Jetsetting Item # 1, Day 2 (Before the show)

Day 2 (Before the show)

I got up at around 9am. My mom was already up, and already had breakfast. I listened to the sound of the city for a while and noticed that there was nothing different from last night. My mom ordered me breakfast, “Yey breakfast!” I thought.

Unfortunately, it was a bit overrated. There were 3 viands, and I forgot what I had probably because they weren’t worthy of any recollection whatsoever. The burger steak was hard, the fruits were unripe, the other food was a bit bland. First look, honestly, I thought they were good. Imagine, 3 viands for breakfast, a heap of garlic rice, and fresh fruits. It was almost worthy of a super wow! Buzz, nope, sorry to disappoint you, but you’re wrong. Next please!

Some of our BNP friends arrived that day too. They had breakfast on the 12th floor (where the WIFI Cafe is), but their room was still occupied. So some of them went off for Ali Mall, and then one of them stayed in our room to sleep. Jetlag is really horrible

While waiting for their room to be cleared, my mom and I had some tantalizingly tasty-sounding coffee, and a sandwich. She ordered French Vanilla Capuccino, and I had the Cookies and Cream Coffee. We planned to drink that with a Chicken sandwich. I’ll be honest, they were good. I could tell the coffee were freshly brewed. Unfortunately, they didn’t taste anything like French Vanilla or Cookies and Cream. Meh. Sige lang, we wanted coffee, and we got it. And the trick there is to think positive… Think positive dru, think.. Gah! My head hurts!

We went to Greenhills after our friends settled in their room, and dropped our luggages and our bags at Teatrino.

At Teatrino, many BNP were already there, the ones behind the curtains, those who were performing, including my dad, and the other BNP councils. We were greeted warmly, and offered food (KARE KARE FOR THE WIIIN AGAIIINN!). Sayang isa lang ang rice, but it was good. Kare kare + bagoong = Napakasarap na grasya ng Diyos.

We went around Greenhills (I was looking for a nice jacket, never found one). Grabe! Greenhills is so fully packed with stuff and people that I actually lost my mood for buying anything. I got dizzy, impatient, I farted a couple of times, grabe! I did find a few nice jackets, but they weren’t within my price range (READ: CHEAP). But really, when I looked at the jacket, and then checked the price, it was a bit overrated. I asked for the last price, pff, not good enough. I could’ve haggled it lower though, but like I said, I lost my appetite for buying… and gained an appetite for pasta!

My mom and I had another date at Delifrance. We ordered the Beef Bu-something.. I forgot! Tsk. I need to get over being bad with remembering names. It’s bad enough that I forget people, BUT FOOD?!

It was 5PM, and we were heading back to Teatrino to get ready. The show will start in 2 hours! Halaaaaa!!

Jetsetting Item # 1, Day 1

Jetsetting – (was not a word, but now is.) (v.) being a jetsetter; what jetsetters usually do.

This month is pretty full on with travels outside Cebu. Insofar, this is my to-do list:

1. Go to Manila to support my dad in their One Voice concert on June 6. (check)
2. Go home to Davao to blow out family and relatives on June 13.
3. Go to Cavite to serve in a retreat on June 26-28 (unsure).

Day 1
So, yosh! I’m done with number one! On June 5, I took the 9PM flight to Manila, and arrived there at around 10:30. Unfortunately though, the plane had to wait for our gate to be free coz there was still an airline using it. We disembarked 20 minutes after. During the flight, I saw 3 of our manila officemates (who are currently working at Cebu), Dean, Alex-sensei, and someone whose name I forgot (I’m so bad with names! I’m sorry! Pero kilala kita by face (consolation ba yan?) ). So on the plane, I already practiced my tagalog with Alex-sensei (magkatabi kasi kami nun).

I was thinking then that I wanted to ask some more questions about Nihongo, but then, I thought “nevermind.” If I were to sit beside a client, I wouldn’t want to talk about work. So I just shut up.

Buuuut I was restless. To compensate, the rest of the flight was spent watching my Whose Line videos on my iPod for the nth time (sarap kasi tulog ni Alex).

