Inuman 101

Rule number 1: Pag iinom lang sa bahay, wag magsusuot ng bonggang bongga.

Kung hindi naman high end bar ang pupuntahan mo, hindi mo na kailangang pumorma-porma.
Kasi kung may lasing, at nakamini skirt ka, asahan mong may hindi magandang mangyayari. Lalo na kung matagal nang hindi nakakatikim ng luto ng Diyos ang itinutukoy.

Rule number 2: Wag maarte.

Ang pinikpikan ay masarap. Kung hindi mo alam kung ano ang pinikpikan, aba, dapat matikman
mo na. Kain sa iisang plato, tagay sa iisang baso. E ano naman kung ang last na nagshot e mukhang hindi nagtutooth brush? At least masaya kayong lahat.

Rule number 3: Wag paimporante.

Pag tinanong ka kung anong gusto mo, sabihin mo agad kung ano ang iniibig mong tirahin. Gin
blue man yan o beer, wag ka nang magiinarte pag wala ka nang iniinom. Feel at home. Lalo na
kung bahay mo nga talaga ang lugar na pinagdadausan ng inuman.

Rule number 4: Uminom lang ng tama.

Ang alak ay nilalagay sa tiyan, hindi sa utak. Pag sobra na sa inom, tumigil muna ng ilang sandali
at namnamin ang hilo. Pag nawala ang tama, uminom ulit. Magsuka kung kinakailangan.

Rule number 5: Maghanda ng asin.

Pag hindi inaasahan, at kailangang mag "body shot", at least alam mo kung nasaan ang asin. Hindi ka na maghahanap ng hindi pa naliligo para lang may madilaang maalat.

Rule number 6: Pag niyayang sumayaw, wag nang magpakipot.

Hindi na uso ang pagirl. Lalo na kung crush mo na ang nagyayang sumayaw.

Rule number 7: Makijam lang sa mga lasing.

Lasing sila, at kahit na sabihin pang wala na sila sa sarili nila alam pa rin nila ang ginagawa nila. So, kung may nasabi nilang nakakasakit, o kung natapakan nila ang paa mo, o kung nasapak ka nila ng hindi sinasadya, hayaan mo na. Bumawi ka na lang next time.

Rule number 8: Ang pulutan ay hindi ulam.

Wag maghanap ng kanin.

Rule number 9: Hindi pulutan ang kasamang umiinom.

Pwera na lang kung masarap talaga siya, saka ka maghanap ng kanin. :)

Rule number 10: Magpasalamat sa nagpainom.

Pwede ding hindi - kung ikaw ang nagpainom.

INUMAN NA!!! Bottoms Up!!!

Happy Birthday Beaugarte!

Nine Thousand Four Hundred Ninety days.

Two hundred Twenty Seven, Seven Hundred Sixty Hours.

One Million, Three Hundred Sixty Five Thousand, Six Hundred Minutes.

Eight Hundred Nineteen Million, Nine hundred Thirty Six Thousand Seconds.

Four Nine Billion, One hundred Ninety six Million, One Hundred Sixty Thousand Milliseconds.


That would summarize my entire life once the clock struck midnight this morning.

I was amazed at the speed of time. It was as if it was just yesterday.

I have been counting the blessings that came to my life. And every minute, every second that passed made me who I am today. Exactly who I am today.

26 years of existence. It sure is a lot for me! I mean, I have been in this world for a quarter of a century. And who knows how long I am going to stay alive?

If I was to choose, once again, what age I would go back to, I wouldn't take it. I would stay here, where I am right now. I can say, right now, that I am satisfied. I have everything, and I am happy.

6 years ago, I was sitting on my dormitory bed, thinking it was horrible to even get to 20. 20 was already old for me that time. I wondered what I would be after 5 years. Now here I am. Accomplished and, should I say, successful.

No, I don't have any life savings. I spend my money quite unwisely and I had my share of heartaches, empty stomach and drunken nights. But I refuse to think that my life was a mess. I think my life is just perfect. I don’t want anything more, nor anything less.

The question is, how long am I going to be satisfied? The answer - as long as I want to remain satisfied. For now, I dwell in the happiness that I feel every time I see my friends. I am happy every time I laugh with them. The moments shared will never be replaced by anything in this world.

Many people would ask me if I would redo my life again. In a heartbeat, I would answer I wouldn't. Every scar on my body tells a story, every wrinkle on my face shows who I am suppose to be.

To the people who I love - thank you for being there. Always.

To my mom - if you weren't there that Saturday morning, I wouldn't be where I am today.

To my father - thank you for raising me to who I am. Although you do not readily approve to my choices, I know you love me for who I am.

To my brother - you were there beside me all the time. He can be annoying at times, but it sure beats the hell of being alone in this world.

