Monday, July 31, 2006

In the meantime.

I don't know who wrote this, it was sent in a spam e-mail before and now it found its way to me again.

She's the one you call when you're bored because she makes you laugh. She's the one you talk to when you're feeling down because she's willing to lend an ear and be a friend. She's not the one you call when you need a date to your company's Christmas party, or to go dancing with on a Saturday night. She's the one you spend time with between girlfriends, before you find "The One". You know, the one who you keep around in the meantime.

She's not one of the guys, not a tomboy, but you don't look at her as a "real" woman, either. She's not bitchy enough, moody enough, or sexy enough to be seen in that light. She's too laid-back, too easily amused by the same things your male buddies are amused by. She's too understanding, too comfortable - she doesn't make you feel nervous or excited the way a "real" woman does. But she's cool, and nice, and funny, and attractive enough that when you're lonely or horny and need intimate female companionship, she'll do just fine. You don't have to wine and dine her because she knows the real you already, and you don't have any facades to keep up, no pretenses to preserve. You're not trying to get anything of substance out of her. She's not easy, but you know that she cares about you and is attracted to you, and that she'll give you the intimacy you need. And you know you don't have to explain yourself or the situation, that she'll be able to cope with the fact that this isn't the beginning of a relationship or that there's any possibility that you have any real romantic feelings for her. It won't bother her that you'll get up in the morning, put on your pants, say goodbye, and go on a date with the woman you've been mooning over for weeks who finally agreed to go out with you. She'll settle for a goodbye hug and a promise to call her and tell her how the date went. She's just so cool . . . why can't all women be like that?!

But deep down, if you really think about it (which you probably don't because to you, the situation between the two of you isn't important enough to merit any real thought), you know that it's really not fair. You know that although she would never say it, it hurts her to know that despite all her good points and all the fun you two have, you don't think she's good enough to spend any real time with. Sure, it's mostly her fault, because she doesn't have to give in to your needs - she could play the hard-to-get bitch like the rest of them do, if she really wanted to. But you and she both know that she probably couldn't pull it off. Maybe she's too short, or a little overweight, or has a big birthmark on her forehead, or works at Taco Bell. Whatever the reason, somehow life has given her a lot of really great qualities but has left out the ones that men want (or think they want) in a woman. So she remains forever the funny friend, the steadfast companion, the secret lover, and you go on searching for your goddess who will somehow be everything you ever wanted in a woman.

You'll joke to her that she should be the best man at your wedding, and she'll laugh and make a joke about a smelly rental tux.

She doesn't captivate you with her beauty, or open doors with her smile. Mainly she blends in with the crowd. She's safe. She doesn't want to be the center of attention and turn the heads of everyone in the room. But she wants to turn someone's head. She wants to be special to someone, too. We all do. She has feelings. She has a heart. In fact, she probably has a bigger and better heart than any woman you've ever known because she's had a front-row seat to The Mess That Is Your Life, and she likes you anyway. She obviously sees something worthwhile and redeeming in you because although you've given her nothing, absolutely no reason to still be around, she still is.


I don't want to be a meantime girl. Nevahhh!

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Party marathon.

Yes, I did not work last weekend!

Me Talk Pretty Saturday

I met up with Zarah & Don and went to Powerbooks Greenbelt for the David Sedaris book signing. We listened to David read a handful of very funny essays (some of which have not been published).

He's funnier in person, and he's very approachable. Or rather, he likes approaching members of the audience himself. He likes talking to people who ask for his autograph. He sort of understands Filipino humor.

He told us he went to a cockpit arena to watch a fight and he remarked that he was the only homosexual there. He loved Evil Dead and made a few comments on the remake ("If you can't outwit a zombie, you just can't do anything.") He expressed interest in the local guns and weaponry regulations and laws. He told us of his Bruno's barbershop experience peppered with humorous side comments. And I was starstruck as usual.

When I approached the signing table, he asked me a few questions: "What do you do" (I'm in the field of viusal arts), "Do you have a yaya" (no, not in a very long time, no), "Do you still live with your parents" (with my mom), and "Are you seeing someone at the moment" (no). Then he started to set me up with the guy who just had his books signed. Hahaha! Labo. After a few more pleasant exchanges, he wrote on my copy of Me Talk Pretty One Day:

Dear Jovan,
Thank you for making me rich.

Hehehehehe.

Birthday Party Saturday

Right after the signing I attended Vicoy's birthday party at Yale and had geek fun with Cranium and glam rock on Extreme Magic Sing. The couch ate me alive and I ended up staying over until noon the next day. (Yay for extra tanktop and disposable underwear hehehe!) Then I went straight to the next party.