So even though there was a delay after landing, just as I left the terminal building, Kuya Rolly also just arrived to pick me up. I thought, “Wow! Manila Traffic and the PAL delay worked together!”

After a 45 minute-ride of seeing how the rain is making Manila soaking wet, Kuya Rolly dropped me off at Fernandina 88 Suites in front of the Ali Mall at Cubao. I met up with my mom in our room, and she opened my dinner (SINIGANG NA BABOY FOR THE WIN!). It was all right, a bit saltier than how I expected it, but the rice compensated for it… I guess. Or I just didn’t really mind.

After freshening up a bit and planned on what to do the next day, Mama went to sleep, and I got busy looking for a wifi signal in our room. “That’s unfair! The lobby said, ‘Wireless Internet Connection available’”. *sigh* We were told that the wifi is only on the 12th floor, where their cafe is, but is only open until 11:00PM. It was 1:00 in the morning. NOOOOOOO!! WHAT KIND OF CAFE IS THAT?!

So I worked with my phone for about 45 minutes, and looked in my mail, read manga, downloaded a few maps for DoTA (waha), and played for about another hour. I got to sleep around 3AM to the sound of screeching tires, ringing bells and sirens outside our window. “Welcome to Manila,” I thought.

Tough Night

Around midnight until 2am today, I had a very big adventure of trying to catch my breath. I was short of it; That feeling when I breathe in deep and then suddenly something stops me from continuing half-way. Then breath after breath, it was getting more and more shallow. I started wheezing. My nose started to clog. My eyes were swelling.

I looked for my inhaler, then I puffed once. No effect. I puff a second time. None. Shoot.

I stood up, looked at the mirror, and saw that my eyes were teary. The swelling went down to the rest of my face.

I ran to the bathroom to clear my nose. I couldn’t force anything out. I try again. Nothing.

“Okay,” I thought, “I’m having an allergic reaction.” And a damn one at that! So I popped the anti-allergy medicine my dad gave me and waited for it to take effect.

The next hour I was trying to keep breathing. I was a bit dizzy, but it wasn’t anything serious. I was trying to recall what I had for dinner. Then it hit me. I’m never ordering fish from that restaurant again. I had fish with tausi in Chowabungga, and I guess my body didn’t really take it. It tasted okay; a bit sour, but okay. Maybe the sourness was a bad thing.

It’s 2am. I think the medicine is taking effect: I can breathe better now, my nose is a bit clear, my eyes don’t feel swollen, and the medicine is making me drowsy.. Thank God! Good night!

Re-examining Life… And Piss

Kumusta na kayo?

Ako? Pinag-iisipan ko na naman ang buhay ko. Gusto ko nang lumipat eh. (Kung saan man, akin na lang muna yun.) Pero hindi dahil ayaw ko ang sweldo ko, o ayaw ko ang mga tao dito. Sa totoo nga, masaya ako dito. Madami na akong mga kaibigan, at sa tingin ko’y naka-”settle” na ako dito. Kung sweldo ang pag-usapan, okay lang naman din; hindi siya malaki, hindi rin siya maliit. Sakto sakto lang; naka-laptop nga ako (pero binabayaran pa ).

Gusto kong lumipat dahil sa tingin ko (sa ngayon) maging mas masaya ako doon.

…

Fine, sasabihin ko na lang kaya kung saan. Baka kung ano ano na ang maiisip ninyo: “Hala! Magtatrabaho na talaga si Dru ng gigolo sa Europe!” Ayaw ko.. Ayaw kong masisira ang mga buhay niyo!

So eto na. Gusto kong lumipat ng Australia. Kung saan doon, Melbourne. Ayan! Nakakainis.

“Pero Dru, hindi naman kami nagtanong!”

Eh anong pakialam ko? Gusto kong sabihin eh!

Well, titignan lang natin. Hindi pa naman din ako sigurado kung matutuloy ito.

O nga din pala, sinabihan pala ako ni Ma’am Marlene, Company Nurse namin, na may dugo daw ang ihi na sample na binigay ko sa Annual Physical Check-up namin. Kinabahan ako at napaisip, “Shet. Mukhang seryoso ito ah.” Tapos sinabi pa niya na para daw akong babae na may period. Malas ko naman. Babae pala ako.

