pong pinampatay namin ng sunog."
"Diyos ko po! Anong sunog naman 'yang pinagsasasabi mo?"
"'Yun pong halos tumupok sa bahay niyo.... Tumumba po 'yung isangnakasinding kandila, tapos nagliyab 'yung kurtina at mabilis na kumalat angapoy...."
"Ano? Puuut.... E, may kuryente naman diyan sa bahay-bakasyunan, a. Parasaan 'yung kandila?"
"Para sa burol po."
"Ano? Kaninong burol?"
Sa nanay n'yo po, Sir. Bigla kasi siya dumating dito nu'ng isang gabi,walang kaabi-abiso. Lampas hatinggabi na. Akala ko po magnanakaw. Binarilko."

GANDANG ARAW!!!

Stupid Random Fruit Metaphors

2006-09-24T05:24:00.000+08:00

This is the third consecutive weekend that I didn't go out to party or watch a movie or whatever our generation usually does. That's because I'm trying to save some money for that effing Nokia N91 brick phone that you either love or hate--like durian. To buffer my wallet a bit, I'll sell my rusty old 3100 because somewhere in Metro Manila is a sari-sari store that is in dire need of a pasaload phone. I hope my old phone will serve its new master well. My 3100 was very moody and will refuse to work when stressed, especially when I'm wearing one of my pocket-less basketball shorts and my phone had no choice but to be carried around by the garter of my underpants. My cellphone will have a new owner next week, after I buy the durian phone on Wednesday.

----

September has been a good month for me at work. I've been getting pats on the back for a stellar job. But I wish my paycheck was more cosmic and less ectoplasmic. This is now the last week of the month and I'm pressured to put a cherry on top of it. If not, at least I'll be getting durian nonetheless.

----

Oh I just had to write this down so I wouldn't forget. When in Greenbelt, and itching for a margarita or a daiquiri, go to Massas in Greenbelt 2. The pitcher of these cocktails cost P250. One glass in Absinthe costs the same. They got strawberry margarita, mango daiquiri (they call it a different name but it tastes like a daiquiri to me) and some other fruit flavors. Ewan ko lang kung may durian.

If Titless is a Word

2006-09-09T18:52:00.000+08:00

(Title-less like untitled, not Tit-less like Nicole Richie)

I do not keep a photo album. Hindi uso sa amin yun (unfortunately) so I just finished skimming through my blog just to remind myself that I’m still a person. Then there it was—or there it wasn’t—any entry for August.

Let me start with the silliest: I just saw an episode of MTV’s “My Own” which is basically a dating game wherein the searcher and searchees are all fans of one artist. This particular episode I saw 5 minutes ago was the Shakira episode. So the females were all trying to beat everyone else to who is the most Shakira and the guy who's obsessed with Shakira searches for who knows and resembles her most; after the show they would all live happily ever after in creepy land where they'd indulge in their common obsession. Can any other show cradle any more freakiness? I saw the Beyonce episode a couple of weeks back and I thought it was amusing and tad pathetic at moments. The second one gets really creepy I tell you. I pray that this show does not get so successful that the Philippines (as usual) would find it lucrative enough to copy. I am not willing to watch 6 Piolo wannabes battle it out for a girl who could only settle for what the universe is willing to provide her. Oh wait a minute, I think that would be the new guilty pleasure, don’t you think?

---------------

I took a leave from work so I could take the second leg of the foreign service exams that my clan wanted me to take so badly for 10 million reasons. Of course I wanted to pass the exams also but since I had 2 bar examinees as seatmates and majority of the 150 examiners looked awfully smart (and a lot of them used oversized plaid shirts and ultra-pleated trousers to announce that), I had to feign nonchalance. I had to look like the slacker who couldn’t care less to hide my insecurity…IQ is an abstract noun but these people gave it a body. I had to be the token smart ass for my survival. Which reminds me, I’ve been doing a lot of that in college, and I survived with some decent grades. I wonder if that will work this time.