Harry Birthday Sunday today

Celebrated Harry Potter's birthday one day in advance at Ruth's house with potluck food (yum!) and a game of Diagon Alley, something that will make enemies out of friends after. Hehehehe.

Was tempted to watch Nacho Libre at Greenbelt (I wanted to watch the movie before leaving for Ilocos but it got pretty hectic), but it sucked to go home late in the rain from Makati so I didn't.

*yawn*

Need to catch up on some shuteye.

*poof*

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Because I haven't done this in a while--

Survey schmurvey!

NINE LASTS:

9. last place you were: Pagudpud last weekend. I haven't been out since.
8. last cigarette: erm...
7. last beverage: lots of water
6. last movie seen: The Lake House on the big screen, Bridget Jones's Diary on video.
5. last call: a follow up call for venue sponsorship for our upcoming Ang I.N.K. exhibit
4. last CD played: I've ripped most of my cds to my pc so technically it's not a cd. Anyway-- it was Majestic's Live It Up! album.
3. last bubble bath: EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, April 2005. Gah, what a long time ago.
2. last time you cried: I don't remember, honestly.
1. last alcoholic drink: Kurrant mixed with Coke (kasi walang Sprite). :-Þ

EIGHT HAVE YOU EVERS:

8. have you ever dated someone twice: Yes.
7. have you ever been cheated on: Uh, I'm not sure if it counts being cheated on, but I did find myself in an unwilling third party old cow kind of situation.
6. have you ever cheated on someone: No. I am faithful. Very.
5. have you ever kissed somebody and regretted it: Yes.
4. have you ever fallen in love: Yes.
3. have you ever lost someone: Yes.
2. have you ever been depressed: Yes.
1. have you ever been drunk and thrown up: To Marnie's regret and annoyance, yes.

SEVEN PLACES YOU'VE RECENTLY BEEN TO:

7. Cubao
6. Gweilos Eastwood
5. Greenbelt
4. Rockwell Tent
3. Pagudpud
2. Ilocos Sur stop-over
1. My house

SIX THINGS YOU'VE DONE TODAY:

6. Checked e-mail.
5. Ate late lunch.
4. Shed some skin.
3. Listened to some music.
2. Made a few phone calls.
1. Pretended to get some work done.

FIVE PEOPLE YOU CAN TELL ANYTHING TO:

5. ----
4. ---
3. ----
2. ------
1. ------

FOUR PLACES YOU WANNA GO TO:

4. The rest of the Philippines.
3. Southeast Asia
2. The rest of Europe.
1. UK and Graham Coxon's place of habitation. Hee.

THREE FAVORITE COLORS

3. For now, pink.
2. Black
1. Silver

TWO THINGS I WANNA DO BEFORE I DIE

2. (Dalawa lang??) Let's be vague: be successful.
1. Find true love.

ONE THING THAT'S ON MY MIND RIGHT NOW

*YAWN*

Monday, July 24, 2006

In between different levels of toxicity and looming deadlines--

I found the time to get away from it all.

Pagudpud the second time around hasn't lost its charm. (Will it ever? I don't think so.) The weather was incredibly perfect, too. Our prayers worked. (Thank you to the One who watches over us.) :-)

Rory, Ramil, Marnie and I met up at the bus station Friday night, despite gloomy weather reports and incessant drizzling. We mostly slept during the long trip which was punctuated with timely pit stops for going to the john, stretching our legs, and finally buying bibingka and Vigan longganisa somewhere in Ilocos Sur near Vigan.

We arrived at Pagudpud a little before 8 in the morning. At Papa Nard's, the small short order resto beside the terminal where we had breakfast, the nice bus conductors warned us of tricycle drivers who might take advantage of unwary tourists (that's us)-- we were probably the only tourists around at the time. And we looked like it, too, when we went to the market to buy food for our day-and-a-half stay there.

I know how to haggle and shop in Ilokano ("Awan tawad manong/manang?" --hehehe), but I am too scared to receive a reply in a language system I don't understand. Kaya nagpanggap akong Tagalog na nakakaintindi ng Ilokano para di kami tagain sa presyo sa palengke. Hehe.

Our rooms at Northridge Resort were ready when we arrived in Saud. I called the landlady to ask for the rates and haggled for a huge discount. We started unpacking as soon as Ate Tess and I agreed on a price (and a good price it was). Rory and I claimed first dibs on the use of the two bathrooms. Heh heh.