So ayun, pumunta ako ng Hi-Precision noong nakaraang Sabado para i-verify kung totoo ba talagang babae ako. At doon madami namang nakapatunay na hinde pala.

Proofs na hindi ako babae:

1. Yung sa form resibo, inilagay ng tao sa counter sa sex ko, “M”.
2. Pinalabas ako sa Female CR.
3. Nakatayo akong umihi sa cup.

Ayan! Sabi sa akin na in 24 hours daw makukuha ko na ang results ng examination ko. Sabado pa naman yun, at sinulat ko na ipa-deliver sa office namin ang results.

Aba at Lunes na ngayon, hindi pa dumarating ang results ko. Nainip ako at pumunta na lang kami (si Ma’am Nurse at ako) sa Hi-Precision na website at ito ang nakalagay sa results:

Blood                NEGATIVE

Yehey! I’m okay!

Yun lang po.

Bow

Don’t Forget Me Not!

 

 

I drew this for a good friend.

Hehehe Wala lang. I liked the drawing so much, I didn’t want to give it away. But ehh, sige na lang. hehehe

Going Back To Cebu

I can’t sleep for the life of me. Restless, perhaps because in less than half a day, it’s back to work! Sigh. (No actually, it’s a different reason… but I’ll keep that to myself )

Nag-extend pala ako ng bakasyon ko for the following reasons: 1) My lolo’s birthday and 2) A friend’s coming home after almost 8 years in Australia. And now that the two reasons have been fulfilled, wala na akong ibang magawa kundi bumalik sa Cebu para magtrabaho.

… And while I was away this week, may mga problema dumating sa office namin na related sa akin. Feeling ko ito mangyari pagbalik ko doon:

Lights-camera-action:
Dru: Hello boss! I’m back!
Boss: Oi Andrew! Come here..
Dru: Yes boss?
Boss:  *hits Dru in the head* DA! Now back to work!

It’s times like these na ayaw kong bumalik sa Cebu, o ayaw ko nang magtrabaho doon. Pero may dapat pa kasi akong tatapusin doon, ay teka.. hindi ata talaga yun matatapos, pero may ma-fulfill lang sana ako na goal. Kung ano yun, personal na lang. Kaya nga paminsan-minsan na lang ako umuuwi para hindi mawala yung drive ko para sa goal.

Anyway, on a lighter note I would like to share this video. This is a video presentation of my brother, Bodick, and our friend Joenas. This is their rendition of “The Ordertaker” by Parokya ni Edgar. Have fun!

Must.. Exercise.. Again

Hello you!

Closing the 2008 without any exercise has really put a toll on my body. Nasanay kasi akong maglaro ng badminton every weekend, or every chance I get. For the last quarter of 2008, wala na akong exercise, lahat kain; at ito ang nangyari: Lumaki waistline size ko by 2. Well, actually gusto ko talagang tumaba, pero gusto ko tumaba ang mukha ko, at ang mga extremities ko; ang nangyari ay lahat ng kinakain ko sa tiyan lang pumpunta! Grr.. Pero sige na lang. I think ang 2009 ko na New Year’s Resolution is to keep fit physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Ayan!

I hope I keep reminding myself this for the rest of the year.

Happy New Year’s Resolution to all!

A Happy New Year to all!

Have you made a new year’s resolution yet? … Come to think of it, I haven’t made a new year’s resolution yet. Ah I’m sure I’ll make one up soon.

Because we were hungry, we didn’t take the picture of our food. Pero close your eyes and picture a lechon de leche. Ayan. Lechon de leche! Ang sarap tignan no?

Good.

Ngayon hinihiwa na natin ang lechon, at, hala! May katabi din palang pancit galing Dencia’s. Bakit dalawa ang lalagyan ng pancit? Ay teka, *start flashback*

Lights-camera-action:
Dencia’s Waitress: Ito po ang pancit ninyo. Ang isa seafood, ang isa normal.

*end flashback*

Ah kaya pala: Normal ang isa.