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I applied for a lateral position at JP Morgan Chase’s research department which will obviously not give me any bigger income because it is purely horizontal. I am getting the least salary there, given that I’m a fresh grad with no experience. I was living fine with that fact until august 22 when everyone else’s sweldo increased due to salary readjustments. And only me and one friend remained as a guppy (remember the movie Shark Tale where Will Smith voiced the guppy fish that was at the bottom of the ocean hierarchy because it was their job to sweep shit?). But I got over that already. I wish I earned more so I can save enough money already to get a new phone. I am projecting a Nokia N91 by mid-October. I am glad I am finally getting paid for that small design job back in July. Otherwise I won’t get to buy one until Christmas.

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Ian Millare, my band mate and good friend, is now an Akafella. I am very excited for this mofo. I’m supposed to be watching their gig today at Bagaberde but I decided to just stay home nalang and have a quiet Saturday. Next time na ang suporta sa mga kantatero.

Tour Guide

2006-07-19T18:46:00.001+08:00

As usual, I’m still busy with a full-time work, a part-time freelance work and studying. I passed the first part of the foreign service officer exams (the easier but hella stressful test) so I’ve gotta bring Time and Newsweek to work to read thru it during idle moments. The problem is, I read these magazines mostly for the shorter anecdotes and abundant captions starting at the last page then it gets more boring as I flip the pages towards the front cover. I need to study the issues and their underlying concepts that have utmost relevance to the world—in other words, the boring part, swathed with photos of ugly politicians all chunky. Ugh!

Such anxiety usually lights up a fire under my butt to unwind with friends during weekends, wherever the wind may take us. But my social life is on a month-long hiatus so I can have more time for the extended family. My cousins from Dublin are on a vacation in the Philippines to be part of my Lola’s first death anniversary and I’m here to be with them as Manila’s tour guide, bringing them to as many gorgeous and fun place as possible. I love the free food and the free shopping that goes along with it. Thus, I don’t want them to go yet…

Thank goodness for these relatives, I was able to get my much-needed exercise, composed of plenty of walking to wherever the fun is, some bowling and a few other sports. They’ve also provided my house with plenty of annoying, but mostly endearing, noise. My relatives are bananas, talk a lot, laugh a lot, and watch television in the room as I sleep. I am thus a little deprived with my rest, but my stomach is hella satisfied with all the eating that we do.

Health’s 3 components are Food, Movies and Booze

2006-06-18T17:20:00.000+08:00

I haven’t had a night-out in the city for quite a few weeks now until last night. I started the evening eating with mum and bro at Ten, a pretty good Asian fusion restaurant managed by bro’s girlfriend. We all had phad thai and four seasons and we were all too full to eat the pastries we bought for dessert. Then little VIP me had to be dropped off at Glorietta 4 to meet Mar and Ade at Timezone before buying tickets for Tokyo Drift. And eek. The only available seats for the movie were the 6 seats right smack in front of the screen and so we just opted to watch the Inside Man instead. It would be a waste of a good Tokyo Drift kung mahihilo lang kami.

The Inside Man was quite a challenging movie to watch—there was a lot of intimate tension, mind-bending situations and conspiracy chuva (notice how “chuva” gets to fill in that vocabulary gap, how wonderful. But I shall never use that word again in a month and a half.). It’s a movie that requires a decent IQ to be enjoyed; thank goodness I’ve enjoyed it, but I dunno if it’s because of IQ or because the most enjoyable lines that stuck with the three of us were uttered to the character of Jodie Foster: “You are a magnificent cunt.”

Backtrack, while I was on my way to G4, I texted Martha to ask what we’d do when we would meet up. She said it’d be a movie, then Starbucks. Wah Starbucks na naman eh pang-breakfast yun tapos gagawing last stop agad ng gimik, hindi maari. I texted back and told her that we should be spending our frapp-and-cheesecake money for cocktails instead. So after the movie, we drove a bit to Greenbelt then shopped around for a bar to settle in. Icebar looked depressing; Nuvo and Mezze crowd was filled with people who were in their late 30’s; Temple was packed like a frotteur’s paradise (as usual) and the whole strip of Greenbelt 2’s al fresco was more furnace-like than presko. So we found our way to Absinthe and it was the perfect place to put our groove on in the middle of margaritas, long islands and the World Cup.