To my friends - without saying your names out loud I know you know who you are. Thank you for making this lifelong journey worthwhile. For the times that I sought for a family to be with, you were there. I will never forget the memories we had.

I grin like a Cheshire Cat, knowing that the start of the second quarter of the century I live in will be full of surprises. And just like that cheesy novel I really love to read, I know that sometime, someplace, it is going to be a blast.

Umulan Sana ng Pera

Umuulan na naman...

Nakakatuwang isipin na pag umuulan, ayaw nating mabasa. Samantalang kapag taginit naman e gusto natin lagi tayong nakatampisaw sa tubig. Ok lang naman ang konting ambon e. Tapos pag palabas ka na ng bahay, titigil na, parang walang nangyari. Masaya ang mga halaman at tuyo ang outfit.

Narinig mo na ba ang kantang Tuwing Umuulan? Yung kantang ang message e ok lang na umulan basta may kasama ka? Ayoko yung kantang yun. Oo, nakakatuwang pakinggan si Regine Velasquez habang tumitili na parang wala nang kinabukasan, pero pag inisip mo ng maige - may kaagaw ka na ng kumot, madadagdagan pa ang bayad mo sa kuryente dahil dalawang beses nang magpapainit ng ubig na pampaligo. Buti sana kung mayaman ka. E pambili na nga lang ng tuyo e pagiipunan mo pa ng 3 buwan. Wala pang kasamang kanin yun. Kailangan mo pang bumili ng kanin sa karinderya. Sampung piso para sa isang serving ng rice. Ang gagamitin nilang pantakal e yung pangtakal sa gatas ng bata. Mga dalawang ganun.

Isipin mo na lang kung naging halaman tayong lahat.

BAMBOO: "Naku, umuulan na naman, malakas na naman ang hangin, magbebending exercise na naman ako."
PINE TREE: "Hindi ako na kailangan pang magbending."
CACTUS: "TULUNGAN NIYO AKO, NALULUNOD AKO!!"

Hay, ewan ko nga ba. Minsan naiisip ko, pag umuulan, talagang hindi mo mapipigilang magisip.

May naiwan ka bang sampay sa bahay?
Tumutulo ba ang bubong?
May pasok ba ang mga bata?
May bagyo ba?
Kelan kaya titigil ang ulan?
Kailan kaya matututo ng ibang sayaw si Marianne Rivera?

Buti sana kung pera ang nahuhulog mula sa langit. Kung pera yan, aba, baka lahat ng timba ko sa bahay e nakasahod na. Ang problema, pag barya ang nahulog, kailangan magsuot ng protective gear. Baka bukol ang abutin mo, gastos na naman.

Sabi nga ng kaibigan kong itago na lang natin sa pangalan na Fifi Larue, sa sobrang hirap ng buhay, marami ang natututong kumapit sa patalim. Aba, e ikaw ba naman ang ligawan ng mayamang Amerikano, kahit na nakakalbo, go go go na, kahit na wala na itong buhok sa ulo at mas makapal pa ang buhok niya sa dibdib.

Ayan, tumila na ang ulan. Bukas uulan ulit. Sana naman pera na ang bumuhos. Wag lang barya.

Bag of Tricks and Special Devices ala Doraemon

Ang labo naman o.

Sabi mo Summa Cum Laude ka. Pero bakit wrong grammar? Nakalimutan mo ata ang subject-verb agreement mo.

Potah. Ang yabang pa ng pagkakasabi. Kung matalino ka talaga, hindi mo ipagmamayabang yan. Ipinapakita ang katalinuhan, hindi pinagmamayabang.

Parang hidden talent lang na walng kakwenta kwenta. Kung hindi naman kami maaaliw, itago mo na lang.

Taena. Kakairita talaga ang mga taong nagpapanggap. Matalino. Daw. Mayaman. Daw. Gwapo. Sabi ng nanay niya.

Ito ang salamin mula sa aking mahiwagang bag of tricks and special devices (BOTSD) ala DORAEMON.

Tignan mo ang sarili mo. Ito, baka kailangan mo ng "special face changer" mula sa aking bag of tricks. Baka sakaling magmukha kang tao.

Ito pa ang "location changer" para makarating ka sa ibang bansa. Baka sakaling makarating ka ng States na walang VISA.

Kung hindi siya gumana, ito, kunin mo, ang limang piso. MAGHANAP KANG TAENANG KA NG KAUSAP MO.

Leche.

Bull

Falling in love.

Some say it is the essance of living in this world. Others disagree, saying they don't need love to live. I, honestly, do not know what side I am on. I mean, I can live without someone to actually love. But every morning, everytime my head hits the pillow, I wonder when my Prince Charming would come and sweep me off my feet.