So, yun. Dito lang muna ako. Sleepy pa ako eh.

Maligo sa Bagong Taon!

A More Pressing Issue

December 30, 2008

Edit: She has updates. Let’s keep up with our support!

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Hello, Ms. Bambee.

I can’t comment on your blog, so I would just like to say that my prayers are with you and your family.

I’ll also express support by reposting your issue on my blog. I hope it’s all right with you. If not, do tell me.

Repost from: VICISSITUDE’s The world has gone crazy

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2008

 

The world has gone crazy

So, I just had the worst day of my life.

At around 1:30 PM today, at Valley Golf and Country Club, Antipolo City, Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, Jr., Mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur, his father, Secretary Nasser Pangandaman of the Department of Agrarian Reform, and company, beat my defenseless 56-year-old dad and my 14-year-old brother to a pulp because of some stupid misunderstanding on the golf course.

This is a golf course. I have been a golfer all my life, and I have never seen anything like this. NOTHING. This is hard to comprehend. And it happened to my own father and my own brother too. Right in front of my eyes.

My brother and I were playing golf at the South Course of Valley. We were on the 3rd hole, and we see two golf carts going past us, overtaking our flight, and setting up to tee off on the next hole. My dad goes up to them and asks them why they would do that, why they would overtake us without even asking for our permission. Golf etiquette 101. One of the guys says that they’re with the flight in front of us. (So what? That doesn’t give them the right to just pass us WITHOUT asking.) So, we go to the 5th hole. The flight behind us catches up with us, and asks us what caused the hold up. We said that this flight just slipped in front of our flight. So we complained to the marshall. We play the 5th hole and walk towards the next hole, where there is a teehouse, and both the flights in front of us were there, talking with the marshall. The mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur talks with my dad. Things get heated up. Voices were raised. But never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine that someone would pull out a punch. Apparently not. He attacks my father. His flightmates, maybe 2 or 3 of them, rush to his aid and beat up my father. My 56-year-old father. My younger brother and I could not just watch. We rushed to break the fight. My younger brother pleads to the mayor to please stop it. To not hurt my dad. To just stop. His words still ring through my head…”Sorry na po, sorry na po…tama na…tama na po…” With his hands in front of his chest in a praying position. PLEADING. The mayor socks him in the face. My brother defended himself. My dad is still on the ground getting clobbered. My brother is the same way. I try to stop the fight, but all I can do is stop one person. There were 4 or 5 of them attacking now.

Someone breaks up the fight. I thought it was all over. The mayor shouts to his caddy: “Hindi nila kami kilala! Sabihin mo nga sa kanila kung sino ako!” And believe me, I had no idea who this person was. But now I know. He’s the person who, with 4 other men, beat up my 56-year-old father and my 14-year-old brother. He’s the person who sacks a pleading 14-year-old kid in the face. He’s a person who, I am sure, is gonna rot in hell.

I lash out, but my dad held me back. I was screaming my lungs out, shouting to this mayor, telling him about what he had done. I said: “Nakakahiya kayo. Singkwenta’y sais anyos ang tatay ko. And kapatid ko kakatorse anyos. Anong ilalaban nila sayo?”

The mayor looks at my brother, point to his face, and says, “Tatandaan kita!” And he tells me that my brother has a bad attitude and that I need to watch him. WHAT THE HELL?! So, my brother’s bad for defending his father?!

We leave. We walk to the clubhouse to file a complaint. My brother asks for a doctor. My dad could barely walk. Their group comes to the clubhouse, sees my brother. Once again my brother pleads, says sorry, and is crying. He was CRYING, for crissakes. But no. The relentless mayor still punches him in the face, and then sees my dad and goes after my dad again. Him and his friend pull my dad to the ground, pulls at his feet, and steps on him like he’s dirt. I run to him and try to hold him back, holding him back by his shirt, while this other guy and this girl tries to stop me. She tells me to just stop it. I scream in her face “they’re beating my father up and you want me to stop?!” I pull at his shirt–I don’t let go. All I can see was my dad being trampled on. I didn’t even see my brother getting beat up.