Kinabukasan, masakit na ang katawan ko dahil wala akong exercise at naubusan pa ako ng boses. But overall, that was a healthy.

All in a Day's Work

2006-06-13T09:56:00.000+08:00

Today was flustering and exasperating. These are the times when you really get to ponder on the etymology of the word "mortgage." It comes from Latin mortir or death, because mortgage is basically killing off the debt. And a while ago, I just about died.

Warning: the following paragraph is for personal venting only. This one ain't for you. You'll get bored.

I was handling a home equity accelerator account paid once a month and not on a bi-weekly or so basis which works by adding 1/12 of the monthly mortgage to the rest of the payment, allowing the client to earn equity much faster. Such service requires other fees unknown to us but is the main concern of the paymap department. The problem has been forwarded to me from the paymap department because they said that the increase in monthly payment is due to the shortages in the client's escrow as a result of insufficient funds collected at the loan's closing vis-a-vis the actual amount needed in escrow due to increases in county taxes and hazard insurance. FINE!!! Yeah, it's given that the escrow analysis generated on the 5th of May will take effect on the first of July. So what!?!? It still does not explain the discrepancy between the actual amount that our end requires of the client and the amount that the equity accelerator department is actually drafting from the mortgagor's account. They got the WRONG amount to compute the acceleration to begin with! And they have the decency to forward this problem to me?? So I called their office and asked them to recalculate the withdrawal using the correct information from my end, correct because I had the copy of the annual escrow disclosure statement right in front of me. They should be basing the acceleration at $906.10 every month, not some $980.00, an amount which may have only materialized from water vapor. Fuckers. They put me on hold for 30 minutes while recalculating while I got the mortgagor on the other line. And then they hung up on me. Then I lost the mortgagor too! Dammit. So I got my big burly caucasian supervisor coach me about the whole thing, and gave exhausted little me the task to fix it by calling the paymap department to recalculate once more. Unfortunately, for some odd reason, they tell me that I am unauthorized to do so! But I just did, a few minutes ago, if only the line wasn't cut. And I had to contact the mortgagor too.. Thank goodness it was the answering machine that I caught.

I am being challenged and I'm liking it so far. Hehehe.

Buti nalang may libreng pizza kanina, tapos binigay pa sakin ung dalawang pesto ng female officemates ko na mahina kumain. Nakalibre pa ako. Later at around 1130am, right before sleeping, I'll be eating yummy chicken in salsa blanca. This makes everything all bettah :D

22

2006-06-12T06:00:00.000+08:00

I just turned 22 and it wasn't so bad at all.

It was actually a pretty good birthday. I spent the eve in that resthouse in Lipa where my barkada would usually be in during summers to relax in good company. The next day, we had sumptuous pancit c/o Tita Andee, my friend Martha's mum. It was one of the best pancits ever, coupled with pretty darn good inihaw na liempo. I got surprised with a butterscotch cake too, the kind with a lit candle on top. Gosh I don't even remember the last time I blew the candle of my birthday cake, I was probably still just a lump of incomplete flesh when I did. I don't even remember what I wished for because I was a little overwhelmed. Hmmm...I dunno if I was wishing or thanking before I blew that candle.

Then I came back to Manila, heard mass and listened to my mom read passages from Deuteronomy and lead the responsorial psalm, then came home to my family and had a nice dinner. It wasn't a big deal, but it definitely sealed the birthday with a kiss.

==============

I found a new found love for Grey's Anatomy because we basically had a dvd marathon of that series during our stay in Lipa. I hate the fact that our cable doesn't provide Star World. I must then buy the dvds.

Untitled.