Damn, just like a child fantasizing about their wedding day, I fantasize about meeting someone and clicking with that person - out of the blue, like in a bookstore or a coffee shop. But, unlike children, who harbor that innate hope that someday dreams would come true, I always put this fantasies aside and remember that I am in the real world. No happy ever afters, no wedding cakes, no wedding gowns. For me at least. For a person like me.

I have always dreaded falling in love. I hate the feeling of falling for someone. Maybe I had too many heartbreaks to last a lifetime. Maybe I am just afraid to love because of the fear of rejection, of falling for the wrong person. Someone told me before that it should never be termed aas "falling", but instead "growing". Either way, I do not feel comfortable in the said situation. It is just too much for me to handle.

I have played, several times, with the idea of finally meeting someone who would accept me as who I am. No buts, no ifs. I once thought I found that kind of love. After a couple of weeks I learned never to trust someone who says he will be at Puerto Galera. With his family. During Holy Week. If you are gay and Filipino you would know what I am talking about. HINT : The beach will be full of men - in skimpy trunks.

Another relationship, but this time, when I thought he loved me for who I am, I learned I was number 3. Out of 5. Talk about choices.

So now I spend my days at work, drowning myself in stressful reports and ugly people, in hope that I would have enough money to drown myself in alcohol and loud music at the end of the week.

Gay people without experiences often confuse love with lust. I have passed through that phase as well. I would fall in love easily. And fall out of it easily as well. That was a funny time for me. It was something tha I will never forget, but never will come back to.

Falling in love.

Some people think it is the only way to happiness.

I think that's bull.

Spicy Patar - The Beach

The sand felt so good between my toes.

It didn't really matter if it was warm, or if I was hungry. I just wanted to savor the cool breeze, and feel myself tan under the hot sun.

The beach was blue green, unlike the muddy brackish sea water at the other beaches I have been too (except Pagudpod).

The wind was strong enough to carry our sarongs away, so I held on to mine.

There was a small stream beside the beach, and at the estuary ( I learned a new word today) - where the river water and the sea water mix, was the clearest and cleanest water I have seen.

Spicy Patar - The Journey to Paradise

Hidden Paradise.

I have heard these words so many times before. And I have been fooled many times over. The promise of a stress-free environment has long eluded me, until now.

Di Anne and Van - two of my close friends - and I have been planning to go on a road trip somewhere. It would be just us, in a refreshing and stress-free weekend away from the busy and haggard call center life.

Di Anne suggested that we go to their place, at Bolinao. I have heard so much about the place before - the pristine beaches, the overpriced resorts, and the long trip to that place. Being a fan of road trips, I immediately agreed to join them in a journey to Paradise.

It was Friday afternoon when we started the trip. Van brought along her yummy boyfriend, Joel. It was in his car that we started the exciting road trip.

Going down to Dagupan was a breeze. It was after Dagupan that we started wondering where the hell were we going. Di Anne promised that she remembered the way to Bolinao. We got lost around 3 times. Eventually, we were able to get directions straight, so after a couple of left and right turns, we were back in track.

Travelling is often tiresome. We were hungry, and we wanted to rest our sore bums. We started talking about oysters, and how delicious it would be to cook some Rockefeller oysters, the kind with cheese on top - recipe courtesy of April Dawn De Asis.

We were still in the car, talking about food, when we entered the shortcut to Alaminos. Di Anne mentioned the carps (hito) at Alaminos were yummy, so we stopped at the first restaurant we saw and ordered some fish. After filling our tummies with the grilled slimy fish, we realized that we have not taken any pictures of it yet. So I took my handy cellphone and snapped a pic of what was left of our early dinner.

Next stop, Sual, with a breathtaking view of the South China Sea. We only got to take a few pics with a good backgound, but I would always remember the breathtaking view and fresh breeze. Van even managed to crack a joke, saying she wanted to have a place of her own in the place, and perhaps call it "Sual-salan." Leave it to Van to make sexual innuendos.

Overlooking the Sual Harbor

After more than an hour, we arrived at our destination, Bolinao. We stayed at Di Anne's family's place, and waited until morning to see what we went to Bolinao for - the pristine White Beach of Patar.

Morning came and we had to leave early for the market. At the market place we saw so many seafood, I was salivating over the fresh crabs, tuna, squid and fish of all kind.

The road trip to the beach was fun, we were all excited, like children going to school for the first time. We even stopped at the famously expensive resorts along the way, thinking that it was a nice way to fool people who would ask were we stayed at Bolinao. We can afford them, but we'd rather stick to the budget.

A couple more minutes and we were gazing at the tallest structure we have seen since the start of the trip - the second oldest Light house in the entire Philippines. I do not know what it was named, but the view there was spectacular. The breeze was cool. The climate was fine. It was a good day to take pictures. The lighting was superb.