People pull them away. I get my dad, and I saw my brother. His right ear was bleeding. I freaked out. I told the receptionists to bring my brother to the clinic. I pull my dad away. People were separating us.

My mom and my older brother come. I tell her Bino’s right ear is bleeding. They both look like they could kill. My dad holds my brother off, I hold off my mom. When I finally got my mom under control, my older brother gets away and I hold him off. Two of the mayor’s bodyguards pull out guns. I embraced my brother from the back, just holding him back, crying. The receptionists came to us, crying, hugging me, my dad, and my mom, whispering to us to just leave. “Maam, umalis na po kayo, may mga baril sila…Maam…umalis na po kayo please…”

I am pretty sure the Secretary of DAR did not take part in the fight, but he just watched all this happen. He watched two of his sons, as we figured out, the other guy was his son, too, beat up my father and my 14-year-old brother. He didn’t do anything to stop it. And this person is what now? A cabinet member. A politician.

Sounds like something out of a movie, doesn’t it? But this is what happened. TODAY. The day after Christmas. To my family. And all I ask for is JUSTICE. The people at Valley Golf did not seem to want to help us. None of the security guards even tried to stop the fight. Right in the clubhouse. I came back after the fight was over and talked to the receptionists. They say they did not see anything. The general manager of Valley Golf would not give us the names of the men who made my brother’s ear bleed. It took him an hour. Maybe even more than that. He seemed to not want to help us. Because, we were against the SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM and the MAYOR OF MASIU CITY, LANAO DEL SUR. They were all scared.

The world has gone crazy. Two politicians beat up a defenseless 56-year-old father and his 14-year-old son. At a golf course. I swear to God, I thought golfers were decent people. You would think politicians were decent people. I guess not. I guess they gang up on 56-year-old men and beat up pleading 14-year-old kids.

Please pray for my dad, my brother and for my whole family. Please pray that we get JUSTICE. Oh God, please, give these people what they deserve.

Desperadas Dos

 

For lack of an available, larger poster:

 From Inquirer:

“Rich and beautiful half-sisters (Gutierrez, Quinto, Calzado, Rivera) meet their long-lost half-sis, Lugaluda Lugalu (Alcasid). Although they were at first suspicious of Lugaluda, the girls eventually warm up to the exotic princess from the Republic of Kwelali. Alcasid, who crosses gender lines for this adult comedy, describes Lugaluda as “maternal and loving.” “She saves her sisters from various predicaments and finds love in a young man at the same time,” says Alcasid. Gutierrez, Quinto and Calzado agree that Alcasid spices up the “Desperadas” sequel with his hilarious portrayal.“

Since a long time ago, I haven’t been a fan of Tagalog movies. Many of our movies’ plots seem to have been written on a tissue over merienda while eating a ginanggang on the sidewalk. This movie, Desperadas 2, was a bit different: This was conceptualized while eating the ginanggang upside down in the middle of the street naked; Poorly thought, minadali, parang na-pressure ang script writer sa plot para makakagawa lang ng script. Sayang. *sigh* In addition, the movie was still dubbed. We’re proceeding to year 2009, and we still have microphone hisses and some muffled sounds.

The movie was below average in my rating. It could’ve been worse, but aside from Ogie Alcasid’s female role saving her siblings from their plight, he also saved the movie a bit. He provided better comic relief than everyone else – until it got monotonous, but that’s beside the point.

There were also advertisements on the movie like many others: Barcelona Brandy, Nestle yogurt, Fit & Right, Nesvita, and Avon. I might have missed a few. Relax. Now it looks like a one-hour-and-fifty commercial, only bad.

See, our commercials are getting better and better, but our movies have only grown a bit – if not at all. Why is everything still dubbed? It destroys a lot of quality for the actors/actresses. Their acting is good, yes, but the voices make it less, or overly emphasized. 

Why do the plots sometimes seem too shallow? Many movies could’ve ended sooner, like 30-45 minutes, but no, we have to keep the people on their seats.

*Sigh*.

Oh by the way, I went home after the movie, I stopped by at Star Movies and saw it was playing Epic Movie. It was a lot better.. Really!