2006-06-08T19:36:00.001+08:00

Today I am in shambles, torn and broken. There is this unassuming song by Kulay which goes, "Melancholy is my mirror, the toothpaste tastes kinda stale...It's my birthday today." My birthday is in 3 days but my funny luck has given me another reason to laugh at shit and its shittiest timing.

I have just written a full paragraph describing the aforementioned excrement in detail but I decided to replace it with this bit instead. One thing's for sure, it feels good when you're done with a hearty crying. Everybody goes through their own family drama; I am not a teenager anymore so I don't have the need to present my issues as something of universal relevance, no matter how serious it may be. So I say I just feel like crap today, period.

On the bright side, I found out that a few friends and tita-friends are going to a rest house in Lipa on Friday to relax, after it has been postponed for a week. I am always happy when I am in that place, with the pool, trampoline, fresh air and a whole lot of nothing else--the perfect place to get away and pick up my pieces. That's why I will go and follow them on Saturday morning, right after work. I'll have a little birthday celebration there. Thank God that trip was postponed to this coming weekend. Now that's what I call timing.

Mahvelous

2006-06-05T11:34:00.000+08:00

I have watched Xmen3, finally! Yes, being able to watch it is a big deal, for a guy who loved the Xmen and all things Marvel since 3rd grade. Anything artistic that comes from me has its roots in this lifetime fascination of Stan Lee's (and Jim Lee's) works. Comic books have always inspired me to draw and design. From there, I have explored and immersed myself in other art forms, and allowed myself to be influenced by other artists, from Richard Kane Ferguson (a Magic: the Gathering illustrator) to Philippe Starcke and even John Galliano.

But is designing what I really want to do forever? Perhaps. But I don't want to be all about it. I want it to be one part of myself that I will have always, and not something that I will have to do each and every day until the time of burnout. On the other hand, I will never get burnt out with Xmen.

Marvel really has always had a big influence on me. Even the first Spiderman movie motivated me to change my then anorexic appearance and work out in the gym. After that scene where a pale and lanky Peter Parker fell unconscious in his bedroom then woke up bigger and tanner, I started doing research on how to gain mass (who cares about tanning ang init na dito sa Pilipinas. Kulay wallet na ko.). Boy did I surprise people when I got bigger. I would be the last person anyone would expect to have deltoids. I'm not as buff anymore, thanks to a bad shoulder, but that's a different story. I will have to undergo a few physical therapy sessions for about a month first, before hitting the gym again. I found out that I can use my medicard in a place in Megamall called "Rehab for Pain", a PT center at the 5th floor. If you got the card, you have 12 free sessions. In a perfect world, I would be Wolverine and I wouldn't need therapy for my shoulders.

Deja Vu; Frustration of the Xmen Geek

2006-05-30T14:06:00.000+08:00

What have I gotten myself into? I think I have contracticted myself.

As I tell myself often, this time I got something to focus on, and nothing on the peripheral; what could go wrong, then? (Friday, April 21, 2006 entry regarding being able to focus on a job and nothing else)

And then I realized that I have unconsciously added layers upon layers of responsibilities--again. I have just finished the first stage of the foreign service officer examinations last sunday and now I have got to brush up on oodles of world history, Philippine history, International relations and Spanish as a foreign language for the second stage happening in a couple of months. Then, just this morning, I've accepted work from Bistro Restaurant Concepts (umbrella of TGIF, Italianni's, Outback, Fish & Co.) for a series of design projects in a span of around 5-6 months. Now what? My confidence about my performance in the foreign service exams wanes. Well, there's still next year if results don't turn up as hoped.

Reading the previous paragraph I've just written, I bored myself. I need more stuff to rant in writing. I need to smother something with sarcasm. There should something comically cynical about. I have to channel Jessica Zafra. I wanna play around, kick off my sandals and be intrigued with something mundane.

Sana matuloy kami ng mga kaibigan ko sa Lipa this Saturday. Para makarelax, inom ng hard, swimming, talon talon sa trampoline, etcetera. In the work-hard-play-hard equation, I need to find x where x is time to play. X also stands for Xmen3. I have to watch it already!