We toasted all our hides in the first two hours of beachwhoring. Tanghaling tapat ba naman kasi! Heh heh. (In that weather who would have thought that the rest of Luzon is drenched in rain?) We had most of Saud to ourselves, except for a handful of daytrippers and reclusive visitors. It wasn't a good time to swim in open water at this time because of the choppy waters, but we had lots of fun "body surfing" while audibly whooping over huge waves. Too bad there weren't any hot surfer dudes around. Hee.

After a while I found the heat unbearable and I went back to our resort and fell asleep on the patio divan while watching Conan O'Brien on satellite t.v. Then all of us spent rest of the day and night lazing around and eating. (Sarap kumain sa beach!)

We went swimming again after breakfast the next day, ignoring protests of our sunburnt skin. After packing our bags and getting ready for our trip back to Manila, we had late lunch of sautéed canned tuna and rice (the resort owners left a little past noon, and therefore no one left to cook our food for us). While waiting for our tricycles to take us to the bus terminal, we spent several P5 coins on the videoke machine, our musical careers bookended by Mandy Moore songs. Hehehehe. ;-P

Back at Papa Nard's, we ate early dinner and played cards while waiting for our bus. The Southbound trip was not as pleasant as the trip going North, the bus was effing freezer-cold and we took every opportunity to keep ourselves warm (or rather, thaw) during stopovers. And it was raining as soon as we left Ilocos Norte all the way back home. Bleah.

*****

It feels weird to come back to a wet, wet city. I wish we stayed in Pagudpud longer, but work beckons. Sux. Until the next time then. A happy thing to look forward to.

(Photos to follow when I see Rory again.)

Friday, July 21, 2006

In transit.

Venus shines brightly in the 5 a.m. sky, right below the crescent moon and above the wild color of a threatening sunrise. The morning star brings a certain sadness associated with memory. Tears begin to well up in my eyes, but they never fall. I then tell myself it is going to be a beautiful day.











[Edit: And what a beautiful day it was, indeed. Ü]

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Saturday, July 8, 2006

Superman returns.

(This is a gushing post so be warned.)


And he returns indeed. *whew* It suddenly felt like Christopher Reeves, my first ever celebrity crush, has come back to life.

Back in the late 70s, I used to watch Superman 1 everyday on our Betamax (ano raw? HAHA! 'Yan ang old skool!). The kids from the neighborhood would come to my house and gape at the t.v. with me. Then Batman came along and took over my superhero fantasies. (Well, he didn't have superpowers and he was dark and uber-cool, you know.)

Watching Superman Returns last night brought back those childhood memories and the love for the first superhero I've ever known. I liked the fact that this movie just took off from the first sequel and totally ignored the third and fourth movies which were just crap. Brandon Routh's almost-CGI look has distracted me to bits from the movie itself though, only leaving me enough room to remark that Kate Bosworth was a really bland and silly Lois Lane. (Wala silang chemistry ni Brandon Routh! Kami ni fafa Brandon meron. Hee. <3 )

Point of view.

You: natural causes

Me: homicide

Friday, July 7, 2006

...

Marunong talagang sumabay ang malakas na ulan sa panahon ng damdamin ko. 'Yun lang.

Tuesday, July 4, 2006

An update in bullet points.

  • Met up with Wilmer last Friday at his new showroom in Ortigas. Nice! :-) We had a fairly heavy dinner at Kitchen after our meeting. (I highly recommend the King's Choice pasta. Yummeh!) ;-)
  • Toxic Saturday. Attended the Ang I.N.K. meeting, then hung out at Guia's pad before heading to the Cubao area to rent a puter for online Quidditch [edit: Slytherin Diamondbacks bagged the last two games! Yay!]. I attended a birthday party afterwards. I missed the get-together at Luis' though. Sux.
  • I went to a couple of geek meetings on Sunday afternoon. I rushed to the hospital as soon as my meetings were over. Marnie's mom was confined again. When I got there, Tita Marlie was in a coma, and it looked like the rest family was having a party (complete with party food and cake) and I said so, in jest. "Party nga! Despedida." was the reply. Nurses came in from time to time to check her vital signs. It was sad.
  • Monday morning a crying Marnie woke me up with a jarring phone call. :-( She came by my house moments later to ask photo printing favors. Did a bit of photoshop, then headed for Riverbanks to have Tita's photos printed and framed. I soon joined the carpool with Sel, Mark, Troy and Osang, and we all went together to the wake. The twins and their significant others arrived during mass. I hitched a ride with them on the way home.
  • Today I did a little bit of catching up on work and errands. Got lots of badly needed rest, too. Hah! Dami ko pang gagawin! :-P
  • I'll be at the wake again tomorrow until the cremation service on Thursday. And I have a bunch of deadlines due on Friday. That means I'll be disappearing again for a while. Later, everyone.