Di Anne's newest favorite photo at the Lighthouse View Deck

Taking advantage of the superb lighting and view at the Lighthouse View Deck

The second oldest Lighthouse in the Philippines

The beach itself was just 5 minutes away from the lighthouse. It was a public beach, so I did not expect anything fancy.

I put on my sunglasses, and stepped into the white sands of Patar Beach.

I was amazed. For the first time in a very long time, I knew I have seen Paradise.


to be continued...

Good News, Bad News.

"First the bad news," she said, smiling till her cheeks hurt.

I thought it was really bad news. For the person she was talking to, it wasn't. For me, it was. I just wanted to place both of my hands on her neck and wring the life out of her. But hey, wouldn't do it. Couldn't do it.

And I thought it was the end of the world for the guy. He looked so concerned, with eyes piercing into the lady's soul, trying to find out what the secret was about.

She blurted both the bad and the good news in one sentence.

I wanted to end my life then and there.

I mean, I work hard for this company. I really do. They said my efforts would be recognized. WHEN? I want to get out of this hellhole, if not for the fact that I badly need every cent that I get from this place.

Bills to pay, food to purchase. Things I have to think about as the head of the household.

But yet, I really want to break FREE!!

Good news for my colleague turned out to be Bad news for me. Oh well, back to the drawing board...

An Open Letter to the People I Love.

"Can you be in love with someone you haven't seen yet?"

"How far can you go when it comes to loving someone?"

"When will enough be enough?"

"Why me?"

"Why now?"

"Why this?"

______________________

There will always be questions about life. And these questions usually come out only when a heart get broken.

I have always asked myself these questions. And no, I haven't found the answers just yet. If I did I'd probably be a happier person.

These inquiries came out tonight. From people that really mattered to me. And it was so heart breaking that I just had to go away.

I have always avoided bad vibrations. I always believed in finding happiness, in any manner possible, to escape the harshness of reality. People see me as a happy person, someone who would bring light to a darkened room. However, try as I may, I do not always bring the results.

This is an open letter to the people I love. I hope that, when you get to read this, you've has already found what you have been desperately looking for.

_____________________

For you, who have been through a terrible heartache:


Time will come when you'll laugh at what you have done. When you come to your senses, you will realize that letting someone go, no matter how you love them, will bring you happiness - eventually. You will find out that you had to go under terrible gloom because of giving up in something that has long been dead. You have tried everything, you have been faithful, you have been generous. You invested too much that leaving seems like a very pathetic thing to do. But you know what's pathetic? It's staying with someone that you have absolutely nothing in common with. It's staying because you think it is a good idea to hang on, hoping that the other person would realize their mistakes. You'll get out of this heartache, sooner or later. You are a strong person.

___________________

For you, who have chosen to think twice about friendship because of your first love:

There is a reason why it has been called first love. It is the time when you learn. It is the first in a long and winding road of happiness and sadness. It is the one thing that you would always cherish. It will be the basis of your future loves. Charlotte York once said the we only get 2 great loves in our lives. I want to make that my mantra. It is true. Because when you first fall in love, you think it is the greatest thing that happened in your life. But the truth is, something else will come. If the universe makes this an exception to the rule, and you stay with your first love forever, then I would be happy for you. But when you start to choose between your lover and your friends, this is a great mistake. This would be the biggest mistake that you can ever do.

Friend, I love you, you know that. I will always be there whenever you would want to have someone to talk to. However, having the idea that you would leave me, just because of someone you have not seen yet, in person, makes me want to stay away, for a while. We will have time to talk.

___________________

To all, loving someone is the greatest thing that could happen to us. And it would even be greater if that someone loves us back.

But it will take great effort and patience to finally find that special someone. Let us just wait and see.

Becks and Cubao, Quezon City - DAY 3

Manila. Day 3.

With Php 1, 500 left in my wallet, I was beginning to wonder how I could live it out here, in Manila. Would I survive? Would I be able to continue living in certain comfort?

I have done that in Baguio - you know - staying up late and waking up even later. At most times I only have a couple hundred in my pocket, and I will survive. But here, in Manila, even walking would cost me at least 20 pesos. And that does not even include the cab fare, tricab fare, and MRT/LRT fare. Kaya pala laging nagrereklamo ang mga masa. They work a lot, but get a very low salary. And they have to face heat and dirt every day of their lives.

Well, I am going to be one of them now. So help me GOD.

I already got accepted at ACS, Advanced Contact Solutions. Well, I am going to start as an IP Relay agent. I really do not know what the f*ck that means, but I bet it would suck. I love the salary they offered me though. Php 23,000. In Manila that would roughly translate to 1 week in expenses.

I hate the thought of leaving Baguio. But hey! It's just a couple of Months. I'll be back come January. :)