Wanderlust

2006-05-30T07:34:00.001+08:00

I had an adventure yesterday. I went to divisoria for the first time, and met a couple of my friends in the new 168 mall. I didn't know how to get there either, but a short instruction from an officemate was enough for me. The ignorance fuelled the sense of adventure. I thought 3000 pesos would be enough budget, but i ended up spending only about 700 pesos, and I didn't spend much of that for myself but for my yaya, my kuya and my momma. I got a dozen pair of black socks for myself though, for only 75 pesos. And I was able to buy myself a pretty good knockoff Marlboro Classics wallet for a much cheaper price than it's original counterpart. I almost bought the original one, and it costs a couple o thousand of pesos, discounted. Buti nlang hindi ko binili, isang sapatos na rin un. I went there with Adrian ang Martha, a couple. As usual I was being the consummate third wheel again. Sometimes, 5th wheel pag may kasama pang iba. minsan, 7th wheel. Basta I'm always responsible for making a group an odd number.

==============

I have a meeting today at Bistro Americano (TGIF corporate office) for freelance graphic design work. I thought I was going to shelve the whole design gig after college, pero sayang naman ung ibabayad sa akin. Wow I'm working two jobs now. Can you spell workaholic? Uh oh. I need to find time to play hard if I work hard.

==============

I am such a loser I haven't seen xmen3 or da vinci code yet.

==============

Strange Dream

2006-05-15T03:21:00.002+08:00

May 15, 2006

I had the weirdest dream kagabi. And it was one of those extremely realistic ones that I would get once every two months. I wonder what that dream meant.

This was my dream:

I go to OJT everyday, but not to a regular office but to prison. My fellow trainees in real life are my cell mates in the dream. I spend the day there, then go home. One day, on my way to work, I witness two guys pointing guns towards two different people. One was a guy pointing a gun to the head of a taxi driver who sucks at his job, and the 2nd one was a stranger pointing his gun to some guy. The second guy sees me, and so he runs after me with his gun in hand. But he goes back to the guy whom he was pointing his gun to earlier and tells him to stay there or else. What a dumbass. As I was running, I saw a friend of mine named Chino who was listening to music in his car. I went inside and asked him to help me out. He said ok, but I fled his car because he couldn't start it. I went running around through narrow eskinitas and inside windows and over fences until I arrived to the prison, where I asked for help. Emil, my tallest workmate, actually helped me by calling bringing Ben Tulfo and Ben Tulfo’s wife. Sinumbong nya sa mga Tulfo.

It was a fun dream and I didn’t want to wake up that soon. It wasn’t scary at all, it was more like watching a good suspense movie with a lot of chasing. I wonder what the dream meant. Ano kaya?

========

Got my first real paycheck. Fantastic. Unfortunately I had volunteered to pay for some bills at home. Feeling ko kse ang laki laki ng sweldo ko di naman mashado. Yan tuloy paubos na. Waiting for the next payday.

Obituary

2006-05-06T08:45:00.000+08:00

Luke has passed away. He wasn't able to recover from his accident. Death by yaya.

Ugh... I think I must not nurse an infant puppy anymore. I should acquire a pup in its 6th month so it is less likely to perish for any reason. I need another one now. Baka meron kayong astig na puppy na gusto ibigay sa akin, ibigay niyo na. I promise to make my yaya promise to be careful. Puppy na nga lang pangtanggal ko ng stress eh. Yan tuloy I've been spending more time with our uncute garage pitbul that serves no other purpose but to bite untrustworthy people and little children.

I need a puppy...

Nag-iinertia ang Jaguar

2006-05-05T08:40:00.000+08:00

My dear puppy Luke is in recovery. Paano ba naman, mahilig manghabol ng tao sa bahay, so he ran after my yaya. He was running so fast for his size, lost control, hit his face on a wall and bounced off just in time to land under my yaya’s walking foot. Toink! May pinagmanahan ang hayup.

