Sugar Overload

The minute I woke up that noon I knew I wanted to eat something sweet. However, true to my intentions of making my budget last till I get my first pay check, I decided I'd let go of my desires and just get on with the very spartanistic essentials.

So, Rei and I decided to head out to our "favorite" tapsilogan and just pig out on a medium sized fried pork, sunny side up egg and 2 cups of garlic rice - this has been our staple food since I started living here in Manila. After eating with much gusto (or just too fast cause I did not have any breakfast before going to bed), there is was again. I knew instantly that I wanted to eat some chocolate cookies, or pretzels. Deciding that it was just give a small hole on my pocket, we immediately headed to the nearest Mini-Stop.

There it was. A pint of heavenly ice cream, and much to Rei's delight, it was his favorite brand and flavor - Coffee Crumble. It was like a myth coming true, like Ibong Adarna na was rarely seen. Or the Himalayan Yeti, whose existence is still doubted and considered to be a myth, because of the rarity of it being seen.

Like a child, Rei pulled out the pint of ice cream from the freezer, and, just like a child, looked at it with awe. I knew instantly he'd buy it. And although he was also on a budget, like me, he wanted to splurge. It was a day after his birthday after all - sort of a post-birthday celebration, he said.

Once we got back to the apartment, we started digging in. It was, with no other words to describe it - heaven. I have not had any ice cream for as long as I could remember, and sitting at the living room, just talking about everything, puffing white smoke and eating cold, cold, ice cream, we were in nirvana.

After eating the pint of ice cream in a frenzy, we decided to sleep it out, we had work that night anyway, and we have to get a good "night's" rest.

Needless to say, the sugar laden ice cream gave us so much energy that we were not able to sleep that well for the rest of day. I woke up groggy, and my entire body aches.

I don't think I regret eating ice cream though. It was one of the few things that made me happy during my stay here in Manila. I remember, in college, I used to eat a whole pint of ice cream all by myself. This was during the time when I felt most alone in my life. This was also the period where I started developing my habit of stress eating. Now that I am more grown up, I could say that a few minutes with the company of one of my good friends - with his stories, cigarettes, good heart, and a pint of Coffee Crumble - makes life bearable.

I'd love to have another Sugar Overload moments like this. It makes me forget I miss home, even for just a little while.

Becks and the City: Part Deux

The first day of the fifth month of the year. Thousands of people around the Philippines flock to Manila for various reason.

Hundreds of people carry placards, asking the Filipino governent to oust the incumbent president to step down from her post. They hope that in any event that Her Excellence resigns from her position, the economy of this once great country improves.

Thousands of people bring resumes to job fairs, knowing that they are just one step in getting a better chance in life. These people get in queues, 4 copies of 1x1 pictures in hand, praying that by the end of the day they get a job that would drastically change their way of living.

One gay guy sits at his friends room, not doing anything, wondering what tomorow would bring.

It took me a quarter of a century to finally realize that I had to do something about my life. And now, I am here, at the Capital of the Philippines, joining generations of Filipino people who have braved the heat and pollution to get a bird's eye view of the real deal.

It has been a couple of days since I boarded that bus to Manila. And though I know I will have a very hectic Monday, I have tried to relax and just enjoy my stay at my friend's house.

I have not had any decent sleep since the first night. I have been tossing and turning on the bed i share with Rei, thinking - consciously and subconciously - about the start of my life here in Manila.

On my first day here, he toured me around the compound that would be my home for a month, and the amenities were very comfortable. A swimming pool and clubhouse a block away from our building, and a market place two blocks from the compound, makes it easier to live here.

I wonder if I would be able to get a domicile just like this, without hurting my budget. I know, I am a single gay guy with nothing to look after but myself. But then again, I want to be able to save enough money so that I can afford stuff for the house when my mom comes back to the Philippines for good.

I never really thought that I'd eventually work in Manila when I was young. I thought life in Baguio would be a breeze. But then again, with the worldwide recession and the lack of very rewarding job opportunities in Baguio, Manila started calling me again. It was like I was being drawn to a flame, like a moth. A couple of years ago, after resigning from my first call center job, I has serious thoughts of moving to Manila. Then the company I previously worked for opened up. I stayed there for more than 2 years, but within that period, I can still hear Manila's pleasures whispering in my ear, begging me to come.

And so here I am, eager to start working again, after a hiatus of more than a month.

The first day of the fifth month of the year brings with it a sense of longing for a lot of people - the dreams of being able to get through life. People hope of becoming better. They wish that they get a better chance in life. And as funny as it sounds, though a lot of people just realize this every time Labor Day comes, it is that one special day that makes us want to be better individuals.