You shouldn’t be laughing if you already are. I love my puppy. Accident-prone nga lang just like muh-self. Stuff always happens to me and anything in my radius, and these are stuff that always happens in cartoons. Cartoons are always able to pull them off, but they kinda hurt in real life pala, noh..

=========

Now I know about home financing thanks to training. Ayan na ang escrow accounts, balances, interest, taxes etc. Juskupo. Tumitibok ang mga parte ng utak kong di ko inimagine na gagamitin ko kahit kelan. I still have one whole month ahead of me to be in a classroom setting, plus two more weeks of focused mentoring.

I also learned other stuff too in training, such as the meaning of chuvaloo, chorva, tarush, and my ever-loving, “nag-iinertia ang jaguar” (nag-iinarte ang gwardiya). I am around some crazy, hilarious people in my batch. Pati trainer naming komedyanteng astig. Ung isa naman naming trainer eh ke-ganda (campus patroller pa ng Magic 89.9 dati, o-ha, san ka pa).

I actually enjoy being the baby there. Baby Jason tawag sakin dun, ako lang freshgrad sa batch eh. Weeeee. Average age na nila would be around 29-30 ata. Which is great: I am exposed to a world of new humor (or older humor, whatever).

Bagong tagyawat na naman sa stress. I’m stressing because ayaw kong masesante because if I don’t perform well in June after the 5-week training, I might get the boot. Hindi pwede noh ok na ung JPMorgan Chase na company tsaka 10 minutes lang sa opisina ang bahay ko tapos di pa ko kelangan gumising ng maaga. I Hope I don’t take it for granted. As I tell myself often, this time I got something to focus on, and nothing on the peripheral; what could go wrong, then?

Basta ang focus ko rin eh ang unang sahod ko next week. I heard I’ll get a full month’s salary plus allowances kahit na april 21 lang ako nag-start ng training. Finally, makakabili na rin ako ng mga bagong brip. Puro himulmol na eh. Kakahiya magpabili sa ermats.

Banker later

2006-04-21T15:11:00.000+08:00

Work starts later at night. I am anxious and excited to tour the place and meet the people. I was told by the HR head that they don't really accept fresh grads and that they only hire people with 2 years experience at least. Feeling ko nagpa-spa ang ego ko. That felt great for a moment, until I realized na, uh-oh.. I don't think I'll have a lot of co-workers my age. I think the people there will be making jokes about stuff that aren't funny to me. Like stuff about curbsides and cupboards, laundry, plants and Seinfeld.

I'll work at nights, which is way better than working in the mornings. I simply have no capability of functioning in the morning. My affinity to my bed is strongest before lunch. My friend Adrian thought I was already at work a few minutes ago so he sent me this SMS:

"Hello, I hope ur bored. Haha. Don't get fired, panget." Here's another manifestation of genuine friendship wrapped up in extremely annoying stuff. You will always have to dig deeper to get to the good intentions.

Cuz everyone thinks I am supposed to steam or melt in banks like lesser demons would in Catholic churches.

Palad Mong may Kapal

2006-04-20T14:25:00.000+08:00

I miss Ateneo so much now, just as how I miss LSGH. I miss my friends there the most. They made the whole college experience amazing. I remember going to school for nothing, just to hang out at the bench. I am also glad that my friends from highschool and the "Usual People" as how I would call my Cue barkada are still really good friends of mine through college and until now. College is also where I experienced the whole band thing. I made plenty of mistakes too that I have learned to appreciate because Ateneo is where I really saw the biggest growth in me as a person. I experienced everything that I had to experience as a teenager (except those addicting drugs. A person does not have to experience it ever. I got nothing against those who occassionally take them. In fact I have a hundred friends who use them. It just isn't for me.). Studying psychology, 18 units of philosophy and another 18 units of theology helped a lot with that growth too.

I miss the really nice maintenance people, Xerox ladies and the manong guards who have been really some of the nicest people. Thank goodness that my Philo group mates an I were able to throw some of the employees a small thank-you dinner party in KFC, complete with acquaintance games and souvenirs. I wrote them a poem, but I don’t think we had the time to give it to them anymore.

Palad Mong may Kapal

(Handog itong pasasalamat sa inyo,
mga tapat na manggagawa ng Ateneo.)

Dinggin, damhin, namnamin at simsimin
alay pasasalamat na yaring amin
mga makapal na palad nawa'y madama
ang rikit na hatid ng hiling mong tuwa.

matimyas na bukal ng matamis mong pawis
ang sumisikal sa paaralang nagnanais
na manapa'y madiligan ng 'yong kabutihan
tantong tungtungan nating kapatagan.

Payapa ang tibok ng bawat takipsilim
malinis ang dapithapon at pagsapit ng rilim
mundong mumunti'y maayos hanggang gabi
lilok niyo ang kagandahang lubos nakangiti.

--Jason Pastoral

Two of the most memorable parties of my senior year (and college in general) were the real badass ones that we organized. The first was a called Eden: A Fashion Fete of Heaven and Hell and we had it at the rockwell tent. That was arguably the best party experienced by our batch, thanks to sultry models (and a gorgeous crowd), a decadent theme that borders on clandestinity, and a free-flowing variety of booze. The other really memorable one was very different, the KFC party with sila manong and manang. These things kinda make you feel more actualized--or a little preview, which is a pretty good thing already.

Aray ang sarap

2006-04-18T23:24:00.000+08:00

I came from the reflexologist today to get my shoulders fixed and aligned. How can I go back to working out and become scorching hot if I got a busted shoulder? This fucked up right shoulder is a little dislocated, got my nerves up in knots over the past couple of years and has affected my balance. Lost around 18lbs of muscle since the busted shoulder 2 years ago. Tae! Kaya siguro of all the people who know plenty about workout routines and regimes, mass-gaining diets, workout supplements etc., I would be the scrawniest. Hence I try not to engage in gym talk because it is only going to be embarrassing.

But soon I shall be well. My reflexologist is the bomb. Today was my second session with her. I could feel my balance returning and my shoulder getting less busted. She’s like this chiropractor-masseuse-witch doctor all rolled up into one! I love her. I got foot rubs from her and her student, my pressure points stimulated, my joints rubbed the heavenly way. “Chocolate pain” is how I’d describe the experience. People should start experiencing the real thing and not the pseudo-reflexology which is actually a front for prostitution. Who needs to pay for “happy endings” from the massage sluts when you can experience clean, legitimate S&M? Sex is overrated anyway.

In a couple of months or less, I shall hit the gym once more after an unnecessary hiatus. Then maybe enroll in martial arts classes again, who knows?

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Dammit, why do other countries have to take more decent people away from the Philippines? Una ung mga Ibazeta: si Jessica at si insan Nica na nanirahan na sa San Fo. Tapos marami nang sumunod after college: Peachy and Ron from Psych, tapos si Ninna and Nikko pa--ang mga kaibigan ko from the sec b benches ng dakilang Ateneo. Tapos aalis naman ang iba pang mga kaibigan ko sa sec b na sina Eboy at Mavie! Waaaah.. Tapos dami pang iba ang aalis.

Magkikita ulit tayo mga friendships. I think I feel bad because naunahan lang ako ng mga hayop na to.

I might get the hang of this. Not yet sure tho.

2006-04-18T14:55:00.000+08:00

April 18, 2006

My mom accidentally stepped on Luke’s right paw. I was of course extremely worried and kinda pissed, so I felt even worse when I saw mummy looking sad and guilty for the accident. Luke is well now, like nothing happened. Buti nalang malambot pa tska mejo hiwa-hiwalay pa ung components ng metacarpus tska phalanges nung tuta.*

I was chatting with Salomon (DJ Myke of the Akafellas for everyone else) about my puppy dog. He’s a friend so he started making me worry about vet expenses, that taking care of my one-month old Lucas is like nursing an infant, and that he is very susceptible to diseases and might get sick and die. Taenang yun. Some friends are supportive like that, by scaring you to death.

Yep, I guess it all makes it official that I am now a parent. If only my medical insurance (and taxes) can consider Luke as my dependent.

* That’s the frustrated medic in me.

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Ano ba plano ko sa buhay ko? I have spread myself too thinly in high school and in college. I started with the web design gig, freaked people out by joining the Spirit Questors for a while, tried a little debate, acted in a few musicals, painted, drew tons of naked women and trees with boobs that bore boob fruits, danced, sang and arranged songs for an acapella group, and asked people for money in exchange of my graphic design services. Etcetera at marami pang iba.. It is therefore only predictable that I would end up working in a bank. Ganda ng punchline. I’ll start work on Friday.

My ideal jobs, from the results of my career fit examinations in school, personal choices and parental pressures are:

Human Resources (because I have a degree in AB Psychology and that’s the only obvious job you can have with that degree that pays well)
Advertising (Creatives)
Law or Medicine, which are far shots but still possible
A Consulate Job or another nice job overseas (that’s the parental pressure I’m talking about).

Somehow…someday…somewhere… *violin strings*

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I’ll be studying a foreign language this year. I have to choose between German, French, Italian and Spanish. I already took basic Spanish in 2nd year college. But since I hate all forms of dubbed telenovela imports except for that one time with Marimar, and there’s no one to talk to in Spanish, “Basic Spanish: Language and Culture” has been pruned out. All I remember is Como Estas? Hace Calor. Quien en tu familia bailar en la discotecha cada Sabado noche? La reyna es gorba. Muzzy es grande!!!

Jajajajajaja! FYI, that’s hahahaha in Spanish.

unang hirit

2006-04-17T14:17:00.000+08:00

Summers have always been very successful at providing me with empty hours. Thus I have decided to conform, an act that I am very much against just because I tend to enjoy sticking out like a gangrenous thumb. Truth be told, I have started a couple of blogs and I am 99% sure you have not read them because they weren’t intended to be read by everyone. They had served simply as good avenues to exercise my own narcissism when reading my own experiences and pretending that they're relevant to Papua New Guinea or Slovakia or some other country that is probably worse than my own, if at all possible. And I just happen to enjoy the cathartic feeling of that last sentence wrapping up the whole shebang. I got the same catharsis from punching a wall, hence, the mortality of my previous blogs. Instant release nga naman diba kung nanuntok ka nlang kesa nagsulat.

My reason therefore for starting this new blog is as much for myself as it is for you. This time, I would like to share my sh*t (I shall warn you now that I have over the couple of years gained a penchant for using inappropriate French after virtually 20 curse-free years). I just realized na marami na akong utang sa mga kaibigan ko. I haven’t been as out-there and more importantly, as there-for-them. I don’t care if only very few people get to read this blog because what is important right now is that I have something online for my friends to check out when they wanna know what’s up.

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Anyway, here’s what’s been going on:

Graduate na ko! I am happy and at the same time reluctant to enter yuppiedom.
I and Ian left my acapella band, “Out of the Box” and I’m missing the whole thing already—though in retrospect, that was probably the best thing to do.
I’m starting my first job in JP Morgan Chase Bank on Friday. It isn’t my first choice for a job, dealing with mortgages and stuff, but a good starting salary is always the fresh grad’s first priority. And it is a good company. I have yet to experience getting money but being miserable in a job. Oooh I’m so excited! And then I would realize that job ideals are more important then look for a job elsewhere after a few months.
I have a new puppy. I’ve always loved animals (the appropriate way) but unfortunately I haven’t got a pet for most of my college life. Now I am happy to take care of a little creature! A real pet-master relationship, not just some peaceful coexistence with the house spider. I was expecting a purebred shih tzu, but I will get it in a couple of months pa. I couldn’t wait anymore so I settled for a black half-spitz, half shih-tzu. He’s the smallest puppy in the litter. His name is Lucas, Luke for short. And he whines like crazy.

There’s a lot more but that’s all my college-drained brains have got to spill for now.